Monday, December 24, 2012

I made a little film at
The Bonanza & Son Film Set this evening...

This will give you an idea of what you can expect if you come along…

Third Sunday of every month at
The Defectors Weld,
170 Uxbridge Road,
Shepherds Bush,
London W12.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Latest radio show uploaded:

We’ve just uploaded our latest ResonanceFM radio broadcast and Bonanza & Son Christmas special… It's our final show of 2012. Click on the link below to listen…

Bonanza & Son Christmas special and our final show of 2012.(Next Show is Wednesday 9th January 2013)

Included is part 1 of a blistering live session from the phenomenal, young, progressive, Bluegrass talent that is The Abrams Brothers all the way from Kingston, Ontario in Canada.

The session was recorded a couple of weeks previously whilst the boys were on tour in the UK and it is an absolutely barn-storming Bluegrass and Old School Roots session with a nod to the present day.

+ Featurettes ‘Country Birthdays’ and ‘Celluloid Country’ where we focus on a film which features Americana significantly in its soundtrack and this week we discuss the current, box-office smash and ace but darkly horrific, multi-layered, ensemble piece ‘Seven Psychopaths’.

+ Competitions, concert ticket & CD giveaways.

+ A Country, Christmas Carol special to get you in the Festive mood… See you in 2013.

Bonanza & Son on ResonanceFM: The Abrams Brothers in session+Christmas Show Broadcast 19th Dec 2012. by Bonanza & Son on Mixcloud

Friday, December 21, 2012

Bonanza & Son 'Song Of The Day’...

Bonanza & Son 'Song Of The Day’...

…And if ever there was a song I’d like to hear at the end of the world then this is certainly a contender!

The Left Banke-’I've Got Something on My Mind’

The song was the b-side of their 1967 single ‘Desiree’ and also appeared on their debut LP from the same year…

… The band centred around Songwriter and Keyboard player Michael Brown whose Father, Harry Lookofsky, was a well-known composer and session violinist… His influence over his Son and the band wa integral to their approach which was orchestration as a starting point as opposed to it being stuck on during production as was usually the case with their contemporaries and peers…

… This is 'Baroque Pop' at its finest.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Song Of The Day...

Just been bidding on e-bay for a record that ended at 4:30am!!! But it was worth it cos I got this little beauty from Beaverton, Oregon.

And so, this is The Bonanza & Son ’Song Of The Day’…

Willis Alan Ramsey’s haunting and plaintive ‘Ballad Of Spider John’…
Taken from his 1972, self-titled gem of an album originally released on the Shelter label in Tulsa. Every track is a winner including 'Muskrat Candlelight' which would be renamed ‘Muskrat Love' and made successful for the likes of the band America in 1973 and an even bigger hit for Captain & Tennille reaching No.4 in 1976…

Ramsey’s LP contained an incredible line-up of musicians including Orville Red Rhodes, Jim Keltner and Leon Russell…

He is also somewhat of a musicians' songwriter having had his songs covered by such luminaries as Waylon Jennings ('Satin Sheets’), Jerry Jeff Walker ('Northeast Texas Women’) and Jimmy Buffett (' The Ballad Of Spider John').

...Right, time for bed! BOING!


LA Turnaround

A veritable musical triumvirate of The Nez, Bert & Red…

The recording of Jansch' classic ‘LA Turnaround’ from 1974

Monday, December 17, 2012

Ooooooh Yeah!

2nd Bonanza & Son 'Song Of The Day’.
Lee Hazlewood-'If It’s Monday Morning'

Taken from Lee Hazlewood’s 1971 LP
‘Requiem For an Almost Lady’.

Bonanza & Son 'Song Of The Day’...

Red Rhodes - Lunar Nova

It appears on Orville Red Rhodes weird but beguiling solo LP ‘Velvet Hammer In A Cowboy Band' from 1973. The LP was Produced by Michael Nesmith and released on Papa Nez ‘Countryside’ record label… This is pure mad genius!

The Abrams Brothers...

Just finished mixing and editing a live session from the phenomenal, young, progressive, Bluegrass talent that is The Abrams Brothers all the way from Kingston, Ontario in Canada.

It’s an amazing live session and we shall broadcast it this Wednesday at 4:30pm on our ResonanceFM radio show… Tune in to 104.4FM or online at www.resonancefm.com



+ Featurettes ‘Country Birthdays’ and ‘Celluloid Country’ where we look at a film that features Americana significantly in its soundtrack and this week we shall focus on the current, box-office smash and ace but dark ensemble piece ‘Seven Psychopaths’.



+ Competitions, concert ticket & CD giveaways.
+ A Country, Christmas Carol special to get you in the Festive mood.



Saturday, December 15, 2012

DJ Set @ Filthy MacNastys

TONIGHT...
Bonanza & Son DJ Set @ Filthy MacNastys:
Playing records from Kristofferson to Kraftwerk + Rock ’n’ Roll’s extended family!

Saturday 15th December 2012
FREE ENTRY 7-11pm


Bonanza & Son on ResonanceFM

We’ve just uploaded our most recent ResonanceFM radio show from 28th November 2012.

Today's Bonanza & Son on ResonanceFM includes a sterling live session from National Resonator maestro Garry Smith on the run-up to his gig at Countrier Than Thou...
+ Featurettes 'Country Birthdays’ with a Doug Sahm and Merle Travis tribute.
+ ‘Celluloid-Country’ where we discuss Americana in movie soundtracks and this week we focus on the 1971 British film ‘The Percy’.
+ Competitions, album and gig ticket giveaways.
+ The best of the latest Country & Americana releases.

Bonanza & Son on ResonanceFM: Garry Smith live session first broadcast 28th November 2012 by Bonanza & Son on Mixcloud


Bonanza & Son on ResonanceFM
Every Wednesday 4:30pm
with repeats Sundays at 11am UK time.
Tune in on 104.4FM in London or online at
www.resonancefm.com

Friday, December 14, 2012

Bonanza & Son DJ Set @ The Three Crowns London N16.

Bonanza & Son DJ Set
tonight Friday 14th December 2012
@ The Three Crowns,
Stoke Newington Church St, London N16.
9-2am

This will be the first record we play and in a butterfly-like effect it will dictate EVERYTHING that follows especially the final record we play… Beautiful to contemplate such things is it not?!!



and this may well be the second:



Oh and you know damn well we're gonna play this at some point…






Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Check out the film ‘Countrier Than Thou'

Ok Folks,
well just to catch up on a hectic weekend...

… A fantastic night was had by all at 'Countrier Than Thou’ this past Thursday at The Lock Tavern, Camden…

… The second of our 5th birthday parties saw amazing live performances from Garry Smith, Society and The Ely Plains plus a truly Honky-Tonking guest dj spot from Spooky Lady’s Sideshow… Oh and here’s a little film of the night just to prove it… Many thanks to our very good friend Jennifer Daisy Hubert for her celluloid vignettes and filming skills…



Countrier Than Thou 5th Birthday Party @ The Lock Tavern

The second of our 5th birthday party celebrations...
Thursday 29th November 2012

Bonanza & Son on ResonanceFM celebrated 5 years of its popular, monthly, club night 'Countrier Than Thou’ @ The Lock Tavern, Camden in both October and November. Two months of celebrations including online cd giveaways, a special Bonanza & Son Country & Americana Mix CD giveaway on the night, exclusive competitions on our ResonanceFM radio show, blog and Facebook page and most importantly two sterling line-ups of live Country and Americana action, the like of which has ensured ‘Countrier Than Thou’ has had a continued appearance and been a driving force on the London, Americana stage for ten years.

'Countrier Than Thou'
5th Birthday Party
Thursday 29th November 2012

Live acts:

The Ely Plains:
Inspired by the music and imagery of the dustbowl and depression era North America the Ely Plains are a perfect back drop for these recession-ridden times.

This 6 piece, Americana band play alternative Country Rock and have a fine armoury of original material that displays a great knowledge and love of old-time, Americana roots music but with their own personal, English twist and shout on it!

The Ely Plains weave three part harmonies around emotive narratives whilst melding fiddle, banjo, acoustic guitar and harmonica with Country inflected Telecaster runs and a solid rythmn section. A great live band whose songs are equally at home in a rowdy honky tonk as well as at blissed-out summer festivals.

Influences abound from the best of Neil Young, Creedence, Green On Red, The Band, Rolling Stones, Water Boys, Teenage Fanclub etc.

If you love the music and the imagery of The Coen Brothers ‘Oh Brother Where Art Thou’ then you will love The Ely Plains
www.elyplains.co.uk/#/the-band/4549574467
www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ely-Plains/192587754112206

+ Society:
Society are a three-piece, Country-Rock band from Sussex who excel in sumptuous, three-part harmonies that set them apart from their peers in an already fertile crop of Americana & Country Rock ‘up and comers' in the UK.

The bands sound has echoes of C.S.N.Y, The Band, The Heartbreakers, The Jayhawks, Wilco ,The Rolling Stones and The Faces as well as an original, core sound which has secured them live slots at The Maverick Festival as well as rave responses and play-listing from BOB HARRIS on his BBC RADIO shows.

Society's assuredness has secured them support slots with established Americana acts including Eve Selis, Deadstring Brothers, Corb Lund, Luke Doucet and The Wailin’ Jennys as well as two tours of duty in Canada alonside a string of dates in the American Mid-West as well as a BBC Radio2 live session on The Bob Harris show no less.

Here at Bonanza & Son we suspect the Society lads have a bright future ahead of them on the 'not-too-distant’ horizon.
http://societymusic.net/
www.facebook.com/societymusic

+ Garry Smith:
Born in the 'Brent Delta Swamp' NW London and discovering the Blues and Folk music in his early teens Garry Smith is now a consummate, multi-instrumentalist and roots music aficionado. He honed his talents and developed his ‘chops’ by spending a great deal of time playing on the English Folk Club scene. When he eventually got his hands on a 'Tricone Resonator’ the crossroads were swallowed up and the Earth shifted on its axis. Everything changed and Garry was totally back into acoustic playing and exploring the possibilities of the Resophonic in particular. He says he's 'on yet another musical journey, and VERY excited' but not as excited as we are!
Bring it on..
www.facebook.com/garry.smith.18

+ Guest DJ ‘Spooky Lady’s Sideshow’
Authentic and rowdy Honky-Tonk, Outlaw tunes.

+Bonanza & Son (ResonanceFM) DJ Set
Radio Presenters, DJs and Club night promoters playing the best as well as the most cutting edge examples of Americana and Country with a few oddities to twist your heads and special selections from our up-coming compilation mix ‘Gonzo-Country’!

Bonanza & Son will also be screening rare, cinematic, Americana curios for your visual stimulation and pleasure including a screening of ’Brother Can You Spare A Dime’ the 1975 documentary film by Philippe Mora consisting largely of newsreel footage and contemporary film clips to portray the era of the Great Depression of 1930’s America plus lots more visual Americana obscurities, ephemera & memorabilia.

Thursday 29th November 2012
@ The Lock Tavern,
35 Chalk Farm Road,
London,
NW1.
Free Entry
8-Midnight