BOTH? ISN'T THAT WEIRD?

Here's a couple mixes all up in your face. I'd been meaning to alert you to Spread the Good Word's Bloody Summer Mix, and had been putting it off; but I just ran into another mix that will go well with it. As some of you may know (because I mention him regularly) Reverend Tom Frost runs Spread the Good Word, and he's got some good taste. His mix is mostly old rock 'n' roll and surf, but with a lot of names you probably won't know. The other mix is rocksteady, over at Aquarium Drunkard. Why would I think that these two mixes would go together? Because there's only two kinds of music, good or bad. Sometimes that might mean authentic, or inauthentic. Sometimes they may overlap. So, okay, there's four types of music. Regardless, these mixes fall into the same category, whatever it is. It may seem crazy to you single discipliners, but it wasn't unusual to mix types of music (ahem) back in the day (here we go with that again...). Amongst pre-indie punk rock sort of kids, punk rock, reggae, and rockabilly were all on the table. I had a top ten, one of several in the second issue of a fanzine I put out (with the Zeros on the cover). It included Tapper Zukie, U-Roy, the Dils, and Gene Vincent, amongst others. And that wasn't unusual. So, viva what have you.

The Bloody Summer Mix has Johnny Horton, Johnny & The Hurricanes Al Casey, Annette ("The Battle Of San Onofre," Oh yeah, that ought to be rich), Benny Quick (the original version of "California Sun"), and a bunch of other names most of us don't know. (Think I'm kidding? How's about Darrell Higham and Bob Fryfogle? I didn't think so).

Aquarium Drunkard's Bomboclat! Island Soak 3 follows suit, only in a different genre; in other words, some names you'll know, and some you won't. Yeah, there's I Roy, Dennis Alcapone, and Slim Smith (which should be familiar to anyone who's dug past Marley, Toots, Cliff, etc.), but most of you won't have much in the way of King Sporty, or the Mohawks.

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

Listen:
The Bloody Summer Mix 2012 at Spread the Good Word
Bomboclat! Island Soak 3 at Aquarium Drunkard (They don't like direct linking, so go there to get it)

STEP TWO: BANK ON LOCALE

Back when I was still in school, music freaks were plentiful. As most of them were around at the cusp of the FM radio format , the music that was the biggest was guitar driven and blues based. And somehow, despite being in Southern California, there was some sort of weird attachment to Southern rock, specifically the Allman Brothers, the Charlie Daniels Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Marshall Tucker Band. (Is it any wonder I became a punk rock convert after seeing the Ramones?) Quite frankly, I've heard enough of all of those bands to last a lifetime. It wasn't just the records. Every goddamn party band seemed to include some of those bands in their set, and the most popular band, Hit 'n' Run, were known to cover the entire Allman Brothers' Live At Fillmore East LP. So, you'll excuse me if I'm not particular to muttonchops and confederate flags. When Lynyrd Skynyrd dissed Neil Young in "Sweet Home Alabama," they unknowingly drew the battle lines. Skynyrd or Neil? Textbook no-brainer there.

That all said, the best of that bunch was the Allman Brothers. So I was a bit curious when I happened on a song by Duane and Gregg Allman's first band, the ridiculously named Allman Joys. (Their name was originally the Escorts. Go figure. Sometimes you feel like a nut.) The song below bears no resemblance to their later band, otherwise I wouldn't be posting it. What it does sound like is one of the fourteen million garage bands of that era. Lacking the punch of the Music Machine, Count Five, and that lot, it went, as you can guess, nowhere. But it's nifty enough that it made the list here. An interesting side note is that the guy who discovered them and was the first to produce them, was J.D. Loudermilk, a name many of you will recognize as the guy who wrote "Tobacco Road," a hit for the Nashville Teens, and recorded by many, many others.

The other song down there is the Sir Douglas Quintet, doing a cover of Andre Williams's "Bacon Fat." That ought to excite about four of you. But i ran across it and it's as good a reason as any to hep you to Doug Sahm Month, going on at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban. Check it out for a bunch of his neat early non-hit stuff.

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

Listen:
Allman Joys - I'm Sending You Back mp3 at M.Brown
Sir Douglas Quintet - Bacon Fat mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban

HE'S RIDICULOUS. HE'S WONDERFUL.

Really, I was planning on returning to something that appealed to people other than the assorted crackpots that I run with, but my sister, whom I had not previously associated with said crackpots, was kind enough to turn me onto a song that was so good-weird, that plans got scrapped. Instead, I present "Body Building" by Orchester Werner Müller, a name that I would imagine most of you would not recognize. I didn't, but after hearing the song, he's now on my radar, as is the online radio station the song was found on, Pineapple Juice ("hip-shakin’ grooves from and inspired by the ‘60s and ‘70s beat, soul and funk scene"). Müller was apparently a big name in German lounge music, prone to experimentation. Space Age Pop cites a song that utilizes wordless vocals and whistling, which was used to great effect by Ennio Morricone in his soundtracks for Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns. That got me to thinking about Daniele Luppi, a contemporary psuedo-easy listening dude, who actually tracked down Morricone's whistler for one of his early LPs. So, I'm throwing a Luppi track down there; whistler free as it is, it still swings. There's also a Jimmy Smith tune, just because I ran across it, and we seem to be on an organ tack tonight. We will return to Norwegian black metal tomorrow.

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

Listen:

Orchester Werner Müller - Body Building mp3 at The Beiderbecke Affair
Werner Müller - Rumba Juanita mp3 at Paradise Soul
Daniele Luppi - Je Tadore mp3 at Paradise Soul
Jimmy Smith - Burning Spear mp3 at One Sweet Song
Visit:
Pineapple Juice Radio
Werner Müller at Space Age Pop

HANG IT ON YOUR EAR

They named their band after a gas station. They didn't go over as well in Pana or Irving, as they did in Nokomis, Palmer and Morrisonville. Their drummer made the news when he played for forty straight hours in their practice space, a garage. John Wayne Gacy had something to do with promoting one of their shows. Does any of that wet your whistle? No? I didn't think so. What got me going was their almighty cruising vessel shown above. So I did me a click, and boy am I glad I did.

Dave and the Detomics aren't earth shattering by any means. You might find their stuff unremarkable. I knew nothing about them, and I could forget what I've learned by next week. But you know what? The first thought I had when I heard the first few bars of "Detomic Orbit" was "This is so up my alley." I happen to dig the everyman bands. The ones who strike out at Pana, so the concentrate on their steady gig at the Nokomis Park House. The ones who release a couple of 45s and then pound their heads against the wall, wondering why far less interesting bands are on the radio. The ones who figure that nobody cares about their stinking records, until a site like Garage Hangover comes calling forty years later. This, friends, is what Garage Hangover does best.

Garage Hangover doesn't like direct linking, but you can listen to "Detomic Orbit" at YouTube to taste test. Though, I highly recommend going to Garage Hangover to get that one and "Shatter," another excellent twangy organ-driven instrumental; if not all of them (there's seven in all). All this, and a lengthy bio to boot. You'll either really like them, or you can take a pass (and that'd be your loss, faker).

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

Listen:
Dave & the Detomics - Detomic Orbit (streaming) at YouTube
Dave & the Detomics - Detomic Orbit, Shatter and several other mp3s at Garage Hangover

YES, SLY, I THINK WE CAN DO THAT.

Just a quick one here. If you're of a certain age, and can remember this one playing incessantly one summer, you might find it hard to believe that it was 1969. I did. I was very surprised, because I do remember when it first came out, and up until tonight, I didn't think I was cognizant of music that early in my life. If you don't remember when it was part of the AM radio soundtrack of a particular summer, then you might just hear some tame schmaltz. Shut up. Compared to some of Sly Stones other stuff, this one is demanding that you chill and not take that music nerd badge too seriously. It is rather tame, that's precisely why it was a hit.

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

Listen:
Sly & the Family Stone - Hot Fun in the Summertime mp3 at Surviving the Golden Age

LET'S SHAKE ON IT

Just catching up on those swinging, honking, ba-boom-ba-boom instrumentals that seem to appeal to me and and seven other people. Nevertheless, for ye who still wear wing tips, here are a handful of prefix omitted shakers that reek of Pabst. As per usual, these have come from Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban and Diddy Wah, two purveyors of shit I like. Both are worthy of stops on your rounds.

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

Listen:
Everybody Fish - The Harlequins at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Felix Randolf - Caramba mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Owen Bradley Quintet - Big Guitar mp3 at Diddy Wah Grady Martin on guitar
The Raging Storms - Hound Dog mp3 at Diddy Wah
Jimmy Beasley & the Rockers - Johnny's House Party, Pt 1 mp3 at Diddy Wah
Jimmy Beasley & the Rockers - Johnny's House Party, Pt 2 mp3 at Diddy Wah
Visit these believers:
Diddy Wah
Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban

FOR YOU AND ME

Not to dismiss the folks in the military, but you know who the true patriots are? Voters. It's the one role that we play that gives puts us on equal footing with every other individual. In this one activity, presuming there's no shenanigans going on, a homeless person conceivably has the same power as the fat cat. When you vote, you are the most elemental defender of freedom. Bang bang in the ballot box.

I bet you already know what songs are going to play today. Every damn song that has "America" or "USA" in it will be blasting at barbeques and fireworks shows all over the place. You can practically write the playlist now, from Kate Smith, to Bruce Springsteen, Neil Diamond and James Brown, with little regard to appropriateness. I would forgo the whole shooting match just to see a few kids holding sparklers while this song plays.

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

Listen:
Woody Guthrie - This Land is Your Land mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - This Land is Your Land mp3 at Evil Vince

ICH BIN EIN KURIER

Here's a good one, to pad some rather unfortunate news. I ran into this song and wanted to post it as some sort of sideways tip of the hat to the Musik Kurier, a site I mentioned just a few days ago. It was because, although I'm not nuts about disco, I admire the fact that they were unashamed in their inclusion of the much maligned genre. Truth be told, the music they posted sometimes blurred the lines between straight disco and it's offshoots, be it funk, Latin, jazz or soul. It reminded me that all disco does not suck. It might not be my bag, but there is quality stuff of all sorts that ain't my bag.

Musik Kurier had just posted a huge dump of disco, and this was going to be a sort of cheeky "nice job," just because that's what it was. From a well rounded musical education standpoint, it was a helluva reference, whether you could stomach disco or not. Unfortunately, when I went there to get a url to link to, it was gone. Poof. I will post a link to it whenever, or wherever, it reappears. You can keep tabs on them via their Facebook page, Twitter, or their Mixcloud page.

So, anyways, here's good ol' crazy man Lee Perry. I say that with affection, because at this point in time he is kinda old, and you'd have a hard time convincing me that he's not at least a little crazy. But his track record as a reggae producer and singer is legendary. Though I know he's dabbled with EDM guys, I don't recall him ever going near disco. So 'phobes, you are safe. This is good solid old school style Lee Perry, with a rhythm you've probably heard before. It's seven and a half minutes of let yourself go.

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

Listen:

Lee Perry & the Full Experience - Disco Devil mp3 at Evil Vince

2 1/2 MINUTES EACH. THAT'S IT.

Earlier today I was talking to a neighbor who plays in what turns out to be an exceptional cover band. Being that they're a cover band, I never really felt compelled to see them. But I knew that they had done shows where they'd covered entire albums, among them the Beatles Revolver, and the White Album. Being that those aren't the easiest collections of songs to accurately reproduce live, I figured I'd take a look at their YouTube videos. Meandering through them, I ended up hearing a snippet of their cover of the Music Explosion's "Little Bit O' Soul." With the blank scratch pad that is my mind after an eight hour day, it was easy bait. I started thinking about all of the songs that came out in the sixties that weren't earth shattering, but good solid radio fodder (for me years later, via oldies stations). The one hit wonders, as we now know them to be, must have had their Hope-O-Meters in the red when they watched their records climb the charts. They then had to struggle to harness the momentum, which they weren't entirely successful in doing, since we now know them as one hit wonders. They may have had other solid songs, but history now remembers just one damn song.

Bonus "hope I remember this one correctly" factoid: Lenny Kaye was working in a record shop. A girl comes in. He plays "Bristol Stomp" by the Dovells. They dance, and then make introductions. Her name was Patti.

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

Listen:

The Music Explosion: Little Bit O' Soul mp3 at Atom's Ribs
The Swingin' Medallions - Double Shot mp3 at Beware of the Blog
The Dovells - Bristol Stomp mp3 at Rocky-52

YOU AGAIN

Harvey Scales isn't a household name, not for most people anyway. He recorded for both Chess and Stax, had a song covered by the Sonics, and a song sampled by the Beastie Boys. Yet the name Harvey Scales might not register at all. Enter level two fiendom. You run into a name repeatedly and, at some point, you ask yourself, "Just who in the hell is this Harvey Scales?"

If I've got it right, he recorded first for a couple regional labels, then Chess, Stax, and Columbia. His stuff ranges from funky soul, to Northern Soul, to later stuff bordering on disco. (The type of good disco flavored stuff you have to consider before flat out declaring "Disco sucks.") I highly recommend the first two. Hell, listen to all of them and you'll get a feel for how adaptive he was. I guess he's just one of those guys (Willie Mitchell and Andre Williams also come to mind), who are relatively unknown to John Q. Public, but were consistently good, era be damned. Yes, get down.

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

Listen:
Harvey Scales & the Seven Sounds - Get Down mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds - Yolk mp3 at Neapoliton Funk
Harvey Scales & the Seven Sounds - Love-Itis mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds - On The Streets Of New York City mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Harvey Scales & the Seven Sounds - Don't You Ever Let It End mp3 at Neapoliton Funk
Harvey Scales - Too Good To Be True mp3 at Royal Punkness Unidentified song also attached
Harvey Scales - I Wanna Do It mp3 (via DivShare) at Flea Market Funk
Harvey Scales - Dancing Room Only mp3 at All Up In Your Ear Hole Sampled on the Beasties "Shake Your Rump"
Harvey Scales - Keeps Getting Better mp3 at Beardo Disco

DIRTY TUB TIME MACHINE

Man, oh man. After hearing Savages' "Husbands," it was as if I went back to the late eighties. It was weird. I was afraid to go to the kitchen for fear of finding a sink littered with beers cans, full ashtrays and dirty dishes. Ah, the good ol' days. You'd never know it now, but this place used to be Grand Central Station. There were people over here just about every night, just hanging out. No one had kids, mortgages, or tee ball games. Just about all of my rockin' friends have moved away from this part of town, but ohhh no, not me. Like John Milner said in American Grafitti, "I'm staying right here, havin' fun, as usual." Where was I? Oh yeah, Savages reminded me a lot of Daydream Nation era Sonic Youth, and Night Soil Man, hence the flashback. Being as there aren't a whole lotta Savages cuts out there (they're newish), or Night Soul Man (woefully ignored online), I figured I'd fill in the blanks with some cuts off of Daydream Nation. I'm glad I did, because I ran into a cut from the expanded edition of the album, a cover of the Beatles' "Within You Without You," that's fairly noisy.

About Savages, it's four gals from the UK who look like they're on their way to rewarding careers in the business of making a racket. Really, I'd keep an eye on them. Night Soil Man are long gone, and I think their sole LP is out of print. But boy, talk about making a racket. Check the cuts of theirs (streaming only, so be it).

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

Listen:
Savages - Husbands mp3 at Le Blow (Look for the small "Download" button on the second streaming gizmo.)
Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot mp3 at Vague Space
Sonic Youth - Kissability .mp3 at If It's Good
Sonic Youth - Eric's Trip mp3 at Pretty Goes With Pretty
Sonic Youth - Within You Without You mp3 at Cats Are Grey
Night Soil Man - We Cannot Be Controlled (streaming) at YouTube
Night Soil Man - Hyeena (streaming) at YouTube
Night Soil Man - Ant Farm (streaming) at YouTube
Night Soil Man - Sick Animal (streaming) at YouTube
Visit:
Night Soil Man article at the L.A. Times, 1990

MUSIC FOR BRAZILIAN STONERS

Boy, oh boy, does the music of Gal Costa have just about all of the ingredients that I dig. Old, weird and foreign; alternately laid back and freaked out, and unlike just about anything else I listen too. The songs below have been posted here before, but having lost most of my music a few months back (my computer took a dump), I was a pig in mud when I ran across the original post again today at Super Sonido, an excellent Latin music blog. So here's a few, but make sure to go to the original post to get the whole story of troplicália and Gal Costa, and a bunch of other cuts.

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

Listen:
Gal Costa - Vou Recomecar mp3 at Super Sonido
Gal Costa - Relance mp3 at Super Sonido
Gal Costa - Acauã mp3 at Super Sonido Wait for the freakout.
Gal Costa - Pontos de Luz mp3 at Super Sonido
Gal Costa & Gilberto Gil - Sebastiania mp3 at Super Sonido Freakout endings seem to be a trend.
Gal Costa -10 more cuts, 15 in all and great copy at Super Sonido
Visit:
Troplicália at Wikipedia
The Best Troplicália Albums at Sounds and Colors
Gal Costa Official site

DAD WAS PISSED

A week or so late, but still, I feel obligated. I was actually still in school when Alice Cooper's "School's Out" came out. Imagine wanting nothing more than to be cut loose from the grind, with only a couple weeks separating you from three months of total goofing off, and hearing it for the first time. During the summer, it as a constant reminder of where you weren't. It was like living in some sort of corny teen flick. And, surely one of the best rock lyrics ever in the fourth line of the second verse, "We've got no class, we've got no principles, we've got no innocence, we can't even think of a word that rhymes!"

"Under My Wheels," ca. 1971

Alice Cooper wasn't the first singer to become a parody of himself, and he's surely not the last. But, boy, back in the day, did he know how to get kids riled up. That lasted all of three or four LPs. Then a series of less challenging albums and tours featuring his well worn schtick of eye make up and stage props. I can't remember exactly how he gained entry to my Who's Who of Rock Schmucks but he's been there for some time, well before he said of Sarah Palin "I think she's totally a breath of fresh air," in 2008. But, if it's a rocker, I'll admit it. And "School's Out" was, as were several others on those first few. Still, he's out.

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

Listen:
Alice Cooper - School's Out mp3 at William Burkey
Alice Cooper - Under My Wheels mp3 at USSMullinex
Alice Cooper - I'm Eighteen mp3 at Sibling Shot on the Bleachers

RICKY WAS ROBBED

I bet there's more than a few of you who think that Ricky Nelson had some sort of cushy life. As far as hardships, financial and otherwise, he probably did. I mean, c'mon, he was teen idol personified, on television and on record. With his looks, there's no doubt that he had more than his share off stage friskiness. Though, consider the fact that in his late teens, all he wanted to do was sing rock 'n' roll. Unlike the non-show biz kids who could bang it out in the garage, and flirt with all of the JD stuff, he had to start his musical career on TV, under the watchful eye of an old school bandleader, the aw-shucks sweater wearing Ozzie Nelson. Sure, his dad wasn't Murray Wilson, but he did forbid suggestive lyrics, and would drop in on recording sessions. Can't you imagine hearing an eighteen year old Ricky mumble "Aw fuck, here he comes again. Bug off would you?"

Of course, fame does have it's perks. He was able to have his pick of songs by songwriters itching for the exposure, including Gene Pitney, who wrote "Hello, Mary Lou," and seventeen year old Sharon Sheely, the girlfriend of Eddie Cochran, who wrote "Poor Little Fool." He had his pick of musicians too, notably guitarist James Burton who was eighteen when he began playing with him. He also employed the Jordanaires (Elvis's backup singers), Johnny and Dorsey Burnette, and Joe Maphis (who is refusing to leave this blog). He did do some good music, but it's rather unfortunate that he wasn't let off the leash earlier. Had he not had the fame, the teen idol looks, the comfortable life, or the presence of a parental figure, who knows what he would have been like? He could have been a wild man. We'll never know. Yessir, it is one of life's biggest mysteries.

"Anyone who knocks rock 'n' roll, either doesn't understand it, or is prejudiced against it, or is just plain square," said Ricky Nelson, son of square, in 1958.

I have to start with his version of Gershwin's "Summertime." Topical, it is, but I really like the sound of it. The Yardbirds must have been over drinking Nelson Kool-Aid.

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

Listen:
Ricky Nelson - Summertime mp3 at Crud Crud
Ricky Nelson – Lonesome Town mp3 at The Audio Muffin
Ricky Nelson - Be-Bop-Baby mp3 at Rocky-52
Ricky Nelson - Waitin' In School at Diddy Wah
Ricky Nelson - Hello Mary Lou mp3 at SMU
Ricky Nelson - Stop Sneakin' 'Round mp3 at Probe is Turning-On the People

THE KURIER DELIVERS

Try as I might to resist going off about a particular blog, as opposed to a particular artist or genre, sometimes I just have to let out a "Hey look at this!" for someone who seems to evade the radar of search engines and blogrolls. Musik Kurier is one such blog. I don't remember how I ended up there a few years ago, but it's the kind of site that can easily eat up a few hours. It's consistently turned me on to a lot of music that I wouldn't have found anywhere else. There's all sorts of non-rock 'n' roll stuff: soul, boogaloo, funk, international, philly soul, reggae pop, and disco. A word of warning to disco-phobics: It's a mine field over there. He does have Sophia Loren doing bossa nova, so you lilly-livered sapsuckers should just watch your step.

The best part of stumbling onto Music Kurier was the serendipitous landing on the post with "Sunshine Baby," by Clout. It's tagged as reggae, but it is not at all straight reggae. This song has got some sort of late-Abba/reggae pop vibe that has somehow gotten into my head. Everything tells me to hate it, yet it's forced many repeated plays. There's been many like that. The site is a damn treasure hunt.

NOTE: As of July 2, 2012, the Kurier site is gone. The links below won't lead anywhere, so I'm disabling them. I will post a link to Musik Kurier whenever, or wherever, it reappears. You can keep tabs on them via their Facebook page, Twitter, or their Mixcloud page.

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

Listen:
Clout - Sunshine Baby mp3 at Muzik-Kurier This is a hit, here anyway.
Sophia Loren - De Jour En Jour mp3 at Muzik-Kurier Novel bossa nova
Jean Knight - Mr. Big Stuff mp3 at Musik Kurier Funk-kay, but you knew that.
Bob & Earl - Harlem Shuffle mp3 at Musik Kurier Arrangement is most awesome.
Jaqee - Kokoo Girl mp3 at Musik Kurier Like Two Tone-lite
The Beginning Of The End - Funky Nassau Part 1 mp3 at Musik Kurier
Isaac Hayes - Walk On By mp3 at Musik Kurier Epic
The Temptations - Papa Was a Rollin' Stone mp3 at Musik Kurier Norman Whitfield poduced.
Undisputed Truth - Law of the Land mp3 at Musik Kurier Ditto.
Visit:
Musik Kurier - The black hole of a rock 'n' roll-less world
The Sleepy Lagoon - Their other site, streaming exotica
More stuff from Musik Kurier on this post

SURF BAND ROULETTE

Above: The real "Gidget," Kathy Kohner, at Malibu.

Here's a whole mess of stuff by current surf bands, most of whom you've never heard of, I guarantee it. That's kinda the beauty of it. How many surf bands back in the day ever played out beyond their circuit of rented halls and backyard parties? Some of the stuff on these compilations is really good, some of it is hack meat, and could only be described as surf music because there's a guitar involved. Surf Guitar 101 posted these on Internet Archive, and I've no clue how the particular songs were selected. It almost seems like surf music tee ball, where everybody plays and there's no keeping score. No matter what the percentage of keepers is for you, the "all comers" air of these is what makes in interesting. The juxtaposition of crap and greatness is the dynamic that makes the world go around.

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

Listen (random samples):
The High Five Revival - Anxiety Attack mp3 at the Internet Archive
Stormtiger and Burtrocket - Stormtiger Stomp mp3 at the Internet Archive
The Space Rangers - Pororoca mp3 at Internet Archive
Paisley - The Wave Beyond mp3 at the Internet Archive
Roar Shark - Dirk Diggler's on the Prowl mp3 at the Internet Archive
The Surfside IV - Oh, Pretty Woman mp3 at the Internet Archive
The Aloha Sluts - Streets of San Juan mp3 at the Internet Archive
The compilations:
NOTE: Each one of these can be downloaded as full compilation downloads or as individual songs. You can also stream them to preview
SurfGuitar101.com 2011 MP3 Compilation at Internet Archive
SurfGuitar101.com 2010 MP3 Compilation at Internet Archive
SurfGuitar101.com 2009 MP3 Compilation at Internet Archive

DO THE RIP CURRENT

Here's one guy who never really got due credit. It could be because, although he's got a damn fine voice, there is nothing really extraordinary about it. Maybe it's because his biggest hits were eight years apart. Maybe it's because he did the old "follow up a hit with a copy cat record" routine, more than once. Whatever the reasons, when it gets right down to it, he did put out some good records.

Obviously, Freeman can't take full credit for the quality of these cuts. The songs are good, and the backing bands are tight. Listen to the instrumentation. Even on the one you've heard a million times, "Do You Wanna Dance," there's a lot of cool stuff going on. Isolate the different instruments while you listen and you see what I mean. Though some of these are from well played copies, you can still hear it. It's all there. They just don't make 'em like that anymore.

All of these merit a good listen. The second and fourth songs are cash-ins of the first and third songs. A side note: Sly Stone wrote and produced "C'mon and Swim" when he was twenty years old.

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

Listen:
Bobby Freeman - Do You Wanna Dance mp3 at DK Presents
Bobby Freeman - She Said She Wants to Dance mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Bobby Freeman - Cmon And Swim mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Bobby Freeman - S-W-I-M mp3 at Junk Shop Juke Box
Bobby Freeman - Mardi Gras Rock mp3 at Rocky-52
Bobby Freeman - Big Fat Woman mp3 at Rocky-52

COMO, BE GONE

It's not often that a dorky photo inspires a post, but when said photo is of Gene Vincent and Wanda Jackson, I will invent a reason to post two artists that I cut my rockabilly teeth on. If your collection of sounds includes anything prior to 1960, it is incomplete without a bunch from these two. I'm talking anything pre-1960. This shit is Bach.

Wanda Jackson with Joe Maphis. Do I need to elaborate?

Here's just a few. I wanted to include the two versions of "Funnel of Love," because the original sounds so much like a song the Cramps would cover and...hey, look at that! The second version is with Poison Ivy on guitar and Lux Interior singing backing vocals (and it sounds like he's up to his old microphone-in-the-mouth tricks again). That's my kind of supergroup.

First ever documented guitar face. Watch the rhythm guitarist. Manic.

Mr. Gene Vincent should need no introduction. In fact, if you know his music, you know that the songs below are entry level stuff. Still, does it, can it, ever get old? Not tonight it doesn't.

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

Listen:

Wanda Jackson - Funnel Of Love mp3 at Mustard Relics Note: If the song links don't work, just go there to get them.
Wanda Jackson (w/Poison Ivy and Lux Interior) - Funnel Of Love mp3 at Mustard Relics Ditto.

Wanda Jackson - Fujiyama Mama mp3 at Mustard Relics Ditto.
Wanda Jackson - Four more songs at Mustard Relics
Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps - Cat Man mp3 at LYWL
Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps - Cruisin' mp3 at The Hound Blog
Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps - Woman Love mp3 at The Hound Blog
Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps - Rollin' Danny mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Video:
Gene Vincent - Over the Rainbow at YouTube
Wanda Jackson - Sparklin' Brown Eyes at YouTube
Visit:
All posts with Wanda Jackson
All posts with Gene Vincent

PRIMORDIAL PICKERS

What would our record collections look like guitar players? Just about every type of the music we hold dear to our hearts is based on the role of the guitar player. Lest we forget, a great many early rock 'n' roll guitarists honed their chops listening to music that wasn't rock 'n' roll. I was reminded of that a few days ago, when a friend of mine left a comment (on the Bud Shank post) about how Mark Neil, the guitarist of his old band, the Unknowns, had no clue about the existence of surf music when, early on in the band's existence, people would comment on how his guitar style sounded like surf guitar. Neil was, in fact, a disciple of the Joe Maphis and Chet Atkins brand of picking. Add to that the use of a Mostrite guitar (which Maphis played, as well as the Ventures) and a little reverb and, viola, the lines were blurred.

Here's just a few pre-surf pickers. Believe me, this could have been an all nighter. Of all of the songs below, Maphis's "The Rockin' Gypsy" is probably the closest to primordial surf music. Chet Atkins...well, it's Chet Atkins. If the name doesn't mean anything to you, sink your teeth into "Under the Double Eagle." That's some clean shit. Alas, I wasn't able to find a Merle Travis song that showed him at full speed, but you'll get a feel for how tasty his licks can be on "Louisiana Boogie." I included the Collins Kids because Larry Collins was tutored by Maphis. Consider the fact that Collins was something like 13 when "Hoy, Hoy" was recorded, sit back, and let the amazement begin. (His age still blows me away, and I've been familiar with that song for a long, long time.) Duane Eddy and Link Wray are down there too, because no list of guitarists who influenced surf guitarists would be complete without them. Seriously, this is just the tip of the tip of the iceberg. Go to YouTube armed with these names and you'll kill a couple hours before you know it.

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

Listen:
Joe Maphis - The Rockin' Gypsy mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Joe Maphis - Twin Banjo Special mp3 at DK Presents
Chet Atkins & Hank Snow - Under the Double Eagle mp3 at Photos Plus
Chet Atkins - Freight Train mp3 at Rocky-52
Merle Travis - Louisiana Boogie mp3 at Bousculade
The Collins Kids - Hoy Hoy mp3 at Beware of the Blog
Duane Eddy - Rebel Rouser mp3 at Brown High 62
Link Wray - Rumble mp3 at Cows Are Just Food
Earlier semi-related post:
Give the Producer Some - Post about Mark Neill

NEW DEPTHS OF SUCKAGE

The extended title for this post could have easily been "Extreme Guilty Pleasures, Summer Lovers Related Songs and One For You Aging Indie Creeps." In other words, let's just get these wretchedly non-rock songs out of the way, and satiate you people who like Superchunk all at the same time.

First off is Superchunk, who have never really done much for me. Don't ask me why. If you put super in the name of your band, you better damn well bring it. I don't particularly think that they do, but some of my friends used to go off about them...anyway, they have a new one out, "This Summer," which peaks at the beginning of the guitar solo (at 1:43) and after a couple tweaks of the whammy bar, returns quickly to earth. But you might dig it.

Full transparency: I've got a soft spot for the worst movie. Summer Lovers came out about '82, and before you start tee-heeing, the location of the film is 90% of the draw. Pre-rave Greece, Santorini to be exact, during the summer, on the coast. Yeah, baby. I didn't even mind the blandness of the soundtrack. It's the movie that made me want to travel, and...it...blows. As does the title song, by Michael Sembello. Damn it, if I don't have a soft spot for that too.

In context friends: what twenty-something male in the eighties could not be moved by that? Location, location, location.

If you know anything about Sembello, you know that he did "Maniac" (from the film Flashdance) as well. Same trademark bland vocals too. I won't subject you to that one, but I did find a recent cover by Peaches, with Mollinex (of whom I know squat). Continuing along, since we were on a Summer Lovers tangent, there's Le Tigre's cover of "I'm So Excited," the original of which, by the Pointer Sisters, appeared on the soundtrack. (I think I remember the kids having some kind of goofy fun in that part of the picture.) Consider this a garage sale. Tough stuff will return mañana.

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

Listen:
Superchunk - This Summer mp3 at I Am Fuel, You Are Friends
Moullinex feat. Peaches - Maniac mp3 at Stoney Roads
Le Tigre - I'm So Excited .mp3 at Flavour2X
Michael Sembello - Summer Lovers mp3 at Lamaladie Tropicale
Really, one exists:
Summer Lovers fan site