R.I.P. Raul Malo of The Mavericks, 1965-2025

Sadly, The Mavericks' golden-voiced frontman Raul Malo has passed away far too soon at 60. He'll be greatly missed. 

Doug Paisley joins John Showman & Chris Coole @ The Cameron House, Tuesday

Singer/songwriter Doug Paisley sits in with the banjo fiddle duo of John Showman & Chris Coole from 6pm-8pm.

Willie West's deep soul gem "I'm Still A Man" to be used in Irdris Elba series H/JACK

Celebrating Willie West's birthday with "I'm Still A Man" which will appear in an episode of H/JACK on Apple TV in Januray. 

Willie West – I'm Still A Man (Timmion Records)

All the leaves might be brown and the sky gray, but fortunately Willie West is still a man. This relentless underdog of the New Orleans soul history known for his work with The Meters and Allen Toussaint has been laying low in the northern parts of the US for a while now. Lately he has emerged with new raw sound, which fuses very distinctly personal lyricism with heavy minor key grooves provided by the guys at Timmion Records.

While arriving to Finland for the first time in 2014 to perform on account of his latest album Lost Soul, Willie couldn't help laying down a few lyrics at Timmion studios in Helsinki's Kaapelitehdas. The session produced a fresh new track I'm Still A Man, which continues on the same slow, dark and melodic path, which he paved with The High Society Brothers in 2009 with The Devil Gives Me Everything.

From the first desolate guitar licks on Willie starts to lure the listener into his damp and heavy-aired space, like only the few masters brewed in the southern climate can. There's not many of Willie's breed still around and who knows how long his dark wail will bless us with gems like this. Let this true artistry sink its nails in you. 

You'll be hearing "I'm Still A Man" in the background on Idris Elba's "H/JACK" Apple TV series which begins streaming it's second season on January 14, 2026. 

Get a copy of Willie West's "I'm Still A Man" single via Bandcamp right here. Have a listen below.

 

Remembering Fred "Toots" Hibbert on his birthday

Raising a glass to reggae great Toots Hibbert with a few performances and the Reggae Got Soul documentary. 

Chris Houston's latest album "Rapid Detox" gets a limited vinyl release

Just in time for holiday gift-giving, Chris Houston's latest release, "Rapid Detox" is out now on vinyl! 

LINKS 

Spotify – Chris Houston's Rapid Detox

Into The Abyss (257 King St. E, Hamilton) record shop

Dr. Disc (20 Wilson St, Hamilton) record shop

Happy Birthday Tom Waits!

Wishing Tom Waits a SUPER 76th birthday today! Here are a few clips of our man in action. 

WITCH's rare Zamrock 70s singles tracks collected on "Fool's Ride" comp

WITCH's tough-to-find Zamrock singles have been thoughtfully compiled by Egon Alapatt on the "Fool's Ride" album from Now-Again out now.   

Here's the scoop...

The last of WITCH’s Zamrock to finally see wide commercial release – their uber-rare 7″ singles collected as an album. Pressed on deep purple coloured vinyl – Now-Again’s officially sanctioned Black Friday Record Store Day 2025 Release!

Zamrock was a bona-fide rock scene, with albums released through independent labels based in Zambia. This music scene was complete, encompassing the genres of rock, acid folk, fusion, Afro-beat, South African jazz and traditional Zambian melodies. It quickly became a uniquely Zambian movement, befitting of its name. Chrissy Zebby Tembo, Paul Ngozi and Amanaz sound nothing like other rock music from the African continent or elsewhere.

WITCH issued five albums as a Zamrock band. With ‘Fool’s Ride,’ we have collected the band’s uber-rare 7″ singles and present them as the final, golden-age WITCH LP.

WITCH’s first two, self-produced albums – ‘Introduction’ and ‘In The Past,’ released in unison with the birth of the commercial Zambian recording industry – are exuberant experiments in garage rock, and are as influenced by the Rolling Stones as they are James Brown. Their third album,’Lazy Bones!!,’ is the band’s masterpiece – a dark, brooding psychedelic opus that makes equal use of wah-wah and fuzz guitars, that relies as heavily on the stomping feel of hard rock as it does the syncopation of funk. The band’s last two albums – ‘Lukombo Vibes’ and ‘Including Janet,’ recorded after the band toured with Osibisa – make use of traditional Zambian rhythms and folk melodies. They are the most “afro-rock” of WITCH’s oeuvre. 

Get a copy of WITCH's "Fool's Ride" album on limited-edition purple wax while it's still available via Bandcamp right here.

WITCH - Fool's Ride

1. Talking Universe

2. Evil Woman

3. Sweet Sixteen

4. Up The Sky

5. Toloka

6. 81st Crowd Confusion

7. Fool’s Ride

8. Chifundo

“Toloka/81st Crowd Confusion” “Talking Universe/Sweet Sixteen” “Up The Sky/Evil Woman” 7″ singles produced and arranged by WITCH. Recorded at D.B. Applications, Lusaka, Zambia in 1975.

“Toloka/81st Crowd Confusion” 7″ originally released on Teal Record Company/Zambezi Records ZTZ 4.

“Talking Universe/Sweet Sixteen” originally released on Teal Record Company/Zambezi Records ZTZ 6.

“Up The Sky/Evil Woman” originally released on Teal Record Company/Zambezi Records ZTZ 9.

‘Fool’s Ride/Chifundo” 7″ single: Produced by Teal Record Company. Arranged by WITCH. Recorded at Sapra Studios, Nairobi, Kenya on September 21, 1976. Engineered by Detlef Degener.

Originally released on Teal Record Company WITI.