THE DYING TRIBE OF WTF

I don't spend a lot of time thinking about Die Antwoord. They are what the are. But, like them or not, the world is a better place because of them. Follow me here: If anyone, be it a band, an artist, a motivational speaker, a bum, a teacher, a member of the clergy, a parent, or whatever, can make you stop for a second and think, literally, "what the fuck?" that's a good thing. As long as they're not hurting anybody, the higher their freak flag flies, the better. And Die Antwoord's flag pole is a mile high, I'll tell you.

The last time I posted something about Die Antwoord, I did so not because I liked their music, but because I loved their overall freakiness, their whole schtick. That was over a year ago, and the post dominated the "Boss 10" for so long, I finally took it down just so to give other bands a shot. They really aren't all that representative of what goes on here, other than the fact that they've got their own weird thing going, and that goes a long way here.

Cro-magnon freaks

They have a new LP out, and they're still, well, weirdos. So I thought I'd put up a selection of stuff that's surfaced online since we last visited Zefland. Here's some brand new stuff, and some pre-Die Antwoord stuff, in the earlier incarnation Max Normal. Some may say that Die Antwoord is just one gimmick, but you know what? I don't care about their past, or even why they exist. They're a fly in the ointment. That alone is good enough.

The above screen grab is from a short video, which finds our freak friends at a large record emporium. It's a huge record store at the top of Haight Street, in San Francisco (that shall go unnamed because they put my friend's record store out of business). If you've ever been to a mega-record store, you know that look, when you first see the vastness of their inventory. (See it :42 seconds into the video) The video shows them shopping, and then they show their loot.

If you're rolling your eyes at the thought of posting about Die Antwoord, come back when you're doing something freakier than they are. There will always be someone who is better than you at something, hotshot. And it begins here. And these guys shop at record stores.

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Listen:

Die Antwoord - I Fink U Freeky mp3 at Ace
Die Antwoord - Fatty Fatty Boom mp3 at Ace
Die Antwoord - Baby's On Fire mp3 at Stoney Roads
Max Normal - I Like your Body mp3 at the archived MaxNormal site. Note: If the mp3 doesn't load, follow this link, wait for the archived site to load, and click on "Downloads" for three early cuts.
Max Normal - Two more at the archived MaxNormal site See alternate navigating instructions with above link.
Video:
Die Antwoord - Ten$ion LP trailer at YouTube
Die Antwoord - Rich Bitch at YouTube
Die Antwoord - Umshini Wam short at YouTube
More videos at YouTube Live, official and what not
Max Normal - Dassie at YouTube
Max Normal - Tik Tik Tik (Live) at YouTube
Visit:
Earlier post about Die Antwoord Profile and enough links that there's bound to be a bunch that are still good.
Die Antwoord

HARD TO ARGUE

Not a lot to say, other than I totally concur, the eighties were pretty much shit. Not in every category; independent music was still pretty good. But everything that was floating around. I mean, parachute pants? Those godawful hairdos, cut off sleeves, bright colors, hair bands, MTV, new wave. The world went stupid, and lost it's style. And it's still recovering.

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Listen:
The Vaselines - I Hate the 80's mp3 at Polaroid
The Vaselines - Slushy mp3 at Grammar Police
The Vaselines - Son of a Gun mp3 at McAlister.edu

PRE-SWEATER JAMS

You've all probably heard enough of celebrities and actors trying to sing. After you've heard a few, the novelty gets old real quick. But I couldn't resist this one. It will only make sense if you're familiar with Wesley Willis. Imagine Wesley doing "Sgt. Peppers' Lonely Heart Club Band." Got that playing in your head? Okay, this is Bill Cosby doing the song, with what sounds like a children's chorus. Just listen to the first verse. Am I crazy, or does he sound a lot like Wesley?

I found the "Sgt Peppers" cover when I was looking for the second one below. "Hikky Burr" is an alternate take of the theme from "The Bill Cosby Show" (not to be confused with "Cosby," the later sitcom). I'd heard this version before, and was actually looking for another longer version that I'd heard on a jazz station of all places. I ran into another one, "Bunions," that I've run across before but forgot about. It's got a nice driving beat; pretty funky. You should go get it. And there's a full LP download of the LP that has "Hikky Burr," and other similar stuff (cover above). I gave it test run and it's pretty damn good. Unbelievable in this day and age, Cosby was once hip.

Bit of a funky jazz soul clusterfuck around here these past two days. I feel a shift change coming. Oh shit. Deep Purple just came on TV. Gotta go.

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Listen:

Bill Cosby - Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band mp3 at Accordion Guy
Bill Cosby & Quincy Jones - Hikky Burr mp3 at Alejando Borrero

Bill Cosby - Bunions mp3 at Aquarium Drunkard NOTE: I forget if he's one of the anti-hot link guys, but if the link doesn't work, just go there to get it. One more click.
Wesley Willis - Earlier post with tons of music and art

Clifton’s Corner: Volume Four, From Soul Jazz to Jazz Funk pt.1 at Aquarium Drunkard Where I found "Bunions." Check this post out. I like this Clifton guy's taste. He's got some good ones.
Bill Cosby - Three somewhat lame vocal numbers at Zdanz
Full LP:
Bill Cosby & Quincy Jones -The Original Jam Sessions 1969 (via MediaFire) at We Fucking Love Music

DON'T JUST SIT THERE

Here you go. These here are hybrids, so to speak. A mish-mash of funk, jazz, and afro elements, with some slight weirdness in parts, and bonus borderline freak outs. All worth a listen, if you're in that kind of mood. I was, and these hit the spot.


The sax player at 4:36 says it all

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Listen:
The Poets of Rhythm - More Mess On My Thing mp3 at Chromemusic
The Poets of Rhythm - Discern/Decide mp3 at Virginia.edu
Karl Hector and the Malcouns - El Gusto mp3 at The New LoFi

Karl Hector and the Malcouns - Followed Path mp3 (via MediaFire) at Tone Agents
Karl Hector and the Malcouns - Nyx at Passion of the Weiss NOTE: He doesn't like direct linking, but it's worth the trip. It's #44 of his top 50 from whenever. "Nyx" is some sort of funk jazz meltdown. Sounds like a cop show soundtrack hopped up on God knows what.
The Whitefield Brothers - Prowlin' mp3 at DJNoDJ This one is..., no, could be hypnotic, if it wasn't for the synthesizer. Vintage sounding or not, it's a distraction.

CAN YOU SHIMMY?

You can tell a lot about a band by the covers they choose. Not only is it a clue to what they're trying to convey with their own music, and who they want to tip their hat to, it's also a keen look into how serious they are about what they listen to, and how deep their tastes run. And you can tell a whole lot more about a band by how well they integrate their own identity into someone else's song, something the New York Dolls were particularly good at. (By New York Dolls, or "Dolls," I mean the original Dolls, because without Johnny Thunders they are not the Dolls, not in these parts.)

The Dolls do Bo Diddley (plus "Trash")

I thought I'd try to track down the songs they covered, as there were only five on their two original releases, and I was able to find them, albeit one is on MediaFire, and one is streaming only at YouTube. While looking for mp3s of those two, I ran into a mix that had 14, which includes songs they played live. It's a nice varied mix, from doo wop, to blues, to Philly-type soul and girl group stuff. They're all over the board, some semi-obscure, and if you know the Dolls' versions, you know that they make them all sound like Dolls songs.

While I was typing the above stuff, a live band started playing, right around the corner, in the yard that is directly behind my apartment. I went over there to check it out because they were good, kind of a Black Keys pace, without the distorted guitar, and they had at least one horn. Kind of a big ensemble for this neck of the woods. The band was Supertasty, literally that's their name. The party people were nice, and invited me over to their side of the fence, but I didn't feel like being the "who's that guy?" guy. God damn, I miss beer. Now I'm fully distracted.

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Listen:
The Cadets - Stranded In the Jungle mp3 at Ace Terrier
Bo Diddley - Pills mp3 at Carnival Saloon
Sonny Boy Williamson - Don't Start Me Talkin' mp3 at MMSD Amps
Archie Bell & the Drells - (There's Gonna Be a) Showdown mp3 at 4Shared Note: Click on blue "Download Now" button, then wait about 15 seconds.
The Coasters - Bad Detective (streaming) at YouTube
The mix:
Songs the New York Dolls Taught Us - 14 songs in one file at Dr Faustroll Scroll down to comments for MediaFire download link
Related posts:
New York Dolls - Tons of stuff. It's an older post, but out of nineteen, there's bound to be a few links that are still good.
Johnny Thunders in the Heartbreakers Ditto.

WHAT'S WITH HIM?

I couldn't resist. Thee Midniters "I Found A Peanut" is one of those twisted songs that I can't get enough of, more so because it seems kind of uncharacteristic. As you should already know, Thee Midniters ruled East L.A. in the sixties, and their standard fare was garage-ish R & B and ballads. They were good at it. Hugely popular. Anyways, I'm not quite sure what "I Found A Peanut" is about, but my guess would be that the singer found something at a party that he thought was a peanut, but turned out to be some sort of barbiturate. You'll see what I mean, and you'll know why it was a bit tough to decipher the lyrics (about a third of the way into the song). One thing to point out, Raven Sings the Blues' post that hosts the second song below, does so in a post of five cuts of lesser known garage songs, all worthy. Git!

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Listen:
Thee Midnighters - I Found A Peanut mp3 at Api.ning.com
Thee Midniters - Jump, Jive & Harmonize mp3 at Raven Sings the Blues
Thee Midniters - Sitting On the Grass mp3 at Like Dynamite to Your Brain
Thee Midnighters - Chicano Power mp3 at Concordia Click on small arrow right underneath "info" on streaming bar for download link.
Visit:
Thee Midniters at Wikipedia
The Birth of the Lowrider Sound at Lowrider Magazine

WELL, YEAH. NOW I AM.

I'm just putting this up because my friend Skid posted a thing on Facebook, with the Jake Holmes (original) version of "Dazed and Confused." I hadn't ever given any thought to the songs origin, beyond knowing that the Yardbirds did it earlier than Led Zeppelin. Plain or Pan has posted the Holmes original and two versions of Led Zeppelin's, the studio version and an eighteen minute live version from 1971 (for you ultra freaks). For now, here's a video of the Yardbirds version, towards the end, when Jimmy Page was in the band. Plain or Pan posted it too, but I'm just filling space. Plus, if you're lazy, you can get bored without even leaving this post.

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Listen:
Jake Holmes - Dazed & Confused mp3 at Plain or Pan Note: If song title doesn't get you there, just go to the post to get it.
Led Zeppelin - Dazed and Confused (two versions) at Plain or Pan Studio version and 18 minute live version from 1971.

4 LPS IN, LATE PER USUAL.

I don't really know what to make of the Pack a.d.. Distorted guitar and pounding drums, that's a good start. But then there's the photos. There's hardly a image that exists that doesn't show the two piece as completely photogenic. Is that some self aware stuff? Do you discount for that? (Why can't all bands just look like shit, so I can be sure that I'm totally objective about the music?) How about a singer that can hit the high notes with borderline staccato? Does that take away from the whole package? I don't rightly know, but I do know that it's always refreshing to hear a crunchy guitar based rock 'n' roll band. They don't have to be perfect. They just have to be loud. Let's party.

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Listen:
The Pack a.d. - Sirens mp3 at Chrome Waves
The Pack a.d. - Making Gestures mp3 at Draw Us Lines
The Pack a.d. - Crazy mp3 at Draw Us Lines
The Pack a.d. - Deer mp3 at The Dadada
The Pack a.d. - Stalker Blues (live) mp3 at Large Hearted Boy
The Pack a.d. - Haunt You mp3 at KEXP
The Pack a.d. - Cobra Matte mp3 at The Muse In Music

FOR TERRY

Early on in San Diego's punk scene, the Marine Corp Recruit Depot and several Navy bases were in close proximity to the rather large hub of punk activity. So it wasn't unusual that there was a string of military guys who were active members of the scene, and by that I mean band members, zine editors and occasional show promoters. They drank, fought, loved and slammed like everybody else. Their military service was a day job, and didn't identify them, just as you may not have been thought of as a burger flipper first, [scene role] second. I lived for a while with a couple Navy guys, and have known one particular Marine since the very, very beginning of the San Diego punk scene. I never thought I'd be in contact again, with that unknown guy with "Void" rubber stamped on his face, decades later. So this is for Terry, who was the first person I thought of, because I know he loves reggae, particularly the early stuff. And it's for Bruce, Lou and Chris (RIP), too. (No bro hugs, not with a lit cigarette.)

On to the goods. If you, like me, really like looking at early reggae record sleeves, here's a collection on a site called Smashing, with accompanying design oriented text. That Maytals album cover below is not only my favorite reggae LP cover ever, but in the top ten of all of the record covers I've ever seen, which is to say, a fuck load. There's something about it's simplicity, choice of colors; and the well composed ramshackleness of it.

The site that really started all of this, an hour or so ago, is Dave's Jukebox, which I am currently all over like flies on stink. Reggae oriented blogs are rare. Even rarer are those with reggae 45s, as opposed to whole LPs. And this Dave has a great selection of early reggae, with names and labels you know, and quite a few names and labels that you may never get to hear again. That's the big thing, early unfamiliar reggae. I eat that shit up. If you like early ska, rock steady, and DJ stuff, you will want to bookmark it immediately. The music is on DivShare, but you don't have to join. Just click on the small green "Download " button, and wait while the timer runs out, about 15 seconds, without clicking on anything else. I linked to one down below so you can give it a whirl; after that you can just get your ass on over there.

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Listen:

Jack Sparrow & the Wailers - Ice Water/The Skatalites - Ska In Vienna Woods at Dave's Jukebox
Tons more early reggae at Dave's Jukebox
Visit:
Design Legacy: A Social History Of Jamaican Album Covers at Smashing

I STILL LIKE THIS GUY

He fist bumps White House janitors. He body surfs, and does so with respectable style. He brings troops home. He repeals "Don't ask, don't tell." When he's not shooting hoops, he's ending wars. He sings Al Green. He is the Most Interesting World Leader in the World.

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Listen:
Barack Obama - Let's Stay Together mp3 & ring tone at Barack Obama Note: Click on "Download for other smartphones" for mp3
Al Green - Let's Stay Together mp3 at Suck My Caucus

CLIFTON PICKS SOME GOOD ONES

Here's some that may take an extra click to get to, but are well worth the wear and tear on your finger tip. Aquarium Drunkard disables direct linking, so you'll have to go there to get them. A DJ named Clifton does guest posts and this one from November is a great collection. Clifton’s Corner: Volume Six (British R&B And Back Again) includes Georgie Fame, J.J. Jackson, the Pretty Things, Muddy Waters, Small Faces, Booker T. & the MGs, Six Feet Under, the Zombies, and Smoky Robinson and the Miracles, all somehow cohesively linked. What makes it a great post is that, not only will it have a few songs that you've never heard, some are slightly atypical of the particular artist's sound. Regardless, they're all deepish tracks. And I'm not going to recommend a few, I recommend listening to all of them (click on the song titles to download). And read the text. It seems the guy knows his shit.

Clifton’s Corner: Volume Six (British R&B And Back Again) at Aquarium Drunkard Nine worthy cuts and some book learning

OKAY, AFTER YOUR HOMEWORK

Yesterday I ran into a video that, if you have kids or think kids are cool in general, might seem pretty neat. I gotta admit, I got sucked in. Then I got to thinking about how the parents might be like some of the pageant type parents, where the kid gets pushed into it, without the chance to develop their own interests. I told myself to relax and just enjoy a couple minutes of a kid being a kid, and rocking out while doing so. Still, I just don't think it was the kid's idea.

In contrast, back in 2007 (that's the dark ages in kid years), there was a pair of siblings, Tiny Masters of Today, that actually wrote their own songs, played their own instruments, and pretty much seemed to steer their own ship. Russell Simins (Blues Explosion) did help out on drums, but it's pretty obvious that adult intervention was slight. And that's what made the Tiny Masters of Today special. Remember all that stuff about punk being refreshing because you didn't have to be a virtuoso, and a whole genre was now open to rank amateurs with attitudes? Suppose some of those rank amateurs started bands had little playing time under their belts, not because they never had the opportunity to pick up a guitar, but because once punk opened the door, they saw it as a way to get a bit of that musician adulation that gets people laid and out of a day job. Now compare that to kids who have relatively little experience because they're so young they simply haven't had the time to get spit shined. Who's more authentic?

Tiny Masters of Today, with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Mike D (Beastie Boys), Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers), and Russell Simins (JSBX)

Speaking admittedly as a non-parent, this also raises the question, is the "School of Rock" really necessary, or is it just a way to bilk dough out of parents who consider themselves to cool to be soccer moms? Really, just give them three chords and one electrical outlet, shut the door, turn up the TV: Lesson one complete.

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Listen:
Tiny Masters of Today - K.I.D.S. mp3 at Spin
Tiny Masters of Today - Book Song mp3 at Indie Blog Heaven
Tiny Masters of Today - Skeletons mp3 at Quiet Color
Juliete - My First Hardcore Song at iTunes
Video:
Tiny Masters of Today - Radio Riot at YouTube
Tiny Masters of Today - Pop Chart at YouTube

YEAH,YEAH. IN THREES. STILL...

Wow, what a messed up week. Jimmy Castor, Johnny Otis and Etta James all gone in a matter of days. Just an unpleasant reminder to go see the living greats, if you can, before you can't. Here's some from Etta James, who, contrary to how it may seem, did more than one song. Really, as great a song as "At Last" is (and it is), she really is someone who could make a song all hers, a master song stylist. To wit, "I Just Want To Make Love To You" is nothing like the version first made famous by Muddy Waters. The same goes for her treatment of "Just A Little Bit" (Roscoe Gordon), and "Security" (Otis Redding), and a whole bunch of others.

Etta James, with Keith Richards, Robert Cray and Johnny Johnson. While superfan Chuck Berry watches.

I'm reluctantly taking a pass on Jimmy Castor and Johnny Otis, because Funky 16 Corners has both of them well covered and he's promised a Monday Etta post, so bookmark him. (Hell, if you haven't already booked him as a regular destination, you need to start paying attention.)

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Listen:
Etta James - At Last mp3 at Carried Away
Etta James - Good Rockin' Daddy mp3 at Dirty Poodle
Etta James - Tell Mama mp3 at Blog Rage
Etta James - I Just Want to Make Love to You mp3 at Tsururadio
Etta James - I'd Rather Go Blind mp3 at Free Beer For Yorky
Etta James - Just A Little Bit mp3 at The Soul Girl
Etta James - Security mp3 at LS Scott
Etta James & Sugar Pie Desanto - In the Basement (Pt 1) mp3 at Dr. Mooneys
Etta James & Sugar Pie Desanto - In the Basement (Pt 2) mp3 at Dr. Mooneys
Etta James - Lover Man mp3 at Musik Kurier
Etta James - Something's Got A Hold On Me mp3 at Music Kurier
Etta James - Watch Dog mp3 (via Box.net) at 27 Leggies
Etta James - Six more songs at Funky 16 Corners

THIS HERE IS THE WHOLE PACKAGE

Good golly Miss Molly, look at that sleeve. Out there a little bit, eh? If you don't know the Mighty Hannibal, what would you be your guess? What type of music would this sleeve contain? What's the story with this cat? I'm still trying to figure it out, because nothing I've read or heard about him (yet) really quite pegs the source of the Mighty Hannibal's mighty weirdness, never mind his incredible talent. It's a very cool combination going on here.

The video above is one understated oddball piece of work. John Waters, David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino,...hell, probably even Walt Disney and Russ Meyer; they all wish they could do something this subtlety off. I don't even care about the questionable outfit or some of the more sissy dance moves that slip in. The Mighty Hannibal makes some irresistible music, and, whether you're in the kitchen or bathroom, it's time to get down.

About the selections: Pickin's are slim online, so I'm posting what I could find. (Regardless, I recommend the excellent compilation on Norton Records.) "Hymn N. 5" is a gospel-ish anti war song, written during the Vietnam era. Aquarium Drunkard posted it, but doesn't like outside linking. You should go there to get it while it's still there. The very funky "Get In the Groove," is a killer. Hell, just listen to the music below, watch the video, and then try going back to your unweird life.

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Listen:
The Mighty Hannibal - Get In the Groove mp3 at RnB45
The Mighty Hannibal - Time to Make It Through mp3 at RnB45
The Mighty Hannibal - Hymn N.5 at Aquarium Drunkard
The Mighty Hannibal - Fishin' Pole mp3 at The Soul Girl
The Mighty Hannibal - I Found A Way mp3 at Dub Lab
The Mighty Hannibal - Somebody In the World For Me at The Soul Girl
Video:
The Mighty Hannibal w/the Black Lips - Get In the Groove, Hymn N. 5 (Live) at YouTube
Video:
The Might Hannibal at Wikipedia

OKAY, SO ONE OLD GUY RULES.

It doesn't seem possible. An slightly older bald guy, with a more than considerable amount of cool. Even when older, with graying sideburns, pink polyester cape and shorts, and white go-go boots, he still has something of a cool old dude thing going on (see this video). Only one person could pull that shit off, Rufus Thomas. He recorded for a few different labels, among them, Sun and Stax; and either of those alone would be enough. The stuff below is middle era, most, if not all, from Stax. For you with an ear toward funkier stuff, I strongly suggest "Itch and Scratch," and "Funky Hot Grits."

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Listen:
Rufus Thomas - Memphis Train mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Rufus Thomas - Walking the Dog mp3 at Love My Oldies
Rufus Thomas - Funky Hot Grits mp3 at This Is My Island
Rufus Thomas - Itch and Scratch mp3 at Girl Atlas
Rufus Thomas - Willy Nilly mp3 at The Soul Girl
Rufus Thomas - Do the Funky Chicken mp3 at Sunrise Musics
Rufus Thomas - Pink Pussy Cat Wine (Radio spot) mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Video:
Rufus Thomas - Breakdown, Do the Funky Chicken (Live) at YouTube

THANKS, I NEEDED THAT

Ever get to a point where you just want to hit the reset button, and clear everything out of your head? It takes a special experience to wipe everything out. Today, just the first few bars of "Psycho" did it for me. So goddamn wild. I hope I don't need to go into specifics. If you hang around here long enough, you'll know that the Sonics are revered like few others. And I know I've posted their stuff a few times before. They just completely hit the spot today, right when I needed it. Turn your volume up and click on "Psycho" below, and take back your day.

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Listen:
The Sonics - Psycho mp3 at Bag of Songs
The Sonics - Strychnine mp3 at Gimmetinnitus
The Sonics - The Witch mp3 at Tinyvices
The Sonics - Money mp3 at Girl Juke Box
The Sonics - Maintaining My Cool mp3 at Beware of the Blog

HOLY SHIT! ALREADY?

Ten years of Daptone Records. Unbelievable. How does that happen? They're too good. Weren't they supposed to have been squashed? It just goes to show you, if you put out a good product and don't overextend yourself, you can make it work. Remember, that's how record labels used to do it. And, like Stax, Chess and Sun, they have their own studio, so they control the sound; and what a sound it is. Have a listen, all of the stuff below was recorded in recent years (with the exception of Pax Nicholas, a rare reissue), yet every one is timeless. Once you get to know the roster, you'll be giddy every time you see the label; like you used to dream about happening again someday (when you were shuffling through your Stax and Motown thrift store finds). It's some most excellent shit friends, and it's high time to start paying attention again, if you haven't already.

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Listen:

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Is In mp3 at Passion of the Weiss
The Sugarman Three - Soul Donkey mp3 at The Frump
Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens - What Have You Done mp3 at Sonny Venice
Charles Bradley - Golden Rule mp3 at Musicalicious
Menahan Street Band - Montego Sunset mp3 at Grayson Stebbins
The Budos Band - Budos Rising mp3 at Ear It Now
Pax Nicholas & the Netty Family - Ataa Onukpa mp3 at Other Music
Video:
Daptone Records Celebrates Ten Years at YouTube
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - Let Them Knock (Live) at YouTube
The Budos Band - Unbroken, Unshaven at YouTube
Charles Bradley featuring the Menahan Street Band - The World (Is Going Up In Flames) at YouTube
Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens - What Have You Done at YouTube
The Daptone Records channel at YouTube
Visit:
Daptone Records
Soul Reviver - Good profile from the New York Times Magazine
Soul Sides - Today's reminder came from here

SONGS THAT DON'T SUCK SHOWCASE

Here's a couple songs that you've heard a zillion times, but really deserve a good listen. You, like me, may have been desensitized due to hearing them played to death on oldies stations. It's only been in recent years that I started listening to all of the stuff going on. Really, isolate any instrument in either song. The Isley's 1969 "It's Your Thing," in particular, really gets me; the way it starts out with just guitar and bass, followed by the piano and cymbals, then drums and vocals. By the time the horns show up after a few measures, you're in it deep.

Rare Earth's "I Just Want To Celebrate," from 1971, is somewhere between the Norman Whitfield produced Temptations era (ala "Ball of Confusion" and "Psychedelic Shack") and Hendrix. They were the first all white band on Motown to crack the top 40, and it was about the same time, so the Temptaions aren't really a stretch, and the lead vocals sound like the guy locked himself in a room with the Smash Hits LP for a while. The guitar playing, what with the wah-wah and distortion, is pretty badass (more Whitfield than Hendrix, if that makes any sense). Just a couple reminders that hits sometime deserved to be.

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Listen:
The Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing mp3 at Parasoul
Rare Earth - I Just Want To Celebrate mp3 at LZ Center.com
Video:
The Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing (TV appearance) at YouTube
Rare Earth - I Just Want To Celebrate (Live) at YouTube

GOING TO THE STORE?

Boy, this is a mixed bunch, with only the loosest of threads. I was puttin' around town today listening to an old mix that I made that had the Flamin' Groovies, the Blues Explosion and a few other bands that got me all riled up and wishing I was having one of those good ol' "Really, they said I was having a party tonight?" type impromptu what-the-hell, if you can't beat 'em join 'em type Saturday night throwdowns, just like the good old days. Problem is, that ol' gang of mine has, literally, moved on. Time was, there was a steady stream of drop-ins on just about every weekend night (and some during the week) that would give cause to hiding a few beers in the vegetable drawer. People get married, move away, buy homes where they can afford them, and start families. Not me. Just like John Milner said in the movie American Grafitti, "I'm staying right here, having fun, as usual." It is what it is, to use a phrase I hate to use. We all grow up in different ways and I suppose. now that I'm a little older, my way is leaving beer right out in the open. So I guess this is for the "Do you have a paper plate?' "Who pissed on the seat?" "Is that the last one?" "He's upstairs" "Can I play this?" friends. They know who they are. I have carpet stains named after some of you, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Love you more because of it. XO you loiterers.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
Dirty Shames - Makin' Love mp3 at Beware of the Blog
King Khan - Treat Me Like A Dog mp3 at Obscure Sound
The Chocolate Watch Band - Don't Need Your Lovin' mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Flamin' Groovies - Teenage Head mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Jim Dickinson with the Cramps - Red Headed Woman mp3 at The Hound Blog
The Gun Club - Sex Beat mp3 at Eat This Grenade!
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Money Rock’n’Roll mp3 at Review Stalker
The Black Keys - Have Love Will Travel mp3 at Nine Bullets
Left Lane Cruiser - Big Mama mp3 at Nine Bullets

50 SONGS I DIDN'T POST

Okay, so tonight was going to be a roll call of sorts, with all selections coming from recent posts found from the blogs on my link list (under the heading "Get Lost" in the left column of this page). You know what? I got as far as Big Rock Candy Mountain, and am now ass deep in sidetracked. In a series of consecutive posts, he rattled off his 50 top releases of 2011, which beats my list by approximately 50. Here's a random one I like, because, when was the last time you heard a slide playing one woman band (or as Molly Gene refers to herself, One Woahman Band)? The rest of the stuff is riddled with keepers you never heard off, so dig it. (When the Dirtbombs are #50, you know there's some good stuff.)

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
Molly Gene One Whoaman Band - Country Lover mp3 at Big Rock Candy Mountain
More sounds:
Big Rock Candy Mountain's list, selections 1-10
Big Rock Candy Mountain's list, selections 11-20
Big Rock Candy Mountain's list, selections 21-30
Big Rock Candy Mountain's list, selections 31-40
Big Rock Candy Mountain's list, selections 41-50

QUINCY IRBY LIVES

Try as I might to find a common theme among songs on the same post, this one is kind of an exception. The reason is because it's for my brother, Tim, who passed away in 1997 and was a brilliant guitarist. His birthday is January 13, which this year falls on a Friday, hence the image above. So, here's just a few of guitarists that he dug.

I had to start it with Johnny Winter, because that's the first guitarist that I remember him trying to emulate, and he had it down; to the point that you could name an era of Johnny Winter and he could improvise something in that style, be it bottleneck blues, or electric rock 'n' roll. The cut below, an alternate take of "Dallas," begins with Johnny Winter muttering "unlucky thirteen" which, of course, meant I had to post it.

He was also into surf music, deep. Beginning with the omnipresent garage sale Ventures, and then onto the Surfaris, the Challengers (who he would later christen "dodes"), the Lively Ones and so on. We knew about Dick Dale, but, believe it or not, at the time all of his records were out of print and nearly impossible to find. Finally, around 1975, Dick Dale released a new album with re-recorded old material and some new stuff. It blew away all of the other bands. Tim got it bad. A few years later (around '80) he started a surf band, the Evasions, with a guy he met through a classified ad, Richard "Skid Roper" Banke (who Tim would call Braniac, because Richard had suggested "The Braniacs" as a band name). A while later, he would get the opportunity to be sent to Dale's house, to shoot him for a friend's music column. He spent a day, one on one, with the King of the Surf Guitar. Dale took him out on his boat, played piano, and played an unreleased song on acoustic in the middle of a tour of the house. He gave Tim his phone number and told him to call him any time (and, as any brother would, he later proved it by calling him while I was present).

Tim, Del Mar Fair, mid-80s

That's only two, and though there's a few others down below, this will have to be continued later. I can see where it's going, I could go forever about all of the guitarists he loved. Besides Johnny Winter, Dick Dale, Cliff Gallup (Gene Vincent), Paul Burlison (Johnny Burnette), Neil Young and Karl Precoda (Dream Syndicate), all represented below, there's the man, Chuck Berry, Billy Lee Riley, Scotty Moore, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Ron Wood, Jeff Beck, Rory Gallagher, Hendrix, Clapton, Duane Allman, Leslie West (Mountain), Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Tommy Collins, Joe Maphis, John Fogerty, Ronnie Montrose, Jimmy Page, Rick Derringer, Jeff Beck, Ron Asheton, Johnny Thunders, Paul Johnson, and on and on. His tastes were varied, but it was always about the guitar.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen:
Johnny Winter - Dallas mp3 at David Fullmer
Dick Dale & the Deltones - The Wedge mp3 at 4Shared
Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps - Cat Man mp3 at LYWL
Johnny Burnette & the Rock n' Roll Trio - Honey Hush mp3 at RocknDog.com
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Down By the River mp3 at I Am Fuel, You Are Friends
The Dream Syndicate - Halloween mp3 at The Mad Mackerel

A MOMENT FOR A FIEND

It finally got to me, the little snippets I'd seen about this supposed "best bar band in the world." I thought where better to start? So I bought the first NRBQ LP and got as far as the second song and was stopped dead in my tracks. After just hearing their cover of Eddie Cochran's "C'mon Everybody," it was a one of those "what the hell is this?!" moments, a cover of Sun Ra's "Rocket Number Nine." Now, if you know the song, and you know what you would expect when listening to a "bar band," you'll know why this record had me scratching my head. I was intrigued. The LP also had covers of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee's "C'mon If You're Comin'" and Bruce Chanel's "Hey Baby," mixed in with originals. Weird. They got chucked into the "keep an eye on these guys" stack.

A few years later, I stopped by a record store on my way home from work, and was browsing when I noticed that there were four guys in the store who all stuck out because they looked rather ramshackle, and not at all in typically ramshackle way. The other thing that stuck out was that they were in different sections of the store. One in imports, another in blues, another in international music...yeah, you can guess where this is going. Later on that night when I went to my first NRBQ show, I realized the guys I'd seen in the store were NRBQ. Now, this is where I try to explain my fondness for a band that may seem only marginally interesting to a casual listener. The record store was a good twenty miles south of their southernmost gig, meaning that before their gig, they drove twenty miles to go to a record store. Motherfuckers stole my heart. They were record fiend brethren. So, their worth to me is not that of a band I like, it's of freaks. Because there's no denying it, to whatever degree, they let it fly.

NRBQ's long time drummer Tommy Ardolino just died. A quote from a 1992 L.A. Times interview with Ardolinio: " I know all the good record stores in every town." Yes. A fiend among fiends. He started out a fan, and began to swap tapes with Terry Adams, the keyboard player. He sat in on a gig, and in 1974, when the original drummer left, he joined. He played with them for roughly thirty years. I believe it was he in the blues section of the record store. (Record Store Day is April 12. Yo, occupy.)

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~

Listen (streaming):
NRBQ - Rocket Number Nine (streaming) at YouTube
NRBQ - You Can't Hide (streaming) at YouTube
Listen (mp3s:
NRBQ - That's Alright mp3 at Art Decade
NRBQ - That's Neat, That's Nice mp3 (plus one other) at Star Maker Machine
Visit:
Tommy Ardolino - Excellent profile/obituary at the L.A. Times