Mama Told Me Not to Come

Presence, power, and Buddy Guy.

Separated at birth

The prototype (love the ending)

The masterpiece (perfection in every way)

Soul sisters

The first African American woman to sing on the Grand Ole Opry. They didn’t invite her back.

While the Harper Valley PTA were meeting

I’ll have what she’s having

The Blind Institute has made an undervalued contribution to New Zealand music. It spent years training its students to be piano tuners, and great musicians such as Julian Lee, Joe and Claude Papesch, Tai Paul and Stewart Gordon passed through its doors. And the long-lasting Radars combo, whose 30 year career – which included backing Ricky May – included a stint in the 1990s playing at the Gluepot’s corner bar. I wonder if the Institute’s annual ball swung like this.

Found at the Oxford American site, where you can also witness Roy Head, “the Good Ole Boy version of James Brown”.

Summer ear-worm

As much as I like melancholic music, I prefer my pop to come from the sunnier side of the street. I've been playing this song most days for the last couple of months: 'Wraith Pinned to the Mist (And Other Games)' by Of Montreal. From their 2005 album The Sunlandic Twins, on this number Of Montreal are like the Scissor Sisters meet the Beach Boys, but musically they are all over the place. Led by Kevin Barnes, they were originally from Athens, Georgia. Turns out they're visiting New Zealand soon, playing the King's Arms in Auckland on February 25, and Wellington's San Francisco Bath House on February 26. This clip from a recent Letterman show may give an idea of what to expect.

Man Alone