NEW IN THE Radio Rumpus Room this week was "You Can Never Go Fast Enough," a collection of songs inspired by the existential gearhead film, Monte Hellman's 1971 "Two Lane Blacktop." The collection features artists like Calexico, Mark Eitzel, Wilco and Cat Power, and is not really a rockin' sort, latching more onto the sense of ennui that suffuses the film. But the near nine-minute track "Don't Cry Driver" by Will Oldham with a voiceover by Alan Licht is reason enough for this disc to exist. The only song that directly references the film, the lead-in gives way to six minutes of run-on sentences of mostly gearheadspeak. Slowly it dawns on you that what you're hearing is basically every line of dialog that James Taylor (as "The Driver") speaks in the film. Too cool.

Also getting a first spin this week was the excellent new disc "Cottonwood" by Minneapolis' Barry Thomas Goldberg. A musical cohort of the newly uncovered Michael Yonkers (whose guitar is featured on two tracks), among other things Goldberg co-wrote "Twenty Years Ago In Speedy's Kitchen," recorded in the '60s by TC Atlantic. Very nice. And lastly, it good was good to see (and hear) the latest by Finland's Laika & The Cosmonauts, returning to form on the Yep Roc release "Local Warming."

(For nearly 10 years now, Radio Rumpus Room has been broadcast Fridays at 9-10:30 p.m. on KFAI Fresh Air Radio, FM 90.3 Minneapolis and 106.7 St. Paul. The show streams live on the Internet, and as always, our two most recent shows are archived in their entirety in RealAudio. Just visit the RRR web page anytime to listen to this damn noise and accompanying yakkin' by Ron and Jean.)

Playlist for Friday, January 16, 2004

SAVVY SHOW STARTER (always locally recorded!)
The Titans -- Reveille Rock (flip of "The No Place Special" 7"; Soma)

The mighty Titans of Duluth, Minnesota, recorded this Johnny & The Hurricanes cover one hangover-plagued Minneapolis morning in 1963. Recounted bass player George McClellan in an interview in "Lost and Found, Vol. 5": "We'd played and partied hard the night before the recording. We arrived at Kay Bank at 8 a.m. for our session, for all practical purposes alchohol-tainted. We were in and out of there in a matter of minutes. It literally took us longer to set up than it did to record the two tunes... The speed of our playing was unbelievable, probably again due to the shape we were in." The terrific "one-two instro punch" disc hit the lower 60's in the Billboard charts. (Note: The "Lost and Found" series of books is essential reading for fans of '60s rock'n'roll of the Upper Midwest. Written largely by Minnesota rock historian Jim Oldsberg, research doesn't come any better than this. You may still be able to find copies through Norton Records or other mailorder purveyors of fine music.)

Terry Dunavan -- Rock It On Mars (V/A Rocket Ship; Buffalo Bop) (for The Mars Rover "Spirit")
The Downliners Sect -- Our Little Rendezvous (Sectuality; Charly)
Jackie & The Cedrics -- Pharoah A Go Go (V/A Turban Renewal: A Tribute To Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs; Norton)
The Bloomin' Brothers -- Johnny Valentine (Feel Cool; 1 + 2 Records)

(bed) Eddie Angel & The Omega Men -- Stop Action (V/A Swingin' Creepers: A Tribute To The Ventures; MuSick)

The Gore Gore Girls -- Astral Man (Up All Night; Get Hip)
Bob Hocko & The Swamp Rats -- Hey Freak (Disco Still Sucks; Get Hip)
Zakary Thaks -- Face To Face (Form The Habit; BeatRocket/Sundazed)
The Vertebrats -- Turn On Your Face (A Thousand Day Dream; Reaction)
Lorette Velvette -- Boys Keep Swinging (Rude Angel; Okra-Tone)

(bed) The Dead Milkmen -- Vince Lombardi Service Center (Eat Your Paisley!; Restless)

Sherwin Linton -- There's Always Next Year (It Happened In America; Black Gold)
Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps -- Pink Thunderbird (The Screaming End: Best of...; Razor & Tie)
John Prine -- Saigon (Pink Cadillac; Asylum)
The Woggles -- Ragged But Right (Ragged But Right; Telstar)

(bed) Boss Martians -- Guitar Freakout (V/A Swingin' Creepers: A Tribute To The Ventures; MuSick)

The Church Keys -- Cryin' Ruth (Work With It!; Telstar)
The (Elvis) Costello Show -- Baby's Got A Brand New Hairdo (Out Of Our Idiot; Demon)
The Fleshtones -- Rock And Roll Baby (Hitsburg Revisited; Telstar)
The Skeletons -- Older Guys (In The Flesh!; ESD)

(bed) Penetrators -- Mariner 4 (V/A Swingin' Creepers: A Tribute To The Ventures; MuSick)

Will Oldham w/Alan Licht -- Don't Cry, Driver (V/A You Can Never Go Fast Enough; Plain)
Laika & The Cosmonauts -- Rikki On The Loose (Local Warming; Yep Roc)

(bed) The Volcanos -- Ravin' Blue (V/A Swingin' Creepers: A Tribute To The Ventures; MuSick)

Barry Thomas Goldberg -- Northern Town (Cottonwood; HIJ)
Seatrain -- Marblehead Messenger (Marblehead Messenger; Capitol)

(bed) Satan's Pilgrims -- Escape/Psychedelic Venture (V/A Swingin' Creepers: A Tribute To The Ventures; MuSick)

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