"Deluxe editions of the Stooges' first two albums due"

THE GREASE MONKEYS "whip it" up for their imminent recordings with Tim Kerr by appearing at tonights DEVO Tribute in Glasgow...

WEDNESDAY 29TH JUNE - STEREO, KELVINHAUGH ST., GLASGOW £2.50 on the door; Doors: 9.00pm

with UNCLE JOHN & WHITELOCK, LUMMOX and another
coupla bands still tbc.

And as Scottish airspace and our general civil liberty is about to be squeezed for a few days because some wee chancer from over the pond is this way bound, anybody who is in or manages to get to Edinburgh might want to take in this diversion...

G8 ALTERNATIVES BAND NIGHT

The best bands Edinburgh has to offer come together to raise funds.

THE REZILLOS, ABERFELDY, THE 55's, SAINT JUDES INFIRMARY and PEANUT

BONGO CLUB, EDINBURGH... Time:8pm - 1am

Where else but LOUIE LOUIE in Madrid...

Brother Patrick has been out and about again and true to form he caught something that you probably won’t read about anywhere else… here is his story…

"There was a festival in Evreux (west of Paris) last weekend. The big plus point of the event is that you get the choice of 3 acts at any one time. There are 2 main stages, a place with groups from the neighbourhood and also The Banana Club, where you can expect to be surprised (Electrocute played there 2 years ago). So I left a set by a “used to be great group” to go to see what was going down in the BC and I don’t regret it.

David Rockmore is composed of a DJ, I-Dol and a performer by the name of Tomokomik.
I-Dol started, mixing 50’s / 60’s garage rock’n’roll a la Lux & Ivy favourites, Las Vegas Grind , Jungle Exotica with songs like “New Intern Watusi” and “Midnight Limbo” There were 2 screens showing people dancing that reminded me of The Cramps “Ultra Twist” clip (uncensored version!).

Suddenly, a girl dressed in a bunny outfit appeared and offered drinks to the audience along with a folded page with a bunny girl on it and also a ribbon. The music turned to dub and the bunny, a beautiful Asian girl turned up buck naked on stage, dancing lasciviously, sometimes talk singing stuff like “My name is Tomokomik/I’m a little fat these days but some men like that/how do you spell French?/I know about cooking and washing/I’m out of work for 2 days/We’re mammal, I’m a mammal”. When she didn’t speak, she sat down and applied her make up and dressed slowly. I-Dol was part of the “dancing performance” as one of the two girls dancing, more or less sans clothing, on the screens.

The note that Tomokomik gave to the audience explains the idea behind the performance. Here’s a brief translation (by the way: the girls speak French) : “Life is a never ending repetition : eat, work, fun, sleep, eat again - I think that every moment in life is important but repetition creates habits - since the second world war, everything goes fast but human beings haven’t changed, I call that sentimental crisis generation. This chronic stress has resulted in the mind working less, apart from during working time. As an example, take the ordinary day of a woman: goes to work at 8.30am/finishes work at 6pm/dinner at 8pm at a friend’s, so she went in 2 shops, as usual/gets back home at 11.30pm/before sleeping, she tries to remember what she did today/nothing special comes to her mind/that’s the effect of habits/that’s why I want to influence peoples' minds with regard to time. That’s where Tomoko’s Bunny goes into action … for example - dressed as a bunny, working in a shop.” “Now imagine the same woman in one of the 2 shops she went into. When it’s time to sleep, she’ll remember that bunny girl and burst out laughing. So now, a moment of her normal life stays in her mind. That’s how it works. My aim is that my performance might influence stressed people and help their unconsciousness to become conscious. I think that our generation’s disease is stress, chronic stress for some, deep stress for others – I belong to the second category”.

Not only that woman, I’ll certainly remember Tomokomik too!"

The wait is over folks! This Reigning Sound release has been in the works for some time now but I'm here to tell'ya, it was worth the wait and it'll be hitting the streets in July! The bulk of this fine disc consists of outtakes and alternates from last years "Too Much Guitar" album on IN THE RED. You'll notice a few songs titles that you're already familiar with. But before you start thinking these might not vary much from the versions you've heard, THINK AGAIN!!!! These arrangements are lush and moody, simmering at medium heat with deadly amounts of country soul! I think some of these versions are even better than the ones we already knew. So drastically different that you might not even recognize them at first, thinking you've discovered you're newest favorite Reigning Sound tune! Besides the two alternates there are 4 unreleased tracks from this session as well. All top shelf Greg Cartwright originals. Including the track that kicks off side A of the LP, "Find Me Now". This song's fantastic Byrds meets Big Star vibe will leave you wondering why it was only played by the band for about a month in their live sets before disappearing...until now. The albums title says it all. These are songs that were forgotten or misplaced and have finally found a home. Two songs from the bands first 45 are also here, for the first time on CD. Their version of "The Collector" comes from a very nice soundboard recording of the band live. This show was the only time this particular little nugget was ever performed live by the band. Writtin by the great Sonny Curtis. The other real oddity on the album is an alternate version of the A Side to the bands Christmas single from last year.You need this record. Your record store needs this record! -Bobby Century

Lenny Kaye recounted The Story of Nuggets in the second hour of Shake Some Action on BBC London last Saturday night. You can access an archived copy of the show (7 days only) by clicking on the above link.

And what about this fantoosh new blogger feature? It allows yer to position graphics, albeit woodenly, in relation to the text. Not bad. It should be a boon for review type purposes and there are plenty of those coming up but probably not today.

I've been procrastinating with regard to garden duties and being that it hasn't pissed down for at least two days, I'm duty bound to go mow the lawn and execute the weeds that are squatting in the drive. This will facilitate the intake of "fresh air" and get my arse out of the house for a few hours. I'm not what you could call a keen gardener. I'm neither "keen" nor "a gardener" when it comes right down to it but one has to keep the 'hood tidy so that's just what I'm 'bout to do. It's unlikely that I'll be back on this contraption afore the morning. By the time I'm done, there'll be more Glasto to consume and grind my teeth to. This will be fueled by the inevitable dark clouds of the Monday schlepp to the stalag but who knows, there could be a bizarre gardening accident with my name on it lurking in the shed. So, on that positive note...

Ben sent me this link to the ALICE BAG site the other day and I just got around to checking it out. Like he says, "a wealth of history" awaits... as does all the poop on what she and her crew are up to here in '05.

Also, talking 'bout history... check out this Marty Thau interview.

Been meaning to provide a link to this DAVID LYNCH info site for a while. They've got their finger on the pulse and they update regularly. Seems like there's an ANGELO BADALAMENTI site to become active soon too.

The Boonaraaas are about to embark on recording the follow up to GO GET GOO GOO. So labels, get your cheque books ready. Thanks to Tine for this photo of Trish and her (just visible in the background) from the recent Berlin show they did with Stereo Total.

In these times of the bite-sized attention span, a 7" red vinyl 33 (not 45) by a Canadian duo by the name of Fuck Y'all is enjoying heavy rotation around these parts. The contemptorary ramshackle racket these two girls make is nothing short of total entertainment. Four punk rockin' songs under the banner of "Dumb It Down" and leading off with their theme song which goes "Fuck You, Fuck Me, Fuck Her, Fuck Him, Fuck Y'all". Sheer potty mouthed poetry and no Parental Guidance logo on the cover. That's the ticket. The other three cuts are "I Wanna Dog", "Beaver Fever" and "I Don't Wanna Beg". The duo are Paula (Tiberius) and Tina (Cooper) and they're based in Toronto. FYA perform material that their other groups, Sticky Rice (Paula) and The Freckles (Tina) aren't down with. These lassies were also behind the film GOLDIROCKS which I believe will be available on dvd soon with pots of extras. Prospective members of the Fuck Y'all Army can also score a T-shirt to pledge allegience to the cause. The EP is $10 (canadian) to Europe. Shirts are (I think) $15. Contact the girls at sluttyrecords@hotmail.com and encourage their enterprise.

Andre Williams, zZz, Devil Dolls, Black Lips and more. Sunday, September 11th at the Patronaat in Haarlem.

Release date for the new Dictators live disc is July 12...

"Compelling" was the verdict of Mark Radcliffe and Jo Whiley with regard to The White Stripes Glasto Set last night. I agree with them on the first four letters but my description is that it was "compost". How the fuck 70,000 people in a mud filled field can enjoy this cod zeppabilly gurning is beyond me. Lets face it, most of them are watching it on a giant screen if at all. Two tiny figures an ocean away from them bashing out a hastily scrabbled noise that sounded like a rock opera tantrum. Meg White is no Miriam Linna and Jack, he's all dressed up like Slash and caterwauls like Axl. One of the songs sounds a little like The Groupies "Primitive" and another hobbles dangerously close to Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love". I've never seen the point to them but this and all the recent fawning for their "Get Thee Behind Me Satan" or whatever it's called has confirmed to me that today's masses will eat up yum whatever they're fed. Can anyone explain what the story is? Why they're supposed to be so cool? From where I was sitting it didn't look cool and it sounded like chopped liver. Or at least what I expect that commodity to sound if it did indeed make such a thing. Glastonbury has become something that seems like an exercise in survival. The punter pays a hefty wad to rough it to a soundtrack by the stinkiest acts on the planet. My contribution is paid through my TV licence fee so at least I have the option of changing the channel but I don't. There must be something wrong with me. I'll watch Live 8 too and it's guaranteed that I won't like it. Consider it my strain of suffering for my art.

Update at 3.58pm... I just saw Jack and Meg hang, draw, quarter, stick a banger up it's arse and light the fuse number on Dusty's "I Don't Know What To Do With Myself". OK, so I know they have good taste but that taste doesn't translate - por moi - into anything other than a shriek like Russell Mael with a clamp on his nadgers. Absolutely bastarding woeful. I second my original emulsion.

I made it to the final cut of Radio Scotland's Gigs That Shook The World. The latest episode was about the boat trip made by J. Rotten and Co. back during the punk rock wars. You can listen to it until Tuesday by going to the RS website, selecting the programme title and when that comes up there's a wee speaker thing on there that you click on and you can hear me gibbering at a safe distance.

Still kinda playing catch up on the week here. More in due course...

Aye... the nights are fair drawing in right enough. This year's finest Midsummer celebrations take place in Stockholm tomorrow (25th) when those fab FLESHTONES play Gearfest at the Debaser club.

Update at 23.35 UK Time. Between being out late on a school night (Stereo Total), some "home improvement" and a wee e-mail hiccup, things haven't exactly gone to plan over the last few days but attempts are being made to rectify this situation. There's nothing really urgent to report but watch out for some action regarding some sweet recorded works and other gear. It's coming but that's about as specific as I can be.

Sometimes dread has a habit of working out positively. It’s a mindset that has served me well and during yesterday, the longest day of the year – the napper was in overdrive. It was the day that Stereo Total brought their unique brand of everything cool you ever heard over the past thirty years put through the mincer. Add a few grains of dodgier substance and you’ve got a magical elixir which works on multiple levels. The whole thing is gift-wrapped in a charm which could sell snow to the Eskimos.

Anyway, way across town - Boner and his chums were holding court in Hampden Stadium. The thought of having to travel in a train packed with U2 fans wasn’t very thrilling but very occasionally it’s worth making a sacrifice. It’s not like sharing airspace with O*sis fans after all but I hate crammed spaces more with every passing day. Anyway, this was all misguided as we managed to body swerve the hordes all the way. It meant some tactical bobbing and weaving but paid off.

The basement of Oran Mor was crammed and up for the event. Way busier than the SCOTS show but equally good-natured. The opening band was awful, can’t remember their name but they were too loud and entirely inappropriate as was 99% of the “mood” music that played between sets. Adventures In Stereo had to pull out at the last minute due to some health problems that I hope will be resolved. I think that Glasgow could do with some of their breezy pop action. Their intervention would have complemented ST perfectly.



So anyway, The Stereo Total experience and audience reaction was again heartening. For such a diverse crowd to bond to the strains of this frankly odd music suggests there is hope for us all. Their last two albums have seen the recorded work become less Spartan but no less punk rock savvy. There are some mighty noises coming from this French/German two headed groove machine that can evoke Suicide cruising with The ELO then rattle out a jaggy Charles Trenet cover. Now that’s not something you can hear and see every day. Hopefully they’ll come back to Glasgow soon and capitalise on this excellent west end reception. It was all over too soon and we beat a hasty retreat to try and dodge the stadium, er “rockers” as the ones that obviously left during the encore trickled into Queen Street Station with their U2 swag bags filled with lord knows what overpriced swill. A guy sitting in front of us had recorded portions of the show on his moby and it sounded like mush. Ha Ha serves him right.

In my opinion, Stereo Total make music that is better suited to world peace than the big stroboscopic Dublin corporation that blew into Glasgow and shook down umpteen thousand willing victims. But it’s their choice.

"Step right up, ladies & gentlemen, and witness the spectacle that is the first ever Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. Revue! A veritable circus of stars will take to the back room of exotic OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD (538 East 14th Street, Manhattan) on THURSDAY, JUNE 23RD, for four, count 'em, four hours of three-ring fun, all starting at 8:00 sharp! Why, who needs a barrel of monkeys when you've got...

*ANGELA JAEGER -- The little blonde with the big voice!
*BABY MARIA -- Can you resist this gypsy's curse?
*KATHLEEN O'MALLEY -- The debut of the Irish lass with the bossanova sass (and special guest Riley McMahon)!
*DJ GAYLORD FIELDS -- Rotating discs for your listening and dancing pleasure!

And, of course, the SIT & Die boys will be providing the patented "ballads, boogies & blues" all night long, with the two complete shows beginning at 8:00 and 10:00 sharp. Plus, it's all FREE!

Hope to see YOU under the big top!

Sincerely- Michael"

Mr J. Roehm of St Louis, Mo. filed this Skeleton sighting...

Brian Capps and the True Liars (Lou Whitney and Donny Thompson) this Friday, followed by a screening of the Marx Bros. Night at the Opera, all free, at the Gazebo in Old Orchard. That's Webster Groves, as in St. Louis, MO.

Bring a blanket or bring a chair, we're hoping there will be BBQ.

Woke up this morning... and found a message from Mr Percival which went something along the lines of "Good grief!" I certainly never saw THIS coming but if it's true, it'll certainly stir up the ol' pot.

Managed to stay away from the computer for most of yesterday and did no, that's nada, e-mail. That big muckle Italian capital wasn't built in a day, the longest journeys - small steps and all that... The world, it seems, didn't end so I'll be rolling this practice out to reclaim that precious commodity called "time".

Excellent piece on the Bay City Rollers in yesterday's Guardian. (link c/o Gros de Jood)

Don't forget... this coming Tuesday (21st June), The West End of Glasgow welcomes the ubiquitous STEREO TOTAL to Oran Mor for a gratis parading of their substantial repertoire - plus, Mr Cruickshank informs me that ADVENTURES IN STEREO will be joining them. The first show by this fine local combo in what seems like forever.

With ST currently providing their version of The Plastics "I Love You Ono" as the soundtrack to a Sony Camcorder TV ad, they could be about to break on through to whatever is on the other side of such a beastie. Hopefully massimo popularity...

News just in from Mr Percival, always the first on the block...

RHINO GETS WEIRD WITH THE RAMONES

Comic Book-Styled Ramones Boxed Set Arrives August 16

LOS ANGELES--Hey kids! Tired of that bully kicking sand in your face?
Quit being a 98-lb. weakling! The Ramones will show you how! Now one of the hardest working bands ever gets a boxed set befitting its legendary status as Rhino releases WEIRD TALES OF THE RAMONES, a three-CD/one-DVD package featuring an amazing comic book, on August 16. Created at Johnny Ramone's request, the box is available at regular physical and digital retail outlets and at www.rhino.com for a suggested list price of $64.98.

Drawn from 16 action-packed albums, the 85 tracks on WEIRD TALES OF THE RAMONES' three CDs tell the whole musical story--from 1976's "Blitzkrieg Bop" to 1996's "R.A.M.O.N.E.S." The DVD gives fans the complete Ramones music video collection--Lifestyles Of The Ramones, making its digital debut, consists of all of the Ramones Sire Records videos laced together with interview footage and other interstitial material. Also included on the DVD are all six of the videos the band made while on the Radioactive record label.

How much would you pay now? But wait! There's more! While all of those Ramones songs and videos should be enough to make anybody happy, the super cool thing about WEIRD TALES OF THE RAMONES is the book that comes in the box. A groundbreaking band deserves something special, and this book is unlike any ever created for a music box set.

Rather than beat on a dead brat with some stuffy liner notes recounting the band's history and importance, Rhino has commissioned 25 top graphic novel/comic artists (who also happened to be Ramones fans) to create new works for the book, including Rick Altergott (Doofus), Sergio Aragones (Mad Magazine), Mary Fleener, Bill Griffiths (Zippy The Pinhead), Xaime Hernandez (Love And Rockets), John Holmstrom (Punk magazine, Ramones album covers), Carol Lay (WayLay, Story Minute), John Pound (Garbage Pail Kids, Wacky Packages, Mad Magazine), Scott Shaw, William Stout, and Jim Woodring.

Included are comic book style ads for Ramones wigs, Ramones rubber masks, and "Sea Markys," as well as a 3-D comic complete with the necessary glasses. Words really can't do this book justice--one look and you'll want to be sedated.

Establishing themselves from the get-go with an unmistakable sound and a look that became iconic, the Ramones proved they had strength to endure. There are only a few groups who can truly claim to have changed the course of music history, and the Ramones are one of them. With WEIRD TALES OF THE RAMONES the original punks are immortalized in a manner befitting juvenile delinquents turned rock royalty.

Marek J spotted this on the Bomp Mailorder List...

BARRACUDAS, The - What you Want is What you Get
Ltd ed of 100 copies with signed photo! Jeremy Gluck and Robin Wills are back in action, this time with the addition of ex-Flamin' Groovies Chris Wilson. This is their first recording in more than a decade, three minutes of squalling, screaming and kicking garage punk genius, flipped by "Somebody '05", the reinvention of their
timeless "Drop Out With The Barracudas" classic. A brand new album is planned for the summer. Surfers are back! 7" $8

The album should be available at the end of this month. Soon as I know - you will...

Greetings this Saturday morning from Discombobulated Central. Things be still awry but I guess that's how such a fluid situation can inhibit a creature of extreme routine. Maybe I'm suffering from a mild form of depression because I never got any tickets for the Live 8 shows. And why? Because I never entered the lottery to win any. And why (the sequel)?? Because I have no interest at all in being "part of history". So thereby hangs a tale... I am so devoid of any kind of ambition that I've been wondering lately why? As others jockey and crawl for some crumb of "status", for some tangible link to what they conceive as normal or acceptance - I'm rowing frantically in the opposite direction, out to sea, lunch, wherever. As far away from what i consider to be a sickness as is humanly possible, hoping that a wave will knock me out of my wee boat and either drown me or wash me up on some distant shore, out of the all-enveloping bollocks once and for all.

The slide toward Scotland's lockdown is gathering pace as the world leaders of the apocalypse ride toward Gleneagles. The toothless call for a humungous number of people to descend upon this daft wee country gets more shrouded in stupidity with every passing moment. There isn't an infrastructure to deal with the possibility and we ain't talking Woodstock here. Fuck's sake, there aren't even litter bins in most rail stations because don't ya know there are terrorists waiting to blow our sorry arses off the main line between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Tomorrow (Sunday 19th) is No Computer day. I ain't even switching it on, no matter how it begs and pleads. It's time to revisit the days before these things took control of my existence, I might even get to a casual schlepp through that pile of cds that are gathering dust over there just out of vision. My e-mailholism is out of control and isn't helping cod-fisted attempts to stabilse the day to day chaos. The turbulence continues and it's at times like this you need all the Fuck Y'All records you can get. But more about that down yonder road...

Tickets for the Count Bishops reunion show at the 100 Club on September 23rd are available now from Bang Bang. Latest word is that Boss Goodman will be spinnin' the discs that night!.

...Wanna do something useful and rock at the same time? Join The Star Spangles at The Mills @ East Falls, 3502 Scotts Lane, Philadelphia, 8pm, June 25th for part of Scooter Week, a series of events benefiting The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. It's an all ages show on a Saturday evening, the Walkmen are headlining and your $20 goes to a very good cause, so now you have no excuse... Click here for further info

The new AMY RIGBY album LITTLE FUGITIVE is out on Signature Sounds this August 23rd. Mixed by Don Dixon, it contains the "if there's any justice" smash "Dancing With Joey Ramone" and 11 other top compositions delivered in customary splendor (note - US spelling). Amy also has a songbook, with lyrics and illustrations available now.

The one and the only Karen McB sent me this link to a D-GENERATION clip today. In 1994 even, everything seemed possible and the performance is great. They were the missing link between Aerosmith and The Dead Boys that got away. The albums aren't wall to wall great but they have their moments and you can probably score them for a buck off Ebay. Anyway, they knew how to use a stage and this wee snapshot proves that conclusively.

Received quite a few messages today about the "too much stuff" malaise. Seems like it's a pretty common ailment. It also reminded me of the 100 records concept. Essentially you can have 100 records, that's total. In order to get a new one you have to let an old one go. I've heard stories about people who could live with such a discipline but I never met anyone who actually practices this dark art. Could such control really be possible?

There's a piece in the latest issue of WORD magazine that really hit home with me. David Hepworth is writing about there being too much stuff out there and very candidly states some names that he hasn't ever heard. Some of these names are very obvious but he's managed to distance himself from the feeding frenzy where on top of hearing stuff there's room to appreciate it more because there's room to breathe.
Just lately I've become a binge listener, because somehow I've been robbed of all the time I seemed to have had. I gorge myself on album after album. Sometimes something comes along like Angel CC and that occupies heavy rotation but then I get back on the treadmill. Hepworth has pointed out the error of my ways but it remains to be seen if I can discipline myself out of this habit. I like his message about not having to hear EVERYTHING. It's simple and it's obvious but is it workable?

Mr Vahlberg tells me that SATOR will be playing at the Hultsfred Festival in Sweden this coming weekend. Chips K will also be conducting an ensemble of rolling vocalists throughout a set to mark 20 years of the event and Nick Nomad is one of these. I hope they get the weather.

It's official. Absolutely NOTHING is sacred or indeed safe from reinterpretation... an "urban" version of perhaps the greatest sitcom of all time. Couldn't they at least have called it The Homeynooners? The trailer does not inspire confidence but maybe some of our US readers could expand upon the subject. What the hell is next?

Angel's Louie Louie is up and at ya available now. It's a fabulous thing in a svelt card sleeve and it deserves to deliver a marked increase in status for our SF based lassie. Ad executives, soundtrack compilers and even people with ears should be able to recognise the shimmer that this stuff gives off. What's not to license...? Moby is so back in whatever day.

She has also entered the blogosphere and you can track down her music there, direct from the source. But beware, this is a sonic elixir of substance - not some casual mis-use of style so approach this material with that in mind. It will sooth the savage beast and then kick your ass. It's time Angel got her share of the limelight, she's not going on tour and she's not gonna be in all the magazines. This medicine is to be administered as a slow drip and you're being offered the privilege of getting in on the basement. It's an album like this that makes me remember why I bang my fucking head against the brick wall that claims to be the mainstream. Hoping that my napper will open up a fissure that'll let a little of the good stuff trickle in...

I know, this shindig was last night but Nuria's artwork - as always - is a wonderful thing to behold. So behold already...

So it's Fathers day next Sunday and the TV advertising is in full swing. A three CD Deep Purple box is the ideal gift apparently and to be honest I'm not knocking that as a concept. I always think of FD being a kinda Matt Monro or Max Bygraves vinyl album or slippers kinda day. Sometimes I forget that this is the 21st Century. We've made progress and the fact that you can pick up the new Cauldplay album with your muffins and Bran Flakes is supposed to underline this. Perhaps not. Another fact that's been widely reported this week is that practically every high street in the country has exactly the same shops. That'll be a revelation to anybody with eyes that's ever walked down one then, right? We are being bombarded with shite. Bloody big lumps of it. In every way imaginable. Even something as important as wiping out poverty has all these abysmal acts involved with it. Tis almost G8 time and the country is getting ready to party like it's 1999 to the most talent starved has-beens imaginable. Its not like any of them need the money that they'll undoubtedly make on the back of it. There are trains and boats and planes full of people headed for Edinburgh on July 6th apparently. The capital doesn't have enough toilet facilities on a regular day so it could get a tad stinky over there. It'll be Hogmanay Celebrations plus and probably pissing rain. And to get a ticket for the thing, you have to text. There is a provision for snail mail but the main mode of getting to see this terrible bill is to use your moby. I don't know how to do that so I can't go. Big shame I know, but I feel the sacrifice is worth it.

News on the upcoming new Fleshtones album 'Beachhead' can be found here.

The Rhythm Hive presents...
Saturday 11th June - downstairs at the Marquis of Lansdowne (aka Barden's boudoir Room 2), 48 Stoke Newington Road, London N16 7XJ (Dalston Kingsland top train or 67, 76 ,149, 243 buses)

THE MAKEOUTS
teengenerate-style garage-punk snottiness from Stockholm City!!!! 45 out soon on P.Trash Records!

BLACK TIME
sunglasses after dark punk rockers mainlining the Cramps and Huggy Bear!
VENOM SEEDS

geisha girls wrestling YYYs and Sonic Youth!!

DIRTHOLE
double drummer bursts of bruised and anguished garage-punk!!

8 til midnight. £4 on the door.

This coming Friday, June 10th ... 8:30pm - 3:00am

GOLDBLADE
There’s a lot of indie kids out there who thought it was something new and exciting when the Detroit garage scene exploded - no bandwagon jumpers, Goldblade anticipated that sound years earlier. Their soul-flecked rhythm’n’blues überdelic rock’n’roll may near enough be matched by their US counterparts but you won’t see a more inspiring and enlivening show from any of those. No one else delivers the testifying rock’n’roll gospel like John Robb – his restless spirit courses through the urgency of their glam-drenched strut, giving you a sense that every moment of your life should be an all-or-nothing, doing it to the utmost, that rock’n’roll can be your salvation, your reason for living. He’s a rock’n’roll Billy Graham, bug-eyed and wild on adrenalin – you will have no choice but to howl out your devotion to his band. A shamelessly fundamental collision of The Ramones, James Brown, The Stooges, backed by the tribal thump of two drummers, the song with which they open their set !
says it all: "Do You Believe in the Power of Rock’n’Roll?"

ELECTRA
Though being sharp and well-defined, this band is not about concept – it’s about good songs, the kind that remain hard to find. The songs in question are a fabulous blend of sixties soul and seventies punk – a unique blend of sweet melodies wrapped in loud, edgy guitars, songs that are direct and warm as any real pop anthem should be and yet also complicated and angry as the soul of a true teen rebel. In the couple of years since this power trio formed they have gained a devoted local crowd around the Tel Aviv area, with Time Out Tel Aviv calling them "the most kicking band in rock’n’roll". Following their debut single in the spring of 2004 the band signed a publishing deal with the Israeli branch of EMI and put out their second release. Now it’s time for Israel’s most happening band to head for the UK!

DANGERLUST
"Fancy some female-fronted dirty rock and roll with perfect pop choruses? That's the MO of this Sheffield band. Think the Pixies fronted by an uber-cool rock chick rather than a bald lardo..." says NME. Lurching, rhino-fart basslines, spiralling, bitten off guitars reminiscent of the Pixies/Breeders with effectively sneery vocals, Dangerlust are menacing, knowing and snide in equal measures, awesome riffage and fun solos , they show a honed sensibility for what it takes to get a club full of kids leaping around! As a Leeds Music Scene said about them: "Sleazy, filthy rock and roll. Just slap it in your CD player, sit back and nod your head in admiration 7/10" Meanwhile, the Sheffield Star says, "Personality, an appetite for riffs and a welcome dollop of scuzz." And we say you can't go wrong with a bit of scuzz!

GENERAL KHAKI
It was but a year ago that The General left the forces in disgust and assembled an elite fighting unit: on lead vocals and Fender Telecaster, Wing Commander Tommy Mack; on vocals and bass, Lance Bombardier Kat Stevens; on vocals and drums, Grenadier Dan McKennan. Their Mission: Clad in razor-sharp matching uniforms, to rendezvous at the barracks in London's fashionable East End and prime their primitive yet deadly weaponry for a sonic assault of their elusive leader's design – jagged Beefheart meets Buzzcocks bubblegum hooks, detonated with the breakneck speed and free-wheeling energy of the music the kids call 'hardcore', a manic swingpunk two-step and the raw guitars of that which they call 'garage-rock’. With a debut single out this summer on 1234 Records, and the majors sniffing around their sweaty hides like so many rabid hounds, General Khaki are on a mission to bring the brains and the beauty, the fun and the fury back to the fore, to put a dip in your hip and a glide!
in your stride - everything all together, everything all at once! www.generalkhaki.com

15.00 - 03.00 at Debaser, Stockholm... Tickets are 160 SvKr + service (a bargain really) at http//www.ticnet.se or at the door (18y)

15.00 The Midsummer pole is raised, Dj's are playing music and food can be bought in the big outdoor area. The party indoors starts at approx. 19.00hrs.

The Line-up: The Fleshtones (us), Los Plantronics (no)
Hipbone Slim & The Kneetremblers (uk), Dee Rangers, Tiny Teasers

Dj's Brock Sternberg (dk), Måns Månsson, Baby Diamondback, Mike Barbwire and more.....

The latest from Ace Records.

Although I try to update this thing at least once daily, the recent upturning of my routine suggests that this might not be the best way to go from here on in. Likewise, responding to and dealing with messages. I'm spending too much time in front of computers and in many ways achieving less. So I plan to try and regulate this. My napper feels like it's about to explode and that i'm headed for the rubber room if I don't reign things in. Maybe I'm down for a berth anyway but in any case... All's I'm saying is that there could be a lull coming up.

Priorities Pt. 2 4.11pm ... The healing sounds of the Hacienda Brothers have beaten off the demons for now. As has the threat of Mrs Stim's wrath. This ipod kicking is pretty funny and I'm not sure I subscribe to it 100% but it does raise a valid point. Of course there are many males who aren't interested in music either. Not "proper" music anyway and no amount of landfill gadgetry will halt the onslaught of these bastards so let's just try to steer around this veneer-deep temporary obstacle. Shall we?

The Plimsouls Reunion Show

(first shows since 1997!!)

with special guests Magic Christian feat. Cyril Jordan

Sunday, July 17, 2005

Cafe Du Nord
2170 Market St.
San Francisco,CA.
(415) 861-5016

Doors: 7:00pm - Show: 8:00pm promptly $15

Y'know - it's not really necessary to own a music collection anymore. However much we try, we can't have EVERYTHING and when you think about it, there still gazillions of things out there that we haven't heard. This is either depressing or empowering, depending on my mood. With the advent of stations like WFMU and shows like BBC London's Shake Some Action, we can just log in, hit the archive and to quote "The Great One" - "Awaaaaaay we go"...

Those of you with the means should hit up the SOA link there, it'll only be available until Monday but it's a belter, the second hour in particular because it features the one and the only Kevin Patrick spinning records and telling tales as only this one can. Follow the links to the show title, tucked away under "classic rock and pop" and simply play it again... and again...

Can anybody out there provide tips as to how to "capture" such broadcasts or what software is required to do so? Also, if you know of a show or a station we should maybe compile into a resource in the side bar there then let we know.

And on the subject of BBC output there, the Soul Deep episode last night was frustrating. Its surely should have been split into four. You can't pack all those bite size chunks in to tick the boxes marked James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Bootsy/George Clinton. What the P-funk? The last part is next Saturday and threatens Mary J. Bilge (I spell it the way I hears it). That crap might be hip but it don't hop around here amigo. And don't get me started about what some deranged twallies call r&b in this sorry day and age.

Who woulda thunk? A Zakary Thaks Website...

Latest news from Slugrock central:
"ACHTUNG YOUSE PUNK ROCKS !!!!
We are pleased to announce that Mikey "Offender" Donaldson will be rocking with
Amsterdam's unstoppable stalwarts the Nitwitz soon. Mikey played with legendary Austin, TX hardcore heavy hitters such as the Offenders, D.R.I., M.D.C., and Sister Double Happiness. Adding these credentials to the illustrious pasts of the other members (B.G.K., Loveslug, No Pigs, to name but a few) the Nitwitz are now packed to the hilt with bona fide trailblazing old school hardcore legend goodness AS WELL AS unbound talent! Better recognize, crackas. Cause it's about time all you biscuit-headed bozos stopped greeting the Nitwitz with screaming indifference, and got wise to the bowel-bursting Hurricane Power of Slugrock Riff-o-rama instead of jerking off over your Offenders/B.G.K.bootlegs and paying 200 bucks for old releases on Ebay. That's right : get your gelatinous, nostalgic, pringle eating retro-hardcore posterior off that sofa, and pick up the new Nitwitz CD "Sex Lies and Duct Tape" on Rocketdog Records from Clear Spot distribution.
Check the webpage to see what's up with live shows and freeload some mp3's while you're at it"

Check THIS Out!...

THE BEATSTALKERS - "Scotland's No. 1 Beat Group" is a collection of their 7 singles featuring the A + B sides plus two other cuts "Ramble On" and "St Louis Blues". The cd has been exquisitely curated to bring together this long lost material with a booklet containing plenty of great clippings and liner notes by Beatmeister, Lenny Helsing of The Thanes.

STRAMASH! blared the Evening Times, reporting the 'stalkermania that ensued at an innocent "boutique" opening. 2 of these 14 songs were written by one D. Bowie and to my knowledge have fallen off the face of the earth until now so maybe the more rabid of his fans are about to encounter some real music for the first time in a dogs age when they discover this.

Assembled by Alan Mair, the sound is great - particularly when cranked up. I would imagine that this is gonna create quite the stushy when the global beat fraternity get their paws on it. A vinyl edition would be something else entirely. I think the band would probably be up for some Cavestomp, Wild Weekend, Las Vegas Grind, Rotterdam Rumble type action when the blue touch paper is lit, meanwhile you can snag a copy this very instant by clicking HERE!

Ben Vaughn's DESIGNS IN MUSIC will be his first domestic (US) release in 8 years. I'll let you ponder the criminal nature of that fact while you test drive the wee mp3 samples and duly place your order thanks to the wonders of Paypal. More about the album when I get my hands on the whole entchilada...

Practically at the last act of my first week doing the (almost) 9 'til 5. I am nothing if not a creature of routine and said activity has been somewhat shaken up this past few days. Service will be resumed slowly as I morph some kinda groove around these latest developments.

Oh yeah, if you're in NY this weekend...

You need this record and even better it's not on cd. It's a real, honest to gawdness slab of 7" vinyl from Canada. Snarling, lo on fi - big on seismic r'n'r energy, girl punk from the folks that brought us that fine GOLDIROCKS movie. Contact 'em via the Goldirocks website, that's where that link'll take ya... E-mail Paula and Tina direct at sluttyrecords@hotmail.com

It's $10 (Canadian) to Europe so hightail it to your Bureau De Change and invest now.

Thanks to Bruce for the tip off and to Paula for the cover shot.

LAURA CANTRELL will kick off the campaign for her new album, Humming By The Flowered Vine on Matador, tonight at The Jazz Cafe in London.



Photographer: Ted Barron © 2005