Loretta Lynn's Haunted Plantation

Courtney Marie Andrews opening for Hamilton Leithauser @ Danforth Music Hall, Monday

"Table For One" is off Courtney Marie Andrews' fifth album, Honest Life, out now on Fat Possum. She's on at 8 pm. 

Catl's Halloween Bash w/ Frankie & Jimmy @ Dakota Tavern, Sunday

You'll need to come up with a cooler and/or creepier costume than the headliners if you expect to win any of the fab prizes. 

Petrifying posters, scary-cool shirts and a gaggle of ghoulish goodies are up for grabs Sunday. 

Catl on tour

U.S. Girls, Cindy Lee @ The Tranzac, Saturday

Here's Meg Remy and crew performing Island Song and 28 Days at The Bookshelf's eBar in Guelph back in April. 

Whaddya mean you don't know Poison 13

Here's Poison 13's creepy cool video for "One Step Closer" shot back in Austin back in 1984.

Blind Matty opening for the Dead Boys @ Velvet Underground, Friday

Check out Blind Matty's cover of Link Wray's Take Me Home Jesus which you can get right here.

One For The Weekend: Mark Sultan

"Let Me Out" b/w "Be The Blood" by Mark Sultan

Mark Sultan, a garage wunderkind who is also sometimes known as BBQ, has toured and released countless records for his legion of fans the world over. Daptone's garage/psych subsidiary Wick Records are delighted to have the opportunity to make a couple of Mark’s new tunes available for your frugging pleasure and for his debut Wick platter Sultan takes his nous for pop hooks and garage rocking to new levels. You can mail order Mark Sultan's swingin' new single directly from Daptone right here.

LET ME OUT is a snarling acid-punker that’s driven by an urgent beat, paper-cut-thin fuzz guitar and surging organ, it’s a classic garage lament - he just can’t take it and he wants OUT.

BE THE BLOOD jumps out of the gate like a Micheal & The Messenger’s side, and in it’s short life pushes the garage sound to edge of the psychedelic rainbow. Listen to "Let Me Out" below.

Gord Downie video released ahead of Introduce Yerself album

Gord Downie's 23-song album Introduce Yerself – produced & co-written by Kevin Drew – is out Friday on Arts & Crafts.

In the lead-up to the release of Gord Downie's new album, Introduce Yerself, tomorrow, Arts & Crafts has shared a video documenting the creation of the album's closing song, "The North." Directed by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicolas de Pencier, the clip is an intimate look at the creation of Downie's final work coming together in the studio with producer Kevin Drew, Dave Hamelin and engineer Nyles Spencer at The Bathouse studio in Bath, Ontario.

Co-written and produced by Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew, the album's twenty-three songs were recorded swiftly over two four-day sessions in January 2016 and February 2017, with the finished album often reflecting first takes.

"A lot of these I wrote the words in advance," Downie said at the time of recording. "Like poems. I'd get one or two a day and then I'd have to stop. Because that's about all... the soul or whatever, would give up. And then, so with music, it becomes pretty easy."

Introduce Yerself will be released on CD and digital formats on October 27. The vinyl version follows on December 15, housed in a double gatefold jacket with two pull-out posters. See the complete tracklist following the clip below.



Gord Downie - Introduce Yerself 
1. First Person
2. Wolf's Home
3. Bedtime
4. Introduce Yerself
5. Coco Chanel No. 5
6. Ricky Please
7. Safe Is Dead
8. Spoon
9. A Natural
10. Faith Faith
11. My First Girlfriend
12. Yer Ashore
13. Love Over Money
14. You Me And The B's
15. Snowflake
16. A Better End
17. Nancy
18. Thinking About Us
19. The Road
20. You Are The Bird
21. The Lake
22. Far Away And Blurred
23. The North

William Patrick Corgan vs. Neil Percival Young

The artist formerly known as Billy Corgan goes head-to-head with Neil Young on After The Gold Rush solo piano style. 

Goblin w/ Morricone Youth @ The Opera House, Thursday

Goblin features Massimo Morante, Maurizio Guarini, Agostino Marangolo and Fabio Pignatelli. 

R.I.P. Fats Domino, 1928-2017

New Orleans R&B great Antoine "Fats" Domino passed away on Tuesday at the age of 89.

Tyler Childers @ The Drake Hotel, Wednesday

Don't miss Tyler Childers performing songs off his new Sturgill Simpson-produced album Purgatory out now.

Happy Birthday Terumasa Hino

Trumpeter Terumasa Hino collaborated with Flower Travellin' Band on their Crash single from 1970.

Peter Perrett announces Horseshoe Tavern show February 28th

Check out "Sweet Endeavour" off How The West Was Won, the solo album by the former Only Ones frontman.

Earlier this year, Peter Perrett released his debut solo album How The West Was Won. Former frontman of The Only Ones, Perrett hadn’t released any music for 20 years and this was one comeback that few people saw coming. The record found Perrett with energy in his blood, musically as if little time had passed, but lyrically looking—albeit with his unique wry humor—at a difficult past and present.

Now, Perrett is heading out on tour to mark his return truly complete. Alongside his upcoming UK and European dates that kick off at the end of the month, he has announced a North American tour for 2018 launching at Toronto's own Horseshoe Tavern on February 28th. To celebrate, he has shared a live video of album track “Sweet Endeavour,” featuring his 5-piece band that includes his sons Jamie and Peter Jr. on lead guitar and bass respectively.


Peter Perrett on tour
February 28, 2018 – Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto
March 2, 2018 – Bowery Ballroom, New York
March 3, 2018 – Brighton Music Hall, Boston
March 5, 2018 – Subterranean, Chicago
March 7, 2018 – Turf Club, St. Paul, MN
March 9, 2018 – The Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles
March 11, 2018 – The Independent, San Francisco

R.I.P. George Young, 1946-2017

Remembering Easybeats songwriter/guitarist George Young with the B-side gem "Can't Find Love" from 1969.

Sympathy For The Devil: The True Story of the Process Church of the Final Judgement @ Royal Cinema, Monday

The film screens at 8 pm followed by a Q&A with director Neil Edwards and church member Brother Luke.

Brendan Benson plays a new song

Brendan Benson's new single Half a Boy (and Half a Man) is out soon on Third Man. Here are two versions of it. 

Whaddya mean you don't know Kokoroko Afrobeat Collective

Watch Kokoroko's Richie Seivwright, Sheila Maurice-Grey & Cassie Kinoshi rip on Fela's Colonial Mentality. 

Lord Finesse, Breakbeat Lou @ Tennessee Tavern, Saturday

D.I.T.C. ace Lord Finesse recounts some digging adventures on a tour through his diverse record collection.

Frank Ocean vs. Steve Monite

Frank Ocean's cover of "Only You" isn't nearly as sweet as Steve Monite's Moog bass backed original from 1984. 

One For The Weekend: Ebo Taylor & The Pelikans

Here's  Egya Edu off Ebo's 1976 session with the Pelikans produced by Kofi Lindsay for his Abookyi label. 

M. Henry Jones' video for The Zantees' "Brand New Cadillac" added to MOMA's permanent collection

Shot by Jones on 16 mm film in 1979, The Zantees clip starring – Norton's Billy Miller & Miriam Linna – was painstakingly spliced together by hand. 

The Scientists vs. Jacques Dutronc

Kim Salmon and crew take a crack at Jacques Dutronc's "Mini Mini Mini" on the new Scientists single.

Funkadelic reworked by Detroiters

Hear Moodymann's update of "Cosmic Slop" & Alton Miller's tweak of "You Can't Miss..."

Funkadelic Reworked by Detroiters (Ace Records) 
Side 1 
Sexy Ways (Recloose Disco Flip) 5:51
You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure (Alton Miller Mix)  5:19
Get Your Ass Off And Jam (Marcellus Pittman Remix)  6:44
Side 2
Cosmic Slop (Moodyman Mix) 9:28
Music For My Mother (Andres Wo Ahh Ay Vocal Mix)  5:22
Super Stupid (Dirtbombs Version)  4:32
Side 3 
Music 4 My Mother (Underground Resistance Mix) 5:39
Undisco Kidd (Gay Marvine Edit)  5:42
Take Your Dead Ass Home (The Fantasy Version)  7:52
Side 4
Let's Take It To The Stage (Amp Fiddler Laughin @Ya Mix)  6:17
Standing On The Verge (Anthony Shake Shakir & T Dancer Remix) 4:51
You And Your Folks (Claude Young Jr Club Mix)  7:26
Side 5
Be My Beach (Mophono & Tom Thump)  6:16
You And Your Folks (Claude Young Jr Dub) 5:56
Let's Make It Last (Kenny Dixon Jr Edit) 7:30
Side 6 
Looking Back At You (Ectomorph Stripped And Dubbed)  6:16
Maggot Brain (BMG Dub) 10:13

R.I.P. Gord Downie, 1964-2017

Here's Gord performing The Stooges' Search & Destroy with The Sadies at The Horseshoe back in 2007.

Watch the Wu-Tang Clan video for If Time Is Money / Hood Go Bang!

Wu-Tang Clan's new album The Saga Continues is out now. Check the clip below. 

Midweek Mixdown: Hugo Mendez salutes Dominica

Here's a selection of old-time Cadence, Cadence-Lypso and Reggae from Dominica in preparation for the Sofrito charity session for Dominica at the Total Refreshment Centre in London on November 4th.

Dominica is suffering the catastrophic after effects of Hurricane Maria and urgently needs help. There is barely a single building that has been left unscathed and there is little or no access to fresh water, electricity, and other vital services.

We are raising funds for Dominica Hurricane Maria Relief effort at the London event on November 4th. If you cannot come but wish to help please visit http://dominicarelief.org/ for more information. In the meantime please enjoy a selection of old-time sounds from Dominica, please share and spread the word.

A bit of background: I picked up most of the tracks on this mix in Dominica several years ago. Most of them came from Albert Darroux – a sound system and record shop owner who sadly passed away a few years ago.   Hugo Mendez

Happy Birthday Cozy Cole!

Remembering the great drummer Cozy Cole on his day with the explosive Cozy's Mambo from 1960. 

Watch Bukka White, Furry Lewis, John Fahey, Rev. Robert Wilkins @ Memphis Country Blues Festival 1969

Here's a short clip of a few stellar performances that took place at Overton Park in Memphis back in 1969. 

Bash & Pop opening for Psychedelic Furs @ Danforth Music Hall, Monday

Watch Tommy Stinson sing "Anything Could Happen" at Lucy's Fried Chicken in Austin back in March.

Superior Viaduct reissues Franco Battiato's Pollution October 27

You can mail order a vinyl copy of Battiato's Pollution directly from Superior Viaduct right here.

Franco Battiato is often heralded as Italy's answer to Brian Eno. A quizzical composer/lyricist, Battiato turned pop music upside down in the early '70s with three classic LPs – Fetus, Pollution and Sulle Corde Di Aries – that formed a confluence of avant-folk sensibilities and analog electronics.

Pollution from 1972 is the captivating follow-up to Fetus. Like its predecessor, the album features Baroque textures, motorik rhythms, weird tape effects and Battiato's perfectly oblique vocals. Upon hearing Pollution, Frank Zappa joyfully proclaimed it "genius."

While Battiato's core group of collaborators remains largely the same as on his debut, this phenomenal band (joined by an eighteen-year-old Roberto Cacciapaglia on keys) appears even more in the foreground on Pollution. Out of the Ash Ra Tempel-like riffs and urgent guitar strumming emerge hypnotic grooves and cinematic flourishes, suggesting a futuristic meeting point between Stereolab and Ennio Morricone.

Dedicated to the Centro Internazionale Studi Magnetici, Pollution touches on themes of environmental catastrophe. Futurist allusions seep in through eccentric lyrics (at times sung backwards) about hydraulics, magnetic fields, etc., yet listeners don't need to speak the artist's language to grasp his melancholy vision. With Pollution, Battiato solidifies not only his cult figure status, but also many of his forward-thinking ideas on rock 'n' roll.

Superior Viaduct is honored to present the first-time U.S. release of Pollution on vinyl. Reproducing the original gatefold jacket, this reissue is part of an archival series that chronicles Franco Battiato's masterful body of work from 1971 to 1978.

One For The Weekend: Maurice Moore & Family Affair Band

Check out the Floating Points edit of the Maurice Moore modern soul gem Everything That Shines Ain't Gold.

B-Side Wins Again: Scott Walker

Peter Knight arranged Scott Walker's dark psych gem The Plague for the flipside of his 1967 single for "Jackie"

Mali's Trio Da Kali @ Aga Khan Museum, Saturday

Watch the video for "Eh Ya Ye" and a performance of "Tita" by Trio Da Kali at the Aga Khan Museum October 14.

Happy Birthday Pharoah Sanders!

Celebrating Little Rock's birthday with his 1980 version of "You've Got To Have Freedom" off Journey To The One.

Bill Murray, Jan Vogler & Friends @ Koerner Hall, Friday

Watch Bill Murray discuss his new collaboration with cellist Jan Vogler,  then perform a West Side Story medley. 

Unfortunately, Bill Murray's performance at Koerner Hall tonight with Jan Vogler & Friends is sold out.

Whaddya mean you don't know The Merriday Park

The psych gem "It All Comes Back To Me" was penned by Thunder Bay's Larry Breiland (left) & Greg Dahl (right).

Ken Vandermark salutes Shellac on Made To Break's new Trebuchet album

The epic 19-minute Hydroplane (for Shellac) is off Made To Break's new Trebuchet album out November 10.

Happy Birthday Art Blakey!

Remembering the great Art Blakey on his day with a Jazz Messengers performance in Paris from 1959.

Change Of Heart updates previously unreleased Smile outtake "Delivering A Pot"

A reunited Change Of Heart with Kathryn Rose recently re-cut the Smile outtake "Delivering A Pot" which you can hear below.

Watch Charles Mingus, Don Cherry & Elvin Jones in Norway 1975

The 50-minute film (below) includes rare interview and performance footage from the 1975 Kongsberg Jazz Festival.

Happy Birthday Eleni Mandell

Celebrating Eleni's birthday with the fab Manny Marquez video for "My Twin" from her Miracle of Five album.

Paul Weller, Lucy Rose @ Danforth Music Hall, Tuesday

Paul Weller discusses influential recordings followed by a short film about the process of making A Kind Revolution.

Watch First Aid Kit's video for It's A Shame

First Aid Kit have also just announced a Danforth Music Hall show on February 5. Tickets on sale Friday at 10 am.