The Big Enchilada is back with The Monkey-Wrestling Polka!
This episode is divided into four segments. There's a set of songs from bands I've discovered through The GaragePunk Hideout. There's a barrel of monkey songs, inspired by a recent You've Got Good Taste podcast. There's a bone-crunching, loser-leave-town cage match of wrestling tunes and finally, a crazy polka party. Truly this is a milestone in Freeform Weirdo Podcasting!
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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
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.
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
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