S9E470 - Hoodoo Gurus 'Stoneage Romeos' with Steve Kirsch
As far as debut albums go, there's some that seem to appear out of nowhere as a fully-formed, perfectly realized statement-of-purpose. New Jersey-based drummer, blogger, and lawyer Steve Kirsch makes the case that Hoodoo Gurus 1984 debut 'Stoneage Romeos' is just such a record. Chock full of pop culture references AND hooks for days, these Australian pop/garage gurus came out of the gate swinging with a stone cold classic.
Songs discussed in this episode: I Don't Wanna Go Down To The Basement (Ramones cover - Live Australia, 1997) - Hoodoo Gurus; Nothing Can Bring Me Down - Mondo Topless; Do You Want New Wave Or Do You Want The Truth - Minutemen; Television Addict - The Victims; Bittersweet, (Let's All) Turn On - Hoodoo Gurus; Shake Some Action - Flamin' Groovies; Shake Some Action (Live, 1982) - Charlie Pickett and the Eggs; I Want You Back, Arthur, Death Ship - Hoodoo Gurus; Human Fly - The Cramps; Dig It Up, Be My Guru, My Girl, Zanzibar - Hoodoo Gurus; Leilani (1982 7" version) - Le Hoodoo Gurus; Leilani, Tojo, In The Echo Chamber, I Was A Kamikazi Pilot, I Heard Her Call My Name (Velvet Underground cover) - Hoodoo Gurus
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Drummer/Blogger/Attorney
Steve Kirsch is a New Jersey-based drummer, blogger, and lawyer. He’s currently drumming for two Philly-based bands: Lower Wolves, a tribute to early (I.R.S. years) R.E.M., and All Violet, a tribute to Hole. Previously, he’s played in original Philly bands: most notably garage rock with Mondo Topless, roots rock and Americana with Naked Omaha, and indie rock of a gritty Replacements-y sort with The Sparklers. You can hear him on both the “Freaking Out” album from Mondo Topless (2010) and the “Miss Philadelphia” album from The Sparklers (2022) on all the streaming services, but his work on Naked Omaha’s two albums is just on Bandcamp.
Steve currently blogs -- almost entirely about music -- at a Substack called Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth? If you recognize that as a Minutemen song title, you and he can probably be best friends.
Steve has also been representing exclusively indigent clients in criminal appeals since 1989, most of that as an appellate public defender and more recently as a private attorney. But while he knows a lot about criminal law, he would generally rather talk music with you.