
The Coasters : Poison Ivy [ purchase ] Jim Gill : Poison Ivy [ purchase ] "Leaves of three, let it be." That's the old saying about Toxicodendron radicans , or Rhus radicans , "it gives you itchy hands." A common vine at the edges of woods, in floodplains, and disturbed areas, it give nasty skin rashes to people who are susceptible. It bothers me some, but I can usually [...]
This album rocks out with all the heart and soul this music was meant to deliver - great rhythm & blues.

If you've ever wanted to go into the mind that came up with the world's most baffling musical opus "Trapped In The Closet", R. Kelly has written an autobiography and given it a title worthy of the man it's about: Soula Coaster: The Diary Of Me . (That's almost as good a title as Black Panties .) The cover features Kells, dressed in a tux and posing like Jesus on the red carpet, standing among many, many microphones and no people. If we figured out the metaphor correctly, that's kind of a bummer, no?

mp3: The Coasters - Bad Blood It might not be the Monster Mash, but a song with a title like Bad Blood is perfect for your Halloween party playlist. This Leiber/Stoller creation was released as a b-side in 1961. The lyrics follow a similar vein to The Coasters first big hit from 1957, Young Blood. The main difference being, at some point in the intervening years, the protagonist's perspective has changed considerably. So it goes.

After completing some home improvements earlier this year, beloved Ukrainian Village venue The Empty Bottle is now auctioning off pieces of its old bathroom walls and hardwood floors for charity tonight. The Bottle is hosting "Pee It Forward: Protect Your Liver, Protect Your Table - An Empty Bottle 'Art Coaster Auction'" beginning at 6:30 p.m. to raise money for the American Liver Foundation. Up for auction is a set of four coasters made from hacked up pieces of the Bottle itself. Not enticed yet? Check out this description from the event's Facebook page [...]

One of the side benefits of Quentin Tarentino's movies is that his soundtracks are also almost invariably awesome. He's got a decided soul / funk / hip-hop bent, and it works. I credit him for introducing me to The Firm, Joe Tex, and Bloodstone, among others. But I'm probably most grateful for getting turned on to "Cat People" - a true Bowie gem. Here are my favorites: Foxy Brown - Letter To The Firm Joe Tex - The Love You Save The Coasters - Down In Mexico Nancy [...]
The V-Roys return after 12 years with a greatest hits collection and this new Coasters cover.
Cover Videos Tribute to Prolific '50s Pop Songwriter Jerry Leiber.

If you look really closely, you can spot Elvis between Jerry Leiber (right) and Mike Stoller (left). I tried, and failed, to choose one favorite Leiber/Stoller track. Considering that they kicked off their career with "Hound Dog" at the age of 17, and racked up over a hundred more jaw-dropping tunes, it was a struggle to stop at six. I implore you to check out the Ace Records compilation, The Leiber and Stoller Story . [...]

Lately, I've been expanding my tastes and I've been delving into the wonderful genre of tech house. With an unparalleled grooviness and plenty of bass, what's there not to like? If these summer tinged tunes don't win you over, you may need to turn up the bass or check your ears . Enjoy. The Coasters- Down in Mexico (POSSO Bootleg) *** Firebeatz- Knock Out (Original Mix) [...]
POSSO (meaning "I can") is a fashionable musical collaboration between best friends Marylouise Pels and Vanessa Giovacchini. Together, they bridge design, music and art in an ever-evolving project that takes them all over the world. POSSO works to create an all around sensory experience which brings us to a new mix, a new fix... a rad lil' twist on something we love so dear. Enough with the words... bring on the tune! Oft more [...]
One of the true greats passed away this month: Clarence Clemons, a legend to every Springsteen fan. There are many things which made the E Street Band's sound so unique, but the key ingredients, in my view, were Roy Bittan's keyboards and Clemons' sax. It is on Clemons' shoulder on which Springseen leans on the Born To Run cover, literally and symbolically (and imagine the title track without that orgasmic saxophone build-up). The featured E Street Band song, here in the live version from the 1975 Hammersmith Odeon concert, tells the story of how the E Street Band came together. [...]

Mashup Monday – We're going to melt you faces off with enough mashed up music to make you wanna slap yo' mama. itstk will be bringing you the dopest dope in the mashup world. We've been scouring the music lands, and filing through tracks that you enthusiastic readers and musicians have sent us. We've found mashups from DJ's far and wide. We've found down-tempo ones. We've found super fast and beaty ones. Short ones and long ones. [...]

It's been a little while since my last real Smörgåsbord as it has once again been hijacked as well as imitated fairly recently. Do not fear though, the Smörgåsbord is here. So sit back, relax, and make sure that no fragile items or small children are in the immediate vicinity. -Whiteface I really want to see someone open with this next one at a huge show. I think I would lose it. While Bach probably would not approve of this interpretation of his beloved Toccata, I think [...]
Part of the HUMAN+ exhibition at Science Gallery, Trinity College Dublin, supported by Wellcome Trust, Trinity School of Medicine and the Trinity Long Room Hub. Euthanasia Coaster is a hypothetical euthanasia machine in the form of a roller coaster, engineered to humanely—with elegance and euphoria—take the life of a human being. [via science gallery ] Tweet

Hello again and a warm welcome to Wild Weekend , issue 64. As no real interesting new stuff struck my eardrums this week alas, we'll just have to make do with a bunch of oldies goldies. No probs, as we're talking tracks by Delroy Wilson, Sir Doug Sahm and Louis Jordan amongst others. And a Japanese star fruits surf rider. Now is that wild or what? We'll start with a fine song from a very fine album: Doug Sahm's '74 Tex-Mex masterpiece Groovers Paradise . Sir Doug's got the [...]
Carl Gardner, founding lead singer of the Coasters ("Yakety Yak," "Charlie Brown," "Poison Ivy," "Searchin'") died on Sunday night in Port St. Lucie, Fl., at the age of 83.
Filed under: News , R.I.P. Gilles Petard, Redferns Carl Gardner, lead vocalist and founder of legendary R&B group the Coasters , died Sunday, June 12, of congestive heart failure. The 83-year-old singer (pictured above, far left) had battled Alzheimer's disease and passed at Florida's Port St. Lucie Hospice Home, according to a statement made by his wife and manager Veta Gardner. Best known for '50s hits such as 'Yakety Yak,' 'Poison Ivy,' 'Charlie Brown' [...]