Chu Volume 1 - First Course

 I was so enamored with the Chew series that when I saw this offshoot, I had to check it out, as well. Basically a prequel to Chew, this storyline focuses on one of Tony Chu's sisters, Saffron, a criminal involved in a caper gone bad that Tony is investigating. Oh, and Saffron has a twin sister, Sage, and they both have food-related powers, as do the rest of the family and a crazy amount of people in their world.

The tale takes place just as the "avian flu" is starting to affect people, which is what causes Saffron's caper to go south, and it takes out Tony's partner, which causes him to hook up with John Colby, who we know well from Chew. Multiple hitmen are after Saffron, but fail, and while Tony is investigating, he discovers that she had to kill a couple of people, although he doesn't know why, which means that he arrests her and puts her in jail for a few years. Of course, her power is learning from others when consuming the same food or drink and so she learns quite a few lessons while she's away. The volume ends with her being released and reuniting with the boyfriend who got her involved in everything in the first place.

Same author as Chew, but a different artist, although he uses some of the same techniques and has his own hip style, giving the series a unique look. More good stuff - I'll be picking these up as they become available.

Ugly Things #59

 

Of course, I always rant'n'rave about the latest ish of Mike Stax' Ugly Things and this ish is no exception. With a cover story by Mike on the fantastic Troggs, interviewing two members, this alone would be worth the price of admission! Of course, there's so much more - tons of reviews that will have you adding plenty to your wish lists, a great interview with an author of a new book on John and Yoko with good insights  on Yoko, a nice piece by Cyril Jordan on Them, a super hip article on Alice Cooper by David Holzer, who must be about my age as we seem to have the same views on the band, then'n'now, and I agree 100% with Greg Prevost's take on the Alice Cooper Band and Alice solo. 

There's a great story on the psych/sunshine pop band Gordian Knot, who hobnobbed with Hollywood stars and even went to Vietnam backing up Nancy Sinatra - what a time that must have been! There's the tale of the garage band called Thus, part one of an extensive overview on the no wave/noize band Chrome, the story of the Frantics, who evolved into Moby Grape in a roundabout way, my old friend Becky does an interview with the pre-teen pop trio the Bantams, and other narratives abound. Of course, as I said, there are also innumerable reviews of books, magazines, records, CD's, DVDs and more that will send you scurrying to either buy them or at least fill up your wish list.

Always a quality read and this ish seems especially strong! Great job, Staxes and crew!

RIP Neal Adams

Comic book artist Neal Adams has died. He drew some of the most iconic characters you know

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Ah, this is a tough one - Adams was one of my favorite comic artists and an influence on my personal fine art, as well. I was just rereading the classic Avengers Kree/Skrull War that he contributed to - absolutely brilliant! Very sad to hear this.

recommended gigs

 Thursday 4-28-22 - Zack Ryan's White Line Fever at Starboard Tack

Friday 4-29-22 - Soldiers of Destruction, Lean 13, Gob Patrol at the Double Down

Friday 4-29-22 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Friday 4-29-22 - The Souvenairs at the Mob Museum

Friday 4-29-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf

Saturday 4-30-22 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 5-1-22 - The Devil's Duo with the Barnyard Stompers at the Dive Bar

Monday 5-2-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 5-2-22 - Goldtop Bob at the Founders Club

Wednesday 5-4-22 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Thursday 5-5-22 - Shanda and the Howlers and the Rhyolite Sound at the Sand Dollar Downtown at the Plaza

Saturday 5-7-22 - The Psyatics at Garehime Park - daytime show from noon - 4:00 - come down and skate'n'rock!
Later Saturday 5-7-22- The Psyatics at the Usual Place with Cramps tribute band The Teenage Werewolves and all-female combo, Lost Cat! 

Sunday 5-8-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf Sunday Brunch

Monday 5-9-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 5-11-22 - the Damned and Kid Congo at the House of Blues

Friday 5-13-22 - Jenny and the Spurs and Dog Party with The Devil's Duo at Soul Belly

Saturday 5-14-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Dillinger Block Party

Saturday 5-14-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 5-15-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf Sunday Brunch

Monday 5-16-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 5-20-22 - The Psyatics at the Double Down

Saturday 5-21-22 - The Devil's Duo and the Unwieldies at the Huntridge Tavern

Sunday 5-22-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf Sunday Brunch

Monday 5-23-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 5-27-22 - Shanda and the Howlers at Soul Belly

Saturday 5-28-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at late night at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 5-28-22 - Monster Zero, the Nuclear Undead, First or Last, Latest Regrets, Societies Infection at the Double Down

Sunday 5-29-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf Sunday Brunch

Monday 5-30-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tues 5-31-22 - The Chords UK, the Rebel Set, TV Party, Cromm and the P200 at Taverna Costera

Friday 6-3-22 - the Psyatics at the double down 

Wednesday 6-8-22 - Joe Jackson at the Smith Center

Saturday 6-11-22 - Mojave Sun, the Dirty Hooks, Mother Mercury at Soul Belly

Thursday 6-23-22 - Zeke, Soldiers of Destruction, Suburban Resistance, Downtown Death Rattle and Cutthroat at the Dive Bar

Satuday 8-6-22 - Dirty Rock'n'Roll Dance Party presents the Surfrajetts, the Volcanics and the Sheiks of Neptune at the Usual Place

The Troggs - Archeology (1966 - 1976)

 

Once again, I am shocked that a classic record (or in this case, CD box set) in my collection has escaped my rantin'n'ravin', especially with a band as seminal as the Troggs! An absolute fave ever since "Wild Thing" and its power chords burst out of the AM radio in 1966, they had hit'after'hit for a number of years, from the sweetly melodic "With a Girl Like You" to the lascivious "I Can't Control Myself" and many others. This set does its best to collect their top numbers and it's pretty spot on!

Of course, 2 CD's can't encompass everything, but besides the aforementioned, we get primitive, primal grooves and heavy magic like "From Home", "I Want You" (made "famous" by the MC5's take on their Kick Out the Jams album), "The Raver", "Feels Like a Woman", "I Can Only Give You Everything", "Strange Movies" (the first song about porno films?), and "Evil Woman" along with poppier takes like "With a Girl Like You", "Our Love Will Still Be There", "Anyway That You Want Me", "Love Is All Around" and "Summertime" (where singer Reg Presley is practically drooling over the scantily clad women walking around). Obviously, with 52 cuts total, there are lots more amazing music here, as well!

There is a third, bonus disc included, with the legendary "Troggs Tapes", which had been passed around by collectors for years before this was released, as well as a fine booklet filled with pix'n'info. Of course, this was the 60's, so there's some filler throughout, with some truly goofy tunes ("The Yella In Me", "Hip Hip Hooray" and a few others), but overall, this can't be beat as a collection of powerhouse 60's rock'n'roll!

JD Pinkus, Scott H. Biram at the Dive Bar, Wednesday April 20, 2022

 

Truthfully, I knew nothing about these two gentlemen until my buddy Rob hipped me to this show (and I attempted to get in as an opening act, but that didn't happen for numerous reasons) - so, thanks Rob! JD is best known for his work as the bassist for the Butthole Surfers while Biram has made a name for himself as the Dirty Old One Man Band. While their approaches to the one-man band concept were pretty different, they did work well together for this gig/tour.

The Dive Bar has been doing a great job of reversing their reputation for late weeknight shows, but unfortunately, it worked too well on this eve and JD went on at about 9:00 - usually well before even an opening act would appear at the Dive Bar - and I missed most of his set - totally my fault. His set up was truly unique - just him and his banjo and a huge array of effects pedals for both his instrument and his voice, while he had movies and random images projected behind him on a sheet/screen. He made very effective use of looper pedals to fill out the sound and would move from quiet, sparse, banjo picking to HUGE, monstrous, metallic noize along with wildly distorted vocals before jumping back to almost ambient, experimental, semi-psychedelic sounds. Truly interesting and very different from pretty much anything I've seen before and I am still bummed that I arrived so late.

Biram, on the other hand, played comparatively more traditional blues/country/Americana-ish numbers, although with his own twist and he also used a huge pedal board (maybe he shared it with Pinkus?) that affected the instruments and his voice. He used an selection of very hip, old, hollow-body guitars along with a modern Bo Diddley-styled rectangle-shaped git and even an Explorer, which was an odd choice that stood out, to say the least. Besides his own original country-blues, he covered the likes of John Lee Hooker, Mississippi Fred McDowell and songs like "Jack O'Diamonds", and even did his self-described hybrid of bluegrass and death metal! He is certainly a talented played with flyin' fingers and a good amount of hip slide work. He kept a basic, rockin' beat with some foot-triggered device that also seemed to (maybe?) go through a looper - whatever it was, it was quite effective and versatile. Unfortunately, my weird work week caught up with me even at the relatively early hours of this show and I split before he was finished, but will definitely check him out again the next time he comes through town.

Once again, thanks to Nate and the Dive Bar for an eclectic night of wild'n'weird music!

Generation X - Anthology

 

We picked up this 3-CD set a couple of decades ago when we moved out here to Vegas and it is jam-packed with tons of previously unreleased items including a full unreleased LP (the second CD, Sweet Revenge) and and entire show in Osaka in 1978! Of course, their first album is classic British second wave punk rock and their second record is much more "rock'n'roll" (in a good way) with Bob "Derwood" Andrews' flamboyant guitar work before they cut "Dancing With Myself" and Billy decided to go solo and became a huge star.

Funnily, it's Idol and bassist Tony James who make up the group's songwriting team, and they came up with some terrific anthems (their initial blast of the memorable "Your Generation", "Ready, Steady, Go", with its homage to the 60's, and "Wild Youth") and still performed some old-guard covers like John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth" and even Led Zep's "Rock'n'Roll"!

This first CD has all of the classic, original cuts, starting with the biggest hit, "Dancing With Myself" and the aforementioned classics, as well, and while they couldn't fit both albums in total on one CD, this has a pretty good selection, although I'm sure some people will find fault and mourn the rejection of cuts such as "Kleenex", ditto with Valley of the Dolls, and the exclusion of numbers like "Running With the Boss Sound". There are a couple of representations from the Kiss Me Deadly record (that had a different guitarist and drummer and its failure led to Idol leaving) and the odd covers like the previously mentioned "Rock'n'Roll" (wherein Idol didn't bother to learn the lyrics) and the blues tune, "The Hunter" (based on Free's version)! Pretty good selection, overall, although I usually prefer chronological order just for consistency's sake.

The unreleased third album, Sweet Revenge, comprises the 2nd CD, although it was never released and was only meant to be demos, but the band split up before it could be completed. It shows a continuation of the sound that they explored in Valley of the Dolls, with pop tunes mixing with Andrews' wild guitar leads, but also includes the early version of "Dancing With Myself" that is not that much different from the hit version. "Girls" is surprisingly harmony-based - their attempt at power-pop/bubblegum, I suppose - "Modern Boys" attempts to be anthemic, but doesn't quite make it, while "Cathy Come Home" simply wanders aimlessly, and "Revenge" is a slow, plodding ballad that never really goes anywhere and is kinda insipid considering the title. The pick up the energy for "Flash As Hell" and "Anna Smiles" but "Psycho Beat" is a bit too unsuccessfully repetitive, and, again, "Stars Looked Down" doesn't really do much. I guess I can understand why they didn't go with this album, even with "Dancing.." on it. There's a few bonus tracks - "I Dig Everything", a dub-ish "Dancing With My Wealth" (funny!) and an interview with Tony James.

The sound is pretty good overall for the 1978 Osaka Japan live show that makes up the third CD and while they oddly play some of the songs slower live (instead of faster, as most groups do), they still manage to radiate good energy and there's a nice song selection and some fine git-playing. The cuts included numbers from all three (including the unreleased record from CD 2) albums, ending with a ravin' take on "Rock'n'Roll" (hilariously, performed right after their rant against people of that age in "Your Generation"!) and "Shakin' All Over" before blasting out "Youth Youth Youth", both in a pretty wonderfully anarchic way.

Although I always like hearing full albums (I tend to like the oddball cuts that others might not dig), this is a great comp filled with lots of oddities'n'extras. I see that it is going for a fair amount of money these days, but if you're a fan and you can find a deal on it, this is a good one.

The Psyatics, the Negative Nancys, the Scheissters at the Double Down, Saturday April 23, 2022

The Psyatics try to get to the Double Down every month or so - it is the local punk rock clubhouse, after all - and while we tried to get some LA friends (the Electric Ferrets) out here, that didn't work out but we still had Salt Lake City's Scheissters and local friends the Negative Nancys for a fun night out!

The Scheissters were on a short SW tour, bringing their odd brand of grunge-ish punk with some weirdness mixed in underneath kinda talking, jokey vocals, reminding me a little of a trashy MX80 Sound or something (with a very different take on the Yardbirds "For Your Love as the opening song)! Very unique, but with enough of a good backbeat (with Psyatics drummer Ron coming to the rescue yet again to help with a lost high-hat stand!) to fill up the floor with drunken dancers. The Don Rickles-like insults between the songs were a bit tiresome, but they hilariously kept introducing themselves (pronouncing their name like the German scheisse) with a big crescendo (which the Psyatics stole for our set, also) and managed to get plenty of audience interaction and a wacky start to the night.

I never quite know what to say about one of my own bands, but the Psyatics had a fun set playing old'n'new tunes while doing our best to travel the four corners of the club. We got a strong response to our weird'n'wooly sounds (what is it - punk, no wave, garage, etc.?), as well, and apparently enough new people saw us and picked up a number of our recordings! Good time all around - thanks to everyone who came out and supported!

(Psyatics photos by our pal, Nikki Ruffling, yet again!)

The Negative Nancys were good enough to fill in at the last minute and to play clean-up at the end of the night, although this evening there was still a good crowd for them who stuck around and filled the floor with shamblin', punk rock dancin'n'flirtations (kinda funny to watch multiple guys hitting on the same woman). They are now a co-ed combo with a strong rhythm section supporting their punk rock sounds with different flavors throughout the set with some cool guitar licks, bits of pop elements here'n'there and -always a good thing - a spelling song! Great way to end the eve!

As always, thanks to Ian and the Double Down for another night filled with more punk rock rowdiness! 

RIP Cynthia Plaster Caster

Cynthia Plaster Caster, Groupie Who Made Art From Rockers’ Genitals, Dead at 74 

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recommended gigs

 Thursday 4-21-22 - Zack Ryan's White Line Fever at Starboard Tack

Saturday 4-23-22 - The Psyatics and the Negative Nancys and the Scheissters at the Double Down

Monday 4-25-22 - Goldtop Bob at the Founders Club

Monday 4-25-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 4-27-22 - the Acid Sisters, Same Sex Mary at the Artifice

Thursday 4-28-22 - Zack Ryan's White Line Fever at Starboard Tack

Friday 4-29-22 - Soldiers of Destruction, Lean 13, Gob Patrol at the Double Down

Friday 4-29-22 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Friday 4-29-22 - The Souvenairs at the Mob Museum

Friday 4-29-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf

Saturday 4-30-22 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 5-1-22 - The Devil's Duo with the Barnyard Stompers at the Dive Bar

Monday 5-2-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 5-5-22 - Shanda and the Howlers and the Rhyolite Sound at the Sand Dollar Downtown at the Plaza

Saturday 5-7-22 - The Psyatics at Garehime Park - daytime show from noon - 4:00 - come down and skate'n'rock!
Later Saturday 5-7-22- The Psyatics at the Usual Place with Cramps tribute band The Teenage Werewolves and all-female combo, Lost Cat! 

Sunday 5-8-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf Sunday Brunch

Monday 5-9-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 5-11-22 - the Damned and Kid Congo at the House of Blues

Friday 5-13-22 - Jenny and the Spurs and Dog Party with The Devil's Duo at Soul Belly

Saturday 5-14-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Dillinger Block Party

Saturday 5-14-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 5-15-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf Sunday Brunch

Monday 5-16-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 5-20-22 - The Psyatics at the Double Down

Saturday 5-21-22 - The Devil's Duo and the Unwieldies at the Huntridge Tavern

Sunday 5-22-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf Sunday Brunch

Monday 5-23-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 5-27-22 - Shanda and the Howlers at Soul Belly

Saturday 5-28-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 5-29-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf Sunday Brunch

Monday 5-30-22 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tues 5-31-22 - The Chords UK, the Rebel Set, TV Party, Cromm and the P200 at Taverna Costera

Friday 6-3-22 - the Psyatics at the double down 

Wednesday 6-8-22 - Joe Jackson at the Smith Center

Satuday 8-6-22 - Dirty Rock'n'Roll Dance Party presents the Surfrajetts, the Volcanics and the Sheiks of Neptune at the Usual Place

The Avengers Kree/Skrull War

 

Of course, I read this storyline in the 70's when it came out, but the originals are long gone these days and I always dug this tale, so I had to pick this reprint up when I saw it, especially as it has some of my fave super-hero artwork from Neil Adams included (along with the Buscema's), expertly inked by Tom Palmer.

The Skrulls are, as any Marvel-lover knows, the shape-shifting aliens that first appeared in the pages of the Fantastic Four and soon spread throughout the Marvel universe while the Krees, the Skrulls arch-foes, are the species who spawned Marvel's own Captain Marvel (his Kree name is actually Mar-Vell!). The Avengers - and the Earth itself - gets caught in these two planets' interstellar war, as we learn more about the two species' backgrounds and how the Earth became a battleground planet for them.

Naturally, being Marvel, there are many interwoven threads, including a bit of history and special appearances by the Inhumans, along with a bigoted politician (so many of the 60's and 70's Marvel stories were allegories for the Civil Rights movement), the return of Ant-Man, cameos from the Fantastic Four as well as an assortment of other 1940's super-heroes and Rick Jones realized his potential and saves the universe (with a little help from Kree's Intelligence Supreme)!

It's a terrific storyline by Roy Thomas and Neil Adam's artwork in particular is pretty damn stellar (it certainly blew my teenaged, high-school-art-student-mind!). I know that this has been compiled before, but it is certainly one of Marvel Comics' high points! 

Redbone - The True Story of a Native American Rock Band by Staebler, Paoloni and Balahy

 In the 70's, I totally dug Redbone's big hits, "Come and Get Your Love" and especially "Witch Queen of New Orleans" and distinctly remember their appearance on TV's In Concert, where they came out in native garb and did a ceremonial dance before moving into their rock show. Obviously, that stuck with me over the decades, as did their music, but never thought to look any further into the group until I just happened upon this book. It was not expensive so I picked it up not realizing that it was a graphic novel, but that made it all that much more appealing to me! Turns out that it is highly enlightening as well as entertaining!

The story of the band revolves around Pat and Lolly Vegas (Americanizing - sorta - Vazquez) who started playing in bands in LA in the early 60's and managed to get work on Sunset Strip, on TV and even in movies and hung around with the likes of the Doors and Hendrix (who, being part Cherokee himself, encouraged them to embrace their heritage). As the 60's went on and the civil rights movement extended to all minorities, they took up the challenge as they got signed as Redbone.

A good portion of the book is - rightfully - dedicated to the plight of the Native Americans and the movements that rose to help combat the injustices and how these movements coincided with the rise of Redbone and how they used their fame to promote Native American affairs. Of course, everything comes to an end and they briefly touch upon the post-Redbone careers as the book concludes.

Fascinating and informative - the team did a great job on this story and fitting it all into one graphic novel. If you have any interest in this band or even just in NA civil rights, this is a fine read.

You Really Got Me - The Story of the Kinks - Nick Hasted

 

Of course, the Kinks have been close to my rock'n'roll heart ever since "You Really Got Me" blasted out of the AM radio in the early 60's - power chord rock'n'roll that really hasn't been improved upon since! I've kinda gone back'n'forth with their later efforts - certain records resonated and some, frankly, did not - but always respected them and were interested in their story.

I have read both Ray and Dave's bios, and while they are quoted here, there are plenty of other viewpoints represented. Naturally, we start with the Davies' household, with 6 older sisters and countless relatives, and how that affected the boys. The early, untimely death of one of their beloved sisters was traumatic, to say the least, and stories'n'characters from their youth appear in many of Ray's songs. Dave blames his later promiscuity on the parents splitting him and his teenage girlfriend up when she got pregnant. But, they hardly even have time to think once they hit with "You Really Got Me" (after a couple of false starts) and follow it up with several other Top Ten hits and subsequent tours and recording sessions.

An altercation with American unions means that they are banned from the country for the ever-important mid-60's that made so many other British Invasion groups stars, but the Kinks fashioned a name for themselves in their home country, while continuing to have occasional hits in the States, as well. Ray settles into his home life and eventually this means that his songs are so British that they have little relevance to teens in the USA, but they have enough of an audience to maintain their importance. (That said, Hasted writes in a very British manner, as well, little caring if us heathen Americans understand his phrasing or his references.)

The amount of praise for "Waterloo Sunset" always surprises me. It's nice enough and all, but I had always thought of it as just another album track before I started reading critics fawning over it - Hasted gives over an entire chapter to the tune! I suppose this is another divide between the Brits and Americans, although I do know Americans who adore the song, as well. Different tastes and all...

It is fairly amazing that their record company let them record at leisure after they essentially refused to tour (and weren't allowed to tour in America) and after their hits mostly dried out. Although their contracts were pretty draconian, they were pretty damn lucky to have seemingly open-ended time to make albums to please themselves, with little care for their dwindling audience. Once they recorded their "rock opera", Arthur, they were finally able to get their American ban rescinded and their lives and fortunes changed once again, particularly after they had a massive hit with their next record, "Lola".

Obviously it's the Kinks, so there has to be a number of self-sabotaging disasters to offset their triumphs, including illnesses, breakdowns, cancelled gigs'n'tours and Ray attempting to announce their demise, which turned out to be premature. They managed to raise themselves from the dead several times, including becoming a stadium rock act in the 80's, before dissolving completely.

A good quarter or so of the book is dedicated to the post-Kinks work and the continuing rumors of a reunion, which sorta/kinda happened when Ray showed up to a half-empty Dave Davies gig close to Ray's home, which led to nothing more - so far, anyway. Dave manages to release the occasional solo album (and one with his son) and play the one-off show here'n'there while Ray does all this along with a successful play ("Sunny Afternoon", about the band) and more.

Of course, as of today, we still have more to come from the Davies brothers, and hopefully we will for years to come, even as they themselves struggle with their mortality. With tons'n'tons of interviews over the years with all of the primary players (including all of the Kinks), this is well researched and  a well informed bio of the band and the various members, but most specifically the original four. Hasted does jump around a bit chronologically at times, which can be disconcerting, but overall, it is a fine and revealing bio of this classic band.

Viva Las Vegas Pre Party - The Femme Fatales of Rock'n'Roll at the Sand Dollar Wednesday April 13, ,2022

 

Weeknight gigs are always tough for me but this pre-Viva gig's line-up was too cool to pass up (even if it meant getting to work late the next day)!

Put together by the Howlers' bassist, Luke, this show featured some of the best, female-fronted roots-rock-ish groups in town. Apparently, quite a few people agreed with my assessment as the Sand Dollar was jam packed (beyond any time I've seen it) right from the start of the night! Between the crowd and connecting with some new friends, I wasn't able to get photos of any of the combos until the Howlers hit the stage - sorry folks, but you certainly all got a great reception from the audience, which I'm sure means more to you!

Frankie Lee and the Infernos started the night with their own brand of roots/R'n'B material that was augmented with a female sax squealer, although I couldn't get close enough to really scope out their full lineup or take notes on their set. But they had the peeps movin'n'groovin' right from the beginning!

Paige Overton followed with her combo doing somewhat more country-influenced roots rock, with Paige's fine voice and acoustic guitar backed by drums, stand up and electric lead git-slingin' (I believe that was the lead player from the Rhyolite Sound, who Paige sat in with last weekend). Paige sometimes goes out with just her'n'her guitar, so it was nice to see her sound filled out by some terrific players.

The Howlers took the stage, but were first fronted by out-of-towner Mozzy Dee, for a special Viva set. Of course, no one can fault any of the Howlers as musicians, as they are all top-notch, and Mozzy did a super job of fronting in a similar vein to the material that the guys do with Shanda. Jump, jivin', R'n'B styled R'n'R sung by a woman with a big voice. 

Naturally, Shanda did a fab job of her own material (along with a few covers, like their own take on the Sonics' "Shot Down") from their three albums (I still need to get the new one - didn't see any merch this eve, but then, it was impossible to wander the entire club), winnin' the house over with their high-energy, 50's styled, blues and R'n'B. Classics and new numbers were equally well-received, as were powerful, slow blues and boppin' jump R'n'B tunes. Smokin' local harp master Jeffrey (Lucky Cheats, Holy Smokes, etc) joined them this night - not sure if he's a permanent fixture in the group or not (as they have had a hard time keeping a sax player), didn't think to ask anyone! But, he sounded great and added a fine accompaniment.

Unfortunately, being a weeknight, and us not being off of work for the Viva weekender, we split before the Howlers finished (although I'm sure they were pretty much done) and we missed the local Cramps tribute act, Green Fuzz, although I can only imagine how they must have been received by a Viva-inspired crowd! 

A great night all around - thanks to the Sand Dollar for hosting and to all the fab bands for givin' it their all on a Wednesday night! And, of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention DJ Maybelline who provided the swingin' sounds in between the live acts!

Chew Volume 11 - The Last Suppers, Volume 12 - Sour Grapes

 So much going on in these last two installments! Olive's continued, more traditional, training and her eccentric partner, Chu's wife Amelia's new novel and its implications in the alien scheme of things, Savoy's continued attempts to partner with Chu and share his knowledge (which ends in a fairly disgusting manner), and, once again, various assorted tangents.

The storyline concludes with this volume, as Chu partakes of Savoy's discoveries, Chu's sister's boss/boyfriend at NASA discovers numerous other worlds that have received the alien fire writing and what it means for the planet, we learn the explanation of the original "avian flu", Poyo continues to have adventures beyond the grave, Amelia gives the ultimate sacrifice which leads to Chu's grand sacrifice and the grand finale.

There are lots of crazy-ass tales being told throughout this series and innumerable scenarios that are way past improbable, but regardless, the story is complex (I feel I will have to re-read it all at least once more to catch everything) and compelling and the characters, although wacky, are often relatable with very human and very deep emotions. I'm sorry to see the storyline end, although there are offshoots that I will have to investigate!

Chew Volume 7 - Bad Apples, Volume 8 - Family Recipes, Volume 9 - Chicken Tenders, Volume 10 - Blood Puddin'

 In this volume, we see the aftermath of Chu's sister's viscous death, the reinstatement of Chu and Colby to the FDA (and the reasons for this), innumerable characters with food-related powers (this is seemingly endless and, at times, a bit goofy), further info on the Ova cult and their terrorist activities as well as the "vampire" and his machinations, and ending with Chu's sister's Toni's way of helping him from beyond the grave.

Here in Volume 8 we find out more about Chu's twin sister, Toni's, plans from beyond the grave for helping Tony catch her killer by literally leaving him a piece of herself. She stays with him, off'n'on, throughout this volume, helping him get through a number of wild escapades. We learn more about various siblings and considerably more about Chu's daughter, Olive. Of course, all of the other characters are represented as well, along with an incredible assortment of further food-related powered people and even alien worlds! 

For Volume 9 we get not one but two weddings, lots of Chu-ish wacky adventures, considerably more tales of Poyo (with a surprise ending), Olive's growth into a badass agent with mounting powers, trained by Savoy, even further background on the "vampire" and a team's near-fatal encounter with him, along with other tangents.

The consequences of the team's fairly one-sided fight with the vampire runs through Volume 10, we meet Chu's new partner (as he refuses to team with Colby after he took Olive to be beaten by the vampire), still more people with food-related powers (that continue to move into the extreme and extremely goofy), Savoy and Olive do a fine job of dismantling the vamp's operations and operatives, and Chu and the vampire's final rendezvous. 

recommended gigs

4-14-22 - 4-17-22 - Viva Las Vegas Weekender - tons of shows - look 'em up! 

 Thursday 4-14-22 - Dirty R'n'R Dance Party presents Mint Field, Viaje Nahual, Orange Eats Creeps at Artifice

Thursday 4-14-22 - Zack Ryan's White Line Fever at Starboard Tack

Friday 4-15-22 - The Hideaway, Johnny Deadly Trio at the Golden Tiki

Friday 4-15-22 - the Rayford Brothers at the Sand Dollar

Friday 4-15-22 - Cashed Out, the Pyro Surfers at Vamp'd

Friday 4-15-22 - Tin Can Screamers at the Double Down

Saturday 4-16-22 -The Unwieldies and Jeff Mix and the Songhearts at the Gold Mine Tavern

Sunday 4-17-22 - LV Blues Society Jam at Saddle'n'Spurs

Sunday 4-17-22 - the Souvenairs at Tiki Di Amore

Wednesday 4-20-22 - Scott Biram and JD Pinkus at the Dive Bar

Thursday 4-21-22 - Zack Ryan's White Line Fever at Starboard Tack

Saturday 4-23-22 - The Psyatics and the Electric Ferrets (from LA) and the Scheissters at the Double Down

Wednesday 4-27-22 - the Acid Sisters, Same Sex Mary at the Artifice

Thursday 4-28-22 - Zack Ryan's White Line Fever at Starboard Tack

Sunday 5-1-22 - The Devil's Duo with the Barnyard Stompers at the Dive Bar

Saturday 5-7-22 - The Psyatics at Garehime Park - daytime show from noon - 4:00 - come down and skate'n'rock!
Later Saturday 5-7-22- The Psyatics at the Usual Place with Cramps tribute band The Teenage Werewolves and Greg Rip-Offs new band, the Control Freaks! 

Wednesday 5-11-22 - the Damned and Kid Congo at the House of Blues

Friday 5-13-22 - Jenny and the Spurs and Dog Party at Soul Belly

Friday 5-20-22 - The Psyatics at the Double Down

Saturday 5-21-22 - The Devil's Duo and the Unwieldies at the Huntridge Tavern

Tues 5-31-22 - The Chords UK, the Rebel Set, TV Party, Cromm and the P200 at Taverna Costera

Wednesday 6-8-22 - Joe Jackson at the Smith Center

Satuday 8-6-22 - Dirty Rock'n'Roll Dance Party presents the Surfrajetts, the Volcanics and the Sheiks of Neptune at the Usual Place

The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society

 

Banned from America, Ray's songwriting went to a British extreme for this album, as he wrote while staring out the window of his London home. He dreams of preserving the "old ways" in the barroom singalong opening title cut that moves into a paean to a relative, "Walter", again, painfully British, but with a highly memorable melody. Of of my faves is the ultra catchy, acoustic-guitar-riff-laden "Picture Book", a tune about saving innocent, happy family memories followed by another fun, poppy acoustic number about "Johnny Thunder" (inspired by the same comic that gave the Dolls' guitarist his name, maybe?), and then they sorta return to their early bluesy roots for a Howlin' Wolf steal in "Last of the Steam Powered Trains" (appropriately rippin' "Smokestack Lightning"). I actually learned to truly appreciate the pretty camp take of religion, "Big Sky", due to Flop's more edgy version of it, but you can't deny the songwriting here - just wish that the band had a bit more bite in this period. 

They go a bit over-the-top vaudeville/camp in "Sitting By the Riverside", then create a quirky acoustic-driven, mid-tempo number in "Animal Farm", Ray pulls from almost medieval melodies for his quest for the past in "Village Green", then goes almost Calypso for the silly "Starstruck", more odd quirkiness for "Phenomenal Cat" that hits an absurd level in "All of My Friends Were There" with multiple time changes in a tale of public, drunken embarrassment. "Wicked Annabella" opens with a swingin' drum beat, giving it a bit more push than many of the numbers here, and the chords changes at times evoke the strangeness of a John Entwistle tune, while "Monica" sounds almost like a more straight-forward (in relative terms) extension of the former, and the closer, "People Taking Pictures Of Each Other" is more of Ray's whimsy.

While I've learned to dig more of this period of the band's legacy, it is still kind of spotty to me, as Ray goes overboard with his British-isms and witticisms and generally forgets about rockin'. There are some fine lyrical observations and nice melodies, but I miss the power chords, and even the electric guitars that are mostly missing here. I may be in the minority here, but I find this one good, but not terrific.

The Hellacopters - Eyes of Oblivion

 

The Helllacopters were absolutely one of my favorite bands from the late 90's through the 00's and I never stopped listening to them regularly, so, of course, I was happy to hear of their reformation and new album. Nicke, naturally, is still leading the band with his stingin' guitar and swaggerin' vocals, and original rock star guitarist Dregen has returned to the fold along with hot-shot drummer Robert and keyboardist/guitarist Anders. Dreadlocked Kenny is no longer rockin' with the crew and has been replaced by Dolf DeBorst, although Nicke is credited as playing the bass on this album.

Appropriately opening with layers of feedback, they blast into their single from the album, "Reap a Hurricane" and, yes, the Hellacopters are back! No, it's not Super Shitty to the Max, but this could easily fit on, say, Strikes Like Lightning. Everyone is in top form, with Nicke'n'Dregen flashin' riffs back's'forth, while the rhythm section keeps it tight'n'rockin'. "Can It Wait" is short, sweet, and a little off-time, just to throw your rockin' off a little bit! They get a little bluesy in a Screamin' Jay Hawkins kinda way for "So Sorry I Could Die", then have some sweet dual leads opening the smokin' yet melodic title cut. There's a little sorta/kinda Hendrix-ian steals for the minor-keyed stomper "A Plow and A Doctor" followed by a gallopin' "Positively Not Knowing" that continues to keep the melodies and the dual leads flowin'. They create a kinda glammy/Stones-y groove for "Tin Foil Soldier", then a high speed surf beat in "Beguiled", a bit of arpeggio'd pickin' highlighting "The Pressure's On" and closing out with the high energy, classic Hellacopters sound (it almost sounds like a medley of some of their older tunes!) of "Try Me Tonight".

If you've been waiting for a sequel to Head Off, then you won't be sorry - this is hot stuff and makes me hope for a full American tour (as opposed to a few festival gigs) as soon as medically possible! 

RIP Chris Bailey

Chris Bailey, lead singer of Australian band the Saints, dies 

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Of course, I bought and loved "(I'm) Stranded" when it came out and was knocked out by the progression on "Eternally Yours", as well. No contest, they were every bit as good as the punk rock coming out of NYC or London at the same time. I can't believe that he's gone so young - this world is far from fair. Listening to his fantastic work now and raising a glass in tribute.

The Unwieldies and the Rhyolite Sound at the Las Vegas Bluegrass Festival at Centennial Hills Park

 Outdoor events are tough in Las Vegas since the winters are chilly and windy and the summers are hot and windy, so there's a small window or opportunity. But, kudos to the City of LV for putting on a fun, free event just as summer weather is starting to hit.

Our pals the Unwieldies opened up the day at the bright'n'early hour of 11:00 am to a good group of folks ready for some warm weather, sunshine and music. Today Dani (vocals/guitar) and Rob (bass/vocals) were joined by long-time dobro guru Richard and relative new-comer, banjo twanger Eric (violinist Jack is out of town). The stage and sound were top-notch here, so they sounded great as they ran through a comparatively short set with classic numbers from their several albums to at least one brand new (to my ears, anyway) tune. Terrific Americana-y/folk/bluegrass/whatever mixture with fab harmonies and excellent songwriting and playing all around. I think it's obvious that I always love these guys but it was an especially good set today, and certainly left people wanting more. Great start to the day, for sure!

It had been way too long since I had seen Vegas' premier old-school country combo, the Rhyolite Sound, so it was particularly nice to see them on this bill, and right after the Uns! They had a stripped down, more acoustic set up today with a suitcase/snare drum kit (AJ), acoustic bass (Jason), two acoustic guitars and one 'lectricfied Telecaster. Since it had been more than 2-1/2 years since I last saw them (damn, that's crazy), I'm not sure what they "normally" play these days, but it was a fun way to see them and the harmonies (lead singer Larry and the acoustic lead player - sorry, I didn't get a chance to be introduced) were augmented by Vegas' country chanteuse, Paige. The Tele player was a hot-shot lead picker, as well, adding nice touches to the sound. Hope to get to see them around town more often now that shows are opening up again!

(PS - Huge kudos to the Psyatics' Ron Hudy for saving the day by biking home for a snare stand for the 'Sound to use! And guys, update your website!)

The sun was getting to us by this time and even after a soft-serve cone, we decided to hit it and get some air-conditioned errands done, but there was lots more fine music to come, I am sure! 

Thank you to the City of Las Vegas and Brian Garth for booking these fine combos on this happening event!