With the dissolution of HT faves Apollo Sunshine back in 2010, Sam Cohen picked up the pieces and channeled his creative energies into a new project he dubbed Yellowbirds. The psychedelic folk-rock act, who put out one of our favorite albums of 2011, will release their highly-anticipated sophomore full-length effort Songs From The Vanished Frontier on May 28 via the Royal Potato Family imprint. For the music video for the record’s acid-drenched lead single – Young Men Of Promise – Cohen created another home-spun animated clip using cut-out images created by artist Kara Smith.

Yellowbirds – Young Men Of Promise

Yellowbirds have a handful of upcoming dates, including a weekly residency throughout the month of June at the Rockwood Music Hall’s Stage 2 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

For the past two weekends the Crescent City has played host to the annual New Orlean’s Jazz & Heritage Festival. During their first-weekend set, Calexico paid tribute to one of New Orleans’ native sons – the severely under-appreciated Bobby Charles. The late singer-songwriter, who likely best known to HT readers for his appearance on The Last Waltz soundtrack, began writing and recording songs at the age of 17. While he never quite achieved success as a solo artist, Charles’ songs have been recorded by an impressive list of musicians including Ray Charles, Bo Diddley, Joe Cocker and Fats Domino – whose recording of Walking To New Orleans (a song Charles wrote specifically for Domino) sold nearly two-million copies.

Charles, who drifted in and out of music, released his highly recommended self-titled albumin 1972, which was co-produced by Rick Danko and features nearly all of The Band, as well as Dr. John. Last Sunday afternoon the Tuscon, Arizona based band treated the crowd to a version of Charles’ most recognizable tune Later Alligator. The “swamp-pop” song, which Charles originally recorded in 1955, was made famous a year later when Bill Haley & His Comets released it as the single See You Later Alligator. Let’s check it out…

Calexico – See You Later Alligator

Yesterday, Phish keyboardist Page McConnell performed at the Fairgrounds in New Orleans with The Meter Men as part of the final day of Jazz Fest. Portions of McConnell and The Meter Men’s set, which focused on Meters material, was aired on AXS TV live from The Crescent City.

[Photo via @NYCJamgal]

Our friends at Cheesehead Productions have captured People Say from McConnell’s Fairgrounds set with Meter Men Leo Nocentelli, Zigaboo Modeliste and George Porter Jr. Take a look…

Back in 1979 the Allman Brothers Band reformed after an almost three-year split started in 1976 after Gregg Allman’s role in Scooter Herring’s trial. The ’79 version of the ABB contained original members Gregg Allman on keys, Dickey Betts on guitar, drummers Jaimoe and Butch Trucks as well as new additions “Dangerous” Dan Toler on guitar and bassist David Goldflies. This version lasted for about a year until Jaimoe left the band to be replaced by drummer Frankie Toler.

Future talk show host and Fox analyst Geraldo Rivera joined the Allman Brothers Band on tour for a few dates in 1979 in order to profile the group for 20/20. Last week the entire 10-minute profile surfaced.

I’ll never forget the feeling of walking into Albany’s Knickerbocker Arena on December 12th, 1997 an hour-and-a-half before Phish was scheduled to take the stage and going into a state of panic when I noticed the house lights were down and heard music coming through the P.A. It took me a little while to finally figure out what was going on. Longtime Phish friend from their Burlington days, guitarist J. Willis Pratt, was the evening’s surprise opening act along with his band – We’re Bionic.

[Fish and J. Willis by John Kasiewicz]

Pratt and We’re Bionic played for about 45 minutes as extremely confused Phish fans entered the building to hear a heavy metal band on stage. Drummer Jon Fishman has stayed in touch with Pratt, aka “The Heavy Metal Brat,” and somewhat regularly performs with him. On Saturday night Fish played as part of We’re Bionic at Burlington’s Radio Bean. Bassist John Kasiewicz and guitarist Arthur Lafreniere made up the rest of We’re Bionic, besides Fish and Pratt, for the Saturday evening performance.

We chatted with Pratt about the gig and he shared some additional information. “(Fishman and I) met in the mid ’80s and recorded three albums. I met him at Goddard College. When I played Wild for Fish, he dug it and then we became band mates. Some Phish Heads didn’t like us, fuck them. I thought we did o.k. We only got to play for about 20 minutes, but I had a lot of fun as many old Goddard fans and friends came to see us at Radio Bean.” J. Willis also advised us that the next We Are Bionic CD may be recorded in September and that his next gig is on June 1st at South Side Tavern in Barre, Vermont.

Two clips from Saturday’s gig have surfaced on YouTube…

This Could Be Love

[Photo by Aimee Dufresne]

Love

Over the weekend I reported on a new Grateful Dead box set that looks absolutely incredible. The “May ’77″ box set will contain every note of every show The Dead performed between May 11th and May 17th in that much-beloved year in Grateful Dead history – 1977. It’s due on June 11.

Today, the Grateful Dead have officially announced the release and have put the set up for pre-sale. With only 15,000 sets available, we believe GD archivist David Lemieux when he says he expects May ’77 to sell out. While the price tag is a steep $139.98, it does contain 111 tracks spread out over 14 discs. May ’77 also includes period photos by James Anderson, a historical essay by Steve Silberman, indiviual show liner notes and artwork by Grammy Award-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike.

Stream Wharf Rat from 5/11/77, Mississippi Half-Step from 5/12/77, Jack-A-Roe from 5/13/77, Dancing In The Street from 5/15/77 and Terrapin Station from 5/17/77 mastered by Jeffrey Norman…

Here’s the full track list for May ’77 as well as more details via Dead.net…

Show #1
St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN (5/11/77)

Disc 1
1. Promised Land [4:54]
2. They Love Each Other [7:38]
3. Big River [6:25]
4. Loser [7:39]
5. Looks Like Rain [9:18]
6. Ramble On Rose [7:48]
7. Jack Straw [5:54]
8. Peggy-O [8:43]
9. El Paso [4:44]
10. Deal [5:49]

Disc 2
1. Lazy Lightning> [3:32]
2. Supplication [5:20]
3. Sugaree [13:49]
4. Samson and Delilah [7:08]
5. Brown-Eyed Women [5:28]
6. Estimated Prophet [8:38]

Disc 3
1. Scarlet Begonias> [9:47]
2. Fire On The Mountain> [11:02]
3. Good Lovin’ [6:29]
4. Uncle John’s Band> [9:11]
5. Space> [5:48]
6. Wharf Rat> [9:51]
7. Around and Around [8:48]
8. Brokedown Palace [5:34]

Show #2
Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL (5/12/77)

Disc 1
1. Bertha [7:16]
2. Me and My Uncle [3:04]
3. Tennessee Jed [9:32]
4. Cassidy [5:05]
5. Peggy-O [7:52]
6. Jack Straw [5:45]
7. They Love Each Other [7:47]
8. New Minglewood Blues [5:20]

Disc 2
1. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo> [9:54]
2. Dancing In The Street [14:19]
3. Samson and Delilah [7:07]
4. Brown-Eyed Women [5:28]
5. Estimated Prophet [9:25]
6. Sunrise [3:46]

Disc 3
1. Terrapin Station> [10:13]
2. Playing In The Band> [8:36]
3. Drums> [4:06]
4. Not Fade Away> [14:15]
5. Comes A Time> [10:20]
6. Playing In The Band [7:00]
7. Johnny B. Goode [4:18]

Show #3
Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL (5/13/77)

Disc 1
1. The Music Never Stopped [8:37]
2. Ramble On Rose [7:33]
3. Cassidy [4:46]
4. Brown-Eyed Women [5:35]
5. New Minglewood Blues [5:06]
6. Friend Of The Devil [8:38]
7. El Paso [4:55]
8. Jack-A-Roe [5:56]
9. Looks Like Rain [8:17]
10. Scarlet Begonias> [7:05]
11. Fire On The Mountain [13:19]

Disc 2
1. Samson and Delilah> [7:24]
2. Bertha [6:52]
3. Estimated Prophet> [9:51]
4. Drums> [5:47]
5. The Other One> [16:28]
6. Stella Blue> [11:51]
7. Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad> [8:05]
8. One More Saturday Night [5:21]
9. U.S. Blues [5:57]
Show #4
St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO (5/15/77)

Disc 1
1. Bertha> [6:34]
2. Good Lovin’ [6:07]
3. Row Jimmy [10:51]
4. New Minglewood Blues [5:33]
5. Tennessee Jed [9:35]
6. Lazy Lightning> [3:34]
7. Supplication [4:42]
8. Jack-A-Roe [6:24]
< 9. Passenger [4:31] 10. Brown-Eyed Women [5:16] Disc 2 1. Dancing In The Street [18:49] 2. Estimated Prophet> [11:32]
3. Eyes Of The World> [12:48]
4. Drums> [3:13]
5. Samson and Delilah [7:28]
6. Ship Of Fools [7:41]

Disc 3
1. St. Stephen> [5:28]
2. Iko Iko> [3:54]
3. Not Fade Away> [9:38]
4. Sugar Magnolia [9:58]
5. Uncle John’s Band [9:06]

Show #5
Coliseum, University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (5/17/77)

Disc 1
1. New Minglewood Blues [5:46]
2. Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo> [10:28]
3. El Paso [4:48]
4. They Love Each Other [7:42]
5. Jack Straw [5:37]
6. Jack-A-Roe [5:59]
7. Looks Like Rain [8:10]
8. Tennessee Jed [8:46]
9. Passenger [3:36]
10. High Time [8:32]
11. Big River [6:39]

Disc 2
1. Sunrise [4:35]
2. Scarlet Begonias> [13:02]
3. Fire On The Mountain [13:14]
4. Samson and Delilah> [6:43]
5. Bertha> [6:16]
6. Good Lovin’ [6:02]
7. Brown-Eyed Women [5:34]

Disc 3
1. Estimated Prophet [8:55]
2. Terrapin Station> [11:23]
3. Playing In The Band> [12:20]
4. Drums> [4:49]
5. Wharf Rat> [12:53]
6. Playing In The Band [6:06]
7. Sugar Magnolia [9:15]

If you’re a Dead Head, chances are you’ve spent many an hour expounding upon the distinction of May 8, 1977, Cornell University, Barton Hall. Well, at the risk of preaching to the choir, we’d like to reintroduce you to a series of shows that matches said greatness from that same gloriously fertile season. While Barton Hall is well known, the astounding tour that surrounded it has occasionally flown under the radar due to the uneven quality of tapes in circulation. May 1977 is set to change all of that with a boxed set that zeroes in on this high-water mark in the Grateful Dead’s long strange trip.

For a band resurrecting itself after a 20-month hiatus, there was a great frenzy of expectancy that surrounded the Spring of 1977. We anticipate a grand reoccurrence of this fervor with the release of May 1977, a 14-disc boxed set featuring five complete shows from consecutive stops on that magical tour. Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering, the “psychoacoustic phenomena” as Jerry once put it, of St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN (5/11) Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL (5/12, 5/13), St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO (5/15) and Coliseum at the University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (5/17) can now finally be appreciated. Each of these shows finds the Dead delivering punchier, more focused sets, tightening up the framework; each night turning out first-ever renditions (“Passenger,”"Iko Iko,”"Jack-A-Roe”), unloading potent new pairings (“Scarlet Begonias”>”Fire On The Mountain”, “Estimated Prophet”>”Eyes Of The World”), classic covers (“Dancing In The Street”) and soon-to-be staples (“Estimated Prophet,” “Samson and Delilah”), and ultimately rising up to paradise.

And now for the nitty-gritty…

Due June 11, May 1977 is limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies. Presented in a psychedelic box that boasts an intricate die-cut design created by Grammy®-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike, the set also includes a book filled with stories about each show, as well as an in-depth essay by Dead historian Steve Silberman, who delves deep into the history behind the tour and the band’s return from its extended hiatus.

Once these 15,000 boxes are gone, May 1977 and its shows will never be available again on CD. However, the 111 tracks will be made available on release date as FLAC and Apple lossless full-set-only downloads.

Like its predecessors Europe ’72: The Complete Recordings and Spring 1990, we expect May 1977 to sell out. Your best bet is to pre-order it now, then sit back, relax, and enjoy all the exclusive content we’ll be rolling out over the next few weeks right here and on Facebook.com/GratefulDead and Youtube.com/gratefuldead.

In 1974 Frank Zappa and The Mothers released the live album Roxy & Elsewhere, with The Roxy part of the record culled from a three-night stand in December of 1973 at The Roxy in Los Angeles, with the Elsewhere portion taken from a pair of shows in Edinboro, Penn. and Chicago. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release, Zappa Plays Zappa have lined up a lengthy North American tour, which will see the modern interpreters of Frank’s musical legacy play the album in its entirety. The Dweezil Zappa-fronted act will kick off their 29-date tour on September 2 at Lupo’s in Providence and wrap in early November December nodding to album’s roots with three-night run at The Roxy, roughly a month before Zappa & Co. played on that very stage exactly 40 years earlier.

If you’re not into a night with the Zappa tribute act, then maybe you’ll be interested in hitting one of these recently announced tours…

• Tricky: Summer U.S. Tour (6/8 – 6/22)
• Gogol Bordello: Summer World Tour (5/30 – 9/25)
• Rodrigo y Gabriela: Summer U.S. Tour (7/5 – 8/3)
• Patty Griffin: Summer World Tour (5/30 – 8/17)
• Toro y Moi: Fall North American Tour (10/4 – 11/10)
• Melisa Etheridge: Summer North American Tour (6/18 – 9/10)

Here’s the full list of Zappa Plays Zappa’s Roxy & Elsewhere tour dates…

September 2013
3 – Providence, RI – Lupo’s
4 – Pittsburgh, PA – Carnegie Music Hall
5 – Columbus, OH – Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
6 – Iowa City, IA – Englert Theater
7 – Urbana, IL – Ellnora Guitar Festival
8 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater

October 2013
8 – Lincoln, NE – Rococo Theatre
9 – Eau Claire, WI – State Theatre
10 – Chicago, IL – Copernicus Center
11 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue
12 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
13 – Kent, OH – Kent STage
16 – Philadelphia, PA – Keswick Theatre
17 – Buffalo, NY – Kleinhans Music Hall
18 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
19 – Toronto, Ontario – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
20 – Ottawa, Ontario – Algonquin Commons Theatre
22 – Laval, Quebec – Salle Andre Matie
23 – Sherbrooke, Quebec – Theatre Granda
24 – St. Hyacinthe, Quebec – Centre de Arts Juliette-Lassonde
25 – Saint Jean sur Richelieu, Quebec – Theatre des Deux Rives
26 – L’Assomption, Quebec – Theatre Hector Charland
27 – Quebec City, Quebec – Imperial Theatre
28 – Rimouski, Quebec – Salle Desjardins-Telus
31 – New York, NY – Beacon Theater

November 2013
1 – Portland, ME – State Theater
2 – Boston, MA – House of Blues

December 2013
8-10 – Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy

Just over three years ago Phish was given the honor of inducting one of their biggest influences, Genesis, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at a ceremony held in at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on March 15, 2010. Phish front man Trey Anastasio gave the speech inducting Genesis into the Rock Hall, while the quartet performed Watcher of the Skies and No Reply At All.

Recently, an exceptional rip of both of Phish’s performances, Trey’s speech and Genesis’s acceptance surfaced on YouTube. We had fun revisiting Phish’s lone turn in the Rock Hall spotlight as of yet and we’re hopeful they will one day get the same honor they bestowed on Genesis as they’re officially eligible starting next year. Check out this outstanding footage from 2010…

Last Friday night The Rolling Stones kicked off the latest leg of their 50 and Counting World Tour in L.A. At that show, the Stones dusted off a few old classics and even debuted Emotional Rescue for the first time ever. The legendary rockers followed that up on Sunday in Oakland by bringing out special guest Tom Waits for a rare live appearance. Today, The Rolling Stones have added one final North American date to 50 and Counting.

On June 24th, The Stones will play the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. as the final North American Date of the 50 and Counting Tour. Tickets for the Washington, DC show go on sale Monday, May 13 at 10AM EDT and will be available at www.rollingstones.com.

Here’s a look at the remaining North American Dates…

May 8 – San Jose – HP Pavilion (On sale now)
May 11 – Las Vegas – MGM Grand Garden Arena (On sale now)
May 15 – Anaheim – Honda Center (On sale now)
May 18 – Anaheim – Honda Center (On sale now)
May 20 – Los Angeles – STAPLES Center (On sale now)
May 25 – Toronto – Air Canada Center (On sale now)
May 28 – Chicago – United Center (On sale now)
May 31 – Chicago – United Center (On sale now)
June 3 – Chicago – United Center (On sale now)
June 6 – Toronto – Air Canada Centre (On sale now)
June 9 – Montreal – Bell Centre (On sale now)
June 12 – Boston – TD Garden (On sale now)
June 14 – Boston – TD Garden (On sale now)
June 18 – Philadelphia – Wells Fargo Center (On sale now)
June 21 – Philadelphia – Wells Fargo Center (On sale now)
June 24* – Washington, DC – Verizon Center (On sale May 13)

The Rolling Stones will play HP Pavilion in San Jose tomorrow night.

Over the last few months Bonnaroo organizers have been sharing videos of last year’s SuperJam on their YouTube channel. The 2012 edition of the SuperJam featured D’Angelo performing on an American stage for the first time in 12 years. The Roots drummer Questlove, participating in his third Bonnaroo SuperJam, put the ensemble which backed D’Angelo together.

The latest installment of Bonnaroo’s SuperJam 2012 mini-doc finds D’Angelo and Questlove leading the band through The Beatles’ Abbey Road classic She Came In Through The Bathroom Window…

Located in the heart of the “Forever Wild” Catskill Forest Preserve in Big Indian, New York; The Full Moon Resort continues to add events to its already formidable lineup of Music Masters Camps. Three HT faves will be throwing camps at Full Moon this summer as Umphrey’s McGee will present sUMmer School from June 17 – 21, Dweezil Zappa will host Dweezilla Music Boot Camp from July 1 – July 5, while Dark Star Orchestra will lead DSO High School on August 5 – 9.

All three events will feature workshops, performances, master classes, presentations, interactive jams and many other activities all at the comfortable Full Moon Resort. Each act will bring special guests with them to their camps as Umphrey’s will welcome Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band / Flecktones) to sUMmer School, Dweezil has invited a number of “counselors” such as Oz Noy and Chris Buono to Dweezilla Boot Camp, while DSO has Grateful Dead Hour host David Gans, legendary Dead recording engineer Betty Cantor-Jackson and former Grateful Dead singer Donna Jean Godchaux signed up for DSO High School. Spots are currently available for all three camps.

As part of our Everybody Wins When We Plug Something And In Return They Offer Us Free Shit To Give Away program, we’ve got an autographed CD for each act for our readers. We’ll let sUMmer School hosts Umphrey’s McGee, Dweezilla Boot Camp host Dweezil Zappa and DSO High School hosts Dark Star Orchestra determine just what CD you’ll get, but they will be signed. Simply leave a comment below telling us which CD you’d like to win and you’ll be entered.

Here’s the fine print…

• To enter, leave a comment below telling us which signed CD you’d like to win: DSO, Dweezil Zappa or Umphrey’s McGee
• Your comment(s) must be left by 3PM EDT on May 26th
• Anybody entering more than once will be disqualified, tarred and feathered
• Three separate winners each receive a signed CD from DSO, Dweezil Zappa or Umphrey’s McGee depending on their comment
• CD selection at discretion of band
• HT staff members are not eligible to win
• Please allow eight weeks for delivery of your prize
• Prizes courtesy of Music Masters Camp

As expected, influential indie rock band Neutral Milk Hotel have started announcing more tour dates. The Jeff Mangum-led act has added Midwest and Mid-Atlantic dates to what was previously announced and the group’s website says, “More East and Midwest dates to be announced soon!”

Elf Power will open most of the newly-added dates. In addition to Mangum, the group will feature Scott Spillane, Julian Koster and Jeremy Barnes.

Here’s the full list of Neutral Milk Hotel dates currently on the schedule…

10-11 Baltimore, MD – 2640 Space at St. John’s Church *
10-12 Richmond, VA – The National *
10-14 Covington, KY – Madison Theater *
10-15 Urbana, IL – The Canopy Club *
10-18 Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall *
10-19 Chattanooga, TN – Track 29 *
10-20 Birmingham, AL – Iron City *
10-22 Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club *
10-23 Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club #
10-25 Asheville, NC – Thomas Wolfe Auditorium (Mountain Oasis Festival) #!
10-26 Atlanta, GA – The Tabernacle #
11-10 Melbourne, Australia – Harvest
11-16 Sydney, Australia – Harvest
11-17 Brisbane, Australia – Harvest
11-28 Taipei, Taiwan – Hostess Club Taipei
12-01 Tokyo, Japan – Hostess Club Weekender

* with Elf Power
# with Half Japanese
! with Daniel Johnston

[via Pitchfork]

We once lauded the all-inclusive Equifunk Festival as “a model of how a festival should be run.” The event’s promoters will once again bring Equifunk back to the cozy confines of summer camps Equinunk and Blue Ridge in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains on August 16 – 18. Today, HT faves Soulive along with The Shady Horns and the legendary Maceo Parker.

Soulive will join a number of previously announced acts including The New Mastersounds, Anders Osborne, Boombox, Marco Benevento, The Nigel Hall Band, The Main Squeeze and I’ll Be John Brown.

Tickets are currently available through the event’s website.

We’ve already reviewed two of Monoprice’s outstanding audio values. Their $7 offering in earphones and a $20 set of headphones each offered fantastic sound quality, build quality and even comfort. Relatively recently they’ve added to their lineup with a pair of active noise cancelling headphones called simply, “Noise Cancelling Headphone.” Can the company that has become synonymous with discount cables & connectors score another win and go 3-for-3 in our reviews? With a retail price of about $100, the expectations are certainly higher. Likewise, in this hyper-competitive segment of the headphone market, there is a ton of competition.

Noise cancelling headphones have several things of critical importance to note when evaluating them. Typically, they are used when travelling, so they need to be durable yet portable and relatively lightweight at the same time. Battery life should provide plenty of juice and not be a constant concern. Like any headphone, they need to be comfortable. And of course, the two most important things: Overall sound quality and the noise reduction that they offer. Fortunately, Monoprice has done quite well in all these areas.



Overview These are corded headphones powered by a single AAA battery that offer about 50 hours of listening per battery and can be used without the noise cancelling should your battery run out. Memory foam ear cups are of the “over the ear” variety and they come with a hard carrying case, two sets of detachable cables (one with an inline mic and one standard one) as well as adapters and splitters for listening to practically any source.

Portability & Comfort These are incredibly comfortable headphones. Last week, I had over ten straight hours of flying and wore these headphones for the duration. They were as comfortable at the conclusion of the flight as they were when I popped them on. The earcups are generously padded which in addition to comfort also help with the noise elimination. Just the right amount of tension keep the headphones placed comfortably on your ears without being a nuisance. The adjustable headband stays in the position that you click it into which is nice. With many headphones I find myself constantly fiddling with the fit. The headband is not as generously padded as their 8323 headphones but nonetheless, very comfortable. The weight, at just 6 ounces, adds to the comfort. They fold flat and compactly into a nicely built hard-zippered carrying case which I think is practically a mandatory accessory for NC headphones.

Build Quality & Design On top of the comfort, these have a nice feel and build to them. On the left earcup is the noise cancelling switch that is easy to find when wearing and conveniently placed. A green LED indicates that the circuitry is on and the battery is charged. The right earcup cover slides down to give access to the AAA battery compartment. While I love the ease of access to the battery, the cover can inadvertently slide open which happened to me a couple of times. The earcups are glossy black and stamped with “Monoprice” on each one.

[Headphones with zippered carry case and included cables, splitter and adapters]

Sound Quality & Noise Reduction Wow! These have among the best noise cancelling that I’ve ever heard at any price point. I was amazed at how well they literally erased all the sound in the background and left the music as the only thing you heard. I’ve owned several pairs of decent noise cancelling headphones and  tried many more and I was still a little stunned when I put these on. Many (most?) noise cancelling headphones do a great job with “droning” sounds of engines, air conditioners or other ambient noise. What was most surprising with these was how well they did with ALL exterior sounds. It’s tough to enjoy a concert with loud mouths that never shut up around you – despite how hard you concentrate on the music – the annoying chatter is always there. Just like headphones – it is tough to 100% enjoy the music if the exterior world is too loud. These do such a great job at letting you simply enjoy your music.

Noise cancelling headphones can sometimes have a Jekyll & Hyde personality with poor results in one of two modes. Fortunately, sound is very good in both modes: with noise cancelling and without. With noise cancelling, volumes are appreciably higher and slightly better bass. The sound does not seem overly processed or artificial like many NC headphones tend to do. Without noise cancelling, the sound is very neutral, crisp  and full but noticeably lower in volume. However, the overall sound quality is better without the NC. I really enjoy listening to them in both modes.

Bottom Line You know how you can get name brand prescription medication that costs quite a bit OR opt for the generic alternative that gives you the exact same results? That’s basically what you get with these Monoprice Noise Cancelling Headphones. It is not a perfect analogy, but it is close. The name brand prescription in this case being the Bose Quiet Comfort series that will set you back $300. At roughly 1/3rd the price, these are just what the doctor ordered for sound quality, comfort and durability. Sure, they may look a little generic, but the build quality, sound quality and even the travel case are top notch. This is a great value for the dollar. Given Monoprice’s 30-day money-back guarantee with no-restocking fee, there’s no reason not to give them a whirl if you are in the market for noise-cancelling headphones – I’m sure you will not be disappointed.

Monoprice Noise Cancelling Headphones $101.33 (direct from Monoprice)

________________________________

Hidden Track Technology Tuesday

email: parker@glidemagazine.com
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Last month over at JamBase we reported on a new Widespread Panic live archival release featuring the first night of the band’s three-night stand at Oak Mountain in 2001. Today, the jam titans have officially announced the three-disc set which is due for a May 28th release.

The first night of the run found the band (original members John Bell, John Hermann, Michael Houser, Todd Nance, Domingo Ortiz, and David Schools) working through much beloved staples such as Barstools and Dreamers, Disco and Driving Song; while also delivering a slew of fan-favorite covers such as Fixin’ To Die, Let It Rock, Low Rider and Ride Me High. Award-winning percussionist Dr. Arvin Scott sat in with Panic on The Harder They Come and Drums.

Here’s the full track list for Oak Mountain ’01 – Day One…

Disc One:
1. Conrad
2. One Arm Steve
3. Barstools and Dreamers
4. Action Man
5. This Part Of Town
6. Greta
7. Christmas Katie
8. Let It Rock
9. Radio Child

Disc 2:
1. Disco
2. Bear’s Gone Fishin’
3. Driving Song > Blight > Driving Song
4. The Waker
5. Last Dance
6. The Harder They Come*
7. Drums*

Disc 3:
1. Fixin’ To Die
2. Low Rider
3. Love Tractor
4. Ride Me High
5. Dream Song

* with Dr. Arvin Scott on percussion

Like a smoke ring dazed when the wind blows…

{note: all of my 2013 picks can be found in a single Spotify playlist, updated weekly: RecommNeds 2013, enjoy!}

1939 Ensemble: Howl & Bite

Equal parts haunting, beautiful and funky, 1939 Ensemble are an instrumental duo comprised of vibraphone and drums. Yes, you read that right and if that doesn’t intrigue you a little bit, I don’t know what will (hey, would Neddy steer you wrong?). Floating between rock, pop, jazz and groove with lots of added horns and other percussive noise this album is a treat. These guys are definitely on my watch list.

Spotify: 1939 Ensemble – Howl & Bite
MOG: 1939 Ensemble – Howl & Bite
Rhapsody: 1939 Ensemble – Howl & Bite
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00C1JS1ZY

William Tyler: Impossible Truth

You can never have enough awesome instrumental music, so here’s a must-listen from William Tyler. Tyler plays a far-reaching folk music: hypnotic, resonating guitar wrapped up in some sort of organic, ambient Americana with some deliciously sparse pedal steel, banjo and more. These are nice long tracks that breathe slow, headphone seep at its finest. Enjoy!

Spotify: William Tyler – Impossible Truth
MOG: William Tyler – Impossible Truth
Rhapsody: http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/william-tyler/album/impossible-truth
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00B1GXR70

The official video release for Open Eye Signal off Jon Hopkins‘ forthcoming new album Immunity is a spot on reflection of Hopkins’ music. Akin to the skateboarder image, the music cruises along in a continuous groove. In fact, it’s common for the same progression or theme to chug along for the entirety of a song without any material ups or downs, chord changes or shifts in tempo. Yet, somehow he manages to keep it captivating with subtleties. It’s a modern format of confident minimalist music.

[Photo by Steve Gullick]

Stay tuned in the next couple weeks as we have an in-person interview lined up after his Webster Hall show tonight with the Four Tet. For now, take a look at Open Eye Signal…

Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers @ McNear’s Mystic Theatre – May 2

Photos and Words: Paul Citone

Last Thursday night McNear’s Mystic Theatre in Petaluma, California hosted Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers. The historic Mystic Theatre, a venue in the heart of downtown Petaluma, was erected in 1911 and fits 550 guests. It’s a mere 45 minute drive from San Francisco and is one of the best venues I have been to in the area.

[All Photos by Paul Citone]

Bluhm and her band are touring behind the release of two new tracks, Ravenous and Little Too Late, off their upcoming album. As with many, I first heard of this band thanks to their ingenious “Van Sessions” series of videos which show the Ramblers on the road playing songs in their van. After one view I was immediately hooked. The new tracks from the upcoming album are more edgy on bass and rhythms than her 2011 album, Driftwood.

Bassist and ALO vet Steve Adams got the crowd excited with his great vocals on the popular American folk song – Sitting On Top Of The World. Nicki and the band even covered a song by the opening act, The Easy Leaves, called Another Rolling Stone which proved to be a crowd pleaser in its own right. Lead guitarist Deren Ney, a childhood friend of Nicki’s, really fits in with this bunch as he laid down some killer guitar solos that complemented the band’s country and blues roots.

The highlight of the evening for me was seeing guitarist Dave Mulligan, Nicki and her husband and fellow Grambler Tim perform In The Mountains, a song by artist Sarah Siskind. It’s a treat whenever they perform this song, which features Nicki on guitar with backing vocals by Dave and Tim, and it never gets old. In talking with the Bluhms, they appeared very grateful and respectful for all of their successes and are looking forward to this year bringing some of their greatest shows. The pair are very much still lovebirds and I wish them all the best. They have some pretty big gigs lined up this summer including debut appearances at Bonnaroo and Newport Folk. Catch these guys on tour this spring and summer, all across the country.

Just over four years ago we launched our recurring God Street Wednesdays column with an article titled “Bring Back God Street Wine” begging for the band’s return after ten years of retirement. Unbelievably, we’ve since seen God Street Wine go on to play 17 shows at a variety of venues that include a cruise ship and venues owned by Bob Weir and Phil Lesh. We’re extremely grateful that once again we’ve got a God Street Wine gig in our future, August 3rd at The Capitol Theatre, and with that in mind we’ve brought God Street Wednesdays back.

For today’s God Street Wednesdays post, we set the HT Time Machine for the date August 9th, 2012. On that fateful evening, Winos from around the globe tuned in to watch GSW perform at TRI Studios. When the band took the stage with Princess Henrietta followed by Mile By Mile and Nightingale, a pattern started to emerge. As Thirsty came next it was clear God Street Wine was replicating the track list of their major label debut – $1.99 Romances. GSW tackled their most well-known album song-by-song until they had played the entire 14-track LP. As if that wasn’t enough of a treat, Bob Weir emerged towards the end of the set for Grateful Dead classics Candyman, Feel Like A Stranger and Cassidy as well as a cover of And It Stoned Me featuring Van Morrison’s daughter Shanna and God Street Wine original Epilog.

A few months back TRI Studios shared video of the complete 142-minute performance…

Set: Princess Henrietta, Mile By Mile, Nightingale, Thirsty, Stone House, Molly, The Ballroom, Run To You, Crazy Head, Hammer & A Spike, Wendy, Imogene, Tina’s Town, Into The Sea, Candyman*, Feel Like A Stranger*, Cassidy*, And It Stoned Me^, Epilog*

* – w/ Bob Weir
^ – w/ Bob Weir and Shanna Morrison

God Street Wine returns to the stage on August 3rd at The Cap in Port Chester, New York.

Legendary rocker Bruce Springsteen continues to deliver one dream setlist after another featuring songs fans never thought they’d hear on the current European leg of his Wrecking Ball Tour. The latest unbelievable moment took place just minutes ago at HK Arena in Turku, Finland. Twelve songs into his set, Bruce and his band offered the live debut of Wages Of Sin.

[Pre-Show Photo by Lef_IV]

Wages Of Sin was originally recorded by The Boss for multiple demos in his Colts Neck, New Jersey home between 1981 and 1982 before he brought in The E Street Band to lay down the track at The Power Station in NYC in 1982. While Wages Of Sin was cut from Born In The U.S.A. it was finally released on Springsteen’s Tracks compilation in 1998.

Tonight marked the first live performance of the song many diehards have been calling for since Tracks’ release. Bruce said this about the tune to Billboard in a 1998 interview, “['Wages Of Sin'] was a real find. I forgot I wrote it. It may have been one of those songs that cut close to the bone at the time, so i put it to the side. It was actually cut for Born In The USA. What happens is very often you have your own personal sensitivities about a particular piece of music or you may be uncomfortable with the way you’ve sung or what the song is about and you steer away from that a little bit, and I think that’s what happened on that one.”

The evening started with an acoustic performance of I’ll Work For Your Love and included rarities Atlantic City, Blinded By The Light and Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street? all played by request for the Finnish audience.

Here’s the setlist from tonight’s still-in-progress (as of press time) show…

Edit this setlist | More Bruce Springsteen setlists

And take a listen to the version of Wages Of Sin that made Tracks…