Archive for June, 2010
Under the Covers: A list of great cover songs
Author: Butler Bad
Some songs are so great that everyone wants to sing them and add their own unique style. Some do it to pay homage to an artist, others feel a certain connection to the song and/or artist, and yet others are just looking to be the next American Idol.
The cover tune is the metaphorical equivalent of making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Anyone can do it but not everyone does it right. To make it right, PB&J requires lightly toasted bread, an abundance of peanut butter on both slices of the bread, and a generous slathering of jelly. I’m a grape or raspberry fan myself.
So, let’s get under the covers: Read the rest of this entry »
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Belew motions for you all to come out to one of his shows and see his music. Photo courtesy Coming Age
In case you readers in the South East region of Pennsylvania don’t know about it, there is a wonderful multi-level music club/eatery/radio station near the 30thStreet Train Station called World Café Live. I have been there several times and even blogged about a couple of those experiences. It is a really nice venue for artists who don’t require the impersonality of a stadium. It is an intimate performance space capable of handling the loudest metal band to the most introspective and demure acts.
I’m positive Adrian Belew will plunk us somewhere right in between those two extremes.
Elvis Schmaltz Obscures Role as Music Pioneer
Author: Bob Bembridge
Surprise quiz.
Who was a bigger influence on popular music, Elvis Presley or the Beatles? Read the rest of this entry »
It isn’t often a small rags-to-rags magazine operating out of a one-room office in San Francisco grows into a monolithic industry-influencing powerhouse that Rolling Stone has become. This all falls on the shoulders of one Jann Wenner. To say a rock and roll magazine toppled an active-duty military General is unfair.
Stanley McChrystal brought himself down by being honest.
Patterson Hood and his solo stylings!
Author: Butler Bad
Patterson Hood is the son of David Hood, bass player of the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and one of the leaders/singers/songwriters of Drive-By Truckers. He has released two solo albums that are more intimate than his work with the band. While still relying heavily on the exploration of southern history and its roots, his solo albums seem to be a bit more personal and deal more with emotions and the people surrounding them. Read the rest of this entry »
The Gateway to a wide-open dimension of contemporary, no-nonsense musical education, The Players School Of Music in Clearwater Fl.
Various Artists – “Tribute To JJ Cale Volume 1: The Vocal Sessions”
Author: Beverly Paterson
Various Artists “Tribute to JJ Cale Volume 1: The Vocal Sessions” (ZOHO Roots 201007)
Boasting a loyal fan following and seriously respected by fellow musicians, JJ Cale is certainly worthy of a tribute album. Born in Oklahoma, the singer, songwriter and guitarist migrated to Los Angeles in the sixties, where he formed a band called The Leathercoated Minds that recorded an album for the Viva label. Titled “A Trip Down The Sunset Strip,” the disc mainly consisted of psychedelic garage rock hits of the day, and went onto become quite a collector’s item. 1970 saw Eric Clapton cover JJ Cale’s “After Midnight,” which topped the charts and duly provided the fledging artist with widespread recognition. Since then, the two musicians have frequently worked together, and in 2008, their album, “The Road To Escondido” won a Grammy. Swarms of other performers have rendered JJ Cale’s tunes as well, including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Dylan, Santana and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. Read the rest of this entry »
American Idol, Season 9. (:P
Author: Melissa
On May 27, The ninth season of American Idol crowned their champion. Lee DeWyze, a paint store employee from Mount Prospect, Illinois used his sultry voice and knowledge of the classics to beat the odds and earned the title of America’s Ninth Idol. And nobody really cared. Read the rest of this entry »
Amos Lee
Author: Butler Bad
Amos Lee is a Philadelphia born singer/songwriter with a soulfully smooth voice. His self titled debut album was released in 2005 and since then, he has opened for such acts as Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, B.B. King, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, John Prine, and an extended tour with Norah Jones. Not a bad start for this relative new comer. Read the rest of this entry »
Tony Dancy (l), Craig Fairchild (c) and Lanny Hale (r) are the Tygers in human form.
In my course of searching for that ever-elusive new music, sometimes you come across something unique, different, and if you’re lucky, sometimes you come across something with a gimmick to latch onto.
Never mind two!
New Jazz LP Arrivals
Author: jon
Hello from Princeton Record Exchange
You jazz lovers out there might have noticed that it’s been a little while since we had a large jazz collection come in. Today we are pleased to announce a beauty of over 2,100 titles. Read the rest of this entry »
Arc Angels
Author: Butler Bad
Arc Angels are the phenomenal but short lived blues/rock band that formed in Austin, Texas in the early 90’s. The band was a virtual who’s who of the Texas music scene and was comprised of two home grown guitar talents Doyle Bramhall II and Charlie Sexton as well as drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon both of whom played in the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band Double Trouble. The ARC in the band name is a reference to the Austin Rehearsal Complex where the band members first got together and jammed prior to releasing their self titled debut album. Read the rest of this entry »
Alexi Murdoch
Author: Butler Bad
Alexi Murdoch is a singer/songwriter who self published his 2003 EP “Four Songs” which ironically, had four songs on it. In 2006 he released his debut album “Time Without Consequence”. In 2009, in a rare display of accessibility, he toured the Unite States. It certainly appears that Mr. Murdoch is pacing his musical output. Read the rest of this entry »
Live Albums
Author: Butler Bad
The live album is always a risky proposition. In years past, it was the other give up album (hello Greatest Hits) that was done to fulfill the contract with the record company. Not to say that there have not been great live albums but there have been some less than stellar albums that have not quite stood the test of time (“Frampton Comes Alive” anyone?).
I think, as music has progressed, the live album was a great way for bands to better connect with their audience. Some bands have earned the reputation as a great “Live” band and the live album was just an obvious avenue for them. Artists like Phish and The Dave Matthews Band have more live albums in their discography than studio albums. In 2000 Pearl Jam, in an attempt provide their fans with a better quality and affordable live recording, recorded all of their concerts.
So, here is a list of great live albums. This is by no means a list of the greatest live albums, but merely an installment of great live albums. Read the rest of this entry »
Bon Iver
Author: Butler Bad
Bon Iver made a huge impact on the 2008 musical scene with the release of “For Emma, Forever Ago” a haunting little acoustic gem with raw emotional power. A limited number of copies, (500), were released independently in July of 2007. The album was recorded in a cabin deep in the Wisconsin woods. Early in 2009, he released “Blood Bank” a four song EP that compliments the style of his debut but manages to distance itself enough to be a separate piece of work. Read the rest of this entry »
Berlin poses with a neon copy of his Dean bass. A sweet sounding instrument as evidenced on his new album, "High Standards".
There used to be a blogger I worked with a while ago. Anthony Medici, whom I admired for his tenacity, work ethic and integrity. I especially respected him once he started to take on the major jazz publications and took them to task! He also had some harsh words for a local public radio outlet near his hometown (Washington DC area). But he knew his stuff about jazz, and were he still working for the blog, I would ask him to review Jeff Berlin’s new disc, and most likely ask him to do this interview.
It isn’t as though I am totally foreign to Berlin’s work. I was first exposed to Jeff Berlin during his tenure with Bill Bruford’s fusion band, Bruford in the late 70’s. Having recently purchased the “Bruford – Rock Goes To College ” DVD, I was able to watch a young Jeff Berlin toss around riffs with the likes of Bruford, Allan Holdsworth, among others.
Berlin has come a long way…
Drive-By Truckers The Big To-Do
Author: Butler Bad
The Big To-Do is the highly anticipated, recently released album by Drive-By Truckers. The album is solid and Trucker album fans will not be disappointed. However, there were a few surprise on this album that seem a bit of a departure from their previous work. Read the rest of this entry »