Tuesday, May 31, 2005



The Rotterdam PRIMITIVE Festival is on again this year at The Waterfront venue in that there town. It's a great place to catch fine music. Seems like forever since we caught The Nomads there... but I think they're headed back that way this September also (?).

Monday, May 30, 2005


Tho' not much a fan of "vintage clothing" myself, some of you might wanna check the new stock at Atomic Affair, as these girls deserve your support and patronage...
For those of you in northern Europe able to recieve the German ZDF; They'll be broadcasting "House Of The Rising Punk" with (a.o.) Patti Smith, Richard Hell, Alan Vega, Iggy Pop, Blondie and Dee Dee Ramone, tonight at 0:45-1:45. (news c/o Michel Fenderwoods)

Sunday, May 29, 2005


Yep, the new Norton's have arrived! and suffice to say it's yet another batch of top notch material. Best of the bunch must be 'Shake It Up And Move', the vinyl edition of Ace's 'Gene Vincent Cut Our Songs' focusing on the writing talents of Jack Rhodes. This includes fantastic early versions of 'Five Days, Five Days', 'Action Packed' and 'Red Blue Jeans And A Pony Tail'. All are previously unreleased bar Elroy Dietzel's Rock-N-Bones. Easily the biggest rockabilly archive "find" in years. And speakin' of "finds"; the third volume in the 'Kicksville!' series once again rounds up a solid set of rockabilly acetates, this time including previously unrealesed material by Benny Joy and Danny Dell, and just feast your ears on the first ever demo recordings by future surf legend Gary Usher and hit maker Ral Donner! The vinyl edition of Ron Haydock's '99 Chicks' is a bit of a let-down, leaving off 12 tracks from the CD and, almost as important, the massive liner-notes, which are and essential part of Norton's releases (and especially in this case!). Faith is restored with 'Wildcat Jamboree!', a fine, fine CD of rockabilly/country radio broadcasts as originally heard in Mississippi during the late fifties. This is truly amazing stuff, and possibly the closest we will ever come to real time-travel (Dig the furniture ads!). Liners by Jim Cole, Eddie Bond, Hayden Thompson and Billy Miller, this is an absolute must-have, no two ways... On the 45 front there's an excellent two-sider by the late "Jimmy Lee" Fautheree (backed by Deke Dickerson & the Ecco-Fonics), the cool "Jungle Stomp' by Northwest rock n’ rollers Johnny Clark & the Four Playboys and finally 'Party Date!', a four-track EP of ultra-cool Texas' rock & roll, featuring (ao) Vince Murphy & the Catalinas, who's story was first told way-back-when in Kicks #6.
The Dictators website is updated with new dates for the DKT/MC5 (again with HDM) and photos of Andy and others from the Joey Ramone Birthday Bash.

If you dig both on-line archives and (early) reggae Dance Crasher is a nice place to while away an hour or so. Scrapbook, charts, releaselists, labelshots and soundsamples, it's all there...
Now Wave magazine has a new, short but interesting piece on DMZ.
On the same day as France goes to the polls to consign the European Constitutional Treaty to the dumper (by all accounts), the Crazy Frog that's been terrorising the ad breaks is poised to become this nation's number one single. Outselling Coldplay by four to one (allegedly), the CGI amphibian has been all over the news since “his” cdingle hit the shops last Monday. The first time I saw the little twerp was when I was in Kassel last September. It had saturation coverage on German MTV and was brainwashing the kids even then. A full blown phenomenon awaited milking… stick that in your ECT and smoke it. It’ll all be over soon and even if it isn’t, this latest Blur vs O*sis type conned-sumer battle will be history soon enough. The wee blighter has more charisma than both of them Gallacher twallies combined. In my opinion...

The well intentioned spectre of Live Aid II is on the horizon and the world will reverberate to the “Make Poverty History” brand around the time that the G8 summit meets just up the road from here. Scotland will be shut over those few days, it looks like the “authorities” have something of a lockdown planned. If you even think about heading in the direction of Gleneagles then they’ll tune in to those thoughtwaves and come cattle prod your ass. Meanwhile, anybody who actually attempts to protest in the proper spirit will be outnumbered by government potted plants, pre-programmed to make sure it goes skew wiff in the name of some bozo idea of order. Hopefully some vestage of reason will out and deliver some degree of salvation amidst the general ballyhoo but I ain’t holding my breath. Most of us don’t care for having Wee Georro in our airspace, likewise his peehee-ridden talking shop which is poised to deliver exactly not very muckle tangible in the way of aid to those who need action rather than a bunch of over-oiled tossers giving it fleeting consideration between soirees.

But what can we do, except wait and see how the pieces fall. Maybe Humpty can be put together again? Let's bob and weave accordingly until our id cards are ready...
I’m not really sure why I use this to vent my day to day pish. It’s a form of denial I suppose. Such havering is not designed to garner sympathy in any “all the apples fell on me” scenario that’s for sure. There’s always someone worse off than one’s self and my inability to be able to deal with changing my circumstances is a problem only one drongo can ultimately solve. I’m not sure where all the taking stock actually kicks in to facilitate actual change. I set out for the ol' life laundry but have never, so far, made it to my destination. Life is too short to suffer fools though, gladly or otherwise. Maybe I use this conduit because it seems like I’m observing all of this happening to a character in some half-assed, wanna-be drama? With the season finale nowhere in sight, maybe it’s time to consider cancellation as an option?

Taking that broadcast analogy, good to hear that the planned 48 hour strike by the BBC this coming Tuesday has been postponed. Tom Morton’s blog has a far better angle on what’s going down around there than I’m qualified to muster. I stand by my comments about my dealings with the organisation in Scotland. The Beeb doesn’t have the monopoly on “dead wood”, every workplace has its share of that particular malignancy. A leaner operation will only thrive if it’s the chaff that gets the chop and thereby hangs a tale. Particularly if it's the chaff that's doing the scoring.

Anyways enough of that, if you're in the locales of Madrid or Valencia...



the reanimated coyotemen are all set to beat up the kids from spain next week. hawkin' their new - reduced to clear - rekkid "from parts unknown" at these spit 'n' sawdust salas...

sala sirocco:madrid:3rd june(w/ king kahn) NOT THE 2ND!as it says on the poster!

sala mogambo:valencia:4th june

'n' the masked masters of moronophonic muck have just snagged the headline slot at the 1st night of the rotterdam rumble on the 1st of september.


Angel Corpus Christi

LOUIE LOUIE (Gulcher 601)

12 songs by for and about Lou Reed

1. Louie Louie
2. Caroline Says II
3. Tell It To Your Heart
4. She's My Best Friend
5. Disco Mystic
6. Banging On My Drum
7. I Want To Boogie With You/Je T'aime
8. Lou Reed's Hair
9. Femme Fatale
10. Rock And Roll Heart
11. The Day John Kennedy Died
12. I'm Set Free

Performed by angel corpus christi and Rich Stim, with Dean Wareham, Britta Phillips, Sonic Boom, George Earth, Matt Price, Don Ciccone and Luther Blue.

Produced by Dave Nelson, A&R and Sonic Boom.

Play a track!! Purchase the CD!!

Available now, direct from Gulcher or from Volcanic Tongue in Europe.

The latest from acc is the culmination of many moons spent fashioning just the right angle on Mr Reeds work. Some of these are radical reworks and others are simple, perfect renditions of his hymnal. The material is both a tribute and a good boot up the jacksy to rock'n'roll's seemingly grumpiest exponent. The work is bathed in good vibes and that patented accordian swing is in full 'phonic force. Discophonic mysticism delivered as only this San Francisco based lass can bring it on down.

Patrick B would like to introduce you to SUPERHELICOPTER

Who are Superhelicopter? They’re the best German group (from Oldenburg, near Bremen) since Trio (Da Da Da) and one of the best garage/power punk groups (I mean the kind of music that The Oblivians, The Reatards (Memphis)and Fatals (France) play.

Their new LP “Sweet, Nice & Happy…In Hell” is just out on P-Trash Records as a vinyl only, limited edition of 500. The first 100 come with a free one-sided single (with 2 songs that were supposed to feature on crap label PK-Musik).

The album begins with one hit. By the way, the song is called "One Hit", and very catchy it is too. "I Wanna Feel Alright", sings Nils, probably his 1st positive song (I mean like the Ramones singing “Now, I Wanna Sniff Some Glue”, after a load of “I Don’t Wanna…” songs). I mentioned The Ramones because I think their fans would like this (listen to "Gay Generation").

The tunes have been written by a proclaimed non musician - Nils writes and plays with his heart, straight from his gut, this guy has too much soul. The 2 other ‘copters, Mr Brettsneider on bass and Guido Müller on drums perfectly complete the package, heck, they even read music!

Nils finally managed to complete the final mix.

Patrick : Was that a good experience for a non musician like you or was it boring?
Nils : It's always a pleasure to be in the studio and in particular to work with the "tonemeister". So it was a special experience and this time not so much effort as before. The result makes me awfully satisfied.

Compared to the previous LP (a split LP with Eradicate), "Sweet, Nice & Happy.. In Hell" features various tempos.

This album also features 2 extra members : Helena, Nils 10 year old daughter and Ruth, both on organ.

P : As a father, are you proud to have your little daughter Helena playing organ on your LP ?
N : Yes, i am very happy about! it's going so easy with Helena. she had a few years keyboard lessons and it's time to open up her new doors for good music and of course nice people. She didn't play so much on this record, Ruth did most of the organ stuff did Ruth. Anyway, for her it was a nice experience and she wants more...and she'll get it. Thinking about to let her do something play or shout or whatever on the new "Damnation Kids" album. so we'll see what's gonna happen.. .. (Damnation Kids is Nils one man band, whose 1st single "The Fucker" was voted best single from 2002 on punk rock web sites).

P : There's a big gap between the previous LP and this new one. How can you explain that, for such a prolific guy? Do you have the songs in mind since a long time of were they mostly made in the studio? Why isn't "Jenesaispasquefair" correctly spelled, don't you have any french friends?

N : Am I profilic? There’s never enough money to release our stuff so we gotta wait for offers. It needed a bit time to release the new album on p-trash-records. Many thanks to peter trash!!! The songs, or at least the basic ideas, are spinning long before in my head. I worked for something like 10 months on this record.. ..”jenesaispasquefair”? such a fucker as i am, don't have friends in general! and i am to dump on the French language and was too lazy to look it up in a older mail from you, so I went with this.

P : What groups would you recommend ? Don't you think that the Fatals are the French SH? Do you know the Sonic Chicken 4 (from Perpignan)?

N :The Fatals were my faves of the last year. When I received the first 7' of them and went crazy! what a sound, what energy! it was the first time that I was thinking/wishing it could/should be superhelicopter. A special feeling I never had before, so the best band from the last year. and i don't know the "sonic chicken 4 " (author : in fact the Beach Bitches disbanded and became Sonic Chicken 4 and Kung Fu Escalator, later to be Fatals) and to recommand i have: "american death ray" (my favourites for the moment), "Cooterfinger" (James Richard Oliver new band) I like very much (music for biker-punks or so), the Shakin’ Nasties (finest snotty punksters), old soul, soul, soul and of course a lottsa old(er) stuff like the Oblivians, Reatards, 70's punk, old school hardcore and ac/dc.. ..

P : Do you prefer Superhelicopter or the Damnation Kids ?
N : can't decide that. in a way its both the same, punk. isn't it?

P : What if I tell you that you're the best German group since Trio?
N : yeah, I like this statement, but I guess there're not so many things to compare to Trio? Dunno, but with this new album we are the finest rock band of the year. hahaha, thanks for askin' me so many funny things, great pleasure.

Apart from. Superhelicopter and the Damnation Kids, one of others Nils groups are the Spamchords (1 single on Yakisakana French label) Superhelicopter complete discography
.

Saturday, May 28, 2005



A Boonaraaas Summer will be had by all in the locales of these shows...

Jun. 11 Berlin - Wuhlheide - Festival Berlin05 / Germany + Stereo Total
Jun. 18 Aachen - Karamba Festival / Germany
Jul. 9 Bautzen - Rodnost Open Air / Germany
Jul. 16 Bingen - Binger Open Air / Germany + Superpunk
Jul. 23 Bensheim - Open Air / Germany
Jul. 30 Oberhausen - Druckluft - Garage Craze / Germany
Sep. 2 Torgau - Brückenkopf Open Air / Germany
Sep. 3 Rosswein - Jugendhaus Rosswein / Germany



I know a wee bit about art and I also know what I like. Why JD King isn't hailed as one of the greatest illustrators of my or anybody else's time is an utter mystery to me. Where is his Juxtapoz spread? Where is his La Luz exhibition?? Anyway, shame on the players who should be heaping such recognition upon a true master and a damn nice geezer to boot. The world would be a far better place if there was more JD King around. And he doesn't just have the visual string to his art bow. He writes a mean short story too and plans for Marc Baines and myself to make his LIKE A 45 at 33 collection available are still glowing emberwise. How to do this in an oversubscribed world of publishing is something of a dilemma but hopefully we'll work it out one of these days. So c'mon... some of you people need a snazzy album jacket right?, an illustration to brighten up your corner of the planet? Contact the man via this portal and he may well be in a position to help you out with that.

Friday, May 27, 2005



Warp films will release the West Memphis Three films, PARADISE LOST and REVELATIONS in the UK on June 20th. A short theatre release will coincide with the release.
Hey kids, this was the last Friday that I'll savour that feeling of driving away from the "day centre" into the light. From Monday, I join the ranks of those cursed with "normal hours". 8.30am til 4.30pm and all the extra traffic and headaches that "normal" brings. I'll be on the loose when regular folks are going about their business. On that same treadmill. Not sitting at home with a mars bar and a cup of coffee, blogging or listening to music. I'll also not be sharing transport to and from Hades. This is an environmental bitch that'll hitch up my running costs, not to mention increase emissions (in more ways than six). These are "the needs of the business". All good things as they say, get booted into touch by people who oughtta leave something that ain't broke, the fuck alone. These things are sent to try us, to accelerate the wearing down process. I'm lucky to have a job after all. I should be grateful. But anyway, I am where I am, you readin' where I'm comin' from loud and clear? At this point I'm not sure what there is to impart anymore. The urge to knock it all on the napper is becoming difficult to control but I'm keeping the old noggin down hoping it'll pass. Hoping that it's just a phase. Trying to figure out what the heck I'm playing at.

I have no answers right now so I'm gonna check out THUNDERBABIES, a power trio from Smarje-Sap, Slovenia. I'll be back to you on that subject shortly...

Thursday, May 26, 2005

The FLESHTONES will play GEARFEST in STOCKHOLM on SATURDAY JUNE 25th!!

More info will be posted as it becomes available....
Brother (Patrick) Bainée caught this shindig and figured you folks oughtta hear about what you missed...



RIP OFFS / ZODIAC KILLERS / FOUR SLICKS, MAY 25 : A PUNK NIGHT IN PARIS

For me, Supercharger was probably (with the Gories) one of the most interesting punk groups from the early 90's. After they disbanded in 1993, Greg Lowery formed the Rip Offs with pals including Jon Von. Those guys were on stage yesterday in Paris, for 3 sets, with probably all of the songs lasting less than two minutes. The show was organized by Born Bad (the best record shop in Paris).

The Fours Slicks, Jon Von new group, opened the show with a powerful garage/rockabilly set. The set included their should be a hit "Betty Lou" and covers of Gene Lamarr’s "That Crazy Little House On The Hill" and Junior Gravley’s "You Lied To Me Honey". They have one single out and a second one is coming soon on Savage records.

Then the Zodiac Killers, hit the stage for a shaky/fun/sexy show. They played a set of 45 minutes including 23 songs - some from their new LP, only available at the moment on vinyl as a special colour edition sold during the tour. The last song was Supercharger classic "Sooprize Package for Mr Mineo" (no, it's not a Mummies' song).

After that, everybody was ready to see the Rip offs, for a 1 and only reunion show, well in fact, half of the former Rip offs : Greg and Jon, linked by Marc - Four Slicks drummer and of Born Bad fame) and Jeremy - male guitarist of the Zodiac Killers. So they have to rehearse (Jon Von lives in Paris now, too) to provide this show of 15 songs (+ 2 same songs for the encore), including instant classics like "My Baby Yeah", "Wild Jane" (a tribute to Jayne Mansfield), "Baby Let Go", "Zodiac" (another Supercharger song)... for a moment I though that the boat will break in two and sink, with all these punks (well, only 75 paying entrances, a shame) jumping around.

It was a very hot day, with a beautiful weather :"j'adore Paris au mois de mai". May is a very good month for Rock'n'Roll, a long time since I saw so much cool records issued at the same time : the Zodiac Killers, Reatards (on Shattered records), Superhelicopter (on P-Trash records), the Hodads (hi Sean). Now I wait for the Cramps new DVD.

That's all.
Woah Nelly!...
Ach, bollocks to all of it... I'd rather be here, away from the pulsebeat that is the wearing down process of yer daily existence. This is just a hobby for me, etc.
Photo by Mrs Stim.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

The one-day strike by BBC staff this past Monday in support of the proposed hacking of their numbers bit deeper than the official line would have us believe. THIS piece from today's Herald tells it like it is.

This may not be rock 'n' roll but never lose sight of the fact that todays "management strategies" are loaded toward taking away your livelihood. It's heartening to see that some people are still prepared to make a sacrifice for the common good. At least the people who work for this UK Institution are up for retaining standards.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005



"Yes, dear friend, the time has come. SUSQUEHANNA INDUSTRIAL TOOL & DIE CO. will say goodbye to its year-long Thursday night residency at Otto's Shrunken Head. (Gasp!) Thursday, May 26th will mark the end of the weekly cowboy parade -- though not with a wimper, but with a bang. So weep not, dear friend, and join us, won't you?

Final show of our year-long Thursday residency! / THURSDAY, MAY 26TH / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD 538 East 14th Street (between Aves. A & B), Manhattan / Two shows, 8:00 'TIL 10:00 SHARP / No cover / Featuring special guest Baby Maria...
and followed by "Lilly & The Baby" at 10:00! /

And next week...

SATURDAY, JUNE 4TH / RODEO BAR /
375 Third Avenue (corner of 27th Street), Manhattan / Three shows, 10:30 'til 1:30 / No cover!"

Monday, May 23, 2005

"Even as a child, I felt like an alien" interesting interview with Patti Smith in the Observer.
Not sure if it's been widely reported but today sees the first industrial action by BBC staff to try and counter the juggernaut of redundancy that's heading for them. This will be followed by a further two days next week. Good on 'em for standing up for themselves and not taking it in the neck or anyplace else.

Last week, I tried to rally "the troops" at my place of work to stand up to the most recent slings and arrows and was pretty much ignored. Hence the success of the "divide and conquer" philosophy that is pole-axing us at every turn. There is indeed, no end to the humiliation.

Sunday, May 22, 2005


Only halfway in Tosches' latest tome, but I just can't wait to tell you that this is yet another amazing book. Can this man ever do wrong? Not since my late-teens when I devoured the works of Celine have I been this infatuated by a writer. The language, the obvious insane amount of research involved, the hair-raising tales, plots beyond belief but steeped in reality. Heck, I've reached the point where I actually wanna read his (in-need-of-funds) Hall & Oates bio. Anybody got a copy for sale or trade?
Readers in the UK might want to note that the fantastic AMERICAN MOVIE is on BBC2 tonight at midnight. If you haven't seen it then set your VCR, your new-fangled DVD recorder or just stay up because it's a must-see.


Now ain't this something? Info got from here. I feel a pilgrimage coming on... Looks like a probable venue for the NBT Annual General Meeting, right Jeroen?
The half full/half empty debate rolls on. It seems that I can't go out and tidy up the garden any this morning because it's pissing down with rain. Too bad... Anyway, it wouldn't have been much of an exercise anyway because Edinburgh beckons. I think I'll have a look for for a 7" by a band called El Presidente that I heard on Tom Morton's show the other day. Apparently they come from Glasgow but they have a Rick Derringer Glam retro thing going on. They sound like they mean it.

Do you watch Eurovision? I liked Norway's "song", Wig Wam (not to be confused with Wig Wam Bamz) crossed Def Leppard with TRBNGR and a little sprinkling of Darkness, contrived? Maybe but not irritating, they were also old enough to know better so that made it even more entertaining. I mean it wasn't "good" but y'ken... I also, er "appreciated" Moldova's mix of The Offspring meets The Chili Peppers, ZDOB [shi] ZDUB - snappy eh? Their latest album is called "450 Sheep" and they've opened shows for both Rage Against The Machine and Boney M amongst others. I thought Moldova was a fictional European town from Dynasty or whatever show (That was Moldavia as it turns out). This years compy was educational because it made us look up a map as to where all these competing countries are. I was very disappointed to find that neither CZD or Crazed Farmers were representing Slovenia though. Or that The Bambi's "Bikini Machines" wasn't doin' it for Croatia. A guy can dream can't he?

Saturday, May 21, 2005


Joachim Gaertner - They Could Have Been Bigger Than EMI (PPFNP).
Oh yeah, just gimme big fat books with nothing but records listed by label. Over 2000 independent record labels from 1976 onwards. New Wave, Punk, Garage, Avantgarde... Highly recommended, but I sure hope that Mister Gaertner will include the information below in the second edition.

THE NEXT BIG THING (Grangemouth, Scotland)

NBT 3301 The Skeletons - Rockin' Bones
NBT 3302 The Skeletons - In The Flesh
NBT 3303 Girl Trouble - Hit It Or Quit It

NBT 4501 Thee Roman Gods - Panic/San Fransisco Girls
NBT 4502 The Screaming Dizbusters - The Next Big Thing/He's Waitin'
NBT 4525 Angel Corpus Christi - (Lil') Surfer Girl/Pull Girl
NBT 4526 Mono Men - Waste O' Time
NBT 4527 The Dictators - The Next Big Thing/ The Nomads - 16 Forever/ Magic Dirt - Kick Out The Jams/ Angel Corpus Christi - Sleeping With The TV On (2 x 7”)


ORGIE (Zeist, Netherlands)

15 God – Nr. 2 flexi 7” (1981)
70001 Avengers – Escape In Time EP 7” (1986)
70002 Avengers – Box Of Tricks EP 7” (1987)
70003 Avengers – All I Ever Wanted 7” (1987)
70004 Various – untitled EP 7” (1988)


Don't let the The Willowz inverted indie exterior fool you. Within this unit beats the heart of a rock monolith straining to break out as far and as wide as it can. Their melding of aprés Pixies noise with a Redd Kross pop sensibility could be just the right chemical imbalance to take 'em over the top. It seems they've managed to infiltrate a good deal of the places that would give them pole position. Putting out this "Talkincircles" set on Sympathy indicates a suss of their situation. Taking time to take stock of their next move in terms of world domination. Their sound harbours a determination which suggests that their idea of success is a broader canvas than just having a couple of flash in the pan hits.

"Blind Story" is a strange quasi-folk tale and it sits well beside the thrashlike "We Live On Your Street" which features Keith Morris of The Circle Jerks. I don't think that anybody is gonna put the wind up these Willowz, they could be very big indeed - whatever that means these days. They have many more strings to their bow than something like The Str*kes. That's fer damn sure...
Mr Martin Percival just sent me a message about the Time Out list that reports The Clash at The Rainbow in 1977 as the best London gig ever. My arse.

Anytime I saw The Clash (I think 3 times) they weren't that good. Now, I've no doubt that Joe Strummer was a great guy, I never met him but know many who did and who hold him in high regard. I'm not so sure about the others but in my experience, this is a band overrated to the point of being The Beatles. I like some of the records but consider none of them to be anything approaching a masterpiece. Most especially "London Calling". I've seen concert footage that is well cut and that would convey (to moi) some kind of special intensity but consider that to be a trick of the editing.

Anyways, these lists are sent to send me into a tizzy I'm sure. It's time I got to working on my definitive list of the greatest stuff that ever was. Or is it?
Did I tell you that GULCHER releases are now available in Europe at damn reasonable prices courtesy of Volcanic Tongue? If not then shame on me. But anyways, this means that you can score a top item like CHINABOISE "The Greatest Story Ever Told" in double quick time. This service is run by folks that know you need your fix fast. They don't lollygad.

"TGSET" consists of compositions that were sired well before their time. To have heard these tunes back then would have blown too many minds. The genius of Rich Stim is something that the common five eighth may never fully comprehend. He operates in a universe beyond conventional cool. "Self-Concious Pisser" is like Eno-period Roxy Music deconstructing Nelson Riddle. Two of these songs ("Girl You Got It" and the itle track) would surface many years later as part of the Poetraphonics portfolio. Gulcher's attention to getting this stuff out there is way appreciated. Now they need to look at getting Playette and Jr Grenadier made available. Chinaboise are far out right here in 2005, these recordings sound like they came from outer space but were actually made by superior beings way back in 1975. Stick that in your post-punk tattie sack and smoke it.


Licorice Tree continues their reign of supplying prime rock'n'roll by releasing this full-length by "Texan Power Soul" combo, The Bloody Tears. Like Jake and Elwood Blues given a transfusion of Fleshtone blood, a live show must be a pretty life-affirming experience but "Downhanded" lays out their stall to pretty grand effect.

The BT's solid, frug-off repertoire has a tight, rough undercarriage and Jim Diamond has come up with a great live sound to make it sparkle. This brightness will have you relishing the familiarity of the material even although you never heard most of these songs before. They feel like old friends you want to get re-acquainted with. Nothing new but sometimes, like in this case, that pays dividends. "Glad You're Gone" reminds me of the first time I saw Eddie and The Hot Rods. A band that was more punk rock than many of the bandwagoneers that would follow the trail they blazed. But anyway, these guys will have you greetin' with pure ferkin' joy. Their "Snook's Thing" is Buck's Boogie for the 21st Centu-bleedin'-ry. Pure unabashed fun with no airs and graces, just the chops - cut the way I like 'em.
Was just reading the latest copy of ARTHUR. It's a great mag, probably one of the best around right now in terms of yer actual print. A lot of the music therein doesn't thrill me but it's a quality read alright. Their off music commentary is particularly likely to kick start the old grey matter. It feels like you can believe what you read there. A far cry from the outrage of Saddam in his Y's (You can photoshop anything these days - right?) or Kylie's brush with breast cancer. One would think that she could be given a bit of privacy under such circumstances but no, the media rolled out the full living obit carpet.

The BBC news this morning reported on George Galloway's schlep to Washington to "do battle" with his accusers. It said he gave them his best "Barrowland's stare" before launching into his Chewing The Fat goes to Penn Av. spiel. If he wasn't such an odious wee bauchle it might have been funny. Reality TV eating itself indeed.

The perspective of the day to day is getting ever more skewed and remember, a mobile phone that only makes calls and lets you text is still a mobile phone. Don't be snowed, these things are not toys and should only be used in an emergency such as to enquire why the person you were supposed to meet at a certain time hasn't bleedin' turned up. Having said that I still prefer to use a callbox when I can find one. Think of all the revenue these things are eating up with inane dribblings, surely such funds could be better diverted to other areas? You don't NEED to be instantly available all the time surely?? Cut yourself some slack, go underground, mobile phones are like cigarettes... they're bad for you and they're bad for me. Not because they might fry your, er, brain but I might have to hear some of your pish as I walk past you or sit next to you in a train. Me no likee that.
PANTHER BURNS are in Newcastle tonight folks. If you have the "clifford t" (wherewithall), go and see them!
Staying with that part of the world, that fine Australian combo, THE SPAZZYS are headed for these venues...



Saturday 21st May
Desmond's Tavern New York, USA

Monday 23rd May
Piano's (8:00pm) New York, USA w/ Lame Drivers + Stiff Kittens

Tuesday 24th May
CBGB (7:00pm) New York, USA
w/ Dylan Nirvana & Myrrh + Arthur Kill + Hey Tiger

Thursday 26th May
Bull & Gate (time tbc) London (Kentishtown), UK
w/ The Mau Maus + Eye + Angels Fight The City

Friday 27th May
Barfly (8:15pm) London (Camden), UK
w/ Vincent Vincent & The Villains + Rubicks

Saturday 28th May
Club Backstage Maastricht, Netherlands w/ Saturdaynight Beavers + Centerfolds

Sunday 29th May
TBA Venlo, Netherlands - Afternoon show (roughly 2pm)

Sunday 29th May
Waterfront Cafe Rotterdam, Netherlands - Evening show

Friday, May 20, 2005


Without a word of warning a new D4 album seems to have escaped into an unsuspecting world. I obviously need it, but could also do with further info on possible European and/or vinyl release of this. Anybody in the know?
I spend most of my existence wishing my life away these days. The countdown from Monday to Friday is palpable and this week, a further blow was struck. The relief that was driving home at lunchtime on a Friday will be no more at the end of this month. "The needs of the business" dictate that the old dark ages hours will swing back into play just to escalate the old "wearing-down" process. This backward step has made me take stock of the situation. I'm not ambitious in the biblical sense, I like to peedle along and maintain a modicum of comfort. We're pretty cheap to run out here but I gotta say that this is bugging me more than it oughtta. My contempt for the galoots that came up with this one is somewhat atomic but there's more than 18 ways to skin a galoot.

Anyways, there are good things out there and if you haven't been to Amy Rigby's site to check out her Joey song yet then I urge you to cut along. It'll give you the shivers in the best meaning of the word and is guaranteed to brighten your day. If it doesn't then there's something wrong with you.

So more over the course of this impending weekend...

Thursday, May 19, 2005

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOEY!

Click HERE to HEAR Amy Rigby's "Dancing With Joey Ramone" and play it loud!

It'll take a minute or so to load but your patience will be rewarded. It's a brammer!

Tuesday, May 17, 2005



Kaiser George is just one of the guests at this Chicago shindig!

Arkologists amongst you are hopefully aware of the excellent Smokeyroom's Rhythm Shower, a handy-dandy Lee Perry database/archive. These fine people have just put on-line some Guinness ads featuring Scratch The Upsetter. Good to see the man gettin' some long overdue mainstream attention...
Good news to impart afore I head down the pit. Ramones.de has been successfully wrestled from the clutches of Warner. A victory for good ol' common sense. A commodity we don't see in action much these days...

Monday, May 16, 2005


It always feels kinda weird, pushin' stuff here that falls somewhat outside the general NBT-sphere of things, but what with the serious lack of any genuinely rockin' discs headin' my way, I've been lookin' elsewhere for kicks.
London's Soul Jazz label has been steadily building an impressive catalogue of as diverse a sounds as you'd care to mention. Their reggae releases have set new standards, but recently I've been diggin' into some of their more "out there" material as well. New Thing! explores the late 60s/early 70s post-John Coltrane side of jazz. And even tho' it can only be described as "difficult", it's one of the most fascinating discs I've heard in the past couple o' weeks. I'll save you the track-by-track lowdown here, but will single out Alice Coltrane's take on here husband's A Love Supreme that starts of with some guru-type statin' the benefits of love 'n peace, and then heads straight into near VU-like territory w/ an organ-sound that is pure Sister Ray and Cale-ish violin. Definitely worth the effort it takes to digest this!. The Sexual Life Of The Savages is a compilation of "underground post-punk from Sao Paulo, Brazil", and even tho' we are promised the South American equivalents of the Pop Group and Gang Of Four, most of this sounds more like below-par Shriekback or A Certain Ratio. That said, the two tracks by the all-girl As Mercenarias would have been stand-outs had they been released on Rough Trade in '79 amongst like-minded bands, while Chance's Samba De Morro is a wonderfully subdued tune that wouldn't be out of place on the next Angel Corpus Christi disc. But three good songs just ain't enough to recommend this set. Maybe the post-punk mood wasn't really suited for the tropical climate. Case in point: If one place was suited for it, Berlin was the capitol of post-punk, and Monitor Pop provide the evidence with the excellent Berlin Super 80 sampler. A 2 LP set that rounds up the cream of the city's underground bands from the early 80s. With all the kudos 70s kraut-rock has been given in recent years it's about time the Neue Deutsche Welle gets some, long overdue, credit as well. Returning to South America, Pressure Sounds has just put out Safe Travel, a fine set of rocksteady productions by Phil Pratt. What with rocksteady bein' the Jamaican equivalent of the Impressions/Temptations cool-school of vocals and with Lynn Taitt's trademark guitar works, this is about a good as it gets, reachin' Treasure Isle levels of perfection. So there you have it. Please leave recommendations of similar material in the comments section...
Mr. Hagen reports that one B. Springsteen is currently closing his live set by a tune by the name of "Dream, Baby, Dream" . I wonder what Messrs Rev and Vega make of that?

"Hello and welcome to Show and Tell, a site that serves as sort of an orphanage for thrift store music and album cover art."

"NBT-crew in the house", pictured earlier today in the industrialzone just outside of town. What can it mean?

Sunday, May 15, 2005

Report from The Ramonas front line by Murray R...

"Well, Joey coulda said this shorter, but when the ladies come onstage I've got Waster Chris moaning in one ear with Jaegermeister flowing in his blood and on a downer cause he's feeling OLD with the Missions nu-metal youngster crew after listening to big Ian's tales of seeing EVERYFECKINGONE at Clouds etc. back in the day. Luckily big Teuchters tipped us to the Ramonas onstage time at 12:30 so we dont have to spend too long turning into our parents (its too loud/its just a noise/wheres the tunes/in my day chips were tuppence a poke blah blah blah) and they hit the stage and I move away from the oldsters and closer to the front - its gig number 3 for me and the line up has changed but Cloey Ramona is more animated than if Walt Disney had decided to remake the Jacksons cartoon with the happy family.

Rhonny Ramona (who's had a Doctor Who type re-incarnation since the last time but still looks like a hot chick in a skimpy dress) smacks the plectrum in pure Johnny down strokes (its important, its necesary, next time some guitar wank is talking about technique or musicianship or some such shite, ask em if they can strum guitar for a whole gig without strumming up). Pee Pee Ramona is yelling the one two three fours and her skirt is riding high - that girls got balls.

Pulsating to the backbeat is Margy Ramona and it's as if she's been schooled by Tommy himself, she's never played drums before the Ramonas and she could teach Marc Bel (only one l in his real real name trivia fans - I'll not tell you what the girls at Erasmus called him) a thing or two. I've moved myself into the mellee and its Blitzkrieg Bop and Waster Chris comes on down and says "they're fucking AMAZING" and he's seen the Ramones often enough to know what he's talking about and I never saw the real thing until 85 but big Ian saw them at the Playhouse when the Exploited supported whenever that was (funnily enough Watties cousin is down the front tonight with her video camera)and he's ripping up his pension book and jumping like a loon.

My old schoolchum and total Ramonehead Axle steps out of oblivion whilst the girls beat on the brat (in case anyone thinks Axle is named after the bald guy from guns n poses I'd like to point out he's named after the cartoon of the boy with the cleaver and had the name first) and he's blown away by the Ramonas prime time attack - tonight its a short set (30 minutes plus encore) so its classics from the first 3 albums plus KKK and Sedated. They've got the schtick down and then some and are possessed by the spirit of the Ramones - I've seen a few cover bands but none of them (even the Cretins, who were fucking incredible on a good night) have come anywhere near as close as this to encompassing the spirit of the real thing.

I've got a cd in my pocket of the Ramones at the Barras in 91 to give to Cloey when she comes off stage but for some reason I dont bump into her. Truth is she doesnt need it, I shoulda brought her the video for "It's Alive" instead (which is stuck in pre-production hell at the moment, email Rhino and get em to get their airse in gear) but at the same time she doesnt need that either cause she's already more Joey when she's up there than Joey was. I dunno what the nu-metal kids make of it (I wish I'd been there to witness the gig at the under age Mission Jr earlier on in the night, I'm sure they woulda blown my mind at 16) but if they cant take some edumacation then feck 'em - poor taste doesn't last forever but tattoos do, so do like the girls do and swap your baseball bats for rolling pins and check out The Ramonas."
Been hearing and seeing reports these past few days about a campaign which will declare Scotland to be "the best small country in the world". Have you ever heard the like? They will put up posters at airports and train stations and convey this empty headed bollocks to visitors to our land. The natural reaction to such a claim would rightly be "my arse". As one who does his bit for local tourism, I actually find such a claim offensive. Whether it is or isn't is irrelevant and such activity is another of these lame duck responsibilities that our Scottish District Cooncil (Parliament) thrives on. So, prospective visitors - if you visit Kiltland, forgive such arrogance. It's not a competition and if you have pride in your place of origin then so be it. I personally don't and that's not likely to change when "Wee Jack" pulls a stunt like this. Sure, we have our strengths and those generally lie in a quiet desire to just get on with attempting to make it through the day.

So the lesson this Sunday is "Forgive them for they know not what they do, lest someone gives these pillocks a real job".


A wee burst of activity reported by individual Dictators... live album in July!

Saturday, May 14, 2005

The great MOSE ALLISON will appear on UK TV screens this coming Friday (20th May) on the BBC's "Later". Trust me, it's worth putting up with Jools Holland for this OK?
So yeah, Friday 13th, a day generally synonymous with bad things, well not for me…
Southern Culture On The Skids brought good vibes via their salacious, Creedence-kissed surfatronic sounds and to be honest, if I was flush, I’d be on the bloody train to see them in Newcastle tonight also.

They played in the basement club of Oran Mor, a new facility on the corner of Byres and Great Western Road. It’s a cracking venue, great sightlines, a dancefloor(!) and no overbearing security drongos. OK so everybody had to be out by 10.30pm to make way for the disco but even that was handled with some decorum. Let’s hope this catches on. And the crowd, where the hell are all these people when the other to gigs are on. It was a totally mixed audience, all completely up for whatever was going down. It reminded me of a show Ben Vaughn did at Maryhill Community Centre, an off kilter sock-hop kinda deal, a few, too many years ago. Anyways – I’d take going out lessons if I could be assured that people would behave in this disorderly orderly fashion. And Rick Miller reminded me of a cross between Lou Whitney and the aforementioned BV in spirit. He’s a cool rockin’ daddy. Dave Hartman hits those pots and pans bloody had for just being a wee fella and Ms Mary Huff kept the whole undertow shaken and not a little stirred. The sound was fantastic too. What the chuff is wrong with this picture? You reckon I mighta dreamt it? Mickey Primeval reckons it might be a “west end thing”, well whatever – it was sight to hear and behold. It’s not every night you can say you went out and got hit square, goodnaturedly, in the chest by a piece of chicken.

This show was part of BIG BIG COUNTRY the annual celebration of roots music curated by Billy Kelly. He also puts together BIG BIG WORLD in October. Now I wonder if he’d be interested in a certain Croatian Surf (and so much beyond) combo?

In addition to all this, Mr Cruickshank had scored me a gem during his recent retreat to St. Andrews, a place not generally known for it’s services to record hunting. I was graced with a copy of The Jerry Blavatt TV Song Storybook. Saints bleedin’ preserve me. This brings us back to Ben again and I wonder if he’ll ever finish his Geatordoc? It's nearly a year since our shimmy down the Jersey Shore to catch The Geator in his regular habitat and this album brought it all back. The booklet is an unmitigated work of art.

So there you have it troops, it's all good! At least for the next 36 hours or so…
From Ms Teresa on the East Coast...

"Being an ageing tragic Punk rock tart is hard enough as it is, what with worrying about my blond roots, can't find fishnets to fit, spike heels done be hurt my feets, mens looks too old... I still look at 20 year old boys out of my eyes the same way I did 25 years ago... But they look back like "what? she ain't Grandma, but she interestin', but I ain't bitin'"... So, whatever, I had to go see The New York Dolls at The Trocadero in Philadelphia tonight. My favorite was to see and smell the beerstrown floor full of cigs and girrls in platforms a fishnets...

My friend Marty Thau, who was their first manager, could not be there with me, so I stood outside and sold his ticket and that was sad in its own way, I wanted him there with me to see the show...

I got there just in time to get a good position next to the soundstage... I knew better than to start drinking because the drinking and driving laws are just too intense anymore...The opening band "The Union Dead", had finished... Missed them, but heard them on line earlier at home... Good, Philly based Rock band... Called Marty, good timeing, just as Dolls came on... "Looking for a Kiss"... "Hohummm" I said... My thoughts were myriad, well I am here because this is historical, well, I am here because of Marty, well, I am here because you have waited 25 years to see this legendary band, maybe nothing phases you anymore, maybe you ARE old and maybe you ARE jaded...But as these thoughts went through my mind, I said "Please Good Lord of Rock and Roll, let me get down tonight, and let not my ticket price be wasted"... And The Dolls went though four good songs but I did not have the vision... So, I sauntered upstairs in me Punkrock Charles Jourdans to have me a smoke and get me a $6 plastic cup of red vino... I finished me smoke and sat on the riser as The Dolls started to hit the crescendo... They played "Trash", then "Jet Boy", then "Personality Crisis"... I WAS BLOWN AWAY... The audience went plum crazy... I had not seen such insanity since The Sex Pistols in Atlanta... Since The Clash/Suicide tour in England...

These boys have their chops down for days... Sylvain is a master on the guitar, as always... David a showman of showmen... Went to the bar after and talked to boys that had driven 3 hours from upstate Pennsylvania to see the Dolls for the first time. I say boys, not boys, 45 year old men, and they bought the tshirts... Legends are legends... Are legends... And... You know what?... A few years ago I made fun of bands that came back... HaHaHa the Dinosaurs... EAT MY WORDS... That is crap on a paper plate... If you can make music that resonates to your people... Make it... Did anyone tell BB King to shut up?... Muddy Waters???....Bonnie Raitt??... Aretha??... The Dolls proved that not only can they still prove their chops, they can do it with those dead and gone and preserve the memory... Signin'... Made it home for sure... In a Taxi...Feets don't hurt me now...
"
Another week down and not a moment too soon. So far I'm managing to keep a lid on the crap so that's something. Now more than ever, I can't suffer egocentric tossers gladly or in any other fashion 'cept their napper on a stick. But I digress, Friday the 13th 2005 was a good day all tolled. A full report comin' up later...

Whist on the Tesco run this morning, I saw a poster which said "Community Fete - May 14th", er, today. Then it hit me, at this time, exactly 29 years ago myself and my cronies took ourselves to London to see Kiss. On the same day, Scotland beat England at football and we heckled the support act Stray with witty one liners like "2 - 1, 2 - 1". "Fack off" replied the frontguy in ironic master of wit and repartee mode. Oh how we laughed. Anyway prior to this, we had collectively scoured the capital looking for copies of a very special record. It was hard to find because Nick Kent had lit the blue touch paper on the Thursday before. Even although it was a pricey import, this platter was in demand. After covering many miles, we tracked just two copies down to Harlequin in Dean Street. That meant three of our patrol had to do without. Can't remember how we sorted out who was gonna have them but we did and I bagged one of them. The other was snaffled by my long, gone compatriot Jack Seath (who may well be hangin' out with Joe as I tap). Anyway - the disc in question sported a now iconic photo by one Roberta Bayley, can you guess what it was yet?

Friday, May 13, 2005

The Ace Records website has been completely renovated and expanded...
Word on the Groovies Message Board reports a response from Paul Kopf of Magic Christian about the purported FG appearance in Germany.

"Magic Christian was supposed to play that concert but with the express criteria that they NOT be billed as the Flamin' Groovies. The promoters reneged on their promise and have been plastering this all over as a Flamin' Groovies gig. The upshot is that due to this, Magic Christian WILL NOT be performing at the concert. Yet another screw over by the music biz. Paul wanted to specifically pass this word along to this group of fans: "We're sorry it won't be happening but tell everybody we will be out soon and touring in the summer. And please tell them Cyril says hi."

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Don't forget... Friday the 13th... if you're in the Glasgow (Scotland) area then you need to scoot along and catch the first schlep north by
SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS

And you can see them in Newcastle on Saturday along with them Coyotemen...
A new Webb Wilder album "About Time" was released in March and I only just found out about it via the Groovies Message Board. Upon checking at Amazon, sure ‘nuff – there it is along with a “best of with extra tracks” entitled, "Scattered, Smothered and Covered".



If you’re not acquainted with “The last of the full grown men” then you’re missing a treat. This purveyor of the finest roots rock is back and not a moment too soon…

Wednesday, May 11, 2005



"Dear Friend,

It's a double dose of SUSQUEHANNA INDUSTRIAL TOOL & DIE CO. this SATURDAY, MAY 14TH, as we take to the radio airwaves of WFMU in the afternoon and then to the stage of SOUTHPAW at night:

Laura Cantrell's "Radio Thrift Shop" / WFMU 91.1fm / Noon 'til 3pm /

and then...

Opening for Deke Dickerson & The Ecco-Fonics / at Southpaw (www.spsounds.com) / 125 Fifth Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn / 10:00 / With DJs Billy & Miriam of Norton Records! / $8 cover /

Too much Saturday for you? Then settle for our good ol' Thursday night residency at Otto's Shrunken Head -- now with only three weeks left!

Thursday, May 12th / Otto's Shrunken Head /538 East 14th Street in East Village, Manhattan / Two sets, from 8 'til 10:00 sharp / No cover / With special guest Baby Maria!

Hope to see you soon, Michael
SITandDieCo.com "Ballads, boogies & blues"


Whilst out there in Espana...

"THE GOOD PEOPLE OF MADRID SURE LOOK TO BE IN NEED OF SAVIN' FROM A ONSLAUGHT O' KILLER VEGTABLES(HEY IN SPAIN CHICKEN IS THEE ONLY VEGGIE OPTION) 'N' IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE IT'S DOWN TO THE BRUISER 'N' CO. TO DO THE JOB RIGHT..."

Loosely translated, that sounds like Madrid shoule be expecting a dose of the Coyotemen!

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

A good interview with Tommy Ramone can be found at Pitchfork Media.


Time for a wee root about the SYMPATHY site...

Monday, May 09, 2005

Sean Rowley's Shake Some Action radio show on BBC London is other reason to celebrate the joys of webradio!.

Sunday, May 08, 2005


RIP: The Duchess (Norma-Jean Wofford).




Bigger versions at joeyramone.com
To mark the sad passing of Hasil, Miriam wrote this piece and has OK'd me to post it here. I shouldn't have to explain what an honour that is, just take it as read... and read on because there's only one person on earth that can tell it like this.

The WFMU tribute is a wonderful thing, don't forget to check it out. Like Billy sez during the show, Hasil was "equally at home with the Carter Family and The Addams Family"... what a guy...

NO MORE HOT DOGS by Miriam Linna

Ten days ago, we lost a great one, a really great one. Hasil Adkins was found dead of a heart attack in his home in Madison, West Virginia on Tuesday, April 23, following an apparently unsolicited attack several days earlier by a man who drove a four wheeler into him. Billy and I, along with many friends from far flung places, got the call while at the Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans. We were stunned, chilled and deeply saddened at the loss of a true original, who happened to be not only a gifted man-- a genius-- but also a guiding light to so many of us. Hasil was a musician, first and foremost. Music was his calling from the time he was a child, and he lived to deliver a musical message from his heart to yours, to anyone's who happened into his path.

We left driving to Hasil's funeral in West Virginia as soon as we got back to New York from Louisiana on what would have been Hasil's 69th birthday. Brooklyn artist Joe Coleman and his wife Whitney Ward accompanied us for the drive.

Hasil had performed at the couple's nuptials and Hasil plays heavily into Joe's work, as is evident in his documentary REST IN PIECES and as the subject of one of his intense biographical painted portraits. The drive took us two days, as the weather was as dismal as our mood, and navigating (Billy did all the driving) the slick mountain highways and dense fog in the lesser roadways was a challenge. By day, we counted our progress by counting passing billboards for hot dogs, and semi trucks loaded with cheese, chicken and farm meats and by night watched tail lights and mile markers through flapping windshield wipers.

We played Hasil's music the whole way, the happy records, the sexy records, the head-lopping records, and the heartfelt, sorrowful dirges that pull at the heartstrings with a purity and depth that few artists ever shake a stick at.

The funeral was on April 30th, one of the rainest, foggiest, most mournful days on God's holy planet. I give details here now, because so many of you have asked. If details upset you, scroll on a couple of paragraphs. Otherwise, bear with me. The funeral was held at Handley Funeral Home in Danville, close to Hasil's home in Madison. It was attended by his sister Irene and her four sons and four daughters, and a couple of her grandkids. A handful of locals and a few fans seated themselves in the back pews. Hasil's long distance sweetheart Amy from Minnesota had come in with a friend, and Jim Tucci, Hasil acolyte, steady friend and road manager, had traveled from Georgia. Billy, Joe and Jim served as pallbearers, as did the dancing outlaw Jesco White and a couple of Irene's sons. The open casket service was met with such shock and grief from Irene, that she fainted several times. One of her daughters also lost consciousness. Hasil looked good, but different. A cowboy hat was leaning against the lid of his casket. He was wearing a new red and white striped button down shirt and as people filed up to pay their repects, they slipped in a rose wrapped in crunchy clear plastic, some CD's, and a ceramic angel figurine and one lady pinned a religious medal on his pocket. Hank Williams III had sent a beautiful floral display which featured a huge toy guitar and it was prominently displayed.

The casket was closed when Pastor Garry Bowman, a Baptist minister, began the service by announcing that he didn't know Hasil, and that he only remembers meeting him once, in 1958. He began a brief, basic dust-to-dust sermon, after which the bereaved filed out through the rain into their cars, some moving into position for the headlights-on vehicular entourage to a remote cemetary in Van, WV. I could never find myself back to that location without an Indian guide, a compass and a divining rod. It was THAT remote. We drove at a snail's pace for what seemed forever, finally winding up a dirt road to a tiny hillock clearing, where a small tent was set up over a ten foot square of astroturf. It was fairly pouring as they brought the casket out once again for final words from the pastor. The pallbearers were signalled to carry the deceased to the interment site and the family and locals returned to their cars and headed back down the hill to their homes. We stood confused for a moment. The pastor told Whitney that we "didn't have to go down there" and of course she promptly picked up her the muddy hem of her long black skirt and went stumbling down the ravine with the faithful. The pallbearers were ankle deep in yellow mud and the rain was beating viciously against the casket by the time we all reached the remote woodsy vale where Hasil's grave had been prepared. No further words were said. Two grave diggers (is there a euphemism for this profession? If so, tell me) kneeled in the mud to lower the casket via alternating squealing manual pulleys. It took forever. Some invisible rain birds chirped nearby, maybe in response to the squeaking GD's. Several times, the men realigned their mechanism, then finally satisfied, loosened the belts, set a piece of pine atop the casket and stood apart from us, soaked with rain and covered in mud, leaning against their shovels and waiting. Nobody moved for a long time. The rain kept pelting, boom-ba-boom, now against the piney wood panel. Rain gushed down the gullies, along the path we had trod, and a heavy mist hovered inches from the ground with a decidedly gothic demeanor. A bit further down the glade were some old gravestones leaving in various directions. Someone remarked that Hasil's mother and father were there. The rain kept on. Eventually the small entourage began their way back up to the road, some dropping a flower or a handful of dirt onto the grave. The shovel guys looked impatient. At the top of the hill, I looked back and Jim was still there, head bowed. He would stay to help the gravediggers. The four of us scraped off mud and got back into the car. We rode in silence for a while. Joe spotted a KFC and suggested chicken, so we pulled in for a couple of king size buckets to bring to the wake at Irene's place, one extra crispy and one original recipe. At the wake, one of Hasil's four Bibles was passed around, revealing markings and notations by Hasil throughout. Memories were exchanged. Chicken was eaten. Tears mingled with occasional chirps of laughter, but only the tears relayed true feeling. Someone in the kitchen did the Chicken Walk and a semblance of the Hunch. The rain kept on coming. It got dark fast as we left the Mountain State.

Whitney got lucky and found some commemorative hot pants in a Goodwill store located right next door to the local court house where Hasil had many comings and goings, and by the second day of driving home, midway through the Pennsylvania meat-belt, we hit upon what would have been Hasil's dream-- a general store stocked with every possible variety of commodity meat in every possible configuration.. with free samples aplenty. We bought packages of hotdogs and local cheese and crowded back in for the last leg of the journey. It had stopped raining by the time we got back home. Clean blue skies and a hint of May. I wished it had been such a nice day for Hasil's funeral. Then again no, Hasil would have wanted the rain-- a big giant, dreary, bone crunching rain with mist and clouds and fog and flooding and gushing gullies and busted umbrellas and buckets of chicken and hot pants for everyone...

So then, and anyway... our Norton label started with Hasil-- OUT TO HUNCH was our first LP, and HAZE'S HOUSE PARTY was our first seven incher. Billy and I had been publishing KICKS magazine, dedicated to the great unknowns and the great unlauded. Hasil had been interviewed in KICKS #3 and got written up in all subsequent issues. We originally located Hasil with the help of a great friend and R&B collector Donn Fileti, and immediately drove out to meet the Haze (as he liked to be called). We released OUT TO HUNCH, a collection of his original early home recordings and brought him to New York to play. Hasil was in prime form and wowed audiences wherever he played. Billy recorded Hasil for the first time in 1986 and continued recording and releasing Hasil material over the years. He was a very close friend and we were never out of touch with him.

Over the years, Hasil traveled all over North America. He made plans to tour overseas many times but each time, when it got down to the wire, Hasil would not board the plane. He was, in his heart of hearts, a homeboy. Even on relatively short out of state trips, he would become despondently homesick. And he was in essence a West Virginia homeboy, and even closer to the bone, a Boone County homeboy. Hasil lived his entire life in the house where he was born, in the woods, off the beaten path, nary a dot on even a local map. His records and stage shows were one thing, but his eccentricities no doubt expanded his legend.

Guns and ammo, meats of all nations, crazy dames, murderous psychopaths, and political figures peppered the everso topical subject matter of his songs, alternately endearing him to a fringier element and causing the politer country fans to step back in confusion. Despite his ability to wear many hats- to be many things to many people-- he was true to his calling. He was an entertainer, a self-made man, a gifted songwriter, a keen observer and commentator on the world as he knew it.

Haze's final show was at the Las Vegas Rockaround this past September, where he was appropriately introduced by none other than Rudy Ray Moore. Many overseas fans were seeing Haze for the first time, and may have been shocked, surprised or at the very least, amazed by him. Pounding away at his guitar and stomping on the drums, shrieking and hollering, he may have frightened some of the fainter hearts, reinforced others who'd come to quaff at the well. None of us knew it would be the last time. No more hot dogs, or then again, perhaps, too many too soon.

Saturday, May 07, 2005

NINE POUND HAMMER EUROPEAN BREAKDOWN TOUR, MAY 2005

(* slight changes to these four dates/venues, please note!!!)

A whirlwind tour from Barcelona to Oslo! 16 days straight! Whew!

* 15/5 SPAIN - Barcelona @ Magic
* 16/5 SPAIN - Madrid @ Ritmo y Compas
* 17/5 SPAIN - Valencia @ Pequeno Diablo
18/5 HOLLAND- Rotterdam @ Waterfront
19/5 HOLLAND -Groningen @ Vera
20/5 DENMARK - Kopenhagen @ Loppen (Punk and Billy Bash)
21/5 DENMARK - Aalborg @ Studenterhuset
22/5 SWEDEN - Goteborg @ Sticky Fingers
23/5 NORWAY - Oslo @ Elm Street Rock Cafe
24/5 DENMARK - Odense @ Rhytmeposten
25/5 GERMANY - Munster @ Gleis 22
26/5 GERMANY - Berlin @ Wild at Heart
27/5 GERMANY - Dresden @ Scheune
28/5 GERMANY - Tubingen @ Sudhaus
29/5 GERMANY - Darmstadt @ 603 QM
* 30/5 BELGIUM - Gierle @ JH -t Hoekske


CAREER RECORDS is a groovy little enclave that resides in Bozeman, Montana. Run by Mr Ron Sanchez with help from Deniz Tek and hosting releases by musicians of the calibre of Roy Loney, Scott Morgan and his own combo Donovan’s Brain among others. The just released DB album, "A Defeat of Echoes" is the closest thing you’re ever gonna get in terms of new material from Barrett era Pink Floyd but it’s also much more. It’s psychedelia of a decidedly 21st Century variety whilst retaining the vivid qualities of the music that undoubtedly inspired it. There’s an edginess which keeps this jalopy well away from the noodling that so often can befall such a beast. “When You’re Falling” is top power pop, like The Long Ryders crashing a party as Blue Oyster Cult. The album is accompanied with a dvd which contains short clips of Career artists in action.

Roy Loney and The Longshots “Drunkard In The Think Tank” has been out a while now and may be familiar to NBT readers. If not then it oughtta be. Penny Ikinger’s “Electra” may not be so familiar. Ms Ikinger plays loud folk music like The Velvet Underground and is of Australian origin. Natalie Imbruglia should give some consideration to covering her material if she really wants to be credible. “Kathleen” is just one of several classic songs waiting to be discovered.



WHITE DOT... make the world a better place. It don't matter how many stations you got access to...

(A big thumbs up to my homefolks, K & J, who were hep to this way before New Scientist!)

And while yer at it, don't forget PIPE DOWN...
So, Party Animals? The new album by Turbowhasname sees them paddle deeper into Andrew Lloyd Webber territory. "Hot stuff in the middle of a firefight"?, Unfortunately not. I'd really like to be able to say that I've been proven wrong but it's all so bleedin' safe. Talk about not pushing the envelope. My main reason for even investigating this is because Steve McDonald of Redd Kross produced it. The usual riff appropriation and grandiose rawk shapes are all intact but it’s so soulless. “Blow Me (Like The Wind)" is proof enough that they haven’t evolved other than toward sounding like a hairier-arsed version of Queen. The money hoover that is TRBNGR is in full swing and they’ve even roped in Nick Oliveri of that equally-overrated QOTSA mob. It’s at this point that I mourn “the kids” inability to thrust The Hellacopters to superstar status. Why should I go over my line in the sand if these guys won’t? Everybody tells me that they're nice guys. My correspondence with Happy Tom in the past has always been a pure pleasure but how come that I'm the only one that can't dig "the product"? The kindest thing I can say about it is that it's mercifully short. I hope Steve made enough money from this to get the new RK album nearer completion. Now there’s a combo we could really do with hearing from right about now. So forget about the “City Of Satan” and all it’s faux Ezrin orchestration and board the boat for The Dark Lord’s Island instead.



“Satan Island” is the opening cut on the 4 song CD ep by NJ combo, SUBWAY SURFERS. This isn’t surf music though, more a melding of The Damned with The Fleshtones to come up with something that sounds like some great 45 lost since 1977. What it lacks in fi is more than made up in spirit so check it out.

And if it's spirit you want then look no further than the new Chips K produced album by WILMER X. This Swedish institution has all it's high octane pub rock chops in place. Mostly Svensk-language, 13 Våningar Upp is an effortless flexing of their collective muscle. The utter and very welcome antithesis of where we came into this post.

A message from those fine, fine people at Norton...

"PLEASE TUNE IN TO WFMU TODAY FOR A TWO HOUR TRIBUTE TO HASIL ADKINS ON THE FOOL'S PARADISE SHOW WITH REX (91.1 FM) 6-8 PM SATURDAY MAY 7. GUEST WILL BE BILLY AND MIRIAM FROM NORTON, ARTIST JOE COLEMAN, JESCO WHITE, AND OTHERS."

I urge you to comply either in real time or via the archives later. Please consider sending a donation to WFMU via Paypal for their continuing services to cool broadcasting. If it weren't for my loyalty to BBC Radio Scotland, I'd be sending my licence fee to Jersey City.

Friday, May 06, 2005


What with the upcoming festivities surrounding the 30th anniversary of Chiswick Records later this year, I figured it to be a good time to round up a bunch of weblinks relating to the label. Just think of it as something edumacational.
Our first stop is, of course, the Ace Records site, home of Chiswick and a host of reissue-labels. For a more thorough history Punk '77 has a excellent interview with labelfounder Roger Armstrong, not to mention short biographies on various bands that were on the label plus a two-part discography. Mohair Sweets is a fine on-line tribute to Jesse Hector of Hammersmith Gorillas fame, and also holds another info-laden interview with Armstrong. Herve Colombet's Count Bishops site has more info on the band then you'll ever need, but you also might wanna check singer Dave Tice's scrapbook and my own little virtual shrine to the most energetic and under appreciated R'n'B bands that blasted outta the UK in the late 70s. Kirsty MacColl's webiste has a bizarre interview with my hero Johnny Moped. Kirsty, of course, recorded for Chiswick as well with the Drug Adixx. Radio Star Martin Gordon has plenty info about his band available on his site. And lookey here: The Official Radiators Site. Et bienvenue sur le site officiel de Little Bob & Little Bob Story. Finally, check out the 'History' page on Motorhead's home on the web for the story on their involvement with Chiswick. That should give you plenty to chew on, and while you're at it, why not dig out your copy of Cycledelic and blast it LOUD!
Belfast Rockabilly Roots Round-Up No. 2



- Barrow Square, Clarendon Dock, Belfast. N. Ireland. June 30th-July 3rd 2005
THE RAMONAS have the following shows coming up:



Thursday May 12th Cleethorpes Winter Gardens

Friday May 13th - Glasgow Cathouse

Saturday 14th May - Edinburgh Studio 24
(2 shows - Under 18’s afternoon, over 18’s evening)
This week started off well with a Monday holiday and rapidly went down the pan from there. The inevitable third term by ToeKnee Blair is the veritable scuzz around the rim. There is info to impart though so without further ado...

Nuria keeps these fantastic graphics coming...Flamingo Swing anyone?



As the world awaits the second Star Spangles album, Connecticut yankees should heed this missive from SSHQ,

"Make sure you get your tickets early for The Star Spangles' return to their roots (for some of them - geographically speaking) on May 29th at the Empress Ballroom, in Danbury, CT. The promoter thinks this show will sell out (it's all ages, only $10 and there's no school on Monday 30th, due to it being Memorial Day)..."



The ongoing wrangle with the German Ramones fan club and website needs your support. Jorg has made some fund raising booty available... Here's the poop -

"Ramones.de is registered as a Fan’s site since 1996, the guy who had it before, gave it to us (to me as the person who’s named at the DENIC now) in 2001. He got no money for this, he just wanted to support our officialised thing. We did the Zine in 96, the Sampler in 99 and tribute Parties in 94,96,99 and last year, all was authorized and officialized by John and Joey in November 93 and by DeeDee in May 94. We met the Ramones lotsa times in person since 89, so they trusted us to do this as an official fan thing. I for myself had the luck to play the drums at one show with DeeDee in 95, one of the greatest moments in all my life.

Warner Germany (WEA) sent me a letter on April 7. It said that I should give them the URL address by April 21 (2 weeks-time), because THEY have “the only and exclusive right to use the Name Ramones and pics of the band” because of the contracts. Otherwise they will take juridical steps, which will cost ME a lot of money... a letter, well, a 16 year old kid might sign it over to them directly but no. Sure they do it NOW, years after the Site is registered, cuz the Ramones sell a lot more records now than ever. I’m sure it’s a test and later they'll get all the other sites (mainly all Ramones. Xx – Sites are registered by fans, like .nl,.be and so on) and then maybe than any Freesite with the Name Ramones into it.

I thought about it a while and didn’t know what to do, the law-situation is very unclear here in Germany, everything could happen when the situation escalates before a court. It's only cost me 200 Euro so far to get a lawyer to tell WEA a juridical “Fuck off!” and that I won’t give the address to them.

They have not reacted to this yet so I’ll have to wait and see what goes on. If WEA decide to go to court then maybe that’s the moment I have to give up, it will be too much money for me to invest in this, and I don’t know if I will win in the end. It could least years. German law is very unclear in this Internetdomain-Thing, a couple of processes ended this way, a couple of them the other way...

I had a very huge reaction from people all over the world to this, which gives me a lot of power... I must think on what John said once “The Fans made the Ramones-not any fucking company...”, but all enthusiasm ends at the fucking moneything, you know."


It's a damned disgrace that this is happening and hopefully the tables will be reversed. Organisations such as this that Jorg runs enhance the importance of the Ramones. It's an honour thing that runs way deeper than money. I wonder if a conglomorate like that has any notion of honour. They should be paying Jorg for his efforts for chrissakes. RAMONES.DE
The excellent MC5 GATEWAY has a dowloadable sequence available of the 1972 movie Gold featuring the MC5's original soundtrack.

Thursday, May 05, 2005

Dutchies are advised to check out the Impolite Garagefest III on thuesday June 2nd.
Yet another new movie documenting punk and it's aftermath: Punk: Attitude by Don Letts.

Wednesday, May 04, 2005


Not sure what to think of the Flamin' Groovies joinin' the nostalgia circuit. Then again, if I was in the neighbourhood around that time I would go 'n see 'm...
COUNT BISHOPS REUNION !
"Some awesome news for Count Bishops fans is that the band will do a one off gig to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their record label, Chiswick records. The show will take place at the 100 Club on Oxford St. in London on 23rd of September 2005. Line-up as far as I know will be; Dave Tice - vocals/rhythm guitar/harp, Johnny Guitar - guitar/vocals, Paul Balbi - drums, Pat McMullan - bass. The members are flying in from around the world to make this great event happen."

Tuesday, May 03, 2005


"Hello dear, here's the link to the first Garage Guide realized in Italy. Over 150 artists from 4 decades.... plus exclusive interview with Electric Prunes, Remains, Dave Allan etc. (Will be out at the end of April) We'll appreciate if you can put the link on your web site people can buy the book"
From Mr Keenan....

"Wanted to let you know that me and Heather (Taurpis Tula) are playing with Jandek (!), Keiji Haino and My Cat Is An Alien at the CCA in Glasgow on Monday May 23rd, tix on sale from CCA box office now. Nuts. Also, we have the Jandek CD from the Glasgow show on sale at Volcanic Tongue - on-line exclusive from the man himself, available elsewhere soon I guess."

Monday, May 02, 2005


Turbonegro - Party Animals (Burning Heart CD).
Generally ol' Lindsay 'n me agree on most things, but when it comes to Turbonegro, well... Not that I wanna make a statement here in their favor, hardly so. 'cause it's been awhile since these Norwegians put out something truly worthwhile (just like the Hellacopters lost their magic spell when Dregen left the band, Trbngr lost theirs when they split after releasing their magnum opus (Apocalypse Dudes)). But there's really no denying that these guys can (still) write an actual tune. Lyrically it's an entirely different matter tho'. For those of us who don't have English as first language and can listen to this without noticin' the lyrics, this is prime stuff. But, yeah, when actually takin' in da wurds, I can see Lindsay's point about them being on a (puerile - LH) level that only dimbulbs could enjoy. That said, Party Animals is still a disappointment, even for me. If only for the fact that it's so goddamn nice and predictable.

Being the kind of person that drools over label-discographies, I nearly lost it when I clocked this baby. Maybe it is time for that second mortage on HQ...

Next up from Norton Records: "Johnny Clark & the Four Playboys - Jungle Stomp/I Need A Woman. Wild Northwest rock n' roll! This twin spin follows up our previous set of Spokane senders, Daryl Britts Lover Lover (45-113) with an insane 1963 ape call instrumental and an unissued 1957 slap bass rocker with a strong Buddy Holly Decca-era feel! Jimmy Lee Fautheree - I Want The Cake (And Not The Crumbs)/You're Not Play Love. Final recordings by the late Texas honky tonk legend, backed by Deke Dickersons Ecco-Fonics -sounds like a Warren Smith Sun label 45! Comes in trend setting brown die cut sleeve! A winner! Various - Party Date. This wild, wild party roars with four frantic 1958 Dallas rockers - two not originally issued! Gene Rambo & the Flames - My Little Mama/Carl Canida & the Flames - Party Date/Vince Murphy & the Catalinas - Speechless/Scotty McKay - Bad Times. Ron Haydock & the Boppers - 99 Chicks (LP). Wild Norton kingpins NOW ON VINYL LP! Chicago's answer to Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps! Insane 1950's rockers and Ray Dennis Steckler soundtrack numbers plus rare demos, all culled from original master tapes! A MUST FOR EVERY ROCK N' ROLL FAN! Various - Kicksville Vol.3 (LP/CD) Third set in Nortons popular KICKSVILLE series of raw unissued rockabilly acetates! This installment comes on like gangbusters with never before heard demos from rockin icons Benny Joy and Danny Dell, Florida mauler Ray Pate (with 12 year old bro Donnies stunning guitar work!), Volume Two favorite Eddie McCall and other deadly rhythm kings! Dig a special two-fisted bonus as you feast your ears on first ever demo recordings by future surf legend Gary Usher and hit maker Ral Donner! Various - Shake It Up And Move (LP). 20 Primitive 1956-57 Texas rockabilly demos by Elroy Dietzel, Jimmy Johnson, Johnny Fallin and others! This is the vinyl version of Ace Records' phenomenal GENE VINCENT CUT OUR SONGS CD - sensational stuff! . Various - Wildcat Jamboree (CD). Live late 50s broadcasts from Corinth, Mississippis DIXIELAND Jamboree radio program! LLOYD ARNOLD, CURTIS HOBOCK, BILLY WAYNE, LEON BASS, BOBBY WOOD, WAYNE and BOBBY PRATT and more! Includes liner notes by Jamboree bandleader Hayden Thompson, interview with Jamboree boss Charles Bolton, additional commentary by the legendary Eddie Bond and many rare photos. All titles previously unissued! * Over 78 minutes