Ranting, Raving, and Rocking by Sal Canzonieri

This was my seventeenth column in AMP magazine. This one Rants on the many failures of this administration, Raves about The Ghoul, and Rocks on about new records by Dollhouse, ADHD, Get Hip and Gearhead record labels !

Welcome to my seventeenth column for AMP magazine.

This month’s Rant:

I'm tired of talking about the Bushits "running" our government more than you are probably reading about it!  I've had it. I'm looking for a positive way to change things from the ground up to bring our country back to the good shape it was in before asshole and his criminal cohorts stole the elections. Like I said before it is time to 'fire the boss' and work locally from the bottom up, that is the only way the middle class will revive itself and prosper and our future generations will be free of the big weight hanging over them that the Bushit legacy is going to leave behind.

So, this loser is going to leave office in 2008, and could not care less about what happens to anyone as a consequence of his and his neo-con administration's poor oversight, negligence, and just outright criminal activities, not to mention their pure stupidity and fat cat ignorance that has resulted in nothing but failure (thank God!) in everything that they set out to do.

The truth is that Bushit never gave shit about anyone, and his lack of interest in serious matters and constant vacation taking is the evidence. And, THAT is how the Bushit legacy will be judged in history, as an utter failure that only resulted in the opposite of what they intended each time.

For example:

FAILURE  - the Iraqi elections (oh, how I hate that to hear that word, 'Iraq'!, its like a blister that won't go away): The convoluted mess that they call a  'democratic process' this administration used  to secure the election of the current Iraqi Parliament and the Maliki government did the opposite of what it was intended to do. The plan was to create an effective Iraqi government with a broad popular mandate that would restore peace and security to the entire country. We heard this said repeatedly by the Bushit administration policymakers and their phony supportive media pal, as part of the litany of lies they continue to spew on to the American people and the world. Instead, the political process did precisely the opposite: The elections held at the end of 2005 produced a deeply divided Parliament with the three main groups in Iraq -- Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds -- more divided and distrustful of each other than ever before. Far from cementing a new national structure in place, the 2005 elections confirmed and strengthened the primacy of the Sunni and Shiite militias, as well as the Sunni insurgents, throughout the country. Now, it is the militias that are run what remains of Iraqi society. Therefore, the Iraqi national army and police remain ineffectual against them. RESULT: a nation divided against itself at the brink of civil war and breeding ground for hate and destruction.

FAILURE - The "Surge" in Iraq: What a joke that was done precisely because they knew it would fail! The 146,000 U.S. soldiers now in Iraq are still far too few to impose and maintain order in a nation of 28 million people. The outcome of the president's 'surge' policy, since it was sending far too few troops, far too late in the day to try and put the fractured shell of Iraqi civil society back together again, is that the militias continue to prevail and hundreds and hundreds of innocent people continue to die and will die in even large numbers. Months into the much-touted U.S. 'surge' strategy, the rate of violence in Iraq is running as high as ever. Last April was the worst month for U.S. military fatalities in Iraq since Bushit authorized the beginning of military operations against Saddam Hussein on March 19, 2003. What is the result going to be in the long run? Iraq will not be a democracy, it will be run by the far religious right, just like Iran is today, maybe worse than Iran. Refugees will pour out of the country. RESULT: More US soldiers getting killed with no improvement in the security of the Iraqi people, who are stuck in something that had no desire to be in.

FAILURE - The efficiency and effectiveness of US Troops in Iraq (or even Afghanistan, really): let's face the obvious, our soldiers have NO mission, NO strategy, NO plans, NO vision, NO NOTHING. They serve one purpose only, the act of moving targets to keep "insurgents" busy picking our US soldiers off one by one. They have no way to protect themselves from snipers, they have barely enough adequate armor protection, and they have no real purpose for their patrolling. They are told to drive around back and forth between checkpoints till one of them gets killed, that's what it all boils down to. The fact is that the president has never listened to the soldiers on the ground and does not care that they are sitting ducks. $87 billion were appropriated for Iraq and still climbing, with a sizable chunk of which is going, without competitive bidding, to Haliburton, the company formerly headed by his vice president, another pompous criminal asshole. With military budgets gutted by the spiraling costs of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the administration has requested funding for fewer National Guard troops in fiscal 2007 -- 17,000 fewer. If it weren't for reserve/National Guard, the administration would not have had enough troops to rotate forces in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan. Nearly 40 percent of the troops sent to those two countries were from the reserve and National Guard! Don't you think that a draft is next? We'd have riots in the streets again if that ever happened! RESULT: No possible success for the US troops to accomplish anything worthwhile there ever.

FAILURE - The Iraq "War" itself: What war? War against WHO? When we went there were supposedly fighting against Saddam and his army. Then what? How are we still at 'war'? Against who? The Sunnies? The Shiites? How did we wind up going from fighting Saddam and his forces (weak as they were) to being at war against the Sunnies AND the Shiites in Iraq? War against "terrorists"? But the large bulk of 'terrorists' in Iraq are the Sunni and Shiite militias. Well, if we weren't there, we would have any of them against us in Iraq. Bushit LIED to the American public about weapons of mass destruction and the alleged ties to Al Qaeda in Iraq and got us stuck for who knows how long in a situation that is threatening to suck up all our available military forces and be a bottomless pit for the money of American taxpayers for years to come. It has now cost us over $300 billion and continues to suck $6 billion a month out of our children's futures. RESULT: Creation of a ruined nation with severe religious fanatics running the country.

FAILURE - "The war on terror": What can ANYONE name has been done about this by this phony criminal administration? Our borders are not secure, illegal aliens move back and forth as they wish. Oh, yeah! You can't bring a cigarette lighter and bottles of liquids that is more than 4 ounces on an airplane flight in your travel bag! That's the big legacy of the war on terror! Wow! Aren't you glad we're being protected? Fucking douche bags! More people thanks to their total mishandling of Iraq hate us than ever before. We are tremendously less safe than even before in history. What else did this "war on terror" result in? Billions of dollars spent on the "Homeland Security" office, and all the millions and millions of dollars going to local law enforcement agencies that now need to create enemies where none actually exist to justify that they need some of those millions to go them. RESULT: The USA is prone to any future attack at any moment.

FAILURE - The forgotten prisoners being kept in the illegal Guantanamo Bay base: No one knows how these people wound up there and who is there by mistake. Many are there because people were paid to find someone to detain, they took money for accusing people. Once there, the people, good or bad, were tortured in an effort to "make them talk about what they know". Torturing of the prisoners to make them "talk" did nothing but lead to silence or absurd confessions to every terrorist crime every committed in history. RESULT: No useful information, no nothing. Just people tortured for fun by sadists, and now these people really do hate us, so now MORE terrorists are being created from those that were not before.

FAILURE - The economy: The US trade deficit continued in March as higher crude oil shipments drove the biggest increase in imports in more than four years, a government report showed. The gap in goods and services trade widened 10.4 percent to $63.9 billion from $57.9 billion in February, the Commerce Department reported today in Washington. Imports and exports were the second highest on record. Thanks to his inability, non-involvement, and disastrous policies, 3 million US jobs were lost in just 2.5 years of his coming into office. Not to mention the steady eroding of US manufacturing and technologies bases thanks to a policy that rewarded companies to leave and do their work overseas. Amazingly, he inherited an annual federal budget surplus of $230 billion and transformed it into a $500+ billion deficit in less than three years. This negative turnaround of three-quarters of a trillion dollars is totally without precedent in our history. The ballooning deficit for fiscal 2004 is rapidly approaching twice the dollar size of the previous record deficit, $290 billion, set in 1992, the last year of the administration of President Bush's father (head of the mayflower mafia crime family) and, at almost 5 percent of GDP, is closing in on the percentage record set by Ronald Reagan in 1986. And, in midst of this loss, he cut taxes for the rich Three Times! In less than five years, his borrow and spend-thrifts friends in congress have nearly doubled our national debt, to a stunning $8.2 trillion. These Republicans in name only waste money in ways and in quantities that make those old tax and spend liberals look like cheapos. RESULT: The country is losing more money than it is taking in. America is broke. No wait, we're worse than broke.

FAILURE - "No Child Left Behind" policy: What a tremendous trick this was! His brother sells some bullshit 'educational' software that really does nothing and all the public school systems wind up buying it. What a get rich scheme that was! Kids are forced to pass crap mandatory tests to pass their grade so the teachers do nothing but help the kids memorize the answers. No real time is being spent learning how to think and understand the school subjects. RESULT: US public schools are one of the worst in the whole world!

FAILURE - Improvement of Social Security system: Man, that was dropped fast! Social Security is basically a welfare system, in that the money that is taken out of your paycheck goes not to you but to people who are getting Social Security now. A stupid system, of course. But instead of using common sense and creating a NATIONAL PENSION that everyone pays into their whole life (where you pay from deductions from your paycheck that goes towards your own future income AND where you can  put in extra money into your National Pension found if you could afford to), the criminal Bushit administration wanted to "privatize" the system and have Wall Street criminal steal your money by investing it into funds that are sure to one day lose your money after some financial problems comes up in the economy, as mutual funds always are prone to. RESULT: Nothing improved, nothing changed, nothing for the future.

FAILURE - Dealing with Hurricane Katrina disaster: We all heard what happened, he and others were forewarned about an immanent disaster about to happen early enough for it to be dealt with, and being on vacation, Bushit did nothing about it, made no decisions, passed the buck to other people to deal with as always. Despite all their big talk and hundreds of billions of dollars spent on homeland security over the past four years, this administration proved itself stunningly incompetent when faced with an actual emergency. Homeland Security is a fake, another way to steal taxpayer money. Eleven thousand spanking new mobile homes sinking into the Arkansas mud. Seems no one in the administration knew there were federal and state laws prohibiting trailers in flood zones. That little mistake cost you $850 million -- and counting. RESULT: Many people died, lost their homes and all they owned, and billions of dollars in damage that much of it could have been prevented (not the hurricane itself and is devastation, but much work could have been done early enough to prevent the levees from breaking). FAILURE - Medicare Drug Program: This $50 billion mess screwed over many of those it was supposed to save. The mess forced states to step in and try to save its own citizens from being killed by the administration's poorly planned and executed attempt to privatize huge hunks of the federal health safety net. RESULT: Drug companies (of which the Bush family owns major stock in) got richer and the old and poor got poorer.

FAILURE - Preventing 9/11: Again, we all heard what happened; straight from the mouth of the heads of the CIA and FBI themselves; Bushit and Crapaleeza Rice and the rest of his neo-con criminal treasonable administration were warned repeatedly that an attack was going to happen within months. But, since asshole was on vacation again, he did nothing. But of course, as it is so obvious, they either master-minded the attack behind the scenes or they 'let' it happen so that the neo-cons could have their modern day "pearl harbor", thinking it would force the American people into fear state and we would all give up our national freedom for "security". RESULT: Thousands of innocent people died needlessly, America looked weak and helpless, and the beginning of the hostile takeover of America by the neo-cons.

I give up, I can go on forever, the abandonment of our war veterans by lowering their benefits and the total shit treatment at Walter Reed Veterans Hospital, and so on. I don't know of anything positive that the Bushit administration has accomplished.  In know that the result of his administration is billions of dollars of our hard earned money lost to our next coming generations. All that money could have been used to change our country for the better, instead it is all going to criminals that are profiteering from this fake "war". The money could have been used to get our automobiles free of gasoline use; the money could have been used to boost our education system and to make a college education much more affordable to anyone that wants to go; the money could have been used to boost our manufacturing sector and make products that our nations would import; the money could have been used to completely eradicate poverty in our country and thus greatly decrease crime; the money could have been used to make sure that every citizen has affordable health insurance; and so on. Nearly 50 million Americans can't afford medical insurance. Nevertheless the administration has proposed a budget that will cut $40 billion from domestic social programs, including health care for the working poor. The administration is quick to say that those services will be replaced by its "faith-based" programs, ha ha!

Some historians in a recent survey have said that he is "well on his way to destroying the entire (and entirely successful) structures of international cooperation and regulated, humane capitalism and social welfare that have been built up since the early 1930s." Bush has systematically lied to the American public about almost every policy that his administration promotes." For example, Bush uses "doublespeak" to "dress up policies that condone or aid attacks by polluters and exploiters of the environment . . . with names like the 'Forest Restoration Act' (which encourages the cutting down of forests)." With all the billions and billions of tax payer dollars being lost in Iraq and other Bush projects, he is moving to bankrupt the federal government on the eve of the retirement of the baby boom generation.  Bush is perhaps the first president [since McKinley] to be entirely in the 'hip pocket' of big business, engage in major external conquest for reasons other than national security, AND be the puppet of his political handler. His administration has been a sellout of fundamental democratic (and Republican) principles. There are many examples, but the most recent would be his successful efforts to insert provisions in spending bills that directly controvert measures voted down by both houses of Congress. Said one historian about Bush: "He is blatantly a puppet for corporate interests, who care only about their own greed and have no sense of civic responsibility or community service. He lies, constantly and often, seemingly without control, and he lied about his invasion into a sovereign country, again for corporate interests; many people have died and been maimed, and that has been lied about too. He grandstands and mugs in a shameful manner, befitting a snake oil salesman, not a statesman. He does not think, process, or speak well, and is emotionally immature due to, among other things, his lack of recovery from substance abuse. The term is "dry drunk". He is an abject embarrassment/pariah overseas; the rest of the world hates him . . . . . He is, by far, the most irresponsible, unethical, inexcusable occupant of our formerly highest office in the land that there has ever been." Bush will go down in history as being one of the loser presidents, like Coolidge and Hoover, who both helped to destroy the booming US economy, just like Do-Do Bird did with his presidency.

What do you got for America as a result of 8 years of Bushit? A more dangerous world and an unstable economy and people losing their jobs and the erosion of the middle class and much higher prices and more poverty and a useless education system and the doctrine of pre-emptive war and crony capitalism/being "completely in bed with certain corporate interests," and bankruptcy/fiscal irresponsibility and military adventurism and trampling of civil liberties and anti-environmental policies and one of the most corrupt congresses ever seen. Far from being a "religious conservative", he is instead is a traitor that is undermining our traditional American practices and values and is bringing our beloved country to financial, economic, and social disaster. THAT'S the Bush legacy! Thanks for nothing Bushit! Goodbye and good riddance!

But, anyone smart enough to realize it knows that all this mess and chaos has been done on purpose. Bush has done everything his handlers wanted. The real failures are those that let him get into office... not once... but twice! Hopefully they don't destroy us all by 2008 somehow. Lawrence Wilkerson, who was chief of staff to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, said on the public radio program On Point that "Bill Clinton's peccadilloes ... pale in significance" when compared to the "high crimes and misdemeanors" of Bush and Cheney.

Unfortunately, this congress will not impeach Bush and/or Cheney, because the whole unravelling, from stolen elections, through 9/11, and the wars against Afghanistan and Iraq, will show them all to be complicit in some way or other. Our current congress, even though the so-called Democrats won more seats, cannot be counted on to help us for real.  the Democrats' public opposition to the war is just that, "public", trying to look anti-war heading into the 2008 elections. But We The People elected the purported anti-war Democrats in 2006 and sent them to Congress with a clear mandate WHICH THEY HAVE IGNORED. They are paid off by all the bribers, I mean lobbyists, from Israel (considering that Osama has actually been dead since 2001, it appears that Israel is going to start the next war for your kids to die in and blame it on the dead guy) and from corporations to do what is only best for them. This congress does not have the balls to at least begin impeachment hearings.

So, what do we do now? Like I said before, we all MUST work hard to revitalize the country and the middle class. First, stop thinking of yourself as a democrat or republican. By working together from the ground up we can improve daily life for the middle class, the class that keeps this country alive by paying taxes. For example, local airports, roads, rail, bridges and other transit infrastructure are deteriorating across the U.S. because of insufficient investment, according to a report. But, no one who drives or flies needs a study to tell them that our infrastructure has been horrendously neglected. But when all the money is being funneled into this fake war, there's no money left for infrastructure repair.B y getting involved in all our local school boards and local elections, we can make sure that we will "fire the boss" and press for things that benefit the middle class.  To build a stronger future for our children and our future generations, we need to improve the quality of life, which in turns builds a middle class.

There's nothing left to say about the Bushits, we have to work to undo their damage.


This month's Raving:

I'm talking about THE GHOUL! Yeah, The Ghoul runs Haunted House Productions (PO Box 1461, Post Falls, ID, 83877-1461), a creepy cool company dedicated to keeping Horror Rock alive and thriving by releasing cool and creepy music from a variety of sources, including The Ghoul's own songs. Says The Ghoul about his affinity for Horror and Monsters, "those who know me best would say that I was "born with horror in my blood".  I've always had an obscure fascination with classic horror, sci-fi, & b-films. Since I was about 6 years old, I was drawn to the gothic perception of classic black & white Universal films, which included monsters such as; Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfman, Invisible Man, & Creature From The Black Lagoon, just to name some. As I got a bit older into my pre/early teens, I started watching films that were more explicit, & filled w/ blood, guts, & gore... which drove me into a blood thirsty film frenzy throughout the late 80's & early 90's. I couldn't get enough of repeatedly watching such on-going horror film series' as: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, Friday The 13th, A Nightmare On Elm St., & Evil Dead. I studied many films, & every essential aspect of the characters, actors, directors, & so forth. I was the strange quiet kid whom would be found at the back of the classroom sketching comic renditions of zombies, vampires, werewolves, & monsters. While the other students were following classroom direction, & actually getting involved w/ textbook exercises, I would usually be scolded for studying a reprint of an EC comic, or the latest issue of Fangoria, which would be found slyly placed inside of my text book... to look as if I were actually paying attention to science, english, or social studies... yeah right! I was more interested in getting my fix of Tales From The Crypt, Vault Of Horror, & Shock Suspense Stories...& I had far more interest in delving into who was directing & doing the FX
for the next Freddy or Jason movie, than I had worrying about homework or grades!"

When asked how he long he's "The Ghoul" as a moniker, he says, "I grew up the suburbs near Chicago's South Side area, and by 8th grade I was known as the eeriest guy in school... to which my classmates deemed me the nickname "Ghoul", (which some of the teachers would refer to as "name calling", or "teasing"... but, I on the other hand was flattered to stand out... apart from all whom society would refer to as a "normal kid"... I had my mode, & it was mine, & no one could ever take it from me, because I had earned it) & it's stuck ever since! I would pull a lot of gross & disturbing pranks; fake severed fingers in the punch bowl at dances, rotten fish heads found within vacant desktops, green slime on the seats of teachers & students, stink bombs... lit & chucked into the teacher's lounge, & I even placed a live tarantula inside of the vice principals vehicle, which at the end of the day... she caught a nice surprise on her way home!!! I was hailed to as "the king" for that one!"

What's cool about The Ghoul is that he sings his own creations of Horror Rock madness while decked out like the old time Horror Television show host, complete with monster makeup and creepy clothes. The twist is that The Ghoul performs live this way in local coffee lounges and also does in-store signing's at local record & book stores. Which is a lot of fun for both The Ghoul and the people who unexpectingly get to experience it! As The Ghoul tells it, "During my teens I had always envisioned being a writer or artist for a major comic book company... until I discovered a haunting connection with music! I was drawn to music in many ways, in that I could picture myself on a stage... expressing myself through performing live, in front of an audience, while thinking & planning of many ways to shock & horrify them at the same time... but what could or would  make a perfect blend for the right dose of what I'd like to do to terrify others in new ways that I hadn't done yet??? Horror Rock!!!"

But, his music is no joke, he works very hard to write real meaningful songs that carry strong emotion while still maintaining the high energy of Horror Rock n Roll that fans of The Misfits, EF, The Damned, and so on would still enjoy. According to The Ghoul, "Between going through a tough relationship & break-up with a gal that I was with for about 2 & a half years, the passing of friends back east, and losing my grandmother, I found myself writing a slew of heartfelt songs that were much slower & softer that anything that I'd ever done before."

It takes a lot of guts to be able to stand up in front of strangers in a coffee house atmosphere with music that is off the beaten path for the usual coffee gulpers lounging around reading their poetry books! Says The Ghoul, "I'm confident enough in my writing that I don't care if I don't make thousands of dollars in record sales. I have a select following of fans who appreciate what I do & implore it. I do fine on small internet & mail order sales, handling the underground merchandise end of Haunted House Productions... & it doesn't bother me if I never become a household name, because I'm doing what I wanna do, & there's no one who can take that away from me, because I call all of the shots & no one gets a percentage of me, & I'd like to keep it that way! I don't force my music on anyone... if you like what I do; kool, if not; I'm not gonna get hurt over it... I'm comfortable with my persona & what I do musically, & that's what matters to me."

Over the years, The Ghoul has always been in a Horror rock band. He says, "After high school, I had a goal to form a group of abnormally unusual persons whom had a passion for my interests, who would believe in me, & would help to make my bent thoughts become a life-sized nightmare. To me, anything that was performed by most punk groups in the late 70's & early 80's genre, stood for what punk/rock was all about. For instance, my influences in writing about rebellion & angst against society were influenced by such NYC groups as; The Ramones, The New York Dolls, Blondie, Patti Smith, Television, & such. My dark side stemmed from bands such as; The Misfits, The Damned, & 45 Grave. While I also had influence from, & listened to a lot of; Black Flag, Agent Orange, Dead Milkmen, Bad Religion, & Fugazi. In my eyes, all of the acts that were part of this movement of what would be known as punk/rock, were heroes to me... or idols (so to speak)." Some of the bands he has been with in the Idaho area include: Children of the Night, Ghoul & The Undertakers, Human Monster, Ghoul, Plague, and others. Continues The Ghoul, "This was the beginning of writing my own material; song titles that would be mostly named after my favorite horror/sci-fi/b-movies, along with gross lyrics combining classic 3-chord punk/rock simplicity. I've always stressed the fact that "less is better" when writing music... I mean, things should be short & sweet, or "to- the-point". A punk/rock band should be a full-on, high energy, tornado that hits like a whirlwind & sticks in your brain like a disease... this was all ready to be unveiled in my personal tastes of gore/blood/guts/& mayhem... the time was now!"

One of his projects, Human Monster, developed into a touring band, throughout the summer of 1998, they played a slew of Illinois area gigs, sharing the stage with such local bands as; Vic Vacuum & The Attachments, The Arrivals, The Repellants, Chainsaw Johnny, Johnny Vomit, Intoxxicated, The Gels, Spare Change, & FID. This summer was a great turning point for HM, in that they were getting some great recognition for their music/horror image in more states than just Illinois, such as; Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, & Iowa.  Human Monster recorded a bunch of demo songs, like "I Was A Teenage Zombie", "Curse Of Frankenstein", "Kool Ghouls", & "Howling", which they sent out copies to be reviewed by a handful of music & horror magazines. They received some great reviews by: SQUIRT, Scary Monsters, Sleazegrinder, KERRANG!, Rockezine, & In Music We Trust magazines. Suddenly, they were getting many people asking to be part of their mailing list and fan club! Hastily, "The Crypt Members Club" was formed as Human Monster's fan club and hundreds of people kept joining the fan club from all over the country.

Alas, it was very difficult to keep a functioning musical group together for a long period of time, due to all the many life changes people in their 20s normally go through. Endless rehearsals with revolving lineups eventually yielding many recording sessions documenting his band's version of Horror Rock but none of his bands lasted long enough to make the kind of mark that The Ghoul was striving for. His next group Children of the Night continued where Human Monster left off, creating a fistful of Horror Rock songs and a series of live shows, but personnel changes still vexed The Ghoul and the group disbanded. Over time, The Ghoul decided to move from the Chicago area to follow his family who were now living in the Northwest region of the country. After experiencing much frustration trying to keep a musical group together, The Ghoul decided to go solo and the rest is history! Today, The Ghoul plays live and also runs Haunted House Productions, "In 2007 I plan on continuing forward in writing/recording/producing new material from the comforts of my crypt. I'll also be busy with compiling a Haunted House Productions boxed set, which will feature complete studio/demo/rehearsal recordings from Human Monster, Children Of The Night, GHOUL, & all of my latest singles... along with a complete retrospective look behind Haunted House Productions in it's entirety. Throughout 2007, I also plan to build up the GHOUL BRIGADE (my official fan club), as it continues to grow daily."

Hot off the Haunted House Production presses right now is a special tribute to one of The Ghoul's favorite recently deceased performers, Johnny Cash. Says The Ghoul, "Being inspired by the "Man In Black" throughout the years, I put together a music compilation/tribute in his honor, which features not only my studio version of Cash's "Cry! Cry! Cry!", both other horror/punk/high-energy rock oriented groups such as: Electric Frankenstein, Psycho Charger, Blitzkid, Mister Monster, Nuke & The Living Dead, The Spookshow,  and many others who have all contributed to pay their respects to a timeless musical legend. I was overwhelmed by the demanding amount of groups that wanted to join the ranks of the 'Paid In Black'."

Oh, not only does The Ghoul support Horror Rock with his music, but he also does great comic book style artwork and also has amazing record covers and posters done by such great artists as Big Tony O'Farrell and Jim Dietrich! Check out The Ghoul on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/hauntedhouseproductions

This month's Rocking:

(the following info comes from label's press kit text or from my original reviews or mixed, in case you wanted to know)

As always, Real Rock & Roll is alive and well with a bunch of new Rocking stuff out right now on a variety of labels!

- Dollhouse "Royal Rendezvous" CD - One of the best real rock & roll bands out there today spearheading the 21st century burst of REAL High Energy Rock& Roll! One of the top best live bands I have ever toured with and seen play, total entertainers! The ONLY band in the world today that can pull off an amazing cover of a James Brown song live! Hailing from Sweden, the one and only Dollhouse! This is their second album and the production on this one (by Nicke Anderson of the Hellacopters!) comes the closest to capturing their live greatness, crisp, clear, and precise!  This record picks up where 1972 left off, as if all the crap in between never happened. Like their moto, this record is pure ROCK & SOUL! You will get the fever when you hear this record to see them live! Emotionally energetic 70s based Rock & Roll that doesn't have to use Stoner Rock gimmicks to capture the audience, their sheer love of their material and actual fun they have worshipping at the alter of ROCK & ROLL is evident here in this record. BUY THIS! It will put a smile on your face with no hesitation! Groovy, funky, without any sense of fakeness rapant today in new music circles. The songs are hardy, earthy, super tight like James Brown demanded of his muscians. Tight and fat grooving drums and bass; hot guitar licks that stick; white soulful vocals; and smart mod looks! Check out some samples of their hot stuff atwww.myspace.com/rockandsoul . Taste the greatness of Dollhouse (one of my top 2 favorite bands in the world, right next to UK Band the Clams (www.clams-rock.com) .

- ADHD "Hot Ticket" CD - This is great for the total opposite reasons of the previous review! From southern California, come roaring into your living room, drinking all your booze, feeling up your girlfriends (and they will
like it!), and blasting your best records at 2am, the boys of ADHD. No slouches on stage nor in the studio, ADHD are unique in the southern cali scene in that they grab their influences from a place more east coast bands do: Australia (they cover "Savage" by the Fun Things!), Detroit, and NYC. ADHD songs on this record are very urban high energy Punk Rock & Roll. They've done everything they sing about, which makes their music a modern age blues, but with speed, power, melody, and guts. The production on this record finally gives them even space to let you hear what the guitars are wailing about (girls and the trouble they bring along with those nice little butts). Enjoyable sing along choruses, smart turnarounds, sly pointers to records you surely must have if you really rock, and best of all lots of High Energy, all tempered by a tough backhand if you get too soft. You can remember the songs after you play them cause they have HOOKS and Melody along with the No-tomorrow aggression Punk you need regularly to keep your head clear in today's modern age. Fans of Radio Birdman, Angry Samoans, and the Dicatators, go check out ADHD here: www.myspace.com/ADHDhotticket .

From Get Hip Records (www.gethip.com) come these 10 new mid 60s/80s style Rock & Roll releases:

- New Salem Witch Hunters (self titled) CD - A Garage-Rock institution in their native Cleveland, Ohio. This CD is the long-overdue reissue (first time on CD) of their Debut LP, originally released by Cleveland-based Herb Jackson Records in 1986 (ref. HJR-4709). It coincides with the band's 20th anniversary and comes out at a good time since the interest in '80s and '90s Garage revival bands seems to be at a peak right now. Recorded at the now defunct Beat Farm Studios, this album still maintains its freshness after all these years due to the fact that, like label mates The Cynics, the New Salem Witch Hunters have a very clear idea of their sound (deeply rooted in obscure '60s Garage) and know precisely how to transfer this sound into record. In fact, this album is recommended to all Cynics fans. Guitarist Tom Fallon and long time partner singer Dave Atkins have a similar songwriting approach as Kastelic-Kostelich of the Cynics and Tom even plays the same
vintage Gretsch guitar as Gregg Kostelich! So there. But while the Cynics have a predominance for a fuzzed-out sound the Witch Hunters have a more melodic approach, very reminiscent of the early Seeds. Excellent album!

- The Stems "Terminal Cool: Anthology 83-86" CD - More 80s garage rock influenced by the 1966 British Invasion sound. The music on this CD captures a confident, self-assured band recorded during those halcyon years of 1983-1985 proving that The Stems were indeed an extremely varied animal. This collection effectively showcases their versatility from the Fuzztone hits "She's a Monster" and "Tears Me In Two," to the bluesy garage bop of"On and On," Byrdsian jangle of "Love Will Grow," the pure pop of "Can't Forget that Girl" and the psychedelic snarl of "Jumping to Conclusions".

- Rainy Day Saints "Diamond Star Highway" CD - The Second release on Get Hip label. From high concept to one man band, and finally, to a full fledged rock & roll combo. Main man Dave Swanson has surrounded himself with 'top notch talent' to develop the newest record. The amount of hours, days, years these guys have under their collective belts is, well...it's a lot. From the rave reviews and major airplay of the first album, "Saturday's Haze", the anticipation is high for new RDS and 'Diamond Star Highway' delivers in full! From the jangly to the distorted, from the pretty to the raw, from the rocked out to the acoustic and from the earthbound to the outer space ...this new disc has it all. The influences are there, but they're dressed up in their own way. Yeah it's Pop....yeah it's Powerful...yeah it's Rock and yeah... It does Roll. So...take a ride on the 'Diamond Star Highway'. There is no filler amongst the 11 tracks that compile the album with 9 outstanding originals and 2 covers: the best take ever on the Dead Boys punk classic "Sonic Reducer", which they slow down making it a spooky haunting ballad and Falling James' "Terminal Island".

- Mondo Topless "Take It Slow" CD - Since Halloween 1992, Mondo Topless has defied all logic and reason by continuing to dish out its garage-punk slop to dozens upon dozens of appreciative fans. One thing that has remained true has been the band's steadfast - some would say stubborn - adherence to the true spirit of Garage Rock. You can hear it from the first demo on through to their most recent Get Hip release. The band's new CD, "Take It Slow", is their second for Get Hip and fourth overall. Taking a page from the book of Lou Reed, the band claims their new CD is "the best thing we've ever done". Recorded at Slug Studios in Collingswood, NJ, which is in actuality the equipment-strewn attic in Kris' house, the CD perfectly encapsulates the breathtaking variety of styles and influences at the band's disposal, or something like that. So keep your eyes open - and make sure to come out and see them the next time they're in your town.

- Cynics - "Living is the Best Revenge" CD / LP - indeed it is! Pittsburgh's The Cynics have been around for a long time, and are still adored by their fans, from their early '80s singles on Dionysus, to their subsequent Blue
Train Station debut LP, on through a long hiatus during the '90s, and finally to a return to form in the last few years, showing that the Cynics' still-extant power is alive and well with this furious and frothing energetic garage rock CD. Their new album features a pile of hot songs that still carry the torch high. The new Cd contains classic high-octane Cynics with overdriven fuzz guitars, distorted harp work, high energy Yardbirds raveup dynamics, and their manic vocals. Plus the Cd features some great choice of cover songs, with a searing cover of the Electric Prunes' proto-metal "Never Had It Better," psych-garage outfit The Gonn's "Doin' Me In," plus cover of the Satans and the 13th Floor Elevators. This record is a real scorcher, running the full range of what 60s influenced garage-psych Rock & Roll can deliver. A great party record!

- Creatures of the Golden Dawn "An Incident at Owl Creek Bridge" CD / LP - The CGD have spent the last dozen or so years digesting such mid-'60s garage-rock gems as the Seeds, the 13th Floor Elevators, the Chocalate Watchband, and plenty more obscure 1966-68 garagedom. Centering on singer and implosive frontman Mark Smith and a few songwriting guitarists, the Creatures have become legendary mainstays in the unfaltering Pennsylvania garage rock scene, with regular sojourns to New York City and Philadelphia described as euphoric religious experiences.  After releasing some albums on Dionysus and Collectables in the '90s, the band went on hiatus. This fantastic new album marks their return, more energetic and rocking than ever. This album features a mix of covers (including a tune by the Lyres!), and originals that'll put a smile on your face! A must for fans of Cynics, Lyres, and energetic garage rock.

- The Last Vegas "Seal the Deal" CD / LP - Haling from Chicago, brings out another side to Get Hip's continuing Rock legacy. Their last album on Get Hip "Lick Em and Leave Em" contained their own brand of 70s Hard Rock with solid Glam Punk edges. The Last Vegas re-entered the studio May 2005 once again with Sanford Parker (Pelican, Venomous Concept, Buried At Sea), this time joining forces with lead singer Chad Cherry. "After 2 years of late nights and bad habits supporting Lick 'em and Leave 'em throughout North America and Europe, we were ready to make a new record that expanded our musical range. Seal the Deal is definitely much more rock, psychedelic, and blue collar trash while drawing on all of our earliest influences. This record is bigger, louder, and prouder."

- The DT's " Nice N Ruff" CD - An amazing all-star rock & roll band! On this, their second full-length recording, they give us a non-stop, sweat-soaked, 35-minute rock and soul party in a box. Dave (of Monomen and Estrus Records fame), Diana, Phil, and Scott have taken 10 of their fave cuts from the before n' after and ruffed 'em up a bit, masterfully re-inventing each in the supercharged Dt's mold. From the superb soul-groove of Al Green's "Driving Wheel" and Eddie Floyd's Stax classic "Big Bird" to ass-mashing rockers like CCR's Pagan Baby", Roky Erickson's "Don't Slander Me", and AC/DC's "What's Next To The Moon", this disc delivers the goods, exuding the raw, spit and shine that the Dt's have become known for live. Expertly recorded in the Great Northwest by sound wizard "Captain" Jack Endino, "Nice 'N' Ruff" also marks the entry of new guy Scott Greene, whose basso profundo replaces the keyboards found on their debut release "Hard Fixed", and adds yet more meat to the Dt's already burgeoning platter. Not to mention that sexy soul-siren Diana Young-Blanchard's vocals are sweeter than ever, Dave Crider's guitar has never sounded dirtier, and Phil Carter's drumming has reached new peaks of precise, jackhammer intensity. Top the whole damn thang off with deft cover design by Mr. Art Chantry Esq., and you've got yourself a record that shakes, rattles, and rolls!

- The Ugly Beats "Take a Stand" CD / LP - With beauty of a keyboardist that is far from ugly, Austin's #1 garage band, The Ugly Beat's second Get Hip label album features a full band vocal-approach, mixing their classic well known crowd pleasers like "Take a Stand" and "You're the One", with some gorgeous mid-tempo nuggets like "Million Dollar Man" and "Get In Line." They do a great job of capturing the spirit of the mid 60s rock n roll sound that Texas was famous for back then, if you loved Bomb's Pebbles compilation record series, then you'll throughly will enjoy this band and their records and live shows.

- Paul Collins "Flying High" CD / LP - In case you don't know, an important early figure on the Los Angeles power pop scene, Paul Collins was a key member of two bands that anticipated the "skinny tie band" explosion of the late '70s and early '80s, the Nerves and the Beat. Blondie had an early hit with a Nerves cover, "Hanging on the Telephone". With this, his ' 11th album since The Beat, he marks an end to a nearly 12-year musical quest and the start of a creative period that will generate several more releases. Flying High is a return to the basics for Collins. The album successfully fuses his undeniable song writing talents with his unparalleled musicianship. In fact, the bulk of the album was recorded live, with many songs largely completed in the first take. The album's 12 songs showcase Paul Collins band's undeniable skill and musical versatility. Flying High is a mix of up-tempo guitar driven Collins instant classics such as "More Than Yesterday" and"Helen" and more introspective darker tracks such as "Bobby," "I'm On Fire" and "Flying High." One of the many highlights is a track entitled, "Rock 'n' Roll Shoes," which Paul describes as "the daughter"" of The Beat's classic anthem "Rock 'n' Roll Girl."

And a load of 8 great new records from the ever amazing Gearhead label as well:

- White Barons "Up All Night with . . ." CD / LP - Featuring the eye-popping psychobilly singer Eva Von Slut, San Francisco, CA based The White Barons play a blend of punk and rock n' roll infused with infectious backing "whoa" style vocals reminiscent of The Misfits in their heyday. Fueled by an unholy mixture of booze, drugs, and rock n' roll fury, the Bay Area band formed less than a year ago and are already generating repeat requests for live appearances up and down the West Coast. Their debut release Up All Night with the White Barons features edgy bad-assed rock n' roll through and through. Before this album, they released a split single (on cool minty green vinyl) with Electric Frankenstein.

- I Walk the Line "Desolation Street" CD - Hailing from Helsinki, Finland, I Walk The Line took their name from the legendary Man in Black, Johnny Cash, feeling it described the honest straightforward nature of the punk rock they played. Apart from dressing all in black, there is little else that nods to the classic country icon. The band plays dark resonant, melodic, edgy punk, pulling from such diverse influences as The Clash, Murder City Devils, and Social Distortion, quickly establishing themselves as a local must-see live act, bringing together fans of punk, hardcore and rock whenever they played. The band delivers powerful hooks wrapped in a flood of guitars and keyboards on this release, which is their second full-length release.

- The Spunks "Yellow Fever Blues" CD / LP - NY-based Japanese trash-punk sensations, The Spunks follow up their stellar response to their first single Russian Roulette, heading back to the legendary Coney Island based Cyclone Sound studio to record their debut full-length Yellow Fever Blues. Produced and engineered by Don Fury (Youth of Today, Agnostic Front, Bouncing Souls, Sick Of It All) The Spunks unleash a sonic typhoon of blazing punk rock. Even Don Fury was blown away by how hard this band rocks, and this guy has seen it all! Singing mostly in English about sex, Chinese food, rock n' roll, and motorcycles, the band's, youthful, often sexually charged and self destructive stage performances have earned them a steadily growing fan base.

- Gitogito Hustler "Love & Roll" CD / LP - The Japanese all-girl sensations are once again showing us they are one of the hardest working and sincere rock and roll bands you'll hear anywhere. Here they serve up their debut US 11 track full-length release with all the style and substance of The 5.6.7.8's meets early Supersnazz musically. In other words, try it you'll like it! Though their appearnce is sweet and adorable, these little kittens have the sharpest claws, and they can rock right alongside any band, male or female! They put on a hot and energetic live show!

- Black Furies "Death Trip Saturday Night" CD / LP - The Black Furies proudly mix together an uncompromising nod to the formative years of Punk Rock along with a deep enthusiasm for '50's Rock and Roll and '80's Hardcore, creating a unique hybrid that is part pure Punk spontaneity and part Rock homage, while still being fresh sounding and always out of control. Relentlessly loud and bursting with raw energy, the Black Furies are like a reincarnation of an era of music where everything was new and nothing taboo. Blood, sweat, and broken guitar strings are commonplace on their stage. From Vans Warped Tour to supporting the Supersuckers, their musical versatility has an ability to cross genres and leave both Punk fans and Rock and Roll fans thirsty for more. Well Done!

- Electric Eel Shock "Beat Me" CD / LP - Japan's Electric Eel Shock are wild maniacs live, and with that they had to make a record that fully lives up to their reputation. Using producer Attie Bauw (Scorpions, Judas Priest, etc.) to assist, the band have successfuly made an album that harnesses their energy and captures the very essence of their raw onstage power. This record fills in the spaces between bands like Queens Of The Stoneage, AC/DC, and Black Sabbath with a heavy and serious sound that is still able to be mischievous and fun-filled.  Underneath the guitar wielding heaviness, they achieve a wild, unhinged, and damn fun blaze of glory that fans of Japanese crazy rock are sure to enjoy!

- Million Dollar Marxists "Give It a Name" CD / LP - Show stopping cover art by Dirty Donny invites you in to what is sure to be a Punk Rock & Roll fest of drunken debauchery and exciting music! Hailing from Canada's capitol city Ottawa, the Million Dollar Marxists have already made a tremendous impact in their own country, and with the 14 tracks on "Give It A Name" they show off their that their sound is born out of the same back alleys that created both the Detroit and New York sounds (which Ottawa is geographically between) with a strong nod to the Midwest (Pagans, New Bomb Turks) thrown in for good measure. Opening for Electric Frankenstein during EF's 2005 Ottawa show, we were much impressed with the Dead Boys Punk Rock & Roll sound and looks!

- Lords of Altamont "Lords have Mercy" CD / LP - With their 2nd full length release on Gearhead, the LA based Lords Of Altamont continue to show the world that they are a band that believes in fast and hard rock n' roll. So much so that Michael Davis of the MC5 states in the liner notes: "I am proud to be associated with this talented squad of rebellious rabble rousers who reclaim the golden era of real rock music, the last era of real style, and make it so today." 11 new tracks of gear-grinding garage rock that is not to be overlooked as revivalism, but praised as 100% real... right when we need it most! Exciting and inspirational, they deliver what kids today need to see and experience in live music!


That's it for this issue! Click here to read column #18

Sal Canzonieri - www.electricfrankenstein.com / www.myspace.com/electricfrankenstein
salcanzonieri@att.net