North Fork Sound Top 20 - January 17th '10

Not a good week. Haiti was bad enough, but the deaths of Teddy Pendergrass, Mick Green AND Bobby Charles really cast a long shadow here at NoFoSo towers. This week's entire top 20 is shared, equally, by Mick & Bobby (core-artists here) who had a hand in all the songs either as a singer, writer or guitarist.

The week ended, however, on a much higher note Friday when the Slits' vocalist, Ari Up, welcomed me to her Brooklyn apartment to talk about the band's latest, and possibly finest release, 'Trapped Animal'. It was great seeing her again and good to know she's practically unchanged and as voluble, spirited and engaging as always.

Later that night, 2009 NoFoSo Alb o' The Year winner Alex McMurray turned up in the West Village with Bill Malchow & the Go Cup All-Stars adding a couple of Bobby Charles songs (He's Got All The Whiskey, See You Later Alligator) to a set heavy with the essence of New Orleans. A righteous gig, and a good time had by all.
And, just to finish on another positive note, last night in Cutchogue, where going to the library is usually about the most exciting thing to do, I saw a band pepper their own top-grade originals (incl. Bad Baby, The Girl On The Cutting Room Floor, It Should Rain) with covers like Memphis, Cry Cry Cry, Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger, Shake Rattle And Roll, a fantastic Peter Gunn/Shakin' All Over/James Bond Theme medley, Open Up Your Back Door, I'm A King Bee (w/guest harp-er, Charlie) and the hottest Folsom Prison Blues I've ever heard. Of course I'm talking about the Lone Sharks, who ALWAYS step it up a notch. The locals agree, too, as there were more than ever before and lotsa dancing goin' on. Even Elvis showed up. A tip of the hat, then, to the Fishermans Rest, who are trying to build a credible, live music scene out here on the North Fork.

1. The Pirates: Castin' My Spell
2. Bobby Charles: I Must Be In A Good Place Now
3. Johnny Kidd & The Pirates: A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues
4. Fats Domino: Walking To New Orleans
5. Paul McCartney: Honey Hush
6. Delbert McClinton: The Jealous Kind
7. Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas: Don't You Do It No More
8. Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros: Before I Grow Too Old
9. Lemmy & The Upsetters (feat. Mick Green): Paradise
10. Muddy Waters: Why Are People Like That?
11. Van Morrison: Stop Drinking
12. Johnnie Allan: Tennessee Blues
13. The British Invasion Allstars (feat. Phil May & Mick Green): Shakin' All Over
14. Dr. John & The Lower 911 (feat Willie Nelson): Promises, Promises
15. Doctor's Order w/Mick Green: The Wildest Beast On Six Feet
16. Paul Butterfield's Better Days: Small Town Talk
17. Bryan Ferry: Goin' Down
18. The Band: The Last Train To Memphis
19. Dr. Feelgood: Going Back Home
20. Bill Haley & His Comets: See You Later, Alligator

North Fork Sound Alb O' The Week:

The Slits: Trapped Animal

Ari Up, The Slits
Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY
01/15/10

North Fork Legend Of The Month:

Nick Lowe

Last Week's Listener 'Thumbs-Ups':
(our audience grew considerably last week, for some reason)

The Sugarcubes: Blue-Eyed Pop
The Slits: Ask Ma
Nouvelle Vague: God Save The Queen
Muddy Waters: Got My Mojo Workin'
The Move: (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Saturday Night Special
The Flowerpotmen: Joe's So Mean To Josephine
The Fleshtones feat: Alan Vega:
Felt: Primitive Painters
The Doughboys: Twelve Bars And I Still Have The Blues
The Doughboys: Break Out
The Doughboys: Queen City
The Doughboys: It's Alright
Carl Malcolm & Ranking Trevor: Repatriation
Nina Hagen: African Reggae
Lulu: Shout
Faron's Flamingos: Let's Stomp
Family: Burlesque
Brinsley Schwarz: Trying To Live My Life Without You
Nick Lowe: 36 Inches High
Nick Lowe: Heart Of The City
Nick Lowe: Truth Drug
Nick Lowe's Last Chicken In The Shop: I Knew The Bride
Bell XI: A Better Band
Nina Simone: Backlash Blues
Lou Reed: Last Great American Whale
The Godfathers: Birth, School, Work, Death
Chas & Dave: I'm In Trouble
Blind Willie Johnson: It's Nobody's Fault But Mine
Angelo Badalamenti: Mysteries Of Love (French Horn solo)
Mick Jagger: Memo From Turner
Dion: Shake, Rattle & Roll
Max Wall: England's Glory
The Blasters: Marie Marie
The Stooges: Real Cool Time
RL Burnside: Stole My Check
Marvin Gaye: You're A Wonderful One
Jerry Lee Lewis: Down The Line
Scott McClatchy: No Surrender
Genya Ravan: Back in My Arms Again
Elvis Presley: That's Alright Mama (live)
Smokie Robinson & The Miracles: Going To A Go-Go
The Fugs: Kill For Peace
Donald Fagan: Ruby Baby
Conway Twitty: Is A Bluebird Blue
Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited
I-Roy: Maggie Breast
Dwight Twilley Band: Rock And Roll 47
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates: Shakin' All Over
Adam & The Ants: S.E.X.
Peter Tosh: Johnny B. Goode
David Bowie: Queen Bitch
Chuck Berry: Nadine (Is It You?)
The Famous Monsters: Breaking Up
The Damned: Neat Neat Neat
Bob Log III: Manipulate Your Figments
Bo Diddley: Mona
Felt: Primitive Painters
The Star Spangles: Gangland
Bobby Parker: Watch Your Step
Love Spit Love: How Soon Is Now?
The Balloon Farm: A Question Of Temperature
The Rolling Stones: Tumbling Dice
The Talking Heads: Psycho Killer
BB King w/John Lee Hooker: You Shook Me
Southern Culture On The Skids: 8 Piece Box
The Who: Who Are You
Gene Casey & The Lone Sharks: A Better Place
Gene Ammons: But Beautiful
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band: Long Neck Bottles
Althea Ranks: Jamaica 21
The Low Anthem: To The Ghosts Who Write History Books
Dawn Penn: You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)
Lori Carson: Something's Got Me
The Patti Smith Goup: Dancing Barefoot
The Rockin' Vicars: It's All Right
Blur: Parklife
Earthless: Cherry Red
Alex McMurray: You've Got To Be Crazy To Live in This Town

Alex McMurray
Sullivan Hall, NYC
01/15/10

'Outrageous Love'
Sullivan Hall, NYC
01/15/10

Alex McMurray: guitar/vocals
Bill Malchow: piano
Scott Bourgeois: tenor sax
Skip Ward: bass
Louie Appel: drums