Carducci's Blog

Hawaii Punk
it was once a common assumption that there could be no real punk come out of SoCal.  now Raoul Vehill has moved the frontier of ignorance to hawaii.  his new book, Hawaii Punk, recounts his fictionalized lowlife improvisations in and around honolulu.  i knew Raoul as a productive no-budget filmmaker in chicago in the late 80s/early 90s (provisional released his "Horrorgirl" on vhs), but didn't know he'd experienced the late 70s/early 80s punk era from the middle of the pacific.  there were no shops nor records from there that i knew of while at systematic, then the clearing house for the american underground, but i think i remember joe pope talking about a hawaiian account soon after i left for sst in 81.  Raoul's book is a great lowlife chronicle... set in paradise!  Nicely printed too, in Wales apparently.  Raoul moved to denver to document his criminal uncle and wound up yet again a lowlife.  that book, Vato Maldito, is also coming, but no book tour for the parolee:
http://comrademotopu.com/hawaiirelatedtop.htm

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its only february but the album of the year is no doubt out:
Scott Weinrich's new album, "Punctuated Equilibrium":
http://www.myspace.com/winoschopper

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Chuck filled me in on the Stains-now vs the Stains-then of the sst lp, as well as of the pre-lp lineup that first got Chuck, Greg, Dez, Spot and all, excited about them.  a month before recording SST 010 (the last session at media art studio in hermosa beach) singer Jerry was fired for joyriding and destroying guitarist Robert's brother's truck.  Rudy replaced him and sang on the record.  original bassist Jesse and the first drummer also left the band to be replaced for the recording by longtime rhythm section Caesar and Gilbert (Jerry and Jesse, recently deceased).  in LA now you can see Robert-guitar/Caesar-bass/Rudy-vocals/Gilbert-drums; not many bands of that era are as intact.  the Stains were never included in the press canvassings of East LA's latino punk scene back then, probably because they were on their own non-ethnic tangent and could be intimidating to those merely looking for some mexicali new wave color.

The Stains / Carnage Asada.  
Liquid Kitty punk rock BBQ West L.A. Sun 2/22
Highland Park American Legion Hall - Friday 3/27
Doll Hut - Anaheim - Saturday 5/22
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=449502115
http://www.myspace.com/familiacarnageasada

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sst free for all for now:
http://www.jambangmusic.com/#/music/4530828941
http://gonemusic.t83.net/#/music/4530844391
http://txcorrugators.t83.net/#/goofoffexperts/4530846823
http://www.txcorrugators.com/#/bentedge/4530846821
http://mojackmusic.t83.net/#/themetalyears/4530780019
http://mojackmusic.t83.net/#/underthewillowtree/4530780011

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Lux Interior (1946-2008)
when we got systematic record distribution off the ground up in portland in 1978 (as renaissance records), we missed out on picking up most of the earliest independent record releases, but we were lucky to get in some of the last of the Cramps two vengeance records singles.  i forget who dealt with us but i didn't see the Cramps until we moved systematic to berkeley and they played the keystone in may 1980.  great of course but it was the most negative vibe i've ever felt coming off a band.  when i learned later that bryan gregory drove off with the bands' van and equipment and was never seen by them again i knew that vibe had been a real thing.  they seemed to pop up regularly over the years, never getting their due but never going away.  i was in chicago in july of 1981 and listening to larry lujack on wls and he took the initiative to break station policy and play "goo-goo muck," the Cramps new single.  it sounded perfect because of course they always belonged on top 40. they made early punk's tacit alliance with the fifties against the sixties overt to say the least:
http://blogs.laweekly.com/play/news/lux-interior-of-the-cramps-pas/
http://clubs.pathfinder.gr/ROCK_N_ROLL_MOTHERFUCKERS/391010 (#4)

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Precious Blood is Amy Annelle & Ralph White.
Progress Coffee 500 San Marcos, Austin
saturday 2/7 with Shawn David McMillen
saturday 2/21 with Aaron Blount

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Buddy Holly weren't it; the Crickets was it:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123363016857342371.html

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Scarcity of Tanks, ONO
Feb. 27, Enemy 1550 N. Milwaukee, 3fl, Chicago
http://www.enemysound.com/

ONO creepy crawl the Soul Train reunion:
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/hoekstra/1407388,CST-NWS-soultrain01.article

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Dumb Records, sf, 1976-1983:
http://www.lastdaysofmanonearth.com/blog/?p=342

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on Sylvia Juncosa, To Damascus, the Martyrs, and more:
http://disasteramnesiac.blogspot.com/2008/12/david-winogrond-interview.html

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new issue with Television, an Andy Schwartz club history, Lester Bangs, etc:
http://www.perfectsoundforever.com

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Arthur Magazine news:
"In the magazine publishing world, lots of who-needs-'em corporate magazines have already bit the big one, and the corrupt, wasteful, straight-up rotten newsstand periodical distribution system (which Arthur doesn't use -- we have our own, homegrown distro system) appears to be collapsing. Good riddance to bad rubbish. That said, Arthur Magazine is strategically dormant for the moment. Editor/publisher/owner Jay Babcock (now livin-and-lovin in Philly, for those keeping score) is in discussions with various potential partners to return to print immediately in a new format that, makes total sense,given the magazine's mission and the times we are living in. Parties with publishing experience and/or means are encouraged to get in touch with Mr. Babcock, who wants to get it happening, as Mugger and Dukowski were known to say in the Black Flag days. Well alrighty then. Arthur subscribers, we will not forsake you: your subscription will be fulfilled when we return to print. Which shouldn't be too long."
http://www.arthurmag.com

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Guru Guru (1971); for days when one guru just isn't enough:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2u5T-iOYpI&feature=related

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Michael Hurwitz & the Aimless Drifters
Tue Feb 17 at the Pickin Parlor in Arvada
Fri Feb 20 in Lyons
Sat Feb 21 in Saratoga at the new Platte Valley Center,
Sun Feb 22 in Centennial at the Beartree.
http://www.mikehurwitz.com

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I wanted to make a doc called, 1974-The Year Prog Croaked; i guess i don't have to now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8T904BrY_k&feature=PlayList&p=1EDC9C2EF8FE7A5F&index=0&playnext=1

Joe Carducci is a hell of a writer, record producer, and former A&R executive, formerly most closely associated with the influential LA-based record label SST Records. His most recent book Enter Naomi: SST, L.A. and All That, chronicles his time at the infamous label and the life and death of famed SST photographer Naomi Peterson--a supreme talent who I had the priveledge of working with on many occasions--and whose laugh I still miss. -Scott Crawford