In this episode, my friend, the legendary Sal Baglio of The Amplifier Heads returns with a new album, “Songs from They Came To Rock”. And what an album it is. As with a lot of Amplifier Heads albums, it’s a concept album. But this one is next level. Basically, the Boston-based artist teamed up with Norty Cohen to create a rock opera where aliens, hearing rock and roll beamed out from Earth (the Vinyl Frontier), come to our planet to get more of this music. The album is basically a show–news reports and snippets interspersed with songs done in many different styles tell the story. And The Amplifier Heads are truly plural this time around. Great vocal contributions from the likes of Barrence Whitfield, Jen D’Angora, and Allen Estes really turn this effort into a tour de force.
It’s a fun listen, the most sophisticated effort by Sal thus far. And as he mentioned on this show, “this thing has legs”–it may have another run as a live stage show (beyond its Nashville debut a while back), and who knows what else? Sal is always writing, recording, and doing a bunch of live gigs, so that’s good news for us music fans.
We talked a little bit about the history of the band, for those of you who are new to The Amplifier Heads. In just a few years, Sal’s amassed an impressive catalog.
Oh–and somehow, our conversations always land on food, and days later, I’m still thinking about Sal’s mother’s Sunday gravy over macaroni (look it up, and you’ll get hungry too!) He’s one of my favorite people to chat with, on or off the air, and there’s always a lot of laughs and poignant moments. You’ll hear that on this show.
More on The Amplifier Heads at https://theamplifierheads.com/
Artist | Title | Album
Tamar Berk | walking hurricane | tiny injuries
Sparklejet | The Comeback | Beyond the Beyond
Shplang | That’s The Way | American Cream
Molly Grue | O Dymphna! (Stepped Over) | The happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story
Danny Wilkerson | Bye Bye | Embers of Aloha: A Maui Wildfire Benefit Project
Blake Jones & The Trike Shop | Record Cover Girl | Record Cover Girl
Easy Love | Alright | Wander Feeler
Frank Black | Two Reelers | Teenager of the Year
The Seven And Six | The Wonder | EP #1
Sal Baglio interview
The Amplifier Heads | They Came To Rock | Songs From They Came To Rock
The Amplifier Heads | Dead Star | Songs From They Came To Rock
The Amplifier Heads | Bienvenue | Songs From They Came To Rock
Elvis Costello | Uncomplicated | Blood & Chocolate
Brent Seavers | Stumbling | Exhibit B
Migrant Pickers | The Fate Of The Trees | Beat This Town
Lilli Lewis | Firefly | All Is Forgiven
Jim Trainor | Nothing (fade) | Single release
Rachel Taylor Brown | Up You | Run Tiny Human
The Armoires | We Absolutely Mean It (Single Edit) | We Absolutely Mean It
Ruby Free | Three Cheers For The Sun God | Introducing Ruby Free
Sunshine Boys | Joe Hill | Single release
The Cynz | Little Miss Lost | Little Miss Lost
sparkle*jets u.k. | Ludlow 6:18 | Best Of Friends
Onward Chariots | Seven Miles Away | I’m So Good at Shining
Don Hawkins | Introvert | Introvert
The Corner Laughers | Chicken Bingo | Poppy Seeds
The Vapour Trails | I Looked Into Your Eyes | On A Beautiful Day
Nolan Voide | Mid-Life Crisis | The Forever Endeavor
Star Collector | Rancho Mirage | Embers of Aloha: A Maui Wildfire Benefit Project
Bill Lloyd | Look Into It | Look Into It
Lannie Flowers | My Street (N Florida version) | My Street EP
Vegas With Randolph | What If_Mastered | The Future Store
Rome 56 | Invisible Man | Paradise Is Free
50ft Woman | You’re In Love With Love (But You Ain’t In Love With Me) | Ménage Á Trois
Dolph Chaney | Cool In the Sunshine (live at Hotel Cafe LA 09-08-23) | Embers of Aloha: A Maui Wildfire Benefit Project
Alex Jimenez | Another Day | Another Day
Felsen | Heroin | Accidental Drowning
Wormstew | The Man Who Fell From The Table Top | The Poseidon Adventure
Grateful Dead – Studio | Ripple | American Beauty
Gail George | Because Of U | Bloom
Heiskell | Arriving | Arriving
J. Leigh Stone | They Say It’s Alright | In the Before Time
Petrified Max | Starwood Nights | Everything’s Beautiful Now
Armstrong | Disinformation | Happy Graffiti
Juliana Hatfield | The Edge of Nowhere | Please Do Not Disturb
Maxi Dunn | Meteor Shower | Edmund & Leo
Mike's Radio Stuff 
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