Oh, and the best one.... on the shape disk it's hard even to look
those up from lists because there was something off about
the label printing but I'll try to find it from my old
playlists if you want.

What it was was the best "Silent Night" ever made. Female vocalist
punk backbeat. Trust me, this thing worked like anything. I
actually get misty when I hear it. It's not just a Christmas
song done against type or style-- that's not it. It just
works as a piece of music. And I'm sure that the James Dobson
crowd would hate it and call it blasphemous or something. But the
job of the artist is to have you hear things in new ways. I
consider it one of the best pieces of all time. It's totally forgotten except in that I hold it in my memory and it is now part of
my 'oral tradition' like a personal history. So I talk about it when I can.

See other posts with new entries about Brother Theodore and Lord Buckley too.

Other the last couple days I've been making samples of Ska and
swing bands for next year's Waterfest which is held throughout the
Summer here on Thurs. nights. I've seen Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
at one of these events and also Los Straightjackets with the
World Famous Potani Sisters.

Voodoo Daddy is swing of course and Los Striaghtjackets play
surf, surf punk and twist party music. I had heard of this
act before I actually saw it. Worth seeking out.

For next year I am making samples of ska by The Scofflaws and swing
by Royal Crown Review and The Mighty Blue Kings.

The pick of the new entertainment as opposed to stuff I know
is definately the Los Straightjackets. I had a chance to talk
to some people at the event who knew the band. It looks
like a novelty act what with the Potan... excuse me, The World Famous
Potani Sisters, but some of the members have been playing since
the surf punk revival in the 80's with bands like The Ray Beats
and Agent Orange. Where they picked up the Twist thing I'll
never know. The twist tunes are recognizable from the likes
of Chubby Checker. Waterfest is an outdoor pavillion event with
a brand new band shell. These party tunes worked out real well.

Gas prices have kept me off the road, but I may make an exception
to go see Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums. One of my favorite
pieces from the swing reval of the late 90s is Lucky's "Rumpus Room
Honeymoon." It sounds like an impromtu wedding with a bunch
of methamphetamine tweakers to a jump blues beat.

• The World Famous Potani Sisters