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Tom Waits: Glitter and Doom Live

November 9th, 2009 | No Comments

Tom Waits To Release Glitter and Doom Live Album On 11/23

Tom Waits

Available November 23, Glitter and Doom is a two disc collection of the best of the best tracks from Tom Waits‘ sold out, highly acclaimed Glitter and Doom tour of the U.S. and Europe in the summer of 2008.

Disc One is designed to sound like one evening’s performance, even though the 17 tracks are selected from 10 cities, from Paris to Birmingham; Tulsa to Milan; and Atlanta to Dublin. Sonically the album is superb and has been beautifully recorded and meticulously mastered. Disc Two is a bonus compendium called TOM TALES, which is a selection of the comic bromides, strange musings, and unusual facts that Tom traditionally shares with his audience during the piano set. Waits’ topics range from the ritual of insects to the last dying breath of Henry Ford.

Musically, the live disc features all eras of Waits’ eclectic glory as he shifts seamlessly from an array of characters: carnival barker, preacher, country singer, soul balladeer; cabaret singer and storyteller. Backed by a versatile five-piece band, Waits departs from the songs’ original incarnations. The songs instrumentation and rhythms are rearranged and re-imagined. Swampy tribal rhythms, ominous hymns, gypsy flavored ballads, searing rhythmic r&b, blues boogies, angular and surreal rock are all present. The songs, as expected, are about hanged men, woebegone sailors, sword swallowers, fugitives, shamans, ghosts, dance instructors and prison guards.

Track List:
01. Lucinda / Ain’t Goin Down

02. Singapore

03. Get Behind The Mule

04. Fannin Street

05. Dirt In The Ground

06. Such A Scream

07. Live Circus

08. Goin’ Out West

09. Falling Down

10. The Part You Throw Away

11. Trampled Rose

12. Metropolitan Glide

13. I’ll Shoot The Moon

14. Green Grass

15. Make It Rain

16. Story

17. Lucky Day

WSP & ABB | 10.09 & 10.10 | Birmingham

October 13th, 2009 | No Comments

Words by: Frank Etheridge | Images by: Ian Rawn

Widespread Panic & The Allman Brothers Band :: 10.10.09 :: BJCC Arena :: Birmingham, AL

John Bell | 10.10 | Alabama

“Happy birthday, Allman Brothers! Happy birthday, everybody!”

With these words, Widespread Panic frontman John Bell not only extended warm birthday wishes to the opening Allman Brothers on the occasion of their 40th anniversary, he also delivered, in vintage JB inflection, a succinct summation of a five-hour marathon of music that was nothing short of life-affirming.

Bell’s stage banter is a barometer of the band’s mood and energy, and on this Saturday night in Birmingham, it revealed a playfulness and joy that shined throughout a night that was more collaboration than co-bill, more celebration than concert. This tour partnering two Georgia-bred juggernauts, which disappointingly bypassed their home state, was long overdue; a dream-come-true for fans of blues-based improvisational rock, that even in consideration of the loftiest, dearly held expectations, met any and all promises. All the players in both bands seemed to share JB’s sentiment, with their playing inspired and fueled by an infectious energy that was amazingly levels beyond the quality Friday night show for a stellar two-set, two-encore show Saturday night.

The Allmans kicked the night off with a raucous start featuring Muddy Waters’ classic “Trouble No More.” It was readily apparent by the time Derek Trucks‘ searing licks introduced “Can’t Lose What You Never Had” that the band brought their A-game. An early highlight came in the song’s refrain – “Got drunk/ Burned it down/ Now people ain’t that sad” – that encapsulates a key theme of the band. As grizzly veteran frontman Gregg Allman belted out this cautionary tale, his tone became his essence in revealing, on the surface, a defense-mechanism flippancy buoyed by a deeply seeded seasoned wisdom key to Gregg and ABB’s survival and perseverance. Been there, done that? This legend certainly has, and on Saturday night, preaching to the choir, showed proof positive that he’s even managed to live to tell about it.

The Allman Brothers w/ JB | 10.10 | Alabama

“You Don’t Love Me” found the band really opening up for some intense improvisation as the double-edged attack of Warren Haynes and Trucks’ guitars sailed over Allman’s organ. The ubiquitous, but always-appreciated, “Soulshine” came next. With countless Gov’t Mule renditions setting its standard for this reviewer, it was a breath of fresh air to have Allman take the lead vocals and give it a toned-down, more traditional blues feel. The uptempo “Stand Back” put the band’s groovy shoes on as they danced about a relentless jam that rode on waves of expert drum rolls that propelled even more screeching guitar wails.

Haynes’ introduction of JB, something along the lines of, “You guys know JB?” was obviously, sarcastically, rhetorical, but the crowd, significantly larger on Saturday than Friday, roared its response of recognition. In contrast to many of the stops on this tour, younger Spreadheads dominated the audience, though there was mercifully enough gray hair and Daytona Bike Week t-shirts to counterbalance the dready factor and help keep the waves of patchouli wafting through the air at bay. Bell switched verses with Haynes on an excellent cover of Van Morrison’s “And It Stoned Me,” a poem penned by one of Bell’s idols that is ideal for his voice.

Rollicking versions of Allman Brothers staples “Revival” and “Statesboro Blues” were next and preceded the night’s highlight: “Mountain Jam.” This never-ending instrumental is dismissed by some, primarily those that find the Allmans a classic-rock FM radio act and not the Southern sojourners of truth they are in their best live moments. Sure, “Mountain Jam” can be an endless noodle long enough to go home, cut the grass, and come back without missing a thing, but Saturday night it was a beautiful melody from the start as a long, spacey intro eventually fell sway to a guitar crunch. Drummers Jaimoe and Butch Trucks worked their kits in amazing syncopation to unleash a powerful, primal rhythm. Col. Bruce Hampton – another Georgia legend that connects more than his fair share of the dots in the non-linear lineage the Brothers and Panic share – graced the stage to belt out a few verses of “Smokestack Lightning,” with “Spoonful” teases swirling about it, before an abrupt, but classically Colonel, departure as “Mountain Jam” took over again.

Oteil Burbridge – ABB | 10.10 | Alabama

Unlike most shows on this tour, the Allmans as opener were provided a well-deserved encore slot they filled with “Black Hearted Woman,” marked by pounding teases of the Grateful Dead’s “The Eleven.” The lush acoustics of “Little Martha” as set break PA music was icing on the (birthday) cake.

Panic opened their set with an instrumental of their own, “The Take Out,” an old school number with a few twists played remarkably well. “Diner” meandered into a brief rap by JB that carried the song out into a flawless “Rock.” A monstrous intro provided one of those jaw-dropping Panic moments, reminiscent of their days thriving as a six-headed beast, where all members’ individual music cedes to a crazed collective and begs the question, “How the fuck are they making that sound?”

“There’s nothing logical ’bout this” was Bell’s introduction to DJ Logic‘s appearance on the subsequent “Dying Man,” his effort giving an edgy dimension, a la the ‘Til the Medicine Takes version with Colin Butler as DJ.

The silky-smooth funk of War’s “Slipping into Darkness” followed and took a nasty, wonderfully dirty Panic turn. A chatty JB then looked about to introduce Gregg Allman. “Can’t see him,” Bell beamed as he finally made eye contact with Allman. They shared vocals on a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Just like a Woman,” though Bell’s voice was primarily the only audible one. In a gesture evident of the family vibe that has taken shape this tour, the always-humble, appropriately reverent Bell bowed to Allman as he exited stage left.

Dave Schools – WSP | 10.10

Bassist Dave Schools cooked up a sinister bass intro to “Bust It Big,” which was eventually taken over by the frenetic keys of John “JoJo” Hermann, who deftly moved from ragtime to funk in a fine display of his prowess on a night that found his playing both inspired and free-wheeling. DJ Logic reappeared during “Drums,” which segued into a rollicking jam between Schools and percussionists Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz and Todd Nance. A soaring “Airplane” came next, with an incredible, trademark “take-off jam.” JoJo again dominated in his intro to “Good People,” which he peppered with a minute-long “Dark Bar” rap. An excellent “Junior” closed the set.

The lights at Panic shows are seldom noteworthy (Charlotte 2008 being a MAJOR exception to this due to the insane “lightning storm” during “Drums”). Saturday night, and perhaps its been this way throughout the whole tour with the Allmans, the lights were simply incredible, always spot-on, highlighting individual members during solos and fading to black as jams began, and spinning wildly as they took form. The spotlight was on JB for “Expiration Day” in the encore, the singer awash in purple and red hues as he seemed to serenade the crowd with this paean to true love, a simple life well lived, and the peaceful contentment that exists only in those virtues.

One of Panic’s best qualities is their capacity to encompass the entire gamut of human emotion, to express and embrace both the yin & yang. This hallmark reared its head as the misty-eyed serenity of “Expiration Day” moved into a snarling, fierce take on Tom Waits’ “Going Out West” to close the show, slapping the crowd on the ass as they headed out the door into an Alabama Saturday night.

The Allman Brothers Band Setlist:

Midnight Rider, Trouble No More, Can’t Lose What You Never Had, You Don’t Love Me, Soulshine, Stand Back, And It Stoned Me*, Revival, Statesboro Blues, Mountain Jam > Smokestack Lightnin’** > Mountain Jam

E: Black Hearted Woman

* w/ with John Bell, guitar & vox; James van de Bogert, drums

** w/ with Colonel Bruce Hampton, vocals

Widespread Panic Setlist:

The Take Out > Diner > Rock > Porch Song, Dyin’ Man*, Slippin’ Into Darkness**, Just Like A Woman***, Bust It Big**** > Drums > Airplane > Pilgrims > Goodpeople > Dark Bar > Goodpeople > Junior

E: Expiration Day > Goin’ Out West

* with DJ Logic on turntables

** with Marc Quinones on percussion, Warren Haynes on guitar

*** with Gregg Allman on vocals

**** with Warren Haynes on guitar

Continue reading for more images of Panic and the Allmans in Alabama, including shots from the previous night…

10.09.09 :: Fri :: BJCC Arena :: Birmingham, AL

Widespread Panic:

Hatfield > Walkin’ (For Your Love) > Wondering, Tickle the Truth > Chainsaw City > Machine > Arleen > Space Wrangler, Her Dance Needs No Body > Greta > Drums* > Maggot Brain** > Time Is Free*** > Give

* with DJ Logic on turntables

** with Derek Trucks on guitar

*** with Col. Bruce Hampton on vocals, Derek Trucks on guitar, Oteil Burbridge on bass

['Time Is Free' without Dave]

JB & Col. Bruce

The Allman Brothers Band:

Done Somebody Wrong, Come and Go Blues, End Of The Line, The Weight*, Key To The Highway*, Rocking Horse, Dreams**, Highway 61 Revisited***, Into The Mystic****, Leave My Blues at Home, Melissa, Jessica

E: One Way Out*****

* with JoJo Hermann, piano

** with Dave Schools, bass

*** with John Bell, guitar & vocals; Dave Schools, bass; James van de Bogert, drums

**** with James van de Bogert, drums

***** with Jimmy Herring, guitar

Haynes, D. Trucks, Bell, B. Trucks, Schools
Herring & Trucks










Col. Bruce

Continue reading for more images of Panic and the Allmans in Alabama…

10.10.09 :: Sat :: BJCC Arena :: Birmingham, AL

The Allman Brothers Band:

Midnight Rider, Trouble No More, Can’t Lose What You Never Had, You Don’t Love Me, Soulshine, Stand Back, And It Stoned Me*, Revival, Statesboro Blues, Mountain Jam > Smokestack Lightnin’** > Mountain Jam

E: Black Hearted Woman

* w/ with John Bell, guitar & vox; James van de Bogert, drums

** w/ with Colonel Bruce Hampton, vocals

Widespread Panic:

The Take Out > Diner > Rock > Porch Song, Dyin’ Man*, Slippin’ Into Darkness**, Just Like A Woman***, Bust It Big**** > Drums > Airplane > Pilgrims > Goodpeople > Dark Bar > Goodpeople > Junior

E: Expiration Day > Goin’ Out West

* with DJ Logic on turntables

** with Marc Quinones on percussion, Warren Haynes on guitar

*** with Gregg Allman on vocals

**** with Warren Haynes on guitar

Widespread Panic and The Allman Brothers Band perform together again Tuesday night (10/13/09) at World’s Fair Park in Knoxville, TN. Complete tour dates available here.

JamBase | Pedigreed
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Oct. 9, 1855: Music-Making a Steampunk Can Love

October 9th, 2009 | No Comments

1855: A patent is issued for the steam-powered calliope.
Joshua Stoddard, a beekeeper and sometime inventor from Worcester, Massachusetts, was the recipient, although the instrument already existed in other forms before he staked claim with his own version.
The calliope works by forcing steam (or, later, compressed air) through a group of large whistles. Various sounds are [...]

The Low Anthem Free MP3 & West Coast Debut

October 7th, 2009 | No Comments

THE LOW ANTHEM RETURN TO THE U.S. FOR TOUR AND WEST COAST DEBUT

OFFER COVER OF BOB DYLAN’S “DIGNITY” FOR FREE MP3 DOWNLOAD

The Low Anthem

After returning from an extensive European tour last week, Rhode Island trio The Low Anthem are preparing to continue on in the U.S. in support of their Nonesuch debut, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin. After a performance at Austin City Limits, and a homecoming show at the beautiful Avon Cinema in Providence, the band will be making their west coast debut with Portland group Blind Pilot, before finishing out the end of the year with Josh Ritter.

In celebration of their return to the states, the band is offering a cover of Bob Dylan‘s “Dignity” on their website for FREE mp3 Download in exchange for people joining their mailing list. The song “Dignity” was first released on Greatest Hits Volume Three. The band played it often during soundcheck, finally recording it in at a studio in Amsterdam for a radio show.

Direct from http://lowanthem.com/music.html

JOIN THE MAILING LIST – GET A SONG

Dear friends, dear web surfers, if you would like to be on the cutting edge, and I mean reallyplugged in to the what’s hip hopping in the now, join our mailing list. It costs nothing, it doesn’t pester you unreasonably, and it’s generally a bastian of witicism and rock solid, trustworthy information. We’ve worked hard to earn your trust over the years. That’s why our mailing list has earned rave four star reviews from major publications such as “Horse and Hound” and “Modern Tubist.” TheSchmaltzWithinYou.com calls our web-blasts “sincere and informative.” And heres the deal breaker. When you sign up now, you will receive freely our cover of Bob Dylan’s “Dignity,” which we recorded at Studio Le Roy in Amsterdam, NL. All that value! What are you waiting for?

The Low Anthem has spent the greater part of the year touring with acts such as Elvis Perkins In Dearland, Joe Pug, Ray LaMontagne, Josh Ritter, and Langhorne Slim in support of their highly praised Nonesuch debut, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin. Their tours have taken them through a number of prestigious festivals, including Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, and the recent 50th Anniversary of the Newport Folk Festival, where they had humble beginnings working as recycling crew. This time around they got to share the stage with some of their heroes, including Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, and Gillian Welch during a group sing-along.

Paste has named Oh My God, Charlie Darwin one of the best albums of 2009 so far, the album was a New York Times Critic’s Pick, and NPR’s Bob Boilen coined the song “Charlie Darwin” the best of the year so far.

“One of the breakthrough albums of 2009… A highly eventful journey into American songcraft, variously echoing Dylan, Springsteen, The Band, and Tom Waits.” – MOJO

“Really beautiful… The great music, it’s not what you play; it’s what you don’t play.” – Billy Bragg (PROJO)

THE LOW ANTHEM U.S. FALL TOUR:

October 15 Providence, RI Avon Cinema

October 17 Seattle, WA Chop Suey

October 18 Portland, OR Lola’s Room at the Crystal Ballroom

October 19 Eugene, OR WOW Hall*

October 21 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall*

October 23 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour*

October 24 San Diego, CA Casbah*

October 25 Tucson, AZ Plush*

October 27 Austin, TX The Parish*

October 28 Dallas, TX Granada Theater*

October 29 Houston, TX Bronze Peacock at HOB*

October 30 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon*

November 2 Tallahassee, FL Club Downunder*

November 3 Orlando, FL The Social*

November 4 Atlanta, GA The Earl*

November 5 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge*

November 6 Asheville, NC University of North Carolina*

November 7 Norfolk, VA Attucks Theater*

November 9 Carrboro, NC Cats Cradle*

November 10 Charlottesville, VA The Southern*

November 11 Washington, D.C. The Black Cat*

November 12 Boston, MA Paradise*

December 1 Washington DC 9:30 Club#

December 2 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts#

December 3 Northampton, MA Calvin Theatre#

December 4 Burlington, VT UVM#

* with Blind Pilot

# with Josh Ritter

Phish: Festival 8 Band To Play Last Record Alive

September 29th, 2009 | No Comments

Phish Festival 8: Band To Play Last Record Alive

Phish‘s Festival 8 site has released a list of 99 albums of which the band will pick one to play on Halloween.

Several albums have already been “killed off” and a note on the site indicates that Phish will “play the last record alive.” See below for a complete list, including those that have already been “killed.”

Special thanks to jamtopia.com for compiling the potential albums list below.

Possible Phish Halloween Cover Albums

Phish

What album do you want them to play? Tell the world on the JamBase Forums.

Nathan Moore: Tip of the Iceberg

September 22nd, 2009 | No Comments

By: Andrew Bruss

Nathan Moore

Everything about singer/songwriter Nathan Moore is befitting of a modern-day troubadour. Whether it’s his background, his nomadic lifestyle, his onstage persona or his speech patterns, Moore comes off as a man who was born for his craft. His latest release, Folk Singer (released August 18 on The Royal Potato Family – see our review here), is a bare-bones collection of old-school folk songs that is void of any “studio magic,” and leaves the listener with a naked picture of Nathan Moore, the songwriter. But Moore’s views on music – folk or otherwise – share a lot with his views on life, and when you get him talking, he’s not afraid to go deep.

“I think [folk] goes back to the poets before [singers like Joe Hill and Bob Dylan], who were troubadours themselves, in the way that their poetry was received. I don’t look at something and say, ‘I want to try to be that,’ but I definitely gravitate towards things I feel I could become, which I’ve always thought was interesting,” says Moore. “I always thought the things I liked the most are the things I thought I could possibly do. I like Led Zeppelin, but in terms of my table of heroes with all the Townes Van Zandts and John Prines and Tom Waits, it struck me as strange that I like things, I think on some level, I could pull off like Leonard Cohen. I’ll hear that and say, ‘Wow that’s amazing,’ but deep down, I’m thinking, ‘I could do that.’”

During a phone conversation with Moore following the release of Folk Singer, he discussed music, politics, life on the road, and life at home, but what stood out most about him was his degree of engagement. Moore will take any question you give him, analyze it and answer, piece by piece, often using his own answer as a platform to discuss a whole array of subjects that he somehow manages to fit within the specific context of the original question.

Nathan Moore

When asked about the current state of political songwriting, Moore used the opportunity to not only answer the question, but to analyze the political activity of his generation at large.

“I’d say that when Obama was running, we all went for it for a little while. Before [the election], and even before that, Bush brought out the fighting spirit in us, but one of the regretful things about Obama winning is a lot of people said, ‘Alright! It’s alright for us to pull the Hawaiian shirt out of the closet and get back to drinking piÃ±a coladas [laughs].’ That’s sort of a shame because we still need to be seeking the truth with a passion that doesn’t seem to be that common place these days,” Moore says. “I think there still is [a silence within the artistic community]. I think Bush was a good opportunity and a lot of people seized on it, but I think there’s a certain depth of idealism that contemporary culture has created. We all saw the ’60s come and go, even if it was through the lens of history. We know that time period. It’s a new day and a different, interesting time. It stills my heart that there are young idealists. There always have been and there always will be. My generation was a terrible example in terms of activism or taking those ideals and making them glorious.”

Aside from the perceived ideological failures of his generation, Moore seemed to feel as though the role of a folk singer is the same as it ever was. Both articulate and concise, Moore spoke in stream-of-consciousness-like sentences, breaking to breath, but ever-ready to continue vocalizing his train of thought.

“I think there’s a timeless roll [to being a folk singer],” he says. “I was wondering whether it’s the same as it’s always been, but ultimately it’s the folk singer’s roll to mark in time stories of our day, and sort of [be] a historian encapsulating pictures of the world around us, and then preserve those stories for everybody. And in terms of performance and singing, it’s giving people a chance to… feel.”

Nathan Moore by Anne Staveley

“I guess with the new album there’s a picture of hard times, of the recession that we’re involved in, and there’s a little bit of the traveling vibe [incorporated] but from the perspective of a traveling troubadour, so there are Walmarts instead of boxcars,” Moore says. “This really is an EP, in the sense that it’s an introduction, a beginning of a new relationship with a label, so this is more of a half guitar/travel/calling card thing that we’ve made. If I was making an album, I’d be sure I was making a well-rounded expression, but with this, the thought process was a little different. It’s a little more utilitarian, and a little less conceptual. When I make an album, everything complements each other and makes a story. This wasn’t a storytelling album.”

Moore seems to feel the role of a folk singer is to tell tales of the world around him. But, the world starts at home, and this concept is far from lost on Nathan Moore.

“I’m getting a little older and I’ve found that the balance that home brings to my life, in terms of going out and having fun and getting loose on the road, but then coming home to a stable community and a beautiful home life, is pretty ideal for me. It keeps me balanced, as opposed to when I was in my twenties and entirely nomadic. Now I’m more balanced.” With pride in his roots, Moore built upon his connection to his community, saying, “You go downtown and you see so many people that you know. I went to the same high school my grandmother went to. It’s a tight community with a lot of history.”

Even in describing his life on the road, Moore emphasized his connection to his hometown.

“When I left home I felt like a pioneer, but what was Columbus without Spain? I got to discover new worlds, but in my community’s name and behalf. I always had a sense of that with what I was doing, way more than my community. I always felt like a pioneer for my home town,” he says. “I had a revelation recently where I realized how important it is to me where I come from. ‘Remember where I’m from.’ It’s a stabilizing mantra for me. It brings me back to what I have to offer.”

Nathan Moore

The authenticity Moore radiates in conversation is just as apparent, if not more so, in his songwriting. When asked about his creative process, he describes his songwriting as being nothing but from the heart. “I can’t just sit down and say, ‘I need a song that’s marketable or danceable like that, or catchy like this.’ If it doesn’t come through my heart then it doesn’t happen,” he says. “I write as a means of survival. It’s like the air that I breathe, so in that sense, I’m not trying to sell anything really. I’m just trying to exist.”

Although he said very little about Surprise Me Mr. Davis, his rock project alongside the three members of The Slip, Moore did comment that although for now he’s promoting Folk Singer, “We have 2010, [and] we’re going to take over the world.”

When talking about the big picture, be it past, present, or future, Moore has a way of making things seem specific. When asked what his future holds, he dabbled in metaphors that beat around the bush, yet managed to give a very clear answer anyway. “I’ve been feeling good about things,” he says. “We’re dealing with a lot with Folk Singer and Davis, [but] I feel like we’re still at the tip of the iceberg. There’s a lot about to come from me into the world, so people should stay tuned.”

Nathan Moore is on tour now; dates available here.

You can download “Hard Times” off Folk Singer for FREE here.

See more of Nathan Moore’s performance with Big Light at the JamBase offices over here.

JamBase | Tuned In

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Farrar & Gibbard Set Dates For Kerouac Concerts

September 22nd, 2009 | No Comments

JAY FARRAR & BENJAMIN GIBBARD SET FOUR SPECIAL KEROUAC CONCERTS

COLLABORATIVE ALBUM ONE FAST MOVE OR I’M GONE: KEROUAC’S BIG SUR
OUT OCTOBER 20

Jack Kerouac

Jay Farrar (Son Volt) and Benjamin Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie, Postal Service) will perform songs from their collaborative album One Fast Move Or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur, along with other surprise material, at four concerts in October, underscoring the influential author’s enduring legacy 40 years after his death on October 21, 1969.

JAY FARRAR & BENJAMIN GIBBARD TOUR DATES

10/23 – El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles, CA

10/24 – Bimbo’s 365 Club – San Francisco, CA

10/26 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL

10/28 – Webster Hall – New York, NY

The band features Jay Farrar, Benjamin Gibbard, Nick Harmer (Death Cab for Cutie), Mark Spencer (Son Volt) and Jon Wurster (Superchunk, Bob Mould, The Mountain Goats).

One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur (F-Stop/Atlantic) features 12 original songs composed and performed by Farrar and Gibbard, with lyrics based on the prose of Jack Kerouac’s landmark 1962 novel “Big Sur.” The album will be released October 20 along with a feature-length documentary directed by Curt Worden and produced by Gloria Bailen and Jim Sampas of Kerouac Films. The film features appearances by writers, poets, actors and musicians including Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Sam Shepard, Patti Smith and Tom Waits.

The album and film will be released as a stand alone CD, a CD/DVD package, a limited edition boxed set packaged with the novel, a 24-page book on the documentary and the CD/DVD. The album will additionally be released on vinyl.

Preorders of the boxed set and CD/DVD package will ship to customers through the Kerouac movie website two weeks prior to the Oct 20 street date.

Sat Eye Candy: Eagles

September 19th, 2009 | No Comments

JUST DRIVIN’ DOWN THE ROAD TRYIN’ TO LOOSEN OUR LOAD

Established in 1970, the Eagles have evolved into the definition of brand name mainstream rock with the swinging pair to name a tour “Farewell 1″ – an implication of a long goodbye with more numbers to come – and then a few years later put out a new album and pretend they’d never stoked the nostalgia engine by pretending to retire in the first place. But, at the dawn of the ’70s the Eagles were young bucks with a winning sound that helped define California country rock as well as ultimately reshape Nashville’s sensibilities and offer subconscious influence on hip young acts like Fleet Foxes, The Moondoggies and countless others. One story from their early, pre-album house parties describes a young Joni Mitchell dancing so wildly to “Witchy Woman” that she dropped her wine glass, danced over the shards and just kept on moving as her feet bled. That, folks, is some good rock ‘n’ roll, and the Eagles produced a lot of it with clockwork efficiency for about a decade. It also happened to be the decade that saw the birth of stadium rock, the hyper avarice of the modern recording industry and cocaine – all of which the Eagles had a greedy hand in. Still, step away from what they’ve become and just take in the music in its heyday and it’s pretty dang swell. A peaceful, easy feeling to be sure.

This looks like quite the scene. Try not to sing along as you taste the rainbow. And some pretty sweet harmonies, right?

The mid-tempo ballad has rarely been better handled than “Take It To The Limit,” and this version from the Hotel California tour shows bassist Randy Meisner in fine voice.

They used to write the best beer swiggin’ rockers!

If it was good enough for Joni, it’s good enough for us. And we’re quite certain that Glenn Frey isn’t a little loaded in this clip. Real menace to this one, which touches something genuinely dark with its groping guitars and lascivious vocals.

Not only did the Eagles score a monster guitar player in Joe Walsh in the late ’70s but they also added a few gems to their canon like this James Gang killer.

The Eagles owned this Tom Waits number in the early ’70s, not to mention sharing the same label as Tom, Asylum Records. Nice vocal interplay between Henley and Frey here.

Continue reading for more Eagles clips…

“Mirrors on the ceiling/ pink champagne on ice/ We are all just prisoners here of our own device.” As succinct encapsulations of 1970s hedonism it’s a hard line to beat, and despite it’s cultural omnipresence this one still has some serious juice.

You can feel the wind in your hair and asphalt flying by beneath you when this corker cranks up. Belt it out loud and see if it doesn’t make you smile.

Though viewed as a lesser work by comparison to what precedes it, 1979′s The Long Run had some fine cuts, including this Joe Walsh tune, which has a vibe one picks up on in recent Mother Hips material.

The rocker as Old West gunslinger motif got a big boost from 1973′s Desperado album, whose title track was supposedly inspired by several of the Eagles’ former boss, Linda Ronstadt.

One of the standouts on the Eagles self-titled 1972 debut is this lovely Gene Clark/Bernie Leadon number.

As romantic invitations go, “I want to sleep with you in the desert tonight, with a billion stars all around,” is quality stuff. We bid you adieu and hope the sentiment of this one infuses the whole of your weekend.

Surprise Me Mr. Davis/Low Anthem | 08.27

September 4th, 2009 | No Comments

Words by: Bear Connelly | Images by: Jim Brueckner

Surprise Me Mr. Davis/The Low Anthem :: 08.27.09 :: The Narrows Center for the Arts :: Fall River, MA

Surprise Me Mr. Davis :: 08.27 :: MA

Have you ever been somewhere and thought to yourself, “There is no place in the world I would rather be than right here?” I live for those moments and was fortunate enough to have one in Fall River, a mid-sized city in southeastern Massachusetts that is home to Lizzie Borden, aging relics from America’s textile manufacturing heyday and one of the best venues around, the Narrows Center For The Arts, where Surprise Me Mr. Davis and The Low Anthem concocted a night of community, storytelling, virtuosic musical prowess and good old fashioned rock & roll for an attentive crowd of around 200.

The Low Anthem started the night with a very mellow mix of songs from their latest album, Oh My God Charlie Darwin, including “To the Ghost Who Write History Books” and “Ticket Taker” with Ben Knox Miller confessing into the microphone while sitting on a stool with his hat brim slung low. The Low Anthem has had a whirlwind year, after being signed by Nonesuch (U.S.) and Bella Union (Europe) they have toured both continents extensively. However, this night was special to them and even with Miller’s road weary voice and the rest of the band’s fatigue they weren’t going to let anything stop them from giving the crowd their all. Why so special, you ask? Number one, because the Narrows was the first club that ever booked them outside of their home base of Providence, RI and secondly because Surprise Me Mr. Davis was the first band that ever took them on the road; so they got to pay their respects to some huge catalysts in their career.

The Low Anthem :: 08.27 :: MA

With only three people onstage and about a dozen instruments (including wind instruments, crotales and a pump organ) at their disposal it’s interesting to hear how the band picks the arrangements for each song. I can just imagine them learning a new tune and trying to decide what to play on it. Despite the heavy tour schedule negatively affecting Miller’s voice, it has drastically improved their musicianship. The horns aren’t flat anymore, clarinetist Jocie Adams can play bass and guitar and most importantly, Miller and (usual) bassist Jeff Prystowsky have learned to keep a steady beat on the drum kit. Upbeat songs are no longer their weak link, which is exemplified by the bluesy growl of Blind Willie McTell’s “Don’t Let Anybody Turn You Around” or their arrangement of “Home I’ll Never Be” (a Tom Waits cover adapted from a poem by Jack Kerouac).

After some rockers, The Low Anthem’s set distilled down to what they do best – honest, simple, organic folk music. After starting out the night with newer songs, The Low Anthem finished their set with some oldies like “This God Damn House,” which saw Miller bust out his cell phone trick where he whistles into two cell phones that have called each other in order to create a brilliant, ghostly feedback effect, and “Senorita,” a sweet ballad about a beauty with dust brown skin and her admirer that follows her around Spain with offerings of “cheap liquor if I can’t afford a feast.” With only two albums under their belt and 100-plus shows a year it’s no secret that the Anthem plays these songs all the time. During “Ballad of the Broken Bones” I was wondering if Miller thinks about the lyric, “I have been all over the whole goddamn world and over the world am I,” any differently now that he’s not only been around but also probably played that song while he was there.

Brad Barr – Surprise Me Mr. Davis :: 08.27 :: MA

Following The Low Anthem’s stellar set there was a short break before Surprise Me Mr. Davis hit the stage. Now a five-piece, SMMD continued the mellow vibe of the night with an organ accompanying a mostly a cappella version of Nathan Moore‘s new tune “Tombstone” (off his recent solo Folk Singer EP) before launching into danceable stomper “If You Knew.” After the song Moore mentioned how “he forgot it was a sit down show” and perhaps they should change the setlist to reflect that (i.e. less rockers), but the crowd demanded a continuance of danceable numbers and slowly people started to rise from their church pews, which is the offered seating in the Narrows. The band obliged with a hot one-two punch of the scarcely played “Emily Green” and “Sissyfuss.” The former is about a man who has a newfound, uncontrollable excitement in his life because he’s “seen Emily Green and that changes everything.” The latter is a song for the workin’ man about standing up for laborer and civil rights with classic lines like, “I ain’t pushin’ no stone up no hill, just to watch it roll back down,” and, “I ain’t picking those peaches, no, not for a dollar a day/ But I’ll have one of those peaches though and I’ll be on my way/ I will always be free.” “Sissyfuss” has a storied tradition in both spelling (normally “Sisyphus”) and arrangements in The Slip and Nathan Moore repertoires. The current incarnation is a rousing funk number with a Meters-esque bass and guitar lick that features blistering solos by all members of the band, including frequent guest, keyboardist extraordinaire Marco Benevento, who showed off his melodica and piano skills. Benevento joined the band after sitting in with them on their California mini-tour last July and is a very welcomed addition by both the band and fans. Relegated to more of an atmospheric position, Marco shows off his chops during solos but otherwise uses his keyboard arsenal to unleash amazing soundscapes to fill out the band’s songs. This allows electric guitarist Brad Barr to concentrate on his poignant, colorful licks and not rhythm in his guitar playing, and acoustic guitarist Nathan Moore is able to focus more on singing and crowd banter.

Ben Knox Miller w/ Surprise Me Mr. Davis :: 08.27 :: MA

Highlights of the set included “Nowhere From Here To Go” and “Rubber Ball” – both were staples of Moore’s recently dormant band ThaMuseMeant and have been given makeovers by Surprise Me. “Nowhere” is a slow acoustic tune about a man contemplating his next move after a long life’s journey to what may be nowhere. Lyrics like, “I sat by while the burning man burned/ I rode by the houses and it was never my turn,” and “I just laid down beside one too many women who’ll never know me at all/ Now I leave as lonely as autumn leaves fall,” provide a glimpse into a man who completely pours himself into his music. Moore is not afraid to write about confessing, celebrating, mourning or pondering life in his lyrics, a wellspring of deep emotions that strike a chord with all of us. A sea of feedback, chromatic shifts and chaotic looping started the onomatopoeiatic “Rubber Ball,” which evolved into the only real jam of the night, with Nathan walking off stage and letting the others deconstruct and devour the two chord middle section, including a drum/bass breakdown by Marc Friedman and Andrew Barr before a mounting jam supported by Benevento’s broad chord voicings.

After a great version of “As Long As There’s One of Us Standing,” in which the members of The Low Anthem trickled onstage, the bands played a three-song mini set together. The mini-set kicked off with The Low Anthem’s new tune “Sally Where’d You Get Your Liquor From” before segueing into the classic anti-amorous SMMD sing-along “I Hate Love.” The show closer was an inspiring take on a classic comedic number from the 1940′s. Written by Tim Spencer and popularized by Red Ingle (and even played on The Muppet Show by Peter Sellers), “Cigareets, Whuskey and Wild Wild Women” is a foreboding warning to the pitfalls of vices. The song has a familiar chord progression but with eight musicians adding little parts, including Jocie Adams’ belted harmonies and Benevento’s mysterious melodica, proved to be a sum greater than its parts. As the chorus – “Cigareets, Whuskey and Wild Wild Women/ they’ll drive you crazy/ they’ll drive you insane” – slowly faded out the crowd kept hooting and hollering and floor stomping for more, so much so it recalled the sound of a pep rally echoing off wooden gymnasium walls. There was no way we weren’t getting an encore.

Surprise Me Mr. Davis & The Low Anthem :: 08.27

At first, only Surprise Me appeared onstage and after a jazzy little jam between Benevento and Brad Barr while Moore tuned, the band launched into “Everything Must Go,” which featured thunderous hits from drummer Andrew Barr and a scorching Brad Barr solo that quoted his solo on their studio album while expanding on it further, something he is a pro at. Next came the new Slip song “England,” a slow building, ostinato adorned, two chord tune that encourages the protagonist to “keep the faith for what’s been done and said” that slowly builds and then cuts out to just vocals. Meanwhile, the crowd started to embellish the beat provided by Benevento (he switched to drums for the song) and continued to clap and stomp in time until the band decided they had to play one more. Unbeknownst to the crowd, their beat happened to be the perfect tempo for the band to seamlessly segue into “Home Away From Home,” a fairly new Davis tune about finding familiarity in the ever changing people you meet and places you go with a life on the road.

All in all, it was really a wonderful night with two bands doing what they love for people that love what they do. The amount of camaraderie and respect between the musicians and concertgoers is unrivaled within the Surprise Me Mr. Davis family tree. While The Low Anthem are still wet behind the ears, so to speak, they are maturing fast, and with a taste of new songs and reworked older songs infiltrating their repertoire it seems these guys have a lot more up their sleeve.

The Low Anthem Setlist:
To The Ghosts Who Write History Books, Ticket Taker, Charlie Darwin, new song (Vines?), To Ohio, Don’t Let Nobody Ever Turn You Around, new song (Highwire man?), Home I’ll Never Be, This God Damn House, The Ballad of Broken Bones, Senorita, Cage the Songbird, new song (Blind Walk the Blind?)

Surprise Me Mr. Davis Setlist:
Introduction > Tombstone, If You Knew, Emily Green, Sissyfuss, Sill Like a Goose, Nowhere From here To Go, Roses & Bottles, Rubber Ball, As Long As There’s One Of Us Standing^, Sally Where’d You Get Your Liquor from^, I Hate Love^, Cigareets & Whuskey and Wild Wild Women^

E: Jam > Everything Must Go, England^ > crowd clap jam^ > Home Away From Home^

^ = with all members of The Low Anthem

JamBase | Massachusetts
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The Low Anthem Tour Dates

August 14th, 2009 | No Comments

LOW ANTHEM CONTINUE WORLD TOUR WITH WEST COAST DEBUT, DATES WITH BLIND PILOT

The Low Anthem

It’s been a banner year for The Low Anthem. In addition to being JamBase’s New Favorite Artist this month, the Rhode Island trio spent the greater part of the year touring with acts such as Elvis Perkins In Dearland, Joe Pug, Ray LaMontagne, Josh Ritter, and Langhorne Slim in support of their highly praised Nonesuch debut, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, the band is gearing up for yet another stretch on the road, this time with the Portland group Blind Pilot. This run of 21 club and theater dates begins October 15 and continues through November 12 and includes the band’s West coast debut. Additionally, The Low Anthem will return to NYC for a performance at the Bell House at the end of August and travel to Europe for a month-long tour in September, where they’ve already played to much enthusiasm at Glastonbury, sold out a show at Union Chapel in London, and received stellar reviews in Uncut, Q, Mojo, NME, The Guardian, and The Independent.

The very special Avon Cinema in Providence, RI is hosting the first October U.S. tour date. The Cinema is a beautiful old movie theatre, the perfect setting for the band’s anticipated homecoming show and largest performance in Providence to date. The band will also be playing a free show on Block Island, where they recorded Charlie Darwin.

The Low Anthem’s most recent tour has taken them through a number of prestigious festivals, including Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, and the recent 50th Anniversary of the Newport Folk Festival, where they had humble beginnings working as recycling crew. This time around they got to share the stage with some of their heroes, including Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, and Gilian Welch during a group sing-along.

THE LOW ANTHEM PRESS:

“Only a band since 2006, the depth of songwriting and ability to cross the dusty Americana landscape from such burdened acoustic folk songs like “To Ohio” to country barnburners, delicate three-part harmonies dripping with reverb, a Tom Waits cover, and soul-saving gospel without loosing continuity makes The Low Anthem worthy of all the hype they are sure to receive…” – JamBase

“Stately… Lyrics contemplating faith, loss, destruction and self-destruction.” – New York Times

“One of the breakthrough albums of 2009… A highly eventful journey into American songcraft, variously echoing Dylan, Springsteen, The Band, and Tom Waits.” – MOJO

“Really beautiful… The great music, it’s not what you play; it’s what you don’t play.” – Billy Bragg (PROJO)

THE LOW ANTHEM ON TOUR:

08.13 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506

08.14 Richmond, VA The Canal Club – Downstairs Lounge

08.15 Baltimore, MD Ottobar w/Langhorne Slim

08.16 Philadelphia, PA Philly Folk Festival

08.17 Pittsfield, MA Stage 2 – Word X Word Festival

08.18 Block Island, RI Captain Nick’s

08.27 Fall River, MA Narrows Center For the Arts

08.29 Plymouth, MA Plymouth Waterfront Festival

09.03 Dublin, IRELAND Gaiety Theatre w/Ray LaMontagne

09.04 Dublin, IRELAND Gaiety Theatre w/Ray LaMontagne

09.05 Stradbelly, IRELAND Electric Picnic Festival

09.06 Manchester, UK Deaf Institute

09.08 Newcastle, UK Cluny

09.09 Birmingham, UK Glee Club

09.10 Oxford, UK Bullingdon Arms

09.11 Larmer Tree Gardens, UK End of the Road Festival

09.12 Larmer Tree Gardens, UK End of the Road Festival

09.13 Isle of Wight Bestival

09.15 Munich, GERMANY Atomic Cafe

09.16 Milan, ITALY La Salumeria Della Musica

09.17 Zurich, SWITZERLAND El Lokal

09.18 Frankfurt, GERMANY Broftabrik

09.19 Koln, GERMANY Gebaude 9

09.20 Berlin, GERMANY Lido

09.21 Hamburg, GERMANY Knust

09.23 Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS De Duif

09.24 Brussels, BELGIUM Ancienne Belgique

09.25 Nijmegen, NETHERLANDS Doornroosje

09.26 Paris, FRANCE La Maroquinerie

10.02 Austin, TX Austin City Limits

10.15 Providence, RI Avon Cinema

10.17 Seattle, WA Chop Suey

10.18 Portland, OR Lola’s Room at the Crystal Ballroom

10.19 Eugene, OR WOW Hall*

10.21 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall*

10.23 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour*

10.24 San Diego, CA Casbah*

10.25 Tucson, AZ Plush*

10.27 Austin, TX The Parish*

10.28 Dallas, TX Granada Theater*

10.29 Houston, TX Bronze Peacock at HOB*

10.30 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon*

11.02 Tallahassee, FL Club Downunder*

11.03 Orlando, FL The Social*

11.04 Atlanta, GA The Earl*

11.05 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge*

11.06 Asheville, NC University of North Carolina*

11.07 Norfolk, VA Attucks Theater*

11.09 Carrboro, NC Cats Cradle*

11.11 Washington, D.C. The Black Cat*

11.12 Boston, MA Paradise*

*with Blind Pilot

Beck: Modern Guilt Acoustic More VU Covers & Waits Interview

July 14th, 2009 | No Comments

Beck Does Modern Guilt Acoustic, Continues Record Club with More VU Covers

And Launches “Irrelevant Topics” Interview Series with Tom Waits

Modern Guilt was released one year ago this week! For the occasion Beck is putting up acoustic versions of the entire album recorded earlier this year after returning from the Japan tour (under severe jet lag). Tracks will be released weekly starting with this rendition of “Orphans.” There will be limited EP of four tracks from the session available soon. Beck will also be putting up all the promotional videos from the album this week in the new section of his website, Videotheque.

Modern Guilt Acoustic “Orphans” from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Beck has also continued his Record Club project with several more tracks off The Velvet Underground and Nico:

“Venus In Furs”:

Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico “Venus In Furs” from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

“Femme Fatale”:

Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico “Femme Fatale” from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

“Waiting for My Man”:

Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico ‘Waiting for My Man’ from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

And finally, Beck has begun another new project for his website, Irrelevant Topics, featuring an interview with Tom Waits.

Tom Waits x Beck Hansen : Pt. 1

Irrelevant Topics in a new section featuring conversations between musicians, artists, writers, etc. on various subjects, without promotional pretext or editorial direction. For the first in this series of conversations, the legendary musician and performer, Tom Waits agreed lend an hour of his time to talk about anything and nothing in particular. Here is Pt. 1 of that conversation.