The (Count) Bishops - "Live! - Japanese Pressing" (Chiswick, 1978)

I know this brutal live document has some uploads in the blog-sphere already, but this is quite 'different'. The best thing about blogs is enclosed in just one word and that is "communication". I learned MANY things through the years from other people's spaces, had the time to 'correct' and 'sift' things that i had on my mind in a blurry situation and make friends as good as the 'real ones', everyone have in real life. Me and JP are working for quite long on a new WAX CD project. Some things made us hold up the whole 'disquisition' (haha, yeh right!) but in the whole process some sparks got up. Anyway, hopefully in a few days we will be able to present you this new essay. So, partners are made from the same clothe, and in a one way or another sway each-other. And one of my 'influences' on him are my beloved Count Bishops! Jean Philippe started diggin' for records like this one and got up with a Jap version i never had and probably in this cursed country that i live, never find, at least in a reasonable price! The sound on this classic by now LIVE 10" (i know it was out on 12" format also) is raw and at the same time smooth. The way women like their men (right babe?), haha. Along with "Speedball" this is my fave Bishops record. It got me some time to habituate "new" singer, Dave Tice but on this all band members swing and sweat! Gosh, I'm sure these fuckers torched every single bar dared to book them! I wish a video tape resurrect sometime with Bishops doing their thing!
Later lads!

In Memory of Etta & Johnny ... Etta James - "Rocks The House" (Argo/Chess, 1964) & The Johnny Otis Show - "Cuttin' Up" (Epic, 1970)

This post was meant to be a little bit celebrating... Yesterday this blog got into his third year of life and i was preparing a gift in a titty-shaking way... You know, sleazy 'Las Vegas Grind' type 45s just for the occasion. The sad news of losing Etta & Johnny left this fair for another time. Without people like those two, a blog space like this would have never existed anyway. I'm not expecting from you to need this dork here, type some words telling who these titans were. And I'm not expecting also to need me to bring in your ears some of their sounds. Actually i wasn't going to post anything cause sometimes saying nothing, says a lot. But it's 2 in the morning, kids and wife sleeping as all normal people tend to do except for me and my guilt for not solemnize two of the greatest r&r/r&b heroes ever. So that is, and I'm shutting my mouth down, letting the music do the 'dirty' talking. And that's what i liked the most for both of 'em. They were dirty and sexually starving monsters just like this music orders.  R.I. P.
PS: If that says something, Johnny Otis was Greek... and Black!

The Pink Parker (Graham Parker & the Rumour) - "Hold Back The Night" (Vertigo, 1977 - EP)

F*ck Elvis Costello! I never liked him. I bought when I was a youngster two albums, which were ok but I can’t stand him! A sniveling nerd and nothing else! I still can’t understand also what’s on a woman’s mind… My eyes had been blown by surprise (to put it mildly...) when I read for the first time in the cool McNeil/McCain book 'Please Kill Me' the part in which Bebe Buell was ‘confessing’ her love for the aforementioned wearing spectacles bloke… I mean OK, love’s blind BUT what in the bloody hell gal, did you find to him? He wasn’t Buddy Holly, even if he wanted to; he could have never come close to his brilliance! And Elvis? Elvis! Oh my god, someone should stop parents giving names without second thoughts! And the sad/crazy/unreal part of this story it’s that this sell-out became a star and Graham Parker not!

I can easily spend my/your time by insulting 'Elvis' and forgot that this piece here is about Graham Parker. Don’t try finding someone better in this league, Parker was the best. Actually, Parker was a league by himself! I despite all this ‘Brit Springsteen’ non sense. I mean OK, just like Bruce, Graham had all the right influences and a shit hot band backing him up (the Rumour was a round up of ace pub rock stars -- Brinsley Schwarz and Bob Andrews from Brinsley Schwarz, Martin Belmont from Ducks Deluxe, Steve Goulding from Bontemps Roulez plus Andrew Bodnar), but unlike Spingsteen GP’s influences were visually audible. Van ‘the man’ Morrison, the Stones and a healthy dose of pure American Soul built his sound, having by side an almost Dylan-ish ability to write clever and auto sarcastic lyrics. His three first Mercury albums (at least...) are totally brilliant works and this page suggesting them without second thoughts as add-ons to your record collection. Anyway, the 'Pink Parker' EP belongs to the pantheon now of the absolutely legendary and kick-ass releases of the late 70s. A 7inch EP consisting by four fantastic songs, two studio non-LP tracks and two live (officially bootlegged, whatever that means anyway...), the title-track a KILLER rendition of the Northern Soul classic, "Hold Back The Night" originally by the Trammps with the Rumour and the Rumour Horns firing in all cylinders!

White Trash Soul's Previous Year Hot Tenners!

Better late than never, right? I’m a little late on this, just two weeks, but many of the records you’re about to check in the next lines; released in the last days of the previous year and I needed to have some more spins to see if they deserve a place in the top 10 White Trash Soul’s New Releases list or not. I tried not to sift a lot. I mean, a good 90% of the stuff that comes naturally in your mind, are probably those you played and liked the most. One more thing's that some of them are actually 2010 releases, but due to the fact i bought 'em in 2011 makes me wanna put them in here too and i guess that's counting, right? Btw, some of the records listed below haven't got at the moment their 'physical' place on my shelf, but i was able to hear them, take a bite and put 'em on my 'following strikes' from (guess where?!) downloads and that's the reason why downloads do exist. Advertising! OK narrow minded people behind a desk? So, in no particular order these are the White Trash Soul quality approved selections. Go make 'em yours and you won't regret! 
PS: For any arguments, derelictions or just your point of view, there's this little button down there saying 'comments'... Feel free to post whatever your point of view is!

New Releases

• The Dustaphonics – ‘Party Girl’ (King-A-Ling)
• The Buttshakers – ‘Headaches & Heartaches’ (Back To Mono)
• The Excitements – ‘The Excitements’ (Penniman)
• The Phantom Keys – ‘The Real Sounds of…’ (Screaming Apple)
• King Salami & the Cumberland Three – ‘Fourteen Blazin’ Bangers!!’ (Dirty Water)
• Brandy Butler & the Fonxionaires – ‘Don’t Want Nothing’  (CopaseDisques)
• V/A – ‘Mojo Presents: Sticky Soul Fingers – A Rolling Stones Tribute’ (Mojo) 
• J.C. Brooks & the Uptown Sound – ‘Beat of our Own Drum’ (Vampisoul)  
• The Morlocks – ‘Play Chess’ (Popantipop)  
• T-Model Ford & the Gravelroad – ‘Taledragger’ (Alive)

Reissues

• Barrence Whitfield and the Savages – ‘Barrence Whitfield and the Savages Plus 10 More for the Pot’ (Ace)  
• Melvin Davis – ‘Detroit Soul Ambassador’ (Vampisoul)  
• The Fleshtones – ‘Roman Gods / Up-Front EP…Plus’ (Raven)  
• The Outta Place – ‘Monaural’ (Screaming Apple)  
• DMZ / Lyres – ‘Radio Demos / Live at Cantones, Boston 1982’ (Munster)
• Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs - ‘The MGM Singles’ (Sundazed)
• Iggy Pop & James Williamson - ‘Kill City - Restored, Remixed, Remastered’ (Bomp)
• Bo Diddley - ‘Bo Diddley's Beach Party’ (Hip-O)
• John Mayall - ‘So Many Roads, An Anthology 1964-1974’ (Universal)
• Howlin' Wolf - ‘Smokestack Lightning, The Complete Chess Masters’ (Hip-O)

Compilations 

• V/A – ‘Jerk. Boom! Bam! Greasy Rhythm N’ Soul Party, Volumes 1’ (Jerk Boom! Bam!)  
• V/A – ‘Jerk. Boom! Bam! Greasy Rhythm N’ Soul Party, Volumes 2’ (Jerk Boom! Bam!)  
• V/A – ‘Jerk. Boom! Bam! Greasy Rhythm N’ Soul Party, Volumes 3’ (Jerk Boom! Bam!)  
• V/A – ‘Jerk. Boom! Bam! Greasy Rhythm N’ Soul Party, Volumes 4’ (Jerk Boom! Bam!)  
• V/A – ‘R&B Hipshakers Vol. 2: Scratch That Itch’ (Vampisoul)  
• V/A – ‘Mr. Hot Shot Present: The R&B Review Vol. 2 (3&4 for vinyl version)’ (King Novelty)
• V/A - ‘!Chicas! Spanish Female Singers 1962-1974’ (Vampisoul)
• V/A - ‘Buttshakers Vol. 8’ (Mr. Luckee)
• V/A - ‘I Hate Cherries Vol. 2’ (Sleazy)
• V/A - ‘Jukebox Jam!’ (Jukebox Jam)

Night Trains - "Sleazeball" (Acid Jazz, 1994)

Not again! I got this feeling in the first place when our little 'zine was in its last legs. That 'must write something' feeling got me bored quicker than i thought it would and the next logical level was another nail (mine's this time) in our cool mag's coffin. Suddenly i felt the same. And you know, blogs not about this. You must write, share, post anyway something when you're into the groove and not cause that's what your dictatorship mind demands! Another thing was/is the concept. You know, this is a 'garage/soul/rock & roll' page and that's the way should be left! Fuck rules man! Sometimes you're your own worst enemy. I got to be 33 y.o. to see why many of the people already knew me (my best friends included), referring to me as an adherence person! And i was wondering 'why?'. Cause you trapped in asshole on your own keen rules, that's why!
So, this album i believe it's a club classic. Not the way 'Screamadelica' is, but probably due to the fact that in the late 80s the Acid Jazz label was ruling the sweaty nights 'round London, this pill must was one of their best weapons. I told you before, I'm a 90s kid and i got to all these by myself and not because of some hype. I still like Acid Jazz. I believe this label got something of my idiosyncrasy. It digs the same way garage punk, soul and r&b as 'vexed' jazz, funk or even some electro. Don't know shit about the Night Trains. Who they were, what they did, if they had a hit or how many records were able to put out. I just gave a little check for their discography on the net. I bought this cause i liked the front sleeve (don't ask me why) and as usually (still...) happens to me of the label's logo. I haven't heard it in years. Brushing up your record collection always have something to offer and this time was this groooooovy baybee compact disc. I'm sure you can get it through some internet auction and on the other hand surely this never re-printed so...till the next time my mind command me to give you something, slip in.
Yours faithfully.

Eddie & the Hot Rods - "Live At The Marquee EP" (Island Records, 1976)

Hi there! Happy new year to every single one of you guys and gals! We 're back, entering our 3rd year's essence; looking forward for mo' action packed music! So, let's get straight to the point. Eddie & the Hot Rods are among those bands I'm still listening constantly in fact since my early teens. And how not? They are kicking some serious asses as i'm reading on gig reviews still! Of course the period from 1975 to 1981 was their landmark and the peak of their hi - powered rock & roll engine. I yet think of their 45 rpm singles and EPs as the better format for buying and hearing them firing in all cylinders! My fave Hot Rods period was when the absolute brat / reincarnation of the ancient blues outlaws, Lew Lewis, blustered this poor harmonica as a full force member but don't look for him in this dynamite. He just sat there for two singles. But the storm wasn't about to simmer down... What's in here is the very definition of punk rock! A pub rock band, casting in the past and finding the lost for many years rock n' roll roots! And when i'm talking about 'roots' i'm not saying the obvious ones (Chuck, Bo etc) just like the rest of their comrades did. These vagrants got a little further though by checking the 60s garage and R&B bands to draw up from there all their primitive instincts! Question Mark & the Mysterians "96 Tears", Bob Seger's best Chuck Berry song that the Man never wrote "Get Out of Denver", Them's "Gloria" and Stones' "Satisfaction" delivered in hyperspeed  and sweat. At the end of 1976, NME journalists vote for this single as the second best of that year. I really wonder what was the first...