E-MAIL SUBJECT LINE OF THE DAY

From Diane Kinderwater, spokeswoman for the state Senate Republicans:

Educator Gas Pain Relief

No, it's not a plea for free Gas-X. It's a proposal by GOP Senate Whip Leonard Lee to give educators who travel between schools in their own vehicles a better mileage reimbursement rate.

eMUSIC AUGUST

*P'Twaaang!!! by The Wipeouters. Like thieves in the night, early in this century Devo returned and, under an assumed band name, recorded an album of mostly instrumental tunes that only can be described as New Wave surf music.

If Dick Dale was a kooky robot ... If there were surfers on Neptune ... pure techno-goof summertime fun.

And if you did surf sitar, check out the songs "Wounded Surfer," "Wedgie Wipout" and the "Rocket Power Theme."

(Thanks to the Music for Maniacs blog for turning me on to this. And check out the interview with Mark Mothersbaugh about The Wipeouters HERE.)


* Barn Dance Favorites by The Pine Valley Cosmonauts. This is a fun little EP from Bloodshot Records I somehow missed a few years ago. Basically it's old country tunes from the old National Barn Dance radio show, which broadcast out of Chicago between 1924 and 1960. Singers here include Jon Langford, Sally Timms, Kelly Hogan, Tracy Dear and Scott Ligon, with fiddling by Johnny Frigo.

Several of the eight songs are familiar -- "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart," "Blues Stay Away from Me," "Bye, Bye Blues" (Frigo's big spotlight number) and Grandpa Jones' "Here, Rattler, Here," (which Langford performs in an easy-going style rather than Grandpa's maniac bluegrass style.)

My favorite that I hadn't heard before is "Little Red Barn," sung by Dear, which is about an Indiana farmer. Like the best Bloodshot projects, the performance is done lovingly, though not over reverently.


*Live 1984 by Bo Diddley. I guess there was some kind of blues revival going on in the mid '80s. (Isn't there always some kind of blues revival going on somewhere?) There sure were a lot of major blues R&B and early rock 'n' roll acts coming through Santa Fe back then -- Buddy Guy & Junior Wells, Albert Collins, James Cotton, Robert Cray, The Legendary Blues Band featuring Pinetop Perkins, Gatemouth Brown, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Charlie Musselwhite, and of course Bo Diddley. This album was recorded less than a year before Bo played Club West -- after being made an honorary Santa Fean by the late Mayor Louie Montano earlier that day.

I'm not sure where this album was recorded. Released by a label called Goldenlane, it's apparently available only as downloads and not much information is given. Also it appears to be a shorter version of a record released a couple of years ago as Bo's the Man, which included three "bonus" studio tracks.

Bo of course was way past his hit-making prime by this point, but he could still romp through his greatest hits ("Mona," "You Can't Judge a Book," "I'm a Man," "Roadrunner" -- but no "Who Do You Love" -- in sets peppered with a few obscurities. ("Dr. Jekyll," "Everleen"). The band, a British group called Mainsqueeze, is punchy and competent, if not totally inspiring.

So if you're a Bo fan and want a decent live show from this period, this album isn't bad. But new fans definitely should start with his original stuff.

Warning: This album is available under three different titles on eMusic. Others include Mona and Bo Diddley with Mainsqueeze.)

* At Last by Screamin' Jay Hawkins. This is Screamin' Jay's last studio album, released a couple of years before his February 2000 death.

Like most of his 1990s albums -- Black Music for White People, Stone Crazy, etc. -- it's good solid blues rock with lots of voodoo and madness, Hawkins' strong baritone making him sound like an opera singer caught in carnival spookhouse.

The album was produced by Jim Dickinson at Sam Phillips Recording Service in Memphis and features Muscle Shoals studs like bassist David Hood (Patterson;s daddy) and drummer Roger Hawkins.

Among the highlights is "Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda," a slow blues featuring a tasty fiddle and an female vocalist named Kelley Hurt. "Potluck" is a re-write of "Feast of the Mau Mau" and "Alligator Wine." And, while this one doesn't have any Tom Waits songs (Screamin' Jay was one of Waits' finest interpreters), there's a crazy cover of "I Shot the Sheriff," one of the few blues songs of any era that namechecks Boris Yeltsin.

* My First Billy Childish Album. This isn't really my first Billy Childish album. That would be Surely They Were Sons of God by Thee Mighty Ceasars, one of several Childish bands represented on this outstanding compilation. There's them Ceasars, Thee Headcoats, their gal pals Thee Headcoatees, The Buff Medways, The Pop Rivets, The Chatham Singers, The Delmonas, The Buffets ... begging the question, "Where's The Milkshakes, The Natural , The Musicians of the British Empire, etc.?

But who's complaining? This is a fine overview of the handlebarred hero and his invaluable contributions to garage rock.

The highlights here include "I Feel Like Giving In," sung in French by the Childish-led girl group The Delmonas, a raw Bo Diddley-beat cover of Dylan's "Ballad of Hollis Brown" by Thee Headcoats, and The "Buffets' simple, direct "You Piss Me Off."

Also, "Davey Crocket" -- a screwball "history" tune inspired by "Farmer John" and The Ramones "Gabba Gabba Hey Hey" chant -- inspired me to download the rest of the original album it came from ...

*The Sisters of Suave by Thee Headcoatees. The Delmonas isn't the only girl group Childish created.

The Headcoatees, featuring Holly Golightly, Kyra La Rubia and Ludella Black (also a Delmona), sound like a girl group from reform school. Lots of glorious fuzz guitar and piercing harmonica.

There are not one, but two songs about martial arts here -- "My Boyfriend's Learning Karate" (Someone, quick, get this song to Petty Booka!) and "Jackie Chan Does Kung Fu." There's a cover of a Sonics song, the classic "Strychnine." And there's even a Christmas song in which the girls do to Santa Claus what they did to Davey Crocket.


* Horndog Fest by The Dirtbombs. We Have You Surrounded is one of my favorite albums so far this year, so I figured I'd check out The Dirtbombs' first album, released in 1997.

This is rougher and rawer than Surrounded, but the Dirtbomb spark is there. "Bittersweet Romance Song" is based in '60s soul as well as guitar crunch. And the ultra-bitchen stomp "Can't Stop Thinking About It" sounds a lot like "Wreck My Flow," one of my favorite songs from Surrounded.

Plus ... the songs I didn't already have from The Pretty Things' self titled album.

Plus ... I accidently downloaded The Dirty Projector's "The Kindness of Uncles" from their album New Attitude. I just meant to listen to it, but I was tired and accidently pressed "download" instead of "play." I don't like it very much. This mistake means I'll have to download The Dirtbombs' "A Brief Treatis on the Discovery of Anti-matter" from Horndog Fest when my downloads refresh next week.

ROUNDHOUSE ROUND-UP: PRAISE & SCORN

It had been weeks since any serious talk has appeared in the national media about Gov. Bill Richardson’s chances of becoming Barack Obama’s running mate. Most of the squawk on Richardson over the summer seemed to be based on the assumption the governor is bucking for secretary of state.

Then, early this month, came that editorial in The Denver Post.

“His outstanding record makes him an ideal partner for Obama, not only on the campaign trail but at the vital job of shaping America’s future,” the paper said. “... Richardson’s record not only qualifies him to assume the presidency, it makes him an ideal partner to the visionary and eloquent Obama in the task of running this country. And as a leading figure in a Rocky Mountain West that has emerged as a swing political region, Richardson could do more than any other possible running mate to carry the Democratic ticket to victory in November.”

It’s not clear what effect that editorial might have on Richardson’s chances of getting on the ticket.

If he has been meeting with Obama’s veep vetters, they’ve done a great job of keeping that secret.

But could it be that people on the other end of the political spectrum are starting to take seriously the idea of Richardson as vice presidential candidate?

A couple of recent attacks from commentators on the political right have been pretty harsh on the governor. They seem pretty eager to tear into him.

Earlier this week this newspaper published a George Will column about the Russian invasion of Georgia, which said, “... Big events reveal smallness, such as that of New Mexico’s Gov. Bill Richardson.”

Will explained: “On ABC’s This Week, Richardson, auditioning to be Barack Obama’s running mate, disqualified himself. Clinging to the Obama campaign's talking points like a drunk to a lamppost, Richardson said this crisis proves the wisdom of Obama’s zest for diplomacy, and that America should get the U.N. Security Council ‘to pass a strong resolution getting the Russians to show some restraint.’ Apparently Richardson was ambassador to the U.N. for 19 months without noticing that Russia has a Security Council veto.”

In a blog called The Campaign Spot, the conservative National Review also criticized Richardson’s thoughts on the Russian situation. One post on Monday, referring to Richardson on CBS’ Face the Nation, was headlined “Bill Richardson, Making Obama Look Good on Georgia By Comparison.”

A few hours later, the same blog, in a post titled, “Bill Richardson Self-Destructs on CNN,” lambastes Richardson for saying “a President Obama will have a good, strong dialogue-oriented relationship with Russia, where these kinds of situations would not occur.” The first line of the blog post is “Team Obama has GOT to get Bill Richardson away from cameras.”

Pasadena bound: If you’re thinking that Richardson is holed up on the Fourth Floor frantically preparing for Friday’s special session, you are wrong.

Though he plans to be back later today, Richardson is appearing this morning in Pasadena, Calif., at a “breakfast fundraiser to benefit the Obama Victory Fund.” VIP tickets are $1,000, and requested contributions are $250 per person.

As is all too frequently the case, we didn’t learn about the governor’s out-of-state trip from his office, but from an out-of-state newspaper Web site, this time the Pasadena Star News, which published the story Wednesday.

Several hours later, the governor’s office e-mailed a news release saying Richardson was in California on Wednesday and today to attend the Border Governors Conference at Universal City. While in California, he also planned to meet with members of the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles to talk about our state’s film industry, the official release said. But there was no mention of the Obama breakfast.

Meanwhile on the Senate front ... Democrat Tom Udall has been running lots of television ads the past couple of months. But not until this week have any of his spots mentioned the name of his opponent, Republican Steve Pearce.

The new ad, which opens with a photo of Pearce shaking hands with President Bush, never mentions Pearce without mentioning Bush. “George Bush and Steve Pearce. How much are they costing you? ... Steve Pearce voted 91 percent of the time with George Bush.”

Something tells me you’re going to hear more ads linking “George Bush and Steve Pearce.” And you’re probably going to hear more Pearce ads that mention Udall and “left-wing environmental extremists.”

Meanwhile, outgoing Republican U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici is scheduled today to formally endorsed Pearce — who surely hopes the Domenici endorsement does him more good than it did U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, who lost to Pearce in the GOP primary.

“It is SO not a debate!” That’s what nondebate moderator Lorene Mills said about a candidate forum scheduled for Friday morning in Clovis at the New Mexico Municipal League’s annual conference. Apparently some Senate and Congressional candidates were threatening to skip the event if it was going to be an actual debate.

Not only will the candidates not interact with one another, they won’t have to be surprised by the questions asked. The candidates got those in advance.

The forum airs live at 8:30 a.m. on KENW-TV in Eastern New Mexico and KRWG-TV in Las Cruces. But Santa Fe folks will have to watch online. Mills said KNME-TV (Channel 5, Albuquerque) told her they would stream it on their Web page.

UPDATE: I posted a Youtube of Pearce's last commercial, so I'll post Udall's below:

OOOOPS!

Don't believe false Internet reports that I'm subbing for Susan Ohori on "Beyond Borders" tonight.

Actually I did go out to KSFR tonight, only to see Susan who gently reminded me that I'm subbing for her NEXT MONDAY!

And no, I won't be featuring the greatest hits of the one-man Klezmer band Rahmbunctious Eman.

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, August 10, 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
The Snake by Johnny Rivers
He Did It by The Detroit Cobras
Judgement Day by The Pretty Things
Harem Orgy by Mohammed & His Robed Rockers
Ju Ju Hand by Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs
Stayed Too Long by The Chesterfield Kings
Treat Me Like a Fool by The Hollywood Sinners
Seven Mystic Horsemen by Sky Saxon
Shake Your Hips by Slim Harpo
Joe Bonner by The Gluey Brothers

Square Pegs by The Waitresses
My Boyfriend's Learning Karate by Thee Headcoatees
Dangerdog by The Wipeouters
If You Leave Me by Andre Williams & The New Orleans Hellhounds
Smokestack Lightning by The Electric Prunes
Bad Trip by Lee Fields
Dancing Queen by The Yayhoos

AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAZE
Lucifer in Coelis by Slava Kunst Orchestra
Clown of the Town by Reverend Beat-Man
Angelita by Mod East
La Yegua by Cordero
Chian by Voodoo Kung Fu
Biskotin by Istabul Blues Kumpanyasi
Letters to Castro by Gogol Bordello
Bhangra Brothers by Firewater
(I'll be substituting for Susan Ohori's Beyond Borders 9 p.m. to midnight Monday night on KSFR.)

San Francisco Fan by Chris Calloway
Ain't No Sunshine/Lonely Avenue by Isaac Hayes
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Thanks to Laurell for subbing for me last night on The Santa Fe Opry, so I could go sse my son's band ansd The Gluey Brothers with my daughter. Here's her playlist.

Friday, August 8, 2008
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Guest Host: Laurell Reynolds
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by The Byrds
Wynn Stewart-Another Day Another Dollar
Neil Young-Piece Of Crap
Buffy Sainte-Marie-Not the Lovin Kind
Neko Case-Hold On Hold On
Shel Silverstein-The Taker
Sir Douglas Quintet-Nuevo Laredo

RG Stark Live at KSFR
Coyote
Mineral Wells
Not Crazy Tonight
Narcocorrido Nuevo Laredo (from CD)
Strong Wine Strong Women (Blue Diamond Shine)

David Crosby-Cowboy Movie
Gary Stewart-Single Again
Holy Modal Rounders-Junko Partner
Michael Hurley-Your Old Gearbox
James Taylor-Handy Man
Bob Dylan-If Not For You/All I Really Want To Do
Hank Williams-Honky Tonk Man
Don Williams-Tulsa Time
Willie Nelson-Midnight Rider
John Anderson-Seminole Wind
Emmylou Harris-Queen of the Silver Dollar/Beyond The Great Divide
Junior Brown-Guitar Man
Dolly Parton-Jolene
Bill Monroe-Body and Soul
Townes Van Zandt-Nothin'
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

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

GLUEY MANIA

Regis was right!

It was "a lotta fun."

The Brothers Gluey with all the Santa Fe contingent of thier Established Gentlemen band played a nice long show pacekd with madness, mayhem and raw funk at the Santa Fe Brewing Company Friday night.

I hadn't seen them in a decade or so, but just a couple of minutes into "Gluey Brothers Creep" I recalled jsut about everything I ever loved about these guys.

And it only got better from there. They played all my favorite tunes --"Penny and the Young Buck," "Pinon Lurker," "Walk Belly Cologne" -- and they even dedicated a song to me, "Coffee Shop Tribute," thanks to what I said about the "Reuben Kincaid" line in Friday's Tune-up.

Let's pressure the brothers to not stay away for so long.

Check out my Gluey snapshots HERE.
****

It was a great night of rock 'n' roll in Santa Fe. Before The Glueys, I saw my son's band Outta Gear play at Warehouse 21.