This is the first in what I hope to be a pattern of posts where I find two or more songs that will describe to you a song that sounds like a combination of the two (or more) songs or a band I hope that you familiarize yourself with in the future.
There is no chronological order or uhhh logic I guess. It just sounds good to me.
The Rolling Stones "You Can't Always Get What You Want" + Counting Crows "Los Angeles" (skip to 1:30) = Ryan Adams "The Rescue Blues"
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Sons of Fathers is a Can't Miss
I stumbled on this little gem while I was dissecting the Austin City Limits lineup and I'm glad I found them.
Sons of Fathers, from Texas, twists Americana on its head. Composed of David Beck and Paul Cauthen, frontmen with perfectly blended vocals, and their band, Sons of Fathers plays tunes that someone can call folk, country, rock, and sometimes blues. In the end, they are very Texas. Think of them playing in a bar, fans blowing, people chugging, and they are that good times band that will play hearty, classic tunes.
As present in their approval by both Rolling Stone, Paste, and CMT, Sons of Fathers has a varied sound. In their two albums, they can play a folky Mumford & Sons tune in "Roots & Vine," a rootsy jam with some gospel vocals in "Hurt Someone," and some old blues in "Out of Line."
Soon to play Widespread Panic's Fourth of July Festival, Louisville's WFPK Waterfront Wednesday, and of course Austin City Limits, Sons of Father's appreciators are just as diverse as their music.
Whatever they are, soak them up. Sons of Fathers is real. Really good.
Roots & Vine
Hurt Someone
Sons of Fathers, from Texas, twists Americana on its head. Composed of David Beck and Paul Cauthen, frontmen with perfectly blended vocals, and their band, Sons of Fathers plays tunes that someone can call folk, country, rock, and sometimes blues. In the end, they are very Texas. Think of them playing in a bar, fans blowing, people chugging, and they are that good times band that will play hearty, classic tunes.
As present in their approval by both Rolling Stone, Paste, and CMT, Sons of Fathers has a varied sound. In their two albums, they can play a folky Mumford & Sons tune in "Roots & Vine," a rootsy jam with some gospel vocals in "Hurt Someone," and some old blues in "Out of Line."
Soon to play Widespread Panic's Fourth of July Festival, Louisville's WFPK Waterfront Wednesday, and of course Austin City Limits, Sons of Father's appreciators are just as diverse as their music.
Whatever they are, soak them up. Sons of Fathers is real. Really good.
Roots & Vine
Hurt Someone
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Watch Out for This New Music
June 18
Kanye West: I'm sure you have already heard the leak of this album but I am buying this when it comes out. His performance on SNL was phenomenal. I hear you can lullaby your baby to sleep with this one just like Jay-Z did.
Sigur Ros: fhadsiuauhaiohfie fiohfoh uofhdiowiaei ifhfioah. Look I can speak Hopelandic.
The Mowgli's: try to listen to this and be bad. You can't! okay well unless you had something really bad happen so that's something else we need to address.
July 23
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros: so yeah do that same thing as The Mowgli's but make the hippies less California like. I'm thinking Oklahoma Dust Bowl looking.
August 6
The Civil Wars: Fighting? What fighting? This is 2013 folk music. Just strum a happy tune guys. C'mon!
August 13
Washed Out: seriously turn this on stare at the ceiling and wait five minutes until you feel like the ceiling starts caving in on you.
August 20
Tedeschi Trucks Band: She wails. He wails. One with voice. One with guitar.
Kanye West: I'm sure you have already heard the leak of this album but I am buying this when it comes out. His performance on SNL was phenomenal. I hear you can lullaby your baby to sleep with this one just like Jay-Z did.
Sigur Ros: fhadsiuauhaiohfie fiohfoh uofhdiowiaei ifhfioah. Look I can speak Hopelandic.
The Mowgli's: try to listen to this and be bad. You can't! okay well unless you had something really bad happen so that's something else we need to address.
July 23
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros: so yeah do that same thing as The Mowgli's but make the hippies less California like. I'm thinking Oklahoma Dust Bowl looking.
August 6
The Civil Wars: Fighting? What fighting? This is 2013 folk music. Just strum a happy tune guys. C'mon!
August 13
Washed Out: seriously turn this on stare at the ceiling and wait five minutes until you feel like the ceiling starts caving in on you.
August 20
Tedeschi Trucks Band: She wails. He wails. One with voice. One with guitar.
New Stuff from GROUPLOVE
Recently GROUPLOVE announced the release of their sophomore album "Spreading Rumors" due out on September 17th. With that announcement, they also released their first song (and an accompanying video) from that album "Ways To Go."
This new song is in some ways typical GROUPLOVE but in other ways they showcase new techniques they have not shown us yet. For this song, they put down the guitars and full drum kit. Drummer Ryan Rabin hops on the synthesizer and guitarist Andrew Wessen changes to drum machine in this new track. But still it has some parts that are GROUPLOVE through and through. The freewheelin' innocent energy is all still there. Christian Zucconi's wail still resonates and Hannah Hooper brings her spunk in the chorus as usual.
Maybe GROUPLOVE gains some new fans out of this song. Is there more of this on the new album? I like what I hear so far.
Ways To Go
This new song is in some ways typical GROUPLOVE but in other ways they showcase new techniques they have not shown us yet. For this song, they put down the guitars and full drum kit. Drummer Ryan Rabin hops on the synthesizer and guitarist Andrew Wessen changes to drum machine in this new track. But still it has some parts that are GROUPLOVE through and through. The freewheelin' innocent energy is all still there. Christian Zucconi's wail still resonates and Hannah Hooper brings her spunk in the chorus as usual.
Maybe GROUPLOVE gains some new fans out of this song. Is there more of this on the new album? I like what I hear so far.
Ways To Go
The Magic Touch (part 2)
When the first band you join is that of David Allan Coe's, good things are to come. Throw in The Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule, The Dead, a band with your namesake, affiliations with Dave Matthews Band and legends like Eric Clapton, John Lee Hooker, and Bonnie Raitt, and an annual star studded Christmas Jam and guitar god Warren Haynes calls it a career.
In 1989, Haynes got a call to join the Allman Brothers Band then in 1994, bassist Allen Woody who also joined the Allman Brothers and Haynes created Gov't Mule. He played with the remaining members of The Grateful Dead after Jerry Garcia's death in 1995. Bassist of The Grateful Dead Phil Lesh went out on tour with his friends and Haynes played lead guitar for three years on that project.
For a couple of years Haynes was without a band so god forbid he stop writing music. He started his solo career in 2003 with the release of an EP and a live show from Bonnaroo. In the past 15 years he has had a strong relationship with Dave Matthews Band. Haynes had played with them at 28 concerts and 45 songs including the release of 2 concert DVDs. In 2011, The Warren Haynes Band released its first music in Man in Motion.
Many jam artists have created their own entities of music as the aforementioned Lesh has and Haynes is no different. Since 1989, Haynes has been the host of an annual charity benefit show called The Christmas Jam. Originally, the show was created in Haynes's hometown of Asheville, North Carolina where all the great musicians would get together and play because it would be the only time they would be in town at the same time. Now the event includes many artists Haynes has grown close to over the years including members of The Allman Brothers Band, Blues Traveler, Umphrey's McGee, Living Colour, Phish, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, The Tedeshi Trucks Band, and Drive-By Truckers.
Just this summer he has been playing the music of Jerry Garcia across the country with various symphonic orchestras, and playing festival shows and a European tour with Gov't Mule. In August, he will start playing shows with The Allman Brothers Band where they will play with Steve Winwood and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. And while he is at it, at the Interlocken Festival, he will perform with Gov't Mule and The Warren Haynes Band in the same day. Sure why not?
Oh and no big deal but Rolling Stone named Warren Haynes as the 23rd best guitarist of all time.
When Haynes was a boy, he wanted to be a singer because he was hearing James Brown and Aretha Franklin. According to Haynes's website, it was when he heard the three Kings of blues (Freddie, Albert, and B.B.) that he wanted to pick up the guitar because they showed him that you can do both really well.
Two distinct characteristics always sit in his music: his hearty, gravely voice and his Gibson guitars. He cannot change either of these. His voice is his and Gibson guitars have chosen him like a wand choose its owner. But their cohesion and combined energy is something that we will never be able to understand; just something we can attempt to soak in.
His desire and persistence to work and work and work and to play, play, play just beyond incessant and just crazy. The amount of music he has created and produced is hardly to be matched. What separates him from others is his natural talent to bend music styles to the environment he is in. Sure, musicians like Bob Dylan has created a mass of a catalog, but Warren Haynes has created that catalog with such a diverse group of musicians in genres of many different ages and styles.
Warren Haynes is beyond my understanding not just as a guitar player but as a man. Everything he does turns to gold. His best is yet to come. Maybe he will sit down and rest one of these days, but if will let him do that for too long, I assume he will just play B.B King style. The desire is insatiable.
In 1989, Haynes got a call to join the Allman Brothers Band then in 1994, bassist Allen Woody who also joined the Allman Brothers and Haynes created Gov't Mule. He played with the remaining members of The Grateful Dead after Jerry Garcia's death in 1995. Bassist of The Grateful Dead Phil Lesh went out on tour with his friends and Haynes played lead guitar for three years on that project.
For a couple of years Haynes was without a band so god forbid he stop writing music. He started his solo career in 2003 with the release of an EP and a live show from Bonnaroo. In the past 15 years he has had a strong relationship with Dave Matthews Band. Haynes had played with them at 28 concerts and 45 songs including the release of 2 concert DVDs. In 2011, The Warren Haynes Band released its first music in Man in Motion.
Many jam artists have created their own entities of music as the aforementioned Lesh has and Haynes is no different. Since 1989, Haynes has been the host of an annual charity benefit show called The Christmas Jam. Originally, the show was created in Haynes's hometown of Asheville, North Carolina where all the great musicians would get together and play because it would be the only time they would be in town at the same time. Now the event includes many artists Haynes has grown close to over the years including members of The Allman Brothers Band, Blues Traveler, Umphrey's McGee, Living Colour, Phish, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, The Tedeshi Trucks Band, and Drive-By Truckers.
Just this summer he has been playing the music of Jerry Garcia across the country with various symphonic orchestras, and playing festival shows and a European tour with Gov't Mule. In August, he will start playing shows with The Allman Brothers Band where they will play with Steve Winwood and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. And while he is at it, at the Interlocken Festival, he will perform with Gov't Mule and The Warren Haynes Band in the same day. Sure why not?
Oh and no big deal but Rolling Stone named Warren Haynes as the 23rd best guitarist of all time.
When Haynes was a boy, he wanted to be a singer because he was hearing James Brown and Aretha Franklin. According to Haynes's website, it was when he heard the three Kings of blues (Freddie, Albert, and B.B.) that he wanted to pick up the guitar because they showed him that you can do both really well.
Two distinct characteristics always sit in his music: his hearty, gravely voice and his Gibson guitars. He cannot change either of these. His voice is his and Gibson guitars have chosen him like a wand choose its owner. But their cohesion and combined energy is something that we will never be able to understand; just something we can attempt to soak in.
His desire and persistence to work and work and work and to play, play, play just beyond incessant and just crazy. The amount of music he has created and produced is hardly to be matched. What separates him from others is his natural talent to bend music styles to the environment he is in. Sure, musicians like Bob Dylan has created a mass of a catalog, but Warren Haynes has created that catalog with such a diverse group of musicians in genres of many different ages and styles.
Warren Haynes is beyond my understanding not just as a guitar player but as a man. Everything he does turns to gold. His best is yet to come. Maybe he will sit down and rest one of these days, but if will let him do that for too long, I assume he will just play B.B King style. The desire is insatiable.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
The First Track
This post was inspired by "Twice As Hard" by The Black Crowes.
Some fans and critics describe debut albums as the most important album for a band--like a job interview. These days it is easy, in the however long it takes to make an impression, for a band to make an impact on a listener. In the end, the band is selling their product and their brand to the listener.
In job interviews, the interviewer can make a judgment simply on what you have chosen to wear to the interview. We can make a parallel of this to the cover art. How does the band present themselves? While an interview might look for professionalism, the prospective listener looks for intrigue, whatever that might be for them.
You may call me harsh or strict but a listener, upon first listen, should be able to make a judgment on a band in the first two minutes of their first track. It should be intriguing. It does not have be their best because what kind of album is it if they go ahead and give you their best to lead off? How does the interviewer react if he or she hires you and you perform consistently worse after the interview?
With that said, the choice of first track is something bands must consider carefully. A listener must consider that in essence making a debut album with be not necessarily easier than making all later albums, but more creatively fluid. Say someone starts a band at 22. That means they have every bit of creative energy and every influence in their first 22 years packed in that debut album. When they make their second album, they are going to be drawing from one to five years of experience (the gap between albums).
Now with the first track it is important for bands to not let a listener just pass them over. My perspective comes from intrigue. Give me your weirdest sound or your sickest intro. Do something people do not usually do. Make me want to listen to all the other tracks. This is the first I have heard your music and I should want to hear more.
In its essence, a debut track should give me an idea of what you can do. Sound like you know what you are doing. Run your show.
TIME TO RANT. Attention: If your first track is an intro or some song where the title has your name in it or explains where you comes from or "how you roll," there's a good chance I will not finish the song. Does a writer focus his chapter or poem by explaining how he write? Does a movie director describe how he directs by interrupting the film? Does an artist provide a written note telling you why he did what he did? No they sure don't. Write and play as you would. I do not need your introductions or explanations. I can tell in your material. I know Arctic Monkeys come from a shithole. I know Zac Brown Band loves the beach. I know Tame Impala likes psychedelic Beatles era. I know Red Hot Chili Peppers are from southern California. Cut the crap and just play. Phew, we carry on.
Make it special because it might be all the time you have with my ears. Good first tracks will grab attention, but keep you guessing and asking questions like where will this go or how can they build on that?
Good first tracks:
"Don't Panic" Coldplay
"Dog Days Are Over" Florence + the Machine
"Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" The Killers
"Mansard Roof" Vampire Weekend
"Backwoods Company" The Wild Feathers
"Good Times Bad Times" Led Zeppelin
"Once" Pearl Jam
"Radio Free Europe" R.E.M.
"I Will Follow" U2
The first track is all about making an impact. Don't waste my time.
Some fans and critics describe debut albums as the most important album for a band--like a job interview. These days it is easy, in the however long it takes to make an impression, for a band to make an impact on a listener. In the end, the band is selling their product and their brand to the listener.
In job interviews, the interviewer can make a judgment simply on what you have chosen to wear to the interview. We can make a parallel of this to the cover art. How does the band present themselves? While an interview might look for professionalism, the prospective listener looks for intrigue, whatever that might be for them.
You may call me harsh or strict but a listener, upon first listen, should be able to make a judgment on a band in the first two minutes of their first track. It should be intriguing. It does not have be their best because what kind of album is it if they go ahead and give you their best to lead off? How does the interviewer react if he or she hires you and you perform consistently worse after the interview?
With that said, the choice of first track is something bands must consider carefully. A listener must consider that in essence making a debut album with be not necessarily easier than making all later albums, but more creatively fluid. Say someone starts a band at 22. That means they have every bit of creative energy and every influence in their first 22 years packed in that debut album. When they make their second album, they are going to be drawing from one to five years of experience (the gap between albums).
Now with the first track it is important for bands to not let a listener just pass them over. My perspective comes from intrigue. Give me your weirdest sound or your sickest intro. Do something people do not usually do. Make me want to listen to all the other tracks. This is the first I have heard your music and I should want to hear more.
In its essence, a debut track should give me an idea of what you can do. Sound like you know what you are doing. Run your show.
TIME TO RANT. Attention: If your first track is an intro or some song where the title has your name in it or explains where you comes from or "how you roll," there's a good chance I will not finish the song. Does a writer focus his chapter or poem by explaining how he write? Does a movie director describe how he directs by interrupting the film? Does an artist provide a written note telling you why he did what he did? No they sure don't. Write and play as you would. I do not need your introductions or explanations. I can tell in your material. I know Arctic Monkeys come from a shithole. I know Zac Brown Band loves the beach. I know Tame Impala likes psychedelic Beatles era. I know Red Hot Chili Peppers are from southern California. Cut the crap and just play. Phew, we carry on.
Make it special because it might be all the time you have with my ears. Good first tracks will grab attention, but keep you guessing and asking questions like where will this go or how can they build on that?
Good first tracks:
"Don't Panic" Coldplay
"Dog Days Are Over" Florence + the Machine
"Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" The Killers
"Mansard Roof" Vampire Weekend
"Backwoods Company" The Wild Feathers
"Good Times Bad Times" Led Zeppelin
"Once" Pearl Jam
"Radio Free Europe" R.E.M.
"I Will Follow" U2
The first track is all about making an impact. Don't waste my time.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Turn This On: Capital Cities
Capital Cities, a pop/electronic duo, from Los Angeles knows their way around a synthesizer. Check these guys out because you will be hearing their name a lot more come later this year.
I am not sure if I should lay out and let the airy, crazy beats take me over or get up and bust a move.
"Safe and Sound" is every corporation's indie pop hit that they can put on a commercial to seem cool. Don't hold it against them. But who else can say they feature Andre 3000 and NPR on the same track. The constant combination of synthy hooks and beats with horns is so peppy and funky. Just like Matt & Kim, I dare you to listen to these guys and feel sad.
Jump on their new record, In A Tidal Wave of Mystery. If you see them live consider yourself lucky to soak in these sounds.
Here is Safe and Sound
I am not sure if I should lay out and let the airy, crazy beats take me over or get up and bust a move.
"Safe and Sound" is every corporation's indie pop hit that they can put on a commercial to seem cool. Don't hold it against them. But who else can say they feature Andre 3000 and NPR on the same track. The constant combination of synthy hooks and beats with horns is so peppy and funky. Just like Matt & Kim, I dare you to listen to these guys and feel sad.
Jump on their new record, In A Tidal Wave of Mystery. If you see them live consider yourself lucky to soak in these sounds.
Here is Safe and Sound
Everything is Derivative Sometimes
We are but a collection of what has come before us. We can never fully be original. It's purely impossible. We either recreate something that happened before or we think we are doing something original and in reality, all we can do is wrap a new idea with unconscious influences. It may not be a bad thing nor does it mean that you will be unsuccessful.
In music, the really landmark artists, those that will be remembered for generation, still are but a collection of influences. They just find a way to make it seem their own.
Think about one of the greatest bands of all time.
Led Zeppelin: Robert Plant was living up to his heroes in American early blues. Jimmy Page was a master skiffler (skifflist?).
As I notice younger bands, I can see exactly who they listened to when they were younger. This blog post was influenced by the Japandroids and their love of Blink 182.
I played Dawes for my dad once. He asked if it was Jackson Browne. I said Dad, Jackson Browne sings on one of these tracks. He said yeah I bet he does. No need to tell me I'm right.
In The Concord, I called The Dirty Guv'nahs the minor league affiliate of The Black Crowes. But think about it.
I can imagine Nate Ruess of fun. worshipping the ground Freddie Mercury walked on.
The Wild Feathers don't mind admitting that their record is a 2013 greatest hits of their influences like The Band, The Rolling Stones, and Ryan Adams. Tame Impala is The Beatles if they found Black Sabbath tapes while still playing Sgt. Pepper
As much as we try, artists cannot help but replicate what comes before them. That's across the board. I guess the question is what is original. Whose ideas in the beginning shaped what we do now? Or are we all just adding our own technique to what already came?
I leave with The Kingston Springs doing their best surf rock impersonation.
Sweet Susie
In music, the really landmark artists, those that will be remembered for generation, still are but a collection of influences. They just find a way to make it seem their own.
Think about one of the greatest bands of all time.
Led Zeppelin: Robert Plant was living up to his heroes in American early blues. Jimmy Page was a master skiffler (skifflist?).
As I notice younger bands, I can see exactly who they listened to when they were younger. This blog post was influenced by the Japandroids and their love of Blink 182.
I played Dawes for my dad once. He asked if it was Jackson Browne. I said Dad, Jackson Browne sings on one of these tracks. He said yeah I bet he does. No need to tell me I'm right.
In The Concord, I called The Dirty Guv'nahs the minor league affiliate of The Black Crowes. But think about it.
I can imagine Nate Ruess of fun. worshipping the ground Freddie Mercury walked on.
The Wild Feathers don't mind admitting that their record is a 2013 greatest hits of their influences like The Band, The Rolling Stones, and Ryan Adams. Tame Impala is The Beatles if they found Black Sabbath tapes while still playing Sgt. Pepper
As much as we try, artists cannot help but replicate what comes before them. That's across the board. I guess the question is what is original. Whose ideas in the beginning shaped what we do now? Or are we all just adding our own technique to what already came?
I leave with The Kingston Springs doing their best surf rock impersonation.
Sweet Susie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)