TERRELL's TUNEUP: A Tale of Two Kings

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican 
May 24, 2013

Most fans of Joe “King” Carrasco first got to know his music through his band The Crowns. Dubbing their sound Nuevo Wavo, Joe “King” Carrasco & The Crowns got a lot of attention in the early ’80s — Saturday Night Live, MTV, etc.

But before there were The Crowns, there was El Molino, a band Carrasco founded in the mid-1970s. El Molino, at least most of the time, didn’t have that frantic hopped-up beat that characterized The Crowns.

Made up primarily of old Doug Sahm sidemen, including San Antonio sax star Rocky Morales, the band was more down-to-earth than The Crowns, with a sound you might hear in some barrio bar in San Antonio, bringing a Tex-Mex feel to R & B, soul, blues, greasy ’50s ballads, and ’60s garage rock.

And now, after 35 years or so, Carrasco, with a reconstituted El Molino, is back with a new album, Tlaquepaque.

Following last year’s reunion of the original Crowns — they recorded a fun album called Que Wow and went on tour, with a great free show at the Plaza bandstand last year — Carrasco went back to the studio with original Molino members Speedy Sparks (bass) and Ernie “Murph” Durawa (drums). According to Carrasco’s website, the idea was just to record a couple of songs, including one for a benefit Christmas album for the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (a novelty tune called “Tamale Christmas”).

However, the collaboration of the old compadres led to a bigger project. Many of the original members of El Molino have gone up to that great cantina in the sky, and a bunch of fine Texas musicians dropped into the studio to help out.

These included guitarists John X Reed and Jesse Dayton (a honky-tonk hero in his own right), sax man Joe Morales (no relation to Rocky, who died in 2006), and Texas keyboard deity Augie Meyers, whose distinct electric-organ sound helped create the sound of the Sir Douglas Quintet and the Texas Tornados. Meyers reportedly did a brief stint with the original El Molino.

For fans of the Crowns’ manic sound, hearing this somewhat more laid-back Carrasco shouldn’t be much of an adjustment. The opening track, the title song, sounds like The Crowns with a sweet saxophone added. There’s even a new all Mexed-up version of Carrasco’s signature song “Buena” here.

Carrasco in Santa Fe last year

Showcasing this band’s diverse influences are “I Saw My Baby,” which answers the question “What would `Who’s Been Talkin’” have sounded like had Howlin’ Wolf been born in San Antonio?”; “Make Believe Kisses,” which has a country-western feel; “Ayudame Lupe,” with its pronounced debt to Chuck Berry; “Tell Me,” which features echoes of New Orleans; and the smoldering cumbia “Mas Mas,” which should make Los Lobos jealous.

Right now I have two favorites on this album. There’s the ’50s-soaked slow dance “Anna.” No, it’s not the Arthur Alexander classic of the same title, but the two songs would sound great side by side. The absolute best song on Tlaquepaque is the ranchero-flavored “Donna, Do Ya Wanna.” There is a guitar riff very similar to that on Eddie Dimas’ “El Mosquito,” and the refrain, “Donna, Donna, Donna, Donna, do ya wanna?” reminds me of Frank Zappa’s conversation with Flora and Fauna in “Dinah-Moe Humm.”

I don’t think Carrasco, who has lived in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for a decade or two, will be touring anytime soon with the reconstituted El Molino. So it’s good to have this document of this worthwhile band.

Also recommended:

* Cookin’ Up a Party by King Salami & the Cumberland Three. Here’s another “king” who specializes in good-time rock ’n’ roll with heavy old-school R & B overtones. King Salami — who reportedly once went by the name “Prince Chipolata” — and his Cumberlands continue as one of the best party bands to come out of the British Isles in who knows how long.

This is the group’s second full-length album, following 2010’s Fourteen Blazin’ Bangers! They cook up 14 more blazin’ bangers on this year’s outing. And every dang one of them is a moneymaker-shaker.

“Monkey Beat” features crazy bongos; “Yosemite Sam” is a spirited tribute to the original Red Headed Stranger; “It’s All Your Fault” sounds like a lost Jimmy Reed song; “She’s a Kukamunga” is a wild take on an old Louie Prima tune; and “Howlin’ for My Woman” could wear you out just listening to it.

Salami continues his fascination with politically incorrect (but fun) faux American-Indian surfy instrumentals in the tradition of The Shadows’ “Apache.” He’s previously done “Uprising” and “Pawnee Stomp,” full of pseudo Native chants and war whoops. On this album it’s “Big Chief,” an original instrumental.

Now here’s a mystery to ponder. The band’s always been called the Cumberland Three, but the album cover clearly shows four guys beside King Salami. Who’s going under a flaming limbo bar? As the late Jonathan Winters might have said, “Where’s the other two?”

BLOG BONUS: Enjoy some videos. Here's a recent one by Joe "King" Carrasco y El Molino



Here's one from the original '70s El Molino




And here's a 40-minute set by King Salami

COWGIRL HOSTS TORNADO BENEFIT

The Cowgirl BBQ -- which I still call the Cowgirl Hall of Fame -- was planning to have its 20th Anniversary Party on June 1.

However, with the recent tornado tragedy in Moore, Okla., the restaurant decided to turn the event into an all-day benefit for the tornado victims. The Cowgirl owners will donate 10% of the day’s receipts to the American Red Cross for their relief efforts in the Sooner State.

Bands and musicians to perform include  Jono Manson, The Broomdust Caravan, Felix y los Gatos, The Joe West Revue,  Bone Orchard, The Sean Healen Band, Jim Almand and The Bus Tapes.

The show starts at noon and ends at midnight. The afternoon/early evening festivities will be in the back parking lot, while the evening concert will be on the Cowgirl's patio. There's no cover charge.

Remembering Lewie Wickham

This weekend at the New Mexico Music Awards, they paid tribute to the late singer/picker Lewie Wickham -- who died last month --  by playing a biographical video written and directed by Thom Eberhardt and produced by Christine Vasquez.

I didn't know him personally, but back in the early '70s I used to go see Lewie with his brother Hank all the time in Albuquerque. I still remember their songs like "Family Picnic," "Them Old Chile Fields Back Home" and "Little Bit Late." Lewie in many ways reminded me of my hero Roger Miller.

I couldn't figure out how to embed the video they played at the awards show, but here's a page where you can watch it.

And below is a fairly recent video of Lewie singing about Gunsmoke's Miss Kitty.


And for old time's sake ...

Chumps in Squalor

A guy named Brian Lindgren from the South Carolina band Chump sent me this video. It's a live version of their song "Living in Squalor."

I like it.




However, this ain't the first chump to sing about living in squalor:

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, May 19, 2013 
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(at)ksfr.org

 OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Spitting'Fire by Sons of Hercules

You're the One by The Ugly Beats

Diggin" Bones by The Go Wows
Goin' Ape by The Texrays

Job by Iggy & The Stooges

Our Little Rendezous by The Downliner Sect

Neither Fish nor Fowl  by Thee Headcoats

No Respects Rev by The Fall

El Circo by Los Tigres del Norte

I'll Be Back by Question Mark & The Mysterians

69 Faces of Love by King Khan & The Shrines

I'm Gonna Put You Down by Sonny Boy Williamson & The Animals

Red Head Walking by Beat Happening 

I Come from the Mountain by Thee Oh Sees

Wild Thing by Figures of Light

Vietnam Nam War Blues by The Oblivions

My Baby is a Pole Dancer by The Barbarellatones

Black Thoughts by Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

Andres by L7

The Smithsonian Institute Blues by Captain Beefheart 

It's Been a Long Time, Mama by The Blues Against Youth

Wide Open Blues by Big John Bates

In This Rubber Tomb by Mudhoney

Cat Party by Shannon & The Clams

Yeah by The Alarm Clocks

Bloody Mary by Barrence Whitfield & The Savages

Cut the Mullet by Wesley Willis

Howl by JC Brooks  & The Uptown Sound

Tell Me by Joe "King" Carrasco y Los Molina

Betti Moretti by King Salami & The Cumberland Three

Going' Down by The Monkees

How Soon Now by Harry Perry

We"re a Happy Family by The Ramones

CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

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THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

IFriday, May 17, 2013 
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
 OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos

Back from the Shadows Again by The Firesign Theatre
Too Many Bills by Figures of Light
I Like Drinkin' by The Beaumonts

Creek Cats by Legendary Shack Shakers

Country Hixs by Leon Bass

Darling Nellie Across the Sea by Hylo Brown & The Timberliners

Chew Tobacco Rag by Jim Pipkins

Crazy Boogie by Merle Travis

Rubber Room by The Frontier Circus

Mama Hated Deisels by Commander Cody & The Lost Planet Airmen

Fred the Rabbit by Rick Brousard & Two Hoots and a Holler

Let's Face the Music and Dance by Willie Nelson
Roly Poly by Rod Moag

Wine Wine Wine by Stompin' Riff Raffs

There to Stay  (Small Town Girl) by Electric Rag Band

Crazy Cause I Love You by Spade Cooley

Invisible Stripes by Eddie Noack

My Neighbor Burns Trash by Southern Culture on the Skids 

Something to Brag About by Jesse Dayton & Brennen Leigh

Tall Tall Trees by Roger Miller 

Beatin' on the Bars by Travelin' Texans

Fair Weather Blues by Wayne Hancock

You're Still on My Mind by The Flying Burrito Brothers

Artificial Flowers by Cornell Hurd

It's  All Over by Joe West

Soldier Boy Johnny by The Imperial Rooster

Only a Fool by Mose McCormack

Long Lonely Road by Honky Tonk Hustlas

Rosa Del Rio by Erik Ness & The Desparados

(Stay Away from) The Cocaine Train by Johnny Paycheck 

Always Lift Him Up by Ryan Cooder

Woodpecker by The Handsome Family

After The Ball by Dave Davies

Amanda/A Couple More Years by Waylon Jennings

CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

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The Best Music I Saw in Austin Last Week

I was in Austin, Texas last week. When I arrived in town the only show I knew for certain I'd been going to was Purple Stickpin -- a band led by the  infamous T. Tex Edwards and which includes my pal from Santa Fe, Tom Trusnovic. The show was in San Antonio, some 80 miles south of Austin, but I'd been wanting to see this band for some time.

However, due to circumstances beyond their control, Purple Stickpin got bumped. Tom called me when I was about halfway there. Oh well ... I heard a couple of other bands in Austin that night, but nothing really notable.

The Sons of Hercules

However, I got my fix of crazy Texas garage/punk sounds the next night with a dangerous bill at the Continental Club.

Headlining was The Sons of Hercules, a San Antonio band led by singer Frank Pugliese, who, like T. Tex, has been a Lone Star punk-rock fixture since the 1970s.

In fact, one of Pugliese's claims to fame is that he was in a band called The Vamps that opened for The Sex Pistols in San Antonio during their doom-ladened 1978 American tour.

But that's ancient history. Like his hero (and major influence) Iggy Pop, Pugliese, now in his 60s, has more wild energy than rockers half his age and has incredible charisma for a guy with a mug that reminds me of Shemp Howard.

Some of that comes through in this video, shot at the Continental Club about a year ago.



Also playing at the Continental that night was The Ugly Beats, whose guitar and electric organ-driven sound is nothing short of infectuous.

Guitarist Joe Emery provides the lead vocals, while Jeanine Attaway's '60s-garage-style organ gives the sound a zing.

Though the Nuggets-era garage sound is their backbone, The Ugly Beats also veer off into Byrdsy folk-rock now and them. They did a a surprisingly good cover of "If I Were a Carpenter" at the Continental.

That night, May 11, was The Ugly Beats' 10th anniversary as a band. Indeed there was a celebratory atmosphere that night.

Here's a video, also from a Continental Club gig, from three years ago.






I thought that the opening band, The Go Wows, sounded familiar when I heard their first few songs.

 Then I realized, I'd heard this group before -- at least the singer --  but in a previous band, The Texreys, who I'd met through The Garage-Punk Hideout. They sent me their CD Cave Girl,  which I've played on Sound World as well as The Big Enchilada podcast.

The Go Wows feature former Texreys Brendan 'Wig' Kibble, the Australian-born front man, and lead guitarist Eddie Best.

Check out the video below.

And of course no trip to Austin is complete without a night at the Broken Spoke, the classic honky tonk on South Lamar.

Last Thursday I caught a couple of sets by Jesse Dayton. He did several tunes by the late George Jones, an obvious influence on Dayton, including "He Stopped Loving Her Today" and more obscure numbers like "Ya Ba Da Ba Do (So Are You)."

I was hoping that that Dayton would do some Captain Clegg & The Night Creatures songs, which sprang from a strange collaboration with Rob Zombie.

But near the end of the night, he did do "I'm Home Getting Hammered While She's Out Getting Nailed" from another Zombie project, Banjo & Sullivan: The Ultimate Collection. Here's a video of that song.