Bill - Addison Store

07/27/05 Bill Stafford
John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
The first saint of bop, the prototype of Ginsberg's angelheaded hipster blasting his inimitable way through the unlikely title track and setting that Sound of Music standard on it's head. Remastered and re-released in a miniature LP-style sleeve, this is one of the classics of this or any other genre and deserves space on any self-respecting audiophiles shelf. Plus, your mom will like it (at least mine did).

07/12/05 Bill Stafford
Deep Purple - Live in Stockholm
Blistering, Heavy, Dense soundscapes of guitar-bass-drum-organ thunderous cacophony. Deep Purple blister through this live set with the Atomic Bomb intensity of the contemporaries in Led Zeppelin, but also unleash a flood of thick noise that sounds like a precursor to shoegazers (though the idea of any shoegazer listening to this assault would probably make their shriveled goodies crawl up into their bellies). For fans of true blue rockin' out with your....yeah, you know.

06/15/05 Bill Stafford
Graham Parker - Songs Of No Consequence
Graham Parker was one of the greatest songwriters of the late 70s to just slip through the cracks. While always a critical favorite, he never acheived any sort of long-lasting commercial success, and bopped from label to label throughout most of the 80s & 90s. However, despite never cashing in on his abundant talent, Graham never lost his songwriting chops & has slowly refined his craft over the decades until he is as fluent and literate a craftsman as ever spliced together an E A or G chord. “Songs of No Consequence“ is his latest and it shows that his biting wit and pointed lyricism has not been blunted as he matures. If you like your lyrics as acidic as a freshly opened battery then you'll gleefully wallow in the harsh nature of one of the “Angry Young Men“ who has remained as razor sharp as he was thirty years ago.

05/18/05 Bill Stafford
Nouvelle Vague - NouvelleVague
In a few hundred years the era we are living through might be known as the dawn of the bastardization of genres. From Hip-Hop producers who cut-n-paste pop hits and dance rhythms to Internet artists whose mash-ups are the hottest downloads, the past few years have seen an increase the cross-pollination of not just ideas, but of whole styles, of a sort of societal/textural patchwork quilt that brings forth new concepts through its interweaving of often widely divergent established genres. While most contemporary artists are using technology to form their audio gris-gris, Nouvelle Vague has done it the old-fashioned way, they just grabbed something they liked with both hands and reworked it into a new form. The two styles they have chosen to meld are the new-wave predecessor post-punk and the classic Latin style of bossa nova. The improbable juxtaposition of the angst and edginess of post-punk delivered as a sweet, lilting tune with a bossa nova beat is initially just a novelty, but soon the listener will come to realize that the initial shock gives way to a better understanding both of the lyrical intent of the original songs and of how diversely satisfying the bossa nova style itself can be. With fluffy sounding adaptation of PiL (This is not a love Song), XTC (Making Plans for Nigel), the Cure (a haunting version of The Forest... yes, you need it), and even the Dead Kennedys (a giggly version of Too Drunk To Fuck that redefines the song for the better), Nouvelle Vague has a great ear for tunes and the perfect ability to re-interpret them in ways that only seem to wonderfully obvious in retrospect. This is an instant classic that belongs on the shelves of fans of either (or neither) genre.

05/10/05 Bill Stafford
Louvin Brothers - When I Stop Dreaming
Charlie and Ira Louvin were perhaps the finest harmony duo in country music history. The blending of their melodious voices, backed by some of the finest musicians the genre had to offer, was as breathtaking and beautiful as anything ever recorded. Razor & Tie records has collected together some of the best tracks from the brothers long career and assembled one of the greatest "best ofs" ever seen. From the opening track, "Broadminded", with its chorus reminding the listener that "broadminded" is spelled "S-I-N" you know that you are on a unique journey. With it's blending of Christian piety (to the point of scary fanaticism) and scary folk themes (their working of the classic murder ballad "Knoxville Girl" is THE definitive treatment of the tune) the Louvins combine disparate themes into impassioned tracks that will leave you humming the melody while simultaneously thinking deeply about the lyrics.

04/14/05 Bill Stafford
John Fromage - Pieces of Hate
The legendary, long-lost third album sneaks out of Europe in a limited edition disc. Originally
a double-LP set, this single disc offers none of the bells & whistles that one expects from a contemporary re-issue, no bonus tracks, no expanded liner notes, no alternate cover or photos, thedisc doesn‘t even credit who might have helped Fromage assemble this forgotten masterpiece. Nevertheless, this is a welcome addition to any collection, as "Pieces of Hate" was as influential a record as was ever released. Starting with the ethereal tone piece "RazorShivers" (often credited as the inspiration for much of Brian Eno‘s late-70s works) and continuing to the epic "42nd Stre et VooDoo" (a side-length track that combines deep dub basslines and sinister guitar effects with distorted loops of zydeco-influenced keyboards) this album offers up one amazing song after another, tunes that will imprint themselves in your mind and heart like no others. Fromage would continue on to produce works that achieved more mainstream acceptance and sold more copies, but as far as altering peoples perceptions of how music could expand one‘s mind and re-shape the boundaries of sound, nothing would touch "Pieces of Hate"

04/05/05 Bill Stafford
Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South Tour: Live at the 40 Watt Club (DVD)
This is how a band like DBT seems most natural - in a small sweaty club, packed full of drinkin‘ folks who can sing every word back at the band. Recorded before an audience of the faithful in the legendary Athens, Ga. club, “The Dirty South Tour“ drags you into the beer and sweat and smoke of a blistering set by one of America‘s premier rock-n-roll ensembles. Featuring a set-list culled primarily from their two most recent albums, the band saves a few of the older fan-favorites for the encore. However, long-time listeners should use this as an opportunity to wallow in the majesty that is the new albums. Even without touching upon “Southern Rock Opera“ or earlier material, the band shows their formidable live chops and highlight the talents of all three (!count ‘em!) singer-songwriter-guitarists. The audience at the club is clearly enraptured by the performance, and you will be, too.

03/23/05 Bill Stafford
Penn & Teller - Bullshit! (Second Season) DVD
If it‘s a fact that sacred cows make the best hamburgers, then Penn & Teller are fucking McDonald‘s. They gleefully and efficiently rip apart every myth, deconstruct every poorly thought out fallacy and abort misconceptions. They are street-punk, coyote-tricksters with an agenda to relieve you of the burden of living a life of ignorance, and they do so in a way that is clever and amusing, as well as accurate. Penn‘s bombastic, explosive presence, contrasted with Teller‘s expressive stoicism provides the comedic prestidigitators the ability to comment in a number of ways - if Penn ain‘t shouting himself hoarse about something, then often Teller‘s cocked eyebrow and impassive features can speak volumes. They spare no targets, from P.E.T.A. to recycling to the holy Bible, no one is spared. But don‘t think that P&T just tear things down haphazardly, if they find something accurate and worthwhile in the course of their investigations they report it - however, they thankfully tackle subjects that pretty much routinely wither before their flame-thrower assaults and need to be exposed as the frauds that they are. “Bullshit“ is the sort of show that you will gleefully share with friends - dragging the animal-rights activist over to watch the P.E.T.A. episode or your holy-roller buddy to try and dispute the Bible accusations , for instance - but it is also the sort that can genuinely help folks out in an informative way. And, hey, if you can get some chuckles out of it, too, I say “Why Not?“

03/15/05 Bill Stafford
Various - Off the Charts: The Song-Poem Story“ (DVD)
As anyone who has lingered long in the Addison store (especially when Your ‘umble Narrator and JT have been stretched to their limits) there was a recent exquisite compilation of tunes released called “Do You Know The Difference Between Big Wood & Brush? The American Song-Poem Anthology“ that highlights the little-known (and less understood) musical underground of song-poems. For those who are wondering what the hell a “song-poem“ is & why you should care, let me explain. Ever check out the tiny ads in the back of old comic books, or pulp magazines, or odd tabloids & see folks requesting your poetry ? Usually featuring come-ons such as: “Popular, Rock and Roll, Country, and Sacred poems needed AT ONCE! Send your poems today for prompt FREE EXAMINATION AND APPRAISAL.“ ... “We need new ideas FOR RECORDING.“ ... “Your songs or poems may EARN MONEY FOR YOU!“ - these ads served to lure the gullible (or desperate) into sending in their random doggerel in the hopes it would pan out as chart-topping gold. Then the suckÂ…pardon me, lyricist, gets their words welded onto some random tune banged out by session musicians who do HUNDREDS of these things in a couple days sessions. Not quite lovingly crafted by the finest composers around, but hell, “Louie Louie“ ain‘t Stravinsky & it charted, right ? So maybe one of these little gems from the heart will be heard by the right person & the masses will embrace it & life will be skittles & beer from then on for the songwriter. It hasn‘t happened yet, to any of them, but maybe this documentary, which serves as a bizarre (and bizarrely touching) look into this oddball subculture will allow them to share their songs with more than just their friends and families.
Now, don‘t get me wrong - these folks are not like the stinkingly desperate folks on “American Idol“ who want to be STARS!!!, no these folks are just people with much simpler dreams, dreams of having their art recognized. I sat down in front of this thinking it‘d be a hoot - kick the feet up, crack a cold one & just laugh at the rubes who produce such minor masterpieces as “Human Breakdown of Absurdity“, “Jimmy Carter Says YES!“, “I Lost My Girl To An Argentinean Cowboy“ or the Addison favorite “How Long Are You Staying (aka DISCODISCODISCO)“. What I found instead were some desperately touching moments. Sure, there are plenty of places to whoop & laugh (for god‘s sake the first song in the film is “Non-Violent Taekwondo Troopers“ - featuring lyrics like “Thank Jehovah for Kung Fu Bicycles and Priscilla Presley“) but there is also a very sweet appreciation for these folks efforts. Yes, they might be delusional, they might have WAY too much time on their hands and they DEFINITELY could use some song-writing help, but there is no way you can just disregard them, ignore their efforts, deny their pain, even. The moment that Iowa Mountains Tour gets off the stage of their first live gig, you know that they have stared a bit too hard into reality‘s ugly face, and you sympathize. Here‘s a guy that all but has his dreams sucked out of him onstage, trying not to show it, trying not to be seen on camera being anything but up, but his pain, his heartache is real and vivid The filmmakers are to be commended for their understanding of the heart of this matter, they can laugh at the music without laughing at the people whose music it is. The DVD is crammed with extras and is a perfect companion to the “Song-Poem Anthology“ CD - come on in, pick them both up & start humming such classics as “The Moon Men“ & “Blind Man‘s Penis“.

02/24/05 Bill Stafford
Drive-By Truckers - Pizza Deliverance
Re-issued (along with “Gangstabilly“) DBT‘s second record shows how they were already adept at crafting lingering character sketches while still rocking out. All sorts of stories are spread throughout the disc, from delusional suicides on a budget (“Nine Bullets“) to encounters with punk rock legends (“The Night G.G. Allin Came To Town“) and the “Did I HEAR that title right?!?!“-Award winner “The President‘s Penis Is Missing“ yet all show the solid southern grooves that just seem to come second nature to these boys. Imagine the cast of “Twin Peaks“ suddenly dropped into “Poor White Trash“ country and you have the beginnings of a grasp about the diversity of engaging oddity that drips off the average DBT record. Not as dark and vicious as “Decoration Day“ or “The Dirty South“, “Pizza Deliverance“ is much more of a just don‘t give f@#$ kinda thing, with fun stories that intertwine with the pathos. For those who already have copies of the first two records, you‘ll still prolly wanna spring for these, as the sound is superb, the packaging is expanded and there are revealing liner notes from Patterson.

12/08/04 Bill Stafford
Faces - Five Guys Walk Into A BarÂ… (box set)
First things first : Faces was never “Rod Stewarts earlier band“ that‘s kind of like saying “Yeah, McCartney had a group before Wings“. As the Sixties slowly bled into the Seventies there was a fundamental shift in rock-n-roll as it moved from the soundtrack to the counter-culture to become the sounds of the culture, no prefix necessary. Faces were one of those band to embody that shift, a reshuffled and re-armed Sixties pop combo that became one of the bands to pick through the debris of the ending decade to develop a raucous, blistering soulful sound that would seem tailor-made for the let-the-good-times roll, cocaine-and-champagne decade that would eventually crash land in the years of Reaganomics & the Iran hostage crisis. Faces were the band that deftly straddled both eras, offering feel-good boogies with a pop sensibility and smokin‘ grooves, combining Sixties iconic blues-rock soulfulness with a Seventies “been there done that“ wink and nod slyness. And, they did it all by being a great combination of talents, from Ronnie Lanes supple basslines, to Ian McLagans keyboard dynamics, Kenny Jones rhythmic perfection (a tight-but-loose drummer whose talents would be employed by the post-Moon Who, as well, and who often suffers in comparison, but on this set is shown as the terribly efficient drummer that he was), Rod Stewarts grizzled & throaty vocals and the guitar stylings of one Ron Wood, who would end his tenure with Faces by jumping ship to join his buddy Keith Richards in a little bar-band called the Rolling Stones. These guys were a BAND, not just sidemen to a pretty-boy, nor just a collection of coulda-shoulda-woulda-beens with impressive resumes, they had that unbelievable spark and fire that only those people who genuinely enjoy not just each others company, but who enjoy crafting art together have. This holiday season there are hundreds of box sets that‘ll get shoved in front of the average record buyer, begging for attention, like a dog after the Thanksgiving carcass, but there will be one box set with the swagger to not give two tosses whether you take it home or not, and that, my friend, is the one you need to heartily embrace and wallow in, and it‘s called “five guys walk into a barÂ…“.

11/16/04 Bill Stafford
Richard Thompson - Live in Providence“ (DVD)
For those of you who have spent more than a few micro-seconds in my company, the name “Richard Thompson“ should not be unfamiliar to you. As one of the greatest and most respected songwriters England has ever produced, his material has been interpreted by Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Los Lobos, X, Bob Mould and even Del McCoury (winning a Grammy in the process), but his real talent shines brightest when he picks up his guitar and tackles his songs himself. If Richard is one of England‘s shining stars of songwriting, then he positively burns like a super-nova on guitar. Combining British folk, American blues, jazz, rock, country and world music influences into a unique and personally expressive style that is as emotionally moving as it is technically impressive, Richard is perhaps the greatest guitarist that the British Isles have yet produced, and yes, I‘m willing to argue this point for DAYS if you insist. Fortunately, I don‘t have to say a word, I can now just pop in the “Live in Providence“ DVD and watch jaws drop and eyes bulge. This is a beautiful package of crisp, clean visuals and sharp sound (both stereo & 5.1), with tons of extra supplemental features and all the bells & whistles one has come to expect in the DVD era. But the true joy is in the performance itself, a fine night of music taken from the RT Band‘s 2003 tour and featuring Richard‘s brilliant band, including Dallas‘ own Earl Harvin (Rubberbullet, Earl Harvin Trio, Psychedelic Furs, Seal) in the drumseat. You need go no further than this 90 minutes of exceptional musical virtuosity and passion to realize that if you haven‘t been listening to Richard Thompson, you have missed out on one of the musical geniuses of the age.

11/09/04 Bill Stafford
Slayer - Still Reigning (DVD)
There‘s something very comforting about listening to Slayer - they‘ve spent the past several decades honing their talent to a razor-sharp edge. You know what you‘re gonna get when you pick up a Slayer record - you‘re gonna get your head knocked off, first and foremost. With whiplash speed and an almost rabid aggression, Slayer has become the angry kings of the thrash-metal movement, with this video proving that they are “Still Reigning“. The idea is simple, go back into the back catalogue and find the fans all-time favorite Slayer album and perform it live in its entirety from beginning to end. Fans favorite? Easy, the legendary, step back or it‘ll bite classic “Reign in Blood“ - the 1986 masterpiece that has more buzzsaw bite almost twenty years after it was recorded than most records will ever have in their lifetimes. Now, just set the cameras up and unleash the band. Simple, no? Well, it would be, if the boys in Slayer left it at that, but nope, they had to punch it up a notch. What they decided was to end the show with a literal interpretation of the final tune “Raining Blood“ and have themselves, their equipment, and the stage drenched in a rain of blood. Pretty cool, huh ? And, of course, the fans now have a front-row seat courtesy of this brilliant DVD which captures all the subtle (and not so subtle) nuances of the performance without having to risk life limb or cleaning bill. With added songs from the show and bonus behind-the-scenes footage this is a must-have for fans of raw, unbridled aggression.

10/18/04 Bill
Doug Stanhope - Deadbeat Hero (CD/DVD)
Mel Brooks (who should know) said “Tragedy is when I stub my toe, comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die“ a statement that points out that comedy is at its best when it‘s lethal. Good comedy hurts. Good comedy has a target and decimates it with the methodic precision and over-the-top righteous indignation of a serial killer. Doug Stanhope is the comedy equivalent of Hannibal Lector - you may not want to have dinner with him, but you gotta admire his savage skills. Stanhope may best be know to the Teeming Millions as one of the hosts of “The Man Show“, but if you only know him from his decidedly sanitized network appearances, then this new CD/DVD combo will show you the brutally savage beast that lurks barely in check. Beginning with encouragements to quit your job (after ripping the bosses off) and to drink only from Sunday through Thursday (because why should you waste your good weekend hung over?), Stanhope pulls no punches and leaves no hold barred in this stand-up set that places him firmly in the tradition of such greats as Lenny Bruce and Bill Hicks. If your idea of contemporary comedy is the limp and listless “Last Comic Standing“ or some particularly pitiful “observational“ comedian (you know the “You ever notice“ guys who ALWAYS have a bit about airlines & who invariable stink on ice) then you might find Doug Stanhope‘s “Deadbeat Hero“ shocking and offensive - good, you‘re just the folks who SHOULD buy this set - those of us who are familiar with Stanhope (or David Cross or the late Bill Hicks or other fringe-dwellers of the comedy scene) will laugh along, but those others out there - you guys NEED this stuff, this sort of spiritual/existentialist kick in the head to get some of those dormant neurons firing. So, go - get up off the friggin couch, turn off the idiot box, and go pick this bad-boy up - I promise you, it WILL offend you, but that‘s a good thing, because what did you expect from this world, a happy ending ?

10/11/04 Bill
The Cramps - How to Make A Monster
Odd things grow in the dark - the slime and rot offer succor to the oddest varieties of life on the planet - hence, The Cramps. These freaks festered in relative obscure backwoods, untouched by the contemporary scenes that were sprouting around them and nourished, instead, by forgotten 5-for-a-dollar discarded rockabilly records. The Cramps bloomed like beautiful but intimidating psilocybin mushrooms, offering a dangerous edge, but also immense thrills to those willing to embrace their inherent disharmonies. “How to Make A Monster“ is a document chronicling the early periods of the Cramps genesis, setting down, for the historical record, the process of decay and rebirth that caused the flourishing of these unsurpassed psychobilly wonders. A double disc set (one disc studio, one disc live offered for the price of a single CD) that will excite the imaginations of die-hard fans with it‘s (human)fly-on-the-wall perspective on early rehearsals and concerts. This might be too potent an offering for the casual fan - certainly the rough quality of the earliest material here (it gets better with age) might dissuade those not thoroughly enthralled by the blistering primitive noise that characterizes these musical throwbacks - but for those for whom the protoplasmic sounds of Lux Interior & Ivy Rorshach are as scrumptious and delectable as the rarest of truffles, this will be a pair of platters that end up being greedily consumed with much lip-smacking and appreciative murmurs.

09/20/04 Bill
Drive-by Truckers - The Dirty South
Georgia‘s Drive-by Truckers are poised for greatness … Hell, they‘ve ACHIEVED greatness, but they‘re poised to have folks discover it. The newest album from these consummate songsters represents a lyrical maturation and development, even from last years mature and developed “Decoration Day“. From Lynyrd Skynyrd deifiers to the jam-band circuits‘ obligatory hard-rock heroes, the Truckers have moved on to a work that is dark and introspective, with empathy for the common man and a feel for the soil and heritage of the South. “The Dirty South“ is, in many ways, the Truckers version of “Nebraska“, a dark and introspective album that touches those hidden places in our psyche where lifes injuries and regrets fester and sore. Still fueled by the three-guitar attack and bolstered by an equal amount of singers & songwriters (sometimes it just don‘t seem fair that so much raw talent inhabits one band) the Drive-by Truckers have shown that they are about more than just ape-ing Skynyrd, but are, instead, closer to the blues tradition of chronicling the life and hardships of the everyday man. Of course, with a title like “The Dirty South“ the common men that the Truckers chronicle are not your typical salt-of-the-earth church-goers. The men whose lives are examined tend to walk much darker roads, from the “Boys from Alabama“ who live like hillbilly Mafia and flaunt the law at will, to the poor guy in “Puttin‘ People on the Moon“ who has found that trying to live the straight and narrow is frustrating and unrewarding compared to the life of crime that satisfied him previously. But, perhaps the darkest masterpiece on the album is “Cottonseed“, a rough and desperate braggadocio from a man who, in his own words “put more lawmen in the ground / than Alabama put cottonseed“. “The Dirty South“ is a brilliant album, full of vibrant songs that will leave you thinking as you hum along, something all too rare these days. The Drive-by Truckers are masters of the art of putting honest thought and expression to a soundtrack that draws you into the heart of their stories, and if they continue to progress as much as the songwriting on “The Dirty South“ shows, then I believe these Truckers will be here for a very long haul, and I‘ll gladly meet them at every stop.

08/23/04 Bill
Nick Lowe - The Doings (box)
Nick Lowe needs no introduction to anyone who has had even the vaguest interest in catchy power-pop over the last few decades, but for those of you unfamiliar with the genre or the man, there is no greater way to get into the greatness that is the “Jesus of Cool“ than to wallow in this impressive import box set. Covering Nicks post-Brinsley Schwarz career, the box has three discs of selections from his various solo incarnations, as well as a fourth disc of rarities to satisfy the geeks. With guitar hooks a-plenty and enough clever lyrics to keep you quoting him for days, Nick offers up the sort of fun, feel-good tunes that will satisfy anyone‘s craving for vibrant, fun sounding music that hides a wickedly sharp wit and often deeply disturbing lyrics. The two styles combine surprisingly often in Mr. Lowe‘s world, as best epitomized by the classic tune “Mary Provost“, a cheery, sing-along tune that describes the death of faded silent film actress Mary Prevost (no idea why he changed the name) and her post-mortem devouring by her dachshund, culminating in the immortal chorus “She was a winner / Who became a doggie‘s dinner“. Pure genius. No Nick is not for everyone, only those with an ear for catchy tunes and an appreciation of the droll wit of one of Britain‘s premier songwriters - in other words, in a perfect world, he‘d be at the top of the charts to this day.

08/09/04 Bill
Thee Michelle Gun Elephant - Gear Blues
Detroit rock-n-roll will never die. The high-energy guitar-driven angsty sound that bred in the burned-out slums and industrial wasteland of the Motor City has extended its tentacles as far as the Land of the Rising Sun. Thee Michelle Gun Elephant (their name a mispronunciation play on the Damned‘s seminal “Machine Gun Etiquette“) are (or more precisely “were“ as they broke up last year) Japans most powerful export since Godzilla, and twice as devastating. Combining lyrics in Japanese, with occasional English phrases randomly thrown in, with intense guitars, and a slamming rhythm section, TMGE shows how all too often Americas culture has to be sold back to us by outsiders before we can appreciate it. Recorded several years before the recent domestic outbreak of garage/Detroit revivalism, “Gear Blues“ is as powerful a rock album as you could ever hope to have land in your grubby paws. Explosive tracks, such as the opener “West Cabaret Drive“ as well as the blistering (pardon the pun) “Smoking Billy“ rub shoulders with oddball fare such as “Satanic Boom Boom Head“ (possibly the greatest rock song title ever - whose entire lyrics consist of the title repeated over & over with different inflections) and “Hotel Bronco“ (the same lyric arrangement as “Satanic Boom Boom Head“ except the lyrics are just the phrase “son of a bitch“ - don‘t ask me where the title came from, I don‘t read Japanese & it sees that all the websites on these guys are most assuredly not for gaijin). Don‘t worry about understanding it, though, because this record is all about the primal groove - you didn‘t have to understand the lyrics to “Louie Louie“ (a Senate subcommittee sure didn‘t) or know what the hell “TV Eye“ meant, either, so you don‘t have to care what TMGE are saying, just rock out with these cats & you‘ll be good to go. Take care.

08/02/04 Bill
Smothers Brothers - “Smothered“ (DVD)
In the late sixties two of the most dangerous men in America were a pair of clean-cut, wholesome folksinging brothers. These two, with the generic All-American names of Tom & Dick, were more of a threat to the establishment than all the sign-toting hippies in the country. The Smothers Brothers hosted a weekend variety show that offered singing, comedy sketches and stand-up comedy, not exactly the sort of subversive activity that would have one hounded by the censorship dogs. However, the Brothers were doing this in the middle of the Vietnam war, and their humor, even their songs, were often pointedly directed at those in power who kept the war machine turning. They offered satirical send-ups of political figures, hosted folk-singers whose songs attacked the power regimes, and allowed stand-ups a forum for biting satirical commentary that skewered social institutions. They brought the counter-culture into the living room, offering the ideas and ideals of the peace & love generation in the squeaky clean form of two young boys who any girl would be proud to take home to mother. The Brothers were the face of the counter-culture that would not immediately turn off the average Mr & Mrs America. They weren‘t dirty hippies, or shouting college students, and they were welcomed into peoples homes by that comforting, stupefying invention, the television. Tom & Dick presented their side of the story through humor, intelligence and wit, and there were plenty of folks who took notice. This was the most dangerous aspect of their shows, they were the rational, charming face of the counter-culture, one that couldn‘t be dismissed as “freaks“ or “weirdos“ by the Establishment. Tom & Dick looked Establishment, with their suits and short hair & slightly corn-pone humor, but they sounded Anti-establishment. CBS had unwittingly let a Trojan Horse into peoples living rooms, and for this the Brothers had to pay. “Smothered“ is a new documentary chronicling the trials and tribulations of the Smothers Brothers attempt to entertain, enlighten and stay on the air. Featuring interviews with the Brothers, fellow performers and behind-the-scene staff from their show, “Smothered“ will remind those who were there how influential, important, and just plain funny the Brothers show was, and it will show those who weren‘t there that once upon a time there were entertainers, even those in the mainstream, who stood up and used their forum and talents to try and halt the outrages being committed by government. Where have you gone Tom & Dick, when we need you again ?

07/19/04 Bill
Bobby Beausoleil - Lucifer Rising“ (Original Soundtrack plus)
Bobby Beausoleil is not primarily known as a musician - his fame springs from a darker well, coming from a brief (and disastrous) association with notorious cult-leader Charles Manson. But, prior to his involvement with the Southern California death cult led by Manson, Beausoleil had resided in San Francisco and fronted several groups of progressive/art musicians, the Orkustra, and the Magic Powerhouse of OZ. His musical interest had attracted the attention of Kenneth Anger, the celebrated occultist and underground filmmaker, who wanted Bobby to not only score his latest epic, but to star as the titular light-bringer. Unfortunately, an artistic falling out led to the project being shelved and sparked Beausoleils flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles, where he would encounter someone else with much darker ideas of invoking Lucifer. In the early Seventies, years after Beausoleils death sentence was commuted to life in prison, Anger and Beausoleil re-established their friendship and their intention of bringing to life the long-buried idea of Lucifer Rising. By this point Anger had contacted Jimmy Page, disciple of the teachings of Aleister Crowley and guitarist for Led Zeppelin, to score his film. Page, however, was only able to complete a fraction of the required music, and so, after hearing Beausoleils demo tape, he was fired by Anger and replaced with Bobby and his all-prisoner band, christened, with suitable irony, the Freedom Orchestra. Through a prison work program, and donations of such necessities as a multi-track tape recorder from Anger, Beausoleil was able to score the entire film while behind bars, and after only seeing a partial rough-cut of the film. The results, considering the years of difficulty surrounding the work, are impressive. Beausoleil is an accomplished composer, and innovative musician (his early bands include his playing of an electric bouzouki, and in the Freedom Orchestra he plays a hand-built double-neck guitar/bass) and the album is a highly skilled prog-rock piece that doesn‘t need to be connected to Anger‘s film (or it‘s composers notoriety) to be worthy of attention. Sounding like a jazzed/orchestral prog band (think of Mahavishnu Orchestra or some of Hawkwinds less psychotic jams) the score is both heavy, in the sense of intensity, and light, in that it is a work of spirituality devoted to the “Bearer of Lights“ re-ascension into Heaven. The works is also much more thoroughly thought-out and mature than the original score ideas that Beausoleil had written in 1967, portions of which are included on a bonus disc included in the package. These tracks are closer to some of the more clichéd hippy meanderings so popular during the Summer of Love, but they do little but wallow about, more directionless than controlled (an interesting idea if viewed as a metaphor for their composers life, but hardly a stunning listening experience - fortunately, imprisonment and sobriety seem to have helped Beausoleils composing) The bonus material includes portions of one of the only live performances by the Magick Powerhouse of OZ, and also a live interpretation of the Lucifer Rising score performed by the Freedom Orchestra in a concert for other inmates. Rounding out the package is a beautifully designed gate-fold digipack and liner notes by Anger, Beausoleil and several of the people who helped to acquire and remaster these tapes. All in all, a lovely piece of work that should intrigue aficionados of prog-rock, those who love film scores, and even those with a macabre interest in the Manson Family associates.

06/28/04 Bill
Roky Erickson - Evil One (plus one)
Roky Erickson is crazy, and I‘m not speaking facetiously or metaphorically - he‘s a paranoid schizophrenic dude who has served time in Rusk and in prison for his psychosis. But, that don‘t mean he can‘t rock, and rock he does on the expanded re-issue of the classic “Roky Erickson & the Aliens“ album (it‘s original title was in Sanskrit, so it‘s usually just referred to by fans as the “Aliens“ album or as the “Evil One“ (a reference to one of the re-releases). Songs about two-headed dogs (who work for the Soviet secret police) alligators, ghosts and vampires, the album serves as a window into a VERY disturbed mind, but again, a mind that rocks. As an added bonus to the classic recorded (nicely remastered for the digital age) there‘s a bonus disc (the ‘plus one‘ of the title) of Roky on a late-night radio show, playing odd tracks and rough mixes of some of the “Evil One“ material and answering and interviewers questions in his own inimitable way.

06/21/04 Bill
Rocket From The Tombs - Rocket Redux
Most reunions suck. Let‘s face it, ever since the Eagles decided that getting back together would be a good opportunity to gouge the sheeple who like them for major Benjamins, most reunions have been sleazy attempts by bloated over-the-hill delusional burn-outs to cash in on Baby Boomer nostalgia (and stupidity). But, recently an odd thing has happened, perhaps sparked by the reformation of the Sex Pistols, in which old-school punk bands (including proto-punks and post-punks) have reformed to show that a reunion can have fire, passion and integrity. One of the most amazing of these particular reunions is that of Rocket From The Tombs, one of the semiminal Cleveland proto-punk outfits of the early 70‘s. They never had a full record out (though the decades would see bootlegs of their material appear), never gigged outside of Ohio and their main claim to fame was that the members went on to form such critically acclaimed (read popularly ignored & poor) bands as Pere Ubu & the Dead Boys. In other words, RFTT were about as obscure as you could imagine. But, despite there being almost no popular demand for their return, the Rockets came out of hiding to deliver not only an exciting tour (did you catch them at the Tea Room?) but an actual official record, made in a studio and everything. And the gravy is : It‘s great. Fantastic, just the sort of mouth-watering listening that gets the heart and soul of a music geek all a-quivering. This is a record full of tracks that, in any decent world, would be in heavy rotation on every other radio station on the dial, but of course, we don‘t live in a decent world - we live in one that‘s ruled by the Great Satan (aka Clear Channel) and these brilliant tunes have languished in obscurity for decades, instead of only being traded by fervent devotees (and being covered by Guns-N-Roses - but that‘s another story). Help great music get rediscovered, pick up “Rocket Redux“ and wallow in one of the few reunions that means something.

06/14/04 Bill
Warren Haynes - Live at Bonnaroo
Warren is a busy guy, in case you haven‘t noticed. From Gov‘t Mule to the Allmann Brothers, the Dead, Phil & friends and all the other projects he has had his hand in over the past few years, it‘s a wonder he has the energy to stand sometimes. But, last year, he stood before a crowd of about 80,000 people and played a brilliant set. Luckily, the tapes were running and we get to hear it, even if we weren‘t in the grass and mud of those Tennessee fields. A sweet solo set that combines some of his choice original material along with some fascinating cover songs, Warren shows his influences without succumbing to them - he delivers songs in ways that take them over and make them his own, without losing the purity and intent of the originals.
Just for example, check out the set opener, a cover of Radiohead‘s “Lucky“. Now, like a lot of folks, I enjoy Radiohead, and “Lucky“ is a great song, but in Warrens hands it transforms, becomes something more, it becomes an authentic sounding blues number, full of world-weariness and desperation, devoid of the sterile detatchment that Radiohead is too often guilty. The entire set resonates with this passionate intensity in each some. Warren delivers lyrics and tunes with the drive of someone who believes what he‘s saying, and he‘s trying his best to help you believe. I don‘t miss muddy fields swarming with under-fed, over-heated, unbathed hippies, but listening to this set, I imagine that seeing a man offering up such a magnificent set of songs, it all must‘ve been worth it.

05/31/04 Bill
Magazine - Rays & Hail 1978-1981
Magazine started PostPunk. There, I said it. I know that it‘s not a popular idea (especially amongst the “Joy Division are Gods“ contingent), but it‘s true. Howard Devoto left the Buzzcocks and started PostPunk with a series of cohorts that would include Barry Adamson and the late John McGeoch. By combining art-rock,punk and what would later water down into synth-pop, Devoto established a new style of rock that would be praised by critics and ignored by the sweating multitudes for years. Thankfully, there is still some weight to critical worship, and there are those who still believe that just because a band didn‘t sell a kajillion records doesn‘t mean that they aren‘t worth preserving. The “Rays & Hail“ collection allows for even a casual listener to get a sense of the passion and impact of Magazine without having to buy every record out there (or even indulge in the loverly three CD import box set) - from the blistering opening salvo of the first single (the immortal “Shot by Both Sides“) through such desperate classics as “The Light Pours Out of Me“ (covered by both Peter Murphy AND Ministry - now there‘s some street cred) and such haunting epics as “Rhythm of Cruelty“, “Back To Nature“ and the glorious “Permafrost“ (featuring the delightful lyrics “I will drug you / and fuck you / on the permafrost“) The “Rays & Hail“ collection is worth your time, money and attention.

05/3/04 Bill
Lou Reed - Animal Serenade (2cds - live)
Lou Reed has every right to rest on his laurels and just reap the benefits of years of being one rock‘n‘roll‘s premier songwriters, but last year he extended his reach further by releasing a sprawling double-cd set of music based on the life & writings of Edgar Allen Poe. The album was critically and popularly received with a shrug. Hardcore fans dipped their toes into it & didn‘t really go for the big swim, while more casual listeners (the “Oh, Yeah, ‘Walk on the Wild Side‘, right?“ folks) stayed away in droves. Now, Lou delivers a double disc live album from the “Raven“ tour, to give folks a second chance to hear some of the stuff they missed. By sticking primarily with classic tunes, Lou offers the fans a healthy dose of what they want from him, but gives them the artistic twists that long-time fans have come to love and respect him for. I am one of the long-time fans that believes that all of Lou‘s various incarnations have hidden treasures just waiting to be discovered (yes, even the horrid “Take No Prisoners“ live album)- with “Animal Serenade“ Lou has offered up some of those treasures himself, and surrounded them with vibrsant new interpretations of some of his stand-out classics.

05/17/04 Bill
Errol Morris, Sam Green & Bill Siegel - The Fog of War/Weather Underground
I recently watched these two DVDs that shed light on the turbulent Sixties back-to-back and the quality of both, as well as the insight that they offer, is stunning. Errol Morris (noted for his documentaries “The Thin Blue Line“ and “Dr. Death“) directs “The Fog of War“, a series of interviews with Robert S. McNamara, former Secretary of Defense under presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and probably one of the most controversial figures in American politics during the Sixties. Through talking-head style interviews that are interspersed with archival footage and recordings Morris allows McNamara the opportunity to reflect on his tenure as Secretary of Defense and the historical events that led up to the war in Vietnam. Containing a number of pieces of information that were new to me (such as the fact that McNamara headed an efficiency group whose findings led to the fire-bombings in Tokyo during the Second World War) as well as insight into the man behind the facts, “The Fog of War“ is mandatory viewing for students of history, especially those with even a casual interest in the Southeast Asian conflict that so radically split our country during the 1960s. For an indication of just how radical the split was, check out “Weather Underground“, a new film that documents the actions of the Weathermen, an American born-n-bred terrorist organization that operated during the late-60s into the 70s. Intensely committed to ending the war, and to helping advance revolutionary ideas of civil rights, the Weatherman were an off-shot of the Students for a Democratic Society that took to bombing targets within the US in order to “Bring the War Home“ and to highlight those targets involvement with oppression throughout the world. Interviews with several of the members of the group show the slippery slope that they took from peaceful student activists to radical bomb-building fugitives. Historically, politically and socially relevant, both these documentaries offer a chance to re-examine the way war affects the people it touches, even if they are far from the front lines.

05/10/04 Bill
The Dillards - Back Porch Bluegrass / Live!Almost! (2 on 1 import CD)
Come on kiddies, gather ‘round. Your Uncle Bill‘s gonna tell you about music that‘s made without ‘lectricity. (No, I don‘t mean that damn eMpTV Unplugged crap - outta give you a taste o‘ the back o‘ my hand jis fer mentioning it). Now, some of y‘all young‘ns might‘n be familiar with a ol‘ TV show what goes by the name of “The Andy Griffith Show“ - back in the days before color it was one o‘ the bigguns on the small screen. It had a pleasant town popurlated by pleasant folk who didn‘t sit around all day in office cubicles talking wise or sippin‘ coffee lookin‘ stuck-up. It had heart and soul and humor, and us common folks loved it sumthin‘ fierce.
Now, on this old show there was a passle of boys called the Darlins - they didn‘t talk a‘tall, but they could play some mighty fine music and sing like the Heaven Choir, sos they didn‘t need to jabber-jaw too much. Now the Darlins tweren‘t no REAL hillbillies - they was, in point of actual fact, a honest-to-gosh real bluegrass band by the name o‘ the Dillards, and their records were just as great as their few appearances on the Griffith Show. The could pick out a tune jis as fine as any you ever wrapped y‘alls sorry ears around before, with voices like honey-dew vine water (no, not the vine water your mamaws got jugged up in the root cellar, but the REAL stuff - now hush while I‘m learnin‘ you proper) and more picking skills in one finger than most bands got in the whole bunch of ‘em. The Dillards were about the gosh-darndest hottest bluegrass band to come along since Flatt met Scruggs, I kid you not. They could take a classic, like “Polly Vaughn“ and make it sound so pretty an‘ sweet that you‘d‘a thunk you‘d never heard it before, or they could write original stuff, like “Dooley“ that‘d make you think it was as old as the hills themselves. Heck-fire “Dooley“ became a classic the instant it got pressed up on record-album, with durn near everyone and their brothers trying their hand at yet (Yes, dear I said record-albums, back from the days when you played music the way God intended - with a needle - now hush up while I brag some more on the Dillards). The Dillards could play like Bill Monroe or Flatt & Scruggs, but that tweren‘t all they did - no sirree Bob - the Dillards kinda jump-started a bluegrass revival that was underway in this great country. Before the big bluegrass boom that “Bonnie & Clyde“ set off, the pump was primed (so to speak - if I may be allowed to mix my metaphors) by the Dillards, a band that could play a Bob Dylan song as easily as a mountain ballad from a hunnert years ago.
The Dillards were darlins of the critics and the emerging folks scene, with their honest musicianship and good humor, and being on television didn‘t hurt neither, nope it didn‘t. Unfortunately, unless you‘ve got yourself one of them ol‘ fashioned turntable machines and a heap o‘ time to go digging for those precious slabs of Dillards music, you prolly don‘t have a snowballs chance in He---uh, Heck (yes, ma‘am, I‘ll watch my language aroun‘ the littl‘uns) of hearing some of the greatest music to ever be played by man. However, now Elektra records outta Europe have taken the first two Dillards albums “Back Porch Bluegrass“ and “Live!Almost!“ and plunked them down on one of them new-fangled compact disc thingies. You can now get yourself some amazing music and take it in the car,go joggin‘ wit it, or just have it playin‘ on the porch while you laugh at the folks joggin‘ aroun‘. Now, I ain‘t sayin‘ that you should necessarily run right out this very second and get it, but I will say the only thing that keeps this little jewel from being absolutely priceless is the fact that whichever European smartypants who wrote the notes on the record don‘t know the difference between Salem, Missouri (where the Dillards are from) and Salem, Massachusetts (where they had the witch-trials). But, if you can avoid getting‘ hornet-mad at that minor piece of stupidity then you‘ll own yourself music that you can be proud to have in your collection, music as crisp and sharp as a fresh apple off‘n tree. Now git yourselves outta here kiddies - Uncle Bill‘s gotta go nap or he‘ll get fussy.
“Blue Blue you good dog, you.“

04/5/04 Bill
Slayer - Soundtrack to the Apocalypse (box set)
There is no other band like Slayer - just ask any of the all-but-legion of fans who have worn the colors of the Slaytanic Whermacht on their backs and branded into their skin for decades now. Slayer became, through talent & sheer force of will, the standard by which speed metal (and its descendents of death/black metal) is judged. The “Soundtrack to the Apocalypse“ box set is the jewel in the crown for those fans. It offers not only the greatest songs throughout Slayers long (and artistically varied) career, but it includes scads of bonus material, from early demos & live tracks to a DVD full of rare treats. Slayers talent shows through this in-depth look at their accomplishments, displaying a talent and insight often sorely lacking in bands of their ilk. For a dose of fast, hard, almost painfully intense aggression, there has never been a better choice than Slayer, and for a dose of Slayer, there is no better choice than the “Soundtrack to the Apocalypse“. (Also available as a more collectable 5CD/ 1 DVD box packed with bonus goodies - but I‘m too cheap to afford that one, myself)

04/26/04 Bill
Wrong Turn & The Hills Have Eyes - Wrong Turn & The Hills Have Eyes (DVDs)
There‘s a stigma attached to being rural. City dwellers are assumed to be hip, educated folks with a cavalier, “been there, done that“ attitude, while country folks are painted as ignorant, out-of-it backwoods bumpkins lacking in sophistication and brains. Two recent DVD releases touch upon the fear that arises from the interaction of these cultures. “Wrong Turn“ is the more recent of the two, starring the nubile Eliza Dushku as part of a pack of friends who venture off into the West Virginia woods for a camping holiday, only to encounter an inbred clan of cannibalistic brothers who live off of victims that wander off of the main road and into their territory. This is “Deliverance“ taken into “Texas Chainsaw Massacre“ territory. “Wrong Turn“ features make-up effects by legendary creature-creator Stan Winston, enhanced by digital effects and all the bells and whistles of contemporary film-making, but it lacks a big thing that makes a film a classic: characters that the audience cares about. The cast is a group of ciphers, flat and two-dimensional, existing only to be slaughtered for the audience‘s amusement. There‘s no real reason for the audience to care about these people (other than the fact that some of them are quite hot) so there‘s no real sense of danger or desperation about their predicament. By contrast, “The Hills Have Eyes“ is a classic, lacking in the cutting edge effects (heck, it was even shot on 16mm) and digital goodies, but genuinely scary for the audience because the characters seem much more real and interesting. In “Wrong Turn“ there‘s the pat characters of the stoners, the good-girl, the best friend, etc, but in “THHE“ you get introduced to a family, made up of real people with real problems who interact in believable ways. As in “Wrong Turn“ it‘s a trip away from the main roads that leads our family into backwoods country (in this case the desert of the Southwest) and into the jaws of an inbred, cannibalistic family. The two families (one urban dwellers out of their element, the other the vicious desert rats) are contrasted against each other, lending a brilliant symmetry to the structure of the film and allowing the viewer to identify with both killers and victims, drawing you further into the plot and making each action all that much more intriguing and engaging. “The Hills Have Eyes“ is from the brilliant mind of Wes Craven and, like his earlier film “Last House On The Left“ shows ordinary people in an extra-ordinary situation pushed too far, characters that end up not only mirroring each other but becoming each other in the brutal finale. Both DVDs have plenty of extras, nice making-of features and bonus material, with “THHE“ winning out by including a full disc of bonus material for the cinephile to devour, as well as a brilliant transfer from decidedly inferior source material. “Wrong Turn“ ends up being a perfectly ordinary popcorn film, useful for killing ninety minutes, but not much more. “The Hills Have Eyes“ is a classic of the genre and a definite treat for fans of horror flicks that are not just basic kill-flicks, but of genuinely scary and though-provoking movies.
Billy-Bob says “check it out“.

04/26/04 Bill
Scud Mountain Boys - The Early Year
Like Uncle Tupelo‘s version of The Cowboy Junkies “The Trinity Sessions“, the Scud Mountain Boys first two records (originally released only on vinyl, but re-released by SubPop in this set) are stark and haunting alt-country masterpieces, highlighted not just by the evocative and beautiful original tunes, but also by the brilliant adaptations of unique covers. Tracks like “Silo“ or “There Is No Hell (Like The Hell On This Earth)“ are bleak and sorrowful sketches of average people on the fringe on life soaked in desperation. They are beautiful in their misery and touching in their truth. The covers are unlikely choices of material re-interpreted in unique ways that place a definite stamp on the songs. Oddball re-inventions of “Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves“ and “Please, Mister, Please“ will have you forgetting the original versions and finding new meaning in the Scud Mountain Boys‘ remakes. Two CDs of the finest alt-country that you‘ve ever heard in one package at a reasonable price - what more can you want ?

04/12/04 Bill
The Hangdogs - Wallace ‘48
New York‘s premier drunken-socialist-honkytonk band returns with an album on the cutting edge of “cultural irrelevance“ and “potty language“ with Wallace ‘48
their most recent studio effort. Chock full of biting, insightful lyrics, humor and charm this newest album is as good a record as currently rests on any stores
shelves. Banger, Tex, Rob and the rest have been honing their musical, and lyrical, chops for years(becoming frequent performers here in the Metroplex in the process) and Wallace shows them off, without losing the inebriated charm that suckered some of us
into their sound to begin with. What do they sound like, you ask ? Hows about a bit of the Gourds, a little Social D, some Steve Earle and lots of others (most of whom no-ones heard of, tragically, unless you‘re the sort of geek who owns Bell&Shore or the Blood Oranges records - and if you‘re not, why not ?). The albums cuts range from flat-out funny (‘Alcohol of Fame‘ or ‘If You‘re So Country (Then Drink Yourself to Death)‘ ) to sad and remorseful (check out ‘Goodnight, Texas‘ a great road-band song as well as a thank you to the Sons of Hermann Hall which has so often hosted classic ‘dogs shows) with lots of room in between. The title cut is a campaign song written for failed ‘48
third-party runner Henry Wallace, which is evocative of the time as well as being currently relative. There may not be any other band on the planet doing what the
Hangdogs do - offering up the musical equivalent to a Bill Hicks record - you‘ll laugh at the jokes, but you‘ll be thinking of the truth. I know that there are few (if any) bands in the history of music that have meant as much to me as these boys and Wallace ‘48 is
a showcase for every reason why I find them to be simply irreplaceable. So shut up, quit readin‘ this & go buy the damn thing, OK? And while you‘re at it, go to http://www.hangdogs.com & sign up for their newsletter, it‘s well worth your time.

03/29/04 Bill
Eric B & Rakim - Paid in Full (Deluxe Edition)
One of the single most influential albums in hip-hop history is given the Deluxe treatment, expanded to a double disc set encompassing even more mouth-watering morsels for rap afficianados to savor over. Eric B‘s sleek, vicious production sounds as brutally fresh as it did almost twenty years ago, Rakim‘s tongue-twisting, mind-bending raps are as spot-on as ever and the two combine in a way that is rarely equaled in hip-hop (or any other genre, for that matter). Only Public Enemy‘s relationship with the Bomb Squad would produce as stunningly original and influential music as the one-two punch of Eric B & Rakim. Buy or Die !

03/22/04 Bill
Dawn of the Dead DVD (1978) - Dawn of the Dead DVD (1978)
Directed by George Romero as a sequel to the classic “Night of the Living Dead“, “Dawn“ upped the ante that the taboo-shattering original had established. By incorporating more overt social commentary along with a MUCH higher (and bloodier) body-count, Romero established himself as a sharp-eyed screenwriter as well as an accomplished director. The DVD to this edition of the film is full of neat extras that will allow cinephiles to geek out - commentary tracks, trailers, and the sort of bells & whistles that discerning viewers demand in their packages these days. Before you shell out your money to the corner Octo-Plex showing the remake, you deserve to remind yourself why “Dawn of the Dead“ was powerful enough to linger in our consciousness for the past two-and-a-half decades.

03/22/04 Bill
The Mayor of Sunset Strip (Soundtrack) - The Mayor of Sunset Strip (Soundtrack)
Rodney Bingenheimer has been a fixture on the LA airwaves for decades - he helped to bridge the gaps from flower-power to glam to punk-rock and beyond - and finally there‘s a movie about him. Even better, there‘s a soundtrack that incorporates all of the many interests and obsessions of a one of radios premier DJs. From the Byrds to X, Alice Cooper to Coldplay, T. Rex to Blur, this soundtrack includes the exciting, eclectic tunes that Rodney has helped to expose SoCal hipsters to for decades. You may not live in receiving distance of Rodney on the ROQ, but you can sample it here.

03/22/04 Bill
The Ramonetures - The Ramonetures
Ever been sitting around listening to your favorite way-cool 60s style surf rock band & think “Yeah, but what if they were more punk-rock?“. Wonder no more, my friends, because the Ramonetures have answered that question. Applying Venture-style reverb-laden surf-guitar to the Ramones (hence their name & the title of their first record) these guys filter punk rock through one of the styles that inspired the scene, it‘s a retro-fusion homage !! The best part of their second record - with the too-geek-for-words title “Johnny Walk-Don‘t Run Pauline“ - is that it‘s a tribute to the classic Los Angeles band X that features participation from two of the band members, DJ Bonebreak and the legendary Billy Zoom. Go get this and wallow in one of the few remakes of classic songs that actually does something interesting (and not blasphemous) with the source material - plus, since it‘s instrumental versions of the tunes, you can use it to karaoke !

03/2/04 Bill
The Mummies - Death by Unga-Bunga
Most contemporary ‘garage‘ bands sound as if they have never actually been inside the garage (or worse, sound like they should be locked in one, preferably with the car engine running). However, the Mummies sound as if they aspire to be good enough to play in a garage. These brutally primitive noise-merchants deliver skronky rock-n-roll in its most stripped-down and primal form. These guys are so hard-core that for years they refused to release music on anything but vinyl - no tapes, no 8-tracks, certainly no CDs, but the dawning of ‘04 brought unbelievable joy to the hearts of collectors whose only contact with these kings of pawn-shop rock was precious and rare 45s - we now have the Mummies on CD! Now, for all of those who have salivated to hear the legendary “You Must Fight To Live on the Planet of the Apes“ single, but didn‘t have the major moolah to splurge, you folks can now bask in its glory in digital form for a fraction of the price. The Mummies will re-define your idea of what music can be by blasting all of the accumulated crud from your ears with song after song that strips rock down to its bare pulsating essence.

02/16/04 Bill
Various Artists - No Thanks ! The ‘70s Punk Rebellion“ (Box Set)
So, the holidays have come & gone, and Valentine‘s Day left you alone with nothing but those ‘special‘ websites to keep you company. You deserve a treat. You deserve a fantastic collection of influential and aggressive music. You deserve Rhino‘s new box set. The fine folks at Rhino have assembled some of the greatest tracks to emerge from that eclectic melting pot that was the hazily defined genre of “punk“ From Scottish popsters the Rezillos to the gothic post-punk gloom of Joy Division theres something for every facet of your life. Add to this Rhino‘s extensive liner notes & a impressive collection of photos & you‘ve got a box set with some real weight to it. Do yourself a favor, treat yourself, give yourself some thanks when no-one else has.

02/16/04 Bill
Dr. Feelgood - Live at the BBC : 1974-1975
The band that defined the British pub rock scenerecorded for British radio during their heyday, this collection will pin you to your seat with intensity and attitude. Forged in the British clubs, Dr. Feelgood played tight, straight-ahead rock-n-roll that helped to lay the foundation of an obscure musical sub-genre called ‘punk‘ (ever heard of it ?). Widely influential (check out Clinton Heylin‘s “From the Velvets to the Voidoids“ or Legs McNeil‘s “Please Kill Me“ books, as they refer to the Feelgoods) but barely known outside of their home country, the Feelgoods will serve to satiate that burning need to hear real,authentic, passionate, garage-y rock without succumbing to the current hipster trend of cunfusing musical sloppiness & ineptitude for ‘authenticity‘.