Live Review: The Hold Steady 4/11/14 Albany, NY

Hey all,

Got a new review up on Glide Magazine.

Read it Right C'here!!!

You can tell by the title of this post that it is a live review of The Hold Steady's recent gig at The Hollow in Albany, NY. For anyone new to the site, we love the band, though we aren't really into the new album (especially the recording/sound). This night/show was a double bonus as we got to see our family who are in the Capital District then rock with the band and some old and new friends.

A great night all around, catch the band anytime you can live as they are a pure joy in action. I can't find videos from the night of the review, so I will put a pro shot live video of the most powerful song of the night (which was a semi-surprise) "Stay Positive". Yup, we were at this show back in '11 as well:

Album Review: The Bad Penny Pleasuremakers- T'Ain't No Sin

The Bad Penny Pleasuremakers

Tain't No Sin

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

A homage to days gone The Bad Penny Pleasuremakers are a collection of New Orleans musicians who are playing old timey tunes from the '20s and resurrecting them for swinging nights a full century later.

The group has a kitschy feel to it as songs dutifully go through their paces but never really light the world on fire. The bands cover of Nat King Cole's "Smile" is a good example hitting all the right notes, but lacking that certain charm that made the original radiate. The title track is a better excursion as Joy Patterson sings with a wink and charm.

The pumping "Down in Jungletown" focuses on Tarik Hassan's upright bass and Jimmy Vegans verbose clarinet. The breezy "Under The Moon" shows the bands take on Annette Hanshaw's tune as a washboard makes things ripple along. While the group mixes things up with "You Are My Sunshine" a normally happy tune they turn it into a dirge extending it over 8 minutes, the tempo does pick up but the foundation has been laid. It is an interesting stab at redoing a standard but one that maybe worked better in theory then practice.  

Their fast paced take on Georgia White's "Was I Drunk?" is a better fit and the, switching gender vocals are a good touch. A trip back in time, The Bad Penny Pleasuremakers, breath new life into old songs. 
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A fun if not to deep jaunt through music past. Thanks to bandcamp yet again for this find.

Support the band here, grab the album here (or Stream it below) and peep some video:

Dylan Cover #135 Anders Osborne "When I Paint My Masterpiece" Live

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by Anders Osborne playing "When I Paint My Masterpiece"

This month our Dylan Cover Series will focus on artists playing The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Anders Osborne will be playing the Acura Stage on Saturday April 26th at 2pm.

Thoughts on Original:
Emerging from the writing/recording demo sessions at Big Pink and credited to Dylan "When I Paint My Masterpiece" was first was recorded and released by The Band and associated with them as much (or more so) then with Dylan himself. A fantastic rollicking tune that trapezes through history, in a fun bouncy manor. Engaging, fun, lyrical and musical, an upbeat gem of a Dylan tune that I am sure the boys in The Band had a hand in. 
Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:
Well we just posted a review on Anders last album and while we are not too keen on it we have always dug his style and his live show is worth catching whenever you can as he is a joy when performing. He has worked and will be working more with Phil Lesh and Friends a bit so that adds some excitement to his style.    
Thoughts on Cover:
Jammed out and flowing which fits for this track. An easy stroll but with the bite of Osborne's (and guests) guitar backed by his solid rhythm section. A really nice way to kick off this week, so close to the start of the fest. God I wish I was packing up and heading south tonight.  

Full Show Friday: Stooges Brass Band Live 8-16-2013

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us 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)...This week...Stooges Brass Band!

Every April we have a special showcase for bands who are playing this years Jazzfest in NOLA. Today we will focus on Stooges Brass Band who will be appearing on the Jazz and Heritage Stage Sunday May 4th.  

Ahh the Stooges!  We love these guys, all the brass bands are fantastic from New Orleans and each seems to bring a little bit different to the musical gumbo. The Stooges like to add a bit of Hip-Hop  and we dig on that. A fantastic group who you should check live whenever they come to your neck of the nape. We reviewed them for Glide and caught them playing in NOLA before, and both shows where much better then this one, the crowd is dead here...oh well, I guess it was a slow night in The Funky Biscuit. Can't wait to catch them again in a few Sunday's, Wish We Were There Now!!!  Anyway, Enjoy this set:

Album Review: Tuba Skinny- Pyramid Strut

Tuba Skinny

Pyramid Strut

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

Tuba Skinny like other New Orleans buskers, started as street musicians who had a common love of old-timey jazz tunes that were just wallowing in forgotten history. Having now tightened up a bit Pyramid Strut, is the bands 3rd release, a collection of those unknown jazz gems along with some more known tunes and even a few originals.   

Let's start with the originals as they are perfect fits into Pyramid Strut. The title track is structured send up with bubbling tuba backing Shaye Cohn's forceful cornet. "Lonesome Drag" motors as Erika Lewis sings about going blind with the blues, before Jon Doyle's clarinet dances around with wild abandoned.

Lewis' take on Trixie Smith's "Freight Train Blues" drips with the blues trademark pain but spins a bit of role reversal. The vocal tracks are balanced nicely by the instrumentals, an example would be the percolating run through their version of the South Street Trio's "Cold Morning Shout" before Lewis again takes the forefront on the traditional "Hesitation Blues".
  
The old time jazz just keeps flowing with tracks like "Gimme Some", "Sweet Lovin' Old Soul" and "Alligator Crawl". All the songs hit that mark, without varying much, but the group loves the oldies, and with their commitment you will too. 
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If you dug Ms. Lake and the L.B.H from earlier this month, jump on Tuba Skinny now! Showcasing a NOLA based old-timey act that we found on bandcamp makes us smile, wish we were doing it in the Royal St. sun with a hilife in hand....

You can grab the album here, or stream it below. Support the band here, peep some video below:

Album Review: Chad Mic- $upreme

Chad Mic

$upreme

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

New Orleans embraced hip hop early on with legends like Mannie Fresh and the city has recently produced mega stars in the genre with Lil Wayne. One thing that always seems to be a staple of NOLA Hip-Hop, energizer beats mixed with wild rhyme styles. Chad Mic's $upreme goes the other direction with smooth, laid back rhythms and unhurried rhymes.  

These aren't purple slurred jamz, rather beats that would sound proper coming out of a high end lounge or a late night blunt session. Opening with the slow rolling "Limelight" Chad Mic establishes his easy if not perfectly smooth flow. "ThecherryLounge" is an early stand out clearly rhyming about things that are close to him with lines like, "This rap ain't paying the rent though/Celebs on TMZ crashing their Enzo's". Augmented by an enchanting vibraphone, the music rolls and skitters at the edges, relaxed yet never sleepy; a disk highlight.

The follow up track "Goyard Bag" goes against the materialistic rebelling of the "ThecherryLounge" but contradiction is central to hip hop. "Higher" is an ode to his woman, fitting easily into Chad Mic's style if not elevating super high. "Real I$ Back" has some spacey swirls and electro keys while "$OULpower" lights up and rolls on chimes and distant drum beats.  

"$ummertime" looks backwards to the good old days as Chad Mic never hurries, relaxed with a strong set of produced music backing him up as he presents the chill vibes of $upreme. 
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The first NOLA Hip hop album from bandcamp we will be showcasing this month. More underground NOLA hiphop to come.

Support the artist here, Stream the album here:
    

Album Review: Eat The Witch- Eat The Witch EP

Eat The Witch

Eat The Witch EP

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

New Orleans isn't all horns and jazz, metal has long had a hold on the city starting in the late 80's with bands like Eye Hate God and Soilent Green. The slow sludge/doom rock seems to flourish in the southern heat and Eat The Witch continues that on their first release which is just one instrumental track that rolls on for over 23 minutes.   

The track is titled "The Scarlett Capsule" and it moves in and out of a lot rock terrain. Doom, Sludge, upbeat math rock all work as tempo changes and hard driving riffs are channeled throughout. Formed from ex members of New Orleans bands haarp, Spickle & Dresden. The group rises like a decaying dinosaur carcass out of the swamp stomping and trudging all over the landscape.

Around the 10 minute mark things pick up as he tempo accelerates then a series of stopping and starting is employed. The clashes become frequent before the 16th minute mark where things get lucid as sonic waves warp around a deep bass line, turning the metal groovy. The rhythmn builds and the guitars take flight leading to a crushing finale.   

"The Scarlett Capsule" would have been perfect for the creepy climax of True Detective as McConaughey and Harrelson perilously run through Carcosa. The cinematic imagery this instrumental metal journey projects is exciting, here's hoping we get more from Eat The Witch soon. 
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Can't get enough of New Orleans bands on bandcamp this month with more to come. A different sort of find, this time on the metal tip. We know this isn't for everyone but we dig this stuff.

Support the band, buy the album here or stream it below: