Thursday, July 31, 2008

I am New England's Bitch



July 20, 2008

Well, I am and I don't care who knows it. Our neck of the woods is so
gloriously beautiful I can hardly bear it. Last night, the ocean at
twilight and this morning I was up early and decided a ride out Route
2 way would be the cat's ass. I was right, the foothills of the
Berkshires swathed in a hazy blue mist, listening to the Stones doing
Sway, I Got the Blues and so on...Heaven. The wildflowers this summer have been breathtaking and the road crews have done a really great job strategically mowing around large swathes of the blooming flowers. Especially in Maine. Last month, the hillocks of clover were in bloom
and it made me delirious to look at them, three tones of lavender just
tumbling down the hillsides beside each overpass. I wish more
landscapers would use indigenous plants, the colors and texture are so
perfect here. I guess the beauty is just too subtle for most people to
appreciate, but I'm crazy about the native plants daddy.

Then, there is the beauty of the Orange line in Malden. That is the
appointed meeting ground for my long lost twin brother and me. Said
twin would be Rico Petroleum, we don't really look alike and aren't
nearly the same age, but the dissimilarity ends there. We have twenty
years worth of catching up to do and we had just barely started
when I found out that Willie Loco was getting The Persistence of
Memory Orchestra together for a show in Gloucester. I knew we had to
go. Especially when I found out that Rico had never seen Willie
perform before. It was sweltering hot and by the time we got to Cape
Ann the temperature had dropped by ten degrees. How great is that? We
were early so we hung out by the Fisherman Memorial statue at the water. In the oldest seaport in America. With a statue of Joan of Arc in the center
of the city, the ass of her horse staring you in the face as you first
drive into the center square of the city. Love that.

The rain held off until just before the show started and Willie and
his Orchestra were fantastic. The church was full, and on the historic
register, by the time we got there so we sat in a pew up front, all
the better to watch the performance. There was a tremendous thunder
storm during the set and the long rows of stained glass windows would
suddenly be lit from outside with bright strobes of lightning as
cameras flashed intermittently at the band. Thunder booming, drums
crashing, Willie wailing, it was so cool. Willie was as relaxed and in
as a good a voice as I've ever heard, hitting the high notes as
effortlessly as a boy soprano. He was just sparkling and playing the
hell out of a new piano already decorated with myriad Goya labels, G's
removed so they read as multiple oya's all over the case. He was
having such fun it was infectious.

I think maybe Russ hadn't had as much time as he would have liked to
rehearse with the rest of the guys and for his benefit Willie called
out the key before each song and as each song wound down, he'd give
the horns a look and shortly afterward he'd give a hand signal to shut
it down. They also got a different look for mistakes and we were
really laughing over it. When WA sang Me & Stravinsky Now, he screwed
up a part of the vocal so the rest of the band, Rico and I gave him
our version of the look and I know he screwed it up three more times
on purpose, just because he thought it was funny to see our stares.
His capacity for joy just bursts out of him and is so refreshing. Even
when he does songs on the most somber of subjects, like Shopping Cart
Louie and Trash, it's beautiful and ends up being uplifting.

I was fairly sure that Rico would like the band, but you just never
know, so when he started digging them I was totally loving it and that
made the night even better. I love it when someone gets turned on to a
band I love that they've never seen before and it's even better to be
there when it happens. When he started losing it over Jim's drumming
and kept elbowing me to ask "Did you see THAT?" and "Are you watching
him?" it was all I could do to sit still and stop myself from yelling
"I told you so!!! I told you so!!!" In everyday life, Jim Doherty just
has this sort of slightly detached quality about him, as if he's
trying to constantly avoid information overload and then he sits
behind the drums and it's like every detail of what's been going on
around him is funneled into beating the hell out his kit. It's fucking
awesome. He's so in the moment. You have to treat yourself and go see
this guy sometime. I haven't seen Jim play in far too long and I must
say, he did not disappoint. Even Willie was constantly sneaking
sidelong peeks to watch Jim annihilate his drums.

When I was talking to Jim after the show he told me how happy he is to
be back in New England and living in Portland. He's in the process of
opening up a recording studio there and I just can't wait to see what
he's going to do with that. I only had a chance to say a quick hi to
Russ and Mark. Henri Ferrini was there and video taping. Can't wait to
see that. Henri's work never disappoints. Willie's brother Bob was
there and I hadn't seen him in ages and had a chance to catch up and
learned that there's a fast ferry from P-towne now. Gotta try that. I
wish I had words to describe how fresh and clean the air smelled as it
hit us in the face when we left the church. The tide had come in and
the atmosphere had been scrubbed by the storm, it was just
unbelievable. Talk about a breath of fresh air.

Great night, great show, and I'm back together with my twin brother
and laughing so hard it hurts. Mostly because we are like two
curmudgeonly peas in a miserable shriveled pod and agree on most
things. It's been so good, and helpful, to compare notes on the
similarities of child rearing and elder care, it's really scary how
the problems are all the same. Three jars of applesauce open and no
one eating out of any of them, not wanting to get out of bed and all
the 'stop touching me' bickering. On the way back to the Orange line,
Rico was raving about how great Willie was and then ranting about how
he saw Jonathan Richman not too long ago and even though Richman is
from Natick, he still sucks, his talent puny when compared to Willie.
He continued to testify about the injustice of it all, rivaling even
his blistering screed about a Capella being played on the radio. I was
just really happy he liked the band.

In a couple of weeks the Boom Booms are playing in Gloucester at a
park called Harbor Loop, next to Fitz Hugh Lane's house, right by the
ocean. Reddy Teddy is opening and the show should be fantastic. Willie
said he'd been seduced by guitars again and that's why he got the band
back together. Rico is already insisting that POMO are the better band
even though he has never heard the Boom Booms play live. We'll see if
the guitars can work their magic on him too.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Late Risers Club 1984

Oh Blowie!!!



Late Risers Club promo


Tapes made possible by my friend LW, the mastermind behind Bluefingers. Thanks for one of the greatest jobs ever.

Larry and Todd hanging out on the stoop next door to the store on Charles Street.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

A Lethal Dose

Daang! Radio


Ms Donna Lethal has graciously contributed this entertaining podcast for your listening pleasure. Please enjoy it responsibly...



Inspiration: Cesar Romero's "Thought for Today." I try and listen to
this every morning.
She Loves You: Peter Sellers + Nazi + Beatles
Transfusion: Nervous Norvus (from my "cars and accidents" playlist)
Girl on Death Row: Duane Eddy
That Makes It!: Jayne Mansfield ("so kinky!")
Blacula - radio spot
Apples and Oranges - Richard Dawson (yes)
Brown Sugar - alternate version
Sugar Sugar - Tom Jones
Yummy Yummy - Julie London
Yum Yum Girls - radio spot
Big Rock Candy Mountain - can I go here when I die? (Harry McClintock)
Rubber Room - Porter Wagoner (where I am now)
Buzzsaw Twist - it's the only way to go (The Gee-Cees)
If Jesus Came to Your House (it ain't the avon lady)
Here Comes the Judge - Pigmeat Markham
Caged Heat - radio spot
Dancing the Night Away - Motors
Zap! Pow! Do the Batman
Hong Kong Blues - Hoagy Carmichael
Mr. Ghost Goes to Town - John Buzon Trio
City of the Dead - Clash (the first Clash record I could find was this
10-inch and it changed my life. This song hit home - Lowell, MA in
1980 was pretty grim.)
Girl Can't Dance - Bunker Hill
Velvet Sugar - Velvets vs Archies (Mark Vidler's masterpiece)
Angels' Wild Women - radio spot
Spanish Stroll - Mink DeVille
Love Out of Time - Mr. Lethal!
Death Race 2000 - radio spot
Nut Sundae - I miss New England ice cream as Tontileo knows.
Another Girl, Another Planet - Only Ones
Edge of Reality - The KING!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

I Got One...You Got One...


Seeing as the red tide has abated, I felt safe in digging out my old clamshell mac to see what I had in iTunes there. With happy nostalgia the old operating system came right back to me with all its cute old fashioned icons and ways. There was quite a bit to sift through and I came up with a playlist for y'all. It is a little long but I could only leave out so much, so give me a break this time. Please. Here it is, I hope you enjoy it. Can you tell I like to wear my radio heart on my sleeve?


Monday, July 7, 2008

They Removed His Head...

Wax Hitler Decapitated


I am very afraid. We already have it on the highest authority that they saved Hitler's brain. But we don't know the whereabouts of that godawful, unholy joyriding glass jar. Could this be the beginning of the end? Or is Adolph just preparing to attend the three night festival of Unnatural Axe 30th anniversary Celebration/Tribute shows in August?



Saturday, July 5, 2008

Best vids ever!

I am thoroughly ashamed of myself for taking so damn long to point out Dr Kruell's site to you. The undisputed best collection of video in the 'verse. It is a treasure chest of some of the best Boston bands ever with some Clash, Jam, Cure, Stiff Little Fingers, Damned, Buzzcocks...I think you get the idea. Lou Miami is there, Human Sexual Response, Neighborhoods. Just go look. Now! You'll love it.

La Peste - "Better Off Dead"

Friday, July 4, 2008

oooooh...a press release from Willie

Willie Alexander- Basement Video #1



PRESS RELEASE FOR GENERAL CIRCULATION

ROCKIN’ THE MEETINGHOUSE!

Rock’n’roll legend Willie Alexander with the Persistence of Memory Orchestra consisting of drums, keyboards, saxophone, and clarinet will be performing at the Gloucester Unitarian-Universalist Church on Saturday, July 19th, 2008 at 7:30 PM. Tickets at the door: $15 General Admission; $10 Seniors (over 65) and Students (with ID). The grand 1806 Meetinghouse is located at the corner of Middle & Church Streets in Gloucester’s Historic District. See www.gloucesteruu.org. for more information.

Willie “Loco” Alexander is a multi-talented musician, whose career has traced the history of Rock for thirty-five years. From the Lost, a 60s garage-band that made a couple of records for Capitol, to the psychedelic late 60s Bagatelle, to a brief stint in the post-Lou Reed Velvet Underground, the Boom Boom Band in the punk 70s, which recorded for MCA, to an introspective take on the 80s recording for the French label New Rose, and renewed band energy in the 90s with the Persistence of Memory Orchestra, Willie has maintained a consistently high level of emotional and artistic integrity.

Willie was recently featured on the cover of “The Sound of Our Town” by Brett Milano, a history of Boston Rock’n’roll. In recent years Willie has performed with local bands The Megawatt Blues Crushers and Alek Razdan’s A-Train.

The Persistence of Memory Orchestra will accompany Willie’s vocals and keyboards at the upcoming Gloucester UU Concert, featuring Russ Gershon (leader of the internationally acclaimed Either/Orchestra) on tenor sax, Mark Chenevert (Chandler Travis Philharmonic) on tenor sax & clarinet, and Jim Doherty (Ibrahima’s World Beat and the Well Babies) on drums with surprise guests.

POMO will play material from their two self-titled albums on Accurate Records as well as from Willie’s new CD “The Fisheye Brothers,” a collaboration with Jim Doherty, inspired by Gloucester heroes and places. Persistence of Memory Orchestra’s second album “The East Main Street Suite,” has been described as “…a rich stew with a base of Rock’n’roll and elements of Jazz, Beat poetry, klezmer, samba and electronica mixed in. To say it defies category hardly does justice to the originality and uniqueness of this music.”

SUMMARY FOR LISTING:
EVENT: Willie Alexander & the Persistence of Memory Orchestra
DATE: Saturday, July 19th, 2008 at 7:30PM
LOCATION: Gloucester Unitarian-Universalist Church, corner of Middle & Church Streets in the Historic District
TICKETS: $15 General; $10 Senior (over 65) & Student (with ID) at the door, Special Needs community Free of charge.
INFORMATION: www.gloucesteruu.org

Sammy Davis Jr trousers

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Jim "Howling Wolfchild" Keough presented by Daang! Radio

Daang! Radio slowest

I am so frikkin' proud to present The Great Broad Street Riot's first podcast sponsored by Daang! Radio. When you get sick of the same old radio, we give a Daang! I searched high and low, I got myself in a Stranglehold and was lucky enough to get out of it with a podcast fashioned by Jim "Howling Wolfchild" Keough who has excellent taste in both music and the bands he fronts. And Queens who have blogs about Broad Street. And lots of other stuff I won't mention here. Thanks Dude, you killed it.

I'll be needing a lot more of these. Don't act surprised when I come around and hound you for one, so you might as well just start volunteering now. All you have to do is pick some songs you like, burn them to a disc and send them in. I'll take care of the rest.

Enjoy!



I must apologize for adding in some videos to finish up the list as I had a few technical problems along the way. Hopefully, I will have secured some seasoned and competent roadies to help me with the gear for the next podcast. Competent roadies, yeah right.

Mission of Burma - That's how I...


Paul Weller "Come On Let's Go"


T. Rex - Dandy In the Underworld


rich kids - ghosts of princes in towers