I'm BAAAAAAAAAACK

Hi Folks, it seems like forever since the last post, but now that the St. Matthew's Musical Theatre Troupe's stupendious performance run of "The Sound of Music" is over, I can get back to other things.

Hope ya missed me, 'cause I got some good stuff this time. Am filling a request and adding a shout at the same time. Going loungy for Sandra and Xtabay.

Check out Xtabay's AWESOME depository of classic lounge music at XTABAY'S World, none better on the net. Snag some chic vibes over there to light your fires. I have. Thanks, too, on his mention of Fat City in his surfing trawls. Hope you enjoy Don Tiki ----

Don Tiki - the Forbidden Sounds Of Don Tiki

If you're an exotica fan and like the music of Martin Denny, Les Baxter, Arthur Lyman, Robert Drasnin, Eden Ahbez, or Hawaiian music you'll love this too. Martin Denny himself even makes a guest appearance on 2 of the tracks and his wonderful piano solo on "Forever and Ever" is alone worth the price of admission. Here is all the best of exotica - bird calls, jungle sounds, sultry female vocals, congos, bongos, xylophones, vibraphones, flutes and much more. Jim Howard's use of the flute, alto flute, and bass flute is particularily enjoyable and refreshing. There are a pleasing mix of styles and rythyms, some are slow and soft and others have a beat that will make you want to get up and dance. This is perfect music for your next Tiki party or Hawaiian luau, or you can play it like I do to just relax and let your mind pleasantly wander. For pure listening pleasure, it's like MaiTai for the mind.

1. Exotica '97 2. An Occational Man 3. Barbi In Bali 4. Hot Like Lava 5. Close Your Eyes
6. Maidenhair Fern 7. Terminal 8. Polyamore 9. Clutch Cargo Cult 10. Bam-Boozled
11. Itchy Palms 12. Da T'ing He Grow 13. Forever And Ever

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Skinny Dip with Don Tiki

The follow-up to Forbidden Sounds, Don Tiki's 2nd album again combines sweeping range of exotic, mellow, upbeat, and loungy tunes, moving the art of Modern Exotica forward into the new millennium. The vocals are more native/island sounding that your typical mainland-produced track from the 60's, but here it only adds to the atmosphere. It has my most favorite non-pc track of the genre – the very cool “The Natives Are Restless Tonight.” The liner notes are written by none other than Sven Kirsten, author of the Book Of Tiki. This is a must have for any Exotica collector to add to their collection. Pick this album up and listen to it, now. It's another glimpse into the almost non-existent genre of Modern Exotica.


1. All Quiet Flows The Don 2. The Natives Are Restless 3. Primitiva 4. Heat 5. Flower Humming
6. Bwana Banana 7. The Other Side Of The Moon 8. Wet Cave 9. Pinakbet 10. El Producto
11. Sweet And Sour 12. Axolotl 13. That Hypnotizing Man

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The Metalunas - Swingin' Planet

Surf-revival guitarist Mark Brodie — previously of Mark Brodie & the Beaver Patrol — formed the Metalunas upon his return to Vancouver from Japan, where he had lived from 1996-97 fronting another surf combo called the Saboteurs. Featuring a rhythm section of Mike Cinnamon (bass) and Rod Moore (drums), the Metalunas are plowing the same field as Man Or Astro-Man-- mixing guitar instros with 50's sci-fi space schlock. It's a fun mixture, and brings up memories of watching exciting (and often tacky) space films on Saturday afternoons. A few times on the album there are surprisingly long passages that could have come straight from even earlier sci-fi radio shows, all adding to the effect.

1. Venus A-Go-Go 2. Futuristic Twist 3. Metaluna Luau 4. Out of Limits 5. Terror in Space
6. Swingin' Planet 7. Lost on the Moon 8. Trajectory of No Return 9. Main Theme from Galactic Frontier 10. Sounds from Uranus

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Jack McDuff – Moon Rappin’

Jack McDuff's organ has a very funky and fat sound but not in the "full speed ahead" Jimmy Smith style. Moon Rappin' is an atmospheric delight. Much of this album has almost a lounge feel to it. It almost plays like a concept album with its spacey textures and subtle backing vocals. There is plenty of experimentation with sounds here and all of the tracks work well, something like a soundtrack for late 60's interplanetary travel. Complete with wah-wah guitars & flutes. Overall I found this to be very worthwhile, easy to listen to, funky with enough intrigue to make it worthwhile listening to in detail..don't pass this up.

1. Flat Backin' 2. Oblighetto 3. Moon Rappin' 4. Made In Sweden 5. Loose Foot
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The Migs

The MiGs' Debut CD. Hailed by Southern California's Campus Circle Magazine as one of the "most memorable debuts" for 2000. This is an eclectic band comprised of an odd cast of players wielding such diverse musical ingredients as Latin percussion, theremin, analog synths and testosterone heavy weird surf guitars. The result is never a dull moment. Top it off with a track featuring DJ Bonebrake of the LA punk band X on Marimba (Muchacha #3).

The Migs play both their own unique style as well as a few others equally as well, their use of the theremin is brilliant. They go from a very funny song about relationships to a straight ahead rock and roll instrumental then back to more intelligently funny love gone bad on to an amazing Hawaiian style instrumental all in the first four songs. Their next song starts with a funky James Brown rhythm and they go from there. Solid indie rock. The music is extremely well played, check them out.

1. Sweet and Sour 2. Jet Wash 3. 1600 Armadillos 4. Honolulu 5. Too Many People 6. Sake Bindings 7. Bién Gâté 8. Muchacha #3

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The Mermen - Krill Slippin'

This is a good collection of music. It is their first and most easily accessible of their recordings, and shows their homage to 60's style surf music. That being said, the Mermen redefine the genre for the post modern, post psychedelic era. Every song here is thoughtfully arranged, and brought to life in a simple yet, undeniably beautiful fashion.
All of these songs reveal what is at the heart of The Mermen experience: Epic-sized surf with a delicate soul. Very representative of their 'live' sound. No generic, three-chord, go-go beach tunes here, this is majestic and ominous surf rock for the future. Recommended as are all of their recordings.

1.Ocean Beach 2. Krill Slippin' 3. Neptune's Revenge 4. Splashin' With the Mermaid 5. Kaena 6. Over the Falls 7. Run Don't Walk 8. Sand 9. Drift 10. Big Day at the Bay 11. Hammer Head 12. Abalone Daze 13. Soul Surfin' 14. Whales 15. By the Sea I Will Stay Together 16. Goodbye

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The Johnny Otis Show - Snatch and The Poontangs

There are a lot of reasons to recommend this. First, it's a double disc featuring Johnny Otis' 1968 comeback release "Cold Shot" combined with Johnny Otis' 1969 "Snatch and the Poontangs". Second, it contains two previously unreleased tracks, "It's Good To Be Free" and "The Dirty Dozens". Third, the music is excellent and shows that there is a lighter and humorous side to the blues and last but not least, it features some funky rhythms and wicked lead licks by Johnny's then 13-year-old son Johnny Shuggie Otis Jr.
He got a lot of press for being precocious on this album; he played all the guitars and bass tracks, plus harmonica (Johnny played drums, piano and vibes; this was a two-man band, courtesy of overdubs, plus Delmar Evans on vox). And he does do an amazing job for a kid; but you can't listen to him as a kid. What he does is a very good job for ANYONE, regardless of age. What you don't tend to hear about is the singer. Nicknamed "Mighty Mouth", Delmar Evans gives us real gifts throughout this disc. He has a strong, reedy falsetto and a low growl, and he bounces from one to the other, and in between, with great facility. Listen to the clip of "Sittin Here All Alone". It's a voice that truly deserves to be better known than it is, and this disc is a great way to get familiar with it. Listen to him cracking himself up in "That's Life", unable to continue on about the guy from Podunk who woke up in a bunk full of funk, he laughs, "Aw, f*** it, y'all play me sump'm, sh**!!" I still can't hear that without smiling wide. "Cold Shot" was a legitimate release by the Johnny Otis Show, comprised of the musicians mentioned. It opened with "Signifying Monkey", a musical treatment of a traditional 'toast' (an african-american oral tradition, see Roger Abrahams [...]) From there it continues with straight up high-quality 1969 L.A. Blues. This album could be found in record stores. "For Adults Only", on the other hand, was an entirely anonymous production. My guess is, that's because the cover art alone, let alone the songs, could have landed anyone involved with the project in jail on obscenity charges. Though the band is clearly the same, and F.A.O. even opened with the same track as Cold Shot, no real person's real name appeared anywhere on the original album. This album could be found in Adult Bookstores. The original albums were "Cold Shot": tracks 1-10 here, in order; "For Adults Only": track 1, then tracks 11-18 (track 1 was the opening track for both albums); tracks 19-20 were not on either original record. Definitely X RATED. Play it loud.

1.The Signifyin' Monkey Part 1 (3:06) - Cold Shot - The Johnny Otis Show2. Country Girl (2:35) - Cold Shot - The Johnny Otis Show3. I Believe I'll Go Back Home (2:41) - Cold Shot - The Johnny Otis Show4. Hi Heel Sneakers (2:43) - Cold Shot - The Johnny Otis Show5. Sittin' Here Alone (3:18) - Cold Shot - The Johnny Otis Show6. C C Rider (2:31) - Cold Shot - The Johnny Otis Show7. You Better Look Out (2:37) - Cold Shot - The Johnny Otis Show8. Goin' Back To L A (2:51) - Cold Shot - The Johnny Otis Show9. Bye Bye Baby (Until We Meet Again)(3:05) - Cold Shot - The Johnny Otis Show10. Cold Shot (2:41) - Cold Shot - The Johnny Otis Show11. The Signifyin' Monkey Part 2 (3:59) - Snatch And The Poontangs12. That's Life (2:27) - Snatch And The Poontangs13. The Great Stack A Lee (6:14) - Snatch And The Poontangs14. The Pissed-Off Cowboy (2:25) - Snatch And The Poontangs15. Hey Shine (3:27) - Snatch And The Poontangs16. Two Time Slim (4:54) - Snatch And The Poontangs17. Big John Jeeter (5:22) - Snatch And The Poontangs18. Two Girls In Love (With Each Other)(4:31) - Snatch And The Poontangs19. It's Good To Be Free (3:25) - Snatch And The Poontangs20. The Dirty Dozens (3:35)

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Ben Vaughn - Designs in Music

Guitarist and composer Ben Vaughn has obviously listened long and hard to early-'60s exotica, TV themes, spy films, spaghetti Westerns, and cocktail music. His Designs in Music -- a highly arranged, richly textured collection of original instrumentals -- manages to pay tribute to guitarists Hank Marvin, Duane Eddy, and Vinnie Bell, and composers Martin Denny and Ennio Morricone, without being utterly derivative. Hearing the peppy themes and doo-ahh vocals, one might be tempted to write off Vaughn's music as kitsch. But a careful listening reveals a depth in the orchestration and writing that's totally AWOL in modern pop. Vaughn's guitar palette runs the gamut from spanky, tremolo-drenched lines to moody jazz-noir, and his vintage tones are always cleverly framed by various combinations of strings, brass, reeds, old-school analog synth and combo organ, harp, percussion, pedal steel, and wordless singing. Going on a road trip? These quirky sounds will make a perfect soundtrack. He takes an old genre, and makes it young, fresh, and new again, without losing any of the lunacy that makes lounge music so much fun!

1. Avanti 2. Apt. 604 3. Too Happy 4. Crash Point 5. While We're Here
6. Blues From Nowhere 7. The Big Parade 8. Wrong Turn 9. Frequent Flier
10. Brushfire 11. The Stalker Pt. II 12. Smoketree Serenade

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Tom Verlaine - Warm and Cool

Tom Verlaine entered the music scene as a member of the Neon Boys, and later helped write a couple classics as part of the band Television. Warm And Cool is a much different record than what one might expect from Verlaine, though, as it's not only instrumental, but also stylistically much different than the work he did with either of his other bands. Originally released back in 1992, it's one of those albums that seems oddly timeless, with a style that dips into rock and jazz without taking on the baggage of any particular era. Verlaine is joined on the album by Television bandmates Fred Smith and Billy Ficca, as well as Jay Dee Daugherty (who played with The Church, the Patti Smith Band, and others), and interestingly enough, the album is largely improvised. In most cases, Verlaine would play a basic melody on his guitar beforehand, the players would talk about a beat or tempo, then they'd roll with it. The result is an album that's loose and inspired without being sloppy in the slightest. It's also more varied than one might guess.
The tone of the guitar is more of a deep, Dick Dale or Duane Eddy sound, and it all has a noirish, film-score sound. You'll recognize several cuts as filler on public radio.It starts with a slow-burner in "Those Harbor Lights" as Verlaine lays down some smokey coils of guitar over brushed drums while "Sleepwalkin'" shuffles with a healthy swagger while "The Deep Dark Clouds" gets downright atmospheric with sparse, reverbed guitar notes and distant rumbling percussion. A good portion of the opening section of the album actually feels like soundtrack work (a film adaptation of an Elmore Leonard book immediately comes to mind) as the musicians toy with dark alleys and smoky club themes.
Then the release goes and throws you for a loop, with tracks like the downright bubbly "Boulevard" (which features some deliciously playful guitar from Verlaine) and the hooky warmth of "Little Dance." There are three different versions of the track "Depot" and each one feels like it's gradually cracking the basic elements apart even further. Heck, they even rock out, sort of, on the more freestyle "Lore," which runs almost seven minutes and features some crashing cascades of cymbals and luscious guitar shredding. Warm And Cool is just about what the title states in terms of musical content, and it's a great document of excellent music in mostly cool (in the Miles Davis term) shades. Great for late night, very early morning.

1. Those Harbor Lights [Instrumental] 2. Sleepwalkin' [Instrumental] 3. Deep Dark Clouds [Instrumental] 4. Saucer Crash [Instrumental] 5. Depot (1951) [Instrumental]
6. Boulevard [Instrumental] 7. Harley Quinn [Instrumental] 8. Sor Juanna [Instrumental]
9. Depot (1957) [Instrumental] 10. Spiritual [Instrumental] 11. Little Dance [Instrumental]
12. Ore [Instrumental] 13. Depot (1958) [Instrumental] 14. Lore [Instrumental]

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