THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, July 24, 2009
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
John Peel by Paul Burch
You Used to Live It Up by Tom Armstrong
Hot Rod King by Kris Hollis Key
Goin' Down the Road by Pine Valley Cosmonauts
Shooting Over the Head by Ray Mason
Living on the Road Again by Artie Hill & The Long Gone Daddies
I'm Just a Honky by The Ex Husbands
Juke Joint Jumping by Wayne Hancock & Hank Williams III
Can't Help It Blues by Hasil Adkins

Still Drunk, Still Crazy, Still Blue by Scott H. Biram
The Ones You Say You Love by Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys
Shake a Leg by Kim Lenz & Her Jaguars
If the Back Door Could Talk by Randy Kohrs
Downey Girl byt Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women
Beer's on the Way by Mike Neal
Window Up Above by The Blasters
Don't You See That Train by The Delmore Brothers

Wishful Thinking by Aimee Hoyt
Pretty Girl by Miss Leslie
The Willow Tree by Exene Cervenka
Quiet Desperation by John Doe
The End of Ol' Johnny by The Electric Rag Band
In New Orleans by C.W. Stone King
George Jones Talkin' Cell Phone Blues by The Drive-By Truckers
You Stole My Motorcycle by Mama Rosin

The Guitar by Guy Clark
Gasoline and Matches by Buddy & Julie Miller
Marie by Steve Earle
Weakness in a Man by Waylon Jennings
Many Happy Hangovers to You by Leona Williams
I'll Sign My Heart Away by Merle Haggard
When I Was a Cowboy by Odetta
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

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

TERRELL'S TUNEUP:BIRAM, STRAITJACKETS & COOL CAJUN SOUNDS

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
July 24, 2009

The “Dirty Old One Man Band” is back.

On his latest album, Something’s Wrong/Lost Forever, Scott H. Biram of Austin, Texas, shouldn’t disappoint his fans who expect crazed, boozy blues romps.

The album starts out with a desperate voice mail to a friend from the singer, who claims he’s being held as a prisoner at some hospital. The first actual song, “Hospital Escape,” starts out with strains of a slow church organ before Biram comes in with his trademark distorted vocals on a simmering blues with the paradoxical refrain, “Time flies when you’re going down slow.”

Overall, Biram continues to live up to the promise of the title of perhaps his greatest early tune, “Blood, Sweat, and Murder.”

On the new album, Biram goes nuts with the over-amped five-minute blues cruncher “Hard Times” (aided by John Wesley Meyers with terse organ accompaniment). On the hard-driving “The Wishing Well,” you can’t tell what he’s singing, but when you hear the police sirens come in toward the last of the song, you know some kind of trouble is afoot. And “Feel So Good,” a Big Bill Broonzy song sounds like Hound Dog Taylor on a gas-huffing high.

But there are several songs here that could almost be described as (gulp) “pretty.” That’s certainly the case with “Still Drunk, Still Crazy, Still Blue,” a sweet honky-tonker that George Jones could absolutely kill. “Draggin’ Down the Line,” featuring Biram on acoustic guitar, is a “life on the road” tune that finds the singer in a reflective mood. And though “Wildside” features a delightfully obnoxious grungy electric guitar, it can’t hide a very soulful melody.

Biram gets philosophical in the harmonica gospel tune called “Ain’t It a Shame.” Written by 1940s gospel star Elder Roma Wilson, it’s a simple call for peace, racial harmony, and getting right with God. Biram sounds sweet and sincere.

But Biram sounds more natural in the following song, “Judgment Day.” It’s a blues apocalypse with lyrical references to Jesus, Buddha, Hitler, Frankenstein, the Ku Klux Klan, and the boogie man.

This is American music at its crazy finest.

Also recommended:

* The Further Adventures of Los Straitjackets. Following their excellent Rock En Espanol, Vol. 1 — which featured the masked men from Nashville backing Cesar Rosas of Los Lobos, Little Willie G. of Thee Midnighters, and Big Sandy of the Fly-Right Boys on Chicano rock classics — Los Straitjackets return to their bread and butter with an impressive set of guitar instrumentals. Lead guitarist Eddie Angel and the boys carry on the tradition of Link Wray, Dick Dale, and The Ventures.

My favorite on this collection is “Teen Beast,” in which the jungle drums of Jason Smay nearly overshadow the guitars. Also steaming with bitchenicity is “Tubby,” featuring sax by “Kaiser” George Miller and some downright hairy fuzz guitar. And they get nice and garage-y in “Blow Out,” with guest fuzz-bassist Jake Guralnick.

“Catalina,” in which Angel shows his mastery of the whammy bar, might be the prettiest song Los Straitjackets have recorded since they covered “My Heart Will Go On” (yes, Céline Dion’s love theme from Titantic) a decade ago. Another suave slow dance is “Mercury,” which might remind you of ancient surfy theme songs from The Endless Summer or A Summer Place.

Cajuntopia: Old Cajuns, young Cajuns, real Cajuns, fake Cajuns. In recent months three new albums of good stompin’, screechy fiddled, accordion zingin’ Cajun music have crossed my path. Here’s a glance at those:

* Alligator Purse by BeauSoleil. Michael Doucet and band have been recording for nearly 35 years, but they still manage to sound fresh. That’s no surprise to anyone who has seen BeauSoleil’s live shows.

There’s not a weak spot on this album. BeauSoleil performs some classic bayou tunes such as “Bosco Stomp” (which Doug Kershaw fans will recognize as the melody of “Cajun Stripper”).

The group does a Cajun version of R & B on “Marie” and “I Spent All My Money Loving You” (feat the instantly recognizable Garth Hudson of The Band on organ). And even though Natalie Merchant usually sounds like an art-school waif, when she sings with Doucet on “Little Darlin’ ” she sounds outright hillbilly. (And that’s John Sebastian of The Lovin’ Spoonful on harmonica on that track.

* Homage Au Passé by The Pine Leaf Boys. Here’s evidence that Doucet and other middle-aged purveyors of Cajun music have been successful in their mission to keep the flame of this sound alive.

The Pine Leaf Boys are a youthful quintet from rural southwest Louisiana led by Wilson Savoy and Cedric Watson. They play good old Cajun dance music, sung in Cajun French. While traditional, the Pine Leafers know how to rock.

Their best songs are the up-tempo romps like “Country Playboy Special” and the zydeco-sounding — actually it almost sounds like Cajun rockabilly — “J’suis Gone Pour Me Saouler,” although the waltzes like “Newport Waltz” and the acoustic “T’es Pas la Même” sound mighty nice too.

* Brule Lentement by Mama Rosin. The cover of this CD will catch the eye of Velvet Underground fans. It looks like a red version of Warhol’s banana, which graced the cover of the Velvet’s first album. But on second glance, it’s a cayenne pepper.

This is Swiss punk Cajun from the irascible Voodoo Rhythm Records. But the punk element shouldn’t imply that the members of Mama Rosin are disrespectful to Cajun and zydeco traditions. The love they have for this music is obvious at every turn. They just play it a little faster most of the time.

Actually, I think BeauSoleil would sound pretty good playing “You Stole My Motorcycle” and it’s not even a stretch to imagine The Pine Leaf Boys doing “When the Police Came.”

BLOG BONUS:

Here's a video of Elder Roma Wilson singing "Ain't It a Shame" and other gospel clips.

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, July 19, 2009
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell
Webcasting!
101.1 FM
email me during the show! terrell@ksfr.org

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
I Feel So Good by Scott H. Biram
Monkey Man by Jim Dickinson
Agent Secreto by The Plugz
Daisies Up Your Butterfly by The Cramps
You Can't Sit Down by Wolfman Jack & The Wolfpack
Ride Danny Ride by Nekromantix
Going Away Baby by Paul "Wine" Jones
Tiger Man by Rufus Thomas
Wolfman Romp by The Juke Joint Pimps
They Ring the Bells for Me by Rev. Beat-Man & The Unbelievers

Excorcism of Despair by The New York York Dolls
Get Lost by Quan & The Chinese Takeouts
Psychedelic Swamp by The Fleshtones
Black Grease by The Black Angels
Mexican Caravan by The Butthole Surfers
Smashing by Shrunken Heads
It's Lame by Figures of Light
Weird by Bob Vidone & The Rhythmrockers
Twisted by Annie Ross

Burn it Down by The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker
Girl Gunslinger by Barrence Whitfield & The Savages
Land of the Freak by King Khan & The Shrines
Let's Get a Groove On by Lee Fields
Please Part 2 by Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
Come Together by Dr. Lonnie Smith
Damn it's Hot, Part 2 by Sharon Jones
My Wig Fell Off by Root Boy Slim & The Sex Change Band

Armstrong, Aldrin & Collins by The Byrds
Flying Saucer Rock 'n' Roll by Robert Gordon with Link Wray
I Dig Them Little Green Men by The Uglies & JD with 1/5
Wayfaring Stranger/Fly Me To the Moon by Giant Sand
Over It by Dinsosaur Jr.
Stay Where You Are by Sleater-Kinney
Instant Karma by John Lennon
Speedo is Back by The Cadillacs
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, July 17, 2009
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 Saw it On TV by John Fogerty (for Walter Cronkite)
1968 by Alejandro Escovedo
Blue Moon of Kentucky by Wanda Jackson
Ain't it a Shame by Scott H. Birham
My Baby Cried All Night Long by John Schooley
Buddy I Ain't Buyin' by Big Sandy & The Flyright Boys
Boss of the Blues by Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women

George Jones Talkin' Cell Phone Blues by The Drive-By Truckers
Keeping Up With The Joneses by The Austin Lounge Lizards
Choices by George Jones
Screwtopia by Patterson Hood
Kiss Me Big by Marti Brom
Knot Hole by Robbie Fulks
Big City Goodtime Gal by Wayne Hancock
Corrine Corina by Merle Haggard
Be Careful (If You Can't Be Good) by Ray Condo & His Richochets

Drugstore Truckdrivin' Man by Jason & The Scorchers
Little Ramona (Gone Hillbilly Nuts) by BR5-49
Party Mad by Rev. Horton Heat
Is Anybody Going to San Antone by Charlie Pride
Bongo Ride by Jon Rauhouse
High Priced Chick by Yuichi & The Hilltone Boys
Sal's Got a Sugar Lip by Johnny Horton
Flamin' Maimie by Hank Penny
Half Ton Mama by Joe, Ron & George
Three Times Seven by Doc & Merle Watson

Don't Let the Devil Ride by Clarence Fountain & Sam Butler
Trouble in My Way by Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens
No Strange Fruit by Wildsang
Bring Back Storyville by Guy Davis
Rock Island Line by Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band
The Rue of Ruby Whores by Michael Hurley
Pie in the Sky by Utah Phillips & Ani DiFranco
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

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

TERRELL'S TUNEUP: YOU READ IT HERE FIRST

This week's column was a quick and easy "What I Did on My Summer Vacation" effort. It was quick and easy, because I wrote most of it on this very blog.

So rather than reprinting it here, I'll just link to the posts I drew upon.

* The Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks show at The Santa Fe Brewing Co.

* Hootenanny 2009 in Irvine, Calif.

and just a dab from ...

* Rev. Beat Man & His Blues Trash Trio at Corazon. (Rob DeWalt wrote a full review for Pasatiempo, but, sadly, I don't think it's online.)

If you really want to see the column itself, try The New Mexican Web Site version.

REV. BEAT-MAN BRINGS ROCK 'n' ROLL SALVATION TO SF

What a way to end my summer vacation!

Rev. Beat-Man & his Blues Trash Trio brought their sleazy salvation show all the way from Bern, Switzerland to Santa Fe's Corazon last night and delivered rage and glory, mutilated gospel and Voodoo Rhythm to New Mexico. It was a hell of a show.

Beat-Man and band (Robert "Brother Panti-Christ" Butler on lap steel and percussion, Delaney Davidson on guitar and harmonica and Jeff Ross on Drums) worked the crowd into a good frenzy.

They performed most of my favorite songs from the Surreal Folk Blues Gospel Trash albums -- "Jesus Christ Twist," "The Clown of the Town," "I've Got the Devil Inside," "Jesus," (which Beat-Man described as "a love song to a man") culminating with the Rev's signature sermon, "The Beat-Man Way," a crazy mish-mash of the sacred and profane which in the end is Beat-Man's answer to Sammy Davis Jr.'s "I've Got to Be Me."

For the last few years I've felt like a lone nut ranting and raving about Beat-Man and his Voodoo Rhythm Records stable mates. You know Santa Fe. It's easier to get people to believe in chemtrails than to get them excited about some obscure source of crazy rock 'n' roll.

So last night it was a real pleasure to rock out with so many other folks -- it was a nice sized crowd especially for fickle Santa Fe on a Monday night -- hip to the Beat-Man Way.

Beat-Man and the boys were happy about the show. Hopefully they'll be back and they'll leave a hobo mark on the gate to let other Voodoo Rhythm bands -- Hipbone Slim & The Knee Tremblers, Stinky Lou & The Goon Mat, The Watzloves, King Automatic, Thee Butchers Orchestra -- know that Santa Fe is hospitable.

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, July 12, 2009
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
You're Telling Me Lies by Question Mark & The Mysterians
I Want What You Got by The Plimsouls
Bloodletting by Concrete Blonde
Surfin' Crow by The Jades
Who You Driving Now by Mudhoney
Burn the Flames by Roky Erikson
Boneyard (Dick Tracy) by The Blasters
My Shark by King Automatic
Get Out of the Car by Richard Berry

Jack Rabbit by The Strawmen
Bearded and Bored by Quan & The Chinese Takeouts
Conjuration by The Tex-Rays
Yumma 2 by The Fuzzy Set
Hate You Baby by Marshmellow Overcoat
Punk Slime by Black Lips
Ham and Oil by The Hentchmen
Crime in the Streets by Shrunken Heads
Wolfman Boogie (Part 1) by Wolfman Jack


Beat-Man Set
Clown of the Town by Rev. Beat-Man
Radio Interview/Moonlight by Jerry J. Nixon
Down the Road by The Monsters
Blue Moon of Kentucky by Rev. Beat-Man
Apartment Wrestling Rock 'n' Roll by Lightning Beat-Man
San Francisco by Die Zorros
Bad Treatment by Rev. Beat-Man & The Church of Herpes
The Beat-Man Way by Rev. Beat-Man

(Rev. Beat-Man & His Blues Trash Trio are at Corazon 9 pm Monday. Tickets a mere $5)

Rollin' Machine by The Seeds
I Started a Joke by The Dirtbombs
Motorpsycho by Nekromantix
Mama Talk to Your Daughter by Johnny Winter
Teen Beast by Los Straightjackets
Callin' in Twisted by Rev. Horton Heat
Mechanical Flattery by Lydia Lunch
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis