I put this together for my brother a few months ago as a running/exercise companion. Since then, I’ve listened to it quite a few times on my runs, and quite simply, it pretty much kicks ass.
So download, throw it on your iPod/iPhone/SmartPhone of choice, and move! (Or, sit back in a La-Z-Boy with a strong cocktail. You do what you want, I’m not your daddy).
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2011 was another year of musical discovery for me. Clocking in highest on the discovery meter were San Francisco’s Girls; but right up there with Girls were two bands that can’t technically qualify for my best of 2011 album list: Delta Spirit and Titus Andronicus. Their latest albums – History from Below and The Monitor (respectively) – were both released in 2010, but I didn’t hear them until this year. Overall, when I think of 2011, these three groups reigned supreme in my corner of the world.
But on to the albums. Looking back at my iTunes and Last.fm listening history, it was clear to me that I wouldn’t be able to muster up a Top Ten list. Sure, I could B.S. and include something like the Beasties’ Hot Sauce Committee Part Two – which I enjoyed on some level, but never listened to straight through more than twice. Thinking about albums, ’tis all about honesty, and what’s truly important to me as a full body of work. So in that spirit, here are my Top 8 albums of 2011…
I had heard – and loved – “Laura,” a single off Girls first album a couple years back. But it wasn’t until this year that I fell completely head over heels for the San Francisco band led by Christopher Owens. The quirky “Honey Bunny” video drew me in – and when I tracked down the new album, Father, Son, Holy Ghost, it was over – I was hooked. It’s rich with emotion, it rocks, it’s delicate… I can’t wait to follow Christopher around from here on out and hear what he has to say. Both Girls full lengths and the EP are excellent – discovering them has been the music highlight of my year.
Here’s one that surprised me. Though I loved “The Poet Game” single many years back, no full album of Greg Brown’s had really come along that knocked my socks off. Freak Flag did just that. Full of beauty, wisdom and Greg’s wry sense of humor, it’s the folk masterpiece of 2011.
I love Delta Spirit. I love Deer Tick. I love Dawes. So it’s no surprise that Middle Brother was up among the tops this year, since the group is made up of the front men of all 3 groups. I had the pleasure of seeing Middle Brother live this summer at the Newport Folk Festival, which may very well have been their last performance… but something tells me Taylor Goldsmith, John McCauley and Matt Vasquez will be making more music together somewhere down the road.
Highlight: “Million Dollar Bill” – This is a Goldsmith-penned song that also shows up on Dawes’ new record, Nothing Is Wrong. On the MidBro version, the three guys each get a verse, and the result is profound, in my ever so humble opinion. I prefer it to the Nothing is Wrong version.
It’s hard not to be endeared to this L.A. band that channels the SoCal / Lauren Canyon 70′s vibe. Taylor Goldsmith is a brilliant lyricist, and they’re just getting started. That’s scary (in a very good way). And their live show? Forget about it. Passionate and fiery stuff…
Highlight: “Fire Away” – This tune features Jackson Browne on background vocals, Taylor’s brother Griffin taking lead vocals on the bridge, and the Heartbreakers’ Benmont Tench on the organ. Great sing along chorus – a tune that really takes off into the stratosphere by song’s end – especially live.
Jim James (er – Yim Yames) and the boys of MMJ always put me in a good place. Another solid studio album featuring tunes that ignite in a live setting. I must have watched MMJ on at least 3-4 festival webcasts this summer. Another mind-blowing live band that can also deliver in the studio. Confession though: I just don’t like “Holdin On To Black Metal.”
Highlight: “Wonderful (The Way I Feel)” – I’m a sucker for some mellow MMJ. A great moment when the drums come in at “I-I-I-I’m going where there ain’t no fear…”
Snarly wild man John McCauley is back with another Deer Tick record. This time he shares the spotlight with drummer Dennis Ryan and guitarist Ian O’Neill, who write and sing on a few tunes. Divine Providence has a little bit of everything – honky-tonk rock, punk, pop. Oh, do I need to mention they’re also a killer live band? I saw them three times this year – twice in their home state of Rhode Island as they took over the Newport Blues Cafe during Folk Festival time.
Highlight: “The Bump” – The Deer Tick theme song. “We’re full grown men! But we act like kids!” The drunken devil strikes again.
I was frankly surprised by Lenny’s latest. Rock, funk, soul, pop – yep, pretty much the Lenny Kravitz blueprint throughout his career. But the hooks and melodies caught on quick with me, and had me coming back for more helpings. The last time I enjoyed a Lenny album this much, I was 21 (1991′s Mama Said)!
Don’t knock it ’til you’ve heard it.
Highlight: “Liquid Jesus” – A sexy 70′s soul vibe as Lenny channels his inner Curtis Mayfield.
I was looking forward to a full length album from the UK’s Frank Turner since stumbling across his set at the ACL Festival a couple years back. It was worth the wait. Frank’s working class, populist folk/punk is alive and well in England Keep My Bones.
Highlight: “If Ever I Stray” – Certain songs give me goosebumps and make my eyes well up with their sheer power. This is one of those songs.
Hallelujah, there’s a killer new live music venue in my home town!! The Crescent Ballroom, open for just a week now, is a mid-sized room (able to accommodate 400-500 people) in a cool 1917 brick building located at 2nd Ave. and Van Buren in downtown Phoenix. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, really good food in their patio lounge/restaurant, Cocina 10 (I recommend the bean & cheese burrito paired with a Moscow Mule – tasty).
Dawes
Last night, the Blitzen Trapper / Dawes traveling roadshow hit the Ballroom for a few solid hours of rock n’ folk. The tour is just getting started, having kicked off just a few days ago in Petaluma, CA.
After a very mellow but pleasing opening set by British guitar/vocal duo Smoke Fairies (Katherine Blamire and Jessica Davies), Dawes hit the stage, and, as expected, immediately won over the Phoenix crowd. Hard to tell, but it seemed like most of the crowd were new to the L.A. band, and it wasn’t long before the passion and earnestness of the four – especially frontman Taylor Goldsmith, won them over. Taylor is as genuine as they come, and a brilliant, evocative songwriter. In every song he sings, he makes sure the listener hears every word, pouring every ounce of his heart and soul into it. His brother Griffin (on drums) shares that passion and enthusiasm – his facial expressions alone are something to behold: his mouth in varied contortions of agony and ecstasy with every beat and fill. Bassist Wylie Gelber and keyboard/organ man Tay Strathairn round out the quartet, and it’s clear why they’ve been selected over the last year to back up the likes of Robbie Robertson, Jackson Browne and M. Ward. Such a cohesive, organic, and talented band.
The 10-song set drew from both of their studio albums – North Hills and Nothing Is Wrong. There were some great moments – the build up and crescendos of “Fire Away”, Taylor’s fiery guitar solo on “Peace in the Valley” – but the emotional peak came with the 1-2 punch of “A Little Bit of Everything” and “When My Time Comes.” I appreciate and enjoy “A Little Bit of Everything” more and more with each listen, and Taylor’s detailed, story-telling delivery gave me goosebumps throughout the tune. Then, of course, the anthemic “When My Time Comes” whipped the crowd up, and they were primed to belt out the chorus when Taylor turned the microphone around toward the end.
Taylor and Wylie of Dawes
Since discovering Dawes in mid 2010, I’ve had the chance to see them four times now, and they just keep getting better and better. Last night’s set was another thrill as a fan.
Since finding out about the co-headlining tour with Blitzen Trapper, I’ve dug into the Portland indie-folk band’s catalog, and the music has definitely been growing on me. Now, after watching them live, I can call myself a fan. I love the dynamic of these guys. It’s a hard-to-peg grab bag of influences… I hear Grateful Dead, Zeppelin, 70′s folk, 70′s rock, Dylan… but all unique and original in their own right. Lead singer/guitarist/keyboardist Eric Early has an unassuming, shy demeanor between songs, but man, can that guy sing and shred.
Eric Early of Blitzen Trapper
Blitzen Trapper
Speaking of shredding, I got off on watching lead guitarist Erik Menteer tear it up on his Les Paul. The rest of the band chipped in on some great harmonies, but Erik was off to the side just killing on guitar (and occasionally keys).
Erik Menteer of Blitzen Trapper
Blitzen Trapper
Marty Marquis, off to stage left on guitar & keys, is the laid back jokester of the band, offering up most of the between song banter (thankful for the nice weather, unlike their last visit to Phoenix, when they “melted”).
I’ve been listening a lot to their new record American Goldwing, and they drew heavily from it, with tunes like “Fletcher,” “Astronaut,” “Your Crying Eyes,” and one of my faves, “Love the Way You Walk Away.” And then there was the sheer Zeppelinesque force of “Street Fighting Sun,” also from the new album. Loud, thrashing, arena rock size rock n roll absolutely filling the small Crescent Ballroom.
The encore was a triple treat too: Eric Early solo acoustic on “The Man Who Would Speak True” followed by an unrecorded song called “Jericho” (full band), and then, to add an exclamation mark to the evening, the finale – Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times.”
As I mentioned, the tour is just getting started. Some of my buddies back east are checking out the show soon. Even if you’re not familiar with either band, one live experience will convert you – guaranteed.
To make sure I leave no stone unturned in my music geekitude, I’m now a premium subscriber to both Spotify and Rdio. You’d think I’d have all the bases covered for any song or album I’d like to hear, and for the most part, that’s true. There are still some holes though. Spotify, surprisingly, has no Delta Spirit and none of the three Deer Tick full lenghts. So I turned to Rdio to craft a special “Triple D Attack” playlist.
This playlist features Dawes, Delta Spirit, Deer Tick, with a healthy smattering of Middle Brother songs. Let’s just say I’m knee deep in a Triple D phase.
Song numero uno on the playlist below is “Dirty Dishes”, a song that is so beautiful and tortured and perfect that I just can’t stop listening – and it’s been months.
In Dawes news, many of you have probably heard about the recently announced tour with Blitzen Trapper. If you’re here with me in Arizona, they’ll be stopping in at the newest music venue in town, the Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix. It’s a much needed mid-size venue that hopefully will attract a lot of talent. Dawes & Blitzen Trapper will be there Monday, October 10th. My ticket is secured, and I can’t wait.
Delta Spirit just helped kick off the opening day of Lollapalooza on Friday. The good folks at the Audio Perv already have the webcast up (all tunes I saw live last week in Newport).
So here’s the Rdio playlist. Always worth the 7 day free trial to check it out…
The last couple of weeks has been a whirlwind of activity for me and my family. It was our first vacation out East as a family – stops in Boston and NYC, and our first visit not only to the great state of Rhode Island, but to the storied Newport Folk Festival.
Staying in town at the Newport Harbor Hotel, right on the water, made for an ideal location. Especially since it’s located right across the street from the Newport Blues Cafe, where Deer Tick & Friends entertained all weekend.
On Saturday, we took the water taxi across the harbor to Fort Adams State Park, where the festival is held. On Sunday, we unwisely chose to drive our rental car. Yeah, not recommended if you don’t like sitting in a parking lot for an hour.
At any rate, the festival itself was a blast for all of us. The only down side was that I missed a lot of acts I would have loved to see, but there were conflicts with other artists. So sadly, I I completely missed Elvis Costello (who brought along the Imposters), Emmylou Harris, the Cave Singers, Mavis Staples, Trampled by Turtles (speedgrass!), among a few others.
But what I did catch made up for it. Here are some of my top moments from my first, and not to be my last, Newport Folk Festival:
M. Ward | A lot of people would question my sanity for attending the Newport Folk Festival, and missing Emmylou Harris’s closing set. But it had to be done, because M. Ward was stacked up against her, playing inside the Fort Adams Quad. Matt Ward roped me in a few years ago when I heard Post-War, and when he came out on stage alone with his guitar, and – after an instrumental warm up – launched into Post-War’s “Eyes on the Prize”, I knew I’d made the right decision. The first 30 minutes or so of M.’s set was very intimate, and about as downtempo as it can go. “Poison Cup”, a slowed down version of Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”, “Sad, Sad Song”… and one of the highlights of his set, a cover of Daniel Johnston’s “Story of an Artist” – a song I was not familiar with, but was absolutely moved by, especially with M.’s flourishes on piano. Dawes joined in for the last few songs of the set, including spirited versions of “Never Had Nobody Like You” and “Roll Over Beethoven”. There’s something very zen and calming about M. Ward. It was a great set.
Delta Spirit [Full set on NPR] | Having discovered Delta Spirit’s music early this year, and going cuckoo for their latest release, History From Below, their set at Newport was my #1 must see of the weekend. Matt Vasquez and the band did not disappoint. Only 4 of the 13 songs in the set actually came from their latest album. Half a dozen came from their first release, Ode To Sunshine, and the rest were new tunes. The band has been recording their third full length this summer in a Woodstock, NY church. The live tunes from ‘Ode’ were great for me – I haven’t spent near enough time with the album, and the songs were great live. In particular, “Trashcan” and the set finale, “People Turn Around”, the anthemic chorus having the whole crowd singing along. What a great band.
Pete Seeger in the Lego ® Duplo KidZone tent | With my wife and two young daughters in tow, we quickly discovered the shaded comfort and entertainment of the Lego Duplo KidZone tent (ideally placed next to the Magic Hat Beer Pier!). Among the arts & crafts & Legos was a small stage for short performances for the kids while the main stage was between acts. The primary act “in residence”, if you will, over the weekend was Elizabeth Mitchell & You Are My Flower. They welcomed such guests as The Low Anthem, Freelance Whales, and the PS22 Chorus from Staten Island. But we were also treated both days to the legendary Pete Seeger – 92 years old and still going… It was a privilege to sit front & center with my kids and listen to stories and songs from a folk icon like Pete. Among other tunes, we were treated to “She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain”. I captured some of it…
Middle Brother [Full set on NPR] & Dawes | As the clock ticked on Sunday afternoon, it was time to uproot the family from the KidZone tent and make our way within the walls of the Quad to catch Middle Brother’s set. For the uninitiated, Middle Brother is made up Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), John McCauley (Deer Tick), and Matt Vasquez (Delta Spirit). Their debut record, Middle Brother, was released earlier this year. I’ve gotta say, I hadn’t spun the album too many times up to this weekend, but after hearing the songs live (with Dawes as the backing band – these boys are busy), I’ve gained a newfound appreciation for the album. The set was loose, wild and fun – no surprise with this cast of characters. My favorites: “Portland”, sung by McCauley (a Replacements cover), “Blood & Guts” sung by Goldsmith, and “Middle Brother” with special guest Jonny Corndawg. The emotional peak came between Middle Brother and M. Ward’s sets, when Dawes performed a couple of their own tunes (since they were backing both acts, there was no equipment change needed). The song was “When My Time Comes”, from their first record North Hills. With McCauley and Vasquez joining into sing, and the knowledgable crowd eating it all up, singing along at full tilt, it was truly a moving moment – a highlight of the weekend.
The Felice Brothers [Full set on NPR] | This band from the Catskills definitely has their own unique thing going. And with their latest album, Celebration, Florida, they’ve really taken off into another realm, with a really creative bend of folk and electronic sounds. So it was cool to see them live on the main stage. The opener, “Murder by Mistletoe”, set a perfect tone. Mellow, mysterious, and featuring the vocals of singer Ian Felice – a voice that probably gets compared most to Bob Dylan, but has another edge to it as well.
Carolina Chocolate Drops [Full set on NPR] | I got up nice and close for this set on the main stage. The CCD’s are an old time string band keeping traditional African American music alive – we’re talking 19th and early 20th century African-American music. Bringing that 21st century flair is a new member, beatboxer Adam Matta. He teamed up with singer Rhiannon Giddens for a scatting / beatboxing exhibition they called “diddlybox”. It was cool to hear that interspersed among the old time jug n’ banjo tunes like “Baby Ain’t Sweet” and “No Man’s Mama”. Rhiannon has a beautiful, powerful voice, and the other main Chocolate Drop Dom Flemons is a character, interjecting lots of humor into his performance. Cool stuff.
PS22 Chorus | I have to mention my kids’ favorite. PS22 Chorus is made up of 20-30 5th graders from a Staten Island school. They sing contemporary hits, with a few of the boys and girls taking lead and really belting out some impressive vocals. Our family favorite was their version of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep”. Not only did PS22 play the Harbor Stage, but they also made it over to the KidZone tent where my kids sat front and center and watched them perform, including “Rolling in the Deep” – a song that firmly implanted itself in our brains all weekend.
David Wax Museum [Full set on NPR] | This was one of the pleasant surprises of the festival for me. DWM combine American and Mexican folk music, with guitars, a horn section, violin, and even a young dancer in a traditional Mexican dress performing a zapateado – basically on top of a mic’ed box, tapping the percussion with her feet. Lots of latin rhythms, and a very fun, high energy performance to take in.
It was the first sellout in the history of the festival, 10,000 people strong. Walking around, I sensed not only a very easygoing, friendly vibe, but also the sense that I was surrounded by avid music lovers like myself. I sure do love being among the like-minded – those who live & breathe every note of the music they listen to.
Newport was an A+ experience, one I hope to repeat some year soon.
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NPR Music, God bless it, has most of the weekend’s performances available for streaming right here.
I’m just back from an epic family vacation that took us from the Valley of the Sun to Boston, then to New York City, and then on to Newport, Rhode Island for my (and my family’s) first Newport Folk Festival.
First off, it was great to have the opportunity to meet some of the people I’ve gotten to know through this web site, and through the internet music community I’ve been immersed in for the last several years. In Boston, I met Mike Heyliger, denizen of Popblerd. In NYC, I met my Ickmusic collaborator Michael Parr (who, unbeknownst to many, I had never met), his lovely wife Christine, and Dennis Corrigan aka @IrishJava. And finally, in Rhode Island, I met up with Ken Shane, senior music editor of Popdose, who was also behind the Newport Folk Festival’s social media presence, handling NFF’s Twitter & Facebook postings throughout the festival weekend.
As I expected, meeting these folks was nothing like meeting a person for the first time. Say what you will about the internet, but you really do come to know people through mediums like music blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Rdio, Spotify, and whatever social platform Google is trying lately (Buzz, +, etc.). It’s a connection of the like-minded: the shared passion for music, and its marriage with technology in the 21st century. These are exciting times to be a music fan – of course, all of this access to music and those who perform and follow it can be overwhelming, to say the least. But it sure is fun to navigate through it all with people like these folks. So Mike, Michael, Christine, Dennis, Ken – great to meet you all in person. Now you all know what a sexy beast I am in real life.
So in Newport, the music portion of the vacation took hold. My family, they’re good sports. They know that I’ll do my best to work in a music angle to every outing, near or far. This summer, it was the Newport Folk Festival. Highest on my list of must-see’s were Delta Spirit, Middle Brother, and M. Ward, backed by Dawes. Over the last couple of years, I’ve gone rather bonkers for the “D” trifecta: Deer Tick, Delta Spirit, and Dawes.
Although Deer Tick wasn’t on the festival bill, by no means did that suggest they’d stay quiet for the weekend. The band is from Providence after all. Much to my delight, John McCauley and the band announced three late night gigs at the Newport Blues Cafe – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Best of all, the club was right across the street from our hotel in Newport. So, for me, the Folk Festival weekend ended up being bookended by two raucous late night gigs featuring Deer Tick and friends…
I missed the early acts on Friday, but when I rolled in at 10:30, Deer Tick was just taking the stage, and they didn’t stop until 1am. They played originals and some cool covers – a few Nirvana tunes (DT has an alter ego called Deervana, and have played entire Nirvana sets billed as them); John Prine’s “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You”, Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me”, and some – uh- others that I didn’t have the foresight to tap into my iPhone (damn Blue Moons).
Deer Tick during Friday's gig
Sunday’s gig was extra cool, featuring an opening set by Dawes, and appearances by Delta Spirit’s Matt Vasquez, M. Ward (for a brief guitar solo on the last tune of the night, “La Bamba”), Joe Fletcher, and my new favorite, Jonny Corndawg – a wild, young countryfied singer from Virginia – and a close bud of the Deer Tick clan. His debut is due later this year, but he does have a Daytrotter session under his belt, and is featured here on Songs: Illinois (I didn’t get him either, Craig, till I saw him perform).
The closing sets of my Sunday Newport Folk Festival were Middle Brother, Dawes, and M. Ward. I’ll have more about the festival itself soon in another post, but the good vibe that was evident in MidBro and Dawes’ sets continued on to the Newport Blues Cafe on Sunday evening. It’s so interesting to note the contrasts between the three “D” bands themselves, and the front men from each who make up Middle Brother. You have Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes – the introspective, sensitive one. You have Deer Tick’s McCauley – unrefined, raw, gritty, laid back, taking it all as it comes. And then there’s Delta Spirit’s Matt Vasquez – wild, carefree, and caretaker of a primal scream that can shake the rafters. Matt was clearly the MidBro member feeling the least amount of pain on Sunday night. Everyone was having a great time, but Matt was having a GREAT time. His lead vocals on two Nirvana covers backed by Deer Tick (“Negative Creep” and “Senseless Apprentice”) were a highlight – whipping the small club into a crowd surfing frenzy.
Delta Punk: Matt Vasquez with Deer Tick
Matt Vasquez with Deer Tick
Although the festival itself had its great moments- and I’ll cover them soon – it was the two late nights with Deer Tick & Friends that really made my weekend extra special. I was seeing Deer Tick for the first time, and on their home turf. The opening song of their debut album, War Elephant, is “Ashamed”. I liked the tune as is, but seeing it performed in Newport on Friday and Sunday, with the crowd wailing out in unison, “Ohhh–oooh-Ohhhhhhhh”, was one of those thrilling moments that make the live music experience so great – and make the songs you hear on the album so much better.
Sweet! It’s on YouTube. This captured it perfectly, because, well, this was it:
After Friday’s gig, I went up to John and thanked him for a great set, and since he’s a huge John Prine fan (like myself), I thanked him for keeping Prine’s music out there as well.
Telling him I came all the way from Arizona, John replied, “Welcome to my home state.” It sure was a great welcome, and ushered in a hell of a weekend in Newport, Rhode Island.
Here we are again, the final week of another year, and in true procrastinator’s fashion, I’ve put off my year end music recap until the final few days. Now, every music blogger and their uncle has a year end list – the top tens, twenties and fifties (!). Me, I’m keeping it simple for my own sanity and for the purpose of keeping a reader’s attention. Here’s a blast of my top 5′s for the year 2010…
Top 5 Songs
5. “Monster” – Kanye West | I’ve never been one of those in awe of Kanye’s music. I tend to steer clear of jackasses. But I did use my Rdio subscription (see below) to get into his new album. And when I heard “Monster”, I was hooked in pretty hard. And the main reason wasn’t Kanye himself – it was Nicki Minaj. Nicki’s multi-personality attack floored me. I was running when I first heard her spit these rhymes, and I got bona fide goosebumps. Amazing. [Amazon]
4. “No Reason To Cry” – Tom Petty | My sentimental, sappy side always wins in the end – I have a soft spot for the slow, sad songs. There are a lot of great tunes on Mojo, but none hit me as hard as Tom’s plaintive “No Reason To Cry”: “So overtake me my sweet lover / let me kiss your honey lips / could be the only thing that’s real / could be that when you get sad your memory slips / there’s no reason to cry”. Certainly one of Tom’s best love songs ever. [Amazon]
3. “I Gotta See” – Ronnie Wood | Speaking of running and goosebumps, I was also jogging when I listened to Ronnie’s new record for the first time. Track 4 came on – the bluesy, soulful, affair-of-the-heart ballad called “I Gotta See”. Ronnie and co-writer / co-vocalist Bernard Fowler absolutely nail it on the head. “I’m goin’ out / don’t wait for me / don’t bother calling my friends / they won’t know where i’ll be / I hear a voice / it’s calling me / I gotta go now / I gotta see”. It inspired this Ickmix. [Amazon]
2. “It’s Hard To Be Humble (When You’re From Alabama)” – Phosphorescent | I knew nothing of this Brooklyn band at the beginning of the year, and I wish I could pinpoint exactly how I first heard this song – but I’ve listened to it in so many settings since, that I can’t recall. Sweet, folky, soulful rock – you could almost picture this in the setting of late 60′s / early 70′s country rock – maybe something that Gram Parsons and Keith Richards would have gotten together to do. [Amazon]
1. “Harlem River Blues” – Justin Townes Earle | I’ve never sung and clapped along so joyously to a song about drowning oneself, but that’s where I found myself by the second chorus, after hearing Justin’s “Harlem River Blues” for the first time. Rootsy, gospel-flavored, and catchy. Steve’s son is doin’ his dad proud. [Amazon]
Top 5 Albums
5. Here’s To Taking It Easy – Phosphorescent | As I mentioned above, I didn’t know Phosphorescent from a hole in the wall when this year started. But when “It’s Hard To Be Humble (When You’re From Alabama)” hit my ears, I needed to hear me some more Phosphorescent. The album is a laid back blend of folk/country rock featuring the great vocals of Matthew Houck. His voice has a delicate, genuine, earthy feel to it, and it really draws me into the songs. Instantly catchy tunes like “Heaven, Sittin’ Down” and “Nothing Was Stolen (Love Me Foolishly)”. And beautifully crafted songs like “We’ll Be Here Soon” and especially the lovesick feel of “The Mermaid Parade“, another album highlight for me. [Amazon]
4. Mojo – Tom Petty | What a blast of fresh air from Petty and his Heartbreakers. For this record, Tom scrapped their formal studio sessions of years past for a more informal jam session vibe. The guys hung out in Tom’s warehouse studio and played music, at ease, letting it flow. Lucky for us, the tape was rolling. There’s no rushing on this record. If it takes seven minutes to jam it out, like the blissful stoner groove of “First Flash of Freedom”, then so be it. If Mike Campbell wanted his Jimmy Page moment, then he found it in “I Should Have Known It”, which bleeds blues rock in that Zeppelin vein, with a dash of 21st century Jack White vibe thrown in. I still have so much to discover with this album. It feels like I haven’t even cracked the surface. [Amazon]
3. I Feel Like Playing – Ronnie Wood | It was a Stonesy year. Keef’s new book, the Exile on Main Street reissue, the DVD release of Ladies and Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones. On top of all that, Mr. Wood was busy with a new radio show and a brand new record. Featuring guests like Slash, Bobby Womack and Lenny Kravitz, Ronnie keeps it loose and unpredictable with I Feel Like Playing, just like the man himself. I’ve already expressed my appreciation for “I Gotta See”, but there are so many other great moments on this album: the opener, “Why You Wanna Go And Do A Thing Like That For”, with its cool, sly groove; the R&B-infused “Catch You” with Bobby Womack; the fun reggae of “Sweetness My Weakness”; and one of the best tunes to get a good chuckle out of your young kids, if you have ‘em: “Fancy Pants”. I love this record because it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s a loose, carefree, fun hour of music – all qualities shared by Ronnie (and me, for that matter). [Amazon]
2. Infinite Arms – Band of Horses | I fell hard for Ben Bridwell and his merry Band of bearded Horses after they released their stellar second record, Cease To Begin. My expectations were very high for Infinite Arms, probably too much so. I was first struck by how much of a departure it was from Cease to Begin. But then my focus shifted to the wide variety of songs on the record, and those songs began to take hold. “Laredo”, “Blue Beard”, “On My Way Back Home” are just some of my favorites now. It’s one of those albums you can keep revisiting and finding something new you like about it every time. [Amazon]
1. Tin Can Trust – Los Lobos | The living legends from East L.A. roared back this year with a vengeance, releasing Tin Can Trust on August 3rd (my 40th birthday, no less). From spaced out blues (“Jupiter or the Moon”) to traditional Mexican (“Yo Canto”, “Mujer Ingrata”) to loose jam rock (their cover of the Dead’s “West L.A. Fadeaway”), the album is brimming with what Lobos do best: crossing genres and flavors as flawlessly as any band playing today. [Amazon]
Top 5 Live Shows
5. Pixies – Mesa Ampitheater (Mesa), Sept. 24 | During college spring break 20 some odd years ago, I was introduced to the Pixies through their album Doolittle. I loved the angst, rage, power, and melodic hooks of the songs. This year, the band took the album on the road, performing it straight through. Sure, it was a nostalgia trip, but that’s my favorite part about music – its transformative power. Even the dense cloud of cigarette smoke couldn’t ruin the effect of seeing songs like “Debaser”, “Monkey Gone to Heaven”, “and “Wave of Mutilation” performed in sequence.
4. Phish – Austin City Limits Music Festival, Oct. 8 | Almost a dozen years had passed since I last saw Phish. When I saw that they were rumored to play ACL, any doubts I had about attending were quickly squashed. It was a shortened festival set, but it was packed with old school favorites of mine like “2001″ (“Also Sprach Zarathustra”), “Possum”, “Cavern”, and of course, “You Enjoy Myself” – which, of the sixteen shows I’ve seen spanning back to 1990 – I’ve seen performed at least a dozen times. Set in the backdrop of a great music festival in one of my favorite places – Austin, Texas – it was a special experience for me.
3. Gov’t Mule, Marquee Theater (Tempe), Nov. 3 | I decided to go see Gov’t Mule on a whim with my brother. I’d seen them in a festival setting a few years ago, but not in a small venue with two full sets. Our jaws hit the floor. Led by guitar virtuoso Warren Haynes, the band tore through tasty blues like “Need Your Love So Bad”, acid jam/jazz (“Devil Likes It Slow”), and Mule staples like “32/20 Blues”, “Broke Down On The Brazos” and “About to Rage”. It was pure musicianship. Gov’t Mule are a group of pure talents that fly just under the radar, but blow the minds of their audiences wherever they play. Great show.
2. The Eagles – Austin City Limits Music Festival, Oct. 10 | Surprise of the year, by far. I’d always been a fan of the greatest hits. I mean, how can you not like “Desperado” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Lying Eyes”? And in the ACL festival setting, with tens of thousands around me, and a great spot close to the stage… well, I was primed for a good time. And the Eagles delivered. Hit after hit after hit. I absolutely loved it.
1. Los Lobos – Compound Grill (Scottsdale), Feb. 20th | The intimate Compound Grill hosted two shows by Los Lobos this night, an early dinner show and a late night show. My wife, some friends and I were there for both. Four hours plus of live music from one of my favorites in an intimate setting? Yes please! Highlight of the night: dancing at the foot of the stage with my lady to a cover of Shep & the Limelights’ “Daddy’s Home”, an old doo-wop ballad. It felt like a 50′s sock hop with Los Lobos as the house band.
Top 5 Music Odds & Ends
5. Prince | This year, Prince released another album for free in UK newspapers: 20Ten. While it doesn’t rank up there among his best work, it’s certainly superior to his last few efforts, as he takes a more retro approach with some old school effects like his 80′s friend, the Linn drum machine. The funk is alive & well in tunes like “Sticky Like Glue” and “Laydown” (his self-referencing “Purple Yoda” song). [Amazon]
Even more significant is his return to U.S. arenas in the last month, his first arena dates in years. In the past couple weeks, Prince has unleashed a greatest hits barrage in New York and New Jersey with his Welcome 2 America tour. Fans like me can only hope that it means more tour dates next year around the country. I have a feeling it’ll finally happen.
4. Dawes | This young band out of L.A. has a bright future. Their debut album, North Hills would have challenged for a top 5 spot if it had come out this year, but it was released in 2009. I was made aware of the band when I saw them open for Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros in June. They have a southern California 70′s folk-rock vibe, and they are amazing live. “When My Time Comes” is anthemic, sing-along folk/pop music at its finest. I’ll be watching this band closely.
3. Bruce Springsteen – The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story | This takes top billing as the best box set I’ve owned. The remastered Darkness album (CD); The Promise (2-CD’s), a double album set of material from the Darkness sessions that somehow mostly stayed buried in the vaults all these years (“One Way Street” and “Candy’s Boy” highlights for me); The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town (DVD) – a documentary showcasing Springsteen’s meticulousness and perfectionism in the studio (read slave driver!); Live at the Paramount Theater, Asbury Park, 2009 (DVD) – Bruce and the band perform the album start to finish in an otherwise empty theater. Raw and intimate; Houston ’78 Bootleg (DVD) – a full, not previously released concert from the Boss’s prime; and ALL THIS packaged in a notebook / scrapbook that replicates Bruce’s notebook of lyrics and notes from the Darkness days. Alternate lyrics, song ideas, album sequences… interspersed with photographs, flyers, and newspaper clippings from the era. Truly a treasure trove for Bruce fanatics like myself. [Amazon]
2. The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street Reissue and Ladies and Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones | The 2-disk Exile reissue featured a full disk of outtakes and extra tunes from the famed Exile era. Also this year, the 1974 concert movie Ladies and Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones saw the light of day as a proper DVD release. It captures the band at its creative and performing peak: 1972′s U.S. tour supporting Exile. Filmed over four shows in Houston and Dallas, you get Mick in all his glam frontman glory, Keith the ragged and true rock n roll star, and you get to see Mick Taylor shine on lead and slide guitar. An amazing document – pick it up or rent it if you haven’t seen this. [Exile Deluxe | Ladies & Gentlemen The Rolling Stones]
1. Rdio | This year, the method in which I consume music changed significantly. I subscribed to a paid streaming service, Rdio (http://www.rdio.com), over the summer. For $10 a month, I can now stream on demand virtually any album or song I want to hear, both on the web and through their iPhone app. Every new release I’m curious about, all the back catalogs of artists I’ve never explored (e.g. Warren Zevon, Harry Nilsson) – anything I want to hear – it’s there on Rdio. Sure, there are similar services – Mog and Rhapsody to name a couple – but it was Rdio’s clean and uncluttered interface, and their interaction with its users in social forums like Twitter and Facebook that made me select them.
I’d say I’m about 50% Rdio and 50% iTunes these days. My concept of music ownership is shifting. I still buy a lot of music, mostly in mp3 format, but with most albums now, like, for instance, James Brown’s or Bill Withers’ back catalog, or the new Kanye West or Nicki Minaj – why buy the records if they’re available on Rdio any time or place I want to hear them? Rdio makes me feel spoiled – like I’m living in the most comprehensive record store in the world. I 100% recommend them, and suggest you check out their free trial if you’re curious. Search for me and “Follow Me” if you subscribe, I’ll return the favor.
Why don’t my family and I live in Austin, Texas? Sitting here back home in Arizona just off the plane, I ponder that question. Austin: a city that live and breathes music. A city teeming with life and heart and soul and character. Just so different than Phoenix and its outskirts, where I’ve lived for the last 18 years. Yeah, I’ll settle back into the rut and routine of everyday life, the job that supports my family (thank God for it), and hit some shows around town. But there’s always Austin – like a soul magnet to my music loving core – calling me.
Can you tell I’m dealing with some post-ACL blues? The weekend was just great. Perfect weather, and some amazing live music experiences. Some highlights…
Favorites:
Phish Penguin
Phish – The boys from Vermont did not disappoint, firing up the Budweiser stage Friday night with an old school set featuring a handful of my favorites: “”Possum”, “Also Sprach Zarathustra” (theme from 2001), and of course “You Enjoy Myself”. It was my 16th time seeing Phish, going back to 1990, and probably at least the 10th or 11th “YEM” I’ve seen. I hadn’t seen them since the Pima County Fairgrounds outside Tucson in November 1999, so I was definitely overdue. The two hour festival set was shorter than the normal show experience, but it worked just fine for me – getting to see Trey, Jon, Page and Mike in the Austin City Limits Festival setting was something special.
Set List: Down with Disease > Cities > Possum, Wolfman’s Brother, Chalk Dust Torture, Rock and Roll > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Backwards Down the Number Line > Harry Hood -> Light > Suzy Greenberg > You Enjoy Myself / Encore: Cavern > First Tube
The Eagles open with "Seven Bridges Road"
The Eagles – Leading up to the festival – and even throughout the weekend – I can’t say I was overly excited about the final Sunday headliner, the Eagles, probably due to all the other acts that held my attention (e.g. Phish and Band of Horses). But after staking out a sweet spot for Band of Horses – probably 30 yards from the stage – and deciding to stay put another hour for the Eagles set, I was quickly reminded when they hit the stage. Thing is, I’ve always enjoyed the music of the Eagles. I couldn’t recite much from their back catalog, but their two greatest hits albums have been staples during my life. Like a lot of people, I’ve always loved songs like “Peaceful Easy Feeling”, “Lying Eyes”, and of course “Desperado”. And during their 2 hour set, the Eagles gave the people exactly what they wanted – trotting out hit after hit after hit. A nostalgia trip? Of course it was. And I loved every minute of it. And so did the tens of thousands beside and behind me.
Set List: 7 Bridges Road, How Long, Take It To the Limit, Hotel California, Peaceful Easy Feeling, I Can’t Tell You Why, Witchy Woman, Lying Eyes, Long Road Out of Eden, Walk Away, Boys of Summer, In the City, The Long Run, Life’s Been Good, Dirty Laundry, Funk #49, Heartache Tonight, Life in the Fast Lane / Encore:
Take It Easy, Desperado
Monsters of Folk
Monsters of Folk – This two hour set on the smaller and more intimate Austin Ventures stage exceeded my expectations. For those unaware, Monsters of Folk are a ‘super-group’ made up of Conor Oberst (solo, Bright Eyes), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), and M. Ward (solo, She & Him). I’m fans of all three entities, and I was expecting good things, but wow – what a set! They played most of the songs from their self-titled album, including “Dear God”, “Baby Boomer” and “Say Please”. But even more magic spun out of the artists’ own catalogs. Bright Eyes’ “Soul Singer in a Session Band” (I love Oberst’s passion), M. Ward’s “Vincent O’Brien” (love his smoky voice), and my highlight of the night: My Morning Jacket’s “Smokin from Shootin”, which gave me goosebumps. Jim and Conor traded verses, and the song just exploded in emotion and intensity – fire and brimstone, pure unfiltered rock n’ roll. If I had to pick one song that made the weekend, “Smokin From Shootin” was the one.
M. Ward is bad ass
Set List: Say Please, The Right Place, Soul Singer In A Session Band (Bright Eyes), Slow Down Jo, Man Named Truth, Golden (MMJ), Vincent O’Brien (M. Ward), Ahead of the Curve, At Dawn (MMJ), Baby Boomer, Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.), To Save Me, Temazcal, The Sandman, The Brakeman and Me, Map of the World, Smokin from Shootin (MMJ), Hit the Switch (Bright Eyes), Losin’ Yo Head, At the Bottom of Everythng (Bright Eyes), Whole Lotta Losin’, Another Travelin’ Song (Bright Eyes), His Master’s Voice
Ben Bridwell unleashes in the hot sun
Band of Horses – This was my second Band of Horses show. The first time was two years ago, also at ACL, but on a smaller stage across the field. This time around, through hard work and a successful third album, Infinite Arms, the boys upgraded to the Budweiser stage, playing right before the Eagles. After walking out to Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way”, they launched into “Cigarettes Wedding Bands” and never looked back. It was a 6-7pm set, and the band was staring straight into the late afternoon sun, a fact that Ben Bridwell mentioned a time or two – “Don’t let the sun go down on me guys!” The set drew pretty evenly from all three Horses albums – among them “Part One”, “Great Salt Lake”, “The Funeral”, “No One’s Gonna Love You”, “Ode to LRC”, “Laredo”, and a wall of sound version of “NW Apt.”. They also let loose a surprise finale with a cover of Cee-Lo’s “Georgia” (with a horn section including Trombone Shorty).
Horses
Set List: Cigarettes, Factory, No One’s Gonna Love You, Part One, The General Specific, Laredo, Great Salt Lake, Is There a Ghost?, Island on the Coast, NW Apt., Compliments, Ode to LRC, The Funeral, Georgia (Cee-Lo cover w/ horn section incl Trombone Shorty)
Pleasant Surprises:
Milwaukee's Kings Go Forth
Kings Go Forth (http://www.kingsgoforth.com) - Ahhh, it felt good to take in a good time band with a classic soul feel – think Earth Wind & Fire fronted by the younger brother of Rick James. His name is Black Wolf, and this cat is a character. A nine piece band and another vocalist back him up, offering up great harmonies, and great soul & funk rhythms. And they’re from Milwaukee, Wisconsin of all places! For all my friends in Wisconsin (and elsewhere), keep an eye out for these guys.
Mayer Hawthorne & the County (http://www.myspace.com/mayerhawthorne) - More soul… L.A.’s Mayer Hawthorne channels Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, and Philly soul groups like the Stylistics. His short but sweet set featured a cool version of the Doobie Brothers’ “What a Fool Believes”. Mayer does a helluva Michael McDonald too.
Frank Turner
Frank Turner – (http://www.frank-turner.com) – I completely stumbled on to Frank’s set, and was immediately drawn into the British working-class folk/punk feel of his sound. When I heard him intro a song with a shout out to Elvis Presley and Bruce Springsteen, I knew I’d come to the right place. His good nature and UK charm endeared him to the crowd, and before long, we were singing along to songs like “The Road” and “Long Live The Queen”. I’m a new fan. For those in the U.S., Frank will be opening a number of dates for Social Distortion in November.
Honorable Mention:
The Gaslight Anthem
The Gaslight Anthem – Although their latest record, American Slang, didn’t knock my socks off, the same can’t be said about Gaslight’s explosive live show. Frontman Brian Fallon channels Strummer and Springsteen, energizing any crowd he encounters. Sunday’s ACL set was no exception. Gaslight rocked the house – my favorite being the old standby “The ’59 Sound”.
Dawes' Taylor Goldsmith on vox and guitar
Dawes – L.A.’s Dawes stopped through my town earlier this summer, opening for Edward Sharpe, and I sure wasn’t going to miss their ACL set. The only unfortunate part was the abbreviated 40 minute time slot they were afforded. But they soaked everything out of it, with great tunes like “Peace in the Valley”, “Fire Away”, and of course, “When My Time Comes”. Super talented young band – check them out when you can.
Letdown:
M.I.A. – Apparently, going up against Muse as Saturday’s co-headliner didn’t spark any competitive or creative fires in M.I.A. She had a full hour to impress the large crowd that assembled for her set on the AMD Stage. Two giant video monitors on each side of the stage were a lifeblood for the throngs of fans who were further back from the stage – me included. Every artist that I’m aware of let the camera operators do their thing so the large crowd could see from afar. But not M.I.A. Not only did her video effects take over the giant screen behind her, but the two side screens as well. The result was a shortened 47 minute set of pre-recorded beats and the inaudible meanderings of M.I.A. She may think she’s a groundbreaking, unconventional artist. On record, she well may be. But as a live performer, at least in this incarnation, it was frustrating to watch. A missed opportunity on her part, but I don’t think she gives a shit. Should’ve caught Muse.
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Austin Town, I already miss you, and with some careful give & take negotiation with the wife, I’ll be seeing you next year too. Who knows, maybe the Ickmusic family will one day find its way over to you permanently.
Music discovery. I feel sorry for those that don’t keep their ears open to new sounds. As the calendar flipped over to 2010, I knew nothing (or next to nothing) about Dawes or Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. Last night at the sweltering Clubhouse Music Venue in Tempe, I enjoyed the hell out of these two great bands.
It started with the Coachella webcast back in April, when I watched E.S. & TMZ ‘s set. Freaky, folky, hippie vibes – something refreshing and different. So when I saw their Arizona date (and no boycott – woo hoo!), I was all in. So then, just last week, I got curious about the opening band, Dawes, and checked out their web site. I watched a couple videos (“Love Is All I Am”, “When My Time Comes”), really enjoyed the sound and the harmonies, and promptly snatched up their full length debut, North Hills. And what an impressive debut it is – I’ve been enjoying the hell out of it since.
So it was with this frame of reference and mind that I went to the Clubhouse last night – getting there nice and early to catch both full sets.
Dawes are a four piece folk-influenced rock band from the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles. Led by brothers Taylor (lead vox, guitar) and Griffin Goldsmith (drums), they have something special going with their brand of catchy melodies and three-part harmonies. Man, the harmonies! They filled up the room from the onset, with the great opener “How Far We’ve Come” – where Griffin took the first line of the verses, Griffin and keyboardist Alex Casnoff on the second line, and Taylor joining in on the third. Great stuff. Harmonies abounded on tunes like “Love Is All I Am” and the crowd favorite “When My Time Comes”. They also showed a harder edge with a nice new one, “Fire Away” and “My Girl To Me”. Their set had us drawing comparisons to The Band at times, and they obviously grew up listening to a lot of Byrds and CSN.
Dawes
Great all around musicianship and singing with Dawes, but a special tip o’ the hat to the singing voice of Taylor Goldsmith. The guy can flat out sing. And when he gets way up there, there’s a soulful growl that wouldn’t sound out of place on an old Stax record. Great, great live band and great album. You’d do yourself good to pick it up.
On to Eddie and his Zeros, also formed out of the fair city of Los Angeles (the Silverlake section). By the time the band came out, the place was a stuffy, unventilated sweatbox. I got some reprieve by being directly under a fan behind the soundboard, but man, this venue clearly does not care about the comfort of its patrons.
After watching a live set online, I had a good idea of what was in store. And though the Polo Fields of Indio, Calif. have absolutely nothing in common with the Clubhouse Music Venue, the group’s vibe and spirit were intact. Some early microphone issues almost jeopardized that good overall vibe, turning frontman/leader/messiah Alex Ebert a tad grumpy – but all was sorted out.
And so the band played on – mostly tunes from their solid 2009 album, Up From Below. They kicked things off with “40 Day Dream”, “Up From Below” and “Carries On” – a trio of catchy sing-along songs that hooked in the crowd. Edward’s muse, Jade Castrino, was the sole female Zero of the show. Usually, Nora Kirkpatrick is along for the ride (*cough-hotblonde-cough*), but sadly she missed this gig in the desert. If you’ve watched Jade on stage, you’ve probably noticed she’s a little unorthodox as far as live performers go. She won’t face the audience – she sways and faces to the side, shyly smiling, with her eyes locked in on Alex 90% of the time. If you’re questioning the messianic quality of Alex Ebert, you’ll be convinced after watching Jade for a while. But anyways, she seems like a sweetheart, and she got some lead vocal duties with a song called “The River Won’t Flow”.
“Janglin” and “Home” were the feel-good highlights of the evening. It’s hard to not like these songs, paraphrasing my buddy Trevor. The gang of characters there on stage – keyboards, percussion, a trumpet, guitars, bass, and lots of smiles – the band clearly enjoys playing these tunes for the people, even in a 110 degree steam room. The band then wrapped up the evening in mellow fashion, singing “Brothers” while seated on the floor amongst the crowd.
It was short but sweet set, although a hot one. I got the feeling the band was good n’ ready to jump in the bus and make haste for L.A. Can’t blame ‘em.
The experience was worth the heat though – two new, fantastic bands with tons of promise. Lucky for me, they’re both playing the ACL Festival this year, so I’ll be seeing them again in October.
, and when he came out on stage alone with his guitar, and – after an instrumental warm up – launched into Post-War’s “Eyes on the Prize”, I knew I’d made the right decision. The first 30 minutes or so of M.’s set was very intimate, and about as downtempo as it can go. “Poison Cup”, a slowed down version of Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”, “Sad, Sad Song”… and one of the highlights of his set, a cover of Daniel Johnston’s “Story of an Artist” – a song I was not familiar with, but was absolutely moved by, especially with M.’s flourishes on piano. Dawes joined in for the last few songs of the set, including spirited versions of “Never Had Nobody Like You” and “Roll Over Beethoven”. There’s something very zen and calming about M. Ward. It was a great set.
, their set at Newport was my #1 must see of the weekend. Matt Vasquez and the band did not disappoint. Only 4 of the 13 songs in the set actually came from their latest album. Half a dozen came from their first release, 
, and the rest were new tunes. The band has been recording their third full length this summer in a Woodstock, NY church. The live tunes from ‘Ode’ were great for me – I haven’t spent near enough time with the album, and the songs were great live. In particular, “Trashcan” and the set finale, “People Turn Around”, the anthemic chorus having the whole crowd singing along. What a great band.
, was released earlier this year. I’ve gotta say, I hadn’t spun the album too many times up to this weekend, but after hearing the songs live (with Dawes as the backing band – these boys are busy), I’ve gained a newfound appreciation for the album. The set was loose, wild and fun – no surprise with this cast of characters. My favorites: “Portland”, sung by McCauley (a Replacements cover), “Blood & Guts” sung by Goldsmith, and “Middle Brother” with special guest Jonny Corndawg. The emotional peak came between Middle Brother and M. Ward’s sets, when Dawes performed a couple of their own tunes (since they were backing both acts, there was no equipment change needed). The song was “When My Time Comes”, from their first record North Hills. With McCauley and Vasquez joining into sing, and the knowledgable crowd eating it all up, singing along at full tilt, it was truly a moving moment – a highlight of the weekend.
, they’ve really taken off into another realm, with a really creative bend of folk and electronic sounds. So it was cool to see them live on the main stage. The opener, “Murder by Mistletoe”, set a perfect tone. Mellow, mysterious, and featuring the vocals of singer Ian Felice – a voice that probably gets compared most to Bob Dylan, but has another edge to it as well.
, is “Ashamed”. I liked the tune as is, but seeing it performed in Newport on Friday and Sunday, with the crowd wailing out in unison, “Ohhh–oooh-Ohhhhhhhh”, was one of those thrilling moments that make the live music experience so great – and make the songs you hear on the album so much better.
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. And what an impressive debut it is – I’ve been enjoying the hell out of it since.
. They kicked things off with “40 Day Dream”, “Up From Below” and “Carries On” – a trio of catchy sing-along songs that hooked in the crowd. Edward’s muse, Jade Castrino, was the sole female Zero of the show. Usually, Nora Kirkpatrick is along for the ride (*cough-hotblonde-cough*), but sadly she missed this gig in the desert. If you’ve watched Jade on stage, you’ve probably noticed she’s a little unorthodox as far as live performers go. She won’t face the audience – she sways and faces to the side, shyly smiling, with her eyes locked in on Alex 90% of the time. If you’re questioning the messianic quality of Alex Ebert, you’ll be convinced after watching Jade for a while. But anyways, she seems like a sweetheart, and she got some lead vocal duties with a song called “The River Won’t Flow”.