tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60432476084866692082024-03-13T08:51:36.484-04:00The Fresh AvocadoMusic is the best.Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-36174331268090215052013-02-01T00:50:00.004-05:002021-09-15T19:26:11.887-04:00Musician Deaths in 2012<br />As we plunge headfirst into 2013 and everything that comes with it, it seems necessary to take a moment and acknowledge the unusually high number of musical legends who left this word last year. The amount of talent that passed on in 2012 was indeed far above the tally for any given year. The worst of the bad news came during a particularly bad streak in April in May, punctuated, among others, by the deaths of The Band's Levon Helm and the Beastie Boys' own Adam Yauch, both from throat cancer. <br />
<br />
Here now is a list of legends who were with us the beginning of last year, and now are not. Click each name to see a reason why the world is now a better place because of their life and legacy.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al89UR2l3oI" target="blank">Johnny Otis</a> – 1/17/12</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZt1xKtPbUQ" target="blank">Etta James</a> – 1/20/12</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YHkGvrivPI" target="blank">Don Cornelius</a> – 2/1/12</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR9Spa7OUic" target="blank">Whitney Houston</a> - 2/11/12</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfZzAc9ce98#!" target="blank">Davy Jones</a> – 2/29/12</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQv9cRk8R4M" target="blank">Ronnie Montrose</a> – 3/3/12 (guitarist for Van Morrison, Edgar Winter, Herbie Hancock and more)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RvI6ZI2JWc" target="blank">Earl Scruggs</a> – 3/28/12 (the banjo in Flatt & Scruggs)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJGP8XINMPs" target="blank">Jim Marshall</a> – 4/5/12 (creator of Marshall amps)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_donAzuWpME" target="blank">Dick Clark</a> – 4/18/12</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKdLsWkSfcQ" target="blank">Levon Helm</a> – 4/19/12</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv8NnY0E0gI" target="blank">Adam Yauch</a> – 5/4/12</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHV0zs0kVGg" target="blank">Donald “Duck” Dunn</a> – 5/13/12 (Stax bass player, Booker T and the M.G.s, Blues Brothers)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM1vSfrQQgQ" target="blank">Chuck Brown</a> – 5/16/12 (godfather of D.C. A-Go-Go)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upIstttL9ew" target="blank">Donna Summer</a> – 5/17/12</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmI4Qh03IKM" target="blank">Robin Gibb</a> – 5/20/12</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdUrg2Cqxdw" target="blank">Doc Watson</a> – 5/29/12</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTKFR3ra2ts" target="blank">Bob Babbitt</a> – 7/16/12 (bassist on countless Motown recordings)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l1gI7qciqA" target="blank">Dave Brubeck</a> – 12/5/12</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOi45THGJdQ" target="blank">Ravi Shankar</a> – 12/11/12</li>
</ul>
<div>
All I can say is, Thank God For YouTube!</div>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-62733130570499279282013-01-31T21:20:00.000-05:002013-10-25T02:51:29.198-04:00Treasure Island Music Festival 2012 Review<a href="http://boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/NewImage95.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/NewImage95.png" width="200" /></a>Well, this one's a little late, but hopefully you'll still enjoy reading it. <b>Treasure Island Festival </b>this past fall continued a Bay Area tradition of a weekend that aways features a relaxed vibe, ultimate manageability, and a great lineup of diverse acts.<br />
<br />
As usual, the days were split into dance/electronica-based acts on Saturday, and more rock-based acts on Sunday. This lead to a great flow all weekend -- and the cooperative weather was a massive bonus this year, making for some of the best sunsets this side of Route 1.<br />
<br />
Here's my review over at Jambase:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.jambase.com/Articles/100552/Review-Photos-Treasure-Island-Music-Festival-San-Francisco" target="blank"><b>Treasure Island Music Festival :: 10.13-14.12 :: Treasure Island :: San Francisco, CA</b></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On Saturday, <b>Toro Y Moi </b>impressed us the most with his afternoon set of funky, experimental bedroom disco. Here he is playing "Low Shoulder" with the sun at his back, and all of us getting down good. Check the crowd pan at 1:53:<br />
<br /></div>
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<br />
The biggest surprise of Sunday had to be the skankin' grooves of <b>Wild Belle</b>, who came out of nowhere and delivered the perfect sunny day set that had enough of an indie vibe to get the hipsters to dance to reggae. Sunday afternoon dance party!<br />
<br />
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<br />
The hushed intensity of <b>The XX</b>'s atmospheric songs drove the crowd bananas on Sunday night to close the festival -- the band's voices are nearly erotic in their yearning. Here's a little chunk of their powerful set:<br />
<br />
<object height="252" width="448"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5wtGTnlQ0oc?hl=en_US&version=3"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5wtGTnlQ0oc?hl=en_US&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="252" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-18327913797148636732012-09-09T14:43:00.000-04:002012-09-11T16:18:17.184-04:00Outside Lands 2012 Review<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Outside Lands :: 08.10.12 – 08.12.12
:: Golden Gate Park :: San Francisco, CA</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://images.jambase.com/features/newswirephotos/outsidelands2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://images.jambase.com/features/newswirephotos/outsidelands2012.jpg" width="200" /></a>Now in its fifth year, Outside Lands makes for a truly unique festival experience in an age where mega-sized music events of all
types clutter the landscape. Tucked away in the depths of the blustery,
eucalyptus-filled fields of Golden Gate Park, Outside Lands carries
with it a distinctly Bay Area vibe that sets it apart in both its
lineup and its hassle-free, forward-thinking setup. The festival adds
something new every year, and this year an entirely new zone of
premium food vendors (spit-roasted lamb!) and a mini-stage were
tucked away in the tree-lined hills, bringing the gourmet to everyone
that bothered to make the hike up there.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But enough about the food. This year's
lineup again leaned heavily on bands with Bay Area roots, which
worked for the most part (having Neil Young headline over the Foo
Fighters may have been a mistake, though). For the most part, the
days flowed smoothly, but the utter size of the grounds and the
massive amount of people present (this was the festival's first
sell-out) brought on exhaustion earlier than expected. By Sunday, we
learned to pace ourselves, and opted to completely forgo the Twin
Peaks stage, which was probably a half mile away from the main Lands
End stage. Regardless of all the short, overlapping sets, the day
flew by, and plenty of fantastic music was enjoyed by all. The only real bummer
was the weather, which was freezing and foggy all weekend for the
first time ever (the sun came out at least a little bit in previous
years). No matter, the throngs still got down hard. Armed with a good
pair of hiking boots, a concert schedule, and many layers of
clothing, we set out to conquer Outside Lands, and I think we
succeeded.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Friday Highlights</b></div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Andrew Bird</b> ::
6:55-8:05 :: Sutro Stage</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Performing opposite to the Foo Fighters
over at the main stage, Andrew Bird's set at the intimate Sutro stage
was the feel-good set of the day. His light-hearted, swinging
orchestral sound was just what the doctor ordered, and made the
relatively small stage and field even more intimate. Bird is a true
virtuoso – his tunefulness on songs like “Fake Conversations”
is exquisite and pure. Taking sweet, soaring violin solos, he can
switch between classical and fiddle-hill music on a dime. The man is
also a master whistler, executing bird calls during songs to a
perfect effect. His music has the soulful, uplifting charm of early
Van Morrison at his best, and we came away from it with a warm glow
that carried into the night.</div>
<ol start="2">
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Reggie Watts</b> ::
2:35-3:25 :: Sutro Stage</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rPw2mN8xkPc/UEzcG9whHhI/AAAAAAAAAgA/TtSertKszpU/s1600/reggie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rPw2mN8xkPc/UEzcG9whHhI/AAAAAAAAAgA/TtSertKszpU/s200/reggie.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
I had heard about this guy before, but
seeing him first hand made me a full-on convert. Watts'
stand-up/acapella set blew everyone away with its boundless,
free-thought creativity and hilarious riffs on whatever was at the
top of his mind. First and foremost, the guy is a supremely talented
musician – he has a voice like Bobby McFerrin, and employs a looper
to craft full songs out of thin air. The man is a master at riffing
on anything – he can follow any tangent (musical and/or comedic)
that pops into his head further than you would ever imagine, to a
side-splitting effect. Basically, you have to experience his
inspired, truly in-the-moment show to really get a sense of what the
guy is all about, as he can pretty much do whatever he wants
musically – and has a killer wit to match.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<ol start="3">
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Beck</b> ::
4:30-5:40 :: Lands End Stage</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Beck's loose, bluesy band delivered all
the hits you would expect, plus some surprises. Keeping true to his
grunge roots, Beck filled the massive field with deadpan grooves like
“Hotwax” and “Devil's Haircut,” though much of the set had a
melancholy vibe, thanks to a bunch of songs from <i>Sea
Change</i> (one of which was dedicated to Adam Yauch), and a
cover of Neil Young's “After the Gold Rush.” The one-two closer
of “Where It's At” and “E-Pro” ended things on a high note,
though.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Honorable Mention: <b>Neil Young &
Crazy Horse</b> :: 8:10-9:55 :: Lands End Stage</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Right from the first song's 17-minute
feedback jam, it was clear that Neil Young didn't give a flying fuck
about what all the kiddies expected from his set. Those who stuck
with it were ultimately rewarded, but the band of grumpy old men
practically cleared the field of all but the die-hards with nearly 20
minutes of aimless, crushing feedback out of “Walk Like A Giant.”
The entire festival was polarized by Neil's dinosaur rock show, for
better or for worse.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Saturday Highlights</b></div>
<ol>
<li>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Alabama Shakes</b> :: 3:50-4:40 ::
Sutro Stage</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PVSV9D15QQs/UEzdZUVrDtI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/QPol1VIJSbY/s1600/shakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PVSV9D15QQs/UEzdZUVrDtI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/QPol1VIJSbY/s200/shakes.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
This was probably the most crowded the
hills of the Sutro Stage got all weekend. Luckily, we got there
early, and had a prime spot to witness <b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Brittany
Howard</span></b> lead her band through a raunchy, spectacularly
soulful set that built from a quiet hush to a rowdy, soaring peak.
Howard has got pipes like Etta James, and can whip a crowd into a
gospel rave-up frenzy with both her voice and her exceptional guitar
playing on fantastic tunes like “Heartbreaker” and “Be Mine.”
She got plenty of sympathetic accompaniment from the band, who closed
the set with a Chuck Berry-like rocker. By the end, we were amazed to
see that the massive crowd extended to the very back of the field. </div>
<ol start="2">
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Metallica </b>:: 7:55-9:55 :: Lands
End Stage</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
These guys sure know how to put on a
spectacle. Complete with a two-tiered stage, massive LED screens, and
enough pyro and fireworks to singe your eyebrows from 50 feet away,
Metallica brought a barrage of a hometown show that satisfied even
the most critical diehards. Their balls-out stadium metal was as
precise as it gets, with old chestnuts like “Master of Puppets,”
“Ride the Lightning” and the instrumental “Orion”(!!) getting
a good shredding – this was pure gold to the real fans, and an
eye-opening, overwhelming experience for the newbies. Songs like “To
Hell and Back” were a relentless, polyrhythmic attack on the
senses, and when the fireballs lit up the <i>absolutely
packed</i> field, it was surreal.
</div>
<ol start="3">
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Norah Jones</b> :: 6:40-7:50 :: Sutro
Stage</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Norah Jones' mellow set amongst the
hills and trees of Sutro stage boogied a lot harder than probably
anyone expected. Complimented by tasteful, sympathetic accompaniment
by guitarist <b>Jason Roberts</b> and band, her pure
voice took us though gorgeous songs like “Come Away with Me” and
“She's 22.” The surprise of the set came near the end though,
when Bob Weir came out of nowhere to help play the Dead's “It Must
Have Been The Roses,” with Norah singing lead.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Sunday Highlights</b></div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Stevie Wonder</b> :: 7:20-9:30 ::
Lands End Stage</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There couldn't have been a better
closer for a festival than Stevie Wonder. Because it's impossible not
to love Stevie, it's easy to forgive him when he starts preaching
about God and Obama, but all his preaching aside, Stevie delivered a
loose, joyful set of his happiest songs which was started when he
walked on stage playing keytar to “How Sweet It Is.” Stevie is
always in a chatty mood, and makes his spirituality well-known, which
adds an extra loving vibe to his performance. He also has no problem
playing as many covers as he pleases, and goes with whatever comes to
the top of his head, expecting his poor band to follow his whims as
he went out on a limb. This carefree, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants
attitude worked in this setting, as hit after hit piled up.
Highlights included “Master Blaster (Jammin'),” a cover of MJ's
“The Way You Make Me Feel,” and “As,” which was peaked out in
a huge dance party groove. A truly joyful experience.</div>
<ol start="2">
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Franz Ferdinand</b> :: 2:40-3:35 ::
Lands End Stage</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
These guys were the surprise of the day
for me – their rockin' percussive funk-punk sound got the afternoon
going right. Pulsing dance-rock songs like “Burn This City”
satisfied with their grungy guitars and new-wavy club bass lines. An
unexpected cover of Donna Summer's electro-disco “I Feel Love”
worked very well, and<span style="font-weight: normal;"> <b>Alex
Kapranos</b> and company r</span>eally made it their own when
they mashed it with their similar-sounding original “Can't Stop
Feeling.” The sheer size and difficult maneuverability of the
crowds at the huge Lands End stage made it difficult to really get
into the moment, but the band ultimately filled the space well and
got people dancing.</div>
<ol start="3">
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Jack White</b> :: 5:25-6:35 :: Lands
Ends Stage</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After a secret acoustic show up in the
woods that I regret missing, Jack White delivered a ginormous Lands
End stage set with plenty of grease to spare. His dirty guitar tone
is unmistakable, and his solos ripped every time – songs like
“Dirty Leaves” packed quite a wallop. His band was a rowdy
version of 60's Stax-era R&B backing bands, and included a violin
and pedal steel taboot, which made the set sound very
Rolling-Thunder-esque in its soaring, majestic power. The electric
mayhem continued with “Hotel Yorba” and “Like A Buffalo,” in
which Jack cranked a dirty guitar solo that lit up the field. All in
all, it was a raunchy set of satisfying rock n' roll.<br />
<br />
Check out Reggie Watts' mind-blowing set - the entire audience was simultaneously in awe of his musical abilities and in stitches from his hilarious ad-libs:<br />
<br />
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<br />
The Alabama Shakes delivered a soul-revue show-stopper on Saturday, which included this awesome take on "Be Mine:"<br />
<br />
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<br />
Closing the festival, Stevie delivered a cover-heavy, joyful set, which included this delightful Michael Jackson cover:<br />
<br />
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</div>
Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-7160153695446651752012-07-20T21:01:00.000-04:002012-07-20T21:05:12.866-04:00High Sierra Music Festival Review - Jambase.com<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/california/images/s/high-sierra-music-festival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/california/images/s/high-sierra-music-festival.jpg" width="250" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once again, the magic of <b>High Sierra Music Festival </b>made my 4th of July weekend one for the record books. The veterans that frequent this gem of a gathering know the right way to party, for four straight days and nights in a row. Yes, our days were filled with music and dancing, and our nights were filled with, well, music and dancing. This festival knows how to keep things going 'till the break of dawn and then some, and then you sleep for a few hours and do it all over again. This year's HSMF was one for the books, drawing its biggest crowd yet in its 22nd year. I was lucky enough to cover the entire weekend for Jambase alongside my friend and editor, <a href="http://www.dirtyimpound.com/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="blank">Dennis Cook</a>, who was on his final assignment ever for Jambase. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here is our collaborative take on the weekend, along with a slew of fantastic photos which capture HSMF in all its glory:</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><a href="http://www.jambase.com/Articles/94290/High-Sierra-2012-California-Review-Photos" style="font-weight: bold;" target="blank">High Sierra Music Festival :: 07.05-08.12 :: Plumas Country Fairgrounds :: Quincy, CA</a></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: small;">It wouldn't have been a summer festival without some good reggae, and <b>Toots </b>delivered the skank-worthy grooves to us with gusto:</span></span><br />
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<br />
It also wouldn't have been a summer festival without the songs of the Grateful Dead, which were funkifed, sometimes beyond recognition, by <b>The Motet</b>. Here's their take on "Loose Lucy":<br />
<br />
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Rounding out the zany late-night action, <b>ALO</b> ambitiously took on a full album cover of Steve Miller's <i>Fly Like An Eagle</i> album. Here are the first couple of songs to that surreal experience:<br />
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HSMF is a place where the line between performer and audience is almost indistinguishable. <b>Suprise Me Mr. Davis</b>' suprise RV set is a great example of this happy co-mingling. What a time!<br />
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There couldn't have been a better festival closer than<b> Railroad Earth</b>, who's expansive, joyous sound filled the Grandstand field on Sunday night and bookended what was a momentous weekend for everyone:<br />
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Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-79210688918704647322012-05-02T14:39:00.002-04:002012-05-02T14:39:31.884-04:00Bill Frisell Review - Jambase.com<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I first discovered the guitar mastery of <b>Bill Frisell</b> last summer at the <u><a href="http://www.jambase.com/Articles/50555/High-Sierra-Music-Fest-2011-Review-Pics" target="blank">High Sierra Music Festival</a> </u>when he played an impressionistic, mind-blowing set in the midst of a scorching, 90 degree-plus day. This time around, seeing him was an altogether different experience.<br />
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Frisell has teamed up with filmmaker Bill Morrison, crafting a live soundtrack to Morrison's film about the 1927 Mississippi River Flood Disaster. The performance was pretty astonishing in its emotional resonance -- Frisell is truly a master at crafting lush soundscapes with his rich, resonant guitar tone. Here's my take on the experience over at Jambase:<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><br /><a href="http://www.jambase.com/Articles/91642/Bill-Frisell-San-Francisco-Review" style="font-weight: bold;" target="blank">Bill Frisell :: 04.21.12 :: Herbst Theatre :: San Francisco, CA</a></span><br />
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Here's a little taste of what the experience was like. Archival footage combined with Frisell's liquid music-making made for quite the perfect match:<br />
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> </span></div>
</div>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-86474744603442289652012-04-12T20:56:00.007-04:002012-04-12T21:13:42.099-04:00Rubblebucket Review - Jambase.com<a href="http://tech.mit.edu/V130/N7/graphics/rubblebucket.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 299px;" src="http://tech.mit.edu/V130/N7/graphics/rubblebucket.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>If you want some real cross-cultural, hybridized, freaky hipster funk, look no further than <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rubblebucket</span>, the brass-powered ensemble out of Brooklyn (via Boston, via UVM). These guys tread the line between indie art-rock and afro-jamband, and they tie these seemingly disparate elements together so well that it'll blow your mind.<br /><br />They're currently spreading their unique brand of party music (dubbed <span style="font-style: italic;">yes wave</span>) on a big nation-wide tour, and are clearly destined for bigger and better things, as their sound is epic. They certainly blew our minds with their performance in SF last week, as chronicled over at Jambase:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" target="blank" href="http://www.jambase.com/Articles/91197/Rubblebucket-San-Francisco-Review">Rubblebucket :: 04.05.12 :: Brick and Mortar :: San Francisco, CA</a><br /></span></div><br />One of their best songs is "Came Out of a Lady," which exemplifies the power which their horn section gives their great songwriting:<br /><br /><object height="258" width="448"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ue_HjEqFsyQ?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ue_HjEqFsyQ?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="258" width="448"></embed></object><br /><br />But the biggest surprise of the show had to be the mean old-school NYC mashup the band busted out in the middle of the set -- equal parts "Heart of Glass," "Rapture," and "White Lines," all mixed into a big stew of party (complete with dancing robots):<br /><br /><object height="258" width="448"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PP2t3EyPvSY?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PP2t3EyPvSY?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="258" width="448"></embed></object>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-58881945496185445642012-03-16T16:08:00.004-04:002012-03-16T16:44:55.136-04:00Railroad Earth Review - Jambase.com<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Opx-9Y_HiJc/T2OiNoa6h7I/AAAAAAAAAdo/v27jugiu5Yk/s1600/IMG_0478.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 303px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Opx-9Y_HiJc/T2OiNoa6h7I/AAAAAAAAAdo/v27jugiu5Yk/s320/IMG_0478.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720594306762966962" border="0" /></a>In what proved to be an extra-special night of music, the road-tested acoustic gang of virtuosos known as <b>Railroad Earth</b> took a sold-out crowd at The Fillmore on an epic journey. They were helped out by an extra set of hands in the guise of one Mr. <b>Phil Lesh</b>, and together they took us into the outer regions of music and back again. This was one special concert, and I can't wait to catch them at this year's <a target="blank" href="http://www.highsierramusic.com/">High Sierra Music Fest</a>. Here's my write-up of the night over at Jambase:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" target="blank" href="http://www.jambase.com/Articles/90555/Railroad-Earth-California-Review-Photos">Railroad Earth :: 03.10.12 :: The Fillmore :: San Francisco, CA</a><br /></span></div><br />If you're interested in hearing the entire show, a great audience recording is available for streaming/download over at <a target="blank" href="http://www.archive.org/details/RRE2012-03-10.RailroadEarthFillmoreSanFranciscoCa">archive.org</a>. It was one to remember, to be sure.<br /><br />The band opened with "Bird in a House," a lovely little ditty.<br /><br /><object height="258" width="448"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RzKvejZYTCs?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RzKvejZYTCs?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="258" width="448"></embed></object><br /><br />Sometime later, we were treated to an epic, loving reading of "Terrapin Station," helped out by his Phillness himself. This one is a must-hear:<br /><br /><object height="258" width="448"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pSh-A-oH7T4?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pSh-A-oH7T4?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="258" width="448"></embed></object>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-17400485175012474552012-01-30T18:15:00.008-05:002012-01-31T17:02:08.389-05:00Dinosaur Jr. Review - Jambase.com<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s4RTWpepHhA/TycmBg3YTJI/AAAAAAAAAdU/DSWMK2JhwVQ/s1600/jr.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 218px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s4RTWpepHhA/TycmBg3YTJI/AAAAAAAAAdU/DSWMK2JhwVQ/s320/jr.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703569260531960978" border="0" /></a>For much of their almost 30-year career, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dinosaur Jr.</span> has been a band that has defied categorization. Though it's tempting to place them in with the angsty post-punk scene that emerged in the mid-80s, these guys have a sonic palate that extends far beyond power chords. Thanks to the guitar work of virtuoso <span style="font-weight: bold;">J Mascis</span>, this band can switch from thrashing feedback-laced, abstract noise-rock to almost classic-rock sounding, Hendrix-like shredding jams at the drop of a dime.<br /><br />This special night at the Fillmore featured a pre-show interview with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Henry Rollins</span>, followed by a full performance of the band's 1988 low-fi masteriece, <span style="font-style: italic;">Bug</span>. Here's the writeup over at Jambase:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" target="blank" href="http://www.jambase.com/Articles/56042/Dinosaur-Jr.-San-Francisco-Review">Dinosaur Jr. :: 12.15.11 :: The Fillmore :: San Francisco, CA</a><br /></span></div><br />The band encored with "Feel the Pain," which was their biggest mainstream hit, getting some good airplay on MTV back around 1994 or so:<br /><br /><object width="448" height="258"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AOfaXz9MPN8?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AOfaXz9MPN8?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="448" height="258" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-2378860641255744632012-01-20T14:28:00.012-05:002013-03-06T01:10:52.522-05:00R.I.P. Etta James<a href="http://media.spokesman.com/photos/2012/01/20/ettajames_t470.JPG?84974f3f373deb0dda0f75a22ddd9b7d3a332b26"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://media.spokesman.com/photos/2012/01/20/ettajames_t470.JPG?84974f3f373deb0dda0f75a22ddd9b7d3a332b26" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 184px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 318px;" /></a>As you may know by now, legendary soul singer <span style="font-weight: bold;">Etta James</span> passed away today from lukemia-related illness. The woman had a voice of gold -- she was best known for singing the blues, but was also able to tackle any strand of American popular music and make it her own, with gusto. From rock & roll to R&B, blues, country, gospel, jazz, and pure pop and soul, she could do it all.<br />
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I had the privilege of seeing Etta perform live back in the summer of 2005 when I lived in New Orleans, working for <a href="http://www.offbeat.com/" target="blank">Offbeat Magazine</a> (pre-Katrina). She was lively, spry, and shocked us all with her blatant sexuality and filthy mouth. In short, it was a helluva concert.<br />
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Here's my writeup of this show, which was published in the August 2005 issue of Offbeat.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>07-10-05, Etta James & the Roots Band, House of Blues:</b>For 67, Etta James has still got enough classy sass and attitude to work her audience into a whooped-up frenzy. Shakin’ her ass and flickin’ her tongue like it was 1965, Etta was like the cocktail-party-lovin’ grandma that you’re embarrassed to have. With an electric, ebullient atmosphere flowing through the eclectic crowd of mixed ages and races, the Roots band started the show with an explosion of funky instrumentals. Etta soon strutted on stage with no introduction, and dove into her catalog of bluesy soul. Though she is no longer the big, boisterous woman she once was, (she’s now skinny and attractive), she has retained her trademark low, guttural moan of longing. And while her delivery has lost some of its forcefulness due to weight loss, she could still let her soul fly, accompanied all the while by her band's thick n’ chunky accompaniment.<br /><br />Though she sat in a chair for most of the show, she nevertheless delivered the goods, getting up periodically to strut around and work the crowd with her confident, soulful sexuality. In a set that was sometimes gritty and other times smooth, Etta sang about love, heartbreak and yearning, mourning her way through “Blind Girl,” “At Last,” and “Damn Your Eyes,” and grunting and scatting through “Feel Like Moaning” and “Medley for Otis,” which included “Hard to Handle” and “Can’t Turn You Loose.” Her thick, throaty growl spread love and lust around the room, spurring couples everywhere to embrace and rub each other, especially for the encore “Sugar On the Floor,” a warm, sad blues in which Etta poured her soul out about being down and out, climaxing in an emotional euphoria which was the clear highlight of the night. It’s always a privilege to witness a true legend excel at their craft, and Etta went above and beyond on this night, injecting some real heartfelt soul into an otherwise typical Sunday evening.</span><br />
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Here's Etta spittin' the mean down-low soul in her 1967 hit "Tell Mama:"<br />
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Her moan was unmistakable, paving the way for the success of future singers like Janis Joplin and the like. Here she is performing “Something’s Got A Hold On Me” on the TV show <a href="http://www.thevideobeat.com/rock-roll-tv/the-beat-vol-1-2.html" target="_blank"><em>The!!!! Beat</em></a> in 1966.<br />
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Simply amazing. She had a real way of hitting that spot deep down inside you. R.I.P, Etta.Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-2605174619131367392011-12-13T19:57:00.007-05:002011-12-13T21:13:38.028-05:00Your Similar Album Covers of the Week - Joyrides Gone AwryThese seemingly random album covers share similar themes, though who knows what/if there's any real meaning behind them. Little Feat was always known for their irreverent/cartoony album art by illustrator Neon Park which often had nothing to do with the music therein (some say they <a target="blank" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2XHxqgMF4mw/S8S6MbtR1fI/AAAAAAAAA4I/7b2oXxdEAM0/s1600/%C3%A4cklig+anna+anka.jpg">severely detracted from the music</a>). Lord knows what this illustration of George Washington and Marilyn Monroe out for a joyride about to get hit by lightning means. There's no denying, though, that it is brilliant in its randomness.<br /><br />The Ry Cooder album features another joyride gone awry, this time in a '39 Buick convertible. Again, the cover art has little to do with the music inside, but it certainly tells a story which we can only guess the details of. There's a great little article on the making of this cover over at <a target="blank" href="http://sleevage.com/ry-cooder-purple-valley/">sleevage.com</a>. And there you have it -- two fantastic albums featuring slide guitar virtuosos, brought together forever by vintage cars in a storm.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-50_dK_BVzAg/Tuf03IdlOWI/AAAAAAAAAcw/7mOiZpnDX_E/s1600/little%2Bfeat.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 396px; height: 396px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-50_dK_BVzAg/Tuf03IdlOWI/AAAAAAAAAcw/7mOiZpnDX_E/s320/little%2Bfeat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685782282580080994" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZI8t_Rjgygw/Tuf1COyiU9I/AAAAAAAAAc8/4fPKJDzmslc/s1600/ry.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 396px; height: 396px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZI8t_Rjgygw/Tuf1COyiU9I/AAAAAAAAAc8/4fPKJDzmslc/s320/ry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685782473257145298" border="0" /></a>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-77924265065074452432011-10-24T19:16:00.014-04:002011-12-12T04:30:58.978-05:00Treasure Island Music Festival Review - Jambase.com<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sfist.com/attachments/SFist_Brock/treasure_island_2011.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 304px; height: 304px;" src="http://sfist.com/attachments/SFist_Brock/treasure_island_2011.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This fifth year of the <b>Treasure Island Music Festival</b> sported some of the most eclectic and forward-thinking music in the festival's history. And while there were some great acts whose sound just didn't fill the massive setting, there were plenty of highlights. Check them out over at Jambase:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" target="blank" href="http://www.jambase.com/Articles/52727/Treasure-Island-Music-Festival-2011%7C-Review-Photos">Treasure Island Music Festival :: 10.15-16.11 :: Treasure Island :: San Francisco, CA</a></span><br /></div><br /><br /><b>YACHT</b> proved to be the best band I've never heard of, and this version of "Psychic Ciy" shows why:<br /><br /><object width="448" height="258"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w-fyNfRZ5os?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w-fyNfRZ5os?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="448" height="258"></embed></object><br /><br /><b>The Head and the Heart</b> was a refreshing change up from all the synth-heavy bands, getting the crowd riled up with some good old folksy rave-ups:<br /><object width="448" height="258"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5sJmcQJ_zzk?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5sJmcQJ_zzk?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="448" height="258"></embed></object><br /><br /><b>Beach House</b> also delivered with some glorious sunset bliss-out music:<br /><object width="448" height="258"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/E13naYgPcqE?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/E13naYgPcqE?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="448" height="258"></embed></object><br /><br />And <b>Dizzee Rascal</b> was surprisingly awesome, showing off some real MC skills with some deep electronica to get the crowd bumpin' hard:<br /><object width="448" height="258"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KY-iY_tE2pI?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KY-iY_tE2pI?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="448" height="258"></embed></object>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-41084983046795151892011-10-18T19:03:00.009-04:002011-10-18T19:58:18.625-04:00Your Similar Album Covers of the Week - Special Toast EditionHey kids, remember After Dark? You know, that awesome screen saver program that we used on our old <a target="blank" href="http://todoappleblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/macintosh-lc-iii.jpg">Macintoshes</a> back during the dawn of the 90's? Of course you do. They were the ones who brought us the most iconic of all screen savers, <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Flying Toasters</span>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R8by5cDWqfQ/Tp4Ha76wH1I/AAAAAAAAAb8/Zzx5xLY43I8/s1600/After_Dark_Flying_Toasters.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 394px; height: 295px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R8by5cDWqfQ/Tp4Ha76wH1I/AAAAAAAAAb8/Zzx5xLY43I8/s320/After_Dark_Flying_Toasters.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664973540620771154" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This little piece of randomness tickled the public's fancy in just the right ways, helping After Dark software to <a target="blank" href="http://www.oreillynet.com/digitalmedia/blog/images/afterDark.jpg">skyrocket in popularity</a> throughout the 90s. But few know that the idea to put wings on toasters did not originate with screen savers. Case in point, Jefferson Airplane's 1973 live album, <span style="font-style: italic;">Thirty Seconds Over Winterland</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>(which proved to be their final album)<span style="font-style: italic;">:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jLybe2MtlFE/Tp4Ja5PJKvI/AAAAAAAAAcI/gLM71PXiNGw/s1600/Thirty-Seconds-Over-Winterland-B0029QLR1Y-L.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 393px; height: 393px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jLybe2MtlFE/Tp4Ja5PJKvI/AAAAAAAAAcI/gLM71PXiNGw/s320/Thirty-Seconds-Over-Winterland-B0029QLR1Y-L.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664975738924247794" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The similarities here were so blatant (down to the 1950's style toaster) that in 1994, Bay Area band Jefferson Airplane <a target="blank" href="http://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/15/business/the-media-business-toasters-on-pc-a-flashback.html?ref=jeffersonairplane">sued Bay Area company Berkeley Systems</a> (the company that released After Dark) for stealing their iconic imagery, originally illustrated by <a target="blank" href="http://www.tribbit.com/tribute.html?t=36703&offset=10&limit=20">Bruce Steinberg</a>. The judge eventually dismissed the case due to the fact that the album art was not copyrighted by the time that Flying Toasters was released by Berkeley Systems in 1989.<br /><br />In case you were wondering, After Dark screen savers are not currently available for use with your new MacBook. Berkeley Systems is long gone as a company, and it is unclear who holds the rights to Flying Toasters at this point. I'm sure I'm not the first to say that a re-release is sorely overdue....Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-23994233648636366202011-10-04T20:17:00.003-04:002011-10-04T20:56:58.498-04:00Return To Forever & Zappa Plays Zappa Review - Jambase.com<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://jazztimes.com/images/content/articles/0007/8992/06_20RTF_20-_20Stanley_20Clarke_20_Photo_20by_20Martin_20Philbey__20110503_100212_depth1.jpg?1309450861"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 190px;" src="http://jazztimes.com/images/content/articles/0007/8992/06_20RTF_20-_20Stanley_20Clarke_20_Photo_20by_20Martin_20Philbey__20110503_100212_depth1.jpg?1309450861" alt="" border="0" /></a>Fusion Geeks unite! What is probably the greatest assemblage of pure musicianship on a tour in many, many years just passed through the West Coast, and I was there. That's right, a set of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Frank Zappa </span>music followed by a set of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Return To Forever</span>, the greatest Jazz Fusion band of their generation. The icing on the cake was that RTF was joined by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean-Luc Ponty</span> for this tour, the most rockingest jazz violin player to ever pick up the instrument.<br /><br />Though everyone amazed, it was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Stanley Clarke</span> that stole the show with his mastery of the acoustic and electric basses. The man can really do whatever he wants -- he possesses complete precision and control of his musical universe. Here's my coverage of this momentous concert event over at Jambase:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" target="blank" href="http://www.jambase.com/Articles/52113/Return-To-Forever-w.-Zappa-Plays-Zappa-Fall-Tour-Review-Pics">Return To Forever w/ Zappa Plays Zappa :: 09.22.11 :: The Warfield :: San Francisco, CA</a><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frank Gamble</span> from RTF sat in with Dweezil Zappa and Co. for some guitar pyrotechnics on Zappa's "Willie the Pimp," and it was good:<br /><br /><object width="448" height="334"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b1n4SAA6e6Y?version=3&hl=en_US&start=52amp;rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b1n4SAA6e6Y?version=3&hl=en_US&start=52amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="448" height="334"></embed></object><br /><br />Return To Forever then proceeded to take the stage and rip us all a new one with their instruments, which was also good. Here they blaze their way through "Señor Mouse:"<br /><br /><object width="448" height="258"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AUHFi3GBN5g?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AUHFi3GBN5g?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="448" height="258"></embed></object>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-30297831671249686722011-09-01T17:27:00.005-04:002011-09-02T16:54:08.423-04:00Your Similar Album Covers of the Week - Cock RockThis week we feature two classic, provocative album covers. These two albums were released ten years apart, and not much needs to be said about how much sleazy rock music changed between 1971 and 1981 -- these crotchy albums say it all in a nutshell. In ten years we went from bulging denim to studded leather and chanis: the Stones paved the way for scandal and shock-rock (don't even get me started with their <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_i_eRUfMAiUI/S85Elq7h0pI/AAAAAAAABpM/y20fpDMuqCs/s1600/Cocksucker+Blues+003.jpg">banned 1973 EP</a>), and the <span style="font-family:arial;"></span>Crüe ran it into the ground with their own shallow, over-the top brand, inventing Hair Metal in the process.
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<br />It's hard to imagine that Mötley Crüe didn't deliberately conceptualize their cover without thinking of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Sticky Fingers</span> LP (photo by Andy Warhol, vinyl packaging complete with a working zipper which unzips to reveal Mick's skivvies), it's too similar to not be an homage. Whatever their motivation, these two bands were the leading beacons of Cock Rock for their respective generations, and these albums effectively exemplify this in an oh-not-so-subtle way.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-duyrBdzw47A/Tl_5SVzc-jI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/_IQ5OC8k8DQ/s1600/the_rolling_stones_-_sticky_fingers.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 398px; height: 394px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-duyrBdzw47A/Tl_5SVzc-jI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/_IQ5OC8k8DQ/s320/the_rolling_stones_-_sticky_fingers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647506551231806002" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8WGyK6kMfG4/Tl_5Kp0wqKI/AAAAAAAAAbI/kU3vah1qFoI/s1600/motley-crue-too-fast-for-love-530-85.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 396px; height: 396px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8WGyK6kMfG4/Tl_5Kp0wqKI/AAAAAAAAAbI/kU3vah1qFoI/s320/motley-crue-too-fast-for-love-530-85.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647506419167045794" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-36635478391716060212011-08-25T19:37:00.003-04:002011-08-25T20:22:18.755-04:00Your Similar Album Covers of the Week - Smoking Angels
<br />Ah, innocence lost. What a great theme for a hard rock/metal band album cover. A smoking angel is a hilarious contradiction, working with the fallen angel idea on a number of different levels. Dio-era Black Sabbath devised of this idea first for their 1980 album, appropriately titled <span style="font-style: italic;">Heaven and Hell.</span> This was the first album they released after Ozzy was booted from the band, and was a re-birth for them in a number of ways. With Dio's huge, epic pipes blowing Ozzy's nasal whine out of the water, the band speeds their trademark sludgy riffs into a faster, more energized metal that just kills it. Highly recommended.
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<br />It couldn't be a coincidence that Van Halen used this idea only four years later for their last David Lee Roth-era album. They do improve upon the concept with a fantastic smirking, impish Cupid-cherub illustration (a play on the classic <a href="http://www.wallpaperweb.org/wallpaper/miscellaneous/1600x1200/Sistine_Madonna_Group_of_Angels_Raphael.jpg">Raphael painting</a>), though the concept couldn't have been original after Sabbath used it. Regardless, <span style="font-style: italic;">1984</span> sold 10 million copies, so most of you reading this knows this cover well, and have probably never seen the Sabbath one.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wrPL2Weu9hg/TlbdzekzzOI/AAAAAAAAAbA/fEsGWj-1oL4/s1600/heaven_and_hell.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 396px; height: 391px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wrPL2Weu9hg/TlbdzekzzOI/AAAAAAAAAbA/fEsGWj-1oL4/s320/heaven_and_hell.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644943059406015714" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NgDA1I-xAvg/Tlbdr0RqxHI/AAAAAAAAAa4/5t0xz5bqZqY/s1600/Van_Halen-1984.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 397px; height: 397px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NgDA1I-xAvg/Tlbdr0RqxHI/AAAAAAAAAa4/5t0xz5bqZqY/s320/Van_Halen-1984.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644942927792358514" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-7080391927302838162011-08-18T23:33:00.004-04:002011-08-19T00:38:23.839-04:00Your Similar Album Covers of the Week - Sky FireThis one is pretty self-explanatory. While the past few posts have been more thematically similar, this one couldn't be any more literal: asteroids falling to earth near a lake at twilight, leaving a brilliant trail in their wake. Bam! 70's album cover gold. The image just has a certain <i>je ne sais quoi</i> that whispers class in just the right way...
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<br />These albums were released within two years of each other in the mid-70s. Many are familiar with Weather Report, the hugely successful and ground-breaking jazz fusion group, but the band Firefall has been lost to time, probably for good reason. They're the ones who contributed this little ditty to civilization:
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<br />You know you've heard it, the melody is definitely back there in your subconscious somewhere. Most likely it was playing while you were shopping for groceries, or browsing the aisles for slacks at Marshalls. The song fits the department store soundtrack criteria perfectly: non-threatening, bland, unobtrusive, and pleasantly innocuous. Firefall has found a lasting place in society right next to Sade's "Smooth Operator," serenading shoppers around the world into a relaxed anesthesia. I wonder if they get royalties for it.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ekKog0bedAI/Tk3aDouxwqI/AAAAAAAAAaw/iznwBPfQPK0/s1600/Weather%2Breport.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 397px; height: 397px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ekKog0bedAI/Tk3aDouxwqI/AAAAAAAAAaw/iznwBPfQPK0/s320/Weather%2Breport.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642405664173179554" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FuofXdNeh0k/Tk3Z8NNGFII/AAAAAAAAAao/gM2NZdXNV2Q/s1600/firefall-cover1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 397px; height: 397px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FuofXdNeh0k/Tk3Z8NNGFII/AAAAAAAAAao/gM2NZdXNV2Q/s320/firefall-cover1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642405536525063298" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-56926543890625764272011-08-09T18:56:00.003-04:002011-08-09T19:27:48.600-04:00Your Similar Album Covers of the Week - Cowboy HippiesThe gorgeous Old West/Norman Rockwell theme of a bonneted, skirt-billowing dame gazing longingly in the distance isn't the only similarity in these two excellent albums. Both these bands emerged out of Bill Graham's ballroom-circuit San Francisco in the late 60s, which produced more than its fair share of amazing music.
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<br />While many know of Quicksilver and their virtuoso lead guitarist John Cipollina, fewer have heard of the progressive rock band It's A Beautiful Day, which was a Bay Area staple for a number of years during those halcyon days. During the late 60s, those crazy Frisco hippies developed a widespread cultural obsession with the Old West that permeated their fashion, art, and music. It also made for some righteous album covers. Thanks, hippies, for your awesome contribution to pop culture.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/I/beautiful_front.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 397px; height: 419px;" src="http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/I/beautiful_front.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VZag_nDQkG0/TkG7aZj3NCI/AAAAAAAAAaE/qX8BHxWp3TM/s1600/quicksilver.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 397px; height: 392px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VZag_nDQkG0/TkG7aZj3NCI/AAAAAAAAAaE/qX8BHxWp3TM/s320/quicksilver.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638994270656869410" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-61177902727335290322011-08-03T13:41:00.007-04:002011-08-25T16:56:35.727-04:00Your Similar Album Covers of the Week - Marketing to WhitesThis week we feature two albums from the late 1950s. Both are seminal recordings of the most important and influential black artists of a generation, and both feature white females on their covers. What's wrong with this picture?
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<br />It seems that in pre-Civil Rights era America, it was pretty tough to get http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifthe general white music-listening audience to turn an ear to the "race records" of the time. The solution to this problem was to put pretty young whites on the covers of such records, thus attracting a wider audience of deluded whites, and prompting Miles Davis to ask Columbia Records executive George Avakian "Why'd you put that white bitch on there?" Things soon got better, and subsequent re-releases saw the album covers changed to better reflect the music that was inside. In the following years, Miles and JB were eventually granted creative freedom over their album art, which yielded <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61TB4ARCP5L._SS500_.jpg">colorful</a> <a href="http://images.hhv.de/catalog/detail_big/00096/96295.jpg">results</a>. Shit's crazy, though.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vd2_AzWoCkg/TjmJ8mN_BvI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/rtWl4oooIbw/s1600/miles%2Bahead.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 397px; height: 394px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vd2_AzWoCkg/TjmJ8mN_BvI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/rtWl4oooIbw/s320/miles%2Bahead.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636688082775246578" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YrZjMsip05A/TjmKHWHo6II/AAAAAAAAAZ8/1TkIUJFpBGw/s1600/Please.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 397px; height: 397px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YrZjMsip05A/TjmKHWHo6II/AAAAAAAAAZ8/1TkIUJFpBGw/s320/Please.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636688267432224898" border="0" /></a>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-5524766468991177292011-07-27T18:46:00.005-04:002011-07-27T19:10:23.665-04:00Your Similar Album Covers of the Week - Soft HuesAh, the golden age of vinyl. It was only during this time -- approx. from 1969-1983 -- that the packaging of records became a real art form, resulting in a product in which the record sleeve's design and art was given as much attention as the music inside (an art form that is all but lost in today's digital industry).<br /><br />Many record covers in the 70s omitted the traditional glossy shine, opting for a softer, natural cardboard texture, which the grainy, saturated, shadowy-cheekbone photos in these examples compliment nicely. Of course, these .jpegs don't give any sense of the album's texture, which can only be experienced by lovingly holding, cradling and caressing the record in your hands. So head to your local vinyl shop and rub your hands over some classic records, as these are examples of timeless album art for the ages.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCLzD1CcG0E/TjCVscTtmBI/AAAAAAAAAZI/iJJzdCwMTZs/s1600/1251401887_1980-message-from-9-to-the-universe-bootleg-1969.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 396px; height: 398px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCLzD1CcG0E/TjCVscTtmBI/AAAAAAAAAZI/iJJzdCwMTZs/s320/1251401887_1980-message-from-9-to-the-universe-bootleg-1969.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634167724586145810" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ptNUoXhTEKI/TjCW1KSxsiI/AAAAAAAAAZY/jqMltWYuzIc/s1600/Joni_Mitchell-Blue-Frontal.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 396px; height: 396px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ptNUoXhTEKI/TjCW1KSxsiI/AAAAAAAAAZY/jqMltWYuzIc/s320/Joni_Mitchell-Blue-Frontal.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634168973880832546" border="0" /></a>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-88253428186523750072011-07-19T22:52:00.005-04:002011-07-20T02:06:09.822-04:00Your Similar Album Covers of the Week - Electric HandsThis week starts a new reoccurring segment, in which two existing album covers are picked from time and space and presented as coincidentally similar.<br /><br />Today's pair both seem to be freaked out that their hands have morphed into unwieldy electronic equipment. The main difference here being that one is a landmark album in the history of hard rock, and the other is a ridiculous, awful joke of a record. Guess which is which?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://torrent.jiwang.cc/uploads/images/557900.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 396px; height: 396px;" src="http://torrent.jiwang.cc/uploads/images/557900.JPG" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y244/Layer01/nugent-scream-dream.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 397px; height: 401px;" src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y244/Layer01/nugent-scream-dream.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-57310375112461622632011-07-11T15:48:00.003-04:002011-07-11T16:53:12.915-04:00High Sierra Music Festival Review - Jambase.com<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/california/images/s/high-sierra-music-festival.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 234px; height: 188px;" src="http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/california/images/s/high-sierra-music-festival.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I hope everyone out there in the land of the internets had a grand 4th of July weekend, preferably spent far, far away from any computers or wi-fi connections. I had one for the record books: four days of camping and music up at the <span style="font-weight: bold;">High Sierra Music Festival</span> in Plumas County, high in the mountains. There was non-stop music from 10am to 4am, four days in a row, and I did my darndest to catch as much as I could. It is truly the most well-put together festie I've ever attended, and I would recommend it to any music lover. Here's my writeup of the long, exhausting, exhilarating weekend over at Jambase, supplemented with tons of awesome pics:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" target="blank" href="http://www.jambase.com/Articles/50555/High-Sierra-Music-Fest-2011-Review-Pics">High Sierra Music Festival :: 06.30.11-07.03.11 :: Plumas County Fairgrounds :: Quincy, CA</a></span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The Travelin' McCourys pickin' up a storm among the pines:<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><object height="285" width="448"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/y7kBKUKF8w8?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/y7kBKUKF8w8?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="285" width="448"></embed></object><br /><br />Brokedown in Bakersfield was a one-gig-only country band put together to play High Sierra, and they certainly didn't disappoint:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><object height="285" width="448"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dunPKy19ot4?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dunPKy19ot4?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="285" width="448"></embed></object><br /><br />Reggae guitar legend Ernest Ranglin got us all skanking with an epic sunset set. Here Audio Angel helps him out on a cover of The Abyssinians' "Satta Massagana":<br /><br /><object height="285" width="448"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gxf6h8aU3I0?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gxf6h8aU3I0?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="285" width="448"></embed></object><br /><br />Later that night, Ween got us all brown with Skerik on sax for "Your Party":<br /><br /><object height="285" width="448"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UwgkzPeV2s8?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UwgkzPeV2s8?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="285" width="448"></embed></object><br /><br />Gillian Welch closed out her set on the first night with a huge take on "White Rabbit":<br /><br /><object height="285" width="448"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ADQcgQ9yGoI?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ADQcgQ9yGoI?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="285" width="448"></embed></object><br /><br />Overall, a truly epic weekend.</div></div></div>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-54928007511425724812011-06-28T15:02:00.016-04:002013-03-06T01:35:42.847-05:00Criminally Underrated Guitar Gods - Part IIHeyo! Got another half hour to kill? Great! This week's installment of <span style="font-style: italic;">Criminally Underrated Guitar Gods</span> focuses on the more proggy/fusion style players that have fallen by the wayside of widespread recognition. Prepare to have your face melted by some serious fretwork, and you may learn a thing or two in the process...<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Jeff Beck</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vrg7Zq3PO88/TgomPOdrACI/AAAAAAAAAX4/lwY8WcYjwtk/s1600/Legendary-image005.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623349127747928098" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vrg7Zq3PO88/TgomPOdrACI/AAAAAAAAAX4/lwY8WcYjwtk/s200/Legendary-image005.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 147px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px;" /></a>Having graduated from the same school of British blues-rock as Clapton and Page (all three played in the Yardbirds at one point, Page and Beck together for a time), Jeff Beck seemed to be the black sheep of this graduating class. While his chops were on par with his soon-to-be-more-famous cohorts, Beck's musical vision proved to be less accessible than his peers. Beck never strove for the bombast and arena-rock showmanship on the caliber of Cream or Zeppelin, and instead carved out his own legacy of instrumental music, churning out quality albums of blues-rock and jazz fusion over the years. He did score a couple of platinum albums in the mid-70s (back when the public actually listened to jazz fusion), but fell out of the mainstream eye in the ensuing years. His unique playing style (vibrato bar, no pick, finger tapping, etc) is instantly recognizable, and is known to pull sounds out of a guitar that boggle the mind. It's reassuring that Beck has had a resurgence in recent years thanks to a new-found musical relationship with Clapton. He is a true virtuoso, and deserves all the praise he can get.<br />
<br />
<object height="25" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RsGEFdfRlMY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RsGEFdfRlMY?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="25" width="425"></embed></object><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">Jeff Beck - "Scatterbrain"</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Terry Kath</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_W0t7C9NoW8/Tf-cfC9MJ_I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/rVvhW_-t0JU/s1600/big_201081411261221.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620382917165066226" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_W0t7C9NoW8/Tf-cfC9MJ_I/AAAAAAAAAXQ/rVvhW_-t0JU/s200/big_201081411261221.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 149px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px;" /></a>Kath was the lead guitarist of The Chicago Transit Authority (soon shortened to just "Chicago") from 1968 until his death at 32 in 1978. His amazing talents were often obscured by Chicago's big-band format, which had a large horn section often taking the lead. Despite this, Kath managed to attract the attention of Jimi Hendrix, who once told Chicago saxophonist Walter Parazaider, "Your guitar player is better than me." Kath struggled with addiction and weight problems throughout the 70s, and has perhaps the most tragic death on this list. Kath was playing around with a supposedly unloaded pistol at a party, and put it to his temple and pulled the trigger. There was a bullet in the chamber, and Kath died instantly. His solo on "25 or 6 to 4," from Chicago's second album, is legendary:<br />
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<object height="25" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iUAYeN3Rp2E?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iUAYeN3Rp2E?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="25" width="425"></embed></object><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">Chicago - "25 or 6 to 4"</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Steve Howe</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q8ccrh9YjXo/TgpyL6xNZ-I/AAAAAAAAAYo/hV9JyyUjLk4/s1600/SteveHowe.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623432633805268962" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q8ccrh9YjXo/TgpyL6xNZ-I/AAAAAAAAAYo/hV9JyyUjLk4/s200/SteveHowe.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 141px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 203px;" /></a>Howe has seen his share of mainstream success as lead guitarist of Yes, and also had a stint with Asia in the early 80's. Yes was a giant in the music world through the 70s, and Asia scored a few pop MTV hits in the 80s, though few actually know Howe by name, and few know that he is equally remarkable on classical guitar as he is on electric. Prog rock has garnered an ugly reputation since its peak of decadence around 1974, and Yes has lost much of its street cred since, save for a rabid cult following that it maintains to this day. Howe still tours with Yes regularly, and with all his chops intact, taboot -- his otherworldly technical mastery is second to none. His acoustic skills warrant their own track, on top of some classic electric Yes freakout-rock:<br />
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<object height="30" width="420"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/OrJsgdjOqGY?version=3&hl=en_US"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/OrJsgdjOqGY?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="30" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">Yes - "Mood For A Day"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><object height="30" width="430"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/288Xl-SgLL0?version=3&hl=en_US" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="30" src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/288Xl-SgLL0?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="430"></embed></object></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">Yes - "Sound Chaser"</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Robert Fripp</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-llXcF7Kl0qc/TgopFdblbGI/AAAAAAAAAYI/K2a6bpForzM/s1600/C-robert-fripp-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623352258501897314" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-llXcF7Kl0qc/TgopFdblbGI/AAAAAAAAAYI/K2a6bpForzM/s200/C-robert-fripp-2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 154px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px;" /></a>Fripp founded King Crimson in 1969, and proved to be the only consistent member of the group, which saw drastic musical and stylistic shifts over its long history. He pioneered prog rock and heavy metal with his dissonant stylings and heavy riffage, and later dabbled in electronic soundscapes with Brian Eno, on top of many, many other side projects. What's notable about Fripp is that his guitar style takes nothing from the blues-based tradition, instead containing more of a European avant-guarde/classical influence. His music is certainly not accessible in any sense of the word, nor is it meant to be. Fripp has consistently challenged the ears of his fans over his long career, though he never ceases to amaze with the weirdness he conjures up with six strings. Case in point? The searing shards of sound he lays down on this Brian Eno track:<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><object height="25" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TMt1Oy5uQ0w?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="25" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TMt1Oy5uQ0w?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425"></embed></object><br />Brian Eno - "Baby's On Fire"</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ritchie Blackmore</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9srgUOm2Jf0/Tgor37lfM7I/AAAAAAAAAYY/O-4uyRdp8yw/s1600/ritchie%252Bblackmore.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623355324613211058" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9srgUOm2Jf0/Tgor37lfM7I/AAAAAAAAAYY/O-4uyRdp8yw/s200/ritchie%252Bblackmore.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 146px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px;" /></a>The lead guitarist for Deep Purple from 1968-75, Blackmore was a master of the hard rock riff, having written one of the most recognizable riffs in the history of rock ("Smoke on the Water"). Though this alone should be enough to cement his legacy, it doesn't scratch the surface of what he was capable of with a guitar. After quitting Deep Purple, he formed the since-forgotten band Rainbow, his own project which featured Ronnie James Dio on lead vocals for a time. Rainbow became legendary for its epic live performances, and with Blackmore's lightning-fast fingers at the hem, they crushed audiences night after night. He retired from hard rock in the 90s, and now plays exclusively folk music. Blackmore also warrants two tracks to show his prowess both in the studio and live. His flawlessly executed solo at 3:50 of "Highway Star" is one of the greatest ever laid on wax, while the live Rainbow track is sprawling in its messy virtuosity. Both are awesome, in completely different ways.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><object height="30" width="420"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/jh0iihjANPc?version=3&hl=en_US" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="30" src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/jh0iihjANPc?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420"></embed></object></span><br />
Deep Purple - "Highway Star"<br />
<object height="25" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8fVuoHAmstc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="25" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8fVuoHAmstc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425"></embed></object><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">Rainbow - "Catch the Rainbow" </span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Frank Zappa</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h-Vy3xcfIuw/Tgos6zK2qsI/AAAAAAAAAYg/69qYmeGJF8U/s1600/frank-zappa.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623356473405254338" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h-Vy3xcfIuw/Tgos6zK2qsI/AAAAAAAAAYg/69qYmeGJF8U/s200/frank-zappa.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 148px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px;" /></a>While most know him for his crude humor and absurdly challenging compositions, Frank Zappa was also an absolute monster on the electric guitar. No one has or ever will play the six-string anything like he did, as he brought his own twisted musical sense to every guitar lick he ever played. When improvising, Frank attempted to create spontaneous compositions with his solos. No one ever knew what he would play next, and he set his band up so that they would respond to what he played. This often resulted in new "songs" being created on the spot. The results were often bizarre and avant-garde, and sometimes sublime. I would recommend picking up the 3-disc set <span style="font-style: italic;">Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar</span> for more on this technique, which is comprised solely of live guitar solos. As with the rest of his music, his guitar work exists in its own musical universe, free of influence from nothing but the genius in his own head (and maybe some Stravinsky).<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><object height="25" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bZOvG5D-x3I?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="25" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bZOvG5D-x3I?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425"></embed></object><br />Frank Zappa - "Easy Meat"<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Is this list to your liking? Do you notice any glaring omissions? Feel free to comment...</span></span>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-87184933800557961602011-06-20T17:28:00.001-04:002013-03-06T01:34:53.845-05:00Criminally Underrated Guitar Gods - Part I<span style="font-size: 100%;"><br />Hey there, got a half hour or so to kill? Great! To start summer off right, we're going to shine a spotlight on some of the lost heroes of Rock-n-Roll -- namely, those guitar gods who never got the real recognition their talents truly warranted, and instead resorted to holding cult status for the entirety of their careers. For every millionaire Page or Clapton out there, there are scores of equally (or more) talented axe-men who never achieved mainstream success for any number of reasons - whether it was musical inaccessibility, refusal to sell out, addiction, or death. Here are a few of the best guitarists you may have never heard of: today's edition focuses on bluesy virtuosos lost to time...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eddie Hazel</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.spinner.com/media/2011/01/eddie-hazel--200-011211_200x135.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-size: 100%;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.spinner.com/media/2011/01/eddie-hazel--200-011211_200x135.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 135px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">This master of searing, freak-out, funk-metal guitar excursions was Funkadelic's first (and best) lead guitarist, and helped to lay down the band's defining masterpiece in 1971, the soul-wrenching "Maggot Brain." But he disappeared into relative obscurity after that album for various reasons, including a prison stint for assault and drug possession. He died in 1992, and "Maggot Brain" was played at his funeral.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><object height="25" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oVHrvx-Ua68?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&hd=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oVHrvx-Ua68?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="25"></embed></object><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 85%;">Funkadelic - "Super Stupid"</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ry Cooder</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KH13sxOczhw/Tf-mobmVWxI/AAAAAAAAAXw/UvDkmsDwT5I/s1600/ry-cooder.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620394073515186962" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KH13sxOczhw/Tf-mobmVWxI/AAAAAAAAAXw/UvDkmsDwT5I/s200/ry-cooder.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 153px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px;" /></a>This is a musician who has never bothered with mainstream success, and instead choose to always follow his muse, wherever it may take him. As a result he is impossible to pin to any genre, as he has dabbled in everything from folk, blues and gospel to Cuban and African music. Though he has released many great solo albums, he is best known as a studio session man, having played with every act you can name, including Captain Beefheart, the Stones, John Lee Hooker, and most recently, Buena Vista Social Club. Rest assured, whatever he touches turns to gold, as he is a true master of his craft.<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><object height="25" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JIwYGZlBw9Y?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JIwYGZlBw9Y?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="25"></embed></object><br />Ry Cooder - "Feelin' Bad Blues"</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Peter Green</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
T<a href="http://www.teenfi.com/image-library/land/376/p/peter-green-1008.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.teenfi.com/image-library/land/376/p/peter-green-1008.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 133px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 200px;" /></a>he leader and founder of the original Fleetwood Mac, Green has been lost to time as one of the most gifted guitarists to come out of the British blues explosion of the 60s. It has been nearly forgotten that while Clapton was being called "God," they were calling Green "The Green God." He was really that good. Tragically though, like Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett, he was an LSD casualty who dropped out of the band by 1970 due to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia" title="Schizophrenia"></a>schizophrenia. After years of obscurity, he's started performing again in recent years. At his peak, though, he rivaled anyone in the world with his searing, soulful guitar work.<br />
<object height="25" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IxgY9eEFiYM?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IxgY9eEFiYM?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="25"></embed></object><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;">Fleetwood Mac - "I've Got A Mind To Give Up Living/ All Over Again"</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Roy Buchanan</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xYCiePx_gRA/Tf-dlLsBJ2I/AAAAAAAAAXY/Zk_zr4uWHAk/s1600/rbuch06-721475.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620384122099804002" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xYCiePx_gRA/Tf-dlLsBJ2I/AAAAAAAAAXY/Zk_zr4uWHAk/s200/rbuch06-721475.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 146px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px;" /></a>Buchanan was an American blues guitarist with a tone that could break your heart. A true virtuoso, he recorded a couple of albums that went gold, but never achieved any type of real breakthrough success. He struggled with drinking problems and got sober at one point, but could never shake his demons. In 1988, after being arrested for public intoxication, he committed suicide in his jail cell.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">Roy Buchanan - "Sweet Dreams"</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">Rory Gallagher</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TLeh7L3S318/Tf-eD1y9wwI/AAAAAAAAAXg/A61ACStBjj8/s1600/Rory%2B2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620384648799306498" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TLeh7L3S318/Tf-eD1y9wwI/AAAAAAAAAXg/A61ACStBjj8/s320/Rory%2B2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 143px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 202px;" /></a>An Irish blues-rocker, Gallagher was a hometown hero in his own country. He achieved some success in the UK, but never really broke through outside of the British Isles, though he maintained a loyal cult fanbase throughout his career. His clean, furious playing is a joy to listen to, on par with Clapton at his dirtiest. Gallagher died in 1995 due to liver failure, at 47.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">Rory Gallagher - "Walk on Hot Coals</span>"<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">John Cipollina</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GP61D3scyXg/Tf-fQn-3BHI/AAAAAAAAAXo/lrDhYBBis6o/s1600/John%252BCipollina-1-722.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620385967941026930" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GP61D3scyXg/Tf-fQn-3BHI/AAAAAAAAAXo/lrDhYBBis6o/s320/John%252BCipollina-1-722.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 145px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 205px;" /></a>A Bay Area hometown boy and the lead guitarist of Quicksilver Messenger Service, Cipollina is considered one of the fathers of the San Francisco psychedelic sound - that classic vibrato twang is his signature tone. For years he was considered the Bay Area's best kept secret, and was content to play around locally in a number of bands after Quicksilver broke up. He often sat in with the Dead during hometown shows, and was beloved by local fans and musicians alike. He died tragically at age 45 in 1989 of chronic emphysema.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">Quicksilver Messenger Service - "How, Which, Who Do You Love"</span><br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Check back next week for Part II in the "Criminally Underrated Guitar Gods" series...</span>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-45592799483204527482011-05-23T18:26:00.003-04:002011-05-23T19:13:44.092-04:00Lettuce / Soulive Review - Jambase.com<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HNPGWatb89A/TdrirBfcH7I/AAAAAAAAAXE/GVQ3WYIZj94/s1600/soulive.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 185px; height: 181px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HNPGWatb89A/TdrirBfcH7I/AAAAAAAAAXE/GVQ3WYIZj94/s400/soulive.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610045514605928370" border="0" /></a>Need some greasy funk in your life? Look no further than <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lettuce</span>, the supergroup of all-star virtuosos which is guaranteed to slap you upside yo' head with a heavy dose of syncopated party groove. Lettuce recently headlined the Fillmore, sharing a triple-bill of epic proportions with Jazz-Funk trio <span style="font-weight: bold;">Soulive </span>and drummer extraordinaire Adam Deitch's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Break Science</span>. The coverage of this extravaganza is over at Jambase:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" target="blank" href="http://www.jambase.com/Articles/49905/Royal-Family-Ball--S.F.-Review">Royal Family Ball:: 05.14.11 :: The Fillmore :: San Francisco, CA</a></span></div><br />Here's a great clip of Soulive rockin' their Beatles medley. "She's So Heavy" is mutha-pluckin' heavy indeed:<br /><object height="285" width="448"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/04kJr6taFz0?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/04kJr6taFz0?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="285" width="448"></embed></object><br /><br />There are a million clips of Lettuce getting dirty in your face, but this one from JazzFest 2010 gives a fine sense of the infectiousness of their grooves:<br /><object height="366" width="448"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ON1dUYrWLkw?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ON1dUYrWLkw?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="366" width="448"></embed></object>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6043247608486669208.post-72681020592851952502011-05-16T14:12:00.006-04:002011-05-23T18:30:27.694-04:00The Devil Makes Three Review - Jambase.com<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://news.santacruz.com/assets/news/images/DM32011_web.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 184px;" src="http://news.santacruz.com/assets/news/images/DM32011_web.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>One of the finest acoustic/Americana acts in the biz today, <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Devil Makes Three</span> possess a show-stopping catalog of near-classic anthems of and for the working man. Hailing out of Santa Cruz, this trio has got songwriting skills and three-part harmonies that slay, and when given a chance, are very likely to work their way into your "new favorite band" category very quickly.<br /><br />I caught one of their two sold-out shows up north in the great little town of Petaluma, which they were using to record their new live album. Naturally, the crowd buzz was off-the-walls as a result. Here's my report back on the festivities, over at Jambase:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" target="blank" href="http://www.jambase.com/Articles/49803/The-Devil-Makes-Three-Petaluma-Review-Pics">The Devil Makes Three:: 05.07.11 :: McNear's Mystic Theatre :: Petaluma, CA</a></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">To give a sense of the rowdy that permeated the evening, here's footage of one of their many numbers about drinking, "Beneath the Piano." The camera starts off shaky because of the moshpit that ensues, but it steadies out nicely:<br /><br /><object height="285" width="448"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ihalCeJKOOU?fs=1&hl=en_US&start=31amp;rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ihalCeJKOOU?fs=1&hl=en_US&start=31amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="285" width="448"></embed></object><br /><br />But one of the band's most memorable, sing-along-worthy anthems is "All Hail," which contains a killer chorus that is guaranteed to have you unapologetically singing along by the second go-around. These guys are truly the real deal:<br /><br /></div></div><object height="285" width="448"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hhC7CJZ6jOo?fs=1&hl=en_US&start=31amp;rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hhC7CJZ6jOo?fs=1&hl=en_US&start=40amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="285" width="448"></embed></object>Eric Podohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15582858761277973093noreply@blogger.com0