You're gonna need an ocean of calamine lotion You'll be scratching like a hound the minute you start to mess around
Poison ivy, poison ivy Well late at night when you're sleeping Poison ivy comes a creeping all around
So, I was clearing some brush on the back 40 (just like Dubya) and got into some Poison Ivy. Totally sux, as I can now audition for the touring company of The Elephant Man. So, today's grab bag is a variation on that theme. Cause I'm itchin and a-scratchin'
As the "hippie scene" exploded in the late 1960's, Hollywood took notice. American International Pictures (led on the creative end by Roger Corman), long experienced with down and dirty exploitative "B-movies" produced several classics.
The first of these was 1966's Wild Angels, starring Peter Fonda as Hells' Angels leader "Heavenly Blues". Also featured in this film were Nancy Sinatra (!), Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd. Fonda and Dern would go on to be featured in many of these types of movies. Wild Angels focused on the Hells' Angels and was extremely anti-mainstream as it featured gang violence, Nazi imagery, drug usage & rape. Of course, this proved to be extremely popular with the movie going public and Wild Angels became a hit, placing 12th on the top grossing list of 1966.
A.I. wasn't stupid, and more movies followed. The Trip(written by Jack Nicholson!) and starring Fonda, Dern, Dennis Hopper (Easy Rider had it's conception during the filming of this movie) and Susan Strasberg followed. This film was a semi-serious attempt to demonstrate an actual LSD trip (the movie's cinematography has the now quaint "flashing effects", quick edits and styles that, while state of the art in 1967, are now best served as running gags in old Batman programs). The catchphrase for the film was "A Lovely Sort of Death").
From here, Dick Clark got in on the act, and produced Psych-Out(once again starring Nicholson (as the immortal "Stoney"), Strasberg (as a deaf chick- the scene of her tripping is hilarious), Dern (as "The Seeker") and Dean Stockwell. This one is the best of the hippie b-movies, as it goes completely over the top (and has performances by The Strawberry Alarm Clock and The Seeds).
In 1968, you had to be 21 to vote. Wild In Streetstook the view of lowering the voting age from not 18, but to 14. Of course, a pop star (Christopher Jones plays Max Frost) gets elected President and locks all the adults in concentration camps, where they are force fed LSD. This film starred such known actors as Shelly Winters (a great performance as Max's mother), Hal Holbrook, Ed Begley and Richard Pryor (as Stanley X). Wild In The Streets was actually nominated for an Academy Award (for film editing), and the film was a pretty big hit.
But the best of em all was GIVE DADDY THE KNIFE CINDY. Filmed in shocking Psychedelic Color, the soundtrack to Cindy was provided by NAZ NOMAD & THE NIGHTMARES. Tearing though such classics as "Kicks", "The Trip", "Action Woman" (later covered by The Rants), "Just Call Me Sky" and of course "(Do You Know) I Know", Naz & crew blaze a trail through the listeners mind.
The Sonics were the best of the Pacific Northwest “Punk Rock” garage bands of the early 1960’s. Along with groups like The Kingsmen, Paul Revere & The Raiders and The Wailers; The Sonics came to define a sound: 3 chords, coarse vox, low production values and ATTITUDE.
As cited by critic Lester Bangs; Punk’s lineage can be traced from the late 50’s sound of Richie Valens and Little Richard through these Pac NW bands, up through the later 60’s sounds of the “Nuggets” bands such as the Count 5 and The Seeds, through the proto punk of The Stooges and into the late 70’s (Ramones, etc).
The Sonics might have been the most primal of the PAC NW bands. Led by Gerry Roslie’s shrieking vocals and Rob Lind’s Sax, The Sonics were just nasty and dirty. Their records sounded like there was no one in the control room and according to legend, the amps had holes torn in them by ice-picks. Their first album : 1965’s Here Are The Sonics was recorded on a two track, with one mic positioned by the drums. The rawness continues on 1966’s Boom. 1967’s Introducing The Sonics brought a more polished sound and was not successful. After that, the band broke up to go to college and the real world.
The original Sonics reformed shortly in 1972 in Seattle and the show was recorded and released on a record called Live Fanz Only.
In 1979, Gerry Roslie recorded with a new line-up and released Cinderella for Bomp records.
Were The Sonics the first real “Punk Band”? Quite possibly. Songs such as "The Witch", "Psycho" and "Strychnine" show that the subject matter, instrumental proficiency and musical delivery associated with Punk was extremely evident with The Sonics.
There were rumors that the Sonics were asked to reform recently to perform at some Garage Rock fests. Sadly, The Sonics have not taken the bait (yet). Gerry Roslie has been quoted as saying that the band could never live up to everyone’s expectations.
Perhaps with their new notoriety (their classic "Have Love Will Travel" is the soundtrack of a popular car commercial), they’ll be encouraged to play some shows.
It’s spozed’ to be springtime but it’s still colder than Dick Cheney’s heart and Condee Rice’s balls here in the North East. Since Spring is supposed to be a time of colors, today’s Grab Bag is chromatic themed.
The Ramones basically invented what has come to be accepted as Punk Rock. That’s a given. They were the tree by which all of the other branches grew from.
Here are some bands that prove the apples don't fall far from the tree. These are bands that emulate the Ramones extremely closely in style, sound and lyrics. In fact, if you close your eyes…
Screeching Weasel – Fanzine writer Ben Weasel & John Jughead started Screeching Weasel in 1986, after seeing a Ramones concert in Chicago. A lot of latter day Punk bands (including Green Day & Blink-182) have cited Screeching Weasel as influences. Weasel’s whiny vocals and the musical adherence to the one-two-three-four musical groove of the Ramones make Screeching Weasel come off as the Ramones’ snotty little brothers.
The Riverdales –Ben Weasel formed The Riverdales in the mid 90’s during a break from Screeching Weasel. More of the same. Even poppier and more Ramonsier! In other words…Great!
The Queers- Joe King (ie Joe Queer) started up The Queers in New Hampshire back in 1982. They’ve had a revolving roster of at least 25 members over the years (including members of Screeching Weasel. Still touring, check em out!
Methadones- Formed by Danny Vapid of Screeching Weasel, The Methadones stray a little from the direct Ramones sound and incorporate more of a diverse and harder sound. You can even hear traces of bands like Husker Du in their chorus’ and strong structure.
Hailing from Maryland/Delaware, and actually releasing a cover version of a Ramones album and calling it Rocket To Ramonia, the Huntingtons (Cliffy Huntington: Guitar/Vocals, Mikey Huntington: Vocals/Bass, Mikee Huntington: Drums ) showed these guys were on it. When you call another album File Under Ramones, there’s no misinterpretation. The Huntingtons also were used as Joey Ramone's backing band a couple of times in NYC.
All files posted on this site are for educational, testing and entertainment purposes only.If you like what you hear, please buy recordings, t-shirts, dvds and other merch from these bands. This is a non profit site and is here to give some publicity to deserving bands and artists. If you’re in a band whose music is found on this site and you want songs removed, please let me know. Songs and other media will be up for only a short time. After that, just like our hopes and dreams, they're gone.
So, I was clearing some brush on the back 40 (just like Dubya) and got into some Poison Ivy. Totally sux, as I can now audition for the touring company of The Elephant Man.
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Hailing from Maryland/Delaware, and actually releasing a cover version of a Ramones album and calling it Rocket To Ramonia, the Huntingtons (Cliffy Huntington: Guitar/Vocals, Mikey Huntington: Vocals/Bass, Mikee Huntington: Drums ) showed these guys were on it. When you call another album File Under Ramones, there’s no misinterpretation. The Huntingtons also were used as Joey Ramone's backing band a couple of times in NYC.
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