Bo Diddley is a Gun Slinger

What a great freakin' record! Of course, most of Diddley's output is well worthwhile, but these recordings - all from 1960 or thereabouts - are all especially cool and powerful. There's the opening title cut, a super swingin' "Ride On Josephine" (with hints of Screamin' Jay Hawkins talkin'n'tongues), a new dance craze ("Doing the Crawdaddy" with little girls learning the dance from Bo's directions), the honkin'-sax, call-n-answer/spelling-song "Cadillac" (a popular number in the SD 80's r'n'b scene), and even a bluesy re-write of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" (list simply as "Somewhere" here and credited to Bo!). And that's all just on side one of the album!

I think Bo claims credit for re-working the Coasters' "Along Came John" with slightly different lyrics in "Cheyenne" and really does change up "Sixteen Tons", making it a Bo tune. There's another Coasters-styled number in "Whoa Mule (Shine)" and "No More Lovin'" continues in the doo-wop vein. Apparently, the album iteself concluded with the upbeat, honkin' sax instro "Diddling", though this CD contains two bonus tracks (I've seen ones online that have 4 - guess I lost out!).

The two extras are a fantastic minimalistic chain-gang chant of "Working Man" and a groove not unlike the Coasters' "Searchin'" with "Do What I Say" - done Diddley-style, of course!

I've got several Diddley comps and all of his early work is certainly worthwhile, but this album is especially cool and consistent - certainly one to own!

The Strypes - Snapshot

After grabbing the teaser EP, Blue Collar Jane, I knew that I'd have to get their full-length and it's a

smoker! These kids - and yes, they are still kids, in the best garage tradition - are a helluva garage/r'n'b combo that, as I said before, would easily have fit in with the LA/SD 80's revival, which is a big compliment from this 80's stalwart!

Starting out with a wall of feedback, they blast out with the frenzied garage-riffer "Mystery Man", showing that they have punk roots, as well. There's plenty of Shadows of Knight influence - the singer's voice and harp playing reminds me a lot of an amped up Jim Sohns - their take on "I Can Tell" especially sounds like it could have easily come off of Back Door Men - not to mention their "You Can't Judge a Book" (that the Shads did on their Gloria album)! They're not afraid to slow it down, as in the moody, bluesy "Angel Eyes", where the guitarist impresses with some firey leads. "Perfect Storm" leads me to believe they've been listening to some Fleshtones (or taking the same influences!) and songs like "What a Shame" shows a nice use of harmonies as well as rhythm to get their ideas across. The end with a one-two punch of a spot-on "Heart of the City" and an insanely manic "Rollin' and Tumblin'", complete with a Yardbirds-styled rave-up ending! Whew!

After listening to this CD, I take back anything I've said about the guitarist's abilities - here he throws out hyper-speed licks and plenty of tasty leads - all cool stuff. The rhythm section is tight as can be as they blast through the set. I know they've received some criticism from detractors for one reason or another - everything from them being puppets of their parents to just rehashing old rockers - but I gotta say - this is a wildly exciting slab of rock'n'roll! I wish that all kids were this hip!

(PS - if you get this, you don't need the Blue Collar Jane EP - I don't have the CD with me, but don't think that there is anything there that is not on this one.)

Riverboat Gamblers - The Wolf You Feed

As much as I dig the Gamblers, I've been slow to pick up all of the releases, and just found this 2012 album, their most recent. Overall, this is a bit of a departure from their previous records, but, while it might not be as consistent as some, it is still a good one!

Least anyone doubt that they stopped writing Gamblers anthems, they start things right in "Good Veins", with its hints of the Dictators, and move right into the riff-laden "Bite My Tongue" - both up there with anything off of the last two records. Less characteristic is "Comedians" - while still obviously the Gamblers, it is a bit slower with a bit odder construction, and "Soliloquy" is more "traditionally" punk than normal (though still melodic, especially in the chorus). A song that everyone mentions as a big deviation is "Gallows Bird", a dark, dirge-like pounder, kinda reminding me of Iggy's "Night Clubbing" mixed with Nick Cave, with keys and odd, ambient noise added.

More of a return to form is "Blue Ghosts", though even that has some unusual overtones, and "Heart Conditions" hearkens back to 80's new wave mixed with their catchy choruses. Not as pop and more mid-tempo, moody garage is "Loser Neck" while "Dead Eyes", with its keys and minor chord progressions reminds me of slower, departure pieces that 80's punk'n'roll bands (the Little Kings come to mind) would do. Don't know if anyone will understand that reference, but not sure how else to describe it - not exactly a ballad, but a darker, somewhat slower bit of drama. Even the finale, "Eviction Notice", is not as frenzied as normal for these cats and a little odder melodically.

Not a bad record at all, but not what fans would think of as a solid Gamblers album - a lot more experimental with more variation. I'm gonna recommend To the Confusion and Underneath the Owl as starters, but if you don't mind your groups trying something new, this has some cool stuff.

Riverboat Gamblers - Underneath the Owl

While I still maintain that To The Confusion of Our Enemies (2006) is their best to date, this follow-up disc

(2009) is a solid release that also shows some - dare I say it - growth and expansion of their influences.

Opening with the powerfully catchy live fave "Dissdissdisskisskisskiss", they blast out with all of the elements that made TTCOOE so great - chant-along chorus, memorable guitar licks and plenty of energy. This is all too short but "A Choppy Yet Sincere Apology", while more mid-tempo and not as frantic, is also very melodic and bouncy. A simpler, more punk-rock number is "Catastrophe", which still sticks in your head with its neat guitar licks and impossible-to-forget chorus. Somehow, "Alexandria" is even more tuneful - how songs like this didn't get them picked up by a major and give them a huge hit, I'll never know!

They change things up a bit in "Pilgrims in an Unholy Land", where they sound a bit like later, adventurous Clash, with lots of concentration on dynamics, but with a very Gamblers-styled chorus and a rave-up lead section. Opening with a instrumental bit reminding me of the Chocolate Watchband's "Expo 2000", "Sleepless" has some hints of Bauhaus (at least to my twisted ears) with the pounding drum/bass verses and almost monotone vocals - which of course, only lasts so long before the power chords and sing-along sections break out. Appropriately enough, for "Robots May Break Your Heart", they get a little new-wave-y and even bring in DJ Bonebrake on vibraphone! There's a legitimate ballad in "The Tearjerker", with a country edge given by the addition of a pedal steel guitar - not afraid of experimentation!

But we're right back in standard Gamblers territory with "Keep Me From Drinking", that has some especially nice changes, while "Steer Clear" sounds a little darker but with some fine guitar playing, before closing with the wild romp of "Victory Lap", telling the tale of some of the crazy tours they've done.

To The Confusion might beat this out, but this is right up there and certainly one any fan should own!

recommended gigs

Thursday May 29 - Fuzz Solow at Velveteen Rabbit w/Shayna Rain
Thusday May 29 - the Stone Foxes and Jack and the B-Fish at Backstage Bar and Billiards
Thursday May 29 - The Dashabouts - Gold Spike

Friday May 30 - Jinxy Bear at the Hard Hat Lounge
Friday May 30 - Crimson Balladeers at the Gold Spike

Saturday May 31 - The All Togethers at the Pioneer Saloon
Saturday May 31 - Whiskey Breath - Goldmine Tavern

Sunday June 1 - Time Crashers, Pirates of Pop, Kranken Welpen at the Dive Bar

Tuesday June 3 - Supersuckers at the Dive Bar! With Whiskey Breath, People's Whiskey, Leaving Springfield and Charlie Overdey

Thursday June 5 - Nashville Pussy at the Dive Bar! with the Loud Pipes and Black Jetts
Thursday June 5 - The Unwieldies at the Beauty Bar
Thursday June 5 - the All Togethers at the Hard Hat with Curse Words are Verbs

Friday June 6 - Eddie Bear and the Cubs at Triple B for Larry-Palooza
Friday June 6 - Fuzz Solow at the opening of Exile on Main Street
Friday June 6 - Beau Hodges Band at Bar 702 with Jason Charles Miller

Saturday June 7 - Time Crashers at the Artistic Armory with SIX other bands
Saturday June 7 - Whiskey Breath, Jinxy Bear and North Coast Dave at Apache Joe's
Saturday June 7 - The Unwieldies with Ronald Preston Clark at The Learning Village

Thursday June 19 - The All Togethers at the Gold Spike

Saturday June 21 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Tuesday June 24 - Bogtrotters Union with Alex and His Meal Ticket, Tyler Gregory, Gospel and the Wolf and more at the Artistic Armory

Wednesday June 25 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Thursday June 26 - The Astaires at the House of Blues

Friday June 27 - Fuzz Solow at the Dive Bar

Saturday June 28 - the Swamp Gospel, the Psyatics and the Gentlemen of Four Outs at the Hard Hat

Sunday July 6 - Thee Swank Bastards at Pussyrama at Artifice

Friday July 11 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Wednesday July 16 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Griffin

Friday July 18 - the Psyatics at the Double Down

Saturday July 19 - the Swamp Gospel at the Double Down

Tuesday July 29 - Beau Hodges Band at Brooklyn Bowl with Dusty Sunshine and Kalsey Kulyk

Wednesday July 30 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

What have I forgotten? Lemme know!

Riverboat Gamblers - To The Confusion of Our Enemies

After seeing the Gamblers last night I realized that I never reviewed my favorite (so far) record of theirs, the extremely catchy, though awkwardly titled, To The Confusion of Our Enemies. This was the album they were promoting when we first saw them and were knocked out my their mix of terrific songs and an amazing stage show.

They blast out immediately with "True Crime", showing all of their strengths - clever and different lyrics, great singing, incredibly tight rhythm section, powerful guitars, harmonies, call'n'answer vocals and cool starts and stops. The impossibly memorable and melodic "Don't Bury Me...I'm Still Not Dead" still gets everyone in the crowd singing along - and shouting along with the "right! right!" at the end - and includes the line that they made the album title. "Biz Loves Sluts" contains plenty of chants, and they get even more frantic on "The Song We Used To Call 'Wasting Time"", where they seem to be trying to see just how fast they can go while maintaining a melody. Yet another live favorite is "On Again Off Again" and its headbanging beat, huge guitars (that still manage to convey tunefulness) and back and forth "on again, off again" choruses. A trick that they use a few times - but not so often that it becomes a cliche - is a guitar call'n'answer, that is simple but extremely effective.

Obviously, these cats are intelligent and want their lyrics to rise above the average punk rock drek, such as "The Gamblers Try Their Hand at International Diplomacy"! Somehow they make these ungainly titles into superior songs. "Walk Around Me" is a little less wacky and is all the more powerful and then someone's drugs kicked in for the absolutely silly acapella "Unicorn Shave Your Horn" that thankfully only lasts a few seconds before moving into one of their best, "The Art of Getting F#@%ed" where they chant out their name - another audience fave. Organ is added to the mix in "Year of the Rooster", where they split up the vocals even more than usual to great effect, put in a couple of breakdowns and then even throw in a sax solo! Wow!

Somehow familiar, though original, "The Curse of the Ivory Coast" has some cool twists and turns in the chord structures and melodies, giving you the impression that maybe you've heard this before. The rapid-fire "Rent is Due" and "Uh Oh" come one right after the other, each with its own sweet bits and more organ work. "Black Nothing of a Cat" (no idea where these titles come from) has some unique guitar tones, giving this closer a feel unlike the rest in a way, but still fitting in and still rockin' out.

Without a doubt, one of the best punk rock bands performing today and this is record is the strongest in terms of sound and songs, so grab this one first, but support them in all their endeavors!

Riverboat Gamblers, Reno Divorce - Beauty Bar May 25, 2014

There wasn't much from this year's Punk Rock Bowling that interested us, but seeing the Riverboat Gamblers at a club gig was certainly enticing, so we ventured out for this late-night set of gamblin' in Vegas.

Not knowing how crazy traffic or the parking situation would be due to the festival, we left early and actually got downtown and found a space easily, so wandered around a bit checking out the mix of people on Fremont on this holiday weekend - the punk rockers, the drunk tourists and the ridiculous street performers. Basically, killing time because - no offense - we didn't really care about catching the openers.

We did get there just as Reno Divorce was setting up. Pet peeve - a band shouldn't use a city in their name unless they are from there, and these cats are from Denver. Anyway, they are tatoo'd, black-t-shirt-and-jeans punk rockers who opened with "Rumble"(as many others do) and then went into a set of Social Distortion-inspired punk, complete with a Mike Ness sound-alike singer. They were tight, with the proper Gibson guitars and Fender bass, but with fairly forgettable songs. Introduced with an admission of pandering was "Ace of Spades" but nothing else stuck with me, other than a use of capos - unusual for punk bands - and the singer/lead guitarist moving to the front of the stage for every solo. Oh yeah, they had a song about killing a girlfriend, right after asking people to donate to help a sick friend. People certainly dug them, but it was all a bit too generic for me.

On the other hand, the Riverboat Gamblers came out and immediately slayed the audience with a wildly energetic set filled with some of the best tunes - many of them from the terrific To The Confusion of Our Enemies. Other than the singer and lead guitarist, they were considerably more slovenly than the last time we saw them - they did have the guitarist , Zach, from Rise Against filling in, as well. Regardless, they were all highly exciting - especially the insane lead singer, who moves frantically and non-stop while singing great. While Reno Divorce played longer than scheduled and really over-extended their welcome, the Gamblers played for about half the time they were allotted but jam-packed that time with fantastic songs and an amazing performance. They ended with "The Art of Getting F#@%ed", their spelling song, which everyone joined in on, and at the climax, the singer jumped off the PA speakers and took out the Christmas lights that are the only lighting in the patio, much to the annoyance of the club but the amusement of the audience.

Well worth getting out in the middle of the night! The Gamblers say that they are going to take a hiatus and work on a new album, but hopefully they will get back out on the road soon because live is where it's at!

recommended gigs

I realized I didn't update my listing for this week!

Saturday May 24 - Rich'n'Mel's Birthday Party at Champagnes 6:00pm-12:00pm
Saturday May 24 - the Loud Pipes at the Double Down
Saturday May 24 - Brandon(fom Whiskey Breath) with the All Togethers at Boomers
Saturday May 24 - Eddie Bear and the Cubs at the Gold Spike

Wednesday May 28 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down
Wednesday May 28 - the All Togethers at the Griffin

Thursday May 29 - Fuzz Solow at Velveteen Rabbit w/Shayna Rain

Friday May 30 - Jinxy Bear at the Hard Hat Lounge
Friday May 30 - Crimson Balladeers at the Gold Spike

Saturday May 31 - The All Togethers at the Pioneer Saloon
Saturday May 31 - Whiskey Breath - Goldmine Tavern

Sunday June 1 - Time Crashers, Pirates of Pop, Kranken Welpen at the Dive Bar

Tuesday June 3 - Supersuckers at the Dive Bar! With Whiskey Breath, People's Whiskey, Leaving Springfield and Charlie Overdey

Thursday June 5 - Nashville Pussy at the Dive Bar! with the Loud Pipes and Black Jetts
Thursday June 5 - The Unwieldies at the Beauty Bar
Thursday June 5 - the All Togethers at the Hard Hat with Curse Words are Verbs

Saturday June 7 - Time Crashers at the Artistic Armory with SIX other bands
Saturday June 7 - Whiskey Breath, Jinxy Bear and North Coast Dave at Apache Joe's

Thursday June 19 - The All Togethers at the Gold Spike

Tuesday June 24 - Bogtrotters Union with Alex and His Meal Ticket, Tyler Gregory, Gospel and the Wolf and more at the Artistic Armory

Thursday June 26 - The Astaires at the House of Blues

Friday June 27 - Fuzz Solow at the Dive Bar

Saturday June 28 - the Swamp Gospel, the Psyatics and the Gentlemen of Four Outs at the Hard Hat

Sunday June 29 - The Stone Foxes, Lucky Cheats, Jack & the B-Fish at Triple B

Friday July 18 - the Psyatics at the Double Down

Saturday July 19 - the Swamp Gospel at the Double Down

Tuesday July 29 - Beau Hodges Band at Brooklyn Bowl with Dusty Sunshine and Kalsey Kulyk

What have I forgotten? Lemme know!

The Rosalyns - Hide and Seek EP

After seeing the Rosalyns again last night, of course, I had to pick up their new 7", 4-song vinyl EP, Hide and Seek, released on the Ugly Things record label! And, of course, you should, too!

This EP opens up with bassist Anja taking lead vocals in her native German (with harmonies from keyboardist Birdy) on Cindy and Bert's "Paranoid" (Black Sabbath) take-off "Der Hund von Baskerville". The guitars have plenty of raunch - these ladies are not trying to be 60's purists, they just wanna rock! - and both Amy and Diana take solos while drummer Lety pounds out the beat. All four frontwomen sing, and on the 60's pop tune from Rupert's People, "Dream in my Mind", Birdy is front and center, with Diana and Anja backing, and a cool dance groove backing it all.

Who else but someone names Diana Death would sing the vicious "Destroy That Boy" (originally by 60's girl group the What Four)? Nasty fuzz guitars meet sweet backing vocals and make some excellent rock'n'roll. I always loved Fleur de Lys and their high-energy "Hold On" (sung by Sharon Tandy) and here Birdy gives a terrific reading as the rhythm section raves on and Diana and Amy do an amazing, Detroit-styled, dual guitar lead section - just fantastic!

The sound here is cool and rockin', though my only complaint would be that the keys are buried. Regardless, an incredible slab of smokin' garage rock! And ya gotta love that they credit "The Riviera ironing board" for the selfie cover photos that they took in that Vegas hotel!

The Astaires

A short documentary on this young Vegas garage/mod band - check it out!

Trevor and the Jones with John Fallon and The Rosalyns at the Dive Bar May 21, 2014

I have ranted'n'raved about all of these acts previously, but getting them together in one show ensured that I would venture out, even mid-week, to partake in the rockin' psych and garage!

Locals Trevor and the Jones opened and this was the first time I've seen them with the new bassist (sorry, I didn't catch his name - I'm terrible at that) and the group seemed to gel better than ever and moved from riotous rockin' to far-out psychedelic trips smoothly and effortlessly. After the fast'n'furious opener Trevor and 2nd guitarist Joe both moved to 12-strings (each one odd brands - Trevor's with a whammy bar!) and did several tunes with 28 strings with Trevor letting loose some flying leads. Joe played cool, effects-laden keys on a couple of numbers while Trevor strummed tremelo'd guitar, hit some surf licks and sipped a drink during the keyboard solo!

Special guest John Fallon (of the 80's band, the Steppes) joined in and they busted out his new single "Ain't Got No Money" and all fell into place, bringing the tune to life. I know when I saw the Laissez Faires a few months ago they were a little shakey, but they've tightened up considerably on John's tunes and sounded great! They did a couple more Steppes' songs - "Drama Queen" (with some nice accents and dynamics) and the psych jam "No Name Yet For Henry" and then John stayed on stage for a slow, groovy Trevor original, with plenty of soloing from all three guitars at once. This show has got me looking forward to seeing more Laissez Faires gigs this summer!

Then, of course, the sparkling, mini-skirted garage-rockin' ladies of San Diego and Detroit, the Rosalyns, took the stage and showed us what we were in for right from the start with the Pleasure Seekers terrific "What a Way To Die"! There were a number of great songs from the last time they were out, like Anja singing in German the "Paranoid" take-off "Der Hund der Baskervilles", and new ones like "Go-Go-Gorilla" and Diana Death crooning "Get Off Of My Cloud" in Spanish! Plenty of excellent harmonies from the four lasses out front and top-notch playing from everyone.

Once again, Vegas was lucky enough to be a stop in their current mini-tour - thank you to Teresa Kidder for promoting this gig! - and once again they will be playing San Diego and LA, so be sure to see them if you are anywhere in the vicinity! These garage goddesses look great, play great and have enough edge and energy to satisfy any r'n'r junkie!

Roxy Music - Country Life

I know I say this a lot, but considering that I have gone through major Roxy Music phases over the past few years, it is surprising that I haven't written about them at all, apparently. This just happens to be the first one that I grabbed out of a bunch that I have.

Country Life was the band's fourth album, released in 1974 after Eno had left the band and, whether than had anything to do with it or not, this is a more straight-forward "rock" album - at least as much as the art-school denizens Roxy could ever do.

The opening "Thrill of it All" is a piano-pounder, with some fierce guitar playing from the amazing Phil Manzanera and solid rockin' from John Gustafson on bass and Paul Thompson on drums and new key/synth player Edwin Jobson adding some nice icing to the proceedings. "Three and Nine" is a quieter bit of psych/pop co-written and featuring horn-man Andy Mackay, along with Bryan Ferry on some melodic harmonica. They come back with some loud power chords in "All I Want Is You" and, again, Manzanera wails while Ferry adds pop melodies to the top. Flanged almost to the point of distraction is "Out of the Blue" that mixes artiness with psych and hard rock and gives Jobson some freedom to take off on his violin, which obviously influenced Ultravox! on their first album. Side one of the vinyl ended with a kinda honky-tonk/r'n'b number, "If It Takes All Night", with Mackay giving some 50's style sax-work and Ferry blowing some blues harp. Definitely versatile!

Speaking of their versatility, "Bitter-Sweet" starts as a piano ballad and then crashes with some guitar chords and an eerie-sounding oom-pah band while Ferry sings in German - aided in the lyrics by the scantily-clad cover models! And then "Triptych" has an Elizabethan choral flavor! But they get back into a mid-tempo rock groove in "Casanova", a dark tale of some self-proclaimed cad who is "flirting with heroin, or is it cocaine?" Great feel in this one! "A Really Good Time" is a soundtrack-ish ballad from Bryan with plenty of synth "orchestration". The record closed with "Prairie Rose", a rockin' ode to Ferry's love at the time, Texan Jerry Hall, with a typical mix of styles, ranging from C&W to art-rock - and somehow it works!

Of course, the cover photo was highly controversial at the time and was censored in many countries, but was certain to get the attention of the group's male fans! The musical direction made this the first Roxy album to break the American Top 40 record charts and made way for their break-through smash on their following album.

The Gospel Sound – Good News and Bad Times – Anthony Heilbut

Written in 1971 with an update in 1975, and another in the 80’s, this book tells the story of the old-school

gospel singers and groups. As I have started to learn a bit about this genre, there were some that I was familiar with – Sam Cooke, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Mahalia Jackson, of course – as well as others such as the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Sensational Nightingales, Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, Sallie Martin, Thomas A. Dorsey, the Ward Singers and many more. Heilbut is not afraid to criticize when he feels that artists have strayed from the path or lost their touch.

While I shouldn’t be surprised, as I certainly understand the hypocrisy of religion, the continual stories of drinking, drugs, gambling and carrying on – and groupies! – were more than I expected. Heilbut does not whitewash the reality of the gospel scene. Of course, artists of any type have always had admirers, but the Gospel Groupies apparently were just as flagrant, blatant and organized as the later rock’n’roll peers – right down to demanding free entry because of their groupie status! As in r’n’r, marriages often ended early and stars would wed numerous times – not exactly the “to death do us part” that the vows indicate!

There is a chapter on gospel radio DJ’s and the power they wielded, as well as the independent record companies that released a good number of the gospel records and created regional hits and stars. Towards the end a chapter is dedicated to those who had passed and the manner in which they passed – whether their funerals were extravagant or modest, whether they were remembered or forgotten – and a listing of some of the up-and-coming singers.

Heilbut does tie in modern culture with the genre and the changes that took place, with pop singers recording gospel, gospel singers recording pop and the cross-over of influences on both fields, as well as the fans reactions. He closes with a selected discography that gives some good tips on records to look for, though since the last update was several decades ago, some of these albums are no longer available, though others have taken their place.

All in all, a good overview of the gospel sound, even if Heilbut does assume some knowledge of the field – if you are not versed in Church of God in Christ, you may not fully understand some terms that he uses, though you get the gist within context. A little more explanation would have been nice for outsiders. In any case, an entertaining read.

Blue Oyster Cult - On Your Feet Or On Your Knees

This live album came out before the band hit big with their fourth record and "Don't Fear the Reaper" and so it compiles some of the best tunes from the first three, along with a couple of bonuses. A number of songs are drawn out more than the studio versions, with extended jams (even the opening "The Subhuman" is significantly longer) and with much more synthesizer - which I don't think appeared on the "official" recordings - or, if so, it was sparingly.

These cats were all exceptional musicians - Buck Dharma is, of course, a guitar genius, but everyone here is amazing and are all firing on all cylinders. Allen Lanier plays keys, but is also a terrific guitarist and singer Eric Bloom gets in some licks, as well. Brothers Joe and Albert Bouchard (bass and drums, respectively) are a phenomenal rhythm section, who can take off with next to no notice and stop on a dime, as they do in the added rave-up in "Harvester of Eyes". "Hot Rails to Hell" is wildly fierce (I didn't realize that Joe sang this one) and Buck goes off on a blistering solo tangent while "The Red and the Black" is, incredibly, even faster than the speedy studio take. Starting out pretty much the way you would expect it, "Seven Screaming Dizbusters" turns into a crazed jam, with plenty of dynamics and energy and then devolves into a fairly silly rap by Eric about selling his soul to the devil.

Taking a cue from the 60's guitar gods - who stole the idea from the bluesmen - we get "Buck's Boogie", an instro jam with hints of Jeff Beck, the Beatles, Cream and others and then Buck takes lead vocals for his fabulous ballad about a drug deal gone bad, "Last Days of May", where it gets a bit more bite and he gets to add some more stinging leads. One of their best-known numbers at this point was Albert's heavy-metal-riff-masterpiece, "Cities On Flame With Rock'n'Roll" and here is it especially smokin'. "ME262" is particularly heavy - appropriately, as it is about dropping bombs ("heavy metal fruit") - and adds a new instrumental middle section.

They come back for an encore of "Before the Kiss (A Redcap)" (Buck again taking lead vocal) and then do their own heavy metal version of Jimmy Reed's "I Ain't Got You" that becomes a vehicle for Dharma to play on his own for a while and then briefly becomes "Cat's Squirrel" before closing out. The finale here is the anthem or all heavy metal anthems, "Born To Be Wild", which they do pretty straight, other than a synthisizer solo, until the noise-filled ending.

As usual with live albums, I say that novices should start with the studio records, but this is a mighty powerful romp, with some extraordinary playing. You will want this one!

Leroy Carr - Prison Bound Blues

This collection of late 20's/early 30's urban blues from pianist Leroy Carr, accompanied by guitarist/partner

Scrapper Blackwell (not sure why he is not credited on the cover), is a solid selection showing the influence this duo had on the blues and on its cultural migration from the South to Chicago. Leroy was a drinker (see his self-referential "Sloppy Drunk") and Scrapper received his nickname for his propensity for fighting, so the two were highly volatile but also highly creative and they worked well together, giving Chicago a new sound.

Influencing most blues performers to come - Robert Johnson even nicked some ideas with the couple - Leroy & Scrapper had a number of hits and remained popular through their final, 1935 recording session of the prophetic "Six Cold Feet In the Ground". A week later, Carr was dead and Scrapper retired and was shot and killed in the early 60's, denying him the opportunity to cash in on the blues resurgence.

While there is a definite edge to this music, it is smoother and more urbane than some of my favorite blues - and I am partial to guitar-oriented rather than keyboard-oriented, in general. That said, this is still a fine set of songs and well worth the discount price these "Discount Blues" releases normally go for. There is a booklet with a short biography, though there are more ads for the label than text - fair enough, as you'll probably want more of their CDs, but not extensive on the info - though you will discover the recording dates and personnel (occasionally someone extra, like Josh White). Good stuff!

recommended gigs

Thursday May 15 - Tarah Grace and the Magnetics at the House of Blues

Friday May 16 - Beau Hodges Band - Container Park
Friday May 16 - Fuzz Solow w/Toy Bombs at the Gold Spike
Friday May 16 - Whiskey Breath at Club Fortune

Saturday May 17 - Moanin' Blacksnakes at Bar 702

Monday May 19 - the Astaires at the Beauty Bar

Tuesday May 20 - Wayne Hancock w/Eddie Bear & The Cubs, Fuzz Solow and Whiskey Breath - Dive Bar

Wednesday May 21 - the Astaires, Laissez Fairs and Rosalyns at the Dive Bar
Wednesday May 21 - The Standells at the Cheyenne Saloon

Thursday May 22 - The Psyatics with Peter Murphy and the Dickies at LV Country Saloon

Saturday May 24 - Rich'n'Mel's Birthday Party at Champagnes 6:00pm-12:00pm
Saturday May 24 - the Loud Pipes at the Double Down
Saturday May 24 - Brandon(fom Whiskey Breath) with the All Togethers at Boomers
Saturday May 24 - Eddie Bear and the Cubs at the Gold Spike

Wednesday May 28 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Thursday May 29 - Fuzz Solow at Velveteen Rabbit w/Shayna Rain

Friday May 30 - Jinxy Bear at the Hard Hat Lounge
Friday May 30 - Crimson Balladeers at the Gold Spike

Saturday May 31 - The All Togethers at the Pioneer Saloon
Saturday May 31 - Whiskey Breath - Goldmine Tavern

Tuesday June 3 - Supersuckers at the Dive Bar! With Whiskey Breath, People's Whiskey, Leaving Springfield and Charlie Overdey

Thursday June 5 - Nashville Pussy at the Dive Bar! with the Loud Pipes and Black Jetts
Thursday June 5 - The Unwieldies at the Beauty Bar

Saturday June 7 - Time Crashers at the Artistic Armory with SIX other bands
Saturday June 7 - Whiskey Breath, Jinxy Bear and North Coast Dave at Apache Joe's

Thursday June 19 - The All Togethers at the Gold Spike

Tuesday June 24 - Bogtrotters Union with Alex and His Meal Ticket, Tyler Gregory, Gospel and the Wolf and more at the Artistic Armory

Thursday June 26 - The Astaires at the House of Blues

Friday June 27 - Fuzz Solow at the Dive Bar

Saturday June 28 - the Swamp Gospel, the Psyatics and the Gentlemen of Four Outs at the Hard Hat

Sunday June 29 - The Stone Foxes, Lucky Cheats, Jack & the B-Fish at Triple B

Friday July 18 - the Psyatics at the Double Down

Saturday July 19 - the Swamp Gospel at the Double Down

Tuesday July 29 - Beau Hodges Band at Brooklyn Bowl with Dusty Sunshine and Kalsey Kulyk

What have I forgotten? Lemme know!

Dorothy Love Coates and the Original Gospel Harmonettes - Get On Board

As I've mentioned before, I have been exploring the Gospel genre when I can and have recently picked up a book on the subject (more on that once I have finished it) which has given me some tips on acts to explore. One of them was Dorothy Love Coates, who appears here with her group, the Original Gospel Harmonettes. This collection, with liner note's from the afore-mentioned book's author (Anthony Heilbut), contains the combo's hits as well as a number of unreleased tracks, gives a good overview of their sound.

While my favorite gospel numbers are a bit more raw and bluesy, these group harmony tunes are very well done and still have a bit of edge and energy in their performances. This sound is probably what most people think of as traditional gospel - a lead, belting vocalist, with group harmony singers "answering" in the background. You can easily see where the soul singers like Aretha Franklin got their styles - and they will freely admit it, I'm sure.

Most likely, some of this is due to my unfamiliarity with the genre, but there is definitely a sameness to the tunes here. Regardless, this is still a fine collection of strong performances that are powerful and representative of this style.

this is cool

Neil Young, Jack White Cut Vinyl Record Live on 'Tonight Show'
---

Union Carbide Productions - Remastered to be Recycled

A European friend first turned me on to UCP in the 80's and I was immediately blown away by their intensely crazed and noisy take on Detroit 70's raw power and have searched out whatever I could find from them.  In the Air Tonight and Financially Dissatisfied are my two favorites, but I dig everything that I've heard so far - even the modern-day offshoot, Soundtrack of Our Lives. This CD is a compilation of album cuts, demos and singles and has enough bonus material and different mixes to make it another essential purchase for fans, although the "official" records should be picked up first.
them ever since.

This set gives you a good overview of the group, from the Detroit sax madness of the opener "Glad to Have You Back" to the slower and moodier (but still plenty raucous) "Chameleon Ride" to the utterly insane "Ring My Bell" and utterly ferocious "Financial Declaration" that sounds like a thousand guitars fighting it out for supremacy while Ebbott thrashes his voice over it all! "San Francisco Boogie" is a wildly different mix - with sitar as the main instrument here! - and there are quieter numbers like "Golden Age" and the psychedelic "Mr. Untitled". Looks like the only song here that was never released in any form is their cover of the MC5's "Future Now" that adds some nice, way-out horn work here.

Everything here is strong, so it would be a good starting point for a novice, as well as something for those who want everything. There's a nice booklet with the story of the band and an explanation of the origins of the songs, as well as some cool pix. Well done!

Grand Funk Railroad - E Pluribus Funk

As I've raved before, GFRR was a fave band of mine right up through "We're An American Band", though they certainly started to go downhill not long after that. Their first couple of albums were obviously highly influential in the grunge and punk'n'roll scenes and are as mean'n'nasty today as the day they were released. By the time that this, their 5th studio album (and last to be produced by Terry Knight), was recorded, they were a bit slicker, but still a tough rockin' Detroit r'n'r outfit.

Opening with the fantastic organ-driven (and appropriately titled) "Footstompin' Music", they show that they were still filled with groovy high-energy that was guaranteed to get an audience moving! They have a funky protest song (remember, this was still 1971) in "People, Let's Stop The War", where Mark and Don trade vocals, and this feel continues - in a more upbeat and bluesy way (dig Mark's harp playing!) - in "Upsetter". "I Come Tumblin'" is another fine piece of wild Detroit r'n'r with Mark riffin' for all he's worth, but also still playing with dynamics in a quieter bridge section that bursts back in with cymbals smashes and "Oh! Yeahs!"

Side two of the vinyl opened with the drivin' environmentalist anthem "Save the Land", followed by a somewhat slower groove in "No Lies" where Mark lets out some fierce leads. I know that he was knocked at the time because he wasn't a slick, Jimmy Page-type soloist, but I love his wah-ed, distorted, on-the-edge licks! The album closed with the lengthy, darkly moody "Loneliness", another paean to the environment, complete with full orchestration. At just under 9 minutes, this can get a bit much, though thankfully there are enough changes so it isn't too predictable - the upbeat instrumental bridge being a highlight (though the symphonic ending goes on a bit long).

Bonus tracks on the CD include a live medley from Dayton, Ohio, recorded in '71 of "I'm Your Captain"/"Closer To Home"/"Hooked on Love"/"Get It Together", which really works in a live setting - I dig the lack of strings here, myself. Don & Mel get a rhythm section workout in a live from Detroit "Mark Says Alright" and Mark also cuts loose, of course. as they thrash in a maniacal style here - a great ending!

While not the best GFRR album, this is right up there and is something any lover of Detroit r'n'r should own!

Fuzz Solow, Jinxy Bear and Whiskey Breath at the Hard Hat Lounge Friday May 9, 2014

The Hard Hat Lounge is quickly becoming a fave hang for me - while kinda in the middle of nowhere, it is easy to get to, the people working there are all super cool, the drinks are reasonable and the food is great! Not to mention that they will have hip shows like this one once in a while!

So, this was another gig where I opened, but right after me came the mighty Fuzz Solow. I've ranted'n'raved about this one-man band a number of times and he always comes to entertain. As usual, he channels Howlin' Wolf for his opening version of "Built For Comfort", he turns Hendrix' "Manic Depression" into a new tune and he wails on his Strat - and his home made cigar box slide guitar - on originals like "Midnight Sun" and "Sinner". He plays with effects from a sweet tremelo on his guitar to creating a song with looping licks and beat box sounds so that he can walk through the audience and shake hands and pass out stickers and business cards! He came back to the stage for one more number before reprising "Built for Comfort" as the crowd cheered him on!

After that high-powered mayhem came Jinxy Bear, the man who set up the show and arranged for this cool line-up. Normally, I have seen him perform solo - and his unique guitar style adds percussion and bass to the melody all on his own - but he has been working with others now and again and this evening he brought along his friend Trevor to play leads. I was wondering if this was going to work at first since Jinx' sound is pretty full on its own, but it really did. Trevor snaked around Jinx' melodies, often playing slide with some subtle effects that never over-powered. They've done a good job of working together - it will be interesting to see how this progresses and who else ends up in Jinx's musical circle.

Closing the night was Brandon and Laum from Whiskey Breath, performing acoustically. I've seen these cats with and without the full band, but they never disappoint with their fine songs and Brandon's exceptional voice. They did their songs of drinkin', lovin' and fightin', as well as covers of David Allen Coe's lascivious "Shallow Throat" and the ubiquitous "Folsom Prison Blues" which had Ken from the All Togethers running to his vehicle to grab his banjo and join in. Ken & Cindy also helped out on "Wagon Wheel", along with the encores, as well as pantomiming/dancing to the violent "She Broke My Heart So I Busted Her Jaw" (which has gotten Brandon banned from at least one establishment without a sense of humor). Everyone was highly lubricated by this point in the evening and it seemed like this could continue through the night, but eventually the boys decided to stop so that they could continue drinking!

 

Another fab night of fun, diverse and unique original music! Glad that this groovy, old bar has decided to add to Vegas' musical heritage!

recommended gigs

Friday May 9 - Jinxy Bear with Prophet Greene, Whiskey Breath and Fuzz Solow at the Hard Hat Lounge
Friday May 9 - the Unwieldies at the Dillinger

Saturday May 10 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down with the New Waves, the Bitters and Stormtroopers of Dirk

Sunday May 11 - The Unwieldies at the Container Park 2:30pm - 4:30pm
Sunday May 11 - Killian's Angels at Henderson Artfest at 2:30pm

Thursday May 15 - Tarah Grace and the Magnetics at the House of Blues

Friday May 16 - Beau Hodges Band - Container Park
Friday May 16 - Fuzz Solow w/Toy Bombs at the Gold Spike
Friday May 16 - Whiskey Breath at Club Fortune

Saturday May 17 - Moanin' Blacksnakes at Bar 702

Monday May 19 - the Astaires at the Beauty Bar

Tuesday May 20 - Wayne Hancock w/Eddie Bear & The Cubs, Fuzz Solow and Whiskey Breath - Dive Bar

Wednesday May 21 - the Astaires, Laissez Fairs and Rosalyns at the Dive Bar
Wednesday May 21 - The Standells at the Cheyenne Saloon

Thursday May 22 - The Psyatics with Peter Murphy and the Dickies at LV Country Saloon

Saturday May 24 - Rich'n'Mel's Birthday Party at Champagnes 6:00pm-12:00pm
Saturday May 24 - the Loud Pipes at the Double Down
Saturday May 24 - Brandon(fom Whiskey Breath) with the All Togethers at Boomers

Wednesday May 28 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Thursday May 29 - Fuzz Solow at Velveteen Rabbit w/Shayna Rain

Friday May 30 - Jinxy Bear at the Hard Hat Lounge
Friday May 30 - Crimson Balladeers at the Gold Spike

Saturday May 31 - The All Togethers at the Pioneer Saloon

Tuesday June 3 - Supersuckers at the Dive Bar! With Whiskey Breath, People's Whiskey, Leaving Springfield and Charlie Overdey

Thursday June 5 - Nashville Pussy at the Dive Bar! with the Loud Pipes and Black Jetts

Saturday June 7 - Time Crashers at the Artistic Armory with SIX other bands
Saturday June 7 - Whiskey Breath, Jinxy Bear and North Coast Dave at Apache Joe's

Thursday June 19 - The All Togethers at the Gold Spike

Friday June 27 - Fuzz Solow at the Dive Bar

Saturday June 28 - the Swamp Gospel, the Psyatics and the Gentlemen of Four Outs at the Hard Hat

Sunday June 29 - The Stone Foxes, Lucky Cheats, Jack & the B-Fish at Triple B

Friday July 18 - the Psyatics at the Double Down

Saturday July 19 - the Swamp Gospel at the Double Down

Tuesday July 29 - Beau Hodges Band at Brooklyn Bowl with Dusty Sunshine and Kalsey Kulyk

What have I forgotten? Lemme know!

recommended gigs

Sunday May 4 - Thee Swank Bastards at Artifice

Friday May 9 - Jinxy Bear with Prophet Greene and Fuzz Solow at the Hard Hat Lounge
Friday May 9 - the Unwieldies at the Dillinger

Saturday May 10 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down with the New Waves, the Bitters and Stormtroopers of Dirk

Sunday May 11 - The Unwieldies at the Container Park 2:30pm - 4:30pm

Thursday May 15 - Tarah Grace and the Magnetics at the House of Blues 

Monday May 19 - the Astaires at the Beauty Bar

Tuesday May 20 - Wayne Hancock w/Eddie Bear & The Cubs and Whiskey Breath - Dive Bar

Wednesday May 21 - the Astaires, Laissez Fairs and Rosalyns at the Dive Bar
Wednesday May 21 - The Standells at the Cheyenne Saloon

Thursday May 22 - The Psyatics with Peter Murphy and the Dickies at LV Country Saloon

Saturday May 24 - the Loud Pipes at the Double Down

Wednesday May 28 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Friday May 30 - Jinxy Bear at the Hard Hat Lounge

Saturday May 31 - The All Togethers at the Pioneer Saloon

Tuesday June 3 - Supersuckers at the Dive Bar!

Thursday June 5 - Nashville Pussy at the Dive Bar! with the Loud Pipes and Black Jetts

Saturday June 7 - Time Crashers at the Artistic Armory with SIX other bands

Thursday June 19 - The All Togethers at the Gold Spike

Saturday June 28 - the Swamp Gospel, the Psyatics and the Gentlemen of Four Outs at the Hard Hat

Friday July 18 - the Psyatics at the Double Down

Saturday July 19 - the Swamp Gospel at the Double Down

What have I forgotten? Lemme know!