Wednesday, May 28, 2008

The famous missing Young Ones music clip



Other current things to post soon but I couldn't resist one of my all time favorite music clips. This one's culled from the Brit-com 80's classic the Young Ones, one of the most wonderfully tasteless and silly TV shows ever. If you splurged on the completed set of shows (all 12 of them from 2 seasons), you missed on this bit where the boys are taking Neil the Hippie to the Army recruiters. Along the way, the show had its musical segment done by "Ken Bishop's Nice Twelve," which was a one-time supergroup including Jools Holland (the conductor) and Chris Difford from Squeeze, Stewart Copeland from the Police and assorted Brit comedians. Since the show couldn't get clearance for the song that they do, a wacky version of Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues," it had to be chopped off the DVD release. Now you can enjoy it through the magic of YouTube, at least until the copyright police order it taken down...

Thursday, May 22, 2008

New Orleans Musicians Fund

I've been asked to spread the word for a good cause and I'd like to ask you to do the same. Here's the press release to support the New Orleans Musicians Fund.

"My name is Ronn Campbell and I operate
a question and answer show called Story Makers Studio: Live and Unscripted in Hollywood. Please have a look.

http://www.storymakersstudio.com

and then click on the powered by Stiyl logo
on the bottom of the site.

After we did a show on the movie "The Doors", I was asked if we could do a version of our program for music. I have been waiting for the right time as I wanted to create a series that would be of real value to up and coming musicians and those in the music industry, who would like to increase their knowledge base on a particular aspect of the music industry.

So, what we are doing is putting together a series of interviews with leading and cutting edge, innovative and practical strategies and tactics that are actionable right now for any and all musicians regardless of status.

And we are asking that listeners in order to hear the seminars donate any amount they like to the New Orleans online.

My goal is to extract the most actionable information that will get musicians the greatest leverage is not their ability to suffer in these changing times. Instead we will help musicians increase the marketing promotional, and business abilities—Free!

Everyone wins.

I'm confident if we ask the correct questions …get the correct responses and ask our guests for their best tactics, tricks, and tools.

With this is mind we will create a new site called "Musicians Arts Society" and the sole purpose of the society is to help musicians help themselves.

Our purpose is to be that catalytic force that moves musician to a higher level of strategic marketing and business possibilities. I don't want our interviews to be intellectual entertainment.

I want to quickly help musicians sustain and pursue their greatest competitive, creative, and financial success they can possibly achieve--all the while helping musicians in need, in New Orleans.

As the last NARM conference just ended here in San Francisco and from what I could gather no company or person is sure where the music industry is really heading.

Yet what was sure is that artists will have much more control of their work and with this control they would benefit with the precise knowledge with respect to this control.

Our first offering of interviews will be focused on how musicians can best take advantage and thrive with some actionable information From some of the best musicians, music authors, pundits, and ear to the ground people today.

To date we have verifications from over 13 confirmations with more coming everyday.

The invitees have proven to successfully dissect various portions of the music industry coupling that with the unique ability to teach and share actionable knowledge.

Again, I'm writing you to see if we can find a way to work with us to promote the interviews, all the while remembering that 100 percent of the opt to listen fee will go directly to the New Orleans Musicians Fund:

http://www.nomrf.org

Please let me know if you will help us promote the teleseminars.

I thank you for your time for reading this email; and I look forward to hearing from you soon."

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Sun City Girls- a tribute tour to Charles Gocher

To commemorate the loss of drummer Charles Gocher, Sun City Girls brothers Rick Bishop and Alan Bishop are doing a tour to show off their late bandmate's work as well as doing a set of SCG material. Here's a clip of Charles in action (they'll be providing other films of him also):

Alan had also written a tribute to Charles in PSF.

Here's the tour dates for The Brother Unconnected tour:

5.21.08 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
5.23.08 - Phoenix, AZ - Modified
5.25.08 - Los Angeles , CA - Echoplex
5.27.08 - Sacramento, CA - Horse Cow Art Gallery

6.08.08 - Denver, CO - High Dive
6.10.08 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
6.11.08 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room
6.12.08 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
6.13.08 - Iowa City, IA - The Picador
6.14.08 - Chicago, IL - Lakeshore Theater

6.15.08 - Louisville, KY - Pour Haus
6.17.08 - Toronto, ON - Whippersnapper Gallery
6.18.08 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rosa

6.19.08 - Cambridge, MA - The Brattle Theater
6.20.08 - Portland, ME - SPACE; Fire On Fire opening
6.21.08 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
6.22.08 - New York , NY - Knitting Factory
6.24.08 - Pittsburgh, PA - Andy Warhol Gallery
6.25.08 - Washington, D.C. - Black Cat
6.26.08 - Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle
6.27.08 - Atlanta, GA - The E.A.R.L.
6.28.08 - Chattanooga, TN - Barking Legs Theatre
6.29.08 - Memphis, TN - Odessa
6.30.08 - New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jack's
7.02.08 - Austin, TX - Emo's
7.05.08 - Tucson, AZ Club Congress
7.06.08 - San Diego, CA - Bar Pink Elephant

Monday, May 12, 2008

Herman Leonard- man with a jazz camera

While it's now full of trendy boutiques, New York's Soho district does have a few galleries scattered around, including Morrison Hotel. There you'll find (until the end of this month), an amazing retrospective of photographer Herman Leonard's work on display in his 'Jazz Giants' series. How does this sound for a line-up? Clifford Brown seemingly to blow his whole body into his trumpet, a grinning happy Charlie Parker alongside Dizzy, Billie Holiday in candid, unguarded moments and also radiating warmth on stage in front of a wall of cigarette smoke, Thelonious Monk deep in contemplation, a young cocky Quincy Jones in the studio, Lester Young's distinctive gear by itself, Miles Davis near the end of life sketching out painting, a sober-looking Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald sweating it up on stage, Johnny Hodges being served wine in Paris and Dinah Washington testifying. There are also a pair of framed, damaged photos (including one of Sir Duke) rescued from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Leonard is in his 80's now and still active in his work.

Friday, May 09, 2008

Scream Contest- loud 'n' raw African West Coast music

Continuing in the great series that brought us the Green Arrows, Analog Africa now brings us African Scream Contest
subtitled "Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds from Benin & Togo 70s."

Along with the exciting, lively music (a relative of Afrobeat), there are several other extraordinary things about this magical collection. For one thing, the music of Benin isn't very well documented so this CD along with the extensive liner notes is a treasure trove and a musicologist's dream. Also in the notes, you'll hear hear about the insane, dedicated lengths that compiler/producer Samy Ben Redjeb went to including several trips from Germany to Africa to bring back thousands of records, included some he found while scorpions crawled over him. Because of his efforts, maybe this will enlighten Western ears the way that the Ethiopiques series did for another African country (Redjeb certainly has enough material for dozens of volumes). You also hear of how a company called Satel made the whole musical scene in the country thrive thanks to its pressing plant and recording studio.

Hear sound samples at the Analog Africa website.

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Pat Todd- rockin' not rank

His chrome dome may not make him look like bar band hero but Pat Todd makes droolin', fired-up rock'n'roll. After leading the Lazy Cowgirls for two decades, he's set off on his own with 2006's Outskirts of Your Heart and now Holdin' Onto Trouble's Hand. Not since the Replacements or the Pontiac Brothers (or maybe Jesse Malin) can I remember hearing such natural, fun-lovin', proudly scruffy rock music. 20 shots of it on one album (or what would have been considered a double album long ago) might seem like a lot but with Todd, it's just sweet excess and he's canny enough to trick things up with some Americana, just so you can catch your breath. CD Baby offers his latest album for $11 and it's sure as hell a worthy investment even if his own copy about Exile on Main St and the Ramones doesn't capture his sound.