HAPPY GNU YEAR!...

For Yvette & Garrett - Congrats!

(going old school with Percy Sledge)

Are you?...

I don't care if Monday's blue
Tuesday's gray and Wednesday too
Thursday I don't care about you
It's Friday, I'm in love

Hump Day Listing...

A list of Best Of lists (with top 5):

• Pop Bitez Top 25 - (Foo Fighters' Wasting Light; Black Keys' El Camino; Tom Waits' Bad As Me; Iamdynamite's Supermegafantastic; Chrysta Bell's This Train)
• NPR Ken Tucker's Top 10 - (Beastie Boys' Hot Sauce Committee, Part 2; Middle Brother's Middle Brother; Adele's 21; Raphael's Stone Rollin'; Tuneyards' whokill)
• Paste Magazine's Best 50 -  (Bon Iver's Bon Iver; Fleet Foxes' Helplessness Blues; My Morning Jacket's Circuital; Tuneyards' whokill; Middle Brother's Middle Brother)
• Billboard 200 Albums - (Adele's 21; Taylor Swift's Speak Now, Lady Gaga's Born This Way; Jason Aldean's My Kinda Party; Susan Boyle's The Gift)
• Rolling Stone's Best 50 -  (Adele's 21; Jay-Z/Kanye West's Watch the Throne; Paul Simon's So Beautiful, So What; Fleet Foxes' Helplessness Blues, Radiohead's King of Limbs)
• Eric Danton Top 10 Albums (Htfd Courant) -  (The Antlers' Burst Apart; Wild Flag's Wild Flag; Lori McKenna's Lorraine; Tom Waits' Bad As Me; The Weeknd's House of Balloons)

Hear a new girl's into town, yeah...

Wildweeds reunion concert at Iron Horse (Eric Danton)
It's not every teenage band that can reunite 40-odd years later to play a pair of sold-out shows for an audience comprising more than friends and family, but then, it's not every teenage band that landed a No. 1 hit, either.  The Wildweeds have now done both.  The Windsor group capped the second of two capacity performances Tuesday at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton with a 70-minute set of original songs sprinkled with cover tunes and, of course, the hit: "No Good to Cry,"  which the band saved for the end.  Read More

Tweet from Christine Ohlman:

Completely fabulous time singing backup at the Wildweeds Reunion with Big Al Anderson at the Iron Horse last night in Northampton, MA. I was honored to be asked to sing those wonderful high parts that were the late Bobby Dudek's on all the records...Jeff Potter stood in for the late Skip Yakaitis. Andy and Alex Lepak and Ray Zeiner were of course also there!!!

Merry Christmas, Baby, you sure did treat me fine!...

From all of the management, writers, editors, researchers, 

photographers and publicists here at johnnykmusic -  

The Merriest of Christmases!!!!  

Johnnyk's 2011 Christmas mix tape:

1. Let It Be Me/Christmas Song (Laura Nyro)
2. White Christmas (Otis Redding)
3. Merry Christmas, Baby (Wanda Jackson & the Continentals)
4. All I Want For Christmas (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
5. Merry Christmas (The Cameos) 
6. Soul Christmas (Count Sidney & His Dukes) 
7. Lonely This Christmas (The Sinners) 
8. Santa Won't Be Blue This Christmas (Jimmy Charles)
9. A Funky Xmas To You (J. Hines & the Boys)
10. Stone Soul Christmas (Binky Griptite & the Dee-Kays)
11. Get Down Santa (The Jive Turkeys)
12. Everything Christmas Should Be (Kenny Vance & the Planotones)
13. Merry Christmas, Darling (The Jaguars)
14. Christmas Time Is Coming (Lightning Hopkins)
15. Mrs. Klaus' Kimono (Drive By Truckers)
16. Xmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis (Neko Case)

'Twas the night before Chris Smith...

Help the girl get it done!...

Greetings from Sarah Borges:

A very merry and happy to all of you; I hope all of your wishes come true. Mine certainly did, we've raised $14,000 for my new record, which now has a name - 'Radio Sweetheart'!

Today is the last day of the fundraiser, and I'm looking forward to a new year, new record, and to sending out all of the fabulous prizes to you fancy donating folks. Order fulfillment of everything but the new record will begin after the first of 2012. The anticipated record release will be early summer 2012.

And for everyone who didn't get a chance to get in on the fundraising fun, you can still donate for the next 24 hours. Check it out HERE -- we only need $1000 more -- so close!

Still hearing from old Farquahr fans...

From Anonymous: The Farquhar were the best. My daughter at age 3 was singing the Pizza Boy song at school... for all who don't know, the chorus goes something like this..."Pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza boy is here. I got your red hot pizza, I hope you got the beer." Needless to say, I got a call from her nursery school teacher.  Skip ahead 19 years- she did graduate from college, so was apparently not permanently damaged.
The original posting here with many comments recalling the Fabulous Farquahr.  Also, now on Facebook.

Holiday greetings from the late, great New Orleans legend Johnny Gumbo...

Relax, it takes a little time to load.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Alas, he should have been this nimble just before the face plant on the sidewalk in front of the Ambassador Hotel at Jazz Fest last year.  But he rallied admirably!  That's why you've got to love The Gumbo!

Dudes, thank us by playing at Jazz Fest!...

The Black Keys are ending the year with El Camino as the #2 album in the US! Thanks to every one of you that purchased the album and an extra thank you to for being a part of the mailing list.

Just another Manic Monday...

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has not yet announced that final TBA spot for the 2nd weekend of 2012 Jazz Fest.  It makes SO much sense that it would be the Black Keys- they have played the 2009 Voodoo Fest and the Nola House of Blues;  Dan Auerbach is reportedly making a record with Dr. John to be released in 2012.  Just do it, boys!  UPDATE:  According to this article  by Keith Spera, The Times-Picayune, "The other TBA likely won't announce his plans until January. So the festival accommodated him, in the interest of building a better overall show."  Is the singular reference a ploy or are we out of luck?  Unfortunately, I'm guessing the latter.

Great news for our new fav band, Low Cut Connie.  NPR's Fresh Air has chosen Get Out the Lotion as one of its Top 10 Albums of the Year.  We, of course, knew this already, didn't we?  Audio for this story from Fresh Air from WHYY will be available at approx. 5:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday.  Congrats, boys, now come perform in CT!

Shopping Saturday, maybe...

In my online CD order from Barnes & Noble, got Paul Anka's Songs of December (an album of crappy Xmas standards) instead of Girls' Father, Son, Holy Ghost.  Not cool.  Called B&N; they are priority the correct CD, so we're good.


Gently urging the Boys From Brooklyn to see Low Cut Connie at the Living Room in NYC tonight.

Heard that Daniel Street, the concert venue down in Milford which recently hosted a solo Justin Townes Earle show, will close at the end of this year.  They will go out with a bang - final show on December 30 is the Felice Brothers.

The Cults:

The Cults on Yo Gabba Gabba! from stereogum on Vimeo.

NYC loses two arts icons...

(NY Times) One of them found a tiny old theater on a grungy stretch of the Bowery. The other mortgaged her home to buy a 19th-century coffee barge and haul it to the Fulton Ferry Landing in Brooklyn.  That coffee barge, bought for $10,000 in 1976 by Olga Bloom, who died on Nov. 24 at 92, became the floating chamber-music hall Bargemusic. And the 107-seat theater on the Bowery, a few doors down from the punk-rock club C.B.G.B., was, starting in 1964, the home of the Amato Opera, which its founder, Anthony Amato, who died on Tuesday at 91, liked to call the smallest grand opera company in the world. (read more)

New York City’s floating concert hall 
Moored in Brooklyn just under the Brooklyn Bridge, Bargemusic presents great music up to five days a week, every week of the year. Walk across the gangplank of a renovated coffee barge into a “wonderfully intimate wood-paneled room with thrilling views of lower Manhattan and excellent acoustics.” Experience why critics call Bargemusic “the perfect chamber-music hall” and why artists say it is “unlike any other place in the world to perform.” See calendar of concerts, info about reservations, and how to get to Bargemusic. Read a Mayoral Proclamation in honor of Bargemusic.

What's puzzling you is the nature of my game

Pre-Christmas music wish list (for those with curiosity and taste)
Yo Yo Ma - The Goat Rodeo Sessions
Ruthie Foster - Live at Antone's  (jk note: she's live 3/9/12 at City Winery in NYC)
Ruthie Foster - Let It Burn (out 1/31/12)
Gillian Welch - The Harrow And The Harvest
Amy Winehouse - Lioness: Hidden Treasures (out 12/5/11)
Low Cut Connie - Get Out the Lotion
Tom Waits - Bad As Me
Dex Romweber - Is That You in the Blue?
Drive-By Truckers - Go Go Boots
Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'
Allen Toussaint - The Complete Warner Recordings
Trombone Shorty - For True
Dinah Washington - After Hours With Miss D
The Black Keys - El Camino (out 12/6/11)
John Prine - The Singing Mailman
Feist - Metals

Wouldn't it be nice....ACTUAL Beach Boys (sans dead Dennis & Carl) to play Jazz Fest...

Quint Davis promised that the TBA on the 2012 Jazz Fest lineup was a “mind-blowing reunion.” In fact, it’s the remaining original Beach Boys – Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine, with long-time members Bruce Johnston and David Marks – who are also coming together for a new studio album, their first together since 1980′s Keepin’ the Summer Alive. The album and tour will be part of a celebration of 50 years of the Beach Boys.

On the press release on the Beach Boys’ website announcing the reunion, Quint Davis says:
It’s an honor to present the original Beach Boys reunion at Jazz Fest 2012. Hosting the greatest artists of our era has always been the primary mission of Jazz Fest, and certainly the Beach Boys are unsurpassed as an iconic American musical and cultural institution. Every spring Jazz Fest is the number one destination for good vibrations and fun, fun, fun; on April 27, when the Beach Boys reunite on our biggest stage, it’s going to feel like a thrilling homecoming for everyone lucky enough to be there. We’re all looking forward to experiencing the magic and the joy.

Also from the press release:
Brian Wilson says, “This anniversary is special to me because I miss the boys and it will be a thrill for me to make a new record and be on stage with them again.”  read more

Shelby Lynne singing Mother at John Lennon Tribute, Beacon Theatre 11-12-2010 ...

Walter Rose with Lucinda Williams...

Walter Rose - Driving South (feat. Lucinda Williams) by fanaticpro

(MOKB) - Over the last 25 years or so, the term country music became something of a joke for those who searched a little deeper for the music they listen to. Somewhere after the movie Urban Cowboy, country music became less about telling the story of the common man and more a commodity being sold to the masses at your local Wal-Mart. Recently, we have seen a shift in country music towards what made the likes of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Loretta Lynn icons in American culture. Movies like Walk the Line and Crazy Heart along with acts like The Avett Brothers, Wilco, and Those Darlins embracing their country leanings has led to a younger audience of fans open to seeing someone live wearing a Nudie Suit, Stetson Hat, or Wranglers and playing a steel guitar or having a little twang in their voice. In comes Walter Rose.

Hailing from Carmel, CA, Walter Rose is creating in his own words, “melodic novellas of road trips trough broken-down desert towns” and the kind of stories that bring to mind tumbleweeds blowing through old Client Eastwood movies.” We are fortunate to have the first taste of his debut album Cast Your Stone. The song is titled Driving South and features the excellent Lucinda Williams. It is a beautifully subdued number with tiny cracks of honesty in every lyric sung. The perfect musical companion for a road trip of self-discovery.  Cast Your Stone will be released on January 17th.

Too bad Phil can't make it...

2012 New Orleans Jazz Fest line-up announced!...

Weekend one         Weekend two

• Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
•   Eagles
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• Foo Fighters
• Zac Brown Band
• TBA  (johnnykmusic:  we can only hope it's The Black Keys)
•   John Mayer
• The Neville Brothers
• Al Green
• Herbie Hancock and his Band
•   Ne-Yo
• My Morning Jacket
•   Bon Iver
• Paulina Rubio
•   Jill Scott
•   Florence + the Machine
•   Allen Toussaint
•   Feist
• Bunny Wailer
•   Bonnie Raitt
•   Irma Thomas
• Maze feat. Frankie Beverly
• Dr. John & the Lower 911
• Janelle Monae
•   Yolanda Adams
•   Iron & Wine
• Pete Fountain
•   Rodrigo y Gabriella
•   Steel Pulse
• • Rebirth Brass Band
• Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
•   Esperanza Spalding
•   funky Meters
• Levon Helm Band with special guest Mavis Staples,
• Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
•   Aaron Neville
•   Steve Earle
•   Galactic
• Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s 50th Anniversary Jam
• Little Anthony & The Imperials
•   Ani DiFranco
•   GIVERS
• Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers
•   Dianne Reeves
• Irvin Mayfield & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
•   Better Than Ezra
• Carolina Chocolate Drops
•   Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk
•   Bruce Hornsby
• Dave Koz
•   The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
•   Gomez
•   Pedrito Martinez
• Bounce Shake Down feat. Big Freedia, Katey Red, Keedy Black, and DJ Poppa
•   Israel & New Breed
•   Seun Kuti & Egypt 80
•   Zebra
•   Amanda Shaw
• James Cotton “Superharp” Band
•   Cowboy Mouth
•   Asleep at the Wheel
• Papa Grows Funk
•   David Sanborn and Joey DeFrancesco
•   Bobby Rush
• Chuck Leavell & Friends
•   Ellis Marsalis
•   Marcia Ball
• Voice of the Wetlands Allstars
•   John Boutté
•   Gary Clark Jr.
• The Texas Tornados feat. Flaco Jiminez, Augie Myers, and Shawn Sahm
• Cubano Be, Cubano Bop: Poncho Sanchez & His Latin Band feat. Terence Blanchard
•   Cheikh Lô
•   Tab Benoit
•   Regina Carter's "Reverse Thread”
•   Bombino of Niger
• Glen Hansard
•   Big Sam's Funky Nation
•   Jeremy Davenport
•   Sarah Jarosz
• Bonerama
•   Evelyn Turrentine-Agee
•   Terri Lyne Carrington’s Mosaic
• Ruby Wilson’s Tribute to Bessie Smith & Ma Rainey
•   Wycliff Gordon
• Donald Harrison
•   Lindigo of Reunion Islands feat. Fixi
•   Sonny Landreth
• Buckwheat Zydeco
•   Soul Rebels
•   The Stars of Heaven
• Jewel Brown & the Heritage Hall Jazz Band
• Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters
•   Anders Osborne
• Honey Island Swamp Band
•   Theresa Andersson
•   John Mooney & Bluesiana
• Eric Lindell
•   Walter "Wolfman" Washington & the Roadmasters
• BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet
•   Pine Leaf Boys
• James Andrews & the Crescent City Allstars
•   Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys
• Big Chief Bo Dollis & the Wild Magnolias
• Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indians
• Shamarr Allen & the Underdawgs
•   Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience
• Dr. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band feat. Thais Clark
•   Banu Gibson
•   Hot 8 Brass Band
• George French & the New Orleans Storyville Jazz Band

Monday morning quarterback...

Recap:

• NY Football Giants overtake Cowboys - Eli's Coming (you better hide your heart)
• Cowboy kicker Dan Bailey misses crucial FG for 2nd straight week - Kicks (just keep getting harder to find)
• NL MVP Ryan Braun tests positive for PEDs - One Toke Over the Line, Sweet Jesus
• The Brownies lose again to the hated Steelers - The Browns sing The Three Bells (a song about little Jimmy Brown)

Coach, I have no idea- Spin Magazine's Top 10 albums of 2011 (see top fiddy):
10 Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes
09 Wild Flag – Wild Flag
08 G-Side – The One…Cohesive
07 The Rapture – In The Grace Of Your Love
06 Danny Brown – XXX
05 Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
04 Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
03 EMA – Past Life Martyred Saints
02 PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
01 Fucked Up – David Comes To Life

I want a Sunday kind of love...

Listening to:

• 12 Songs of Christmas (Etta James) Hmmmm, better idea than reality.
• Best of Al Green (Al Green) Decided to go with the Rev. on this frosty Sunday morn.  Spreading the love 'n happiness; feelin' alright
• Heroes Are Hard to Find (Fleetwood Mac)  Couldn't resist (see story below).  Love this album, Mac after Peter Green, but before Buckingham-Nicks. 

It's kinda like love in an elevator, only sideways:

(Gawker) Are these people having sex on the subway heroes or villains?  A couple had full-blown intercourse on the Vienna metro. When other passengers realized what was up, they fled—then, slowly but surely, crept back to watch, cheer, jeer, photograph, and film it. Is this a triumph or a travesty? (watch for yourselves, you perverts)
Heroes & Villains (Beach Boys)
Heroes Are Hard To Find (Fleetwood Mac)

Redscroll Records, 24 North Colony Road, Wallingford is selling all its used CDs for $2 each until 12/31.  Might be worth the trip over to check them out.  (update: I went)

• The Rhythm and the Blues (Sam Cooke)
• The Very Best of (The Coasters)
• Retrospective (Buffalo Springfield)
• The Beach Boys Today (The Beach Boys)
• Chronicle (Credence Clearwater Revival)
• The Best of (The Doors)
• The Best of (War)
• Last Boogie In Paris (Johnny Rivers)
• The Best of (Phoebe Snow)
• Freedom in the Groove (Joshua Redman)
• Moondance (Van Morrison)
• Full House (Wes Montgomery)
• Stars & Guitars (Willie Nelson)
• What's Going On (Marvin Gaye)
• Handel's Messiah (Cathedral Choir & Orchestra)

Got 2nd Low Cut Connie CD in mail today. Whose Xmas present is it?...

Good things goin' on...

Fans and friends...we've got a lot of things brewing over here.  We've got a couple of New York City shows coming up next weekend...and our first annual Connie holiday party after the show next Saturday. COME BY AND PARTY WITH US!!!  Details are listed here.

We've got lots of plans in the works for 2012....a short Northeast tour in February...long Southern tour in March (including the SXSW festival in Austin)...and recording a NEW RECORD in the spring.  Plus, lots more great press articles will be coming out over the next coupla months.  Who knows where the new year will take us, but we're gonna keep truckin' along and hopefully hit your home town!

Don't forget to vote for us in the NPR "Favorite Albums of 2011" Poll ...keep spreadin' the word about us and we promise to keep giving you sweet hefty slices of rock n roll goodness.
Happy Holidays from all the boys!---LCC

 -----------------------------------------

johnnyk to Cafe 9 via twitter: Hear of Low Cut Connie?

Cafe 9 to johnnyk via Twitter: Not until now.  We really dig these guys.  Thanks!

Here's hoping  we've made a match for a date at the Musician's Living Room.

What does your weak end look like?...

Playin' El Camino LOUD while trimming Christmas tree.  Ain't no gun in my house.

Saturday morning breakfast at Main Street Diner in Plainville, right out of Diner.  Soundtrack included the Impalas' I Ran All the Way Home, Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender, Jackie Wilson's Lonely Teardrops, Isley Brothers' Shout, etc.  Good hash and eggs, too.

Suicide is painless, it brings on lots of changes (M.A.S.H. theme)...
Actor Harry Morgan, best known for playing Colonel Sherman Potter in US TV show Mash, has died aged 96.  The star died at his Los Angeles home after suffering from pneumonia, his family confirmed.  Mike Farrell, who played BJ Hunnicutt in the military series, said of Morgan: "There was not an unadorable bone in the man's body."  Morgan also appeared as Officer Bill Gannon opposite Jack Webb in TV crime serial Dragnet from 1967 to 1970. (read more)

Star Wars, nothing but Star Wars...
SOUTHINGTON (Record-Journal)- After 48 hours of singing the words of Sir Mix-A-Lot's 'Baby Got Back,' and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' 'Californication,' among other karaoke songs, Jeff McFarlane will be in the Guinness Book of World Record.  Beginning Wednesday, McFarlane began a 48-plus hour marathon of karaoke songs, hoping to set the world record. On Friday, around noon, he set the record with the singing of Queen's 'We are the Champions.'

The Night Tripper meets the Beehive Queen...

Christine w/Mac Rebennack (Dr. John) at a private evening of duets and music to benefit
the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic. Dec. 7, 2011 Weston, CT

Will this be tolerated???...

Announcement from Zero Tolerance (those intolerant bastards!):

Ok kids, Big announcement time... After lots of soul searching, Zero Tolerance has decided to call it quits. We've got two gigs left, Dec 17th at Bleachers and Jan 21st at the Downtown Cafe. Hope you'll swing out to one of them to help us celebrate what has been a heck of a run for us. - Jon

FAME, I'm gonna live forever....

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

They're in:

• Guns 'N Roses
• Laura Nyro
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Beastie Boys
• Donovan
• Small Faces

They're screwed:

• Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
• Eric B. & Rakim
• The Cure
• Heart
• War (what is it good for?)
• The Spinners
• Donna Summer
• Rufus with Chaka Khan

Black Keys on the Colbert Report last night...

Interview with Stephen Colbert (a bit lame)

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Performance: Lonely Boy

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Performance: Gold On the Ceiling

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Shelby Lynne on Letterman last night...

Eilen Jewell in Natick with Chris D...

Reknown singer/songwriter/author/Crimson hoopster Chris D recently caught Eilen Jewel in concert at the Natick Center For the Arts and sends along a few thoughts:

I liked Eilen Jewell a lot.  She has a new disk out:  Queen of the Minor Key.  As I think you know, she's a waif of a girl, but with a big voice and a solid band.  Her lead guitarist, Jerry Miller, is outstanding.  He played more than a dozen solos, most notably on Shakin All Over.  She covered a few Loretta Lynn songs (a favorite singer of Jewell's).  My favorite song she sang was Let the Rain Roll In, a beautiful/sad song.  A poignant refrain:  Let's Listen to the Rain Roll In / I don't feel like we gotta do nothin / The years go by and before too long / Even the very last one is gone / The very last one is gone.  Not the most uplifting set of lyrics, but the rest of the song is a little carpe diem-ish:  enjoy the beautiful days we have.  I think we can all identify.

Amy Winehouse: Ireland, 2006...

In the depths of winter 2006, Amy went to the small town of Dingle in South West Ireland to record an intimate session in the town’s Church, and record an interview for long-running Irish music show Other Voices. In a documentary which will air on the BBC in January, Annie Mac looks back on the time Amy came to Dingle and wowed the locals with her performances of songs from Back To Black.

Vote for your favorite albums of 2011 on NPR...

(From NPR)  You've seen NPR Music's picks for the albums of the year, now it's time to tell us yours. Below, you'll find a list of about 250 albums released in 2011 that we've talked about on All Songs Considered or covered elsewhere on NPR Music. Think of it as your chance to stretch this conversation out for a few more days, or just to tell us how crazy we were to leave your favorite album off the list.

Of course, even 250 albums doesn't come close to covering the range of great music released this year. If you don't see your picks in the list, you can write them into the form at the bottom of the page.  Voting will remain open until 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 13. We'll tabulate all the votes and reveal your top 100 on next week's episode of the show. - VOTE HERE!

I voted (quickly, knowing I will think of more):

• Adele - 21
• Lucinda Williams - Blessed
• Trombone Shorty - For True
• Gregg Allman - Low Country Blues
• Black Keys - El Camino
• Low Cut Connie - Get Out the Lotion (write-in)
• Justin Townes Earle - Harlem River Blues (write-in)
• Steve Cropper - Dedicated, A Tribute to the 5 Royales (write-in)
• Dex Romweber Duo - Is That You in the Blue? (write-in)
• Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'

Others: Sonny & the Sunsets-Hit After Hit; TV On the Radio-Nine Types of Light; Gil Scott-Heron-I'm New Here; Feist-Metals; Shelby Lynne-Revelation; Tom Waits-Bad As Me; Yo Yo Ma-The Goat Rodeo Sessions; John Prine-The Singing Mailman; Strange Boys-Live Music

Shonna Tucker leaves DBTs...

Shonna Tucker joined the Drive By Truckers as its bassist in 2003 while still the wife of member Jason Isbell.  Hardcore DBT fans are bummed, apparently she could drain a bottle of Jack with the best of them.  Her posted statement:

Hello friends,

Unfortunately, I come to you all with some sad news.

It's time for me to move on to the next great thing, whatever that may be.

I want to thank each and everyone of you, with my whole heart for your overwhelming kindness and support over the years. You are the greatest fans in the world! You really do amaze and inspire me. I can't express how much you all mean to me. Your rock solid encouragement has carried me through, many nights. I have been so lucky to have had the chance to meet and talk with so many of you. Your stories and passion are so incredibly inspirational to me.

I am, without a doubt, not done. I will have a website up and running very soon so that we can keep in touch. I have a whole lot left to say and do, and I can't wait to hear what all of you are up to. This is very difficult, so I'll leave you with this... for now...

Thank you all so much!

Safe travels and Happy Holidays to you all!

See you soon somewhere...

All my love,
Shonna

Hubert Sumlin, guitarist for Howlin' Wolf, dead at 80...

(Note:  Vin, Marcia, Keith and I saw him play with the Nighthawks last year at FTC Stage One in Fairfield)

Hubert Sumlin with Bonnie Raitt

(Billboard)  Revered blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin, who spent 23-plus years adding gritty leads to Howlin' Wolf's legendary voice and who inspired generations of axemen from Jimi Hendrix to Kenny Wayne Shepherd, died Sunday at a New Jersey hospital of heart failure. He was 80.  (Billboard)  A member of the Blues Hall of Fame, Sumlin's guitar work in Wolf's catalogue of big-voiced songs include "Killing Floor," "Smokestack Lighting" and "Back Door Man," to name just a few. Rolling Stone magazine recently tapped Sumlin as the 43rd greatest guitarist of all time. He ranked right above Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. 

Sumlin was a key part of Wolf's band from 1953 up until the singer's 1976 death. They began working for Sun Records in Memphis but later moved to Chess Records as part of the Blues migration to Chicago. He has been nominated multiple times for Grammy Awards but has never won.  Born in Greenwood, Miss., Sumlin had spent time in Chicago, Milwaukee and in later years, New Jersey. Several years ago he had to have a cancerous lung removed, but he continued to play live with an oxygen tank by his side.

Drink responsibly, play recklessly...

It's never sunny in Cleveland:
Old Browns (aka Ravens) 24 (9-3); New Browns 10 (4-8)
(From Yahoo)-While on the topic of the Browns, quarterback Colt McCoy’s average per pass attempt continues to plummet. He’s at 5.8 for the season. For a quarterback, 7.0 yards per attempt is a reasonable number. McCoy is becoming the Mario Mendoza of passing.

Black Keys free concert at Webster Theatre in NYC Monday night (streaming on mtvhive.com ); El Camino releases on Tuesday.
- Pitchfork review of El Camino
- NY Times review of El Camino 
- LA Times review of El Camino 
- All Music Guide review of El Camino 

Justin Townes Earle at Daniel Street in Milford, CT on Thursday night

Exhale on Main Street...

It's the first Friday of the month, so what do you think of?  Thai food and The Sawtelles for dinner, of course.  Kind of last minute 'cause everyone is going in many directions this time of year, but we grab Keith 'N Sharie and head over to Typhoon Restaurant in Middletown around six-thirty.  Great way to end the work week- good food, music and conversation.  It's a relaxed atmosphere.  The Sawtelles - Julie, understatedly cool on drums/backing vocals; Pete typically abrasive on guitar/vocals (just kidding; inside joke) - entertain us as we enjoy the Typhoon Magic Sticks, Golden Shrimp, Basil Fish, Pad Thai, etc. with our byob wine and beer.  Put it on your calendar for 2012.

Black Keys tour stops announced on website...

(Well, I guess the days of seeing these guys in an intimate setting are gone!)

The Black Keys will hit the road for their first leg of 2012 North American tour dates in March. Fans signed up to the official mailing list will get the first opportunity to buy tickets on 12/6 at 10am local time before public on-sale begins. To sign up for the mailing list now, click HERE.

Ticket sales for the general public will start on 12/9. For public on sale details click the date below:

3/2/12 - Cincinnati, OH - U.S. Bank Arena
3/3/12 - Detroit, MI - Joe Louis Arena
3/4/12 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
3/6/12 - Portland, ME - Cumberland County Civic Center
3/7/12 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
3/9/12 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
3/10/12 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
3/12/12 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
3/13/12 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
3/14/12 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
3/16/12 - Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
3/18/12 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena
3/19/12 - Chicago, IL - United Center (fan presale for this show will be 12/13)
3/20/12 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
3/23/12 - Norfolk, VA - Constant Convocation Center

And don't forget you can preview five songs from El Camino now HERE.

Hop on the bus, Gus...

Westie Punks
The Legendary Gussy Tapes, Vol I

Email response to Rolling Stone's All-Time Greatest Rock Guitarists listing from former Westie Punk Gussy P:

Why is BB King considered rock?  What's with Keith Richards, (my opinion)?  What about Stevie Ray Vaughn and Billy Gibbons (one of the bearded guys from ZZ Top, not the guy named Beard)?

Note to Gus - I seem to remember Gussy P wielding a pretty mean axe back in the day.  And don't forget our annual Christmas Season rite of chatting in the women's lingerie section of Macy's at the Meriden Square!

My Funny (Red Sox) Valentine...

Bobby V's special playlist gift to Sox fans: 

1. My Funny Valentine (Frank Sinatra) 
2. Rubber Ball (Bobby Vee)
3. Kiss Me, I'm Shitfaced (Dropkick Murphys)
4. The Impossible Dream (Elvis Presley)
5. Take Good Care of My Baby (Bobby Vee)
6. Fried Chicken & Beer (The Starters)
7. Whip It, Whip It Real Good (Devo)
8. It's All About Me (Mya featuring Dru Hill)
9. Red Red Wine (Neil Diamond)  I assume, needed when the beer runs out
10. Up Where We Belong (Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes)
11. I Only Want To Be With You (Dusty Springfield)
12. For What It's Worth (Buffalo Springfield)
13. Big Popi's Got a Brand New Bag (James Brown)

  
The Story Of How New Red Sox Manager Bobby Valentine Invented The Wrap

Honey, Herman Cain is on the phone...

Late Monday afternoon trail mix...

Most Likely You Go Your Way (Bob Dylan) Blonde On Blonde
I'm Down To My Last Cigarette (k.d.lang) Shadowland
I Ain't Got You (The Animals) The Complete Animals
All This Is That (The Beach Boys) Carl & the Passions
One Part Be My Lover (Bonnie Raitt) Luck of the Draw
Don't Forget About Me (Dusty Springfield) Dusty In Memphis
After the Fall (Ray Davies) Other People's Lives
Too Late Honey (Rob Stone & the C-Notes) Just My Luck
Is This Love? (The Iguanas) Super Ball
Satisfaction (Otis Redding) The Very Best of...
Lonely Financial Zone (Jonathan Richman & Modern Lovers) Roadrunner
London Calling (The Clash) London Calling
No Drawers (Marva Wright) Blues Queen of New Orleans
Message of Love (The Orbits) A Million Dollars Worth of Doo Wop
All Revved Up With No Place To Go (Meat Loaf) Bat Out Of Hell
Don't Step On It (James Hunter) Believe What I Say

Say hey, Terrie!...

Just received a quick reply to my Thanksgiving greeting from Jazz Fest bud Terrie (one of the notorious Shoe Ladies) saying she recently attended the Orlando Calling Music Festival and loved it.

Schedule Day 1 featuring the Killers, Drive By Truckers, Roots, Felice Brothers, Raconteurs, Pixies, O.A.R. Avett Brothers
Schedule Day 2 featuring Bob Seger, Justin Townes Earle, Buddy Guy, Robert Randolph, Kid Rock, Dwight Yoakam, Brandi Carlile

A record store Saturday...

I took Tom Waits' advice (see poster below).  Just back from a quick trip to Waterbury's Brass City Records with the following (all for $36!):

• Talking Book (Stevie Wonder)
• The Season (Jane Monheit)
• Song X (Pat Metheny/Ornette Coleman)
• The Melody At Night With You (Keith Jarrett)
• The Honeydrippers, Vol I (Robert Plant)
• 12 Songs Of Christmas (Etta James)
• Blood On the Tracks (Mary Lee's Corvette)

AND in the mail, I got my copy of Get Out the Lotion (Low Cut Connie)

Brass City Records in-store concerts through the years.

Iron Bowl today...

Auburn and Alabama played their first football game in Lakeview Park in Birmingham, Alabama, on February 22, 1893. Auburn (then named the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama) won 32–22, before an estimated crowd of 5,000. As if a signal of the future, disagreement between the schools began immediately as Alabama considered the game to be the final matchup of the 1892 season and Auburn recorded it as the first of 1893. (more at Wikipedia)

Just watched the ESPN documentary, Roll Tide/War Eagle, about the Alabama-Auburn rivalry.  Them's some crazy-ass fuckers.  Great song tho...

Message from Tom Waits...

I can't get no satisfaction...

(Reuters) - Legendary musician Jimi Hendrix was named the greatest guitar player in history on Wednesday by Rolling Stone magazine in a list compiled by a panel of music experts and top guitar players.  "Jimi Hendrix exploded our idea of what rock music could be: He manipulated the guitar, the whammy bar, the studio and the stage," said Grammy-winning guitarist Tom Morello in the magazine, citing Hendrix's "Purple Haze" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" as key tracks.  Hendrix is joined by the likes of Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend among the top 10, in a list laden with rock 'n' roll icons spanning decades.

The panel of experts recruited to vote for their favorite guitar players included musicians such as Lenny Kravitz, Eddie Van Halen (who was voted No. 8), Brian May and Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys, along with a selection of Rolling Stone's senior writers and editors.  The experts also weighed in on their favorites, with Pearl Jam's Mike McCready calling Eddie Van Halen "a master of riffs" and Joe Perry praising Jimmy Page's "vision of how to transcend the stereotypes of what the guitar can do."

The full list will be featured in a special issue with four special covers of Van Halen, Clapton, Hendrix and Page, and will be on newsstands and online at www.rollingstone.com on Friday. Rolling Stone's top 10 greatest guitarists follow:

1. Jimi Hendrix 2. Eric Clapton 3. Jimmy Page 4. Keith Richards 5. Jeff Beck 6. B.B. King
7. Chuck Berry 8. Eddie Van Halen 9. Duane Allman 10. Pete Townshend

TOP 100 Guitarists (Rolling Stone) 

Too High, Too Low

Everybody's working for the weekend...

• Zero Tolerance (those intolerant bastards) are playing tonight at the Milestone in Bristol, CT

• Sarah Borges at Johnny D's in Somerville, MA tonight

• Christine Ohlman is at Blackeyed Sallys in Hartford on Friday night

• Friday night, the Dirt Salon in Hartford is having a pot luck jam featuring Carlos Hernanadez Chavez and guests. (Byob and a dish $15/pp; Byob only $20/pp)

New Kate Bush: "50 Words For Snow"...

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British singer Kate Bush may believe the music industry is "collapsing," but her latest album has been hailed by some critics as a classic and she has promised more to come after years away from the studio.  "50 Words For Snow" is a concept album consisting of seven tracks, each much longer than the average pop song, which was described by the L.A. Times as "an art-song cycle that veers from delicate to blustery but always with a sheen of elegance."  In her five-star review, the Telegraph newspaper's Helen Brown called it a "quietly beautiful album," while Simon Price in the Independent on Sunday wrote of Bush's first album of new material since 2005's "Aerial":  "To the relief of anyone who carries a torch for the reclusive genius, it's a beauty."

Bush, who rarely gives interviews and studiously avoids the limelight, appears to share critics' sense of enthusiasm for 50 Words For Snow.  It is her second album this year following "Director's Cut," a re-working of music from previous records.  For an artist who waited 12 years between "The Red Shoes" in 1993 and Aerial, it has been a prolific period.  (the whole enchilada)

 

Sarah smiling...

SARAH BORGES EMAIL
You heard me right, it's not only turkey time, but it's time to hear me play my new record in its entirety tomorrow, November 23rd, Thanksgiving Eve at Johnny D's in Somerville, MA, with the band that played on the album (Russell Chudnofsky, Kimon Kirk, and Andy Plaisted). We'll be debuting the songs, as well as playing a super fun set of music fit for dancing. Perfect way to burn off all of the calories you're going to eat on Thursday.

Sarah Borges Thanksgiving Eve Event

Wednesday, 11/23, 8:30pm

Johnny D's Holland St., Somerville, MA

Kimon Kirk opens

Saturday marks the only Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles show of 2011 at the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, MA. Rob Dulaney, Binky and original Broken Singles guitar player, Russell Chudnofsky will play the hits that made us famous (or at least got us lots of free drinks!). The Saturday-after-Thanksgiving tradition continues, so get your tickets now!

Saturday, November 26

Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles!!!!

Narrows Center for the Arts, Anawan St, Fall River, MA

Amy Black opens

It's here already? That's right folks, it's not just Thanksgiving, but my record-making fun(d)raiser is coming to an end! So far I've raised just about $8000, which is amazing! We've got the songs recorded, mixing is just about to start, and oh, did I mention that not only did Steve Berlin from Los Lobos produce the record, but that Terry Adams from one of my favorite bands ever, NRBQ, makes a guest appearance?!!!   Be still my beating heart!

The only thing I still need to do is pay for it all! So it's time for little ol' me to thank big-hearted you for donating already, and to ask that if you haven't done it yet, you pretty-please do it NOW!! Check out the donation website and pre-order the new record, or donate for lots of other fun prizes.  And since this is the last week you'd better act fast, and to encourage you to do it there are a couple of way cool things happening:

Starting RIGHT NOW we'll be streaming one of the rough mixes from the record on the donation website. You can hear what YOU helped to make!!

And second, if we can hit $10,000 by SUNDAY (I know - SO MUCH money and SO LITTLE time!!!) I'll be streaming a mini-concert LIVE from my very own living room and broadcasting it straight to you via Ustream. This concert will be for my donors ONLY!!  If you contribute by Sunday, you can watch, listen, and talk all about it with all of the other donors. You can even send me requests.  And I will even play them.  Just for you.  Once you've made a contribution we'll let you know when, where and how to tune in.

Nothing goes better with your turkey and cranberry than a side of songs and guitars, so come on everybody, grab a drumstick (either kind) and CLICK TO DONATE!!!!