TERRELL'S TUNEUP: WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
August 1, 2008

Warning to blog readers: Most of this column is based on previous blog posts

I just returned from two weeks off. (Anyone miss this column last week?) But I didn’t take two weeks off music.


Here in New Mexico I caught a couple of excellent free Santa Fe Bandstand concerts on the Plaza by The Gourds and Hundred Year Flood. I saw a free city-sponsored show in Albuquerque — Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven frontman David Lowrey’s other band.

I also went to the Utah Phillips tribute at the Santa Fe Brewing Company, which starred 78-year-old poet/singer Kell Robertson, Joe West, George Adelo, and Gwen Lenore. (My only disappointment was that the anticipated Robertson/West duet never came off, because the stubborn Robertson couldn’t be coaxed back on the stage.)

But the highlight of the vacation was my trip to Chicago, where my son and I went to the last day of the Pitchfork Music Festival. Pitchfork is a leading online publication specializing in indie rock. This was the third annual festival.

I’m getting a little old to stand out in the hot sun in a crowd of thousands for 10 hours at a time, so I decided to go for just one day. Besides, I wanted to spend a little time seeing other parts of Chicago.

Specifically, I was intent on seeing the old Chess Records studios at 2120 S. Michigan Ave., which now houses Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation. I just wanted to stand in the same room where Chuck Berry recorded “Johnny B. Goode,” where Muddy Waters rolled and tumbled, where Howlin’ Wolf howled, and where Willie Dixon and Koko Taylor recorded “Insane Asylum.” This is nothing short of sacred ground!

One of the biggest surprises of the studio tour was discovering a wall featuring dozens of pieces from artist Sharon McConnell’s Lifecast: Blues series of plaster facial masks of blues musicians. McConnell is a former resident of Santa Fe, and many of the masks graced the New Mexico state Capitol Rotunda a couple of years ago. It was almost like seeing a bunch of old friends.

One day of Pitchfork was plenty. Here’s some of the most memorable music:

* King Kahn & The Shrines: Their brand of crazed rock ’n’ soul music (nine or 10 guys in the band, plus a lovely go-go dancer/cheerleader) along with Khan’s crazy lyrics and antics ignited the place. At one point, Khan had people tearing up dollar bills. In one song, he described a surreal and hilarious sexual encounter in shameless detail. And what a band! These players — mainly European, I’m assuming — play like Stax/Volt all-stars on crystal meth. For all the weirdness and tomfoolery, The Shrines are extremely tight.

* Dinosaur Jr.: The only other time I saw this classic grunge-era band was back in 1993 at Lollapalooza. After being inactive for a decade or so, Dino came back last year with its original lineup — J Mascis on guitar, Lou Barlow on bass, and Murph on drums. I liked the comeback album, Beyond, but I didn’t expect DJ to be this mighty onstage. They roared! Mascis still rips into his guitar like a wild man forcing it to scream. The band played tunes from Beyond plus some old favor“The Wagon,” “Out There,” “Feel the Pain,” and their anthem of old, “Freak Scene.” Mascis’ hair might be gray, but these tunes are forever young.

* The Dirty Projectors: I wondered how the songs from the Projectors’ most recent album, Rise Above — radical reworkings of Black Flag’s Wasted album — would translate to a live stage. Quite well, it turns out.

Frontman/singer/guitarist Dave Longstreth deserves credit as the guiding light behind the Projectors, but the two women singers (Angel Deradoorian and Amber Coffman) also deserve much credit for their strange and intricate harmonies. While Longstreth’s guitar often sounds straight out of Africa, seeing the Projectors live reminded me of another style of world music — the experimental tunes of Brazilian Tom Zé.

* Spiritualized: This actually was one of the only disappointments of the festival. The band had a couple of female vocalists with them to add some gospel-like touches. But the ultimate effect was just too churchy — too many lyrics about soe, shining lights, etc. And too much Dark Side of the Moon in the music, at least for the first half of the show. Spiritualized began rocking out about 30 minutes into their set.

* Health: I enjoyed these guys, though I suspect a little of them goes a long way. Health is a Los Angeles noise band that specializes in heavy percussion, feedback, and screaming. They reminded me a little bit of the Boredoms (though they could use a little of the Japanese band’s zany humor). My son was excited when he learned that they were playing Pitchfork. He’d just seen them the week before in Santa Fe at Warehouse 21. It’s funny, but the Health album he recently bought, Disco, doesn’t sound much at all like their live performance. The record is full of synthy keyboards and seems like run-of-the-mill techno. Their live show is harsher and more relentless but ultimately more listenable.

On the local front:
* Desert Trippin’ by Gary Gorence: Full disclosure: nearly 25 years ago Gorence played in my band Spudgrasslled The Spuds). But he’s done a lot since then — fronting his own band Renegade Country and, more recently, playing with Mike Montiel in The Jakes.

Backed by members of The Jakes, Desert Trippin’ is good, rootsy, bluesy country-rock and Southern rock with all original songs. My favorite ones are modern outlaw tunes. The opening cut, “A Rebel With Good Intentions,” is about a good ol’ boy draft dodger who ends up in a bad confrontation with the FBI. “Red Sky Café” is about a couple of rowdy women, one of whom has vengeance on her mind.

The CD release party for Desert Trippin’ is at 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, at the Cowgirl BBQ (319 S. Guadalupe St., 982-2565). Admission is free.

GIT YER RICHARDSON SOUVENIRS

Although Gov. Bill Richardson's presidential bid died in the snows of New Hampshire, it's not too late to get Richardson for President paraphernalia.

Cafe Press still has loads of T-shirts, bumper stickers, buttons, coffee mugs, throw pillows, infant body suits, etc. etc.

There are lots of Obama/Richardson designs at Cafe Press. There's also a few Richardson/Obama logos.

Most of these products were not officially approved by the Richardson campaign. In fact, it's pretty doubtful that any were officially approved. I'd sure hate to be the Richardson staffer who signed off on the one below.

PEARCE UP IN NEW POLL (OR IS HE?)

Although most polls on the New Mexico Senate race have shown Democrat Tom Udall beating Republican Steve Pearce by better than 20 points, a new Zogby poll shows Pearce coming within just eight points.

Here's what Zogby has to say:

Independent, moderate and Hispanic voters are putting Democrat Tom Udall in position to take the seat being vacated by Republican Pete Domenici. Udall leads Republican Steve Pearce, 49%-41% ...

Moderates favor Udall by more than 2-to-1, while Independents give him a 10% lead. Udall nearly doubles Pearce’s support among Hispanics. The two are even among men, but Udall holds a solid lead among women.

Pearce’s strengths are with the traditional GOP voters: regular church goers and gun owners. The survey included 464 likely voters in New Mexico and carries a margin of error of +/- 4.6 percentage points.

That seems like a radical shift. But there are major differences in how this poll was conducted compared to others.

Even though Zogby just released the poll -- an online "interactive" survey -- the data actually is a month old. It was taken between June 11-30, 2008. There is no indication that the sampling was "likely voters" or "registered voters."

The previous poll I saw was Rasmussen's, which showed Udall ahead 59 percent to 34 percent. That poll was taken on July 25 of 700 likely voters. Its margin of sampling error for the survey is plus or minus 4 percentage.

As Tom Waits said, "The large print giveth and the small print taketh away."

ROUNDHOUSE ROUND-UP: THE PRC FIGHT GOES ON

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
July 31, 2008

Although state Public Regulation Commission candidates Jerome Block Jr. and Rick Lass apparently won’t have a face-to-face debate, Block, the Democratic nominee, and Lass, the Green Party contender, sure aren’t hesitant to go after each other via e-mail.

Responding to Block’s public refusal to debate — in which Block belittled Lass’ past jobs as a “pizza delivery person” and grocery clerk — Lass on Wednesday released an open letter in which he raises questions about Block’s education and his job in the title-insurance business.

Lass’ “Open Letter to Jerome Block, Jr.” says voters deserve debates between the candidates so “they can better decide which candidate is more likely to protect them from rising utility and insurance costs.”

The two are running for the $90,000-a-year job representing PRC District 3, which includes Santa Fe and much of northeastern New Mexico.

“For more than a decade,” Lass wrote, “I have been working without pay on not just election and democracy issues, but on kitchen table issues like the living wage and repeal of the food tax. What is your record of public service?

“I earned a bachelor of arts degree from St. John’s College here in Santa Fe, and am well prepared to tackle the complexity of the issues before the PRC. What is your educational background?”

Block told The New Mexican earlier this year that he attended New Mexico State University but didn’t graduate. Block said he received “the equivalent of an associate degree” from the Anderson School of Management at The University of New Mexico.

“Your only qualification seems to be your employment by the title insurance industry, which represents an enormous conflict of interest given the PRC sets the price of title insurance in New Mexico,” Lass wrote. “How can the voters trust you to represent them on rate hearings involving an industry for which you were on the payroll and may still be?” (Before the primary Block took a leave of absence from his job as sales manager for the Land America title insurance company.)

Lass then refers to brushes with the law on the part of himself and Block. (Lass was arrested on a simple battery charge in 1999 after a fight with his then-girlfriend. Block was arrested for drunken driving in 1998 and had a later arrest and conviction for riding with a drunken driver.)

“We’ve both made mistakes — that is human. I took responsibility for mine, got help, and have been open about it in communicating with the media. You handled (and continue to handle) your situation much differently. Can voters be assured you have the maturity to hold such an important public office?”

Lass concludes by accusing Block of “ducking the debates because you think your chances for election are better if you keep voters in the dark about your lack of qualifications and record of public service and instead rely on the name of your father and the coattails of others. I guess that worked for you in the Democratic Party primary.”

Block couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday.

Speaking of debates: Republican Dan East, who is running for Northern New Mexico’s open 3rd District Congressional seat, took a jab at his Democratic opponent for missing a recent candidate forum.

In an e-mail, East said, “The New Mexico Farm Bureau Association met for their annual State Convention at the Inn of the Mountain Gods today. Included on the schedule, was a candidate forum for New Mexico’s federal candidates. Notably missing from the forum was Ben Ray Luján, son of State House speaker Ben Luján. …

“I want to know why his handlers are not allowing him to meet me face to face. What are they hiding him from? The people of this district deserve better, and I challenge the Speaker to allow his son to debate me.”

Luján skipped the Farm Bureau forum because he was campaigning in Mora County, a spokesman said, noting the resort near Ruidoso isn’t in the 3rd Congressional District. Luján will debate East — and presumably independent candidates Carol Miller and Ron Simmons — the spokesman said.

The next scheduled candidate forum is set for Monday at the College of Santa Fe, an event sponsored by The Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Association of Commerce & Industry of New Mexico.

Getting prepared: Asked this week about his thoughts on the upcoming special session of the state Legislature, outgoing Sen. John Grubesic, D-Santa Fe, said he’s ready. Grubesic, who isn’t seeking re-election, joked that he learned just about everything he needs to know about the special session at a recent meeting of the Legislative Council: “I learned the correct pronunciation of sine die.”

For those not well-versed in Latin or legislative jargon, that’s the term used when they end a legislative session.

In recent years in New Mexico, it’s come to mean adjourning before Gov. Bill Richardson is ready for the legislators to adjourn. The Senate did that several times last year when Richardson attempted to call a special session right after the regular session. Rumblings in the Senate indicate it could happen again when the new special session convenes Aug. 15.

So what’s the correct pronunciation? Grubesic said there are several. Indeed, Googling a few online dictionaries you’ll find, SEE-nae DEE-ae, SI-na Die-ee and other variations.

BLOCK vs LASS: GETTING NASTY

You can find my story about Jerome Block, Jr.'s refusal to debate Public Regulation Commission challenger Rick Lass HERE.

Below is the cut-and-pasted original debate challenge from Lass, followed by the cut-and-pasted response from Block. As you can see, this race isn't getting any prettier.

To: Jerome Block, Jr.From: Rick Lass
Re: Candidate Debates for District 3 Seat on the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission

The Rick Lass for PRC campaign extends an invitation to Jerome Block, Jr., to participate in a series of debates before the general election in November. Lass proposes to hold one debate in each of the counties which make up District 3, to allow each county's residents to meet the candidates and hear them discuss the issues without having to travel long distances to do so.

Lass believes that voters have a clear choice in this election. They have a right to know where both candidates stand on the issues, what their qualifications are, and which of them would best represent the interests of New Mexicans who are struggling to run their homes and small businesses in the face of rising insurance, transportation and utility costs.

Lass advocated for small businesses as the membership director of the Santa Fe Business Alliance which, among other projects, worked with the City of Santa Fe to ensure that the interests of local, independent businesses were factored into the city's long-range master plan. He has worked tirelessly since 1995 to maintain the integrity of the electoral process, for example, as the current director of the nonprofit organization, Voting Matters, which recently led the efforts to pass seven good government amendments to Santa Fe's city charter. Lass has a long history of activism, volunteerism and effective collaboration on behalf of New Mexicans and their small businesses. He believes that the Public Regulation Commission exists to protect consumers, small business owners, working people, and everyday New Mexicans, and is committed to working day in and day out to ensure that the PRC lives up to that obligation. He was drafted to run as a Green Party candidate by a coalition of progressive Democrats, independents and Greens who were concerned about the apparent lack of qualifications of the Democratic Party's nominee and the lack of a better choice for the Public Regulation Commission in the general election.

Rick Lass looks forward to hearing from the Block campaign, and arranging for dates and formats for these debates, at Mr. Block's earliest opportunity.

Block's response:

July 29, 2008
Rick Lass
Re: Candidate Debates

Mr. Lass: I received your press release inviting me to a
series of debates in PRC District 3.

I plan on conducting my campaign at a grass roots level, as I did in the Democratic Primary. My intention is to visit every corner of the district and visit as many constituents on a one-to-one basis as possible. Regardless of your motivation or agenda in conducting debates, I do not intend my campaign schedule to be influenced by a minor party candidate who had to be “drafted to run”.

You and your supporters tout you as the “qualified candidate”. While there is nothing wrong with your real life experiences and employment as a pizza delivery person and a food market clerk, I do not feel it qualifies you to be a PRC commissioner. You mention, repeatedly, your advocacy for voting initiatives. Perhaps you are not aware that the PRC does not deal with voting issues. Perhaps you would consider applying your self-professed talents to running for county clerk in 2012.

I also noted with amusement that your letterhead lists you as “Public Regulation Commissioner”. Are you trying to deceive recipients’ of your correspondence that you are an incumbent commissioner?!

JEROME D. BLOCK, JR

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, July 27, 2008
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Hey Sailor by The Detroit Cobras
Humanoid Boogie by The Bonzo Dog Band
Land of the Freak by King Khan & The Shrines
Burn My Mind by The Monsters
Eat My Weiner by Lothar
Indivisible by The Dirtbombs
Toxic Avenger by The Dickies
Greencard Husband by Gogol Bordello
Greedy Awful People by The Stooges
LSD by The Pretty Things

Hanky Panky by Tommy James & The Shondells
No Other Girl by The Blasters
Girls for Single Men by Sausage
Your Woman Andre Williams & The New Orleans Hellhounds
Fever by Bayou City Beach Party (Electric Attitude)
Scrap It by Quan & The Chinese Takeouts
Out There by Dinosaur Jr.

I Got a Razor by Willie Dixon & Memphis Slim
Long Distance Call by Muddy Waters
Doctor Jeckyl by Bo Diddley
I'm the Wolf by Howlin' Wolf
Come on in This House by Junior Wells
You Can't Catch Me by Chuck Berry
Johnny B. Goode by Roy & The Devil's Mototcycle

Rise Above by The Dirty Projectors
Angel by Camper Van Beethoven
Girlfriend by Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog
Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On by The Temptations
Hurt Me So by The Diplomats of Solid Sound
Black Market Baby by Tom Waits
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

I'M NOT QUITE BACK TO WORK YET ...

But I will be Monday. Meanwhile, some politics has been creeping into my e-mail.

A couple of new Rasmussen polls deal with New Mexico.

In the Senate race, Democrat Tom Udall contrinues to have a wide lead over Republican Steve Pearce 59 percent to 34 percent. When “leaners” are included, Udall is ahead 61 percent to Pearce's 35 percent. ("Leaners," according to Rasmussen are people who don’t initially express a preference for one of the major candidates. But, when asked a follow-up question in the poll, they do. )

This is the fourth straight month Udall has come in at more than 50 percent in the Rasmussen poll and the third straight month Pearce has been below 40 percent.

In the presidential race, Barack Obama continues to lead John McCain in the battle for New Mexico's five electoral votes., 46 percent to 41 percent. When "leaners" are counted, it's Obama 49 percent to 43 percent.

Both candidates are viewed favorably by 57% of the state’s
voters. Obama gets negative reviews from 41%, McCain from 39%. Reflecting a pattern seen across the country, opinions are more strongly held about Obama. In New Mexico, 31% have a Very Favorable opinion of the Democratic hopeful while just 21% say the same about his Republican rival. Both are viewed Very Unfavorably by 24%. "

McCain has gained slightly since last month, Rasmussen says. In June, Obama was ahead here by eight percentage points.

Gov. Bill Richardson, according to Rasmussen's latest New Mexico poll, got a good or excellent rating from 51 percent of voters, which is up from 47 percent last month. Twenty-one percent of voters say Richardson is doing a poor job as governor, down from 24 percent a month ago.

THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, July 25, 2008
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
I'm a Ramblin' Man by Waylon Jennings
Number Nine Train by Dale Hawkins
Gunslinger (Return of Nobody) by Ruby Dee & The Snakehandlers
Rings by Jim Stringer & The AM Band
Here Rattler Here by The Pine Valley Cosmonauts
Good For Me by The Waco Brothers
Got U on My Mind by The Watzloves
Big Boy Waltz by Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys
Johny Can't Dance by Mama Rosin
Someday My Prince Will Come by Skeeter Davis & NRBQ

Truly by Hundred Year Flood
Jockey Full of Bourbon by The Santa Fe All Stars
One Cut, One Kill by Bone Orchard
A Rebel With Good Intentions by Gary Gorence
The Wicked Things by Boris McCutcheon & The Saltlicks
Shoot Out the Stars by Nels Andrews
That Nightmare is Me by Mose McCormack
El Corrido de Emilio Naranjo by Angel Espinoza y su Grupo Eternidad

Touch of Evil by Tom Russell
The Outcast by Dave Van Ronk with Tom Russell
Mineral Wells by R.G. Stark
Nature of the Blues by Eric Hisaw
East Side Boys by Martin Zellar
License to Kill by Maria Muldaur
Flavor on the Tongue by The Gourds

Sadly Beautiful by Glen Campbell
El Paso City by Marty Robins
Lock, Stock and Teardrops by Roger Miller
Dark Hollow by The Grateful Dead
The Maker by Daniel Lanois
Pressing On by John Doe
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

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

HYF ON PLAZA -- OR AT LEAST HALF OF THEM

This wasn't your typical Hundred Year Flood show (not that there's anything wrong with a typical HYF show!) Less than an hour before taking the stage, during the opening band, Bone Orchard's set, HYF singer/guitarist Bill Palmer got a call informing him that bass player Kendra Lauman had just given birth to a baby boy.

I'd seen Kendra last week during The Gourds' show. She said her due date was near, but she was determined to make the Plaza gig. Well, she got close ... Actually she'd gone into labor Thursday morning, Bill said. Her husband Jim Palmer, HYF's drummer, had told Bill that he'd better find a substitute rhythm section.

He did. Bassist Susan Hyde Holmes (Santa Fe All Stars, Boris & The Saltlicks, etc.) and drummer David Waldrop filled in. Neither had ever done a Flood gig before, but both play with Bill & Felicia Ford's country band The Cherry Pickers, so there was already musical compatibility. Susan and David stepped up to the plate like pros.

So it was a special show for the band and their longtime fans, an emotional performance that will be talked about for a long time. Flood did a bunch of new songs from their upcoming album, as well as at least one Blue Mountain cover and a classic country song The Cherry Pickers perform, "Delta Dawn." (Though Tanya Tucker and Helen Reddy had hits with that song, my favorite version is the one by Waylon Jennings.


I also enjoyed seeing Bone Orchard, who I hadn't seen since a couple of Thirsty ear Festivals ago. They're a Taos band fronted by a couple, Daniel Pretends Eagle on guitar, banjo and vocals and Carol Morgan-Eagle on vocals.

The group had to struggle through a downpour -- and I confess, I skipped out on one song to buy a cheap pancho at the Five and Dime. But here in New Mexico, a little rain at an outdoor concert is considered a blessing, so it was still a good set.

Besides the songs I've heard on their two albums, Bone Orchard surprised me with a great cover of Cher's "Bang Bang."

WE'RE NUMBER THREE (WE DON'T TRY VERY HARD)

Thanks to the readers of The Santa Fe Reporter for naming this blog the third best in Santa Fe -- behind the The Santa Fe Library Blog and New Mexico Matters.

Hey, but wasn't I number two last year???????