A RADIO DIAL EXTRA: Wild Cub's "Wishing Well"

That time has come again, Dialophiles... the time to enlighten not with an overlooked goodie from decades hence, but instead with a recent tune that you likely haven't heard before... a "Radio Dial Extra", if you will! So without further ado, let's enjoy the mellow sounds of Nashville's indie rock quintet Wild Cub, and "Wishing Well".

Drawing inspiration from a variety of 80s flavors such as "new romantic" (Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran), Level 42 styled "sophisti-pop", college radio mainstays Squeeze, and harmonies that seem pulled from Little Creatures-era Talking Heads (think "And She Was"...), Wild Cub comprises of singer-songwriter Keegan DeWitt, multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Bullock, Herry West on bass, Dabney Morris on drums, and the lineup rounds out with keyboardist Eric Wilson.

"In the hot night, I hear your voice... that blind horizon tying it's blood red line to the center of choice..."

Be sure to listen to the rhythm sequence throughout the track that features a pronounced echo. The first time I heard Wild Cub's brilliant cut, that echo loop made me think of dropping a coin or rock into a well, and the resulting splash far below. It also brought to mind the echoing drip sound associated with underground cavern systems. It's certain this was intentional, and it's a great addition that really adds atmosphere to an already dreamy piece of music.

If you like what you hear here, check out Wild Cub's entire debut LP, Youth, released in 2013. Other standout tracks include "Wild Light", "Thunder Clatter", and the Chris Isaak "Wicked Game" complimenting "Drive".

I'd also like to extend a hearty handshake to Greg, a true and loyal friend of the Dial, for tipping me off to this wonderful frequency inhabited by Wild Cub!

"Hold on, hold on... I broke my back down waiting on a wishing well..."

"Thief in the Night" by KISS

Are you ready to ROCK, Dialophiles? Are you ready for an awesome overlooked track from an iconic groundbreaking hard rock band that's still going strong after 40 years? Well, all I have to say to you is...

YOU WANTED THE BEST, YOU GOT THE BEST!!! THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE LAND... KIIIIIIIIISSSSS!

"Far off in the distance, a shape in the night… alright!  On a mission of mercy, if the price is right…"

Tonight, the Dial dabbles in a choice cut of powerful, and unashamed hard rock by bringing you the 1987 album track "Thief in the Night". Extracted from Kiss’ Crazy Nights LP, and featured on the B-side to the album’s second single “Reason to Live” (a #64 Hot 100, and a #34 US Rock hit), Thief uses gothic horror parallels (possession, ritual slayings, strangulation), to tell the story of a man who attempts to steal a woman’s heart, only to find that she has turned the tables on him, leaving him broken hearted with a farewell note.

Featuring the late 80s KISS line up of founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons (heard here singing lead), along with lead guitarist Bruce Kulick, and drummer Eric Carr, Thief was recorded during the “no make up” phase of their career.

Though Thief was written by Gene (along with frequent KISS collaborator Mitch Weissman), their recording is actually a cover of a version by punk artist Wendy O. Williams from her 1984 solo LP WOW. This wouldn't be the only time that KISS mined a Simmons authored track originally given to Wendy… it happened again with “It’s My Life”, also originally on her WOW LP, which was revisited by KISS for 2001’s “The Box Set”. Williams, a Grammy nominated artist best known for her work with shock rock group The Plasmatics, is also known for recording a must-be-heard bizarre duet of Tammy Wynette’s 1968 c&w standard “Stand By Your Man” with Motorhead’s Lemmy.
 
"It's a ritual slaying, but the tables are turned, oh no. And now he's prayin', but it's his turn to burn."

An interesting footnote to KISS's storied career is that they were unable to crack the top 40 with even one single in the  '80s, after all their iconic hits the prior decade. Of course, a cut with a title such as “Lets Put The X in Sex” would expectedly encounter some resistance from cautionary radio program directors, but tracks like “Heaven’s on Fire”, “Creatures of the Night”, and “Tomorrow”, are fine rock songs that should have clicked at any top 40 playlist.

I suspect that in the era of new wave and “Thriller”, KISS was likely considered unhip, or even campy by the majority of '80s teens (“oh, those guys that wore the makeup, that my older brother listened to?”) Still, they managed nine hot 100 singles in the decade of decadence (including the aforementioned "Heaven's on Fire", a #49 peak), before returning with a surprise out of nowhere #8 hit in early 1990 with the Michael Bolton penned love ballad “Forever”.

The reason KISS is top of mind here at the office of the Radio Dial, is that on August 26, myself, “Mrs. Radio Dial”, our 8 year old son, and my sis-in-law, attended the KISS and Def Leppard "Heroes" concert at the Blossom Music Center. It was our son's first concert ever, and what a show it was. Def Leppard played first, and ran through a set that hit practically all of their pop metal classics, riling up the crowd up into a fist pumping vigorous rock sing along, in spite of a downpour that soaked us all. The precipitation had passed by the time KISS exploded onto stage, complete with pyrotechnics, crazy lights and fog machines, and they truly commanded the Blossom stage. Leading off with their 1998 single "Psycho Circus"... Gene, Paul, guitarist Tommy Thayer, and drummer Eric Singer, rocked out a mix of 70s and 80s smashes, including "Duece", "War Machine", "Hotter Than Hell", "Hide Your Heart", "Calling Dr. Love", and of course, the show's closer "Rock and Roll All Nite".

"In a hotel chamber, on a cryptic note... 'cause where there's fire, there's gotta be smoke, oh no... Footsteps in the twilight, and red nails 'round his throat..."

The boys didn't see fit to drop "Thief" into the set list, which makes sense given it's relative obscurity, but there were no complaints from the Radio Dial family, as Gene spit "blood" and breathed fire, and Paul swung out to a centrally located podium to be "among" the crowd. Thayer delivered several blistering solos and Singer pounded the skins on his levitating drum set. The show was great, and it was wonderful to see our boy get so into the side show theatrics and powerful heavy rock vibe. Afterwards, he even asked me if I was going to put a KISS song on the blog next because they are AWESOME!

So give "Thief" a spin, and rock out to the powerful sound that Gene, Paul and the guys have consistently delivered for four decades. In the words of the youngest of the Radio Dial kids, our 2 1/2 year old daughter...

"DIG IT!!! CLASSIC!!! ROCK N ROLL!!!!"

I think that sums it up quite nicely. 
 
"Like a thief in the night - she breaks into his heart.  Like a thief in the night - she never leaves her mark."