Friday, March 15, 2024

The Immortal Hulk Volume One - Or Is He Both?

 


I'm been out of the loop on the latest incarnation(s) of the Hulk, as well, and here we find a new evolution. Apparently, it has been discovered that the Hulk cannot be killed and even when his alter ego, Bruce Banner, is victimized, when darkness comes, he still reverts to the Hulk (nightfall was the initial trigger for the Hulk in the beginning of the series) and all wounds are healed. 

But the Hulk is now reasonably intelligent, as well - again, something that has come'n'gone over the years - the Hulk would vary from a relatively dumb, monosyllabic brute, to a vicious, reasonably intelligent almost-bully (although he still had morals), to having Banner's intellect and pretty much everything in between.

He also seems to be trying to use his powers for some semblance of good, even if his punishment can overshadow the victim's crime. Added to the mix is a reporter dogging his trail and Walter Langkowski, Canada's Sasquatch, looking for Banner for some scientific assistance.

This is a interesting and well-written variation on the theme. Not sure if this theme has continued or not - this is from 2018 and I know that there are other Hulks around now - but this was handled better than some of the updates. Worth checking out.

She-Hulk - Deconstructed

 


Wow, I am really out of touch with the She-Hulk these days - this is a collection of 2017 stories and I have little idea of what the back story is that these are based on. She-Hulk apparently "barely survived the Second Civil War" (I missed that story line completely) and so she is no longer the fun'n'funny'n'sexy adventurer who preferred being the She-Hulk and she has returned to her Jennifer Walters identity. She also returns to her advocation as a lawyer, but here she is representing super-natural beings, including one who is apparently psychic, psychopathic and able to conjure deadly creations. 

Walters is severely traumatized and barely holding herself together when she is confronted by the manifestations conjured by her client, who misunderstands Walters' intent and attacks Jen. The She-Hulk who appears is monstrous, not the former heroic beauty, and is barely in control of herself.

This character has taken on many different facades, from the free-wheeling original to the outright goofy (that the TV show was based on, from what I understand - I have not seen that yet, either) to this trauma victim. Can't say that this is an enjoyable read, but it gives a different take on the character. Wonder how this turned out?!

Might Marvel Masterworks - Daredevil Volume 2

 


As I said in my review of Volume One, Daredevil was a fave due to the fact that he did not have extraordinary powers other than his heightened senses and mostly relied on the fact that he trained himself in gymnastics - as well as weights, boxing and the like, of course. But it was his athletic abilities that I was especially enamored of. 

Wally Wood had run his course for DD and this collection begins with the introduction of artist John Romita, who is another Marvel legend and is responsible for the hero's look that most people are familiar with. Of course, Stan the Man is still authoring the tales

In any case, here our blind hero encounters more classic heroes'n'villains, from the heroic'n'primitive Ka-Zar and his treacherous brother the Plunderer to the Ox to the Gladiator to the return of the Owl and, as the cover of this collection shows, a fight with Spider-Man, naturally due to a misunderstanding.

Since I grew up with these 60's comics, I will always find them enduring'n'entertaining and these are no exception. Great stuff!

Thursday, March 14, 2024

recommended gigs

 Friday 3-15-24 -  the Psyatics, the Way Outs and Fuzz Solow at Red Dwarf

Saturday 3-16-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Mabels and late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 3-18-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday 3-19-24 - IV and the Strange Band at SoulBelly BBQ

Wednesday 3-20-24 - the New Waves at Red Dwarf

Friday 3-22-24 - The Unwieldies at Boulder Dam Brewery 

Friday 3-22-24 - Blvd Bullies and VaVoom at Rusty Spurs

Saturday 3-23-24 - The Implosions and Freezing Hands at Red Dwarf

Saturday 3-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 3-23-24 - Big Barkin' Block Party at Cemetery Pulp with live music, food, vendors and pet adoptions 2PM - 9PM

Sunday 3-24-24 - The Out There, Evelyn's Casket, Dr Phobic and the Phobic-Tones at Red Dwarf

Monday 3-25-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 3-29-24 - Suburban Resistance with Dio Rising at OYO Casino

Friday 3-29-24 - The Knee-Hi's with the Implosions, Indigo Fuzz and Deacon Hill at The Griffin

Friday 3-29-24 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 3-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 3-31-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 4-1-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 4-1-24 - The Unwieldies with Noelle and the Deserters at Fat Cat

Thursday 4-11-24 - The Hangmen at the Dive Bar

Saturday 4-13-24 - The Unwieldies, Pitchfork and more at the 2024 Bluegrass Festival in Centennial Hills Park

Wednesday 4-17-24 - pre-Viva show at the original San Dollar hosted by Shanda and the Howlers with the Blue Ribbon Boys, Rayford Brothers, Mozzy Dee and Angela Tini

Wednesday 5-1-24 - The Monsters from Switzerland with the Implosiions and the Psyatics at the usual place

Friday 5-24-24 - Redd Kross and more at Backstage Bar and Billiards

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

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Treat Me Like Dirt - Liz Worth


 Couple funny things about this one - it was published in 2008 but I just recently heard about it randomly and the author wasn't even born until 1982 so she's a researcher on this "old music" that was created before she existed! I guess kinda like the white blues researchers in the 1960's. Just seems funny to an old man like me who lived through it all.

Worth arranges the book as an oral history and opens quite randomly with no background information (a basic introduction would have been appreciated) as a few folks start talking about their time in Toronto. She gives a lit of everyone before the first chapter, so you have to look back to find out who this is talking, rather than explaining who the person is as she's quoting them. So, the format is a little strange, but the scene was strong, so I am definitely interested and you generally get used to it as you go along, although when new characters are introduced, you still go, "wait, who is this?".

We get firsthand accounts of the likes of Simply Saucer - who initially sounds very out there, especially for the time - Teenage Head, the Diodes (who I loved when their first LP came out and I got to see them open for the Ramones in Chicago! They mention that show as one of the best of their career.), Viletones and lots'n'lots'n'lots of much, much more obscure bands - like groups that played once but splintered into other factions. Of course, once a movie theater promoter decided to have bands play and brought in the Ramones, that changed everything for everyone. As with other college/art/ rock'n'roll scenes at the time, things started moving quickly after that.

Although everyone complains that Toronto was basically an uninteresting, small town, it had a college, a nearby bar that had live music, a happening record store/hangout, a hip movie theater (aforementioned that moved into having live bands) and lots more going on - way more than the truly small town that I grew up in that basically had nothing at all, including any like-minded people. Of course, the college helped bring artistically minded people together, which included music lovers. The scene continued to grow with more bands, more stores - underground record/clothes/more - more venues and lots of parties!

Like other scenes, the bands started getting more'n'more attention, especially after the main groups did a trek to NYC and played at CBGB's. Kinda ironic that Teenage Head was the band that everyone thought was going to hit and, while they're legends now, nothing major came of it, but a group like the Diodes, who apparently were mercilessly picked on in Toronto for no real reason, got on a major label and toured and played with the likes of the Ramones when I saw them in a ballroom in Chicago. Obviously, the Diodes simply worked harder than the other bands - they had their club, Crash'n'Burn, that helped all of the bands in town, they had management, they practiced, they wrote catchy songs and they simply did the grunt work. Not to say that bands like Teenage Head shouldn't have been signed, as well, but the Viletones, with a singer called Nazi Dog, was simply not going to get signed by a major, so stop being jealous of something that you could not possibly aspire to. It is kind of amazing the huge amount of jealousy there was because the Diodes got signed, although I suppose that happens in most any scene, but it seems like no one thought “maybe we could be next”, they just thought “fuck them for being more popular”. Of course, major labels had no idea what to do with punk bands and the Canadian affiliate didn’t think much farther than NY, so they didn’t capitalize like they should have.

Toronto seems to have had more than their fair share of complete assholes in the scene, as well - seemingly more than most of the other scenes - like, actual, real-life criminals and violent thugs and gangs. The pacifist in me never cared for the real life violence that the hard core scene brought with it in the States, but it seems like the original scene In Toronto had serious violence right from the start, and only escalated, which certainly didn't help the cause. And, as with a lot of scenes at the time, drugs started coming in heavily and, of course, that fucked things up even more. It really gets depressing at this point, but that's often the story - the early days and super fun'n'exciting'n'new and then all the shit starts coming into play - egos, violence, drugs, accidents, illnesses and all the rest. Kinda makes it difficult to read from this point on - wish that there were some tales of younger bands that were still having fun mixed in with the depressing shit.

So, unfortunately, it ends on a seriously depressing note, with lots of people dying - drugs, suicide, violence, and often some combination of these - while other people just got wasted, some went straight and Teenage Head kept rockin', touring the country and making money but never breaking the Canadian border. 

Certainly an interesting tale and glad that Worth put this together, although I still think that there could have been editorializing to help pull it all together, but even so, well "worth" reading, even with the melancholy ending.

Monday, March 11, 2024

RIP Eric Carmen

ERIC CARMEN Raspberries Lead Singer... DEAD AT 74 
---
Sad to hear - the Raspberries had some great songs.

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

recommended gigs

 Friday 3-1-24 - The Bitters, CNTS, Hands of Oblivion, Deafening at the Dive Bar

Friday 3-1-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Mabels

Saturday 3-2-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 3-4-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Golden Tiki

Monday 3-4-24 - Les Lullies, Glass Eye, Cromm Fallon and the P200 at Red Dwarf

Wednesday 3-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Friday 3-8-24 - Shanda and the Howlers with the Hi_Jivers at the original San Dollar

Saturday 3-9-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 3-11-24 - The Psyatics and Joecephus and the George Joneston Massacre at Fat Cat

Wednesday 3-13-24 - Twin Temple at House of Blues

Friday 3-15-24 -  the Psyatics, the Way Outs and Fuzz Solow at Red Dwarf

Saturday 3-16-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Mabels and late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 3-18-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday 3-19-24 - IV and the Strange Band at SoulBelly BBQ

Wednesday 3-20-24 - the New Waves at Red Dwarf

Friday 3-22-24 - The Unwieldies at Boulder Dam Brewery 

Friday 3-22-24 - Blvd Bullies and VaVoom at Rusty Spurs

Saturday 3-23-24 - The Implosions and Freezing Hands at Red Dwarf

Saturday 3-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 3-23-24 - Big Barkin' Block Party at Cemetery Pulp with live music, food, vendors and pet adoptions 2PM - 9PM

Sunday 3-24-24 - The Out There, Evelyn's Casket, Dr Phobic and the Phobic-Tones at Red Dwarf

Monday 3-25-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 3-29-24 - Suburban Resistance with Dio Rising at OYO Casino

Friday 3-29-24 - The Knee-Hi's with the Implosions, Indigo Fuzz and Deacon Hill at The Griffin

Friday 3-29-24 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 3-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 3-31-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 4-1-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 4-1-24 - The Unwieldies with Noelle and the Deserters at Fat Cat

Thursday 4-11-24 - The Hangmen at the Dive Bar

Saturday 4-13-24 - The Unwieldies, Pitchfork and more at the 2024 Bluegrass Festival in Centennial Hills Park

Wednesday 4-17-24 - pre-Viva show at the original San Dollar hosted by Shanda and the Howlers with the Blue Ribbon Boys, Rayford Brothers, Mozzy Dee and Angela Tini

Wednesday 5-1-24 - The Monsters from Switzerland with the Implosiions and the Psyatics at the usual place

Friday 5-24-24 - Redd Kross and more at Backstage Bar and Billiards

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

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Mighty Marvel Masterworks - Thor - Volume 3

 


Of course, being a fan of the original Norse legends, The Mighty Thor was certain to captivate my young mind. As a humble, lame doctor found a walking stick that transformed into a hammer that also turned Dr. Don Blake into a literal god of thunder (what young wimp did not desire a magical way to become a powerful hero?) Thor would go on to save Earth and Asgard many times over.

In this collection, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby combine their immense talents once again to bring us the other-worldly exploits of Thor. Whether he be on Earth, fighting super-powered humans such as Mr. Hyde, the Cobra, the Grey Gargoyle or the Absorbing Man, or in his homeland of Asgard facing the villainy of his half-brother Loki and his comrades, Thor faces his challenges as a god should. Loki continually attempts to sway Odin's favors from his beloved son, and sometimes temporarily succeeds, but the goodly Thunder God must always prevail.

There are times when the worlds collide in a way, such as when Thor must fight Odin's supreme weapon on Earth, the Destroyer (always wondered if this creation was the inspiration of DMZ's song of the same name) or when Loki send the Executioner and the Enchantress to terrorize Don Blake's love interest (and nurse) Jane Foster. There are also tales of the brothers in their youth and of various legends of Asgard in general.

Kirby is in top form here, with his imaginative visions of godly-living, and Lee's soliloquies are intelligent and heroic, as befitting a god, and the plots - sometimes based on the original myths - and the villains are always creative. Of course, it's not great art, but it is great comic book story-telling!

Friday, February 23, 2024

Mighty Marvel Masterworks - Captain American Volume 2


 This collection compiles Cap's adventures while he was still sharing an issue with Iron Man so naturally, the stories are a little shorter than a full comic's tales, but that doesn't mean that they are not action packed! Kirby is still manning the pencils here (except for a couple of issues where Gil Kane subbed), so there are no complaints about the artwork and Stan "The Man" Lee is writing, so there are plenty of wild'n'wooly raucousness'n'craziness!

Nick Fury makes an appearance - the two knew each other back in WWII - along with the not-so-nefarious sounding group of scientists and spies simply called "Them" - somewhat affiliated with AIM (Advanced Ideas Mechanics) - but also working with none of than the original cap nemesis, the Red Skull! On top of that we get the origin of the Cosmic Cube, the Adaptoid and Super Adaptoid, Mordok, Power Man, the Swordsman, a cameo by the Avengers, a love interest for Cap and more! 

Sure, there's some more-than-unlikely scenarios - even for comic books - but suspension of disbelief is certainly necessary for any super-hero tale. But it's all in good fun, the hero wins in the end and while there is the obligatory angst, good wins over evil - something that I wish would happen in the real world a little more often these days. These 60's Marvel tales are always a good time! And for an extra bonus, there's a Captain (Charlie) America episode of Not Brand Ecch! included!

Thursday, February 22, 2024

recommended gigs

 Thursday 2-22-24 Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-23-24 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

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

Saturday 2-24-24 - Broke In Vegas, Destined to Fail, Santa Muerte at the Founder's Club

Friday 3-1-24 - The Bitters, CNTS, Hands of Oblivion, Deafening at the Dive Bar

Friday 3-1-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Mabels

Saturday 3-2-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 3-4-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Golden Tiki

Monday 3-4-24 - Les Lullies, Glass Eye, Cromm Fallon and the P200 at Red Dwarf

Saturday 3-9-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 3-11-24 - The Psyatics and Joecephus and the George Joneston Massacre at Fat Cat

Friday 3-15-24 -  the Psyatics, the Way Outs and Fuzz Solow at Red Dwarf

Saturday 3-16-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Mabels and late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 3-18-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday 3-19-24 - IV and the Strange Band at the Dive Bar

Wednesday 3-20-24 - the New Waves at Red Dwarf

Friday 3-22-24 - The Unwieldies at Boulder Dam Brewery 

Friday 3-22-24 - Blvd Bullies and VaVoom at Rusty Spurs

Saturday 3-23-24 - The Implosions and Freezing Hands at Red Dwarf

Saturday 3-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 3-23-24 - Big Barkin' Block Party at Cemetery Pulp with live music, food, vendors and pet adoptions 2PM - 9PM

Monday 3-25-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 3-29-24 - Suburban Resistance with Dio Rising at OYO Casino

Saturday 3-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 3-31-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Sunday 3-31-24 - Bob Wayne at the Dive Bar

Monday 4-1-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 4-11-24 - The Hangmen at the Dive Bar

Saturday 4-13-24 - The Unwieldies, Pitchfork and more at the 2024 Bluegrass Festival in Centennial Hills Park

Wednesday 5-1-24 - The Monsters from Switzerland with the Implosiions and the Psyatics at the usual place

Friday 5-24-24 - Redd Kross and more at Backstage Bar and Billiards

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

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Mighty Marvel Masterworks - The Avengers Volume 3

 

While I've always been a fan of the Avengers, I have never really been a fan of Don Heck's penciling and here, even with some superb inkers (even Wally Wood, surprisingly enough), Heck just doesn't impress. His layouts are good and dynamic, but his style overall never really clicked with me.

So, with that out of the way, here we get the continuing adventures and the mighty Avengers, as they continue to evolve, here with the "new" team of Captain America, Hawkeye, Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch eventually joined by the Wasp and Goliath (previously Giant-Man and Ant-Man). Of course, there are plenty of personal trials'n'tribulations - it wouldn't be Marvel if there weren't - and rivalries'n'jealousies, especially with the continual sub-plot of Hawkeye wanting to wrest leadership from Cap, while still respecting him and understanding that he is a good leader. 

They fight a wide array of villains, from the Enchantress and Power Man - created by the same machinery that made Wonder Man - to the Swordsman to Attuma (Sub-Mariner's nemesis) to Kang and Doc Doom himself to the Black Widow (brainwashed by the "Commies") and more! Lots of close calls and Goliath suffers a huge setback but, of course, they always end up winning - or at least defeating the evildoers' plots.

Of course, I dig all of the 60's Marvel titles and while this is not the strongest period for the Avengers, it's still more than worthwhile.

Corporate Rock Sucks - Jim Ruland

 

I was never a big fan of most of the bands that SST released, but I decided to pick up this book once I found out that my friend Linda Aronow has photos in it. Turns out, it's a great read!

Because I already read Keith Morris’ fine autobiography (that Ruland also co-wrote), I’m somewhat familiar with the early history of Black Flag, but this book also expands on the role of other related early So Cal bands, such as the Last (Morris gives them plenty of kudos, as well, and there’s a terrific tale of Joe Walsh helping them out early on!), one of my fave bands of the early scene, and, of course, the history of the SST label. 

The Ginns family history is particularly fascinating and Ruland gives plenty of information about their upbringing, background and familiar support, as well as tidbits about how Raymond got his nom de plume and his first comic/zine release.

SST Records evolved out of Greg Ginn's Solid State Transistor business and his bands, starting with Panic! and morphing into Black Flag. Ginn comes off a bit dictator-ish, but he had a vision and, while it may have changed over the years, he stuck to his own guns. Of course, the story of SST Records is also the story of innumerable bands from SoCal, as well as the rest of the country, even into Canada. While, as I said, I am not a fan of many of the groups mentioned, it is a fascinating tale and more open-minded than I would have expected, which makes me want to research the groups that I am not familiar with.

Ruland is a fine, descriptive writer and has a way of making bands whose music I do not care for sound more inviting as well as making me think of their works in different ways. He keeps the story flowing and readable even as he jumps around with the various groups'n'characters, always bringing it back to the SST fold.

It is interesting to me that the really oddball bands - Sacharrine Trust, Minutemen, Husker Du, Meat Puppets - sold tens of thousands of records. But then again, Sonic Youth appears in the story and ends up on SST and look what happened with that unusual band! Of course, being based in SoCal, some friends of ours appear in the story, from bands like the Leaving Trains to writers like Eddie Flowers to photographers like Linda Aronow, along with a long list of bands that appeared on the same bill as my groups over the years. There's also quite a bit of drug use and even a connection to Nancy Pelosi, of all people!

The number of records that SST released is fairly mind-boggling - at times surpassing major labels! - and the number of records by the same band that they would release simultaneously or even in the same year is pretty phenomenal and possibly self-defeating. Of course, it's never a good idea to over-extend your business and once a few major distributors shut down, SST was hit hard and had to do some major down-sizing and lost some important personnel. This, along with Ginn's headstrong ways, along with some lawsuits, essentially ends the SST label as a strong independent and while they still exist, the label is no longer the powerhouse it once was.

Really much more compelling then I expected - definitely recommend, especially for those who dig the early LA scene.


Thursday, February 15, 2024

recommended gigs

 Thursday 2-15-24 - Negative Nancys, Happy Campers, Sundogs, Biff at Evel Pie

Thursday 2-15-24 - TV Party Tonight at the Double Down showing Caddyshack with live music from Bear Supply 

Friday 2-16-24 - Suburban Resistance and Mismiths at the Dive Bar

Saturday 2-17-25 - The Psyatics with Stagnettis Cock and VaVoom at Founder’s Club

Saturday 2-17-24 - Junkyard at the Dive Bar

Saturday 2-17-24 - Late night -Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 2-18-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf

Monday 2-19-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 2-21-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Thursday 2-22-24 Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-23-24 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

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

Saturday 2-24-24 - Broke In Vegas, Destined to Fail, Santa Muerte at the Founder's Club

Friday 3-1-24 - The Bitters, CNTS, Hands of Oblivion, Deafening at the Dive Bar

Friday 3-1-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Mabels

Saturday 3-2-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 3-4-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Golden Tiki

Saturday 3-9-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 3-11-24 - The Psyatics and Joecephus and the George Joneston Massacre at Fat Cat

Friday 3-15-24 -  the Psyatics, the Way Outs and Fuzz Solow at Red Dwarf

Saturday 3-16-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Mabels and late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 3-18-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday 3-19-24 - IV and the Strange Band at SoulBelly BBQ

Friday 3-22-24 - The Unwieldies at Boulder Dam Brewery 

Saturday 3-23-24 - The Implosions and Freezing Hands at Red Dwarf

Saturday 3-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Monday 3-25-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 3-29-24 - Suburban Resistance with Dio Rising at OYO Casino

Saturday 3-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 3-31-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Monday 4-1-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 4-11-24 - The Hangmen at the Dive Bar

Saturday 4-13-24 - The Unwieldies, Pitchfork and more at the 2024 Bluegrass Festival in Centennial Hills Park

Friday 5-24-24 - Redd Kross and more at Backstage Bar and Billiards

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

Stomp and Shout - Kenny Daniel and Richard Parker

 


The similarity (exactly) to the title of the book on the Northwest Garage scene that I just read brought this tome to my attention and I was intrigued by the thought of a book on a fairly obscure Texan garage band, Kenny and the Kasuals. Of course, I know their terrific garage/psych raver, "Journey To Tyme", and I know that I have a full LP of theirs that I haven't listened to in a while, but I know I enjoyed (and reviewed it and dug it once again). In any case, this seemed like an interesting read and it was inexpensive so I grabbed it.

Kenny co-authors the book and as he explains in the intro, this will be an exploration into garage bands in general along with his in particular. He starts with an overview, natch, and goes into the beginnings of his musical endeavors. His writing style is very casual - again, I wouldn't be surprised if he was simply talking and reminiscing and Parker transcribed and organized it all - and this self-published (small press?) book has some repetition throughout, but has a lot of fun stories. Daniel talks about all of the dances that his school (second largest in Texas, apparently) would put on near-constantly (way more than anything I ever heard about, including before classes in the morning!) and the various groups that would supply the entertainment. His combos joined in on the fun early on and became a local fave along the way.

A minor annoyance is that they do not list song titles consistently - sometimes the title is just written out, sometimes italicized, sometimes in quotations (the standard way) - so the reading can be a bit confusing. Kenny also gives an unnecessary (but brief) history of the Beatles, and also makes lots of lists of local bands playing around at the times. Yes, it's good to know that there was a lot happening, but, again, it's kind of unnecessary.

After a lot of local success and some high hopes in NYC, the band came home, Kenny was drafted, there was a name change that didn’t help matters, Kenny came home and then tried West Coast Country, that failed (a little too late, apparently), another return home to dry out and do a Kasuals reunion. The newly form Kasuals were a bit more punky (per Kenny's description) and played with a truly impressive list of punk/new wave stars, from the Boomtown Rats to Patti Smith, and dozens in between.

There's lots of cool stories of a rising garage combo poised for national success - the ALMOST opened for the Beatles - only to return to the origins and split due to the usual reasons - draft, musical differences, scool, jobs, family and all the rest. But, Kenny persevered and while he did take on a "straight" job, he kept the Kasuals going over the decades. 

This story could have used a little more tightening up, although that would have shortened the book, but still, there's plenty of tales of the trials, tribulations, and fun times of a 60's garage group! Not amazing, but worth checking out if ya dig the genre.

Monday, February 12, 2024

The Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 3 - Mighty Marvel Masterworks

 


I love revisiting these 60's Marvel Masterworks, which compile a number of original comics in one reasonably priced package. This one has the Amazing Spider-Man #29 through #38 and features the debut of Gwen Stacey, Harry Osborn and more, and, among others, has the epic Master Planner storyline with the classic scene re-created for the cover of this collection. Other villains include the Scorpion, the Cat, Kraven the Hunter, the Meteor Man and much more! Of course, J. Jonah Jameson continues to hound the hero, and Peter Parker starts college while literally trying to save his aunt's life and so alienates his peers because he has no time for them - he never really gets a break, does he?

The incredible Steve Ditko illustrates and he is in top form throughout - amazing layouts, penciling and inking - and Stan Lee was also at his peak as a writer. Great stuff! I doubt that I'll ever get tired of these fine tales!

Friday, February 09, 2024

Stomp and Shout - Peter Blecha

 

Of course, I've been a fan of the Pacific Northwest sound ever since first discovering the Sonics and similar bands - or maybe even before, considering that I was a fan of Paul Revere and the Raiders in their hey-day in the 60's (and still am, for that matter). My pal Bob Blackburn, who is from the area, hipped me to this book, so, of course, I picked it up as soon as I found it.

Blecha opens with a young, unknown Ray Charles appearing in Seattle in 1948 and gives a bit of background on the area's musical and cultural leanings. As he moves on with some history of the burgeoning R'n'B scene, we also get a lesson in the area's segregation policies and their eventual breakdowns, thanks to open-minded promoters and business owners (and integrated bands, of course), as R'n'B morphs into R'n'R.

Moving from the hip R'n'B scene - played by both Blacks and Whites - there then evolved a younger, more purely rock'n'roll sound, championed by Tacoma's The Wailers. I had no idea that this savage, fuzzed out garage combo started in the early R'n'B scene! They were also the first to put out a garage version of "Louie Louie" that sold amazingly well in the NW but they couldn't get the national push to make it the smash that the Kingsmen later got with their copycat version. 

This point in the story is where it gets fascinating for me, with the start of bands like the Wailers and the breakthrough success of Paul Revere and the Raiders, along with their contemporaries. Of course, although I know it logically, it's interesting to find a chapter on Jimi Hendrix while we're still talking about the early/pre-Beatles R'n'B-morphing-into-R'n'R bands, but that's when'n'where he started! 

There’s a great chapter on the competing versions of “Louie Louie” from the Kingsmen (of course) and Paul Revere and the Raiders - both taken from the Wailers cover of the Richard Berry number. The Sonics don't really appear until towards the end of the book, but it sounds like they were as frantic live as their blistering records would seem. Apparently, the NW produced unparalleled, raucous, phrenetic live acts!

As the days of the mid-60's garage bands faded, Blecha takes one last look at Hendrix's success before closing this chapter on the NW sounds, although harkening to the later emergence of the Sub Pop bands.

I really enjoyed this one - a nice history lesson of the early R'n'B greats and a fascinating emergence of the crazed rock'n'roll that came from the area. Certainly recommended!

Thursday, February 08, 2024

recommended gigs

 Friday 2-9-24 - The Implosions, Las Nalgonas, the Hideaway at Cemetery Pulp

Saturday 2-10-24 - the Unwieldies at Boulder Dam Brewery 

Saturday 2-10-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 2-11-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf Sunday Brunch

Monday 2-12-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-12-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Thursday 2-15-24 - Negative Nancys, Happy Campers, Sundogs, Biff at Evel Pie

Thursday 2-15-24 - TV Party Tonight at the Double Down showing Caddyshack with live music from Bear Supply 

Friday 2-16-24 - Suburban Resistance and Mismiths at the Dive Bar

Saturday 2-17-25 - The Psyatics with Stagnettis Cock and VaVoom at Founder’s Club

Saturday 2-17-24 - Junkyard at the Dive Bar

Saturday 2-17-24 - Late night -Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 2-18-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf

Monday 2-19-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

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

Monday 2-26-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 3-11-24 - The Psyatics and Joecephus and the George Joneston Massacre at Fat Cat

Thursday 3-14-24 - The Silhouettes at the Double Down

Friday 3-15-24 - the Silhouettes with Fur Dixon and the Psyatics at Red Dwarf

Tuesday 3-19-24 - IV and the Strange Band at SoulBelly BBQ

Saturday 3-23-24 - The Implosions and Freezing Hands at Red Dwarf

Thursday 4-11-24 - The Hangmen at the Dive Bar

Saturday 4-13-24 - The Unwieldies, Pitchfork and more at the 2024 Bluegrass Festival in Centennial Hills Park

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

Wednesday, February 07, 2024

The Decibels - Create Action

 


The Decibels were (are?) a 1990's Sacramento power pop/mod band full of great tunes, lots of harmonies, singalong songs, and plenty of fun! Got to see and play with them a few times over the years and they were nothing but cool and always put on a great show. With Dean Seavers, Joe Pach, Brian Machado, and Brent Seavers, they kept the power in the pop - and the modern in mod - by looking snappy while rockin'n'harmonizing through fun sets. This 13 song album is filled with short, infectious, energetic tunes with jangly guitars and a rockin' rhythm section, reminiscent of 60's numbers without being derivative, and plenty of tortured relationship lyrics, as is pretty much required of power pop!

If ya dig power pop with a mod tinge (maybe like an American, less mod-centric Secret Affair), you need to dig these cats. There's no reason why they didn't get bigger than they did, other than the fact that the music biz sucks!

Bob Dylan - Oh Mercy

 


This CD was gifted to me by my old pal Kenzo - thanks buddy! - and is a 1989 release that was hailed as (another) Dylan resurgence after a few failed albums. Recorded in New Orleans and produced by Daniel Lanois, it was called a return to form (again, that has happened often enough in Dylan's career to question what form anyone is referring to) and even gave him a strong chart showing.

Although he hadn't been considered a protest singer from decades, he does delve into it a bit for the upbeat, bouncey "Political World" - pretty damn catchy and a hip, insistent groove and some fine playing all around - good opener! He slows down for a country-ish ballad "Where Teardrops Fall", followed by one of my faves, the bluesy "Everything Is Broken" that Neil Young covered successfully and noisily but here has nicely tremelo'd guitars, acoustic harmonica and another cool groove. "Ring Them Bells" is a gospel-tinged piano ballad, "Man in the Long Black Coat" is a nice ballad, but not overly memorable as is the end-of-a-relationship song, "Most of the Time", and continues with the sparse and self-deprecating "What Good Am I?". "Disease of Conceit" continues with the sparseness, they pick up the pace slightly for "What Was It You Wanted", although it also has ethereal, tremelo'd guitars and light, breathy harmonica and ending with the country/folky "Shooting Star" that harkens a bit more to his earlier days.

It's a good, atmospheric record, even though the songs aren't quite as enduring as some of his previous work. 

Neil Young and Crazy Horse - World Record


 This 2022 release was Young's 43rd (!!) studio album and his 15th with Crazy Horse (along with Nils Lofgren adding a number of instruments), produced by Rick Rubin and released as a three sided vinyl set (the fourth side being an etching) and a 2-CD set with the second CD supplying a whopping two songs! I know that Young likes his fidelity and I got this one from the library so I don't know for sure, but I sure hope that he priced this as a single CD and not a double! (According to Wikipedia, he released this on cassette, as well! Wacky!)

Opening with a kinda hokey, old-fashioned, piano-led, 50's-ish pop tune "Love Earth", the record does not have a strong start to my ears, but this was chosen as a single, so Young must have liked it. "Overhead" is a bit better, as a mid-tempo song with plenty of Neil-isms, also piano-led, with a semi-psych mid section! Interesting and different, even for him! From there we get some Crazy Horse crunch on the guitars in "I Walk With You", although it is still basically a ballad - I could hear this as an acoustic number, although I dig the distortion, the fairly stompin' mid section and hip Neil electric solo. "This Old Planet" - the Earth, its wonders and its fate, is basically the album's theme - is another piano ballad, then they pick up the pace for "The World (Is In Trouble Now)" that has a pump organ as its dominant instrument (outside of the insistent drums), giving it an odd, but cool flavor - maybe a little soul/R'n'B, somehow. 

Nice washes of distortion'n'feedback on "Break the Chain", with a call'n'answer melody, making it all sound like more "traditional" Crazy Horse (a good thing, to be sure!), while "The Long Day Before" is another pump organ ballad with choir-like choruses, "Walkin' On The Road (To The Future)" continues with pump organ'n'mouth organ'n'big choruses, and for the finale of disc 1, "The Wonder Won't Wait" has even more pump organ but in a more rhythmic way, giving it kind of a 60's garage feel (sorta/ kinda).

CD 2 opens with the 15+ minute ode to his beloved cars, "Chevrolet", that is an electric Crazy Horse epic with some great guitar work and plenty of Young-ish distortion, showing that he can still write a hip song and perform it with the same edge he always has had! The closer is a very, very quiet reprise of "This Old Planet" that is barely longer than a minute (if that), making this CD extraordinarily brief, but that's Neil for ya! 

Wile certainly not the best thing he has done, it it still totally listenable with some fine highlights - not bad after 50 years or so!

Monday, February 05, 2024

Dark Shadows (movie)

 

While I watched the original Dark Shadows TV series when it aired, I don't remember much about any plot that ran through that soap opera - really just remember Barnabas and the fact that there was occasional supernatural beings appearing throughout the series. Tim Burton's 2012 movie remake (with Johnny Depp in the lead role) doesn't seem to have much to do with the original show other than the characters - the movie even takes place in the 70's, after the TV show went off the air.

But, as with any of Burton's projects, it looks good, Depp plays the character with a bit over-the-top silliness (not necessarily a bad thing) and the rest of the characters at least somewhat resemble people from the original. I don't remember how the original Barnabas was cursed, but here an eternal witch caused him to become a vampire after murdering his lover because he spurned the witch. When he returns in the 70's, she has practically destroyed his legacy, and his vengeance - and her continual animosity towards him - is the basis of the plot.

Ghosts and werewolves also appear, and Alice Cooper serenades a party they throw, which was a nice touch - his band is made to look like the original AC group, down to correct instruments - and they perform "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and "Ballad of Dwight Frye", which is especially fitting for a particular sub-plot. Of yeah, an Iggy song plays in the background earlier in the movie, although it's a tune that wasn't released at the time, but what the hell....

Far from any sort of seriousness, it's a fun romp, looks great, and has some excellent music in the soundtrack (although the Carpenters also appear on TV and as background music). 

Friday, February 02, 2024

RIP Wayne Kramer

Wayne Kramer of Detroit Rock Legends MC5 Has Died at Age 75
 --
I've had some issues with some of the legal battles that he chose to start, but I cannot deny the influence that the MC5 has had over me for the past 50 (!!) years. He and Sonic were an incredible team. Sorry to see him go, although I suppose he lived longer than he probably thought he would, considering the abuse he put his body through in his younger days.

Hit Girls - Jen B. Larson

 


Subtitled "Women of Punk in the USA 1975-1983", this gives a pretty accurate description of the concept of the book. Funnily, Larson is a youngster who wasn't born until well after this time period and who knew little about punk or women in punk until researching the past. It will be interesting to get this kind of second (third? fourth? fifth?) hand perspective.

While not wanting to promote more well-known musicians, Larson opens with Niagra and Destroy All Monsters - hardly obscure! - but immediately follows with The Welders, A St. Louis band from the mid-70's that I had never heard of. Then we get Bomp's Nikki and the Corvettes (had to laugh at the young author asking why it wasn't cool to be covering the MC5 and Stooges in the 70's!) followed by Flirt, another Detroit band I'd never heard of, whose singer had previous sang backup for Bob Seger on "Katmandu"! So, lots of variety, mixing basically complete unknowns with underground icons.

Lots of mid-west bands are featured - not surprising considering how many groups there were all over the country at the time - including bands like Chicago's Bitch, who I used to see in small clubs in Indiana, along with groups like the Waitresses, who actually got airplay and a fair amount of attention. As a funny aside, Larson quotes Cincinnati's The Dents singing "Do the Boob", but doesn't mention that it's a Real Kids song! (She also mentions someone doing "Cock in My Pocket" and while I didn't research it, I can only assume that is the Iggy song.) The LA bands - and west coast in general - are also relatively well-known by comparison and for the east coast she includes the likes of Lydia Lunch and even the Plasmatics! So, while there are LOTS of truly obscure combos, there's also lots that even the average fan of underground rock'n'roll are going to be familiar with - maybe that's on purpose for marketing despite saying that she was going to leave out the more well known? Ironically, I dug the section on the West Coast bands because I knew or had at least seen most of the bands listed, but Melanie thought that Larson didn't do a deep enough dive and dig up more obscure bands!

Interestingly, there are very different views on how women were or were not accepted and how the non-traditional-sex roles were either embraced or vilified. I suppose some of it depends on the time (years or even months could make a difference) and some on the place, but even in San Francisco, different bands had very different experiences. I do appreciate that almost to a person, everyone lamented the coming of hard core and the uniformation of punk rock and how free it was (overall) when it started and how it could be almost anything. Of course, I agree with that, as well, and hated the later punk bands, while I still listen to 70's punk religiously.

In any case, no matter how immersed you are in underground rock'n'roll, Larson will certainly inform you of some groups that you've never heard of. Not perfect, but certainly informative!

Thursday, February 01, 2024

recommended gigs

 Thursday 2-1-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Friday 2-2-24 - The Bitters, Mondo Vermin, Red Moon One, Noize Complaint at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Saturday 2-3-24 - The New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 2-3-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 2-4-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch

Sunday 2-4-24 - the Minges, the Out There and War Peggy at Red Dwarf

Monday 2-5-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-5-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Wednesday 2-7-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Friday 2-9-24 - The Implosions, Las Nalgonas, the Hideaway at Cemetery Pulp

Saturday 2-10-24 - the Unwieldies at Boulder Dam Brewery 

Saturday 2-10-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 2-11-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf Sunday Brunch

Monday 2-12-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-12-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Friday 2-16-24 - Suburban Resistance and Mismiths at the Dive Bar

Saturday 2-17-25 - The Psyatics with Stagnettis Cock and VaVoom at Founder’s Club

Saturday 2-17-24 - Junkyard at the Dive Bar

Saturday 2-17-24 - Late night -Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-19-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

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

Monday 2-26-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 3-11-24 - The Psyatics at Joecephus and the George Joneston Massacre at Fat Cat

Thursday 3-14-24 - The Silhouettes at the Double Down

Friday 3-15-24 - the Silhouettes with Fur Dixon and the Psyatics at Red Dwarf

Tuesday 3-19-24 - IV and the Strange Band at SoulBelly BBQ

Saturday 3-23-24 - The Implosions and Freezing Hands at Red Dwarf

Thursday 4-11-24 - The Hangmen at the Dive Bar

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

Friday, January 26, 2024

RIP Melanie Safka



Melanie, ‘Brand New Key’ Folk Singer Who Played Woodstock, Dead at 76
 ---
I hate that her worst song is the one she's most known for, but Melanie had some terrific numbers, especially "Lay Down" (which Mott the Hoople covered successfully). A beautiful woman with a terrific voice - I definitely had a crush on her back in the day! Sad to hear of her leaving us so young.

Neil Young - Under the Covers

 


The title gives away the obvious theme of this mixed-bag collection - not a bad concept but not all of the songs are really rendered all that well, to be blunt. Nothing is terrible, of course - this is Neil Young, after all - but some were certainly done simply for fun and I'd be surprised if they were meant to be anything more.

Right off the bat, "Do You Wanna Dance" is surely an early fave of Neil's, but it is not a standout - not bad, fairly traditional, in fact, but not particularly interesting, other than Young's insanely (wasted?) over-the-top farewell to the audience on this live recording. More successful is the country-ish Canadian number from 1959, Joe London's "It Might Have Been", apparently a Canadian Top Forty hit so, again, surely a remembrance from his youth. I was also not familiar with Nils Lofgren's "Beggars Day", here given a noisy, live treatment, I assume with Crazy Horse, sounding like some of Neil's best crunchy tunes. "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" is an intriguing idea, especially since I believe that the MG's are backing him on this live show, but Neil's vocals aren't really up to this task, but how can he compete with Otis? He does do a fine job on a newer Dylan number called "Everything Is Broken", with off-kilter piano'n'harmonica, followed by another one of Dylan's, the heartfelt "Forever Young" (funny, considering Neil's last name!), from his grunge-y period, there's a trashy take on "Farmer John" (done on his Ragged Glory album), then yet another Dylan cover, "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" with some excellent, patented Neil Young electric guitar solos, shifting back to acoustic for a nice cover of Ian and Sylvia's "Four Strong Winds", which absolutely sounds like it could have been a Young original. Springsteen's "Hungry Heart" is done with the Boss, there's an odd, quiet instrumental take on "Greensleeves", yet another tune that I thought was Neil's - Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me", his take on "All Along the Watchtower" that kinda blends Dylan's and Hendrix's, another oddity is "Stranger In Paradise", from the musical Kismet - definitely not what you would expect from Young - that then jumps into his rockabilly roots for Arthur Crudups' "That's Alright Mama" and this set closes out with another unusual one, a unique take on "On Broadway" - not sure that this one actually works, either, but it is different, especially the blasts of insanely overdriven guitar!

I got this one from the library so I don't have the liner note details, although I think that most, if not all, of these cuts are live with special guests appearing with Neil, but as I said, some work better than others and you probably won't need to hear some of these multiple times, but it is interesting to hear his wildly varied influences!

Neil Young - The Times

 


This EP is made up of live recordings that Young did in his home as part of The Fireside Sessions during the Covid pandemic. Once again, this simply features Neil and his guitar for a mere 7 songs, including a cover of "The Times They Are A-Changin'", all of which are politically charged, as this was the painfully horrible Trump era. He even updates his Bush protest song "Looking For a Leader" (from his Living With War protest album) for this unfortunate'n'disastrous period of American history.

He starts things off with a surprisingly full-sounding version of "Alabama" - to the point where I initially thought there were others on this track, although it appears to be just Neil and his guitar - he could fill a tune all on his own! "Campaigner", with the infamous line about Nixon having soul, is given a nice reading, "Ohio" is still powerful in an acoustic setting, he gives a tribute to Dylan with "The Things They Are A-Changin'", complete with a harmonica solo which is more melodic than Dylan original performed! His bluesy, footstompin', harmonica-fueled update of "Looking For a Leader 2020" is, in my opinion, the centerpiece of this EP, with its lyrics of hope in a world gone mad. It's tough to follow that one, but he brings out "Southern Man", with harmonica taking the place of the wild, electric solos on the original, but otherwise sounding pretty damn strong, and he closes with a number that I'm not familiar with called "Little Wing" (not the Hendrix song, obviously)  that is a pretty ballad, but also seems a bit unfinished and loose, without a lot of structure - certainly the odd song out of this collection.

Although I love Young's electric madness, I've also been a fan of his acoustic work for as long as I can remember, so I'm going to dig stuff like this. It certainly could have been longer, though, especially considering that it was obviously a low-budget recording. Regardless, again, fans will certainly want it.

Thursday, January 25, 2024

recommended gigs

 Thursday 1-25-24 - Fuzz Solo at Fat Cats

Friday 1-26-24 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki

Friday 1-26-24 - Shanda and the Howlers at Mabels

Saturday 1-27-24 -  Late night -Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 1-29-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Tuesday 1-30-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Thursday 2-1-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat

Friday 2-2-24 - The Bitters, Mondo Vermin, Red Moon One, Noize Complaint at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Saturday 2-3-24 - The New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 2-4-24 - the Minges, the Out There and War Peggy at Red Dwarf

Monday 2-5-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Wednesday 2-7-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down

Friday 2-9-24 - The Implosions, Las Nalgonas, the Hideaway at Cemetery Pulp

Saturday 2-10-24 - the Unwieldies at Boulder Dam Brewery 

Monday 2-12-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 2-16-24 - Suburban Resistance and Mismiths at the Dive Bar

Saturday 2-17-25 - The Psyatics with Stagnettis Cock and VaVoom at Founder’s Club

Saturday 2-17-24 - Junkyard at the Dive Bar

Saturday 2-17-24 - Late night -Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-19-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 2-26-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 3-11-24 - The Psyatics at Joecephus and the George Joneston Massacre at Fat Cat

Thursday 3-14-24 - The Silhouettes at the Double Down

Friday 3-15-24 - the Silhouettes with Fur Dixon and the Psyatics at Red Dwarf

Tuesday 3-19-24 - IV and the Strange Band at SoulBelly BBQ

Thursday 4-11-24 - The Hangmen at the Dive Bar

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

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

RIP Shelley Ganz on The Unclaimed

 


Where do tou even start on something like this?

My life would be very different if not for the Unclaimed. We all became friends (me, my then sorta girlfriend, Aldyth, and roommate Eddie), opening a social scene for us, who had all just moved to LA. We were amazed to see a band that not only knew but replicated the likes of the Sonics and Chocolate Watchband, as well as much more obscure bands that even us music fanatics did not know. I became entrenched in the burgeoning garage scene, having lived through the original 60's, and I became quite the fanatic. I eventually joined the band 6 or 7 months before Sid and Barry left to form the Long Ryders, but it was an amazing time. Shelley and I (and drummer Matt Roberts) persevered and found bassist Ray Flores and continued as a four piece for a few more years, opening for the likes of the Cramps, and having many more bands who later became famous, open for us (Bangs, Salvation Army, Los Lobos, and too many more to name). Eventually, I started writing more and Ray and Matt came with me to form the less restrictive Thee Fourgiven, but that's another story.

Shelley and I were pretty close during the band days, with lots of late night discussions on music, religion (he was interested in Buddhism, although never - to my knowledge - a complete convert, but some of his lyrics make his interest obvious), comic books ("Betty Cooper", anyone? He enjoyed lots of others, as well, including being a huge Conan fan and wishing he could have lived in those times), and lots more. Music was a life-line for him, as it was for me, and our lives revolved around it. He was a true visionary - more than me, for sure - and while he was restrictive, he knew what he wanted and he deservedly received respect for following those visions, even when it was hard to find others to join him.

Without the Unclaimed, I wouldn't have known Shelley, Sid, Barry, Matt or Ray or even Lee Joseph, who became another close friend and helped me and Thee Fourgiven in infinite ways. Of course, there are innumerable others who joined us in our crazy journey and many more stories to tell...

Shit, I'm sure that memories will continue to come to me but while we had a falling out - over women, what else? - and we were never super close afterwards, we were still friendly and I was happy for his recent revivalist successes. Hell, he just put out a new record and just played a gig a couple of weeks ago.

This fucking sucks....Hope you're under the bohdi tree now, my friend...

Saturday, January 20, 2024

RIP Mary Weiss

Mary Weiss, Lead Singer of The Shangri-Las, Dead at 75 
---
Of course, I've been a huge fan of the Shangri-Las since they first appeared on the scene. Definitely the hippest, toughest, swingingest girl group with great songs and image!

Friday, January 19, 2024

Neil Young - Hitchhiker

 


Our local library definitely has someone who is a Neil Young fan working there and that's no problem for me as I dig finding these releases for free! This is a fairly fascinating album - released in 2017 (his 37th studio album!), it was actually recorded in 1976 in one night with just Neil and his acoustic guitar (and occasional harmonica). The record label thought these were unfinished and did not release it as an album at the time, but certain takes later received overdubs and became well known numbers, such as "Pocahontas".

That number opens this CD and, of course, it sounds familiar, but stripped down, showing the strength of the number on its own, and following in this vein is "Powderfinger", which also sounds like it could have been the backing track for the take we all now know. "Captain Kennedy" shows off his finger-pickin' style (nice, traditional-sounding melody, as well), "Hawaii" and "Give Me Strength" were previously unreleased before this album but the former is another quiet, well written ballad, while the latter is a mid-tempo strummer with another strong melody - certainly no reason why these should have been neglected, other than the fact that Neil always has lots more where these come from.

"Ride My Llama" is pretty similar to the later version, with its downtuned stummin' (not dissimilar to numbers like "Cinnamon Girl" in basic feel), but, at one minute, 50 seconds, it definitely feels unfinished, but the title cut is upbeat and powerful, even in this stripped down take, and is fully formed and a fine tune, as is "Campaigner", with his famous line about Nixon having soul (still don't believe that one), "Human Highway" is another of Neil's which sounds like it easily could have been an old, traditional folk tune but, of course, with his unique twists, and the record concludes with "The Old Country Waltz" which is, indeed, a sad, waltz beat, performed on the piano (with harmonica accompaniment) for a change, and sounding like a good ending number, somehow - perhaps due to its melancholy nature.

I can see why a record label would want the performances to be a bit more fleshed out, especially in the mid-70's, but Neil has always been able to carry a performance on his own. I dig these intimate looks at his songs - fans will certainly want this!