Irie33

Gil Scott-Heron RIP

2011-05-28T05:11:00.000-07:00

I guess the hardcore drug use finally caught up with him. One of the most important progenitors of rap music, Scott-Heron incorporated poetry and jazz into his music, which ran the gamut from confrontational to mellow, but was always political. He incorporated his sociological observations and opinions about racial inequality in America into all of his music. I got into his music late, but really liked his 1970's output. "Pieces of a Man" and "Winter in America" (with Brian Jackson) are 2 of my favorites. Howard Stern used Scott-Heron's "Whitey's On The Moon' for a great bit in his earlier days, and Eric Lindell did a great cover of "Lady Day and John Coltrane" (on his 2nd disc "Low on Cash, Rich in Love").

I've read interviews and articles about Scott-Heron where he talked about his drug abuse, and said that had no interest in kicking his habit. In recent years he made a few albums (2010's "I'm New Here" was critically lauded) after being "discovered" again by the owner of XL Recordings, who took a chance and gave Scott-Heron the opportunity to create new music. He was a great talent, and unfortunately died way too young. Gil Scott-Heron was only 62 years old.

Clip from Ollabelle show in West Village

2011-05-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

Performing "Northern Star". From 5/6/11, an amazing private acoustic show for backers of the new Ollabelle record coming out later this year.

Ollabelle needs you

2011-04-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Ollabelle, a great NYC based band, is trying to go the independent route for their new disc. (Not too long ago that sentence would've meant they were recording for a small label). The band has taken to the internet and social media to try and raise funds for their new disc, as they want to release it themselves. Great idea and I hope they are able to raise the necessary funds (they're currently 90% of the way their goal of $10K). I contributed to the cause, as I think they are an incredibly talented group of musicians (and if you've never heard them you really should seek out their 2 studio discs and 1 live disc). They don't reach a wide audience, as they are a grass-roots driven band and mostly play locally. I appreciate the fact that they are trying to make it on "their" terms, I only hope they can reach a bigger audience so they can afford to keep making music. Their music is a true Americana-based sound, with blues, jazz, country and folk influences. All are excellent vocalists as well as musicians and it's a shame that more people don't know about them. Here's the link to their fundraising page and a few videos. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ollabelle/ollabelle-album

annual Allmans

2011-04-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

The Allmans recently finished up their annual NYC residency, this year back at the Beacon (where they belong). I went on Monday 3/14 and saw a great show. This year the band focused on earlier material (mostly from their Fillmore days) as 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of the recording of the Fillmore East album. Over the course of the run they pulled from a tight list of songs, only playing a few new covers, and very few songs from recent albums. On the night I saw them they did play "Egypt" an instrumental Derek rips on they wrote a few years ago that they never recorded. They didn't play 1 song from "Enlightened Rogues", which must remind them too much of Dickey Betts, although it's an excellent record. (They still won't touch "Blue Sky" live, although Warren busted out a great version with Furthur at the Best Buy Theater during an off-night from the Allmans). The special guests during the run were only so-so, with appearances by Dr. John, Steve Earle, Susan Tedeschi (obviously), David Hidalgo, being the better known. I caught Bill Evans (sax) who was excellent, especially on "Dreams", and Bernie Williams, who I had (have) zero interest in hearing. I've heard 8 or 9 shows from the run and the band sounds better than they did last year. Jaimoe takes long breaks during the show and Gregg is still forgetting lyrics here and there, but the band soldiers on, the best live band in the world. Derek and Warren are still phenomenal, and I hope they keep playing the Beacon forever. Here's a video from Warren playing with Furthur doing "Blue Sky" and a clip from the Beacon.

Top Songs / 2010

2010-12-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

Excellent year for music. This is the 1st year in a long time I had to leave songs off my year-end disc, so any year I can find more than 35 songs I really enjoy I consider a good one (music-wise anyway). In no particular order:

Bodega - Eric Lindell
You Can Dance - Bryan Ferry
Heart of Steel - Galactic (feat. Irma Thomas)
Moneygrabber - Fitz & The Tantrums
Coma and Get It - Eli "Paperboy" Reed
The Trip To Pirates Cove - Tome Petty & The Heartbreakers
Susanah - 30db
Beggarman - Smoove & Turrell
Rock Dust Light Star - Jamiroquai
Slow - Rumer
The Sweetest Thing - JJ Grey & Mofro
I Learned The Hard Way - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Love Lives - Black Dub
How To Become Clairvoyant - Robbie Robertson
Soldier of Love - Sade
All My Bridges Burning - Los Lobos
Cold Boy Smile - The Black Crowes
Shaky - The Duke & The King
As We Enter - Nas, Damian Marley
Beautiful Place - Sean Carey
Blood Like Lemonade - Morcheeba
I Need A Dollar - Aloe Blacc
Stylo - Gorillaz
The Sound of Sunshine - Michael Franti & Spearhead
The High Road - Broken Bells
Cotton Was King - Widespread Panic
You Are Not Alone - Mavis Staples
Chance - James Maddock
Beg Steal or Borrow - Ray Lamontagne
Do You Love Me - Guster
Rocksteady - Big Head Todd & The Monsters
Shaky Ground - Jackie Greene
I Didn't See It Coming - Belle & Sebastian
Window Seat - Erykah Badu
F@#k You - Cee-Lo

Duke & The King

2010-12-22T12:47:00.000-08:00

New band formed by the drummer (Simone Felice) from the Catskills-based band The Felice Brothers. Excellent acoustic based folk-rock that actually has some soul. Their music has influences as diverse as Neil Young and Smokey Robinson, and they are on the mellow side. They've released 2 discs in the past 2 years ("Nothing Gold Can Stay" and the recently released "Long Live...") and both are very strong. They were supposed to play Mountain Jam this past June but Simone had heart trouble and had to have emergency surgery. From their Facebook page: The Duke & The King are a soul-folk-glam ensemble from the sticks of New York founded, produced, and created by Simone Felice and Robert Bird Burke, featuring the sensational Simi Stone and Nowell" Reverend Loveday" Haskins, and like any traveling theatre troupe there's bound to be a growing cast of bewitching characters. Named for the traveling Shakespeare hustlers in 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'.
An excellent new band, look forward to seeing them live. Here's their website:http://thedukeandtheking.co.uk.

Fitz, the Flavor of the Month

2010-12-15T07:19:00.000-08:00

Fitz & The Tantrums is a new band from LA. Inspired by Stax and Motown, the band sounds like a bit like the band ABC sounded to me back in the early 80's. A caucasian approach to soul music, it relies heavily on organ and horns to provide gravitas to the songs, which are good, but not great. The band is led by Michael Fitzpatrick who sings vocals (and has a disconcerting shock of white in his hair), and he had the good sense to hire Noelle Scaggs as the female vocalist, who's got a really great voice. You can't get away from their song "MoneyGrabber" lately, it's even being used in a T-Mobile commercial. I got into them after seeing them on "Live at Daryl's House", where they did an amazing set. http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/currentep.html?ep_id=48 Their latest disc "Pickin Up The Pieces" is very good, and a nice addition to the blue-eyed soul niche. But I've got a problem when a band suddenly comes out of nowhere and all of a sudden are everywhere. The disc is very good, but by no means a classic. (There are 3 or 4 very good tunes on the disc). Maybe they could've waited until their 2nd disc to have sold out, but I also understand that there's no guarantees that a 2nd disc would materialize so "take it while you can". Seeing them at Bowery Ballroom in a few weeks, they're supposed to be very good live.

Black Dub / Bowery again

2010-11-18T09:42:00.000-08:00

Very good Black Dub show last night at the Bowery Ballroom. Here's a link to a review http://www.spinner.com/2010/11/18/daniel-lanois-black-dub-live/
I thought the band was very good, but a few of the songs, particularly "I'd Rather Go Blind" fell flat.
And I couldn't believe it, but Lanois introduced "The Messenger" as a song off his 1st solo album "Acadie", which it is not....it's on "For The Beauty of Wynona", his 2nd disc. I guess that motorcycle accident rattled his noggin a bit.

some new music Nov

2010-11-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

Lots of good new music recently released. The new Jamiroquai has a few good singles off their (his) new disc, "Rock Dust Light Star" (also the name of the album) and "White Knuckle Ride", which are the first 2 songs on the disc. I think it's amazing that the guy is still actually making relevant music, albeit from the same acid-jazz based template he's always used, but now it's a bit more disco. He looks a bit like Mark Wahlberg in this clip from the great Jools Holland show "Later".

The new Bryan Ferry album "Olympia" is great, his best disc since "Boys and Girls". He's got many guests on the disc, including pretty much everyone from Roxy Music (Manzanera, Mackay, etc), David Gilmour and more, but the sound is late-period Roxy Music, a la "Flesh & Blood" and "Avalon". Languid, well-orchestrated and heavily produced, it sounds like a return to form for Ferry. The songs are consistently good, and you'd think the record was made 20 years ago, it could be a follow-up to any of the late-period Roxy albums and early Ferry solo records. Great stuff.

Gregory Isaacs R.I.P.

2010-10-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

The Cool Ruler, Gregory Isaacs, one of the greatest reggae singers of all time died today at 60. (The cause was cancer of the liver that spread to his lungs). His voice is instantly recognizable, and there's no way to underestimate his importance in the reggae world. He was one of the originators of the classic roots reggae sound, and also the best purveyor of "lovers rock" reggae ever. Along with Dennis Brown, they were the best voices ever to sing reggae music. (You could add Jacob Miller, Marley and a few other to the list, but the 2 best were Isaacs and Brown). He had way too many albums to list, but some of his best singles are collected on the "One Man Against The World" compilation. Isaacs became huge after his "Night Nurse" album in 1982, although he was much loved and well-known prior to that release. I got to see Isaacs perform at Reggae Sunsplash at Radio City Music Hall in 1985, and saw him walk thru the airport (dressed all in white) in Kingston, Jamaica in 1991 or so. I started to listen to reggae in 1981, and Gregory Isaacs was one of the 1st artists I heard. Roots reggae was the primary style I enjoyed (and was very popular then) and everyone listened to Isaacs. He was often backed up by the Roots Radics, the best reggae studio band ever. Another reggae giant, and one of the last, is gone.

live Rads

2010-10-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

Saw The Radiators at Mexicali Live last night. They are a prototypical bar band, and have been touring steadily for over 30 years. Last night's show was typical Rads, some good covers, some well-known, some obscure. The 2nd set was very good, with some songs from their self-titled disc from 2001, along with a good cover of "Domino". Not a packed house...it poured last night and I think it kept some people away. The place was less than 1/2 full for the 2nd set. Good show nonetheless. These guys play every type of music, and Camille (lead guitarist) is a jack-of-all-trades player. The Rads are a true workingman's band. (I recently bought a new ipod, which has a camera that also takes video. I've got to learn how to actually use it...the videos I took were either sideways or upside down, and the photos were horrible. It would be great to find a good quality compact video camera that's fairly idiot-proof. The video below makes it look like I'm standing far way, but I'm actually about 15 feet from the band.)

MMJ / Roots

2010-10-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

Great performance last night on Jimmy Fallon, My Morning Jacket played "Wordless Chorus" (off their disc "Z") with the Roots. Jim James did his best James Brown impression. MMJ plays Terminal 5 this week, playing a different album each night. Great band. This video will prob be pulled shortly...

Solomon Burke R.I.P.

2010-10-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

One of the last of the greats passed away this weekend, Solomon Burke. There's just too much great music he produced over the course of his career...to try and encapsulate it in a few paragraphs could never do it justice. I was fortunate to have seen him perform live in September 1992 at Tramps in NYC. He was still performing standing up, he wasn't on the throne full-time yet. It was an amazing show, very close in spirit to the 1989 live disc "Soul Alive". I remember him pulling Chaka Khan out of the audience to sing a song. Burke was never on a par (hit-wise) with Sam Cooke, Otis Redding or some of the other early soul singers, but he was still a fantastic singer, rooted in gospel and r&b. He had a career resurgence in 2002 and released a string of excellent albums this decade that ended this year with "Nothing's Impossible", which was the last record produced by Willie Mitchell (he died last year). Another great talent gone....very few of the great soul singers left.

Early this morning, Sunday, October 10, 2010, the legendary King of Rock & Soul, Solomon Burke, our father, passed away due to natural causes.

Solomon had just arrived at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, the Netherlands for a sold out show at Paradiso with Dutch band, De Dijk. He was on his way to spread his message of love as he loved to do.

This is a time of great sorrow for our entire family. We truly appreciate all of the support and well wishes from his friends and fans. Although our hearts and lives will never be the same, his love, life and music will continue to live within us forever. As our family grieves during this time of mourning, thank you for respecting our privacy.

Family of Solomon Burke

R&R HOF nominees (!!!)

2010-09-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

It must be getting to the bottom-of-the-barrel-dreg-time for the Rock Hall of Fame. This year's nominees were just announced and Bon Jovi was actually listed as a nominated act (supposedly) worthy of inclusion in the bastion of rock legends. If they even get close it would absolutely make the Hall a farce and completely take away any imprimatur of legitimacy it holds. Just because a band can sell tickets to a mass audience doesn't mean it has any musical value whatsoever. Most of the time the inverse is true. If you're reaching that many people, generally speaking, it means that what you're dishing out watered-down product. (Or in Bon Jovi's case, rinsing out). Also listed as nominees were Chic, Donovan, Dr. John, J. Geils Band, LL Cool J, Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, Donna Summer, Joe Tex, Tom Waits and Chuck Willis.
Laura Nyro should be a shoo-in, as should Chic, for their production and influence alone. Tom Waits will most likely be inducted, although I could never acquire a taste for him, despite the fact that he's written some brilliant songs. (I like them when they're sung by people other than Tom Waits).

The fact that a "band" such as Bon Jovi is being nominated while classic acts such as Richard Thompson, The Spinners, Roxy Music, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Moody Blues, Yes, and more aren't in is a joke. Music is different than sports...you can't quantify greatness sometimes. It ain't just the amount of records you sell.

Ollabelle

2010-09-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

Love these guys....great band, and unless you live in NYC it's doubtful you've heard of them. They're a collective of supremely talented musicians and vocalists that live in NYC/Brooklyn. They all play in other bands or have solo projects as well, as I'm sure the financial realities of being in a band today dictate. I first discovered them the first time I attended Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble in Winter 2006. They were unbelievably good, and I've seen them about 8 times since then - pretty much every time they play in the area. I'll write more about them in another post (they've got a new album coming out soon), I just found this video of them performing the Nina Simone song "See Line Woman" in Banjo Jim's, a tiny bar on the Lower East Side. I think I might've been at this show too....it was just before Amy Helm (lead vocals) had her baby. In any event, this place is really small, and the band is crammed into a corner, but obviously like it, as it's their "home" bar and base in NYC.

Nostalgia....

2010-09-24T09:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a great clip I came across....from 1973, it's a clip of The Stories performing "Brother Louie". Jose Feliciano introduces the clip, and he couldn't be more wrong when he says "I think we're gonna hear a few more Stories from them in the next few months to come". A classic 1-hit wonder, the band was formed by the guy that founded Left Banke (and also wrote "Walk Away Renee), but he left the band, and of course, they then had their only hit, "Brother Louie", which was huge in 73. I remember hearing this in the summer on Top 40 radio constantly, and I still have the 45. This was a time when music like this co-existed with drek like Tony Orlando. Here's a list of the top 5 songs in the US in 1973, at the time that The Stories reached number 1 (8/25/73):
1) Brother Louie
2) Live and Let Die (Wings)
3) Touch Me In The Morning (Diana Ross)
4) Let's Get It On (Marvin Gaye)
5) The Morning After (Maureen McGovern)
After the band broke up shortly after this, the lead singer (Ian Lloyd) had a brief solo career, and at one of his recording sessions, the future leaders of Foreigner met (Ian MacDonald and Mick Jones) and then plotted future world domination of the pop charts.
Ian Lloyd currently lives in NYC and I guess still performs....the description on his website is classic..."with one of the most distinctive and powerful voices in the history(!!) of Rock music..." Well he did, for 15 minutes.

new JJ Grey album

2010-09-22T11:06:00.000-07:00

Is the right terminology "album" or "disc"? JJ Grey has recently released a new collection of songs called "Georgia Warhorse", which is a moniker for a type of grasshopper that is apparently prevalent in the South. This is Grey's 5th disc (his 3rd as "JJ Grey and Mofro") and his best and most consistent cd so far. All of his discs are very good, and if you're not familiar with him you should check him out, he's an original. His music sounds like a mix of greasy swampy southern rock, blues, and soul. The lead single "The Sweetest Thing" is a great duet with Toots Hibbert, a feel-good tune that's got all the hallmarks of a classic single - you can sing along almost instantly and can't get it out of your head for days. (It's this records' equivalent to "Orange Blossoms" off the record of the same name). Fortunately, there are other excellent songs here, my favorites being the opening cut "Diyo Dayo", "Hide and Seek", "King Hummingbird", and the excellent "Beautiful World", which could also be a single. But the difference with this disc as compared to the rest of Grey's output is the consistency. Whereas in the past there'd be 1 or 2 really good songs and maybe a good ballad, on this disc there are really no bad songs, all of them are listenable. He's also a very good live act and is playing the Brooklyn Bowl in November.

great new Mavis tune

2010-09-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

Just released on the disc she did with Jeff Tweedy, this is the single (and only new song) - "You Are Not Alone". Written by Tweedy, it's a great soul song and (sort of) evokes the Staple Singers in tone.

new music Sep

2010-09-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

Some excellent new discs released recently...

Richard Thompson "Dream Attic" - another good disc from one of the masters of the guitar. The new disc was recorded live in front of an audience (you can hear them on a few tracks). They're all new songs, typical Richard Thompson, which means excellent writing and instrumentation, and Thompson's singular vocals. As always there are some rockers and some mellow Celtic tracks, but no RT classics here. If you're already a fan you'll like this very much, if not there won't be anything to convert you. He's put out some consistently good, sometimes great, but always interesting albums over the course of his career (24 albums plus some live ones). Too bad not enough people know about him. Going to see him live at the Wellmont in a few weeks, he's just an amazing guitar player, can't wait.

Robert Plant "Band of Joy" - not really being a big fan of his last record (Raising Sand) I found it to be a slick overproduced "adult" record", not what I want from Plant. This new disc is much better. He covers a wide range of songs, from Los Lobos and Richard Thompson to traditional ballads. The playing is much looser, and although there is a prominent female vocal (Patty Griffin..who is way too skinny btw) this is more of a vehicle for Plant to play with a true band (as opposed to strictly session players). By no means is this "rock" music, but it does show how good a singer Plant is, and if you enjoyed Raising Sand you'll probably like this as well. I find it a bit more rough around the edges than Raising Sand, which I like. (Between this disc, Zeppelin, The Honeydrippers, and his solo work, all he has to do now is a rap record and he will have covered almost every genre except polka).

Los Lobos "Tin Can Trust" - They play all types of music well, and their original music is an amalgamation of rock, Tex-Mex, country, blues, jazz and folk. Every disc they produce has a particular focus or theme (usually involving East LA), and this excellent collection of songs talks about working class people scraping their way to make ends meet and survive. There are some outstanding songs on this disc - "On Main Street", "Tin Can Trust", and "All My Bridges Burning" (written with Robert Hunter) among the best. There are of course the obligatory traditional Spanish/Mexican songs, which are very good, if you like that sort of thing. They also do a spot-on cover of the Dead's "West LA Fadeaway", (which fits perfectly with their "Bertha" cover from the 1991 Grateful Dead tribute disc "Deadicated"). The band is on a good run, as their last disc, 2006's "The Town and the City" was also excellent. I can't understand why these guys aren't bigger. They consistently produce excellent albums, and are a great live band. One of the all-time great American bands.

The Clash (what's left)

2010-09-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

Mick Jones and Paul Simonon will be part of the touring band backing up Gorillaz when they go on the road for their "Plastic Beach" disc. Not exactly a Clash reunion, but it'll be interesting to see if Gorillaz adds any Clash songs to their set list. Also playing with Gorillaz as special guests are De La Soul and Bobby Womack. Should be a good show...

Gorillaz have confirmed a partial line up of guests to appear on their highly anticipated "Escape To Plastic Beach" North American tour. The artists confirmed so far include De La Soul, Little Dragon, Bobby Womack, appearing as special guests of the Gorillaz Plastic Beach band which features Mick Jones and Paul Simonon of the Clash.

The full list of (so far confirmed) artists:
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
Bashy
Little Dragon
De La Soul
Bobby Womack
Roses Gabor
Bootie Brown
Kano

new Clapton

2010-09-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

I heard the new Clapton disc today (self-titled). It sounds like a classic Sunday morning record...the music "looks backwards" (Clapton's words)...it's a collection of mellow (for the most part), tin-pan alley influenced songs, with some blues. Some songs wouldn't sound out of place in any hotel lounge, they border on easy-listening, and he covers some standards here too. Lots of piano. Vocals are smooth too...he's definitely mellowing. I put this next to Van Morrison's classic "Poetic Champions Compose" for perfect rainy Sunday fall/winter morning music.

Giant haybale accident claims ex-ELO cellist...really.

2010-09-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

I was a big ELO fan when I was a kid, and I just read about this freak accident in the UK that killed the band's cello player. He was killed by a giant bale of hay....I can't even comment on that. I mean, what do you say? It's like a giant game of Mousetrap gone horribly awry. From several sources:

LONDON — A giant bale of hay has killed a founding member of Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) after it tumbled down a hill and crashed into his van.Cellist Mike Edwards, 62, died after the 1,323 lb bale rolled down a steep field in Devon, southern England, smashed through a hedge and careered on to the road.He died instantly in the freak accident on Friday afternoon.

Mr Edwards recorded several studio albums with ELO between 1972 and 1975. He quit the band at the height of its fame in 1975 to become a Buddhist and changed his name to Deva Pramada because of his religious convictions.

new Franti video

2010-09-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

This was the best single of the summer (until Cee Lo Green's recently released single "F-You"), and it's just getting officially released now, I don't get it. Anyway, it's a really good Michael Franti song called "Sound of Sunshine". Filmed obviously in Venice, Ca. Should've released it in May.

new band, Black Country Communion

2010-08-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

Read about the new band "Black Country Communion" recently. The band consists of Joe Bonnamassa, Glenn Hughes, Derek Sherinian, and Jason Bonham. Billed as a US - British "supergroup", they sound like a fairly typical hard rock band, and even though they are all seasoned pros, they are aping the Audioslave template...hard charging guitar rock with hair metal vocals a la Chris Cornell (who has a better voice). Excellent guitar by Bonnamassa, maybe this will be the vehicle for him to break out to a wider audience.

9/21/10 - Update - I heard the disc...not terrible, but nothing original either. The single "One Last Soul" is fairly tame, a radio-ready Foo-Fighters-ish tune. If you're looking for some new hard-rock you could do worse than this.

Richie Hayward R.I.P.

2010-08-14T05:40:00.000-07:00

The great original drummer for Little Feat, Richie Hayward, died on Thursday of liver cancer, he was 64 years old. He was a tremendous drummer, and I got to see him play a few times, most recently up close at Mexicali Live in Teaneck a few years ago (also saw LF in their 1st show back after Lowell George died, at JazzFest in 1988). During set break at the Mexicali show while I was walking outside to get some air I bumped into Hayward right outside the door by the side of the stage. He looked old and weathered, lines all over his face...like a true road warrior. It was strange, here was a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in a small nightclub in Teaneck, NJ, just doing his thing. Drums and percussion were(are) a huge part of Little Feat's music, with the New Orleans style syncopation that's present in their best tunes, and Hayward played all the parts well. He was an integral part of an amazing band and will be missed.

Mule / Madman

2010-08-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

Gov't Mule played Central Park last night...they did a cover of the great Elton John tune "Madman Across The Water"....I found a good clip. Wish I could've been there.

BHTM new single

2010-08-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

Found this video of Big Head Todd (and Monsters) performing their single off their new disc. The new cd "Rocksteady" is their best and most consistent since "Sister Sweetly". Good midtempo grooves and a few good covers (Beast of Burden and Smokestack Lightning). Unfortunately they also have a song on there called "Muhammed Ali" (written by Tom Russell) that could be the worst thing they've ever recorded, it's that bad.

Lanois update

2010-08-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

This interview was published recently in the Toronto Star.....Lanois is also producing the new Neil Young solo album, should be excellent. Here's the link:
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/article/837927--i-almost-died-daniel-lanois-says-of-motorcycle-accident

WSP RCMH

2010-07-24T06:20:00.000-07:00

Saw Widespread Panic on Thursday night (7/22) at Radio City Music Hall. I really like this band and they follow the general rules of jamband-dom...great live act, bad-to-mediocre studio albums. Their most recent disc "Dirty Side Down" is a good record, and breaks a 10 year spell of inconsistency on their non-live releases. They played 3 songs from the new disc, but unfortunately didn't play "Cotton Was King", an excellent new upbeat tune in the style of "Time Zones", another great recent song from them (on 2008's "Earth to America"). I've seen these guys 8 times now (all in NYC) and this is the first show where I felt they weren't on their "A" game. The difference in their shows (to me) is usually the setlist....and Thursday nights was not a strong one. The crowd was also much thinner than the last time these guys were here (in 08) with lots of open seats in the rear orchestra and balconies. They opened with a sleepy "Heroes" not one of the stronger songs off the "Ain't Life Grand" disc, but then went into "Pleas", an excellent song from their 1993 disc "Everyday". The rest of the show was up and down, but mostly maintained a workmanlike tone, never really reaching any highs like I've experienced at other WSP shows. Highlight for me was "Pilgrims", a great song also from "Everyday", and although it wasn't a killer performance, it's one my favorite WSP tunes, and they weren't playing many of those on Thursday . Some of their songs can tend toward jumbled noise live, and I found the songs "Imitation Leather Shoes", "Flicker", "Impossible", "Bust It Big" and "Arleen" interminable live...these are songs that aren't good on album and live they became an exercise in excess. Some of the songs just sound like an excuse for Jimmy Herring (lead guitar) to show how fast and accurate he is...he's very technically proficient but he's got no soul, and that's the problem for me with this incarnation of the band. I also don't understand the odd setlist choices for this show...it's their 1st NYC show in 2 years, and their only NYC appearance this year. Some real duds in the setlist....1st set was stronger than the 2nd set, song-wise, but there are dozens of songs I would have rather heard than most of what they played Thursday night. Guest DJ Logic was standing on the side of the stage scratching records during the always boring drums interlude, and also for a few songs in the 2nd set. I can't say that he really added anything. Hopefully I'll see/hear a better setlist and show next time. They really seemed like they were going through the motions, and I felt the same when I saw their appearance on Letterman earlier in the week. Hopefully these guys can find a way to make NYC work for them....The Beacon Theater would be a much better venue for them, Radio City is just too big. Interesting to note that the last time WSP played NYC, they played 3 nights at RCMH (not selling them out), and this time around they couldn't even sell out 1 night. They need to play in NY/NJ more often and at more fan-friendly confines. Showing up once every couple of years just doesn't cut it. And I don't think I'd see them at Radio City again.
Below is the setlist and a snippet of the drum and bass interlude with DJ Logic adding repetitive beats.

Set I: Heroes> Pleas> Imitation Leather Shoes, True To My Nature, Angels on High, Airplane> Pilgrims, Saint Ex, Protein Drink> Sewing Machine
Set II: Flicker> Diner> Stop Breakin' Down Blues, Jaded Tourist>Impossible> Drums¹> Love Tractor¹> Bust It Big¹> Arleen¹> I'm Not Alone, Solid Rock
Encore: Henry Parsons Died

¹ with DJ Logic on turntables

ruining a good thing

2010-07-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

I went to see Tea Leaf Green the other night at Mexicali Live in Teaneck (great venue for live music). I could only stay for the 1st set (they played 1 hour and then took a 45 minute break...???) but they sounded very good. They always mix up their setlists and at Mexicali they didn't play anything from either of their excellent last 2 discs ("Taught To Be Proud" and "Raise Up The Tent"). Instead, they focused on their newest release "Looking West". The songs from the new disc sounded really good....what I can't understand is why they chose to ruin them on their studio release. I downloaded "Looking West" hoping to hear more great piano based rock (with some great guitar) similar to what's come before, as they've been a very consistent band. But this new release is beyond a disappointment. The songs are basically good, it's the production that's awful. I understand bands wanting to try new directions and mix it up a bit, but what they've done here is ruined a potentially excellent album. I don't know what they were going for on this...strange attempt at "atmosphere"? Some of the songs are just unlistenable, as they've added ridiculous echoes and reverb that makes zero sense. I've heard many attempts at bands looking to try new sounds by hiring producers from outside their comfort zone, and the results are hit or miss, usually miss. "Looking West" isn't even close, it's a disaster and if you're a TLG fan I'd advise you to find these songs on live recordings instead. At Mexicali they played "Jackson Hole" a new song that is almost listenable on the new disc, but in concert sounds transformed into a great rock tune. I ran into Josh Clark the bands' lead guitarist (excellent player) coming out of the men's room and was tempted to ask him why the disc came out so bad, but I thought this wasn't such great timing, as the band hadn't yet taken the stage. They were also in Teaneck, NJ on a 90 degree Tuesday night, touring in support of the new disc, so I let discretion be the better part of valor that night. But I think they realize their mistake, as does the record company that's currently NOT promoting the disc. They need to find a new producer for their next record. Here's a clip of them doing the title track of their new disc:

Expired Sugar

2010-07-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

Sugar Minott, one of the great original voices of reggae, died yesterday from yet to be determined cause(s). His biggest song was a cover of a Jackson 5 song called "Good Thing Going". (I first heard it on a compilation called "Heartbeat Reggae", which was one of my first CD purchases in 1986 when I decided to make the switch from vinyl). I don't know that much about him, other than he was a jack-of-all-trades reggae singer, singing in the different idioms of reggae music including dancehall, lover's rock, and roots. Sugar wasn't associated with any great band of musicians...many big reggae artists became forever linked to a particular producer (such as Lee Perry) or rhythm section (such as Sly & Robbie) with whom they've had success. Sugar began by working with Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, one of the seminal producers from Jamaica, but worked in many different styles, and was particularly influential in dancehall (a style I'm not fond of at all). He did however have a great distinctive voice which will be missed.

The golden age of reggae (imho) was the mid-70's to the early 80's, when roots and lover's rock were the foundation of the music that such great singers as The Wailers, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, and Jacob Miller were making. It stills hold up today, especially when compared to the garbage electronic and dancehall reggae that eventually took over in popularity. If you go back and listen to the music made by groups like The Melodians, The Meditations, The Itals, Third World, and many more, you hear what authentic reggae sounds like, music that was based on a spiritual ideal, with positive messages...not to mention a wicked rhythm section.

The (surviving) Beatles

2010-07-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

Ringo Starr celebrated his 70th birthday this week with a stop at Radio City Music Hall. Paul McCartney came out to play "Birthday" for an encore, it must've been unreal to have been there in person. No matter how jaded I become I still get a thrill every time I see any Beatles getting together....they're living history. It doesn't get much better than having an opportunity to see the 2 surviving Beatles play together, no matter how brief or ultimately inconsequential the tune. Cool.

Gary Shider R.I.P.

2010-06-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

Gary Shider passed away last week...legendary guitar player, hugely influential. I first heard of Shider back when I was in college (early 80's) when I discovered Parliament and Funkadelic, where Shider was a lead guitarist (along with another classic player, Eddie Hazel, also deceased). Shider co-wrote and played on some of the best 70's soul/funk music - "Cosmic Slop", "One Nation..." and many more. Shider was from Plainfield, NJ and before he was in the George Clinton universe (whom he met at Clinton's barbershop) he played with his brothers in bands backing gospel groups like The Mighty Clouds of Joy. Parliament/Funkadelic's music was an incredibly original mix of doo-wop, soul, and unusual for black artists at that time they also used heavy Jimi Hendrix/acid-influenced guitar as well, many times within the same song. Shider really was an original, and another great musician is gone.

new music june

2010-06-17T06:12:00.000-07:00

Some great new music out this spring/summer so far...the new Widespread Panic disc "Dirty Side Down" is their best album since 1999's "Til The Medicine Takes". I'm grown used to their inconsistency on studio albums, and have looked forward to each release for 1 or 2 songs that would be as good as some of their earlier material. "Don't Tell The Band" (their 2001 disc) had "Little Lilly" and "This Part of Town", the post-Hauser disc, 2003's awful "Ball" at least had "Fishing", 2006's "Earth to America" had "Time Zones" and "Second Skin", and 2008's incredibly mediocre "Free Somehow" had......well, I guess "Up All Night" is a good song. But the new disc incorporates all the positive aspects of what the band has become...Jimmy Herring will never replicate the sound Michael Houser brought, but he's an incredibly talented guitarist, and has finally blended in with this band. The opening song "Saint Ex" is excellent...it opens with moody guitars and organ and a pseudo-Latin feel. The difference is in the songwriting...these songs aren't just a few mediocre riffs strung together...the songs are relatively complex, and they've got some really strong grooves on this disc. "Cotton Was King" is an amazing rave-up in the style of "Time Zones", and "North", a Vic Chestnutt tune, has some great lead guitar and builds nicely. There are of course some weak tracks here (wouldn't be a Panic disc without em), but when I can count more than 4 strong songs on a new WSP disc it means I'll have some good listening this summer.

I just read that Donavon Frankenreiter has just released a disc ("Revisited") that consists of some of his early material re-recorded to reflect his love of Hawaii. I listened to some snippets of a few songs and it sounds awful. It's like he put the songs thru some Don Ho machine to give it Hawaiian guitar flavor and mellow the songs out even more...and these songs were already really mellow. From what I heard there's no percussion, it sounds like Hawaiian elevator music. The songs are narcoleptic now. Why he did this is beyond me, he must be bored.

On a better note, the new Tom Petty album "Mojo" is excellent, and now probably my favorite disc of his. He was always a bit too poppy for my taste but I've always respected his music. (His 4 disc live compilation is great). The new songs on "Mojo" are great, and he follows his blues-inspired Grateful Dead/Allmans muse here. The songs sound like they pick up right where Mudcrutch left off...easy bluesy/folky songs but this time with Mike Campbell's guitar taking front and center. There are some excellent songs here, my favorites are "First Flash of Freedom" and "The Trip To Pirates Cove", but the disc is very consistent. They veer from Led Zep to the Dead, and the songs are anything but pop.

I've got to write about Mountain Jam as well...great music again this year and a smoking Gov't Mule show....next time.

Lanois Hurt

2010-06-08T18:04:00.000-07:00

I was never a fan of motorcycles...too much risk of injury for me. Certainly hope he's ok.....

Daniel Lanois Critically Injured In Motorcycle Accident

Singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer Daniel Lanois has canceled all upcoming appearances by his latest project, Daniel Lanois' Black Dub, after he was injured in a motorcycle accident last weekend in Los Angeles.
'
Lanois was hospitalized with “multiple injuries” following the crash, according to a press release quoted by Entertainment Weekly. The highly respected producer (U2, Bob Dylan) “is expected to be released from intensive care soon.”
“
Due to the severity of the injuries, Lanois … will be recuperating for the next two months.”

Fans holding tickets for Black Dub’s July tour of Europe should check with point of purchase for refund information.
The band’s debut album has also been postponed and will be released “when circumstances permit.”

faces back on

2010-05-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

In a reprise of their brief reunion last year, The Faces have just announced that they are again going to perform some shows, albeit in the UK. Original member Rod Stewart has decided, for whatever selfish reasons, to not perform vocals. Instead they've recruited Mick Hucknall, the Red from Simply Red, who has amazing pipes, and is one of the all time great blue-eyed soul singers. Not sure how he'll fit in with this band but at the very least it'll be interesting. Hucknall has always played/sang more r&b/dance pop and Faces were definitely a rowdy r&r bar band archetype (with some great ballads). I'd love to see them play, and there's rumors that they may tour in 2011, that is if they're still alive and speaking to each other. Here's what was on their website:

The Faces Reunion is on!

On Friday 13th August, the legendary 1970s English supergroup, Faces, will perform at the inaugural Vintage at Goodwood festival at the Goodwood Estate in West Sussex, England. The reformed Faces will feature original members Ronnie Wood, Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan, plus Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols), and vocals from Mick Hucknall (of Simply Red).
Ronnie Wood says: “We got together to receive a PRS Lifetime Achievement award last year and very simply the magic was still there. Playing with the boys again just felt right so we thought well why not? It’s exciting to be on this path again and I hope that the Faces fans are excited as we are – I’m just really looking forward to seeing them this summer – bring it on!”
Kenney Jones says: “When we realised at the PRS Awards we hadn’t played a live gig since 1975 we just couldn’t believe it! The timing is just right, we can feel the excitement and we cannot wait to be back on stage playing to a live audience again. Expect the classics and also some incredible guests when we get back on the road, it’s going to be lots of fun.”
Ian ‘Mac’ McLagan says: "Frustrated Faces fans can finally feel the heat as Ronnie Wood, Kenney Jones and me hit the floor with Mick Hucknall and Glen Matlock fanning the flames!"

summer music

2010-05-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

Definitely my favorite disc this year (so far), "Antique Soul" from Smoove & Turrell came out of nowhere...I also can't find any info on these guys other than the fact that John Turrell has sung with a number of British soul bands, and Smoove is a DJ. They're currently on tour in the UK...would love to see these guys live here soon. Below is another good video I found of them performing "You Don't Know" live....

One EskimO is an act I've written about before...they'll be at Mountain Jam next week. They're a mellow act that centers on Kristian Leontiou's atmospheric vocals and sparse instrumentation. The disc is very good, and the single "Kandi" is great...it features a sample of the great 1971 Candi Staton song "He Called Me Baby" (hence the title of the One EskimO song). Don't ask about the spelling of the band's name, I have no idea why the affectation. They should be good live, looking forward to seeing them.

Smoove & Turrell - You don't know - Live from Toni Guth on Vimeo.

Discarded McConnell

2010-05-24T13:20:00.000-07:00

As a big Widespread Panic fan I always wondered exactly why they booted George McConnell out of the band as lead guitarist. (McConnell is a guitar player from Vicksburg, Mississippi, who had a band called Beanland, that played southern rock in a similar vein to bands like Bloodkin and Widespread). Jimmy Herring is a phenomenal player, don't get me wrong, but I really didn't think McConnell was a bad player at all. I saw him play with WSP in NYC a number of times and some of the shows were really excellent. I heard rumors that it was because of his drug use, which surprises me, as he seems like a low-key guy, but whoever said mild mannered people don't abuse drugs....anyway, last year I downloaded what was his latest music from his website (www.georgemcconnell.com) and it's very uneven, a few good songs but mostly just middling tunes, no stand outs. It looks like he only plays shows at bars near Vicksburg, so safe to say he ain't coming to the city any time soon. Must be wild to go from being the lead guitar player in a huge rock band to then return to playing college bars. I wonder how many "Free Bird" requests he gets. My favorite songs of his are "Doreatha", which is off of the Beanland disc, and "Nicotina", which he used to perform with WSP (both songs became part of the WSP live repetoire with McConnell). Anyway, just wondering.....

New Nas/Damian Marley collaboration

2010-05-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

I heard the new Nas/Damian Marley collaboration "Distant Relatives", and it's one of the best new records this year. I've not been a fan of rap since the late 90's, but the songs on this disc incorporate some great music (yes, samples too) and the rapping doesn't overwhelm the music. Nas delivers some great lines, and Damian Marley's voice is a great complement to Nas' rapping. Damian Marley sounds so much like his father that (to me) any time he opens his mouth the music carries some imagined seal of Authentic Reggae. These guys were able to write some good songs (and lift samples of good music) that fit a mid-point between reggae and rap/hip-hop and I was pretty surprised at how good the results turned out. An uneven record, but some really good tunes from a unique effort. Best songs: As We Enter, Tribes at War, Count Your Blessings

back to new music

2010-05-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

Some good new music I've found recently while foraging on the internet:

The Duke & The King "Nothing Gold Can Stay" - this is a band centered around Simone Felice (drummer in The Felice Brothers). The music is nothing like The Felice Brothers' rambling shanty-Americana, this is much more of a singer-songwriter effort circa late 60's/ early 70's. Very mellow, he's got a good voice and the instrumentation is low-key. Nice harmonies too. Best tune is "If You Ever Get Famous". Reminded me a little of The Tyde too, although not quite as poppy.

Smoove & Turrell "Antique Soul" - in keeping with the "&" in band names, this is a band from the UK that incorporates soul and electronica. The disc is great, and John Turrell has a great blue-eyed soul voice. It's very "English-soul", which is to say it's inspired by American soul and r&b, but this isn't similar to Amy Winehouse or Duffy....it's very original in it's way and highly recommended. Although they do a version of the Yaz song "Don't Go" which I could do without. Best track is "Beggarman", video below.

Minus The Bear "Omni" - have heard of these guys for a while, an indie band from Seattle. They have a few albums out, and their new one (Omni) just came out. It's good pop music, lots of synthesizers and the lead vocalist has a strong voice. But after a few listens the simplistic lyrics start to wear a bit, and it's a little too synthesizer-heavy for me to listen to all the way through at once. But the music has energy, and I can see this becoming a big disc for them. I didn't realize these guys were so pop oriented, sort of like a bit more indie/electronic Maroon 5 . Pretty slick too, don't know if I mean that in a good way. Below is a video of them performing "My Time" at South by Southwest...sounds very different from the album version.

The Dead Finally Revealed

2010-05-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

Saw this clip on a music blog and thought it was amazing. Who knew Bob Weir was such an interesting guy?

Give an insane person access to video....

New Weller

2010-04-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

I just got an advance copy of the new Paul Weller disc "Wake up The Nation". Upon first listen it sounds like any recent Weller disc, a few killer songs and more than a few duds. His last disc "22 Dreams", I thought was over-rated and all over the place (which I think was partly his intent). "Wake Up The Nation" continues this stylistic trend and has 16 tracks with a total time of just under 40 minutes. There are 4 tracks that clock in under 2 minutes and only 1 song ("Trees") that is over 4 minutes long. And "Trees" is about as good as the name suggests, which is to say it kind of sucks. Weller is again playing with Bruce Foxton (bass player from The Jam), I wish I could say this disc approaches anything they did in the Jam, but I can't. It sounds like he's trying for some of the quick hitting music (Jam-influenced, although it's all Weller anyway) he began reintroducing on "As Is Now" from 2005. But with the exception of 3 or 4 songs this is sort of a mess (best song imo is "Aim High" where he uses his falsetto on a soul track). I wish he would go back to making the soul inspired music he began on his self-titled first solo disc and continued with "Wild Wood", and stop with the constant experimentations, but he's a true artist and (I guess) follows his muse. Even when the muse leads him down roads marked "Warning: Danger Ahead". Below is the video of the title track.

Found: Stoney Clove Lane (sort of)

2010-04-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

I wrote a post about a (now defunct) band called Stony Clove Lane a few months ago, basically wondering what happened to them and why I couldn't find any info on the internet. In response, the founder of that band (Jeremy Bernstein) wrote a comment asking me to check out his MySpace page (www.myspace.com/jbernstein) see what he's been up to. Apparently he's been working on some songs with a new group of musicians, and he calls the project "Love Eat Sleep". I listened to the songs and thought upon first listen that they sounded a bit sleepy and nothing really sounded as strong as some of the tunes from SCL. I listened again, and the song "Smile" stands out among the new songs, but based on what I heard, I think he needs to incorporate a few more up-tempo numbers to cut some of the sameness from his sound. He's got a really great voice and sound, but I think if he put some more soul (as in r&b) into his music it would really kill. I hope he gets his music released and look forward to hearing more from him, as he's obviously got talent. Here's another clip of Stoney Clove Lane from the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock.

another one down

2010-04-20T15:02:00.000-07:00

Guru passed away yesterday at the age of 43 from a year long battle with cancer. I wasn't a fan of Gang Starr, the rap group he created in the early 90's with DJ Premier (they were an influential East Coast rap group) but was a huge fan of his Jazzmatazz series, where he incorporated rap into a jazz framework. He was both a producer and vocalist on the albums (Vol. 1-4) and he also used various singers and rappers on the songs, incorporating some classic jazz artists as well. It was the first time anybody had rapped over what could be considered authentic jazz music. I loved the 1st cd, which was released in 1993, and as it turns out it was the best of the bunch. Some good songs on the other discs, but some great songs on Volume 1. Some of the jazz greats on the disc: Roy Ayers (father of acid-jazz), Donald Byrd, Branford Marsalis, and great vocalists including N'Dea Davenport and D.C. Lee.

Malcolm McLaren R.I.P.

2010-04-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

I was away last week when Malcolm McLaren died. No matter your opinion (if you have one) of him, he was absolutely a brilliant marketer, and no small talent when it came to producing music. McLaren's journey into music began when he owned a small shop in London with his then girlfriend Vivienne Westwood. Basically, he found a group of disaffected youths and turned them into the Sex Pistols. McLaren was hugely influenced by the music coming from NYC in the mid-70's (Television, The Ramones, The NY Dolls) and the Pistols were the first UK punk band to get wide notice. He and John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) fought for a long time over exactly what influence McLaren exerted, and who owned what when it came to the Sex Pistols. (They settled in 1987 and never spoke again). From there McLaren managed Adam Ant (and also managed some of the band members that left when they formed Bow Wow Wow).

It's the middle third of his career that was of interest to me, as he went from being a ringleader of a musical circus to become an excellent producer. McLaren released "Buffalo Gals" in 1983 at the beginning of hip-hop. It became a huge hit and was followed by an album ('Round the Outside!) with the The World Famous Supreme Team Show. There's some great music on the album, with a mix of rap and some good dance music, a combination that would morph into acid jazz in a few years. For his next album "Waltz Darling" McLaren used influences from opera and classical music. He was the 1st to highlight the 'vogueing' craze ("Deep In Vogue" was a single), way before Madonna even knew what it was. Next up was "Paris" an evocative, moody mostly instrumental album he released in 1994. There were many spoken interludes including a few from Catherine Deneuve. The album was definitely a bit of a letdown after the previous 3 releases, but it works as good background music nonetheless. The fact that he could make 3 albums that were so different from each other yet have each stand on it's own, was no small achievement.

McLaren can best be described as a post-modern renaissance man (if that's not an oxymoron). Although he didn't play an instrument or sing, he was hugely influential on an entire generation of music.

forgotten bar band

2010-03-31T11:42:00.000-07:00

For people of a certain age, The J. Geils Band name conjures up memories of dated synthesizer-focused pop tunes and early MTV videos featuring scantily clad teenagers and Peter Wolf running around them. But the band was a great Boston-area (and beyond) bar band prior to their "Love Stinks" and "Freeze-Frame" stranglehold on the pop charts in the early 80's. Their music took a turn toward the trendy for the "Love Stinks" record, but before that in albums like "Sanctuary", "Bloodshot" and "The Morning After" they cranked out some really great r&b influenced rock. They didn't have any big selling singles but they released some great songs before they struck it rich, including some of my favorite FM singles in the 70's - "One Last Kiss", "Must of Got Lost", and "Give It To Me" . They also released a great live album in 1976 ("Blow Your Face Out") that showcased how great a live act they'd become from years of touring. They featured Peter Wolf on vocals and Magic Dick on harmonica, along with Seth Justman (keyboards and main songwriter) and J.Geils (also on guitar). But as consistent and good as they were, they just couldn't break through with their brand of r&b and rock, hence the radical change in 1979 (with "Love Stinks") to a more contemporary synthesizer-first sound, which was becoming popular at that time. I remember hearing "Come Back", the first single off the "Love Stinks" album, and wondering what disco group it was. I went back recently and downloaded some of their early albums and was surprised at how fresh they sound. But I still don't think I can listen to the songs "Love Stinks" or "Freeze-Frame" ever again. They get together and perform reunion tours once in a while, probably still a good show, minus the synths.

Misc Alberta Cross, Eli Reed, She & Him

2010-03-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

New Alberta Cross video out for "Old Man Chicago". Glad to see they're getting exposure, I still prefer the version off of "The Thief and the Heartbreaker" as opposed to the new polished studio disc "Broken Side of Time".

I heard the new cd from She & Him, and I gots to say that I don't like it. I enjoyed the 1st one, it was a good summer retro-pop record that I didn't expect to be good. But where Zooey Deschanel sounded new and endearing on the 1st disc, on the new one her voice just sounds cutesy and it becomes grating. "Twee" is the adjective I read in a review of this record, and I agree. They should call it "Twee & Him".

Good new record coming out from Eli "Paperboy" Reed. He's from Boston, and plays soul, r&b with conviction (for a white guy...blue-eyed soul). Reed favors the Otis Redding school of vocal styles, but also incorporates influences such as James Brown and Clarence Carter. The new record is called "Come and Get It" and it's much more consistent than his last album "Roll With You". Here's a video of the band performing the title track of the new disc acoustically in what appears to be a hallway or near a hotel front desk, I can't tell...the site I got this from is Spanish and as I don't speak the language I haven't a clue the context.

Eli Paperboy Reed ’Come and get it’

Alex Chilton

2010-03-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

Alex Chilton died yesterday of an apparent heart attack, he was 59. He was the leader of the band Big Star, which had (has) a fairly large cult following, and although I wasn't really a fan he was a big influence on a lot of bands (REM, The Replacements). He was also the lead singer (at 16) of The Boxtops, which had a huge hit with "The Letter".

Ron Lundy RIP

2010-03-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

If you grew up in the NYC area in the 70's and listened to the radio, you know who Ron Lundy was. My source of music when I was a kid was AM radio, and the station that everyone listened to was 77WABC. ABC played Top 40 (incredible how diverse Top 40 was back then, no narrowcasting, music was either "pop" or "FM") and was everywhere. I just heard that Ron Lundy ("Hello, love" was his calling card) died on Tuesday. I associate his voice along with other WABC dj's Harry Harrison, Dan Ingram, Bruce Morrow, Johnny Donovan and George Michael (RIP) with my early childhood in Staten Island. Another era...here's a link to some audio of Ron Lundy counting down the top 100 in 1975:
http://www.musicradio77.com/images/lundy75.mp3

Allmans 3/16/10

2010-03-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

Went to the Allmans show last night at United Palace again. Sat lower loge center, good seats, overhangs the orchestra. Completely different vibe last night, not as much energy as opening night of the run. I had an extra ticket and lost money trying to get rid of it out front right before the show (cost=$150, sold for=$50). There were tickets available at the box office, so these shows are not selling nearly as well as the Beacon shows regardless of seating capacity. Hate to be critical of the Allmans, but Gregg was way off last night. The band sounded good, Derek and Warren were playing well, but something wasn't quite right. The jams took a bit longer to come together and the pacing was slightly off. And the setlist had way too many repeats from Thursday night. These guys don't have a huge repetoire to draw from, but they do have enough songs that they shouldn't be repeating as often as they have been....half (3/6) of last night's 2nd set was played on Thursday (One Way Out, No One To Run With, That's What Love Will Make You Do). They opened strong with my favorite Allmans opener "Don't Want You No More>Cross To Bear" and then went into "Leave My Blues At Home", also very good. 44 Blues was played much slower than normal, and the band just didn't seem to have the energy level I saw Thursday. The 2nd set opened with a guest - James "Blood" Ulmer playing guitar and singing...I'm not a fan of his and I thought the set should've opened with a more uptempo number. Eric Krasno (of Soulive) came out to play guitar on "That's What Love..." and he is not in the same league as Warren or Derek. (Certainly wasn't Eric Clapton). On "No One To Run With" Gregg messed up the lines a few times, it was a joke. It sounded like Warren and Derek just wanted to do their solos and get it over with. To make matters worse the security is much too overbearing. They are constantly patrolling the loge area shining their lights. Sitting a few seats to my left was some sloppy fat drunk woman gyrating in her seat, and against her boyfriend. She lit up a cigarette and the security guards (with their flashlights) decended asking her to put it out. She held the cigarette from her outstretched arm and looked at them asking "you mean this?" while taking huge puffs, it was hilarious. She did this about 4 times. Anyway, the whole feel last night seemed to be "next year we'll be back at The Beacon where we belong". I just think that after so many years at The Beacon they really weren't prepared for the differences at The United Palace. And the longer they play at UP and see the empty seats in the balcony, the more it reinforces those feelings. They even played "Elizabeth Reed" last night, but by the time they got to it the night was spent. Next year.....hopefully. Set list:

1st Set:
Don't Want You No More
Not My Cross To Bear
Leave My Blues At Home
Midnight Rider
Forty Four Blues
End Of The Line
Egypt
The Same Thing
Revival

2nd Set:
I Asked For Water (She Gave Me Gasoline) - w/James Blood Ulmer
One Way Out
Blind Willie McTell
That's What Love Will Make You Do - w/Eric Krasno
No One To Run With
In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed>>JaMaBuBu>>Bass>>
>>Jam>>In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed
Encore:
Southbound - w/Rob Barraco & Eric Krasno

Allmans!

2010-03-12T12:39:00.000-08:00

That time of year again - The Allman Brothers are back in NYC. Not the Beacon, this time around (for the 1st time in 21 years) the band is playing the United Palace Theater on 175th street in Washington Heights. It's an excellent venue, very similar to the Beacon. It was built as a Lowes movie theater, it's now used as a church (the Rev. Ike is based here). I've seen the Allmans about 30 times and it's always a little more energetic and intense in NYC than other places like the outdoor sheds in the summer. The Allmans sounded excellent last night, with no rust whatsoever. The first 3 songs were taken from their first 2 albums...they opened with "Don't Keep Me Wondering" (never heard them open with this) and went into "Hot 'Lanta" and "Statesboro Blues" right after. They did a few songs I've never heard them do live - the Little Milton warhorse "That's What Love Will Make You Do" (first time they've played it) and a Bobby Bland song "Ain't No Love In The Heart of the City", both were great. They also broke out "Kind of Bird", a good instrumental off the mediocre "Shades of Two Worlds" disc, a song they haven't played live since 1992. Without a doubt these guys are the best live band around, they bring it every night. I had amazing seats (3rd row center, thanks Brad) and seeing Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks live is one of the all-time great musical experiences. I can't think of another band (ever) that has 2 world-class lead guitarists....every time I see them I'm amazed. They play the old songs and the new (not new, exactly...they haven't released a cd of new material in 8 years) with equal intensity, and the solos are incredible. Gregg Allman played and sounded great, and Oteil and the drummers (Jaimoe, Butch Trucks and Marc Quinones) were in sync as always. I didn't get an Elizabeth Reed or Dreams, but the setlist was great. Yet another smokin' night in the city from the Allmans. At the bottom is a clip from their appearance on The Jimmy Fallon show last week.

Set list - 3/11/10 United Palace Theater, NYC
1st set
Don't Keep Me Wonderin
Hot 'Lanta
Statesboro Blues
That's What Love Will Make You Do
No One Left To Run With
Desdemona
Every Hungry Woman
And It Stoned Me
Kind Of Bird

2nd set
Melissa
Ain't No Love In the Heart Of The City
Come & Go Blues
Rockin' Horse
Black Hearted Woman
bass > drums
Jessica

encore
Preachin' Blues
One Way Out

more Van Ghost

2010-03-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

I was glad to see that Van Ghost will be playing Mountain Jam this June, it's about time these guys got to the NY area. Here's a video I found recently on YouTube from a performance on JBTV in Chicago. The girl singing backup is Jennifer Hartswick from the classic Trey Anastasio band (she sings and plays trumpet). Good stuff.

New music, etc. / Broken Bells

2010-03-09T09:09:00.001-08:00

Broken Bells, the new cd/collaboration from James Mercer (of The Shins) and Danger Mouse (Brian Burton), is my favorite new disc of 2010. Coming out of nowhere (for me..it was apparently announced in the Fall of last year), the music is an amalgamation of different styles, heavily influenced by 80's bands such as The Cure, New Order, and other synth/guitar bands of that time. Not so much in the dance aspect of that music, but more in a chamber-pop way. The music is consistently good, with a few standout tracks, including the single 'The High Road", which is a great atmospheric track with a faintly apocalyptic mood and lyrics. I haven't been a fan of The Shins, though I enjoyed some of Danger Mouse's music, (I never did listen to his remix of The Beatles White Album, The Grey Album) and I thought "Crazy" (Gnarls Barkley) was a great single. But the two different personalities have obvious chemistry, and this is an excellent debut disc. Maybe because they come from different sides/styles of music, they were able to combine instead of compete. I read Jon Pareles review of this disc in the Times,(http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/arts/music/08choice.html) with whom I usually agree, but in this instance I think he overanalyzed a bit....the lyrics on this cd are not easy to understand anyway, and if the artist has a great sound and the music hits you the right way, what difference does it make if the lyrics "hold anguish and malaise"? It's got a good beat and you can dance to it, and sometimes (most times) that's enough.

I heard a really good single last week - "Stylo" by Gorillaz. Not a huge fan of Gorillaz, I've liked a few of their singles in the past but found the albums lacking. Their new one (Plastic Beach) follows that pattern, but this song is really good. Bobby Womack sings on it, as well as Mos Def. I'm a huge fan of Womack, who is one of the all-time great soul singers. Good video too (below) with Bruce Willis.

I read on Saturday that The Allman Brothers cancelled the last 5 dates of their upcoming run at the United Palace Theater. Not surprised, although I definitely don't think it's because of a "family matter" as they posted on their site. I think they overreached big-time. Yes, the Beacon screwed up royally by booking Cirque Du Soleil during March, and they had to find a new home. Yes, United Palace is the next best venue in NYC for them...BUT... it holds 3300 as opposed to The Beacon's 2800. Then they made the genius decision to raise ticket prices. Don't forget that last year was the 40th anniversary of the band, with tons of special guests appearing. And The Beacon isn't located on 175th street. There are only so many Allman Brothers fans in the NY area willing to shell over $150 a ticket to see the band....and when you factor in all of the above (no guests of note, higher prices, larger venue, bad location/geography-wise) what happens is cancelled shows due to a lack of ticket sales. So, instead of a 13 night run, they are able to sell enough tickets to support a 10 night run. Still pretty good though...and I'm looking forward to going, as they are still the best live band around. But their management should have had enough common sense to know 13 nights at those prices was just too much.

New neo-soul (Caucasian style)

2010-03-03T12:13:00.000-08:00

It seems that every few years there's a rekindling of the soul flame by male singers of the white variety. I love most types of soul and r&b, whether it's the original releases by the masters (Stax, Hi, Motown, James Brown, etc), the late 70's/80's variety (Earth, Wind & Fire, Prince, Sade) or more recent artists (Sharon Jones, Erykah Badu, Maxwell). Most, if not all, great soul, r&b, and funk has been produced by, and mostly for, a largely black (primarily Southern) audience. (Great book on the subject - "Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom" by Peter Guralnick). Blue-eyed soul has been around as long as rock and roll...white artists/labels/managers would take songs originally performed by black artists and marketed to black audiences and water them down for a white mainstream audience. Pat Boone singing "Tuttie Fruitie" comes immediately to mind - it's really awful and the clip I've seen of him singing the song is like a bizarre minstrel show. But then there's also excellent soul music performed by white artists and not diluted at all. The music is real authentic soul, and it's sung with such conviction that it erases any predisposed notions of who should sing what kind of music. Steve Winwood, Boz Scaggs, and early Hall & Oates were my original introduction to this mini-genre. More recently, both Joss Stone and Amy Winehouse both have incredible voices that are a great fit with soul music. (Although Winehouse's producer Mark Ronson tends a bit too much toward mimickry and production tricks). And someone named Remy Shand released an excellent neo-soul CD in 2002 but hasn't been heard from since. There's a boatload more as well, I'm just touching on a few artists. But I digress, as the reason for this entry is that I've heard a few new artists whom have released some new music that fits the criteria: a) good songs rooted in more or less traditional soul, and b) they're white.

Mayer Hawthorne - real name is Andrew Mayer Cohen, released a CD ("Strange Arrangement") in Sep 09. A Jewish kid from outside of Detroit (now based in LA) he's obviously heavily influenced by Curtis Mayfield, Motown, Al Green, and more. One can't pick better role models for this kind of music, and the disc is excellent. You'd never know it was some geeky kid from Ann Arbor. The band is good, and there's a few outstanding songs including "The Ills" a great Curtis Mayfield tribute/rip-off.

Daniel Merriweather - I honestly don't get all the hype. He's an Australian singer that hooked up (professionally) with Mark Ronson. He sang on a few of Ronson's songs on his CD, and now Ronson has produced Merriweather's first disc. It's ok, he's got a good voice, but the production just doesn't sound authentic to me, although they try very, very hard. The songs are just ok and much of it sounds just like what the NEXT BIG THING would sound like. Overproduced and slick.

Sean Carey - I have no idea who this guy is, evidently there's another singer named Sean Carey, but that's not who I mean (if you know what I mean). I found him while on Eric Lindell's new site, which links to his new record label, Sparco. Which is horribly run, judging by the site. Zero information and the links for purchasing music don't work. In any event, they stream a few songs from the roster, and this guy sounds great, particularly the song "Beautiful Place". The album comes out in April, hopefully the label will get it's act together to properly promote it. They also have the new Lindell disc coming out then too, called "Between Motion and Rest", it sounds very good, much better than his incredibly mediocre last disc.

Stoney Clove Lane...what happened?

2010-02-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

I first came across this band, Stoney Clove Lane, early last year, around the same time I first heard Alberta Cross. They're 2 Jewish guys (Jeremy Bernstein and Adam Widoff) from the Woodstock area, and they play with a mix of local musicians. I thought their music was a great mix of mellow jamband and Americana, with a little soul to it. Sort of like Loggins and Messina when they made records like "Angry Eyes", they have a rootsy-pop sound. I checked out SCL's website and was able to find their third album "Stay With Me" on some download site. I loved the album and waited to hear more from them....and waited. I couldn't find them listed as playing live anywhere except once in a while in and around Woodstock. They played Mountain Jam last year, and I was excited to see them, but they wound up playing a 3am set and only for the people who were camping. Not really a smart move when you're a new band trying to get heard, but then I was guessing that's what they wanted (to get heard)...until I went searching for them recently. I figured they must've recorded some new material or at least a song or two, but when I went to their site nothing had changed since the last time I visited, which was about a year ago. You could almost feel the cobwebs hanging off the HTML. I checked the "shows" link and the only show listed had already taken place in December. There was no new information, no link to take to me to anything having to do with the band or its' music. I then checked their MySpace page, thinking that maybe because they're from Woodstock and obviously don't get out much, that they think people still check MySpace. Nope, nothing there either. I certainly hope they still plan on making music, but they really need to find a better way to utilize the internet and keep in touch with potential and actual fans. Here's hoping to more music from these guys. I was able to find 2 videos of them on YouTube, this is the better of the 2:

Bad Lieutentant

2010-02-18T13:35:00.000-08:00

Bernard Sumner (New Order guitarist) has a new band that's going to be playing a few dates in the US in Spring. They're called Bad Lieutenant and the album was released late last year. I thought it had one of the better singles of last year ("Sink or Swim"), and it sounds like a poppier-New Order. This band sounds a bit more consistent than the last New Order spinoff band, which was Monaco, formed in 1997 and led by Peter Hook, the bass player of New Order. Monaco was a bit more dance oriented, but the styles of the 2 bands are very similar. Sumner and Hook have said they won't work together again, so I guess this is as close as anyone will get to seeing New Order (what a great 80's band). Here's some clips...the video of the single, and a live acoustic clip from a French newspaper interview they did -

Black Dub live

2010-02-18T08:03:00.000-08:00

Went to see Daniel Lanois Black Dub at the Bowery Ballroom last night. Great venue, and a perfect place for Lanois' atmospheric new rock songs. This was the most crowded I'd ever seen the Bowery Ballroom, every available bit of standing room was taken, upstairs and down. The band went on at 10pm...I was told it would be 9pm...for at least an hour they played audio of some Lanois instrumentals while projecting bizarre video images. It reminded me of the days when I'd go see bands at the Ritz on 11th street (now Webster Hall) and they'd show old cartoons and freaky movies before the show. Anyway, the band opened with "Nomad Knows" a good new tune from the supposedly forthcoming disc. Lanois was wearing a wool hat on stage, it had to be 100 degrees up there. Guess he was going for the "cool hat to cover up a balding head" effect. The bass player was Christopher Thomas (?) not Daryl Johnson, who may or may not be with the band anymore. Trixie Whitley's vocals sounded really great, and she also played some drums, guitar and keyboard. Brian Blades on drums got the biggest ovation of the night when introduced, and he's a phenomenal drummer. The music of Black Dub focuses strongly on the interplay between drums, which is at the forefront of the band, and Lanois' guitar, specifically his Les Paul. The vocals seem secondary, although Whitley is a fine singer, and Lanois also sings, although as a compliment to Whitley. The sound was good, but I thought they could've taken Lanois guitar down a notch. Other songs they performed were "The Maker" and "The Messenger" both lead singles from his first 2 solo discs. They also played all of the new tunes I'd heard ("Silverado", "Ring The Alarm", "I Believe In You", "Love Lives" and a very strong "I'd Rather Go Blind") which sounded very good. I'd definitely see this band again, hopefully at a less packed show. Here's a video someone took (standing upstairs obviously) of a few songs-

Interesting Allmans quote

2010-02-17T11:20:00.000-08:00

Talk about bad blood. Don't think there's much chance of seeing Dickey Betts with the Allmans ever again. Here's an excerpt from a new interview Butch Trucks did with Glide Magazine, regarding Dickey Betts:

Glide: How close was Dickey Betts to appearing with the band at the Beacon last year?

BT: Eh. It wasn’t going to happen.

Glide: But you did ask him and he turned you down?

BT: We asked him to. As a tribute to Duane we asked him to. Despite our differences – and as you know, our differences are very deep – we asked him to be part of it. There’s been a lot of name calling over the years, and to be honest with you, getting him out of the band was like getting an 800-pound gorilla off my back. The man has very serious issues and at times he has dealt with them. Other times he’d scream at us, as if in life he was supposed to get drunk and snort coke. We finally all said enough, and the last few years, without that dark cloud on stage night after night…well, we’ve got seven guys that respect each other. Every night is different and every night is fun.

Glide: How did he respond to your invitation?

BT: We asked him to come, because he was part of the band. We sent them an invitation, and at one point we actually heard from his manager there was a 50-50 chance of him joining us. But when push came to shove, he just decided not to. I can’t ever see a situation where we would even feel obligated to invite him again. It’s enough. That’s run its course. That’s not going to happen again.

Dynamite

2010-02-02T08:08:00.000-08:00

I love finding great regional bands. Bands that are not (yet) on the national radar, but make great music nonetheless (mostly playing in and around their "hometown"). One such band is Nashville's The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker. They sort of look like a wedding band with a James Brown impersonator....and they actually do sound like that, if the wedding band was a Caucasian version of the JB's. Their music is classic r&b, soul and funk that could've been made 35 years ago. These guys are right in the same niche as Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, who are probably the most well-known of the classic soul acts. They don't break any new ground, but they continue to make great music of a kind that's very hard to find now. And they smoke live. Charles Walker has been performing since the 50's in places such as Nashville (where he actually started), New York, England and Spain. He's opened for Wilson Pickett, James Brown and Etta James, and recorded for Chess and Decca records. I got a chance to see The Dynamites in NYC a few years ago at a small club (Sullivan Hall) and they were excellent.

It's great to hear new soul music that's not auto-tuned or smoothed out so much that to define it as "soul" is a long stretch. I also like the fact that I don't always have to pull out the old Stax and Hi (and many more labels) songs from the 60's and 70's to listen to this type of music. Below is a clip of a really good song off their most recent disc.

new music/Midlake

2010-01-29T07:54:00.000-08:00

Midlake has a very good new cd that's out next week, it's called "The Courage Of Others". It's the follow up to last year's "The Trials of Van Occupanther". Their sound is sort of a mix of Jethro Tull and Fleetwood Mac...but in a good way. I thought when I first heard them that they were from the UK, but they're from Texas. Close. Midlake sites Radiohead as a major influence, and you can hear it. But if you listen to them they also have a very classic 70's Laurel Canyon-type sound. Soft, but with strong melodies. Not hook-laden at all, their songs get better over repeated listening. The chant-like quality to some of the vocals (reminiscent of Fleet Foxes) can tend to make listening to this all the way through a bit cumbersome, so I prefer it in smaller doses. The imagery they used on Van Occupanther suggested some weird sort of Midieval times (not the dinner theater) and the cover of the new disc looks like some strange Pagan ritual is taking place. "The Courage of Others" picks up right where Van Occupanther left off. I've listened to it a few times so far and it's very good. Below is a video of the single "Acts of Man". It's a good video, the clip is actually from a movie done in 1927 by F.W. Murnau ("Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans").

New Daniel Lanois project

2010-01-25T11:07:00.000-08:00

Daniel Lanois has a new band he's put together, called Black Dub. I was able to find a few videos on You Tube, they sound pretty good. I've always liked his music, but recently the quality and consistency he achieved on his first 2 excellent discs was missing. His last album ("Here Is What Is") was a mess and the one before that ("Belladonna") was all instrumental and I use it as background music to help fall asleep (really). He's playing the Bowery Ballroom on Feb 17th and I'm going to check him out. I last saw him back in the early 90's at Town Hall. The show was delayed an hour because of fire code restrictions...I remember the effects board being laid on top of the last few rows of the orchestra and Lanois arguing with the Fire Inspector. Was a great show nonetheless. He creates moody low key music that's perfect for a venue the size of the Bowery. The new music is more rock oriented than he's produced recently and he sounds re-energized. The new band is comprised of Trixie Whitley (Chris Whitley's daughter), Brian Blade, a drummer with serious jazz credentials (as a member of Wayne Shorter's band, among others, including his own Fellowship Band), and Daryl Johnson on bass (played on various Lanois projects, including with Dylan, Lanois, Emmylou Harris and Peter Gabriel) along with Lanois on guitar. (For those unfamiliar with Lanois, he is one of the great producers of this generation, having produced seminal works by U2, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris and Peter Gabriel. He launched a solo career in 1989 with "Acadie" a highly recommended disc). Sounds great....

01/22/09

2010-01-25T08:21:00.002-08:00

Within the last few weeks a few icons have died....Willie Mitchell, Teddy Pendergrass and Bobby Charles. Well, I don't think Charles was quite as influential as the other 2 but he was a great talent.
Willie Mitchell was the genius behind Hi Records in Memphis, and Al Green. As a writer and producer he made some of the greatest soul records of all time. Some of the artists he worked with were Otis Clay, Ann Peebles, and O.V. Wright. Along with Stax, Hi was the preeminent soul label in the late 60's/early 70's. Great stuff.

From Philadelphia, the land of Gamble and Huff, Teddy Pendergrass had an amazing rich voice, most notably heard on Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes great singles of the early-mid 1970's. But it was after he left that group to become a solo artist that he did some of his best work. "Close The Door" and Love TKO" are 2 of the best slow jam/quiet storm, etc. songs ever made. I remember hearing about his "Ladies Only" concerts where he basically stood on stage for 2 hours and women threw their underwear at him. It was a tragedy that he had a terrible car accident in 1982 (a transsexual and drugs were involved, but that's for another time) and was left paralyzed at the height of his fame. Great singer.

I remember Bobby Charles from "The Last Waltz", where he played harmonica on "Going Down To New Orleans" with Dr. John and The Band. He was a great musician and wrote some seminal Louisiana rock'n'roll records including "See You Later Alligator". There's not much video around of him performing...below is a sad video taken recently of him playing "Come Rain or Come Shine" in a bar somewhere. You can hear the people in the audience talking over him while he's playing. Sometimes people don't realize that when you see someone perform who may not be a household name, you could be witnessing a form of music history that won't be around much longer.

01/18/10

2010-01-25T08:21:00.001-08:00

This is a great song by Miriam Makeba (amazing South African singer and activist, and wife of Hugh Masekela...she died in 2008). The name of the song is "Pata Pata". It's now being used in a car commercial for Honda, but I remember this song from when I was a kid. Sometimes Madison Ave actually has taste.....here's a video of a performance of the song along with a video of her singing "Soweto Blues" at the Graceland Africa concert from 1987:

12/19/09

2010-01-25T08:16:00.000-08:00

>Great show....they actually sounded better than The Dead this summer, but the Hammerstein blows as a venue, really poor sound. The new guitarist (John Kadlecik) from DSO is the best fit for these guys since Garcia. Really

Furthur
12/9/09 Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY

Click below to preview tracks from this show

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Neil Young parody

2010-01-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

Not really a big fan of Jimmy Fallon but this is pretty funny. (Note - I had to replace the original video as it was removed from YouTube. The new link is to Fallon's performance as Neil Young doing "Pants on the Ground". Still funny but it's not the first time he did this).

11/14/09

2010-01-25T08:14:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to Alberta Cross performing a few songs off their new disc. They sound pretty good...they should have done this when I saw them at Mountain Jam instead of pretending there was a drummer (there wasn't).

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2009/11/watch-alberta-cross-perform-live-from-paste.html

and here's a good audience video from a few days ago at Bush Hall in London. It's "Low Man' a great song that they didn't include on their new album.

11/14/09

2010-01-25T08:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a cool Van Ghost webisode I found posted on a blog I like (Hidden Track), along with a live video from 2008. These guys are going to be heard from by more than just Chicagoland soon.....

11/13/09

2010-01-25T08:12:00.000-08:00

Been listening to some late 60's/early 1970's blues of the UK variety (which of course means that John Mayall is somehow involved). Specifically - Savoy Brown, Humble Pie, and Fleetwood Mac. It's unbelievable how much great music came from England in that time period. In no way can I give even a small history of these bands here, but I thought them worth a mention for those who may not have ever listened.

I never really paid any attention to the less well-known of the 70's classic rock/blues canon. But after hearing Peter Green's 1979 solo album "In The Skies" (an amazing disc) I figured I'd go back and listen to some early Fleetwood Mac, which was founded by Peter Green, one of the all-time great white blues guitarists. Early Fleetwood Mac is all just classic bar-band American blues, a la Paul Butterfield, but done by a bunch of Brits. Their first disc "Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac" is one step removed from yes, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (Green replaced Eric Clapton in that band). Good 12 bar blues. In time, the band incorporated more psychedelic touches. In 1969 they released "Then Play On" an excellent disc, which includes the dusty FM classic "Oh Well", which I found a video of and included below. After that they evolved (or devolved depending on your POV) into a more mainstream band, as Peter Green left and Bob Welch and Christine McVie joined. They made a few good albums and then Welch left and Buckingham/Nicks joined and the rest is hi$tory.

Savoy Brown I've only recently listened to, as it was one of those bands that I'd heard of but never actually listened to when growing up. I've got 2 of their releases "Looking In' and "Raw Sienna". Evidently this was a band ruled by an imperious leader/superb guitarist that kept the band from having a stable line-up. Hence, depending on which album you're listening to, the lead singer changes, as does most of the band. But Kim Simmonds, the leader/guitarist is really excellent. Some of the original band left and formed "Foghat". Both of these discs are excellent...great guitar jams and just good rock and roll. Obscure, yes, but that doesn't mean it ain't good. There were only a certain amount of places for this kind of music to be heard back then, and NYC FM radio back then wasn't one of them. (If only the internet existed when I was 10).

Humble Pie was formed by Steve Marriott and Peter Frampton. Marriott had one of the all-time great rock voices. He was an original, with a high-pitched voice that sounded a bit out of place for a blues singer. (Of course, Robert Plant showed that that's not a liability). They released some excellent music and I highly recommend their album "Rock On" as a great example of soulful rock from the early 70's. Some say they're a Stones rip-off, but if you listen to this disc you'll hear a rootsy blues band with a hard boozy edge and unique sound. Below is a great video of them doing "Black Coffee"...

11/11/09

2010-01-25T08:11:00.000-08:00

I downloaded the Phish show from Halloween (part of their 3-day fest in Indio, CA)...excellent show. They covered Exile In Main Street, which is funny, because Gov't Mule did a Rolling Stones covers show for Halloween as well. I was surpsrised how well Phish plays the Stones....they do faithful versions, and also had horns for the appropriate parts as well. I loved their take on Casino Boogie (amazing guitar) and Loving Cup, which has become almost a standard for them. But every song was good. The rest of the show they played some classic Phish tunes, including opening with Sample In A Jar. Setlist:
10/31/09 Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA
Phish Festival 8
Set I: Sample in a Jar, The Divided Sky, Lawn Boy, Kill Devil Falls, Bathtub Gin, The Squirming Coil, Runaway Jim> Possum, Run Like An Antelope
Set II: Rocks Off, Rip This Joint, Shake Your Hips, Casino Boogie, Tumbling Dice, Sweet Virginia, Torn and Frayed, Sweet Black Angel, Loving Cup, Happy Birthday, Turd On The Run, Ventilator Blues> I Just Want To See His Face, Let It Loose, All Down The Line, Stop Breaking Down, Shine A Light, Soul Survivor
Set III: Backwards Down The Number Line> Fluffhead, Ghost, When the Circus Comes to Town, You Enjoy Myself
Encore: Suzy Greenberg

Not faring as well (imho) was Gov't Mule. I thought the song choices were fairly lame (Slave?!), and didn't think any song sounded particularly inspired. I was surprised when I listened to their take of "Can't You Hear Me Knockin" which I thought sounded unfocused. It lacked any urgency and sounded sloppy, particularly compared to what this band is capable of live. Monkey Man and Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) was a bit better, but this show can't compare to their last 2 Halloween shows, in which they focused on Led Zeppelin (07) and Pink Floyd (08). I really thought Gov't Mule would nail the Stones, but wish they'd have concentrated on one of the seminal Stones albums (Exile, Sticky Fingers) instead of playing random songs. It made me appreciate the Rolling Stones even more. Would've loved to heard Warren play "Time Waits For No One". Sounds like they had fun doing it though, just wish it would've sounded more memorable.

11/03/09

2010-01-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

Mule Setlist for Halloween this year, 1st set all Rolling Stones, 2nd set songs from the new disc "By A Thread", and a few others.

I'm surprised they didn't decide to play an entire album (Exile, Sticky Fingers would've been cool) which I think might've been more interesting. Instead, Mule played a variety of songs, from early period Stones (Under My Thumb) to late ("Slave" from Tattoo You). Some obvious choices for them are Can't You Hear Me Knocking and Gimme Shelter...I saw Warren play Can't You Hear Me Knocking with Umphrey's McGee at Mountain Jam this summer, and saw The Dead (with Warren) play Gimme Shelter at the Garden. Will definitely download this show, although it will be hard to top their past 2 Halloween shows (Pink Floyd '08 and Led Zep '07):

10/31/09 (Sat) Tower Theatre - Upper Darby, PA

Set 1: Under My Thumb, Monkey Man, Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo, Can't You Hear Me Knockin', Angie, Ventilator Blues, Shattered, Wild Horses, Slave, Gimmie Shelter, Play With Fire, Paint It Black, Bitch, Brown Sugar

Set 2: Steppin' Lightly, Broke Down On The Brazos, Railroad Boy > Monday Mourning Meltdown > Forevermore, Frozen Fear > Brighter Days > Blind Man In The Dark, E: Goin' Out West with Peter Gunn Tease > Bang A Gong (Get It On) > Goin' Out West

11/03/09

2010-01-25T08:09:00.000-08:00

Some new music I've been listening to:

Gov't Mule "By A Thread" - very good new disc. Template is the same, heavy blues influenced power rock. The single "Broke Down On The Brazos" has Billy Gibbons playing some guitar with Warren Haynes, although it's not exactly earth-shattering. Most of Mule's studio output has sounded the same to my ears, and to date no record has really been an "over the top" effort. They're a workmanlike band that plays riff based blues-rock better than just about any band around. And live they're killer. But there are no killer tracks on this disc, although if you're a fan you won't be disappointed.

One Eskimo - very mellow disc from Kristian Leontiou, a London based musician who released a solo disc in 2004 that disappeared in the US, but was fairly big in England. It was a very slick power-pop album that has zero resemblance to this effort. This disc has Kristian singing in an almost falsetto to guitar based tracks with minimal backing (bass, drums, some horns). Key tracks - Kandi (a cool remake of an old Candi Staton song), Hometime.

Van Ghost - found this band perusing the internet for new music. From Chicago, I would describe their sound as Americana Folk/Pop, a la Train or The Counting Crows. Female backing vocals are from Jennifer Hartswick, who's played with Trey Anastasio. Their debut album "Melodies for Lovers' is excellent, especially if you like acoustic based rock. Almost every song on the disc is good. Can't wait to see these guys live. Right now I think they only play in the Chicago area (aka Chicagoland). Fast forward 50 seconds on the video I've embedded to avoid the unnecessary new-age intro.

Saw Ratdog live last week at the Beacon. Some excellent music, especially They Love Each Other, Loose Lucy, Jus' Like Mama Said > Estimated Prophet > Might as Well and a good Scarlet Begonias, BUT, after Scarlet in the 2nd set Bob left the stage and some rapper named Chris Burger (?!) came out and RAPPED for about 10 minutes, bringing the show to a screeching halt. It was like a train wreck on stage, but not nearly as interesting. And he followed that brilliant move up with coming back on to sing "Days Between"....check, please. Good show up to that point but fell off a cliff at the 3/4 mark.

09/25/09

2010-01-25T08:08:00.002-08:00

Another good band that's disappeared is Cousteau. They formed in the UK in 1999 and released 2 excellent albums - self-titled and "Sirena". A song off their 1st cd was huge - "The Last Good Day of the Year" (unfortunately it got abused by a Nissan car commercial). I had a chance to see them at Joe's Pub when they toured for "Sirena" and I still kick myself for missing them. Their sound is a mix of cocktail-rock (a la Roxy Music's "Avalon" / "Flesh and Blood" era) and Scott Walker/Nick Cave-ish vocals. Very slick and smooth, but it worked. The main songwriter (Davey Ray Moore) left the band in 2003 after "Sirena" to do production work in Italy....must've really hated the guys in the band to leave a gig like that. The remaining members re-named themselves Moreau and released a very mediocre album called "Nova Scotia". Davey Ray Moore is now teaching music production, songwriting and marketing at Bath Spa University in the UK. I just read that the lead singer, Liam McKahey, just released a solo disc called "Lonely Road" (Liam McKahey and the Bodies). If you've never heard Cousteau, check out either of their cd's.

http://www.myspace.com/liammckahey

09/24/09

2010-01-25T08:08:00.001-08:00

Excellent clip of Widespread Panic doing "Pilgrims" in the Sirius studios recently. I think Jimmy Herring knows how to play a guitar (but no one can replace Michael Houser's sound with this band). Great live band.

09/24/09

2010-01-25T08:07:00.001-08:00

U2 rolled into town yesterday to play a few shows at Giants Stadium. Lots o' Facebook posts about people enjoying the show. They're a great band, no doubt, but I really can't bring myself to going to a concert with 80,000 people (unless I'm in the front). For this tour, U2 is schlepping a $100 million erector set stage that looks cool but I don't understand what it adds to their music. Spectacle for spectacle sake I guess....when you sell as many tickets as they do you can do what you want. I've seen U2 a few times - Madison Square Garden for the Achtung Baby tour, Brendan Byrne Arena (now Izod, after being Continental for a while) for the Zooropa tour. But far and away the best show I saw them perform (and one of my top 10 concerts ever) was when I saw them for the "War" tour in 1983. Amazing show, they were just breaking in the US. They played Ritchie Coliseum (University of Maryland) which was directly behind the frat house I lived in. I think the place held about 1500, with no seats, just concrete "bleachers" and an open floor. I remember Bono running right by me waving a flag, and the energy they brought was amazing. I saw some great shows at that venue while at school, but none better than the U2 show, after that show it was obvious they were going to be huge. Here's the setlist from that night:

4/25/83 Ritchie Coliseum, University of Maryland

Gloria
I Threw A Brick Through A Window
A Day Without Me
Seconds
Surrender
Sunday Bloody Sunday
The Cry
The Electric Co. / Send In The Clowns (snippet)
I Fall Down
October
Tomorrow
Two Hearts Beat As One / Let's Twist Again (snippet)
Twilight
Out Of Control
encore(s):
11 O'Clock Tick Tock
I Will Follow
New Year's Day
40

09/23/08

2010-01-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

Saw that Gov't Mule will be playing a special Halloween show again this year. Their '07 show in Minneapolis was amazing, they performed Led Zep's "Houses of the Holy" from start to finish. Really great stuff. Last year they did a bunch of Pink Floyd songs (Pigs on The Wing, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Comfortably Numb, a few more). This year they've chosen to cover a bunch of Rolling Stones songs, which I think suits the band perfectly. Should be great, the show is at Tower Theater in Philly.

I was listening to WFAN this morning (the Boomer and god-awful Carlton show) and they got off on a tangent discussing the U2 concert playing Giants stadium tonight. Carlton made a comment about how he first saw U2 in Syracuse in the early 90's (I felt old) and Los Lobos opened. Someone in the background made a comment about how Los Lobos is not even a good band, I couldn't believe it. The comment was "besides La Bamba (!!!) what did they ever do"? Talk about flaunting your stupidity. Saying that "La Bamba" is even representative of the band, and to say that's the only song you know from them speaks volumes about that person's musical ignorance. Suffice to say that Los Lobos is one of the finest bands this country ever produced, and they are still a smokin' live band. Really pisses me off when people make comments/give opinions with no knowledge whatsoever. I'm sure that person went right back to listening to the new Colbie Caillat cd.

I saw a link for an "article" on MSNBC.com this morning that I had to click - "20 Fall Albums We Can't Wait To Hear"....on my god, was it awful. This is what they deem the best of the bunch: Madonna, Mariah Carey, Shakira, the soundtrack to "New Moon" (can't wait for that one, more boring songs that can be played on any CW show, or of course, Grays Anatomy), Leona Lewis, Alicia Keys, Usher. There's more but why bother? The only disc on the list remotely interesting is the new Flaming Lips. Incredible how people will listen to (and buy) just about anything that's promoted heavily and is played on the radio.....and that's been my argument against narrowcasted radio since the beginning. At least the internet has opened the door to allow people to listen to and find great music they'd never hear otherwise. But there's no underestimating the taste of the general public - look how many overproduced records Mariah Carey has sold....

09/22/08

2010-01-25T08:05:00.000-08:00

Some new music worth mentioning - the Pearl Jam album "Backspacer", is excellent. I don't know if it's because this is the 1st album to be released by Monkeywrench (Pearl Jam-owned) or because they decided to ditch the preachy politics this time around. In any event, it's a much better set of songs than either of their previous 2 efforts ("Pearl Jam" and "Riot Act"). I was beginning to grow tired of their music, each album had a few good songs, but no standouts. This disc has 9 out of 11 worth listening to more than once, which is more than I can say about most new discs. I embedded some lame static video a fan put together for youtube, but it's a good song from the disc.

A few good singles -

I found a single the other day by a band a friend recommended to me - The Soulsavers. They have a new disc out ("Broken") but I downloaded a single from their 2nd disc, the single is called "Revival" and it's very good. The Soulsavers are 2 guys from the UK. Basically a production team, they specialize in downtempo electronica, but got Mark Lanegan, a great lead singer (previously with Screaming Trees) to sing some vocals on their last 2 discs. "Revival" sounds like a cross between gospel, soul and rock. The cool video for the song is below. The new disc sounds really good as well, have to give it a few more listens.

Res looks like she has some new music coming soon...her myspace page has a few songs streaming, the best of which ("For Who You Are", a re-make of Three Dog Night's "One") sound excellent. She disappeared since her last (1st) cd ("How I Do"), which was an incredible debut cd and worth hearing. Some examples from her 1st disc: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuv6OGsnc9Q

09/15/09

2010-01-25T08:04:00.000-08:00

I was searching for some new music on various websites recently and came across this reggae band called 10 Ft. Ganja Plant. I thought it was a joke - I had found a track called ""10 Foot Ganja Plant and Weed" by the aforementioned band on a Russian mp3 site (more on those on a future post) and really couldn't imagine a band naming themselves that. I did some research and found that not only is there really is a band with that name, they're an offshoot of a great American reggae band from New York (John Brown's Body). I've listened to JBB for years, they've put out some great reggae, and I much prefer their older stuff. JBB began as an authentic roots reggae band from upstate NY that honed their chops in Jamaica. Their 1st cd ("Among Them") is a great disc, but each release after that became more slick and less rootsy. A bunch of musicians from that band formed 10 Ft. Ganja Plant in 2000 and have released 5 original cd's to date. I just downloaded "Midnight Landing" and their new one "Bush Rock". "Midnight Landing" is just a great collection of traditional roots reggae done perfectly. If you're at all into Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Meditations, Roots Radics, Wailers, etc. you need to check these guys out. Back to the name - the band's shtick is they have - (from Wikipedia) a "shroud of mystery, considering that, for the most part, fans are baffled as to whom the unfamiliar guest artists are in particular as there are often no personnel credits featured on any of their albums". A bunch of anonymous guys making traditional reggae simply because they love it. You can hear it in their music.

09/15/09

2010-01-25T08:03:00.000-08:00

I can't seem to get away from that innocuous song "I Gotta Feeling" from the Black Eyed Peas, it seems everywhere I turn it's being used for some sort of advertising. Oprah Winfrey had something like 20,000 people on Michigan Ave dancing like idiots to it, and I also heard it used on a promo for the new CBS primetime lineup. I read this great review on allmusic.com of the album the song comes from, which sums them (and most every other disposable pop group) up perfectly - this was written by someone named John Bush:

"The Black Eyed Peas make effective pop/crossover music, but with all the limitations of the form — vapid lyrics, clumsy delivery, vocals smoothed over by Auto-Tune, and songwriting that constantly strains for (and reaches) the lowest common denominator. Worse yet, they aren't content to be disposable pop stars; they also want to write anthemic, vital songs that speak for a new generation. And so comes The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies). For every hyper-sexualized, by-the-numbers track like the hit single "Boom Boom Pow," there are message songs like "Now Generation," which begins, in cheerleader fashion, with the lines: "We are the now generation! We are the generation now!/This is the now generation! This is the generation now!" Led by will.i.am's production, which is continually the best thing about the album, the Black Eyed Peas move even farther away from hip-hop into the type of blandly inspirational dance-pop that has become ripe for advertising and marketing opportunities, including "I Gotta Feeling" ("I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night") and "Party All Night" ("If we could party all night and sleep all day, and throw all of our problems away, my life would be ea-say"). There's also a call for unity titled "One Tribe," which gradually descends into confusion — and nearly self-parody — with a line about the dangers of making enemies, rapped this way: "If I had an enemy, then my enemy's gonna try to come kill me 'cuz I'm his enemy — one tribe y'all." Between tracks, there are also occasional cameos from a narrator, who sounds strangely like Star Trek's Worf, intoning nuggets like these: "There is no longer a physical record store, but we will continue to let the beat rock!" and "The most powerful force on the planet is the energy of the youth/But when this powerful youth becomes activated and stimulated and collectively decides not to buy things, what will happen to the economy?" Granted, there's nothing here as embarrassing as "My Humps," and the production is a shade better than previous material from the group or Fergie solo (although still not as good as will.i.am solo ventures), but The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies) is a mess of pop/dance/rap crossover. It certainly won't change the minds of everyone who thinks that the group's pandering approach and clumsy execution make it the worst thing about pop music in the 2000s".

Whatever happened to...

2010-01-25T08:02:00.000-08:00

Ambulance Ltd? What a great band, they appeared about 5 years ago (on my radar), and combined a Velvet Underground meets Jesus & Mary Chain vibe, but more melodic. Based in Brooklyn, they had 2 great discs - self-titled and an EP called "New English". Both are really worth checking out. Marcus Congleton is (was?) the leader, he broke up the band, or vice-versa, just as they were gaining some steam a few years ago...those that left re-formed as Red Romance, which recorded some ok music, much more pop (and highly forgettable) than Ambulance. Supposedly Marcus moved to LA and was recording a new album with John Cale. Don't know whatever happened with that. I saw the re-formed Ambulance Ltd. last April at the Mercury Lounge and they sounded great. Even played some new songs. Here's hoping they surface somewhere soon...

09/10/09

2010-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

I think American Idol has finally jumped the shark. I'm not at all a fan of the show, I think "talent" like Daughtry and Kelly Clarkson are the 00's equivalent of Olivia Newton-John and Loverboy, but hey, I realize there's a place in pop culture for that too. But now they've hired Ellen DeGeneres as a "judge"....a comedienne, daytime talk-show host(ess?), who has absolutely zero credibility when it comes to music (I use the term loosely here). Not that the show is tethered to any kind of musical reality anyway, but Ellen DeGeneres as a judge? Really? What's next, Bob Dylan doing a CD of Christmas standards? Oh......

09/09/09

2010-01-25T07:58:00.000-08:00

Usually this time of year there are at least 8-10 new releases I look forward to. Not so this year....for some reason there isn't a ton of new stuff on the horizon I find interesting. (I love the Beatles but am not thrilled about forking over money to buy the new cd's to replace the sort-of crappy ones I bought in the late 80's). Some good archive releases (Stephen Stills/Manassas, live Rick Danko - solo and with Richard Manuel) and a few new ones (Gov't Mule, Zero 7) that's it. Not really thrilled at the prospect of another David Gray cd, or another Hall & Oates collection.

There have been 2 recent releases I've been listening to and really enjoying - "...Before The Frost" by The Black Crowes, and "Joy" by Phish. I used to think of the Crowes as little more than a competent covers band that rips off The Faces and The Stones. But as their career has progressed (in stops and starts) they've grown on me. I really don't think any of their albums are outstanding (Southern Harmony being the best), but each one has at least 2 or 3 excellent tunes. Add it up and it would make for a great double-cd (the current one doesn't include anything from their last 2 discs). That trend continues with their latest disc (recorded live at Levon Helm's studio in Woodstock) but this time the not-so-good tunes aren't terrible. They mine a more folky/acoustic vein for much of this disc, and the 2nd disc "Until The Freeze" (available as a download when purchasing Before The Frost) has a bit too many mid-tempo songs that start to all sound the same. The opening track on the 1st disc is a great song - "Morning Captain", and "Appaloosa" is an excellent ballad. Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi All-Stars) is now a part of the band, and adds some great guitar as a complement to Rich Robinson. It's actually refreshing to hear new classic rock being made. Here's a video from their Letterman appearance:

The new Phish disc is excellent. It's getting compared to "Billy Breathes" because both were produced by Steve Lillywhite. I think it's similar in that both have more pop oriented songs than the rest of the Phish catalog, with a big exception for "Farmhouse". This disc has some songs that smoke in concert - Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan, Backwards Down The Number Line, and Joy (BDTNL is a great single) are imho among the best Phish have written. The lyrics for the most part actually make some sense, which was a big knock I had on these guys. (Gotta Jiboo? Makisupa Policeman? Please.) The disc is strong from start to finish, with the exception of "Time Turns Elastic" which goes a bit too prog for me and doesn't really lead anywhere. I heard that the song live is far better, with a strong finish. The Mike Gordon tune (Sugar Shack) is ok, and it's as funky as Phish gets on the disc (which means that for a bunch of middle aged white guys it's relatively funky). Here's some recent Phish video, performing a song from the new disc.

08/18/09

2010-01-25T07:56:00.000-08:00

I recently saw the name of this band (Maplewood) and had to listen (for obvious reasons). They're a new band from Brooklyn, and have released 2 discs so far..."Maplewood" released in '04 and "Yeti Boombox", which was just released last month. I've listened to their first self-titled disc and thought it was great. Great harmonies, chiming guitars and very reminiscent of 70's pop music such as America. The first 4 tracks are killer and it's great end of summer listening, I recommend it highly. I'm still listening to their 2nd disc, and it hasn't hit me like the first so I don't know if they're a one-hit/disc wonder or not....here's a track from their 1st disc and some info from their site:

Pop Matters declared Maplewood to be “one toke away from the cosmos and harbingers of a movement already afoot. [Their music] makes you want to hit the highway and fly on the ground past the outer limits“. Paste found their first album, which featured guest appearances from members of the Hold Steady and Sparklehorse, to have “a gorgeous, pot-smoking melancholy that perfectly recaptures the easy, breezy sound of vintage FM radio.“ And Newsday proclaimed Maplewood one of New York’s top ten rock bands. Members of Maplewood also play in these bands: Two Dark Birds, Nada Surf, Legendary Oaks and Champale.

08/18/09

2010-01-25T07:23:00.000-08:00

I was recently checking out some reviews of new music on Metacritic.com (I use the site more for movie reviews, for reasons I'm about to list) and couldn't believe what was ranked as their top picks, or top "rated" for 2009 so far...here it is (in order): Leonard Cohen, Animal Collective, something called Sun O))), Amadou & Mariam, Grizzly Bear, Manic Street Preachers, Dirty Projectors, Tanya Morgan, The Felice Brothers, and Japandroids. That's their list. I just looked up what Sun 0))) is and found that they are an American drone metal band. OK. But they have the 3rd best release this year??!! What about Levon Helm or Wilco or Maxwell? Of course I realize that all reviews are subjective, and the idea of Metacritic is to formulate one score based on a number of different reviews...but how good can their system be when it comes up with a ridiculous list like that? I don't care how good the Tanya Morgan record is, and I actually enjoy Leonard Cohen, but neither should be on a Top 10 list this year.

www.metacritic.com/music

08/15/09

2010-01-25T07:22:00.000-08:00

In referencing the Jonny Greenwood reggae collection in my post yesterday, I remembered a great out-of-print movie that came out in 1980 (I think) - "Heartland Reggae". This was more or less a documentary that focused on the One Love Peace concert that took place in Jamaica in 1978. Jamaica was in civil turmoil at the time, and Bob Marley made an historic appearance and had the leaders of the 2 political parties come up on stage to hold hands (Michael Manley and Edward Seaga). Quality of the flick is just ok, but there are some absolutely classic performances. I've included links to a few, including the great Dennis Brown (look for 2 members of Third World in the audience enjoying it) and Jacob Miller, who was killed in 1980 in a car accident at the age of 27, was also a great talent, backed by the Roots Radics (who were the Booker T. & The MG's of reggae music) . These are some prime examples of classic roots reggae. I remember seeing Dennis Brown back in the early 80's as part of the Reggae Sunsplash concert at Radio City Music Hall. Also on that bill were Yellowman and Gregory Isaacs....that was when great reggae bands like Black Uhuru, Steel Pulse and UB-40 toured regularly and reggae hadn't crossed over to the dancehall darkside.

Must've been very cool to have been in Jamaica at that time...check out some of the tourists watching too (my guess is the white folks aren't residents) , Jamaica was a different place back then. The movie is worth seeing if you can find it.

(That's Peter Tosh at the start of the Jacob Miller clip)

08/14/09

2010-01-25T07:20:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I see a video of a performance or hear a track that makes me re-assess an artist. Last year I happened to catch the 200th episode of the Later with Jools Holland show (from the UK) and there were 2 performances that blew me away, and from artists that I really didn't love. One such performance was this one from Radiohead doing "Weird Fishes" and the other was by Mary J. Blige, who I've basically ignored for much of her career. The Radiohead song made me go back and re-listen to much of their output, and I found myself pulled in. When I first listened to Radiohead (OK Computer was when I entered, although I had liked "Creep" from Pablo Honey) I got into them for their great tunes. I stopped listening after Amnesiac, as I wasn't really ready for their journey into ambient electronica. But after seeing this song, I appreciated them for their atmospherics and great guitar (Jonny Greenwood is an amazing guitarist...and has great taste in reggae music...check out the disc "Jonny Greenwood Is The Controller" for a great sampler of classic roots reggae).

As for Mary J. Blige, I'm a huge fan of soul music but by the mid 80's synthesizers were rampant and all the electronics ruined most of soul/r&b. But the woman has talent...I can't find a video of that performance b/c the BBC pulled all links due to copyrights (was released as part of a Jools Holland compilation DVD) so I'll just post a link to the video of the song.

Mary J. Blige tune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ETfNxDVlpQ

08/12/09

2010-01-25T07:16:00.000-08:00

So I've been trying to get this blog thing going for a while now....my block mostly involves imagining the feelings of most readers being a big "who gives a shit?" when I go to put fingers to keyboard. Why should I deign to think anyone would give a crap about what my opinions are about popular music? But after consistently reading a number of blogs and other music related websites I figure my experience in seeing live music is about as good as anyone's and my knowledge is equal to a lot of the music writers/columnists I read, and people I've known over the years who work in the business. So, I figure if Rolling Stone magazine can pay money (any amount, it doesn't matter) to a hack that gives 3 stars to the latest Jonas Brothers album, then I might as well enter the discourse, even as a speck (what's smaller than a speck?) on the web. No matter it's tiny and will only be read by a few friends...if I can turn on one person to a new band or song that they never heard it'll be worth it. But if I'm ever going to do this, I guess now is as good a place as any to begin.

I didn't write about my experience at Mountain Jam or Bonnaroo this year, or about any of the other music I've seen and heard. So, I'll try and keep this fairly updated and see how that goes. A few friends have suggested I undertake this, so here goes....

I guess the best place to pick up would be the Allman Brothers Band shows I caught last March at the Beacon theater. These shows were celebrating 2 anniversaries - the 40th of the formation of the band, and the 20th of said band playing the Beacon. Gregg Allman had also spoke about how they were going to honor the memory of his brother Duane, one of the greatest slide guitar players ever, and the original impetus behind the band. There was also talk of special guest appearances, by players that had a link to Duane. I've been to about 15 or so Allmans shows at the Beacon over the years, and I was really looking forward to this run. Opening night was March 9th and my seats were 6th row to the left of the stage (thanks Brad!). The show opened with an acoustic take on the Duane Allman tune "Little Martha", which they had never done before. There's something otherwordly about seeing 2 of the best living guitar players playing together (Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks) and I loved the way they opened the show with this song. After that it was a fairly standard Allmans setlist for a few songs, and the 9th song into the set the 1st guest out was Taj Mahal. I've never been a huge fan of Mahal's (despite his critical acclaim, always thought he sounded like a "me too" bluesman...I've seen him open countless times for bands and was always bored). This time out, he was a great fit...he sang "Leaving Trunk" (which The Derek Trucks Band also does a great job with on "Live at the Georgia Theater"), and another standout was "Statesboro Blues", which has become an Allmans standard, but was written by Blind Willie McTell and done by Taj in 1968 on his 1st album, ("Leaving Trunk" is also on that album). Levon Helm was also a guest and opened the 2nd set. He did "The Weight" and a few other tunes. The crowd was into it, but having seen Levon Helm 3 times at his Midnight Rambles (www.levonhelm.com/midnight_ramble.htm) it's hard for me to appreciate him as much in a larger environment. Rest of the show was good, but not nearly as good as the next time I saw the ABB...March 19th. After performing for a few weeks and having different special guests each night, everyone was wondering when and/or if Eric Clapton was going to show. There was a obviously a big connection, as Duane was a huge part of the "Layla" album by Derek & The Dominos. Anyway, the 3/19 show opened again with Little Martha. No guest played the 1st set and there were rumors circulating thru the audience that Clapton had played a soundcheck earlier that evening. 1st set ended with "Whipping Post", and the 2nd began with Gregg at the keys solo for "Oncoming Traffic" (a Bonnie Bramlett tune). Halfway through the set you could see a Fender Strat on the side of the stage...and then Clapton walked out. I have never heard in all my years of concerts a roar like this. After all it had been 40 years and these guys have never played together live...it was history. From the opening notes of "Key to the Highway" and all the way through to "Layla" (about an hour), this was really rock heaven (and I'm using that term maybe for the first time in earnest). Everyone around me was pinching themselves as they couldn't believe what they were seeing. The sound was incredible and all of a sudden my $95 face value ticket for which I paid $250 became a bargain. Truly one of the highlights of my music-going life. Top 5. Can't wait for the live CD....Munck Music has been saying since June that they're releasing the entire Beacon '09 run, but to date nothing. I believe they're having difficulties obtaining the rights, as there were so many different artists that performed during these shows. Do yourself a favor and get this show if you're at all a fan of either Eric Clapton or The Allmans - http://www.hittinthenote.com/cart/p-945-allman-brothers-band-br-beacon-theater-31909.aspx

Here's the setlist from the 3/19/09 Allmans show:

Little Martha
Statesboro Blues
Done Somebody Wrong
Revival
Woman Across The River
Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’
Whipping Post
Oncoming Traffic
Come and Go Blues
Good Morning Little School Girl
Key To The Highway w/EC
Dreams w/EC
Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad? w/EC
Little Wing w/EC
Anyday w/EC

E: Layla w/EC

Next week I'm seeing the Allmans again, this time at their annual PNC show in Holmdel. This year the Doobies Bros are opening, should be interesting....glad Michael McDonald is gone, would love to see some non-greatest hist songs such as "Eyes of Silver" and "Dark Eyed Cajun Woman". Hopefully I'll keep at this longer than a week and can provide my review/experience on this blog.

MOUNTAIN JAM V (May 31 - June 2, 2009) - partial review

I attended the fifth installment of Mountain Jam this past May, which is a music fest organized by Warren Haynes. I never attended MJ, as it seemed to rain every year and I really had no interest in driving to Hunter Mountain to stand in the rain and see Gov't Mule. But this year's lineup was much better than last, and my brother in law owns a great house about 7 miles from the Fest, so I figured what the hell. The 1st day of the fest was great....very few people (which I love) and easy access to the front of the stage. Mountain Jam is set up like a mini-Bonnaroo (including camping)...but I don't think the campers can park their vehicle next to their campsite, as I saw tons of people carrying all their gear up the hill to the fest/campsites. Bummer. One of the great things about MJ was the ski lift. For $5 you could take a 30 minute ride up to the top of the mountain and back. Great views and a phenomenal party site indeed. Anyway, I finally got a chance to see a band I had only recently found out about - Alberta Cross. They are a bunch of guys from the UK (originally from Sweden) that have moved to Brooklyn. Their music sounds like a mix of Neil Young/Jim James (vocally), southern rock (not too much) and indie. Here's a video from their album:

I really think they're great, but the lead dude need to learn a thing or two about stage presence (he's got none). There were about 15 people in the front of the stage when they played at MJ, and they had the unfortunate circumstance of not having a drummer (something about a hospital trip). This band desperately needs a drummer live. They tried to pull off a few numbers but they longer they played the more they lost the crowd. And one female fan was tring to chat up the lead singer (Petter Ericson Stakee) by asking him about the button he was wearing, but he ignored her. (I think the button referred to John Lennon, guess he was looking for some credibility by name-checking a Beatle). These guys were much better at Bonnaroo later in June, as they got their drummer back and sounded great. They have a disc coming out in September, but in the meantime, check out their album "The Thief and The Heartbreaker", it's excellent....despite my review of their MJ show (http://www.atorecords.com/?page_id=2&artist=25). Other bands at the festival included Martin Sexton (sucked...he got angry and refused to play when some house music from an adjacent stage could be heard), Porter-Batsiste-Stolz (very good), and Tea Leaf Green...excellent and the best band of the day. Also had the strangest fan of the fest...wearing his TLG mustache and dancing like a spaz, he looked like an idiot. Love the band though, if you're not familiar with them, check out their disc "Taught To Be Proud", one of the best of last year. Also saw Gomez (very good), The Hold Steady (ok, but I just don't get them), and The Derek Trucks Band who were excellent as always. I took a ride on the ski lift during BK3's performance and listened to them play Scarlet Begonias on the way up which was fun. Richie Havens also appeared, solo acoustic, and I made my exit as soon as he started strumming. Didn't catch a bunch of other acts (Coheed & Cambria, Umphreys McGee, Gene Ween) but thought it was a great fest and will go back next year.

Some new music to listen to now:

Alberta Cross - "The Thief and the Heartbreaker" cd

(link to free new single from forthcoming disc): http://albertacross.net/

Assembly of Dust "Some Assembly Required" cd (track 1 is my favorite, Richie Havens shares vocals with Reid)

Levon Helm "When I Go Away" - great track off of his new disc "Electric Dirt"

12/08/08

2010-01-25T07:15:00.000-08:00

Not Filed Yet 2008

Here's my top songs of 2008 (no particular order):

◦Thank You Too - My Morning Jacket
◦Hare Krisna - Thievery Corporation
◦Big Easy - Rafael Saadiq
◦Sing The Changes - The Fireman
◦Williams Blood - Grace Jones
◦Strange Overtones - David Byrne & Brian Eno
◦I Don't Mind - The Blow Monkeys
◦If It Wasn't For Loving You - Steve Cropper & Felix Cavaliere
◦Crystal River - Mudcrutch
◦Staying With Me - Los Lonely Boys
◦Dig, Lazarus, Dig - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
◦Fix It - Ryan Adams
◦Everyday - The BoDeans
◦Acid Tongue - Jenny Lewis
◦Old Enough - The Raconteurs
◦You Are The Best Thing - Ray LaMontagne
◦Behind The Ritual - Van Morrison
◦Did You Miss Me - Lindsey Buckingham
◦You, Me & Everything - Blues Traveler
◦This Is Not A Test - She & Him
◦Make You Crazy - Brett Dennen
◦Cold Moments - Paul Weller
◦Peace, Love and Happiness - G. Love and Special Sauce
◦People - Susan Tedeschi
◦The Nothing Maker - The Pretenders
◦Look at Me (When I Rock Wichoo) - Black Kids
◦Orange Blossoms - J.J. Grey and Mofro
◦Violet Hill - Coldplay
◦Life, Love and Laughter - Donavon Frankenreiter
◦Gettin Up - Q-Tip
◦Dirty City - Steve Winwood
◦Let Us Go - Tea Leaf Green
◦Always A Friend - Alejandro Esovedo
◦Real Love - Lucinda Williams
◦Orphans - Beck
◦Street of Dreams - Guns n Roses

12/08/08

2010-01-25T07:14:00.002-08:00

DSO 11/28/08

Went to see Dark Star Orchestra last week (11/28/08 Nokia Theater). Great show, they performed:

07-07-78 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Co. (Fri)
1: Jack Straw, Candyman, Me & My Uncle> Big River, FOTD, Cassidy, Tennessee Jed, Passenger, Peggy-O, Music Never Stopped
2: Cold Rain, BIODTL, Scarlet> Fire, Dancin> Drumz> NFA> Nobody's Jam> NFA> Black Peter> Around E1: U. S. Blues E2: Johnny B. Goode

We saw the show from the VIP area upstairs. Great view and sound. The place was packed, I don't think they could've gotten another body in the stage area. The band was tight and sounded really great. Scarlet>Fire was the highlight for me. I don't remember hearing the encores, we must've left early. Got to go backstage and meet Donna Jean Godchaux, who sang a few tunes with the band. Surprisingly she didn't sing on Music Never Stopped. I was told it was because the band decided what she could and couldn't sing on. Whatever. Donna seemed like she was nice enough, but had a million people hovering around her. Someone made bobble head dolls of the whole band. I tried to find a beer backstage and all they had were V-8's and water. Oh well.

11/20/08

2010-01-25T07:14:00.001-08:00

1993 Best

1993, in no order:

1- Paul Weller "Wildwood"

2- Van Morrison "Too Long In Exile"

3- Pearl Jam "Vs."

4- World Party "Bang"

5- Guru "Jazzmatazz"

6- Young Disciples "Down The Road"

7- Daniel Lanois "For The Beauty of Wynona"

8- Donald Fagen "Kamakiriad"

9- BoDeans "Go Slow Down"

10- PM Dawn "The Bliss Album"

11/20/08

2010-01-25T07:13:00.002-08:00

1994 Best

1994, in no order:

◦Galliano "The Plot Thickens"
◦The Allman Brothers Band "Where It All Begins"
◦Marden Hill "Blown Away"
◦Shara Nelson "What Silence Knows"
◦Elvis Costello "Brutal Youth"
◦REM "Monster"
◦Incognito "Positivity"
◦Solsonics "Jazz In The Present Tense"
◦Neil Young "Sleeps WIth Angels"
◦Van Morrison "Live In San Francisco"
◦Stone Temple Pilots "Purple"
◦Morrissey "Vauxhall and I"

11/20/08

2010-01-25T07:13:00.001-08:00

1992 Best

1992

1 - Paul Weller "Paul Weller"

2- REM "Automatic For The People"

3- The Beautiful South "0898"

4- Neil Young "Harvest Moon"

5- Los Lobos "Kiko"

6- Galliano "A Joyful Noise Unto The Creator"

7- Pops Staples "Peace To The Neighborhood"

8- Maceo Parker "Life On Planet Groove"

9- Dee Lite "Infinity Within"

11/20/08

2010-01-25T07:12:00.000-08:00

1996 Best

1996, in no particular order:

◦Aimee Mann "I'm With Stupid"
◦Morcheeba
◦Sweetback
◦Incognito "Beneath The Surface"
◦Graham Parker "Acid Bubblegum"
◦Elvis Costello "All This Useless Beauty"
◦Neil Young "Broken Arrow"
◦REM "New Adventures In Hi-Fi"
◦Pearl Jam "No Code"
◦Galliano "4"

11/20/08

2010-01-25T07:11:00.002-08:00

English Beat 11/14
Went to see The English Beat at Mexicali Live last Fri night. They went on at 1020, after a set by a mediocre white reggae band. I spoke with Dave Wakeling (actually stood next to him while he was talking with some people outside) for a minute before they went on - seemed like a nice guy. Smokes a lot and likes his soccer. He wondered why there weren't more Beat cover bands here in the US. I wasn't going to be the one to tell him. They opened with Whine and Grine/Stand Down Margaret which sounded great. He had a young guy as the Ranking Roger fill in, and he sounded very similiar. They played most of what I wanted to hear (Twist and Crawl, Doors of Your Heart) and all the big hits (Save It For Later, Mirror In The Bathroom, I Confess, and Tenderness from his General Public incarnation). Wanted to hear "Best Friend" or "Sole Salvation" but they didn't play either. The sound was great and the place was packed.

11/19/08

2010-01-25T07:11:00.001-08:00

Steely Dan 11/18Saw Steely Dan last night at The "new" Wellmont Theater in Montclair. I think I've seen my last Steely Dan show.....great music, but they're devoid of any spontaneity....I've seen the same exact show three times. They've got zero personality. I thought the venue was ok, a little cramped with the seats, no room at all. A bit disappointing, although it's great to have a venue that gets talent like this so close to home. The dressing rooms were small trailers parked on Bloomfield Avenue! Here's some of what they played:

◦Royal Scam
◦I Got The News
◦Hey 19
◦Godwhacker
◦Babylon Sisters
◦New Frontier
◦Gaucho
◦Black Friday
◦Mr. Parkers Band
◦Josie
◦Aja
◦Green Earrings

11/19/08

2010-01-25T07:10:00.000-08:00

Derek Trucks Band 11/6Saw The Derek Trucks Band at Highline last week. Great show, he's an amazing guitarist. Band was pretty good too, with the singer that looks like a homeless person. The venue was packed, I stood off to the right side of the stage, good view. Here's the setlist:

Down In The Flood
I Know
Don't Miss Me When I'm Gone
These Days Is Almost Gone
Anyday
I'll Find My Way
Soul Serenade
Get What You Deserve
Down Don't Bother Me
Meet Me At The Bottom
My Favorite Things
Get Out Of My Life
Leavin' Trunk

Encore:
Crow Jane
Up Above My Head

11/03/08

2010-01-25T07:09:00.002-08:00

october updateSaw Crosby-Nash on October 11th at Shea Center in Wayne. Great venue, fairly small. Seats were dead center about 7th row. They both sounded great, Crosby in particular. There was some politics but mostly they just played. The lead guitarist was Dean Parks, who has played with Steely Dan. We missed the last encore, which I figured was "Teach Your Children", wanted to beat the rush and it's not my favorite C-N tune. Here's some of what they played (I can't find a set list anywhere):

“I Used to Be A King”

“Leeshore”

“Long Time Gone”

“Lay Me Down”

“Dream for Him”

“Grace”/ “Jesus of Rio”

“Puppeteer”

“Deja Vu”

“This Is My Country”

“Guinnevere”

“Our House”

“In Your Name”

“Orleans”/ “Cathedral”

“Military Madness”

“Almost Cut My Hair”

"Wooden Ships”

______________________________

Saw Donavon Frankenreiter at The Highline Ballroom on October 23rd. Sold out show. He played a great set, but not as strong I thought as the one I saw at Bonnaroo. He also wore this knit funky cap all night, even though it was hot in the venue. The warm up act, Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek) came out and played on a few songs including "Free". Can't find a setlist on this show either, but he played most what you'd think he'd play. He also did a cover of Skynyrd's "Simple Man"...a slow version, it was pretty good.

9/24/08

2010-01-25T07:09:00.001-08:00

some more perspectiveHere are the some discs I've been listening to and thoughts:

Thievery Corporation "Radio Retaliation" - more of the same from these guys, which means great beats and samples strung into some good vibe-y tunes. Acid jazz (which is what TC evolved from) when it first became known here, was a producers' game...bands weren't really important, as it was all the about the vibe. Don't get me wrong, there were some excellent bands from that time, including Galliano, Brand New Heavies, Incognito, and more, but it was more reliant on a producer that could put together a good danceable or jazzy-mellow track and throw some female voices over it. Unfortunately it became very formulaic. There were some really great compilations put out mostly in the UK (This is Acid Jazz series, some Ubiquity records compilations, The Rebirth of Cool series on 4th and Bwy, Totally Wired and Re-Wired series from Acid Jazz records....some from Dorado records, The Acid Jazz Test series, many more) but no artist really stood out over time. Mainly because acid jazz mutated into other genres....Electronica became a huge genre, trance, downtempo, etc. the classic 'acid jazz" genre all but disappeared. A few bands are still making records (brand New Heavies and Incognito being examples) but since Madison Ave found out that this music makes great background ambience, it's been in every Banana Republic and car commercial since and lost some of it's luster. (I remember when Kruder & Dorfmeister were doing this same type of music in the early 90's). Thievery Corporation came to the game late but has shown great staying power by releasing consistently good discs, and this is no exception. According to what I've read, TC says this disc is a more "political" statement from them, but it's hard to hear it when the beats are good and the lyrics are an afterthought anyway with this type of music. I mean, you can throw in a quote from some political figure in the middle of a dance tune, but that doesn't make it a political song. This disc is more of the same from TC, which I enjoy. Anyway, I give this a 6 on a scale of 1-10.

The Blow Monkeys "Devils Tavern" - a new disc from these guys, last heard from in the late 80's. This record was made by soliciting money from their fan base (I did not donate to the cause), as they had no record deal. Dr. Robert has been very active since the demise of the Monkeys, releasing some excellent discs that veered all over the map....some earnest folk, some blue-eyed soul, mostly mid-tempo stuff that only a few people actually heard. His discs were generally not released in the US and I think both Dr. Robert and The Blow Monkeys have almost no audience here. This disc ain't gonna change that. This is pleasant disc that is really more of a continuation of Dr. Robert's solo career than a resurrection of The Blow Monkeys. There's no "Diggin Your Scene" or "It Doesn't Have To Be That Way" single here. The single is "The Bullet Train", which is just ok, a better tune would be the laid back "I Don't Mind". Nothing jumps out at me as a classic Blow Monkeys tune (is that an oxymoron?), too middle of the road for me. I give this a 5 on a scale of 1-10.

Calexico "Carried To Dust" - an excellent disc from a band I recently got into. Loved their collaboration with Sam Beam/Iron & Wine (who plays on this disc as well). This is atmospheric music a la Sergio Leone meets indie rock. Lots of muted trumpets and you can almost see the tumbleweeds roll across your floor when you listen. A good disc from start to finish, pretty mellow, and my favorite tune is the first on the disc - "Victor Jara's Hands". I give it a 7 on a scale of 1-10.

Donavon Frankenreiter "Pass It Around" - the 3rd disc of original material from DF, this is his weakest yet. Not too much of a disappointment, as his music is all about laid back good time vibes regardless, and he pulls that off. But the songs are not as strong as his last disc "Move By Yourself", with only "Life Love & Laughter" and "Too Much Water" as immediate standouts for me. The rest is fairly middling. Don't get me wrong, even an ok disc from Donavon is worth listening to, it's just that I had higher expectations after his last 2. I also saw him at Bonnaroo this year where he put on a really great show. Hopefully the next one will be better. A 6 on the 1-10 scale.

O.A.R. "All Sides" - talk about a band that's lost it's way. A completely crappy disc...sounds like they went for the commercial brass ring (could sort of hear them going down that path in their last disc "Stories of a Stranger"). I actually liked "In Between Now and Then" and thought these guys might have a shot a longevity, but after this dreck, forget it. Total formulaic rock, I give it a 2.

Paul Weller "22 Dreams" (2 cd's) - wow, is this all over the place. I love Paul Weller (the Jam and the Style Council are 2 of my favorite bands) but he's been very inconsistent since "Heavy Soul" (Heliocentric anyone?!). Had this been cut to 1 disc it would be an excellent solo disc, but as it is it's self indulgent with some unlistenable songs. Standouts are "All I Want To Do", "Have You Made Up Your Mind", "Cold Moments". I love his more soul-leaning tunes, not so much his ramblings (God) his piano sonatas (Lullabye Fur Kinder) and other indulgent experiments. Totally respect the guy for wanting to try new things, but not everything has to make it to disc. A 7 on a 1-10 scale.

Slighty Stoopid "Chroncitis" - white-boy reggae, but done well. Not the frat-boy reagge such as O.A.R, these guys seem to more respectful of trying to approximate the real thing. Some heavy dub, some more pop leaning tracks as well. Over all a good mix from a band I was all but ready to give up on. This disc boasts of the the summer's strongest singles in "Hold On To The One". A 7 on the scale.

I love reggae, particularly the late 70's/early 80's period with bands like Roots Radics backing great singers like Dennis Brown and Gregory Isaacs,...saw some amazing shows in the 80's - The Itals, Steel Pulse, Black Uhuru (original line-up), Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, UB-40 (back when they really were a reggae band), Reggae Sunsplash at Radio City with Yellowman and Gregory Isaacs, The Wailers w/ The I-Three's. Lover's rock, roots reggae are my favorite styles. I don't like dancehall style, and when it became the dominant style in the late-80's I stopped listening. There are a few people still releasing some good music (Burning Spear and Toots come to mind) but for me the "golden age" was back then. Bob Marley and the Wailers is what drew me into reggae ("Exodus" being the 1st real reggae album I'd ever heard, it was in 1979). I picked up all their records as well as anything by Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh. All amazing, now classic stuff. Soon I was going to reggae shows in the city, and hanging out with the rastas in Washington Square Park, buying every new reggae album that came out. Bands like The Equators ("Hot" is a classic ska album...hard to find but worth it), Jacob Miller and Inner Circle, The Melodians, Sly & Robbie, and many more. And at college, there was an amazing radio station, WHFS, (at that time it was a great rock station, "alternative" not yet having been coined, I think maybe it was "college radio"..?) that had a reggae show Sunday nights (I think) called "Night of the Living Dread"as host. Really terrific show and I heard a lot of great reggae I wouldn't have heard otherwise. I just saw Stephen Marley in June at Bonnaroo - he's got a few ok songs ("Mind Control" being the biggest and best) but most of his concert was him imitating his father. Literally just doing versions of his dad's songs. Now, he does sound very much like his father, but still....a 2 hour show and only about 20 minutes of it is your own material?? And he employed some Rasta to run around for the entire show doing nothing but waving a big red, gold and green flag (to rally 'round?). That's what reggae's become....playing old Bob Marley songs.

The Verve "Forth" - an ok disc. Saw these guys in NYC a few months ago and wasn't impressed. Probably the most intense light show I've ever seen...and by "intense" I mean that if you stared at the strobes for more than 10 seconds you'd probably either go blind or into an epilieptic fit....they had those freaking strobes going for about 10 minutes straight at one point.....I'm too old to go to a concert that tries to approximate a "rave" feature. What a strange crowd too....all types - in the vanilla sense, and there was no vibe for that reason. And I thought the sound sucked. Anyway, the disc is ok, "Love Is Noise" is an ok single, and the other tracks are ok as well. Not nearly as strong as their last disc "Urban Hymns"...but ok nonetheless. Was hoping for more than that. Whatever. (and I was also one of the few that happened to enjoy Ashcrofts' solo discs...I thought "Check The Meaning" was one of the better singles of 2002). Just ok...a 5/10.

some perspective

2010-01-25T07:08:00.000-08:00

9/22/08:

All time favorite artists (in no particular order):

◦Curtis Mayfield
◦Bob Dylan
◦Bob Marley
◦Van Morrison
◦Neil Young
◦Allman Brothers Band
◦Grateful Dead
The only one on the list I wasn't able to see live was Bob Marley. He was supposed to play at college when I was a freshman, but he canceled and then died shortly after. Bummer.

The switch

2010-01-25T06:52:00.000-08:00

I'm going to try and switch my blog over from xanga to here. I think this site is more accessible and easier to work with. Hopefully this will work...going to try and copy all the html and paste it here...it's over a year's worth of archives.

9/22/08
Been a music freak my entire life. I've been listening to and collecting music since I was about 5 years old. I remember my parents buying me 78's and 45's (3 Little Fish, always a classic). Most of my memories of growing up in the late 60's and 70's (NYC) revolve around music. Be it a theme song from a tv show, or something that I'd heard on the radio (which was basically the only way to hear new music and when I was a young kid it was WABC-AM) or saw on The Midnight Special, or Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. I can't imagine having a resource like the internet when I was young. To be able to immediately search for any genre, song or artist is incredible. I remember the small independent record stores that I'd scour looking for musical gold. Whether it was a bootleg of a favorite band, or an import cd not available in the US, I'd spend hours flipping through the record or cd bins at places like J&R in NY, Aron's in LA, Penguin Feather in Maryland, Reckless in Chicago, and of course Tower. Now all you have to do is click a button and you can find anything (almost).

I'll give this a shot - I'm basically going to write about what I'm listening to currently, or maybe a show I've recently seen. It'll cover a highly selective mix of just about all kinds of popular music, except rap and country music....as I don't really have a deep knowledge of country music history, and I stopped listening to rap in about 1990.

Irie33

Gil Scott-Heron RIP

Clip from Ollabelle show in West Village

Ollabelle needs you

annual Allmans

Top Songs / 2010

Duke & The King

Fitz, the Flavor of the Month

Black Dub / Bowery again

some new music Nov

Gregory Isaacs R.I.P.

live Rads

MMJ / Roots

Solomon Burke R.I.P.

R&R HOF nominees (!!!)

Ollabelle

Nostalgia....

new JJ Grey album

great new Mavis tune

new music Sep

The Clash (what's left)

new Clapton

Giant haybale accident claims ex-ELO cellist...really.

new Franti video

new band, Black Country Communion

Richie Hayward R.I.P.

Mule / Madman

BHTM new single

Lanois update

WSP RCMH

ruining a good thing

Expired Sugar

The (surviving) Beatles

Gary Shider R.I.P.

new music june

Lanois Hurt

I was never a fan of motorcycles...too much risk of injury for me. Certainly hope he's ok.....

Daniel Lanois Critically Injured In Motorcycle Accident

faces back on

summer music

Discarded McConnell

New Nas/Damian Marley collaboration

back to new music

The Dead Finally Revealed

New Weller

Found: Stoney Clove Lane (sort of)

another one down

Malcolm McLaren R.I.P.

forgotten bar band

Misc Alberta Cross, Eli Reed, She & Him

Alex Chilton

Ron Lundy RIP

Allmans 3/16/10

more Allmans - video/United Palace 3/11

Allmans!

more Van Ghost

New music, etc. / Broken Bells

New neo-soul (Caucasian style)

Stoney Clove Lane...what happened?

Bad Lieutentant

Black Dub live

Interesting Allmans quote

Dynamite

new music/Midlake

New Daniel Lanois project

01/22/09

01/18/10

12/19/09

Neil Young parody

11/14/09

11/14/09

11/13/09

11/11/09

11/03/09

11/03/09

09/25/09

09/24/09

09/24/09

09/23/08

09/22/08