Halloween, Unholy Evening

I've been a fan of Sonya Cotton ever since she was brought to my attention by Chris Maher last winter. Her self-released album 'Baltimore Trees', a collection of beautiful folk songs, all sweet and warm and shimmering, has become a favourite, and I await eagerly next year's follow up.



In the meantime... Hey! It's Halloween! And parties etc. notwithstanding, what better way to celebrate than by listening to some great seasonal sounds...no? Sonya Cotton's partner in music, Chris Kiehne, has been cool enough to locate me and send their newly recorded (this week), online Halloween EP. I'm really glad he did, because this I wouldn't have wanted to miss. It's sublime; as lovely and outstanding (and "uncharacteristically unspooky") a holiday recording as you're ever likely to hear. Two gorgeous originals, and two traditionals. Do have a listen!

Sonya Cotton and Chris Kiehne | Halloween, Unholy Evening

Happy Halloween!

How Low Can You Go?

"After a search lasting two years, this heretofore legendary appearance by Sun Ra and Members of the Arkestra was identified by John Szwed and James Wolf. Ed Bland (producer, arranger and conductor of this LP) told John Szwed that Sunny was hired to write lead sheets for Curly Williams, who contributed much of the music on the disc and whistled the tunes to Sunny. He recalls Ra playing keyboards and the Arkestra's saxophonists participating. Sunny can be heard on tack piano (an instrument he was not otherwise known to play), and more recognizably on organ. Marshall and John are clearly present; the use of morrow (playing few, sharply articulated notes as to avoid the extreme bends characteristic of Marshall's home-made instrument) is particularly striking." (Robert Campbell and Chris Trent, from The Earthly Recordings Of Sun Ra', 2nd edition)



Sun Ra moonlighting. His participation on Dan & Dale's 'Batman And Robin' has been well documented, and there's a reissue out; this one on the other hand is not so readily available. (It turns up on eBay every now and then, fetching anything from $10 to $100 depending on the description given).

What we have is a rather cool limbo album performed by one Roz Croney (whom nobody seems to know who is or whatever happened to), backed by various Arkestra members. A research foundation of sorts was set up to find out more and possibly even locate her, but unfortunately it folded. Producer Ed Bland recalls making the album though.

I have no idea how this holds up to other limbo records, but I am quite fond of it, even without the Sun Ra connection. Although that does help.

Roz Croney | How Low Can You Go?

A manufactured image

Fictional music groups: How many can you name? I probably would have managed a dozen or so off the top of my head... but man, there are lots!





Some notables then (ie. ones I like): Drimble Wedge And The Vegetations | Max Frost And The Troopers | The Banana Splits | The Archies | The Carrie Nations | Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kids | Little Ladies | The Rutles | Ellen Aim And The Attackers | Ape Sex / La Llorona / Missiles Of October | Glam Damage | Soggy Bottom Boys



Some of them sound like this:

Drimble Wedge and the Vegetations | Bedazzled
Max Frost and the Troopers | Shape of Things to Come
The Archies | Jingle Jangle
The Carrie Nations | In The Long Run
Ellen Aim and the Attackers | Tonight Is What It Means To Be Young
Glam Damage | Scorched Out For Love (Dubgeist Remix)





Special prize (not really) for telling me where the title of this post is from.

My name is...

I more or less gave up on James Bond ca. 'The Spy Who Loved Me' (yeah I know, it's the fashionable opinion, who cares?) so it takes more than some new guy playing the role to get my attention. My old friend, Campinas (São Paulo) based DJ Andy Cumming mashing up baile-funk, electro and T. Rex riffs under the moniker Bonde James Bonde on the other hand, is very likely to. Listening to the results... I know I was right. They're great; check this out:

Bonde James Bonde | T Funk

There's more on the BJB MySpace. This is the kind of stuff you'll want to dance to after a Cansei De Ser Sexy gig. (You do go to Cansei De Ser Sexy gigs, don't you?)

I changed the layout. Not that there was anything wrong with the old one, I was just bored with it. To be honest I think all the layout templates that come with Blogger are a bit naff, and me being a graphic designer (supposedly) I really should make my own... but I can't be bothered, this will have to do. (I might customize the heading at some point though).

Excuses (Leftovers 3)

I've read enough blog entries that begin with "I haven't blogged in a while" to know better.

Instead I've been to the movies (the last couple of days), had the flu (off and on it seems, the last couple of weeks), and generally kept myself busy (all the time). I've been wondering when I'll find time to finish making my David Goodis website. Hopefully before the end of the year, in time for this; not that I'm attending, but they might throw some hits my way.



And I've listened to cover versions, since for some reason a lot of people have been mentioning them lately. Here are two of my favourites: An amazing reworking of Peggy Lee's 'Is That All There Is' by the incomparable Cristina (her two albums, along with the first few by her "chere copine in adversity" Lizzy Mercier Descloux, could sustain me for ages on a desert island), originally vetoed by writers Leiber & Stoller; and a dodgy sound quality South East Asian (I think) version of Nancy & Lee's 'Lady Bird' that was on K's 'Lets Sea' compilation from ages and ages ago (a bonus track, not credited to anyone so I have no idea who it is).

Cristina | Is That All There Is?
Someone | Lady Bird

I might not blog for a while.