By Don Jacobson
Our latest playlist comes from The Casbah. Being taken away to this Casbah means a trip not to North Africa but to Garageland and its musical neighbors – Punk Point, Psychedelic Surf City, Shoegazeville and Cool Jazz Junction. It’s a mysterious and surprising journey guided by DJ Brian Parrish of San Antonio’s KSYM 90.1 FM, who uses his exquisite and extensive taste in these kinds of grooves to produce one of the best such radio shows and podcasts in the land every week.
According to his bio, Parrish not only is an arbiter of garage and surf rock taste, he’s also a very talented visual artist who produces illustrations for both local Texas and national bands. If you subscribe to The Casbah podcast (which you can do here), as an extra added attraction you get a Brian Parrish rock art piece as part of the deal (he produces a new one for each show). The one pictured here is for the Aug. 25, 2007, show, which featured the playlist below.
Check out The Casbah each week if you’re seeking the best in retro rock and jazz from both the classic bands as well as deserving up-and-comers.
1. The Pyramids, “Penetration.” The 1964 surf-rock classic instrumental.
2. Bow Wow Wow, “Aphrodisiac.” Resurrected by Sofia Coppola in last year’s Marie Antoinette.
3. The Sidemen, “Soho.” They surf in Germany, too.
4. Bo Diddley, “500% More Man.” One of Bo’s best ’60s tunes, none of which sold too well.
5. The Jimi Hendrix Experience, “Fire.” Let Jimi take over.
6. Les Guitares, “Galaxie.” Early ’60s French rockeurs.
7. The Krayolas w/ Augie Meyers. “Little Fox (Spanish version).” Nod to the locals.
8. The Millions, “On My Mind.” Chicago’s own power-popsters.
9. The Coffin Daggers, “But First… Tranya.” Cowabunga!
10. Ringo Deathstarr, ” Rats Live On No Evil Star.” Gaze at your shoes. Your shoes. Gaze at your shoes.
11. Jesus And Mary Chain, “My Little Underground.” Snarl and pop.
12. The Standells, “Why Pick On Me?” See them perform it on The Hollywood Palace.
13. Sunnyland Slim, “Johnson Machine Gun.” The last of the Delta Blues piano players.
14. Jimmy Forrest, “Flight 3-D.” Swingin’ sax man. Check out this effort with the Count Basie band from the 1977 Montreux Jazz Festival.
15. Jack Kerouac, “Charlie Parker.” What the speedsters want.
16. Barney Bigard, “Sweet Marijuana Brown.” Love the licorice stick.
17. Jimmy Coe, “After Hours Joint.” That joint was probably in Indy.
18. The Modern Lovers, “Government Center.” An unreleased song produced by Kim Fowley added to Rhino Records’ 1989 re-issue of the The Modern Lovers.
19. Simple Kid, “The Ballad Of Elton John.” Did Elton John really get his mojo sucked out?
20. Clarence White, “Hong Kong Hillbilly.” Early country rock pioneer who was killed by a drunk driver as he was unloading his van in 1973.
21. Hopewell, “All Angels Road.” Tasty pop-rock from their latest, Beautiful Targets, on Tee Pee Records.
22. Jimmy Haskill, “A Shot In The Dark.”
23. Terry Buffalo Ware, “Our Man 008.” There must be surf in Norman, Okla.
24. The V.I.P.s, “I Wanna Be Free.” The precursor to Spooky Tooth! Say no more.
25. Shy Guy Douglas, “Long Gone.” A Nashville blues master from the ’40s.
26. Freddie King, “Goin’ Down.” The girthy West Side Chicago bluesman credited with laying the groundwork for surf guitar.
27. Spacemen 3, “Revolution.” Minimalistic psychedelia? Yes.
28, Brian Jones Presents The Pipes Of Pan, “JouJouka (side 1).” Moroccan goat-god-worshipping trance music, which is apparently what Brian Jones had on his mind right before he drowned.
29. Slowdive, “Catch The Breeze.”
30. Dungen, “Du Ska Tru Att Det Ordnar Sig.” The Swedish psychedelic rock phenomenon!
31. The Astroglides, “The Adventures Of Rabbi Jacobs.”
32. Them, “I Can Only Give You Everything.”
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Beachwood playlists for your perusal.
Posted on September 10, 2007