Tucson Weekly: Soundbites (November 12

JAMES DEAD'S ALIVE! My roommate throughout my undergraduate college career hailed from Margate, New Jersey, a suburb of that wannabe-Vegas town, Atlantic City. Through our conversations over the years, he truly made me want to go to Jersey; although the thought of 24-hour gambling, free drinks, and cheesy casino shows is alluring at the very least, it's a hell of a lot shorter trip from here to Vegas than it is to Atlantic City. No, it was none of these things that was propelling me to Jersey--it was Lucy the Elephant.
Sound Bites I first spotted the gigantic pink beast on a postcard that my roommate proudly displayed on our wall, amidst our collective Elvis shrine--in other words, I knew this was something important. Lucy is not an elephant at all, but rather a building in the shape of a gigantic elephant, painted baby-doll pink, no less. It was originally a hotel, but remains open to the public today as a museum. I made a vow right then and there that someday I would make a pilgrimage to Margate to tour the bowels of the beautiful behemoth known as Lucy.
I still haven't made it there (I know it's crazy, but on the rare opportunity that I get vacation time, for some reason New Jersey never quite tops my list of potential destinations, Lucy or no Lucy). So imagine my delight a couple years ago, when during a weekend outing at the now-defunct Airport Lounge, some band--new to town, I'd heard--broke into a rippin' little number about--you guessed it--Lucy the Elephant. Needless to say, that band, James Dead, earned a special little spot in my heart forever on that night. (As it turns out, three of the members of the band are Jersey transplants, so I'm sure they'd be happy to discuss Lucy with you at length).
A little bit over a year ago, the Dead got an opening spot on a Supersuckers show and caught the attention of one Don Holbrook, who decided to start his own label to take the band's sound to the masses. Appropriately enough, the inaugural release on Holbrook's Dry River Bed Records is also James Dead's first disc. To get right to the point, Revenge kicks much ass. Sporting superb production by Al Perry, who has miraculously captured the high-octane oomph of the band's live shows, the album perfectly documents the James Dead sound--imagine Bill Haley and the Comets playing punk rock songs about drivin' too fast and goin' straight to hell for it, and you're somewhere in the appropriate proximity.
In addition to 12 original tracks, the disc also includes covers of the Dead Boys' "Sonic Reducer" and a rave-up (bonus and unlisted) version of the Al Perry classic "Little By Little," which is followed by an uncredited Perry playing MC with tongue planted firmly in cheek, declaring the tune "songwriting genius." And while the only disappointment here (for me, anyway) is that they didn't include the song about Lucy, they demonstrate both their acclimation to the Southwest and their fondness for roadside attractions by including a song about "The Thing."
The core line-up of the band is comprised of singer/guitarist Tex Caliber, guitarist/backing vocalist George The Chomper, and bassist Victoria Ice Queen. (Their bio doesn't say whether those are their real names). Although the disc features three different drummers (they recently parted ways with A.J., their previous full-time drummer), Peter "Splat" Catalonotte is currently filling in until they find a replacement.
James Dead celebrate the release of Revenge with a show on Friday, November 13, at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Headlining the show is Iowa's House of Large Sizes, one of the best goddamn midwestern rawk bands your sorry ass'll ever see live. They're touring in support of their recent release, Glass Cockpit, on What Are Records?. The night kicks off around 8 p.m. with an opening set from the aforementioned Tucson legend, Al Perry. Cover is $4, and you can call 622-8848 for more info.
HOT PICK: Jim Carvalho's renowned publication, Border Beat, the border arts journal, will celebrate its second anniversary in style, with a fabulous triple bill.
Though he's been putting out highly acclaimed albums for more than 20 years now, I first came across Joe Ely on some long-forgotten cable TV show in the early '80s. Even through the cathode-ray filter, his live set made my jaw drop. In a word: powerhouse. He's currently touring in support of his new MCA release, Twistin' in the Wind, a fine addition to his rootsy repertoire.
Having sold out her last Tucson show, Tish Hinojosa will return to town from her native San Antonio, Texas, stomping grounds. A quote from the Los Angeles Times says it all: "You might hear more natural singers than Hinojosa, but they'll likely have feathers and wings."
Returning from last year's Border Beat first-anniversary show is Tom Russell. A true songwriter's songwriter, his tunes have been covered by the likes of Ely, Dave Alvin, Johnny Cash and Nanci Griffith. Russell is touring in support of The Long Way Around, a live career retrospective released on Hightone Records.
The celebration takes place tonight, November 12, at the Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. The evening begins at 7:30 p.m., with readings by three Tucson authors preceding the music. Reserved seats are $20 and $18, and may be purchased at Hear's Music. For further details call 321-0928.
LAST NOTES: If blues is your bag, this is your week, and Boondock's Lounge is where you wanna be. This centrally located club consistently books amazing national blues acts, and this week you've got three (count 'em, three!) to choose from.
Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater combines Magic Sam-influenced West Side Chicago blues with Chuck Berry-inspired rock and roll for a sound that's distinctly his own. To top it off, he's got a reputation for being one of the most entertaining performers in modern blues. Clearwater drops into town tonight, November 12, at 9 p.m. Advance tickets are $10, and the cover charge is $12.
From Gary, Indiana, The Kinsey Report have made a name for themselves over the years as being one of the tightest, rocking-est blues bands to emerge in years. The three brothers comprising the band have been playing together since they were kids, and it shows through in their virtually telepathic ensemble playing. Guitarist Donald made quite a name for himself in the reggae world in the '70s, having toured and played on albums by both Bob Marley (Rastaman Vibration and Babylon By Bus) and Peter Tosh (Legalize It, Bush Doctor and Mama Africa), but in 1984 returned to the music that his father had taught him to love at an early age. The brothers have been at it ever since, and are currently touring behind their fifth album, Smoke and Steel, on Alligator Records. The Kinsey Report hit town on Sunday, November 15, for a blues & BBQ show that starts at 6 p.m. Advance tickets are $7, and they'll by $10 at the door.
Hailing from Atlanta, Tinsley Ellis is considered one of the greatest blues-rock guitarists alive. He's been compared to every guitar hero mining similar territory--think Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton--and he's been called the most significant blues artist to emerge from Atlanta since Blind Willie McTell. (For the record, Tinsley doesn't consider himself a bluesman; instead, he prefers to be thought of as "a rock-and-roller who plays the blues.") His newest release, Fire It Up (Alligator Records), was produced by the legendary Tom Dowd, who produced Derek And The Dominoes' Layla, as well as works by John Coltrane, Aretha Franklin, The Allman Brothers and Ray Charles, amongst dozens of others. Come see the guitar pyrotechnics of Tinsley Ellis on Wednesday, November 18. Tickets are $10 in advance, $2 more at the door.
All three of the aforementioned blues shows will take place at Boondock's Lounge, 3306 N. 1st Ave. Call 690-0991 for more information.
And finally, spearheads of the nouveau lounge movement, Combustible Edison, will headline this week's Multimedia Monday with two sets of the finest easy-listening music money can buy. Dress swank, order yourself a martini, then relax and enjoy. It's just that easy. This week's installment of Multimedia Monday goes down on November 16 at Club Congress. Doors open at 8 p.m., and cover is five bucks.

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