AFRO-SPAZZ

How many African music collections thank Dr Demento in the credits?

The 1995 compilation "Money No Be Sand," on the Original Music label, is one of my favorite albums - it's completely bananas, another example of how Everything You Know Is Wrong. All Nigeria and Ghana rarities from the Sixties, it's nothing like the sterile "World Music" you'll hear oozing out of your local Starbucks. It's own liner notes describe it as "wild-and-woolly" (the review in The Beat magazine prefers the term "nutty.")

It's delights are endless: trashy garage-rock sung in tribal tongues, James Brown rip-offs (complete with, in the song "One Early Morning," a shockingly inept drum break), a cheerful calypso describing a political assassination, curious pidgin-English lyrics, and all manner of twisting and shaking awesomeness. Oh, and a Beatles cover performed on cowbells. Beyond essential.
Money No Be Sand

1. Ewele Aya - BB Band, Prof. Y.S.
2. Hold Me Tight Baby - Archibogs, Charles Iwegbue
3. Look, Look, Look - Godwin Omobuwa, Sound Makers
4. Weeya Weya - E.T. Mensah, Tempos Band
5. Eje Ka Jo - Junkers, Jimi Solanke
6. Money No Be Sand - Archibogs, Charles Iwegbue
7. Cut Your Coat According to Your Size - Apolos Empire Rhythm Orchestra
8. I Love You - Pepsi-Orlando, Young Star Band
9. You Cheat Me You Cheat Me - Godwin Omobuwa, Sound Makers
10. Shake It - Professional Beach Melodians
11. President Tubman - Money Be No Sand
12. Timber - Eric Akaeze, Azagas
13. One Early Morning - BB Band, Prof. Y.S.
14. Healthy Be Richman - Eric Akaeze, Azagas
15. Jane - Junkers, Clint Eph. Sebastian
16. Ride Your Donkey - Ramblers Dance Band
17. Baby I Tire - Archibogs, Charles Iwegbue
18. Lumumba Calypso - E.C. Arinze
19. I Need Your Love - Eddie Okonta, Top Aces
20. More Dollars - Eric Akaeze, Azagas
21. Bad Lit Road
22. Because of Money - E.T. Mensah, Tempos Band
23. Don't Let Me Down - Charlotte Dada

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Hey gang, just popping in between 3:00am baby feedings to let you know that I am still around, even if my computer is still sick (I'm writing this on the missus' laptop). This here blog will get up to full speed eventually, but 'til then let me hep ya to:

The Post-Punk Junk Film Festival is happening again here in Los Angeles courtesy of my home-slice Bret from Egg City Radio, and, tho it's already half-over, you can still catch (with film-makers in attendance!) "Athens GA: Inside Out" to relive your '80s college-radio days, and the amazing "Liquid Sky," in which junkie space aliens drop into the early-'80s New York underground club scene to get high on human bodies. Yup. If there was ever a "Movies for Maniacs" blog, this one would be on it.

wtfmusic.org looks to be a crucial service - all manner of outsider/strange/experimental musics promoted via a music player, message boards, reviews, requests for for your music. It's new, and they're the first to admit the site could use work, so join the community and help 'em out. I already really like some of the freaky stuff I've heard on their "radio" music player.

There's a Space Age Pop message board so new that no-one's posted on it yet, courtesy of the legendary Basic Hip/Kiddie Records Weekly site(s). Talk about thrift-store records 'n' stuff!