Little Steven's coolest songs, vol. 3

I love love love Little Steven, of his eponymous weekly syndicated Underground Garage radio show (and 24-hour station on Sirius!). (Locally, listen in on Sunday night/Monday morning from midnight to 2:00 a.m. on BIG 105.9 FM, the only time you will hear something beyond the station's seeming 20-song "classic rock" rotation). Born Steve Van Zandt, the former member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band used his fame to spread love for his favorite underground garage nuggets.

The radio gig's spawned a number of live concerts, and recently a series of compilations of the best in underground fuzz-rock wow sounds.

The latest installment, The Coolest Songs in the World, Vol. 3 comes out October 16 on Wicked Cool records, and with one or two exceptions, is all born in the U.S.A. I never post about compilation lineups but I'm so psyched on its lineup. How can you go wrong with a rock disc whose opening track is by gonzo New York proto-punkers the Dictators?

The Coolest Songs In The World Vol. 3 Track List:

1. The Dictators - "The Savage Beat" (New York)
2. The Shake - "She's My Girl" (New York)
3. The Insomniacs - "Maryanne Lightly" (New Jersey)
4. The Fondas - "Wanna Be" (Michigan)
5. The Woggles - "Got A Heat On" (Georgia)
6. Supersuckers - "Shake It Off" (Arizona)
7. Baby Woodrose - "Money For Soul" (Denmark)
8. Killer Barbies - "Feeling Alone" (Spain)
9. The Fleshtones - Pretty Pretty Pretty" (New York)
10. Back in Spades "Detroit Slums (Here We Come)" (Michigan)
11. Tegan And Sara - "Walking With A Ghost" (Canada)
12. Manic Hispanic - "Rudy Cholo" (California)
13. Roy Loney & The Longshots - "Nobody Does It" (California)
14. The Mockers - "C'Mon Over To My Side" (Virginia)
15. The Sugar Twins "For You" (New Hampshire)
16. The Romantics - "Out of My Mind (Into My Head)" (Michigan)

BTW, visit the Underground Garage web site to hear archived shows, listen live online, or check out the amazing concert calendar of gigs for basically every garage band playing worldwide. -- Arielle Castillo