RIP - John Carter (The Dells)

(Thanks to Ben via Staysick)

It’s all go. Being that it was kinda truncated by my lateness in dragging myself out of my scratcher. No idea when the last time that happened was and no excuses. So much to be doing and so little available in the first instance but prior to all that, here’s a report on yesterday...

Having managed to extricate myself from the bunker, I figured that I’d go and try and pick something up to send to Ben and his wife for his newly arrived twins. This didn’t prove to be as simple as was anticipated and I really don’t want to send Scots stuff that was made in China. Nothing agin the Chinese but that’s plain wrong. So I’m no further forward on that score for now, plans B and C are under consideration.

So I made my way down to the National Portrait Gallery where they’ve been having shows on a Saturday afternoon through the Festival curated to some extent by Avalanche Records of Cockburn Street. It was the launch of the new St Judes Infirmary album and Zoey Van Goey opened. Nice idea, good space and an excellent time of day to watch some music. This was borne out by the fact that there was a good crowd and even although it was free, it’s not always easy to get people along. Plus, you have to down there, I wouldn’t say that it benefits from footfall. The building is being refurbished but this was a cool idea on somebody’s part. Excellent call. See you at Withered Hand next week?

ZVG were great. Really. And charm personified with a Modern Lovers/Velvets leaning and even a version of “I’m Sticking With You”. One of the guys had a bit of the ”Rich Stim’s” about him and you can never get enough of that. Sweet, off kilter pop then and the girl, Kim has a strong folk/pop style that should get to anybody that comes into contact with them. A short sharp set that certainly left me like I could have a couple more but I guess there wasn’t time.

I’ve seen St Judes Infirmary two or three times. They did a Christmas song many moons ago that I go back to every year. It came in a handmade sleeve and hinted at some promise. This far down the line they’ve gone the route of a Nick Cave/Badalamenti/Mazzy Star. It’s very earnest and for me there’s nothing that sets it apart from so many other things. It’s not hungry and as opposed to ZVG, I was pretty glad when it was over. Nothing intrinsically wrong with it at all but familiarity with the ingredients and the fact that some of them give me gutache means that there’s nothing for me at this table.

The estimable Mr Coyle who I ran into there assures me they’ve got something and I respect his opinion. Tam is one of the good guys who has gone above and beyond for music in Scotland and further afield for eons now. We agree to disagree as he heads for Arbroath and I saunter in the direction of the book festival. A quick shifty around, I noticed that there were no copies of Tom Morton’s book there. Maybe they were sold out?

And so to Filmhouse for “Playing With The Past” which was totally sold out. I can’t get enough of these live score with images events right now and was pleased when a second chance to catch this became available. Eagleowl kicked it off and their distinctly analog take on the form sets them aside from the more electronic nature of the other two outfits. I think it was Meursault that did the accompaniment to “Camera makes Whoopee” that lost me when the “singer” sang the “credits” to that particular piece. It was a bit too Pat Kane via James Allan and I was ready to go home to be honest. It had been a long day. FOUND were pretty good in a proto-Underworld sort of way. The event on a whole was really worth a look though. Perhaps if there was a way to tighten up the changeovers then it might retain the momentum a bit better.

Hopefully, the popularity of this will make Filmhouse consider more events in a similar vein.
Being that time of the year when the transport infrastructure is shown up to be utterly hopeless, I was briefly jazzed by having caught the 11.05p train. However, it sat in the station while the Polis and station staff futzed around. It was a bit of a zoo so the great one himself knows (Ralph Kramden) knows what the next two would have been like, might find that out next weekend because at least then I’ll have someone else along for the shindig. Another full day of activities planned so stay tuned.

I need to get this place in order for the imminent arrival of an illustrious visitor from yon US of A that’s saying such nasty things about the daftest wee country in the world. “Boycott Scotland”? Did you ever hear of such a thing?? The fuds that came up with that can away and “bile their heids”. That’s “boil their heads”, incase you were wondering...

RIP - Larry Knechtel

(Thanks to Brother Don for the info)

From Lenny Helsing...

RIP – Ian Thomas

Ian Thomas, bass guitarist of mid-‘60s Australian R&B fixated beat-punks THE MISSING LINKS has died after a short illness on Monday August 17th 2009, in Phnom Penh. The ‘LINKS from Sydney were infamous for their unkempt image, unleashed on the public such truly shocking electrified punk-outs as ‘You’re Drivin’ Me Insane’, ‘Speak No Evil’ and the incredible ‘Wild About You’. The last-named gained extra punk credentials 10 years further down the road when The Saints included a version on their debut 1977 LP ‘(I’m) Stranded’.

On The Missing Links’ only LP released on Philips in early 1966 Ian would also take the lead vocal spot for a version of ‘Nervous Breakdown’ and his own great ‘Not To Bother Me’.
Originally a member of THE SHOWMEN along with wildman drummer Baden ‘Hutch’ Hutchins, the pair then hooked up with The Missing Links whose original line-up had just broken up. Ian returned to The Showmen after the new ‘Links split again a year or so later, then had a brief recording career using the name Thomas Hood.

Links’ vocalist & frontman Andy James (real name Anderson) has said that Ian Thomas was “a true original”. He certainly gave The Missing Links an extra dose of menace with his gargantuan, tough as nails bass sound.

Thanks to Beccy Connell of Australia’s Born Loser fanzine for letting me know of Ian’s demise.

Lenny Helsing

Time to take a minute to draw breath and let you know about this stuff...

Mr Percival flagged up this Telstar event taking place at the end of the month.

Sid Griffin is LIVE on the Mark Radcliffe Show this coming Monday night on BBC Radio Two at 8pm UK time talking about Neil Young's recent box set.

And more JD King!

RJaP's "100% Pot Success" is available for download now from all the places where they go in for that sort of thing... they're also heading for Oslo, Paris and somewhere in Belgium during September.

Ramones: Soundtrack Of Our Lives honours The Ramones legacy and features many unreleased stories and photos.

Finnish journalist and Ramones webmaster Jari-Pekka Laitio Ramone’s latest Ramones book entitled Ramones: Soundtrack Of Our Lives is the result of nearly 5 years worth of work. It is full of poignant stories that reflect what Joey Ramone (RIP 2001), Dee Dee Ramone (RIP 2002), Johnny Ramone (RIP 2004), as well as the rest of the Ramones family have impacted their fans worldwide.

Ramones: Soundtrack Of Our Lives has interviews and text written by 90 contributors and has 224 pages, and 295 photos/drawings. This book brings together the Ramones family as never before, there are interviews by every surviving Ramones member: Ramones drummers (Tommy Ramone, Marky Ramone, and Richie Ramone), bassist CJ Ramone, and Johnny Ramone's wife Linda Cummings. The introduction is written by Tommy Ramone.

Reluctant to offer fans stories which have been relayed thousands of times before, Jari-Pekka provides new information about the band. His focus is on the Ramones impact on the history of Rock N'Roll. This work is best described as a tribute book. Other Ramones publications have dwelled too much on the fights, problems and other negative aspects of the band's legacy. Lacking are the positive stories that are integral to the history. Jari-Pekka offers candid and positive opinions/stories from people who were influenced musically and inspired by the Ramones.

Contributors to include Seymour Stein (founder of Sire Records), Hilly Kristal (founder of the CBGB's club), Rodney Bingenheimer (radioDJ/ KROQ-FM) and Maria Montoya-Kaye, Walter Lure (Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers, Waldos), Wayne Kramer (MC5/DKT), Andy Shernoff (The Dictators), Glen Kolotkin (producer), Noah "Noki" Citrin (an important friend to Joey in the 60's), and Bam Margera (Jackass).

It also features stories and recollections from all kinds of musicians, including Punk Legends and pioneers such as Dez Cadena (Misfits, Black Flag, DC3), Henry Rollins (Black Flag, Rollins Band), Charlie Harper (UK Subs), Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols, The Philistines), and Vinny Stigma, and Roger Miret (Agnostic Front).

Other Punk and Rock'n'Roll bands contributing are: Rob Wright (NoMeansNo and The Hanson Brothers), Andy Cairns (Therapy?), Kenny Håkansson, Nick Royale and Robban Eriksson (The Hellacopters), Bela B. (solo artist, Die Ärzte), Bumblefoot (Guns N'Roses), Happy-Tom and Euroboy (Turbonegro), Johan Blomqvist (Backyard Babies) and Tom Wisniewski (MxPx).

Also included are several Heavy Metalists recalling their reverence and love for the Ramones. Among them are Frank Watkins (Obituary and Gorgoroth), Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth, Bloodbath), Phil Campbell (Motörhead), Jon Larsen (Volbeat), Miland "Mille" Petrozza (Kreator), and Ricky Warwick (solo artist, Almighty).

Jari-Pekka has been dedicated to running the biggest and most updated Ramones homepage since 1995 (http://ramones.kauhajoki.fi ), and has authored the books, Heaven Needed A Lead Singer: Fans Remember Joey Ramone (2002), and Rock In Peace: Dee Dee And Joey Ramone (2004).

”I am happy to get the chance to show Ramones fans lots of unreleased photos and drawings prepared exclusively for this book” Jari-Pekka Laitio Ramone states. This book has never-before-released photos and drawings by people like Jenny Lens, George DuBose, and Bobby London.

More information: http://kauhajokinyt.fi/~jplaitio/kolmoskirja.html

Interviews/ orders: jplaitio@kauhajoki.fi / http://ramones.kauhajoki.fi

I want a job coming up with this kind of tosh...

Indómitos at The Hot Club - Glasgow, tomorrow

Attention Ramones fans of Espana... A message fro the Rt. Hon. Monte Melnick via his myspace...

"I'm very happy to say my book “On The Road With The Ramones” will be out in a SPANISH EDITION. My Spanish publisher is MUNSTER RECORDS & BOOKS. The end of September I will be going to Spain to do special press events and in store book signing appearances. More information will be posted later.

AHORA EN ESPAÑOL - De Gira Con Los Ramones Esoy muy feliz de que mi libro tiene ahora una edición en español. Mi publicador en español es MUNSTER RECORDS & BOOKS.Finales de septiembre voy a ir a España hacer eventos especiales de prensa y hacer apariciones para firmar el libro en tiendas de libros finales en Septiembre. Más información sobre esto vendrá.

Rock On! Monte

Ah, best time of the week, getting home as a Friday segues into the pm. Getting to the car prior to the journey might the farthest point from Monday but I've gotten used to this arrangement of being able to take care of niggly business during this weekend add-on. Plus it's not chucking it down, probably waiting until I get 50 yards down the road but, ach - bring it the eff on!

What a difference a day makes eh? On Wednesday, Scotchland was a top place, the veritable Brigadoon. As of about 1.25pm yesterday, in a monologue resembling the faux-suspense of an X Factor final crossed with a sermon by an I.M. Jolly impersonator, Kiltland’s rep plummeted. I imagine that immigration departments across the US are ordering up boxes of rubber gloves as this is being blogged. However, sales of "kilt towels" to Libya are set to explode (I couldn't resist that). Boom Boom (Ouch...).

The only avenue left is to poke scorn at this decision as there is quite obviously some very scummy stage management going on here. I'm not sure how the Christmas shopping will be in our new best friends' country. Anybody clue us in to the price of Levi's out yonder? So Bertie Bassett Tanyergranny or whatever his name is/was (not to be confused with the liquorice allsorts guy) has left “the building”. Compassion is all very well as an idealistic theory but in the stark glare of the boom lights it doesn't play out. I really can't wait to see "The Daily Show" tonight (we get it a day late).

Still there was good news yesterday too. Ms Hazel Rigby was reunited with her stolen guitars, swiped from her place in New Orleans. Let’s hope that’s the one and only time that her space is invaded and that she goes on to have a positive association with the place from here on in. And further non-despondency, I learned today that Annika (Norlin) has a weekly column in the Stockholm "City", the twice weekly equivalent of Metro.

A cooler commentator in any language you won’t find...

Click here for clips of the CJ show from London the other night that Martin shot...

Since I got back to the bunker tonight, it's stopped raining and the daftest wee country in the world is in the full glare of the world's spotlight. Other than that, my thoughts are with those who'll be making the scene at the Roky sermon down south tonight. Look forward to hearing all about it and indeed to tomorrow because that'll mean it's the weekend. Has your (working) week been on slo-mo, or is it just me?

There never were enough hours in the day but just lately it seems like there are even less. My intention to spend less time in front of a computer has come to nowt too. Something may well be about to give and that could well be what's left of my mind. The administration of everyday life is the biggest factor of the wearing down process.

Or maybe getting bogged down in shite is a better description? Either way, I'm sure you're more than familiar with the process. Things could suck a lot more and such efficiencies are relative pipedreams along with the ongoing de-clutter.

Anyway, I have things that have to be done so I’ll leave you with a couple of things to check out. If I get things sorted then maybe there’ll be a short burst of energy later but it’s not likely. So...

The Tremolo Beer Gut is (are?) headed for Scotland in October and they’ll be tearing up Nice’n’Sleazy with Big Ned who I’d never heard of but am bloody impressed with. Not too many people can pull off such a blatant Badalamenti number on a cut called "Bad Angel". And they have a single out on Optimo too?

And this is Brother Don's hitpick, from his v. own stomping ground of San Fran. Such a cool city that Hello Saferide wrote a song about it... anyways The Invisible Cities do the Flamin' Groovies "You Tore Me Down". See what you reckon...

The Ramones and the celebrating thereof can sometimes be a bittersweet undertaking. The actuality often gets overtaken by the individuals involved or just some kind of clunky revising of what seemed to be the most simple songbook on earth. Not so. There has to be heart, soul and spirit involved and I have to tell you that the songs have seldom sounded better than they did last night.

I knew it would be good but wasn't expecting monumental. And so many songs that you'd never have heard the actual band play. It was something of a pleasure then to go home with my ears ringing to the sound of some seriously joyous noise. These things did more for the memory of the band in this short hour than has been done in a long, long time. They distill the fabric of that ripped denim powerhouse with a genuine passion for rock'n'roll. Not the commodity known as punk rock. This was Riverdales-type good!

And of course there are the credentials...! Any lesser mortal dedicating "Glad To See You Go" to Michael Jackson might have seemed trite. "You're gonna smile, you're gonna laugh". Not half.

So here was that chunky Wild Kingdom guitar tearing it up with a double solid rhythm section. What a joy to hear these cracked off by a real drummer and not some clockwork monkey making short work on the old biscuit tins. I'm not taken to grinning uncontrollably but there was no other way. And the crowd was great. Some old enough to know better but we didn't care because the excitement was back. If you could trap this kind of energy in a jar then we'd be on to something and gas or electricity could go fuck themselves.

And there was a little bit of CB's about the room. Not even the second most salubrious spot in town but a pretty decent venue nonetheless. So I hope that some of you folks will go to Camden tonight and that it turns out to be the blast that Glasgow was. You kids out there in Scandanavia and Spain should be thinking about how to get these guys out to your backyard too because this is an exercise in everything that's positive about what made us what we are.

No cynical, misguided ego trip just a schlepp down memory lane in the company of the greatest pop catalogue on earth. It was always about the music and an hour in the glory of this will reinforce that. I might not have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself. Leaving the place, people were heard to say that it was "better than any Ramones show they had ever seen". I'll leave you to draw your own conclusion to that. Murray saw it too so he'll hopefully second this emulsion. My thanks to Daniel Rey, a real gent and one of the great guitar wranglers. Grand to be able to catch up with him again. And as for the upcoming Joey album, Ed Stasium has all the raw material so it'll be coming out in due course. The fact that we'll finally get to hear it being the most important factor in all this.

CJ's site

As I tap away here in sleep mode, the CJ Ramone tour bus is heading toward London. Following last night's blitzkrieg on Glasgow, I urge you to get along to the Camden Underworld show tonight. More later. Then they're headed back to Germany and I can't find the other dates right now but I will.

Literally heading out the door to catch CJ Ramone and Daniel Rey at Ivory Black's in Glasgow. Danny will be playing almost literally just through several walls from where he was last September with Ronnie Spector. Last act I saw in the place was those fabulous Voladoras and I think it was called Strawberry Fields then. It's essentially a large bar that these days seems to specialise in punk and metal. I'm curious as to just how many this'll cajole out of the wood tonight. Hopefully at least twice as many as would consider going to see Wiggy Ramone. Last time I saw Chris was during the Odor Eaters incident with John, though I doubt he'd remember that. OK, couple of things and I'm gone...

Incase you're overseas or haven't heard or even both, Jo Callis has left The Rezillos. Where this leaves them isn't clear at this juncture but I imagine time will tell. Jo posted this info as a facebook message so no crossed wires involved this time...

Matt and Kim have 4 UK shows as part of a major jaunt with Swedish combo, The Sounds. Not to be confused with the singular British band of almost the same name from Liverpool or wherever. These will go down toward the close of November as follows...

Saturday 21st Nov - Birmingham Academy
Sunday 22nd Nov - Glasgow Oran Mor
Monday 23rd Nov - Manchester Academy
Tuesday 24th Nov - London Electric Ballroom

Ok, more after some school night punk rockin'.... see you over there?

Coming in December 2009... and don't forget, CJ Ramone with Daniel Rey

in Glasgow at Ivory Black's tomorrow night (17th).

Ian Foster hails from Newfoundland and “Room In The City” is his second album. It’s a quiet, unassuming creeper. First time I spun it, it barely grazed me but I did like the look of the girl on the cover. His vocal style is like a less-affected Steve Forbert and not unlike Chris Isaak while sounding nothing like either. Did you ever hear Will T. Massey? There’s a kinship with him here too. These are good old-fashioned songs delivered with an honesty and sense of craft. This is the kind of guy who will go out and play these and build an audience person by person, the best way to go if you have the patience and the stamina. I get the feeling that Ian Foster does.

Nashville, TN based - Mike Cullison does a nice line in honky tonk country rock and his “Blue Collar Tired” set will go some way toward setting you up for the day. Kicking off with “Wish I Didn’t Like Whiskey”, it makes a good foil for “The Whiskey makes You Sweeter” and I look forward to making a segue of the two somewhere down the road. The title cut takes some pointers from the “Blue Collar” movie soundtrack with its factory line, punch and die type rhythm. “Pour Hank on the Pain” is just about as RigRock a title as you might find in this day in age. This sounds like it might be on Diesel Only but it ain’t but it is worthy of your investigation. When I was doing some digging while putting this together, I noticed that our old mucker LP had given it the thumbs up way back in February. He always was way ahead of the curve that guy.

Steven Alvarado’s “Let It Go” is his fifth album. On Mott St. Records, it has a crack team of players on it and it’s quite latterday Springsteen although I’d have to say that the songs are better. Maybe it’s closer to Greg Trooper now I think about it a little more. I don’t see this so much as Americana, it’s more electricity-fused acoustic. Not really pop but courting certain elements of that. Essentially these are stories set in very able arrangements that deserve to be heard. But where? As the planet continues to disappear up its own hint end, there are less and less places to connect with good, honest music like this. Check it out in the confines of wherever you may be accessing this via the wonders of not-so modern technology.

Spanking Charlene might sound more like a pastime than a band name but it’ll grow on you like Smashed Gladys did. Trust me. “Dismissed With A Kiss” is their debut album and they're augmented by producer Eric “Roscoe” Ambel and fellow Yayhoo, Keith Christopher. Two gents that are no slouches on your two favourite types of music. Those being rock and roll. SC won a contest that got them a deal with Little Stevie Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool label but there’s no sign of that of yet. Anyhoo, first things first. This is some pretty entertaining US pub rock that sizzles with that patented blues/punk/country gristle. A wee bit X here, a smidge of Guadalcanal Diary there. That’ll do for me as I ease myself into Sunday afternoon in the direction of some harder stuff. That's music, not liquor incase you were wondering. Wonder what’s happened to the follow up? There are demos on their myspace but no info. I’ll let you know if owt turns up because I think you’d like SC.

All of these came from Hemifrån...

"2000 and Fifties: The Whisper Story"

"There is nothing new under the sun." Alright, hear that. Under the ground, well, that’s another story. The underground, if you like it, is where the action is. Elvis conquered the world breaking cover from a subterranea of blues and boogie the white folks had crossed the street to avoid, but which all the while was a time-bomb ticking as the pulse beneath their feet. The Beatles, incubated in underground Hamburg, broke cover to reconquer it. Punk, meanwhile, made the underground the foreground, reinventing culture randomly. Its imprimatur is everywhere today, its foremost pioneers assimilated at last to a point unthinkable even ten years ago.

The Boss reaching down to cover Suicide’s surrealist hymn "Dream Baby Dream" is the tasteful end of a spectrum where today John Lydon plugs butter and anarchy is a commodity. Martin Rev, Suicide’s musical, as opposed to lyrical, vocal half, composer of "Dream Baby Dream", is one of those for whom the underground is the only ground, whose insight makes it into – for his many admirers and fans – holy ground. And it is from Rev that came the music for "Whisper", subject of a new remix project conceived and produced by its lyricist, veteran pop and punk operator Marty Thau, whose career has already seen go from the sound heaven of early Van Morrison to the concrete soul of Richard Hell, with stops along the way to rear the Ramones, Blondie, Real Kids, New York Dolls, and Suicide, whose eponymous debut album established a parallel chorus-verse since responsible for countless electronic rock’n’roll mutations.

By a virtue of a fortuitous Facebook hook-up, about a year ago Thau came across Jeremy Gluck, former singer and songwriter of second generation garage punk heroes The Barracudas, whose solo work includes late-Eighties "I Knew Buffalo Bill", a collaboration with Nikki Sudden and Rowland S Howard considered the first "alt.country" work. Already a hardcore Suicide fan, Gluck couldn’t believe his luck to find himself in touch with Marty Thau, and duly interviewed him for top UK fanzine Bucketfull of Brains.

It didn’t stop there, though. At a point when both were looking for a new challenge and renewed commitment to music, by degrees an interest in collaboration became evident but was not catalysed until Thau suggested Jeremy covering "Whisper", a song written by Martin Rev and himself included on Rev's instrumental CLOUDS OF GLORY LP in 1980, which he also co-produced. Thau always believed WHISPER might be something special if it had a lyric, so he wrote one but did nothing with it until he decided to give Gluck a shot at doing the vocal.

Mediated by e-mail, chat and some furious file transfers, gradually "Whisper" was knocked into shape: Jeremy would send Marty draft vocals, the latter communicated instructions back by email and the odd call and when he finished he sent Marty the files to assemble and mix. Over a period of weeks the correct treatment appeared and at a local studio Jeremy laid down his parts. After a false start, an agreed new female part was finally nailed by Jeremy’s partner, Kate McEwan.

The files were duly despatched to the States where Marty assembled and finessed them into a polished production resembling nothing more than what might be called "Amartycan Graffiti", uniting and acentuating as it does elements of the Fifties romantic pop sensibility that informs the instrumental original while introducing late Sixties touches that taken whole create a strange, timeless feel that is both intimate and chaste, flying in the face of the vogue for crude pop and replacing sex drive with a kind of muted love cruise. It’s refreshing, disarming and deceptively catchy, Rev’s ingenious backing track a hit worthy of an imaginary "Alphaville" chart; joined with the soft-focus vocals, especially McEwan’s breathy and whispery anti-attack, this is elegant, retro-pop of a kind in too short supply.

Initially the idea was just to do a "Whisper" single but the project expanded. Different versions from different producers - each interpreting the song in their very own inimitable style but using Jeremy’s and Kate’s vocals however they wished – has resulted in llar mixes by Brendon Moeller, Beat Pharmacy’s rising remix and DJ star; revolutionary mixer Dub Gabriel, whose version is an homage to Suicide and dramatic departure both; UK rising star Amurgit, who offers a reggae take; and more to come.

With digital distribution due from The Orchard, run by Thau’s old friend and colleague Richard Gottehrer and with whom he originally managed Blondie, and interest bound to be serious from across the underground rock’n’roll and club spectrum, the WHISPER EP is going to make a lot of noise. Release date TBC.