With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: A Holiday Evening with Dr. Michael White
Some Christmas jazz tonight as A Holiday Evening with Dr. Michael White in collaboration with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and guest vocalist Topsy Chapman.
Tune in at 8pm CST tonight. To get in the mood here is some of Dr. Michael White who we have had the pleasure of seeing play live on multiple occasions.
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 2020's Favorite Albums Part 2: Numbers Ten through Six
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 or singles for us.
The number ten just works for this, here are numbers ten through six, numbers five to one are coming soon. You can check out the albums that just missed this top ten as well. Like all of our lists or 'best of's' these are meant to start conversations more than end them...
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 2020's Favorite Albums Part 1 (The Just Misses and Let Downs):
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 or singles for us.
The number ten just works for this so these are the albums that just missed out on being our ten favorite for the year. After that we have s few albums from artists we dig that we were let down by. Like all of our lists or 'best of's' these are meant to start conversations more than end them...
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 Amir Darzi playing "If Not For You"
Thoughts on Original:
From the first time we highlighted a cover of this tune: The song was first recorded in May 1970 with George Harrison then re-recorded that August and released later that year on New Morning. The Harrison version surfaced on the excellent Bootleg Series 1-3 and George has been connected to the song for years, (releasing his own version on All Things Must Pass) but the tune has a true Dylan feel, especially around his post motorcycle accident days. Country, with poetic and romantic overtones, simple, light, yet lasting the tune is a winner on all fronts.
Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist: This is our first time hearing Amir Darzi. Thoughts on Cover: A fun straight ahead cover, that from it's title makes clear, it is leaning heavy on the George Harrisonversion of the tune. That is A-OK in our book.
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: Rex Foundation - Ain't No Time To Hate
Lots of RtBE favorites will be participating in The Rex Foundations - Ain't No Time To Hate: A 50 Year Anniversary Tribute to Workingman's Dead.
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: Little Freddie King
Friday's from The Funky Uncle is showcasing a New Orleans Blues legend Little Freddie King tonight.
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.. Rebirth Brass Band!
For December 2020 RtBE are going to highlight the bands we can't wait to see when it it is safe to do so, hopefully in 2021. These are the bands we are looking forward to seeing the most.
This set from the legendary Tipitina's (with Sam Price & The True Believers excellently opening) by the amazingly funky Rebirth Brass Band from January will be our stand in for ALL New Orleans music.
It is safe to say that we miss this town and it's live music scene more than anything else musical during the Covid-19 lock downs. We watched a few streams but of course it isn't the same from your couch...
Here'e hoping (early) 2021 brings things back in a funky way in the Big Easy and RtBE can get down to celebrate and enjoy all that New Orleans has to offer. Until then, pop open an Abita and spend some time (virtually) in Tipitina's:
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: Primus - Alive From Pachyderm Station
Primus while conduct their first live stream during the pandemic (I think) tomorrow night with Alive From Pachyderm Station tomorrow night 12/11/20:
The live show is a slippery thing. There are lots of variables at play, most having little to do with the performance itself. Does the venue have enough bathrooms? Is it going to rain? What day of the week is it on? Did I have a shitty day at work before hand? Did tickets cost waaay too much? All of this effects one's opinion of a live show before the band even tunes up and with reason, but when the stars align, there is no place RtBE would rather be then in the moment of magic occurring spontaneously from the stage.
Live Music Has No Equal!
Taken By The Fantastic Megan Donohue
RtBE has used that same introductory paragraph for years now. It hurts as we read it in 2020. Live music is everything and this year mostly robbed it from us. Live streams during the year of Covid-19 will make up the bulk of this list and we hope this is the only year we ever have to suffer through so little live music, but who knows...
We watched a lot of live streams and tried to promote them as much as we possibly could for the artists, various charities and the venues who rely on the revenue. Hopefully all survive through 2021 and things can trickle back into action. #SaveOurStages
One of RtBE's favorite venues, The Howlin' Wolf in New Orleans, is celebrating its 32nd Anniversary today.
Like everyone RtBE only caught a few live shows in 2020 (more on that tomorrow), but one of them was at The Wolf in The Den back in early February and it was a blast as always. We have seen everyone from funk to punk, jam to jazz at the joint in at least two different locations (maybe three, those NOLA nights get hazy).
The venue, like all during the past year, is suffering through hard times and hopefully will get some relief soon to keep the musical legacy alive. #saveourstages
The Howlin' Wolf has focused on Meals for Musicians during 2020 and you can help out as well. To celebrate the 32nd year though let's party with Howlin' Wolf regulars Rebirth Brass Band getting down at the venue. Here's to (hopefully) 32 more years of shows.
Concurrently coming from way down south and outer space Michot's Melody Makers captured a night of adventurous music at the Bywater locale Saturn Bar and appropriately titled the release Cosmic Cajuns from Saturn. The eight track offering builds to various levels of freakout as the quartet push and pull at the fabric of Cajun tunes.
Recorded exactly one year ago (12/9/19) the band, Louis Michot - fiddle and vocals Bryan Webre - bass, t'fer, sampler Kirkland Middleton - drums. t'fer, sampler Mark Bingham - guitar, inject pulsing vibrations and bass rumbling behind the fiddle work. Michot is the frontman for The Lost Bayou Ramblers who manage to get spacey themselves, but with the Melody Makers he lets the samples and experimentation play a major role.
Michot's fiddle and vocals dominate the more straight ahead opening offerings as "Ma jolie petite fille", "Jolie joues roses", and "La jument de Michot" work a slow gait forward as the slow vibrations babble around them. "Bainonne" picks up the bass rumbling and cackles in ominous fashion while "T'as vole mon traîneau" injects a spritely and whimsical tone to the proceedings.
Things start to truly get out there for "Reveil Michot" which starts with a free jazz intro before flashes of hip swinging pop, droning pulses and echoing warbles. "Blood Moon" stays experimental throughout acting as a sonic poem while album closer sits the difference between dance laden hoedown and experimental sonic explorations.
"Michot's Melody Makers Medley" is almost seventeen minutes starting off with a grooving ode to whiskey drinking before dropping into an ode about the destruction about Hurricane Andrew around minimalist backing wrapping up the album with a call out to the true friends who help us get by.
While not as freaky or as enlightening as Michot's main band's live work, this collection is a good memory of a night among friends and family playing old songs in new fashion.
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: Vans Musicians Wanted
Tonight Vans announce the winner of their Musicians Wanted contest:
Following up quickly on 2019's impressive African Giant, Burna Boy returns with his follow up full length Twice As Tall, a more stripped down somber affair that still manages to mix his Afro beat styles with EDM, R&B, Hip-Hop, Pop and more, but can't reach it's successors heights.
"Level Up" opens the album on a minimalist front as Burna Boy recounts losing out at the Grammy's then pushes his personal pain to a more worldly level with the help of Youssou N'Dour who is the first of many A-list collaborators onboard. Executive producer Diddy comes on next to claim we are all one on the most interesting effort "Alarm Clock" which displays disengaged sax and a great beat but unfortunately ends too soon.
The upbeat bounce displayed during the trio of "Wonderful", "Oneyka" and "Comma" feels like it is being restrained from fully flourishing but definitely puts some pep in the creative step with the quirky and catchy tunes. Even better is the sly mix of "Naughty By Nature" featuring the hip hop group themselves as Burna's tribute to the New Jersey legends who he listened to his whole life and dreamed of collaborating with.
From there things take a different turn though from the sparse beats and piano of "23" a run of downward looking tracks until dour closer "Bank On It" wraps up the album on a reflective note. The run of songs saps the overall album of energy as the artist sounds isolated even among the collaborators including Sauti Sol for "Time Flies" and Stormzy on "Real Life".
The song that sums up this record is "Monsters You Made", a track that has all the ingredients to be a world wide smash; powerful lyrics, a restrained Michael Jackson inspired beat and Chris Martin from Coldplay delivering the hook, yet the song never fully gels into something transcendent or even all that memorable.
Burna's Boy total disregard for genre's and mixing of styles always remains interesting even when the overall effort is restrained, minimalist and a touch depressed. Twice As Tall is a reflective album weighted down a bit by success and a goal of raising up all who hear him.
We kick off our Year in Review section of 2020 with a favorite feature in the Best of... area, Album Art. Like in years past we will be choosing our Favorite Albums of the Year, a few that were underwhelming and our favorite live shows.
Today we are starting out by judging books (records) by their covers (vinyl sleeves, jackets, digital pics, etc) with the Best Album Art Work of 2020.
The biggest gripe RtBE has with digital music is not the quality (that has been massively improved) nor the disposal nature of it (still a problem, but whatever), it is the lack of amazing album covers and art work.
Sure there may be great album art out there but seeing it on a screen, in iTunes or elsewhere is nothing compared to holding an LP cover or even a CD booklet with pages of lyrics, pictures etc. Thankfully the rise of vinyl is helping this dilemma but it is still not enough. The hours we spent staring, actually holding, examining tons of covers while listening to music can't be adequately recorded, it added new dimensions to the sounds. You were connected to album in a more physical way; things were deeper, more evocative...Anyways...
Continuing our ongoing Monday's Dylan Cover Series, this week we present Connie Gordon performing a live cover of "Chimes of Freedom".
Thoughts on Original: From the first time we tackled a cover of this song: This song is a giant one in Bob's catalog, but it has always been one of the classic Dylan anthems that never really struck a chord with RtBE. For some reason when we talk about Dylan moving from protest singer to full on poetic songwriter, this is the tune that comes to mind. It seems to be stuck between those two worlds and the version on Another Side Of Bob Dylan just doesn't connect on many personal levels. I may be in the minority but this has never been a great Dylan song in my eyes...which in-turn does make it ripe to cover... Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
This is the first time we are hearing Connie Gordon.
Thoughts on Cover: An excellent straight ahead live acoustic version from Gordon. A great way to start the week.
Reports are that Bob Dylan has sold his complete songwriting catalog to Universal Music.
The numbers are presumed to be around $300 million for the catalog which the Times puts at 600 songs. The business of music is not RtBE's strength so we will leave it to others to hash out the economics and what this means to his songs and his legacy, but will "Blowin' In The Wind" be used to sell Big Ass Fans?!?
However this shakes out his songs will always live on. Here are a few:
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: The Hold Steady's Massive Nights
Tonight is the final night of Massive Nights, a three night celebration that The Hold Steady throw at Brooklyn Bowl which will be streaming (like everything else) this year:
