Monday, December 20, 2021

First Single from New Matt Pike Solo Album

Matt Pike is the guitar wizard and driving force behind some bruising metal outfits with the stoner rock Sleep and the incredible High on Fire, but that is not enough as he now announces a new solo album, Pike vs. the Automaton.

RtBE has loved his past worked and ranked High On Fire in our Top 50 Albums of the last decade, so we are excited to hear the new record when it arrives on February 18th. The reason behind this solo effort is the pandemic, as Pike explains himself:
“I was just going bonkers during the pandemic. It was like really, truly miserable. And then all the riots here in Portland and all the political shit. I was trapped in my garage, which was the only place I could go and jam and do anything,” confesses Pike. “I was trapped in there ‘cause I couldn’t go jam with High on Fire, I couldn’t do this, I couldn’t do that, no one could fly. I was going crazy. My friend Jon Reid, who was the original drummer for Lord Dying, had moved to Portland and was babysitting my dog, Crom, and he was drumming for my wife’s band, so he had his drums already set up at my place. I finally said, “Dude, do you want to come over and just start jamming? So, I just started this thing with my friend Jon. I was like, “Dude, fuck it. Let’s start a side band and we’ll just demo this and act like we’re starting it as teenagers, you know?”

Check out the first single and video:

Dylan Cover #510 Wirral Ukulele Orchestra "Must Be Santa" 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 Wirral Ukulele Orchestra playing "Must Be Santa"


Thoughts on Original:
In 2009 Bob Dylan released Christmas In The Heart and unleashed his version of the rollicking "Must Be Santa" and it's killer video upon the world.

Based on a German drinking song, "Must Be Santa" was concocted by Hal Moore and Bill Fredericks and first released in 1960. Dylan's version is a blast in a polka style tossing in Presidents into the mix. While technically not an original for this series...who cares?  

Cover:


Thoughts on Cover Artist:
This is our first time hearing the Wirral Ukulele Orchestra

Thoughts on Cover:
Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 18, 2021

Live Streams: Goosemas - Live from Mohegan Sun

For the last year live music was on lock down (like everything else in New York City). Live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. Things are improving on the pandemic front in this city, but live streams will be an option for 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 always check out or 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: Goosemas - Live from Mohegan Sun

Here is the announcement for the special show:

Connecticut-based rock quintet Goose celebrates the holidays with Goosemas live from Mohegan Sun Arena, the band’s first-ever arena performance.  Goosemas is the band’s eighth annual holiday celebration and premieres Saturday, December 18 at 8PM ET exclusively on The Relix Channel via Twitch. This year’s show sees Goose take the stage for three sets, with plenty of surprises in store for fans attending both in person and at home. Proceeds from the livestream benefit Family & Children’s Agency, a Norwalk, Connecticut non-profit serving thousands of children, families, adults, and seniors each year. Viewers can donate to the organization directly through the livestream or on Family & Children Agency's website. With the holiday season upon us and magic in the air, it's time for us to celebrate! Subscribe now to The Relix Channel, exclusively on Twitch, to watch the full show for free.

To get in the mood here is a song from Goose:


Friday, December 17, 2021

Live Streams: The Capitol Sessions: Songs from a Rock Palace That Impacted the World

For the last year live music was on lock down (like everything else in New York City). Live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. Things are improving on the pandemic front in this city, but live streams will be an option for 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 always check out or 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: The Capitol Sessions: Songs from a Rock Palace That Impacted the World

Live from The Cap tonight with the likes of Jackson Browne, Larry Campbell and a host of musicians:

To get in the mood here is a tune from The War & Treaty who will be performing:

Full Show Friday: Shovels & Rope - Live at the Paradiso, Amsterdam

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...Shovels and Rope!

This ends our mini theme for the month of Full Show Friday's showcasing band's who have new albums coming out early next year.  For the last two Friday's of 2021 we are just going random....

Here is Shovels and Rope from 2020 with a great fan shot video. Full set list below. Enjoy:



1. Hail Hail 2. By Blood 3.The Devil is All Around 4. C'mon Utah! 5. Hammer 6. Fish Assassin 7. O' Be Joyful 8. Birmingham 9. Stono River Blues 10. Carry me Home 11. St. Anne's Parade 12. Evil 13. Good Old Days 14. Mary Ann & One Eyed Jack 15. Mississippi Nuthin' 16. I'm Comin' Out 17. I Know 18. The Wire 19. Lay Low 20. Gasoline

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Trombone Shorty's Voodoo Threauxdown Coming in 2022

A major summer tour that brings the sounds of New Orleans to the rest of the country and Europe was just announced as Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue present this years version of the Voodoo Threauxdown. 

The bands joining are an excellent collection of NOLA's sound of now with Tank and the Bangas, Big Freedia, Dumpstaphunk and George Porter Jr. and even more.

Full tour dates can be found here and some video below to get you pumped for the tour:


Year In Review 2021 - Favorite Albums Part 3 (#5-1)

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 2021's Favorite Albums Part 3 (Numbers 5-1):

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.

This ends our top ten and we have a wrap up of the full list below. You can see the first part of this list and the Just Misses if you haven't yet. 

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

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Live Review: 7th Annual John Henry's Friends Benefit

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

It is of the 7th Annual John Henry's Friends Benefit.

This was a good one as Steve Earle hosted the benefit for the Keswell School at Town Hall again, this year in person. RtBE was there the last time it was held with and audience but this year raised the stakes. 

While the full lineup was impressive, no one could top Bruce Springsteen who, backed by The Dukes, delivered four impressive songs with rocking energy. 

Please help support the school if you can, read the full review and peep some video below:


Year In Review 2021 - Favorite Albums Part 2 (#10-6)

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 2021's Favorite Albums Part 2 (Numbers 10-6):

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.

This begins our top ten and we will wrap it up tomorrow. You can find our list of 'just misses' and let downs here. 

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

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Album Review: Sara Jean Kelley - Black Snake EP

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

It is of Sara Jean Kelley newest EP, Black Snake.

This is a very talented artist. Kelley's voice, songwriting, and playing make for a dynamite combo. 

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



Year In Review 2021 - Favorite Live Show

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 than in the moment of magic occurring spontaneously from the stage.

Live Music Has No Equal!
Taken By The Fantastic Megan Donohue

While obviously we can't see every show that is out there, we try to get out often to catch live music. Sure there are a few left in the calendar year, but for now, here is a listing of the best concerts we were fortunate enough to have caught in 2021 (THANK GOD LIVE MUSIC IS BACK!).

There are links to show reviews in the titles, also because who doesn't love arbitrary rankings, one show at the bottom took the top prize as RtBE's 2021 Favorite Live Show. We also make mention of a few live streams we enjoyed as the beginning of 2021 was still locked down for live music, but we made up for it at the end of the year seeing quite a few great ones safely in person.

Monday, December 13, 2021

New Songs From Kim Gordon and J Mascis

Alt rock legends team up for two new songs on Sub Pop as Kim Gordon and J Masics released a track for their Singles Club Vol 6.

These titans of noise rock are two of RtBE's all-time favorites and the tunes are a joy to hear. 

Check out "Abstract Blues" below as both artists sound killer:


Dylan Cover #509 The Terrapin All Stars "She Belongs To Me" 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 The Terrapin All Stars 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:
A group thrown together for this live session, Ross James Guitar, Jon Graboff Guitar, Neal Casal, Guitar/Vocals, Rob Barraco Bass. A cool collection of musicians very familar with the music of The Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan. 

Thoughts on Cover: 
A very fun spontaneous cover that this group of friends clearly just threw together. Fun, light hearted and still moving. Excellent. 

Friday, December 10, 2021

Live Streams: moe. - Live From The Capitol Theatre

For the last year live music was on lock down (like everything else in New York City). Live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. Things are improving on the pandemic front in this city, but live streams will be an option for 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 always check out or 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: moe. Live From The Capitol Theatre 

moe. with friends filing in, will be playing two shows from The Cap this weekend and you can stream both over at FANS live. 

To get in the mood here is a tune from the band from Woodstock '99:



Jack White Announces 'Supply Chain Issues' Tour Dates

One of RtBE's all-time favorites, Jack White has announced a wide ranging tour for the spring and summer of 2022.

It is being described as the 'Supply Chain Issues' tour and full dates can be found here. Very excited for his early stop in Brooklyn. 

Jack will be supporting two new albums next year and it should be a hell of a year for the constantly evolving artist. To get in the mood here is a tune from Jack:

Full Show Friday: Greensky Bluegrass 2018 Levitate Music Festival

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...Greensky Bluegrass!

The jam-grass outfit have a new album coming out early next year, but here is a show from 2018 at the Levitate Music Festival. 

Pro Shot, pro sound, enjoy:



Thursday, December 9, 2021

Live Review: The Hold Steady Live at Brooklyn Bowl 12/3/21

The Hold Steady
Live @ Brooklyn Bowl
12/3/21 Brooklyn Bowl, Williamsburg, NY

For their triumphant return to their hometown of Brooklyn, New York, and this years version of Massive Nights, The Hold Steady were in a celebratory mood from the beginning.  

The chugging "Hornets! Hornets!" opened the Friday show as the band (Craig Finn - vocals/guitar, Tad Kubler - guitar/vocals, Galen Polivka - bass, Bobby Drake drums, Franz Nicolay - keys vocals, Steve Selvidge - guitar, vocals) were all smiles taking to the stage for the third night of the four night run. The joyous feelings exploded through the crowd as hand claps and sing-along's were loud and proud for "Stuck Between Stations".

The theme of the night and these last few years "it only gets harder" rang out with extra feeling in "Hurricane J" while Drake banged hard and straight ahead for the fan favorite "Chips Ahoy!" as Selvidge flashed some Eddie Van Halen tributes on the fret board. The three piece "Horn Steady" joined the band to add brass for two separate run of tunes during the main set. The first was highlighted by "Sequestered In Memphis" and the second had a dynamite version of "Banging Camp" with huge bass, killer riffs and massive energy. 

The confetti flew for the always successful "Hoodrat Friend" while Kubler and Selvidge went toe to toe slinging solos on "Most People Are DJ's". The horns returned for a third time to wrap up the night as the encore saw a pumping version of "Entitlement Crew" blare out before "Killer Parties" ended the evening on a thankful not. 

The band has been itching to play their home base for months and this years version of Massive Nights was a sold out success. It had something a little extra special this go around as the band and the fans have been through so much between 2020 and 2021, the fact that we were all in this together to celebrate delivered happiness for all involved.   
______________________
Support the band, see them live and peep some video below:

Year In Review 2021 - Favorite Albums Part 1 (Honorable Mentions and Let Downs)

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 2021's Favorite Albums Part 1 (Honorable Mentions 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, Spotify or singles for us.

These are the albums that just missed out on being included in our top 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'' these are meant to start conversations more than end them...

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Album Review: Amyl and The Sniffers - Comfort To Me

Amyl and The Sniffers
Comfort To Me
**** out of *****

The four piece Melbourne, Australia based pub rock/punk band Amyl and The Sniffers sophomore release raises the stakes. Comfort To Me is a self assured blast of energy that should break the group onto the world stage. 

Live Streams: Katelyn Tarver - Live From Relix Studios

For the last year live music was on lock down (like everything else in New York City). Live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. Things are improving on the pandemic front in this city, but live streams will be an option for 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 always check out or 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: Katelyn Tarver - Live From Relix Studios

You can check out Katelyn on the Relix Twitch Channel.

To get in the mood here is a tune from Miss Tarver: