Category: Music

Saturday Matinee – Android 207, Talking Heads, Tito Larriva, Johnny Nash & Krosfyah

Android 207 is a fun stop-motion from Carrotkid (Paul Whittington). In 2007, the film received the Best Film, Best Technical and People’s Choice awards at the Vancouver Island Short Film Festival. I’ve posted it before, and it’s still one of my favorites.

Classic Talking Heads video won “Best Group Video” at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1987. I probably posted it before also – I couldn’t find a live version of …oh wait, just found one.

Tito Larriva plays Radio Head in the movie TRUE Stories (1986). Larriva was a founding member of The Plugz.

Lost another great talent this week. Johnny Nash (1940-2020) was born in Houston, Texas, but moved to Jamaica in 1965, where rocksteady was big and reggae was just beginning to gain in popularity. Video is from Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, 1968.

Krosfyah‘s single Pump Me Up (1995) was a hit in Barbados, went gold in Canada. Great Soca.

That’s a wrap, at least for now. See you tomorrow and we’ll mess with stuff.

Jaculiferous Hot Links

Riff City, Slim Gaillard (1946) Bel-Tone RecordsGaillard could play several instruments and managed to turn the performance from jazz to comedy. He would play the guitar with his left hand fretting with fingers pointing down over the fingerboard (instead of the usual way up from under it), or would play credible piano solos with his palms facing up.

Black hole stuff.

Supernova stuff.

Wait for the beep.

Creole vs. Cajun Jambalaya.

Lord of the Paddle [sound up].

Does this ever happen to you?

Naked chicks rocking out. No, really.

Be careful where you park in Brazil. [Story here, h/t Nancy H.]

60 years ago: The first episode of The Andy Griffith Show aired on October 3 1960. Titled “The New Housekeeper,” Opie meets Aunt Bee.

[Top image of Slim Gaillard in a spacesuit-a-roonie from here.]

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

Saturday Matinee – Andrea Motis & friends, Stéphane Grappelli w/ Bill Coleman, Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks

Spanish singer and Jazz trumpeter Andrea Motis does Dizzy.

On the Saturday afternoon of the 6th Jazzing Festival, September 2019, there was a concert at the Bar Colombia in Sant Andreu town centre (a district of Barcelona, Spain) with Joan Chamorro, Andrea Motis, Carla Motis and Josep Traver plus some of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band including Joan Marti, Alba Armengou, Elia Bastida, Alba Esteban, Pablo Ruiz and Anastasia Ivanova (their guest from Moscow) here performing ‘On the Sunny Side of the Street.’

Bill Coleman (1904-1981) & Stephane Grappelli (1908-1997) ca. 1976. Great stuff for early morning forty miles to East Jesus road trips, or just sitting on the back porch watching the world go by.

Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks (with the Acoustic Warriors) 1989 reunion concert on Austin City Limits. Hicks had a solid fan base, but he got into alcohol and drugs, pissed off a lot of people. Years passed before he cleaned up his act and started over. DH&HHL came onto my radar in 1978 with (what my ears heard as) “Crazy Cuzzie Iz.” Thought he was singing about a family member.

Let’s do something tomorrow. See you then.

Saturday Matinee – Leningrad Cowboys, Eliza Doyle w/ Paula McGuigan, The Dead South & Elvin Bishop

Leningrad Cowboys are from Finland, and you’re on your own with this one. [h/t Mme. Jujujive]

Eliza Doyle on banjo, Paula McGuigan on upright bass. Amazing harmonies.

The Dead South (with Eliza Doyle) covers Roger Miller. It’s a singalong.

My uncle used to love me but she died;
A chicken ain’t chicken ’til it’s licken good and fried;
Keep on the sunny side;
My uncle used to love me but she died.

Jump to 0:50 to bypass the intro (or not).
Elvin Bishop is one underrated master of swamp rock guitar, always looks like he’s having fun with it.  He’s still performing (despite the lockdown).

Leave your masks at home, reduce your social distancing to the length of your forearm, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow.

Thalerophagous Hot Links

Ain’t Much Good in the Best Of Men Nowadays, Bessie Brown (1926)

Learning Italian.

Under the asphalt.

Shaq Has A Donut.

They walk the walk.

This is NOT Elwood.

This is NOT a forest fire.

Every Political Ad Ever.

 I just ate an egg from here.

Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet.

Punnett Squares of the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium.

[Top image from here.]

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

 

Saturday Matinee – Poderosa AAINJALA, Rising Appalachia; Kitty, Daisy & Lewis; Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats

Poderosa AAINJALA – 150 Tambores

Roughly translated from the indigenous Wuayuunaiki language of Bogotá, Colombia, AAINJAA means “to do, to elaborate, to manufacture, and to build.” More about this popular massive ensemble here.

Rising Appalachia plays roots-based music righteously. Leah Smith (aka Leah Song) plays banjo, bodhran; Chloe Smith plays guitar, fiddle, and banjo. Name of the song is Greasy Coat.

Kitty, Daisy and Lewis Durham perform Polly Put The Kettle On live at the 2012 Pickathon Pumphouse Sessions in Portland, Oregon. Kind of a quirky family group with an unknown surname from London, but they’ve got an aura of cool retro going – more about them here. This song’s a cover (written by A. Miller) but dang if I can find the original artist.

[Update: Sonny Boy Williamson recorded it as Polly Put Your Kettle On in 1947, and is credited as the writer on RCA Victor 29-2521-B.]

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats are awesome, even if some of their song patterns are a bit familiar. Wasting Time fits my mood these days.

See you tomorrow, rain or shine, and maybe we’ll do something.

Somewhat Apprehensive Hot Links

Nola, “The Piano Artistry of Jonathan Edwards” (1957). Pianist, arranger, composer, and conductor Paul Weston was the husband of vocalist Jo Stafford. The talented duo performed for friends as a cheap lounge act and eventually recorded several albums as Jonathan & Darlene Edwards. They were awesome.

Felix Arndt recorded his composition Nola in 1916.

Big hair pair.

What’s in a rock.

NASA’s World View is cool.

LSI ADM31 Brochure 1978.

How To Stop Bulldog Farts.

Australian toilet paper holder [via].

The girl in this video was Liz Brewer.

3-piece chicken dinner (with reusable box).

History of Breathalyzers and Drunk Driving.

“Folded Man” finally stood straight – after 28 years.

Hercules beetle vs. Hercules beetle bot [sound up].

“To me personally, detecting a gnawing gap […] is very exciting.”

Hurricane spaghetti models: you’re probably reading them wrong.

[Top image found here.]

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

Saturday Matinee – 2020 Cast Interviews, Big Bug, Gatemouth Brown & Roy Clark, Ry Cooder w/ Buckwheat Zydeco & Lenny Kravitz, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds

Well done satire, that.

Big Bug vid found here.

Clarence Gatemouth Brown & Roy Clark (with Leon Rhodes) do some serious pickin’ on Hee Haw (1979). If this ain’t roadtrip music, nothing is.

Ry Cooder, Buckwheat Zydeco and Lenny Kravitz, having some fun in New Orleans 2005.

The Fabulous Thunderbirds cover T-Bone Walker‘s The Hustle Is On (1950). Not sure of the date or location.

That’ll do for now. Gonna get some R&R and see you back here tomorrow as far as you know.

Saturday Matinee – HM Royal Marine Band, Kapua+Tatofi+Maoli, Redbone & Billy Preston

Post Horn Galop – The Bands of HM Royal Marines. Amazing post horn fanfare duel.

Hawaiians Kaipo Kapua, Josh Tatofi and Nu’u Maoli. This medley should be named “See A Minor, Effin’ G.” Those vocals are tight.

Redbone had a nice run in the 70s, Witch Queen of New Orleans being one of my favorites for the swamp-rock sound. Very underrated band IMO, even if they did wander into the pop playpen occasionally. “Come and Get Your Love” (1974) was an earful of soul.

Billy Preston sported one of the greatest ‘fros in the business, and wrote one of the best instrumental jams ever – Outta Space. This version is from 1987.

Have a great holiday weekend, have some fun despite what the scolds say, and we’ll do more stuff tomorrow.

Mostly Peaceful Hot Links

Have A Good Time, Big Walter Horton, Cobra Records (1956)
Horton was also known as “Mumbles,” and “Shakey” because of his head motion while playing the harmonica.

Relentless.

Please. Let her go.

Cats and Dominos.

Good news on the WuFlu.

¡Mirale! ¡El Ladder Luchador! [via]

Best lipsynch of Little Richard I’ve seen.

House cat on a drilling rig with high seas.

How women think men use the bathroom.

Puppy ate one of the last woolly rhinos in existence.
[h/t Paul Y.]

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

[Top image: Bunk as Flash Basbo Space Explorer, back from the Planet of the Mindgobblers.]