New Austin Vinyl Haul Feeds the Soul

•August 7, 2009 • 4 Comments

Don’t you feel sometimes there are some really odd things that make our spirits soar, exhilarate us, or even better, compel us to say stuff like “I think I’ve just died and gone to heaven?”

When I found out about this story earlier this week, courtesy of Goldmine magazine, I definitely reached for all 3 of those superlatives.

A virtual treasure trove of vinyl, some 25,000 LP’s and thousands more 45’s, were unearthed from an Austin collectors home, Bob Nash, and will be available to buy at the next Austin record fair. Suffice it to say, the local news media ignored or probably were not even aware of this news, but for the geeks, shellacs and muso’s who move in this music town, the wires were abuzz with unbridled joy.

nashBob Nash when asked why he had accumulated so many records and other “stuff”, said it was something to enjoy in his old age, but at 86 he’d run out of time, and apparently his family now needed the room.

The collection is a fascinating window into several different genres of popular music through the decades, and includes Paul Revere, MC5, Chet Baker, rare psychedelic, soul, garage, Fred Wesley and the JB’s, Lightening Hopkins, Anita O’Day, Thelonius Monk and so on.

I hope Bob is ok parting with his collection, and the memories they hold. But aside from it ending up in The Smithsonian or similar museum, I for one will cherish any purchases I make. I am sure other vinyl junkies will do their part to ensure his legacy lives, and is played on.

Oh, and for purely selfish reasons, you’ll have to find out when the next record fair is on your own…..

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The Tenuous Canadian Connection – Part 3

•July 31, 2009 • 1 Comment

In spite of having a wisdom tooth pulled yesterday, I, ahem, was able to struggle into the KOOP radio studio to continue my radio apprenticeship with the fabulous and laconic Doug G on his show, This Great White North.

I realized today that radio is definitely made for people who resemble a chipmunk or Marlon Brando in The Godfather due to dental surgery. Here is this weeks Tenuous Canadian Connection in all its audio glory.  Let me know what you think!

Previous Tenuous Canadian Connections can be heard here;

July 24 Show

July 17 Show

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Vicente Fernández – Volver Volver

•July 26, 2009 • 6 Comments

Hands up who had heard of Vicente Fernández?

Thought so. Well he is the Elvis Presley of Mexico’s traditional ranchera music. Vicente Fernandez is the King of this genre, El Rey, and is still very much alive and touring.

vf

I was turned onto him by my good pal and Taco Blogger extraordinaire, Armando Rayo. He brought some great vinyl over, including Vicente, and I liked it all so much, I ended up digitizing it all for myself and Mando.

But here’s a taste of Vicente in action. I love this video. Not just for the music, but the irony and surreal nature of the set up in the bar. The 2 mustachioed ranchero’s exuding gruff machismo, but sadly singing a tender song about lost love while sitting at a bar table, drinking tequila seemingly unperturbed by the presence of a ….visiting horse. Yep, its all in there. Marvelous stuff, at so many levels. Well worth 3 minutes of your time. …IF the video is blocked or down, you can find it here.

more about “Vicente Fernandez – Volver Volver“, posted with vodpod

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The Tenuous Canadian Connection – Part 2

•July 24, 2009 • 4 Comments

Right now, I am extremely fortunate to be an apprentice programmer at KOOP radio, and am assigned to the show “This Great White North” hosted by the Canuck with pluck, Doug. Dedicated to showcasing independent Canadian music, the show broadcasts every Friday from 4.30-6pm (CST), I hope you’ll tune in and support Doug, the station, Ann the other apprentice, and hey, little old me.

I came up with a little feature we’re trying out each week, and here’s this weeks Tenuous  Canadian Connection and the song we played “Holy Roller” by Eamon McGrath and his band The Wild Dogs.

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The Tenuous Canadian Connection – Part 1

•July 17, 2009 • 7 Comments

Who doesn’t love local, independent,community radio?

I’m happy to say that living here in Austin, we are lucky to have a radio station that certainly fits that bill,  KOOP radio. Found on the airwaves locally at 91.7, or online at www.koop.org

Right now, I am extremely fortunate to be an apprentice programmer for KOOP, and am assigned to the show “This Great White North” hosted by the Canuck with pluck, Doug.

Dedicated to showcasing independent Canadian music, Doug has been a joy for me to help, and learn from. The show broadcasts every Friday from 4.30-6pm (CST), I hope you’ll tune in and support Doug, the station, Ann the other apprentice, and hey, little old me.

I came up with a little feature we’re trying out each week, The Tenuous Canadian Connection.  So just in case you’re wondering, here’s the first Canadian Connection and the tune we played in its honour!

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Cool Summer Tunes to Consider

•July 11, 2009 • Leave a Comment

As a few people have asked what I’m currently listening to, here’s the next installment of what’s gracing the Turner turntable right now, in no particular order…….

Ocote Soul Sounds & Adrian Quesada – Coconut Rock (when a member of Afrobeat flag bearers Antibalas records in Austin with leading light from Grupo Fantasma)

oc

Little Junior Parker – Funny How Time Slips Away (The blues of Little Junior Parker meets Jimmy McGriff’s mighty Hammond organ)

jp

Los Lobos – La Pistola Y El Corazon (excellent collection of norteño songs from 88)

ll

Wilco – Wilco (the album)  (alt country heroes solid latest)

wilco

Ray Price – The Essential Ray Price 1951-62 (honky-tonk classics from one of the unsung titans of 20th century country music)

rp

Boards of Canada – In a Beautiful Place out in the Country (scots ambient duo redefine the genre, gorgeous stuff)

bob

Dr Alimantado – House of Singles (compilation of rare 45’s from the ever intruiging reggae star)

dr

Duke Ellington – The Okeh Ellington (covering his days recording for the Okeh label in late 20’s early 30’s)

de

Jay Reatard – Matador Singles 08 (how to make a career channelling the Buzzcocks)

jay

Vicente Fernandez – Los 15 Grandes Exitos (epic greatest hits compilation by the king of Mexico’s traditional ranchera music)

vic

Mott the Hoople – All the Young Dudes (Bowie loved this band, did they start the glam era?)

mott

That’s all for now. Support your local indie music stores!

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New Air Single – “Do the Joy”

•July 8, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Got your astral ears on?

SORRY, the luddites/killjoy/suits at EMI have nixed the video. So you’ll all have to wait for the official release and not get quite so excited now. I guess any pre-release buzz and excitement I can muster by merely airing the video is now squashed and Air will end up selling fewer copies of their new album? Huh? and I thought that was the point….Well, I really liked the single for the day or so.

Groovy French pop duo Air, just released this new single. Full of whispering, ethereal voices over their trademark grooves, it bodes well for the upcoming album, Love 2.

Love 2 is out October on Astralwerks. Supposedly, they’ll launch a European tour in early 2010 then head to North America in the Spring. Hope they include Austin on that tour!!

MI

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Beck Records Velvet Underground’s ‘Waiting for My Man’

•July 2, 2009 • Leave a Comment

Who hasn’t heard or cited The Velvet Underground as one of their musical or cultural influences?  I think I started wearing sunglasses in Scotland not because of the weather, but because everyone on the cover of the 1st velvet underground record I bought wore them. And they were cool, and I wanted to be.

Beck’s Record Club project which includes Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker, Brian Lebarton, Bram Inscore, Yo, Giovanni Ribisi, Chris Holmes, and Icelandinc “special guest” Thorunn Magnusdottir — have covered the seminal Velvet Underground song, “I’m Waiting For The Man.”

Per Beck, with this cover “everyone untunes their instruments and nigel thrashes a dx-7, coaxing sounds hitherto unheard from the 80’s power ballad beast.”

Nothing more to be said. Enjoy. (btw, the video effects are intentional, please do not adjust your set)

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more about “Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nic…“, posted with vodpod

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Friendship

•June 27, 2009 • 3 Comments

As I grow older I find myself dwelling more and more on my friends, and what exactly constitutes a friendship.  I’ve always taken time out to tend the garden of friendship with many people. I am naturally gregarious, I enjoy socializing and other peoples company.  I take the approach that any friendship takes nurturing, it needs to be fed and have some measure of involvement on either side, otherwise it’s not really a friendship. It cannot be all one-way traffic so to speak.

Recently I’ve found myself extremely disappointed, saddened and angry even, at a couple of my so called friends. 2 people I have known for over 15 years a piece. 2 people I thought were good friends of mine, but due to their actions (or specifically inaction) have made me feel sad and rejected.

One person specifically, who’s erratic behaviour I have defended over the years….. Oh the delicious irony.

Known him since 92, been through a lot. We found one another in midtown Manhattan and went through the horrors of 9/11 together as I was homeless due to the attacks.  This person whom I last saw with his fiance, at my house in December over 2 evenings, drinking, making merry, eating dinner together. Breaking bread. So what exactly did this guy do I hear you ask?

This person didn’t tell me he was getting married. Not a Vegas sneak away, but a large, planned ceremony, with guests in Napa. No message of any type that he was getting married.  I found out after many mutual friends asked me if “I was going to the wedding?” “What about him getting married? Would never have thought it, after all these years!”

What did I do to deserve this? It’s as if I committed some mortal sin against him. Something that I truly cannot fathom after racking my brains to think of any transgression or insult I could be accused of. It’s not that I didn’t get invited when others did, it’s that he didn’t tell me he was getting married. In fact I haven’t heard 1 word from him since that December evening. It’s as if he couldn’t be bothered.

It really bothers me that I can’t just shrug my shoulders and move on. Accept that this is life. This guy was my friend. I thought he was my best friend. How could I be so blind I keep asking myself. Surely he couldn’t have just, forgotten to tell me? Nah, I don’t think so.

It must have been a deliberate, conscious act. And that hurt me.

So it matters. If it didn’t matter, then I suppose it wasn’t a real friendship. From my side at least.  I will be fine, I am secure. My faith in me and what is important in life is solid. I will continue to nuture those friends of mine, but a little piece of me is bitter, and sad, and frustrated. And I hate that feeling, but it’s one that just won’t go away, for now anyway.

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The Underbelly of a British Pub

•June 19, 2009 • Leave a Comment

I’m sure everyone has their favorite memories of quaint British pubs, being served warm pints of ale by a genial host or comely bar maid. Yes, that’s what we used to call them.

I came upon a UK TV series chronicling the darker side of the British public house or pub, the  Sky TV series, The Toughest Pubs In Britain. It does provide a fascinating and often horrifying look into these cultural temples, as the show traverses the length and breadth  of England, Scotland and Wales to showcase the bizarre, and unsettling antics of a set of characters drawn directly from the “Snatch” school of central casting.

The episode that really haunts me is this one on a pub in Birmingham, The Sportsman, and it’s cider swilling regulars.

For those of us that have spent any prolonged period of time imbibing ale on both sides of the Pond, the images may renew memories that we might sooner forget.

Doubtful they’ll be showing this on BBC America any time soon.  Enjoy.

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