Full Show Friday: The Kills - Live 2018

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...The Kills!

Live from 2018 comes the dup The Kills kicking major ass in their rock style. 

Pro shot, pro sound, full set list below. Enjoy:

heart of a dog 00:00 U.R.A Fever 4:49 Kissy Kissy 7:14 Siberian Nights 13:22 Black Balloon 18:59 Whirling Eye 22:50 Baby Says 26:51 Tape song 32:07 Echo Home 36:14 Doing It To Death 41:52 Steppin' Razor 46:13 List Of Demands (Reparations) 49:32 Pots And Pans 54:13 Monkey 23 1:01:38

Live Streams: WOLF! feat. Scott Metzger

We are now heading into the new normal with live music during the Covid-19 era. Live shows will need to be flexible and live streaming is a great way to keep music going. Streams have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. Things are (hopefully) improving on the pandemic front but live streams will be an option for artists during the foreseeable future. We will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and as a way to help out the artists. You can check out our weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past and as always, please support the artists any which way you can.

Today we highlight: WOLF! featuring Scott Metzger

Today from Relix Studios the new outfit WOLF! Featuring Scott Metzger is playing. It is an early show, 4pm EST, so get ready to rock soon. 

To get in the mood, here is a live tune from the group:

Album Review: Undeath - It's Time...To Rise From The Grave

Undeath

It's Time...To Rise From The Grave

**** out of *****

The Rochester, NY based death metal quartet Undeath's newest album is a beast of fury as It's Time...To Rise From The Grave checks all the boxes for devoted metal heads. Crucially there is a sense of catchy rhythm and melody beneath the crashing cymbals and guttural vocals that makes returning to the chaos a joy for listeners of heavy music. 

The players, vocalist Alex Jones, drummer Matt Browning, bassist Tommy Wall and guitarists Kyle Beam and Jared Welch treat the genre with more splatter based horror movie glee than sober Satanic seriousness. The blasting double bass drum and super sonic guitars crash out during opener "Fiend of Corpses" as Jones bellows about grave robbing cemeteries.  

The low end falls like an avalanche to begin "Defiled Again" which has a suffocating middle section around a kicked up in tempo and scorching solo while the groove gets much more loose for "Necrobionics". The old school death metal continues to slam out in the vein of Cannibal Corpse influenced numbers like powerfully marching "Enhancing The Dead" and "The Funeral Within". The shifting of gears and all out four on the floor assaulting of "Bone Wrought" screams with delight while album closer "Trampled Headstones" growls and pounds with kaiju ferocity.

The title track (just called "Rise From The Grave") is the best full effort on the album as the riffs and drums slam together into a sweet groove while the calls for the Zombie apocalypse thrash out and soar. The band locks in for a stop/starting final push that gallops fourth like the true climax of a slasher film. 

Chugging riffs and swirling fretboard climbs color "Head Splattered In Seven Ways" until its cataclysmic finale while the banging never stops in the thrash heavy "Human Chandelier". Both lyrical content are thoroughly summed up in their titles, but both also are not as gruesome as might be expected. 

Death metal is that is always trying to be faster, harder, more evil, what works for Undeath on It's Time...To Rise From The Grave is a slight pulling backs on all fronts. It is fast, it is heavy, it is hard, it is over the top evil and it is also a blast, catchy enough to rise above the decay and rot of death metal's unwashed hordes.      

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

Album Review: Greensky Bluegrass - Stress Dreams

Greensky Bluegrass

Stress Dreams

**** out of *****

The jam-grass outfit Greensky Bluegrass only step into the studio to take a break from their life on the road, so when the global pandemic brought touring to a stop, the group got cabin fever, or in other words Stress Dreams, their eighth full length studio album. 

The band, Michael Bont (banjo/vocals), Paul Hoffman (mandolin/vocals), Mike Devol (bass/vocals), David Bruzza (guitar/vocals), Anders Beck (dobro) are old pros, but no one was ready to have their worlds turned upside down and that sense uncertainty permeates every track on this strong album of pandemic inspired songs. 

You don't need any background info as the album title states the premise before the songs roll out, each one grapples with finding meaning outside of playing music, facing endless days, and figuring out what to do with time. 

The tense music supports "Absence of Reason" as the bluegrass plucks, but something ominous buzzes right under the surface. The fidgeting "Monument" continues this vibe with the lines "This could all be gone in a blink of an eye" and the group dives in fully with the direct "Until I Sing". The song casts doubt on self worth with lines like "Feeling restless now and I want to get out" and "Worthless without a purpose until I can sing for you" as the band who are "Shrouded in fear and doubt" look for that day when they can do again what they do best, tour for the fans.   

The pressure continues to mount throughout the title track which morphs from straight ahead country tune with piano into an ominous creeping jam that uses distortion and organ hums to ramp up the feeling of isolation and nervousness. Giving up gets a bit of perseverance on "Give A Shit" while the downtrodden "Streetlight" exhales that love is only so much.  

Produced with the help of Dominic J Davis and Glenn Brown the albums tense songs capture each individual  instrument and when combined they deliver a larger suffocating feeling. The band are all technically gifted, but like on their strong previous studio album All For Money, they use those talents in furthering the songs themselves, not just showing off, which can be a detriment to bluegrass albums.

 

The middle of Stress Dreams slows for more contemplative efforts "Worry For You" and "Get Sad" before the band kicks it back up for the political reactionary "Cut A Tooth" and the Nathaniel Rateliff sounding "New and Improved". The second half of the record is simply not as strong as the first with the dour "Screams", the elongated yearning of "Grow Together" and funky album closing "Reasons To Stay" all good, but exhaling from all the the tension and existential dread spun to start.  

That said, no album captures road warrior musicians lives instantly changing overnight as accurately as the first half of Stress Dreams by Greensky Bluegrass. It is a world they hope they never have to return to, but now the veterans have a batch of stout songs to draw on as they reemerge on live stages around the world.   

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

Album Review: Jack White - Entering Heaven Alive

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!

It is of Jack White's second release of 2022, Entering Heaven Alive

RtBE are huge fans of White an here are a few thoughts not in the review. 

I mention this is one of White's best solo efforts, and that started a discussion with the RtBE site editor. I would rank it under Blunderbuss, which RtBE rates very highly and on par with Lazaretto as a complete record. Clearly above both Boarding House Reach and Fear of the Dawn. 

The promo pic released for Jack White in early 2022 had him holding a bass. 

Most people thought it was an homage to Bob Dylan's famous studio picture,

It probably is, but after hearing Entering Heaven Alive, it is clear that instrument also plays a huge part of White's current musical mind-state. The bass (played by White or Dominick Davis) rings so clearly throughout this album it is fantastic.  As a major fan of the instrument, this is a welcome addition to Jack's song writing and recording.  

Support the artist, buy the album, read the review and peep some video:

Dylan Cover #540 Reina del Cid "I Shall Be Released" Live

 In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by Reina del Cid  playing "I Shall Be Released"

Thoughts on Cover:

From the first time we tackled a cover of this song:
"I Shall Be Released" has been covered by too many artists to count and with reason; it is a masterpiece. A simple song that will forever be etched in 'Rock Legend' as it ended perhaps the best concert in rock history, The Last Waltz. The Band are always connected to the tune as Dylan wrote it during those amazing days playing with the group up at Big Pink in the Catskills and the group released it on their first album. Gospel in nature, the song is about salvation, that can be certain, and each listener (and performer) can add their own personal feelings into the sketch. Perfect for covering, especially live, to close a show with friends.

Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist: 

We highlighted Reina del Cid once before in our Monday Dylan Cover series.

Thoughts on Cover:

An excellently sung acoustic version of the tune. In particular the vocals are pristine on this live cover, great harmonies and lead. All vocals sound great here as does the band who get down swimmingly to end the tune. July certainly ended strong on the Dylan cover front, this week and last week are all time classics. 

Happy Birthday Thurston Moore

RtBE would like to wish a Happy 64th Birthday to one of our personal favorites, Thurston Moore.

We recently discussed our favorite Sonic Youth album, Dirty which turned 30 this year, and  mentioned that SY were incredibly formative to our tastes and playing. From the first time we saw them, to bumping into Thurston on Broadway or Kim and Lee at various shows throughout the years in NYC, to reviewing later albums to attending the bands last American show, they will always have a place in our mind/heart. 

One of the coolest live moments for RtBE took place back in 2008. Moore and his guitar slinger in crime Lee Ranaldo crafted a whirling electric odyssey in the old Knitting Factory for a Fender Jazzmaster showcase celebrating the guitars 50th year. The tiny venue was excellent for them to showoff their interlinking instrumental style and sound. Another interesting live permutation was when Moore played the Solid Sound Festival focusing on his Demolished Thoughts record and messing around with Pillow Wand.   

Thurston himself has always been great to listen to and has directed us to cool tunes, as we loved his Chelsea Light Moving and past solo records a ton. 

Nothing tops Rock N Roll Consciousness though as it is his most blissful, so much so RtBE proclaimed it album of the year for 2017 and ranked it high on our favorite albums of the decade list. RtBE were also lucky to catch the band on the tour for that album which caused the walls of the Music Hall of Williamsburg to shake with the loud, positive, rock on that night.   

To celebrate Moore's birthday, let's listen to some songs. We will start with RtBE's favorite Moore's solo song, then continue with a story/interview/few acoustic live tunes before closing with one of the best Sonic Youth songs (you can dive into the better extended version here if you got twenty five minutes to spare). 

Happy Birthday Birthday Mr. Moore.

Titus Andronicus, The Will To Live, Coming in September, New Single "(I'm) Screwed" Out Now

The New Jersey punk outfit Titus Andronicus has announced their 7th studio album, The Will to Live, which will be released in September. 

The first catchy single, "(I'm) Screwed" has a video and it is out now, check it out below. 

RtBE have thoroughly enjoyed TA in the past, even ranking The Monitor very highly on our list of Favorites from the last decade. 

We are looking forward to this one. Here is "(I'm) Screwed":

 

Full Show Friday: Lorde - Glastonbury Festival 2017

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...Lorde!

This week we have Lorde at the Glastonbury Festival in 2017.

Pro shot, pro sound, full setlist below. Enjoy:

New Single from Pretty Bulli & Kidd Called Quest "Simplicity"

The newest single from the Buffalo, NY based MC Pretty Bulli is a throwback effort. Produced by Rochester, NY based Kidd Called Quest, "Simplicity" is a strong effort all around from the upstate pair.

Check the track below from the up and coming artists. 

Live Streams: Northwest String Summit 4 Day Live Stream

We are now heading into the new normal with live music during the Covid-19 era. Live shows will need to be flexible and live streaming is a great way to keep music going. Streams have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. Things are (hopefully) improving on the pandemic front but live streams will be an option for artists during the foreseeable future. We will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and as a way to help out the artists. You can check out our weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past and as always, please support the artists any which way you can.

Today we highlight: Northwest String Summit 4 Day Live Stream

A killer lineup is out there in the Pacific Northwest for the Northwest String Summit and you can stream each day, starting today, over on Mandolin. 

To get in the mood here is Railroad Earth who will be playing on Friday. 

Happy 30th Anniversary to Sonic Youth's Dirty

One of RtBE's favorite albums of all time turns 30 today as Sonic Youth's Dirty was released on July 21st, 1992. 

Back in the days of cassettes, this one stayed in my Walkman for a large chunk of fall 1992 and beyond. I can still vividly remember sitting in my high school library, study hall and home room blasting this loud in those puffy headphones. Sonic Youth and Dirty particularly influenced everything from my love of loud noisy guitars to fashion sense to desire to see other bands like SY (Dinosaur Jr. etc). While other albums were bigger in the grunge era, this one spoke to my young ears and mind the most. 

Everyone has their own favorite SY album, but when asked recently about my personal favorite, Dirty topped the list easily. We will probably set aside a post to go over our list of favorites from the New York noise rock legends at some point in the future, but from the exhilaratingly powerful, bordering on beautiful rock ("Sugar Kane", "Wish Fulfillment", "Chapel Hill", "Purr") to the avantgarde ("Creme Brulee") to the punk rage ("Nic Fit", "Youth Against Fascism") to just flat our dirty as titled rumbling bass line and riffs ("100%") everything just connected on this release.

A major part of the appeal was Kim Gordon's feminist based, confusion-as-sex-as-violence designed lyrics under guttural and breathy vocals ("Drunken Butterfly", "Shoot", "Orange Rolls, Angel's Spit", "Swimsuit Issue", "JC"). She was (and remains) both alluring and scary, capturing the immediate (and sadly future) cultural sexual zeitgeist in a profound way. Thurston had his chugging/slicing riffs combining with Lee's spacey wandering tone, both zig zag up and down fret boards, all the while supported by Steve's strong, but never intrusive drumming that kept everything together.

 

Years later when I checked out the special edition release and found out "Genetic" was left off this album, I sided with Ranaldo who almost quit the band because of this decision. I am not sure what the band was thinking then, but to be fair the other outtakes of "Stalker", "Hendrix Necro" and "The Destroyed Room" are all top notch, the band was clearly in the groove recording with Butch Vig. We will never know why they left certain songs off or why they didn't release "Sugar Kane" as the lead single, but it all works out eventually (even the dissolution of this great band) and now this gem of a noise rock release turns thirty.  

RtBE are committed fans of SY, reviewing their albums, loving them live over the years and reported on their subsequent individual releases as there have been a lot of them. 

The first bass line I learned was the Ramones...then Sonic Youth's "100%". When my first band played our first show "100%" made the cut, The Ramones didn't, and this was about 15 years after this album came out. While I was slow to get onstage to play music, the influence of this album still loomed large when I began my live music adventure.  It still looms large today.  

Celebrate the best way possible, buy the album and play it loud. 

  

RIP Michael Henderson

Michael Henderson passed away yesterday at the age of 71. 

Henderson was an incredibly gifted and influential bassist who played jazz, soul, fusion, funk, R&B and much more, perhaps most famously as band member with Miles Davis during his electric phase. Henderson also recorded with the likes of Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, the Dramatics, and more. 

Henderson also had an bad ass solo career releasing many funky albums. Planet earth lost a bit of it's groove with Henderson gone.  Thankfully his bass lines and songs will live forever. 

Enjoy some of his songs and playing today:

   

Live Streams: Jack White - Olympia, Paris France

We are now heading into the new normal with live music during the Covid-19 era. Live shows will need to be flexible and live streaming is a great way to keep music going. Streams have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. Things are (hopefully) improving on the pandemic front but live streams will be an option for artists during the foreseeable future. We will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and as a way to help out the artists. You can check out our weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past and as always, please support the artists any which way you can.

Today we highlight: Jack White Live from Paris France

Jack is broadcasting his show on InterFrance live in about an hour (3:15 EST) from the Olympia in Paris.

To get in the mood, here is a recent live tune from White and company:

Album Review: Grateful Dead - Dave's Picks 42: 2/23/74 Winterland, San Francisco, CA

Grateful Dead

Dave's Picks 42 Winterland, San Francisco, CA 2/23/74

*** out of *****

As stated in past Dave's Picks reviews, the collection has already released lots of classic shows. Case in point, the following night (2/24) of Dave's Picks 42 was released earlier in this series as Dave's Picks 13. While that earlier release is a better show, Dave's 42 does offer a lot of good music on the three disks, plus a bonus disk of the previous night (2/22) for good measure.

Things take a while to truly kick into gear for the band (Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals Donna Jean Godchaux – vocals Keith Godchaux – keyboards Bill Kreutzmann – drums Phil Lesh – bass, vocals Bob Weir – guitar, vocals) on this evening as a tepid version of "Around and Around" starts the show. This is only the second gig the band played in 1974, but already their slower, jazz based style, which would come to define the year is in place, just check out this almost too relaxed version of "Dire Wolf". 

While the sound from almost fifty years ago is impeccably presented by audio archivist David Lemieux, that is not to say the night didn't have it's issues as microphones cut out during both "Me and Bobby McGee" and "Sugaree". The almost complete Wall of Sound was working out the kinks and with the ability to skip these songs it is probably best to start the show with "Mexicali Blues" as the pirate ship (displayed on the cover art) gets righted and starts strongly sailing from here on out. 

"Here Comes Sunshine" is a show highlight and in the conversation of best ever version from the band as the interplay and blues jamming soars with the full group truly finding their way. The rest of the first set features solid (if slightly reserved in 1974 fashion) fan favorites "Jack Straw", "Deal" and a "Greatest Story Ever Told" set closer which features a smoking guitar solo from Garcia; after a shaky start, the band wraps up the first set confidently. 

The languid playing keeps babbling along as "Row Jimmy" begins set two but the other show highpoint arrives quickly as Garcia weepily weaves his way through the complete "Weather Report Suite" with fantastic playing behind Weirs vocals and strong bass lines from Lesh, leading into a funky/jazzy jam in the "Let It Grow" section before the band moves into a gorgeous "Stella Blue".  This half hour of music is restrained and fluid and very representative of the year to come.

Oddly they then move into a jarring "Big River" trying to kick up the tempo after the laid back jams, but the set never truly kicks back into gear until an upbeat "Truckin'". This leads into drums from Kreutzmann and a very spacey and dissonant version of "The Other One" which falls completely apart while also giving a preview of songs to come, jamming on "Slipknot!" which had yet to been played live. With both this exploratory jam and a solid version of "Eyes of The World" which follows, Garcia and Lesh seem to be leading the charge while speaking to each other through the music. 

The band seemed a bit off to wrap up this show ('74 in general is not known as the most rocking time for the band) as "One More Saturday Night" and "Casey Jones" are alright at best, but the encore cover of "Johnny B Goode" (put frustratingly on the second disk) features some fiery solo work from Garcia as the group wraps up the night at their home base Winterland.        

This Dave's Picks comes with a bonus disk of material from the previous night which was the first of the '74 tour. The band was finding their way with the sound of their almost complete wall and their footing as a band back on stage.  

There is not a lot worth seeking out, a passable version of  "Black Throated Wind" with rich bass textures, a very rickety "China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider" are both just OK at best, but the disk was clearly included because of the very cool version of "Playing in the Band". The group locks in and jams swimmingly with Garcia's guitar work blazing into a mid song twinkling that was actually the first teases of "Slipknot!" as he makes magic on the fretboard.   

Compared to other recent Dave's Picks releases, even others from 1974, this one comes up a bit short as a full show though the highlights ("Here Comes Sunshine", "Weather Report Suite" > "Stella Blue" the "Playing in the Band" from the bonus disk) should be heard by all fans. That said, almost any Grateful Dead is good Grateful Dead in RtBE's book, so give it a whirl.  

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Support the band, peep some video below:

Album Review: The Gabbard Brothers - The Gabbard Brothers

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!

It is of The Gabbard Brothers self titled debut. 

Support the artist, buy the album, read the review and peep some video below.

Album Review: Screeching Weasel - The Awful Disclosures of Screeching Weasel

Hey all, got a review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!

It is of Screeching Weasel's newest release, The Awful Disclosures of Screeching Weasel.

 

Support the artist, buy the album, read the review and peep some video below.

Karine Hannah Covers Def Leppard's "Hysteria" in New Video

The New York based artist Karine Hannah has released a new video for her cover of Def Leppard's "Hysteria"

The surprisingly moving, stripped down cover, is excellent and Hannah looks to have filmed the video in Smash Studios NYC, check it out below:

On a side/personal note, Smash Studios is a place RtBE knows well as my band Angels and Vagabonds used it often. It is our practice spot and we have recorded part or all of our past EP's as well as our upcoming full length there. 

Dylan Cover #539 Bob Malone "Tangled Up In Blue"

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a cover by Bob Malone performing "Tangled Up In Blue" 

Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we tackled a cover of this track:
Wow. The song that never ends, the tune that might just best sum up Dylan, if that is remotely possible. Dylan constantly toyed with this song (check out the Rolling Thunder and Real Live version's if you haven't yet) and even he knows it can't stay stagnant in one form for long, so covering it is a good bet.  Needless to say it is in the top 5 greatest songs he ever wrote if we were ranking them...hmm.

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
Bob Malone is the keyboard player for John Fogerty, but can sing and lead a band with the best of them as this smoking cover proves...
 
Thoughts on Cover:

A full on blues shaker with bright horns, backup singers, slamming drums, piano runs, screaming guitar riffs and more as the supped up jam propels the Bard's lyrics to soulful rock heights. Malone's singing is assured as he runs through the classic tale among the confident rock sound. A winning cover on all fronts and a highlight of this long running series. 

Margo Price Releases New Song "Fight To Make It" to Benefit Noise For Now

Margo Price enlisted both Mavis Staples and Adia Victoria to help out on her new song "Fight To Make It" which will benefit Noise For Now. 

You can purchase the song off of bandcamp or just make the donation directly to the group. 

You can also check out the video below, but buying the song this go around is the better play. 

Full Show: Bad Bunny - Live Ruisrock 2019

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...Bad Bunny!

This week we have Bad Bunny from 2019 at Ruisrock. 

Pro shot, pro sound, full set list below. Enjoy:

00:17 - 02:06 NI BIEN NI MAL 02:06 - 03:58 200MPH 04:03 - 06:00 ¿Quien Tú Eres? 06:06 - 08:16 Estamos Bien 08:16 - 09:21 Si Tu Novio Te Deja Sola 09:24 - 11:26 Sensualidad 11:50 - 15:50 Caro 15:55 - 17:41 Tenemos Que Hablar 17:43 - 18:50 Vuelve 19:06 - 21:35 Amorfoda 21:42 - 24:27 Si Estuviésemos Juntos 24:31 - 27:48 Solo De Mi 27:54 - 29:52 Te Bote (Remix) 29:59 - 31:21 Dura (Remix) 31:28 - 34:52 MIA 35:48 - 38:38 I Like It 39:00 - 43:10 La Romana 43:24 - 46:36 Chambea 47:20 - 51:24 Callaita