Live Streams: Vans Musicians Wanted

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:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by vans (@vans)

To get in the mood here is a tune from one of the contests judges Anderson.Paak:

Album Review: Burna Boy - Twice As Tall

Burna Boy

Twice As Tall

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

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.   

__________________________________

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

Year In Review 2020 - Favorite Album Art

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...

Dylan Cover #457 Connie Gordon "Chimes of Freedom" Live

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.

Bob Dylan Sells His Songwriting Catalog

 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:

Live Streams: The Hold Steady Massive Nights @ Brooklyn Bowl Night 3

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:

View this post on Instagram

December 3, 4 & 5 Live from Brooklyn Bowl direct to your living room! Livestream tickets pre-sale Thursday, October 29 at 10am Eastern General on-sale Friday, October 30 at 10am Eastern In 2016, we began the tradition known as Massive Nights, a four night celebration of The Hold Steady music and community at @brooklynbowl. It’s truly become the most wonderful time of the year, a chance to meet up with friends from around the world and raise glasses and sing along. We were very much looking forward to celebrating the 5 year anniversary of this wonderful tradition in 2020. And we still are…it will just look a little different. The Hold Steady will once again be returning to the Brooklyn Bowl in early December to play three shows for fans across the world. This time, due to obvious circumstances, we will be doing it through live stream technology. We hope you will join us from your homes and devices, have some drinks, sing the songs, and virtually be a part of this celebration. It’s a strange year, but we can still get together and make these three nights massive. Join us for three different sets filled with our classic songs and some new ones as well. Expect some songs you haven’t heard in a while. Be a part of the joyful celebration that is Massive Nights. The Hold Steady Massive Nights at Brooklyn Bowl Thursday, December 3 at 9pm Eastern Friday, December, 4 at 9pm Eastern Saturday, December 5 at 5pm Eastern (10pm for the UK!) The usual add-ons and bells + whistles are in place - multi-day ticket (limited), soundcheck event Friday (limited). A merch bundle and Brooklyn Bowl virtual merch stand will be offered in the weeks leading up to the shows. Ticketing options at the link in our bio. The shows will remain up on FANS.LIVE after December 5 in a video on-demand option for a limited time. With your ticket purchase, there is an opportunity to "BE IN THE STREAM" and seen by the band during the performance and cut to in your place of viewing by the livestream producers. Details on each coming soon. General onsale begins Friday, October 30. Link in bio! Poster by @andconick

A post shared by The Hold Steady (@theholdsteady) on Oct 28, 2020 at 9:00am PDT

Having attended this run of shows every year they have been going on we will be attending from home this year. To get pumped here is some tHS. 

Live Streams: The Hold Steady Massive Nights @ Brooklyn Bowl Night 2

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 night two of  Massive Nights, a three night celebration that The Hold Steady throw at Brooklyn Bowl which will be streaming (like everything else) this year:

View this post on Instagram

December 3, 4 & 5 Live from Brooklyn Bowl direct to your living room! Livestream tickets pre-sale Thursday, October 29 at 10am Eastern General on-sale Friday, October 30 at 10am Eastern In 2016, we began the tradition known as Massive Nights, a four night celebration of The Hold Steady music and community at @brooklynbowl. It’s truly become the most wonderful time of the year, a chance to meet up with friends from around the world and raise glasses and sing along. We were very much looking forward to celebrating the 5 year anniversary of this wonderful tradition in 2020. And we still are…it will just look a little different. The Hold Steady will once again be returning to the Brooklyn Bowl in early December to play three shows for fans across the world. This time, due to obvious circumstances, we will be doing it through live stream technology. We hope you will join us from your homes and devices, have some drinks, sing the songs, and virtually be a part of this celebration. It’s a strange year, but we can still get together and make these three nights massive. Join us for three different sets filled with our classic songs and some new ones as well. Expect some songs you haven’t heard in a while. Be a part of the joyful celebration that is Massive Nights. The Hold Steady Massive Nights at Brooklyn Bowl Thursday, December 3 at 9pm Eastern Friday, December, 4 at 9pm Eastern Saturday, December 5 at 5pm Eastern (10pm for the UK!) The usual add-ons and bells + whistles are in place - multi-day ticket (limited), soundcheck event Friday (limited). A merch bundle and Brooklyn Bowl virtual merch stand will be offered in the weeks leading up to the shows. Ticketing options at the link in our bio. The shows will remain up on FANS.LIVE after December 5 in a video on-demand option for a limited time. With your ticket purchase, there is an opportunity to "BE IN THE STREAM" and seen by the band during the performance and cut to in your place of viewing by the livestream producers. Details on each coming soon. General onsale begins Friday, October 30. Link in bio! Poster by @andconick

A post shared by The Hold Steady (@theholdsteady) on Oct 28, 2020 at 9:00am PDT

Having attended this run of shows every year they have been going on we will be attending from home this year. To get pumped here is some tHS. 

Happy 40th Anniversary WWOZ

Today marks the 40th anniversary of on air broadcasting for the best radio station in the country WWOZ

You can listen online and donate at wwoz.org. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by WWOZ 90.7 FM New Orleans (@wwoz_neworleans)

Let's celebrate with Tank and The Bangas from the WWOZ Groove Gala earlier this year:

Full Show Friday: The Hold Steady Rockpalast 2009

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 Hold Steady! 

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 week the Hold Steady are holding their Massive Nights Brooklyn run virtually and while that is cool and you should support the band, perhaps no other band going improves as much as being slightly (very) drunk and singing along with friends/strangers as tHS live. With their new album coming soon there will be new songs sprinkled throughout this run. 

We can not wait to catch them either in London or Brooklyn as we have done in the past...until then, here is the band back in 2009 from Rockapalast:

Album Review: The Nude Party - Midnight Manor

The Nude Party

Midnight Manor

**** out of *****

The second release from The Nude Party, Midnight Manor, is a confident blast of countrified rock and roll with splashes of titans from the past and a freewheeling buzzing look towards the uncertain future. 

Live Streams: The Hold Steady Massive Nights @ Brooklyn Bowl Night 1

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 kicks off  Massive Nights, a three night celebration that The Hold Steady throw at Brooklyn Bowl which will be streaming (like everything else) this year:

View this post on Instagram

December 3, 4 & 5 Live from Brooklyn Bowl direct to your living room! Livestream tickets pre-sale Thursday, October 29 at 10am Eastern General on-sale Friday, October 30 at 10am Eastern In 2016, we began the tradition known as Massive Nights, a four night celebration of The Hold Steady music and community at @brooklynbowl. It’s truly become the most wonderful time of the year, a chance to meet up with friends from around the world and raise glasses and sing along. We were very much looking forward to celebrating the 5 year anniversary of this wonderful tradition in 2020. And we still are…it will just look a little different. The Hold Steady will once again be returning to the Brooklyn Bowl in early December to play three shows for fans across the world. This time, due to obvious circumstances, we will be doing it through live stream technology. We hope you will join us from your homes and devices, have some drinks, sing the songs, and virtually be a part of this celebration. It’s a strange year, but we can still get together and make these three nights massive. Join us for three different sets filled with our classic songs and some new ones as well. Expect some songs you haven’t heard in a while. Be a part of the joyful celebration that is Massive Nights. The Hold Steady Massive Nights at Brooklyn Bowl Thursday, December 3 at 9pm Eastern Friday, December, 4 at 9pm Eastern Saturday, December 5 at 5pm Eastern (10pm for the UK!) The usual add-ons and bells + whistles are in place - multi-day ticket (limited), soundcheck event Friday (limited). A merch bundle and Brooklyn Bowl virtual merch stand will be offered in the weeks leading up to the shows. Ticketing options at the link in our bio. The shows will remain up on FANS.LIVE after December 5 in a video on-demand option for a limited time. With your ticket purchase, there is an opportunity to "BE IN THE STREAM" and seen by the band during the performance and cut to in your place of viewing by the livestream producers. Details on each coming soon. General onsale begins Friday, October 30. Link in bio! Poster by @andconick

A post shared by The Hold Steady (@theholdsteady) on Oct 28, 2020 at 9:00am PDT

Having attended this run of shows every year they have been going on, we will be attending from home this year. To get pumped here is some tHS. 

Album Review: Mr. Bungle - The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo

Mr. Bungle

The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo

**** out of *****

The first official studio full length release from Mr. Bungle since 1999 is an album that dates back even further as The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo is a re-imagining of the bands demo of the same name from 1986. Increased years, talent and players make the new "demo" one of the best thrash metal albums released in a long time. 

While Mr. Bungle quickly evolved into a band that would play any genre at any time in any song or style, during their early days and on this re-recording the music is straight up thrash. Original Bunglers, Mike Patton – lead vocals Trey Spruance – lead guitar Trevor Dunn – bass have added some high profile firepower with Scott Ian - rhythm guitar and Dave Lombardo -drums joining to pump up the sound exponentially. Lombardo in particular brings his double bass pummeling majesty to anchor the carnage. 

Beginning with the spacey intro of "Grizzly Adams" the band dives into the battle with "Anarchy Up Your Anus" as guest Rhea Perlman orchestrates a Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House for the listener. The riffs fly into overdrive during "Raping Your Mind" with Patton letting out blood curdling screams while "Bungle Grind" is pure driving slamming force, hurtling ahead like landslide destroying all it leaves behind.

"Erascist" is less successful with its one, direct anti-bigotry message while also adding two covers that weren't on the original demo weighs down the release a bit. They tag on their own version of The Stormtroopers of Death "Speak English or Die" (here titled "Habla Español O Muere") to the end of "Hypocrites" hat dance flair while Corrosion of Conformity's "Loss for Words" is just a straight ahead cover that doesn't add much to the original and feels extraneous.  

The best originals are the groove metal beats of "Methematics", the scalding "Glutton For Punishment" and the pummeling "Thighs of Death" which pairs Lombardo's never ending drum slams with power tool lead guitar soaring wails. 

All the way until the smashing finale "Sudden Death" Mr. Bungle have honed one of the best thrash metal albums in years. While not as diverse as the bands past offerings The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo elevates their early years to high levels of aggression.

___________________________________

Support the band, buy the album, stream it on bandcamp or below and peep some video:

White Stripes Greatest Hits Article

Thanks to @glidemag for publishing my article on The White Stripes promoting the upcoming release of their first Greatest Hits package on Third Man Records to be released Friday.

The truth is while a big fan of Jack White, unlike the majority of his fans, The White Stripes are our least favorite of his artistic outlets (give me some bass!). There is no doubt the Stripes albums contain his (and Meg's) most popular tunes and is the band that he is most known for, but in the land of stripped down garage rock I always felt their were better acts out there (Reigning Sound to name one). However, they deserve their accolades as they were at the forefront of changing popular music at the turn of the millennium.  

While The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs and Jack's solo records have always personally hit home harder than the early out put of The White Stripes, but they aren't chanting "Carolina Drama" at Wembley Stadium when England scores against Germany.  

Congrats to The White Stripes and to celebrate their Greatest Hits release, here are a few tunes:

New Hold Steady Album, Open Door Policy and First Single "Family Farm"

Coming in February of 2020 is the Hold Steady's newest album Open Door Policy.

Exciting announcement from the band on the eve of their Brooklyn Bowl Live Streams of Massive Nights kicking off tomorrow. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Hold Steady (@theholdsteady)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Hold Steady (@theholdsteady)

The band also released the first song from the album titled "Family Farm":

Great news as we wrap up a shitty year and now have something to look forward to on the horizon. Here is some older Hold Steady to brighten up your day. 

 

Album Review: Jimi Hendrix - Live In Maui

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

It is of the Jimi Hendrix Experience's newest archival release Live in Maui.

While that isn't the title we would have given the review, it is true, the sound on this one is lacking for an archival release but they did the best with what they had. Some cool moments but overall this one would not have made our favorite live show list, but the truth is any live Hendrix is good Hendrix. 

 

We wrote extensively about Hendrix in our Masters Series.  Support the artist, buy the album, read the review and peep some video below:

  

Live Streams: Alice In Chains - Museum of Pop Culture Online Benefit

 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: Alice In Chains - Museum of Pop Culture Online Benefit

Lots of artists coming out to support Alice In Chains tonight:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MoPOP (@mopopseattle)

 

Tune in at 6pm PST tonight, to get in the mood here is one of RtBE's favorite Alice In Chains tunes:

Album Review: Ryan Scully - New Confusion

Ryan Scully

New Confusion

**** out of *****

The newest release from New Orleans raconteur Ryan Scully is his first strictly solo album as New Confusion was conceived, written and recorded in his Bywater attic studio during the early days of the Covid-19 lock down. Released on Nouveau Electric Records the album expertly captures the uncertainty, fears, and frustration the world has felt since early 2020.

The opening effort "Manhole" is New Confusion's thesis statement, it is the exact song for 2020 as good intentions, fear, confessional malaise and that haunting sense of the unknown pulse together perfectly ensnaring that elusive off putting aura. "Get Meta" continues that feeling as it becomes trippy and dreamlike as the song (and life as a whole) doubles over on itself before dripping into "Covid Sheets" which directly addresses current plights with a bizarre Ween sounding influence before The Flaming Lips sounding "Arrested" locks up the madness.  

Scully’s humor, wit, and rolling funky groove has been honed by working with the likes of Andre Williams, Gibby Haynes and particularly The Morning 40 Federation, are on display during “My Little Phony”, “Look at Papa” and “Babies on the Way” which also brings in modern day societal worries. Those are front and center during “Melania’s Blues” as the punk shreds forth a screed against the wannabe fascist who occupies the White House.

Some of the best tracks come late on the album as “N.O.L.A” is a punked up, troubled theme song for the Crescent City that sounds straight out of the early days of CBGB’s with it's melodic aggression and double meanings. New Confusion closes with the gorgeous acoustic confessional “Go Home” as Scully leaves listeners via an emotional tale that proves one more is never enough.

Capturing these nebulous times with all the grace, anger and absurdity they deserve, New Confusion cuts to the heart on topics of the moment; isolationism, political revolution, and becoming unstuck in time. It is a very fitting album for this unparalleled year of existence on the planet as the world shifts under our collective feet. 

________________________________________________

RtBE are friends with Scully, having reviewed his music in the past and have helped him promote this record. That doesn't change our critical review however, this is a good one. 

Support the artist, buy the album and stream it below: