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...Vince Staples!
This week we return to 2016 with a set from Vince Staples who had established himself on the scene. Back in 2014 when Mr. Staples was an up and coming rapper who was just starting to gain national attention in the hip hop community and beyond RtBEreviewed his first EP Hell Can Wait. Our favorite tune from that is the second one performed here, "'65 Hunnid".
It is of J Mascis recent live show at Rough Trade which took place last Friday night. It was the start of his birthday weekend and some Sonic Female's were in the house to celebrate:
RtBE are huge fans of Dinosaur Jr. and J and it was fun to have the whole RtBE staff catch this show together on the festive Friday night in the frigid city. Drinks were had, lyrics were mumbled and J was the best we have ever seen him solo.
The live show is a slippery thing. There are lots of variables at play, most having little to do with the performance itself. Does the venue have enough bathrooms? Is it going to rain? What day of the week is it on? Did I have a shitty day at work before hand? Did tickets cost waaay too much? All of this effects one's opinion of a live show before the band even tunes up and with reason, but when the stars align, there is no place RtBE would rather be than in the moment of magic occurring spontaneously from the stage.
Live Music Has No Equal!
Taken By The Fantastic Megan Donohue
While obviously we can't see every show that is out there, we try to get out often to catch live music. Sure there are a few left in the calendar year, but for now, here is a listing of the best concerts we were fortunate enough to have caught in 2018.
There are links to show reviews in the titles, also because who doesn't love arbitrary rankings, one show at the bottom took the top prize as RtBE's 2018 Favorite Live Show. This year was better than most as some excellent concerts were left off this list. Click that "Read More" button and get started
The English group IDLES second release Joy as an Act of Resistance follows up their breakthrough 2017's Brutalism with a mix of emotions, societal topics and tensions/releases in extremely intriguing fashion. The Bristol five piece (Joe Talbot Adam Devonshire Mark Bowen Lee Kiernan Jon Beavis) take on racism, spiritual emptiness and fury with thoughtful angular songs which veer more towards post-punk and art rock.
Opener "Colossus" is a good example of the band willing to through out the standard punk playbook and experiment. The track begins with a slow burn as lyrics about catholic guilt, and the shadow of the father sun and holy ghost all weigh heavy until the song literally stops. Then, a barnstorming slamming closure drives the number to it's completion. Willingness to break out of the two plus minutes sing a longs separates IDLES from other punk bands.
The album is bookend by experimental sounds as "Rottweiler" plays with loops feedback and builds. "Never Fight A Man With A Perm" goes after toxic masculinity with the rock hard screams of "Concrete to Leather" before the rolling bass and drum led "I'm Scum" plainly states that we don't need a new James Bond. Those bass and drums keep pumping while buzz guitars swarm like hornets on "Danny Nedelko" which clearly spells out how hate takes root and while exuberantly calling for unity and one of the best tracks on the solid album.
"Love Song" deals with modern relationships and carrying a watermelon, which when paired with the groups Solomon Burke cover of "Cry To Me" proves the band are fans of Dirty Dancing but the lighthearted feel is not very prevalent on the record. "June" is an ominous thudding depressing look at one of life's hardest losses, lead singer Joseph Talbot's death of a daughter during childbirth. It is a topic many other bands would never approach, or would do so with fury and anger while IDLES meditate on it in discomfiting fashion successfully.
Father sons and male roles/emotions are dealt with directly again on "Samaritans" which starts dull before a mid song guitar break and a scream of "I kissed a boy and I liked it" propels the song to new social and sonic levels. The main truth of everything IDLES are singing about on this record can be found in "Television" where Talbot spits out the simple but often disregarded mantra "Love yourself, love yourself".
All of the best punk makes you think and Joy as an Act of Resistance joins those ranks, while moving more into wide vistas which sadly punk can be limited to. IDLES are fast making a name as must hear for fans of adventurous rock and roll of any genre.
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Support the band, buy the album, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:
Another great year is finishing up for @RockBodElec and we wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE Presents the Best of 2018 Top Ten Albums Part One: The Just Misses & Let Downs:
In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album either on the site or somewhere else we will link to that review and just give a quick summation, just click on the name and title and you can read it. As always RtBE worked with the Glide Team to give input on the their Top 20, so expect some overlap.
Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but complete releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle or singles for RtBE.
Today we are going to focus on the "Just Misses" of our top ten and unfortunately the "Let Downs" released this year. Obviously these are just our personal preferences, feel free to voice your opinion in the comments. Expect installment 2 (#10-6) soon, but for now click on the green "Read More" below:
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by The Jeff Healey Band playing "When Night Comes Falling From the Sky"
Thoughts on Original:
In the fog and haze of 80's Dylan comes one of his most perplexing songs, "When Night Comes Falling From The Sky". The lyrics are some of his best from this period, but holy god of your choice...the production was the cheesiest of his career. Empire Burlesque had a few flops on it, and it is hard not to say this track is one of them, just check out the original video for it.
What saves this song from the scrap heap is the balls out awesome version on the amazing Bootlegs Series 1-3 which was recorded with Steven Van Zandt and Roy Bitton from The E-Street Band. This yet again shows that Dylan could not pick out his best work when it came time to release it officially from the studio sessions. While the Bootleg version isn't perfect, the vocals in particular are recorded low but sung so strongly it is exciting, it makes the listener examine the tune without the "Disco Dylan" cheese playing in their ear. A song which is perfect for interpretation, and one that should probably get a definitive version at some point as it it is one of Dylan true hidden gems.
Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
Coming across Jeff Healey for the first time like a lot of people in 1989 cinematic classic Road House, it was clear that Healey had a lot to offer. His focus on interpreting covers during his early run with The Jeff Healey Band is what he is most known for, outside of Road House, and he did justice to all of them. Unfortunately he passed away in 2008, but he left behind a large collection of Jazz, Blues and Rock records. Thoughts on Cover:
Starting off, this could be a cover of "All Along The Watchtower" but Healey goes deeper and plucks the 80's Dylan out of the fireplace where his letters to you are burning. It is a good, if a bit too sterile of a cover holding pretty close to the original, even complete with background vocalists and conga drums. Healey has time to solo though, placing his excellent sound upfront, and that is the reason to check out his cover of this over looked track.
For December RTBE will be be dipping into some Dylan songs which we have not featured in this series yet and we are over 350 at this point, so look for some deeper cuts coming.
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...Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughn!
Filmed for the In Session television show exactly 35 years ago (from yesterday), two blues legends go to town over the course of an hour and half. Stevie is giddy to be jamming with one of his idols and Albert seems to be having a hell of a time making his guitar sing along with SRV. It should be noted bass player Gus Thornton is laying down a hell of a solid groove throughout as well.
RtBE highlighted In Session (also from '83) a few months back and in doing so found this gem as well, perhaps we will do a monthly spotlight in the future...for now though, just put it on and let it roll...
Pro shot, Pro sound, enjoy:
Set list 1:17 - Albert King - Born under a bad sign 9:30 - SRV/Larry Davis - Texas flood 29:40 - T-Bone walker - Call it stormy Monday 39:50 - Albert King - Match Box Blues 47:30 - Tampa Red - Don't you lie to me 57:48 - SRV - Pride and Joy 1:03:45 - Ray Charles - I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town
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