Lenny Helsing has been spreading the word and music of the garage/beat fraternity forever. One of the outlets he uses to preach this gospel is The Thanes who have just been anthologised (is that a word?) by REV-OLA and you, the kids (of all ages) need to be hep to that. If you never had the pleasure then this'd be a heckuva place to start.



"The Thanes - Evolver (CRREV 69) Here it is..just when you thought it was safe to listen to failed biker bar bands who've noticed The White Stripes have sold a few records..(you know who you are)..the complete history to date of Scotland's premier Garage/Beat group....nothing less than that!Whilst influencing a whole generation of bands making up today's hit Garage sound, they made (and continue to make) a series of remarkable and acclaimed records....all collected here for the first time on one great CD....the classics, the driving-collectors-mad rarities, their latest and perhaps greatest recordings.....anyone with any interest in the driving Garage Punk sound that's sweeping the world cannot miss this essential release!...It's the real deal, Lucille! Their greatest recordings right up to date, and LOUDER than ever! Check out the menu -
In God I Trust / Antenna Surprise / That's The Story Of Your Life / Static / Before I Go / Wonder If / It Can Never Be / I've Seen Darker Nights / Gone Away Girl / Please Don't Cry / Lazy Bones / Thrown Away The Key / Don't Let Her Dark Your Door Again / She's A Robber / Hey Girl (Look What You've Done) / Shipwreck / I'll Rest / Lost Or Found / Buzz Buzz (Yeh Yeh) / Baby Come Back / World Of Stone / None Of This / Girls / Who'll Be The Next In Line / Days Go Slowly By / Never Make Me Blue / It's My Pride "

THE LONG RYDERS breezed back into old Glasgow toon on the day before the 4th July. No matter what the State Of The Union is in their homeland, here’s another American band that can still very much shake it down. “We’re the MC4” said Sid to the mature gathering. Stephen McCarthy had already been out to join GREG TROOPER close his opening set with a song he co-wrote with John Seiger (who if you've being paying attention recently made a record with THE SKELETONS). Trooper does credit to his namesake. A native NJian who lives in Nashville now with a nice line in songs and patter. He must be unstoppable with a band. Anyways, “Run Dusty Run” opened the Ryders set and brought down the hammer on the Strathclyde side. It was a fine set and by the time they get this baby to Madrid then they’re really gonna fly. The whole thing was as good an example of the perfect show as it comes these days. I can’t imagine how anybody there coulda been disappointed with the choice of songs or performance. Even the odd wee fluff here and there just added to the atmos. “Lights of Downtown”,“You can’t Ride The Boxcars” and “I Had A Dream” all reminded us of how good a catalogue these guys put together in their short existence. Added to that there’s their version of one of the greatest pop songs ever recorded, NRBQ’s "I Want You Bad" (dedicated to Teenage Fanclub) and an absolutely tingling sweet version of The Groovies “I Can’t Hide”. Now, even a jaded cynic and three quarters like me kinda gets a frisson when there 300+ people in a room that seem to be able to appreciate what is patently good music. Their psychedelicisied rendition of Dylan’s “Masters Of War” was well received in the aftermath of Wee Boaby Dylans visit to the city just the week before. If you get a chance to see them then take it. I would guess that individual schedules would point to this not being something that will run and run. That said, it certainly deserves to. This was the best I ever saw them, 20+ years after the fact. We had to leave for a train during a spirited run up the flagpole of “You’re Gonna Miss Me”, once again buoyed by the fact that people were digging it. Now how come we can’t have an audience like this at every show. Now you come to think about it how come that we can’t have much of an audience at all. I'm gonna wake up wondering about that for sure. I guess Amsterdam will be good but I really wish I could take in the Spanish shows. That could be the last truly rock’n’roll country on earth and when that rickenbacker-driven intro to “I Can’t Hide” kicks in there, then the fireworks will really begin.

Is there no end to the humiliation?... it'll be Riverdance in Bin-liners next... (info from Imants Krumins via e-mole)

Just got back from the third (and last) night of the Primitive festival in Rotterdam. Reports of the first two night were positive enough with only the Von Bondies gettin' the thumbs down from just about anybody who saw 'em. Got in early and only missed the first part of the Firebirds' set, but as much as I dig 'em; they're not an opening band, these guys need time to work their crowd, and preferably somewhere around midnight at that. But it was good to see 'em in action once again anyway, even tho' they got somewhat confused at just which three chords they needed to play Florian Monday's 'Rip It Up'. Next up was the Neder-Bietels, who seem intend on preserving obscuro Dutch beat tunes. As righteous a course as any, but with the sound bein' somewhat muffled and the singer's voice hoarse, they failed to ignite any kind of response. No sparks were flyin' either when the Remains took the stage. Good as their songs are, whatever fueled their engine way back when has obviously run dry. At that point (right in the middle of 'All Good Things Come To An End'!) a quick return trip home suddenly materialized, and even tho' I would have loved seein' the Chesterfield Kings save the day, gettin' home three to four hours earlier than expected was too temptin' a proposition to resist. So yeah, it was a bit disappointin'', but the idea for these kinda fests is A-OK with me, and this will hopefully be the first of many to come...
Besides all that it was good to shake hands once again with a number of people who I rarely see otherwise. You know who you are; Cheers !.