My discovery of the week. A young Irish lass with fingers of fire.
If you only know "When The Levee Breaks" from Led Zeppelin's thunderous adaptation, Muireann Bradley's cover here is faithful to the original Memphis Minnie version--really, all Zeppelin used were the lyrics.
Bonus - watch her fingers work this one! "Police Dog Blues" by Blind Blake.
I have a Spotify account and I know Spotify doesn't pay much to artists. If I find something I like, I eventually buy it outright. That also allows me to play tunes in the car without roaming digital data.
Music I Bought in 2021:
The Living Daylights (soundtrack)
The Bottle Rockets - 24 Hours A Day
The Bottle Rockets - Brand New Year
Los Lobos - Native Sons
The Steepwater Band - Turn of the Wheel
The Steepwater Band - Shake Your Faith
Gilby Clarke - The Gospel Truth
The Warner E. Hodges Band - Just Feels Right
Warner E. Hodges - Right Back Where I Started
AC/DC - Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston 1978
Dan Baird & Homemade Sin - Dan Baird & Homemade Sin
It had been a long time since I'd bothered with going to see a rock'n'roll show. But the opportunity to see Los Lobos in a small theater on a Saturday night was too good to let pass. My wife and I rolled together a date night and an early anniversary celebration, had a nice dinner, and attended the show.
Los Lobos started in with a one-two punch of "Will The Wolf Survive" and "Shakin' Shakin' Shakes." After that, the set list came from the top of their heads. They played a first set that was cut short due to technical difficulties. The guitar tech was on stage constantly. The main issue seemed to be the guitars not cutting through the mix - though other trouble came, too. (e.g.; broken guitar strap mid-song.)
The band soldiered through but went to an early intermission after 35 minutes and 6 songs (which ended with a spectacular jam on "That Train Don't Stop.")
The techs took care of the sound during the break. Not sure why things were so off. Without an opening band, levels should have been locked in during soundcheck.
The band came back on fire, ready to erase the earlier problems and they meant business, with Dave Hidalgo firing off a blistering acoustic guitar solo on "One Time, One Night." From there they started into a Mexican set with "Carabinas .30 .30" The rock and blues returned with "Chains of Love," "The Neighborhood, "Wicked Rain," and others before they closed their main set with a rollicking cover of the Grateful Dead's "Bertha."
For their encore, they had a surprise up their sleeve. They invited local musicians Barrence Whitfield and Willie 'Loco' Alexander to join them. They first served up a blues/R&B song and then blasted out the venue with Whitfield wailing through The Who's "My Generation."
It was a great show, complete with flaws, and I can't wait to see them live again - especially if it's in an intimate venue like The Cabot.
I listened to this band, heavily, during the late 1980s and early 1990s. One of my favorite live shows was a Tragically Hip concert.
The core four of their early albums were (are) great rock music. I still list them in my top lists of favorite music. The band fell off my radar after those albums. I felt like some of the punch went out. Those were the years between CDs and digital music. I didn't want to keep paying for an entire CD that disappointed me.
The band never quite had the traction in the US that they should
have. Maybe it was their lyrical density. Their lyrics weren't often
easy to catch on - often intentionally so, to let the audience paint
their own pictures and to blend multiple ideas and/or images in one
song.
Also, I learned only recently, being Canadian they were often writing about Canadian issues and news-stories. They were, as I read somewhere once on the web, "Canadian as fuck."
Those four early albums should be in any rock/hard-rock listener's collection.
UP TO HERE
ROAD APPLES
FULLY COMPLETELY
DAY FOR NIGHT
If I was stuck on the proverbial desert island, I'd go with ROAD APPLES.
My favorite song from ROAD APPLES? "Born in the Water"
An explanation of the lyrics. It seems the US does not have a monopoly on attempted ostracization by way of "official language" declarations.
My favorite song from the Hip? "Fifty Mission Cap"
An explanation of the lyrics. A blending of the fifty mission requirement from Catch-22 with a plane crash search and a professional hockey player.
Both, lyrically, yes ... Canadian as fuck.
They will be going out "with their boots on."
So after 30-some years together as The Tragically Hip, thousands of shows, and hundreds of tours…
We’ve decided to do another one.
This feels like the right thing to do now, for Gord, and for all of us.
So after 30-some years together as The Tragically Hip, thousands of shows, and hundreds of tours…
We’ve decided to do another one.
This feels like the right thing to do now, for Gord, and for all of us.
- See more at: http://www.thehip.com/news/an-important-message-from-the-band/#sthash.IPovyaX1.gldhGBeL.dpuf So after 30-some years together as The Tragically Hip, thousands of shows, and hundreds of tours…
So after 30-some years together as The Tragically Hip, thousands of shows, and hundreds of tours…
We’ve decided to do another one.
This feels like the right thing to do now, for Gord, and for all of us.
- See more at: http://www.thehip.com/news/an-important-message-from-the-band/#sthash.IPovyaX1.gldhGBeL.dpuf
When I was growing up in the early
1980s, I was (no surprise) a bit of an odd duck. I did not listen to
the pop or rock of the day. I was entrenched in blues and what we now
call “classic rock” of the 1960s & 1970s. Except for
surviving holdovers (The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who, etc.,)
very few bands were doing that style of rock'n'roll. So, in my
defense, that was what I liked and that is what I sought out.
Along came The Black Crowes and I realized I wasn't
entirely alone.
Now, if you want to talk about being out of your expected of
time-stream, there is a whole 'nother generation of “kids” out
there, harkening back like I did – Grace Potter & the
Nocturnals, London Souls, Saint Jude, Rival Sons, the Sheepdogs and
my newest discovery, Blues Pills.
It's great that nowadays “doing your own music thing” is even more prevalent. In Europe there is a large
fanbase for “classic rock.” But, not the same old tired FM radio
anthems, but new bands performing & writing with classic rock
influence. It's a genre, just like “classical” music is. They've
been doing festivals and award shows for a while now, and this year
(or 2014) America finally held its first “classic rock” awards
show which includes awards for new music in that style.
Nothing new to report. Too busy with stuff, just about getting in my reading, never mind my writing.
Lost some time to a crashing computer - an old PC - and decided I'd finally had enough of Windows. We bought an iMac for home. I'm not bothering to debate pros and cons. At this point in my computing life, I feel the Mac is the right place for me. I'm not a gamer. If I were, I'd go console, anyway. I like the creative tools for a Mac - GarageBand to start with. Some interesting writing software, too.
So, in addition to "life in general" stuff, I've been spending evenings setting up software, peripherals and transferring files.
My biggest discovery this week was the Cee Lo Green single, "F--- You." (And it sounds like 'Gnarls Barkley' because Cee Lo is one half of that duo.)
Yeah, it might seem a juvenile title, and it is, but the song is an incredibly catchy pop piece with heavy Motown/old-school-R&B overtones. The video is cute and humorous, too.
I know to folks who know my blues/rock side, this might be a surprise. But, sometimes there is a pop tune that gets to me in a good way. It is a rare occurrence. Like, once every five or ten years. This song is one of those. Certainly, your mileage might vary.
The first thing I’ll say is, if you like the Black Crowes, you need to check out this band. I think they are even more rockin’ than the Crowes. Their latest album was produced by Marc Ford, former Black Crowes guitarist. I think Steepwater play closer to their blues roots, with original material with hints of Faces, Beatles, Stones, Hendrix and all that. Very good slide playing, some good jamming, and catchy songs.
On top of all that, they have a jukebox on their website that lets you hear 21 songs (complete, not 30sec samples), so you should absolutely give them a try before you buy. If you buy albums direct from the band’s website, you’ll save money and they get the best deal. The albums are cheap, $10 (Grace & Melody, their latest , is on sale for only $7 right now.)
I have no personal relation to these guys. I just think they are a good, new rock band who deserve some buzz.
Check ‘em out!
On a related tangent, I really like the music of Alvin Youngblood Hart. He usually performs blues or rock, but he has an upcoming project of roots music called the South Memphis String Band. Also featured in this trio is Luther Dickinson, who is currently in (you guessed it) the Black Crowes! Rounding out the trio is Jimbo Mathus , from Squirrel Nut Zippers.
You can hear two of their songs at their MySpace page (or, Facebook page.)
They have announced that a full album will be out in January.
I really got into rootsy, bluesy, string tunes this year, and I am really glad these guys happen to be launching this project for the New Year. Happy Holidays!
