Milwaukee's Best

Whelp.  We just spent a great weekend in Milwaukee, WI with our buddy and long-time reader John (from Milwaukee), and Andy from the radio show Zero Hour Radio.  Some great food/cook-outs, and some great music all weekend long.  We even came back with 50+ records (damn our suitcase was heavy), that's gonna please y'all down the line.

We'd especially like to thank the great staff of WMSE (97.1), who were incredibly supportive and friendly, and put out just about the best free-from radio all y'all gonna hear (and it streams live on the internets, dammit!).  They put on the Radio Summer Camp all weekend long, with great bands (like, oh, I dunno, Jack Oblivian with John Paul Keith and the One Four Fives), culminating with a day long  free fest downtown on Sunday that featured, among others featured down below, The Carolina Chocolate Drops (who we bought a "commemorative kazoo from) and the chicken-hurlin' Southern Culture On The Skids.   

If y'all missed it, and wanna hear our interview, followed by the Jack Oblivian/John Paul Keith interview, go all clicky click here. 

Now, for the music portion of our "show".

We wanna draw yr ADD-addled digital listening selves to a few bands who played the free WMSE-sponsored fest, Backyard BBQ on Sunday.  We think they're fantastic bands that all y'all will dig, and we hope to cover further down the line.

First up is the .357 String Band, who kicked out the punk-bluegrass  (think they call it "Street-Grass") like nobody's business, reminding us, in a very good way, of Bloodshot's early years with The Riptides, The Meat Purveyors, and most especially Split Lip Rayfield.  They don't sound anything like those bands, of course, but they're carrying on the tradition of punk-inspired country that's been sorely lacking these days.

Next we've got Jonathan Burks (and his band), who do a Miller-lite buzzed-out snarl of boozed-up Country trash and LoudonWainright- style observation and snark.  The man loves his drinking song like no other, and we're keen to see where he goes from here.  Oh, and if you visit his site, you'll get a nice surprise,  but be generous, folks, be generous.  Man's gotta have beer money, dontcha know.

And finally, we've got The Ragadors.  Damn.  Saved the best for last.  We don't know what the following two tracks are actually titled, as they provided a sampler of their upcoming LP without a track listing.  Doesn't matter, cuz these cats make a fuckin' hell of a racket, all Blues-trash surge and wail, deep and heavy bottom with a guy up front who's voice comes from the very Devil.  This is a band to keep yr eyes on, and we'll have a longer post on these guys when their full-length comes out this Autumn.  They promised it'd be on vinyl (oh, and cd, too, of course), and we're seriously jazzed.  But for now, revel in this surging racket of rawk! 

Thanks for a great weekend, Milwaukee!

.357 String Band: Milwaukee, Here I Come (mp3)

Jonathan Burks: Drunkard's Remorse (mp3)

Ragadors: Untitled #1 (mp3)

Ragadors: Untitled #2 (mp3)


Check out WMSE.  Independent, Frontier Radio, and well worth it. 

Six Pack In The City

Good Times!

Got another hot rockin' round of our Six Pack special today.  Soon, we'll get back to covering actual individual artists.  How about some Abner Jay next week?  Yr wish is our command.

Before we dive into our semi-regular round of vinyl goodness, we've got a special announcement!

This Friday we're venturing out to Milwaukee for a weekend of booze and music with some good friends.  While there, we're gonna be a guest on the great free-form radio station, WMSE, 91.7 FM ("Anti-Established in 1981").     The show is called  Zero Hour Radio, and it's hosted by "Andy" who has his own site with archives of his fantastic shows, and , coincidentally, was a contributor to our very own Top 100 Drinking Songs (remember that?).  The show streams live on the internets, and will be this Friday from 12-3 in the afternoon (Central Time, kiddies).  So why should you check it out?  Well, besides me, Andy will be doing his usual brilliance, spinning the best in trash, garage, beat-soul, etc.  Our favorite reader (and WMSE DJ), John (from Milwaukee) will be on hand as well.  Oh, and there's a rumour Jack Oblivian and/or John Paul Keith might join us for a short while (enabling an Oblivians set, you betcha).  And finally, well, I'll be there, possibly presenting my best records of the year, so far.  It's gonna be a fun show, and all y'all should tune in!  Again, this Friday, on WMSE (that's the link to the online stream), from Noon-3.  (And if you're feeling particularly snarky, they have a phone number you can call in to for requests and whatnot....just sayin').

Now for another Six Pack o' tunes from our vinyl treasure trove.

First up is a slow funk burner, "Tire Shop Part 1" from the recently passed King Lee of New Orleans, with Quintron on all "instruments".  It's pretty fuckin' great, and perfect for your summer low-ridin' enjoyment.  Get it here, cuz you're gonna need it. 

We move from New Orleans to Tex-ass and John Wesley Coleman III's "Donkey Song", a slab of western-tinted fuzz'n'snot.  From the killer record "Steal My Mind".  More on Coleman later. 

On to Oregon for The Range Rats, and the tune "Thunder Road" (not the one your thinking of). The band is Fred and Toody from Dead Moon/Pierced Arrows.  It's a Country record, made back in the day and finally getting a release.  It's exactly as great as you think it is.  Hunt for it...cuz it's on Mississippi Records.

Moonshiner and tale-teller Hamper McBee's got some crazy ass backwoods folk shit going  on.  From his record "The Good Old Fashioned Way" , recorded back in the late 70's, and finally seeing release on Drag City.  This record is pretty much a must for any fan of "outsider" music (whatever the hell that is), Country, or great storytelling in general.

You probably already know who Tandoori Knights are.  If not, you will soon.  It's a Rolling Stones cover.  It's on Norton.  'nuff said.

And from Chicago, we've got the hollerin' garage-soul blues of Big Whiskey.  "Howl For Me" is pure swamp adrenalin.  Pogo 'til you're sore.

Collect 'em all and enjoy!  It's all vinyl and all good!  See you on the radio!


King Lee (w/Quintron): Tire Shop Part 1 (mp3)

John Wesley Coleman III: Donkey Song (mp3)

The Range Rats: Thunder Road (mp3)

Hamper McBee: Methodist Pie (mp3)

Tandoori Knights: Gomper (mp3)

Big Whiskey: Howl For Me (mp3)


Please support your local, independent, free-form radio station.

Shed His LIfe

7 Inch Alert!

Recently got a rekkid from the amazing Fast Takers, outta Portland, Oregon.  We get a lotta shit round these parts, mostly indie-pop and hip-hop 'n' techno (honestly, does anyone read this site?). A modicum of it's pretty killer, and most of it's...well...not exactly in keeping with whatever style(s) we try to achieve here in our humble internet abode.  The labels we really love are probably too smart to send us anything, cuz we're gonna buy it anyway.

The Fast Takers, on the other hand, know exactly what kind o' noise we like, and we're keen to pick yr ear about how great their new 7" is.

We don't normally do this, but here's a couple of quotes from their "one-sheet" (we think it sums it up better than we could...): "Yes, we were named after a Manowar song."  and "Yes, our lead singer is sexy, blind, and Mexican." (so, take that, Arizona).  We questioned them on that last quote, and here's what drummer Eric clarified: "Long story short is that Hernan (the singer) indeed has a pretty severe vision impairment. All in all it makes for a unique and often fearless stage show   Most folks don't know what to make of him stumbling around. they think its either the long hair or the drink.  In a tight stage setup, I find my drums/cymbals are definitely "in-play". Alas, he's closed the set with at least one unexpected dismount from the end of the stage.  I've suggested putting him on a safety-tether more than once -- no insurance and all..."

Do you need to know more?

Ok, then.

The Fast Takers make the kind of of buzzing, garbage-smeared, sonic-shaved balls-out rock'n'roll that many so-called "punk" bands can only dream about in their wettest sheet-soaked dreams.  Yup.  Fuzzed-out  garage blast-off, with the perfect nihilistic snark and snot-drenched vocals.  Methinks  I detect a touch of glam, but, shhhhhh, don't tell anyone.  It's a dirty alley fuck'n'run, all sleaze and empty kleenex-box release, and yr crawling back to yr crib like the wasted whore you know you are.

This is one of our fave rave 7"'s of the year.   Check out their site to order this waxed-off piece of trash.

One of the songs is off their new 4-song 7".  The other is a demo for an upcoming (fingers crossed) release.  Figure it out.

The Fast Takers: Shed His Life (mp3)

The Fast Takers: Spiritual Bleeder (mp3) 

Please support whatever you want.  Just try to avoid the corporate muckity mucks.