The Perlich Post: January 2020

Friday, January 31, 2020

Once again, National Gorilla Suit Day is upon us...

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Sheila Rickards Meets King Tubby 12" is out now!

Sheila Rickards' roots reggae gem "Jamaican Fruits of African Roots" is back in circulation momentarily as a limited-run 12" from Shella Records.

One of roots reggae's most haunting grails is finally available again! Sheila Rickards' spine tingling vocal performance, "Jamaican Fruit of African Roots," comes with earth shattering dubs by King Tubby, (Prince) Philip Smart and the Aggrovators, plus a scorching new flute-enhanced version by UK maestro Diggory Kenrick. Get the new Sheila Rickards Meets King Tubby 12" directly from Toronto's Shella Records right here. Have a listen below.

Watch Wilma Archer's video for "Last Sniff" feat. MF Doom

"Last Sniff" featuring MF Doom is off Wilma 'Slime' Archer's debut album A Western Circular out April 3rd on Domino.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Happy Birthday Jeanne Lee!

Remembering the great Jeanne Lee with her brilliant self-produced Conspiracy album recorded in 1975 with Gunter Hampel, Sam Rivers and Steve McCall.

Albert Lee @ Hugh's Room Live, Wednesday & Thursday

Guitar slinger deluxe Albert Lee is playing a two-night stand at Hugh's Room where he may haul out an old Carl Perkins gem if you're lucky.

Midweek Mixdown: Matt Weingarden aka Mr. Fine Wine

Here's a tasty mix of rare and rockin' R&B 45s put together by Mr. Fine Wine (of Downtown Soulville fame) for Lagniappe Radio.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Happy Birthday Cash McCall

Remembering Cash McCall, aka Morris Dollison, who penned "That's How It Is" for Otis Clay, then cut a slight variation himself as "SOS" for Checker.

Hear the new Enchanters' single "High Heel Roller Skates"

The new 7" single from Toronto's Enchanters was recorded by Phil Marvy, mixed by Mark Fosco and mastered by Jim Diamond for Trophy Records.

You can get a limited-edition copy of the Enchanters' "High Heel Roller Skates" single right here.

Monday, January 27, 2020

Happy Birthday Elmore James

Remembering blues great Elmore James with "Can't Stop Lovin'" on Flair.

Temples, Art d'Ecco, Plain Jade @ Lee's Palace, Tuesday

Listen to Ibrahim Ferrer sing "Ven Conmigo Guajira" & "Ojos Malvados"

"Ven Conmigo Guajira" & "Ojos Malvados" appear on the World Circuit's super-sized reissue of Ibrahim's Buenos Hermanos out February 28th.

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Mark 'BBQ' Sultan, Patrick James, In Drift @ The Baby G, Saturday

Don't miss Mark Sultan tear up The Baby G tonight with Patrick James and In Drift opening.

That time The Embarrassment rocked Wichita's Flatiron in 1981

Here's a rare clip of The Embos getting down on "Celebrity Art Party" – check the dance moves!

Friday, January 24, 2020

Happy Birthday Kim Salmon!

Celebrating Kim Salmon's birthday with a vintage clip of The Scientists on Studio 22 back in 2001.

Ricardo Richaid is releasing his debut album Travesseiro Feliz in March

Rio de Janeiro producer/engineer Ricardo Richaid's tropicalia-inspired Travesseiro Feliz is being released by Far Out on March 20.

Here's the scoop...
On his debut album Travesseiro Feliz (Happy Pillow), Rio de Janeiro based dreamer Ricardo Richaid melds his tropical heritage with his love for psychedelic music, jazz and rock. He also takes inspiration from the many Brazilian greats – Caetano Veloso, Arthur Verocai, Ivan Lins, Joyce, Hermeto Pascoal, Marcos Valle and Azymuth (to name a few) – who he has worked with as an engineer, assistant and producer, in Rio’s former RCA studio, Cia dos Tecnicos.

As well as being heavily influenced by Brazil’s fabled Tropicalia movement, Richaid is the grandson of Brazilian actor, singer and Disney star Aurora Miranda (Carmen Miranda’s younger sister), so tropicalism is in his blood. Describing his sound as ‘Industrial Tropicalism’, Richaid’s music is undoubtedly a product of his environment. Just like Rio, it’s warm, hazy and beautiful. But reflecting the current mood of his homeland, there’s an ominous smog looming amongst its charm. Lamenting the political, economic and ecological crisis he sees engulfing Brazil, Richaid’s obscure, poetic lyrics touch on drugs, drones and darkness, emphasizing the importance of art to bring light in troubled times.

The unconventional time signatures and sunny jazz-folk meets post-punk aesthetic are adorned by Richaid’s studio smarts. Working day to day in Rio’s top studios, he developed a comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of the recording process. But seeking autonomy and total creative independence, Richaid went on an equipment finding mission in the USA. Upon returning, he set to work building his own studio in Rio’s Gavea district and began writing the tracks that would become Travesserio Feliz. Singlehandedly composing, producing and mixing everything himself, Richaid recalls the endless nights he spent working on the album, often sleeping on the studio floor.

Travisseiro Feliz features a host of notable names from across Rio’s music spectrum, including percussion sensation Marcos Suzano (Gilberto Gil), experimental pop-rock artist Ana Frango Eletrico, and vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jose Ibarra, who has been lauded for his recent performances as part of Milton Nascimento’s touring group. On interlude track ‘Formigas’ we also hear a few verses of Ricardo singing together with his 7-year-old daughter, Nina Richaid.

Carrying forward the Tropicália torch, the album’s cinematic opener “Maracas Enterprise/ Frio Da Manhã” is a two-part journey through Richaid’s sonic approach, weaving together interlocking horns, chorus drenched guitar, and fuzzed up synth stabs. A perfect example of Richaid’s industrial tropicalism, “Largado Nu” mixes soft, acoustic guitar and flutes with harder-edged synths and electric guitars, while ‘O Velho Cai’ is beautiful jazz-infused folk, with fretless bass and saxophone singing around the vocal harmonies of Richaid and Liza Machado.

Living with his grandmother Aurora Miranda until the age of seventeen (who featured in Walt Disney’s Three Caballeros film, and happens to be the first human being to kiss Donald Duck… really!), young Ricardo would listen with intrigue to his father playing chromatic scales and bossa nova melodies on the saxophone; his mother’s Brazilian classical piano; or his punk rock brother slamming the drums. This eclectic musical upbringing led a teenage Ricardo to learning his trade as the bassist in a short-lived hard rock band, which disbanded when Ricardo began to dig deeper discovering the likes of Os Mutantes, King Crimson, Frank Zappa and especially the ‘Clube De Esquina’ sound pioneered by Milton Nascimento and Lo Borges. Since then, alongside engineering some of his musical heroes in Brazil, Richaid has played in bands like Mara Rúbia and nitú, from Rio’s underground experimental psych and jazz scenes.

Following lead single ‘Largado Nu’ which was issued last Friday (January 17), Richaid will release his debut album Travessiero Feliz on limited vinyl, CD, cassette and digitally via Far Out Recordings on March 20th. You can pre-order it right here. Listen to 'Largado Nu' below.

One For The Weekend: Skylar Gudasz

Skylar's fab version of Jimmy Webb's Wichita Lineman was cut with her NC Wrecking Crew featuring the string/horn arrangements of Jeff Crawford.

LINKS
Skylar Gudasz bandcamp site

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Happy Birthday Pat Todd!

Raising a glass to rock 'n' roll flame keeper Pat Todd with an old Lazy Cowgirls gem and a couple more recent classics cut with The Rank Outsiders.

Walter Daniels + Daddy Long Legs vs. Sonny Terry

Walter Daniels' throwdown with Daddy Long Legs on Sonny Terry's "My Baby Done Gone" is a keeper.

Tough-to-find Little Nicky Soul floor-filler from 1964 being reissued

Ace Records is putting out a sweet repro of Little Nicky Soul's pricey I Wanted To Tell You 45 produced by Sidney Barnes – due February 28th.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Pokey LaFarge's new album Rock Bottom Rhapsody due in April

Pokey's new album Rock Bottom Rhapsody will be out April 10th on New West Records. Listen to "Fuck Me Up" below.

Here's the scoop...
Pokey LaFarge is set to release Rock Bottom Rhapsody on April 10th via New West Records. The 13-song set was produced by Chris Seefried (Fitz and the Tantrums). The album was recorded at Reliable Recorders on Chicago’s Northwest Side during the polar vortex of 2019 and features the guitarist Joel Paterson, keyboardist Scott Ligon, upright/electric bassist Jimmy Sutton, and drummer Alex Hall. Rock Bottom Rhapsody is LaFarge’s first album in over three years and follows 2017’s acclaimed Manic Revelations.

“The man singing these songs isn’t exactly the same man that wrote them,” says LaFarge. “This album is about the story of who I used to be.” In early 2018 he relocated from his longtime home base of St. Louis to Los Angeles. New songs came quickly to LaFarge in his new environment, but new temptations soon found him, as well. He admits that he experienced a significant “fall from grace” during the last months of 2018. “Things started to unravel in my mind. I was letting evil spirits and demons rule me, and I came into certain agreements with them, and it took me down. I was giving too much power to darkness, and I got in too deep, and I made some bad decisions. The reality of the situation is that I hit the closet to rock bottom that I ever had, and I’ve definitely had some hardships in my life.”

While the songs on Rock Bottom Rhapsody were mostly written before LaFarge’s life went into a downward spiral, their lyrics definitely speak of a soul in crisis — even though their author himself wasn’t fully aware of it at the time. “It’s a case of me writing the story and writing the song, and then unfortunately living it,” he reflects. “I was going towards the darkness. Destruction definitely ensued; self-sabotage and self-destruction definitely happened.”

But shortly before the recording of Rock Bottom Rhapsody began, LaFarge experienced a spiritual awakening — and the faith he re-embraced in his hour of darkness helped to buoy him through the making of the album. “I wrote this record before the fall from grace, and then it was recorded after the fall from grace. So you see how that could be kind of odd,” he says. “What I was searching for was peace and humility in the aftermath of carnage, of things I had wrecked, and — seemingly at the time — completely destroyed. I was just trying to survive; I had to fight every time to get up to that microphone and just sing. It was kind of a last stand.”

During the recording of the album, LaFarge took a break to take a “dark, sad, villainous role” in the forthcoming Netflix film The Devil All The Time which was produced by the notable music supervisor Randall Poster and the actor Jake Gyllenhaal. “The irony wasn’t lost on me that, one month after finding God, the first feature film opportunity that comes across my table has that for a title,” he chuckles.

Pokey LaFarge has also announced his initial tour dates in support of Rock Bottom Rhapsody, launching April 24th in Rotterdam and beginning in the U.S. on May 8th in Asheville, NC with a two-night stand in Toronto at The Horseshoe Tavern on June 26 and 27! Check out all of his dates below.

Pokey LaFarge’s Rock Bottom Rhapsody will be available across digital platforms, on compact disc, and standard black vinyl. A limited to 500 Pink coloured vinyl edition will be available at Independent Retail and a limited to 300 Buttercream coloured vinyl edition is available for pre-order now exclusively via New West Records. Now watch Pokey's new video directed by Keene McRae & Brandon Bernath belowd.

Pokey LaFarge On Tour:
April 24th Rotterdam, Netherlands - Maasilo
April 25th Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
April 26th Berlin, Germany - Roadrunners Paradise
April 29th Paris, France - La Maroquinerie
April 30th Antwerp, Belgium - De Roma
May 1st Lessines, Belgium - Roots & Roses Festival
May 2nd London, UK - Islington Assembly Hall
May 8th Asheville, NC - The Grey Eagle
May 9th Mt. Airy, NC - The Earle
May 10th - Charleston, WV NPR’s Mountain Stage
May 13th - Lexington, KY The Burl
May 15th St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway
May 16th St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway
May 17th Nashville, TN 3rd & Lindsley (Lightning 100)
June 2nd Maquoqueta, IA - Codfish Hollow
June 3rd Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line
June 4th Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
June 5th Grand Rapids, MI - Pyramid Scheme
June 6th Indianapolis, IN - HiFi
June 9th Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
June 10th Pittsburgh, PA - Thunderbird
June 11th Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live
June 12th Annapolis, MD - Rams Head Live
June 13th Jersey City, NJ - White Eagle Hall
June 16th Fairfield, CT - The Warehouse
June 17th New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
June 18th Boston, MA - Sinclair
June 19th Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
June 20th Albany, NY - The Egg
June 23rd Rockport, MA - Shalin Liu
June 24th Portsmouth, NH - Prescott Park
June 26th Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
June 27th Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern

Olivia Jean, Ichi-Bons @ The Horseshoe, Wednesday

Watch Olivia Jean perform three songs live along with the new clip for her cover of "Jaan Pehechaan Ho" from her Night Owl album out now on Third Man.

Here's the scoop...
Olivia Jean, Detroit born n’ bred, current resident of Nashville, first staked her flag with gothic garage rock upstarts The Black Belles in 2010 and quickly set herself apart from the pack, performing as a side musician to a varied group of stylistically diverse musicians on a variety of instruments, culminating with her debut solo release Bathtub Love Killings in 2014.

Bathtub Love Killings was produced by Jack White with Olivia Jean composing and playing every instrument on the album. The album was an exciting and concise statement with a controlled vision of where rock n' roll can go in these modern pop-dominated times.

Her latest album, Night Owl, takes this vision even further by placing Olivia behind the control desk in the role of producer. Surf guitar, 60s girl group harmonies, and punk commingle into a collection of songs depicting heartache, revenge, guilt, and frustration — it’s "bubblegum garage" at its best. About the Night Owl album name and theme, Olivia Jean says "I am introverted and obsessed with art. I live every day with a lot of anxiety, guilt, doubt, and depression. I get completely obsessed with projects or completely imprisoned by fear of judgment. I find that staying up late is a comfortable place for me to be mentally to work on projects and reflect on life..."

Sitting in the Producer chair also led to the decision to include additional musicians into Olivia’s recording process for the first time, which helped evoke a renewed natural energy to the songs. "This is the first album I have written and produced by myself. It was quite difficult learning how to produce an album on my own without letting my perfectionism and doubt hinder the process. I couldn’t split myself down the middle to be both songwriter and producer. This learning curve caused tons of time to be wasted, frustration to ensue, but also forced me to leave my comfort zone. I learned that an album will never truly feel finished to an artist. Climbing with an album for too long towards an unreachable view of perfection is a waste of time and positive energy. Being the captain of this ship has helped me grow as a musician and as a songwriter knowing what is truly important in an album."

The new challenge of producing, as well as opening the studio door for other musicians to collaborate, has helped lead to Olivia's richest collection of songs to date. Surf-inflected originals like “Garage Bat,” “Shut Your Mouth” and “Night Owl” soar and scorch alongside incendiary covers “Brushfire (Flamin' Groovies)” and album stand-out “Jaan Pehechaan Ho” (originally voiced by Mohammed Rafi in Raja Nawathe's 1965 Bollywood thriller Gumnaam and made famous in North America when Terry Zwigoff used the song along with Herman Benjamin's surreal choreography in the opening sequence of his film Ghost World).

Watch the video for "Jaan Pehechaan Ho" following a clip of Olivia Jean's performance at Paste Studio NYC and a list of her upcoming tour dates which includes a Toronto appearance at The Horseshoe with The Ichi-Bons on Wednesday, January 22.

R.I.P. Pete Carmichael of The Diableros

Sadly, Pete Carmichael, frontman of Toronto rockers The Diableros, has passed away far too soon. He'll be greatly missed.

Ron Sexsmith previews new album with two new songs

The new songs are off Ron Sexsmith's forthcoming Hermitage album – his first since moving to bucolic Stratford, Ontario – slated for release on April 17.

Ron Sexsmith on Tour:
May 3 - Victoria, BC - Alix Goolden Performance Hall
May 5 - Vancouver, BC - Rio Theatre
May 6 - Calgary, AB - The National Music Centre
May 8 - Saskatoon, SK - Broadway Theatre
May 9 - Winnipeg, MB - West End Cultural Centre
May 28 - Ottawa, ON - National Arts Centre
May 30 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
June 3 - Birmingham, England - Glee Club
June 4 - London, England - Cadogan Hall
June 5 - Cambridge, England - Junction
June 7 - Manchester, England - Royal Northern College of Music
June 8 - Glasgow, Scotland - Cottier
June 9 - Dublin, Ireland - Liberty Hall

Note: You can pre-order Ron's new Hermitage album and get ticket info at his site: www.ronsexsmith.com

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Alex Cuba @ The Mod Club, Tuesday

Alex Cuba presents the songs from his latest album Sublime tonight at The Mod Club starting at 8 pm.

Smithsonian Folkways reissuing Lord Invader's Calypso Travels January 31

Calypso fans will be delighted to hear that Lord Invader's album Calypso Travels is being reissued on vinyl from the original master tapes on January 31.

Here's the scoop... Lord Invader was one of the most iconic and well-regarded calypso musicians of the mid-20th century. Coming from humble beginnings in the musical hotbed of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, Invader gained notoriety for his unique voice and lyrical prowess. Calypso Travels, his final album released just before his death, was produced in New York in 1960 by Folkways founder Moses Asch.
The album showcases Lord Invader’s talent for biting lyrics that reference contemporary happenings, such as the rise of Fidel Castro (listen below), his experience at the 1956 World Fair in Belgium, the arrival of the Little Rock Nine in 1957 desegregating the public schools in the United States, and his touring experiences in Europe in the 1950s. An icon of Caribbean music, and one of the major forces exporting it to the world, Lord Invader epitomizes the spirit of calypso – boisterous, acerbic, and joyful.
This reissue – remastered from the original 1960s master tapes, packaged in classic Folkways-style tip-on jackets with original liner notes – is part of the Smithsonian Folkways Vinyl Reissue Series, bringing to light hidden gems from the extensive collection and revisiting some of the most iconic and influential albums released by the label.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Watch Harrow Fair's unboxing video for "Sins We Made"

Check out Andrew Penner and Miranda Mulholland's video for "Sins We Made," the title track of their forthcoming Harrow Fair album due April 17th.

R.I.P. Jimmy Heath, 1926-2020

Sadly, legendary jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader Jimmy Heath passed away on Sunday. He was 93.

Alex Pangman is All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart

Alex Pangman's new video for "I'm All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart" was shot on location in Florence, Itay. caption

Sunday, January 19, 2020

R.I.P. David Olney, 1948-2020

Sadly, singer/songwriter David Olney passed away yesterday at the 30A Songwriters Festival in Florida. He'll be greatly missed.

LINKS
The Washington Post David Olney obituary

Happy Birthday Horace Parlan!

Remembering jazz piano great Horace Parlan on his day with a couple of his classic Blue Note jams and a documentary.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Happy Birthday Vernon Garrett!

Celebrating Vernon Garrett's birthday with a couple of funk gems he cut for Watts U.S.A. in the early 70s.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Steve Adamyk Band, PlasticHeads, Teen Archer, Mad Ones @ The Bovine, Saturday

Ottawa's Dirtnap disciples Steve Adamyk Band will be joined by T.O.'s PlasticHeads, Teen Archer and Mad Ones – doors at 9 pm. Check the clips.

One For The Weekend: The Soulmates

Here's a classic reggae stomper from the mysterious Soulmates recorded by Joe Gibbs at Randys to get yer weekend started right.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Hozan Yamamoto's 1971 bamboo flute jam with Sharps & Flats reissued by Mr. Bongo

Hohzan Yamamoto's soaring shakuhachi flute works well in a jazz context with Nobuo Hara's Sharps & Flats thanks Masahiko Satoh's tasteful arrangements.