Storied Career of Supergroup The Continental Drifters Chronicled in Biography 'White Noise & Lightning'

It's great to see beloved music collective The Continental Drifters are the subject of an upcoming biography and 25-song tribute album too...Robert Kinsler

STORIED CAREER OF SUPERGROUP THE CONTINENTAL DRIFTERS CHRONICLED IN BIOGRAPHY WHITE NOISE & LIGHTNING PLUS 25-SONG TRIBUTE ALBUM WE ARE ALL DRIFTERS BOTH OUT SEPTEMBER 27 ON COOL DOG SOUND

“I have loved the Continental Drifters since the first time I saw them, and more so with every show and record since. I'm thrilled to have a part in their rediscovery.” Mike Mills, R.E.M.   The Continental Drifters, described by one pundit as “a small s supergroup,” are fondly remembered by their coterie of friends, fans and followers, who over the course of a 10+ year career, sought them out both on record and in person. White Noise & Lightning: The Continental Drifters Story, Sean Kelly’s authorized biography tells the band’s story through extensive interviews with all ten of the musicians who were full-time members at various times*, as well as a myriad of their colorful friends and cohorts, leaving no stone unturned in researching this rather extraordinary group of people and their quest for musical family during a journey one member likened to a “locomotive going down a hill.”   The band’s credibility was underscored by the fact that it was comprised primarily of members of other notable groups, including The Bangles, The Dream Syndicate, The dB’s and The Cowsills, though those affiliations were always subservient to the collective spirit that was “baked in” to the gestalt of the Continental Drifters. Their singular saga has been chronicled in Sean Kelly’s comprehensive biography with a forward by music journalist Brett Milano, that is to be published September 27 by Cool Dog Sound. Cool Dog is simultaneously releasing We Are All Drifters: A Tribute to the Continental Drifters, a 2CD, 25-song companion tribute album, co-produced by the author and David Jenkins, to benefit the Wild Honey Foundation. Kelly describes the band as “the working class Fleetwood Mac,” as the book follows the members through years of cross-country moves, lineup changes, industry highs and lows, marriages, divorces, and dozens of classic songs. It’s the definitive story of a band that rose and fell and rose again strictly on its own terms with artistry, for better or worse, always being valued beyond commercial considerations.

Pre-order White Noise & Lightning: The Continental Drifters Story (book) and We Are All Drifters: A Tribute to the Continental Drifters (album)

"Their insistence on playing three hours every night, whether there were 400 people or 40, was trying sometimes. I say that laughing because we loved every minute of it. But it was like, ‘Wow, they are here to play. They’re not here to play a short little tight set. They’re here to make as much music as they possibly can.’ Even if they’re going to be exhausted the next day, it doesn’t matter.” Steve Wynn, The Dream Syndicate   We Are All Drifters participants include The Bangles’ Debbi Peterson (whose sister Vicki was long part of the Continental Drifters), R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and Mike Mills, Marshall Crenshaw, John Cowsill (whose sister Susan has been a Continental Drifter of long standing) Don Dixon, Hootie & The Blowfish founder/lead guitarist Mark Bryan, Kim Richey, George Porter Jr. of the Meters, Annie Clements and Garrison Starr. A single from the tribute album—Debbi Peterson and The Minus 5’s version of “Who We Are, Where We Live”—is available exclusively on Bandcamp now.

Listen to “Who We Are, Where We Live” performed by Debbi Peterson and The Minus 5 (feat. Peter Buck of R.E.M.)

“I saw them play one Tuesday night in a little bar in Woodstock, NY in front of maybe 11 people. They got up there and poured their hearts out, and I’ve been a fan ever since. All in all, I’m glad that I was asked to be on this album, and glad to be a part of it.” Marshall Crenshaw    In related Continental Drifters news, author Sean Kelly shares the title of his book with Omnivore Recordings’ White Noise & Lightning: The Best Of Continental Drifters album (release date: September 13), that includes voluminous liner notes by Kelly on both an 11-track LP and 15-track CD.   “The Continental Drifters reminded me in a lot of ways of The Band, so that really piqued my interest. I found Carlo Nuccio’s voice to be hauntingly fabulous. I was always looking for inspiration, and when I first heard them, I thought, ‘This is cool. Thank goodness there’s something cool.’” Carlene Carter    The Continental Drifters were perhaps the very definition of an underground band with virtually no major label or professional management intercession. While the music they created would now be thought of as “Americana,” neither the genre nor the term for it existed at the band’s inception. In a sense, they “invented” something for which there was no name, but which they were compelled to pursue just the same. The Continental Drifters were a passion project for all concerned and Kelly captures that fervor in his book, which too is something of a passion project, having taken the better part of five years to meticulously research and write.    Almost from its early ‘90s inception, the band, with a continually evolving personnel line up, held down a weekly residency in Los Angeles, performing before an ever-expanding fan base who religiously gathered to see them each Tuesday at Raji’s, a bare bones showcase room that was not typically haunted by major label functionaries. As the band was getting its footing and to some extent solidifying its lineup, things changed. Several of the members pulled up stakes and relocated to New Orleans, where they built a reputation for breaking barriers and innovation – all over again. In essence, history repeated itself in the Crescent City.   It can be argued that the Continental Drifters were not so much a band as an arts collective that attracted an ever-changing line-up of inspired musicians who explored new vistas without much regard to commercial constraints. The Continental Drifters, unburdened by major label and management handlers tended to explore what felt right to the respective members/participants almost from a purely musical point of view. While they were for the most part, hitless, they broke new ground and played music that was totally original and unencumbered by constraints of format or genre.   Continental Drifters personnel  Russ Broussard# (ex-member of The Bluerunners)  Susan Cowsill# (also of The Cowsills, Psycho Sisters) Gary Eaton (ex-member of Giant Sand, The Ringling Sissters, collaborator with Steve Wynn of The Dream Syndicate) Ray Ganucheau (has released albums under his own name) Peter Holsapple# (ex-member of The dB’s, former touring guitarist with R.E.M. and Hootie & The Blowfish) Robert Maché (ex-member of Lulu and the Broadsides, Swinging Madisons, Steve Wynn Quintet) Danny McGough (ex-member of Social Distortion, Liquor Giants, 7 Deadly 5) Carlo Nuccio (1961 – 2022 / played drums on albums by Tori Amos, Emmylou Harris, Marianne Faithfull, Dr. John) Vicki Peterson# (also of The Bangles) Mark Walton# (ex-member of The Dream Syndicate) #part of the most recent lineup of the Continental Drifters   Continental Drifters: Before and Beyond Spotify playlist illustrates the members’ connections to their many other musical endeavors https://open.spotify.com/playlist/528YeC19d78InPfSOCnkib?si=7bd2686a854d4fc6   Pre-order White Noise & Lightning: The Best of the Continental Drifters https://omnivorerecordings.com/shop/white-noise/   We Are All Drifters: A Tribute to the Continental Drifters tracklisting:   Disc 1 Don Dixon - The Mississippi Rob Laufer - The Rain Song Marshall Crenshaw - Darlin Darlin Rosie Flores & the Talismen - Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway Annette Zilinskas (with Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher) - Dallas The Iguanas - Side Steppin’ the Fire Tara Austin & Lyn Bertles - Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Jolene - Spring Day in Ohio Robbie Rist - Invisible Boyfriend Candace Mache - Heart, Home Equation - Don’t Do What I Did Debbi Peterson & The Minus 5 - Who We Are Disc 2 Annie Clements & the Auxiliary Drifters - Drifters Danny McGough, Alex McMurray and Glenn Hartman - Mezzanine George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners - Peaceful Waking Martha Gehman - Here I Am   Caitlin Cary - I Want To Learn To Waltz With You Derrick Anderson - No One Cares Garrison Starr - Mixed Messages Kim Richey + Kettle of Hawks - Snow Steve Wynn of The Dream Syndicate - Green Danielle Howle with Mark Bryan of Hootie & the Blowfish - Meet Me In The Middle Dayna Kurtz & Robert Mache - Long While John Cowsill - Watermark   Produced by Sean Kelly and David Jenkins Mastered by Jeffrey Reed at Taproot Audio Design Cover photos by Greg Allen, Julia Ewan, and Arnold Neimanis  Cover design by Brendan Kelly     About Cool Dog Sound Cool Dog Sound is a small, independent book label, featuring fiction and non-fiction by musicians and other people with experiences working in the music business. They are also a record label. https://cooldogsound.com/   About the author of White Noise & Lightning: The Continental Drifters Story Sean Kelly is a musician, producer, and writer who spent nearly 20 years as the co-songwriter and singer of the band A Fragile Tomorrow. With his band, Sean toured internationally with the likes of Indigo Girls, Matthew Sweet, The Bangles, K’s Choice, and Toad the Wet Sprocket, and released seven albums. He currently serves as co-founding editor of The Savannahian, a nonprofit digital news publication in Savannah, Georgia, and composes music for independent films. He lives in Savannah with his wife, Kennedy, and their two children.    About Wild Honey Foundation While actively supporting various charitable causes, the Wild Honey Foundation seeks to pass on the passion, creativity, and idealism found in rock, rhythm & blues, folk, and pop music to future generations through cultural events of all types. They are a 501(c)(3)non-profit. https://www.wildhoneyfoundation.com/

The Beach Boys bring 'Sixty Years of the Sounds of Summer' to Greek Theatre

Beach Boy singer Mike Love, left,
with Mark McGrath (of Sugar Ray fame).

Who: The Beach Boys

Where: The Greek Theatre

When: Sunday, Aug. 8, 2022

Information: TheBeachBoys.com

The Beach Boys brought their "Sixty Years of the Sounds of Summer" tour to the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday night, Aug. 7. This being a high profile hometown celebration of their 60th anniversary, Mike Love and Bruce Johnston (along with their talented touring troupe) invited a few notable guests to the three-hour concert event.

From left, Mike Love, John Stamos and drummer
drummer John Cowsill.

Indeed, the Hawthorne, California-spawned group took the stage right at 8 p.m. to perform the 1968 hit "Do It Again" with Sugar Ray singer Mark McGrath and actor/musician John Stamos along to add celebratory firepower to the festive opener. That joyful sprit continued as the ensemble immediately moved into "Surfin' Safari" and "Catch a Wave" with archival film footage of surfers and beach scenes playing on a large rear projection screen. During "Surfin' Safari" lyrics were displayed to assist with the audience sing-along.

The Beach Boys, along with John Stamos, performing "Surfin' Safari" at the Greek Theatre.

The concert was divided into two parts with The Beach Boys' most beloved hits comprising the majority of the setlist. Select covers that fit nicely alongside the signature sound of the group's originals were also a nice addition to the special night.

Singer-keyboardist Bruce Johnston, left, with
singer Mike Love at the Greek Theatre.

While Love, 81, and Johnston, 80, handled principal vocals across much of the night, other members of the collective bolstered the parade of songs with their strong lead and harmony vocals. This writer was particularly impressed by the strong vocals of drummer-vocalist John Cowsill and guitarist-vocalist Brian Eichenberger.

Early in the night, Eichenberger used his soaring falsetto on a tender version of "Don't Worry Baby" before the lead vocal duties were handed to Cowsill for an inspired take on "Darlin'," the latter a criminally overlooked melodic wonder from the band's 1967 masterwork Wild Honey. Cowsill's unmistakable vocals also helped bolster a cover of the Mamas & the Papas 1965 hit "California Dreamin' " to kick off the second half of the show.

Other strong contributors from the touring band showcased during the concert included Scott Totten, Keith Hubacher and Christian Love and Tim Bonhomme.

Highlights were frequent during part 1 of the fast-moving affair, with a fun cover of the Ramones' 1977 surf rock-mining "Rockaway Beach," tender "In My Room," McGrath taking over the proceedings for a crowd-pleasing take on Sugar Ray's 1997 No. 1 hit "Fly," rousing "Little Deuce Coupe" and "I Get Around."

The second half of the event included energetic takes on "California Girls," "Dance, Dance, Dance," the country-flavored Lead Belly-penned "Cotton Fields," a rollicking take on Chuck Berry's timeless 1957 gem "Rock and Roll Music," and an especially affecting version of the Baroque pop masterpiece "God Only Knows" originally released in 1966.

Mike Love on Aug. 7, 2022.

Bruce Johnston at the Greek.

While the concert was heavy on radio favorites, there were some cool surprises on the special night. Love delivered a poignant version of "Pisces Brothers," a song he wrote for George Harrison after his friend passed away in 2001. During the performance of the song, images and riveting video footage of Harrison and Love taken in India in the late 1960s helped transport the audience to the dawn of the two artists' friendship. Johnston reached similarly potent territory with his turn leading a version of his self-penned "Disney Girls" from the Beach Boys' 1971 album Surf's Up.

John Stamos at the Greek Theatre.

Stamos — whose talents as guitarist and drummer impressed frequently during the concert — took over lead vocals on an impactful version of "Forever" dedicated to his late friend Bob Saget (who sadly passed away in January 2022).

There were even more surprises for the audience. The country music Nashville-based duo LOCASH (Chris Lucas and Preston Brust) — who have a rising hit titled "Beach Boys" on the iTunes Charts — joined the bash for a breezy take on "Kokomo," "Good Vibrations" and "Beach Boys" (the latter an animated version of their aptly-titled hit that pays tribute to the Beach Boys).

The night ended with a spirited run by the Beach Boys through "Barbara Ann" and "Fun Fun Fun" with the audience on their feet and letting decades of memories crest as high as the pyrotechnics that lit up the warm summer night.

Action Skulls release new album created amid COVID-19 Crisis

Very cool news that Action Skulls are back with a new album. The music video for "A Different World" is as cool as the song!

Vicki Peterson, John Cowsill, Bill Mumy
Photo Courtesy: Angela Cartwright

Nashville, TN--Action Skulls are Vicki Peterson (the Bangles, the Continental Drifters, the Psycho Sisters), her husband John Cowsill (the Cowsills and longtime member of the Beach Boy touring band) and Bill Mumy (Emmy-nominated composer, musician, actor, producer, co-founder of the cult duo Barnes & Barnes, and veteran of the band America). Mumy is best known for his iconic role as Will Robinson on the TV classic show Lost In Space. Together the trio write and record as Action Skulls and their latest project, A Different World, was written, recorded and released in very short order during the early and heated stages of the devastating  COVID–19 pandemic in March 2020.
 
Vicki Peterson describes Action Skulls music as “canyon rock,” partially because they live in the canyons of Los Angeles, and the songs reflect influences from the deep well of classic music that sprung from the Laurel Canyon scene of the 1970’s. 

 
After three years of juggling schedules, Action Skulls released their critically-acclaimed debut LP in 2017 and even performed a fabled “debut farewell” show to a sold-out crowd at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Lost Angeles, CA in January of 2018.
 
A not-so-funny thing happened on their way to completing their sophomore LP, the COVID–19 pandemic turned our world upside-down. Unbeknownst to the other members, Mumy sequestered himself and seemingly overnight, emerged with a collection of songs that would become the basis for A Different World.