Remembering Gil Mellé on his birtthday

Musician/composer Gil Mellé created the futuristic soundtrack for 1971's Andromeda Strain and '72's Future Shock. 

Midweek Mixdown: My KUTX by Austin's Cindy Marabito

Austin filmmaker, author, blogger and scenester Cindy Marabito plays a few faves on KUTX. Have a listen below. 

Here's the scoop...

Pretty much anyone who’s spent time in the local scene for more than a few years has their fair share of unforgettable musical memories. But there are only so many that we could consider reaching the level of “lore master”. Among them? Documentary filmmaker (The Dicks From Texas, Tuff Enuff: The Real Story of The Fabulous Thunderbirds), blogger (Scenester's Guide To Austin Music Underground), dog rescuer, and author Cindy Marabito.

For the final My KUTX of 2025, Cindy stopped by her favourite radio station to share some deep cuts spanning across the decades alongside some personal anecdotes and a playlist full of perfect pairings. Check out the playlist following the link below. 

Listen on Austin's KUTX-FM right here: https://kutx.org/episodes/my-kutx-cindy-marabito/. 

Playlist:

Jimmie Dale Gilmore – “Where You Going”

Dicky Wayne Vice – “Ghosted”

Hickoids – “There Stands the Glass”

Gary Floyd Band – “You Can’t Do That”

The Fabulous Thunderbirds – “Runnin’ Shoes”

Shallow Reign – “Paint the Flowers All Black”

Loco Gringos – “Ain’t No Corndogs”

Freddie Fender – “Before the Next Teardrop Falls”

Dwight Yoakam – “Sloop John B”

Shootin’ Pains – “Uncle Joe and Cruz”

Buddy & Julie Miller – “A Showman’s Life”

Steve Jordan – “Don’t Mess With My Toot Toot”

Eddy Mitchell – “Sur la route de Memphis”

The Band – “Atlantic City” 

Remembering Bo Diddley on his birthday

Raising a glass to Bo Diddley on his birthday with a couple of vintage performance clips you may have missed. 

Listen to Bo's Beat with your host DJ Tom Hanks on Boss Radio 66 at 1 pm today right here.

Listen to J.R. Williams' selection of crazy cool film & TV soundtrack gems

J.R. Williams' latest "Call Me Cannibal" show features some killer spy/secret agent themes and much more. Listen here.

Here's the tracklisting...

00:00 - Ennio Morricone - Intro: CANNIBAL (alt. version, excerpt)

00:28 - Neal Hefti - BATMAN THEME

02:44 - Nelson Riddle - TO THE BATMOBILE!

04:55 - The Camps - THE BALLAD OF BATMAN

07:20 - The Bus Lines - GREEN HORNET THEME

09:28 - Sandy Nelson - SECRET AGENT MAN

11:44 - Hugo Montenegro & his Orchestra - “GET SMART” THEME

13:46 - Hugo Montenegro - THEME FROM THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

15:43 - Nancy Sinatra - THE LAST OF THE SECRET AGENTS? (Movie theme)

18:22 - Laurie Johnson - THE AVENGERS (TV theme)

20:32 - Edwin Ashley - THE SAINT (TV theme)

22:40 - The Eliminators - THUNDERBIRDS

25:22 - Wade Denning & the Port Washingtons - KING KONG

27:42 - Gary Miller/Barry Gray - STINGRAY

29:34 - Barry Gray - CAPTAIN SCARLET (TV theme)

31:22 - Eric Winstone & his Orchestra - DR. WHO (TV theme)

34:26 - Carl Brandt/Warner Bros. Orchestra - MY FAVORITE MARTIAN

36:43 - Judy Carne - SOCK IT TO ME

39:35 - Ian Bernard - INQUISITIVE TANGO (from Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In)

41:04 - Arte Johnson & Ruth Buzzi - VERY INTERESTING

43:01 - Bob Moore & his Orchestra - (THEME FROM) MY THREE SONS

45:09 - The Miniature Men - SOUPY’S THEME (SOUPY’S SHUFFLE)

47:08 - Brother Bones - SWEET GEORGIA BROWN (The Harlem Globetrotters theme)

49:59 - Hal Blaine - THE SWINGER

52:07 - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - MEXICAN SHUFFLE

54:16 - The T-Bones - NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE (YOUR STOMACH’S IN)

56:42 - Don Powell/Ennio Morricone - CANNIBAL (excerpt)

57:56 - Laurie Johnson - THE AVENGERS (TAG SCENE)

Listen to more episodes of J.R. Williams' "Call Me Cannibal" show right here. Tell a friend!

Remembering Marianne Faithfull on her birthday

Raising a glass to the amazing Marianne Faithfull on her birthday with a few talk show interviews and one with Nick Cave.  

Nick Fraser, Brodie West & Josh Cole @ The Tranzac, December 30

Why not spend the night before NYE with Nick Fraser, Brodie West and Josh Cole gettin' down trio style at the Tranzac from 9:30 on.

That time Alex Chilton played Velvet Slego in Rimini, Italy in 1988

Since today would've been Alex Chilton's 75th birthday, here's a 1988 performance at Rimini's Velvet Slego from 1988. 

Happy Birthday Tex Perkins!

Cheers to Tex Perkins of The Beasts of Bourbon and Cruel Sea infamy. We're celebrating with a few stellar performances like this.

Whaddya mean you don't know Charles Ross & His Boys From Paris

Here's one of Keb Darge's favourite hard-to-find rockabilly gems."Little Bit Lonesome" cut by Charles Ross on Clay-Ro Records.

Writes Keb Darge...

"My only real claim to fame on the rockabilly scene and the main reason I sold some nice garage punk recently. Just over thirty years ago I was chatting with Lew Stanley from North Carolina about some soul and funk records I was buying off him when he said “Oh Keb, you like rockabilly don’t you ? I’ve found one that nobody seems to know”. He then played this to me and just after the opening bars I said yes I’ll have it please. I then played it to all the rockabilly collecting elite back in London and right enough none of them had heard of it before. I played it out for about a year, but sadly rockabilly did not go down well at the nights I was doing back then, so when Barney Koumis offered me a handsome four figure sum for it I accepted. Been kicking myself ever since, but now it’s back home, Hoooorah !!!"

Happy Birthday Lenny Kaye!

Celebrating Lenny Kaye's 79th birthday with a few interviews and performances (some with Peter Buck) you may have missed. 

Mike McKenna's Slidwinder Blues Band plays the Stink album @ Black Swan, Saturday

Guitar slinger Mike McKenna and his Slidewinder pals play songs from 1969's Stink album at the Black Swan today at 4 pm.

R.I.P. NYC filmmaker Amos Poe, 1949-2025

Sadly, innovative NYC filmmaker Amos Poe – best known for The Blank Generation – has passed away. He'll be greatly missed. 

Cate Le Bon plays the Concert Hall, January 20

Cate Le Bon returns to Toronto for a January 20th show at the Concert Hall with Frances Chang opening. Get tickets right here. 

Here's the scoop...

Welsh singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Cate Le Bon creates psychedelic-tinged art pop with the help of intricate guitar work and an ever-shifting songwriting style. Singing in both English and Welsh, her earlier records opted for a more acoustic sound, while 2022’s Pompeii combines more vivid influences, from ’70s David Bowie to Japanese city pop. Her seventh and latest album, Michaelango Dying was recorded after a difficult break-up in 2024 at various studios in Cardiff, London, Los Angeles and Joshua Tree. It made the year end "Top Albums of 2025" lists for Mojo, Uncut, The Guardian, Record Collector, The Fader and Rolling Stone if that matters to anyone.  

Advance tickets for Cate Le Bon's Concert Hall show on January 20th are $49.32 and available right here.  Check out a couple of clips from a recent performance and some videos. 

R.I.P. Memphis soul singer/songwriter Don Bryant, 1942-2025

Sadly, Memphis soul singer and songwriter Don Bryant has passed away at the age of 83. He'll be greatly missed. 

 

Don Bryant 1942-2025

We want to let all of Don Bryant’s friends and fans from all over the world know that he passed away this morning at the age of 83. Don loved sharing his music and songs with all of you and it gave him such great joy to perform and record new music. He was so appreciative of everyone who was part of his musical journey and who supported him along the way.

Remembering Philly soul great Herb Johnson on his birthday

Raising a glass to North Carolina-born Philly soul legend Herb Johnson on his birthday with a couple of memorable recordings. 

LINKS
From The Vaults Herb Johnson

Watch Luther Dickinson jam with Otha Turner's band

Here's fife ace Otha Turner and his Rising Star Fife and Drum Band getting down with a young Luther Dickinson in Memphis. 

Happy Holidays from Eleni Mandell & The Living Sisters!

"Skip The Sugar" and "Neon Chinese Christmas Eve" are from the Living Sisters' Harmony Is Real: Songs For A Happy Holiday. 

Merry T.Rexmas! from Marc Bolan

Here's Marc spreading the holiday cheer with his 1976 appearance on Christmas Supersonic, "Christmas Bop" and more. 

Remembering artist Joseph Cornell on his birthday

Raising a glass to assemblage artist Joseph Cornell on his birthday with a discussion of his life and work by Cliff Tisdell.

R.I.P. drummer Jack Pedler, 1953-2025

Sadly, Jack Pedler – who played with Teenage Head, Dave Rave Conspiracy, Buxton-Kastle & others – has died. He'll be greatly missed.

David Toop digs deeper into the strange hoodoo of Dr. John's Gris-Gris album

David Toop looked more closely at Dr. John's classic 1968 album Gris-Gris and reports his findings in Two-Headed Doctor. 

Two-Headed Doctor 

Listening For Ghosts in Dr. John's Gris-Gris

David Toop

MIT Press, Nov 26, 2024.  264 pages

ISBN: 1913689603, 9781913689605

A forensic investigation into a single LP: Dr. John, The Night Tripper's Gris-Gris album

Two-Headed Doctor is a forensic investigation into a single LP: Dr. John, the night tripper's Gris-gris. Though released in 1968 to poor sales and a minimum of critical attention, Gris-gris has accumulated legendary status over subsequent decades for its strangeness, hybridity, and innovative production. It formed the launch pad for Dr. John's image and lengthy career and the ghostly presence of its so-called voodoo atmosphere hovers over numerous cover versions, samples, and re-invocations. Despite the respect given to the record, its making is shrouded in mystery, misunderstandings, and false conclusions. The persona of Dr. John, loosely based on dubious literary accounts of a notorious voodooist and freed slave, a nineteenth-century New Orleans resident known as Doctor John, provided Malcolm "Mac" Rebennack with a lifelong mask through which to transform himself from session musician in order to construct a solo career.

Somewhere between puzzle, experimental rhythm, blues disguised as rock, and elaborate hoax, Gris-gris was a collaborative project between Rebennack and producer/arranger Harold Battiste (at the time musical director for Sonny & Cher). A few brief sessions held at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles brought together many of New Orleans' finest musicians, including Shirley Goodman, John Boudreaux, Plas Johnson, Jessie Hill, Ernest McLean, and Tami Lynn. Along with their complex histories, the cast of characters implicated in the story includes Ornette Coleman, Lafcadio Hearn, Zora Neale Hurston, Cher, Sonny Bono, Sam Cooke, Ishmael Reed, Black Herman, Prince La La, and many others. The story details in discursive style the historical context of the music, how it came together, its literary sources, production and arrangements, and the nature of the recording studio as dream state, but also examines as a disturbing undercurrent the volatile issue of race in twentieth-century music, the way in which it doomed relationships and ambitious projects, exploited great talents, and distorted the cultural landscape.

Check out David Toop's Two-Headed Doctor here. As a companion piece, you may want to look into the memoir of Dr. John's longtime musical collaborator Harold Battiste Jr. "Unfinished Blues: Memories of a New Orleans Music Man" from 2010 available here. 

Ryan Driver Quintet feat. Brodie West @ The Tranzac, Tuesday

Ryan Driver and crew – featuring saxophonist/clarinetist Brodie West – hit the Tranzac tonight at 9:30 pm. Should be delightful. 

Ryan Driver Quintet 

at The Trazac Club (292 Brunswick) 

9:30 pm. PWYC

Ryan Driver - piano / human voice / kazoo

Brodie West - alto saxophone / clarinet

Thom Gill - synthesizer

Rob Clutton - bass

Blake Howard - drums

The Ryan Driver Quintet specializes in the psychedelification of popular American songs from the 1920's through 1960's. They have been engaging in this task monthly since 1999, when they started playing as a quartet at Graffiti's in Kensington Market. The sextet plays only ballads, and almost always very slowly. That said, the interpretations are wildly adventurous, brimming with wonkiness, tangents, sweetness, heartbreak, ecstasy, and a kind of interplay that could only arise in the company of several odd / brilliant musicians with a long history of developing a unique sound together.

The Ryan Driver Sextet provides a ""lounge"" ambiance unlike anything else you can find anywhere, and an oasis of relaxedness, weirdness, and beauty that seems almost unimaginable, especially on a Friday night in Toronto." 

Listen to Chet Baker & Piero Umiliani's "Smog" soundtrack from 1962

Since it's Chet Baker's birthday today, here's his brilliant soundtrack collaboration with Piero Umiliani for Franco Rossi's "Smog."

Happy Birthday Victoria Williams!

Celebrating Victoria's birthday with her performance of "Crazy Mary" with Lou Reed along with a couple of Christmas tunes.

Merry Christmas from Babs Gonzales & Lloyd Williams

Here's the Lloyd Williams penned "Be-Bob Santa Claus" & "Manhattan Fable" performed by Babs Gonzales from 1954.

Merry Kitsch-mas from DJ Kitschy Mama!

Check out Kitschy Mama's What Have You – "Not The Real Santa" for some early holiday music treats today at 2 pm Eastern.

Here's the scoop from Kitschy Mama...

"Wishing ya a happy holiday season this week on WHAT HAVE YOU! Tune in for an absolute batsh*t xmas mix, stuff by Amormio Cillian Jr., Frank Kelly, Chris Hill and of course, R Stevie Moore MONDAY at 2pm ET on Sheena's Jungle Room on WFMU! Listen & chat live! See ya there!"

Check it out right here: https://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/159390

Watch the clip for R. Stevie Moore's "Goodbye Piano (Santa)" and check out the Jim Eanes hillbilly holiday weeper "It Won't Seem Like Christmas" from 1958. 

That time Hasil Adkins played an engagement party in Austin back in 1986

When you hire Hasil Adkins to provide the musical entertainment for your engagement party, this is what you get. 

Whaddya mean you don't know Ronnie Franklin & The Vibes

Here's an Tulsa rockabilly ripper from Ronnie Franklin and The Vibes... check out "Pretty Baby (I Saw You Last Night)"

A Very BADS Rockabilly/Surf Christmas Party @ The Horseshoe, Saturday

Mark Malibu & Starlotte Satine share a festive triple bill with The Bad Fortunes and NYC's Rover Boys Trio!

Here's the scoop from Mark Malibu...

TONIGHT'S the NIGHT - Saturday, Dec 20th - A VERY BADS CHRISTMAS SHINDIG! The Wasagas and Starlotte Satine hope to see everyone at the Horseshoe Tavern with Non-Perishable Food items (see chart below) for the Parkdale Community Foodbank.  Last year we gathered over 100 lbs of food.  Let's surpass that amount this year PLEASE!!!

ALSO see our good pals Bad Fortunes and The Rover Boys Trio   

9 pm  -  Doors

9:30  -   Mark Malibu & The Wasagas 

11:pm -  Bad Fortunes

12:15  -  Rover Boys Trio

DJ Dave 'til the wee hours! 

ALSO... The Wasagas new LP - Knock Me Out! will be available. The 5th full length release, 16 new songs, on Sharawaji Records.  Available on “red w/black splatter” vinyl and compact disc.  All Wasagas t-shirts $10. 

Check out Mark Malibu & The Wasagas' "Christmas Twist" followed by "Bad Fortune" by The Bad Fortunes and the Rover Boys Trio updating the Carl Perkins classic "Put Your Cat Clothes On" below.

You know Christmas is near when Darlene Love appears on the Tonight Show

Continuing David Letterman holiday tradition, Darlene Love reprised "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" with Little Steven & Paul Shaffer. 

Happy Birthday Kim Weston!

Cheers to soul great Kim Weston, one of the few artists who recorded for both Motown and Stax/Volt. 

Reg Schwager releases new 'Intuit' album with Brodie West & Michel Lambert

Reg Schwager's mostly improvised new album Intuit features saxophonist Brodie West and drummer Michel Lambert. 

Here's the scoop from Reg Schwager...

"I’m releasing a new album on BandCamp called “Intuit”, recorded with two great musicians - Brodie West and Michel Lambert. Most of it is improvised, but we’ve included a version of the old chestnut “Ain’t She Sweet”. We recorded two sessions, in 2016 and 2019, both times during the week between Christmas and the New Year. One thing the three of us share is having studied composition in Amsterdam with the great Dutch master Misha Mengelberg. I think about Misha a lot when we play together.

Listen to some audio clips from Intuit and get a copy via Bandcamp right here.

Reg Schwager - guitar 

Michel Lambert - drums 

Brodie West - alto saxophone 

recorded in Toronto on December 29, 2016 (tracks 1-5) 

and December 31, 2019 (tracks 6-11) 

recorded, mixed and mastered by Reg Schwager. 

R.I.P. Canuck rockabilly rebel Ronnie Hayward

Sadly, BC-born rockabilly singer/bassist Ronnie Hayward, who rocked clubs across Canada, has died. He'll be greatly missed.

Bloodshot Bill remembers Ronnie Hayward...

"Ronnie was a real deal one of a kind type guy. I was lucky to know him. When he lived in Montreal we got to play  & record together, and he even stayed at my place briefly. We stayed in touch when he moved on to Ontario & then BC. He said he missed doing gigs ("no one to play with out here"). We eventually lost touch. I tried reaching out to him just last month but his number had been changed.

He had a distinct style whether he was doing roots music or on a beatnik kick. Rest easy Ronnie." 🎶

Remembering New Orleans piano great Professor Longhair on his birthday

Remembering New Orleans piano marvel Professor Longhair on his birthday with s few typically stellar performances. 

Now Jazz Now: 100 Essential Free Jazz Recordings, 1960-80

Looking for the right gift for the tough-to-shop-for free jazz fan on your list, Now Jazz Now is probably the way to go.

NOW JAZZ NOW 

100 Essential Free Jazz & Improvisation Recordings 1960-80 

by Byron Coley, Mats Gustafsson, and Thurston Moore

Published by Ecstatic Peace Library. 270 pages. Soft-cover, fully illustrated. 196 x 268mm. Edited by Eva Prinz. Preface by Neneh Cherry. Afterword by Joe McPhee. 

New York, NY, USA – Musicians Mats Gustafsson, Neneh Cherry, Joe McPhee, and Thurston Moore, along with music writer Byron Coley, have contributed to an illustrated collector's guide to records -- replete with 270 pages of beatific album art, labels, sleeve notes and collector musings on their life-long obsessions of record collecting, with a distinct focus on the recorded history of free jazz and free improvisation. Compiling personal archives of their selections of recordings which could be contenders within a list defined by a parameter of 100 of the most essential releases presented in chronological order, acknowledging the music to be preternaturally noncompetitive, non-hierarchical, and of equal value, Now Jazz Now is a book for all adventurous music lovers, whether ravenous record collectors, avant-garde jazz enthusiasts, students of radical culture, or simply curiosity seekers in wonder to this music's illustrious history and lineage. The gleanings of Cherry, Coley, Gustafsson, McPhee and Moore will enlighten, delight, amuse, and bemuse all who follow their streams of consciousness, knowledge, perception, and, most importantly, unbridled respect and regard for a genre of music dedicated to the dignity of practicing freedom. All copies of first printing distributed by Forced Exposure in the USA will have an exclusive bookplate signed by Thurston Moore, Byron Coley and Mats Gustafsson; edition of 999.

First 999 orders will receive a signed book plate! Get a copy from Forced Exposure mailorder while they last right here.

One For The Weekend: Junior Wells

Here are borth sides of Junior Wells' 1967 Bright Star single "I'm Gonna Cramp Your Style" b/w "You Oughta Quit That"

Happy 82nd Birthday Keith Richards!

Raising a glass to Keith Richards on his birthday with a couple of performances and interviews you may have missed.

Altin Gün preview new Garip album with "Neredesin Sen"

Check out Altin Gün's updtate of the Neşet Ertaş tune "Neredesin Sen" off their forthcoming album Garip due on February 20th via Glitterbeat Records. 

Here's the scoop...>

‘Neredesin Sen’ is out now! The first single from our new album ‘Garip’ which will be released on February 20. The album is a tribute to Neşet Ertaş a legendary singer, composer and bağlama player whose songs we love. 

The single is now out on Glitterbeat Records and available to hear on all platforms 🙂

Neredesin Sen composed by Neşet Ertaş
Recorded by Altın Gün in @‌schenkstudio
Mixed by @‌toneboutique Mastered by @‌almachrome
Artwork by @‌maartenhuizing

Watch the animated clip for "Neredesin Sen" following a live-in-studio performance of the song below. 

Happy 60th Birthday Ian Blurton!

Cheers to guitarist/producer Ian Blurton on his 60th birthday! Here are a couple of interviews and some Future Now performances.