• Folk,  Indie

    Jeff Tweedy at the Orpheum Theater in Phoenix

    Seeing my favorite artists live in a full band setting is obviously one of life’s great thrills – Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Steve Earle & the Dukes, Los Lobos, Wilco… But just as thrilling for me is witnessing more intimate showcases: the solo acoustic show. To be able to sit down and study the architect of the songs you love, as they play for you in a small theater – just the artist, a guitar and a microphone – you’re able to get a deeper understanding of the artist and his work.

    I’ve had the privilege to sit and watch my favorites in these intimate-type settings: Springsteen on the Tom Joad and Devils and Dust tours, Steve Earle on several occasions, David Hidalgo & Louis Perez at a small theater in Tucson – and last night, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy.

    I’ve followed Jeff and his band since Mermaid Avenue bowled me over in 1998. From that point, I’ve devoured everything they’ve released. For me, it all comes back around to that one unique characteristic: the golden, sweet & raspy vocal chords of Jeff Tweedy.

    Last night, in the ornate and acoustically divine Orpheum Theater in downtown Phoenix, the voice was in prime form, filling the small venue – from low whispers to tuneful wails. I don’t mean to get all dramatic and schmaltzy on you all, but it was such a special experience for me and the several hundred that filled the theater. Outside of a few entertaining exchanges between songs, the crowd was perfectly quiet – letting each song live and breathe – with only the sounds of Tweedy’s voice and acoustic guitar wafting perfectly in the air.

    Tweedy’s set list dipped into the Wilco songbook (e.g. “Passenger Side”, “A Shot in the Arm”, “Sunken Treasure”, “How To Fight Loneliness”, “Hummingbird”, “Impossible Germany”, “You & I”), his own solo material (“Bob Dylan’s 49th Beard”), Uncle Tupelo (“”Acuff-Rose”), as well as his side project/”supergroup” Golden Smog (“Please Tell My Brother” was one of the most poignant moments).

    One great spontaneous moment came when he veered from the set list for a cover of the Handsome Family’s “So Much Wine”, a dark Christmas tale of a broken relationship. I had never heard the original, and clearly I was missing out on some wonderful lyrics:  “Where the state highway starts I stopped my car / I got out and stared up at the stars / As meteors died and shot ‘cross the sky / I thought about your sad, shining eyes.”    Picture Tweedy singing this in a mournful country shuffle… it was magic.

    Another special moment came with “Jesus, etc.”, as Jeff shared vocal duties with the crowd. It wasn’t the messy sing-a-long you’ve heard at some shows. Rather, it was a very clear and succinct, spot-on rendition, and it made the small venue feel even smaller and more intimate.

    After wrapping up “I’m the Man Who Loves You” (dedicated to his wife Susie, who was in attendance with his family), Jeff  stepped away from the mic for the last couple of  songs, standing at the edge of the stage with no PA. “This is what it’ll be like when we lose power”, he joked, referring to a post-apocalyptic world.

    This moment summed up the entire evening… here was one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of our generation, in a one-off performance – and it wasn’t about the glitz and glamor of a rock ‘n roll band. It wasn’t about effects. And hell, it wasn’t even about amplification.. It was a man and his guitar singing his songs, playing from the heart and soul, and connecting with each and every one of us lucky enough to be in attendance.

    Photos: Photographer Holly Carlyle snapped some incredible photographs from the evening. Check them out here.

    Set List (thanks to azcentral):

    Sunken Treasure
    Remember The Mountain Bed
    Please Tell My Brother
    Hummingbird
    Country Disappeared
    The Ruling Class
    I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
    Bob Dylan’s 49th Beard
    You and I
    Muzzle of Bees
    How To Fight Loneliness
    Impossible Germany
    In A Future Age
    Passenger Side
    So Much Wine
    Spiders (Kidsmoke)
    A Shot in the Arm

    Encore:

    Heavy Metal Drummer
    Jesus, Etc.
    I’m the Man Who Loves You
    Someone Else’s Song
    Acuff-Rose

  • Indie,  Rock

    Slayed by the Percussion Gun: White Rabbits in Minneapolis

    My uncle Jamie is a vocational therapist out in Salem, Oregon. A while back, he related to me the concept of risk and how it relates to developmental wellness. If someone is regularly taking emotional, mental, physical and spiritual risks, generally speaking, they are healthier people on a number of levels.

    This doesn’t mean necessarily that individuals should go jump off a cliff or rob a bank. It does mean that people should try to stretch themselves out in all four of these areas as frequently as they can. How far one stretches depends on the person. Saying “Red wine and clits go quite well together” to a group of people at a wine tasting is not much of a risk for me but it could be a huge one for someone else. Hell, in Minnesota simply saying “hi” to someone you don’t know is an emotional risk.

    Lately, I’ve noticed myself dragging a bit in the risk department. I started running again in the last year and plan on doing a 5K or two in the next month so I guess that’s something in the physical realm. And I’m still  my outspoken and opinionated self in regards to the topics of politics, sex, and religion which, in the land of rock granite rigidity, is a monumental risk on a number of levels. But I ALWAYS do that. I could hear my uncle’s voice in the background…”find something…take a risk.” For my entire life, I have always thought he was the coolest mother fucker (along with my dad of course) since James Dean so I was more than curious when an opportunity to take an emotional, mental, and spiritual risk…a substantially huge one considering who I am…arose.

    I was asked to see a band of whom I had never heard.

    Many of you may chuckle at this but for my entire life I have always been the one to dig on the cool, new bands first. I’m the one who cheerleads people into loving (insert Brit Rock band here) and goads people into going to shows with me. Invariably, they love the bands I suggest and I feel quite proud of myself. I led them to the Holy Land….

    So when my friend Paul asked me to see White Rabbits, I hesitated at first. “Where are they from?” I asked. “Well, they are based out of New York but I think they are originally from Chicago,” he answered. Hmph, I thought all grumbly, not from the UK.

    But I thought of my uncle and something inside of me told me to get a ticket and go. It would be an excellent emotional and mental risk to let someone else drive the Magical Mystery Tour bus for a change. And, since I am convinced that I am Holy Knight of Music, a spiritual risk as well. Perhaps Paul was a Holy Knight and I didn’t know it. He does have a good first name after all:)

    I decided to be really daring and not even bother to listen seriously to any of their music. I would not buy either of their CDs and go see the show completely cold. I found out it was at a venue to which I had never been: The Cedar Cultural Center, located in the West Bank area of Minneapolis. Ah yes, even more of a risk…an untested venue with potential sound issues. I did find out, though, much to my delight that the band got their start in Columbia, Missouri. My place of birth…cool! So New York by way of Chicago and Columbia…yeah, I could dig it.

    I found out that some other friends were going and, at the last minute, asked my friend Wendy to join. Wendy is an unbelievably cool chick (and accomplished artist) who loves all the same music I do. She had heard some of their songs and was keen to go. After spending an hour and half of cocktails and conversation over at the Cafe formerly known as the Riverside, my friends and I went into the CCC.

    I was struck immediately by how much the place looked like a junior high school gymnasium. Wendy remarked that was because of the piano. It had that 1950s school gym look.  We had timed it out just right so we arrived just before White Rabbits were about to go on. I have to admit I was nervous. What if they sucked? What if I got bored? Would I be just a total music snob around my friends if I didn’t like them? As the music started, all of my fears were washed away.

    To begin with, White Rabbits have two drummers, which can sometimes morph into three or four drummers as other members of the band set their respective instruments down and hit the skins. The primal pounding coursed through my veins. It was magnificent. This was not a granola drum circle barf fest. These fucking guys knew how to hit the skins and were so tight that THEY could be a metronome for a drum machine.

    They could also sing. Man, can these guys sing! I have three words for all of you: Four Part Harmony. And that’s with the relentless and cacophonous drumming going on! The blend of their voices reminded me a lot of the Beach Boys. As the set progressed and I watched the lead singer of the Spin Doctors look-alike (who may have been totally naked) make an asshat out of himself doing a pogo dance down in the pit, I realized that my risk had paid off. This band was fucking amazing. And my uncle, as he has mostly been his whole life, was right. Go through the looking glass, Alice, and there you will find…White Rabbits. Take risks and ye shall be rewarded.

    Rewarded with hearing the lead singer of White Rabbits, Stephen Patterson, sing the word “know” in the chorus of “Percussion Gun” and sticking it with such a herculean force that I was slayed. And reminded of a James Brown “HA!”  Rewarded with getting to experience a band live whose music I had never heard. Rewarded with a night of hilarity with friends.

    But most of all, being rewarded with letting myself go…not being the music know-it-all…not being the leader…not being in control.

    And loving every minute of it.

    White Rabbits – Percussion Gun (mp3)

    White Rabbits Official Site

  • Folk,  Indie

    With eyes that burn so bright they make me pure

    I’ve had a nice 3 day weekend: a hike near Canyon Lake in the Superstition Wilderness, an outing to the zoo with the family, BBQ and wine with the neighbors… but as all good things come to an end, it’s time to face the work week ahead (albeit a  shortened one).

    Tonight, the music of Conor Oberst makes a damn fine accompaniment.

    I didn’t hear about Bright Eyes until Conor released the great album I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning in 2005 and grabbed my attention. So I didn’t hear this great track until this past summer while I was in Telluride. It’s from their second album, Letting Off The Happiness, released in 1998.

    Bright Eyes – June On The West Coast (mp3)

    Conor’s most recent project and release is Outer South, by Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. This is one of my favorites. You can see I like the more introspective tunes…which Conor’s music spilleth over with…

    Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band – I Got The Reason (mp3)

    Visit ConorOberst.com.

  • Indie,  Rock

    New Tune: Matthew Ryan’s The Wilderness

    Care to be haunted and moved and blown away by a great song? Then listen to the brand new tune from Matthew Ryan: “The Wilderness”.

    Matt’s been making appearances on Ickmusic since I first fired this bad boy blog up back in 2004.  He never disappoints, and this tune definitely has me looking forward to the new record, Dear Lover, due out in late October.

    Keep up with Matt on his Web Site, and be sure to follow him on Twitter. One of the most down to earth guys out there…

  • Americana,  Bluegrass,  Indie

    Review: Works Progress Administration, “WPA”

    https://ickmusic.com/pics/WPALP.jpg

    Glen Phillips’ brand of Southern California folk-rock has always flirted on the edge of its bluegrass and country and western roots. In the years since Toad the Wet Sprocket closed up shop, his songwriting has danced closer and closer to those roots, and with 2000’s Mutual Admiration Society – pairing Phillips with members of Nickel Creek – it seemed to come to the forefront. Taking that collaborative spirit to the next level, Works Progress Administration consists of Phillips and his MAS cohorts Sean and Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek, Fiction Family) with Luke Bulla (Jerry Douglas Band, Lyle Lovett), Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Greg Leisz (Joni Mitchell, Bill Frisell), Pete Thomas and Davey Faragher (Elvis Costello and the Imposters).

    The group’s debut record, WPA, is a slice of modern Americana with strong pop sensibilities. Recorded over the course of five days, the recording itself feels very alive and immediate thanks to the production of Jim Scott (Wilco, Tom Petty). There is a dynamic that showcases the collective beautifully and shines a light on the real star of the show: the 12 well crafted songs that make up the album.

    ”Always Have My Love” is easily one of the strongest tunes that Phillips has written in the past 10 years. It’s followed by the equally stellar “Good as Ever”, with Sara Watkins providing her angelic voice to bolster Glen’s vocal. Sara takes the lead for the gut-wrenching cover of Ray Davies’ “I Go to Sleep”.  As strong as these songs are, “I Could End This Now” (mp3) is easily my favorite track of the bunch. It manages to take the bluegrass mélange and adds just a touch of soul resulting in a stormy mid-tempo ballad.

    WPA is not without its faults. The rave-up of “Paralyzed” and the hoedown of “Wedding or a Wake” seem awkward by comparison to the rest of the material. The record’s lowest moments come at the plodding “Who’s Gonna Cry for You” and “Remember Well”. Despite these small missteps, this record is a must for fans of the group’s respective origins.

    Buy WPA: Amazon

    Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace | on Facebook | on Twitter

  • Folk,  Indie

    Two Gallants come from the old time, baby

    Well I come from the old time baby / too late for you to save me

    For two guys in their late twenties, they sure sing and sound like they come from the old time. San Francisco’s Two Gallants are a duo – Adam Stephens on guitar & vocals, Tyson Vogel on drums & vocals. These two caught my ear during my summer vacation in Colorado. I was checking out Pandora during a nap – listening to Deer Tick Radio (totally recommended) – and these guys kept popping up and bowling me over with their low-fi but powerful tunes.

    They’ve released three albums, the last couple on Saddle Creek records. This tune is a favorite, and was actually one of the singles from their second album, What The Toll Tells. As is my custom it seems, it caught up to me a few years later. Go ahead, see what these guys can do with one guitar and one drum kit.

    Two Gallants Steady Rollin’ (mp3)

    From What the Toll Tells

    VisitOfficial Site | MySpace

  • Indie

    Went for a run and got the Harlem Shakes

    So I went on an ill-advised 100 degree run this morning. Usually I’d be okay, but clearly the beer and food from last night’s BBQ had something to say about it, and I ended up really light-headed and exhausted. Now that I’m back to normal, I’ll share one of the great songs that popped up during the Hot Run.

    Harlem Shakes are a quirky NYC-based indie band. I’ve had their latest, Technicolor Health on the iPod for some time. Today’s surprise kick in the pants shorts was “Radio Orlando”.

    Harlem ShakesRadio Orlando (mp3) – from Technicolor Health

    Visit: HarlemShakes.com

  • Electronic,  Indie,  Pop

    Review: Desktop, “Desktop EP”

    https://ickmusic.com/pics/desktop.jpg

    If you hadn’t guessed already I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for the blips and bleeps of the current generation of electronic indie pop. Detroit duo Desktop bring blips, bleeps, swooshing synths, atmospheric guitars and enough pop sensibility to make this all too brief EP an easy sell. Think of it as dance music at a time when we could all could use a reason to ignore our concerns and just dance. “Liberty” leads off the set with its quirky ‘80s techno leanings. “Fired Up” is the funkiest of the bunch with a driving beat a la Prince with shades of Cutting Crew. “Too Much” brings it all home with some over the top, make your ass wiggle goodness. What makes this an even easier sell is the fact that the group is offering it up for free.

    Download Desktop EP Here

    Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace

  • Giveaway,  Indie,  Pop

    ScarJo and Yorn’s new song “Relator” – and a vinyl giveaway

    Scarleeeett

    Even though Scarlett’s cover album of Tom Waits tunes didn’t fare too well commercially or critically, you have to hand it to her for following her musical whims and desires. Her latest project has her teaming up with Pete Yorn for Break Up, a new album due September 15th.

    The first single is “Relator”, which was released a couple weeks back. Last week, the video was released – which is a huge deal for me, because, well, this is Scarlett Johansson we’re talking about here, folks.

    7″Vinyl Single Giveaway: The good people at Rhino sent me the vinyl 7″ single, which includes the B-side “I Don’t Know What To Do”. If you feel like adding this to your collection, leave a comment below. I’ll pick a random winner a few days down the road. The cover art is different (and better) than the one above. I look at the one above and four words come to mind: “Outta the way, Yorn!!

    Listen: Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson – “Relator

    Visit: The Break Up Album dot com

    W-w-watch