Rock N Roll Fashionistas

Brian Wilson Endless Summer 2025

It's official! Summer 2025 has OFFICIALLY been declared Brian Wilson Endless Summer 2025 with festivities going all summer long!
#BrianWilsonEndlessSummer2025
Today, the first full day of Summer 2025, we joyfully dedicate the ENTIRE episode of Rock N Roll Fashionistas to music Produced, Written, Recorded, Arranged and Performed by that Pop Music Master genius...
THE MAESTRO
THE MAN
THE LEGEND
Mr. Brian Wilson (1942-2025)
Join us as we surf the waves of Brian's madness from the mid 1960's through the turbulent 70's, laying "in a bed just like Brian Wilson did".
We make stops along the way to Terry Mercher's unfortunate L.A. mansion where we are greeted by nonother than a disgruntled Charles Manson, friend to Brian's baby brother and fellow Beach Boy Dennis Wilson.
Seems Charlie didn't dig the fact he didn't get that record deal he was promised, a deal thoroughly supported by one time fan and music colleague Neil Young!
All this and more in the latest installment of Rock N Roll Fashionistas, contextualizing rock n roll since Woodstock 2024
*THE SONGS:
"The Black Hole" by Nine Inch Nails member Atticus Ross from his soundtrack to the 2014 Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy https://music.apple.com/ca/album/the-black-hole/1443134275?i=1443134417
"The Bed Montage" by Nine Inch Nails member Atticus Ross from his soundtrack to the 2014 Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy https://music.apple.com/ca/album/the-bed-montage/1443134275?i=1443134828
"After You" by The Four Freshman from their 1952 debut album Voices In Modern. Hearing this for the first time at age 10, Brian Wilson never looked further for the basis of a timeless vocal harmonic style he would make his own https://music.apple.com/ca/album/after-you/1442732079?i=1442732306
"Think About The Days" from the final Beach Boys album, their 2012 50th Anniversary album That's Why God Made The Radio" https://music.apple.com/ca/album/think-about-the-days/715466841?i=715466843
"Psycodelic Sounds: Brian Falls Into A Microphone" from the long awaited, perennially delayed, once nixed legendary Beach Boy's album SMiLE, some 40 odd years in the making https://music.apple.com/ca/album/psycodelic-sounds-brian-falls-into-a-microphone/724119116?i=724120392 
"Summer's Gone" from the final Beach Boys album, their 2012 50th Anniversary album That's Why God Made The Radio" https://music.apple.com/ca/album/summers-gone/715466841?i=715466868 
"Fall Breaks And Back To Winter (Woody Woodpecker Symphony)" from the original recording sessions that eventually produced the long awaited, perennially delayed, once nixed legendary Beach Boy's album SMiLE, some 40 odd years in the making. Initially released as part of the Beach Boys 1967 Smiley Smile album, issued in wake of the shelving of Brain Wilson's magnum opus SMiLE https://music.apple.com/ca/album/fall-breaks-and-back-to-winter-woody-woodpecker-symphony/1442864862?i=1442864889  
Psycodelic Sounds: Brian Falls Into A Piano" from the long awaited, perennially delayed, once nixed legendary Beach Boy's album SMiLE, some 40 odd years in the making https://music.apple.com/ca/album/psycodelic-sounds-brian-falls-into-a-piano/720113626?i=720113842 
"Little Pad" from the original recording sessions that eventually produced the long awaited, perennially delayed, once nixed legendary Beach Boy's album SMiLE, some 40 odd years in the making. Initially released as part of the Beach Boys 1967 Smiley Smile album, issued in wake of the shelving of Brain Wilson's magnum opus SMiLE https://music.apple.com/ca/album/little-pad/1442864862?i=1442865071
"Wonderful" from the long awaited, perennially delayed, once nixed legendary Beach Boy's album SMiLE, some 40 odd years in the making https://music.apple.com/ca/album/wonderful/720113626?i=720113686
"'Till I Die" from the granddaddy of all Beach Boy's 70's albums, the master stroke Surf's Up album, the OTHER Beach Boys albums with songs from the long abandoned SMiLE sessions https://music.apple.com/ca/album/til-i-die/1440873813?i=1440874283
 "Surf's Up" from the long awaited, perennially delayed, once nixed legendary Beach Boy's album SMiLE, some 40 odd years in the making https://music.apple.com/ca/album/surfs-up/720113626?i=720113694
 
*Please Note: Audio portions of this podcast have been reproduced under the fair use doctrine. This use is intended to be transformative, adding perspective to the original work, serving an educational purpose rather than commercial gain. This use is aimed at an academic audience and does not serve as a substitute for the original
 
 

RIP Brian Wilson & Sly Stone: Rough Week

A sad week indeed for Rock N Roll nation. Two heavyweights. Two titans. Two innovators. Two legends. Lost. But not forgotten...
Sylvester Stewart (aka Sly Stone of Sly & the Family Stone) Passed June 9, 2025
Brian Wilson (of The Beach Boys) Passed June 11, 2025)
Join us as we celebrate the joy, love, life and art of two music giants of 20th century song:
One continuing on in the time honored tradition of Tin Pan Alley...
The other invented FUNK...
All this and more on your weekly Sunday morning drop of the latest episode of Rock N Roll Fashionistas...contextualizing rock n roll since 2024.
OPENING TRACK: "Come Sit Down And Tell Me" https://music.apple.com/ca/album/come-sit-down-and-tell-me/1799238478?i=1799238483 taken from Stony Plain's 2Fer deluxe version of Ellen McIlwaine's 1982 album Everybody Needs It featuring legendary lead singer/bass player extraordinaire of iconic 1960's British psych power trio Cream along with Eric Clapton and King Crusty himself on drums, Mr. Ginger Baker
CLOSING TRACK: "California Girls" https://music.apple.com/ca/album/california-girls/1585395623?i=1585395630 taken from Brian Wilson's masterstroke, his album, At My Piano from 2021    
Further Research:
Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson And The Story of SMiLE (2004 documentary) https://youtu.be/0SriaRRcA6w?si=X6OqYBCyJhIXwPNH
Love & Mercy (2014 feature film trailer) https://youtu.be/Xne-_S34T1c?si=CpOy-aYuXVNUNi3K
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times (1995 Brian Wilson documentary) https://youtu.be/8JjAZomaxww?si=cfV7JU26zctzXtvx
 
 

Ellen McIlwaine: Your School Bus Driver Jammed With Jimi Hendrix

Ellen McIlwaine, one of the greatest practitioners of slide guitar ever, soulful powerhouse vocalist extraordinaire, poet, composer, songstress, lyricist, recording artist, painter, visual artist, interpreter of song and more. She was all that and then some...
Join us in our celebration of the life and artistry of this giant amongst musicians, this icon, this goddess...
Ellen McIlwaine's life and times explored through the lens of the newly posted CBC Docs YouTube channel music documentary "Goddess Of Slide" from Soul Flicker Films, an Alfonso Maiorana production https://youtu.be/SCTety1hwdI?si=PC2ux8sTlD5_Occr
As far back as 1973 the impact of Ellen McIlwaine's presence has been deeply felt and loomed large in the personal life of Rock N Roll Fashionista's host Sean Passmore (AKA "unimportant").
Join Passmore as he outs himself as the guy who made the phone call that changed McIlwaine's life.
Passmore sets the record straight on one singular inaccurate fact in this otherwise thoroughly inspiring love letter to McIlwaine who passed away quite suddenly at the age of 75 in 2021, six weeks after receiving a diagnosis of terminal cancer.
McIlwaine's music weaves poignantly through Passmore's life through personal recollections and anecdotes of Swami Bill, Brother Tommy and others in the colorful cast of characters from the Rock N Roll Fashionistas universe.
Did a teenage Passmore put an impertinent and inappropriate move on the middle-aged McIlwaine while making an embarrassingly inebriated song request in a bar?
And did McIlwaine play the song?
Would this same song fatefully draw McIlwaine & Passmore together again over a decade later with surprising, life altering results?
FIND OUT NOW and SO MUCH MORE on the latest episode of Rock N Roll Fashionistas
THE SONGS:
Opening Track: "Can't Find My Way Home" is a song written by Steve Winwood that was first released by Blind Faith on their self titled 1969 debut album. They were an English rock supergroup consisting of Winwood, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Ric Grech. They followed the success of each of the member's former bands, including Clapton and Baker's former group Cream and Winwood's former group Traffic but split up after a few months, producing only one album and a three-month summer tour. McIlwaine's cover of the song appears of her debut solo album Honky Tonk Angel released by Polydor Records in 1972 https://music.apple.com/ca/album/cant-find-my-way-home/1444004698?i=1444005078
"Higher Ground" is a song written by Stevie Wonder that first appeared on his 1973 album Innervisions. The song reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 1 on the US Hot R&B Singles chart. Wonder wrote and recorded the song in a three-hour burst of creativity in May 1973. McIlwaine's stunning reinterpretation of the song appears on her 1975 3rd album The Real Ellen McIlwaine released by Montreal, Canada label Kot'Ai Records https://music.apple.com/ca/album/higher-ground/932879780?i=932882018
"Down So Low" was written by American R&B and country music singer/songwriter Tracy Nelson. McIlwaine's stunning reinterpretation of the song appears on her 1975 3rd album The Real Ellen McIlwaine released by Montreal, Canada label Kot'Ai Records https://music.apple.com/ca/album/down-so-low/932879780?i=932882059
 

Rock Talk With MistyK The DJ

This episode is dedicated to the memory of MistyK The DJ's beloved friend and companion, Vino The Rock N Roll Dog, who passed suddenly this past week. Our hearts go out to the MistyK The DJ family, friends and loved ones. We wish them light, love and healing at this most difficult time.
A few weeks back we had the good fortune of visiting with MixCloud master DJ MistyK The DJ https://www.mixcloud.com/Redgirl77/ to discuss the latest in her series of Unscripted shows, the half marathon she ran in Vegas earlier this year and her subsequent MixCloud mega show FEELING LUCKY? THE VEGAS MIX
Along the way we touch on her personal encounters with Rock N Roll royalty including Deborah Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie as well as Little Steven from Underground Garage, The Sopranos, Bruce Springsteen's band, her dream gig and much more.
Her touching tribute to Blondie's Clem Burke, the final Blondie album of the 80s, Deborah Harry's reinvention as a solo act in the 90s, personal anecdotes and the unmistakable charm and charisma that is the GREAT MistyK The DJ...
All hear on the latest BONUS episode of Rock N Roll Fashionistas.
OPENING TRACK: Sure Don't Feel Like Love https://music.apple.com/ca/album/sure-dont-feel-like-love/380593433?i=380593552 by master American songwriter Paul Simon from his 2006 Brian Eno produced album Surprise. Completely unrelated to the theme of this BONUS episode. Due to time limitations we were unable to include this track on our previous episode Paul Simon: 8 Decades so have done so here.
CLOSING TRACK: Well, Did You Evah! https://music.apple.com/ca/album/well-did-you-evah/1629181291?i=1629181417  is a song written by Cole Porter for his 1939 musical DuBarry Was A Lady, where it was introduced by Betty Grable and Charles Walters. It is written as a duet, with the pair exchanging bad news, shrugging off and one upping each others stories all in the name of an aloof good time.
Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra sang the song in the movie High Society, January 17, 1956. The film is a musical remake of the 1940 screwball comedy film The Philadelphia Story staring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart, itself based on Phillip Barry's 1939 play of the same name.
The Sinatra/Crosby duet is likely the most well known version of the song. It was added to the movie late in development, to give the two stars an opportunity to sing together.
Punk Rock royalty Debbie Harry and proto punk granddaddy Iggy Pop recorded the song in 1990 for Red Hot + Blue, a compilation album released as part of an urgent call to raise funds and awareness for HIV/AIDS.
Red Hot + Blue is the first compilation album from the Red Hot Organization in the Red Hot Benefit Series. It features contemporary pop performers reinterpreting the songs of legendary LGBT Great American Songbook composer Cole Porter. The title of the album originates from Cole Porter's 1936 Broadway musical Red, Hot and Blue staring Ethel Merman, Jimmy Durante and Bob Hope.
Released in September 1990, the album sold over a million copies worldwide, raising nearly $1m for the activist group ACT UP (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power). Heralded as one of the first major AIDS benefits in the music business, this initiative came a full two years before the creation of The Elton John Foundation, itself inspired by the tragic death from AIDS of teenager Ryan White who had, before his passing, forged a strong and meaningful friendship with pop singer Elton John.
Released as a single in the UK on December 24, 1990 but not the US. The single reached No. 42 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 29 in the Irish chart.
 

Paul Simon 8 Decades

You read that right folks!
8 DECADES!!
Paul Simon
He began his music career in the 1950's while still in High School, writing, recording and releasing records from the age of 16.
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
And that's just the first four decades!
And then there's the...
1990s
2000s (the Aughts)
2010s
2020s
While not an exhaustive history of the man and his music, we choose instead to focus on Simon's origin story, before the fame, before Simon & Garfunkel, highlighting what's possibly his finest artistic achievement to date 
Two legacy defining albums of Simon's, one from the Aughts, the other from very early on in the 2010s. Most folks have not heard these albums. We're gonna change that,
All this and MORE!
And COOPER THE COMFORT DOG!
on Rock N Roll Fashionistas,
Your trusted source for everything Rock n Roll!
THE SONGS:
"Voices Of Old People" from the 1968 Simon & Garfunkel album Bookends, "Voices of Old People" is a sound collage recorded on tape by Art Garfunkel at the United Home for Aged Hebrews in New Rochelle, New York and the California Home For The Aged in Reseda, California: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/voices-of-old-people/203303421?i=203303893
"Old Friends" from the 1968 Simon & Garfunkel album Bookends https://music.apple.com/ca/album/old-friends/203303421?i=203304062
"Outrageous" taken from Paul Simon's 2006 Brian Eno produced album Surprise https://music.apple.com/ca/album/outrageous/380593433?i=380593549
"How Can You Live In The Northeast" taken from Paul Simon's 2006 Brian Eno produced album Surprise https://music.apple.com/ca/album/how-can-you-live-in-the-northeast/380593433?i=380593474 
"Old" taken from Paul Simon's 2000 album You're The One https://music.apple.com/ca/album/old/380591854?i=380591892
"That's Me" taken from Paul Simon's 2006 Brian Eno produced album Surprise https://music.apple.com/ca/album/thats-me/380593433?i=380593682
"So Beautiful Or So What" taken from the 2011 Paul Simon album of the same name https://music.apple.com/ca/album/so-beautiful-or-so-what/1416977100?i=1416978487
"The Afterlife" taken from the 2011 Paul Simon album So Beautiful Or So What https://music.apple.com/ca/album/the-afterlife/1416977100?i=1416977631
"Love And Hard Times" taken from the 2011 Paul Simon album So Beautiful Or So What https://music.apple.com/ca/album/love-and-hard-times/1416977100?i=1416978264
"Father And Daughter" taken from Paul Simon's 2006 Brian Eno produced album Surprise https://music.apple.com/ca/album/father-and-daughter/380593433?i=380593683
Portions of this podcast have been reproduced under the fair use doctrine. This use is intended to be transformative, adding perspective to the original work, serving an educational purpose rather than commercial gain. This use is aimed at an academic audience and does not serve as a substitute for the original.

CBGBs Lives! Brooklyn 2025

BEST punk rock record of 2025? Find out HERE!
NEW MUSIC from American ex-pat Sebastian Murphy and his dirty band of Swedish viagra boys
LATEST hijinks & shenanigans from controversial Northern Ireland Kneecap rap
Woodstock Punk Rock? We tell you how...
The Ramones first ever gig REMEMBERED
The Damned & Sex Pistols sharing the bill in Brooklyn THIS September!
Three notable NO SHOWS for upcoming CBGB Fest under the K bridge
Alan Rickman on acting punk rock
Bobby De Niro's latest MOB pic triumph
Remembering Robin Williams
Nirvana (not the band) explained
The Age Of Optics AND SO MUCH MORE!
all this and MORE on the latest Episode of Rock N Roll Fashionistas
OPENING TRACK: "Man Made Of Meat" lead single from Swedish punk rock band Viagra Boys self titled new release https://music.apple.com/ca/album/man-made-of-meat/1790124734?i=1790124735
CLOSING TRACK: In anticipation of the upcoming CBGB FEST 2025 in Brooklyn, New York, under the K bridge we give you CBGB alumni Blondie and their track "Rip Her To Shreds" from the 1976 self titled debut album https://music.apple.com/ca/album/rip-her-to-shreds/724506061?i=724506224
 

Lou Reed, Barry Manilow & Johnny Rotten Walk Into A Bar

Are the Baltimore Colts rock n roll's football team?
Uncover hidden gems in our Album Of The Week: The Power Of The Heart - A Tribute To Lou Reed
Ever heard of Seattle, Washington's wicked cool Light In The Attic Records? You will!
What did Laurie Anderson give away of Lou Reed's and WHO did she give it to? Listen to find out!
Did Lou Reed really make 20 albums?
Metal Machine Music: Joke or Genius?
Searching for Lou's last record...
Searching for Lou's last song...
20 years of Lou Reed collaborations and Guest Spots revealed?
Barry Manilow: 70s Square or Scribe?
The Filth And The Fury: Julien Temple's final word on the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols Summer Tour 2025!
That was then: The genius of Public Image Ltd
This is now: Johnny Rotten is a joke 
To Cancel or Not to Cancel: What's up with Belfast bad boy rappers Kneecap and can they survive the backlash from the latest controversy?
All these questions answered AND MORE! On the latest episode of Rock N Roll Fashionistas.
OPENING TRACK: Legendary songwriter Mary Gauthier, first known LGBT artist to perform at the prestigious Grand Ole Opry, stakes a claim on Lou Reed's Coney Island Baby from the 2024 tribute album The Power Of The Heart: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/coney-island-baby/1732584171?i=1732584188
CLOSING TRACK: One of the only commercially available recordings of Lou Reed's final song, The Power Of The Heart, as interpreted by Peter Gabriel from his 2010 album of cover songs Scratch My Back: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/the-power-of-the-heart/989290344?i=989290719
 

RIP Jill Sobule: The FIRST To Kiss A Girl...

Jill Sobule: The Untold Story
Join us as we celebrate the music and legacy of trailblazing, one of a kind, powerhouse songwriter, musician, singer, recording artist Jill Sobule who passed away much too soon in a tragic housefire May 1st, 2025, in Woodbury, Minnesota.
In this episode we reveal the truth behind her landmark song I Kissed A Girl, how, at the time, it earned her a place in music history but sadly no money or lasting commercial success.
This story has not been told until now. You won't hear it anywhere else but here.
Be the first to hear it here FIRST on Rock N Roll Fashionistas!
THE SONGS:
"Bitter" taken from Sobule's 1997 third album Happy Town released by Atlantic Records: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/bitter/7058705?i=7058753
"Claire" taken from Sobule's year 2000 4th album Pink Pearl released by the now defunct record label Beyond Records https://music.apple.com/ca/album/claire/1443627791?i=1443627799
"Mary Kay" taken from Sobule's year 2000 4th album Pink Pearl released by the now defunct record label Beyond Records https://music.apple.com/ca/album/mary-kay/1443627791?i=1443627809
"I Kissed A Girl" taken from Sobule's 1995 self titled sophomore album released by successful American music industry executive Jason Flom on his record label Lava Records, five years after the release of her 1990 debut album Things Here Are Different https://music.apple.com/ca/album/i-kissed-a-girl/358465119?i=358465250
"Christmas Is The Saddest Day Of The Year" available on Sobule's self released Jill's Holiday Songs 2000 EP as well as her website https://jillsobule.com
"Christmas Is The Saddest Day Of The Year" can also be heard at https://youtu.be/R-5jEEOZSnM?si=Wv9hehr7d8V6zA8J
"Merry Christmas From The Family" is a holiday song by alternative country artist Robert Earl Keen. Originally released in 1994 on his album Gringo Honeymoon, a live version of the song appears on his 1996 album No. 2 Live Dinner. The song gained significant popularity, prompting Keen to create a sequel titled Happy Holidays Y'all which appears on his 1998 album Walking Distance. In addition to the sequel, Keen published a book with the same name in 2001. Jill included her version of the song on her self released Jill's Holiday Songs 2000 EP and can he heard here https://music.apple.com/ca/album/merry-christmas-from-the-family/1530164262?i=1530164950
"Mexican Wrestler" taken from Sobule's year 2000 4th album Pink Pearl released by the now defunct record label Beyond Records https://music.apple.com/ca/album/mexican-wrestler/1443627791?i=1443627801
We will always love you.
Thank you Jill...
 
 

Peter Gabriel Prog & Biko

Join us for the conclusion of Prelude To Prog Rock: Peter Gabriel's Genesis.
In this episode, dedicated to Carver Bob (Ironside). we answer the question, "What the F is Prog Rock anyway?". 
King Rand opens things off with his brilliant rendition of BIG TIME from Gabriel's top selling 80's album SO.
Sorting out Peter Gabriel's mystifying THREE albums of cover songs!
In this episode we answer the burning question: Who has been Peter Gabriel's lifelong bass player for decades now? (HINT: he was John Lennon's bass player too!).
Find out what album broke Genesis!
And The Band Played On: Life with Genesis after the departure of Peter Gabriel & Steve Hackett
Yes or no? Will the real Yes band please stand up?
Can you name all four titles of the first four Peter Gabriel solo albums?
You'll be able to (!) after listening to all this and MORE in the latest installment of Rock N Roll Fashionistas!
OPENING TRACK: From the 2013 various artists compilation of Peter Gabriel cover songs AND I'LL SCRATCH YOURS (the sequel to Gabriel's 2010 album of covers SCRATCH MY BACK) Great American satirist King Rand (Randy Newman) covers BIG TIME from Gabriel's 1980s masterpiece album So: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/big-time/994357537?i=994368444
CLOSING TRACK: Taken from the third Peter Gabriel solo album, released in 1980, written by Gabriel to raise awareness of the State sanctioned murder of imprisoned 30 year old South African humanitarian, peace activist Steven Biko: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/biko/986713177?i=986713204

Peter Gabriel's Genesis: Prelude To Prog Rock

Join us in our search for the roots of Prog Rock, Peter Gabriel and the cast of characters who pass through the doors From Genesis To Revelation.
Trashing the Corporatization of pop music in the 1980's. And it's not entirely David Bowie's fault either.
How the enduring legacy of Peter Gabriel's growing body of work from the 1980's helped us get through a truly ridiculous decade.
Getting Back To The Car: Unexpected Delights From The Obligatory Sunday Meal With Family.
Is Easter Music a genre?
50's - 60's - Aughts & Beyond: A Brief History Of Portable Music.
Thrift Store CDs
The Renaissance of the Compact Disc. YOU HEARD IT HEAR FIRST! To CD or Not CD? - That is the question!
All this and MORE in the latest Episode of Rock N Roll Fashionistas!!
OPENING TRACK: "Where The Sour Turns To Sweet" from the 1969 debut album from British schoolboys Genesis and their From Genesis To Revelation record: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/from-genesis-to-revelation/1605852413
CLOSING TRACK: Originally from Paul Simon's Graceland album, his song "The Boy In The Bubble" reinterpreted by Peter Gabriel from his 2010 album of cover songs Scratch My Back: https://music.apple.com/ca/album/scratch-my-back/989290344