TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, January 2, 2005
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Now Webcasting
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Musicology by Prince
Stealin' All Day by C.C. Adcock
I Zimba by Talking Heads
What Makes You Think You're the One by Twilight Singers
I Found Out by Nathaniel Mayer
Hello It's Me by The Isley Brothers
Turn That Chicken Down by Gerraint Watkins

Methamphetamine Blues by Mark Lanegan Band
Shake It by Tom Waits
Picking Up After You by Tom Waits & Crystal Gayle
Patriot's Heart by American Music Club
Shame by P.J. Harvey
Living With the Animals by Mother Earth

$165 Million + Interest (Into) the Roundup by David Holmes
Reprimand by Joe West
Blood of the Ram by The Gourds
Do the Primal Thing/What You Mean to Me by NRBQ
The Fame of Lofty Deeds/Nashville Radio by Jon Langford

Monsters of the Id by Stan Ridgway
Portland, Oregon/Trouble on the Line by Loretta Lynn
Cabin Essence/Wonderful by Brian Wilson
Get Ready For Love by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Daddy's Cup by The Drive-By Truckers

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

It's already 2005. This stupid decade is nearly half cooked.

My true love and I rung in the new year last night at the wonderful old Mine Shaft Taven where unfortunately we arrived too late for Goshen's set, but got to see Hundred Year Flood.. This was my first time to see them live, and I was impressed. My favorite song they did was an anti-war tune called "Don't Go" -- which according to singer Felicia Ford, was written as a plea to someone considering enlisting to fight in Iraq. Good, melodic, folk-stained rock, and that Felicia is one powerful vocalist.

Joe West was there, with the infamous Mike the Can Man. Although Joe didn't play any of his own songs, he helped Felicia sing "Auld Lang Syne."

I can't believe it's been so many years since I've been to the Mine Shaft. It's a rowdy, funky good-time place that brought back memories of historic New Mexico honky tonks like The Line Camp, The Golden Inn and the Thunderbird in Placitas. Owners Cliff Kitzrow and Ede Salkeld announced that this would be their last New Year's Eve at the Mine Shaft. The place has been for sale for months and Kitzrow said a deal is on the table. He said the prospective new owners would keep the rock 'n' roll spirit alive in The Mine Shaft. I hope he's right.

By the way, while Googling around for info on The Mine Shaft, I came upon this interesting page that sugests they don't call Madrid a ghost town for nuthin': CLICK HERE

Happy New Year to all!!!!!

TERRELL'S TUNEUP: BEST OF 2004

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

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

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

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

Steve Terrell's Top 10 Albums of the Year


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


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


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


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


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


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



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


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


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

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

Honorable Mention

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


Best Reissues/Retrospectives


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

HOW I SPENT MY WEDNESDAY NIGHT

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

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

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

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

R.I.P. LENNIE BRISCOE

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

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

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

Here's a story about his death.

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

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