A few random observations from today:
1. A friend posted a couple videos of Sir Douglas Quintet. I never had heard of this band, and doing some research was amazed that a band that allegedly “started” by trying to cash in on the 60’s British Invasion could ultimately morph into a prime inspiration for Tejano music. Although Doug Sahm’s Texas roots are apparent even when Elvis Costello-like organ is added to the mix, I was impressed with his ability to leap musical genres.
2. Manohla Dargis’ April 8, 2011 New York Times review of the new stoner movie “Your Highness” included this musical reference:
“bare-breasted wild women smeared in white who look as if they stepped off the cover of a classic punk album by the Slits…”
I don’t know about you, but a reference for The Slits in the midst of a NYTimes movie review seems a bit random.
3. An article on today’s Pitchfork site, “Positive Destruction,” posits San Francisco as the new epicenter of garage rock. Mr. Royale and I are fans of Ty Segall and recently discovered another local band, Moon Duo. It would be nice for San Francisco to move beyond that “Summer of ’69” designation.
Comments? Have you discovered any other odd little trends or artifacts?
Here’s the Sir Douglas Quintet’s biggest (and just about only) hit, “She’s About a Mover”. I have no idea what bored-looking women in breastplates and castle backgrounds have to do with the song or the band. It’s a real possibility that I saw this performance as a little kid since I used to watch Hullabaloo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XboE3_7KZ3Y
They always played the same kind of music, they just dressed the part of a Brit Invasion group (like just about everyone else in ’65), because you couldn’t get arrested as a rock & roll band without playing up that angle at the time. It was a little more difficult for them, partly because of Doug’s Texas accent, & also because 2/5ths of the band were Hispanic. Publicity photos at the beginning were often done in silhouette to cover up that fact.
“Mendocino” was also a U.S. Top 30 hit in ’68 And was an even bigger hit in Europe. Bob Dylan was quoted as saying, “Look, for me right now there are three groups: Butterfield, The Byrds and the Sir Douglas Quintet.” The original band broke up after being set up for a pot bust.
The late Doug Sahm is a major figure in the history of the Texas music scene – starting off as a kind of child prodigy in country music (singing, playing pedal steel, violin & mandolin) – he was.11 when he put out his first record.
Women in breastplates & castles = England!
England = $$$!
Maybe the Slits had inspiration?
He played on stage with Hank Williams Sr. in San Antonio when he was eleven, months before Hank died.
I knew this site would be able to tell more everything I needed to know about a previously unknown (to me) band.
If you haven’t discovered the SDQ yet, ladymiss, you have a lot to look forward to. He recorded a LOT (I checked and I have 300+ tracks in my Itunes), but check out the album Mendocino. It’s pure genius. And btw that organ sound is supposed to evoke the accordion sound of TexMex music.
I’ve got a Sir Douglas Quintet collection that I like a lot. Sahm gets “out there” sometimes, like on a song that’s called “Song for Everyone,” or something like that. It sounds like Elvis Costello getting jazzy on Imperial Bedroom with blaring late-’60s jazz horns mixed in.
It’s funny that San Francisco’s hippie music scene is partially rooted in what would be considered garage rock. I don’t know what’s really garage rock anymore. The 12th-generation stuff can be hard to take. Has “garage-rock” gone anywhere new? I still hear some bands doing cool stuff with ’60s structures and textures, but what are San Francisco garage bands up to?
Yes, a Slits reference in a NY Times movie review is most unexpected.
Friend of the Hall Ben Vaughn, who was back east for a few shows last week, was headed to Austin this week to record with the organ/accordian player, Augie Meyers (sp?).
I see a new thread – “What is garage rock?” And is there a Hewlitt-Packard variety? (Maybe that’s the new SF-scene.)
Funny you should mention it, Mr. Mod. This article came out earlier this week: http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/7951-positive-destruction-san-franciscos-new-garage-rock/
I like Moon Duo a lot, but I never would have thought to consider them garage rock. Then again, I never understood why bands like the Strokes and the Vines were considered garage rock either.
Ty Segall’s Melted was one of my favorite albums from last year. Really liked the Kelley Stoltz album (he’s featured in that article, as well), too. I’d recommend a listen to both.
I saw Kelly Stoltz open for Paul Westerberg. I like to give the opening bands a shot, because you never know, they may become my new favorite band. to say kelly Stoltz didn’t become that would be a very kind understatement.
I like some bands from San Francisco, and I suppose they’d qualify as garage rock, since I qualify garage rock as anything that could actually be pulled off in a garage with a few people hanging around and watching with the door down (Arcade Fire, you’re out!) I like a couple of countryish bands from San Franciso, The Devil’s Own:
http://youtu.be/NSSRw39vnPg
And Chrome Johnson:
http://youtu.be/75NZPToJNSg
At least I think Chrome Johnson is from San Francisco, my California geography is at least as bad as my geography of everywhere else but Ohio. But these bands kick some ass and can easily fit in my garage.
I just listened to it today. Great album, but it seemed more Spacemen 3 or VU than garage rock.
I think the motown sound is making a comeback – cee lo green, that “money grabbers” song, many of those one-named teenage british soul singers.etc. More and more
I was thinking about the last time there was a motown revival in the early 80’s – also a time the country was coming out of a major recession
Sir Doug reminds me of buddy holly inwhere he appears to have invented all of the styles that we see today. His best of sounds like a rare track comp of other artists (Costello earle wilco srv ) his cataloge has been hard to track down for me many comps but very few original releases available
Garage rock is any band that CALLS themselves garage at this point