New England Music Scrapbook Newsletter
Alan Lewis, Editor

Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life

May 2, 2009
Issue 2009:325
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We've got Thrills, chills, Dirty Water
: : : What more do you need?
When the big beat hits ya
Comin' from your transistor
: : : Like the T at full speed
When the big beat hits ya...

"Boston Lullaby," Dudick/Naihersey.
: : : Copyright c. 1980 by Camaraderie Music, BMI.
: : : All rights reserved. Used with permission.

:

:

BRATTLEBORO, VT, May 2 - We received a good number of news e-mails this week,
but in general they arrived way late. Appreciating that a lot is going on is
easy. Working it all in at the last minute is hard.

Heartfelt thanks to whomever it was who put us back in contact with country
singer Joy Goodnow.

And also special thanks to Brian of the Peterborough Town Library in New
Hampshire.
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READ WHAT INTERESTS YOU, scroll on past whatever doesn't.
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RECORD RELEASES THIS WEEK
Listed by Newbury Comics, Excerpted by Us

Well...

As far as I can tell, Newbury Comics - normally, to our experience, a highly
dependable outfit - did not send its usual list of new record releases this
week. We definitely did not receive our copy. A search of the Newbury Comics
website did not turn up a list for the current week.

We once compiled something like a catalog of record releases by New England
artists. It was quite heavy on the early years, but it included a respectable
representation of records by more recent generations. My hope is to do the same
once again but to emphasize more recently issued material.

This project has gotten off to a decent start, but we have miles to go before we
sleep.

A few surprises have come along already. For instance, there is a Grace Potter
and the Nocturnals DVD I don't recall ever hearing anything about. It appears
to have had only limited distribution.

Personally, I was unaware that, about a decade and a half ago, one of New
England's most legendary groups, The Story (Jonatha Brooke and Jennifer Kimball)
presented a how-to video. It would be hard to exaggerate the importance of The
Story. Huge fans of strange-sounding harmonies love The Story to pieces. An
account of a video, previously unknown to me, is big news at least as far as I
am concerned.

The releases I have just mentioned have not found their way into our list just
yet, but here is one that has:

RADIO KINGS
"Cursed" Album

Another record we seem to have missed when it first came out is

Radio Kings
"Cursed" (CD, Dionysus Records 1233134, 2006)

I, personally, have no specific memory of the "Cursed" disc; and a search of our
computer files turned up nothing at all on it.

We were duped into thinking The Radio Kings were new releaseless.

JON BUTCHER AXIS
"A Stiff Little Breeze"

A search this morning of our computer files turned up nothing at all about this
album.

Jon Butcher Axis
"A Stiff Little Breeze"
(CD, Atom Records ATOM 0101, 2002)

Jon Butcher. There is a lot to like about this guy.

We have posted a query below, in Brief Items, about a new-to-us track by Margo
Thunder, on an anthology out of England. And recently we made note of an
equally new-to-us Swinging Steaks cut, "Smile," on a 2007 Minneapolis fundraiser
album.

So we present this information about a few New England-connected releases we
seem to have missed and some of you may have missed too, to stand in place of
the usual Newbury Comics offering.

My current listing projects include Vermont's Jazz Mandolin Project, southern
Maine's Joyce Andersen, and Boston's Eileen Rose.

:: ssteaks ::
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PRESS RELEASES THIS WEEK

<> Press releases this week are going to have to wait until next week, if we get
to run them at all.

At this point, time is definitely not on my side, no it ain't.

However...

Down below, where the press releases normally go, is the listing of

<> Rock Band Downloadable Content for May 5, 2009.
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GEOCITIES
Rides Off Into the Sunset

<> A free Geocities website account, which came with Yahoo Mail, gave this
operation its start. So we were very much saddened by the news that Yahoo is
closing down Geocities later this year.

An announcement is announced for sometime in summer 2009.

More on this later, one would imagine.
.


NEWS ITEMS PULLED TOGETHER AT WARP SPEED

Where has the time gone?!

We are dramatically and emphatically out of time. Here are a few items I'll
toss out informally.

<> Reducers in Boston

The Reducers at Midway Cafe
WHO? The Reducers, Johnny Black Trio, Classic Ruins
WHEN? Saturday, May 2, 2009 9:30PM
WHERE? Midway Cafe, Jamaica Plain, MA
HOW MUCH? $8

So say these Reductionists of New London CT.

<> Rose Polenzani at Hi-N-Dry HQ

SUN : MAY 10 : Somerville, MA
Hi-n-Dry at the Armory, 4:30pm
Rose Polenzani, Annabelle Chvostek and a special guest...
This is a very special, early-evening Mother's day show,
and a benefit for the Mark Sandman music project!

So says Rose P.

<> Patty Larkin: The Short Story

The versatile Patty Larkin has made an appearance in "Amplified," a book of
short stories. We will try to get back to this next issue, when available time
should be better than now because it's hard to imagine it getting worse.

<> Guitar Hero: Van Halen

I am not a gamer myself, though these rock 'n' roll computer games - Guitar Hero
and Rock Band - are otherwise of much interest. These games have interested
many young people in some great rock music, and Harmonix has been kind to Boston
bands to say the least.

Evidently user polls have shown serious demand for a Van Halen-based game. And
though the latest announcement - or at least what passes for an announcement -
lost me, apparently Activision has announced, as has been hotly rumored, Guitar
Hero: Van Halen.

I wonder if it would be possible to make a provision for a David Lee Roth, Sammy
Hagar, and Gary Cherone vocal trio.

= = =
= = =

PETER MULVEY
On Recent Releases He's On

<> "May I ... call your attention to my pals Jeff Foucault, Pamela Means, Chris
Pureka, and Dustin Lee. They've all just released records that are beautiful,
and they all were kind enough to feature my work on them: I played some lap
slide on Jeff's collection of John Prine tunes 'Shoot the Moon Right Between the
Eyes', sang and played guitar on a track recorded live in Dublin for Chris' EP
'Chimera', and sang and played guitar on Dustin Lee's countrified collection 'On
My Way Back Home'. Pamela Means covered my song, 'On the Way Up,' on her new
CD, 'Precedent.' It's times like these I can be convinced I'm a busy man.
Anyhow, I've enjoyed their music for years, in some cases decades, and I think
you would too. Please check them out, we all know how easy that is to do these
days."

SOURCE: YH Management, "Peter Mulvey Newsletter," April 26, 2009.

WE HAVE AN EARLY . . Pamela Means low-tech demo CD, and her guitar playing on it
is a real attention getter. I love playing it for visitors.

Pamela Means
"Pamela Means" (Demo CD, www.pamelameans.com, n.d.)
"Amen," "Restless," "Two Halves," "The Devil's Henchmen"

= = =
= = =

BROOKS WILLIAMS TRIO
Rockin' the House

"Brooks Williams Trio:

<> "It's a rare treat to see Brooks on acoustic and resonator guitar with his
musical compadres Richard Gates (bass) and Sturgis Cunningham (drums). They've
rocked the house in recent months at the Iron Horse Music Hall and the Black
Moon Music Club and are working up new tunes for the next CD. Plus, they're
rocking the hits! On Tuesday, 26 May 2009, come on out to Johnny Ds for great
music and great food in a great music bar. Tickets are only $10 and the show
begins at 8:30 pm."

SOURCE: Brooks Williams, "Red Guitar Blue Music Newsletter," April 29, 2009.

IF IT HAS BEEN YOUR GOOD FORTUNE . . to see and hear Brooks Williams in his
introduction to the Signature Sounds tenth anniversary DVD, you likely would
have no trouble imagining a Brooks Williams trio rocking the house. - Ed.

Various Artists
"Signature Sounds:
Tenth Anniversary Celebration DVD"
(DVD, Signature Sounds SIG 6001, 2005)
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BRIEF ITEMS :
: : : : :
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PETE SEEGER
At Age 90
Yahoo Music News Headline and Lead-In

Seeger to celebrate 90th with Bruce and friends AP - Fri May 1, 2:32 PM ET

NEW YORK - When Emmylou Harris was a young girl trying to figure out whether she
could have a career in music, she decided to seek advice from the wisest man she
could think of — so she wrote a note to Pete Seeger.

<> A thing Pete Seeger has long been famous for, singing political and social
reform lyrics in concert halls at paid concerts, simply was not done before an
1840s antislavery vocal group out of Milford, New Hampshire, the Hutchinson
Family. The possibility wouldn't have even occurred to people. In my early
days of Hutchinson Family research, the very first person with expertise on the
topic to help me out was Pete Seeger. I still have his letter.
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MARGO THUNDER

<> I am drawing a total blank on "Expressway to Your Heart" by Boston's Margo
Thunder, which appears on a United Kingdom various artists collection.

Margo Thunder
"Expressway to Your Heart"
on Various Artists, "Mama's Got a Bag of Her Own"
(CD, EMI Records, 2006)

If you are aware of this track being drawn from a domestic record, please e-mail
us the basic identifying information about this release via

: : : FredRemainsLost At Yahoo Dot Com

only convert this into an all-lowercase conventional e-mail address.

Margo Thunder is a nine point nine.

At least.

:: nems query, nemsquery, 9.9 ::
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DENNIS BRENNAN BAND
Thanks to Peter Wolf
of the J. Geils Band

We hereby take the liberty of copying a thank you note from Dennis Brennan to
Peter Wolf, which appeared in a recent Dennis Brennan Band mailing.

<> "THE DENNIS BRENNAN BAND sends a very special thank you to PETER WOLF for
having us open for THE J. GEILS BAND this past Tuesday at Boston's House of
Blues. We were honored to be included in this event and watching Peter et al was
an extraordinary experience, not soon forgotten."

http://www.dennisbrennan.com/

SOURCE: Dennis Brennan, "Mayday Plus One," May 1, 2009.

IF THIS EVENT . . doesn't make Dennis Brennan's highlight film, we will be very
surprised. Congratulations to all concerned! - Ed.
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THE PHOENIX MAILING SUBJECT LINE
"Goodbye to the Globe?"

"Will the Globe survive?

"Sizing up the paper's future as it approaches the deadline from hell"

SOURCE: The Phoenix, "Goodbye to the Globe?" April 30, 2009.

THE DEMISE OF . . the Boston Globe would mark a very sad day. - Ed.
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YAHOO MUSIC NEWS HEADLINE
Taj Mahal - Bonnie Raitt Summer Tour

Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal to team for "BonTaj" tour Reuters - Fri May 1, 8:40 PM
ET

DETROIT (Billboard) - If Bonnie Raitt has her way, this summer's BonTaj Roulet
tour with fellow blues musician Taj Mahal will be the first of many such
outings.

THIS PAIRING SEEMS . . like a great idea and with clear New England ties.

Each of these musicians has a solid background in the blues.

Taj Mahal grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts, while Bonnie Raitt got her
start in and around Cambridge, Massachusetts. - Ed.
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EDEN'S CHILDREN

<> We were involved this week in a little research having to do with Richard
"Sham" Schamach of the late-1960s Boston power trio, Eden's Children. If anyone
out there should connect with him, we would love to get an update.

: : : FredRemainsLost At Yahoo Dot Com

:: nems query, nemsquery, richard schamach ::
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BANJO DAN AND THE MID-NITE PLOWBOYS
Fire in the Sugarhouse in the Sugarhouse

Dan Lindner of Vermont's Banjo Dan and the Mid-Nite Plowboys received this from
an enthusiast over the band's new album.

<> "Thank you PLOWBOYS! We have 'Fire in the Sugarhouse' playing right now in
our sugarhouse. Hard to believe, but you've made maple season in Vermont even
SWEETER!!"

SOURCE: Dan Lindner, "Banjo Dan Summer Newsletter," May 1, 2009.

WE COUNT THIS . . as an endorsement. "Fire in the Sugarhouse" really is quite
good. This disc recalls early Plowboys music. - Ed.

Banjo Dan and the Mid-Nite Plowboys
"Fire in the Sugarhouse"
(CD, [Vermont Songbag] VSB 107, [2008])
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YAHOO NEWS HEADLINE
Friday-Saturday Overnight

Farmers fear their pigs may get 'swine' flu from people

WHAT CAN WE SAY? - Ed.
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end BRIEF ITEMS

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ROCK BAND DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT
For May 5, 2009 Release
Something for Everyone

Pretty big week this week, far's am I'm concerned. I don't know Prong from
Adam, but Franz Ferdinand is still a hot act with some decent tracks. AAF had a
popular streak, and their cover of "Smooth Criminal" is damn good. Of course,
the Allman Brothers are the Allman Brothers. The Distillers are fairly popular.

I think this Tuesday comes as close to "something for everyone" as one can
reasonably get in a Rock Band weekly set.

<> Next week we have a nice, varied selection of tracks coming out. Who do we
have? How about the Allman Brothers Band? What about a Franz Ferdinand 3-pack?
Or some Luscious Jackson, Alien Ant Farm . What if we followed that up with
some, I don't know, Prong and The Distillers. Will that work for you? Works for
me.

We'll announce the Wii tracks for next week on Monday, see you then.

Tracks:
Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To
Franz Ferdinand - Lucid Dreams
Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal
Allman Bros - Blue Sky
Allman Bros - Midnight Rider
Distillers - Drain the Blood
Luscious Jackson - Naked Eye
Prong - Idealistic Types
Prong - The Banishment

(All tracks are original master recordings)

Price:
$1.99 or 160 Microsoft Points per track
$5.49 or 440 Microsoft Points for Franz Ferdinand 3-pack

SOURCE of commentary in the lead-in: Stephen Lewis, E-Mail Message, May 1, 2009.
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NEMSnews

New England Music Scrapbook
Brattleboro, Vermont

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<> If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in this
issue, please forward this newsletter to them. Thanks! We believe this is one
of the main ways we pick up readers.
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<> As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS. The reason is quite simple. Though
our name is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, probably an easy majority of our
readers are based outside the six New England states. The great majority of
show listings would be of no interest at all to the great majority of our
readers.

We make exceptions when show listings are part of an item of more general
interest. CD-release events are great examples. For us, the main point of an
item of this sort is that an act has a new record. The show being announced is
of secondary interest to us - if that - as far as the contents of our newsletter
goes.

In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we post show listings...
.

... Shows can be canceled, sold out, or even moved to another date or location.
We recommend checking the Web, calling ahead or otherwise confirming details.
.


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(Please do NOT click the Reply button.)

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General CONTACT Information:
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Issue 2009:325

Published no less often than monthly.
We're guessing eventually we'll settle
into an every-other-week schedule.

Copyright © 2009 by the New England Music Scrapbook. All rights reserved.

: : :