TSW Playlist

Terrell's Sound World
Sunday, January 4, 2004
Best of 2003 Show
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Coma Girl by Joe Strummer
Gethesamane by Richard Thompson
Be the Rain by Neil Young
Remember Me by Carla Bozulich
24 Hour Store by The Handsome Family
Josie by Wildsang
Kitchen Towel by Otis Taylor
Swordfishtrombone by Kazik Staszewski
Apple Bomb by Deerhoof
Into the Night by Lisa Germano

Tick / Maps by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Sinkhole / Hell No I Ain't Happy by Drive By Truckers
Don't Compromise Yourself by Howard Tate
Disorder in the House by Warren Zevon
Stolen Horses by Ray Wylie Hubbard
There's No Home For You Here by The White Stripes
Spread / Church by Outkast
Tranni by The Kings of Leon
Este Noche by The Twilight Singers
The Electric Version/From Blown Speakers by The New Pornographers
Keep Me in Your Heart by Warren Zevon

Funny Books

One of the funniest works of literature from my college years is back in print. Check out this Slate article about National Lampoon 1964 High School Yearbook.

This story prompted me to check to see if one of my other favorite comic tomes from the '70s was still around. I was happy to learn that Don Novello's The Lazlo Letters: The Amazing, Real-Life, Actual Correspondence of Lazlo Toth, American is indeed still available. Plus, I learned there are even a couple of sequels.

The Lazlo Letters is a compilation of demented letters that Novello (you probably know him as "Father Guido Sarducci") sent to political leaders (including President Nixon at the height of Watergate) as well as captains of industry (Mr. Bubble?). But what really makes the book are the unintentionally hilarious responses from his victims. In some cases, form letters become found-object art.

Now I'm going to have to check out those sequels.

SFO Playlist

The Santa Fe Opry
Friday, Jan. 2, 2004
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM

OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Another Brand New Year by The Bottle Rockets
I'll Fight the World by Bobby Flores
Psycho by Jack Kittel
The Lie by The Waco Brothers
The Farmer's Daughter by Merle Haggard
You Don't Miss Me by Marlee MacLeod
What Did the Deep Sea Say by Dave Alvin
Sioux City Sue by Willie Nelson & Leon Russell

Until I Slip Away by Tom Adler
Boots of Spanish Leather by Furnace Mountain
Sittin' On Top of the World by Jack White
Pink Burrito by R. Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders
21st Century by Joe West
The Train Singer's Songs by The Band of Blacky Ranchette
I Am a Low Crack Addict by Fabulous Ron McSkeevy

I Won't Ket You Down by Graham Lindsey
The Vigilante by Judee Sill
Opportunity to Cry by Willie Nelson
The Burden by Terry Allen
Up Above My Head by Maria Muldaur & Tracy Nelson
On a Night Like This by Los Lobos
Like a Songbird That Has Fallen by The Reeltime Travelers
Two Little Fishes and Five Loaves of Bread by Odetta & The Holmes Brothers

Gorgeous George by Ronny Elliott
Hope is a Thing With Feathers by Trailer Bride
Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain by Carla Bozulich
The Forgotten Lake by The Handsome Family
The Deeper in by Drive-By Truckers
Purgatory Road by Ray Wylie Hubbard
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

Except for the closing theme, all songs from the last two sets were from CDs that appeared on my FAR (Freeform American Roots Radio) Best of 2003 ballot.

Terrell's Tuneup: 2003 Music in Review

As published in The Santa Fe New Mexican, Jan. 2, 2004

Music lovers probably will remember 2003 as the year the big record companies sued hundreds of music fans, including at least one 12-year-old scofflaw who illegally downloaded "If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands."

Or the year the FCC decided by a party-line vote that Clear Channel just isn't big enough, and the media giant as well as others, should be allowed to own even more radio stations -- and maybe some newspapers as well.

Or the year The Dixie Chicks became true "alternative country" by not only refusing to fall in line with the official flag-waving Nashville line, but to actually utter discouraging words about a certain fellow Texan.

But somewhere amongst the growing insanity of the music biz there was some fine music in 2003. Sometimes you have to look for it -- in columns like this, on left-of-the-dial radio stations, in corners of the internet unaffiliated with major corporations. Sometimes, to paraphrase an old Tom Waits song, the pursuit is as fun as the arrest.

1) The Electric Version by The New Pornographers. Even though it's winter now, this second album of upbeat, snappy, melodious pop rock from a wild band of Western Canadians remains perfect music for summer night cruising in your mind. What a wonderful world it would be if The Electric Version were blasting from every convertible on the road. True, there's probably not enough of Neko Case, who sings background on most tracks. Still, it's hard not to smile and think of the good things in life while listening to The Electric Version. (Matador Records)

2) Blackberry Belle by The Twilight Singers. As far as 2003 records go, former Afghan Whig Greg Dulli's effort is the dark sinister twin of The Electric Version. On some days, and in some moods, I even prefer it. Dulli draws from the rage of punk rock and the carnal power of soul. It's raw, tumultuous, emotional, sometimes hypnotic, and a little bit evil. "Black out the windows, it's party time." (Birdman)

3) Youth & Young Manhood by Kings of Leon. Clan Followill has the drawls and the mustaches and the hair to conjure Skynyrd comparisons. But Caleb Followill's blooze-rock growls navigate sparse, bouncy, hook-laden guitar rock that sounds a lot like their label mates, The Strokes. Their transgenerational roots consciousness helped make their debut album outshine The Strokes' disappointing sophomore album this year. (RCA)

4) Speaker Boxx/The Love Below by Outkast. Sometimes truly great popular music actually becomes popular. The two Atlanta guys who make up Outkast are intelligent. They're funny. They're funky. And most important, unlike so many thousands of third-rate gangsta rap goons, they're musical. As far as I'm concerned, Outkast is the true heir of George Clinton and Prince. (Arista)

5) Elephant by The White Stripes. Like the huge lumbering beast for which this album is named, you can imagine this music tromping through the jungle ripping tall trees from the ground. And you can imagine it using its trunk to gently take peanuts from the hand of a child. Luckily for singer/guitarist Jack White, Elephant made enough money for him to afford a good lawyer to fight the aggravated assault charges he now faces for allegedly pounding the snot out of another singer in a Detroit bar.

6) Growl by Ray Wylie Hubbard. Forget "Redneck Mother." Hubbard's latest album consists of tough, swampy blues, with the artist showing his underrated prowess on bottleneck guitar while drawling tales of hard living, hard drinking and hard luck from a Texas Zen perspective. (Rounder)

7) The Wind by Warren Zevon. Warren wasn't going to leave us without a proper goodbye. In doing so, he left a worthy coda to his career. While the fact that he basically recorded this on his deathbed adds untold poignancy to this record, The Wind is an album I'd have loved anyway. (Artemis)

8) Rediscovered by Howard Tate. The comeback of the year. Tate, a Philadelphia soul man of the 1960s, disappeared for decades into the netherworld of drugs and despair, cleaned up and became a ghetto preacher. I'm not sure how they convinced him to recording again, but I'm glad they did. Producer Jerry Ragovoy keeps the sound basic -- no yucky synths, no embarrassing pandering to hip-hop. Just good, gritty soul featuring a good horn section and not-too flashy blues guitar. (Private Music)

9) Decoration Day by The Drive-By Truckers. Compared with this group's previous effort, the sprawling double-disc epic Southern Rock Opera, this is a relatively modest effort. Still, Decoration Day helps cement the Truckers' place as true visionaries of redneck rock. They've done more than anyone else to advance the basic Exile on Main Street/Freedom Rock sound, informing it with punk and colored by a literary sensibility. (New West)

10) Fever to Tell by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs In terms of sheer unfettered, sexy, stripped-down rock 'n' roll fun, it's hard to think of a more fulfilling album than Fever to Tell by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Karen O squeals, shouts, cajoles and coos. Repeating the word "tick" in rapid fire, you think she might explode in ecstasy right there in your stereo. (Interscope)

Runners Up
Streetcore by Joe Strummer
Singing Bones by The Handsome Family
Lullaby For Liquid Pig by Lisa Germano
Red Headed Stranger by Carla Bozulich
Sky Dirt Speak Out Truth by Wildsang (more on them in my previous post, below)
Apple O by Deerhoof
Greendale by Neil Young
Truth is Not Fiction by Otis Taylor
The Old Kit Bag by Richard Thompson
Piosenki Toma Waitsa by Kazik Staszewski (an import-only album of Tom Waits songs by Poland's coolest rocker. Watch this column in upcoming weeks for a complete review.)

Blog Exclusive: Extra Categories
Comeback of the Year: Howard Tate.
Runner-up: Al Green
Best "Various Artists" CD: Shout Sister Shout (Rosetta Tharpe tribute)
Soundtrack of the Year: Only the Strong Survive (featuring Jerry Butler, Carla Thomas, Wilson Pickett, Isaac Hayes and others)
Runners-up: A Mighty Wind featuring The Folksmen, The New Main Street Singers and Mitch & Mickey
Cold Mountain featuring Alison Krauss, Jack White and others
Reissue of the Year: Heart Food by Judee Sill (Rhino Handmade)
Runners-up: Crazy: The Demo Sessions by Willie Nelson
Amerasia by Terry Allen
Disappointment of the Year: Shootennanny by The Eels
Runner-up Room on Fire by The Strokes

HAPPY HARE KRISHNA NEW YEAR, AMERICANS!

I don't even drink any more -- I think I had more than my share of the world liquor supply when I was in my 20s and 30s -- but I fell hungover. Had a few folks over to my swinging pad, including Kate and Hillary of the blues duo Wildsang. We played music until after 4 a.m. At some points it was outright transcendental.

Readers of my column might remember the rave review I gave to Wildsang's album, Sky Dirt, Speak Out Truth. If not, what the hell, I'll post it here. I consider it the best New Mexico album of 2003 -- well, that and The Handsome Family's Singing Bones. I keep forgetting they live in Albuquerque.

But first before I post that review here's some good KSFR news. John Greenspan told me last night that the station plans to start streaming over the internet, possibly as early as March. (I'm betting April or May.) Through the years I don't know how many out-of-town people -- Santa Fe expatriots as well as those who have seen my play lists -- have told me they wish they could hear the station on the web.

It's gonna happen. Happy Hare Krishna New Year!

Here's that Wildsang review:
(Originally published Sept. 2003 in The Santa Fe New Mexican
A surprise highlight of the recent Thirsty Ear Festival -- in fact, I’ve found, the first band I find myself mentioning when people ask about the festival -- was a two-woman blues group based in Coyote, N.M.

There inside the “hotel” saloon at the Eaves Ranch the duo started off with an oft-covered blues chestnut, “Smokestack Lightning.” But just a few bars into the tune it was obvious this wasn’t a typical blues cover band. It was hands down the most passionate and gripping version of that I've heard since Howlin' Wolf died. Wildsang almost seemed to be channeling the lonesome spirit of the Wolf.

But even better were the original tunes that followed -- songs about rapes, lynching, and other happy topics.

Wildsang -- the name is a reference to wild ginseng -- has one of the most intense singers I've heard in awhile. Hillary Kay, according to her press material, is descended from jazz diety Joe “King” Oliver (he’s an uncle according to her bio). She also plays guitar, including a mean slide.

Although the spotlight is on Kay and her songs, harmonica player Kate Freeman, the second half of Wildsang, is an essential part of the group’s sound. Her piercing tones complete the raw soundscape.

The songs they did at their Thirsty Ear set appear on Wildsang’s latest album, Sky Dirt Speak Out Truth. While the CD doesn’t quite match the electricity of their live performance, it’s a good representation of the group’s basic vocals/guitar/harmonica/ sound, resisting the common temptation of bringing in a bunch of musical pals to clutter things up in the studio.

Wildsang plows some of the same disturbing ground as Colorado bluesman Otis Taylor, who I believe is the most important artist of the generation that rose in the ‘90s. Like Taylor’s songs, Kay’s lyrics look unflinchingly at historical horrors and atrocities African Americans have face in this country. (Is there a Rocky Mountain blues movement based in social realism developing here?)

A unifying attribute of Kay’s characters is that they fight back in the face of oppression.

“Ain’t No Strange Fruit” takes its title from the classic Billie Holiday tune. But here Kay doesn’t just describe a lynching. The victim’s wife (and the narrator’s grandmother) takes it upon herself to kill a Klansman in revenge.

Violent vengeance is also the theme of “Josie,” a story about rape. “I did not have my daddy’s shotgun/ Did not have my .22 … just the machete for the sugarcane/Josie said that would do.”

One of the most moving story songs here is “Biscuits,” the tale of a pregnant girl forced to leave her home by a religious father. (“That girl of yours is gonna bring the devil down on us all!”) By the end of the tune, 10 years have past and the mother and son are preparing for a trip to see the family she left behind. “Honey, they’re still your family, no matter how long it’s been,” the mother tells her boy.

It’s not all blood and tragedy on the album though. There’s plenty of love -- and lust -- songs like “Jump Down Mama.” And subtly satisfying is the closing song, “Big Top Circus,” which is about the simple joys of a day at the circus. It’s as sweet as some of their songs are violent .

Somehow I believe Howlin’ Wolf himself would appreciate Wildsang.