New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
January 6, 2007
Issue 2007:203

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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.


. . . . .


ISSUE 203 INTRO

I have a major time squeeze right before and right after work on this
issue of our newsletter, so there is very little I can do but to rush
through as best I can in the small amount of time that is available.

It is highly unlikely I'll get a link put in here, so I will just say
in prose that, if you have ever been a fan of

JAMES BROWN

you owe it to yourself to get to the Boston Phoenix Web site to take a
look at the notice written by Ted Drozdowski.

I messed up more than a little during some of my public-access
computer time, but I have the distinct impression that the Boston
Globe also has pieces about Brown that are well worth a special trip
to the paper's Web site.

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/

James Brown 1933 -- 2006:

His life is celebrated at Apollo Theater
A look back at James Brown's career
Brown's musical pulse lives on
Some say Hub owes debt to James Brown
(For no reason other than that it's true - Ed.)

TEMPER
"Hang by Your Own Tail"

I'm not sure why, but I had a tremendously hard time finding the link
to this TEMPER CD review. I hope your reading enjoyment and/or
interest in the band is equal to the effort that went into locating this:

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2007/01/02/on_her_own_at_her_\
best/?page=full

I have never actually heard Temper, but

CARLENE BAROUS

is involved in this group. I am a big fan since her days in a
personal favorite band, DIN.

We are saddened to note the death of the Boston Globe's "Now and Then"
columnist, DONALD MURRAY, 82. The Globe's obituary headline said that
he "Shared Joys and Sorrows of Aging."

DENNIS CROMMETT
"The Evening Sorrow"

DENNIS CROMMETT is a key contributor to the success of one of the
bands I am following most closely these days, WINTERPILLS. While
looking for the Boston Globe's Temper review, I ran across this about
Crommett's own new release:

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2007/01/02/on_her_own_at_her_\
best/?page=full

The Boston Phoenix has a CHRIS SMITHER CD review by the great Ted
Drozdowski.

I didn't get much time to work with pieces from the Boston daily
newspapers this week, but I recall one from the Boston Herald going
back several days - maybe as much as a week - about local bands to
watch in 2007. Whenever it ran, it would still be available from the
Music Section table of contents at the Boston Herald's Web site.

I didn't get time to look through the "Pop" and "Names" columns in the
Boston Globe. In fact, it seems to me that I didn't even see a new
"Names" column. Either way, I did not note any new local music news
in today's (Saturday's) Globe.

There also appears to be no new local music coverage in today's
(Saturday's) Boston Herald, though the following Larry Katz notice
looked quite interesting a day or two ago:

Sleep no more! Waking up to the undiscovered CDs of '06
By Larry Katz
Trying to manage the hundreds of CDs that arrive in the mail is...

This, too, may be found via the Boston Herald's music table of contents.

Here are some items I will try to work in next time if they are not
out of date by then:

The band, OSB, has a CD-release event coming up in connection with its
second album.

35TH PARALLEL made a number of Vermont's top CD-release lists. No
big surprise. This is an amazing group. 35th Parallel made the
Vermont Guardian's Best of 2006 list and got on my favorites list.
Easy selection in both cases. Anyway, these honors and more are now
duly noted at the 35th Parallel official Web site.

I have really enjoyed listening to NOAM WEINSTEIN's latest CD, "We're
All Going There," though it is a bit surprising that there have not
been a lot of opportunities to also read about it. Maybe we can help
get a few columnists wise to its pleasures. His catchy tune, "Working
on the High Seas," is running through my head right now. Anyway, for
a show coming up - and I believe we have plenty of time to announce
some details later, should memory serve - he is bringing back to New
England a singer whose name we haven't seen in a while:

JESS TARDY.

Sounds like a great show.

While doing some of the compiling that went into this issue, I
listened again to THE LOVE ME NOTS album and thoroughly enjoyed it
once again. If you can take hammering garage-rock, I'd suggest giving
these folks a listen.

Now, here is what I compiled and/or wrote earlier. It is basically
unedited. Sorry! Time has run out and time has run out again...


I make a real effort to keep the language used in this newsletter
family-friendly. My position is that we can use expletives, but we
don't. At the same time, I'll be, you know, darned if I will leave
out an important news story or, in the case this week, an important
expression of personal opinion merely because one or more expletives
are involved. The Associated Press advises that we warn readers when
necessary strong language is coming along, and that is what we do. To
this end, let me say here that the Brief Item piece about the Middle
Earth Music Hall in Bradford, Vermont, which I copied from the latest
Session Americana mailing, does, indeed, use strong language that one
does not normally encounter in our newsletter. Please be advised.


TIR NA NOG
Closing at the End of the Month

"as you have probably heard, our beloved Tir Na nOg will be closing at
the end of january.

"we have 5 tuesdays left, culminating on January 30 with the final
night of music at the nOg.

"let's make 'em count!"

-- David Johnston, "The Countdown Begins Tonight,"
January 2, 2007

Actually, I had not heard. This is definitely unhappy news.


THE LOVE ME NOTS
"In Black and White"

Some of you may remember an ex-Boston enterprise, Twisted Rico. The
fantastic but totally twisted folks at Twisted Rico sent us "In Black
and White" by

THE LOVE ME NOTS.

The first time I played it, I absolutely loved it to pieces. This is
a major example of '60s inspired garage-rock. I hope it holds up
under repeated playings. All I can say for now is that I got one heck
of a kick out of it the first time.

I haven't read up yet, but I believe this band is out of Phoenix.


VERMONT GUARDIAN
WINTER-SEASON MUSIC PREVIEW

A midwinter's musical brew

By Alan Lewis | Special to the Vermont Guardian
Posted January 5, 2007

http://www.vermontguardian.com/culture/012007/MusicalBrew.shtml

My favorite pieces to write for the Vermont Guardian, hands down, are
previews of music seasons. And those notices get a lots better
readership than most other articles. But winter is a bit of a challenge.

I'm not sure of the explanation ... but Vermont venues, which don't
announce shows very far in advance at best, really, really, REALLY do
not announce bookings far in advance in the month of December. So
when working on my winter-season preview, I normally don't have a clue
what is coming up until close to the very last minute and,
unfortunately, sometimes not even then. But the show must go on, as
you may have heard, and I pull together what I can. It also can be
very hard to set up interviews around Christmas and New Year's. So,
given all these challenges, I must say I think the Vermont Guardian's
winter-season 2007 music preview came out pretty well.

First, I got a chance to praise "Dust of Many Horses," a simply
wonderful late, late, very late 2005 instrumental album by the great
David "Goody" Goodrich.

A jazz guitarist named

BEN MONDER

has, at his Web site, a regular biography and then an "Alternate Bio."
The latter is very strange. When I read it the first time, I had
some trouble believing my eyes. So I had a little fun with Monder's
odd little treatise in my Guardian notice. I'll just add that, after
reading the "Alternate Bio," I'd love to hear this guy play.

I wonder whether it is Jaime Laredo who programs the Vermont Symphony
Orchestra's seasons of music. It stands to reason it would be him.
But whoever it is, I'm a fan. This is looking like another great season.

I totally enjoyed my mini-interview with Scott Tournet of

THE SCOTT TOURNET BAND.

You may know Tournet best as the guitarist of Grace Potter and the
Nocturnals. He spoke of his own band and its upcoming Higher Ground
(South Burlington VT) show with infectious enthusiasm.

I also really enjoyed a mini-interview with the female member of

THE BONDVILLE BOYS,

Laura Molinelli. I have never heard the band's music, but I am about
positive I have seen Molinelli in downtown Brattleboro. Some of you
may know the Bondville Boys from a great Brattleboro Reformer column
by friend Dave Madeloni.

When checking the Web site of Canadian fiddle hero Natalie MacMaster,
I was surprised to learn that

JOHN ALLAN CAMERON

was her cousin. And I was deeply saddened to learn that he died
recently. Once when he played the old Chelsea House in West
Brattleboro VT, he came out on stage with the aura of an introverted
coffeehouse folkie. But as his set went on, he drew amazing energy
from the music. By the time he was done, he had transformed into The
Ramones of solo acoustic folk performance. It is truly rare to
witness such a transformation.

The New England Music Scrapbook tips our collective hat to John Allan
Cameron. May his spirit rest in peace.

At the end, the Guardian's winter preview announces some forthcoming
and intriguing CD releases.

REBECCA HALL AND KEN ANDERSON

started on their upcoming album in 1962, as I remember it, and we got
Hall to practically promise that the disc will be out sometime in the
next few months.

This newsletter account of the Vermont Guardian's winter preview is
mostly general in nature, and it only touches on some of what is in
the full article. I hope lots of you will get a chance to follow the
link, which is posted above, to get an idea of some of the highlights
of Vermont's Winter 2007 music season.


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


JIM HARROLD INTERVIEW
Long-Time Proprietor of The Rat
in Boston's Kenmore Square
Interview in Boston Groupie News

BLOWFISH, Miss Lyn's colleague at Boston Groupie News, kindly sent us
this information:

"We have the Jimmy Harold interview posted at

http://www.bostongroupienews.com/JimmyHarold.html

Paul Blowfish

http://www.punkblowfish.com/

http://www.bostongroupienews.com/

THE RAT was phenomenally important to Boston's rock community for at
least parts of four decades, and this Boston Groupie News interview is
going to interest many of our readers.


GREAT BOSTON BURLESQUE EXPOSITION

"In tribute to the inarguable link between burlesque dance and music,
The Great Boston Burlesque Exposition has released a compilation CD
featuring some of the best bands in the area called 'Make Some Noise':
The Soundtrack for The Great Boston Burlesque Exposition."

-- Sarah Wood, "Make Some Noise," January 2,
2007


D. C. HATHAWAY
Note to Friends and Fans
in New England

"I just wanted to give you an update of what's been happening with me
through the years. I miss all my old friends in New England that I
used to work with, especially John Penny. Anyways, here's ... a
website address that will catch you up with what I've been up to since
leaving Boston in 1985."

-- Dwain (D.C.) Hathaway, E-Mail Message,
January 4, 2007

http://www.dchathawaymusic.com/

http://www.seabeanstudioswest.com/


SOMETYMES WHY

There is a big Welsh population in the part of Maine from whence I
come. My very name is quite Welsh. And well do I remember, growing
up, hearing older kids name the vowels as

A

E

I

O

U

and sometymes Y

and sometymes W.

If you don't believe me, you can ask my friend, Twm. So anyway, the
name of a favorite folk trio

SOMETYMES WHY

has always interested me, as does the group and this threesome's music.

Opportunity after opportunity to write up Sometymes Why has been
missed since the release of the oddly spelled debut CD, "Sometimes
Why." But these gals have finally played right into my hands by way
of a big booking at Vermont's hottest club, Higher Ground in South
Burlington. A Sometymes Why profile is starting to look like a part
of my near future.

If I get to interview Kristin, rest assured that I will be asking
about her last name, Andreassen, which I believe is the same as that
of a member of one of the more important Boston punk bands of years
past, La Peste. Are they related? I'll keep you posted. But the La
Peste guy does not have a new album as far as I know, while

KRISTIN ANDREASSEN

does. So here is the news, straight from her own keyboard.

"Kristin's 'Kiss Me Hello' CD Release Concert is this Saturday January
6th in Alexandria, VA. Featuring Aoife on harmonies and piano and
lots more great musicians and dancers. We will miss Ruth like crazy."

-- Sometymes Why, "Kristin's Concert Next
Saturday," January 2, 2007

The names, Aoife and Ruth, refer to Sometymes Why members Aoife
O'Donovan (Crooked Still) and Ruth Ungar (The Mammals).


THE MIDDLE EARTH MUSIC HALL
and Its
MEMH Legal Defense Fund

We have considerably less information than we would like about the
legal entanglement that the following item addresses. It is my
impression - though, at this time, it is only an impression - that a
frivolous use of the courts is involved.

We have seen little in the way of factual information, and I am hoping
that someone with a background in legal reporting will cover this
story for the Vermont Guardian. (Better check to see whether someone has.)

This past week we did encounter several expressions of personal
opinion about this lawsuit. One piece presents the Middle Earth as a
cultural resource of great importance to the region. They got that
right. The following, which involves stronger language than one would
normally encounter in these cyberpages, is copied from the latest
Session Americana mailing. I take it as an expression of personal
opinion and I present it here as an opinion piece. Here it is:

"The Middle Earth is a very cool club in Bradford, Vermont. The club
has had to deal with some pretty shitty stuff this past Fall and we
have VOLUNTEERED TO DONATE ALL PROCEEDS FROM THIS SHOW BACK TO THE
CLUB. PLEASE COME SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC. You know, the truth is that
the only reason to run a music club is because you love it and think
it's important. There's no money to be made and there is a load of
bullshit you have to deal with, including us musicians. We feel that
the people at Middle Earth deserve a little love and some cash to
fight off some jerks who are suing them for no good reason."

-- "Session Americana Tuesday Residency,"
January 1, 2007


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


MARK ERELLI
The Versatile Folk/Roots Guy

MARK ERELLI, as we sometimes note, has a varied career: Show opener,
member of other artists' bands, headliner. But he is versatile, too,
on other planes.

For a couple upcoming Mondays, Erelli is throwing caution to the wind,
shedding his topical songs, setting aside the sensitive
singer-songwriter thing, and rocking some western swing with some of
his "Hillbilly Pilgrim" bandmates.

We know people who are going to want to catch these shows. Here are
related passages from two parts of Erelli's latest mailing:

"THE HILLBILLY PILGRIMS: For those of you living in the Boston area,
there's a special treat this month. I'll be reuniting with some of
the members of the band from my 'Hillbilly Pilgrim' record for a
couple bar gigs this month at the Plough & Stars in Cambridge. These
shows will feature Jerry Miller on electric guitar and pedal steel,
Johnny Sciascia (easy, ladies) on upright bass and Lorne Entress on
the snare drum. You won't hear any political songs or tender folk
ballads at these shows, just some tunes about heartsick loneliness,
highways and drinking."

"Monday, January 22nd & 29th @ 10 pm
Plough & Stars, Cambridge, MA
http://www.ploughandstars.com

"Two consecutive no cover-Monday nights with The Hillbilly
Pilgrims. Yes, I'll be playing some of the country and swing tunes
I've been letting lie fallow for awhile. Come down and hoist a pint
with us."

-- "Mark Erelli - January 2007 Newsletter,"
January 3, 2007


JOHNNY CARLEVALE & HIS ALL-STARS
(www.JohnnyCarlevale.com)

"Johnny Carlevale is an R&B singer/song-writer hailing from the
northeastern part of the United States. He calls West Greenwich,
Rhode Island 'home.' The front man for a raw racket heavily
influenced by the rhythm & blues sounds that helped pioneer rock n'
roll music of the 1950's (with more than a hint of blues, rockabilly,
and jazz for good measure). Johnny Carlevale and His Band of
All-Stars will keep you wanting more and more with their combination
of originals written in the true rhythm & blues vein, covers from
independent label rhythm & blues artists, and jump blues classics from
the early 1950's on through the early 1960's!"

-- Sarah Wood, "Make Some Noise," January 2,
2007


SORRY WE DIDN'T GET AS MUCH IN HERE as usual and sorry what we DID
work in here is such a rush job. With any luck, we'll have better
luck next week...


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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!


I MAKE ADDITIONS AND OTHER CHANGES to this newsletter, to varying
degrees, after sending the e-mail version. For updates, you may want
to periodically check the Web-page version, which may be found by way
of the following address:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsnewz/news.htm

Clicking the Previous Issue link toward the bottoms of pages is one
way to access our BACK ISSUES. There's also a navigation bar at or
near the bottoms of pages which, among other things, can get you to
our latest posted newsletter.


As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS. The reason is quite
simple. Our readers are spread out all over the map. Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area. Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey. The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area. Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston. We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area. But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions. Maria's Weekly Band E-Mail is loaded with show listings,
and most of them have to do with events in Boston, Cambridge, and
Somerville. We don't want to make a habit of duplicating her efforts.

So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings. In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


... 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.


Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen. Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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Issue 2007:203

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

Copyright © 2007 by the New England Music Scrapbook. All rights reserved.

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