B-Side Wins Again: Ñico Saquito y Los Guaracheros de Oriente

Here's Cuban guitar ace Ñico Saquito getting down with Los Guaracheros de Oriente for "El Berrinche de María" from 1949.

Tinariwen postpones entire Canadian tour

Tinariwen – who were going to play the Concert Hall on Sept. 17 – have had to postpone their entire Canadian tour.

Here's the scoop from Tinariwen HQ...

Unfortunately, due to a fire at the home of one of their team members, the travel documents of several members of Tinariwen’s crew and touring party were destroyed.

The team has been doing everything possible to maintain the tour, but despite their best efforts, they are unfortunately now obliged to postpone the current Canadian tour.

We are working quickly with the band and their team to reschedule the shows in the short term, and we will announce the new dates as soon as they are confirmed.

All ticket holders will have the option to hold on to their tickets for the rescheduled date or request a refund.

Tinariwen sincerely apologizes to all of their friends and fans across Canada for this unexpected change. They are doing everything they can to return and perform for you as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued support.

 

Happy Birthday Peter Zaremba of The Fleshtones!

Cheers to Peter Zaremba on his birthday! We're celebrating with a few of his stage and studio appearances you may have missed. 

Check out Peter sitting in with Miriam Linna on Kicksville ep. 18 on WPKN-FM, archived right here. 

Midweek Mixdown: I Marc 4 special presented by SONOR Music Editions

The Italian session aces I Marc 4 – who worked with Armando Trovajoli, Gianni Ferrio & Piero Umiliani – get the spotlight. 

In the era immediately following WWII, Italy experienced an economic recovery incomparable to any other Western European country. The Italian state transformed from a mostly rural nation into a global industrial power. A newly wealthy class of Italians bought new appliances, elegant clothes, and sleek sports cars. This was La Dolce Vita: the sweet life.

Italian films followed suit – they presented Italy to the outside world as romantic, sophisticated, and aspirational. The film soundtracks, composed by masters like Stelvio Cipriani, Ennio Morricone, and Piero Umiliani, are plush mood pieces, rich with exotic instrumentation and performed by world-class studio musicians. They are the most potent cultural artefacts from this era.

Italian studio musicians Maurizio Majorana (bass), Carlo Pes (guitar), Roberto Podio (drums), and Antonello Vannucchi (organ) came together as I Marc 4 for their self-titled sound library recording in collaboration with Stefano Torossi (aka "Fotriafa") for the Nelson label in 1970. They went on to work with soundtrack maestros Armando Trovajoli, Gianni Ferrio and Piero Umiliani to develop into one of the defining groups of the Italian library music era. 

Check out their amazing Latin, folk, and classical inflected recordings presented by SONOR Music Editions right here. For more on I Marc 4, visit the SONOR Music Editions site here, and The Sixth Dimension site over here. 

You can continue living la dolce vita with two more hours of sophisticated '60s and '70s sounds from Italy on the NTS Radio Guide To Italian Sound Library, Soundtracks and OST Recordings right here. 

R.I.P. Catherine Ringer of Les Rita Mitsouko

Sadly, French singer Catherine Ringer of Les Rita Mitsouko has passed away at the age of 68. She'll be greatly missed. 

Celebrate 50 Years of Punk w/ Sex Pistols' Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Glen Matlock @ History, Sept 21

Sex Pistols survivors Glen Matlock, Steve Jones & Paul Cook will be fronted by London tattoo artiste Frank Carter at History.

You can get advance tickets for the 50 Years Of Punk celebration at History right here. 

Remembering Fred "Sonic" Smith on his birthday

Joining everyone who's sick of the American Ruse in a toast to MC5 guitar great Fred "Sonic" Smith on his birthday.