90s Nostalgia: The Subsonics live at WRAS-FM, Atlanta

Here's The Subsonics featuring Rockin' Clay Reed, Buffi Aguero and Christy Montero performing "Frankestein" back in 1998. 

Remembering sound scientist Harry Partch on his birthday

Celebrating the birthday of outsider Harry Partch with the 1972 film "The Dreamer That Remains" and the BBC doc "The Outsider"

LINKS

Daily Bandcamp There will never be another Harry Partch

That time Stevie Wonder got on the drums with Formula 3 in Italy

Here's Stevie Wonder jamming with Formula 3's Alberto Radius and Gabriele Lorenzi for Italian television back in 1970. 

Montreal's Myriam Gendron, Andre Ethier @ Collective Arts Tap Room, Thursday

Myriam Gendron gets geared up for her Danforth Music Hall event with Kurt Vile on Friday with a more intimate show Thursday.

Here's the scoop on her latest album Mayday...

Mayday is the third LP by Montreal-based artist, Myriam Gendron. It follows her earlier, critically acclaimed albums, Not So Deep As A Well (2014) and Ma délire –Songs of love, lost & found (2021). Prior to her debut album, Myriam's primary musical focus was busking in Paris Metro stations, performing the songs of Leonard Cohen and others, accompanying herself on guitar. 

Through her day job, working at a bookstore, Myriam discovered the poems of American writer, Dorothy Parker, who was better known for her cutting wit than her verse. Inspired by Parker's words, Myriam wrote music to accompany a suite of them, then recorded the results in her bedroom. These very recordings were issued as her debut LP, and continue to delight listeners who discover them, with their freshness, clarity and humor. Writing in Uncut, Tyler Wilcox described Not So Deep As A Well as, “one of those out-of-nowhere LPs that was so captivating, you couldn’t help raving about it to anyone who would listen.” 

After a hiatus, during which she became a mother, Myriam began exploring the complex folk traditions of Quebec, and recorded the 2LP, Ma délire. This project was begun while she was on a sponsored creative retreat in rural Quebec with her young daughter. Myriam had been inspired by the ways in which traditional songs from disparate cultures embrace parallel archetypes. The resulting album (part of which was actually recorded on the fly during this retreat) combines traditional and original lyrics (largely in French) with arrangements that make space for avant-garde musical interludes by such players as guitarist Bill Nace (Body/Head) and percussionist Chris Corsano. Like her debut, Ma délire has been received rhapsodically. In his review for Foxy Digitalis, Brad Rose writes the album, “is a complete and total triumph. There aren’t many artists who understand and can harness the immortal spirit that flows through traditional music like Myriam Gendron. For all her talents as a songwriter, guitarist, and singer, this is her greatest gift.” 

Mayday presents an even more syncretic fusion of the elements Myriam uses to create her sound. Most of the songs are original, sung in both English and French, and they blend traditional and avant elements with abandon. She is often accompanied on this album by the guitarist Marisa Anderson and drummer Jim White (Dirty Three), whose work provides a quietly aggressive sort of free-rock base. Additional players this time include Montreal bassist Cédric Dind-Lavoie (a fellow fan of trad/avant dynamism), Bill Nace and saxophonist Zoh Amba (whose horn actually gets the final “word”.). Mayday is a thoroughly thrilling effort that manages to create new vistas of sound while maintaining a feel that is both intimate and familiar. 

Myriam has privately described the mood of Mayday as dark, in part due to the fact it was assembled after her mother’s passing, but she is always capable of balancing and blending emotional content in a way that makes it ultimately hopeful. The music here certainly possesses a richly serious tone, but Myriam Gendron (like Leonard Cohen) is able to infuse her darkness with a subtle, powerful light that reminds us that even the most pitch-black night is but a transitional state. Beautiful work. 

Get a copy of Myriam Gendron's Mayday album right here. Tickets for Myriam's show on with Andre Ethier at the Collective Arts Tap Room on June 27th are available here. Check out "Long Way Home" and the spooky lullaby "Terres brûlées" followed by a 2022 Sycamore Session and a more recent chat with Vish Khanna on his Kreative Kontrol podcast below. 

Sunday Jazz Session: Listen to Sahib Shahib's Jazz Party

Celebrating the brithday of woodwind wizard Sahib Shihab with the hard swingin' Sahib's Jazz Party album from 1964.

Remembering Suicide's Alan Vega on his birthday

Raising a glass to Suicide co-founder Alan Vega – born Boruch Alan Bermowitz in Brooklyn – with a few performances and more.

Richard Morton Jack publishes Labyrinth, the definitive guide to 60s British jazz

Labyrinth: British Jazz On Record, 1960-75 comes packed with reviews of 300 UK jazz gems penned by Richard Morton Jack

Here's the scoop...

Labyrinth is a massive hardback book, 375 pages in length, printed on high-quality art paper, with an embossed cover and cloth quarter-binding, written by Richard Morton Jack (Psychedelia: 101 Iconic Underground Rock Albums, Nick Drake: The Life, The Sunbeam Guide To Led Zeppelin). This limited edition record guide is the most comprehensive overview of the subject ever published. It celebrates over three hundred albums, offering detailed background info about each, alongside excerpts from original reviews and masses of high-quality images that reproduce their fabulous artwork and labels at near-full size. It also features a fascinating introduction by Tony Reeves (Mike Taylor Quartet, New Jazz Orchestra, Colosseum etc). 

Covering abstract jazz, avant-garde jazz, serial jazz, free jazz, Indo-jazz, jazz-rock and more, it tells a story Britain should be proud of: open-minded and creative musicians pushing the boundaries of their art in the face of penury and indifference, and welcoming influences from a range of other cultures via immigrant musicians such as Joe Harriott (Jamaica), Amancio D’Silva (India), Guy Warren (Ghana) and Harry Beckett (Barbados). Get a copy via Soundohm right here. Check out Ritchie Unterberger's interview with Richard Morton Jack right here. 

Happy Birthday Leon Johnson aka "Chaino"

Raising a glass to Philadelphia-born, Chicago-raised percussion ace Leon Johnson better known in the world of exotica as "Chaino"

Woody Harrelson & Ted Danson chat about Cheers, Coen Bros & Larry David

Woody Harrelson shares his acting experiences working on No Country For Old Men & Curb Your Enthusiasm with Conan O'Brien. 

Dollar Bin Delights: Zébaron – Concerto Pour Une Flûte

The "Concerto Pour Une Flûte" album attributed to "Zébaron" is the work of flautist Jean-Claude Gozzo & guitarist Sergio Renucci. 

Zébaron – Concerto Pour Une Flûte (MFP) 1976

Over the years of visiting second-hand record shops, I've come across the mysterious Zébaron album from 1976 filed in classical, world, French language, easy listening, instrumental, lounge, and the bargain bin. The exotic looking sleeve doesn't give much away other than there is definitely some flute involved. But the recording is far from a snoozy solo flute recital. It's actually a lot closer in spirit to a French sound library stab at  a breezy samba-jazz set you might get from Tele Music or Music Pour L'image only the tracks are longer and the performances have a touch more personality. 

Zébaron seems to be the nom-du-disc of flautist Jean-Claude Gozzo and his guitar-playing pal Sergio Renucci who wrote the majority of the tunes together. What really elevates Concerto Pour Une Flûte from vanity project status, however, is the solid rhythm section of respected French jazz bassist Gilbert Rovère (Dexter Gordon, Duke Ellington, Cannonball Adderley, Martial Solal,  René Thomas, etc) credited here as "Bibi Rover" and dependable drummer Fred "Junior" Desplan who approach the recording as they would any jazz ensemble session. While the album is clearly a showcase for J.C. Gozzo's flute flights as the title suggests, the propulsive play of Rovère and Desplan with guitarist Renucci keeps things moving. As you can hear on the tracks "Mélancolie" and "Le Baron" below, this Gozzo hombre can definitely play which makes you wonder whether it might be an alias for a credible artist on a money-making studio project since the name doesn't appear to be connected to any other recordings before or since. Perhaps only Sergio, Fred and Gilbert know for sure. Have a listen. 

Toronto's dynamic duo Catl rock Summer Live 4 in Lixing-lès-Rouhling, Saturday

If you happen to be in northeastern France this weekend, don't miss Catl with The Courettes & Bob Log III on Saturday! 

Oh yes Belgium, Catl are headed your way for three fab Flemish frolics in Sint-Truiden, Tongeren and Oostkamp! 

Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore release great new TexiCali album

Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore just put out their new TexiCali record today. Check out the video for "We're Still Here" below.  

Here's the scoop...

Behind blistering blues licks, TexiCali doubles as a roadtrip across Grammy winner Dave Alvin and Grammy nominee Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s beloved home states and the memories within, honoring shared musical influences, friends gone too soon and all they’ve endured along the way. These folk heroes have now evolved their unbreakable bond into a fully-fledged musical and songwriting partnership. 

TexiCali continues to bridge the distance between the two troubadours’ respective home bases of California (Alvin) and Texas (Gilmore). Its 11 songs also connect their shared fondness for a broad range of American music forms. On their own, both have been prominent artists for decades. A philosophical songwriter with a captivating, almost mystical voice, Gilmore co-founded influential Lubbock group the Flatlanders in the early 1970s. Alvin first drew attention as a firebrand guitarist and budding young songwriter with Los Angeles roots-rockers the Blasters in the early 1980s. 

They’re both quick to credit the musicians who joined them in the studio as crucial to the sound and spirit of the album. On Downey To Lubbock, they recorded primarily in Los Angeles with a crew that included ringers such as the late Don Heffington on drums and Van Dyke Parks on accordion. This time, though, Alvin’s longtime rhythm section of drummer Lisa Pankratz and bassist Brad Fordham played a larger role, along with guitarist Chris Miller and keyboardist Bukka Allen. 

“After the time we spent touring, Jimmie and I became members of this band,” Alvin says. “The band can play just about anything, which the album shows off.” 

TexiCali also found Alvin and Gilmore increasingly focusing on original songs. Among them are “Trying To Be Free,” which Gilmore wrote more than 50 years ago; “Southwest Chief,” a collaboration between Alvin and the late Bill Morrissey; and “Death of the Last Stripper,” which Alvin wrote with Terry Allen and his wife Jo Harvey Allen. 

Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore's new album TexiCali is out today (June 21st) via Yep Roc Records  – get a copy right here. Check out the video for "We're Still Here" along with an audio clip of "Southwest Chief" following the track listing below. 

Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore – TexiCali

1. Borderland

2. Southwest Chief 

3. Broke Down Engine

4. Trying to Be Free

5. Blind Owl

6. Death of the Last Stripper

7. Roll Around

8. Betty and Dupree

9. Why I'm Walking

10. Down the 285

11. We're Still Here 

Remembering Jörg Evers of The Pack on his birthday

Raising a glass to the late Jörg Evers with the explosive punk rock album by The Pack and more.   Portrait by Olaf Jens. 

Watch the video for "Crimewave" by Nic and the Narcs

Guitarist Nichol Robertson writes "This is a song we wrote about summer and crime and condos." Stream it here. Check the clip. 

One For The Weekend: Clete Grayson and the Thurston Trio

Here's a swingin' spin on an Eden Ahbez classic by Clete Grayson and crew featured on Angela Wheeler's Retro-Obscuro #155.  

Listen to Angela Wheeler's Retro-Obscuro #155 mix right here. Check the track listing below. 

Retro-Obscuro #155

The Clefts - Come On

The US Group - Little Bit Of Something (Is Better Than A Whole Lot Of Nothing)

Art Roberts - Give Her The Ax, Max

Barrel House Blott - Chicks, Going Crazy

The Four Evers - If I Were A Magician

Debra Ferrara - These Boots Are Made For Walking

Clete Grayson And The Thurston Trio - Nature Girl (Nature Boy)

Cecil Foutch And The Keys - Big Wheel

Jerry Woodard And His Esquires - Romeo And Juliet

Milt Herth And His Trio - Herthquake Boogie

Shooby Taylor (The Human Horn) - Indiana

The Jury - You'd Better Be On Your Way

Edd Byrnes - Like I Love You

Lynn Cornell - Like Love

Curley Jim And The Billey Rocks - Rock And Roll Itch

Dick And Dee Dee - Boys And Girls

The Emotions - Come Dance Baby

The Sweet Acids - That Creature

Don McKnight And The Debonaires - Strange

Jesse James Sims - Jesse Loves You

The Johnny Otis Show - Willie Did The Cha Cha

Eddie Boyd - Where You Belong

Napua Stevens - I Want To Learn To Speak Hawaiian

Huey And Jerry - Little Chickie Wah Wah

The Tree Stumps - Jennie Lee

Larry Bright - Bloodhound

Roy "The Hound" Hall - Flood Of Love

Harvey And The Phenomenals - T.G.I.F.

Debbie Lori Kaye - Could That Be

The Olympics - I'll Never Fall In Love

David Clayton Thomas And The Bossmen - Brain Washed

Junior Thompson With The Meteors - Mama's Little Baby

Kenny Walker - You're Puttin' Me On

The 4 Of Us - You Gonna Be Mine 

4th Street Exit - Strange One

Jack Turner - Stark, Staring Madly In Love

Little Billy And The Essentials - Steady Girl

Los Ovni's - Please, Please

Nolan Strong And The Diablos - You Are

Mike Hanks And The Del-Phis - I Think About You

R.I.P. Donald Sutherland, 1935-2024

Along with stellar performances in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Kelly's Heroes and Klute, Donald Sutherland elevated Kate Bush's "Cloudbusting" video.

Remembering Chicago guitar great LeRoy Crume on his birthday

Soul Stirrers guitarist LeRoy Crume cut "Funky Walk" with brother Dillard after numerous records as the Crume Brothers.

Greg 'Stackhouse' Prevost releasing new album After The Wars on July 15th

Singer/songwriter Greg Prevost updates Roky Erickson and Church Mice gems for his new After The Wars LP. Pre-order it here. 

STERLING. The Velvet Warrior – new fan doc on Velvet Underground guitarist

Cam Forrester put together a Sterling Morrison documentary in three parts kicking off Saturday (June 22) at 8 am EST.  

Here's the scoop...

A preview trailer for the brand new three-part documentary feature, in which independent artist Cam Forrester explores the career of Sterling Morrison - guitarist of The Velvet Underground - paying a long-overdue tribute to one of the most underrated rock guitarists in music history, and taking a detailed look into his background, his style of playing, his intuitive contributions to the music, and the turbulent story - from his perspective - of one of the most important bands of the 1960s.

Sterling was highly intellectual, and an articulate speaker, with a sharp tongue and dry wit.

He gave numerous interviews over the years, where he covered his experiences during the band years in great depth. These have been compiled into one cohesive timeline, and all of his quotes are read aloud by voice actor Wyatt Markus - bringing the late musician's words back to life, in addition to actual audio/video of Sterling himself where available.

Also included are personal accounts from Sterling’s widow, Martha Morrison, as well as music industry executive Bill Bentley (who was a close friend of Sterling’s and played with him in a band called The Bizarro’s during the 1970s), and musician Dean Wareham (frontman of the band Luna, who supported The Velvet Underground during their reunion tour of Europe, in 1993) who have all contributed audio interviews, offering their memories of the guitarist. Plus several demonstration/reconstruction scenes performed by Cam Forrester, using the same guitar models as Sterling originally used on recordings.

Sterling was quoted saying that he intended to write a book of his memories of the band years, to be titled ‘The Velvet Underground Diet’, but tragically died one day after his 53rd Birthday, of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, on August 30th 1995, before ever getting around to doing so.

The aim of the documentary is to tell as many of Sterling’s recollections that were written down over the years, to as many people as possible all over the world.

RELEASE SCHEDULE:

PART I: 'SLOW INITIATION' - 22.06.2024

PART II: 'CRUSADING' - 29.06.2024

PART III: 'ENTROPY' - 06.07.2024

- ALL AT 12PM NOON [GMT]

Check out the trailer for "STERLING. The Velvet Warrior" followed by Cam Forrester's previous Velvets doc "Foundation Velvet: The Drumming of Maureen 'Moe' Tucker" below. 

Scottish indie music '83-'95 chronicled in new book, Postcards From Scotland

Postcards From Scotland was assembled from more than 100 interviews by Teenage Superstars filmmaker Grant McPhee.

Here's the scoop from Omnibus Press...

By 1983, many of Scotland’s post-punk bands had broken up or moved south to chase the major labels in London. That vacuum was filled by an influx of young musicians who were determined to remake the scene in their own image.

In this compelling and dynamic oral history, Grant McPhee chronicles the radical transformation of Scotland’s independent music scene from 1983-1995. Including archival photos and drawing from over 100 interviews with the key players of the time, Grant McPhee allows them to set the scene in their own words; including the Cocteau Twins, Shop Assistants, Teenage Fanclub, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream and many more.

Postcards from Scotland – published by Omnibus Press on June 20th – is the definitive story of the radicals, misfits and experimentalists who made independent music what it is today. Get a copy right here. 

"This is a brilliant account of one of the most fruitful periods of Scotland's musical heritage. The cast list is longer than Norman Blake's hair circa 1992. Devour!" – Marc Riley

"A truly deep dive. Like the best rock and roll, not everyone will get this. And thank God for that." – John Niven

"An enjoyable ride through independent Scottish music of the era, and it will send you scurrying back to record, so many of which still sound refreshing and fearless" – Shindig 4****

"Enthrals... Creates something historically solid from a butterfly box of Scottish pop" – Outside Left

Happy Birthday Ernest Ranglin!

Celebrating the 92nd birthday of Jamaican guitar great Ernest Ranglin with a Paris performance from 2002 and more!

LINKS 

Read a feature story on Ernest Ranglin which I wrote for a Toronto paper back in 2007 right here 

R.I.P. James Chance, 1953-2024

Sadly, no wave icon James Chance – a spellbinding performer – has passed away at the age of 71. He'll be greatly missed. 

From Marc Masters' No Wave...

LINKS

Rick McGinnis Photographs James Chance, 1953-2024

The Quietus No Wave mainstay James Chance dead at 71

Jaime Wyatt @ The Velvet Underground, Wednesday

Jaime Wyatt performs songs from her Adrian Quesada-produced Feel Good album tonight at 7 pm. Get tickets here. 

That time the Reigning Sound backed Mary Weiss on Late Night with Conan

Mary Weiss performed a great version of "Stop and Think It Over" accompanied by Greg Cartwright and crew in 2007. 

R.I.P. Baseball legend Willie Mays, 1931-2024

Sadly, baseball great Willie Mays has passed away at the age of 93. There won't be another like him. 

Ayal Senior releasing "Ora," an entrancing companion to "Az Yashir"

Ayal Senior's "Ora" – out Wednesday via Medusa Editions – came out of a collaboration with Kurt Newman & Andrew Furlong. 

Here's the scoop...

The songs that became Ora were written as a companion & follow up to the 'Az Yashir' songbook. 

These songs were a joy to write & record among long-time & trusted friends & collaborators. They seemed to appear at ease as themselves, falling from a dream, transmitted from some place with dancing blue forms.  The core live unit of Kurt Newman (gtr/pedal-steel) and Andrew Furlong (bass) are warmly augmented here by Blake Howard on drums & Jay Anderson on additional percussion. 

We hope you dig it as much as we enjoyed making it. Thank you for listening!

Get a copy of Ayal Senior's "Ora" LP via Bandcamp right here. Check out performances of "Freddy's Children" and "Upside Dawn" following the tracklisting and credits below. 

Ayal Senior – Ora

Naomi

Upside Dawn

Shekel of Tyre

Freddy's Children

Book of Ancient Insults

Stairway of Farewells

Burnt Lokshen

Ta Chazi

Ta Shma

Ad Olam

Credits:

Kurt Newman - Pedal Steel & Electric Guitar 

Blake Howard - Drums, Percussion 

Jay Anderson - Percussion 

Andrew Furlong - Bass 

Ayal Senior - 12 string 

Produced & Mixed by Sandro Perri at Palace Sound June 11, 12, 2023 

Mastered by Harris Newman 

All Songs written by Ayal Senior 

Front Artwork: Florence Miller Pierce, 'Blue Forms' (1942, oil on canvas)

 

Remembering blues harp hero Jerry "Boogie" McCain on his birthday

Raising a glass to Alabama-born Jerry McCain – who passed away in 2012 – with a few of his classic house rockers.

Tindersticks preview new Soft Tissue album with "Nancy" single

The Tindersticks' new album Soft Tissue – with sleeve art by Sidonie Osborne Staples – is out Sept. 13th. Pre-order it here.

Watch some 1966 footage of The Rolling Stones in Australia

Here's a clip from What's On The Flipside, an Aussie youth culture doc featuring The Rolling Stones and DJ Ward Austin.

Before They Were Famous: The Action

In their pre-mod days as "The Boys" in North London, The Action sported matching suits and backed singer Sandra Barry.

Redd Kross shares new single "I'll Take Your Word For It"

Check out the video for "I'll Take Your Word For It" off the forthcoming Redd Kross album. They play Lee's Palace July 29th.

Here's the scoop...

Oh happy day, you are in for a treat with this one, the Janglerrific third single from our forthcoming self titled double album REDD KROSS. 

Steven McDonald had this to say about the song and accompanying video: 

““I’ll Take Your Word For It” although based on real events it is not about any specific person.  It’s an amalgamation of several types, that so called friend that always seems to bring up the ex, or perhaps a working relationship that ended poorly despite your best and most earnest attempts at civility.  “Are you my friend, are you my foe?  I don’t know”. The video I suppose offers one possible antidote for this situation.  When you’re contemplating telling your nemesis to take a hike, maybe it’s smarter to put on your best suit, matching bass, and matching band (if you’re as lucky as me) and take a hike yourself.  That’s what I did and it made me feel so much better.” – Steven McDonald

And with that we’ll say check out “I’ll Take Your Word For It”.  We hope you dig it. 

Masterfully directed by Steve Appleford. Edited by Brian Durkin. 

Don’t forget to come see us on our North American Summer tour starting July 2nd. Hott damn!!!

Happy Birthday Jello Biafra!

What better way to celebrate Jello Biafra's birthday than with a few entertaining interactions with the intrepid Nardwuar. 

Blondie's Chris Stein releases new memoir Under A Rock

Chris Stein used the pandemic lockdown to write an intriguing memoir Under A Rock available now. Get it here.   

LINKS

Forbes Blondie's Chris Stein on his influential band's career via his new memoir

Colombian psych funk trio BALTHVS are blowin' up

BALTHVS – Colombia's answer to Khruangbin – just played a sold-out show in LA. Check out their recent KEXP appearance. 

For more info about upcoming BALTHVS shows – nowhere near Toronto – visit their site right here. 

Colin Fisher & Mas Aya double record release @ The Tranzac, Sunday

Colin Fisher's new album "Suns of the Heart" is out July 12th. Catch him tonight at the Tranzac. Doors at 7:30p m, show at 8 pm.

Colin Fisher – Suns of the Heart 

Suns of the Heart (out July 12th) is Colin's Fisher's follow up to Reflections of the Invisible World and the preceding album V le Pape. 

Suns of the Heart was created as part of the process of building on the relationship of documenting Fisher's live solo process and augmenting it over the course of 3 records with studio compositional ideas. 

With Suns of the Heart, Fisher connected with his good friend David Psutka, who released Reflections of the Invisible World on his label Halocline Trance, to engineer and produce the project. 

The concept for the album was to deconstruct Fisher's live process and apply a studio sampling methodology from hip hop to establish foundational layers for each track. Psutka was the perfect partner for this endeavor considering his long history of electronic music as well as his appreciation for interesting conceptual ideas. 

Psutka essentially became a co-composer for a few tracks and was an indispensable force in constructing this unique document. Together they sampled various sounds, textures, incidental sounds from me on various instruments, reconfigured them in Psutka's daw and then built compositions on top of them. 

Conceptually this is a reflection of Fisher's live process, where he samples and loops sounds in transparent ways and orchestrate textures, sounds, chord changes into fully realized compositions in real time. The freedom in the studio scenario enables complete separation of each sound and texture for mixing, orchestration and composition. The result is a compelling augmentation of his live process with the addition of Psutka's skill and conceptual sense for an entire new synthesis of ideas to something not previously possible or imaginable. 

The album title and track titles were all inspired by the work of Henry Corbin. You can pre-order a copy of Colin Fisher's Suns of the Heart right here.  For more info about Colin Fisher's show with Mas Aya at the Tranzac, check the site right here. Watch a couple of Colin Fisher's recent performances below.