The Avett Brothers visit Jimmy Fallon on Thursday and according to a post on the band’s website the will perform the track One Too Many Mornings which is part of the compilation Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan: Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty Internationl. The multi-colon titled album will be released on January 24.
[Photo by Megan Case]
Monday, January 16 [All Times ET]
Styx: Live in Cleveland [VH1 Classic 4PM]
Radiohead: The King of Limbs [Palladia 10PM]
Seal on David Letterman [CBS 11:35PM]
Adam Lambert on Jay Leno [NBC 11:35PM]
Chiddy Bang on Jimmy Fallon [NBC 12:35AM]
Tuesday, January 17
Simple Minds: Live at Isle of Wight 2009 [HDNet 1:50PM]
The Black Keys: This is a Concert [Palladia 7:30PM]
Grouplove on Jimmy Kimmel [ABC 12:05AM]
Outasight on Jimmy Fallon [NBC 12:35AM]
Thievery Corporation on Carson Daly (R) [NBC 1:35AM]
Wednesday, January 18
New York Dolls: Dancing Backwards in High Heels [HDNet 1:45PM]
Back in September we shared Fanfarlo’s video for Replicate, which served as a very advance first taste of the UK-based indie-pop act’s sophomore album Rooms Filled With Light, which will be released on February 28. Produced by Ben H. Allen, who was the man behind the boards for Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, the record sees the band ditching the odd instrumentation and folkie elements of their debut, which garnered them comparisons to Neutral Milk Hotel, for synths and drum machines. Let’s check out the video for the second single off their forthcoming album, Shiny Things…
Fanfarlo will kick off the North American leg of their world tour on March 5, at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA and wraps with high profile appearances at Coachella in Indio, Calif., which has been expanded to two consecutive weekends.
The Wanee Festival returns to Spirit of the Suwanee Park in Live Oak, Florida on April 19 to 21 boasting a lineup that features hosts the Allman Brothers Band as well as Furthur, Buddy Guy, Bruce Hornsby, the Mickey Hart Band and Hot Tuna. A number of Allman family bands are also on the bill such as Gov’t Mule, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band and Devon Allman’s Honeytribe. Furthur and the Allmans will perform on both the 20th and 21st.
Here’s the full initial lineup announcement…
Allman Brothers Band • Furthur • Gov’t Mule • Tedeschi Trucks Band • Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band • Buddy Guy • Bruce Hornsby • Mickey Hart Band • Hot Tuna Electric • Ray Manzarek & Roy Rogers Band • Leftover Salmon • North Mississippi Allstars • Trigger Hippy (Joan Osborne, Jackie Greene, Steve Gorman, Audley Freed, Nick Govrik) • Soja • Conspirator • Eoto • Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk • Particle • Devon Allman’s Honeytribe • Zach Deputy • Matt Schofield • Bobby Lee Rodgers Trio • Big Sams Funky Nation • Charles Bradley • Bonerama • Jacob Jeffries Band • The Yeti Trio • Bonnie Blue
For those of you who don’t know who Kathleen Edwards is, you’re going to be hearing her name a lot in the coming days, weeks and months, as the critically acclaimed Canadian alt.country singer will release her fourth studio album Voyageur tomorrow via Zoe/Rounder Records. Edwards was looking to get away from the singer-songwriter mold of her previous work, and make an album more inline with the indie rock that she had been listening to before entering the studio. So what’s the big deal about that? Well, she was able to nab none other than Mr. Bon Iver himself, Justin Vernon, who had previously cited Edwards music as an influence, to co-produce it. Recorded at Vernon’s new April Base studio in Fall Creek, Wisc., the ten-track record has his fingerprints all over it, as he added his now unmistakable guitar tone, as well as a layer of lushness by contributing his signature haunting vocals.
Vernon isn’t the only notable guest to lend a hand, as Norah Jones, Phil Cook (Megafaun), S. Carey (Bon Iver), John Roderick (The Long Winters) and France & The Lights all make appearances on Voyageur (which is currently streaming as part of NPR Music’s First Listen series). The other big story to come out of these recording sessions is something that may be more fitting for indie-rock’s version of US Weekly, as Edwards and Vernon began dating during the record sessions. Kathleen Edwards kicks off her 28-date world tour with a gig at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, Illin. on January 24, but prior to that will stop by the Ed Sullivan Theater for an appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman tomorrow night.
Let’s check out the on road style music video for the track Change The Sheets…
If any two musicians best exemplify what makes Jam Cruise so special, they are Perpetual Groove guitarist Brock Butler and Surprise Me Mr. Davis front man Nathan Moore. So it was only fitting that both artists were still performing unscheduled sets aboard the MSC Poesia for Jam Cruise 10 when I finally called it “a day” at 6AM on Saturday morning as the tall buildings of downtown Miami and Ft. Lauderdale drew near. Brock was at a table on the Pool Deck playing for a handful of cruisers, while Moore was holding down “The Spot” with an all-star crew of musicians.
[Brock Teaches Mitch Manzella Beck's Golden Age]
Butler has been a member of the Jam Cruise Family since 2005, when he performed on Jam Cruise 3 with the rest of his band. PGroove returned for Jam Cruise 5 in 2007 and Brock has been back for each and every cruise that’s followed. He understands that this isn’t a typical festival gig where you play your scheduled sets, collect your check and tune out. Brock spends the majority of the trip trying and succeeding in making magical, unexpected moments for his fans. When Perpetual Groove was announced as a performer on Jam Cruise 10, the full band’s first appearance on the boat since 2008, I wondered if this would prevent Brock from performing as much on this cruise. Thankfully, Butler wound up playing even more on JC10 than on previous ones as the PGroove sets were added bonuses to his daily solo sets.
On the final day of Jam Cruise 10 Brock treated cruisers to two sets, one announced and one unannounced, and gave a guitar lesson to cruiser Mitch Manzella, who won the lesson through a Positive Legacy auction. For his first set, which took place on the ship’s smallest outdoor venue, the Solar Stage at 5PM just as the sun was setting, Butler showed off the wide range of his cover selections by tackling Led Zeppelin’s Down By The Riverside, Dawes’ A Little Bit of Everything and Naive Melody by the Talking Heads. Yet it was the singer’s originals which stole this show.
For JC10 Butler brought his roommate, guitarist Michael Blair of Atlanta’s Under The Porch, and frequent collaborator Gary Paulo (sax) aboard to help augment both his and PGroove’s sets. Michael and Brock have a palpable chemistry that has come after hundreds of hours of writing and performing together. The pair showed off beautifully sweet harmonies on Referring Two and If Only… from their Something About Sunsets EP. Paulo’s work brought a new dimension to If Ever Even Then, one of the best tunes from the Perpetual Groove front man’s debut solo album, Lately Here Though. After a mere 45 minutes the set had come to a close, but thankfully Brock was just getting started.
Butler’s next stop was the Artist’s Lounge, where he was set to give a lesson to a cruiser who won it through an auction for Jam Cruise organizers Cloud 9′s charitable arm – Positive Legacy. Mitch Manzella, who happens to be an amazing photographer and is the founder of Music For Democracy, was Brock’s student for what turned into an hour-long Q&A, lesson and performance. At first the two discussed Mitch’s skill set and history as a musician. Then, Brock taught Mitch a few tips and the chords to one of his songs. The pair took turns soloing and playing rhythm while the other did the opposite. Just moments after tackling Referring Two during his set on the Solar Stage with Blair, the Virginia native showed Manzella the solo version of the tune and told his student how he wrote the song. Essentially, Blair would write a verse and then leave what he had come up with for Butler, who in turn would add his own verse. Michael and Brock wrote the entire song this way, together but apart.
I kept quiet and took in the whole session as a spectator. It was amazing to watch Mitch’s expressions as Brock told him stories and gave him advice on improvisation. One particularly interesting tale was about Perpetual Groove’s first trip to New York City. The band was so excited to play the now defunct Tobacco Road and arrived in New York City just as the blackout ensconced the Big Apple on August 14, 2003. A trip the group had looked forward to had turned into disaster, though they were saved by the hospitality of HT featured columnist Brian Bavosa, who remains a friend and a fan of PGroove to this day.
Once they finished with a few different tunes, I knew this would be my best chance to make a request. I had waited a long time for this moment and had three songs in my head that I was debating between – Simon & Garfunkel’s The Only Living Boy in New York, PGroove’s It Starts Where It Ends and Golden Age by Beck. After much thought, I decided to go with Golden Age and Brock delivered a stirring rendition with the help of Manzella. It wound up being a perfect choice as Mitch used some of the tips Brock had taught him.
During the last night of Jam Cruise I decided to take it a little easier than I had the previous nights, in terms of trying to catch each and every sit-in happening on the ship. Towards the end of the evening, I split time between the Jam Room and “The Spot” where Nathan Moore and Brad Barr were rocking out with a slew of all-star musicians (much more on that to come). Around 5AM some major hunger pangs kicked in and I went to the cafeteria to grab breakfast. On my way I figured I’d walk across the Pool Deck to see if anything was happening up there. Boy am I glad I made that decision as I stumbled upon Brock, guitar in hand, about to play for a handful of cruisers.
Twelve hours after his first performance, Butler was still in fine form as he sang his signature version of Queen Bee by Taj Mahal. During the Sweet Oblivious Antidote that followed, I saw something that I had never seen in all of Brock’s sets – he broke a string. Unfortunately he didn’t have any extra strings on him, so he sent our buddy Chip on a mission to get a new one from Butler’s cabin. Chip told us he’d be back in three hours and we laughed off that comment. The lack of a g-string didn’t stop the guitarist as he lit into five-string versions of Howlin’ Wolf’s Killing Floor and Crime Story by DMX. As each song passed we began to realize that Chip wasn’t kidding.
As we started to pass more lights on land Butler still only had five strings, so he focused on dark songs that took advantage of his “G” string-less handicap. I didn’t think I ever needed to hear The End by The Doors again, but Brock’s psychedelic one-man arrangement was a revelation. The beautiful girl sitting next to the guitarist brought a laugh when she screamed the “I Want To Fuck You” line a bit early. Nearly an hour after Chip left for the “G” string, and long after Brock had sent another fan on a mission to grab his second acoustic guitar, Butler kept the dark, evil vibe of the session going with Nirvana’s Something In The Way. The best musicians make lemonade out of lemons and kudos to Brock for making the most of what he had. For the record, Chip did finally return after nearly two hours…without the guitar string.
I never saw the sunrise on Jam Cruise 10, but I also never went to bed before 6AM. When I finally wandered off to my cabin each night, the music was still going strong. Most of these tunes will go undocumented, yet those who were there will never forget these “only on Jam Cruise” moments. I’m so thankful to the many musicians who took full advantage of the ability to play as much as they wanted.
For Brock and all of his PGroove band mates, Jam Cruise 10 marked a major milestone in their career. Former keyboardist Matt McDonald was back in the fold and this was their chance to show off where the future lies for the scene stalwarts. The Athens-based band’s theater set displayed the dark, more ominous sound McDonald’s intricate, layered keyboard work brings back to their music, while the Pool Deck set was a celebration that featured outstanding interplay, three impressive sit-ins (Ivan Neville on vocals and organ for Sail On by Lionel Richie and The Commodores, The Heavy Pets’ Jim Wuest and Paulo on TTFPJ and Joel Cummins and a chorus of PGroove friends for Arcade Fire’s Wake Up) and set the tone for what should be a fantastic period in the group’s evolution. Butler seems in good health and ready to make the next step by mixing more solo gigs among PGroove tours. The sky’s the limit for Perpetual Groove in 2012 and I’m hopeful they’ll deliver on the promise they showed on Jam Cruise.
Since bursting onto the scene with their 2006 self-titled album Rodrigo Y Gabriela have built a reputation for being a dynamic live act showcasing their rhythmic blend of fast picking, driving acoustic guitar music. On January 24 the Mariachi Metal duo will release their sixth studio album Area 52 via ATO Records. The record, produced by Peter Asher, features nine tracks from their catalog that have been re-imagined and re-recorded with the help of 13-piece Cuban orchestra known as C.U.B.A.
This spring, Rod y Gab will bring the C.U.B.A. on the road with them for a cross-country tour, marking the first time that the duo have toured with a backing band. The 17-date U.S. run kicks off on April 3 at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Wash., and includes a high profile stop at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on April 20, as well as an appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 4.
If you’re not into a night of Mariachi Metal music, then maybe you’ll be interested in hitting one of these recently announced tours…
On the last day of Jam Cruise 10, I sat down with This Week On Lot host Steven Olker and The Joker from Coventry Music to discuss the trip for a special episode of the This Week On Lot podcast. We each talked about our musical highlights, what worked aboard the ship and what didn’t work as well as gave tips for future attendees. Take a listen…
Be sure to head over to ThisWeekOnLot.com to hear future and past episodes.
The old wizard turned away from his creation, and vanished beyond the veil of illusion. One wonders if the world would ever see him again, let alone have any sort of real discourse about his hidden knowledge. As he glanced back one last time in the darkness, there was a bemused sparkling look in his eyes.
John Boorman’s Excalibur came out 30 years ago in 1981. As one previews the current onslaught of action hero films based predominantly on Marvel Comic adaptations, one is apt to look back at the legends of old, especially as this is being written on Memorial Day, a day when our culture celebrates our fallen heroes—in and out of battle.
Excalibur is an excellent feast for the eyes—the battle sequences are superb, and the scenery is both rugged and beautiful—and the ears—the soundtrack is a combination of classic pieces culled from the archives of some of the legendary musical figures of our past, and newer motifs written by Trevor Jones. Excalibur faired well with film goers 30 years ago, but its selection here is more so because of its quest for hidden knowledge, that which can bond and unite a nation, and give it purpose, as well.
Therefore, we extend a warm salute to a film about a hero named Arthur, his wife, Guinevere, his not-so-loyal knight, Lancelot, a wizard named Merlin, and a sword called Excalbur in this edition of Hidden Flick, John Boorman’s classic take on a legendary tale.
Perhaps, a bit of background before we conclude our study of Arthurian legend with some final comments on this pursuit of hidden knowledge, or hidden magic in a great time of transition between the chivalric and Renaissance eras in Boorman’s Excalibur.
The story of Arthur was a myth whose time had come. The ‘real’ Arthur was possibly a Roman garrison commander, circa 470 to 420 A.D. The legendary Arthur is slated at 12th to 13th century A.D. In the movement of eras, he is also transformed from empirical servant to a mighty king and ruler. This chosen one, perhaps even a Welsh cavalry general named Artorius, remains unclear to this day. Was he indeed Welsh, or, as believed, Roman? Or, a king’s associate from the 5th century?
Regardless, it appears that he was a great military campaigner who was unable to repel the pesky, barbaric Goths in Burgundy. The historical Arthur was, like the legendary figure, apparently duped by a loyal follower—Lancelot betrayed Arthur by his liaison with Guinevere, Arthur’s wife. The overdramatization of the betrayal of our Arthurian hero indicates another similar trait. The Romans never latched on to the chivalric ideals that would blossom in the 12th to 14th centuries. Nevertheless, the historical and legendary aspects of both myth and alleged fact share a common empirical lust.
Whether it be the Caesar figure for almighty omniscience and power, or the Excalibur sword, brought forth and offered by the Lady of the Lake to the wizard and seer, Merlin, who would offer the fateful words to Arthur, not only in the legendary tale, but in Boorman’s film, that Arthur was destined to be at One with the Land, meaning that his entire existence was tied to the well-being of his kingdom, the people, and the land where they dwelled…so it is foreseen, so it will be done…the Excalibur sword was brought forth to guarantee Arthur’s might, and these two cultures viewed life as a struggle full of risks, conquest, and, ultimately, self-righteousness.
Rome sought space allocation and commercial strongholds. The Britannia of the Dark Ages and the legendary Arthurian era, which is captured in the myth and cinematic tableaux drawn by Boorman, was striving for moral cleansing while spreading its language, doctrines, beliefs, and might. Arthur was, perhaps, again, Caesar reborn, but he had no equal. Lancelot could not match up with the virtuous Arthur. Furthermore, it is interesting that the Excalibur sword is used by a burgeoning nation as a symbol of power, a very Roman feature which carries over the philosophy of good conquering evil.
More to the point, ancient empirical Rome and latter-day medieval Britannia had their collective hands full vanquishing encroaching alleged evil barbarians. In Rome, these advancing hordes eventually sapped the power of the once great empire. In romanticized Arthurian times of myth and legend, the evil and corruption are within the kingdom itself. It is in its very nature, the ultimate symbol of historical Arthur—external, probing, insistent enemies. This contrasts with Sir Thomas Malory’s 1485 version of Arthur, in which the rotting of the Round Table—filled with knights sworn to service to their King Arthur—is an internal process fueled by infighting and responsibility conflicts. Should Lancelot be loyal to his king, or to his true love to Guinevere? How can Arthur run a country when he cannot control his own home, let alone himself?
The dichotomy of the historical Arthur—allegedly a great Welsh warrior, or maybe, a powerful Dark Ages Britannia king—would echo into the future of a soon-to-be budding British empire. Whether or not Arthur was of Roman, Welsh, or early Britannia stripes, one wonders if, possibly, that is missing the mark. The time of chivalry, romantic love, and unshakeable loyalty to one’s cause had come in the 12th to the 14th century. Heroes would be bred and foisted onto a public who clamored for meaning in a world previously hollow and loveless. Again, one also wonders if the only truth in this life is that the more things change, the more they remain the same. The choice, one ponders, is yours.
In Boorman’s film of the Arthurian legend, Merlin offers a sword to the Chosen One, and Arthur becomes that very leader that is either sought or rejected depending upon one’s point of view. Suffice to say, that Boorman does a rather powerful job of not only exposing the humanity inside Arthur’s mythic interior soul, but his external actions, as well. Perhaps, a leader always needs a strangely astute wizard next to one’s shadow. Indeed, who is the Magic Man of yore? Is it Merlin, the man with supernatural visions and power, a power that seemed to fade away as the Dark Ages led to the Renaissance era, or was it Arthur, who contained the one secret hidden bit of magic that all souls appear to seek? In the end, it is not our minds that fail us, but our hearts. Alas, we return to the darkness from whence we came.
Had he even existed? Or, was this Charismatic Guru in our imagination? Bread crumbs in the forest to another peak, another deep look inside what makes magic, and what makes something worth seeing in a strange and secret place? Is it a place one goes to escape time? Or, was it to find hidden magic in the forest of lost truth?
History will record that in the first week of January, one of the great bands from the late Eighties/early Nineties put an end to a somewhat lengthy absence and made their return to a New York City stage for a brief, electrifying set. Well respected for their collective hard rock brilliance, this foursome reached exponentially larger audiences through exposure on MTV before undergoing a lineup change, break up and reunion years later. Despite the fact that their lead singer proved to be the group’s more photogenic and charismatic member, it’s the guitarist that receives consistent acclaim as one of the best to ever pick up the instrument, influencing and inspiring axemen into the modern day.
Technically, the lineup that took the club’s stage wasn’t the band’s original lineup but no one would ever challenge the bassist’s claim to his position. Even if the band might no longer be in their prime, rock stars aren’t athletes and their skills don’t always diminish with age. That’s right, people. Rejoice! Living Colour has returned. (What, you thought it was some other band?)
The impetus for Living Colour’s reemergence at the Highline Ballroom, their first headlining appearance in more than a year, came as part of the Million Man Mosh, a Black Rock Coalition benefit for the legal defense of Donovan Drayton, son of session musician Ronnie Drayton. While participating in several Experience Hendrix shows, for much of the past two years, the band has been involved in a variety of solo ventures. Most notably, Vernon Reid joined forces with Jack Bruce, John Medeski and Cindy Blackman to form Spectrum Road, a supergroup devoted to reinventing the music of jazz-fusion great Tony Williams, and Corey Glover paired up with Galactic for several dates while working on an upcoming solo album. Logistics aside, the Highline show also marked Reid’s first show since dislocating the ring finger on his fret hand in a November 2011 bicycle accident.
Over the course of a set that featured numerous tracks from Vivid, their breakthrough 1988 debut, Type from Time’s Up and Bless Those from The Chair In The Doorway, Living Colour offered a sermon to the converted, reminding those that recall them as a formidable live force that their memories were correct. Exhibiting no residual effects of his injury, Reid tore through the solos of Cult Of Personality and Open Letter (To A Landlord) in exhilarating fashion.
One of the best rhythm sections in the world, Doug Wimbish and Will Calhoun showed an unflappable ability to turn any situation into a stellar improvisational jam. Near the end of the set, Parliament/Funkadelic guitarist Mike Hampton wandered on stage with his guitar and by sheer force of will (or benign obliviousness) commandeered Living Colour’s show. To the delight and bemusement of the band, Wimbish, Calhoun and Glover assisted Hampton in transforming his James Brown inspired chant of “pass the peas” into a funkified soul workout before they just let Hampton wail on his guitar.
If his a capella intro to Open Letter didn’t erase all doubt, Glover’s has lost none of its strength or power over the passing years. Where the distinctive howls of the Plant’s and Daltrey’s of the world have yielded to the demands of Father Time, Glover’s has proven remarkably resistant. Given that Reid, Glover, Wimbish and Calhoun could each lay a credible claim to being amongst the best at what they do, Living Colour’s inability to sustain their momentum past Time’s Up remains one of rock history’s greater untold stories.
EIGHTH NOTES
In the rush to reaffirm that rock and roll is not dead, the Alabama Shakes have been thrust from relative anonymity into the role of the genre’s once and future saviors. Arguably the act that benefitted the most from this year’s CMJ Music Marathon, the Shakes seem to be struggling to keep up with their own hype. Not only is their four song, self-titled EP unavailable on iTunes or Amazon, they don’t even have a proper Web site.
In lieu of those trappings, the Shakes have an ocean of raves and a national TV campaign. (In snagging the smoldering final refrain of You Ain’t Alone for its Christmas ads, Zales either showed savvy foresight in showcasing emerging rock and roll or proved themselves to be insidious exploiters of something their marketing flak mistook for Skrillex.) Ready for it or not, the praise for the Shakes isn’t unfounded and many of the same plaudits directed towards Grace Potter in the Nocturnals’ early days could also apply to 22-year-old guitarist/lead singer Brittany Howard. She can unleash a demanding bluesy howl like Janis Joplin and then reign everything back and convey a worldly, emotional pain like she’s Otis Redding or Sam Cooke. Before we thrust the Shakes on the cover of Rolling Stone, it’s probably prudent to wait until they have enough songs to fill an entire album [ed. note - Alabama Shakes announced this morning that their debut album Boys & Girls will hit stores on April 10]. In the meantime, it’s nice to know bands like the Alabama Shakes still exist.
Gary Clark Jr. sits comfortably on the other side of this coin. Long before he held his own with Eric Clapton at the 2010 Crossroads Festival, the young Austin guitarist had been ready for Mr. DeMille (or more properly Mr. Ertegen) to shine his spotlight in his direction. On last year’s 4 song The Bright Lights EP, Clark culled tracks from his prior Gary Clark Jr. EP that centered on his dexterity for the blues, pairing the electric grit of Bright Lights and Don’t Owe You A Thing with live acoustic renderings of Things Are Changing and When My Train Pulls In. As the longer self-titled EP takes a distracting detour into street corner soul and tepid radio rock – to the degree that Sam Jackson’s look to Robert Forster over the fact they are listening to The Delfonics would be an appropriate reaction – it’s unsurprising that the more focused effort garnered Clark a rare EP rave from Rolling Stone. The 28-year-old guitarist truly is one of rock and roll’s newest young guns. One unintended side effect of Clark’s growing fame is that it essentially drains all the drama from John Sayles’ 2007 film Honeydripper, which hinges on whether Clark’s character can credibly pull off an electrified version of the Delta blues. SPOILER ALERT THAT SHOULD BE SELF-EVIDENT: Duh! He does.
One of Greil Marcus’ more significant contributions towards the lexicon of music journalism is his association of traditional folk music with “the old, weird America.” It’s a term bandied about whenever an artist devotes themselves to the arcana of guilt-ridden murder ballads, populist union songs and old-timey, Brother-Where-Art-Thou finger picking. Ostensibly, Marcus’ tome concerns Bob Dylan’s ballyhooed repudiation of the folk ethic at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival and the Basement Tapes, his series of much bootlegged sessions with The Band recorded while the mercurial singer recuperated from a motorcycle accident. However, with its near-unreadable incessant, rambling dissertations on the minutia of the songs found on Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music, anyone who speaks reverently of Marcus’ oft-referenced work has clearly never read it.
In the reviews of The Black Keys’ El Camino, no one seems to properly acknowledge Stop Stop. The two instrumental breaks in that song are amongst the best laid down in the studio in 2011.
HT’s Jeremy Gordon caught one of Brothers Past’s first shows of 2012 on Friday night at Brooklyn Bowl. We wanted to share his snaps from the jamtronica act’s two-set performance.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you most likely don’t need any additional schooling on this issue. Hopefully you’ve already let your voice be heard to your congress members. Now is the time to really speak loudly if you believe in an internet as we know it today and not like China’s internet: censored & limited. The whole guilty before proven innocent thing really gets me the most. While it is nice that Reddit and Wikipedia are going dark tomorrow, imagine a Google outage?!!? Now THAT would rattle some cages for sure. Anyways, YOUR voice is important. Nothing scares a politician more than the prospect of losing re-election.
Reverse Robocall is a fantastic utility for quickly letting representatives know your opinion.
AmericanCencorship has links to write letters, lobby the State Department, and other helpful action links.
This Video on Vimeo is great at explaining this awful bill.
Now that Jam Cruisers have been back on land for a few days, many photos of the voyage are popping up. Re-entry into reality is always tough, but getting to see the many wonderful moments that those of us aboard the Poesia shared last week helps fight the post-Jam Cruise funk.
Among the many brilliant photographers on Jam Cruise was our pal Chad Smith. We’ve got a number of JC10 photo galleries planned for you and today we kick them off with the first of two galleries from Chad. This one focuses on the people that make the boat such a wonderful place to live for five days.
Yesterday we posted a gallery of photographer Chad Smith’s gorgeous shots featuring “The People” of Jam Cruise 10. Today, we’ve picked 75 of Chad’s best photos of the musicians who made Jam Cruise 10 such a joyous event.
There’s a mix of both action and causal shots which show that there’s more to performing on Jam Cruise 10 than just playing your sets and retreating to your cabin. Among the artists featured in this photo set are Umphrey’s McGee, the New Deal, The New Mastersounds, Zach Deputy, Bruce Hornsby, John Oates, Perpetual Groove, Everyone Orchestra, Lettuce, Surprise Me Mr. Davis, Galactic, The Heavy Pets and Trombone Shorty.
[Ivan Neville and Joel Cummins Rock Out During Everyone Orchestra]
[Sweet Shirt - "DJ" Pete Shand of The New Mastersounds]
[Brock Butler and Michael Blair Minutes Before Sunrise]
Greensky Bluegrass @ Majestic Theater, December 30 & 31
On December 30 and 31, Michigan’s Greensky Bluegrass celebrated New Year’s at the Majestic Theater in Detroit. Although Greensky is still considered an up-and-coming act, this was no local party for friends and family. Rather, Greensky managed to turn Detroit into a destination for NYE 2011-2012 as fans had traveled from far and wide – even internationally – to ring in the New Year with a band whose gift for psychedelic improvisation and timeless originals is rivaled only by their reputation for throwing one helluva party.
[All Photos by Andrew Bender]
December 30
Opening both nights were The Macpodz out of neighboring Ann Arbor; and as in prior opening performances for Umphrey’s McGee and moe., they showed an amazing ability to kick off the party. Combining aspects of funk, jazz, rock, disco and various forms of infectious musical weirdness, the Macpodz eschew the usual guitar-driven jams for the danceable orchestration of keys and trumpet, percussion and bass.
The first night’s performance took place in the neighboring Magic Stick bar; half-way into the Macpodz hour long set, the 300+ capacity venue was already getting full in anticipation of the weekend’s headlining act. Greensky Bluegrass took the stage on December 30th to a smaller audience than they would play to the next night. Nevertheless, the Greensky diehards making up the bulk of the audience were treated to a truly blazing performance.
Opening with No Idea off of their newest studio album Handguns, Greensky displayed their blend of vocal harmonies, masterful arrangements and solid improvisational chops as they showcased both old and new originals. Mustachioed guitarist Dave Bruzza was sporting a new haircut, and even looked downright respectable, but his vocals and 6-string playing were as reliably down and dirty as ever.
In celebration of folk/bluegrass legend John Hartford’s birthday, Bruzza took lead vocal duties on cover of Steam Powered Airplane that led into a scorching cover of Bruce Hornsby’s King of the Hill that easily ranks among the best Greensky performances of that song to date. That song prominently featured Greensky’s ability to layer instruments while simultaneously alternating lead and rhythm parts in their jams. King of the Hill followed an oft-used format with the song’s final verse neatly wrapping up the song after an incredibly hot improvisational jam. Other highlights from the first night included blistering covers of Rod Stewart’s Young Turks and Reba McEntire’s Can’t Stop Now that had the entire room grooving hard with a sense of abandon that only the last weekend of year can bring. Closing out the second set was a cover of the Beatles’ She Came In Through The Bathroom Window that only further fueled anticipation for the next night.
December 31
A quick review of the Hidden Track guide to New Year’s Eve events nationwide revealed the Greensky Bluegrass show in Detroit as the only HT endorsed NYE event in the state of Michigan. Saturday night saw a large crowd ready for a throw down, although a number of concertgoers appeared less familiar with Greensky much less Bluegrass.
Greensky launched their NYE set with a cover of Bob Dylan’s When I Paint My Masterpiece remade into a Greesnky number courtesy of Bruzza’s raspy vocals and Beck’s ever-inspiring drop steel. Original numbers Wheel Hoss and Jaywalking followed with Hoffman on lead vocals; although not given an expansive improvisation treatment Jaywalking was well played, nonetheless as the Bruzza and Hoffman gears meshed in perfect synchrony. Hoffman also led vocals on a cover of Paul Simon’s Gumboots with a bit faster tempo than usual, albeit not quite up to the pace of the original. Bruzza’s 6-string and Devol’s bass kept perfect rhythm to Bont’s forceful yet complex banjo playing and Hoffman’s alternating strummed rhythm and plucked lead; Beck’s increasingly characteristic dobro lead was as difficult to pin down as a greased pig, and even more entertaining.
After a slower, more somber toned Bottle Dry, Greensky covered Duran Duran’s ’80s pop tune Hungry Like The Wolf. The song’s pop irony didn’t appear to register with many in the audience, or at least not with those younger than 30. And truth be told, that’s just the way that Greensky seems to prefer it, as many of their covers are lesser-known numbers that were never radio singles. In this way Greensky pays tribute to gifted songwriting with outstanding pop sensibilities while crafting their own unique blend of bluegrass madness.
Bont’s banjo, Beck’s effect-laden dobro, and Hoffman’s mandolin weave a seamless psychedelic tapestry of sound, all made truly danceable by Devol’s powerful bass lines and Bruzza’s crisp and efficient rhythm guitar. Weaned on the likes of the Grateful Dead and Phish, these seminal influences are clearly reflected in their jamming and improvisational style as they explore sound, noise, and space – but to do that in the context of freaking Hungry Like The Wolf is indeed remarkable. Despite the fact the song holds little more than novelty nostalgia value for this thirty-something, that is one track worthy of repeated listening.
Greensky Bluegrass – Hungry Like The Wolf
Original numbers 200 Miles to Montana and Don’t Lie followed with the latter providing another insane jam; Beck’s dobro lead in combination with the others’ driving but intricate rhythms compelled heads to bob and limbs to flail about in drunken New Years Eve abandon. After Hoffman announced to the audience that, “The midnight hour is close at hand,” the band closed the first set with a cover of Wilson Pickett’s In The Midnight Hour as Bruzza belted out the song backed by his bandmates as well as The Macpodz’ Jesse Clayton on keys and Ross Huff on trumpet.
Greensky Bluegrass – In The Midnight Hour
Coming back on stage with less than ten minutes until the stroke of midnight, Paul Hoffman led a rousing cover of the Isley Brothers’ Shout, still accompanied by Macpodz Huff and Clayton, whose contributions elevated the song far beyond bluegrass or soul. The song reached its crescendo as Hoffman and Co. sang, “a little bit louder now” perfectly at the stroke of midnight and balloons dropped into the celebration. Then, without missing a beat, the band broke into Smokey Robinson’s I Second That Emotion as couples danced and kissed, balloons bounced and popped, and the Motor City was introduced to a whole new take on the old school soul and R&B originally recorded just a few miles away.
To top that off, Greensky simply proceeded to tear the hell out their own songbook of original numbers including the epic and stirring All Four that features Hoffman’s impressive songwriting, “All my options are becoming fences, none of which include a gate.” Pig In A Pen, I’d Probably Kill You and How Far I’d Fall featured striking banjo work by Bont in tandem with alternating solos by Beck and Hoffman. Bassist Devol sang How Far I’d Fall leading one to hope for more by him in addition to his always steady, heavy bass lines. At one point during the second set, Hoffman observed that a pair of panties on the stage was a clear indication of a raging party.
Closing the set with the newer song Kerosene, sung by Bruzza, maintained the frenetic energy of the entire night and left the audience screaming for more. The encore brought another surprise as Hoffman sang lead on a cover of Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine whose soulfulness highlighted the “blue” in bluegrass. And what better way to show the Motor City some love but an intense cover of Prince’s Little Red Corvette, that had the entire Majestic Theater going all-out berserk.
The final song of the evening, the instrumental number Shucking The Corn, featured all five musicians and closed the party with a final sucker punch, bluegrass-style. Even though some in attendance may not have been hip to Greensky at the outset, their enthusiasm was readily apparent as the room was packed until the band called it quits shortly after 1:30. And after the smoke cleared, the mental fog lifts, and downing some ibuprofen, coffee, and hair o’ the dog it was all apparent – the Greensky Bluegrass run in Detroit was one of the hottest New Years Eve performances the Motor City has seen in recent years.
12/31/2011 Setlist
Set 1: When I Paint My Masterpiece, Wheel Hoss, Jaywalking > Gumboots, Bottle Dry, Hungry Like The Wolf, 200 Miles from Montana, Don’t Lie, In The Midnight Hour*
Set 2: Shout*, Second That Emotion*, All Four, Pig In A Pen, I’d Probably Kill You > How Far I’d Fall, Tarpology, What’s Left Of The Night, The Reverend, Kerosene
Encore: Ain’t No Sunshine, Little Red Corvette, Shuckin The Corn
On the final night of Jam Cruise 10, “The Spot” blew up. Over the course of the cruise Surprise Me Mr. Davis band mates Nathan Moore and Brad Barr laid claim to a small piece of space on Deck 7 where they would play with any other musicians who wanted in between midnight and sunrise. When I first stumbled upon Nathan and Brad in “The Spot” on the second night of Jam Cruise, the only other person watching was Katie Benevento, but by Friday night there were at least 50 people assembled around the musicians at most points during the evening. For those of us who were burnt out on funk and were looking for something a little more song-oriented, “The Spot” was an oasis. With cell phone and internet service barely existent out at sea, many cruisers were turned on to “The Spot” the old fashioned way – by word of mouth or by randomly stumbling upon the ship’s best kept secret.
[Final Night at "The Spot" Montage From The Archives of Jeff Waful + 1]
When Nathan and Brad set up shop on that final night, they kicked off the festivities at exactly 1:16AM with a rollicking version of Moore’s Before You Were Born. How do I know it was 1:16? Well, Nathan decided that they would play Before You Were Born at the :16 mark of each and every hour regardless of who was jamming with them at the time. By the time I went to bed around 6AM I had heard five completely different takes on the tune, each with its own lineup and vibe. Among the musicians who joined Moore and Barr at various points were Anders Beck (dobro) and Paul Hoffman (mandolin) of Greensky Bluegrass, Tim Carbone (fiddle) of Railroad Earth, Ryan Montbleau (guitar) of the Ryan Montbleau Band, Justin Carney (bass) of The Heavy Pets, Katie Benevento (mandolin), Andrew Barr (using beer bottles as drums) of The Slip/SMMD/Barr Bros. and Dave Weissman (mandolin).
Every few songs Brad Barr would start up a cover that most people knew and the larger crowd made for powerful singalong moments during songs we all grew up playing, singing and listening to such as Stand By Me, Hold On I’m Comin’, My Bonnie, Don’t Think Twice and Three Little Birds. At one point Moore needed to stretch his legs, so he asked Montbleau to lead the assembled musicians for a tune. Montbleau stepped up and delivered the best version of Muddy Waters’ Hoochie Coochie Man I’ve ever heard. I thought Carbone was going to shatter his fiddle he was playing so hard. As daylight approached, Montbleau, Brad Barr and Moore even treated those remaining to a mini-set of Grateful Dead covers. Though the covers were special, I particularly enjoyed watching the musicians follow Barr and Moore on Nathan’s originals such as Sissyfuss, Before You Were Born and Hollow.
[Photo by Jason Rappoport]
Nathan has this magnetic personality that draws you in. Even though some of my favorite bands were performing at other parts of the boat, I couldn’t help but spend most of my late nights at “The Spot.” I wasn’t the only one who had this experience as my music writing colleagues Mike Greenhaus, Jefferson Waful, Rob Turner and Dennis Cook were frequent visitors to this little slice of space below lifeboat #21. Each of the five of us writers have completely different backgrounds, yet we’re all slaves to “the song” and no one can harness the power of simple melodies and powerful chord structures like Nathan Moore. Brad Barr’s guitar mastery, and the hauntingly beautiful tones he was able to coerce from a cheap little battery-operated amplifier, didn’t hurt either in making “The Spot” the place to be.
There are some experiences which are better left as memories, but after lots of internal debate both Jefferson and I decided the music and vibe that was made on Deck 7 was worth sharing in words and images. Everyone who hung at “The Spot” was so incredibly appreciative for the efforts of the musicians and the musicians seemed to be into the energy those watching were giving back. Much thanks to Mr. Waful for putting together the video montage you see above which illustrates what went down at “The Spot” on Friday night/Saturday morning. Additional, more in-depth footage might show up in a future of episode of Jeff Waful + 1. For now, we’ll leave you with more video of Before You Were Born (4:16 version) from the magical “Spot” shot by Chris Monaghan…
Unless you live under a rock, you probably noticed that thousands of websites went dark today in protest of SOPA and PIPA, two bills currently on discussion by congress that would have a chilling effect on sites such as Hidden Track. While we’re ALL for copyright holders’ rights, these bills are a terrible way to protect those rights.
One site that went dark today was Phish.net, the premier Phish-related website on the internet. We spoke with Phish.net webmaster Adam Scheinberg about the impetus for this decision. “SOPA and PIPA are both poor, uninformed attempts to solve a real problem with an unnecessarily wide solution,” Adam told us. He went on to say, “Under both of these bills, a website could be shut down merely by claiming copyright infringement. On both Phish.net and YEMBlog, if someone merely embedded a video that was found to be infringing, the whole site could be taken down without notice or appeal.”
Adam continued on about the repercussions if both bills passed through Senate, “What’s worse is that it’s done by modifying the DNS system, which is core to the foundation of the Internet. If American laws seek to govern a borderless internet, it will splinter the internet itself, and I don’t think it’s dramatic to say it will change the evolution of technology and information dissemination. American sites will move oversees, but Americans still won’t have access to the content. The only real winners here would be content police like the RIAA and the MPAA, and the elected officials who are sponsored and lobbied by them. I refute the argument that even cast and crew are better off with laws like SOPA and PIPA in place.”
Adam decided to take action, “I asked the team to black out Phish.net because our site is clearly a site that could be mis-targeted under these laws. We’ve never used Phish.net as a political platform before, but this is too important to ignore. If we can generate a few dozen phone calls, we’ve succeeded. Just this morning when I called my senators, I was pleased to hear they’d withdrawn support for PIPA.”
Scheinberg felt there has to be a better way to both gauge the effect of piracy and to fight it, “Ultimately, the problem may be real, but no one has ever demonstrated a sound way to measure the impact of ‘piracy’ (a movie downloaded does not necessarily equal a lost customer) and no one has yet suggested an alternative that is good for ‘the people.’” Phish.net will return tomorrow and we’re thankful for the lead Adam has taken in drawing attention to a pair of bills that could bring an end to Hidden Track and millions of other websites.
Following in the footsteps of a number of legacy artists looking to connect with a younger audience, Dr. John tapped Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach to produce his latest studio album, Locked Down. The album, which will hit stores on April 3 via Nonesuch Records, was recorded at Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound in Nashville and features a number of young artists handpicked by him to play alongside the Night Tripper. As part of the promotion for the album, it was announced that Mac will play a three-weekend residency at the Brooklyn Academy of Music titled Dr. John: Insides Out. The gigs, which will take place from March 29 through April 14, each focus on a separate theme and feature different musicians.
Here are the official details…
The centerpiece of the residency is a three-night run of concerts in which Auerbach will join Dr. John and a handpicked band to premiere new music from the album at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, April 5–7. Dr. John: Insides Out begins the previous weekend, March 29–31, with a tribute to Louis Armstrong, and concludes April 12–15 with Funky But It’s Nu Awlins, a funk-infused night of New Orleans music, featuring key players from the Crescent City.
Finally, a little over a year ago we reported that Pete Shaprio would be bringing his bowling alley-concert venue-gastropub concept to the Windy City, with the opening of Chicago Bowl in 2012. While, there is no update on just when it will open, another one of New York City’s unique venues has announced plans to head to the Second City, as Michael Dorf revealed that he will be opening an outpost of City Winery there. Set to open this summer in the city’s West Loop, the 30,000-square-foot venue, which will be located in the ground floor of the old Carson Pirie Scott building at 1200 W. Randolph, will feature a fully operational winery, restaurant with outdoor patio, concert hall, and private event space, and feature over 200 concerts a year.
In a story we’ve been following for a while, the Atlantic City City Council has voted unanimously to approve four multi-day festivals to be held this summer at the shore town’s vacated airfield – Bader Field. The festivals will take place on June 15 – 17, June 24 – 25, Sept. 22 – 23 and Sept. 29 – 30 according to the Press of Atlantic City.
[Photo of DMB Caravan @ Bader Field by Jeremy Gordon]
The big question is which acts will play at these four festivals? The promoter’s representative, Ken MacDonald of Starr Hill Presents, who you may remember as the guy who confirmed Phish Summer Tour 2012 will indeed take place, played coy and not only wouldn’t reveal the bands, but also claimed “no one on the planet” would be able to confirm the festivals’ headliners.
We’ve got to think MacDonald’s “no one on the planet” quote referred to Atlantic City legend Pinky Kravitz. Just one week ago Kravitz theorized that Phish would perform at Bader Field from June 15 – 17 and that the other June event would feature one of four bands who could draw 50,000 fans per day – “the Rolling Stones, Radiohead, U2 and Bruce Springsteen.”
Pinky changed his tune yesterday when he claimed “Phish will be the act that will perform on June 22, 23 and 24.” Oddly, June 22 and 23 are two days which aren’t included in the permits issued by the city, yet are Friday and Saturday nights while the 24th and 25th fall on Sunday and Monday. Kravitz went on to say that Metallica will play at Bader Field on the last weekend in June (June 29 and 30), though again that isn’t one of the weekends for which Starr Hill received a permit. Finally, Kravitz claims that Kenny Chesney will headline one of the September fests. Hopefully the discrepancies will be sorted out soon, but – as always – we’d suggest waiting for an official announcement before making any non-refundable reservations. We’ll keep you posted on any further word.
Howard Stern welcomed Roger Waters to his Sirius/XM radio show yesterday for what turned into an hour-long, revealing interview with the Pink Floyd bassist. As usual, Howard didn’t hold back and asked about the circumstances keeping Waters from touring with David Gilmour, the death of Rog’s father, Waters’ songwriting process and much more. If you missed it, we’ve got you covered…
Our look at last week’s Jam Cruise 10 rolls on with a gallery of photos from photographer Nick “Phrazz” Fitanides. Phrazz captures the essence of Jam Cruise in his snaps and we particularly love his shots from the boat’s hard-to-shoot Jam Room.
[All Photos by Phrazz - Barr, Higgins, Collier, Carney, Perry & Big Sam in the Jam Room]
Most of Phrazz’s shots in this gallery focus on the musicians who performed aboard the Poesia. It’s a fairly comprehensive gallery covering nearly every performer from Anders Osborne to Zach Deputy. Yesterday we published Chad Smith’s killer photos and thankfully for us and our readers it appears both photogs weren’t in the same place very often, so between the two (as well as Dave Vann who graciously let us use his photos in ourdailyrecapsfrom on board) we’ve got most of the memorable moments aboard Jam Cruise 10 covered.
[Ryan Montbleau Sings 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover w/ Galactic]
[Tony Hall SuperJam]
[Toubab Krewe Beach Party in Labadee, Haiti]
[Simon Allen of The New Mastersounds]
[Surprise Me Mr. Davis w/ Tim Carbone]
[Schmeans, Shorty, Sam and Zoidis in the Jam Room]
[Skerik of Dead Kenny G's/Garage A Trois]
[Ryan Stasik of Umphrey's McGee]
[Perpetual Groove w/ Gary Paulo and Jim Wuest]
[Toots and the Maytals]
[Ozomatli Pool Deck Parade]
[Big Sam, Captain Toast, Mark Brown and Annabel Lukins]
, which will be released on February 28. Produced by 
tomorrow via Zoe/Rounder Records. Edwards was looking to get away from the singer-songwriter mold of her previous work, and make an album more inline with the indie rock that she had been listening to before entering the studio. So what’s the big deal about that? Well, she was able to nab none other than Mr. Bon Iver himself, Justin Vernon, who had previously cited Edwards music as an influence, to co-produce it. Recorded at Vernon’s new April Base studio in Fall Creek, Wisc., the ten-track record has his fingerprints all over it, as he added his now unmistakable guitar tone, as well as a layer of lushness by contributing his signature haunting vocals.
via ATO Records. The record, produced by Peter Asher, features nine tracks from their catalog that have been re-imagined and re-recorded with the help of 13-piece Cuban orchestra known as C.U.B.A.
