RIP Kris Kristofferson

Kris Kristofferson, legendary singer-songwriter turned Hollywood leading man, dies at 88 

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Crime SuspenStories Volume 2

 

Pretty much everything that I had to say about the first edition of these EC reprints goes for this second installment. These pre-comic code stories are fast, well-written, and filled with twists'n'turns, especially considering when they were released. The artists here include greats like Johnny Craig, Jack Davis, Graham Ingels, Jack Kamen and more and I just noticed that the colorist on many of these is none other than Marie Severin, who went on to do lots of art work for Marvel Comics.

Again, while the main theme here is "crime", there is plenty of overlap with horror - to the point of including EC's horror hostess The Old Witch in the introduction to some of the tales - due to the fact that most of the crime is murder! Usually for love, revenge or money and usually in some especially gruesome manner. but mostly with some form of retribution of justice at the end so that the bad guys don't get away with anything.

You probably already know if you dig EC, so not much that I can say, but these are excellent reproductions at a totally reasonable price. Well worth it!

recommended gigs

         

Thursday 9-26-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Mickie Finns

Saturday 9-28-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Saturday 9-28-24 - Life is Shit Festival at the Dive Bar

Saturday 9-28-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 9-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 9-30-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

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

Saturday 10-5-24 - Farewell party for Christy Larson with the Time Crashers and more at the Founder's Club

Saturday 10-5-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 10-6-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch for Nikki Ruffling's Birthday!

Monday 10-7-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 10-12-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 10-13-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 10-14-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 10-17-24 - Dr. Phobic and the Phobic-Tones and the Unoriginal Unfits at Red Dwarf

Friday 10-18-24 - Big Sandy with Shanda and the Howlers at the Sand Dollar Downtown 

Saturday 10-19-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 10-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 10-23-24 - Dion Lunadon, the Acid Sisters, Cromm Fallon and the P200 at the Usual Place 

Thursday 10-24-24 - Negative Nancys, Switch to Fakie and Mersa at the Triple Down at the Punk Rock Museum

Saturday 10-26-24 - Los Carajos, Gob Patrol, Femaliens, and the Shakewells at Voodoo Brewing Co

Saturday 10-26-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 10-28-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 10-31-24 - The Jackets and more at the Dive Bar

Saturday 11-2-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 11-4-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

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

Saturday 11-9-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 11-11-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 11-13-24 - Hillbilly Casino and Shanda and the Howlers at the Usual Place

Saturday 11-16-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 11-17-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 11-18-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 11-22-24 - The Implosions, The Ghostwood Murder and the Hideaway at Fat Cat

Saturday 11-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 11-25-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 11-27-24 - Thee Swank Bastards' Basstravaganza At the Double Down

Saturday 11-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

RIP Nick Gravenites

 RIP Nick Gravenites

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I had no idea how much stuff he had actually done - I just knew him from his work with Janis. Another talent gone!

recommended gigs

        

Friday 9-20-24 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Skinny Bar, Boulder City

Saturday 9-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 9-22-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 9-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 9-26-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Mickie Finns

Friday 9-27-24 - The Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-28-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Saturday 9-28-24 - Life is Shit Festival at the Dive Bar

Saturday 9-28-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 9-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 9-30-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

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

Saturday 10-5-24 - Farewell party for Christy Larson with the Time Crashers and more at the Founder's Club

Sunday 10-6-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch for Nikki Ruffling's Birthday!

Thursday 10-17-24 - Dr. Phobic and the Phobic-Tones and the Unoriginal Unfits at Red Dwarf

Thursday 10-31-24 - The Jackets and more at the Dive Bar

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

RIP Tito Jackson

Tito Jackson dies at 70. He was Michael Jackson's brother and co-founded the Jackson 5 

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Loved the J5 as a kid and still do! They were much more than just Michael. RIP to the guitarist of the group, Tito.

recommended gigs

       

Saturday 9-7-24 - Bogtrotter's Union, Muertos Heist, Pure Sport at Red Dwarf

Saturday 9-7-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 9-8-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

MOnday 9-9-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Monday 9-9-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 9-12-24 - Jenny Don't and the Spurs at the Golden Tiki

Friday 9-13-24 - The Peculiar Pretzelmen with the Implosions and the Hideaway at Red Dwarf

Friday 9-13-24 - the Minges, Those Poor Bastards, Big Like Texas at Cemetery Pulp

Friday 9-13-24 - Trevor and the Swingin' Johnsons at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-14-24 - the Minges, War Peggy, Femaliens at the Double Down

Saturday 9-14-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 9-15-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 9-16-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 9-20-24 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Skinny Bar, Boulder City

Saturday 9-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 9-22-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 9-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 9-28-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Saturday 9-28-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 9-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 9-30-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

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

Saturday 10-5-24 - Farewell party for Christy Larson with the Time Crashers and more at the Founder's Club

Thursday 10-17-24 - Dr. Phobic and the Phobic-Tones and the Unoriginal Unfits at Red Dwarf

Thursday 10-31-24 - The Jackets and more at the Dive Bar

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

Willie Dixon - The Big Three Trio

 

Of course, I've been a fan of Willie Dixon's for as long as I've known who he was - well, actually, even before then, as I loved so many of his songs long before I knew who wrote them. Generally, his songwriting and bass playing were his (incredible) strong points, as he was not the strongest front person, but here he is part of a band and a damn good one!

Besides Dixon, the Big Three Trio consisted of pianist Leonard "Baby Doo" Caston and Bernardo Dennis (and later Ollie Crawford) on guitar and they all sang, providing impressive three part harmonies on many of their tunes. This late 40's/early 50's combo wasn't a strict blues band by any stretch - they happily played standards, pop tunes and whatever else struck their combined fancies. Their are jazzy boogies, stompin' instrumentals, novelty  numbers and pretty pop tunes, all done with superb musicianship and fine vocalizing. There's certainly a variety but it all works together and, according to the liner notes, they were hits with live audiences, as well.

That all said, this is a fairly bluesy affair, in a general sense, although with the other elements combined, for a smooth-blues kinda sound - with a bit of pop, a bit jazzy, plenty of harmonies, and, again, some impressive playing. Maybe sorta like Lonnie Johnson or Memphis Slim, in a vague way.

I dunno, i did quite like this, even if it's not the rough'n'tumble blues that I'm usually listening to. Worth checking out!

The Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Collection

 

This 20th Anniversary, 2-CD set was released over 30 years ago (!) in 1991 (!!) and gives a good overview of this blues-based record label that began in the 70's in a small apartment due to Bruce Inglauer's obsession with Hound Dog Taylor and became a Grammy-winning label a couple of decades later!

Hound Dog starts things off, appropriately enough, with his "Give Me Back My Wig" - trashy guitars, poundin' drums and Taylor's wacky sense of humor all on full display! From there, it ranges from the (formerly and sometimes futurely) famous blues acts to brand new, previously unheard-of folks. James Cotton, Albert Collins, Professor Longhair (showing off his whistlin' prowess!), Koko Taylor (still in fine voice on a slow-burnin' blues with moody organ and excellent guitar work), Elvin Bishop, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Roy Buchanan (excellent, of course), Charlie Musselwhite (great!), Big Walter Horton, Clifton Chenier, Johnny Winter and a host of others share the set with folks that I had never known like Tinsley Ellis, Lucky Peterson, Kenny Neal and plenty more in between! (Like the Siegel-Schwall Band, that I've dug since seeing them on public TV in the 70's!)

Recorded in the 70's and 80's, much of this does not have the dirty grit that I love from much of my fave blues from the 50's and before, but regardless, the performances are strong and the playing is pretty top-notch. Not every tune is a winner, natch, and it sounds better with a bit of volume (I initially tried listening to this at work quietly enough not to disturb my office-mate, which is NOT recommended), and while this collection won't replace my earlier blues sets for repeated listenings, its still totally worthwhile and Inglauer certainly did a service by keeping the blues and these artists alive and in the public eye!

Mighty Marvel Masterworks Captain America Vol. 3

 

Obviously, I've ranted'n'raved about my love for early Marvel comics and their first heroes and Cap was right up there, fighting for the underdog as well as for our country - not "right or wrong" but fighting to right the country's wrongs. Of course, he didn't get overly political at first, but you knew that Cap was on the side of right, fighting oppression, racism and fascism in all of its forms.

In this collection Steve Rogers tries to give up the mantel of CA for the love of SHIELD's "Agent 13", but finds it impossible to stop being who he is. He gets called into action by the Black Panther and fights a faux Zemo, who is intent on taking over the world, natch, alongside Agent 13, who was coincidentally assigned to foil "Zemo's" plot, as well. The Red Skull also returns, and he unleashes the Fourth Sleeper, who literally wants to destroy the world he cannot rule and for the final battle of this compendium, Batroc the Leaper joins forces with the Swordsman and the Living Laser!

These stories are Stan Lee and Jack Kirby at their best - tons of escapist fun!