RIP - Drake Levin (Paul Revere and the Raiders)

Info via HDM's facebook.

RIP - Allen Klein

If this is half as cool as the trailer then there are many hoots in store... thanks to HT for the heads up! Probably not safe for work and all that other baloney so proceed accordingly.

Here's where I was was 20 years ago today, 33 since The Ramones at the Round'ouse... Yeah kids, it's the 4th of July. And you know. all those Del Lords re-ish's are available now so let's see some justice done in the american music stakes.

Not a bad start to a Saturday, Eric's "A Pop Song" is on NoFoSo and I'm pondering the Tesco run. "Hell's bells, buckets of blood" right enough.

A good day to all my US cronies. I hope the mexican kids keep the firework action on the DL wherever you be.

It doesn't get much better than this for a Friday night, correctamundo?

From Peru, courtesy of Angel Aparicio Trujillo via facebook.



It's been a long, hot thankless week but this put a smile on my face and that's not an easy thing to do. I need to regroup and get together some music to post about tomorrow. Saturday 4th July - Dave Alvin Day...

RIP - Bobby Ubangi

(Link courtesy of Dr. H)

Aye, the nights are fair drawing in... I can’t recall it ever being this warm. Not here.

I’ve been elsewhere when it’s been bloody hot but it’s generally bearable. A huge thunderstorm can’t be far away surely? Wow, Dean & Britta and Buddy Greco in one week. Dunfermline is a happening place. I always think of Girl Trouble's "Cold Shoulder" video when I see BG's name these days. Digress? Who me??



I know it takes a bit of effort to go off the beaten track but I really must insist that you make said attempt at getting along to "13 Most Beautiful...." There are all too few genuine special events anymore and I'm not saying that this fine production won't return to the UK, or Scotland for that matter sometime down the pike but it's unlikely to be anywhere near as groovy as this.

Summon the energy and support something that isn't a travelling medicine show designed to fleece you. This is a shindig that you won't ever forget so make the pilgrimage from wherever you are in Scotland. Or further afield, you’ll have a ball.

And as a cool breeze goes, you can always count on Maia...

RIP - Karl Malden

RIP - Mollie Sugden

Not sure if it's the heat-induced sleep deprivation but I just read the latest Jackson snippet as "fairytale carnage" I think I'll start a band called that. I did have another good name that I got from this site (thanks Lisa) but the post seems to have been removed.

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

Some stuff coming up in Edinburgh...

This Saturday's THE GO-GO (4th July)

is at Henry's Cellar Bar Morrison Street (and not Studio 24 as previously advertised).

60s DJ's Tall Paul Robinson & Angus A-GO-GO (Mod, Soul, Garage Etc)

Playing live ... THE HIDDEN MASTERS (psyche-y prog-punk trio)

band on at midnight. 11pm til 3am. £5/4

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

The Joyriders will be opening for The New York Dolls in Glasgow on July 20th. They also have a show at Cabaret Voltaire on the day after (21st). These take place to limber ‘em up ahead of their jaunt to Japan. The Cab show is with The Bum Clocks and Tango Rhums .

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

Not sure how the rest of this evening has in store but it would be cool if the temperature would go down a bit. Ha ha. Did you get what I did there? Every one a flippin' maserati...

Ideally I'd be on a boat out Stockholm way watching The Nomads but t'was not to be.

As the Dark Wave Swells

Brother Ben Gart made the pilgrimage to the Motor City at the weekend to witness the ignition of the two-headed monster that is the return of The Gories and The Oblivians to the boards. The blast off en route to "Blast Off" and other shows around Europe. Here's what he had to say...

"I spent about 5 hours driving from Chicago to Detroit Saturday afternoon and it was a beautiful day, no construction or traffic problems either. Couldn't have asked for a better start to the weekend. Once I got past Ann Arbor, I found the hotel in lovely Romulus, across the street from the airport. They were nice and the room was as good as could be expected for an economy joint. After a bit of a lie down, I got up, got a quick bite to eat from the hot redhead next door and headed into the (Motor) City proper.

I was warned that Detroit was a place to be cautious about -- Michigan going on 14% unemployment, one in three homes condemned or boarded up and a high crime level. Quite honestly, while it did seem run down and old, it was very cool. A lot of character there! The neighbourhood that the Majestic Theatre is in isn't bad at all, situated next to a university and plenty of other theatres across from it. I was really excited to see the place since it has such a cool history, playing a big part in the Motown legacy. After parking in the lot out back, I wandered inside and saw Mick Collins deeply focused with texting on his phone (it seemed) and Danny driving his beat-up old station wagon & giving someone a jump. Decided to leave them alone and just get in line.

Once inside, I was thrilled to see that the Majestic did have a lot of character -- I looked around at walls and ceiling, imagining what it would've been like to see so many legends perform there. Old soul, R&B and blues blasted out of the speakers setting the atmosphere just right. The Oblivians took the stage at around 9.30pm and things heated up quick, kicking the energy up to high gear. Having never seen them and not being too familiar with their material, I quickly "got" what they're about. A lot of electricity, sweat and screaming like mad preachers high on sin. The crowd ate it up like a handful of speed. They blasted through 19 tunes in just about an hour giving The Gories something to live up to. There were no encores. Greg, Eric and Jack got off fast to make way for the reason most everyone came for.

After about 20 – 30 minutes setting up and tuning, The Gories took the stage and the audience went absolutely fucking nuts! Talk about something I've missed at a lot of shows over recent years -- deep appreciation by fans, loudly vocalized "thankyous" they (rarely) got to hear in the 80s and 90s. Mick made the bittersweet comment "Who are all you people?" The band started up on high gear with "Hey Hey, We're The Gories" and didn't let up. I was blown away at how they appeared not to have changed at all since they last played these songs with any regularity. Hopefully they really didn't practice at all since they decided to play these shows, to ensure that the three of them stayed true to the sound.

Danny took the opportunity to use some of the skills he's learned over the years to play "Detroit Breakdown", honking on his harmonica and playing guitar at the same time. On "Ghostrider", Mick played what was likely the coolest guitar-freakout solo I have ever seen or heard live! They cranked out 20 songs, running through classic after classic like they’ve never been away. Embodying generations of bluesmen and rock'n'rollers spirits, it was gratifying to see a broken-up band take to a stage again and unleash that rare lightning from a bottle most washed up has-beens could never match in the first place.

The only complaint I have is actually a compliment -- I wish they would have kept on playing all night."

Report and photo by Ben Gart, Chicago Chapter.

There's loads of stuff to keep you going indoors and outdoors in the near to yonder future depending on where you be located of course. I'm not planning to be on here for long tonight so without any further ado.

There's a new Wreckless Radio episode up.

A new JD King story.

The Nomads do their annual Blidösund shindig this coming Wednesday for those lucky enough to be in and around the fabulous city of Stockholm.

Do you have your tickets for Dean and Britta's "13 Most Beautiful" yet? That's a week on Wednesday - July 8th. If you're in Glasgow, the Rt. hon Thomas Coyle is considering running a bus so e-mail him if you're interested in getting aboard said charabang. The only UK show over in Dunfermline, situated in the kingdom of Fife. Flake out of this one at your peril. Flog your T in the Park tickets and see something genuinely fresh.

You need Anne Streng's postcards!

Oh, I've lost my scribbled note with a couple of other things on it so see how you go with that little lot.

This is the membership card for the Cramps fan club in France, The Last Great Martyrs. Run by Nathalie Denis. Where you be Nathalie?

Nothing like some organ music for a Sunday morning. Thanks to Sébastien Favre for the tip via fb.

26 years prior to Obama, President Clarence Clemons was busy in the White House. It was September (perhaps early October) 1983 and during the filming of the video for "A Woman's Got The Power". Hearing that solo during "Thunder Road" last night brought it all back.

Irrespective of what you might think about Springsteen circa 2009, you can't quibble that he upped the ante of the Glasto humdrum. Talk about a rocket up the arse. I think there were 6 songs broadcast? Or maybe I just woke up at that point.

Anyway, I'll have a look at what the bunfight has to offer today but I imagine nothing. Lisa Hannigan, who was on immediately after the E-Street express did pretty good. I like her and always wonder how tall she must be. Seeing as it's raining, and I seem to be developing a "sair throat", going through old photos seems like the order of the day. Amongst other things.

In town the other day, I was struck by the waterbeds on legs trading"don't even go there's" in their trademark local twang. I hate that. It's like people from here trying to use "dude" or "awesome". After all you don't get the denizens of the South Bronx going about calling people "bawbag". Chances are that would sound pretty daft too. It's like white guys dressing "hip hop". It's a no no. Or blasting it loudly out of their cars as they "cruise". Happy hardcore kind of suits the chinless little (and big) toerags because it provides a theme for their pointy faced noxious existence. The ob prefix kicks in after they've tanned the prescription Buckfast. I don't claim to have a total grasp on the english language but c'mon - we have enough slang. There's no need to appropriate stuff they've heard Tenecia(s?) yatter on Ricki Lake or Sally. The world may well be just one big onion but...

Another very sickening aspect of the Jacko thing is people like David Cameron or any politician paying “tribute”. Then there was the guy on the radio yesterday plugging HMV and FOPP as places to go to load up on your Michael merch. Not only are they one and the same thing, there was no qualification that these items could be purchased from similar outlets. Any which way, the “charts” will be dominated by the late Mr Jackson so if you’re a new band hoping that you might scrape in there then forget it.

I watch Glastonbury on TV in the hope that something will actually be good. That almost never happens and the Tap was OK but the drummer didn’t explode at the end. I thought The Ting Tings were pretty good, despite the fact that it’s all artificial. I actually hoped that by some trick of fate that Wreckless and Amy would somehow make it to the screen. However for reasons as yet unknown, their Glasto stint never came to pass. There’s a band called Esser or something on just now, playing the John peel stage. I’ve never heard of them and they’re awful so that very probably means they’ll be huge. The singer looks like one of Bros moonlighting as David Gahan.

I had to switch of Kasabian. They’re like Primal Scream vs Reef. CS&N were also less than entertaining but I think the guy who’s on bass is Bob Glaub that played on Amy Allison’s “Sheffield Streets”. There’s a big stooshy going on because the BBC isn’t broadcasting the whole Springsteen set. I don’t care one way or another, just so long as it doesn’t involve a double dose of Doves or some such bobbins. Now it’s the turn of some bunch called The Temper Trap that’s making me go and change the channel. But what awaits when I hit the remote... The Script murdering Bowie's "Heroes"...

Lisa Marie on MJ. (Link courtesy of Peter Holsapple via fb).

Whilst doing a wee bit of google snooping on “Baraboo” I found that it had been shown in Galway but I guess the EIFF were playing the Southern Ireland card with regard to claiming the premiere. One important item that came up is that there’s a new movie with Mark Borchardt doing the rounds called “Modus Operandi”. Let’s get back to the job in hand though.

Mary Sweeney’s directorial debut is an understated, slow burning treasure. After all the rushing about over the past few days it took maybe 10 minutes to wind down into the pace. It’s unmistakably got the ambience of “The Straight Story”. Certain aspects suggest that she was perhaps the one behind creating the atmospheres that give Lynch his edge. I’m just saying. It’s a quiet, tranquil film with an underlying sense of menace. The cast are uniformly excellent and were drawn from local theatre talent. The town itself is close to Madison, Wisconsin. (Ben) Weasel country and it looks like a great place to visit.

It made me recall the time that Randy, Donna and I went to Black Oak in Arkansas to try and find Jim Dandy and travelling with The Skeletons. The score is partly Richard Thompson and some “metal” by the offspring of David Lynch and Ms Sweeney, Riley Sweeney Lynch.

“Baraboo” also reminded me a little of Phil Morrison’s “Junebug”. Maybe it was the outsider art element and the rural setting. Anyway, it made me want to visit the town and maybe grab a cold drink from the general store there where “Jane” works.

Not sure when this will be released to theatres but make a mental note to see it when it does.

Hoping to establish a little equilibrium here today. When I got home from Edinburgh last night, Neil Young was tearing through a god-awful version of the already no biggie in my book, "A Day In The Life". I shall dip in and out of the TV coverage over the course of this particular one in mine. And there's live music in the town square here so I'll swing by there just to make sure that my grasp of the local culture can be sated.

I'm not expecting much but at least the rain is off. Good that I managed to get the last of the hedge down prior to the cloudburst but getting rid of the cuttings with the less than adequate garden refuse colletion around here could well take some time. However, if that's all I've got to concern me then I'm doing no' bad. First up will be a short of "Baraboo"...