Apparently there’s a storm brewing that’ll wash any prospective revelry off the pavements tonight. No not Travis Bickle although it's a sage idea. Particularly in the Scottish Borders and Northern England according to the weather forecast. Going by recent standards then we’re all in for a pasting the length and breadth of "the daftest wee country in the world". Are you under pressure to have the time of your life as you usher in another set of numbers? Well not here you ain’t matey, I’ve put together a few things here that you might like to stay in and click on. I’m going to put a big thick book down my breeks because I’m sure that this one will start with a good hard kick up the arse. The uncertainty of this most recent one has taught me so. Mouse at the ready?, get clicking...

Mr Hagred flagged up this great clip of THEM. Anybody got any idea of where it was recorded?

My find of 2006, Hello Saferide performing “The Quiz” at The Water Rats in London back in November.

If you missed Wooden Shjips, then here’s your chance to catch up.

Likewise Josh Taylor’s Friends Forever

My powers to stay outta "myspace" have proved to be less than effective and I now have an extended family across the planet and the furthest reaches of cyberspace. Generally music keelhauls this here system but maybe you’ve got a fantoosh machine that can deal with it and doesn't fold at the slightest problem? Drop in on my “friends” and listen to what they’ve got to offer why dontcha? It's all wheat, I don't approve chaff.

I’m off to read another instalment of Everett True’s Nirvana doorstop… might be back before the advent of 2007 but then again who knows… I have my OX column to consider also. Anyway, thanks for sticking with us. I'm going to TRY and update this at least once a day. Hasn't always been possible in recent times but an attempt will be made. Whatever you get up to over the next few hours, in some places it already is new year so the quicker it's done and dusted the better. The sheep can take their faux bonhomie and shove it. Catch you folks on yonder flipside!

Were you "under the thunder" at the Roundhouse on November 4th 1977?

Click2vu James Brown Tribute...

Dee Dee brandishing a copy of NBT 6 at the Queen Margaret Union in Glasgow, circa 1978. I just had "profile view" #1234 over at the ol' myspace pad. Spooky rumblings or just coincidence. You decide...

The Dead Boys (plus others) at the Glasgow Apollo when they opened for The Damned in 1977... The guy whose hand is coming in from the LH side like a "firearm" is none other than Lenny Love who released The Rezillos "Can't Stand My Baby" on his Sensible imprint.

The New York Loose should be familiar to long-standing NBT visitors so it goes without saying that this February release will be greeted with great excitement. It's coming your way on Sleazegrinder in the US and via Cargo here in Ms West's adopted home of Blighty. If you're not familiar with them then when you do become acquainted then you'll wonder, like I often do, how the heck this woman never became a punk rockin' icon in an international sense. She's still got it so get with the program...

Note, this was (May 1974) before I discovered The Dictators. Before starting to drink coca cola for breakfast and definitley prior to the man in question being branded "a creep" in a song by the group that would ultimately point my direction in, er, "life". (Thanks Andy!)

July 4th 1976 at The Crestfield Hotel in King's Cross, London. Baseball bats at the ready... L-R: Gordon (Weed) Reid, David (Tich) Seath and Roy (Eric Bloom) Litts parade their Ramones booty!
We went to Selfridges to get t-shirts made. Can't recall what the Thor connection was supposed to be but Dave and I figured that Monroe was close to an an anagram of Ramones. If you ignore the "a", right? Anyway, I still have mine(signed by Joey though somewhat faded), wonder if the Ramones Museum in Berlin would be interested in this piece of folk history?

From 14th December 1980 at The Lyceum in London. Taken by Vivian Rhodes, this photo was the basis for the LOTC "Stay Sick" shirt. I wonder if any of those survived?

Maybe i'll run an old photos spot on myspace, of course it'd have allow me to be logged in for more than 10 minutes at a time but maybe it's time I set myself a challenge.

Found this when I was looking for something else, it was taken (by me on a daft wee instamatic) backstage at the Glasgow Apollo on Thursday, May 31st 1979. The reflection in the mirror is one Fay Fife. This was the first ever Cramps show in the UK when they were opening for The Polis (as we'd call them up here). Setlist (in Bryan's handwriting) was: Garbageman, Rocket in my Pocket, The Way I Walk, Rockin’ Bones, I Was A Teenage Werewolf, Sunglasses After Dark, Human Fly, Twist and Shout, Weekend On Mars, Mystery Plane. Reproduced here from a page in NBT 9/10 that came out in 1979.

DECEMBER AND BEYOND AT NORTONVILLE...
HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS...
Holiday wishes to Nortonians worldwide… joy was certainly tempered by an early morning telephone call to Norton HQ from a shocked and mournful Mighty Hannibal, who broke the sad news that his friend, Mr. James Brown, had unexpectedly shed his earthly mantle in the wee dark hours of this Christmas morning. The Godfather of Soul leaves behind an immeasurable legacy, the least of which may be his still properly unlauded FUTURE SHOCK television show. Our condolences to the Mighty Hannibal and to all friends, fans and family of J.B. In his honor, let’s " THINK…about the right things, THINK about the outta sight things, baby…"

NEW YEAR’S EVE ROCK N’ ROLL DANCE!!!
A-BONES/SWINGIN’ NECKBREAKERS/GREAT GAYLORD MAGNETIC FIELD, 97 ATLANTIC AVENUE, BROOKLYN http://www.magneticbrooklyn.com
The A-Bones will be joined onstage for our entire set by special guest Ira "Keys" Kaplan of Yo La Tengo on piano. Ira the K has backed many of the top names in SHOW business, now let’s see how he does with MONKEY business! Will he survive a dive into the shallow end of the rackety A-Bones pool of high geared mayhem? Learn the answer to this question first-hand, plus witness the sonic assault of Garden State gargantuans, the Swingin’ Neckbreakers, as they piledrive their wiley ways into Kings County to close out yet another annus mirabilis… baby the world ain’t round, it’s a square…circle… and HELLO GIRLS! The Great Gaylord ("El Grand Guillardo", now a legend in Spain) will be firing up his special Squat magic encased tightly and rightly in full-on sharkskin magnificence! The Thing With Two Heads (Bazooka Joe and Xtine) will spin wildass records all night long which means reelin’ and rockin’ and rollin’ ‘til the break of dawn bringing in a …REVVIN’ 2007! Like, varoom! PS, people: This will be Lee at Magnetic Field’s last chance to employ his Norton’s 20th Anniversary marketing scheme. Fear not, Mr. Lee! Our 21st signifies the legal drinking age, the 21st amendment (ended Prohibition!), the big new century, plus for the true Nords in the A-Bones (Lars and Miriam), atomic Element 21 is the elusive and fabulous Scandium… ergo, mayhaps, a 21 gun salute! Lee, let the proliferation ploys begin anew!

GREAT JONES A-MIGHTY! (They plugged us, let’s plug them-- Jones-town USA!)
Hi Everybody,
We are throwing a dance party at Great Jones Cafe on New Year's Eve. At midnight there will be a free champagne toast and at 12:01, once the tables have been pushed aside and salt has been poured all over the floor, the dance party gets under way.
Ridiculous hats and noisemakers provided at no charge.
No cover to get in. Booze proudly exchanged for money all night long. So come early and fortify your liver, or come late after you see the A-Bones at Magnetic Field, or whatever it is that you people do. The address is 54 Great Jones St., right off the Bowery in the up and coming borough of Manhattan. Pass this on to friends & family if you want... -Matt
P.S. If you want to eat, remember that the kitchen closes at 11 on New Year's Eve. Okay then.

Friday Dec. 29 BLACK LIPS (Maxwells, Hoboken) Last area show at Don Pedro’s, the Black Lips blew the roof off the joint. Get there early – this will sell out! With a Norton 45 right around the corner as well as new album on Vice (recorded live in Tijuana!), these guys cannot remain contained! Don’t miss it! Totally top rank- see you there!

Sunday Dec. 31 THE ALARM CLOCKS (Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland) The time has indeed come. RING IN the New Year with the world’s only garage band! Midwest mod-hoppers and ATA puddle jumpers, clock in at the Beachland and file reports herewith, please!

Friday Jan. 12 MIGHTY HANNIBAL/BLACK LIPS/REIGNING SOUND (The Earl,
Atlanta) King Hannibal returns home with his fiery brand of raw soul backed by the incredible Black Lips a/k/a the Official Mighty Hannibal Fan Club, Atlanta Chapter. The truth shall set you free!! Reigning Sound throws an already wild lineup into the stratosphere! This will sell out so purchase show tickets before you start driving!

New Norton 45s in the works… prepare for the onslaught!
• THE DICTATORS – 16 FOREVER/STAY WITH ME (45-124) Long lost unissued 1978 single b/w original BLOODBROTHERS demo! Twin-spin anthems!
• MARY WEISS – DON’T COME BACK/A CERTAIN GUY (45-132) Pre-album rocker b/w non-CD Ernie-K-Doe cover (burn, K-Doe, burn!) featuring the mighty Lonnie Youngblood! Solid Reigning sound backing! Welcome back, Mary!!
• BLACK LIPS - WHAT TO DO/DEMON’S CLAWS – FACTORY GIRL (9656) Latest Rolling Stones cover song twin spin! Down home romps from today’s action teens!
Stupendous sides, both!
• THE VIKINGS – I NEED YOUR LOVIN’/SUCH A LOVE (45-136) Ultra super mega rare ’65 garage monster! Only two known copies of this brutal monster and it’s never been reissued, much less heard before! Gold wax!
New Norton Jukebox Series by super-popular demand-- THE MIDNITERS!
• THEE MIDNITERS – EVERYBODY NEEDS SOMEBODY TO LOVE/NEVER KNEW I HAD IT SO BAD (45-873) • THEE MIDNITERS – JUMP, JIVE AND HARMONIZE/THEE MIDNITE FEELING (45-874) • THEE MIDNITERS – I FOUND A PEANUT/LOVE SPECIAL DELIVERY (45-875)
Norton’s Thee Midniters collection IN THEE MIDNITE HOUR!!! (ED/CED 315) is clocking in on many 2006 "Best Of" lists…dig this frantic slab on LP and CD, NOW!!! And lube those Seeburgs n’ Wurlies for the upcoming super blast sevens!
Stay tuned for solid date on rumored Los Angeles appearance!
GREEN CARD BLUES… BLOODSHOT BILL BANNED IN USA … Our great pal, Bloodshot Bill, the one man band from Montreal (if you dig Charlie Feathers…) has been prohibited from re-entering the USA for FIVE YEARS thanks to tyrant-o-saurus border guards…. But Bloodshot Bill Mania will not be stopped-- Norton will issue ONE MAN BANNED!!!! An extended-play vinyl slab to help keep Bloodshot in the Stateside limelight. Happy Birthday, BB, eh?
…big thanks to the many of you who bought our Arthur Lee 45 of 1965 demos.
Proceeds went to Arthur before he passed away in August and sales of each and every copy continue to go to his estate-- this record was fully sanctioned by Arthur himself… never to be forgotten. http://www.thelovesociety.com/
New albums due March 6
MARY WEISS – DANGEROUS GAME (Norton 323 LP/CD) First ever solo album from the original lead singer of the Shangri-Las! Thirteen original songs plus a cover of the Shangs’ Heaven Only Knows! Backed by the Reigning Sound – more details to come next time!
THE SONICS – BUSY BODY: LIVE IN TACOMA 1964 (Norton 913 LP/CD) Ferocious Northwest live radio broadcasts from the Tacoma Sports Arena and the Red Carpet Teen Club – The Witch/Tough Walk/Hitch Hike, mo’!
WINTER/SPRING ROMPS AND STOMPS! STAY TUNED!
• Saturday, March 3 MARY WEISS/REIGNING SOUND – BEACHLAND BALLROOM, CLEVELAND – Record release show! The countdown is on for Mary’s solo debut- stay tuned! http://www.beachlandballroom.com • March 14-17 NORTON RECORDS SHOWCASE AT SXSW - Mary Weiss, Reigning Sound, Alarm Clocks, A-Bones, Dex Romweber- stay tuned!
• May 2 (New Orleans, Louisiana!) PONDEROSA STOMP returns to the Big Easy- stay tuned! http://www.ponderosastomp.com • May 16-20 (Green Bay, Wisconsin) ROCKIN’ 50s FEST! Get tix now and… stay tuned! http://www.actionpackedevents.com/Oneida%20Fest%202007.htm
NORTON CHIEF HONCHO BILLY MILLER INTERVIEWED Cool photos, too! Norton crowd w/Esquerita, Miriam and Dion compare hats, mo’!
http://turnit-down.blogspot.com/2006/11/norton-records-owner-billy-miller.html
NORTON 20TH ANNIVERSARY RADIO PARTY
Dave The Spazz’s Music To Spazz By on WFMU. Three hour party features live studio guest Mary Weiss plus phone-ins from Robert Plant (yes, Benny Joy puts a bustle in his hedgerow!), Roky Erickson, Sam The Sham, Ronnie Spector (requesting T. Valentine’s Hello Lucille Are You A Lesbian!), Dale Hawkins, Kim Fowley, Question Mark (he may still be talking!), the Alarm Clocks, Deke Dickerson and a live in the studio set from the Real Kids!
http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/21014
Check out Norton Records at myspace.com/nortonrecords and always click the news link at
http://www.nortonrecords.com

I can't believe that i'm typing this...

RIP - James Brown

Well that old Santy Claus never brought me what I asked him for. Guess they were all outta Maggie Gyllenhaal's... anyway, it's mighty still here and i'm messing about on the computer to the strains of Evan Johns and the H-Bombs "Please Mr Santa Claus" mini album. Are you familiar with it? If not then you should be. It contains the best version of "Telstar" that I ever heard apart from the time Teenage Fanclub and Alex Chilton did it at the 13th Note when it was in Glassford Street. It was straight after coming back from Stockholm and The Nomads 15th Anniversary in 1995. Literally picked up at the airport and straight to the gig. The way rock'n'roll is meant to be. I wish I could muster up the cheek to contact the people who did the collecting but a lot of stupidity has flowed out to sea from under the brig' since those times. So, it's time to try and use the day wisely. Not a strong suit of mine. I'll be back here periodically. Hope you got what you deserved...

Angel Corpus Christi made me do it... honest!

No alkyhol or narcotics of any description were involved.

RIP - Dennis Linde

As I hunker down here until the Christmas bomb drops, Bob Dylan is playing The Sonics "Don't Believe In Christmas". I'm thinking, he's playing my song... I was hoping he might play The Skeletons version of "Do You Hear What I Hear" but hey, y'cannae have everything...

On this, the twentyfourth day of December in this year of two thousand and six, much of the world is waging war in the high streets. They’re reporting on the radio that yesterday was the highest spending day in quite a number of years. What the fuck are these people buying? It must be stuff that I don’t see. Either that or it’s just anything to muster up that buzz. Anyway, if you’re reading this then maybe you’ve escaped. Good on you if you have. I know how hard it is not to get sucked into the bullshit. Or do I? Anyway, I’m not that shucched about coming over as a miserable bastard. Certainly not to those who don’t want to understand that it is possible to opt out. Live and let live, have a high old time if you want to. Eat and drink your way to oblivion and pass out on the couch. Tis yer prerogative after all. Wonder if they’ll show Charlie Drake on the telly news shouting “ ‘allo my Darlings!”. That’d take me back.

Anyway, I’ve been looking at the reactivated PUNK magazine. Ms Amy Allison scored one for me and sent it on over. It’s no secret what an inspiration on NBT that the original was. Mr Holmstrom’s handlettering that made me think that maybe I’d get away with that, not being one for typewriters and all. Put that together with a pile of papers stapled in one corner and whaddaya got?

#19 has come out on the tail end of the whole CB’s shutdown. The word PUNK has changed out of all recognition but the fire is obviously still in the belly of it’s publisher. You should support John Holmstrom because if it weren’t for him and his crew then a lot of what you know (and cling to) simply wouldn’t exist. The photo of Dee Dee wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd t-shirt is worth the admission price alone. Hopefully future issues might feature Kitty and the Kowalskis, The Star Spangles and the new front-line of rock’n’roll that NYC has to offer... See to it that the title has that future.

RIP - Charlie Drake

As the frenzy begins to whip up for the daft season, the hatches have all been inspected ready to be secured at the first opportunity. I’m opting WAY out…

Wii up here in kiltland is one half of wiiwii, which turns out to be an alternative spelling for a slang expression for urinating. Quite apt then. God those things look crap, aren't they just a condensed version of those virtual suits that people used to get togged up in. Gets the wee (and big) fat bastards off their sofas though (allegedly). I doubt that'll save the toffee headed scumhordes that buy into this crap from their well-deserved collective fate. I think i'll launch a rival console and call it "pish". That'd be a lark, eh? Stop the bus i need a wii? Oui. Let’s hear it for the generation chasm.

So, the next week or so will allow me to read "Nirvana – The True Story", watch The Fleshtones "Brooklyn A Paris" , listen to Wooden Shjips at mindbending volume and get in about various albums here that have been neglected due to pressure of existing.

No “work” for a week and a half. Make up a sentence with the words “palpable” and “relief” in it and who knows. Maybe a couple of minutes of mild euphoria might ensue. Wouldn’t count on it though. I’m having flashbacks to the Vietnam that was last Christmas. Post traumatic seasonal disorder if you will. Anyway, I have to make a pre-dawn raid on the shops now. Catch you down this cyber road apiece...

RIP - Joe Barbera

RIP - Denis Payton (Dave Clark Five)

Bop Records Proudly Presents

TEENGENERATE ?The Kings of Tokyo Garage Punk

Thursday 28th Dec @Tote Hotel, Collingwood
w/Spazzys, Mach Pelican, Kamikaze Trio and Breadmakers (In Cobra)

Friday 29 Dec @Tote Hotel, Collingwood
w/Spencer P Jones & the Escape Committee, Kim Salmon, Onyas and Eddy Current Suppression Ring (In Cobra)

"You’ve seen Guitar Wolf, you know The 5678s, you heard about The Gimmies, now you can get the real action. Bop Records and The Tote announce two exclusive Australian shows of the true kings of Tokyo Garage Punk, Teengenerate. The Tokyo quartet were at the spearhead of the mid 90s Japanese Garage Rock Craze. Although they only existed between 1993 and 1995, their impact on rock 'n' roll was enormous: garage rock would not be what it is now without them.

Centered around long term musical collaborators (& brothers) Fink & Fifi, together with Sammy and Shoe, Teengenerate recorded everything in the red - the fuzz became a fifth member. Far from a gimmick, as their stand out long player Get Action suggests, (along with a hoard of 7 inches, split singles and comps), these guys were wild and tight. Their records have also included covers of Radio Birdman's "Burn My Eye", The Eastern Dark's "Johnny and Dee Dee", "Savage" by The Fun Things and "All I Want" by the Dirty Lovers. Following the demise of Teengenerate, members continued playing in other name droppers, including Firestarter, Supersnazz, and most recently the reformed Raydios.

After recently reforming to play Billy Bass Wolf’s memorial gig, Teengenerate have now agreed to take the trip down under to pay their respects to the Australian music that so influential in creating their sound.

Your only chance to catch Teengenerate live is at The Tote on Thursday 28th December and Friday 29th December. To celebrate this visit, Bop Records are releasing the "Live At The Shelter" album to coincide with the tour. Tickets are $30 + bf and available at The Tote Front Bar (3 9419 5320), Missing Link, Polyester and the Corner Box Office (www.cornerhotel.com). "

More info
http://www.boprecords.net/
www.myspace.com/teengeneratemusic

Contact – Toshi Maeda (Bop Records)
info@boprecords.net

"Okay you guys. Get all your shopping done early so you can join us for our last show of the year (and that's NOT last show forever like some Oregon band we know and love, and I think we know who I'm talking about, have recently done that's made us all bummed out). The Tacoma Mall is going to be nuts then anyway. Never shop on the last weekend before Christmas. You'd be crazy to do anything but come to Hell's Kitchen at 5 PM. We're playing with some really great young Tacoma bands that will probably kick our old asses.

So we'll hope to see you all there."

Your friends,

Bon and Girl Trouble

I’ll be glad to see the back of 2006. Not that I expect a great upswing in “the year of the great seventh number” but I’m sort of presuming that it can’t suck worse. This past week has seen flood and pestilence in Bonnie Scotchland. Not that your reporter has been adversely affected by the former. I made it home before they started closing roads and all that palaver. An ongoing, not life-threatening but uncomfortable ailment meant a stint at the local infirmary on Thursday. Bring on the results. Most likely the main thrust will be that it’s wear and tear through getting auld. You never know though. Am I concerned? No but thanks for asking. One gets used to situations even if they don’t understand them.

My ongoing tussles with keeping a myspace connection continue apace. I try to reply to mails but it generally ends up crashing. I am stoked however to have been added by JTFF today and can’t stop playing that video over and over. Going into myspace has the same kind of affect that going into one of those giant diy stores on me. I do want to dress up my page and all but the actuality of doing so sucks the will to live out of me.

There was a power cut here on Friday for acouple of hours. But, what if there was no power, no internet (ever!), the expectation that everything will work always is at best daft. Some supposedly higher power is quite feasibly fucking with us. Isn’t that what such entities do? Anyway, I’d like very much not to get perturbed when such bollocks but I haven’t mastered that level of understanding. Nope, all the toys get thrown outta the pram. Despite appearances, I is only - er - human...

Yesterday I left the bunker early and headed for Glasgow. Systematically managed to bodyswerve the shoppers and achieve what I set out to do. Mainly to hit up Volcanic Tongue to get my mitts on the only known available output of an SF phenom called Wooden Shjips. Yeah, with a J. Mr Hesske brought them to my attention earlier in the week and their sonic arsenal seemed to speak directly to my predicament in a ramalamafafafa meets Mac Rebennack’s "Storm Warning" backwards kinda way. More about them later but you can check out the YouTube clip that hooked me in the first instance. You can get it from VT here in the UK and I’ll sort out info for the US in due course.

Also went to see Stranger Than Fiction in one of those Multplex places. It takes a wee while to percolate but all in all it’s a decent way to spend just under 2 hours. There’s an irritating computer graphic effect involved toward the beginning but that soon passes. I’ve never been sure about Will Ferrell but he’s good in this and there’s a particularly pertinent use of a song that will strike a literal chord with hardcore NBT readers. It’ll hit you harder if I don’t tell you. It had quite an effect on Maggie Gyllenhaal's character - Ana, evidently a woman of taste. The soundtrack was put together by former Redd Kross man, Brian Reitzell.

Kudos to Mr Tom Morton who managed to get two Hello Saferide mentions into his Sunday Herald column this morning. Whilst we're on the subject - check out this version of "The Quiz", live from London.

And that’s about it. Time to get in about some music and I may be back this way again later today. Can’t say for sure.

RIP - Ahmet Ertegun

RIP - Dead Moon (Thanks to J at Garageshock for the heads up)

I can't get the Seattle Weekly link to work but check outthe Goner Board and also Sub Pop

RIP: Peter Boyle.

Please join SUSQUEHANNA INDUSTRIAL TOOL & DIE CO. for a hillbilly holiday at our favorite honky tonk, the RODEO BAR!

We'll be pulling out all the seasonal stops,

including a free raffle drawing of semi-fabulous gifts --

conducted by the mysteriously alluring RAFFLE GIRL, naturally...
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14th / RODEO BAR / www.RodeoBar.com /
375 Third Avenue (corner of 27th Street) in ol' Manhattan, NYC /

10:00 sharp until 1:00 / No cover! /
Yours truly- Michael, Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co.
"Ballads, Boogies & Blues" www.SITandDieCo.com

CHERRYBOMB
Thursday December 14, 2006 * 8 pm
Betsey Trotwood * 56 Farringdon Road
* London £4

With your DJ hosts Matthew Lees and Bob Stanley

Plus guest DJs:
Queens Of Noize
Sheila B. (Cha Cha Charming)

(Thanks to Nancy for the info)

I discovered Groover Recordings whilst trying to track down stray Hello Saferide tracks. Thanks to Martina from Razzia, I got a direct line to this fine organisation and wasn’t quite ready for the revelations of the label output. Christian Örjestål is the brains behind this outfit. He compiles albums of mainly Swedish acts doing covers and originals called Jeans & Cover. There are two volumes of that and the third is The World Turns All Around Him (A Tribute to Gene Clark). Gene & Cover – geddit?

Anyway, Volume 1 is comprised of cover songs of quite unlikely candidates like Hall and Oates “Rich Girl”, Wham’s “Careless Whisper”, A hillbilly run-through of The Hives “Hate To Say” and Richard Marx’s “Hazard” as covered by The Martial Arts. We’ll come back to them in a wee while but the lovingly crafted comp is like a cleverly pieced together radio show. The trick is in the curation and the ability to identify a great song. Perfectly executed and it’ll make you rethink your jaded perspective. I guarantee it. You knew that David Essex’s “Rock On” was cool right, well the reinterpretation here is at once faithful and also fresh. I don’t mean that in some lumpen rap sense. This one also contains one of those aforementioned HS nuggets. A song called “Teen Line” by a Milwaukee group called The Shivvers that I never heard. If any further proof was needed that Annika Norlin could save the world, at least in a popular music sense, then this is it right here.

Volume 2 is similarly constructed like a vinyl album. Put together with care, unperturbed by the notion of shuffle play. Exquisitely high quality pop with a lustre like well-treated quality furniture. You can scratch the veneer but you won’t damage the majesty of the piece. GR are very well connected to the international beat that can’t be beat. This is where “Highschool Stalker” came from for “Introducing… Hello Saferide”. “On the alta vista… twice on the yahoo”. The best internet reference since “Maria Bartiromo”. Other standouts include the pre-Flop Rusty Willoughby’s “Dead Lavender”, Roger Manning Jr’s Davy Scott-esque “Sleep Children” and Sator man Kent Norberg’s “Ah Jesus”. The Lisa Marr Experiment weigh in with a smart wee murder ballad called “The Return of Donna Lee” that makes me think of Dave Alvin.

The Gene Clark special has an Allison Anders liner note and is illustrated with Blythe Dolls. It has a kind of Macdonald brothers afterglow without there being any overt Redd Kross involvement. We’ll return to them too across the piece. It kicks off with ex-Mercury Revver, Jason Russo’s Hopewell doing “With Tomorrow” and The Digs giving “Is Yours Is Mine” a kind of Television-ish sheen. The Autumn Leaves weigh in with “She Don’t Care About Time”, I forgot just how drop-dead great they are/were. And here are The Martial Arts again… “Why Not Your Baby” is the missing link between country rock and Joe Meek making everything groovy indeed. If this introduces these songs to a new generation then it’s a job well done. These things aren’t thrown together but the end result is more than worth the probable wringing of hands and tearing out of hair. HS and Maia Hirasawa re-gender their contribution as “He’s The Kind Of Boy”. At this point I don’t need to tell you how great them art.

So this all brings us back to The Martial Arts who have an album out on the self-same Groover imprint called “Your Sinclair”. So this band embody Redd Kross, Dwight Twilley, The Quick, Phil Seymour, get the picture? Well it turns out that these are youngsters from Glasgow. Not somewhere in Sweden, or the US, or anywhere like that but just up the road a bit. Maybe I saw the name before and I just shrugged like I’m prone to do. This is a great, great album and I’m sure The Fratellis are perfectly nice guys but this combo should be stealing all their thunder. Who even knew that there was a world where Halfnelson (pre-Sparks for any Young ‘uns) and The Shoes came together with some TFC gusto, that patented West Coast (of Scotland) teenage ingredient that we export to the world? Wherever Greg Shaw is right now, I’m sure he approves wholeheartedly. The screenprint on the cd looks like an old RCA cop too. They sound way too young to be so savvy. Apparently Christian discovered them on a Redd Kross message board. He has a keen ear I can tell you and there’s a good chance that you won’t hear a better debut anytime soon. It makes me wonder what they’re like live because if they can even approximate this then it must be quite a night out. “Mod Val” could have been on “Third Eye” what higher recommendation could there bloody be? A 21st Century “Mondo Deco” even.

What Jay Sherman-Godfrey doesn’t know about knocking out a primo pop song simply isn’t an issue. This seven song, “mini-album” is more than testament to that. Jay has been pushing roots-rock to the kids since way before it had a pigeonhole. He was also the man who made the connection between Laura Cantrell and the good offices of Francis Macdonald. Here he’s aided by The Proprietress’ alumni, Jon Graboff and Jeremy Chatzky. Drums are by Phoebe Summersquash, who I last saw in the Sarah Silverman movie, “Jesus Is Magic”. Twoscore kicks off with “Bad Party” and this short, sharp collection is anything but. Gear like “Silver Shoes” can light up this often dreary slog. You can check out this choice produce at Jay’s cyberhangouts. His myspace and regular website are but a click away. Of the six originals and one Brian Wilson cover (“Girl Don’t Tell Me”) on this Able Mobile imprint release - I think the steel-fuelled saunter of “Someone Like You” is my favourite. Ooh sha-la-la kids... the twang has it!

For those in the NY area, a message from Laura...

"Hey folks, We'll be at Mo Pitkins House of Satisfaction for two sets this Friday evening, details below. Lucky to have joining me Jeremy Chatzky, Steve Goulding, Ted Reichman, Jimmy Ryan and Mark Spencer. Hope to see some of you there!"

Friday December 8, 2006
Laura Cantrell at Mo Pitkins House of Satisfaction (upstairs cabaret)
8:00 and 10:00 PM, 34 Avenue A New York, NY 10009 $15




And if you're around LA (Santa Monica, to be precise), Isabel Samaras is in town...

Howdy -- I'll be in Santa Monica this weekend for Copro Nason's 15 Year Anniversary Exhibition, as well as the launch of their new book "Copro Nason Fine Art: Catalogue Raissone", which chronicles the art and history of one of the leading galleries in the "Lowbrow" art movement. (They were kind enough to include me in both.)

If you're in the area, hope to see you there!

isabel


Opening: Saturday, December 9th 8:00 - 11:30pm
Copro Nason Gallery , Bergamot Station , 2525 Michigan Ave T5 ,Santa Monica CA 90404
www.copronason.com

Image: Isabel Samaras "Tormentare" Oil on wood 20 x 16 inches

There's stuff going on that's preventing me from any real chance to post stuff here at the minute. Such is existing and the holidays can't come quick enough. Might get a chance to regroup then. I'll be bloody glad when this one's over. Not that I expect any great improvement. I'm not daft. Or as Chris Gaffney would say "I'm not new!". Oh I did ramp up my spam filter in order to try and flush out those bastard stocks, shares and whatnaught e-mails from my in-box. If you e-mailed me and I didn't reply, it could be because this'll take time to settle. Who knows. As technology advances, I beat the retreat. The only way to go quite frankly. That and passing out in front of the TV.

RIP: Mariska Veres (Shocking Blue)

The Rt Hon. Jon Hammer is having a little art opening on Wednesday, December 6 at World of Style Vintage, Jersey City's finest source for old stuff. The show consists of big prints of the monthly pin-up gals he's been doing for the award winning Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. website.

His calendar will be available there also, Jon sez "makes a great stocking stuffer for any fan of girls with tools. That didn't come out the way I intended, but let's move on".

Swing by the World of Style Vintage, 172 Newark Ave. in romantic Jersey City, just up the street from the Grove street PATH. Directions and related details about the shop are on the WOS website.