It's been a while since I've last been in contact w/ former MRR scribe Mark Murmann, but noticed that he's been setting up his own weblog 'Blitz My Brain' over the past few days. Obviously still tryin' to get the hang of it, but he should be on a roll in no time soon. And don't let the MRR tag scare ya, Mark's taste in music probably runs pretty much along the same lines as that of most NBT readers. And credit where it's due; Mark mentions a new Lester Bangs anthology to be published on August 12, that I haven't seen mentioned anywhere else yet...

Great wee Blasters and B-related site constructed by bass fella John Bazz. GO!.

RIP: Sam Phillips. GO!.

Aye... hopefully somebody will have the presence of mind to sink the bastard with all of 'em on it. I guess there's no end to the humiliation. I was certainly cheated the night I had to watch them vomit out their lumpy paen to rawk. Can somebody make sure the Kings of Leon are on the boat too?

NEWS FLASHES: "Rhino Records is giving its legendary compilation power to the punk movement. 'Ever Get the Feeling You've Been Cheated?', which ironically doesn't include a single Sex Pistols track to back up its name, is due for Oct. 28. The four-disc set spans bands that came out from 1973 to 1980, and is intended to show the links between classic punk rock and proto-punk, new wave, post-punk and no wave" (tracklisting)..*****Lindsay will be overjoyed that the new Turbonegro video is available here, and the band has a "secret" gig comming up according to this this article.

Finally took some time to dig into the Star Spangles debut full-length disc 'Bazooka', and I gotta tip my hat to our chief o' staff Lindsay for knowin' a contender when he sees one, 'cause this here disc is a rip roarin' p-rock blast, w/ the p standin' for "pop" !. And save for one weak Hoodoo Gurus cover (you can't beat perfection) it's all top shelf stuff. Just take note of those involved (Sleeve pic taken by former Heartbreakers manager Leee Black Childers, produced by Ramones regular Daniel Rey and their official bio is written by Richard Meltzer !) couple that with looks resemblin' Sire era Flamin' Groovies crossed w/ the NY Dolls and you'll get a pretty good idea of what to expect.

On Friday night I caught the Buff Medways at the Dirty Water Club. The first 45 minutes were dependable if nothing earth shattering from Sir William et al. That's the way it goes, sometimes a band will spark and on other night's the timing will be a smidgen out. However, as we rounded the bend at midnight Billy starting playing around with Punk Rock Is Nicht Tot and turned it into a rap about bogus celebrities and phoney people. It worked as treat as did the segue from Jack The Ripper into John The Revelator. To cap it all off, Johnny Johnson (ex-Headcoats) jumped ontstage to play guitar for an encore of Baby What Do You Want Me To Do and You Don't Love Me. With that done and dusted, Billy turned to the audience and said: "Now go home and form a rock'n'roll band." Who would refuse?

The Barracudas and Lazy Cowgirls now have Yahoo! Groups dedicated to their past, present and future activities. Both have the support and the participation of band members so here's your chance to ask for the story behind some of your favourite tunes. Thankfully, no one appears to be too mentally damaged by their ordeals at the RnR coalface.

Way "backintheday" there was a band by the name of New Math. Then they became The Jet Black Berries and made a few more albums then folded. They were really something.
Now Gary Trainer, Roy Stein and Chris Yockel of the NM/JBB axis have got a new combo together with April Laragy pictured here and Scott Ostrowski called The Atomic Swindlers. They trade in a grandiose swinging glam long considered lost to the world and add a little punk rock undertow as one might expect. www.atomicswindlers.com

Blasters weekend is upon us and I'm very much looking forward to seeing the gang when they arrive in Glasgow tomorrow. Meanwhile check out their Euroexploits thus far at www.blastersnewsletter.com.

Been fortunate to receive an advance copy of a documentary that's been made about Jandek entitled Jandek on Corwood. For anybody who may not be familiar with Jandek, he's a guy who has been putting out albums on his own Corwood Industries imprint for the best part of a quarter century. His material for the most part is atonal, minimal, mostly acoustic and damn atmospheric to the point of cinematic. I used to have a bunch of the records and now I've seen this, I'll be revisiting his work. His identity is a mystery and remains so. Several sitings are relayed in the film but nobody really has a beat on who this guy is. The doc features Byron Coley, Phil Milstein and Gary Gold as well as many others talking about their take on The J phenomenon and as a piece it's excellent. Hopefully it'll be making an appearance at a Film Festival near you so you can check it out for yourself. It's not rock'n'roll by any means but its more than worthy of your investigation. Meanwhile check out the following for further insight. www.jandekoncorwood.com

Norton Records has announced a series of '60's Fort Worth Teen Scene releases for the Fall. According to their press release, "You will dig unseen photos, rare and unissued recordings plus legendary sides presented for the first time from master tapes!".

As some of you might know I'm somewhat of a Reggae fanatic besides the usual NBT fare. And I wouldn't even mention this if it wasn't for the fact that the Soul Jazz label is set to release a 19 track comp of Joe Gibbs productions. Gibbs bein' reponsible for some of my all-time fave Jamaican recordings. Most of you will remember Althea & Donna's UK #1 'Uptown Top Ranking' from 1978, but he, together with his engineer Eroll Thompson, was also behind the majestic 'Two Sevens Clash' LP by Culture, the 'Visions Of Dennis Brown' disc plus the genius 'African Dub' series. After the excellent 'No Bones For The Dogs' dub set on Pressure Sounds, this new one looks like it's gonna be an even better addition to the Gibbs discography. GO!.

Rip Off recording artists The Marked Men will be touring Euroland in August; 14 Vera, Groningen (NL) w/The Stilettos & Shakin' Nasties, 15 Pit's, Kortrijk (BEL), 16 tba, 17 Swaf, Hoorn (NL), 20 Tower, Bremen (D) w/Moorat Fingers, 21 Rotterdam (NL) tbc, 22 Ekko, Utrecht (NL) w/The Stilettos, 23 Cobra (outside), Solingen (D).

UPDATED: The I-94 Bar: Rock with the Dragons, the Cynics, X , Sheek the Shayk and Nanker Phelge. GO!.

Exploding Hearts lose three members in crash. GO!.

What with the upcomin' Hydromatics' Euro tour 'n all it seems like a good time to hip you lot out there to the excellent Scott Morgan site 'n dito Yahoo Group.

LINK: A long, but interesting review of the Ramones documentary 'End Of The Century' in Creem. GO!.

These are busy and weird times. To put the tin lid on a rather putrid week, I blew my stereo amp yesterday and I'm operating on a less than meaty system at the moment. managed to salvage a workable intermediate stage but i won't be able to raise the roof until I get my mitts on another bit of gear. I know, all the apples fell on me or whit?
Lets see, check out The Illegal Movers - Buzzpunkpowerpoprockactiondeluxe on the Middle Class Pig imprint. Whilst alleged Garage Combo's come and bore, these Newcastle Upon Tyne dwellars provide a nifty twist on a style that is the bread and butter of NBT-ites. A more Wild Kingdomesque slant on The Coyotemen should paint a postive picture of what to expect. Divnae believe me? Go to www.middleclasspig.com and check 'em out for yourself with some download action.
Now to Sweden, home of the hits and the land which seems to have primo punk flouride in it's water supply. Mando Diao are a new name to me but it seems like they've been snapped up by Mute Records. Of course, The Hives are mentioned in their blurb but so are The Creeps. This is because there's an element of soul in their sound. It's also a tad more open ended in terms of sounding almost contemporary. Its a mixed bag with the more unusual tracks like "Mr Moon" possessing something that might appeal to radio programmers with an ear for laying something new on their listenership. "The Band" on the other hand cuts and shuts Dexy's Midnight Runners with The Count V (that's five incase there's anybody reading this that doesn't know. These guys could really appeal to an Idlewild audience and while I don't think the schtick stretches over the whole album, there's a couple of things here that could see 'em to the next level. www.mando-diao.com
Much more direct, also from Sweden are Parker. A great punk rock, attitude streaming from every pore, pogo machine.They woulda been on stiff Records if such a beastie still existed. Eva Parker has a voice like Angel CC channelling Lene Lovich. Mighty lungs indeed. Their second album "Le Petomane", is just out and I urgeth you to check 'em out. www.parkerpop.com
Outright best thing I've heard in a long time is a band called The Debs which existed in Springfied, Missouri around 1978. The first song on their unreleased demo is gagging to be covered. Which combo will have the sheer taste to get in there first? More info about these lassies when I get it.

Rhino is set to re-issue the original Television albums with bonus tracks plus a live album. GO!

LINK: Cool Dutch beat site (with MP3s). GO!

Got a couple o' msgs recently from people tellin' me they're missin' the semi-frequent playlists I used to include in the ON/CL days. So here's some o' the stuff that's doin' the round's on the hi-fi; Lotsa ol' Rocksteady (esp the ' Treasure Isle Showtime' LP on Heartbeat, the sleeve sez it all; 'It's like popcorn; hot baby, hot!)", the Blues (as always, w/ Elmore James and Otis Rush gettin' the most spins these days), comps from the Soul Jazz 'n Preasure Sounds labels (two great re-issue labels in their field), the 'Lookin' Good' comp on BGP (cool R&B/Soul mod-grooves), the Leg Hounds (prime Devil Dogs-type punk-R'n'R), Creedence Clearwater Revival, early Stones (two perennial faves) and finally the Nitwitz - Rock & Roll Conquistadores. in MP3 format (If that new album is gonna be anywhere as good as this, it's gonna be damn near lethal!).
So there you have it, I haven't seen the future of rock'n'roll over the past few weeks, but this here stuff is pretty much what has floated my boat recently.

LINK: Wang Dang Dula! is a great site dedicated to the wildest sounds from the 50s and early 60s. Dig around a bit and be amazed at the amount of info available (beware of pop-ups tho'). Esp recommended to all you Kicksters out there. GO!.

Been fast-forwarding through the T in the park TV coverage and actually saw this Kings Of Leon crew. Dearie dearie me, if that's what passes for rock thrills theses days then we're in big trouble.

Fleshtones tourdates confirmed for Texas and California

Thu 4 Sept - Houston, TX at Rudyards
Fri 5 Sept - Austin, TX at Emo’s Inside stage with Sons of Hercules
Sat 6 Sept - San Antonio, TX at Taco Land with Sons of Hercules
Thu 2 Oct - San Diego, CA at Casbah wih Holly Golightly
Fri 3 Oct - Los Angeles, CA at Spaceland with Holly Golightly
Sat 4 Oct - San Francisco, CA at Parside lounge for Budget Rock Garage Festival
Sun 5 Oct - San Francisco, CA at Parside lounge for Budget Rock Garage Festival

For those of you in the NYC area:

Friday July 25 - Joint celebration with Crypt Records and 20 years of Back from the Grave comps

THE SPITS (Seattle, Slovenly Records)
THE LITTLE KILLERS (NYC, Crypt)
THE BLACK LIPS (Atlanta, Bomp)
ANDY G AND THE ROLLER KINGS (NYC, Sympathy)
SOME ACTION (NYC)

Plus DJ Tim Warren from Crypt Records and special guests!

Saturday July 26

NIKKI CORVETTE (Bomp - 1st NYC appearance since 1982!)
LYRES (Boston, Matador, Norton)
HIGH BEAMS (Seattle, Dead Beat)
BASEBALL FURIES (Chicago, Big Neck)
SPITTOONS (NYC)

Plus DJs Alberto from Wowsville and Bazooka Joe

$12 per night
doors 8pm each night
at Sin-e' (150 Attorney St. betw Houston and Stanton)

You can purchase tickets online at www.sin-e.org through ticket web or at Wowsville on 2nd Ave just below St. Marks...tickets should be a Wowsville starting Saturday July 12.

It seems that a new issue of the always amazing Ugly Things magazine is on it's way to the printers. This upcommin' isssue (# 21) wil include the second part of the massive Misunderstood article plus stuff on The Quests, The Paupers, Skip Spence, Meic Stevens and Armageddon. Also an article on legendary Spanish music journalist José Luis Alvarez and Spain's main 60's mag Fonorama. Street date; "by the end of the summer".

This morning, I saw a 2cd set in Tesco entitled "The Best Prog Rock Album in the World Ever" complete with Roger Dean artwork. A further sign that the threadbare arse has fallen out of the music biz. Would you let your corn flakes, carrots or sprouts share a basket with such a beast? It's been a pretty crappy week in all, the programme for the Edinburgh International Film Festival came out and there are slim pickin's to be had there. It'll be hailed as a great success I'm sure, but it puts the tin lid on my beliefs about the artistic directors ability. Just as well we'll be tied up with the return of Amy Allison who'l be promoting the release of her No Frills Friend album on Spit & Polish. Diesel Only in the US.
I keep reading about Kings of Leon and how great they are. Imagine the big dissy then when I hear 'em and they sound like Blur trying to be Rocket From The Crypt.
On the subject of print, there's a magazine out here called Careless Talk Costs Lives and although you might not agree with everything in there, it's firing a veritable ball of phlegm across the bows of what tries to pass as the established press these days. It looks damn good to and it's packed, and I been to the rafters, with info. No cover mounted cd by the chosen dozen or so - just the facts so you can go check stuff out for yrselves. Remember how that goes? It'll keep you goin' until Joss and Joe get Sonic Reducer out on a regular basis. www.carelesstalkcostslives.com
People keep asking me what I think about The Cramps album and all I'm prepared to say is I don't care for it. Why should anybody give a hoot what I think about it anyway? I'm sure you can come up with your own reservations. Good luck to them though, as always I hope they get what they deserve. And to answer another question... No, I won't be going to see them either.

Misty Lane #18 is now available. Included in the all-English publication are interviews with Sky Saxon of The Seeds, Barry Tashain of The Remains, Jim Pons of The Leaves, Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds, and interviews stories on The Mods, Gaunga Dyns, Bachs, Lemon Drops, Bold, Tonto & The Renegades, Bojax, Shadows Four, Terry Rae, Bark of Paper Mulberry, Guilloteens, Cold Sun, Castells and more! Included with each issue is a CD containging tracks by many of the above artists, as well as Sweet Wine, North Shores, Palace Guard, Blue Cheer and more. It's available at http://crea.html.it/sito/NOWSOUND/

Out soon; a Ramones live disc recorded in 1978. GO!.

LINK: "It's the I-94 Bar's Deep Reduction issue. We take you to the Australian shows by this Austro-American band, featuring Radio Birdman's Rob Younger and Deniz Tek.
In other live wrap-ups, guest reviewer Geoff Ginsberg runs the rule over shows by, The Greenhornes, The Supersuckers, The Cramps, Sickidz, The Dictators, Lou Reed, The Fleshtones, Easy Action, Garland Jeffreys, Rocket From the Tombs, X, and Sylvain Sylvain.
In news, Penny Ikinger makes a Career move and we bring you more Radio Birdman Euro dates.
Plus tons of record reviews".
The I-94 Bar: Sydney Rock Action via The Bowery and Motor City. GO!

Some time ago Steve and myself put up a virtual shrine for long lost pubrockers The Count Bishops. A true labor of love that obviously doesn't generate too much traffic but every now and then throws up a response from some far flung corner of the globe, showing that we're not alone in our flag waving for these guys. I wouldn't dare claim our little site to be the final word on the subject, but I figured it was pretty comprehensive. Not so; this week I was contacted by Herve Colombet from France, who put up his own Count Bishops site that really holds an insane amount of information about the band providing hours of fun for people like me in search of a life. Please go 'n take a peek and say "Hi!" to Herve when you get there. GO!.

LINK: I Despise You And I Hate Your Taste In Music
"Once music was a simple thing. People played a jolly tune into a recording device, people played it and danced about a bit. Now we need professional psychiatric care for an audience assaulted by the likes of 'Weekend' on a regular basis. People have accused my reviews of being generated by a computer. Well, of course they are. You think anyone in their right mind would listen to The Dictators all day? I'm all digital baby. "

This month's releases from Ace. GO!.

The ever bizarre Dutch TV show 'Jiskefet' will host a reunion of legendary Dutch punk band The Helmettes on Sunday July 27 (22:10 NED3).

Tony Slug tells us The Hydromatics are off 'n rollin' again in September, not only that but there's a new live album on the way on Suburban, a 45 on Sweet Nothing (yep, 2 versions of the song 'Sweet Nothing'), and another 7" on the French Pitshark label. The lack of any new studio material is down to the fact that their previous label screwed 'em out of a lot of money and the band is thus unable to afford the luxury of a studio. Anyways, the dates are as follows; Sept 3 Vigo Spain, Sept 4 La Coruna Spain, Sept 5 Gruta 77, Madrid Spain (with Stiff Little Fingers), Sept 10 Forum Bielefeld Germany (with Radio Birdman), plus some date in Finland of which the details are still a bit sketchy.

I dunno about you but I'm sick of all these alleged punk rock groups that are doing the rounds but there's one exception. Ever hear of The Star Spangles? Maybe you've read the little potshots that compare 'em to The S*****S or whoever the publicists are prostrating themselves before this nanosecond, but the clotheared mofo's that are bleating that obviously wouldn't know primo buzzsaw action supposing it bit their schnozzes off.
The Star Spangles are a bunch of young 'uns that can rattle it out like any one of your "back in the day" NY punkers. Sometimes the rush of adrenalin is like a whole posse of your faves kicking you at once. Their new single
"I Live For Speed" is out now and the album "Bazooka!" is out next week. If this and any other Nation's youth were to embrace The Spangles then this world would be a better place but then again why should they have the sense to take anything worthy to their shit-riddled tastebuds. Another charge levelled at the Spangles seems to be down to them being signed to Parlophone. A major label. As opposed to a boutique label for a major... So they want to sell some records, imagine that. Who the bloody eff do they think they are??? So listen, any NBTster worth their salt will love, love, love this band. They're unscathed by the brickbats and I guess that's what knocking out Cheap Trick meets Ramones with some Heartbreakers/Dead Boys and Dictators riffage on the side will do that to a group. Check 'em out on www.the starspangles.com and be smitten.Live the bamalama is even better and they'll be everywhere this fall proving their critics to be the lily-livered tossers they undoubtably work hard at being.
If Turbonegroid rocked a fifth as much as wir Spangles then they'd be getting somewhere but don't mix these NY kids with those lumpy Norwegien oiks. Don't you ever do that.

I have no idea if this is working or not. Perhaps International Hacking Day or whatever it is that's tomorrow has already knobbled Blogger?

Just added as support to The Blasters, for the Glasgow show only, is the great Chris Gaffney. Bodyswerve the London show and get yr bahookie up here for this July 28th Shindig.
Another specially curated opening event will be Amy Allison opening for Laura Cantrell at Glasgow's Grand Ole Opry on August 7th. Amy will be here for shows to coincide with the release of her new No Frills Friend album on Spit & Polish. Us Release is on Diesel Only.

It ain't too shabby when a plan comes together and the great Chris Gaffney has been secured to provide the opening salvo for The Blasters in Glasgow on July 28th. It should be noted that this is for the Scottish show only so bodyswerve London and get your bahookie up here instead. Laura Cantrell's show at Glesgae's Grand Ole Opry is similarly unmissable as she will be joined by "wir ain" Amy Allison to open the proceedings. That one's on Thursday August 7th. The Opry is situated on the South Side of Glasgow and is perhaps The city's finest venue. It's location puts off the idiots that can't see past their own midden-heid but that's those fair weather tossers loss. The liquid refreshments are very reasonably priced and you can even get some nosh at "The Chuck Wagon". A surreal and welcome glimpse of yer actual good auld days.

So it's that time of year again. The time when we act as a mini-Scottish tourist board and schlepp our cronies from all over the globe around some alternative sights. Of course this includes record stores and over the past couple of days we've been in the best and worst. The best is of course Monorail in Glasgow. A civilised home away from home which is a zillion miles away from the chain malaise. Monorail is situated within Mono, a fine bar and eaterie and anybody who visits Glasgow will have to make a pitstop there. It's mandatory. On the other side of the tracks there's Backbeat Records in Edinburgh. What a chuffing overpriced dump. I saw the Phast Phreddie and thee Precisions album in there for £25(!) and a Blasters Spin Radio Promo for a penny under 60 quid. They are cruel to vinyl too with dirty big plastic bins perched atop one another. You wouldn't do that to animals and you shouldn't do it to discs either. There oughtta be a law, or maybe even 5.