AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Barenaked Ladies

Artist:Barenaked Ladies
Song:One Week
Album:Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits 1991-2001




Unlike a lot of Canadian groups, the Barenaked Ladies had success in the US when One Week topped the charts in 1998. They are legends in Canada especially in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough where they grew up. Ed Robertson and Steven Page went to the same school. But they didn't know each other until they met at a restaurant following a Peter Gabriel concert. They became friends because they had similar taste in music. Then they started playing together while working as summer camp counselors. While attending a Bob Dylan concert, they got bored and made snarky comments to each other. Meanwhile, Robertson's band was supposed to do a battle of the bands for charity. But the band broke up. Robertson forgot about the gig. When they called to remind him, he said the band name had changed to Barenaked Ladies. Then he called Page to get him to do the gig. Like a lot of their early gigs, it was mostly improvised and Robertson was very good at improvising jokes. Then they became a band by adding brothers Andy (percussion) and Jim (bass) Creeggan. They went on tour with Corky and the Juice Pigs. When Andy Creeggan went to South America on a student exchange trip, he was replaced by Tyler Stewart. Toronto's CITY-TV had a video booth called Speaker's Corner. This is years before Youtube. When Barenaked Ladies performed Be My Yoko Ono on Speaker's Corner, they became local sensations. This eventually led to a deal with Sire Records in 1992. Before that, they released music independently including a cover of Bruce Cockburn's Lovers In A Dangerous Time and If I Had $1,000,000. And of course there was the time they were removed from a Toronto City Hall New Year's Eve concert when a staffer told Mayor June Rowlands that the name Barenaked Ladies was offensive. That nonsense made them even bigger in Toronto. Robertson says the story was big because it was a slow news week. The whole point of signing with a major label was to break in the US. But it took a few years to do that with the 1998 album Stunt and the single One Week which topped the Billboard Hot 100. Robertson wrote the song and does the rapping which is mostly pop culture nonsense. Page sings the chorus. By this time, Kevin Hearn replaced Andy Creeggan and then Hearn was diagnosed with leukemia and was unable to tour. They hired musicians for touring and Hearn returned after treatment. Though Barenaked Ladies continued to be popular in Canada, their US success was short lived. And Warner/Reprise/Sire released them after the 2003 album Everything To Everyone. You can get all their hits on this comp. Barenaked Ladies started their own label Desperation Records. And they continue to release new music even after Page's 2009 departure. He has recorded solo and he hosted the TV series The Illegal Eater. The Barenaked Ladies currently record for Vanguard and their latest CD Fake Nudes was released in 2017. And Barenaked Ladies was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in March. Here's the video for One Week by Barenaked Ladies.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Joss Stone

Artist:Joss Stone
Song:Spoiled
Album:The Best Of Joss Stone 2003-2009





When she was 16 years old, blue eyed soul singer Joss Stone looked like she was going to be the next big thing. She had success with her first couple of albums. But she had record company problems and I don't think she has recovered from that though she is still recording and touring. She was born Joscelyn Eve Stoker Apr. 11, 1987 in Dover, Kent, England. She got her big break at age 13 when she won the BBC talent contest series Star for a Night in 2001. This eventually got the attention of S-Curve Records owner Steve Greenberg. He brought her to New York. She auditioned singing soul classics. He signed her immediately and brought her to Miami where soul legend Betty Wright was brought in to help her record the 2003 album The Soul Sessions. Betty co-produced with Mike Mangini who had previously worked with Greenberg on Baha Men's Who Let The Dogs Out?. The album was soul covers. She had a couple of top twenty hits in England and the album was certified Gold. So it did OK and Joss was getting a lot of buzz. For her 2004 album Mind, Body & Soul, Greenberg decided to have Joss record original songs. Joss wrote most of the songs with various songwriters. Spoiled was written with Motown legend Lamont Dozier and his son Beau who dated Joss for a while. The album was certified Platinum but she just wasn't able to score that big hit single in the US though she had a top ten hit in England. Then Greenberg sold her contract to EMI and Joss was assigned to Virgin Records. Her 2007 album Introducing Joss Stone was produced by Raphael Saadiq. It didn't do as well as her previous albums. Then things went south with EMI. The release of the 2009 album Colour Me Free! was delayed because label management didn't like the cover. She didn't like EMI's new management anyway so she asked to be released from her contract. This comp was released to complete that contract. Since then Joss has recorded for her own label Stone'd. Her latest album Water For Your Soul was released in 2015. It's a reggae album. Joss still tours and I guess she is happy to have control of her music. But she won't be as big of a star as first expected. Here's the video for Spoiled by Joss Stone.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-David Benoit

Artist:David Benoit
Song:Linus and Lucy
Album:Masterpieces: Best of the GRP Years





Pianist David Benoit has been a Smooth Jazz staple since the 80s. He is probably best known for taking over the scoring of the Peanuts cartoons after the death of Charles Schultz. Benoit's cover of Linus and Lucy is one of his most popular recordings. He was born Aug. 18, 1953 in Bakersfield, CA. He learned to play piano as a child and he studied theory and composition at El Camino College and UCLA. His big jazz influence is Bill Evans. Benoit began his career in 1976 as an accompanist first for Lainie Kazan and then for Connie Stevens and Ann-Margret. He was also a sideman for Alphonse Mouzon among others. Benoit released several albums on AVI Records, a label known mostly for disco but they recorded jazz as well. He signed with GRP Records in 1987. But before that, he released a couple of albums on what seems to be his own label. It appears that GRP picked them up after he signed. Benoit first recorded Linus and Lucy on the 1985 album This Side Up. It has turned out to be one of his most popular recordings. This original version features special guest Ernie Watts on soprano sax. Other musicians are Grant Geissman on guitar, Jerold Weber, Michael Lang and Randy Kerber on keyboards, Bob Feldman on bass, Tony Morales on drums, Del Blake on percussion and The L.A. Modern String Orchestra conducted by William Henderson. You can get Linus and Lucy on this comp CD. Since then, Benoit has been a regular at the top of the jazz charts. And he has been an arranger and conductor for all kinds of artists especially The Rippingtons. After Charles Schultz' 2000 death, Benoit was chosen to take over the music for any future Peanuts cartoons. After Universal closed GRP and folded it into Verve, Benoit recorded for Concord's Peak label. His latest CD So Nice was released in 2017 on Shanachie. Here's David Benoit performing Linus and Lucy with an orchestra and a sax player who is not identified. There is no date on the video either. The video was used to promote an upcoming 2008 concert.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Sept. 13, 2018

Review of this week's episode of the Mae Young Classic.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Marianne Solivan

Artist:Marianne Solivan
Song:Moon Ray
Album:Prisoner Of Love




Jazz singer Marianne Solivan was a finalist in the 2009 and 2010 Jazzmobile Vocal Competition. She has recorded a couple of albums and currently leads her own big band. She's a New York City native and she studied at Berklee and the New England Conservatory of Music. She has been working the New York club circuit since 2007. After appearing on clarinetist Darryl Harper's 2009 album Stories In Real Time, Marianne signed with the same label HiPNOTIC Records. Prisoner Of Love is her 2012 debut album. She records mostly standards including the Artie Shaw classic Moon Ray. Jeremy Pelt plays trumpet on Moon Ray and he also produced the album. Musicians include Michael Kanan on piano who has also accompanied Jimmy Scott and Jane Monheit, Peter Bernstein on guitar, Christian McBride on bass and Jonathan Blake from the Mingus Big Band on drums. Marianne released a second album Spark in 2014. Marianne continues to tour regularly. She started a big band. A female led big band is unusual but not unheard of. I think she is trying to distinguish herself from the pack of jazz singers in the marketplace. The big band has yet to record. Here's Marianne Solivan with Michael Kanan, Marco Panascia and Michael Petrosino performing Moon Ray May 22, 2012.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Coon Creek Girls

Artist:Coon Creek Girls
Song:Little Birdie
Album:Lily May, Rosie and Susie





The Coon Creek Girls were the very first all female bluegrass group. They had success mostly on the radio in the late 30s. Their style of music is best described as Appalachian. The leader of Coon Creek Girls was Lily May Ledford. She was born Mar. 17, 1917 in Powell County, KY. She was the seventh of fourteen children of tenant farmers and amateur musicians. Lily May's father taught her to play banjo when she was a child. By age 12 she was also playing fiddle. She formed the Red River Ramblers with sister Rose and brother Cayen. At a 1935 audition, Lily May was chosen to appear on Chicago radio station WLS's Barn Dance. Show announcer John Lair got her a regular spot on the show. He became her manager. Lair moved to Cincinnati to start his own radio show Renfro Valley Barn Dance. He decided to form Coon Creek Girls around Lily May with her sister Rosie on guitar, Daisy Lange on bass and Violet Koehler on mandolin. The Coon Creek Girls recorded for Vocalion in 1938. Little Birdie and Pretty Polly were among the songs recorded. They also recorded for Lair's Renfro Valley label. The Coon Creek Girls performed at The White House in 1939 for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, King George VI of England and Queen Elizabeth. Though the Coon Creek Girls were popular on the radio, they were never a successful recording act. You can get all their 30s recordings on this comp first released in 1968. It's available as a digital download. Daisy and Violet left in 1939 and they were replaced by Lily May's sister Susie. The Coon Creek Girls continued to perform on the radio. But they wouldn't record again until they released a couple of singles on Capitol in 1955. The Coon Creek Girls retired when the radio show ended in 1957. Musicologist Ralph Rinzler rediscovered Lily May and she started touring after appearing on the 1968 Newport Folk Festival. She was surprised and delighted at the crowd response to her music. She released an album in 1983. Lily May Ledford was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship just before her death from cancer on July 14, 1985 at age 68. Here's a video for Little Birdie by Coon Creek Girls.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Method Man

Artist:Method Man f/Mary J. Blige
Song:I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By
Album:Icon




Rapper Clifford "Method Man" Smith scored a top five hit in 1995 with I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By. He is a member of Wu Tang Clan and he is also an actor. He was born Mar. 31, 1971 in Hempstead, Long Island, NY. He split his childhood living in his father's home in Long Island and his mother's home in Staten Island. Staten Island was where he met the other members of Wu Tang Clan. Wu Tang Clan signed with Loud Records. The members of Wu Tang Clan were allowed to sign solo deals anywhere. So Smith signed with Def Jam. His name was from the 1979 film Method Man. The other members were on board with this as when Wu Tang Clan was first formed, the original plan was for Method Man to be a solo act. Smith's 1994 debut album Tical was produced by Wu Tang Clan leader Robert "RZA" Diggs. All I Need is on the album. The hit single was a remix by Sean "Puffy" Combs and retitled I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By featuring Mary J. Blige on vocals. You're All I Need To Get By was written by Ashford and Simpson and it was a hit in 1968 by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Method man's recording reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The remix was only released as a single but you can get it on this budget comp. To date it is Smith's biggest hit. He continues to record solo occasionally. He continued to record with Wu Tang Clan and as a duo with Redman. He also got into acting mostly on TV. He starred in the films How High and Soul Plane. His TV credits include Oz, The Wire, CSI and others. His Fox sitcom Method & Red did not do well. Currently Smith hosts the TBS series Drop The Mic. He has a recurring role on the HBO series The Deuce. And he will be in the upcoming reboot of the film Shaft. Here's the video for I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By by Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige. This is the remix and it is not on Youtube.

Method Man feat. Mary J. Blige - I'll Be There For You (You're All I Need To Get By) (Remix) from Jul!aAl on Vimeo.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Midnight Oil

Artist:Midnight Oil
Song:Beds Are Burning
Album:Essential Oils





Midnight Oil were very successful in their native Australia in the late-70s. But they had worldwide success in the 80s especially with the 1987 top twenty hit Beds Are Burning. Midnight Oil are from Sydney, Australia. They started out as the cover band Farm in 1972. Lead singer Peter Garrett was studying law in Canberra and performing part time with Farm. When he moved to Sydney in 1976 to complete his law degree, Farm was turned into a full time band and the band name was changed to Midnight Oil. The name comes from the Jimi Hendrix song Burning of the Midnight Lamp. Several names were placed in a hat and Midnight Oil was chosen. Original members were Rob Hirst on drums and Jim Moginie in bass. Garrett joined in 1976 followed by guitarist Martin Rotsey in 1977. By the mid-80s, Midnight Oil was very successful in Australia. The 1987 album Diesel and Dust was their international breakthrough. The album was certified Platinum in the US. Beds Are Burning was an international hit. It reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100. I think most music fans know the song. Like many songs Garrett wrote for Midnight Oil, the song has political and social significance in Australia. Some of their other songs charted but Beds Are Burning was their biggest hit. Midnight Oil continued to have success as an album band until the mid-90s. This 2CD comp covers their Columbia recordings. Garrett left Midnight Oil in 2002 to get into politics. He was elected to the senate in 2004 and he was Minister of the Environment among other things until he left in 2013. The other members worked on various projects. Midnight Oil reunited a couple of times. Then they reformed and toured in 2016 and did a world tour in 2017. They have yet to record new music. Midnight Oil are legends in Australia. Here's the video for Beds Are Burning by Midnight Oil.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Sept. 9, 2018

UFC 228 review and my thoughts about Nicco Montano.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Irene Aldana vs Lucie Pudilova

Here's the match video of Irene Aldana vs Lucie Pudilova from last night's UFC show in Dallas. Usually when we see two low level women fighters in the UFC, they are usually very tentative and it turns out to be three rounds of light sparring. But Lucie is an aggressive fighter so she actually wants to win the fight as opposed to not lose. The problem is her defense is awful. And that's the opening Irene needed to use counterpunching to win the fight. Irene won by split decision. I scored it 29-28 for Lucie. To win the fight, all she had to do is keep her hands up. Her defense was non existent. I know this won Fight of the Night and fans really enjoyed it. But it didn't make me think that either fighter can beat anyone good. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Tatiana Suarez vs Carla Esparza

Here's the match video of Tatiana Suarez vs Carla Esparza from last night's UFC show in Dallas. this is another fight that turned out as I expected. Carla is a former champ on her way down. And Tatiana is heading for a title shot after recovering from knee surgery. Tatiana mauled Carla for more than two rounds. She finally got the TKO finish in the third. Carla is a good wrestler. She was an All American in college. But she looked like a rank amateur against Tatiana's Olympic caliber wrestling. It was a beat down. Because Jessica is likely to get the next title shot, Tatiana will probably want to fight someone else to keep active. One possible opponent could be Claudia Gadelha if she wins her next fight. Tatiana will be tough to handle regardless. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Jessica Andrade vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz

Here's the match video of Jessica Andrade vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz from last night's UFC show in Dallas. This fight turned out as I expected. I didn't think Karolina could handle Jessica's constant pressure. Not to mention that Jessica punches harder and she has a good ground game if she needs it. A points fighter like Karolina was unlikely to last three rounds. Of course the one punch knockout was very dramatic. But Jessica had already rocked Karolina so the finish was coming. The big question is does Jessica get a title shot and when will that be. When I find out the answers, I will let you know. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-M/A/R/R/S

Artist:M/A/R/R/S
Song:Pump Up The Volume
Album:The Best Dance Album In The World...Ever!




Not only is Pump Up The Volume a one hit wonder but it was the only single recorded by M/A/R/R/S. The man behind it was 4AD Records owner Ivo Watts-Russell. In 1986 there was an alternative rock group in England called A.R. Kane. They were under contract to One Little Indian Records. Alex Ayuli of A.R. Kane was unhappy with the label's promotional support. So he asked Watts-Russell to release his next record. After a confrontation between the label owners, 4AD released an A.R. Kane EP. Watts-Russell suggested that A.R. Kane could record with his electronic music duo Colourbox. The name M/A/R/R/S were the initials of the guys who recorded the single; Martyn and Steve Young of Colourbox, Ayuli and Rudy Tambala of A.R. Kane and Terminal Cheesecake founder Russell Smith. Unfortunately the two groups didn't get along in the studio. 4AD house producer John Fryer was brought in to referee. He sent them to separate studios to create a song each. Colourbox came up with Pump Up The Volume featuring an Eric B. and Rakim sample. A.R. Kane created the B-side Anitina. A.R. Kane added some guitar to Pump Up The Volume. And DJs CJ McIntosh and Dave Dorrell added samples and scratch effects. Martyn Young wanted Pump Up the Volume released as a Colourbox record. Watts-Russell refused mostly because he didn't want Young to work on the song anymore. And he released it as M/A/R/R/S. As a result, Colourbox left 4AD. The record was released to British clubs July 1987. A remix of Pump Up The Volume was the hit version. There were many samples added. Island's 4th & Broadway label released Pump Up The Volume in the US. It reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. You can get it on this 2CD various artists comp from Virgin. The song turned out to be very influential because of the sampling. But M/A/R/R/S never recorded again. Colourbox wanted to use the name but A.R. Kane wanted 100,000 pounds for the use of the name. They didn't like that their guitar part was deleted on the remix. So though it was a hit, I don't think Pump Up The Volume was a very good experience for the record's creators. Here's the video for Pump Up The Volume by M/A/R/R/S.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Laura Benanti

Artist:Laura Benanti w/Antonio Banderas
Song:Unusual Way
Album:In Constant Search of the Right Kind Of Attention




Laura Benanti is a Tony award winning actress who has had her greatest success in Broadway musicals like the 2003 revival of Nine. She won a Tony for the 2008 revival of Gypsy. She has also done a lot of TV. Most should know her from playing Melania Trump on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. She was born Laura Vidnovic July 15, 1979 in New York City. When her mother remarried and moved to New Jersey, Laura took her stepfather's name. She was very interested in musicals as a child. But her parents wouldn't let her audition for anything until she graduated from high school. Her first big role was as Maria Von Trapp in the 1999 Broadway revival of The Sound Of Music. She got Tony nominated for Swing! in 1999 and Into The Woods in 2002. She suffered a neck injury while on stage. She tried to work through it but was forced to have surgery. She returned in the 2003 revival of Nine co-starring with Antonio Banderas. Maury Yeston based Nine on the Federico Fellini film 8 1/2. Raul Julia starred in the original 1982 production. The revival was very successful and Laura was Tony nominated. The original cast album of Nine is available on CD. But Laura performs Unusual Way in her one woman show which was released on CD in 2013. Laura continues to appear on Broadway. She won a Tony for the 2008 revival of Gypsy. Next month she will begin playing Eliza Doolittle in the Lincoln Center revival of My Fair Lady. Laura has also done lots of TV. She was in the 2013 TV production of The Sound Of Music. She also had recurring roles on Nashville and Supergirl. Currently she appears on the TBS sitcom The Detour and she plays Melania Trump on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. But she is mainly known for Broadway musicals. Here's Laura Benanti with Antonio Banderas performing Unusual Way 2003.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Sept. 7, 2018

Kairi Sane, Meiko Satomura, UFC 228 preview and new fight announcements.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Meiko Satomura vs Killer Kelly

Here's the match video of Meiko Satomura vs Killer Kelly from the first round of The Mae Young Classic. It is certainly surreal to see Meiko in a WWE ring especially when Michael Cole yells "It's Meiko Time". But they treat her like the legend she is. And she does a great job in this match. Killer Kelly is billed as from Portugal. But she is an NXT UK signee. I wasn't impressed when I saw her on June's NXT UK broadcast. She looked good in this match because Meiko made her look like a million bucks. Kelly probably got in more offense than necessary. But like all the joshi wrestlers, Meiko is very generous. Look, she could have done a squash if she wanted. She wants her opponent to get over. Of course in the end Meiko won. Kelly looked very appreciative of getting to work with Meiko. It's a good match. In the other matches, Tegan Nox (Nixon Newell) beat Zatara. Zatara is from Chile but she works in Mexico a lot. Tegan looked very good. Rhea Ripley beat MJ Jenkins. I liked Rhea last year but she is now a heel. MJ looks good but I don't think she is much of a wrestler. She is under an NXT contract. And Lacey Lane beat Vanessa Kraven. Vanessa is a veteran monster heel. She's 6'2". Lacey is a Team 3D trainee who recently signed with NXT. She's very tiny but athletic. She tries to do too much in this match and as a result, it's a rough match. Someone needs to tell her that less is more. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Kairi Sane vs Trish Adora

Here's the match video of Kairi Sane vs Trish Adora from this week's episode of NXT. There's nothing much to the match as they wanted to get to the post match angle. Kairi comes out and takes her belt from a treasure chest and she gives golden coins to the crowd. The fans go nuts for this. Kairi's presentation skills are outstanding. Trish is a Team 3D trainee and they said on the broadcast she is a former rugby player. Of course she can't keep up with Kairi. Kairi gets her stuff in and wins with the Insane Elbow. Afterwards, Shayna Baszler comes out and tries to intimidate Kairi. She knocks over the treasure chest and attacks Kairi with punches and a clothesline. Kairi really sells the clothesline. But when Shayna tries to continue her attack, Kairi fights back and hits a spear to chase Shayna away. So now we just have to wait for the rematch. Enjoy the video!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Goat

Artist:Goat
Song:Gathering of Ancient Tribes
Album:Commune





Goat's music is frequently described as experimental rock. I would describe them as neo psychedelic with world beat rhythms. What is unusual about Goat is they are an anonymous band. As you will see in the video, they all wear what seem to be tribal costumes and masks. They have even created an origin story. Goat are from Gothenburg, Sweden. They claim to be from a town in Sweden that has a history of voodoo worship after a witch doctor lived there. They claim to be more of a commune than a band. Supposedly there have been several versions of Goat over the years. They say there are three core members of Goat and they add musicians for touring. So if this is all fiction, what is the truth? My guess is Christian Johansson is the man behind the music. This is based on an interview he did in 2014 with John Freeman of The Quietus. He stuck to his fictional story but he seemed to know all the details about Goat's background. It's likely that he's a studio musician who doesn't want fame. Goat released a single and that got them a deal with the British label Rocket Recordings. They are on Sub Pop in the US. Gathering of Ancient Tribes is from the 2014 album Commune. Their latest CD Requiem was released in 2016 though they have released some singles recently. They've performed at some big music festivals. And recently they opened for Foo Fighters in their home town of Gothenburg. I don't know who is in Goat but they are professional musicians because they sound great. Here's Goat performing Gathering of Ancient Tribes at the 2015 Glastonbury Festival in England.

Antonina Shevchenko vs Ashlee Evans-Smith added to Nov. 30 UFC show

Ariel Helwani of ESPN reported this afternoon that Antonina Shevchenko vs Ashlee Evans-Smith has been added to The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale Nov. 30 at The Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas. This fight will be at Flyweight. Antonina is 33 years old and of course she is the older sister of Valentina Shevchenko. Her MMA record is 6-0 but like her sister, she is a kickboxer. They train together so they are very similar. But Antonina isn't as experienced at MMA. Antonina won a UFC contract with a win over Jaimee Nievera on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series. Jaimee was a late replacement when the original opponent was injured. It's hard to tell from that fight if Antonina is any good. Ashlee is 31 years old. She trains at Team Oyama in California which is also home for Carla Esparza. Her record is 6-3 and 3-3 in the UFC. She won her Flyweight debut in Apr. with a win over Bec Rawlings. All her other UFC fights were at Bantamweight and she fought at Featherweight before she came to the UFC. The reason a fighter would want to drop that much weight is she has a size advantage at Flyweight. She has only had one fight at Flyweight. I think it's too soon to tell if she will be better that she was at Bantamweight. She hasn't been impressive so far.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Deadstring Brothers

Artist:Deadstring Brothers
Song: You Look Like The Devil
Album:Silver Mountain





The Deadstring Brothers are an alt country band that started out as a Rolling Stones tribute band. They are from Detroit led by Kurt Marschke. He was performing as a solo act and decided to form a band in 2001. By 2005 they signed with the leading alt country label Bloodshot Records. The band has moved around a lot. So Marschke has been the only consistent member over the years. You Look Like The Devil is from the 2007 CD Silver Mountain. The main members at the time were Ross Westerbur on keyboards, Phil Skarich on bass and Eric Hoegemeyer on percussion. Though Marschke writes most of the band's songs, You Look Like The Devil is a Leon Russell song that was recorded by Willie Nelson on the 1973 album Shotgun Willie. As I said, Marschke moved to Nashville for the 2013 album Cannery Row. So this was a completely different band. Then Marschke moved to the Pacific Northwest. The Deadstring Brothers continued to tour. But Cannery Row was their final album. They officially retired earlier this year. Alt country fans should check out Deadstring Brothers. Here are the Deadstring Brothers performing You Look Like The Devil at the 2004 Take Root Festival in Assen, The Netherlands.

Claudia Gadelha vs Nina Ansaroff added to Dec. 8 UFC show

Aaron Bronsteter of TSN reported this afternoon that Claudia Gadelha vs Nina Ansaroff has been added to UFC 231 Dec. 8 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. This fight is at Strawweight. Claudia is 29 years old from Brazil. She is a product of the famed Nova Uniao gym. She now trains with Luttrell/Yee MMA in New Mexico. They are an offshoot of Jackson Wink. They are in the same building but they only handle elite fighters. Claudia's record is 16-3 and 5-3 in the UFC. She went into her last fight which was a split decision win over Carla Esparza with a knee injury. So she had surgery for a strained ligament in June. This is a very quick turnaround. Claudia is an elite fighter. Endurance is her only major weakness. But one never knows what a fighter will be like post surgery. Nina is 32 years old. She trains at American Top Team in Florida. Her record is 9-5 and 3-2 in the UFC. She's on a three fight winning streak and she was the underdog in two of those fights. Nina is a striker with no ground game. On paper this is a mismatch. But the fights aren't done on paper. If Claudia is back to her usual self, she should win easily. But Nina is used to being the underdog and it doesn't bother her. Plus she has Din Thomas and her fiancee UFC Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes in her corner.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Sept. 5 2018

Invicta FC 32 analysis and new fight announcements.

Invicta FC 32 analysis

On Saturday's broadcast, Invicta announced that Invicta FC 32 will be Nov. 16 at Firelake Arena in Shawnee, OK. Well, at least it's not in Kansas City. They announced seven fights with one TBA. So as usual, I will analyze the card. The main event will have Felicia Spencer vs Pam Sorenson for the vacant Invicta Featherweight Championship. Felicia is 27 years old from Montreal. She trains at The Jungle in Orlando, FL. Her record is 5-0 all in Invicta. She has looked great. Pam is 32 years old. She trains at The Cellar in Minneapolis. Her record is 7-2. She fought at Bantamweight early in her career. She moved up to Featherweight when she came to Invicta. Normally I wouldn't be too happy about Pam getting a title shot. But the competition level at Featherweight is so low, there isn't much Invicta can do. Felicia is the better fighter. In a Strawweight bout, MIZUKI will face Heather Jo Clark. MIZUKI is from Japan. Her record is 12-5. The big news about MIZUKI is she has now moved to the US. She lives in New York City and she trains with Ray Longo at Law MMA in Long Island. One of her teammates is UFC fighter Chris Weidman. So I will be very interested to see what she has picked up from those guys. Heather is 36 years old. She trains at Extreme Couture in Las Vegas. She is good friends with Miesha Tate. After going 1-2 in the UFC, she returned to Invicta with a win in July. They mentioned on the broadcast she considered retirement. I wish she had. I like her talking ability better than her fighting. But she's an experienced fighter. They can't put her on the prelims. I don't think Invicta should have signed her. In an Atomweight bout, Ashley Cummins will face Jessica Delboni. Ashley is 31 years old. She is a police officer from St. Louis. She fought at Strawweight early in her career. She's better at Atomweight. Jessica is 24 years old. She trains at PRVT in Brazil which is also home for Jessica Andrade. Her record is 7-0 on the Brazilian regional circuit. All her fights have been at Strawweight. So she's unproven. It looks like they are setting up Ashley for a title shot. And she would be a draw in Kansas City. In a Featherweight bout, Kaitlin Young will face Zarah Faim Dos Santos. Of course Kaitlin has been around for years. She's a kickboxer with no ground game. Her record is 8-9-1. She just recently returned to MMA after a few years kickboxing in Thailand. Zarah is 31 years old from France. Her record is 6-2 in Europe. She's unproven but if she's good, everyone is looking for decent Featherweights these days. In a Bantamweight bout, Julia Avila will face Alexa Connors. Julia is 30 years old from Bakersfield, CA. Her record is 5-1. She lost her Invicta debut due to a hand injury. Alexa is 27 years old. She trains at Syndicate in Las Vegas. Her record is 5-2. IIRC, she has missed weight in the past more than once. In a Flyweight bout, Erin Blanchfield faces Luanna Alzugir. Erin is 19 years old from New York. Her record is 2-0. she didn't look all that great in her Invicta debut but as an Eddie Bravo Invitational winner, she is thought to have a bright future. Luanna is 33 years old originally from Brazil but she now trains in St. Louis. Her record is 1-0. She seems old for a newcomer. In a Bantamweight bout, Stephanie Geltmacher will face Liz Tracy. Stephanie is 28 years old from Oklahoma City. Her record is 3-0. She looked great in her July Invicta debut. Liz is 30 years old. She trains at Team Oyama in California. Her record is 5-2. She is 1-1 in Invicta. They will add one more fight. I think this is an above average Invicta card because there are several fighters that interest me. But it has been announced so far in advance, half the card could change due to injury.

Jessica-Rose Clark vs Andrea Lee added to Dec. 15 UFC show

The UFC announced yesterday that Jessica-Rose "Jessy"Jess" Clark vs Andrea Lee has been added to UFC on FOX 31 Dec. 15 at the Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center in Milwaukee. This was one of several fights announced for this show. This fight will be at Flyweight. Jessy Jess is 30 years old from Innisfil, Australia. She now trains at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas. Her record is 9-5-1NC and 2-1 in the UFC. She is also an Invicta veteran. Jessy Jess has improved since moving to the US. She had a setback when she lost to Jessica Eye in June. We'll see if she can bounce back. Andrea is 29 years old from Shreveport, LA. Her record is 9-2. She won her UFC debut in May. She was also an LFA champ and an Invicta veteran. Invicta is where she became popular for her looks. And she has tons of charisma. I don't know if she should be fighting. As I think everyone knows, her husband is currently wanted for domestic assault on her. The police said yesterday he may be hiding in a gym. Andrea has said this turmoil will not affect her fight career. He was her trainer too. Something like that affects everything including fighting. I also think the media will be a big problem for her come fight week. It could be a distraction. She can say she will be OK. I'm not so sure. She's an OK fighter but I still think she gets by on her looks and charisma. I'm not sure her fighting ability will ever be as good as her charisma.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Bryan White

Artist:Bryan White
Song:Someone Else's Star
Album:Greatest Hits





Bryan White scored four number one country music hits in the mid-90s. Someone Else's Star was his first number one hit in 1995. He was born Feb. 17, 1974 in Lawton, OK. His father taught him to play drums when he was age five. His parents led local bands. Mom had a rock band. Dad had a country band. As a teen, White played drums in both bands. His mom heard him sing and suggested he move to Nashville. And that's what White did after graduating high school. He knew guitarist Billy Joe Walker Jr. from his dad's band. Walker was a Nashville session musician. Walker introduced White to Warner Nashville house producer Kyle Lehning and White signed with Asylum Records. Lehning produced all of Randy Travis' albums. They produced White's 1994 debut album Bryan White. Someone Else's Star was the third single and it topped the Country Singles chart in 1995. The song was written by veteran Nashville songwriters Skip Ewing and Jim Weatherly and it was first recorded by Davis Daniel in 1994. The next single Rebecca Lynn also topped the charts and the album was certified Platinum. White's 1996 album Between Now and Forever was also certified Platinum. So Much For Pretending and Sittin' On Go were number one country hits. White also appeared on Shania Twain's 1997 hit From This Moment On. When White's 1997 album The Right Place did not do as well as previous albums, Asylum had White produce the 1999 album How Lucky I Am with Dann Huff and Derek George. Then Asylum closed their Nashville office. White was fading anyway. You can get all his hits on this comp. White's decline sent him into a depression. But he did return with a Christmas EP in 2006 and an album in 2009. Then he financed the EP Shine through Kickstarter. White continues to tour regularly. Obviously his days of hit singles are in the past. Here's Bryan White performing Someone Else's Star on the TNN show Music City Tonight Apr. 1994.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Motion City Soundtrack

Artist:Motion City Soundtrack
Song:Everything Is Alright
Album:Commit This To Memory: Deluxe Edition





Everything Is Alright is the signature song of the punk influenced pop band Motion City Soundtrack. The 2005 album Commit This To Memory is their biggest selling album. Motion City Soundtrack are from Minneapolis. Lead singer and songwriter Justin Pierre and guitarist Joshua Cain had previously worked together in the band Saddest Girl Story. They formed Motion City Soundtrack in 1997. They released a single in 1999 and they hired musicians to tour as they found there weren't a lot of places to play locally. They added permanent members in 2001. They were Jesse Johnson on keyboards, Matthew Taylor on bass and Tony Thaxton on drums. They recorded an album and sold it out of their tour van. They got several offers from record companies. They signed with Epitaph Records owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. They re-recorded a lot of their album I Am The Movie and it was released in 2003. They were on tour with Blink-182 for most of 2004. They asked bassist Mark Hoppus to produce their next album. Commit This To Memory was released in 2005. The album did well and the video for Everything Is Alright was very popular. Pierre says he wrote the song about his OCD. Motion City Soundtrack was never going to be a mainstream band. But Epitaph was a good label for the kind of music they were doing. And sales expectations are lower on a smaller label. Commit This To Memory is available in a Deluxe Edition with a bonus track and a DVD with a band documentary and live footage. Motion City Soundtrack left Epitaph for Columbia for the 2010 CD My Dinosaur Life. When sales were disappointing, Columbia dropped them after one album. It was supposed to be a multi album deal. They returned to Epitaph for the 2012 CD Go. The touring was wearing on them. The schedule forced Tony Thaxton to leave in 2013. After the 2015 album Panic Stations, Pierre and Cain decided to end Motion City Soundtrack in 2016. Pierre has formed The Rapture Twins and he has released a solo album. The band simply got tired of the constant touring for twenty years. Here's the video for Everything Is Alright by Motion City Soundtrack.

Gillian Robertson vs Mayra Bueno Silva added to Sept. 22 UFC show

Combate in Brazil reported yesterday that Gillian Robertson vs Mayra Bueno Silva has been added to UFC Fight Night 137 Sept. 22 at Ginasio do Iberapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This will likely air on the UFC Fight Pass prelims. This fight is at Flyweight. Gillian is 23 years old from Niagara Falls, ON. She trains at American Top Team in Florida with Din Thomas. Her record is 5-2 and 2-0 in the UFC. She won her last fight in May over Molly McCann with a second round rear naked choke. She fought at Strawweight before appearing on TUF 26. It's possible that not having to cut as much weight has helped her. She has looked good at Flyweight. Mayra is 27 years old. She trains at Chute Boxe in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Her record is 5-0. She won a UFC contract with a win over Mayana Kerllen on the Brazil edition of Dana White's Contender Series. Coming from the Brazilian regional circuit to the UFC is a big step and who knows if she's up to it. We'll find out.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Boys Like Girls

Artist:Boys Like Girls f/Taylor Swift
Song:Two Is Better Than One
Album:Love Drunk





Boys Like Girls scored a top twenty hit when Taylor Swift appeared on the 2009 single Two Is Better Than One. The band is currently on hiatus. They last recorded in 2012. Boys Like Girls are from Andover, MA. Martin Johnson was lead singer of the band Fake ID which became The Drive. He asked bassist Bryan Donahue and drummer John Keefe to help him record some demos. Keefe brought guitarist Paul DiGiovanni and Boys Like Girls was born. They posted some songs online and they started touring. They released an album independently and that led to Boys Like Girls signing with Columbia Records. Columbia re-released their debut album. The 2009 album Love Drunk was produced by Canadian Brian Howes in Vancouver and Los Angeles. He had previously produced Puddle Of Mudd. Two Is Better Than One reached #18 on the Billboard Hot 100. Taylor Swift was not on the original recording. But she heard the record and thought she could help the band. Johnson contacted her and he rewrote the song a bit and she recorded her vocal. Apparently it was the first time Taylor appeared on someone else's record. Love Drunk is available as a digital download. After touring, Johnson started writing songs for the next album. Then in 2011, there were rumors that Boys Like Girls had split up. Johnson announced that they were on hiatus while working on solo projects. They did return and they released the 2012 CD Crazy World. Donahue was involved in his other projects so he was replaced by Morgan Dorr. The album didn't do as well as Love Drunk and there were no hit singles. They did tour but Boys Like Girls haven't recorded since then though they did tour in 2016. Though Johnson has a new band The Night Game and he is also an in demand songwriter, he insists that Boys Like Girls has not split up and they may record in the future. I guess he's keeping his options open but my guess is the band is done. Here's the video for Two Is Better Than One by Boys Like Girls featuring Taylor Swift. Taylor does not appear in the video. The couple is played by Erik Huffman of Survivor: China and Mika Combs of The Amazing Race 15.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Sept. 2, 2018

Invicta FC 31 review and UFC fight announcement.

Predictable Invicta title mismatches don't help anyone

Virna Jandiroba (14-0) is still your Invicta FC Strawweight Champion, defending her strap for the first time with a second-round arm triangle choke on Janaisa Morandin. The self-proclaimed "female Demian Maia" has finished 11 of 14 victories, each by submission. #InvictaFC31 pic.twitter.com/xCl6zMmADz

— Kyle Johnson (@Maldobabo) September 2, 2018

Last night's Invicta show was OK for the most part except the matches at the top of the card were predictable mismatches. The main event had Virna Jandiroba successfully defend her Invicta Strawweight Championship over Janaisa Morandin with a second round arm triangle choke. I predicted this fight would be a mismatch a month ago. I didn't think Janaisa has beaten anyone decent enough for her to get a title shot. Invicta matchmaking history indicates that they either overrate Janaisa or it was a deliberate mismatch to make Virna look like a killer. It could be a combination of both. Virna is good enough that she doesn't need any help from dopey matchmakers. This match should never have been made. In the co-main event, Pearl Gonzalez beat Daiane Fermino by unanimous decision. This was also a predictable mismatch because Daiane was unproven outside Brazil. Her Invicta debut should not have been this high on the card. As it turned out, she wasn't any good. In this case, they are trying to build Pearl up to a Flyweight title shot which she will get in 2019. Except the competition level in her three Invicta wins has been very low. They are propping her up. The rest of the show was OK but the top of the card mismatches killed the show. In a Bantamweight bout, late replacement Lisa Spangler beat Shanna Young by split decision. It was a very close fight that could have gone either way. In a Strawweight bout, Mallory Martin beat Ashley Nichols by third round TKO. Unfortunately, Mallory missed weight. Maybe she needs to move to Flyweight. I like her. She's aggressive. In a Flyweight bout, Miranda Maverick beat Victoria Leonardo by first round armbar. Miranda lost her last fight by split decision. I think we have to see if she can beat a decent fighter. In an Atomweight bout, Kelly D'Angelo beat Lindsey VanZandt by unanimous decision. Kelly looked good dropping down from Strawweight. She is a firefighter from St. Louis and fellow Invicta fighter and St. Louis police officer Ashley Cummins suggested the drop to Atomweight. In a Strawweight bout, Kay Hansen won over Helen Peralta by third round TKO. Kay was winning anyway but it's good that she got a finish. The opening Featherweight bout was a dud. Audrey Wolfe vs Holli Salazar fought to a draw because ref Greg Franklin deducted a point from Audrey for an illegal headbutt. Neither fighter looked good. It's tough to find decent Featherweights. Invicta has already announced most of the card for their next show. I'll look at it in depth as soon as the poster is out.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wolfmother

Artist:Wolfmother
Song:New Moon Rising
Album:Cosmic Egg





Those who like hard rock with psychedelic influences may want to check out Wolfmother who have been very successful in their native Australia. They are from Sydney, Australia led by lead singer, guitarist and songwriter Andrew Stockdale. Stockdale formed Wolfmother in 2004 with keyboard player Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett. They signed with the Aussie label Modular Recordings and this led to a US deal with Interscope. They recorded their 2005 debut album Wolfmother in Los Angeles with veteran producer Dave Sardy. The album did especially well at home and Joker & The Thief was a top ten hit in Australia. The album sold over a million copies worldwide. Stockdale went to work on writing songs for the next album. But while they were on a 2008 tour, there were split rumors which turned out to be true. Stockdale and producer Alan Moulder brought in new musicians to record the 2009 album Cosmic Egg. The album did well in Australia but not as well elsewhere. Wolfmother became a one man band with rotating members. Usually they left because they couldn't get along with Stockdale. Stockdale even released a solo album in 2013. But he cancelled a solo tour and returned to using the Wolfmother name. Wolfmother is still active. They released the album Victorious in 2016. And they continue to tour. But they now seem to be Stockdale backed by musicians hired for touring. I guess it's his baby. Here's the video for New Moon Rising by Wolfmother.

Randa Markos vs Marina Rodriguez added to Sept. 22 UFC show

Randa Markos vs Marina Rodriguez has been added to UFC Fight Night 137 at the Ginasio do Iberapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This was added last week but there was a spoiler which I will explain in a minute. This fight is at Strawweight. Randa is 33 years old from Windsor, ON. She trains at Michigan Top Team in Dearborn, MI. Her record is 8-6 and 4-5 in the UFC. Since we saw her in TUF 20, she has alternated wins and losses. She's a wrestler and when she's aggressive, she can win fights. But she looked awful in her July 28 loss to Nina Ansaroff. I'm not sure it's a good idea for her to return this quickly. She admitted after that loss that she didn't have the right mental attitude. This could be her last chance. Marina is 31 years old from Florianopolis, Brazil. Her record is 11-0 in the Brazilian regional circuit. This is definitely a step up in competition for her. The UFC is doing a Brazilian Dana White Contender Series. The big difference is the show is not broadcast live. On Aug. 11, Marina won over Maria Oliveira by first round TKO and it was broadcast in Brazil last night. Last week when this fight was reported, that was a spoiler. That fight earned her a UFC contract. I haven't seen the fight. These Brazilian shows are supposed to air at some point on UFC Fight Pass. So obviously she did well but I guess this will be our first look at Marina. Marina is 5'7" so she has a size advantage. We'll see how she does.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Martin Mull

Artist:Martin Mull
Song:Licks Off Of Records
Album:Martin Mull and his Fabulous Furniture in Your Living Room




Most folks are probably familiar with Martin Mull as an actor on TV shows like Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Fernwood 2 Night, Roseanne and Sabrina The Teenage Witch. But before that he released comedy albums that were a mix of comedy and music. Mull last recorded in 1979. He was born Aug. 18, 1943 in Chicago but he grew up in North Ridgeville, OH. His mom was an actor. His family moved to New Canaan, CT when Mull was 15. He studied painting and earned a BFA and an MFA at Rhode Island School of Design. After studying in Italy, Mull moved to Boston. While trying to earn a living with his art, Mull got into the local improv and coffee house scene. This eventually turned into the band Martin Mull and his Fabulous Furniture. Mull performed live in a living room set. Then he signed with Phil Walden's Capricorn Records, home of The Allman Brothers Band. Licks Off Of Records is from the 1973 album Martin Mull and his Fabulous Furniture in Your Living Room. It was Mull's second album recorded in front of a live audience. The song is typical of Mull's self deprecating humor. He's making fun of his own musical talent. The album is available as a digital download. Mull recorded three albums for Capricorn and he also recorded for Vanguard, ABC and Elektra. Then he was cast as Garth Gimble in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman which led to him hosting the spinoff talk show Fernwood 2 Night also starring Fred Willard and legendary session guitarist Tommy Tedesco. Fans of Garry Shandling's The Larry Sanders Show need to watch Fernwood 2 Night. From there he got more into acting and he gave up recording in 1979. Though he has done movies, most fans should know him as a regular on the sitcoms Roseanne and Sabrina The Teenage Witch. He also starred in the sitcoms Til Death and Dads. He also does a lot of voice work. He will star with Vicki Lawrence and David Alan Grier in the FOX sitcom Cool Kids which will premiere on Sept. 28. Here's Martin Mull and Glen Campbell performing Licks Off Of Records on The Tom and Dick Smothers Brothers Special II 1980.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Aug.31, 2018

Invicta FC 31 preview and RIP joshi wrestler Ray/Lin Bairon

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Ataris

Artist:The Ataris
Song:The Boys Of Summer
Album:Now That's What I Call Music! 14





This 2003 cover of Don Henley's The Boys Of Summer was the only chart single for The Ataris. The album So Long, Astoria was their major label debut. Things did not go well and they are still around as an indie band. The leader of The Ataris is singer songwriter Kris Roe. He's from Anderson, IN. Roe started out recording in his bedroom in 1996. One of his demos found its way to The Vandals bassist Joe Escalante and his label Kung Fu Records. They released The Ataris debut album Anywhere But Here in 1997. Roe moved to Santa Barbara, CA to put a touring band together. After two more albums on Kung Fu made The Ataris indie darlings, They signed with Columbia Records for the 2003 album So Long, Astoria. The album was produced by veteran recording engineer Lou Giordano. Roe admitted signing with a major label was for security. They would still make money even of the album didn't sell. The album was more commercial than previous albums so the album exposed them to a wider audience. Roe wrote all the songs except The Boys Of Summer. So he wasn't happy when Los Angeles radio station KROQ started playing The Boys Of Summer and it reached #20 on the Billboard Hot 100. It turned out to be their only chart single and you can get it on this various artists CD. The Ataris recorded their second Columbia album Welcome The Night with producer Nick Launay. But corporate chaos at Columbia forced Roe to ask to be released. He says that everyone at Columbia that liked the band had already left. The album was released on Sanctuary Records. Since then The Ataris have released a couple of EPs on Kung Fu. Roe still leads a touring version of the band. I guess that officially makes The Ataris a one hit wonder. Here's the video for The Boys Of Summer by The Ataris.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Aug. 30, 2018

UFC fight announcements.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Del McCoury

Artist:Del McCoury
Song:Quicksburg Rendezvous
Album:A Deeper Shade Of Blue





Bluegrass musician Del McCoury has been around since the 60s. He started out as a sideman and began recording solo in the late 60s. The turning point for McCoury came when he formed The Del McCoury Band with sons Ronnie and Robbie in the late 80s. And they have been going strong on the festival circuit ever since. McCoury was born Feb. 1, 1939 in Bakersville, NC but he grew up in Glen Rock, PA. McCoury started out as a banjo picker with various groups. His big break came in 1963 when Bill Monroe saw McCoury with The Virginia Mountain Boys and invited him to join his group The Bluegrass Boys. McCoury didn't stay long as he got married and decided to continue as a part time musician while working during the day in logging. In the late 60s, he started Del McCoury and his Dixie Pals. They recorded albums for smaller labels like Arhoolie in the 70s. In the late 80s, McCoury brought in his sons Ronnie McCoury on mandolin and Robbie McCoury on banjo. McCoury's brother Jerry was still on bass. They were renamed The Del McCoury Band and they signed with Rounder. Jerry left in 1989 and Mike Bub joined in 1992. Jason Carter has been the fiddler since 1992. The instrumental Quicksburg Rendezvous was written by Ronnie McCoury for the 1993 album A Deeper Shade of Blue. The song is still part of their regular repertoire. The band is still very successful on the festival circuit. They are currently on tour. McCoury now records for his own label McCoury Music. His latest CD Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass was released May 2018. McCoury is a great singer so I may feature his singing at some point. Here's Del McCoury performing Quicksburg Rendezvous in Japan in the 90s.

Maryna Moroz vs Veronica Macedo added to Nov. 17 UFC show

Ariel Helwani of ESPN reported this afternoon that Maryna Moroz vs Veronica Macedo has been added to UFC Fight Night 140 Nov. 17 at Luna Park in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This fight will be at Flyweight. Maryna is 26 years old from Russia. Her record is 8-3 and 3-3 in the UFC. She is a boxer and so is her husband who trains her. All of Maryna's previous fights were at Strawweight. This will be her first fight at Flyweight. I don't know if the change will help her because her main problem is she isn't aggressive enough. She does this keep away strategy that makes her a points fighter. That is not a successful long term strategy. That's why she's 3-3. Maryna will have a significant height advantage. Veronica is 22 years old originally from Venezuela but she lives in Poland. Her record is 5-2-1 and she's 0-2 in the UFC. She hasn't looked good in either of her fights. But she is hot. So I haven't liked what I have seen from either fighter. I would favor Maryna if she is aggressive. But that's a big if.

Tonya Evinger vs Aspen Ladd added to Oct. 6 UFC show

Tonya Evinger was scheduled to face Ketlen Vieira on UFC Fight Night 137 in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Sept. 22. Ketlen was forced to pull out a few days ago due to a knee injury. It's very unfortunate as if she were to win, that would launch Ketlen into the title picture. I thought the UFC might snag another Brazilian from PVRT to replace Ketlen. But John Morgan of MMA Junkie reports this morning that Tonya Evinger will now face Aspen Ladd on UFC 229 Oct. 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. That may be an even tougher fight for Tonya. Of course Tonya has been around for years. She's 37 years old originally from St. Louis but she now lives in Houston. She is a former Invicta Bantamweight champion. She made her UFC debut last year as a Welterweight losing to Cris Cyborg. Tonya was supposed to fight in February but she suffered a knee injury. Finally she makes her UFC Bantamweight debut and as I said, it won't be easy. Aspen is 23 years old from El Dorado Hills, CA. Her record is 6-0 and 1-0 in the UFC. I liked her when she was in Invicta. She has plenty of poise for a kid. Aspen was supposed to fight Leslie Smith in Apr. But Aspen missed weight. Leslie was on the final fight of her contract. She was going to agree to the fight if the UFC gave her a contract extension. They decided not to do that and the fight was cancelled. Aspen has promised she won't miss weight this time. I like what I have seen from Aspen so far. A win could give her a big boost.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra

Artist:Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra f/Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell
Song:Tangerine
Album:Contrasts




Sax player Jimmy Dorsey was the older brother of trombonist Tommy Dorsey. They had success together in the 30s. But they were famous for squabbling and so they inevitably split up. Both had individual success in the 40s. Tangerine was probably Jimmy's biggest hit. He performed it in the 1942 film The Fleet's In. He was born Feb. 29, 1904 in Shenandoah, PA. Dad was a music teacher. Jimmy and Tommy worked together in the 30s as The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. On May 30, 1935, they got into an argument over the tempo of a song and Tommy walked out in the middle of the show. Tommy started his own band and The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra became Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra. It was while the brothers were squabbling that Benny Goodman became The King Of Swing. Jimmy's band could play jazz and they usually did live and sometimes on record. But the signature sound of Jimmy Dorsey is with the two singers. Bob Eberly was already a member of the Dorsey Brothers band when Tommy left. He stayed with Jimmy. Kay Weber was the girl singer. But she was replaced by Helen O'Connell in 1939. And Tangerine was typical of the hits Dorsey scored featuring the two singers. Eberly would sing a ballad version of the song followed by the band and in the case of Tangerine a Dorsey sax solo. Then Helen would sing an uptempo version of the song. This was all in the confines of a three minute 78rpm recording. It was a very successful formula. Tangerine was probably Dorsey's biggest hit because the band performed it in the 1942 film The Fleet's In. Tangerine was written by the film's director Victor Schertzinger and Johnny Mercer. Schertzinger died of a heart attack before the film's release. Today Tangerine is considered to be a jazz standard. You can get it on this comp. Of course big bands faded after WWII. And Jimmy Dorsey was no different. He ended the band in the early 50s and he joined Tommy's band in 1953. After appearing on The Jackie Gleason Show, they hosted the CBS series Stage Show from 1954-56. That show was notable as the network TV debut of Elvis Presley. After Tommy died in 1956, Jimmy took over the band until he died of cancer on June 12, 1957 at age 53. Here's Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra featuring Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell performing Tangerine in the 1942 film The Fleet's In.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-The Parliaments

Artist:The Parliaments
Song:(I Wanna) Testify
Album:Sweet Soul Music: 30 Scorching Classics From 1967




Most music fans are familiar with George Clinton and his groups Parliament and Funkadelic who were very successful in the 70s. But before that Clinton led the Parliaments and they scored a top five R&B hit in 1967 with (I Wanna) Testify. This song is now considered a soul classic and it has been frequently covered and sampled. Clinton formed The Parliaments in 1955 in the back room of a barbershop in Plainfield, NJ. Clinton was part owner of the barbershop. They were a doo wop group very similar to Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. For most of the 60s, the members were George Clinton, Ray Davis, Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon and Grady Thomas. While The Parliaments released occasional singles without much success, Clinton took a job at Motown as a producer. Finally The Parliaments scored a hit with (I Wanna) Testify in 1967. It reached #3 on the R&B Singles chart and #20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The record was on Revilot Records owned by veteran producer Don Davis. Though the record is credited to The Parliaments, Clinton did everything himself. He recorded it in Detroit while working for Motown. Everyone else was in New Jersey. The success allowed Clinton to form a band for a Parliaments tour. But then Revilot went bankrupt and Clinton temporarily lost the rights to The Parliaments name. Clinton changed the name to Funkadelic and the rest is history. Of course he revived the Parliament name in the 70s. You can get (I Wanna) Testify on this Bear Family various artists comp. Clinton remade Testify on the 1974 Parliament album Up For The Down Stroke. And it's frequently sampled by hip hop guys. Here's a video for (I Wanna Testify) by The Parliaments.

Xiaonan Yan vs Syuri Kondo added to Nov. 24 UFC show

The UFC is going to Beijing, China for the first time on Nov. 24. UFC Fight Night 141 will be at Cadillac Arena. They announced four fights to the local media. Two of them are women's fights. Not surprisingly, both feature Chinese fighters. In a Strawweight bout, Xiaonan Yan will face Syuri Kondo. In a Flyweight bout, Yanan Wu will face Shana Dobson. Yan is 29 years old from Shenyang, China. Her record is 9-1-1NC and she's 2-0 in the UFC. It's hard to tell if she is any good as both of her UFC opponents were terrible and have been released. Syuri is 29 years old from Yokohama, Japan. I think most fans know she is a pro wrestling star in Japan. And also a former kickboxing champ. Her record is 6-1 and 1-1 in the UFC. She trains at the Japanese branch of the Dutch gym Vos. In her last fight, Syuri was clobbered by the much larger Poliana Botelho. She should be better in this fight. Syuri is a kickboxer with no power so she's a points fighter. So I expect this fight to go the distance and it could go either way. Wu is 22 years old from Chaoyang, China. Her record is 8-2. She lost her UFC debut at Bantamweight to Gina Mazany and she looked small. And I guess the UFC saw that and they told her to drop to Flyweight. This will be her first Flyweight bout. Who knows what she will be like? Shana is 29 years old. She trains at Team Lloyd Irvin in Maryland. Her record is 3-2 and 1-1 in the UFC. She was in TUF 26. She was outclassed by Lauren Mueller in her last fight. I'm not sure she's a UFC caliber fighter and I don't know if this fight will tell us if she is as Wu seems a little green to me.

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Wavves

Artist:Wavves
Song:Demon To Lean On
Album:Afraid Of Heights





Typical of today's indie bands, Wavves started as a solo home recording project and then grew into a band when Nathan Williams wanted to play live gigs. Williams is from San Diego. The name Wavves reflects his fear of the ocean. Williams was a 21 year old doing nothing. He was skateboarding and writing on his hip hip blog when he decided to record music in his bedroom using a cassette recorder and Garage Band software. He didn't think the music was any good. But he posted it on the internet and suddenly Wavves was praised as the next big thing. He turned it into a band so he could tour. Bassist Stevie Pope has been with him since the beginning. The other members don't matter much because Williams is a one man show. Williams released a couple of Wavves albums and he signed with Fat Possum for the 2010 album King of the Beach to get national distribution. Then major labels start sniffing around. Williams tried to resist this but for the 2013 album Afraid of Heights, Wavves signed with Warner Bros. Williams says Warners was looking for an edgy 90s style band. He says he just wanted to eat in nice restaurants in LA. Wavves went out on tour and promoted the album. They also performed Demon To Lean On on Late Show with David Letterman. That song is their biggest hit to date. After two albums on Warners, Wavves left and the 2017 album You're Welcome was released on his own label. When he announced that album's release, Williams blasted Warner Bros. for not having a clue about how to promote Wavves. He says it was chaos there. Wavves is currently on a world tour. Fans of punk and surf music influenced power pop should check out Wavves. Here's the video for Demon To Lean On by Wavves.

Frank Pozen's Big Bad Podcast Aug. 26, 2018

UFC Fight Night 135 review.

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Joanne Calderwood vs Kalindra Faria

Here's the match video of Joanne Calderwood vs Kalindra Faria from last night's UFC show in Loncoln, NE. If you listened to Friday's podcast, this fight went as I expected. Joanne is a popular fighter from Scotland now training at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas. Roxanne Modafferi was in her corner. Kalindra is a Brazilian who has physical skills but she beats herself with ineptitude. Kalindra got a takedown and secured top position for most of round one. So she was winning just like she was winning her last fight. In desperation at the end of the round, Joanne attempted a triangle choke. Then she switched to an armbar. I thought Kalindra would be able to hang on for the rest of the round. But then she panicked and turned the wrong way and made it worse. Kalindra tapped out with seconds left in the round. Now THAT'S ineptitude. Of course everybody overreacts to everything. I think it's great that Joanne won with a submission for the very first time. But it doesn't make me think she could do that anyone who isn't stupid. So yes, Joanne won the fight but really, Kalindra beat herself as she always seems to. Please send her back to the Brazilian regional circuit where she belongs. Enjoy the video!

Big Bad Blog Video Theater-Cortney Casey vs Angela Hill

Here's the match video of Cortney Casey vs Angela Hill from last night's UFC show in Lincoln, NE. If you listened to Friday's podcast, you'll know that though Angela was the favorite, I thought it would be fairly even. I think Cortney is a marginally better fighter but both are midcard at best. Cortney may have potential to be better but she hasn't shown that in the UFC. Angela is popular because of her personality but she's a one dimensional kickboxer. I don't think either fighter did enough to win. And that's why it was a split decision. The kneejerk reaction is to blame the judges. But fighters need to be more aggressive and win decisively. I didn't care who won because neither Cortney or Angela showed me that that they could beat anyone good. And that's all Angela talked about this week. She wants better competition and a title shot. But she didn't do enough to win this fight. Scores were all over the map. I scored round one 10-9 for Cortney because she got a takedown and her striking was a little better. But some might think that armbar attempt at the end should give Angela the round. Cortney seemed to tire in round two so I scored the round 10-9 for Angela. Between rounds, Cortney's coach John Crouch told her the fight was even. I scored the third 10-9 for Cortney. I guess she did enough for me to score the fight 29-28 for Cortney though I didn't think either of them won the fight. One judge scored it 30-27 for Cortney. A second scored it 29-28 for Angela. And the third scored it 29-28 for Cortney. It was a close but not very good fight. Too much light sparring for me. I'm still not convinced that Cortney can beat anyone good. And maybe Angela doesn't belong in the UFC. Enjoy the fight!

AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Curley Weaver

Artist:Curley Weaver w/Blind Willie McTell and Buddy Moss
Song:Dirty Mistreater
Album:Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order 1933-1935



Curley Weaver was known as The Georgia Guitar Wizard. He is probably best known for recording and touring with another blues legend Blind Willie McTell. So I think Weaver's career was overshadowed. He was born Mar. 26, 1906 in Covington, GA. He grew up on a cotton farm. His mother Savanah Shepard was a local guitar legend. She taught him, his pal Robert "Barbecue Bob" Hicks and his brother Charlie Hicks to play guitar. Weaver worked Atlanta clubs with Barbecue Bob. Bob was the first to record with Columbia Records in 1927. And that led to Weaver recording for Columbia in 1928. They also recorded with Eddie Mapp and as part of the Georgia Cotton Pickers. They met 16 year old harmonica player Buddy Moss and taught him the guitar. Then Weaver met Blind Willie McTell. At first they recorded with Moss and Fred McMullen as The Georgia Browns. Then Barbecue Bob died of pneumonia. And Eddie Mapp was murdered. And that left Weaver, McTell and Moss and they recorded McTell's song Dirty Mistreater in 1933. You can get it on this comp CD from Document Records. Then Moss went to prison. Weaver and McTell toured together for the next twenty years. They recorded together in the late 40s. And those recordings are also available on Document. They slowed down in the 50s mostly due to McTell's failing health. Then Weaver went blind and he died on Sept. 20, 1962 at age 56. Here's a video of Dirty Mistreater by Curley Weaver with Blind Willie McTell and Buddy Moss.