Remembering Chico Hamilton on his birthday

Raising a glass to jazz drummer and educator Chico Hamilton with a couple of interviews and stellar performances. 

One For The Weekend: Michael Kentoff

Michael Kentoff's 2017 album is now available on vinyl under his own name right here. Check out "Twelve Congolese"

That time Ice-T had a Toronto photo shoot with Rick McGinnis in 1989

Future Law & Order star Ice-T photographed during the hip hop phase of his career by Rick McGinnis at some suburban Toronto hotel in June, 1989.

This stellar portrait shot of Ice-T from 1989 recently shared by my former NOW Magazine colleague Rick McGinnis will no doubt bring back nostalgic thoughts of what some consider the 'golden era" of hip hop. Yet, for many others unfamiliar with Body Count – who only know Ice-T as an actor on a long-running television crime drama – it'll likely be a puzzling glimpse of his past they never knew existed. 

A few years ago, I was shocked to hear some vintage hip hop coming out of a moving company truck being driven by some 20something dude. When I complimented him on his choice of tunes, he said he was "really getting into the old school rap stuff, you know, like Public Enemy" and asked if there was anything else on cassette from "way back in the 80s" he should check out. "Well," I said, "you probably already have everything you need by Ice-T, right?" His response was "Wait... what? You mean the guy from Law & Order made rap records? Really? No way! That's hilarious! I gotta hear some of that!" There's probably a whole generation have grown up completely unaware that Ice-T, Ice Cube, Queen Latifah and LL Cool J once had credible hip hop recording careers. 

For more stellar photographs of cinema and music stars shot by Toronto-based photographer Rick McGinnis, visit his excellent blog site right here. Check out a digital transfer of The Iceberg Video VHS from 1989 below. 

Diana Panton's new album Soft Winds and Roses out October 25

Jazz singer Diana Panton cut versions of modern pop classics with longtime pals Don Thompson & Reg Schwager. Pre-order it here. 

LINKS
Broadway World Diana Panton to release 11th album, "Soft Winds and Roses"

Happy Birthday Daniel Lanois!

Raising a glass to producer/composer Daniel Lanois with a lengthy interview, studio tour and a performance you may have missed.

The Fleshtones' It's Getting Late (and More Songs About Werewolves) due Nov 1

The Fleshtones roar back with a rockin' new record which they'll be previewing in Toronto at The Baby G on September 29th. 

Here's the scoop from Super Rock HQ...

We are excited to announce our new album, 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘎𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘦 (...𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴), is out November 1st via Yep Roc Records. Available for pre-order on Digital, CD, and LP. The Vinyl LP is pressed on Limited Edition Pink Acid Wash color vinyl and is limited to 900 copies worldwide! Pre-order your copy now right here. Check out the first track "The Consequences" below. 

The Fleshtones return to Toronto for an early show at The Baby G (1608 Dundas St. West) on Sunday, September 29th. Doors at 6 pm.  Get tickets via Dice right here.  

The Fleshtones – It's Getting Late (and More Songs About Werewolves)

In a world where there are no more heroes, the Fleshtones walk the earth like Roman gods. 

It’s Getting Late (and More Songs About Werewolves) is a smash that could have dropped at any point in The Fleshtones’ epic career — it is an outburst, and a celebration of the SUPER ROCK sound. Unlike their contemporaries, they have not dialed down the tempos to compensate for osteoporosis, they have not lost anything on their fastball, and continue to throw it for strikes. The hardest working band in garage rock has never sounded better, and now you see why they've been your favorite band's favorite band for decades. 

Since their inception in 1976 in Queens, NY, and their sweaty, boozy gestation at legendary venues such as CBGB, Max’s Kansas City, and Club 57— recently feted at the Museum of Modern Art, where their proto-video underground film “Soul City” was unspooled for art stars, glitterati, and a raft of punk rockers who managed to get past the front gate — they have perpetrated their proprietary brand of SUPER ROCK. It's a frenetic amalgam of garage punk and soul, punctuated by the big beat and unleashed with the spectacular show business majesty which has kept them on the road for over forty years, adored by audiences whose love for them borders on religious fervour. 

The Fleshtones’ SUPER ROCK sound literally defines American Beat Music, and they have delivered their message with evangelistic passion, always skirting the edges of the mainstream without pandering to any obvious fad or trend. They have appeared on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand TV show; charismatic frontman Peter Zaremba was a host on MTV’s original late-night alternative broadcast The Cutting Edge; and they were the last band to publicly perform at the World Trade Center’s Windows on the World, a society gig by any standard. Always true to their school, they have flags planted in the old world and the new — they appeared with Andy Warhol on his short-lived talk show Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes, and throughout the mid-80s they regularly played at the Pyramid Club on Avenue A in New York’s East Village, and were instrumental in helping to start Wigstock, the drag queen festival that has become an outrageously vibrant part of the New York City experience. 

Never as obviously demented nor self-consciously “psycho” as the Cramps (with whom they shared a rehearsal space in 1977), the Fleshtones could also be found after dark basking in the sick blue light of their television sets, watching late-night horror movies and basking in the weirdness of America, while simultaneously soaking up the on-stage outrages of the Rat Pack, Little Richard, and the Rolling Stones, honing their own live show into an explosive, frenzied manifesto of rock’n’roll gone right. 

They routinely tour Spain, where fans make pilgrimages to their shows, and they are equally heralded in Scandinavia, in Italy, and in France, where they have toured incessantly. All over the world — and especially in New York City, the most fickle of towns — younger bands look up to the Fleshtones for lessons in suave stagecraft and unforced enthusiasm. They bring the brio of Chuck Berry and James Brown, with whom they have shared the stage with many times, and the true spirit of CBGB. 

In fact, they are the only band who played at CBGB in 1976 to have never taken a significant break from recording or performing since, and their line-up has been remarkably stable, anchored by Zaremba — wildly swinging, funny, and confident, he is equal parts Dean Martin, Mick Jagger, and Count Dracula — and SUPER ROCK guitarist Keith Streng, who seemingly flies through the air. They are backed by one of the most solid rhythm sections in the world, the decidedly Charlie Watts less-is-more-but-do-it-with-panache drumming of Bill Milhizer, who’s held the chair for forty years, and newcomer Ken Fox on bass, who has served for a mere thirty. Previously, those spots had been filled my luminary mercenaries with pedigree, including Clem Burke from Blondie on drums, and Fred Smith (Television) and Andy Shernoff (the Dictators) on bass, testimony to the Fleshtones OG punk rock roots and authenticity in a world run over by poseurs and off-the-rack frauds. 

The Fleshtones were always oddly evolved in a plasma pool of retrograde wannabes — this is a band that promises a party of the least-juvenile sort. And that is why they have proudly worn the SUPER ROCK title since they came howling and gyrating out of the gate. They are the rare thing, like the Grand Canyon – no matter how great you have been told they are, when you finally get to see them for yourself, it is actually much better than any hype. 

Evel Knievel once told me that “American hero” is the shortest lived of all professions. The Fleshtones are here to tell everyone he was wrong. The Fleshtones stand tall as the last real thing in America. 

Check out "The Consequences" off the new Fleshtones album It's Getting Late (and More Songs About Werewolves) along with "Festa di Frankenstein," their Spanish language cover of The Swinging Phillies overlooked gem "Frankenstein Party" released as a single back in August and a recent performance in France you may have missed. 

Expanded vinyl issue of the Kelly Willis alt-country gem "What I Deserve" on the way

Omnivore marks the 25th anniversary of the Kelly Willis classic "What I Deserve" with an overdue vinyl issue boasting five bonus live tracks!

Here's the scoop from Omnivore HQ...

25th Anniversary expanded edition available on CD and for the first time on vinyl. Both formats include 5 live bonus tracks.

While gigging in Austin, Texas, in the late 1980s, Kelly Willis developed a strong fan base. Among her fans were other Texas musicians like Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith. Griffith introduced her to producer Tony Brown who signed Willis to MCA Records. Soon, she would find herself in the films Thelma And Louise and Bob Roberts, as well as receiving a nomination as Top New Female Vocalist at 1993’s Academy of Country Music Awards. After three records on MCA, and an EP on A&M, Willis finished her fifth release and signed with Rykodisc, who released What I Deserve in 1999.

Featuring originals by Willis, three co-writes with The Jayhawks’ Gary Louris, and songs by Paul Kelly, Paul Westerberg, Nick Drake, Dan Penn, and more—What I Deserve became her highest charting album to date, hitting #30 on the Country charts and #24 on Heatseekers Albums. It is also now revered as a landmark release in Alternative Country and Americana circles—with good reason.

To celebrate its 25th Anniversary, What I Deserve returns—expanded with five previously unissued live performances of songs from the album recorded November 14, 1999 on Mountain Stage. In addition to an expanded CD reissue, the release sees its first appearance on vinyl as a double LP! In addition to the 17 tracks (appearing on both formats), the packaging contains lyrics and new liner notes from Peter Blackstock (No Depression, Austin American-Statesman), all done with Kelly’s approval.

What I Deserve has always deserved another look and listen for those who may have missed it the first time—what you deserve is to lose yourself in Kelly Willis’ incredible What I Deserve and celebrate 25 years of this landmark album. Pre-order a copy of Omnivore's expanded reissue of What I Deserve directly from the label right here. 

Watch the release trailer and a couple of Kelly's performances of songs from the album (including a lovely rendition of Nick Drake's "Time Has Told Me" from a Sessions at West 54th show back in 2000), a more recent Live at  the Levitt stream, a 1992 appearance with Jerry Jeff Walker on The Texas Connection and an informal chat about nothing in particular with fellow singer/songwriter Jack Ingram from 2022 below. 

KELLY WILLIS – WHAT I DESERVE 

TAKE ME DOWN

WHAT I DESERVE

HEAVEN BOUND

TALK LIKE THAT

NOT FORGOTTEN YOU

WRAPPED

CRADLE OF LOVE

GOT A FEELIN’ FOR YA

TIME HAS TOLD ME

FADING FAST

HAPPY WITH THAT

THEY’RE BLIND

NOT LONG FOR THIS WORLD

Previously Unissued Bonus Tracks

LIVE ON MOUNTAIN STAGE, NOVEMBER 14, 1999:

WHAT I DESERVE

NOT FORGOTTEN YOU

CRADLE OF LOVE

HEAVEN BOUND

FADING FAST

Dollar Bin Delights: Changing The Jazz At Buckingham Palace

What might appear to be some awful British military tattoo recording is actually swingin' UK modern jazz cut in 1956.

As many of you know, when quickly flipping through records in well-packed discount bins you'll often only catch the top half of the sleeve before you're on to the next. Seeing the generic UK postcard-style image used as the sleeve art for Changing The Jazz At Buckingham Palace LP, I must've passed by it at least three times over the course of a month thinking it was either some corny Kenny Ball-style English dixieland revival business or a ghastly British military tattoo record which haunts discount bins all over the world. 

Upon my fourth pass some weeks later, I finally picked up the record out of curiosity to see what sort of "jazz" this might be and nearly keeled over when I noticed the smaller print at the bottom listing Jamaica-born trumpet titan Dizzy Reece and British saxophone boss Tubby Hayes. Obviously, this wasn't more boring UK trad jazz foolishness but a sample of the much-more exciting modern stuff coming out of London clubs during the mid-50s. 

From the line-ups and track listing it was immediately clear that this was a collection of music recorded in England for Tempo – the two tracks "Nicole" and "Hall Hears The Blues" by the Tubby Hayes Quintet (with Harry South, Dick Hawdon, Pete Elderfield and Bill Eyden) were lifted from the 1956 After Lights Out LP while the four Dizzy Reece tunes "Blue Bird," "Yardbird Suite," "How Deep Is The Ocean" and "Bluebird Number Two" (recorded as a tribute to the then recently departed Charlie Parker with Terry Shannon, Lennie Bush and Phil Seamen) came from the rarely seen Top Trumpets split LP with Jimmy Deuchar – compiled by Savoy for the U.S. market  as a sort of introduction to the current state of British jazz as it was in 1956. Why the Savoy braintrust decided to go with a hokey postcard image provided by the British Travel Association on the cover instead of a couple of cool shots of rising UK stars Tubby Hayes and Dizzy Reese when they were looking their youthful best is still baffling all these years later. I'm sure if they'd heard what Savoy were planning, Tubby and Dizzy would've popped for a proper photoshoot themselves.   

Tubby Hayes is mistakenly referred to as "Tubby Hall"

Whatever money that Savoy Records boss Herman Lubinsky thought he was saving in slapping the stock image on the sleeve he lost in sales to jazz buyers flipping by the odd looking 'palace guard' record in the bins. And having the woefully uniformed H. Alan Stein pen the accompanying sleeve essay just added insult to injury. Savoy label house liner notes writer Stein, who provided the notes for just about every Savoy label album release during the 50s whatever the genre – admits he's out of his depth with contemporary British jazz. He confesses upfront, "this writer had not the opportunity of being present at recording time, nor has ever been to, or met any of the musicians here..." and then goes on to embarrassingly refer to Tubby Hayes as "Tubby Hall" throughout. It seems like he mixed up Hayes with session producer and Record Mirror columnist Tony Hall from whose "After Lights Out" album notes he was cribbing for his own essay. Even if Lubinsky wasn't interested in hiring someone familiar the artists to write the essay, he should've had the sense to keep a proofreader on the payroll who would've known something was amiss when the name on the front cover and label didn't match Stein's notes.  

On the upside, you get to hear a young Tubby Hayes just starting to hit his stride as a bandleader getting loose in a relaxed mode over two lengthy jams as well as an early glimpse of 25-year-old Dizzy Reece's brilliance in the spotlight just prior to being paired with Tubby by producer Tony Hall for his Blue Note debut Blues In Trinity which followed in 1958 and then his classic, Star Bright with Hank Mobley the year after. Check out a few tracks from Changing The Jazz At Buckingham Palace below. 

The original Tempo tapes were remastered for this 1957 Savoy release Changing The Jazz At Buckingham Palace by the legendary sound engineer Rudy Van Gelder with the runout groove bearing  his familiar "RVG" stamp of quality. What's important to consider about Tempo label recordings is that many believe that the original Tempo master tapes held by Decca UK were destroyed back in the 70s. If that's true, it would call into question the source material for the numerous CD reissues of Tempo recordings, including Jasmine's 1982 vinyl repress of After Lights Out which sounds better than you might expect for a release thought to be a vinyl master. 

Since this unique Savoy label Tubby Hayes/Dizzy Reece split configuration has never been reissued on vinyl, this 1957 pressing will become more sought-after as entry-level collectors of classic British modern jazz become aware of its superior sound quality and relative rarity. Generally speaking, overseas jazz wasn't such a hot commodity in North America during the latter 50s and neither Tubby Hayes nor Dizzy Reece were household names at time time, so it should come as no great surprise that Changing The Jazz At Buckingham Palace album wasn't a big seller for Savoy. Few copies would've been manufactured and a scant number sold without a second pressing so consequently there aren't many in circulation today, 67 years later.  Admittedly, it's not the top-dollar best work of Tubby or Dizzy but this is still an enjoyable listen for fans of small combo British jazz of the mid-50s. And it's certainly not the sort of thing that typical turns up in dollar bins but it sometimes pays to take a closer look at those corny looking sleeves.

LINKS

London Jazz Collector Tempo & UK Vogue labels

London Jazz Collector Tubby Hayes "After Lights Out" (1956)

R.I.P. J.D. Souther, 1945-2024

Sadly, songwriter J.D. Souther who penned hits for The Eagles & Linda Ronstadt – and let the Go-Gos shoot a video at his home – has passed away. 

Shadow Show's new single "Baba Yaga" b/w "Spy Balloon" due Oct 10th

Detroit pop-psych trio Shadow Show release their hot new single via Rogue Records out of Toulouse, France on October 10th. 

Here's the scoop from Rogue Records...

Following the release of their sophomore album, Fantasy Now! (Little Cloud Records/Stolen Body Records), Detroit's psych-pop power trio Shadow Show return with a double a-side 45 via Rogue Records on October 10th. "Baba Yaga" dances after dark under the influence of 70s eastern European grooves, showcasing the group’s flexibility and willingness to transcend genres. "Spy Balloon" harnesses the whimsical psychedelia of the 1960s ala Syd Barrett, and emphasizes the group's utilization of the studio as an instrument with inclusions of synthesizers, tape delays, and other various overdubs to their harmonious wall of sound.  Pre-order a copy via Bandcamp right here. Watch Shadow Show perform "Spy Balloon" with an introduction by DJ Jonathan Toubin followed by a performance of "Baba Yaga" in Detroit. 

Electronic soundtrack recordings of Norman McLaren getting recirculated

Scottish-Canadian animator Norman McLaren has a selection of the electronic music composed for his films released as "Rythmetic" by We Are Busy Bodies. 

Rythmetic: The Compositions of Norman McLaren 

2LP/CD/Digital - out November 29

Pioneering Scottish-Canadian animator Norman McLaren (1914-1987) - creator of seminal short films Dots, Neighbours, Synchromy and many more - is remembered in this first ever release of his soundtrack works, self-composed from the 1940’s to 1970’s and forecasting the following half-century of electronic music. 

Norman McLaren was once described by composer, music theorist, and mathematician Milton Babbitt as “the first electronic musician.” In addition to his pioneering work in animation, the electronic soundtracks McLaren created for his own films employ astonishing foresight and a characteristically precise methodology. They also crystallize boundless creativity, wit and whimsy, and illuminative brilliance into a unique insight to his remarkable mind, with or without visual accompaniment.

Rythmetic: The Compositions of Norman McLaren marks the first time his soundtracks have been released on record, carefully curated from his most important film works, hours of archival tapes, and multiple versions of the same key compositions. The 13 tracks represent an essential overview of McLaren as a composer, in neat dovetail with McLaren the filmmaker. Both are crucial figures in the respective developments of their fields, opening doors to a future that might not have existed without McLaren.

As an animator, McLaren was renowned for utilising or inventing techniques at their very vanguard and shaping to his needs the rudimentary technology of the era. Many of these techniques and technological adaptations, developed at the National Film Board of Canada over the 1940’s and 50’s, would eventually become adopted into standard practice for animation. He also blazed new trails for soundtrack composition: having heard the glue of spliced film reel produce sound as it passed through his equipment, he began meticulously applying his own cuts and notches to the tape and measuring the frequency values of the tones these striations would emit. Over years of refinement, he created a series of cards to correspond to eight octaves of musical notes, frequency by frequency, and to recruit these cards to compose his soundtracks. It was a way to maintain total creative control and freedom over his own work - every single frame would be processed “the McLaren way”. 

“He could have used a synthesiser,” writes long-term assistant, friend, and filmmaker of McLaren documentaries Don McWilliams, also at the National Film Board, “but he had his own method and he stuck with it.” John Cage was an ardent fan, inviting McLaren to his infamous downtown NYC socials and once even writing to McLaren to beg a recommendation for his recruitment at the National Film Board. 

Unsurprisingly, McLaren was musically capable and aware throughout his career. He was an inquisitive listener, often drawn to rhythmic expression found outside western music, and he collected records for both reference and enjoyment. West African and Chinese music were particular pleasures, as well as the gypsy jigs that in his youth had informed his own practice as a violin player. 

The opening piece to this compilation, “Now Is The Time”, is crafted from trilling, birdsong arpeggiations of dulcet high frequency tones that chatter and warble in scattered dialogue. Accompanying the clouds, multiple suns, and dancing figures of the film, the soundtrack is alive with joy and wonderment. Next, “Rythmetic”, soundtracking McLaren’s famed numeric sequence visualisation, pitters and patters with the types of glitching rhythms so coveted by contemporary electronic music almost a century later. Even from these first pieces alone, it is readily apparent that McLaren could not have achieved the effect he desired with scored instrumentation. The “McLaren way”, so crucial to his process, is as much foundational to his soundtracks as it is to the films themselves. 

Despite his acclaim and recognition within the world of film and animation - he won an Oscar, a Palme d’Or, is a favourite of George Lucas’, and is recorded in UNESCO’s cultural heritage archives (none of which interested him) - Norman McLaren is not a Walt Disney, Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, or an Ub Iwerks. His work is unflinchingly outré. Seeking out experimental, innovative, and unconventional modes of storytelling, his creative expression went even deeper than pioneering methodology and a prolific output, becoming part of the man himself as his working hours in the studio became longer and longer as his career blossomed. Even his straightest films are decidedly odd at their core, revealing not only a playful and joyously childlike sense of humour, but also the perpetual pursuit of perfection that fuelled his filmmaking throughout his life. 

A gay man, McLaren also resisted the normative social structures of the day in his personal life, acutely aware of the legal implications of his relationship with lifelong partner and fellow NFB director Guy Glover. He also remains revered as the most generous and trusting of teachers, bringing under his wing young or inexperienced filmmakers in whom he saw passion and promise. His second protegee George Dunning, who went on to produce Yellow Submarine for the Beatles, had only recently graduated when McLaren brought him to work in the NFB studios. 

Towards the end of McLaren’s career, McWilliams asked him how he perceived his own legacy; how Norman McLaren would be remembered in a hundred years’ time. “A filmmaker who made some interesting films,” was his reply. Modest, funny, wise, and yet knowingly sly. An answer most McLaren.

We Are Busy Bodies and our friends Phantom Limb in the UK have spent the past several years working on this release project in close association with the National Film Board of Canada. The album features an in-depth essay by James Vella built off of interviews with McLaren’s assistant, Don McWilliams.  

You can pre-order a copy of Norman McLaren's Rythmetic compilation via Bandcamp right here.  Watch the animated video clips for "Synchromy" from 1971 and "Rythmetic" from 1956 following the tracklisting below. 

Rythmetic: The Compositions of Norman McLaren

1. Now Is The Time

2. Rythmetic

3. Neighbours

4. Synchromy

5. Unreleased Composition (1945-1946)

6. Dots

7. Loops

8. Mosaic

9. Unreleased Composition (c. 1945)

10. Unreleased Composition (1945-1948)

11. Unreleased Composition (1969)

12. Unreleased Composition (1964-1965)

13. Opening Speech

Dead Moon's final album Dead Ahead reissued with improved sound

Get a remastered copy of Dead Moon's rippin' 2004 album Dead Ahead on vinyl from Mississippi Records while you can. 

Here's the scoop...

Dead Moon's final album, Dead Ahead – originally released in 2004 on Tombstone Records – has been remastered with radically improved MONO sound and reissued on glorious black vinyl for the first time ever by Mississippi Records. "Dead Ahead" is filled with all time great rockers and ballads. Some of the legendary band's heaviest work. The world's greatest rock band's swan song is not wasted - dark corridors are explored and conquered. Remastered from the original tapes with amazing new dynamics and the murk reduced to the noise layer it was meant to be. Get it via Bandcamp right here. Have a listen to Dead Moon's Dead Ahead following the tracklisting below. 

Dead Moon – Dead Ahead

1. Signs of Departure 02:02

2. One World 03:30

3. An Occupation With You 03:10

4. Dawning of the Dead 03:04

5. Already Gone 03:39

6. War is Blind 03:15

7. Go My Way 02:34

8. On and On 03:24

9. The 99's 02:39

10. All Sold Out 03:18

11. In the Waiting 03:24

Shovels & Rope, Al Olender @ Lee's Palace, Friday

Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst play songs from Something Is Working Up Above My Head at Lee's Palace on Friday.

Shovels & Rope – Something Is Working Up Above My Head

One night in the middle of the night there were a series of noises coming from above which lead to a series of thoughts. It sounded like something was working. Building something… A nest for its family? A trap for its prey? This led to more thoughts about unseen things at work. A God? A voice in your head? It all feels kind of made up until someone responds to it.  

Less means more. That’s kind of always how it’s been with us. This time the rules were simple: we can only use what we work with live and whatever we put down on tape must be accomplishable on a stage in a live setting. That’s always seemed to be when we’re at our best. Or most twitchy. Many times we’ve made records that we loved and then, after figuring out how we’d perform it live, we end up falling in love with the live arrangement because being a 2 piece band, it took some real risk and struggle which led to innovation, which gave it a whole new life. (Consider the tortured grape.) So with this one we just started there and worked backwards. The result encapsulates, more than anything we’ve done before, the sound of our live performance. Resulting in what one might consider by definition, a definitive album.  

The summer and fall leading up to recording we spent writing songs, hanging out with family in Colorado, and playing shows opening for The Wood Brothers and Gregory Alan Isakov, both of whom have large audiences. So each night we were playing in front of a lot of people, many of whom had never heard of us.  We decided to take those opportunities to rattle our comfort zone cage and try out a bunch of brand new, just written songs and basically learn how to play them in front of a few thousand people. The songs would grow and change show to show, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Maybe we go down in flames? Maybe something beautiful happens while it’s burning? We happily embraced the chaos. That’s kind of always how it’s been with us.  

We had a new song that initially neither of us thought that much of called “Love Song From A Dog.” During one of the first nights of the Isakov run, we decided on stage, mid set, to try it out because the show was going well and the audience was warm. And it kind of killed. People honestly wouldn’t shut up about it. Not a brag more like a phenomenon or a weird dream. It became a fan favorite moment of our set each night and honestly in all the years of doing this we’ve never had so many people send us messages or reach out about any one specific song as they did this one. It just goes to show us that we don’t know anything. When it came time to record it we thought it’d be fitting and a nice touch to have Greg sing on it since it was his audience who basically fostered it into being by giving us the confidence and encouragement we needed to see it the way they did.  He generously obliged and the song was instantly elevated by the sincerity and richness of mood that colors his voice.  

The two of us can’t help but be obsessed with duality. The song “Two Wolves” is a meditation about two conflicting energies competing for power. The first time we ever played it was on New Years Eve in an arena opening for Tyler Childers in front of 15k or so country music fans who surely were like “what the hell is this,” but to us it seemed 100 percent appropriate because it just feels like an arena type song. A fuzzy, thick riffed stomper with a meditative head bob refrain. So we opened with it because, well.. it felt like we had to.  

For those who are new here we’ve spent the last decade or so bouncing around in the ‘Americana’ realm quite a bit. Getting branded into that world was admittedly a bit of a head scratcher for us as we’ve always identified as more of a rock band (though we do think of ourselves as folk songwriters and yarn spinners, and we do harmonize well together) but the people were paying attention and we were building a fan base so we kind of felt like “who were we to tell them who we weren’t?”  But when you go all the way to Europe and are standing on a stage in front of a few hundred Scandinavians who are dressed in head to toe denim and cowboy hats, we can’t help but feel like we’re about to confuse some people. We will often find ourselves playing an outdoor, ‘free in the park’ type of concert series where a Male and Female with 2 guitars and beautiful harmonies will be booked as the opener, and then we’ll take the stage and proceed to be a little louder and maybe a little more brash than was anticipated. It’s always kind of been this way with us. The joke in our camp when this happens goes something like: And for tonight’s entertainment, we have for you “The What We Thought They Were’s” followed by the “Louder Than We Thoughts”!  Recently we did a gig where the spokesperson said to us just before we went on, ‘so maybe don’t come out with your heaviest guitar stuff and your 808 bass bullshit right off the rip…there are kids and old people here and they’ll leave” (he was trying to be helpful).  We politely told him “Don’t worry, we have a plan”.. .and then again opened with ‘Two Wolves,’ with it’s loud guitar stuff and it’s 808 bullshit, followed by a dynamic set where we touched on all the different things we do and everyone proceeded to have a great time. That’s kind of always how it’s been with us.   

‘Something Is Working Up Above My Head’ is a catalog of vulnerable characters with sweet and sordid narratives.

“Colorado River” is a song about a boy and his Dad disposing of bodies in various ways as the water level recedes and dark surprises surface. The hot dog bun line was initially supposed to be a place holder because it sounded funny and it rhymed, but then we sang it so many times over the summer that it built a little hot dog shack and moved in forever. I still think it’s kind of dumb but it’s also kind of great. For those who pay attention, it's a pretty obvious John Prine nod. I’d like to think he handed us the hot dog bun like a relay baton on his way to the great mystery. Macabre pairs well with a side of humor.  

“Piranhanana” is about a boy growing up in a house of sex workers and being fine with it with a little meditation, while his sister struggles to find her zen. “I’d Be Lying” is about navigating a crisis with a long time friend. “Double Lines” follows the journey of a young woman thru pregnancy tests, covid tests, and various other forms of duality and two-ness.  

“Something is Working” and “Dass Hymn” (referring to Ram Dass) were the last 2 songs written and added to the collection of songs. They book end the record with questions about what, if anything, is pulling the strings? In the closing moments of the last song, 3 generations of our family all sing together about how nobody knows what happens at the end. And in all the not knowing, it’s comforting to sing with your family. 

Get a copy of the new Shovels & Rope album Something Is Working Up Above My Head directly from their label, Dualtone Records, right here. Check out "Colorado River" and a few more performances below. Those interested in further Shovels & Rope reading can view a recent Magnet Q&A with Cary Ann and Michael while their kids were at school right here.   

 

You can get tickets for Shovels & Rope's Toronto show at Lee's Palace on Friday (Sept. 20) right here. 

The Hives rock History, September 16

Those well-choreographed Hives dance into History tonight at 7 pm... check out a couple of clips below. Get tickets here.

Calibro 35 salute their jazz inspirations with new Jazzploitation EP

Italy's brilliant Calibro 35 update soundtrack classics by Miles Davis and Piero Umiliani  for their great new jazz-inspired EP out October 18. 

Here's the scoop...

Cinematic funk heroes Calibro 35 present their new EP ‘Jazzploitation’: a journey in the world of jazz and rare groove. Listen to the first single ‘Lunedì Cinema’, out today on digital platforms via Record Kicks.

Italian cinematic funk legends Calibro 35 are always in search of new territories to venture into. Their new journey is called ‘Jazzploitation’: a new EP paying tribute to jazz-funk, rare groove and psychedelic cinematic-jazz, to be released October 18th on digital platforms via Record Kicks and now available for pre-order right here: https://recordkicks.lnk.to/jazzploitation. 

None of the members of Calibro 35 consider themselves jazz musicians, but over the years jazz has often and significantly inspired them. ‘Jazzploitation’ is not a “jazz record” but an “inspired by jazz” EP in which Calibro 35 pay homage to some of their favuorite musicians; from Bob James to Lalo Schifrin, to Miles Davis and Idris Muhammad.

The first single taken from the EP is a cover of RAI TV’s legendary ‘Lunedì Cinema (Monday Movie)’ theme, a jazzy disco-funk mover composed by Italian renowned singer-songwriter Lucio Dalla, which features the scat singing of Sicilian artist Marco Castello (Nu Genea, Erlend Oye). The new single ‘Lunedì Cinema’ is out today on all digital platforms and on November 17th also on ltd edition clear 7” vinyl with a snazzy CTI-inspired label design. Pre-orders for the 7” are now available via Bandcamp right here.

The EP also includes ‘Chaser’, a groovy jazz-funk stormer composed by Piero Umiliani, who originally recorded it for the soundtrack of 1975’s erotic-noir movie ‘The Body’ directed by Luigi Scattini, as well as ‘Nautilus’ by the jazz keyboardist Bob James and ‘Ascenseur pour l’échafaud (Generique)’ by Miles Davis taken from Lous Malle’s film. Four jazz-funk numbers which further attest to the impressive musicianship that Calibro 35 has demonstrated over the past decade. Listen to "Lunedi Cinema" below. 

Remembering Jah Woosh on his birthday

Raising a glass to Jah Woosh on his birthday with his classic Psalms Of Wisdom LP from 1976 which is way overdue for reissue.

LINKS

Reggae Vibes Jah Woosh interview

Věra Chytilová's "Daisies" screens at the Paradise Cinema, Monday

Věra Chytilová's Czech new wave gem Daisies gets a rare Toronto screening at the Paradise Theatre on Monday at 6 pm. 

Here's the scoop...

The Paradise Theatre, as part of their ongoing Material Girls series, presents a delightful satire/protest of materialism courtesy of the Czech New Wave. It's Věra Chytilová's joyously radical DAISIES.

If the entire world is bad, why shouldn’t we be? Adopting this insolent attitude as their guiding philosophy, a pair of hedonistic young women (Ivana Karbanová and Jitka Cerhová), both named Marie, embark on a gleefully debauched odyssey of gluttony, giddy destruction, and antipatriarchal resistance, in which nothing is safe from their nihilistic pursuit of pleasure. But what happens when the fun is over? Matching her anarchic message with an equally radical aesthetic, director Věra Chytilová, with the close collaboration of cinematographer Jaroslav Kučera, unleashes an optical storm of fluctuating film stocks, kaleidoscopic montages, cartoonish stop-motion cutouts, and surreal costumes designed by Ester Krumbachová, who also cowrote the script. The result is Daisies, the most defiant provocation of the Czechoslovak New Wave, an exuberant call to rebellion aimed squarely at those who uphold authoritarian oppression in any form. The quirky original score by Jiří Šust & Jiří Šlitr is also quite intriguing on it's own. 

Věra Chytilová's Daisies (Czech Republic, 1966)

Paradise Theatre (1006c Bloor St. West)

Monday, September 16th at 6 pm (doors at 5:30 pm). 

General Admission $12.50 | Student/Senior (with valid ID) $10.00 + HST/eventbrite fees

Get tickets here. Door tickets are available for purchase on the day of screening. Watch the trailer followed by a discussion of filmmaker Věra Chytilová's work and an audio clip from the soundtrack below. 

Happy Birthday Cannonball Adderley!

Remembering Cannonball Adderley with a '69 Oslo show, a '63 throwdown with Yusef Lateef and David Axelrod's "Tensity" flipped by Pete Rock. 

Super Disco Pirata digs into Mexico City's mobile soundsystem scene

The golden age of Mexico City's sonideros is explored on Analog Africa's Super Disco Pirata 2LP set out November 15.  

Here's the scoop from Analog Africa's Samy Ben Redjeb...

I am facing a dilemma: how does the founder of an independent music label justify creating a project highlighting, even praising piracy, the very plague that has brought many labels to the brink of bankruptcy? 

I first became aware of “pirata” LPs in 2020 while hunting for records in Mexico City: their weird-looking DIY covers – and the edited, tweaked, EQ-manipulated and pitched-down music they contained – got me hooked. There was no denying it: the more I became immersed in the world of these illicit productions the more I became intrigued; and before long it became crystal clear that I would one day release my own compilation compiled out of pirated compilations. But beyond my own fascination with that parallel world, it was undeniable that the “pirata” movement had played a significant role in shaping the musical scene of Mexico. So how did it all start? 

During the 1980s, a group of music dealers and record collectors from Mexico City joined forces to create a series of illegally manufactured vinyl records containing rare and highly-sought hits from Perú, Ecuador, Colombia and beyond. At the time, Mexico City’s dance-party scene was ruled by the sonideros, a highly developed network of mobile soundsystem operators. The popularity of the sonideros led to a growing demand for tropical music, as their fan base became increasingly hungry for the “exclusive” hits associated with particular sonidos. Additionally record dealers were getting frustrated with the music industry constantly “feeding” them streams of mediocre records and from this frustration came the idea of compiling and manufacturing LPs on which every song was a hit: “no matter where the needle dropped, it had to be a song capable of igniting the party.” 

These bootleg compilations – known as “pirata” – were pressed during graveyard shift on recycled vinyl in editions of no more than 500; they were cheaply produced and sold just as cheaply to people who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford them. They were played extensively in every corner of Mexico’s heavily-populated barrios where, in addition to educating the ears of the youngsters, they also promoted some of the best tropical music recorded in Latin America. 

According to various first-hand accounts these “piratas” began to appear mysteriously in the early 1980s at various market stalls in Tepito, Mexico City’s infamous barrio, a place where one can attend daytime Salsa parties, get any drug imaginable, buy any kind of weapon and, of course, purchase pirated music in all formats. It seems that the manufacturers of pirata LPs worked on the principle that “what happens in Tepito stays in Tepito” and getting information about their bootlegging operations was difficult, not to mention dangerous. My partner in crime – Carlos “Tropicaza” Icaza, who had agreed to write the notes to this project – was quick to point out that: “We won’t be able to disclose any names. We’ll have to be careful how we tell the story!” 

At first the pirata LPs came in a simple generic covers, had made-up company names such as Discos Music-Hall, Carioca, Garden, or Miami, and contained popular street-dance songs in nearly every tropical genre. As these unlikely compilations became successful and new ones started being produced at a rate of one per month, the pirates began designing and printing interesting looking covers which often featured the logos of some of the most popular sonidos such as Rolas, Pancho, La Changa, Arco-Iris, Casablanca. The pioneer of this design style was Jaime Ruelas, who had started out as a DJ for the legendary mobile discoteque Polymarchs before using his illustration skills to design their flyers, posters and logos. Taking direct inspiration from science fiction movies and heavy metal covers, the graphics he created became a key element of sonidero culture. 

The anonymous manufacturers may not have realized it at the time but, in daring to create pirata LPs, they were helping to consolidate and expand a love for tropical music and dance among the population of Mexico City and beyond. The records themselves are a key element of the sonidero culture that was recently declared as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mexico City for the impact that it has had on multiple generations who identified with the communal experience of the street party, and for whom music and dance became an essential part of daily life. 

This double-LP contains 23 tropical floor-fillers sourced from the finest and strangest pirata LPs produced during the golden age of Mexico City’s mobile soundsystems. It also includes a large booklet containing extensive notes and photos and It is dedicated to all the sonideros for their ground-breaking roles as ambassadors of tropical music within Mexican society. Super Disco Pirata is out November 15 – pre-order it via Bandcamp right here. 

Super Disco Pirata: De Depito Para El Mundo 1965-1980 

1. Lucho Burbano - Afro Oriental 05:39

2. Cumbia Machuca - Cumbia De Los Bee Gees

3. Lucho Gavilanes - El Tequilazo/Canelazo

4. Carlos Haayen Y Su Piano Candeloso - Palenque

5. Enrique Lynch - La Quinta Sinfonia de Beethoven

6. Los Pakines - Venus

7. La Protesta de Colombia - Lamento de Cumbia

8. Sonora Tropical - Ritmo de Cumbia

9. Eduardo Zurita - La 3a De Los Toquecitos

10. Leon Cardona y Los Internacionales - La Noche

11. El Combo Cienaguero - El Compae Nuñez

12. Gabriel Meza Y Su Organo Chévere - La Luna Y El Pescador

13. Los Destellos - Tanto Tienes, Tanto Vales

14. Los Diablos Rojos - A Bailar El Son Satanico

15. Anibal Angel - Cumbia Tropical

16. Camacho y Cano - Hagan Rueda

17. Orquesta "Rafalo" - Eso Es Con Vela

18. Alex Acosta Y Su Orquesta - Cumbia Del Amor

19. Ramon Ropain - Malinga 

20. Afrosound - Platico Chino

21. Los Destellos - La China María

22. Los Orientales de Paramonga - Te Gusta Como Azucar

23. Francisco Zapata - Cumbia Candelosa

Nic & The Narcs open for D.O.A. @ The Horseshoe, Saturday

Nichol Robertson and crew – who definitely aren't cops – open for D.O.A. at The 'Shoe tonight along with the Filthy Radicals. 

Martin Bisi's Sound & Chaos doc screens @ Collective Arts, Saturday

The screening of the Sound & Chaos doc will be followed by performances of the Martin Bisi Collective and Crying High. Starts at 7:30pm. 

Here's the scoop...

Martin Bisi presents the Canadian premiere screening of Sound And Chaos: The Story Of BC Studio, a feature-length documentary about his Brooklyn recording space at Collective Arts Toronto (148 Markham St) on Saturday (September 14) at 7:30 pm. There'll be a Q&A with the director followed by performances by the Martin Bisi Collective and Toronto band, Crying High. Get tickets right here. 

Martin Bisi is an original No Wave and Post-Punk producer from New York City who has been part of it's musical history for the past four decades. Bisi made landmark recordings by Brian Eno (On Land), Sonic Youth, Swans, Unsane, Lydia Lunch, John Zorn, Africa Bambaataa, JG Thirlwell/Foetus, Cop Shoot Cop, Herbie Hancock's "Rockit", Helmet, Live Skull, White Hills, Dresden Dolls and countless others.

For over 40 years, Martin Bisi has recorded music from his studio in Brooklyn's Gowanus neighborhood. After a chance New York encounter, the studio was founded with money from Brian Eno, who subsequently worked on the album On Land there.

Working with Bill Laswell and the band Material, Bisi recorded Herbie Hancock's hit Rockit in this underground space. This was the first mainstream, popular song to feature a DJ and a turntable, utilizing "scratching". Following that success, Bisi worked with many other influential musicians there, including Sonic Youth, Swans, Angels of Light, John Zorn, Foetus and the Dresden Dolls. He has recorded across many genres, from experimental music, to hip hop and indie rock in the old factory building by the contaminated Gowanus Canal.

However, the future of the recording studio is in question as it is being squeezed in by the encroaching gentrification of the neighborhood. A new, massive Whole Foods supermarket across the street, is the latest addition to this once out-of-the-way area that Bisi fears will increase property values to the point of pushing out long-time renters and artists like himself.

The documentary includes interviews with musicians such as Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Michael Gira of Swans, Brian Viglione of the Dresden Dolls, Bob Bert, who played on Sonic Youth's Bad Moon Rising, Bill Laswell of Material, JG Thirlwell aka Foetus, Grand Mixer DXT and Michael Holman of Gray (with Jean-Michel Basquiat) and creator of famed 1984 hip-hop TV pilot Graffiti Rock. 

Watch a clip from the film below. 

Remembering Fred "Sonic" Smith on his birthday

Remembering Fred Smith with the Sonic's Rendezvous Band's rippin' mono version of "City Slang" and the Detroit Tango comp.  

Jaymz Bee presents Music For Secret Agents and Songs of '69 @ Koerner Hall, Oct 16

Jaymz Bee toasts Jazz.FM91 with a night of James Bond themes featuring Irene Torres along with music from Genevieve Marentette's Songs Of '69 album. 

Here's the scoop...

After 22 years of being an on-air host, concert producer and tour guide, Jaymz Bee is leaving JAZZ.FM91 to focus on his film career. To celebrate, Jaymz is presenting a special fundraiser for JAZZ.FM91. The night opens with “Music For Secret Agents” (James Bond and Beyond) featuring singers Irene Torres, Adam James, Serafin LaRiviere, John Finley, Gavin Hope, Simon Denny & Queen Pepper. After the intermission, Genevieve Marentette celebrates her album “Songs of ’69”. The night features a stellar band: Michael Shand (piano), Eric St-Laurent (guitar), George Koller (bass), Ben Wittman (drums), Bill McBirnie (flute) and Alison Young (saxophone). Ticket prices start at $30 and you can get 'em right here. 

Check out a couple of clips of songs from Music For Secret Agents featuring the amazing Irene Torres who released her excellent Travessía album back in March.