KSFR FUNDRAISER

Been so busy with the Legislature and recovering from the Legislature, I haven't even made a plea for pledges for the KSFR Fundraiser .

In all modesty, we've become a great little station, and like the kid in the old Shake and Bake commercials used to say, "And I helped!"

Be sure to read Yasmin Khan's story in The New Mexican this morning (and while you're at it, somebody kick John Coventry's ass for calling the station "A bunch of Commies" in the comments section.)

If nothing else, a story in this week's Santa Fe Reporter illustrates the dastardly nature of commercial radio. Turns out that Rocque Ranaldi, who did KBAC's Friday night funk show and was the program director of 101.1 FM, "The New Mix" has been canned by his corporate masters at Clear Channel. (Sorry, The Reporter didn't put the story on its Web site.) I never heard 101.1, but I did tune into the funk show every now and then. Next to Lucky's Belvedere Lounge, it was KBAC's best show.

I like all the people I know at KBAC, but it irked me when they started calling themselves Santa Fe's "community radio" station a while back. (I think they cut that out.) And lots of people don't realize that KBAC's slogan "Radio Free Santa Fe" was lifted from KSFR 10 years ago in some kind of Satanic pact made with a former KSFR honcho in a moment of dementia. I still cringe whenever I think about that.

Like Eric Idle says, "Clear Channel's a dear channel ..."

So get your credit card out and support KSFR.

By the way, I'll be doing the Santa Fe Opry myself Friday, first time in three weeks. Tune in!

ROUNDHOUSE ROUND-UP: TURNING THE MUSIC DOWN

As published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
March 24, 2005

The music stopped in the Senate Finance Committee.

Early this year, Gov. Bill Richardson proposed the state establish a state music commission, modeled after similar music agencies in Texas and Louisiana "to protect, promote and archive music in New Mexico."

Senate Majority Whip Mary Jane Garcia, D-Dona Ana, introduced a bill for the administration to create a 7-member commission under the Department of Cultural Affairs, charged with developing a musical directory of services, venues and performances in the state, as well as proposing projects designed to "protect New Mexico's musical traditions or promote the music industry in New Mexico."

Senate Bill 167 asked for $100,000 for the commission.

However, the bill never made it out of Senate Finance.

Some might argue this was for the best.

After all, had the bill made to a Senate floor debate, it's doubtful that Sen. Joe Carraro, R-Albuquerque (who entertained the Roundhouse with his version of "That's Amore" on Italian-American Day) and Sen. Shannon Robinson, D-Albuquerque (who sang a verse of Johnny Cash's "Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog" during the Dangerous Dog Act debate) could have resisted temptation to display their musical, uh talents.

While the bill died in committee, the budget that eventually passed the Legislature and was signed by the governor, does contain an appropriation of $25,000 earmarked to promote New Mexican music.

Stuart Ashman of the Department of Cultural Affairs, said Wednesday that the state Arts Commission will appoint a committee to consult with music promoters and preservationists to determine what the state should do with the money.

"What we'll probably come up with is a Web site to promote music," Ashman said. The site would include listings of musicians, venues, festivals, music education programs, etc.

Loie Fecteau, executive director of the Arts Commission, said the state already funds many music-related projects - documenting and preserving the rural folk music traditions of the state as well as contributing to music organizations like the New Mexico Symphony, the Santa Fe Jazz Festival and the Silver City Blues Festival.

Legislating the news: This last session is unusual in at least one regard. Usually some lawmaker introduces a bill to take away the newspaper industry's exemption from the state gross receipts tax. Quite often, this bill is introduced by a legislator who is angry over bad publicity.

There was no tax-the-papers bill this time, but there were at least four bills aimed at the newspaper business.

SB 164, sponsored by Robinson, would have required that papers exempted from the gross receipts tax "publish the name and hometown of each dead or wounded service personnel that resulted from combat or overseas deployment." This didn't make it out of Senate Corporations and Finance Committee, which Robinson chairs.

But the three other bills actually passed the House, only to die in various Senate Committees.
HB 253, sponsored by Rep. Larry Larranaga, R-Albuquerque, would have required all general circulation newspapers published in the state to print obituary notices for free. This passed the House 40-15 but died in Senate Corporations and Transportation. (Earlier this year, The New Mexican began publishing front-page death notices for free.)

HB 849, sponsored by House Speaker Ben Lujan, as passed by the House (52-12) would have allowed the state General Services secretary to set the rate for legal advertisements purchased by state and government agencies. This died in Senate Judiciary.

HB 850, also sponsored by Lujan, would have required newspapers to provide accidental injury insurance or workers' compensation insurance to those who sell papers on the streets. This too died in Senate Judiciary.

Speaking with forked tongues: Tongue splitting is still legal in New Mexico. SB 364, sponsored by Sen. Lee Rawson, R-Las Cruces, would have regulated body art and would have outlawed the practice of tongue-splitting never made it out of committee.

It died in Senate Judiciary, which was also the burying ground for SB 80, sponsored by Sen. Rod Adair, R-Roswell, which would have required parental consent for minors wanting tattoos or piercings. Adair had another bill (SB 81) to prohibit body art for minors, but it stalled in Senate Public Affairs.

The tattoo/nose-ring bill that made it the furthest was HB 478, the Body Art Safe Practices Act, sponsored by Rep. Rhonda King, D-Stanley. This would have required licenses for tattoo artists and piercers and established state standards for the industry. This passed the House 63-0, but withered in Senate Judiciary.

NO OBJECTIVITY HERE

I won't even pretend to be neutral on this one.

Gregg Turner is a friend of mine. We've done musical gigs together. The picture here is a publicity shot (thanks, Dave Alfaya!) for one of those performances about 10 years ago. I even sang at Gregg's wedding, as did Jono Manson and Lenny Hoffman.

What happened to him at New Mexico Highlands is downright sleazy. I wish I could link Gregg's op-ed piece in Sunday's New Mexican, but it didn't run on the free site.

Basically, Turner, a math professor at Highlands, was denied tenure at Highlands even after getting a strong recommendation from his department head and a strong rating by his peers. Gregg was one of four professors in the same boat.

The stench is high on this one, folks.

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, March 20, 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
Leave the Capitol by The Fall
Clown Time is Over by Elvis Costello
Dummy by NRBQ
51-7 by Camper Van Beethoven
Big Shot in the Dark by Timbuk 3
Quiche Lorraine by The B52s

Let Loose the Kraken by The Bald Guys
Adventures Through Inner Space by The Bomboras
Experiment in Terror by Davie Allan & The Arrows
Scatter Shield by The Surfaris
Shredded Heat by Dick Dale
Cha Wow Wow by The Hillbilly Soul Surfers
H is for Harlot by The Civil Tones
The Casbah by Los Straightjackets
Who Got the Grady by The Diplomats of Solid Sound
The Godfather by Satan's Pilgrims
Jack the Ripper by Link Wray

Red River Valley by Brave Combo
Polka Enemy # 1 by The Polkaholics
Who'd You Like to Love Ya by Li'l Wally
Top of the Hill Polka by Nancy Hlad
Blue Polka by Rotondi
Do Something Different by Brave Combo
Nichts Nein Frankenstein by Das Furlines
Ten in One by Crow Hang
Weiner Dog Polka by Polkacide

My Singing Soul by Soel
The Last World of Fire and Trash by Joy Harjo
Cody by Mogwai
Lost in the Supermarket by The Afghan Whigs
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, March 18, 2005
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Now Webcasting
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Substitute Host: Laurell Reynolds

OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Nashville Skyline Rag by Bob Dylan
I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink by Merle Haggard
I Am A Lonesome Fugitive by Roy Buchannan
Six Days On the Road by Graham Parsons and the Fallen
Angels
1952 Vincent Black Lightening by Richard Thompson
Mother Earth and Cheat by the Sadies
All Of You Fascists Are Bound To Lose by Woody Guthrie
I Need A Man To Love by Janis Joplin

Life of Ease by Steve Terrell
Lovesick Blues by Linda Ronstadt
Making Believe by Kitty Wells
Sometimes When I Get To Thinking by Buffy Sainte Marie
Me and My Uncle by Judy Collins
Tommorrow Is A Long Time by Sandy Denny
A Satisfied Mind by Porter Wagoner
The Man Who Couldn't Cry by Johnny Cash

Little Maggie by The New Lost City Ramblers
Hop High My Lulu Gal by Dirk Powell and Jim Miller
Walkin' Boss by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman
Give the Fiddler A Dram by the Holy Modal Rounders
Wild Bill Jones by the Highwoods String Band
Gentle On My Mind by John Hartford
To Love Somebody by the Flying Burrito Brothers
Leavin' On Your Mind by Patsy Cline
Sweet Dreams by Roy Buchannan

Saturday Clothes, Changes, and Too Late For Prayin' by Gordon Lightfoot
Stairway To Heaven by Dolly Parton
Sweet Old World by Lucinda Williams
Another Man Gone by Vera Hall
Alone With You by Faron Young
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

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