Rock In My World

The Chesterfield Kings

Have you ever heard of Little Steven's Underground Garage? Well, if you dig old garage-band music and the kids who are playing that sort of thing now, this is your radio show. It's syndicated, but you can listen to the shows online when you register for the site. Anyway, in case you live in a hole hollowed out of a dead oak, you know that Little Steven is Steven Van Zandt, of the E Street Band (aka Silvio Dante of The Sopranos).

I was listening to one of the archive shows awhile back and heard a song by The Chesterfield Kings that kicked my ass. This band from Rochester, NY has been around since 1979, and their first goal was to record collectible garage 45RPM records, so they kept their pressings small. Over the years, they added LP records to their discography, but they never really hit the big time. With the release of Psychedelic Sunrise this year, though, and their continued support from Little Steven, their fortunes may change. Oh, did I mention they're signed to Little Steven's record label, Wicked Cool Records? I guess he keeps it in the family!

This album rocks from start to finish. It's got the feel of The Stones, The Who, The Standells, and Them, all rolled together, so you know it's full of good-time, kickass rock and roll. (If you're all emo or post-rock, then you probably won't dig this, so go put on your Dashboard Confessional and your Mogwai and go have your own party.)
I've got two cuts for you today. The first, Sunrise (Turn On), has a hint of The Who's I Can See For Miles, so listen for that. Next, you can sample the the darker, more psychedelic sounds of Elevator Ride.

The band's site is http://www.thechesterfieldkings.com/ and you can find Little Steven's Underground Garage by googling. Even if you never listen to the shows, his site has tons of great bands listed and lots of background information to check out.

On with the tuneage!