You know, Japan has already given us, in semi- chronological order, The Blue Comets, The Tigers, coooool live albums from The Ventures, Honeycombs, and the late, very great Buck Owens, plus of course those twin teen titans themselves Puffy (Ami Yumi). Domo arigato, I believe is the only applicable phrase right here.
Nobly carrying quite on with that super-fine tradition is the one and only Daisuke Kambe and his Tokyo-based Wizzard In Vinyl label. He, and they, have been responsible for bringing to discriminating ears worldwide the untold pleasures of The Playmates (Jam meet Hamburg Beatles!), Treeberrys (best cover-art graphics since at least The Association), Movin’ Jelly (deftly ready to pick up if NRBQ ever decide to leave off), plus only the very very highest quality non- J-Pop from across the globe, including our aforementioned Bill Lloyd. Why, I think you’ll even hear Yours Quite Truly singing my Who’s Next version of “Rock And Roll Love Letter” on the Men In Plaid Rollers tribute disc in there somewhere…
However, Daisuke’s latest gracious Package to Pig contained above-exceptional new discs by two combos ALL Lost Groovers should hook onto asap imho:
First, there’s those living coloured Oranges, upon whose so-aptly-titled Teen Rock are squeezed twenty wholly-rockin’ sound-biters in fifty minutes flat. Had Eric Carmen continued writing Top Tens for Shaun Cassidy; had Herman and his Hermits mid-wifed that l-u-v child dem Ramones sorrowfully never sired… in other words, The Oranges taste no less like one gigantic, sugary-Sweet, Chinni-Chapping all-day sucker for the lower extremities, believe you me!
And, as if that wasn’t all, Here Come The Mayflowers, who are never once afraid to pack a whole lotta Power deep into their Pop. Why, it’s just as if Jellyfish played one big Cheap Trick at the XTC / Hollies summit meeting which, until now, never got a chance to happen.
Yes, you just gotta check any, or ideally all of the above, available right now right there at, in Daisuke’s own words, “the best place for crystalline guitarpop & crunchy powerpop.”
Two members of Blue Ash (Bill Bartolin and Frank Secich) will be appearing on a cut for the upcoming tribute to Greg Shaw on Bomp Records. The song they recorded is a cover of "Him Or Me….What’s It Gonna Be?" by Paul Revere and the Raiders. Also, featured on the track are Ohio musicians: Jimmy Zero (Dead Boys), George Cabaniss (Color Me Gone, Hammer Damage Band), Billy Sullivan (Raspberries reunion band), John Koury and Pete Drivere (Infidels), Dave Swanson (Rainy Day Saints) and Canadian, David "Quinton" Steinberg of (Stiv Bators Band and Mods). The tribute album to Greg is novel in it’s approach in that it will be comprised of Greg’s favorite songs done by some of his favorite artists. It’s tentatively scheduled for release late this year or early 2007. Blue Ash also have 2 never-before-released cuts "She Cried For 15 Years" and "Say Goodbye" on an Australian compilation called "Planet Of The Popboomerang 2". It’s a 2cd set that features American power pop artists on one disc and on the other, artists from all over the world. You can check out samples at: www.popboomerang.com Frank Secich will also appear as a solo artist on an upcoming tribute to Stiv Bators out of Italy. The tribute is called "I’m Not Just Anyone…A Portrait Of Stiv" Frank’s song is called "The Stiv Bators Ghost Tour". Artists from around the world have contributed covers of Dead Boys, Wanderers, Lords Of The New Church and Stiv Bators Band songs. Http://www.latexxxteens.com/
“OH my God! It’s Nardwuar! Nardwuar the Human Serviette! Don’t you know who Nardwuar is? He’s the biggest freak in the whole of Canada! He’s like this insane, insane guy. He’s out of his [expletive deleted] tree! He’s crazy, but you’d love him. I can’t explain why! He’s the biggest freak in the world. He’s like the Everett True of Vancouver! You’d love him!” (Courtney Love)
“You’re funnier than a [even worse expletive deleted] !” (Snoop Doggy Dogg)
But with all due apologetic tips of the ol’ Stetson towards Stompin’ Tom Connors, the Great Wide Northlands now houses an equally brilliant anti-icon against whom such obviously wussy pretenders to the thorn as Stephen Colbert and Ali G most particularly pale so very, very much.
For whether inquiring over the width of Mikhail Gorbachev’s pants, confronting still-dumbest Monkee Peter about toxic tomatoes, or getting extremely jiggy with one of Cynthia’s original Plaster Casts, that truly intrepid reporter-and-then-some Nardwuar (the Human Serviette) has at long last joined the hallowed ranks of Edward R. Murrow, Helen Thomas, and Chuck Barris in the uppermost annals of small-screen journalistic immortality.
Yes, and it’s almost ALL there – five and a half damn hours’ worth! – along with a handy full-colo(u)r Teleguide booklet to boot lovingly all crammed into a deluxe new two-DVD bonanza from those fine folk over at Alternative Tentacles. Why, you even receive as well actual footage of Nardwuar getting terrifyingly down with his very own garage-bop combo The Evaporators!
But don’t just take my words for all this: The Man The Myth The Miracle Himself would also just love to tell us Lost Groovers that, and I do hereby quote, “More DVDs are hopefully coming sometime in soonish! I have tons of footage to release and if anyone wants a sampling on what that might possibly be unleashed please hop to www.nardwuar.com
Thanks for your time, keep on rawkin in the free world! And doot doola doot doo…”
Amidst the above-affluent abundance of riches to be found within a typical mid-Sixties Top Forty, it was all too easy to find true certain gems far too frequently lost in the grooves of such a golden rush. SO much good music; SO many absolute hit wonders moving past your window in the wind out on the new horizon…..
Case very much in point: Ear glued, as always, to mighty 1050 CHUM-AM in my home and native Toronto, a literally lighter-than-airwaves apparition known as the “Elusive Butterfly” somehow alit right there upon my childhood six transistors, just beneath Nancy Sinatra’s boots, those ubiquitous Beatles and, speaking of Nowhere Men, S/Sgt. Barry Sadler’s Green-Ballad Berets. Heady company indeed, speaking even of the 3/21/66 CHUM Chart Survey.
Now, flash forward four long decades: Bob Lind, the man who wrote and sang said very special song, is not only happily active and creating and performing from his newfound Boca Raton base, but is today the focal point as well of an equally welcome turn of events called Lind Me Four. Wherein one of our all-time favorite powerful poppers – yes, none other than Spongetone super Jamie Hoover – expertly recaptures not only the “Butterfly” in question, but a trio of other delicate delights from the venerable Lind songbook.
Background vocals awash in yellow orange chorale swirls, guitars ring and drench as only an artist with ears totally attuned knows just how… the otherwise improbable combination of a Hoover and a Lind is, in fact, totally responsible for one of the most gracious gifts of music you or I can hope to hear. Be it 2006 or even, dare I say it, 1966.
Sponto Gallery, 7 Dudley Avenue, Venice, CA — July 19th 2006, 6:30 p.m., Dumb Angel presents a Beatnik Beach Film Screening, featuring Dirty Feet (a 90-minute film shot in 1965 at Balboa’s Prison of Socrates coffeehouse), plus a slideshow of Southern California Beat Generation hangouts and live surf instrumental music by the Insect Surfers. For information call (310) 399-2078.
Venice West (also known as Venice Beach or Venice-of-America) was a tributary European conception by wealthy eccentric Abbot Kinney. Kinney’s vision was to transplant Venetian culture to the West Coast of America with Italian-designed architectural masterpieces created during the early 20th Century. By the late ’50s/early ’60s, Venice boasted two of the most subterranean of all Southern California “Beat Generation” hang-outs — the Venice West Café (7 Dudley Ave.) and its mad-hatter counterpart, the Gas House (1501 Ocean Front Walk).
Gondola rides on the Venice Canal created an American / Italian flavor. A neighborhood of these canals still exists, cool and funky along with the counterpart shopping groove on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Equator Books, outsider Surf wear shop Hydrolab, tiki store Cruz Vintage, cool coastal furniture shops Surfin’ Cowboys and French 50s-60s are a few of the highlights. The literary center, Beyond Baroque (open Fridays and Saturdays) is nearby on Venice Boulevard.
Windward Avenue served as an opulent entrance to the Venice Ocean Front Walk area. Abbot Kinney’s original concept for Venice West was to bring world-class art galleries and opera to his settlement. Pop culture and carnival atmosphere out-paced the highfalutin setting early on. As decay set in during the ’50s, an art scene unforseen by Abbot Kinney would call Venice West home.
NOT “The Girl in the Mini Skirt” whose praises were sung by The Era of Sound in 1966. And . . . she doen’t look too interested in the Arcade games. But, you can stand in this location on Windward Avenue today and still absorb a pretty interesting environment. In our time, retro clothing and book shop Animal House is across the street, where she’s facing, while to her left, Small World Books sits alongside our fave local eats place, the Sidewalk Cafe. These shops, along with a few of the places mentioned on Abbot Kinney, carry Dumb Angel #4: All Summer Long. Behold, some of the columnated ruins that didn’t domino.
Royal family of the Venice West Beat scene during the 1950s — Wallace Berman with his wife Shirley and son Tosh on the boardwalk of Venice, California. The backdrop here is leftover set decorations used to simulate Tijuana for Orson Welles’ 1958 noir masterpiece, Touch of Evil
The Bathing Pavillion was the defining edifice of early Venice. Like most of what you see here, it’s all long-gone.
Theatrical Asian mythology meets European gothic in this striking example of Venice Beach vernacular architecture. The mix of grandiose and carnival became commonplace in California during the first half of the 20th Century (a style now referred to as “California Crazy”)
Another Venice example of California Crazy . . . here a molten edifice dubbed “The Grand Canyon”
The Venice Ballroom was one of many out by the oceanside catering to Angelenos who wished to engage in ballroom dancing. Apparently, like the Sunset Strip in 1966, Los Angeles authorities weren’t too keen on dancing around the turn of century, so it was primarily done at this unincorporated beach area, away from provincial hassles. In 1967, the same thing would happen when the Venice Ballroom became the Cheetah.
Ballroom dancehalls provided the large venue space needed to accommodate the popularity of new dance crazes at the dawn of the Jazz Age and Swing Era
Café Nat Goodwin’s, an early movie biz hangout. The original film stars would imbibe at the Alexandria Hotel in downtown L.A., but soon enough, the loose atmosphere around Venice became the main draw.
Baron Long’s Ship Cafe was the other main hangout during the early days of cinema. MGM Studios would open in nearby Culver City, and that non-Los Angeles township became thee thespian watering hole during the Jazz Age. Frank Sebastian’s Cotton Club (gigs by Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton), Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle’s Plantation Cafe and Danceland (all on Washington Boulevard) were the top venues there.
‘A crowd of people stood and stared . . .’ — turn-of-the-century Venice Beach, Sgt. Pepper style.
“C’mon Baby, Let’s Do the Swim!” Bathing Pavllion, Venice.
Outside view of the Venice West Café, now the Sponto Gallery (7 Dudley Ave.). On July 19th, Dumb Angel will host a “Beatnik Beach” film screening at Sponto, featuring a slideshow of SoCal Beat Generation coffeehouses, including more on the Venice West Café, plus others
Inside the Venice West Café . . . behind these jazz cats, on the wall, is Wallace Berman’s bohemian benediction: “Art is Love is God.”
1959 — Lawrence Lipton’s discerning look at the Venice West Beat scene, featuring tales of the Venice West Café and the Gas House, as well as its many poets, artists, scenesters and entrepreneurs.
Lawrence Lipton (left) with Ed “Big Daddy” Nord, owner of the Gas House
The Gas House. A huge civic battle raged over the existence of this place in 1960. Early 20th Century comedic phenoms Groucho Marx and Stan Laurel pitched in some bread to help save the Beats. The Gas House was razed, but not before Venice poet and author Stuart Perkoff made a brilliant appearance on You Bet Your Life. The history of the Venice Beat scene has been well-documented more recently in John Arthur Maynard’s book Venice West: The Beat Generation in Southern California (Rutgers University Press, 1991).
Portrait of the Gas House gang in Venice, drawn by Shanna Baldwin, circa 1960 (Used by permission, courtesy of Shanna Baldwin and S.E. Griffin)
Overhead view of the Venice Pier area during Abbot Kinney’s day
The same pier, rennovated and re-opened in 1959 as Pacific Ocean Park
“And Disneyland and P.O.P. is worth a trip to L.A.” sang the Beach Boys in “Amusement Parks U.S.A.” from Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!!), 1965. The Modernist entrance, Raymond Lowery-inspired sky ride and cheese-cut Neptune fountain entrance added up to the perfect Nautical-Modern experience.
At the end of the pier, Pacific Ocean Park featured a Tiki ride, “South Sea Island,” sponsored by U.S. Rubber.
Surrounded by the sky ride orbs above and a waterfall below, South Sea Island provided a relaxing, last outpost from L.A., positioned as it was out on the ocean
Bas relief of the South Sea Island entrance. “An unforgettable visit to the tropics via an exciting Banana Train ride through a volcanic crater, erupting geysers, an earthquake and a tropical storm.” — P.O.P. brochure
South Sea Island took you on a tour of a volcano interior, with Martin Denny-styled music filling out the sound
Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys pose with models at Pacific Ocean Park for a summer, 1966 photo spread in Teen magazine’s “Giant Surfari Issue”. A sunshiny photo of Cheryl Tiegs graced the cover. Bass harmonica and theremin were already thick in their music.
Clearly, the old Venice Ballroom served a good purpose when it was opened as the Cheetah in early 1967. Headliners were primarily groups that had flourished in the suddenly-banned teenage nightclubs of the Sunset Strip during 1965/1966; Love headlined a Cheetah bill featuring Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band. The Standells and the Leaves held the place in rapture another night. The Doors and Iron Butterfly played as well. Tonight, it’s Sky Saxon’s birthday party with a performance by the Seeds. Photo courtesy Hillary Paine.
The Cheetah was the California offshoot of New York City’s incredibly successful Cheetah club, opened in 1966. The Cheetah Boutique was also opened inside of both clubs, with a line of clothing designed specifically for the Mod set. Opening for the Seeds at this engagement were the Boston Tea Party (who released a cool LP on the Flick-Disc label) and the West Coast Branch (regulars out at the Flying Jib in Redondo Beach . . . with 45s of “Spoonful” on Valiant in ’66 and “Colors of My Life” on A&M in ’67). Photo courtesy Hillary Paine.
Big Brother & the Holding Company came down to Venice from San Francisco to play the Cheetah; Janis Joplin had tried her first marijuana cigarette in a Venice coffeehouse in 1962. In from Arizona, a regular opening act at the Cheetah were the Nazz. They later signed with Frank Zappa’s Bizzare/Straight Label and became Alice Cooper (due to the Pennsylvania band who’d recorded “Open My Eyes” already bein’ around). The Strawberry Alarm Clock made their appearance in Psych-Out at the Cheetah — despite the film being based in San Francisco. On the first episode of The Mod Squad, the Other Half were shown performing “No Girl Gonna Cry” at the Cheetah. Just prior to opening, Herb Alpert filmed a dramatic segment in the old ballroom for one of his TV specials. Photo courtesy Hillary Paine.
— BRIAN CHIDESTER & DOMENIC PRIORE
NITECLUBS
On Thursday, June 2nd, Dumb Angel attended the debut of Kitty Diggin’s incredibly well-thought out theme club Dandy at Safari Sam’s on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. The first night’s soiree was subtitled An Evening of Candy Stripes, Brocade, Ruffly Sleeves and Absinthe-Inspired Visions. The audience came decked out in ’20s gear, with DJs Prickle and Shauna spinning an intense mix of songs somewhere between Duke Ellington’s “The Mooch” and Peter & Gordon’s “Lady Godiva”. The correlation between ’20s and ’60s fashion and music was complete, with the Kinks’ “Dandy” somewhat defining the direction of ensuing affairs. “1960s Carnaby Street had this wealth of appreciation for the ’20s,” Diggins told Dumb Angel, “Lavender velvet pantsuits, paisley shirts with ascots and scarves, plus the flapper bob hairstyle were all a huge part of Carnaby’s flair and lasting appeal.” A group of appropriately-attired Go Go dancers were workin’ all night, with the evening’s musical highlight coming from New York City’s Armen Ra — Master of the Theremin. Classically-trained, and from a family of musicians in Tehran, his Middle Eastern melodic sense raised the bar in an already unique evening of fun, dancing and sound. The next Dandy (July 13th) promises to be every bit as enlightening, this time subtitled: Bastille Day Go For Barouque.
Sir D’Andy Luxe and Kitty Diggins. Photo by John Scott Perreira.
Creekbird. Photo by John Scott Perreira.
Miss Primm. Photo by John Scott Perreira.
Prince Poppycock. Photo by John Scott Perreira.
A few Absinthe-Inspired Visions. Photo by John Scott Perreira.
Mr.Uncertin and the Pobelle Twins aka “Uncertwin.” Photo by John Scott Perreira.
Armen Ra w/ Theremin. Photo by John Scott Perreira.
Armen Ra takes the mood beyond. Photo by John Scott Perreira.
Dandy attendee Melissa Jean on the veranda, Sunset Boulevard in the background. Photo by John Scott Perreira.
Master Showman Kitty Diggins. Photo by Dr. Mangor.
Dandy audience member Tiffany
Dandy ended with an incredible ’20s / ’60s DJ mix by Prickle (who took most of these photos) and Shauna. In this rockstar-free environment, the participants were the headline act.
In tribute to the cool vibe at Dandy, Dumb Angel here reprints a series of photos from a similar party covered in Surfing Illustrated during February, 1966:
Surfer girl goes Bonnie Parker
Mickey Munoz and Hidie Edwards dance it up in their flapper attire
On a Loony Tunes level . . . host Greg Noll receives a bomb for his new surfboard factory from shaper / competitor, Hobie Alter
Promotional program for Dirty Feet, from 1965, written by producer/director Ted Nikas about his experiences in making the film around his coffeehouse, the Prison of Socrates
To see all of this and more, please join Dumb Angel at Sponto Gallery (7 Dudley Ave., Venice, CA) on July 19th, 2006, at 6:30 p.m. The screening will include boss clips from various beatnik-related films, a slideshow of SoCal beat coffeehouses, the Dirty Feet feature film and live music by the Insect Surfers. Ted Nikas, the filmmaker who created Dirty Feet, will be on-hand for Q&A
Where: Sun Record Company, 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee When: October, 1957 Why: recording “Great Balls Of Fire” Who: Jerry Lee Lewis (pumping piano) Sam C. Phillips (producer extraordinaire) J. W. Brown (bass, Jerry Lee’s father-in-law) Billy Lee Riley (guitar) J. M. Van Eaton (drums)
Jerry Lee Lewis: H-E-L-L. Sam C. Phillips: I don’t believe it. J. W. Brown: Great Godamighty, great balls of fire! Billy Lee Riley: THAT’S RIGHT! JLL: That’s it, that’s it. That’s it! SCP: I don’t believe it. JLL: It says, it says MAKE MERRY with the joy of God, only! But when it comes to worldly music, rock ‘n’ roll – BLR: ROCK IT OUT! JLL: — anything like that, you have done brought yourself into the world, and you’re in the world, and you hadn’t come from out of the world, and you’re still a sinner. You’re a sinner – and unless you be saved — and borned again — and be made as a little child and walk before God — and be holy, and brother, I mean you got to be so pure! And no sin shall enter there: No sin! For it says, no sin! It don’t say just a little bit, it says, NO SIN SHALL ENTER THERE — brother, not one little bit! You got to walk and talk with God to go to Heaven. You’ve got to be so good. BLR: Hallelujah! SCP: All right. BLR: You’re right. SCP: Now look, Jerry. Religious conviction doesn’t mean anything resembling extremism. All right. You mean to tell me that you’re gonna take the Bible, that you’re gonna take God’s word, and that you’re gonna revolutionize the whole universe? Now listen! Jesus Christ was sent here by God Almighty. JLL: Right. SCP: Did He convict, did He save, all of the people in the world? JLL: No, but he tried to. SCP: He sure did. NOW, WAIT JUST A MINUTE. Jesus Christ came into this world. He tolerated man. He didn’t preach from one pulpit. He went around, and did good. JLL: That’s right! He preached everywhere! SCP: Everywhere! JLL: He preached on land! SCP: Everywhere! That’s right! That’s right! JLL: He preached on the water! SCP: That’s right, that’s exactly right! Now – JLL: And then He done everything! He healed! SCP: Now, now – here’s — here’s the difference — JLL: Are you followin’ those that heal? Like Jesus Christ did? SCP: What do you mean, I, I, what – JLL: Well, it’s happening every day! SCP: What do you mean? JLL: The blind had eyes opened. SCP: Jerry — JLL: The lame are made to walk. SCP: Jesus Christ — JLL: The crippled are made to walk. SCP: Jesus Christ, in my opinion, is just as real today — J. M. Van Eaton: Let’s cut it. SCP: — as He was when He came into this world. JLL: Right, right, you’re so right you don’t know what you’re sayin’. SCP: Now, then! I will say, I will say more so — JMV: It’s very commercial… BLR: Let’s cut it. SCP: You see, you see – JVE: We’ll cut it ourselves! SCP: No, we’ll be with you in a minute. JWB: It’ll sell. It’s very commercial. SCP: But look. Now, listen. I’m tellin’ you outta my heart. And I have studied the Bible, a little bit – JLL: Well, I have too. SCP: And I have studied it through and through and through and through and Jerry, Jerry, when you, listen, when you think that you can’t, can’t do good, if you’re a rock ‘n’ roll exponent – JLL: You can do good, Mr. Phillips, don’t get me wrong – SCP: Now wait a minute, wait a minute, now when I say do good – JLL: YOU CAN HAVE A KIND HEART! SCP: I don’t mean, I don’t mean just – JLL: You can help people! SCP: YOU CAN SAVE SOULS! JLL: No – NO! No, no! SCP: Yes! JLL: How can the, how can the Devil save souls? What are you talkin’ about? SCP: Listen, listen – JLL: Man, I got the Devil in me! If I didn’t have I’d be a Christian! SCP: Well, you may have him – JLL: JESUS! Heal this man! He cast the Devil out, the Devil says, Where can I go? He says, Can I go into this swine? He says, Yeah, go into him. Didn’t he go into him? SCP: Jerry. The point I’m tryin’ to make is – if you believe what you’re sayin’ — you got no alternative whatsoever – out of – LISTEN! – out of – JLL: Mr. Phillips! I don’t care, it ain’t what you believe, it’s what’s written in the Bible! SCP: Well, wait a minute, what you believe — JLL: It’s what’s there, Mr. Phillips. SCP: No, no. JLL: It ain’t what you believe, it’s just what I — SCP: No, by gosh, if it’s not what you believe, then how do you interpret the Bible! BLR: Man alive – SCP: Huh? How do you interpret the Bible if it’s not what you believe?!!
For the answer to these and so many other musical questions of the ages, where can you turn but to Time-Life Music’s utterly essential new triple-disc Jerry Lee Lewis: A Half Century Of Hits, available wherever real rock ‘n’ roll is still sold.
I’m working on a new book for the french publisher, Les cahiers du rock-
So for the first time i think i’ll write about French bubblegum & sunshine pop-
I will write about US & UK bubblegum & sunshine pop too- Keep in mind that no such book was published in France on that topic, so i will be the first-
What i would like is your help for this book!! So if you can find me great info & tips i’ll send you copies of the book & put you on the credits-
I’m working on a comp too-
More news soon-
Please contact me:
d-luxe@wanadoo.fr
I’ve just received my latest Care Package from ol’ pal Mark Weber, via the Zerx Records & Press faux-conglomerate deep down there in the 87108 zip code.
Yes, wittily stuffed inside his very latest chapbook split alongside jazz poet Gerald Locklin were the latest two installments of Mark’s greatest of so many inventions: Volumes 21 and 22 of the rightfully Zerx-famous albuZERXque compact compilations.
The ear truly boggles …particularly at the abundant sharp Dylan retreads spread across Number 22.
“Some people call these things samplers akin to them embroidery and needlework delicacies those dear 19th Century maidens stitched together,” Mark writes. “Just like that.” Yet they, like all 50-and-counting Zerx CD’s, are in fact limited editions of usually a hundred or so, each of which come in hand-printed linocut cardboard sleeves, “rather than computer-generated jewel case art.” It goes without saying, though I will anyways, that all us happily Lost in the Grooves can greatly appreciate this endearingly analog approach to the graphic end of business, no?
Meanwhile, whilst not trawling NM as if on behalf of some bizarro world Smithsonian Institute, and/or heading up his very own self-styled “prettified country band” The Bubbadinos (“Tenuousness, trepidation, drought, locust, musica antigua, cant & want, pock-marked chrome, lapsed backyard hallucinations, clippity-clop cowboys & indians, flat tires, cloven-hoofed, low odds, dice, subdural hematoma, jailhouse coffee, bellybutton lint” is how their most-aptly-titled The Band Only A Mother Could Love album has actually been described, I kid you knot), Mark can as well be seen curating his esteemed collection of modern age jazz photos over there at UCLA, can quite simultaneously be heard hosting Weber’s Weekly Worldwide Radioshow straight outta KUNM 89.9 Albuquerque, and somehow still finds some time to tell us all about it at the inimitable ZerxPressBlogSpot.
Head straight there immediately, won’t you all, to sample for yourselves some of the many munificent Zerx Leisure Products: “Roots Music from the Deep Southwest of the Mind,” “Home of The Bubbadinos and other world / class musicians and poets who happen to live in New Mexico or would like to or visited some time or ‘nuther.”
