Adios to 2008 with the Camp Combo

Fred Spek's Camp Combo live at The Local, December 30th, 2008

As 2008 draws to a close, I thought it would be appropriate to post some photos from the last show that I saw this year. The year in live music closed out for me last night at The Local, a cozy little pub within walking distance of home, with a live performance by Fred Spek's Camp Combo. This was a great night out, an intimate venue and an upbeat, swingin' set from a highly entertaining alt-jazz outfit. Fred Spek leads the Camp Combo, a unique quartet on the Toronto jazz scene in that they operate almost as a novelty act, selecting obscure and unusual numbers from the distant past to complement their own off-kilter originals. They sound a bit like a circus sideshow act, a ramshackle group of players belting out songs heard on scratchy old 78s and LPs found at garage sales, but behind all the wacky fun are some serious chops to back it up.

The Camp Combo (l to r): Fred Spek (sax), Nichol Robertson (guitar), Great Bob Scott (drums), and Rachel Melas (bass)

I've known Fred for two decades now (has it been that long?!), and he's always known how to deliver a good performance with an edge. I first met him when he was playing with an underground experimental art/jazz/punk group known as Blank Crowd. This St. Catharines-based project (eventually relocating to Toronto) were quite original at the time, particularly on the Canadian scene, maybe distant cousins to The Lounge Lizards or some of the post-punk bands flying under the radar in the mid-'80s. Fred played an angular, art-damaged sax, banged a snare drum, snarled vocals, and programmed stark beats on a drum machine within the context of Blank Crowd, and it was something to behold. From there, he moved on through various other groups, including Braino, D.E.A. (Dub Enforcement Agency) and The Mood Swingers (the precursor to the Camp Combo), away from the angst and into a jazzier world. Fred even spent a brief amount of time in my own project, post-industrial electro-pop group Parade, back in the early '90s, before figuring out that jazz was where it was at. He has continued to chart out original territory on the jazz scene with his latest endeavor.

Sharp-dressed man Fred Spek takes the mic

One more for the road...

Spek and his band of merry jazz pranksters were in good form at The Local, spreading some holiday goodwill and revelry to send out 2008 on a positive note. The Local has to have one of the smallest stages around, but the Camp Combo didn't seem to mind, and they treated the audience to two sets of unpredictable song selections to confound and delight. Opening with their signature tune, the vaudvillian "Camper Fanfare", and tackling other originals such as the moody "Cairo", "Rock Paper Scissors", and "Irony Rhumba", the Camp Combo proved to have some composititional talents behind the novelty front. A colourful assortment of song filled out the remainder of the setlist, including (from my hazy memory) "Baby Elephant Walk", "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise", "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", "Animal Crackers In My Soup", "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", and the themesong to TV show "The Hilarious House of Frightenstein". How's that for entertainment? Some good light-hearted fun, occasionally veering into debauched and bawdy songs (something about a burlesque dancer named Tanya Cheex!). The Camp Combo's lineup tends to change from show to show, and this evening's group consisted of Fred Spek on sax and vocals, guitarist Nichol Robertson, bassist Rachel Melas, and the legendary Great Bob Scott on drums. This was the first time I'd seen the Combo with Scott in the drum seat, and he was a great fit for the group, adding his usual wild and crazy charm and impeccable chops to the performance.

That was my final taste of live music in 2008. From there, it was off into the night, to navigate my way home through snow-covered streets, echoes of old jazz songs and irresistible melodies ringing in my ears. This is what it's all about.

Merry Christmas wishes from The Mysterious Vault

Season's greetings! Have many sparkling nights over the holidays.

Cheers!

The Calrizians' seasonal surf heats up the Cadillac Lounge

Last night, local surf/instrumental sensations The Calrizians warmed up the newly-expanded Cadillac Lounge with some holiday cheer, spiking their set with a few Christmas classics in the spirit of the season. The sleek four-piece instrumental outfit are relative newcomers on the Toronto scene, although they tear through an impressive repetoire of material with a confident swagger that would have you thinking that they'd been playing together for years. Despite the fact that surf rock is considered a bit out of fashion these days, having seen an explosive revival in the mid-'90s in the wake of Quentin Tarantino's massively successful Pulp Fiction, only to fade in popularity by the turn of the century, Toronto has a pretty strong community of bands keeping this sound alive (if you have any doubts, check out the annual 2-night Great Lakes Surf Battle festival), and The Calrizians are one of the top torchbearers of the scene. I'd only seen The Calrizians play once before, last summer at The Dakota Tavern, and was an instant convert, so I was eager to see them perform again.

The Calrizians rock the instrumentals onstage at the Cadillac Lounge

Last night's gig was billed as "Christmas with The Calrizians", and a festive spirit was certainly in the air at the Cadillac Lounge, which has recently opened up a whole new section, significantly increasing the venue's capacity. The Calrizians performed three sets of music, with a heavy leaning on covers of instrumental rock standards, spiced up by a couple of Christmas tunes given a surfy twist. Christmas songs translate remarkably well to the surf format, and the Calrizians were game with their interpretations of holiday favourites such as "Sleigh Ride" and "Jingle Bell Rock". Anyone who has listened to The Ventures' Christmas Album or 'Tis The Season for Los Straitjackets! (two of my favourite Christmas albums!) will have heard similar surf/Christmas tune mashups before, such as The Ventures' clever fusion of "Walk Don't Run" and "Sleigh Ride". The Calrizians weren't necessarily breaking any new ground here, but they did capture the lighthearted spirit of these songs and put a nice surfy spin on some old chestnuts.

The Calrizians take care of some business at the Caddy 

The bulk of The Calrizian's show consisted of familiar instrumental numbers, which they took on with considerable success. The group dress in matching black suits (and sneakers!), putting forth a slightly menacing image onstage – they look like they just stepped out of Reservoir Dogs, and took to the stage to take care of some "business." Indeed, they open the proceedings with "Surf Rider", a moody surf classic used in the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, and later on in the set tackle two more songs associated with the film. Any surf band willing to take on "Misirlou", Dick Dale's ferocious signature tune, has got guts, and The Calrizians rip through it with gusto, guitarist Ben Jewer shredding with the best of 'em. Other Dale material is performed, along with several tracks made famous by The Ventures ("Walk Don't Run", "Perfidia", "Slaughter On Tenth Avenue"), and much more over three sets. 

A few other memorable covers from the evening include "Apache" (a true instrumental standard recorded by too many bands to mention), "Harlem Nocturne" (in the spirit of The Viscounts), and Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet's slinky "Shake Some Evil". These guys have got some taste when it comes to selecting material, but any band doing Shadowy Men justice gets extra points in my books. Adding further character to The Calrizians' sound is Chip Snider, who contributes both saxophone and rhythm guitar. The sax component is an element that is missing in so many instrumental bands. It is really used to good effect in The Calrizians, adding a raw and raunchy undercurrent to the music, in the tradition of bands like The Champs, The Lively Ones, or twangy guitar king Duane Eddy. In addition to the above-mentioned titles, the group performed quite a few songs which I didn't recognize, either covers I was not familiar with, or more likely originals. Overall, the evening was great fun, and The Calrizians certainly provided ample musical thrills to ring in the holiday season. A tip of the hat must go to Sam, the owner and music booker at the Cadillac, for supporting instrumental groups like the Calrizians. Whether intentionally or not, this was the third night in a row of live instro music at the Cadillac Lounge, the previous two evenings featuring appearances by Ancient Chinese Secret (an all-covers offshoot of Atomic 7) and surf/garage unit The Von Drats. Cowabunga, and to all a good night!

Chip Snider blasts the sax

Guitarist Ben Jewer works out the Gretsch

Rock and Roll Riot – 33.3 revolutions from November, 2008

A selection of songs from the November installment of my monthly DJ night at the Cameron House, Rock and Roll Riot. This month marked the sixth anniversary of my first night spinning at the Cameron, although my monthly booking didn't happen until a year or so later. If you're in Toronto, drop by the Cameron on Saturday, December 20th for my last DJ set of the year (starting at 10:30 pm), which will feature some rockin' Christmas tunes from the likes of Los Straitjackets, The Ventures, Robert Gordon, Reverend Horton Heat, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Chet Atkins, and of course, the King of Rock and Roll!

33 songs from The Cameron House – November 22nd, 2008

Big Rude Jake “Gotham City Serenade”
Big Sugar “Come Back Baby”
Chuck E. Weiss “Jimmy Would”
Bob Dylan “Everything Is Broken (Alternate Version)”
John Hammond “2:19”
Paul James “Cadillac Walk”
Elmore James “Madison Blues”
Howlin’ Wolf “Sittin’ On Top of the World”
John Lee Hooker “Dimples”
Magic Slim and the Teardrops “What’s Wrong”
R.L. Burnside “Alice Mae”
Throwing Muses “Manic Depression”
The White Stripes “Hello Operator”
Loretta Lynn “Have Mercy”
The Animals “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”
Them “Baby Please Don’t Go”
The Undertakers “Money (That’s What I Want)”
Bo Diddley “Pills”
Little Willie John “I’m Shakin”
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins “Little Demon”
The Ventures “The House of the Rising Sun”
Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet “Good Cop, Bad Cop”
Dick Dale And His Del-Tones “Surfing Drums”
Owen Bradley “Rumble”
Warren Smith “Ubangi Stomp”
Teenage Head “Top Down (2008 version)”
The Clash “White Riot”
The Ramones “Gimme Gimme (Shock Treatment)”
Jim Carroll “People Who Died”
Suckerpunch “Zap O’ Hell”
The Cramps “New Kind of Kick”
New York Dolls “Looking For A Kiss (live from Royal Festival Hall, 2004)”
The Stooges “Loose”

Now In Print

I recently had the opportunity to contribute some writing to a couple of local zines, both of which were published in September. My submissions were not too substantial, just some reviews, but I thought I'd put in a mention here to draw some attention to the zines in question, Knee Deep In Squaresville, and The Eclectic Screening Room. Both are Toronto-based zines, one devoted to music, the other to film, each independently produced and distributed by a dedicated individual with a passion for their subject matter. Publishing a printed zine in the digital age is an increasingly hard sell, with the proliferation of websites, e-zines, blogs, online groups, fan sites, and the like. The options available in the digital realm seem to have diminished the importance of the printed zine. While there was a significant boom in zine culture in the '90s, the turn of the century saw a steady decline in the number of titles being produced. Still, the zine persists, and it is encouraging to see new issues and new titles in print. There's something about a printed publication that just doesn't translate to the web, the tangible quality of a printed piece offering something personal and of value to the reader beyond the words on the page. This is part of the reason that zines, magazines, and printed matter in general have endured, and the whole concept of "the death of print" has proven to be greatly exaggerated. Of course, the great surge of new writing is largely on-line, but there is something to be said for the continued existence of DIY print publications such as these. I've personally been contributing to and reading zines and independent magazines off and on since the '80s (I even briefly co-published my own zine, Machine Power, in the early '90s), so I've got an obvious affinity and affection for this realm of publishing. Both Knee Deep In Squaresville and The Eclectic Screening Room are unique zines in the Toronto scene, and are right at home in The Mysterious Vault!

Knee Deep In Squaresville is a zine focusing on music (rockabilly, psychobilly, '50s rock and roll, surf/instrumental, and related sounds), and vintage culture and lifestyles in general. The zine is put together by Toronto DJ Rock 'n' Roll Jenny, and is affiliated with John and Jenny's Rock 'n Roll Party, who promote live rockabilly events in the area. Knee Deep In Squaresville doesn't take itself too seriously, and includes a broad mix of music writing, interviews, movie reviews, restaurant reviews and recipes, makeovers, rants, and much more, often with an irreverent tone. The zine comes out four times a year, which is pretty ambitious for an old-school DIY cut and paste effort, but so far it is up to issue number 7, and issue 8 should be out before the end of 2008. Issue 7 was printed to coincide with John and Jenny's annual Rock 'N It Up Toronto Rockabilly Weekender, which was held September 12th and 13th at The Cadillac Lounge (I participated in this year's event as a DJ). Featured articles in issue 7 include an interview with rockabilly/roots musician Ronnie Hayward, a U.S. tour diary by Buzz Deluxe, and a writeup on the most recent Red Hot and Blue Rockabilly Weekender in Montreal. This was the first issue to which I contributed, and my reviews include Eddie Angel's Link Wray tribute album, as well as the first Wes Dakus and the Rebels reissue (see my July 2nd posting for more on this great CD). Knee Deep In Squaresville can be found at John and Jenny's events, or in Toronto at Good Catch (1556 Queen St. W.) or Hits and Misses (860 Bloor St. W.).

The Eclectic Screening Room explores the vast world of film, and is particularly interested in the unusual, the lesser-known, the independent, and the cult celluloid that often falls below the mainstream radar. Published by Toronto film enthusiast (dare I say obsessive?) Greg Woods, The Eclectic Screening Room (or ESR, as it is also known) is a lively read. ESR offers an entertaining mix of film analysis, criticism, and reviews, along with writing of a more personalized nature, reflecting on different aspects of film in everyday life, and waxing nostalgic on subjects such as late night television and the "death" of VHS. Greg launched ESR back in the spring of 2001, and the zine is now up to its 22nd issue (including special one-off editions such as the extensive Roger Corman Scrapbook). This is an impressive achievement, particularly in the zine world, where the average lifespan of a title is generally less than ten issues. True to its moniker, ESR has covered a diverse range of cinematic topics, with past issues delving into film noir, rock and roll movies, educational films, drive-in movies, '70s westerns, bizarre Christmas movies, and much more (visit ESR's website for a detailed run-down of each issue). The current ESR is devoted to the late night television experience, and looks back on a time when after hours programming consisted of more than infomercials and sleazy chat-line adverts. This issue captures some of the hazy, nocturnal bliss of off-the-wall late night fare, and descends into the dead of night to deliver memoires on such topics as paranormal films (on UFOs, bigfoot, and other bizarre phenomenon), Night Walk/Night Ride/Night Moves, Chuck the Security Guard, City TV late night, forgotten '70s made-for-TV movies, and Buffalo's long-running film showcase, Off Beat Cinema. I had hoped to contribute a piece on The World's Worst Film Festival, a late night series which I had enjoyed in my early teens on CBC television in Ottawa back in the '80s, but I wasn't able to get it together in time for the deadline. I did, however, review the The Best of Off Beat Cinema DVD for this issue, so I didn't miss out completely. I've been writing for ESR for half a decade now, since 2004's Noir issue, and have enjoyed the opportunity to explore different aspects of film history though its pages. In addition to the printed zine, ESR also presents film screenings on a regular basis at Trash Palace in Toronto, and has begun broadcasting online, with ESR Late Nite. Greg's zine is available at his ESR screenings, at various local small press/zine fairs (such as Canzine and Word on the Street), and through the ESR website.

Finally, on a related tangent, I recently heard about the Toronto Zine Library. As the name indicates, this is a local zine collection and resource, housed at the Tranzac Club. While I've never been, this struck me as a great idea, and I encourage interested readers to have a look. Support independent press! 

Night of the Living Rockabillies! November 1st at the Dominion

This Halloween weekend I will be spinning records as part of the second East End Rockabilly Riot: Night of the Living Rockabillies. The first East End Rockabilly Riot event, last June at the Dominion club on Queen St. East in Toronto, was the show of the summer for me, so I'm really looking forward to this one! Both The Royal Crowns and Tennesse Voodoo Coupe return for this special Halloween-themed show, along with guest paranormalist Dr. Mysterion, and myself, DJ Screamin' Dave Faris, on decks. Rockabilly, psychobilly, rock 'n' roll, and creepy novelty tunes are the order of the night. Come on by if you're in town. Here are the official spooky details:

East End Rockabilly Riot presents,

NIGHT OF THE LIVING ROCKABILLIES

Don't miss the Halloween mayhem featuring Toronto's premier rockabilly trio, The Royal Crowns with the 100% Hillbilly Jive of Tennessee Voodoo Coupe. Keeping it creepy Dr. Mysterion will thrill with macabre acts of paranormal and ESP.

Keeping the sound steady throughout the night will be Rockabilly DJ Screamin' Dave Faris, who is sure to be spinning heavy duty black vinyl straight from the Crypt.

Saturday, November 1st

at The Dominion on Queen

500 Queen St. East

Doors at 9. $10 cover

Don't miss a minute.

National Steel at the Silver Dollar

Doc MacLean and Michael Pickett onstage at The Silver Dollar

Last night, the National Steel Blues Tour rolled into Toronto. I’d caught wind of this inventive grassroots tour a month or so ago, and was intrigued, so I made my way down to The Silver Dollar Room to take in the show. The National Steel Blues Tour pairs up two accomplished local blues players, Doc MacLean and Michael Pickett, both of whom use National Steel resonator guitars prominently onstage. The duo are making their way across Canada with this tour, performing 75 shows in 70 days, and have been keeping a lively journal of their travels online (visit the nationalsteelblues.blogspot.com). Their shows have ranged from standard club dates to festival appearances to intimate house concerts. The ambitious DIY grassroots nature of the tour really appeals to me. These guys are out there taking their music on the road, taking chances, living the life of touring musicians, and making it happen. The Toronto stop was at a conventional venue, The Silver Dollar Room, one of the city’s few clubs actively supporting the blues, and an appropriate hometown stop for this tour.

As a music lover, my interest in this show was sparked by a couple of things. First off, the opportunity to see a live show by two established musicians with whom I was not that familiar. My awareness of blues music and musicians has grown over the years, but I’d only recently heard of Doc MacLean and Michael Pickett, despite the fact that both artists have careers stretching back over three decades. In fact, I only happened upon MacLean by chance. I’d seen him busking with his National Steel guitar in the subway station at Queen St. and University Ave. a few times, and purchased a CD from him (Narrow House). I was impressed by the album’s haunting and dark acoustic blues songs, as well as his collaborators on the disc (including Tom Waits/Canned Heat bassist Larry Taylor), so I wanted to see MacLean perform in a proper club setting. This tour fit the bill, and introduced me to Michael Pickett, who I didn’t really know of before. Pickett’s been an active musician since the ‘60s (including time with Whiskey Howl, Wooden Teeth, and the Michael Pickett Band), and is well respected in the Canadian blues community.

Doc MacLean on the National Steel guitar

Besides the opportunity to see two veteran musicians play for the first time, I was also captivated by the National Steel resonator guitar angle of the tour. I don’t know a huge amount about these guitars, but I’m very fascinated by them. They have a history dating back to the ‘20s, and are closely associated with acoustic blues. These guitars are made out of metal, as opposed to wood, and have a very unique sound, partially due to a built-in acoustic amplification system. They are called “resonator” guitars for a reason – they ring out loud and clear, conveying the bluesman’s song in no uncertain terms. Nationals were designed to amplify the sound of the guitar through natural acoustic methods (inspired by early phonograph technology), in the days before electric amplification was available, so a performer could be heard and compete with other instruments and loud audiences. The National Steel guitar carries alot of history, so it’s a real treat to get to see someone playing one in this day and age (see the National website for a detailed history of the guitar). Earlier this year, I witnessed both John Hammond and Paul James put their Nationals to use, and this night was another enticing showcase for the power of the vintage instrument to be brought to life.

The National Steel guitar

Doc MacLean and Michael Pickett shared the stage for the entire show, both playing seated, and trading songs back and forth. Both musicians had well-worn Nationals onstage – MacLean’s from 1929, and Pickett’s from 1931, I believe they said – although they also used more traditional acoustic guitars throughout the set. I’d never heard Pickett’s material before, although I was familiar with some of MacLean’s offerings. His renditions of songs from his Narrow House CD were more intimate than the recorded arrangements, stripped of drums and overdubs, and his easy manner onstage allowed the songs to come to life. The mood ranged from dark and harrowing to more laidback and mellow. A few songs that I recognized were “Bone Train”, “Narrow House”, “Angola Prison Rodeo”, and “Johnson Terraplane”. Good to see MacLean perform somewhere more upscale than the subway station! Pickett’s work was new to me, so I just tried to get a feel for his sound. Like MacLean, he’s right at home in Delta blues territory, with elements of roots and folk music somewhere in the mix, and very adept at the guitar and harmonica. In fact, both musicians offered up some serious harp playing, which played off the sound of the Nationals. These guys compliment each other quite well, and have a comfortable stage banter going on throughout the evening.

Michael Pickett onstage at The Silver Dollar

After a generous two sets, the show came to a close. A special, intimate performance of acoustic blues, National Steel guitars, and original music on a nice autumn evening. The National Steel Blues Tour continues on for another month, heading west all the way to Saltspring Island. I wish them well. They’ve got to keep moving, with that hellhound on their trail!

Rock and Roll Riot – 30 songs from September 27th, 2008

A brief playlist from the September edition of my DJ night, Rock and Roll Riot, at the Cameron House. I managed to compile a bit longer list of songs this month.

30 Songs from The Cameron House – September 27th, 2008

Stereolab “Brakhage”

Jarvis Cocker “Black Magic”

Richard Hawley “Serious”

John Southworth “General Store”

The Raveonettes “Dead Sound”

Suicide “Cheree”

Ultra Vivid Scene “She Screamed”

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds “Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!”

The Wolfgang Press “Kansas”

The Last Town Chorus “Modern Love”

Joy Division “Interzone”

A Certain Ratio “Do The Du”

The Dave Howard Singers “Beat Box Baby”

Public Image Limited “This Is Not A Love Song”

Wire “Strange”

David Bowie “Time”

The Walker Brothers “I Don’t Want To Hear It Anymore”

The Stranglers “Walk On By”

The Gun Club “Jack On Fire”

Deadbolt “Voodoo Trucker”

Sandy Nelson “Big Noise From Winnetka”

Owen Bradley “Big Guitar”

Ace Cannon “Tuff”

Lee Allen and his Band “Walkin’ With Mr. Lee”

Jerry Cole “Mambo Boogie”

Atomic 7 “Ivy Rocks”

Chris Spedding “Gunfight”

The  Sadies “The Last of the Good”

Royal City “My Brother Is The Meatman”

Ronnie Hayward “Honey I’m”

Rock and Roll Riot returns to the Cameron House on October 18th, and the second last Saturday of the month every month for the rest of the year.

Elvis Aron Presley – Jan. 8, 1935 to Aug. 16, 1977

The King is Dead, Long Live the King!

Today marks the 31st anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley, an important date for music fans, popular culture in general, and especially for those who love and appreciate the work of the "King of Rock and Roll". I count myself in the latter category, and while my interest level in all things Presley has waxed and waned over the years, I grew up with a love of his music and movies (they were staples of Saturday afternoon TV when I was a kid), and that has never disappeared. Over the past decade or so, my interest and respect for Presley has been rekindled. I've rediscovered alot of incredible Elvis music, from the crucial Sun Records years into the often-maligned '70s. I've also enjoyed watching his films, rewatching old favourites such as King Creole, and seeking out lesser-known titles such as Speedway (with Nancy Sinatra!) and Stay Away, Joe, as bad as many of them might be. 

It's next to impossible to look at Elvis objectively, because of all of the baggage surrounding his life and career, and the frankly tasteless and bizarre representation of his image in the decades following his death. As Mojo Nixon pointed out, "Elvis is Everywhere", and his greater contributions often get overshadowed by the 4th rate films, the dubious output and performances of the mid-'70s, and the kitschy Elvis memorabilia that has proliferated over the years. Sure, he was a mess when he met his less-than-respectable end, but I prefer to celebrate his achievements rather than mourn his death every August 16th. What could have been... it's hard to say. I was speculating with a friend of mine last week, envisioning a series of Rick Rubin-produced Elvis albums, along the lines of the Johnny Cash albums that came out in his twilight years, ending the King's career on a high note. As it is, one can only wonder, but the recorded work left by Presley is a staggering legacy, and despite the fact that I have been listening to it and collecting it for over a quarter of a century, I'm still discovering new gems all the time. Long live the King!

In honour of the occasion, I usually listen to some Elvis music, and if possible watch of one of his concerts or films on video. Here are this year's picks:

Elvis record of the day: From Elvis in Memphis (1969, CD reissue)

Elvis movie of the day: Blue Hawaii (1961)

A special mention to Redondo Roundup, one of my favourite music blogs out there. Redondo posted a nice collection of videos of very early Elvis television performances from the Dorsey Brothers' Stage Show in 1956. You can check them out here, and see what the excitement was all about over half a century ago!

Rock and Roll Riot – 20 songs from July 26th, 2008

Rock and Roll Riot is the name of my regular DJ night, which happens once a month at the venerable Cameron House in Toronto. I've been doing this night for a number of years now, starting back in 2002 as an occasional fill-in gig, and gradually settling in to a monthly Saturday night slot. It's been a fantastic opportunity to spin tons of records, explore different musical avenues, and hang out at one of my favourite clubs. I take on other DJ gigs on occasion, often sharing the bill with live bands, but Rock and Roll Riot is my mainstay. The musical focus of Rock and Roll Riot is quite broad, and has evolved over the years, incorporating all sorts of different sounds and styles, eras and artists. Generally, the evening features healthy doses of rock and roll (1950s to the present), rockabilly, psychobilly, surf, instrumental, blues, punk, funk, rhythm and blues, new wave/post-punk, glam rock, novelty tunes, and lounge/exotica. Sure, that's alot of ground to cover, but that's part of the fun – I have a four hour time slot, which allows for a substantial selection of music each month. 

In my experience, most DJs tend to really focus on one particular sound or style of music, but I like to keep my mix diverse and unpredictable, to a certain point. I'm not playing contemporary dance music (ie. techno, electronica, house, hip hop, etc.), although much of what I play is actually very dance-oriented, but at the core is rock and roll, and it resonates outwards from there. The more eclectic and exciting, the better. My musical interests over the past decade have been increasingly directed back into the '40s, '50s and '60s, the early years of rock and roll, its roots in blues, rhythm and blues, jazz and country, and the rockabilly sounds that I loved in my youth, as well as instrumental rock and surf. This is rich musical territory, and much of the music of the era is as raw, vital, and original today as it was back in its day. And it's fun!

I don't keep meticulous charts or playlists – it would be next to impossible with the amount of songs I spin in a night – but I thought it would be an idea to post a brief snapshot of my set once a month. I'm not really sure exactly why I had the urge to do this, other than as a fun thing to do, and to keep some sort of record of the songs I've played to look back on after awhile. I usually forget pretty quickly what was played from month to month, so this will help me keep track. I was originally planning to list 10 songs per month, but decided that 20 might be a bit more representative. Files for The Mysterious Vault. And, if anyone reading the blog finds the music of interest, please come down to the Cameron House and hang out some Saturday night when I'm there!

20 Songs from The Cameron House – July 26th, 2008

New Order “Ceremony”

Echo And The Bunnymen “Evergreen”

Nouvelle Vague “Dance With Me”

Peter Bjorn and John “Let's Call It Off”

Handsome Ned “Wrong Side of the Tracks”

Ruby Ann “Dynamite”

The Bop Cats “One Hand Loose”

Roy Orbison “Domino”

Gene Vincent “Cruisin’”

Jack Nitzsche “The Last Race”

Brian Setzer “Flyin’ Saucer Rock and Roll”

Ray Condo And His Hardrock Goners “Blast Off”

Wanda Jackson “Fujiyama Mama”

James Brown & His Famous Flames “Night Train”

Booker T. & The MGs “Groovin’”

Reverend Organdrum “Honky Tonk (Side A & B)”

The Ventures “Needles And Pins”

John Cale “Gun”

The Stooges “Down On The Street”

The Lounge Lizards “Harlem Nocturne”