I don't recall who posted a link to this on fb yesterday but it's a brammer.

If you're within attending distance, don't forget the Rev. Richard Mazda's Alex Chilton tribute at The Secret Theatre in Long Island City this evening...

It’s been a reasonable week by my standards. One spent almost entirely in what I can only figure must be a good mood but there are creaking signs this morning. At first I thought the stats had gone but it seems to have been a glitsch. I still have no patience irrespective of demeanour and always plump for the worst case scenario. Call it a character trait.

I figured I’d give Jesus H Foxx a listen on myspace. Just to see what their recordings sound like and besides, I guess it wasn’t their fault that they were mismatched with a punk rock band. The verdict? There’s a semblance of a sound that wasn’t evident in the bowels of CV but they’re no Eagleowl. They mention Pavement too so that’s a sure sign of the generation chasm right there. But then Yo La Tengo too so maybe I was too hard on them. They’re only wee and I’d seen Moon Duo the night before.

Checked out Tiny Robots page too and find that they’re called My Tiny Robots. I never cared for the Postcard sound first time out and cross-pollenating this with the fence collective going all talking heids does little to cajole me but hey, I’m too sodding old for all this anyway.

And on that note, the chores are calling. I am ironing man. Cue Beavis, cue Butthead.

It’s symptomatic of the finest pop clobber that a song can just wash over you. Cleansing the ear palate to stand out as anything but the fodder that we’re constantly bombarded with. “Fredrik” has all the hallmarks of the former. It’s a reactively low key introduction to “Facit” but it bodes well in an understated almost subliminal shimmer. Nobody does it quite like Annika (Norlin) and her crew in Säkert!

Difficult to imagine that any visitor to this ‘hood is unaware of who and what this amounts to but there’s always a possibility that someone isn’t paying attention or might be a newbie. The campaign to spread the word never ceases hereabouts. Visitors to the bunker always go away pledging to buy and wondering just why they haven't heard this phenomenal talent.

It’s still to be established what form the version of the upcoming album with English lyrics will take. My wish is that it finally cements the plain as the neb on your fizzog reality that the world would be a better place if it embraced the works of this young lady who is currently being misrepresented in the Swedish press.

Everything seems possible on a Friday morning. It’s a point where some degree of optimism and expectation converge to provide some kind of rush based on the simple premise that it’s the preamble to 2.5 days off. This morning I was thinking to myself that I could judge the time by the light. Having consigned the alarm clock to OFF, I glanced at yon device only to find that maybe my skill wasn’t as honed as I thought. Ergo I lost nearly an hour of that aforementioned end of the week buzz.

Hoo-ever, no point in boo-hooing over that now. I’m home. I plan on spinning The Riverdales at warp volume sometime after I get to the bottom of the ongoing Car Insurance finagle. Ever get the feeling you’re being systematically shaken down? However, I have a (pipe)dream that’s keeping me afloat. I don’t want to say it out loud yet for fear that it’ll come down around my ears.

A lot of music and a couple or three movies is what figures most in the upcoming hours. It would have been cool to have made it to Southern Fried but you can’t always get what you want as that rubber-lipped fella once said.

Several things have happened recently that lead me to believe that perhaps there is some kind of higher power. Somebody even had the audacity to call me “chirpy”. No Sally Carr references please. Don’t despair, I’m sure that I’ll come crashing back to earth soon enough.

One of these was getting a finished copy of “Two-Way family Favourites” following Amy and Eric’s triumphant recent US tour. Yes I’m biased, and it’s been trailed here several times but it’s been on heavy rotation this week and shows no signs of wanting to leave the CD player.

A collection of songs that weren’t written by the artists in question then, and an undoubted treasure that brings together an assortment that only these two could get away with. Go to one of the upcoming shows or get it direct from the source. Actually, you need to do both but I’ll leave the logistics up to you. To paraphrase the song by Mr Tom Petty (and his Heartbreakers), some (albums) are diamonds and some (albums) are rocks but this one belongs firmly in the upper echelons of the carat method of measure.

Meanwhile, my plans for Perth have been scuppered due to one thing and another. Mainly having to re-new my flippin’ car insurance. My bubble has not been burst, it just has a slow puncture. So. I may not possess a pot to piddle in but I tend to measure wealth in other ways. On top of receiving “Two-Way” this week, the new Säkert! “single” "Fredrick" and also Iain just delivered The Riverdales “Tarantula” an hour or so ago. If Rita Redshoes turns up too then technically – that lot could just about see me oot.

Cool music has been making like the corporation bus, nowt for a while and then a whole bunch come along together. I’m not complaining – just telling you.

A recap from yesterday… the band that opened for Moon Duo was Mugstar. Didn’t one of Busted start a band called something like that?

Two school nights out on the trot… feeling the burn but not in a bad way, it seems almost like I have a life but now I’m back in the box. Rolled into Cabaret Voltaire around 8 and the first of the three band bill was on. I’m about to use some bad language now so if that kind of thing offends you then look away now. Said group, Tiny Robots (maybe Nanobots could take out an injunction?) sound like M*mford and Son. Or is it Sons? I don’t know but I do know that I get the dry boke when I hear them. That was bad enough but then Jesus H Foxx came on. They make a sound like overhearing someone playing haircut 100 on their iPod (would have been a walkman before)several seats down the train. I’m sure they’re nice kids, just keep them the fox away from me.

Neither of these groups complimented the headliners and nor did the horrible 80’s crap that was played during the breaks. I like Dum Dum Girls recent Sub Pop album a lot since hearing it between Trembling Bells and Wooden Shjips at Stereo earlier this year. Missed their Glasgow appearance at the same venue because of the Suicide stramash down south (I think). So here we are finally. A Tuesday night in Auld Reekie, right doon the front in direct proximity to the girlie action.

Under the old (music) business model, DDG would have presented a marketing potential on a Kiss scale. Toys, cartoons, all manner of merch could easily be associated with these girls. I’ve heard gripes and ho hums directed at them that seem to be utterly groundless. The songs are good, they look bloody scrumdiddeleyumptious and they can deliver live. What’s not to dig?

Whereas the record sounds very authentic to the C86 ethic, the live thing is faster and louder. It benefits greatly from the drums not sounding like a rhythm machine. The Richard Gottehrer production reminded me to look out The Prissteens “Scandal, Controversy and Romance” which was the classic girl group concept applied to yer more basic NY rock attack. If you don’t know that album then you’re missing a real brammer. DDG rattled though their set from a brooding slow burn “Play With Fire” and much of the “I Will Be” material. Under any justice system “Jail La La” should be a hit. The band is opening for MGMT on their UK tour in September.

I’m wondering if the three or more band bill should constitute festival status. In real terms these things do nobody any good. If an act has an hour’s worth of material then sure, have an opener but treat it like a cool double bill at the pictures.

I’m aware that it’s muchly about breaking even but let’s inject some decorum shall we. Let’s take the rather fabulous Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby franchise as an example. They don’t need no opening act. They could play anybody off the park in the world cup of outright entertainment. Like a two person E-street band. Having anyone else involved impedes what they do. Call me old-fashioned, and I am, but that travesty last night was the straw that broke this particular camel’s humph. No wonder every fucker is in various stages of ADD. It's about quality, not quantity and the former has sod all to do with being able to cajole all your herbert pals along.

Annika Norlin is NOT retiring from music

Some rumours, based on an interview in Swedish magazine Filter, is saying Annika Norlin (Hello Saferide, Säkert!) is giving up on music. This is not at all true.

However:
- I started studying as well, I think it balances up nicely with writing songs. I used to work with other stuff alongside music, I have no idea why this has caused such a storm, says Annika.

- I get really annoyed with how media always portrays female musicians like some kind of super women, so I told Filter a bit about the hard parts about the job as well. This has later on been interpreted by other media like I am lying shaking on the floor and never want to do music again, which is completely untrue.

Thank you to every concerned listener who has been in touch.

The next Säkert! album, Facit, will be released on September 15.

(Thanks Martina)

And the bloody press wonder why the arse is falling out of their business... sheesh.

Go Bambi's!

Time for a wee catch up...

On Sunday, I took in a double bill of “A Prophet” and “The Beat My Heart Skipped”. It was between that and "Toy Story 3" but I figured that the latter is going to be around for a while. I didn’t want to be reduced to seeing “A Prophet” on DVD. As it was, TS3 might have suited my mood better but ye cannae unscramble eggs. I’d had 4 pints of Guinness the previous evening over a relatively short space of time in the company of a very dear old friend, That’s more than I’ve had to quaff, I thought in this country but there was London in May... I should qualify that by saying someone that I’ve known for a long time rather than the fact that said individual is old. The number 38 rings a bell. Anyway, long and short of it is that I’m a lightweight in the drinking stakes these days. Always was if truth be told, especially since the tequila incident. So there was a bit of a woozy fug going on and my attention was apt to wander here and there.

Anyways, I’d heard raves about “A Prophet” and it’s a very good film with one drawback for me, the bad guy in it looks like that pillock TV chef Anthony Worrall Thompson (sp?). It would be a little like that equally heinous twat Gordon Ramsay being a Bond villain. No disrespect to actual twats intended. In spite of all this though, it’s all fairly unpleasant and something of a visual roughing up. The brutality that permeates both films would seem to suggest that that this is Jacques Audiard speciality. “Beat” has some lighter moments and an actress (Aure Atika) that I was very taken with but it’s still pretty oppressive. Never reckoned much to The Kills but dug “Monkey 23” from the soundtrack. Electrocute are in there too. Apparently this is based on a movie called “Fingers” that I’ve never seen. Must check that out.

I would never advocate DVD over cinema viewing but both of these would work equally well on the small(er) screen. To be honest, it was all a bit too much over 5 hours. I’d rather have seen them individually in retrospect but hey, the price was right.

So here we are, the bast part of the way through Tuesday and I’m heading out the door shortly to attend the Dum Dum Girls recital in Edinburgh with The Iain Shaw. Just time to do a quick resume of the past wee while. I’ve been spending some time away from the bunker and, while my planned schlep up to Perth this weekend has been iced, it brings into sharp focus the adage of “ye cannae dae it a’”.

The Moon Duo show lived up to all expectations and those were pretty lofty y’know. This bijou combo makes a big, big noise proving once again that size isn’t everything. There was a bright full moon hanging out over the weej last night perhaps providing solar energy to the relentless groovenotic pulsebeat. With a drum machine set on “Nick Knox” and some blazing guitar that channelled early Gilmour via Ronnie Montrose – they oozed and throbbed just the way we like it. A solid hour of pummelling even included their interpretation of The Scientists “Set It On Fire”. Who the heck could ask for anything more?

Sanae Yamada and Erik “Ripley” Johnson cast excellent shadows below the oscillating light show. They look amazing as the volume gets pumped and frequencies conspire to disorientate. This is an undertow that will sweep you all the way out to sea if you let it. Delivered at a volume you could never recreate at home. Seeing them will enhance the listening experience when you next break out the albums. DO NOT MISS THIS COMBO!

It was a reasonable turnout in the end however, a pox on those who attended Public Image up the road a bit at the expense of this. I imagine that those individuals getting the feeling they were cheated right about now. Oh, wait… that was John’s other group. Rod Stewart was also holding the town to ransom last night but I guess that was no direct competition.

Openers Mudstar (?) made a reasonable racket that would work better using the less is more approach. It all got to be a bit lumpy bordering on grungey. Not in a good way. Other sections were thick and hearty like loud soup. Memo to one of the guitar players, waving your guitar about and dangling it off the stage didn’t seem to kick up any additional sound tingles. You might want to refrain – if not completely then at least some.

OK time to eat something and run. No time for links. Maybe later. Cheerie.

Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. continues its search for an elusive chicken -- with two fully feathered sets at Otto's Shrunken Head on Thursday!

THURSDAY, JULY 29th / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD / 538 East 14th Street

(just west of Avenue B) in ol' Manhattan /Two air-cooled shows,

from 8pm sharp until 10pm / No cover!

Inquisitively yours, Michael

Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co.

"Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

RIP - Willy Bakken (Willy B)

This almost makes me want to get tickets for Glasgow in January...

A timely reminder that Dean and Britta will be performing "13 Most Beautiful" at The Barbican in London next Friday. I cannot recommend this show highly enough. Hard to believe that it's been more than a year since they were in Dunfermline. it's a special occasion. Treat it as such.

And while we're on the subject, one of the most sublime moments is available on a limited pressing of 500. The Great Pop Supplement has released "I'll Keep It with Mine" a numbered edition in a beautiful 8 page minizine booklet. A real keepsake with strings that'll kill ya.

Thanks to Craig via Staysick for this. Always great to see new (to me) videos of Lux and Ivy talking...

There's much reportage about the Big Society here in the UK but I think that the press release actually came out with a typo. And I wonder if it's likely to include those utter fuckwits that drive while they yatter on a mobile phone? Anyway, it's not good to be wound up on a Friday afternoon and there's some good stuff coming up over the next day or three. In addition, I'm dealing with chores and other stuff that I've been procrastinating with for some considerable time. Headway is being made so I'm kind of going with the flow.

Anyway though, you could use a break from my yakkin' so if you're looking for click action...

Radio Free Song Club Summer Special Edition!

The Busybuddy is back!

Teenage Kicks is worthy of your time.

Hello Saferide will be in LA this coming October!

I need to find links for a couple other things at this juncture. They've been mislaid. A bit like my mind it would seem.

Don't have much time for kicking around here tonight, Mr Percival sent me the link to this…

It was a veritable Marilyn this morning when I drove across the damp turnip smelling plains to the day prison. As in monsoon – Manson geddit? (well sod you then). Does "Shirley" or "Charlie" sound better? It’s alleged to get better toward the weekend but I ain’t about to fall for that old cheggie. And it matters not a jot in the grand scheme of things anyways. We’re over the sizeable hillock that is a Wednesday and heading downhill toward yonder weekend. This is one of those rare occasions where downhill can be interpreted as a positive thing.

So The Dwarves are headed for Glasgow in August. They deliver their particular brand of mayhem to Ivory Black’s in August and Mr Spence has a message for you about those particular shennani’s... "Glasgow's horriblest punks on the block, THE JACKHAMMERS, have got the opening support slot for the Glasgow show of those kings of slash'n'burn punk rock, THE DWARVES. And we got CHEAP tickets for it at just £6!!! - regular price is £9 plus booking fee. Give us a shout at jackhammers@bronx-cheer.wanadoo.co.uk if ya interested."

Did you clock the new DT’s 45 that’s just come out on Pure Vinyl of Austria? “God Damn Shame” is a brammer, like The Bellrays if that combo actually had some songs. I know some of you think they do but I beg to differ. Imagine a Joplin-esque soul shout embedded in a barrage not unlike the MC5 and you’ve got all the makings of a tune that’s definitely a hit (as in assault) to these ears. The flip, "High On A Horse", don’t slouch none either. And if you detect any hint of melon twisting going on then you can head over here and hear it for yourself.



Not sure where you get it from, I need to investigate and get back to you. Try Soundflat or Piccadilly for starters. I can’t remember the name of the cool store in Vienna that used to stock the physical NBT, my senility is getting worse... anyway, I bet they have it - provided they're still there. And I hope they are!

Cool Big Star remembrance over at Alternatives To Valium.

And that's yer lot for tonight.

RIP - Andy Hummel

(Thanks to Dr H for the link)

It’s been a bit damp out this way today. The inevitable torrents presented themselves and it’s a whole lot fresher out in addition to the obvious inconvenience of trying to get about in such conditions. The “flash flood” seems to be something that has only come about in recent times. Drainage systems get overwhelmed easily, I’m not sure we get more rain, it’s just heavier. Not really something that concerns me because I’m indoors for the night. Hopefully a week from tonight, conditions will be better for the Moon Duo shindig.


Not sure why I send myself messages about buying viagra and fake rolex watches. I never buy any so you’d think that in that case, I would have removed myself from my own mailing list. Or maybe it’s subliminal? I mean, I’m daft but there’s a limit. This is what I hate about even going near a computer. The bombardment of pish like that. Even although it ends up in the spam, it takes seconds of my existence flushing it out. Seconds that amount to minutes and ultimately hours that one will never be able to redeem. Memo to any of the halfwits that are involved with such material, or that might be thinking about leaving a comment with regard to their wares on this particular post. Don’t. Or maybe by that I mean die. It’s easy to confuse those two when the irritation has gotten so blistery and it’s seldom those who deserve the latter that actually take that route.

Well I’ll be hornswaggled (with a bit of luck), the bloody sun has gone and shown it’s face...

It’s Suzy Chain’s birthday, same day as Ms Evie Sands. Two powerhouse singers...



And there’s the YouTube rabbithole that Rory McGee presented when he posted this...



I made some progress this weekend and also did some lollygadding. If you find yourself in the vicinity of the San Diego ComicCon then Mike McCarthy will be hitting that up with “Cigarette Girl”. Next week I think... It’s Sunday evening and the dreaded Monday meechs (pronounced with that throat clearing sound) are descending. I’m about to make like a test card. Strangely the best example I could find was from Sweden. Nighty night.

... I just ordered THIS.

September tour dates for Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby are right here. Edinburgh might be added prior to Glasgow...

Mr Cavanagh has news of some entertainment taking place off the normal beaten venue track this coming week...

As part of the Merchant City Festival, the Sharmanka Gallery hosts 3 evening events showcasing a wonderful range of music (and dance) from Glasgow based artists.

On Thursday 22nd July, The Rope and Duck Co. perform amidst Eduard Bersudsky's marvelous mechanical sculptures. This trio comprises Una MacGlone on double bass, Emma Roche, flute & Aileen Campbell, voice. In addition to their reputation as performers in their own right and within the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra, Aileen, Emma and Una's trio performances have now found their way onto record and this show will also be a launch for their debut album on the Iorram label.

Friday 23rd July sees musician Daniel Padden in collaboration with dancer Kate E. Deeming. The range of experience and influences which one could list in describing these two performers could run to several pages, so I'll refrain from waffling on too much. Daniel's solo work, his One Ensemble, film soundtrack music and work with Volcano the Bear amongst other things have made him a consistently interesting and inspiring figure, while Kate E's dance projects have seen her performing on the Broomielaw, in Sri Lanka, Japan and many points in between!

Sunday 25th July will find Nalle at Sharmanka, as they close their tour promoting their third album, the very wonderful Wilder Shores of Love on the Alt Vinyl label. Nalle have enlightened Glasgow's music community for a few years now and their performance within Sharmanka promises to be a truly special experience.

All shows start at 8pm.

The number of people who can be in the gallery at any one time is quite limited, so it's advisable to book your place beforehand by e-mailing sharmanka2004@hotmail.com

Happy Birthday Evie Sands!

AVAILABLE AUGUST 16th on
SCREAMING APPLE

THE TWISTAROOS
"Twisted!" vinyl!

SCALP 189

BARCODE LP: EAN 13 - 4260038371893

OK! Let's set the record straight. It's the YUM YUMS which become THE TWISTAROOS when they're getting a little tired of doing that good old bubblegum/power-pop thing, starting to play soulful rhythm'n'blues and rock'n'roll, kinda like the DETROIT COBRAS and the FLESHTONES, so you know that you need to have this record anyway!!!

THE TWISTAROOS was conceived one late night at Sin City, a bar in one of the more shady areas of Moss, Norway. The atmosphere was irresponsibly high whipped up by way too many cocktails. The primitive, seductive rythms of garage rock, soul and rocknroll had long ago turned the dance floor to a vipers nest of transpiration exchanging sinners, and it was then the slender singer Ms Goodvibe sporting an outrageously short hemline and an advanced intoxication wiggled up against the no less animated guitar player Morty Mortaroo for the occation impeccably dressed in shirt tails ever so wild and with a multi colored lamp shade on his head.

Lets start a dance band, she said, licking her blood red lips. You know, not disco or anything, but the dirty kind that makes things move down below! She looked hopefully into his eyes while finishing yet another double Sin City Cocktail Delight. Seconds earlier Mortaroo had ruled the dance floor, juggling a myriad of young beauties, and it didnt take long before the immortal sounds of Louie Louie appeared in his head: Dadada-Dada-Dadada-Dada Yupp, he knew exactly what she was talking about, so he pushed the lamp shade back with an affirmative blink of the eye: Dance band - you got it! No sooner said than done Otto Gamstaroo, a well known to the music police in Moss, was brought on board as drummer. Der Gamster is a guy who treats his drums as he treats the men who gets in his way, he beats the hell out of them with a Bo Diddley beat. I brought a bass player, Otto said when the band was to make their debut show. He pointed towards a shady-looking gentleman at the end of the bar, already halfway through a stiff drink. This was not to be the last time Otto brought along a friend from the rhythm section circle in town. It was easier that way.

They came, did their job, got paid and left. No names no conversation. THE TWISTAROOS will do anything for money. They play weddings, birthdays, funerals, births. All kinds of parties! So book them now; they have expensive habits and need the cash!

Tracklist:

Side One/ 1. Do the Twistaroo/ 2. Tough Lover/ 3. Everybody's gonna get some/
4. (Let's go) Where The Action Is/ 5. The Chase/ 6. Chills And Fever/ 7. I like It Like That

Side Two/ 1. Everybody Say Hey!/ 2. You Better Run/ 3. Dog Fight/ 4. Animal Instinct/
5. I'm Ready/ 6. Baby Baby Baby/ 7. I May Never Get To Heaven

CD available on House of Rock but did you read that? This is VINYL!!

Andy, Tish and Snooky entertain you... Thanks to Monkeybeat Blog!

Matt & Kim in NY mag

(thanks to KP for the link)

RIP - Hank Cochran

Just in case anybody was wondering why some of us keep banging on about Spain...













That Rev thing from Letterman is pretty amazing. It worked for me on a level of being a pisstake of Kanye West type “Gold Digger” antics too. I’m not sure of the power that an appearance on that show, or any show other than Oprah can do, but Marty on such a high profile outlet earns M.I.A. muchos kudos in my particular orbit. Aka Marty In Action!

Big fun in Joisey tomorrow night...

Martin Rev with M.I.A. on Letterman last night... (thanks to Iñigo and Marty for the link)

Southern Fried Festival - Perth, Scotland.

July 31st - August 2nd

Thank you Duglas!

As you folks are no doubt aware, I couldn’t give a shit about the fitba but I LOVE Spain, so congratulations to any of my crew out there who do give a hoot. Condolences to wir homies in Holland who might be a little downhearted after the event but it’ll wear off soon I hope. The passion with which the Spanish people embrace everything should be a lesson to us all.

I think that I’m down with this idea of Kickstarter. Just recently, it seems there have been a good bunch of projects that can be helped get off the ground. It’s quite healthy in these days of vultures circling around to feast on the talents of others. It’s now possible to let the individual take control rather than be directed by those that put up the money. Like with regular donations but without the admin take. The downside is that one can’t invest in them all however much they might want to. As it is, there’s a positive revenue stream and an opportunity to make something happen outside of the regular terrain.

Here’s something you may care to consider…

What else do I need to tell you before my alloted time runs out on this thing?

Oh yeah, Scott Kempner website up and running - get all yer Top Ten info right yonder.

A limited edition 7" of Dean and Britta's sublime versh of "I'll Keep It With Mine"? Yes please.

RIP - Tuli Kupferberg

The Fugs - Crystal Liaison from sebastian f sorrow on Vimeo.

On a Friday afternoon, it seems like there’s all the time in the world. Then some blighter hits the speed forward button and then you find yourself at Monday again. And if you were to react to that, and book a holiday then you’d soon run out of yer allocation so all of this leaves me in a quandary pretty much every Sunday evening around 5pm. It matters not the time zone that I’m in. The inevitability is all-consuming. My good behaviour stamps must count for something? I’d like to hope they outweigh the bad anyway. Two weeks today until Moon Duo, wonder if I should book a day off.

It also just occurred to me that it’s time to renew the car insurance. If public transport ever stepped up to the plate then this wouldn’t be necessary but sadly that’s unlikely EVER to happen in my lifetime. Wasting time with this shit really irks me because of the smoke and mirrors, number one on the necessary evil chart every year about this time.

In addition to many other faculties that seem to be in decline, I’m wondering if narcolepsy is another that I can add to the list. CRS seems to be the major ailment though, to the point that it kind of disturbs me. One minute I can be sitting quite the thing and then I seem to enter full shutdown mode with no real means of re-boot other than the trauma of effort.

Anybody else notice that Google news could be doing with a typo checker this last wee while? My memory and whatever might be shot but for some reason I always seem to be able to pick up on all that. It’s easily done when you’re tapping away but in terms of an organisation like that, it’s plain shabby.

Where am I by the way? Feels like some kinda pickled brain soup.

RIP - Harvey Pekar

Hot enough fer ya? Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. offers up two shows this week guaranteed to heat things up even more -- with our monthly residency at the Rodeo Bar on Wednesday and an appearance at the "Rebel Night Weekender" festival on Saturday!

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14th / RODEO BAR /
375 Third Avenue (at the corner of 27th Street) in Manhattan / Two air-cooled shows, from 10pm sharp until 12:30am / No cover!

SATURDAY, JULY 17th / "REBEL NIGHT WEEKENDER" /At THE WARSAW (The Polish National Home) in Greenpoint, Brooklyn / A three-day festival from the "Rebel Night" dance party gang! /

Yours in all weather, Michael

Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. "Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

I nearly made what could have been a very embarrassing mistook. Planning to go to Utrecht, certain that A-Bones show was on Saturday when it was in fact on Friday. Sick as I am about missing it, I would have been spitting many more feathers if I'd gotten there the day after. This has taught me a valuable lesson to mark up the calendar for important events and check the dates. Evediently, my recall and even ability to read is misfiring.

I need to file my column for the OX too. Meant to do that yesterday but never got the op. To tell the truth, your scribe could happily veg out in front of the TV but that's an urge that needs to be fought. It's not quite uncontrollable yet but it's getting there. Perhaps I should drag myself outdoors but the weather is on some kind of rolling bluster with bursts of sunshine punctuated by high winds and rain.

So let's see how it all unfolds over the course...

Well it’s Pee in the Dark weekend and the big black crowds are gathering to soak some sense into those that buy their tickets before the bill is announced. Those who do so afterwards only have themselves to blame. I can’t recall how many years it’s been going now but I don’t think it would be possible to make a decent roster out of the whole shebang. Maybe an afternoon...

And then you look at this and think to yourself, then there at least would seem to be a god (of thunder) someplace.

I’ll attempt to watch some of the televised debacle from Balado just to see what I’m missing but I don’t hold out much hope that it’ll make me want to get on that particular bus. Maybe if Matt and Kim played, I’d go for their set and then leave promptly but frankly there are few undertakings that could be less of an ordeal. They have surpassed themselves this year in terms of an awful bill though. Bonuses to all for fulfilling that remit.

RIP - Harvey Fuqua (The Moonglows)

Do any of you want a copy of this Prince album that's being hawked with a newspaper this weekend? Let me know before saturday and I'll attempt to hook you up.

I’m as sure as I can be that this morning, I dreamt that the alarm went off and had dragged myself up only to have the actual alarm go off and have to go through the dragging process in actuality. I’m not sure what that adds up to on a psychiatric basis but it sure shook me up. Perhaps an inherent inability to comprehend lateness? I’m a stickler for punctuality both for myself and others. Diametrically opposed to the concept of never early, always late. This and my unhealthy interest in packing stuff to protect it from a postal thrashing are the two most obsessive, compulsive traits that I can be accused of. Anyway, it’s about 12 hours after that and I’m still smarting. Maybe this is a dream too? It always occurred to me that donating blood resulted in a good night’s sleep but not recently and thus far in 2010, I’m down three pints of the stuff.

There’s some prime rock action coming up in a head-on trajectory with your noggin. Right now there’s The DT’s new 45, "God Damn World" that’s just come out on the Austrian label, Pure Vinyl. It's like The Bellrays if they had songs. I’ll be hooking you up with info shortly on a limited run of the new full length by The Primevals entitled ”Disinhibitor”. Early birds will be able to score an additional edition of the live set that was recorded when they opened up, and duly despatched, a variation on The Saints that blew through Tut’s in – I think – 2005. The very fabulous Kim Warnick sent me a demo song of her new combo, The Calligraphers which is also top notch. I've heard a LOT of great new stuff this week and hope to be able to give you more details on that over the next wee while. Tomorrow is Friday, right?

I seem to have caught some kind of virus. Of the type that skews the ability to use time wisely and with it the art of prioritising. Maybe it’s because there’s nothing hard and fast happening. All of a sudden, I’ve gotten the feeling of drifting. Not always good, never really bad but listless nonetheless. Having located my blood donor card, I decided that I should make the effort to go and use it. To give back for the cool surprise of some new tracks by by The Dahlmanns in my e-mail this morning. More on that as and when the signal for the word to go out is given.

The autumnal streak continues and it’s definitely a bit fresher. Kind of impossible to have as much rain as there’s been this past few days and it not to be. Ran into some local worthies on my daunder. One of 'em gave me some information that was a little rough concerning another. There are some rotten cards being dealt and this makes me think that i should probably keep my face shut when it comes to complaining.

It’s a sair fecht and the vibe has been pretty autumnal today. The leaves aren’t falling off the trees or anything but it just seems as though yer average daytime scenery has gone from blue to grey. Forecast is for more dampness to ensue which is something that really shouldn’t be on the agenda for a good 6 – 8 weeks yet. Conversely, I believe that the Tri-State area is melting.

Folks in the Scandinavian countries should be on the lookout for Moon Duo, Stockholm tomorrow, Malmo Friday (look out for 4-eyed Thomas in the moshpit) with Oslo in between. A good hard kick up the arse to whoever decided the routing on this one. You should go here and check. The Glasgow show later this month is at Stereo, not Sleazy's. The A-Bones are on this side of the big puddle too and I’m pig sick that I’m gonna miss ‘em.

Do you visit So Many Records every day? Or do you let it build and just gorge yourself on the music and commentary once a week. If you don’t attend with such a rabid frequency then you should.

Now I have to go try and find my blood donors card. Goodnight.

I’m not entirely sure if the weekend went according to plan or not. Certainly, some progress was made along the way to try and restore a sort of order to the bunker. Not a lot but some. It was good to spend less time in front of the computer screen and the rather meagre number of posts here is something you might be becoming accustomed to over the next wee while. There’s not a lot of urgency on anything right now and maybe it’s just reflecting the same sort of silly season that you get with traditional newspaper media. They get thinner at this time of year to the point of anorexia.

Mr Spence has been in touch about an Eruption that’s about to take place but don’t worry, there will be no ash cloud preventing your globetrotting. This particular rumpus is exclusive to Glasgow’s West End. Here’s his pitch...

"The legendary ERUPTION is back for a one-off show of the usual high standard of rock'n'roll in Glasgow this Friday - and it's FREE, just like the good old days!! THE BRUTES; THE REVERSE COWGIRLS and CHARLES RANDOLPH RIVERS' SLIM RHYTHM REVUE at the WISE MONKEY (formerly Hubbard's), 508 Great Western Road, Glasgow G12, nr Kelvinbridge underground. First band - 9.30; and did I mention it's FREE?!!"

In its former guise, this place did the best sticky toffee pudding in town

In other news, the very Rev. Niklas Vahlberg has alerted me to a show that will see the mighty Nomads and Problem get together to rattle the rafters of Kulturbolaget in Stockholm. This will go down on August 21st and will be a momentous night. I’ll be reminding you of this in the run-up but you should go. Really.

And as the Nortonians head for Europe, here's what they're cooking up for us over the next few months. All the rock'n'roll you could ever need and they're even branching out into gospel, but definitely not as you know it! Here's the scoop!

Wishing all our friends across the big puddle and wherever, a damn fine Dave Alvin Day to y'all... (I never saw this before, thanks to Ralph for posting it on facebook.)

Jerry Blavat is 70 today and he'll be celebrating that and the fact that he's been broadcasting for a half century on WXPN today at 5pm EST.

He and Ben Vaughn take a trawl through his record collection, considered to be "the eighth wonder of the world". Some of this stuff is just mind-boggling and is not for the faint hearted. Don't say you weren't warned.

Happy Birthday to The Geator With The Heater!

The best made plans… (I was going to type laid but that seemed inappropriate ahead of the watershed) ... have a tendency to get skewed. I never made it out last night for a couple or reasons. Further to that, just before I left the bunker this morning, a minor calamity ensued that was thankfully easier to solve than I anticipated. Of course, it could be way worse but already there are hurdles when I all I wanted to do really was veg out whilst trying to restore some semblance of order to this pit.

Who knows, I might even be able to listen to some music. Whether I actually do or not will become apparent in due course. Ben Vaughn’s tribute to commemorate The Geator (who is 70 tomorrow) is something you HAVE to tune into tomorrow or when it’s archived. A lot of bullshit is thrown around about how music can save you but take it from me, some of the stuff that goes down during that two hours actually can. The link and info will be with you bright and early tomorrow.

True to form, July arrived with torrential rain and terminal dampness. We’ve been spoiled this past few weeks but today, looking out the window it’s been as grue grum grey as a November day. Not that I have anything agin that month but the way the light is tricked me into thinking I had longer to get myself together than I actually did this morning. My mind isn’t really on facebook updates and blog posts right about now. In fact, I’ve no real idea where it might have wandered off to. It’s slipped down the back of the sofa for all I know. I’m pretty sure it hasn’t been kidnapped though because no ransom note has been forthcoming.

I’m not about to put up “Missing” posters just yet.

Advanced plans are in place not to have to leave the bunker over this weekend. Of course, if a really good offer was to appear then maybe I could be tempted but methinks that a wee spell of “shut-in” (rhymes with…) will be in order. My idea of a brief hit and run on Utrecht for The A-Bones have been scuppered sadly but that’s the scale of event that might elicit my stepping over the threshold.

Meanwhile, the plan, as it stands, is to head into Auld Reekie tonight to raise a glass to Mr & Mrs Happy G at the Voodoo Rooms. Congratulations kids.