In The Garage is a new online resource dedicated to the Edinburgh garage/psych scene of the 1980s.  In particular the Pterodaktyls and Johnny & the Deadbeats.  The site includes an overview of the scene and a poster gallery. 

D4 news: "The D4 have been held up in a secret GEE-RIDGE-HIGH-LEVEL-RAWK 'N'RALL location which due to restrictions SET BY THE NEW ZEALAND DEPARTMENT OF ROCK'N'ROLL we are not at liberty to expose but suffice to say: they have been in London since February and are excited to drop the release of their second album "Don't Know What I Want" onto the mass public. Expect more pop + heaviness very shortly".

MAGIC CHRISTIAN LATEST!

"Sorry for the late report but i was too beat last nite and just crashed after the show. the fellas were great. yours truly got to introduce them. cyril was in great spirits and seemed to have a good time the whole night. they did a short but sweet set - robin has the set list so he can give exact details. but i think they opened with "made my bed" and closed with "too close to zero". in between were the two beatles songs, "anytime at all" and "things we said today". and the
spoonful's "my gal". they also did the beatlesque "no time to cry".
this time paul sang the end part of that. this song's turning out to be a crowd favorite - knew i was right about that one. my other fave is "she's so good" and that went over well too -- a real rock n roller which cyril obviously has fun playing.
cyril played his trademark dan armstrong thru reissue '65 fender twin reverb. he's still playing sans pick. alec palao had his beautiful gretsch bass. prairie prince couldn't make it and so they used the drummer from one of the other bands on the bill. he was okay. paul was under the weather but did a nice vocal job nevertheless.
roy loney got up and joined in on the encore, "i can see for miles".
they were very loose - but in a good way --relaxed. and not too loud. you could hear them. in some ways it was their best gig so far." - don in frisco

Saints - All Times Through Paradise (EMI, 4CD Set).
I was happy as a pig in shit late last week when, thanks to my "connections in the industry" (hah!), a review copy of the upcomin' Saints box-set landed on my doorstep; just what I needed, more CDRs and a inch thick stack o' Xeroxes!.
But Really, I hope I don't have to spell this out; the early Saints were one of the finest combos of the mid/late 70s. Punk rock before it had a name, their first two LPs are part of life's essentials. Great goddamn p-rock w/ actual "soul" 'n the kinda words that still make sense almost 30 years down the line. Besides all the originally released material from their harvest years (three LPs and a handful of 45s), there's a truckload of extras included here, like outtakes, demos 'n live stuff, just the kind o' smorgasbord us Saints fans have been waiting for, tho'God knows why they ever figured the original mix of the Hope'& Anchor tapes to be unsuitable?. But that's really my only complaint, the guitars should've been kept up LOUD on those recordings. OK, I'm nitpickin' here, just you blast this stuff at 11 and LEARN!.(Note to Jan Kooi: you may include 'Eternally Yours' in your list).

Martin Percival just sent me this link to a Mike (Ike Knox) Metoff interview you may care to peruse...

Here's a right old bloody quandry... THE RAMONES: END OF THE CENTURY
will be screened as part of the Mirrorball section of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. The screenings are on Friday 27th August @ 10pm and Saturday 28th August at 5.30pm. Both at the Cameo Cinema in Home Street, further details as they become available. Tickets went on sale today. However, I'm out of fecking town that weekend ain't I so can't attend. Guess who's wearing a big boo-boo face right about now?.

Sonic Reducer News courtesy of BKS

"Surprise visitor to Sonic Reducer - could we be more honoured?

Yus, me lovelies, the first Sonic Reducer was an unmitigated success, with a packed venue, enthusiastic crowd, copious drinking, and much rock-a-rolla action, including airings of tunes as diverse as Fats Waller Esq's The Reefer Song, KOTJ, The Ideals' Gorilla, Norma Dean's Barb Wire, and The Reatards' Youre So Lewd! However, the real surprise of the evening was a totally unexpected visit from local icon Mr Raymond Douglas Davies, who popped in to check whether London's top drinking hole, Gerry O'Boyle's The Boogaloo, did indeed have a copy of his superlative Village Green album on its wonderfully-stocked juke... The answer: YES! Mr Raymond Douglas Davies stayed around for a coupla hours and chatted with yours trulies, and was generally lovely... As you can imagine, BigKegShandy was overcome, so much so that he gave Mr D his prized copy of Tea Pad Songs Vol. 2, much to the delight of our honoured visitor, who exclaimed "This looks great, are you sure?!" ... Mr Raymond Douglas Davies even intimated that he'd love to come back and spin some 45s with us! So stay tuned to NBT for a date! So, brethren, it's FREE fun and frolics with the Sonic Reducer crew at The Boogaloo, Archway Road (Highgate tube), London N6, on Friday 23rd July, from around 7.30-11pm ... Come along and get yer lugs singed, and yer backbone well & truly slipped!"

As Brother Thewlis exclaimed... "bollocks". Arthur Kane. has left the theatre.

More info here.

After the surprise appearance of H.D. Manitoba in NYC, the recent MC5/DTK show in San Francisco featured a spot by Roy Loney (!), while those down under will get the extra bonus of Deniz Tek on guitar. More details can be found here.

This looks kinda interesting: PUNK! Kongress 2004 in Kassel (Germany) with lectures, forums, films, shows etc. Some of the names involved: Rocket From The Tombs, Andy Shernoff, Marty Thau, Mark P., Jayne County...

If you're in NY or yon immediate area...

"The word is out. The town is a-buzz, not to mention a-flutter and just plain agog, with reports of hi-pressure hillbilly boogie at Otto's Shrunken Head, 538 East 14th Street just west of Avenue B. Thursdays between the hours of 8:00 and 10:00 the Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. deliver the finest in ballads, boogies and blues and get this children; it's all for free!

Come on down this Thursday, July 15, for two sets starting at 8:00, and see what all the fuss is about. SIT & Die Co. welcomes special guest star Bill Gerstel joining us on drums for this date. If this show fails in anyway to satisfy, either aesthetically or morally, Michael will eat his plantation tie in Macy's window. So you see you just can't lose."

After a tip off from Cap'n Sandrew McLean, a bit of digging found that the great BILL BATEMAN has been drafted in to supply the big beat for The Cramps. This would constitute a major increase in firepower methinks... we didn't dream it, it's right HERE.

For wathever reason I was in some kinda Glam mood over the past few days, and diggin' around on the web for info came across A Chronological History of English Glam Rock! (baby), both funny and informative and well worth a visit.

Henkie V. was kind enough to point out that The Scientists will be touring Europe once again in October/November. More info and dates can be found at i.b.d booking.

I did a stupid thing. I was hairing about this cyberdoodah and came across a link to garagepunk.com from the Licorice Tree site. So in me goes and I find a whole bunch of people kvetching about the Little Stevenfest bill. In particular they're getting in about The Spangles and I rushed to their defence. I'm always signing up for these "forums" and almost instantaneously regret it. One reason is that I don't actually have the time to be farting about like that. There are more serious/important issues to be dealing with but I like to look after my own y'know? All very honourable of course but ultimately pointless as these cliques are basically set up as conduits for a bloody good whine anyway. I have yet to fathom as to whether any of these detractors have actually seen the band and will endeavour to find that out. Or will I?

The 5678's have just woo-hoo'd into the UK singles chart at #28. Who coo-hooda thunk it?!

Sean from The Battlecats wrote inviting us to their show at the Lit Lounge in NYC on July 12th. Unfortunately it's not possible but maybe you can cut along? Joey and Nick from The Star Spangles dj at yon place too from time to time so it might be a hoot. Here's how the B'cats bio goes:

"The Battlecats are raw, unironic, and irrepressibly catchy. Their take on bubblegum garage-punk can be simultaneously—belligerent, exuberant, and naive. And they’re for real. Frontman Jimmy Jude is a star in the making. A prancing tornado attacking guitar, bass and microphone with wreckless bravado. Drummer Kelley Kat pounds hypnotic Moe Tucker beats while staring holes through the ceiling; guitarist Sean Beirne grins and roams the stage, while traces of the Kinks, vintage Stones and Richard Hell and the Voidoids litter the speakers. The Battlecats have taken the New Haven music scene by storm. Their new cd Made from Scratch “features seven tunes of hook-laden guitar pushed garage pop that is-no shit-catchier than the plague” says the New Haven Advocate. The disk is called Made From Scratch because it literally was—each of the initial covers were unique and hand-drawn by drummer/artist Kelley Kat—a cool reminder of what rock ‘should, or used to be’."

Well no Reigning Sound heading for these parts but what can ya do? However, The Right Raving Rev. Dan Penniman has offered the scoop on where to score the new Wreckless Eric album well prior to it's official release. Not in that illegal downloady way you understand, no - from the Goulden guy himself. Here's the info:

"Preview copies of Wreckless Eric‘s incredible new album Bungalow Hi are available at the Southern Domestic On-Line Factory Shop right now at The album is not released officially until September, so this is your chance to be the hippest scenester on the block..."

Dan also reminds us that "Amy Rigby is appearing this Sunday July 11th for free around 6pm at the Come On Down & Meet The Folks Club at the Fiddler’s Elbow, 1 Malden Road (Corner of Prince of Wales Road), London NW5. Chalk Farm Tube."

Indeed Amy is all over the UK this coming week so go see her and say howdy if you get a chance. She's had a pretty rocky start to this visit so it's your duty to go convince her that it's a good idea to be on this sceptic isle. Hit the sidebar entry and find out if she's playing near you.

"You're Brian Eno. You're a little reclusive maybe, a little quieter than most people... But man, who needs outside entertainment when your brain is like KABOOM all the time? You are innovative, creative, and intelligent. You dress flamboyantly, gravitating towards large feathers and tinsel. Everyone respects you, and looks up to you. We are not worthy, we are not worthy..."

Which rad old school 70's glam icon are you? (with pics)
brought to you by Quizilla