Powertrane no more?

The word is that Powertrane, the Real Rock and Roll band led by Michigan's Scott Morgan, is in the past tense.

No official announcement but Scott is said to be focussing on his solo band and forthcoming release on Alive. A pity to see Powertrane go after a nine-year run but here's something to remember them by, from Don Was' online music TV channel.

Revival a night no-one with half a brain should miss

Just 10 bucks to see this line-up? You'd have to be mad to pass it up if in the area. Online tix have just gone on sale here.

Rarities from the vault: Sonic's Rendezvous Band and Scott Morgan Band

The audio is from a Sonic's Rendezvous Band show from 1978, recently unearthed by Michigan multimedia producer Ed Primeau and left with him for safekeeping. The montage was done by one of Ed's employees.

And here's a Scott Morgan Band/Scots Pirates promotional clip Ed dug up:



That second one would be rarer than a piss-up around a TV set in an Amish elder's lounge room, I'd reckon.

Something Wild - Scott Morgan Band (1983)

That's Scott Morgan singing, his fellow former Sonic's Rendezvous Band member Gary Rasmussen on bass and then ex-Stooge Scott Asheton behind the kit. Video posted yesterday by producer/engineer Ed Primeau. Blues guy Mike Katon is the talented guitarist.

Hydromatics = Hi-Energy

They're probably past tense but who can tell? The Hydromatics remind you how great hi-energy rock and roll can be.

There's a live DVD in the wings. Maybe its release will be the catalyst for a re-animation.

I Wanna Be Your Dog

Hiawatha Bailey of the Cult Heroes joins Scott Morgan and Powertrane for a run through of "I Wanna Be Your Dog" from the Ron Asheton Tribute at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor recently.

City Slang: Hydromatics live in Stockholm

The Hydromatics were the Sonic's Rendezvous Band-focused trans-Atlantic supergroup featuring Scott Morgan and Tony Slug. Shame on you if you didn't know. This version of"City Slang" is from their forthcoming DVD which looks like a reason to stay in.

Anyone got a spare air ticket?

Storied history lesson from Detroit vets

I-94 Bar staffer Clark Paull spotted a nice Powertrane piece in the Detroit Metro Times tonight. MC5/Stooges chronicler Brett Callwood sat Scott Morgan and Robert Gillespie down and talked about their histories and that of their current band. Read it here.

Forget Bindi Irwin. Here are The Muldoons

Ever heard of The Muldoons? Probably not if you live outside of Michigan. Scott Morgan told me about the trio of two sub-teenage kids and their Dad on drums. Here's a taste.

The story at My Damn Channel goes...

"The Muldoons are a 3-piece family band that plays loud, aggressive punk rock in the great Detroit tradition. Brothers Hunter and Shane Muldoon (aged 14 and 10 respectively) write, play guitar and sing - their father, Brian, is a powerful, grooving drummer. For these sessions, they cut 4 great tracks in 45 minutes - if they'd only skipped school, we could've recorded a double album!"

HUNTER MULDOON
Guitar and Vocals
SHANE MULDOON
Guitar and Vocals
BRIAN MULDOON
Drums

PRODUCED BY DON WAS
Recorded by STEVE 'DR. CHING' KING
At 54 SOUND, FERNDALE, MICHIGAN

The Solution

Long time between drinks. Sorry for the absence but I've been busier than a one-armed bricklayer in Beirut. Here's something to tide you over - the new film clip from the US/Scandi soul band The Solution. That's Scott Morgan on vocals with Nicke Royale (Hellacopters) on drums.

Band member Jim Heneghan came up with the concept and shot the clip, with Scott "mailing in" his self-shot vocal on an ancient video camera from his home in Ann Arbor.

This is "You Gotta Come Down" from the new "Will Not Be Televised" album.

Tyner tune "Taboo" live

What's the use of YouTube if you don't share? Cop this: Scott Morgan's Powertrane (with special guest Deniz Tek) rocking out on "Taboo", the song co-written by the MC5's Rob Tyner and Powertrane guitarist Robert Gillespie, at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor in June. Thanks to Dave Champion for the link.

And a reminder - that long-awaited Powertrane studio album, which has been held up by pressing problems, should be days away from a proper release. (Early copies lacked this very song.)

Theft Most Foul in the Murder City

Word from the other side of the world is that the Powertrane support to the Stooges in the Motor City went down a storm. One disappointing note, however, when PT's special guest, Deniz Tek, parted ways with a near new Rickenbacker somewhere between Montana and Detroit Metro Airport. Deniz isn't holding his breath, suspecting foul luggage handler play. Thankfully, it's wasn't the Epi Crestwood.

When too much Stooges isn't nearly enough

So I'm sitting here in sunny Sydney, cooling my heels, when I shoulda jumped a plane to the Motor City to see the Stooges, supported by Powertrane Featuring Scott Morgan with special guest Deniz Tek. Then this fine little promo movie pops into my mailbox. What's a poor boy to do but put it here on a blog for public consumption?

And speaking of the Hydromatics...

...here are a few more details about the new album, with Celibate Rifle Kent Steedman on board. It's out in August on European label Suburban and they'll tour the Continent in September. Tracks likely to make the cut:

Streets of Amsterdam
Dinosaurs
Baby Jane
All Down The Line
Power and Glory
Mystically Yours (unrecorded Sonic's Rendezvous Band song)
Kinked Up
Funball
The Most
Detroit Leanin'
Standin' at the Juke

There's a rough mono mix of "Standin' at the Juke" here.

Hydromatics armed with a Rifle

Exciting news hinted at here a few weeks ago: Celibate Rifles guitarist Kent Steedman has signed on as part of a re-vamped Hydromatics line-up.

Don't know the Hydromatics? Shame. They're the trans-Atlantic band headed by Scott Morgan (Powertrane, Scots Pirates, The Rationals, Sonic's Rendezvous Band) and Dutch raconteur Tony Slug (The Nitwitz, BGK, Loveslug.) If you wanna hear a tune, go herefor "Dangerous".

On the kit is Ries Doms. Another Dutchman, Theo Brouwer, is the long-serving man on bass. Kent's addition makes the latest Hydros a fearsome three-headed guitar monster. And of course, vocalists don't get any better than Scott.

Their studio albums "Parts Unknown" and "Powerglide" are perfect examples of devastatingly hard, but soulful, rock and roll. They also gave the first proper studio treatment to some of the great songs of Sonic's Rendezvous Band. A live vinyl EP was thought to be their swansong.

The band will rehearse and write in Amsterdam for a week before recording in Cologne after that with things expected to be wrapped up by the end of March. A European tour will happen after that. If only someone could talk them into coming to Australia...

My mail is that the Rifles will be active again, mid-year, doing some Australian dates with a re-constituted Cosmic Psychos line-up. No word on the replacement for Robbie Watts (R.I.P.) but it's good to see the Psychos continue.

Pssst...Sonic's Rendezvous Band boxes going cheap

You've heard how wonderful the "Sonic's Rendezvous Band" box set is - six CDs of mostly unreleased stuff from one of the most underrated bands ever to walk the earth. Right? Well, they're going for $A76 a pop in Scott Morgan's online shop (postage and packaging included.) That's 50 bucks less than some shops were selling them for in Sydney a few months ago. Too good to be true. The box is $US55 if you live in the USA. Tell Scott I sent you.

Speaking of things City Slang-related, there are solid rumblings that the Hydromatics (the SRB-flavoured, trans-Atlantic, European-based rock and roll machine) will be cranking up again for recordings and shows. No confirmation yet but Scott Morgan, Dutch madman Tony Slug and a certain Aussie guitarist look like being on board.