Wednesday, December 09, 2015
WACKY WEDNESDAY: This One's For the Birds!
Here's a high-flying tune by Jay Wilbur & His Metropole Players from 1932
The great Mel Blanc had a big hit with his tribute to this feathered celebrity in 1948
The Holy Modal Rounders did this bird ode in Easy Rider
The Trashmen had a big one-hit wonder with "Surfin' Bird." That that actually was a medley of sorts of two R&B songs by The Rivingtons, "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and this one, "The Bird's the Word"
Warning: DO NOT WATCH THIS WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF HALLUCINOGENIC DRUGS! (You might see gooney birds! But I love this lady's voice.)
If, for some strange reason you like these tunes, you might like my Duck Songs post from earlier this year.
Tuesday, December 08, 2015
John Lennon: 35 Years Gone
Hard to believe it's been that long since John Lennon was gunned down in New York City. This grim anniversary always brings back a flood of memories. I might have shared some (all?) of these thoughts before on this blog. But please indulge an old man.
Like most of us who were alive at the time, I found out about the killing on TV. I was in bed with my then wife, who was nearly eight months pregnant with our daughter. I'm not one of those to do much hand-wringing over "how can I bring a child into a world like this?" But that night was one of the few times I ever indulged in such despair.
The next day, I had a gig to sing some songs on KUNM's Home of Happy Feet. while driving down to Albuquerque we were listening to the radio. There was a news report talking about Lennon's autopsy. We switched the channel. On that station they were playing The Beatles' "A Day in the Life." We tuned in right as Lennon was singing, "And though the holes were rather small, they had to count them all ..."
That's a true story.
On Happy Feet, even though it wasn't part of my normal repertoire, I spat out one of the angriest versions of "Working Class Hero" imaginable. Years later my pal Erik Ness gave me a cassette tape of that radio performance. It brought back all that horror.
Thrirty five years ... My ex-wife Pam has passed. Erik has passed. Marilyn from Home of Happy Feet has passed. So these songs below are for them. Let's remember Lennon as the rocker who started his career entertaining drunken sailors in Hamburg, performing with a toilet seat around his neck. Let's remember his rage and humor. Let's remember Lennon!
Sunday, December 06, 2015
TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST
Sunday, December 6, 2015
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
Here's the playlist
OPENING THEME: Let It Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Down and Out by The Vagoos
Love by Country Joe & The Fish
All Action Man by The Coyote Men
Trouble Hurricane by The Grannies
Love is What We Were Made For by Alex Maryol
Possessed by Robert Johnson by Dead Cat Stimpy
Ice Queen by JJ & The Real Jerks
Hot Head by Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band
Speak Now Woman by Howlin' Wolf
Do Me a Favor by The Arctic Monkeys
Gun by The Stooges
Games by Husker Du
Covered with Flies by The Grifters
Sausage and Sauerkraut for Santa by The Polkaholics
Fruit Fly by Hickoids
Again and Again by The Black Lips
How Could I Be Such a Fool by Ruben & The Jets
Heart Attack and Vine by Lydia Lunch
Bad as Me by Tom Jones
Don't Be Taken In by Miriam
Lover's Curse by Bracey Everett
My Generation by Patti Smith
Walking Down Lonely Street by Ty Wagner
Bury Our Friends by Sleater-Kinney
Big Fanny by Big John Hamilton
Rock Me by Steppenwolf
Christmas Island by Leon Redbone
Katy Didn't by Barrence Whitfoield & The Savages
Web by Thee Oh Sees
Can't Seem to Make You Mine by The Seeds
The Kindness of Strangers by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Act of Faith by Stan Ridgway
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
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Friday, December 04, 2015
THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST
Friday, December 4, 2015
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
Here's my playlist :
OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens
If We Make It Through December by Merle Haggard
Free Born Man by Jimmy Martin
I Play with Girls My Own Age by Cornell Hurd
My Baby is a Tramp by Brennen Leigh
All Men Are Liars by Nick Lowe
You Wanna Give Me a Lift by Eilen Jewell
Feudin' and Fightin' by Marti Brom
Jack's Red Cheetah by Cathy Faber's Swingin' Country Band
Payday Blues by Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks
Too Drunk to Fuck by Elizabeth Cook
Elvis Presley Blues by Tom Jones
Lonesome Grave by Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs
Mr. Musselwhite's Blues by Ray Wylie Hubbard
Darlin' Corey by Oh Lazarus
It Wasn't You by Slackeye Slim
Dead Bury the Dead by Legendary Shack Shakers
Wild Cat Boogie by Forest Rye
No Disappointment in Heaven by Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys
Come Back When You're Younger by Jerry Reed
Two Rons Don't Make It Right by Junior Brown
I Found Somebody to Love by The Malpass Brothers
Country Funk by Southern Culture on the Skids
Perfect Sea by Mose McCormack
If I Should Fall From the Face of God by Deertick
Whole Lotta Women by Steve James
As Long As I Can See the Light by Ted Hawkins
If I Go Crazy by Peter Case
Troubador Blues Stevie Tombstone
Papa by Cynthia Becker
I Don't Hurt Anymore by Hank Snow
Keep Smiling Old Pal by Norman Blake
One for the Road by Chip Taylor with Jon Langford and Carrie Rodriguez
December Day by Willie Nelson
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets
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Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list
Thursday, December 03, 2015
THROWBACK THURSDAY: It's Almost Sammy's Birthday!
Only five more shopping days until Sammy Davis, Jr.'s birthday!
Yes Sammy was born December 8, 1925 in Harlem. He would have been 90 had he lived.
You don't know who Sammy was? Sammy did it all, baby. He sang, he danced, he told jokes, he acted in movies, he marched with Martin Luther King, he embraced Richard Nixon, he dabbled in Satanism, he was an OG in the Rat Pack with Frank and Dino.
He was Sammy!
And he started young. At the age of seven, he was cast in the title role in a short called Rufus Jones for President, in which he sang this classic tune:
But of course Sammy only got more amazing as he grew older. Here's a starry-eyed song from 1954.
Some of my favorite Sammy songs were written by Anthony Newley. Dig these
At Sammy's funeral in 1990, his longtime pal Jesse Jackson gave the eulogy and frequently told those who loved the man to "let Bojangles rest."
And while I respect that thought, a talent like Sammy's never truly rests.
Sammy, we love ya, baby. Happy birthday,
Wednesday, December 02, 2015
WACKY WEDNESDAY: Worldwide Beatles
The Beatles didn't just conquer America in 1964.
They conquered the world.
And this is how the world showed its gratitude: I give you a sampling of Beatles covers from all around the globe.
Let's start with a Chinese cover of "And I Love Her" by Techniques Band.
Enjoy a "Yellow Submarine" by Simo Ja Spede from Finland.
Let's "Carry That Weight" with the Hover Chamber Choir of Armenia.
Cambodian superstar Sinn Sisamouth covers "Hey Jude."
Also from southeast Asia, a version of "Day Tripper" by a band called Starlight, from the glorious Thai Beat a Go-Go compilations.
Charlotte Dada of Ghana sings "Don't Let Me Down."
From Mexico comes Los Apson with their version of "Mr. Moonlight" (which they call "Triste Luna," or "Sad Moon.")
Here's some reggae Beatles by The Heptones from Jamaica.
And some Bollywood Beatles singing "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in Hindi.
Finally, here is described by the guy who posted it called "The worst cover of a Beatles song ever!" I'm not sure who the person who posted called him a "Fat Russian singer who looks like Newt Gingrich." I'm not sure whether this is the Russian Navy behind him, but you've been warned.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Eagles of Death Metal on Paris Massacre
Maniacal religious fanatics from ISIS (ir ISIL? Or Daesh or whatever you want to call these evil creeps) shot and killed dozens of people at the band's Nov. 13 show at the Batclan concert hall. (I've seen the death count at 89 and 90. Not sure which if either are accurate. The toal number of victims of the Paris attacks is about 130 people.)
It's hard to listen to but the video of the interview is below.
The Eagles of Death Metal will donate all publishing royalties of this song to a fund for the Par8is victims and are encouraging other musicians to record it.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST
Sunday, November 29, 2015
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
Here's the playlist
OPENING THEME: Let It Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Rollin' and Tumblin' by Canned Heat
Skinny Legs and All by Joe Tex
Bangkok by Jello Biafra & Ther Raunch 'n' Roll All-Stars
Jello Biafra by Wesley Willis
All Women are Bad by The Cramps
Sick Bed by The Voluptuous World of Karen Black
The Hand Don't Fit the Glove by Miriam
Luci Baines by The A-Bones
I'll Be Back by Question Mark & The Mysterians
Nerja Sawa by Mazhott
Viento by Rolando Bruno
Held My Baby Last Night by Hound Dog Taylor
Let's Get Funky by Elvin Bishop
Disease by Dead Cat Stimpy
Wish I Was a Catfish by T. Model Ford
Blind and Deaf by No-Hit Makers
Nobody Spoil My Fun by The Seeds
Jimmy Would by Chuck E. Weiss
Looking for Somebody by Any Dirty Party
Shotgun by Yo La Tengo
Wade in Bloody Water by The Grannies
Rock 'n' Roll Murder by The Leaving Trains
I'm Just the Other Woman by MSR Singers
Govinda by The Radha Krsna Temple
Gypsy by Lovestuck
Don't Cry For Me New Jersey by Candye Kane
She Wasn't Around by Alex Maiorano & The Black Tales
The Lady's Letter by Pops Staples
It Must Be Sunday by Phoebe Snow
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis
Like the Terrell's Sound World Facebook page
Subscribe to The Big Enchilada Podcast! CLICK HERE
Friday, November 27, 2015
THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST
Friday, November 27, 2015
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
Here's my playlist :
OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens
Skip a Rope by Kentucky Headhunters
Mud by Legendary Shack Shakers
What You Gonna Do, Leroy? by Brennen Leigh
Scorched by The Satellites
Corn Likker by Buck Owens
Together Again by Chris Hillman & Herb Pedersen
Harm's Way by The Waco Brothers
I'm a Nut by Leroy Pullens
Go Find Your Heaven by Ted & The Wranglers
Turkey in the Straw by Sen. Robert Byrd
Send Me to the 'lectric Chair / I Like to Sleep Late in the Morning / Summer Wages by David Bromberg
Happy Hour by Ted Hawkins
Cold and Bitter Tears by Kasey Chambers
Tupelo County Jail by Old 97s
Two Dollar Strings by The Electric Rag Band
Dog by Bottle Rockets
Baby It's Cold Outside by Homer & Jethro
R.I.P. Davy Jones
Driftwood 40-23 / Side by Side Doublewides by The Hickoids
Song for David J by Glenn Jones
God Loves the Hickoids by The Grannies
Viva Mose McCormack!
It's No Secret / Beans and Make Believe / New Mexico Blues / Under the Jail by Mose McCormack
I'm Coming Home by Cynthia Becker
Four Old Brokes by Joe Ely
It Keeps Right on a Hurtin' by Louie Setzer
Big Fool of the Year by George Jones
I'vre Got a Tender Heart by Merle Haggard
Come on Up to the House by Oh Lazarus
Miracle of Five by Eleni Mandell
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets
Like the Santa Fe Opry Facebook page
Subscribe to The Big Enchilada Podcast! CLICK HERE
Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list
TERRELL'S TUNE-UP: Don't Fear the Foreign!
November 12, 2015
America: home of the brave, land of the fearful. And crown thy good with paranoid contradictions … Them foreigners, if they aren’t bringing terrorism, they’re bringing Ebola. Their gun-toting mass murderers are coming to take away the jobs of decent American gun-toting mass murderers ...
Recent events in the news — along with some new albums from around the world I’ve been listening to lately — got me thinking about a certain punk-rock band I discovered online earlier this year. It’s called Mazhott, and starting about 2007, the group rocked the casbah from Damascus, Syria. Yes, that Syria.
Mazhott live! |
In a 2009 interview in Taqwacore Journal, the band’s guitarist Rashwan said, “We sing about stuff that matters to young people, in general, and social [issues]. [For example], the high school diploma, here, is unbelievably difficult, so, we wrote about that. We wrote about fathers forcing their young daughters to marry older men, about our generation that is frustrated and lost and don’t know [what] to do with their lives, about less separating of boys and girls, and about how we need more attention and freedom.”
Of course, I couldn’t understand any of the lyrics because they’re in Arabic. But the music rocks, so I bought the digital version of Mazhott’s EP from its Bandcamp page. With my modest payment, I wrote a note wishing the musicians well and hoping they were all safe from the troubles over there.
I got a nice email back from Rashwan, who said, “All of us at Mazhott are safe and sound, but unfortunately each in a different country.” I guess that would make them refugees, but if I’m not reading too much into it, “safe and sound” implies some level of stability.
And I just heard from Rashwan last week for the first time in months. He sent me an MP3 of a new Mazhott song — their first recording in years. I'll play that on Terrell's Sound World, on KSFR-101.1 FM and www.ksfr.org, at 10 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29.
Did I say something about some music from around the world?
Damn the fear-mongering! Let these new albums cross your borders and immigrate into your ears!
* Bailazo by Rolando Bruno. Once upon a time, there was a Peruvian garage-punk band called Los Peyotes. (I’ve reviewed their work in this column and played their songs on my radio shows and podcast.)
Guitarist Bruno, who I believe is Argentine, was a member of this hopped-up, snot-rock combo. Now he’s been reborn as a cumbia king. Or as his new record company Voodoo Rhythm describes his new sound, “Full Blast Psychedelic Latino Cumbia Garage with a very Cheesy Touch of a ’70s Supermarket!!!”
His cumbia obsession started out as a side project while Los Peyotes was still happening. He’d upload old cumbia songs onto his computer and mutate them into rocking Latin dance numbers filtered through his own punk-rock perspective. For Bailazo, he composed original songs and hired actual musicians to create this crazy sound.
Bruno brings an international perspective to his already wild musical vision. He throws in Middle-Eastern sounds on “Falafel King.” (Is that an oud, dude?) And there’s also what sounds like a bagpipe. This tune would make the British world music band 3 Mustaphas 3 jealous.
And he’s turning Siamese on “Thai Cumbia,” which could almost be a kung fu movie soundtrack waiting to happen. This track starts off and ends relatively slow. But the sped-up middle section sounds like some frenzied Carlos Santana guitar attack.
Cankisou in action |
You’ll hear strands of Middle-Eastern music; rhythmic Afro-beat sounding sounds; jazz excursions and sonic allusions to Balkan music; and a touch of metal here and there. (And Breaking Bad fans’ ears will perk up at the opening notes of the song “Korobori,” which sounds just like the soundtrack to that late, great show’s opening sequence. “Korobori” turns into what sounds like a salute to the band Morphine — except there’s a brief bluegrass section in there, too.)
I can’t write about Cankisou without quoting from its own origin myth on its website:
“Cankisou music is based on an old legend about one-legged Canki people, and the band also learnt their language, which is understandable all over the world.”
For a one-legged people, these guys sure kick butt. If you like Gogol Bordello or 3 Mustaphas 3 (them again!) or, to get a little more obscure, Polish rocker Kazik Staszewski and his band Kult, do yourself a favor and listen to some Cankisou.
Live at the old Santa Fe Brewing Company a few years ago |
Many of the original members of the band were living in Libya when they were forced into military service by the late and not-so-great dictator Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi. Some of Tinariwen also fought as Tuareg rebels against the government of Mali.
So truly, this music is what Joe Strummer would have called “rebel rock.” Actually it’s trancy guitar music with powerful Saharan percussion provided by a conga-like instrument called a darbuka. And no, I don’t understand the lyrics, sung in a Berber language, Tamasheq. But I understand the words have gotten the group banned on the radio in Mali and Algeria, so they must be subversive.
Even cooler, Tinariwen leader Ibrahim Ag Alhabib has said in interviews that some of his earliest influences were the singing cowboys of American Westerns. I don’t hear any Gene Autry in this album, but I’ll keep listening.
Songs from all the acts I discussed here can be found on the latest Big Enchilada podcast.
Let's have some videos!
Here is Mazhott's last live show in Damascus back in 2010
Enter Rolando Bruno
Those Cankisou boys were the wildest men in Borneo back in 2012
And here is Tinariwen live in Paris with Lalla Badi.
THROWBACK THURSDAY: Come for the Shame, Stay for the Scandal
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