TERRELL'S TUNEUP: BEST OF 2004

As published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
Dec. 31, 2004

The music industry is as corrupt and pathetic as ever. But despite predictions of gloom and horror, despite phony baloney, who-gives-a-flying-darn scandals like Janet's breast and Ashlee's lip-synching, somehow the record biz didn't completely crumble or sink into the ocean.

And despite the commercial predominance of bad pop, lite jazz and hot new country on the radio, despite the record companies suing hundreds of music fans for downloading songs, despite the fact that many people like American Idol - (for the music!), despite the fact that Ray Charles died and Dick Clark lives, despite the fact that Elton John - and not Tom Waits - was a Kennedy Center honoree, somehow lots of people managed to make good, sometimes even great music.

Here's my favorites of the year, with links back to my original reviews:

Steve Terrell's Top 10 Albums of the Year


1 The Dirty South by The Drive By Truckers. "... their third straight masterpiece of insightful -- and strong rocking - observations of Southern life, Southern mythology, Southern pride, Southern shame and Southern horror. ... It's hard to find rock 'n' roll this tough, this serious any more."


2 Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus by Nick Cave "... an exhilarating double blast of joy, rage, dour Aussie blues, back-alley philosophy, dark-end-of-the-street religious revelation, death-row humor, profound profanity -- and even a touch of sweet sentimentality. In other words, it's everything that those of us who love Nick Cave love about Nick Cave.


3 Smile by Brian Wilson. " ... an eccentric, often-emotional trip through American history as seen through the drug-addled eyes of youth in the late '60s. There are stretches of intense melancholy, moments of sheer silliness, tears, smiles, banjos, theremins, French horns, Beach Boys-style harmonies, barnyard noises, fake Hawaiian music, orchestral flourishes, crow cries uncovering the cornfields, columnated ruins dominoing, fresh, crispy vegetables ..."


4 The Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn. "I can see why some country purists might get upset ... Some of the tracks have about 10 times the drum sound as any previous Loretta effort. And (Jack) White's slide guitar sure can scream. ... But as a long-time Loretta fan, I give my heartiest squeal of approval. ... The lady sounds inspired here. And if, at the age of 68 or 70 or whatever she is, she wants to rock out with a bunch of young punks, more power to her."


5 Snakebite by Stan Ridgway. " a jaw dropper from start to finish. ... the real trick Ridgway pulls off is combining these diverse elements without it feeling forced. He makes it sound like slide guitar and bamboo flute and spook-house keyboards were meant to be played together."


6 All the Fame of Lofty Deeds by Jon Langford. "... Langford tackles one of his favorite themes, both in his music and his paintings - the travails and temptations of country singers in post-war America. ... a distillation of everything that makes America attractive and everything that makes it repulsive."



7 Dummy by NRBQ. "... NRBQ, one of the most versatile and longest lasting bands in the history of rock 'n' roll, still is cranking out amazing albums full of songs that are sometimes challenging, frequently taking strange turns and almost always catchy. ... NRBQ records like Dummy are like those of The Firesign Theatre. Each new listen reveals something new you didn't notice before."


8 Blood of the Ram by The Gourds. "You're not always sure just what Kev Russell or Jimmy Smith, the main Gourd vocalists are singing about. Their lyrics are a jumble of picaresque tales, mystery oracles and half-formed dirty jokes. ... But with the irresistible musical backdrops, colored by Claude Bernard on accordion and Max Johnston ... on fiddle and banjo, it all makes sense.


9 South Dakota Hairdo by Joe West. "The more I listen ... the more I'm convinced that there's a world-class songwriter-performer walking among us here in Santa Fe. ... a collection of fascinating songs, weird enough to keep things fun but real enough to pack a punch. Many, maybe most, of his songs display a sardonic sense of humor, sometimes poking fun at life in Santa Fe. (People not from here might actually think Tofu Ridge is a real geographical location if they know the City Different only from Joe's songs.)

10 Music From the Motion Picture Ocean's 12 by David Holmes and various other artists. This one was just released, so I haven't had a chance to give it a full-blown review in Terrell's Tune-up. I loved the Ocean's 11 soundtrack, also compiled by Holmes, a Belfast club D.J. But the new one's even better. It's basically high-tech, hip-hop influenced crime jazz by David Holmes, but with some Italian pop and French psychedelia thrown in. I haven't seen the movie yet, but if it's nearly as exciting as the soundtrack, it'll deserve an Oscar.

Honorable Mention

The Graceful Ghost by Grey DeLisle
Dial W for Watkins by Geraint Watkins
Songs for Patriots by American Music Club
Uh Huh Her by P.J. Harvey
I Just Want to Be Held by Nathaniel Mayer
Real Gone by Tom Waits
Universal United House of Prayer by Buddy Miller
Lafayette Marquis by C.C. Adcock
She Loves You by The Twilight Singers
Musicology by Prince


Best Reissues/Retrospectives


One From the Heart by Tom Waits & Crystal Gayle
Living With the Animals and Make a Joyful Noise by Mother Earth
The Name of This Band is Talking Heads
Juarez by Terry Allen
Live it Up by The Isley Brothers

HOW I SPENT MY WEDNESDAY NIGHT

I got together with my brother Jack, our wisecracking sidekick Alec Walling and three musical brothers from Moscow, Idaho to write and record a song: "Running From the Baron" by The Winking Tikis.

You can enjoy the fruits of our labor on The Winking Tiki's new SoundClick page.. To go directly to the download page, CLICK HERE.

Hear it stream, download the MP3 -- and whatever you do, leave a comment on the Message Board.

Speaking of SoundClick, I haven't plugged my own page lately. You can find five of my songs -- most of which have never been commercially released -- on this page

R.I.P. LENNIE BRISCOE

Jerry Orbach is dead from prostate cancer at the age of 69.

Not only is Law & Order -- the original, not the spin-offs -- just about the only network crime drama I've actually liked in the past 10-15 years, but Lennie was a wonderful character.

I covered the police long enough to know the difference between real cops and tv cops. But it was reassuring just to think that there might be real cops out there like Detective Lennie Briscoe -- a tough old bird, cynical enough to cope with the horrors he has to deal with, compassionate enough to remember why he became a cop in the first place -- and funny as hell.

Here's a story about his death.

Here's a nice tribute written after he retired from the series earlier this year.

And here's a fan page with some memorable Lennie quotes.

MY TOP 10 ALBUMS 1988-2003

This Friday in Terrell's Tune-up, I'll unveil ny Top 10 CDs of the year. It should be on The New Mexican's web site as well as this blog. Sunday night on Terrell's Sound World (10 p.m. Mountain Time on KSFR, 90.7 FM, I'll be playing selections from the best-of list.

In anticipation of these dynamic events, I decided to republish my top 10 lists from last year going back to 1988, which is when I started compiling them.

I realize it seems a little obsessive, but what the heck. Enjoy.

2003
Electric Version by the New Pornographers
Blackberry Belle by the Twilight Singers
Youth & Young Manhood by Kings of Leon
Speaker Boxxx/The Love Below by Outkast
Elephant by the White Stripes
Growl by Ray Wylie Hubbard
The Wind by Warren Zevon
Rediscovered by Howard Tate
Decoration Day by the Drive-By Truckers
Fever to Tell by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2002
Souljacker by the Eels
When I Was Cruel by Elvis Costello
One Beat by Sleater-Kinney
Now Again by The Flatlanders
Handcream for a Generation by Cornershop
Honky by Simon Stokes
Cow Fish Fowl or Pig by The Gourds
Deep Natural by Michelle Shocked
Holidays in Dirt by Stan Ridgway
OOOH by the Mekons

2001
O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack by various artists
Southern Rock Opera by Drive-By Truckers
Temporary Shelter by Johnny Dowd
Love & Theft by Bob Dylan
No More Shall We Part by Nick Cave
A Man Under the Influence by Alejandro Escovedo
White African by Otis Taylor
Is This It by The Strokes
Twilight by The Handsome Family
Because We Hate You by The Young Fresh Fellows/Let the War Against Music Begin by The Minus Five

2000
Kids in Philly by Marah.
If I Could Only Fly by Merle Haggard.
Stories of the City, Stories of the Sea by P.J. Harvey.
Journey to the End of Night by The Mekons.
Transcendental Blues by Steve Earle
Twilight by The Twilight Singers.
Gung Ho by Patti Smith.
Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams.
Two Against Nature by Steely Dan.
Blood and Mood by Bad Livers.

1999
Mule Variations by Tom Waits
Pictures From Life's Other Side by Johnny Dowd
Dose by Latin Playboys
The Soft Bulletin by Flaming Lips
Salivation by Terry Allen
Mock Tudor by Richard Thompson
Press on by June Carter Cash
Summer Teeth by Wilco
Midnight Vultures by Beck
Fellow Workers by Utah Phillips & Ani DiFranco.

1998
1965 by Afghan Whigs
Car Wheels on a Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams
Perennial Favorites by Squirrel Nut Zippers
Tomorrow Hit Today by Mudhoney
Mermaid Avenue by Billy Bragg & Wilco
Full Service No Waiting by Peter Case
Deserters’ Songs by Mercury Rev
Hell Among the Yearlings by Gillian Welch
Territory by Alvin Youngblood Hart
Give Me Immortality or Give Me Death by Firesign Theatre


1997
El Corazon by Steve Earle
Cowboy in Flames by The Waco Brothers
Songs From The Capeman by Paul Simon
Stranger's Almanac by Whiskeytown
Butch by The Geraldine Fibbers
The Pawn Shop Years Buick MacKane
Devotion + Doubt by Richard Buckner
24 Hours a Day by The Bottle Rockets
Throwing Rocks at the Moon by The Backsliders
Slush by OP8

1996
Murder Ballads by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Gone Again by Patti Smith
I Feel Allright by Steve Earle
Being There by Wilco
Just Rockin' and Rollin' by Ronnie Dawson
A Ass Pocket of Whiskey by R.L. Burnside (with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion)
Black Love by The Afghan Whigs
Human Remains by Terry Allen
Dance Hall at Louse Point by John Parrish & P.J. Harvey
Mahk Jchi by Ulali

1995
To Bring You My Love by P.J. Harvey
The Snake by Shane MacGowan and the Popes
Washing Machine by Sonic Youth
Mirror Ball by Neil Young & Pearl Jam
Work the Dumb Oracle by Drywall
Trace by Son Volt
Day For Night by The Tragically Hip
Ray Gun Suitcase by Pere Ubu
Lost Somewhere Between the Earth and My Home by The Geraldine Fibbers
The Ghost of Tom Joad by Bruce Springsteen

1994
Let Love In by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Live Through This by Hole
Glum by Giant Sand
Whiskey For the Holy Ghost by Mark Lannegan
Geek the Girl by Lisa Germano
Mellow Gold by Beck
Latin Playboys
American Recordings by Johnny Cash
Retreat from Memphis by The Mekons
Strangers From The Universe by Thinking Fellers Union Local 282

1993
Gentlemen by The Afghan Whigs
Rid of Me by P.J. Harvey
In Utero by Nirvana
Where You Been? by Dinosaur Jr.
Mercury by American Music Club
The Beauty of Wynona by Daniel Lanois
The Black Rider by Tom Waits
Last Splash by The Breeders
Hey Zeus! by X
Beaster by Sugar

1992
Bone Machine by Tom Waits
Kiko by Los Lobos
Magic and Loss by Lou Reed
Dirty by Sonic Youth
3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of ... by Arrested Development
Congregation by The Afghan Whigs
Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell by Social Distortion
You Turn Me On by The Beat Happening
History by Loudon Wainwright III
Angel Dust by Faith No More

1991
Metallica
Bad Motorfinger by Soundgarden
Trumpe de Monde by The Pixies
8 Way Santa by TAD
Big Shot in the Dark by Timbuk 3
Midnight Rose's by Royal Crescent Mob
Within the Veil by Fear of God
Achtung Baby by U2
Lovelyville by Thinking Fellers Union Local 282
Out of Time by REM

1990
Bloodletting by Concrete Blonde
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got by Sinead O'Connor
Goo by Sonic Youth
Ragged Glory by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Flood by They Might Be Giants
Ritual Lo Habitual by Jane's Addiction
Fear of a Black Planet by Public Enemy
Brick by Brick by Iggy Pop
The Hard Way by Steve Earle
Rhythm of the Saints by Paul Simon

1989
Spike by Elvis Costello
New York by Lou Reed
Mosquitos by Stan Ridgway
Tantilla by House of Freaks
Too Long in the Wasteland by James McMurtry
Yellow Moon by The Neville Brothers
Indigo Girls
Mystery Girl by Roy Orbison
Passion by Peter Gabriel
Neither Fish nor Flesh by Terrance Trent D'Arby

1988

Brian Wilson
Land of Dreams by Randy Newman
Naked by Talking Heads
The Traveling Willburys
Shopping by 3 Mustaphas 3
Dream of Life by Patti Smith
Sangoma by Miriam Makeba
Amnesia by Richard Thompson
If I Should Fall From the Grace of God by The Pogues
Lovesexy by Prince

HOTSY TOTSY: MORE ON THE LITTLE NAZIS

The Daily Kos has picked up on my post about the little racist, uh, I mean "racialist" twin music act Prussian Blue. Check it out HERE. (Thanks again, Margot ...)

And I might have forgotten to mention, it also appeared a few days ago on The 18 1/2 Minute Gap blog. Check that one out HERE

Meanwhile, my original post continues to draw more responses than any other post in the brief history of this blog. (Hey! I just realized that today is the first anniversary of Stephen W. Terrell's Web Log!) 40 comments last time I checked. I wish my newspaper columns and radio play lists got this much reaction.

After reading all those comments, many readers of this blog are -- rightfully -- amazed that here in the 21st Century there are actually Americans whose main concern is the impending "demise" of the White Man, a situation they feel can best be cured by suppression of other races. These "White Power" types are actually threatened by the "multi-cultural stew" of modern America.

Don't get me wrong. I love white people. Some of my best friends are white. Hank Williams was white. Elvis Presley was white. Rodney Dangerfield was white. Ooops, he was Jewish. That probably doesn't count with the National Socialist crowd.

But as for this "multi-cultural stew" business, when I was a kid in Oklahoma -- hardly a hotbed for progressive thought -- we used to have a sing a corny little song called "An American is a Very Lucky Man." My favorite verse went like this:

An American is a very lucky guy
He can eat chow mein or borscht or pizza pie ...

I don't like borscht. I prefer tacos. But hopefully you get the point.

And by the way, I was delivered into this world by a bonafide Jewish doctor, so anti-Semite crap doesn't fly around here.

And as a music geek, I can't imagine American music without James Brown, John Coltrane, Flaco Jimenez, Muddy Waters, Lieber & Stoller and so many others who don't fit into the "Master Race" concept.

Life's too short for hate.

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, December 26, 2004
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Now Webcasting
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
There's a Moon Out Tonight by The Capris
Jimi Hendrix Polka by Brave Combo
Grease Box by TAD
Start Choppin' by Dinsosaur Jr.
Heart Shaped Box by Nirvana
Bastards of Young by The Replacements
Don't Break Me Down by The Donnas
Within a Martian Heart by Man or Astroman?

Low Self Opinion by The Rollins Band
Youth Against Fascism by Sonic Youth
The KKK Took My Baby Away by The Ramones
Nazi Girlfriend by Iggy Pop
White Man in Hammersmith Palais by The Clash
Evil Hearted Ada by The Flamin' Groovies
Muffin Man by Frank Zappa with Captain Beefheart
Build High by Frank Black

She May Be White But She Funky by Howard Tate
Pull Your Clothes Off by Junior Kimbrough
Meet Me In The City by The Blues Explosion
Big Mama's Bumble Bee Blues by Big Mama Thornton
Let Me Down Easy by Betty Lavette
Let the Door Knob Hit You in the Back by Butterbeans & Susie

Falling Elevators by MC 900 Ft. Jesus
Look Out There's a Monster Coming by The Bonzo Dog Band
Go by Sparklehorse with The Flaming Lips
Make It Rain by Tom Waits
Her Tears Break My Heart by Bernadette Seacrest
I Love Her, She Loves Me by NRBQ
My True Story by The Jive Five
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY FRIENDS!!!!!

Here's to a happy holiday for all my buddies and blog readers.

And my Christmas wish: Everyone should take to heart the psychedlic wisdom of the old motto of The Family Dog in San Francisco: "MAY THE BABY JESUS SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND OPEN YOUR MIND."

TERRELL'S TUNEUP: THE CHURCH OF BUDDY

As published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
Dec. 24, 2004

The world of alternative country, whatever that is, has produced few, if indeed any, more soulful voices than that of Buddy Miller.

I’m hardly the first to note this. It’s hard to find any review of Miller that doesn’t employ the words “soul” or “soulful.”

But there’s a reason for that. Each one of his albums over the course of the last decade are full of songs that cut right to the core with their sincerity and hard-won truth. With his world-weary drawl, Miller sounds like someone who doesn’t sit down and sing a song until he’s lived it from every side.

Miller’s latest, Universal United House of Prayer, is no different -- except that it might just be his strongest work yet.

Named after an actual church in the Nashville area, this record is the closest thing to pure gospel music Miller has ever recorded. No, it’s not quite holy rolling. Not all of the songs specifically name check God or Jesus or quote scripture (though drummer Brady Blade reads a psalm in the background of “Don‘t Wait.”)

But throughout the album there are lyrics of spiritual yearning. This, along with the background vocals of Regina and Ann McCrary -- daughters of the Rev. Sam McCrary of The Fairfield Four -- make Universal United House of Prayer a religious experience.

There’s a couple of fine cover tunes on Universal United. He takes Ira and Charlie Louvin’s “There’s a Higher,” adds some funky percussion (courtesy of Brady Blade and Steve Hindalong), sweet fiddle by Tammy Rogers and call-and-response vocals from the McCrary sisters to make the song sound ancient and modern at the same time.

Then there’s the 9-minute, slow-burning version of Bob Dylan’s Cold War classic “With God on Our Side.” backed by a tremelo guitar, a churchy organ (by Phil Madeira) and martial drums, Miller sounds like the Universal Soldier himself, damning war and nationalism from a throne in the sky.

(At one point there it seemed like all these old protest tunes were quaint and dated. Unfortunately that’s no longer true. Last month a bunch of kids in Boulder, Colo. Became the subject of an FBI investigation when local right-wingers didn’t like them performing Dylan’s “Masters of War” at a high school talent show.)

Ultimately though, the most enduring songs on this album are the ones written by Miller and/or his wife Julie.

“Fire and Water,” written by the couple, is a song about Julie Miller’s brother, who died shortly before the album was recorded. More upbeat is “Don’t Wait,” in which Miller’s Creedence-like guitar is out front and the McCrarys get full of the spirit.

Miller’s guitar is even more swampy, in fact, downright spooky on “Is That You,” a slow, bouncy full-force call to God.

The voices -- Miller and the McCrarys -- are even more out front on the concluding track, “Fall on the Rock,” a Julie-penned gospel shouter that warns, “You better fall on the rock or the rock’s gonna fall on you.”

In short, Universal United House of Prayer is a record full of joy, grief, faith and despair. If it doesn’t make you feel religious, it should at least make you feel very human.

Also Recommended:

*Lifeline by Iris DeMent. Iris DeMent? I thought she was dead ...

No, not really. During the past eight years or so, you can find her songs on a variety of soundtracks (The Horse Whisperer and Songcatcher to name a couple) and tribute albums (Jimmie Rodgers, Tom T. Hall) and dueting on records by John Prine, Tom Russell, Steve Earle and her husband Greg Brown.

But until now she hadn’t released an album of her own since 1996 when she gave the world her jaw-dropping “The Way I Should.”

But each impressive new guest appearance just fueled the burning question: “Where the hell is the new Iris album?”

A bad case of writer’s block, she’s said in interviews.

While her distinct, warbling voice is still in fine form, Lifeline doesn’t indicate whether or not DeMent has recovered from her writer’s block. All but one of the songs here are old traditional gospel tunes, many of them public domain.

These are mostly fondly-remembered songs from DeMent’s childhood, songs her mother used to sing.

In her liner notes DeMent writes, “These songs aren’t about religion. At least for me they aren’t. They’re about something bigger than that. There was a great urgency in my mother’s voice when she sang out that came out of desperation, a great need.” DeMent also talks about a “calmness” in her mother after singing.

Backed only by acoustic instruments -- sometimes just her piano -- these songs done her elicit a certain calmness also.

There are familiar hymns like “Sweet Hour of Prayer.” Before now I’d always considered this a rather gimpy song. But DeMent pours her soul into it, making it a powerful declaration.

There are obscure songs with odd and ominous titles like “I Don’t Want to Get Adjusted” (“I don’t want to get adjusted to this world, to this world/I’ve got a home that’s so much better …”) and “God Walks These Dark Hills.”

And there’s one DeMent original “He Reached Down,” in which she retells the Bible stories like the Good Samaritan and Jesus telling only those without sin to cast the first stone at an adulteress. This is her subtle way of saying that religion is not the sole property of right-wingers.

I hope this signals the end of DeMent’s writer’s block. As the writer of “Wasteland of the Free,” one of the most on-target protest songs of the ‘90s, she is needed.

ROUNDHOUSE ROUND-UP: GARY J. ON E. SHIRLEY

As published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
Dec. 23, 2004

Thanks to Public Regulation Commissioner E. Shirley Baca getting arrested on charges of marijuana possession at the Albuquerque International Airport earlier this month, marijuana is once again a hot topic around the halls of state government. There hasn't been this much chatter about pot here since Gary Johnson was governor.

Johnson, who was in office from 1995 to the end of 2002, became a national voice for reforming drug laws, though his advocacy undoubtedly hurt his relationship with many of his fellow Republicans and didn't win many Democratic friends in the Legislature.

In case you've been on another planet for the past couple of weeks, Baca's arrest touched off an uproar.

A majority of her fellow PRC members asked her to resign. Both Gov. Bill Richardson and state Democratic Chairman John Wertheim both have said she should step down. Some just shook their heads and said, "Eeee, Shirley ..."

The reaction has been so one-sided, it's almost hard to believe that just a few years ago there was a serious debate in the Roundhouse about decriminalizing weed.

So what does Johnson think about the Baca situation?

In an e-mail conversation this week, the former governor said, "I find the E. Shirley Baca story indicative of what is going on in this country every day. There are people in all walks of life that pay taxes, are good parents, are influential in their communities, and are law abiding citizens except for the fact that they smoke marijuana.

"I don't think it should be illegal to smoke marijuana in the confines of your own home doing no harm to anyone arguably other than yourself," Johnson said.

"All that said, Shirley Baca seems to be a hypocrite," Johnson said. "She smokes pot and yet it's not OK for anyone working for her. She advocates zero tolerance for anyone using drugs and alcohol within her office and yet it appears that does not apply to herself."

Baca reportedly told airport police that she occasionally smokes marijuana. However since then she has denied that she put the contraband in her suitcase where authorities found it.

"In my business and in state government I had drug policies that were not zero tolerance," Johnson continued I wanted to help individuals that might turn out to be drug or alcohol abusers."

"I don't remember her standing beside me when I advocated rational drug reform in this country," Johnson said. "I don't remember her wanting rational drug reform in her high-profile runs for the U.S. Congress. Come clean Shirley, and advocate change in our current drug policies. Prevent the future millions that will be subjected to arrest and incarceration. You are now one of them."

I'd just like to thank the governor: Many things have changed since the Johnson era. Back in those days, a big percentage of people in the room at a governor's press conference actually were members of the press.

But Bil Richardson is a believer in press conferences doubling as pep rallies. These events are packed with folks whose main reason for being there is to pay verbal tribute to the chief executive. I recently joked with a Richardson press aide about creating a new drinking game: You take a shot every time someone says, "I'd just like to thank the governor."

But last week was the ultimate. There was a press conference Friday to announce a holiday anti-drunken driving blitz and his proposal for spending $150 million on economic development, housing, water, energy, health and higher education projects.

The Governor's Cabinet Room was jammed with police from a whole galaxy of police departments from around the state, as well as bureaucrats from the various agencies in line for their share of the money.

Somewhere in the claustrophobic confides of the room were about three reporters - including The New Mexican's Ben Neary. The room was so crowded that reporters from the Associated Press and The Albuquerque Journal were left standing in the lobby of the governor's office. They didn't make their way into the press conference until the cops started leaving after the DWI announcement.

Fighting urban legends: Recently a co-worker sent everyone in our office an alarming e-mail about telemarketers getting a directory of cell phone numbers. The same dire warning was posted on my favorite internet music board too.

Like most alarming e-mails, it's not true. And if you don't believe me, ask Attorney General Patricia Madrid, who just issued a written statement debunking the cell phone/telemarketing scare.

"I want to reassure New Mexicans that this is just another 'urban legend' that spreads around the Internet like wildfire," Madrid said in the statement. "Even though you may trust the person who sent it to you, do not immediately trust the information contained in these messages. ... Research the claims in an e-mail before you press the 'send' button - don't help perpetuate 'urban legends' by spreading them before looking into their accuracy."

A good place to start is www.snopes.com, which specializes in urban legends and hoaxes.

MORE OFF-KILTER CHRISTMAS CAROLS

For those of you who enjoy the kind of musicial Yuletide merriment found in the weirder songs I played on The Steve Terrell Christmas Special Sunday, check out Alicublog. Be sure to read the readers' comments. (Thanks, Margot!)

Until PRUSSIAN BLUE puts out a Christmas album" (I'm Dreaming of a White Power Christmas" ????), my current favorites in this sub-sub genre are "Six Bullets For Christmas" by Angry Johnny & The Killbillies (Download it HERE) and "Jinglecide" by The Rockin' Guys. (I'm talking about the long defunct band from Arkansas. Apparently there's a rockabilly group from Estonia using the same name in more recent years.)

And one that KSFR's Sean Conlon just turned me on to is "Even Squeaky Fromme Loves Christmas" by The Rev. Glen Armstrong. (Download it HERE And check out Sean's wonderful Undercurrents on KSFR, 10 p.m. Mountain Time, Wednesdays.)

And just when I'd had my fill of weird Christmas songs, last night when I was downloading some Bollywood soundtracks from E-music, I discovered that the song "Aao Tumhen Chand Pe" from the movie Zakhmee (a 1975 movie with "ACTION, REVENGE, GOOD MUSIC" according to searchamovie.com ) starts out with an East Indian version of "Jingle Bells."

Isn't it time we put the "Hare Krishna" back in Christmas?