Bongo Beat News

Hi Folks...

I can't believe we're almost at July already... wow, it's been a blur.

Here's what's going on in Bongo Beat land.

This Saturday, June 26, I will be manning the Bongo Beat table at the Ottawa Small Press Book Fair

This is in room 203 of the Jack Purcell Community Centre (on Elgin, at 320 Jack Purcell Lane), Ottawa.

Take the elevator or stairs to the second floor and there we are!

Open to the public: Noon-5pm

All CDs are $5 ea, in addition to the $1 Box, the FREE CD box, and the 25¢ Pop Culture Box... but wait, there's more! Copies of Ralph's poetry books plus Treat Me Like Dirt! 

After you stock up on indie presses - Elgin Street is a groovy street with lots of coffee places and neat stores (including a magazine store and a book store)... so lots to do on a Saturday afternoon.

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Also happening on Saturday -

The Dave Rave CD Release Party in Hamilton, Ontario.

This is sold out, but here are the details anyway:

Doors open at 8PM

Location: Fenian Films 211 Locke Street South, Hamilton, Ontario

Special Guests include Lauren Agnelli (Washington Squares/ Nervus Rex) along with Mark Foley, Jack Pedler, Mike Hickey, Ed Roth and Rick Andrew

Tickets are $20.00 and were available at Picks And Sticks Music at 208 Locke Street South 905-528-6058

Dave's new cd is LIVE WITH WHAT YOU KNOW and is his first rock record for Bongo Beat. 

The early reviews have been fantastic!

Hamilton Spectator:

Exclaim!

Not Lame - THE Power Pop Music site:

Dave is touring all over the US and will be going back to Italy, UK, and France in the fall.

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In other news, the always COOL Franco Proietti Morph-tet launched their 2nd album, LIVE! A WEEKEND AT THE CENTRE ST. AMBROISE on June 19 in Montreal to rave response (the cd will actually be in stores on July 6 in Canada, later in July worldwide), like the Montreal Mirror giving it 7 out of 10 stars!

The Montreal Gazette also had some jazz hands love:

The group is touring all through July and August and you can see the dates here:

Also check out the super groovy NEW Morph-Tet site (designed by the Morph-Tet's vocal stylist Jonathan Emile)... wowww....

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Meanwhile, back on the Coast... Vancouver based Graham Brown and The Prairie Dogs have been kicking up a stir with their Bongo Beat debut, DO WHAT YOU SHOULD. If you like your roots rocked up with full bore harmonica and razor sharp lead guitar, then this is the album you want cranked up on a prairie Saturday night. If you're in the UK, check out the CD in the June issue of the free Properganda magazine available at all HMV shops.

4 out of 5 stars - Exclaim!

4 out of 5 stars - Americana UK

4 1/2 stars out of 5 - Rootstime, Belgium

4 out of 5 stars - Vancouver Province

read them all here:

Graham is best known to West Coast rock fans as the leader of Happyman and Brilliant Orange in addition to starting out as a mainstay of the legendary Jr. Gone Wild. His sold out Railway Club shows are the stuff of legend.

On Friday, Aug  27, join Graham Brown and Dave Rave as they close off the night at the International Pop Overthrow, Railway Club. Also on the bill, Go Four 3 featuring my pal Stephen Quinn (if you're one of the rabid fans of my Olympia 66 cd, that's him!).

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Coming soon on Bongo Beat:

Kevin Quain (Queen St's own renaissance man), Forbidden Dimension ("braiiiins"), Andy Creeggan (wow, this will blow you away it's so cool)... and yes, I have been seriously humbled by so many people asking about when I will have a new album out and I am starting to get that together. 

There are a few more things but we'll have to wait a bit on those :)

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Bongo Beat Books

Treat Me Like Dirt is now in its third printing and I can't believe that the Beverley Tavern was mis-spelled!

It's all fixed now. The book is available via all good indie record stores that can order from Outside Music (Canada), Burnside (USA), New Music (Germany) and Proper (UK). In Montreal, try Sonik at Berri & Duluth.

Congratulations to author Liz Worth - her next book of poetry will be with the prestigious Guernica Editions!

Guernica was recently bought by Michael Mirolla and Connie McParland, both friends of mine so it's all "in the family" as it were.

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Bongo Beat Films

Co-inciding with the recent Diodes mini-tour; a film we produced, CIRCA 1977:THE DIODES, premiered at NXNE to rave reviews and a sold out theatre! (they had to put the overflow in a second screening room at the National Film Board, Toronto).

The film, directed by Aldo Erdic, follows the original Diodes as they re-unite and rehearse for their 2007 NXNE concerts at Dundas Square and Sneaky Dee's. There is lots of 1977 footage and full access to my 1977 photo archives.

The film has its own blog here:

Diodes Facebook page:

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In closing, I am always sensitive to mailbox clutter so any suggestions always appreciated.

We always post breaking news, reviews, photos and such on the Facebook Bongo Beat page here:

Bongo Beat is distributed worldwide by:

Canada: Outside Music

USA: Burnside

UK: Proper Music

Germany: New Music

Holland: Sonic Rendezvous

It always seems like I've forgotten something - there's always so much going on.

Look for us at various Ontario/Quebec record and book fairs in the coming months... I've picked up a lot of cool vinyl in my many Euro and USA travels and that will all slowly start coming out at the record shows.

Anyway, that is it for now.

Talk Soon

Ralph Alfonso

Bongo Beat

ralph@bongobeat.com