By: David Schultz

Come this fall, the adorable and awesome St. Vincent will be joining Andrew Bird for a month's worth of shows. Without veering into the realm of pretentiousness both St. Vincent (nee Annie Clark) and Bird have carved out nice niches for themselves: she as a rockin' version of Holly Golightly and he as a hip whistling, violin player with a neat looping machine. If St. Vincent's show at Webster Hall and Bird's at Carnegie Hall are any indication, this should be one amazing tour.

The dates for the double bill:

Sept. 29 Indianapolis, IN - The Murat Theatre
Sept. 30 Columbia, MO - The Blue Note

Oct. 3 New Orleans, LA - Tipitina's Uptown
Oct. 5 Birmingham, AL - Workplay Soundstage
Oct. 7 Carrboro, NC - The Cat's Cradle
Oct. 8 Carrboro, NC - The Cat's Cradle
Oct. 9 Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
Oct. 10 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
Oct. 12 Charleston, SC - The Music Farm
Oct. 13 Knoxville, TN - The Bijou Theater
Oct. 14 Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
Oct. 17 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
Oct. 18 Kalamazoo, MI - State Theatre
Oct. 19 Columbus, OH - The Southern Theatre
Oct. 21 Buffalo, NY - Asbury Hall at Babeville
Oct. 24 South Portland, ME - S. Portland High School Auditorium
OCt. 25 Philadelphia, PA - The Electric Factory
Oct. 26 South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
Oct. 27 Providence, RI - Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
Oct. 28 Washington, DC - The 930 Club

LAST YEAR, THE ROTHBURY FESTIVAL made fantastic inroads into the summer circuit as a destination event that was well worth the trip to the Midwest. They've outdone themselves this year with sets from Bob Dylan, The Dead and a reunited String Cheese Incident making for a fine slate of headliners. If you are sitting at home wondering what might be going on in Michigan this weekend, check out a couple sets at home by clicking here.

Labels: Andrew Bird, St. Vincent

Langhorne Slim, a modern folky singer-songwriter whom we reviewed here a few years back, has performed on David Letterman and played major festivals like Bonnaroo. Here he performs "Diamonds and Gold" live from Sun Studio:



Langhorne has a new record due out this fall, which insiders tell us is shaping up to be a "big beautiful" record. For more on Langhorne and his tour dates you can visit his Myspace page.

Labels: Langhorne Slim, SunStudioSessions

Video has been released of Michael Jackson rehearsing at the Staples Center just two nights before his death. Jackson looks in pretty good form as he runs through "They Don't Care About Us" with his dancers. You can view the footage here with an eerie ending:



Jackson looks to be enjoying the rehearsal and you can tell he's working hard as has been reported. Indeed, he looks very much like a vibrant Michael Jackson we'd seen in the past. The video is a glimpse of the comeback that might have been. Reports indicate that several of the rehearsals were filmed, so we should expect a new Michael Jackson DVD at some point down the line.

Labels: Michael Jackson

U2 paid tribute to Michael Jackson during their concert Tuesday night in Barcelona. The band dedicated the iconic "Angel of Harlem", originally written for Billie Holiday, to Michael and infused a medley of Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" into the end of the song.

Introducing the song, Bono described Michael as an "unspeakable talent." And, no Bono did not attempt to moonwalk - which makes sense, given there's not much water on the moon.

The Barcelona show, at Camp Nou stadium, drew over 90,000 fans and was the first of U2's 360 tour. The show set list featured several songs from "No Line on the Horizon and also included classics "One", "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "With or Without You." The tour dates continue through Europe this summer, with the first U.S. dates this September in Chicago.

Labels: Michael Jackson, Tour Dates, U2

By: David Schultz

Brooklyn . . . the County of Kings . . . home of the hipsters. If you have a black T-shirt, thick blocky glasses and can quote lyrics from The National’s last album with the gravitas of Walt Whitman poetry, this is the locale for you. For all the things that you can say about Brooklyn, there is one deep truth about the borough: Brooklyn don’t jam. It’s a fact that can be said with the same certainty that Robert Duvall knew that Charlie didn’t surf. Despite Brooklyn’s preference for the pithy and concise, every so often a band from the jamband community makes a bit of a dent in the aloof community and this past weekend it was U-Melt’s turn to introduce their blend of electronica and progressive rock to Park Slope’s Southpaw.

Doing more in a Mets #7 jersey than the individual who presently wears it, U-Melt’s Rob Salzer continues to build on his reputation as one of the most-electrifying young guitarists. Opening the second set with a psychedelic cover of The Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows,” Salzer matched Zac Lasher’s vocals with his guitar, transforming the trippy Revolver classic into a high-powered jam. In a nod to the recently departed Michael Jackson, the song segued into “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” with Lasher pounding out the vocal melody on his keyboards while bassist Adam Bendy and drummer George Miller had the crowd moving with the song’s sinuous beat.

It’s easy to gush over U-Melt – as I have ample times in the past on this site and recently over on jambands.com – and for good reason. This is a fantastic band hitting their stride and building a lasting relationship with their fans. Perhaps a fine sign of the burgeoning community, one of the fans at Southpaw had a gigantic tattoo of the U-Melt logo on his upper arm. If you haven’t yet made it to see U-Melt – shame on you; remedy this.

On July 4, U-Melt will return to The Stone Pony, the site of their last New Year’s Eve gig, for a performance inside the Asbury Park, NJ haunt following moe.’s show just outside. After a headlining set on July 18 at the Somerset County Jam Fest in Harmony, Maine, U-Melt will return to New York City on August 8 for two sets at Sullivan Hall.

Labels: U-Melt

By Deirdre Bones

As I went along to Radio City Music Hall to see Keane perform, I admit to a slight suspicion of a rock band whose music relies more heavily on pianos than guitars. My fears that it would take the “rock’’ edge off that “rock-n-roll” experience though turned out to unfounded.

The diversity of Keane’s fan base was clear from the crowds milling around the lobby of Radio City, where the hipster crowd rubbed shoulders with the post- work yuppie element - even a few people were spotted with small children in tow. It appears that Keane delivers the goods to all.

The band’s excitement was palpable from the first moments of the show as they erupted out with “The Lovers Are Losing” followed with an old favorite, “Everybody’s Changing.” Lead singer Tom Chaplin seemed to be truly impressed to be playing the Radio City venue and the large stage it offers gave him the opportunity to go into full blown rock star mode as he expertly worked the entirety of the huge stage.

Despite the fact that this was the last night of their U.S. tour, which included stops in Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, three shows in California and more, Keane were still in electrifying form with their performance showing no signs of wear and tear.

There was real familiarity with both the old and the new material throughout the crowd as the band and audience fed off each other’s enthusiasm more and more as the show progressed. This is definitely a band that is made more for the stage than the recording studio.

The stand-out performances of the evening were Chaplin’s acoustic performance of “Playing Along” which he performed from the left hand side of the stage. This performance demonstrated the sheer quality and depth of his voice, even at the end of a tour. Also brilliantly performed was “Perfect Symmetry” which Chaplin referred to as their “most perfect song.” If this performance was anything to go by, he is right.

The sheer excitement and energy that this band put into to this show was astounding with Tim Rice-Oxley taking the show to the far extremity of the right side of the stage while Chaplin took to the other side, at one point lying down on his back while still maintaining the notes of the song perfectly.

Their performance of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘The River’ was beautifully rendered, an excellent choice for this American audience and an outstanding vehicle for Chaplin’s voice. Their final performance of David Bowie’s “Under Pressure” sent certain sections of the crowd wild and made for a great finale.

The lighting display began quite modestly, but later exploded magnificently. It was timed perfectly to the music’s peaks, thrilling the entire audience. This, together with neon blue lights raining down from above as fans on the upper balcony threw down the lighted swizzle sticks from their drinks made for an amazing sight.

It was an energetic performance that you felt they threw their heart and soul into, like they were giving it their all for this, their last US show. One thing about this band, love them or hate them – there can be no doubt that they put on one hell of a show.

Set List:

The Lovers Are Losing
Everybody's Changing
Bend and Break
We Might As Well Be Strangers
Again and Again
Your Eyes Open
This is the Last Time
Playing along (Tom solo)
Try Again (acoustic)
Early Winter (acoustic)
The River (Springsteen cover)
Spiraling
You Don't See Me
Perfect Symmetry
Somewhere Only We Know
Crystal Ball
My Shadow
Is It Any Wonder?
Bedshaped
Under Pressure

Labels: Keane

By: David Schultz

Whenever anyone describes a band as playing “world music,” it’s usually taken as an oblique way of saying that they play music that derives from Africa or the Caribbean. BuzzUniverse, who takes the universe part of their name seriously, has carved out a nice niche for themselves by putting their own spin on the world music concept, incorporating South American gaucho rhythms and Latin American flair into blend of blues, funk and mountain-class bluegrass. After experimenting with a larger version of the band, BuzzUniverse has stripped back down to their original four-piece configuration: Alex Garay on vocals and lead guitar, Greg McLoughlin on bass, Dave Migliore on drums and Brian Ciufo on sax.

One thing that’s marked BuzzU’s shows over the past few months has been their willingness to experiment and refusal to remain static. Their penchant for incorporating jamband oriented rhythms into the song structure of progressive rock makes many of their songs perfect vehicles for other musicians to join in. At Sullivan Hall, violinist Meredith Bogacz sat in for the heart of their set, inspiring a zany dancing reverie from Garay with a traditional Irish jig and on “All Of My Friends,” blending in with Ciufo’s subtle baritone and soprano sax to provide a wonderful counterpoint to McLoughlin and Migliore’s sinuous beat. Broadening their universe, Aaron Wilkinson of the Honey Island Swamp Band sat in on mandolin for BuzzU’s version of the Marshall Tucker Band’s “This Ol Cowboy.”

BuzzUniverse will be offering a couple free shows in New York City over the next couple weeks. On July 4, they will be playing a 3:00 p.m. set at the South Street Seaport and on July 16, will be entertaining Manhattanites in Union Square Park with a set starting at 6:00 p.m.

Labels: BuzzUniverse

Jeff Buckley is another one of those talents we lost far too soon. Like his posthumous success with Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", Buckley's take on "We All Fall In Love Sometimes", written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, will remind of us of what we lost.

The song will appear on the soundtrack for the new film My Sister's Keeper, starring Cameron Diaz, Alec Baldwin and Abigail Breslin. You can listen to it here.

The soundtrack also includes songs from Regina Spektor, Pete Yorn and James Blunt.

Labels: Elton John, Jeff Buckley

Yonder Mountain String Band have announced a slew of summer tour and festival dates. The dates are a lead up the release of their latest studio record "The Show" due to hit stores September 1st. The end of the released dates include shows with Xavier Rudd and a few with the Dave Matthews Band.

Wed-Jun-24-09 Glen Allen, VA Innsbrook Pavilion (with Martin Sexton)
Thu-Jun-25-09 Jim Thorpe, PA Penn’s Peak
Fri-Jun-26-09 Bridgeport, CT Klein Theater
Sat-Jun-27-09 Buffalo, NY Buffalo Rocks the Harbor
Sun-Jun-28-09 Troy, NY Revolution Hall
Wed-Jul-01-09 Lancaster, PA Chameleon Club
Thu-Jul-02-09 Indianapolis, IN Vogue Theater
Fri-Jul-03-09 Peoria, IL CEFCU Center St
Sat-Jul-04-09 Cincinnati, OH Moonite Gardens
Sun-Jul-05-09 Rothbury, MI Rothbury Music Festival
Wed-Jul-08-09 Syracuse, NY Wescott Theatre
Thu-Jul-09-09 Great Barrington, MA Mahaiwe Theater
Fri-Jul-10-09 Tarrytown, NY Tarrytown Music Hall
Sat-Jul-11-09 Masontown, WV All Good Festival
Sun-Jul-12-09 Louisville, KY Forecastle Festival
Fri-Jul-17-09 North Plains, OR Northwest String Summit
Sat-Jul-18-09 North Plains, OR Northwest String Summit
Sun-Jul-19-09 North Plains, OR Northwest String Summit
Tue-Aug-11-09 Kansas City, MO Crossroads
Wed-Aug-12-09 Des Moines, IA Simon Estes Amphitheatre
Thu-Aug-13-09 Davenport, IA RedStone Room
Fri-Aug-14-09 Bayfield, WI Big Top Chautauqua
Sat-Aug-15-09 Apple Valley, MN Weesner Amphitheater
Sat-Aug-22-09 Alta, WY Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival
Thu-Aug-27-09 Boulder, CO The Fox Theatre
Fri-Aug-28-09 Morrison, CO Red Rocks (with Xavier Rudd)
Sat-Aug-29-09 Santa Fe, NM Paolo Soleri (with Xavier Rudd)
Sun-Aug-30-09 Flagstaff, AZ Pine Mountain (with Xavier Rudd)
Tue-Sep-01-09 West Valley City, UT USANA Amphitheatre (with DMB)
Wed-Sep-02-09 Reno, NV Hawkins Amphitheater
Fri-Sep-04-09 George, WA Gorge Amphitheatre (with DMB)
Sat-Sep-05-09 George, WA Gorge Amphitheatre (with DMB)
Sun-Sep-06-09 George, WA Gorge Amphitheatre (with DMB)

Photo credit: Tobin Voggesser.

Labels: Tour Dates, Yonder Mountain String Band

By: David Schultz

On the day that Elvis Presley died, an anonymous music industry executive reportedly commented that it was a phenomenal career move for The King. It’s an apocryphal anecdote that has persisted to this day because in a deeply cynical way, it contained a somewhat significant kernel of truth. “Good career move” wasn’t my first thought when I heard that Michael Jackson had died but after seeing the pictures of people gathering outside the hospital and watching the reaction from aggrieved fans around the world, I’m starting to think that Jackson's death has caused a wholesale reevaluation of the singer's life and career. It's something that never would have happened during his lifetime.

The first two acts of Jackson’s life are unequaled: as the pre-teen lead singer of Jackson 5, he fronted one of the most successful groups of the Motown era and Madonna notwithstanding, Jackson was the biggest star of the Eighties - Thriller having saved the music industry from the brink of its post-Disco ruin. He entertained millions, his shy off-stage demeanor a stark contrast to the confident stage performer. Sadly, as his career went into decline, act three featured self mutilation through plastic surgery, child molestation charges accompanied by criminal charges and gargantuan out-of-court settlements and a mountain of debt that would raise eyebrows if it we didn’t live in an age of billion dollar buyouts. Having transformed himself into a punch line, bands working Michael Jackson montages into their set lists wouldn’t be shortchanging a full career retrospective if they finished a medley of “ABC,” “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” and “Beat It” with The Who’s “Fiddle About.”

A masterful performer and entertainer, from the late Sixties through the Eighties, Jackson never seemed to take a wrong step, mainly because everything was choreographed to the nth degree. He’s been called “The King Of Pop” for so long, most seem to forget it’s a name he gave himself. When not on stage, where everything could be scripted, he never seemed comfortable in his own skin, literally. Perhaps growing up in a world where everything was planned in advance, Jackson never learned how to spontaneously interact with people. It’s baffling to imagine that this current outpouring of undying love from people who never met Jackson comes from anything that arose from within the singer. His public persona was awkward and distant, not warm or emotive; his interviews always seemed overly orchestrated, designed to prevent any serious inquisition into the singer’s bizarre lifestyle choices; he appeared in public one time too often wearing surgical masks that gave the appearance that he didn’t deign to breathe the same air as the commoners and then there’s the child molestation charges that dogged him in his latter years and caused him to move to Bahrain. For the last decade or so, schadenfreude and Michael Jackson have gone hand in hand.

The Michael Jackson being mourned and remembered has been gone for more than a decade. If we had wanted to pay homage to the passage of an era and revel in the greatness of the songs of Off The Wall and Thriller – for which Quincy Jones deserves no small share of credit – we could have done so at any time since the turn of the century. Now that Jackson is gone, we seem to want to erase the third act of his life or at least minimize its importance. In all the major papers and music sites, the photos are of Jackson from his younger, pre-plastic surgery days because this is the Michael Jackson we all want to remember: the 10-year-old fronting The Jackson 5 on “I Want You Back,” the moonwalking superstar singing “Billie Jean” on the Motown 25 special, the high school letter jacket clad dancing zombie from the “Thriller” video and the co-organizer of USA for Africa and “We Are The World.” With Jackson gone, we’ve decided to dwell on the good and ignore (temporarily) the bad, ugly and flat-out weird.

I wager it’s not so much Jackson’s death we are all collectively mourning; rather, it’s the passage of a happy vestige from our own youth.

Labels: Michael Jackson

Thea Gilmore has been dubbed "the best British singer-songwriter of the last 10 years, and then some" by Uncut Magazine. But, the press aren't the only ones taking notice. Joan Baez personally invited Gilmore to tour with her and in 2008 the music icon sang with Thea for "Low Road" on her critically acclaimed release LieJacker. Sun Studio provided a perfect backdrop for her insightful lyrics and warm delivery. Check her out below performing "Old Soul."



Speaking to her song writing skills, The Independent calls Thea "The most prolific and intelligent wordsmith of her generation" while MOJO opines "deceptively populist and deceitfully dark."

You can learn more about Thea and hear more music on her MySpace page.

Labels: SunStudioSessions, Thea Gilmore

The Pawnshop Roses and Number Line Productions announced that the Marco Benevento Trio will headline the the "Let it Roll" Festival at Sunnyview Farm in Ghent, NY the weekend of September 18th and 19th. Benevento and band join Jammy winners the Breakfast as the latest additions to the lineup.

Sunnyview Farm is a gorgeous 1200 acre farm located in Ghent, NY, which is just over an hour north of Woodstock, that has played host to rock and roll royalty over the years including John Lennon, Willie Nelson and Levon Helm.

To date, beyond the hosting Pawnshop Roses, additional confirmed acts include Leroy Justice, Teenage Prayers, The Leaves, Dead River Company and now Mountain Jam regulars Buzzuniverse. Additional acts will be announced soon. Tickets are available here.

Ghent, NY is conveniently located near Albany (45 minutes), Boston (2.5 hours), NYC (2 hours), Burlington, VT (3 hours 45 minutes) and Philadelphia (4 hrs). The “Let It Roll” Festival is an all-ages even and adults 21 and over can enjoy B.Y.O.B. Food and nonalcoholic concessions stands will also be in place. In addition, ample grassy fields will provide parking for cars, RVs, and buses and plenty of room will be designated for setting up camp to spend the night.

Labels: Festival News, Marco Benevento, Pawnshop Roses, Tour Dates

Ben, the two of us need look no more
We both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own
I'll never be alone
And you, my friend, will see
You've got a friend in me
(you've got a friend in me)

Ben, you're always running here and there
You feel you're not wanted anywhere
If you ever look behind
And don't like what you find
There's one thing you should know
You've got a place to go
(you've got a place to go)

I used to say "I" and "me"
Now it's "us", now it's "we"
I used to say "I" and "me"
Now it's "us", now it's "we"
Ben, most people would turn you away
I don't listen to a word they say
They don't see you as I do
I wish they would try to
I'm sure they'd think again
If they had a friend like Ben
(a friend) Like Ben
(like Ben) Like Ben

Labels: Michael Jackson

By: David Schultz

Like most of you, I’ve watched The Blues Brothers an extraordinary number of times over the last three decades and with repeated viewings you start to notice certain things that just don’t make very much sense. I’m not talking about things like the Bluesmobile’s ability to defy the laws of physics and automotive mechanics, Ray Charles remarkable accuracy with firearms or that no one within the white supremacist organization knows the address of Wrigley Field. I'm referring to things that really sit and make you wonder. Take for example . . .

Before the Good Ole Boys arrive at Bob’s Country Bunker, The Blues Brothers have posed as them, filled the place up, apparently played a full set, loaded out and stuck around until the place is empty. When the Boys finally do roll in, they hardly seem concerned that they may have arrived after closing time and missed their entire show, do they? It begs the question, when exactly did the Good Ole Boys think they were going on? But wait . . .

The Blues Brothers have sold out the Palace Hotel Ballroom, which seats five thousand people, and everyone has come to see them. After making the crowd wait for them to come on stage because they’ve run out of gas and hit on Twiggy, they finally take the stage . . . to dead silence. What crowd of 5,000 have you ever been part of that greets the headliner without making a noise? Or how about . . .

While waiting for The Blues Brothers to get to the Ballroom, Cab Calloway and the band stall for time by playing “Minnie The Moocher.” When the curtain opens, the band is dressed in tuxedos which they weren’t wearing and playing behind formal boxes that didn’t exist just moments before. Once Calloway is done, the band is back in their casual clothes and the set has changed. Other than Britney Spears, Madonna and Justin Timberlake, who changes clothes and sets that quickly? And finally . . .

Once The Blues Brothers go into Wilson Pickett’s “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love,” they win over the crowd in less than half a song. More than sway the audience, they have them up on their feet, clapping in unison and dancing wildly. Dead silence to massive approval in less than three minutes. When exactly does that occur?

Next week on killjoy korner, Earvolution points out how a single gopher would unlikely provoke as much damage to a golf course like the one in Caddyshack and explains how the gopher's skeletal structure would make his dance to "I'm Alright" impossible. As to how Kenny Loggins' music could make any living creature dance is beyond Earvolution's comprehension.

Labels: The Blues Brothers

By: David Schultz

“These are songs.”

That’s how Richard Swift began his early evening set at Piano’s on New York City’s Lower East Side. A true statement although in all actuality, Swift could have prefaced the night by emphasizing “these are songs.” A musician’s musician, Swift has voice that floats on air, possessed with an elusive quality that slides between plastic soul and pop genius. On The Atlantic Ocean, his recently released album, Swift's songs unfold as amidst a surreal cabaret, revisiting a time when all that an artist needed was the ability to craft a good song.

At Piano's, Swift touched on healthy doses of The Atlantic Ocean, letting his voice, which hardly looks like it should come from him, and, of course, the songs waft throughout the hall. For "A Song For Milton Fehr," everyone but the drummer found a keyboard to bang out the song's sprightly tune and for the final offering, the joyous"Lady Luck," Swift went into full soul singer mode, the performer coming through. In contrast to artists who try to emphasize the showmanship inherent in a live gig, it's refreshing to see someone like Swift with the confidence to let the songs take center stage.

UNDER THE NOT-SO SECRETIVE GUISE of Yim Yames, My Morning Jacket lead singer Jim James will be releasing a solo EP of George Harrison covers entitled Tribute To. Recorded shortly after Harrison's death in 2001, James' homage to the Silent Beatle will be released on August 4. However, if you can't wait until then, or just want to verify that James hasn't been possessed by the spirit of the Swedish Chef you can download as well as pre-order the album at YimYames.com starting July 7. If you really can't wait, you can download "Behind The Locked Door" for free right away.

The EP will contain covers of:

Long Long Long
Behind That Locked Door
Love You To
My Sweet Lord
Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
All Things Must Pass

Labels: Richard Swift

By: David Schultz

With record labels losing their importance in getting music into the ears of people who listen to it, artists are coming up with new and different ways to release albums. Radiohead’s much-publicized, pay-what-you-want scheme may have been a shot across the bow of the establishment and inspired some imitators but it didn’t start a free music revolution. The new scheme, at least for the summer, seems to be a one-at-a-time plan

Beck, essentially a free agent as far as record deals go, will experiment with the idea as part of his newly created Record Club. Starting with Velvet Underground and Nico, Beck will invite friends like MGMT, Devendra Banhart and Jamie Liddell, into the studio to cover a classic album in its entirety with little rehearsal. The results will be released on a weekly basis on his Web site with Beck’s cover of “Sunday Morning” kicking things off.

Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico 'Sunday Morning' from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

KELLER WILLIAMS WILL ALSO BE trying out weekly allotments of new music. As the calendar counts down to the release of his ODD, Williams will release it a track at a time as part of his Once A Week Freek. In addition to the new studio material, Williams will also make available live recordings and unreleased songs currently residing in the vault. The tracks will sell for 99 cents a pop with some coming bundled with free bonus material.

Labels: Beck, Keller Williams

By: David Schultz

In the spring of 2006, I interviewed Vernon Reid in conjunction with the release of Masque’s Other True Self. Being a tremendous Living Colour fan, I couldn’t help but inquire about whether the band that had such an influence on my taste in music had anything planned for the future. Reid’s response was a question in itself: does Living Colour have anything else to say? It appears that the answer is a resounding “Yes!” On September 15, Living Colour will release The Chair In The Doorway, their first studio album since 2003’s Collideoscope, and will follow it up with a world tour, which will include a trek across North America.

Though a reunion of sorts, it’s more of a return. After splitting in 1995, Reid, Corey Glover, Doug Wimbish and Will Calhoun truly reunited in 2000 and found a renewed purpose in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks; as a New York band, they had something to say. Living Colour also returned to CBGB, one of the venue’s that allowed the fledgling band room to spread their wings, to play a benefit in an effort to keep the legendary club from closing. With Corey Glover occupied with his role as Judas in a national touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar for the past 2 ½ years, any true Living Colour plans were placed on hold until now, although they did play a benefit show in support of Barack Obama’s candidacy at Le Poisson Rouge in September of 2008.

If Living Colour has something to say, there’s no question that it will be worth listening.

Labels: Living Colour

By: David Schultz

I first became acquainted with Emily Haines about three years ago, when Broken Social Scene made their way through New York City with Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning anchoring the Canadian collective. One of about 20 people that shuffled on and off the Webster Hall stage that night, Haines was the only one that made a lasting impression with me. With her punk though Debbie Harry-cool attitude, Haines practically stole the show every time she emerged. Like most people who have passed through Broken Social Scene, Haines had her own band, Metric, a feisty little outfit whose latest album, Fantasies, culls together songs that have been kicking around their repertoire for the last couple years. It’s a bold, robust collection that offers a glimpse at what The Breeders might have been up to had drugs not slowed down their momentum in the 90s.

Last week, Metric pulled a hearty crowd into Terminal 5, New York City’s cavernous west side pseudo-lounge. Fronting Metric, the athletically built Haines bears a slight resemblance to Uma Thurman and is every bit the rock and roll frontwoman, embodying a little bit of everything. When she stalks around the stage lost in a benign rhythmic rant, she channels the ardency of Patti Smith, when she bounces around the stage, halfway between skipping and bounding, you wonder if this could have been Gwen Stefani’s destiny had No Doubt not skewed into the mainstream and no one ever created the word “Hollaback.” A fine band, Metric makes up for the awkward and tired Beatles and Rolling Stones comparison in “Gimme Sympathy” and the rah-rah sentiment of “Stadium Love” by overlaying them with thunderous beats and new wave sheen.

Having mistimed the start of Metric’s set, I got a firsthand taste as to how miserable a venue Terminal 5 can be. When people talk about a place having bad sightlines, they aren’t even imagining the extent of the potential horrors of Terminal 5. As they may hold the roof up, you can forgive the giant columns that present the largest physical obstructions, but you cannot tolerate the fact that the venue is not set up to adequately provide proper viewing for its posted capacity. If you’re down on the floor, you are most likely fine. However, once you make your way up to either of the two balconies, which spread far back from the rails that overlook the stage, you are terminally screwed. Without the height to play power forward in the NBA, the angles are just too poor to be able to see anything but the back of the person in front of you if you are not leaning on the rail. There is one section of the balcony that is set up perfectly: the VIP area has a raised level that allows you to see over the first wave of bodies. Of course, that area is rarely packed and it usually goes to waste. This explains why the floor at every T5 show is a crowded mess. It's the only place where you can see the band.

Next time you're heading to Terminal 5 for a sold out show, be smart: have that one last drink at the venue instead of the bar (I strongly recommend the nearby Jake's Saloon on 57th Street and 10th Avenue for pre-show drinks) and if you haven't eaten, rest assured, there is a empanada concession on the second floor.

Labels: Metric

Taking a cue from moe and their now annually successful moe.down festival, the Pawnshop Roses are co-hosting their first annual "Let it Roll" Festival at Sunnyview Farm in Ghent, NY the weekend of September 18th and 19th.

Sunnyview Farm is a gorgeous 1200 acre farm located in Ghent, NY, which is just over an hour north of Woodstock, that has played host to rock and roll royalty over the years including John Lennon, Willie Nelson and Levon Helm.

So far, confirmed acts include Leroy Justice, Teenage Prayers, The Leaves, Dead River Company and BuzzUniverse. Additional acts and headliners will be announced soon. Tickets available here.

Ghent, NY is conveniently located near Albany (45 minutes), Boston (2.5 hours), NYC (2 hours), Burlington, VT (3 hours 45 minutes) and Philadelphia (4 hrs). The “Let It Roll” Festival is an all-ages even and adults 21 and over can enjoy B.Y.O.B. Food and nonalcoholic concessions stands will also be in place. In addition, ample grassy fields will provide parking for cars, RVs, and buses and plenty of room will be designated for setting up camp to spend the night.

Meanwhile, the Pawnshop Roses headline the World Cafe Live tonight in Philadelphia with special guests Justin Jones and The Morning Pages, starting at 8pm.

Labels: BuzzUniverse, Festival News, Leroy Justice, Pawnshop Roses, Teenage Prayers, The Leaves, Tour Dates

By: David Schultz

In the neverending search for new music to listen to, sometimes you don't need to go any farther than your own iPOD. Originally from Australia, The Death Set are a energetic shouty kind of band. On Worldwide, their full length debut released almost a year ago, they manage to capture all the frenzy and mania of punk rock with nary a pronounced guitar. Using electronica derived drums, a variety of keys and a touch of bass, The Death Set bring the rawness of basement punk into the high tech world. Give a listen and you will agree with their boast in "Intermission" and not be one those who "wonder why the people cry The Motherfuckin' Death Set."

Labels: The Death Set

By: David Schultz

For Heroes, the compendium of covers whose proceeds go to War Child International, an organization dedicated to aiding children worldwide afflicted by war, Beck completely reinvented Bob Dylan’s “Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat.” After listening to it for about the 50th time over the past few weeks, it prompted me to start discussions over whether Beck’s version of the Blonde On Blonde classic was the best Dylan cover ever. Of course, whenever such a subjective question comes up, it can mean only one thing: it’s list time.

Some artists have made their careers out of covering Dylan: Peter, Paul & Mary, Richie Havens and The Byrds rode Dylan’s coattails for many years at the expense of writing their own material. Even when Dylan retreated away from anything close to memorable music, his words and music were kept alive. For much of the 80s, the Grateful Dead rarely let a live show go by without a Dylan cover.

However, a comprehensive list of Dylan covers is not a novel exercise. Right around the time of Heroes’ release, Paste Magazine offered their all-inclusive, though relatively conservative, take on this idea. For this list of 5, we’re skipping the obvious: Jimi Hendrix’ take on “All Along The Watchtower” will always take the prize for best Dylan cover ever and the joyless droning version that The Dave Matthews Band included in a decades worth of shows just loses out as worst cover to the horrifying version of “Forever Young” that will.i.am cut for that Pepsi commercial.

What follows are the five Dylan covers that never seem to get the praise and discussion they deserve.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience: “Like A Rolling Stone”

From Hendrix’ revelatory set at Monterey Pop in 1967, his version of “Like A Rolling Stone” usually gets overlooked as his closing take on The Troggs’ “Wild Thing” pretty much blew everyone away even before he ritualistically set his guitar on fire. Despite forgetting a verse, something he acknowledges in the midst of the song, Hendrix found the same streetwise state of mind from which to deliver the song as Dylan. In Hendrix’ hands, it still feels like gospel . . . only with awesome guitar solos.

Warren Zevon – “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”

Engaging in an unsettling bit of gallows humor, Zevon covered “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” while dying from mesothelioma. What might have been a sobering take on Dylan’s contribution to Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid, retains a bit of the song's gravitas but turns into a relatively uplifting affair as Zevon hardly seems afraid of death. Near the end of the song, he demands that the doors open up, cause he's coming. Facing his own mortality, Zevon's interpretation is one many wouldn't have the fortitude to try.

Denzel Washington – “The Mighty Quinn”

This cover can only be found within The Mighty Quinn, one of the more underrated Denzel Washington films. A different version appears on the soundtrack, a light peppy reggae take that pales in comparison to the delivery in the film. Playing a detective in a small Caribbean village, coincidentally named Quinn, Washington ambles into a bar and starts Taj Mahal's "Cakewalk Into Town" on the piano before a hushed crowd. The rest of the band has other ideas and to Washington's character's initial dread, they slowly sabotage the song and amble into “The Mighty Quinn,” ultimately sucking Denzel into joining in.

The White Stripes – “Love Sick”

Never recorded in the studio, The White Stripes incorporated the latter-era Dylan classic into their live sets with relative frequency. Jack White’s frantic yawp works wonders with "Love Sick," turning Dylan's wizened delivery on its head and giving the song a hyperactive sheen and a manic edge. As White is want to do, he also adds some guitar pyrotechnics that light up the otherwise patient and deliberate opener to Time Out Of Mind.

Bryan Ferry – “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall”

Adding a jaunty hop to The Freewheelin Bob Dylan classic, Ferry's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" seems more like a haughty, breezy taunt than a foreboding warning. From These Foolish Things, Ferry's 1973 coverfest, Ferry chops through the songs concisely poetic descriptions and observations without the sense of sorrow of the original. Like everything Ferry touches, he makes "Hard Rain" distinctly his own.

Labels: Bob Dylan, Bryan Ferry, Jimi Hendrix, Warren Zevon, White Stripes

By: David Schultz

The last band I caught at the 2008 South By Southwest Festival was Wooden Shjips at The Tap Room at Six. Having become infatuated with the band’s post-John Cale Velvet Underground sound a few months prior, I was quite excited to see the San Francisco foursome turn the room into their own psychedelic garage. As they’ve yet to come to New York in the ensuing year and a half, I’m doubly glad I caught them. Otherwise, I’d be hard pressed to prove they actually exist. Their apparent aversion to being seen in public just adds to their mystique. Hearkening back to the less-trippy days of acid rock, the Shjips offer a heady, adrenalized version reminiscent of the Syd Barrett freakout days of Pink Floyd.

On Dos, their recently released sophomore album, Wooden Shjips offer another dose (see the title works on so many levels) of their hallucinatory garage rock, stretching five songs over a quickly paced forty minutes. On “Down By The Sea” and “Fallin’,” the albums two lengthiest jams, bassist Dusty Jermier and drummer Omar Ahsanuddin lock in to a repetitive rhythm, hitting it early and not wavering from it one iota over the progression of the song. The subtle repetition lulls you in and when Ripley Johnson unleashes his reverb heavy guitar licks on top Nash Whalen’s Ray Manzarek inspired organ melodies, you get a sense of what the 21st Century Doors should really sound like.

Now, would someone bring these guys to New York already!

Labels: Wooden Shjips

By: David Schultz

Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Matt Groening have never been shy about taking shots at Seth McFarlane as they seem to take great offense when their shows are discussed in the same conversation as Family Guy. Pointing to their ability to create humor around the themes of a single story, the creators of South Park and The Simpsons find Family Guy’s scattershot barrage of non sequitur jokes cheap and simplistic and not up to their standard. If Colin Meloy were so inclined, I would imagine he could look around and feel similarly irked when The Decemberists are likened to their fellow bands. Merriweather Post Pavilion may have cool songs about summer fashion and comatose lions and Veckatimest has tons of dreamy, hypnotic melodies but neither has any narrative structure or thematic continuity; they are just a compendium of short stories. Joining Green Day in restoring credibility to the concept of the concept album, The Decemberists created a larger-than-life rock opera with The Hazards Of Love, populating their fairy tale universe with a handful of slightly more than one-dimensional characters.

Unlike The Crane Wife, which had critics falling all over themselves to lavish praise upon Meloy and The Decemberists, The Hazards Of Love wasn’t draped in the same adoring cloak. While not unfair, the criticism leveled at the album - it’s verbose, it’s overblown, it’s excessive – ignored the reasons why everyone seemed to like The Decemberists in the first place. A moving and enthralling album, The Hazards Of Love is unlike anything else released this year. Last week, before a packed Radio City Music Hall, The Decemberists played their new opus before an enraptured crowd without many frills, opting to leave the theatrics to the imagination. While they didn’t bring a children’s chorus on stage for “The Hazards Of Love Part 3 (Revenge!)” - the image of a youthful chorus happily singing about returning to life to take revenge on their rakish father would have been slightly disturbing – they replicated all of Hazards’ prog-rock frills and neo-classical embellishments. Notwithstanding Lavender Diamond’s Becky Sharp sashaying grandly in a flowing white dress as the heroine Margaret and My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden stomping around like the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Karen O as the evil-hearted queen, the imagery and music were allowed to take center stage. Radio City’s normally fine sound had one stumble, during “The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid,” Worden’s majestic voice seemed to get lost in spacious theater. Otherwise, there was little left wanting.

Due to curfew issues, Meloy prefaced the second set with an announcement that it would have to be “more rock and less talk.” No worries though, Meloy is quite the chatterbox and couldn’t help engaging with the audience. Prior to a quick rendition of “Dracula’s Daughter,” Meloy pointed out that while most people would opt to play their best songs once they reach Radio City's hallowed stage, he would go against the tide by playing his worst. In addition to recent material like “The Crane Wife 3,” “O Valencia” and “Sleepless,” from the Dark Was The Night compilation, The Decemberists played a healthy smattering from their early catalog. In the midst of a lengthy version of “Chimbly Sweep,” Chris Funk and Meloy became engaged in an oddly structured guitar duel which seemed to be a battle of who could come up with the most unrhythmic solo until Meloy cheated and riffed on The Beatles’ “Blackbird.”

Keeping Worden and Sharp involved, The Decemberists went off the charts, playing “Crazy On You” with the two lovely singers tearing the house down. Unless seeking some sort of irony, Heart is rarely the go-to band for hairraising covers but when presented with two strong-voiced female singers, it’s really not that bad a choice. For the encore, R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, who had played with Robyn Hitchcock earlier in the show, joined in for a cover of “Begin The Begin.” Meloy’s exuberance for playing with one of his professed influences more than made up for the eloquent singer’s struggle with the song’s deliberately deemphasized vocals.

After a respite following their performance at Bonnaroo, The Decemberists will be bringing The Hazards Of Love around the U.S. and Canada for the rest of the summer. In October, they will return to Austin, Texas for the City Limits Festival, bringing their opera back to the city where they first played it live. Ignore whatever pissy reviews you've read. There will come a time in the future when people will make huge deal about The Decemberists playing The Hazards Of Love in its entirety, much like The Who doing Quadrophenia or if Peter Gabriel ever reunites with Genesis for The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. I can't fathom why anyone would wait for it to become a nostalgic event when they can go see The Decemberists play it now.

The above photo, taken by David Atlas, was sent to Earvolution with a request that we share it with our readers. A full set of Atlas' photos, which are quite good, can be found on the MSG site, which you can access by clicking here.

Labels: The Decemberists