WELL NOW...

RIP - PENNY MARSHALL

It's COU-RISTMAS TIME!!

Heading for the other side of the world...

First good Christmas single of 2018

JUST POSTED TODAY - THE NEW PALE LIPS!

DOWNLOAD EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS - THE RAPTORS GET FESTIVE!

MY FAVOURITE NEW BAND OF 2018 INTERVIEWED OUTSIDE OVNI in MADRID

RIP - Patrick Mathé

Sorry to hear about this. Patrick was a force of nature as was his New Rose imprint. Last contact I had with him was when I was working on the Cubist Blues liner note thing.

Here's something from one of the fine records he brought to the world.

AMY RIGBY IS HERE - IN THE UK - SEE HER!!

FUNTASTIC HITS ITS TEENAGE YEARS - THIRTEEN YEARS OF ROLLING IN THE THUNDER!

My report is a wee bit late this year for a number of reasons but here goes...

The Penelope logo

The celebrations nudged into November this year and coincided with the resort’s end of season surge. The sight of beered-up Brits is a lot scarier than anything the most fevered Funtasticos could dream up. Heading into town, the bus was three quarters full of these fuckwits but in annual fashion I made a new friend that made the journey bearable. I’d noticed that Clara was wearing a Dead Moon badge and discovered this was her first time. We had a beer and who should daunder past but Rafa and Patri so it turned into a wee session. The hotel was pretty good, Flamingo Beach Resort. It was named after a Flamin Groovies album and alluded to John Waters and I managed to steer clear of the ‘full-boarders’ for the duration of my stay.

The Count - More than vindicated!

(Photo by Jeroen Vedder)

The Sinciders kicked things off and then came The Cyanide Pills. This meant I was able to hang out with the man who made Sesentafest happen, Jonathan (BB Quattro) Vidal. Peter Zaremba & Las Munjitas del Fuzz set the bar bloody high... drawing on a set from the dawn of The Fleshtones, I felt the spirits of both Marty Thau and Alan Vega in the room. Red Star records was well represented that weekend as the undoubted main attraction and I became friends four decades ago when she worked for that very imprint. At one point – during 'BYOB' – it seemed as though the Z-man channelled Vega. I was right up front for that whole stramash and it was a flat out hoot complete with the one and the only Jimmy Garcia. 

Alana Motorgirl

(Photo by Jeroen Vedder)

I was too busy blethering to watch much of The Red Aunts or The Sinister Six but they went down great and I really like the Red Aunt bass players cook book. The new venue wasn’t altogether easy to navigate in order to find people. Breaking in a new place and increasing the number of bodies posed a few challenges. Of course we loved the KU-FO but there were practical reasons for shifting and largely the event really rose to the occasion. The stage crew kept things on schedule and Mike – the guy who headed that aspect up – really delivered. The Penelope is an iconic construction further up the road. The logo of the girl in the hat was ubiquitous in the 70s. It’s a BIG place with so many nooks and crannies so not real easy to navigate. Rome wasn’t built in a day though, it takes time for any new environment to be broken in. Was peeved that Motorgirl were on by the time I got there but what I saw was just the ticket. Look forward to seeing a whole show sometime in my future.

Sam Elwitt, Miriam, Matt Fiveash, Bruce Bennett, Matt Clarke.
(Dave Lindsay and Ira Kaplan not visible) - (Photo by Jeroen Vedder)

Miriam and Nobody’s Babies played what was perhaps the most intense show I ever attended in my life. I’ve known this gal for 40 years and she and Billy are a large part of the reason I stuck with this stuff. The Norton religion is non-denomin-inter-national. Blessed are the faithful and many present were in tears during the performance that seemed to go by in a blip. I’m feeling a little choked here writing about it. The band was outstanding and I was fanboy-thrilled to finally meet Sam Elwitt, the guy who really made it all possible alongside Billy's A+R brilliance. 

Mir’s Joey Ramone via Lulu vocals bathed the audience in light which would be hands down the best set of the weekend. Check the setlist. To call that 45 minutes emotional would be a heavy understatement. After that, a stiff G + T was in order. I don’t think it even touched the sides. This weekend saw the lassie claim the crown of ‘Everybody’s Baby’ with good reason. The amount of love in that room when she played was palpable. She announced that this was her last show but I never heard it. Maybe I just shut it out because I sure hope it isn't.

Radio Birdman delivered a full on onslaught and to hear 1000 people yelling ‘Yeah Hup’ is pretty reassuring in these fucked up times. I watched most of the set from the DJ station to the left of the stage and the sound was perfectly crisp and loud there.

Nancy

(Photo by Jeroen Vedder)

There was more chin-wagging to be done at that point and I didn’t catch anyone else. Got to meet Travis Ramin and also Alana Motorgirl, that was a hoot. The social aspect of this gathering is unsurpassed. The Wild Weekend Go-Go  Lounge was a popular attraction and at some points was so-packed that it was impossible to squeeze in. I experienced great DJ sets by Ben Olins, Count Zaremba and Matt Clarke in there and it seems to augur well for the reactivating Wild Weekend out in Mallorca in April 2019. Right after Br*xit. Much as I would like to have caught Nancy – it weren’t to be but anything that can make Francisco entuse like he has since he saw them must be doing something right.

The Mighty Mai-Tones

I exited around 5am but was back outside Penelope a couple of hours later to snap this picture with my new group, The Mighty Mai-Tones. Maybe we’ll play next year. I’m their ‘Bez’ and that’s just fine with me.

Had a schlep around town and various hostelries in the run up to Saturday’s proceedings, I was determined to be at Penelope for The Oddballs and I’m glad I was. Just as Crackhouse blew me away last year, these guys did so likewise. Just really good with a set that maintained the brevity I like. Imagine Lord Rochester as a ‘big band’, replete with washboard player. 

The Oddballs

Much as I would like to have watched more than one Gears song, I had to go and rest up a wee bit. This night I didn’t watch the bands so much and I just couldn’t get a good vantage point to watch Derv Gordon properly. Jeroen was front and centre and dug it so much that he went again in Amsterdam.

He tells me that Trevor White played 'Crazy Kids' with So What at the London show. It was sure great to hear that very song get a blast in Benidorm. The DJs there are selected as well as the acts are.

Derv Gordon

(Photo by Jeroen Vedder)

The music played into the night and as the sun was coming up, Snr Varo blitzed the remainers with hit after hit. The one woman confetti-machine that is Paloma covered everyone in the stuff and we’ll be finding fragments for months to come. So that was the 13^th edition done and dusted. I think that there’ll be a moratorium before mulling over how to make this venue work like KU did. It’s not so live band friendly really because it was purpose built as a discotheque. As ‘Keep A- Knockin’  blasted the crowd afore it spilled out into the sunlight, we were reminded of the healing powers of rock n’ roll. I spotted one girl across the dancefloor capturing the titles via Shazam. I like to think she wanted to recreate that final volley when she went home. Them wacky youngsters...

Viva PALOMA!!

I’m proud to have scored a new record in getting back to the hotel at 9.30am. My previous personal best was 8am. How Paloma and Varo keep pulling off the greatest rock n’ roll party of the year time after time is evidently a military secret. It must be getting difficult to assemble a bill like this but they just keep them coming. And I can’t even begin to imagine the stress levels involved.

There were obviously some challenging conditions with this new spot but these were overcome and then some. I hear the after party on Sunday was a blast too but there was a wee conflict of a sesenta y uno gathering down on the boardwalk. It’s not really a boardwalk but its right next to the beach. There had been Sesentafesters there all week but the Madrid locals mostly had to return to the city to start work not exactly bright but early on the Monday morning.

Hero of the event was my old mucker Matthias from Berlin who drove Miriam and Matt to Barajas to catch a plane after they missed the original flight through no fault of their own. Staying for a couple extra days assisted the decompression for sure. I had about 8 hours sleep in 72 but some of my crew had less (Monica - I'm talking to you!). I salute those hardy souls and look forward to rolling in the Funtastic thunder another time in 2019. 

Br*xit or no fucking Br*xit.

Very happy to have images here by Captain Jeroen Vedder, the man, without whose assistance, NBT may never have become a blog.

EVERYBODY'S BABY!

THE FLESHEATERS ARE BACK!

AMERICAN GIRL PAYS TRIBUTE TO TP!

WURLIPALOOZA 2018

WEIRDO!TIME

Madrid is under construction. Traffic calming and all kinds of other shenanigans are making it murder for local businesses. Like everywhere else, great places are disappearing for one reason and another. I’m all for clean air but some grime is required too. And I’m not talking about the latest strain of urban music.

It was great to be reacquainted with Barbara from Get Hip through the ‘small world’ universe that seems to connect a bunch of us. El Pez Gordo was the scene before scooting up to WEIRDO! with Maitane. 

DUSTAPHONICS 

I was convinced that I’d miss The Dustaphonics but they were only a couple of songs into their set when I arrived at Wurli. The Cramps have a lot to answer for and it’s wild how mainstream this type of thing is right around now. Not sales wise – but just in terms of seepage into the general culture and I understand why people like them.

This time I didn’t hit town running. It was a more measured affair only really hampered by thinking that my favourite pizza joint had gone out of business.

On Friday, I took the train to visit Sara, Ramon and Duero out in Alpedetre. Once I got a beat on the map for the station it was plain sailing and I have to say that the double decker choo choo was muy clean and comfortable. I’m told they’re not always reliable but this one was right on time both ways. It’s nice and quiet out there but very close to town with a lovely old station. We had Sara’s mom’s meatball recipe and ate so much that we all felt like taking a wee siesta. It's a very sedate part of the world so close to MadToon.

Last night at La Alegria

A WEIRDO!/WURLI double header followed and this time I missed the bands but managed to see Inigo Munster. This was good because subsequent attempts to meet up just didn’t come together at all. I was gifted the album by Tipex from Valencia and would like to see how this dense stoner drone from the corner of Kyuss and Crazy Horse (Krazy Huss?) type sludge was live. And lo, Pizza tres cruces was open. The proprietor seemed perplexed as I told him that I thought it was closed. He probably didn’t understand my gibbering tinged with relief as I waited patiently on my slice. You can never go back to Papizza after this stuff.  After putting the world to right with Jorge I ambled back around the building site type landscape to my digs.

Met up with Ulla and Lagarto at lunchtime on Saturday where we took in a great new regular happening at Madklyn. Grand to hang with them and to see many familiar faces. It seemed like I wouldn’t see Marcela who recently left El Sol but she was right there. It was like having Templo Del Gato open during the day and hearing the music that you would have heard there during the wee hours. I hadn’t been in Madklyn since the close of Sesentafest last November 5^th. A little later I had a couple of canas with Jorge from Munster and then it was nearly time for what - for me - was the big event in addition to seeing a whole raft of friends.

LUCY and the RATS 

It was a bit of a downer to find out that The Plastic Hammers weren’t playing but it was good to see Hormiga and to meet Tony. I hope to make it Oviedo one of these days during a proper Spanish tour. A quick nip into Ovni with Diego turned into old home week ahead of seeing Lucy and the Rats who were nothing short of magnificent. Everyone there reckon so too and I urge you to get the record and to see them wherever and whenever you can.

There was one problem that loomed over the night. This being that I had to leave town at 07.30. It meant that I followed the Jorge system of hydration over the course and doing so lessened the chance of having a sorry heid. The only real worry was resisting the temptation to grab a few zzzzz’s.

Duncan Reid and the Big Heads
 

Duncan Reid and the Big Heads are an entertaining combo also and in terms of their show, it’s a winner that they don’t snuggle into any of the wobbly nostalgia that so many variations on an old act might. This is a high energy pop affair that does deliver a few of those old Boys ‘hits’ but not in a backdated sense. I’m going to try and catch them in Edinburgh on November 17^th just to make sure it wasn’t just a fluke. I’m sure it wasn’t.

Next September (2019), Wurlitzer will become a teenager. Long may this delinquent hostelry reign and if I'm spared then I'll be there.

Construction and Demolition
time on San Jeronimo 

From the outset, I kind of buggered up my travel to mean that it was a tight call in relation to what I wanted to do. I always run out of time but this time there were other logistics that I never quite grasped until it was too late.

In closing. I had to leave the party but I didn’t fall asleep and got to the airport in good time. Only to find out that the flight was delayed. It could have been way worse though and that manifested itself with my first experience of the new Border Control area at Edinburgh Airport, a necessary evil perhaps but plumbing new depths in inefficiency. 

I've had no response to my feedback on the subject.

FOUND SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL!

GO GO OVIEDO!

AMY RIGBY SHOW IN EDINBURGH - FRIDAY NOVEMBER 16th

AMY RIGBY SHOW IN GLASGOW - THURSDAY NOVEMBER 15th

RIP - FRANK SPRAGUE

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN IN... LAST TRAIN!

You better LISTEN NOW! 

The world you thought you knew getting you down? There’s nothing like stellar pop music to galvanise the soul and a collaboration between two of the greatest forces for rock n’ roll good on this sorry orb is surely a reason to bring cheer for at least the 16 minute duration of the event. 

The Nomads and The Dahlmanns? Together?? Used to be that would be referred to as a supergroup. There’s a flavour of the loud folk direction that they were taking on “The Last Time” and comprising six songs, “American Heartbeat” (not a Survivor cover) is a wee bit of a departure from the sound you might be used to hearing from a Dahlmanns record but it’s still distinctly them. 

Line’s vocal will always take care of that and she just gets better and better. If you reckon you’ve heard anything better than “I Know You Want Me Back” in recent living memory then I need to hear it. Like a high end Roxette hit, this one deserves to be all over everywhere that quality tunes can be heard.

Where it all began in... Oslo

“Tomorrow Came Today” resonates like it might have followed one of those Brickfield nights and well, if you ever wondered what Tony James might have sounded like if he’s started off in Mud instead of Gen X then you need to be getting a load of “Get It Right”.

This mini album runs at 45rpm so it’s going to be loud and it’ll be out on August 31^st, a co-release between the Ghost Highway and Beluga imprints. The first 100 on white vinyl with silver and black patch combo are reportedly all gone. You can get your mitts on the trad black version (and let’s face it – that’s the only colour a record needs to be - in my opinion) though but you’d be wise to score a safety copy because I don’t reckon this will stay in print for too long once the word is out. All over town and further afield. 

This practice will also help to offset the dreaded postage sting.

The content will be available digitally too if you only do the ‘device’ thing. The only way it’ll be available on cassette for now is if you put the gear on one of those things yourself. However this might get to the ears, my hope is that this one will infiltrate outside of the power pop stockade and put them Dahlmann kids on the radar of a broader church that could really do with having something to believe in. Like the lady says on the title song “you better listen now”.

A CD version will be available from Pop Detective in the US, mid-September.

RIP - SPENCER P JONES

THE RAPTORS COMMENCE THEIR ATTACK!

Get the songs at Bandcamp!

AMERICAN HEARTBEAT - THE NOMADS and THE DAHLMANNS TOGETHER!

PRE-ORDER IT HERE! 
OUT AUGUST 31st!!

BETTER CALL SOLBAKKEN!

The Solbakken Fuzzfestival is a bi-yearly event that takes place out on the South East coast of Norway. Set in an enclave of Arendal called Moltemyr, it’s a garden party set in a very well-appointed garden between two houses. An invite to this was an offer that I was not about to refuse and getting to that part of the world isn’t exactly a cakewalk but like the song conveys, have love, will travel. 

It took a smidge over 12 hours door to door. Exactly a week ago from right about now I took a bus ride through picture postcard beautiful vistas that look like a cross between 'wir ain' highlands and the Pacific Northwest. The shimmer of the sun on the lakes as it went down just added to the twilight zone-ness. All you really need to know is that it is spectacular.

The crowd gather...

Having dropped by Risør a couple of years ago, Arendal further reminded me of the similarity between that region and the East Neuk of Fife. They don’t have a chip shop like they do in Anstruther but maybe I could go out there and open one?

Within a half hour of being there I was out on the town with Fuzzmistress Hilde. After some Indian food we hit up the hostelry she works in called Barrique. A very nice old wood varnished bar with at least one member of staff that will point blank refuse to serve you a mojito. I never take for granted the opportunity to take such jaunts and this was the only evening it would be possible to make that particular scene. And for Hilde to take time out of her busy schedule like this was above and beyond because she is the epicentre. 

Revesound revving up

As straight talking a wee bisom that ever walked, this one can get stuff done. All the others that are involved with this are equally driven, It’s an abject case for labours of love always trouncing something that is entered for gain. Their gain was to see everyone have a great time as a result of their selfless planning. Getting a wee preview of the site the day before was a trip and just hanging out sampling Magne’s epic brews and the Solbakken hospitality really hit the spot. 

The freak weather has been causing ructions out there too and there’s a BBQ ban in Norway right now. That wasn’t to deter them though and a number of broilers were installed to take up the slack. These folks had thought of everything and maybe even a little more.

Snok - Forward into 1971! 

Saturday rolled around quick and it was time for the garden party. As the revellers arrived it was clear that a great community not just from the immediate locale had grown around the event. With a family element that never reduced it to the level of the fete. I met and talked to a ton of people that I wish I could remember their names. It's an age thing that's getting worse by the day.

It all kicked off with a kind of folky review by Revesound. I’d just watched A Mighty Wind a few days beforehand and the similarity wasn’t lost on me. It became apparent even then that the space had become a natural amphitheatre and in the main, the sound was excellent for an outdoor concert experience. At some points during the evening, a mighty wind would indeed attempt to blow the cover off the stage on several occasions. It was expertly tethered though.

A period of broiling and hanging out followed that before the remainder of the music was rolled out. Snok set a pretty high bar for a bunch of actual real life teenagers. Led by Hilde’s son Lars they managed to conjure up shades of Sabbath in 1971 when even their parents weren’t around. Decidedly not-lumpy doom rock, they just made their first recordings that I’m very much looking forward to hearing. Their set was all the more amazing because they had to get a substitute drummer that knew the ropes at stupidly short notice. That guy did good.

Gimme an H, Gimme a C, Gimme a G,
Gimme an L, Gimme an I!

What's that spell? REINE LAKEN!

As I mentioned in Vulcher zine lately, little in my existence gives me greater pleasure than watching and being around Reine Laken. This time out they’d enlisted a new member and it was Camilla’s public debut. It went great and by the time they got to their version of Bikini Kill’s "Rebel Girl", the gathering went under the thunder. "Blitzkrieg Bop" into "Dancing With Joey Ramone" was a very nice touch. All the anxiety that goes into these performances is very much appreciated by their fans. I was thinking about how all the Madrid folks would have loved this.

Wirkola workin' it!

Wirkola Hellraisers are a solid combo that underlines the hard rock seam that ran through the day’s line up. I'm really digging the fact that Nazareth were (are?) so big out there and the ‘raisers deliver a tasty “Kentucky Fried Blues”. I think that Dan McCafferty would approve. At the other end of the spectrum, their take on the Sweet ignites around a three guitar attack, one of whom is Erland Ottem who was in Clawfinger. Their "Ballad of The Lower East Side" wasn’t slouching none either.

DeMidlertidige 

DeMidlertidige (sp?) played at the grungier end of the spectrum and during their set I was blethering. Someone told me that they were playing an Alice In Chains song at one point and I have to say that they rendered it listenable. Something I can’t say has ever happened with that actual band. This Stina girl can sing. I even heard a little Nico in there and of course Grace Slick on a faithful run through "White Rabbit".

Rangers raised the stakes for Dunfermline’s finest by including "Close Enough for Rock’n’Roll" and they also fired out trusty takes on "Cold Gin", "Godzilla" and "The American Ruse" during their set indicating a certain level of taste for those of us that recognise the fine line that runs through the vein of heavier music.

Camilla and Ingri rippin it up to the strains of Rangers!

The band's were all done and dusted by curfew time but the party went on a good deal longer. heading back there in the daytime, the festival elves had been out and cleaned up. It was all looking as though almost nothing had happened. Service above and beyond self all the way.

Anyhoo... Solbakken FuzzFestival is something the world could do with a little more of right about now. The best small but perfectly formed festival action I’ve had since the legendary House of Rock that went down in Moss in that fateful June of 2011. People talk about game changers but that was a life changer.

My sincere thanks to all those folks that made this happen and for them having me there. There might not have been any morild this time but there was some magic here and there so that’ll suffice for now but I’ll need another RL fix before too long so I hope they have something in the works.

The adventure came to a close with a few hours in Moss Rock City and pretty much before I knew it, I was back on the bus heading for where it seemed like I had just started out. To add to that injury, I tried to use some currency at the duty free shop that had expired. I’m not sure why the Scandinavians change their notes so often but it’s a pain in the arse. Just as well that everything I had left wasn’t hooky and the liquorice score could be made.

BEN VAUGHN IS BACK!

Available now via Amazon UK / Amazon USA 

and CD Baby and other such outlets.

BRAIN DEAD REDUX

OUT NOW! CLICK ON THE COVER FOR INFO!!

HEID FUGUE - I JUST REALISED THAT I HADN"T POSTED THIS!

The blog is 15 on Monday but I’m gonna be out of town visiting one of my homes away from home. My thanks to Jeroen Vedder for setting me down this road that’s allowed this thing to continue to exist albeit in a disembodied state.

I guess this link will take you back to those baby steps. It hasn’t really evolved much but continues to be a place holder. According to the stats, we’ve had more that 1,300,000 views since then. I’m sceptical about the numbers but those kind of details are unimportant. I appreciate the visits and responses. The regular posts ebb and flow but you most likely already have information up the wazoo. So, when you do check in and there hasn’t been something new for a few days then bear with it. There’s maybe a good reason or perhaps not.

You know how teenagers can be.

RIP - STEVE SOTO

ABC GUM - THE BEST KIND!

Thanks to Eddie Flowers for the tip.

SCOTTISH POP - THE MUSEUM PIECE

The Rip It Up exhibit in Edinburgh is getting big licks and it’s worth taking a wander in there. The fact that it exists at all is worthy of supporting such a venture. Had such a thing been tackled in Glasgow, it would have been a different beastie methinks.

If you’re going there between now and November, I’d suggest going on a Saturday and factoring in the Music Walking Tour. That way you get discounted tickets and also some exercise.

RIP - Nicholas George Stephanoff (Nick Knox)

Sorry to hear about the untimely demise of the king of the biggest beat. My memory of Nick is of a quiet fellow that went about his business. Once he trusted you, he was more forthcoming and I was honoured as all get out when he loaned me a mix tape to copy that had the Tuesday Weld song, “Are You The Boy” on it. That was the night we went back to Miles Copeland’s house where the band was staying. Right after Kid Congo's first show at The Lyceum in London. What was that? December 1980? The 15th.

Nick was an ardent pop fan and I recall sending a couple of Lio records as a thank you when I returned the tape. Then the LOTC got dumped and we lost touch but it was heartening to know that he’d re-emerged in recent times to be involved with young Clevelanders, Archie and the Bunkers Norton Records connection. I held some vague hope that he’d make it to Europe with them at some point but sadly that won’t be happening. We’ll toast his memory at FUNTASTIC though. That’s for damn sure.

My condolences to his family and friends.

WELL NOW...

HE'S AWAY AGAIN...

SEVERAL NIGHTS AGO... COMPLETE WITH RUTLES-Y ENDING!

READY FOR THE FUNTASTIC DISCOTHEQUE-A-GO-GO?

ONE WEEK TOMORROW UNTIL THE TICKETS GO ON SALE!!!

SIXTEEN YEARS WITHOUT DEE DEE...

ERIC ACROSS AMERICA - THE LATEST INSTALMENT!

STAND BY YOUR REFRESH BUTTONS!

COMING YOUR WAY IN NOVEMBER!

SAFETY PIN - PUNK ROCK ANCIENT and MODERN!

One of the reasons with persevering to get a 40^th Anniversary NBT out  was the fact that it could be printed by Martin Lacey that used to do it at Juma. And that self same person has reactivated his old punkzine, Safety Pin with the first issue available now and a desire to set up an ongoing publishing schedule.

That’s right. It’s a print only deal. You have to turn the pages, none of that swiping required. 44 pages, A4 format with a 7” EP of archive cuts by Sheffield combo Stunt Kites who I believe are still active today?

It’s a fiver + whatever the postage is to wherever you are. Click the link back there to see what that entails.

It's Joe's Birthday!

NOT SO YOUNG MAYBE BUT STILL FAST AND SCIENTIFIC!

Just 4 Weeks Away!

RIP - STU BOY KING

ALL THE ERIC SHOWS COMING UP... HE HAS "VINYLS"!

WRECKLESS ERIC IN GLASGOW! JUST 2 WEEKS AWAY!!

AULD REEKIE DOUBLE WHAMMY

THE GEATOR WITH THE HEATER!

THREE DECADES OF BARBARA ANN!

WHAT'S THE FREQUENCY ERIC?

The line in "Gateway To Europe" about a bridge being built to where no-one wants to go really chimes with me and these times. Then there’s the futility of almost everything but let’s not get into that now. The way people listen to things these days have stymied ‘the album’ as a concept. Especially those like this that has been sequenced to be experienced in a particular order. Like a good film or book that you won’t want to avert your attention from.

The mood that Construction Time and Demolition strikes isn’t always as bleak as it might seem though. As uncompromising as Suicide, there’s a cautious optimism coursing through the frequencies that somehow offers a respite that so many records simply don’t any more. I read about things and wonder ‘is this it?’ when I hear them. Not so with this. There’s an extensive tour coming up where the album content will likely be interpreted differently every night. It’s not going to be lurking somewhere out of view on a laptop to augment the performance nor vice versa. What you’ll see and hear in real time will add an extra dimension to the recorded version. That will also be the case if you hear the documented version prior to seeing the show.

You’ll likely hear some old stuff but it’s all about forging forward. Like your Neil Young and your Rab Zimmerman, this fella has absolutely nothing to prove. He’s presenting you with yet another set of songs that will allow you to catch up with that fact. You might be able to plot where he’s come from but you sure as shit won’t have any inkling as to where he’s going. Other than leading a bunch of us over that ‘bridge’ to whatever is in store. Hopefully a place where there is no such thing as a franchise in any shape or form. The majesty of the sound that is captured here is really quite astounding. That's saying something when considered against Eric's body of work.

Get physical copies of the album from the man himself during his extensive, upcoming tour dates in the US and the UK. If you don't find yourself anywhere near then hit up your local shop or wherever you buy your “gear” these days. If you want to get it digitally, please do so directly at Eric’s bandcamp page.

RIP - LILL BABS

IT'S OUR BIRTHDAY (PRINT EDITION)

All low key on this 41st NBT anniversary but I did recently happen upon this. Pretty funny. The comments suggest that this portal might have something to do with the ex-Sounds scribe Sandy Robertson but I might be wrong. It wouldn’t be the tenth time. I imagine that my ‘beef ‘with Sniffin Glue at the time was that I didn’t chime with their worldview and maybe thought I should have a go at the zine lark myself. Mark turned out to be a stand up guy. As did Tony D(rayton) and some other folks I might have had a pop at. The folly of (relative) youth.

Talking out of my arse is an activity that I reserve the right to practice to this very day. I did and said, often in print, some incredibly stupid things based on the flimsiest even non-existent premise. I don’t believe the claim that The Dictators were (and are) better than The Pistols to be one of those however and I stand by that original statement.

For better or for worse and irrespective of what any bugger thinks.

And congratulations to Sir Andy Shernoff for having our namesake appear in the Season 3 premiere of the TV show, Billions. I never watched it but those music placement folks on that show obviously know a contender when they hear one.

LIBRARY MUSIC!

DON'T MAKE THE FATAL ERROR... MISS AMY"S SHOWS AT YOUR PERIL!

FRANKLIN FEST 2018

THE BUCKLE ON THE BIBLE BELT!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOBBY LLOYD!

WURLITZER ANTHEM!

A GLORIOUS RACKET!

FUZZTASTIC!

THE HUMAN JUKEBOX KNOWS NO BOUNDS!

LOOK OUT HONEY 'CUZ THEY'RE USING TECHNOLOGY!

LO QUE HICIMOS FUE SECRETO

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TODAY NEWCASTLE, TOMORROW ... er EDINBURGH!

SOUNDS LIKE A REASONABLE IDEA TO ME...

THE DYNAMITE JUST KEEPS ON COMING!

The Courettes are back with another dozen of those tunes that will hit you upside of your head. “We Are The Courettes” is maybe another cheeky wee nod in the direction of their spiritual Tacoma forefathers. It continues to outline just how much better these kids are than the slew of two person crews that are out there. Many of those are good for maybe one 45 but there’s an extra oomph to this combo. I don’t really want to try and quantify what it is, just so long as it just keeps on coming. The pop crunch of “All About You” is like supercharged Lulu. There are also ballads. That’s right. No, I hear you say? Oh yes and they really pace the sequencing beautifully.

I’ve no idea if Flavia knows who The Geator is and I’m hoping she doesn’t because “Strawberry Boy” is pure Jerry Blavat. And when all is said and done, there are few full on screams that compare with that of Ms Couri. Combine that with the fuzz and clatter and you’ll be grinning all over your fizzog.

The sonic boom that they’ve come to customise is intact but they’re growing into a multi-faceted rockin’ machine. I look forward to hear how the slower songs might be applied to the live set but the way “Fool Fool Fool” closes the album just makes me want to take the ride all over again.

They are The Courettes!