On Discovering Butch Walker
Regardless of how tuned in you think you are to the popular music scene, there’s always something good slipping under the radar. One of the most recent examples for me is Butch Walker. The Georgia-born musician and producer has been making waves since his early hair metal days with Southgang. He moved on to the Marvelous 3 in the late 90’s, and, and over the last decade, he’s found success as a pop/rock solo artist and producer (Pink, Weezer, Fall Out Boy).
Butch Walker & Daryl Hall (photo: Mark Maglio) I had heard of Butch, but didn’t get a good quality introduction until I watched his appearance on the always great Live from Daryl’s House series. Musically, it was the performance of “Sweethearts” that reeled me in. But it’s also impossible not to appreciate the funny, genuine person he is (Daryl’s House seems to bring that out in its guests).
That brought me to The Spade
album, his 2011 release by Butch Walker and the Black Widows – a wonderful collection of catchy hooks, fantastic harmonies and simply fun songs. The mid-album trio of “Sweethearts”, “Day Drunk”, and “Synthesizers” is my highlight.
Little did I also know that a great video for “Synthesizers” was released a year ago, featuring Matthew McConaughey reprising his role as his Dazed & Confused
character Wooderson, a role that my colleague Mark has proclaimed his appreciation for.
The “Synthesizers” chorus has some advice that ties in well to the new year.
For once, once in your life
Won’t you do what feels right
Instead of waiting for the next big compromise
Stop running your mouth
Get out of the house
Get yourself downtown
And shake it all out tonight.Add this song to your exercise playlist and tell me you don’t get a charge out of it.
Here’s the video, followed by the first segment from the Live From Daryl’s House episode with Butch, which I highly recommend taking the time to watch.
Watch the whole episode.
Grace Potter stops into Live From Daryl’s House
I’ve had the opportunity to check out the sexy & sultry (and immensely talented) Grace Potter live a number of times over the past years. So I’m excited to see that she’s stopped into Daryl Hall’s Amenia, NY home for the latest installment of the great web series Live From Daryl’s House.
Observations…
- I didn’t know it until I heard it from Daryl, but the drummer for the Nocturnals, Matt Burr, is Grace’s boyfriend. I always wondered who the target of Grace’s amorous and lustful ways was. Well played, Matt.
- The dinner scene is probably my favorite non-music portion. Laid back dinner conversation among musicians. For the viewers, it’s like being a fly on the wall – getting to eavesdrop on intimate musician talk. I’d watch an entire show made up musicians sitting around a dinner table swapping stories. Now there’s an idea.
- Of Grace’s songs, “Things I Never Needed” is my favorite of this episode. Great harmonies with Daryl, nice mellow vibe. Pretty song.
- Grace and Matt chose “Room to Breathe” from Hall & Oates’ 1976 album Bigger Than Both Of Us. Not only did they get me to check out the entertaining album cover (which they talk about), but I’ve queued it up on Rdio. “Rich Girl” was the big hit from the record, actually their very first #1 single on Billboard’s Hot 100 (their first of six).
- I am now in the mood for some gazpacho.
The Friday Five: July 15, 2011
Friday Five : ‘frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Sometimes there is a playlist involved, occasionally we’ll have a guest, but most of the time it’s just me. The rest is up to you, our friends and readers! Fire up your media player of choice and share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments.
The Five:
“Behind the Wheel (Vince Clark remix)” by Depeche Mode (from Remixes 2: 81-11, 2011)
Both Vince Clarke and Alan Wilder make appearances on this second remix collection from Depeche Mode.
“Kept” by Matt Nathanson (from Modern Love, 2011)
I first discovered Matt Nathanson through his appearance on Live From Daryl’s House; and no sooner completely forgot about him. Save for his big hit “Come on Get Higher,” I’d be hard pressed to name another song. His new record, however, is quite good.
“Baba O’Riley” by Pearl Jam (from Live at the Gorge 05/06, 2007)
This is probably my favorite Pearl Jam cover. I remember buying a bootleg import back in the early ’90s that closed with an insanely raw version of the tune.
“Colonized Mind” by Prince (from Lotus Flow3r, 2009)
ZZzz …
“Michelle (1965 stereo mix)” by The Beatles (from Rubber Soul, 2009)
Let me take this space to express my extreme jealousy of those of you getting to see Macca at Yankee Stadium this weekend.
What’s on your shuffle today?
Live from Daryl’s House: T-Bone’s Last Performance
It’s been almost 2 months since the world lost Tom “T-Bone” Wolk from a heart attack at the age of 58. It’ll be an odd feeling to watch Daryl Hall go forward without T-Bone at his side.
The latest episode of Live From Daryl’s House is bittersweet, to put it mildly. It marks the final time that Daryl Hall and John Oates played with their longtime pal and music director. It takes place at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival early this year. Joining Daryl, John and T-Bone are Maxi Priest and gray-dreadlocked Billy Ocean.
As usual with this great series, the behind the scenes footage between songs is just as enjoyable as the music (as is Shanique, the bartender at Memorabilia bar).
But it’s hard not to feel a helpless sadness as you watch T-Bone, so full of life and good humor at the time, knowing what was soon to come. At the same time, it’s a blessing to have footage like this, documenting his passion for music and life.
Maybe it’ll all make sense some day. For now though, it sure doesn’t. RIP T-Bone.
Watch Episode 29 of Live From Daryl’s House, featuring John Oates, Maxi Priest, and Billy Ocean
100 Words on “Live from Daryl’s House”
“It was just one of those light bulb moments…” is how Daryl Hall describes the thought behind his web series Live from Daryl’s House. Inviting everyone from electrofunk duo Chromeo to guitar virtuoso Monte Montgomery up to his house in Connecticut to hang out, talk shop and sit in with “T-Bone” Wolk and the band all the while filming it for the most intimate and fun web series I’ve seen. John Oates even makes a couple of appearances in the monthly program. More than lip service, the series shows the soul shared in putting musicians in room to “just play.”
Highlights: Daryl Hall w/Chromeo – “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)”
Daryl Hall w/Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes – “The Queen and I”
Links: Official Site | on MySpace | on iTunes
