Friday, June 28, 2024

Set the Night on Fire - Robby Krieger


 Of course, I've been a Doors fan since "Light My Fire" catapulted them to superstardom in '67, and through the 70's their myth continued and many friends were still fans and our bands mangled some of their tunes. Even the 80's, when my clique was burying ourselves in 60's garage music, we still respected Jim and company for their intelligence and weirdness. Robby's flamenco (among other things) inspired guitar work certainly added to their unusual sound, coupled with his inspired songwriting - he came up with "Light My Fire", after all. 

Here is his own story, and he freely admits that his mind does not necessarily work chronologically, so he skips around in time. First thing I learned is that he has a twin brother - don't know that I've ever heard about that - and that he was a popular, athletic kid until his eyesight went south, he gained weight and got acne. Guitar seemed to help solve his popularity issues and he took to it seriously.

Of course, he played around in various projects, looking for the right fit until he was asked to audition for the fledgling Doors. They had already recorded a demo (don't believe that I've ever heard that - certainly would be interesting) of a few tunes for him to learn, but he believes that his unusual bottleneck style is what got him the gig (and the fact that he lost the weight that he had gained at puberty).

While there were certainly dues to be paid, things moved reasonably quickly for the gang, from residencies where they played to practically no one to opening for superstars at the Whisky, where they were signed. Their debut blew up once an FM DJ started playing "Light My Fire" in its entirety and they subsequently issued an edited version for AM radio - after their first choices as singles flopped.

From there on, there are innumerable tales of Jim's antics on the road and at home, encounters with other famous musicians, recording sessions, TV shows and lots more. As it always happens, Robbie's memories are somewhat different from everyone else's, but that's the fun of reading the different bios - to see the various points of view.

I think it actually works in Krieger's favor that he moves from distant past (the most compelling tales, natch) to close to the present, as the less intriguing stories are not all relegated to the end of the book, where they could be skipped over. It is interesting to hear how later tours with just Robbie'n'Ray were huge successes and they were able to travel the entire world playing to thousands of Doors fans.

HIs chapter on heroin abuse is one of the, if not the, longest chapter and it is just plain depressing, as most tales of rock stars ruining their lives with drugs are. I was morbidly interested, but really just wanted to skip ahead to the next chapter in the hopes of something less sad.

I wondered if he would and he does indeed talk about the orchestration on the album The Soft Parade, which I believe was a bit overdone. They actually attempted this on a couple of concerts and apparently it went fine, but was a bit puzzling to the older fans. Of course, they then reverted back to basics and recorded one of their bluesier albums next, with Morrison Hotel and later, the finale, LA Woman.

Funnily, Robbie seems to have some issues with Ray, with snide remarks throughout, and I agree that Ray was the trippier member and the cheerleader of the post-death Morrison legacy, but the living three all benefited from that hype and they were all acid head/meditation freaks, so there seems to be something more involved that Robbie doesn't get into.

Towards the end there are random lawsuits and animosities, but Robbie tries to stay neutral even when being sued. But, he and Ray reaped many benefits with their "reunion" tours (John was asked but refused to join them), and in the end, everyone gained financially from their legacy.

Definitely worth the read for any Doors' fan, if just to get Robbie's take on things - and he's not afraid to reject the others' version of events, even if he admits that enough drugs were taken that it's surprising that anyone remembers anything!

Rip Martin Mull

Martin Mull, Funnyman and ‘Fernwood 2 Night’ Star, Dies at 80
 ---

Thursday, June 27, 2024

recommended gigs

  


Friday 6-28-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Friday 6-28-24 - The Hypnotiques at the Golden TIki

Friday 6-28-24 - Daikaiju at the Dive Bar

Saturday 6-29-24 - Fuzz Solow at the Dive Bar

Sunday - 6-30-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf’s Sunday Brunch 

Wednesday 7-3-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Thursday 7-4-24 - TV Party Tonight at the Double Down showing Stripes and live music from the Minge

Friday 7-5-24 - the Double Whammy’s at the golden tiki

Saturday 7-6-24 - Stagnettis Cock at the Double Down 

Tuesday 7-16-24 - The Minges, Crimson Riot, Kids on Fire at Red Dwarf

Sunday 7-21-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Wednesday 8-7-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Friday 8-23-24 - Suburban Resistance, the Minges, the Last Gang and the Drowns at the Usual Place

Wednesday 9-4-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Wednesday 10-2-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Wednesday 11-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Monday, June 24, 2024

The Long Ryders - Native Sons

 

I'll have to admit it, at the time that Sid and Barry split off from the Unclaimed, I was not a big fan of the Long Ryders. Part of it was their "desertion" - I had only played with the band for about 6 months when they left and was bummed to have to regroup - and certainly part of it was that they gained popularity almost immediately, which garnered jealousy on my part, for sure. That combined with the fact that I was at the height of my garage-punk obsession meant that I was not knocked out by their Byrds/country sounds.

As much as the Unclaimed emulated the likes of the Seeds, Music Machine, Sonics, Chocolate Watchband, etc., I think that the Long Ryders would freely admit that they worshipped the sounds of Gram Parsons' country-fueled vision of the Byrds. Of course, Sid used to wear his Roger McGuinn "granny glasses" in the Unclaimed, and he played a couple 12 string numbers, but in creating the LR's, the band went full force into the Byrds-ian realm.

This album could practically be a lost Byrds record, complete with the addition of Gene Clark on one number. Most of the songs highlight that concept, with 12 string and pedal steel guitars, autoharp, mandolin, banjo, etc., and layers of harmony vocals. There are obvious Dylan influences/homages, some Tom Petty/REM-like college rock-isms and even a couple hints of Sid's fuzz-y garage and psych background.

I hadn't listened to this in ages and pulled it out today on a whim and while there are some good moments - and they certainly hit a popularity with this that nothing that I ever did could ever come close to - they are still too clean and safe for me. Of course, that is kinda what they were going for and while I love many of their influences, I'm still not a huge fan. Again, could be my pettiness and previous relationships, so take it with a barrel of salt. But if you're a Gram Parsons/Byrds fan, you should definitely give it a listen.


Wolverine - Prehistory

 

This is another compendium/graphic novel that I picked up at a great price from our pal Kevin at the Founder's Club Punk Rock Flea Market (thanks Christy, for setting that up!). As the title would imply, these stories are ones that take place before Logan/Wolverine becomes part of the X-Men. I don't know if Logan's age has ever been confirmed but he is considerably older than he looks - another by-product of his healing powers, I assume - and has gone through literal wars (plural) before teaming up with Xavier and company.

There are lots of great and varied talent in these pages, with writers and pencilers that I am unfamiliar with to stars of the genre like the amazing Neal Adams. In here, Logan travels the world, from Pioneer days dealing with North American Indigenous people, fighting literal monsters and gaining his namesake, to fighting Nazis from within their concentration camps (in which he reconstitutes himself - more than once - after being cremated, which seems extreme, even for his healing powers) and fighting their version of a super-soldier, which is a literal werewolf, to inter dimensional beings (probably my least favorite tale here) to working with Carol Danvers to uncover a plot to expose the growing "mutant menace", where he discovers who and what he is while also learning of the Hellfire Club.

From there, Logan attempts to create his own, early version of what would become the X-Men, teaming up with Sabertooth and guilting Xavier, who at the time was simply a college student who wanted to be left alone. Of course, things don't work out as planned and Wolv-y declares that he's going solo from now on. Obviously, that doesn't take, either, and he has various team-ups, including a fun one with Ben Grimm and, once again, Carol Danvers.

Not every tale is a winner, but overall, this has some great stories and nice variations on the theme. I definitely enjoyed the interactions with characters we would come to know in later years. Overall, well done and a good way to flesh out this popular character's "prehistory".

Thursday, June 20, 2024

recommended gigs

 

 Thursday 6-20-24 - Shanda and the Howlers at Fat Cat

Friday 6-21-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Saturday 6-22-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 6-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Friday 6-28-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Friday 6-28-24 - The Hypnotiques at the Golden TIki

Friday 6-28-24 - Daikaiju at the Dive Bar

Saturday 6-29-24 - Fuzz Solow at the Dive Bar

Sunday - 6-30-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf’s Sunday Brunch 

Wednesday 7-3-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Thursday 7-4-24 - TV Party Tonight at the Double Down showing Stripes and live music from the Minges

Tuesday 7-16-24 - The Minges, Crimson Riot, Kids on Fire at Red Dwarf

Wednesday 8-7-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Friday 8-23-24 - Suburban Resistance, the Minges, the Last Gang and the Drowns at the Usual Place

Wednesday 9-4-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Wednesday 10-2-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Wednesday 11-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Tuesday, June 18, 2024

RIP James Chance/James White

James Chance, No Wave Icon and Saxophonist of the Contortions, Dies at 71 
---
I've always been a big fan of his jazzy, noisy, punk-funk. Another gone way too soon.

Sunday, June 16, 2024

American Hi-Fi - Hearts on Parade

 


This is another one that I just randomly pulled from the shelf as I was looking through our "A" section and realized I hadn't heard it in ages/decades so thought I'd give it another listen. I remembered it being poppy, but couldn't think much more about it.

Poppy, they certainly are, in a Redd Kross/Jet kinda way - some 70's rock mixed with their powerful pop - and a touch of Joe Jackson in his Look Sharp days. But they do seem a little more calculating in their attempts at commercialism at times, although there are bits that seem more genuine. There is a nice crunch on the guitars and the vocals are well done with plenty of harmonies, but something just falls a bit short of the mark.

I'm sure that this will/did hit with others (this was released in the 90's, as I recall) more than me, but I don't think it's bad, just not quite as great as it might have been. Fans of the aforementioned bands should give a listen and decide for yourselves.

Inhumanity

 



I've always enjoyed the tales of the Inhumans, ever since we discovered that then-villainess Medusa was actually an amnesiac queen of a lost city of super-powered beings, engineered by the Kree to evolve much quicker than their other humanoid counterparts on Earth. The royal family - Medusa, Black Bolt, Karnack, Gorgon, Triton, Crystal and more - were introduced in varying degrees in various series, although originating in Jack Kirby and Stan Lee's Fantastic Four. The different individuals had relationships with various other humanoid races - most specifically Crystal with Johnny Storm - and we learned more about their extra-terrestrial origins as time went on.

This hard cover collection I picked up from our pal Kevin Wilcox at the Founder's Club's Punk Rock Flea Market at a very reasonable price and it was quite the bargain! With no less than 17 chapters, we get an update on practically every major player in the Marvel Universe.

While the Inhumans are highlighted specifically in only the first couple chapters, the plots all revolve around a single event - the release of the Inhumans Terregin mist, which in their homeland causes their powers to manifest once the time comes. In a bizarre series of events (that are only mentioned here), the mist is released worldwide and affects any presumed human who generationally had any contact with any Inhuman - which apparently happened more often than we might have thought! So, people who always thought that they were human suddenly become super powered and often with strange and sometimes grotesque physical attributes.

The super heroes attempt to stave off this continuing process due to its potential for damage'n'mayhem, but, of course, it is not an easy solution and they need to deal with the repercussions of the mutations as they happen while also attempting a cure. 

Although sometimes trying to navigate the current Marvel universe can be more than confusing for someone like me who has been out of the loop for decades, these stories give us updates on innumerable characters and their evolutions as time has gone on. I'm not sure if every character is supposed to be the same as the ones that I once knew, as their personalities and positions have often changed (and, in one case, Doc Oc has taken over Peter Parker's body and killed Pete, and has nonetheless become a hero himself, so I don't know where that stands in the known Marvel universe), but you get enough info to go with the flow here. Some of them are more obnoxious than previously depicted, which can be disappointing - I guess I still like my heroes to essentially be heroic - but most are recognizable.

Well written and nice artwork, overall - worth checking out, especially if you can find at a fair price, as I did!

Black Panther - Power

 


I grabbed a few comix at the Founder's Club Punk Rock Flea Market (thanks Christy for another fun event!) from our pal Kevin and while there were a lot of cool items there, we don't really need more "stuff" in the house - not that comics aren't "stuff" that clutters our house, but I obviously like reading! 

Anyway, once again, I'm jumping in on a tale without being aware of the backstory or even some of the characters, but I was still able to at least follow along and understand the gist of it all. T'Challa was wounded - apparently by Dr. Doom, if I understood correctly - and the mantel of the Black Panther has fallen to his younger sister, who is aided by Wakandan scientists so she has some new technology so add to her powers. 

It appears that Doom has concocted an elaborate scheme to sow dissent in Wakanda and he has multiple villainous allies to help out in various ways - brute force, subversion, manipulation and more. The plot expands to add Namor, the Fantastic Four (minus Sue Storm), Ororo and the reanimation of T'Challa via mystical means. 

Naturally, there are several different twists at the end and all is not what it seems, even in the multi layered scenarios that we have been privy to. As I said, even being out of touch with the Marvel universe for a long while, I was still able to follow along and enjoy this, even if there were some characters/groups that I was unfamiliar with. Well done though.

Thursday, June 13, 2024

recommended gigs

 Thursday 6-13-14 - Generic Surf Band playing live at TV Party Tonight at the Double Down

Friday 6-14-24 - the Double Whammy’s at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 6-15-24 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 6-15-24 - Davila 666, the Headwinds, Los Quinceaneros at the Usual Place

Saturday 6-15-24 - the Souvenairs at the Underground 

Sunday 6-16-24 - Generic Surf Band at RedDwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 6-17-24 - Surfers of Mercy at the Golden Tiki 

Thursday 6-20-24 - Shanda and the Howlers at Fat Cat

Friday 6-21-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Friday 6-28-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Friday 6-28-24 - The Hypnotiques at the Golden TIki

Saturday 6-29-24 - Fuzz Solow at the Dive Bar

Sunday - 6-30-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf’s Sunday Brunch 

Wednesday 7-3-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Thursday 7-4-24 - TV Party Tonight at the Double Down showing Stripes and live music from the Minges

Tuesday 7-16-24 - The Minges, Crimson Riot, Kids on Fire at Red Dwarf

Wednesday 8-7-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Friday 8-23-24 - Suburban Resistance, the Minges, the Last Gang and the Drowns at the Usual Place

Wednesday 9-4-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Wednesday 10-2-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Wednesday 11-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

The Shakewells - Who the Hell Are...

 


(This is not the cover of their CD - they just don't have the pic on their site!)

After wanting to check them out for at least a year, I finally caught the Shakewells a couple of weeks ago when they played an amazing show with the Schizophonics, Lords of Altamont and Guitar Wolf. Every band was great that night and the Shakewells brand of trad 60's garage rock'n'roll stood out, if only for the fact that they did sound more traditional than the rest of the bands, which, natch, I have always dug. With Farfisa, reverbed/tremelo'd guitar, a dynamite rhythm section and hip vocals, they are a top notch combo and a excellent addition to the latest garage scene in Vegas.

Of course, when I realized that they had a CD out, I had to pick it up, as well and this sounds as good as they did live! Our buddy Joe recorded it last year - so about the time they first got together - and he did a great job of capturing their wild sounds!

Opening with Katie's spookyFarfisa and Mimmo's stabs of ferocious, reverbed'n'tremelo'd guitars, the band comes in for a real rocker in "Doormat" - a four chord romper driven by Turbo (drums) and Ruckus (bass) while Knuckles - who can actually sing, unlike all too many garage band singers - complains about his fate over it all. "Monster" is indeed a monstrous riff-rocker with a sing-along, call'n'answer chorus, Turbo sets the groove for the stompin' "Short Fuse", they create a Sonics-styled 60's-version-of-the-50's rocker in "Lean Mean Motor Scooter" (think the Lyres' "Soapy" but more blistering), and for their theme song, "Shakewell", they conjure up something similar with staccatto chords, fuzz guitar and plenty of danceable sass!

With a fuzz riff that is reminiscent of the Wailers' "Hang Up", "Witchcraft" is rockin', ominous fun, filled with dynamics and even more fuzz! More snotty fuzz-punk in "Ton Up (Long Gone)" with a nice break down filled with Ruckus' bass riffin', some more tremelo, keyboards and a strong punch back in, "Livin'" is more garage-punk with a shout-along chorus before closing with an ode to New Orleans in another singalong, "Voodoo Queen".

The songs are simple - this is garage rock'n'roll, after all - but catchy as hell and driven with a punk rock energy that these cats'n'kitten give to their other, more punk-oriented groups, and really superior playin'n'singin' all around. Super impressive! They should really resonate with the current cachet of garage combos. 

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Little Walter


 Of course, I've been a fan of Little Walter's before I even knew who he was thanks to his incredible work with the likes of Muddy Waters. I have only found a couple of CD's of his so when someone online mentioned this one, I searched it out immediately. This is a Japanese issue of a Chess release but I found it at a very reasonable price, the quality is excellent and, of course, the performances are incredible!

There are a few songs that I was already familiar with - the rollickin' instrumental "Roller Coaster", the famous "Mellow Down Easy" (that ZZ Top covered, among innumerable others), "Everything's Going To Be Alright", and a couple others - but there are enough tunes that were unfamiliar to me to make this more than worthwhile.

Walter was, as we all know, the master of the harmonica, but he also has a fine blues voice (and occasionally played guitar) and his bands were always top-notch, as well. This particular issue does not mention the backing musicians, but he often worked with the same cats that Muddy used (including, at times, Waters himself), so you know they were as good as they come!

This opens with a hoppin' boogie in "Nobody But You" before slowing to a sexy groove for "My Baby's Sweeter", followed by the bouncy instro "Roller Coaster" with excellent harp, of course, slowing down again in "As Long As I Have You" (kind of an Otis Rush feel), then rockin' once more for "Oh Baby" (listen to that harp wail! Amazing tone!). 

The songs continue to alternate between faster'n'slower, with "Take Me Back" groovin' again, "Everything's Going To Be Alright" isn't crazy fast but this take is kinda similar to Albert King's "Goin' Down" (no idea which came first), and, of course, "Mellow Down Easy" has that identifiable tom-tom romp before we get to the rockin'n'hypnotic Muddy Waters repetitive riff that is the basis for "Hate To See You Go" that is followed by "I Got To Find My Baby", a great rocker that Chuck Berry also covered (and apparently is sometimes credited as writing, although he didn't).

A return to the slow'n'sultry for "Everybody Needs Somebody", and an even slower (but no less great) instro, "Blue Midnight", then picking up the pace in "I've Had My Fun" ("if I don't get well no more" - another variation on that theme) and keepin' it mid-tempo'n'cool for his take on "Key to the Highway" and the official album ended with some fierce'n'firey guitar work (and terrific harp, natch) in the burnin' "Blue and Lonesome" - wish the credits said who the players were as this is excellent!

The CD bonus tracks are alternative takes on "I Got To Find My Baby" and "I've Had My Fun" - quite different takes but also great!

Walter's harp playing is exemplary - I don't know if anyone has ever matched him - and, as I said, the players here are all excellent as well, as are the selections. Any lover of Chicago blues should have this one!

Imperial State Electric - Anywhere Loud


 I have several of the ISE albums in my want list and just happened to pick this one up as the price was right. This is a live album so there's some familiar tunes on it, but since I don't have all of their records (they are - were? - nearly as prolific as the Hellacopters), I don't know all of the songs. The best part of the album though is the fact that they throw in dozens of little riffs from various (mostly 70's) songs just to keep you on your toes and see if you're paying attention. I've lost track of them all, but there's Alice, AC/DC, Stones, Black Sabbath, BOC and tons more! I won't list them all, but if you know, you know! Fun stuff!

This 23 (!) song set opens with a homage to Kiss (not the only time on this disc, either!) before moving into "It Ain't What You Think It's What You Do", rockin' ferociously, as they do, with a sound not-dissimilar to the Hellacopters. Twin lead guitars (love their dual guitar harmony lines), a drivin' rhythm section, harmonies and tons of energy. Just realized this combo does not have keys, as the Hella's do, but they certainly fill out the sound with loud, distorted, yet still melodic gits'n'vocals. 

I won't go through all of the songs, but the disc is full of rockers, with a few ISE-styled "power ballads", bass'n'drum solos, and a shitton of great guitar work, as well as lots of big arena r'n'r exhortations and audience sing-alongs! If you're a fan of later Hellacopters (post-"Paying The Dues") then you will certainly dig these cats and this is a fantastic assortment of tunes!

Saturday, June 08, 2024

Weird Science Volume One


 As I've said, I have some EC reprints already in my collection, but am discovering this new-to-me series of reprints so, of course, I need to add more to our household! Because I am who I am, I ended up buying Vol. 2 before volume one, but kinda glad I did. Although there are a lot of the same writers and artists, I thought that by the issues compiled in Vol. 2, there had been quite a lot of improvement. Seemed like there was more artistic variety, as well, which was nice.

That said, this is still a great compendium with some truly clever - and sometimes warped - storylines. Of course, there's space travel, time travel and its associated paradoxes (although one story was predictable right from the start - at least to today's eyes), aliens (kind of a funny take on Orson Wells in one episode), science experiments gone awry, robots, androids, and plenty more. Some better than others, of course, and some with better finales but all worth checking out.

You probably know if you like EC Comics and if you do, these are well worth buyng!


Thursday, June 06, 2024

recommended gigs

 Saturday 6-8-24 - the Minges, Santa Muerte, Broke in Vegas at Voodoo Brewing Co

Saturday 6-8-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Monday 6-10-24 - the Minges at Founder's Club

Thursday 6-13-14 - Generic Surf Band playing live at TV Party Tonight at the Double Down

Friday 6-14-24 - the Double Whammy’s at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 6-15-24 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 6-15-24 - Davila 666, the Headwinds, Los Quinceaneros at the Usual Place

Sunday 6-16-24 - Generic Surf Band at RedDwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 6-17-24 - Surfers of Mercy at the Golden Tiki 

Thursday 6-20-24 - Shanda and the Howlers at Fat Cat

Friday 6-21-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Friday 6-28-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Saturday 6-29-24 - Fuzz Solow at the Dive Bar

Wednesday 7-3-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Wednesday 8-7-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Friday 8-23-24 - Suburban Resistance, the Minges, the Last Gang and the Drowns at the Usual Place

Wednesday 9-4-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Wednesday 10-2-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Wednesday 11-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Tuesday, June 04, 2024

Digital Fortress - Dan Brown


 As I've said, I like Dan Brown's books like I dig comic books - light, easy reading, short chapters for my short attention span, but still interesting concepts that he really researches. This is another espionage-ish tale, this time with the NSA (interestingly enough, this mid-90's tale says the NSA was practically unknown back then - funny what we have learned since 9/11 and bush and trump, although, as Brown says, we definitely don't know everything and the NSA puts out false stories to make us feel better about them spying on us). Once again, the main protagonists are an intelligent, highly educated and strikingly good looking couple - Brown does seem to believe that looks are important, even in a novel. Cryptology, codes and languages are the basis for the tale as we learn a bit about how the NSA spies on the world and intercepts and interprets various communications in various media.

This is a multi-layered tale with the two protagonists operating in different countries, but both solving riddles as they go and discovering that nothing is quite what it seems. Both almost die more than once in their search for the answers that will protect the country's secrets, and many others do die as technology collapses around them.

I won't give away the twists'n'turns here, but while some are predictable, there are also many that are quite surprising and original. Gotta give Brown credit, he does keep up plenty of suspense (despite the few obvious turns) and keeps you on your toes throughout. Fun little escapism!

Sunday, June 02, 2024

Guitar Wolf, Lords of Altamont, the Schizophonics, the Shakewells at the Usual Place, Saturday 5-25-24

 

Although my lovely wife made it to the Punk Rock Bowling festival, I bowed out this year since there wasn't that much that interested me to any major degree. The clubs shows are more of my thing, although there were so many each night that there was no way to catch every band that you wanted to see. This particular line-up seemed to me to be the overall strongest of the entire weekend, so this is the one that I opted for.

We've been wanting to see Vegas' new garage rock phenomenon, the Shakewells, for at least a year, so we were happy that they were the openers for this evening. With Vegas punk rock stalwarts Rob Ruckus on bass and Turbo (Gerry Vincent) on drums, they have a solid backing for organist Kate (also guitarist in the Negative Nancys), vocalist Danny and I'm afraid I do not know the guitarist. They have a fab, authentic 60's garage sound, with Farfisa organ, reverbed, tremelo'd, fuzz-out guitars, groovy vocals and with plenty of superior originals that blend in with covers like "Night of the Sadist". Nice to see a new, strong garage act in town, since we only have a couple of others. Great stuff - see them when you can!













Of course, the Schizophonics are the rising stars of the high-energy garage scene, with a revolving bassist (they have a strong female player this time out) teaming up with the always-amazing Lety (also of the Rosalyns and numerous other projects) to backup powerhouse guitarist/singer/dancing maniac Pat in their set of garage/punk/soul shimmy/shakin' psychoses! No one can believe how Pat manages to dance like James Brown, sing like Rob Tyner and play guitar like Jimi Hendrix all simultaneously! Pat doesn't stop for a minute of the set, flying from side to side of the stage, spinning like a top, dropping his guitar and picking it up in between dance steps and way more than anyone could possibly describe. Still photos do not do him justice, so check out some videos and see them live! Of course, the music is fab, as well, from their opening with the MC5's "Black To Comm" to their several albums worth of incredible originals. No one walks away without being converted - check them out if you haven't already!


















Of course, I've known Jake from the Lords of Altamont for decades and while I only got to exchange a few pleasantries with him this night while bands were playing, it was great to see the Lords play again. They performed with movies projected behind them and basically no other lights so photos basically just show silhouettes but the guys - bass, drums, guitar and Jake on vocals and keys - move'n'perform'n'pose with the best of them! They have a heavy, almost hard rock, garage sound, although the keys bring it all back to the 60's garage influences that they are based in. I need to delve into their catalog more as I thought that they were stronger than ever this time out - and that was without the fire and hot go-go dancers that they have had in the past. Also, it was incredibly nice of Jake to give a shout-out to me at the end of their set! Certainly unexpected!










Headlining the night was the anarchistic, Japanese punk’n’roll of Guitar Wolf. This trio is as much performance art as music as they pummeled the audience with walls of noise, frenzied screams, leaps into the fray and much more. Completely unpredictable because they don’t follow the usual rock and roll rules with power chords and screams repeated seemingly endlessly, songs with no bass as he jumps into the crowd, attempts at audience interaction but no one understands what they want and for an apparent finale but we missed it, apparently Pat from the Schizos joined them at one point. Not for the faint of heart or those who are looking for coherent songs but certainly wild fun!




Excellent lineup for this show and fun from start to finish! Glad we made it out for a change, although we were exhausted for days!