Meanwhile, here are seven CD reviews that have been culled from the herd.  There’ll be more in the next post.

The number one single on the Hicks with Sticks hit parade is ”Talk, Talk, Talkin’ on the Phone,” from Big Lou’s CD, Big Lou’s Back, not that she ever went away.  An accordion muscle pose of Big Lou’s actual, physical back is what the gag’s about.  It’s no gag that the band had outgrown its beginnings as Big Lou’s Polka Casserole. After all, how many polka bands have a steel guitar (David Phillips), an electric bass (David Golea), and no tuba. The CD is delightful mix of styles starting with the sultry “Forbidden Love,” followed by an instrumental mash-up of the Israeli folk chestnut “Hava Nagila” and the Who’s “Pinball Wizard.”  They call it “Who-va Nagila.”  There is even a jaunty little “Blitzkrieg Bop.”  This one of those rare CDs where the unlikeliest songs can find their way into one’s head three days after they’ve been played.

Big Lou’s Back‘s two C/W songs are among its many strong tracks.  One, “Were Not the Jet Set,” is a duet that John Prine and Iris Dement put on the map.  The other is “Talk, Talk, Talkin’ on the Phone,” a 21st century take on Merle Travis’ and Tex Williams’ “Smoke, Smoke, Smoke that Cigarette” which was first written, mainly, by Travis, and a hit for Williams in 1947.  It was heresy to criticize smokers back then when people could, and did, smoke anywhere and everywhere, and 9 out of 10 doctors preferred Chesterfields.  Big Lou’s update tackles on the ultimate 21st century intrusion: the cell phone.  “There’s a special place in Hell/If you don’t put down that cell/If you keep on yack, yack, yacking on the phone.”  Here’s the video!

Christina “Kit” Lopez willed Kit and the Branded Men into existence and hasn’t looked back.  It’s easy to forget how young she and her first band are.  Now, four years down the line, they’ve put out an EP, played stages all over California, and have their first full length CD.  They’ve also made a lot of friends along the way and managed to find room for quite a lot of them on the CD.  Guitar hero Jinx Jones joins keyboard master Carl Sonny Leyland on “Hey Baby.”  Michael Montalto (Red Meat), Mitch Polzak (Royal Deuces), Dave Zirbel (Jessie Harris Band), trumpeter Rob Dehlinger, keyboardist about town Eric Metzger, the versatile Billy “Long Head” Wilson, and songwriter Danny Santos (Sweet ‘n’ Lo’s) all gave it up for one track or another.  Kit wrote most of the songs, with her musical partner Glen Earl Brown Jr. contributing lyrics to a few of them.  The instrumentation is strong, as it naturally would be from hese players, and the songs themselves echo the bars of Bakersfield in days of yore.

It’s good to see KBM live, particularly at their monthly shows at Speisekammer in Alameda where one never knows who might stop by to play.  The essence of their live show can be see in this video montage where they were joined by with Dave Gonzales (Paladins, Stone River Boys) at this year’s Ink & Iron.

The Noe Valley Farmers Market CD is a 16-track mixture of folk, old-time, bluegrass, country and pop compiled by Lucky from the band They Call Me “Lucky”.  Established bands like the Shut-Ins, Bell Monroe and her Brewglass Boys, and Grizzly Peak have played the NVFM, but they are the exception.  Typical are bands that are works in progress.  There are bands that will do daytime, tip jar gigs without PA and where children make chalk drawings on the tarmac next to the band.  Lucky wasn’t exactly shopping uptown for these tracks, which tend to be home-grown.

“Nerd Love,” where Renee de la Prade sings about being turned on by guys clued into scientific naturalism, is the best of the bunch.  Topics like the Big Bang, nano-technology, molecular biology and particle accelerators are what float her boat, ”Clever conversation can conclude in copulation.  Nerd love! Nerd love! Nerd love!”  Tom Huber (Burning Embers, Earl Brothers) turns in a remarkable instrumental version of the country standard “Home on the Range.”  His understated, yet intricate arrangement makes this “Home on the Range” one you really want to listen to.  Mick Schaffer‘s down and dirty blues track (produced by Danny Allen of the High Flying Horses) is another highlight.  The Tumbleweed Wanderers‘ “Take It Back” provides a nice taste of them performing as an acoustic quartet.  The real Tumbleweed Wanderers are an electric 5-piece, with a dead-on three-man front line in Zak Mandel-Romanni, Jeremy Lyon and Robert Fidel.  There is a welcoming variety in their California-rooted indie-rock sound, they have great stage chemistry, strong songs, and plenty of well-placed youthful energy.   Mandell-Romanni and keyboardist Patrick Monaco both celebrated their 21st birthdays at the band’s Bottom of the Hill EP release party on November 25th, and Lyon, ahem, is past high school.  The other twelve songs are there, they don’t cost any extra, and can even be hiding bands like The SHE’S (yep, the capitals are theirs) who could, in fact, come climbing up a musical ladder near you.

Home Fires, the newest from Loretta Lynch, draws on the band’s talents for songs about despair (“Someone You Used to Know”, “What Can I Say”), tongue-in-cheek (“Baby Made 1,2,3″, “I Need You”), and tongue-in-cheek songs about despair (“Indicator”, Farewell Party”).  They also cover the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” and The Ramrods’ hit “Ghost Riders in the Sky” for good measure.  There’s no shortage of three-part harmony from Heather Davison, Val Esway and Ari Fellows-Mannion who front this alt-country quintet.  In fact, they probably should have varied their arrangements so there’s less three-part harmony throughout Home Fires, but that’s a minor point.  The fact is they all write and sing like the three perfect angels they’re not.  The Bay Area now has the makings for an entire night of grievous angels in triplicate if a Bootcuts/Loretta Lynch/Yard Sale show ever came together.

Eight years in the making, The Real Sippin’ Whiskeys Golden Burley was released just as the band ended its thirteen-year run.  They really did play their CD release party and farewell show at Thee Parkside on November 6th.  The CD stays true to the band’s peaceful, easy California sound that’s as much wistful folk as country.  This is a band that played rarely and never did much to promote itself.  There’s no drama to their breakup; it’s just that the members now live too far apart to carry on.  Band leader Robbie Thayer, who lives in the Sacramento Valley, plans to join another SacVal band, the Bottom Dwellers.  The more lively Bottom Dwellers can give Thayer the punch he needs while he provides them the front-man they’ve needed since their former leader Adam Hancock moved out of state.

HWS doesn’t usually review bluegrass or out of towners’ CDs, but there are two that deserve an honorable mention.  One is Long Lonesome Day from local bluegrassers Bell Monroe and her Brewglass Boys.  This band has never been content with traditional bluegrass, and their willingness to push the bluegrass envelope is their most endearing trait.  For example, half a century of overplayed Beatles songs has left most people sick of them.  But BMBB pushed right ahead with a bluegrass version of “One after 909″ which is one of the few Beatles tunes that hasn’t been done to death.  This video of it manifests the band’s unique, higher level of bluegrass consciousness.

Texan Lucky Tubb is the nephew of Ernest who had hits like “Walking the Floor over You,” “Waltz across Texas” and “Thanks a Lot.”  It’s a nice pedigree to have, but Lucky is his own man, and one with a more up-tempo approach to country than his famous, western swing-minded uncle.  He toured through SF on November 19th, playing a very early Saturday night show at the unlikely Brick and Mortar which is better known for Saturday night hip-hop shows.  His honky-tonkin’ CD Del Gaucho with The Modern Day Troubadores has been getting too much air time around HWS Central not to tell you about it.

Samoa Boy has built his A-Town enterprise into a one-man conglomerate over the last decade.  He produces, DJs, teaches dance and manages a stable of bands, all of which sometimes blends together, as when he produces a show featuring bands he manages that include his dance lesson up front and him DJing between sets.  He sets up the PA and designs the fliers with his other hand.

His swing night at the Verdi Club, featuring Stompy Jones, has become an SF Tuesday night fixture.  Stompy itself plays about 20 dates per month as the most successful of the nine bands in the A-Town empire.  He also finds time to present touring bands like Petunia and the Vipers or Big Sandy and the Fly-Rite Boys.  Check out his Zombie Prom, featuring the voodoo swing of Slim Jenkins and a coffin picture booth, October 28th.

T.R. Hunt‘s Spirit Vibrations has been working its way up the food chain for two years, producing a variety of independent bands at various locations.  She started Spirit Vibrations after her teaching job was crunched by the recession.  She’s taking full advantage of social media, notably Facebook, to make her events happen.  T.R. differs from most independent producers because she’s into a wide range of styles including singer-songwriter, reggae and indy rock.  Her next twang show will feature Hellbound Glory, Misisipi Mike and The Midnight Gamblers and The GoldDiggers at the Red Devil Lounge on November 12th.

Talk about living on the edge, Shelby Ash not only lives the high risk life of an independent producer, he also owns The Music Store, one of the last of SF’s vanishing breed of record/CD/DVD outlets.  He’ll produce just about anything that is from the Americana catalog, but most of his shows draw from the bluegrass and western bands.  Shelby Ash Presents shows can be found regularly at places like Red Devil Lounge, Cafe DuNord and Plough and Stars; his September show at the Great American Music Hall featured The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit and Brothers Comatose and was a resounding success.  He’s also got the holidays covered with a “Boo-Grass” show coming for Halloween and the “Turkey Trot” for Thanksgiving, and he’s also been a mainstay producing the SF Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival every February.

There are other twang producers to be sure, but they mainly stick to one show per month, or less, that barely pays the bills.  The unsinkable dX, who has The Knockout to run, has dusted off his independent producer’s hat to get third Thursdays twanging at Blondie’s Bar and No Grill.  Handsome Hawk Valentine has done a fine job bringing third Saturdays to life with the “Haight Street Hop” at Milk Bar.  Our roving reporter, Greg Yanito, tells HWS that this could be moving to another venue and maybe another night, thus providing a handy example of shimmy-shammy associated with a music producer’s life.

Other producers are responsible for one-offs, house concerts and DJed shows; most of which incur bills rather than pay them.  Yes, it’s generally a labor of love, but without independent producers there would be a lot less music around to enjoy.

Hicks with Sticks is back on the radio with two August shows featuring 2010-2011 tracks from the Bay Area’s hillbillies and rockabillies, including new releases from the Whisky Richards, Loretta Lynch, Midnight Trio (Livermore’s finest), Whisky Pills Fiasco, The Coburns (ex-King Cab members and San Leandro’s finest) and Laura Benetez (Cottonpickers).  Tune in to find out what’s twangin’ throughout the Bay Area.  Both shows will be broadcast and webcast.

The first show, Peter Thompson‘s Bluegrass Signal on Saturday 13, 6:30 -8:00 (KALW.org), typically features Hicks with Sticks as a guest, but this time both Peter and bluegrass will be taking the day off for the amplified side of roots Americana with Jose Segue guest-hosting.  The second show, Why, Baby Why on Tuesday 30, 11:59 pm – 1:00 am (KALX.Berkeley.edu), will have DJ Meaty Paws at the controls while Jose passes the platters and handles back-announcing.  Each show features a different playlist to “optimize the listening experience”.  Why, Baby Why listeners should plan ahead for a Wednesday morning sleep-in, for optimization’s sake, as audio creeps ever closer to this site.

Tom Drohan and Gayle Schmidt were on a train platform in Spain looking at this picture of their house in flames.  Pam Brandon had just returned from visiting her parents in France to find her home in ruins.  Drohan/Schmidt occupied the lower flat at 434-436 Waller, Pam Brandon lives in the upper flat.  There was no loss of life, pets, or a Martin guitar which was saved by the firemen, but everything else is now gone.

All have strong ties to the Bay Area Americana community.  Pam Brandon leads Belle Monroe and her Brewglass Boys (bluegrass), sings in Lost Weekend (western bop/swing), and sings in D’lilah Monroe and the Tomcats (swing).  Tom Drohan plays stand-up bass as a Brewglass Boy and as a Tomcat.  He’s also in the Shut-Ins (hulabilly) and plays bass with his wife in Gayle Lynn (Schmidt) and the Hired Hands (Americana/country).  They’re all great people to have at a party, especially at the Waller St. parties they’ve hosted themselves.

The Haighteration blog, which reports Lower Haight news, carried the picture above and more details here and here.  The-434-436-Waller-Fire-Relief-Page Facebook page can be found here.  Fundraisers are being organized and will be on the Hicks with Sticks Calendar and in comments to this post.  All three are bounce-back people, but their need for help is clear.  Let’s rally!

The instrumentals represent a wide range of styles, the first of which, “How High the Moon”, is a lively, jazzy tune in the style of the jazz trio that the versatile Mr. Jones also leads. Next, the title track is a rocker in the spirit of Duane Eddy or Link Wray, and it simultaneously rips, runs, embraces and soars. “Vibro Erotica” is a luscious lounge track, while “Prairie Dog Daddy” is a western swing track; both of which are accented with Jinx Jones’ own “touches”. “Roma’s Song” is a soft, almost dream-like guitar study. These five tracks cover considerable ground, ranging as they do between jazz, rock, lounge, western swing and romance. Taken together, they are their own CD; one that’s titled All the Different Kinds of Fun in My Guitar. But nobody will buy that CD, and there was no place else to put them, so they’ve been scattered, something like big league pitcher’s change-ups, throughout Rip and Run.

The songs with the words and stuff constitute a fine honky-tonk mix all written by Jones who usually depends on the lyrics of others in songs he covers. Sin prevails throughout. “On Parole and Out of Control” is about a gal who, barely out of her orange jumpsuit, is already looking for trouble. “Never Live It Down” mentions local watering holes like the Saddle Rack, the 23 Club, the El Rio and the Shamrock, as starting points for drinking to excess then running afoul of bouncers and police officers from Fremont to ‘Frisco. And what would a honky-tonk record be without a song like “Doghouse”, where our hero brings on a storm of girlfriend trouble after sidetracking himself into a house of ill repute? Coming home reeking of liquor and cheap perfume hath never the fair heart of a lady won, not by a long shot.

The subject of sin in honky-tonk has been so thoroughly explored that it should not come as a surprise to find that some tracks are derivative. “No Beer in Heaven” doesn’t add much to “In Heaven there Is No Beer”, and “What Makes You Think I’m Lonesome” has been cloned from the “She Thinks I Still Care” extended family of songs. Yet even when the lyrics drift into the tried and true, there’s always something happening on the guitar to recapture the listener’s interest.

Jinx Jones’ CDs are about the guitar as the instrumentals on this one have done their best to explain. The best advice is to approach Rip and Run with a mind open to exploration rather than closed by preconceived expectations. Jones has set his own bar and leaves it to the listener to discover where he’s placed it.

“Emmitt” – Don Burnham
“Life of the Party” – Belle Monroe and her Brewglass Boys
“Straight and Narrow” – Jesse Jay Harris
“16 Chicks” – Midnight Trio
“South of Eureaka” – Whisky Pills Fiasco
“Redneck Barbie” – Jinx Jones
“Man Who Comes to Our House” – Shut-Ins
“Broken Heart Records” – Harkenbacks
“Red Lights” – Axton Kinkaid
“Woman (Sensuous Woman)” – Plain High Drifters
“I’m Gonna Leave Here Shoutin’” (live) – Red Meat
“Tall Pines” – Laurie Lewis
“Smoke, Smoke that Cigarette” – Lonestar Retrobates
“DeMarco’s 23 Club” – Hi-Rhythm Hustlers
“(Got Thrown Out of the) Waffle House (for Makin’ Out in the Booth)” – Truckstop Honeymoon
“Cold, Cold Heart” – Stiff Richards
“Ringo” (live and drunk) – Chase Gowdy and the Rusty Nails

Marilyn Digs HWS on the Radio

Get ready for Hicks with Sticks on KALX, 90.7 and webcast on Tuesday at 11:59 PM (technically midnight 6/1 in the AM). Hear new releases from Don Burnham (Lost Weekend), Jinx Jones, Midnight Trio, Belle Monroe and her Brewglass Boys, Laura Benitez, Whisky Pills Fiasco plus other Bay Area faves and a ’90s vintage rock/ska version of Hank Wms “Cold, Cold Heart”.

Lost Weekend, the band, built its name by covering songs by Bob Wills, Cindy Walker, the Light Crust Doughboys and like-minded western swing pioneers. Don Burnham, the band’s leader, has turned his attention to writing his own material, often updating the topical content while keeping the music true to its roots. “Apple and Google and Gold,” the release that launched the Don Burnham era, is a case in point. It’s a cowboy’s lament about sinking one’s life savings into Enron, dot-coms and sub-prime mortgages instead of investments that soared rather than sunk. Bob Wills never even wrote about the Great Depression, where Don Burnham is ready to face 21st century economics lock, stock and 401K.  Video: Apple and Google and Gold.  “Ex Factor,” a heartbreaking tale of woe about having your date walk off with her ex-whatever, is also better suited to our times than times gone by.

Write what you know is the CD’s credo, and this leads to tunes like “I Dreamed Count Basie was a Cowboy” and “Go, Man, Go,” which are a virtual lessons in how to arrange a western swing band; “Emmett” (Miller, 1900-1962) is a history about the man who, as Don Burnham and Wikipedia tell it, was the first to make a country jazz band swing; “A Dog’s Life” is an operator’s manual for living like a dog in the positive, rather than the pejorative, sense; and “Driving Lesson,” is exactly what its title claims. (The mystery question about this song is, “Did cars really have seat-belts to fasten when young Donald learned to drive?”)

Taken as a whole the musicianship is top shelf as decades in the business have brought Don some highly talented friends. The songs move easily between swing, bop, boogie, and ballads combined with wink of humor, a dash of life, a touch of romance and a lot of fun.

Watch the HWS calendar for CD release parties coming soon.

Crazy Joe Kickin' Out the Jams Behind Deke the Geek's Guitar Collection at VLV 14

The Silver Minx summed it up by calling Viva Las Vegas an ADD delight.  Lack of cloning technology prevented everyone from attending all the concurrent shows and events they wanted to see, and it was challenging to walk from one place to another without running into someone to talk about going someplace else.  Growth in attendance, bands and events did nothing to diminish VLV #14; growth only made things better as those who packed the Burlesque Competition, Tiki Pool Party, the main stage area and other events can confirm.

The B Stars, Midnight Trio, Stompy Jones, Thee Merry Widows and Jinx Jones and the Kingtones were on hand to hold up the Bay Area’s end, but of course the surprises for Bay Area twang fans came from bands that don’t usually play here.

Li'l Mo & the Dynaflos Doo-Wop on the Main Stage

Li’L Mo and the Dynaflos opened the first evening on the main stage and bowled everyone over.  Hopefully Tanoa “Samoa Boy” can get this LA combo into the Verdi Club.  Here’s a quick taste of the doo-wop bop that had people still hanging around for CDs and autographs an hour after their show.
Video: Li\’l Mo and the Dynaflos – \”Juanita\”

Pachuco Jose's Zoot Suit Riot

Li’l Mo should have been a tough act to follow, but that didn’t bother the dynamic stage show by LA’s Pachuco Jose y los Diamantes.
Video: Pachuco Jose Bailando con las Piernas Locas

Getting back to Rockabilly, Hi Q’s from LA were really on it with Carl Sonny Layland sitting in on keys.  Their YT vids range from old to lo-fi, neither of which do them justice, but this one’s got some nice production with vintage road-worthy illustrations.
Video: Hi Q\’s – \”Speed Limit\”

Redline Rockets on Brendan's Stage

The Redline Rockets where a very pleasant surprise hitting the Brendan’s stage with strong songs and a no-frills delivery.  Their video catalog is a bit shaky, but even the wobbly camera work on “Marie, Marie” can’t hide their rockin’ creds.
Video: Redline Rockets – \”Marie, Marie\”

The Twangshifters from Portland, Oregon backed their strong stage performance with some hot chops and Bayou Bettie gettin’ naked, which, mercifully, was not to prop up their performance, but to enliven it.  Listen to Sara Barry get soulful, sultry and growl on “Chain of Fools”.

Sara Barry Frontwoman for the Twangshifters

Video: The Twangshifters – \”Chain of Fools\”

Sound quality, which hung in there at all stages, was another very pleasant surprise at VLV 14.  Oh, how we remember walking the main room at VLVs of yore searching for the few islands where the sound was bearable.  VLV14 sound was only a little rough at the back of the Bienview room, and when Big Sandy with Los Straightjackets, packed that room the sound got so muffled that he blew his voice out.  Joining Deke Dickerson at Deke’s Guitar Geek extravaganza the following day, Big Sandy could hardly croak out a tune, but by Sunday he was on the mend.

They've Been Coming to Vivas Since They Were Embryos

Kids, though not many of them, were another pleasant feature of VLV 14.  Indeed, some of them had been coming to Viva since they were embryos, so getting with the program was no problem for them.

Blues bands, which were completely absent in earlier incarnations, turned out to be another fine addition to the mix, particularly as they ripped it up all Friday and Saturday night in Brendan’s Pub.  At least one couple, videographers Larry and Nikki who live in Vegas, rented a room at the Orleans just so they could hang with the all-night blues parties.

For more, find 40 captioned VLV 14 pictures in Jose Segue’s (public) Facebook album, and read the next HWS article, (pre-VLV) in case you missed it.

Crazy Joe forgot his guitar so Deke Dickerson let him borrow half of his.

Fourteen years, and my how she’s grown.  She’s  Viva Las Vegas, the annual Easter weekend gathering of greasers, Bettys and their pals at the Orleans Hotel in the real City of Lights.

Back in ’98 Producer Tom Ingram brought together a few bands and approached the Gold Coast, a C-list Vegas hotel with his idea for an American version of similar events that are popular in Europe.

VLV #1 drew 1200, mainly from California, but well-rounded by other Americans looking for an alternative to a mid-90s annual rockabilly event in Denver that was on its last legs.  Some came from Europe and Japan and some crossed the desert in their vintage rides.  Two vendors and a handful of DJs rounded out the mix.

Patrons of the Gold Coast’s large bingo room would stare into the lobby that the bingo parlor shared with VLV’s main stage room, wondering what could be going on with so many tattooed women in fishnets and duck-tailed dudes in Levi’s and leather.  Five years later the bingo room would be turned over to VLV vendors.

Now at the B-list Orleans, VLV #14 is sold out with 8000 attending the music and 8000 more coming for what has grown from a few cars in the parking lot to a major gathering of the car tribes – not exactly Burning Man; more like burning rubber.  The number of bands has swelled to 65, the vendors to 140, and special events have sprouted like little flowers in the Easter sun.

For example, participants at VLVs or yore would often congregate at poolside during mid-day band down-times.  This informal time-killer is now a three-day Tiki Pool Party featuring vinyl-spinning DJs and the sexiest vintage swim wear on the planet.  Then, somewhere along the way a few gals asked Tom if they could take off their clothes; now the burlesque contest is one of VLV’s biggest events.  At VLV #9, Charles Phoenix, a collector of vintage 35mm slides, put on a show.  Now it too is a regular event as are dance lessons, a dance contest, a vintage fashion show, pin-up workshops, all-night juke-joint record hops, burlesque bingo, Deke (Dickerson’s) Guitar Geekapalooza, and performances by the Satin Dollz dance troupe.

What started out showcasing a few bands has grown into a full-court-press entertainment extravaganza that draws attendees and participants from every continent.  Those who’ve been to VLV know the drill, but those who haven’t – in a way, the target audience for this article – need to make reservations for next year now.  The event and hotel sell out, so the I’ll-wait-until-next-spring-to-decide plan is failure-bound.  There’s nothing else like it.  Catholics have Lourdes, Muslims have Mecca, counter-culture types have Burning Man, and 50’s culture types have Viva Las Vegas: the best pilgrimage of the bunch.

NEW BANDS

MSP's Mighty Tighty Whities

There have been several attempts to derail the Mighty Slim Pickins, usually in the form of personnel changes, but lead singer Leigh Crow says this time it’s over for sure, as in really, really.

Three other bands have sprung from the MSP’s ashes. The Patsychords’ name gives them away; Roxanne Chick1, the MSP’s bassist before Lala, is a ‘Chord.  The Rumble Strippers are also new and Eden Heartattack, the MSP’s drummer, is now a Rumble Stripper. These bands will be twangin’ thar’ thang on the El Rio‘s patio on Sunday 3/12 along with Dolorata and Sassy, benefiting the SF AIDS Foundation.

The band to be named later is something Leigh Crow and MSP’s other lead singer, Nettie Hammar, have yet to brew up, but brew it they will. Daughter of MSP is only its working name.

Kitty Rose had been a regular at El Rio’s Cowgirlpalooza, at Dolores Park Cafe and assorted venues between SF and her home north in Ukiah. But Kitty and Katharine Cole, currently in The Battlin’ Bluebirds, are a persona and a person sharing the same hominid enclosure, so to speak. So if Kate killed Kit, it was nobody’s business but her own. Kitty Rose had put out three strong CD’s which was all she needed to do. Katharine Cole is on to newer things including a possible move back to SF, and a CD so dark it will make Marianne Faithfull‘s Broken English seem like a tanning salon.

PIRATE CAT RADIO SOAP OPERA

The loonies really have taken over the asylum at Pirate Cat Radio.

By way of background, Pirate Cat was founded 14 years ago by Monkey (his legal name) to broadcast at 87.9 FM and stream over the web. The Federal Communications Commission shut down the broadcast side in 2010, about the same time that Monkey acquired a licensed NPR station, KPDO, in Pescadero, north of Santa Cruz.

Apparently an 80% interest in Pirate Cat had been sold to SF resident Raymond Chen, but Monkey maintains that Chen only bought 80% of the Pirate Cat Cafe which shares space with the station.  However, Monkey also told the DJs, who pay monthly dues to fund Pirate Cat, to pay Chen, then a month later told them to pay into what appears to be a personal account of Monkey’s. Monkey maintains that Pirate Cat, a non-profit itself, had been rolled into KPDO, hence the reason for the change of accounts.  The DJ’s rebelled and set up their own account. The Golden Rule of Capitalism is that he who has the gold makes the rules.  Pirate Cat Radio (a.k.a., the asylum) had been pirated by it’s DJs (a.k.a., the loonies), but not for long.  The station and site have both been down for weeks.

Monkey appears to have fled to Europe. He’s not taking calls or answering emails though he has been sending out press releases, which nobody believes, to “clarify” things. Meanwhile, PCR defections, notably to FCCFreeRadio, have been brisk.  Talk about a radio drama.  Monkey, however true a visionary, seems to have been napping during his leadership development courses.

HAIGHT STREET HOP

The Haight Street Hop plans to become a fixture on first Fridays. Handsome Hank Valentine hosts the event at Milk Bar, across from Amnesia Records. It’s a vintage record hop featuring rotating DJs, burlesque, a pin-up contest, the Wak Shack doing hair, and a free dance lesson at 9:00.

The first of its kind was held on March 4th and was such a success that there was hardly room to dance. The crowd came dressed for success and DJs Okie Oran and Samoa Boy dipped into their wonderful 45 collections to keep ‘em jumpin’.  It’ll be free before 10pm too!