Friends of Dean Martinez -- Live

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! A few goodies to start you off rightaway. Get ready for an amazing journey through the Lounge in '08. Starting now. All three of these posts will take you on trips not soon forgotten.

Four years after it was issued by the German label Glitterhouse, Friends of Dean Martinez's Live at Club 2 got its first stateside release, thanks to Aero Recordings. Recorded at the now-defunct Munich club for Bavarian radio in spring 2001, the album features a small but carefully chosen set list that represent the very best material from their studio albums, performed live. All songs were recorded at a single show, though I suspect the CD probably doesn't contain quite the whole show. There is no talking between the tracks (which doesn't necessarily mean it was edited out - they really didn't say anything at all, besides a closing "Thank you" when I saw them perform live myself), and personally I consider that a good thing. While I like the studio albums, each one has a few tracks that don't really appeal to me and I find myself skipping, but "Live at Club 2" is very good straight through. More importantly, it flows as a performance: beginning with the sweet, sleepy "For All Time" (from that year's On the Shore and cresting with Atardecer's "Inner Sanctum" and "Ethchlorvynol," the intimate setting really allows the band to play with the peaks and valleys of their sound. Live at Club 2 was recorded on Friends of Dean Martinez's first tour after they became a trio again, and the sense of space and dynamics on the album are almost tangible. Particularly on slow-burning tracks like "Main Theme" -- which features gorgeous, shivery rhythm guitar -- and their smoky reworking of "Summertime," the live setting makes the band sound less "filmic" and more immediate than on their studio albums. The title track from their masterpiece "A Place in the Sun" and "Chunder," which dates all the way back to their 1995 debut, "The Shadow of Your Smile", are two of the other highlights from this concise but powerful set.

If you already own their studio albums and are afraid that this one may be redundant, I definitely don't think it is, since their live sound and the versions of the songs are quite different than the studio tracks.

I highly recommend this CD to anybody with an interest in twangscapes. If you like The Mermen, you’ll love this – even if the pace is a little slower than your average surf sound. As if this wasn't enough, there is a bonus disc included, with another recorded show. This one is several years more recent (2004) from a concert in Berlin, so it contains quite different tracks from their newer sets and isn't redundant with the main disc. It is longer and allows the music to stretch more fully. Turn up “Summertime” from show 1 really loud and fell Bill Elm’s steel guitar rip through your flesh. Simply beautiful in a sort of terrifying way.

1. For All Time 2. Main Theme 3. Inner Sanctum 4. Ethchlorvynol
5. Cabeza De Mojado 6. Summertime 7. Tennesee Waltz 8. Chunder

9. A Place In The Sun 10. All The Pretty Horses

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Bonus -- all unknown tracks

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S.P.E.C.T.R.E. - The Microfilm Album

Brandonio says -----
Here's a band that faded out way too fast if your ask me. The band is S.P.E.C.T.R.E the disc is"The microflm album". I found this band back in the good ol' days of MP3.com I heard a copy of songs and ordered their cd soon after. I thought this band had plenty of potential to make some really good music down the road. Sadly that did not happen. The band hails from Denmark, their music ranges from such influences as John Barry, Lalo Schiffrin to heavy metal punch you in face groups as Entomed and Fatomas. Yeah --- this gets downright brutal at times. It is a short little record, but it will you wanting more and sadly there isn't.
be forewarned this is not for the faint at heart. B

1. Operation S.I.S (S.P.E.C.T.R.E in space) 2. The Satellite Affair
3.The Underwater Lab 4. Car Chase 5.House Search
6. The Rooftop Incident 7.The Return of Dr.Seven (Theme From)

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For more mind shattering, ear blasting wake you up sounds - get the Fantomas below. What a deal!!

The Fantomas -- Director's Cut

These renditions of famous cult film themes belong in a dimension all their own.
In many ways, "The Director's Cut" is the most accessible Fantomas album-- certainly it has more coherent song structures and actual lyric singing as opposed to soley vocalizations (although there's a healthy dose of that too). It’s also in many ways the best of the rather intriguing Fantomas catalog. Brainchild of vocalist Mike Patton, Fantomas is a band in the style of John Zorn's Naked City (in the archives) -- effortlessly moving between genres and sounds with a hardcore metal feel to hold things together, but unlike Naked City's "Radio" style of dial turning short bursts and the long songs, this has more of a coherent feel per track basis. This allows a listener unfamiliar with this sort of style the chance to find something to latch onto-- one of the things that can make Fantomas' work difficult is that the style shifts when you're getting the hang of it, this one is a bit more coherent, style shifts have more palpable melodies to work with-- from the opening notes of 'The Godfather,' (quiet Italian melodies that quickly burn away into a precision battery of Death Metal prowess...) to the earthy and turntable-fied take on Lynch's 'Twin Peaks: Fire walk With Me,' you get all pistons firing and all facets shining of Fantomas's demented and hair-raising theatrics.

The meat of this is Lombardo's drumming and Patton's voice. As always, the man is unbelievably protean- few lyrics on this, but his vocal dynamics swing (effortlessly) from blood-curdling (The Golem) scream to ominously childlike- little-girl childlike at that- sing-song(Rosemary's Baby). In 'Cape Fear' he uses his shrieks as the string section of that film's classic theme- it works PERFECTLY! At times Patton works lines from the film into the music to add to the all-out creepy aesthetic, like where he chants "IT's EITHER YOUR OR THEM... you or them..." On the atmospheric rendering of 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer,' and the obvious terror of, "What have they done to it's eyes!?!" from Rosemary's Baby. There are a few tracks that fall short, where the theatrics come off as corny rather than threatening. 'Vendetta' sounds more like a Scooby Doo chase sequence. And 'Spider Baby' brings Rob Zombie to mind... ugh... Their take on the Ave Satani in 'The Omen,' is blistering speed metal. Der Golem is slower sluggish metal crawl- which works considering the subject matter. 'Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion,' really grows on you, with it's circular progression and cries of "BLAGH!" it reminds me of Disco Volante. 'Charade,' is an excellent closer that veers from eloquent singing to jittery medicine-man gibberish and madness.

One other thing about Fantomas that bears mention-- they're traditionally an over-the-top band, with theaterical elements in the music heavily emphasized, this album is no exception, take the middle of the album, with the totally over-the-top "Cape Fear", "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Devil Rides Out" covers. And Patton skips track 13, just in case sonic theatrics was not enough. Although nothing will probably compare to the intonation Patton pulls out for "The Omen (Ave Satani)"-- so theatrical as to border on goofy, but somehow it manages to work. Overall, this is a superb (if a bit short) album, definitely worth checking out for the sheer yell of it.

1. The Godfather 2. Der Golem 3. Experiment In Terror 4. One Step Beyond
5. Night Of The Hunter (Remix) 6. Cape Fear 7. Rosemary's Baby
8. The Devil Rides Out (Remix) 9. Spider Baby 10. The Omen (Ave Satani)
11. Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer 12. Vendetta 13. Untitled
14. Investigation Of A Citizen Above Suspicion 15. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
16. Charade

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Have You Had Your Vitamin B-3 Today?

Hi All! Hope you had a fun X-mas and holiday season and are ready to wake up the New Year. I did and am. We're ending the year with another bootylicious B-3 jam to keep ya shakin' and bakin' for a day or so before we slap the New Year in with some in yer face noize. Brandonio and I have some new and some old, rare goodies kickin' in next week so enjoy da funk now.

From deep down in the Vaults, cool and bluesy organ featuring Rudy Van G. at the helm... some of the stuff is pretty rare... when the masters were more part of the band rather than solo acts.

The remedy in question is that staple of rare groove jazz: the Hammond B-3 organ. The funky swing that results when swallowed is heard across the nine soul-jazz delicacies on offer here. Mostly tapping the deep hard bop vaults of Blue Note and OJC, Label M. spotlights such heavy-hitting tandems of the trade — with the latter player at the keys — as Stanley Turrentine and Shirley Scott, Lou Donaldson and John Patton, Ike Quebec and Freddie Roach, and Grant Green and Jack McDuff. And, of course, the breakthrough artist himself, Jimmy Smith, is featured as well.

This will probably open you up to some sessions and artists you may have misssed along the way... While Lou Donaldson, Grant Green and Stanley Turrentine are even more popular now than they were back then, a few of the tenor legends who brought these greats to the spotlight like Gene Ammons and Willis Jackson don't seem to be getting the kudos they deserve, however, their stuff is readily available at Amazon, and once you start digging those cats, you'll find plenty of sessions with everyone from McDuff and beyond that you never even knew were out there ! Label 32 might have died, but under the leadership of Joel Dorn, it seems that Label M is going to liberate the vaults just as heavily !

A CLASSIC breakbeat fest with soul. Once you have feasted here get the new kidz on da block from below and savor the flavors of serious B-3 boogie.

1. You Talk That Talk - Gene Ammons 2. Trouble - Stanley Turrentine/Shirley Scott
3. The Mighty Burner - Charles Earland 4. This'll Get To Ya - Willis Jackson
5. Funky Mama - Lou Donaldson 6. Easy, Don't Hurt - Ike Quebec
7. Jumpin' The Blues - Jimmy Smith 8. Troubled Times - Willis Jackson
9. Blues in Maude's Flat - Grant Green

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Boogaloo to Jack McDuff

Jack McDuff was closer to soul and funk than most of the jazz Hammond B-3 organ players who found wider audiences after the success of Jimmy Smith, and his death in 2001 was a tremendous loss. This amazingly neat little compilation from Scufflin' Records features several young organ jazz combos in a tribute to McDuff, and it's all a whole lot of fun. A slightly more modern take on some of his standards that soar above the basic beat sound. Highlights here include "A Real Gone Guy" by the Joe Krown Organ Trio, the zippy "The Natural Thing" by the Night Callers, "Briar Patch" by the Link Quartet, and the delightful "Butter (Fo Yo Popcorn)" by the New Mastersounds.
Highly recommended for the tasty new groove and a slice of the classics. Like ice cream and cake, it goes down sooooooo well. MMMMMMMMMM

1. Grease Monkey The Diplomats Of Solid Sound 2. Snap Back Jack Jeremy Baum
3. Can't Get Satisfied The Greyhounds 4. A Real Gone Guy Joe Krown Organ Trio
5. Cold Duck Time Drive-By Leslie Featuring Adam Klipple
6. You Sho' Walk Funky The Sol-Reys 7. The Natural Thing The Night Callers
8. Down Home Style The Yards 9. Briar Patch The Link Quartet
10. Butter (For Yo Popcorn) The New Mastersounds 11. Hunk O' Funk McLemore Ave

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Diplomats of Solid Sound – Instrumental Action Soul

Reviving the lightly funky but deeply soulful instrumental R&B sound of Booker T and the MG's and The Meters, The Diplomats of Solid Sound not only prove that there's still a place of the mighty Hammond Organ in 21st Century pop music, but confirms the existence of dance-floor filling soul music in Iowa City, Iowa. The Diplomats of Solid Sound originally formed in 1998 as a side project of retro-rockers The Bent Scepters, with three members of the Scepters — bassist Dustin Connor, guitarist Doug Roberson, and drummer Jim Viner — teaming up with keyboardist Pat White. After the Bent Scepters called it a day in 1999, Connor, Roberson and Viner decided to continue performing as The Diplomats of Solid Sound, and replaced White with Nate "Count" Basinger, though White occasionally guested on the band's recordings. The group cut their first single, "Bullfrog Boogaloo", in 2001, and released their first album, Instrumental Action Soul, on their own label, Presecription Records. In the summer of 2002, The Diplomats of Solid Sound released a single through premier garage rock label Estrus Records, and Estrus signed on to release the band's second full-length release, Let's Cool One, a year later. The group's third album, 2005's Destination ... Get Down, marked their first recordings with new member David Basinger, who plays alto and baritone sax. Mark Hemmings

1. Hugh's Hefner 2. Cookie Time 3. Willie's Theme 4. Bullfrog Bugaloo
5. El Corazon Negro 6. Chinese Connection 7. Stoned Preacher 8. Hot Stick
9. Soul Slaw 10. Mobley Turnaround 11. Tennessee Toothpick 12. Soul Beat Pt 2
13. The Men From S.C.E.P.T.E.R. Theme

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Check out our archives for 2 more of these fantabulous folks. One shot party or the beginnings of a serious road trip. Groovilicious times guatanteed.

Derek Cooper and the Minis – Cool Blast

Derek Cooper and the Minis are back with another serving of original blues tunes. Moving on from their first release "Candies" , this one has more jazz blues guitar riffs over funky blues beats coming your way. Growing out of listening to Television, Santana, Ten Years After, Savoy Brown, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, and Booker T and the MGs-this set ranges from slow blues to slightly twisted cajun blues on to james brown/green onions retro 60s hip. You will know from the first cut "Funky Boots" if this cd is for you. Perfect for parties with hip shakin mamas in black minis and dresses with swirlin frills.

1 Funky Boots 2 Stone Men 3 Lost 4 Low Tech
5 One Day 6 Yon't Call 7 Hard Ground 8 Your All 9 Workin 10 Take It
11 Like It Is

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The Bo-Keys --- The Royal Sessions

This one shot incendiary soul / jazz / funk is a hard-hitting and authentic modern take on Memphis' original soul-stew sound - a mixture of original instrumental and vocal features that fuse R&B fundamentals with elements of modern hip-hop.
Recorded and mixed at Willie Mitchell's (Hi Records, Al Green) Royal Studios, The Royal Sessions is steeped in the Memphis tradition. But it's much more than a homage: it's the sound of Memphis now - familiar, fresh, and unquestionably fantastic. O.K., the wordplay on two classic Memphis soul bands, the Mar-Keys and the Bar-Kays, might be off-putting if it weren't for the fact they are from Memphis. But that's just the starting point: While the band is led by Scott Bomar, the 28-year-old bass player from the Impalas, two of its members, drummer Willie Hall and B-3 boss Ronnie Williams, played with the legendary Bar-Kays' Isaac Hayes, and David Porter; Charles Pitts, the guitar player, is the wah-wah guy on "Theme From Shaft" and Rufus Thomas' "Funky Chicken." Finally, this set is called The Royal Sessions because it was recorded live from the floor in Willie Mitchell's Royal Studios in Memphis, with him hanging out during the sessions. So the pedigree is there. Bomar also added the horn section of Memphians Marc Franklin and Jim Spake to the proceedings, both of them veterans of Al Green's and Bobby "Blue" Bland's outfits, and veteran percussionist Hector Diaz, as well. Musically, this is funky, greasy, gritty soul, rooted in the tradition, but is timeless in its heat-seeking groove stealth. The Bo-Keys write killer tunes, with lots of stinging guitar, wailing organ and in-the-pocket backbeats — check "Deuce and a Quarter," "Seven and 7," the souled-out Latin-flavored funk of "Spanish Delight," the bassed-up bluesy horn stroll in "Under the Table," or the trippy, in-the-mud organ and percussion funk orgy "Bling Bling," that closes the album. In addition, they cover some of the classics, such as Jimmy Smith's jukebox groover "Back at the Chicken Shack," and James Brown's "Doin' It to Death." This is the real stuff made by cats who have been doin' it all their lives; it is the perfect disc for that time when the party kicks into overdrive, or for cruising the boulevard, or whatever gives you pleasure. It also signifies that with the arrival of the great young soulmen and women on the scene — Ellis Hooks, Joss Stone, and Ricky Fanté to name three — that something akin to a real revival is on the good foot in the early part of the 21st century. Thom Jurek, GW

1. Coming Home Baby 2. Deuce and a Quarter 3. Seven and 7 4. Spanish Delight
5. Under the Table 6. Back at the Chicken Shack 7. Doin' It To Death
8. I Remember Stax 9. My Country Loves Me 10. Bling Bling

removed upon request - who'da thunk it

Merry Christmas!!!!

Thank you all for visiting, commenting and enjoying the hospitality here at the Lounge. I appreciate your friendship and opinions and am excited about making '08 a really great year for everyone.

To my good friends EEK, TRU, and BRANDONIO --here's one to you -- CHEERS!!! Your friendship means more than can be expressed, thanks.

BTW -- Brandonio, Rockabillykid and Lectible have started a great blog over at RockisDeadRIP featuring out of print surf, garage and basic killer kutz. Check them out and tell them DaBoss sent ya!!!

Please check in and tell me what you want to hear for next year -- what genre, style, variety and let me know what you liked and did not like this year. Constructive comments are appreciated, that's the only way we grow. I want to please you guys as much as I can -- otherwise, you'll get stuck with the same old stuff.

Family is here now, so will try to sneak in another big post before New Year's.

Best
GeorgeW

Niacin Reup

Looks like MM did not get it right, blankness all around. Thanks 1 surfrider for da tip. If you have apost request let me know and I'll try to fill it. Here's new links:

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