The Peppermint Kicks crank up the dial with ‘Radio Wam Bam Boom’
Dan Kopko and Sal Baglio honor the airwaves with an adrenalized new single featuring Underground Garage’s Palmyra Delran out Friday, June 13
‘Radio Wam Bam Boom’ is a fiery modern-day salute to the timelessness of radio
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New Peppermint Kicks album ‘Pop Rocks In My Chewing Gum’ out in August on Rum Bar
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the band
BOSTON, Mass. [June 13, 2025] -- Here in Massachusetts, we’ve been driving fast n’ loud with the radio on since those Modern Lovers first gave us a dedicated rock and roll transmission nearly a half-century ago. And in the time since – and hey, a little bit before then, too – the sounds coming out of New England have been tied to a primal urge we all felt when we first flipped through the dial and discovered our new favorite song.
From those hazy early days of scanning through the AM and FM stations to punching buttons on our phones to fire up a digital stream via the other side of the world, the ethos of rock and roll radio has stayed the course. The Peppermint Kicks are now sending out their own signal with “Radio Wam Bam Boom,” a dynamite new single featuring The Underground Garage’s Palmyra Delran as the voice of radio, set for release on Friday, June 13 on Rum Bar Records.
It’s the first new music from the collaborative project of Sal Baglio (The Amplifier Heads, The Stompers) and Dan Kopko (The Shang Hi Los, Watts) since their self-titled 2021 debut album and a one-off Christmas single that arrived later that year. And it sets a restless tone for the Kicks’ sophomore album, Pop Rocks In My Chewing Gum, ready to be unleashed this summer.
With the adrenalized “Radio Wam Bam Boom” and its grandiose momentum, retro-rock swagger, and effortless cool, The Peppermint Kicks are callin’ America, callin’ radio London Town, and callin’ all cars — with a fiery request to turn up the radio. The upbeat and muscular garage rock track emerges from the speakers with a timeless punch, and is sure to shake up the scene this summer.
“‘Radio Wam Bam Boom’ is a big loud bite,” says Baglio. “It’s an eardrum of rock candy about radio past and present, transistor, satellite, vinyl records revolving, guitar licks dissolving, disc jockeys spinnin’ & rock n roll dreamin’.”
And there was no better person to extend an invite to than Delran, who as an essential voice of Little Steven’s Underground Garage on SiriusXM has helped countless bands, from Boston and beyond, reach global audiences. Her show, Palmyra's Trash-Pop Shindig, as well as Bill Kelly’s Blackhole Bandstand, The Rodney Bingenheimer Show, The Mighty Manfred, Michael Des Barres and all the inspired 24/7 programming on the station, has been helping carry the torch for rock and roll radio.
“We’re both HUGE fans of Palmyra as a musician/performer and as a DJ,” says Kopko, referencing her solo work, Palmyra Delran & the Doppel Gang, The Coolies, The Friggs, Pink Slip Daddy, and other bands. “She has been massively supportive of our respective projects, so when it was time to think about who could render a convincing ‘voice of radio’ in the middle eight of this ‘coolie-shaking’ number, Palmyra was the obvious choice! And she absolutely killed it – oh yeah!!!”
The punchy n’ sweet “Radio Wam Bam Boom” was penned by Baglio and Kopko, complete with personal shoutouts to WBCN, the aforementioned “Roadrunner,” scaling 52 stories to the top of the Boston’s Prudential Tower, the city’s radio icon Maxanne Sartori, and other fun Easter eggs jumping off the lyric sheet.
With the pair trading off vocals, Baglio supplies the guitars and piano, while Kopko comes through on guitars and bass. The backbeat is provided by Kevin Rapillo drums, and the track was mixed and mastered by the mythical man known as Danny The K.
And anyone who knows Baglio and Kopko, both off releasing some of the best music to come out of Boston last year with The Amplifier Heads and Shang Hi Los, respectively, can easily understand this was a garage rock banger just waiting to emerge from their collective creative antennae.
“There is not enough time or space to truly convey what growing up with AM to FM radio was like during the ‘60s and ‘70s revolution for me,” Baglio admits, with Kopko following suit: “I grew up listening to Sal on ‘BCN! Radio (and LP records) were everything to me back then and ‘BCN was the cream of the crop. A great time to be a rock n roll kid!”
The “‘Radio Wam Bam Boom” timestamp says 2025, but anyone who knows the Kicks’ dynamic duo knows this feeling has been in them both since childhood – or at least when they started skippin’ school and found trouble with the radio soundtracking their every move.
“‘Radio Wam Bam Boom’ started out as a stream of babbling syllables to fit the musical vibe,” says Baglio. “Once the words ‘Radio Wam Bam Boom’ spilled out, the song finished itself.” Kopko agrees, adding: “Even without lyrics, we knew from the demo this one was special. When we started working it up with Kevin’s monster drums and vocal interplay it just jumped out of the speakers.”
And in the same way flipping on the radio first thing in the morning sets a tone for the day ahead, “Radio Wam Bam Boom” sets a feverish tone for Pop Rocks In My Chewing Gum, the forthcoming Peppermint Kicks record that’s finally ready for the masses.
“The new album is chock full of pop-rock goodness, and this one hits like a shot of adrenaline straight into the vein,” Kopko says. “It is a statement of what’s to follow on the rest of the LP, musically and spiritually – a monster floor tom beat, dueling call-and-response vocals, and a mix that is threatening to rip your speakers out – what’s not to love? It was a no-brainer as the leadoff song for the record, and the first single.”
Kopko pauses, and like a great radio DJ getting us fired up, closes with a spirited missive.
“If you don’t move to this number,” he says with a laugh, “you don’t move!”
Media Contact: Please direct press inquiries to Michael O’Connor Marotta at michael@knyvet.com, label inquiries to Lou Mansdorf at malibuloupr@gmail.com, and reach The Peppermint Kicks at thepeppermintkicks@gmail.com.
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‘Radio Wam Bam Boom’ artwork:
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The Peppermint Kicks are:
Sal Baglio: Guitars, piano, vocals
Dan Kopko: Guitars, bass, vocals
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‘Radio Wam Bam Boom’ production credits:
Written by Sal Baglio & Dan Kopko
Drums by Kevin Rapillo
Mixed and mastered by Danny The K
c 2024 SWEETBREADSONGS ASCAP & DANIEL KOPKO BMI
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‘Radio Wam Bam Boom’ lyrics:
Put a vinyl slab on a turntable that’s revolving
This is a brand new record from someone you’re about to know
Ready steady go
You’re listening to Radio WAM BAM BOOM!
Call in
Callin’ America
Callin’
Radio London Town
Call in
Callin’ all cars
Call in
Turn up your radio now
Guitar picks playin' peppermint licks dissolving
In the mouths of the rock n roll kids around the world
All the boys n girls
Dig the transistor twirl on WAM BAM BOOM!
Callin’
CATALIN and BAKELITE
Callin’
UNDERGROUND and SATELLITE DOWN
Callin’
TRANSISTOR DYNATRON
Call in
GOT TO KEEP YOUR RADIO ON
Pirate satellite
All around the dial
Tune in
AM/FM Underground big or small
But the greatest of ‘em all
Just dial our number and call Radio WAM BAM BOOM!
Call In
Yeah we skipped school again
Call In…
Up the Pru to BCN
Call in
52 stories
Callin’
Maxanne Sartori
Callin'
NEW YORK CITY
Callin'
LSUG
Callin'
WE’RE IN LOVE WITH MASSACHUSETTS
Callin'
WE GOT THE RADIO ON
Callin'
AM RADIO
Callin'
LATE NIGHT RADIO
Callin'
IMAGINARY RADIO
Callin'
RADIO RADIO
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Media praise for The Peppermint Kicks:
“More fun than a barrel of Monkees.” _Power Pop News
“...another sizzling celebration of rootsy rock with that 1960s grit and those melodies that evoke the British Invasion.” _The Patriot Ledger
“The Peppermint Kicks are Sal Baglio ( The Amplifier Heads, The Stompers) and Dan Kopko (The Shang Hi Los, Watts), and very much like chocolate and peanut butter, they blend together just fine. The two share a love of classic power pop and punk… Every track here will speak to rock and roll fans’ experiences. It also looks back to history with a fondness for the last era of independent rock and roll, prior to the domination of corporate rock on radio airwaves. There are more than enough gems here to make this a highly recommended pick.” _Power Popaholic
“This is just infectious. Simple as that. Peppermint Kicks is for all the kids who’s first single was J. Geils Band “Centerfold” when they were six years old and never left.” _Maximum Volume Music
“Sal Baglio and Dan Kopko have released some fine albums in the past couple of years, the former with The Amplifier Heads and the latter with Watts. Their joint effort, The Peppermint Kicks, draws inspiration from some of the greatest power pop, glam and bubblegum bands of the past 40 years. They do so without leaning too heavily on any one influence, ensuring that each song sounds fresh and immediate… You’ll get a rock ‘n’ roll history lesson throughout ten extremely entertaining tracks.” _Power Pop News
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Media Contact: Michael O’Connor Marotta at michael@knyvet.com
Radio Contact: Lou Mansdorf at malibuloupr@gmail.com
Band Contact: Dan Kopko at thepeppermintkicks@gmail.com
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