Archive for August, 2010
Band of Horses, Infinite Arms (Columbia, 2010)
Author: Gabriel Barrio
Dreary eyed, and melancholy muses, getting used to bad news, and exaggerated critical acclaims, another hour of rhythms and string strums, light drums and vocal hums. The world is turning slowly, madness ensures on every corner of the globe, forest fires, recalled food products, natural disasters, wars, discord, sorrow, famine and failure, it is all around us. Some look to the sky, some run to their holy books, their holy places, some run straight into the belly of hedonism, others excess and vice. However, on this starry night I look no further than the notes and melodies divine, in each devotional note I find, peace and solitude. Read the rest of this entry »
read comments (1)HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL WITH ALAN PARSONS AT LEHIGH UNIVERSITY
Author: Jeff Boule
How often does one of your favorite artists play a concert in your backyard? Never, right? Oh sure there are those contests where you can win and have the band play in your yard. How many times do people in apartment buildings win and can’t have it happen? How many times does the band set up in the backyard and the old neighbors call the cops after one song and they break it up before the band can play five songs? How many of these contests are bogus and no one really knows who wins if anyone?
A pipe-dream, right?
The Hold Steady
Author: Butler Bad
The Hold Steady is the Brooklyn based bar band that formed in 2003. Their musical styling is more narrative and conceptual than most current bands. Lyrically intense, crunchy, riffing guitars paired with cigarette and whiskey vocals are the calling cards of The Hold Steady. Read the rest of this entry »
ISN’T IT TIME YOU HAD SOME FUNKY KNIGHTS?
Author: Jeff Boule
Every once in a while you gotta take a leap of faith. Just give something a listen to that may not be up your alley. For me, that leap of faith was The Funky Knights. I have some R&B appreciation in my background. One of the slickest produced artists I remember (and just plain old liked) was the late Luther Vandross. His albums were always clean, tight and had that smooth sheen.
I have to say, The Funky Knights come awfully close. At least when it comes to the instrument production.
Joseph Arthur
Author: Butler Bad
Joseph Arthur is the singing /songwriting protégée of former Genesis front man and current world music guru Peter Gabriel. Arthur was the first American recording artist singed to Gabriel’s Real World Records. His 2000 release Come to Where I Am and the opening slot on tours with Ben Harper and Gomez helped Arthur attain a larger fan base. He also briefly toured Europe with R.E.M. in 2004. Read the rest of this entry »
Brett Dennen
Author: Butler Bad
Brett Dennen is something of a pop/folk artist. Brett’s impressive inflections are the focal point of his music. His voice has a youthful timbre but is deceptively soulful. His debut album is a bit more bright and playful than the rest of his work. Through poetic lyrics he addresses numerous sociopolitical issues such as poverty, child labor, war, disasters, and the dark side of politics. The thought provoking lyrics are gently delivered through his warm, dulcet vocals. Read the rest of this entry »
A Perfect Circle
Author: Butler Bad
A Perfect Circle is the ever changing heavy metal/hard/alternative rock group that was formed in 1999 by Tool’s Maynard James Keenan and guitar tech to the rock stars Billy Howerdel. Howerdel’s resume includes bands such as Faith No More, Fishbone, Guns N’ Roses, Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, and most fortuitously Tool. It is through his work with Tool that he approached Keenan with his music and Keenan offered up his vocals in the event that Howerdel ever formed a band. Read the rest of this entry »
Anderson and violin set the stage for some democracy in action. Photo by Lynn Vala
If you attended or read about the Adrian Belew Painting With Guitar show at the World Café Live July 1st, you saw or heard about posters for the Laurie Anderson Another Day In America show. This show was only advertised at the Belew concert, World Café Live was banking on the fact that they could draw from Belew’s audience to help fill the room for Anderson. Belew had worked with Anderson on some projects so the logic was sound.
Anderson didn’t need the help.
They even set the seating up to accommodate a more attentive, mature and dare I say it, refined crowd. There was less open space, three rows of seats, a couple of rows of tables, and then the remaining usual seating around the bar and in the upper mezzanine. I managed to get some front row seats and a photo pass for this show, so get ready, with my trusty photographer and my abysmal narrative, I will take you through…
Another Day In America.
Gonna be a killer show.
Mayor of MacDougal Street Was King of Village
Author: Bob Bembridge
He was an early mentor to Bob Dylan and a pioneer of modern acoustic blues, but his music is seldom heard today.
Dave Van Ronk was the Grand Poobah of the early Sixties Greenwich Village folk music scene. Second only to Woody Guthrie in his influence on Dylan, Van Ronk never achieved the commercial success enjoyed by fellow folkies Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Peter, Paul, and Mary. Yet it was Van Ronk’s bluesy growl that set the bar for Greenwich Village folk performers in the 1960s. Read the rest of this entry »
Lucinda Williams
Author: Butler Bad
Lucinda William’s is everyone’s collaborating darling who released her first album Ramblin’ in 1978. In her thirty plus years in the music business, she has released nine studio albums. Some might consider her a bit methodical or even a perfectionist based on span of years between album releases. She started out in the country genre that was occasionally tinged with the blues. Read the rest of this entry »
An important album from an important artist. Cover reprinted with permission of Nonesuch records.
You’re reading a review.
About someone you’ve never heard of.
But…
You should know her.
You should know her work.
You should know her work is.
You should know her work is for… YOU!
She is a performance artist, music, dance, theater, comedy, drama, love, hate, technology… She is a political activist. But I don’t go near politics and I don’t go near music artists when they sit between their wives and ex-wives.
Wade Bowen
Author: Butler Bad
Wade Bowen is a Waco, Texas born singer/songwriter who has become a staple of the Texas music scene. He self released his debut album “Try Not To Listen” in 2002. Early on, he was tearing up the road playing over 250 shows per year. In 2006, he released “Live at the Blue Light” and his studio follow up “Lost Hotel” both of which helped him expand his audience outside of Texas. In 2008, Bowen released “If We Ever Make It Home” and in 2009 he recorded his 2nd live album at the famous Fort Worth, Texas honky tonk Billy Bob’s Texas. It is scheduled to be released in early 2010. Read the rest of this entry »