Hello Again Kats & Kittens, Friend & Fiend,
WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?
EM…EYE…SEE………KAY…EEE…WHY… EM…OH…YOU…ESS…EEE
NEW MASKS WITH NO SOCIAL DISTANCING, WHERE DO WE SIGN UP?
ONWARD!
SHARON JONES was an inspiration….also someone you didn’t mess with…Corrections Officer at Riker’s, an armed driver for Wells Fargo…..came onto the music scene late… at 40….. started gospel singing young, beautiful voice, led to session work as a BG singer…got a break singing backup for LEE FIELDS, people noticed, recorded a couple singles, mid’90s ANTIBALAS as backing band, also MIGHTY IMPERIALS (Later changed into The DAP-KINGS). Then YAY!, 2002 an album with THE DAP-KINGS…attention is given. Push five albums later, 2014’s Give The People What They Want gets Grammy Nom….but rising stars fire fast…the light burns out...sadly the Big Panc C took her a few years ago, she was 60…her music is still with us, thanks to the heavens…This reporter took witness many times, Ms. SHARON was a force of nature, a bright light, joyous, hard working, & her young DAP-KINGS had to work to keep up…what fun times.
A very fine documentary MISS SHARON JONES check it out…. button below…also buy her music, you will enjoy.
Here’s two from the wonderful 2007 album 100 Days, 100 Nights…. “Tell Me” & title track, “100 Days, 100 Nights”…with a BONUS vid, below “Matter of Time”
More angels arrive….RAUL MALO & THE MAVERICKS…another joyous band TEX-MEX-LATIN style country (it’s a thing) but from MIAMI, Tropical state…formed late 80s, this next bit is in the “WHAAAT?” category, they started in Miami’s punk world, shared the stage with the likes of a very young MARILYN MANSON…Miami Punk scene? Have to think about that for a mo-mo…. Grammy winning, famous getting, the band has broken & reformed many times, but the music is still up to par.
From the 2015 Mono album, “What Am I Supposed To Do”. Miami punk scene?
THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE QUEEN has only released two albums, two really fun records, but why only two? They are bizzy…with other bands, this is a Supergroup. Singer DAMON ALBARN, BLUR & GORILLAZ, bassist PAUL SIMONON, THE CLASH, guitarist SIMON TONG from THE VERVE, & drummer TONY ALLEN from FELA KUTI. SUPER indeed! Started as a solo prod. for ALBARN, with DANGER MOUSE in the help column….then band members joined in for fun, became a one-off band…played the UK a bit, 2007…then poof, gone!…until…2018, new songs need recording, need a band, let’s reconvene, happiness is had, Merrie Land is the album…
Here’s two “Drifters & Trawlers” + title track “Merrie Land”.
Fun Fact: the band doesn’t have a name, THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE QUEEN is the title of the first album…it stuck so there you are, happy?
Some Kool noise from China….GONG GONG GONG III is next….two more disparate Kats one will not find….Hong Kong res. TOM NG meets a doco-cam pro JOSHUA FRANK from Montreal…they dig the same music, move to the underground music scene in Beijing…make music under bridges, in basements. It’s a strange sound, only Guitar & Bass…but it is catchy…
From the Wharf Cat Records 2019 Phanton Rhthym album, “Ride Your Horse” with bonus video.
Fun Fact: Gong Gong Gong III, somehow translates to Work Work Work… more like Fun Fun Fun…
We were given the deets of GONG GONG GONG III by one W.O.T…gracias. So qui pros & such…we have W.O.T’s band “BOOM!” said THUNDER. Bahston, to Brookl’n, to Trav-uh City, Mitten….WILL, Drums Freak, JOHN, Fuzzy Bass & ABBY, Huge Soaring Vocals…..who needs more? Not these folks….
Biggly fun FUZZ ROCK from 2012 EP… “Shadow”.
Let’s stay right there, but nuwer of someone older….GARY NUMAN has been in scene since…well seems forever, surfing in on the NEW WAVE MTV Gen…. self diagnosed with a bit of Asberger (how does one have a bit?). Mr. NUMAN’S wave bended into darkness, electronics, black eye liner, antheism, androgyny….it still does…started mid’70s UK, TUBEWAY ARMY, writing, playing, producing…hits big with “Cars”, a monotonous tune about? …cars…you win. But it sticks & gets charted…solo goes big & long, a more thoughtful MANSON grandad…soon a new album in 2020 title = Intruder.
From the 2017 LP, Splinter (Songs of a Broken Mind), “A Shadow Falls on Me”.
More Black Mascara with one of Rock’s OG scary monsters, ALICE COOPER… VINCE FURNIER legally changed to A.C. considers this one of his most successful biznzz moves…59 albums later we think so too. Craziness adheres to this Kat…stage shows became freak circus time, ghouls & vampires, Oh MY! Oh & Rock-n-Roll too…..many many hits…..odd assortment of friends include(d) FRANK ZAPPA, GROUCHO MARX, MAE WEST, SMOKEY ROBINSON… ??? PIC below taken by this reporter’s near & dear at SHINOLA Watch store, DTLA, Jan.-2020….no ‘Rona’ yet…
Also rumor circa 1970 was that VINCE/ALICE was actually Leave It To Beaver co-star KEN OSMOND, you knew him as trouble-man EDDIE HASKELL…all rumor, no truth…. Booze man big time, got clean, stayed married, since ‘76 to Sheryl…loves him some GOLF.
From the ‘71 Love It To Death LP….this album was this reporter’s very first 8-track, (what’s that? hit buttons, look up,…heathens). “Caught In A Dream”.
Muskegon, Mitten is where POP EVIL resides….these ruff-n-ready Kats are up to good, as in good Rock-n-roll. Est. 2001. Five LPs in with a sixth this year….good all around nu-metal…from the 2013 Onyx album, “Torn To Pieces”. Hayley Cramer on drums is crazy good.
Church time with God-nu-metal rockers THE LETTER BLACK, 2006, formed in church by wifey/hubby team, SARAH & MARK ANTHONY…this is heavy stuff for parishioners…from the indie release Pain, here’s “Alive”.
CURVEBALL! We end today with a softie, but a goodie….NOEL HARRISON anyone? Big shoes here, actor REX is dad, Noel stepped into ski shoes for the 1952 & 1956 British Olympic Ski Squad………British Ski Squad? Hmmm…. Giant-Slalom?….OK….mid ‘60s young MR. HARRISON is acting (like DA) & singing, makes big with “Windmills of Your Mind” as heard in the ‘68 fil’em, The Thomas Crown Affair, STEVE & FAYE, Dune Bugging on the beach…ooh la la…wins Oscar, Best OG song…”…a wheel upon a wheel…” our head hurts already…..Ta…
Look at that we finished!
Thanks for listening, until tomorrow.
Peace & Distance.
