Upp Till Kamp translates as "How Soon Is Now?!", actually there may be more exclamations and question marks involved but that'll do for now. UTK, the soundtrack, is music composed for the 4 part TV series of the same name. Composed by Mattias Bärjed, it runs the gamut from authentic 60's garage rock through soul balladry to fuzz instrumentals not unlike Jack Nitzsche. It's absolutely stellar and I doubt that you'll hear a better OST this (or maybe any other) year. It's a 2cd set which features an array of musicians including fellow TSOOLer Ebbot Lundberg and the Martin "Konie" Ehrencrona. Release by Razzia, is something you really need to treat yourself to. It'll keep you warm for many years to come. And the films themselves, well that's available on dvd with full English subtitles. Set in Gothenburg between 1966 and 1976, it follows the (mis)fortunes of four close friends. UTK is about aspiration, principle, compromise and ultimately being worn down, in other words, real fucking life. Kind of like a Mike Leigh piece with a rock'n'roll heart. And I don't think I've ever seen that much smoking on screen. Ever. All of the main players are exceptional. In particular, Fanny Risberg that plays Lena. Somebody should be thinking about making a record with this girl. The version of "Stay With Me Forever" on disc 2 is heartbreaking. I guess it's an old song judging by the credits but you just never know, anyway if the original is better then it really must be something. Those Gary Brookeresque keyboards, blimey. The whole thing is operating in a zone way beyond mere authenticity and I really hope that you take whatever chance presents itself to see and hear this.

More Info here

Listen again to "The Story of Flowers in the Rain" on BBC Radio 4. Tony Blackburn recalls the 1967 hit Flowers in the Rain by The Move, the first record played on Radio 1. A controversial publicity stunt to promote the single led to the band being sued by Prime Minister Harold Wilson. Contributors include former band members, photographers, producers and fans.

Dr Hesske sent me this, even if it's not real, it certainly rocked me like a hurricane.

Couldn't resist that... trying to hang onto the moment. (Makes hail satan sign on way to kitchen)

Ok, so while I get my bearings - check these things out...

Tickets for the David Lynch/Donovan "Catching The Big Fish" event on Friday October 26th at The Queens Hall in Edinburgh are now available to book online.

TM is just the ticket for the impending long dark nichts... and while we're on the subject, check out what's out on October 23rd.




Postcard Records
tribute night

Sunday, October 7
Mono, 103 King Street, (0141 553-2400)
8pm-12am
£4 suggested donation, proceeds to benefit Oxfam as part of the Oxjam Music Festival

Taking his cue from the melancholic side of the Velvet Underground, the ideals of punk, and his own maverick Caledonian stubbornness, Glaswegian Alan Horne managed in two short years (1979-81) to release a handful of masterpieces that continue to inspire pop people everywhere. Without Postcard Records, there might well have been no Pastels, no C86, no Sarah, no Flying Nun, no Smiths, no indiepop revival at all.
(Steve Thorton - Tweenet)

On Sunday (October 7th), Glasgow will pay tribute with local bands old and new performing live sets of covers from the label that brought us Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera.
Expect to see some famous faces in the line-up – and among the packed crowd – including Malcolm Ross (Orange Juice, Josef K, Aztec Camera), Justin Currie (Del Amitri), The Bluebells, BMX Bandits, The Poems, Wake The President, The Low Miffs, Lou Hickey, DJ Andrew Divine and other special guests.

RIP - Joe Riley (artist)

Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. returns to Otto's Shrunken Head this week for its last-Thursday-of-every-month dose of tiki tonic -- and with returning special guest singer Miss Rosalie Morris joining us for good measure! "The Southern Spitfire", as we like to call her, will offer the tropical cure for whatever ails you, alright. Unless it's something really serious, in which case you should just drink. Heavily.
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD TIKI BAR & LOUNGE / With special guest singer ROSALIE MORRIS! /
538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in ol' Manhattan / Two B-I-G shows, from 8:00 sharp 'til 10:00 / With DJ Scratchy ("He's square...He's yellow...He's solid state!"), salty snacks and your barkeep Pam / No cover! /

And, coming up in Thursday-happy October...
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4th -- Banjo Jim's (NYC)
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11th -- teneleven bar (NYC)
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25th -- Otto's Shrunken Head (NYC)
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Details galore at...
http://www.SITandDieCo.com/
http://www.myspace.com/sitanddieco/
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Yours in health,
Michael, Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. "Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

The Primevals will be back in the ring this October with these Edinburgh and Glasgow shows to herald the release of "there is no other life and this is it" on their own 'triple wide' label on October 12th. They're also on the upcoming Dirty Water Imprint Fleshtones tribute and set for a show at that self same club on December 7th. Full details on how to get all this stuff coming soon!

Got myself a double dose of culture yesterday to add to my general procrastination. I imagine that if I'd stayed at home I'd be no further forward anyways. Not that I'm trying to convince you either way. So anyways, it was Doors Open Day here and as part of that, the old Hippodrome renovation in Bo'ness was one of the buildings involved. You may have caught me gabbing about the place before. T'was an interesting wander indeed and it's hoped that the place will be open as a cinema and heritage centre sometime in 2008. It's an amazing space, sort of like the Roundhouse in London only minatureised. I'm not sure it would be possible to be used for live music but I can't see how it couldn't be utilised in an acoustic sense. Time and some investigation will no doubt tell. There were a lot of interested parties. Let's hope that keeps up when it actually opens. Then it was off to Glasgow to see a movie that might actually have played there back in the 60's, Sam Fuller's "Pickup on South Street". It was shown to launch the publication of The Dark Page by Kingly Reprieve which I just saw on Amazon for the bargain price of £7.67! It's possibly a mistake so score your copy now at this canny rate. Couldn't hang around for the Monorail Film Club shindig but I did get my tickets for the David Lynch/Donovan event in October. Tried to buy a couple extra incase any of you folks were up for it but they were all gone. Many thanks to Marc Baines for hipping me to this particular trip...

RIP - Alice Ghostley

Events of the past few days have been a wee bit overwhelming. It's going to take some time to try and process all that's gotta be dealt with. This is both good and bad but most certainly not evil. Anything but. I was all set to go and have a look at the Hippodrome in Bo'ness today, part of the Doors Open Day. It's only open tomorrow though so that's postponed. It's going to re-open as a cinema and heritage centre during 2008. Wonder what happened to the plans to put on music? Anyway, I hope to find out about all that tomorrow...

Meanwhile, it's probably time to "get in aboot" what has to be "gotten inaboot". 'til later perhaps. I see that the formatting has gone back to normal, everything indeed comes to he who waits. And waits a little more.

Still feeling a wee bit woolly after having way too much fun at the wedding of Captain David Scott and Margaret yesterday. Congratulations to those fine folks.

Amy Allison is on a plane headed for Newark as I tap away and you can hear her on Ricky's American Tunes on Radio Scotland tonight between 8.05 and 10pm. Listening to the tunes she recorded during the trip, there's another excellent album headed your way in the wilds of 2008.

MONORAIL FILM CLUB PRESENTS –
THE HOLY MODAL ROUNDERS:
BOUND TO LOSE
and SILVER JEW
This month Monorail Film Club turns it's attention to two generations of American underground music. The Holy Modal Rounders: Bound To Lose chronicles the wild forty-year history of 'The Rounders', who originated as a 1960's Greenwich Village psychedelic folk duo of Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber. Featured in the film are Dennis Hopper, former band member Sam Shepard, Peter Tork of The Monkees, Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo, The Fugs, Loudon Wainwright III, among many others.

Silver Jew is an intimate portrait of sometimes reclusive poet/ musician David Berman and his band the Silver Jews on their historic first visit to Israel in 2006. For Berman this trip was always going to be significant and emotional and the film offers a unique insight into the charismatic word-genius as he performs his music in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with a country-tinged incarnation of his group which includes his wife Cassie.

Sunday 23rd September, 6.45. We very much recommend booking tickets in advance.

GFT, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow. 0141 332 8128

Mr Rafferty wishes it to be known that The Beat Poets are playing the Bell St Stage at the Merchant City Festival in Glasgow on Saturday 22nd September. Stage time is 1:20 to 2:30pm.

I HATE 4 band bills. Particularly when the perceived order is futzed with. So thinking that by arriving late, we would actually miss one of the others - it was a bastard to turn up at Tuts to find that The Vivians had been on first. So this meant having to endure two others that might, to quote that Calvin Harris guy, have been "acceptable in the Eighties" but tonight it's two dollups of grating bollocks. Two bands that pushed the running time back to mean that leaving the SohoDolls set during "Weekender" to catch the last train was the less than satisfactory result.

I don't like going to Tuts anymore. Haven't since they got rid of the big mirror at the bar area. However, the 'Dolls deserve better. They should have been on second to last because then people wouldn't have had to leave. They also wouldn't have to endure way inferior musical faffing. If the "Ribbed Music" album is a little too polished then catching the band live is the way to put flesh on those production bones. The band also look greats and Tony Sailor reminded me of the one and only Keith Streng, you know that's a big plus around here. The loudness provides the songs a visceral quality and in places it's like Jo Callis period Human League sculpted by Al Jourgensen. Maya Doll's vocals were crystal clear and the overall sound in general was amazing. There are obviously samples involved but who the fuck cares when it's as well delivered as this. I've seen some rather unkind dismissals of the album, obviously penned by people who wouldn't know a real, living, breathing, groovy ensemble if they fell across it. SohoDolls are a rare commodity in these piss-poor pop saturated times. So, no chance to hear "Stripper" as we make our way into the rain but I'm sure it would have brought the house down. No other group in the UK has come close to capturing the heady days of The Sweet or Mud to my mind in recent living memory.

If you're in Aberdeen tonight then head for The Tunnels, they're in Greenock(!) tomorrow (Thursday) so give the QE2 a bodyswerve and get down to Reds. There are shows all over the country, check their myspace. They have potential to burn in the old-fashioned biblical sense but is that enough in these ADD festooned times? Only time will tell...

Dammit. I just discovered some stuff I should have posted over the last week or so. It was on a folder on my desktop that should have been visible but evidently never registered on my peepers when I logged on. Apologies if that has hurt anyone's draw in terms of shows, etc. I bit off more than these teeth can deal with, OK? However equilibrium should be restored over the next few days. I said "should" there as a possible disclaimer.

No drive to the stalag this morning. That has to be a good thing... don't think I have any petrol anyhoo.

For the fifth year in a row, Impolite Records proudly present their annual, free rock 'n' roll frenzy: Impolite Garage Fest! IGF is the only way to get your rock 'n' roll in The Hague. A town once known for great sixties beatbands as: The Golden Earrings, The Motions, Shocking Blue & Q65.

We try to live up to that spirit! This year we got: Lo-Lite (Slovenly recording artists from Arnhem play dirty "a bridge too far" garageblues), The Quotes (Rotterdamned punkrock'n'rollers voted best Dutch live act by Grunnen's Vera crowd), Los Tiki Boys (For that special surf sensation! With (ex-)members of The Kliek, Firebirds, Ouke Baas, Treble Spankers and Hallo Venray), The Peptones (garageR’n’R from The Hague with special guest Eric Geevers, of the legendary Ace-Tones, on his vox continental).

Last but not least we got Mark Sultan (aka BBQ). Straight from Canada comes half of The King Khan & BBQ Show, Former member of Les Sexereenos and The Spaceshits. His latest and greatest record is called “The Sultanic Verses” and is released by In The Red Records. On top of that marvellous line-up we got some of the coolest dj's who'll spin their grooviest 45's all night long!!! What about: Stefan Stardumb? Well, he'll be there! And as always: The Upper Shelves, Ziggy The Zigster, Robbie The Robster, Alvin and The Boogieman! And introducing: Funkstrut! So, come shake your hips, have a drink and meet your friends at our free Rock 'n' Roll Extravaganza! Hope to see you there,

Bram Haasdijk (Impolite Records, The Peptones)

WWW.IGF5.TK

WWW.PEPTONES.NL

Pick Up On South Street (PG)
Glasgow Film Theatre, Rose Street.
Sunday 23rd September @ 4.30pm.

To mark their publication of THE DARK PAGE, the long-lost 1944 crime novel by Hollywood iconoclast Sam Fuller, GFT and Glasgow's Kingly Reprieve Books presents a special screening of Fuller's frantic slam-bang noir masterpiece, Pickup On South Street. Lowlife pickpocket Richard Widmark and B-girl Jean Peters reluctantly save the world from a communist spy ring. From the startling opening close-ups, chronicling a pursesnatch in a crowded, greasy New York subway, it develops into a torrid love story and spy thriller where the world hangs in the balance. The film is introduced by David Will, who got to know Fuller during the Edinburgh Film Festival's 1969 retrospective, the book will be launched in the GFT bar at 3.30 and available at reduced price for one day only.

and from the press release for the book -

"If you don’t like Sam Fuller, you just don’t like cinema.”~ MARTIN SCORSESE

As director and writer, Sam Fuller is revered for raw films noir like Pickup on South Street and searing war movies such as The Big Red One, earning a devoted cult of fans that has included filmmakers from Jean-Luc Godard to Quentin Tarantino, and writers from James Ellroy to George Pelecanos. Before movies, however, Fuller was a newspaperman, and a prolific novelist, blasting out books for the disreputable pulp market. Drawing on his own experience, Fuller sets this story against the vividly rendered world of Manhattan’s ravenous tabloid newspaper industry. The Dark Page is the tale of Carl Chapman, a powerful city editor turned murderer, who finds himself hunted through the pages of his own paper by the young star crime reporter he personally groomed.

First published in 1944, this fantastically readable murder story has been unavailable for decades, and never published in the UK before. A bestseller in its day – when it was awarded “Best Psychological Novel of 1944” - the novel’s page turning pace, hardboiled stance, cynical wit and grit remain surprising, as do the cinematic eye and powerhouse story-telling of its author. A gripping noir snapshot of its era, with still-pertinent observations on the workings of the tabloid press, it is one of the great rediscoveries of the year.

I wonder what happened to the formatting on this? Not aware that anything was futzed with at this end to cause this but you never know. And, some messages with regard to not being able to access the posting area when I DO get a chance to attempt some of my patented gibberish. It seems to be letting me prepare this at least but who knows? I'll press publish and it'll vanish. The Wooden Shjips album arrival put me in a good mood but that's not likely to last. Things are backed up to Jackson Heights here in a manner of speaking so how that all pans out is open to conjecture, particularly up until the end of the month. After that it's expected that things will settle down but such expectation has a tendancy to be extended. I still feel a little EIFF-lagged and I've been busy lollygadding with exotic visitors. Reality is threatening to land me an almighty set of bumps and bruises but bobbing and weaving has kept me outta the range of any direct punch up the throat up to this point. I think a very lazy Sunday is in order. Normal service? How the heck would I know...

RIP - Doug Meech

"Sad news courtesy of James Booth: Original Chesterield Kings' drummer, Doug Meech has apparently passed away recently.

I don't have much information to go on other than a message from current Chesterfield Kings' guitarist Paul Morabito that Doug was found dead in his apartment after having been missing from work for almost a week.

Doug Meech was the original drummer in the Chesterfield Kings, forming the band with Greg Prevost and Rick Cona even before Andy Babiuk was involved. As the 'heart and soul' of the band, Doug (together with Greg, Rick, Andy and Ori Guran and later Walt O'Brien and Mike Pappert), played with the band from 1979-1988 performing on the bands early single and first few records as well as touring the States and Europe with the band. Since his departure from the music scene in 1988, Doug has lived a quiet life. On Sundays he would frequent the record store i work at (the Bop Shop) after church and buy loads of early 60's soul and r&b vinyl. In fact i just saw him last week and asked him if he still had his original Kings' drums (which he did)."

from a Garagepunkrecords.com mailout

FRIDAY SEPT 14 - 8PM - THE DIRTY WATER CLUB - MUSIC ROOM AT THE BOSTON ARMS, JUNCTION ROAD -
ACROSS FROM TUFNELL PK UNDERGROUND STATION
The Wildebeests
http://www.myspace.com/wildebeests
Members of the Kaisers, Milkshakes and Thanes combine their talents to become the Lairds of the Boss Racket. At the Primitive Festival in Rotterdam in June, despite being on a bill with so many great bands, the general opinion was that they were the best thing of the entire weekend!
The Stabilisers
http://www.myspace.com/thestabilisers
Featuring ex-Prisoners / Solarflares /Headcoats / James Taylor Quartet man Allan Crockford, The Stabilsisers are an unholy crossbreed of early Clash, XTC, the Buzzcocks, Generation X and The Boys, with the added genetic fingerprints of The Who in ‘65, the Ramones, The Modern Lovers, The Damned and some of the more angular garage bands of the late 60s
Black Time http://www.myspace.com/blacktimemutant77
Featuring former members of the Action Time and the Hotwires, Black Time indulge their love for underground LA punk legends Crime and obscure, mostly forgotten DIY punk 45s, mixed in with the Cramps and early Fall.
>>some images of Black Time playing the 10 year anniversary gig supporting the Monks
**************************************************************************************
SATURDAY SEPT 15 - PARIS, FRANCE - LA MECANIQUE ONDULATOIRE -
Passage Thiéré
THE WILDEBEESTS + 'garage / punk / surf combo TU SERAS TERRIBLEMENT GENTILLE
www.myspace.com/tuserasterriblementgentille
**********************************************************************************************************
SUNDAY 16 Sep 2007, 18:00 CORN ROCKET CLUB:
the Birdcage, 58 Stamford Hill, London N16, FREE!!!
T H E W I L D E B E E S T S + T H E B U C K E T S

Wooden Shjips have set sail and you can preview the album now. There was a lot to live up to and I think they've got the virus contained. Good old fashioned neu-sy, oscillation. The like of which I haven't encountered since the halcyon Spacemen 3 days. Just the thing for what ails yer... due in a week on cd and vinyl. Just the thing to book your ticket out of this world on the impending winter nights.

Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. goes country this week – at the 4th Annual Brooklyn Country Music Festival! It’s a colossal three-day happening of over 20 local pea-pickin’ acts and homemade pie, with our contribution coming on Saturday, September 8th at 6pm on the curtained stage of spacious Southpaw in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Why, we even had our picture in the paper. Complete festival lineup here. Also this week, should you just happen to be in the Philadelphia area, we’re appearing at the 8th Annual Hotroad Hoedown on Friday, September 7th, with all the gassed up details here.
Yours truly, Michael "Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

Oversubscribed and/or flailing. That's the order of the day around here. Many distractions and a total and utter lack of organisation on my part. Seems like the power to schedule has been lost and hence the rather tardy attempts at making an appearance here. I've sort of lost the will to blog actually. That's the truth of the matter, especially when the ISP seems to be playing up into the bargain. Using a bloody computer all day, every day means that I'm not altogether in the best tid for starting again when I drag my arse home, tonight - like last night - I had every intention of schlepping to Glasgow but the flesh, the spirit and the wallet are all vying for which is the sodding weakest. But anyway, Murray sent me this link to some Hilly the K tributes from outside what was CBGB's. From there you can navigate to more cool images by Debbie CB's. Go do it.

I thought I'd mentioned the Lucky Soul shows and in particular the one in Glasgow tonight at Barfly. Mr Duff sez no so I better rectify that. It's unlikely I'll make it over there but there's a loooooong days hard rain between now and then. Jeez... look at the time, ought to be gone...

RIP - Janis Martin (The Female Elvis)

I had about 5 minutes to post this information earlier from a bulletin recieved from Leee Black Childers. Been checking back and forth throughout the day but the only thing I've come across other than her myspace is this from the Noise Board. It was only last week Rosie Flores alerted the world to the fact that she was terminally ill. Maybe it's a blessing that it happened this fast but obviously not for her family, friends and fans. May she be boppin' with her boy Elvis right this very minute!

Andy Shernoff and Alan Vega and Handsome Dick on the passing of Hilly Kristal.

Wooden Shjips are on the cover-mount cd with the new Mojo. Pt 1 of the new "SOL '07" 45 providing a taster for the album coming on Holy Mountain (September 10th?). You can listen to "SOL Pt. 2" on their myspace continuum. It got that throb.

Bit hectic around here at the minute but that news about The Sonics has really set the heather on fire. Of course, I'll have to sit it out but I'm hoping that Mr Lenny Helsing will report back on what goes down as both his combos, The Thanes and The Wildebeests are in on the action. As are the mighty Fleshtones!

Can't believe that we're grazing September already and there's a lot to consider. Trying to update this thing everyday unravels sometimes. However, between this, that and trying to maintain an existence then this is the hand I've been dealt. It could be way worse or it could be be a tad or two smoother. Anyway, there's some haggis to fry and supplies to be got in. Or is it the other way aboot? Either way, I'm outta here...