The Decemberists - "Don't Carry It All"

With this final post of 2011, I will be taking a sabbatical from the Friday song-of-the-weekend.

The New Pornographers - "Joseph, Who Understood"

How about a beautiful, original Christmas song you've never heard for today's song of the weekend? OK then, we can do that.  Credit for today's selection goes out to my sister Deb who posted this on her facebook page yesterday in the spirit of Christmas (apparently she HAS heard this one). From their 2007 EP 'The Spirit of Giving' this is Vancouver's New Pornographers with "Joseph, Who Understood."

Can't say I know too much about this band, but it seems I should! I like what I hear and I have such a fondness for Vancouver that they get points just for that.

Background on the band comes from Wikipedia (and yes, they explain the name):

The band's first four albums each ranked in the top 40 on The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop year-end poll of hundreds of music reviewers. From 2000 to 2006, either a New Pornographers' album or a solo album from one of the band's members ranked in the top 40 on the list each year. In 2007, Blender magazine ranked The New Pornographers' first album, Mass Romantic, the 24th best indie album of all time. It is the second-highest Canadian album on the list, behind Arcade Fire's Funeral (which came in sixth). In 2009, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the band's second studio album, Electric Version, #79 in the "100 Best Albums of the Decade".
The name of the band was chosen by Carl Newman, who has said that he came up with it after watching a Japanese film called The Pornographers. Many writers have assumed that the name was a reference to Jimmy Swaggart's reputed claim that rock and roll was "the new pornography." The band has released five albums to date: Mass Romantic (2000), Electric Version (2003), Twin Cinema (2005), Challengers (2007), and Together (2010). A live album recorded on their 2006 tour is available only at concerts and on the band's website.

By the way...let me know if you DO know this song already. I want to know who's in the know.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Everything!
Peace.

Listen to "Joseph, Who Understood"
From the EP 'The Spirit of Giving'

Click here to watch a video of the New Pornographers on Letterman.

Uncle Tupelo - "Give Back the Key to My Heart"

Going back to 1993 for our song-of-the-weekend selection today. "Give Me Back the Key to My Heart" comes from 'Anodyne,' the fourth and final album from alt-country pioneers Uncle Tupelo.  The band broke up after this record and Jeff Tweedy left to form Wilco and Jeff Farrar formed Son Volt.

Background from Wikipedia:
Shortly after the release of the band's major label debut album Anodyne, Farrar announced his decision to leave the band due to a soured relationship with his co-songwriter Tweedy. Uncle Tupelo split on May 1, 1994, after completing a farewell tour. Following the breakup, Farrar formed Son Volt with Heidorn, while the remaining members continued as Wilco.
Although Uncle Tupelo broke up before it achieved commercial success, the band is renowned for its impact on the alternative country music scene. The group's first album, No Depression, became a byword for the genre and was widely influential. Uncle Tupelo's sound was unlike popular country music of the time, drawing inspiration from styles as diverse as the hardcore punk of The Minutemen and the country instrumentation and harmony of the Carter Family and Hank Williams. Farrar and Tweedy lyrics frequently referred to Middle America and the working class of Belleville, IL.

The fiddle carries this one....ENJOY!

Listen to "Give Back the Key to My Heart"
From the album 'Anodyne'

Click here to see a video of Uncle Tupelo live on Conan from 1994.

Deer Tick - "Axe Is Forever"

Last week's post from Middle Brother featured the singer-songwriting talents of Deer Tick frontman John McCauley. Although I knew of Deer Tick I had never really explored their material until this week. Perhaps it was the name that scared me away, Deer Tick, really?  But I can now say I am a fan of the band, if not their name.  Right up my alley with the roots rock sound and, as an added bonus, they're from good old Rhode Island, home to my alma mater.

Their Pandora bio focuses mainly on their front man:
McCauley started recording his own compositions and touring the area while still in high school, and he widened his circle after graduation by touring the entire country. Although he'd often perform solo, the young musician also began piecing together a proper band, occasionally playing as a duo with drummer Dennis Ryan or with a small group. His music fit loosely into the alt-country category, but his vocals -- rough, raw, and ragged -- brought a wealth of rock and grunge influences to the sound. Following the September 2007 release of his first CD, War Elephant, McCauley's Deer Tick project began earning comparisons to Bright Eyes, Modest Mouse, and Uncle Tupelo.

Today's song-of-the-weekend selection comes form a 2009 EP entitled 'More Fuel For The Fire.' "Axe Is Forever" is a kind of bouncy, straight-forward rock tune with McCauley's signature gruff vocal sound.  ENJOY!

 Listen to "Axe Is Forever"
From the EP 'More Fuel for the Fire"

Click here to view a video of Deer Tick live on Letterman.

Middle Brother - "Middle Brother"

Stumbled a cross another "keeper" this week. Found this band called Middle Brother and bought their debut self-titled album which was just released in March of this year.  I'd say every song on the record has redeeming qualities and it ranks up there as one of my favorites of 2011.


For some background we check their iTunes bio:
After chance collaborations over the years, folk-rock super-group Middle Brother officially came together in 2009. A trio of frontmen consisting of Deer Tick's John McCauley, Dawes' John Goldsmith, and Delta Spirit's Matthew Vasquez, Middle Brother have a sound that's dreamy and plaintive, pulling together aspects of the bandmembers' other work to create a unified sonic vision.  Once the three songwriters realized how much they liked being pushed by each other, things came together quickly for Middle Brother.  In early 2010, they went into the studio in Nashville to record their debut, and made their first stage appearance at SXSW just a few months later...

Today we're serving up the song "Middle Brother" from the album 'Middle Brother' by the band Middle Brother....a song-of-the-weekend first!

Turn it up, tap your foot and ENJOY!

Listen to "Middle Brother"
From their self-titled album

Click to view a live video of Middle Brother performing "Middle Brother."

Young Fresh Fellows - "My Friend Ringo"

We're going to take a different path than normal today with our song-of-the-weekend selection. Typically, I keep the choices fairly current but today I decided to offer up a blast from my past and share a song from about 25 years ago. Back in 1987, pop radio was playing hits like "Walk Like an Egyptian," "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," and "Livin' on a Prayer." My friends and I were only paying attention to the college radio scene.  I couldn't tell you the names of those top 40 hits but I could tell you just about every song by Seattle's Young Fresh Fellows and I owned everything they had published.

The Young Fresh Fellows were considered early pioneers of the fantastic Seattle music scene. The Trouser Press website describes their music as such:
Seattle's Young Fresh Fellows combine punk-derived recklessness and a bubbly garage-pop sensibility with an absurdist lyrical wit and a bittersweet vulnerable streak that has grown increasingly resonant as the band confronts the inconvenient realities of adult life. 

That's a fancy way of saying these guys are a lot of fun! The absudist lyrical wit really hits the mark as these guys were absolutely hysterical!

'My Friend Ringo" comes from the 4th of their 15 studio albums entitled 'The Men Who Loved Music.'

Turn it up and ENJOY the fabulous sounds of the Young Fresh Fellows!

Listen to "My Friend Ringo"
From the album 'The Men Who Loved Music'


Click here to watch a Young Fresh Fellows video for "Amy Grant."

Matisyahu - "One Day"

Of all the Hasidic Jewish reggae, beat-boxing, hip-hop artists out there, I'd have to say Matisyahu is my favorite!  Seriously, can you believe that a man of his background is creating reggae-inspired music and has gained such popularity and industry recognition to boot.  I love it.

Born outside Philadelphia in 1979 with the name Matthew Paul Miller, he and his family eventually settled outside New York City.  His Pandora profile starts like this:  When Matisyahu emerged in 2004 with his debut album, Shake Off the Dust...Arise, his musical persona seemed to some a novelty. Here was a Hasidic Jew -- dressed in a black suit with a broad-brimmed black hat worn over a yarmulke, and sporting a full, untrimmed beard -- who nevertheless performed toasting raps about the glories of traditional Judaism over reggae beats in a dancehall style directly from Jamaica. Moreover, he punctuated his performances with stage diving. It may have seemed like a joke at first, but Matisyahu was serious about his craft, and his diverse style soon garnered Grammy nominations, gold record certifications, and a broad audience. 

Since 2004, Matisyahu has released three studio albums and had a top 40 hit in 2005 with the song King Without a Crown.  Our song selection today, "One Day," comes from his third studio album, the 2009 release entitled 'Light.'
I like reggae but I can't say I'm a die-hard fan....for me it's every once in a while, I get in the mood, kick on some reggae, and just chill mon.
ENJOY!

Listen to "One Day"
from the album 'Light'


Click to view a video of Matisyahu performing an acoustic, beat box version of "One Day."
Click to view Matisyahu tour dates.

My Morning Jacket - "First Light"

What am I listening to this week? How nice of you to ask.  It's the new album released in May from My Morning Jacket, their 6th studio record called 'Circuital.'

My Morning Jacket is and American rock band from Louisville, KY which formed in 1999.  I like this band but for me, I'd say they were an acquired taste...took me a while to 'get it.'   Not an easy band to categorize with regard to their sound, Wikipedia lists their genres as: Americana, roots rock, country rock, jam band, southern rock, and indie rock.  That should just about cover it I would say.

For consistent fans of the band, 'Circuital' appears to be a return to form of sorts as indicated by this review of the new album by Max Blau on the Paste Magazine site:
While 'Circuital' is far from a perfect record, it boasts a collection of songs that indicates a return to form for these Louisville rockers following the road bump that came in the form of Evil Urges. Several tracks, including “Circuital” with its slow-building dynamic declaration and the ominous “Holdin’ On To Black Metal," almost instantaneously can be placed among the band’s best songs. “First Light” roars with a brass-backed intensity, while “Movin’ Away” closes the record echoing the serenity found circa At Dawn.

My pick today is "First Light." It's my personal favorite from 'Circuital.'
Yes...high volume is required.  Turn it up and ENJOY!

Listen to "First Light"
From the album 'Circuital'

Click here to view a video of My Morning Jacket on Letterman.
Click here to view My Morning Jacket tour dates.

Joshua Path - "The Magician"

I had never heard of Joshua Path before this week and, in a roundabout way, I have iTunes to thank for introducing me.  I was doing some work in my office at night this week and Pandora was streaming as per usual.  Some song caught my attention (although I can't tell you what song it was) and I went to iTunes to explore that other band.   Towards the bottom of the page iTunes suggested other artists which were similar and Joshua Path was listed.  Curious because I had never heard of him, I clicked on his new album.  There you have it, now you know how I found this California artist this week.

So there really is not a lot out on the web on this guy...but here is a little info:
"The Magician" comes from his brand new album, his sixth, called 'Between Heaven and Jonestown' which was only released about 7 weeks ago.  He is based near L.A. and the only upcoming show listed on his website is actually tonight at Genghis Cohen.

This song just kind of mesmerized me...There is just something about this rhythmic guitar riff, background vocals, and driving drumbeat that I could listen to all day. I have a feeling this one will appeal to many different types of people with many different tastes in music.
Have a great weekend and ENJOY THE MUSIC!

Listen to "The Magician"
From the album 'Between Heaven and Jonestown'

Click to view a Joshua Path live video of "Spider of Love."

Matt White Band - "All Signs Point to Yes" (live at KUT)

This week we're offering up YET ANOTHER Austin, TX band.  I first came across the music of the Matt White Band about 4-5 years ago and I'm not sure how.  They have an interesting combination of southern roots rock and soul that I find appealing.  So I'm scouring the internet trying to find out more about them for this post and really had a hard time finding much.  iTunes had one of their albums posted and that was a 2006 release called 'Burn Out Bright.'   Since there is no Wikipedia entry for them I did not even have access to a discography.

There is a short bio on Matt White on mattwhiteband..com which has a couple of tidbits which include the fact that Matt is born and raised in Texas, grew up listening to a wide variety of music, fronted a band called Bent through college and started Matt White Band shortly after settling in Austin.  Beyond that, I'm fairly clueless about these guys.

Why did I choose this particular song? I chose this song because my wife really likes it.
It was apparently recorded during a live in studio session at radio station KUT at the University of Texas. When, you ask? Who knows!

Turn it up and ENJOY!

Listen to "All Signs Point to Yes"
Recorded live at KUT

Click here to view a video of Matt White Band playing "Angel."

Cake - "Ruby Sees All"

I must confess that the band Cake was never really on my radar screen.  "Ruby Sees All" streamed on my Pandora this week and caught my attention.  Turns out I did have several of their songs in my music library but I didn't know a l lot about them until this week.  What I know now is I like several of their songs very much.  I appreciate their unique sound, their use of the trumpet and the chances they take with structure and lyrics.

Wikipedia describes them as follows: Cake is an American alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. Consisting of singer John McCrea, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, guitarist Xan McCurdy, bassist Gabe Nelson and drummer Paulo Baldi, the band has been noted for McCrea's sarcastic lyrics and deadpan voice, DiFiore's trumpet parts, and their wide-ranging musical influences, including country music, Mariachi, rock, funk, Iranian folk music and hip-hop.

I can't say I know too many bands that have been influenced by Iranian folk music!
Anyway, today's song selection comes from their 1994 album entitled 'Motorcade of Generosity.'
Funky little beat and trumpet for your listening pleasure...ENJOY.

Listen to "Ruby Sees All"
From the album 'Motorcade of Generosity'

Click here to view a live Cake video of "Ruby Sees All."
Click here to view Cake tour dates.

Monsters of Folk - "Say Please"

Monsters of Folk is a band that started out as a side project.  Each of its members are in other bands: Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Brite Eyes, Jim James from My Morning Jacket and M. Ward is a renown solo artist/producer.

The band was formed in 2004 when the members were on tour with their respective bands and solo projects. After playing together both on-stage and backstage, they started working together on various material. Due to the members' main projects, Monsters of Folk did not wrap up their first album until 2009.  That year, they released their one and only album as Monsters of Folk.  The self-titled record cracked the Billboard Top 200 at #143 and peaked at #3 on the U.S. indie chart.

From the Amazon site review: All four members play every instrument on the album, supplying everything from drum kills to cascading backing vocals. The songs – some road-worn fables, some intimate and intricate with electronic elements, some woozy and sun-soaked – are everything one expects from these four musical minds collaborating together. The album exudes a warm, organic spaciousness, filled by brilliant choruses, intoxicating harmonies and effortless melodies, as each member brings his own strengths to the table to create one perfect whole.

Well there you go...Our song today is "Say Please" and I think you're going to like it.
ENJOY!

Listen to "Say Please"
From the album 'Monsters of Folk'


Click to view Monsters of Folk video from Austin City Limits.

Trombone Shorty - "On Your Way Down"

Today we've got the funky, jazzy, New Orleans sound of Trombone Shorty and his Orleans Avenue band.  Twenty-five year old Troy Andrews (aka Trombone Shorty) has been wowing crowds with his horn prowess since the age of six (see photo on left playing the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 1991 with the Carlsberg Brass Band from Denmark).


 

His solo musical career began to take shape around 2006 shortly after a stint as a horn player touring with Lenny Kravitz.
From Wikipedia:   In early 2007, New Orleans’ music magazine Offbeat named Andrews their Performer of the Year. He also garnered honors as Best Contemporary Jazz Performer. Also in 2007, he accepted an invitation to contribute to Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino.  As of 2009, his current project is Orleans Avenue, a funk/pop/hip-hop mix including musicians Mike Ballard on bass, Dan Oestreicher on baritone sax, Tim McFatter on tenor sax, Pete Murano on guitar, Joey Peebles on drums, and Dwayne "Big D" Williams on percussion.
He appeared in four episodes of the 2010 HBO series Treme.  In 2010 Andrews released Backatown (Verve Forecast), which hit Billboard magazine's Contemporary Jazz Chart at #1 and stayed there for nine consecutive weeks. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue toured across North America, Europe, Japan and Brazil, as well as supporting shows for Jeff Beck in the U.K. and Dave Matthews Band in the U.S. They performed on television shows including Conan, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Bonaroo, and Austin City Limits. He also recorded on new and upcoming CDs from Galactic, Eric Clapton, and Lenny Kravitz and on the Academy Award nominated "Down In New Orleans" with Dr. John.

As you know, I love the New Orleans sound and Trombone Shorty's unique combination of NOLA jazz and funk are truly irresistible.  ENJOY!

Listen to "On Your Way Down"
From the album 'Backatown'


Click to view Trombone Shorty tour dates.
Click to view Trombone Shorty live "On Your Way Down" video.

Gavin DeGraw - "Follow Through" (stripped)

Thirty-four year old Gavin DeGraw grew up in the Catskills region of upstate New York and is known as a pop-singing piano player with soul.  I first heard his music with his 2003 release of the album 'Chariot.' The album had a number 3 hit on the US pop charts called "I Don't Wanna Be."  But what really struck me about this album was the fact that DeGraw included an entire second disc with the purchase of the record.  This second disc consisted of all of the exact same songs but it was recorded differently and resulted in much different arrangements.  The first disc was the straight-forward studio version of the songs and it turned out to be a relatively surprising commercial success.  For the second disc, DeGraw and his band recorded each song live in the studio, in one take, during one late night session.  For me, this was the keeper.  While the studio version received decent airplay, not as many people heard the 'stripped' version.  Frankly, I'm not sure I listened to the studio version more than a couple times but I wore the imaginary grooves out on the 'stripped' version.

Unfortunately, an attack on DeGraw made the news just last month in New York City.
From Wikipedia:  On August 8, 2011, DeGraw was hospitalized after being assaulted by several persons in New York City.^[10] Police said a group of men attacked DeGraw early Sunday morning at 6th Street and First Avenue in the East Village, near The National Underground. He suffered a broken nose, a concussion, two black eyes and lacerations to his face. Only minutes after the attack, DeGraw was then struck by a taxi. He was admitted to Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital Center for treatment. He had to cancel his scheduled August 9 performance at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, located in Saratoga, New York.^[11]
I have since read that he had been recovering slowly but surely since the incident....thank goodness.

So anyway....
Today's song pick "Follow Through" comes from the stripped version of 'Chariot.'...ENJOY!

Listen to "Follow Through" (stripped)
From the album 'Chariot'

Click to view Gavin DeGraw tour dates.
Click here to view a video of Gavin DeGraw "Follow Through" live.

Reed Foehl - "Stoned Beautiful"

Love this title track from Reed Foehl's 2007 album. Here is some background directly from his website:
A Boston native based in Colorado since 1989, Foehls third solo release of Once An Ocean (2009) comes on the heels of his acclaimed Stoned Beautiful (2007), a departure from the jam-oriented repertoire of his band Acoustic Junction and his first solo release, Spark (2004).

With an endless stream of bleeding-heart songwriters, its not often that you find one with such a voice, along with a matched musical sensibility. If Foehl was singing in Yiddish, I'd still get what he's feeling. In other words, this guy's got soul.

His simple yet powerful, direct compositions have caught the attention of new fans nationwide through commercial radio airplay and placements for television and film.

Reed has performed with

Arlo Guthrie, Ray Lamontagne, Patty Griffin, Dave Matthews, Mike Doughty, Glenn Phillips, Colin Hay, Taj Majal, David Lindley,

My Morning Jacket, Marc Cohn...to name a few.

This one sounds good LOUD.  ENJOY!

Listen to "Stoned Beautiful"
title track from the album

Click here to view Reed Foehl tour dates.
Click here to view a Reed Foehl video.

Phish - "Heavy Things"

Phish first got together back in 1983 on the campus of the University of Vermont.  Since then they have become almost as much a part of the Vermont culture as snow boarding and Ben & Jerry's.
With a rabid fan base that almost parallels the Grateful Dead's following in size and fervor, and a penchant for extended jams and spacey segues, comparisons between Phish and that legendary group are pervasive.  There certainly are some similarities, but Phish doesn't have such a loyal following simply because they remind people of the Grateful Dead, these guys have a genuine musical prowess that stands on its own and has for the better part of 30 years.

On Wednesday of this week Phish made big news and stepped up to help their fellow Vermonters.  They played to a crazed, sold out audience at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, VT for a benefit concert helping raise money for thousands of Vermont citizens dealing with the aftermath of historical flooding due to Hurricane Irene.

"Heavy Things" is my personal favorite studio recording of theirs and it comes from their 2000 album entitled 'Farmhouse.'  Love the Trey Anastasio lead guitar solos.
Just try NOT to tap your toe along with this one.....ENJOY!

Listen to "Heavy Things"
From the album 'Farmhouse'

Click here watch a video of Phish performing "Heavy Things" on Letterman.

Nizlopi - "Helen"

Nizlopi is a British band I just stumbled across a month ago or so.  These guys have a unique sound and have been referred to as folk hip-hop artists...go figure.  I heard "Helen" on my personal Pandora station and was immediately intrigued.  I subsequently read a little about them and found out a few interesting facts about them:

1)  They had a number one hit in England in 2005 with a song called "JCB Song."
 
2) They no longer exist...
From Wikipedia:   
On 10 February 2010 an e-mail was sent out to all mailing list subscribers confirming that the band had split up after being together for 17 years. Luke Concannon stated "And that after many wild meanderings and much confusion I feel I must go on, on my own from here. That my dream is now to do another project, not Nizlopi, and to build a new life. So, this is good bye from Nizlopi. We are no more! Wow, there you go I said it. Scary as it is."

3) There entire sound comes from only two band members, one of which was a beat box artist...
More from the Wikipedia entry: 
Nizlopi were a two-piece band comprising Luke Concannon on vocals, guitar, and bodhrán, and John Parker on double bass, human beatbox, and providing backing vocals. They were based in Leamington Spa, England...and were educated at Trinity Catholic Technology College. Prior to attending Trinity Catholic Technology College, Luke and John attended St. Joseph's Primary. The band is named after a Hungarian girl that Luke had a crush on at school.

Our song-of-the-weekend today comes from their 2006 album called 'ExtraOrdinary.'

ENJOY!

 Listen to "Helen"
From the album 'ExraOrdinary'

Click here to watch a video of Nizlopi performing "Helen" live.  (song starts at 2:45)

Cracker - "Euro Trash Girl"

During the mid 1980's I was a huge fan of the California band Camper Van Beethoven.  When they disbanded around 1990 lead singer and guitarist David Lowery formed the band Cracker with guitarist Johnny Hickman.  Since that time, they have released 10 studio albums, two live albums, have toured extensively, and have had several hits along the way.  Their music is an eclectic mix of rock, punk, alt-country, psychedelia, blues and folk.
All these years later, Cracker is probably still best known for their second full-length recording, the 1993 album 'Kerosene Hat.' That record features our song-of-the-weekend selection "Euro Trash Girl" about which Daily Vault Music Review blogger Sean McCarthy writes:  Arguably the most beloved hidden track is the eight-minute-plus ode to bohemian listlessness "Euro Trash Girl." The song details one of the worst weekends you could ever have in a foreign country: having your car broken into, getting ripped off by a junkie, getting a case of the crabs, calling your folks for money only to have them hang up on you; but somehow, the chorus of “Yeah, I’ll search the world over for my angel in black” still leaves you hopeful.
I get a kick out of the story he tells and, for me, this one's as easy to slip into as an old pair of jeans.  ENJOY!

Listen to "Euro Trash Girl"
From the album 'Kerosene Hat'

Click here to view Cracker tour dates.
Click here to view Cracker live "Euro Trash Girl" video.

Marc Broussard - "Save Me"

We're heading down to the Bayou for our song-of-the-weekend today.  Twenty-nine year old Marc Broussard hails from Carencro, Louisiana and is the son of acclaimed Louisiana Hall of Fame guitarist Ted Broussard. He as released five studio albums including the 2007 'Save Our Soul' album of classic R&B cover songs but he never has had all that much commercial success.  I first heard Broussard's music back in 2004 with the release of his album Carencro on which today's tune "Save Me" is featured.

While his music is sometimes referred to as "Bayou Soul", blogger Pico aptly points out on the blogcritics music site: 'Broussard isn't so much making his mark with the music of his native stomping grounds, though. He's doing it with a steadfast devotion to soul and the golden pipes to deliver it the way it's meant to be delivered. His affinity to R&B naturally comes from bring the son of the aforementioned Ted Broussard, who was a member of the local legend Gulf Coast blue-eyed-soul band 'The Boogie Kings.'

"Save Me" was the first of Broussard's songs to hook me.  It has a tremendous beat and perfectly reflects the combination of soul, spirituality and the bayou sound that permeates Broussard's work.  ENJOY!

Listen to "Save Me"

From the album 'Carencro'

Click here to view upcoming Marc Broussard tour dates.
Click here to view a video of Marc Broussard performing "Save Me" live.

Brett Dennen - "I Ain't Gonna Lose You"

Today we're offering up the unique folk-pop sounds of 31-year-old northern Californian Brett Dennen.  "I Ain't Gonna Lose You" is an all-out,desperate declaration of dedication.  It's one of those memorizing songs I've listened to a thousand times in my car, driving by myself, very loud.  The song starts out with a Lou Reed "Walk on the Wild Side" sort of vibe but then drifts into it's own as Dennen's unique vocals kick in.

Dennen's first album was his self-titled release in 2004. This year he released his fourth full-length studio album called 'Loverboy.'   Today's song-of-the-weekend selection comes from the 2008 album 'Hope For The Hopeless' which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard 200.  

Aaric Danielsen, writing on the Pop Matters music blog, says: Dennen’s music serves a bridge between the hippy-lite jams that pass for folk rock today and old-school folkies of the ‘60s and ‘70s who brought the goods as far as songwriting and social consciousness. It might not be an overstatement to say that Dennen could prove an important figure, hopefully turning younger listeners onto the goodness that can accompany thoughtful words and simple melodies sincerely sung. 

Even though this is a quiet song, for this one I'm gonna insist...turn it up loud.
Plus...I highly recommend the video link below...really gives you a better sense of the emotion Dennen exudes.
ENJOY!

Listen to "I Ain't Gonna Lose You" 
From the album 'Hope For The Hopeless' 

Click here to view Brett Dennen tour dates. 
Click here to view Brett Dennen "I Ain't Gonna Lose You" live video. 

Gomez - "See The World"

OK, so this British band from Southport, England comprised of five guys with the last names Ball, Ottewell, Gray, Blackburn and Peacock is called Gomez.  I never knew why until today.  Wikipedia has the story: The band played their first gig together in 1996 in Leeds at the Hyde Park Social Club on Ash Grove without a formal name. The band left a sign out which read "Gomez in here" for a friend of theirs whose surname was Gomez to indicate that it was the site of their first gig. People saw the sign and assumed that the band's name was Gomez - the name stuck.

Alright, now that the band name is all cleared up...
This group is one of the most difficult bands to categorize which is one of the reasons I like them so much.  I really appreciate bands/artists that can mix things up and play many different styles, sounds, genres, whatever you want to call it.  The fact of the matter is, no matter what the genre, I really believe there are only two kinds of music in this world: stuff you like and stuff you don't.  So, for me, this one falls into the former category.

Much of Gomez' music has a bit of a dark edge to it but not overly so.   "See the World," however, is perhaps their most upbeat recording.  It comes from the fifth of their seven studio albums, 'How We Operate' which was released in 2006.  They have actually had a good deal of commercial success in England and Australia but less so here in the U.S. where they have what could be categorized as a strong college radio following.

As always, I do recommend turning up the volume.
ENJOY and have a great weekend.

Listen to "See The World"
From the album 'How We Operate'

Click here for Gomez tour dates.
Click here to view Gomez "See The World" video.

Ryan Adams - "The Rescue Blues"

Ryan Adams' musical career confuses me.  He certainly has a fine musical reputation and has sold his fair share of records, but with 11 solo albums, 3 albums as the lead influence in his first band Whiskeytown, and numerous duo and collaborative efforts, I don't understand how is isn't more well known among the general public.  He really isn't a household name.  I would venture to guess that when you say his name most people would confuse it with that of Canadian songwriter Bryan Adams.  Please don't....we're talking about two very different types of animals here.

Rolling Stone magazine provides some background info on Adams:  "Ryan Adams was one of the most popular artists to emerge from the Nineties alternative-country scene, having led in the North Carolina band Whiskeytown before going solo in 1999. Notorious for his hard-drinking and mercurial temper, Adams nonetheless managed to turn out a prodigious catalog of acclaimed music, which ranged from gentle folk to soulful rock to hardcore punk. ...Over the course of his career, Adams also developed a reputation for being just as prolific with starlets as he was with music, at times being linked to stars like Winona Ryder, Alanis Morissette and Parker Posey. However, in March 2009, Adams married pop singer and actress Mandy Moore in a ceremony in Savannah, Georgia. While plagued by substance abuse problems early in his career, in 2006 Adams revealed he had kicked drugs and alcohol."

Our song-of-the-weekend selection really could have been any number of his fantastic tunes but we're going to go with "Rescue Blues" from his 2001 album 'Gold.'  ENJOY.

  Listen to "Rescue Blues" 

From the album 'Gold'

Ryan Adams currently does not have any tour dates scheduled.
Click here to view a video of Ryan Adams singing "Two."

The Wood Brothers - "Postcards From Hell"

I am happy to say that I've been introduced to a great new band this week.  Thanks goes out to the musical wizard of Warren County, Brett Schaffer for handing me Boulder, Colorado's The Wood Brothers on a silver platter this week via our new online musical toy: Spotify.  Been reading a lot about these guys and sampling their entire catalog of music (three, soon to be four studio albums) over the past couple of evenings and I like what I hear...kind of blown away actually.  Definitely have the same sort of folk-rock vibe as The Avett Brothers but are really quite unique in their own right.

As Rubber City Review blogger Tim Quine writes: "About a year ago – in one of my feeble attempts to prove I listen to living, breathing musicians – I waxed poetic about The Wood Brothers. Since then, they’ve gone from being great to scary great. Slap your mammy great. The kind of great that makes you forget all about good.  What do I base this on, you might ask? Well, there’s that unerring factor known as the “chicken skin” test, as Ry Cooder would call it. When I caught them live last week in nearby Kent, Ohio – and was treated to a first listen of their soon-to-be-released album “Smoke Ring Halo” – I had those tell-tale bumps on my arms that told me I was on to something rare in this world of reality-show divas and painfully hip dilettantes. The title song itself is almost a perfect distillation of what this band does best – rootsy, but not reverent… deeply soulful, but all about left-field hooks (like the phrase Smoke Ring Halo, for example) that suck you in right away… and far more musically accomplished than just about any other band playing in that unfortunately named “Americana” sandbox (think Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons – good bands, but in my mind, just not on the same level as the Woods)."

I'd say he likes this band.  So now do I....and I think you will too.  "Postcards From Hell" is from their second album, the 2008 release 'Loaded.'  ENJOY!

  Listen to "Postcards From Hell"
        From the album 'Loaded'

Click to view The Wood Brothers tour dates.
Click to view The Wood Brothers "Lovin' Arms video.

Xavier Rudd - "No Woman No Cry"

We’re heading down under for this week’s song-of-the-weekend. Today we’re featuring the earthy sounds of Australian native Xavier Rudd.  The thirty-three year old Rudd has recorded six studio albums and has had a good deal of success in his homeland as well as in North America, particularly in Canada.  Many of Rudd’s songs incorporate socially conscious themes, such as environmentalism and the rights of Aboriginal people. In addition to playing the didgeridoo in many of his songs, he has also included both Australian and Canadian Aboriginal vocals in some of his songs.

How would I describe his musical style?  I’ll defer to the Boston Globe:  “Xavier Rudd… offers a strikingly original mix of music. Some of his sound (and idealism) echoes the surf-folk of Jack Johnson, while his Weissenborn guitar-playing evokes Ben Harper. But mostly, Rudd is on a plateau of his own, playing a one-man blend of guitars, didgeridoos, stomp boxes, djembe drums, and even slide banjo.” 

Today’s song is a cover version of the very popular Bob Marley song “No Woman No Cry” and it comes from Rudd’s second album, the 2004 release ‘Solace.’  I always LOVE new and different arrangements of songs and this one fits that bill but…I think it still maintains the essence of the original at the same time.   ENJOY!

Listen to “No Woman No Cry”

 
From the album ‘Solace’

Click here to view Xavier Rudd tour dates.
Click here to view live video of Xavier Rudd “No Woman No Cry.”

Amos Lee - "Flower"

Amos Lee has come a long way from second grade school teacher and part-time bartender .  He is a man in demand these days.  The Philadelphia-bred folk-soul-rock songwriter’s latest album ‘Mission Bell’ was released in January and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart.  I would have to say it’s my favorite of the four studio albums he has released including his debut in 2005….although each is excellent in its own right.  Currently, he is in the middle of an extensive tour in support of this new album and has been selling out shows all over the U.S. and the world. With shows scheduled practically every other day through September, Lee still somehow managed the time to accept a personal invitation from President Barack Obama and play at the White House during the recent Fourth of July celebration…hard to say no when the President calls I suppose.

And you have to love the company he keeps.  As Wikipedia says: …an American singer-songwriter and guitarist whose musical style encompasses folk, rock and soul. He has released four albums on Blue Note Records and toured with musical acts such as Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Norah Jones, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, John Prine, Dave Matthews Band and Adele.

Our selection for today is “Flower” and it’s the second single from ‘Mission Bell.’   Check out the silky-smooth vocals and the beautiful melody….Amos rocks.  ENJOY!

Listen to Amos Lee “Flower”

From the album ‘Mission Bell’

Click here to watch a live acoustic Amos Lee “Flower” video.
Click here to view Amos Lee tour dates.

Patty Griffin - "Let Him Fly"

Looking over my posts I realized, for whatever reason, I had hardly featured any women artists. So we're going to fix that, this week at least, with one of my favorites...an oldie but a goodie.
Today we've got the unbelievably soulful sound of Patty Griffin. Originally from Old Town, Maine, Griffin began her musical career in a small way in and around Boston, and then moved to Nashville where things really took off for her. Although she recently moved to another hotbed of American music, Austin TX, she is still generally considered part of the Nashville scene.

One indication as to the quality of her songwriting might be the fact that so many of her songs have been recorded by so many different artists. As Wikipedia states:
Griffin's songs have been recorded by artists such as Irish-born singer Maura O'Connell ("Long Ride Home"), Linda Ronstadt ("Falling Down"), the Dixie Chicks ("Truth No. 2," "Top of the World," "Let Him Fly"), Bette Midler ("Moses"), Beth Nielsen Chapman, Christine Collister, and Dixie Chicks ("Mary"), Mary Chapin Carpenter ("Dear Old Friend"), Jessica Simpson ("Let Him Fly"), Martina McBride ("Goodbye"), Melissa Ferrick and Missy Higgins ("Moses"), Emmylou Harris ("One Big Love", "Moon Song"), Bethany Joy Galeotti ("Blue Sky"), The Wreckers ("One More Girl"), Keri Noble ("When It Don't Come Easy"), Joan Osborne ("What You Are"), Solomon Burke ("Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)"), and Miranda Lambert ("Getting Ready"). Kelly Clarkson performed "Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)" with Jeff Beck on guitar, ...on American Idol, and the live recording was released as a single immediately afterwards, reaching #56 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its first week and giving Griffin her highest charting position as a songwriter.

There are some pretty big names in there for sure but, personally, I like the way she sings her own songs just fine. "Let Him Fly" comes from the very first of her six studio recordings 'Living With Ghosts' and was released all the way back in 1996. There is just something about the tonal quality of her voice that I find absolutely remarkable.  ENJOY!

Patty Griffin - "Let Him Fly"
From the album 'Living With Ghosts'


Listen to "Let Him Fly"







Click here to view Patty Griffin tour dates.
Click here to watch a Patty Griffin video singing "Heavenly Day."