So we're just over halfway through September. Even although I haven't exactly been able to get much together in the way of gabbing, I have managed to post something each day.

One of these days I will get around to "reviews". Probably.

Meanwhile, I hope you've got your tickets for the big rock show on Saturday October 5th?

Thanks Line...

Forgot how great this was...

Sadly not in Amsterdam to catch these fine folks tomorrow...

Chrome Cranks at the Wurli tonight!

For some reason, I scribbled BC on the calendar just below next Wednesday, 18^th September. I have no idea why and it doesn’t look like the noggin is about to present the answer anytime soon. This is all symptomatic of the on-going memory fug. It’s embarrassing. Particularly when you can’t introduce someone to somebody else because you’ve forgotten the name. This happens more and more. Not just with people I maybe met briefly once. Oh no, this goes for folks that I know to some degree. Pffff...

 

And what's with this Post Office thing? After my tirade the other day, the public flotation is happening and I would imagine that further sounds a death knell from a once excellent service. It's quite likely that the UK will be owned outright by an overseas conglomerate sometime very soon. Irrespective of whether Scotland goes "indie" or not. We'll get unloaded as fixtures and fittings if that happens. The best we could hope for is to be a larger "Pimlico" cica the good old Ealing Comedy days. Oh how the world will larf.

 

 

Back from summer vacation?  Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. is -- and back this week for its monthly residency at Rodeo Bar!
 
*WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th / RODEO BAR /
375 Third Avenue (at the corner of 27th Street) in Manhattan /
 We return to our second-Wednesday-of-the-month residency! /
Three back-to-school sets, from 9:00 sharp 'til midnight, with no cover.

And, speaking of residencies...

*THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD /
538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in Manhattan /
8:00 sharp 'til 10:00, with salty snacks and no cover!

Yours in all seasons, Michael
Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co.
"Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

Sir Wreckless Eric... solo US shows!

25.09  RICHMOND VA, Gallery 5 
26.09  KNOXVILLE TN, The Pilot Light 
28.09  MEMPHIS TN, Gonerfest 
30.09  SPRINGFIELD MI, Lindberghs
01.10  INDIANAPOLIS IN, tbc

The ordering and sending of stuff by mail is getting crazy. There used to be a rule of thumb with a care package. If the post cost more than the contents then that was a cool thing. Nowadays there’s almost no danger of it being anything else.

I no longer send anything like the amount of packages I used to and that’s probably a good thing because if I did, then I’d likely be bankrupt. I don’t mind shelling out to bring joy to others but what I really do get into a kerfuffle about is when ordering from these fulfilment places that the post and handling amounts to more than the band or artist will get.

It doesn’t cost $20 to mail a record from the USA to Europe. It might be $12. Maybe, but even worse is the cost PER item. “That’s the way the system works”, I’ve been told but that’s simply robbery. Tempered with laziness. Post at cost with a wee bit on top would be fine but lining the halls of the postage service is not in my remit.

It’s pretty rough sending things out too. Since they started going by bulk rather than weight sometimes the costs can be eye-watering when you get to the “window”. It’s at least twice the price that it used to be and there’s been no improvement in the service. Indeed postal workers across the planet are being squeezed by the system. I don’t mind shelling for something that appears to work. However, when it takes 4 weeks for something to reach its destination when it’s alleged to be a 5 (working) day delivery then I get a little pissed off. With the advent of budget flights, it might be worth considering personal delivery.

The reason I bring this up is that I’ve been considering selling up the archive. Maybe via e-bag, maybe not. I tend to actively dislike the type of individual they’ve come to attract. And I don’t like getting stuck behind one of the entrepreneurs they’ve encouraged in the post office.

RIP - Maralie Dawn Whitney

Apparently it’s Cassette Store Day. Another niche commodity that’s enjoyed a resurgence of late and I have to admit that I have a soft spot for the format. Whatever becomes of it, I really hope that it doesn’t turn into the evil shakedown that Record Store Day has become. Looking at the website, I was immediately turned off by what I saw but you shouldn't let my predudices spoil your enjoyment.

I’m fairly sure that the chains won’t be partaking in this and finding an outlet might be outside the remit of the fuckwits that buy for ebay activity. Let’s keep everything crossed on that score. And no one is seriously suggesting that tape is better than vinyl here. I see all kinds of annoyance but I figure this as more of a quaint harking back to the past. Albeit a type of landfill.

A mix tape was always a much more romantic proposition than a mix CD. It was certainly more time-consuming as a pastime because of all the pausing and changing the record. Laterly, such tapes were possibly compiled from CD and vinyl with sound levels going all over the place. All part of the fun and the effort. Then there was the insert, with scribbles and hand-lettered titling.

Of course there was the typewritten version too. It was all very creative. Then these dull shiny discs came along and kind of ruined everything but that was nothing compared to what the interweb and mp3’s did to music. They devalued it together to end up where we are now. Where artists aren’t compensated for their work and if it’s not that then “collectors” scarf up and resell to folks that might not have a store in their town. I’m getting away from the point here though so cut along to wherever and check out this tape phenomenon while there are still machines around.

I have several players and thousands of tapes that will probably end up in a big skip in coming years. The ignorance of future generations almost guarantees that.

Dig this tomorrow night...

 

Mañana sábado día 7 de septiembre les tenemos preparado un programón cargado de locuras y maravillas a 78rpm para celebrar la Sexta Temporada de Melodías Pizarras Novelty vaquerito, blues blanco, western swing, mazurca antillana, calypso, cubanos, swing, hillbilly, old time… ya saben, géneros y artistas que sólo suenan en Melodías Pizarras, y en su formato original !! Aquí una pequeña muestra de los 30 temones que les sonarán a gloria bendita:

“Old McDonald Had A Farm”. The Kidoodlers (VOCALION, 1938)

“A New Salty Dog”. Allen Brothers (BLUEBIRD, 1930)
“Ragtime Cowboy Joe. Girls Of The Golden West (VOCALION, 1938)

“Does My Baby Love Me?”. Jimme Revard and his Oklahoma Playboys (BLUEBIRD, 1937)

“Alimony Blues”. Al Dexter and his Troopers (VOCALION, 1941) 

"The Pants That My Pappy Gave To Me". Hoosier Hot Shots (VOCALION, 1939)

“Bravo, Bravo!”. Alphonso y sy Orq. Típica Antillana  (ODEÓN, 1949)

“Movin’ The Boogie”. Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons (VICTOR, 1941)

“I Feel So Good”. Big Bill Broonzy (COLUMBIA, 1941)

“You Upset Me, Baby”. B.B. “Blues Boy” King (RPM, 1954)

“Taint What You Do”. Jimmie Lunceford Orq. (VOCALION, 1939)

“Jump. Jack, Jump”. Andy Kirk and his Clouds Of Joy (BRUNSWICK, 1938)

“The Caissons Go Rolling Along”. Jenks Tex Carman (CAPITOL, 1953)

“Old Grey Mare”. Elmo Newcomer “The Pipe Creek Kid” (CROMART, 1939)

"One, Two, Three, Four". Criterion Quartet con Ferera y Franchini (VOCALION, 1923)

“Honky Tonk Blues”. The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers (RCA VICTOR, 1953)

….

No se lo pueden perder!!!

Salud y pizarra!!!

http://blog.rtve.es/melodiaspizarras/

Well I did pretty good this week for posting here... and it's Friday. Another week closer to Laura Cantrell's OK shows and The Nomads / The Dahlmanns / The Hip Priests and The Outbursts down in the London. The weather is back to normal and I shall not be venturing far. So maybe there'll be more action here... and then again.

Right now however, there is travel-agenting to be done!