Rejoice Children, rejoice !. February and March 15 will be the first important dates of 2005. Not only will Leg's McNeil's long promised book 'The Other Hollywood: The Uncensored Oral History of the Porn Film Industry' finally see the light of day next month on that very day, but March 15 is the official release date of the Ramones''End Of The Century' DVD as well. Yes, 15 is your lucky number...

An early start this morning. Drop the car off for a "service". Obviously a euphamism for "shakedown" in that it always COSTS. I hate driving but that's another entchilada altogether, maybe I'll go into it one day. So, I head north with my parents to a wee place called Birnam which is about 12 miles from Pitlochry or thereabouts. Close to Dunkeld. It's an idyllic part of the world to have an outlet which agents the manufacture of cd's and if there was any justice at all, I'd be retired there by now. My old man's album will be foisted upon the world, March 1st or thereabouts and he has a lot of angles. More than I have these days that's for sure... There goes my last day of annual leave but I feel like I achieved something today. New holiday semester starts in March - bring it on!!

This link comes c/o S.J. Bink; some amazing videos of the Dolls, Ramones, Dead Boys and Runaways.

P3 POPSTAD - THE NOMADS + THE TEENAGE IDOLS + JOHNOSSI at Debaser in Stockholm this coming Friday (4th February). Make that scene if you can.

"hey, just got back from the (Magic Christian) show... first off i was blown away to see people i work with at the show... "what are you doing here?" "we're here to see cyril jordan".
i didn't even know they were into him, and they said the same thing about me. before long cyril pops up to say hi and that blew their minds.

anyways... the guys did a great show. very relaxed. but in a good way. very very enjoyable. prairie prince was using one of the other bands drum kits (nice black diamond pearl set like ringo's)... and let me tell you i never heard him so good. for once i could hear the whole band. i now get why they like prairie so much. i don't know if he didn't feel comfortable on these drums or didn't want to break them or what. all i know is he was great. i told him so... (altho i think i may have offended him... "hey, i liked you on this drum set" - guess it was a backhanded compliment! i gotta be honest... the guy's a real nice cat but he deafens me sometimes. he can be overpowering. but tonight he was right there. i mean totally right on.

people told me they found paul's singing much better too. not forced. this is the point... the band was not at all forced. very together. i think this is what was missing prior to this show. cyril played great. i still wish he'd go back to using a pick, but he pulled off his solos really nicely, and with no delay from coming off
the rhythm.(not easy). they opened with "made my bed" and went on to others they've been doing... "right back where i started", the stones' "gotta get away". spoonful's "my gal"...bunch of beatles... "any time at all", "things we said today", and a killer version of "don't bother me" with a great rave up ending. they did "angel" for the first time. cool song. "she's so good" rocked better than ever.
cyril wore his wonder woman t-shirt and played his dan armstrong thru the pod and into the twin reverb. alec had his ric bass this time... paul shook maracas now and then. girls were dancing up front. not a huge crowd but they were totally rocking. looks like the guys are headed for europe soon. i think they're playing with wayne kramer. in the meantime they're in the studio working on the next album."

- don in frisco

Happy birthday to both H.D. Manitoba; King Of Man, and H.B. Vedder; King Of Man version 2.0.

CHINABOISE THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (Gulcher 426)

Back at the dawn of No Future, before mid-70s boredom turned into late-70s hate, Rich Stim and Dave Mahoney were two young guys living in a trailer park. This trailer park was located in the midwest college town of Bloomington, Indiana. Rich was a newspaper writer by profession(ombudsman, obituaries, and music reviews), but longed to be a musician. He could play sax, bass, guitar, and other assorted instruments. Dave was a drummer, who even did gigs with a local country band. They both sang. In 1975, they began working up a batch of songs composed by Rich. They called their project Chinaboise.

In the very same trailer park lived Rich Fish, who soon moved into a house where he built a tiny studio in an empty bedroom (the teenage Gizmos would record there in '76 and '77). Rich Stim and Dave Mahoney joined their former neighbor at Home Grown Studios, where Chinaboise recorded a handful of tracks over a few months in '75.

Stim asked guitarist Bruce Anderson to join them in the studio for a few songs. Bruce was invited because he was the driving force behind MX-80 Sound, the high-energy avant combo which Stim considered local gods. It turned out Bruce had been thinking about moving MX-80 Sound closer to rock music, and the Chinaboise duo would soon join MX-80 to record the classic BIG HITS EP in 1976.

But back in '75, things were still kinda like the early 70s, and that's nowhere more evident than on this new Gulcher CD of Chinaboise music. If MX-80 '76 is like a pissed-off art punk finally lashing out, Chinaboise '75 is the punk's older boho brother smirking cynically and blowin' his horn.

"The Greatest Story Ever Told" was released on the BLOOMINGTON 1 comp LP (BRBQ Records '75), but none of the other Chinaboise material ever came out officially. Well, Rich says they "handed out cassettes to some people in town." "The Greatest Story Ever Told" is a great track. Stim's deadpan vocal and lyric combine with Bruce's jagged avant-metal guitar and Dave's drumming to sound not unlike the "new" MX-80 Sound of '76. Except this also has female vocals by Carolyn Boner and Kim Torgerson (who took photos of MX-80 over the years).

Bruce Anderson also appears on the ever-timely oil crisis ditty "Living On Oil," the angular MX-80-like "Take Two," and "Self-Conscious Pisser" (vocal by Steve Hoy), which became an MX-80 instrumental, abbreviated "SCP." There's also an early version of MX-80's "Myonga Von Bontee," done here as a sax-and-drums duet by Rich and Dave. "Partners In A Crime" was also re-arranged as an MX-80 song; the Chinaboise precursor features vocals by Stim, Dave, and Rich Fish, with only piano accompaniment.

There are a few tunes dominated by a sort of (pseudo-)beatnik campfire vibe--just Rich and Dave interacting like the doob's been passed for awhile. "Girl You Got It (So Go Get It)" and "Demons In The Lone Star State" both feature Rich on recorder! "Sodium Nitrate" is filled with back-and-forth hepster dialogue plus bebop sax. "Caught Between Dreams" moves the action to a jazzy little tavern just down the street.

"Working Girl" has Stim's typical workaday lyrics turned inside out, from the woman's point of view, with a lovely vocal by Holly Thomison. "Dear Tears" has a similar feel, with Kim Torgerson singing. These two tracks remind me of Stim's work in the 80s with Angel Corpus Christi (Mrs Stim).

The most surprising sounds here are two tracks of spoken-word humor done in the Firesign Theatre style. "Breakfast At The Gables" has Rich Stim, Rich Fish, and Carolyn Boner doing a mock morning radio show, complete with sound effects and fake commercials. On "In The Sahara" Stim is a bad stand-up comedian, Carolyn and Kim are drunk audience members, Fish an announcer and a drunk, and drummer Brad Fox
provides rimshots for Stim's jokes.

Yep, this is a weird one, Gulcher mulchers--lots of DIY fun, interesting musical approaches, and underground history in the making. The CD package includes cool early pix of the MX-80 boys and the rest of the crew, and an interview with Rich Stim. (Eddie Flowers, Slippy Town)

Talk about cross collateralising cultures.... I'm sitting here filling out the MCPS forms for my old man's soon to be released album of pipe tunes. It's turned into quite a project but it's all nearing completion. Check out the kiltie photo above. While I painstakingly list this obscure fare, which is not altogether straightforward, I'm listening to the great Radio Student (Hey BIGor and Ms Viva!!), broadcasting from Slovenia and hoping that something gives that'll mean we can head out that way this year. They just played a Beavis and Butthead trailer for the station... we really are not sodding worthy! You can tune into this sensation also by selecting the listing on yonder sidebar.

Hope to be able to give you the skinny on the tour dates for their Croatian neighbours, THE BAMBI MOLESTERS very soon... I'm on a sorta long weekend so I'm relatively chilled in that I don't have to think about going back to the rat race until maybe Monday evening.

OK, I just felt like a break from the compilation of publishing details for bagpipe tunes. It's a strange and complicated world and doesn't it all sound the same to you? That's what my parents used to say about The Ramones...

You wanna know "wha' 'appen(ing)? Well check out NERVOUS SHAKES "SEPARATE BEDS? I DON'T THINK SO" available now on the NUN label. Their Fred Willard-esque take on album titles contains the kind of no-frills, superior rock action that can sneak under the radar so easily these days.Straight outta Brussels and harbouring a prediliction for buzzsaw rock and roll. I thought track 5 was titled "Swedish Love Gym" until I adjusted my glasses. Turned out it was "Gun". Ah well, you can't have everything. So yeah, a considerable octane then. Visit their bijou website and sample their wares.

The South may well rise again! 'bama's DEXATEENS will be landing to serve up substantial lashings of their punk rock Skynyrd-lickin' marinade at the following venues during February...

FRIDAY 11TH - GLASGOW - 13TH NOTE CAFE w/
Raising Kain, the Grease Monkeys, Taylor Hollingsworth

SATURDAY 12TH - ABERDEEN - THE TUNNELS
w/ the Grease Monkeys, the Down Roads, Taylor Hollingsworth

SUNDAY 13TH - NEWCASTLE - THE CLUNY
w/ the Grease Monkeys, the Illegal Movers, Taylor Hollingsworth

TUESDAY 15TH - LONDON - ARTROCKER at the BUFFALO BAR

WEDNESDAY 16TH - LONDON - BRIXTON WINDMILL
w/ Taylor Hollingsworth, & 2 others

SATURDAY 19TH (afternoon) - GLASGOW - STEREO
w/ the Grease Monkeys, Taylor Hollingsworth

SATURDAY 19TH - EDINBURGH - MERCAT
w/ the Grease Monkeys, Denghis, Taylor Hollingsworth



Their just released second album, RED DUST RISING is on the prowl now via Mr Crider's ESTRUS imprint and it's sure to put the wind up them January cobwebs. You heard ol' Neil sing about it and you heard ol' Neil put it down but this should be a wake up call to the old duffer that them there Southern men still don't need him around anyhow.

RIP - Philip Johnson.

Where to start? Nearly February already and the nights are fair drawin’ out already. It’s practically light when we’re driving home so that seems like a turn up for the books. Then I read Chris Stigliano’s bit on his Blog to Comm about Johnny Carson which was great. On top of that there’s a cd-rom from my Unca Duane with snippets from the recent Suicide show in NY. This serves to remind me that we didn’t even see all of Amy Rigby’s dvd yet, did have to dive straight into her “Dancing with Joey Ramone” opus though and somebody needs to be getting her to perform it at his Birthday party this May 19th. The big guy would have loved this song I’m sure and it’s so heartfelt. Gie’syer shivers an’ that. So yeah, I haven’t dropped off the face of the earth and am somewhat ready to do battle with the demons that make me wish I could. Shootin’ the craw isn’t an option though I guess, at least not for now. On my desk calendar thing the other day it said “Plan out your Future (but do it in pencil)”. Aye, stick it intae me again whydontcha!!? But hey, we went over the 100,000 hits today. How 'bout them (silver)apples??

Fredriks Videos & Burgers is a cool video archive featuring (ao) three songs from the recent Lyres show in Stockholm.

A big Rabbie Burn's day shout out to all you timrous beasties "oot there". Be there not panic "in your breesties", eat your haggis, neeps and tatties - it's good for what ails ya... Still bogged down in admin traffic, think massive snowfall hampering your movements - that's the shape I'm in. New STEREO TOTAL out in the US today, a report will follow shortly...

My compilation, DOUGHNUT NOT MERINGUE has become TOM MORTON's Album Of The Week on his afternoon BBC Radio Scotland. Who'da thunk it? My thanks to the man for this utterly unexpected turn of events. Getting Suzy Y Los Quattro on to our airwaves has to be a worthy occurance methinks...

There goes Johnny... Mr. Carson has left the theatre!

Aye... not had much time for the old reporting this week because essentially other, more pressing matters have come to the fore. I won't bore you or whine incoherently, let's just say that my bahookie has been well and truly felt (not intending to be cryptic or owt) and that the matter(s) are being attended to. One of these is the need for extensive roof repairs which will leave one someone not too far away from here somewhat economically challenged for the next wee whiley. I know there are plenty out there who don't have a roof to stick it to them but unfortunately that doesn't make the broadside too muckle easier to stomach. I'm not exactly complaining, just telling yer why my e-mailing and posting ain't up to speed.

On a more entertaining footing, I just heard this programme on Radio Scotland about HAGGIS which you might get a kick outta on the run up to Burns Day on Tuesday. Click the link and select GRASSROOTS from the listing for all you'll ever need to know about our "national dish". This is your "Chieftain o' the Pudden race" signing aff. As opposed to off.

Up next from Norton:
Chimney Sweeps - Devil Girl LP "UNKNOWN GARAGE MONSTERS UNLEASHED! A DOZEN BASHERS UP FROM DOWN UNDER! INCLUDES PRE-SWEEPS COBWEBS! TWELVE FULL INCHES OF INSANITY! TOO RAW N RAMPANT FOR TENDER EARS! 38 YEARS AHEAD OF THEIR TIME! ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL! For the first time on wax, here's a dozen crude, unissued 1966-67 garage recordings by Australia's answer to the Alarm Clocks, the truly remarkable Chimney Sweeps. These guys never boasted a release during their short "career" (they played maybe 15 gigs tops) and were totally unknown even amongst top Australian collectors until recently. The twelve sides include wild originals like Lies, Lies and the demented Cold Fish ("she ain't no gold fish!") plus three cool covers - their dragged-through-a-ditch take on the Rolling Stones' Grown Up Wrong must be heard to be believed! The big crunch is capped by a '66 stab at the title song by the Sweeps' earlier incarnation, the Cobwebs. Features a full band bio, whacked out group photo (the only one!) and a buzzin' dozen garage killers!"
Arch Hall Jr & the Archers - Wild Guitar CD. "Gargantuan set heralds the mega-cool output of our hero Arch Hall, Jr. and his band, covering his recording career from 1959-1963. Includes massive illustrated bio-booklet packed with info, interviews and flat out eye openers! Combines his singles with unknown studio recordings, movie music from the master tapes plus never released 1962 live Pensacola drive-in theatre show! Wild Guitar, Konga Joe, Monkey In My Hat Band, Twist Fever, Stake Theme, Growing Taller Every Day, Sneakin' Around, If A Man Answers, Archers Theme, Susie Q more!".

Some Suzy Y Los Quattro news from BB his'self, urging you to catch some fun in the (warm?) Barcelona sun...



Photos from MADRID

"Our next gig is with TV SMITH on Saturday, February 12th in Barcelona, at the Deja Vu club. Make sure you post it on your site, remind those brits ultra-cheap flights can still be found for those days! I'd be willing to try and arrange accomodation for anyone who drops me a line at pbarbudas@gmail.com, but they should act quick!"

Unfortunately I can't swing that but maybe YOU can?

IT CAME FROM DETROIT - LATEST!

"Excitement is in the air, or should I say "on the air"? On Saturday, our friends Chris Handyside and Greg Siemasz invited us on to their show, Radio Fever on 97.1 FM. We played some tunes, ate some donuts, and promoted our film and upcoming rock show. If you haven't heard already, four awesomely awesome bands are throwing us a benefit show. Rock on! The Gore Gore Girls, Fortune & Maltese, the Cyril Lords, and the Detroit City Council are going to rock their asses off to raise money for our film. It can't get any better than this folks, so don't miss the show: Saturday, January 22 at the Magic Stick. 18+ , $10. Get ready for your close ups because this is your chance to be in the movie! We need your support to finish, so come on down and bring a friend. This is an event not to be missed!!"

‘Le Beat Bespoke’ – A Weekend of Sin? @ The Rocket, London. Easter 2005



Weblink for full programme www.newuntouchables.com

After the huge success of ‘Modstock 2’ in 2004 (also at The Rocket Complex) which drew visitors from all corners of the globe, there was much positive feedback and many calls for a potentially similar but hopefully more regular London-based event. This would, by its very nature, take on board the same quality and diverse demands of the Modernist and wider Sixties Scene. In addition it should be enhanced with more imaginative ingredients drawn from various similar areas and scenes to ensure a top quality ‘Weekend of Sin’, with vintage culture, music, fun and mucho partying over three days and nights in the music capital of the UK!

We have worked hard to bring you an amazing three-day programme of events, details
of which you will discover as you read on. Firstly, being a ‘live music’ led event, we have brought together some legendary names, mixed with some international ‘must see’ newer acts, some Scene mainstays, some all-out blisssssstering outfits, and also some young cutting edge bands that are setting alight the UK ‘live’ scene and music critics as we speak!

LOVE (WITH ARTHUR LEE) INC FIRST UK SHOW WITH ORIGINAL GUITARIST JOHNNY ECHOLS
CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND (First UK SHOW), YARDBIRDS, NINE BELOW ZERO, FUZZTONES,
FRANK POPP ENSEMBLE, BILLY CHILDISH BUFF MEDWAYS, THE LOONS (WITH MIKE STAX),
NEILS CHILDREN, MASTICA, LONG TALL SHORTY, THEE EXCITERS & GAS MACH 5

A truly eclectic and super line-up of DJ talent from all over the world with three, and at times four, rooms of quality rare music covering all major aspects of the
Modernist/ Sixties/Psych/Beat/Garage/Soul Funk/RnB/RnR spectrum with a refreshing perspective. This will give you a chance to check out sounds from around the globe from many people who you have never have heard play before! These DJs are prepared to wear out the soles of your dancing shoes from sunset to sunrise so be sure to bring along a spare pair!

As ever there will be a dedicated ‘Le R&B Room’ and ‘Le Beat Bespoke Room (Garage/Beat/Psych/Classics) for all three nights. NUTs DJs: Dr Robert, Speed, Pid, Chris Dale, Scott Copeland, Bertie & Steve + Micky (Velvet Illusion), Mark Raison (Shake), Roger Banks, PJ (Dirty Water Club), Liam Watson (Toerag) + Global Guests: Tony ’Le Tyger’ Sanchez + Mike Stax (USA) Eneida + Lolo (Spain), Frantz (Italy), Stephan Golowka + Frank Popp (Ger).

+ SPECIALIST GUEST CLUB NIGHTS FRIDAY: ’Le Rockaround Room’ - Hot Rock n Roll from DJ’s Mouse & Cosmic Keith

SATURDAY: ’Where Le Action Is’ - with Gary Crowley & Jim Lahat (BBC Radio London)
+ Paolo Hewitt & Sir Bax (Mono Media).

SUNDAY: Four rooms of clubbing with ’Le Acid Jazz Party’ DJ’s Eddie Piller & Dean Rudland + Guests
*PLUS Manchester’s ‘NEW CENTURY NORTHERN SOUL ALLNIGHTER’ upstairs in Le Main Ballroom, offering the ‘Cream of Northern Soul’ sounds.

Other weekend highlights include BBC Radio London ‘Live Broadcast’, Pip! Pip! lightshow, Go-Go dancers, market stalls, movies, expos, ‘Le Beat Bespoke’ Kult Film premier, record dealers and more.

The Rocket is the perfect venue for this event. With a capacity of 1000+, four rooms entertainment + a courtyard and excellent travel links to all areas of the City. The Rocket is on the A1 road with excellent links to the rest of the UK including airports. Cheap accommodation is available through the International Students House opposite Regents Park as well as numerous Bed & Breakfast and small hotels offering good deals in the King’s Cross, Finsbury Park and Russell Square areas plus the Ibis Hotel in nearby Euston. Try
www.lastminutehotels.com
www.cheaphotels.com
International Student House, 229 Great Portland St, London. W1
(Opp Regents Park) From £12-£33 per person accom@ish.org Tel 0207 631 8310

So come along and join in the fun. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Rob Bailey & Bazden (Pip! Pip!), New Untouchables 2005

Wolfed down wir tea and ventured out into the blizzards tonight to catch the Ray Charles bio-pic, RAY. It's not bad in a "What's Love Got To Do With It?" kinda way. It's a funny old time, Elvis at No. 1 and Brother Ray at the Mongoplex... what exactly is the world coming to? At 2 and a half hours it's a tad overlong but there's no doubting Jamie Foxx's uncanny morph into the man himself. Decent Sunday afternoon viewing then as opposed to the ol' attention span deficit of a "school night". I kept thinking that I'd like to hear The Del-Lords "Saint Jake" for most of the movie...

Up next from Crypt Records: The Ikon Records Story. 180 gram 2LP set in full-color inside & out GATEFOLD sleeve! INSANE package: 29 tracks (22 originals and 7 cover versions) of never reissued 1964-1966 garage punk, surf instros, frat stomp and folk-punk from 20 teenage bands recorded at Sacramento's IKON STUDIO. These 28 cuts, culled from the to-be-simultaneously-released 60-song double CD on the FRANTIC RECORDS label, are the result of FRANTIC RECORDS Joey D and ACE RECORDS Alec Palao having spent the last 6 years tracking down every band, almost every master tape, and (often without luck!) the impossible-to-find 7" singles released on Ikon. This vinyl version is housed in a deluxe full-color inside-and-out gatefold jacket crammed with color and b&w photos, label shots, and extensive liner notes. After 27 years of extensive reissues of 60s garage punk rarities, ONLY ONE Ikon track has even made it to a reissue - WHY? Because almost NOBODY even owns any of the original Ikon 45s.

Our cub reporter, Brother Duane of Sherwood files the following info from NYC...

Stop Presses... Suicide docu-biography released... Book signing & live show held...

Jan 15, 2005

Release of "SUICIDE - No Compromise" was marked by a book signing the Deitch Projects gallery, under the glow of 2 wall mounted light sculptures by Alan Vega.

The festivities continued at the Knitting Factory where SUICIDE played to a packed room, unveiling several new songs and some reworked versions of classics.

The highlight of the show was the unexpected encore of Frankie Teardrop. Not a dry eye in the house.

2 photos filed.

It all adds up...

Just yesterday, after my pal Jos 'n me spend half the day at one of those big fleamarket type of events, I was spinning some Joan Jett 45s I picked up there, 'n was kinda amazed at how well they were produced; powerful and commercial, plus we're talkin' 80s here, so this is no mean feat. "Kenny Laguna" is what I told Alice after she shared my opinion on the production end (tho' she's sadly hardly ever impressed by my knowledge of names 'n facts in these cases). Anyways, I gave the guy's name a spin at Google, and boy, was I ever impressed with the results. Not only was he responsible for those great Joan Jett discs, but his credits also included the Barracudas' Summer Fun and Susan's Day by Dutch powerpop legends the Rousers. And Check the "bands played in" section: Tommy James and the Shondels, Music Explosion, 1910 Fruitgum Co., Ohio Express, Archies, Derek, Shadows of Knight, Kazenetz-Katz Orchestral Circus, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Darlene Love and The Blossoms. How's about that for a cool CV?. Read all about it (and more) here.

Ace Dutch punk combo the Sack-o'-Woes will be headin' over to the UK next week for a short tour, and your attendance is required. Dates are as follows:

Th 20-1: London (Stoke Newington), Ryan's Bar (with the Ulcers)
Fr 21-1: Leeds, Fenton Pub.
Sa 22-1: Liverpool, Heaven & Hell.
Su 23-1: Southhampton, Eagle Pub.

Please check local listings for exact times etc.

THE SAINTS are at King Tuts in Glasgow on March 3rd. They're also gonna be all over Europe so check their site for your nearest pummelling...

RESIST THE THINGS YOU CAN FIND EVERYWHERE... That's The OPTIMO motto and methinks it's a code to follow. While you're at it, check out this KILL THE DJ mix-thing!



I have to tell you folks that I haven't actually been there. It's on too late for Gran'paw here but these guys have been fighting for the right to educate the masses to a broad base of music forever now. I just found out (2 months late) that I missed Kid Congo and Khan again so have signed up to their newsletter. I suggest anybody who is headed for Glasgow at any point should do that too.

It might look like like a no frills slab of rockabilly but underneath that simple exterior beats a heart of pure, slap you about the kisser, hilbilly pride! I guess that's where the title comes from. Featuring such fine numbers as "You're Black, I'm Blue" and "Don't make Me Kick Your Ass This Christmas", Mack Stevens and The Red Light Boys have made themselves a modern day classic. If there can be such a beastie. There's a wee Willie Nelson-esque warble to this guys holler and the subject matter isn't for the faint of heart or spirit. Not for fearties or bleeding hearts then. Available for now on On The Hill Records of Japan but ripe for a release in France, contact the man himself for availability.

From The Dictators website...

HDM TO TOUR EUROPE WITH DKT/MC5

Handsome Dick Manitoba will join the DKT/MC5 tour of Europe from Feb. 18 through March 5. Also appearing with the group will be guitarist Gilby Clarke (ex-Guns N' Roses) and singer Lisa Kekaula (BellRays). Following are the dates of the tour so far (subject to change :

February 2005

18 Lisbon, Portugal
19 Barcelona, Spain ..... Razzmatazz 3
20 Madrid, Spain ..... Sala Arena
21 Bordeaux, France ..... 4 Sans
22 Brest, France ..... Vauban
23 Lille, France ..... Aeronef
24 Brussels, Belgium ..... Ancienne Belgique
25 London, U.K. ..... Royal Festival Hall
27 Turin, Italy ..... Hiroshima
28 Treviso, Italy ..... New Age

March 2005

01 Zagreb, Croatia
02 Belgrade, Serbia
04 Athens, Greece ..... Gargarin 205
05 Salonica, Greece ..... Mylos

Onetime Raunch Hand and erstwhile Devil Dog (not to mention his brief tenure as an A-Bone), Mike Mariconda is back with THE STEPBROTHERS. Take equal parts anglo-verging on pub rock, a quasi-glam streak and a whole quart of soul and you're getting a beat on what "Baby It's Over" entails. The opener ("Very Last Time") recalls Status Quo's "Caroline" and folks outside of the UK may well wonder why that would matter. Well that group is something of an institution here and that might cloud the issue in some would-be hipsters books. I saw the Quo in their heyday many times and am not ashamed to admit a softspot for their daft boogie antics. Supreme drinking music, The 'brothers shimmy in no uncertain fashion with a "Faces"-type abandon. I can't recall exactly, but I think it's "Baby It's Over" that sounds like Stevie Winwood dishing up J'taime in a Booker T stylee. (I don't have the record to hand as I type...) Rod Stewart should make a record with these guys instead of trotting out those lame "standards". It'd make ol' John Peel smile, I'm sure. They've dragged that 60's beat frenzy bang into the 21st century, losing zip in the ramshackle translation.

A fine debut then, which lives up to the promise of their cut on Shakin' In My Boots (also on Licorice Tree). If you've seen 'em live, let me know if they're as smokin' as this suggests they be. Nice silk screened cover insert too fellas...

Well, I divnae ken much about art but I know what I like, and Ms Samaras delivers the goods every time... check this...



"You have clamored (well somebody must've clamored!), and Copro Nason Gallery has listened -- for the first time ever one of my paintings is available as a fine art print.

I just finished signing a short stack of gorgeous full color Giclee prints of "The Lily". The paper (Arches archival) size is 20 1/2 x 17 inches, image is 17 1/2 x 14 and they're only going to be $100 (plus S&H). The color reproduction and level of detail is *excellent* -- I'm pleased as punch with these things.

The edition is *very* small, only 30, so if you're interested I would suggest contacting Gary at Copro Nason as soon as possible.

Gary Pressman
Copro Nason Gallery
310-398-2643
bippo55@hotmail.com

Rock on with yer bad selves, Isabel"

Some entertaining clips here for ya, all kindsa musics... courtesy of PUNKCAST.

BOSTON ROCKERS HEAT UP LAS VEGAS JAN. 25 - 27 Cowboy Mach Bell

"Willie "Loco" Alexander, Steven Silva and Miss Lyn will be among the army of Boston rock'n'rollers blazing across the bigscreen as the documentary THUNDERTRAIN - I GOTTA ROCK is previewed non-stop at the fabulous Mandalay Bay Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip this week. The worldwide television industry attends their annual NATPE conference on January 25-27, 2005 under one roof at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Convention Center in Las Vegas.

The global television community (10,000 strong) will be the first to experience Thundertrain - I Gotta Rock. The documentary includes fierce 70's action shot at The Rat in Kenmore Square, recent band footage lensed in the deep south and reaches a roaring climax asThundertrain shakes New England once again in 2003. The Vegas crowd will see scads of Boston rock notables on screen. Drummer Matt Burns (Kenne Highland and his Vatican Sex Kittens), Miss Lyn and Paul "Blowfish" Lovell (Boston Groupie News), bassist Danny Hargrove (Joe Perry Project), indie record producer John Visnaskas, Pam Green (in a brief dancing cameo), teen terror Nathie (Slick Pig), and even big daddy Willie "Loco" Alexander will all be there."



Get all the latest Thundertrain - I Gotta Rock info **PLUS** Thundertrain MP3's, Rare Photos, Our exclusive forum, interviews and TT HotLine News.... Coming soon - MACH 5 onstage in Boston!....GET IT ALL @ THUNDERTRAIN WORLD HEADQUARTERS

The matter of “office-friendly” links came up as a result of J’s C14 post yesterday. Dealing in the type of hootch that we do then there is always the possibility that some of the images which might pop up could cause alarm to the uniniated.

That said, it’s all part of the adventure and I don’t think we post stuff that is particularly likely to land the viewer in the chokey. Sometimes, I get a dirty big Sonic Wall – Blocked and Reported to IT Department message on my work pc. In such a case, I’ll just wait until I get home before further investigation. There is the question of should people be reading up on this kinda stuff when they’re working anyway? Whilst I wholly applaud such behaviour then there’s always some twally out there in a position of “power” who is ready to rain on your parade.

Hopefully "anonymous" didn’t get made an example of for clicking on the C14 link. This is all good clean, very occasionally dirty, fun we’re hooking you up with here. Something for all the family even…

GEARCLUB at Debaser in Stockholm



Friday January 14

LYRES (Jeff Conolly and The Maggots)

AND

VOLADORAS

Mike Barbwire & Baby Diamondback Resident DJ's
Guest DJs: Dr. Frankenfuzz (N)[Singles Club] + Jonas Bjälesjö.

Read more

While Lindsay is busy tryin' to keep his "oothoose" from bein' blown into the Atlantic, the silence from this end is down to a severe case of the flue. Bones, head 'n muscle achin', hot 'n cold fever, a tsunami of snot. In short: the works. I occasionally crawl out of bed to press my head against the outside window or try to wrap myself around a radiator in an attempt to re-balance my temperatures, but that brings only temporary relief. No amount of chickensoup or medication has done me much good so far, besides losing about six pounds in three days. I check the computer every now 'n then to see if life out there goes on without me, and apparently it does.

Latest issue of Carbon 14 magazine (issue 25) features (ao) The Fleshtones, Sewergrooves, a Greg Shaw obit by Jeff Dahl plus an overview of the Ramones on film. Also comes with a 25 track bonus CD featuring the Dictators, Nomads, Master Plan and more. Get in line here.

So, I dunno… is it global warming or are ye god(s) just sick of what the collective dufus brigade is doing to the earth. And what is the plural of dufus anyway?…
Anyway, the winds kicked ol’ Scotia’s arse bigstyle overnight I can tell ya. 134mph in Barra this morning and t'wis pretty bloody breezy when I got up to close the “oothoose” door at 3.48am, I can tell ya.

Things are slowly crawling back to what passes for normal although certain circumstances have prevailed that have meant that things here have kinda taken a “back burner” type position. The news will start tricklin’ soon and the torrent ain’t far away. Your hits are important to us… an’ that…

Hey folks,

Hope y'all had a fab Xmess and a gear New Year!

Our pre-Christmas bashment was a gas and a half - with many of you fiiine peoples, plus unexpected guests Andy Kershaw, Ray Davies (again!) and some EastEnders folks (honestly, you couldn't make it up!) showing Santa that they rilly knows how to get down!

Sadly, Mr Bosco Mann of New York nuevo funk legends Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings was a mite too late in confirming as guest DJ for this Friday (14th) ... However, we HAVE got guest spinner Le Gammage - of London's hottest rock'n'roll combo, The I.V.'s - who's gonna set yer ears aflame with some righteous tuneage (zounds, what sounds!) ...

Them testifyin' 'Dap Kings are playing the Jazz Café from 14th-16th, and we'd urge you to treat yer backbones to some SERIOUS live action ... Funk don't come no better ...

As y'all are no doubt aware, come Boxing Day, surf was up in the most terrible way on the other side of the globe, which is why we're holding a Tsunami Benefit night on the 28th, for which there'll be a charity tax of £3 entry. Hands in pockets means food in mouths, folks ... Helping us spread the love will be the one, the only KatManDude ...

As for February, we're pleased to confirm that we'll be moving to Saturday nites! Yes, thas' rite, children! Same Sonic Reducer fun, one night on ...

Dates and special DJ guests to be announced soon ...

But rest assured, each and every Sonic Reducer soiree will guarantee a hip-shakin', butt-tremblin', and backbone-slippin' mix of soul, funk, R&B, garage, beat, punk, soundtracks, mental country, deranged '20s reefer jazz, disco classics, ska, reggae and dub ... Luv & a currant bun

Joss & Joe

Cult! Wild Japan (the follow-up to last years Cult! festival) is a nationwide festival of classic Japanese cult films which will be touring UK cinemas this spring. The festival launches at the Filmhouse in Edinburgh on the weekend of Friday 4th-6th February 2005.

6 ultra-rare 35mm have been imported direct from Tokyo for the event, which also includes 6 UK cinema premieres. This is a one-off opportunity to catch the films that influenced Tarantino, Miike and Woo.

The Wild Japan films are :

Onibaba - Classic Japanese cult horror. Angry, excessive and hynoptic.

Street Mobster - Hyper-kinetic gangster classic from the director of 'Battle Royale'.

Woman With Red Hair - Gritty 'pink film' erotic masterpiece.

Wild Midnight Movie Double Bill -
Shogun Assassin - The ultimate Japanese cult samurai movie. An uncut, rare screening on 35mm.
School Of The Holy Beast - One of the most beautiful nunsploitation films ever made. An insane, demented masterpiece.

Sword Of Doom - Dark, thrilling, bleak samurai masterpiece with stunning fight sequences.

Female Prisoner 701 - The biggest influence on Tarantino's 'Kill Bill'. A lean, taut, brutal exploitation epic.

Pale Flower - Exquisite, existential gangster film masterpiece. A lost classic.

Further information

One chance to taste the madness!....

Found out about this Morning 40 Federation combo whilst rooting aboot The Star Spangles site this morning. Go to the music and download "Stinky". Sounds like The Pirhanas on Morphine... a stone(d) groove!

Also Mr Percival points we in the direction of the UK based Ramones Movie website which includes places you can catch it.

No excuses, if you're in and around Hollywood (as opposed to Holyrood) - this is the place to be today...

Art Fein's yearly Elvis show goes from 4 til 9 sharp, at Henry Fonda Theater, Hollywood & Gower in Hollywood.



The lineup so far:

Kevin Banford, Blasters, Ray Campi, Count Smokula, Justin Curtis, Levi Dexter, Keith Joe Dick, Dusk Devils, Doug Fieger, Lisa Finnie, Glen Glenn, Groovy Rednecks, Carlos Guitarlos, Austin Hanks, Pearl Harbour, Barry Holdship, Travis Howard, James Intveld, Merle Jagger, Linda Kay, Marcy Levy, Rip Masters, Rod & The Tonemasters, Evie Sands, Tommy Sands, Russell Scott, Fur & Steve, Ian Whitcomb, Young Jessie...

Vamp Babes (Upgrade) by Messer Chups, a "combo" from Moscow has been on heavy rotation here since it's arrival on Christmas Eve. It’s a rip roaring, theremin packed soundtrack to the sickest, screamin-est sci-fi vampire flick around. Like Angelo Badalamenti jamming with The Challengers but also much more. The disc also features two videos which furthermore rams home the fact that these critters have got it nailed.



Whilst we’re on the subject, Jimi Hendrix was talking out of his big overrated ‘froed bahookie when he said you’d never hear surf music again. The Bambi Molesters, from Croatia, take that basic blueprint and knock seven shades out of it. I take this opporchancity to (once again rabidly) recommend their Sonic Bullets set which will be reactivated with the rest of their back catalogue when they embark on an invasion of Europe in Spring ’05. These lads and lassie know a thing or two about shooting tunes that’ll make your hair curl irrespective of length.



Staying with the “surf malarkey”, The Bitch Boys from Slovenia are further proof that there’s something in the water out there. Seemingly more straightforward than the aforementioned but still twisted. Their "Eminem Vs The Ventures" on "Walk Don't Run Mr Eminem (aka Ziggy Zaggy)" is a masterstroke and takes the well worn surf instro into new (perhaps even contemporary) territory.

Eastern Europe would appear to be harbouring "the future of rock and roll" in all shapes and sizes. A major pipedream of mine is to get the heck out there this year.

In the meantime though. check out the wares of all these folks on line from the comfort of your own billet. If the rain here keeps up like it has this past weeek then I'll be surfing doon to Tesco today instead of taking the car. Cowabunga an' that...

Could be quite the blaw-oot! Info courtesy of Captain Crunch...

"On (Friday) February 25th at London's Royal Festival Hall, DKT/MC5 members Michael Davis, Wayne Kramer and Dennis Thompson will perform for the first time in nearly four decades with The Sun Ra Arkestra Directed by Marshall Allen.

DKT/MC5's special guests will include Handsome Dick Manitoba (Dictators), Billy Duffy (Cult, Colorsound), David Thomas (Pere Ubu, Rocket from the Tombs) and newly Grammy-nominated powerhouse Lisa Kekaula (BellRays, Basement Jaxx).

"There is no other band that has affected me to the degree Sun Ra and his Arkestra has. They opened the door to the New Music," says Wayne Kramer, who considers this long-awaited event, "an expansion of the work started by both groups nearly four decades ago."

On June 18th, 1967, in Detroit's Community Arts Auditorium, poet John Sinclair organized a performance by Sun Ra. Opening was a local group of young men with a peculiar vision who called themselves The MC5. Wayne continues, "Performing with Sun Ra and The Myth Science Arkestra that night, and on so many nights that followed, fundamentally changed my understanding of what music is about. They are the most important band on Planet Earth, although I'm not sure they are actually from this Earth."

Solid, reliable and tactile. That's the spanking new issue of PSYCHOTRONIC VIDEO magazine. Mr Weldon has seen fit to roll us another one so I suggest you smoke it. Hours of endless pleasure, filled with great writing about films we can only dream about catching one day. A tireless and passionate obsession along the lines of Norton Records in terms of international, nay intergalactic, importance.

Same old shit, different year. One week into this new one and verily it doth blow... anyway The King woulda been 70 tomorrow... uh huh, uh? The kids from Spain (Madrid Division) can take in this shindig...

"If we could all just manage to put Bob Dylan’s 'Chronicles, Volume One' down long enough to load up our audio device of preference with an extra couple’a hundred tunes, here are just a few items I’d suggest you choose from amongst the many, many fine sounds passed my way this past year or so. Reading glasses off then; iPod immediately into ear for..." Top Ten Music In 2004 by Gary Pig Gold.

THUNDERBOLT ALERT!: "Viewers of NBC's "Today" show can get a 30-second preview of Dictator drummer J.P."Thunderbolt" Patterson's solo record the week of January 3-7. Look for the autographed guitar auction promo, benefiting "The Mr. Holland's Opus" Foundation. The shredding is, of course, Ross the Boss".

Some info on where to get your mitts on a live SKELETONS cd! It's a cool $21 including p&p to Europe. A bargain at the current exchange rate which you can order via paypal. Could it be any simpler?

Tired of watching classic movies or made for the US Sherlock Holmes TV films where every outdoor scene is swathed in fog and the token American is a psycho-analyst? Then return to post-Christmas earth with a visit to some of the following NBT friendly music video sites.

Launch, now part of the Yahoo! empire, concentrates on mainstream fodder but dig around and you will unearth promo videos by the Hives, Donnas, D4, Cramps, Fleshtones and Los Straitjackets. Registration is not required but each clip is preceded by a 15 or 30 second advert the discomfort of which you can minimise by pressing the mute button. Those of you with broadband connections can enjoy decent viewing quality at 300kbps. One word of warning though, better not watch the video of Lux and Ivy cavorting around while you are in the office!

For those who fancy delving back a bit further, the British Pathe site includes a bundle of goodies that, if nothing else, illustrate what a funny breed the English are (no comments from north of the border, please?). Low resolution (136kbps) clips are available for free, complete with disclaimer across the picture, but such a minor irritation is worth it for historical and informative performances by the Interns, Sandra Barry and her Boyfriends (later the Action), the Snobs, as well as more popular beat combos such as the Rolling Stones and the Searchers.

The downside of the British Pathe site is that you need to register in order to access the clips. For those reluctant to divulge personal details, jump over to Ron's 60s Video Page (actually there are one, two and three) and access the Pathe clips without registering. The trick is to mouse-over the links until you see the British Pathe url. Ron's resource includes a large collection of links from locally archived files (albeit of low quality) and various other external sources including the BBC and Radio Bremen. Incidentally, the latter features 30 seconds clips of bands appearing on Beat Club, much of this material is now available on DVD, and of interest should you wish to catch a glimpse of the Creation or the Smoke in their heyday. That aside, two of my favourites links on Ron's 60s Video Page are to clips of the Bad Seeds performing Taste of the Same on Texan TV and the Zachary Thaks rehearsing My Little Red Book. Check 'em out.

The BBC TOTP2 (Top of the Pops 2) site is well worth a dig around even if the clips are restricted to 30 seconds. But hey, where else are you going to catch a glimpse of the Count Bishops performing "I Want Candy" or Dr Feelgood (with new boy Gypie Mayo on board) blasting "Lights Out"? Archived clips can be searched via the performance database and navigation to the decade/year of choice is a breeze. An additional feature of the TOTP2 site is an artists database that includes both the great and the obscure along with biographies and sound clips.

Finally, remember that you will need the Real Media Player for viewing clips on the BBC and Launch sites while British Pathe utilises Windows Media software. Not surprisingly the clips listed on Ron's 60s Video Page come in all formats including AVI and MOV.

This upcoming documentary looks amazing. Check out the trailer...

Welcome to this thing they call 2005 (in terms of chronology). It's a driech morning and if you have a "sorry heid" today then I hope it passes quickly. Thanks and a good one to everybody that has checked in and also to those who didn't or haven't. I'm not big on heralding these things, preferring to get back to what passes for normality as quickly as possible.



Larry David lookalike with customery New Years deep fried Mars Bar. Photo by Lennart Persson (I think?)

The "free stuff" didn't elicit much of a feeding frenzy but the following folks made a score.

Kjell Magnusson got himself a copy of Show World by Redd Kross

Eric Planck secured the Munster comp.

These will go out to their new homes as soon as the aforementioned reality comes to pass. As for the other stuff, it's still here. Feeling somewhat unwanted right about now. So, onward and well, onward then. I wonder what surprises and fungs up the jacksy this one holds? Only this commodity they call time will tell. Do unto others and don't whiz up anybody's back. Awright?