Roundhouse Round-up: Down on the Farm

As published in The Santa Fe New Mexican,

Senate Democrat Leader Manny Aragon of Albuquerque has been known to make jokes about farmers. During this session he had a little fun on the Senate floor at the expense of Senate Bill 108.

Introduced by his colleague, Senate Democratic Whip Mary Jane Garcia of Doña Ana, the legislation calls for $150,000 for a marketing plan for "socially disadvantaged farmers."

A few days later, Aragon introduced his own bill to help the farmer.

SB 477 would appropriate $100,000 from the general fund to the state Office of Cultural Affairs "to provide for instruction in manners, dancing and attire for the socially disadvantaged farmers of the state."

In the spirit of bipartisan lampoonery, Senate Republican Leader Stuart Ingle of Portales -- himself a farmer, though he doesn't appear to be "socially disadvantaged" -- signed on to Aragon's bill as a co-sponsor.

The New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau didn't seem overly concerned about Aragon's bill.

"We appreciate Senators Ingle and Aragon for thinking of those in agriculture, as they are sometimes overlooked in urban areas," said the bureau's director of communications, Erik Ness. "However our demographic research shows that most farmers and ranchers are well-groomed, college-educated professionals with impeccable manners and a firm grasp on the mechanics of the two-step and jitterbug."

For the record, there's actually a federal Office of Minority and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers Assistance. I don't think they teach dancing.

Aragon's bill was assigned to three committees and hasn't been heard anywhere yet, so don't expect it to get very far. Garcia's bill got the same number of committee assignments, but it sailed through the first two and now awaits action in the Senate Finance Committee.

Break a leg, Joe: Rep. Eric Youngberg, R-Albuquerque, was trying to put a positive spin on the fact that House Republican Whip Joe Thompson broke his leg during Monday's annual House-Senate basketball game.

The game was fairly close until Thompson's injury, Youngberg said. But Thompson's loss inspired the House team to hustle, spurring them to defeat the Senate 57-38.

Maybe it was a case of "win one for Joe." Or, as one wise guy observed, maybe they just got better when Thompson wasn't playing.

A sweet pill to swallow: Walk through the Capitol Rotunda during a legislative session and you'll undoubtedly find several tables where organizations are giving away some kind of candy along with their pamphlets and literature.

But representatives of a Northern New Mexico health-care provider recently had a curious way to package their giveaway treats.

Las Clinicas del Norte offered pill bottles labeled with the clinic's name and other information. The bottles were filled with little Valentine's Day candy hearts.

I'm not sure whether the bottles had child-proof caps.

More crime

Synchronicity alert!

Soon after I posted here yesterday about the big break in the 1989 Tracy Barker case -- mentioning in passing last year's confession of David "Little Blue" Morton to the murders of Janet Benoit and Teri Mulvaney in the early 1980s -- I learned that Morton had a scheduled court hearing yesterday.

Morton pleaded guilty to both killings and got life sentences for each.

Read all about Morton HERE

And for more on the Barker case, go HERE.

On a lighter note -- so to speak -- here's a plug for an internet pal. David Hamilton, who has worked as a lighting technician on concert tours for musicians from Steve Vai to Olivia Newton John (and many many country stars) has a new web site of his own. CHECK IT OUT.

Crime Beat

For the second year in a row my work covering the state Legislature has been interrupted by police apparently cracking an old unsolved Santa Fe murder that I'd covered during my years as a crime reporter.

Yesterday I learned that a DNA test had linked Cowgirl Hall of Fame rapist Chris McClendon to the 1989 killing of Tracy Barker. READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE.

(Basic civics reminder: McClendon hasn't been charged in the Barker case, let alone tried and convicted.)

Last year -- right in the middle of the legislative session -- convicted Texas murderer and former Santa Fe resident David "Little Blue" Morton confessed to Santa Fe police that he'd killed his neighbor Teri Mulvaney in 1984 as well as Janet Benoit in 1983, Local authorities still haven't charged Morton in the Santa Fe killings. He was tried for killing Mulvaney back in the '80s but the jury was hung, voting 11 to 1 to acquit him.

I guess one could make a bad joke about the fact that my coverage of the Legislature had already been interrupted by a "mass murder" this year: John Kerry's merciless slaughter of his opponents in the New Mexico Democratic caucus last week.

Terrell's Sound World Play List

Terrell's Sound World
Sunday, February 8, 2004
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Host: Steve Terrell

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Beatles Set (all songs by The Beatles except where noted)

All My Lovin'
Til There Was You
I Want to Hold Your Hand by Al Green
Twist and Shout
Money by The Backbeat Band
Baby It's You
Slow Down
Got to Get You Into My Life by Joe Pesci
Big Show by The Royal Crescent Mob
I Saw Her Standing There
(end Beatles set)

Surfin' Bird by The Trashmen
Wedding Dress by Johnny Dowd
Mannish Boy by The Electrik Mudcats with Chuck D and Common
I Just Want to Make Love to You by Muddy Waters
Shakin' All Over by Iggy Pop
Valentine by Concrete Blonde
Dirty Pool by The Replacements

Mekons Set (All Songs by The Mekons)
Teeth
The Curse
Sympathy For The Mekons
The Ballad of Sally
The Olde Trip to Jerusalem
The Flame That Killed John Wayne
Dance and Drink The Mekons
Never Been to a Riot
Now We Have the Bomb
Lonely and Wet
Men United
St. Valentine's Day
Psycho Cupid
Memphis, Egypt
Cast No Shadows
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

The Year of the Legislature?

As published in The Santa Fe New Mexican

During his state of the state address last month, Gov. Bill Richardson told lawmakers, "Last year, many people thought it was the year of the governor. This year, let's make it the year of the Legislature."

With the Legislature passing its halfway point this week, it looks as if some legislators took the governor seriously -- though perhaps not the way Richardson wanted.

In contrast with the lovefest that was Richardson's first legislative session last year, this year there have been several instances of public tension between the governor and the Legislature.

Among those:
* The House voted 66-0 to override Richardson's line-item veto of the Legislative Finance Committee budget. (The governor was able to avoid an override by convincing Senate Democrats last week to go along with a compromise.)

* House Speaker Ben Luján, D-Nambé, last week accused Richardson of taking "cheap shots" at the House with the governor's criticisms of the House-approved budget.

*Sen. Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, last week accused Richardson of being abusive at meetings with lobbyists and others working on Medicaid-related bills. Several members of the House on Friday -- mainly Republicans but a handful of Democrats also -- wore orange ribbons to show solidarity with Jennings and protest Richardson's alleged behavior.

* Looming in the shadows is the specter of redistricting. Although Richardson frequently speaks about achieving bipartisan cooperation with the Legislature, this week he opened the possibility of losing any remaining goodwill with Republicans by considering redrawing the congressional district map. Richardson said his gut instinct is to not allow redistricting on the agenda, though he did meet Friday with redistricting expert Brian Sanderoff.

Some say that not too much should be made over the eruptions between the governor and the legislators.

And nobody's saying the tensions have boiled over into overt hostilities. Just two days after Luján's comments about Richardson's "cheap shots," the House Speaker appeared at the governor's side to announce a bill Luján is sponsoring to eliminate the tax on most grocery items.

Last week, Richardson's chief of staff, Dave Contarino, downplayed the criticisms.

"A lot of this is lost on the people of New Mexico," Contarino said. "They're focused on the governor and the Legislature working arm in arm."

Talking about the Jennings incident, Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, said, "I think it just shows what can happen when so much is packed into a 30-day session. Tempers are real challenged. I'm not overly alarmed. We'll work through it."

House Democratic Whip James Taylor of Albuquerque agrees that the pressures of a 30-day session leads to frustration and skirmishes.

But he also says the Legislature is showing more independence. However he said he thinks this trend started almost two years ago, during the final months of Gov. Gary Johnson's administration.

"When Gov. Johnson vetoed the budget and we called ourselves into extraordinary session to override, that act in itself showed the Legislature does indeed have constitutional rights as a branch of government and the tools to do what we have to do."

When Richardson took office in 2003, Taylor said, the Legislature "gave him quite a bit of leeway" to push his agenda.

Taylor said poor communications with the governor and his staff, plus a "my-way-or-the-highway" attitude coming from the fourth floor has made legislators reassert themselves.

"This type of communication could lead to the same type of gridlock we had with Gov. Johnson," Taylor said.

Of Richardson, Taylor said, "He's tough, he's my kind of politician."

But he added, "My job is listening to the wishes of my constituents, not the wishes of the governor."

Taylor said he's optimistic relations between the two branches of government will improve. "It's a learning process," he said.

The Santa Fe Opry Play List

The Santa Fe Opry
Friday, Feb. 6, 2004
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Host: Steve Terrell

OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
That's How I Got to Memhis by Buddy Miller
Too Long in the Wasteland by James McMurtry
The Unrepentant by Steve Earle
Ridin' WIth O'Hanlon by R.B. Morris
Thrice All American by Neko Case
Light in the Window by Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks

There Stands the Glass by Ted Hawkins
Broken Glass by Hazeldine
A Little Bit Lonesome by Kasey Chambers
Well Laid Plans by Joe West
Back Street Affair by John Prine & Patty Loveless
Cocaine Blues by Hank Thompson
Ginko & Tofu by Jim Terr
Child of God by Julien Aklei
Start Me Up by The Folksmen

The Sign of Judgement by The Winegrass Sacred Harp Singers
Idumea by Sacred Harp Singers at Liberty Church
Ridin' the Midnight Train by Ralph Stanley & Iris DeMent
On the Other Side by Leftover Salmon
Walkin' Through the Dark by Mary & Mars
Ruby With the Eyes That Sparkle by Stuart Duncan & Dirk Powell
The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest by Jerry Garcia & David Grisman
Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home by Patsy Cline

After the Fall by Terry Allen
Just a Wave by Jimmie Dale Gilmore
When Rita Leaves by Bill Hearne
Sitting Bull in Venice by Tom Russell
Curves and Things by Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez
I'm Gonna Leave You by Marlee MacLeod
Jacob's Ladder by Greg Brown with Iris DeMent
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

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

Terrell's Tuneup: The Mekons Sweat to Their Own Oldies

As published in The Santa Fe New Mexican, Feb. 6, 2004

One of the most nefarious tricks of the nefarious record industry is having veteran artists go back and re-record their best known songs to sell as tacky “greatest hits” packages.

Hint: Whenever you see “best of” CDs or tapes in the bargain bin by, say, Roy Orbison or Louis Jordan or Little Richard, beware. These might not be the original recordings, but second-rate re-makes done years or even decades later.

But ever so often there’s a different kind of re-recording project that the musicians themselves, rather than their vile corporate masters instigate. Bob Dylan, for instance on his various live albums frequently tries to ensure that his old songs are busy being born so they’re not busy dying.

And then there are the fabulous Mekons.

The latest CD by this band of Brits (many of whom have immigrated to the U.S.) is a collection of new versions of 15 songs from the band’s early history -- late ‘70s, early ‘80s.

Simply titled Punk Rock, the project was inspired by the band’s 25th anniversary tour a couple of years ago, when the group reached back into their vast catalogue, digging up tunes that hadn’t been aired out in decades and discovering there was still power in some of those old rants and sonic slugfests.

Who’d have thought that of all those bands of that heady era, The Mekons would be the one to survive and re-tell the story in the 21st Century. Never mind the periodic Sex Pistols reunions. They’ve become a virtual casino nostalgia act on par with reconstituted groups like Three Dog Night and Gary Puckett & The Union Gap.

A word on Mekon history: The Mekons rose out of the industrial city of Leeds, U.K. during a period of high unemployment and general cynicism. (That’s what launched punk rock in the beginning, kiddies, not the desire to have your songs used on car commercials.)

The basic Mekon lineup that’s been active the past decade or so only has two members of the original band -- Jon Langford (who started out as a drummer eventually switching to guitar) and Tom Greenhalgh, the two main male singers of today’s Mekons.

But I suspect most Mekon fans -- myself included -- arrived much later. Some saw the light with 1985’s Fear and Whiskey, which was alternative country before there was a word for it, while even more were baptized with 1989’s Mekons Rock and Roll, perhaps their most accessible album, but also perhaps their greatest.

Thus many Mekon fans think of the band in terms of singer Sally Timms and fiddler Suzie Honeyman, both of whom enlisted as Mekons in the mid ‘80s. That’s only natural. Timms’ alluring alto truly is one of the band’s greatest strengths. And Honeyman’s fiddle (along with Rico Bell’s accordion and Lu Edmonds’ arsenal of stringed instruments) give the Mekons their unique Salvation-Army-Band-gone-to-seed sound.

The cuts I like best on Punk Rock are the ones that showcase The Mekons’ unusual instrumentation. On the opening cut “Teeth” the fiddle and the accordion are as hard driving as the grating guitars.

And, as usual, some of my favorite cuts are the Sally songs. On “Corporal Chalkie” she sounds like a sexier Patti Smith (and there’s a definite Lenny Kaye influence on the guitar solo.). Then on “Chopper Squad,” she’s backed mainly by a banjo (Bell’s accordion coming in later)

If there’s such thing as a “punk ballad,” the song “Lonely and Wet” would qualify. It‘s by Langford over pounding minor-key guitar chords (with the fiddle and accordion contributing to the general cacophony.)

Some of the songs here -- “Never Been to a Riot,” “I‘m So Happy,” “Fight the Cuts” and “Dan Dare” -- are basically high-spirited punk stomp recreations of their older versions. But the rage as well as the underlying love sounds undiminished, especially on “Fight the Cuts,” a cry against an uncaring government.

It’s true I probably would have preferred an album of new material from The Mekons. But Punk Rock shows that nostalgia doesn’t have to be sappy.

Roundhouse Round-up: In Praise of Singing Politicians

As published in The Santa Fe New Mexican,

Gov. Bill Richardson promised the New Mexico presidential caucus would be fun. And he was right. Even though the candidates didn't spend as much time in this state as they did in New Hampshire and Iowa, and even though we did have to share our moment in the spotlight with six other states, New Mexico got to see a lot more of the presidential contenders than we would have had we stuck with our virtually irrelevant June presidential primary.

If I had to choose a favorite moment of the campaign, it would have to be last Friday at the Inn at Loretto, waiting for Wesley Clark.

The general was an hour and a half late, which, in his defense, seems to be typical of all the candidates. Actor Ted Danson filled some of the time by talking about Clark and taking questions from the audience.

But the Clark supporter who had the best idea on how to keep the crowd at the hotel was former Lt. Gov. Roberto Mondragon. After just a few short words, Mondragon decided to do what many people say he does best. He turned to the mariachi band that had played at the beginning of the rally and began leading the crowd in a rousing version of the local favorite "Decolores."

Mondragon and the mariachis then proceeded to sing three or four other tunes. He even got Mayor Larry Delgado to help him out in The Fiesta Song. Delgado, former Gov. Jerry Apodaca and state Sen. Mary Jane Garcia swayed along with the music, playing The Pips to Mondragon's Gladys Knight.

I'm not sure whether any national television cameras were there, but it would have been a great CNN moment showing a unique side of New Mexico politics.

(Earlier one of the mariachis had fainted on stage and had to be taken to the hospital, but that's another story.)

Mondragon of course is no stranger to music. He sang in the final scene of the 1988 movie The Milagro Beanfield War. And he has recorded at least one album. I know because he gave me a copy of the LP the first time I interviewed him back in 1980 when he was lieutenant governor.

In that interview, Mondragon said he got so tired of people asking him "Hey, Bob, where's your guitar?" that he started bringing his instrument to work. Then when someone asked, he'd say, "It's down in my truck. Want to hear a song?"

I don't mean to sound like an idealistic airhead and imply the world would be a much better place if there were more singing politicians. But, as Mondragon knows, sometimes a song is more effective than a speech.

For the record: The big-name candidates you've heard about on TV aren't the only ones to get votes here Tuesday. Political unknown and flying-car enthusiast Fern Penna received 77 votes state wide, while Uncommitted received 460.

Signs, signs, everywhere signs: The governor looked surprised on KNME's Stateline New Mexico last week when reporter Dan Vukelich asked him about a report that the governor's chief of staff, Dave Contarino, had a "Clark for President" sign in his yard.

Not so, said Richardson, who remained neutral for the caucus season. If that was the case, he said, Contarino wouldn't be his chief of staff for long.

Contarino still has his job, but apparently a Clark sign had been in his yard.

For the record, Contarino said, his wife was a honcho in the local Clark campaign. But Contarino was neutral, he said.

Terrell's Sound World Play List

Terrell's Sound World
Sunday, February 1, 2004
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Host: Steve Terrell

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Drop Kick Me Jesus by Bobby Bare
Treat Her Right by Los Straitjackets with Mark Lindsay
Train Kept a Rollin' by The Yardbirds
All Black and Hairy by Screaming Lord Sutch
Rest in Peace by Johnny Dowd
Horace by Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks
South Street by The Orlons
The Body Says No by The New Pornographers
Naked Pictures of Your Mother by The Electric Six
The Letter by The Box Tops

What by The Mekons
Louie Louie by Iggy Pop
Fabrique by Stuurbaard Bakkebaard
Honey by The Soul of John Black
Pass the Peas by Fred Wesley & The JBs
Me and Mrs. Jones by Billy Paul
Poleman by Julien Aklei

Rat Race by Bob Marley
Know Your Rights by The Clash
Standard Oil Trust by The Living Things
I Wanna Grow Up to Be a Politician by The Byrds
Country at War by X
For God's Sake Give Power to the People by The Chi-Lites
Something Broken in the Promised Land by Wayne Kramer
People Have the Power by Patti Smith

Light and Day/Reach For the Sun by The Polyphonic Spree
Lessons Learned From Rocky 1 to Rocky 3 by Cornershop
Waitin' For Waits by Richie Cole
Who Are You by Tom Waits
Letters From the 9th Ward/Walk Away Renee by Ricki Lee Jones
I Know Sometimes a Man is Wrong by David Byrne
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

Benefit For Bonnie

Friends of Bill & Bonnie Hearne are planning a great night of music with an impressive line-up of local musicians as a benefit for Bonnie, who has been suffering some poor health lately. The show is being billed as a "benefit concert/dance/jam/lovefest."

The benefit -- scheduled for March 7 at the Paramount -- includes of New Mexico's finest. Among them:

Frank Rekard
John Egenes
Steve Lindsay
Baird Banner
Busy McCarroll
Susan Hyde Holmes
The Buckerettes
David Toland
Joe West and Friends
Jim Terr
Mary and Mars
Jimmy Stadler
Mark Clark
Lydia Clark
George Adelo
Don and Victoria Armstrong
South by Southwest
Bill Hearne -- and Bonnie if she's feeling good enough to play.

Also, tantalizingly listed, are "MYSTERY GUESTS."

Tickets are $20 and proceeds will go to help pay for Bonnie's medical expenses.
Watch this blog for more info.

Also worth mentioning is a CD release party for Bill's solo CD, From Santa Fe to Las Cruces (reviewed below, just a couple of posts down), which will be Thursday Feb. 19 at La Fonda.

I first saw Bill & Bonnie play more than 30 years ago at the late, lamented Bourbon & Blues here in Santa Fe. This was years before they even moved to New Mexico. A few years ago I was their neighbor, living in the same apartment building as them. Through the years Bill & Bonnie have given this town some wonderful music. I love them both.