Happy Halloween!

Listen to music publicist/collector Randy Haecker play 3 hours of creepy classics from his own stash right here. 

Playlist

Part 1:

1) INTRO - "Welcome to the Party!" (Mondo Party 2000 / 2000)

2) JANIE JONES - "Witches Brew" (UK 7" single / 1965) 

3) THE CRAMPS - "Human Fly" (File Under Sacred Music / 1978)

4) DEADBOLT - "Billy’s Dead" (Voodoo Trucker / 1999)

5) VINCENT PRICE - "Witch Tortures" (Witchcraft: An Adventure in Demonology / 1969) 

6) THE FLESHTONES - "Screamin’ Skull" (Hexbreaker / 1983) 

7) THE SONICS - "The Witch" (Introducing The Sonics / 1967) 

8) BOBBY BARE - "Vampira" (Tender Years / 1965) 

9) REDBONE - "Witch Queen of New Orleans" (U.S. 7" single / 1971) 

10) FRANK SINATRA - "Witchcraft" (Sinatra’s Sinatra / 1957) 

11) LYN CORNELL - "Demon Lover" (UK 7" single / 1960)

12) DUSTY SPRINGFIELD - "Spooky" (U.S. 7" single / 1970) 

13) JODY REYNOLDS - "Endless Sleep" (U.S. 7" single / 1958) 

14) TAV FALCO’S PANTHER BURNS - "She’s My Witch" (The World We Knew / 1987) 

15) NERVOUS NORVUS - "The Fang" (U.S. 7" single / 1956) 

16) SCREAMIN’ JAY HAWKINS - "Little Demon" (U.S. 7" single / 1956) 

17) ED TWILLEY & THE CREEPERS - "Halloween Shindig" (unknown) 

18) THE HAWAIIAN PUPS - "Spook Opera" (U.S. 7" single / 1982) 

19) COMATEENS - "Ghosts" (Comateens / 1981) 

Part 2:

20) WHODINI - "Freaks Come Out at Night" (12" singe / 1984) 

21) SHOCKING BLUE - "Deamon Love" (Scorpio’s Dance / 1970)

22) DOZY, BEAKY, MICK & TICH - "In the Coven" (7" single / 1980)

23) GIRLSCHOOL - "Race with the Devil" (UK 7" single / 1980) 

24) THE RATTLES - "Devil’s on the Loose" (German 7" single / 1971) 

25) BLUE ÖYSTER CULT - "Godzilla" (Spectres / 1977)

26) THE BAGS - "Survive" (U.S. 7" single / 1978) 

27) SUBURBAN LAWNS - "Flying Saucer Safari" (Suburban Lawns / 1981) 

28) GLOO GIRLS - "Witch Is Witch" (Attention Shoppers / 1993) 

29) THE FABULOUS POODLES - "Vampire Rock" (Think Pink / 1979) 

30) BOBBY "BORIS" PICKET & THE CRYPT-KICKERS - "The Sinister Stomp" (The Original Monster Mash / 1962) 

31) JOHNNY OTIS - "Casting My Spell" (Songs for Swinging Ghosts / 2015)

32) JOHN CARPENTER - "Halloween Theme" (Halloween OST / 1978)

33) SUICIDE - "Ghost Rider" (Suicide / 1977)

34) THE HORRORS - "Sheena Is a Parasite" (Strange House / 2007)

35) BAUHAUS - "Dark Entries" (UK 7" single / 1980)

36) THE BIRTHDAY PARTY - "Release the Bats" (UK 7" single / 1981)

37) TRUE WEST - "Lucifer Sam" (True West EP / 1983)

Part 3:

38) GUN CLUB - "Ghost on the Highway" (Fire of Love /1981) 

39) FLESH EATERS - "See You in the Boneyard" (A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die / 1981)

40) RAMONES - "I Don’t Wanna Go Down in the Basement" (Ramones / 1976)

41) MAD PARADE - "I’m a Monster" (Mad Parade / 1984) 

42) MISFITS - "Ghoul’s Night Out" (3 Hits From Hell EP / 1981) 

43) MISFITS - "Halloween" (U.S. 7" single / 1981) 

44) ADVERTS - "Gary Gilmore’s Eyes" (UK 7" single / 1977) 

45) PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN - "Nightmare" (Disintegrate Me / 2017)

46) THE ENDTABLES - "Trick or Treat" (The Endtables 12" / 1991)

47) 45 GRAVE - "Surf Bat" (Sleep In Safety / 1983) 

48) SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES - "Sin In My Heart" (Juju / 1981)

49) BAUHAUS - "Bela Lugosi’s Dead" (UK 12" single / 1979) 

50) THE CURE - "A Forest" (12" Mix / unknown) 

51) THEN COMES SILENCE - "She Loves the Night" (Nyctophilian / 2015)

52) VIRGIN PRUNES - "Baby Turns Blue" (If I Die, I Die… / 1982) 

53) THE VEIL - "Manikin" (UK 12" single / 1984) 

54) DREAM SYNDICATE - "Halloween" (The Days of Wine & Roses / 1982)

That time the Sadies dressed up as The Mummies for Halloween

Back in 2010, The Sadies rocked The Garrison as The Mummies for a Halloween show with Fucked Up. 

Toronto's Cool Hands launch GARAGENOIR project

Luke and Sally from The Cool Hands are joined by Toronto pals like Catl's Sarah Kirkpatrick for their first GARAGENOIR release.  

Here's the scoop...

GARAGENOIR is a new project featuring Luke and Sally from The Cool Hands, Avi B-side from The Two Times, Ari Dasgupta of Gnarly Ones and Ryan Phillips from Quantum Physique. As well as Mason Barclay. 

The songs "In This Time Of Destruction The Sun Is Gone" feat. Catl's Sarah Kirkpatrick and "Survive" were written by Luke and Sally in 2017. This group is a collective using the GARAGENOIR name to showcase each member's talents and songwriting abilities without being put into a category or genre. This the first release of many more to come. We hope you enjoy and stay safe. 

All artist profits of the digital purchases will be donated to the Native Women's Association of Canada and Black Women in Motion. Listen to snippets of the first two songs from Garagenoir right here. 

IN THIS TIME OF DESTRUCTION THE SUN IS GONE 

Produced by: Luke James and Sally Cinnamon 

Written by: Luke James and Sally Cinnamon 

Credits:

Luke James (@Boy_k.o) Vocals & Guitar 

Sally Cinnamon (@Sallycinema) Drums 

Avi B-Side (@Avi2x) Guitar, Piano, Slide guitar 

Ryan Philip (@Ryphil) Bass 

Ari Dasgupta (@haverocket) Saxophone 

Brigit O'Regan (@brigitfiddle) Violin 

FEATURING Sarah Kirkpatrick (@Catltheband) Vocals 

Back up singers: 

Sarah Orton (@sarah.orton.voice) 

Trisha Dayal (@trishaddayal) 

Rosemarie Cuffy 

=========================================== 

SURVIVE 

Produced by: Luke James and Sally Cinnamon 

Written by: Luke James and Sally Cinnamon 

Additional Lyrics by: Avi B-Side 

Credits:

Luke James @Boy_k.o Vocals & Guitar 

Sally Cinnamon @Sallycinema Drums 

Avi B-Side @Avi2x Guitar & Piano 

Ryan Phillips @Ryphil Bass 

Ari Dasgupta @haverocket Saxophone 

Back up singers: 

Sarah Orton @sarah.orton.voice 

Trisha Dayal @trishaddayal 

Rosemarie Cuffy 

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/garagenoir/garagenoir-presents

Michael Penn shares optimistic new song and video for "A Revival"

"A Revival" is his first new tune from Michael Penn in 15 years. Watch Rachel Lichtman's video treatment below.

 

Gillian Welch previews Lost Songs Vol. 3

Listen to "Peace In The Valley" and "There's A First Time For Everything" off Boots No. 2: Lost Songs Vol.3 out November 13.

One For The Weekend: Amy Rigby & Wreckless Eric

Here's Amy Rigby and Wreckless Eric performing their call to action "Vote That Fucker Out" 

Happy Birthday Hadda Brooks!

Remembering singer/pianist Hadda Brooks with her performance of "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" from In A Lonely Place (1950). 

Elvis Costello discusses Armed Forces reissue and Hey Clockface album

The Complete Armed Forces box set – with 9 pieces of vinyl – is due November 6; Hey Clockface is out Friday. 

Bob Young – Neil's older brother – shares new song "Hey America"

Young Bob & The Peterboroughs is actually Bob Young backed by brother Neil, Mike Belitsky & Travis Good of The Sadies.

LINK
Macleans (1971) My Brother The Folk Singer by Bob Young

Happy Birthday Andy Bey!

Celebrating Andy Bey's birthday with some timely wisdom from the legendary singer/pianist. 

R.I.P. Billy Joe Shaver, 1939-2020

Sadly, Honky tonk hero Billy Joe Shaver passed away after suffering a massive stroke. His songs will live on just like he said.  

Happy Birthday Philip Catherine!

Celebrating Philip Catherine's birthday with "Grelots" from 1967 and sessions with Eero Koivistoinen and Marc Moulin.

Ann Cleeves chats about her new Vera book The Darkest Evening on Sunday

UK mystery writer Ann Cleeves discusses her latest Vera book as part of the Toronto Authors Fest on Nov 1. Sign up here.

Happy 80th Birthday Eddie Henderson!

Celebrating trumpet great Eddie Henderson's 80th birthday with a couple of gems cut with Herbie Hancock and pals.

RIP UK engineer Chris Huggett, inventor of Wasp synth

Sadly, EDP co-founder Chris Huggett – who gave us the popular Wasp synth in 1978 – lost his battle with cancer on Oct 22.

 

Happy Birthday Roberto Menescal

Celebrating the birthday of Brazilian bossa nova pioneer Roberto Menescal with some coffee talk and a 1963 gem. 

Christian Reim Sextet's performance at Molde '73 discovered

Norway's JazzAggression recently found a tape of Christian Reim Sextet's Mona Lisa suite from 1973!

Here's the scoop...

A post-bop suite created by Christian Reim Sextet for the Molde Jazz Festival in 1973 featuring a line-up of Norway's top players: Calle Neumann - alto saxophone, Knut Riisnæs - tenor saxophone/flute, Ditlef Eckhoff - trumpet, Terje Venaas - bass and Espen Rud - drums. Christian Reim who plays piano delivers 6 original parts starting with a lovely melodic theme and further incorporates elements of avant-garde, psychedelia, modal jazz and folk. Recently found loft tape, originally recorded in fantastic quality in 1973, never before released. Limited to 500 vinyl copies. Listen to some snippets right here. 

The Fleshtones release Face of the Screaming Werewolf LP

Just in time for Halloween, the RSD edition of The Fleshtones' new album comes with a mask – check the discussion below. 

Happy Birthday Odean Pope!

Celebrating the birthday of tenor titan Odean Pope with a performance of "No Air" and his album with Misled Children. 

Johnny Jewel shares After Dark 3

After Dark 3 features tracks by Chromatics, Club Intl, Joon, Double Mixte, Desire, Orion, Pink Gloves and others. Listen below. 

Various Artists – After Dark 3 

Desire - Boy

Orion - Higher

Johnny Jewel - Surgery (Feat. Glüme)

Double Mixte - Chambre 48 (Feat. Desire)

Farah - Boyz R Bad

Chromatics - TOY (ATRIP Remix)

Love Object - Holodnoe Solnce

Joon - Cruel Summer

Glüme - Don't @ Me 

MOTHERMARY - Resurrection 

Orion - Space Girl 

Guy Gerber - Cameo 

Causeway - We Were Never Lost

Club Intl - Crush 

Double Mixte - Tirage En Croix 

Joon - Worse Things Than Feeling Lonely 

Pink Gloves - Fading Stars (Johnny Jewel Remix) 

Chromatics - Endless Sleep 

Links

https://italiansdoitbetter.com/store/

https://instagram.com/italiansdoitbetter

https://twitter.com/IDIB

https://italiansdoitbetter.com/

https://soundcloud.com/johnnyjewel

Happy Birthday Nick Tosches!

Remembering author Nick Tosches on his birthday with a piece by Rob Pomeroy right here and one by Austin Brookner there. 

Peace Chant series returns with more spiritual jazz gems

Tramp Records' excellent Peace Chant Volumes 3 & 4 – due Nov 13 – sidestep the obvious in favour of overlooked corkers. 

Here's the scoop...

Tramp Records continues their pilgrimage to the soulful fringes of spiritual jazz and progressive rock and funk with their 3rd and 4th volumes of their Peace Chant series of "Raw, Deep and Spiritual Jazz" collections and the world could not be more ready. 

As we turn together on this tiny blue ball hanging lonely in space, and as we together face existential threats ranging from climate catastrophe, the rise of brutal authoritarian regimes, the breaking of the industrial storm and the imminent collapse of empire, not to mention the raging COVID-19 crisis and the continuing racial and social struggles across the globe, we are thrust into a society-wide grand awakening that has been in the making for a very long time. Of course, our musical teachers have trod this path before us, and have worked out solutions to these problems, the songs of the Peace Chant series ring out loud and clear as our ancestors' proof of concept. They say history repeats herself, maybe it's because we weren't listening the first time. Thanks to Tramp Records, we have been granted another opportunity. 

Today, the musical and spiritual truths enshrined within the spiritual jazz diaspora seem to be more and more sought-after, and crucial at a time when we as a society seek higher and farther for those bold truths. With each generation, that truth doesn't change, and the artists featured in the series speak those truths along a continuum that ranges from the late-60s up to the present day. 

Both volumes 3 and 4 of the limited-edition vinyl issue of this compilation have been organized on compact disc under the heading of Peace Chant 2, so let's break-down volumes 3 & 4 of the LP issue: 

Peace Chant, Volume 3 features artists who use their medium to welcome the return of the sacred feminine as in Lenny Marcus Trio's "Mother's Day," and speak on afrocentric themes like Roland Hayes with his heartfelt "Africa The Beautiful." Mineral King renders epic orchestral rock while Natural Life takes us even further on a ten-minute epic quest from a progressive fusion head, to searing tabla, into virtuosic guitar jamming and finally dropping into heady fuzz-soaked riffs and free-jazz fusion with their theme song. Rama Dyushambee sings a devotional song about divine source and healing, while Jule Farmer's "Muhammad Ali" stands strong at the crossroads between black spirituality and black power. Black Is provides a vibey lo-fi flute jazz meditation in their Themes and Variation while The Supa Lowery Brothers provide the requisite hard modal freedom funk. 

Peace Chant, Volume 4 opens with a gorgeous and lush Wurlitzer-oriented big band piece that among its many treasures also features the 17-year-old visionary-saxophonist-to-be, Steve Coleman in his alleged first recording! The contributions of Brother Yusuf Salim and Bus Brown, figures who should be very familiar to Tramp Records aficionados, are consecrated here with a live recording of "Freedom" from one of Brother Yu's last public performances. The oral history in the introduction of this ultra-rare 'field' recording is priceless in its own right. One of the two European contributions to the comp, "Attitude," by Organic Pulse 'onesemble', reads like a double entendre, the word "attitude" meaning simultaneously one's disposition or state of mind, and also one's orientation relative to the horizon. The Peace Chant series continues to touch all the sacred meridians: more devotional music with James Scales & All Stars' "Ser-Vi-Tude," trance music of non-dominant traditions with Donn Preston Group's "Ghana-Cha!," a modal and blue organ trio offering from Tommy Jones, and closing with a rich and righteous ballad, "Quernemoen," from the Wayne Powell Octet. 

Peace Chant is the center of the mandala, representing the nucleus of the post-bop, modal jazz, avant-garde, transcendental, spiritual, ethnic, and freedom music universe without necessarily suggesting anything immediately identifiable as any of the above. This is the soundtrack to the raising of human consciousness and the salvation of society's very soul. 

We give thanks to Tramp Records for leading our thirsty hearts to this rich fountain. – Joel Ricci 

You can pre-order Peace Chant Vol. 3 & Vol. 4 on vinyl right here. Shipping starts November 13th. 

Listen to a few tunes followed by the track listing for both volumes below. 

PEACE CHANT Volume 3

01. Lenny Marcus Trio - Mother's Day

02. Roland Hayes - Africa The Beautiful

03. Black Is - Themes and Variations

04. Mineral King - In Search Of The Lost Magic Marker

05. The Hippest Set - Catechism For D

06. Supa Lowery Brothers - Furlive

07. Jule Farmer - Muhammad Ali

08. Rama Dyushambee - Heal It!

09. Natural Life - Natural Life

PEACE CHANT Volume 4

01. The Niambi Big Band - Brass Winds

02. Brother Yu Sextet - Freedom

03. Morton And The Uptights - Montego

04. Organic Pulse Ensemble - Attitude

05. James Scales & All Stars - Ser-Vi-Tude

06. Donn Preston Group - Ghana-Cha!

07. Lonnell Dantzler - Bo-Ghana

08. Tommy Jones - Egg Nog

09. Bohannon Trio - Untitled No. 1

10. Wayne Powell Octet - Quernemoen

One For The Weekend: Sun Ra & His Outer Space Arkestra

Here's "Nameless One No. 3" off Sun Ra's Celestial Love album from 1984 now available on CD right here. 

Bruce Springsteen reconnects with E Street Band for Letter To You

Check out Bruce Springsteen's chat with Stephen Colbert about his new album Letter To You out Friday. 

Happy Birthday Jane Bunnett!

Celebrating the birthday of Toronto flautist/saxophonist and bandleader Jane Bunnett with a Maqueque performance from 2019.

Jane Bunnett & Maqueque play Kensington Market's 2020 Virtual Jazz Fest on November 8. Click here for info. 

Erkin Koray's 70s Turkish psych singles tracks collected on Halimem LP

Pharaway Sounds' Halimem LP – out Nov 27 – brings together Erkin Koray's 7" and cassette tracks from 1970-72 and 1987.

 

Whaddya mean you don't know The Noisemakers

Here's "Problem Dog" by Sweden's Noisemakers: Lasse Lenartsson, Örjan Jacobsson, Lennart Andersson & Reidar Wilhelmsson  

Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood's Kinks cover 7" due Black Friday

Nancy Sinatra launches her new label deal with Light In The Attic with RSD single and Start Walkin' comp out in February.

Nancy Sinatra – Start Walkin’ 1965-1976

Side A

1. Bang Bang

2. These Boots Are Made for Walkin’

3. Sugar Town

4. So Long Babe

5. How Does That Grab You, Darlin’?

6. Friday’s Child

7. You Only Live Twice

Side B

1. Summer Wine

2. Some Velvet Morning

3. Lightning’s Girl

4. Sand

5. Lady Bird

Side C

1. Jackson

2. Happy

3. How Are Things in California

4. Hook and Ladder

5. Hello L.A., Bye Bye Birmingham

6. Paris Summer

Side D

1. Arkansas Coal

2. Down From Dover

3. Kind Of A Woman

4. Machine Gun Kelly

5. (L’été Indien) Indian Summer

For more info, check out Light In The Attic's press release right here. 

Badge Époque preview Self Help album with video for "Unity (It's Up To You)"

"Unity (It's Up To You)" is off the Badge Époque Ensemble's forthcoming album, Self Help out Nov 20 on Telephone Explosion.

Here's the scoop...

Self Help is an exploratory record that dances across time and genre, guided by fidgety miniatures and jazz inflected collage. While constructed from the inspiration of soul, funk and film music, BÉE mediate those influences having first digested them through the productions of Madlib & the RZA. Throughout, the band pool together their instrumental chops, moving from fluid and serpentine R&B to meditative, minimalistic piano, evoking a contrast of virtuosity and self-surrender.

Self Help is out November 20. pre-order a copy directly from Telephone Explosion right here. Watch Alex Kingsmill's entertaining animated clip for "Unity (It's Up To You)" feat. James Baley below. 

 

Midweek Mixdown: Blackout Benny salutes the women of country music

Blackout Benny's Tie One On Tonight podcast #5 features Kenni Huskey, Sammi Smith, Lynn Gibson, Jan Starks & Jamey Ryan. 

Tie One On Tonight: Episode 5

This episode celebrates the women of country music! With lyrics like "I hope you choke on diesel smoke and drown in gasoline", "They can stick a fork in you cuz big boy you are done!" and "I'll cause you trouble and you're gonna get it double right between the eyes" these ladies ain't pulling any punches and the tunes behind these voices rip to match! Crack a cold one, turn it up and be glad these women aren't singing about you! Stay safe out there and wash your god damned hands.

Love,

Benny

Listen to Tie One One On Tonight Episode 5 right here. 

That time Nirvana played Maxwell's in Hoboken in 1989

Here's 21 minutes of cleaned up footage from Nirvana's show at Maxwell's on July 13, 1989. 

Hear "Free Your Mind" by Fela's grandson, Made Kuti

Made Kuti's released his single "Free Your Mind" on Fela Kuti's birthday. Check out Olly Frostie's animated video below. 

 

UIC kicks out the jams on new FM Hill album out Friday

UIC's long-awaited new studio album FM Hill captures the group at their raw rockin' best.

Growing up during the 70s in the rural South Western Ontario town of Exeter, there wasn't much in the way of legal entertainment. Bored teens had to get their kicks where they could find them. For Fred Robinson and fellow UIC founding member Murray Heywood, that meant piling into Fred's '68 Chevelle Malibu 6-banger – outfitted with a tree-shaking Craig Powerplay stereo 8-track – and heading west on Highway 83 and then north on the Babylon Line to a place they called "FM hill."

Underneath the stars on FM hill, just about a mile from the Hay Swamp home of the mysterious Green Lady, the higher elevation meant that on a clear night they could pick up near by Detroit radio stations blasting The Stooges, The MC5 and Alice Cooper. The rush that Fred and his younger brother Dave Robinson had hearing that explosive Motor City music for the first time is what they were after on their long overdue new album, FM Hill. 

Of course, with anytime a band  returns to the studio after a lengthy hiatus, there are naturally going to be questions, number one being, "have they still got it?" Anyone who saw UIC's opening spots for L.A. punk legends X in 2017, and that amped-up show with a horn section celebrating the 50th anniversary of Kick Out The Jams with The MC5's Wayne Kramer at the Danforth Music Hall in 2018, should have reason to be optimistic. See for yourself – here's a clip from UIC's performance of the title track from FM Hill below. 

At every step along the way back to full-throttle action, UIC has met or exceeded expectations. Just as now, many UIC fans back in early 2016 were wondering what kind of shape the band would be in when they first reconvened for a one-off tribute concert in Oshawa honouring the late Star Records owner, Mike Shulga. By then, 21 years had passed since UIC played their final show at Lee's Palace. And although the members had continued to perform and record in different capacities over the ensuing years – Ted Triebnor and drummer Murray "Hounddog" Heywood in Positively Stompin' and the others became The Chickens –  there were some still wondering whether they would be the same full-tilt rock 'n' roll party band they remembered. 

With rhythm guitarist Ted Triebnor living in Saskatchewan and unable to rehearse, Dave Dysart from their old Og Music labelmates Supreme Bagg Team was deputized and proved to be a worthy replacement. Dysart also lent his production skills to the task of remixing the cassette-quality tape that UIC recorded in 1988 with former Blue Rodeo keyboardist Bob Wiseman into what became the unanticipated 2016 delight of The Wiseman Sessions album. 

Even though Oshawa had been a UIC stronghold, headlining the Mike Star Tribute at the jam-packed Royal Canadian Legion on April 2, 2016 wouldn't be a cakewalk. UIC would have to follow a rousing set from Peter Zaremba's Rock Delegation featuring The Fleshtones' Keith Streng and the Purple Toads' Rob Sweeney and member of his band Crummy Stuff. But any lingering doubts about the current state of UIC were quickly quashed when the group's rubber-legged frontman Dave Robinson came strutting onto stage and hyperactively bounced his way through songs from their 1986 debut album Our Garage (Fringe Product) much like he did 30 years earlier. A few more gems from their whumpin' 1988 classic Live / Like Ninety (Og Music) left the well-lubed crowd hollering for more which they kindly obliged by roaring through The Stooges' "No Fun" and The Ramones' "Rockaway Beach." 

As impressive as the UIC performance was, the half-joking jabs of "play something new" from greying fans who'd followed the group from the start had hit home. After the 30th anniversary performance of Our Garage in Toronto and the 2017 release party for The Wiseman Sessions, they knew it was time to stop looking backwards. That fall, as the band returned to their rehearsal space to work on new material, bassist Dan "Hack" Preszcator suddenly fell ill. While Dan took time off to recover, El Speedo bassist Andy Hauber was asked to fill in on a temporary basis. Sadly, Dan passed away from an auto-immune disorder on March 29, 2018. Knowing how much Dan wanted UIC to record again, the surviving members were now even more determined to see the FM Hill album through to completion.        

In June 2019, the UIC crew assembled at Canterbury Music in Toronto with a fresh set of tunes and a few from the past that were never fully realized. While the songs of FM Hill still feel like classic UIC, there's a new sense of self-assuredness to the performances that only comes with playing together for decades. Canuck rock legend Ian Blurton (Public Animal, C'Mon, Cursed, etc) who'd seen UIC firing on all cylinders at their peak was wisely brought in for the mixdown before the tracks were sent off to Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel for proper mastering.

The album opens with the crankin' lead single "Superstar"(listen below) followed by the mighty riff from "Mystery Train" which sounds more than a bit like the one Kurt Cobain used for "Smells Like Teen Spirit." But as UIC fans know, a live version of "Mystery Train" appeared on their Live / Like Ninety, recorded at Lee's Palace in November 1988 and released in early 1989 – a year before Kurt came up with "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Nirvana  didn't perform the song in public until April 17th, 1991 and it was recorded in the studio in May of that year. Hmmm...

The "Mystery Train" story for UIC began sometime in 1988 when Fred Robinson was approached by Richard Carstens, then singer/guitarist of Toronto rock 'n' roll trio The Wammee, with a tape of a song he'd written and demoed acoustically which he thought was right for UIC. Sadly, Carstens passed away in 2014 at the age of 53 but Robinson well remembers the day Richard dropped by with a cassette in hand.

"Back in 1987/88 we had a band house in Toronto at 13 Grenadier," remembers Robinson. "Lonnie James was living there and was playing with The Wammie. Richard (Carstens) was also with Wammie and would stop over on occasion. He presented a cassette with an acoustic version of this song and asked if we would take a crack at learning it. We loved the song and rocked it up with a key change and restructuring. Richard wrote many great songs." Watch a clip of The Wammee playing "Mystery Train" right here. 

The new studio version of "Mystery Train" sounds like nothing other than primo UIC with a sound and structure more in line with The Haunted's Montreal garage classic "1-2-5" than anything to come out of Seattle. Loyal UIC supporters will be relieved to know that the group have remained true to their rock 'n' roll roots on FM Hill. 

There are no cheesy orchestral strings added, no choral backing vocals, no syrupy synth washes, no programmed drums, no guest rappers, no plaintive piano ballads – no baloney. And although they've each become better musicians in the years between studio sessions, their musical maturity hasn't gotten in the way of the go-for-broke attitude with which they still approach every tune. And really, you shouldn't expect anything less from dudes who took their marching orders from The Stooges, The MC5, The Ramones, Teenage Head and Radio Birdman. Yeah hup!

Like UIC at their top-dollar best on stage, the fat-free 10 track album is a straight up ripper from start to finish. In fact, FM Hill is probably the closest they've ever come to capturing that sweaty UIC small club experience in a studio setting. You'll hear it when FM Hill is released digitally on UIC's own Like Ninety Records via Warner Music Canada on Friday (October 23) followed by a vinyl release Friday, October 30 wherever rock 'n' roll records are still sold. 

UIC hosts a release partty for FM Hill at Toronto's venerable Horseshoe Tavern on Saturday, November 21 at 8:30 pm – get tickets right here. In the meantime, watch UIC perform "Mystery Train" at The Horseshoe back in 2017 followed by "Superstar" off the new album below. 

R.I.P. Toshinori Kondo, 1948-2020

Sadly, avant garde trumpeter Toshinori Kondo passed away on Saturday at the age of 71. He'll be greatly missed. 

Jane Weaver gets funky with "The Revolution of Super Visions"

"The Revolution of Super Visions" is off Jane Weaver's forthcoming Flock album, available digitally January 1, 2021.

Here's the scoop...

Flock is the record that Jane Weaver always wanted to make, the most genuine version of herself, complete with unpretentious Day-Glo pop sensibilities, wit, kindness, humour and glamour. A consciously positive vision for negative times, a brooding and ethereal creation. 

The album features an untested new fusion of seemingly unrelated compounds fused into an eco-friendly hum; pop music for post-new-normal times. Created from elements that should never date, its pop music reinvented. Still prevalent are the cosmic sounds, but ‘Flock’ is a natural rebellion to the recent releases which sees her decidedly move away from conceptual roots in favour of writing pop music. Produced on a complicated diet of bygone Lebanese torch songs, 1980's Russian Aerobics records and Australian Punk. 

Amongst this broadcast of glistening sounds is ‘The Revolution Of Super Visions’, an untelevized Mothership connection, with Prince floating by as he plays scratchy guitar; it also features a funky whack-a-mole bass line and synth worms. 

“The revolution accidentally happens because so many people visualise the same ideals and something supernatural occurs. Everyone is exhausted with social media, inequality and the toxic masculinity of world leaders contributing to a dying planet.” – Jane Weaver

It underlines the discordant pop vibe that permeates ‘Flock’ and concludes on ‘Solarised’, a super-catchy, totally infectious apocalypse, a radio-friendly groove for last dance lovers clinging together in an effort to save themselves before the end of the night. 

Beautifully packaged, 'Flock' will be released digitally on Fire Records on January 1, 2021 and will be available on olive-green vinyl with a deluxe ‘tip-on’ sleeve and poster (Rough Trade Exclusive), cream vinyl (Indie Store Exclusive) along with standard light rose vinyl edition shipping March 5th. You can pre-order Jane's Flock album right here after hearing "The Revolution of Super Visions" below. Ever the optimist, Jane has a UK tour scheduled for June, 2021... check the dates following the song clip.  

R.I.P. Johnny Bush, 1935-2020

Sadly, Texas honky tonk hero Johnny Bush has passed away at the age of 85. He'll be greatly missed. 

 

Mark Lanegan receives darkwave overhaul from Iyeara

Iyeara's Toby Butler, Malcolm Carson & Paul O'Keefe have remixed Mark Lanegan's entire Somebody's Knocking album.

Happy Birthday Sugar Pie DeSanto!

Celebrating Sugar Pie DeSanto's 85th birthday with "I Want To Know" on Veltone from 1960. 

Dust-To-Digital releases Harry Smith Anthology B-sides box today

The 4CD set collects the 78 flipsides Harry Smith left off his Anthology of American Folk Music.

Here's the scoop...

In 1952, Folkways Records published the legendary 6-LP series entitled the Anthology of American Folk Music, compiled from original 78s by record collector, filmmaker, artist, and anthropologist Harry Smith. 

Many historians and musicians cite Smith’s reissue, with its recordings of country, blues, Cajun, and gospel music from the 1920s and ‘30s, and its booklet containing idiosyncratic liner notes, esoteric artwork, and handmade design as a major impetus for the folk music revival of the 1950s and ‘60s and as a source of profound cultural change. 

68 years later, The Harry Smith B-Sides offers both a resonant listening experience and the closing of a collector’s circle. Sequenced in the identical order that Smith created, this new box set offers the flip-side of each 78-rpm record that he selected for the original Anthology of American Folk Music.

With newly-remastered audio, these 84 songs over 4 CDs represent a mirror image of the Anthology of American Music’s tracklist, and a way to hear the complete statement of each original 78-rpm record included on Smith’s landmark compilation. The Harry Smith B-Sides comes with a 144 page cork-cover book in a cigar-style box featuring archival images, original artwork by Harry Smith, and essays by John Cohen, Lance Ledbetter, and Eli Smith. 

Liner note contributions by more than 80 artists, writers, and musicians that have been inspired by Harry Smith’s work including Daniel Bachman, Devendra Banhart, Sarah Bryan, Rosanne Cash, Dom Flemons, Steve Gunn, Will Oldham, Amanda Petrusich, Steve Roden, Art Rosenbaum, Nathan Salsburg, Peter Stampfel, and many more. 

The Harry Smith B-Sides is out today (Friday, October 16) – get it from Dust-To-Digital right here. Listen to Rev. D.C. Rice and his Sanctified Congregation performing "He's Got His Eyes On You" and Dock Boggs' "Down South Blues" followed by the track listing. Check out the Washington Post review over here. 

The Harry Smith B-Sides

CD 1

1. Dick Justice – “One Cold December Day”

2. Nelstone's Hawaiians – “Village School”

3. Clarence Ashley – “Old John Hardy”

4. Coley Jones – “The Elder He’s My Man”

5. Bill & Belle Reed – “You Shall Be Free”

6. Buell Kazee – "The Wagoner's Lad"

7. Buell Kazee – "The Butcher's Boy"

8. Chubby Parker & His Old-Time Banjo – “Down on the Farm”

9. Uncle Eck Dunford – “Angeline, the Baker”

10. Burnett and Rutherford – “All Night Long Blues”

11. Buster Carter and Preston Young – “It Won’t Hurt No More”

12. Carolina Tar Heels – “You Are a Little Too Small”

13. G.B. Grayson – “Rose Conley”

14. Kelly Harrell – “My Wife, She Has Gone and Left Me”

15. Edward L. Crain – “Cowboy’s Home Sweet Home”

16. Kelly Harrell – “Henry Clay Beattie”

17. Carter Family – “Bring Me Back My Blue-Eyed Boy”

18. Williamson Brothers & Curry – “Warfield”

19. Frank Hutchison – “Stackalee”

20. Charlie Poole with the North Carolina Ramblers – “Monkey on a String” 

21. Mississippi John Hurt – “Nobody’s Dirty Business”

CD 2

1. William & Versey Smith – “Everybody Help the Boys Come Home”

2. Carter Family – “I’m Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes”

3. Furry Lewis – “Kassie Jones”

4. The Bentley Boys – “Henhouse Blues”

5. The Masked Marvel – “Screamin’ and Hollerin’ the Blues”

6. Carolina Tar Heels – “Back to Mexico”

7. Uncle Bunt Stephens – “Louisburg Blues”

8. J.W. Day – “Marthis Campbell”

9. Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers – “Waltz of Roses”

10. Delma Lachney and Blind Uncle Gaspard – “Le Bebe et le Gambleur (The Baby and the Gambler)”

11. Andrew & Jim Baxter – “Forty Drops”

12. A.C “Eck” Robertson and Family – “Amarillo Waltz”

13. Hoyt Ming and His Pep-Steppers – “Old Red”

14. Henry Thomas – “Bull-Doze Blues”

15. Jim Jackson – “I Heard the Voice of a Pork Chop”

16. Columbus Fruge – “Bayou Teche”

17. Joseph Falcon – “Aimer et Perdre (To Love and Lose)”

18. Breaux Freres – “T’As Vole Mon Chapeau (You Have Stolen My Hat)”

19. Cincinnati Jug Band – “George Street Stomp”

20. Frank Cloutier and the Victoria Cafe Orchestra – “Moonshiner's Dance Part Two” 

21. Rev. J. M. Gates – “Oh Death Where Is Thy Sting”

22. Rev. J. M. Gates – “Must Be Born Again”

CD 3

1. Alabama Sacred Harp Singers – “Present Joys”

2. Alabama Sacred Harp Singers – “Rocky Road”

3. Middle Georgia Singing Convention No. 1 – “I Am Going Home”

4. Sister Mary Nelson – “The Royal Telephone”

5. Memphis Sanctified Singers – “The Great Reaping Day”

6. Elders McIntorsh and Edwards –“The Latter Rain Is Fall”

7. Rev. Moses Mason – “Go Wash in the Beautiful Stream”

8. Bascom Lamar Lunsford – “Stepstone”

9. Blind Willie Johnson – “You’re Going to Need Someone on Your Bond”

10. Carter Family – “God Gave Noah the Rainbow Sign”

11. Ernest Phipps & His Holiness Singers – “A Little Talk with Jesus”

12. Rev. F.W. McGee – “Nothing to Do in Hell”

13. Rev. D.C. Rice and His Sanctified Congregation –“He’s Got His Eyes on You” 

14. Clarence Ashley – “Dark Holler Blues”

15. Buell Kazee – “Darling Cora”

16. Cannon's Jug Stompers – “Madison Street Rag”

17. E. Segura & D. Herbert – “Far Away from Home Blues”

18. Richard "Rabbit" Brown – “I’m Not Jealous”

19. Dock Boggs – “Down South Blues”

20. Bascom Lamar Lunsford – “Mountain Dew”

CD 4

1. Mr. & Mrs. Ernest V. Stoneman – “The Road to Washington”

2. Stoneman Family – “Too Late”

3. Memphis Jug Band – “I Packed My Suitcase, Started to the Train”

4. Carter Family – “The Storms Are on the Ocean”

5. Joseph Falcon & Cleoma Breaux – “Fe Fe Ponchaux”

6. Blind Lemon Jefferson – “Shuckin’ Sugar Blues”

7. Sleepy John Estes and Yank Rachell – “Sweet Mama”

8. Ramblin' Thomas – “Ramblin’ Man”

9. Cannon's Jug Stompers – “Riley’s Wagon”

10. Dock Boggs – “Sammie, Where Have You Been So Long”

11. Julius Daniels – “My Mamma Was a Sailor”

12. Blind Lemon Jefferson – “Lemon’s Worried Blues”

13. Blind Lemon Jefferson – “’Lectric Chair Blues”

14. Joseph Falcon & Cleoma Breaux – “Elle M’A Oublie (She Has Forgotten Me)” 

15. Uncle Dave Macon – “Rise When the Rooster Crows”

16. Uncle Dave Macon – “I’m the Child to Fight”

17. Mississippi John Hurt – “Blue Harvest Blues”

18. Memphis Jug Band – “Memphis Yo Yo Blues”

19. J.P. Nestor – “Black-Eyed Susie”

20. Ken Manyard – “The Cowboy’s Lament”

21. Henry Thomas – “Texas Worried Blues”

Omission of Tracks: The producers have omitted the following tracks due to lyrics containing racist language: track 5 on disc 1, track 4 on disc 2, and track 16 on disc 4.