100 Words on “Rattlin’ Bones”
There is a misnomer that the sugar laden pop with a twang that passes for country music these days is the real deal but leave it to a duo from far across the pond to serve up a reminder of what ‘real’ country sounds like. Husband and wife duo Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson deliver stunning vocal harmonies from the shuffle of “Sweetest Waste of Time” to the wistful “Wildflower” there is an honesty in both the recoding and material that is hard to deny. The title cut is scathing dirge which I implore all of you to check out.Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson – Rattlin’ Bones (MP3)
Purchase Rattlin’ Bones: Amazon | iTunes
Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace
Review: Jason Mraz at Radio City Music Hall
Despite listening to him since his days at Java Joes, Friday night was my first experience seeing Jason Mraz live. I was not alone in my first experience as it was Mr. A-Z’s first show at the legendary Radio City Music Hall, a that fact did not seem lost on him as he pulled out all the stops for what was one of the most entertaining and memorable shows I’ve attended in the last few years.
The evening started with Irish chanteuse Lisa Hannigan. I was really only familiar with her in the context of her work with Damien Rice and really enjoyed her solo set. With a 4 piece band of multi-instrumentalists to back her up, she performed a selection from her debut Sea Sew. “An Ocean and a Rock” was simply beautiful and captivating. “Lille” was delicate and lovely, which seems to be the essence of Miss Hannigan. I will definitely be picking up the record based on this performance.
After a brief intermission it was time for Mraz. The night started with the full 7 piece band taking the stage for “Make it Mine” the lead track from his latest release We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. Wasting no time, the band segued directly into a fresh (and lively) take on Mraz’s first hit “The Remedy”. This was the first of many times that the crowd would fill the hallowed hall with their voices in unison with Jason and he wasted no time in using it to his musical devices and creating a live mash up with the ladies singing the chorus and the boys (what few were in attendance) layering Oasis‘s hit “Wonderwall” over top to great effect.
The band slowly began to recede during “If It Kills Me” and a quiet “You & I Both” and whittled down to the core trio of Ian Sheridan, Toca Rivera and Mraz for the stark and utterly heartbreaking “A Beautiful Mess”. Sheridan even broke out the stand up bass for the occasion bringing to mind the small club feel and making this one of the moments that Jason managed to make Radio City seem like an intimate club for five minutes. This feel continued with the simple and lovely “Life Is Wonderful”.
The rest of the band returned as well as four additional microphones as the back drop took on a decidedly religious slant. It was clear that it was time to go to church! “Live High” came to a grand crescendo with the Broadway Inspirational Voices choir joining in to bring the house down. The choir stayed on for an uplifting rendition of “Oh! Happy Day”. I should mention here that over the band, the crowd, and the choir Jason maintained a presence and a quality of voice that was astounding.
“Dynamo of Volition” brought the crowd to it’s feet for some well choreographed dance moves. It’s interesting to see 5,000 happy fools raising the roof in unison at Radio City. The crowd stayed on its feet for the remainder of the show as Jason kicked into “I’m Yours” to a crowd ready to make a joyful sound. I’ll let the video do the talking on this one.
After and incredibly short encore break Mraz brought Lisa Hannigan back out to play Colbie Caillat’s part in the duet “Lucky” and from there it was non-stop from the rave up of “Build Me Up, Buttercup” to the beautiful finale of “Song for a Friend” the significance of how grand a night it was long on nobody in the room. This was a perfect cap to the concert season and for my wife and I a beautiful way to celebrate our first year of marriage.
Pre-Order A Thousand Things: MusicToday
See the full setlist and the rest of the tour dates after the jump.
Ickmusic’s Friday Five: October 10, 2008
This week was almost the first Five-less week since the inception of the shuffle happy column. I’m a bit under the weather this week and am saving up my energy to go and see Jason Mraz tonight. Rather than cancel the Five, here’s a quick five (with two downloadable tracks this week!) as I’m resting up.
For those who have not joined in the Five, here’s how it works: … I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five with a bit of insight for each track.
Then it’s your turn! Just share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments and see what your fellow readers are listening to as well.
Here are this week’s tracks:
1. The Beach Boys – Little Deuce Coup (from The Platinum Collection)
Not my favorite
2. Donny Hathaway – Misty (from Everything Is Everything)
A torch song from the master, I love everything about this record.
3. Apollonia 6 – Sex Shooter (mp3) (from Apollonia 6)
Let’s see some action, let’s have some asses wiggling, I want some perfection. Whawhak!
4. Dink – Green Mind (mp3) (from Dink)
I used to spin this one weekly as part of my “Alternative Night” DJ set.
5. Van Halen – Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love (from Van Halen)
One of the most recognizable riffs in the history of Rock n’ Roll.
So what’s making you feel better this week?
Ickmusic’s Friday Five: October 3, 2008
Is it October already? I swear it was just August a few minutes ago. One thing that I’ve found since I started The Five is that I am hyper-aware of the passage of time. And time in the final week of the quarter is even more precious so with that I’m going to keep this brief!
For those who have not joined in the Five, here’s how it works: … I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five with a bit of insight for each track.
Then it’s your turn! Just share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments and see what your fellow readers are listening to as well.
Here are this week’s tracks:
1. Destroyer – “Sick Priest Learns to Last Forever” (from Destroyer’s Rubies, 2006)
I picked this up on the suggestion from more than one of the popular blogs of the day and can’t say too much about it as I’ve only listened to it three or four times. It’s not even that I dislike the record; it’s just a matter of time vs. desire.
2. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble – “Pride and Joy” (from Greatest Hits, 1995)
There’s always time for some Stevie Ray Vaughan.
3. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Mo Money Mo Problems (feat. Mase & Puff Daddy)” (from Life After Death, 1997)
I’ve been watching the VH1’s 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs (see the entire list here) series this week and have been pulling up and listening to my favorite Hip-Hop tracks of the past 20 years. This is on my list (though it’s not on VH1’s) without a doubt. Play this one in a club to this day and everyone knows every line of Biggie’s rhyme.
4. Snoop Dogg – “Who Am I (What’s My Name?)” (from Doggystyle, 1993)
Another classic Hip-Hop cut, this time from the Westside courtesy of one Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr., better known to you and I as the one and only Snoop D O Double G. 15 years on this George Clinton fueled track still inspires some serious ass wiggling.
5. Metallica – “Harvester of Sorrow” (from …and Justice for All, 1988)
That should read from the last decent record Metallica produced, but I digress. …and Justice for All is the last Metallica record that I truly enjoyed beginning to end. The Black Album was alright, but it was Bob Rock‘s version of the band and therefore not as good.
That said, what’s playing in your shuffle today?
Digging the Virtual Crates: Faith No More
While we anticipate Pete’s no doubt exhaustive coverage of the Austin City Limits festival (and the trip home) I thought I’d dig back in the virtual crates to deliver some video-gasmic love for the brilliant Faith No More. I was digging through my collection last week and stumbled across my copy of This Is It: The Best of Faith No More (Amazon | iTunes) and was amazed at how kind time has been to these tunes and furthermore how well they’ve aged. From “We Care a Lot” through the flopping fish right up to “Ashes to Ashes” I actually ended up digging out my copies of the rest of their discography (I have to pick up Album of the Year) and spending some quality time getting reaquainted.
The one that got everyone hooked.
The entire Angel Dust record is a classic.
Personally, I might actually like this version better than the original.
Bonus!!
I’d be completely remiss if I did not include at least one Mr. Bungle performance.
Enjoy!
Ickmusic’s Friday Five: September 26, 2008
When the world seems set to implode on itself we look to different forms of media to distract, entertain and overall escape from the reality of our situations. Whether personal or global, no problem is too big or too small to escape for a bit with the Friday Five!
Last week the ladies of the Friday Five held court on their own. For those who have not joined in the Five, here’s how it works: … I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five with a bit of insight for each track.
Then it’s your turn! Just share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments and see what your fellow readers are listening to as well.
Here are this week’s tracks:
1. DJ Cam – Success (MP3) (from The Beat Assassinated)
I went through a rather obsessive trip-hop phase in the mid to late 90’s, and while I’ve outgrown that phase there are a few artists that stuck with me. DJ Cam is one of the few that were able to blend Hip-Hop, Jazz and down tempo and not make it seem contrite.
2. Frank Zappa – Jewish Princess (from Sheik Yerbouti)
Classic Zappa at his satirical height, Music is indeed the best!
3. Jason Mraz – Details In the Fabric (feat. James Morrison) (from We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.)
This tune opens to an answering machine message from Mraz cohort Bushwalla clearly dealing with a bad day. The song itself is a lilting yet uplifting message “Everything will be fine, everything in no time at all, Hearts will hold”. The song closes with a second message where he strikes the single oddest metaphor I’ve ever heard “I feel like you’re an island of reality in an ocean of diarrhea. And I love you buddy. Ok. Bye.”
4. Dryden Mitchell – Friday, I’m in Love (from 50 First Dates)
Dryden Mitchell is the lead singer of alt-rockers Alien Ant Farm. For this track he drops the rock and brings a quirky electro pop tilt to The Cure’s classic ode to our favorite day.
5. John Lennon – Love (from The John Lennon Collection)
“Love is free, free is Love”
What’s getting you through today?
Nighttime Missives with Kings of Leon
Rarely, if ever, does Saturday Night Live inform my music choices but this weeks episode did manage to serve as a reminder that a.) Kings of Leon just released a new record that I hadn’t picked up yet and b.) Kings of Leon kick about a metric ton of ass. Their latest release, Only by the Night, finds the band trying on arena size anthems and singer Caleb Followill finding his voice. The slow burn of opening track “Closer” sets the tone for the majority of record. The lead off single “Sex on Fire” brings the rock in the most grandiose way and is sure to have the crowds singing along. “Use Somebody” is nothing short of brilliant. While it has only been spinning on my iTunes for less than 24 hours, I’m calling this a contender for my record of the year.
Buy Only by the Night: Amazon
Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace
Ickmusic’s Friday Five: September 19, 2008
The mark of a truly great song is the ability to make minutes seem like seconds making time itself seem almost irrelevant. When used as a tool to make time fly it not only serves the purpose, but makes it all the more enjoyable. I’ve found myself counting units of time in measure of how many songs I can listen two. My commute to work used to be 6-8 tunes long depending on the traffic. My dentist appointment last week was 5 songs (one of which was that Miley Cyrus song “7 Things” which somehow made the work being done seem less painful by comparison). So it should come to no surprise to anyone that the Friday Five is my way of counting the minutes down to the end of the week and the start of the weekend.
Last weeks shuffle exposed my geeky soft spot for sci-fi soundtracks and confirmed that I’m not alone. Our regular cast of participants chimed in with everything from show tunes to a bit of heavy metal. How’s that for disparate genre representation? For those who have not joined in the Five, here’s how it works: … I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five with a bit of insight for each track.
Then it’s your turn! Just share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments and see what your fellow readers are listening to as well.
Here are this week’s tracks:
1. Black Sabbath – Paranoid (from We Sold Our Soul for Rock ‘n’ Roll)
Pete may have his AC/DC but for me it’s all about Sabbath. Would you believe that this tune was intended to be a filler track after the record company complained about the records length? Not bad for a throwaway track, eh?
2. The Toasters – Johnny Go Ska (from Thrill Me Up)
100% Ska from NYC’s The Toasters. Much in the same way that Sabbath defines the roots of Metal, The Toasters are, in my opinion, the defining Third Wave Ska band. This Five is really taking shape!
3. Toad the Wet Sprocket – Pray Your Gods (from Fear)
I’ve written at length about my love of Toad the Wet Sprocket and this song is one of the finest examples of why.
4. The Roots – Rising Up (feat. Wale & Chrisette Michele) (from Rising Down)
I geeked out on this track when it first was hot and I’m still feeling it every single time it comes on. I have to stop to give thanks to The Roots for introducing me to the brilliant Chrisette Michele who’s record will definitely fill the top spot on my year end “Best ‘New to Me'” chart.
5. Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love (from Spirit)
I’ll admit that I really did not like this song when I first heard it. It’s inclusion in a brilliant number on So You Think You Can Dance brought me around though.
It looks like Billy Joel was denied the first Friday Five Triple Crown, maybe next time Billy! What’s passing the time in your neck of the woods?
Real Soul Food: The Way I See It
Raphael Saadiq is Neo Soul plain and simple. His latest The Way I See It is the record that he’s been leading up to since his days in Tony! Toni! Toné!. The opening rave up “Sure Hope You Mean It” sets the tone straight out of the gate with vibe to spare. Joss Stone lends her sultry vocals to “Just One Kiss” and Stevie Wonder turns in a harmonica solo on the brilliant “Never Give You Up”. From Motown to Philly to Stax the influence is clear but this feels as real and relevant as anything in R&B these days. If you are a fan of soul and in need of a meal, this record is like mama’s cooking, warm and familiar and always your favorite. This is one of my favorite records of 2008 so far.
Buy The Way I See It: Amazon | iTunes
Links: Official Site | on Last.fm | on MySpace
Ickmusic’s Friday Five: September 12, 2008
Ah Friday it’s time to relax and you know what that means a glass of wine, your favorite easy chair and of course the Friday Five shuffling on your home stereo. So go on indulge yourself, that’s right, kick off your shoes, put your feet up, lean back and just enjoy the melodies. After all, music soothes even the savage beast….
Last week’s Five (and ½) brought back the straight shuffle with turns from every genre and era. For those who have not joined in the Five, here’s how it works: … I hit the shuffle button on my iTunes and share my five with a bit of insight for each track.
Then it’s your turn! Just share the first five random track of your shuffle in the comments and see what your fellow readers are listening to as well.
Here are this week’s tracks:
1. Billy Joel – Matter of Trust (from The Bridge)
I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but this is hands down my favorite Billy Joel tune. It brings me back to being a young man and living for the radio on Saturday afternoons. I realize looking back at the last few weeks that Mr. Joel popped up last week as well. We’ll have to see next week if he can take the Shuffle Triple Crown.
2. City and Colour – The Death of Me (from Bring Me Your Love)
I just picked this up from emusic last week and have not had a chance to give it a proper listen. I was a huge fan of Dallas Green‘s first record Sometimes. For those not familiar City and Colour is the mostly acoustic and decidedly singer-songwriter slanted side project of Canadian post-hardcore band Alexisonfire‘s singer/guitarist Dallas Green (the name comes from his own name as he felt uneasy “putting the album out under the name Dallas Green”).
3. Joey Scarbury – Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not) (from America’s Greatest Hero)
I wish I could say that I dislike this song. I don’t and I suspect that many of you dig it too.
4. John Williams – The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme) (from Star Wars Trilogy: Anthology)
Performed majestically by the London Symphony Orchestra this is easily one of the most instantly recognizable sections of movie score ever. My sci-fi geek roots are certainly showing today!
5. Jshua – Forever (from The Rose Line)
Occasionally I get the opportunity to listen to music well before its release date, and this is one of those cases. Multi-Instrumentalist Jshua blends Soul, Funk, Beatlesesque progressions and a certain sense of grandeur usually reserved for compositions by a certain diminutive fan of purple. I truly cannot wait to share this one with the rest of the world.
May the Shuffle be with you…