Bone up on your français... #42 Available now!

(spelling corrected following reprimand from Brother Patrick)

RIP - Steve Gerber (Creator of Howard The Duck)

(Thanks to Ben for the link)

Today started way early but the fog actually burned off to reveal a cracking blue sky. Too bad I couldn't make it outside. The warden put paid to that. Hoo'ever - it's just two days until those Nomads hit "the London". To quote my big buddy Joss - "see you at the bar...".

Saturday night they're in Brighton so maybe that's more convenient for some of you? Just don't flippin' miss them, OK?

OK.

And I almost forgot, but you shouldn't - that Fay Fife makes her "solo" debut at The Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh this coming Thursday. That's Valentines Day, 14th February.

There's a new movie on Patti Smith doin' the rounds on the film festival circuit. Dream Of Life sounds like a hot one by all acounts.
Here's the trailer and here's the press conference Patti and director Steven Sebring gave at the Berlinale.

Tom Morton to the rescue. Jim Dandy was a no show...

He also reminded me about the great David Roter who left us 5 years ago this coming Saturday. Time is sure hurtling in...

Check out his oeuvre at Cellsum!

RIP - Roy Scheider

As we career toward hell in the proverbial handbasket, fate dealt another blow earlier today. I know, stock market's are crashing and there are wars on etc, but nobody told me that Malcolm Allan had shut down. That's my (breakfast) haggis dealer to you or any of my homies that have stopped by in recent years. Now I know how you potheads feel when your connection goes down but never fear, I'll pull myself out of the tailspin and will find another. In the interests of "normal service"...

There's a pile of new music lying here ready to check out. However, am I doing that? No, I'm not. I pulled out Bachman Turner Overdrive's "Not Fragile" and am reminiscing about peceived better days. When I saw them in Glasgow, Thin Lizzy opened. It was fucking great. Big lumberjacks wielding wailing guitars. Rock'n'roll was much less complicated back then. I mean, the MC5 were OK but ye cannae beat the real thing eh, Rich? Ha ha.

So maybe I'll check out some of this recent hootch later, or maybe I'll regress further and pull out some more "back catalogue". Time will indeed tell.

"Hey ho, kidlets!

The Stripchords return to the stage in Londinium next Friday night, February 15th, to headline at The Gutter Club, Francois Dirty South's mash-up of rockin' sounds – "Zounds, what sounds!" as yer Brian Matthew would say... be sure to request a free Stripchords bumper sticker from a member of WOOFF! (Worshipful Oglers Of the Female Form), to decorate the tail of your hardtop, speedster or motor launch...

See you at the ball rack...

Selah! The Stripchords"

The Stripchords - February, 15thThe Gutter Club @ Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes,

Bloomsbury Hotel, London, London WC1H 9EU

£3 after 9pm

Tom Taber just set four copies of the new Almeron imprint Symptoms live cd loose on Ebay for a cool $20 apiece including worldwide postage. Go get 'em...

Not much time for blogging at the minute coupled with a serious attempt at trying to cut down on the amount of time I spend on a computer. If anything urgent comes up then, of course, it'll be reported but until then... there are episodes of The Wire to watch.

Meanwhile, It's just a little over 7 days until The Nomads hit Blighty...

RIP - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

The UK Dolls...

Amazing footage from the 1977 Stiff tour featuring Nick Lowe, Larry Wallis, Dave Edmunds, Ian Dury, Wreckless Eric etc: Heart Of The City, Reconnez Cherie, Blockheads plus scenes from backstage...

RIP: Jeff Salen

Beleaguered just about covers it for me at this point tonight, maybe preceded by an expletive or two. I’ll spare you the details and crack on...

“Nous Sommes The Tremolo Beer Gut Qui le Fuck Êtes-Vous?” translates as “We Are The Tremolo Beer Gut, Who The Fuck Are You?” Charmed I’m sure…

Reminds me of this wee oily creep that goes up to a good looking girl way off his beat and says “What would you say to a wee fuck?” The girl replies, “Hello wee fuck”. Ha ha but anyway, let’s get on with the meat of the matter. This Danish instro-Mental combo has the chops to back up the bravado of that title. This isn’t just another surf flavoured sturm und drang. We’re cruising the fjords sailed by the likes of The Bambi Molesters and Robert Johnson and Punchdrunks here. Cinematic with a dash of Morricone and Nietzsche (Jack , natch) Heavy duty fare, not that piss thin proto-garage that so often let’s the side down. This is somewhere between The Scientists shooting the curl on that "Blood Red River" and Link Wray blasting us from beyond the phantom zone. Coming at you in their own, patented “Wide-ass Stereo”. “9 Times The Pain” has an analog Moroder groove. “Junkie Tools” deconstructs Cliff’s “Devil Woman” and shimmies dangerously close to the tomb of Joe Meek to whip up something more damaging than a mere tornado or three.

Special guest stars such as Matt Verta-Ray and The Micragirls drafted in to make the party swing but this is some sick, twisted fun alright. Top tuneage with great titles like “(She’s Got) Peter Lorre Eyes”, what’s not to worship.

Available now on the Crunchy Frog imprint.

NORTON RECORDS • FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER

Greetings, Earth people! This email comes to you on the 50th anniversary of the launch of the very first US satellite, Galaxy I a/k/a Satellite 1958 Alpha on January 31, 1958! And in commemoration of that launch, we at Norton blast forth with news of many jet-powered events and releases! Let's get with the countdown-- minus two, minus one... BLAST OFF!

FRIDAY FEB. 1 SMASHED! BLOCKED! NORTON CREW GUEST WITH JOSH STYLES!
Resident DJ Josh Styles spins mayhem with Billy and Miriam of Norton Records with the MADDEST sounds from Nortonville and beyond! Also appearing birthday gal Jodie Artichoke and talented semi-pro torso twisters! Washable duds, people. THIS IS IT! THE WILDEST!!!! BEAUTY BAR, 231 E. 14th St. Btwn 2nd & 3rd Ave. NYC 11PM-4AM
www.smashedblocked.com

FEB. 15-17 - THE A-BONES HIT THE WEST COAST!
BOSS HOSS BLOWOUT AT MR. T's BOWL, LOS ANGELES
A-Bones attack LA with Roy Loney in tow on Sunday night of this fabulous Presidents Day three night fest costarring a veritable pantload of talent including Nikki Corvette (Miriam's teenage pen pal), Haunted George (Norton A&R genius who discovered the U-Turns), Ape City R&B, Rock N' Roll Adventure Kids, Guilty Hearts, Tina's fab combo Special Ed, the Dazes, Thee Cormans, Wild Weekend, Jail Weddings, Deke Dickerson's All Star Frat Band, Th' Losin' Streaks, the Lateenos, the Jinxes, Les Hormones… and much mo'! This is a rare chance to catch the A-Bones (with Ira Kaplan on piano, no less!) as they tear it up on the West Coast!!! DJ's will be spinnin' wildass records all night long!! MR. T'S BOWL, 5621 1/2 N. Figuera St, Highland Park, CA 323-256-7561 21+ (sorry kiddies!) Promoter sez "Get advance tickets or you'll be sorry!" TICKETS ARE $12 A DAY OR PURCHASE A SPECIAL 3 DAY PASS FOR $30 @ DON'S MUSIC 4873 EAGLE ROCK BLVD EAGLE ROCK, CA (323) 255-3551 OR BY PAYPAL!! SEND PAYMENT FOR TICKET OPTIONS TO: realbosshoss@yahoo.com

SAT. FEB. 16 - LYRES, CLUB MIDWAY NYC Boston's fantabulous Lyres return
to bop NYC on the noggin with their superb sound. Last go-round at Magnetic Field, and co-billed at the Warsaw with the Sonics, proved Monoman & crew to be the ultimate contenders. Go, Lyres! Billed w/Black Hollies, 25 Avenue B, NYC

SAT. FEB. 23 - THE A-BONES BAM "NEXT" MUSIC FESTIVAL, MAGNETIC FIELD, BROOKLYN Back from their surfin’ safari, the A-Bones return to their tip top home stompin' ground hangeroo sporting tans, possibly but not probably! Also on the bill for your enjoyment, the Mess Arounds! People, for real, this date commemorates some very important holidays: International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day and National Banana Bread Day. It's also the 113th anniversary day of the Tootsie Roll. Wonder when Interstellar Pepto-Bismol Day is? http://www.myspace/theabones

SAT. MARCH 1 ROKY ERICKSON AND THE EXPLOSIVES, WEBSTER HALL, NYC The first of two fab nights with superstar ROKY and the legendary EXPLOSIVES settin' the big town aflame with rock & roll of the highest order. Roky's lauded return to touring last year caused quite a commotion and for good reason- jaw-dropping performances, spot-on delivery, perfect pitch and flawless sets! Not to be missed! Webster Hall is the old Ritz on East 11th Street.

SUN. MARCH 2 ROKY ERICKSON AND THE EXPLOSIVES, MAXWELLS, HOBOKEN Getcha tickets to both shows now, but especially for this exclusive Texas Independence Day performance in glittering Hoboken! How the promoters of this posh venue managed to secure the services of Texas' best and most legendary star alive on a holiday of this magnitude is beyond the big brains at Norton! See you there!

FRI. MARCH 7 & SAT. MARCH 8 THE A-BONES IN MEXICO CITY Los A-Bones invade our southern neighbors for el stomp fest grande! Stay tuned for the nitty gritty and join us on this mid-winter double-header in sunny Mexico! Friday at Bar Grotesk (with Los Sicoticos and Los Mustang 66 and Saturday at Multiforo Alicia with Los Sicoticos, Los Mustang 66 and Los Twangers! http://www.myspace/theabones

SAT. MARCH 15 ALLENTOWN RECORD FAIR Where wax reigns supreme! Miles of aisles of round sound pounders, styrene savagery and shellac sharpies! Start turning in those pop bottles, this show is just six weeks away! 100,000+ 45s and 78s - no LPs/CDs!! www.surroundsoundproductions.com

SAT. MARCH 22 MARY WEISS NYC! Dig Mary in Manhattan at the posh Blender Theatre at Gramercy! And as fate would have it, fable fans, Mary's date coincides with the ancient Roman festival held in honor of Minerva, the INVENTOR OF MUSIC! There is no such thing as coincidence, kiddos! Tickets available now! http://www.blendertheater.com

SAT. MARCH 22 THE SONICS IN LONDON! Josh Styles to DJ! Our revered in-house Gods THE SONICS head acros the pond for their first show out of the US.. ever at Dr Robert's Le Beat Bespoke in London, England! Look out world, this is gonna be a brain blaster, especially with Stalker Josh Styles DJ'ing the event!
http://podgroup.typepad.com/lebeatbespoke4/the-sonics-lbb4-yipppeeee.html

SUN. MARCH 30 BLACK ACE BOOKS 29th ANNUAL PAPERBACK COLLECTORS SHOW! 9 AM-4PM Paperback goddess Rose of Black Ace Books presents the ultimate paperback collectors tour-de-force fantasy camp where piles of pulp are proffered! Tons of guest authors will include top icons Victor Banis, Earl Kemp, Charles Nuetzel, Don Glut, Ray Bradbury and more! Outta towners, fear not: "All the rooms are equipped with electronic door locks." Swank! Call Rose at 323 661 5052 or Tom at 818-349-3844 for mo' info! GUEST HOUSE INN (formerly MISSION HILLS INN), 10621 Sepulveda Boulevard, Mission Hills, CA 91345

WED. APRIL 9 PRETTY THINGS BLENDER THEATRE, NYC
THURS. APRIL 10 PRETTY THINGS WARSAW, BROOKLYN
Late breakin' news! The world famous Pretty Things return to blow our little minds to bits with a pair of NYC shows! Details in next newsletter!

TUES-WED APRIL 29-30 PONDEROSA STOMP! It's still a couple blizzards away, but PONDEROSA STOMP is set for APRIL 29 & 30 in New Orleans with their biggest showcase weekender yet! What a lineup- check the Stomp site for the fll-on ballyhoo, get tix and reserve rooms now for Mary Weiss, Roky Erickson, the Green Fuz, Nathaniel Mayer, Question Mark and the Mysterians, the Collins Kids, Ronnie Spector ... with lots mo' supah-stars!!!! Details at http://www.ponderosastomp.com

*********************************************
FAB FEBRUARY NORTON RELEASES…

CHARLIE FEATHERS - WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO BEING APART/IF YOU WERE MINE TO LOSE (45-142) Two more powerful rockabilly offerings from the master! To be followed up by THREE big albums of rare and unreleased Charlie Feathers demos. Sorry for the long wait - we can't hardly stand it oiurselves!

THE BO-KEYS - CONGRATULATIONS/ROYAL PENDLETONS - TELL ME (45-9659) Our popular Rolling Stones 45 cover series continues with our 19th nervous breakdown, yes the 19th single in the series! This double dip of slow drag burners showcases the Mad Lads lead singer John Gary Williams teaming up with Memphis soul sensations the Bo-Keys on the terrific topside, while Southern slop lords the Royal Pendletons tell us they're coming back to us in grand style!

THE DICTATORS - MANIFEST DESTINY Vinyl reissue of their 1977 Asylum platter comes complete with original doofus cover and incredible Andy Shernoff anthems like Science Gone Too Far, Exposed, Heartache, Young Fast And Scientific and mo'!

MARCH/APRIL NORTON RELEASES! Official space helmets on extra tight, loud sounders- we're about to blast out several savage slabs that may cause erratic behavior! We hepped you to a threesome elsewhere in this email but no mo' yap about the others quite yet... just when you thought things couldn't get any better, louder, wilder, more sensational!!!!!!

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN • TWO STARS PASS JANUARY 10th

Two of the biggest stars in our galaxy passed on January 10th. If Vampira and Dave Day had met at a cocktail party, they would have gotten along famously.
MAILA NURMI (1921-2008) Maila Nurmi Syrjaniemi, better known to the clued-in as Vampira,
passed away January 10. Maila, along with Joyce (Sirola) Randolph of Honeymooners fame, represents the greatest of Finnish TV and Movie Stars, that is if you don't count Pamela (Hyytiainen) Anderson. This beautiful, talented femme fatale inspired the careers of countless vamps via her work with Ed Wood in the fabulous PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE, but her legacy includes a deep friendship with James Dean, her own TV Show ("The Vampira Show") and precious cameos in Too Much Too Soon, The Beat Generation, The Big Operator, The Magic Sword and I Passed For White. She also dated dreamboat Orson Welles. Our gal grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio on the banks of Lake Eerie, leaving for Hollywood after high school. She will forever remain the definitive blood countess, although young raven-hair'd vamps would be hard put to match Maila's famous 18-inch wasp waist and mystic gaze.

DAVE DAY
Super great cat and total NW genius Dave Day of Torquays/Monks fame, headed for the great beyond same day as Vampira. Billy and I first met Dave at Jeff Miller's killer house party in 1998, where an impromptu living-room jam session turned into a garage fan's wildest dream, with Larry Parypa, Jerry Miller, Larry Thompson, Jim Valley and, yes, Dave Day making the scene and making a racket! Dave played rhythm guitar in the Torquays, who formed in 1964 in a US Army base in Germany in 1964. The "de-volved" as Dave put it, into the Monks in '65, one of the most superlatively primal rock & roll combos ever. Dave played banjo in the Monks, but there was no "Deliverance" in his style- he pounded the sucker into submission, forging an new and wild sound that is yet to be replicated. The Monks broke up in '67 when all but Dave returned to the US. The Monks blew everybody's ears into orbit and hearts into some fantastic, distant stratosphere when they blasted away at the 2004 Las Vegas Rockaround, the same weekender that had Sky Saxon storming the stage during the A-Bones set and Rudy Ray Moore and Hasil Adkins providing the ebony and ivory wig-out bookends to one heck of a soundsational sandwich. It was the last show Hasil ever played.

For More Nortonic Information:

http://www.myspace.com/nortonrecords

http://www.nortonrecords.com

I was reading Amy Rigby’s latest blog entry about the new Jill Sobule record. The way she’s financing it isn’t groundbreaking but I’m sure it’s going to work out. For every label like Razzia or YepRoc that do a solid job of promoting their artists there are 50 that just coast. That are just an overhead for the artist. I dunno about you but I’d willingly pay a subscription to my favourite artists. To aid their continued existence and to make the music they want to make. I’m not sure how that will pan out but there has to be a way. After all, there are plenty of wingnuts out there who will gladly sign up to their tracking device. On one hand you’ve got U2’s manager – an outfit that has more money than some countries – baying for the blood of the download pirates. Why doesn’t he use some of that untold world to fund some scheme that might ultimately mean that all bands and musicians get a cut? The genie is out of the bottle bigstyle so it’s time to try and cajole people into putting themselves in the acts position. Would we like somebody to come into our house and just have ‘em help themselves? No. And somebody needs to think about the independent shops too, they need to make a living too.

Music is an important staple of everybody’s existence. To a lesser or greater degree. Consider operations like Norton, Ace or RPM. All mining to bring us top grade packages with liner notes, design and information. There has to be several tiers. If some donkey just wants the track for their phone or iPod, that’s one thing. But some of us want more. It would indeed be great if people would attend shows and buy their product direct from the artists. However in these economically challenged times, there’s not a lot of disposable income to go around. So things like music are the first to suffer. It’s an expensive consideration to go to a couple of shows every week.

There’s just so much stuff. It’s hard to process it even if you have the will to do it. I’m swamped, but in a good way. That’s why I want this to be a positive filter. Some folks have asked me, why don’t I publish any bad reviews? Well for obvious reasons. There’s no point. I might be the ultimate grouch but I want to direct you, the browser, to something I think you’ll get a kick out of. Something that’ll give you a lift, even for a second or five. In these days where you can actually hear, and see if you agree, then there’s no damage done. I don’t want or expect everybody to agree. Whether you do or not is immaterial. Not owning an iPod, I’m old school. I want the physical item. Checking out mp3’s is useful but beyond that there’s the whole sound quality argument. It's a pickle alright and no mistake...

OK, I know - I said I was bailing but let me just leave you with this Fleshtones Video Chronology and Kim Salmon talking about Blood Red River and other stuff at the I-Bar in the run-up to impending Scientists ATP shows in Australia next week.

A missive from Mr Taber...

"Hi, folks!

In what will likely be Almeron Records final release, I've just received 500 copies of "Always Heed the SYMPTOMS- 'LIVE' in 78".
27 cuts in excellent sound quality, with a total time of 78 minutes. Some classics done LIVE from their classic (and valuable!) original lp, plus a nice mixture of 50s, 60s, and 70s well-known (and not so
well-known) classics. It doesn't suck!

It's $14.99 plus $3.01 postage ($7.01 overseas)= $18 (or $22).

Paypal to tomtaber_14411@yahoo.com, or check, m.o. to Tom Taber, 3746 Tuthill Road, Albion, NY 14411. USA.

Thanks, Tom

p.s. Want an extra copy for a friend (or to put away still sealed)? Just add an extra $10!"