New Tunes: Old 97’s Blame It On Gravity Out Tuesday
I’m goin’ old school tomorrow and will head out to my local record store (Zia Records) during my lunch hour, and buy myself the new Old 97’s album. Blame It On Gravity (New West) is their first studio release in four years, and reviews show it to be a return to their more charged up, electrified indie-cowpunk that they perfected with 1997’s Too Far To Care. Want to hear the Old 97’s at their optimal level? Listen to Too Far To Care‘s opener, “Timebomb”.
I’ve found something to love about every Old 97’s record, but if Blame It On Gravity is a return to this form, I may call off the rest of the workday and drive through the desert at ridiculous speeds.
New (Texas) Tunes: Band of Heathens
I like Texas music. And I like songs about whiskey and beer and waiting at train stations. Austin-based The Band of Heathens has ’em all covered in this tune. It’s easy to hear how they’ve garnered comparisons to Little Feat, The Band, and Drive By Truckers. Their self-titled debut album will be released on May 20th. Check out one of the new tunes here…
The Band of Heathens – Jackson Station
Pre-Order The Band of Heathens, out 5/20.
Official Web Site: Band of Heathens.com (I recommend hanging around until you hear “Cornbread”).Catch a video and see some tour dates after the jump (I’ll be seeing ’em at the Austin City Limits Festival in September).
Darkness and Born to Run at the Count Basie Theater
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….
Idle Idol Thoughts
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.
Listen Up: American Babies
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)
Linkage: Official Site | MySpace
Buy American Babies for $10 on CD Baby. Go. Now.
Hot Stuff: Santogold
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:
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)
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!
James Brown Throws Down in Zaire
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, 19741. 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 PleaseTRIVIA: 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 ®.
Oval Room, by Blaze Foley
Written about Ronald Reagan in the early 80’s by the late Blaze Foley, “Oval Room” sure is just as fitting today as it was 25 years ago, isn’t it?
Blaze Foley – Oval Room (mp3) from Oval Room [buy it]
→ 265 days left.
Oval Room
In his oval room, in his rockin’ chair
He’s the president, but I don’t care
He’s a business man, he got business ties
He got dollar signs in both his eyes
Got a big airplane, take him everywhere
Got his limousine, when he get there
Everywhere he goes, make the people mad
Makes the poor man beg, and the rich man gladHe’s the president, but I don’t care
Ooh, Ooooooh, OohAt the factory, never been so slow
Got a big fourth down, ninety nine to go
And down on the farm, nothing growing there
But the debts they owe and their gray hair
In the desert sand, and the jungle deep
He thinks everything is his to keep
He’s a real cowboy, with his makeup on
Talks to kings and queens on the telephoneHe’s the president, but I don’t care
Ooh, Oooooh, OohHe’s a movie star, if you stay up late
And he’ll search your car, if you don’t look straight
In his Oval Room, in his rockin’ chair
He’s the president, but I don’t careHe’s the president, but I don’t care
Ooh, Oooooh, OohHe’s the president, but I don’t care
Ooh, Oooooh, OohReview: Friday at the 2008 McDowell Mountain Music Festival
When you show up to at a music festival to pick up your press credentials, and you’re handed a VIP pass with 12 free drinks ready to be punched, at a Sierra Nevada-sponsored festival, well – you just know it’s gonna be a great day. Nine hours later – after seeing and hearing the likes of Gov’t Mule, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, the subdudes, Steve Reynolds Band, and Mikel Lander, Meridith Moore & Friends – I was right, it was great.
This was my second straight year at the Friday offering of Scottsdale’s McDowell Mountain Music Festival. It’s a young festival (this was it’s 5th annual), and with the impressive lineups, the great organization, and so much room at the Westworld venue to expand, it’s going to pick up steam and continue to grow each year. So on this Friday, my partner in crime was my friend Greg. Let me take you through our day…
Scarlett’s New Album
You know, after hearing this Listening Party stream of Scarlett Johansson‘s album, color me impressed. Not that I expected her to release a pile of garbage like Paris Hilton, but you never know what to expect with the actress turned singer debut album (did I just call Paris Hilton an actress?). But ScarJo’s got a lot of impressive things going with this album: first of all, Anywhere I Lay My Head is essentially a Tom Waits cover album – 10 of the 11 songs are Waits songs. Secondly, it was recorded here, at Dockside Studio, deep in Louisiana bayou country. And thirdly, she brings in quite the supporting cast: David Bowie sings on a tune, TV on the Radio producer David Sitek produces, and also appearing are Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zimmer, and Sean Antanaitis from Celebration.
Anywhere I Lay My Head is released on May 20th.
Album Stream Playlist
1. Fawn
2. Town with No Cheer
3. Falling Down
4. Anywhere I Lay My Head
5. Fannin Street
6. Song for Jo
