Hello Everyone,
Here is the recap of the December 14 edition of “The Homegrown Rocker,” which airs every Sunday night from 8 to 10 PM on Q94 Classic Rock (www.q94classicrock.com), and from 10 PM to midnight on 107.1 and 101.3 Jack FM (www.1071jack.fm)!
This week, we welcomed our guest via phone, Dr. Barry Atticks! Dr. Barry is director and creator of the Clair Brothers Music Business Technology major at Millersville University and teaches music technology courses; he is also the director of Lilla Jul Rockeband, a Christmas rock band comprised of music students from Millersville. We discussed Dr. Barry’s career at Millersville, as well as Lilla Jul Rockeband and their various Christmas season-themed songs and music videos. We also played the group’s five holiday song creations thus far, including 2024’s “Jolakotturin (Icelandic Yule Cat),” which was recorded and filmed in Iceland! We also debuted new songs from Memory Collector, Andy Mowatt and Balistic, updated “Local Music News,” and pulled out a 2011 number from Johnstown’s The Embalmed for this week’s “Local Music Flashback.” (For those who missed the program, a four-part podcast of this show is available for listening or download from Q94’s website, www.q94classicrock.com. Click on “The Professor’s Classroom,” and then scroll down to “Homegrown Rocker Podcast” and look for the four show segments marked with the date, 121425.)
Here is this week’s playlist:
HOUR ONE:
TONY HARLAN – “Jingle This Too”
CHIP & THE CHARGE-UPS – “Black and Gold Christmas”
LILLA JUL ROCKEBAND – “O Come Emmanuel”
MEMORY COLLECTOR – “Digital Seams” (new)
LILLA JUL ROCKEBAND – “Love to Give” (re-imagining of Sammy Hagar’s 1984 hit “Give to Live”)
TUKURPA – “Children of the Streets”
LILLA JUL ROCKEBAND – “Winter Blitz 1799: 12th Night” (Christmas re-imagining of Sweet’s 1975 hit “Ballroom Blitz”)
PUNCHLINE – “Darkest Dark”
LORDS-A-LEAPING – “The Bells of Christmas”
HOUR TWO:
JACK FROST AND THE FROST BITES – “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”
ANDY MOWATT – “Jingle Bells” (new)
LILLA JUL ROCKEBAND – “Winter Holiday” (Christmas re-imagining of Slade’s 1984 hit “Run Runaway”)
ONE ACRE WEST – “Boy Like That”
LILLA JUL ROCKEBAND – “Jolakotturinn (Icelandic Yule Cat)”
THE EMBALMED – “Coming Black Winter (2011, Local Music Flashback)
BALISTIC – “Trapped In Ice” (new)
IRON WOLF – “Ship of Doom”
WE CAME FROM SPACE – “Seize the Day”
With Christmas just days away, our next program will be the annual Christmas Special! We will feature lots of holiday season-themed music from area bands and artists – including their original Christmas-flavored creations, as well as their versions of time-tested seasonal favorites! We will debut a few new holiday favorites from the area music scene, plus some established Christmas season local favorites! Listen to the “Homegrown Rocker” this Sunday night (December 21) on Q94 Classic Rock – 94.3 FM and online at www.q94classicrock.com, and on 107.1 and 101.3 Jack FM, online at www.1071jack.fm!
UPCOMING GUESTS AND SPECIALS:
DEC. 28 – 2025 Year in Review
JAN. 11 – Man In Reverse
JAN. 18 – Tim Woods
(All dates are subject to changes as circumstances warrant.)
Bands and artists wanting to submit news items for “Local Music News” may email their news to homegrownrocker@gmail.com. Indicate “MUSIC NEWS” in the subject heading!
Bands and artists interested in having music aired on the show are invited to send their broadcast-quality recordings to: The Homegrown Rocker, 2513 6th Avenue, Altoona, PA 16602 (ATTN: Jim Price). You can also email digital song files or inquiries about the show to homegrownrocker@gmail.com; and submit digital song files through the link on “The Professor’s Classroom” page. And bands and musicians interested in being guests on the program can email their interest to homegrownrocker@gmail.com as well!
Jim Price
In Local Music News…
Area musician Jae Smith has issued his second solo album. Released on digital platforms on December 1, “Reimagined” presents a departure from Jae’s acoustic singer-songwriter debut album “Murmur” from 2020; as Jae explores electronic frontiers with an all electronic, experimental instrumental album that draws inspiration from The Legend of Zelda series. Jae embarked on his solo direction in 2013 after playing in a variety of original and cover bands.
A former member of the Harrisburg-based rock band Tukurpa lost his life in an automobile accident earlier this month. Roger Loop Jr., who had played keyboards with Tukurpa on their self-titled 2013 debut album, died after his vehicle struck a utility pole near Red Lion in York County on December 1. He was 55.