KA-BOOM! KA-BOOM!

Ho-ly shit. This song is more relevant now than when it was released in in the mid-eighties. Check the lyrics while you're listening. It's almost prophetic. Note too the left field pairing of Afrika Bambaataa and John Lydon. One for the ages, including, unfortunately, this age.

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Listen:
Time Zone - World Destruction mp3 at ATumblr (?) Featuring Afrika Bambaataa and John Lydon
Video:
Time Zone - World Destruction at YouTube
Visit:
World Destruction - Lyrics at Google Play
Time Zone - Wikipedia entry

WE HAVE COME FOR YOUR SOLO CUPS.

It's been a while since I've been in New Orleans, so I don't remember how it works on the last few days of Mardi Gras.  My guess is that that true locals, those into the heritage and the music, pace themselves, go to parades here and there, and then on Fat Tuesday may hoist an extra drink or two. They're not the ones getting totally wasted. The real obnoxious party 'til you puke types are the tourists and younger people that are always looking for an excuse to get fucked up. So I don't know if everybody pauses after the weekend and then goes full bore into Tuesday as a last hurrah, or if Sunday and Monday are party nights too. Whatever. Here's a mish mash of more New Orleans music, that you can use for whatever hi-jinks the next few days bring, or you can be like everybody else and just dig the music of the one city in the United States that truly has its own sound.

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Listen:
Professor Longhair - In the Night mp3 at DJ Perro
Smiley Lewis - I Hear You Knockin' mp3 at DJ Perro
The Meters - Funky Miracle mp3 at Drummer World
Roger and the Gypsies - Pass the Hatchet (Pts 1 and 2) mp3 at A Terrible Blogger Is Born
Earl King - Trick Bag mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Champion Jack Dupree - Drunk Again mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Huey "Piano" Smith - Popeye mp3 at Probe Is Turning-On the People
Jessie Hill - Whip It On Me mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Al Tousan (Allen Toussaint) - Pelican Parade mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Benny Spellman - Fortune Teller mp3 at Northern Soul Music
Prime Mates - Hot Tamales (Pt 1) mp3 at Super Sonido
Frankie Ford - Roberta mp3 at Rocky 52
Eddie Lang - Something Within Me mp3 at Soul Garage
Wax Wonders: The Soul Of NOLA at Aquarium Drunkard Five New Orleans sides, Irma Thomas, Bobby Parker, Little Bob and two by Willie Tee. Worth the click.

ALSO THERE

Going through old New Orleans stuff, I came across this one and it hit the spot. Early Neville is always good. Doesn't matter which one.

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Listen:
Art Neville - Arabian Love Call mp3 at Office Naps Specialty 656

YES ERNIE, YOU LOOK DANDY

Despite all the references to Mardi Gras and partying and the French Quarter and puking in your solo cup and all of that, the real reason I like Mardis Gras, from this distance anyway, is as an excuse to go on a New Orleans music binge and not feel the least bit guilty about it. The world needs New Orleans. It's a city in love with its own music heritage, an example in that way to all of us. Despite having its share of contemporary big shots, the reverence for the rich history of New Orleans music by locals is something you aren't going to hear in many places.

If you want to wrap your head around what New Orleans music is like, you can listen to all sorts of music from there and hear a common thread. It might lean towards jazz or blues or rock 'n' roll, and you might hear a strains of all of it in one song, but it all somehow seems to connect in that distinctive R&B of the region. Ernie K-Doe, like Joe Jones and Eddie Bo (see the last two posts) and a thousand others, epitomized that sound.

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Listen:
Ernie K-Doe - A Certain Girl mp3 at Hearsay
Ernie K-Doe - Wanted, $10.000 Reward mp3 at J Yuenger
Ernie K-Doe - Mother In Law mp3 at Net Animations (?)
Ernie K-Doe - Popeye Joe mp3 at Probe Is Turning-On the People
Ernie K-Doe - Here Come the Girls mp3 at Brendan McGetrick (?)
Radio show:
Ernie K-Doe on WWOZ at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Visit:
Ernie K-Doe at Wikipedia

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

Just poking around for more New Orleans stuff, I was teetering, trying to decide who to post first. Then I ran into the above photo of Eddie Bo. Look at that. He could be playing complete crap and I'd get sucked in just by that. Four barefoot women in short skirts putting their dukes up, with Bo in the middle of them. Wait. Look at his feet. (You can see them better in this high resolution version.) Just why in the fuck would he have the toes cut out of his shoes? Who knows? The nut.

Eddie Bo's music though is not crap. It's New Orleans R&B, classic to the core. He recorded for something like forty labels and released more singles than any other New Orleans artist, with the exception of Fats Domino. And he cut his shoes up for photo shoots.

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Listen:
Eddie Bo - Roamin-itis mp3 at Groove Addict
Eddie Bo - Baby I'm Wise mp3 at Groove Addict
Eddie Bo - The Sissy Walk mp3 at Groove Addict
The full LPs
Eddie Bo - Check Mr. Popeye at Groove Addict
Eddie Bo and the Soul Finders - The Hook and Sling  at Groove Addict

CHAOS FROM CASH

Fat Tuesday is fast approaching. Rather than wait until the normal last minute clusterfuck of New Orleans stuff, I'm gonna indulge. Here's one by Joe Jones, one that you may have heard a thousand times. But, when was the last time you heard it and thought of one particular person.

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Listen:
Joe Jones - You Talk Too Much mp3 at Time Goes By

REALLY. GIVE THE DRUMMER SOME.

Clyde Stubblefield passed away today. His name may not be immediately recognizable to a lot of people, but chances are most people have heard his playing. He's best known as James Brown's drummer from the period that produced Brown's funkiest sides. No small feat there, considering Brown's pioneering funk, his predilection for extraordinarily tight backing bands, and the fact that the rhythm section is essential to making that spit shined funk happen. Stubblefield was the man.

But you've heard him on other stuff as well. Check James Brown's "Funky Drummer". Stubblefield was that funky drummer. Listen. Heard any of those beats before? Check the end of it, just after 8:50, the breaks on the fade out. You know those. The drums on "Funky Drummer" are widely thought to be the most sampled in history, but really, though the drums on the song are badass and sample worthy, the fact that it's been sampled a zillion times just means there's a whole lot of copycats. And one funky drummer.

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Listen:
James Brown - Funky Drummer mp3 at Isoamerica (?)
James Brown - Sex Machine mp3 at Drummer World
James Brown - Cold Sweat mp3 at Drummer World With John Jabo Syarks also on drums.
Visit:
Clyde Stubblefield page at Drummer World Several videos and short bio
Clyde Stubblefield, the ‘Funky Drummer’ for James Brown, Dies at 73 at New York Times
Songs that sampled Funky Drummer at Who Sampled

WAITING FOR THE ICE CREAM MAN

Calm down. It's fake.

I haven't run into this one for a long while. Forgive me if you've heard it, this is for those who haven't. Yo, pimply faced freshmen, I'm assuming you know the Archies' "Sugar Sugar", and you are aware of the Velvet Underground. If not, go to Wikipedia and/or YouTube. We won't hold your hands here. If you do know them and realize how diametrically opposed they are, you'll probably find this interesting. It's a mash up by Mark Vidler (who if I remember correctly went by Go Home Productions). "Velvet Sugar" mixes the vocals from "Sugar Sugar" and the music of the Velvet Underground. It's much more effective than it sounds. He did some other good ones, one favorite was Sex Pistols vs Madonna, "Ray of Gob".

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Listen:
Mark Vidler - Velvet Sugar mp3 at Internet Archive
Mark Vidler - Ray of Gob mp3 at Internet Archive
Mark Vidler - This Was Pop 2002 - 2007 at Internet Archive 18 more mash-ups. NOTE: In the right column, under "Download options" click on "VBR MP3 Files"

HEAVY METAL

If you dig steel drums, you know how rare it is to hear anything with steel drums that isn't poorly recorded, lethargic or some shitty schlock, Tommy Bahama, old guys rule, ugly American, umbrella in your pinapple drink, parrot head cruise ship muzak. So this one, a cover of 50 Cent's "P.I.M.P,", kicks ass in comparison. This is one fucking cool song. I'm gonna have to buy the album.

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Listen:
Bacao Rhythm and Steel Band - P.I.M.P. mp3 at Soul Donuts

FEET OFF THE COUCH

Jerry McCain recorded some demos in a living room in 1955. They got him signed, and he began a long recording career. The demos languished somewhere, were found and then released many years later. Then some guy posted them on his blog in 2006, and I just ran into them tonight. And now I'm telling you about them. That about catches us up. Because, you will ask, "Where have these been all my life?" I'm just giving you the answer in advance.

You might not. You will either eat these up, or not get it at all. I'm not even going to set them up by describing them musically. You'll know.

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Listen:
Jerry McCain - My Next Door Neighbor mp3 at Dinosaur Gardens

Jerry McCain - Choo Choo Rock mp3 at Dinosaur Gardens

Jerry McCain - Nine more songs at Dinosaur Gardens

HELL YEAH

If you dig soul funk and don't already have What It Is! Funky Soul And Rare Grooves (1967-1977), you really need to check it out. It's a boxed set (four CDs I think), with some familiar names, some that you second tier types know, and a whole lotta of obscure on-offs. I've been messing with it for the past couple days. Here's a few samples and a link to whole thing. You can listen to in streaming or, you know.

I do need to insist that you listen to the alternate mix of Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady". Listen to all the shit that's going on, it's just insane, And her voice, total goosebumps. The drums, the background singers, the horns. It is high art. 

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Listen:
Don Covay - Sookie Sookie mp3 at Internet Archive
Lulu - Feelin' Alright mp3 at Internet Archive
Aretha Franklin - Rock Steady (alt mix) mp3 at Internet Archive
The whole thing:
What It Is! Funky Soul And Rare Grooves (1967-1977) at Internet Archive NOTE: In the right column, under "Download options" click on "VBR MP3 Files"

JACK ON FIRE

These are cool, four early Jack Nitzsche instrumentals. "The Lonely Surfer" I've heard a million times, but the other three I hadn't heard until a couple days ago. Imagine the Wrecking Crew doing surf music, because that's what it is. It doesn't sound like surf music because they're the fucking Wrecking Crew. They gotta do everything perfect, and big. We could go on like this all night. One of the songs, "Baja", is just the missing link I'd been hoping to find. It's a cover of a surf instrumental by the Astronauts, from Colorado of all places (everybody was getting in on the  action). Nitzsche goes big on that one, and it's great to hear juxtaposed with the original. Still, look at that photo. Dude looks like a walking time bomb.

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Listen:
Jack Nitzsche - The Lonely Surfer mp3 at Internet Archive
Jack Nitzsche - Baja mp3 at Internet Archive
The Astronauts - Baja mp3 at California Girls (?)
Jack Nitzsche - Old Town mp3 at Internet Archive
Jack Nitzsche - Puerto Vallarta mp3 at Internet Archive

CHIN MUSIC

A couple days ago Lady Spinsta hepped me to Eli "Paperboy" Reed's podcast (or radio show, or whatever the hell it is), so that's where my computer dial has been set the last couple days. "We Got More Soul" is, as you'd guess, more soul, almost all of it obscure, with some R&B, gospel and funk. Not all that surprising given that Reed is a record collector and a shouter of some merit himself. I gotta say, dude's got taste. Here's some of his stuff and a link to whatever the hell it is you call them.

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Listen:
Eli "Paperboy" Reed - Ace of Spades mp3 at Ryan's Smashing Life Motorhead cover!
Eli "Paperboy" Reed - Doin' the Boom Boom mp3 at Leave You Wanting Less
Eli "Paperboy" Reed - It's Easier mp3 at The B Side
Eli "Paperboy" Reed - The Satisfier mp3 at Leave You Wanting Less
The show:
We Got More Soul - Past shows at Mixcloud

WHILE ROD'S TAKING A PISS

Always liked this one, it sounds like the Faces trying their damnedest to do their version of a Booker T and the MGs groove without shaking a speck of what made the Faces the Faces. When Wood's guitar comes in you know it ain't going nowhere near McLemore Avenue.

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Listen:
The Faces - Fly In the Ointment mp3 at Internet Archive

WHAT ARE YOU? A MAP?

Here's Mickey Baker again, this time acoustic, with Memphis Slim. There are things that I could nitpick about in "Mississippi Water", but the opportunity to hear just the two of them together (no bass, no drums) makes me forget all about nitpicking. This comes from a collection of Memphis Slim's stuff, (including songs with Peter Green, Freddy King, Roosevelt Sykes, Charlie McCoy, and Buddy Guy) that can be found here.

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Listen:
Memphis Slim and Mickey Baker - Mississippi Water mp3 at Internet Archive
Much more
Memphis Slim - Paris Mississippi Blues (30 songs) at Internet Archive
NOTE: In the right column, under "Download options" click on "VBR MP3 Files"

NOT A TERRORIST

It's been a couple weeks since the asshat in chief did his little ban thing. What a complete idiot. Sorry, I got nothn'. Know this our international friends, we're as astonished as you are that such an ill-minded impossibly bad bullshiter could end up fronting any country, let alone our own. I may only speak for one, but I will speak loudly and often. He is not my president.

When said asshat attempted to roll out his seven country travel ban, I headed to Radio Diffusion International to revisit music that they've posted from the Middle East. I'm not exactly sure what I was hoping to accomplish by doing that, but I am exactly sure that there's whacked out shit everywhere. Do you really think that the United States is the only country that can produce someone like Hasil Adkins? The Shaggs? Beefheart? There are musical outliers everywhere.

Not all of the music I sampled was whacked out. Some was derivative of Western music, some were quality ethnic jams, but it was pert' near all listenable, and it was refreshing, in some odd way, to get out of the box. So, here's a look at just a few of them. These aren't intended to be representative, they're totally random picks, except for Assa's Khoury. You'll see why when you get to him.

Libya: Nasser Mizdawi and his Guitar. "Two Months" is like a less dynamic "Goldfinger" with faint Middle Eastern overtones. Mizdawi is no Nokie Edwards, but I suppose he gets the job done. Nice brass, but this sucker could definitely use more oomph.

Iraq: Munir Bachir. "Alouspour Ettaïr" He's an old fashioned country picker, if the country is Iraq. Chet Atkins after doing a U-Roy on a hookah.

Iran: Black Cats. "Marcella" What the hell? Behind that murky production is a capable James Brown take. Well I'll be dipped in shit.

Syria: Assa’d Khoury with his Oriental Electronic Organ and Band. This is the big daddy today. You're already hooked with just the name of the band. Dig the name of the LP, Electronic Touch Belly Dance. I know. huh?. The sample delivers. "Al Ghaba" is pure whacked out gold. He's like Syria's version of our old friend Luie Luie (not the song, this guy). Musical crackpots, I guess, know no borders.

These are just four songs from four countries, Radio Diffusion has a shitload more, from all over the place not just the Middle East. What are you doing right now anyway? As long as you're online, you might as well sit on your ass and travel. Go there.

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Listen:
Nasser Mizdawi and his Guitar - Two Months mp3 at Radio Diffusion Libya
Munir Bachir - Alouspour Ettaïr mp3 at Radio Diffusion Iraq
Black Cats - Marcella mp3 at Radio Diffusion Iran
Assa’d Khoury with his Oriental Electronic Organ and Band - Al Ghaba mp3 at Radio Diffusion Syria

WE'LL LET THE PROFESSOR EXPLAIN

Earlier tonight I was reading something about the Meters and it reminded me that Mardi Gras is only a couple weeks away. I always end up forgetting until the last minute, and never get to all of the New Orleans stuff I like. So, getting started early this year, and who better to start with than good ol' Professor Longhair. "Ball the Wall", am I right? 

Here's two songs. "Mardi Gras In New Orleans" was recorded in 1949. The version of "Tipitina" below is from 1974 (his first version was from 1953). The two below are separated by a quarter century, and despite the different bands and recording qualities, they still feel the same.

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Listen:
Profesor Longhair - Mardi Gras in New Orleans mp3 at Groove Addict 1949
Professor Longhair - Tipitina mp3 at Groove Addict 1973
The LPs:
Professor Longhair - New Orleans Piano at Groove Addict
Professor Longhair - Rock' 'n' Roll Gumbo at Groove Addict

MY UNCLE DON USED TO SIT LIKE THAT

Look at that album cover, the pose, the outfit. This might be the exact moment when country and western lost the western. It sure doesn't look western to me.. I tried not to let that taint what little I knew about Del Reeves. But, man, just look at it. The real old school cats probably flipped. Here's a couple that were hits for him, sounding very much like trucker music, except they're about girl watching. He might wamt to think of a different way to cross his legs if he ever wants to do more than watch. There's nothing wrong with the way he's sitting, it just doesn't look cool. Maybe it does. It's just not a cool cover photo. Cool design though. He should have borrowed one of Porter Wagoner's fancy suits...

When I was searching for an image, what I imagined I'd find was a look something like Dave Dudley. You know, everyman. I instead found that LP cover. There were several others just as dorky but I'm cutting my losses.

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Listen:

Del Reeves - Belles of the Southern Bell mp3 at Rocky 52
Del Reeves - Girl on the Billboard mp3 at Rocky 52

PUT ON MY AEROBICS TAPE

Fuck, I didn't know At The Drive-In were back at it. I was just browsing sites that I rarely visit, the ones that keep up with the latest releases, just to see what's going on out there. Even with low expectations, I was surpised at how few songs there were with any teeth at all. I needed something else. For some reason At The Drive-In came to mind. Now, there was a band with teeth. I remember when I first saw them, on MTV of all places, they were all over the place. It was cool to see a band rock out. They were a little abrasive, nice bonus. Now that I think about it, I don't remember ever seeing one of them smile. (Note to young bands: Don't give smiles too early. You do and you give up the game.) I went looking for "One Armed Scissor" that first video I saw, and yeah, that's when I found out that they're at least temporarily back together again. Is this their second reunion? I don't know. Hard to reckon with the thought of them being something of elders all these years later.

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Listen:
At The Drive In - Governed by Contagions mp3 at At The Drive-In Note: Email address required for download. 2016
At The Drive In - Governed by Contagions (streaming) at YouTube
At The Drive-In - One Armed Scissor mp3 at Herbert
At The Drive-In - Pattern Against User mp3 at Central Village
At The Drive-In - For Now … We Toast mp3 at Cause Equals Time
Video:
At The Drive In - One Armed Scissor at YouTube Official
At The Drive In - One Armed Scissor at YouTube Live on the Late Show 

WE'LL WRECK YOU BEFORE YOU WRECK US

I don't want to over-analyze anything.  I've been pissed about a lot of things the past couple weeks, and it all seems to stem from Trump and his mob. I won't even refer to them as leaders. Just look at them, it's ridiculous. We are going to stop this right? I know I ain't riding out four years of this shit. I won't even make it to the mid-terms. 

So that's been my train of thought the last week and a half. Little has lightened up that dark shit. But music has, in some strange ways. I don't know why, whether these two are a distraction or inadvertently appropriate soundtrack, but they sure do hit the spot tonight. Music is so great.

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Listen:
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention - Trouble Every Day mp3 at Gorveg (?)

DIG THE CUSP DAD!

Try as I might to switch directions occasionally just to mix things up, when I run into something really killer, impulse presides. So, no excuses here, just a collection of old rhythm and blues that includes Arthur Crudup (writer of "That's Alright Mama"), Bunker Hill (a shouter that makes Little Richard sound like Pat Boone) and Laurel Aitken (a ska pioneer that did straight up R&B as well), among many, many others. Amos Milburn, Etta James, Rosco Gordon, Wynonie Harris and, shit, a load of people I ain't never heard of. This is some really good shit. Total dance, sweat, drink and get laid, pre-rockabilly, pre-rock-n-roll, get down and get dirty type stuff. Dig it!

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Listen:
Amos Milburn - House Party Tonight mp3 at Internet Archive Filthy sax
Laurel Aitken - Boogie In My Bones mp3 at Internet Archive
Bunker Hill - The Girl Can Dance mp3 at Internet Archive Crazy, fully.
Bumps Blackwell - Summin' Jumpin' mp3 at Internet Archive
The Big Bag:
46 more! at Internet Archive NOTE: In the right column, under "Download options" click on "VBR MP3 Files"