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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RIP - James Brown

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

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

No alkyhol or narcotics of any description were involved.

RIP - Dennis Linde

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

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

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

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

RIP - Charlie Drake

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

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

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

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

RIP - Joe Barbera

RIP - Denis Payton (Dave Clark Five)

Bop Records Proudly Presents

TEENGENERATE ?The Kings of Tokyo Garage Punk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your friends,

Bon and Girl Trouble

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RIP - Ahmet Ertegun

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

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

RIP: Peter Boyle.

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

We'll be pulling out all the seasonal stops,

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

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

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

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

With your DJ hosts Matthew Lees and Bob Stanley

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

(Thanks to Nancy for the info)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




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

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

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

isabel


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

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

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

RIP: Mariska Veres (Shocking Blue)

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

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

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

JESSE HECTOR - A MESSAGE TO THE WORLD - Documentary Film Premier - London

A Message To The World is being shown at 9pm on December 4th at 242 Acklam Road W10 at the Westbourne Studios, London. Admission is free.

Press Release: 'A Message To The World'

Mutton-chopped Jesse Hector was a permanent fixture in the English music press of the mid-Seventies and the electrifying live performances of his band The Gorillas proved an inspiration to such faces on the burgeoning Punk scene as Paul Weller, Billy Idol, Shane McGowan and Rat Scabies.

Jesse has always believed in the revolutionary and rejuvenating power of music - the cover of The Gorillas album showed his band of space ace Mods hurtling towards earth on a meteorite to save the world with rock n' roll - and his belief in music is as strong today as it ever has been.

He now works as a cleaner at Hackney Empire and The Royal Horticultural Society and this documentary follows him as he journeys around London and retraces his fifty years in rock n' roll - skiffling at the 2 I's in Old Compton Street at the age of 12, playing guitar with Mod Freakbeat legends The Clique, fronting proto-punk bruisers Crushed Butler and The Hammersmith Gorillas - and attempts to find out, as the NME's Roy Carr wrote in 1977, Whatever Happened To Jesse Hector?'

Wotcha trakMARXists,

The World's First PUNK ROCK XMAS FAiR is taking place in Stockport on 10th Dec 2006 @ The Bulls Head, Market Place, Stockport - 4pm till 11pm - Admission: £1 before 6pm - £2 after 6pm.

The FAiR features the NO DRESS CODE old school punk night: dance to music you know you like, meet people you know you'll get on with, drink copious amounts of strong alcohol, buy your xmas presents, drink some more (maybe a few shorts), dance & pogo & cavort about a bit, chat up a few members of the opposite sex, drink, fall over & lose your xmas presents on the way home! Just GOOGLE "Punk Rock Xmas Fayre" - & you'll see it's never happened before! This is a unique event. People are welcome to come along & sell their own stuff - like some kind of anarchists car boot sale - groups, promoters, fanzines, studios, labels - come on down! Under 18s are welcome - but won't get served at the bar. No religious claptrap either!!

For more info:

www.myspace.com/nodresscode

or email - punkrockxmasfair@yahoo.co.uk

Punk Rock Fair organiser, Miles Barter: "This is unique. I've searched the whole of the world wide web thingy & nothing like this has ever happened before. The idea is for punks to get together for an xmas party, but people can just turn up, find that present for their difficult 14 year old mohican or their difficult 44 year old aging rebel, & bugger off again. There are no rules."

Three authors of Punk Rock works of reference will be in the area on the night in question:

1) Alex Ogg will be flogging you copies of his most excellent "No More Heroes" & signing them for you:

www.myspace.com/alexogg

2) David Nolan will be doing likewise with his sturdy "I Swear I Was There", the story of the Sex Pistols legendary 1976 Manchester shows:

www.myspace.com/davidnolanwriter

3) Ron Watts will also be in attendance with his very own "100 Watts
- A Life In Music":

www.heroespublishing.com
(Up The Villa!)

ALSO - a special appearance with stallage from Overground Records very own head honcho, John Esplen:

www.overgroundrecords.co.uk

Ho Ho H Ho Ho Ho
jean encoule
trakMARX@Xmarse
www.trakMARX.com

Spirit is life/It flows thru/the death of me/endlessly/like a river/ unafraid/of becoming/the sea - g.corso

trakmarx
wastebin@trakmarx.com

It was a little sad today to hear of the death of Alan “Fluff” Freeman. I think he was the first dj that I paid attention to. I must have been about 11 years old when I first started to take an interest in “Pick of the Pops”. Scribbling the chart rundown into a jotter or notebook as AF counted it down. Yep, I was a saddoe even then and look where it got me. Tonight I heard BBC Radio Scotland’s John Cavanagh talk about him. He can do a pretty uncanny impression of him too, which was sanctioned by the man himself. They don’t make them like “Fluff” Freeman anymore.

So anyway, time marches on and those Susquehanna boys just keep on moving…

Are you suffering from a bout of post-Thanksgiving depression, dear friend?
Nah, we aren’t either, but perhaps you’d best not risk it and join us, SUSQUEHANNA INDUSTRIAL TOOL & DIE CO. , for our regular last-Thursday-of-every-month hullabaloo at our post-holiday home-away-from-home, Otto’s Shrunken Head Tiki Bar & Lounge. Why, our show is virtually guaranteed to make you feel better about yourself. And how.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30th / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD /
538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in Manhattan, NYC /

Two BIG shows, from 8:00 sharp until 10:00 / No cover! /

And, coming up –- our Christmas-themed offering for the season...

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14th / RODEO BAR /
375 Third Avenue (corner of 27th Street) in ol' Manhattan, NYC / 10:00 sharp until 1:00 /

No cover & lotsa free peanuts! /

Sincerely yours,
Michael, Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. “Ballads, Boogies & Blues”

And I’m going to shut up about Hello Saferide in the meantime and refer you to this great Pitchfork Media review.See, it ain't just me...

RIP - Alan Freeman

Much as the concept of just hibernating appeals more than anything at the minute there's no rest for the wicked. Or the criminally cheesed-off. If there was a prize for the person least likely to get anything together right now then I’d scoop it hands down.

Got a wee bundle of vinyl to sift through here but i've got a problem with my turntable. Also been trying to figure out whether or not the bloody jukebox is fixable at all. My will to live ebbs and flows. Heavy on the ebb.

Caught Everett True's Nirvana book event in Edinburgh on Saturday. It wasn't a conventional launch but it was pretty entertaining. A strange venue too, The Forest Café in Edinburgh. More about that when I get to grips with the tome.

Later, The Drams (who used to be Slobberbone) played at The Bongo Club. The record is good but the live scenario left me pretty much unmoved. Best parts were a tune that sounded like Roky Erickson and a version of “I Am The Cosmos”. Openers, The Porch Song Anthology sounded fairly promising. A couple of them used to be in Telstar Ponies with Mr Keenan.

Monorail Music and Mono are extremely pleased to announce this year's Project Ability exhibition which opens on Thursday 30 November at 7pm. The fantastic Bill Wells Trio will perform live and Norman Blake and Duglas T. Stewart will dj. This event is free.
Project Ability is one of Scotland's leading specialist arts organisations, working with children and adults with a learning disability, people with mental health problems, and others who find it difficult to access mainstream activities. The output is spectacular and brilliant - raw art fans will go nuts for the latest selection by curator, Alison Mitchell. Exhibition open every day, noon - midnight until the end of December 2006.

Mono and Monorail Music, 12 King’s Court, King Street,

Glasgow G1 5RB - T: 0141 552 9458

Project Ability, Centre for Developmental Arts, 3rd Floor, 18 Albion Street,

Glasgow G1 1LH - T: 0141 552 2822

Beatles painting by Ronnie McCulloch

The Nomads - Vooruit, Gent (Belgium) 25-11-2006.

It's stating the obvious that we here at NBT like the Nomads... A lot!... Just check the recent Nomadic Dementia comp and try 'n tell me there's another band out there that's been doin' it, and doin' it right, for the past 25 years. God knows how Lindsay managed to cut things down to a single CD...
Anyways, two years since I last saw 'em (in Paris), last night's show proved that (thankfully) little has changed and the Nomads can still knock 'em dead today just like they did whenever it was when I first saw 'em in Rotterdam (1984, I just checked)
It took a couple of songs before they were able to shift into third gear, but as soon as these guys are firein' on all cylinders there's no stopping 'em...
These days a "hit" is something to boost the statistics of your webcounter, the Nomads are purveyors of the long lost tradition of writing hit songs, and delivering 'em in an appropriate manner (even with Hans and Bjorne bein' somewhat worse for wear after a wild night in Stockholm)
As always, the crowd of 1200+, including the largest number of Turbojugend I've ever seen, needed some oldies to really get into things, but a brief shift into psychobilly-mode for Real Gone Lover is all they need to win 'em over. Game, set, match.... No competition....
Word from Bjorne is that he and Chips have about 16 new songs ready for a new album, and if Ain't No King Of Rock 'n Roll Tonight is any indication of what to expect, we're in for another good un'...
Long may they reign...

A message from B. F. Mowat...

"Before "Indie-rock", "alternative", "new wave" or "punk" was.. SimplySaucer IS.. I really didn't think this was ever going to happen butit's true...After a 27-year absence, Simply Saucer returns to the live stage on December 28th for a full-length concert presentation at the Casbah, corner of King & Queen Street in downtown Hamilton.

Quite simply, the Saucer was and is, the original "new music" "proto-punk" - orwhatever equally stoopid term you can think of - rock combo that wastaking their musical queues from "Kraut"-rock (e.g. Can, Faust, Neu, etc,), The Stooges and The Velvet Underground before any of that stuff wascommon currency. The only groups we can think of who were even remotelyin the same head space were the early NYC bands (Television, etc) or the early Cleveland groups (Rocket From The Tombs, Mirrors).

Starting in 1973,the group careened through six years of musical mayhem before finally imploding in 1979. Over the years, the group's reputationspread, first with the ltd (920 copies) 1989 vinyl LP release of Cyborgs Revisited, and subsequently, withy the CD reissues of same in 1991 and-most recently - on Sonic Unyon in 2003. These recordings have earnedcritical kudos world wide from such redoubtable publications as Spin, New Music Express, Mojo, Uncut and The Sunday London Times.

After a completely unplanned, out-of-the blue reunion gig on September 17th at the once-legendary Corktown Tavern (with '78-79 guitarist -and former member of Teenage Head Steve "Sparky" Park), left everyone concerned feelin' groovy about playing Saucer songs, it was felt a revamped, no-nostalgia version of the group could be assembled. (Sparky couldn't commit to this version, but he has given his blessing to the "Mach V" version of Saucer).

Original singer, guitarist , and chief songwriter Edgar Breau along with original bassist The Legendary Kevin Christoff, will take the stage with their former manager (for one, brief disastrous 1979 gig In Guelph..ask him about it!) and drummer for the Forgotten Rebels, Joe Csontos. And we are extremely stoked about our newest generation of Saucer members - watch for further bulletins for more info (e.g. gear used, previous experience, favourite colours, what constitutes a great date, that kind of thing..).

We like to think that this edition of the Saucer will integrate both the Ping Romany eraelectronics AND the dual guitar attack of the Sparky era There are tentative plans to record the new Saucer line-up , either the live shows, or some "unfinished business" (like, about 50-60 songs worth).

They also plan to perform in all of the "Original Six" NHL hockey cities (Toronto, Montreal, Detroit, Chicago, Boston and New York) in 2007. Edgar, by the way, will continue to pursue his solo career - he's putting the finishing touches to Patches Of Blue, his second solo CD even as I write this - but all rock/band format will be forwarded to the Saucer desk, while all solo/singer-songwriter material will be forwarded to the solo tray.

To give you an example: "Simcoe County Country Girl" an acoustic country-blues number that dates from Cyborgs era Saucer(1975) is appearing on Patches Of Blue, while "Nice Noise", an unreleased stomper from 1977 is clearly marked for the band tray.

Also featured on the bill is the one-man electro-rock (pardon my PUN...)sensation of Electroluminescent Tickets are $15 in advance and can be purchased RIGHT NOW at at these stores:-

DR.DISC - 22 Wilson. 905.523.1010 (ALL shows)-

SONIC UNYON - 26 Wilson 905.777.1223. (ALL shows)-

CASBAH LOUNGE - 306 King St W @ Queen 905.521.4441

(ALL shows less Sellout Enterprises shows)

PLUS :: Hamilton East-Enders Take Note,

-- CRASH LANDING PUNK CLOTHING -297 Ottawa St N -- 905-548-0039

ATTENTION OUT OF TOWNERS...we know a lot of you Cyborg-kids will want to attend this, so we're selling ticks ON-LINE via TIXIT.CA orUNDERGROUNDROCKS. CA Tickets go on sale TODAY @ 5 p.m. For more info, view Ed's websites

PRESS TYPES: talk to Sean Palmerston @ Sonic Unyon

sean@sonicunyon.com or phone 905 777-1223 Or me, if you haveaccess to my personal e-mail/phone #"

What’s in a name? I have to tell you, that on first impressions - Lucky Soul strikes me as something that might appear on something like (sharp intake of breath here) X Factor. The e-mail that introduced me to them could so easily have been spam but it wasn’t. There was a charm about it and that particular commodity doesn’t come that particular processed meat product in any manifestation. So anyway, Lucky Soul, as it turns out is a very groovy London combo which could almost be Swedish. Such is it’s predilection for knocking out a great pop tune. They’re just about to put out their third release on Ruffa Lane. On December 11th to be exact. And it’ll be available as a 7” EP as well as a three track cd. “Ain’t Never Been Cool” will undoubtedly further cement the reputation they seem to have been building up over the course of the past year or so. With the popularity of acts like The Pipettes, then maybe the UK hit factory isn’t dead after all. Ali Howard’s vocals evoke all the great girl group singers you ever heard without actually sounding like any of them. If you ever had a soft spot for those fantastic Tracey Ullman singles on Stiff then this is for you.

The band have a tight rein on providing just the right jetstream for those to float on. Like The Maisonettes vs The Wilsations via the Rezillos, this stuff'll have you singing into your hairbrush or digging out that tennis racket from the back of the cupboard. Air guitar is not a symptom of this kind of timeless beat. LS should be enlisted to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest because then they’d have the platform to reach the people who will lap this stuff up. The “gots the magic” alright. If you look up “effervescent” in the dictionary in coming years, it might well have a photo of these folks. As ever, if you think that I’m twisting that melon of yours or whatever then the proof of this sumptious pudding is merely a click away. They’re also playing the fabulous Debaser club in Stockholm in December, see dates below…

28 Nov - The Fly
05 Dec - Bardens Boudoir
15 Dec - Debaser, Stockholm, Sweden
31 Dec - New Year’s at the Hope & Anchor

Pester your local non-chainstore, although HMV has copies of the vinyl on all three releases at keen prices. (Thanks to Seb for the info and for taking the time to alert me to their existence. Sometimes operating in one's own time/space continuum can be limiting.)

PS - The Lucky Soul shop is now open...

Turn it Down interview with the Rt Hon. Billy Miller. (Link c/o nimereht vis Staysick)
Actually everything on Rich Tupica's blog is mandatory reading...

Nice to see young people enjoying themselves... Josh Taylor's Friends Forever

(link via the e-mole newsletter)

A sizeable Thanksgiving Day (and weekend) to all our US Visitors today!

Meanwhile some of us out here in one of the old countries have to go to work...

Seven days after watching Bobby Bluebell open for HS with The Poems, I just watched a great documentary on Channel 4 called Young @ Heart, about an old people's choir that packs a mean version of "I Wanna Be Sedated". Look out for it...
More about them here.

Bloody hell... there I was minding my own business and out of the blue - the message comes in that one of the best out of print albums ever has been just been released on cd.

The Unforgiven have been given a new lease of life by Almacantar Records. Time to get your local chapter of the Roverpack back in action...

RIP - Robert Altman (Thanks to Steve for the link)

Mike Watt and Kelly Clarkson....?

As you know, this isn't just a source for music info. We pride ourselves in pushing all kinds of cultural info. In this instance, check out the London Review of Breakfasts.

The Stripchords - Mods Vs Rockers, this Saturday!

Well, hellloooo, auld frooties!

The Stripchords are set to face-off against Glaswegian R&B notables The Five Aces (formerly The Boogaloo Investigators) at a New Untouchables bash, Mods Vs Rockers, this Saturday nite. Said cross-subculture windingery will also feature host, Dr Robert Bailey, and insurgent greaser turntablist Cosmic Keith fighting unto the runout groove, using only the finest 45rpm ammo at their relative disposal. Captain Rex and his rum coves are supposing they're being pegged (pun intended) as 'the rockers' in this meeting of the musical mindsets, and will therefore be donning 'denim trousers', 'horsehide leather jackets' and other acoutrements of the 'coffee bar set' for the occasion, plus unveiling such new tunes as "The Punk Panther" and "Hi-Ho Hawaii", not to mention a cover of the great Link Wray's "Hidden Charms".

See you at the bar? Selah, The Stripchords

Mods Vs Rockers Soundclash - Saturday November 25th
FAB @ 229 Venue 2 (formerly The International Student House)
229 Great Portland Street London W1 9pm-3am £8
As ever, virtual vittles can be had via www.myspace.com/thestripchords"

Now, I can't quite figure out if the Booty Olympics show is at Arlene's Grocery tonight or if it's tomorrow. But if you're in NY then you can check the finer detail. Ms Delran says "we just finished our new record and practiced a bunch so we'd be ready to play for you tomorrow night at 9:00. We'll be doing mostly new stuff! YAY!". Sounds like a tidy wee night out to me.

Update - It's tonight, the 21st. I went to the site and found out so you wouldn't procrastinate.

If you want to read about the new Beatles record “All You Need Is Pro-Tools” © Stewart Cruickshank or James chuffin' Bond then navigate away now. Unless of course they've signed up these guys to provide the theme song! Regulars will be conversant already with The Fleshtones “Beach Head”, the latest serving of super-rock. However, this Italian vinyl version is pressed on cool blue vinyl and it has a bonus track “Superrock Baby” which is only available here. So you know what that means…? Yep, you gotta have it. Contact Nicotine Records now and score one.

Update thanks to Ben, Superrock baby is on the Yeproc vinyl also. I'm a tube...

Due around now... on the Bone Voyage imprint!

THE MICRAGIRLS "Feeling Dizzy, Honey"
10" BONE-0061 (ltd. ed. 500 copies) - nov 06 2CD BONE-0062 - jan 07

For us THE MICRAGIRLS (from Kuopio, Finland) are just the best of their kind. This guitar-organ-drums-combo (all three singing) have gained themselves a live reputation over their native country, but also in the Baltics, Russia and on a previous short tour through Germany, Belgium and Switzerland. Dressed in their exclusive, handmade Micra-outfits and white circus boots -they perform their music with an remarkably honest enthusiasm. It has never been hard for the band to win over a crowd. The vocals are squeaky and roaring, the organ is pure dementia and the guitar rips alongside the primal rhythms.

The Micragirls are what trash-garage-punk-rockarolla is all about. Mean, nasty, filthy, inept and wild - but still with a certain sophistication and coolness! They're armed with great tough songs, full of bizarre tales of meaningless mayhem. Raw primitive pounding and ripping screaming vocals with crazy unintelligible lyrics that make grown men yell for more.

Following 3 sold-out 7"s, the Bone Voyage 10" release (limited to 500 copies) is followed up by the first full album length appearance on CD (2 EPs as 2CD, consisting of the songs from the 10" (CD1) and 8 songs from the previous 7"s (CD2).

The Micragirls are: Mari: guitar, screams, Kata: organ, shouts, Risu: drums, howls

Discography:
"Primitive Homeorgan Blast"
7" vinyl single (ltd. ed. 1000 copies - Sold Out) (Trash Can Records & Weera records, 2004) "Mind Twistin' Weekend With The Micragirls"
7" vinyl single (ltd. ed. 1000 copies - Sold Out) (Weera records, 2003) "Are You Insane, Girls?"
7" vinyl single (ltd. ed. 500 copies - Sold Out) (Music For People, 2002)

Upcoming shows...
23.11.06 UK LONDON / Corn Rocket Club, McBeth
24.11.06 dB's, UTRECHT, Netherlands
25.11.06 Pit's Bar, KORTRIJK, Belgium... more to come

(Thanks to Quintus for the info)

Update on London from Matthew...

Thursday 23rd November - MICRAGIRLS (all-girl organ-driven 60s garage action from Finland) + MOTORAMA (fierce stripped down Italian punk girl duo) + THE SICK FUCKS (budget rock supergroup featuring members of Black Time, Los Raw Gospels, the Chinese Lungs and Dick Johnson performing their first and last ever show!!) @ the Corn Rocket Club, Macbeth, Hoxton St, London E1

DUTCH TREAT - The audio books of Elmore Leonard.

Podcasts by available for download. Also at i-Tunes, etc.

Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks “Traynor In Heaven For Link Wray” finds RJ and Per back in tow with former Nomad Ed Johnson for this rip roaring tribute. Few guitar players on earth are as qualified to interpret the great man’s work as the one and only “Solnafingret”. This blighter will shred your speakers but what the hey, you needed new ones anyway right? And don't just take my word for it!... check this out from a fellow Bambi Molesters fan - "This is one intense set! In many ways, it's more like their earlier recordings, full of tuff guitar noise and utterly intense energy. Two guitars and drums! This nod to Link Wray is superb! Manic, demented, and tortured... I love it!" Phil Dirt/Reverb Central Oct-2006 +++++

I’m not sure how long Dr Zero’s “Dirty Way” has been out but it’s on Dusan Hedl’s Subkulturni Azil label. This Slovenian trio are a no-frills punk rockin’ powerhouse that pummel out a nifty line in fast and loud entertainment of the never lose a beat kind. Gotta be digging that tub-thumping in “Whore-House Road”, a kind of low budget “Paradise By The Dashboard Light”.



Mondosean from the Staysick webring has marked the 30th anniversary of The Cramps by compiling a double cd of covers by a global wave of bands and individuals. Including a swingin' version of "I'm Cramped" by our own Brother Patrick. This critter ain’t for sale but you can download it at www.thecramps.eu. Entitled “Trash Is Neat Vol. 3 – Giving The Devil His Due”, I think it’ll pleasantly disturb you.

Brother Patrick has been tearing it up again... with The Lords Of Altamont!

"The night began rather badly : after being arrested by the police because I was driving too fast in town (naughty Patrick !, but they were cool and let me go with just a "slow down"), the venue said "sold out". Suddenly, here comes Jake (Cavaliere, LOA singer, when he's not roadie-ing with The Cramps). He recognized me and put me on the guest list. Thanks Jake! The show was great, high energy rock'n'roll (see set list), composed of the best songs from their albums and covers like Roky Erickson's "Don't Slander Me", "She Cried" and an instrumental version of a Joy Division song done a la Link Wray. The show ended with an apocalyptic version of The Stooges "Little Doll", with Jake clambering all over the audience and carrying the drum kit through the crowd while the drummer kept playing! I went backstage to congratulate them and to hand over a CD of their last Paris show from February along with a copy of my recording from the Halloween Cramps gig in San Francisco. Don't miss them on tour." Cheerio, Patrick

Christmas is thrust upon us earlier and earlier and there should be a law against that. However, stocking up on cool music that might just get you through the hard-sell bollocks without committing murder is not subject to such prohibition. As I’ve said before, I’m not particularly down with the season. It has particularly spiky reverberations for me this year but I do get a wee bit fuzzy when I hear those sleighbells and whatever.

You’re aware of Oh No It’s Christmas Vol. 1 but now I actually have a copy. Those lovely Razzia folks have curated the very thing for you. Like sonic mulled wine. ONIC kicks off with Konie mixing up a Velvet’s “Waiting For The man” kinda holiday. He’s really Martin Ehrencrona, the guy that played guitars on Hello Saferide’s “My Best Friend”. This is followed by “Ipod X-mas” by Ms Norlin and Co. Quite possibly the best festive romp since “Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)” and tied with The Raveonettes "Christmas Song". The Thousand Dollar Playboys have a countrified Pink Floyd thing going and what can you say about The Soundtrack Of Our Lives? “Jingle Hell” sounds like The A-Bones and manages to channel in “Surfin’ Bird” via ouija board or some such device. South Ambulance have created a tune worthy of The Shoes in "Hangin' In A Tie". I have no idea who they are or where their name comes from but those drums rock.

More HS alumni, Firefox AK (& Tiger Lou) and Maia Hirasawa bring a quieter, more reflective interlude with “Christmas Eve” and “You Were All There” respectively. Something of a breather from the grandeur of the general janglefest. The singer in The Tiny reminds me of Noosha Fox. I guess you have to be of a certain vintage (i.e. – old) to recognise that.

ONIC1 is a pure pop feast that you’ll be able to spin long after the tinsel and parcel wrap has been consigned to the cupboard for another year. Order it here now and it’ll be with you in plenty of time for the holidays. "God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År" to each and every bloody one of yer! I hope that there'll be a Vol. 2 next year and I'm writing a letter to that Santa feller in the hope that the HS track will be made available on 7" vinyl for next year.

In keeping with the season, The Come-Ons have a message for you…

“we have some Christmas songs available for download on our website NEWS page. Hope you have time to check them out. The only catch is you have to make a $2 donation to charity.”


But it’s for a good cause, help some of Detroit’s finest make a difference.

"Sci-Fi SKANE play Notting Hill Arts Club on Monday the 20th of November.
21 Notting Hill Gate, London.

Free entrance between 6 and 8. After that 8 GBP. See you there.
Best wishes from the Sci-Fi SKANE management"

Well the gallavanting is over, it's time to knuckle down and get things done. I know, you've heard that before but maybe this time it'll work out. I know I have to get my notes for the Munster DVD release by The Beasts of Bourbon done by Monday. There are a lot of distractions but i've kinda rallied from my recent downer as a result of 2 Hello Saferide infusions. Not to mention actually getting to meet this phenomenon in the making. I'll be taking a break to watch "Monk" of course but then I don't intend to stop until "Charmed" tomorrow afternoon. A likely story? Quite poss.

RIP - Ruth Brown

Ruth Brown website

(Info courtesy of Ben Gart)

BIG ENOUGH Records are proud to announce the release of the first ever official Fleshtones DVD, Brooklyn à Paris! The dvd will consist of the band’s latest show at La Maroquinerie in Paris, France, filmed on 22 October 2006. I
was there and you can trust me: the show was smoking! You can pre-order the dvd at the special price of €23 for France, €24 for Western Europe and €25 for the rest of the World, packing & shipping included. (Note: the street price will be €25 without P&S in France). Please remit your payment to PAYPAL account bigenoughdvd@hotmail.fr. This Special Offer will be available until 5 December 2006 only.

French buyers, please email bigenough@hotmail.fr for details as you can also pay by cheque.

Stocks are limited so get it while you can!!!

Release date : Mid-December 2006

Jean-Marc Rimette

All I’m gonna say at this point is that if you missed the recent HS shows, and you lived in the immediate radius of any of them then you blew it. Everybody who made the Admiral Bar scene last night knows what I’m talking about. These are Stacey’s photos and you can see more here.

The Poems opened. Iain said they reminded him of The Paradise Motel and that’s not a bad shout.

Maia Kirasawa did a great set to a respectable relative silence. There were almost none of these nitwits that jaw through a person’s set disturbing the peace and tranquillity that this girl is packing.

The Hello Saferide combo came on, did their stuff and didn’t play anywhere near long enough but that was OK. That brass section (from Autisterna - Thanks Martina) is like an Action Combo for the 21st Century. Made me think about my old pal Gordon Spaeth. The people from Sounds Of Sweden and Dolly Mixture deserve massive props for organising the show. It’s a great spot and these people are music fans. This is what shows should be like, untainted by corporate bullshit. It may be a tad off the radar but there are supposed “real” promoters that couldn’t attract a crowd like this. That fucking wish they had this kind of cred. You can't "buy" this kind of reaction, it only evolves through trust.


Anyway, read this STYLUS magazine review and check out Tom Morton's Beatcroft angle on the HS Glasgow debut. The smart wee gif thing there is from the Stylus review.

As I type this, I’m listening to Dave the Spazz's WFMU Norton Records Anniversary show and it’s everything you expected and more. If you haven’t heard it then scoot over there. A great testament to the coolest couple in rock’n’roll and their unrelenting services to making life bearable through the greatest music you never heard. They even have Roky call in to wish them well, jeez this almost makes me think there's a god out there someplace. I remember being in Berlin with them when it all kicked off like it was earlier today.

It’s a "town & country" weekend for Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. as we travel over the East River to citified Brooklyn -- and up the Hudson to rustic Cornwall-On-The-Hudson!
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17th / HANK’S SALOON /
46 Third Avenue (corner of Atlantic Avenue) / Brooklyn, NY / Adam Turns 26: with the Arkhams and Pete Yorko / One set at 10:00 / No cover / http://www.blogger.com/www.HanksSaloon.com /
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18th / 2 ALICES COFFEE LOUNGE /
311 Hudson Street / Cornwall, NY /
Two shows, from 8:00 until 10:00 / No cover / http://www.blogger.com/www.2AlicesCoffee.com /
Unrelated, but lest thou forget...
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30th - OTTO’S SHRUNKEN HEAD, last Thursday of every month! /
538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) / Manhattan, NY / Two shows, from 8:00 sharp until 10:00 / No cover / http://www.blogger.com/www.OttosShrunkenHead.com /

Sincerely yours in travel,
Michael
Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co.
"Ballads, Boogies & Blues"
http://www.blogger.com/www.SITandDieCo.com

Hello Saferide made their UK debut last night and i’m not given to random leaps of faith but I had to be there. Even although there’s a Glasgow show tomorrow, it was important to attend. Last time I was at The Water Rats was when Angel Corpus Christi blew through town. A lot of the proverbial has gone under the bridge since then.

Maia Hirasawa opened with a sweet but short set. She’s great and I’d like to hear her with a band. Another guy came on and futzed with his tuning a lot, don’t recall who he was, songs were OK but it was holding up the main event. (Update - He goes under the name, The Fine Arts Showcase and hails from Malmo via Seattle. Thanks to Stacey for the info.)

From the opening slaps of “The Quiz”, it was clear that we were in the presence of greatness. A crisp, clear sound with a confidence and perkiness that counters the bittersweet nature of the lyrics. There were two new songs, one called “Anna” (?) and another called "I Was Definitley made For These Times". I concur! The actuality of the show being better than the high hopes I had was one thing. Witnessing it was positively euphoric. Annika conducts this amazing band, Maia is a perfect foil and the combo is a like seductive pure pop version of The Hives. The brass just made the whole thing soar with a mariachi swing. I’m gushing like a sad fanboy here but it’s entirely justified and if you see them then you’ll feel it too. The projection is almost too big for the small stage that they were packed on to.

Ms Norlin, you are charged with harbouring a blatant disregard for the effect these songs might have on an unsuspecting public. And with malice aforethought the boundless charm of such material is likely to drive grown men and women (who think they’ve heard it all) into fits of complete pleasure.

Maybe I’ll be able to sort out a more reasoned report on tomorrows gig… but don't count on it.

If anybody out there has pictures from the London show then (pretty) please forward a couple…

Jump on LAST TRAM HOME, the new TJ Honeysuckle blog...

Update 14/11 - This show has been cancelled because of a screw-up on the venue front. Skedaddle along to Hello Saferide at The Admiral Bar instead...

Hey Hey Hey!!!Have we got a midweek treat for y'all this week?!!....

WEDNESDAY 15TH NOVEMBER - in the cellar bar of O'HENRY'S, Drury St., Glasgow (across the road from the Horseshoe Bar); £4; 8.30pm

Is This Music? - an independent music magazine from Scotland presents

SPOOKEY - all girl bubblegum-garage-powerpop-punk trio from Hamamatsu, Japan ..."walk like the Shangri-Las, talk like the Ramones!"

THE MEOW MEOWS - female-fronted ska nine-piece from Brighton.

THE GREASE MONKEYS - local hardy perrenials delivering cranked-up garage punk rock'n'roll ...last Glasgow show for a while.

THE BUCKY RAGE - hot new kids on the block bringing the manic surf punk to the party. Described by the Daily Record as "sounding like the Monkees doing a zombie dance".

Value for money or what???!!!