Tales From the Dropbox Episode 81 continues where the last episode left off. Really – a sequel to Episode 80! I had stockpiled a number of those punk rawk goodies that you all seem to love and the pace on this episode like the last one is even faster and more furious (except for the last track which is soft and contemplative). Speaking of furious – it is very difficult to not to be furious with the chaos that the FPOS is bringing forth each and every damn day to the office of presidency. Forget the politics. Just examine the lack of transparency and the numerous and repeated attempt to mislead the people. Republicans may think that Trump is winning in his treatment of individuals and the press. Really, it is quite appalling. What kind of president doesn’t permit the press corps to turn on cameras in a press room? Seems petty. Because it truly is. The office of the President must be completely transparent because the President, as the most powerful person in the United States and whom presumably was validly elected by the people, represents all of the people (not just those persons who voted for him) and must carry out all of his activities in a manner that demonstrates to the satisfaction of all that he is not abusing his power. The Presidency is the office of the all of the citizens of the United States. It is not a political party office as the FPOS somehow believes. Democrat or Republican – no matter what your politics, you should be very afraid when a president decides that the press should not have complete and full access to the office. Sure – the press is not the same press that once existed to present full, fair, balanced, and accurate reporting. Inaccuracy and advocacy disguised as news is part of the price of our democracy. We must all become better informed and better filters. However, what is clear is that democracy is threatened when the president gets to decide what news agencies he will give access, when he starts limiting access to the press, when he lies repeatedly.

Trump is a liar. This fact will not change. Trump will continue to lie to the American people in the future. He is free to do so. This freedom to lie to the American people is also sign of a thriving democracy. However, lies told to the American people should have serious consequences. Both political parties should call him on all his lies – every single lie should be exposed and punished. The press must also be free to report the lies so the public can discern the truth. The press also has a responsibility to report the truth not advocate for a particular viewpoint.

A lier as a president is a greater threat to dmocracy than a press that lies. Why? There is only a single president and there are multiple sources to obtain the news. On balance, the danger to democracy is greater when the press is not permitted to question the president or receive truthful answers from the president. It is not the presidents job to decide what is accurate reporting – particularly when the president is a liar. It is a fundamental to a democracy that the president does not get to decide what information he should release about policy and how the press reports that information to the people.

#Resist #TruthMatters

Here is what you’ll find in Episode #81:

1. Wedding Camp – “Good To Know You” (Clear Fizzy Things)
2. American Lips – “Beyond the 7/11” (Kiss The Bird)
3. Rad Payoff – “The Gender Of My Animals” (Slow & Weird)
4. Fat Stupids – “Reaction” (Reaction EP)
5. Pals – “Molly” (In-Between)
6. Direct Hit! – “Living Dead” (Domesplitter)
7. Damnation A.D. – “The Hanging Garden” (Pornography)
8. Short Days – “Antisocial” (Short Days)
9. Vaguess – “Bad Chicks” (Guilt Ring)
10. Dirtbag Republic – “Junkie Girl” (Downtown Eastside)
11. Grayscale – “Atlantic” (Adornment)
12. Have Mercy – “Baby Grand” (Make The Best Of It)
13. State Champs – “All Or Nothing” (Around The World And Back)
14. Magazine – “Look What Fear’s Done To My Body (Because You’re Frightened)” (Peel Session 07/01/80)
15. The Wild Reeds – “Everything Works Better (in Hindsight)” (The World We Built)

You love me because you’re frightened and I’m falling in love with you because I’m getting frightened of the things you somehow make me do . . . The postcards on your walls I left them blank because they don’t exist at all

KFR

Harder, faster. As promised, Tales From the Dropbox Episode 80 brings you a pretty fun-filled, fast past hour of punk rock. What I truly find interesting is that the genre is far from stale after 40 years. You’ll know one track in this episode for certain, but I’ve included it to demonstrate the difference between 1977 and the state of the punk rawk nation now in 2017. In hindsight, “God Save The Queen” was not so menacing – it truly was just another pop song.

I do not have any tapes of my conversations with Jim Comey. . . or do I?

#Resist

Here is what you’ll find in Episode #80:

1. Gland – “The Velvet Glove of Self Love” (Is A Conspiracy EP)
2. Loom – “Barbed Wire” (Loom)
3. Face to Face  “Say What You Want” (Say What You Want (7’’ single))
4. Cyanide Pills – “Razorblade” (Sliced and Diced)
5. Tigers Jaw – “Blurry Vision” (spin)
6. Spill  “Can’t Keep Cool” (Every Drop Counts)
7. Authority Zero  “Revolution Riot” (Broadcasting to the Nation)
8. The Moans  “Date At The Haunted Mansion” (Arrested for Possession)
9. The Putz – “Brain Dead” (Hole In One)
10. Bad//Dreems – “Naden” (Dogs at Bay)
11. Dion Lunadon – “Fire” (Dion Lunadon)
12. Deez Nuts – “Commas & Zeros” (Binge & Purgatory)
13. Rise Against – “Politics of Love” (Wolves)
14. Sex Pistols – “ God Save The Queen” (Never Mind The Bollocks)
15. The Total Bettys – “Light as a Feather” (Peach)

Wise up you’re not the only one who ever tried to make a difference, distrust filling up in us before we know it truth and lies go hand in glove . . . I should have said something to you

KFR

Happy birthday to my sister Shelagh and congratulations and love to my three children: Caitlin, Kieran & Justin who all graduated from college this year! Kieran graduated last month, Caitlin graduated last week, and Justin walks this weekend! Tales From The Drop Box Episode 79 has absolutely no music my children or my sister will love or appreciate. My sister is a little younger than me and she missed out by a smidge on the full on punk rock experience. My daughter is an musical outlier enjoying a mix of classical and chiptune – a true musical non-conformist. My sons, on the other hand, are hip hop, rap and radio pop fans.  They have all have rebelled against my parental influence. An awesome accomplishment as a parent!

So, with warm thoughts of people I care deeply about, I am compromising only slightly by playing yet another varied and exciting melodic episode full of weirdness and songs worthy of contemplation and which hopefully they will know that I play these songs only seeking to provide them with joy!  True, it is little light on the punk rock… but stay with me. Next week will rock much harder, eh? How do you know this episode signals the beginning of summer? Everything contained in it is (mostly) sunny and is truly packaged with love.

Here is what you’ll find in Episode #78:

1. The Buns – “Better than Nothing” (Out of Bounds)
2. The Coronas – “Not What You Know” (Trust The Wire)
3. Alt-J – “Deadcrush” (Relaxer)
4. Monday Mistress – “Not For Sale” (Monday Mistress)
5. Dave Not Dave – “Desire” (Choices Made While Dreaming)
6. Dapple Cities – “In Light of No One” (IIIII)
7. Delay Trees – “It’s Not Who You Are” (Let Go)
8. Kasabian – “Wasted” (For Crying Out Loud (Deluxe Edition))
9. Sea Pinks – “Places She Goes” (Watercourse)
10. Dope Lemon – “Lovers Left To Die” (Hounds Tooth EP)
11. Lucky Boys Confusion – “It’s After Midnight” (Stormchasers)
12. Rubella Ballet – “Plastic Life” (Never Mind The Day-glo – Here’s Rubella Ballet)
13. Sunflowers – “Charlie Don’t Surf” (The Intergalactic Guide to Find The Red Cowboy)
14. Off Broadway – “Stay in Time” (On)
15. Kamikaze Girls – “Teenage Feelings” (Seafoam)

Stay in time boy don’t get out of line boy take a stand don’t get out of hand . . . If you don’t have the ace of hearts my dear, you’re a lost man

KFR

I haven’t done one of the episodes in a long while so I figured today is a new day and well … now is as good a time as ever, summer is nearly upon us and I’m feeling groovy and so Tales From The Drop Box Episode 78 marks the return of the all-female vocal episode. Perhaps a better reason as to why this is a good time for this type of episode? This episode is also a tribute to Rodney Bingenheimer aka Rodney on the ROQ, a DJ at KROQ in Los Angeles and the DJ who, for decades, championed numerous female rock bands (even Joan Jett) and whose last show is occurring as I write these notes (June 5) from midnight to 4 a.m. (they gave him an extra hour to retire).

After 41 years on the radio (all with Los Angeles’ shittiest by far radio station) Rodney is a legend. Sure he was also a freakin’ weirdo and sometimes creepy. He was not a smooth DJ (same as yours truly), but Rodney was unparalleled in his passion for new music. He was responsible for so many firsts in the exploration of new music, that any perceived “flaws,” should be forgiven, forgotten, and replaced with only the memory of what made his radio show truly great: he was passionate about the music he loved and wanted to share as much of it as he could with the world. Rodney’s passion for new music cannot be replaced and certainly won’t be replaced at KROQ. That fact alone makes his forced retirement truly is a shame. Why?  Simply Rodney was the best thing about KROQ as a radio station. KROQ largely lost its soul throughout the 1990’s and 2000’s when it decided that music no longer mattered. Without Rodney, KROQ is not even remotely relevant as a radio station.

As KROQ reduced Rodney’s airtime, moved his show, and generally treated him with the disrespect that it has treated other veterans (Lisa May, Doc) it should come as no surprise that KROQ management would eject the last of its DJ’s that actually played new challenging music. Not all of it was good, but who cares. Rodney was and remains a class act – taking the frequent insults and abuse without complaint and this final insult by an out of touch soulless corporate bore fest with grace. For Rodney it was always the music that mattered most.

So, Rodney, if you are reading these notes – Thank you for the four decades of of taking chances on all kinds of music and championing musical diversity!

Here is what you’ll find in Episode #78:

1. Audio Jane – “Atmosphere” (Naïve)
2. No Vacation – “Yam Yam” (Yam Yam)
3. The Franklys – “Castaway” (Are You Listening?)
4. The Primitives – “I’ll Trust The Wind” (New Thrills)
5. Adult Mom – “Full Screen” (Soft Spots)
6. Haircut – “No” (Demo)
7. Our Girl – “Sad Fuzz (Ty Segall Cover)” (Rough Trade Counter Culture 12’’ Vol. 1)
8. Tape Waves – “All I Can See” (Let You Go)
9. Tricot – “Yosoiko” (3)
10. Del Bel – “Only Breathing” (III)
11. Coathangers – “Down Down (Alternate Version)” (Parasite)
12. Dia Frampton – “Gold and Silver” (Bruises)
13. Charly Bliss – “DQ” (Guppy)
14. Priests – “USA (Incantations)” (Early Recordings)
15. Diet Cig – “Barf Day” (Swear I’m Good At This)

Just one birthday card sent to me I missed my own surprise party it’s me, I’m only twenty-one years old and now I’m drinking alone. . . Say it and forget it they got you cause you had it and I ain’t mad I’m feeling down down down down

KFR