Your Wednesday Moment of Words Fail Me

From 1969, Fairport Convention covering Dylan's "Percy's Song." If you've never heard this, listen to it immediately, as your life is the poorer without it.

You know, kids -- there are some days I think this is the greatest Dylan cover ever. Today is one of those days.

An Interesting Article on Former Cramps Drummer (and Co-Founder of Norton Records) Miriam Linna...

...in the most recent issue of the New Yorker.

SHOW AND TELL Chronicling Rock and Roll’s Neglected Stories

Miriam Linna, who recently published a five-pound book on the history of Fortune Records, keeps her apartment teeming with jukeboxes, magazines, and records made more for love than money.

By Nick Paumgarten

Miriam Linna met Billy Miller in 1977, while browsing at a record fair. She was looking for “You Must Be a Witch,” by the Lollipop Shoppe, a sixties garage band, and he had a copy back in his apartment. Their marriage—a celebrated meeting of the minds, ears, and shelves—lasted until Miller’s death, of cancer, in 2016. In addition to some musical collaborations (Linna, before meeting Miller, had been the founding drummer of the punk band the Cramps), they became perhaps the country’s preëminent archivists of old rockabilly and doo-wop records, among other treasures. They started the underground magazine Kicks and the Norton Records label, and Linna established a Kicks Books imprint, which published works by Sun Ra and Harlan Ellison.

At the time of Miller’s death, he had been working for more than ten years on a meticulous history of a relatively obscure Detroit label called Fortune Records. Its catalogue, catholic of genre, was a kind of Gnostic gospel of rock and roll, embodying an alternative and mostly neglected story line of rock’s disparate roots. At first, Linna was too grief-stricken to take up the project, but after a few years she and Miller’s co-author, a musician and writer named Michael Hurtt, got down to the harder-than-they’d-thought job of finishing it, with the encouragement of their editor, Marc Miller.

You can read the rest of it at the link OVER HERE.

For what it's worth, The Cramps were one of those bands who always struck me as more interesting in the concept rather than in the execution; that said, Norton Records was a very cool label, depending on your tolerance for loud prmitive historical noises.

You Monday Moment of Speaking of Gorgeous

From 1981 and Dededication, one of two comeback albums which Bruce Sringsteen produced for him early in the decade, please enjoy the ebullient Gary U.S, Bonds and a stunning cover of The Beatles' "It's Only Love."

I loved both records back in the day, but I had forgotten how much I dug that particular track until I stumbled on it on over at YouTube the other day.

In any case, what a pleasure to rediscover it.

I should that add, in honor of a forthcoming dental procedure, I was originally planning to put up a song about my chompers, but with the exception of Steely Dan's "My Gold Tooth" I couldn't find one.

Oops -- Forgot to Post on Friday

In my defense, I had the world's worst toothache. Also a recording session for the upcoming Floor Models Byrds tribute album booked.

Plus I'm senile.

Regular posting resumes on Monday, as some of it will be pretty spectacular.

Have a great weekend, everybody!!!

And Speaking as We Were the Other Day of the Great Evie Sands...

...here's the first video from her mind-bogglingly good new album Get Out of Your Own Way.

And as I mentioned, you can -- and should -- order the album over at Amazon HERE.

You're welcome.

Your Wednesday Moment of "This is So Cool I Can't Even Stand It"

Brilliant. Simply brilliant. Seriously -- what a great idea, and it's almost inspirational that they're actually doing it.

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts' Tech Kits for Performing Artists program is a resource to enable performing artists to document their works and publish them online. This kit contains a number of items that are commonly used to document and post performance work online.

COVID-19 has presented extreme challenges for performing artists. Live performances have all but disappeared, drastically reducing income opportunities for many artists. Simultaneously, virtual performances, auditions, classes and collaborations have all moved online, making the need for in-home technological resources all the more crucial for performing artists at any stage in their careers and creative process.

To help provide resources for performing artists during this unprecedented time, the Library is offering tech kits, including various hardware and software, to enable performing artists to document their works and publish them online.

What's included in the kits?

12.9” iPad Pro with cellular data Logitech Slim Folio Pro case with integrated keyboard Logitech B100 Corded Mouse AKG Lyra USB microphone Behringer HC 2000B Wireless Headphones with Bluetooth Xcellon usb c - 4-port usb 3.1 hub GVM LED Ring Light with Phone Tripod Stand Kit Connection cables and chargers M-Audio Keystation Mini 32 MK3 MIDI keyboard (available with select kits)

Who can borrow a kit?

Anyone over the age of 18 with a New York Public Library card. Don't have a card? Sign up for one here.

How can I borrow a kit?

Simply search the catalog for "Tech Kit," and request the item as you would any other circulating materials from the Library. Select your preferred grab-and-go location for pick-up.

How will I know when my kit is ready? Where will I pick it up?

You will receive an email when your tech kit is ready for pick-up. You will be able to then pick it up within 24 hours at the grab-and-go location you indicated when placing your hold.

How long can I borrow a kit for?

Kits are available for between one and three months.

Have additional questions?

Please email techkits@nypl.org

[h/t Rebecca Littman]

Closed for Damned Monkey Business

Lots of craziness today. Regular posting resumes on the morrow.

Your Monday Moment of Words Fail Me

From her about to be released new album Get Out of Your Own Way (which is, BTW, her first solo record in 20 years)...

...please enjoy the incredibly great Evie Sands and "The Truth is in Disquise" over at Soundcloud HERE.

Attentive readers will recall I wrote about Evie's last solo album back in 2012.

But if you don't know her work, Evie did the original version of this classic (more familiar from the hit cover by The Hollies). Among several other great ones.

For example this.

And of course this one (from 1969)...

...which just blows me away.

In any event, it's totally mind-boggling that an artist as, shall we say, veteran as Evie has just made the best single I've heard this year.

Meanwhile, you can -- and should -- order the CD over at Amazon HERE. They also have a vinyl version, if you're so inclined.

Have I mentioned that she's originally from Brooklyn?

It's Live at CBGBs Week: Special "Essential Workers" Edition

And from that 1976 album I've been re-examining for the last few days, please enjoy The Miamis and their utterly infectious ode to the kind of service that we've all been employing during the pandemic -- "We Deliver."

Another band from that era who I always planned on seeing but never did.

I did, however, get to hear their terrific keyboard guy, Tommy Mandel, jamming solo at a restaurant years later.

Have a great weekend everybody!

It's Live at CBGB's Week: Special "To Sleep Perchance Etc." Edition

And from 1976, please enjoy pride of the Bowery demimonde Mink DeVille and their fabulous Stones/Lou Reed/Springsteen mashup "Let Me Dream If I Want To."

I was a gigantic fan of those guys, and their first two studio albums for Capitol, produced by the great Jack Nitzsche, are as good as it gets.

That said, I have a shall we say hilarious yet terrifying story about a persoal encounter I had with Willy DeVille that I've never written about.

Get me drunk some time and I'll tell it to you.