Sunday, September 28, 2008

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, September 28, 2008
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell

101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More by Mudhoney
On Broadway by Neil Young
Red Sun by Half Japanese
Boomerang by The Black Lips
No Puedo Hacerte Mia by Los Peyotes
Buena by Joe "King" Carrasco & The Crowns
The Day I Got My Spine Back by Deadbolt
Fattening Frogs for Snakes by Sonny Boy Williamson & The Animals
Dog Eat Robot by The Meteors

Jackie Chan Does Kung Foo by Thee Headcoatees
Haisai Oijsan (Hey, Man!) by Shoukichi Kina
Wrestling Rock 'n' Roll by Lightning Beat Man
Teenage Depression by Eddie & The Hotrods
Theme From a Summer Place by Ross Johnson
Electrocuted Blues by The Mooney Suzuki
I Got Spies Watching You by Figures of Light
Lonesome and Loathsome by Hipbone Slim & The Knee Tremblers
D'Accord Tony D'accord by Tony Truant with The Fleshtones
Wine-O Boogie by Don Tosti's Pachuco Boogie Boys

Mumbles by Jack Ross
Bikini by The Bikinis
The Strip by The Upsetters
Kaput by Sam & The Saxtones
Dragon Walk by The Noblemen
Aw Shucks by J.J. Jones
The Grunt by The 50 Milers
Chicken Papa by The Preachers
Ooba Gooba by The Charts
(Hot Pastrami with) Mashed Potatoes by Joe Dee & The Starlighters
The Jungle by The Nite Cats

Get These Blues Off of Me by B.B. King
T.V. Mama by Taj Mahal with Los Lobos
Soul Meeting by The Soul Clan (Solomon Burke, Arthur Conley, Don Covay, Ben E. King & Joe Tex)
The Night Time Is the Right Time by Bettye LaVette, Andre Williams & Nathaniel Meyer
Wolf's at the Door by Howlin' Wolf
You'll Find Your Mistake by Junior Kimbrough
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

Friday, September 26, 2008

THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, September 26, 2008
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell


101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

SUPPORT THE KSFR FALL FUNDRAISER!Call me during the show 505-428-1382 or PLEDGE ONLINE

OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Spayed Kooley/Filipino Dance Hall Girl by Ry Cooder
I'll Fix Your Flat Tire, Merle by Pure Prairie League
Happy Hour in Hell by Cornell Hurd
Absolutely Sweet Marie by C.J. Chenier
Should Have Lied About That by Nancy Apple
NANCY IN THE FIRELIGHT
NANCY APPLE LIVE SET
I'll Be Fine When I Get Home to You
If Money's the Root of All Evil
428-1382 (KSFR Pledge Song)
Chariot Wheels
Bears in Them Woods

Riding in My Car by Gann Brewer
Cora by Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs
Gorgeous George by Ronny Elliott

Border Radio by Dave Alvin
Jungle Fever by Charlie Feathers
Trucker from Tennessee by Link Davis
Devil's Bop by Bovine
Tobacco Road by Tav Falco
Race With the Devil by Gene Vincent
Sweet Love on My Mind by Johnny Burnett & The Rock 'n' Roll Trio
Monkey Beat City by Ronnie Dawson
High Priced Chick by Yuichi & The Hilltone Boys
Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight by Jet Girls
I'm a Hobo by Danny Reeves
Whirlwind by Charlie Rich

Blood by Zeno Tornado & The Boney Google Brothers
The Gift Horse of Mercy by Butch Hancock
Shanty by The Mekons
There's a Rugged Road by Shawn Colvin
Last Date by David Bromberg
Laura by Rolf Cahn
Everybody's Talkin' by Bobby Bare
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list

TERRELL'S TUNE-UP: HOW BLUE CAN YOU GET?

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
September 26, 2008



Listening to B.B. King’s new album, One Kind Favor, makes me remember the exact moment I became a B.B. King fan for life.

It was my freshman semester in college, back in 1971. I was just getting into the blues and had bought two cassette tapes — Endless Boogie by John Lee Hooker and King’s Live in Cook County Jail.

Hooker’s album was OK. It was one of those guest-star-laden affairs featuring endless riffage from various young, white rock guys. Not bad but not a classic.

King’s jailhouse romp is another story. From its very first moments, when various jail officials are introduced and roundly booed by the inmates, you realize it’s going to be an authentic experience. Both King and his band are in top form and captivate — oops, that might not be the right word — from start to finish.

But the moment that clinched it for me was the bridge in “How Blue Can You Get”: “I gave you a brand new Ford, but you said ‘I want a Cadillac’/I bought you a $10 dinner, you said ‘Thanks for the snack.’/I let you live in my penthouse, you said it was just a shack.”

And then B.B. pours his guts into the kicker that still makes me grin, 37 years later: “I gave you seven children, and now you want to give ’em back.”

I doubt there’s anything on One Kind Favor that would give any college freshman today a lifelong memory. But it’s still an impressive effort (especially considering that the guy is 11 years older than John McCain) and an enjoyable listen. The record is a sweet reminder of everything a B.B. King fan loves about the old pro.

Produced by T-Bone Burnett, the T. Boone Pickens of roots-music producers, One Kind Favor is mainly a collection of blues standards. But the production is so sparse and understated and King’s voice is so soulful throughout that it sounds fresh. The basic band includes Dr. John on piano, Jim Keltner on drums, Nathan East on stand-up bass, and, of course, King on guitar. With a horn section on many tracks, the band sounds as if it has been backing B.B. forever.

The opening song, from which the title is taken, is one of my favorite songs in blues history — “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean.” Blind Lemon Jefferson wrote it. Canned Heat rocked it up under the title “One Kind Favor,” and Mavis Staples covered it a few years ago, calling it “A Dying Man’s Plea.” (Though Canned Heat’s version is still my favorite version, folkie Geoff Muldaur laudably used the song in a two-part epic song, “Find Blind Lemon,” about searching for Jefferson’s grave. “He only asked one favor, to see that his grave is kept clean.”)

There are two songs by the Mississippi Sheiks (a string band from the ’30s) — “The World Is Gone Wrong” and the chestnut “Sitting on Top of the World” — and one by Hooker (“Blues Before Sunrise”). Two of my favorite songs here were composed by old-time bluesman Lonnie Johnson. “Backwater Blues” is a flood song performed almost like a dirge. But even better is Johnson’s “Tomorrow Night.” Elvis Presley did a heart-stopping version of this back in his Sun Records days, and Bob Dylan has also covered it. It’s a perfect blues ballad for King and a perfect closer for this record.

Some musicians say their albums are like children. If so, this is one you won’t want to give back.

Also recommended:

*Maestro by Taj Mahal. It took me a few songs to warm up to this new record by Taj Mahal. Scheduled for release on Tuesday, Sept. 30, it’s a “celebration” of his 40 years in show biz. As often is the case with such celebrations, the record is overrun with guest stars. In this case, the results are decidedly mixed.

The record kicks off with a thud: a surprisingly flat cover of Slim Harpo’s “Scratch My Back.” There’s also a boring Caribbean-flavored ballad featuring Taj’s daughter Deva Mahal and Los Lobos and a duet with Jack Johnson, a champion prizefighter who’s been dead since 1946. (Wait ... that’s a different Jack Johnson. Sorry. )

Though the Ben Harper duet, “Dust Me Down,” isn’t bad, I was about to yank the CD out of my changer at the end of “Black Man, Brown” an old Taj song sung here with Ziggy Marley. But I let it play through the pretty but ultimately inconsequential “Zanzibar,” a collaboration with African musicians Angélique Kidjo and kora player Toumani Diabaté.

And then, once Taj gets the world-beat weenie stuff out of his system, he lowers the boom. Los Lobos is back, and it sounds like the band woke up — with a vengeance. “TV Mama” is a hard-edged rocker, with Taj playing a mean harmonica and David Hidalgo showing that slide guitar is yet another of his many talents.

Even better is the next track, “I Can Make You Happy,” backed by The New Orleans Social Club, which includes Henry Butler on piano and Ivan Neville on organ. Taj uses his Howlin’ Wolf voice on this dusky stomper. If the entire album were as strong as these two numbers, Maestro would probably be blues album of the year.

Nothing else matches this middle section of tunes, though the rest of the album is much stronger than the first half. I especially like the Dixieland-flavored “Slow Drag” and the back-alley snarler “Strong Man Holler.”

Thursday, September 25, 2008

FERNANDO C de BACA RESIGNS

The dance of death is over for the Bernalillo County Republican chairman.

Peter St. Cyr has a complete interview on his audio blog.

The state GOP -- which has been calling for C de Baca to step down just issued this response:

"I have been informed Fernando C de Baca has submitted his resignation as county chairman. Mr. C de Baca has worked hard on behalf of the party, and his contributions should be appropriately recognized. We are glad this matter has been resolved and wish him well," said (state GOP Chairman) Allen Weh .

"Fernando C de Baca has served as Bernalillo County Republican Chairman since 2005. Prior to retiring from federal service, he held a variety of positions in both state and federal governments. He also served our country with distinction during the Vietnam War as a member of the US Army."

Scroll down a couple of posts to read my column about the situation (or CLICK HERE)

CAROLINE AT AIRPORT ROAD EVENT


Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late President Kennedy, will appear Friday at PC's Restaurant & Lounge for a campaign function for Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama.

The event is being billed as a "debate watch party," Alfred Johnson, Obama's campaign director for Northern New Mexico, told me late Wednesday — although she's scheduled to appear at the Airport Road eatery at 4 p.m., while the debate starts at 7 p.m.

Kennedy, who co-chaired Obama's vice-presidential selection team, also has scheduled a debate-watching fundraising event and reception at the home of Debbie Fleischaker. The cost: $1,000 per person. Later that evening, Kennedy is scheduled to attend a dinner at the Santa Fe home of Paul Bardacke and Lisa Enfield. Cost for that event is $10,000 per person.

More details about the PC's event should be available today, Johnson said. PC's is located at 4220 Airport Road.

UPDATE: (Thursday afternoon) The Obama campaign now is saying the event is at 4:30 p.m. It's being billed as a "debate watch party and volunteer training." Kennedy is scheduled to be there until 5:45 pm.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

ROUNDHOUSE ROUND-UP: PEARCE SAYS C de BACA SHOULD GO

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
September 1, 2008


U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce on Wednesday became the latest major Republican in New Mexico to call for the resignation of Bernalillo County GOP chairman Fernando C de Baca over remarks concerning Hispanic attitudes toward black people.

“Fernando is a friend and a good friend,” Pearce told me in a telephone interview. “He’s done a lot of good for the Republican Party in Bernalillo County. But the comments were very unfortunate. I feel like it’s affecting the party. I called him and told him there’s no way he should continue as county chairman.”

Pearce joins U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, state GOP chairman Allen Weh and others who have called for C de Baca to step down.

The controversy started when C de Baca told a British Broadcasting Corp. reporter in an interview last week that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama won’t attract Hispanic support. “The truth is that Hispanics came here as conquerors. African Americans came here as slaves. Hispanics consider themselves above blacks. They won’t vote for a black president.”
THE CONQUISTADOR
In a taped interview with the BBC (courtesy KSFR) , C de Baca said older Hispanics won’t support Obama “primarily because there is a strong feeling that African Americans during the civil-rights movement took advantage, full advantage, of all the benefits and programs that the government offered, that were supposed to be offered to all minorities. But we were left behind. We were left sucking air. And we resented that ever since the ’60s, and I don’t see how a black president is going to change that.”

C de Baca has since claimed his comments were taken out of context. He said he was referring to views held by older Hispanics.

Pearce said Wednesday that he met Saturday morning with C de Baca about the controversy. “My understanding then is that he would be stepping down.” Since then, however, the Bernalillo County Republican Party executive board gave C de Baca a vote of confidence.

Republicans aren’t the only ones to offer opinions on C de Baca’s interview. Pearce’s Democratic Senate opponent, Rep. Tom Udall, released a statement Wednesday calling the chairman’s statements “insulting and disgraceful.”

“We boast New Mexico’s long-standing minority-majority status because of our immense pride in our vibrant diversity. Chairman C de Baca’s comments are not only demeaning to the people and pride of New Mexico, they perpetuate and validate racism. These words are unacceptable for any official who represents our great state.”

Although C de Baca probably is the first to bring up the conquistador/slave argument, others have talked about the reluctance of some Hispanics, especially older people, to support Obama. In an interview at the Democratic National Convention in Denver last month, state labor leader Christine Trujillo — an Obama supporter — told me the candidate needs to do more to reach out to Hispanics. She said while younger members of her family enthusiastically favor Obama, older family members are having a difficult time accepting him.

However, recent polls show Obama doing better with Hispanics in New Mexico than John Kerry did in 2004. The North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling did a poll of 1,037 likely voters in New Mexico late last week that showed Obama winning 59 percent of the Hispanic vote compared with John McCain’s 35 percent (margin of error 3 percent). A SurveyUSA poll taken a couple of days before shows Obama winning the Hispanic vote by a margin of 69 percent to 28 percent (671 adults interviewed, margin of error 3.9 percent).

Where the heck is the guv? Gov. Bill Richardson might have the “best job in the world” as governor of New Mexico, but he sure hasn’t been here very much during the political season.
BILL RICHARDSON in DENVER Aug. 2008
What’s frustrating for reporters is that often we don’t find out about Richardson’s out-of-state trips until we see items in Google News alerts. The governor’s press office has basically stopped releasing weekly public schedules for Richardson. Generally, there is no advance warning of political trips, despite our requests.

The attitude of the office seems to be that it’s nobody’s business when the governor is in the state or not.

Anyway, here’s the latest of Richardson’s treks:

After campaigning for Obama in Colorado this weekend, he appeared Monday in Reading and Bethlehem, Pa. In Bethlehem, he spoke to the Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations.

And, speaking of Fernando C de Baca, one Obama volunteer there told Richardson that some Democrats are reluctant to vote for Obama because of his race, according to an article in The Morning Call, an Allentown, Pa., paper. “In conversations with some of these people, it seems undecided is just an excuse for what their real hesitation is for voting for Sen. Obama,” Melba Tolliver told Richardson.

Richardson, according to The Morning Call, said, “Is there going to be a certain percent who is not going to support Obama because of his race? Yes, probably. But you know I think this has become a very tolerant nation.”

The next day, Richardson was in New Hampshire, where in January he saw his own presidential candidacy die when he finished a distant fourth in the Democratic primary. He had speaking engagements in Manchester, Nashua and Laconia, according to news accounts.

At least we know, from an account in PolitickerNH.com, that Richardson is scheduled to be in Mississippi on Friday for the presidential debate.

“My role is going to be what’s called a spinner. I will declare, don’t write this down, John, Obama the victor before the debate starts,” Richardson said. “John” is political reporter John DiStaso of the New Hampshire Union Leader in Manchester, who was covering the speech.

Richardson was in New Mexico on Wednesday. He had a news conference at Isleta Pueblo to announce the recipients of $2.8 million in capital outlay funding to help restore and improve the health of rivers in the state.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, September 21, 2008
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell

101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

SUPPORT THE KSFR FALL FUNDRAISER!
Call me during the show 505-428-1382 or PLEDGE ONLINE

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
It's Money That I Love by Randy Newman
Money Money by The A-Bones
Money (That's What I Love) by Jerry Lee Lewis
I Need Some Money, I Want Some Money by Swamp Dogg
Money Won't Change You by James Brown
Before the Money Came by Bettye Lavette

Maniac Rockers From Hell by The Meteors
Chocolate Drop by Howlin' Wolf
(I'm Not Your) Scratchin' Post by The Dirtbombs
Cab it Up by The Fall
Vampiro by Los Peyotes
Seething Psychosexual Conflict Blues by Figures of Light
Only to Other People by The Detroit Cobras
Addictos Al Ye Ye by The Hollywood Sinners
Dos Hojas Sin Rumbos by Al Hurricane

BRIAN WILSON SET
All songs by Brian Wilson except where noted
That Lucky Old Sun/Morning Beat
Heroes & Villains by The Beach Boys
My Jeanine by Brian Wilson & Van Dyke Parks
Rio Grande
Cabin Essence
Add Some Music to Your Day
Still I Dream of It
Surf's Up by The Beach Boys
Going Home

Meth of a Rockette's Kick by Mercury Rev
Always by Leonard Cohen
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

Saturday, September 20, 2008

NOW HERE'S A REAL POLITICAL AD.

I did laugh yesterday at the punchline of Tom Udall's new Senate campaign ad with the parrot. ad.

But that's not my favorite political ad I've seen lately. That would be a 2006 ad by Republican Paul Nelson who ran unsuccessfully against Democratic Congressman Ron Kind in Wisconsin.

Now this is an ad! (Thanks to Mark Wolf of Rocky Talk Live.)



UPDATE: (Sunday) I just found this 2006 story from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that sheds some light on this ad. Turns out that it's based on a near identical version that popped up in a North Carolina race. Could New Mexico be next?

I SHOULDA POSTED THIS EARLIER ...

There's no Santa Fe Opry playlist tonight because the show was pre-empted by the live broadcast of Globalquerque.

I'll be back on the air Sunday nigth with Sound World and back witrh the Opry next Friday.

Friday, September 19, 2008

OBAMA IN ESPANOLA

OBAMA IN ESPANOLA

You can find my story in today's New Mexican HERE.

I took a few snapshots. You can find those HERE.

BUTTONS

Thursday, September 18, 2008

TERRELL'S TUNE-UP: LIFE OF BRIAN

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
September 19, 2008



If Brian Wilson's new album, That Lucky Old Sun, truly were the follow-up to Smile, I could see why it would be considered something of a sophomore slump.

That Lucky Old Sun is Wilson’s first album since Smile. (not counting his 2005 Christmas album). But let’s be real. Smile is a bizarre masterpiece that Wilson first began working on more than 40 years ago with The Beach Boys. It was rescued and revived four years ago by Wilson, with the loving, patient, and determined assistance of members of his band Wondermints. (Wilson fans should, if they haven’t already, immediately get their hands on the DVD Brian Wilson Presents Smile. I came away respecting his young band mates nearly as much as I respect Wilson himself.) Smile is in a class by itself, but you shouldn’t hold that against this new album.

It could be argued that, on the surface, That Lucky Old Sun sounds like a follow-up to Smile. Both albums are song cycles featuring recurring musical themes, tunes ranging from the whimsical to the melancholy, and obvious references to longtime Wilson sources like Phil Spector and The Four Freshmen. You hear strains of doo-wop, barbershop, California pop, quasi-chamber music, and lounge sleaze. The lyrics are frequently clunky — but that’s been true ever since Wilson, now in his mid-60s, was a little-bitty Beach Boy.

The tune for which the album is named, which appears as a brief introduction and reappears in short snatches elsewhere in the album, is indeed that old Frankie Laine hit. My initial encounter with the song was Ray Charles’ version in the 1960s. I was just a kid, and this big-orchestrated production was one of the first times a song actually made me sad. I could feel the depths of sorrow and frustration as Charles sang, “I fuss with my woman and toil with my kids/Sweat ’til I’m wrinkled and gray/I know that lucky old sun has nothin’ to do/But roll around heaven all day.”

But Wilson’s version of the song doesn’t evoke the same level of sadness or world-weariness. There’s no fussing or toiling here. Wilson’s take is fortified by a strange optimism, as if he’s saying, “If you’re lucky, you can be like the sun and roll around heaven all day.”

The first half or so of the record is an update of one of Wilson’s longest-running themes — his love for Southern California. It’s a celebration of Los Angeles, from the beach to the barrios to Hollywood Boulevard. “The sun burns a hole through the 6 a.m. haze/Turns up the volume and shows off its rays/Another Dodger-blue sky is crowning L.A.,” Wilson sings in the peppy “Morning Beat.” You almost expect him to intertwine pieces of Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.”

But in the second half, Wilson gets more interesting as he begins to confront himself about his infamous “lost years” of mental illness. “At 25 I turned out the light/Couldn’t handle the glare in my tired eyes,” he sings in “Going Home.”

In “Oxygen to the Brain,” he moans, “How could I have got so low/I’m embarrassed to tell you so/I laid around this old place/I hardly ever washed my face.”

Then there’s “Midnight’s Another Day,” in which he sings, “Swept away in a brainstorm/Chapters missing, pages torn.”

Alas, there are aspects of this album that prevent it from being a classic. For instance, the silly doggerel “narratives” that pop up between some songs are corny and annoying. Surprisingly, they are written by Smile lyricist Van Dyke Parks. Sadly, they are Parks’ only contributions to the record.

“Mexican Girl,” about some lovely señorita in East Los Angeles, is downright embarrassing — at least the lyrics are. “Hey bonita muchacha/Don’t-cha know that I want-cha. ... You have my sacred heart/We’ll finish at the start.”

And while the music of “Forever She’ll Be My Surfer Girl” isn’t bad, the self-referential sentimentality is a little much for these jaded ears.

So no, That Lucky Old Sun is not in the same league as Smile. But consider this: even though Beethoven’s Sixth is no Beethoven’s Fifth, it’s still Beethoven.

Bonus:

Steve Terrell’s Brian Wilson List
* Best Brian Wilson Song of All Time: “Surf’s Up,” co-written by Van Parks. My favorite version of this song, originally written for Smile, is the one that appeared as the title song of the Beach Boys’ 1971 album.
* Best Brian Wilson Song of All Time Runner-Up: “Heroes and Villains.” My favorite version is from the original Smile sessions; it appears on the Beach Boys’ 1993 box set, Good Vibrations.
* Best Cover of “Surf’s Up”: David Thomas & Two Pale Boys.
* Worst Cover of “Surf’s Up”: Vince Gill, Jimmy Webb, and David Crosby on the DVD An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson.
* Weirdest Brian Wilson Song: “Rio Grande,” from his self-titled 1988 album. It sounds like the soundtrack for an imaginary theme-park ride based on a Western starring Pee-wee Herman.
* Saddest Brian Wilson Song: “Still I Dream of It.” My favorite version is the lo-fi demo track on I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times.
* Best Brian Wilson Celebrity Ode: “Johnny Carson,” from The Beach Boys Love You.
* Best Ode to Brian Wilson: “Brian Wilson” by Barenaked Ladies
* Best Brian Wilson Song I Don't Care If I Never Hear Again in My Whole Life: “Good Vibrations.” It’s a great song, but Sunkist ruined it for me years ago.
* Best Brian Wilson Song That’s Not Really a Brian Wilson Song: “Meth of a Rockette’s Kick” by Mercury Rev.
* Best Brian Wilson Radio Tribute: This Sunday at 11 p.m. on Terrell’s Sound World, KSFR-FM 101.1.

Bonehead correction: This is embarrassing, but I got the title of the Zeno Tornado album reviewed in last week’s Tune-Up wrong. (I corrected it in my blog) The correct title is Rambling Man, which appears in near illegible letters on the cover. I called the album Lover of Your Dreams, which is the name of the first song. And this is what confused me: It’s also the name of a previous Tornado album

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

ROUNDHOUSE ROUND-UP: MORE ELECTION NEWS

During his New Mexico visit today, Barack Obama plans to do more than charge up a few thousand folks at a rally in Española. He also will make time to raise a little cash.
OBAMA IN THE WINDOW
A few hours after his speech on Española’s plaza, Obama is scheduled to appear at an Albuquerque fundraiser at the home of Kandace and Paul Blanchard. Paul Blanchard is a racetrack and casino owner and major contributor to Gov. Bill Richardson.

The cost to get into the “general reception” at the Blanchards’ is a mere $2,500 a person. Once they clear out those low-rent folks, the real fun begins with a “host reception,” for which the price tag is $28,500 a person. This event includes a party favor — a photo with the candidate.

I’m not sure why the invitations include the contribution price. I thought the rule was “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.”

Under federal campaign finance laws, individuals can give a maximum of $2,300 to a candidate per election. But the limit is $28,500 for contributions to national party committees.

Republicans have tried to score populism points by drawing attention to Obama’s high-dollar fundraisers. On Tuesday — in response to an expensive Hollywood fundraiser that night headlined by Barbra Streisand — state Republicans invited volunteers to a phone bank party in Albuquerque with entertainment by celebrity impersonators, including a local version of Marilyn Monroe.

Of course, GOP candidate John McCain on Monday attended a $50,000-a-plate fundraiser in Miami. I don’t know whether anyone sang.

New Mexico gives: Speaking of campaign contributions, New Mexicans have dropped millions on this presidential race.

According to the latest figures available on OpenSecrets.org, the Web site of the Center for Responsive Politics, Obama has collected $1,408,314 from New Mexicans while McCain has received $593,324. As far as New Mexico bucks go, the Republican also trails Democratic runner-up Hillary Clinton, who raised $599,876.

But all of them trail another Democratic candidate — Gov. Bill Richardson, who ended his candidacy in January. New Mexicans gave the Richardson campaign $6,282,503.

As far as Santa Fe residents go, people in this city have given Richardson $1,624,504; Obama $792,173; Clinton $202,844; and McCain $118,787. All these numbers, according to OpenSecrets.org, are based on Federal Election Commission data released electronically Sept. 2.

Poll-a-rama: Two new polls of New Mexico voters show Obama taking the lead in this battleground state. The results in the new polls were nearly identical.

According to a SurveyUSA/KOB-TV poll released Wednesday evening, Obama leads McCain by 8 percentage points, 52 percent to 44 percent.

That poll, based on automated calls to 671 likely voters from Sunday through Tuesday, showed Obama leading among Hispanic voters 69 percent to 70 percent. Earlier this week, Richardson told Santa Fe Democrats that Obama needs to get 65-70 percent of the Hispanic vote here to win the state’s five electoral votes. The margin of error is 3.9 percent.

Also on Wednesday, the New Hampshire-based American Research Group reported Obama ahead in New Mexico 51 percent to 44 percent. That poll of 600 likely voters was taken during the same period earlier this week. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.

Both polls show a gender gap, with men preferring McCain and women preferring Obama.
New Mexico poll numbers have been shifting. Recent polls by Mason-Dixon and Rasmussen showed McCain with a thin lead, though a CNN/Time poll in late August showed Obama up by 13 percentage points here.

Blog Bonus: After I filed this column for the print edition, a new SurveyUSA poll on the New Mexico Senate race came in. It shows Democrat Tom Udall ahead of Republican Steve Pearce 56 percent to 41 percent. That's 15 points, more than twice the spread of the recent Rasmussen poll that showed Pearce trailing by just seven points. And it's pretty close to a poll commissioned by the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee , which I was going to ignore because I try to ignore campaign-commissioned polls on both sides,

How did you vote, Tom? As a longtime political junkie with a love-hate attitude toward campaign commercials, I have to say I kind of like Senate candidate Pearce’s recent series of 15-second spots.

First of all, they’re only 15 seconds.

And while they’re definitely attack ads, they’re definitely issue-oriented and not personal. In the ads, Pearce never comes out and says his Democratic opponent Tom Udall is a bad guy and a threat to our way of life. Pearce just says how he voted for or against something, then asks “How did you vote, Tom?” — implying, of course that Udall voted the “wrong” way on whatever the issue is — energy, taxes, “partial-birth” abortion or whatever.

Most of the ads are fairly straightforward — although there are complexities and nuances in most legislation that can’t be fully explained in 15 seconds. But one of the spots truly needs more explanation.

“I’m Steve Pearce and I approve this message to let you know where I stand,” it begins. “Raising taxes on middle-class families to pay for benefits for undocumented workers is just plain wrong. How did you vote Tom?”

Could Udall really have voted in favor of the Raise Taxes on Middle Class Families to Pay for Benefits for Undocumented Workers Act?

Actually, I didn’t remember this piece of legislation, so I consulted the fact sheet on Pearce’s Web site.
TOM UDALL
The bill, HR 3963, is better known as the State Child Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP.

Not only did Udall vote for it in the House last year, so did 43 House Republicans, including New Mexico’s Rep. Heather Wilson. In the Senate, it was supported by Republican Pete Domenici.

The bill passed Congress but was vetoed by President Bush. Both Udall and Wilson voted to override the veto (Pearce was opposed to the override), but the bill failed.

Colorado bound: Richardson continues his role as an Obama surrogate this weekend. He said during a Wednesday news conference he will campaign in the Colorado towns of Greeley, Alamosa and Pueblo.

Monday, September 15, 2008

MEANWHILE, ON THE SECOND COMING FRONT ...

So this guy, Dr. Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda, says he's Jesus and has his followers tattoo themselves with "666." Haven't I read about this somewhere before?

These folks keep sending me their press releases. Here's the latest:


Mexican Natives Get Marked With 666

CHIAPAS, MEXICO - More than 600 natives from Chiapas, Mexico, including young children and adults alike, proudly tatooed themselves with the 666 and SSS on their bodies as a sign of love for Dr. Jose Luis De Jesus who is the man Christ Jesus here on Earth.

Their shocking video speaks for itself: (I'll be a nice guy and just embed this )




The world is awakening to the fact that God is amongst us and they are honoring the number of His name: 666. Investigate: http://www.666news.com/

Media Contacts:

Mexico: Donaldo Flores Tel. (00521) 55 39274916
prensamexico@creciendoengracia.com
International: Axel Poessy Tel. (718) 713-8075
pr@creciendoengracia.com

The Government of God on Earth:

Ministerio Internacional Creciendo en Gracia
World Headquarters - 8000 NW 25 ST. Miami, FL 33122
Tel: (305) 994-9194 Fax: (305) 994-9195
http://www.creciendoengracia.com/


# # #

Sunday, September 14, 2008

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, September 14, 2008
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell

101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Baby Who Mutilated Everybody's Heart by Thee Mighty Ceasars
Faster Pussycat by The Cramps
What Do You Look Like by Hipbone Slim & The Knee Tremblers with Holly Golightly
Dead Moon Night by Dead Moon
Scream by Los Peyotes
Medication by The Standells
As Long As I Have You by The Detroit Cobras
Take a Good Look by The Fleshtones
CIA Man by The Fugs

Liked it a Lot by Charlie Pickett And
A Natural Man by The Dirtbombs
Dig Me a Hole by Little Freddie King
Starry Eyes by Roky Erikson
Police on My Back by The Clash
Bird Guy by Quan & The Chinese Takeouts
It's OK by The Come 'n' Go
Prison Shank by Deadbolt
Batman by John Zorn

STEVE TERRELL'S POLKA PARTY
The Happy Wanderer by Brave Combo
The Pimps of Polka by The Polkaholics
Who'd You Like to Love You by Li'l Wally
Chciago is a Polka Town by Stas Golonka & The Chicago Masters
Big City Polka by The Wallets
Who Stole the Kishka by Frankie Yankovic
Jammin' Polkas by The Steve Meisner Band
Raisin Nut Polka by Nancy Hlad
Weiner Dog Polka by Polkacide

Backwater Blues by B.B. King
I Can Make You Happy by Taj Mahal
Beware the Man (With Candy in His Hand)/The Devil is Dope by The Dramatics
There's Someone Waiting to See You by Simon Stokes
Southern California by Brian Wilson
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

Friday, September 12, 2008

THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, September 12, 2008
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell

101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Steal It All Day by C.C. Adcock
You'd Better Dig It by Billy Johnson
Sag, Drag and Fall by Sid King & The Five Strings
Killer Came From Space by The Dragtones
Shortnin' Bread by The Cramps
Frankie & Johnny by Charlie Feathers
I'm So Blue by Jo Miller & Her Burley Roughnecks
Peroxide Blonde by Deke Dikerson
Countin' the Years by Yuichi & The Hilltones
Wild Trip by Flat Duo Jets

Party by The Collins Kids
Hot Rod Boogie Woogie Days by Bobby Wayne
Rawhide by Link Wray
Sugar Diet by Charlie Adams
Wild Man by Hasil Adkins
She's a Bad 'Un by Ronnie Dawson
College Man by Bill Justis
Ain't I'm a Dog by Ronnie Self
Color Me Blue, Paint Me Pink by The Legendary Stardust Cowboy
Fannie Mae by Dizzy Elmer

Father Time and Gravity by Jerry Reed
Amos Moses by Primus
Guitar Man by Junior Brown
Horny by Zeno Tornado & The Boney Google Brothers
Drunk by Desert Radio
Right or Wrong by Merle Haggard
Dixie Cannonball by The Pine Valley Cosmonauts
Hittin' It Hard by Jim Lauderdale
I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Band by The New Duncan Imperials

Chevy Headed West by Jim Stringer & The AM Band
Tiger Beer by Gann Brewer
In the Matter of Me and You by Miss Leslie
Are They Gonna Make Us Outlaws Again by Hazel Dickens
Be A Little Quiter by Porter Wagoner
Galveston by Jimmy Webb
Shanty by The Mekons
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list

Thursday, September 11, 2008

TERRELL'S TUNE-UP: NEW COUNTRY GOLD

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
September 12, 2008


Although I’ve made it a personal tradition to always begin a road trip by blasting a Ramones CD — and my recent drive to Denver for the Democratic National Convention was no exception — most of the other CDs I took along were new, or relatively new, country albums with which I wanted to spend more time. Here’s a look at some of them.

* Triskaidekaphilia by Jim Stringer and the AM Band. Stringer is an Austin stalwart, a hotshot guitar picker, and a lover of good basic honky-tonk and Western swing. His latest album is full of all those things that have made his past albums enjoyable.

There are some cool instrumentals, especially the opening tune, a souped-up version of Duane Eddy’s “Rebel Rouser,” to which Stringer adds snatches of television themes — including those from The Andy Griffith Show and The Simpsons. And there are some funny country numbers, like “Here’s the River” (which is about psyching out your opponents in pool, poker, and life); sentimental country songs, like “He Love Music”; and a country cover of an old Top 40 song — Jay and the Americans’ “Come a Little Bit Closer” (which I always considered a rewrite of Marty Robbins’ “El Paso”).

But there are a couple of standout originals here that showcase Stringer’s talents as a songwriter and frankly make this his best album.

“Chevy Headed West” is a bittersweet song about a couple of young guys on a road trip to California in 1968, worrying about Vietnam and learning about the assassination of Bobby Kennedy on their car radio. It’s quite a moving little number, and, as far as I’m concerned, it gets extra points for name-dropping KOMA, a renowned 50,000-watt AM radio station blasting out of my hometown of Oklahoma City across the Great Plains every night (“from Texas to Chicago,” Stringer sings, but lots of folks have told me it was a hit on teenagers’ car radios out here in New Mexico when the sun went down).

And then there’s “I Saw Them Together.” I’ve always been a sucker for a good clean murder ballad, and this sweet waltz about a bad case of mistaken identity immediately warmed my twisted heart.

* Ramblin' Man by Zeno Tornado and the Boney Google Brothers. Switzerland’s Voodoo Rhythm Records has given us Eurotrash/punk versions of rockabilly (Hipbone Slim and the Knee Tremblers, Jerry J. Nixon), Cajun (The Watzloves, Mama Rosin), blues (The Juke Joint Pimps and others), and garage rock (The Monsters and way too many others to mention).

But its greatest contribution to country music has to be Zeno Tornado.

Tornado is a native of Switzerland. His lyrics are full of humor, and the twang in his voice obviously isn’t natural. But this music shouldn’t be considered parody. He understands and appreciates good old American country-western. Tornado and band play it with aplomb, mixing in elements of rockabilly (dig that cool slap bass, especially in the song “She’s My Neighbor”) and bluegrass (there’s some nice fiddle and banjo in “Sober,” “Bone White Moon,” and others).

He also jumps head-on intoitional country themes — sex, violence, and intoxication. He’s far more explicit than most country stars, reminding me somewhat of Hank Williams III. “I’m a little lonely but very, very horny. ... I wonder under which girl I’m going to land tonight,” he sings in “Horny,” a jumpy little acoustic hillbilly song with fiddle and mandolin.

Then in “Bullet in My Mind,” he sings, “I killed her a thousand times.” It turns out to be a fantasy, but a disturbing one indeed.

Sometimes Zeno’s lyrics are slightly bizarre. “Here I am sittin’, drinkin’ my own blood,” is how he starts out the song “Blood.” Perhaps “Waiting Room” could be considered Euro-country emo. “Life’s a waiting room for death,” he sings. “Maybe I drown in icy water/Or get killed by a religious brother/I don’t care as long as I die.”

But most of this record is pretty joyful. Any vocalist who can pull off a tongue twister like, “It’s a struggle in the puddle at the bottom of a bottle, oh yeah” at breakneck speed shows he’s not completely consumed with despair.

* Honey Songs by Jim Lauderdale & The Dream Players. An underappreciated country artist, Lauderdale has been cranking out fine albums full of well-crafted and thoroughly enjoyable songs on a regular basis. (A couple of years ago, he released two albums, both pretty decent, at the same time: Country Super Hits, Vol. 1, and Bluegrass.)

He has played in Lucinda Williams’ band, done duet albums with Ralph Stanley, and had songs covered by lots of mainstream country singers like Vince Gill, George Strait, and even George Jones.

And he’s not kidding when he calls the musicians on Honey Songs “the Dream Players.” He has some members from Elvis Presley’s old touring band, including the great guitarist James Burton and drummer Ron Tutt. He has Glenn D. Hardin on piano and Al Perkins on steel — both of whom have credits far too extensive to mention — and backup singers that include Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, Patty Loveless, and Bloodshot Records princess Kelly Hogan.

There’s not song on this album. Any one of these tracks would immediately raise the level of artistic integrity of the country station that plays it. The only trouble is, there aren’t any great songs here either — nothing really stands out or twists your head. Basically, Honey Songs shows far more competence than it does inspiration.

BIPARTISAN STATEMENT FOR SEPT. 11

In a rare moment of bi-partisan cooperation -- perhaps spurred by the joint appearance today of Barack Obama and John McCain at Ground Zero in New York -- Democratic state Chairman Brian Colon and Republican state Chairman Allen Weh made a joint visit to a 9/11 memorial mass at Albuquerque's Sacred Heart Catholic Church., which several years ago received two 20-foot steel beams from the fallen World Trade Center. The church used the two beams to construct a new bell tower.

Colon and Weh released this statement today:

"Seven years ago today, America suffered an unprovoked attack that will forever be etched in Americans' minds. In Albuquerque today, New Mexicans come together at Sacred Heart Church to remember those who were lost not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans. We honor the memory of each and every American who died in New York, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania that day. We also offer a prayer for all the families and friends who have lost loved ones in the attacks of 9/11 and in the service of their country. We give thanks for the firefighters, police, and all emergency responders who set a heroic example of selfless service that day, many of who lost their lives, and many of whom continue to serve their communities so well. Lastly, we salute the men and women who serve today in defense of the freedom and security that came under attack on that terrible day.”

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

ROUNDHOUSE ROUND-UP: THE FLAGS IN THE BAGS

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
September 11, 2008

WAVING A FLAG AT THE OBAMA SPEECH I winced a few days ago when I saw the wire story from Colorado Springs about the “rescued” Americans flags.

According to the article, an unnamed vendor who had been working Denver’s Invesco Field at Mile High during Barack Obama’s big speech at the Democratic National Convention came across garbage bags stuffed with thousands of American flags that audience members had waved enthusiastically during the speech. Supposedly the bags of flags were near garbage bins at the football stadium.

The vendor apparently gave said flags to the John McCain campaign, and the flags were distributed at a rally for McCain and running mate Sarah Palin in Colorado Springs on Saturday.

The emcee at the event, some Denver radio personality, told the GOP crowd that the flags were going to be thrown away or burned, which evoked loud boos and jeers.

Democrats say that the flags were not meant for the garbage and that the flag flap is a “cheap political stunt.” The Democratic National Committee issued a statement saying, “Stories circulating about flags at the Democratic National Convention are false. We distributed more than 125,000 American made flags at the Convention — the flags removed from Invesco Field were intended for other events and taken without permission.”

I don’t know about those particular flags that ended up at the McCain rally. But I was there at the Obama speech, and I decided afterward to go down to the stands and pick up a flag as a free souvenir for my son back in Santa Fe. (I had watched the speech itself from the stadium’s press box, where no one was waving any flag.)

So, as everyone was leaving the stadium, I went down to the stands to grab a flag.

I found one.

But only one.

I can’t honestly say that I searched the entire stadium. And I certainly wasn’t sniffing around the garbage bins. But I can say I didn’t see massive amounts of discarded stars and stripes scattered around the stadium. There were the usual soda cups and hamburger wrappers — plus some Obama signs left behind. But the flag I “rescued” was the only one I saw.

And no, it wasn’t on the ground. Someone had left it on a chair. And there were no burn marks.

Shooting at the Sundance Kid: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tom Udall has blasted his Republican opponent Steve Pearce for his association with unpopular President George W. Bush. But this week Pearce is lambasting Udall over one of his friends — actor-director Robert Redford.

Redford, who spent a lot of time in Northern New Mexico back in the mid ’80s when he was making The Milagro Beanfield War, was in Corrales this week for a Udall fundraiser.

“It should come as no surprise to New Mexico voters that one of Hollywood’s most liberal icons is standing up in support of Tom Udall,” Pearce said in a news release.

“Actor Robert Redford is in town this week to help his buddy Udall. Voters should know that Redford, the man who once played the Sundance Kid on the big screen, is also a trustee on the Natural Resources Defense Council,” Pearce said. “The NRDC is an extreme environmental group that has opposed domestic drilling time and time again, despite the fact that Americans are desperate for relief at the pump. ... Voters need to be aware that Redford’s support signifies more than just Hollywood star power for Tom Udall,” Pearce said.

“It’s a political match made in heaven, as the Sundance Kid and Butch ‘Udall’ Cassidy ride again and try to rob taxpayers of their chance for clean, affordable energy,” Pearce said.

The Udall campaign responded: “If in Steve Pearce’s world Tom Udall is a rebel outlaw and icon of the American West like Butch Cassidy, I guess that would make Steve Pearce like a turn-of-the-century big oil robber baron who will do and say anything to reap profits for the rich at the expense of ordinary, pioneering Americans.”

According to the latest Rasmussen poll, Bush’s approval rating among New Mexicans is 34 percent, while 63 percent disapprove. The poll didn’t have any approval numbers for Redford.

Poll dancing: Speaking of Rasmussen, that pollster says Pearce in the last three weeks has gained slightly on Udall. The latest Rasmussen poll shows Udall leading 51 percent to Pearce’s 44 percent. In late August, Udall was winning 51 percent to 41 percent. Pearce, according to Rasmussen, has gained among unaffiliated voters.

The presidential race continues to yo-yo in this swinging swing state, Rasmussen reports. Republican McCain has pulled ahead of Democrat Obama 49 to 47 percent. Last month, just before the Democratic National Convention, Obama was leading by six points in the Rasmussen poll.

According to Rasmussen, “Gov. Bill Richardson earns good or excellent ratings from 45 percent of voters in New Mexico, while 29 percent say he is doing a poor job. Those ratings have slipped slightly since last month.”

Rasmussen interviewed 700 likely New Mexico voters on Monday. The margin of error in the poll is 4 percent.

State Sen. Richard Martinez Political divorce: One of the state’s most powerful political couples is splitting up. Theresa Martinez, chairwoman of the Rio Arriba County Democratic Party, on July 1 filed for divorce from state Sen. Richard Martinez, D-Española.

The senator couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday. Theresa Martinez, whose term as county chairwoman expires next year, said she doesn’t know yet whether she’ll seek re-election to the post.

“I just hope everyone can respect our privacy,” she said.

Sen. Martinez, who is seeking re-election, has no opponent in the November general election.

HEATHER WILSON & KEVIN RING


My story about U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson popping up in the indictment of former Jack Abramoff lobbyist Kevin Ring can be found HERE.

Here's the complete text of Wilson's response:

I'm proud of the work that I did with Senator Bingaman and Senator Domenici to settle the Sandia Land Claim.

I worked on the issue since I was elected to the Congress in 1998 and the T'uf Bien Shur Preservation Act of 2003 was a major accomplishment for the Pueblo, neighboring cities, Sandia Tram, homeowners at the base of the mountain and nearby farmers and ranchers who all deserve credit for the agreement.

As my constituents and a federal Indian tribe, I have maintained direct relationships with Sandia Pueblo leaders on a wide range of matters important to them for a decade and I continue to do so. Greenberg Traurig was retained by Sandia Pueblo to represent the Pueblo concerning the land claim in 2002-2003. We have worked with whomever the Pueblo has chosen as its representatives and with tribal leaders directly on matters of concern to the Pueblo.

I was completely unaware until today of any former staffer's e-mails -- which appear to have been sent after Congress passed the final legislation on the Sandia Land Claim on February 13, 2003. I have not been contacted by the Department of Justice about this matter at any time.

Regarding the March 2003 e-mails between two rogue lobbyists concerning whether they would continue to be retained by the Pueblo, I am not sure whether to be amused or offended that they were operating under the delusion that I would help them retain their contract, or that losing their contract would hurt the Pueblo's longstanding relationship with me. As my constituents, I represent the Pueblo regardless of who they hire to represent them. At no time did I take any action on behalf of Greenberg Traurig with Sandia Pueblo.

We have very strict rules in our office on gifts -- including tickets to events. We train our staff about House ethics rules and we enforce those rules up to and including dismissal.

Mr. Kevin Ring hosted a fundraising lunch at Signatures Restaurant to benefit my campaign for re-election in May 2003 and contributed $1,000 to my campaign on June 2, 2003. When we discovered that Mr. Ring had not submitted a bill for the cost of the fundraiser to my fundraising consultant, our consultant sought to pay the bill and, when unsuccessful because the restaurant was no longer in business, my campaign made an equivalent contribution to charity as required by Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules.



Tuesday, September 09, 2008

NEW HYF VIDEO

Looky here:



This is the title song from their upcoming album, the release party for which is Halloween night at the SF Brewing Company.

eMUSIC SEPTEMBER

CHARLIE
* Wild Side of Life: Rare and Unissued Recordings and Honky Tonk Kind: Rare and Unissued Recordings Vol. 2 by Charlie Feathers. Mississippi-born Feathers never quite made it big back during the heyday of rockabilly. But he was there when it happened, working as a session cat at Sun Studios before splitting off, even co-writing an Elvis tune, "I Forgot to Remember to Forget."

These are two of three collections Norton Records released earlier this year. For some reason the third, Long Time Ago, isn't available on eMusic, at least not yet.

Lots of these, in fact most of these are lo-fi tracks that sound like demos or studio jamming. Feathers, who started off as a country singer, was never afraid to show the billy side of rockabilly, so there's plenty of country classics on these collections -- "Folsom Prison Blues," (there's versions of this on both collections here), "Cold Cold Heart," "Release Me," "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On," "Am I That Easy to Forget" and of course "Wild Side of Life." Feathers puts his own crazy stamp on these, so some are barely recognizable. In fact "Release Me" on Wild Side is a duet with blues great Junior Kimbrough., who on Honky Tonk Kind also joins Feathers on "Feel Good Again," (which also was available on a Fat Possum compilation a few years ago.)

Elvis' ghost pops up now again. "I Can't Seem to Remember to Forget" for instance is full of plays on the titles of Presley's Sun Records tunes.


* Have Knees, Will Tremble by Hipbone Slim & The Knee Tremblers. A Voodoo Rhythm classic. The cover warns "This record is a lesson for every teen-ager and a warning for every parent. Speaking as a parent, I just wish more of the children were into music like this.

This is a British psychobilly trio led by a guy who calls himself "Sir Bald Diddley" (as if "Hipbone Slim weren't nickname enough.) The drummer is Bruce "Bash" Brand, who is a veteran of several Billy Childish bands. John "Lard" Gibbs plays stand-up bass.

My favorite tune here, "What Do You Look Like" features a guest appearance by the ever-sexy Holly Golightly.

Yuichi* Yuichi & The Hilltone Boys. Yup, I guess I'm on a rockabilly kick on eMusic this month.

This is a new album from a Japanese rockabilly unit -- released on a label from Spain no less. It started 50 years ago, but rockabilly’s still in the process of conquering the world.

Yuichi's voice reminds me some of Big Sandy's. Except I don't think Sandy could sing in Japanese like Yuichi does on the sweet ballad "Sayonara."

These guys go raw country with the Hank-like weeper, complete with steel and fiddles, "She Isn't Around Anymore." And they get greasier than greasy on the 50's-style slow-dancer "Hurt."

And yes, they can tear it up. "Flyin' Saucer" could almost be considered a love song for Billy Lee Riley. "Countin' the Years" and "Thunder" are a broken-English rockabilly nightmares that are nothing short of irresistible. Yuichi also does a credible version of Roy Orbison's "Oobie Doobie."

Go Harlem Baby
* Go Go Harlem Baby by Flat Duo Jets. An early '90s gem from the dynamic duo. I couldn't resist a record with one of my favorite crime-jazz instrumentals, "Harlem Nocturn" and one of my favorite Everly Brothers weepers, "Don't Blame Me."

There's also some cool Flat Duo versions of old greasy pop ballads "You Belong to Me" ande "Apple Blossom Time," as well as a downright Lynchian spookhouse piano bar tune, "Ask me How I Live."
And yes, some cool rockers like "Rock House" and the immortal "Froggy Went a Courtin'."
BUCKWHEAT
* 100 Percent Fortified Zydeco by Buckwheat Zydeco. The day after I interviewed Buckwheat on KSFR and heard him play at the Thirsty Ear Festival I decided I needed more Stanley Dural in my collection. This 1983 record is the only complete Buckwheat album eMusic has, but it's a good one.

Buckwheat had a whole horn section on this album. There's lots of blues, lots of mixing zydeco with funk (like the tune "Jasperoux," some fun covers -- the old R&B hit "I Need Your Lovin' Every Day" and Mungo Jerry's "In the Summertime" plus an obligatory "Jole Blon," here called "Buck's Nouvelle Jolie Blon."

PLUS

* Four songs from Introducing Los Peyotes This is a hopped-up garage band from Argentina, who last month released this album on London's Dirty Water Records. I'll hold off on a full review until next month when I download the rest.

I would have downloaded five tracks from Los Peyotes, but I spent one of my last ones on ...

* "Louie Louie" by Richard Berry. Before the Kingsmen, before Paul Revere & The Raiders, long before Iggy Pop, there was this weird R&B number from one of the unsung, or at least undersung greats. I found this on an album called The Roots of Van Morrison, which mainly consists of blues standards I already have on other collections. I didn't have this one though.

I really gotta go now!

Sunday, September 07, 2008

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, September 7, 2008
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell


Guest Co-host: Stanley "Rosebud" Rosen
Webcasting!
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

POST LABOR DAY SPECIAL
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Plenty Tuff, Union Made by The Waco Brothers
There is Power in the Union by The Solidarity Singers
Bread and Roses by Healey & Juravich
Bread and Roses by Bobbie McGee
Mean Things Happening in Our Land by Healey & Juravich
Union Song by Carter Falco
The Pawn Broker's Window by Pat Wynne

Boiling Frog by Pat Wynne
Big Boss Man by Jimmy Reed
Damn Right I've Got the Blues by Buddy Guy
Worried Man Blues by Woody Guthrie
Republic Steel Massacre by Acie Cargill
Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man) by Randy Newman
Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds
Joe Hill by Paul Robeson

Working Man Blues by Merle Haggard
Sweetheart on the Baricade by Richard Thompson & Danny Thompson
Buddy Can You Spare a Dime by Bing Crosby
How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live by The Del-Lords
Don't Look Now by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore by John Prine
Union Fights the Battle of Freedom by Bucky Halker
Money Is King by Growling Tiger

Babies in the Mill by Dorsey Dixon
Links in the Chain by Phil Ochs
Lawrence Jones by Kathy Mattea
None of Us Are Free by Solomon Burke
Red Neck Blue Collar by James Luther Dickinson
We Shall Not Be Moved/Roll the Union On by Joe Glazer
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

Friday, September 05, 2008

THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, September 5, 2008
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell

101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Muleskinner Blues by The Cramps
That Little Honky Tonk Queen by Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley
Alabamy Bound by Van Morrison, Lonnie Donnegan & Chris Barber
Rolling Stone from Texas by Don Walser
Here's the River by Jim Stringer & The AM Band
Gettin' High For Jesus by Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs
Bunny Moves On by Mad Tea Party
If I Kiss You by Lynn Anderson
I'd Rather Be Your Fool by Johnny Paycheck
Drinkin' Town by Mike Neal

Old Man Atom by The Sons of the Pioneers
Don't Blame Me by Flat Duo Jets
Down on the Farm by Big Al Downing & The Poe-Kats
Folsom Prison Blues by Charlie Feathers
Not Enough Happenin' by Hipbone Slim & The Knee Tremblers
Be Careful (If You Can't Be Good) by Ray Condo & His Ricochets
Cheater's World by Amy Allison
Cry All Over Me by Ruby Dee & The Snakehandlers
Life's Lonesome Road by The Pine Valley Cosmonauts

Take Your Time by The Frantic Flattops
Sex Crazy Baby by Hasil Adkins
She Wants to Sell My Monkey by Tav Falco
No Dice by Ronnie Dawson
You're Humbuggin' Me by Lefty Frizzell
Train Kept a Rollin' by Paul Burleson with Rocky & Billy Burnette
Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee by Johnny Burnette & The Rock 'n' Roll Trio
Give That Love to Me by Ray Campi
Jungle Hop by Kip Tyler & The Flips
Miss Froggie by Warren Smith
Miss Lonely by Jerry J. Nixon
Lucky Old Sun by Jerry Lee Lewis

She's My My Neighbor by Zeno Tornado & The Boney Google Brothers
Hittin' it Hard by Jim Lauderdale
Yuppie Scum by Emily Kaitz
Tarmac by Hazeldine
That's How It Goes by The Meat Puppets
Is There Something Inside of You by Buckwheat Zydeco
Walking Down the Saturday Night Astral Plane by Andy Dale Petty
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list

MICHELLE IN SANTA FE

MICHELLE OBAMA SPEAKS TO MILITARY WIVES

My story on Michelle Obama's visit to Santa Fe Thursday -- and retired Major General Melvyn Montano's remarks about why John McCain supports the war in Iraq - can be found HERE.

And I just realized I never posted a week to my color piece about Barack Obama's acceptance speech at Mile High Stadium a week ago . For the record, that's HERE.

Thursday, September 04, 2008

ROUNDHOUSE ROUND-UP: GARY J. and RON P.

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
September 4, 2008



Democrat Bill Richardson isn’t the only New Mexico governor to speak at a national political convention in recent days. His predecessor, Gary Johnson, this week was in Minnesota — not at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, but at former GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul’s miniconvention nearby in Minneapolis.

Johnson spoke before some 13,000 attending the Paul campaign’s Rally for the Republic on Tuesday.

Former Gov. Gary Johnson
“I tried to draw correlation between my time in office and Ron Paul,” Johnson said in a telephone interview Wednesday. “Ron Paul often casts the only ‘no’ vote in Congress. As governor, I had 750 vetoes. That’s more than the other 49 governors put together.”

In effect, his vetoes were the sole dissenting vote, said the man who became known as “Gov. No.”

In his speech, Johnson said, he talked about his efforts to reform anti-drug laws — a position that cost him the support of many state Republicans.
DR. PAUL ON THE RADIO in NEW HAMPSHIRE, Jan. 08
He also talked about how he’s against motorcycle helmet laws. He said he got a great response to a quip that he’s used before in New Mexico. Johnson told the crowd in Minneapolis he chooses to use a helmet when riding a motorcycle, “but for somebody that wants to drive their motorcycle and not wear a helmet, we have an organ-donor shortage in this country.”

The night before the rally, Johnson said, he got to spend about 45 minutes talking to Paul.

Despite his loyal following, Paul, who once ran as the Libertarian Party candidate for president, says he won’t run as a third party candidate this year.

So where does that leave Johnson?

The most recent GOP governor of New Mexico said he’s not backing John McCain for president. “My problem with McCain is the war and his foreign policy,” Johnson said. Like Paul, he believes having American troops in Iraq and many other countries has made the U.S. a target of terrorism.

He’s also not getting behind Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr, either. “I debated Bob Barr about drugs when I was governor,” he said of the former Georgia congressman. “I find irony in his newfound libertarianism.”

And Johnson definitely isn’t backing the Democratic ticket, though Johnson predicted Barack Obama will be the next president.

She’s everywhere: U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson of Albuquerque might have lost the Republican U.S. Senate primary to U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce of Hobbs in June, but it seems her name is popping up everywhere lately on the national campaign trail.
HEATHER WILSON
After Obama’s acceptance speech in Denver last week, the McCain campaign released a lengthy response from none other than Wilson, disputing Obama’s “Top Misleading Claims.”

Wilson has been active this week at the GOP convention in St. Paul. On Wednesday, she conducted a “reporter roundtable.” She was part of a group of prominent Republican women, including Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas, and former Hewlett Packard chief executive officer Carly Fiorina, who were lined up to do television and radio interviews to demand better treatment for vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and her family.

Wilson has appeared on MSNBC’s Hardball, defending Palin’s anti-abortion record, and, on Tuesday, she even appeared on left-wing radio — Thom Hartman’s show on the Air America network. There she made an interesting — Freudian? — slip. When Hartmann, who apparently isn’t up on New Mexico politics, asked whether she was having a hard time in her Senate race, Wilson replied, “There was a primary and my colleague from Southern New Mexico, Steve Pearce lost that — uh, won that — primary, so I will actually be retiring from the House in January.”

So what does she have planned for January and afterward? Are these appearances indicative about a possible place for Wilson in a McCain administration?

“It’s like she’s standing in the John McCain employment office,” Albuquerque blogger >Joe Monahan said in an interview Wednesday.

A GOP source who asked not to be named said Wilson has become a “top-tier McCain surrogate” because she’s good at it. “She’s a great messenger,” the Republican said. “It’s fair to speculate about any number of opportunities for Heather Wilson, whether McCain wins or loses.”

Among the possible positions is secretary of the Air Force (Wilson is an Air Force vet) or a position with a foreign-policy think tank. “You can’t rule out governor in 2010,” the Republican source said.

Latest poll numbers: If so, Wilson will have to work on her numbers back home, though. According to >a new SurveyUSA poll of 631 likely voters in the 1st Congressional District, 40 percent said they have a favorable opinion of Wilson, while 45 percent had an unfavorable view.

The same poll showed Obama leading McCain in the district, which mainly consists of Albuquerque, by a 55 percent to 41 percent margin. The poll, sponsored by the Washington, D.C., publication Roll Call, did not talk to voters in other parts of the state.

In the 1st District Congressional race, Democrat Martin Heinrich was leading Republican Darren White 51 percent to 46 percent. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.

There also was a question that could be significant in the U.S. Senate race here. Asked who is most responsible for gasoline prices, 35 percent said oil companies while only 12 percent said environmentalists. Republican Pearce constantly has characterized his Democratic opponent Tom Udall as being in league with “extreme environmentalists” while Udall and his supporters say Pearce is in the pocket of “Big Oil.”

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

NOEL WITHDRAWS

Jim Noel, whose hiring as state Election Bureau director was heavily criticized by Republicans because he is married to the stepdaughter of U.S. Senate candidate Tom Udall, on Tuesday withdrew his appointment.

In a letter to Secretary of State Mary Herrera, Noel wrote, “I cannot in good conscience allow my appointment to distract from the real issues facing all of us this fall. ...

“Nor can I in good conscience allow certain individuals to use my appointment to cast any sort of doubt over the integrity of the electoral process,” Noel wrote. “The people of New Mexico deserve to know that their elections will be administered fairly. And while there is no doubt that I would bring nothing but integrity to the office, it has become increasingly clear that certain individuals with purely partisan interests would stop at nothing to inject fear into the election this fall.”

Noel’s current job is executive director and general counsel of the Judicial Standards Commission, which investigates complaints against judges and recommends disciplinary actions to the state Supreme Court.

His wife is Amanda Cooper, who is managing Udall’s Senate campaign.

The Elections Bureau job pays $104,809 a year.

Last week the state Republican Party released a statement saying, “The hiring of Tom Udall's son-in-law as state elections director is a stunning conflict of interest. During an election that will be extremely competitive, it is entirely inappropriate that a close family member of one of the candidates be in charge of counting the votes. Just when we thought the Secretary of State could not be any more partisan or incompetent, she proves us wrong again.”

UPDATE: This statement from state Senate Republican leader Stuart Ingle just came in: “It is important for the honor of our voters that our elections are run without any doubt whatsoever in the process. The decision to step down was the right one, and a very necessary one for the integrity of our election. Close family members of any candidate running for office, Democrat, Republican or Independent should never be in charge of an election here in New Mexico.”

UPDATE 9-3-08: Here's the link to the full story in today's New Mexican.

Monday, September 01, 2008

THIRSTY EAR: SUNDAY

JUNIOR BROWN

There were moments Sunday at the Thirsty Ear Music Festival when the weather made things seem touch-and-go.

Opening act, bluesman Samuel James had to move from the main stage to the hotel to finish his first set. Somehow the rain affected Junior Brown's guitsteel, causing it to lose power a couple of times during his set. Alex Maryol's main stage set was moved to the hotel before he even started. And Patty Griffin's vehicle got stuck in the mud when her driver took a wrong turn on the way to Eaves Ranch.
Samuel James sings Son House
But this is New Mexico, dammit, and most folks are just happy to get any rain, even when it falls on their favorite musicians. Everyone I talked to at the festival just grinned and shrugged off the weather. And anyway, it already was gone well before Patty took the stage.

Here's my favorite Sunday shows:

Samuel James proved you can even get the blues in Maine. He just learned guitar, banjo and other instruments in recent years and, inspired by his dad's Son House records, honed his act after splitting up with a girlfriend. He has a good voice and he can play. I hope to hear more from this guy.

What can I say about Junior (Jamie) Brown? Well, I said a lot of it yesterday on stage when I got to introduce my old Santa Fe Mid High and Sata Fe High School classmate (though he might not have wanted me to bring up how we took short cuts in cross country in gym class and probably didn't want me to mention where his old psychedelic band Humble Harvey got their projectors for their light shows back in 1968).
Everybody knows that the bird is the word!
Like I said above, Brown's guitsteel was plagued by rain-releated problems. Sometimes he was clearly frustrated, but he soldiered on like the pro he is. At one point during the middle of his "Surf Medley" the instrument just went silent. It's hard to play a guitar instrumental without a guitar, but, not missing a beat, Brown started singing "Hey hey hey ya ..." and broke into Gary U.S. Bonds' "New Orleans" as his drummer and bassist played on. And then he started in on The Trashmen's "Surfin' Bird" until a stagehand returned with the guitsteel.

This was the second time I've seen Buckwheat Zydeco -- and it definitely was better than the first time. That was about 15 years ago at Sweeney Center when he was on the same bill as Richard Thompson. Though Thompson was the headliner, it was decided to let Buckwheat go on last -- perhaps because it made sense, on paper at least, to not have a dance band go on before an acoustic act. Or maybe it was because Buckwheat was late getting to town. But the sad part was that after Thompson's set, about half the audience left. Then there was a lengthy soundcheck. By the time Buckwheat actually went on the crowd had shrunk to just a couple of dozen. He played his heart out, but ended up cutting his set short.
BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO at Thirsty Ear Festival
He was a little late Sunday night too, but there was still a good sized crowd at the festival. Buckwheat didn't disappoint. With a band that included two guitarists, a trumpet, bass, drums, and rubboard (played by his son Sir Reginald Dural) they romped and stomped. There was even a cool, if somewhat lengthy version of "Hey Joe." And at one point he got a couple of local kids up on stage who did enthusastic 10-year-old boy versions of a zydeco dance.

In addition to the music had fun talking to Junior and Buckwheat live on the air for the KSFR/Southwest Stages broadcast. (I'd done that with Bill and Felecia of Hundred Year Flood on Saturday, though that conversation was taped and played later.)

I had to be careful with Jamie to not let the dialogue descend into a Santa Fe triva fest. (Though he did play a new song he wrote about The Horseman's Haven restuarant, so we had to talk about that.)

Buckwheat, (Stanley Dural) spoke about his life and career. He also asked for prayers for the people of the Gulf Coast. Most of his family is back in Lafayette, La., and he cleary was worried. It's amazing how he was able to perform with such joy with that on weighing his mind.

Check out my photos of the Thirsty Ear Festival HERE .

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

  Sunday, March 17, 2024 KSFR, Santa Fe, NM, 101.1 FM  Webcasting! 10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time Host: Steve Te...