Belgium in November anyone? More info on this when their site goes live...

A guid Dave Alvin day to our friends out there in the US of A. I meant to put type to screen this morning but a series of mishaps which has pretty much been ongoing during the day put paid to it. More later (perhaps)...

RIP: Robbie Watts (Cosmic Psychos).

NORTON NEWS NOW • EXTRA • EXTRA • READ ALL ABOUT IT

• NEW RELEASES!

• SHOW TIME - HEP SUMMERTIME BASHES

ARTHUR LEE - STAY AWAY/YOU I'LL BE FOLLOWING (Norton 7N7) Norton announces the release of never-issued 1965 pre-Love demos Stay Away by the American Four b/w You I’ll Be Following by the Grass Roots, two pre-Love combos that included Arthur Lee and on guitar, the great Johnny Echols. Johnny contributed boss interview notes to our 45 which boasts an insanely cool unknown photo of the American Four (sportin’ Beatle wigs). This limited first pressing is on wild marble colored wax- no two records the same- THEY COME IN COLORS that run a swirly rainbow gamut! These colored wax singles are available only at the tribute show or at the benefit website, with all proceeds going directly to Arthur.

NEW FROM NORTON: RELEASE DATE JULY 25:
THEE MIDNITERS - IN THEE MIDNITE HOUR!!! (Norton 315) Pounding 1964-67 East LA rock n ‘roll! First time ever collection of the original Whittier stompers n’ slammers- killer after killer of loud, tense, massively attitudinal teenage howlers! Dig the unstoppable assault of this legendary West Coast combo-- guaranteed to sprain yo’ brain! Instant party never had it so good! Whittier Blvd./Everybody Needs Somebody To Love/Jump, Jive And Harmonize/Gloria/Love Special Delivery/Thee Midnite Feeling/I Found A Peanut/Never Knew I Had It So Bad/Down Whittier Blvd.*/Empty Heart/Looking Out A Window/Do You Love Me*/Dragon-Fly*/Hey Little Girl (previously unissued)/Money/Welcome Home Darling/Devil With A Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly*/Land Of A Thousand Dances (extended live version)/Down Whittier Blvd. (Godfrey vocal) *=CD only CD $12/LP $9
THE KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW FLIGHT 505/THE FLAKES STUPID GIRL (Norton 45-9653) Yes, the label with the able stable has finally landed the in-demand duo for our Rolling Stones trib series, in which we try to alert the inert public about the essential excellence of this relatively unknown English combo by having the hottest names in entertainment today interpret their bucolic chart bubblers. THE KING KHAN & BBQ SHOW's version of Flight 505 is flip-sided by the fabulous FLAKES rendition of the introspective Stupid Girl on this AFTERMATH twin spin ripper! $4 (Coming soon in the Rolling Stones 9600 Tribute Series: The Alarm Clocks/tba plus Black Lips/tba!)
THE U-TURNS - THE DEATH OF GARAGE ROCK (Norton EP-131) Celebrate the death of Garage Rock with the only band that matters! This four song unissued (you'll hear why!) tape of 1966 teenage hi jinx includes a truly demented 1:10 version of 7 And 7 Is, Dedicated Follower Of Fashion, Get Off My Cloud and a stunning take of the Beatles' I'm Down. Makes Green Fuz sound like Green Day! $4
___
SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVING IS GREASY!
MIND THE MAYHEM:
• July 27 -29 DOT DASH FESTIVAL Tom Dash’s annual weekender runs three big days at Brooklyn’s fab Southpaw nitery (125 5th Avenue, Park Slope Brooklyn). Norton icons (Midwest division) THE ALARM CLOCKS (Cleveland) and THE HENTCHMEN (Detroit) sock the Friday lineup, while old Ohio pals ROCKET FROM THE TOMBS and local geniuses THE LITTLE KILLERS topple the Saturday nite blasteroo!
• July 30 NORTON PRESENTS REIGNING SOUND AND THE A-BONES! Cap things off Sunday with a pre-dog day Union Pool dunker starring the Reigning Sound (only Northeast show!) and the A-Bones with boss deejays DAVE THE SPAZZ (WFMU) and ANDY THE MAZZ (LITTLE KILLERS) spinnin’ sevens all nite long! http://www.nortonrecords.com
• AUG 19 A-BONES/LITTLE KILLERS Saturday nite double-barrel blasteroo at Brooklyn’s most happenin’ hide-a-way MAGNETIC FIELD sets the block afire with a pair of Brooklyn combos headin’ up one heckuva maulin’ ball!
• OCT 14 NORTON ALL-STAR REVUE ATTACKS ESPANA! Help! Murder! Police! One night only…and only in Spain! Star-studded all night Valencia romp n’ stomp boasts Norton legends Andre Williams, the A-Bones and the Great Gaylord! This is a soopah exclusive and extremely greasy engagement-- one mad, mad night in Europa and then jet propelled back to Stateside hubs in Joliet, Brooklyn, and Jersey City, USA before they knew what clobbered ‘em! Whatta way to say OLE! Pre-show ravin’ rev-up bash on Friday the 13th celebrates the Norton label’s big 20th Anniversary with a record hop blasteroo to end all record hop blasteroos with Miriam and Billy blastin’ spinnables all nite long at the usual maximum voloom at 45 RPM! Book ya tix! This is the A-Bones stomp to Spain-- dig the Norton site for a foto of the A-Bones working hard during their last Valencia junket! Dig all the details at: http://www.funtasticdraculacarnival.com

Norton News In A Nutshell…. The ALARM CLOCKS official website is up, kiddios! Take the last train to Clocksville for up-to-the-minute Yeah gang knock-downs and goings-on at http://www.alarmclocksyeah.com …the guys have recorded nineteen superb songs in Detroit with Michigan mastermind Freddy Fortune at the wheel for their new Norton album… composed largely of fabulous Mike Pierce originals including anthems like Don’t Get Left Behind, More Money and It’s Been Too Long… also recorded is a knockout version of The Last Time for Norton’s Rolling Stones split single series. New York City will welcome the Alarm Clocks for their first show here ever on July 28 at the Southpaw… excitement is building like crazy for the recording for the first solo album by original Shangri-Las lead singer MARY WEISS, backed by the REIGNING SOUND, which begins on July 24. If you haven't checked our interview with Mary yet, DO IT, right now and not later, baby… it’s on our website… famed Las Vegas/Hollywood filmmaker RAY DENNIS STECKLER of RAT PFINK A BOO-BOO fame… will be feted this fall in his hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania where his films will be screened, along with his brand new autobiographical roadtrip feature, with all music by the A-BONES… speaking of film meisters, RUDY RAY MOORE has been hospitalized with a diabetes-related illness. The bad, bad Dolemite asked that we relay a thank you to his many concerned fans, adding, "Don’t nobody try to steal my crown. I was through with it before the others knew what to do with it!"… hep director DAN ROSE announces the release of WAYNE COUNTY RAMBLIN’ with a massive bevy of stars including Nortonians NATHANIEL MAYER, JEFF CONOLLY (Lyres), BILL PEITSCH (Church Keys), MICK COLLINS (Dirtbombs), CUB KODA (Del-Tinos) and JAMES OSTERBERG (Iguanas)… big release party June 24… http://www.waynecountyramblin.com/ …just in! Get ready to rip it up with a newly unearthed set of live SONICS circa 1965 featuring roarin’ deliveries of Busy Body, Tough Walk and Ooh Poo Pah Doo… Goodbye and RIP to A-Bones’ pal Freddy "Stinky" Kreiss of the Mad Daddys… roll on…http://www.nortonrecords.com

'SIXTIES FRENCH POP DISCOTHEQUE'
BASTILLE DAY SPECIAL LIVE ON STAGE - Les BOF!
Scotland's only French language garage band

HENRY'S CELLAR BAR, MORRISON STREET, EDINBURGH - FRIDAY 14TH JULY, 11PM-3AM £5/4

Featuring D.J's Le Marquis De Jardin & Le Pape du Pop


gainsbourg - B.B. - jacques dutronc - claude francois - ronnie bird

'Beatsville' presents (after a 3 year absence) the return of the one and only French Sixties Pop Experience!

'Where else can you dance to the Ye-Ye hits of 'France Gall' and 'Johnny Halliday' of an evening?'

"Everybody I know has a big but..." sez PeeWee Herman in Pee Wee's Big Adventure. Saw that tonight for the first time in years. And he's right. But anyway, everybody has to make their way. They may also have "to pay and pay". Hustle(s) notwithstanding. I have a deep seated foreboding gnawing at my will to exist this past couple of days. In complete and utter contrast to the positive place that I found myself last Saturday night. Here's what I think could be one of the most disturbing album covers of all time. Courtesy of Captain Crunch who spied it in the Byres Road Oxfam shop and gifted it to me. When I worked in Orbit Records, here in the early to mid-70's we used to sell bings of this. The "Night Of The Hunter" vibe of the sleeve didn't click back then but it'd probably be banned outright now. I don't think it's been reproduced in any of these dodgy album cover books but it must be a candidate. Today has been a bust. Chores and general bollocks have decreed that any sort of attempt at blogging has been foiled. Had a few enquiries as to "reviewing stuff" and the criteria remains. I do get sent stuff and if I think our readers will dig it or whatever then I'll write about it. As I'm sure will the other guys. If I think something is guff then I won't. It's not difficult (I don't think) to get a beat on what we like around here and what we don't. This thing exists for information purposes. To direct people to stuff that might just make the schlepp that teeny bit more bearable. End of sermon.

THE VIDEO BEAT (link courtesy of Steve Hesske)

RIP - Johnny Jenkins (info from Phast Phreddie)

August 4th, 5th 6th 2006: Ace’s friends at Club Bang! Bang! www.bangbang-live.com kindly tipped us off about a new festival they’re involved in this summer featuring a stellar line-up including Ike Turner & His Kings Of Rhythm.

The Rhythm Festival is a new kind of music festival. In Club Bang! Bang! main man Jim Driver’s own words, “Not that we've got anything against the likes of Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk Festival or Guilfest (we love Cropredy) – we've been known to attend them ourselves! – it's just that we want to do things differently. Differently as in smaller, friendlier and even more geared towards the audience. For a start, we've picked the sunniest weekend of the year. And just in case the weather falls a teeny bit short of our expectations, we're organising plenty of indoor areas and entertainment, plus masses of marquees.”

With a self-imposed capacity of under 5,000 the aim of the event is to offer a family festival for people who like festivals but who don't like rip-off burgers, one-minute-wonder bands and indifferent booze. The event will also include a funfair, an alternative therapy field, literary events, a wine bar, real ales and ciders, cream teas and children's entertainment.

It’s all sounds good to us, for more details, see the festival website: www.rhythmfestival.net

The Rhythm Festival
August 4th, 5th 6th 2006
Tinwood Arena
Clapham, Near Bedford

Confirmed artists (in alphabetical order):

AMY RIGBY, ARLO GUTHRIE (USA), THE BLUES BAND, BLURT, CARA DILLON, CHAS & DAVE, CULTURE CLASH (SCO/ZIM), DON MESCALL, DONOVAN, THE DYLAN PROJECT, FASTLANE ROOGALATOR, GENO WASHINGTON & THE RAM JAM BAND, HUGH CORNWELL (BAND), IKE TURNER & HIS KINGS OF RHYTHM (USA), JAH WOBBLE & THE ENGLISH ROOTS BAND, JERRY LEE LEWIS & THE KILLER BAND (USA), JOHN COOPER CLARKE, LITTLE GEORGE SUEREF & THE BLUES STARS, JOHN OTWAY, NINE BELOW ZERO, PAMA INTERNATIONAL, PAUL THE GIRL, THE ROLLIN' STONED, ROLLO MARKEE & TAILSHAKERS, ROY HARPER performs Stormcock with FRIENDS, SETH LAKEMAN, SMASHING TIME, THE STORYS, THE TROJANS, WILKO JOHNSON, WRECKLESS ERIC

Doing radio is an odd thing. Particularly in a small cupboard sized studio at an hour when i've generally passed out in front of the TV. It's fun and I get a little nervous when I think about the gibbering. I do try to process some general form before it blurts out but am painfully aware that there's a lot of "y'know's" or whatever. My excuse is that I don't do it too often. So gracias to the folks that tuned in and said they dug it. It was a late finish so I headed over to Fortress Cruickshank where we shot the shit and played records into the wee small hours. A very welcome to the day to day bullshit and backstabbing. I could happily exist inside such a bubble from here on out. To have been on the show that was first to present Annika Norlin to the UK (and beyond) was something of an honour.

Boll and indeeed ocks. Amy Rigby and Wreckless Eric tomorrow at The Half Moon in Putney for those of you in London and then on Friday, Amy will be back in NY at the Seaport Music Festival with Robbie Fulks! You lucky blighters in the vicinity of either of those better cut along.

Well, it was back to earth with an almighty thud and a clip around the ear'ole for good measure today. I told Toto that we weren't in Stockholm anymore. Anyways, life is short and filled with stuff and tomorrow night (Wednesday) i'm going to be on the The Late Tom Morton between 11 and midnight or thereabouts. The show runs from 10.30pm to 12.30am. I hope those who tune in will find it entertaining. I think you can e-mail when we're on air and all that. Tom will be in Shetland, I'll be in Glasgow and it'll all be comin' atcha via Aberdeen. The music is guaranteed to include Hello Saferide (our collective new favourite "band") who hit the Swedish Pop Charts at #4 this week. You can see the video for "The Quiz" via that link. See that you do.

A pretty funny link regarding tattoos c/o Tony Slug. Not sure how many of you NBT readers are into shares, options and all that. But investing in companies developing ways to remove tattoos is the way to go IMHO... Just think how all that tribal or flamin' dice shit 'll look like 20 years from now...

RIP - Arif Mardin

This is pretty good. Check it out.

I started to try and piece this together last night. Sitting wondering when (hopefully not if) SAS will find my luggage. Mainly because there’s stuff in there like the Sci-Fi Skane cd that I’d hoped to have listened to by now. Just to sustain a certain level of Stockholm-ness before everything fades back into sharp focus with that steel-toecapped boot spraypainted “reality”. It will come as no surprise to regulars of this parish that I have something beyond a fondness for Sweden and its citizens. The fact that I can’t get on to myspace to listen to Nicke Hellacopter’s Death Breath is a further pain in the arse but what can you do. Having had the chance to catch up with the man in person, I know that the connection with his return to death metal will be a napper-rattling pleasure when it does come.

Stockholm at Midsummer is an even bigger gas than usual. The city more or less evacuates. It’s so quiet. But not at Gearfest. Descending upon the fine Debaser club at 3pm for a Nomads “album-release” event, the cities rock and roll fraternity gathered to pay homage to Scandanivia’s finest celebrating their quarter century with Nomadic Dementia. Curated by myself and titled by Dave Champion. The inclusion of “Skolsången” seems to be controversial but if you ever wanted to know what a Eurovision Sex Pistols song might have sounded then this is the cut for you. Also, most fans of the band never heard it so this will sate the completists. Anyway, this comp will hopefully introduce many to the pleasures of this unique combo but more about that later. Plans are underway to make this available in YOUR territory but you can get it direct from Bengans or CD ON now.

Had a brief stop-off at the recently opened Pet Sounds Bar. Nifty place, just across the street from the shop so there’s something of a Monorail type vibe going on. Actually there are a lot of Glasgow type parallels with the Stockholm music scene in terms of cultural exchange. I find the Scandanavian strain more exotic but then again, I would. However, maybe more about that in a future blether. We’re here to rock, and also to walk many miles of this fabulous place.

Gearfest 2006 was kicked off (no saddo football pun intended) by The Doits. This is pronounced Do Its. They throw great rock shapes and they have their moments but 35 minutes is too long at this juncture. Sometimes less is more and sometimes it’s not enough as we’ll come to learn throughout the duration of this marathon. The Gearclub team pull out all the stops and I doubt you’ll find a better organised event anywhere. A slight runover time accumulates but that’s only to be expected. Problem (from Malmo) are celebrating 30 years and provide a perfectly formed set. In this instance, more would have been justified because the intensity and all-round pop-heartedness was utterly riveting. The Do Its could have donated 15 minutes but ain’t hindsight a wonderful thing. The interests of fairness perhaps have to be considered. Anyway with Problem, the expression of it all turning out beyond alright on the night was never punctuated with such gusto. But anyways… The Last Vegas seem to have a show booked in Dingwall in Scotland this coming week. Attempts to find out exactly why aren’t forthcoming but it seems like an odd shout. The band could do with constraining some of the kinetic energy and replacing it with more of a burn. For all of the aerobic Buckcherry (slightly GNR) action their schtick veers too close to the wrong side of metal. The enthusiasm is not lost an a section of the audience but they’d consumed more alchohol than I had presumably. Eva, Hanna and I provided counselling for one another outside. DM Bob was pretty good and provided some ramshackle blues in the back-room. I think this was prior to TLV but don’t completely recall. Not through any altered state, perish forbid…

However relief is at hand in the shape of Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks. Why this guy isn’t feted across the globe is a gross miscalculation on the part of alleged music fans. Robert is a visionary and an amazing guitar player. His cinematic electronica with shards of surf drags music into the 22nd century and one can only hope that folks will have the gumption to get on board. This was a triumphant performance and he banished the rock demons from next door into abject redundancy. If you haven’t heard this guy then check him out now. Don’t even read the rest of this now just go to his site. We aren’t going anywhere, here’s a passout – I’ll wait here until you come back…

With hardly a pause for breath, The Nomads are on and while it’s no secret that I consider this to be one of the greatest bands that ever was. Their chemistry and ability not to overplay is always refreshing. Their 35 minute set was over way too quickly. First time I saw them play “Ain’t No King of Rock’n’Roll” as well as a well chosen selection of their canon. The set closed with the world debut of their version of “American Beat” with a twist of “nomadic dementia”. Imbibing the Red Star version with a crackle. The mark of a great band is that they always leave you wanting way more.

Catching up with a lot of familiar faces and meeting folks that you’ve known for almost forever but never met is a good tonic for the blues. It was great to finally meet Greg and Barbara from Get Hip and we’ll hopefully get a chance to actually hang out somewhere down the line. The Maggots and The Cynics closed the evening’s program of entertainment with lashings of that garage rock stuff. Providing a sonic buffer for the legions of bottled-up Gearfesters to vent their collective spleen. In the end we’d been at Debaser for 12 hours and walked off into the sunrise to find a taxi.

Five hours later, I was in the airport wondering what the hell had just happened. If indeed it had happened at all but I had a stamp on the back of my right hand so I guess it must have. “Nothing lasts forever”. Certainly nothing that you’d want to. Time to cash that reality check before it expires then. Gearfest is a tremendous event, long may it burn rubber during the Stockholm summer. And don’t forget the Gearclub nights that pepper the calendar, treat yourself to a weekend in a city that really doesn’t sleep and take in the rock thrills.

mono presents

Club Beatroot 22

Baby Jane + Nutmeg City plus your usual hosts....... Beatroot

Wednesday 28th June 2006
at mono, 12 Kings Court, King Street, Glasgow t: 0141 553 2400

Doors 8pm Entry £4

'baby jane' are a creepy blend of blues/post-punk/sleaze/rockabilly/baroque 'n' roll.
Check them out at www.myspace.com/babyjanetcb

'nutmeg city' are the occasional band of ex primevals drummer rhod 'lefty' burnett, released cd 'moments intime' in 2002, now expanded to a 5piece, including primeval buddy michael rooney, a theramin, and the cross fertilization of buddy rich and sky saxon, holycow!'!

'beatroot' are the planet's leading purveyors of postindustrialsurfrock !!! 'words are for wimps'

So I'm back after my lightning raid on Stockholm for Gearfest. I did harbour the notion that I'd go into work today in order to save a precious vacation day. However, I can't face it.

Also, the airline managed to forget to put my luggage on the bloody plane so hopefully that will turn up at some point. There are materials that I need from there before I can "file my report". Time flew in so fast that I'm not entirely sure at this point that it wasn't just a vivid dream. I'll get back to you on that when I establish wha' 'appen...

If it seems I've been rather quiet on this here NBT blog lately, this might be due to me setting up yet another blog: The Chiswick Records blog. Probably my favorite record label for the past three decades. It's just random stuff; whatever turns up while I'm diggin' thru the "archives" here at HQ. Picture sleeves, sheet music, badges, promo shots, you name it. Feel free to dig around and please drop me a line if you've got any additional thingies that might fit...

("I used to have a life... Really!... I swear!... But I think I mis-filed it, 'cause it's no longer there inbetween the Jerry Lee Lewis box-set and the Lime Spiders mini-LP").

Ok then, coupla things to help you while away the minutes you spend in front of this thing. Me, I’m being surgically removed from the keyboard to plunge headlong into that pool called “a life”. But anyway, don’t expect any posts from me until Sunday at the earliest. As an experiment, it might fall flat on its tush but it’s worth a try? So for those of you in the NY area...

"Yes, dear friend, SUSQUEHANNA INDUSTRIAL TOOL & DIE CO. has finished its spring residency at the Rodeo Bar -- but that doesn't mean we can't return this Friday, June 23rd, for a rehashing of hillbilly-styled hi-jinx, with the ever-mischievous BABY MARIA as special guest...

FRIDAY, JUNE 23rd / RODEO BAR 375 Third Avenue (corner of 27th Street) in Kips Bay, Manhattan / Three colossal shows -- promptly at 10:00, 11:00 and 12:00 / No cover! / Should you prefer something Brooklyn way (and are of a reasonably strong constitution), Sunday, June 25th finds SIT & Die Co. at Hank's Saloon for the first ever "Heavy Rebel Northeast Kickoff BBQ" -- a musical marathon of 12 bands, cheap beer and free barbecue...
~
SUNDAY, JUNE 25th / HANK'S SALOON 46 Third Avenue (corner of Atlantic Avenue) in Borum Hill, Brooklyn / Starting at 2pm, with SIT & Die at 6:00 / $8 "suggested donation" / Again featuring special guest Baby Maria! / Finally, not least, but definitely last -- as in our LAST SHOW of summer...

THURSDAY, JUNE 29th / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B), East Village, Manhattan / 8:00 sharp until 10:00 / With DJ Scratchy ("Yellow, square, solid state"), a free raffle, snacks -- and special guest ROSALIE MORRIS! / No cover / Yes, it's all too much, I'm sure. But seeing you would still be a pleasure, as always.

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

And tonight, Hello Saferide is playing in Paris but you can catch LONG LOST PENPAL and THE QUIZ on Youtube.

And while you're at YouTube, check out SUZY Y LOS QUATTRO from The Cavern in Liverpool. Sound isn't great but damn those kids are having fun.

I'm sure there was something else but I really can't recall what it was. I'm gonna watch the Pankrti documentary now. I'll tell you about that down the road apiece. There was also a satisfactory outcome to the stylus quest. I had one delivered superfast by mail order. Next time I don't even have to leave the house. Now that, is what I call, er - progress!