Monday, April 30, 2007
TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
NEW: email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
El Kabong by The A-Bones
Red Lips, Red Eyes, Red Stockings by The Red Elvises
El Microscopico Bikini by Los Straitjackets with Cesar Rosas
Voodoo Trucker by Deadbolt
Baby Blue Rock by The Cramps
Throw a Boogie/Black Betty/Just a Little Bit by Scott H. Biram
Drunk Stripper by Bob Log III
Drive You Faster by John Schooley
Clean-up Woman by Betty Wright
Another Woman's Man by Little Royal
The Jungle by Diablito
Hey You by Evil Enc Group
African Twist by Stacy Lane
Get Out My Life Woman by Lee Dorsey
Ape Man by Aaron Neville
Sweet Skinny Jenny by Esquerita
Action-Packed by Ronnie Dee
Little Girl by John & Jackie
Monkey by J.C. Davis
Palolo Valley Girls by Da Mokettes & The Incredible Q Band.
Iggy Pop Set
All songs by Iggy Pop except where noted
Trollin' by Iggy & The Stooges
Real Cool Time by The Stooges
Gimme Danger
Dogfood
No Fun by The Ridiculous Trio
Wild America
One For My Baby
As Long As I Have You by Detroit Cobras
Come on in This House by John Hammond
Come on Up to the House by Tom Waits
Out of Left Field by Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham
People get Ready by The Chambers Brothers
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
Sunday, April 29, 2007
GORDO GOES TO SPACE AGAIN
A little perspective: Scotty was an imaginary spaceman. Gordo Cooper was the real thing, one of the original Mercury astronauts and, the first Okie in space.
He piloted the last flight of the Mercury program (Faith 7, in 1963) and in 1965 commanded Gemini 5, becoming the first man to make a second orbital flight.
From his NASA obit:
Cooper and Charles "Pete" Conrad Jr. flew the troubled and suspenseful third flight of the Gemini program in August 1965. The goal of the mission was to prove astronauts could survive in space long enough to perform a lunar mission, which takes eight days. During their eight-day mission, they experienced a number of problems with power systems, thruster fuel, venting gas that caused the spacecraft to roll, and more in a seemingly unending series. But they stayed in orbit for almost 191 hours, 122 orbits in nearly eight days, and got themselves and their spacecraft back intact.Growing up in Oklahoma in the 1960s, I had three major Okie heroes: Roger Miller, Mickey Mantle and Gordo Cooper.
This strange little story about sending Cooper and Doohan's ashes into space (along with the ashes of about 200 others) just reminds me how much I wish we spent the money we spend on stupid wars on exploring space.
TORNADO BENEFIT
All door proceeds from the "Caught by the Wind" show will go to the United Way of Clovis. To donate online CLICK HERE.
According to a press release from SF Brewing, volunteers are needed to help stage te event. Email Jeff if you can volunteer.
Saturday's going to be a great day for music here. Dengue Fever is playing at Quadstock at the College of Santa Fe that night. I'm going to try to make both. (And the Drive-By Truckers and Alejandro Escovedo are at the Lensic the night before.)
Santa Fe Brewing has done a great job bringing music to this town. (For example, Robert Earl Keen is tonight and John Hammond, who has a cool new album, is coming May 25). I'm glad they're getting involved with helping people too.
And hell, Clovis was where Buddy Holly made most of his magic. WE OWE THEM! (I believe theb ghost of Buddy spoke to me a coule of weeks ago when I was in Clovis. I was at Twin Cronnie Drive-In eating a chili dog, listening to my iPod on shuffle when "That'll Be the Day" came on. It was a sacred miracle!)
The Caught by the Wind line-up includes:
The JEFF STRAHAN BAND
AMAZING LARRY
BILL HEARNE & Friends
BUSY McCARROLL & the Ambassadors of Pleasure
The GEORGIE ANGEL BLUES BAND
LUNA de PLATA
LOVE LIES BLEEDING
$10 COVER -- ALL AGES
2 PM to Closing
GREG PALAST IN SANTA FE
When I spoke to him on the phone Tuesday morning I reminded him that we had spoken about now-indicted former Sen. Manny Aragon and his ties with the Wackenhut (now GEO) private prison corporation a couple of years ago. That led to Palast referring to Aragon as "the little pustulous pimple that stood out" over other local politicos.
Apparently "pustulous" is a word that his been on Greg's mind lately. Looking at his Web site this morning I found it used again, though this time applied to "The pustulous press jackals may tear at (Alec Baldwin's) flesh."
Palast is speaking tonight at The Lensic Performing Arts Center.
Tickets are available at the Lensic box office, 988-1234, or online at www.ticketssantafe.org. It's $10 for admission and $24 ticket includes a copy of his new book Armed Madhouse. Books will also be available for purchase and signing at the theater.
The book signing starts at 6 p.m., his talk at 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
COLON WINS DEM CHAIRMANSHIP, WEH REELECTED GOP CHAIR
The AP quotes Dem spokesman Matt Farauto saying Colon got 295 out of 384 votes. Former state Rep. Michael Olguin of Socorro received 68, while former state party staffer and current blogger Gideon Elliot of Santa Fe took 21 votes. The Democrats met in Las Cruces.
On the Republican side, Col. Allen Weh won re-election with a margin of 183 to 137 over Earl Greer. The GOP met in Albuquerque.
FINAL WORD ON THE SC DEBATE
THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
NEW: email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Daddy Was a Preacher But Mama Was a Go-Go Girl by Southern Culture on the Skids
Last Rebellion by Angry Johnny & The Killbillies
Race With the Devil by Gene Vincent
Sneakin' by George Weston
Hot and Nasty by Black Oak, Arkansas
Things You Do to Me by Hank Williams III
The Ballad of Thunder Road by Robert Mitchum
Killin' Time in Texas by Gurf Morlix
Old Faithful by Bill Hearne's Roadhouse Revue
The Night That Porter Wagoner Came to Town by Tabby Crabb
Satan Gets the Gold by Porter Wagoner
Suburbia by The Riptones
Wrong Side of the World by Johnny Bush & Justin Trevino
Hollywood Hillbilly by Dale Watson
Sucker For a Trucker by Milly & The Sequins
One Has My Name by Jerry Lee Lewis
Got U on My Mind by The Watzloves
Molly Married a Traveling Man by Uncle Dave Macon
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS SET
All songs by DBT except where noted
Where the Devil Don't Stay
Wallace
The Boys From Alabama
I Met Her in Church by Dan Penn & Spooner Oldham
The Living Bubba
Hobo by Patterson Hood
Sinkhole
I Was Drunk by Alejandro Escovedo
Cat and Mouse by Ry Cooder
Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain by Carla Bozulich
Try Me One More Time by David Bromberg
No Demon by Jorma Kaukonen
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets
Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list
Friday, April 27, 2007
DEBATE ANALYSIS
You can find my live blogging of that debate by scrolling just a couple of posts down.
STATE CHAIRMAN BATTLES
But the GOP contest between incumbent Alllen Weh and Earl Greer is getting interesting too, according to Mario Burgos' blog. Getta loadda THIS:
April 26, 2007
Lou Melvin
RPNM Rules Committee Chairwoman
5150-A San Francisco NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Dear Lou -
In accordance with Rule 10 of the Bernalillo County Republican Party Supplementary Rules, the following State Central Committee Members from Bernalillo County are not in good standing.
Please consider this a formal challenge of the following State Central Committee members:
Christopher Atencio
Mario Burgos
John Butrick
Samuel Carnes
Whitney Cheshire
Diego Espinoza
State Representative Justin Fox-Young
Elaine Henederson
Wade Jackson
Enrique Knell
Fran Langholf
Vickie Perea
Patrick Rogers
Patricia Rush
Dianne Shams-Avari
Matthew Stackpole
Mario raises the possibility that C de Baca is supporting Greer against Weh, but that's not certain from the post.
The plot thickens. Mario, who ran against C'De Baca for Bernalillo County GOP writes:
I made a decision in that race to focus on Mr. C' de Baca's performance failures, but I also made a decision not to attack him personally. I choose not to point out Mr. C' de Baca's criminal conviction from 1996:(C de Baca, acording to Burgos, told The Albuquerque Tribune that the California Superior Court later dropped the charges.)
Here’s what the Albuquerque Tribune (7/24/96) reported about C de Baca’s 1996 bid-rigging conviction in California:
Fernando C de Baca, 58, of Albuquerque pleaded guilty Tuesday in San Diego County District Court to conspiring to inflate bids for asbestos removal at two malls owned by the Hahn Co. of San Diego. One of them was Coronado Center in Albuquerque.
But here's my favorite:
I also decided not to bring up the fact that the Executive Director,
employed by the Bernalillo County Republican Party and hired by Mr. C' de Baca, spent Election Night partying with Patricia Madrid supporters at her "Victory" Party. Or, the fact that this same individual, proudly has posted pictures on his personal website of himself posing with pornography star Jenna Jameson while wearing a t-shirt advertising her website.
The chairmanships of both parties will be decided Saturday.
Here's an Associated Press story from earlier this week about those races by Barry Massey. CLICK HERE
Stay tuned.
TERRELL'S TUNEUP: SOME OF MY FAVORITE AUDIO BLOGS
April 27, 2007
In my ongoing quest to inform you, the music-loving, working families, about cheap and innovative ways to enjoy music in that fabulous system called the Internet, I’ve discovered a few audio blogs that I’ve been enjoying lately.
For the uninitiated, audio blogs are where you can find free music samples — sometimes just clips or streams, though the ones I like are those where you can download MP3s of entire songs and/or podcast “radio” shows, sometimes with commentary from the hosts and other fun stuff.
Above all, I like to find MP3s that you aren’t going to find anywhere else, songs that aren’t even for sale. Here’s a few such sites:
* GaragePunk.com
This site, run by Jeff Kopp — a longtime music promoter, fanzine publisher, DJ, and fanatic from St. Louis — is dedicated to podcasts of “traditional garage rock to trashy punk, surf/instro to rockabilly, ’60s garage to swamp rock, broken blues to greasy R & B, soul to funk, frat rock to psych, freakbeat to power pop, proto punk to new wave, noise to lounge/exotica, and anything in between.” The shows, produced by several individual podcasters, have names like The Vagabond Garage Rocker, Savage Kick, Get Drunk & Play Records and Killed by Porn.
The fi is far from hi. As the site explains, “It’s important to keep in mind that these are very low bit-rate MP3s. The shows range from 64-80 kbps mono, which is a very low quality MP3, much lower audio quality than even a ‘good’ sounding MP3, and way, way lower than CD quality.” The sound quality reminds me of the AM radio in my long-gone ’63 Ford Falcon.
One recent night I listened to an hour-long podcast called Flying Saucer Rock ’n’ Roll #26, hosted by Canadian Dan Electreau, which features good old-school garage/psychedelic/trashabilly rock — and one crazy soul tune, “Alley Rat” by a guy named King Coleman — interspersed with cheesy dialogue from ’50s sci-fi and horror flicks. Unfortunately I can’t find play lists for the show. Among the performers are Alabama space surfers Man or Astro-Man? and rockabilly wunderkind Ronnie Dee (who grew up to be Ronnie Dawson). But mostly they were cool hopped-up bands I basically know nothing about, such as The Giant Robots, The Stingrays, and The Happy Happy Jihads, who wrote an instrumental called “Red Baron vs. Mars,” inspired by the comic-book style logo of the Flying Saucer Rock ’n’ Roll podcast.
* Funky 16 Corners
If there’s a better place to find rare soul, funk, and old R & B MP3s on the Web, I haven’t found it. This blog, produced by music writer Larry Grogan, features funky stuff from his vinyl collection.
Grogan includes music from some famous folks. Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett were featured in recent posts. But Funky 16 Corners is a great spot for lesser-knowns as well. Ever hear of soulsters like Diamond Joe or Curly Moore or Stacy Lane, who did the Pickett-esque shoulda-been hit “African Twist”? I hadn’t either until I started frequenting this blog.
There are several themed podcasts. One recent one focused on Philly soul, another featured music from New Orleans. (I downloaded this one. I’d heard of most the artists, like Aaron Neville, Irma Thomas, and Eddie Bo. But it included some rarities, such as a Neville song called “Ape Man.”) Grogan also recently posted a podcast collection of proto-funk 45s by New Orleans soul man Lee Dorsey.
* Edward Chewtoy
Chewtoy has an audio site that is pretty small and which hasn’t been very active lately. The latest music post was made in May 2006, featuring a collection of Asian folk-music downloads.
But Chewtoy’s major contribution to American culture is a post featuring 26 MP3s from a criminally overlooked rock ’n’ roll subgenre — strip club rock. “This was what R & R was supposed to sound like some 50 years ago,” Chewtoy explains. “The stuff hot-blooded gals used to shake their moneymakers to in strip clubs.” It’s basically Twist-era R & B, some of which is colored by jungle-themed exotica.
Most of the selections are from a long out-of-print CD series called Las Vegas Grind. I’d only heard of one of the artists here — soul man Andre Williams, who does a suggestive little R & B workout called “Sweet Little Pussycat,” complete with yackety sax and fake meows. But I suppose in the strip-club rock pantheon, names like Space Man & The Rockets, Jack Hammer, and The Hully Gully Boys are golden gods. The latter group does a song called “Yabby,” complete with wild bongos, pseudo-cannibal chants, and a roller-rink organ solo.
“Little Girl” by John and Jackie would be a generic early ’60s rocker except that Jackie responds with a sexy “Little boy!” every time John sings “Little girl.” She makes undisguised orgasmic noises during much of the rest of the song. “Topless” by Rolls Royce & The Wheels is a novelty dialogue between a man and a woman discussing a beach bunny in a topless bathing suit over a bluesy musical backdrop. “I wouldn’t be caught dead in one,” the woman says. “I don’t want you dead in one, I want you live in it, baby,” the man replies.
* The 365 Project
This is a wellspring of obscure music, novelty tunes, strange children’s songs, and just plain weird audio. You can find programs including the Rev. Mike Mills’ 1980s explanations of Satanic “backward masking” in rock records; alternative versions of all the songs on Jesus Christ Superstar; George Wallace and Bobby Kennedy campaign songs; and The Odd Couple Sings — duets by Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. What else do ya’ need?
My favorite recent download is “Palolo Valley Girls” by Da Mokettes & The Incredible Q Band. It’s a Hawaiian rewrite of the Frank and Moon Unit Zappa hit, complete with local slang and island references. “She’s a Valley Girl in a Goodwill store.” Makes you wonder why nobody ever did an Española “Valley Girls” takeoff.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
MORE ON THE DEBATE
Wonkette had a lot of fun blogging live. "The biggest mistake Bill Richardson ever made is wanting change too damn much! He read up on his copy of “10 Tips to Ace That Interview” before the debate." Read more HERE.
MSNBC's conservative commentator Tucker Carlson gave Richardson the "Most amusing moment"
Bill Richardson pledging to get us out of Iraq “with diplomacy” on his very first day in office. On his second day, Richardson promised to solve the energy crisis. Bill Richardson is magic.
BLOGGING THE DEBATE
4:24 pm: Still 36 minutes from the debate but MSNBC is hyping it up. They just had Pat Buchanan on giving advice to the candidates. I wonder how many of them will listen to Pat Buchanan.
So far the best part of the pre-show festivities is the South Carolina State University band and drum line playing before the commercial breaks.
4:59 pm: They're all in their places with bright shiny faces.
5:02 pm: One thing I like about this debate already (from Associated Press):
The debate format barred opening or closing statements and limited the candidates' responses to one minute to ensure a lively pace ...
Hey! Bill Richardson was the first to be introduced.
5: 07 pm: So far nobody is actually answering Brian Williams' question whether they agree with Sen. Harry Reid that the war in Iraq has been lost. Joe Biden had a good retort though. "Look Brian, this isn't a game show."
5:10 pm: Nevada flashback! Hilary still won't apologize for her Iraq vote and Edwards still won't admit his statement about the subject wasn't a barb for her.
5:13 pm: Richardson says he wouldn't vote to fund the war. "This war has been a disaster," he said. He repeated his position that we should withdraw all troops by the end of the year and have the three major religious and ethnic groups sit down and negotiate.
5:18 pm: Former Sen. Gravel says "This war was lost the day that George Bush invaded." He says Congress should pass a law making it a felony to stay in Iraq.
Earlier Chris Dodd said this administration treats diplomacy as if it's a gift to our enemies and a sign of weakness.
Obama just said "We're 16 votes away from ending this war," referring to the number of votes needed to override the president's veto. Hillary agrees.
5:22 pm: Williams is asking candidates about embarrassing personal facts. Edwards just got asked about his $400 haircut. Why did he pay out of campaign funds? "That was a mistake," he said. As for the expensive haircut he says, "I remember where I come from."
5:27 pm: Richardson was asked about the fact he initially didn't call for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' resignation "because he's Hispanic." Richardson said he was just being honest about how he felt. "The American people want candor, they don't want blow-dried candidates who are perfect." He has since called for Gonzales' resignation.
5:31 pm: Gravel once again is the true "Straight Talk Express" He said that after appearing on stage with some of the other candidates he wonders "how the hell they got here." He added, "Some of these people scare me," saying talk about keeping all the options in Iraq open is code talk for using nuclear weapons. He singled out the top-tier candidates plus Biden, who he said has shown arrogance.
5:38 pm: Richardson sure isn't being called upon much. Only 2 questions so far.
5:40 pm: Richardson was asked about his model Supreme Court justice. "Justice Whizzer White," he answered "How about someone among the living?" Williams said to laughter from the audience. He answered Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
5:42 pm: In light of the Virginia Tech killings Richardson is asked about being the NRA's favorite candidate. "I'm a westerner. Second amendment rights are precious in the West. Most gun owners are law abiding." But he says the mental health system needs to be improved. And there should be instant background checks for buying guns.
5:44 pm: Candidates are asked who has ever had a gun in their house. Richardson raises his hand. So does Kucinich. KUCINICH HAS GUNS?
5:49 pm: Williams calls Richardson "the most strident about not raising taxes." Here's some talk we with which New Mexicans are familiar: "I'm a governor, I deal with these things every day." He promises "no new bureaucracy" for health care. At least he didn't say "Read my lips."
5:56 pm: Gravel says he's the senior statesman and he's beginning to feel like a potted plant standing up there.
The candidates were asked about the worst mistake they ever made. Kucinich said the worst mistake he ever made was as mayor as Cleveland he fired the police chief live on the 6 o'clock news. (Shades of Debbie Jaramillo!). Richardson said he's impatient tries to change drastically and is too aggressive. He said he made a mistake trying to ram the minimum wage bill through the Legislature last year.
6:00 pm: Richardson was asked what the first thing he would do as president: "The first day I would get us out of Iraq." The second day he said he'd work on global warming. "The fourth day, I'd take off," he said.
6:02 pm: One hour gone. Nobody's made any significant boo boos or hit any homers. But there's nearly a half hour to go.
6:04 pm: Gravel, asked about who our enemies are, says we don't have any enemies. "We spend more on defense than the rest of the world put together. Who are we afraid of? Who are you afraid of, Brian?"
6:06 pm: Asked about Russia, Richardson said he wants Russia to be more humane. "I would focus my presidency about dealing with the real threats to America. Terrorism, nuclear proliferation." He also said the U.S. should care more about Africa.
6:08 pm: Has Richardson smiled ONCE during this debate?
6:11 pm: Earlier this year Richardson was compared to The Soprano’s “Bobby Bacala” on Jay Leno's show. If he's Bobby, then Chris Dodd has to be Paulie Walnuts. (Of course Wonkette calls John McCain "Walnuts.")
6:14 pm: Obama says if U.S. cities were attacked the U.S. shouldn't act with bluster and should get the world behind us. Edwards gives a similar answer.
6:17 pm: Nobody on the stage would support Kucinich's resolution to impeach Vice President Cheney.
6:20 pm: Richardson asked about Cuba, but decides to answer what if US was attacked question. He'd respond with great force and get the world behind us. On Cuba, he said we should be planning for post-Castro Cuba and get Cuban-Americans involved in the process.
6:22 pm: Gravel: "We are mischaracterizing terrorism. terrorism has been with us since the beginning. We'll be as successful with the war on terrorism as we were on the war on drugs."
6: 24 pm: At this point, nobody's even playing like they're answering the question.
6:25 pm: Obama and Kucinich are arguing over whether Iran is a threat. Gravel chimes in that the U.S. is the biggest violator of the non-proliferation treaty. "Who the hell are we going to nuke?" Obama says he doesn't want to nuke anyone.
6:28 pm: Hillary is ambivalent about Wal-mart. It was great when it started out but now there are questions about its corporate responsibility.
6:30 pm: No parting words from our governor.
I've cleaned up some of my typos and fixed my "Brian Wilson" mistake as my friend Henry pointed out in the comment section.
NO BRAG
But in a review of presidential candidate autobiographies in Sunday's New York Times, reviewer Michiko Kakutani wrote, " "Bragging is a fundamental part of these books, helping to establish the authors’ credentials to dispense advice. ... Mr. Richardson’s Between Worlds is filled with boasts ..."
I guess I should have used "filled with boasts" instead of the offending "self-aggrandizing."
ROUNDHOUSE ROUNDUP: LOBBYING FOR THE CHAIRMANSHIP
April 26, 2007
When New Mexico Democratic Party leaders choose a new state chairman in Las Cruces on Saturday, many will have the “L” word on their mind.
That word is lobbyist.
There’s been a lot of talk among state Dems about the fact that one of the three contenders, Michael Olguin, a former state House majority leader from Socorro, is a registered lobbyist. And Olguin claims another contender, Brian Colon, might also be a lobbyist — which Colon denies.
One of Olguin’s clients, Cottonwood Financial Ltd., is a payday-loan company doing business in New Mexico as The Cash Store.
Olguin also used to represent Wackenhut, now known as GEO, the private prison corporation. But that fact shouldn’t offend Democrats. According to The Institute of Money in State Politics, Gov. Bill Richardson received from GEO more than $42,000, more than the corporation gave to any other politician nationwide running for state office in 2006. The company gave New Mexico Democrats more than $77,000 for the last election, compared with only $2,000 for Republicans in the state, according to the institute’s latest available figures.
Colon, an Albuquerque lawyer, said of Olguin in the Santa Fe Reporter a couple weeks ago: “His clients are fundamentally in opposition to the tenets of the Democratic Party of New Mexico and its platform.”
Interviewed Wednesday, Colon said he didn’t want to discuss his opponent. He didn’t dispute what he said to the other newspaper but said he’s trying to stress his own qualifications.
But Olguin has already fired back. In a letter sent to state convention delegates, Olguin wrote, “It was recently brought to my attention that Mr. Colon has been actively involved in lobbying activities. The law firm that he works for was hired by Pete Domenici Jr. to represent Silver City, New Mexico on water issues during this current legislative session. Mayor James Marshall has confirmed that Mr. Colon’s law firm had been hired to lobby for the city. The mayor indicated that he had met more than once with Mr. Colon regarding issues before the Legislature.”
Colon, he noted, isn’t registered as a lobbyist.
“I bring this to your attention not because I object to Mr. Colon pursuing a career as a lobbyist but he has raised the issue of my lobbying activities, which I have fully disclosed. … This raises a serious ethical question and if indeed his law firm represented Silver City before the Legislature and did not file with the Secretary of State then there has been a violation of the (lobbyist) act.”
Colon said Wednesday that his firm, Robles, Rael & Anaya, was hired by Silver City to assist with a federal settlement. But he said he didn’t lobby the Legislature for the town. “I have gone up to the Legislature to help Popejoy Hall and the Boys and Girls Club, but I don’t get paid for that,” he said.
Mayor Marshall couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday.
Olguin, in his letter, wrote, “I make no apologies for being a lobbyist. It is an honorable profession and is very much part of the legislative process. In many respects the state chairman conducts his or her business much like a lobbyist, i.e. lobbying on issues that are important to the party and working with individuals and businesses to secure funds to carry out the functions of the party.”
The third candidate in the chairman contest, Gideon Elliott of Santa Fe, said Wednesday, “I think it’s a sad day in New Mexico when we have candidates bickering over who has the most conflict of interest.”
Bill and Baker: Gov. Bill Richardson said Wednesday that if he’s elected president, he’d consider bringing back James Baker — former secretary of state under the first President Bush — as a special envoy for the Mideast peace process.
Richardson said this after addressing the National Jewish Democratic Council in Washington, according to the American edition of Haaretz, an Israeli paper.
This didn’t make Shmuel Rosner, the paper’s chief U.S. correspondent, very happy.
“Baker, as I mentioned in the article published in Haaretz today, was a member of an administration ‘widely viewed as the most hostile ever to Israel,’ Rosner wrote in his blog.
“Saying you might appoint him as your envoy (John McCain also did it in the past) is like telling people a ‘more balanced policy’ is needed. It seems just fine to the untrained eye, but is actually a code word which has only one meaning: I’m prepared to pressure Israel.”
I haven’t seen any reaction yet from Democrats who remember Baker chiefly for his role in representing the current President Bush in the 2000 Florida recount.
Baker recently co-chaired the Iraq Study Group, which recommended pulling back American combat troops.
Richardson seems to get along well with former Republican secretaries of state. Before running for governor, he worked for the international consulting firm Kissinger McLarty Associates — headed by Henry Kissinger and Mack McLarty, who was White House chief of staff under President Clinton. McLarty is senior adviser of The Carlyle Group, a global private equity investment firm. Baker was senior counselor at Carlyle between 1993 and 2005.
UPDATE: I added a link to the Santa Fe Reporter story printed above just so Julia doesn't think I'm part of the evil mainstream media plot to rob the Reporter of all its glory.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST
Friday, April 20, 2007
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Gust Host: Laurell Reynolds
NEW: email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
Buckaroo-Byrds
Blue Moon of Kentucky-Pasty Cline
Romance In Durango-Bob Dylan
El Paso-Marty Robbins
Let's Impeach the President &
Southern Man-Neil Young
Drug Store Truck-Drivin Man-Gram Parsons
Bully of the Town-The Holy Modal Rounders
Behind the Fear-Lum Hatcher
How Can I Love You if You Won't Lie Down-The Silver Jews
I'm Gettin Ready to Go-Michael Hurley
Laura The Horse-Peter Stampfel
Act Natually-Buck Owens
To Love Somebody-The Flying Burrito Brothers
I Am a Lonesome Fugative-Merle Haggard
I'm Movin On-Hank Snow
How High the Moon-Les Paul & Mary Ford
Child of the Falling Star-Steve Terrell
Why Don't You Love Me Like You Used To Do-Hank Williams
Hickory Wind-The Byrds
I Don't Want to Play House-Tammy Wynette
George Jones-Once You've Had the Best
Thunderstorms and Neon Signs-Wayne Hancock
If I Could Only Win Your Love-The Louvin Brothers
I Shall Be Released-The Band
Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy-Uncle Dave Macon
Wild Bill Jones-The Highwoods String Band
Dixie Darling-The Carter Family
I Guess Things Happen That Way-Johnny Cash
Making Believe-Kitty Wells
Pancho & Lefty-Emmylou Harris
For the Sake of the Song-Townes Van Zandt
Monday, April 23, 2007
TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
NEW: email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Do You Know What I Idi Amin? by Chuck E. Weiss with Tom Waits
Spreading the Love Vibration by 27 Devils Joking
Prison Shank by Deadbolt
That Jim by The A-Bones
Little Latin Lupe Lu by Strawberry Zots
Tina Louise by The Dirtbombs
She Looks Like a Woman by The Fleshtones
Go Away by The Plague
The Model by King Automatic
I Don't Care by Mary Weiss
Escape From Dragon House by Dengue Fever
Green Light by The Detroit Cobras
Girl in the Mini Skirt by Era of Sound
Eric Estrotica (Live in Space) by Man or Astroman?
Time Wave Zero by Drywall
Ghost in My Room by The Guilty Hearts
Cave Man Love by Space Man & The Rockets
The Tracker by Sir Douglas Quintet
Buena by Joe "King" Carrasco & The Crowns
Headin' For The Texas Border by The Flamin' Groovies
Wiggle Waddle Women by Ronnie Dawson
Shakin' and a Shiverin' by Dean Beard
Sneakin' by George Weston
Staggolee by Pacific Gas & Electric
Stack o Lee Blues by Samuel L. Jackson
Lonesome Town by The Monsters
Movie Monster by Sound Team
The Meth of a Rockette's Kick by Mercury Rev
Cry Cry Cry by Pere Ubu
Moonbeam by King Richard & The Knights
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
Saturday, April 21, 2007
BACK FROM TEXAS
I just got back from Austin tonight, so I was late getting this week's Tuneup posted and there's no Santa Fe Opry playlist. (Laurell Reynolds subbed for me.) And, oh yeah, that's why there was no Roundhouse Roundup on Thursday.
I was down there to help my daughter and her husband move. Actually, they didn't really need my help, but it was great hanging out with them.
Too pooped to make a long post, but you can see my pictures from the trip HERE
(That's Cornell Hurd and his band you see on the right. I saw them Thursday night at Jovita's.)
Friday, April 20, 2007
TERRELL'S TUNE-UP: THE RETURN OF MARY WEISS
April 20, 2007
Hers was the voice of teenage tragedy.
As lead singer of the last great “girl group,” the Shangri-Las, Mary Weiss sang of star-crossed high-school love, fatal motorcycle crashes, and parents who die of broken hearts over their wayward daughters.
Was this the last era in which so much human drama haunted the Top 40? The very titles hint at the tragedy in the lyrics: “Give Us Your Blessings,” “I Can Never Go Home Anymore” (Thomas Wolfe reincarnated as a girl from Queens?), and, of course, the group’s biggest hit, the one with the revving, then crashing, motorcycle — the greatest teenage death song since “Teen Angel” and “Tell Laura I Love Her” — “Leader of the Pack.”
Even the songs in which nobody died took on Wagnerian overtones. The Shangri-Las first hit, “Remember (Walking in the Sand),” sounded as if the Universe was about to break into tears as the youthful Weiss sang before the chorus, “Oh no! Oh no! Oh no no no no no!”
But the Shangri-Las also presented a world of joyful, forbidden teenage lust, songs about falling for boys in black leather, with dirty fingernails — and gossiping about it with the girls. Between verses of “Give Him a Great Big Kiss,” the girls sang, “Tell me more, tell me more.”
It was hard not to love them. Especially if you were a male teen (or preteen) back in the mid-1960s. I actually got to see the Shangri-Las in Oklahoma City, circa 1965, as a part of a package show with The Dave Clark Five. I fell totally in lust with Weiss, as well as with the other members, twin sisters Marge and Mary Ann Ganser. (A fourth member, Mary’s sister Liz, didn’t always perform with the group.)
Not long afterward, the Shangri-Las rode off into history. (Look out! Look out! Look out!).
Changing musical tastes, record-company weirdness, and litigation (have I mentioned lately how much I hate the music industry?) made sure they could never go home anymore. Both the Gansers died, one in the 1970s; one in the 1990s. “Leader of the Pack” became campy nostalgia and the group fell into obscurity.
Weiss moved on. Except for a couple of attempted comebacks, she gave up on music.
Until now.
Earlier this year, Norton Records released her first solo album, Dangerous Game. Backed by a cool Memphis band called the Reigning Sound, Weiss sings now not as an overly dramatic teen, but as an adult. She’s older and wiser, and her voice has deepened. But in it you can hear the heart of the girl who sang “Out in the Streets.”
And it’s that heart that carries this album. “My Heart is Beating” is the title of the irresistible opening cut. Here, she’s contemplating taking back an errant lover. Should we take that as a metaphor for her audience? “If I take you back, I wanna know you’ll be good to me,” she sings.
But perhaps she’s answering herself on a later song. “I don’t care if you ever come back now,” goes the refrain of “I Don’t Care.” The funniest moment on the album is the last verse here, “And that guy who’s on my couch, he just helped me figure out that I don’t care.”
Another “heart” song, “Break It One More Time,” is one of the most unforgettable tunes. With the band providing a nice, minimalist backdrop (prominent piano and organ by Dave Amels, and understated guitar by the Reigning Sound’s Greg Cartwright, who wrote most of the songs) it’s a timeless sound that contains a few echoes from the ’50s and ’60s, but might remind some listeners of early Springsteen.
Only a couple of songs here have hints of nostalgia. With its minor-chord melody, “I Just Missed You,” one of my favorites, sounds similar to “Remember (Walking in the Sand).” “Cry About the Radio” is a lament about the current state of the medium that made Weiss a teenage star. She even uses a word in the first verse that will guarantee the song won’t get played on commercial radio.
Dangerous Game is like a sweet letter from a long lost friend. It’s also got to be the comeback album of this young century.
For a great interview with Weiss, CLICK HERE.
Also recommended:
*Tied & True by The Detroit Cobras. Detroit is in their name, but in the latest album (scheduled for release Tuesday, April 24), the band’s got a lot of Memphis in it. In fact, two members of the Reigning Sound — Greg Cartwright and bassist Carol Shumaker — are listed as Cobra members in the credits here.
Fronted by singer Rachel Nagy and guitarist Mary Ramirez, the Cobras pride themselves as being a “covers” band. They perform lots of early rock, R & B, and soul tunes — mostly obscure or at least lesser-known ones. Highlights here include a tough take on “(I Wanna Know) What’s Going On” (co-written by Dr. John), a stormy “Puppet on a String” (not the Elvis song), and a rocking version of Leadbelly’s “On a Monday” (a song that inspired Johnny Cash’s “I Got Stripes”).
This might be the most slickly produced Cobras album yet. With smooth tunes like “The Hurt’s All Gone,” you might wonder how they were ever known as a garage band. But with wild, raw tunes like “Green Light,” you know these Cobras still bite.
*Dismissed With a Kiss by Spanking Charlene. This New York group is never going to be as big as the Shangri-Las, or probably even the Detroit Cobras, but singer Charlene McPherson reminds me a little of Mary Weiss’ tough-but-vulnerable persona.
This album has some good rocking and sometimes funny songs in which McPherson tackles issues such as jealously (“I Hate Girls”) and poor body image (“When I’m Skinny”).
With typically hard-punching production by Eric “Roscoe” Ambel, the best songs here are the raucous ones like “Field Trip,” “We’re All Gonna Die,” and the Stonesy “Groundhogs Day.”
My only complaint is that there are a couple of ill-advised slow acoustic ballads (“Easy to be Sad” and “Behind”). They’re not that bad. I suspect perhaps McPherson might even have a halfway decent country album in her. These tunes just don’t fit in with the rest of this album.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
eMUSIC APRIL
* Reformation Post T.L.C. by The Fall . More than a decade ago, in reviewing some Fall album or another, I wrote, “I doubt if all the CIA’s computers could crack the garbled ranting of Mark E. Smith.” In recent years I’ve been leaning toward a conspiracy-theory explanation for The Fall’s appeal to its scattered cult.The band is actually sending coded messages to some alien/Lovecraftian sleeper cell. Some isolated Smith yelp in conjunction with some post-Standells guitar hook causes some shift in brain chemistry in some isolated listener, and next thing you know some unwitting Fall fan in Dalhart, Texas, is making a 4 a.m. drive to the Tucumcari airport to pick up a crate of something unspeakable delivered on a secret flight from Bohemian Grove.
(Does that sound familiar? Maybe you read it HERE )
* Live at The Casbah 01/14/2005 by Deadbolt. I just discovered "The Scariest Band in the World" this month when the cover of Tijuana Hit Man caught my eye at Natural Sound. I bought it and liked it -- kind of like James Elroy fronting The Cramps -- and was delighted to learn that eMusic had two live Deadbolt shows. I chose the one with the most songs (12), then added the four songs from the other show, Live at The Casbah 11/06/2004 that aren't on 1-14-2005. I'm a fan!
* The Chambers Brothers Live. First off, Ricki Lee Jones made this sale. She included it in her "Dozens" piece. (I always read these things. Also the monthly column by Lenny Kaye. Not only are they interesting reads, it's a good way to find out about albums on eMusic you might not have known were there.) This is the Brothers several years after their prime, but it ain't bad. What can you say about an album that starts off with an introduction by Wolfman Jack and ends with a nine minute version of "Time Has Come Today."?
*Precision by King Richard & The Knights (Plus Other 60's Albuquerque Groups) This is a collection of garage-band proto psychedelia, instrumental tunes and good greasy ballads (such as the lovely "Moonbeam") from Albuquerque's Lance Records, run by "King Richard" himself, Dick Stewart. The Knights have the lion's share of the tunes here, though there's also bands like The Plague, who I first discovered on a Pebbles compilation. This makes me hope that eMusic someday will pick up another Lance compilation I Wanna Come Back from the World of LSD, which includes the title song by an old New Mexico group The Fe Fi Four Plus 2 plus cuts from The Lincoln Street Exit and Santa Fe's Morfomen. I also wish eMusic had done a better job providing information about this album and the bands that play on it.
* Psychic...Powerless...Another Man's Sac by The Butthole Surfers. When you hear some of the limp crap that passes for "indie rock" in these timid times, it's hard to imagine that "alternative music" started out as crazed, dangerous, happily psychotic sounds like this.
* Dangerous Game by Mary Weiss. I downloaded the first three tracks last month. Mary is the former leader of the Shangri-La pack and this is the comeback album of this young century. You'll have to wait until Friday's Terrell's Tune-up for my complete review of this album.
* Four tracks from a Shangri-Las compilation, Choice Rock Cuts Vol. 3. This reminds me of listening to AM radio in the '60s. In fact the recording quality sounds like a goddamn AM radio . I'm no prissy audiophile, but this is so wretched it's nearly unlistenable. The Shangri-Las deserve so much much better. (There are other Shangri-La collections on eMusic, but I've been afraid to try them.)
I had two tracks left. I've been enjoying stuff from Norton Records so much lately (including Mary Weiss, Link Wray, Hasil Adkins and T. Valentine) I decided to go for the first two songs from The Life of Riley by The A-Bones, Norton founder Billy Miller's band. More on that one next month.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
THE NIGHT PORTER WAGONER CAME TO TOWN
Tabby says that inspired him to put his old video -- which was one of the first country music video hits in the mid 80s -- up on YouTube.
It's a great song and I'm proud to have had a small role in making it available again.
Check it out:
Sunday, April 15, 2007
TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
NEW: email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Treat Her Right by Los Straightjackets with Mark Lindsay
Between Me and You Kid by Mudhoney
Medicine Man by The Fleshtones
Tijuana Hit Squad by Deadbolt
Johnny Gillette by Simon Stokes
Here Comes the Terror by King Automatic
I Hate Girls by Spanking Charlene
That Creature by Sweet Acids
Chick Habbit by April March
Restin' Bones by Primus
Non-Alignment Pact by Pere Ubu
A Go Go by Dengue Fever
Quiche Lorraine by The B52s
Wonder Why by The Stillettos
Bedroom Athlete by James Chance
What Do You Look Like? by Hipbone Slim & The Knee Tremblers
It's So Easy by Willie DeVille
Primitive Love by Tom Reeves
The Boogie Monster by Gnarls Barkley
Let the Devil In by TV on the Radio
Elevators (Me and You) by Outkast
Beatnik by DJ Monkey
Ex-Factor by Lauryn Hill
Swing Down Sweet Chariot by Parliament
I Want You to Have My Baby by T. Valentine
Stick to the Plan by Graham Parker
I'm the Ocean by Neil Young & Pearl Jam
When I Was Cruel no. 2 by Elvis Costello
Don't Come Back by Mary Weiss
Remember by Harry Nilsson
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
Saturday, April 14, 2007
HAPPY RUINATION DAY!
Yes, today is the anniversary of of the assassination of President Lincoln, the sinking of the Titanic and the Great Dust Storm of 1935 -- as lamented in those mysterious songs by Gillian Welch I played in my set on The Santa Fe Opry last night.
I nearly forgot about the date. But luckily I received a comment on this blog from a guy named Jeff that reminded me. He left it on my post of my April 15, 2005 Santa Fe Opry playlist , but I'll re-post it here :
Please stop perpetuating this "Ruination Day" label for April 14th. So singer Gillian Welch calls April 14th "Ruination Day" -- millions, including me, call it my birthday. She notes Lincoln was shot on the 14th, the day the Titantic also struck the infamous iceburg. However Lincoln did not die until the 15th, nor the Titantic sink until the next day's morning. Compare that to October 2nd, Ms. Welch's birthday, which saw President Woodrow Wilson's stroke, the Tiberias Massacre in Palestine and the Carandiru Massacre in Brazil. Just a sampling, mind you. Let he (or she) who is without historical coincidences cast the first epithet, Ms. Welch!
Sorry, Jeff, but it's too good of an American tradition not to keep perpetrating it.
But thanks for the reminder, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
P.S.: NewMexiKen reminds us it's also the birthday of Loretta Lynn and others. Dang! I should have played some Loretta last night.
THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
NEW: email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Wavin' My Heart Goodbye by The Flatlanders
Somewhere Between by Bill Hearne
Between Lust and Watching TV by Cal Smith
Jim, Jack and Rose by Johnny Bush & Justin Trevino
On a Monday by The Detroit Cobras
Thrown out of the Bar by Hank Williams III
Wreck on the Highway by The Waco Brothers
Girl Called Trouble by The Watzloves
The Deeper In by The Drive-By Truckers
Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown by Mudhoney
Yellow Gal by Leadbelly
Suitcase in My Hand by Ry Cooder
Two Janes by Los Lobos
I Push Right Over by Rosie Flores
Baby I'm Drunk by The Rev. Horton Heat
Crow Holler by The Shiners
Honey Hush by Johnny Burnette & The Rock 'n' Roll Trio
Liquored Up by Southern Culture on the Skids
Hot Rod Race by Ramblin' Jimmie Dolan
Singin' the Blues by Dean Martin
Ruination Day Set
April the 14th Part 1 by Gillian Welch
The Great Dust Storm (Dust Storm Diaster) by Woody Guthrie
The Titantic by Bessie Jones, Hobart Smith & The Georgia Sea Island Singers
Booth Killed Lincoln by Bascom Lamar Lunsford
Lincoln and Liberty by Oscar Brand
Waltzing on the Titantic by Lonesome Bob
My Heart Will Go On (Theme from Titanic) by Los Straitjackets
Ruination Day Part 2 by Gillian Welch
I Discovered America by Graham Parker
Old Cape Cod by John Prine & Mac Wiseman
Cowboys are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other by Willie Nelson
The Wrong Direction Home by Dolly Parton
Justice for All by Dale Watson
The Wrong Kind of Girl by Roger Miller
Last Seen in Gainsville by Audrey Auld Mezera
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets
Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list
Friday, April 13, 2007
UPCOMING MUSIC
About a year ago, I wrote in Tuneup:
This is one of the most amazing albums I’ve heard all year. It’s an Orange County, Calif., band fronted by Cambodian pop singer Ch'hom Nimol, who comes from a well-known Cambodian musical family. As the story goes, the band, led by brothers Zac and Ethan Holzman, discovered Nimol singing at a Long Beach joint called the Dragon House.The boys play a tasty garage/psychedelic/surf rock, with Ethan standing out on Farfisa organ and Nimol enchanting in her native tongue.
Quadstock will be held Saturday May 5th on the College of Santa Fe Quad 12 noon to 7 pm.
Tickets are $10 in advance -$15 at the Door- (Free for CSF students). Advance tickets are available at the CSF Greer Garson Box Office: 505-473-6511 Open Monday through Friday.
That's the day after the Drive-By Truckers/Alejandro Escovedo show at the Lensic. The Truckers (who unfortunately just parted ways with singer/guitarist Jason Isbelle) are doing an acoustic set. (They call it "The Dirt Underneath" -- CLICK HERE to find out more.)
Tickets are $21-$35 and are available at TheLensic.
TERRELL'S TUNEUP: STICK TO THE PLAN, GRAHAM
April 13, 2007
With a song called “Stick to The Plan” on his new album Don’t Tell Columbus, Graham Parker proves that mixing rock ’n’ roll and political commentary doesn’t have to result in heavy-handed screeds — and in fact can be good wicked fun.
Parker went into the amazingly strong latest stage of his 30-plus-year career when he began his association with Chicago’s Bloodshot Records in 2004. “Stick to the Plan,” while topical, is one of his strongest statements ever.
The just-under-six-minute song reminds me a lot of the cool blues-rock found on Dylan’s Modern Times. The lyrics also show the influence of prophet Bob — a little apocalyptic, a little tongue-in-cheek, outrage balanced with hipster humor. Starting out with the image of hurricanes “howling up the Florida coast,” the song, over the course of five verses, skewers the White House, the religious right, polluters, paranoia, and pigheadedness in general.
In perhaps a sly reference to the first verse of Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited,” Parker sings,
The song bounces along, with images of persecuted scientists, philandering preachers, and Arabs being tortured — punctuated by cheery choruses in which Parker and a female chorus sing, “Good things are coming if we stick to the plan ... Keep your finger on the trigger, stick to the plan.”“Well God said to the president listen to me/I will advise you on
the way it’s gonna be/So the president got to his knees and accepted his fate/It’s a done deal now if you got some objections too late/Meanwhile in the corner there’s a drunk on a stool/Slurpin’ up ketchup and acting the fool/Pretending to fight for the truth but he ain’t getting far/Because he’s working for the same team just from the other side of the bar.”
After what can only be described as a murderous kazoo solo, Parker slides into the last verse,
which concludes with,
“Inside the airport every worker wears a turban/At the check point they’re stripping a suburban/couple of all their clothes and smelling their feet/But the found out the odor of stupidity isn’t too sweet.”
Parker has other politically charged tunes that you’ll never find on George Bush’s iPod.
Just last year he released a digital-only single called “2000 Funerals,” a somber tune about Americans killed in Iraq. (The number, as the press release for Don’t Tell Columbus points out, is “sadly outdated” — though if you count Iraqi casualties, it was outdated long before it was written).
And on the new album there’s “The Other Side of the Reservoir,” a slow, seething song about the destruction of a community for the sake of a water project — which might just be Parker’s equivalent of John Prine’s “Paradise”: “What were they thinking when they dug that hole/and bulldozed that town down/wall by wall,” Parker spits.
No, Columbus is not a protest album. It’s not Parker’s Living With War. It has soulful love songs like the sweet “Somebody Saved Me” and the desperate “Love or Delusion,” a smoldering, understated rocker.
There’s the scathing “England’s Latest Clown,” which concerns the well-covered travails of drug-plagued British rocker Pete Doherty (who gets out of prison “looking handsome with a ton of pride/With muscles on his muscles and Kate Moss by his side.”)
And there’s “I Discovered America” (the album’s title comes from the chorus), a harmonica-and-organ-driven folk-rocker in which Parker recounts moving to this country from England while looking back at his career.
“There was smoke up to my eyeballs/Poison burned my throat/But I said I’d keep on going when everyone said don’t/With my bony-chested T-shirt/Some stolen guitar licks/navigating by dead reckoning in 1976.”
A quick Creedence Clearwater Revival riff cleverly answers the “stolen guitar lick” line. Indeed, Parker’s pilfered from some of the best. But like Johnny Cash in “One Piece at a Time,” he’s used his stolen parts to create a unique vehicle. Let’s hope he sticks to his own weird plan and keeps it going.
Also Recommended:
* Standard Songs for Average People by John Prine & Mac Wiseman. This has been a good year for good country cover albums. There was Last of the Breed by Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Ray Price, as well as Southern Culture on the Skids’ Countrypolitan Favorites. And now this Marvel Team-up of one-time “New Dylan” Prine and venerated octogenarian bluegrass sensei Mac Wiseman. It almost makes me suspect that something big might be gurgling below the surface of country music, but I’ll leave that line of thought to the mystics.
While I would have preferred some new Prine songs, this is an easygoing, friendly little album, with some fine takes on some good ol’ songs.
There’s a couple of Elvis Presley’s Sun Sessions classics (“I Forgot to Remember to Forget” and “I Love You Because”); a Bob Wills obscurity (“Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Age”); a Lefty Frizzell faux-folk tune (“Saginaw, Michigan”); an Ernest Tubb tune (“Blue Eyed Elaine”); a Patti Page pop hit (“Old Cape Cod”); some hymns (“The Old Rugged Cross,” “In the Garden”); and a couple of wonderful examples of ’70s country — Tom T. Hall’s “Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine” and Kris Kristofferson’s “Just The Other Side of Nowhere.”
Standard Songs won’t take a place in the upper pantheon of records by either artist. But when you hear these old guys trading verses on these songs they both obviously love, it’s hard not to love it back.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
R.I.P. VONNEGUT
In my freshman year in Congress, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. brought me back. He made reading fun.
His writing was simple. It was playful. It was deeply cynical. And quite often it was right on target.
He's dead now.
If you haven't already, go read Breakfast of Champions or Slaughterhouse Five or Cat's Cradle.
R.I.P. old man.
ROUNDHOUSE ROUNDUP: SHAKE-UP AT NM MAG
April 12, 2007
There was one little island of state government that for at least the last 20 years or so was seemingly free of political meddling.
That was New Mexico Magazine, the official state tourism magazine. It’s had the same basic staff for a couple of decades now, producing a highly praised and self-supporting monthly publication through a variety of administrations.
There have been news dogs among the daily press who have fantasized about slipping the surly bonds of daily deadlines and moving over to New Mexico Magazine for an easier-going pace, a seemingly stable work environment and PERA retirement benefits.
That’s why recent news about a staff shake-up was ominous. Could it be that idea of the state magazine as an oasis was just a mirage?
Emily Drabanski, the magazine’s editor for 21 years — that means she’s worked there during the administrations of Toney Anaya, Garrey Carruthers, Bruce King, Gary Johnson and the first four years of Bill Richardson — is being shuffled to a kind of nebulous position: editing books published by the magazine, overseeing the state vacation guide and working in community outreach and public relations.
Her former position will become exempt from state personnel-system protections — which means the future editor will serve at the pleasure of the governor.
Arnold Vigil, who had been the book editor, has been moved to another position.
Full disclosure here: I consider Drabanski and Vigil and others on that staff personal friends, and I knew and worked with a few of them well before they went to work for the magazine.
Furthermore, I’ve written articles for New Mexico Magazine — on topics such as music CLICK HERE and scroll down), bolo ties and Blake’s Lotaburger — and, a few years ago, contributed a chapter to a book published by the magazine.
No, there’s no evidence of overt political meddling. And in fact, Tourism Secretary Michael Cerletti is on record saying Richardson has nothing to do with the changes.
But in an administration known for putting its own stamp — and its own people — at virtually every level of state government, you have to be suspicious.
And the official explanation for the changes smells kind of fishy.
Supposedly it’s an effort to “attract younger readers.” Consultants determined “the magazine is geared toward your uncle. You need to gear it toward your nephew,” said Cerletti — who has always reminded me of a kindly uncle.
So there’s going to be less on ghost towns, woodcarvers and Billy the Kid and more on video games, poetry slams and extreme sports?
I don’t think so. Look at the advertisers in the magazine: Resorts, high-end restaurants, racetracks, art galleries. These are places frequented by a lot more aunts and uncles than nieces and nephews.
It will be interesting to see who will fill the editor’s position. Will it be an administration-friendly journalist who hasn’t already been hired? Will it be a relative of some campaign contributor?
Maybe somebody’s nephew.
What’s best for New Mexico: Speaking of campaign contributors, a recent story by The Associated Press’ Barry Massey contained a statement from the Governor’s Office that has become almost like a mantra.
The story dealt with Forest City Covington, a land development company that loaned Richardson a corporate jet during his 2006 campaign, and which will benefit from taxpayer-subsidized bonds authorized in a bill the governor signed last week.
“The governor makes decisions based upon what is best for the state — period.” spokesman Jon Goldstein said.
Sound familiar? Here’s a quick collection of quotes that are variations on that theme:
* “The governor does not make any decisions or is not impacted by any contributions whether that’s a money contribution or event or whatever.”
— 2006 Richardson campaign manager Amanda Cooper in March 2007 regarding a highway interchange near Belen that will benefit Coast Range Investments, which donated to Richardson’s gubernatorial campaign and whose president, James Foster, contributed to Richardson’s campaign and loaned him a corporate jet.
* “The governor makes decisions based on what’s best for New Mexico and ensuring that taxpayers get the most for their money. It’s important to note that the DGA represents 22 governors and enjoys broad support from individuals and companies around the country.”
— Spokesman Pahl Shipley regarding tens of thousands in contributions to the Democratic Governors Association during Richardson’s tenure as chairman by racetrack owner Stanley Fulton, the GEO Corp. private prison company and U.S. Tobacco, which was pushing a controversial tax bill in the state.
* “To suggest or imply a connection between any travel of the Democratic Governors Association and the governor’s efforts to protect consumers is insulting and flat wrong.”
— Spokesman Gilbert Gallegos in April 2006, regarding a corporate jet belonging to a payday loan company used by the Democratic Governors Association during Richardson’s tenure as chairman.
Monday, April 09, 2007
TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
NEW: email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Heaven on Their Minds by Murray Head
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues by Bob Dylan
The Temple by The Afghan Whigs
Standard White Jesus by Timbuk 3
Bionic Woman is a Cousin of Mine by The Sisterhood
Easter by Patti Smith
Peter Cottontail by The Bubbadinos
Jesus Christ by Pegboy
I Walk My Murderous Intentions Home by King Automatic
You're Gonna Miss Me by 13th Floor Elevators
Don't Burn the Witch by The Monsters
Go Away by The Plague
Fireball by Alan Vega
Winding Up by Roy & The Devil's Motorcycle
Rock Me Baby by Blue Cheer
(I'm In With) The Out Crowd by The A-Bones
Peter Gunn Twist by The Jesters
FALL SET
All Songs by The Fall
Systematic Abuse
Elves
Pacifying Joints
Just Step Sideways
I'm A Mummy
Pinball Machine
Cab It Up
(end of set)
Waveform Disturbance by Rumble Trio
Beltsanded Man by Mike Watt
Jesus Children of America by Stevie Wonder
Wicked Game by The Surf Lords
Heaven Only Knows by Mary Weiss
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
Saturday, April 07, 2007
RICHARDSON'S TRIPS
Gov. Bill Richardson left for North Korea this morning, just his latest trip out of New Mexico. My story in today's New Mexican showed that as of Friday he's been out of state at least 38 days so far this year. (Friday was day 96 of 2207.)
I say "at least," because it is the Richardson campaign's policy not to publicize out-of-state events, such as private fundraisers, that are not open to the public.
Richardson is scheduled to return to New Mexico from the North Korean trip on Friday. That means, assuming he doesn't have another trip planned for next Saturday, that he will have been out of New Mexico on all but four days days of the first two weeks of April.
THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
NEW: email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org
OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Get Up And Go/Fiddle Tunes by David Bromberg
Cryin' Drunk by Old 97s
Ain't No Top 40 Song by Terry Allen
Blinding Sun by Jimmie Dale Gilmore
The Ballad of Thunder Road by R.B. Morris
That's How It Goes by The Meat Puppets
When the Man Comes Around by Jorma Kaukonen
Wanted Man by Johnny Cash
Country Heroes by Hank Williams III
Mind Your Own Business by Hank Williams
Hank Williams by Brent Hoodenpyle & The Loners
Blue-Eyed Elaine by John Prine & Mac Wiseman
Bolinas by Audrey Auld Mezera
The Mystery of The Mystery by Dolly Parton
Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb by Uncle Dave Macon
You Made Me What I Am Today by The Watzloves
Stick to the Plan by Graham Parker
Financing His Romance by The Bottle Rockets
Better Every Day by The Waco Brothers
Too Much Pork For Just One Fork by Southern Culture on the Skids
Brother To the Blues by George Jones
Truck Driver's Blues by Merle Haggard
Mata Hari Dress by Marlee MacLeod
Kashmere Gardens Mud by Johnny Bush
The Bloody Bucket by Grey DeLisle
Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight by Whiskeytown
Cloak of Frogs by Freakwater
Louise by Jerry Jeff Walker with Nicolette Larson
My Long Journey Home by Charlie Louvin with Paul Burch
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets
Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list
Friday, April 06, 2007
EGGS-ESTENTIALISM
Here is the official New Mexico Easter egg on display at the White House during this holy season. All states have an egg for the collection organized by (I kid you not) the American Egg Board.
The egg, created by artist Sharon Locke, looks like it has a little Mudhead in there. But here's what Wonkette had to say about it:
There’s a little Bill Richardson inside this egg, drinking an entire pitcher of margaritas. Good work, New Mexico!
Meanwhile, my old partner in crime at the New Mexican Capitol Bureau Ben Neary, (now working for the Associated Press in Wyoming), reveals that the Wyoming egg was created by some college kid from Illinois whose mother works for the Egg Board. CLICK HERE.
UPDATE: To add more insult to injury to the great state of Wyoming, in the web version of a Washington Post story that quotes Ben, when you run your mouse over the photo it says "Montana State Easter Egg."
TERRELL'S TUNEUP: FALL FORWARD
April 6, 2007
Spring is here. It’s time for The Fall.
Thirty years on the road and Mark E. Smith, on The Fall’s new album, Reformation Post TLC, is still cranking out his crazy brand of rant ’n’ roll, shouting his incomprehensible, half-comical lyrics over steady, driving beats; bubbly, fizzly synth noises; and ever-tasty, irresistible, garage-band guitar riffs.
It’s a formula tried-and-true and one from which the former dockworker from Manchester, England, rarely strays. But dagnabbit, the darn thing still works.
A little background on this album. Last year, just a few dates into an American tour, all of Smith’s sidemen — except his wife and keyboardist Elena Poulou — walked out on him. (“They went home because of my violent and abusive behavior,” Smith told Maximum Rock’n’ Roll in an interview last year. It’s not clear if he was being facetious.) The Fall’s latest record company, Narnack, recruited a trio of Americans to take the place of the absent Brits. It’s this group that recorded Reformation Post TLC.
The new boys — guitarist Tim Presley, bassist Rob Barbato, and drummer Orpheo McCord — might not share Smith’s Manchester working-class roots, but they seem to have caught on to the basic Fall sound.
More than a decade ago, in reviewing some Fall album or another, I wrote, “I doubt if all the CIA’s computers could crack the garbled ranting of Mark E. Smith.” In recent years I’ve been leaning toward a conspiracy-theory explanation for The Fall’s appeal to its scattered cult.
The band is actually sending coded messages to some alien/Lovecraftian sleeper cell. Some isolated Smith yelp in conjunction with some post-Standells guitar hook causes some shift in brain chemistry in some isolated listener, and next thing you know some unwitting Fall fan in Dalhart, Texas, is making a 4 a.m. drive to the Tucumcari airport to pick up a crate of something unspeakable delivered on a secret flight from Bohemian Grove.
I hope I’m safe now that I’ve spilled that secret.
Or maybe people like me like The Fall because it’s good, stripped-down rock and because Smith’s crackpot/shaman lyrics open up the imagination.
There are a few departures from normal Fall fare on Reformation. Poulou handles the vocals on “The Wright Stuff,” reciting the lyrics in her lovely Greek accent as a snaky Farfisa organ riff slithers behind her.
Smith tries a turn at country music (ploughing the same ground as The Mekons on “Lost Highway” and “Sweet Dreams”), singing with a Bizarro World cover of Merle Haggard’s “White Line Fever.” (It’s not the first time The Fall has gone country. Back in the ’80s the band recorded a fine little hillbilly tune called “Pinball Machine.”) Here the Haggard song seems to be a setup for the next track on the album, “Insult Song,” which starts off with Smith, in some wino/pirate voice, grumbling, “White line fever/I got it off the children of Captain Beefheart/They’d been locked in the forest for many years/They could not help it/They were retards from the Los Angeles district” and repeating "White line fever" several times through the mysterious spoken-word song.
The one major misstep here is “Das Boat.” Unfortunately, at 10 and a half minutes, it’s the longest song on the album. It’s mainly a dull synthesizer drone with percussion that sounds like someone hitting a desk with a ruler and chimplike chants of “eee eee eee eee” by Smith and Poulou. The following track, “The Bad Stuff,” works better even though it sounds as if it might be a collage of studio outtakes. It starts off with spooky guitar twanging but soon goes into a hopped-up, classic-Fall, instrumental workout, with indecipherable Fall-jabber popping up here and there.
(Belated correction: in my past couple of reviews of The Fall, I mentioned a July 1981 gig at what used to be the old El Paseo Theater in downtown Santa Fe. I mistakenly called it The Gold Bar, but after some e-mail correspondence from Stefan Cooke (who has an excellent Fall Web site), I dug out the original clip of my review of that show in the Santa Fe Reporter and discovered the theater was operating under the name of Paseo de la Luz. )
Also recommended:
* I Walk My Murderous Intentions Home by King Automatic. This is a one-man garage band from France. Mr. Automatic (his real name is Jay something) plays guitar, drums, harmonica, and Farfisa organ. Until I checked the Web site, I thought it was a full band. (A guy named Julien plays sax on a couple of tracks here.)
King Automatic sounds like one of those proud, unsung ’60s bands you find on compilations like the Pebbles series. But he also has a fine sense of noir. The title cut and a reggae-tinged tune called “Here Comes the Terror” could be from a soundtrack of some warped foreign cop show. And there’s an instrumental tribute to Ennio Morricone’s spaghetti-Western themes called “A Few Dollars Less.”
*Garage Punk Vol. 1: 20 Years of Uncontrolled Live Shows and Ultra Rare Records by The Monsters. Here’s an aptly titled, double-disc record by the Swiss band led by Voodoo Rhythm Records high priest Rev. Beat Man. It’s a self described “no-fi” collection from “one of the trashyest, loudest, ... bands you’ll ever see!” On one of the live cuts (“Dead End Street”) Beat Man proclaims the music to be a cross between death metal and rockabilly. Throw in some Stooges, Cramps, and a little Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, and that’s a good start.
If you can get past the no-fi, there’s some real oughta-be classics here. “Nightmares” and “Blues for Joe” are timeless garage glory. “Searchin’” is downright ferocious. And the cover of Rick Nelson’s “Lonesome Town” is touching and hilarious at the same time.
Anyone who believes that “Psychotic Reaction” ought to be the national anthem should check out The Monsters. While the sound quality definitely lives up to Beat Man’s “trash” aesthetic, this group indeed is monstrous.
Learn more about The Monsters, King Automatic and other trash-rock avatars at the Voodoo Rhythm site.
TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST
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