Tired Pony, a group that includes members of Snow Patrol, R.E.M., and Belle & Sebastian, just released the first song from their second album "The Ghost on the Mountain" due out October 1st in the U.S. The song is called "All Things at Once" and it continues with the Americana tone that singer Gary Lightbody created in the first record.
I recommend this song and this band for a look at the blending of cultures and genres. Tired Pony gives Americana a new twist from some guys, in their mainstay bands, are more electric than the acoustic they play here.
Tired Pony started as a solid side project--just some great musicians getting together writing some loose songs. No pressure. In some ways creativity flows even easier in these side projects. Some guys such as Jack White and Justin Vernon (which will be described below) make their living just jumping from project to project.
Here are some recent side projects that have been a great success: (supergroups included because in essence they are side projects)
Them Crooked Vultures: Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters, Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. Pick that drool off your chin now.
The Dead Weather: Jack White of so much stuff I can't keep track, Alison Mosshart of The Kills, Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age, and Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs
Discovery: Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend and Wesley Miles of Ra Ra Riot
Monsters of Folk: Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst, M. Ward, and Mike Mogis
Justin Vernon side projects: The Shouting Matches
Volcano Choir
Friday, July 12, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Updated Forecastle News
Comprehensive Afterparty List (official and unofficial)
Friday July 12th:
Belle of Louisville - Wick-It the Instigator and Eliot Lipp, 12:00 AM showtime, $19 plus fees, 21+
Headliner's - Phiasco & The Allmanacs (Playing in tribute to the Music of Phish, The Allman Brothers Band & The Grateful Dead) 12:00 AM showtime, Free w/ festival pass or $5, 21+, 1386 Lexington Road (10 minutes from Forecastle)
Zanzabar - The Pass w/ Touch Sensitive, OK Deejays, Soles, 11:30 showtime (playing till 4AM) , $7, 21+, 2100 South Preston Street (10 mins from Forecastle)
Saturday July 13th:
Belle of Louisville - Houndmouth w/ Night Beds, Wheeler Brothers, and more, 12:00 AM showtime, $21 plus fees, 18+ (Forecastle promises something up their sleeve for this one)
Louisville Palace - String Cheese Incident, 11:59 pm showtime, $42, 625 S. Fourth Street (walkable distance from Forecastle)
Sunday July 14th:
Against the Grain - A Lion Named Roar w/ Dave Moisan and Colin Elmore, 8:30 PM showtime, FREE, 401 E. Main Street (walkable distance, next to Louisville Slugger Field)
Cancellations
Sadly two bands have cancelled their Forecastle appearances in the last couple of days. Churchill and Animal Collective will not be at the waterfront this weekend. Churchill has been replaced by The Secret Sisters. They will be playing from 5:30 to 6:15 on Sunday at the WFPK Port Stage. Forecastle has yet to make an announcement about Animal Collective's replacement.
Super Show
Last year, Ben Sollee brought some friends on stage to help him with his monstrous Forecastle set, a conglomeration of local friends to say the least. This included Jim James, Abigail Washburn, Daniel Martin Moore, and Cheyenne Marie Mize. This year another local band, The Pass, is doing something very similar to this. On Twitter, they declared that members of Wax Fang, The Deloreans, The Ladybirds, and rapper Jalin Roze will be appearing during their set. If you want to witness a memorable performance, be at the WFPK Port Stage at 5:30 on Friday for wild entertainment.
We Finally Understand The Forecastle Incident
Up until this week, we didn't know much about The Forecastle Incident other than The String Cheese Incident would play a guest-filled set on the Mast Stage at 5:45 on Sunday. But now we know. Forecastle announced that it's Incident is called Bluegrass and Beyond: An Instrumental Extravaganza. Playing with The String Cheese Incident will be Sam Bush, Ronnie McCoury & Jason Carter of The Travelin' McCoury's, and Andy Thorn of Leftover Salmon.
If You Can Only See One Band...
Friday: Moon Taxi
Saturday: Matt & Kim
Sunday: The Wild Feathers
Friday July 12th:
Belle of Louisville - Wick-It the Instigator and Eliot Lipp, 12:00 AM showtime, $19 plus fees, 21+
Headliner's - Phiasco & The Allmanacs (Playing in tribute to the Music of Phish, The Allman Brothers Band & The Grateful Dead) 12:00 AM showtime, Free w/ festival pass or $5, 21+, 1386 Lexington Road (10 minutes from Forecastle)
Zanzabar - The Pass w/ Touch Sensitive, OK Deejays, Soles, 11:30 showtime (playing till 4AM) , $7, 21+, 2100 South Preston Street (10 mins from Forecastle)
Saturday July 13th:
Belle of Louisville - Houndmouth w/ Night Beds, Wheeler Brothers, and more, 12:00 AM showtime, $21 plus fees, 18+ (Forecastle promises something up their sleeve for this one)
Louisville Palace - String Cheese Incident, 11:59 pm showtime, $42, 625 S. Fourth Street (walkable distance from Forecastle)
Sunday July 14th:
Against the Grain - A Lion Named Roar w/ Dave Moisan and Colin Elmore, 8:30 PM showtime, FREE, 401 E. Main Street (walkable distance, next to Louisville Slugger Field)
Cancellations
Sadly two bands have cancelled their Forecastle appearances in the last couple of days. Churchill and Animal Collective will not be at the waterfront this weekend. Churchill has been replaced by The Secret Sisters. They will be playing from 5:30 to 6:15 on Sunday at the WFPK Port Stage. Forecastle has yet to make an announcement about Animal Collective's replacement.
Super Show
Last year, Ben Sollee brought some friends on stage to help him with his monstrous Forecastle set, a conglomeration of local friends to say the least. This included Jim James, Abigail Washburn, Daniel Martin Moore, and Cheyenne Marie Mize. This year another local band, The Pass, is doing something very similar to this. On Twitter, they declared that members of Wax Fang, The Deloreans, The Ladybirds, and rapper Jalin Roze will be appearing during their set. If you want to witness a memorable performance, be at the WFPK Port Stage at 5:30 on Friday for wild entertainment.
We Finally Understand The Forecastle Incident
Up until this week, we didn't know much about The Forecastle Incident other than The String Cheese Incident would play a guest-filled set on the Mast Stage at 5:45 on Sunday. But now we know. Forecastle announced that it's Incident is called Bluegrass and Beyond: An Instrumental Extravaganza. Playing with The String Cheese Incident will be Sam Bush, Ronnie McCoury & Jason Carter of The Travelin' McCoury's, and Andy Thorn of Leftover Salmon.
If You Can Only See One Band...
Friday: Moon Taxi
Saturday: Matt & Kim
Sunday: The Wild Feathers
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Old Dogs Learn New Tricks From Young Dogs
Recently, there have been a handful of veteran musicians who have gotten help from some contemporaries and because of it, have had their careers ignited once again. These people had not lost talent in their age. They had just lost their audience. The people who listened to their music twenty and thirty years ago are no longer in the position to buy tickets to shows, so like any other business, they recreated themselves to make their product applicable.
Here a few classics who called on the help of contemporary musicians:
Loretta Lynn's 2004 album Van Lear Rose was produced by legendary rocker Jack White of The White Stripes and a thousand other projects. For this album, White brought in members of his then band The Raconteurs and gave the timeless Lynn a little alt-country twist. This album won Loretta Lynn two Grammys, one for Best Country Album and one for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. During recording, Lynn was 72 and White was 28.
Mavis Staples has had her last two albums produced by Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy. With her being from a gospel/soul background and Tweedy with interests in alt-country and rock, this collaboration might be as weird as Lynn/White, but just like that pair Staples and Tweedy turned out to be a pretty good team. Just like White, Tweedy played most of the instruments or had the majority of influence on how the album was going to sound. But what stayed true was the soul. On these two albums, Mavis Staples has turned some covers and some Tweedy tunes into classic sounding soul tunes with a time warp and her raw voice. Now one of singers of "The Weight" on The Band's The Last Waltz is back to a full tour schedule singing to a whole new audience.
Next are two male artists who have not left their old tunes but now share them with some contemporary artists breathing new life into the songs and the artists.
Lionel Richie did not just flip age groups but genres as well. The man that made such #1's as "All Night Long" and "Dancing on the Ceiling" took us for a spin on 2012's Tuskegee. This album was a remake of 13 of his most popular hits, but on each one he involved a country stars, both old and new to sing with him like Tim McGraw, Kenny Rogers, Darius Rucker, and Blake Shelton. By doing this he was reaching a different audience and exploring the musical composition of these songs written long ago. This was Richie's first number one album since 1986. It was a learning experience on both ends.
This last example (and my personal favorite) is the most recent addition to this list. John Fogerty, the frontman of Creedence Clearwater Revival and later of solo fame, recently released Wrote a Song for Everyone an album where he and the artists he worked with really turned some classic CCR tunes to make some really interesting tracks. He worked with some peers as well as some artists that would call Fogerty an influence. That includes Foo Fighters, Dawes, Miranda Lambert, Zac Brown Band, and Brad Paisley. What makes Fogerty's album different than Richie's is that what was once a CCR song has now been bent to fit a different genre, but that genre is hardly repeated by another song on the album. Foo Fighters are going to bring something entirely different to the table than say Zac Brown Band. I highly recommend this album as a retrospective and diverse look at CCR, the band, and John Fogerty, the man.
Some people might say the musicians are bored and just want to make some money. Some stubborn people might just say that doing these kinds of collaborations disgraces their original work. But those people just have their head in the sand. What came out of Lynn, Staples, Richie, and Fogerty is something they had never done before. Working with these artists did not shrink their importance at all. Lynn, Staples, Richie, and Fogerty grew in these experiences and so can we now that White, Tweedy, and countless others have translated their beautiful voices and sound into our worlds. Collaboration does not stop at genre and never in time.
Here a few classics who called on the help of contemporary musicians:
Loretta Lynn's 2004 album Van Lear Rose was produced by legendary rocker Jack White of The White Stripes and a thousand other projects. For this album, White brought in members of his then band The Raconteurs and gave the timeless Lynn a little alt-country twist. This album won Loretta Lynn two Grammys, one for Best Country Album and one for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. During recording, Lynn was 72 and White was 28.
Lionel Richie did not just flip age groups but genres as well. The man that made such #1's as "All Night Long" and "Dancing on the Ceiling" took us for a spin on 2012's Tuskegee. This album was a remake of 13 of his most popular hits, but on each one he involved a country stars, both old and new to sing with him like Tim McGraw, Kenny Rogers, Darius Rucker, and Blake Shelton. By doing this he was reaching a different audience and exploring the musical composition of these songs written long ago. This was Richie's first number one album since 1986. It was a learning experience on both ends.
This last example (and my personal favorite) is the most recent addition to this list. John Fogerty, the frontman of Creedence Clearwater Revival and later of solo fame, recently released Wrote a Song for Everyone an album where he and the artists he worked with really turned some classic CCR tunes to make some really interesting tracks. He worked with some peers as well as some artists that would call Fogerty an influence. That includes Foo Fighters, Dawes, Miranda Lambert, Zac Brown Band, and Brad Paisley. What makes Fogerty's album different than Richie's is that what was once a CCR song has now been bent to fit a different genre, but that genre is hardly repeated by another song on the album. Foo Fighters are going to bring something entirely different to the table than say Zac Brown Band. I highly recommend this album as a retrospective and diverse look at CCR, the band, and John Fogerty, the man.
Some people might say the musicians are bored and just want to make some money. Some stubborn people might just say that doing these kinds of collaborations disgraces their original work. But those people just have their head in the sand. What came out of Lynn, Staples, Richie, and Fogerty is something they had never done before. Working with these artists did not shrink their importance at all. Lynn, Staples, Richie, and Fogerty grew in these experiences and so can we now that White, Tweedy, and countless others have translated their beautiful voices and sound into our worlds. Collaboration does not stop at genre and never in time.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Walk the Moon plays cover set at Bonnaroo
Nearly every Walk the Moon set includes a cover song, but here they are playing an entire cover set at Bonnaroo. They played under the name Kaleidoscope Space Tribe. Highlights include a couple of Talking Heads jams like "Psycho Killer" and "Once in a Lifetime."
Check this great set out! Just another bit of magic that happens on the farm!
Sunday, June 30, 2013
When Music Makes Offspring
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"
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"
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.
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