Music – Tacky Raccoons

Saturday Matinee – Chris Thomas King, The Bo-Keys & Dan Patlansky

Chris Thomas King‘s haunting cover of John The Revelator is made even spookier by the voodoo queen aura of the dancer. King became the last major folk blues discovery of the 20th Century when he was discovered in Louisiana in 1979 by a folklorist from the Smithsonian Institute. He was also chosen by the Coen brothers to play the role of itinerant bluesman Tommy Johnson in the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000).

The Bo-Keys features soul gospel singer Percy Wiggins. Led by producer / bassist Scott Bomar, the group includes historic session musicians from legendary Stax and Hi Records studio bands. (This song is NOT a cover – they released it in 2011).

Dan Patlansky was voted the #4 Best Guitarist in the world and (besides Joe Bonamassa!) remains the only artist in the world with two worldwide No. 1 and two worldwide No. 2 Best Blues Rock Albums as voted by Blues Rock Review USA.

Thanks to FIFA, visitors from around the world are giving rave reviews about everything from American food and hospitality to the wonders of state routes and Walmart. Oil prices are dropping, Iran promised to keep its promises a bit longer before breaking them again; everyone on Xwitter has suddenly become experts on pool sealants and algae mitigation, and Clay Aiken hasn’t spoken to Kelly Ripa in 20 years.

The days seem to be getting shorter after last week’s solstice, so tomorrow is Porch Time. See you at half-past whenever.

Rheotropismic Hot Links

Atomic Dog, George Clinton (1982)
Atomic Dog was P-Funk‘s last recording to hit No. 1 on the U.S. R&B chart, but didn’t make Billboard’s Top 100. Bow wow wow yippie yo yippie yay.

Chewin’ the ‘zooka.

An unfinished song.

10 BIG COOL DRINKS.

The mountains of Houston.

The Reflecting Pool update.

The Season [via Bustednuckles].

Heinrichs and Bachmann covers.

Fast tapper [via Memo Of The Air].

Hoodrats in Mehdi’s Bronx bodega.

Metro Tunnel State Library Station.

Cows and cars [via Thompson, blog].

Couldn’t edit the green guy who’s a girl.

Top 50 clichés of AI [via Nag on the Lake].

Doodle Boy then, Doodle Boy now [via Everlasting Blört.

[Image at top: Tusken Raiders of the Lost Ark, via Miss Cellania.]

From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago. 15 years ago.

Saturday Matinee – Broken Brass, Boogie Beasts & The Cinelli Brothers

Broken Brass play a mix of funk, afrobeat, and New Orleans jazz, and have been dubbed “the unintended headliner of Into the Great Wide Open” an annual open-air music festival held on the island of Vlieland, Netherlands.

Belgian blues band Boogie Beasts formed in 2011 after a jam session at a bar in Leuven. They’ve performed in various blues venues and festivals in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany Luxembourg, Switzerland and more, and have released two albums to date.

Winners of the 2024 UK Blues Band of the Year, The Cinelli Brothers (Marco and Alessandro) revive 1960s – 70s vintage electric blues, R&B and soul with a modern vibe. Hit the Ground Running is a cover of a Catfish song, performed for a tribute album to Catfish frontman Matt Long, who succumbed to cancer in October 2024.

News of the Week includes vandalism at the bottom of the Washington Monument reflecting pool, the BO Library dedication party, live alligator wrestling at the White House, another peace deal for the ROP jihadists of Iran to violate, and FIFA 24/7. I might have missed a few things, so bring a list with you tomorrow – it’s porch time once again.

Furciferous Hot Links

Stormy Weather, Reigning Sound (2019) Great garage punk cover of the classic torch song Stormy Weather, first recorded by Ethel Waters in 1933.

So sad.

TP in bw.

Manhunt.

Road trips.
Road maps.

Song of the Static.

The $1,800 lesson.

The anti-concession.

Nepetalactone + cats.

Isometric NYC [via Nav Tour].

MOBOT [via Thompson, blog].

Some people get all the credit.

Somewhere on Latrobe Street.

A lot of drama in a little suburb.

Veering left [via Memo Of The Air].

Huang Yung-Fu, the village painter.

A Daily Cloud [via Everlasting Blört.]

[Image at top: Cropped and modified image of cover art of the May 1939 issue of Fantastic Adventures, found in here.]

From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago. 15 years ago.

Saturday Matinee – Amani Burnham, Robben Ford (w/ The Frankfurt Radio Big Band) & Chicago

Guitarist and vocalist Amani Burnham, backed by an unnamed power duo, recorded his first album entitled Roots & Wings (released this year). Born in Ethiopia, Burnham began his career in 2023 on social media, with 250,000 followers and nearly 30 million cumulative views on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook).

Robben Ford, backed by The Frankfurt Radio Big Band, cover Howie Casey & The Seniors 1962 classic. Ford was named one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century” by Musician magazine (and has one hell of a resume).

Chicago, the self-described rock and roll band with horns, released 25 or 6 to 4 as a single in 1970. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 6 on the Cash Box Top 100 charts. The title is about writing a song in the wee hours of the morning – 25 or 26 minutes before 4 am.

I hear that the world championship to determine which country has the best association football team is underway. I think it’s called FIFI or FAFO or something, I don’t really follow it much, so I’ll be on the porch tomorrow instead. See you there.

Panhygrous Hot Links

Man Child, Sam The Sham (1963)
Domingo Samudio, aka Sam The Sham, released his first 45rpm in 1962, a cover of Chick Willis’ Betty and Dupree; the B side was Man Child. Two years later, Sam The Sham & The Pharoahs’ hit Wooly Bully made No. 1 in Billboard’s Top 100 for 1965. Contrary to popular belief, Samudio wasn’t of Mexican ancestry; he was of Basque/Apache descent.

HORSE.

Little Sadie.

A true woody.

Speed climbing.

Comfortable shoes.

Too many gummies.

A reunion at Lowe’s.

Creating mediocrity.

Recycling briquettes.

Animated Beastie Boys.

Jaya The Cat’s roadtrip.

Melbourne train stations.

George Washington’s beer.

Robotic prototypes of 1968.

Erik Kogan’s odd photography.

The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo.

Tower Records 1971 [via Everlasting Blört.]

The new recipe smells just like the old recipe.

Headbanging with glasses [via Thompson, blog].

Chaco Chachalaca, Dickcissel & 98 more cool bird names
[via Memo Of The Air].

[Image at top: Slotville Gas by Jarel Built found here via here.]

From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago. 15 years ago.

Saturday Matinee – Jessie Wagner, Selwyn Birchwood & Justin Saladino Band

Jessie Wagner was born in Norfolk, Virginia and began her career writing songs for Black House, a production company in Jacksonville, Florida. She’s performed with many recording artists including Chic (lead vocalist), backup vocals for Duran Duran, Kid Rock and Lenny Kravitz, and more recently is pursuing a solo career, writing and performing her own songs.

Selwyn Birchwood is an American blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter from Tampa, Florida. He plays what he calls “Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues,” and was the winner of the Blues Foundation’s 2013 International Blues Challenge (band category), as well the winner of the Albert King Guitarist of the Year award. [Wiki]

Justin Saladino Band, live at the Montreal International Jazz Festival 2018.
Saladino plays a mix of rock, blues, Americana and funk (and contemporary roots, whatever that means). More about him here.

Fun times indeed: The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is reflecting again, there’s more ballot fraud in California, Iran’s still dikkin around, FIFA announced that fans can bring disposable water bottles to the games, Jeff fell in the creek after we warned him twice, and now Texas screwworms are on the march. More news may or may not be discussed at Porch Time tomorrow. See you at your estimated time of arrival.

Misocaineacal Hot Links

Romantic Beach, Los Elásticos (2003)
Banda instrumental de México, amante de la lucha libre y de la de Música Surf. Los cuatro luchadores y una Go-go Dancer tienen una página web por ahí.

Mr. Hive Kitchen.

Artsy dartboards.

Soviet baby rallies.

Husbands of Target.

Sad transformations.

Ze Frank & Hymenoptera.

Pallets & pallets & pallets.

“Here’s what I think, Toto.”

Disappearing dabbawalas.

Joshie’s extended vacation.

Surgical Elementary School.

Potty love [via Thompson, blog].

Daredevil is Latin for bonehead.

Richard Johnston, Lonely Hunter.

The Boston Boom [via The Feral Irishman].

Argus is omnidirectional [via Everlasting Blört.]

1948 MG TC Special Roadster [via Memo Of The Air].

[Image at top: Soviet baby rally propaganda poster ca. 1923 via Nag on the Lake. Among other things they are demanding clean diapers.]

From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago. 15 years ago.

Saturday Matinee – Olav & The Blues Cruise, Sturgill Simpson’s Sunday Valley, and Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers feat. J.D. Wilkes

Olav & The Blues Cruise is a blues band from Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands. Fronted by Olav Boereboom on guitar and vocals, they’ve been active on the Dutch circuit for years playing original songs and covers, and released their first album in 2022.

“Beatin’ them strings like they owe him money.”
Sturgill Simpson’s Sunday Valley played some outlawbillygrass chicken pickin’ cowpunk in a barn somewhere in Nashville (2011). Simpson has multiple Grammy Awards and nominations, is an actor, and occasionally performs as his alter-ego Johnny Blue Skies.

Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers is a hellbilly punk band from Murray, Kentucky, fronted by banjo picker and harp wrangler J.D. Wilkes. Wilkes has a solo career as well, that includes music, visual art and illustration; he’s also a novelist, amateur filmmaker, and is a genuine Kentucky Colonel.

Lotsa news this week, some good, some bad, some too absurd to worry about, and tomorrow is Porch Time. I’ll have everything in order by whenever, so show up at the usual time and you can see for yourselves.

Memorial Day 2026

Arlington National Cemetery, L’Enfant Drive, Section 41.

Memorial Day is a time of remembrance, reflection, and reunion with friends and families. For your festivities, here are some unrelated tunes, chosen at random and ordered by year of release.
[Previous Memorial Day posts are archived here.]