Revenge of the 80s Radio - Hour 2 Chris Cordani

We have another New Wave Dance Party on this edition of Revenge of the 80s Radio with extended remixes and concrete-cutting classics from Alphaville, King, Men Without Hats, Book of Love and more classic alternative artists.

Jennie Matthias didn’t aspire to be a singer; she didn’t know she had the voice for the job. It was an accidental “audition” for a bunch of ex-Bodysnatchers looking to form a new band which led to Jennie becoming the lead singer of a band which would later be known as The Belle Stars. Jennie Mathias is our guest on this episode of Revenge of the 80s Radio

During our conversation, Jennie tells her story about how she became the frontwoman for the Belle Stars, how the band’s name (which they did not have at their first performance) came about, her career, post-Belle Stars collaborations, solo recordings, picking herself up from rock bottom and inspiring others to do the same through her anti-drugs work, many charity efforts and her book: Surviving the Storm, In addition, we air a new track finished a short time ago.

In the early days of Revenge of the 80s Radio, I used to cover and review concerts somewhat regularly. During one at Jones Beach in 2009 which featured several artists of the 80s, I met backstage a rather talented percussionist, Lily Gonzalez, who was playing with ABC at the time. Since, she has worked with several classic alternative acts, most recently (and currently) with Tony Hadley. Lily has a new album out titled Sink or Swim; she will be our guest on this episode of Revenge of the 80s Radio.

Lily talks about how she became one of the classic alternative community's most in-demand percussionists and her recent work with Hadley. We also discuss some of the tracks on her album, Lily's own funky-jazzy combo sound and writing two of the songs featured on Sink or Swim with Nik Kershaw including the single "I Like You Better When You're Gone."

We also play music from The Divine Horsemen, Opus, Laibach and more classic alternative artists.

This week on Revenge of the 80s Radio, we play new music from Men Without Hats and Steve Hovington plus classics by Captain Sensible, Bad Manners, The Raincoats and more.

Andy Prieboy is back on Revenge of the 80s Radio with his new Anti-Anthology, One and One Make Three: Forgotten, Abandoned, Unfinished Songs, 1979-2021.

I call this an "anti-anthology" as most artists would place their most well-known music on their regular anthologies, but Prieboy created this album for music lovers to hear new renditions of music which was shelved, unfinished or perhaps left in a suitcase for decades which they most likely have not heard from back in his days on the San Francisco punk/new wave scene with Eye Protection, through the Wall of Voodoo and solo years and into the most recent decade. As Andy looks back at his younger self within this collection, he invites us to do the same and meet the 20 and 30 year old him through these creations.

During our conversation, Andy Prieboy reveals the stories behind some of the songs, how one of these tracks set off a timeline which would bring him from the San Francisco Bay to Los Angeles, his looking to find a band and how Andy met a fellow who worked in a store across the street from where he was employed which would change the trajectory of his own music career. Prieboy also tells of a song which could have been on the Seven Days in Sammystown album but wound up locked in a suitcase for decades and how he put many of the other tracks together with a plethora of excellent guest musicians.

On this episode of Revenge of the 80s Radio, we feature 70s music covers from classic alternative artists including groovy tracks from Strawberry Switchblade, Annabel Lamb, Men Without Hats, Girlschool, Dexy's and Krisma.