The Perlich Post

Thursday, June 4, 2026

B-Side Wins Again: Freddy Fender

Remembering Freddy Fender on his birthday with his B-side psych whumper "El Pastel" you may have missed.

Remembering Mikey Dread on his birthday

Raising a glass to Mikey Dread on his birthday with some interviews, shows and his African Anthem LP.

The Artwork of Runt @ Mallo Coffee Bar, June 8 to July 31

Toronto artist Runt will be showing some new work at Mallo Coffee Bar in June & July with the opening reception on Tuesday, June 9th from 7 pm to 11 pm.

Writes Runt...
"So l have a new show of artwork at the Mallo Coffee Bar at 785 Bathurst Street. It’s up till the end of July, but we are having the opening reception Tuesday, June 9th between 7pm and 11pm. So come on out and have a drink and buy some art."

Really like this new piece for my upcoming show at Mallo Café which will include many new pieces.

Lonesome Pine Fiddlers vs. Eddie Noack

West Virginia's Lonesome Pine Fiddlers cut a swell bluegrass version of Eddie Noack's 1954 hillbilly rocker "Too Hot To Handle"

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Happy Birthday Carlos Franzetti!

Cheers to Buenos Aires-born keyboardist Carlos Franzetti! Check out tracks from his 1977 Grafitti LP and 1974 "Dedos" single.

Carlos Franzetti – Grafitti (reissued by Jazz Room Records)

A superb jazz-flavoured Latin funk soul album recorded in 1977 by Grammy Award Winning Carlos Franzetti when he was a struggling musician trying to get his first breaks in a tough New York Jazz scene. With a Top Notch grouping including Percussionist Ray Mantilla, Victor Venegas on Bass and Dick Meza from the Tito Puente Orchestra Carlos played all the Keyboards, wrote the numbers and was also responsible for all the arrangements.

Released by Guiness Records (No relation to the famous Irish brew) and swiftly forgotten Stateside, it was picked up by the DJ's in London's early jazz dance scene where "Cocoa Funk" became a must-have cut, eventually appearing on Soul Jazz Records seminal re-issue series "London Jazz Classics". It also became a hit in Germany after being re-issued on a double vinyl by leading label Sonorama Records.

Now available again in its original single album format and sounding as fresh as if recorded yesterday from the opening bars of the jazz inflected cut "Beatriz" via the Worldwide sounds of "Sweet And Low" to the Funky Latin Jazz of the title track "Graffiti."

Still changing hands for eye watering sums on collectors sites and now available again for a reasonable sum courtesy of Jazz Room Records. Get a copy while you can via Bandcamp right here.

Check out a few tracks from the Grafitti album along with Franzetti's 7" gem "Dedos" recorded in 1974 with composer/percussionist Rubén Rada along with Ricardo Lew on guitar, Emilio Valle on bass and Osvaldo Lopez on drums. It has been reissued by Germany's Sound Essence and available here.

Cutting a rug with Lennie LaCour's Magic Touch Records

Numero Group digs deep into the tape vault of Milwaukee-via-Chicago indie soul label Magic Touch for their latest Eccentric Soul series compilation.

Here's the scoop from Numero Group...

Ever hear of cutting a rug? How about how a midwest carpet company used a little Magic Touch to transform itself into one of the region’s longest running indie soul records labels.

The Eccentric Soul Flagship collection continues to expand with the edition of the Magic Touch Label - a stone soul winner partially representing our home-turf of Chicago and nearby favorite Milwaukee. This one has been over 20 years in the making dating back to our earliest encounters and projects with local-ish legend Harvey Scales. Magic Touch Records was named after serial entrepreneur Lennie Lacour’s Magic Touch Carpets business though it would ultimately be the other form of “Cutting A Rug” that would leave the more lasting legacy of its founder.

Magic Touch Records went on to play a vital role in documenting and promoting independent Midwest soul music and dance records for more than 2 decades starting in the mid-60s and lasting through the mid-80s. Founded in Milwaukee-via-Chicago in 1964 by producer, songwriter, singer, and businessman Lennie LaCour, Magic Touch and its affiliated label imprints helped bring the regions emerging R&B and soul scene to a wider audience with a roster of acts including Harvey Scales & The Seven Sounds, Junior & The Classics, Sean Taylor, Marvelle & The Blue Match, and The Comic Books.

Featuring 26 essential cuts from 1964–1980, this collection spans sockin’ R&B, basement beehive soul, hard funk, and group harmony across LaCour’s many imprints, complete with extensive notes, photos, and ephemera. Highlights include Harvey Scales classics “Get Down,” “Broadway Freeze,” and “Love-Itis,” alongside favorites from Junior & The Classics and Marvelle & The Blue Match. The Numero Group exclusive edition also includes a bundled 7” grail: James Monroe’s "Frontiersman Of The Galaxy" b/w "Funky Lady." Listen to both sides along with a few more Magic Touch label classics below.

While you're waiting for the Magic Touch comp to magically appear, check out Numero's Magic Touch 7" bundle featuring rare tracks by LaJohn & Sheela, Light Touch Band and Andy Crown in snazzy custom Magic Touch "Double Disco" sleeves right here.