My Promo Video for The Oliver Reed Film Festival

Here's a little promotional video I made for The Oliver Reed Film Festival blog, with musical accompaniment by British punk band Menace. It's also on You Tube, but this is the director's cut.

Cheers!

Classic Rerun: Florida Rocks Again! #1 & 2

Some of the finest '60s garage bands from Daytona Beach to the Tampa Bay battle for supremacy in The I-4 Corridor Battle of the Bands, the very first podcast episode of Florida Rocks Again!, originally presented in two parts in September and October 2005.

Hosted by Mal Thursday, Written and Produced by JM Dobies, Co-produced by Jeff Lemlich.

Let the battle begin!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN NOW!

Playlist

ROYAL GUARDSMEN (Ocala): Gimme Some Lovin'
ALLMAN JOYS (Daytona Beach): Gotta Get Away
NIGHTCRAWLERS (Daytona Beach): Runnin' Wild
DEADBEATS (Deland): Can't Go on This Way
WRONG NUMBERS (Mt. Dora): The Way I Feel
ROCKIN' ROADRUNNERS (Sanford): Down
LITTLE WILLIE & THE ADOLESCENTS (Orlando): Get Out of My Life
WE THE PEOPLE (Winter Park/Leesburg): Proceed with Caution
BERKLEY FIVE (Umatilla): You're Gonna Cry
SPADES (Winter Haven): I'm Alright
JACKSON INVESTMENT COMPANY (Lakeland): Not This Time
CANADIAN ROGUES (Lakeland): Keep in Touch
CANDYMEN (FL/AL): Hope
RON & THE STARFIRES (Auburndale): Why Did You Cry
ROEMANS (New Port Richey): Listen to Me
LOST GENERATION (Sarasota): I'd Gladly Pay
NOAH'S ARK (Tampa): Please Don't Talk About Yesterday
SURPRIZE (Tampa): I Will Make History
TROPICS (Tampa): Time
SPLIT ENDS (New Port Richey): The Endless Sea

Visit the Florida Rocks Again! Online Superstore for posters, CDs, the Cracking the Egg: the Untold Story of the Nightcrawlers DVD, and Jeff Lemlich's great book Savage Lost: Florida Garage Bands the '60s and Beyond.

And don't forget to pay a call on the Florida Rocks Again! Swag Shack at CafePress.com for official Florida Rocks Again! T-Shirts, Trucker Hats, BBQ Aprons, Hoodies, and more.

Dig these wild 'casts from the GaragePunk Podcast Network, also available through iTunes or at Mevio.com (click on images to launch podcasts):

The Mal Thursday Show #17: Back to the Strip!

This episode is a sequel to The Mal Thursday Show #16: Riot on Sunset Srip Revisited, once again turning the spotlight on the L.A. scene of the mid-’60s, with appearances by some of the era’s most rockin’ combos, including the Leaves, the Sons of Adam, the Avengers, and the Standells. Then, direct from Sonic Nightmares mission control in Switzerland, Mal’s special guest Gringo Starr spins a set of his favorite bands from the Southern California garage scene of the ’80s, including the Pandoras, the Tell-Tale Hearts, and the Untold Fables (if you dig the Fables, be sure to check out Out of the Vaults, Into Your Ears # 21).

Presented in Living Monophonic Sound.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN NOW!

Playlist:

THE OTHER HALF: Feathered Fish
THE STANDELLS: Hey Joe/Get Away from Here
THE CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND: Sitting There Standing
THE SONS OF ADAM: Baby Show the World
THE SEEDS: Nobody Spoil My Fun
THE LEAVES: Too Many People

THE BOSSTWEEDS: Little Bad News
LIMEY & THE YANKS: Out of Sight, Out of Mind
THE AVENGERS: Open Your Eyes
RAGA & THE TALAS: My Group and Me
THE PREMIERS: Get on This Plane
THE FIRE ESCAPE: The Trip
THE MERRY-GO-ROUND: Gonna Fight a War

THE PANDORAS: Melvin
THEE FOURGIVEN: I Sympathize
THE UNCLAIMED: No Apology
THE GRAVEDIGGER V: Be a Caveman
THE TELL-TALE HEARTS: Crawling Back to Me
THE UNTOLD FABLES: It’s a Crying Shame

ZEBRA STRIPES: Intro ’66
THE CRAWDADDYS: I’m Dissatisfied
THE MIRACLE WORKERS: Tears
THE MYSTERY MACHINE: She’s Not Mine
THE MORLOCKS: By My Side
THE UNCLAIMED: Deposition Central (The Acid Song)

Don't miss The Mal Thursday Show #16: Riot on Sunset Strip Revisited starring the Standells, Chocolate Watchband, Terry Randall, the Zeros, and a special memorial tribute to Sky Saxon.

The Florida Rocks Again! Online Superstore

Now available at

The Florida Rocks Again! Online Superstore:

30% OFF LIST PRICE! Essential two-volume illustrated encyclopedia of Florida-related rock, soul, and dance music covering the years 1955 to 1985, the product of over 20 years of writing and research (and over 40 years of record-collecting) by the late DJ/music historian Kurt "K.O.T.O" Curtis. They're all here: Ray Charles, Sam & Dave, the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and many, many more. If you're a fan of the Florida Rocks Again! radio shows, you'll love this invaluable resource on Florida music. Published by Florida Media Inc., two book set, 1024 pages total.

This is your last chance to get an original copy of Florida Rocks Again! Co-Producer Jeff Lemlich's great book about Florida Garage Bands, Pop Stars, Soul Singers, and AM Radio Stations. An invaluable source work, and a must have item for fans of Florida rock 'n' roll and soul music. 416 Pages, signed by the author.

Kelly Rouse's award-winning feature length documentary about the legendary Daytona Beach garage band, the Nightcrawlers, who had a regional and national hit with "The Little Black Egg."

Beautifully packaged two-disc set of Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers recorded live at the Avalon Ballroom in the fall of '69 by Grateful Dead sound engineer Owsley "Bear" Stanley. Along with classic Parsons originals like "Sin City" and "Hot Burrito #1," the band busts out a bunch of cool country covers, including "Mental Revenge," "A Town Without Memories," and the rousing opener "Close Up the Honky Tonks." Essential stuff for any Gram fan.

Also at The Florida Rocks Again! Online Superstore:
The Allman Brothers Band, the Birdwatchers, Blues Image, the Nightcrawlers, James & Bobby Purify, Sam & Dave, We The People, and Psychedelic States: Florida, Volumes 1-3.

And don't forget to pay a call on the Florida Rocks Again! Swag Shack at CafePress.com for official Florida Rocks Again! T-Shirts, Trucker Hats, BBQ Aprons, Hoodies, and more.

Berkner Rocks Noggin

Laurie Berkner has been called the "queen of children's music" by no less an authority than People Magazine, and if you have pre-schoolers at home (and cable), you've probably seen her band on Noggin's Jack's Big Music Show, where she is regularly featured in a minimalist music videos for such kid-friendly ditties as "Bumblebee (Buzz Buzz)" and "The Google-Heads" (which is apparently about people addicted to the online search engine). Speaking of ditties, Berkner has gained a legion of admirers among not just little kids, but also lecherous daddies who are big fans of her breasts, which do a lot of bouncing up and down (not to mention to and fro) in her videos.

With Let's Hear It for the Laurie Berkner Band, she has moved beyond the three-minute clip to her own full-length special, which premiered on Noggin on Sunday evening. Though the show consists of mostly recycled material, there are three new videos, which are notable not so much for the music as they are for Berkner wearing something other than her usual uniform of two blue shirts and a pair of snot-green pants. Again, the lascivious fathers in the audience (like the guy who waxed rhapsodic about Berkner's "chest pillows") will no doubt applaud the costume changes, which are much more flattering and even show a hint of cleavage.

I myself find her attractive, but she also reminds me a lot of an ex-girlfriend who I was a total prick to, so I feel vaguely guilty when I watch her sing "The Cat Came Back" or "I'm Gonna Catch You."

Turns out she's married to the schlub who plays bass in her videos. He's clearly unworthy, and my sources tell me he's now out of the band, which is a good thing.

But I digress.

I enjoyed the special, despite the guilt pangs regarding my ex-girlfriend, and so did my kids. Noggin followed it up with the Ting Tings' great version of Altered Images' "Happy Birthday" from Yo Gabba Gabba, plus a nice episode of Wonder Pets (my apologies for insulting the show's creators in an earlier column) in which Linny, Tuck, and Ming-Ming save "the Beetles," a group of singing insects from Liverpool.

Renowned KidVid critic JM Dobies is known for his take-no-prisoners approach to reviewing children's programming, whether taking the Wiggles to task for their lazy songwriting and naked greed ("Bring Me the Head of Anthony Wiggle") or savaging lame kiddie fare such as Handy Manny and Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and two small children, and thinks Wow Wow Wubbzy has jumped the shark.

Classic Rerun: Florida Rocks Again! #23

Classic Rerun: FLORIDA ROCKS AGAIN! #23: Night and Day

In one of the most rockin' episodes of the long-running series starring the all-time greats from the Sunshine State, every song has the word "Night" or "Day" in the title, or both, as in the opening number by the Razor's Edge, out of West Palm Beach. Although the episode starts with a Cole Porter song, it quickly moves into the garage with rare cuts by some of the grooviest groups to ever emerge from the swamps, beaches, and backwaters of F-L-A, as well as two different 45s from the legendary Paris Tower label. Actually, this episode should have had three Paris Tower 45s on it. How could we forget the Missing Links' "Where Were You Last Night"?

Produced by Mal Thursday and Jeff Lemlich in Living Monophonic Sound. Originally posted 12 November 2007.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN NOW!

Playlist:

RAZOR'S EDGE: Night and Day
EARLY AMERICANS: Night After Night
AMERICAN BEETLES: School Days
MOR-LOKS: Lookin' for a New Day
NIGHTCRAWLERS: All Day and All of the Night
ECHOES: Every Second of the Day
WAYNE COCHRAN: Sleepless Nights

WE THE PEOPLE: The Day She Dies
FIVE MEN-ITS: The Night Before
RARE BREED: In the Night
HOUR GLASS: Out of the Night
ABSOLUTES: Yesterday I
BLUES IMAGE: Yesterday Could Be Today
IRON BUTTERFLY (with PINERA & RHINO): A New Day

SAVAGES: Every Night
TRACY PENDARVIS: One of These Days
JIMMIE GALE'S IMPERIALS: We're Gonna Rock All Night
STEVE ALAIMO: Twist All Night
ESQUIRES: Heartaches Stay the Night
INTERNATIONAL SUBMARINE BAND: One Day Week
H.Y. SLEDGE: Day of Realization
SAM & DAVE: Goodnight Baby

Visit the Florida Rocks Again! Online Superstore for posters, CDs, the Cracking the Egg: the Untold Story of the Nightcrawlers DVD, and Jeff Lemlich's great book Savage Lost: Florida Garage Bands the '60s and Beyond.

And don't forget to pay a call on the Florida Rocks Again! Swag Shack at CafePress.com for official Florida Rocks Again! T-Shirts, Trucker Hats, BBQ Aprons, Hoodies, and more.

Dig these wild episodes of The Mal Thursday Show from GaragePunk.com (Click on images to launch podcasts):

The Best of BLOG!: The Glory Stompers

Originally posted 2 November 2007

Act One: Contains Spoilers

If it's one thing I can't stand, it's a movie review that gives away the entire plot. That said, the beauty of 1968's The Glory Stompers is not in the tale, but in the telling. Notably, in the dialogue, and in the wild, over-the-top performance of Dennis Hopper.

Hopper's portrayal of Chino, leader of outlaw biker gang the Black Souls, is a performance that informed every performance that followed, from Billy in Easy Rider to the Harlequin in Apocalypse Now to Frank Booth in Blue Velvet. It's a blueprint for a style of acting best characterized as "Hopperese"

Our story begins with a star-crossed couple whose relationship engenders the drama that is about to unfold. Darryl (Jody McCrea) is a member in good standing of The Glory Stompers motorcycle club and Chris (Chris Noel of Wild, Wild Winter) is his long-suffering girlfriend.

Darryl and Chris are having issues. "I want to be more than just a Stompers girl," Chris laments. As far as she's concerned, the Stompers are just a bunch of "over-age juvenile delinquents."

Darryl tries to explain, "Chris, you don't understand, they're my friends. They're like family."

"Some family."

Darryl tries to hip her on the upside of the biker lifestyle: "Don't you see? They're free. No hassles, no nine to fives..."

But she remains unmoved.

Enter the Black Souls. Hopper and company glide in on their two-wheel ponies to disrupt the proceedings. Following a cryptic hand signal from their fearless leader, the Black Souls crash the Stompers' party. Hopper, as Chino, wastes no time in menacing the female lead.

"Leave me alone," She pleads.

"Hey, baby, like I just want to, you know, dance with you, baby."

Darryl intevenes. "Leave her alone."

Chino replies, "Hey, man, you just had to tell me she was taken, man. You don't have to get physical with me."

"I don't want you to touch her again."

Chino can't believe this clod, who played "Bonehead" in many a beach party picture, is playing the tough guy. "This cat is obviously suicidal, man."

When Darryl and Chris split the scene for a little private time, the Black Souls follow at a discreet distance. Just when Chris is starting to see things Darryl's way, the Black Souls break up their romantic rendezvous with biker-type mayhem and lashings of the good old ultra-violence. After "Magoo" puts a large dent in Darryl's skull with a tire iron, it looks like the Black Souls' fun and games have taken a detour that leads straight to the gas chamber. "It's murder, baby," surmises Chino. But he's a man with a plan, as we soon discover.

Leaving Darryl for dead, the gang heads south, taking the girl with them. Making camp for the night, Chino explains it all for the benefit of his blonde-haired captive: "Here's the situation, baby. Like we accidentally snuffed out your old man. Now the only way out for me and my people is to either snuff you out, or to sell you, to some high-class Mexican friends of ours. Now, being good people, we decided to sell you."

But before the Black Souls go down to Mexico, they're going to blow off some steam at the love-in.

Act Two: Trouble at the Love-In

As the Black Souls prepare to make the scene at the love-in, Chino has to deal with his jealous girlfriend, and the rest of the Black Souls, who, with the exception of his brother "Clean-Cut," want to gang-rape their captive. Even "Mouth," the joker of the bunch, played semi-convincingly by Casey Kasem, of American Top 40 infamy, wants a piece of the action.

Chino sorts out his minions first by kicking Magoo's ass, then telling the gang, "You see this little doll here? She ain't no mama, man. She ain't no mama. Now, if any of you dudes want to hassle, just turn it on. Just turn it on!"

Since they're are no takers, Chino puts Clean-Cut in charge of guarding Chris, and heads down to the love-in with the rest of the gang.

Meanwhile, Darryl has arisen from his braining at the hands of the Black Souls, in a scene laden with Christian symbolism. He hits the road in search of his chick, enlisting the aid of Smiley, a former Stomper, played by a bloated Jock Mahoney (Tarzan's Three Challenges). Smiley hips him to the probable whereabouts of Chris and the Black Souls, and Darryl roars off to get revenge, and salvage his relationship.

At the love-in, Chino and his pals cut loose with the other swingers, including hippie chicks in body paint, and even a few Glory Stompers, unaware of the plight of their brother Darryl and his biker babe.

Darryl gets to the party a little after dawn the following morning, missing the Black Souls by an hour or so. He assembles a small posse, and rides off to give Chino his comeuppance.

Act Three: Rumble at Spahn Ranch

The final act of our drama follows the tried-and-true formula of many a Western, as the lovingly photographed California highways become a collision course where the good guys meet the bad guys in the final showdown. Not wanting to completely ruin the movie for you, o loyal readers, I will just provide a few highlights:

Chino's biker mama attempts to make up with her man after she's earned his disapproval by trying to stick a blade into the kidnapee, prompting Chino to ask her, "What are ya, knife-happy?"

She snuggles next to her man as he blows a joint, offering up her lush charms. Chino gives her the brush, telling her, "Hey, baby, I just want to get loaded."

"Chino, get loaded later."

"Get loaded later? What does that mean?" A brilliant retort, not to mention Hopper's personal credo for much of the next two decades.

In the final reel, the body count is three, all of 'em Black Souls, natch, and two of 'em Black Soul on Black Soul crimes.

This is my favorite biker movie of all time, getting the edge over The Wild Angels and even Easy Rider, which was more than just a genre film, anyway. Extra points are scored by The Glory Stompers fuzz-guitar soundtrack, performed by none other than Davie Allan and the Arrows.

The film was released on videocassette in the late '80s, but I nominate it for a deluxe DVD reissue, with commentary by Hopper, who actually directed much of the movie, and maybe Casey Kasem.

The Nightcrawlers: Cracking the Egg DVD

I have copies of the Nightcrawlers documentary, Cracking the Egg, on DVD for sale at The Florida Rocks Again! Online Superstore. $19.99 plus $5.98 shipping Proceeds go directly to the filmmaker, Kelly Rouse (daughter of the Nightcrawlers' Robbie Rouse).

For Your Listening Pleasure...

Click on Images to Launch Podcast:

Wooly Weekend in Montreal

Here's the lowdown on "Wooly Weekend," a three-day garage rock festival in Montreal with an incredible line-up:

* ? and the Mysterians
* Love
* The Electric Prunes
* The Alarm Clocks
* The Gruesomes
* The Hypstyrz
* The Higher State
* The A-Bones
* Muck & the Mires
* Les Breastfeeders
and more...

Plus light shows, go-go girls, rare film screenings, and a record fair. It's all happening August 6, 7, and 8, so make the scene and blow your mind!

The event is dedicated to the memory of Sky Saxon, who was originally scheduled to be one of the headliners. The latest episode of The Mal Thursday Show is also dedicated to Sky.

For more information, go to TeenbeatTakeover.com.