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... Bo Diddley - Jerry Lee Lewis - Chuck Berry - Little Richard
For November The Masters showcases the greats of early rock and roll
We close out our monthly showcase of the early rock and roll greats with this killer find, The Toronto Rock & Roll Revival footage from 1969. The greats were getting long overdue respect around this time and this video captures four of the best to ever grace a stage, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Chuck Berry.
These clips are so cool and this is the perfect way to wrap up this month's Masters series spotlight. The series will be taking a break next month, but will hopefully be back in the future, hope you enjoyed it.
Pro Shot and Pro Sound for 1969, this is some history right here. Enjoy:
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.. Ritual Day!
It is upon us! BLACK Friday! In a tradition we started a few years ago it is time for the most evil Black Metal ever; because really it is the perfect soundtrack if you are hitting the brutality of shopping on this day. Granted we here at RtBE are not fans of the genre (or shopping) but have researched a few bands after enjoying the documentary Until The Light Takes Us.
Since it is BLACK Friday and we are still in the middle of our Masters series looking back at the original greats of Rock and Roll, you will get a bonus Full Show Friday later today, but we could not stop the BLACK Friday tradition, so enjoy Ritual Day first.
Stay tuned for a bonus Full Show Friday a bit later in the day.
Since it is a holiday, also make sure to enjoy your time with loved ones and family. As a famous man once said, "Enjoy Every Sandwich"...especially the leftover turkey, mashed potato, stuffing and gravy ones on potato rolls...
The last few years we have thrown it back to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades of the past and this years no different.
Here is the 1995 Thanksgiving Day Parade, now go get stuffed!
The newest from the North Mississippi Allstars continues their string of solid releases, incorporating a host of friends and new sounds into brothers Cody and Luther Dickinson ever evolving blues playing. For this effort the core band has expanded to include Carl Dufrene on bass, Sharisse Norman on vocals and Sharde Thomas on fife and vocals.
That new fife and drum hill country blues sound comes at you right from the gate with "Call That Gone" as the band gets loose around Thomas' fife and Cody's big bass drum while Luther's lead lines soar. The more laid back hippie themed title track lets the band stretch out before with languid fluidity but the core group is just as happy to get down and dirty like on "Bump That Mother" which attacks Mississippi racist history and state flag with Roosevelt Collier helping out on steel guitar.
Guest stars are a big part of Up and Rolling as the boogie band bring on-board some grade A level friends starting with none other than Mavis Staples. Staples joins for the gospel grooving of "What You Gonna Do?" which also features Tierinii Jackson and Tikyra Jackson (of Southern Avenue) on vocals and Rev Charles Hodges gorgeous B3 organ work.
Ace guitar slingers Duane Betts and Jason Isbell (who also sings) turn up for the heavy blues of "Mean Old World" which kicks up to an Allman Brothers southern rave to close; the tune feels as if it could go on forever and hopefully all the players get after live in the future. Compatriot Cedric Burnside joins for the rolling hill country blues of "Out on the Road" and the more Sunday orientated "Take My Hand, Precious Lord".
The same complaints remain for the band, they naturally create more of a "vibe" than a true must hear album (reminiscent of World Boogie Is Coming) and the studio tracks tend to run on to long, but both issues are par for the course when it comes to a band who is made for the live stage.
On this go around however Norman and Thomas vocals really add a new dimension to the bands sound, a throw away tune like "Drunk Outdoors" evolves into a funky duet, bringing smiles and hip shaking party vibes to the group. As the North Mississippi Allstars continue to do their thing in their own way, with help from great friends, they continue to exceed expectations and put out music that makes you think and dance, can't ask for much more during these times.
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On Lightning Bolt's most recent release (2015's Fantasy Empire) the band presented it's most cohesive and accessible album in their 20 year career as they moved to the Thrill Jockey label. The duos followup Sonic Citadel is another step in the direction of accessibility, however that doesn't mean the noise chaos and ear-hole assault blasts of sound have been scaled back by any stretch. The group just now offer a few song structures, actually intelligible vocals and (gasp) melodic passages.
Lightning Bolt is Brian Gibson and Brian Chippendale a bass and drum combo who has been making a racket since way back in the late 90's, playing an ambushing style of noise rock that escapes through filters, loops and cymbal crashes, enveloping the listener in the maelstrom.
Blasts of thunder drums and laser like sounds kick things off for "Blow To The Head" as the band gets operatic-metal with their vocals before the more guttural clanging freak rock of "USA Is a Psycho", resembling a more distorted Primus. "Air Conditioning" is slightly more straight ahead slamming with powerful riffs and buzzing intensity but the band proves more then they are metal tropes and noise rock excursions.
A track like "Don Henley In the Park" seems out of place from their catalog as it starts sweet with almost acoustic strings layering over each other, flirting with nightmare territory via crazy drums and spaced out sounds but never fully diving into madness. It doesn't take long though for it's followup "Tom Thump" to spazz out into over driven punk terrain, playing like the hardest Ween song ever.
The bands blitzkrieg-soundtrack-to-cataclysmic-chaos style is perhaps best captured on closer "Van Halen 2049", a screeching display of endless energetic drumming, squealing effect pedals and The chainsaw like industrial repetition clanging appropriately named "Big Banger" is also a gear grinding delightful mess while "Bouncy House" inserts piercing riffs around galloping drums and breakdowns slamming ahead with "London Bridge" falling down all around it as the drums are insanely volatile.
What's new are the tracks where vocalist/drummer Chippendale is actually able to be heard adding a new dimension to the outfit. "Halloween 3" before rising to a glorious ending while "Husker Don't" is fairly straight ahead with melodic singing and a long glorious solo to end wrapping up in blissful distortion. "All Insane" is a stunner in that it sounds so sweet, as if a '50's love song got dropped in a garbage disposal, gnarled, then rescued and presented in loving fashion, urging us all to live before this all disappears around an urge plea that we are all insane which garbled enough sounds like we are all the same.
Even more so than on Fantasy Empire, Sonic Citadel expands the groups sound and structure and will open the ears to more fans in the process which is a good thing as the band is blast of rawness that keeps on growing and experimenting, even while inching ever so slightly more towards the mainstream.
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While this noiserock/metal isn't for everyone, RtBE really likes these guys. Support the band, buy the record, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by Ike and Tina Turner playing "She Belongs To Me"
Thoughts on Original:
The first song in this series was a different cover of this track, here is what I wrote about it then and still feel the same way:
This is a gem of a song, a twisted tale that entwines beauty and deceit, darkness and sparkling Egyptian Red Rings. One of Dylan's best in it's mystery, elusiveness and bitter biting undertones; really pure Dylan and one of his all time classics. Loved it when I first heard it, still love it today. Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist: Tina Turner is a damn good entertainer/singer/survivor who hit her stride once she left the abusive Ike and flourished on her own. Achieving mega super-stardom in the 1980's which was well deserved. Because of his shitty persona and abusive life, Ike isn't talked about very much these days but he was critical in developing the Rock and Roll sound as he recorded "Rocket 88" often called the first rock and roll song. He wasn't the first bad person in rock and roll and he certainly wasn't the last. While we look back at 50's and 60's early rock and roll we wanted to showcase Ike and Tina who were a productive part of it musically.
Thoughts on Cover:
Changing the gender of the title character and knowing what is now known about Ike and Tina's relationship this song seems gross, but as a musical statement it is crisp and soulful. Also a very happy birthday to Tina tomorrow.
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...Gene Vincent & Eddie Cochran!
For November The Masters showcases the greats of early rock and roll
Two artists who have hits that soar well above their level of fame. Everyone knows "Be-Bop-A-Lula" and "Summertime Blues" but not everyone knows Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran. Here is a combo video with both of them getting after it with their respective bands. Some fantastic early rock and roll from these two.
Pro shot, Pro sound but with some wear and tear, full setlist and info below. Enjoy:
Gene Vincent Songs
1. Be-Bop-A-Lula 2. High Blood Pressure 3. Rip it Up 4. Dance to the Bop 5. You Win Again 6. For Your Precious Love 7. Rocky Road Blues 8. Pretty Pearly 9. Be-Bop-A-Lula 10. High School Confidential 11. Over The Rainbow 12. Roll Over Beethoven 13. Over The Rainbow 14. She She Little Sheila
Eddie Cochran Songs
1. C'mon Everybody 2. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You 3. Don't Blame It On Me 4. Summertime Blues 5. School Days 6. Be Honest With Me 7. Money Honey 8. C'mon Everybody
The afrobeat legends Antibalas are releasing a new full length album, Fu Chronicles, on Daptone Records in early 2020 and will be touring behind it.
The band released the first single as well and you can hear it below as it is a great new tune from the group who are blast live and worth checking out. Full tour dates are below:
Antibalas — 2020 Tour Dates Tuesday, February 11 — The Siren — San Luis Obispo, CA Wednesday, February 12 — Moe’s Alley — Santa Cruz, CA Thursday, February 13 — The Regent — Los Angeles, CA Friday, February 14 — The Independent — San Francisco, CA Saturday, February 15 — The New Parish — Oakland, CA Sunday, February 16 — The Independent — San Francisco, CA Thursday, February 20 — Neptune Theatre — Seattle, WA Friday, February 21 — Rickshaw Theater — Vancouver, BC Saturday, February 22 — PDX Jazz — Portland, OR Sunday, February 23 — The Olympic — Boise, ID Wednesday, February 26 — Knotty Pine — Victor ID Thursday, February 27 — The Commonwealth Room — Salt Lake City, UT Friday, February 28 — Washington’s — Fort Collins, CO Thursday, March 19 — The Sinclair — Boston, MA Friday, March 20 — Brooklyn Bowl — Brooklyn, NY Saturday, March 21 — Brooklyn Bowl — Brooklyn, NY Thursday, March 26 — Terminal West — Atlanta, GA Friday, March 27 — The Grey Eagle — Asheville, NC Saturday, March 28 — Cat’s Cradle — Carrboro, NC Friday, April 3 — Sleeping Village — Chicago, IL Saturday, April 4 — SPACE — Evanston, IL Friday, April 10 — Lee’s Palace — Toronto, ON Saturday, April 11 — Lee’s Palace — Toronto, ON Friday, April 17 — Theatre of The Living Arts — Philadelphia, PA
The Brooklyn band Big Thief's third album U.F.O.F is a spacey folksy trip through dreams and lingering wants/desires. A quote regarding the album from lead singer Adrianne Lenker sums up the record:
“Making friends with the unknown… All my songs are about this. If the nature of life is change and impermanence, I’d rather be uncomfortably awake in that truth than lost in denial."
The album opens with it's strongest individual track "Contact" as the ominous notes strum and float out into the ether while Lenker's Mazzy Star like vocal approach casts soothing net around the listener before a primal screeching solo ends things one a shoe-gaze motif which wraps up just when it seems ready to soar.
This style is a bit of a swerve though as the rest of U.F.O.F is more of a thematic mood record, residing in that dream world of easy going folk rock. The title track uses motifs of escapism and a light groove to roll along while "Cattails" stretches out with easy warped Americana in folksy style. There are adjustments such as the flute that pulls up on "Century" or the pop of "Strange" which contains ominous undertones lurking around the edges but the majority of the album pleasantly floats by like with the artsy twinkling percussion and sounds on "From".
The reason all of this light and airy folk works is the sense of something more, something darker just under the surface and sometimes it rises close to breaking through like on the slow march of "Jenni", but Lenkers vocals are clearly the main attraction. The record closes with just her voice on "Magic Dealer" giving her the spotlight to completely focus on her singing and lyrics, which are poetic and warbling as her breath pushes the syllables forward.
At times more of an musical knife edge would harden these tracks and play against Lenker's soft vocals, but as it stands U.F.O.F. is a warm solar wind of a record from Big Thief.
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Support the band, buy the album and peeps some video below:
RtBE loves listening to new music and prides itself on keeping tabs on up and coming artists but in 2019 we are also going to have a monthly spotlight on legendary artists who we really love. We are calling this series The Masters. It will focus on the best albums, live records, transcendent shows and other odd ways we appreciate the artists and their contribution to music, culture and our formation.
For October The Masters focuses on Early Rock & Roll
Unlike our previous list this month which was more of a chance to just discuss the legends and their greatest hits, since they never focused on albums during their heydays and were only out for the hits, this list will be official live shows/releases from those artists and others.
Then again, this list is kind of pointless as EVERYTHING was live back then, so the ripping King Curtis saxophone blare, or Lloyd Price bellow or DJ Fontana snare slap was captured as is. Even though almost all of their studio records were recorded live in the studio, some of the classic concerts from that era are worth revisiting.
We cover a few we left off our list of top studio work, but some of them also pop up. Remember these lists are made to start conversations, so without further ado let's go up, down, down up, any way you wanna let it roll, yeah, yeah, yeah...
On the Alabama Shakes second album Sound & Color things got out there in experimental fashion and it is now clear who the instigator of that shift was as Brittany Howard's first solo record is a genre defying coming out party. Jaime has the feeling of an artist searching for her own voice and sound in exciting fashion. Not a perfect statement, more like a work in progress, but for a first solo album there are flashes of brilliance from Howard.
The first single might just be the best of the bunch as "History Repeats" is delightful with its syrupy funk sound and killer percussion as an ode to Prince (whose influence is all over the record) via Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell P-funk.The song, like many here, is quick, ending before truly taking off. There is something exciting about truncating the jam, but hopefully some future numbers will extend as this vamp is intoxicating.
Howard's voice is just as bad ass, shifting from crooning to meaty, falsetto to spoken word from song to song each variation a direct hit. She pleads to an unrequited lover in "Georgia" (another track that soars to close) and delivers a modern torch song around strings, fuzzed guitars and a great groove during "Presence". The soulfulness and R&B vibe are alive for the bumping retro charm of "Stay High" (the closest to an Alabama Shakes tune on the record), the grooving "Tomorrow" and the luscious "Baby" as Howard moves towards more modern dance ready beats around her powerful singing.
Her more plain spoken approach relationship with God song "He Loves Me" adds a realness while "13 Century Metal" uses a digital dance beat supporting self proclamations and spoken word testaments about positivity while striving to do right. The track "Goat Head" is a personal stunner as Howard deals with racial animosity that she has dealt with from birth including the disturbing imagery of the title object.
The acoustic based blues number "Short and Sweet" is far from straight ahead twelve bars but it proves Howard can take the past and meld it with present and future while the huge synth ballad "Run To Me" ends the album with a weepy showcase of her powerful artistic presence. There are experiments, stops and starts but overall Jaime is success as Howard continues to prove she is a follow talent.
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Support the artist, buy the record and peep some video below:
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune comes from Solomon Burke and is a cover of "What Good Am I?"
Thought's on Original:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this song:
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: Solomon Burke is a mega star from the early days of rock and roll, "Cry To Me" alone should make him a legend, Rock n' Soul is an all-time classic. Jerry Wexler called him one of the greatest soul singers of all time and who are RtBE to argue with that?
Thoughts on Cover:
A flat out awesome cover that we probably should have gotten to earlier in this series as it is a stunner. Funky music, big vocals and passionate delivery, this one has it all.
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...Bill Haley & The Comets!
For November The Masters showcases the greats of early rock and roll
A great capturing of Bill Haley & The Comets from 1958 with Bill introducing each track. The video and the sound is immaculate and while it is a brief set, the songs are done with power and precision. Haley is considered by some as the father of rock and roll and we wanted to give him some love during our spotlight on the masters of the early rock and roll era.
This show is great and the Comets cook, just listen to "Rudy's Rock" as they get loose. Pro Shot, Pro Sound, full set list and info below. Enjoy:
The newest release from the noise rock band Metz is a collection of B-sides, demos, non-album singles and rarities which date back to 2009. The group has released some excellent clanging albums including Strange Peace, i and ii, now Automat admirably fills in the gaps with some lesser known tracks. It is a statement to their style and sound that this thrown together collection holds up with their more conventional releases; the buzzing rock which the band has always displayed continues even during their more tossed off moments.
"Soft Whiteout" does what this band does best, droning, buzzing grinding guitar work with distortion electric screeches, distant drums and angry vocals. At times you it can sound as if you are sitting in Alex Edkins amp with the twitches glitches and distorted freak-outs. The buzzing distortion and feedback rattling sound continue in banger's and migraine inducers like the warbling "Lump Sums", the driving "Ripped On the Fence", the stop/start power of "Pure Auto" and "Dirty Shirt" which is propelled by the slamming drums of Hayden Menzies.
"Dry Up" stands out with it's crisp guitars to start and loose bass notes as the band slams ahead and lets the echoing sound ring out while the demo version of "Wet Blanket" is a cool throwback for fans of the bands first full length. The most pop friendly tune on this release finds the loose groove laid down by bassist Chris Slorach during "Leave Me Out" which isn't pretty but the most palpable for non noise rock fans.
The title track for this collection is more experimental with electronic sound effects and beats mixing in the overall sound while the punk slamming of "Can't Understand" was originally released back in 2013 by Adult Swim.
If you are new to Metz, starting with any of their previous records is probably a wise move, however Automat is a solid approximation of the band and not the oddball offering some b-side releases tend to be.
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Support the band, buy the album, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:
The Berries are the brainchild of Matt Berry who does it all on his sophomore release with various friends helping out to craft a guitar based pop rock record titled Berryland.
Multi instrumentalist Berry has played in more noisy outfits (Big Bite, Happy Diving) but here his love for hooky '70's inspired radio sounds take the lead. All though the record starts off on it's darkest note as the opener "Makes Me Sick" forecasts doom and hopelessness with added flute work by Veronica Dye, but thing quickly perk up on the incredibly pretty (despite it's title) "The Lowest Form of Life" as Nicholas Merz pedal steel work combines with Berry's upbeat singing and guitar lines.
Berry recorded all of the other instruments himself and the layers of guitars he places on tracks add up, "Passing Scene" in particular has excellent acoustic work, rhythm guitar lines, a fluid bass line, smooth slide and a great jangling solo with psychedelic flourishes. It is a killer album highlight which could go on and on as the guitar lines rise and fall all over each other.
"Feral Eyes" is also a winner bringing back Merz pedal steel to add some upbeat country boogie to the album in hip shaking fashion around Berry's piumping bass and fuzzed up rocking guitar solo. On the flipside of things "Along The Water" drags with a washed out sound while a track like "D.Y.W.I.B" combines digital beats with Berry's pedal laden psychedelic 60's inspired guitar effects and while interesting the combo feels oddly paired.
Better complete efforts are the classic rock sounding "Pedestal" which finds Berry singing with menace and the self harmonizing "Fruit" which showcases what Berry does best, take mainstream influences and put his own unique stamp on them. Berryland is a confident work of art as Matt Berry melds 90's Seattle and 70's California in his unique way.
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A great random bandcamp find, support the artist, buy the album, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:
A huge goodbye party was thrown in NYC for the metal gods Slayer as they played the New York leg of their retirement tour with some amazing bands helping to send them off proper.
The show started early with Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals as the doors to the worlds most famous arena opened at 5 pm and Phil and crew were rocking out at 6 to a mostly full house. The band played all Pantera songs and surprisingly got the largest consistent pit of the night from any of the four bands. The crowd went ape shit during "Strength Beyond Strength" as Anselmo growled over the slower "This Love". The thundering drums for "Fucking Hostile" echoed around the huge arena before the screaming guitar of "Walk" ended the the set, but not before the band snuck in a bit of "Stairway to Heaven" and a group selfie.
While the next two bands received more mixed reactions from the crowd their style shows the range of metal and it's off shoot genres. Ministry stole the show with their industrial whirring and slamming as Al Jourgensen and crew came out to a parody of "New York, NY" insulting Donald Trump. Ministry always works best under Republican presidents (Rio Grande Blood, Psalm 69)and Jourgenson seems fired up once again under Trump. The band relied on mostly older tunes, but things were brutal from the dentist drill guitars of "Stigmata" and the Thieves/Liars chants from "Thieves". The surprise of the night was the bands exploratory cover of Black Sabbath's "Supernaut" which jammed out and soared. The bands killer tunes from Psalm 69 also worked as "Just One Fix", "N.W.O" and set closing "Jesus Built My Hotrod" cooked with high intensity.
Primus seemed to go in the other direction, over the last fifteen years they have been exploring their more jamband leanings and tonight was no different. There were some sound issues early with Larry Lelonde's guitar too low in the mix, but the band Segued in and out of "Sgt Baker" during "Too Many Puppies" before the loud bass of Les Claypool took over during "Frizzle Fry". There were a few down moments in their set which drained it of energy, like "The Seven" and "Mr. Krinkle" but things ended strong with a powerful combo of "My Name is Mud" and "Jerry Was A Race Car Driver".
The thrash legends took the stage to much bigger fan fare as fire shot from their backdrop and Slayer dove deep into their metal catalog. Opening with "Repentless" the band played songs from all over their career even going all the way back to the title track of their first album Show No Mercy. "World Painted Blood" was an early highlight as the the band never took their foot off the pedal, while the fans were more in watching the band and the flames then tear down the house, resulting in much smaller and less frequent pits/slam dancing. While the bands before them showed more range, Slayer were content to stay one note, thundering from the beginning which wore thin at times, but you don't see Slayer for variety.
Guitarist Kerry King had some issues with "War Ensemble" and "When The Stillness Comes" causing the band to abandon it, but old warhorses like "Seasons In the Abyss", "Chemical Warfare" and "Hell Awaits" were greeted with cheers. The bands biggest songs "Raining Blood" "Dead Skin Mask" and "Angel of Death" back ended the set to happy fans who got to witness the power and pumping of the band one last time on one of the biggest stages there is.
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Catch the tour, and peep some video below:
In 2017 Samantha Fish explored two different avenues of her influences as Belle Of The West played with mostly acoustic country/roots/blues and Chills & Fever dove into rocking soul sound. Now her newest release Kill Or Be Kind, moves close to combining all of her varied influences into a thematic sound of her own that pushes into pop territory.
The trials and tribulations of love are all over Kill Or Be Kind, as Fish worked with a variety of songwriters to move further away from the blues, but her strong playing and singing are still her rock solid foundation.
Tracks like "Try" and the title song prove her electric blues style is still in tact but it is newer sounds like The Beatles pop inspired ballads like "Fair-Weather" and "Dream Girl" which push Fish into a more mainstream sound. "She Don't Live Around Here" and the sultry "Dirty" both keep the electric organs and guitar solos but also successfully tests these same waters.
A modern groove filters through the opening "Bulletproof" but the track seems to be yearning to be more dangerous. Along with "Watch It Die, both tracks while well written and performed, are understated and constrained by Scott Billington's production. A better pairing is the revved up soul horns and ripping solo on "Love Your Lies". Fish seems to be putting her lyrical stamp on tracks and the sexy "Love Letter" grooves and builds successfully to a rousing climax.
Closer "You Got It Bad" is a good example of Fish mindset on this record. On past albums a burner like this would have been blown out and extended with raging solos but every time it seems ready to explode through her powerful singing or playing it drops back down; the rawness of Fish's style has been tempered for more of a pop polished push on Kill Or Be Kind.
Fish is a blazing live performer who pours everything out onto the stage, her studio work is evolving and while not up to her live playing yet, there are lots of positive takeaways as Kill Or Be Kind is a successful step in her broadening career.
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Support the artist, buy the record and peep some video:
Tiny Changes: A Celebration of Frightened Rabbit’s ‘The Midnight Organ Fight’
** out of *****
Looking back at Glide's Top 50 Albums of the 2000's I am pretty impressed how well it holds up. Working with Shane from the site, we compiled the list and while both of our tastes focus more on the guitar/rock side of things, the list is pretty solid. Are there few albums we missed and would have liked to have swapped out looking back ten years removed? Of course. For cultural importance, Eminem'sMarshall Mathers record should have been there (that's on me, I forgot it was recorded in 2000) and Kanye West'sLate Registration or Graduation (or both) probably deserved more love. However, the one record that definitely should be on there is Frightened RabbitsThe Midnight Organ Fight. It is one of the best albums of the decade and both of us just blanked on it. I think you can slip out Ween'sWhite Pepper and put this directly in the 12th spot for a better list.
Scott Hutchinson delivered such an intimate portrait of a relationship crumbling with this record it is amazing. He speaks to failing love in a thick Scottish accent but anyone around the world can relate. The music is odd, with instrumentation ranging all over the map and Hutchinson (who at this point was the main creative force in the band) poured his broken soul onto the album.
In general tribute albums tend to underwhelm. While they can make great concerts, and celebrations of the original material, the recordings rarely age well or make any legitimate enhancements on the originals. Tiny Changes: A Celebration of Frightened Rabbit’s ‘The Midnight Organ Fight’ has all of those same issues, but it has an extra weight as it was recorded before Scott Hutchinson took his life and while the album was just meant as a ten year celebration among friends, it has taken on added weight with his unexpected death.
That is unfair to the artists here as the record has some moments, but after a few songs you will just want to reach for the original, and on the off chance you haven't heard the original, stop reading and go do that.The original album is a masterclass in confessional songwriting about a relationship gone wrong. The song collected on this tribute record still sound great, but some are too much like the originals and some are experiments that just don't work overall.
The tunes worth hunting out are Wintersleeps "The Twist" with its tense guitars/beat, Right On Dynamite's clanging/pounding "Fast Blood", Josh Ritter's bluegrass influenced "Old Old Fashioned" and Daughters haunting "Poke" is a powerful rendition of the fantastic tune. RtBE Favorite Craig Finn mixes upbeat folk rock with downer pianos doing his rendition of "Heads Roll Off" resulting in an interesting concoction.
Julien Baker's dynamic take on "The Modern Leper" soars with her ethereal vocals, buzzing production with piano flourishes and swelling drums/vocals is the best of the bunch. While Hutchinson is no longer with us in person, his songs will live on forever, and The Midnight Organ Fight is his crowning achievement.
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Buy the record, support the charity Tiny Changes, peep some video below:
It is of Dr. John's newest release Big Band Voodoo.
This album was recorded in 1995 but shelved until now. Not vital by any stretch but cool unique versions of staples like "Indian Red" and "Going Back To New Orleans" with a big band getting after behind Dr. John.
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 Odetta playing "With God On Our Side"
Thoughts on Original From the first time we talked about around Veterans Day as well:
Perhaps the most poignant and lasting song Dylan has written and that speaks volumes. Lyrically it is perfect; using history, the warping of religion and politics to get across the point that man will rationalize anything, even war. Only played live 30 times since it's debut at Dylan's historic Town Hall show the song has added weight and meaning when it is played.
Morality and War, Religion and Righteousness, all just words when it comes down to it, hold life inside those letters. Musically stark Dylan uses his impressive lyrics to express the confusion perfectly. Should be mandatory listing in every history classroom. Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist Odetta is a pure legend, a voice that will transcend time. To learn about her history check out this. Thoughts on Cover
We have talked about this song on Veterans Day (or the week of) every year since we started doing this series and we will continue to, Odetta takes center stage with a version this year. the acoustic instrumentation seems to be banging into each other in intoxicating fashion. In fact we like the intricate playing much more then Odetta's dramatic vocals. A cool version, Thanks Ceez.
Since this is a music site we will pay homage in our way and especially since our friend Glen has recorded a song with his great NYHC band Billyclub Sandwich titled "Veteran's Day". You can listen to bad ass tune below following the perfect Patton quote that the group used to intro it:
No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.
"I choose to fight for what I live for" Well said fellows. Well said.
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...Fats Domino!
For November The Masters showcases the greats of early rock and roll
This is the full show that was edited to create the Austin City Limits show from 1986 for the Fat Man. As we mentioned in our top studio albums rankings, Fats Domino is the most underrated of the original set of rock and rollers. He had more hits out of anyone except Elvis out of the class of original rockers, yet he is mostly forgotten when the greats are discussed.
So here he is today, complete with a killer band and Dave Bartholomew who co-wrote many of Fats songs. A dynamite performance from all involved as Domino constantly brings smiles to faces of those listening to him. For those who want the main course and not the into blues playing, Fats comes out at 19 minutes in.
It is of the new Soul Rebels release Poetry in Motion.
This is a damn good studio release from the band who make their money on the live stage. The group has been big into hip hop as RtBEhas seen live multipletimes, and this album is a great synthesis of their sound and that style.
Back in 2005 Calexico and Iron & Wine teamed up for In The Reins, an EP which combined Sam Beam's delicate songs with the atmospheric Southwestern textures of Calexico and still ranks as a fantastic combo of all the artists involved skills.
Now, fourteen years later the players team up again for another batch of songs written by Beam and supported by Calexico (Joey Burns, John Convertino, Scott Colberg, Jacob Valenzuela, Martin Wenk, Sergio Mendoza, Jairo Zavala).
The album is proof that their mix of styles works, and while both on their own can drift into background music, the strongest parts of their collaborations really take flight. Years To Burn starts off with one as "What Heaven's Left" which starts as a showcase for Beams lead and the bands smooth supporting vocals as the love song drips out in soothing fashion, but the group really begin to get loose with some excellent horn work as the bass and drums push things to a climax; an excellent start. The closer also is a strong effort with easy rolling Americana which sounds like Simon and Garfunkel radio ready track.
The piano ballad gorgeous title track and "Father Mountain" which is a quick slice of folk are both excellent but it is the album centerpiece which is the true standout as the over eight minute combo of "Bitter Suite (Pájaro/Evil Eye/Tennessee Train) anchor the album and this partnership in someways. Beginning with the soulful Spanish sung "Pajaro" the group begins the journey before the middle section "Evil Eye" blazes with a funky organic bass line as the groove intensifies while layers of sounds vocals and horns are layered throughout. The effort then rolls away with "Tennessee Train" Beam's soft sad journey proving life is bittersweet.
The album can feel light outside of this middle passage and sometimes the sleepy softness such as on "Midnight Sun" or "Follow The Water" don't strongly connect as some other offerings, but as a whole and a partnership Calexico and Iron and Wine are just fine together and hopefully have many more Years To Burn.
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Support the artists, buy the album and peep some video below:
RtBE loves listening to new music and prides itself on keeping tabs on up and coming artists but in 2019 we are also going to have a monthly spotlight on legendary artists who we really love. We are calling this series The Masters. It will focus on the best albums, live records, transcendent shows and other odd ways we appreciate the artists and their contribution to music, culture and our formation.
For November The Masters Series focuses on Early Rock and Roll
Like we did back in March with The Blues, when RtBE dives into the foundations of rock and roll it is impossible to pick just one legend to focus on, so we are going to try to give thoughts on the whole era this month.
The truth is more than any other era of music, RtBE has been digging this time period over recent years and continues to be amazed at the sheer number of artists who crafted cool tunes which we never heard of. Artists like Hank Ballard and The Midnighters, The Flamingos and H-Bomb Ferguson were unknown to RtBE until 2019 and we are sure to find many more artists in the upcoming years from this golden era of sound.
That fine line between rhythm and blues songs and rock and roll numbers has never truly been defined. "Rocket 88" is a good starting point, and while a lot of these songs stuck to a formula that was selling, it is amazing how small nuances create great listening. The intersection of commercialism and art was at the beginning as artists would try to recreate hits with basically the same song, but then once in a while magic broke out. Sure The Beatles and Stones, took these artists influences and formed something new through their British ears...but it is time to pay respect to the forefathers of the genre.
Unlike other top studio albums lists in this series, all of these will be greatest hits or some sort of deviation of, as these artists did not make full length albums at one sitting when they were at their peak. Instead they shot off 45's to appease the fan base, cranking them out to make as much money as their shitty contracts allowed. There are so many racial, financial, exploitative dynamics at play with these artists, but we will try to keep those at bay as much as possible when just trying to discuss their output.
If we limited to just individual albums, a few like Wanda Jackson'sRockin' With Wanda and Solomon Burke'sRock 'n Soul might have come close...but even those were compilations (although it took looking them up to know that). I may be wrong, but I feel like full albums really came into vogue with or February Masters focus The Beatles, but maybe someone else knows better. Feel free to comment below...
This list is not definitive, but it is just what we think are the best of an era...one that somehow doesn't get the love it truly deserves for inspiring, racial desegregation, a British invasion and a generation of change in popular music. Also we kept country and soul artists mostly out of here even though all of these artists were clearly influenced by both...So in the spirit of starting discussions as opposed to ending them, here are the top five studio collections from early rock and roll...
The band name Cemican means the name means “the duality of life and death” in the indigenous Nahuatl language of Mexico. This group digs deep into their Aztecan roots resulting in a fresh mix of what they are calling folk/metal; combining pounding modern metal sounds with tribal instrumentation resulting in the engaging In Ohtli Teoyohtica In Miquiztli
The players (Tlipoca- Drums, Percussion, Wind instruments, Vocals, Tecuhtli-Vocals, Guitars, Wind instruments, Mazatecpatl- Wind instruments, Xaman-ek- Wind instruments, Vocals, Yei Tochtli- Wind instruments, Vocals, Ocelotl- Bass) export their culture by fusing it with the heavy sounds in exciting ways, wind instruments sit right next to sludge bass and screaming six strings. On opener "Guerreros de Cemican" what would normally be high pitched guitar turns out to be flute like wind instrumenting hovering above the fury.
The band loves fusing these influences as the pounding metal and guttural vocals of "La Que Baja De Las Estrellas" with the light and airy wind instruments that survive harrowing breakdowns. "Itlach In Mictlantecuhtli" uses chunky headbanging riffs before transforming into a melodic/symphonic second half with excellent results. That theatrical, more melodic tone also arrives during "Cuando Los Muertos Suspiran (Mihcailhuitl)" which starts totally tribal/acoustic before s slamming finale.
All tracks are so layered with sounds there are hidden gems unveiled with multiple spins of the record, but "Ritual" instantly jumps out as a highlight. Hardcore ferocity and ominous harbinger sounds open the tune before things quickly spiral out of control. The fury has broken loose as one can easily see the bedlam become the perfect soundtrack to a human sacrifice as drums pound, chants reign down and chaos fills the air; exhilarating.
The band incorporates female vocals into the maelstrom for "Luna Desmembrada" while didgeridoo like sounds kick off the groove heavy pounding on the infectious "Aztec Soy" with blazing success as the thrash metal amps up to a climax. Like a lot of metal songs can run long, but tracks like the closing "Donde Nace El Viento (Ehecatl)" incorporate so many metal sub-genre's as well as their tribal heritage that things never become dull.
This is a unique outfit worth the time of any metal fan, and well beyond as aligning ripping riffs, thunder filled percussion and tribal wind instruments works incredibly well on Cemican's In Ohtli Teoyohtica In Miquiztli, a successfully unique metal offering .
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Another amazing bandcamp find. Support the artists, buy the album, stream it, peep some video: