This past holiday weekend saw the passing of a wonderful and temperamental artist in Gil Scott-Heron.
There have been a few tributes and recollections posted around the old interwebs today for the man, so I won't go into much detail as you can click the links and read them for yourself, but I was turned on to the artist back in college from my friend Steve who burned me a completion of his tracks. Of course "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" was on there
and while it is still powerful and his obvious high water mark, I enjoyed the free jazz and musical backing, along with the cutting/poetic lyrics of "H20 Gate Blues" just as much:
His newest release I'm New Here was gaining some chatter last year, unfortunately I haven't checked out the full album yet, hope to remedy that soon.
The country lost a very unique American artist this weekend, so if you haven't checked him out yet give him a listen. Safe travels to the hereafter and whatever lies beyond Gil.
I have been putting off this wrap up of Jazzfest off because mentally I still feel like a part of me is still there and... that is a fantastic feeling. I will do my best here but it would do more justice to that fantastic town and all the great people to chat about the experience over Abita's in a garden somewhere just west of the river. (As always click on the pics for bigger versions)
It is the newest release from one of my guitar heroes, Thurston Moore'sDemolished Thoughts.
This time Thurston puts away the feedback and dissonance and breaks out the acoustics and gets some help from violins and harps. Like another geee-tar hero J. Mascis, Thurston is showing off more of his softer side this time...age? Artistic direction? Forget to pay the power bills so they can't plug in the amps? Who knows, it is kinda cool that they both put these out around the same time and it is was hard not to compare the two in the review.
I think Thurston has taken a few more chances, bringing in Beck as a producer for one and adding many more outside players to the mix. While I did give J half a star more, I could see myself growing to like Thurstons a bit more in the future....but seriously boys lets plug back in and rock the fuck out already!!! Sorry where was I...
The music is welcoming for most of the album with some seriously creepy lyrics popping up, off setting the lush atmospheric sound. You can stream the whole album for a bit on NPR here...and below are my favorite tracks from the disk for your enjoyment...
I had the pleasure of catching Warren post Jazzfest with two friends and the show presented was a good time. Nothing earth shattering or mind blowing, but solid and workmen like.
I took Tom's line and used it in the review about it feeling like a Clapton show during the 80's (which he insisted was a good thing) and Mattie's overall view that it would have worked better if it was just a Stax cover show. (Both of your royalties checks are in the mail).
I think the thread that ties both of those together is that Warren's new songs just aren't all that memorable. He has always been the hardest working man in jamband land, but over the last few years I think he has written so many songs that there is almost a sense of burnout. I felt it starting back in 2004 when he released Deja Voodoo with Gov't Mule and has seeped into his newest solo release, Man in Motion. If one artist didn't need a solo release it is Warren.
Maybe I feel that way because I thought his early 00 decade output was some of the best live music out there. The pain of losing his band mate and great friend Allen Woody produced Mule's best moments (all of The Deep End shows and releases) and his venture into Phil and Friends was the spark that reignited The Dead's catalog as he formed the insanely talented Phil Lesh Quintet before helping "The Dead" proper out with some fantastic tours.
Anyway, I love his voice and his playing, this wasn't the best show I have seen him do, and it wasn't the worst, so check out some live clips of him with his new band or even better, go check them out live yourself.
Warren Haynes Band Live Wanee Music Fest
"Invisible" (is that Lopez on Bass?!?!)
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune comes from the Porter Ridge Bluegrass Band and is a live cover of "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"
Thoughts on Dylan Original: A great song, and one that sounds so simple. It always felt to me that these are the kind of songs Dylan has seeping out of his pores, with lines like "Tailgates and Substitutes" that anywhere else would sound foolish yet here works wonders. The musical backing from the original Band version is loose and matched fantastically with the lyrics. I am sure it wasn't as easy going as it sounds on the final version, but what a gem of a track. Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
Haven't had the pleasure of listening to the Porter Ridge Bluegrass Band before, and this is the first time I am hearing of them, but they seem like a fun little outfit. Can't find too much about them online either, but their other videos are good listens. Like some other times in this series it is fun to explore new artists...thank you youtube.
Thoughts on Cover:
The band probably owes more to The Byrds and their country flavored cover of this tune then they do to Bob Dylan, but since The Byrds released this song first it isn't that surprising. The group speeds things up and motors through the tune taking some breaks to play some tasty mandolin in the process. A quick lyrical take but nailing all the lines with some twang, and like most covers in this series shows off the versatility of the bards tunes. All in all an average admirable bluegrass cover.
Grade: C+
Wilson's Take:
With pop-culture swirling around the brain like electronic stew, ceaselessly, it's nearly impossible to hear bluegrass without thinking ofOh Brother, Where Art Thou? - the Coen Brothers' homage to the Greek poet Homer and Deep Fried Southern Culture.
I've never crossed paths with The Porter Ridge Bluegrass Band and yet there's no call to put stock in that. We've all had run-ins with their musical kin at late-summer county fairs and Colorado rodeos. Bluegrass, like Ragtime, is an American genre that ain't goin' nowhere...it's fixed, unchanged, and sounds the same today as when Jefferson Davis was still representing Mississippi as a respected senator in Washington. Unto itself, this rendition of "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"doesn't translate well on video. That's not entirely the band's fault. Bluegrass - dominated by the banjo - is one genre in which I firmly believe that to enjoy it, you have to be present and loaded. That combination is the elixer of some of life's finer moments, but for bluegrass it's essential. Yet bluegrass may just be the perfect home for a song with lyrics ranging from "Ghengis Khan could not keep, all his kings supplied with sleep" and "Tie yourself to a tree with roots, you ain't goin' nowhere" given the fact that while you have no idea what Dylan is talking about, you know exactly what he means. And that takes a very specific kind of genius...things have to get weird and punchy before they make sense, just like bluegrass.
This is the Motor City bands tribute to the mid 80's techno scene that was fairly popular in their town and when I first heard about it I knew I wanted to review it.
This seemed such a strange combo that I thought some magic might happen.
While their are highlights, overall it is a pretty loving tribute with not too much variation from the originals (guitars and feedback for keys and digital bleeps), but it is certainly worth hearing. It is also a nice musical history lesson to go back and check out some of the original artists the band saw fit to cover.
Here are a couple of the tunes with their original for comparison purposes...gvie a listen:
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune comes from The White Stripes and is a live cover of "Isis"
Thoughts on Dylan Original: Desire is such a thick album, Dylan's most complex story songs seem to hover in and around it, and not all are winners...."Isis" is though. A great song that manages to engage even without a chorus, it is one of Bob's more "mystical" tunes and lures most people in the first time they hear it...before the mp3 age it came right after the powerful "Hurricane" and transforms the album from timely to timeless.
Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
My man crush for Jack White has been expressed here before, but unlike most fans of his, The White Stripes are my least favorite of his 3 bands. I didn't get into them right away when they started, Elephant was the first disk I really liked. Could be Meg's simple drumming, Jack limiting himself, or simply no bassist but they are lower down the ladder from The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather for me personally. That said it is hard to hate on Jackie boy anytime he sings Dylan....
Thoughts on Cover:
Since we skipped last week in this series, and at the request of Wilson, it was decided that we should amp it up this week. Jack White and Bob Dylan are kindred spirits, artists and lovers of music-deception-wimmin's and life; they seem melted from the same block of ice with fire. Jack can instantly fall into Dylan's world while keeping his own artistic sensibilities and crushing riffs and Dylan paid the ultimate compliment by playing the White Stripes tune "Ball and a Biscuit" with White in Detroit as an encore a few years back. The two are kin, and needless to say White enlivens this Western tale of greed and backstabbing with power as Meg stomps along.
Jack eliminates the 3 cadaver stealing verses from the song, but by doing so surprisingly tightens the narrative to jewels and fleeting love. Shortening the story has made it simpler and yet does nothing to illuminate the mystery; which is part of the charm. This live version from London in 01 is representative of the versions the band did when they played together. Simple. Driving. Electric.
Grade: A
Wilson's Take:
If there is a guy built to share Dylan's heightened sense of reality, it's Jack White. He's our modern raconteur who harnesses the core elements of life, injects them with his own energy, and we're all left the luckier for it. In recent years he's been the artist who reminds us that there still are a few original tricks left in the aging bag of rock and roll...and more often than not he's done this by stripping rock music of the three decades of over-produced, digitalized, remastered, over-synthesized theatrics that accumulated like plaque on the sound. Rock - hijacked by those pining for time on MTV - forgot who it was for a time. This past decade, Jack White returned it to its birthright.
It takes balls to cover "Isis"...Dylan's "song about marriage" which leaves many who've inhabited said institution asking "Whose marriage? Certainly not mine..." There are no wedding bells. No joint checking accounts, common calendars and plans to piss away the weekend someplace safe. "Isis" is about Dylan's marriage - one of them anyway. And as Dylan often does, he skirts the drama any marriage avails itself to and closes in on the core reality of his chosen theme. "Isis" doesn't contain any of the heartache-resurrection of Blood on the Tracks - the "divorce album." Instead, on "Isis", Dylan lets the music beat the tale into the listener, creating an accurate sense of what time can be like in a marriage - or any relationship - via a grinding, halting-tune that repeatedly lifts into moments of hope and then drops just as quick; one that beats along like an old 8-cylinder engine that can't quite get going. Just when you think things are really about to take off, the guitar chords drop, the listener is ripped back, and thus goes life with Dylan's Isis...the goddess whom he married on Cinco de Mayo amid the pyramids.
"Isis" is not Dylan's most devastating heartbreaker nor his deepest passion - it's the muse he seems to like the most amid his canon of work. Isis - the Egyptian goddess, pure in all things, matron of motherhood, vessel of nurturing and the purveyor of magic. Dylan, eternally distracted, is always trying to find her to tell her he loves her. Yet Dylan, being Dylan, always off chasing fate and the treasure hunt that is the heart's affections, "could not hold on to her very long." Nor could Jack White, but they hold on to some of that girl's magic and used it, in White's case, to lay out a helluva cover.
I am down in NOLA but wanted to take a second out to highlight some of my friends writing. Wilson has been contributing to RtBE on the Dylan front, but he also writes for The Daily Caller on the politics front.
I wanted to showcase his recent piece regarding the successful campaign to wipe out Bin Laden.
It is of the group Alberta Cross who played a live showcase set at the Hudson Hotel last Wednesday Night.
So for full disclosure, my friend and bandmate Don worked with the group on a new commercial for Ketel One Vodka. The night was an industry part that showcased the band, the new spots and of course the booze.
One thing that kept coming up was just how into the music all in attendance were (even with the free vodka flowing). There were many stories and meet up's from the recent SXSW festival and rather then the band acting as a background for the night, the majority of those in attendance were hooked and into everything they did.
Showcasing some southern rock chops and English gloom the band has a good foothold on what they do best. The new songs are still in flux and could certainly change when the album is released but they seem solid. One thing I would mention is that all the tracks tend to run on a minute too long, without always going in unique directions; there seems to be a piece of these guys that wants to jam out, but they never crossover to full on exploration.
Anyhow I am sure I will have more to say when the album comes out for real-io and I had a blast catching them with Don and Kevin. Until then here are some older tracks:
"ATX" Set Closer best response of the night.
"Low Man"
"The Theif And The Heartbreaker" Live in Rolling Stone Studios
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune comes from Magnet and Gemma Hayes and is of "Lay Lady Lay" Thoughts on Dylan Original:
Excellent track and the first time the world heard Dylan's new singing style, which would only last for Nashville Skyline. This song is the standout track from this album, it is a classic and so simple, yet sweet and timeless. One of Dylans best tracks, the closest to country he ever got and an fantastic piece of music.
Cover: Thoughts on Cover Artist:
Actually had never heard of Magnet which is the name of Even Johansen, or his co-singer here Gemma Hayes. Again a pleasant surprise to find out about new artists Thoughts on Cover:
Really great bang up job with this one. The duet style is genius as Gemma switches some of the words around to keep things correct and the lush instrumentation backing is complete. The strings and horns ache and the arraignments are full. The singing is also top notch with the voices complementing each other wonderfully. If anything it may be a bit too theatrical, but over all not much to complain about with this one.
Grade: B+ Wilsons Take:
For those of you who can't make it down to New Orleans for this years Jazzfest, fret not...while you won't be able to sample the amazing grub, you can catch some of the tunes.
They have some obvious choices with Arcade Fire and Wilco, but I do like how they are going to give some local flavor with Marcia Ball and The Soul Rebels Brass Band. I will be down there in a few days...Yippee!!!
Along those lines if you want some real flair of the city you can always listen to one of the best radio channels on the planet, WWOZ.
Here are some tunes to get the weekend started proper with a Jazzfest touch: Clint Maedgen covering The Kinks "Complicated Life" with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (maybe my favorite video regarding the city, every time I watch I get goosebumps)
Irma Thomas classic cover of "Time Is On My Side": John Butte "At The Foot Of Canal Street":
You can check out all of my posts on NYPL Blogs right C'here, hope to have more up on a variety of topics in the future. But....in exactly 1 weeks time I will be entering the Big Easy and having a Perma Grin latched to my lower face area for the next several days....
It is from the Brooklyn Band (originally from Boston) Minks, By The Hedge.
The cycle of indie rock has seemed to shift from New Wave 80's into the noisy 90's and while some new bands go the loud amp guitar route, others take the softer road, and Minks are one of those.
They have been vague in their origins, even finding out where they are actually from was a pain in the ass, but the music has something that resonates. I will gladly admit this style isn't my favorite to listen to when I am hanging out, but that doesn't stop me from noticing quality. The sound is very reminiscent of the Beach House record from last year, but I dig this one a bit more. There is talent here, but it is hard to pinpoint if any of these indie-dream pop groups will stick around...enjoy them while you can.
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune comes from Steven King and is a cover of "Dirge"
Thoughts On Dylan Original:
Ahh what a cheery tune for this Monday! Dylan does anger and hatred so well, I am sure we will get to a few others, but "Dirge" is up there contending for the title of most brutal. Opening with "I hate myself for loving you/and the weakness that it showed" sets the tone and he never flinches in his assault on the ill fated lover.
Found on the very underrated Planet Waves album, the shocking thing is this song comes directly before the sweet and pretty "You Angel You". Dylan was masterful at arraigning powerful screeds around gorgeous sonic ditty's, and Planet Waves seems to fluctuate between both creating a huge scope of a record.
Back in the day I thought about doing hardcore metal covers of classic rock tunes, and my friend Mattie mentioned Dylan would be ripe for it. At the time I wasn't as well versed with his full catalog, but I think "Dirge" would work wonders in a heavy setup...but that's not what we get today... Cover: Thoughts on Cover Artist:
Another random find, I have no idea who Steven King is. With a bit of clicking (hard to call it research) I found out he is from Liverpool, England and has posted a bunch of classic rock covers, with just him and his acoustic guitar. Thoughts on Cover:
In the comments to this song someone mentioned it sounded like Tom Waits covering Dylan, and I can hear a bit of that. The voice certainly adds gravity but it is unfair to judge against Waits who is a master at his voice, King's lower tone and congested delivery (in a good way) do however add a sense of longing. On the original Dylan sounded defiant he needed to break out of this relationship and even strained when singing the hurting lyrics. Mr. King's cover sounds more reserved and depressed, which suites this tune.
If the tempo of his playing and delivery were even slower on his cover I think it would have worked better. It seems to pick up speed at the end and loses a bit of the gloom. Wallowing in the hate could only help this type of song/performance, taking longer pasues and just slowing down allowing the lyrics to sink in and stab. That stated, the end result is certainly sturdy and worth a listen.
Good people, unfortunately due to circumstances beyond our control, the "clean" version of our new album, The Hot Sauce Committee pt 2 has leaked.
So as a hostile and retaliatory measure with great hubris we are making the full explicit aka filthy dirty nasty version available for streaming on our new site. We hope this brings much happiness, hugs, and harmony.
If you have never seen the show, pick up the first season on DVD and get into it, things only get better once you have entered this universe of quirky characters and grown up boy adventurers. The writing is amazing, the stories get more intricate and engaging (not to mention hysterical) with each season and now we got word that more is on the way...
Getting to excited and forgetting why this post is happening though, check out JG's group Steroid Maximus run through a medley of Venture tunes...some great orchestrated arraignments, peep it:
We got, “Fumblestealth”, “Bolly” and “No Vacancy (Venture Bros Theme)” in the medley and it is fun shiz. Gawker calls it a "tiki-bar-meets-secret-lair soundtrack" and while that's pretty spot on, I think more James Bond on speedy Ecstasy is fitting. You get the drift...below is one more video from the show, another Venture tune, titled "Gawker"...
Not going to say too much more about it, since I already reviewed it here once and fed off that for my NYPL post, but if anything I like the album more now, and I dug it a lot last year. I will embedded some of the tracks to funk you up though,...enjoy:
My favorite first-
"Liquor Pang" Galactic with Cohen & Scully over some cool drawing time lapse, nice work BluDragonGal
It is of the Rapper Beans newest release, End It All.
This was an interesting album to review. On one hand it is far from standard run of the mill hip-hop that takes the same beat and does it to death, yet just being unique doesn't instantly make you good.
For some reason typing that made me think of the movie The Game with Michael Douglas and Sean Penn. I remember being told that it was "totally different then any movie out" and I should watch it. I did, and I did not care for it...like Mr. Horse:
Beans has obvious talent and End It All is worth listening to once (I liked it much better then The Game turd of a flick, sorry Fincher, but I loved me some Fight Club, so we cool). The 2 star guideline says this:
2 STARS: ehh...its got a couple of good tracks, but it'll spend more time on the shelf than in your player
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune comes from Wanda Jackson and is a recent cover of "Thunder On The Mountain"
Thoughts on Dylan Original:
The opening track on Dylan's 2006 album Modern Times, "Thunder On The Mountain" has all the ingredients of a classic; ingenious word play, a rhythmic backbone and some sweet fret work. In my original review of Modern Times I quoted three sets of lyrics from this tune. It is epic and fits in with the heavyweights of Dylan's past. Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
Wanda Jackson is the "Queen of Rockabilly" and the newest reclamation project from Jack White who did wonders on Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose in 2004. Jackson is a legend and really cooked back in the day, I love "Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad" and "Fujiyama Mama" and think her early career in particular is pretty dam amazing. Her songs had a hip appeal and put the women folk right there with the guys when it came to the world of rock and roll. She was never that well remembered until her recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and this release.
Thoughts on Cover:
I gotta say this one is intense, except for one aspect...and that's Wanda's voice. While it had a great growl and flair early in her career, now at almost 75 her vocals actually sound clearer but are the weakest aspect of this cover. My man-crush Jack White has put together a killer group of musicians and a musical arraignment that lights a fire under the original. Adding such a powerful horn part is so inspired that I hope Bob steals it for future performances. When Jack himself starts ripping at 1:42 it gives goose bumps as his guitar is dirty, electric and alive. Had White himself or even Dylan taken the lead vocals this would be an all-time classic, as it stands it is still great, but Wanda seems a bit out of her league here. The bond between White and Dylan is palpable and hopefully a future collaboration between the two is in the works...holy god my head would explode if that one went down...
Grade: Overall B+ Music is an A++++ singing gets a C in my book...
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Here are some Night Tripper tunes to play in the background as you read it....(Jazzfest is less then a month away...unreal!)
