Wednesday, December 31, 2003

A Plug for an Old College Pal

Jon Stein has been performing and pushing folk music even before I met him at UNM back in 1972. He introduced me to a couple of my very best friends, Jon "Boo Boo" Bowman (New Mexico Magazine, Santa Fe Film Festival) and Erik Ness (New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau, Danger Peligro Detective Agency).

Jon is still performing and pushing folk music, though these days he lives in Goshen, N.Y. He's responsible for Folk at Goshen Inn, he books folk artists including Tom Pacheco, and he's got a radio show, that, unlike mine, you can hear on the internet. His Hootenanny Cafe airs Fridays at 6PM on WTBQ AM 1110 and Sundays at 9PM.

So check him out.

MISC. JUNK
I'm off work this week, so there will be no Roundhouse Round-up Thursday. Look for my political here next Thursday.

Friday is my BEST CDS of 2003 column. Selections from those CDs will be featured on Sunday's Terrell's Sound World on KSFR (10 p.m. to midnight).

On Friday's Santa Fe Opry (same time, same station) I'll be playing my selections I submitted for the annual Freeform American Roots Radio (FAR) poll. There's some overlap with the other best-of list. But the FAR poll is for country and "roots" music, so there will be albums not on the other list.

Confused? Don't be. Just enjoy the music.

Tuesday, December 30, 2003

Bargain Bin Finds

I picked up a couple of good used compilation CDs -- at low, low prices -- in the used bins in recent days.

Yesterday at Natural Sound in Albuquerque -- the best record store in the state, by the way, hands down -- I found a 1996 Touch and Go CD called The Lounge Ax Defense & Relocation Compact Disc, which features songs by The Jesus Lizard, Sebadoh, he Archers of Loaf, Guided By Voices, Yo La Tengo (doing a totally crazy instrumental featuring a sax) and best of all, The Mekons.
It was put out to raise money for an influential Chicago bar, which reportedly was being harassed by city officials at the instigation of some yuppie condo owner next door. The Lounge Ax has since shut down, and the evil yuppie has moved to Santa Fe.

Just kidding, but doesn't that sound like a damn Santa Fe story? Remember Dr. No's on Canyon Road? I played a couple of gigs there myself back when Tommy Trusnovic was putting on Monday night shows there. Plus I saw one of the greatest ThaMuseMeant shows ever there at Dr. No's before the Canyon Road ricos heaved a collective "How gauche!" and eventually killed the venue.

But I digress.

Anyway, the CD is full of good stuff, which you Terrell's Sound World listeners will hear in weeks to come. (Not this week though. Sunday night is my BEST of 2003 show.) And for you SF Opry fans, you'll soon get to hear The Bad Livers' "Wild Bill Jones" from Lounge Ax one of these Fridays. (Maybe even this one.)

The other used CD I found is Polka Comes to Your Haus!, which I picked up at College Plaza Hastings on Saturday.

It's a 1990 compilation featuring Brave Combo (two songs), the totally insane Polkacide from San Francisco, Rotondi, Das Furlines (Polka grrrls!) and even Mojo Nixon & Slid Roper's "Polka, Polka."

The collection doesn't come close to the level of my favorite Polka CD American Polka (Trikont, 2001), which not only has crazed polka-rock, but also includes old school masters like Li'l Wally and Frankie Yankovic and even some great Tex-Mex polkaderos like Narcisco Martinez and El Trio Alegre.

Still, Polka Comes to Your Haus! is loads of fun. I've already played Blitzkrieg Over Kenosha by Mark Shurilla & The Blackholes on Sound World. More will follow.

Let's Get Interactive

Hey, don't be afraid to comment on this or any post here, even if you think I'm full of crap. Click the comment deal below.

Monday, December 29, 2003

New (and old) NO DEPRESSION

My review of the Rhino Handmade reissue of Judee Sill's Heart Food is in the January issue of NO DEPRESSION magazine, issue #49 with the cover story on T-Bone Burnett. You Santa Fe folks usually can find this magazine -- a journal of alternative country music, whatever that is -- at Borders. ND also has a website.

My late lamented website used to have links to some of my stories and reviews archived on the No Depression site. Here's a few of those:

A 1999 Terry Allen profile
A 1998 Junior Brown/Last Mile Ramblers show
A 1997 story on Native American music
A review of a Dr. West's Medicine Show & Junk Band compilation. (A big influence from my junior high years!)
A review of a Legendary Stardust Cowboy live CD

I still have most my old web pages in my computer. If there's anything you miss and would like me to repost here, e-mail me. (Sorry, can't do the infamous Dancing Potatoheads.)

A Plug and a Playlist

My friend Marlee MacLeod, an amazing singer, songwriter and performer -- as well as a fine true crime writer -- has a cool blog of her own. Check out In Other News
And seek out her CDs. Marlee's latest, Like Hollywood is available on Catamount Records

Here's what I played tonight on KSFR, my last show of the year

Terrell's Sound World
Sunday, December 28, 2003
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.


OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Blitzkrieg Over Kenosha by Mark Shurilla & The Blackholes
Nadine by Frank Black & The Catholics
All in a Day by Joe Strummer
Cold Irons Bound by Bob Dylan
Blind Rage by Lou Reed
Perverts in the Sun by Iggy Pop
That Certain Party by Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis

Dig a Pony by The Beatles
Spiral Stairway by The Kings of Leon
Black Tongue by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Under Control by The Strokes
The Laws Have Changed by The New Pornographers
I Invented the Night by The Electric Six
Extra Baggage by Missiletoe
All For Yourself by Just Short of Sunday
I'm So Happy by The Mekons

Greg Dulli Set
Teen Age Wristband by The Twilight Singers
The Temple by The Aghan Whigs
My Enemy by The Aghan Whigs
That's Just How the Bird Sings by The Twilight Singers
Dark End of the Street by The Aghan Whigs
My Curse by The Aghan Whigs
Number Nine by The Twilight Singers

Cemetery Polka by Kazik Staszewski
This One's From The Heart by Tom Waits & Crystal Gale
War by Outkast
Play to Win by Al Green
Sorry Wrong Number by Howard Tate
Jon E. Edwards Is In Love by Jon E. Edwards
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

Sunday, December 28, 2003

Just What the Free World Needs ... another blog!

Howdy, Steve Terrell from Santa Fe, N.M. here.

My old website recently bit the dust. Dreamwater, the crappy free-web-space "service" I was using somehow deleted my site and won't let me log in. E-mails to their web master bounce back.

So I'm going the blog route. Most the frequently updated material on the old site were my columns in The Santa Fe New Mexican (Terrell's Tune-up, my CD review column; and Roundhouse Round-up, my political column) and playlists for my radio shows on KSFR, Santa Fe Public Radio. (Terrell's Sound World on Sunday nights, The Santa Fe Opry, Friday nights.)

All these things and more will be here.

My employer requires a disclaimer here:

"This site is a personal publication independent of my professional capacity at the Santa Fe New Mexican. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Santa Fe New Mexican or santafenewmexican.com "

So there you have it. Bookmark this page. Tell your friends.

Meanwhile let's catch up on a few things from the time my late great web site croaked:

Playlists

The Santa Fe Opry
Friday, Dec. 19, 2003
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM


OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
6 Bullets for Christmas by Angry Johnny & The Killbillies
I'll Be Home For Christmas by The Old 97s
East Side Boys by Martin Zeller
Marry Me by The Drive By Truckers
Look at Miss Ohio by Gillian Welch
Little Mama by Ray Wylie Hubbard
A Little Bit Lonesome by Kasey Chambers
Let it Snow by Leon Redbone

Drinkin' Thing/I Get Drunk/She's Actin' Single, I'm Drinkin' Doubles/Backslider's Wine by Gary Stewart
Lovesick Blues Boy by Paul Burch
Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Rex Hobart & The Misery Boys
Mope-along Rides Again by The Band of Blacky Ranchette
Lonely Christmas Call by George Jones

Whatever Your Name Is I Love You by Kell Robertson
Cold Canadian Love by Joe West
Maybe Next Year by Jaime Michaels
Sin Street by Kim & The Cabelleros
Weather Woman by Tom Adler
Who Am I by ThaMuseMeant
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by Mark Weber & Selsun Blue

Nervous Breakdown by Whiskeytown
Potato's in the Paddy Wagon by The New Main Street Singers
Gift Horse of Mercy by Butch Hancock
Baby, It's Cold Outside by Albert & Gage
Lucy's Tiger Den by Terry Allen
Blue Christmas Lights by Chris Hillman & Herb Pederson
Let it Rain This Christmas by The Bellyachers
Lone Star Christmas by Jerry Faires
Jesus Won't Come Down Your Chimney by Charlie Louvin
Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me by Elvis Presley
CLOSING THEME :Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

The Santa Fe Opry
Friday, Dec. 26, 2003
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM


OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Christmas Time WIll Soon Be Gone by Jack White
Seven Months and 39 Days by Hank Williams III
Sold Me Down the River by Angry Johnny & The Killbillies
You're Still Standin' There by Steve Earle & Lucinda Williams
That's Not the Issue by Wilco
Rock 'n Roll is a Vicious Game by Ray Wylie Hubbard
My Dearest Darlin' by Doug Sahm
Idumea by Sacred Harp Singers at Liberty Church

You Got the Car by Kasey Chambers
Like a Drug by Garrison Starr
Nashville Radio by Jon Langford
Out of Hand by Gary Stewart
The Bottomless Hole by The Handsome Family
What Makes Bob Holler by Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
Jamie by Joe West

Six Days on the Road by Dave Dudley
Truckdrivin' Man by Hylo Brown
Nitro Express by Red Simpson & Junior Brown
Truck Drivin' Cat With Nine Wives by Jim Nesbitt
Wildcat Run by Red Sovine
Semi Truck by Bill Kirchen
Diesel Dazey by Killbilly
Diesel Smoke (Dangerous Curves) by Doye O'Dell
White Line Fever by Merle Haggard
Tombstone Every Mile by Charlie Moore
Six Days on the Road by Rig Rock Deluxe

Jackson by Johnny Cash & June Carter
Last Time I Fell by Paul Burch
Two Things by Roger Wallace
Two More Days by Sid Hillman Quartet
Wayside/Back in Time by Gillian Welch
If You Win You Lose by Kell Robertson
Outfit by Drive By Truckers
The Scarlet Tide by Alison Krauss
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

Terrell's Sound World
Sunday, December 21, 2003
The 75th Annual Steve Terrell Christmas Special
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.


Must Be Santa by Brave Combo
Silent Night by Bad Religion
Gloria by Elastica
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by Beatlemas
Santa Claus, Go Straight to the Ghetto by James Brown
Santa Claus Goes Straight to the Ghetto by Snoop Doggy Dogg
Santa's Beard by The Beach Boys
Jingle Bells by Johnny Dowd
Deck the Halls by The Klezmonauts
Christmas Island by Leon Redbone

Away in a Manger by Pat Malone
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by Beausolei
Merry Christmas to You by Billy Joe Shaver
Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon
A Change at Christmas by The Flaming Lips
White Christmas by Otis Redding
Christmas Morning by Loudon Wainwright III

Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies by The Jingle Cats
Monsters Holiday by Bobby "Boris" Picket
Deck the Halls With Parts of Charlie by The Crypt Keeper
St. Stephen's Day Murders by The Chieftains with Elvis Costello
Fairytale of New York by The Pogues with Kirtsy MacColl
Christmas at K-Mart by Root Boy Slim
Jinglecide by The Rockin' Guys
I'll Be Home For Christmas by The Bubbadinos
Santa Doesn't Cop Out on Dope by Sonic Youth

Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight) by The Ramones
Christmas is Quiet by The Wild Colonials
Old Toy Trains by Roger Miller
Amen by The Impressions
Sawade by Terry Allen
No Vacancy by Marlee MacLeod
Nothing But a Child by Steve Earle with Maria McKee
Silent Night/What Christmas Means by Dion
Star of Wonder by The Roches

and here's last week's Terrell's Tune-up, published in The New Mexican on Dec. 26, 2003 ...

A Cosmic Kind of Rage

As singer for the late lamented Afghan Whigs, Greg Dulli was responsible for some of the most intense and passionate rock ‘n’ roll love songs of the 1990s. This was no wimpy “emo” fare. Dulli and his Cincinnati boys drew from the rage of punk rock and the carnal power of soul (and I don’t mean they sounded like some bar band covering Wilson Picket songs).

He sometimes was ridiculed for it, but Dulli never sang of a souring relationship without making it sound downright mythical. You can easily envision Dulli shouting, “It’s in our hearts, it’s in our heads, it’s in our love, baby, it’s in our bed !” alone on a mountain top as the forces of the cosmos converge in black clouds above him.

And when he was on the prowl for love, Dulli made his desires so overpowering, they could pass for the uncontrollable cravings of a serial killer.

Though the Whigs are no more, Dulli’s still brooding and raging, these days with an outfit called The Twilight Singers, whose latest effort, Blackberry Belle, is raw, tumultuous, emotional, sometimes hypnotic, and a little bit evil. (“Black out the windows, it’s party time,” are the first words he sings on the album.)

In other words, it’s prime Dulli.

Although he uses the Twilight name, Blackberry Belle is much closer in spirit to the Afghan Whigs than it is to the trip-hoppy 2000 album Twilight as Played by The Twilight Singers. There Dulli shared vocal duties with Harold Chichester and Shawn Smith. (Not to knock that album, which has its own sinister charm, with Chichester‘s disturbing falsetto and all.)

But this time it's basically Dulli’s show. “There’s a riot going on inside of me,” he sings on “St. Gregory.” It doesn’t take long for a listener to believe it’s true.

“And I’m gonna crawl,” he sings in “Feathers.” “Not that it matters, nobody bleeds the way I do.”

While Dulli’s guitars is prominent here, keyboards, played by Dulli and others, also are central.

Each song helps build the atmosphere on the album, but there are standouts. The clunky horn section on “Esta Noche” gives the song an earthy power. The swaggering “Decatur Street,” with its boiling clavinet, tough percussion and just a hint of wah-wah guitar shows Dulli’s love for Blaxploitation movie music.

There are a few guest stars on Blackberry Belle. Appolonia Kotero -- yes Prince’s leading lady in Purple Rain -- sings on a couple of tracks. Bluesman Alvin Youngblood Hart plays some lapsteel on “The Killer,” but he’s pretty much buried in the mix.

This isn’t the case though with Mark Lanegan, who sings lead on “Number Nine,” the last song on the album. Lanegan’s deep croon sounds like the Frankenstein monster, pumped up on sweet wine and romantic poetry. With Dulli singing the choruses, the song slowly builds up into a pounding Afghan juggernaut, ending with a female singer (Petra Hayden) doing some soulful wailing in the style of Clare Torry on Pink Floyd’s “The Great Gig in the Sky.”

By the end it's hard not to believe that nobody bleeds like Greg Dulli.

(http://www.thetwilightsingers.com)

Also Recommended:

Speakerboxx/The Love Below by Outkast. OK, OK, I realize it’s faintly ridiculous for a 50-year-old white Okie to act like an aficionado of hip hop. And to be honest, not much in the rap universe has excited me since Public Enemy in their early ’90s prime.

But from the first time I heard “Miss Jackson” a couple of years ago, I’ve been a fan of this Atlanta duo. Big Boi and Dre 3000 have a lot going for them They're intelligent. They’re funny. They’re funky. And most important, unlike so many thousands of third-rate gangsta goons, they’re musical. As far as I’m concerned, Outkast is the true heir of George Clinton and Prince.

And despite their great commercial success in the past few years, they’re still down-home enough to include an ad for Big Boi’s pit bull breeding service, Pitfall Kennels, inside their CD booklet.

Speakerboxx/The Love Below basically are two solo albums by Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and Dre 3000 (Andre Benjamin) under the Outkast umbrella. This of course has prompted some talk of an impending breakup, which the group denies. (“We never relaxin’/Outkast is everlasting’/Not clashin’, not at all,” Big Boi explains in the introduction of “The Way You Move.”)

The Love Below actually doesn’t sound much like a rap album. It’s a near seamless mix of hip hop, funky soul and jazz. Like Prince Dre is something of a one-man band, playing guitar and keyboards on most tracks.

Starting out with a little cocktail music, (The super syrupy “Intro,” then the breezy “Love Hater”), Love Below" explores all sorts of musical directions. There’s an acoustic tune, “Take Off Your Cool,” with Norah Jones; There’s some Princely nastiness with “Spread.” here’s a breakneck techno-jazzy version of the Coltrane associated “My Favorite Things.”

But nothing really is better than the big hit, “Hey Ya!” a high-excitement soul rave-up.

My only complaint is that some of Dre’s spoken-word skits and between-song interludes get old after a couple of listens

Speakerboxx also is a first-rate effort. There’s a lot more rapping on this disc with guests like Ludicris and Jay-Z -- not to mention the 110 mph mouth of Big Boi himself.

But there’s lots of actual songs here too, such as the Parliamentesque “Bow Tie”; “The Rooster,” which sounds like it’s built upon a Sly Stone outtake; and the spook-house rock of “Bust.”

Big Boi gets seriously political with “War“ (“Operation Anaconda/ask yourself, was it full of bleeps and blunders?/Did they ever find Osama?”)

Although the solo outings are nothing short of amazing, I hope B.B. and Dre recombine for their next record. Outkast might just be the first important act of the millennium.


swt

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday,  December 1, 2024 KSFR, Santa Fe, NM, 101.1 FM  Webcasting! 10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time Host: Steve Terrell ...