recommended gigs

Sat Feb 1 - Jinxy Bear at Bar 702

Thursday Feb 6 - Jinxy Bear and the All Togethers at Banger Brewing
Thursday Feb 6 - The Unwieldies at Velveteen Rabbit

Friday Feb 7 - the Swamp Gospel returns to the Double Down with the Psyatics,  Izzy Cox and Jared Lord

Saturday Feb 8 - Bogtrotters Union - Double Down
Saturday Feb 8 - The Unwieldies at the Dillinger
Saturday Feb 8 - The All Togethers at the Pioneer Saloon
Saturday Feb 8 - Beau Hodges Band - Goldmine Tavern
Saturday Feb 8 - the Moanin' Blacksnakes at the Association

Sunday Feb 9 - Astaires at LVCS w/the Toasters

Tuesday Feb 11 - Can of Beans, Plurales, Fuzz Solow - Hell Pop Comix

Friday Feb 14 - The All Togethers at the Dillinger
Friday Feb 14 - The Voodoo Organist at the Dive Bar
Friday Feb 14 - Killian's Angels at Brendans

Saturday Feb 15 - The Psyatics with Fuck Shit Piss and Big Like Texas at the Hard Rock

Thursday Feb 20 - The All Togethers at the Gold Spike

Friday Feb 21 - the Seriouslys at the Double Down

Saturday Feb 22 - The Swamp Gospel with Tarah Grace and the All Togethers at the Hard Hat Lounge

Saturday Mar 1 - The Astaires, the Sonic Archers and Trevor & the Jones w/John Fallon at the Hard Hat

Thursday Mar 6 - The Unwieldies at the Dive Bar

Wednesday Mar 12 - The Lucky Cheats and the Royal Hounds at the Griffin

Friday Mar 14 - Delta Bombers - Gold Mine Tavern, Henderson

Saturday Mar 15 - Bogtrotters Union - Water St St Paddy's Day Parade

Sunday Mar 16 - Bogtrotters Union - Water St St Paddy's Day Parade

Monday Mar 17 - Bogtrotters Union - McMullan's Irish Pub

Friday Mar 21 - The All Togethers and Goodnight Texas at the Dillinger

Tues April 1 - Bogtrotters Union - HellPop Comics

Saturday April 26 - The Psyatics at the Double Down
Saturday April 26 - the Astairs at Triple Bs with David Haskins from Bauhaus

What have I forgotten? Lemme know! Is everyone slowing down for the holidays? Haven't heard about many cool gigs for a while.

Whitey Morgan and the 78's, Eddie Bear and the Cubs and Whiskey Breath at the Dive Bar - Tuesday Jan 28, 2014

I haven't made it out to the Dive Bar for a while now, but once i heard about this show, I knew I had to check it out, even on a Tuesday night. The club has improved its stage set up dramatically so that the sight lines are much better and the performing area seems much bigger - though it is probably just the fact that you can see more of the stage.

Opening the night was Whiskey Breath, a band that I have heard about for ages but never had a chance to see before now. I was certainly impressed with their country-inspired sound and by lead singer Brandon's terrific voice. Using a combination of either acoustic/tele/bass and drums or two acoustics and rhythm section, they create their own version of Americana, mixing country, folk, blues and whatever else suits their fancy. Nothing super flashy, just quality tunes performed well with great vocals. Speaking of vocals, Beau from the Beau Hodges Band - who apparently occasionally does a duo with Brandon - came up to sing backing vocals on a rockin' take on "Folsum Prison Blues", which is apparently the country version of "Gloria", as it has to be one of the most covered songs of the genre. Excellent opening for the night - I will certainly be keeping an eye on these cats.

Up next was Eddie Bear and the Cubs, a country inspired aggregation unofficially (I guess) led by Larry Reha, drummer extraordinaire for the Lucky Cheats and the Black Jetts. The one and only time I saw any version of this combo was way back in 2012 and Larry was drumming, with Luke from the Cheats on bass, Zach Ryan on lead vocals and a terrific pedal steel player. Tonight, Larry played guitar (acoustic and electric) and shared lead vocal duties with Erik from the Crimson Balladers (who also played acoustic guitar), Davis from the Jetts on stand up bass (who is also playing stand-up with the Million Dollar Quartet at times), a fantastic lead guitarist who had some mighty flashy and tasty licks (whose name I did not get - Brian Bissell, Larry tells me) and a great drummer.

While I have been trying to learn more about country music, I am still not well-versed in the genre, so, while I believe that the Cubs' set was most, if not all, covers, I don't know what many of them were. They opened with Link Wray's "Rumble", which moved into an instro version of a familiar tune (that I couldn't name), did at least one George Jones number and a slow, dynamic version of Jeff Beck's "Going Down" that morphed into a country rocker before stealing a snippet of "Voodoo Chile" and wrapping the whole thing up! Both Larry and Erik have great voices that are quite different (Larry's kinda like Johnny Cash, though a bit more melodic) and the musicians are all stellar, so I hope that they keep up this project in some incarnation or another.

Headliner Whitey Morgan closed the night with his Flint, Michigan combo inspired by his own grandfather, who played honky-tonks decades ago, along with "Waylon, Merle and Paycheck", as WM says. With a fine pedal-steel player (Brett), lead guitarist (Benny), bass (uncredited on their Facebook page - if he's a pickup, he is a damn fine one) and drums (Tony), Whitey sings and plays guitar - often doing melodic twin leads with Benny, who also adds nice vocal harmonies.

Their sound had a strong southern rock edge to it with a country influence - and yes, I know that's what southern rock is all about, though this was more overt than some - maybe like a hipper Charlie Daniels Band or something along those lines. They mixed their own original country numbers with classics from Merle Haggard and even a country take on Sam Cooke's "Bring It To Me" witha  sweet pedal steel solo before closing with a Whitey song with the familiar title "I Ain't Drunk, I'm Just Drinking". More superior musicians here and a great set, though, once again, I wish that it could have happened on a weekend instead of a Tuesday night. While a good number of people showed up for the gig, many had filtered out before the end of the night. Regardless, another fun night at the Dive Bar and more kudos to the club for booking a variety of fine music!

Buck Owens - 21 #1 Hits

Billed as "the only CD containing all of Buck's #1 hits", this collection is another great starting place - as is All Time Greatest Hits - and, of course, there is a lot of duplication between these two compilations. In fact, there are only a few differences, including the instrumental theme-song "Buckaroo", "Who's Gonne Mow Your Grass" (with it's jarring fuzz-guitar - something that hadn't been done on a country record before), "Made in Japan", their live take on "Johnny B. Goode" and maybe one or two more.

So, either CD would probably suffice for any casual Buck Owens or country fan - I picked this one up at the library, myself. Of course, some tunes are better than others - he does step into the schmaltz a bit more than I would prefer - but for a good indication of Owens' "Bakersfield Sound", how can you go wrong with his impressive list of #1 hits?

Ramblin' Jack Elliott - A Stranger Here

While I have known of Ramblin' Jack Elliott for decades, and known of his relationships to other folk heroes

such as Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, I don't know that I have really ever experienced his music before. This recording was done when Jack was 77, in 2008, although he still sounds strong and positively emotional here.

This is a collection of old country-blues covers that work well with Elliott's voice and guitar playing - which is augmented by a number of other musicians playing mostly acoustic instruments and adding to the songs rather than detracting. The style is often reminiscent of early Tom Waits, which is never a bad thing in my book!

The songs include Blind Lemon Jefferson's "Rising High Water Blues", Rev. Gary Davis' "Death Don't Have No Mercy", Lonnie Johnson's "Rambler's Blues", Blind Willie Johnson's "Soul of a Man", Mississippi John Hurt's "Richland Woman Blues", Son House's "Grinnin' in Your Face", Tampa Red's "New Stranger Blues", Furry Lewis' "Falling Down Blues" Leroy Carr's "How Long Blues" and Walter Davis' "Please Remember Me". His versions are respectful and tasteful and overall, this is a well-thought-out recording. Nice production, good material and great performances. Hopefully, he will continue to impress for many years to come.

The Essential Pete Seeger

I made a stop at our local library yesterday and happened to pick up this CD, among others, and later heard of Seeger's passing. This man has been an important part of music and politics for considerably longer than I have been alive and is a major American icon. As I said previously, he helped to create the folk movement of the 50's and 60's - and had been a proponent of the music even before that - and has influenced and collaborated with some of the country's greatest artists. While he lived a long life, it is never long enough when talking about someone with this man's passion and talent.

No one collection could ever cover a career that has spawned 8 decades (!) and, I understand, at least 100 albums (!), but this is a good overview with many of his most well-known numbers. Most of these are solo tracks, with Pete playing his iconic banjo as well as 12 string guitar, though also included is "Goodnight Irene", the big hit for the Weavers of Lead Belly's number. There are a number of live numbers mixed with studio tunes, showing how Pete was always able to connect with his audience and get them to join in. There are versions of "If I Had a Hammer", "Talking Union", "John Henry", "Michael Row Your Boat Ashore", "This Land is Your Land", "Guantanamera", "Where Have All the Flowers Gone", "Turn, Turn Turn" and "The Bells of Rhymney" that the Byrds covered and closing with "We Shall Overcome".

I know his music isn't for everyone, but anyone who grew up in the 60's grew up with this man's music and this is a fine compilation.

RIP Pete Seeger

Pete Seeger, Songwriter and Champion of Folk Music, Dies at 94 
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RIP Pete Seeger - a man who believed in the power of song to make a change and proved that it could. He helped to spearhead the folk movement of the 50's and 60's and brought songs promoting communist ideals into elementary school classrooms in the 60's! He lived a long life, but never long enough. He - and his great spirit - will be missed.

recommended gigs

Friday Jan 24 - Beau Hodges Band at Soney's Rockin' Country
Friday Jan 24 - Squidhat Records 2nd Anniversary Showcase Weekend at the Double Down

Sat Jan 25 - Tarah Grace at the Dillinger
Sat Jan 25 -  Squidhat Records 2nd Anniversary Showcase Weekend at the Double Down
Sat Jan 25 - The Unwieldies at the Plainview Inn

Sat Feb 1 - Jinxy Bear at Bar 702

Thursday Feb 6 - Jinxy Bear and the All Togethers at Banger Brewing
Thursday Feb 6 - The Unwieldies at Velveteen Rabbit

Friday Feb 7 - the Swamp Gospel returns to the Double Down with the Psyatics,  Izzy Cox and Jared Lord

Saturday Feb 8 - Bogtrotters Union - Double Down
Saturday Feb 8 - The Unwieldies at the Dillinger
Saturday Feb 8 - The All Togethers at the Pioneer Saloon

Sunday Feb 9 - Astaires at LVCS w/the Toasters

Friday Feb 14 - The All Togethers at the Dillinger

Saturday Feb 15 - The Psyatics with Fuck Shit Piss and Big Like Texas at the Hard Rock

Thursday Feb 20 - The All Togethers at the Gold Spike

Friday Feb 21 - the Seriouslys at the Double Down

Saturday Feb 22 - The Swamp Gospel with Tarah Grace and the All Togethers at the Hard Hat Lounge

Thursday Mar 6 - The Unwieldies at the Dive Bar

Friday Mar 14 - Delta Bombers - Gold Mine Tavern, Henderson

Saturday Mar 15 - Bogtrotters Union - Water St St Paddy's Day Parade

Sunday Mar 16 - Bogtrotters Union - Water St St Paddy's Day Parade

Monday Mar 17 - Bogtrotters Union - McMullan's Irish Pub

Tues April 1 - Bogtrotters Union - HellPop Comics

Saturday April 26 - The Psyatics at the Double Down
Saturday April 26 - the Astairs at Triple Bs with David Haskins from Bauhaus

What have I forgotten? Lemme know! Is everyone slowing down for the holidays? Haven't heard about many cool gigs for a while.

The Delta Bombers, the Sewer Rats at Bar 702 Jan 19, 2014

Haven't caught the Bombers in quite a while so, seeing that this was a three day weekend, I made it out to Bar 702 on a Sunday to check 'em out again. This blues-based rockabilly quartet just keep getting better and with singer Chris Moinichen's stage presence, they put on a fun, energetic show.

Their continual travels (they just came back from trips to Russia and Brooklyn!) seems to be doing them good as they were tighter than ever, though they did loosen up as Chris shared his bottle of whiskey with the boys - and the audience! Guitarist Andrew Himmler's tone was especially good this night, with crisp, stinging leads and varied rhythm tones, while bassist  Gregorio Garcia and drummer Jesse Alonzo held down the fort. I don't know many of the song titles, but the have a cool, Bo Diddley sing-along number, a tune about Marie Laveau, a crazy waltz-time, Tom Waits-y song that has Chris singing through a megaphone and prowling the audience, and lots more!

As usual, the audience was eating it up, bouncing around, forming a friendly slam pit, jumping on stage and generally going a bit nutz! The set ended first with a wild, uptempo number (whose title I missed) where, on cue, the front guys fell to their knees as drummer Jesse stood up to play and then they polished it all off with a bit of Son House's "Grinning in Your Face" before moving into their classic take on "Smokestack Lightning", with Chris, by now pretty toasted from the whiskey, getting into the crowd's faces and howling. Fine time!

Closing the night (I got there late and missed the openers) were the Sewer Rats from Cologne, Germany. While proclaiming themselves to be a psychobilly band, I found them to be more of a punk group that happened to have a stand-up bass player. Nothing wrong with that, mind you, just not what I think of as psychobilly, though the term may have changed over the decades since it was first coined - well, it certainly has, since Lux first used it to describe the Cramps and it was taken over by others like the Meteors not long after that.

In any case, the audience loved 'em and the place erupted into total chaos during their set with bodies - and microphones - flying everywhere as the band lept around and did their best to hold things together. My fave part was their punk-rock take on the traditional "I Saw the Light", though it seemed that they could do no wrong with the people there! Truly a fun, wild night!

The Blasters, the Lucky Cheats, the Crimson Balladers, the Beau Hodges Band - Las Vegas Country Saloon Friday Jan 18,2014

When I first moved to LA in 1979, seeing the Blasters at clubs like the Cathay de Grande, Club 88 or the Starwood were some of the most fun shows that I went to. They might not have been my all-time favorite band, but you could always count on them for a sweaty good time! When they started getting more popular and playing larger places i sorta lost touch with them other than seeing them around on the "scene" or playing in a off-shoot band for fun. But, the chance to see them at an intimate place like the Country Saloon - especially with some of my fave local bands - was something not to be missed!

The night opened with the Beau Hodges band, a group that has undergone a few incarnations since we first cross paths a couple of years ago, but continue to grow in strength and popularity with Beau at the helm. With twin guitar team Jon and Hoz adding a variety of sounds, from blues slide to stinging leads to power chords to (emulated) acoustic picking, their "red dirt rock" is a mix of bands like Lynryd Skynyrd/Allman Brothers' southern rock and country, bluegrass, and whatever else they feel like throwing in! A couple of the highlights from this shows was their drummer playing banjo and he stomped out the beat behind the kit on a couple of tunes and the boys doing spectacular 5-part harmonies on another!

Next up was a group that I had never seen before, but the Cheats recommended them so I had high hopes, the Crimson Balladers. They consider themselves country/Americana, which is as good of a description as any, and reminded me of early Dave Edmunds 50's/country/pop hybrid songs(though that might have been due to me listening to him right before I went to the show!). They did covers from the likes of Hank Snow and Ricky Nelson, with some nice harmonies and fine playing. The line-up included the standard 2-guitar, bass, drums but with an added acoustic guitar and a percussionist, which you just don't see enough of! My only complaint was that for a live show they should have had more upbeat numbers, but the remedied that with a CCR-inspired take on "I Put a Spell on You" for their closer. Definitely worth watching as they grow.

I've ranted'n'raved about the Cheats innumerable times and suffice it to say that this rockin' blues outfit is one of the top groups in town and were one of the most appropriate bands possible to open for the Blasters. On this night they wailed on great tunes like RL Burnside's "Skinny Woman", Sonny Boy Williamson's "Eyesight to the Blind" (with fantastic extended solos for harpist Jeffrey and guitarist Wade, who also sang lead) and "Rollin' and Tumblin'" with Wade on lap steel. As a extra-special bonus they had the lovely Shanda come up for "Been Told Once" from their terrific CD. Great set!

Of course, the men of the hour were the legendary Blasters! The three original members - Phil Alvin (guitar/vocals), Bill Bateman (drums) and John Bazz (Bass) are now joined by Keith Wyatt on lead guitar when Phil's brother Dave is occupied elsewhere. I gotta say, while the guys are looking their age, they still dress in the usual 50's/stylish way (kinda good as they dress kinda like old guys even when they were young!) and Phil's voice - astoundingly - hasn't changed a bit. I know that he has had some recent, serious health issues, but he sounded fantastic and still had his trademarked huge grin on his face the whole time!

They opened with the self-descriptive Dave Alvin classic, "American Music", did "Border Radio", "Tiger Man", "Dark Night" (a heavy, moody blues with some fine lead playing by Wyatt), "1 Red Rose on a New Black Dress", covers by Clarence Gatemouth Brown and Johnny Paycheck, a couple of tunes that let Phil show off some cool harp playing and, of course, "Marie, Marie" - among others. Lots more great stuff, as well - they certainly gave the crowd their money's worth! Unfortunately, as tends to be usual for Vegas, the audience was somewhat sparse, but that didn't stop the gents from giving all they had! Truly excellent night of music!

recommended gigs

Saturday Jan 18 - The Unwieldies at the Dillinger
Saturday Jan 18 - the All Togethers - 35 Steaks and Martinis

Sunday Jan 19 - Delta Bombers at Bar 702
Sunday Jan 19 - the All Togethers - 35 Steaks and Martinis
Sunday Jan 19 - The Black Jetts at the Dive Bar

Friday Jan 24 - Beau Hodges Band at Soney's Rockin' Country

Sat Jan 25 - Tarah Grace at the Dillinger

Sat Feb 1 - Jinxy Bear at Bar 702

Thursday Feb 6 - Jinxy Bear and the All Togethers at Banger Brewing

Friday Feb 7 - the Swamp Gospel returns to the Double Down with the Psyatics,  Izzy Cox and Jared Lord

Sunday Feb 9 - Astaires at LVCS w/the Toasters

Friday Mar 14 - Delta Bombers - Gold Mine Tavern, Henderson

Saturday Feb 15 - The Psyatics with Fuck Shit Piss and Big Like Texas at the Hard Rock

Saturday April 26 - The Psyatics at the Double Down

What have I forgotten? Lemme know! Is everyone slowing down for the holidays? Haven't heard about many cool gigs for a while.

Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs - Foggy Mountain Jamboree

Originally released in 1957, Foggy Mountain Jamboree showed the world just who ruled the bluegrass field

(so to speak). This duo helped to create what we think of now as the bluegrass sound while part of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys and went on to popularize it in their own Foggy Mountain Boys. This CD captures the original 12 tracks along with 3 bonus tunes for good measure!

Opening with Scruggs banjo tour de force "Flint Hill Special", you know you're in for a "special" ride! They get a little more traditionally country in "Some Old Day" and then Earl gets to show off again in "Earl's Breakdown". There's the rather silly "Jimmi Brown, The Newsboy" before Scruggs returns with "Foggy Mountain Special". The "Foggy Mountain Quartet" appears in the gospel harmonies of "It Won't Be Long" and then everyone takes a solo in the instrumental "Shuckin' the Corn", though Earl is still the star. "Blue Ridge Cabin Home" shows off Flatt's voice and the nice bluegrass harmonies the men were capable of and, again, this is followed by another amazing show of virtuosity in "Randy Lynn Rag".

More terrific harmonies highlight "Your Love is Like a Flower", which also shows off Benny Martin's fiddling, and then another stunner in "Foggy Mountain Chimes", with the "chimes" being harmonics played on the banjo. Bonus cut "On My Mind" stands out from the rest with the addition of Josh Graves on dobro, giving it a different sound before another blindingly fast banjo workout in another bonus, "Dear Old Dixie" which moves into the bonus gospel ballad, "Pray for the Boys" before finishing with the original LP closer, another gospel ballad "Reunion in Heaven".

For damn-near perfect bluegrass music you can't go wrong with Flatt & Scruggs and their Foggy Mountain Boys! Pick up whatever you can from these powerhouses!

Down in the Basement - Joe Bussard's Treasure Trove of Vintage 78's 1926-1937

Joe Bussard is a record collector who has amassed probably the largest selection of 78's on the planet - over 50,000 of them! - and has always enjoyed sharing the music with fellow lovers. This is the first CD culled from his vinyl, though hopefully there will be plenty more! While some of these tunes may be known from other compilations, others are not known to exist outside of Bussard's basement.

The tunes range from blues to bluegrass to early jazz to gospel to country and any permutation in between! There is an extensive booklet included with Joe's story along with copious notes on every song. I love pretty much everything here, though highlights include the painfully morbid "The School House Fire" (Dixon Brother's folk/country), the Weems String Band's bluegrass version of "Greenback Dollar", Charlie Jordan's "Keep it Clean" blues, the frantic mandolin bluegrass of Colman & Harper's "Old Hen Cackle", an early, yodeling Gene Autry cut, "Atlanta Bound", the fiddle-led, Cajun "Easy Rider Blues" (Soileau and Robin), Gitfiddle Jim's raging slide work in "Paddlin' Blues" and the closing fiddle masterpiece "Plow Boy Hop" by the Grinell Giggers.

I seem to be delving farther back into the history of popular music and am realizing just how much terrific stuff is out there. This is a superb compilation of early American music showing the variety and quality of songs that have been recorded throughout the years. Well worth it!

Lonnie Johnson with Elmer Snowden - Blues, Ballads and Jumpin' Jive

I've been a big fan of the blues/jazz stylings of Lonnie Johnson since I first heard his playing. This man's fluid
playing influenced greats such as T-Bone Walker, B.B.King, Lowell Fulson and many others. I was not familiar with Johnson's long-time friend, Elmer Snowden, although he led bands that included jazz masters like Count Basie, Fats Waller and plenty more. These two had recorded 33 years previously on Blues and Ballads and picked up where they left off on this 1960 release. Snowden's acoustic guitar countered Johnson's jazzy electric and the men trade roles, riffs and licks on instrumentals and Johnson-led vocal numbers.

Opening with Lester Young's jumpin' "Lester Leaps In", backed by bassist Wendell Marshall, the duo sets things bouncin' with this free-wheeling and fun take on a classic. They slow things down to highlight Johnson's wonderful voice on "Blue and All Alone", a sweet jazzy, blues number, and then bop-up instrumental versions of "On the Sunny Side of the Street" and "C-Jam Blues" - Snowden's acoustic takes the lead on these instrumentals and he doesn't waste a moment in showing off his dexterity and taste. Why he isn't better known is a shame and a sin, as he certainly gives the incredible Johnson a run for his money here!

The two chat about the songs, making it sound like they were just playing these off the cuff, though I would assume that it was a little more planned out than that, but who knows - these cats were professionals! Lonnie pulls out an original. "New Orleans Blues", where his guitar interacts with the vocal melody as Snowden comps behind him. The two trade off licks effortlessly in "Careless Love", the only time they do so on this disc, proving how they could read and work off of each other. There are two takes of the vocal "Stormy Weather" and then another jumper in the instro "I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None O'This Jelly Roll" before the proceedings are all wrapped up with a take on "Birth of the Blues".

This is one of those CDs that will hit ya right away if you dig jazzy blues and amazing guitar playing. Dig it the most, man!

The All Togethers - Wicked Vicky Tavern @ the Riviera Friday Jan 10, 2014

I've been a fan of the All Togethers since first seeing them last summer, but don't get a chance to get to their shows as often as I might like - maybe because they play so much and in so many odd places that it's hard to pick one gig to go to! They've made some changes since then, with percussionist Brian leaving and the addition of guitarist Michael. With Michael handling the guitar chores, lead singer Ken now concentrates on mandolin and banjo, while the lovely Cindy holds it all together (so to speak) with her swingin' stand-up bass lines and harmony vocals.

The Wicked Vicky Tavern is certainly not a place that I would normally head out to - a small sports bar in a casino, but the Riviera does have a long history in Vegas, making it an interesting property and the Tavern does have a real stage (in a brick, dome-like shape) and PA, although the sound off to the side was a little muddy - maybe we should have sat right in front.

In any case, the AT's put on their usual fun set, with lots of crowd interaction, dialogues and even taking requests. Along with songs from their excellent CD, they covered tunes from artists as diverse as Jay Zee (or however he spells that), Lady Gaga, Johnny Cash ("Folsom Prison Blues", which probably brought out the best response of the night), the Stanley Brothers ("Man of Constant Sorrow"), the Who (doing "Baba O'Reilly" that worked better on banjo than it has any right to!) and Porgy and Bess ("Summertime").

Always a good time and always well worth seeing, check them out whenever you can! Damn nice people too and they even gave a shout out to the Swamp Gospel!

recommended gigs

Thursday Jan 9 - the All Togethers at the Gold Spike

Friday January 10 - The Astaires @ the Beauty Bar
Friday January 10 - the All Togethers at Wicked Vicky Tavern at the Riviera  w/Jesse Pino

Friday Jan 17 - the All Togethers - 35 Steaks and Martinis
Friday Jan 17 - the Lucky Cheats with the Blasters at LV Country Saloon
Friday Jan 17 - Midnight Clover at Artifice

Saturday Jan 18 - The Unwieldies at the Dillinger

Sunday Jan 19 - Delta Bombers at Bar 702

Friday Jan 24 - the All Togethers - 35 Steaks and Martinis

Sat Jan 25 - the All Togethers - 35 Steaks and Martinis
Sat Jan 25 - Sarah Grace at the Dillinger

Sat Feb 1 - Jinxy Bear at Bar 702

Thursday Feb 6 - Jinxy Bear and the All Togethers at Banger Brewing

Friday Feb 7 - the Swamp Gospel returns to the Double Down with Izzy Cox and Jared Lord

Sunday Feb 9 - Astaires at LVCS w/the Toasters

Friday Mar 14 - Delta Bombers - Gold Mine Tavern, Henderson

What have I forgotten? Lemme know! Is everyone slowing down for the holidays? Haven't heard about many cool gigs for a while.

The Love Me Nots - UpsideDownInsideOut

The Love Me Nots are definitely my favorite current garage band and I have ranted'n'raved about them a number of times on this blog. On this, their third studio album (I believe, anyway), they maintain their raunchy garage-y roots, led by Nicole Laurenne's Farfisa organ and amazing vocals which range from rough'n'snotty to sultry'n'seductive and everything in between! Michael Johnny Walker provides the power chords and fuzz-drenched riffs and on this record the rhythm section consists of token blond bassist Kyle Rose Stokes and drum basher Vince Ramirez giving the tunes plenty of drive.

It's hard to say more than I already have about this fantastic outfit so if you dig well-written, female-led garage rock'n'roll, played with passion and talent, then you should pick up any and all of their releases! Bonus points for the ultra-swingin' Saul Bass-like black, white and red cover artwork!

Reverend Charlie Jackson - God's Got It

I have become quite enthralled by early, raw gospel music for the same reason that I like most music - the

passion that is infused in the music by the performers. Rev. Jackson is an extremely passionate preacher from Mississippi, who believed in the power of music for conversions and, as the liner notes states, "there is much exhortation and effusive communal praise, punctuated throughout by Reverend Jackson's guitar". He grew up playing blues as well as gospel until his mother's threats convinced him to revoke secular music. Most of the songs here are basically the reverend and his guitar, along with some backing singers. At times there will be some clapping, or, as in "Fix It Jesus", Charlie's kicking a piece of wood found in the low-budget studio for percussion! There are a few numbers where the reverend's guitar  backs other singers, such as Brother Ike Gordon (who also sings on Jackson's cuts), Sister Frances Jackson (Charlie's first wife) and Laura Davis (his second wife, after Frances passed away).

Most of these songs were originally released on the Booker record label, an independent gospel label from New Orleans, who issued approximately 100 45's, but the poor distribution means that many have been lost to the ages. The reverend created his own label once Booker went out of business, named after his own last name. This CD compiles everything that was able to be found that Jackson was involved with, and it is a fine package. The liner notes give you a background to Charlie as well as Booker with a few - all too few - photos of the men.

Another excellent example of raw gospel which shows the close ties between gospel and blues music and makes you want to jump up and down and shout out with the congregation!

Roscoe Holcomb - An Untamed Sense of Control

I first discovered Roscoe on a documentary on Appalachian music, as I recall, and was struck by his version of "I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again" that I had previously known only by the Blood on the Saddle version but have since learned was a traditional song that many covered. Holcomb's strident, reedy voice and banjo picking really stayed with me and I finally picked up this CD and wow! Everything here is done in his particular style, with his keening singing voice taken from the Old Regular Baptist tradition, which Bob Dylan described as having "an untamed sense of control". From Daisy, Kentucky, Holcomb was a fine banjo and guitar picker as well as fiddler and harmonica player (the latter two his lesser strengths, at least as far as these recordings show - though still interesting and compelling).

John Cohen "discovered" Roscoe on a field recording trip and befriended the man, recording him throughout the years, helping him get shows in the 60's folk revival and sometimes accompanying him on guitar. Cohen gives extensive liner notes to this CD, along with some classic photos and information on all of the songs - where they were recorded (from studios to live shows to Holcomb's front porch!), when and often the background of the tune.

I associate his work mostly with bluegrass, though it is really a mix of bluegrass, gospel, folk, blues and local Appalachian sounds. Cohen coined the term "high, lonesome sound" to describe Holcomb and it is a fitting description. While I don't believe that any of these songs are considered "originals", Roscoe's interpretations are sometimes so unique that you don't realize that he is singing a popular tune. You will hear his influence in lots of later singers, though - Bob Dylan especially comes to mind right away in "Across the Rocky Mountain", whose melody Dylan "borrowed" a time or two.

I love his banjo playing on tunes like the afore-mentioned "I Wish I Was a Single Girl Again", the traditional "Little Maggie" (sounding quite different than other versions I have), the frantic "Black Eye Suzie" and "Coal Creek", among many others, though he is also quite adept at guitar, as well, from finger-picking to slide work (with a pocket knife - he even calls a tune "Knife Guitar"). His acapella songs are also quite powerful ("Born and Raised in Covington" and "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow", similar to the Stanley Brothers take that was popularized in O Brother Where Art Thou). His harmonica work is fine, though maybe not exceptional ("Barbara Allen Blues") and, at the time that it was recorded, his fiddle skills were a bit shakey ("Rock Island Prison") but showed that he probably could bow well when he was younger.

I truly love the early, gritty, real-sounding traditional music that is the basis for bluegrass, folk and (real) country and Roscoe is a terrific example of this style. It makes me very happy that I can continue to discover fantastic gems like this and hope that I will find more for years to come. One of my new faves!

Dave Edmunds - Get It

Yep, I'm pulling out my old Edmunds records now, cuz they're damn good and I haven't listened to

them in quite a while. On this, his third solo album, Dave performed some of the tunes solo and others with an early version of Rockpile - Nick Lowe & Terry Williams backing him, and co-writing several tunes with Lowe.

But, he wasn't afraid to cover other people's material, as well, such as the kick ass, multi-layered take on Bob Seger's frantic "Get Out of Denver", as the opener. Lowe's classic rocker "I Knew the Bride" ("when she used to rock'n'roll") follows and then Dave takes on Graham Parker's "Back to School Boys", as these cats were all part of the burgeoning "pub rock" scene before they all became stars in their own rights. More of the patented Lowe/Edmunds sound in "Here Comes the Weekend" - fast paced, old-styled rock'n'roll with terrific harmonies and cool guitar lines. He pulls out his C&W side on his own "Worn Out Suits, Brand New Pockets" - kind of like Phil Spector doing country. He gets even more Spector-ish in "Where or When", an old musical number made popular by Dion and the Belmonts.

Side two of the vinyl opened with the Zydeco-like "Ju Ju Man", complete with uptempo accordion solo and great "falling, falling, falling in love" repeated chorus. His take on "Git It" (sorta the title cut, I guess) is a mix of doo-wop, early r'n'r and acapella parts. "Let's Talk About Us", the old r'n'r number, is raved up nicely and Hank Williams' "Hey Good Lookin'" maintains its honky-tonk flavor with a bit more of a rockin' beat. Lowe comes back with a fast-paced clever hangover tale in "What Did I Do Last Night" before another collaboration in the ballad-y "Little Darling", sounding like it could just as easily come off of Jesus of Cool as any Edmunds record. Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's hit "My Baby Left Me" is given a fairly traditional, is high-energy reading as the closer.

Lovers of early r'n'r, pub rock, pop, great guitar playing, cool harmonies, amazing songwriting and just cool stuff should all own this! And that should mean you, shouldn't it?!

Dr. Feelgood - Stupidity

This was Dr. Feelgood's third LP, first live record and first and only album to reach number 1 in the UK charts. Recorded in 1975 and released in '76, this showed their power and popularity in the pre-punk days that were normally dominated by wimpy drek.

Feelgood was influenced by early r'n'r, blues and r'n'b and produced a stripped-down sound reminiscent of older groups like the Pirates (who were also still gigging at this time, minus the late Johnny Kidd). Led by the legendary Wilko Johnson, the band also included Lee Brilleaux on lead vocals, harp and slide guitar, John B. Sparks on bass and The Big Figure (yes, that's the name he went by) on drums.

Their set here opened with Chuck Berry's "Talkin' 'Bout You" and included covers by Solomon Burke (the title track), Rufus Thomas ("Walking the Dog"), Bo Diddley ("I'm a Man" - and they use his beat on some of their own work, as well), Leiber/Stoller ("I'm a Hog For You Baby"), and Sonny Boy Williamson ("Checking Up on My Baby"). Their own numbers have a similar feel to these and would certainly fit in with any of these cats' showcases or with 60's Brit r'n'b combos like the Pretty Things.

Formed in 1971, Dr. Feelgood was part of the British "pub rock" scene that influenced early punk rock and definitely was the predecessors of 80's groups like the Crawdaddies and Tell Tale Hearts, as much of the 60's groups that they emulated. Fans of those bands as well as the 60's British r'n'b should certainly check out these gents and, unlike many live albums, this would be a great place to start!

Buddy Guy with David Ritz - When I Left Home - My Story

Truthfully, I'm not the biggest Buddy Guy fan in the world - I, frankly, think that he overdoes it at times, but when he's on, he's up there with the best. His work with Muddy Waters is excellent as is his early solo stuff on Chess, like I Was Walking Through the Woods. In this autobiography he tells his own story, from growing up on a farm in Louisiana, where he first heard the likes of John Lee Hooker (he learned "Boogie Chillen" on a two string guitar), Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. He played whenever and on whatever and however he could and got enough encouragement from family and friends to get up the courage to take the train to Chicago, just so he could be close to these greats.

Once in Chi-town he actually got to meet, be befriended by and play with his biggest influences and he was always in awe of their power and majesty and always humbled to be able to work with the masters. One thing that really gets me throughout the book is his passion for the music and the fact that he was a true fan of the artists and their work and never lost that. I always love stories of musicians' early years, probably because I can relate to those times the most. Buddy went through lots of ups and downs throughout the years, recorded with blues labels Cobra and Chess, traveled the world, owned a couple of blues clubs (one that the Rolling Stones made an appearance at - Checkerboard Lounge - and one that is still thriving - Legends) and later in his life, with the help of famous friends, notably Eric Clapton, actually garnered several best-selling albums and Grammies.

This book is a fascinating read and is told conversationally, but with wit and style and - maybe this is Ritz' contribution - well paced and thoroughly enjoyable. I actually think that this is one of the better auto-biographies that I have read and Guy comes off as a good man who has tried to do right and who continues to love the music that has given him his career. Recommended!

The Beatles - Live at the Hollywood Bowl

I was just perusing our vinyl, which I don't do often enough, to look for something to listen to over lunch and this jumped out at me. Can't remember the last time I pulled out any Beatles, much less this record, but dug its rawness when it was released in 1977 and dig it still!

Recorded over two shows at the Bowl in August of '64 and '65, and initially considered sonically too inferior for release, Beatles' producer George Martin transferred the initial 3-track to 16-track and did what he could to sweeten the sound - and the public certainly thought he did a good job, as it reached number 1 on the New Musical Express charts in England and number 2 on the Billboard charts in America!

The set here is a mix of originals and covers, from the all-too-brief opening of "Twist and Shout" to "She's a Woman", "Dizzy Miss Lizzie", "Ticket to Ride", Can't Buy Me Love", "Things We Said Today", "Roll Over Beethoven", "Boys", "A Hard Day's Night", "Help!", "All My Loving", "She Loves You" and "Long Tall Sally". I'm sure anyone reading this will know all of these tunes and the performances are energetic and lively and the vocals and, of course, amazing - especially considering the lack of monitors and decent PA systems at the time!

Apparently, and surprisingly, this has not yet been released on CD, though I'm sure it will at some point as it is a super memento of the Fab Four at their swingingest!

Dave Edmunds - Tracks on Wax 4

After seeing the latest (cool) Dave Edmunds video, I had to pull out this album again. Think this was

the first record of his that I owned (though, of course, I knew his previous hits and picked up his older records after this) and, it turns out, this was the first record that featured all of the members of Rockpile (Nick Lowe, Billy Bremner and Terry Williams) even though it was advertised as a solo album. It was also one of the first - if not the first - release on Led Zep's Swan Song Records. I consider this the best Rockpile and I was lucky enough to see the band when this came out.

Edmunds always had a knack for emulating older sounds, from Phil Spector to rockabilly to C&W and here he is more 50's oriented than anything else. The opener, "Trouble Boys" is one of his best ever - a cool rockabilly-sounding (think Eddie Cochran) tale of standing up to the local gang. Great groove, cool chorus and a terrific, sparse guitar solo. Nick Lowe contributed the country-pop of "Never Been in Love" - I remember playing this one on my guitar at home and my dad telling me that if I slowed it down it would be a good song! "Not a Woman, Not a Child", from the pen of Bremner, and Lowe's "Television" are cool rockabilly numbers, with the latter having a memorable call-and-answer chorus with the catch phrase "as long as it's on the glass". There's a C&W ballad in "What Looks Best on You" ('is me") with nice pedal steel work - someone described as Gram Parsons-esque - before they come blasting back with the lascivious "Reader's Wives", an upbeat number describing amateur nudie pix people would send into a British tabloid.

Side two of the vinyl opened with another of my faves, the Edmunds/Lowe collaboration of "Deborah", with its rollicking, Buddy Holly-styled rhythms and another fun, infectious chorus. They tackle the R&B of Dean and Jean's "Thread Your Needle" and then another country-pop tune, "A-1 On the Jukebox" before tearing it up with Chuck Berry's "It's My Own Business". Lowe's blistering "Heart of the City" was originally recorded by him as a single, before a live recording by Rockpile was released on his Jesus of Cool album. Edmunds took the same backing track, overdubbed his own lead vocal and used it as the fantastic closer here.

I love Edmunds 60's and 70's output and this is absolutely one of his top releases. Excellent C&W and rockabilly influenced rock'n'roll!

RIP Phil Everly

Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers dies at 74 
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The brothers influenced everyone in rock'n'roll, country and just about everything else. Sad...

recommended gigs

Saturday Jan 4 - the All Togethers at the Pioneer Saloon

Thursday Jan 9 - the All Togethers at the Gold Spike

Friday January 10 - The Astaires @ the Beauty Bar
Friday January 10 - the All Togethers at Wicked Vicky Tavern at the Riviera  w/Jesse Pino

Sunday Jan 19 - Delta Bombers at Bar 702

Friday Feb 7 - the Swamp Gospel returns to the Double Down with Izzy Cox and Jared Lord

Sunday Feb 9 - Astaires at LVCS w/the Toasters

Friday Jan 17 - the AllTogethers - 35 Steaks and Martinis
Friday Jan 17 - the Lucky Cheats with the Blasters at LV Country Saloon

Friday Jan 24 - the AllTogethers - 35 Steaks and Martinis

Sat Jan 25 - the AllTogethers - 35 Steaks and Martinis

Friday Mar 14 - Delta Bombers - Gold Mine Tavern, Henderson

What have I forgotten? Lemme know! Is everyone slowing down for the holidays? Haven't heard about many cool gigs for a while.