THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, February 27, 2009
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
Living with the Animals by Mother Earth
My Favorite Record by The Asylum Street Spankers
Wishing For You by The Sir Douglas Quintet

BUTCH HANCOCK LIVE IN THE STUDIO

Wishing for You (alternative version)
Road Map for the Blues
No Place to Fall
Waitin' Around to Die
Pinecone
Dangling Diamond
(end live set)
Morning Goodness by Butch Hancock & Robert Earl Keen

Turn it On, Turn it On, Turn it On by Tom T. Hall
Liquor Store by The Meat Purveyors
The Way You Can Get by The Gourds
You Snap Your Fingers (And I'm Back in Your Hands) by Amber Digby
If You Should Come Back Back Today by Johnny Paycheck
She's My Neighbor by Zeno Tornado & The Boney Google Brothers
Bright Lights and Blonde-Haired Women by Ray Price
Bip a Little, Bop a Little by Joe Penny
Honky Tonk Kind by Charlie Feather
Did Boy Dig by Freddy Hart

Keep a Light in Your Window by Cornell Hurd
Wide River to Cross by Buddy Miller
You're the Nearest Thing to Heaven by Johnny Cash
Out of My Head by Blonde Boy Grunt & The Groans
Cool and Dark Inside by Kell Robertson
West Texas Waltz by Emmylou Harris with Flaco Jimenez
Someday by Blaze Foley
Be My Love by NRBQ
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: SPANKER TIME

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
February 27, 2009

They call themselves “God’s favorite band.” I’m not sure if the god they’re talking about is Dionysus or some jungle deity whose name cannot be spoken.

But even agnostics should be able to appreciate The Asylum Street Spankers, a good-time crew from Texas that has been spreading its gospel of old-timey acoustic sounds, radical politics, reefer madness, dirty jokes, and general wackiness.

The Spankers have a new — well, pretty new — double live CD, What? And Give Up Show Biz? And they’re coming to Santa Fe. (Actually, according to the Spanker Web site, brassy belter Christina Marrs is on maternity leave, so the upcoming show will be an all-male revue. As the Web site says, “While the lady is with child, the dudes are going wild.”)

For those not familiar with the ASS, this live album, recorded in January 2008 at New York’s Barrow Street Theater, is a good place to start. Show Biz includes tunes spanning the band’s career — dope songs, dirty songs, children’s songs, a political-conspiracy song (“My Baby in the CIA”), and a perfectly lovely version of Harry Nilsson’s “Think About Your Troubles.”

This is one of the only bands I know that would release a record that includes a vaudeville classic like “Everybody Loves My Baby” and a Black Flag cover, “TV Party.” There is also a cool, quick medley of instrumental TV-show themes, including those of The Simpsons, Jeopardy, and Bonanza.

And like Black Flag, the Spankers have a punk-rock heart, despite their strict adherence to a no-electricity credo. Their Betty Boop-ish version of Tampa Red’s “Tight Like That” includes a quick detour to The Jim Carroll Band’s “People Who Died.”

Less successful is the band’s fusion of country music and rap with a song called “Hick Hop.” The Gourds’ version of Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice” set the standard for endeavors like this.

Lots of musicians of any note who’ve been around for a few years have certain songs that they’re sick of but the masses demand. (Ask Loudon Wainwright III about “Dead Skunk” or Ray Wylie Hubbard about “Redneck Mother.”) The Spankers have an answer for this — a less-than-three-minute “Medley of Burned Out Songs.” It’s a fun track, but newcomers to Asylum Street should seek out the full version of “Lee Harvey,” a sympathetic look at the late Mr. Oswald.

A lot of the album consists of between-song stage patter and shaggy-dog tales. Even though this kind of live-album stuff starts to get old after a few listens, the Spankers are better at it than most — mainly because they’re funnier. And some of these throwaway tracks have their own charm. Take the dumb, dirty-minded, a cappella ditty “My Country’s Calling Me,” which sounds like it’s straight from the playground. That reminds me of a weird little song from my own youth that starts out, “There was a miss/Who went to piiiiiiiiiiiiick some flowers” (actually an old high school teacher taught me that one).

In addition to the laffs, the Spankers are memorable because of their musicianship. Even at their silliest, they are, as Tampa Red would say, tight, tight like that.

The Asylum Street Spankers play at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, at Santa Fe Brewing Company, 37 Fire Place, 424-3333. Tickets are $17 in advance, from the Lensic Performing Arts Center, 988-1234, or $20 at the door.

Also recommended:

* American Shadows: The Songs of Moon Mullican by The Cornell Hurd Band. “He was one of the fathers of rock ’n’ roll, kid. Yes, he was.”

That’s what Hurd says in the introduction to this album, on which he, his magical band, and guest stars pay tribute to Aubrey Wilson Mullican, a piano-playing Texan best known as a country singer in the 1940s and ’50s.

But Cornell ain’t lying about the rock ’n’ roll. Mullican embraced rockabilly, as “Moon Rocks” and “Seven Nights to Rock” prove. Those songs are included in the tribute, as are his hits like “I’ll Sail My Ship Alone” (sung by Tommy Alverson) and “Cherokee Boogie” (sung by Brad Moore).
Two of my favorites here are duets — “Southern Hospitality” and the mighty pretty “Mighty Pretty Waltz” — by Maryanne Price (former Lickette with Dan Hicks) and Chris O’Connell (ex-Asleep at the Wheel).

And here’s some pretty amazing musical trivia. Mullican recorded a song by none other than the late pimperiffic R & B master Rudy Ray Moore — yes, Dolomite himself — “I’m Mad With You,” sung here by Hurd. “The fact that Moon recorded a Rudy Ray Moore song puts him in a class by himself,” Hurd says in the liner notes. Cornell’s pretty much in a class of his own as well.

Note: After I wrote and submitted this column, Paul Skelton, guitarist for The Cornell Hurd Band died. He was a heck of a picker. His obit is HERE


Life’s a Butch: Butch Hancock is coming to town. Not only is he playing at 7 and 8:45 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, at Gig Performance Space (1808-H Second St.; tickets, $29, are available at the Lensic Performing Arts Center, 988-1234), he’s also playing live Friday night, Feb. 27, on my radio show The Santa Fe Opry. That’s at 10 p.m. on KSFR-FM 101.1 and streaming live at ksfr.org.

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, February 22, 2009
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
Celluloid Heroes by The Kinks
New Age by The Velvet Underground
No Business Like Show Business by Ethel Merman
She Looks Like a Woman by The Fleshtones
Mean and Evil by The Juke Joint Pimps
Burn, Baby Burn by Stud Cole
Big Game Hunter by Andy Anderson

Drinking With Jesus by The Red Elvises
The Leather by The Oblivions
People, Places and Things by The Dex Romweber Duo with Exene Cervenka
Jungle Music by Simon Stokes
Rey de Tablistas by Wau y Los Arrrghs!
Walking on My Grave by Dead Moon
Unemployment by Demon's Claws
The Itch by Chuck Higgens
Jill Used to Be Normal by Jesus H. Christ & The Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse

Makin' It by Impala
I'm Mad With You by Rudy Ray Moore
Strolling Beale # 1 by Rufus Thomas
Sweet Little Rock 'n' Roller by The Flamin' Groovies
Sloe Gin by Billy Miles Brooke
Time Passes By by Lone Monk
My Little Problem by The Replacements with Johnette Napolitano
Girls Are Mad by The Ettes
Mad Daddy by The Cramps

Rockabilly Monkey-Faced Girl by Ross Johnson
Just Want Your Love by Big Maybelle
Two Wings by Alvin Youngblood Hart
He's a Mighty Good Leader by Joe Lastie & The Lastie Family Gospel
Ordinary Night by The Mekons
My Beloved Movie Star by Stan Ridgway
Porpoise Mouth by Country Joe & The Fish
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

SUNDAY MORNING

First some news. One of America's greatest living songwriters, the incomparable Butch Hancock has agreed to play live next Friday on The Santa Fe Opry.

That's 10 pm on KSFR, Santa Fe Public Radio, 101.1 FM. It'll stream live on the Web too. Click on the link back there.

Butch is playing two shows Saturday night at The Gig Performance Space. ($29 General Admission. Tickets at Lensic Box Office 505-988-1234.) It's brought to you by Southwest Roots Music, (which this year has moved the Thirsty Ear Festival up to June.)

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I've been fooling around with my favorite recent Internet time-waster, Blip.FM. (For this I blame my GaragePunk Hideout pals Kaiser, Martha and Kopper.) It's been cluttering up my Twitter feed and Facebook, but it's pretty cool, providing a direct link to some of the crazy music I like.

So check out my Blip.FM page. Press play on a song you like and when that one's over, the next song on the list will begin. And if you're so inclined, sign up and set up your own station. It's easy as pie and lots of fun.

(By the way, Kaiser and Kooper have two of the most bitchen podcasts in the Free World, RadiOblivion and Savage Kick. Click the links and check those out.)

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One of my favorite country artists, Buddy Miller had triple bypass surgery Friday. Reportedly he's recovering well. Here's a news story from The Nashville Tennessean.

We're pulling for ya, Buddy.

XXXXXXX

Terrell's Sound World, home of freeform weirdo radio, is tonight on KSFR. Starts at 10 p.m., please tune in. And you Twitterheads, gimme a tweet.

SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, February 20, 2009
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
Wickedest City by The Waco Brothers
That's What Makes the Jukebox Play by Roy Acuff
Big Harlan Taylor by Roger Miller
The Moon Is High by Neko Case
Honky Tonk Man by Johnny Horton
That Little Honkey Tonk Queen by Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley
Parchman Farm by Ray Condo & His Ricochets
The Girl on Death Row by T. Tex Edwards & Out on Parole
I Don't Want to Go by Stud Cole
La Delaysay by The Pine Leaf Boys
Make Friends by Cornell Hurd

Tight Like That/People Who Died by The Asylum Street Spankers
Sin Away by The Grevious Angels
Poon-Tang by Deke Dekerson with The Treniers
Walking Bum by Heavy Trash
Bottle of Wine by Angry Johnny & The Killbillies
Be Real by Freda & The Firedogs
Let Me Be The Judge by Amber Digby
Catch 'em young, Treat 'em Rough and Tell 'em Nothing by Hank Penny
Sweet as the Flowers in Maytime by The Carter Family

Mustang Kid/Fuzzy Stuff by Andy Anderson
I Can't Find the Doorknob by Jimmy & Johnny
Shortnin' Bread Rock by The Collins Kids
Red Hot by Billy Lee Riley
Trucker From Tennessee by Link Davis
I'm Comin' Home by Sleepy LaBeef
Hillbilly Music by Jerry Lee Lewis
Honey Hush by Johnny Burnette & The Rock 'n' Roll Trio
Johnny Valentine by Andy Anderson

Don't Buy a Skinned Rabbit by Blonde Boy Grunt & The Groans
Cool and Dark Inside by Kell Robertson
One More Down by John Egenes
Grinding Wheel by Hundred Year Flood
Tiny Island by Leo Kottke
You Coulda Walked Around the World by Butch Hancock
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

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