Spend a lot of time diggin' thru' the latest issue of Ugly Things this weekend and suffice to say it's another winner. I kinda feared that a third installment of the Misunderstood story would be stretchin' things but the truth is that I read the piece in one sitting and am actually lookin'' forward to part 4!. Great stuff also on the likes of the Twiliters (Roller Land!), the Creatures and Plastic Bertrand. Another list of 70s DIY 45s is stretchin' things tho', with many repeats from previous lists and the same conclusions bein' drawn over 'n over again, it's time the raise the standard here and go beyond the rare/tasty/mucho-dinero talk and start tracing some of the people involved and let them have their say. That out of the way, I can do naught but recommend this to one 'n all. Get it direct from the source or go bug your local book or wax emporium, but get it by all means...

Promised to keep you posted on the little ones as soon as they arrived. And whadda you know; the latest batch of Norton 45s landed on my doorstep late last week, so let's dig in. On top of the stack is an EP by Pretty Boy (AKA Don Covay) featurin' his wild 1958 45 Switchin' In The Kitchen/Rockin' The Mule plus two previously unreleased tunes, all heavily inspired by the Reverent Richard Penniman. And just like Otis Redding's recordings with the Pinetoppers these songs just wail man, wail!. Morgen David & the Grapes Of Wrath serve up a entirely different, but equally tasty, stew of primitive mid 60s garage poundin', with both Little Girl Gone and Don't Want You No More deliverin' the goods. Herbie Duncan is a household name wherever there's an appreciation for bizarro rockabilly. His godlike Hot Lips Baby/Little Angel 45 gets the redcarpet re-issue treatment here w/ beautiful packaging and linernotes by longtime Duncan fan Deke Dickerson. Hound Dog/Be-Bop-a-lu-La by Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps, as record for the Alan Freed Show in '56, serves as a fine addition to Norton's extensive re-issue program on Gene & Co. Northwest Grease rounds up four rare tunes by the likes of Lord Dent & the Invaders and The Mighty El Dukes, if you dig Norton's Wolfcall comp as much as I do, this comes highly recommended. Gettin' back to the here 'n now, the Reigning Sound are the latest to be featured in the label's series of X-mass 45s, and once again they prove to be one of thee best bands goin' right now. No ifs or maybees!. Finally there's the latest installment in the Rolling Stones tribute series with both Sky Saxson and the Liars takin' the honors this go round, with Sky winnin' out with a cool version of The Singer Not The Song.
Go get 'm all!.