Full Show Friday: Gov't Mule 5-18-13 Hangout Music Festival

Last year we searched the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and posted them to the site monthly.  That was all well and good but this year RtBE is upping the ante with a show every week to celebrate Full Show Friday's.  These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...Today, Gov't Mule!!!

Easily our most timely Full Show Friday, with this set taking place less then 1 week ago! Gov't Mule used to be big favorites amongst RtBE but we will admit in recent years we have skipped their shows more often then seeing them, but we will always love Warren Haynes.  His playing and voice are two of our favorites in rock and roll.  This is our first time peeping Jorgen Carlsson on bass and he seems a natural fit and the Pro-Shot, Pro-Sound is top f'ing notch all around.

Here is a chance to catch the most recent incarnation of the group from the comfort of your desk...but I gotta say those beach shots make this Festival seem like something worth checking out in person. With the Holiday weekend upon us, maybe some beach time is in order... 

Highlights include Danny Louis funky keys in "Lola Leave Your Light On" and the old school closing run of "Soulshine" "I'm A Ram" "Thorazine Shuffle" and the burning closer of "Mule". RIP Woody.

Enjoy:


Setlist 
(Cut just the end)Bad Little Doggie >
Lola Leave Your Light On
Inside Outside Woman Blues
Steppin' Lightly
Broke Down On The Brazos >
Tributary Jam
Since I've Been Loving You
Soulshine
I'm A Ram
Thorazine Shuffle
Mule

Album Review: Torches -If People Stare EP

Torches

If People Stare EP

*** out of *****

This is a trio of indie rockers from LA (not to be confused with the roots group from DC we reviewed in 2010) that know how to paint shimmering songs with soaring vocals and electric guitar loops. Their newest EP is If People Stare and the 4 tracks here all have an upbeat pop sensibility you would expect from an LA group while there seems to be a bit of angst just below the surface that adds to the tracks.

It can be noticed distinctly on the first song "When You Gonna".  At first brush it seems just like another love song about a pair of disjointed lovers with Ohh's and Aah's but paying attention to the lyrics adds emotinal depth concerning the death of a relationship.  The fuzzed up guitar outro helps as well; a really cool track.

Bass player (who has since left the group) Bridgette Moody adds gorgeous background vocals to the title track while "Watch You Like a Hawk" has a west coast The National vibe. "In My Sleep" is an uptempo hand clapper that ends this short EP on an energetic note that is sure to get the crowd up dancing in the live setting. 

Solid production and expert sound add to the overall effort. The 4 tracks come in at 13 minutes but it is clearly worth a listen with a combo of gnat like guitars, direct drums and most importantly solid songs. 

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The best part of this review? You don't need to take RtBE's word for it! You can download or stream this EP for free here or here! Def worth 13 minutes of your life to see if you like it and support Torches.

Check them out here, Catch them live here, and peep the video for "When You Gonna" here:

Album Review: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound -Howl

JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound

Howl

*** out of *****

If Want More was this Chicago based retro-soul groups party album then Howl is the heartbreak filled follow up. The slick funk and anything goes vibe are replaced with much more scaled down grooves by The Uptown Sound and lyrics from Brooks that let you know he has dealt with some major issues in his love life.

The word sparse kept coming up over and over again while listening to Howl, whether it was the opening title track or the piano based bleakness of "Cold", minimalism seems to be a goal here. The hurt on "Married For A Week" seeps through, even the first uptempo track "Before You Die" places love in much more crucial situation, needing to get an admirers number before they die.

The bands take on 70's Sly and the Family Stone era soul/funk is scaled back but tracks like "Rouse Yourself" and "Security" get in that mood, the latter even tosses in some disco elements. "River" is a slow torch song that lets Brooks vocals shine and he makes the most of it. Also on the positive side are "Ordinary" with its deep fuzzy bass paired with rising strings and the arena rocking "Control"; when this band adds more and more to the stew tasty results usually follow.   

More mature, if less fun, Howl shows the retro-soul showman evolving into something new. While there are certainly growing pains ("Not Alone" sounds completely out of place), there are also bright spots (the swelling disk closer "These Things") and hopefully Brooks and his sound stick around to evolve some more.

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We have been digging on JC Brooks & The Upown Sound for a while now.  We were blown away by them at Mass MOCA and dug their first album for Bloodshot Records. This one threw us for a loop, it is a definite departure in tone from their last disk, and while we always love when artists try something new this one seems a bit depressing overall, something this kind of music isn't always that great for.  Anyway, production and sound are all solid and the good tracks are really good.

Support them here, buy the album here, DEF go see them live as they kick ass and peep some samples below:
"Ordinary"
  
Actor is Traeveon Howard, with a guest appearance by 2012 Air Guitar World Champion, Justin “Nordic Thunder” Howard

Album Review: Pinata Protest -El Valiente

Pinata Protest 

El Valiente

***and1/2 out of *****

Combining Norteno and Ranchera music with punk rock may not sound like an easy fit but the San Antonio based Pinata Protest make it seem as if the genres were always linked. On their new album El Valiente the group has a fun time quickly (the whole disk is under 25 minutes) working their way through Mexican flavored tunes in a Texas punk way.

Beginning with an electro-sounding intro that seems styled after a boxer introduction the group dives into mixing languages and styles successfully on "Vato Perron". "Life On the Border" focuses heavily on the accordion play and lyrically discusses the issues facing Mexican-American youth living in that area. "Tomorrow, Today" is a waltzing two-step while "Guadalupe" plays like a straight up rock tune that just happens to feature and accordion.

The title track recalls another genre twisting band at their peak, Sublime.  With it's speed and changes "El Valiente" has touches of the So-Cal groups "Date Rape" in there as well as other bits and pieces from the band.     

Pinata Protest also decided to tackle two staples of their sound/heritage with a speedy run through of "La Cucaracha" and "Volver, Volver" which really works well. Playing with a classic like "Volver, Volver"and adding that vibrant punk rock feel and power (via a crushing ending) is the perfect snapshot of this band with one foot in tradition and the other stampeding forward.  

"Que Pedo" ends the disk with a quick burst of straight up punk rock making the whole thing feel like it is over too fast, but what a fun ride.    

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Dug the album just kind of wish there was more.  Playing like an extended EP, El Valiente is a good intro into the Pinata Protest sound, here's hoping they make it to NYC so we can catch these suckers live as that is where they really seem to flourish.

Support the Band here, catch them live here and peep some samples below.
"La Cucaracha"
  "La Cucaracha" - Official Music Video - Piñata Protest from Piñata Protest on Vimeo.
"La Cucaracha" Live:

"Volver, Volver" Live

Dylan Cover #88 X-Ray Imij "All Along The Watchtower"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by X-Ray Imij doing "All Along The Watchtower"
Thoughts on Original:
There are certain songs we are surprised we missed cover versions of in the Bard's back catalog...but "All Along The Watchtower" isn't one of them.  There is a reason we haven't covered a cover version (confusing). As Wilson mentioned in his post back in cover #44 there is only 1 true version of this song...and that is Mr. Jimi's. We wouldn't have touched on another cover of this, but the band X-Ray Imij reached out to us recently so we wanted to focus on their live take today.   
Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:
These South Jersey fellows are a Jimi Hendrix Tribute Band and we are happy to shine the spotlight on them today.  The trio of Ray Gervato, Jeff Summerton, and Mitch Phillippe play some spot on Experience covers. You can keep track of their doings here.  
Thoughts on Cover:
In the vein of Hendrix (obviously) the group is captured live here at The Hard Rock Cafe in AC rocking out on the all-time great tune. Starting off a bit sped up things quickly find their groove as the axe slings and the rhythm locks in. The tone of the guitar is spot on (proof Hendrix sounds just as "far out" today) and the interplay amongst the trio jams hard.  Nice work fellas, their next show is June 15th in Woodstown, NJ if you are in the mood for some Hendrix.
Grade: B+   

Full Show Friday: John Fogerty - Live in LA 9-15-2005

Last year we searched the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and posted them to the site monthly.  That was all well and good but this year RtBE is upping the ante with a show every week to celebrate Full Show Friday's.  These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...Today, John Fogerty!!!

With his legal troubles behind him John Fogerty finally got to perform the songs he actually wrote (what a novel idea) on his Long Road Home Tour. The man is chock full of great rock tunes, dipping into Country, Americana, Delta Swamp Blues and anywhere else he wants too. With a whip-crack tight band (John Molo on drums from Phil and Friends days keeps it all moving and I am pretty that Bass player is Tig from SOA) he powers through all the hits and some newer ones.  With a new album due out in a few weeks we figured we would revisit the classics.    

This is professionally recorded and shot, you can buy it here (I think the director is a bit cut happy) after you watch/listen to it today. As for highlights, just look at the setlist, they are all highlights, Creedance! Jump in and enjoy:

John Fogerty´s Legendary Comeback Concert in 2005,
01:18 Travelin' Band
03:49 Green River
07:25 Who'll Stop the Rain
10:26 Blue Moon Nights
13:52 Lodi
17:46 Lookin' Out My Back Door
20:35 Hot Rod Heart
25:03 Rambunctious Boy
29:10 She's Got Baggage
32:32 Born on the Bayou
36:45 Bootleg
39:44 Run Through the Jungle
44:05 Déjà Vu (All Over Again)
48:00 Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
50:42 Tombstone Shadow
53:55 Keep on Chooglin'
59:01 Sweet Hitch-Hiker
01:01:56 Hey Tonight
01:04:24 Down on the Corner
01:07:24 Centerfield
01:11:20 Up Around the Bend
01:14:29 The Old Man Down the Road
01:18:52 Fortunate Son
01:22:32 Bad Moon Rising
01:24:55 Rockin' All Over the World
01:28:40 Proud Mary

Album Review: Courtney Jaye -Love and Forgivness

Hey All,

Got a new review up on Glide

Read it right C'here!!!

It is of Courtney Jaye's newest release Love and Forgiveness.(Two things we can all use more of)

The now residing in Nashville singer has crafted a solid album of the pop/country/Americana mixture variety.  Her quote that I used in the review kind of says it all. Fans of that late lush seventies pop sound will certainly dig it.

Support Courtney Jaye here (we noticed the review is already up on the site), buy the album here, and peep some samples below:
"Say Oh Say"

"Morning" Live (This performance is great, makes me want to see her live now)