Dananananaykroyd
Photo by Lucy Johnston Seriously. Do you think I’m going to come across a band named Dananananaykroyd and not share it with you? Don’t even think twice.
The guys are from Glasgow, Scotland. They have a pretty hard/post-punk edge to them, and have been compared to Los Campesinos. Another unique feature along with their name is that they have two drummers bangin’ away. Nice.
I just downloaded a few from their full length debut, Hey Everyone, off eMusic – and this one immediately caught my ear. Turn this one up LOUD, folks…
Hear: Pink Sabbath (mp3)
Buy Hey Everyone on the Banquet Records site or
Visit: Dananananaykroyd on MySpace
Summer of Sound Saturday Night on Mill Ave
If you’re with me here in the Valley of the Sun, and you like good tunes, join me & m’ lady Saturday night at the Mill Cue Club on Mill Avenue in Tempe. The New Times Summer of Sound series kicks off, with Americana as the theme of the evening, featuring local bands Tractor Pull Divas, Matthew Reveles, the Cartwheels, the Sugar Thieves, and L.A. band the BellRays. Entry is only $5.
Live music on Mill Avenue. Feels like 1995!
Mos Def on Letterman
Mos Def dropped by Dave’s place last night for a cool performance of “Quiet Dog” from his new album, The Ecstatic. Love the Fela Kuti intro…
Thanks Rap Radar for the video.
For a limited time, the Amazon MP3 Store has The Ecstatic available for $3.99. Nab it.
Girl in a Coma
As a music lover whose listening habits tend to lean heavily in favor of male artists, it’s always refreshing to stumble upon some quality female rockin’ and rollin’. Girl in a Coma are a trio of heavily inked young ladies from San Antonio, Texas, and these girls rawk.
They rock so hard that they caught the ear of one of the genre’s matriarchs: Joan Jett. She snapped them up quickly, signing GIAC to her Blackheart Records label. Their second album on the label is Trio B.C., just released on June 2nd.
They get it all started with “BB”, a power packed tune with a hint of that tex-mex twang amidst the madness. Lead singer and guitarist Nina Diaz immediately shows off her sassy, f–k you vocals. Backing her up are sister Phanie on drums, and Jenn Alva on bass. Don’t let the lo-fi first verse fool you. The hi-fi immediately follows.
The album is full of great power trio pop-rock-punk with a ton of catchy hooks – and Nina’s vocals really shine through it all. Impressive.
Hear: BB – Also highly recommended is “Trail“.
I’m On Fire
Thanks to a post on Slowcoustic, I happened upon a cool A.A. Bondy version of “I’m On Fire” today (who’ll be at Modified in Phoenix later this month). I had to share.
Hear: A.A. Bondy – I’m On Fire
Which made me seek out the Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon singing the same tune at a performance in Germany. Both great interpretations of a classic Boss tune…
Sites: A.A. Bondy | Gaslight Anthem
Ick’s Pick (Week XXII): Ryan Bingham’s Roadhouse Sun
“Bad ass”. If I had to describe the new Ryan Bingham album in two words, those would be them. Show me a more bad ass release this year. You can’t. Because Ryan Bingham brings it on this album. A former rider on the pro rodeo circuit; hailing from Hobbs, New Mexico; the frequent cowboy hat: you’d expect a good dose of “country”. And there is, but mixed in with equal parts rock, blues, and roots.
I liken the album to Steve Earle’s I Feel Alright, in the way it just chugs along with a freshness and vitality, an innovative blast of roots-tinged rock and roll, and quiet moments that dig deep into the soul. Two entities shape this album in a big way. The first is Ryan Bingham’s singing voice: tough, leathery, and twangy. The other is his backup band, the Dead Horses. I’ll have to look into how they cut these songs together, but they sound like the full band in studio. They must be a killer band to see live, and you bet your bum I’ll be the first in line when they come to Arizona.
Standout tracks for me right now:
- “Change Is” – a seven minute rocker with a brush stroke of psychedelia; the full band breakouts on this track make me think of the Black Crowes at their rocking-est moments.
- “Bluebird” – there’s a hypnotic quality to this bluesy rocker. The lyrics are dark, defiant, and fascinating. I’m still trying to figure out what the “Bluebird” refers to.I’m down on the river baby, but I’m stuck on the other side love,
From a rope my heart is hanging, water rises on a lonely soul,
And I’ll take my chances breathing, ain’t never gonna hold my breath,
Because I know if I stay waiting, my bluebird is gonna bleed to death.Read all the lyrics here.
- “Tell My Mother I Miss Her So” – from the title, I thought it would be a ballad, but what it is is an uptempo barnburner with a good dose of mandolin, banjo, and guitars.
Roadhouse Sun will be the soundtrack to many an experience this summer – a collection of songs so unique and impressive in their own right that my personal favorites will likely rotate for a while.
Buy Roadhouse Sun today, it’ll do you good. The Amazon MP3 Store still has their special version available for $3.99.
- “Change Is” – a seven minute rocker with a brush stroke of psychedelia; the full band breakouts on this track make me think of the Black Crowes at their rocking-est moments.
Paul Simon + Roots + Antibalas Horns on Fallon
Jimmy Fallon may be going through some growing pains as a late night talk show host (some of the interviews I’ve seen have their cringe-worthy moments), but with the Roots as the house band, every musical moment has the potential for greatness. Last week, the Beasties dropped in. Last night, it was Paul Simon’s turn, as he joined the Roots crew for “Late in the Evening”, with the Antibalas horns in tow.
The verses and choruses are fine, but the real magic happens in between, when the percussion and horns take over. Awesome!
Sirius/XM on the iPhone, finally!
For those of you who, like me, are iPhone users and Sirius/XM subscribers, our time has come. Thanks to Pocket Tunes Radio, we can now stream our favorite satellite stations direct to our iPhones. And yes, this includes Howard Stern, for fellow addicts like myself. There are a ton of other radio stations to choose from, but I’ll be using it primarily for Sirius/XM.
Nothing this sweet comes without a price, so if you’re interested, you’ll need to pony up $10.00 for the app, but it’s money well spent if you’ve been waiting for a way to listen to Sirius/XM on your iPhone (without jailbreaking it). Oh, one other little caveat – Sirius charges $2.99 per month now for streaming Internet Radio, so you need to be signed up for that as well. They charge by the month, so for the price of a cup of coffee, again – to me – totally worth it.
Check out Pocket Tunes Radio on
Check out the Macworld review of Pocket Tunes Radio (by NormSoft).
Listen: Steve Earle’s Satellite Radio (mp3) – from Washington Square Serenade
Brent Randall and his Pinecones
I dipped into the inbox tonight and discovered this little gem from Halifax, Nova Scotia’s own Brent Randall and his Pinecones. Hell yeah, Brent and Band. It’s a catchy, dreamy little ditty and I thought I’d pass along…oh, and there’s an odd video to go along with it.
Hear: Strangelove (Don’t Be Lazy) [mp3]
Check out the album, We Were Strangers In Paddington Green, on
Links: Official Site | MySpace
Beastie Boys on Fallon
The Beastie Boys appeared on Jimmy Fallon last night. Some thoughts:
- The Beastie Boys still kick ass.
- The Beastie Boys are aging right along with the rest of us (except for that poofy haired Mike D. What’s his secret?).
- I know their schedule is pretty full, but the Roots clearly need to be the Beasties’ full time backing band.
- I now feel the need to check out the newly released remastered edition of Check Your Head…
Check out “So What’cha Want” from Fallon:
