Archive for the 'Song Reviews' Category
"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???
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One guy, a ton of equipment, and an even bigger sound. Photo by Lynn Vala
Belew then announces that his album e will be performed by an orchestra in Amsterdam. He then attempts to play “d” from his e album. After two times he gets his loop right. After that, flawless.
He seemed pleased with it.
Adrian Belew brings his art and music together in one place, The World Cafe Live. Photo by Lynn Vala
Philadelphia PA – I had seen the warnings on the suburban Philadelphia news channels. But no one told me JUST how bad the highway construction was going to be getting down to Philadelphia. I had seen multiple automobile accidents, right from the time I left my house before I even got on a highway, a few blocks from home was a triple-car rear ender. I knew the show was going to be worth the delays, I hoped it would be worth the apparent danger.
We were basically dodging bullets to get there.
Maniacal bassist and, as Dave Letterman used to say, "one fabulous babe," Julie Slick. Photo by Lynn Vala
Apparently my fears were not founded, or perhaps Belew has advised her that I have found evidence to support his claim that, he too, was on the outside of the truth about King Crimson’s demise, as she was very friendly, personable, even after letting her know that I was NOT the person she thought was connected to the Paul Green School Of Rock. A very nice woman, I only hope she continues to allow me to call her Birdwoman as it is a term of endearment and not derogatory (Robin, bird, Birdwoman, I couldn’t call her birdgirl as the producers of Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law would have my head) but I rarely refer to people by their names if they frequent my blog, I prefer to maintain privacy for people. If she has a complaint about it, she has my contact card and can stop me if she wishes. She’s so nice, I would for her.
Blue is the new red for THIS year's energy dome. Let's hope there will be more NEW Devo albums like Something For Everybody! Cover reprinted with permission.
De-evolution is real! De-evolution is the condition under which a society returns to its roots. When individuals devolve, the basic human instinct kicks in and makes us want to drag our knuckles on the ground, carry a thigh bone of some sun bleached carcass, and appear disgruntled in Geico commercials.
When music devolves, its top performers appear in their underwear flipping the bird at a major league baseball game. (To Lady “MessMess”, I am a Mets fan, I hope every Mets fan that sees you in concert, on the street, with your parents, flips YOU the bird. The Mets will be around long after your 15 minutes of nudity are over!)
It’s time for common sense, it’s time for transparency in the music business, we are long overdue for some good music, and it is most definitely time, once again, for Devo…
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 »
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!
DANGER DANGER, WILL ROBINSON! BOULE REVIEWS BELEW’S “e”! DANGER, DANGER!!!
Author: Jeff Boule
Sorry, my copy of Belew's e was written all over... BY THE BAND!! (Reprinted with permission from Adrian Belew Presents)
Hi! Remember me? I’m the guy who broke the story that King Crimson was rumored to be over because a player in the scenario affixed situations to realities and created a rumored scheduling rift between when Fripp had wanted to do Crimson dates and the subject of this review, the Adrian Belew Power Trio had dates scheduled during that time. When Fripp became aware of the scheduling rift, he took it as Belew not being as committed to KC as Fripp would have wanted.
Or so it is alleged. I am not sticking my neck onto that chopping block again…
Kristi Callan with The Jigsaw Seen
Author: Beverly Paterson
Kristi Callan with The Jigsaw Seen “Sleep”/”Morning Glory” (Vibro-phonic Recordings 12023)
Now here’s a great collaboration! Having initially achieved recognition in the eighties as the lead singer of Wednesday Week, Kristi Callan has continued to pad her resume with a string of shining moments. Aside from carving out a nice solo career for herself, Kristi has also performed and recorded with famed figures such as Dave Davies and The Ventures, and currently fronts Dime Box Band. Active since the late eighties, The Jigsaw Seen is renowned for their bewitching brew of psychedelic pop rock. Discs like “Shortcut Through Clown Alley,” “My Name Is Tom” and “Zenith” are classics of their ilk, and have dutifully awarded the Los Angeles band flocks of fans. Administered by Kristi’s haunting vocals, “Sleep” stands as an electrifying slice of orchestrated pop splendor. Built upon a solid foundation of classy string arrangements and trebly guitar work, the quirky atmospheric tune, which was composed by Kristi, sparkles with melodic radiance. Dipping their toes into the Oasis songbook, Kristi and The Jigsaw Seen deliver a drifting, dreamy cover of “Morning Glory,” set in an acoustic format. As evidenced by this musically literate single, Kristi Callan and The Jigsaw Seen make an artistically compatible team.
BOSCH ARE MORE THAN GERMAN CAR PART MANUFACTURERS. MUCH MORE!
Author: Jeff Boule
BOSCH are (from l to r) Christopher Brown, Charles Greenleaf, and Kevin Sims. I dig `em daddy-o!
I find it hard to find new music I LIKE. Yeah, yeah, there are satellite channels, pay-radio, web-radio, TV “music” channels, friends, etc. But just because there are multiple sources of input does not necessarily yield categorical output.
I like BOSCH.
Bat For Lashes (Astralwerks)
Author: Gabriel Barrio
Pour a cup of coffee, walk into the den, dim early morning light trickles in through the bent blinds as my cat wraps himself around my leg. Pull a fresh new vinyl out of its sleeve, place it on the table, and pull the needle close, let it fall onto the grooves, pure energy releases and suddenly music fills the room. Ambient sounds at first, then synths accompanied with vocals ethereal. A beautiful female voice escapes through the speakers and bends your ear, reminiscent of Bjork as the hook does just that, reel you in. A beacon of light shining through the wash and tide of music mediocre. Read the rest of this entry »
I’m Only Sleeping. And Eating. And I’m So Tired.
Author: Lydia Pudzianowski
In this busy time of year, I thought it fitting to open up a discussion about something we’re all probably lacking: sleep. The context here is the Beatles. Read the rest of this entry »
R.I.P. Jim Carroll
Author: Doctor B
Death as a subject in rock music (or “nec-rock-philia” as some wags have dubbed it) is nothing new. It showed up in everything from Mark Dinning’s 1959 one-hit wonder Teen Angel, to J. Frank Wilson & The Cavaliers’ romance-comic-like tear-jerker from 1964, Last Kiss to Bloodrock’s grinding, dirgey, death-metallic 1971 hit, DOA. Nonetheless, when Jim Carroll’s single People Who Died arrived at the radio station I spin for back in 1980, my jaw hit the floor. What was this guy up to? What was this guy on? Read the rest of this entry »
Rundgren takes the mic back from Sulton for the ever popular 'Soul Medley'. Photo by Lynn Vala
Rundgren reemerges with an Orange suit on, much like the one worn during the Liars tour. This medley is obviously what they rehearsed the most, or it at least sounded that way as apart from some errant Theremin notes (and those things were hair-trigger at best) this was as tight as it gets.
Ever enchanting Amos warms the ivories on her trusty Bosendorfer piano. Photo by Lynn Vala.
Picking up from last time, we are now reviewing the concert show for Amos’ most recent release Abnormally Attracted To Sin. Red Bank to the average visitor (which I consider myself to be) is a quaint hamlet akin to Philadelphia’s South Street before the Mardi Gras riots of a few years ago. After a lovely dinner at a local diner, we venture to the venue. An all-American meal before seeing a show from an all-American girl.
Who just so happens to live in England.
Sea Sew Suds
Author: HJ Mills
The first thought that pops into my head when I think of Lisa Hannigan‘s “I Don’t Know” is a pink, sparkling bubble bath because that’s what it sounds like – an audio bubble bath. Singing with a smile that can be heard through any speakers, Hannigan proudly sings “I don’t know if you write letters or you panic on the phone/I’d like to call you all the same/If you want to/I am game.” Though the music video lacks the suds, the paper cut-outs work out nicely. As her second single, it’s lovely as a single rose to pluck or biting into a ripe mango – so sweet. Read the rest of this entry »
The Young Person’s Guide To Fripp & Eno
Author: Jeff Boule
Again, we have a reissued blog from a time lost to the digital gremlins:
Mr. Billingsworth,
Upon bringing in the email, I found your exchange with my Mrs. from earlier today regarding Fripp & Eno. I have a few points of interest and we can also discuss Prog matters in general.
So I here I am in the New Jersey dust bowl sitting through Street Sweeper Social Club featuring Tom Morello. While he is an innovative guitarist, I got nothing for him, I got nothing for Rage Against The Machine. I am here for Nine Inch Nails. If this is truly going to be one of those farewell tours that precede another farewell tour later on, I will be pissed. Street Sweeper Social Club is a mutation of “Kid Rock meets Poser Metal”. The PNC dust bowl is filling up and the crowd is respectably mixed in demographic. Morello, the guitar player for SSSC, tells the crowd to stand up for their last song (thankfully) but I adhere to no such demands from any front person.
SLIMMED-DOWN TUBES SPRING FROM NY ON WORLD TOUR – B.B. KING’S 05-31-09
Author: Jeff Boule
(Photo by Lynn Vala)
If you are a bit longer-in-the-tooth as I am, you remember a time when MTV played music videos, those alleged promotional devices that were short-form movies scripted to coincide with the lyrics and tone of the song being promoted. If you consider this time period (from 1981 to about 1992) when we were still recovering from the post-disco era, music that suddenly had images to accompany the sounds seemed like a logical place for this 7-piece-plus musical theater troupe of a band. Since their inception through their last major release, they have been minimally a 7-piece. TWO guitars, TWO keyboardists, bass, drums and vocals with occasionally added female vocals, dancers, roller skaters, actors, sometimes just the guys backstage would walk around on stage and it would be so heavily populated no one would notice.
Last Of Last Of The New-Wave Riders – Utopia Storm Tokyo, 1979
Author: Jeff Boule
Utopia bid adieu after a night on stage. Photo by Coming Age.
It is painfully; finally time to wrap up the on-going series of reviews tackling the Utopia box set Last Of The New Wave Riders. This set features Utopia playing to the American-culture-starved Japanese inquisitive yet reserved audiences. Japanese audiences were the most accepting of the some-time obscure and were willing to hear out the overtly obscure. No better place to play Utopia’s material. Unless you are Todd Rundgren and in your enthusiasm to entertain you do something that mortifies the people in the first few rows.