Month: May 2010

Apple And The Three Oranges – Free And Easy (Stage Music, 1972)

Listen: “Free And Easy Pt. 1.”

Apple And The Three Oranges: “Free And Easy Pt. 1.”

We at Now-Again have just inked a deal with Edward “Apple” Nelson to issue an anthology of Apple And Three Oranges’ 5 45 rpm records, issued on Stage Music, Stanson and Sagittarius. In the future, we’ll give you more details about the reissue (funk expert Dante Carfagna will help write the liner notes and contribute ephemera; L.A. funk collector Cut Chemist has already contributed to the Apple interview; L.A. record dealer and Apple enthusiast Mike Vegh has agreed to contribute rare photos of the band in its prime). In the meantime, feast your ears on Apple’s classic “Free and Easy” and gaze at the original Stage Music 45 as one of our Picks.

Posted in PicksMay. 20, 2010

Ojoubeha – Shekare Ahoo (Arang Rooz, late 60s)

Listen: “Shekare Ahoo.”

Ojoubeha: “Shekare Ahoo.”

Every once in a while, we at Now-Again headquarters get an email that’s too hard to believe. Case in point, the homey Josh Marcy tells us he’s just stumbled upon a stash of Iranian 45s in the house his parents rent to an elderly Persian woman. By his estimation, there’s some heat in the stacks – not much psych, but a smattering of cool pop that he’s willing to share. A few weeks – and a pick up at Computer Jay’s studio – and there we are, wondering what the Ennio Morricone-sounding tune rolling off this Farsi-inscribed 45 could be. Well, we send the tracks to Dario at irannostalgia.com and he informs us that the record is by the group Ojoubeha. We look at our interview with Iranian legend Kourosh and find this gem:

“In Iran rock groups never used or mixed traditional or local instruments. They simply copied what was done in the West. The exception was the group Golden Ring who would write Iranian melodies and then would play them on rock instruments. They released some records like, “Ey Yar Bala.” (“Matador Come Back”.) Also the group Oujubeha, with lead singer Jamshid Alimorad who now lives in the U.S., performed songs like “Tour-Mahihaa” and “Shekar Ahoo.” “

Posted in PicksMay. 19, 2010

Hard Rock From The Pacific Northwest – Dennis The Fox

Listen to an example: “Pile Driver.”

Dennis Caldirola – aka Dennis The Fox – recorded and self-released his Mother Trucker album as a demo in Seattle, Washington in the early 1970s. It’s a demo – one made to attract attention at major record labels – so the sound on this album runs the gamut from hard rock to country rock, from soulful ballads to beat heavy funk. Atop each track Dennis The Fox croons like Elvis. And it works! As funk-expert Dante Carfagna once wrote about “Pile Driver” in an issue of Waxpoetics: ” ‘Pile Driver’s’ drums should come with a rebate against the $1000 you spent on your copy of Salt’s ‘Hung Up.'” A back-handed compliment? We think not. Now-Again is happy to represent both master and publishing for Dennis The Fox’s quirky masterwork.