recommended gigs

Friday August 1 - Jinxy Bear at Artifice
Friday August 1 - Tarah Grace and High Horse at Jalisco Cantina

Saturday August 2 - The Swamp Gospel at the Double Down with garage legends the Sloths

Sunday August 3 - Thee Pussyramers at Pussyrama at the Artifice
Sunday August 3 - the Dashabouts at Hennessey's

Monday August 4 - the Dashabouts at Hennessey's

Thursday August 7 - the Boss Martians, Nu Waves and Surf Coasters at the Double Down
Thursday August 7 - the People's Whiskey, Tarah Grace and the Magnetics and Big Like Texas at Vamp'd

Friday August 8 - the Super Zeroes at the Double Down

Saturday August 9 - The Unweildies at the Dillinger
Saturday August 9 - Tarah Grace and High Horse at the Hard Hat
Saturday August 9 - the Moanin' Blacksnakes at the Sand Dollar

Thursday August 14 - the Sonics with the Swamp Gospel at the Hard Rock on Las Vegas

Friday August 15 - Deep Purple at Fremont Street Experience 3rd St Stage 9:00pm
Friday August 15 - Whiskey Breath at Goldmine Tavern

Saturday August 16 - The Psyatics with the Rick Agnew Band at Triple B
Saturday August 16 - Whiskey Breath at House of Blues
Saturday August 16 - The Chicken Shack at the Double Down presents the Blooze Brothers

Sunday August 17 - the Loud Pipes and Zig Zags at the Dive Bar

Friday August 22 - Whiskey Breath at the Dive Bar with Whitey Morgan

Saturday August 23 - the Phenomenauts and Time Crashers at the Dive Bar
Saturday August 23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Pioneer Saloon for Roxy's Burlesque Car Show

Wednesday August 27 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Friday August 29 - the Super Zeroes at the Hard Hat Lounge
Friday August 29 - Whiskey Breath at the Dillinger

Saturday August 30 - the Psyatics at the Double Down

Friday Sept 5 - Double Down Radio's 6th Anniversary Bash with Sheep On a Cliff, the Bitters, Fuzz Solow and the Pluralses

Saturday Sept 6 - the Weirdos at the Dive Bar

Tuesday September 9 - The Clydesdale, Crimson Balladeers, the Badlands - Brooklyn Bowl

Friday Sept 26 - the Psyatics at Time Out Sports Bar
Friday Sept 26 - Crazy Chief, the Sonic Saints, the New Waves and Frank and Deans at the Double Down

Sunday October 5 - the Psyatics and Sham 69 at the Dive Bar

Saturday October 11 - Gentlemen of Four Outs perform for a benefit for the Huntridge (70th Anniversary!) at the Mesquite Club (702 St Louis) - details to follow
Saturday October 11 - the Angry Samoans at the Dive Bar

Tuesday October 14 - the Unwieldies with Wayne Hancock at the Dive Bar

Sunday November 16 - the Psyatics with Har Mar Superstar and Pizza Underground at LV Country Saloon

Saturday Jan 10, 2015 - the Psyatics with the Dictators at LV Country Saloon

What have I forgotten? Lemme know!

Tom Waits - Big Time

I am not well-versed in Tom Waits post-Island Records career, though I am getting more intrigued by this noisier portion of his trajectory. This live album came from his 1987 tour promoting Frank's Wild Years and was his first concert album (Nighthawks at the Dinner being recorded in front of an audience, but in a converted studio setting and consisting of new material) and was also released as a live movie (not sure if it is available on DVD at this time - can't find it if it is).

The songs here are mostly from his trilogy of Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs and Frank's Wild Years, though there are a couple of surprises, such as the reworking of "Red Shoes". As such, the tunes are fairly cacophonous though some reflect his earlier, jazzier tendencies, such as "Straight to the Top" and "Yesterday is Here", which could have easily come off of Small Change. Naturally, I dig the religious mania of "Way Down in the Hole", a mix of his younger days with some jagged guitar lines. The varied instrumentation is nice - the accordion in "Falling Down", the acoustic instruments in "Strange Weather", the demented carnival music of "Big Black Mariah", the psychotic sea chanty of "Rain Dogs", the piano ballads of "Train Song", "Johnsburg, Illinois" and "Ruby's Arms", the return of the band for the jump-jive of "Telephone Call from Istanbul", the bizarre exotica of "Clap Hands" and "Gun Street Girl" and then concluding with the quiet guitar ballad, "Time".

A good selection of material showing that his wackier tendencies were able to be translated into a live setting.

Muddy Waters - I'm Ready

After the run-away success of Hard Again, Johnny Winter again took Muddy into the studio for another back-to-the-basics blues album. Most of the same personnel as the previous record reappear but this time they add the amazing Jimmy Rogers on guitar and two harmonica players - Big Walter Horton from the old days and Jerry Portnoy from Muddy's then-current touring band. This record garnered Muddy another Grammy and strengthened his come-back - as if it needed it!

Again, Bob Margolin provides liner notes describing the sessions and the way that things came about, which is a cool insider's story. The sound, production, playing and set list is again terrific, with some tones sounding so original, you'd think it was from the 50's (check the guitar lines from "Who Do You Trust"!). The initial title track has Muddy as blustering and confident as ever, "33 Years" and "Who Do You Trust" both have plenty of classic blues licks (including some stinging slide from the man on the former and Winter on the latter). There's lots of groovy jams in "Copper Brown" and Winter gets a workout on the swingin' "Hootchie Cootchie Man". "Mamie" is a slow original with Waters on the slide again and "Rock Me" is as sexy and sultry as ever, followed by another smoldering "Screamin' and Cryin'" and the vinyl closer, the bouncin' "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl".

The CD gives us three extra cuts, "No Escape From the Blues" (in which Pinetop finally gets to show off a bit, along with the rest of the crew), Jimmy Rogers takes lead vocals for the first couple verses of the remake of his first big hit "That's Alright" before letting Muddy have a turn and then duetting on the ending, and then everything comes to a conclusion with a rockin' "Lonely Man Blues".

Hard Again is the essential come-back record, but this one is damn strong too - worth getting!

RIP Dick Wagner

Another huge talent gone:
Dick Wagner, Legendary Guitarist, Passes Away at 71
---
Dick was in Detroit legends the Frost, in Lou Reed's band and Alice Cooper's band, as well as countless others. Another terrible loss.

Jeff Dahl - Wicked

I've got quite a number of Jeff's records and all are cool, but this one is one of my faves - great songs, great

production and great playing throughout. Guest stars abound here, from Dave Nazworthy (Chemical People), John Duffy (Powertrip/Shillaly Brothers), Bruce Duff (innumerable groups), Jaime Pina (Punk Rock Vatos), Amy Wichmann (Mini Skirt Mob/Jeff Dahl Group), Rikk Agnew (Adolescents), Melanie Vammen (Pandoras/Leaving Trains), Tony Adolescent and more!

This opens with the fabulous "Lisa's World", commenting on our mutual friend, Lisa Lombardo, whose solo record Jeff produced and I played on. Cool punk rock with a catchy chorus and breakdown ending in "Look at You", pure high energy in "The Face of an Angel", one of Jeff's classic riffs is the basis for "Just Like They Should" (with a hot Jamie Pina solo), "Radio Babylon" is a highlight, with Jeff playing some fine leads, ala his glam record. Melanie adds some keys and ambiance to "Tonight" that also has a neat'n'clean guitar solo by Paul Moser, which is followed by the ultra-frantic "Forever", then the over-driven "Arizona" (apparently about his self-imposed exile from LA to Cave Creek, AZ.), with an Amy lead and Jeff doing a call'n'answer with himself. "Just a Little Bit More" is a bit glammy while "Real High School Romance" is pure pop-punk (in a good way, of course!). Dahl has never been shy about his love for Mott the Hoople and although his take on "The Moon Upstairs" is brutally and viciously fast punk rock, it still pulses with the spirit of the original. The finale is the title cut, a beautiful noise fest (with a beat) worthy of "LA Blues" - fantastic!

As I've said, damn near anything that this man does is worthy of owning, but this one is particularly powerful all around.

Muddy Waters - Hard Again

In the 70's, Johnny Winters' manager started up Blue Sky Records for Johnny, then a rock'n'roll superstar, and Johnny decide he wanted to release other music as well, and saw this as a way to help his friend and mentor, Muddy Waters. Muddy's career had faltered for years at this time, due to Chess not knowing how to properly package and promote the blues superstar. Winters' connection to this project - he produced and played guitar - made sure that many r'n'r kids heard Muddy for the first time and restarted his career.

Here Johnny and Muddy teamed up with members of Muddy's touring band - Bob Margolin (guitar), Pinetop Perkins (the legendary piano pounder), James Cotton (also legendary harpist), Charles Calmese on bass and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith on drums - and got the gang to play live in the studio - as things were done in the old days. Obviously, this worked well, as the album sounds amazing, was a huge hit, garnered plenty of critical acclaim and even won a Grammy - not bad for an "aging" bluesman!

The set list is pretty damn terrific, too, opening with Muddy's (by way of Bo Diddley) calling card "Mannish Boy" and running through "Bus Driver", "I Want to Be Loved" (the Stones covered this early on thanks to Muddy's original version), "Jealous Hearted Man" (Cotton is smokin' here), an acoustic "I Can't Be Satisfied" (updating his first Chess release with Johnny playing Muddy's original lines), his "The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll" (not my fave, but solid), a slow, stompin' "Deep Down in Florida", the superb groove of the lewd "Crosseyed Cat", and the vinyl closed with the smoldering "Little Girl", though this reissue CD includes one more, the previously unreleased "Walking Through the Park'.

Margolin provides extensive liner notes in the booklet - as he does on the other "comeback" reissues - and explains how Muddy named the album - it sounded so good to him that it "made my little pee-pee hard again"! The Chess originals are absolutely essential, but this is a fine rockin' remake with some excellent playing.

recommended gigs

Thursday July 24 - the Psyatics with Peter Murphy at LV Country Saloon
Thursday July 24 - the Plurares at the Double Down with SlutHammer

Friday July 25 - Jason Charles Miller with Brandon Madejek, Fishing Season and London Mace

Saturday July 26 - the Super Zeroes at the Hard Rock Cafe
Saturday July 26 - the All Togethers at the Pioneer Saloon

Monday July 28 - the Pine Hill Haints with the All Togethers, Swank Bastards, Bombon, My First Rodeo and the Unwieldies at the Hard Hat Lounge

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
Wednesday July 30 - Fuzz Solow, Easter Teeth, Illicitor and Firewater Folklore at House of Wonk

Friday August 1 - Jinxy Bear at Artifice

Saturday August 2 - The Swamp Gospel at the Double Down with garage legends the Sloths

Sunday August 3 - Thee Pussyramers at Pussyrama at the Artifice

Thursday August 7 - the Boss Martians, Nu Waves and Surf Coasters at the Double Down

Friday August 8 - the Super Zeroes at the Double Down

Saturday August 9 - The Unweildies at the Dillinger
Saturday August 9 - Tarah Grace and High Horse at the Hard Hat

Thursday August 14 - the Sonics at the Hard Rock on Las Vegas

Friday August 15 - Deep Purple at Fremont Street Experience 3rd St Stage 9:00pm

Saturday August 16 - The Psyatics with the Rick Agnew Band at Triple B

Sunday August 17 - the Loud Pipes and Zig Zags at the Dive Bar

Saturday August 23 - the Phenomenauts and Time Crashers at the Dive Bar
Saturday August 23 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Pioneer Saloon

Wednesday August 27 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down

Friday August 29 - the Super Zeroes at the Hard Hat Lounge

Saturday August 30 - the Psyatics at the Double Down

Friday Sept 5 - Double Down Radio's 6th Anniversary Bash with Sheep On a Cliff, the Bitters, Fuzz Solow and the Pluralses

Saturday Sept 6 - the Weirdos at the Dive Bar

Tuesday September 9 - The Clydesdale, Crimson Balladeers - Brooklyn Bowl

Friday Sept 26 - the Psyatics at Time Out Sports Bar

Sunday October 5 - the Psyatics and Sham 69 at the Dive Bar

Saturday October 11 - Gentlemen of Four Outs perform for a benefit for the Huntridge (70th Anniversary!) at the Mesquite Club (702 St Louis) - details to follow

Tuesday October 14 - the Unwieldies with Wayne Hancock at the Dive Bar

Sunday November 16 - the Psyatics with Har Mar Superstar and Pizza Underground at LV Country Saloon

Saturday Jan 10, 2015 - the Psyatics with the Dictators at LV Country Saloon

What have I forgotten? Lemme know!

Negro Religious Songs and Services - The Library of Congress Archive of Folk Culture

This 15 song CD consists of religious songs that John & Alan Lomax recorded throughout the Southern states of the US between 1934 and 1942. They are performed with minimal accompaniment - if any - and the booklet gives as much details as possible after this many years. Many of the tunes are quite short - some under and some just barely a minute - but all are sung with considerable emotion and power. Of course, at this time, gospel, blues, and folk overlapped but most of the songs here have a blues-y feel.

Highlights include the haunting "Ain't No Grave Can Hold My Body Down", sung acapella by Bozie Sturdivant, "Down on Me" (later updated by Janis Joplin and Big Brother on Cheap Thrills), sung by Dock Reed (also acapella), as well as his duet with Vera Hall on "Certainly, Lord", and the fantastic spoken/shouted/sung sermon "The Man of Calvary" by Sin-Killer Griffin! He and his congregation also do a call-and-answer choral singing in "Wasn't That a Mighty Storm", then there is a five-part harmony piece by various inmates from Cummins State Farm on "Holy Babe" and several numbers sung with harmonica by Turner Junior Johnson.

I love this raw and earthy music, whether religious or secular, and this is another fine collection.

The Rolling Stones - Singles Collections * The London Years

The title pretty well says it all for this one - this 3-CD box set contains all of the Stones' singles - A'n'B-Sides - from their debut (covering Chuck Berry's "Come On") through "Sympathy For the Devil", which was apparently released as a single well after the album since this is the last track on this (supposedly) chronological collection and the "Brown Sugar"/"Wild Horses" 45 is several cut prior. Most fans will have most, if not all, of these cuts, but it's a good compilation, with a few surprises.

While they were still struggling, their more famous pals, the Beatles, wrote a number for them and "I Wanna Be Your Man" is blistering compared to the Fab Four's take on it, with Wyman's drivin' bass and Jones' fantastic, stingin' slide work. Another early r'n'b work-out, "Stoned", is mostly instrumental but has Mick claiming that he is "stoned...out of my mind" backed by Ian Stewart's rollickin' piano and some excellent lead work. Not surprising that this one didn't hit the charts! Of course, all the big hits are here - plenty of early r'n'b ravers, some acoustic sides, some pure blues and, as time went on, some psych numbers from Their Satanic Majesties Request. I dig that stuff a lot, but it is a kind of a knock-out when the next release after these psych songs was the damn-near-perfect rock'n'roll of "Jumpin' Jack Flash". Talk about a return to form!

The final CD has cuts from their three best records - Let it Bleed, Beggars Banquet and Sticky Fingers - as well as Mick's "Memo From Turner", cut with Ry Cooder for the Performance soundtrack, and a couple more obscure ones, "I Don't Know Why" and the swingin' "Jiving Sister Fanny".

Don't know if I'd call this essential, seeing as all of the albums through Exile on Main Street are all essential, but this is a cool comp and it's nice to have all of these in one place. Good stuff!

Muddy "Mississippi" Waters Live

After the success of Muddy Waters' Johnny Winters-produced comeback album Hard Again, Winters went

on the road with the man and this document is the result of their travels. The original vinyl album was edited a bit, but here on this 2-CD set we (supposedly, at least) get the full versions of the songs along with a number of extras.

Because of Johnny's participation, a number of rock'n'rollers probably heard this giant for the first time doing his own material that had been covered by innumerable younger, white bands. Of course, the monumental "Mannish Boy" is included (with Winter singing a verse), followed by the salacious "Nineteen Years Old", where Waters' plays slide and elongates the ending with some of his classic grunts, groans and laughter. Sonny Boy Williamson's "Nine Below Zero" is solid, with some cool Pinetop Perkins keys, and Muddy is back on slide on "Streamline Woman", which is nice, as he sounds like he's having a blast and he (mostly) put aside his guitar for a number of years before this "comeback" (not that he ever went away).

Funnily enough, he has a harmonica-driven tune called "Howling Wolf" (considering his rivalry with that man) and then his groovy take on the terrific "Baby, Please Don't Go" before Disc One closes with the extended "Deep Down in Florida", where each member of his terrific band gets a chance to show off.

Disc 2 opens loosely with Pinetop plucking out a blues and introducing Muddy and then Muddy introducing the band as they slip into a medley of "After Hours/Stormy Monday Blues" (with more than a nod to T-Bone Walker in the guitar solo). A strong "Trouble No More" follows and then a crowd favorite, "Champagne and Reefer". Pinetop leads off "Corrina, Corrina", not one of my faves, but cool, though "Hootchie Kootchie Man" is always a stormer. Waters takes to the slide again for the sexy and swagggering "She Moves Me", but their "Kansas City", while nice, with some good solos, is fairly inconsequential, even with Pinetop sharing the lead vocals. Showing that Muddy wasn't afraid to share the spotlight (he probably appreciated the break), he lets his piano player do "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie", as well - a vehicle used by many others throughout the years and which lets everyone take a lead, including the legendary drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith.

"Mad Love" is more of Muddy's sensuous blues - he was quite the ladies' man - and "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" is a cool rocker and another method for introducing his group and then turning over the lead vocals to Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson before ending the proceedings with a rapid-fire "Got My Mojo Working", sounding not unlike the legendary Newport Jazz Festival version.

There is a superb, full color booklet included, with copious liner notes by Muddy's long time guitarist Bob Margolin - so, full band is Jerry Portnoy on harp, Luther Johnson, Bob Margolin and, on disc one, Johnny Winter on guitars, Calvin Jones on bass, Pinetop on piano and Willie Smith on drums - quite a line-up! His early work is still my fave, but this was a great return to form and would've been a gas to witness.

recommended gigs

Friday July 18 - the Psyatics at the Double Down
Friday July 18 - the Loud Pipes at the Triple B with Planes Mistaken for Stars, All Eyes West, Illicitor, Mercy Music and Fredward

Saturday July 19 - the Swamp Gospel at the Double Down

Wednesday July 23 - Crazy Chief at the Griffin

Friday July 25 - Jason Charles Miller with Brandon Madejek, Fishing Season and London Mace

Saturday July 26 - the Super Zeroes at the Hard Rock Cafe
Saturday July 26 - the All Togethers at the Pioneer Saloon

Monday July 28 - the Pine Hill Haints with the All Togethers, Swank Bastards, Bombon, My First Rodeo and the Unwieldies at the Hard Hat Lounge

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

Saturday August 2 - The Swamp Gospel at the Double Down with garage legends the Sloths

Thursday August 7 - the Boss Martians, Nu Waves and Surf Coasters at the Double Down

Friday August 8 - the Super Zeroes at the Double Down

Saturday August 9 - The Unweildies at the Dillinger

Thursday August 14 - the Sonics at the Hard Rock on Las Vegas

Friday August 15 - Deep Purple at Fremont Street Experience 3rd St Stage 9:00pm

Sunday August 17 - the Loud Pipes and Zig Zags at the Dive Bar

Saturday August 23 - the Phenomenauts and Time Crashers at the Dive Bar

Friday August 29 - the Super Zeroes at the Hard Hat Lounge

Friday Sept 5 - Double Down Radio's 6th Anniversary Bash with Sheep On a Cliff, the Bitters, Fuzz Solow and the Pluralses

What have I forgotten? Lemme know!

son of a bitch...

Johnny Winter, Virtuosic Blues Guitarist, Dies at 70
 ---
He didn't seem well at all when I saw him a couple years ago, but goddam, another one gone...
He was a true great - very sad to see him go...

goddammit - RIP Tommy

Report: R.I.P. Tommy Ramone (1952-2014), the last living original member of the Ramones 
---
They literally changed the world and all died far too young.
I was lucky enough to see them several times with Tommy - still my favorite line-up.
A truly sad day...


BTW - FUCK CANCER!!!!

The Crumbs - "The Crumbs"

The Crumbs were (or maybe still are - I see online there was a 2010 release) a 90's punk rock band from Florida who released a few sporadic records, including this slab for Lookout! Their 70's styled punk rock is highly reminiscent of bands like the Saints (the singer especially reminds me of Chris Bailey), with hints of the Ramones and the Dead Boys (there's a shout-out to Cheetah at one point, unless my ears deceive me, and since I just realized the song is called "dead boys too", I would wager I am correct).

Straight-ahead punk rock with strong playing, cool, short'n'to-the-point tunes, and plenty of snotty attitude. These cats were tons'o'fun and a well-done change of pace from a lot of the stagnant scene at the time.

Nothing original, but who really wants that?! Good disc!

Jeff Dahl - I was a Teenage Glam Fag (Volume 1)

Jeff Dahl has had a long and illustrious career in punk rock - from working with the Angry Samoans and Vox

Pop in the late 70's/early 80's to his own Jeff Dahl Band (where he played with luminaries such as Cheetah Chrome and Bruce Duff) to his solo outings - and he has consistently released high quality punk rock'n'roll. While living in Cake Creek, AZ., he built his own studio and was able to record as he pleased with Jenni Sex on bass and Anna Conda on drums (both who turned out to be Jeff himself). This is one of the projects he did, where he cut his own versions of 70's glam rock songs that he grew up with and loved. Apparently, there is a Volume 2, but I do not have it and seeing as this volume was a limited edition of 500, I'm probably out of luck (unless Jeff still has some - Jeff?!).

As he explains in his liner notes, none of these were meant to be note-for-note copies, these are his interpretations, done from memory and given the Dahl-treatment - stripped down punk rock with his own harmonies, some cool licks and some damn interesting changes added here'n'there. Some are very well known - "Caught in a Dream" (Alice Cooper - the band), "I Need Somebody" (Stooges), "Personality Crisis" (Dolls), "Ziggy Stardust" (Bowie), "One of the Boys" (Mott) - and some a bit more obscure - "Chez Maxine" (Hollywood Brats), "Living in the 70"s" (Skyhooks), "Glycerine Queen" (Suzi Quatro), "Candy's Going Bad" (Golden Earring), "Aggravation Non-Stop" (David Werner) and "Long Legged Lisa" (Silverhead). All are great though and while I knew most of these (I'm not that far off from Jeff's age so we have many of the same influences), there were a few that were fun discoveries.

While the packaging is pretty sparse, Dahl's liner notes are cool and informative and shows where he's coming from and proves his love for rock'n'roll (as if he needed to do that!). All of his work is worthwhile but definitely pick this one up if you can find it anywhere!

Firestarter

After the dissolution of Japan's fantastically fun Teengenerate (named after a Dictators song - how could they possibly be bad?), Fink, Fifi and Sammy combined forces with drummer Jimbo to create the power-pop (with the emphasis on power) Firestarter. There is tons of punk energy here - they even cover Eddie & the Hot Rods terrific "Do Anything You Wanna Do" - mixed with truly well written tunes, some fine singing and creative, melodic guitar lines. They kept the explosiveness of Teengenerate, but gave it some finesse, a little more structure and more tunefulness.

This debut album shows that they did their homework before going into the studio, as every song is strong and the playing is tight but rockin' and there is little more that you could ask for from a power-pop/punk album!

There are lots of later, similarly named bands, so don't be fulled by imitators! Don't know if this has been released on CD yet, but worth searching out! (PS - I have to admit that I was friends with these guys and they even wrote a song about me - that appeared on a single, not on this album - called "Rich's Eyes", so you determine if you think I'm prejudiced!)

recommended gigs

Thursday July 10 - The Lucky Cheats w/Rev. Horton Heat at Triple B

Friday July 11 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down with Water Landing, 3D6, Pete Stein and Karate in the Garage
Friday July 11 - Whiskey Breath at the Dillinger
Friday July 11 - the All Togethers at the Goldmine Tavern

Saturday July 12 - Fuzz Solow with Black Water Soul, Whiskey Southern Band, Low Volt and Steady Extras at the Dive Bar
Saturday July 12 - the Astaires at the Hard Rock Cafe with Jessica Hernandez

Tuesday July 15 - The All Togethers, Vegascendents, the Kountry Kitten Burlesque Show - at the Dive Bar

Wednesday July 16 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Griffin

Thursday July 17 - Bogtrotters Union at Velveteen Rabbit

Friday July 18 - the Psyatics at the Double Down
Friday July 18 - the Loud Pipes at the Triple B with Planes Mistaken for Stars, All Eyes West, Illicitor, Mercy Music and Fredward

Saturday July 19 - the Swamp Gospel at the Double Down

Wednesday July 23 - Crazy Chief at the Griffin

Saturday July 26 - the Super Zeroes at the Hard Rock Cafe

Monday July 28 - the Pine Hill Haints with the All Togethers, Swank Bastards, Bombon, My First Rodeo and the Unwieldies at the Hard Hat Lounge

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

Saturday August 2 - The Swamp Gospel at the Double Down with garage legends the Sloths

Thursday August 7 - the Boss Martians, Nu Waves and Surf Coasters at the Double Down

Friday August 8 - the Super Zeroes at the Double Down

Saturday August 9 - The Unweildies at the Dillinger

Thursday August 14 - the Sonics at the Hard Rock on Las Vegas

Friday August 15 - Deep Purple at Fremont Street Experience 3rd St Stage 9:00pm

Sunday August 17 - the Loud Pipes and Zig Zags at the Dive Bar

Friday August 29 - the Super Zeroes at the Hard Hat Lounge

Friday Sept 5 - Double Down Radio's 6th Anniversary Bash with Sheep On a Cliff, the Bitters, Fuzz Solow and the Pluralses

What have I forgotten? Lemme know!

I’m Your Man – The Life of Leonard Cohen – Sylvie Simmons

When I was a young child first learning guitar, a brother and sister of mine were very much into the folk scene of the time. Among the usual Dylan, Peter, Paul and Mary, John Denver, etc., one of the artists that they turned me on to was Leonard Cohen. His music was essentially Cohen and his acoustic guitar, but besides writing incredible melodies, his lyrics were full of poetry, humor, love, lust, darkness, suicide, longing and much more. His third album, Songs of Love and Hate, was so grim and depressing that he lost some fans (I remember my sister saying it was "obscene" - not due to language but due to the graphic depictions of depression and lost love), but it was my favorite for the same reasons. I actually stopped following him not long after that album and was essentially unaware of the level of his later fame, though I always returned to the first three albums when looking for powerful acoustic songs.

Simmons' biography is extremely well-researched and created with the blessing - although maybe not full participation - of her subject who cherishes his privacy. But, she was able to find many, many friends, confidants, lovers, musicians, family and more to tell the tale of his extraordinary life.

From his childhood in a well-to-do Jewish family in Canada through his rise to (some) fame as a poet (he had at least one documentary based on him before he moved to music) to his travels to his decades of work as a music and the acclaim that finally came his way, Sylvie takes us along and gives us many insights. 

For a shy boy, Leonard grew into quite the ladies' man - especially once he became a bit well-know. Many women came through his life – the legendary Suzanne and Marianne, Judy Collins, Nico, Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, actress Rebecca De Mornay – daughter of Wally George! - among many others – many of which he collaborated with and produced some of his best known works.

There were plenty of anecdotes that I never knew: Charlie Daniels was a session musician for Songs from a Room – and very astute about Cohen’s music and what was needed – and he even toured with the man and also played on Songs of Love & Hate. Leonard enjoyed drugs quite a bit in his youth and took "hundreds" of acid trips, especially on 1^st European tour.Between playing a festival in France & the Isle of Wright, he played in a mental institution - long before the Cramps had the idea! - and continued to do so, believing that the mentally disturbed understood his work better than most. He didn't want to do the third album, the afore-mentioned Songs of Love & Hate – my favorite. In 73 he flew to Te Aviv to fight in the Yom Kippur War, partially in solidarity with his Jewish brethren and partially to get away from his life with Suzanne, their child and the demands of the record company - things that most men would love to have. He ended up being an entertainer rather than a soldier and glorified the war - rather at odds with most musicians who were pacifists at the time.

Simmons does a fine job covering his career - his recordings and tours and I learned much about his later work with keys and synthesizers and cheap Casio keyboards that became his most famous, including a collaboration with Phil Spector. 

As had happened to many others, he had a manager that he trusted implicitly and she ended up draining literally millions of dollars from him, causing him to be basically penniless in his 70’s, which caused him to decide to tour again – a tour that ended up lasting years (with breaks) and making him a millionaire yet again. Funnily enough, he was extremely hesitant about touring at all, thinking that no one remembered him, and yet he broke all kinds of records. Interesting how even someone of his stature can be insecure.

When she leaves him in 2012, he was 80 years old, working on a new album and looking forward to touring again. Here's hoping that he will continue for many more years - as did his 100+ year old Buddhist teacher!

Simmons' book is a treat for fans of his words and his music and just a plain interesting accounting of a life filled with much variety and an incredible amount of ups and downs. Very much recommended.

Link Protrudi and the Jaymen - Seduction

Rudi Protrudi always had side projects besides the Fuzztones and for the most part, they were all really fun and high quality. The Jaymen - originally a tribute to Link Wray, of course - was one of the best and this is my fave record from the combo.

With the help of ex-Fuzztone Jordan Tarlow on bass (and engineering - superb sound here) and Brian Keats on percussion, they tackle cool, instrumental takes on Arabic/belly-dancing/exotica tunes and create truly memorable numbers. Most of the songs are originals credited to all three men, though there are some covers, such as the traditional "Kumar", the surf classic "Misourlou", Sonny Lester's "Seduction of the Virgin Princess" and even Tschaikowsky's "Arabian Nights"!

While there is plenty of fuzz here, it is used with restraint, for effect and coloring, not for bombastic garage riffs. Keats' percussion really carries a lot of the numbers, and the added organ is particularly effective, while Tarlow's bass gives it all a driving bottom.

Due to the distinctive and interesting concept and performance, this is one of the better instrumental records in my collection. Seek it out!

The Purple Toads - Love Songs for the Hard of Hearing

The Toads' sophomore effort showed some growth in the sound and especially in the songwriting department. Same four cats, but the production is much improved and the originals are even better than before!

Opening with the fantastic "Wildtime", a 4/4 time head-bangin' party number, they are pretty relentless throughout the album. "All I Want" continues in the same vein before tacklin' the Pleasure Seekers' ode to alcohol "What a Way to Die". Based around a darker, metal-y riff, "Troubled Mind" still stomps and "You Gotta Believe Me" updates "You're Gonna Miss Me". Side one concludes with the 70's punk energy of "Love's All Gone".

The fuzz-riff-rockin' "Don't Understand Your Love" opens side two with more incessant drums and one of their catchier melodies. Showing that they haven't forgotten their garage roots, they pull out "Ain't No Friend of Mine" and this segues right into another hep riffer, "Love On Your Back". "Too Much of You" shows off some fine lead guitar work and they actually do one of my favorite versions of "Tobacco Road". The bubblegum geniuses Katz/Kasenetz provides the closer, "Everyvbody", which is given the Purple Toads' treatment for a upbeat r'n'r conclusion to the album.

Another blast of updated garage rock'n'roll that even came with a limited edition comic book! It's a shame that these LPs don't seem to have been reissued on CD, but search 'em out!

The Purple Toads

The 80's garage scene was one of the most exciting and diverse happenings of the decade, and it ended up taking place all over the globe. Of course, most people know the LA & NYC groups, but there were much more, including this smokin' combo from Canada. These weren't purist copiers, they weren't afraid to update the sound a bit with their two Gibson-guitar attack, giving some punk power to the hip, garage tunes - along the lines of what the Nomads were doing out in Sweden.

Brave enough to tackle the Easybeats' "Gonna Have a Good Time", they more than do it justice, keeping the wild abandon of the original (though no Steve Marriot on backing vocals, of course) and preserving this r'n'r classic. "Night of the Phantom" is interspersed with heavy lead licks and then guitarist Paul McNeil brings in one of his snotty originals, "You Got Money", a anti-major label riff-rocker that seques directly into "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White", with similar punky attitude that the Zeros brought to it. The classic "Action Woman" is given the Toads' treatment with an especially wild ending. MacNeil returns with another anti-establishment power-chord pounder "Just Another Stupid Jerk" before rockin' out "You're Gonna Miss Me", done in the vein of DMZ/Lazy Cowgirls (and done before it became the world's most covered garage tune).

Side two of the vinyl on this debut record was a solid "Have Love Will Travel" and then second guitarist Rob Sweeney gives us the high-energy "Come Here". MacNeil's "Forty Pounder Blues" opens with "I need...more blood...in my...alcohol stream" - so you get the idea what that's about! Pulling one from Mouse and the Traps, they smash out "Lie, Beg, Borrow & Steal" (the rhythm section here - Roger Branton - bass and Mark Keigan - drums - and drivin' throughout the record) and then an especially catchy Sweeney original "Action Tonight". A properly ponderous "I Want You" precedes the finale of a wild'n'wooly "Nobody But Me" that is augmented with a super cool two-guitar duel.

Super fun garage-based Canook punk'n'roll! Well worth searching for!

The Pristeens - Scandal, Controversy and Romance

Yes, I went through the "P" section of my CDs and found a number of rockin' pop records that I

hadn't listened to in ages. The Pristeens were a NYC-based garage/punk/pop group led by three females (Tina Canellas and Leslie Day on guitars and vocals and bassist Lori Yorkman) and driven by ex-Devil Dogs drummer Joe Vincent, giving them a power-beat to layer their rock upon. Having producer Richard Gottehrer (Blondie/GoGos) sure didn't hurt, either!

Vincent shows how indispensable he was right from the start as he smashes'n'crashes through the garage rocker "The Hound", one of the wildest numbers on the record. They come off like a harder-rockin'/punkier Blondie on "I Don't Cry" with its superb vocals and harmonies as well as the 60's girl group stylings of "Run Back to You". They go back to the 60's for "Sorrow" and give it a different update than Bowie did on Pin Ups while maintaining its original coolness. The title track is a perfect blend of 60 girls groups and punk while "What's She Got" is a damn perfect garage riff-rocker and the finger-snappin' "I'm Devastated" could well be an updated Shangri-las number.

I've always dug early Wreckless Eric and this crew does a fine job on "(I'd Go The) Whole Wide World" and gives us more Shangri-la-isms (with a dose of Ramones) on "Beat You Up". High-speed antics appear in "Some Day" and then there's the slow-dance intensity of "Party Girl". Kind of a Runaways vibe to the bass'n'drum surf overtones of "Let Me Run Wild" before closing things out with the punk'n'roll bad-girl-garage of "Going Out Tonight"

I never heard anything from this combo after this (though I heard rumors that Vincent left, which would have taken the drive out of them, I'm sure) but this was a monster release. You should have this!

Psychotic Youth - Some Fun

These Swedish cats don't fool around when they construct their iconic pop tunes - right from the start on "Here We Go (Oh Yeah)" there's tons of guitars, a rockin' solo, a fake ending, "Twist and Shout" rising harmonies, key changes and an impossibly catchy chorus! Wow! The title track is a perfect mix of the Beach Boys and the Ramones for a summer classic followed by the antithesis, "Good Times Are Gone" and then a Stooges/DMZ hard rock number "Fun Gun Treatment" that still adds a super-melodic Ramones bridge! They just can't help but be memorable!

I know that punk-pop is now a dirty word, but back when PY were doing it (the late 80's), this blend of fast punk rock with impossibly melodic tunes was a rarity and to do it this well was almost unheard of. The high-speed "Won't See Me Crying", the cool keys added to "More Fun", the metal-ish "I Want it Now" (reminds of the later "You Had It Coming" from Manitoba's Wild Kingdom), the 60's on amphetamines of "Can't Close My Eyes", the love/lust song "Julie", more Stooges-isms in "Another Stupid Jerk" and showed how versatile they were in songwriting and performing while maintaining a pop sensibility.

The do a convincing country how-down in "Cindy I" before turning it into a full-speed punk raver in "Cindy II". "Go For It Baby" does a ridiculous amount in a mere two minutes before the Ramones-y "Then I Killed Her". It all closes down with the lead-licious heaviness of "It's Alright (In the USA)".

More fantastic pop mania with a rockin' beat from these Swedes. Haven't heard anything bad from PY - wonder what they're up to nowadays?

The Shame Idols - Rocket Cat

This record continues where I Got Time left off - lots of heavy guitars, highly melodic tunes, cool

melodies and damn good rock'n'roll songs!

The sound is very much like the previous record - reminding me of Flop at times - but with some growth showing and little extras, like the piano driving "Ubermensch" and the riff-laden "Endora" and "Neon Geyser", which also features keys prominently. In "Picture of a Clown" they use a Kinks-styled chord-riff with a quieter breakdown for the choruses. The guitars here truly are huge and the leads are nasty and noisy, but the songs have sweet, singalong melodies. Really good balance of everything.

For the title cut they bring out some nice changes and go for the gold with the vocal harmonies and the "lalalala" bridge. They continue the rockin' catchiness with the terrific "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", "My Star" (with even more concentration on multi-part harmonies and an almost metallic lick), the punkier "Well Wisher" and "I Don't Trust You", the exquisite pop of "She's on the Phone" and "Mascot Lodge" (with some nice Beatles-esque textures) before ending with the power-pop anthem "If I Fell (In Love With You)".

All around super hip big-guitar-pop!

recommended gigs

Thursday July 3 - the Laissez Fairs with the Astaires and Sister Lip at the Dive Bar

Saturday July 5 - the Dashabouts at the Container Park
Saturday July 5 - the Astaires at the the Beauty Bar with Ringo Deathstar

Sunday July 6 - Thee Swank Bastards at Pussyrama at Artifice

Tuesday July 8 - Loud Pipes and B-Lines at HellPop

Thursday July 10 - The Lucky Cheats w/Rev. Horton Heat at Triple B

Friday July 11 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Double Down with Water Landing, 3D6, Pete Stein and Karate in the Garage
Friday July 11 - Whiskey Breath at the Dillinger
Friday July 11 - the All Togethers at the Goldmine Tavern

Saturday July 12 - Fuzz Solow with Black Water Soul, Whiskey Southern Band, Low Volt and Steady Extras at the Dive Bar
Saturday July 12 - the Astaires at the Hard Rock Cafe with Jessica Hernandez

Tuesday July 15 - The All Togethers, Vegascendents, the Kountry Kitten Burlesque Show - at the Dive Bar

Wednesday July 16 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Griffin

Friday July 18 - the Psyatics at the Double Down
Friday July 18 - the Loud Pipes at the Triple B with Planes Mistaken for Stars, All Eyes West, Illicitor, Mercy Music and Fredward

Saturday July 19 - the Swamp Gospel at the Double Down

Wednesday July 23 - Crazy Chief at the Griffin

Saturday July 26 - the Super Zeroes at the Hard Rock Cafe

Monday July 28 - the Pine Hill Haints with the All Togethers, Swank Bastards, Bombon, My First Rodeo and the Unwieldies at the Hard Hat Lounge

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

Saturday August 2 - The Swamp Gospel at the Double Down with garage legends the Sloths

Friday August 8 - the Super Zeroes at the Double Down

Thursday August 14 - the Sonics at the Hard Rock on Las Vegas

Friday August 15 - Deep Purple at Fremont Street Experience 3rd St Stage 9:00pm

Sunday August 17 - the Loud Pipes and Zig Zags at the Dive Bar

Friday August 29 - the Super Zeroes at the Hard Hat Lounge

What have I forgotten? Lemme know!

The Shame Idols - I Got Time

This is one of the two albums that this Birmingham, AL group put out on Frontier - Rocket Cat being the other, which I will have to pull out, as well - and it is chock full of catchy tunes, loud guitars and rockin' rhythms - they way pop should sound!

Taking a concept from the Dictators' "Fireman's Friend", the Idols open with a comic-themed number, "Superman". This, as with most (all?) of the record is harmony-driven, punky-pop, ala bands like the Buzzcocks with some really fine, creative lead guitar work - and overall playing - throughout. The title tune, "I Got Time" is very 60's influenced and is a truly great song - well worthy of the title!

"Sun Ra" sounds to me like the Yum Yums and is about a friend taking acid at a Sun Ra concert - cool song fodder! There's some crazy catchy high speed pop in "Down in the Alley" and "Pretty Baby" is the closest thing to a ballad here, though could hardly be called that - just a bit slower and less intense than the rest. This is probably totally my imagination and strictly due to my background, but "Where I Want You" sounds to me like Grand Funk Railroad's "Into the Sun" on hyper-drive-pop. In "Thing" we get an insane guitar/drum breakdown/bridge that has some amazing playing and "Airhead" has some especially nice harmony work. "Not in the Way" almost has a heavy-metal riff to it (kinda reminds me of something from Danzig, actually!), but still plenty of melody on top of it but they return to pure pop for "Split", the finale.

And yes, that is Jamie Hernandez who did the cover for this and Rocket Cat!

Great pop and heavy guitars - who could ask for more?!

For more on the Shame Idols, check out this bio.

Psychotic Youth - Bamboozle!

Psychotic Youth was a terrific Swedish rock'n'roll band with tendencies towards garage (the Nomads were a big influence), punk and power-pop. They went through many changes throughout the band's life (you can read about it all on their Wikipedia page) but with songwriter/singer/guitarist Jorgen Westman at the helm, there was always quality music. I do not have many of their records, but this CD, a compilation of material from previous releases Juice and Pop, is a fantastic piece of powerful pop.

This record opens with the exquisite pop of "Japanese Boy", apparently a million seller hit in Europe for Aneka, not that I have ever heard that version! Evoking the beach and summer sun and fun, "Summer is On" is a perfect anthem for the season - right up there with the Excessories "Summer"! (Sorry - gotta plug my old band!) This has some wonderful high-energy and a wild guitar solo, as well as amazing backing vocals! "MTV" is a drivin', sing-along anthem, deriding the station, while "Mercy" is an incomparably infectious ode to premature ejaculation and "Looking For a Love" (not the r'n'b oldie) has cool dynamics, changes and layers of fine vocals.

There's even more amazing harmonies in "Elevator Girl" and "Let's Go" is the best Ramones song not written by them. Even in Sweden, parents didn't understand kids wanting to be in r'n'r bands, as is evidenced by "Hang Around" and Jorgen shows his reverence for his idols with the Plimsouls' "How Long Will It Take". They also pay homage to local heroes Sator (their Chips K. co-produced this record) with their blazing "Hot Rod Girl". "Can't Do That" is a manic piece of garage/punk/pop with cool call'n'response, as is the terrific "Speak the Same Language" and the riff-tastic "All in the Way". There's more power-garage in "That Girl's Alright", a 60's pop cover in "When You Walk In the Room" (well, the Ramones did do "Needles and Pins", so why not?!) and it all closes with "Hot Wire My Heart" (not the Crime song), another blazing piece of poppy punk.

Really a wonderful bit of good-time, summer-fun, high-speed punk-pop! Get it if you can find it! (My CD cover looks nothing like the photos I was able to find on the web, though.)

The Swamp Gospel, the Psyatics and the Gentlemen of Four Outs - The Hard Hat Lounge Saturday June 28, 2014

Well, seeing as I played in two of the three bands this night there is a limit to what I can say, but thought I would post some photos, anyway. It was a somewhat subdued night at the Hard Hat, although the crowd seemed to dig all three acts, they were pretty mellow throughout. Maybe it was the heat of the summer, but still, it was a good night.

The Swamp Gospel opened, as usual, and was happy to see some friendly faces in the audience and we made some new fans - always making things worthwhile! (Thank you, Kevin, for the photo!)

The Psyatics were their usual stompin', yelpin', noisy selves and did a terrific set of tunes from their current CD as well as some new smashin' numbers. Sax-man Gene Howley from the Gentlemen of Four Outs sat in on "Today's Big Thing", taking place of the harmonica on the album and, after closing with the wild "Swing on This", they even got an encore with the crazed abandon of the Oblivions' "Trouble". These cats are always a fun blast of garage greatness!

The Gentlemen of the Four Outs closed the night and, after some technical issues with the finicky stand-up bass, we managed to make it through this debut show with little trouble and with some nice (audience) feedback. We hope to be back soon!

Thank you to the Hard Hat Lounge for another fun night of original Las Vegas music!