Happy Halloween! Ah-Wooo!

I am down celebrating Nolaween getting ready for The Voodoo Experience and I think I just saw a Perfectly Quaffed Werewolf!!!

Bite Down!

Draw Blood!

Happy Halloween!

Primus to play Wonka Inspired NYE Show

With Halloween here, the New Years Eve Show announcements are in full swing as tickets are being bought, plans are being made and rocking into the new year is not that far off on the horizon. While there are some intriguing local things we may or may not partake in, so far our to our eyes the best looking gig will take place on the left coast.

RtBE fav's Primus will be playing a show in Oakland's Fox Theater, and this isn't just any old gig for the band, they are bringing back Herb for this one and that is GREAT news. Also coming along for the tripped out ride will be some sort of Frog Brigade reunion and all of this will have a Willy Wonka inspired theme. Jesus kids are going to be losing their trippin' minds out there. 

A quick side note, dressing as Wonka was one of the finalists for Halloween Costumes this year...we will be dressing up tomorrow....but back to NYE. I don't think we will make that one, but we are hoping for some good live audio, and maybe some visuals to trickle back our way come the new year. Here is some live old Primus with Herb, some live Frogs, and some Wonka, cause Why not?
Primus "Tommy The Cat" and "Sgt. Baker" Love Les's Steal Your Face Shirt...

Col Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade (Herb on drums here too) "Thela Hun Ginjeet" King Crimson Cover:

Album Review: Graveyard Lovers -Dreamers

Hey all,

Got a review up on Glide.

Read it Right C'here!!!

It is of the Graveyard Lovers first full length, Dreamers.

Not gonna lie this one is pretty damn dope, especially for a first full length from a band. It is rock and roll purely but dips into all of the meta-catagories with raw blues rock, arena ready riffs and even a touch of mainstream radio (R.I.P) breakthroughs.

An NYC trio whose main two members Zach and Tricia are pounding the pavement in Brooklyn and lower Manhattan but (by way of Zach) bring a New Orleans air to things. Again right up our alley.  RtBE hope to have some more from them in the near future, but until then get to listening to the fantastic Dreamers. 

Support the group here, grab the disk here and peep some video below:
"Manifesto":

"Blessed Are the Ties That Bind" Live on Artie Lang Show:

R.I.P Lou Reed

The art rock world lost one of their founding members this weekend as Lou Reed passed away. The New York Times has a better write up then we can do so go here and read it.

We here at RtBE weren't the biggest of Reed fans, but he had some good tunes in his day...also a lot of shit. He was a distinct artist and for that alone he will be missed. So take a second and listen to some of his tunes:

Dylan Cover #110 Artmnet0 "Shelter From The Storm"

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 artmnet0 doing his version of "Shelter From The Storm". 

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we talked about a cover of this tune:
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:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:
I have never heard of artmnet0, but as we have mentioned before this series is lets us find artists who feel the same way we do about Dylan. He has posted a bunch of covers for you to check out.  
Thoughts on Cover:
First things first, Second language?!?! Fantastic work on that, secondly the rhythm seems pretty spot on and things hum from there. Not the most inventive cover, but it wasn't trying to be.
Grade B+

Full Show Friday: Pearl Jam Reading Festival 2007

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...Pearl Jam!

For the month of October we will be highlighting bands that will be playing this years Voodoo Experience, this is the last of our four entries...see you at Voodoo next weekend.

The one act we can not wait to see, and we have seen them a bunch already, is Pearl Jam. One of the few stadium ready rock bands still around, so when they take the stage at this years Voodoo Experience on Friday we will be expecting a good show and they will damn sure deliver even if we weren't too high on their newest release. 

That said, last time we were in NOLA for Pearl Jam was at Jazzfest a few years back it is easily the worst we ever saw the band play, they weren't bad, they were just faaasssstt! The whole band was juiced to be in town and they sped through their songs and bolted. So I am guessing they will get it together down in the Big Easy this time.

Now we have a show from England in 2007 when the band was fired up from the success of Pearl Jam (The Avocado) and the set is a rocking good time. They come out on fire teasing some angry Pink Floyd before a bunch of rockers, our favorites from the early going are "Corduroy" and "World Wide Suicide" Later in the show we dig "I Am Mine" (of course) but the whole thing is really well played. The show is pro-shot, pro-sound so enjoy, sorry the encore's ain't here.

Here you go with Reading from 2007:

Album Review: Monks of Mellonwah- Afraid To Die

Monks of Mellonwah

Afraid To Die EP

** out of *****

In an era where indie passes for mainstream Monks of Mellonwah bring back straight up riffs and singing to the hard rock world. The Australian 4 piece aren't reinventing the wheel (and at times can sound derivative) but the sound is solid, strong and assured on their newest 4 song EP Afraid To Die.

Opening up with the title track the band seems to have taken a stab at writing a James Bond theme as the song swaggers and shakes with confidence, easily the best offered here.  "Downfall" continues the riffs and overall feel of the disk before "Alive For A Minute" injects a theatrical feel to things as violins and drama overtake the song, zapping it of energy. EP closer "I Belong To You"  is the requisite ballad a band like this seems destined to offer but the flute just pushes it to over the top sappy. 

The group is going a new release route (just like the Pixies) with their newest songs as they break their full length LP into 3 parts. This is the second with Ghost Stories having been released in June. We will have a lot more to say about this release style soon, but for now straight up hard rock fans should take note of Monks Of Mellonwah. 
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Support the Artist Here, and stream/buy the album here. Check out a video from their last release below:

New Arctic Monkeys Video: One For The Road

So we have been in love with AM the newest Arctic Monkey disk and we got an email today about a new video from the album. We wanted to share it ASAP. Here is the newest vid for the next single "One For The Road":


Black and White stylized cool, Funny Car Tractors, Fireworks, pretty Boosh.

This tune isn't even one of our favorites but it is still a killer song with EPL terminology via that dangerous regulation zone, and a fuzzed up guitar. Just goes to prove this is a deep album with great jams all throughout. Grab it today if you haven't already, here's hoping they stop in NYC early next year. 
 

Album Review: The Men- New Moon

The Men

New Moon

**** out of *****

Take a messy mix of punk, arena ready riffs and country laced piano dip it in the yings and yangs of teen aggression and loneliness and you can only hope to get a disk as good as The Men's New Moon. Expanding their sound even more then on 2012's Open Your Heart, The Men have made an exhilarating rock and roll record.

Things here are aren't cohesive, there isn't a set plan and songs can feel rushed, all of that adds to the overall feeling of confusion the band seems to be conveying with their tunes. Lyrics ponder poetically the mixes of a relationship, with questions of "joining" and "surrounding", lots of me and you's seem to clutter the words sung by a variety of voices.  Love and fear, questioning of the future form the basis of a kind of upbeat layered neurosis that pushes the tunes rapidly along. 

Variety is all over this disk, in the instrumentation, the style of playing and the presentation."Open The Door" plinks a piano and puts an acoustic folk tinge on things before the swirling garage psychedelica of "Half Angel Half Light". "Without A Face" mixes punk power and chaos jamming with a harmonica, the looseness can be overwhelming while invigorating, as if the band has no shackles but is afraid to fly and that tension is exciting, showing flashes of Lou Barlow penned Dinosaur Jr tunes.
      
"I Saw Her Face" sums this up starting off loud but lazy, questioning, before kicking up the tempo and slamming like a car down a highway before it crashes into a ditch in fantastic Crazy Horse fashion (without a Neil Young figure driving). "The Brass" plays the punk up before wah-wah guitar endings, and "Electric" flashes a Ramones loving nod. "Bird Song" has some weeping guitars that get overshadowed by the pumping harmonica as the organ and drums into a country rock feel, not far from The Band. 

The relaxed art and power aggression mix is alluring as The Men seem to be able to go in a million directions and sometimes they want to do it all in the same song. This powerful 5 piece strum the correct chords and messy freedom with which New Moon is presented and skuzzily produced allowing for a teenage sense of wonder, and isn't that what rock and roll is all about?  
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We really dig this disk, I mean, REALLY dig it. This style of tunes is right up our alley, the band has a follow up EP that they recorded while making this album and we can't wait to hear it. We caught their set at 4 Knots this year, but The Men are easily a band we need to pay more attention to going forward. Hopefully we can catch them in November in Brooklyn.

Support the band here, buy the album here and peep some video below:
"I Saw Her Face"

"Without A Face"

"Bird Song"

Live Review: Hanni El Khatib 10-11-13 Bowery Ballroom

Hey All,

Got a review up on Glide.

You can read it Right C'here!!!

It is of Hanni El Khatib Live at the Bowery Ballroom on Friday October 11th.

Fun night of rawk and roll downtown. RtBE has been looking forward to catch H*E*K since we reviewed his album. We were not disappointed as the songs worked well with the full compliment of musicians behind him. Bass Drum of Death opened, and the vocals really turned me off, waaaaay too much messing with the singing for my taste. Read the review, enjoy the site and peep some live video samples from both below:
"Family" Live on Letterman

"Head In The Dirt"

Bass Drum Of Death "Shattered"

New High On Fire Tune, US Tour in Nov.

A little metal Monday for ya...Thanks for our friends over at Scion A/V we noticed that the metal trio that is heavier then hell, High On Fire is back with a new track, pummeling from the get go. Stream "Slave The Hive" below:

That is an awesome ride.We really dig these guys and bad ass tracks like this new one is the reason why. Their last album made our top 10 for 2012.

They are playing the US this fall/winter and while we will try to get there on the 15th, that is a tough day for us to attend at Webster Hall. We need to check them live soon though. On the plus side will have a review of their recent live release on the site soon. Peep some video of the band below:
Live 2010:
 

Dylan Cover #109 Gary U.S. Bonds "From A Buick 6"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is by Gary U.S. Bonds doing a cover of "From A Buick 6"

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we reviewed a cover of this tune:
The electric Dylan and one of the few songs where the Band Bob played with overshadows his early talents. Namely Al Kooper on organ and the great Mike Bloomfield on guitar as the two rip it open.  Bob is in a lighter mood and recalling old blues tunes like "Milk Cow Blues" but he also has a stream of consciousness appeal to the lyrics. Nowhere near one of his best, but one that lots of musicians like to cover because of it's kick ass blues rock feel.   
Cover: 


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
Gary U.S. Bonds can cook it up with the best of them in the rock and roll kitchen. He has always been tied to the E-Street Band (Some of them play here as well) and that is how I was first exposed to him as well, but the man should be more known on his own. Tunes like "New Orleans" just rule...well I do love that city...in just over 1 week I will be there...but I am getting off track.
Thoughts on Cover:
Unlike the last time we tackled a cover of this tune the chaos is tuned down. Bonds takes a methodical approach with a slower cadence, letting his players groove more then rock. There is a nice piano break and Bonds vocals are pretty good, but the energy does lack all around. Production is crisp but the power is sapped, frankly I was expecting a bit more.    
Grade: C-

Full Show Friday: Kid Rock 2001

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...Kid Rock!

For the month of October we will be highlighting bands that will be playing this years Voodoo Experience, this is the 3rd of our 4 entries. Kid Rock will be playing Sunday Nov 5th.

Ahh now this is one we are sad we will be missing, Kid Rock in New Orleans just seems like a match made in heaven and if we didn't have to fly back on Sunday we would have def stuck around to see his crazy ass. Hoping to hang with him somewhere in the murky back corners of that town...and I would say I got at least 50/50 odds on that.

Rather then going into the songs, which we honestly dig, I will tell a story.  Years ago one drunken night friends and family were chatting about the best party people out there, and who we would draft for our team. Celebrities, Rock stars, People we know all got mentioned and you can probably see where this is going...I drafted Kid Rock real early for my party team, I think the first round (either him of Jack Nicholson). He just seems like he would be a barrel of fun and I think we would probably find a ton of common ground.

Pro Shot, but the sound is a bit low, and reading the comments it is obvious this isn't the full show...

Album Review: La Luz -It's Alive

La Luz

It's Alive

**** out of *****

A lot of the time albums come with genre labels that seem to stretch both language and the bounds of responsible listening descriptions. Then you get a release like La Luz's debut on Hardly Art, whose press release christened It's Alive Surf-Noir. Having never thought about those two words together I was skeptical, but they sure nailed it; if you guess at what those two words sound like in your head you will get an instant picture of this disk without hearing a note.

Thankfully when the music flows things get even better. The female four piece from Seattle spin a cinematic take as the ripe guitars are crystal clear drums slap lonely and lyrics are fuzzed up lovelorn odes.

Tracks like "Big Bad Blood" pulse with a snaking bass line, "ooh's" that are high pitched, echoing over an eerie horizon line. The band stays tight lipped surf rock with "Sunstroke" and "Phantom Feelings" as sonic flares burst out from the instrumentals while the pace and tempo pump up with "Pink Slime". Opener "Sure As Spring" sets the album up for success with it's rolling snares and a gorgeous organ work, an early highlight. "What Good Am I" pushes up the drama as the band builds to a picturesque ending evoking a Mazzy Star-like scenario. With all four members singing the vocals swim into and out of each other with ease.  

The production is sparse letting the bands harmonies work well and while it has a slight novelty feel to the proceedings It's Alive is a winning debut that scratches an itch I didn't even know I have for Surf-Noir rock.
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Cool ass disk, thanks to the peeps at Hardly Art for cluing us into these ladies. We have listened to this a bunch since we got it and just love the sound...maybe it is the dying summer and timing of the release that works so well.    

Support the band here, buy the album here and peep some video below:
"Sure As Spring" Live:

Here is the bands live set at KEXP:

Album Review: The Avett Brothers -Magpie And The Dandelion

The Avett Brothers

Magpie And The Dandelion

** out of *****

The last few years have rocketed The Avett Brothers to success, looking to capitalize on that winning wave the band has put out Magpie And The Dandelion incredibly quickly, maybe a bit more time was needed. This is the band's second release to be produced by Rick Rubin, following on the heels of their multi-Grammy winning The Carpenter from last year. 

Restrained from the get go the band focuses on ballads and song writing, but things are muted and dull compared to past efforts, whether it is the scattered incomplete phrases or forced refrains that would read better on a t-shirt then sound in an ear. When you slow things down and take'r easy the main focus is on the songs and the production.

On the song front, things are middle of the road to weak. Opener "Open Ended Life" has a rambling feel with changes and bright sound, turning out to be the best track. The piano led "Good To You" runs long moving from a "Norwegian Wood" vibe to Elton John and back again in an odd manner.  "Morning Song" employs female singers for the closing chorus that feels forced and poppy. "Vanity" is best skipped with it's overwhelming pomp while "Apart From Me" has a pleasant if dull tone however the delicate (live sounding) "Souls Like The Wheels" is a good little gem. .

As for the production, there is lush instrumentation and crisp playing but also clear times ("Never Been Alive", "Skin And Bones") when things would better taking the simplistic folkise route. As it stands the overall disk moves dangerously close to late 70's in LA overproduction.  With music like this, less is usually more, the back porch fits these things better then a recording studio, and things teeter perilously over a sea of cheese ("Bring Your Love To Me").

Mainstream folk isn't a bad thing, the worst it ever becomes is forgettable, never offensive, Magpie And The Dandelion contributes no real standouts and only one clunker, "Vanity". A snooze, but not a totally unpleasant one.
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Happy for this band, and glad they became so popular as they have clear talent and song writing chops, but this one just didn't do it for me.

Support the band here, buy the album here, peep some video here: 
"Morning Song" Live

New Screaming Female Song and Tour:

RtBE favorites Screaming Females have a new song out on the interwebs and have released a batch of tour dates as well. You can stream the new song below:

It is a little long for our tastes, but we dig SF's style overall so we can't complain too much.

Hopefully they play NYC again soon, but they seem, to do that every few months so we are not worried, for those of you in Laramie, WY def make it out to see some killer punk rock goodness.

Some video samples of live Females below:
"Halfway Down->Fall Asleep"

Album Review: Pearl Jam- Lightning Bolt

Hey All,

We got a new review up on Glide.

Read it right c'here!!!

It is of Pearl Jam's newest release, Lightning Bolt.

Pains us to say it but this is a let down. Love Pearl Jam here at RtBE but things just feel too safe or too content on this for us to really recommend wholeheartedly. Very middle of the road.

The disk production sounds glorious though, props to the Band and Brendan O'Brien on that front, the music pulses and pulls the ears even if the songs themselves don't excite the brain or hips that much. It is funny in talking about the band we keep going back to the Avocado disk, and yes we still like it that much, later day PJ high point to us (Ahh that's the old Glide rating system, it was 4.5out of 5, these days it would be an 8). For this one the Glide editors pumped up the stars on us we sent it in originally with only 5 out of 10.   

Also I ended my review with this paragraph, but the site took it out:

Bluntly put new fans aren't going to be drawn to this disk and old fans will enjoy it for a short period of time before going back to their personal favorite Pearl Jam release. The band still gets off on the live show (doing it amazingly well) and these songs may grow and breath live, but as a disk Lightning Bolt just doesn't catch fire.

Support the band here, buy the album here and peep some video below:
Making of the Album:

"Siirens"

Dylan Cover #108 James Arthurs Megan Bonnell Dave Kirby "What Good Am I?"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune comes from the James Arthurs Megan Bonnell Dave Kirby and is a live cover of "What Good Am I?"

Thought's on Original:
Coming on the heels of Dylan's most powerful song in decades "What Good Am I?" can get lost on Oh Mercy, but the track is a sorrowful sweet plea. Slow and deliberate, questioning like the Louisiana night that may have inspired it. Dylan's vocal performance may not be his best but at the heart of it this is a really powerful song. Not one of his better known tracks, but a goodie all the same. Simple and slow, direct without hidden agenda's (I Think) all of which is a bit unique for Bob.
Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:
I never heard of the trio who is doing our cover this week, from what I can tell from a quick Google search they are musicians in Canada, but I don't got much more. Feel free to enlighten me.
Thoughts on Cover:
This is an under covered song and this version leads one to ask, why? The trio does an excellent job adding a simple grace to things. They switching of male and female vocals between first and second verses is excellent, as is the melding of those voices the rest of the song. The simple solo mixed with a harmonica feels tender, I also really dig the return to the first verse to tie a bow on things, excellent job guys and gal.  
Grade: A-

Full Show Friday: The Cure Lollapalooza 2013

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 Cure!

For the month of October we will be highlighting bands that will be playing this years Voodoo Experience, this is the second of our four entries. The Cure Play on Sunday Headlining and ending the Festival.

This week we have a band that I never got into, the closest I came to digging them were Dinosaur Jr's. cover of their tune. That said they will be headlining this year and I wanted to share their show.  I guess I should mention it two weeks into my preview of this upcoming festival..the lineup stinks. I don't care as the city is the real draw to head south, but god this lineup is total weaksauce. I could literally count on my hands the bands I would really want to see...that ain't good, but Voodoo has always been more for the kids, so maybe I am just getting old.

The fact that I never connected with The Cure doesn't matter much as they sound like they did years ago. The music is still poppy, while lightly brooding.  "Just Like Heaven" of course is my highlight, I like "Inbetween Days" as well, but fans I am sure will be able to tell me other gems that they love and I am missing out on.  This is also the most recent of the shows we will be posting this month, so odds are this set will be a lot like the one they play at Voodoo.

Pro-shot, Pro, Sound, Enjoy:

Sharon Jones Recovering, New Album in Early 2014

Thanks to our Daddies over at Glide, we were able to find out the good news that Sharon Jones is doing better after being diagnosed with Cancer right when her newest album was supposed to be released. The bands Give The People What They Want will be now out Jan 14th.

No it is not a Kinks cover album, but rather a tasty bit of retro soul that Jones and her Dap-Kings help put back on the map. We talked about the first single when we thought the album would be out this summer, and we still dig it now looking forward to the disk and very glad Jones is doing better health wise. We hope to catch them in February, though the Beacon would not have been our first choice, who needs seats when you got the soulful funky stuff?

Here is the official video for "Retreat" with damn cool animation:

RtBE Interview: Crystal Shipsss, Jacob Faurholt

Last week we had a chance to review the newest disk Dirty Dancer from Crystal Shipsss, today we offer an interview with the main creative force behind the project Jacob Faurholt. Thanks to Jacob for taking the time to partake in a RtBE Interview. Enjoy:

RtBE: When did you first get into music?
Jacob Faurholt: I got into music being in my teens listening to albums like Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream, Psyched Up Janis – Beats Me, Radiohead – The Bends etc. In 1997 I went to a Sophia (Robin Prober Sheppard from God Machine) show in my hometown Aarhus in Denmark, which really inspired me to do my own stuff.

RtBE: Why not call things "The Jacob Faurholt Experience"? Or something like that, why Crystal Shipsss?

JF: I have made several albums in my own name, but the Crystal Shipsss recordings did not really fit with what I was doing solo, so I decided to do it under another name.

RtBE: You have mentioned how personal Dirty Dancer is, even calling it an Autobiographical album, what made you feel now was he right time to write in this manner?

JF: I guess all my albums are on some level autobiographical, but on Dirty Dancer the lyrics are very direct, mostly they are descriptions of specific periods, or episodes in my life. A friend of mine who records and plays live under the name Man Meets Bear had all these albums that were “hidden away”, at least they were only available at live shows on CDR with homemade artwork (they are all released on Bandcamp now). That inspired me to record an album of songs that were not meant for anyone to hear, songs that lyrically were almost perversely direct. So that’s how it started.

RtBE: "I Had A Friend" is a written about a true horrific experience of losing your best friend and his whole family to a fire on a ferry, this must have been extremely painful, was writing the song cathartic in any way?

JF: I’m not sure, probably on some level. It’s definitely a song that means a lot to me.


RtBE: One of the things that instantly caught our ear were the pop tendencies under the experimentation, who were some of your influences? "I’m Not Insane" is one of our favorites and we really hear a sweet Daniel Johnston influence on that tune in particular.

JF: Daniel Johnston is a favorite of mine, and for this album I mainly recorded when I felt instantly inspired, often by music I was listening to. So yes his music is an inspiration. But you are right I think it’s important to have a song with a melody underneath all the mess. Musicians who builds an exciting universe around their songs, such as Sparklehorse, Flaming Lips, Grandaddy, Xiu Xiu, Okay etc, have always inspired me. On this album I was even inspired by Jay Z particularly on "The Horror Of It All".

RtBE: There is both an organic and at the same time industrial sound to the disk, how and where did you record it?

JF: I recorded and mixed the album in my apartment in Berlin on my Macbook, so I basically just used what I had. Nothing fancy. In the end I took the album to my friend Jens’ (Tjaere+Fjer) studio, and he helped me wrapping the album up mix wise. He also contributed with some additional recordings. As did Soren Little Brothers (Man Meets Bear) and Daniel Crowell (The New Slave) – they also contributed to the mix / did some additional mixing. I don’t have a lot of expertise in recording and mixing, so I basically just followed my ears and my ideas.


RtBE: You are in Berlin, how much did that city affect this release? Or other work you have done?

JF: I moved to Berlin 3 ½ years ago, and I think the city / moving here has influenced / affected my music a great deal. Of course because Berlin is an inspiring city with a lot of stuff going on, but also because here I can afford doing music more or less full time, or at least having music being my main thing. There is also a good community here of people doing music and art, which is inspiring.

Thanks again to Jacob.

Stream Pearl Jam's New Album Lightning Bolt Now!

Hey all, pretty cool interweb news here. Pearl Jam are streaming their new album on iTunes right now.

Stream It Here!

Don't waste any time, click that link up there and get on in there. We will have a review soon, we have been a bit back and fourth on the songs released so far, but the cool thing is, everyone can form their own opinion.

Enjoy the newest offering from Eddie and the boys, we can't wait to see them in a couple of weeks.

Album Review: North Mississippi All-Stars -World Boogie Is Coming

North Mississippi All-Stars

World Boogie Is Coming

*** out of *****

Early into World Boogie Is Coming the Dickinson brothers cover the blues classic "Rollin 'n Tumblin" but this ain't your grandpappy's take on the tune as a revved up sludgy 2 string guitar (whose body is a coffee can) riffs away before a banjo break, all this stomps around samples and turntable scratching; this is blues for the digital generation.

Not being afraid of experimentation, The North Mississippi All-Stars (Cody and Luther Dickinson) have created more of a feel disk then a structured album. With their last release, 2011's excellent Keys To The Kingdom, the band paid tribute to their late father with the best written songs of their career. On World Boogie Is Coming the songs are secondary, or third, or fourth...it is the vibe, soul, playing style and blending their hills country blues past with the future that takes precedence. Drum rolls end some songs and leisurely begin others like when the opening instrumental "Jr." flows into "Goat Meat" the latter getting spiced with Robert Plant's harmonica.

There are lots of guests here helping the brothers out, everyone from RL Burnside's sons Gary and Duwayne to Sharde Thomas come to help the party along. Music blends with found sounds, like rain, footsteps, etc to give a field recording feel to things as the players tackle Hill Country Boogie like Junior Kimbrough's "I'm Leaving". The group is far from beholden to the originals though, putting a delicate sweet spin on another Kimbrough tune "Meet Me In The City" when they aren't digging into samples and loops.              
While this is a excellent document of the times and a snapshot of the countryside (especially with the video work done by Cody) the album as a whole isn't particularly long lasting or memorable when the boogie winds down. The best tracks here (the electro slithering cover of Burnside's "Snake Drive" and previously mentioned "Rollin 'n Tumblin") are worth returning too, but otherwise the testament itself speaks louder then any songs. Long time fans may also be disappointed that there isn't a killer Luther 6 string assault present but all the experimentation lends itself to the live stage where the brothers truly butter their biscuits.

One thing that stands out is the most "rock" song here, "Turn Up Satan", sounds a bit half baked and it leads to wondering how this track would have worked if Luther was still playing with The Black Crowes. Hearing Chris Robinson wail on this one with some input from a set group of players may have enhanced it to greater heights. The rock roll will come later though as the NMAS have backwoods flowing through their instruments this time around.    

The brothers love their country, local people and most importantly the music and a disk like this will help the blues into the future while keeping it's past roots. The jammy-ness, digital samples and freedom may not be common in the blues but the boogie will never die.
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Not much more to say, we have always dug the group and they obviously feel very connected to this music, check out this interview on the recording of the disk, more insightful then I could ever be:


Support the band here, buy the disk here, and peep some samples below:
"Rollin' & Tumblin'"

"Meet Me In The City"

Dylan Cover #107 Jack Of Diamonds "Maggies Farm"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune comes from the Jacks Of Diamond and is a live cover of "Maggie's Farm"

Thought's on Original:
From the first time we reviewed a cover of this tune:
"Maggie's Farm" is classic Dylan, everyone thinks they know what it's about and they are sure they are right, but they all think different things.  I will confess I like the sped up Electric version from Newport Folk Festival that caused the end of popular folk music (in theory) and really solidified Dylan's pop music career.  It is a great tune and really flows in lots of forms... 
Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:
I have never heard of Jack Of Diamonds, but from their youtube page it seems that they are an Israeli Bluegrass themed band, here is their Facebook page for more info.
Thoughts on Cover:
Bluegrass live straight ahead rambling fits this tune perfectly and while not earth shattering it is a solid run through of the old folkie tune. If anything the band is channeling the Bard with the nasal delivery and loose tone, not a bad thing, just not super inventive either.  
Grade: C+

Full Show Friday: Nine Inch Nails 2005 Voodoo Fest NOLA

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...Nine Inch Nails!

For the month of October we will be highlighting bands that will be playing this years Voodoo Experience, this is the first of our four entries. Nine Inch Nails plays on Saturday at 9:45.

We are starting off this series with a band/artist who lived in New Orleans and has roots in the community. This concert actually comes from a past Voodoo show that Trent played as NIN back in 2005 when proceeds went directly to hurricane victims.

We have always liked NIN at an arms length, and will probably not make it to their set at this years festival, but if they could guarantee a set list and playing like the one we are watching today we might switch our plans up, this is cooking! Reznor is emotional, fired up, and a more engaging front man then I have ever seen him be before.

The only downside is someone STUPIDLY decided to censor this performance, I am only guessing it was a TV broadcast and things were on delay, but I have no other reason why someone would decide to censor anything like this. That is surprisingly the only negative to this outstanding show...  

It opens with an aggressive blast of the NIN that we dug back in the day "Head Like A Hole" but it is updated with a dramatic digital ending that soars. "Terrible Lie" continues the old power while "Closer" is pure industrial sexuality, and the guest appearance of Saul Williams is a bonus (the editing does stiffle things a bit). The fact they played the best song he created, "List Of Demands" is cool. Wow, did that album really come out in 08? Time is flying.

NIN gems like "Wish" "Suck" and "Hurt" make this a killer set...hmmm we may have to catch him on Saturday now after all...this show is damn good.

Pro Shot, Pro Sound, Stupidly censored...Enjoy:

Album Review: Parquet Courts- Tally All The Things That You Broke EP

Parquet Courts

Tally All The Things That You Broke EP

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

The Parquet Courts lo-fi poppy garage rock is captured winningly here on their newest EP, Tally All The Things That You Broke. The basic RnR simpleness mixed without of left-field guitar squeals combine for a British sounding punk flavor from these Brooklyn based boys.

The 5 songs here are scrappy, led by the best track "You've Got Me Wondering Now" with it's doo-op'y vibe and lyrical inclusion of the EP's title. "Descend (The Way)" keeps up the rock feel but "The More It Works" just ends up being repetitive as the added six-string flairs and feedback flairs can't rescue a dull song that at 5 minutes sticks around 3 and a half minutes too long. "Fall On Yr Face" has an awkward jangly vibe and vocals straight out of Suicidal Tendencies "Institutionalized" without the crazy fury.

It is in disk closer "He's Seeing Paths" that things really take a turn for the interesting.  The track has a hip-hop induced beat that grooves with odd sounds, a meaty guitar line and swagger, easily the most musically engaging track out of the bunch, ending Tally All The Things You Broke on an unexpected experimental high note, reminiscent of old Beck tracks.

The band is loose and quirky enough to mix things up in the garage rock scene keeping things fresh, and this EP will hold over fans (and possibly create new ones) until the next full length release.
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Support the band here, for a limited time you can stream the disk here at the A/V Club, and peep some video below:   
"You've Got Me Wondering Now"

Dead Weather Plan Album for 2014! New Raconteur Live LP/DVD

Thanks to the Vault over at Third Man Records we learn this:

Third Man Records & The Dead Weather are excited to announce that Vault Package #18 will include a 7" with two BRAND NEW studio recordings from the Dead Weather titled "Open Up (That's Enough)" and "Rough Detective", These songs are not throw-aways. These songs are not demos. These songs are not outtakes. The 7" will be pressed on striking yellow jacket vinyl and coupled with a custom glue-pocket picture sleeve, a slight shift from the Vault's usual die-cut company sleeves. This 7" will ONLY be available via Vault subscription and no other 7" of these songs will be made.

Is there more to come from the Dead Weather? Yes there is. The plan is to record and release two-song sets until 2015, at which time the Dead Weather will release a full album that contains these singles plus many more album-only tracks. It's a unique long-term plan for new music. The songs will also be released digitally, but not until Vault packages have been dispatched to subscribers. The goal is that physical copies are out there first.

Pretty cool since we subscribe to that Vault thing, but it is also great that The Dead Weather are next up for Jack. We love them and can't wait to see them live again with some friends who were late converts and missed them the first two album tours. That said, RACONTEURS!!!!! We are getting a live Raconteur LP and DVD with this vault package:

In addition to the 7", Vault Package #18 also includes a live double LP and DVD of the Raconteurs September 2011 performance at the Ryman Auditorium.

DOPE! ... but... we would love for the boys to strap it back up and make a new album, it has been our favorite thing White has been involved in.

We love them mucho, but any form of what Jack is going to do is welcome to these ears. Some old live Dead Weather That we Filmed to get you psyched for the new:

Intro "60 Feet Tall" 8-3-10

"I Can't Hear You"
    
"Die By The Drop" official video

Album Review: Crystal Shipsss- Dirty Dancer

Crystal Shipsss

Dirty Dancer

*** out of *****

Crystal Shipsss is the brain child of Berlin-based artist Jacob Faurholt and Dirty Dancer is the most personal release he has unleashed to date. There is a poetic feel to the disk that at times can drift into artistic realms, songs feel unfinished but that seems to be part of the point as Faurholt dips into lo-fi pop Daniel Johnston-light territory, searching for answers in the cosmos where he knows there aren't any.    

"Screaming Teens" starts off eerie with wisps and drops in upbeat acoustic breaks, while "I Know" works with a spoken word motif in front of buzzing sounds. Faurholt's voice is a definite draw as it can seem cryptic when he wants to ("18 Years Old" is one example) but also breathtaking like on the delicate "I'm Not Insane" which is augmented by twinkling acoustic guitar and backing vocals. On the "Nightmare" side of things Faurholt strums chill inducing strings over a death march beat, his personal emotions are all over this release.

Mixing styles on a track like "Lost" lead to interesting results as the dance beat backing seems to be at odds with the confessional nature of the song, this time the disconnect works. When Faurholt decides to play it straight on the piano based tale of horrific personal loss on "I Had A Friend" or the plea-filled "Dad" the overall result is very effective, proof that if Crystal Shipsss wanted to just record straight ahead tunes the talent is there as well.  

The experimental nature of this release means not everything is going to be super successful, the pseudo rapping of "The Horror Of It All" seems out of place and a misstep, and the dance beats from "Pig" don't seem well placed. Neither stick around to long to detract much from the overall feel or tone of the disk.      

The personal nature of Dirty Dancer pulls the listener along with the singer for Faurholt's self searching journey while the twisted musical offerings keeps the path jagged and engaging. A listener needs to keep their balance when Crystal Shipsss are sailing.  
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I am guessing you don't know much about Crystal Shipsss either did we, but if you stay tune to RtBE you may just get some more info (oooh a teaser!).  It is artists like this that make me really love the internet, would never have heard of Jacob Faurholt without sites like bandcamp and this blog.  Keep up the great work Mr. Faurholt.

You can support the artist here, you can buy/stream the album here, and peep a video sample below:
 "Lost"

"I Had A Friend"

More Flaming Lips in 2013

While the band wraps up it's second sold out night in NYC we got some news on them. So thanks to The Future Heart, it looks like The Flaming Lips are not done putting out new music in 2013. All the info can be gleamed here.

They are partnering with Tame Impala to put out an EP and also putting out an EP called Peace Sword before the calendar turns.

There partnership with Tame Impala should yield fruitful results (we enjoyed Lonerism a bit), here is a cool video (if taken the wrong way) from TFH of the band recording:

Seems like the fellows are really active which is great, The Lips and a sci-fi epic like Enders Game seems like a pretty good match. That said we actually thought The Terror was horrific, so we will wait and see but even in their failings the Lips are always interesting.

Album Review: Rubblebucket Save Charlie EP

Hey All,

Got a new review up on Glide.

You can read it Right C'here!!!

It is of Rubblebucket's newest EP Save Charlie.

I don't really have much more to add then the review states, there are only 3 songs and a cover, plus remixes so you don't have a lot to work with but I do really enjoy the title track, and the upbeat shiny 80's pop feel of things, which isn't always the case.

You can stream the full EP here and form your own opinion peep a video below of one of the Remixes which were not my favorite part of this release:
"Save Charlie Big Black Delta Remix"
 

Album Review: Dr Dog -B-Room

Dr. Dog

B-Room

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

Dr. Dog are never going to escape the comparisons to The Beatles, The Band or The Beach Boys, but if you are partaking in retro-styled pop/rock why would any band want to? The rolling sounds, easy harmonies and back porch feel continues to flow from B-Room as Dr. Dog just keep making great music.

Opening with "The Truth" the band seems relaxed as they ease into their new home studio via a lounge based swing and lazily perfect vocals. The matching of all voices but particularly the shifting back between co-front men Toby Leaman and Scott McMicken keeps things fresh and alive. "Broken Heart" enjoys "Freedom from the heartache" over a bubbling joyous sound while "Distant Light" spruces up a light march making it triumphant.

"Phenomenon" has violin squiggles as instruments blend and flow together; things seem incredibly democratic in sound and scope. The horns and fuzz come out for excellent "Long Way Down" that is reminiscent of about 100 older songs, but never apes one particularly, a neat trick this band manages to pull off over and over again. Things seem familiar yet new in the same moment. "Cukoo" continues the groups trend of working unrepresented animals into their tunes this time with a funky guitar riff while singing about the clock on the wall, before "Twilight" delicately flutters away. "Rock and Roll" has energy and swagger while disk closers "Love" grooves and "Nellie" gets folksie allowing for a set closing sing along behind a barroom piano.

"Too Weak To Ramble" is a stripped down spiritual highlight of the disk. Basic with just strumming and voices, Leaman and McMicken take away all distractions and let the spotlight shine on vocals and song writing winningly, sometimes less is more. Other then "Too Weak To Ramble" however none of the rest of the tunes approach Dr. Dog's all time best, which could either speak to consistency or a lack of a real shiner, either way, in context the album moves along briskly without any down moments.      
 
B-Room is titled for their own recording studio the band has built and used, giving them freedom to play with things. Their last release suffered from working without an editor or outside voice to curb some of the excess, here however the band seems at ease, willing to draw back at times or expand as it suites the individual song.  The group interplay is key and as long as this band keeps rolling together we have high hopes for the future of Dr. Dog while the present is pretty damn good too.
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Dr Dog are one of RtBE's fav's but we were less then enamored with Be The Void, (that review is actually too kind upon reflection) but we love B-Room and the band in general. Dr. Dog just have it.

Support the band here, buy the album here, and peep some video below:

"Broken Heart"

"Love"