Z-GR! Radio: Episode 34 Wrap-Up

EPISODE 34 of Z-GR! Radio

December 27, 2024

Candy Apple Blue – Special Star (Matt Pop Mix)

I know. I know, it seems like Matt Pop is the opener each week, but truth to tell, his high octane mixes are a great way to get things jumping, and this will be the second time we’ve opened the show with his remix of a cover of ‘80’s dance-pop legend Dead or Alive’s ‘Special Star’ by Pittsburgh Pop sibling duo Candy Apple Blue.

Candy Apple Blue:

Matt Pop

Kulintronica – Bang A Gong

Episode 13 featured Guest artist Kulintronica incorporates traditional Filipino Kulingtang gongs into a modern electronic dance sound – Their clever choice of covering the T-REX classic ‘Bang a Gong (Get it on)’ resulted in a fantastic cover of the song, and it really is the perfect anthem for a band that literally bangs a gong on every song.

Spotify | Instagram | TwitterX | Facebook

Robots With Rayguns / Carl Gershon – Need U Tonight

Australian 80’s band INXS released ‘Need You Tonight’ in late 1987 and the song became their biggest hit and most enduring classic. Robots With Rayguns have joined with Carl Gershon to deliver a really great version of the track.

Robots With Rayguns:

Carl Gershon:

Spotify | Instagram | TwitterX | Facebook

Jaguar Grace, Neon Wolf – Destination Unknown (Jaguar + Wolf Rock Mix)

Episode 5’s cover of Missing Persons’ ‘Destination Unknown’ set a really high bar – Jaguar Grace and Neon Wolf absolutely nailed this one, bringing the 80’s staple forward with their own touch while remaining true to the vibe of the original. There are multiple killer mixes available, so make sure you check them out as well.

Jaguar Grace

Spotify | Linktree | Instagram | TwitterX | Facebook

Neon Wolf

Zero-G Racetrack – Bad Romance

I am the lead vocalist for Silicon Valley’s Zero-G Racetrack, and we never expected but are always completely humbled by the positive response we continue to receive for our take on Lady Gaga’s monster hit ‘Bad Romance’. We did get a bit lucky; we released the track just as the PR machine for Gaga’s ‘House of Gucci’ kicked into gear, and the cover has been well received by Gaga’s fanbase. Fun factoid – the track opens with the German translation of ‘More Cowbell’ just prior to…more cowbell. Another fun factoid – we’ve got an in-house remix of the track in the works, and it sounds AWESOME.

Able Machines – No Rain

Synthpop duo Able Machines, out of Los Angeles, is made up of Tay Coliee and Linus Dodson – their cover of the classic Blind Melon song ‘No Rain’ was on Episode 26, and it is fantastic. I really like this band and I’m not the only one – they’ve broken a million streams on one of their tracks and 2023’s Digital Precision’ is an outstanding album worth checking out.

Hitfakers – Wicked Game

I’ve heard a lot of covers of Chris Issac’s ‘Wicked Game’, but to my ears, Czech artists The Hitfaker’s version from Episode 6 is among the best of them.

Spotify | Instagram

TripleXMen / Ronja – Jolene

Dolly Parton’s arguably most famous song has been covered by some of the most famous artists on the planet with varied results – Truthfully, I usually just listen to Dolly’s original, but then I heard TripleXMen’s joint with Ronja and to my ears, this is the best cover of the track out there, and is one of the best covers I’ve heard, period.

TripleXMen

Spotify | Facebook

Ronja

Spotify

BLAKTAI – Behind the Wheel

Depeche Mode is a legendary SynthPop band and ‘Behind the Wheel’ is a late-80’s fan favorite. Covering the song are NYC natives Whitney Tai and Kelsey Warren, aka Blak Emoji have been collaborating under the name Blaktai since 2018; along the way, Kelsey’s made a name for himself in the Big Apple, and has accolades throughout the industry. Whitney made the jump to L.A. and has been leaving marks everywhere she goes. She’s won multiple awards including ICMA’s best vocalist in 2021, she’s headlined NAMM which is super cool. BLAKTAI is a NEWHD Radio Featured artist, so make sure you check out their feature article linked on the wrapup page linked below.

BLAKTAI

Spotify | Linktree | Web | Twitter | NEWHD Feature

Whitney Tai

Blak Emoji

Spotify | Linktree | Web | Bandcamp

Deco – Bitter Sweet Symphony

If you know anything about the history of the Verve’s ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ you know that it the centerpiece of one of the nastiest songwriting credit disputes on record – fortunately, things went the Verve’s way back in 2019 which is well deserved – simply put, the track is amazing, and Deco’s take on the song from Episode 22 is really, really fantastic.

Gunship – Send Me An Angel

Gunship has a huge following and deservedly so – their take on Australian band Real Life’s 1983 hit ‘Send Me An Angel’ debuted on Episode 3 and is truly amazing. Simply put, this is a great version of a classic 80’s pop anthem.

Spotify | Twitter | Instagram

Pop Noir – New Year’s Day

Since this is the final Episode of 2024, I think it’s appropriate to close with Manchester band Pop Noir’s awesome cover ‘New Year’s Day’.

Able Machines, Blak Emoji, Blaktai, Candy Apple Blue, Carl Gershon, Deco, Gunship, Hitfakers, Jaguar Grace, Kulintronica, Neon Wolf, Pop Noir, Robots With Rayguns, Ronja, TripleXMen, Whitney Tai, Zero-G Racetrack

Z-GR! Radio promotes emerging, independent, and underrepresented artists through curated music and non-exclusive airplay, respecting rights while supporting exposure, audience growth, and long-term visibility.

DMCA and Copyright Policy