BUTCH CROUCH MEMORIAL

I just received this from Alan Ackoff. The memorial is 3-5pm Sunday Nov. 13 at El Farol. The cover charge is "a story about Butch."

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, October 30, 2011
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M. 
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time 
Host: Steve Terrell
Webcasting!
101.1 FM
 email me during the show! terrell(at)ksfr.org

The 2011 Steve Terrell (Radio) SPOOKTACULAR

Halloween Hootenanny by Zacherle
Jack the Ripper by Screamin' Lord Sutch
Psychic Voodoo Doll by Deadbolt
Zombified by Southern Culture on the Skids
Hellhound by The Barbarellatones
Devil in My Car by The B52s
Bo Meets the Monster by Bo Diddley
Headless Hip-Shakin' Honey by Captain Clegg & The Night Creatures
My Daddy Is A Vampire by The Meteors
The Vampire Radio Spot by T. Valentine

Hallowed Be My Name by Alice Cooper
Voodoo Voodoo by LaVern Baker
I'm Your Boogie Man (Sex On The Rocks Mix) by White Zombie
Halloween (She Get So Mean) by Rob Zombie with The Ghastly Ones
Vampire Lover by The Tex Reys
Halloween by The Misfits
Taint No Sin (To Take Off Your Skin) by Fred Hall
The Blob by The Five Blobs
Take A Trip To My Grave by The Monsters

The Vampire Song by Concrete Blonde
Halloween by Mudhoney
Stand For The Fire Demon by Roky Erickson & The Aliens
Ghost Woman Blues by George Carter
Whistling Past the Graveyard by Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Pumpkinhead by Wee Hairy Beasties

Monsters of the Id by Mose Allison
Halloween Spooks by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
Dance With The Ghoulman by The Fleshtones
Mr. Ghost Goes to Town by Louis Prima
Aloha from Hell by The Cramps
Full Moon by Elvira
Werewolf by Michael Hurley
Hell Hound On My Trail by Robert Johnson

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R.I.P. Butch Crouch

I just learned of the death of Santa Fe musician Butch Crouch, singer, guitarist,songwriter, storyteller.

According to a mutual friend, Alan Akcoff, Butch, who was 72, fell while working on his home south of Santa Fe last week and hit his head on a rock.

According to his bio, which I've seen a couple of places on the Internet:

Butch grew up on the corner of Texas, Louisiana, and the Gulf Of Mexico (Pt. Arthur, Tex.). He considers himself lucky to have spent his formative years in a time and place that had big cars, cheap gasoline, young Rock and Roll, classic Country, timeless Cajun music, and rules.

Butch moved to Santa Fe in the late 80s. He was a mainstay at places like El Farol for years.

Here's what Alan said about him on his own blog a few years ago:

It ain't a perfect world folks but you'll feel better about it after you listen to Butch sing about it all with compassion and humor. After all these years and all the things life has thrown his way Butch still has that magic sparkle in his eye and his gravelly whiskey baritone just gets more soulful with every passing season. Go have a couple of beers and listen to Butch. I bet before long you'll be smilling through the tears.

Apparently Butch had just moved back to New Mexico having lived in Colorado in recent years. I hadn't seen him in several years.

Some of his songs can be heard on his Myspace page.

UPDATE: 1:30 pm. Akcoff posted a nice tribute to Butch on his blog HERE

TERRELL'S TUNEUP: In the Holiday Spirit

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
October 28, 2011

Southern Culture on the Skids has always excelled in good tasty swamp rock. The group’s latest album, Zombified — released this month just in time for the Halloween shopping rush — goes deep into the swamp, where mossy monsters dwell.

Most of the album was released in Australia back in the last century (1998) as an eight-song EP. Guitarist/singer Rick Miller and crew added a few new songs for the American version. The band calls it a “tribute to the horror and exploitation movies that populated Southern theaters and drive-ins during the ’60s and ’70s.”

Like the best SCOTS recordings, the sound here is a seamless blend of country, surf, rockabilly, garage-rock, exotica, swamp-rock, as I mentioned, and probably some secret ingredients the group will never tell.

Miller always sounds like a hip bumpkin — whether he’s singing about funny aspects of Southern life or, as on this CD, witches and zombies. Mary Huff plays the bass and sings far too infrequently while Dave Hartman drums. There are a few guests on some tunes, the most significant being Chris “Cousin Crispy” Bess on organ and Steve Grothmann on sax.

Miller wrote most of the songs, including the title track, “Devil’s Stomping Ground,” and “Eyeball You Later.”

But there are also some fine covers — a Creedence Clearwater Revival instrumental, “Sinister Purpose”; “She’s My Witch,” a cover of a song by rockabilly Kip Tyler; John D. Loudermilk’s eerie “Torture” (sung by Huff, who sounds like she’s been, well zombified); and best of all, “Primitive,” a garage-y snarler originally done by a band called The Groupies, and probably best known by its version by The Cramps.

There are more instrumentals than usual for a SCOTS album. Besides “Sinister Purpose,” there are “The Creeper” — on which Miller’s guitar dares to go delightfully obnoxious trying to summon the ghost of Link Wray, and “Swamp Thang,” which is upbeat, funky, and, naturally swampy.

One unusual song here is “Bloodsucker,” featuring an acoustic guitar and a lilting Caribbean/New Orleans arrangement. Trom-bonist Dave Wright colors this track.

Even though Zombified is perfect for Halloween spookfoolery, virtually all the songs here stand on their own and would sound just fine at a SCOTS show any time of year.

Another monstrous treat ... or is it a trick?

* Pop Up Yours by The Monsters. No, this isn’t a Halloween-themed album, but how could I not talk about a new record by The Monsters during this special season?

This Bern, Switzerland-based band has been around since 1986, fronted by Reverend Beat-Man, the owner, founder, and resident (un)holy man of Voodoo Rhythm Records. The group plays what it calls “chainsaw massacre teenage garage trash punk.” And they have these really snazzy red jackets.

The songs deal with love, lust, revenge and rage, based on simple riffs and Beat-Man’s shredded vocal chords. One of my favorites here is “Blues for Joe.” I don’t know who Joe is, but Beat-Man seems pretty upset as he screams “What you gonna do now, Joe.” Also commendable in its sweet, crazy fury is “Crawling Back to You No More.” There’s a pumped-up Bo Diddley beat at the core of the song.

The songs are mostly original, though many of the mutated, frantic Hubert Sumlin guitar riffs sound hauntingly familiar. There is one cover tune, a trashy — and I mean that in the nicest possible way — version of “Speedy’s Coming,” originally done by German metal screamers the Scorpions.

The Monsters seem to play with psychedelia on the closing track “Into the Void.” It starts with church bells and ends up with feedback and bashing drums.

It’s great that there are still Monsters on the loose.

Horrible mention: Here are a couple of recently released albums appropriate for the season.

* Halloween Album w/Sound Effects by Thee Cormans. This California band basically plays instrumental “surf” music. Titles include “Surf Shack of Doom,” “Haunted Sea,” and “Werewolves in Heels.” The sound effects are indeed bitchen.

* What Happens in Hell Stays in Hell by Nekromantix. Here are more crazed horror-soaked psychobilly sounds from this trio led by Danish expatriate Kim Nekroman, who plays a coffin-shaped standup bass. Some songs sound closer to Slayer than to Carl Perkins. “Bela Lugosi’s Star” has a cool Johnny Cash chunka-chunka beat, and “I Kissed a Ghoul” has a weird reference to the Happy Days theme.

Celebrate the Season!

* Live spookiness: I’ll be playing some of my own monster hits like “I Lost My Baby to a Satan Cult,” “Wolfboy,” and “The Thing in the Mud” on Friday, Oct. 28, at the Aztec Café’s All Hallows Hell Performance Party, along with ex-Angry Samoan Gregg Turner and his new band The Mind Parasites. It’s 7 p.m. to midnight at the Aztec (317 Aztec St.). There’s a $3 cover (cheap.)

* Radio spookiness: The 87th Annual Steve Terrell Spooktacular starts at 10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30, on KSFR-FM 101.1 and screaming on the web. Tom Adler of “Folk Remedy” is substituting for me Friday night on the Santa Fe Opry.

* Podcast spookiness: The 2011 Big Enchilada Spooktacular is scaring people all over the internet. Visit . And if you want even more creepiness, check out the GaragePunk Hideout Podcast Jukebox HERE. There's several recent shows with ghastly Halloween themes over there.

* Spotify spookiness: Hey Spotify users. There are hours and hours of haunted sounds on my monster-size Halloween Spook Rock playlist on Spotify. Get Spotify for free at www.spotify.com

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, October, 2011
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M. 
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time 

Host: Steve Terrell
Webcasting!
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell(at)ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Let it Rock by The Head Cat
I'm Cryin' by The Animals
Ain't Crawling Back by The Monsters
Humunculus by Manby's Head
The Lie by Black Lips
Primitive Rock by Hipbone Slim & The Knee-Tremblers
Into the Go-Go Groove by Little Gerhard
I Kissed a Ghoul by Nekromantix
Eyeball You Later by Southern Culture on the Skids
Witchcraft by The Spiders
Tip on In (Part 1) by Slim Harpo

Watermelon Man by The Gun Club
Old Folks Boogie by Jack Oblivian
Just Like Me by Paul Revere & The Raiders
Suspect Device by Stiff Little Fingers
In Too Deep by The Screamin' Yeehaws
Racehorse by Wild Flag
Chupacabra Rock 'n' Roll by The Blood-Drained Cows

Don't Lock the Door by JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound
Mama Don't Like My Man by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Tones
Burn it Down by The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker
The World (is Going Up in Flames) by Charles Bradley
Shot Down by Barrence Whitfield & The Savages
Dog Tired by Wiley & The Checkmates
Jon E's Mood by Jon E. Edwards
Awake by JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound
The Glory of Love by Otis Redding

Pinky's Dream by David Lynch with Karen O
Halloween by Sonic Youth
There Go All My Dough by L.C. Ulmer
Whistlin' Past the Graveyard by Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Bafal by Affrisippi
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

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Big Show at Aztec Cafe!!!!

I'm opening for ex-Angry Samoan Gregg Turner and his new band THE MIND PARASITES at the Aztec All Hallow's Hell Performance Party.

A splendid time is guaranteed for all!

Re: My Hacker

Goddamn it to hell! Even my blog was hacked! I've deleted the post that was here and thanks to my friend Ginger for alerting me to it.

Someone hackied my old MSN email account. It sent out SPAM to everyone on my old contact list -- including the address that allows me to post here from my email. (Which I haven't done in years.)

I hope none of you clicked on the link that was here. Sorry.

THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, October 21, 2011
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrel(at)ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Undertaker by Southern Culture on the Skids
Power Lines by The Ugly Valley Boys
Road Bound by Bob Wayne
I'm Gonna Strangle You Shorty by All the King's Men with Joe Ely & Lee Rocker
Drinkin' With My Friends by Honky Tonk Hustlas
Memories of You Sweetheart by Scott H. Biram
I'm Barely Hangin' On by Johnny Paycheck
White Dress by Anthony Leon & The Chain
Trouble in Mind by Jon Langford
Earl's Breakdown by Josh Graves

Chickenflow by Olendario Chucrobillyman
I'm the Man Who Rode the Mule Around the World by Loudon Wainwright III
Ponder Why I Ponder Why by Dale Watson & The Texas Two
John Hardy by The Gun Club
Bang a Gong (Get it On) by Danny Barnes
Do You Know Thee Enemy? by Slim Cessna's Auto Club
You'll Never Again Be Mine by Levon Helm
Okie Boogie by Johnny Tyler & The Riders Of The Rio Grande

The Times They Are a Changin' by Rick Brousard & Two Hoots and a Holler
Chevy Beretta by Jonny Corndawg
Bad Luck Man by Delaney Davidson
Wait'll You Get a Whiff of My Aftershave by Al Hendrix
Mr. Motorcycle Man by The Riptones
Drunk Drunk Again by Billy Brown
Remember the Alamo by Johnny Cash
The Voo-Doo Man Johnny Perry
None of Your Business by Marvin Paul
Murderer's Home Blues by Blind Willie McTell

Have I The Right? by Tav Falco & Panther Burns
Weakness in a Man by Waylon Jennings
Johnny's Not Here by Joe West
Waiting For The "103" by Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks
Ghost Stories by Eric Hisaw
Codeine by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

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

Dawn's Highway Screening Today!!!!

Brad Durham at the accident scene

Dawn's Highway, a documentary about the fatal accident in New Mexico that The Doors' Jim Morrison witnessed as a child, is screening TODAY in Santa Fe.

It's at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival. It's showing 1:45 pm this afternoon at Warehouse 21.

I few years ago I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Brad Durham, the Tennessee director who researched the accident at Santa Ildefonso Pueblo near Espanola. We even went out to the scene of the wreck, which Durham makes a pretty convincing case is the one young Jim Morrison saw as a child.

You can read  that story HERE.

TERRELL'S TUNEUP: Can't Stop the Soul

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
October 25, 2011

The great American soul revival, which has probably been going on since about three days after most commercial radio stations stopped playing real ’60s-to-early-’70s soul music, continues to rage. The latest warrior to pick up the torch is Chicago shouter JC Brooks, who — with his band, The Uptown Sound — is releasing a jumping little album called Want More on Tuesday.

Beside Sharon Jones and artists of the Daptone stable, it’s mostly talented codgers (guys my age or older) such as Charles Bradley, Charles Walker, and Herbert Wiley (of Wiley & The Checkmates) who have been at the forefront of the retro-soul movement in recent years.

So Brooks is one of the few notable young faces in this crowd. Another young soul man is Austin’s Black Joe Lewis (who is coming to Santa Fe Sol Stage & Grill next month with his band The Honeybears). Brooks’ musical heritage — like that of Lewis — includes punk as well as funk. In both performers’ music you hear a lot of Otis as well as a little Iggy.

I first became aware of Brooks a couple of years ago listening to a song of his that was floating around the internet. It was his cover of Wilco’s “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.” I am happy to hear it on Want More.

While Jeff Tweedy’s weirdo lyrics like “I am an American aquarium drinker” sound a little strange in a soul context, Brooks’ Stax/Volt-like arrangement of the tune works just fine, making me appreciate the song even more.

In fact, I can’t see how Tweedy could listen to it without it having the same effect on him that Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” had on Bob Dylan. Dylan changed the way he did “Watchtower” in his live shows to make it more like the Hendrix version. I wouldn’t be surprised if Wilco started putting a little JC Brooks into its stage version of this song.

But that’s not even my favorite song on the album, at least not at the moment. That honor would go to “Baaadnews” — a raw little minimalist funk workout that reminds me of James Brown’s “Super Bad.” Another standout is “Sister Ray Charles,” an obvious play on the classic Velvet Underground song. It doesn’t really sound either Lou Reed or the Genius of Soul, though it does have a prominent electric piano. It actually sounds more like Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.”

The best material here is bare-boned and sweaty. But Brooks shows his “uptown” side on the string-sweetened “To Someone (That Don’t Love You),” which he sings in a falsetto. It’s one that will stick in your head.

While most of the songs here are upbeat, there are good down-home ballads like “Missing Things,” which sounds like a lost Van Morrison tune. The album ends with “Awake,” a slow gospel-tinged tune with lyrics that talk about revolution and never-ending war and references the spiritual “This Train” as well as “The Glory of Love,” a Benny Goodman standard that Otis Redding turned into a soul weeper.

I get the feeling that Brooks has a lot on his mind and wants to say it. I hope he keeps making records this fine. Like the title says, I want more.


Also recommended:

* Blues Comes Yonder by L.C. Ulmer. This album brings back happy memories of the glory years of Fat Possum Records.

That was back in the mid-to-late ’90s, when that scrappy little label, then based in Mississippi, turned the blues world on its head by introducing a new generation — and for that matter, a bunch of us in the older generation — to rough-and-rowdy Hill Country Records blues brawlers like R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, T-Model Ford, and Paul “Wine” Jones.

L.C. might not be R.L., but this 80-something former truck driver from Stringer, Mississippi, is a tough old bird who knows his way around the frets — mainly guitar, but also banjo and mandolin — and loves to sing good basic gutbucket blues.

Recorded live, the music here is kept simple — Ulmer, a bass, and drums. Hill Country Renaissance man Jimbo Mathus handles drum duty on most of the tunes, but it’s Ulmer’s show. Some of my favorite tunes are “Hake” (not Slim Harpo’s tune but similar), “Roundin’ Up Girls All Day” (featuring some hot slide guitar), and “Hams & Peas.”

There’s also a crazy banjo version of “Get Along, Cindy,” which Ulmer begins by singing the chorus of “Oh Susanna.” Then he turns Hank Williams’ “I Saw the Light” into one of the most primitive-sounding gospel stompers recorded in who knows how long.

Ulmer records for Hill Country, along with an impressive array of talent including Mathus, country songwriter Robert Earl Reed, and Afrissippi — a band with a strange and wonderful blending of West African and Mississippi sounds.

* Give the drummer some! The percussion festival know as The Drum Is the Voice of the Trees is back for the first time in seven years. This year’s show is held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Armory for the Arts, 1050 Old Pecos Trail. Tickets are $15 in advance, available at the Candyman (983-5906) or by calling 474-6381, and $20 at the door.

Blog Bonus:
Enjoy some videos





UPDATE: I corrected a bone-headed typo that refered to L.C. Ulmer covering Hank Williams' "I Saw the Light." I originally had "I Saw the Night." (Thanks to reader Michael who spotted it and forwarded the video below. In my own defense, Hank saw THE NIGHT clearer than almost anyone.