Many thanks to Ms Linna...

It's been a hell of a week one way and another. Not a lot of time or notion to futz about on here but there's a brace of fine rockin' releases coming up so one way or another, it's time the digit was extracted. Obviously you're thinking - "I'll believe that when I clock it". Abso-fecking-lutely squire (or squire-ette).

Is that a light at the end of the 2011 tunnel that I see before me? One reserves the right to figure it's a false alarm. Only time will tell.

The Primevals at King Tuts in Glasgow tomorrow with The Brutes and The Reverse Cowgirls (Friday).

I've lost the jpeg poster but if you can get there then do just that.

Mr Hagen sent me this link - you'll dig it...

RIP - Nick Ashford

RIP - Jerry Leiber

There are still tickets available for BLAST OFF!

Be cool! So says Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. with its monthly, air-cooled appearance at the ever tropical Otto's Shrunken Head...

*THURSDAY, AUGUST 25th / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD /
538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in ol' Manhattan /
Two refrigerated sets, from 8pm sharp until 10pm / Salty snacks -- and no cover!

And, please kindly note that SIT & Die will not be appearing at the Rodeo Bar in September for our monthly residency, but should you find yourself in the vicinity of our neighbour to the north over Labor Day Weekend:

*FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2nd / "RED HOT & BLUE" WEEKENDER /
Montreal, Quebec / SIT & Die returns for the seventh annual rockabilly festival!

*SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th / "GREAT CANADIAN BURLESQUE" at Cadillac Lounge /
Toronto, Ontario / SIT & Die's first visit to the Queen City!

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

Encore by mxrich

I need to compile a complaint form to First Scotrail. They’re useless. They can’t cope with demand for their services and yesterday was the proverbial straw that broke the big hairy spitting creature’s back. A rugby game and the world’s biggest festival on a very sunny day – droves heading east to spend their hard-earned in Edinburgh and the infrastructure can’t cope. It can’t bloody cope under normal conditions.

Still that aside, the David Sedaris show was great. I was always a big fan of his sister Amy but my pal Fiona gave me one of his books last Christmas and I actually read it. My info junkie demeanour doesn’t often grant me that patience but I did. So to catch his reading was a great opportunity and it’s the coolest thing of its type I’ve seen since David Lynch at the GFT. He is a little DL-ish to my mind. At the signing, he told me that he’d never heard an accent like mine and Mr Shaw – who went to the show last night, I went Friday – he said he mentioned what could have been me. Alluding to the fact that I had the strongest Scots accent he ever heard. Which kind of counters what Brother Don reckoned when we spoke last week, ha ha.

I did drop by to get another book signed yesterday evening so that was another mission accomplished.

Today I’m gonna take a walk up to the “set” for World War Z that’s taking place close to the oil refinery. Brad Pitt is apparently in town and until now that’s always been Glasgow rhyming slang for something a bit unsavoury. I’m sure you can figure it out. Anyways I’m only going because Gry said I should.

This has been a weird day, could be about to get weirder but I just transferred an important new pop opus to my mp3 player and I’m heading out the door. Laters...

Finally - a semblance of justice for the West Memphis Three...

More than halfway through the thing called August… took in a small corner of the Edinburgh festival by seeing John Otway’s power point presentation. Maybe a tad overlong but he seems like such a good geezer and of course the price, gratis entry, is entirely right. I’m not sure if it runs for the entire festival but if you’re in town then you could actually pay to see a much lesser performance.

And then there was Shonen Knife. In a crammed Sneaky Pete’s the j-pop-punk triumvirate belted it forth as only really they can. Defying all pop clichés and employing the wattage of pyramid power, the set itself maybe wasn’t as great as last time at Tut’s in Glasgow but it was still a hoot. I put this down to them maybe not including “Barnacle” this time. Although their ode to sushi came mighty close.

The place was rammed so there was no way the girls could get offstage to do the encore ritual. So they stayed and played a medley of Ramones songs as can be found on their Osaka Ramones tribute that has just been released. The version of KKK would bring tears of joy to a glass eye and well, it was just magic.

Great show = great merch and Murray noted how it seemed like the audience just turned around and queued for the gear. It might have been a school night but it didn’t matter at all because a visit by these girls is still an occasion. Like Otway, they occupy a special place that’s damned cool to connect with. The Knife are making their way across Europe in the coming weeks. If they can kick my spirits into life then chances are they can jump start yours too.

Guess I wasn't on here yesterday? In some ways that's progress because it suggests a semblance of a life - ha ha. And today, we're heading for Edinburgh and all the hoo-hah that festival time bestows. Not for anything in particular but maybe John Otway at 3pm in The Voodoo Rooms.

Ballroom @ Voodoo Rooms from 15:00 - 16:00, August 7-17 - Otway on Otway [Music]
Rock and Roll's greatest failure's hysterical romp through 35 years of being a pop star with 2 hits and 25 flops. Soon to be a major movie.

Might be back later. Much later. Shonen Knife tomorrow. It's all go.

Ben Weasel is back and not in the business of taking prisoners...

Pffffff.... I've tried to make a link to Lola Dutronic ten times and each bloody time, this thing has frozen up. Between the gas and pedal powered PC and blogger taking the piss. I might be about to take my rage on to the streets. Either that or have another round of thai red chilli crisps...

I was wondering what to post because my head is elsewhere. One of these places is a boat in Stockholm. Anyway, The Chairman literally just sent me this this link. You all love Lola Dutronic right? Well this version of The Fast's classic will rev you up for sure.



LOLA DUTRONIC is an Electronic Pop duo that divides its time between Berlin and Toronto. Vocalist Stephanie B. and producer/composer Richard Citroen combine elements of French Pop, Lounge, Electro, Bond Themes and Euro Disco, often within the same song.

Their latest digital release, “NEW YORK STORIES”, contains 5 cover versions of songs from the fabled CBGB/Max’s era – Suicide’s “CHEREE”, Blondie’s “IN THE SUN”, Johnny Thunders’ “YOU CAN’T PUT YOUR ARMS AROUND A MEMORY”, Alan Vega and Martin Rev’s “KEEP YOUR DREAMS” and the single, “KIDS JUST WANNA DANCE”, originally performed by New York legends THE FAST, written by the late Miki Zone.
More on this when I hear the entire thing...

Can’t dilly dally here for too long as I have a houseguest but a couple of things to flag up in the interim.

Tomorrow is The Nomads annual Blidosund Blitzkrieg and I am very jealous of those who will be clambering aboard.

Kopper dropped me a line about The Garage Punk Hideout comps. I haven’t had time to investigate those but it sounds like something that would be up your alley. So scoot the heck over there.

“They’re mad as hell and they’re not gonna take it anymore”.

Can’t you just see the bye-line of the upcoming computer game Social Unrest 2011?

Filched from Network it could easily be applied to what’s going on in the inner cities. The undertow is that authorities are tied down by red tape and health and safety regulation. How do you deal with marauding sociopaths when it will just end in form-filling. Or on YouTube.

Attempts at levity aside. This latest twist on tensions isn’t hurting the authorities. It’s trashing the lives and livelihoods of people that are just trying to make it through the days and weeks. Many of them haven’t got homes, or businesses or jobs to go to today. All because a pack of twonks wanted to nab ugly tracksuits and/or a flatscreen TV. Insurance will have a field day and our already absurd premiums will spiral ever upward. It’s sickening and I sincerely hope that you folks out there aren’t affected directly by any of this?

While I fully understand that no-one in their right mind has much respect for what passes as the authorities, this should not be confused with having no respect for how others may choose to conduct their lives or their property. Don’t piss up my back and tell me that it’s raining and I’ll leave you and yours alone. As a credo goes, it's pretty simple. This is almost certain to get worse before it gets better and we’ll all have to pay through every orifice for it. That’s the only certainty in all of this. Do you think that Cameron will be able to get his holiday leave back after having to cut his break short?

This is the best piece I've read about what's going on. As of right now there are 16,000 cops on the beat down London way. Chaos reigns, even in town as I understand it although there are no actual altercations. when something like this results in the cancellation of Mose Allison's final night of his Pizza Express stint then, well, that's just not on. This Solidarity Federation statement is also worthy of your attention.

And what about the Sony/PIAS thing? As if music wasn't suffering enough - a lot of labels and bands simply won't be able to wear what was happened.

Let's hope that things can calm down. Why don't the police just make like they're dealing with terrorists? The actions are certainly terrifying the people that have got to live in these areas so can't they just shoot them?

Oh soz, I forgot. The form-filling.

Fun for all, and all for fun. It's Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. at the honky tonkin'est joint in town, the Rodeo Bar!

(Oh, and this will be our last Rodeo Bar show until October, so best catch the fun whilst thou can. Just sayin'.)

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10th / RODEO BAR /
375 Third Avenue (at the corner of 27th Street)
in ol' Manhattan / Two *guaranteed* fun sets, from 8:30 sharp 'til 11pm or so / No cover!

Yours in merriment,

Michael

Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co.

"Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

I haven't read this but enough people whose opinons I trust have (cyber)doorstepped me about "B-Sides and Broken Hearts" so I'm pretty sure it' a goer. The original title was "Joey Ramone Is Dead".

There's a Brooklyn, NY launch on the 25th of this month.

RIP - Conrad Schnitzler

Via Kenne Highland and Miriam's fb...

Fur Dixon and Steve Werner are back with episode three of their ongoing folked up Americana. Entitled “Songs Of The Open Road (Volume One)” these West Coast troubadours have collected another 10 songs that indicates that they can sure pick ‘em in more ways than one.

Crystal clear and expansive in sound panoramic, you’re with them all the way down those byeways. “I Like How I Feel” is luscious. “I‘ve been over the hill and around the bend” sez Fur but it sounds like she’s comfortable in her skin now. “Do Re Mi” is a hymn for these stock-market plummeting times, penned by Woody Guthrie way back thataway – precious few of us ever will be troubled with having bucketloads of that particular commodity. It’s time wealth was measured in a more spiritual currency and this couple could teach us a thing or two about that demeanour.

The slow burn tex-mex marinade of “De Colores” is a soothing concoction also. There are two tunes penned by a lady by the name of Mary McCaslin who I’ll be “googling” just as soon as I’m done with this. “The Dealers” is a mid-paced swinging western tale presented by both parties. Old timey but never trite. The steel on “Prairie in the Sky” haunts the song beautifully without ever being overplayed. (Update - 7.12pm: Was I ever outta the loop on the Mary McCaslin thing...?)

Dan Janisch’s “I Cannot Settle Down” brings the curtain down and it pretty much covers their reason to believe the way they do. I just hope that they make it out this way soon to state their case in person. Go play on their website.

Billy McBarbie gave me a copy of Sugar Louise's “Everything’s Better With Sugar” when I was in Moss. It encompasses that grand Scandinavian tradition of being able to channel several generations of glam, punk and pop into anthemic daftness. How the fuck could you not love a song entitled “Be My Demi Moore”? Seriously. And I played “Down By The Lake” during my disc-n-spinnering without knowing what it was and said tune fitted the mood like a glove. Sometimes you just get a feeling.

I don’t know what is in the water there but I’m addicted to it. And while we’re on an H2O Aqua better get ready to redo their biggest hit as “It’s a Billy McBarbie world”.

Sugar Louise is where The Riverdales collide with Backyard Babies (circa Total 13) at a Smashed Gladys tribute evening to The Sweet. In a perfect world, Sugar Louise would be packing ‘em in with their rambunctious take on a musical form that not easy to get right. One slight quibble – I could a done without the calypso bits in “Wastin’ Summertime” but will let that slide because of the sentiment in the gloriously juvenile “U2 Sucks” (“not a single decent song – after playing for that long”).
This wee treasure is on the Naked Hollywood imprint.

The postal service between Australia and here has conspired to keep me and Dollsquad’s “Lethal In Leather” apart until just recently. The latest copy that Joey sent made it over the obstacle course. Keeping their garage fuzz credentials intact they’ve rounded out the sound with a glam crunch. And what other band do you know has pez dispensers as part of their merch. I was well impressed with the one I saw in Casa Arnoff.

Six gals in leather pummelling out cave beat, what the hell’s not to like in the first instance but when it’s performed like this then the result is a genuine twist-off.

These Melbourne lassies deal all the right frequencies. The keyboard action is especially frisky and the overall result is not unlike the latter day Pandoras. The Friggs fandabbidozi “Bad Word For A Good Thing” is given the D-squad treatment and “Rock’n’Roll Boy” is crying out to be struck in 7” vinyl. A double “A” with “Dreaming” perchance?

The duet with (Oz) X singer Steve Lucas (who also manages them) is cool in a Hazlewood sense but the real gold is in “Everything” a ballad that pitches in a little Suicide-ish piano flourish, not unlike yon version of “Heart and Soul” that appears in the movie “Big” when Tom Hanks is fooling around in FAO Schwarz. A quiet but perfect high upon which to close.

A cut above your common or garden identikit authenticity then, Dollsquad possess both style and substance in abundance. See for yourselves...

Thanks to Mr Duff for the heads up on this. Proper Friday afternoon tuneage and no mistake.

Never saw this before - Courtesy of the SLQ fb...

S&LQ in the house...


Suzy & Los Quattro "Freak out" by BCore Disc

I was reading about a certain band that I cannot abide being embarrassed about what went down at their show in Dallas. This instance of the human condition notwithstanding – they’d be better employed being mortified about their alleged “music”.

Still tussling with this lurghi. Can't remember if I linked this before. If not then I meant to.

Rough. That just about covers the demeanour about now. Can’t seem to shake off this sore throat so it’ll just have to run its course. So yeah – Sheffield, way different to the last time I was there to see Springsteen when he toured “Tunnel of Love”. Getting there by train is a wee bit of a palaver but not much and it’s further down than I thought. Hence the urge to get off at Darlington.

Amy and Eric played The Greystones. A nice full room in the back of a bustling pub that seemed to serve a neighbourhood. There’s a full programme of stuff on there and while being in a residential that might not sit right with any major degree of sound volume – I haven’t been to many UK venues of late that are this well appointed. It was great to see them in good spirits. We hung out prior to the show and a bit afterwards. Highest highlights in a top calibre set included “Do You Remember That?”, “Kilburn Lane” and first time in a while – “The Trouble With Jeannie”. Andre filmed several clips that he’ll use to drum up attendees for the London show on November 26th at Union Chapel. Put the date in your diary folks.

And the fates smiled upon us in the accommodation department also. Plumping not to go down the Premier Inn route because it was too expensive – we went to Number Fifteen. A B&B that’s run by the promoter Simon’s wife Judith. Nice people, perfect place. If you’re heading to Sheffield then I unreservedly recommend that you stay there. An excellent breakfast with Sounds of the Sixties playing out in the background and no hangover. Result.

The train back to Edinburgh was cross-country so no changes. Not as comfortable as the East Coast mainline but it does the job. Hit the town a little after three and met Joss and Nadia with Yan and Steph at The Beehive down yon Grassmarket. Always a pleasure and it would have been even more so if the loutish packs of stag party scum could have been shepherded someplace else. Not drinking because I had to drive later perhaps heightened the low threshold of being able to zone out the incessant Neanderthal yelping but it was a small price to pay to watch the youngsters at our table having a good time.

From there it was a dash back to the station to get home and catch the vibes from Risør via a live stream. Imagine the frustration when this was interrupted and our homegal and her crew (Reine Laken) fell off the gas-powered PC radar for a bit. The only thing for it was to head for Tesco in order for A to stock up on tunnocks comestibles and a visit to the chippy. Most of my visitor's culinary jonesing was addressed this past few days methinks including the phenom known as the “crunchy pizza”. Then when we got back, we caught the rest of the RL set and the mission was indeed accomplished.

The drive in the wee hours to Edinburgh airport went without incident on autopilot to some degree. The remainder of Sunday is a blur and it's not a whole heck of a lot better now. Car insurance - that's what I needing to attend to now but the spirit and the flesh are very much in cahoots on this one.

RIP - Gene McDaniels (info via Al Chan's fb)

Hit the proverbial brick wall after a few days of big fun and am too fried to even consider collecting my thoughts and spilling them here. All in due course. My fellow traveller is back in Moss Rock City and I'm staring over that precipice referred to as Monday. In addition to it being August.

Regarding Thursday - The Primevals were swingin' as only they can at Cabaret Voltaire. I was in a minority that didn't really get The BellRays but nothing new there. I stand by my belief/opinion that it's great voice/all dynamic/no songs.

Don't waste your time by trying to convince me otherwise because I prefer The Twisteroos.

Anyway...

So has this damn fezbook real time, rolling update malarkey gone for good? I hope so. Although there are plenty more wee niggles to do with the place where a lot of us spend way too much time these days. Activity here will be limited ‘tween now and Sunday with the exception of maybe Friday.

Still… some stuff happening around that you ought to attend if you’re within gittin’ there distance.

The Surfin' Lungs 30th Anniversary bash on Friday night (29th) down the Brighton.

Eric and Amy are making with a short burst of shows starting tonight ahead of their heading US-ward. But don’t worry, they’ll be back in November.

The Wee Stramash is happening in Edinburgh seeing as it’s Uncle Big has been postponed.

And last but by no means least – Reine Laken will rock Risør in Norway on Saturday as part of Fyrjam 2011.

Big news came today!

Coming up this Thursday!

Looking to break into the lucrative Hillbilly Boogie market? Let Susquehana Industrial Tool & Die Co. show you how!
A no-obligation, two-hour tutorial is all it takes -- salty snacks included!

THURSDAY, JULY 28th / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD / 538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in ol' Manhattan / Two instructive shows, from 8pm sharp until 10pm / No cover! /

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

PANTHER BURNS return to Belgrade on the Danube after their first theatre performance there in 2002. As part of the AUDIO VISUAL 21st CENTURY - AV 21 FESTIVAL BELEF 2011, Panther Burns will appear live before a psychedelic backdrop on Aug 6th at 9pm in the Kalemegdan Fortress on the plateau behind the Gallery Natural History Museum.

Via Eddie Flowers fb...

Sunday morning already. I kind of feel like buying a paper but really don't want to encourage the feeding frenzy. There are TWO BIG STORIES now, during a period of the year when almost nothing ever happens. And there's the other one that's gurgling away in the background - the one that might topple empires and govenments or both.

However, Norway is hurting pretty bad. And that makes me feel rotten. In addition to having many friends there, when I was there last month - the country pretty much helped me to remember that there there might be a purpose to this life malarky after all. I mean that sincerely and honestly. The people I met there were so gracious and cool and they really don't deserve this kind of action being visited upon them so what gives? The "religion" smokescreen. It's time that pigeonhole was reconsidered or even outlawed. It's several leagues more dangerous than drugs and booze ever were. It consumes idiots and makes them think that they have a purpose. They don't.

And after leaving "The Party" yesterday afternoon, I got the message about Amy Winehouse. Now I wasn't a huge fan of her music, I liked the stuff that reminded me of The Detroit Cobras. However, she was a proper pop star and however much she sometimes looked like she'd been dragged back and forward through a hedge multiple times, she exuded a beauty that was real. We can't legislate for her demons and nor should we. Whatever actually killed her is really none of our business. I keep reading about this "27" thing. That it has some significance. What bollocks.

Anyway, Everett True's piece here is pretty great and pretty much says all that needs to be said. It's not forensic, picking over her foibles. It's personal and I think that her character deserves that. And John Robb's is good too.

Your Fragile Mind by mxrich

I've no idea if this is on today or not but if you're in Oslo then you should go.

RIP - Amy Winehouse

Another Morten tip...

Some considerable time prior to punk rock being co-opted into the mainstream, it embodied an attitude and sense of worth. There was no software that could transform any old cak-handed twaddle into something worth listening to. My old mucker, Tom Phobic and I fought in the trenches of the punk rock wars and although we should rightly be looking at retirement with a nice pair of slippers each and a reasonable standard of upkeep, we’re really a bit like those individuals that were never informed that the war was over. Actually this one isn’t though so there’s a modicum of right on our side.

Anyway, that’s a long pre-amble into letting you know that The Phobics ”Deptford Calling” is now out and about. It contains 12 short, sharp kicks up the jacksy in the manner to that which you have come to expect from this fine Lahndunn combo. As honest as the day at your place of employment is long.

As always they combine the finer aspects of both US and UK varieties to arrive at something called “rock’n’roll”. Of the type that has no sell by date. Sadly you probably won’t read about how great this band is in the pages of Mojo but take it from me, they kick a sight more bottom than many of those who will be damned with some degree of praise.

This blighter is also available as a limited vinyl pressing so don’t muck about if you want one of those. No frills, even less nonsense noise of this type is to be nurtured, who knows, it could even kick something off.

You can thank Morten for these...

That should read "Cabaret Voltaire"... see you there.

“13 Songs For The Rodeo Grrls” by Decline of the Reptiles kicks off with a curveball of Doobie Bro-esque proportions. The mature white soul Americana kind of sounds good on them actually but fear not, the remainder returns to the more familiar terrain of BOC-tinged meets Glasgow’s Primevals eminent rockology.

“Respectfully dedicated to James Darroch and Allan Marr” – this latest I-94 Bar release indicates there’s plenty of life in these old dogs and for my moolah, this baby trumphs the last Birdman album at its own game. Nobody infuses those spiritual Detroit stylings like the Australians. Sweden does pretty good but there’s an edge present down under. Even something like “I Confess” that sounds like Don Henley channelling Kill City period Jimmy O.

“13 Songs...” is some grandiose rock action that isn’t too far away from potential stadium variety. I imagine that the term veterans could be applied here but this is anything but a tired attempt at putting a bunch of songs together for the hell of it. The length and breadth of the album is vast, I mean - nobody could have predicted the mutant Acker Bilk shapes of “Penelope”.

Could they?

Via Mr Tepper on facebook...

RIP - Jerry Ragovoy

(Thanks to Mr Ulf for the info)

The Primevals are opening for The Bellrays in Edinburgh on Thursday July 28th.

Onstage 7.20pm sharp at Cabaret Voltaire. Everything done and dusted by 10pm.

And in August...

The trials and tribulations of searching for car insurance continue. Yesterday evening, I succumbed to using a “comparison” website. I dislike these things a great deal but it was a moment of weakness. The consideration that maybe it could scratch the itch and come up with something was an attractive proposition I suppose. So anyway, I go through the soul-sucking job of “form-filling” and had only just had the results come up when the phone rang.

One thing that rattled through my noggin was good, I can divert my attention from this for a bit but it was the “top quote” insurer eager to make a sale. In terms of efficiency I should have folded there and then but I haven’t heard of hardly any of these people and this one in particular could be the best deal on earth but I’m very sceptical at best. I’m not entirely sure why I’m sharing this on here but I was quite shaken by the audacity.

So, pre-occupation with several non-essential escapades like this are hampering my good intentions to start writing about music again. Ideally, I'd have someone to deal with all this bollocks but I don't. One of these days, things will go according to some kind of plan but until then...

RIP - Sherwood Schwartz

Good intentions were the order of the day when I came home but a couple hours of scouring for car insurance has pretty much put paid to that. And Monk just came on so I’m out of here.

There are two really great pop records headed your way this late summer/autumn. “HANK” courtesy of Suzy & Los Quattro and the as yet untitled but imminent debut by The Dahlmanns. These will be available from discerning dealers and download outhouses in due course and as soon as I know exactly when then you will too. There’s also a Nomads album in the works for a wee bit later in the year so you need to budget for that also.

Go visit Nortonville...

The taste that always refreshes? Why, Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. , of course! And the refreshment is all the more carbonated at the Rodeo Bar this week, with an 8:30 start time and no cover...

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13th / RODEO BAR /
375 Third Avenue (at the corner of 27th Street) in ol' Manhattan / New show times! Two early bird sets, from 8:30 sharp 'til 11pm or so / No cover!

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

Via Miriam Linna... this is TOO much!

Via Hasse Isaksson's facebook post...

If you're in LA or thereabouts... you'll be getting all hopped up about DON'T KNOCK THE ROCK. I hope that the Rhino film can be shown out there sometime...

RIP - Wurzel

As things take a turn for an attempt to get things moving here, another fine record that’s been languishing is this debut 4 track 10 inch by It’s A Bird!, It’s A Plane! on the never less than wonderous Razzia imprint.

“All These Things You Are” and “Elephant” are two melancholic, near-orchestral gems that remind me of “Something, Anything” period Todd Rundgren without actually sounding anything like him. The opener clocks in at 5 minutes plus but certainly doesn’t feel like it. My general attention deficit condition seems to abate in the immediate proximity of this act. The whistle-laden (Roger Whittaker variety, not the flute-y wind instrument), piano-powered “Looking Out For Mr Right” extend the stellar scandic pop envelope ever further by dealing in simple high calibre arrangements, the kind that you might have come across in bygone times but without resorting to blatant app-like nostalgia.

And here’s another cut that’s come out since this release and it has a slightly “Queen of the Coast” refrain. I’d imagine the album can’t be far off.

If festivals here would program artists like this then maybe I'd think about attending them...

For some reason I can't embed this but you need to see it. Your faith will be restored in something, At least for the duration of the clip.

Them weekend tickets for the Blast-Off festival are going like the proverbial off the shovel. Better get yours now...

Let’s see, there’s a bunch of great things happening everywhere but here. Death By Unga Bunga are playing in Moss, Norway tonight and over in Hamilton, Ontario -there’s a Memorial Show in honour of the late, great Imants Krumins.

Hereabouts, it’s pissing rain and the torture in the park over in Kinross is in full swing. The annual survivalist weekend with a bill that truly must be their most wretched yet but hey, it’s an institution. Maybe they could just build a big wall around it then. I’ll try to watch a wee bit on TV later but I fear it’ll bring on the Glastojeebies.

If they was a House of Rock stage with Morten and Caroline curating then maybe I’d have a rethink but being that it’s unlikely then I’m probably safe enough. It was touch and go this year though as Matt + Kim were alleged to play some tent or another. If The Dahlmanns end up headlining the main stage one night and Eric and Amy likewise then I’ll relax my embargo for that particular year but until then and hell, who knew that The Arctic Monkeys still existed?

Disregard all and any previous versions of this poster...

The Dahlmanns - a couple more short clips to whet your appetite...

Ah, Miss Chain and the Broken Heels, that twang reminds me of Moss Rock City... and stay tuned for the extras.

RIP - Michel Terstegen (De Capo Records, Utrecht)

I want to update this blogger template thing but to say that I'm reticent is an understatement. Do any of you folks know of a step by step guide to go about this? I've had a couple of cak-handed attempts that almost goosed the whole thing.

And life is too short to start with these forums... so please, any assistance would be appreciated. then I could get this show back on the road properly.

RIP - Jane Scott

Rita Redshoes – Lights and Darks (Anjo da Guarda)

These past months in the wilderness, I guess I hoped someone might take up the slack. Or even that Rita Redshoes music might percolate beyond her native Portugal. You may recall me raving about her last album and this one has been out a while. I just realised that I hadn’t written about it and that’s very remiss of me. Better late than never is not an excuse.

We all read acres of press about artists that really don’t come anywhere near this girl in terms of scope. Or for that matter sophistication of being able to juggle styles. The fact that she, and Annika Norlin aren’t on their way to becoming global household names says much more about the consumer than it does about either songbook.

Always literate and sidestepping any pigeonhole by some considerable distance, there’s something about this that reminds me of Cristina. You remember that Ze records artist that covered “Is That all there Is”? I think it’s the sonic glamour of the sound. This girl thinks big and across several palettes. “Which One Is The Witch” and “You Should Go” are just two examples of how far ahead of the curve Rita is. This spacious pop that doesn’t rely on some recognition with the past. As much as I appreciate being reminded of Dusty Springfield, I’m a little tired of the endless parade that seems to rely on that familiarity.

I guess that an appearance on “Later” might light a fire below her career here. A couple of well-placed shows outside of the conventional bunfight. All I know is that this is a cut above whatever hipster-sanctioned collection that’ll be in vogue anytime soon.

Equipment sale... so how come that worked then?

Wonder if this'll work... hope so.

http://www.wrecklesseric.com/equipment%20sale/equipment%20sale.htm

If this works then it's the links and some other bullshit that's preventing "publishing". If it provides any consolation, I HATE when this happens.

Soon as I hit "publish" then all will become clear. As mud.

Since the funeral on Monday, I’ve been mulling things over. One of these is the possibility that I have to rip up the kitchen floor. The whys and wherefores are irrelevant. It has to be addressed. As has the issue of what to do with the clutter. I mean, what if I were to shuffle off this mortal coil and all the – let’s call it stuff – was just left for someone else to deal with. I realise that I don’t want that. Let me ask myself again... No. I don’t. So I need to find a way to deal with this. And a bunch of that that’s wearing me down.

The urge to drop off the face of the earth is all-enveloping. Watch this space but don't hold your breath.

I'm too pissed off to engage with you folks tonight so I'll leave you in the capable hands of Brother Don. He saw The Fleshtones in SF last night...

Just got back from the Fleshtones at Bottom of the Hill. I ask you, who else but the Fleshtones can make you twist, jerk, swim, monkey and then get down on all fours to do a set of push ups?! Yes, at one point, while the beat kept on going, the front line got off the stage and started doing push ups in the middle of the floor! And then it was our turn, as ordered by Sergeants Streng and Zaremba. I didn't know I was in a competition until I got up and referee Streng raised my arm high above my head in victory.

This kind of showmanship hasn't been seen since the days of Paul Revere and the Raiders. The fact that these guys are still going strong.... it's just astounding... running all around the place, hopping up on chairs--- even up and down off the bar. And never missing a beat of course. The 50 or so people who showed up (Tuesday night's about the worse you can play in this town) never stopped moving throughout the hour plus set and on into the half hour encore. Streng used a wireless sparkly Gretsch thru silver face Fender Deluxe Reverb.

Peter's weaponry included a Vox Continental organ, harmonica, and whistle. Drummer and bass player (old Fender Jazz) were just phenomenal. How do they do it? After all they're not only old enough to "remember the Ramones", but also Chris Montez and the Beatles (with an instrumental "Day Tripper).

I remember the first time I saw them. They won a battle of the bands at NYU. It was the Zantees, Nervous Rex and the 'tones. 1976 or 77. I think Lenny Kaye and maybe Clem Burke were among the panel of judges. The crowd went berserk with the Fleshtones. Absolute mayhem. 35 yrs later and they're truly just as maniacal as ever. Unbelievable. God bless em and I hope some band sings "I remember the Fleshtones" many years from now.

Have ill-fitting orthopedic undergarments got you down?

Doctors agree -- Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co.

is at Otto's Shrunken Head this week, and on the last Thursday of *every* month!

THURSDAY, JUNE 30th / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD /
538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in ol' Manhattan /
Two comfortable shows, from 8pm sharp until 10pm / No cover!

Plus, coming up -- a JULY FOURTH HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA...

Dances of Vice, The Salon, Wit's End and Champagne Riot present "The Liberty Belle Spectacular", a second annual vintage Fourth of July party on top of West 63rd Street's Empire Hotel! With live music, burlesque, dancing, patriotic cocktails, a fireworks view --

and adequate support from SIT & Die!

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

The Norton Records 25th Anniversary Jamboree -
all the details here!

On the blurb for "Sound It Out”, a documentary about the last Teesside record store standing, it claims “High fidelity with a northern accent”. I don’t agree. Certainly, anyone who has spent time on either or both sides of a counter in such a place will chime with a lot of this. It’s equal parts comfortable and sad, sometimes both at once. The shop customers that appear run the gamut from a guy and his wife that might give Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer a run for their money to the most real and sincere being a Quo fan called Shane. To my mind, it's lazy to compare anything to do with record stores to "HF".

Director Jeanie Finlay and shop proprietor Tom Butchart attended the screening. It was explained that there were drawbacks such as having music playing in the store because it would ultimately have to be cleared if it appeared in the film. "SIO" feels more like "Anvil" to my mind, without the happy ending. It’s anybody’s guess as to how long the shop will remain there. Shots of Stockton’s high street indicate the decline that’s going on across the country. What can’t be denied is the community spirit and camaraderie that surrounds the place. Or the therapy that it provides many of the outsiders that frequent it.

Spotted copies of Up for A Bit with The Pastels, A Date with Elvis and The Residents Duck Stab on the store walls. I wonder if they ever sold the copy of “Love Missile F1-11” ?

See it and make up your own mind.

TRAILER: SOUND IT OUT - A documentary by Jeanie Finlay from Jeanie Finlay on Vimeo.

Thanks to Shona for getting me in after I failed to book a ticket in time.

RIP - Peter Falk

RIP - Gene Colan

An important message from Tony Bailey
about The Big Stramash

Dear friends,

It is with great disappointment that we have to announce that due to circumstances beyond our control THE BIG STRAMASH has had to be postponed until later this year.

We apologise unreservedly to those who have bought tickets and will be very happy to refund all ticket holders. Alternatively all tickets will still be valid when the event is rescheduled.

We are very positive at this moment that the bill will remain unaltered at it's new date but please check the website for regular updates. Again, our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.

A gig will be happening Thursday night at Henry's Cellar Bar with 'Lord Rochester' + guests (tbc) and Friday night at Studio 24 will feature a gig with 'The Higher State' + guests (tbc). Saturday night at Studio 24 will bring you the 'Lucky 7 Ska Club'.