Let the leaks begin. Three tracks off the new Wilco album here.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips) on NPR - Now Streaming
You can now hear and read Wayne's essay on the NPR "This I Believe" website.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Under the Radar
Tim Forslund, who does an Indie Rock radio show on a local public radio station (“The B-Sides” on KRCB), turned me on to some great new music recently. Here I give a quick rundown on some of the more obscure and interesting artists he recommends. All of these bands have Myspace sites where we can listen for free. Hooray, Myspace!
Sloan –Indie-rock from Canada.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sloan
Gothic Archies – Probably the most unique and interesting sound of the bands Tim told me about. The band is led by Stephen Merritt, of The Magnetic Fields, who writes songs he calls “bubblegum goth”. Unlike anything else you’ll ever hear.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/gothicarchies
Pernice Brothers – Highly-touted band out of Mass.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/pernicebrothers
The Spinto Band – A Delaware-based Indie Rock band that recently toured with Arctic Monkeys. They sound similar to Pavement, e.g. nonchalant vocals a la Steven Malkmus.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thespintoband
Apples in Stereo – Up and coming Denver Indie pop band that has been generating a lot of buzz lately.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theapplesinstereo
Shout Out Louds – This Swedish band is not as obscure as some of the others, they are signed to Capitol, but they are new to me. Their pop sound and jangly guitars are catchy as hell.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/shoutoutlouds
The Capes –British Indie pop rock.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thecapes
The Elected – Indie-pop band formed by Blake Sennett of Rilo Kiley.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theelected
The Good Life – This Omaha, NE band on the Saddle Creek label is led by songwriter Tim Kasher. They have an Indie-Pop sound reminiscent of The Shins. They most recently contributed the track “New Year's Retribution” to the Lagniappe: A Saddle Creek Benefit for Hurricane Katrina Relief album.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thegoodlife
Chris Koza – A singer-songwriter out of Minneapolis. He has a pleasant, quirky sound. MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/chriskozaband
The Comas – An Indie Rock band out of North Carolina, recently signed to Vagrant Records. They have an eclectic sound, going from fuzzy guitars to strings and back again.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thecomas
Josh Rouse – Good stuff from this Indie troubadour, living in Spain via Tennessee.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/joshrouse
The Blank Tapes – Surfer reggae from SoCal. Kind of like a cross between Sublime and Jack Johnson. Fun stuff.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theblanktapes
General Elektriks – Electronica by Berkeley-based French national RV Salters.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/generalelektriks
Josh Ritter – Talented singer-songwriter from Idaho.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/joshritter
The Lovely Feathers – Another entertaining Canadian band. Man, there’s a lot of good music coming out of Canada.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thelovelyfeathers
Ambulance LTD – This band is from Brooklyn, NY, but they could easily be from England. They have a laid-back, Britpop sound not unlike Coldplay or Travis.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/ambulanceltd
Maritime – Indie pop band. They are currently signed to the Flameshovel label.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/maritimesongs
Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s – Indianapolis, Indiana Indie pop (that’s a lot of Indies). Addition of cello and trumpet give them an interesting sound.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/margotandthenuclearsoandsos
Phoenix – French band known for it’s Electronica, is venturing into more mainstream rock with excellent results.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/wearephoenix
The Push Stars – Boston-based band, formerly on Capitol. They left Capitol for a small label (33rd Street). They have a nice, hooky rock sound.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thepushstars
Bears – Unsigned band out of Cleveland. They have a nice pop sound with acoustic and electric guitars, nice vocal harmonies and pleasant choruses.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/bearspop
Sam Roberts – Talented Canadian singer-songwriter.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/samrobertsband
The Submarines – The L.A. based songwriting team of married couple John Dragonetti (aka Jack Drag) and Blake Hazard.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thesubmarinesmusic
And some of the more well-known artists he suggests which everyone should know about:
The Decemberists – Great songs. One of my current faves.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thedecemberists
M. Ward – Old-timey, modern, blues, folk, rock. His sound is incomparable.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/mward
Old 97’s – Alt-country favorites.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theold97s
Grant-Lee Phillips – Great singer-songwriter.
MySpace: http://myspace.com/grantleephillips
Ben Kweller – Excellent songs from Kweller.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/benkweller
Yo La Tengo – Put out one of the better records of 2006, I Am Not Afraid of You And I Will Beat Your Ass.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/yolatengo
Sloan –Indie-rock from Canada.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sloan
Gothic Archies – Probably the most unique and interesting sound of the bands Tim told me about. The band is led by Stephen Merritt, of The Magnetic Fields, who writes songs he calls “bubblegum goth”. Unlike anything else you’ll ever hear.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/gothicarchies
Pernice Brothers – Highly-touted band out of Mass.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/pernicebrothers
The Spinto Band – A Delaware-based Indie Rock band that recently toured with Arctic Monkeys. They sound similar to Pavement, e.g. nonchalant vocals a la Steven Malkmus.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thespintoband
Apples in Stereo – Up and coming Denver Indie pop band that has been generating a lot of buzz lately.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theapplesinstereo
Shout Out Louds – This Swedish band is not as obscure as some of the others, they are signed to Capitol, but they are new to me. Their pop sound and jangly guitars are catchy as hell.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/shoutoutlouds
The Capes –British Indie pop rock.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thecapes
The Elected – Indie-pop band formed by Blake Sennett of Rilo Kiley.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theelected
The Good Life – This Omaha, NE band on the Saddle Creek label is led by songwriter Tim Kasher. They have an Indie-Pop sound reminiscent of The Shins. They most recently contributed the track “New Year's Retribution” to the Lagniappe: A Saddle Creek Benefit for Hurricane Katrina Relief album.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/thegoodlife
Chris Koza – A singer-songwriter out of Minneapolis. He has a pleasant, quirky sound. MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/chriskozaband
The Comas – An Indie Rock band out of North Carolina, recently signed to Vagrant Records. They have an eclectic sound, going from fuzzy guitars to strings and back again.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thecomas
Josh Rouse – Good stuff from this Indie troubadour, living in Spain via Tennessee.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/joshrouse
The Blank Tapes – Surfer reggae from SoCal. Kind of like a cross between Sublime and Jack Johnson. Fun stuff.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theblanktapes
General Elektriks – Electronica by Berkeley-based French national RV Salters.
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/generalelektriks
Josh Ritter – Talented singer-songwriter from Idaho.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/joshritter
The Lovely Feathers – Another entertaining Canadian band. Man, there’s a lot of good music coming out of Canada.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thelovelyfeathers
Ambulance LTD – This band is from Brooklyn, NY, but they could easily be from England. They have a laid-back, Britpop sound not unlike Coldplay or Travis.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/ambulanceltd
Maritime – Indie pop band. They are currently signed to the Flameshovel label.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/maritimesongs
Margot and the Nuclear So & So’s – Indianapolis, Indiana Indie pop (that’s a lot of Indies). Addition of cello and trumpet give them an interesting sound.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/margotandthenuclearsoandsos
Phoenix – French band known for it’s Electronica, is venturing into more mainstream rock with excellent results.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/wearephoenix
The Push Stars – Boston-based band, formerly on Capitol. They left Capitol for a small label (33rd Street). They have a nice, hooky rock sound.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thepushstars
Bears – Unsigned band out of Cleveland. They have a nice pop sound with acoustic and electric guitars, nice vocal harmonies and pleasant choruses.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/bearspop
Sam Roberts – Talented Canadian singer-songwriter.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/samrobertsband
The Submarines – The L.A. based songwriting team of married couple John Dragonetti (aka Jack Drag) and Blake Hazard.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thesubmarinesmusic
And some of the more well-known artists he suggests which everyone should know about:
The Decemberists – Great songs. One of my current faves.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thedecemberists
M. Ward – Old-timey, modern, blues, folk, rock. His sound is incomparable.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/mward
Old 97’s – Alt-country favorites.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theold97s
Grant-Lee Phillips – Great singer-songwriter.
MySpace: http://myspace.com/grantleephillips
Ben Kweller – Excellent songs from Kweller.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/benkweller
Yo La Tengo – Put out one of the better records of 2006, I Am Not Afraid of You And I Will Beat Your Ass.
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/yolatengo
Friday, February 23, 2007
Jeff Tweedy Gets Around
Jeff Tweedy and Wilco are on two tracks of the most recent release from The Minus 5. The album, dubbed the "Gun" album, also includes Colin Meloy from The Decemberists and was released on Feb 7. The group is led by Scott McCaughey and previously recorded an album with Wilco in 2003, entitled Down With Wilco.
Also, Ian Hunter, formerly of Mott the Hoople, will release an album that includes Jeff Tweedy on backup vocals. Tweedy will sing on three tracks. The album, due to be released on May 15, is called Shrunken Heads. More info here.
Also, Ian Hunter, formerly of Mott the Hoople, will release an album that includes Jeff Tweedy on backup vocals. Tweedy will sing on three tracks. The album, due to be released on May 15, is called Shrunken Heads. More info here.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Sneak Peaks - Previews of upcoming releases
Low:Drums and Guns (due out 03/20/07) - "Breaker" [MP3]
Bright Eyes:Four Winds EP (due out 03/06/07) - "Four Winds"[MP3]
The Sea and Cake:Everybody (due out 05/08/07) - "Crossing Lines" [stream]
Bright Eyes:Four Winds EP (due out 03/06/07) - "Four Winds"[MP3]
The Sea and Cake:Everybody (due out 05/08/07) - "Crossing Lines" [stream]
Streaming Wilco concert
Wilco is streaming an entire concert on their website. The concert is the 10/19/2006 show at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC. The link is: http://wilcoworld.net/roadcase/101906.php
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Wayne Coyne (Flaming Lips) on NPR
Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips will be reading an essay on Morning Edition's This I Believe segment, Monday, February 26th.
Concert Review: Gomez @ Mystic Theatre, Petaluma, CA: 02/19/2007
Gomez showed off their diverse skills in a rollicking sold-out show at the Mystic Theatre in Petaluma, CA on Monday night. Peppering the set with songs from every studio album in their catalog, they satisfied both new and old fans alike with a well-executed set that had the packed crowd hopping for most of the evening.
The doors opened at the Mystic, an historic theater near downtown Petaluma, at 7:00 pm. Seating was limited, along the sides of the floor section and on the balcony. The rest of the floor area was standing only. Being that the show was sold out, the floor was packed.
Opening the show was Joe Purdy, a singer-songwriter in the folk, Americana tradition based out of California. Tonight he channeled 1966 Bob Dylan and The Band, beginning with a solo acoustic song before bringing out his band for an electric set. They even looked like The Band, wearing jackets and hats that gave them a Depression-era look. At times his songs sounded as if he took a Dylan tune and just changed the lyrics. The familiar Dylan formula of “folkifying” the blues was evident on many of Purdy’s songs in addition to making use of country elements, such as adding slide guitar and banjo, and visual, storytelling lyrics. The band was spirited, if a bit loose. The addition of electronic keyboards added a wash of sound that at times detracted from the music. The songs in which the keyboards were not used worked better, simply because they were not so “noisy”, and the lyrics were not obscured. Overall, it was quite an enjoyable set and I would recommend checking him out.
In contrast with Joe Purdy's nappily-attired band, Gomez came out wearing jeans and t-shirts. The long-sleeve, solid colored t-shirts worn by some of the band members gave them a bit of a "Wiggles" look. It didn't affect their playing though, as they immediately made an impression with a tight rendition of “Here Comes the Breeze” from their first album. In my first time seeing Gomez live I came away with the realization that this is a band with three personalities. There is the happy-go-lucky band member, Tom Gray, who from the moment he stepped on stage was interacting with the crowd, gesturing and smiling broadly during the songs, often encouraging the crowd to clap or sing along. There was the elfin band member, Ian Ball, who drank (I believe) red wine during the set and has a voice that sounds like the 2nd coming of Davey Jones. Then there is the quiet one, Ben Ottewell, who rarely spoke or engaged the audience during the show. But when he did open his mouth, the power of his bluesy vocals was awe-inspiring. The three vocalists pretty much took turns singing during the set. Each has his own style and is an exceptional singer, but the most transcendent moments came when they were harmonizing together as their voices blended and soared.
The setlist drew from all of their albums, with Liquid Skin and How We Operate best represented with 7 and 6 songs played from each album respectively. The crowd was enthusiastic and was on their feet and dancing for the entire show. They really went crazy for some of the more obscure songs, including a humorous episode in which Ian Ball needed help from the audience to remember the verses to “Ruff Stuff”, and a version of “Rosalita” during the encore in which Ben Ottewell had to use a lyric sheet. The band’s sound was tight and they stayed in the groove, with help from the rhythm section, which includes a percussionist on congas and shakers. It is easy to understand how they can be called a “jamband” since they definitely get into a solid groove that can make for long, extended solos. They don’t crossover into that territory though, keeping solos to a minimum. In fact, they do not have a really strong soloist, with Ottewell doing passable but unremarkable solos.
The highlight of the evening was the encore, which included the aforementioned rendition of “Rosarita”, very nice vocal interplay on “Fill My Cup”, and ended on a high with “Devil Will Ride”. All three songs are from their second album, 1999's Liquid Skin.
All in all, a great show and a fun evening.
Setlist (thanks to secretasianman on the Gomez Forum website):
Here Comes The Breeze
These 3 Sins
Love Is Better Than A Warm Trombone
See the World
Nothing is Wrong
Bring Your Lovin' Back Here
Notice
We Haven't Turned Around
Girlshapedlovedrug
Ruff Stuff
How We Operate
Charley Patton Songs
Blue Moon Rising
Hangover
Hamoa Beach
Silence
Rhythm & Blues Alibi
Encore:
Rosalita
Fill My Cup
Devil Will Ride
The doors opened at the Mystic, an historic theater near downtown Petaluma, at 7:00 pm. Seating was limited, along the sides of the floor section and on the balcony. The rest of the floor area was standing only. Being that the show was sold out, the floor was packed.
Opening the show was Joe Purdy, a singer-songwriter in the folk, Americana tradition based out of California. Tonight he channeled 1966 Bob Dylan and The Band, beginning with a solo acoustic song before bringing out his band for an electric set. They even looked like The Band, wearing jackets and hats that gave them a Depression-era look. At times his songs sounded as if he took a Dylan tune and just changed the lyrics. The familiar Dylan formula of “folkifying” the blues was evident on many of Purdy’s songs in addition to making use of country elements, such as adding slide guitar and banjo, and visual, storytelling lyrics. The band was spirited, if a bit loose. The addition of electronic keyboards added a wash of sound that at times detracted from the music. The songs in which the keyboards were not used worked better, simply because they were not so “noisy”, and the lyrics were not obscured. Overall, it was quite an enjoyable set and I would recommend checking him out.
In contrast with Joe Purdy's nappily-attired band, Gomez came out wearing jeans and t-shirts. The long-sleeve, solid colored t-shirts worn by some of the band members gave them a bit of a "Wiggles" look. It didn't affect their playing though, as they immediately made an impression with a tight rendition of “Here Comes the Breeze” from their first album. In my first time seeing Gomez live I came away with the realization that this is a band with three personalities. There is the happy-go-lucky band member, Tom Gray, who from the moment he stepped on stage was interacting with the crowd, gesturing and smiling broadly during the songs, often encouraging the crowd to clap or sing along. There was the elfin band member, Ian Ball, who drank (I believe) red wine during the set and has a voice that sounds like the 2nd coming of Davey Jones. Then there is the quiet one, Ben Ottewell, who rarely spoke or engaged the audience during the show. But when he did open his mouth, the power of his bluesy vocals was awe-inspiring. The three vocalists pretty much took turns singing during the set. Each has his own style and is an exceptional singer, but the most transcendent moments came when they were harmonizing together as their voices blended and soared.
The setlist drew from all of their albums, with Liquid Skin and How We Operate best represented with 7 and 6 songs played from each album respectively. The crowd was enthusiastic and was on their feet and dancing for the entire show. They really went crazy for some of the more obscure songs, including a humorous episode in which Ian Ball needed help from the audience to remember the verses to “Ruff Stuff”, and a version of “Rosalita” during the encore in which Ben Ottewell had to use a lyric sheet. The band’s sound was tight and they stayed in the groove, with help from the rhythm section, which includes a percussionist on congas and shakers. It is easy to understand how they can be called a “jamband” since they definitely get into a solid groove that can make for long, extended solos. They don’t crossover into that territory though, keeping solos to a minimum. In fact, they do not have a really strong soloist, with Ottewell doing passable but unremarkable solos.
The highlight of the evening was the encore, which included the aforementioned rendition of “Rosarita”, very nice vocal interplay on “Fill My Cup”, and ended on a high with “Devil Will Ride”. All three songs are from their second album, 1999's Liquid Skin.
All in all, a great show and a fun evening.
Setlist (thanks to secretasianman on the Gomez Forum website):
Here Comes The Breeze
These 3 Sins
Love Is Better Than A Warm Trombone
See the World
Nothing is Wrong
Bring Your Lovin' Back Here
Notice
We Haven't Turned Around
Girlshapedlovedrug
Ruff Stuff
How We Operate
Charley Patton Songs
Blue Moon Rising
Hangover
Hamoa Beach
Silence
Rhythm & Blues Alibi
Encore:
Rosalita
Fill My Cup
Devil Will Ride
Sunday, February 18, 2007
They Are Women, Hear Them Roar...
...or loudly meow, as Cat Power emphatically does on her latest release The Greatest. I discovered last night that this album's true nature is revealed during late-night listening, preferably after a drink or two or whatever one chooses to imbibe in. The laid-back groove the Memphis musicians lay down coupled with Chan Marshall's subdued yet impassioned vocals invoke a smoky, dive-bar atmosphere. I get the feeling, as she admits in the song "Lived in Bars", that this is where she feels most at home.
Cat Power's The Greatest, and Lucinda William's West, are recent examples of some wonderful music being made by women. Here's a quick rundown of some of the more notable female artists who have recently put out good stuff:
Joanna Newsom - She plays the harp and sings beautiful, poetic story-songs. Ys is one of the best albums of 2006. Another incredible talent.
Joanna Newsom "Sprout and Bean" video
Jolie Holland - California girl combines old-timey folk and a country-twang with jazz and Irish influences, mixes in some strings and horns and cooks up a satisfying sound.
MP3: "Springtime Can Kill You"
Fiona Apple - More proof that record labels don't have a clue, Epic balked at releasing Apple's Extraordinary Machine. After songs leaked on the internet and garnered a huge response, she hired a new producer (Mike Elizondo) and the album was finally released in 2005. It was one of the most impressive recordings of that year. They say there is no genius without a touch of madness, and if her sometimes erratic live performances are an indication, she is not without eccentricities. But from that madness comes great music.
Here's her video for the song "Not About Love"
Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) - She is a classically-trained vocalist who is best known for working with Sufjan Stevens. On her debut solo album, she demonstrates her considerable talent.
My Brightest Diamond "Dragonfly" video
Lilly Allen - Quirky Brit blew up last year with her debut release. There are touches of reggae, electronica and hip-hop in her sound along with raunchy, humorous lyrics.
Lilly Allen "Smile" video
Neko Case - A talented songwriter, in the country-folk tradition.
Neko Case performing "Maybe Sparrow" on Letterman
Aimee Mann - She has proven herself as much more than a one-hit wonder (for 'Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry") with her mature and fully-realized concept album, The Forgotten Arm, about the trials and tribulations of a boxer.
Aimee Mann performs "She Really Wants You" on Letterman
Sleater-Kinney - Yes, girls can rock as hard as anyone. Unfortunately, they announced an "indefinite hiatus" last summer.
Sleater-Kinney "Jumpers" video
Karen O (Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs) - Another hard-rockin', punk-ish band led by a woman.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Gold Lion" video
Cat Power's The Greatest, and Lucinda William's West, are recent examples of some wonderful music being made by women. Here's a quick rundown of some of the more notable female artists who have recently put out good stuff:
Joanna Newsom - She plays the harp and sings beautiful, poetic story-songs. Ys is one of the best albums of 2006. Another incredible talent.
Joanna Newsom "Sprout and Bean" video
Jolie Holland - California girl combines old-timey folk and a country-twang with jazz and Irish influences, mixes in some strings and horns and cooks up a satisfying sound.
MP3: "Springtime Can Kill You"
Fiona Apple - More proof that record labels don't have a clue, Epic balked at releasing Apple's Extraordinary Machine. After songs leaked on the internet and garnered a huge response, she hired a new producer (Mike Elizondo) and the album was finally released in 2005. It was one of the most impressive recordings of that year. They say there is no genius without a touch of madness, and if her sometimes erratic live performances are an indication, she is not without eccentricities. But from that madness comes great music.
Here's her video for the song "Not About Love"
Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) - She is a classically-trained vocalist who is best known for working with Sufjan Stevens. On her debut solo album, she demonstrates her considerable talent.
My Brightest Diamond "Dragonfly" video
Lilly Allen - Quirky Brit blew up last year with her debut release. There are touches of reggae, electronica and hip-hop in her sound along with raunchy, humorous lyrics.
Lilly Allen "Smile" video
Neko Case - A talented songwriter, in the country-folk tradition.
Neko Case performing "Maybe Sparrow" on Letterman
Aimee Mann - She has proven herself as much more than a one-hit wonder (for 'Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry") with her mature and fully-realized concept album, The Forgotten Arm, about the trials and tribulations of a boxer.
Aimee Mann performs "She Really Wants You" on Letterman
Sleater-Kinney - Yes, girls can rock as hard as anyone. Unfortunately, they announced an "indefinite hiatus" last summer.
Sleater-Kinney "Jumpers" video
Karen O (Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs) - Another hard-rockin', punk-ish band led by a woman.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Gold Lion" video
Friday, February 16, 2007
Vieux Farka Toure video
A video from the debut album of Vieux Farka Toure, who is the son of Ali Farka Toure. Ali Farka Toure, who died last year, played a guitar style that demonstrated the direct connection between African music and American blues. This is described in the Scorsese's film Feel Like Going Home, which was part of the PBS film series The Blues. Ali's last album, Savane, was released last year and was widely acclaimed (#1 highest rated album of 2006 and #5 highest rated all-time on Metacritic). Vieux is now carrying on the Malian guitar tradition, while keeping it fresh with contemporary influences such as the reggae sound evident in this song.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
New Elliott Smith Release
According to Pitchfork, Kill Rock Stars will release a 2-Cd set of Elliott Smith material on May 8. Can never get enough Elliott Smith.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Arcade Fire webcast
NPR will be webcasting a full Arcade Fire concert, live from NYC, on Sat. Feb. 17. It should start about 8pm EST. More information here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7273765&ft=1&f=4627437
Bloc Party Live (on video)
NME.com has posted 16 video tracks of Bloc Party performing live in Bristol, UK.
Monday, February 12, 2007
The Police Announce Tour
The Police have announced their tour. What? No California dates?! They must have more shows planned. Hmm, June 15 seems like a good day to hit Vegas.
May 28, 2007-Vancouver-BC-CA-GM Place
Jun 06, 2007-Seattle-WA-US-Key Arena
Jun 09, 2007-Denver-CO-US-Pepsi Center
Jun 15, 2007-Las Vegas-NV-US-MGM Grand Garden Arena
Jun 16, 2007-Manchester-TN-US-Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Jun 18, 2007-Phoenix-AZ-US-US Airways Arena
Jun 26, 2007-Dallas-TX-US-American Airlines Center
Jun 30, 2007-New Orleans-LA-US-New Orleans Arena
Jul 02, 2007-St. Louis-MO-US-Scottrade Center
Jul 22, 2007-Toronto-ON-CA-Air Canada Centre
Jul 25, 2007-Montreal-QC-CA-Bell Centre
Jul 28, 2007-Boston-MA-US-Fenway Park
Aug 01, 2007-New York City-NY-US-Madison Square Garden
Aug 03, 2007-New York City-NY-US-Madison Square Garden
Update: More dates have been announced. May 30-Vancouver, Jun 13-Oakland, Jun 23-L.A., Jul 26- Montreal, July 29-Boston, Aug 5- Giants Stadium, NJ.
May 28, 2007-Vancouver-BC-CA-GM Place
Jun 06, 2007-Seattle-WA-US-Key Arena
Jun 09, 2007-Denver-CO-US-Pepsi Center
Jun 15, 2007-Las Vegas-NV-US-MGM Grand Garden Arena
Jun 16, 2007-Manchester-TN-US-Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Jun 18, 2007-Phoenix-AZ-US-US Airways Arena
Jun 26, 2007-Dallas-TX-US-American Airlines Center
Jun 30, 2007-New Orleans-LA-US-New Orleans Arena
Jul 02, 2007-St. Louis-MO-US-Scottrade Center
Jul 22, 2007-Toronto-ON-CA-Air Canada Centre
Jul 25, 2007-Montreal-QC-CA-Bell Centre
Jul 28, 2007-Boston-MA-US-Fenway Park
Aug 01, 2007-New York City-NY-US-Madison Square Garden
Aug 03, 2007-New York City-NY-US-Madison Square Garden
Update: More dates have been announced. May 30-Vancouver, Jun 13-Oakland, Jun 23-L.A., Jul 26- Montreal, July 29-Boston, Aug 5- Giants Stadium, NJ.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
The Good, The Bad, and the Queen
The Good, The Bad, and the Queen are another project for Damon Albarn, of Blur and Gorillaz fame. Here he has the bassist from The Clash (Paul Simonen), the guitarist from The Verve (Simon Tong) and Fela Kuti's drummer (Tony Allen)! The cd, produced by Danger Mouse, who worked with Gorillaz and is now blowing up with Gnarls Barkley, came out on Jan 22. I've been listening to some tracks on their website, and it's intriguing. Sometimes the bass and drums contrasting with the subdued brit-pop style of Albarn's vocals sounds awkward. But the overall effect, with Albarn's keyboards and other added gadgetry, gets mesmerizing.
Favorite Children's Cds
In honor of the new addition to the household, little Violet, I am thinking of all the great children's music that she'll get to hear. Here is a list of some of my favorite children's recordings:
Woody Guthrie: Songs to Grow On for Mother and Child - The best collection of children's songs, bar none.
Various: Children's Favorites: 23 Original Hit Recordings - I was looking for a Shirley Temple version of "On the Good Ship Lollipop" and I stumbled across this great compilation. Most of the songs are World War II era, some familiar ("Big Rock Candy Mountain", "Teddy Bear's Picnic") and some gems I'd never heard before ("Buckingham Palace", "Run Rabbit Run").
Danny Kaye: Mommy, Gimme a Drinka Water - This one has not been reissued so you can't find it anywhere (maybe on used vinyl). This is hilarious. You can at least read the lyrics to the title track here.
Taj Mahal: Shake Sugaree - Get down and funky with Taj. Includes "Fishin Blues" and "Brown Girl in the Ring".
Marlo Thomas: Free To Be, You and Me - The ultimate hippie kid's album. Great messages in the songs.
The Persuasions: On the Good Ship Lollipop - Acappella versions of classic kid's songs performed by this great R&B group.
Jerry Garcia/David Grisman: Not For Kids Only - "Ain't no bugs on me/ain't no bugs on me/there may be bugs on some of you mugs/but there ain't no bugs on me"
Various: Jungle Book Soundtrack - Louis Prima riffing on "I Wanna Be Like You". Say no more.
Various: The Sound of Music Soundtrack - "My Favorite Things" is not only one of the greatest children's songs ever written, it may be one of the greatest songs written period (at least when Coltrane does it).
Woody Guthrie: Songs to Grow On for Mother and Child - The best collection of children's songs, bar none.
Various: Children's Favorites: 23 Original Hit Recordings - I was looking for a Shirley Temple version of "On the Good Ship Lollipop" and I stumbled across this great compilation. Most of the songs are World War II era, some familiar ("Big Rock Candy Mountain", "Teddy Bear's Picnic") and some gems I'd never heard before ("Buckingham Palace", "Run Rabbit Run").
Danny Kaye: Mommy, Gimme a Drinka Water - This one has not been reissued so you can't find it anywhere (maybe on used vinyl). This is hilarious. You can at least read the lyrics to the title track here.
Taj Mahal: Shake Sugaree - Get down and funky with Taj. Includes "Fishin Blues" and "Brown Girl in the Ring".
Marlo Thomas: Free To Be, You and Me - The ultimate hippie kid's album. Great messages in the songs.
The Persuasions: On the Good Ship Lollipop - Acappella versions of classic kid's songs performed by this great R&B group.
Jerry Garcia/David Grisman: Not For Kids Only - "Ain't no bugs on me/ain't no bugs on me/there may be bugs on some of you mugs/but there ain't no bugs on me"
Various: Jungle Book Soundtrack - Louis Prima riffing on "I Wanna Be Like You". Say no more.
Various: The Sound of Music Soundtrack - "My Favorite Things" is not only one of the greatest children's songs ever written, it may be one of the greatest songs written period (at least when Coltrane does it).
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Teenagers These Days (Trevor Hall)
So I'm listening to Endless Highway, the new tribute album to The Band, and the track 'Life is a Carnival' comes on. I'm liking it and I'm thinking, "Who is this old black blues singer named Trevor Hall that I've never heard of?" So, I get some more information and I find out that Trevor Hall is a 19 yr old white kid from L.A. I'm completely blown away. What a soulful voice this kid has. Go to his MySpace site to hear some of his music. He has a nice, acoustic island sound, reminiscent of Ben Harper. In fact, Leon Mobley, who is Ben Harper's percussionist, plays djembe on some of his tracks. Nice stuff.
He has mucho music on his website also: http://www.trevorhallmusic.com/music/
He has mucho music on his website also: http://www.trevorhallmusic.com/music/
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
To Russia With Love
I found an alternative to AllOfMP3 called GoMusic.RU. Like AllOfMP3, it's a Russian site. The RIAA hasn't sued them yet so they are still open for business. I test-drove the site by depositing $20 into a new GoMusic account via credit card. I then ordered an album (they charged me 0.15 per track), converted the tracks to .wav and burned them onto a cd. The quality was good, and I am satisfied they are not going to rip me off. The only downside is that they only offer 192 kb/s mp3 files (unlike AllOfMP3 which offered many different file types). Still, the selection is great and if you listen to as much music as I do, it is well worth it.
Monday, February 5, 2007
Prince at the Superbowl
Update: YouTube has removed the video. I hope you caught this before it was taken off.
Prince holds a musical press conference during halftime. Yes, he can play guitar.
(video removed)
Prince holds a musical press conference during halftime. Yes, he can play guitar.
(video removed)
Thursday, February 1, 2007
AllOfMP3 No More
It finally happened. After intense pressure from the US Chamber of Commerce, and a brutal 1.65 trillion dollar lawsuit by the RIAA, AllOfMP3 is dead in the water. It all began last summer when US Trade representatives suggested Russia would be held out of the World Trade Organization if AllOfMP3 remained in business. Then the lawsuit last fall and they are effectively shut down.
I bid a fond farewell to AllOfMP3. I found out about this site a few years ago and at first I couldn't believe it was legal. Thousands of albums were available for download at $0.01 per MB. They offered a variety of file formats, and for high-quality mp3s, a full album cost about $2.50. After a bit of research I found out that this Russian site was technically legal. AllOfMP3 paid the standard 15% royalty to ROM, the Russian Organization for Multimedia & digital systems, which is the Russian equivalent of the RIAA. Also, there was no law that restricted the import of their "product" by American consumers. Well, I guess 15% wasn't enough for the American record companies. They are suing AllOfMP3 for $150,000 per downloaded song, the maximum amount allowed. With 11 million songs downloaded, that's over $1.6 trillion! Credit card companies have since stopped processing transactions with AllOfMP3, so they are pretty much out of service (although if you happen to still have funds in the account, you can still download songs). There are rumors that a wealthy Russian business has bought the company and plans to go legit. But say goodbye to the $3 cds.
Personally, I think that paying $0.99 per track, or $15 - $20 per cd, for online music is ridiculous. It's a computer file; no packaging, no booklet. If you want to burn it to cd you have to purchase the cd and any other extras like a jewel case or a label (not to mention the time involved), which ends up costing another $1.50 or so. I can't believe that companies get away with charging this much money when the actual cost of delivering the digital tracks is pennies. Something has got to give. The success of some bands, like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, to distribute their own music (they are still unsigned) is a sign of hope for the future. It suggests that bands don't necessarily need big labels like Warner Bros, Capitol etc.. in order to reach a large audience. I believe that it is important to compensate the artist for the music, but I cannot support the huge markup the record companies tack on. Market forces will ensure that there will always be alternative sources for online music, so I will be keeping my eye out for the next AllOfMP3. In a perfect future, artists will distribute their own online music, all the revenues will go directly to the artist, and the cost will be affordable and more accurately reflect the true cost.
I bid a fond farewell to AllOfMP3. I found out about this site a few years ago and at first I couldn't believe it was legal. Thousands of albums were available for download at $0.01 per MB. They offered a variety of file formats, and for high-quality mp3s, a full album cost about $2.50. After a bit of research I found out that this Russian site was technically legal. AllOfMP3 paid the standard 15% royalty to ROM, the Russian Organization for Multimedia & digital systems, which is the Russian equivalent of the RIAA. Also, there was no law that restricted the import of their "product" by American consumers. Well, I guess 15% wasn't enough for the American record companies. They are suing AllOfMP3 for $150,000 per downloaded song, the maximum amount allowed. With 11 million songs downloaded, that's over $1.6 trillion! Credit card companies have since stopped processing transactions with AllOfMP3, so they are pretty much out of service (although if you happen to still have funds in the account, you can still download songs). There are rumors that a wealthy Russian business has bought the company and plans to go legit. But say goodbye to the $3 cds.
Personally, I think that paying $0.99 per track, or $15 - $20 per cd, for online music is ridiculous. It's a computer file; no packaging, no booklet. If you want to burn it to cd you have to purchase the cd and any other extras like a jewel case or a label (not to mention the time involved), which ends up costing another $1.50 or so. I can't believe that companies get away with charging this much money when the actual cost of delivering the digital tracks is pennies. Something has got to give. The success of some bands, like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, to distribute their own music (they are still unsigned) is a sign of hope for the future. It suggests that bands don't necessarily need big labels like Warner Bros, Capitol etc.. in order to reach a large audience. I believe that it is important to compensate the artist for the music, but I cannot support the huge markup the record companies tack on. Market forces will ensure that there will always be alternative sources for online music, so I will be keeping my eye out for the next AllOfMP3. In a perfect future, artists will distribute their own online music, all the revenues will go directly to the artist, and the cost will be affordable and more accurately reflect the true cost.
Endless Highway - The Music Of The Band
A tribute album to The Band, just out. Here's the tracklist:
1. I Shall Be Released -- Jack Johnson
2. The Weight -- Lee Ann Womack
3. Makes No Difference -- My Morning Jacket
4. When I Paint My Masterpiece -- Josh Turner
5. Unfaithful Servant -- Roseanne Cash
6. Rockin' Chair -- Death Cab for Cutie
7. King Harvest -- Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers
8. Whispering Pines -- Jakob Dylan w/ Lizz Wright
9. Chest Fever -- Widespread Panic
10. Lookout Cleveland -- Jackie Greene
11. Wheel's on Fire -- Guster
12. Up on Cripple Creek -- Gomez
13. Stage Fright -- Steve Reynolds
14. Night They Drove Old Dixie Down -- Allman Bros. Band
15. Rag Mama Rag -- Blues Traveler
16. Life Is A Carnival -- Trevor Hall
17. Acadian Driftwood -- The Roches
You can listen to the whole album here: http://www.429records.com/endlesshighway/
All I can say is :D
1. I Shall Be Released -- Jack Johnson
2. The Weight -- Lee Ann Womack
3. Makes No Difference -- My Morning Jacket
4. When I Paint My Masterpiece -- Josh Turner
5. Unfaithful Servant -- Roseanne Cash
6. Rockin' Chair -- Death Cab for Cutie
7. King Harvest -- Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers
8. Whispering Pines -- Jakob Dylan w/ Lizz Wright
9. Chest Fever -- Widespread Panic
10. Lookout Cleveland -- Jackie Greene
11. Wheel's on Fire -- Guster
12. Up on Cripple Creek -- Gomez
13. Stage Fright -- Steve Reynolds
14. Night They Drove Old Dixie Down -- Allman Bros. Band
15. Rag Mama Rag -- Blues Traveler
16. Life Is A Carnival -- Trevor Hall
17. Acadian Driftwood -- The Roches
You can listen to the whole album here: http://www.429records.com/endlesshighway/
All I can say is :D
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