CRYSTAL STILTS IN STORE/PERFORMANCE in MONORAIL MUSIC

MONDAY 23RD FEBRUARY 2009

"We are extremely excited to announce a Crystal Stilts in-store this Monday, 23rd February at 7pm. Their stunning album, "Alight Of Night" landslided our best of 2008 and its now available in the UK on the Angular label. Crystal Stilts are mesmeric, 3-D sound, Velvets/Flying Nun/Mary Chain classicism with poignant, crisp lyrics. We've already hailed them as the most exciting walk out into the (gloomy) winter sun in quite a while. The Pastels will DJ."

If you're in Madrid...

Or New York maybe...

I still have some loose ends that need to be tied up. see you tomorrow...

RIP - Joe Cuba

RIP - Louie Bellson

Still fizzing after seeing Boner and his crew ham it up on the Brits? Let Lola Dutronic bring you back to earth...

A missive from Long Rydin' Sid Griffin...

Hello pickers and s-h-one-tee kickers,

The Coal Porters fly into bonnie Scotland tomorrow to play three big, big shows. If you like bluegrass at its fun-est and alt-bluegrass at its finest then look below for the places to go and to be seen.

19 Feb @ 20:00
The Inn at Lathones St. Andrews, Scotland (has a nice school and posh golf course)

20 Feb @ 20:00
The Inn at Lathones St. Andrews, Scotland (bring your cap & gown or your plus fours)

21 Feb @ 20:00
Midlem Town Hall Midlem, Scotland (near the grand town of Galashiels)

Bluegrass came outta Scotland and now we are sending it back... hang on... that didn't come out correctly... I mean... ahhhhh... well, you folks know what I mean.

The Decaffeinated Kid

Ever wonder what Wilko Johnson channelling Charles Laughton in a "See You Jimmy hat" approximation might look like? ladies and gents, the latest next big Swedish thing! (Thanks to Ulf for the link)

I recall looking at the clock this morning at 4.26am. Figured I might have another half hour before getting up to have an hour on here prior to work. Either the alarm wasn't set or it's knackered, either way, next thing I new it was after 6 and that set me up (not) for the remains of the day. The one cool thing that happened though was that I got a message from the great Hal Blaine. The man who has played on more great records than anybody. Doctoror H tells me that the "crew" even played on the Lancelot Link and Evolution Revolution album!

So here's a couple of things to keep you amused while I ponder my strategy...

Barney Hoskyns has two signings coming up to coincide with his Tom Waits book "Lowside of the Road" being published by Faber. He's at:

Wednesday 4 March

6.30 pm – Waterstone's, 82 Gower Street, London, WC1E 6EQ

Thursday 12 March

7.30 pm – The Bluecoat, School Lane , Liverpool L1 3BX

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Sister Chris Marlowe found these MC5 pictures whilst dealing with the personal effects of her friend, Bobbie Kaminski, who passed away recently. She thought you folks would like to view these never seen artefacts. No details on the location or date are available but feel free to speculate. Chris also found the SAHB pass which has special cultural significance in this year of "homecoming".

















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If you're in the New Jersey locale, all roads lead to Asbury Lanes this Saturday night. Check the venue website to confirm showtime...

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PJ posted this at the BLR list, website doesn't seem to be active yet but stay tuned for further info!

Thursday 9th - Saturday 11th July

BLAST-OFF! festival is a WILD, WONDERFUL and WAY-OUT happening in Nottingham.

It will be a BLAST of international GARAGE PUNK, BEAT and ROCK AND ROLL!

Including the ONLY AND LAST UK SHOWS of two of the greatest bands on the planet:

THE OBLIVIANS and THE GORIES

as well as a host of incredible bands that will include (in no particular order):

Madrids shakin'est rock and roll party band: LOS CHICOS, possibly the last ever appearance of masked wrestling mayhem merchants: THE COYOTE MEN, the dancing'est followers of Frat: LOS IMBASILS - franco/scottish garage ye-ye kings: LES BOF - Super-sleazy dancefloor-fillers: DOKTOR COMBOVER - Russian fuzz-freaks: THE CAVESTOMPERS - Horror-surf creatures from Spain: THE COSMIC VAMPIRES - Stomping voodoo-garage wildmen: THE EVILTONES - Glasgows greatest garage-punkers: THE BRUTES - the loudest and most rockin' girls in Denmark: CHERRY OVERDRIVE - And of course, a party wouldn't be a party without monkeys! Crazy apemen: THE TORPEDO MONKEYS

All this AND a monster daytime record-fair/retro market for you vinyl and vintage freaks, Insane international dee-jays, all night dancing, gorgeous go-go dancers, delerious decor, far-out films and art show and MORE!

More fabulous acts and delinquent entertainment to be added soon, including one fantastic headline band.

http://www.blastoff-festival.co.uk

http://www.myspace.com/blastofffest

Less than a week to the GFT screenings of The Wrecking Crew so that's the priority at the minute. Rounding up an audience and everything that goes along with that.

This of course means that there is no time to post owt here. IF I get stuff done tonight then maybe things'll revert to what passes for normal tomorrow. I'm skeptical about my abilities at this point so lets see how it goes...

As I headed toward the cinema yesterday afternoon, I was thinking about "Blue Film Woman" and recalled that it reflected a stock market fall and also a no-smoking song. How far we’ve travelled...

Saw the trailer for Anvil there and was pretty moved, it peaked my expectations somewhat. A couple of hours after watching this, I find out that the band has appeared at the first Glasgow screening. Classic Hutton disorganisation. Does it live up to all the one-liners on the poster? Not exactly but I guess that’s all part of the promotion. To my mind the way it’s been put together is a little contrived but then again what isn’t. Reality stopped being real quite some time ago.



If, like me, you have a penchant for dodgy metal then you won’t be disappointed. The obvious nods to “The Tap” are a bit unnecessary because Lipps and co are going through things that would even have tested Tufnel and St Hubbins. The drummer's real name is Robb Reiner so how’s that for life approximating art. The devices don’t detract from the overall enjoyment though and the two "lifers" are the saving grace. When was the last time you were at a movie and heard the names Grand Funk and Cactus dropped?

Made me think that there’s a great movie to be made about Black Oak Arkansas…

Afterwards I met local “rawk” alumni Bill Wells and Stevie Jackson. Details of Belle and Sebastian recording a version of “Thumb Hang” have not been confirmed.

Not Quite Hollywood is as high octane as its subject matter and there’s a shitload of information and clips to process. The soundtrack is pretty intrusive but only because it’s bloody good. Incidental muzak this ain’t and it even includes “Black Eyed Bruiser” by (Little) Stevie Wright. Ozploitation movies have been as groundbreaking as their rock’n’roll over the years. On a scale of how far can too far go, much of this goes straight off the measurable scale. Smut, gore, explosions and kung fu are merely the tip of the iceberg. I’d completely forgotten about the Bazza McKenzie vomiting scenes. You want the recipe? It’s available right here. This trailer is not safe for work...

The February issue of Sonic magazine, Sweden's foremost music digest comes with the customary cd. But it's not just another comp, it has an accordion powered cut entitled "Stenad i Stockholm" by a combo called Persson's Pack on it. So I'm thinking, Lennart has a pack? Like Terry Knight?? There was a Grand Funk ref in Anvil yesterday so I couldn't resist that. I can't tell you anything about PP at this point but this track is a duet with Annika Norlin so you know what that means. Exactly. To be featured on their forthcoming album, out February 18th... (Thanks to Mr U for the heads up)

Audrey sings Nico - listen at myspace...

RIP - Susan Walsh (Chicklett)

In case you missed it, The Rezillos appeared on Radio 2 last night, on the God's Jukebox show hosted by Mark Lamarr. Along with some top chat – in which Mark couldn't help admitting that Fay was "cool" and suggested the title of the upcoming album should be "You Can't Be Too Disappointed" – the band played recent single "No1 Boy", "I Can't Stand My Baby", "Yesterday's Tormentor" and brand spanking new song "Ambulance". What's more, there's a session recording of River Deep Mountain High available on Mark's BBC webpage.

If you're short of time, the Rezillo sections of the show start around 24mins, 1hr 25mins and 2hr 27mins. Please note some people outside the UK, sadly, won't be able to access the material.

Note - actually, I'm not sure but if you use the listen again feature, it may be available further afield. I know that I can use that from other European countries (such as P3 in Sweden) so maybe it's worth a try?

Check in here for your Valentines Album courtesy of Shock and Awe!

Probably not for the faint of heart but delivered with the compliments of the day.

Camera Obscura are about to get moving... their new record is coming on 4AD.

If you missed Howie Pyro's Intoxica trib then you can acquaint yourself with it here.