Archive for the 'News' Category
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE RETURN TRIUMPHANT TO TERMINAL 5 IN NYC, 3-25-11
Author: Jeff Boule
The new and improved Queens Of The Stone Age seminal first album. The re-release has garnered such interest that the band embarked on a tour shortly after a near-death experience by frontman Josh Homme.
It was no surprise that the Queens Of The Stone Age (QOTSA) sold out its first tour in many years. They left fans wanting more after their Era Vulgaris tour, and Josh Homme teased us with his super-group Them Crooked Vultures, which was also economically viable to the point where his cohorts in the band (Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and Led Zepplin bassist/keyboardist/arranger John Paul Jones) want to keep the band productive.
But perhaps it was (according to Rolling Stone) Homme’s recent death scare that made people sell out this tour AND FAST! You see, if you follow QOTSA, you know that Homme has had trouble with his knee and an emphysema-like illness since the Over The Years and Through The Woods era. For those of you not familiar with this incident, please read on…
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Unearthed recordings of Fairport Convention with Sandy Denny surface on CD.
3/16/2011 – Philadelphia, PA – Much to the excitement of Fairport Convention and Sandy Denny fans around the globe, Philadelphia’s ItsAboutMusic.com will release ultra rare recordings of the famed UK group recorded live at Ebbets Field in Denver, Colorado May 23/24, 1974. Produced and digitally remastered by Fairport Convention’s Jerry Donahue for ItsAboutMusic.com, the 1974 line-up of Fairport Convention on these recordings feature Sandy Denny (Vocals, Piano), Dave Mattacks (Drums), Jerry Donahue (Lead Guitar, Vocals), Dave Pegg (Bass,Vocals), Trevor Lucas (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar) and Dave Swarbrick (Vocals, Violin). This historical audio documentation catches the band at the height of their career performing to an ecstatic audience.
Fairport Convention was formed around 1967, and originally played a ”harmony-and guitar-based folk-rock style” strongly influenced by Californian groups of the day like the Byrds. The line-up that recorded their self-titled debut album in 1968 featured Richard Thompson, Ian Matthews, and Simon Nicol on guitars; Ashley Hutchings on bass; Judy Dyble on vocals; and Martin Lamble on drums. Fairport Convention didn’t reach their peak until Dyble was replaced after the first album in 1968 by Sandy Denny, who had previously recorded both as a solo act and with the Strawbs. Denny has been touted as the best British folk-rock singer of all time. This incarnation of the band would record two well-received albums. When Ian Matthews left the band in early 1969, and Martin Lamble (still in his teens) died in an accident involving the group’s equipment van in mid-1969, Fairport regrouped, replacing Lamble with Dave Mattacks, and adding Dave Swarbrick on fiddle. Their repertoire became much more traditional, and electrified traditional folk numbers would dominate their next album, Liege and Lief (1969).
Press Inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@cs.com
I know, I know… I said I would be posting more regularly, but I had severe difficulties with my Internet Service Provider, Enter.Net. For all you readers in my former hometown, Allentown PA, you must know that Enter.Net is a substandard provider and has no regard for customers outside it’s immediate geographic region. The internet is global. Since I was unable to access the internet for many weeks with dependability, posting was a problem. I have switched to a new provider, Comcast, and upgraded to a T1 connection. So I should be able to upload those boatloads of photos faster.
I extend my sympathies to my webmasters.
Vanilla Fudge Embodied Psychedelic Sixties Sound
Author: Bob Bembridge
Who the hell are these guys?
That was Ringo Starr’s reported response upon hearing the Vanilla Fudge’s explosive cover of “Ticket to Ride.”
Ringo wasn’t the only Beatle blown away by the Fudge’s symphonic interpretations of “Ticket” and “Eleanor Rigby” on the group’s 1967 debut album. George Harrison reportedly played the album to anyone who would listen. Considering that the Beatles had just released “Sgt. Pepper,” that was no small compliment. Read the rest of this entry »
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?
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.
Alela Diane (Rough Trade 2009)
Author: Gabriel Barrio
The air rushes through the leaves, they dance and sway in the wind, the trees stand solid. Water brushes down the muddy banks of the river, and the stones are awash in freshwater as they stand still. Wild grasses grow and lean into the breezes direction, sun shining still and strong. Somewhere in the distance you can hear a voice carried amongst the thick of the forest, and soft strings playing through the cool climate of the pacific northwest. A zen like folk song conjuring up images from which the voice originates. This sound native of Nevada City, California now carried up through my earphones sending me through memories and images of peace. This sound can only come from such a beauty of a voice and a gorgeous landscape of our fair country.
"Fabulous babe" Julie Slick bids adieu to the hometown crowd at World Cafe Live. Photo by Lynn Vala
Her last track, which I missed the name of, is another manic track. With eerie synths, this time the track is louder than the bass, even with the harmonizer on the bass. Even a fake-out stop can’t break her concentration; she counts it off, comes right in on time and wails to the end.
Ever shoeless, the thanks us and exits the stage having conquered it. During the intermission she disappears into the crowd.
After a brief change over to remove Slick’s equipment for the most part, Daniel Rowland comes out and starts the show with a midi-generated track, but no Belew???
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.
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.
The Gateway to a wide-open dimension of contemporary, no-nonsense musical education, The Players School Of Music in Clearwater Fl.
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 »
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…
Rundgren meets Robert Johnson and takes it to the bank! Photo courtesy RundgrenRadio.com / Doug Ford
I keep telling you people, and you just don’t listen to me. Well maybe now, you brave blogites are forging new paths, lighting out for new territories, peering into crevices where few have crept before. Rundgren has returned to his blues-oriented roots and revived 12 of Blues legend Robert Johnson’s (now royalty-free) songs, 3 of them in a downloadable EP, live and hopefully an album!
And according to Amazon Blues charts, Todd Rundgren is finally getting his due.
Once upon a time, there was a band nobody heard of. The people HAD actually heard this band many times. MTV, they were the backing band for Meatloaf’s massive debut album. This band and many members of Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band formed that famous backing troupe.
Previewing SXSW – 10 Acts to Look Out For in 2010
Author: Ryan Brodhead
For movie fans there is Sundance. For sports fans there is the Super Bowl. For us music nerds, there is the Grammys. Actually — you know what…scratch that. For the most part, we were all equally outraged (or at least should have been) by what transpired at this past year’s awards ceremony. In a perfect world, the Grammys should be able to accurately inform the nation of which artists are currently trending and deserve recognition for their efforts. Here in the real world, we were just told Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” was the best album of 2009. Hmm…
There is a light at the end of the tunnel for music geeks everywhere, though. No, I’m not talking about those of us that are obsessed with Rihanna or that think Drake is the man. I’m talking about the select few that view music as a complete and utter obsession. Those of us that still go to our favorite record stores and buy albums. Those of us that still play in bands even though we know we really can’t afford it. For us there is the South By Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas. Read the rest of this entry »
MYSBLT: NYE 2010, Vampire Weekend, Coachella 2010, Jay Reatard
Author: Taylor Roberts
In this issue of Music You Should be Listening to:
Welcome to 2010! The Indie music world has been gearing up for these first couple months and MYSBLT is all a buzz for things to come. New Years Eve is one of the best nights for hearing good music, but only if you are willing to spend a little extra. So I will let you in on the secret to dropping less coin without sacrificing good tunes. For those of you who have been on the edge of your seats waiting for the new Vampire Weekend album, I will let you know what I think of my first couple listens. Want a hint? I am not happy. On the side of recent news, the Coachella 2010 lineup has been announced and we finally have news from the guys at Brand New who have been tormenting their fans with the possible release of God and the Devil on vinyl. And finally, MYSBLT will pay its last respects to indie garage rock mastermind Jay Reatard who tragically passed away on January 13th at the age of 29.
MYSBLT Bands to Watch in 2010: Part 2, The Local Natives
Author: Taylor Roberts
Here at MYSBLT and The Princeton Record Exchange, we cannot tell you how excited we are to bring to you our second issue in the feature: Bands to Watch in 2010. I was lucky enough to sit down with Los Angeles band, The Local Natives, before their show in Boulder, Colorado, on December 1st. As it so happens, I met with the band the eve after they had announced signing with New York indie rock mega-label Frenchkiss. Going backstage with the band before they opened for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, we discussed their music, signing with Frenchkiss and the upcoming debut release Gorilla Manor. If you have yet to hear their tunes, you can expect to be blown away. The Local Natives are MYSBLT’s second act in our feature: Bands to Watch in 2010, and I thank them for welcoming me and my cameras backstage.
MySBLT Vol. 2: Alberta Cross, Real Estate, Jack White and more!
Author: Taylor Roberts
In this issue of Music You Should Be Listening To:
We’ll take a wondrous musical journey with New York based band, Alberta Cross. I’ll discuss their September release Broken Side of Time, as well as their recent set in the Daytrotter studios. In one word… Amazing!
We’ve also got some big news this week including not one but two upcoming releases from New Jerseys own, Real Estate. In the next 30 days the band will release their highly anticipated debut album as well as a brand new EP. Jack White is also making headlines as he gears up for a new project featuring one very unlikely pairing. He’ll put his producing skills to the test as he once again teams up with a rock and roll icon.
Finally, I’ll let you in on the upcoming schedule for MySBLT. On the docket we have the first in a series of interviews with up-and-coming bands as well as a few concert reviews. Big things, they are a-coming! Read the rest of this entry »
Music You Should Be Listening To: Vol. 1
Author: Taylor Roberts
Hello, and welcome to the first installment of Music You Should Be Listening To. This blog is your one stop shop for all things indie rock including album reviews, concert highlights and the latest news on the bands that no one has heard of… yet.
I had all intentions of using my first entry to review some great new album that is dropping in November, however, I encountered a bit of a problem… I’m still stuck on the early fall releases that are continuing to blow me away. So instead I’ll let you in on what I’ve been digging since September. I’ll also hit you with some news that will definitely help you get through those cold winter months (hint: January is going to be chalk full of new releases from some of the superstars in Indie!) Read the rest of this entry »