Album Review: Samantha Fish - Paper Doll

Samantha Fish

Paper Doll

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

The newest offering on Rounder Records from guitar great Samantha Fish, Paper Doll, continues Fish's style of supped up rocking blues, yet turns down her recent electro-pop tinges. 

Full Show Friday: Jerry Garcia Band - September 1 1990 Shoreline Amphitheatre, California

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...Jerry Garcia Band!

RtBE gave him his props earlier, but now it is time for a full Jerry Garcia Band concert for this weeks Full Show Friday. 

This one is from September 1 1990, Shoreline Amphitheatre, California, upgraded video and sound. Full set list below. Enjoy!

set 1 00:00 - How Sweet It Is 07:45 - Stop That Train 15:30 - Dear Prudence 27:40 - I Shall Be Released 36:25 - Run For The Roses 42:14 - My Sisters And Brothers 46:20 - Deal 

set 2 56:08 - I Second That Emotion 1:04:10 - Think 1:11:33 - And It Stoned Me 1:18:30 - Waiting For A Miracle 1:24:40 - Don't Let Go 1:40:35 - That Lucky Old Sun 1:52:30 - Tangled Up In Blue

Jerry Garcia, guitar/vocals

John Kahn, bass

Melvin Seals, keys

David Kemper, drums

Jacklyn LaBranch, vocals

Gloria Jones, vocals

Remembering Jerry Garcia

On this day way back in 1942 Jerome Garcia was born and as we have done in the past we wanted to take a second to remember Jerry in the best possible way, by listening to his music.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brentdpayne

To kick things off how about an interview with Branford Marsalis (Go Mets!) Scott Poulson-Bryant, Anthony Decurtis and others on what it was like to play with Jerry and the Grateful Dead.

In past years we have focused on full shows from The Grateful Dead (who we featured in our Master series as well), but here are a few Jerry Garcia Band songs.

Enjoy them on this great day...oh and also, Happy Birthday Meg!

Enjoy The 4th of July with The Grateful Dead

The United States celebrates it's Independence today, and while the country has deep rooted issues and problems we are dealing (and not dealing) with, it is still the best country mankind has founded in our sordid history. So enjoy the outdoors, hanging safely with friends, and living life. What better soundtrack for that is there than The Grateful Dead?!?!

We took the opportunity a few years back to talk about the Best American Band question on July 4th. Now (in a tradition started years ago) we are just giving you our answer in concert form, the Grateful Dead's July 4th 1989 concert. What a doozy! It is the perfect time to bust it back out and get Truckin' Up To Buffalo.

Live Review: Tedeschi Trucks Band with Buddy Guy - Beacon Theater NYC 5/22/25

Tedeschi Trucks Band with Buddy Guy

Beacon Theater NYC 5/22/25

On an unseasonably cool and rainy May evening, Tedsechi Trucks Band continued their six-night residency at the Beacon Theater on the upper west side of Manhattan. Making this fourth night of the run extra special was that it was the last to have the legendary Buddy Guy and his band opening the show.  

Happy 20th Anniversary to Sleater-Kinney's The Woods

On this day 20 years Sleater-Kinney released The Woods, an amazing album of ripping rock and roll.

This was the last album the band would release before a ten year hiatus when the excellent No Cities To Love emerged (which made our list of best albums of the 2010's). The Woods just may be RtBE's favorite SK album, so let's look back at it...

Album Review: Ale Hop & Titi Bakorta - Mapambazuko

Ale Hop & Titi Bakorta

Mapambazuko

**** out of *****

The partnership between Ale Hop (Peruvian electronic musician and researcher Alejandra Cárdena) and Congolese guitarist Titi Bakorta is a very interesting mix of cultures, sounds and styles as the music bounces, shakes and shimmies down a new path of Peruvian/African rhythms. Mapambazuko is a wild ride and one very much worth taking. 

Live Review: The Brothers Live at Madison Square Garden 4/16/25

The Brothers 

Live at Madison Square Garden 4/16/25

Back in March of 2020, just before the world shutdown for Covid, The Brothers got together to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the legendary Macon, GA outfit The Allman Brothers. That show was a success by all indications, but due to a host of issues it was a one time thing. Five years later they decided to run it back as past Allman members Jaimoe, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Oteil Burbridge, Chuck Leavell and Marc Quinones brought on board Joe Russo, Reese Wynans and Isaac Eady to round out the sound for two shows at Madison Square Garden. 

Album Review: Warren Haynes - Million Voices Whisper

Warren Haynes

Million Voices Whisper

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

When the legendary James Brown passed away in 2006, Warren Haynes may have inherited the hardest working man in show business title, as he was active with The Allman Brothers Band, solo shows, Gov't Mule, Phil and Friends, and more. Haynes has slowed down a bit, but rarely takes a break from writing songs. 

His past solo albums seemed to scratch an itch that his main projects weren't addressing but on his newest solo release, Million Voices Whisper, the tunes had been in various stages of completion since Covid and Haynes just wanted to get together with old friends to record them. 

Happy 45th Anniversary to Neil Young's Live Rust

Released on November 14th, 1979, Neil Young's Live Rust turns 45 today. 

A few days after Young turned 79 the mega live album with dynamite performances from Neil and Crazy Horse turns 45.  Oh and the record also has a killer concert film attached. 

Album Review: Jack White - No Name

Hey all, got a new review up @glidemag which you can read Right Chere!!!

It is of Jack White's newest release, No Name. RtBE are huge fans of White and this album grounds him back in his rock sound after a few albums of him wandering away from those roots. Not as adventurous as some past work, but solid. 

Support the artist, buy the album, read the review, check out some video below:

Remembering Jerry Garcia

On this day way back in 1942 Jerome Garcia was born and as we have done in the past we wanted to take a second to remember Jerry in the best possible way, by listening to his music.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brentdpayne

To kick things off how about an interview with Branford Marsalis (Go Mets!) Scott Poulson-Bryant, Anthony Decurtis and others on what it was like to play with Jerry and the Grateful Dead.

In past years we have focused on full shows from The Grateful Dead (who we featured in our Master series as well), but here are a few Jerry Garcia Band songs.

Enjoy them on this great day...oh and also, Happy Birthday Meg!

Enjoy The 4th of July with The Grateful Dead

The United States celebrates it's Independence today, and while the country has deep rooted issues and problems we are dealing (and not dealing) with, it is still the best country mankind has founded in our sordid history. So enjoy the outdoors, hanging safely with friends, and living life. What better soundtrack for that is there than The Grateful Dead?!?!

We took the opportunity a few years back to talk about the Best American Band question on July 4th. Now (in a tradition started years ago) we are just giving you our answer in concert form, the Grateful Dead's July 4th 1989 concert. What a doozy! It is the perfect time to bust it back out and get Truckin' Up To Buffalo.

Album Review: Neil Young - Odeon Budokan

Neil Young 

Odeon Budokan

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

Mid 70's Neil Young was incredibly prolific, following his notoriously finicky muse anywhere it directed him.  After his Ditch Trilogy, Young reunited with a revamped Crazy Horse as Frank "Poncho" Sampedro took over the second guitar slot, and the band released the fantastic Zuma. The tour supporting that album took them across the globe, and this vinyl Record Store Day release captures the opening solo acoustic set at the Hammersmith Odeon on March 31st, 1976 and the second side features the closing full band electric sets at the Nippon Budokan Hall on March 10th and 11th, 1976.

Originally slated to be released in 1976, like many of Neil's albums it was shelved and the first time this show was official heard was in the large Archives Volume II Box Set,. Now, having been pulled out for a special vinyl release, it can be showcased individually. Both Young and the Horse are on top of their game here.

The opening acoustic outing finds Young in a playful mood, even telling the crowd they need to elect a spokesperson for requests. On the opener, "The Old Laughing Lady", Young sings additional lyrics, titled "Guilty Train" before the pristine solo version of "After The Gold Rush". Mixing hits like that and "Old Man" with lesser known acoustic numbers like "Too Far Gone" and "Stringman" really speak to Neil's range and his ability to show the crowd his individual talents. 

The second side finds the electricity crackling as Crazy Horse amps the wattage. A solid stomping version of "Don't Cry No Tears" kicks off the set that features a strong "Cowgirl In The Sand" a rare "Drive Back" and the album highlight, a meaty delivery of "Cortez The Killer". This first outing of a revamped Horse holds it's own. Even better is Sampedro's retelling of playing this show which is worth posting here:

"Billy and I both dropped acid because that night, after the show, we were flying to Copenhagen. We didn’t want to carry any drugs with us and I had these two tabs of acid. We each took one. It was so funny...everything was starting to get crazy. Psychedelic patterns and shit flying around. I didn’t talk to anybody all night on-stage. I kept my eyes closed most of the time. Only a couple of times I opened them. The first time was horrific. I hit my guitar strings and I saw them bounce off the floor and up to the ceiling in rainbow colors. I was just like, 'Oh, shit.' I kept feeling them on my arm! The vibrations coming off the strings "We did 'Cowgirl in the Sand' and Billy and Ralph went up to sing the backgrounds. I opened my eyes and saw big mandalas comin' out of the back of both their heads, all these colors and shit. I couldn't even look up, I was so high. I'd hit the strings of my guitar: they were like eighty different colors, and they bounced off the floors and hit the ceiling. At the end of the second song Neil came runnin' over, stuck his head between me and Billy and goes, 'Man, we're psychedelic tonight!' I just looked at Billy, thinkin', 'He told him, he told him.' The whole rest of the night I don’t even think we made a mistake. It was unbelievable."

While the record doesn't reach true psychedelia heights that Poncho experienced on stage, it is still a strong capturing of this mid-career Neil Young and Crazy Horse lineup and a solid edition to Young's already impressive official live albums. 

____

Support the artist, buy the vinyl and peep some video below:

Album Review: Heavy Blanket - Moon Is

Heavy Blanket

Moon Is

*** out of *****

The crushing psychedelic riffs return as Heavy Blanket's newest album, Moon Is, is the band's first new music since the live release of Earthless Meets Heavy Blanket - In A Dutch Haze back in 2014. 

The band behind Heavy Blanket is very suspect outside of the one known entity, J Mascis. Supposedly recorded with old friends ‘Pete Cougar’ and ‘Johnny Pancake’, the names and lack of any other info leads one to strongly believe that this is a J solo project; all be it one he just wants to shred on. No vocals, just guitar, bass, and drums delivering extended workouts of stoner influenced heavy rock.   

The opening "Danny" sets the tone for what is to follow as clean riffs mix with distortion and the drums slam forward. The cascading riffs and clean/fuzz tone recall a lot of late 70's influences as Thin Lizzy and Black Sabbath vibes mingle in the speaker cabinets. 

"Crushed" uses a cool mix of rumbling and distortion to push the energy forward while the title track feels the most Dinosaur Jr. sounding here; only if bass were the main instrument as the four strings lead the way while screeching guitar lines are secondary to the groove.

The stoner rock gets flushed out with the longest running effort, and album highlight, "String Along". The track uses layers of guitars, a slow marching drum beat, clinking piano, wooly distortion and lumbering bass to start, before multiple different guitar solos all fire at the same time, soaring to sonic heights that feel like they could just keep going forever.       

The very Earthless sounding metal crunch of "Eyedvoid" brings it back to solid ground and kicks into a cool tempo change halfway through while the guitar continues to rev on the heaviest effort on the album. Moon Is wraps up with "Say It To You" a plodding beat that has more screechy riffs and some distant and haunting almost vocalizations from J. While it ends on the the most demo sounding track here, fans of heavy stoner instrumental rock (reviewer included) will love the six elongated tracks on Moon Is.   

_____________

Support the artist, buy the album, peep some video below:

Year In Review 2023 - Favorite Albums Part 3 (Top 5)

Another year is finishing up and @RockBodElec wouldn't be a proper music site if we didn't end the year with a "Best Of" list, so RtBE presents 2023's Favorite Albums Part 3: Top Five.

In the instance that RtBE has reviewed the album, either on this site or elsewhere, we will link to that review and just give a quick summation; click on the name/title and you can read our full opinion. RtBE worked with the Glide Team to give input on their Top 20 so you can expect some overlap if you already have seen that list.

Again the focus here is on full albums, not singles, but long playing releases you can slap on and listen all the way through. We know these are a dying breed, but it still is the way we consume music, no shuffle, Spotify, or singles for us.

The number ten just works for this, so here is the second part of our top ten, numbers five through one. You can see the back end of our top ten and the honorable mentions albums that just missed our top ten as well. 

Like all of our lists or 'best of', these are meant to start conversations, not end them...

Live Review: Dinosaur Jr. 12/7/23 @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, NYC

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

It is of Dinosaur Jr's recent show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn celebrating 30 years of Where You Been.

Lots of guests and a great night of tunes. Dinosaur Jr's original lineup returning in the mid 00's has been one of the best rock and roll comebacks ever. This night just continued the magic as it made our list of favorite shows from 2023.

Support the artists, read the review and peep some video below:

Live Streams: Dinosaur Jr. Seven Night Run @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

We are now heading into the new normal with live music during the Covid-19 and beyond 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.

Tonight: Dinosaur Jr. Seven Night Run @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Starting tonight, you can stream all of Dinosaur Jr's seven night run at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn via nugs.net. 

RtBE will be in the house for two of those shows, and we are very much looking forward to the deafening roar of one of our favorite bands. To get in the mood, check out some live video of them below:

Album Review: Christone "Kingfish" Ingram - Live In London

Christone "Kingfish" Ingram

Live In London

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

RtBE had the privilege of recently catching Christone "Kingfish" Ingram and his band live, but if you live somewhere he is not playing, you should instantly purchase Live In London.  Even for someone who has seen him recently, this capturing of a live show at The Garage in London is a staggering reminder of this artists talent, as Kingfish deploys all of the skills that make him one of the most exciting young bluesmen in the business.

The live album kicks off in killer fashion with the clean electric blues in a Robert Cray influenced style as Ingram's understated singing and mind blowing playing starts the show via "She Calls Me Kingfish". "Fresh Out" let's Kingfish's touring band get in on the act as Paul Rogers plays bass, Chris Black is on drums, and DeShawn Alexander plays keys, and it is the keyboard break on this tune that is the star, along with Kingfish's fierce guitar work. 

An early album highlight is "Empty Promises" which sports a massive solo from Ingram to start and never looks back; a dynamite showcase of his talents. When the instrumental workout "Mississippi Night" rolls around things are going on fifty plus minutes and the one clear detriment starts to show up, there is just too much presented on the album. Live in London is a long running double album that loads up on songs when perhaps more editing would have been prudent.    

Less songs presented would put a better focus on his talents, yet it is hard to argue when the solo acoustic duo of "Been Here Before" and "Something In The Dirt" arrive and add a new dimension to the blues man's style. However, songs like "You're Already Gone" and "Listen" don't add a ton to the album. It is also odd that "Not Gonna Lie" gets faded out as the band seems to still be jamming, if that was the case, why include it at all? 

Outside of song selection or length, it is hard to argue with much else from Live in London. "Rock and Roll" uses a clean piano intro and soft singing to build to a mega solo, and "Outside Of This Town" has an "Higher Ground" influenced bass and drum foundation to extendedly jam off of. Two mega tunes later on the album are "Midnight Heat" which is loaded with heavy funk and a healthy dose of the blues while set closer "662" boogie-woogies with abandon, injecting some '50's rock and roll swagger into the bands performance, wrapping up a huge live album on a high note.      

Overall, Live In London shows off all of the aspects of what makes Christone "Kingfish" Ingram such a blues must see live. While a more streamlined, single live album would pack a more effective punch, the sheer talent of Kingfish shines through elevating this slightly overloaded live album. 

___________________

Support the artist, but buy the album, and peep some video below:

Happy 35th Anniversary to Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation

Today marks the 35th anniversary of one of the best indie rock albums of all time, Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation. 

RtBE are huge fans of Sonic Youth (and pretty much everything since their break up) and this is either their first or second best album (RtBE needs to do a ranking of SY's albums). Give it a whirl today and play it loud. 

Peep a few favorite tunes of ours from the album below: