R.I.P. Deja Voodoo drummer Tony Dewald

Sadly, Deja Voodoo drummer and respected brewmaster Tony Dewald, who had been battling cancer, has passed away. He'll be greatly missed.  

Marking the 40th Anniversary of MuchMusic's launch

MuchMusic – Canada's first 24-hour music station – began broadcasting on August 31, 1984. Check the highlights clip below. 

Sound Library Gems: Sandro Brugnolini's Superground

Sandro Brugnolini's 1969-70 psych sessions with I MARC 4 members was released as Superground by Four Flies Records in 2019.

Here's the scoop...

What if the infamous UNDERGROUND and OVERGROUND albums had a third psychedelic chapter, still secret and unreleased until today? 

Yes, you heard correctly: this SUPERGROUND LP is sonically akin to the legendary pair for which composer Sandro Brugnolini – who passed away in 2020 at the age of 89 – will always shine worldwide, and ideally brings the trilogy to a close. Composed and recorded in two sessions between July 1969 and November 1970, using members of reliable sound library crew I MARC 4. Whether Brugnolini was working on the recordings for a specific film project remains a mystery although some music wound up being used for the 1969 animated short “Radice Quadrata di Tre,” a little art-film comment on consumer society directed by Pino Zac. 

The recordings all employ the terrific I MARC 4 members Antonello Vannucchi (organ), Maurizio Majorana (bass), Roberto Podio (drums), along with Angelo Baroncini (guitar) replacing Carlo Pes. An incredible groovy combo that plays a strange psychedelic rock and r’n’b with a funky flavour. 

Another lost masterpiece from Italian golden age soundtracks finally rescued and and put on wax by Italy's Four Flies Records with some mastering assistance byFabrizio De Carolis at Rome's Reference Mastering Studio.  Get it via Bandcamp right here. 

Sandro Brugnolini - Superground

A1 - Sharon Tate 02:46

A2 - Villa Polanski 04:24

A3 - Malattia 03:09

A4 - Kissing 05:39

B1 - Hip Now 03:55

B2 - Lovable 03:37

B3 - Petting 04:06

B4 - Malattia #2 03:03

B5 - Under Funeral 02:32

A1, A2, A3, B1, B4, B5 recorded at Globestudio on 15 July 1969 

A4, B2, B3 recorded at Dirmaphone Studios on 20 November 1970 

tracks A1, A2, B1, B5 were composed for the short animated film Radice Quadrata di Tre (1969, Pino Zac) 

One For The Weekend: Louie Ramirez

Here's the 1967 boogaloo swinger "Love It Up" from Louie Ramirez released as a limited-run 7" single by Tropical Tigers. 

That time the John Surman Trio played Prague in 1970

Since it's saxophonist John Surman's birthday today, we're celebrating with two 1970 clips, the first, his trio and second with Friedrich Gulda & Kenny Wheeler. 

Expanded version of Tom Petty's Long After Dark album due October 18

The Deluxe Edition of Tom Petty's 1982 album Long After Dark boasts 12 previously unreleased recordings on 2LPs or 2CDs.  

Here's the scoop from Tom Petty HQ...

Announcing the ‘Long After Dark’ Deluxe Edition out October 18 on Geffen/UMe! 

This expanded reissue features 12 unreleased songs, including 7 that were lost in the debate over the album’s original direction. Notable highlights include Tom’s version of “Never Be You”—which was a #1 country hit for Rosanne Cash —“Don’t Make Me Walk the Line,” and an up-tempo version of “Ways To Be Wicked,” which was recently covered by Margo Price with Mike Campbell for the ‘Petty Country’ tribute album.  Many of the additional tracks are taken from 1982-83 French TV sessions, including acoustic gems, “Turning Point” and The Everly Brothers influenced “Keeping Me Alive.” 

The 2LP expanded limited edition will be pressed on 180-gram color vinyl, housed in a numbered foil jacket and include an exclusive lithograph.

Pre-order/Pre-save now: https://tompetty.lnk.to/LongAfterDarkDeluxe

Listen to "Turning Point" and "Keeping Me Alive" along with a Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers performance in Dortmund from 1982 which is not part of the new release.  

  

Happy Birthday Robert Crumb!

Raising a glass to artist and music fan Robert Crumb on his birthday with a couple of interviews and some music. 

LINKS

Check out Robert Crumb's Record Room: Episode 62 right here

Happy Birthday Mick Harvey!

Celebrating the Mick Harvey's birthday with "When We Were Beautiful & Young" off his latest album Five Ways To Say Goodbye and more.  

Mick Harvey – Five Ways To Say Goodbye

Melbourne music legend Mick Harvey unveils his latest solo album, Five Ways to Say Goodbye, via Mute. 

Five Ways to Say Goodbye marks Harvey’s fifth solo album, featuring an introspective blend of originals and covers brimming with wistful acoustic rock gems. The record includes Harvey’s translated reworking of Marlene Dietrich’s 1950s ode to Berlin, “A Suitcase in Berlin” (“Ich Hab’ Noch Einen Koffer in Berlin”), which was released as a standalone single in 2023, hinting at the forthcoming album. 

In true Mick Harvey fashion, the album pays homage to fellow Australian musicians with covers of songs by Ed Kuepper -”Demolition”; Fatal Shore - “We Had an Island”; David McComb - “Setting You Free”; Lo Carmen - “Nashville High”; and The Saints - “Ghost Ships.” These tracks sit alongside a cover of Lee Hazelwood’s “Dirtnap Stories” (listen below) and Harvey’s rendition of Neil Young’s “Like a Hurricane.” 

Following on from the collaborative album Phantasmagoria in Blue with Amanda Acevedo, who also lends her voice to “Dirtnap Stories” on this record, Five Ways to Say Goodbye adds to Mick Harvey’s extensive repertoire, affirming his significant contributions to music.

Get a copy of Mick Harvey's Five Ways To Say Goodbye via Bandcamp right here. Mick's intriguing collaboration with Amanda Acevedo, Phantasmagoria In Blue, is available here. 

Whaddya mean you don't know Mick Audsley

Singer/songwriter and film editor Mick Audsley – a Nick Drake pal – cut an impressive album produced/arranged by Robert Kirby.

The Fastbacks way overdue new album "For What Reason" is out today!

Celebrate Kurt Bloch's birthday today with a copy of The Fastbacks much anticipated new album For What Reason – get it here.

Remembering Fred Cole on his birthday

Raising a glass to singer/guitarist Fred Cole with an interview with Toody Cole and a few performances by Dead Moon & The Rats. 

Film about Randy Bachman's lost guitar "Takin' Care Of Business" screening at TIFF

Tyler Measom's documentary "Takin' Care Of Business" has a gala premiere at Roy Thomson Hall on September 12 as part of TIFF. 

Writes Randy's son Tal Bachman...

"Growing up, my siblings and I heard my dad talk every day about his long lost magic Gretsch guitar.

"That orange 1957 6120 was the guitar he'd saved up for as a kid. It was his best, and oldest, musical friend, and a guitar which seemed to write hit songs on its own. It also turned out to be a good luck charm.

"After all, with it, Dad had risen from smalltown obscurity to conquer the world not just once, but twice, with both the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. But since its theft from a hotel room in early 1977, everything started to go wrong - not just professionally, but personally, too. More than anything else in the world, Dad needed that magic guitar back. 

"And yet, every effort to find it failed - not just for years, but for decades. Almost five decades, in fact. 

"And then, one day in late 2021, I got one of the most shocking emails of my life. An amateur internet sleuth wrote me, claiming he had a lead on the whereabouts of Dad’s long lost magic guitar. It was just a clue, but it was enough to start a cascade of recovery attempts complicated by Covid travel restrictions, mystery surrounding the owner, and Dad’s recent cancer diagnosis.

"We began filming every step of this story nearly from the beginning, and pulled in a team to help us turn the story into a documentary. We are now pleased to announce that this documentary, “Takin’ Care of Business”, will be shown this year at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival. 

"A big thank you to the documentary team, Dad, my wife Koko, and TIFF for making this all happen!"

For more information about screenings of Takin' Care Of Business at TIFF check the festival site right here. 

Watch the CBC's The National news story about Randy's lost Gretsch below. 

Watch the documentary The Genius Of Bert Jansch

Take an 82-minute deep dive into the world of UK folk/blues guitar great Bert Jansch with some interviews and a bit of rare footage. 

Remembering The Outsiders' Ronnie Splinter on his birthday!

Raising a glass to my old pal Ronnie Splinter with his performance with the Cynics and a The Sadies tribute from 2019. 

New MC5 oral biography from Jaan Uhelszki & Ben Edmonds due October 8

CREEM Magazine writers Jaan Uhelszki and Ben Edmonds along with Guitar World's Brad Tolinski use interviews with MC5 insiders to tell the band's story. 

Here's the scoop from Hachette HQ...

A riveting oral biography of the proto-punk Detroit rockers MC5, based on original interviews with the band and key members of their inner circle

 Few bands have dared to ignite a revolution through their fusion of activism and art like MC5. Managed by the charismatic radical and hippie spokesman, John Sinclair, MC5 wasn’t just a band; they were a thunderous proclamation of dissent, amplifying the voices of the marginalized long before it was fashionable. From championing racial equality to rallying for cannabis legalization, they fearlessly thrust their beliefs onto the world stage. For their efforts, the rabble-rousing musical arm of the White Panther Party, the scourge of J. Edgar Hoover's FBI and other defenders of public decency, were often beaten with clubs, threatened at gunpoint, tossed into jail, and even unceremoniously dumped by their record company, right as their album was storming up the charts—and all while the Sex Pistols were still on training wheels.

What has been lost amidst this notoriety is MC5 itself, a band worth remembering not because they were bad boys, but because they were so damn good. In MC5: An Oral Biography of Rock’s Most Revolutionary Band​, music journalists Brad Tolinski and Jaan Uhelszki invite readers to reconsider this legendary group. Centered around a series of interviews with MC5, their manager, and their inner circle—many of whom are no longer with us—that Tolinski and Uhelszki inherited from CREEM Magazine founding staffer and Mojo's US editor Ben Edmonds prior to his death, this book presents a genuinely candid, funny, and moving portrait of rock’s most uncompromising and articulate band. MC5 also features a virtual “who’s who” of 1960s rockers, including Iggy and the Stooges, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, promoter Bill Graham, John Lennon, the Jefferson Airplane, and political firebrands like Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, and Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver.

As innovative, insightful, and inspiring as the band itself, MC5 is a fitting testament to the legacy of these iconic rock pioneers—told in their very own words. It's out October 8 via Hachette Books in North America and October 10th in the UK via Omnibus Press. 

You can pre-order a copy of MC5: An Oral Biography of Rock's Most Revolutionary Band right here. 

Andre Williams vs. The Seminoles with Lowrock

Andre Williams cut a swell version of The Seminoles' doo wop gem "Open Your Eyes" but he couldn't top the original on Go-Gee.

Corwood Industries sneaks out new Jandek album "Victoria Wednesday"

You can get Jandek's new album "Victoria Wednesday" directly from Corwood Industries right here. Watch a recent performance. 

Mr. Rudy Day returns to Chicago's Hideout on August 30

One of Tim Tuten's favourite bands, Mr. Rudy Day plays The Hideout in Chicago on Friday night with Tijuana Hercules opening. 

Watch the mini-doc Nancy Sintatra: The Story Of Summer Wine

Unfortunately, The Story Of Summer Wine is just a 3 1⁄2 minute commercial for The Nancy In London reissue – the Ed Sullivan performance is more informative. 

Pulp play History, September 10 and 11

Jarvis Cocker and crew will be in Toronto for two shows at History on September 10 & 11. Take a guided tour of Pulp's past below. 

Ichi-Bons issue rippin' new single "Snake Eyes" b/w "Watusi Zombie" Sept 13

Toronto's Ichi-Bons cut their latest single at London's famed Toe Rag Studio with Pat Panioty & Liam Watson. Get it right here.

Happy 70th Birthday Elvis Costello!

Yep, Elvis just turned 70! Check his takes of Bobby Charles' "Before I Grow Too Old," "Big Boys Cry" and the original. 

Why?, Baths @ The Velvet Underground, Monday

Yoni Wolf performs songs from his new Why? album The Well I Fell Into with Baths opening. Doors at 7pm. Get tickets here.

That time Hamilton harp hero Richard Newell played on German TV in 1971

Here's Crowbar co-founder Richard Newell aka King Biscuit Boy tearing through "Hoy Hoy" (and an outtake) on Beat-Club in '71. 

Happy Birthday Grey DeLisle!

Raising a glass to singer/songwriter and voice actress Grey DeLisle with performances with Dale Watson & Deke Dickerson. 

Get a copy of Grey DeLisle's "Driftless Girl" album produced by Jolie Holland right here. Visit Grey's site over here. 

Nichol Robertson and his sons play on Royal York, Saturday

The Robinson'Sons will be busking at 394 Royal York from 12 to 2 pm, then Nichol & his rhythm section hit the Cameron at 8 pm. 

Do Right! Music is selling vinyl rarities at a Do Right! Pop-up Store on Saturday

John Kong will have some tasty treats for sale at the Do Right! Pop-up Store on Saturday from 11am to 5pm. Don't miss it! 

Here's the scoop....

Join us on Saturday, August 24 for an exclusive vinyl sale at the Do Right! Pop-up Store (714 Gerrard St. East at De Grassi St). Featuring our label releases, rarities, & test pressings +  vintage collectibles from our friends, and delicious Asian baked goods from Stuart Li's BLB & Co. One day only: Saturday, August 24 from 11 am to 5 pm. Free admission. Don’t miss out!

Dany Laj & The Looks share video for "Meet Me On The Floor"

The new Dany Laj clip for "Meet Me On The Floor" was shot at LaLa Pop Shoppe in the heart of Montreal's garment district.  

Here's the scoop from Dany Laj & The Looks HQ...

"Hey Gang! We decided to make a promotional single & video so you get an idea of what we sound like when we come play your town. Dany wrote "Meet Me On The Floor" and Jeanette helped with the lyrics. David Laplante played guitar and Alex Pauzé played drums and the one and only Stacey Case played some percussion. Recorded at Lala Pop Shoppe in Montreal and also mixed there. We flew the song over to Jamie Sitar at Outta Town Sound in Winnipeg so he can master it. All linked below in the comments! Or get it anywhere you listen to music." 

"Meet Me On The Floor" video by Courtney O'Hearn Photography.

R.I.P. Catherine Ribeiro, 1941-2024

Sadly, brilliant French avant-rocker Catherine Ribeiro has died. She'll be greatly missed. Listen to "Thème en Bref" from 1970. 

India Ramey's Baptized By The Blaze album is out today – T.O. show Oct. 20!

India Ramey will be performing songs from Baptized By The Blaze at The Horseshoe on Oct. 20. Get tickets right here. 

Happy Birthday Eliza Carthy!

Celebrating the birthday of Brit-folk marvel Eliza Carthy with a discussion of her music and more.  

Two For The Weekend: The Traits

Mojo Bone issued a double-sider 45 with two great 60s garage tracks by Pelham, NY's The Traits – have a listen.  

Brigitte Fontaine shares sleeve image from forthcoming Pick Up album

French avant-pop legend Brigitte Fontaine recorded Pick Up at the Limiñanas studio in Perpignan. Watch for a single release soon.

Writes Brigitte...

"Alors voilà, je suis très heureuse d'enfin pouvoir vous annoncer la sortie de "Pick Up" mon nouvel album que j'ai enregistré en grande partie à Perpignan, dans le studio des Limiñanas.  

Il sera disponible dès le 25 octobre en CD Digipack, Vinyle Noir & Colorées (Éd. Limitées) et vous pouvez déjà le précommander ici : https://brigittefontaine.lnk.to/PickUp 

Je vous donne rendez-vous le 30/08 car je vous dévoilerai le tout premier extrait "Cantilène"

"So here it is, I'm very happy to finally be able to announce the release of "Pick Up" my new album that I recorded mostly in Perpignan, in the Limiñanas studio. It will be available on October 25 on CD Digipack, Black & Colored Vinyl (limited edition) and you can already pre-order it here: https://brigittefontaine.lnk.to/PickUp 

"I will reveal the very first extract "Cantilène" on August 30." 

 

 

Tindersticks preview their Soft Tissue album with "Always A Stranger" video

Watch the Stuart Staples directed clip for "Always A Stranger" off the Tindersticks' new album Soft Tissue out September 13. 

Remembering Roscoe Shelton on his birthday

Celebrating the birthday of Nashville soul belter Roscoe Shelton with a performance on The Beat (starting at 13:14) and more.

Wrong-Eyed Jesus searcher Jim White hits Hugh's Room Live, Sept 12

Outsider singer/songwriter Jim White makes a rare Toronto appearance at Hugh's Room on September 12 – don't miss it! 

JIM WHITE @ HUGH’S ROOM LIVE

296 BROADVIEW AVE

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

DOORS 7PM / MUSIC 8PM

Get tickets right here.

Americana music fans may recall Jim White as the narrator and defacto tour guide for the award winning BBC documentary,  “Searching for  the Wrong Eyed Jesus”, a road movie set in the rural South, (which the LA Times described as “Decidedly strange, delightfully demented.”) Released in 2003, this film attained cult status among southern gothic fans far and wide.

Many songs from Jim White’s back catalogue have appeared  in film and television, with his Primus-esque "Word-Mule" being featured in the Heisenberg Episode of Breaking Bad, while more recently Jim’s dreamy duet with Aimee Mann, "Static on the Radio," was featured during the closing credits of the film El Camino.

In 2023 Jim White released Permanent Stranger under the band name “Mama Lucky,” his side project with Portland-based producer Tucker Martine. He also co-produced Ane Diaz’s album “Despechada”. Check out a few interview, performance and song clips followed by a link to recent article in Forbes. 

LINKS

Forbes.com Musician Jim White has been around the planet and back

That time The Clash appeared on French TV in 1977

We're remembering Joe Strummer on his birthday with a clip of The Clash from a French TV show back in 1977. 

Happy Birthday Ralf Hütter of Kraftwerk!

Celebrating Ralf Hütter's 78th birthday with a few early Kraftwerk clips along with audio versions of some interviews. 

Dollar Bin Delights: Top 10 Hits, Vol. 1 on Condor Records

The group on this Jack Millman cash-in is a mystery but they knock out solid versions of "The House That Jack Built" & "Hush" 

Sounds & Pressure: Reggae In A Foreign Land screens @ Paradise Theatre, Thursday

The 5-part documentary series Sounds & Pressure: Reggae In A Foreign Land premieres at the Paradise Theatre on Thursday night. 

Sounds & Pressure: Reggae In A Foreign Land

Thursday (August 22) at 8 PM (Doors at 7:30 PM)

Paradise Theatre (1006c Bloor St. West)

Join Paradise and the National Film Board of Canada for the premiere of Sounds & Pressure, a new five-part series celebrating the Jamaican icons who brought reggae to Toronto. Featuring a live post-screening Q&A with directors Graeme Mathieson and Chris Flanagan, and several of the incredible artists profiled in the series, moderated by journalist/radio host Danae Peart. Advance tickets are sold out. Check the Paradise Theatre site for more info. 

At the height of the golden age of reggae, some of Jamaica’s brightest stars left their homeland behind to shine their light in an unlikely hub of Caribbean creativity: Toronto. Sounds & Pressure: Reggae in a Foreign Land is a captivating five-part anthology series that chronicles the musical and geographical journeys of Nana McLean, Johnny Osbourne, Leroy Sibbles, Jerry Brown and duo Roy Panton and Yvonne Harrison. Through rare archives, electrifying needle drops and lively interviews with the artists themselves, directors Graeme Mathieson and Chris Flanagan take you from Kingston to Kensington Market to see and hear how reggae made roots in Canada against all odds. 

Didn't get tickets for the screening? You may still want to swing by The Cafeteria (1650 Dupont) on Thursday night at 10:30 pm for the Sounds & Pressure After Party. Free entry. The mega talented Joshua Lucas will be providing the tunes as selector. Rumour has it some very special guests might be there! 

Watch the Sounds & Pressure trailer below. 

LINKS
Big City Small World Errol Nazareth chats with the filmmakers behind the Sounds & Pressure series (starts at 18:50)