It's A Gold Theme For Altered Friday This Week. With New Music From LowGold
This is "Burning Embers"
And Santogold With "L.E.S. Artistes"
Also Fine Young Cannibals In Our Old School Segment With "The Raw & The Cooked"
Here's "Good Thing"
And "I'm Not The Man I Used To Be"
"She Drives Me Crazy"
Our next 1st Thursday artist, Langhorne Slim, just finished a new video for his tune "Rebel Side of Heaven" ... it's great. Check it out:
Good Afternoon Baltimore,
I'm writing from a tent here in New Orleans, it's sticky, hot and muddy...it's been a great weekend so far, I dove into the culture of New Orleans yesterday at Cafe Du Monde and a few other spots before heading into the festival.
TodayI've been enjoying the music of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and while hanging out with the guys backstage Ludacris...not your typical tmd artist...was hanging out with The Roots...I'm gearing up for Jimmy Buffett tonight...my favorite acts so far have been Brett Dennen, John Butler Trio, Stevie Wonder and the Subdudes...
....Sitting in the airport waiting for the plane to Baltimore, I'm sunburnt and exhausted, amazing jazz fest weekend in new orleans...all the interviews are posted online now at wtmd.org...pictures will be online tomorrow
By now, you probably have learned of the entire V-Fest 2008 lineup. And if there's a story line, aside from the diversity of the acts, and the trademark formula of two main stages and a dance tent, returning for a third year, it may read like this: The Virgin Mobile Festival 2008: Your Chance to See Three Living Legends!
Aside from artists such as Wilco, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, The Black Keys, Duffy, and Cat Power to get excited about (with previously announced headliners Kanye West, Foo Fighters, Jack Johnson, Nine Inch Nails, and STP), the BIG news is that you'll have the chance to see THE greatest songwriter of all time, Bob Dylan, punk legends Iggy Pop and the Stooges AND one of the pioneers of this thing we call rock & roll, Chuck Berry! In fact, Chuck likes to have a local band back him up during his whistle stops- this time, it's a Japanese Beatles cover band out of DC (Silver Beats)!
I think the lineup has turned pretty great in a hurry, hasn't it? Your thoughts?
I love The Cat Empire- this brassy party band from Australia! Trust me, it takes a lot to get me to dance (I AM the inspiration behind a certain Frank Zappa song), and when TCE played Rams Head Live last year, I shuffled my two left feet to their irresistible funk, ska, Latin grooves.
They're back tomorrow with SO MANY NIGHTS and Felix, Harry and the boys really transform into something more than a dance band. The Cat Empire display their sophisticated musicology throughout the record, with building songs full of strings, keys, and of course, horns and they even throw in a few nods to other big ensembles from the 60's, such as Sly and the Family Stone and War.
You can hear it on the title track.
Around the World with Death Cab for Cutie, Aaron Stewart-Ahn wrote the treatment for following the female subject around the world in three weeks...yes the band is playing in a freezer, why do you ask? They wanted to see their breath when they played...it was so dangerously cold a medic was on scene...new album is out May 13th...enjoy
A long-time holdout of any attempts to reunite Jane's Addiction, bassist and co-founder Eric Avery is now saying, "yes", to a one-off performance at the U.S. NME AWARDS.
The band will receive the Brit publication's "God-Like Genius Award"at an LA ceremony April 23rd.
Eric chatted with me a couple weeks ago, with the launch of his first ever solo album HELP WANTED. He didn't seem ready for to get back together with Perry and the boys, but he says in his blog, that he's happy to be honoring the band's past- but, that he's still conflicted about it.
Check out something new from Eric, and a blast from the shoplifting past from Jane's.
On June 24th Alejandro Escovedo releaes his new album "Real Animal". The first single is fantastic. It's called "Always a Friend". Here's a live version performed with Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band.
There's more to come out of the rugged Shetland Islands than just interesting looking ponies.
Astrid Williamson, who fronted the elegant Scottish trio Goya Dress for one album in 1996 released her solo debut BOY FOR YOU two years later.
After a couple of subsequent albums, BOYS FOR YOU is available for the first time in the US and Astrid, a singer blessed with a versatile alto and a songwriter with a penchant for cinematic, piano-driven melodies and intimate lyrics, sounds like she just crafted it.
Revealing, mysterious and sensual BOYS FOR YOU....Astrid Williamson- a name to watch in 2008.
Tim Reynolds joins Dave Matthews Band for their latest album, this isn't the first time, but it's been awhile.
Below is a first look of the band in the studio in Seattle. I'm almost positive this is only one of many to come.
If you are attending the Hershey Park Show or Nissan let me know! I'll be there! My Birthday is June 26th...so I'll be celebrating the 27th and 28th as well...life is short but sweet for certain.
At SXSW last week Filter Magazine held a 3-day party of music...one of the acts included Kate Nash who was joined on stage by Billy Bragg for a few songs including Bragg's "A New England"
Who knew Bragg and Nash were friends...it's true
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq. Whatever your views are on the war, it's hard to disagree that many talented songwriters have created inspired time capsules that a generation from now will look back on, much the same way we revisit the soundtrack to the Vietnam era.
Here's one from my favorite album last year, SIRENS OF THE DITCH. Jason Isbell has a way with the pen, with words that convey nothing partisan- just evocative phrases that capture life in its purest form- whether the hurt from a divorce, an experience with a Mrs. Robinson-like love, or capturing the hurt and love a small town feels for its fallen soldier. Jason has a way of encapsulating the American experience and DRESS BLUES does that in the most moving and profound of ways (just the line "American boys hate to lose" seems to say it all). It's less a protest than a tribute to a friend, a Marine. The music leaves it to us to interpret whether Matt would do it all over again.
What songs that relate to the war have moved you the past five years?
Well, no, not the band...but, you'll see what I mean in a few seconds.
The Aussie songwriter is back with her sophomore release ON A CLEAR NIGHT- and it packs a punch, both in lyrical and vocal authenticity and melodies you'll be hard-pressed to purge.
Recorded virtually live to tape with producer Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Ron Sexsmith, Suzanne Vega, Los Lobos) and featuring a guest turn by Neil Finn, Missy's crystalline, confessional voice draws the curtains on her diary- several breakup songs punctuate the record.
Check the wonderful strum and Missy being put through the wringer on STEER.
and a very, very catchy song, whose lyrics, I think, we all have related to at one time or another- PEACHY.
Than how many words would a video be worth?
My friend Fletcher sent along this awesome video for the latest from
What Made Milwaukee Famous and you MUST see it!
The Texans even have a famous friend making an appearance, so be sure to watch the final moments!
This is 'Sultan'
WTMD's 897 Greatest Albums of All Time Countdown is not the only countdown so far this year, Check Out Yahoo's Cheesiest Love Songs or better yet...Blender's 20 Biggest Record Company Screw-Ups of All Time
Dick Rowe turning down the Beatles is no longer the biggest music industry screw up..."the major labels took top dishonors for driving file-sharing service Napster out of business in 2001, instead of figuring out a way to make money from its tens of millions of users. The downloaders merely scattered to hundreds of other sites, and the industry has been in a tailspin ever since." (War against Web tops music biz "screw-ups)
Dick Rowe's screw up is now #2...some other interesting ones on there as well...check out the full list here
Well even though V-Day is a month in the past, here's Yahoo's Cheesiest Love Song...Show Some love B-more
Chicago - "You're The Inspiration"
Shirley Simms....well, at least she is channeling the "hate" of Stephin Merritt, the brainchild- swengali and multi-instrumentalist behind The Magnetic Fields and that ridiculously infectious tune, "California Girls" from their aptly-titled DISTORTION.
Stephin, who, you'd think judging by all the indie-world buzz the band has been receiving lately, would be a young hipster, but refreshingly, he's a relatively quiet 40 Something. And speaking of quiet, what with all the feedback you hear on DISTORTION, Stephin and his talented collaborators (including Simms, who sings about half the tracks with her semi-androgynous, nasally pipes that bring to mind Green Gartside, Christine McVie and Kirsty MacColl- Stephin, in his husky Cavesque drawl, sings lead on the others), keep the tone down on the road...choosing acoustic instruments instead of distortion; Stephin, apparently, has hearing issues.
And, in case you haven't deciphered the lyrics of the extremely witty, fuzzy Beach Boys homage, California Girls, check out this live acoustic version and laugh along.
Oh heck, let's see one more! My favorite from DISTORTION: Drive on Driver. Brilliant ear candy!
The dapper poet laureate of folk music was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last night. The words to "Dance Me Till the End Of Love," "Famous Blue Raincoat," "Suzanne," and countless others are enshrined forever. Sincerely, LC.
What's YOUR favorite version of Hallelujah? John Cale? Rufus Wainwright? Brandi Carlile? Jeff Buckley? Bono? Or someone else?
