In The Garage is a new online resource dedicated to the Edinburgh garage/psych scene of the 1980s.  In particular the Pterodaktyls and Johnny & the Deadbeats.  The site includes an overview of the scene and a poster gallery. 

D4 news: "The D4 have been held up in a secret GEE-RIDGE-HIGH-LEVEL-RAWK 'N'RALL location which due to restrictions SET BY THE NEW ZEALAND DEPARTMENT OF ROCK'N'ROLL we are not at liberty to expose but suffice to say: they have been in London since February and are excited to drop the release of their second album "Don't Know What I Want" onto the mass public. Expect more pop + heaviness very shortly".

MAGIC CHRISTIAN LATEST!

"Sorry for the late report but i was too beat last nite and just crashed after the show. the fellas were great. yours truly got to introduce them. cyril was in great spirits and seemed to have a good time the whole night. they did a short but sweet set - robin has the set list so he can give exact details. but i think they opened with "made my bed" and closed with "too close to zero". in between were the two beatles songs, "anytime at all" and "things we said today". and the
spoonful's "my gal". they also did the beatlesque "no time to cry".
this time paul sang the end part of that. this song's turning out to be a crowd favorite - knew i was right about that one. my other fave is "she's so good" and that went over well too -- a real rock n roller which cyril obviously has fun playing.
cyril played his trademark dan armstrong thru reissue '65 fender twin reverb. he's still playing sans pick. alec palao had his beautiful gretsch bass. prairie prince couldn't make it and so they used the drummer from one of the other bands on the bill. he was okay. paul was under the weather but did a nice vocal job nevertheless.
roy loney got up and joined in on the encore, "i can see for miles".
they were very loose - but in a good way --relaxed. and not too loud. you could hear them. in some ways it was their best gig so far." - don in frisco

Saints - All Times Through Paradise (EMI, 4CD Set).
I was happy as a pig in shit late last week when, thanks to my "connections in the industry" (hah!), a review copy of the upcomin' Saints box-set landed on my doorstep; just what I needed, more CDRs and a inch thick stack o' Xeroxes!.
But Really, I hope I don't have to spell this out; the early Saints were one of the finest combos of the mid/late 70s. Punk rock before it had a name, their first two LPs are part of life's essentials. Great goddamn p-rock w/ actual "soul" 'n the kinda words that still make sense almost 30 years down the line. Besides all the originally released material from their harvest years (three LPs and a handful of 45s), there's a truckload of extras included here, like outtakes, demos 'n live stuff, just the kind o' smorgasbord us Saints fans have been waiting for, tho'God knows why they ever figured the original mix of the Hope'& Anchor tapes to be unsuitable?. But that's really my only complaint, the guitars should've been kept up LOUD on those recordings. OK, I'm nitpickin' here, just you blast this stuff at 11 and LEARN!.(Note to Jan Kooi: you may include 'Eternally Yours' in your list).

Martin Percival just sent me this link to a Mike (Ike Knox) Metoff interview you may care to peruse...

Here's a right old bloody quandry... THE RAMONES: END OF THE CENTURY
will be screened as part of the Mirrorball section of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. The screenings are on Friday 27th August @ 10pm and Saturday 28th August at 5.30pm. Both at the Cameo Cinema in Home Street, further details as they become available. Tickets went on sale today. However, I'm out of fecking town that weekend ain't I so can't attend. Guess who's wearing a big boo-boo face right about now?.

Sonic Reducer News courtesy of BKS

"Surprise visitor to Sonic Reducer - could we be more honoured?

Yus, me lovelies, the first Sonic Reducer was an unmitigated success, with a packed venue, enthusiastic crowd, copious drinking, and much rock-a-rolla action, including airings of tunes as diverse as Fats Waller Esq's The Reefer Song, KOTJ, The Ideals' Gorilla, Norma Dean's Barb Wire, and The Reatards' Youre So Lewd! However, the real surprise of the evening was a totally unexpected visit from local icon Mr Raymond Douglas Davies, who popped in to check whether London's top drinking hole, Gerry O'Boyle's The Boogaloo, did indeed have a copy of his superlative Village Green album on its wonderfully-stocked juke... The answer: YES! Mr Raymond Douglas Davies stayed around for a coupla hours and chatted with yours trulies, and was generally lovely... As you can imagine, BigKegShandy was overcome, so much so that he gave Mr D his prized copy of Tea Pad Songs Vol. 2, much to the delight of our honoured visitor, who exclaimed "This looks great, are you sure?!" ... Mr Raymond Douglas Davies even intimated that he'd love to come back and spin some 45s with us! So stay tuned to NBT for a date! So, brethren, it's FREE fun and frolics with the Sonic Reducer crew at The Boogaloo, Archway Road (Highgate tube), London N6, on Friday 23rd July, from around 7.30-11pm ... Come along and get yer lugs singed, and yer backbone well & truly slipped!"

As Brother Thewlis exclaimed... "bollocks". Arthur Kane. has left the theatre.

More info here.

After the surprise appearance of H.D. Manitoba in NYC, the recent MC5/DTK show in San Francisco featured a spot by Roy Loney (!), while those down under will get the extra bonus of Deniz Tek on guitar. More details can be found here.

This looks kinda interesting: PUNK! Kongress 2004 in Kassel (Germany) with lectures, forums, films, shows etc. Some of the names involved: Rocket From The Tombs, Andy Shernoff, Marty Thau, Mark P., Jayne County...

If you're in NY or yon immediate area...

"The word is out. The town is a-buzz, not to mention a-flutter and just plain agog, with reports of hi-pressure hillbilly boogie at Otto's Shrunken Head, 538 East 14th Street just west of Avenue B. Thursdays between the hours of 8:00 and 10:00 the Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. deliver the finest in ballads, boogies and blues and get this children; it's all for free!

Come on down this Thursday, July 15, for two sets starting at 8:00, and see what all the fuss is about. SIT & Die Co. welcomes special guest star Bill Gerstel joining us on drums for this date. If this show fails in anyway to satisfy, either aesthetically or morally, Michael will eat his plantation tie in Macy's window. So you see you just can't lose."

After a tip off from Cap'n Sandrew McLean, a bit of digging found that the great BILL BATEMAN has been drafted in to supply the big beat for The Cramps. This would constitute a major increase in firepower methinks... we didn't dream it, it's right HERE.

For wathever reason I was in some kinda Glam mood over the past few days, and diggin' around on the web for info came across A Chronological History of English Glam Rock! (baby), both funny and informative and well worth a visit.

Henkie V. was kind enough to point out that The Scientists will be touring Europe once again in October/November. More info and dates can be found at i.b.d booking.

I did a stupid thing. I was hairing about this cyberdoodah and came across a link to garagepunk.com from the Licorice Tree site. So in me goes and I find a whole bunch of people kvetching about the Little Stevenfest bill. In particular they're getting in about The Spangles and I rushed to their defence. I'm always signing up for these "forums" and almost instantaneously regret it. One reason is that I don't actually have the time to be farting about like that. There are more serious/important issues to be dealing with but I like to look after my own y'know? All very honourable of course but ultimately pointless as these cliques are basically set up as conduits for a bloody good whine anyway. I have yet to fathom as to whether any of these detractors have actually seen the band and will endeavour to find that out. Or will I?

The 5678's have just woo-hoo'd into the UK singles chart at #28. Who coo-hooda thunk it?!

Sean from The Battlecats wrote inviting us to their show at the Lit Lounge in NYC on July 12th. Unfortunately it's not possible but maybe you can cut along? Joey and Nick from The Star Spangles dj at yon place too from time to time so it might be a hoot. Here's how the B'cats bio goes:

"The Battlecats are raw, unironic, and irrepressibly catchy. Their take on bubblegum garage-punk can be simultaneously—belligerent, exuberant, and naive. And they’re for real. Frontman Jimmy Jude is a star in the making. A prancing tornado attacking guitar, bass and microphone with wreckless bravado. Drummer Kelley Kat pounds hypnotic Moe Tucker beats while staring holes through the ceiling; guitarist Sean Beirne grins and roams the stage, while traces of the Kinks, vintage Stones and Richard Hell and the Voidoids litter the speakers. The Battlecats have taken the New Haven music scene by storm. Their new cd Made from Scratch “features seven tunes of hook-laden guitar pushed garage pop that is-no shit-catchier than the plague” says the New Haven Advocate. The disk is called Made From Scratch because it literally was—each of the initial covers were unique and hand-drawn by drummer/artist Kelley Kat—a cool reminder of what rock ‘should, or used to be’."

Well no Reigning Sound heading for these parts but what can ya do? However, The Right Raving Rev. Dan Penniman has offered the scoop on where to score the new Wreckless Eric album well prior to it's official release. Not in that illegal downloady way you understand, no - from the Goulden guy himself. Here's the info:

"Preview copies of Wreckless Eric‘s incredible new album Bungalow Hi are available at the Southern Domestic On-Line Factory Shop right now at The album is not released officially until September, so this is your chance to be the hippest scenester on the block..."

Dan also reminds us that "Amy Rigby is appearing this Sunday July 11th for free around 6pm at the Come On Down & Meet The Folks Club at the Fiddler’s Elbow, 1 Malden Road (Corner of Prince of Wales Road), London NW5. Chalk Farm Tube."

Indeed Amy is all over the UK this coming week so go see her and say howdy if you get a chance. She's had a pretty rocky start to this visit so it's your duty to go convince her that it's a good idea to be on this sceptic isle. Hit the sidebar entry and find out if she's playing near you.

"You're Brian Eno. You're a little reclusive maybe, a little quieter than most people... But man, who needs outside entertainment when your brain is like KABOOM all the time? You are innovative, creative, and intelligent. You dress flamboyantly, gravitating towards large feathers and tinsel. Everyone respects you, and looks up to you. We are not worthy, we are not worthy..."

Which rad old school 70's glam icon are you? (with pics)
brought to you by Quizilla

"You're Lou Reed. God, you are cool, can I touch you so the magic will rub off? You are perceptive, witty, and badass. You wear cool shades, even at night, and probably wear black more than most people. You don't give a fuck what other people think, but you are also very sensitive in the way that you pick up on things that others don't. Sometimes you come off as an asshole, but that's what makes you cool. You are a poet, and you embody New York City. You will still be hip when you are old, and artists love you..."
Which rad old school 70's glam icon are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

The Cramps upcoming release will hopefully cut a swathe through all these bloody bootlegs which have accumulated and come around in 7 year cycles like Walt Disney movies. Seeing as J added the info from the Mordam site, I figured that there was no need to keep the link to it. Let's hope that there's a dvd in the works maybe too. The band should be capitalising on its assets right about now and nobody could put it together better than them. I might not be down with their recent album but I know that they still have GOOD taste!

Out soon: CRAMPS - HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER (VENGEANCE, 2CD). "Reaching into the vaults, The Cramps dug up 143 minutes of previously unreleased rare tracks. Most of this is early demo and live recordings from 1976 and '77. Booklet includes extensive liner notes by Lux and Ivy and rare and unseen photos and flyers from their personal collection. The Cramps will tour the U.S. upon the release of this collection".
Update: from the Mordam site: "Displaying their disdain for the myth of musical progress, The CRAMPS reach back into the clammy womb of their prehistoric past to release HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER, a 2- disc 143 minute frightfest of previously unreleased rare tracks. Thrill to 1st ever rehearsals featuring Bryan Gregory's sister on drums and Lux Interior ripping out a guitar solo! Wonder what substance they abused during a 1982 rehearsal as they stumble through "Rumble Blues" and add an apocalyptic twist to "Lonesome Town". You'll actually hear a dope deal going on in the background during their 3rd ever live gig at Max's Kansas City! All this and more! Stupefying! Includes book with extensive liner notes by Lux and Ivy, themselves, and rare and unseen photos and flyers from their personal collection. All material previously unreleased. 1982 studio demos with the GUN CLUB's Terry Graham on drums. 3rd ever live gig at Max's Kansas City with relentless hecklers. 1 year later live at CBGB with shrieking chaos
(not the name of a band)".

Latest on The Ramones movie from Jim Fields...

Hey everyone,

Ok, here's the latest. "End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones" is going to open in 19 cities in the U.S. on August 20th! Check out www.landmarktheaters.com to see if they have a theater in your city. But if the movie does well enough it will expand to many other cities. So let's spread the word!!!!

Thanks for your support,

Jim

Will have to investigate when it's likely to hit Europe. Soon as we know, you will...

Last night finally brought the Reigning Sound into town, and boy, was it ever worth the wait. Even with a seriously stripped down line-up and a drummer who had spend exactly eight days and eight gigs with the band, this was a show of legendary proportions, no two ways about it. The whole thing that made me like the Oblivians so much, and why I'm so completely gone over the Reigning Sound's last two LPs, was laid out transparent-like in this basic setting, ie; Greg Cartwright is someone who has sponge-like soaked up all the right influences over the years (you know what they are, tho' you might want to ad a bit of Springsteen for good measure) and is able to distill something that is completely his own from just that; the kind of American music one usually associates with the likes of John Fogerty or Jerry Lee but all geared up for the new millennium. High praise indeed, but both as a singer and songwriter you can not mistake Greg for anybody else, whether he takes on ol' Everly Brothers or Lightnin' Hopkins tunes or dips into his own back-catalogue of instant classics. Couple that with a delivery that holds more downright soul than the entire "Urban" section of your local CD emporium put together, and you might begin to get the picture. God knows when they will ever return to these shores (if at all), but given' the chance of catchin' 'em in action one day, don't you ever, ever think about forsakin'.

Tony Slug's roadhog VAN-TALK dictionary.

This month's releases from Ace Records.

A new issue of Terminal Boredom is now on-line.

AIRTIGHT DT01 DISC FLATTENING SYSTEM, I could use one of these...

Lenny Helsing has been spreading the word and music of the garage/beat fraternity forever. One of the outlets he uses to preach this gospel is The Thanes who have just been anthologised (is that a word?) by REV-OLA and you, the kids (of all ages) need to be hep to that. If you never had the pleasure then this'd be a heckuva place to start.



"The Thanes - Evolver (CRREV 69) Here it is..just when you thought it was safe to listen to failed biker bar bands who've noticed The White Stripes have sold a few records..(you know who you are)..the complete history to date of Scotland's premier Garage/Beat group....nothing less than that!Whilst influencing a whole generation of bands making up today's hit Garage sound, they made (and continue to make) a series of remarkable and acclaimed records....all collected here for the first time on one great CD....the classics, the driving-collectors-mad rarities, their latest and perhaps greatest recordings.....anyone with any interest in the driving Garage Punk sound that's sweeping the world cannot miss this essential release!...It's the real deal, Lucille! Their greatest recordings right up to date, and LOUDER than ever! Check out the menu -
In God I Trust / Antenna Surprise / That's The Story Of Your Life / Static / Before I Go / Wonder If / It Can Never Be / I've Seen Darker Nights / Gone Away Girl / Please Don't Cry / Lazy Bones / Thrown Away The Key / Don't Let Her Dark Your Door Again / She's A Robber / Hey Girl (Look What You've Done) / Shipwreck / I'll Rest / Lost Or Found / Buzz Buzz (Yeh Yeh) / Baby Come Back / World Of Stone / None Of This / Girls / Who'll Be The Next In Line / Days Go Slowly By / Never Make Me Blue / It's My Pride "

THE LONG RYDERS breezed back into old Glasgow toon on the day before the 4th July. No matter what the State Of The Union is in their homeland, here’s another American band that can still very much shake it down. “We’re the MC4” said Sid to the mature gathering. Stephen McCarthy had already been out to join GREG TROOPER close his opening set with a song he co-wrote with John Seiger (who if you've being paying attention recently made a record with THE SKELETONS). Trooper does credit to his namesake. A native NJian who lives in Nashville now with a nice line in songs and patter. He must be unstoppable with a band. Anyways, “Run Dusty Run” opened the Ryders set and brought down the hammer on the Strathclyde side. It was a fine set and by the time they get this baby to Madrid then they’re really gonna fly. The whole thing was as good an example of the perfect show as it comes these days. I can’t imagine how anybody there coulda been disappointed with the choice of songs or performance. Even the odd wee fluff here and there just added to the atmos. “Lights of Downtown”,“You can’t Ride The Boxcars” and “I Had A Dream” all reminded us of how good a catalogue these guys put together in their short existence. Added to that there’s their version of one of the greatest pop songs ever recorded, NRBQ’s "I Want You Bad" (dedicated to Teenage Fanclub) and an absolutely tingling sweet version of The Groovies “I Can’t Hide”. Now, even a jaded cynic and three quarters like me kinda gets a frisson when there 300+ people in a room that seem to be able to appreciate what is patently good music. Their psychedelicisied rendition of Dylan’s “Masters Of War” was well received in the aftermath of Wee Boaby Dylans visit to the city just the week before. If you get a chance to see them then take it. I would guess that individual schedules would point to this not being something that will run and run. That said, it certainly deserves to. This was the best I ever saw them, 20+ years after the fact. We had to leave for a train during a spirited run up the flagpole of “You’re Gonna Miss Me”, once again buoyed by the fact that people were digging it. Now how come we can’t have an audience like this at every show. Now you come to think about it how come that we can’t have much of an audience at all. I'm gonna wake up wondering about that for sure. I guess Amsterdam will be good but I really wish I could take in the Spanish shows. That could be the last truly rock’n’roll country on earth and when that rickenbacker-driven intro to “I Can’t Hide” kicks in there, then the fireworks will really begin.

Is there no end to the humiliation?... it'll be Riverdance in Bin-liners next... (info from Imants Krumins via e-mole)

Just got back from the third (and last) night of the Primitive festival in Rotterdam. Reports of the first two night were positive enough with only the Von Bondies gettin' the thumbs down from just about anybody who saw 'em. Got in early and only missed the first part of the Firebirds' set, but as much as I dig 'em; they're not an opening band, these guys need time to work their crowd, and preferably somewhere around midnight at that. But it was good to see 'em in action once again anyway, even tho' they got somewhat confused at just which three chords they needed to play Florian Monday's 'Rip It Up'. Next up was the Neder-Bietels, who seem intend on preserving obscuro Dutch beat tunes. As righteous a course as any, but with the sound bein' somewhat muffled and the singer's voice hoarse, they failed to ignite any kind of response. No sparks were flyin' either when the Remains took the stage. Good as their songs are, whatever fueled their engine way back when has obviously run dry. At that point (right in the middle of 'All Good Things Come To An End'!) a quick return trip home suddenly materialized, and even tho' I would have loved seein' the Chesterfield Kings save the day, gettin' home three to four hours earlier than expected was too temptin' a proposition to resist. So yeah, it was a bit disappointin'', but the idea for these kinda fests is A-OK with me, and this will hopefully be the first of many to come...
Besides all that it was good to shake hands once again with a number of people who I rarely see otherwise. You know who you are; Cheers !.

Grahame Bent's frontline report detailing THE STOOGES assault on Glasgow Green's DOWNLOAD anti-bill for those of us who wouldn't stump up the 40+ quid.

Mr Vahlberg also observes that Sympathy are to release all the unavailable GUN CLUB action in October. Always down with providing the best in public service, you are urged to visit the SFTRI site as provided in the sidebar here.

Sylvain, Bill Nighy as Arthur Kane and "Buster" Johansen... Mr Vahlberg directed we to this set of Bob Gruen DOLLS snaps from their recent visit to London.

A missive from TS/BKS plc...

Sonic Reducer - Revenge Of The Mongoloids XVII ...

--------------------------------------

Yus, indeedy, our beloved brethren ...

That sweetboy Teenslain and yer ever-lovin' BigKegShandy have found a new fortnightly, Friday nite, late-openin' home for Sonic Reducer, up the road in RayDaviesLand, London N6, cheek-by-jowl with Highgate tube.

Following an aborted push into the West End before Xmess, which saw The Beatings rock a packed house like four cheap alarm clocks (or even THE Alarm Clocks!) and yers trulies get a bollocking for daring to mix rekkids made before 1977 with those made afterwards (like, duh!), we've decided to return to our spiritual home ... Gerry O'Boyle's muchly licensed establishment, The Boogaloo, boasts possibly thee finest jukebox in the whole darn wurld (James Carr, The Stooges AND Wreckless Eric! Awwww! Yeah!), and many more sterling attributes ...

Since then, we've also had wickedly-fuelled fun spinning platters that may-or-not matter to packed houses at Shepherd's Bush Empire, The Forum and The Borderline for the seriously good-gawd (!) like Arthur Lee, who is one heavy, heavy dude (nice line in H Bar C shirts, also). Yeah, onna coupla occasions, we've even messed up the already melty minds of Sky Saxon & his actually really quite brill new versh of The Seeds, which was a blast and an 'alf! Or should that be arf, arf, arf?

All this and visits from the STILL seriously undervalued You Am I, a second New Year in Memphis grokking The Reigning Sound & The Cool Jerks, catchin' them Stooges boyz in Berlin, The New York Dolls swingin' by the Thames, and nabbing two copies of The Ideals' The Gorilla on 7"? Add in the just-released Prisoners best of(www.acerecords.co.uk/gotrt/may04/cdwikm241.html) and their blammo Modstock gig, the upcoming Jack & Greg Oblivian double-biscuit comp (Twins Of Evil), and some super special double secret projects, then you've got a recipe for ROCK'N'RRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLL! Ahem ...

BTW, The Sonic Reducer Tag Team is also unbelievably proud to announce that we're DJing at the MC5-DKT gig at the Londinium Astoria on August 25th ... Be there, or go boil yer 'eads ... Your belief in Messrs Davis, Kramer & Thompson will be MORE than justified, just wait!

Anyhoo, at The Boogaloo, youse can expect the same mess o'righteous sounds from the darin' '20s to these decidedly non-naughty noughties, including plenny o'sweaty funk, choice '60s garage, ravin' R&B, salacious soul, hemp-saturated jive, moon-hoppin' JA sounds, high energy rock'n'drool, and all'a the other shit that's fit to spin ... We kick off the first 8-til'-1 sesh on July 9th, then go fortnightly after, with special guest DJs, too ...

Warn your friends ...

Selah!

Brothers Manitoba, Volume and Kramer are ready to testify! Also don't forget STAR SPANGLES @ Sin-e this coming Saturday (3rd July) and ...

So wadda you gonna do with too much time on your hands?. Well, why not build the ultimate Flamin' Groovies resource...?.

Dunno of how much use this is for you foreigners, but I just located a on-line date base for the Dutch Top 40; Hitoverzicht 1965 - 2004, but it might just be the perfect tool to check if bands were really that "big in Holland" as they sometimes claim. As for me, I learned that it was indeed 1972 when I first heard both Prince Buster and Earl Bostic, tho' I still have no idea why they both had belated hits that year, and 'Rock 'n' Roll Highschool' apparently never got higher than the number 8 spot, even tho' I always remembered it as gettin' all the way up to #1, oh well... (Link c/o Dubbel Mono).

Been fast-forwarding throught the woeful TV coverage of GLASTONBURY. The only things of note on there were Arthur Lee, Toots and the Maytals, Hot Club of Cowtown and a trio of young 'uns called The Subways. The Von Bondies were OK too if a tad pedestrian. As for the wall-to-wall Macca, O*s*s, Keane (what the bloody hell are they about?) and Scissor Sisters... well no wonder the bloody music industry is in decline. John Peel hit the nail squarely on the head when he wondered why people would want to see artists perform songs of lesser quality than the recorded versions. Take a bow, Kings Of bloody Leon. It all seems like a Survivalist outing too far for me, mateys...

Go Silvio, the bargain of the century. See J's post for the bill. Now that's what I call a Curator!

"I've always wanted to do a rock and roll festival in the old style of Alan Freed, Shindig, Hullabaloo, and all of those early shows," said Van Zandt, whose other jobs include guitarist for Bruce Springsteen and consigliere Silvio Dante on "The Sopranos."

Tickets for the show, priced at $20, went on sale Friday. Van Zandt promised concertgoers "one giant B-movie beach party complete with monsters and aliens" — although he offered one caveat. "I am having a bit of trouble getting the monsters and aliens on board," he said. "It's their agents that kill you."

So, how far is it exactly from Thjis Van Leer to Van Lear Rose? A fair distance mayhap but a little bit of "Hocus Pocus" can't do you no harm. Or can it? This was sub-operatic speed metal before it's time surely?

Woo-hoo! (no this isn't a Blur karaoke page you galloot!)



The 5678's at The Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh on August 10th at part of "T on the Fringe".

How's this for a solid line-up: the Underground Garage Festival: with Iggy Pop and the Stooges, The New York Dolls, The Romantics, The Ravonettes, The Pretty Things, The Mooney Suzuki, The Electric Prunes, The Fondas, Bo Diddley, The Cynics, The Chains, The Troggs, The Singles, The Stems, The Woggles, The Chesterfield Kings, The Paybacks, Boss Martians, The Chains, The Forty-Fives, Reigning Sound, The Shazam, The Cocktail Slippers, The Killer Barbies, The Star Spangles, The Charms and The Fuzztones at Randalls Island, New York, NY Sat, Aug 14, 2004 11:30 AM

And in these peculiar times, as what's left of the NY Dolls are back on the boards, a combo by the name of THE MYSTERY GIRLS outta Green Bay, Wisconsin pops up on In The Red. Man, that Larry Hardy sure has a nose for the goods. He's got quite the cellar goin'. "Blues In G" sounds like an ubervintage Alice Cooper instro and the whole thing plays out with a peculiar contemporary form of garage rock'n'roll as opposed to just one or the other. If you're looking to reaffirm your faith in the form then stick this bugger in your craw and let it smoke out the wheat from the chaff. You'll wonder where they've been all your life and probably work yourself into a frenzy as to how you're gonna get to see them work it on out in some psycho-delic basement someplace. The segue from "Radio Planet Blues" into "Sliver and Gold" is nothing short of sick, this is some hairy-arsed rave up to be sure! Oh yeah, and they're not girls.

I dunno about you but there's nothing guaranteed to make me seeth like standing, waiting to cross the road and being ruffled by an in-car stereo booming out some "urban" pish. Then you look up and it's worse. It's a chinless, fuckwit "boy racer" all dressed like he's seen some black people once and put together a wardrobe of that ugly tracksuit variety and don't forget the skip bunnet. Someday the rain will come down and wash this scum off our sidewalks and roads but how long exactly do we have to bloody wait? And what would Larry David do in such a scenario? Anyways it's better now and I'm back indoors and consoling myself with a recording of The Stooges from the recent Download gig in Glasgow. Great stuff and exactly what car stereos were made to blast. "If it's not scotch tape, it's crap", reckons Jimmy O having a "Little Scottish Shop" moment. Exactamundo!

Finally, a light at the end of this dank tunnel...

"9 Years in the making! A few tense months of negotiations with the band and it's here! End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones is going to see a theatrical release in 16 cities in the U.S.A. in August 2004. It's going to be released by Magnolia Pictures (part of the Landmark Theater chain).

Check out our SITE for news on a specific release date.

So please spread the word. We need your support!

We hope you like it.

-Jim Fields, Michael Gramaglia and John Gramaglia,
the filmmakers"

Tomorrow night at DBs right here in Utrecht: Spooky Records recording artists Digger & the Pussycats, all the way from Melbourne, Australia.

If you're in Manhattan tomorrow night, then there's just the one place to be... Otto's on East 14th!

Aye. There seems to be some kinda divine intervention going down under the auspices of "poor ticket sales". The old ways of actually having to tour and maybe even struggle might be too much for many "artists" today though. People generally deserve the festival bills they're saddled with. Curate properly or die I say. And what about the Punkfest? There was never a chasm between Discharge and Black Lace anyway as far as I could hear. In fact, BL mighta been the more punk rock but you get my drift. 'oli-daay in the pissing rain anyone?

Just got word that the Lollapalooza festival tour is canceled due to poor ticket sales. With festivals here in Holland suffering from dramatic drops in attendees as well, this seems to be an international trend. Couple that with the ever declining record sales, and we just might see the day when the corporate honchos will drag their sorry asses over to another field for faster turnovers and leave this music stuff to livin' 'n breathin' human beings. I'll tell ya, this biz is fucked beyond belief, if they can't make money these days from discs that sell "only" 50.000 copies, while just about every small label would be overjoyed with such figures, they're obviously doing something wrong. And what about this festival stuff? You axe. Well just think about it; bands might tour again from town to town playing relatively small clubs and you won't have to fork over a weeks pay to spend two days in the desert or a mudfield to watch 60 bands while there's actually only two you really wanna see. Nutty as it may sound, but the future is in DIY, small specialized operations that are in direct contact with their, uh, "target audience". Look at Hightone, Yep Rock or even Soul Jazz for proof positive. And the same goes for this festival stuff, the smaller specialized ones are doin' fine, it's these something-for-everybody barf fests that are no longer pullin' in the numbers. Hey, you may say I'm a dreamer, but...

NO!, a thousand times NO!. Pretty sure ol' Lindsay doesn't need his below question answered, but I just wanted that clear... Who woulda thunk the punk rock thing ending up like this. The revolution will not be televised but can be seen havin' a nice day out at Butlins with the Cockney Rejects as the new Freddie & the Dreamers for entertainment!. To me it's friggin' hilarious tho', and proof positive that a lack of taste is timeless. A new generation of 40-something sea-side dwellin' families who just happen to prefer 'Dead Cities' over the 'Birdie Dance' and still take fashion tips from the singer in G.B.H.. Ugly music for ugly people!. Heck, you'd figure that with like 500 bands aboard something's gotta swing, but no way Jose; just one big round-up of no-talent losers (and that includes the one or two people involved who should know better!). The British take on p-rock was always shaky at best and this whole deal once again underlines my long held believe that Brits are best at appreciating good ol' Ameri-cun Music, and generally should stay clear of musical instruments 'emselves. There, I've said it!... Fanmail to the usual address please.

The intrepid Mr Rafferty heps we to the possibility that Morecombe is the place to be this July... NO?

So there's this guy Nobby Dylan or something, he's playing the Fleadh (pronounced FLAA) in London and some dimbulb let's him start before Laura Cantrell's set is over. What is up with that?, I hear you ask?? Well exactly, but those who stayed put were rewarded with a version of "The Whiskey Makes You Sweeter" with Laura joined by Linda Thompson. Nobby on the other hand is headed up here to Scotland for a show at The Barra's and an honorary doctorate or some such trinket.

Issue Zero of Everett True's return to the world of publishing after CARELESS TALK COSTS LIVES is out now. Plan B magazine is another cracking wad of print that features mostly stuff I haven't heard of let alone heard. I know that ET occupies a controversial universe for some of you but he's out there doing it for the kids of all ages and this mag deserves your support because it's a swift kick in the bollocks to all the advertorial shite that's cluttering up the racks of WH Smith and whatever.
Visit the PLAN B website and get your bearings. Also out is LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS #2. Just as good looking as their debut and featuring that impenetrable hipster lingo which takes a bit of work but is entertaining nonetheless. Pricey at £4 but there's print out there masquerading as artbook codswallop that don't look (and feel) as good as this!

RIP: Howard "Richard" Tepp (Richard and the Young Lions).

More Dutch news: The Centraal Museum in Utrecht is hosting a two week exhibition on the history of pop music here in town. Rare wax, posters, flyers, videos, slide shows, the lot. The six-o 'n punk rooms (including a bunch of stuff on loan from HQ) are esp well worth a peek.

Some updates on gigs here in Holland: Main news is that the MC5/DTK will play Amsterdam's Paradiso on August 22. The Primitive festival in Rotterdam on July 1,2 and 3 has completed it's line-up and it's seems like tickets are goin' fast, so hurry on up. And while you're headin' for Rotterdam you might wanna extend your stay as the city hosts the free Meteropolis festival on the 4th with bands like the Reigning Sound, Soledad Brothers and the Killers. And speakin' of the Reigning Sound; don't miss out on their tour: 29/6 Amsterdam, 30/6 Heythuysen, 01/7 Groningen, 02/7 Haarlem, 03/7 Nijmegen, 04/7 Rotterdam, 05/7 Utrecht.

Gary (Pig) Gold posted this on e-mole, again a more official tone to it than this CURSE OF THE RAMONES shit that's been flying about...

"Johnny Ramone is not dying, according to his doctor.

The Ramones guitarist, who has been living with prostate cancer for the past several years, was recently admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles with what his physician, Dr. David Agus, told MTV News was a "complication from the cancer. But he got through it, and he's now on a new, experimental therapy. He's fighting courageously, and I think he will be going home in the near term."

Johnny's admission to Cedars-Sinai set off a nationwide — maybe worldwide — media death watch. He was said to be in an intensive-care unit, and very near the end. Characteristically, the 55-year-old guitarist, a stubbornly private man, refused to issue a corrective press statement. His wife, Linda, however, was appalled by the funereal headlines, and authorized Dr. Agus to explain Johnny's condition.

"He's not dying," Linda said on Wednesday afternoon (June 16). "He was okay for years, and he's fine now. He's in the hospital, but he's not in ICU. And I think he may be leaving by tomorrow."

— Kurt Loder"

So let's hope Mark will have enough respect to let nature take its course now.

Just heard that THE DOLLS have been announced as opening for THE WHITE STRIPES in Belfast on August 25th. Further info HERE (Thanks Liam)

DFFD Commandette Karen Winter has posted this... "HDM rocked the Bowery Ballroom 2 nights w/THE MC5 ... did "Call Me Animal" (5th song of set) and "American Ruse" (closing song of the set) both nights ... MANITOBA'S was ROCKIN' as The 5, and Mark Arm of Mudhoney, and Evan Dando of The Lemonheads joined the 5 at the after party @ MANITOBAS!!!!!"

Some good news... in at Lucky 13 on those Swedish Pop Album Charts! THE SOLUTION!



Thanks to Prof. Vahlberg for the heads up!

In relation to all the J. Ramone stuff in the papers and links doing the rounds, this piece from BILLBOARD at least seems to be official. John always struck me as being a very private individual and the reports attributed to Blabby Ramone struck me as intrusive to what, in my opinion, would be his wishes regarding his condition.

The Spangles approve this mess so there you have it. Incase you can't read it, it's for their NY show at Sin-e (sorry no accent ton the e there) on July 3rd.

Just in... the first report...

Here ya go Lindsay, hot off the press:

Well, for all you cynics out there, you'd better buy your tickets for the Dolls. If you don't you'll regret it big time. They were TERRIFIC tonight! Here's the set list, including some real surprises:

Lookin' for a Kiss
Puss in Boots
Subway Train
?
Piece of my Heart (yes, the Janis Joplin song)
Bad Girl
You can't put your arms around a memory (sung by
Sylvain for Johnny)
Lonely Planet Boy
Private World
In my girlish days (Memphis Minnie song)
Vietnamese Baby
Pills
? (Gene Pitney song)
Mystery Girls
Frankenstein
Out in the Streets (Shangri Las)
Babylon
Trash
Jet Boy
Personality Crisis

Encore

Human Being

By the end they were shattered (who wouldn't be after those last 5
choons!) and Gary Powell (who did a terrific job on drums) had
damaged his hand so it was just the one song for the encore and then off to get some beauty sleep. David's voice was very strong, Sylain clearly was enjoying every second of it and Arthur's bass playing was very solid. Steve Conteh was fine on guitar, not Johnny but.....

Gruen's films were terrific earlier in the evening and there was also an exhibition of about 20 of his Dolls photos in the foyer including a brand new 2004 shot.

The only downsides of the night were that the hall was only 65% full (Friday sold out in 48 hours) and the flowers on the stage were very Morrissey, but not very Dolls.....

All in all a terrific night! I'll try to write more
tomorrow. Buy those Randalls Island tix for Aug 14!

Martin

More bad news from the Ramones camp. (with thanks to Jean-Marc for the link).

AMY RIGBY plays 2 Irish shows on July 1st and 2nd. UK mainland dates start July 5th. Cut along when she gets to your 'hood now won'tcha!

Apparently there's some football tournament on the go. That'll be why there's a bunch of sad, footie-related records in the Top 40 today then. Not knowing one end of a pitch from another is a major claim of mine. The TV schedules are even more pish than usual as the networks kowtow so I imagine i'll be watching a few dvd's or maybe even undertaking some of the tasks that have seen some serious procrastination over the last wee while. Finally saw BUBBA HO-TEP last night. It's "a redemptive, Elvis, Mummy picture", sez it's star Bruce Campbell. You oughtta see it too because it's damn good and very, very twisted.

Canada witnessed the DKT/MC5 debut, read about it here and here.

Bro. Bruce Mowat on Jandek here.

All these bands that get compared to the MC5 these days seldom end up as worthy of being mentioned in the same sentence. THE HELLACOPTERS on the other hand are pretty much the exception to the rule. These guys are honoraray denizens of the motor city sound and it is fitting that Nicke will be joining the DKT/MC5 ensemble in this part of the world. Why they don't rule the world is beyond my conception but that's a bugbear for another day. The Hellacopters are to the '5, et all, what Teenage Fanclub were to the resurrection of Alex Chilton's career. Prepare then to see, hear and fall headlong for THE SOLUTION for they and only they have the chops to save your sorry soul. Scott Morgan and Nicke Hellacopter have made a record that deserves to be so massive that I boggles the mind to try and use mere words. I wanna see a sea of hands fork over their hard earned for the upcoming album on the WILD KINGDOM label in Sweden and SWEET NOTHING in the UK. Visit SCOTT'S WEBSITE for US availability. Doubters and believers alike can take a look at the video for "I Have To Quit You" here in the news section.

Just received this report on the latest MAGIC CHRISTIAN gig in SF and figured I'd share it... thanks Don.

"just got back from the parkside show...they had a different drummer-- mike. looks like ginger baker. he was pretty good. in fact considering the tiny venue in a way i was glad prairie prince wasn't playing. he's just so powerful the band has to play super-loud to compete. with this guy they were turned down and you could hear things better than at the music hall show. small but spirited crowd. roy loney was in attendance. cyril played his dan armstrong thru the pod and into his reissue fender twin reverb. alec palao played a gretsch hollow body bass thru gallien kruger amp. paul sang and shook a tambourine. they did some new originals and a couple of beatles tunes. here's the set list: (which i'll save for mr stax)

made my bed
till i looked in her eyes
anytime at all
ride the light
my gal (the spoonful classic, "for roy loney")
things she said
no time to cry (for yers truly...thanks paul)
things we said today
right back
she's so good
too close to zero
encore: i can see for miles

the place was tiny with just a foot high "stage" and not the greatest PA but like i said, i could hear them better than at the first gig. cyril played without a pick like he did last time. mick green style. he's got a very bright, overdriven sound these days which he describes as being like keith on "street fighing man". and that's a very apt description.
new songs were good. i still love "no time to cry" - that's killer. but i also like "she's so good". i think they ought to move that one up in the set. great monkey beat song.
all in all a very good 2nd show. next one is sunday at the haight street fair. they should go on around 3 in the afternoon. haight and stanyan. see ya there -- don in frisco"

Saw THE MOONEY SUZUKI at a fairly busy King Tut’s in Glasgow on Wednesday past. I haven’t been convinced by their records but harbour a great deal of respect for their line in pastiche of a Grand Funk Railroad sleeve, right down to the board Electric Sweat was printed on. So anyways, if there’s some kinda kudos in throwing rock shapes then the MS are right up there. In terms of energy and the ability to put on a great show they don’t slouch either but I just don’t hear any songs. Spectacle-wise they have it down and I can’t believe that anybody seeing them wouldn’t warm to the effort. However, is that enough? It seems that in this day and age it can be and I wish them well for that 15 minutes or so. They don’t have a Tommy Volume though…
On the subject of the MS, UK visitors can log on to the Sony Music website to score a copy of a 7” that features tracks that won’t be on their “Alive and Amplified” set due in August. The were sharing the bill with a band called Lowfive who were competent to fair at best, the title of their debut single kinda summed them up, "Too Much of Nothing". Headliners were YOUNG HEART ATTACK who Gran’pa here had never heard of. Turns out they have an album on XL and have supported The Darkness etc. They’re perfectly acceptable for 10 or so minutes and then it all gets very conveyor belt. They’re actually more like Slade than AC/DC and if the lead guy is looking for a career after this then he can do a bloody good Noddy Holder. YHA are better than The Dorkness but only just and their pantomime rawk is typical of the triumph of style over substance that seems to be finding favour with “the kids”. I knew it was time to leave when thoughts of when my Nine Pound Hammer album might turn up to blow all this fluff away crept into my noggin plus it was a school night. The moral here is, by all means see The Suzuki. If they were playing festivals then compared to most of the other alleged entertainment, they’d take your head off. They can blow a head of steam alright but they need some hooks to supplement all the trouble they go to in projecting.

Looks like the Nitwitz are wowin' the Spanish masses as we speak, just take a peek at this forum where the general sentiment seems to be either "ahíiiiiiiiii", "pa'arribaaaaaaa !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" or "OLE Y OLE!!".

Mrs Stim hepped me to this whole 'nother universe. Take a look at Planet Homestar Runner but beware, you might be trochling around this site a while. Certainly if you dig classy, strange, downright mental animation you will.

Playlist: Here's the infrequent update on what's doin' the rounds on the hi-fi here at NBT's Dutch HQ: Top of the pile is the trio of 'Forth Worth Teen Scene' discs on Norton, as fine a set o' six-o garage blasts as y're gonna get. Great, great line-up o' both familiar cuts and previously un-issued ones. Sound's mighty-fi, 'n the de-luxe packaging features big-ass gatefold sleeves w/ pics galore 'n liners that rival 'War & Peace' in length, these babies set new standards for how this music should be served. Mark these as "absolutely essential" on your shoppinglist. Also vying for the RPMs is the Misunderstood's 'Lost Acetates' LP on Ugly Things , even w/ most of this predatin' the Glenn Campbell era, this is the perfect companion to the ol' 'Before The Dream Faded' discus. Wild as the early R&B stuff is, when sparks start flyin' offa that pedal steel I'm sold... You young uninitiated un's might scratch your skulls here, but we're talkin' loud, distorto-screechin' feedback here comin' from that steel guitar !. Make sure you memorized the 'Dream' disc first 'n then by all means get this... The UK Soul Jazz label delivers another great comp w/ 'Chicago Soul', a fine-as-wine set of late 60s Chess recordings, and I only refrain from givin' it the full thumbs up c/o of Phil Upchurch and the horrid incense reekin' Rotary Connection, turd is the word here, and I really have know idea how they've ever ended up in the company of Etta James, Bo, Muddy 'n the Wolf. Otherwise this makes for a solid soundtrack to your next shindig as long as you make sure to hit the skip button on time. It's gettin' way past midnight here, so in brief; the Thermals 'Fuckin' A' (Sub Pop) gets the vote even tho' I'm not to keen on the somewhat "English" vocalisin', but the tunes are top notch. The Oblivians demo LP (Goner) mentioned below has finally reached my doorstep, and even tho' it's a bit lo on the fi, the genius these guys shared is clear as day even at this early stage. Gotta go get some sleep...

RIP: Ray Charles.

RICHARD HELL on Bob Quine. Link courtesy of Andy Schwarz.

The one and the only Ms Karen McBurnie sent me this yesterday and having contacted the man responsible, he's given me the nod to reproduce it here...

Remembering Robert Quine

Dear Friend,

By now you may have heard the sad news: Over Memorial Day weekend, Robert Quine died at age 61, reportedly of an intentional heroin overdose. He was preceded in death by his wife Alice Sherman, who suffered a sudden fatal heart attack in August 2003. Friends say that her loss sent Bob into a deep depression from which he never emerged.

Because Bob Quine was one of the most original and innovative electric guitar players of the past 30 years, I knew about him long before I ever had an extended conversation with him. I never met his wife, never visited their Grand Street apartment, never even shared a meal or listened to records with him. We had just begun to get acquainted in the three years prior to Alice's death, but the combination of his playing and his personality left a deep, indelible impression on me. I'm going to miss those infrequent but prolonged phone conversations marked by Quine's acerbic humor, passionate enthusiams, withering critiques, even his wry, Akron-bred tone of voice.

Bob was eight years my senior and had been thunderstruck by rock & roll in 1955 at age 12. Consequently, he had witnessed a lot of amazing music ranging from Buddy Holly at a civic auditorium in Ohio (where Holly was the only white act on the bill) to the Allman Brothers Band in a college dorm lounge in St. Louis. Once, when I worked at Sony Music in the late Nineties, I sent him the Sony Legacy box set The Complete Miles Davis Quintet - Live at the Plugged Nickel - 1965. Bob called to thank me--and casually mentioned that he'd been in the audience for two nights of Miles' run. He followed the Velvet Underground so devotedly that, in 2001, Polygram/Universal issued a three-CD compilation of live VU performances recorded by Bob in 1969 (Bootleg Series Volume 1: The Quine Tapes).

It was my privilege to see him play with three different live groups: Richard Hell & the Voidoids, the Lou Reed band (with bassist Fernando Saunders and drummer Fred Maher), and the short-lived Deadline (with bassist Bill Laswell and the late drummer Philip Wilson). I remember one middle-period Voidoids set at C.B.G.B. where I thought the walls would cave in from the combined playing of Quine and Ivan Julian. They were putting out so much music that night, at such a ferocious level of engagement, that it didn't seem possible for the building to contain it all.

Although Bob himself didn't own a computer and had never used email, Steve Caratzas has created an excellent Quine website including a career discography. Bob did multiple recordings with Richard Hell, Lou Reed, Matthew Sweet, Lloyd Cole, and John Zorn. Other Quine credits include Tom Waits (Rain Dogs), Marianne Faithfull (Strange Weather), and Andre Williams (Bait and Switch).

In a lengthy 1997 interview with Jason Gross of Perfect Sound Forever, Bob states that he made "two weeks of tapes" with Brian Eno in 1980, none of which have ever been released; and that Richard Hell's Blank Generation album was recorded twice in its entirety, with the first version (from the spring of '77) still in the can. One of my personal favorites is Hell's Destiny Street (1982), on which album producer Alan Betrock cut Quine loose to lay down "backwards guitar, feedback guitar, speeded-up guitar...I got that out of my system for once and for all."

Other Bob Quine quotes from the PSF interview:

"There have been good and bad years in rock but the best years were '55 to early '61."

"A turning point for me was in 1966 when I was in San Francisco. I saw John Coltrane with Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Rashied Ali. I'm trying to analyze this stuff and figure it out. I'm in the front row and all of a sudden, these two horns are right in my face. I said 'yes, I understand this.'"

"'He Loved Him Madly' [from Get Up With It, 1972] is like my favorite Miles Davis track of all time...[E]motionally, when the smoke has cleared, that will be regarded as one of his most profound statements. You could listen to it when you're depressed, when you're having sex or whatever."

"I play with singers/songwriters and one thing that's crucial is that I listen to the lyrics. Like with Lou Reed's 'Waves of Fear'--if it had been about making an egg cream, my solo would be different than a guy having a nervous breakdown."

"I'm in situation where I've accomplished something. Half the time, I can't believe that people care about me."

Well, we did care. And although he'd probably be embarrassed to hear it, I'll say it anyway: Thank you, Bob Quine.

Andy Schwartz, New York, NY
Gramercy7@yahoo.com


(For anybody who maybe doesn't know. Andy Schwartz is the former editor and publisher of New York Rocker magazine (1978-83))

The latest Star Spangle, direct from their bunker, info is as follows...

Hey! (If you have a lisp, good luck with this one…)

The Star Spangles declare their independence from everything (except their fans) Saturday, July 3rd at Sin-e, NYC (Attorney at Stanton St.)

The Star Spangles, 11pm
Back In Spades, 10pm
Sexy Magazines, 9pm
The Stalkers, 8pm

Back In Spades is from Detroit. Usually that would be enough, but, as an added bonus, it also features Jackson Smith. They are the best new band out there, according to me. Do not miss them.

Our shows with the Chesterfield Kings and the Romantics were as good as it gets and next, we look forward to hooking up with the Real Kids at Boston’s Coolidge Comer Theatre on June 11th to celebrate the premiere of their bio-pic, “All Kindsa Girls” Anybody in the vicinity should check it out.

Those of you who live on, or near Long Island, NY can come and see us at the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale on June 22nd. We’re “special guests” on a Battle Of The Bands show that Little Steven is promoting in conjunction with his excellent Underground Garage

This from Japan, last year - www3.stream.co.jp/web/mtvi/meta/s/ss03_live/starspanglers.ram
(Sadly, they cut it just before TV threw his socks into the crowd)

When they’re not on tour, Nick & Joey spin the good vinyl at Lit, 93 Second Ave every Monday. It’s highly entertaining, and sometimes a geezer with mammoth tits shows up.

Those of you with Concert TV on your digital cable system, should check out the glory that is Tom Walker’s video for the single that should have been: “I Don’t Wanna Be Crazy Anymore” It’s on for a month. If you don’t have it, bug your cable company. http://www.watchconcert.com for a tease…

Keep August 14th free…(trust me)

www.thestarspangles.com (new t-shirts any day now…)

The logo competition is still on. Closing date is July 30th. Info@thestarspangles.com has been getting A LOT of mail with viruses attached. They get deleted immediately without being opened. We acknowledge every submission we see, so if you sent something and didn’t hear from us, you are diseased. Please be more careful.

Remember…there’s a lot of stuff out there passing itself off as “rock & roll.” You are a Spangles fan, so you know the difference. It is your duty to educate others. We’re doing our bit. There was a time when radio was fun to listen to, and the charts were exciting. Now we are subjected to shite presented as “cool” or “hip” by droogs who wouldn’t know the good stuff if it pissed down their throat. Scope out alternatives. Satellite and/or web radio is worth a try. Steven’s slowly making a difference. The Spangles did 2 hours on East Village Radio last week. It’s a pirate, AND on the web. We love pirates, those who reject the system. www.eastvillageradio.com Supporting live music is another way to make changes. Patronize your local indy record store, too. And trade files. Pick a side…take a stand…this is the modern war

*******************************************************************************

We are deeply saddened by the death of NY guitar great, Robert Quine. He was one of the few musicians who could justifiably be called a genius.

From Flyin' Bri'...

"saw The Manikins link, if youre up for it can you mention they're playin at the Dog 'n' Parrot in Newcastle on 2nd july (with the illlegal movers) 'n' The Fishtank, Durham on 3rd July (with The Loaded Hoods). Both the Movers 'n' Hoods could well be doing selected dates around the UK with The 5678's in August!"

Just saw J's post about Robert Quine. Sad. When in Finyl Vinyl recently, Robert Cohen let me read his short story which was published about his encounter with Quine when Miles Davis died. Quine was one of a kind alright.

The Lazy Cowgirls will play their last show with ace guitarist Michael Leigh on Saturday June 19th at The Thuderbird, 4657 Lankershim Bl. North Hollywood, Ca. (818-766-4644). No news yet on what this means for the future of the band.

While diggin' around for more info on the below, I noticed that Richard Hell's site has a message on te recent passing of Lizzy Mercier Descloux.

RIP: Robert Quine.

Went out tonight to see the Ponys here in town. I'd passed on their LP, considerin' it too new wave-ish, but I gotta say that in a live setting they were actually pretty good. They've got a strong 1977-NYC-Talking Heads-Television-Richard Hell kinda vibe goin' which is fine by me, in fact I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd included 'That's All I Know Right Now' in their set. Only complaint was the long freak-out thing they choose to close with. Heck, I would really apreciate it if bands would can this shit in the future. I mean; why bother?.
Truth be told: main reason for goin' out was support band the Sack-O'-Woes, who I've been eager to see for some time now, but shoot me if I didn't arrive late into their set and only caught a couple of their songs. My loss obviously, 'cause these guys do a real straight forward punk thing and do it good. Their recent 10" is proof positive of just that. These guys deserve your support, and believe you me, next time they're playin' 'round here, I'll make sure to be there on time.
(Dutch readers might wanna check Sack-O'-Woes mainman Niels' fanzine 'I Hate Music', available right here).

I dunno what it's like today where you're reading this but the radio, papers and TV here in the home of the haggis are awash with the 60th Anniversary of the D-Day landings. The marking of this event is all well and good but it seems to have been hijacked by visiting (in)dignitaries. Individuals who, for the most part, are in my opinion just using it as a platform for their own pathetic grandstanding. These gimps have all but halted the roaming of the real people who fought and lost comrades. Security is said to be so tight that they can't get to the places they need to go. Surely it should be understood that these veterans should have the key to the whole bloody country, at least for a day? On Radio Scotland this morning it was reported that one of the soldiers returning to the site had asked if what they were being subjected to was "freedom". Take Wee Jack f'rinstance. The media was awash with the shame that the leader of the Scottish District Cooncil had plumped to go to a dinner in celebration of St Andrews Golf Club and not France. Then shock, horror - pressure is brought to bear and he decides he'll U-turn and head for France.
His mind was made up. He should have been refused entry and been turned back. The survivors of the landings and their families of all sides shouldn't have to be subjected to arseholes jumping on the bandwagon created around such an event. And who exactly is paying for all this security? That'll be us, the chumps of course. Who usually pays for such a jolly? Not the (in)dignitaries that's for sure. I understand completely how having all these figureheads might make Normandy a target for that group that always gets the credit for doing very bad things but all the more reason for the freeloaders to stay at home. Let freedom reign? Will they hell is like?? Not if there's a bucket of Ferrero Rocher to be guzzled with a swally. If there's a charabang trip that'll get their fizzogs beamed all across the planet then they're in there, like a wee furry critter up a pipe. What does any of this have to do with rock'n'roll you may ask yerself? Well not much but sometimes it becomes necessary to consider the bigger picture. We're sailing in concievably perilous waters in the run-up to November and eggs cannot be unscrambled. The stage management is set and we gotta hold on tight to our hollyhocks and hope that we all make it out the other side. It'll be a bumpy ride with plenty of twisted turns and that's just about the only thing I reckon we can count on at this point. Have a nice day.

Whenever Jan Kooi sez; "hey Jeroen, listen to this", I always oblige, 'cause the man certainly has good taste. His latest discovery are the Manikins, a cool new punk-ish outfit from Sweden...

The new DAVE ALVIN album, ASHGROVE is out any day now on YEP ROC records and early birdlike individuals snaffling up copies of the initial pressing will receive an additional 2 track cd of material completed just after the project was completed. So I guess that'll be you then kiddo?

Sticking with the Joisey theme of the last couple of posts, we had the pleasure of dropping by THE BUBBA MAC SHACK to catch JERRY (THE GEATOR) BLAVAT in action. More about that in due course but Bubba was kind enough to lay some copies of his self-released Blues Band cd's on us and if you're ever in the Somers Point hood then you should toddle on down to Bubba's for a snapshot of American culture best enjoyed in it's own environs. We get all the dodgy US franchaises here but we need a place like the shack to shake in. Accept no imitations.

In a clever SOPRANOS related segue here, I gotta remind you to pledge allegience to LITTLE STEVEN'S UNDERGROUND GARAGE. A veritable last bastion of all the music that matters from then, now and still to come. Do it or he'll slip into Silvio mode and come getcha.

The fifth season finale episode of THE SOPRANOS airs on HBO tomorrow night (Sunday). All bloody heck is about to break loose!

I get kinda nervous when I see a comparison to Thee Headcoats or their ilk in a press release. Y'see, I don't really rate them and figure much of the B. Childish canon to be art rock galumphing in g'rage clothing but our US cousins seem to be able to shake the positive elements about like they did and continue to do with the Beatles so I guess I'm mithering for nowt as usual. Anyway, I mention this because THEE FINE LINES introbumf namechecks that very combo but fear not because, apart from the basic feel of these their tunes having been wrought outta solid concrete, any misgivings are soon shot-blasted clean away. This perfectly formed trio hail from that home of the hits, Springfield, Mo. and thusly are well versed in the big beat that cannae be beat. Their primal stomp is as raggedy and ready as a grizzly's hindquarters and all the better for it. There's a fine line in what's served up as "garage" these days and these youngsters most definitley have it down to keep them well inside the YO zone. They rocks, they rolls and all 14 songs pinch all the right spots to leave that nice bruising you like. Their debut, self titled album is just about to hit the stores and mail order emporiums that matter on a new Austin, TX label by the name of LICORICE TREE. A place where you'll soon be able to shake down a whole crop of wild and woolly recordings. The sound of the underground that deserves to be overground awready.

From the Dictators website: The Master Plan will be the special guests at Little Steven's Underground Garage Battle of the Bands in Long Island on June 23. Ten battle semifinalists appear with very special guests the Master Plan at the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale, Long Island. Doors open at 8 p.m. More info: www.rockingarage.com.

My pal Jos was rather quick to point out that the mighty Sack-o'-Woes will be playin' this Sunday night here in Utrecht supporting the Ponys at the Tivoli De Helling.

Whilst on the subject of the written word, check out the great ROBBIE FULKS writing about the equally fabulous LUCINDA WILLIAMS. Talk about right on that there button.

The good lord knows there's not a lot of great "actually" printed material around these days but the most recent edition (#10) of ARTHUR is out now and tis of a very high standard. It can be picked up free in hip outlets (incl. Amoeba) throughout the US and Canada and even in the lobby of Ms Laura Cantrell's old apartment. It can also be subscribed to and I'll be danged if it isn't actually worth money.

This quite literally, joss came in...



"Yus, indeedy, Big L and brethren, sweetboy Teenslain and yer ever-lovin' BigKegShandy have found a new fortnightly, late-openin' home for Sonic Reducer, up the road in RayDaviesLand, London N6, cheek-by-jowl with Highgate tube ... Following an aborted push into the West End before Xmess, which saw The Beatings rock a packed Metro like four cheap alarm clocks (or even THE Alarm Clocks!) and yers trulies get a bollocking from Paul 'Blow Up/Off' Tunkin for daring to mix rekkids made before 1977 with those made afterwards (like, duh!), we've decided to return to our spiritual home, and lick our wounds (or nuts?) ... Expect the same mess o'righteous sounds (no Shite Stripes etc!) from the darin' '20s to these decidedly non-naughty noughties, including plenny o'sweaty funk, choice '60s garage, ravin' R&B, salacious soul, hemp-saturated jive, moon-hoppin' JA sounds, high energy rock'n'drool, and all'a the other shit that's fit to spin ... We kick off on July 9th, then go fortnightly after, with special guest DJs, too ... The Sonic Reducer Tag Team is also unbelievably proud to announce that we're DJing at the MC5-DKT gig at the Londinium Astoria on August 25th ... Be
there, or go boil yer 'eads ... Selah! Joss & Joe"

So, it's a Thursday night in Bainsford. EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS were playing the Marquee in London 28 years ago and now they're hitting up The Martell in front of maybe 30 fans who've largely been with them since back in the day. Barrie Masters still has molto much more energy than me and the band delivered a solid set of old chestnuts and some new material that stands up better in the set at the required volume than it does on the new album, BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. Still it's great that they're still rolling and for my money The Hot Rods were the first UK punk combo in what was until then a US sense of the word. They transcended what became known as Pub Rock and veered off on an MC5 type trajectory while The Feelgoods largely stuck to their own finite furrow. These guys were doing it when the Pistols blueprint was still very much on the drawing board. A little known fact then, Eddie and the Hot Rods were on the cover of the pilot issue of NBT in September 1976. I never kept a copy and I don't think any survived but go ahead and prove me wrong if you can.

It's been ages since I last visited the Goner site, so imagine my surprise, when gettin' there once again last night, I suddenly noticed that not only has Eric opened a real live Goner shop in Memphis (2152 Young Avenue, 901-722-0095, Tuesday-Saturday noon-seven, Sunday 1-5), but he also has a one-sided 10" disc available with the first ever recordings by his former band; the mighty Oblivians!. Why didn't anybody tell me?, I mean, f'r chris' sakes, there's a new disc out by what just might 've been the best of the 90s, but the news ain't out!. What's up with that?. A mere $10 plus postage will get you a copy tho', just go to the site and follow the instructions from there (or you can drop by the shop if you're in the area)...