Whaddya mean you don't know The Spacemen

We're saying farewell to the Tokyo Olympics with The Spacemen's surf-meets-Japanese-folk eleki gem Awa Crazy Dance LP.

R.I.P. Joseph 'JoJo' Bennett, 1940-2021

Sadly, Jamaican-born, Toronto-based reggae & rocksteady great Joseph "JoJo" Bennett has passed away. He'll be missed. 

Happy Birthday Luis Russell

Remembering Panama-born pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader Luis Russell with his "Louisiana Swing"

In 1935, the Luis Russell Orchestra became Louis Armstrong's backing band with Luis as pianist and musical director until 1943. 

That time saxophonist Marion Brown scored a French film

In 1969, Marion Brown and pals cut a soundtrack for Marcel Camus' film Le Temps Fou, released as Un été sauvage in 1970. 

Here's the scoop...

The tough-to-find soundtrack to the Marcel Camus film originally titled "Le Temps Fou" (featuring Marion Brown – alto saxophone, bells; Gunter Hampel – vibes, bass clarinet, bells; Ambrose Jackson – trumpet, cowbells, tambour; Barre Phillips – bass, castanettes, whistle; Steve McCall – drums, triangle, tambour; Alain Corneau – claves, cowbells) has recently been reissued by Le Tres Jazz Club which you can get on vinyl right here. Have a listen below.  

Midweek Mixdown: Diddy Wah w/DJ Scratchy

The Clash's famed tour DJ Scratchy joins Diddy Wah for s set of rockin' R&B, blastin' blues & greasy garage goodies right here. 

Tracklist: 

NATHANIEL MAYER – A Place I Know

THEE COUNTS – Someday I'm Gonna Get You

THE FATIMAS – The Hoochy Coo

KIM FOWLEY – Bubble Gum

THE VESTELLS – Won’t You Tell Me?

CLIFTON WHITE & HIS ROYAL KNIGHTS – The Warm Up (Part 1)

AKI IZUMI w/ THE RANGERS – Koi Wa Heart De

TREVOR BYFIELD – Love Me (Version)

JUAN PIÑA Y SUS MUCHACHOS – Toquen Cumbia

LES BROWN JR – A Swingin' Safari

THE PACERS FT. BOBBY CRAFFORD – Diddley Diddley Daddy

TOMORROW’S CHILDREN – Vehicle

BO DIDDLEY – Another Sugar Daddy

ALLEN WAYNE – Chills and Fever

THE CYMBALS – Shout Mama Linda

Ty Segall releases new Harmonizer album

Check out the title track from Ty Segall's new Harmonizer album which you can get via Bandcamp right here. 

GBV's Tobin Sprout launches Empty Horses tour on Friday

Tobin Sprout's tour – which kicks off in Grand Rapids on Friday – hits Toronto's Monarch Tavern November 18th. See dates below. 

Here's the scoop... 

Artist, illustrator, writer and lo-fi innovator, Tobin Sprout was the super-productive partner of Robert Pollard in the legendary Guided By Voices. The gifted songwriter returns with a pensive, expansive part autobiographical new album Empty Horses. Here he’s part Townes Van Zandt, part John Prine, part Robbie Robertson at his retrospective best. 

The album is a meticulously observed study of America and Americana (not the music, but the state of mind). An alternative American Songbook, if you will, a collection of laments to simpler times and the struggle for what’s right, peppered with an examination of faith and the search for a sense of justice. Close up and personal, ‘Empty Horses’ is a poignant carefully etched experience, a rolling journey in modern times, nodding back to tradition, a personal snapshot filled with honesty. 

Empty Horses is released on vinyl LP and also a deluxe bookback CD, packed with 24 pages of paintings and lyrics by Tobin Sprout, a true collectors item for fans of Tobin’s music and art. Grab a copy of Tobin's Empty Horses album here: https://fire-records.lnk.to/TSEmptyHorses

Tobin Sprout on Tour

6   Aug: The Listening Room, Grand Rapids, MI

7   Aug: Yellow Cab, Dayton, OH

12 Aug: Jammin Java, Washington, DC

13 Aug: The Saint, Asbury Park, NJ

14 Aug: Beachland Tavern, Cleveland, OH

11 Nov: Government Center Records, Pittsburgh, PA

12 Nov: Brooklyn Made, Brooklyn, NY

13 Nov: Brewbaker’s, Keene, NH

14 Nov: Atwoods, Boston, MA

16 Nov: Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA

17 Nov: Nietzche’s, Buffalo, NY

18 Nov: Monarch Tavern, Toronto, ON, Canada

19 Nov: Ace Of Cups, Columbus, OH

20 Nov: Square Cat Vinyl, Indianapolis, IN

Get tickets via Tobin Sprout's site right here: https://www.tobinsprout.net 

 Check out the clips for "Every Sweet Soul" and "Supersonic Chairman" below.