Friday, March 29, 2013

Full Show Friday: Thelonious Monk Live in '66

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)...This week...Thelonious Monk!

The odd genius at work here is Thelonious Monk in all his glory, playing live two shows in 1966 in Europe combined in one nice youtube clip. Charlie Rouse blows away on the Tenor Sax while Ben Riley uses his bare bones kit to keep the beat.  Bassist Larry Gales is mostly in the background with his smooth style, but in Monk's presence that is probably for the best as Thelonious captures everyone's attention even when he is not playing. This however was the band Monk played the longest with out of any in his career, 4 years.  While I am much more of a Duke man then Monk when it comes to the keys, he needs to get his props.    

You get two versions of "Lulu's Back In Town" then a bunch of classics that feel as fresh today, with Monk's improv working its wonders.  

Lets get hip....(Update: set this post a long time ago, original Youtube Clip was taken down, thanks to Rolling Pat, here is the two parts of the Show, Norway first, Denmark second)

Thelonious Monk - Live in Norway 1966 by RollingPat

Thelonious Monk - Live in Denmark 1966 by RollingPat

Personnel:

Piano: Thelonious Monk.
Tenor Sax: Charlie Rouse.
Bass: Larry Gales.
Drums: Ben Riley.

-Live in Norway-

Songs:

1. Lulu's Back In Town.
2. Blue Monk.
3. 'Round Midnight.

-Live in Denmark-

Songs:

1. Lulu's Back In Town.
2. Don't Blame Me.
3. Epistrophy.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Album Review: The Black Angels -Indigo Meadow

The Black Angels
Indigo Meadow
**** out of *****

The tripped out Austin Texas based late night rockers are back with their newest release Indigo Meadow and while not exactly a mainstream effort they have reigned in the psychedelic tendencies just a bit.

Don't get me wrong the guitars are as fuzzy and mammoth in their reverb while still deceptively snakelike as ever and there is that magical Doors like organ that still shines through ("Evil Ways").  Their just seems to be a (slightly) more positive tone to the proceedings; not every song sounds like the bowels of a drug trip and that is a plus.     

Always retro looking even in their band name the group seems to be experiencing a bit of the sunshine 60's with Indigo Meadows and it fits them well.  "Don't Play With Guns" has a pop feel to it before an extended/repetitive outro that screams classic Black Angels. "Holland" finds the organs in fine form with a bubbling bass line running underneath the track while "The Day" is straight up pop from '67 breezily addressing the relationship between the moon and sun.    

The garage rocking "War On Holiday" has a ghostly jangle to it as does the eerily possessive "You're Mine" which mixes obsession, sex and dream worlds with Nuggets era perfection.  These 13 tracks slightly manage to cheer up The Black Angels sound without destroying what fans love about the act, a winning combo. 
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We have dug these guys since their first release and have reviewed them live for Glide before. The band has a style that we just really dig, granted at times it becomes too much, but on Indigo Meadow they are moving in a more Garage Rock direction and it works nice-like.

Support the band here, catch them live here, and peep a few samples below, you can also stream the full album here via Pitchfork for a limited time:
"Don't Play With Guns"

"The Day"

 

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Live Review: The Wolfe Tones 3/14/13 Connolly's NYC

Hey All,

Got a new review up on Glide.

Read the whole thing Right C'here!!!

It is of The Wolfe Tones Pre-St. Paddy's show from Connolly's here in NYC on 3/14/13.

What a great night of drinking and singing! Got to hang out with some great long time friends and a few new ones as the Trio ran through the classic Irish Rebel Folk songs.  Gotta say though my boy Ed was singing along with the best of them!

Having grown up with these tunes it was exhilarating to hear them live on this night. For admittedly older folks, it was impressive how long and strong the boys performed on this night with no breaks.  

Any song you could have wanted to hear was played as long as you stuck around.  Even after the show the band signed autographs, posed for pictures and just couldn't be kinder; and we are talking past 1 in the AM now!

Fine gents who deserve all the love they can get.  Support the trio here, catch them live here and listen to a few tunes below. 
"Celtic Symphony"

"You'll Never Beat The Irish"

"Rifles Of The IRA"

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Album Review: Bombino Nomad

Bombino
Nomad
***and1/2 out of *****

The Tuareg guitarist who has been compared to everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Mark Knopfler has crafted a a fuzzy sounding release with Nomad.  While he doesn't resemble those giants of guitar to these ears, his playing does have a sound very akin to the producer of this album Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. The result of this pairing is a delightful run through of Bombino's style.

The loose "Amidinine" sets the tone with its blowing sand scuffed riffs howling around as Bombino (real name Omara Moctar) sings in his native tongue of Tamashek.  "Ahulakamine Hulan" is more of a rambling acoustic outlier; most of Bombino's tunes (not unlike early Black Keys) revolve around one meaty electric riff and then spiral small changes off as the band progresses, building up interesting phrases amongst the repetition. The upbeat distorted "Azamane Tiliade" is more the norm of this groups style.

You can hear some of Auerbach's influences as the band has opened up musically from their previous release Agadez.  The vibes that sneak in during the instantly engaging "Imuhar" pushes that track to the front of the line while the playful organ in "Niamey Jam" also brings a smile.

Not knowing what the lyrics are actually singing about could be an issue for some but Bombino  keeps things vocally very much connected to the guitar lines he plays; singing/chanting melodically throughout. Even though political protest lies at the heart of the bands playing, anyone can connect.

Nomad does at times feel a touch repetitive all over but little things like the cowboy gallop of "Imidiwan" or the hand drums and nervous rising organ of "Zigzan" make things engaging enough to return to.  Auerbach's producers credits need to be hyped as well, Reigning Sound, Doctor John, and now Bombino all while fronting one of the biggest bands in the world is nothing to take lightly. Let's hope everyone involved keeps up the goodness.
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We were lucky enough to get introduced to Bombino by our friend Rob a few years ago. We grabbed all of his releases back in 2011 and even caught him live when he played NYC. We compared him to blues artists then and finding out that Dan Auerbach invited the group to record in Nashville is a pretty perfect pairing. This album might not be for everyone, but the sound and playing works for us.  Grab the album here and peep some samples below:

You can also stream the full album for a limited time over at NPR, click here. Below is a clip from a documentary on the band showing them in action live:


Monday, March 25, 2013

Dylan Cover #80 Mary Lee's Corvette "You're A Big Girl Now"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. This month we have a special focus on Mary Lee's Corvette LIVE full album cover of Blood On The Tracks, today's final tune is "You're A Big Girl Now".
Thoughts on Original:
Another tune off of Blood on the Tracks we have yet to touch on here.  I am glad we are doing this focus on Mary Lee Corvette's live take on this fantastic album, it let's us tackle songs we have shunned until now.  "You're A Big Girl Now", where to begin? Is it an honest assessment?  A cutting critiqued cloaked by pain "stopping and starting"? Dylan seems to be hurt while constructing this tale, but he hits back with the title phrase, perhaps not always meaning it positively. A song that can be over looked on this great album, but one that really captures the wounded, honest/confused, tone of Blood On The Tracks.    
Cover:

Grab the full Album here!
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
Don't really have much more to say on this artist, def go support them in anyway possible here, and keep on checking out live music.  This band did this full album cover on a random night in NYC at a little club called Arlene's Grocery.  There are ton's of great bands playing out there in the world every day of the week. Remember, nothing beats live music.  Go see some today, or at least this week, continue to support musical acts, especially in the live environment.  
Thoughts on Cover:
We end with a real doozy.  The band seems to be clicking as they are three songs in and getting really comfortable inhabiting Bob's world on this night. There is a smokey ease with which things start as acoustic guitars support and duel before a piano chimes in wonderfully.  Again Kortes vocals are something special as Mary stays within her zone but stretches out the feeling. With the original I could sense a bit of Dylan's sarcastic bite with the chorus, but none of that is present here.  The band accentuates the singing perfectly and the group seems to know things are going to be special on this night. The harmonica blows sweetly as the song finishes, this is a clear high note on the disk.  
Grade: A   

Friday, March 22, 2013

Full Show Friday: Sepultura Giants of Rock 1991

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)...This week...Sepultura!

This is the Sepultura that I grew up on and love. I know the band went through many formations and the brothers Cavalera fight up there with the best of them, but the era of Arise and Chaos AD are simply some of the best thrash metal ever recorded.  The band was dynamite, a whirling progression of madness in metal form yet super talented every where raising the genre up to its heights.      

Check out "Dead Embryonic Cells", "Desperate Cry" and "Beneath the Remains" if you don't believe me...All are killer. Their covers aren't too bad either, gotta love Sepultura doing Motorhead

Here is Sepultura at their peak rocking the Giants of Rock show from 1991:


Mass Hypnosis
Dead Embryonic Cells
(Band Interview)
Desperate Cry
Troops of Doom
(Band Interview)
Altered State
Slaves of Pain
Under Siege
Orgasmatron
Beneath The Remains
Policia

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Norton Records Benefit Tomorrow Night with Reigning Sound

The show we were pumped for back in January is happening tomorrow night at The Bell House:
Unfortunately we won't be there, but we will be someplace warmer (hopefully); enjoying some Spring Training Baseball in FLA. This show is for a good cause though as Norton Records looks to rebuild post Hurricane Sandy.
Looks like some tickets are still available...what are you waiting for!??! Here is some Reigning Sound to help out the soul on this Thursday Afternoon:

Sam The Sham & The Pharaoh's Cover:

God Damn...listening to those two makes me want to see the fellas so bad...C'mon back to NYC soon Greg and company!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Album Review: Alma Afrobeat Ensemble -Toubab Soul

Alma Afrobeat Ensemble
Toubab Soul
*** out of *****

Residing in Barcelona by way of Chicago this world beat group mixes it all up but like their name suggest Alma Afrobeat Ensemble looks to Afrobeat and specifically Fela Kuti for inspiration on Toubab Soul. Aaron Feder and crew have crafted a slick combo on this release.   

All of the tunes run long with beats and rhythms being laid down while horns, MC chants and keys take songs over the top.  The inclusion of hip-hop rhymes seems like a natural fit for Afrobeat and they show up early and often.  Tracks like "Live Na Yeye" show off the vocals in multiple languages as the band is clearly after a world vibe.

"Mali" rambles with a fat bass line while "Yoruba" picks up the tempo and gets slick.  "New School" puts a rock vibe into things over french vocals in the process updating the groups sound from the traditional tunes like "Muziqawi Silt".  "Shameless" is the most vigorous workout here ascending and descending scales at a frantic pace, quite exhilarating. 

This Catalan act should be able to attract fans and followers of the traditional Afrobeat sound, while still engaging more adventurous minded jamband fans at the same. Lovers of grooving tunes of any ilk can find something to make them get down and dance via Toubab Soul.
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Fun stuff...support the group here, buy the disk here and peep some samples below:
"Shameless" Live:
   
"Live Na YeYe" Live:
 

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Album Review: Ivan & Alyosha -All The Times We Had

 Ivan & Alyosha
All The Times We Had
***and 1/2 out of *****

The debut full length release from the Seattle based indie rock band Ivan & Alyosha is so full of well crafted, lush pop-rock that it makes it hard to believe this is the first go around for this quartet.   

Calling to mind the less adventurous side of Delta Spirit, I&A weave their way through pop tales directly descendant of The Beatles, dealing with all the familiar staples; life, love, death. The band could easily just drop into the "been there, done that category" but a confident tone engages for the full album.      

The track "God or Man" seems to be a good example of this, things are fairly run of the mill before a dynamic swelling finale that adds a twist on what seemed routine.  Opener "Be Your Man" and closer "Who Are You" amp the energy up a bit but things on All The Times We Had aren't so much about rocking out as they are about crafting tunes.  

Harmonies and layers of acoustic/electric guitars blend easily even dipping their toes into the folksie water on tracks like the gorgeously self assured "Running For Cover" and flowing "Don't Want To Die Anymore".  Aimee Mann shows up to duet on the title track, backed by a easy violin and lazy drum beat.

All The Times We Had should elevate Ivan & Alyosha in the indie scene and may even raise them higher as the songs here have that special something that simply makes you want to re-listen to them.   
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This is good stuff, professional beyond their years is the feeling present on the first release from Ivan & Alyosha.  Support the band here, grab the album here, peep some samples below:
"Running For Cover"

"Easy To Love" live in Studio

Monday, March 18, 2013

Dylan Cover #79 Mary Lee's Corvette "Shelter From The Storm"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. This month we have a special focus on Mary Lee's Corvette LIVE full album cover of Blood On The Tracks, today's tune is "Shelter From The Storm".
Thoughts on Original:
Shockingly we have never touched upon this cover in our 79 Dylan Covers so far! An epic track, feeling simple and etched in history at the same time. Religious overtones, passionate asides all mix within the confines of the illustrious/mysterious "She" who is bringing us all in. A gorgeous song and one of my favorite odd phrases Dylan has ever recorded, "Hunted like a crocodile/Ravaged in the corn".  I have no idea what it is supposed to mean and I don't care, it is perfect.  One thing that may bring this one down a peg overall is the connection to another great song "Up To Me" which is basically the same tune...hearing one always makes me want to hear the other.      
Cover:
Click Here to Download an MP3 of the Tune
(Please support the artist by buying the full album here)
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
Since I started doing this cover I have tried to check out a few more of Mary Lee Corvette's tunes then just this Dylan cover.  I like some of the stuff I have heard, her voice is really impressive. She doesn't have a large web presence, but I am glad that Danny turned me on to her. 
Thoughts on Cover:
Mary Lee Corvette gets almost to he end of the disk with the straight ahead working of the ballad. The strumming is confident, with the beginning stretched out further then the original as the group gains its confidence and Mary Lee Kortes vocals soothe the ear.  Skipping one verse isn't a big deal at all as she rattles them off with beauty and ease sinking into the stanza's and warming them up.  This song sounds fantastic with a good female vocalist at the controls.
Grade B+ 

Friday, March 15, 2013

Full Show Friday: The Clancy Brothers Live Late Late Show Special 1984

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)...This week...The Clancy Brothers!

This weekend we celebrate St. Patrick's Day so what better way to celebrate then finding on Youtube The Clancy Brothers right before their reunion in 1984? National treasures on both sides of the pond the Clancy's and Tommy Makem are gems.  This is a special treat as the band talks in between songs and gives some insight into the band.  I must say one of the highlights of my life was being able to catch the brothers when they toured the US back in the day with my father.  That was a real joy that I will never forget, so raise a pint, sing along and enjoy your Friday.

Unlike some past shows, this one is broken into 8 parts, you can see the first two here, the rest are after the jump.  Have a happy and safe Paddy's Day.  

Part 2


Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Album Review: Kevin Bowe -Natchez Trace

 Kevin Bowe
Natchez Trace
**and 1/2 out of *****

A Minnesota based singer/songwriter/guitarist who has worked with some of the greats in the industry Kevin Bowe (backed by The Okemah Prophets) has now released this long slice of Americana titled Natchez Trace.

Bowe has written tracks for some of the biggest names in music, having crafted songs that went platinum for Kenny Wayne Shepard and gotten nominated for Grammy's behind Etta James.  He also sports some famous guests on this release. Teaming up with Paul Westerberg and Nels Cline for "Everybody Lies" is a clear disk high point with its horn drenching flavor and high pitched chorus. 

The Meat Puppets also oddly (but winningly) show up for a banjo twirling, psyche guitar, light twist on the Western sounding "Devils Garden".  The 12 bar blues of "Waitin' For The Wheel" recalls some of that down home dust on the floor goodness of a honky-tonk and that back-porch feel on these kind of songs is where Bowe works best.

Things get odd when the hand claps and swing try to infiltrate things on the poppy "Never Don't Stay" and the tepid ballad "My Favorite Pain".  Vocally Bowe could use some work as there are moments when his restrained voice keeps the song from really hitting the right note.   Bowe mentioned with this albums release that he was free from the BS of labels, but there is a lot here that seems repetitive ("Nature's Way", "LA Dogs" etc), something an outside voice may have trimmed.

Bowe shows the work of a solid professional and it would not be surprising to see covers of some of these tracks take off but as it stands now Natchez Trace is just an average (if not particularly memorable) disk.        
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Check out more from the artist here.  Grab the disk here and peep some samples of the highlight tracks below:
"Waitin' For The Wheel"

"Everybody Lies"

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Album Review: Call Me Lightning -When I Am Gone My Blood Will Be Free

Call Me Lightning
When I Am Gone My Blood It Will Be Free
***and1/2 out of *****

It's fitting that this indie/pop/punk 3 piece from Milwaukee, Wisconsin took their name from an early Who single as the group continues their naming inspired group's fiery sing-along-theatrical -songs energetically.     

The band sounds larger then the sum of their three parts on this disk with a thundering rhythm section marching behind the anthemic lyrics. The title track screams it's independence as the drums of Shane Hochstetler simply pound out the thunder.  The bass of  Kris Maedke-Russell dominates the opening "Called To The Throne" while front man Nathan Lilley screams out into the night on tracks like "Beyond The Beasts" and "Bronze Hell".

The groups keeps it high octane except for a minstrel sounding "The Fog" and there seems to be a loose theme around these songs that recalls sword and sorcery, but nothing gets to D&D based to distract from the tunes. 

Call Me Lightning's bring to mind a more guttural version of Titus Andronicus at their simplest, but the power is never diluted. The band is a catchy powerful as all hell trio that has hooks in the right places and succeeds on When I'm Gone My Blood It Will Be Free.      
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Solid group, as big Who fans here at RTBE we gotta give this band some love, even if the disk is a few years old.  Peep their facebook here, grab the album here and some tuneage below:
"Beyond The Beasts"

"Bronze Hell" Live

Title Track Live

Monday, March 11, 2013

Dylan Cover #78 Mary Lee's Corvette- "Lily, Rosemary, and The Jack of Hearts"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. This month we have a special focus on Mary Lee's Corvette LIVE full album cover of Blood On The Tracks, today's tune is "Lily, Rosemary & The Jack of Hearts".
Thoughts on Original
A Mr Toad's Wild Ride of a tune, that organ and whirls itself around with delight.  A script that Dylan decided to put to tunes...in fact I am shocked their hasn't been a movie made based on this song.  Turns out there have been two screenplays written but nothing has come to fruition. He only played this song live once according to his official website, but this is news to me as I thought it had never been attempted...now I have to track that down....Well after some more research there is a lot of discrepancy as to whether this was ever played live, I am voting no, but who knows. 
Cover
Click here to download the track
(please support the artist and buy the full album here)  
Thoughts on Cover Artist
When Danny brought this to my attention I had never heard of Mary Lee's Corvette, but was very intrigued with the offering.  While it is almost impossible for me to play favorites with Dylan, at knife-point I would have to say Blood On The Tracks is my favorite disk of his. To me it has it all and to hear a live rendition was very exciting. 
Thoughts on Cover
So I have to admit when I heard of this album, the first thing I was interested in was their cover of this tune as it is one that Dylan has never (well maybe 1 time) played live. Sprawling and deep, I do not envy anyone who tries to tackle it live in a noisy NYC LES Club. Mary Lee Kortes makes mention of this and invites someone to come help out with the lyrics, and what seemed probably like a fun harmless idea that night does not hold up well now listening to a recording years removed.  The joke'ster does an annoying Dylan clownish impression that is tough to get through, it is a classic over reaction to Dylan's nasal tone.  Tough it out though. The group does a admirable job with a whale of a song after that.
Grade: C-      

Friday, March 8, 2013

Full Show Friday: Buddy Guy Live in Montreux 2004

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)...This week...Buddy Guy!

We dip on into the blues this week with Buddy Guy getting it on up in Montreux back in 2004.  The show was put together by Carlos Santana and he joins in with Guy to end things here in the video.  Buddy starts off acoustic though, showing his range especially with his singing. 

He is one of the greats and playing here with a revitalized Santana adds to the magic.  Totally worth a listen, Highlights are the classic "Hoochie Coochie Man" the monumental Jam Sessions and a personal favorite "Done Got Old".

Have some blues with your Friday:

1-Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
2-Louise McGhee
3-Done Got Old
4-Hoochie Coochie Man
5-Fever
6-Drowning On Dry Land
7-Stormy Monday (with Carlos Santana)
8-Jam Session I (with Carlos Santana & Bobby Parker)
9-So Many Roads So Many Trains (with Carlos Santana & Bobby Parker)
10-Jam Session II (with Carlos Santana, Nile Rodgers & Bobby Parker)

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Album Review: Churchwood - 2

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

Boogie-Woogie'in with some warped honkin'n-rawk-blues, Churchwood comes hootin' and stompin' on their second full length release conveniently titled 2.   

Disk opener "Duende" is smoking with guitar solos sounding meaty behind the changing tempos from the 5 piece Texas outfit.  "Keels Be Damned" conveys some waltzing weirdness in the vein of "Singapore" from Tom Waits while the strong slide guitar of "Weedeye"pairs nicely with the groups sound. Lyrically the tune seems to be about some sort of drug trip gone bad or at least weird. Joe Doerr's vocals and lyrics overall may be a bit off putting to some as they are produced upfront and can admittedly be vulgar (not a bad thing in our book) and odd (never a bad thing) but it is also what sets Churchwood apart. 

The group really doesn't do funky too well on the creatively titled "You Be the Mountain (I'll Be Mohammad)" and while "Devil In Me" is a fine work out, amping up the wild punk on this rocker is needed to kick it up. On the plus side "A Message From Firmin Desloge" buzzes along with electrified confidence and sets an engaging tone off the bat. When the horns kick in for this tune it elevates it above the rest with a rocking outro that makes you want to hit rewind and ride that sucker one more time; easily the high point on the disk.  

This electric freak-blues outfit from Austin isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, reminding at times of such far ranging acts as Captain Beefheart to ZZ Top. Churchwood however aren't going for mainstream appeal, they are content dishing out their our unique, warped take on the blues.  
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An interesting band all around.  Support Churchwood here, grab the album here and Check out our favorite tune "A Message From Firmin Desloge":

and peep some of their live show to get a sense of the band below:

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Fan Made Pedal for Trey Anastasio

Thanks to LiveMusicBlog for this cool post about a fan hand delivering his custom made, light sensitive, foot effects pedal to Trey Anastasio.

Who knows if Big Red will use it live on stage, but knowing his experimental ways, I wouldn't be surprised if he gave it a go.  You can read more about the inventor of the pedal here.  He has done a bunch of cool shiz, I dig his re-created Ibanez TS 808 Tube Screamer as well as some other stuff he has been doing.

The light sensor effect program is super cool and with all the great light shows from CK5 for Phish there could be some crazy sounds with the band in the future.  Peep some Jedi rocking Trey below:

And some jam/effects laden Phish for some sense of perspective:

Not my favorite song, but easily the best night I ever saw that band play...

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Alan Uglow Exhibit in NYC Until March 23rd

A couple of weeks back we had the chance to attend the opening of the Alan Uglow Exhibit being held in the David Zwirner Gallery on 19th Street in NYC. 
In one of our most personal posts we have put on RTBE we talked about Alan's passing back in February 2011. He was a friend and someone we had the privilege to know, sure he was a world class artist, but he was also "Billy Idol" in the NY Blues realm and a real card of a character. 
It was great seeing a whole bunch of the NY Blues at the opening (and I am sure more came after I had to leave).  The main reason I got involved in the club was simply put, the people in the bar rooting for the team, not the players on the pitch. I have grown to love the squad and watch them non stop, but for someone entering this world fresh the vibe I felt from the supporters was my number one reason to support CFC.
This might sound sacrilegious to longtime fans but it is the truth, from my first match at the old Nevada Smith's I felt welcomed by the club (and Alan specifically) and I still do to this day. It is one of the things I try to help out new members with; NYC can be intimidating and one more place that you can call home helps.  Our wide range of fans also makes for some incredibly interesting conversations.  Just 2 weeks ago, after our Europa League match we had a heated conversation about manufacturing, workers rights, and globalization.  Alan would have been all over that.
We as a club have moved with Jack to The Football Factory, but the feeling is the same and Alan would have enjoyed the new space and people had he lived a bit longer.  He would have also loved winning the Champions League last year, but I am guessing he would have found one or two things to scream at the television about. We sang in his honor on that day and it was a joy to do so.
I have posted some pictures I took (poorly) of his work, but you should definitely make it out to Chelsea to see his exhibition as it runs until March 23rd. See the exhibit, then grab a few beers and argue about something you are passionate about in Alan's honor. I think he would have liked it that way.       

Monday, March 4, 2013

Dylan Cover #77 Mary Lee's Corvette "Tangled Up In Blue"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. This month we have a special focus on Mary Lee's Corvette LIVE full album cover of Blood On The Tracks, today's tune is "Tangled Up In Blue".
Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we talked about this song:
Have we really gotten to #58 on the Dylan cover list and not touched one cover of "Tangled Up In Blue"?  Wow.  The song that never ends, the tune that might just best sum up Dylan and we waited this long.  Well it just goes to show you how many great tunes he has.  Dylan constantly toyed with this song (check out the Rolling Thunder and Real Live version's if you haven't yet) and even he knows it can't stay stagnant in one form for long, so covering it is a good bet.  Needless to say it is in the top 5 greatest songs he ever wrote if we were ranking them...hmm.    
Cover:
Click Hear to Download the MP3.
(Please support the artist by buying the full album here)
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
So this one has been a long time coming, our good friend Danny had given us this disk when we first started doing this series.  He praised it highly and told me I had to check it out. I really wanted to and put it in my stack of CD's to get to...unfortunately it wasn't labeled and it got lost in the shuffle.  Glorious day! Now it is found! This March RTBE will work our way through four of the tunes from Mary Lee's Corvette impressive live cover of Blood on the Tracks recorded at Arlene's Grocery back in 2001.
Thoughts on Cover:
Confident rich and alive the first strums from Mary Lee Kortes ring out signaling the start of something special. There is singing that is incredibly heartfelt, lyrics stay the same, no switching of male/female dynamics and for an album historically pointed as the ultimate break up disk that is something special. Kortes gets sexy with the late night poem reading stanza as the passion bubbles over. the plucking of the guitar strings are placed directly at the forefront and drums keep their distance behind.  In the end not a radical re-telling of the tune, but a great energetic one.
Grade: A
      

Friday, March 1, 2013

Full Show Friday: Neil Young & Crazy Horse 10-26-12 New Orleans, LA

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)...This week...Neil Young & Crazy Horse!

Ok so we shockingly missed one of our hero's last year when they played Voodoo Fest, but we have the full show professionally shot here, ready to go with amazing visuals and sound.

This recent NY&CH set might not have switched up much as the tour progressed,  we caught it twice and loved it both nights...hell, who doesn't love a good rumble?!?!  We wrote a full review of one of the stops here for Glide so we won't write too much more regarding this one...Enjoy: 

2012-10-26, City Park, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Voodoo Experience
w/ Crazy Horse
Love And Only Love / Powderfinger / Born In Ontario / Walk Like A Giant / The Needle And The Damage Done / Twisted Road / Ramada Inn / Cinnamon Girl / F*!#in' Up / Psychedelic Pill / Mr. Soul / Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black) // Like A Hurricane