Archive for the 'Musician Reviews' Category
Once again, nothing like that personalized, autographed CD cover.
If you caught my last post, I went on about a talented young bassist by the name of Julie Slick who plays bass in the Adrian Belew Power Trio. For this young lady to be able to handle parts by bassists of such renown as Tony Levin, Les Claypool and others, as well as converting parts played on the Chapman Stick and Warr Guitar, is an ambitious feat in itself. So it was of little surprise to me that she could conjure up a series of songs to compile a solo disc. What was surprising was the depth and imaginativeness as well as the maturity and depth of composition this young artist has displayed. Again, if you are looking for Katy Perry, Lada Yada, or other pop divas of that ilk, this ain’t it. This is the direction of progressive music of the female gender. Artists like Tori Amos, Nina Hagen, even some instrumental Laurie Anderson come to mind. Slick professes not to be a vocalist, but I’d love to comprise this line-up: Amos on keyboards and vocals, Anderson on keyboards, violin, electronics and vocals, Slick on bass and electronics, and Maureen Tucker of Velvet Underground (Anderson’s husband Lou Reed’s former bandmate) on percussion and anything else she wants.
GoGo’s my gluteus maximus (and at my age, it is maximus)…
read comments (0)Peter Kernel Doesn’t Care
Author: Kerri O'Malley
Members of Peter Kernel
Swiss-Canadian noise pop trio Peter Kernel recently released the first single off of their upcoming sophomore album, White Death & Black Heart. With a video to match, the single marches along with an anti-this, anti-that, pro-easy living punk attitude.
A mix of sunshine, anarchy, and edgy vocals, “Anthem of Hearts” starts off with a shock to the system care of singer and bass player Barbara Lehnhoff, but soon melts into a lovey-dovey soothing vocal, reaching for “a place to live and dream.” Check out the new song by these misanthropic romantics after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
Georgia Meets Ghana: Get Involved in Jim Wilson’s Taxicab Verses
Author: Kerri O'Malley
Kofi Anteneng and Jim Wilson
In the digital age, it’s not a rare occurrence for a musician in one country to be inspired by an artist in another. But perhaps now more than ever, it’s unusual for the two to meet. And when one unknown musician travels hundreds of miles to see and record with another equally unknown musician, each with hardly any money to fund such a far-away friendship, it is a rare and special musical journey.
Jim Wilson is on such a journey, and he needs our help. Wilson is a musician living and working in Athens, Georgia, involved with a number of local bands. In 2008, Wilson took his first trip to Accra, Ghana where he met multi-instrumentalist Kofi Anteneng, a man who until that moment was a stranger to Jim. Kofi and his band, The Warriors, instantly struck Wilson with their skill and style. Together, Kofi and Jim began a project that will become Taxicab Verses. Read the rest of this entry »
Coachella 2011
Author: Gabriel Barrio
I had a dream we were here three times before. Except in my dream things constantly changed, people that were here aren’t, things that happened that definitely will not. The days light slowly hides away from us like a large toy chest closing and we are on the inside, we keep moving mile marker one after the other. Its all a blur and the stars hide out on the outskirts of the horizon, the highway is no place for stargazing and no place for two crazy souls seeking rhythms and healing undulations. We can only find adventure in our hearts and when we seek it we will always find the adventure that is meant entirely for us. This adventure has the meaning that only two sets of eyes can see yours and mine. This year we drive endlessly into the dark once again to the valley, till we reach our destination Indio, California where the Coachella Music Festival reinvigorates our souls, our hearts and reminds us why we are still here, still smiling. Read the rest of this entry »
Nothing like a personalized, autographed DVD case of the Adrian Belew Power Trio Live In Germany.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I’d like to take a minute or two to express some heartfelt emotions. Yup, first entry back and I’m getting all mushy. But I’d like to thank all of my faithful followers who contacted me on my Facebook page and relayed their concerns regarding my absence from these sites. I have been, and to a lesser extent, still am, under the weather. I will remain classified as such until an exam later this month. I also want to thank a couple of new Facebook friends who convinced me that regardless of negative feedback, my opinion of the art form is the only one that should matter in my forum. Thank you Steve and Elliott.
I have a lot of catching up to do, so let’s get to it!
The Jayhawks
Author: Butler Bad
The Jayhawks are the harmonizing alt/country, rootsy, rock, with a touch of pop/folk band that emerged from Minneapolis, Minnesota in the mid 80’s. Considered by many to be one of the forefathers of the then bourgeoning alt/country scene.
Formed in 1985 and co-helmed by Gary Louris and Mark Olson, The Jayhawks released their self titled debut on the indie label Bunkhouse Records. In an attempt to snag a major label deal, the band recorded a set of demos, and then due to tragic and unforeseen circumstances, Gary temporarily left the band. Upon his return, the collection of demos was fashioned into their sophomore release Blue Earth. Read the rest of this entry »
A Look Back at Newly Single Karen Elson’s The Ghost Who Walks
Author: Kerri O'Malley
Master musician Jack White and redheaded model Karen Elson recently announced their impending divorce with an unusual “Divorce Party” on June 10th. While the couple, who have been together for six years and have two children, Scarlett and Henry Lee, celebrate their disturbing separation, we shall revel in the fantastic music their union created.
White met Elson on the set of the music video for “Blue Orchid,” the White Stripes’ first single off of Get Behind Me Satan, in 2005. In a fantastic video for the album’s toughest song, Elson sported unbelievable ballet-style heels and made friends with a white snake (no, not that one). But more important than this brief moment in White Stripes history is the unexpectedly beautiful solo album Karen Elson released through Jack White’s Third Man Records last year, The Ghost Who Walks. Read the rest of this entry »
Kurt Vile at the Bowery Ballroom (June 11)
Author: Kerri O'Malley
Kurt Vile smokes Camels. I know this because the top of the package is poking out of the back pocket of his narrow jeans as he paces the small stage at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City, hunching over instruments and amps, long wavy hair swinging as he makes the final adjustments before his June 11th show begins.
Now shaded blue, the stage has already sizzled with two opening acts, a Joan Baez clone by the name of Meg Baird and Purling Hiss, a vaguely psychedelic jam band from Philadelphia who Vile later referred to as friends of his. The boys of Purling Hiss took the stage with a laid-back vibe and more instrumental breakdowns than lyrics, amping up the energy from Baird’s slow start.
Yet it’s unlikely that anyone here on this rainy, humid day came for either Baird or Purling Hiss. Tonight is Kurt Vile’s first headlining show at the Bowery Ballroom, and it’s completely sold out. Read the rest of this entry »
The Avett Brothers
Author: Butler Bad
The Avett Brothers are the folksy, rocking, alt/country with a tinge of bluegrass band from North Carolina. With such a diverse pedigree, is it any wonder the Rick Rubin took notice, signed them to his label, and produced their major label debut “I and Love and You”?
As mentioned, I and Love and You is the major label debut but actually finds The Avett Brothers in the double digits for their release total. They have released numerous albums as well as EP’s and live albums. Read the rest of this entry »
Joe Pug: One of the 2010 Gems!
Author: Butler Bad
Joe Pug is a singer/songwriter who originally hails from Maryland but began his unique musical career in Chicago. He has toured at length since 2008, has opened for Steve Earle, M. Ward, and Josh Ritter and has also played the New Port Folk Festival and Lollapalooza. Nothing in the short career of Joe Pug has followed the normal trajectory of a musician.
His path to music was not as direct as other artists; he began playing guitar in grade school and formed a band in the 6th grade. Firmly believing the mark of a band was original writing, he began writing songs. This was coupled with early ambitions of being a playwright. He left home and attended the University of North Carolina for several years and abruptly left to continue his pursuit of music. His ideas for a play ultimately were flushed out in his first EP “Nation of Heat”. The songs were surreptitiously recorded in a Chicago studio with the aid of a friend who permitted him late night access to the cancelled studio sessions of other musicians. Read the rest of this entry »
PJ Harvey Let England Shake (Island Records 2011)
Author: Gabriel Barrio
Redundancy strikes deep in our constant observance and cyclical critique of American entertainment. We love, we laud, we loathe, we praise and then down comes the proverbial hammer and we destroy. We pick apart every piece of the soul, spirit and sense of artistic creativity our artists give us. We tear into their works with teeth gnashing against their souls laid bare, we ravage each aspect constantly devouring their works we can relate to but turning their works in which we cannot relate to into refuse, we spit it back at the artist and devalue them in such a way that they become distant and reluctant to expose themselves to us again. They attempt to connect and to love their audience and we are fickle lovers that throw them out over the most trivial reason possible. This is our dynamic and this is why we look to them for guidance both parties lost we look for ourselves in each other. Read the rest of this entry »
25 More Albums You Should Own
Author: Butler Bad
Greetings music lovers,
Today’s blog is about 25 albums you should own and has the following parameters:
- Album must have been recorded/released prior to 1990
- No duplication of artist
- No live albums or greatest hits (kind of an all encompassing copout to include either)
- Listing of my favorite track from said album (This is not so much a parameter but a mere bonus for your reading pleasure)
Twenty Five albums you should own! (In no particular order):
| Artist | Album | Song |
| U2 | The Joshua Tree (1987) | With or Without You |
| Bob Dylan | Oh Mercy (1989) | Most of the Time |
| Bruce Springsteen | Nebraska (1982) | Nebraska |
| Paul Simon | Graceland (1986) | You Can Call Me Al |
| James McMurtry | Too Long in the Wasteland (1989) | Angeline |
| Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers | Hard Promises (1981) | The Waiting |
| Guns N’ Roses | Appetite for Destruction (1987) | Mr. Brownstone |
| The Eagles | Hotel California (1976) | The Last Resort |
| Pink Floyd | Wish You Were Here (1975) | Have a Cigar |
| Robert Earl Keen | No Kinda Dancer (1984) | Rolling By |
| Eric Clapton | Journeyman (1989) | Running On Faith |
| The Who | Quadrophenia (1973) | Love Reign O’er Me |
| Elton John | Madman Across the Water (1971) | Tiny Dancer |
| Metallica | And Justice For All (1988) | Dyers Eve |
| R.E.M | Document (1987) | It’s the End of the World As We Know It and I Feel Fine |
| The Pixies | Surfer Rosa (1988) | Where Is My Mind |
| John Mellencamp | Scarecrow (1985) | Minutes To Memories |
| The Band | Music from the Big Pink (1968) | The Weight |
| Van Morrison | Moondance (1970) | And It Stoned Me |
| Lynyrd Skynyrd | Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin- Nerd (1973) | Simple Man |
| Beastie Boys | Paul’s Boutique (1989) | Shake Your Rump |
| The Traveling Wilburys | Vol. 1 (1988) | Congratulations |
| Warren Zevon | Bad Luck Streak In Dancing School (1980) | Play It All Night Long |
| Townes Van Zandt | Townes Van Zandt (1969) | Lungs |
| The Rolling Stones | Let It Bleed (1969) | Gimme Shelter |
| Jackson Brown | The Pretender (1976) | The Pretender |
So, there you have it, another list of musical bliss. Take your time, check them out and let me know what you think.
Great music awaits!
Those Darlins Bring the Beach Without the Bummer on Screws Get Loose
Author: Kerri O'Malley
Editor’s note: We are very pleased to welcome our newest blogger Kerri O’Malley. She has submitted some excellent sample posts and we are eager to see what she brings to the table. So, without further ado, here’s her first…
Not since “Lithium” has insanity been this celebratory. Screws Get Loose, Those Darlin’s sophomore album, opens with a jangling cascade of guitar wails, piano keys and bells, creating a carnival at the edge of reason, temporarily assaulting the ears before ripping into the album’s title track. Although Those Darlins — a vintage rock foursome that’s 3/4 female and grew up in Tennessee — are a far cry from Nirvana, the quartet echoes a similar unwashed-hair garage band vibe, breathing life and true ‘tude into the new vintage rock revivalism.
Taking a page out of The Ramones’ book, the girls of Those Darlins have all adopted the last name “Darlin.” There’s lead singer Jessi Darlin, who sings with a nasally edge reminiscent of The Shangri-Las’ Mary Weiss, bassist Kelley Darlin, and lead guitarist Nikki Darlin. Their new member, and the first to possess a Y chromosome, drummer Linwood Regensburg, has so far kept his not-so-cute last name, but his addition to the band marks a new stage in Those Darlins’ music. Read the rest of this entry »
Audioslave is the hard rocking, metal edged super group that is ¾ Rage Against the Machine (Tom Morello, Brad Wilk, and Tim Commerford), and ¼ Soundgarden (Chris Cornell) that formed in 2001 on the heels of the breakup of the afore mentioned Rage Against the Machine. The fortuitous paring of the band was craftily handled by none other than producer Rick Rubin who did indeed produce the first two albums for the band. Read the rest of this entry »
Scott Bluebond (L) and Jon Anderson pose with the signed guitar in the green room of The 10! Show.
13TH Annual Evening in the Yard Being Held on Friday, May 20 at the Navy Yard.
(PHILADELPHIA, PA) Scott Bluebond is the marketing and communications director at the Cancer Support Community of Philadelphia (CSCP). But he is also one huge Yes fan. He was able to combine his love for helping people with cancer and the group Yes this week. CSCP is having their annual gala on May 20 and this year, there will be an auction for the first time. Scott called his friend Rich Chodak, owner of Bluebond Guitars and Music School (www.bluebondguitars.com/Bluebond/Home.html), for help. Rich purchased the store from his childhood friend and neighbor, Dale Bluebond, who was killed in an auto accident in 1994. Dale was Scott’s cousin.
Drive-By Truckers: Dripped in Southern Charm and History
Author: Butler Bad
The music of the Drive-By Truckers is a pounding mix of southern rock and alt/country. From a musical perspective, they are one of the few current bands that have and utilize three guitarists. They also generously share the writing and vocal responsibility between Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, bassist Shonna Tucker, and from about 2002-2007 (former) guitarist Jason Isbell. All four have pretty distinct sonic styles and really make the music interesting. Read the rest of this entry »
The Black Crowes
Author: Butler Bad
It might be difficult to understand or recall the brilliance of The Black Crowes because they have been out of the spot light for quite a while. While they continue to make great music, they do not get the radio play they did in the halcyon days of their youth.
While the brothers, Chris and Rich Robinson, formed The Black Crowes in 1984, it was not until 1990 that they released their debut album “Shake Your Money Maker”. The cornerstone of their debut was the rocking cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle”. Their sound was unabashedly reminiscent of The Rolling Stones and classic bands such as “Humble Pie” and “The Faces” before Rod Stewart started hawking the “American Songbook” to your mother! Read the rest of this entry »
2011 Sneak Peak: Music You Should Be Waiting For!
Author: Butler Bad
Editors note: We have been backed up with quality posts and this one slipped through the cracks hence the dated references to some of the titles which have already been released. So, without further ado, back to Butler…
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Another year has come and gone and we are in the early stages of a new year. Out with the old and in with the new! Today, I give you a sneak peak at some of the highly anticipated releases of 2011. So sit back and let your music pants go crazy as you peruse this fine list of music to come. Read the rest of this entry »
2010 Year In Review Part Deaux: Texas Music You Should Be Listening To!
Author: Butler Bad
As the saying goes, there must be something in the water! There is something about the Texas music scene that defies typical musical conventions. This, of course, comes as no surprise to the millions of Texas music fans. The variety of music that hails from the great state is as expansive as the West Texas plains. While Austin is known as the “Live Music Capital” of the world, there are plenty of fertile musical breeding grounds in Texas.
Today, I will WOW you with some of the musical greatness that came from or had ties to Texas in 2010. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list, it is just a few of the albums that I have had in heavy rotation over the course of the last year.
| Artist | Album | Observations |
| Old 97’s | The Grand Theatre Vol. 1 | Dallas band gets back to their roots and write good music without trying to be anything more than they are. After 17 years it is good to see them comfortable in their own skin. |
| Spoon | Transference | Not as much of gloss and a lot more rock is what make this album great. Not shying away from the darker textures, Spoon creates a less poppy album and the laxity of Transference is the strength of the album. |
| Reckless Kelly | Somewhere In Time | A fine album of cover songs to their one time mentor Pinto Bennett. |
| Roky Erickson & Okkervil River | True Love Cast Out All Evil | Concise production shapes the sorrow of the Austin icon Roky Erickson’s life and ultimately the optimism of his return. |
| Court Yard Hounds | Court Yard Hounds | 2/3 of the Dixie Chicks show that sometimes less is more. Jakob Dylan adds his dusky dulcet tone for a quick duet. |
| Alejandro Escovedo | Street Songs of Love | The fierceness of the guitar and the bombastic instrumentation belie the emotional elements of the lyrics. |
| Arcade Fire | The Suburbs | Currently Canadian, Butler boys do hail from the sterile Houston suburb known as the Woodlands. This is a great album and also made my 2010 Year in review. |
| Ryan Bingham | Junky Star | Former rodeo star hits the big time with Golden Globe and Oscar win and a current Grammy Nomination for his work on the “Crazy Heart’ soundtrack. His 3rd album is no fluke either. His whisky and cigarette vocals are the perfect vehicle for his forlorn tales. |
| Randy Rogers Band | Burning the Day | One of the hardest working bands in the state. Over 200 dates over the past years. Still time to record and release their 5th album. |
| Norah Jones | …Featuring Norah Jones | The list of collaborators is what makes this album genius. You have the rap community represented with Talib Kweli Q Tip, and Outkast, the rock genre is fortified by Foo Fighters, and Ryan Adams is a genre chameleon so several are covered with his efforts. Also, Willie Nelson adds his own brand of greatness. |
| Walt Wilkins | Agave | A true Texas troubadour. No one does it better then Walt. The words of a poet delivered honey sweet with a calm, familiar feel. Need to see him live if you ever have the chance. |
| Tommy Alverson | Texas One More Time | With a twinkle in his eye, and a beer in his hand, Tommy makes music that makes you feel fine. When Tommy sings, it feels like a warm summer night and for that moment you are carefree. Highly recommend you see him live, you won’t regret it. |
| Six Market Boulevard | Running On Seven | I caught these boys live one Sunday afternoon at a local barbeque joint. Nice, strong debut album. |
| Mike Ryan | The First One | Great voice, laid back attitude, and interacts with his fans. Ballsy covers of Lenny Kravitz and Conway Twitty. Need to see him live to fully appreciate his brand of greatness. |
| Bruce Robison | From the Top | Amazing songwriting that has made many country artists famous. This album finds him paired with Rodney Crowell and it is an effort steeped in simplicity. When you write as well as Bruce, you don’t need to add a lot of fluff. |
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.