Friday, Feb. 24 , 2017 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
Here's my playlist :
OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens
A Hangover Ago by Dale Watson & Ray Benson
You Ain't Goin' Nowhere by The Byrds
You Can Have the Crown by Sturgill Simpson
First and Last Blues by Big Sandy & The Flyright Boys
Lay You Down by Nikki Lane
I Ain't Givin' Up Notin' by Ben Hewitt
Tennessee Women's Prison by Wanda Jackson
Medication by The Saucer Men
Can't Hardly Stand it by Charlie Feathers
Crazy Blues by J.P. Richardson
The Nail by Sarah Shook & The Disarmers
Detour by Cyndi Lauper with Emmylou Harris
Shakin' the Blues by Gail Davies & Robbie Fulks
I'm the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised by Johnny Paycheck
Someone to Give My Love to by Big Al Anderson
Possum Ran Over My Grave by Jesse Dayton
My Gal by Jim Kweskin Jug Band
Tub Gut Stomp and Red-Eyed Soul by Shinyribs
I Don't Care by Webb Pierce
There Stands the Glass by Ted Hawkins
Heebie Jeebie Blues Number by Webb Pierce & Willie Nelson
Back Street Affair by Webb Pierce
Wouldya Wanna / 13 Roses by Beth Lee & The Breakups
Parachute by Chris Stapleton
Working on Building by The Meat Purveyors
Mental Cruely by John Prine & Kacey Musgraves
(Out on the Street) Junk is Still King by Gary Heffern
Do They Dream of Hell in Heaven by Terry Allen
True Religion by Scott H. Biram
Let Your Light Shine by The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band
Old Man Souls by Possessed by Paul James
Waltz Across Texas by Leon Russell
She Was No Good for Me by Waylon Jennings CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets
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A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican Feb. 24, 2017 Black Joe Lewisis back with a funky vengeance. More than three years had passed since his previous album, the underrated Electric Slave, when the Austin-based rock ’n’ souler and his band the Honeybears this month released a groove-infused collection of tunes called Backlash.
It had been so long since the last one, I was beginning to wonder whether Lewis — who just a few years ago was driving a delivery truck for a seafood business — had gone back to the fish biz. Fortunately not.
The first difference between this record and his last one that Black Joe fans are bound to notice is that while Electric Slave leaned heavy on hard rock and blues, Backlash shows the band’s funkier side. His horn section, which always been present, is more prominent than ever. In fact, I’m not the first to notice certain similarities between the Honeybears and the Dap-Kings, the late Sharon Jones’ band. In fact, Lewis’ song “Sexual Tension” would have made for a wonderful duet between Jones and neo-soul giant Lee Fields. “Nature’s Natural” could almost pass as a Charles Bradley tune, while the slow-burning “Wasted” is a minor-key howl from the dark night of the soul. A flute that appears about halfway through the song adds a jazzy touch.
But don’t think that anyone’s trying to hide Lewis’ rock chops. There are plenty of guitar-centric rockers here, such as “Prison” (in which Lewis shouts, “I don’t mind being locked up!”). Likewise, “Shadow People” and the frantic “Freakin’ Out” show that Lewis and crew haven’t turned their backs on those punk influences that marked their early work.
And speaking of freaking out, Lewis flirts with psychedelia with the spacey six-minute album closer, “Maroon,” featuring a tasty trumpet solo and some fine guitar from Lewis. But the most impressive song here is the other six-minute song on the album, “Lips of a Loser.” In this one, the horns interweave with ’70s-style strings to dominate the first half of the track. But then, Lewis comes in with a fiery guitar solo that’s downright jaw-dropping.
It’s heartening to know that musicians like these are out there blurring lines between musical borders and making good-time music that thrills.
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears are scheduled to play The Launchpad in Albuquerque on March 29. Also recommended:
* Goin’ Back to Wurstville by King Salami & The Cumberland 3. In terms of the wurst, these guys are the best. This hopped-up, high-energy London-based band has been around for more than a decade, but despite my overly optimistic prediction a few years ago when reviewing their previous album, they never really have made a huge splash in the good old U.S.A. That’s our loss, my fellow Americans. With Salami and the Cumberlands’ seamless bend of garage-rock, ’50s and ’60s R&B, and occasionally a little instrumental surf music, few bands match their sound in terms of pure fun.
Wurstville is only their third actual album in all these years — the previous ones being Cooking Up a Party in 2013 and Fourteen Blazin’ Bangers in 2010. But between albums, Salami and the boys are a singles-producing machine.
And just like the days of yesteryear in rock ’n’ roll history, most of the songs from the singles end up on the albums. Some of the best songs on Wurstville are in that category, including “Tiger in My Tank” (a hard thumper that sounds like some missing Fleshtones song). “Camel Hop,” with its appropriately tacky faux Mideastern guitar riffs, is only slightly less politically incorrect than the tacky pseudo-Japanese guitar riff and gong in the instrumental “King Ghidorah.”
And speaking of politically incorrect, my favorite Wurstville song at the moment is “She Was a Mau Mau.” The title character sounds more related to the cartoonish cannibals of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “Feast of the Mau Mau” than the actual anti-colonialist Kenyan rebels from the 1950s. And despite the historical inaccuracies, this is a crazy little stomper complete with jungle noises and an irresistibly nasty guitar hook.
* Live in Paris by Sleater-Kinney. One of the most successful and satisfying rock ’n’ roll comeback stories in recent years was the 2015 return of Sleater-Kinney. Their album, No Cities to Love was nothing short of a triumph, and their show in Albuquerque that year was even better. And, judging from this new album, their concert in Paris was dadgum good as well.
To be honest, I was hoping that the group’s follow-up to No Cities would have been a studio album of new material. These troubled times demand intelligent and exciting music. But I guess the comeback reunion wasn’t a permanent thing. Oh well, no complaints here. I guess this is the next best thing.
The song selection leans heavy on No Cities, kicking off with a fully charged version of “Price Tag” and equally strong versions of the bouncy but intense “A New Wave,” “Surface Envy,” and the title song. They perform several tracks from The Woods, the group’s last album before the decade-long hiatus, and there also are some classic S-K tunes like “Dig Me Out,” “Start Together,” and “I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone.”
But there is only one tune, “Oh!,” from my favorite Sleater-Kinney album, 2002’s One Beat. I wish they would have done “Step Aside,” the best song from that album, instead.
But that’s just the grousing of a picky critic. Those who are already fans will appreciate this live album. And newcomers will have a useful starting point.
Twenty six years ago tomorrow, (Feb. 24), country singer Webb Pierce left this life at the age of 69. But his songs still haunt us today.
Born in West Monroe, Louisiana, he became one of the greatest honky-tonk singers of the 1950s.
He also knew the value of building his image. As his bio at the Country Music Hall of Fame says, "he is perhaps as well remembered today for his silver-dollar studded autos and guitar-shaped swimming pools as for his great music."
But let's not forget Webb's music -- his high-pitched voice that that just radiated heartarche.
We'll start with one of his classics, or as Webb would say, one of the songs "that the people request most."
This one is another unforgettable love song by Webb.
Here's an early '70s performance by Webb with his daughter Debbie, (who died in 2012)
One of the stranger celebrity sagas of recent years is the "disappearance" or sudden recluse status status of the flamboyant exercise mogul, talk-show stalwart Richard Simmons. In his star-spangled gym shorts, he used to seem to be everywhere, hawking his Deal-a-Meal cards, his Sweatin' to the Oldies videos, his over-the-top personality.
He was a punchline for countless comics. And a saint to the thousands he helped lose weight and get into shape.
Then suddenly, in early 2014, Richard seemed to drop off the face of the Earth. He stopped showing up to his exercise classes at his Slimmons Studio in Beverly Hills. His TV and radio appearances completely dried up. There were grim speculations that Richard had become some sort of slave to his own housekeeper. That he was transitioning into a woman.
In March 2016 he broke his public silence in a phone interview with Savannah Guthrie on the Today Show saying, "No one is holding me in my house as a hostage. You know, I do what I want to do as I've always done so people should sort of just believe what I have to say because like I'm Richard Simmons!"
Eight months later, he closed Slimmons, which had been open for 40 years. "Truly, you don’t need me to tell you what to do anymore," he wrote in a rambling, emotional Facebook post. "You know. It’s within you. It’s in your heart and it’s been there all along. So get up and get moving!"
Filmmaker and former Daily Show producer Dan Taberski, a friend of Richard's -- who frequently took his classes at Slimmons -- recently began a podcast called Missing Richard Simmons. The first episode is already up. And like Richard himself, it's weird and touching. (Update: Looks like Episode Two also was posted today.)
Though he's never been known as a musician, Richard frequently had a song in his heart. Here are a few he's left us. I hope we hear him singing, and sweating and dealing some meals and being his sweet obnoxious self again sometime soon.
First there's this:
Here is one of Richard's classic Letterman appearances
Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017 KSFR, Santa Fe, NM Webcasting! 10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time Host: Steve Terrell 101.1 FM
Email me during the show! terrel(at)ksfr.org
Here's my playlist :
OPENING THEME: Let It Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Shout Bamalama by Benjamin Booker
It'll Chew You Up and Spit You Out by Concrete Blonde
They're Gonna Get You by Count Five
Love My Lover by The Fleshtones
She Was a Mau Mau by King Salami & The Cumberland 3
It's Lame by Figures of Light
All These Times by Lynx Lynx
Mammer-Jammer by Don & Dewy
What Now My Love by Stan Ridgway
Room 213 by Dead Moon
One Kind Favor by Canned Heat
Weedeye by Churchwood
Sexual Tension by Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
Rock the Casbah by Richard Cheese
Surface Envy by Sleater-Kinney
Wang Dang Doodle by PJ Harvey
Sit With the Guru by The Strawberry Alarm Clock
Something Weird by Stomachmouths
Stranger by Weird Omens
Smoke 2 Much by Grandpa Death Experience
Certain Appeal by London Souls
Building Models by Skull Control
Drove Up From Pedro by Mike Watt
Silly Putty by Primus
Rag Doll by The Four Seasons
To The Other Woman, I'm the Other Woman by Sandra Phillips
A Man Needs a Woman (A Woman Needs a Man) by ZZ Hill
Walking on a Tightrope by William Bell
Don't Fuck Around With Love by Bernadette Seacrest and Kris Dale
I Can't Stop Loving You by Laura St. Jude
Mysteries of Love by Julee Cruise CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
