It’s been a long time since I’ve exclaimed “that’s my JAM” but after hearing this record I did not walk, I ran to get my hands on The Roots latest masterpiece Rising Down. Seriously I’ve had this joint on repeat and I never do that.

Buy Rising Down: Amazon | iTunes

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

Photo from Yahoo (AP)

When I first checked out the set list and Backstreets review of last night’s Boss show to benefit the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey, I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Then I had to check the calendar to make sure Backstreets wasn’t pulling another of their infamous April Fool’s jokes.

But it’s true. Last night, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played Darkness on the Edge of Town - in sequence, in its entirety. After a break, they played Born to Run - in sequence, in its entirety.

Holy bleeping bleep!! The search begins…

Setlist:
Badlands
Adam Raised a Cain
Something in the Night
Candy’s Room
Racing in the Street
The Promised Land
Factory
Streets of Fire
Prove It All Night
Darkness on the Edge of Town
* * *
Thunder Road
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out (w/ horns)
Night
Backstreets
Born to Run
She’s the One
Meeting Across the River (w/ Mark Pender)
Jungleland
* * *
So Young and in Love (w/ horns)
Kitty’s Back (w/ horns)
Rosalita (w/ horns)
Raise Your Hand (w/ horns)

• Rolling Stone’s Rock & Roll Daily
• You can get the encore over at Boss Tracks
• As for the rest of the show? A peek at the comments section may help….

Okay, let’s pretend I watched American Idol, and I need to chime in…

Did anyone else besides me experience such a high level of unadulterated, pure joy while watching Jason Castro forget the lines to “Mr. Tamborine Man“? Oh, such good entertainment (will someone dump the Youtube link in the comments when it’s available? I wish to entertain myself further with repeated viewings).

And is there anyone else out there with an urge to smack David Archuletta upside the head, pleading for just a little testosterone?? I know the kid’s only 16, but my god, what a giant wuss-ball. I knew by age 16 not to exhibit such ample amounts of wuss-dom, and I was a Prince freak!

Syesha - you go on with yo bad self. Yum.

David Cook - I’m not always down with your remakes of the tunes you perform, but at least you put an original spin on everything you do. You shall be the victor - you shall be - dum-du-du-dum - the next American Idol.

Seems like 4 out of every 5 new bands I discover these days are from Brooklyn, NY. Here’s another one: Tom Hamilton’s American Babies. This tune caught my ear recently, I think on Sirius. Influences range from Ryan Adams to Bright Eyes to Mr. Springsteen. But in this one, I hear Rodney Crowell.

Catchy, quality roots-rockin’ goin’ down right here. Oh, also, drumming in the band is Joe Russo from Benevento-Russo Duo.

American Babies - Invite Your Friends (mp3)

[See post to listen to audio]

Linkage: Official Site | MySpace

Buy American Babies for $10 on CD Baby. Go. Now.

A few months ago I caught some buzz on Santogold as someone to check out. At the time, her record wasn’t out, and I simply forgot about it. This week I found a slip of paper (amongst many) on my desk that said simply ‘Santogold.’ Coincidentally, her album dropped in the US this week.
This might be my pick for 2008 so far.

A knee jerk reaction would be to compare her to M.I.A. However, that comparison is unfair to both parties. Sure, there might be some stylistic similarities in some of Santogold’s tracks, but she’s hardly “this year’s M.I.A.” Rather, Santogold is straddling the fence between indie rock and hip-hop/dance. The current single, “L.E.S. Artistes,” is very much in the rock idiom. Check out the video (she also performed this tune on Conan recently):

Hot track!

Other parts of the album are more in a hip hop/dance vein, and are executed equally well. For example:

Santogold - You’ll Find a Way (mp3)

[See post to listen to audio]

Give the album a spin. This along with the new Roots and Jamie Lidell albums are basically all I’ve been listening to all week. Three hot releases in one week – score!

Buy:

Santogold (MySpace)

For most people, Friday’s just the day before the weekend. But after this Friday, the neighborhood’ll never be the same.

It was back to the daily grind this week (day job, well, during the day and Mr. Home-Improvement-Man in the evening) and that means the tunes have been going nearly non-stop. The wife and I decided that we’re taking this weekend easy, despite the unfinished project so I’m psyched to push play on this weeks Five. Last week we missed a few of the faithful fivers but had a few new friends to play along. For the first timers, here’s the deal… I hit the shuffle button and share the first five tracks along with thoughts, quips and memories.

Then it’s your turn!

Here are this week’s tracks:

1. Keith Urban – Days Go By (MP3) (from Days Go By)

While I’m not much for the stuff they call “Country Music” these days I make exception for guys like Keith Urban and Brad Paisley. Both bring a bit more rock to the table then most of their pop-driven peers not to mention that both are wickedly good guitarists.

[See post to listen to audio]

2. Tool – Prison Sex (MP3) (from Undertow)

Have you ever tried to explain Tool to someone? It’s nearly impossible to define them. Art-Rock? Progressive-Metal? Disturbing? I haven’t a clue. What I do know is that I’ve faithfully purchased every single thing that they have released in their 15+ year tenure as one of the most indefinable bands of the last decade and enjoyed every moment thoroughly.

[See post to listen to audio]

3. Prince – La, La, La Means I Love U (from Emancipation)

Can we take a minute here to acknowledge the fact that Prince has pretty much managed to set the bar for all future Cochella headliners straight into the stratosphere? Aside from the sensational take on Radiohead’s “Creep”, the man delivered a solid performance that could sell out a stadium on its own.

4. Hall & Oates – You Make My Dreams (from Greatest Hits: Rock ‘n Soul, Part 1)

I’ve got a wicked soft spot in my heart for the blue-eyed soul of Daryl Hall and John Oates.

5. Chet Baker – When Lights Are Low (from Chet Baker in New York)

And a beautiful and romantic tune to take us into the weekend.

Okay, it’s your turn, what’s knocking you the f**k out?!?

Gavin Rossdale has no delusions about the risk of going it alone after being the frontman of alt-rockers Bush. “There’s such a minefield of people who have gone from bands that had success to the solo thing,” says Rossdale. “There’s a chasm to get from one to the other. It’s like Death Valley and you look down and there’s fucking scorched singers.” Looking to vault that gap, the singer is set to release his solo debut WANDERLUST on June 3rd. Here’s a taste of what’s to come in the very theatrical trailer for the record.

WANDERLUST Trailer (on imeem)

Buy Love Remains the Same: iTunes

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

It’s been awhile since a tune I heard on the radio made me sit up and pay attention but that’s exactly what happened the first time I heard “Handlebars” by the Hip-Hop collective Flobots. Socially conscious and politically charged and completely live this is the visceral type of Hip-Hop that keeps me believing despite the crap they pass off as rap these days. The group was recently signed to Universal so I imagine you’ll be hearing and seeing a lot more in the near future. Stay tuned and check out the original video for the track that got me hooked.

Flobots – Handlebars (Last.fm)

Flobots – Handlebars (Video)

Buy Fight With Tools: Amazon | iTunes

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

In 1974, a DC-10 took off from the U.S. en route to Kinshasa, Zaire. The Rumble in the Jungle was about to go down - a heavyweight fight between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali. It was Don King’s first big fight as a promoter. To precede the fight, a music festival was planned. So aboard that DC-10, not only were Muhammad Ali and his crew on board, but all of the musicians too. And their gear. And their wardrobe. Making the flight were Bill Withers, B.B. King, the Pointer Sisters, the Jazz Crusaders, Sister Sledge, James Brown and his crew (Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, and others), and even more musicians.

Brown and his gang were headlining the festival, and as you’ll hear, he and his great band were in prime form. The musicians spent a couple of weeks in Zaire, staying for free in luxury hotels, soaking up the nightlife, and having a great time. As Fred Wesley said in this article he wrote for the Seattle Times, “I think maybe some of the economic problems Zaire is experiencing today are a residual effect of that 1974 music festival.”

James Brown
Live in Zaire
September, 1974
[Zippower - download the whole show]

1. Intro - The Payback
2. Soulpower
3. The Boss
4. Make It Funky
5. Doing It To Death
6. Bewildered
7. (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine
8. Cold Sweat - I Can’t Stand It
9. Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag
10. Gimme Some More
11. Get On The Good Foot
12. Zaire Soul
13. Sax Solo (Maceo)
14. Try Me
15. For The Love Of Money
16. The Payback (reprise)
17. My Thang
18. Say It Loud, I’m Black And I’m Proud
19. Please Please Please

TRIVIA: Do you know who won the Rumble in the Jungle? Ali (32 yrs old) or Foreman (24 yrs old)? Well, one of ‘em went down in the 8th round. You can watch Round 8 here to find out…

DVD: I just Netflixed an Oscar winning documentary about the Rumble in the Jungle, which not only documents the fight, but the music festival as well. It’s called When We Were Kings. You can find out more about it by clicking the DVD cover. I’ll be watching it soon.

Foreman vs. Frazier (1973) -Before George Foreman faced Muhammad Ali in Zaire, he had risen from from the ranks since his gold medal victory at the 1968 Olympics. In 1973, he faced Joe Frazier, completely dominating, with the fight being called in the 2nd round. Check out George Foreman, before the Grill ®.

What is it about the changing weather that has inspired musicians throughout the centuries? I’ll admit to not being too familiar with the folk-rock ensemble The Great Outdoors prior to receiving their new EP Spring, but that’s something that I hope to remedy soon. There is a simple, gentle yet urgent beauty to the three tracks that make up the EP that captures the renewal and rebirth of its namesake season. I’ve got the first track “Spring Flower” available below and you can hear the entire EP at the group’s official site.

The Great Outdoors – Spring Flower (MP3)
[See post to listen to audio]

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