Tag: R&B

Saturday Matinee – Blues Against The Machine, The Future Shape Of Sound & Otis Rush

Blues Against The Machine is a six-man blues/jump/boogie/rock supergroup with members from Portugal, Spain, Norway, Poland and Italy. Winners of several prestigious blues awards, BATM are headliners at many blues festivals around Europe.

The Future Shape Of Sound, aka The Church of Rock & Roll, advertise themselves as a “9-piece Rock’n’Roll Gospel Spectacle”. Three of the members have a side hustle as the award-winning Soca Divettes.

From his first hit in 1956 (I Can’t Quit You Baby) Otis Rush was the sound of West Side Chicago electric blues. His vocals and playing style influenced many who followed, including Buddy Guy, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn (who named his band after Rush’s 1959 hit Double Trouble).

I intended to post something insightful and brilliant about the recent state of affairs but decided to save it for another time and another place.
Like tomorrow. On the porch. Be there or BL7.

Happy Independence Day!

Independence Day 1919 Washington D.C.

Have a happy 4th, and if you do the splody things, may you have the same number of fingers tomorrow – your hair will grow back, but they won’t. For those in the BBQ and beer crowd, here are some random tunes from the archives in no particular order.

[Caveat: I don’t own the copyrights to any of the recordings. They are presented here for entertainment purposes only.]

Saturday Matinee – Lil’ Jimmy Reed, Bag of Nails & Blackburn Brothers

Leon Atkins, better known as Lil’ Jimmy Reed, is one of the last original Louisiana bluesmen. Born in the late 1930s in a small sawmill town on the Mississippi, he was playing a cigar box guitar at six years old; by the time he was a teen he was playing guitar and harmonica in local clubs around Baton Rouge. Atkins earned his nickname the night he filled in for local bluesman Jimmy Reed.

Formed in Athens, Greece, in 2015, Bag of Nails describe themselves as a psychedelic blues/soul/rock trio inspired by classic music of the 1960s and ‘70s.

Blackburn Brothers were described by Living Blues magazine as a “generational family band [that] plays traditional blues and R&B with a contemporary take.” The heart of the group are the sons of Toronto R&B great Bobby Dean Blackburn.

Getting serious news overload these days, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to let up. So many topics will be up for discussion when the porch opens tomorrow at, um, you know, porch time. See you there.

Rotocratic Hot Links

Sloozy, G.E. Smith & The SNL Band (1992) Best known as the leader of the Saturday Night Live Band, G.E. Smith is one of those rare talents who never called attention to himself while at the same time being a ubiquitous guitarist, songwriter producer and band leader.

“SPANKO!“

Save the chili.

Dance, Elaine.

Doggo vs. deer.

On 5 June 1989.

Camping of yore.

Chiseled flowers.

Shari’a don’t like it.

Belgium wind theft.

Shoes & power lines.

Margaret’s cowbells.

Something happened.

“No fkkn taco cheese.“

Norty Blues Episode 119.

Strepsiptera.
“Look! There’s one now!“

A satisfying five minutes.

Big Bird meets Hitchcock.

Fred Lynn & The Chuck Ups.

The Evolution of Snow White.

Kullman Dutchess prefab diner car [via NOTL].

Automotive eyeopeners [via Everlasting Blört].

Coches de Madera PUJILÍ 2025 [via Memo Of The Air].

[Top image: NE CEDE MALIS, 12″ × 12″ acrylic on wood, Tony Philippou 2014.]

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

Saturday Matinee – The Seatsniffers, Seratones, Eliza Stark & The Dappers, and Sue Foley

The Seatsniffers are a Belgian roots rock band with a large following throughout Europe.  Unfortunately they don’t seem to have a website. [h/t Chuck S.]

They’re part rock, part psychedelia, part R&B and part soul, but mostly Seratones is lead singer and guitar player A.J. Haynes. When asked what inspires her, she responded, “Afrofuturism.”

Eliza Stark & The Dappers:
“The only rockabilly band based in Montenegro. A classic trio of guitar, drums and hot chick slapping double bass and regular guests of national TV and festivals, they also well-known for their true and original music far beyond the borders of Montenegro.” – ES & The D Facebook Page

Sue Foley covers Clarence Gatemouth Brown’s classic Okie Dokie Stomp with style (and her trademark pink paisley Stratocaster). She’s been performing and recording since she was 21, has won many awards since [bio here].

Memorial Day

Arlington National Cemetery (via Google Maps Street View)

For those of you in the Memorial Day BBQ crowd, wrapping up your roadtrips, or just chillin’ on the porch, here are some random unrelated tunes posted in May of the years 2020 – 2025, ordered by year of release.

[Caveat: I don’t own the copyrights to any of the recordings. They are presented here for entertainment purposes only.]

Resofincular Hot Links

I Can See Clearly Now, Lachy Doley Group (2021) Cover of  Johnny Nash’ 1972 hit by Australian musician, singer and songwriter Lachlan R. “Lachy” Doley, best known for playing the Hammond organ and whammy clavinet.

This dog.

Dandelions.

The Foothills.

Bologna Song.

Getting the crabs.

Oh for Ford’s sake.

No laughing matter…

Mighty Gabby Carter.

Gahan Wilson’s Diner.

New World Screwworm?

Norty Blues Episode 116.

J.D. is only 19 miles away.

The Stupid Measles Chart.

Fur and windshield wipers.

The Bic Cristal [via My OBT].

Claycat’s Doom – The Dark Ages.

My new ringtone [via Bunkerville].

Reading Ulysses in Montana #668.

Top 100 rock albums from the 1980s.

May 1980 – Mount St. Helen eruption.

Sheriff Buford Pusser Home & Museum.

Lena Guberman’s masks  [via Everlasting Blört].

Steaming Across Panama [via The Feral Irishman].

“Oh, honey? Mind stopping by the store on your way home?”

Alcohol and stairs in a Russian kitchen [via Memo Of The Air].

[Top image: Retro Future charging station via Club Cranium.]

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

Fabaceous Hot Links

Ooh Poo Pah Doo, Taj Mahal (1996) Cover of Jesse Hill’s 1960 classic. It was originally performed by a New Orleans pianist known only as “Big Four”. Reportedly Hill wrote down the melody and lyrics while hearing it live and began performing it with his own band.

Bench.

Stand By Me.

The Overcrowd.

Message in a bottle.

The Speech Jammer.

Cool carpentry trick.

Etsybirds [via My OBT].

Norty Blues Episode 113.

Public Opinion 1935-1946.

Tasting Surströmming.
Discussing Surströmming.

2+ years of boring weather.

The Flu vs. ‘Rona smackdown.

Fkkn Jeff [via Feral Irishman].

The French invented car theft.

Four Decades of CBGB & OMFUG.

The Infanticiser [via Bunkerville].

Kerry Hyde’s science fair project (2021).

YouTubes’ 20 year anniversary Top Ten.

Pickle lovers always insist on a proud pickle.

Listen with your teeth  [via Memo Of The Air].

American polyglot learns bonabo [via Everlasting Blört].

[Top image: The Crow, digital art by Sigi Kolbe  ca. 2009 found here.]

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

Saturday Matinee – Playing For Change, Kenny Brown, JT Coldfire & The Killborn Alley Blues Band

Playing For Change x Visit Mississippi. Nice variations on Robert Johnson’s classic.

Born in 1952 on Craig Air Force Base near Selma, Alabama, slide guitarist, singer and songwriter Kenny Brown plays in the North Mississippi Hill Country blues style. He was taught by some of the best, including R.L. Burnside, who claimed him as his adopted son.

Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, James Thomas Uvalle (1980 – 2015) taught himself to play guitar at the age of 11. At 16 he adopted the moniker JT Coldfire and began his songwriting and performing career. He passed away suddenly at 35 years.

“The Killborn Alley Blues Band kills. Picture a deep-dish Chicago version of the Fabulous Thunderbirds back 30 years ago.”
Tom Clark, review of Tear Chicago Down, Hittin’ the Note • Issue 55, 2007.

Stock market up, stock market down, stock market up, and shake it all around. Been happening forever, seems a lot of people with TDS just began to notice. Meanwhile, the porch will open tomorrow promptly at whenever and we’ll discuss the best methods of trapping a skunk. See you then.

Saturday Matinee – Ok GO, Professor Louie & The Crowmatix, Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse, and The Terraplanes Blues Band

OK Go outdid Rube Goldberg in this sequence from 2010, all filmed in one take. Their website features behind-the-scenes clips of the set ups.

Professor Louie & The Crowmatix was founded by frontman Alan Hurwitz: “While performing as a duo with Rick Danko on stage, Rick would start calling me Professor Louie, and it was really a great honor.” Hurwitz produced three studio albums for The Band, and went on to form Woodstock Records.

Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse is a roots rock blues Americana country soul band from California, featuring vocals by documentary filmmaker, television producer, business entrepreneur and Louisiana native Greta Valenti.

The Terraplanes Blues Band is a relative newcomer to the scene. Having released their debut EP in 2020, they’ve already won recognition as “Emerging Blues Act of the Year” at the UK Blues Awards 2023.

Have a reverent Easter, an irreverent egg hunt, and stop in if you’re passing by – the porch is never closed.