K Rock Gets Chromed

I'm all about promotion. Especially when the promotion are for someone that so well deserves the promoting. Hard work, dedication, talent, energy is what Chrome Cabot brings to the table along with a Rock Cuisine. Tonight they got their first interview on K Rock (Newfoundlands classic rock) and it was nothing but a blast listening to it. They bring a deadly ol scoff of classic rock tunes from Sabbath, Halen and Stone temple Pilots along side of their very own songs. The full hour show was deadly, if you haven't yet heard Chrome Cabot or their new album Rock Cuisine than you gotta pick it up in St Johns at HMV or Freds or by the end of the month on Itunes. It will bring your nostalgic love of 70s and 80s rock and hit you straight in the face full force. Congrats boys on your first interview and much more to come.

Bad Ingredients For A Killer Album

Gritty, filthy, angry, but most importantly pure. That's Scott H. Biram in a nutshell. He's a one man band that's taking over the Texas scene by storm. Forcing his brand of country punk music onto the crowns in the wake of the storm he stabs your ear with the twang of the guitar and raw lyrics. There might be dirt under the fingernails of this Texas born guitarist and lyricist but there's realism in his music like no other artist out there today. Before becoming the one man band he is today Scott has been in a straight out punk band called the Thangs and two bluegrass bands called Scott Biram and the Salt Peter Boys and The Bluegrass Drive by. But on his own is where he really shines, doing his own thing what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. It really works for him.
In his new album Bad Ingredients Scott mixes the anger and angst in punk along with the good time drinking and lyricism of country with a hint of blues. A stand out song for me on the album is a bluesy number called Born In Jail, its probably the rawest songs I have heard in a long time killer blues guitar and punch drunk lyrics. If your a fan of The Black Keys than you'll respect the shit out of Scott H. Biram. Clever lyrics is one thing that I love in songs, lyrics like "I can't seem to find you, no matter how hard I try, you always wind up missing, while I always wind up blind" on Wind Up Blind always winds up opening up my ears a little more and listening to each and every word a little closer. All of these songs are sung, played, produced and recorded by Scott himself but not all written. Scott does an amazing rendition of bluegrass legend Bill Monroe's song Memories Of You Sweetheart which is respectively less punkish but sounds amazing with his raw voice and guitar. He also tears the blues guitar up on Lightning Hopkins Have You Ever Loved A Woman, much respect. The whole album is not only worth listening to once but over and over and over again. It's a perfect blend of Contry-Punk-Blues, Bad Ingredients left a good taste in my mouth.

Moby Grape - 8:05 (Mike Douglas Show, 1968)

You can't deny the talent that exploded in the late 60's and well into the 70's. Music was more than just making money or earning a living. They wrote songs that not only meant something but also felt like something. Most of the artists such as Buffelo Springfeild, The Rolling Stones, Beatles, etc went on to World wide fame. Unfortunately not every band went onto fame and fortune. Moby Grape falls under the talented fallen category. Wrapped in a world of drugs and money was just too much for Skip Spence and company. Skip went nuts much like Syd Barrett, the lost soul of Pink Floyd. Its a shame and may we never forget the beauty that is Moby Grape.

Put Some Chrome To Your Dome

After a long anticipation of their new up coming album its finally here. Chrome Cabot have just finished the mastering of their debut album Rock Cuisine. I've been privilege enough to have a pre-release listen to the album, straight out of lead singer Ches Packs hands. Today I laid back on my bed and strapped on my head phones around my ears and soaked in what is a delicious Rock Cuisine. It was so tasty, I devoured every track like it was my last meal. At the end I wanted more. First off I just have to say that lead guitarist Jason Sheppard has got to be one of if not the best heavy metal guitarist in Newfoundland today, he rips through songs like Bottoms Up and Quite Moist with blazing riffs that will make your fingers bleed from just listening to them. From fast riffs to sick solos Jace proved his self on this album as a talent to be reckoned with. But "Snake" isn't the only talent that shines on this album, he is complimented by the steady deep base lines from Dave Pittman, the beginning of Aim To Please you can hear a funk bass line similar to that of Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers pouring out of the speakers. He and Jace makes the perfect combo where one only grows better and heightens the others sound. The heavy drum beat of Robbie Welcher can be found in each and every one of the albums tracks. He brings the power that every heavy metal band that brought to the table. You will have no problem banging your head as Robbie bangs the drums all over this album. Last but absolutely not least of the fab four band members, with charisma and stage presence that rivals that of David Lee Roth himself, is the one and only Ches Pack. With a voice that sounds that of the illegitimate love child of Brian Johnson and Paul Stanley. You can hear the influence of ACDC and Kiss all over this album. Pack brings the voice to the album full of talented musicians. He brings the classic classic rock voice. Today's music has no passion or thought put into it, but Rock Cuisine has passion poured all over it. You can tell these guys love what they are doing and it shows through each and every track. Their lyrics are cleaver and well thought out along with the music that fits nicely over the lyrics. I'm proud to have the first taste of the Rock Cuisine and its not a meal you'll get sick of. So buy this album, blare it all over Newfoundland out through car windows or dorm room doors. Make people hear it if they don't already know and spread the word of Chrome. Like I did, go home, put some Chrome to your dome, play it loud and play it often.

Your Kiss Is Something To Bragg About

There's no secret that Newfoundland is has an abundance of music history. But the difference from 20 years ago and today is that its not just traditional Newfoundland with a mix of country music anymore. Yesterday it was the Harry Hibbs, Dick Nolans, Great Big Seas, just to name a few. Today artists around Newfoundland have taken a more modern twist to their music. Its not a bad thing at all. Bands like Hey Rosetta and The Gramercy Riffs are touring Canada and the States, while astounding listeners all the way from sea to shining sea. Today St. John's is crawling with live acts, you can go any night of the week on george st or water st and catch a live show of some of the best sounding Canadian artists today. Us Newfies have the pleasure and luck to see such bands as The Novaks, Pathalogical Lovers, Navigators, Monday Nights, the list can just go on forever.
But one of the best known and respected artists around St. John's is a character by the name of Mark Bragg. He has done everything from produce and session play for just about everyone around town. Hes also one of the quirkiest songwriters in Newfoundland, sounding much like a mix between Bruce Springsteen, Captain Beefheart and Tom Waits. His music has a true mixture that just about anyone can enjoy. Mark has just released a new album by the name of Your Kiss and I honestly can't say enough good things about this album. It has everything from rocking songs like Your Boys Home to sour sweet ballads such as The Cutter to Texan style fast beat songs like Carl Ray. One of the standout songs has got to be the fun loving sing along song Roll Baby Roll, the catchy rhyming scheme of the lyrics makes ya just want to listen to it again and again. Bragg has a way with lyrics but also with the arrangement of songs which is seen in the song You Be The Boy. I just fell in love with this album as soon as I wraped my headphones around my head and sat back to listen. The horn section is second to none and fits extremely well with the heavy bass lines and drum beat. Well done to Bragg on Making Your Kiss a huge success. I honestly don't think that I'll be listening to anything else this week. The album just takes a hold of you and there is no way of getting sick of songs. Each song has a distinct sound that is different than each other. Theres a wide variety of sound on this album and I would suggest this album to any music lover out there. Bragg is king just as his album cover shows.

The Soul Of Blues

Close your eyes and be taken back to a time when there was no video games, tv, radio, or malls. All there were was wood around you with just your imagination and a heart full of soul. They sang about a life they lived and a life they were about to live. Thats the blues. Heartache and pain were plentiful, but singing about lost loves, little money or drowning your sorrow in hard cheap liquor quenched the thirst of the very life they lived. Theres a big difference, to me, from listening to a man/woman who grew up in a good life than one that had to scratch their way through poverty and sing their way to the top of the ladder. Personally I prefer the latter. The Blues is the latter. From the deep woods of the delta, working on cotton fields as slaves or living on the streets preaching the blues, the life they lived was a hard traveled road. A one that carried on right from the gut through the throat and out the mouth. A true blues performer can get his message across with just simple words, but with such a powerful message that not even the greatest poet could say it any better. Probably because it wasn't just written down from imagination but from real life experiences. To me theres nothing better than having listening to a bluesman sitting outside with his acoustic guitar, striped down and raw, with nothing else only the strum of the guitar and his raw and barely recognizable voice. Its the soul of music, these guys didn't one day decide to create a band because it was cool, or because of the money, or drugs, or women. They simply did it because it was in them to do. They rarely made a living at it besides street performing and only then enough to feed themselves. They sang public domain songs in the cotton fields to get through the day or take their minds off the pain in their hands from picking cotton. They started off with sticks with a single string on them and plucked it pretending to be a national star and not with a gibson les paul or a strat. They worked their way to the top and made it their. even if it was way after their time. At least they got there in time.

Son Seals Burns Up The Stage

I haven't been writing this blog very much lately. I have been busy with work and wasn't extremly inspired by much of anything these days to give a blog on.
I am a huge fan of yard sales, garage sales, church sales, flea markets, etc. You can never be too sure on what treasures you can stumple across at these
joyous events. Me and my wonderful fiance Virginia share this love, me falling towards the music and book sections and she towards the vintage clothing and
everything else sections. A few weeks ago I discovered probably the greatest gem I have ever found at a yard sale. A vintage 80's record player with stand up
speakers and a wonderful sound. With a 50 dollar price tag I could not resist. So just recently I could listen to my vinyl with great clearity and crisp sound
that I was so used to. As soon as I brought it home I started listening to my old blues favorites that Virginia brought me a handfull of from the states. Oh
what a great feeling to have them back and relax to, to just close my eyes again and fade into the twang of a blues note that just keeps lingering on and on.
One album in particular that stood out to be as soon as I droped that needle down on it was Son Seals Live and Burning. I was just blown away at his beautiful
guitar work. What made it even better was how you can hear the crowd in the background just inches away from him feel the blues. They felt the way Seals played
that night and just couldn't be quite over it. From Seals blues licks and AC Reeds Jazz Sax, the two of them trading off and the crowd benifiting from each
back and forth fight to the finish. The only winners were the crowd at Wise Fools Pub in Chicago that night. They got every bit of Seals and his band, from start
to finish he took peoples breath away and left them in wonder of the blues. If your even in the mood to pop on a record, 8track, tape, cd or anything and just be
taken away. To hear blues at its truest form, a musician having fun with the crowd and bantering between sets. Its all about having fun on this live album and
you can hear it through every track and every note that Son Seals plays the blues not because of the profit but because he was born to play the blues, every
inch of his body from his feet stomping to his finders plucking hes all blues and blues is all him. Give Live and Burning a listen with your eyes closed and your
ears open to every lick of the guitar, blow of the horn, beat of the drum and pluck of the base.

Blues Strike The Rock

As you walk downtown St. John's you might be privileged enough to hear a faint sound in between the usual Irish ballads and traditional Newfoundland songs that we grew up listening to and love. If your lucky enough you may be able to hear a sound from the deep south coming out of the Fat Cat. Its the sound of legendary blues musicians Scott Goudie and Denis Parker. The two of them are engulfed in the blues, setting the guitar on fire. They have been playing the blues for years and are world renowned for their talent and reputation in the blues community. They have knocked elbows with greats such as Albert King, Muddy Waters, Bukka White, Skip James, etc. I was extremely fortunate to have discussions with Denis and Scott after meeting them at The Pub where they established as a great watering hole after a performance the both of them had at the Garrick Theater. I only wish I had a better setting for a conversation than at work where when someone wanted a drink I had to rush away and grab what that person wanted, being the bartender obviously it was my job but it made for quick conversations and bits and pieces of experiences they both had. At first meeting Scott he handed me a signed copy of his new album Acoustic Live, hearing that I was a blues enthusiast he was more than happy to give me the album.
Out of any genre of music I have to say the blues strikes me as the purist, truest, calming music there is. It gives fullness to the soul, you can hear a blues song written by someone who is not in it for the money or the fame. He writes it cause its his expression of himself. He takes a guitar or harmonica and plays a song that sounds so simple but no one can play it like he played it cause its his song/soul. That is why the blues is so hard to play, because you can't just strum the chords and sing the song, you really have to feel it and make the audience feel it as well which is sometimes the hardest thing to do. On this album Acoustic Live Scott Goudie makes you feel it, his guitar work is second to none. He has flawless guitar picking on his spanish style guitar work on Santana's El Farol and his own song Renata is simply wonderful, I can hear influences from Santana and Carlos Montoya in the song. His renditions of the late great Robert Johnson song's Preachin' Blues, Love In Vain, and Last Fair Deal are a sure testament to his talent and understanding of true blues purists, not alot of people can take Jonhsons songs and make it their own, The Stones overdid it with Love In Vain in the 60s with Jaggers wine being a little too much, but here Goudie gave proved that he was one of the greatest slide guitarist alive today. Elmose James' Yonders Wall is a showcase to his slide guitar work. You can also hear a tad bit of influence of Leo Kottke and Ry Cooder on songs like Louise (Leo Kottke's version i've been listening to for years and can't get enough of), Blind Willie Mctell's Delhia, and The Rolling Stones No Expectations. Probably the most stunning and favorite song of mine on the album probably because I never heard it before was Tony Joe White's Rainy Night In Georgia which is a mixture of blues and soul, a fine mixture indeed. I can't say enough good things about this album and if your a true blues fan like I am there's no way you can not like this well put together live performances of Scott Goudie's great acoustic work. Hes a treasure to Newfoundland performers and I am happy and privileged to have met the man. So now alongside my Skip James, Rev. Gary Davis, Bukka White, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson and Howlin Wolf albums there now sits Scott Goudie with his head held high.

Saturday Night Shuffle

Bonavista seems to me to be a hideaway town. Nestled in between a row of mountains and the vast ocean we are cut off from the closest town. We love it that way, we love that anyone that comes into Bonavista is not just passing through, they are here for a reason. They are usually travelers that have heard of our history or landscape beauty.
On this particular Saturday night Walkhams Gate Pub was scheduled to play host to 4 extraordinary musicians from St. John's, the hub of Newfoundland music. The four musicians are from 4 different bands and usually don't play together besides the two of them. Kaleb Mahoney is the lead singer and guitarist for The Monday Nights, Elliot Dicks who also plays in The Monday Nights and also a band called The Novaks, Robert Kelly who now plays for a local treasure of a band called The Irish Decendents and Andrew Ledrew who has a great solo career building for himself. These four guys are great musicians of their own but are also great friends of each other. They jam on each others albums and help out when needed which is what I personally think is the best way to make great music. It happened numerous times in the 60's and doesn't really happen enough these days.
Around supper time I looked out the coffee shop window and could easily see a wave of dark clouds crashing in over the mountains that barricades Bonavista from the rest of the world. The temperature dropped and a chill fell over the town that spoke volumes with everyone that walked into Walkhams Gate that night.
The band shows up around 9ish setting up their equipment. It was going to be the first time I have ever heard a four piece band play at the pub and was wondering how good it was going to be considering the size of the place. If it didn't work it could have been disastrous I was thinking, but if it did work it could very well be brilliant. Elliot sets up his lonely snare which later he would make sound like something you would hear in the backwoods of the delta, raw and sheer genius. To make something so simple sound so complicated takes alot of talent. One of the very first things they do as a team is order a round of shots, Sambuca to be exact which I kept flowing that anise liquor well into the night. Beer and rum well wet their whistle all night long and what a whistle it was. They played like a band that played together for years and years. Kaleb and Andrews songwriting was exceptional with songs like Annie and The Wild Goose showed off Kalebs songwriting as being probably one of the best new songwriters in Newfoundland today. It was the perfect night, the people that came to the show were not just there to drink and get drunk, talk during songs about what happen that day or bask in the glow of their Iphone until their faces turn a pinkish red from radiation poisoning. They were there to listen to a great band perform not only their own great songs that they poured their heart into for everyone to criticize, which really can't be a easy thing to do, much respect, but also a gauntlet of covers from The Stray Cats to The Band, Elliot bares a strong resemblance to Levon Helm of The Band so it was that much better, he also looks a lot like Ginger Baker of Cream. Kaleb's voice barreling through Bob Dylan tunes did them more justice than im sure he gives himself credit for. While Andrew shaked and rattled his way through Stray Cats with a rockabilly style that would make any pink Cadillac driver green with envy. The night turned out to be a great time, good people and great music. Those who was fortunate enough to walk into the fog of musical greatness walked away that night with a new sense of respect for musicians and their very own talent.
At the end of the night we went our own ways, made a few handshakes and paid each other our very own respects to what we did. I went on to clean the bar after wasted booze and empty bottles filled the floors and tables. It wasn't as bad as some other nights the cleanup part side. But being in the position that im in its a very good thing. I then walked away with a huge respect for Kaleb, Elliot, Robert and Andrew as talented musicians.

Just BS Cd Release

Bonavista on a Saturday night, there's shed parties, small house parties where you can go and listen to the latest mtv disaster. Not my cup of screech and coke should I say. Theres really nothing like listening to live music and having a few drinks and laughs with a crowd of people dancing a jig right next to ya. Thanks to Steve Abbott, Bob Little and Walkhams Gate Pub we all have a great place to enjoy great Newfoundland talent and music. Many nights I've been on the other side of the bar throwing beer from corner to corner as Steve and Bob belted out the tunes that we love and have grown on us. Every now and then me and Sharon could take a break and lean up against the bar and listen to Either Steve or Bob do what they have done for Bonavista for years, sing everything from traditional Newfoundland music to Steve Earle to Stan Rogers. After all the years of playing the pub Steve and Bob finally released an album of theirs and your favorite songs. Starting with one of my favorite Dubliner songs called Dirty Old Town that was most famously covered by the punk/irish group The Pogues. Ending with their most requested songs Venice Is Sinking. In between is a array of hand  picked by Steve and Bob favorites from Bob Dylans Wagon Wheel to Stan Rogers Fogartys Cove. They also throw in there Walkhams Gate Pub's owner Harv Templemen favorite St Olav's Gate, a Tom Russel staple. The cd has beautiful production all done by Bob Little in his basement. The sound sounds professionally done in one of Canada's best studio. You can drive around town listening to Just BS with your windows down or just sit back and listen to them at home. You can find the album at Walkhams Gate Pub at anytime and this weekend the 18th of June you can come to the official CD release party at Walkhams Gate Pub and listen to Just BS in person. They will be selling cds there while supplies last so come on down and have a jig or two and sing along to Steve and Bob.

The Two Whales Avenue

As a huge fan of bluegrass music I have a keen ear for good old time bluegrass. From Clarence Ashley to Doc Watson to The Stanley Brothers I have listen from the best to the best when it comes to great down home bluegrass. I have stomped my feet to the the fiddle and the banjo many of nights singing along to bluegrass from the 1920's and up. It's hard to find a good bluegrass band in a province that is surrounded by traditional celtic music and what i call lovers of covers, people who don't understand music unless they have listened to it while growing up or they heard it on the radio, something that I pride myself on being not part of. My ears are always open to new music and music that is written by people for people, music from the heart and soul of musicians that lived and are writing directly about their life for people like me. Tonight me and my dear friend Harv took a trip to Port Rexton, a local town outside of Bonavista most famous for their theatrical showings. But tonight a local coffee shop called Two Whales Coffee Shop was hosting a bluegrass band straight from Ontario to play a modest show. As we walked into the place it was a great feeling of walking into someones house, since the coffee shop was actually someones house years ago and renovated into a coffee shop, not much renovation mind you. but it was defiantly warming and hospitable. Me and Harv (owner and operator of Walkhams Gate Pub and Coffee Shop in Bonavista) sat down in the back of the 20 seat kitchen which I was happy to see. It was a great feeling of walking into someones kitchen getting ready for a traditional Newfoundland kitchen party of years ago when friends and family get together to play music well into the night. Tonight was no different. The band was called The Avenues and they will not disappoint us on this night. They were a 3 piece band that ripped through two sets of songs and played not only two cover songs, that I know of , Wild Bill Jones and John Prines' Please Don't Bury Me,  that sounded like it just came off the radio but they also performed original songs that sounded like they were written by bluegrass/country greats. They even had a little bluesy twist onto the songs with the uptempo feel, which I couldn't get enough of being a huge blues fan that I am. After listening to the band that night I came home and slipped on Muddy Waters Country Blues record on vinyl and got taken back to earlier that night. The Avenues were a great band and a great bunch of people that will be playing at various bars and pubs in St Johns this week such as The Rose and Thistle and The Levee. I highly recommend keeping an eye out for them this week and and weekend and catching their show, they will keep you dancing throughout the night and wont disappoint if your a true music fan. Me and Harv walked away happy with what we heard. Thanks Two Whales Coffee Shop for bringing good music to rural Newfoundland that we deserve and hunger for. 

A Pocket Full Of Picks At The Pub

A night full of anticipation and hearing this and that about a performer that I was told was going to blow my socks off, we filled the beer coolers to the gills and made sure no one was gonna be cut off from their favorite liquor. The smell wiffs in from the windows of the fish plant just down over the hill running full blast after the crab fishery has opened. The smell of money surrounds Bonavista like the perfect green fog. Tonight though was the night that I was waiting for a long time, Dave White. a good friend of mine and great musician in his own right, drags out a musician that I've been hearing about ever since I started working at Walkhams Gate Pub, Carl Peters. The night started off slow with only the slot tappers gluing their eyes to the screen wishing for lady luck to be a friend tonight. It was a typical Newfoundland night with fog slowly creeping in off the water and hindering Dave's driving abilities coming out from St.John's. But he arrives and sets up the system to kick off the night. Dave rushes home to take a quick shower while Carl arrives and makes some tweaks to the system before the show starts. Dave shows back up and shows off his acoustic guitar, personally signed by Peters himself, in the flesh. Then Carl pulls out his own signed Dave White acoustic guitar. Then I heard why everyone had nothing but praise for Carl Peters. The echo from his guitar bounced off the walls and got stuck in your ears. Carl and Dave played effortlessly perfect together and sounded if they were playing together for a lifetime. They traded between playing lead guitar and lead vocals. With harmony that only strengthen each others vocal ability they ran through a gauntlet of classic rock songs from Tom Petty, Steve Earle, Tragically Hip, etc even throwing in a few 90s hits that Dave has been performing since his illustrious Maybe Fog days. I was especially impressed with Carl's own interpretation of the Big Bill Broonzy song Before You Accuse Me, made popular by Eric Clapton on his album Unplugged. Carl's interpretation of the song was the perfect mix between blues and acoustic rock. Throughout the night Dave and Carl kept everyone dancing in front of the stage and singing right along with them through each and every song. Not only was I impressed with Carl's playing but also how nice of a guy he was, gracious was not a strong enough word. I kept his energy up with tequila, beer and double espresso shots and him and Dave kept the energy up of the crowd that showed up at the pub that night. It turned out to be a perfect night with everyone leaving feeling drunken and still hyped up from the great music. I now have another favorite performer at the pub alongside Steve and Bob, Chester and Marcus, and Dave White. Now I'll add Carl Peters to the list. If your ever downtown St. John's and you hear Carl Peters is performing tonight at a certain time, run don't walk. You will be pleasantly impressed with the fast fingers and the glowing echo his his guitar as well as the strong bluesy voice of Carl Peters and the silky smooth voice and always full of energy Dave White, the man who eats , sleeps, breaths and bathes in music.

The Energy Of Cocker

I first landed eyes of Joe Cocker on an old episode of Saturday Night Live. He performed a Traffic cover song called Feeling Alright, one of his most popular songs. In the middle of the song he was surprised to see legendary comedian John Belushi join him on stage impersonating him, lip syncing along. Later Joe would say that Belushi did a better Joe Cocker than Joe Cocker. It was a turning point in Joe's career after he was in huge debt to A&M records. He would then embark on a huge world tour. But how can a man with such a gritty, drity, thunderous voice not become looked up to and gazed upon, alcoholism plagued Joe's life for many years. But he battled back and still performs to this day. In this video Joe plays the famous Woodstock festival, he was actually thought to be a roadie when musicians saw him backstage because of his hippie/hobo look. He did not look the part of a fantastic singer but boy did he ever perform. Theres no way you can walk out of a Joe Cocker show and be disappointed. He does do alot of cover songs but he has a nack for making those cover songs his own. Im sure many people thought Feeling Alright or With A Little Help From My Friends or The Letter were Joe Cocker songs. He has covered a humongous array of different bands such as Traffic, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Leon Russell, Chuck Berry just to name a few. Every performance Joe gives it his all, the energy he releases is second to none. The movements of his body can be looked upon as abnormal but he gets really into the music, so much that the music moves him in ways that no one else can really comprehend. Hes a musician true and true, lived the life more than once and came back to punch it in the face. I am a huge Joe Cocker fan and even today you can see him at a show and lay it all on the line, he still has the voice to move you or stand you still.

The Largest Vinyl Collection In The World

http://vimeo.com/1546186

There is nothing that sounds more perfect to me than dropping that needle on an old dusty wax record. The nicks and pops are just as much part of the music than the guitar or drum. The ups and down are unmatched. Its been an obsession of mine now for years ever since I bought my first ever album, J Giles' Freeze Frame. It steamed from there and right now I have over 3 thousand records in my collection. But my collection looks feeble in front of Paul Mawhimmey's enormous collection. With a collection of over a million records that altogether is worth over 50 million dollars he has collected for many years while working as a salesperson and keeping a keen eye open for the rarest of records. He has been bit by the vinyl bug and has a deep love of music and what music was instead of what it is today, fake and watered down, the same way I am and feel. Unfortunately is trying to sell his collection but can not find anyone that has the same obsession or cares enough for music to part with what he has dedicated his life to. I personally would only treasure such a collection if only I could afford to purchase it. There's only a select few people who still has the same heart that people like Paul still has and listens to music for the soul and passion and not for the almighty dollar and meaningless. I fully agree with Paul when he talks about how vinyl has a much superior sound than cd's. With all the digitalization of music we have lost all richness and soul of what the superior productions of yesteryear mastered. When listening to a vinyl record you can be taken right inside the studio with the band and feel like your actually part of the music. I have a deep respect for Paul from just watching this video and respects his desire for music probably just as much or more than anyone else can. It would be great to interview this musical encyclopedia. Much respect for the man with the same great love for music that I carry around all day everyday.

George Loves His Whiskey

Drinking songs with old time Country go hand in hand, like two peas in a pod, old time Country Musicians wrote drinking songs just as much as Irish Musicians. Some even lived the life of a drunken songster. Breaking the law after a drug infused night of playing at a rowdy honky tonk was an every night occurrence for some. Others escaped johnny law by the skin of their fingers. George Jones are one of those drunken Country musicians that not only sing the life of a drunkard but also lived many years with the bottle in his hand. At one point in his life he was picked up for drinking and driving, not that drinking and driving is such a far fetched arrest but on a lawnmower it was. He was on his way to the liquor store an apparently driving at 2mph was much quicker. But for years he battled the bottle, many times losing and sinking back into the depths of the sea of whiskey. This song Tennessee Whiskey has got to be on the top of my list of favorite George Jones songs, comparing women to alcohol was probably the only way George could compare women, two of his favorite things wraped up into one song. A true musician friend of mine does a beautiful cover of this song, Steve Abbott can do justice to this song, next time you see him play at Walkhams Gate Pub playing his heart out on stage request this song, step back and be amazed. Steve's band with Bob Little Just BS are soon releasing their first album so keep an eye out and pick it up. I listened to the master copy yesterday and was blown away with the quality of production done by Bob himself. Well done bys'.

The Altamont Disaster

It was a massive disaster from the beginning. They should have seen it from afar and put an end to it before it even started. 300 thousand drug induced people flocked to the Altamont raceway in California. The concert was free and was said to be the Woodstock of the west. The main card and most of the violence happen during The Rolling Stones set. Most people connect Altamont with just The Stones while dismissing the others that were on the card as well such as Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, and The Flying Burrito Brothers. The Grateful Dead were also set to be on the card but backed out after hearing of the extreme violence that was taking place in the crowd. The concert was filmed for a later Stones documentary titled Gimmie Shelter. The Stones hired The Hells Angels as security which might have been a huge mistake considering their don't give a shit attitude. As soon as one person pushed forward towards the stage there was no problem about pushing back. Which lead to a accidental death to a young man. Three other deaths also happen during the concert, two from a hit and run by a car and the other by drowning in a river bank. Four child births were recorded at the event as well. But the most famous and widely talked about incident was the death of Meredeth Hunter, who was murdered in front of the stage after trying to get on stage. Altamont has gone down in history as the biggest mistake in rock and roll history and is synonymous with rage, anger, death and pain. Sympathy For The Devil is the perfect song for this concert. He seemed to be in the crowd that night with the concert goers. At the end of the video you can see The Hells Angels dragging a lifeless body onto the stage while Mick keeps repeating "get down, get on down" and it still sends chills through the spine of me and I am sure many others.

Gallager's Mandolin Blues

Undeniable talent. Unrelenting force. Underrated musician. Rory Gallager never really got his come up ins. He was a driving force in the 70's blues boom alongside Johnny Winter, BB King, Albert King, Allman Brothers, etc. His talent was respected by a cult following of fans and other well respected fellow musicians such as Keith Richards, Bono, Pete Townsted, Thin Lizzy, as well as many others that caught onto his talent in the early stages of his playing career. His sweat was filled with acid, literally, and so was his voice. He spat out lyrics like he grew up in the deep woods of the delta, a poor black man with nothing but the blues to his name. But in reality he came from a well off family in Ireland and never really knew about hardships and pain but he can portray it in a song through his rough and bluesy voice. Here he plays the blues through a mandolin with the greatest of ease. He wails on it like it was his last song and he needed to tell the crowd listening what he was feeling at the time for one last time. I personally think he does just that and I just love the simpleness in this song. Just Rory with a mandolin, minimal bass and minimal drums. Its not much but says alot.

From The Dirt In The Gutter To The Light Of The Stage

If there was ever a Cinderella story for the blues RL Burnside wrote the book. There has to be hundreds of starting off from nothing and than being recognized for brilliance in the world of the blues, but nothing compares to Burnside's story. He almost never made it and if he didn't it probably wouldn't have mattered. He did what he loved doing all his life and that made for a wonderful life considered by him. Growing up in the backwoods of the delta and playing around great musicians he never really cut an album until later in his life. He was rediscovered by a dj who started mixing his albums at shows and it helped burst him into a whole new level of popularity. RL's music is a whole new sound of riff infused blues that is a close cousin to punk. Its hard and in your face, there's no 5 thousand dollar guitar or 3 grand amps. Just RL and a old beat up guitar and one speaker, its all he needs and he makes it sound like dirty blues, blues that will make your skin crawl and ears listen. RL is a wonderful talent that will be missed in the blues world but its great to see that he wasn't left there in the gutter, that he was found and recognized for his talent.

The Late John Prine Blues

In regards for songwriting, to me you can't get much better than John Prine. His style and flow and usage of metaphors are simply amazing. He flows from line to line so effortlessly. His songs paint a picture with such ease and comfort, I can listen to John Prine for hours at a time and never get sick of his style. One of my all time favorite of Prine's songs has got to be The Late John Garfield Blues. Its a really catch song and the lyrics are so intelligent and just full of John Prine wisdom. This version is especially beautiful since Prine is paired with an angelic voiced girl that plays the violin gorgeously in the middle of the song. Its a sweet icing on the cake of a wonderful song. I first heard The Late John Garfield Blues on one of my favorite albums of all time, John's album Diamonds In The Rough. It is filled with not so popular but my favorite Prine songs such as Sour Grapes, Everybody, The Torch Singer, Billy The Bum, Clocks and Spoons and The Frying Pan. But it also has popular tunes such as Souvenirs, The Great Compromise and a song that was a hit for David Allen Cole called They Oughta Name A Drink After You. It also has a Carter Family cover of Diamonds In The Rough which Prine didn't do alot of. If there was ever a John Prine album to recommend anyone this would definitely be the one. John has a spot in the songwriters hall of fame if there ever was one.

Newfoundland Pride

I am pleasured and proud to be related to Jim Martin. My grandmother was his aunt. Yesterday my aunt gave me an album of Jims called Bay Born B'ye and it was a complete joy to listen to. Exceptional Newfoundland music mixed with a little country twang. The album actually showed off his vocal skills more than the video I just posted, he actually sounds a little much like the Canadian Roy Orbison to me at times, with highs and lows that will knock you to your knees. Jim actually grew up in Conception Bay Newfoundland, born to my great aunt Blanch. At a young age Jim moved to west Toronto Ontario to work as a ironman putting together steel framing for Toronto's skyscrapers. He was first heard by Boot Records president Jury Krytiuk at the Country Music Store, he was singing alongside a few other locals at this Toronto hotbed for up and coming musicians. Jury was blown away by Jims vocal ability and begged him to record an album for his record label. Jim was adamant about the idea but after 5 years he agreed to do so. Jury always said that Jim had a warm, natural voice, and is what sets him above the rest. I'm extremely proud to be related to such a talent as Jim and wish he was still alive today to share musical knowledge with. But even so here is the talent of Jim Martin and his warm, natural voice. Enjoy.

Working Mans Birthday

A huge happy birthday goes out to country music legend Merle Haggard. Merle has always been one of my all time favorite country music stars. He lived the cowboy life. Filled with booze and jail. Weather it was breaking into a bar in the middle of the day or singing in front of millions of fans or performing his mentor Jimmie Rogers songs like they were his own, Merle not only had the talent for songwriting but also had the stage presence. He always stood on stage and looked like the biggest man on stage. His songs from Mama Tried to Working Mans Blues to Fighting Side Of Me are country staples and will always be played in all your favorite honky tonks all over the world. Sad songs, mad songs, train songs, pain songs, Merle was the master of them all. So everyone grab your favorite fine whiskey or gin and have a toast to the most respected man in country music today, Merle Haggard.

All Apologies

It was a sad day 17 years ago today when it was first heard that a beloved frontman has died of suicide at his home in Seattle Washington. That dreadful day millions of fans mourned the untimely death of Nirvana singer/songwriter/genius Kurt Cobain. No one really knows what was really going through his mind that day, maybe its one of those things that can't really be explained. Whatever it was it left a river of tears flowing from fans all over the world. Today marks the day not of Kurts death which was on April 5, 1994, but rather the memorial and the flowing of tears and heartach after hearing of the tragedy. But on this day we should not look back on the pain, torture and confusion that this man must have been going through to go through with killing himself. We should actually look back on what beautiful music he has bestowed on us, music that can never die. That is what is so great about music, no matter how long after an artist is dead, you can still switch on a record, cd, tape, dvd, video, anything and get taken back to when that artist was still alive. You can travel back in time and relive that time and place where you first heard the great music. Music is a time capsule that can not be emptied or thrown away and forgot about. Kurt would only want everyone not to mourn on this day but look back and enjoy the music he thrown at us back in the early 90s at the beginning of the grunge boom. I must say out of all the music he did, one of the most powerful and probably the song that he most enjoyed doing was not his own. Rather an old gospel song that he covered and heard first from an old folk blues guitarist named Leadbelly. Where did you sleep last night has got to be Cobain's last goodbye to the world. He was actually supposed to do a couple more songs at the end of the legendary MTV Unplugged session but decided he could not best himself after this fine number. It was a perfect ending not only to a perfect album but also to a beautiful career. You can see it in his eyes at the end of the song after hes belting out the chorus at the top of his lungs sounding like a banshee that it was over, no more im out. Unplugged was recorded in November of 1993, Cobain would be found dead only months later. It was not only the last recordings Nirvana ever did but also one of the last shows. That is why it is so important. Cobain might have been a tortured soul, riddled with pain not only mentally but also physically, having throat problems at an early age. Drugs was a way out of the pain but also a way into the torture. But no matter what we always have the music, that does not die. RIP Kurt Cobain, you have joined that exclusive 27 club alongside Janis, Morrision, Brian Jones, Hendrex, Pigpen, etc. I hope your up there in that great jam session in the sky. It is not better to burn out than fade away.

Muddys Birthday

Today is the great Muddy Waters birthday. The innovator of the electric blues, up there with T Bone Walker. Muddy has done more for the blues in Chicago than any other musician there is, rival of Howlin Wolf and friend of Willie Dixon, he has exploded the careers of Johnny Winter, Little Walter, Jimmie Rogers, and James Cotton. Growing up he would go to shows and learn from the greats such as Son House, Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, etc. His career would flourish and drop from the 60s to the early 80s. Ups and downs ravished Waters but he never said die, he even taken his music to a whole new level after joining up with Johnny Winter in the 80s and releasing two great albums. Muddy passed away on April 30, 1983 but his influences are immense, millions have covered his songs from Led Zepplin, Humple Pie, Bob Dylan, Allman Brothers, Jeff Beck, Cream, Jimi Hendrex, just to name a few. Even the Rolling Stones named their band after the Muddy Waters hit of the same name. Even The Beatles reference him in their song Come Together. There's no denying Muddy's influence in not only blues but rock from 40 years ago to today. He shall never be forgotten and his great contribution to music will forever be appreciated.

Sounds A Hundred Years Old Today

The first time I heard of C W Stoneking was the smokey beer bottle littered living room of The Bonavista Chain Locker's Steve Hoskins and Mary Beth Waldram who owned a vinyl of his and popped it on for a little while. As soon as that needle made it to the end of that first row I fell in love. Everything about the album seemed trapped in time, from the album cover (Stoneking with an american steel guitar in his arms with a bowlers hat and suit and tie on a black and white cover) to the music that sounded a jump blues/calypso/jungle/jazz just about everything under the sun influence extravaganza. I can hear how Stoneking has influenced The Bonavista Chain Locker where they themselves have that same influence in their own great music. Again I fell in love with Stoneking's music right after that first few tracks and it sure wasn't the booze talking. His gravely voice fits perfectly with the background of horns and at times sounds like the deepest of blues singers such as Bukka White or Blind Willie Johnson with their familiar powerful rich voices. Stoneking comes from American parents but was born and raised in Australia and it is there where he prominently performs with his backup band The Primitive Horn Orchestra. In this video Stoneking is introduced by another stuck in time performer that I love named Seasick Steve. Steve introduces Stoneking as being lost in the 1920s and 30s. You can tell this guys got something when he performs his first of two songs in this video on banjo by himself and just silences the audience. There's not a movement in the crowd as he sings and plays. The second song he does is called The Love Me Or Die and is a old hokum song from New Orleans. Its really special to experience such great music being played to this day, its music like this that should never be lost in time and forgot about. Its great performers like C W Stoneking who we need to remind us how great music was back in the turn of the century. In a time where music is full of fake notes and voices that are twisted and turned by computers there's nothing better than going back to the basic and seeing actual talent instead of pushing buttons. Perfection is not always perfect.

Living With The Blues

They sing about it a million times over. Some musicians sound like it and some may look like it. But it takes a real blues musician to actually live the blues. They are far and between but they can be found in the back woods or in the deep alleys. Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee are living the blues. They are probably the greatest blues duo to ever grace the stage. Here you can hear Sonny with his deafening holler in between blowing on the harmonica while Brownie explains how blue it can be. Sonny and Brownie were not only big in the blues world but they also took the folk world by storm while influencing Bob Dylan, Pete Seegar, Dave Van Ronk, Fred Neil and many more after performing all over New York City. Listen to them sing of the blues and you can just close your eyes and feel it. It sends chills up and down your spine.

Failing To Fall Unpluggs The Pub

A calm night falls on Bonavista. Its one of the first in a while where mild weather graces us with her presence. You can hear the sea gulls squawking over the fish plant eying their next meal from above. Two young lads stroll into Walkhams Gate Pub with a tad bit of nervousness between them. Guitars under their arm and some pride in their chest they start setting up for their first show at the Pub. The two guys are Ryan Warren (Chester) and Marcus Elliott. Tonight was a free show to the public and oh what a night it was gonna be. Chester and Marcus sets up and gets their mind ready for the night. With song book in hand I later find out that most of the songs they would perform that night they only just learned. A few of the usual's start to surround the bar anticipating the opening song. They hit the stage and you could tell the tad bit of nervousness between them, but after a few tweaks from the board they were off, belting out classics from Tom Petty and The Tragically Hip. They even had a few originals that could easily been written by Springsteen or Young. After about a hour the pub started to fill with the masses of Failing To Fall fans ( Chester and Marcus's group). The nerves would be replaced with the love of performing with people in your face singing along and dancing to your strum. Marcus' voice was nothing but fantastic, he belted out raw and it carries stright from the throat. We were missing only one thing last night and that was Steve Abbott from Just BS 4 feet away from Chester's face singing harmony right in front of him just like Chester had done when Steve would grace us with his presence. But all in all it was a great night, filled with great music and 2 new regulars at The Walkhams Gate Pub. Congrats boys you really lived up to they hype.

A Winter Storm

With today's health problems crippling him to a chair onstage, not able to stand anymore and tilt his head back like he used to in his hayday Johnny Winter still has the blues. He lived the blues probably more than any beat down black man from the south could ever live in a hundred years. Being persecuted at first for being not only a white man singing the blues but an albino man singing the blues. But the persecution came to a halt as soon as Winter starting playing his guitar. Fast fingers and pin point accuracy alongside that sharp bluesy voice made him what he was and still is today, one of the greatest blues rockers of all time. Drug addiction has been painfully a monkey on the back of Winter, even his manager would pump him full of drugs just to steal money from him. But after all the hardships and troubles Winter is still pressing on today playing the halls and bars all around the country. Winter was the first musician to break the million dollar mark for an album from Columbia records on his debut self titled album Johnny Winter. Which I am currently right now listening to on vinyl and can never get sick of. This video is a testament to Winter's ability to silent crowds with his playing. At one point you catch a glimpse of Eric Burden of The Animals admiring just how can a man play the blues so well effortlessly. Today's music does not have the same impact as it was back in the 60s. Today you cant go to some random club with just a few dozen people and watch an artist like Johnny Winter put on a performance of a lifetime with smoke filling the room and booze flowing like a river. It gives the ambiance that just cant be redone today unfortunately. These days you will have to crowd into a stadium or large venue, uncomfortably crammed into a tight space, forced next to people you dont even know and pay over priced tickets to do so. Gone is the day where musicians play just to play and for the fun of it, today its all about the big dollar. Only places like Austin Texas can you see legends any night of the week either playing a show at a small bar or walking the streets enjoying the street music alongside everyone else. These places cant go unrecognized and the same goes for the great Johnny Winter.

Claptons Blues

Today marks the birthday of Eric Clapton. Considered by many as the greatest guitarist to ever live. Signs of Clapton is God graffiti the walls and buildings of England in the late 60s. After braking through as John Mayall's sideman in the Bluesbreakers and showing everyone his licks in the Yardbirds, Clapton was just a young kid with alot of talent with the guitar. He was extremely shy and never though of himself as a vocalist untill Mayall convinced him to sing a few songs. He found his voice and made a career with a silky smooth voice singing blues and soul tunes. Claptons life would be shredded with drug abuse and tragedy. But he would later kick the habit and is still now creating beautiful music and touring all over the world. Here Clapton performs with what I personally think is the greatest group of musicians he ever put together. Derek And The Dominoes. The band would create a classic album and possibly one of Claptons greatest masterpiece Layla. The album scattered with blues and soul songs but the highlight was the albums title track which Clapton had some help from friend Duane Allman from The Allman Brothers. The duo would create one of rocks greatest song. Happy birthday Eric Clapton.

A Folkin Bunch Of Rockers

Starting off as a psychedelic band, Traffic dabbled into the ever expanding category of folk rock. Joining The Byrds, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, etc they released the ever classic album John Barleycorn Must Die. The song John Barleycorn is an old English folk song that was in a collection of English folk songs by Cecil Sharpe in the early 1900s. There are many versions of the song and is translated in a wide array of languages. The song can be dated back to 1465. Here Traffic sings John Barleycorn with a great arrangement done very well by the band leader Steve Winwood. Other songs on this album were all written by Steve Winwood and drummer Jim Capaldi and are all written in the folk rock sound of the 60s.

A Folkin Bunch Of Rockers

Starting off as a psychedelic band, Traffic dabbled into the ever expanding category of folk rock. Joining The Byrds, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, etc they released the ever classic album John Barleycorn Must Die. The song John Barleycorn is an old English folk song that was in a collection of English folk songs by Cecil Sharpe in the early 1900s. There are many versions of the song and is translated in a wide array of languages. The song can be dated back to 1465. Here Traffic sings John Barleycorn with a great arrangement done very well by the band leader Steve Winwood. Other songs on this album were all written by Steve Winwood and drummer Jim Capaldi and are all written in the folk rock sound of the 60s.

The Strange But Deserving

There's no way I can not do a blog on the introduction of Tom Waits into the rock and roll hall of fame. Then I found out he was inducted by Neil Young it was absolutely perfect. I cant search through all the artists in the artist yellow pages or anthology and find anyone that deserves this prestigious award more then Mr. Waits. He is not your typical multi millionaire singer- songwriter that walks with pride and wealth. Waits still has the feel that he just crawled out of the gutter after a hard night of drinking in the dirtiest of dive bars. He is the cookie cuter cutout of a chain smoking, womanizing, coffee guzzling, brandy gulping, jazz crazed lunatic that strives for hard nights and even harder days. Waits said it best when he described music as " something strange you do with air", perfectly described for waits. He really does strange things with air since the late 60s. He still has that presence and voice proving it onstage performing Make It Rain and Rain Dogs. He lets no one down. You can see the joy on Young's face as he knows this is a huge step for the hall of fame taking in such a luminary. Waits asks for a smaller version of the award so he can carry it around just in case he gets in trouble and maybe it could get him out. That's Waits summed up, a troublemaker but also the smartest and most talented storyteller the music world have ever seen. He strives to be the best and the worst, the remembered and the forgotten, the sweet and the sour, the loved and the hated, but most important hes the most famed of the underground. No one might not understand Waits but that's the reason hes so tangible, hes one of us, hes real and raw. Congrats Tom Waits on getting what you probably didn't care if you got or not, into the rock and roll hall of fame. Keep writing the quirky and strange music that keeps running through my head.

Ladies and Gentlemen..... Alvin Robinson

With a voice as smooth as fresh churned butter and a backup band as rich as Texas tycoons, Alvin Robinson as a Soul songster with the voice that an knock back women a hundred rows back. I have heard this song first from the back country bluegrass revival group Old Crow Medicine Show. They did a great version of it but it doesn't sound as cool and collective as Robinson's version. There are no words that can explain the voice of Alvin Robinson and why he wasn't as big as he should have been boggles the mind. Just listen and sit back and be taken away to a 1960s jazz club. Where smoke, sex and sweat lingers in the air and probably still does.

Blazing Through Austin

I've had the privileged of knowing a lot of music lovers over the past 10 years of my life. Between the Record Exchange in Salem Mass where I basically lived while living in Salem. They really helped me expand my musical knowledge and I am extremely grateful to those people. Today however there is no Record Exchange where I live in Newfoundland, but I have at least have another music aficionado in Walkhams Gate Pub owner Harv. Harv is really into the whole Austin Texas music scene. From The Flatlanders to Steve Earle. But probably the most prolific and interesting character to fall into the Austin scene has to be Blaze Foley. Blaze is really what makes Austin. He plays for the joy of playing music, with no interest of being famous or making a ton of money. He is an underground legend having played alongside such greats as Townes Van Zandt. Blaze has had songs written about him by Townes, who was a great close friend, and Lucinda Williams. Williams has called him a genius and a beautiful loser. His songs have been covered by the likes of Merle Haggard, John Prine and Lyle Lovett. Blaze is nothing but a musical phenomenon, a straight shooter. His lyrics were honest and true to his life. He wrote and sang more because it was therapeutic than becoming famous. The world needs more people like Blaze Foley, unfortunately Foley died on February 1, 1989. Foley, after helping a friend confront a violent son, the son would shoot Foley in cold blood. The son was acquitted from the murder charge saying it was in self defense. Friends of Foley was outraged with the verdict and rightfully so. We have lost a true artist but never will we lose the art.

Cash Alone

You think of Johnny Cash and Country legend comes to mind. Even though he stands both in the Country music hall of fame as well as the Rock and Roll hall of fame. He can do just about anything, a rebel without a cause. Me personally can't compare Cash singing by himself to anything else. His voice alone with the guitar is just stunning. Hank Williams is the same way when it comes to being alone with the guitar. Its more personal and raw. I can just close my eyes and pretend that they are right there playing in the same room. Two of the greatest albums that I have ever picked up were Cash's Personal file and Hank Williams Alone With Guitar. This song Drink To Me With Thine Eyes comes from Cash's Personal file. Its an old song that has been passed down from generation to generation. No one really knows where it came from but it has a sense of romance to it and Cash's voice really does wonders with it. He explains how he first fell in love with it and why its such a special song to him. Its such a personal song for Johnny and you an really tell by the way he sings it.

Kings Of The Irish Pub

The day has come upon us. Cheer and joy is spread across any land no matter if your in Ireland or Canada or South America or India or Australia. Today marks St. Paddy's day! The holiday is celebrated worldwide and its a day where no matter what religion or race you are, today you become irish. Green beers are poured into pint glasses where lads and ladies are colored in green clothing. Today is a happy day no matter where you go, there's just something about St. Paddy's day that brings smiles to peoples faces without getting gifts or money. Irish pubs across the world are getting set for great live music being played tonight and rivers of beer about to be poured. That is why for today, the last day of my all Irish week blog, I have chosen a song dedicated to the Irish pub. A new group have taken the world by storm. Conjured up by the same people that created Celtic Women, that have become such a huge phenomenon, The High Kings are doing the same. Consisting of a son of Bobby Clancy from the legendary Clancy Brothers, a son of Sean Dunphy who represented Ireland in the Eurovision song contest in 1967, the son of Finbar Furey of The Furey's and Broadway/pop star Darren Holden who played Billy Joel in the broadway musical Movin Out. This group is crammed full of talent. The harmony is impeccable and their stage performance is fun filled with getting the spectators involved in the show and being part of the experience. In this video The High Kings sing of Irish pubs and how you can find one anywhere in the world, no matter where you go. Its true to form. This is a dedication to the pub that I work at Walkhams Gate Pub, to the traditional irish groups that are playing there tonight Just BS and the green beer and irish cheer that will be served to everyone tonight on the day where everyone becomes Irish, St Paddy's Day. Cheers!!

The Ireland In Newfoundland

There is a lot of Irish influence on the quaint island off of Canada's east coast. From food to literature to drink. But the most treasured has to be the influence of Celtic music that has been imported into Newfoundland. Jigs and reels can be heard every Sunday morning on CBC radio filling the kitchen while men and women drink their morning coffee and read the newspaper. Break of dawn strikes as familiar sounds splash into your ears like a raving ocean. One of Newfoundlands favorite sons are a fine bunch of lads that are spreading traditional Newfoundland music as well as old Irish tunes with a bunch of their own composed songs mixed into the mix. The first thing anyone would recognize and stand back in wonder and amazement is the gravel filled voice of Fred Jorgensen. The man sounds like the deepest of oceans where salt and rocks grind the coast. He was born with the golden voice and can sing any song where he makes it his own. Here The Galway Shawl is an old Irish tune but Jorgensen makes it sounds like it came from his pen. Freds group The Navigators can be found downtown George St. many nights of the year or playing in Bonavista at The Walkhams Gate Pub. They tour across Canada and even the USA non stop living the life of the grinding band, long nights and hard days. If you haven't heard Jorgensens voice watch this video and prepare to be amazed at the rawness and deepness of it. With a strong Newfoundland accent paired in there with it the man sounds like nothing else you will find and there's no doubt he was born with a gift. Music is his life, its his family's life, numerous kitchen parties where there is non stop music sung by dozens of musicians are what he grew up with and you can really tell that from the passion he has for what he does.

The Cheifs Of Ireland

Popularity means nothing when it comes to greatness. You could be the best drummer that the world has not yet discovered but still be the worlds best drummer. Irish music has a deep respect to it, filled with dignity and swagger. No one can touch The Chieftains on their dignity or respect. Its not a popularity contest so to say, some may consider The Chieftains the most popular irish group in the world but millions of people may not have even heard of them in such lights as U2 or The Dubliners. But they are loved where ever they go around the world. They play more jigs and reels of the traditional Ireland than actual songs where they have help from the likes of Van Morrison, The Corrs, Allion Krause, Sting, Ziggy Marley, Rolling Stones, Tom Jones, and the list goes on and on. Even in this video you can see a young Roger Daltrey of The Who sitting backstage admiring and watching them perform to thousands. The Chieftains may have been the first irish group to become worldwide and the most respected of today. Still touring and performing in the biggest of halls and the greatest of people. Spreading the irish cheer to millions.

Shane MacGowan Pours Another One

Tragic, sad, depressing, vulgar, disgusting, drunken bastard or just a creative genius with talent streaming out of his veins. Shane MacGowan may look like a train wreck that happen a hundred years ago but he sings from the heart with every bit of passion and fire. He has followed the destructive behavior of the fallen talent pool that has drowned such greats as Hank Williams, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and the list keeps going on and on. The weird thing about it is Shane can never die, he is the Keith Richards of Irish Rock. He constantly looks like he just crawled out of bed if his bed was 6 feet under and covered in dirt and his teeth looks like wooden splinters as if he never brushed since Kennedy was president. He has drug addiction after drug addiction and swims in alcohol daily. In this video he is seen at his best, what millions would love to see live, Shane as drunk as he could be with a glass in his hand singing one of his favorite songs taught to him by his mother, Kitty. The song reeks of tragedy and so does the look on Shane's face, especially at the end of the video when the bartender walks over and gives him a kiss on the cheek. As she pulls away you can see the pain of Shane MacGowan, alone with millions of fan. Shane's band The Pogues are innovators of Irish punk bands being loved, respected and idolized by such irish punk bands as Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. I wonder what Shane would be doing on St. Paddys day? Probably just what he does every other day of the year, getting drunk off his arse.

Clancy Waltzes Matilda

One of the best known traditional Irish groups are a group of four brothers. Pat, Bobby, Tom and Liam took celtic music to a whole new level and traveled all over the world to spread their rich culture. A chap by the name of Tommy Makem would typically be at their side helping along either playing or singing along to their favorite songs. The Clancy Brothers were well known all over the world and also tagged along with the big folk boom throughout New York City and the rest of the states. Playing at the Newport Folk Festival numerous times and becoming good friends with folks biggest name and grandfather Pete Seeger, they even had a hand in influencing Bob Dylan in his push to become folk/rocks biggest name. The Clancy's can sing of booze, death, wakes and seas but here they borrow a sad song born in Australia called The Band Played The Waltzing Matilda. Its one of the saddest songs I've ever lent my ears to. Its one of those songs you just can't help but hold onto every word. Its a song about a young man who loved to dance in his younger years but, especially a song called Waltzing Matilda. He was called into war and has his legs blown off on a dreadful day where thousands died. No longer could he dance like he used to and loved to do. He couldn't do most the things that he used to be able and it just killed him without being dead. The Band Played The Waltzing Matilda is one of the most heartbreaking war songs to be ever written and its probably more considered a Irish tune now more so than an Australian song, thanks to The Clancy's. They made this song their own and you can see it in their face as they sing through the words. Its a tragic song but you can see how great the Clancy Brothers really could play with this song. Beautiful!

St Paddy Slaps Ya In Da Face

With St. Paddy's day approaching i'm dedicating a whole week on great Celtic bands from Ireland and some from right here in Newfoundland and Canada. Irish music has been close to my heard since my younger years. Hearing jigs and reels on the radio just about every Sunday morning home, I can just look back and feel the salt air wave over me with the sea shanties and get taken away to rolling rocks and green grassy fields of old Ireland. I felt the best song to start off the week long blog dedication was Fiddlers Green by legendary Celtic group The Dubliners. Its a close connection that Newfoundland has with Ireland being a song about a heaven for fishermen which what really build my Newfoundland home. You can really tell that this song was written by a fisherman for fishermen with a poignant salty taste left in your mouth while listening to it. Its one of my favorite Irish tunes being covered a thousand times by groups all over the world including Newfoundland. Its a hard life being a fisherman. A life stricken with hard work and long days. They work hard, drink hard and you can really feel it while listening to this song. It gives me goodbumps just listening to the lyrics and Barney sing the song like it was his own. But Barney McKenna and The Dubliners really make it their own especially since McKenna himself is a true fisherman, its as if hes singing his own testament. Have a fun and safe week everyone, its Irish week!

St Paddy Slaps Ya In Da Face

With St. Paddy's day approaching i'm dedicating a whole week on great Celtic bands from Ireland and some from right here in Newfoundland and Canada. Irish music has been close to my heard since my younger years. Hearing jigs and reels on the radio just about every Sunday morning home, I can just look back and feel the salt air wave over me with the sea shanties and get taken away to rolling rocks and green grassy fields of old Ireland. I felt the best song to start off the week long blog dedication was Fiddlers Green by legendary Celtic group The Dubliners. Its a close connection that Newfoundland has with Ireland being a song about a heaven for fishermen which what really build my Newfoundland home. You can really tell that this song was written by a fisherman for fishermen with a poignant salty taste left in your mouth while listening to it. Its one of my favorite Irish tunes being covered a thousand times by groups all over the world including Newfoundland. But Barney McKenna and The Dubliners really make it their own especially since McKenna himself is a true fisherman, its as if hes singing his own testament. Have a fun and safe week everyone, its Irish week!

Townes Van Zandt's Birthday Party

Today, March 7, marks the birth of Townes Van Zandt. One of music's most troubled troubadours. A life stricken with heart break and pain. Struggling with a huge drug addiction and alcohol abuse he could never kick the drug life which kept him out of the public eye for much of his life. Townes never did achieve commercial success unfortunately but that doesn't mean he wasn't considered one of the greatest storytellers to ever live. His songs such as Waiting Around To Die, Pancho And Lefty, and Snake Mountain Blues easily took your attention from the first line until end of the song. He could write a song with ease and have you thinking your listening to a story written by Hemmingway or Twain. It was a shame that he never really did great for himself in the public eye or heath wise. Who knows what could have become of Townes if he was still alive today? He could have been still writing great music collaborating with Bob Dylan or his best friend Steve Earle. He could even be helping out Steve's talented son Justin Townes Earle, who Steve named after Townes out of respect and love. Its sad to see such talent to just go undiscovered or not respected by most people and unfortunately Townes falls under that category. His songs have been covered by many most notably Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson's rendition of Pancho And Lefty. Townes is up there with my favorite songwriters of all time and listening to his songs you can see why. Happy Birthday Townes, RIP.

Just BS Without The B Is A O K

While holding down the fort at Walkhams Pub the other night Steve Abbott one half of the local Bonavista group Just Bs walked into the pub and suggested to play friday night just for the good of him. The pub haven't had music in a while so of course it was a great idea to get it back to rocking form. So we thought that Friday night would be a good night to play and if it goes well he would do Saturday as well. As 10:30 Friday night rolls round Abbott walks in to a empty room with backs turned to him on the other side of the room, eyes glued to the machines. But that didn't stop him from putting on a solo performance in which he put every inch of his heart and soul into. I didn't mention that this was Abbotts first solo performance in public. Being the first I must say you couldn't tell if he was uncomfortable or nervous. Tackling new songs like John Prine's Souvenirs, in which I for one hopes will be in his set list from now on, Abbott played in front of hardly anyone but made it seem like a packed house. Abbott kept on playing and never let up. It wasn't until 12:00ish until people started flowing into the pub. A happy bunch of music lovers that wanted to hear Abbott wail out their favorites and sing along. It was more of a kitchen party than a concert/performance. At times having duets with Kayla Little and Chester. Even Randy Stead showed off his Newfoundland Ugly Stick skills on one song and had everyone stomping the ground with smiles from ear to ear. Abbott really killed it that night giving the crowd a great show and left them going home that night singing sweet songs into the moonlight. Great job Abbott, I for one can't wait for the repeat performance tonight at Walkhams Pub. Everyone who missed it last night really should take it all in and if you were one of the lucky ones who witnessed it come back show Abbott your support, he more than deserves it.

Punk Gods Thrash Newfoundland

Feeling the wind tuck my hair behind my ears as I feel the rockey road below my feet. Long hair, baggy jeans and a ripped up t-shirt summed up my teen years. Skateboarding was a passion. From when we escaped the bars of school to when it was just too dark to see your wheels anymore me and my friends were the hardcore skaters of Bonavista. Me, Dwayne, Mike, Sam, Tim, Chad, Mitchell, just to name a few would tear up the post office until they would kick us off the property. Then we would skate off just down the road to the Salvation army only to be kicked off their property just moments later. The constant search for new skate spots forced us to raise money and build our own skate park. We were successful and built our own ramps and skated our own skate park. Those days brings back great memories to me. Most of all amazing memories of 90s punk rock. Bands like Pennywise, Melloncollin, Good To Go,Rancid, Ramones, Misfits, they all helped us get that height of energy that you need to pull off that certain trick. Looking back now I can't believe how much energy we had to be skating all day long and now I know how I kept so skinny all that time. Out of all those great punk bands I must say one of my all time favorite has to be Nofx. Their short songs that gotten right to the point with heavy chords and fast strings with a English influenced accent to top it off they had it all and we wore our Nofx mix tape out in our boombox. With our extra long extension cord hooked up to the local light and power building we were all set with loud music and sick skateboarding, as long as Nofx was blaring out of the speakers we were happy to be alive and well doing what we loved most. This summer Nofx will be playing a show at Club One in St. John's Newfoundland. They show is going to be hardcore and sweaty where they will be playing their classic hits and also throwing in a list of covers from their new album soon to be coming out. If you ever grew up in the 90s and loved garage punk music Nofx had to be on your list. I advise everyone to clear your laundry list for the day of this concert and prepare for a great show. Get ready for mosh pits galore and dont mind the eardrums bursting, its just punk music at its finest. I've added one of my favorite Nofx songs BOB. A song about a hardcore punk whose tough lifestyle has caught up to him after getting older. He realizes the realities of life where a hard lifestyle of drugs and alcohol catches up to you after a while.  If you never heard of them before then listen to this and get taken back in time when punk was fast and in your face.