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The podcasy for our 5/30 broadcast of Revenge of the 80s, featuring our interview with Nikki Corvette, is up and available in this post. Nikki is directly credited with influencing artists and bands from her days with Nikki and the Corvettes through today — from the Go-Gos to The Donnas, who have a line in their song “Gimmie My Radio” that goes: “…I want to be like Nikki Corvette.” They were not alone.
Nikki came from the Detroit music scene of the late 70s with bands like MC5 and The Stooges. Bomp! records re-released the original Nikki and the Corvettes album on CD in 2001 and she was soon back on the road, playing not only for her hans from the early 80s, but a new generation of fans as well. She’s now with her new band, The Stingrays, who put out the “Back to Detroit” CD with her in 2005. Nikki Corvette adn The Stingrays’ newest tracks are being put out by Ramo Records; they are also releasing a CD in Japan.
During the interview, we talked about:
How Nikki became a fixture in the Detroit punk/rock scene before she took to the stage for the first time
How when she first started out, many rockers didn’t want her band to play with them because Nikki was a woman
What she might have in common with Alvin the Chipmunk
While Nikki influenced many bands over the years, who were her influences?
What brought Nikki back into the spotlight.
We also talk with Nikki about her new projects, touring plans and her new band.
As the Season 4 Finale aired in the U.S. on 5/29/08, we pondered the interesting Nikki and the Corvettes reference from Season 2: Remember Nikki, the actress who was introduced with boyfriend Paulo that year and quickly killed off? The “Lost” charachter, Nikki, played a TV role as a woman named “Corvette” in the show “Expose.” Whilw I had not yet been able to confirm that suspicion, I do know the producers of the show do not give out names by accident (their claim, not mine).
The Nikki Corvette interview leads off the second hour. We also play some of her classic tunes and new music.
During the first hour of Revenge of the 80s, we played music from the top artists of the era, including The Clash, Monte Video and the Cassettes, Voice of the Beehive and A-ha.
Tonight’s Revenge of the 80s will feature an interview with Nikki Corvette, who is directly credited with influencing artists and bands from her days with Nikki and the Corvettes through today — from the Go-Gos to The Donnas, who have a line in their song “Gimmie My Radio” that goes: “…I want to be like Nikki Corvette.”
Revenge of the 80s airs live every Friday night live on Q99.1FM in the Hudson Valley, NY and our www.revengeofthe80sradio.com webcast. The podcast will be up on Saturday. The Nikki Corvette interview leads off the second hour. We will play some of her classic tunes and new music.
During the first hour of Revenge of the 80s, we will play music from the top artists of the era, including The Clash, Monte Video and the Cassettes, Voice of the Beehive and A-ha.
We recently updated the Interview Archives page to include our recent discussions with Caron Maso Murray of The Little Girls and Jean MacColl.
In addition, we rearranged the sidebars, which we will still tinker with over the next few weeks.
Now, we are offering our top MP3 picks direct from Amazon. Our new MP3 Downloads page will continue to expand. MP3s are also offered on the far right sidebar and throughout the blog at various points.
We will soon introduce several new post categories and more interactive features.
This Friday night, my guest will be Nikki Corvette, whose influence on female punk, power-pop and new wave artists and bands is still strong after Nikki and The Corvettes formed thirty years ago. Nikki is back in the studio and with a new band, The Stingrays. We will play some of her classic tracks as well as new music
Nikki, who started out in the Detroit underground music scene, credits The Stooges and MC5 as her main influences. It was Nikki, however, whose mark in music history is still evident in her influence on bands from The Go-Go’s to The Donnas, who have a line in their song “Gimmie My Radio” that goes: “I want to be like Nikki Corvette.” A lot of female rockers, punks and new wavers wanted to be like Nikki.
During the interview, we talk about:
Nikki’s early days in the Detroit muisc scene
What Nikki and David Seville might have in common
Her influence on bands — then and now
What brought her back into the studio and on the road
and her plans for the future with The Stingrays
We even ponder the question as to whether producers of the TV show “Lost” were refferign to Nikki when they named the character “Nikki,” who was an actress who portrayed a TV character named “Corvette” in Season 2. She and fellow castaway Paulo met their demise durig that season. While it has not been confirmed, it is known that names on “Lost” are not given by accident.
Nikki and the Corvettes are releasing a CD in Japan this year and plans to tour there are in the works. The interview will lead off the second hour or Revenge of the 80s, which airs live 7-9pm Eastern U.S. time on Q99.1FM in the Hudson Valley, NY and on www.revengeofthe80sradio.com. The podcast will be available over the weekend.
The above video is a live performance by Nikki from 2005
Last week, we posted an article about Annabella Lwin’s efforts to help the people in her native city of Myanmar, Burma who are still suffering from the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, which devastated the area when it hit there on May 2nd.
While we posted links to Annabella’s MySpace page and a Google donation site, Annabella also recommended, through her MySpace, a link to several credible help organization sites where donations would go directly to help those families in Myanmar who need them. The list is on a blog called “Network For Good.” The list os on this page.
The podcast for our 5/23/08 Revenge of the 80s Radio show is up and available at the bottom of this post.
Hour 2 is the first (and not last) Revenge of the 80s New Wave Dance Party. Remember those days nights in the club? I don’t either, but I do remember the music. The broadcast/podcast includes dance classics from Yaz, Alphaville, The B-52s, Blancmange and more.
In the first hour, you will hear from Voice of the Beehive, REM, Red Rockers and a mid-1990s duet between Nena and Kim Wilde.
Tonight on Revenge of the 80s, our second hour will bring us back to those nights at the club. We will play the top New Wave dance hits including tracks from Alphaville, Yaz, Captain Sensible and Blancmange.
The first hour will include a Post-1980s duet between Kim Wilde and Nena.
Revenge of the 80s airs live every Friday night 7-9pm Eastern US tiem on Q99.1FM in the Hudson Valley, NY and on www.revengeofthe80sradio.com. The podcast will be up on Saturday morning,
DCKT Contemporary is hosting a new art exhibit by X founding member Exene Cervenka starting tomorrow at The Bowery in New York City.
Cervenka’s second New York exhibition will feature two of her series of work: “The Spirits Are Alive and Well” and “EPIC HERO”.. The works will be displayed to the public tomorrow through July 18th.
According to a news release, “The Spirits Are Alive and Well,” is a series of collages from various found material and antique photographs. The slice of Americana mixed with Cervenka’s own contemporary artistic style also finds itself intertwined with a reference to William Shakespere adn Psalm 46.
The second exhibit, “EPIC HERO,” features her stencil and spray-painting work which, according to DCKT Contemporary:
…reclaims the ready-made template, combining American symbology and imagery that challenges militarism, patriotism and notions of valor. From the camouflage of army fatigues to Warhol’s camouflage paintings, “EPIC HERO” and its layered complexity is at the very heart of contemporary Americana.
A reception will be held for Cervenka there on June 20, 6-8pm.
Currently, Cervenka is touring with the rest of X on their “13 X 31 Anniversary Tour,” which will be in at The Fillmore in New York City Saturday night as well.
Annabella Lwin has been out front for the past month in trying to find help for the people in her home town of Myanmar, Burma, who are still suffering from the devastation of Cyclone Nargis from May 2.
She and many others are encouraging people to donate money and help through this website: www.dec.org.uk/.
The podcast for our 5/16/08 Revenge of the 80s Radio show is up and available at the bottom of this post, featuring our interview with Caron Maso Murray of The Little Girls. Caron and her sister, Michele, became famous for their energy, fast-paced songs and their harmonies. Their most successful track, “The Earthquake Song,” was not only immortalized on two Rhino Records collections of great songs from the New Wave era, it was also the lead song for a Martin Sheen-hosted documentary on quakes in the 1990s.
During the interview, Caron and I talked about:
How if Caron and Michele didn’t get booed off a stage in their first public performance, they might not have become The Little Girls
How the band got their name
How long it took to put a band together and get their first album done
How, nearly 20 years after breaking up, Caron, Michele and guitarist Kip Brown decided to reform after a packed reunion performance at a school benefit in Santa Monica
New material and plans for the future
The Little Girls are another band from the New Wave era who have reunited and are putting out new material. Caron says the band is set to releaser a new CD in Japan featuring tracks recorded back in 1985 before the break-up. The Clear album (2007) is available through Ramo records. Caron and The Little Girls are hoping to soon embark on a nationwide tour in the near future and plans of hitting the road in Japan are being explored.
The Revenge of the 80s interview with Caron Maso Murray leads off the second hour of our podcast.
During the show, we also featured music by Voice of the Beehive, Holly Beth Vincent & Joey Ramone, Strawberry Switchblade, The Smiths and a rare live duet between Lone Justice and Bono.
