Retro
Hot Sheet Additions – Koffin Kats, The Howling Wolfmen, Frantic Flintstones and The Ravonettes
1/24/12 – Koffin Kats – “Our Way and the Highway” (Sailor’s Grave) Hear an exclusive stream of the first single, For the Good Times @ Bloody Disgusting (ht: Punk News) 10/6/11 – The Howling Wolfmen – “Asylum Rock” (Razmataz) Frantic Flintstones know how to build anticipation, with their constant Facebook updates, such as: Frantic [...]
MPFree – Rio & the Rockabilly Revival
Rio & the Rockabilly Revival, a talented band led by scorching singer Rio Scafone, the niece of rockabilly legend Jack Scott, is offering a brand new song as a free download. As you will recall, Rio was one of the hand-picked participants in our (now over) UNICEF drive, proving she’s both a favorite artist of [...]
Last Chance!!! Donate $1 or More, Get Awesome Rockabilly, Psychobilly and Outlaw Country as a Gift, Help Kids Dying of Starvation
#rockabilly #psychobilly The Retro Kustom Honkytonk – Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF 2011 compilation, featuring 11 sizzling rockabilly, psychobilly and outlaw country tracks from eleven varied, popular artists will be available until October 31st. Then it is GONE, FOREVER!!!! WHAT IS IT? It is an eleven track “sampler” of the music that typifies Retro Kustom Honkytonk. The [...]
Fearless Radio Features the Retro Kustom Honkytonk – Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Comp!
Read about it, #rockabilly lovers!
Buster Fayte’s Rockabilly Romp Features the Retro Kustom Honkytonk – Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Comp!
Check it out #rockabilly people! If you’re anywhere near my age, you probably remember the cry of “Trick or treat for UNICEF!” that sprung up every year about this time. Well, it’s back! Electric Lotus Records, which gives Phoneix-area roots and rockabilly musicians a label that promotes their music, has announced that two of its [...]
Make Room Brian Setzer, Imelda May is the Mainstream’s New Rockabilly Darlin’
#rockabilly by Retro
“I like rockabilly,” I’d say.
“What’s that?” the person I’m speaking to would say.
“Um, y’know, Stray Cats, and all that?”
“Oh. Okay…. Really?”
That’s been the conversation me and most of you have probably had over and over with friends, roommates and Great Aunts for years/decades. Brian Setzer and company were often the mainstream’s only reference point for a contemporary rockabilly scene.
Until Irish songstress, one Ms. Imelda Clabby, became an international media darling. This rockabilly chartreuse bet on herself, her husband, her music and our scene, battling her own label (Decca), who wanted to smooth out her overt rockabilly look and sound.
She’s riding high after making at least three and a half amazing full-length albums, going toe-to-to with Jeff Beck on tour and appearing on THE TONIGHT SHOW for the third time. NBC’s late night francise, despite being diminished after NBC’s Leno vs. Coco fiasco, is still the late night talk show your mom watches. She’s toured relentlessly, even spraining her ankle in a not-quite-Spinal Tap-worthy accident while jumping a fence.
All that said, it’s funny to get into the Wayback Machine and read the way this reviewer characterized internationally reknown recording superstar Imelda May, as it reflects the way most in the rockabilly world considered her up until her last album, Mayhem took off. An expanded re-issue, with bonus tracks was just released, fyi… More Mayhem.
Imelda Clabby from Ireland is the wife of one of today’s most popular Rockabilly artists, Darrel Higham. She already had some appearances on his albums over the years and now established herself as a solo recording artist…
- Black Cat Rockabilly
Darrel Higham remains a highly respected artist in his own right, with scores of albums to his credit (with How to Dance the Bop as a recent example). He is now predominantly sharing the stage with his wife – a real love story, which is always refreshing! The two of them have always come across as co-conspirators in her rise to fame. Still, it’s funny that in the rockabilly world, she was “Darrel Higham’s wife” for quite a while, whereas now, I’m sure he’s typically “Imelda May’s husband”.
Which brings me back to the point of this post… Imelda May is our ambassador to the mainstream now. She’s the name people will use to explain rockabilly to co-workers and folks at the family picnic. Thankfully, if mainstream audiences were going to anoint a Rockabilly standard-bearer, they had the good fortune or good taste to pick a genuine article!
Here’s some of Imelda May’s more recent media appearances…
So, a question… do you guys want more links about Imelda May or do you have your fill other places? I have a file full of articles and interviews, if you’re interested. Imelda May post – part 2? Or more about less-well-known artists?
Unvarnished Appeal for You to Support the RKH UNICEF Charity Drive
#rockabilly #psychobilly
As anyone who reads the blog knows, I organized a digital compilation by reaching out to bands I enjoyed. The bands, and in some cases, their producers and labels, kindly and generously agreed to participate, furnishing me with requested tracks and took the time to handle approvals. I am specifically appreciative of their help.
The idea for the comp, however, dates back over four years ago, when I did some blogging-for-hire about extreme poverty (defines as living on $1 US or less a day). That work required me to educate myself on the issues in a crash-course way, reading UN reports and books like The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs. It meant learning about the effects of globalization, the scourge of children soldiers, the price of political strife (such as in Darfur) and the impact of environmental conditions such as droughts.
Once you learn all this, you can’t “unlearn” it. It says with you. You start musing about what percentage of your overpriced coffee made it back to an Ethiopian farmer, or the money for the food you don’t need would be better used paying for some high-calorie rations for starving children.
At the same time, you’re not Bill Gates (who is really doing amazing things through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation… more of the “1%” should behave with such foresight and humanity). After a while, a certain hopelessness descends. Your awareness of suffering is vastly greater than your ability to do anything about it. Most people not in the 1% of wage-earners spend most of their time making rent. The little bit of extra cash that can be scraped up is used to try to actually enjoy the one life you have.
And that’s where rockabilly/psychobilly/hillbilly comes in. Rockabilly is a fun escape, full of outlandish personalities, imaginative lyrics, primal, rhythmic music and distinctive aesthetics. Whether it’s their hot rod, their hair or their band, people work hard at projecting a certain image. The “conversation” between all of these imaginative and artistic people is a fun diversion from whatever problems people may have. I firmly believe that’s the main “payoff” for the scene… a little escapist fun and the chance to communicate with other people who share some of your interests. I guess sports fans, gamers or Deadheads must feel the same way, but I’m none of those things, I’m a rockabilly/psychobilly/hillbilly fan.
There’s a big world with big problems beyond your ability to affect. The world keeps turning no matter what you do, so you might as well go to a car show or enjoy a band or buy that cool shirt, trying to compartmentalize the fact that through nothing but rotten luck, a child was born to die a half a world away.
In my case, I saw, through this admittedly fannish blog, I was finding bands that seemed cool and approachable. I had a computer with the capability of putting together CD-style packaging and I had page views in the 1,000′s. UNICEF has this cool “Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Online” portal that handled credit card donations directly… I didn’t have to worry about the liability of touching other people’s money, and the donation would be tax-deductible (in the US, at least).
Best of all, I knew from my research a few years ago that UNICEF was one of the few genuinely effective NGOs/charities on the ground. Not perfect, but better than most. This fact is confirmed by the respected independent organization, Charity Navigator, who gave UNICEF four stars.
I thought a compilation that accurately reflected this blog… a mix of outrageous outlaw/honkytonk country, swingin’ rockabilly and slammin’ psychobilly, with a mix of male and female vocalists… would make for a pretty cool enticement to donate to this cause that is so close to my heart. Extreme poverty is not a “crisis” the way a natural disaster is… it is a pernicious problem that is hard to personalize. I don’t know the names of the 1,000 of kids who are dying today, and I can only give a fumbling guess as to their stories and the causes of their premature demise – a clusterfuck of geography, weather, local and global politics and local and global economics – but I thought maybe I could turn this admittedly frivolous blog (about a fairly frivolous, but creative, scene) to help accomplish what I so often felt too small, powerless and insignificant to do… help contribute some cash in maybe the three-digit range, rather than the two-digit range (lofty goals, I know!)
It’s a challenge to motivate pure charity without a direct emotional appeal (like disaster relief, or those ads with the sad dogs and cats), but I hope that the opportunity to do good, in combination with the inducement of getting music hand-chosen by the blogger you read will motivate some of you to support this great cause.
As always, this project is only possible through the generosity of the participating bands and, in some cases, the producers and labels associated with them.
If you’d like to donate ANY AMOUNT to UNICEF and get the compilation, CLICK HERE.
New Releases 10-11-11
#countrymusic
10/11 – Johnny Cash – “Johnny Cash: Bootleg Vol. 3″ (Sony Legacy)
10/11 – The Infamous Stringdusters – “We’ll Do It Live” (High Country Recordings)
10/11 – Scott H. Biram – “Bad Ingredients” (Bloodshot)
10/1 – Robb Shenton & The Western All Stars – “We’re Gonna Rock” (Fury Records) (missed this one previously)
EXCLUSIVE MUSIC – Retro Kustom Honkytonk’s First Charity Compilation Album – Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF 2011!
#psychobilly #rockabilly #countrymusic
Want to celebrate Halloween 1950′s style, by supporting the vital work of UNICEF?
GIVE A LITTLE, GET A LOT!
Make a tax-deductible donation in any amount to UNICEF through the link below and get an 11-song compliation album as a “thank you” gift.
Elvis & Us @ Beatles Story Museum, Liverpool, Now Open
#rockabilly by Retro
The ELVIS & US (with the “us” being The Beatles) exhibit at Beatles Story, Liverpool, just opened with lots of media fanfare. For those of us who aren’t getting to Merry Old England any time soon, all these articles and photos are welcome substitutes for visiting the exhibit ourselves and ogling all the rare memorabilia (the Elvis artifacts are on loan from Graceland, fyi).
Pay attention to the COMMENTS section of these articles, too, as rabid Elvis and Beatles fans parse every sentence in the articles, often correcting the article, each other, and, y’know, behave like rabid fanatics on the internet!
Delve into the pop cultural conversation between Elvis and the Beatles. What’s your opinion of the Hillbilly Cat versus the Mop Tops? Let’s start a little rabid fan discussion of our own, right here in RKH’s comment section!
Recommended Reads re: Elvis & Us:
Elvis.com: Elvis and Us Exhibit Taking Shape
Elvis.com: Photo Gallery
The Guardian: When the Beatles met Elvis, and John Lennon put his idol’s nose out of joint
Seven Streets: Come Together
BBC: When the Beatles Met Elvis Presley
Libel Music: Exhibition Opens Showing Elvis Presley’s Influence On The Beatles
Click Liverpool: The Beatles and Elvis come together in Liverpool
New Releases 10-4-11
#countrymusic by Honkytonk
#rockabilly by Retro
#psychobilly by Kustom
10/3 – Rocker Covers – “Revved Up” (Greystone Records)
RKH reported and reported again… | Buy @ Amazon
10/4 – Merle Haggard – “Working In Tennesse” (Vanguard Records)
RKH reported… | Buy @ Amazon
10/4 – Misfits – “The Devil’s Rain” (Misfits Records)
RKH reported, reported again, and opined | Buy @ Amazon
10/4 – VA – “The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams” (Columbia)
RKH reported… but because find the idea of “finishing” the work of a genius seems suspect (or necrophiliac, according to Rolling Stone) despite the involvement of Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard, Jack White and others, we recommend a thoughtful post from the excellent blog Saving Country Music. | Buy @ Amazon (if you must) or Buy REAL Hank Williams – 20 Greatest Hits – @ Amazon
Hot Sheet Add – Buzz Campbell
#rockabilly by Retro – Buzz Campbell
The Buzz Campbell Band, fronted, naturally, by Buzz Campbell, the guitarist featured on Stray Cat Lee Rocker’s solo output and a founding member of Hot Rod Lincoln (a band I’ve enjoyed at Hootenannys of years past).
This album got past me earlier in the year. Read a review at blogcritics or give the album a spin (and buy it), below:
Hot Sheet Add – Miss Ruby Ann & The Round Up Boys
#countrymusic by Honkytonk
#rockabilly by Retro
#psychobilly by Kustom
The Hot Sheet is a mixed list of all the music Retro, Kustom & Honkytonk are curious to hear. Are we missing an upcoming release or recent release that you want to tell us about? COMMENT BELOW!
Ruby Ann, a former member of the Boppin’ Boozers, from Portugal, is now about to release her second full-length solo album with her backing band, The Round Up Boys, on Rhythm Bomb Records. We haven’t found a release date, but will update when one is provided.
MPFree – Amazing Bloodshot Records Fall Sampler
Bloodshot Records is offering a free sampler. Add your email and zip code below in order to get the downloads from Bloodshot. TRACKLISTING 1. HA HA TONKA – Usual Suspects [Buy album: iTunes, Amazon MP3 or Bloodshot] 2. LYDIA LOVELESS – Can’t Change Me [iTunes, Amazon MP3 or Bloodshot] 3. DEX ROMWEBER DUO – Jungle Drums [...]
Hot Sheet Adds
The Hot Sheet is a mixed list of all the music Retro, Kustom & Honkytonk are curious to hear. Are we missing an upcoming release or recent release that you want to tell us about? COMMENT BELOW! New Additions: 10/?/ 11 – Screamin’ Sugar Skulls – “Undertaker Boogie” 10/7/11 - The Jancee Pornick Casino - “Slice [...]
New Releases
9/27 – Southern Culture on the Skids – “Zombified” LP version (Kudzu) SCOTS.com/skidmart (previous RKH post) 9/27 – Mekons – “Ancient & Modern” (Sin Records – owned by Mekons/distributed by Bloodshot) (previous RKH post) 9/27 – Wilco – “Get Well Soon Everybody” (dBpm - Jeff Tweedy’s label) 9/27 – Elvis Presley – “Young Man with the Big Beat” [...]
R.I.P. Jumpin’ Jack Neal – Gene Vincent’s Bass Player
#rockabilly – Everyone who cares about the legacy of Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps recognizes founding Blue Caps guitarist Cliff Gallup, who’s referenced almost as much as Elvis’ lead player, Scotty Moore.
The other Blue Caps are not as popularly known, which is why only guys who really love their history, like Jimbo Wallace of Reverend Horton Heat and Levi Dexter were the first folks to jump on the fact that the founding bass player for The Blue Caps, Jumpin’ Jack Neal, passed away earlier today.
Like Gallup, Jumpin’ Jack Neal was not a life-long Blue Cap. He cut all of the key records that made history, toured, appeared on TV, then retired to get off the road and back to his family.
Jack went on to record 35 released tracks with Gene and the Blue Caps. He toured up and down the U.S.A. & Canada appearing on TV shows including the Perry Como show (hosted by Julius LaRosa whilst Perry was on vacation) in which Jack also had a ‘bit part’ in a sketch playing a waiter, he had to hand Perry Como’s stand-in a menu, which he did but upside down on live TV! Crowned by a trip to Hollywood for a spot in the motion picture “The Girl Can’t Help It” and working a stint in the Sands Casino in Las Vegas, Jack quit the Blue Caps to return home to his family. Jack never saw Gene again.
Visit the Rockabilly Hall of Fame to read the rest of the story.
Elvis & Us (Us = The Beatles) Preview
According to a new exhibit in Liverpool’s The Beatles Story museum, Elvis and the the Mop Tops go together like peanut butter and grilled bananas. So, please, don’t hold the fact that the British Invasion wiped a generation of rockabilly artists into premature obscurity bother you. I don’t! Anymore. Much. From www.elvisandus.com: The major new exhibition [...]
Available Today – 454′s & Jayhawks
9/20 – The 454′s – “Granpa’s Whiskey” EP (self-released) 9/20 – Jayhawks – “Mockingbird Time” (Rounder / Pgd)
Review: Rockabilly – The Twang Heard ‘Round the World
Rockabilly: The Twang Heard ‘Round the World, the Complete Illustrated History Edited by Michael Dregni With Contributions by Greil Marcus, Peter Guralnick, Luc Sante, Robert Gordon, Sigrid Arnott, Garth Cartwright, Deke Dickerson, Peter Dukema, Dan Forte, Vince Gordon, David McGee, Randy McNutt, Craig Morrison Forward by Sonny Burgess Voyageur Press Jim Heath of Reverend Horton [...]
Buddy Holly Day Follow-up
#rockabilly by Retro
Yesterday was Buddy Holly Day in Los Angeles, as I discussed in a previous post. Here is a video of Buddy Holly’s widow, Maria Elena discussing her efforts to tend to his legacy on Los Angeles vapid interpretation of a morning news show on Fox’s local affiliate.
Maria Elena Remembers Buddy Holly: MyFoxLA.com
Happy Buddy Holly Day!
#rockabilly by Retro
Here in sunny Los Angeles, today, September 7th, 2011, has been officially declared “Buddy Holly Day in Los Angeles”, on what would have been the Texas rock ‘n’ roll icon’s 75th birthday.
The city will be abuzz marking the occasion, staring with the uveiling of Buddy Holly’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Maria Elena Holly (Holly’s widow), Phil Everly of THE EVERLY BROS., Peter Asher (60′s recording artist who covered Buddy Holly’s True Love Ways to great effect and is also the producer of the new tribute album, Listen to Me) and Gary Busey (who portrayed Buddy in The Buddy Holly Story) will all speak.
Tonight, a swanky concert event at The Music Box will be filmed for a PBS special airing in December 2011. Paul Anka, Michelle Branch, Chris Isaak, Lyle Lovett, Raul Malo, Graham Nash, Stevie Nicks, Boz Scaggs and Patrick Stump, among others, will be trading off tributes to Holly.
New Albums Out Today
Pat Roberts & The Heymakers – “Lonesome & Blue” (Electric Lotus)
Tom Russell – “Mesabi” (Shout! Factory)
Hank 3 – “Ghost to a Ghost”/”Guttertown” double-LP (Hank3 Records)
Hank3 as Attention Deficient Domination – “Attention Deficient Domination” (Hank 3 Records)
Hank3 as 3 Bar Ranch – “Cattle Callin’” (Hank 3 Records)
VA – “Listen to Me: Buddy Holly” (Verve Forecast)
Bevis, Butthead, Elvis & Buddy
#rockabilly by Retro
In honor (?) of their impending return, here’s Bevis and Butthead comparing and contrasting Elvis and Buddy Holly!
(ht whatisrockabilly)
1957 Newsreel about Rockabilly in Japan = Pure Win
#rockabilly by Retro 1957 Newsreel about Rockabilly in Japan = Pure Win
