Super Monkey Vol. 1 Issue 2 by Super Monkey

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I l l A r o f t n a w s a m t s i r ch . . . y Is m

California•Switzerland•Argentina•England

ƒoto: Marius Muresan | www.sxc.hu

08 . c 0 2 l u a p n o R

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Issue 2 Nov/Dec 2007

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Vol. 1 Issue 2 November/December 2007 Editor-In-Chief/Publisher H.R. Helfrick Art Director John Adlai Scribes Loren Trejo, Steve Lindauer, Hank ‘Bandito’ Bandini, John Ciacci, Count Gizmo, Gravedigger and Tracey Adlai Contact banana@supermonkey.la Arpanet www.supermonkey.la Advertising Rates 1/8 Page $30.00 1/4 Page $60.00 1/2 Page $125.00 Full Page $250.00 Back Cover $500.00

I la

Subscriptions Free in person, or $1.50 via mail via PPE.

By Loren Trejo

control, but I probably should have died years ago. Oh, I fucking love women. I just wish talking was optional. I’m not anti-social nor do I have a communication problem, but I often yell “what the fuck” while speaking to women I am in a relationship with. Maybe I just don’t understand women. Maybe I should put the blame on all those dumbass men that do all that stupid shit to fuck with women. Maybe I should continue thinking the way I do now and assume that as adults we should forget about the past and form our own opinions. Maybe it’s just me and mine. Maybe I don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about and I should shut the fuck up and forever hold my peace. To elaborate, or not to elaborate, what the hell should I do? I question elaborating due to the fact that I should forget about the past. Forgive and forget. FUCK YOU. If I was to elaborate I would be doing the exact same thing I dislike about relationships; all that damn complaining and whining. I’ve done too much by writing what I’ve written. Fuck it. SM

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auer By Steve Lind

Cover Photo Andy Allen, Stock Photos: www.sxc.hu

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rnella Boite likes children. She makes toys for them. Out of dead animals. No official exhibitions. Spontaneous street acts in her native city Buenos Aires. Parents pulling their kids away, the kids caressing the fur of a dead rabbit with purple wheels, Ornella smiling and waving goodbye, next to the cemetery of Recoleta where Evita Peron is buried…at least partially… Ornella also likes men – from the ‘50s. She dances for them. On bars and tables and poles. But you have to behave like a gentleman too, the way they were back then, when a woman dancing was still a woman and not only a body… But mostly she likes her female friends from the X-Dolls Club. The X-Dolls is her most important project: a group of non-models, modelling for Ornella on and in such unusual locations as cabinets and open tombs. And of course car hoods and hospital beds. The X-Dolls are a handful of women, that devoted themselves with body and heart to the Burlesque style of past times, but whilst most people – rightly – associate Burlesque with the U.S.A., Ornella emphasizes that all her girls, including herself, represent the 50s of Argentina, the Pin-Up days of Buenos

ƒoto: Afonso Lima

Well here I am and I think I know it all. So I’ve been told by one person. My favorite group is Nine Inch Nails and I was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. How did that happen? My guess is that there is too much bullshit out there. Do you really want to know about some gangsta shit? Ask a fucking gangsta. I can’t help you bro. Yes I did say bro and yes I was actually born in SCLA and no I don’t need to explain. Fuck you. Back to my guess. There really is too much fucking bullshit out there. I’m surprised more people haven’t killed themselves. I wouldn’t suggest anyone does it because that is so not cool but I wouldn’t blame you. I just don’t care any more and you all are hearing my rant. So rant on motherfucker. Don’t mind if I do. My name is Bluetooth and I have a problem; only one problem. That problem is women. I FUCKING LOVE WOMEN. That isn’t a problem, but it is my only problem. I have a daughter with the “craziest” woman on the planet and I wouldn’t change a thing. We’re not together any more and I wouldn’t change a thing. She believes I think I know it all, and I WOULD NOT CHANGE A THING. I fucking love women. I can’t get enough of them. I wish I had more because I more than likely will die alone; and soon. No I don’t have a disease, except for asthma which I have under

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Aires, the southern equivalent of Californian dust-covered erotic. Her photos are unaltered, the nurse dress is from those days and so are the roller skates and the fish net stockings – all artefacts from Argentina shortly after WWII. SM: Why dead animals? Why the grave?

Ornella giggles. The same answer when I ask for her age. OB: Do you like it? SM: Well yes, I do. And I like you too. You

look like Kylie Minogue! (and I confess having had erotic fantasies about Kylie being dressed like a nurse... not Kylie lying in an open tomb though!)

Ornella laughs again. And asks if I want to know the recipe for mummification.

SM: Do you treat yourself and your models with Glycerin and Formol? OB: No, haha! I treat them with strawberry

ice-cream and old Argentine chamber music!

So, again, Ornella’s heart piece are the XDolls and they are more than underground of Buenos Aires. They got booked recently for a performance at the “Dia internacional de la mujer”. And they are open for anything. So make sure you check out their site and photos, before going to Buenos Aires…or simply before it is too late and they take photos of you, whilst you get paler and paler…. But with women that beautiful, who wouldn’t want to dance with the dead? And who said, that angels don’t use red lipstick…? SM

SM: Sure. OB: It’s simple. Take 1/3 Glycerin,1/3 Formol and 1/3 Ethyl Alcohol. Leave the animal in there for a week. Birds are difficult though. And so are pets with hair. Better use a steak to start with, haha!

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www.x-dolls.com www.fotolog.com/ornellaboite www.youtube.com/user/ xdollsproducciones

ƒoto: www.sxc.hu

¿Sabias que…? In 2005 Greater

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ba k“ n a By h ndini ba

Mexico City had a population of 19.2 million, making it the largest metropolitan area in the western hemisphere and the second largest in the world. In 2005, it ranked as the eighth richest urban agglomeration GDP in the world.

SUPER monkey editorial Vol 1 Issue 2 November/December 2007 Your opposable thumbs are holding what some said could never be held—Issue Nummer Zwei of the zeitgeist wielding Super Monkey. Published every two months, Super Monkey is distributed in Argentina, Switzerland, England and the Republic of California. Global access is granted at: www.supermonkey.la The cornucopia this month includes a guest rumination in our I Luv LA feature from South Central homie Loren Trejo that will make the serial ranting Denni (Miller and “Is that a Wig?” Leary) give up. Steve Lindauer reports from Buenos Aires on the near-naked and the dead (RIP Norman!), roving reporter Hank Bandini chronicles his latest 96 hour nirvana crawl and A. N. Onymous and Gravedigger invert the art of cinema critique with reviews of yet one more vampire reel and the Ur-Bergman classic The Seventh Seal. Our musical features include John Ciacci’s synopsis of all things available at LA’s Rockabilly Showdown. Rumors around the Super Monkey offices say the Super Monkey ratings for each

band are really the number of ‘potent potables’ Ciacci was inspired to consume during each bands’ set. That sword can cut both ways. Plus, musofreak Count Gizmo goes one on one with real deal axe swinger Arthur Adams and brave heart Tracey Adlai questions her mission in her regular Rewind/Review album column. We encourage our readers to contribute by submitting your writing, article suggestions, cartoons, hate mail and good, old fashioned paid advertising. Additionally if you’d like to distribute Super Monkey at your local shop, university or brothel, send us a letter of intent and we’ll be sure to review it. So peel and squeal from Guy Fawkes Day to Neuen Jahr’s Eve mit die neueste Ausgabe von Super Monkey! H. R. Helfrick - Editor-in-Chief banana@supermonkey.la ƒoto: Alessandro Paiva

super monkey CINEMA Super Monkey was so excited with the Naco Nights (www.usanaco.com) for the August concert at King King in Hollywood we heard some great music from Disco Ruido as well as DJ Joaquin & No Somos Machos that we decided to do some investigative journalism and see DISCO RUIDO (www. discoruido.tv) play with DJ MEHDI (EU) in their hometown of Distrito Federal. Zona Juarez turned out not to be so bad, better than Tlaquepaque at least, and the beautiful Hotel Metropol (www.hotelmetropol. com.mx) didn’t mind us bringing our pet donkey “Sylvania” into the room and for the next 96 hours were well prepared to spend in the second largest city in the world. We headed out to find PASAGÜERO, (Calle Motolinía 33; Centro Historico) it’s a space that explores the different relations between art, fashion and music. The band was supposed to start at 10pm, it was 9pm, and the club was empty, we went out to get a pack of fags and some fast food and come back later. Several beers later the band still wasn’t there, TacoTime®, I think they eventually came on around 12am but by that time we were already well plastered on cheap cerveza the room was well packed by

then. Disco Ruido started off with a brilliant rendition of The Who’s — Baba O’Riley, the crowd cheering louder with the music until they exploded into the famous F, C, Bb chord progression. They went into “Girls Vs. Spank Rock”, “My Love 4U” and someone managed to squeeze in the Chemical Brothers ReMix “Do It Again”. They played a little over an

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hour and in our opinion we though they had a better/longer gig at the Naco Concert (see: SM Issue 1) but they though otherwise. DJ Mehdi (www.myspace.com/djmehdi) born in Paris, France followed afterwords and really rocked the house, playing hits as “Pony Racking” and recently he was at the Oct. 6th Los Angeles ‘Detour’ Open-Air Festival in the City-Centre. The night wrapped up around 5am before they managed to kick out 50 inebriated apes onto Motolínia and everyone went in their own direction. The last 48 hours consisted of seeing more concerts, nothing worth mentioning, touring the Museo Nacional de Antropología, Paseo de La Reforma and Lomos de Chapultepec, since it was September, the whole country was celebrating “El Grito de Hidalgo” the rallying cry for Mexican independence from Spain, first declared on the evening of Sept. 15, 1810 so there were live concerts and events all over Centro Historico and definetly Hotel Metropol was the best centre location to explore everything. Be sure to check out Pasagüeros and Naco’s website & BAR FACTORY (www.myspace.com/ factory37) for future events. SM

november/december 2007

TheVampireDiaries:Part 1 d

thicker than water

irecter Phil Messerer brings a brilliant Vampire film to the silverscreen. Lara, a precocious Goth teen, hates her wholesome sister, Helen. She envies her popularity, her beauty and most of all, her mother’s love. One day, after their 16th Birthday party, during which she is particularly humiliated, Lara performs an intricate ritual in front of her Anne Rice alter involving a Barbie doll and cow heart. The next morning Helen awakens with a severe nosebleed. Then she dies in her sister’s horrified arms. The family is desperately grief stricken. Lara is filled with guilt, Mom with philosophical anguish and Raymond, the gay neuro-scientist brother, with curiosity as he discovers a unique virus in Helen’s blood: a virus that feeds on red blood cells. Suddenly there is a knock on the door. Helen, still wearing her white body bag, is standing outside covered in blood.

It is pretty clear that all is not well with their resurrected family member. For one thing, she requires human blood as sustenance. The family realize they must find ‘human sacrifices’ to keep her going. But the angelic youth refuses to feed. She suffers gutwrenching blood withdrawals until she blacks out and rips her victims to shreds. The first ‘sacrifices’ are a pair of Mormons who happen upon their abode with the intention of spreading love. After that it is pretty much up to Raymond, who cruises the local gay bars in search of prey. How long can they keep this up? Well at least until other vampires come for her. But that’s where the plot thickens. How did Helen become a vampire? What exactly are vampires? Get ready for a major twist on an ancient mythology. SM www.vampirediaries.hilltoppictures.com

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jojo hristova — “the mom”

Dirty Mouth? Clean It Up!

From the desk of Super Monkey’s own Count Gizmo

Giz: So, you stayed on for a few years in Dallas after getting stranded there with an R&B band?

Giz: Do you remember the song?

Arthur: Yeah I was with (saxophonist) Jimmy

Arthur: Mmmmmm, I believe it was Doctor

Arthur Adams is one of LA’s true Local Heroes. Following his musical muse from his roots near Memphis in the late Fifties, through several years in Dallas and finally landing in LA in the mid-Sixties, Arthur has established himself as a major R&B/Blues singing stylist with echoes of Bobby Blue Bland and Pops Staples in his voice and a superbly unique guitarist able to conjure both stinging blues and sophisticated jazz from his mighty Gibson 335.

Jesus. I believe so. It was my aunt playing the piano. And after I finished, pppsssshhhhh. (makes motion of coins pouring into his shirt pocket.) Ruined my life!

Giz: I hear ya. So who were your influences? Arthur: My influences in blues was B. B. I

liked Ivory Joe Turner. LaVerne Baker. Sister Rosetta Thorpe.

Giz: I was going to ask you about her, the

guitar playing gospel singer….

allows Arthur’s distinctive voice to be featured front and center. In addition to Blues and Jazz Festivals and clubs all over the world, Arthur performs locally at Cozy’s in Sherman Oaks, Harvelle’s in Santa Monica, the Baked Potato in Studio City and The Ritz Carlton in Pasadena, where he’ll be joined by the great R&B/Jazz singer Thelma Jones for New Years’ Eve this December 31st. Don’t miss him!!!

n addition to his own recordings, which reach back into the early Sixties, Arthur’s work includes sessions for Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Garcia, Quincy Jones, Johnny Guitar Watson, Dr. John, The Crusaders, Jackson 5, Henry Mancini, Lou Rawls, Sonny Bono, Nancy Wilson, and Phil Spector, among countless others. He’s appeared on the soundtracks of Hairspray, HBO’s The Mind Of A Married Man, Bonnie and Clyde, Cactus Flower, Buck and the Preacher, Town & Country, The Bill Cosby Show and Ironsides. As a songwriter, Adams has composed for Albert King (Truckload of Lovin’), B. B. King (Mean and Evil, Something Up My Sleeve, Got You Next To Me, The Long Haul), Sam Cooke (Somebody Gonna Miss Me) and his song Love And Peace was covered by Quincy Jones on his Grammy-winning 1969 album Walking In Space. Arthur has just completed recording a new album of classic songs redone in his inimitable style. The brainchild of producer John Chelew, the tracks include U2’s Desire, The Rolling Stones’ No Expectations, Fleetwood Mac’s World Turning, Nick Cave’s There’s A Kingdom, Tom Petty’s All Stripped Down, Stephen Stills’ For What It’s Worth and a definitive reworking of Pete Seeger’s classic If I Had A Hammer. Recorded in New Orleans with hometown stars such as singer Irma Thomas, keyboardist Ivan Neville, drummer Willie Green and guitarist Dave Easley as well as LA‘s own Lou Castro on bass, Chelew returns Adams to the stylings of his Gospel roots in a setting that

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Giz: So what was it like being

born on Christmas Day in Medon, Tennessee? Arthur: Got a lot of presents. I had

four brothers and sisters. My brothers were musical. We formed a gospel group called the Gospel Travelers. We were a pretty good band. We played in Jackson, Tennessee, went down to Memphis. We did a little tour of Oklahoma, when I was about 16 or 17. Giz: So was this a professional situation

wonder). Cleophus Robinson. C. F. Franklin.

Giz: Did you see these people live? Or was it

just records?

Arthur: Records. And the radio. The gospel

was Dixie Hummingbirds, Five Blind Boys, Soul Stirrers, Harmonizing Four. And those were the guys I really liked, they were my favorites.

Hopkins and Elmore James?

Arthur: Yeah, I played behind Elmore. In

1960. And he was ill. I played behind Big Joe Turner, Lowell Fulson, I think I played behind Lightnin‘. I was with the Jolly George Band. Jolly was a harmonica player. When the blues guys would come into the Empire Room, Jolly would be the band. When Jimmy came in, his band would play behind Jimmy. When Lightnin’ came in, cause they

They said, “No.” & B. B. said, “I wanna do it.” They said, “No.” & B. B. said, “I’m gonna do it!” They said, “Hmmph.”

Giz: What was it about his thing that you

Giz: Was the scene good in Dallas?

Dixie Hummingbirds….

picked up on?

He was so creative, his style. He played stuff that I never heard nobody else play. His technique was so good. I loved him, he was so creative with the Dixie Hummingbirds. Arthur:

Arthur: It was his chords, it was his introduc-

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Giz: Did you play behind guys like Lightnin’

Arthur: Howard Carroll.

Giz: There was a guy who played guitar in the

Arthur: Well, not really. We were just try-

do something?

Beck and (singer) Gene Allison.

played the real, real blues. They backed up John Lee. Percy Mayfield, Lowell Fulson, (singer) Miss Lavelle White. Memphis Slim, the Five Royals (sings) “This is dedicated to the one I love.” Little Junior Parker would play in town.

Giz: Was it his chords? Or….

Giz: When did you know you wanted to

Arthur: Oh man, she was…(shakes head in

at that age?

ing to do something. I remember we played in Muskogee, Oklahoma and we had about six people. We just loved to sing and play. The group was a couple of cousins, my brother and two more friends, and actually my uncle too. There were six of us. But they didn’t want to do anything. They had their own careers.

the same vein as Muddy’s Forty Days and Forty Nights. Same melody. I got a lot of writing. I’m mighty proud of it.

Arthur: From the first time I made seven dollars! No, actually before then. I sang a song when I was six in the church. When I finished it, they filled my pocket up with pennies. There could have been a couple of nickels in there. Back then I could buy me five kisses for a nickel.

tions to the songs, the runs that he would play. (sings an ascending, then descending phrase), then they would all come in. And he was so smooth, and always in tune with his guitar.

Giz: You’ve written a lot of songs. Did you

write from the start?

Arthur: Yeah, I started way back when. I

wrote my first song when I was about ten: I Got A Heartache and I Got A Pain. I had it in

Arthur: Yeah, it was pretty good. Howard

Lewis was the promoter, he booked the bands. He would ride ahead in a 1960 black Chrysler, had a big suitcase full of money. They had an office right there in the Empire Room. You’d get booked out of there into Oklahoma, other parts of Texas. Ardmore, Johnson, Oklahoma City, Waco, Wichita Falls; they’d book all the R&B and Blues guys. John Hammond, Etta James. Anyway, I got a gig at the Lovers Lane, that’s out by SMU (Southern Methodist University). And they liked me ‘cause I was doin’ some crazy stuff. I saw Buddy Guy, I played behind Buddy Guy, too. Buddy Guy would go out in the audience. I thought, oh this is nice. I think I’m gonna start doin’ it. So I started goin’ out in the audience and they loved it, the college kids loved it. And I started hollerin’ off to the college kids, “Sigma Phi!! Put up them horns!!” (Makes Texas Long-

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horn sign with two fingers). So I started getting’ private gigs and then it became the Arthur Adams Band. That was my first band. Giz: So how did you make the transition to

LA?

Arthur: There was DJ that had liked me. He said, “You know, Vee Jay, they’re signin’ and I told them about you.” I said, “Oh, yeah?” He said, “Everybody’s movin’ out to California.” I said, “I’m goin‘ out there. I’m leavin‘.” And I left.

They sent me a contract in the mail! And I signed it. Giz: You did some sessions for Vee Jay (R&B record label), right? Arthur: I came out here and did the session, I

went in the studio with a full orchestra. I said, “What in the world is this?” I was at United Studios on Sunset Blvd., that was my first studio. Earl Palmer was on drums. The Blossoms and all these cats and I’m sittin’ there goin‘, “Wow.” I’m overwhelmed. But I didn’t have luck. You know who represented me? Me, myself and I! Giz: Ouch! So that got you out here and you got into the recording scene. Arthur: Bobby Womack got a session he gave me, a session he didn’t want to do. ‘Cause he had a big hit. Giz: Well, he had the Stones tune, It’s All

Over Now.

Arthur: Yeah, he had that and he had another session he gave me. He said Rosy Grier was doin’ a TV show. And when I got up and did his TV show, Booom! An explosion. Giz: Was that how you got hooked up with

Quincy and all those people?

Arthur: Everybody. You name it, he hooked

me up with everybody.

Giz: Were some of the Crusaders on the show or…. Arthur: No, the Crusaders I met in 1967, I was

doin’ the soundtrack to Bonnie and Clyde. The Crusaders were on that session. So we exchanged numbers. I called them and I met Stewart Levine, Quincy, everybody. Took off then. Giz: How did you get hooked up for that Jerry Garcia record.

wild weekend under the California sun with bands across the globe this had to be the best showdown to date. This years showdown offers up local acts from the Republic of California and also bands from the United States of Europe, Japan, Chicago, Texas & Canada. Starting in 2000 as a one-night event held at Hollywood Billiards it has since exploded into a four day event with over thirty band and ten dee-jays. Super Monkey has done your homework for you, time for the:

Guana Batz – England, EU www. myspace .com/guanabatz The Guana Batz were part of a British wave of psychobilly that sprang up in the early ‘80s, The group was formed in the English town of Feltham, in Middlesex around the same time that bands like the Cramps were gaining underground prominence in America, and more straightforward rockabilly revivalists like the Stray Cats and the Polecats were hitting the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. Not so bad, some energy but there were better band out there that night. SM Rating: Tight Fitting Pants – France, EU www. myspace .com/tightfittingpants The Tight Fitting Pants was born in 2002 in Cholet (49, France). 4 musicians (2 guitar players, a double bassist and a drummer) in the service of their OBSCENE MUSIC.Explicit and outrageous lyrics in english, poetry left out and porno on the night table!!! Nice lyrics, I wonder if he kisses his mother’s dog’s ballz with that mouth? SM Rating:

The Nu Niles – España, EU www. myspace .com/thenuniles Formed in October of 1996 as a trio without drums (vocals/acoustic guitar, electric guitar and double-bass), the Nu Niles focused its style on the sound of its members’ favourite music - ‘50s Rockabilly. Listen to: El Crujir de tus Rodillas. SM Rating: The Nutrinos – California Republic www. myspace .com/thenutrinos The Nutrinos started out with Phillip and Miguel November 2004 in Jan. of 2005 Psyclops Mike Joined the band and the following month joined Ruben the original Drummer. They shared the stage with various bands such as the Klingonz in June 2005. SM Rating:

~LEGEND~ hn y Jo

Local band from the California Republic

cci

Cia

Super Monkey rating: 1 bad — 5 tops!

The Creepshow – Blame, Canada www. myspace .com/thecreepshow The band formed in 2005 when the four members got together with the purpose of starting a hellbilly band. The Creepshow writes the majority of their songs about Horror Films, with the music fitting the psychobilly genre - hence hellbilly. The Creepshow is known for their fast-paced songs filled with lots of backup vocals from McNab and Rowles and sing-alongs that the whole crowd can participate in. The band is also

Hot Tamale! Check these guys out!

Corpse S h o w C r e e p s – M i n n e s o t a w w w. m y s pac e .c om / c o r p s e s h o w c r e e p s

known for their exciting live shows. The guitarist/Vocalist Sartah Sin is real hotty also! SM Rating: & Coffin Draggers – Valley Village, California Republic www.myspace.com/coffindraggers Hailing from Los Angeles, The Coffin Draggers blend a unique sound of rockabilly, Goth, and deathrock, with a hint of industrial, to create a style that can be categorized as psychobilly, but due to the spooky content is often referred to as Gothabilly. Their music is lively and upbeat mixed with a dark humor that makes for a morbidly fun atmosphere! Their musical influences range from classical to death metal. Listen to: Crack Open a Cold one! SM Rating:

This four-piece has been on the run lately, touring Texas and the West Coast, generating a buzz with both its tight sound and debut album Blackblood Call. With a penchant for leather and glistening black pompadours that only barely outshine their polished instruments, the Creeps can’t be missed, and will bring fans a taste of highly stylized rockabilly mixed with punk rock. SM Rating: INAZUMA– L.A., Califonia Republic www. myspace .com/inazuma69   Inazuma is a character in the comic book Usagi Yojimbo, and is an anthropomorphic cat. She is the widow of a samurai, and is one of the fiercest swordswomen in the series, but this has nothing to do with the group. Or does it? They are a true Samurai Rock’N’Roll Band. Rough, Rocking and Ready! SM Rating: Hellblasters – California Republic www. myspace .com/hellblasters Sounds Like: HOOKERS! DRUGS! VIOLENCE! WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT? SM Rating: Danny Dean and the Homewreckers – Lakewood, California Republic w w w . m y s p a c e . c o m / da n n y de a na ndth ehom ew r eck er s

Danny Dean and the Homewreckers formed in 1997. Forget about the Swing revival of the ‘90s. Forget about the Rockabilly revival of

ƒoto: Piotr Ciuchta

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eijen n Sch a e J : ƒoto

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the ‘80s. Danny Dean and the Homewreckers prove that vintage rock and roll isn’t just a fad, but a lifestyle. SM Rating: Glen or Glenda – Apple Valley, California Republic www. myspace .com/glenorglendamusic Where to start? Glen or Glenda basically came to be because of their pure frustration with where psychobilly was. They were simply fed up with the direction that it was heading. SM Rating: Tokyo Smog – L.A., California Republic www. myspace .com/smog13 Tokyo Smog is gang of four ( Ace -Vocal / Maya - Guitar / Rio - Bass / Ken - Skins ) from Tokyo , Japan. Their smoggy ambient performance give the audience strong impression and bring them to a back alley of unknown asian metropolis. “Don’t Mess With Tokyo!” SM rating: Dr. Bizarros Victims – San Fernando Valley, California Republic www. myspace .com/drbizarrosvictims  Dr. Bizarro’s Victims sounds like Frank on Drums, Andrew on Guitar, and Jorge on Double Bass and Vox. Nov 11th with Los Gatos Locos at the Knitting Factory! SM Rating: Frantic Flintstones – Britain, EU www. myspace .com/flintstonesfrantic The Frantic Flintstones first incarnation was in 1986. Too bad they kinda suck! SM Rating: Stellar Corpses–Santa Cruz, California www. myspace .com/stellarcorpses Stellar Corpses blast out a teeth-chattering, bone-rattling firestorm of ghoulish psychobilly rowdiness that’s sure to raise the dead from

R Arthur: Well, I went up to Fantasy to do a

session with Merl Saunders. Let me tell you, I didn’t know who Jerry Garcia was. I didn’t know he was such a huge guy. He’s a nice cat, man. I just played the sessions just like I would with anyone else; I played, he played. And that was it. I never thought no more about it. I got paid.

Giz: Do you think he knew about you? Arthur: I was just a guitar player. He didn’t

know me. I was no different from (points to image of Ben Franklin on TV) him. And I was stunned when I found out who he was and that I had been on his record. I couldn’t believe it. So that’s how that came about. It was a session for Fantasy with Merl. I wish I’d got to know him.

Giz: What do you think about Soul of the

Blues and Back On Track (Arthur‘s two most recent albums, on PMRC and Blind Pig respectively)?

Arthur: I’m proud of Back On Track because

at the time I did it, I came out of a real struggling situation. I didn’t have no deal. Yeah, I was playin’ at B. B. King’s, that was goin’ pretty good. But I saved up my money. I said if nobody wants to do something, the best way to do something for yourself is do it yourself. So I wrote these songs and I went in myself and cut six songs. I sent ‘em to Blind Pig, they liked ‘em, but they didn’t want to sign me. So Dick Shurman, do you know him? He’s in Chicago. I sent him a copy, he liked it. And he knew this guy who owned Rounder. Dick gave it to him, he told me, he said, “I love it.” He loved six tunes, he said, “I want to sign you.” So he sent me a contract. Then Shurman told Blind Pig, “You better sign him. If you don’t, somebody else will.” They hurry up and come down here to see me. Both of ‘em, one flew from Chicago, one from San Francisco. “We want to sign you, we want to sign you.” Now B. B. had said, “I want to do one with you.” So I contacted his people, they said, “No.”

Giz: They said, “No.”!? Arthur: They said, “No.” And B. B. said, “I

wanna do it.” They said, “No.” And B. B. said, “I’m gonna do it!” They said, “Hmmph.”

So this was two years before he did it. When B. B would come into town, he would say, “Arthur, I know I told you I was gonna do it and I’m gonna keep my word ‘cause you saved my club.” That’s what he told me. And he did. And then, Blind Pig, they had told me, “Do you think you can get B. B.?” I said, “Yeah.” So, instead of doin’ one, we presented B. B. with two and he liked the both of them. Giz: And that’s how you ended up with both songs. Arthur: Yeah. And it’s still sellin‘. Giz: How about Soul of the Blues? Arthur: Right after Blind Pig and I couldn’t

come to no agreement on no sort of deal; they didn’t want to give nothing‘, they didn’t want to spend enough money. Even though they had B. B., they didn’t want to do it. So I said, fine. So I ran up on on. (chuckles) even in the (laughs again). wrote Soul of Will (Jennings, many successful Eric Clapton‘s wrote the lyrics them over the

Pat McKeHe wasn’t business. We had the Blues, lyricist on songs,including Tears In Heaven) to that. We wrote phone.

Giz: Hey, you phone now!

can record over the

Arthur: Well, cut it. And Pat more than the budget. So that’s what that is. I’m proud of it, it’s got some good tracks on it.

guess. Prior to that I had a Fender. I had a Silvertone. (laughs). Giz: A Silvertone!? Actually, those amps were

pretty good.

Arthur: I had a Gibson when I was way back in

Tennessee, but they took it away from me when I left the group. It was the groups‘. They said you gonna leave the group, (makes grabbing motion). Left me in Tennessee without a guitar. I had to go to the pawn shop and buy me one.

Giz: Do you have any records that you love

listening to. We’d like to turn people on to what you really enjoy.

Arthur: B. B. Everyday I Have The Blues with the Count Basie Orchestra. You heard that one? Whew!!!! I loved that performance, man, he sounded so good, so professional. I like Sam Cooke. Best of Sam Cooke. I wrote Somebody’s Gonna Miss Me by Sam Cooke, me and Lattimore Brown. I wrote that in 1960. It wasn’t one of his big hits, but just to write one that he recorded was a treat, man. SM

www.arthuradamsbband.com

we went in and actually spent

The 335, when did you land on that as your instrument?

Giz:

Seventh Seal

(Det S junde Inseglet)

Skål ta me fan!

The Seventh Seal was shot in only 35 days, but watching it on-screen seemed like 10-years! Taking its title from the Book of Revelation, The Seventh Seal could be a horror movie, perhaps even the ultimate horror movie. It’s set during the Black Death, a Gothic dark age where women are burned as witches, drunken tavern brawls lead to bloodletting and a lone knight grapples with the slaughter he’s seen committed in the Lord’s name. Von Sydow excels as the haunted, burdened crusader desperate for a sign: “I want God to stretch out His hand, uncover His face and speak to me,” he whispers. In this film, though, there’s no God, no Devil... only Death. The indifference of the universe is laid bare.

“ITS ENDING IS INEVITABLE” The famous iconographic closing scene of the film was spontaneously shot within a few minutes, using stand-ins for the actors (who had already left the set for the day), because Bergman was trying to capture a compelling cloud configuration in the evening sky.

Director/Screenwriter: Ingmar Bergman Running Time: 96 mins Release date: 1957 Country: Sweden

Playing at select cinemas. — Gravedigger

406,907,993*

Next Art Walk: Thur., Dec. 13th 2007 ** Live Music ** Beer Wine & Art **

Metro Riders Can’t Be Wrong!

Stop saying and start doing. Metro Rapid Liners® - Metro Rapid Line 720 and Metro Rapid Express Line 920 -- both travel between Santa Monica Pier & Downtown L.A. in less time, gliding through traffic lights that change to allow the Rapids signal priority. Metro Rapid Liners® runs until after midnight. So stop complaining and start riding you dirty Transplants! Plan your journey today at www.metro.net.

www.downtown artwalk.com

Let’s see, I had my first 335 in 1964, I

Arthur:

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The

* Annual Boarding FY2007 Source: www.metro.net/news_info/ridership_avg.htm

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Our’s is better!

LOVES Y O U R BRAINS............ eternal sleep and inspire a fullfledged foot-stompin’ hootenanny in the graveyard. The beastly hellhound vocals are brashly surrounded by a furiously swirling funnel cloud of spooky hobgoblin backing vocals, a buzzing chainsaw slaughterhouse guitar, thunderous galloping slapback bass rhythms, and frantic rickety wood-splintering drumbeats. “Respect The Dead” is a frightfully delectable audio experience… six songs of pure psychobilly pleasure! SM Rating: Spooky DeVille – Salt Lake City, Utah www. myspace .com/spookydeville Spooky DeVille came roaring onto the stage in early 2006 and is only picking up more speed and Horsepower. Gathering members from around the States, they all seemed to end up in the same Morgue in The SLC to bring fear and a good time to all the Jack Mormons in the area and Worldwide. Influences: Hussies, Hot-Rods, Horror and Hootch. Sounds Like: The monsters under your bed. Check out the film SLC Punk also! SM Rating: The Curs – NoHo, California Republic www. myspace .com/thecurs   Well there was a hole.............some stuff was poured in the hole........a few weeks later The Curs crawled out..........Influences: Alcohol, coffee, chauvinism, a really good clean poop where everything just comes right out in a nice log and then there isn’t any residue left on the toilet paper, misc. heathens. SM Rating: & The Multilators – California Republic www. myspace .com/mutilators “WE HATE YOUR GUTS BUT WE’LL LOVE YOUR BRAINS” Sounds Like: CRYING TIRES AND BUSTING GLASS FROM A CAR WRECK AND FINDING THE LIFELESS CORPSE OF YOUR ONCE TRUE LOVE, ALL MANGLED AND MUTILATED WITH HER JAW DISLOCATED, LIMBS SEVERED, SKIN PEELED AND FLESH EXPOSED AND THEN TO ONLY FIND SHE’S STILL ALIVE AND SEEMS TO HATE YOUR GUTS BUT

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Straight Razor Suicide – El Paso, Texas www.myspace .com/straightrazorsuicide   Beginning in 2003, the band Straight Razor Suicide was conceived. El Paso Texas, a small yet diverse city, filled with dusty days and blowing tumbleweeds, is home to various punk rock metal and rockabilly bands. SM Rating: Psycho Demons – From the Murderous San Gabriel Valley,California Republic www. myspace .com/psychodemons   “DEMONS OF PSYCHOBILLY” Not too shabby, the lead singer sounds like the guy who did the California Institute of Abnormal arts intro music. The drummer BRUJERIN kicks some serious ass! Their songs have a curiosity to them. SM Rating: & ZombillyZ – Also from the Murderous S.G.V., California Republic www. myspace .com/zombillyz   “We come from the danger zones of the San Gabriel Valley”. It was not too long after they formed when they discovered this is what they enjoy doing most. Their style of “psychobilly”, was basically created in result of our strongly diverse musical backround. SM Rating: Levi Dexter – Britain, EU www. rockabilly.com/levi. html Being a native of London and nearby Southend (Shithole!), Levi grew up hearing the roots of rock ‘n’ roll in the Teddyboy pubs. On a strict diet or ‘50s Rock ‘n’ Roll Oldies, Levi was very influenced by Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, and lists Bill Haley and his Comets as his favorite band. SM Rating: & Wanda Jackson – Planet Wandabilly www. myspace .com/wandajacksonmusic The queen of rockabilly is alive and still kickin’, Wanda Jackson is the first and most feisty female rockabilly singers, with such classics as “Fujiyama Mama”, but she wasn’t the queen of the dance floor when two Latin Queens started pulling their hair out on the dance floor! SM Rating:

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Chuy & The Bobcats – The beautiful San Fernando Valley, California Republic w w w. myspace . com /chuyandthebobcats & www.myspace .com/thewildfires This is what you have been waiting for, never before has any Monkey seen such Rockabilly fighting energy on stage, Chuy (Jesus Felix) and the Bobcats (Victor Mendez, Santiago Mendez, Angel Hernandez) are some of those rockabilly fighters with beer in one hand, instrument in the other, grease in their hairs, blue denim and rage in their heart. When Chuy isn’t being Chuy he’s Luis Arriaga of Luis & The Wildfires (Luis Arriaga, lead guitar: Santiago Bermudez, Bass fiddle and piano: Victor Mendez, Drums: Angel Hernandez) singing such toe-tappin hits as “Let’s Party” from their Hot WILD New Release: Brain Jail LP. Whatever way you look at them, they were the REAL star of the evening! SM Rating: & Pachuco Jose y Los Diamantes – Los Angeles, California Republic w w w . m y s p a c e . c o m / p c h u c o j o s e y l o s d i a m a n t e s

Wow, what a band. a great authentic Chicano Jump blues sound! Little is still know on this marvel from Los Angeles, California, but you can view a snippet here: www. youtube.com/watch?v=qMaorNw3seg and with the sexy Catherine Garcia www. m yspace . com /cath er in ega rci a  shaking her stuff all over the stage, it was hard to resist getting a kiss from her after the gig! SM Rating: & Arsen Roulette – Fresno, California www. myspace .com/arsenroulette  In California’s central valley bad seeds come n’ go for which you must allow. But these seeds are anything BUT bad. Getting back to traditional Rockabilly Arsen Roulette definitely have that energy and are striving to become one of todays top talents that can’t make stop dancing even if your shows wear and and the skin on your feet! With hits like “All through the night” and “Knock me a kiss” which is available on a 7-inch single Limited Edition on Coke bottle clear vinyl. See them alive...here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcunWig-ZmI SM Rating: & Cash’d Out – S.D., California Republic www. myspace .com/cashdout   Cash’d Out was born in late 2004 when Douglas Benson met Kevin Manuel through an ad in The Reader. The main purpose for starting the band was to create an authentic tribute to the Man in Black, Johnny Cash. After acquiring stand-up bass player, Sean

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Glithero, the band began learning every Cash song possible. By January 2005, the Cash’d Out was ready to play live. Once people heard the authentic sounds of the band, the word started to spread around the Southwest and Cash’d Out’s popularity has been growing ever since. SM Rating: & Rockin Ryan – L.A, California Republic myspace.com/rockinryanandtherealgoners   Hop, hooting, Wild ‘50s Rock n’ Roll! Long Standing Southern California Rockabilly and Rock n’ Roll band capturing the true essence of “Delinquency” in song and spirit. Rockin’ Ryan has fronted the lo-fi ‘50s rock n’ roll scene for over eight years, playing many major events and weekender throughout the world. With the new release “The Cry of Midnight” the band has proved to overcome many obstacles and has definitely kept the spirit of American Rockabilly music alive. Check out their record label at: www.gollygeerecords.com for other gems and goodies! SM Rating: & Nicotyna – Ciudad de México, México www. myspace .com/nicotynamexico   Nicotyna emerged in 2000 as a pioneer in the whole Rockabilly movement in Mexico. They headlined the Mexican Rockabilly scene from playing original music and motivated new bands to emerge and set a new era in Mexican Rockabilly. Some of this magic has been captured in these two compilations “Erotic Exotic Reverb” & “Ataque Rockabilly”. Be sure to check out their Mexican rendition of Jailhouse Rock on their site! SM Rating: & Crash Justice – From the Mean Streets of Huntington Beach in the California Republic www. myspace .com/crashj  This is pure Rockabilly! - very specific, straight and stylistic, directly in the tradition of The Brunette Trio blended with some influences from the Sun artists, especially Johnny Cash, but more discrete also Perkins and Presley. A well balanced combination of own songs and covers. While the content is not ground-breaking, it is a very solid work that any band would be proud to call it’s baby. The production is excellent resulting in a very polished work that still manages to keep its raw edge. Sounds Like: Monkeys Fucking (Excellent!!!) SM Rating: & Rhythm Stompers – San Diego, California Republic www. myspace .com/rhythmstompers  Authentic Rockabilly ‘50s Rockabilly. They all have played in a variety of bands for several years. Their influences include authentic Rockabilly, ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll, western swing, honky tonk, jazz. Punk Rock and Garage Rock also has influences on them, as that is how most of the band got into music at a young age. Look for Bop n Stomp Records and start stomping! SM Rating: Border Hopin’ Boys – From the Devilish Mean Streets of the Inland Empire in the California Republic www. myspace .com/4003430   3 rules: Get drunk. Dance. Have fun! Just good old fashioned Rock’n-Roll! With GEORGE BARAJAS on lead guitar, HECTOR REYNOSO on rhythm guitar and CONSTANCIO SANCHEZ as lead vocals and upright bass, this trio certainly take the stage. SM Rating: & Mean Eyed Cats – California Republic myspace .com/meaneyedcats Another stomping group, Billy on lead guitar, Lee on rhythm, Brett on slappin’ bass and Julio on Percussion. .With song’s like “My baby’s gone” and “She drives me crazy” Mean Eyed Cats brings back the true sounds of Rockabilly. SM Rating: SM

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supermonkey

REWIND REVIEW

q Starring hitler as a banana, stalin as a turd and many more

By Tracey Adlai

It was my hope with Rewind/Review to revitalize interest in an album that may have, for political or personal issues, been misjudged by music critics when first released. There is awesome talent out there that gets overlooked for a variety of reasons, not one being the actual music. This will not be one such review. Because I focused on American Rock & Roll last issue, this month I chose a British New Wave band that I was fond of in the 1980’s… Modern English. OK, so everyone knows I Melt with You. Yes, you do. Even if you weren’t around to hear it on the radio when 4AD Records released it in 1982, it can be forever found in the feature film Valley Girl and is currently being used in ad campaigns for Taco Bell and M&M’s. Whether you’re 15 or 95, you’ve heard this song. And it’s good. Really! But why review an album that’s already top bananas? No, us monkeys are skipping ahead to 1986 and the Sire Records release, Stop Start. Before sitting down to research the reviews for Stop Start, I believed it would be a piece of cake. Remember, I like this band! The soundtrack to Valley Girl ranks among my favorites and I actually own After the Snow, Ricochet and Stop Start on vinyl! 12”s too! The first order of business was to find a published review. No problem! I’ve mastered stalking, er, I mean, researching. Sigh. Three days into using multiple search engines and getting creative with search terms, the best I could come up with were these three quotes: “My favorite song that you did was Ink and Paper” – James Bonisteel, RAD Cyberzine, in an interview with Robbie Grey, lead vocalist of Modern English. “…Modern English would lose me forever by ‘86 with the absolutely terrible START/STOP” – Stewart Mason, LittleHits.com

“In 1986, Modern English released Stop Start, then fell apart.” - Jesse Ashlock, Epitonic.com I pulled Stop Start from my record collection, placed it on the turntable and sat down with a glass of wine to prove Stewart Mason of LittleHits.com wrong. Oh…Boy… Even with Ink & Paper, the somewhat catchy tune that is reminiscent of I Melt With You, this album is awful. I’m sorry. I tried. I listened to it three times, A Side & B Side, over two days. Every song sounds the same – from The Border to Breaking Away and Love Forever, the only factor I found redeeming was the use of Saxophone and other horn instruments. Upon further research, Gary Barnacle, the musician credited for “horns” on Stop Start, is a seasoned Sessions musician who has worked with Level 42, The Clash, Kim Wilde, David Bowie, Phil Collins, Elvis Costello, Bjork and more. Gary has even released a solo album of Jazz tunes. I can’t wait to pick it up! It’s rare when I’m unable to find something, anything, to appreciate on an album. And when you believe the talent has talent, you look to the Producer responsible for not guiding the talent in the right direction. In this case, Stephen Stewart-Short is to blame for the abomination of Stop Start. As a Producer, Mr. Stewart-Short’s resume ends in 1989 and is littered with synth/electronic work, mostly German. (Sadly, I’m ashamed to admit that I actually like his work with v.) Clearly, he was not the man for the job and it’s unfortunate that the pairing of the two had to happen. Perhaps if Rick Rubin hadn’t been producing the Beastie Boys or Daniel Lanois hadn’t been

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working with U2 at the time, Modern English may have had half a chance at a Superbowl halftime gig. After Stop Start, Modern English would, indeed, fall apart. Two of the three founding members - Mick Conroy, Bass, and Gary McDowell, Guitar – would leave the band while Robbie Grey forged on. As a side note, I saw Modern English (Robbie Grey plus band of young twenty something’s) perform at CBGB’s in New York in 1996 or 1997. There were only a handful of us in the club. I remember someone shouting out “Melt with You” between songs and Robbie shouted back that he was only playing new material. I felt bad for the band. Now, off to Amoeba Records to trade in Stop Start! SM

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