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krispyweiss · 4 years

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Sound Bites’ Favorite Albums of 2020

- In a bleak year, music comes through

The year 2020 didn’t leave much to celebrate - unless pandemics, racism and the crumbling of American democracy are your things.

For all the bad - and there was a ton of bad - there was also a ton of good music. What follows are capsule reviews of Sound Bites’ favorite studio releases of his least-favorite year; read the contemporary pieces in the blue links.

The Wood Brothers - Kingdom in My Mind

Born from jams, authorship of the 10 tracks - plus a short reprise - is credited to guitarist Oliver Wood, bassist/harmonica player Chris Wood and multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix. Taken as a whole, the 38-minute LP - the band’s best to date - is full of lively numbers even as the trio spends an inordinate time singing about dying on cuts such as “Little Bit Sweet,” “Don't Think about My Death” and “Satisfied.”

David Bromberg Band - Big Road

If eclecticism equaled commercialism, David Bromberg would be one of America’s biggest artists. But it doesn’t and he isn’t. And instead, Americana’s best-kept, 50-year-old secret keeps the quality high with Big Road.

Gospel, rock ‘n’ roll, bluegrass and country are represented and Bromberg sings it all like Willie Nelson with a baritone - sporting the same quaver, the same emotional breaks in his voice and the same conviction.

Sarah Jarosz - World on the Ground

These are songs about “Eve,” who wants to ensure the world doesn’t spoil her inner goodness; “Johnny,” who just needs a bit of luck, love and light; and “Maggie” whose Ford Escape will hopefully live up to its name. Sarah Jarosz’s subjects - and sometimes Jarosz herself - drink cold coffee and wine; they want to stay and they want to leave; and they wonder why they left or why they stayed. Whether working with I’m With Her or on her own, Jarosz is among the best working these days.

Tyler Childers - Long Violent History

Nothing about Tyler Childers’ Long Violent History should work. Yet everything does. It’s a statement LP, yet it's mostly instrumental. It finds Childers standing with Black Lives Matter against a backdrop of old-timey fiddle music. And it opens with a creepy rendering of “Send in the Clowns.”

Childers, who plays fiddle exclusively, is joined by a band that includes Mandolin Orange’s Andrew Marlin on mandolin and Josh Oliver on guitar; fiddler Jesse Wells; and Dom Flemons on virtually everything else including banjo, bones, quills, jug, bass drum and harmonica. Together, they burn through seven additional trad tunes such as the mournful waltz of “Midnight on the Water” and the celebratory high step of “Sludge River Stop,” before Childers makes his point on the title track.

Tim Heidecker - Fear of Death

On Fear of Death, Tim Heidecker flips the script.

No longer simply a comedian who happens to make music, Tim Heidecker, on his fifth solo LP since 2016, proves himself a fully fledged musician who happens to be funny in the intelligent way Procol Harum and Crash Test Dummies are funny. Musically derivative, Fear of Death derives wisely from the Mamas & the Papas, the Byrds, Widespread Panic and others; special shout out to Weyes Blood, whose harmony and co-lead vocals add immeasurably to the proceedings.

Steve Earle & the Dukes - Ghosts of West Virginia

Steve Earle’s emotions are raw on the entirety of Ghosts of West Virginia, on which he and the Dukes tell the story the Upper Branch Mine disaster and the Mountaineer State’s coal-mining history with bluegrass on “Union, God and Country;” miners’ fates on the hard country of “Black Lung;” a widow’s side of the story on the heart-wrenching, “If I Could See Your Face Again;” and bring native son Chuck Yeager into the mix on the hard-stompin’ rockabilly of “Fastest Man Alive.”

Robby Krieger - The Ritual Begins at Sundown

After 10 years of studio silence, Robby Krieger returns with a killer Frank Zappa album. OK, the Ritual Begins at Sundown is a Krieger album masquerading as a Zappa album. But it’s killer, indeed.

Fine-tuned on stages before being transferred to the studio, the eight originals and two covers bear all sorts of Zappa hallmarks like odd time signatures, quirky tempo shifts and an overarching, unconventional quality that keep them interesting over repeated spins.

Willie Nelson - First Rose of Spring

A melancholic collection of 11 numbers, Willie Nelson’s First Rose of Spring covers country themes like death (“Stealing Time” and the title track, a sequel to “He Stopped Loving Her Today”), doing crimes (Johnny Paycheck’s “I’m the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised”) and doing time (Merle Haggard’s “I’ll Break Out Again Tonight”).

Ben Harper - Winter is for Lovers

Through the pieces have titles and demarcation between them, Ben Harper’s all-instrumental, lap-steel-only Winter is for Lovers is essentially a 30-minute suite to be taken in totality. Sparse though it may be, it never lags and is a fulfilling listen in any number of settings.

Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile feat. Aoife O’Donovan - Not Our First Goat Rodeo

No one player dominates the mostly instrumental proceedings as the quartet of Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile - with appearances from vocalist Aoife O’Donovan - works together to create long-bowed, deep grooves on “Every Note a Pearl,” which seems a good thematic statement for the supergroup’s second Goat Rodeo. Every one of these musicians is a certified genius, which means the music is occasionally too complicated for its own good. But those moments are few on the 45-minute recording and Not Our First Goat Rodeo will leave the listener hoping a decade doesn’t pass before this quintet gets back on the horse again.

Honorable mentions

Chris Smither - More from the Levee

Recorded in 2013, including a slew of reimagined pieces from his songbook and featuring appearances from Alan Toussaint, Louden Wainwright III and Morphine drummer Billy Conway, More from the Levee is vintage Chris Smither, literally and figuratively.

Jeremy Spencer - Live in the Studio

Spencer’s fourth album of 2020 was actually recorded in 2005 and finds the former Fleetwood Mac axeman playing the blues for which he is best known as opposed to the languid, mostly instrumental atmospherics that characterized his most-recent LPs. This is the Spencer of light-touch, Elmore James-inspired slide guitar and Elvis Presley-esque vocal phrasing working his way through 14 songs in just under 50 minutes.

12/28/20

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iwbfinterviews · 4 years

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Jake Brown Interview

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Is there a particular reason you chose to write about music, singers, etc?

I didn’t actually, lol. I’m a songwriter/producer first, I grew up playing and writing music but always wrote as a way to kind of get through school because I was terrible at math, sciences, tests, etc. I think there’s alot of people in the music business who started out like that. It kind of happened accidentally, I was working for a record label right out of college and started writing copy for their catalog titles, press releases, etc and it just expanded from there. I met a literary agent through that who suggested I try to write a book, and we sold the Suge Knight memoir to Amber Books, who gave me my start. Another big early foot in the door moment was when I had the opportunity to write books with Ann and Nancy Wilson & Heart in 2007 and in 2009 with Lemmy Kilmister and Motorhead. Then the book nearly 10 years into my career that really kind of made me appreciate this career was the opportunity to work with legendary guitar player Joe Satriani on Strange Beautiful Music: A Musical Memoir. I’d also started specializing in anthology-style books that feature LOTS of exclusive interviews in one book in chapter profiles so you could tell a bunch of people’s live stories at once, including the BEHIND THE BOARDS series, which began 10 years ago as a Rock & Roll producers’ series, the aforementioned In the Studio series with Heart, Motorhead, and others, and then finally about 10 years into living in Nashville I began working on the NASHVILLE SONGWRITER book series and most recently the BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE book. SO: the long answer to that question is, because I love telling the behind-the-scenes stories of both the hits and those who make them, be it songwriters or producers or drummers in the case of the BEYOND THE BEATS rock drummers series, or Hip Hop producers with the DOCTORS OF RHYTHM audiobook and upcoming physical version in 2021. I’ve also been fortunate to write memoirs with some interesting characters like Kenny Aronoff, country rapper Big Smo and upcoming Freddy Powers The Spree of ’83 book which features Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. So it's been an interesting run.

How long does it take you to write a book?

I work on several at once usually, that’s kind of my process, half day on one, a day on another, but for BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE, I spent 4 straight months day in and out writing this book exclusively as it was over 600 pages. I was reading the audiobook for Blackstone as I was writing it too, which was the first time I’ve ever done that. Usually the audiobook is read after the book is completed. Then it’s about a month of editing before its handed into the publisher. So this was a real push, but it was worth it because of the feedback I’m getting first from the producers I worked quite extensively in many cases with on their individual chapters, and collectively in the book being a first of its kind for country music fans where they can read about how their favorite hits by country’s biggest stars were made while listening along on Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, etc.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Oh, I don’t know... I write every book thinking from the outset before I’ve even started putting words down to paper thinking about how that book will be marketed and promoted upon release. There’s no point in writing something no one is going to read because when you get to the finish line you don’t have a gameplan on how to make readers aware of it. Publishers, to be honest, can only do so much in that arena, every publisher’s publicist is usually like a social worker with 30 cases on their desk, so yours can only get so much attention. So for instance, I always recommend to a writer to hire a great publicist and know that while that’s a considerable expense, it may be the best money you spend in getting the word out about your book because that publicist is working for YOU, not for 30 authors at once. It's just a fact of the business that I think should get more light shed on it because you’re competing with that number I mentioned above of 60,000+ books a YEAR coming out. I also negotiate the right to press my own promo runs of 100 if needed because if not, you’ll wind up with a paltry 10 copies from the publisher, who for their own budgetary reasons, might not for instance be able to service all the physical review copies you’ll have to give away during the book’s promotion, whether to a disc jockey interviewing you on the air or the listener he or she is giving away a free copy to during that broadcast, as just one example. If you don’t plan ahead for that, you’ll wind up paying that publisher $6 or $7 per promotional copy, which is something I’m SURE some of my own publishers would hate for me to pull the curtain back on, but its true. Writers are paid LAST usually in the royalty chain, especially early on, but you move up in that order as you build a value into your name as a writer, which only comes with people hearing about you and your book. So again, HIRE A PUBLICIST, HIRE A PUBLICIST, HIRE A PUBLICIST! Your agent can be helpful too, but its typically up to you as an author to maintain your own social media presence and look for every available avenue to spread the word about your book so it has a chance to be read. This is equally important for newer or more established writers, because there’s always a new generation of equally-as-talented new wordsmiths knocking on those publishers’ same doors...

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

In a studio making music or writing books for the various publishers I work for, or recording audiobooks for Blackstone Audio, so it’s pretty time-consuming. I did just sign a worldwide music publishing deal for my songwriting catalog with Streets Music and David Gresham Company. So I’m lucky to stay busy, to be honest, you have to too make a living in the entertainment business. I have a wife and a dog too, so I spend what time I have left with them. ☺

Your 50th book is coming out June 23rd, “Behind The Boards: Nashville”. Can you give us insight on what it will be about?

First, I exhale deeply every time I get asked that because it's finally DONE! I spent 2 years collecting extensive, first-hand – many for the first time in a book – interviews with 30 of country music’s biggest producers, and in some cases, that meant waiting for a break in their busy studio schedules to talk, in others it meant multiple conversations over a couple years as we wanted to make sure we had all their current hits as they kept banging them out, and in other cases, because of the sheer volume of their catalog – some of these guys have been in the business since the early 70s – it took that long to chronicle it all. That’s just the interview process too, then I had to write it and I write everything in one shot vs. a chapter here and there. Its to me like staying in character as an actor throughout an entire performance, and when you’re writing a book like this, you’re in a headspace that never lets you sleep because creative narrative is CONSTANTLY hitting you about specific hits, and there’s over 300 # 1s in this book. Additionally, there’s an EXHAUSTIVE amount of research I do to source out certain critical quotes of praise, for instance, from way back in the 80s, 90s, early 00s, etc from magazines that aren’t even in print anymore, as well as supporting quotes from the actual superstars these producers work with in the studio, which also takes a great deal of time. So after all of that prep, once you begin writing, there’s another 3-4 months before the manuscript comes to life as a finished product.

As a result of that, country music fans here are given arguably the MOST definitive to date book chronicling the stories behind the making of their favorite hits in the studio, again how those artists specifically and uniquely work at their craft – i.e. does George Strait sing each hit over 3 or 4 vocals or 25 or 30 takes, etc – as well as how specific # 1s within those individual catalogs of Greatest Hits were created in the studio. Then from the other side of the boards, so to speak, you get the producer’s first-hand recollections of their own personal journeys from the time they could first crawl and walk and started discovering music to their teenage bands and first tape-recorder or 2-inch reel to reel or 4-track or laptop home recording sessions all the way up through their rise to become the biggest names in the business working in country music today.

Collectively, BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE features Dann Huff, James Stroud, Jim Ed Norman, Dave Cobb, Justin Neibank, Ross Copperman, Zach Crowell, Chris Destefano, Jesse Frasure, Norbert Putnam, Josh Osborne, Luke Laird, Clint Black, Frank Liddell, Shane McAnally, Jimmy Robbins, Josh Leo, Nathan Chapman, Paul Worley, Jeff Stevens, Jody Stevens, Bobby Braddock, Michael Knox, Don Cook, Frank Rogers, Joey Moi, Ray Baker, and Buddy Cannon, who did the Foreword, which was a TRUE honor. Frankly, it was an honor to have every one of these legends speak to fans so candidly and openly about both their personal and professional lives in the music business. Their stories are inspiring, ear-and-eye-opening, exciting, insightful, and hopefully educational for those kids growing up on their records now hoping to break into the same business. So hopefully, there’s something for everyone who opens the book.

What were the methods you used to get ‘the’ interview with all the big names you’ve written about?

When you’ve been around this long, fortunately you can get in touch with just about anybody, whether they say yes or not to the interview is another story! (laughs) But I’ve been pretty lucky, especially for instance with my NASHVILLE SONGWRITER book series, which has TWO volumes and 50 of the biggest songwriters in country music in the first two volumes, and a THIRD volume with another 30 legendary songwriters coming out at the end of 2021, and especially with BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE, which has 30 of the most legendary record producers in country over the past 50 years, guys like Norbert Putnam, who ran Quad and produced Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville,” Jim Ed Norman, who produced Hank Williams Jr’s Born to Boogie album, Ray Baker, who produced that whole 70s Honkytonk soundtrack including Moe Bandy, Whitey Shafer, and Merle Haggard and Freddy Powers among others. Then you have the Millennial generation’s biggest names like Joey Moi, Dave Cobb, Dann Huff, Jesse Frasure, Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, Ray Riddle, and on and on.

What do you think makes a good story?

Well, for this book, the most common thread woven throughout many of the chapters/live stories of these producers were the long-term working relationships they’ve maintained with many of country music’s biggest stars throughout their entire careers or the majority, for instance, Jeff Stevens and Luke Bryan, Byron Gallimore and Tim McGraw, Buddy Cannon and Kenny Chesney, Michael Knox and Tony Brown, Frank Rogers and Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert and Frank Liddell, the list goes on and on as long as the Greatest Hits track listings do. Equally as importantly for a book like this, is the fact it takes the reader quite literally inside the studio and pulls back the curtain on how their favorite country music stars record their biggest hits, and almost literally re-creates their recording from behind the boards by the producers interviewed. Then on a totally separate front, from the academic side, its a 600-page book full of tips about how the recording process works from all sides, points of views, approaches, ages, and technologies, old and new, from analog to digital and the hybrid of both in the “in the box” generation of record making. Hopefully, we’ve covered all sides of the process, that was the aim anyway so readers get a 3-D look, so to speak, at how the recording business really works.

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

I sold my first book to my first publisher, Amber Books, in 2001 and Tony Rose gave me my start in the business and I wrote for them almost exclusively for the first 5 years and 10 books of my career from 2002 to 2007. So having a stable and still exciting publisher willing to take chances on you and equally-as-importantly, the kinds of books you might approach them with, is KEY for any new writer because writers must remember EVERY time a publisher takes a chance on their book, they’re putting real money behind it before they ever see a dime back. It's a big leap of faith, and carries with it alot of obligations for the author, where it doesn’t just end with handing the book in, but also helping promote it and building a brand for your name so it can become more and more reliable for both readers and new publishers, as any writer’s goal should be to eventually build a catalog where they write for as many publishers as possible throughout their career. But be prepared to start out writing for one, or anyone for that matter, who you can verify has a good track record as a publisher, or if they’re new to the game, doesn’t just want to put out an e-book, which anyone can do without a publisher, and is willing to commit to a physical pressing, and promotion of that pressing. I wouldn’t go looking for advances on your first or even necessarily second book out, but start asking for them as soon as possible as its an important piece of the income stream for any working author, as much as royalties are later on down the road. An advance lets an author know a publisher first can afford to put money into their book, and values them, vs. Alot of these starter deals that promise big back-end but nothing up front. You have to be able to afford to take that hit once or twice out of the gate, but its not a career model any writer should plan on if they want to make a living as a working author. The other reason I mention all this is because being a working writer is not just about the creative side of the process, but the entrepreneurial one too, because you have to be a self-promoter, and not be shy to doing interviews or promotion on social media, etc, as you’re competing with a THOUSAND new titles a week minimum these days between all the digital e-books and print books out there. I think the statistic was to be something like 60,000 books published in 2018 alone, so that tells you the competition you’re up against to even get a book sold to a publisher, let alone compete on bookstore shelves for the reader dollar.

What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

Of my own books, I wouldn’t say any are underappreciated, I’m grateful for the fact that people still read my books after 20 years and 2 or 3 generations of teenagers (which are a primary part of my reading audience) still buy my stuff. I try to give them consistently interesting reading subjects, either in the personalities I co-write with – like country rapper SMO, whose memoir My Life in a Jar: The Book of Smo, was released in 2019, or the Freddy Powers Spree of ’83 memoir, which is presently in film development and that I co-wrote a screenplay for with Catherine Powers last year, that was also something different, and say something like legendary R&B producer/artist Teddy Riley’s forthcoming memoir Remember the Times, which we’ve been working on for the past 6 years off and on and is looking like it might be heading to Teddy’s fans’ hands in the next year. One key thing I tell new writers when asked for input into starting a career in the current climate for our business is be prepared to commit as much time to a book as the artist needs, its similar to an album – if the publisher wants it on a deadline, be prepare to deliver, but getting an artist to open up in depth about their life takes time, both to build trust and to physically take the time to do the interviews not only with them in principle but also with the huge list of supporting cast members between peers in the band and business and family members and friends, record executives, peers, etc that usually wind up on those lists. It's a process you should NEVER RUSH yourself, only move at the rhythm of the people you work with and for, and you’ll wind up working alot longer in the business than those who are in a hurry.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Haha, I actually have a folder called “Projects That Probably Won’t Happen” and its filled with all kinds of “famous” bands/musicians books that just never got off the ground for one reason or another, but they’re all under contractual deals where I can’t talk about them in case they want to put a book out in the future, and I hope they all do. Sometimes you encounter someone who is thinking about writing a book but is really 10 years before they’re ready to, or they aren’t really committed yet past the concept, so you do some sample chapter interviews but it never gets past that starting line. I’ve thankfully left on good terms with the majority of those names, but with 50 published books in my catalog, most of what I have committed my time to has thankfully made it to store shelves. That’s important for any new writer to remember, because with every new book project you take on, you’re committing a year to two years of their life to that process from the start of interviews through the completion, handing it into the publisher, editing, etc. Anyone in a rush usually isn’t going to get anywhere is what I’ve found, it takes time, even if your mind is moving a million miles a minute, and your ambition even faster, pace yourself and you’ll last a lot longer in the race I’ve found anyway (cheesy sports metaphor aside ☺).

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Haha, I’ve had some good and bad experiences there over the years. I have NO problem with a consumer buying my book and then reviewing it one way or the other on say Amazon or Audible, etc, because that’s part of the business, but as far as book reviews from other writers, I just have to hope they like it and write fairly about it as it does matter impressionistically what readers then think of it as a potential product to buy and read themselves. Sometimes, in walking the fine line I have to be between the technical and the creative in a series like this or Nashville Songwriter or say my In the Studio series, which has over 10 books in it alone, so you never know. Its something I don’t pay alot of attention to as well because by the time a review comes out, the book has been out a couple months usually and we’re on the back-end of a promotional push, so if its a good review, it's a nice 4th quarter boost of coverage, and if it's not, then it's pretty buried vs. hurting the book’s launch on the front end. I’m just being honest, sorry, but book reviews play a very MINIMAL role in most books’ launches if they’re properly promoted via author interviews, premier placements as we’ve done with American Songwriter, CMT, SoundsLikeNashville.com and others coming up, and for any newer writer, accept ahead of time that you’re GOING to get a bad review here or there, it's just part of the subjective review process, and doesn’t speak for your larger reading audience.

Do you believe in writer’s block?

Not when you write for a living. It's not a luxury I think any of the writers I know who work professionally writing books can afford, that’s why you have to follow the simple rule of A.B.W. (Always Be Writing) ☺.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Probably doing the same thing, writing is how I make a living, so it's will be with me until arthiritis set’s in, but I’ve got 2 screenplays in development and hope to have at had at least one of them produced into a film. I’m not unrealistic to think that it will go to theatres, but I’d be happy to see a streaming service selection with my name on it as a screenwriter, there’s 3 or 4 of my books fortunately in that cycle right now so we’ll hope one or two of them make it that far. Beyond that, I’m in the studio every week as I have been the past 20 years making music and will continue doing that, hopefully to a greater degree with these new publishing deals I’ve signed as I have over 200 released songs in my own catalog, none in Country lol, but I just try to keep putting out new creative product across multiple mediums at as prolific a pace as the muse allows without the quality of the end-product being compromised. That’s the point at which I’d stop I guess, if the quality of the writing lessens to where people don’t want to read my stuff anymore. Thankfully, I have built up a pretty loyal reading and retail-buying audience over the past 2 decades, and hope to keep putting out books that help music listeners understand how hard and still rewarding a business the record business is. It's an amazing world to wake up working in every day, and I love helping musicians tell their stories on paper, so we’ll just have to see. I hope to have hit 60 books by then, although my ultimate goal is another 50 over the next 10 years! (laughs) Thanks again for your time and support of this latest project!

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pgoeltz · 5 years

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THE STINKFOOT ORCHESTRA

In the early months of 2019, South Bay musician Nick Chargin (keyboards and vocals) got a wild hair up his ass. Best known for his work with the successful Bay Area cover band, the Houserockers, Nick had the idea of assembling an ensemble to give a tip of the hat to one of his greatest musical influences – Frank Zappa. The goal he set was to perform a handful of shows in the Winter of 2020 in celebration of what would have been Frank’s 80th birthday.

But it couldn’t be just any band… There had to be horns. There had to be a mallet player. There had to be backup singers. This had to be more than a band that was capable of playing “all the right notes” – it had to be a band that was capable of performing Frank’s music with accuracy and integrity.

The first two people he contacted were Victor Manning (a guitarist with whom Nick had played music with for well over 20 years) and Jon Hassan (a Baritone/Tenor Sax player and fellow member of the Houserockers) – who were both rabid fans of Frank’s music. With their buy-in, Nick quickly filled out the rhythm section with friends and fellow Zappaphiles Michael Palladino (drums) and Josh Baker (bass). It took some time to fill the mallet player slot, but after scaring away multiple Bay Area orchestral percussionists, they found a musician willing to take on the enormous challenge of covering Ruth Underwood’s impossible lines in Dillon Vado (tuned percussion). The 6-piece horn section came together by enlisting Mark “Dbone” DeSimone (Trombone), Kevin Kono (Trumpet, Flugel Horn), Jo Major (Tenor/Soprano Sax and Flute), Mike McWilliams (Trumpet), and Paul Degen (Tenor/Alto/Bari Sax and Flute). The ensemble was eventually rounded out with 3 dedicated vocalists – Suzi Baker , Amy Barnes , and Mike Boston .

A couple months into rhythm section rehearsals, the group was hit with an enormous loss when their guitarist, Victor Manning, passed away unexpectedly. After a month of grieving and waffling on whether to scrap the project altogether, Nick came to the conclusion that Victor “would have kicked my ass” if he did not see this project to fruition. After a significant search, the band found the perfect replacement in Tomek Sikora (guitar) and they began the daunting task of learning some very difficult music. But it could still come up a notch…

Nick and other members of the band had worked with Zappa alumni Ike Willis 15 years previously, and Nick thought the one thing that would give this band a real sense of authenticity would be to front it with one of Frank’s dynamic male vocalists. So, with the help of his friend André Cholmondeley (leader of the legendary East Coast Zappa tribute band, Project Object), Nick was able to enlist the legendary Napoleon Murphy Brock – a San Jose native who served as the iconic voice of Frank’s music throughout the early 1970‘s.

When asked what songs people can expect the band to cover, Nick responds “Well, given the fact that we have Napoleon on board, we are naturally incorporating a large amount of material from his era with Frank. Roxy and Elsewhere (Zappa’s 1974 live double album) is one of my favorite albums of all time, so there are a number of songs we pulled from that. Apostrophe, One Size Fits All, Bongo Fury…folks can expect a sizable amount of material from those albums. At the same time, Frank’s catalog is so immense and diverse that we can’t properly present a snapshot of his work without delving into everything from his earliest days with the Mothers through the 1980‘s. We have an amazing 6-piece horn section, so we are able to do justice to stuff from albums such as The Grand Wazoo and Waka Jawaka. We have 5 great singers, so we are also tackling some more vocal-intensive stuff from You Are What You Is and Joe’s Garage…really, there is something for fans of all periods of Frank’s music. I don’t want to give away too much more – we want to keep a certain element of surprise to the performances, ya know?”

Given the amount of work required to perform much of Zappa’s material, one might question what motivates this group of musicians to dedicate themselves to such a huge undertaking. Nick’s response is simple… “Frank’s music has had such a huge influence over my musical development. It actually makes me a little nuts when I think of the fact that his virtuosity never really received proper accolades here in the States. This music is historically important – and I feel it is the responsibility of those who ‘get it’ to help keep it alive and, hopefully, introduce more people to it. On any given night, I realize that we may serve as someone’s first exposure to Frank Zappa – and I don’t take that responsibility lightly.”

“It has been a tremendous amount of work, but I cannot even begin to list the ways in which it has been fulfilling for me as a musician”, Nick continues. “Yes, getting the lines under our fingers has been a challenge, but that merely scratches the surface of what it has taken to bring this project to the stage. Most of the horn charts were transcribed by ear from various (Zappa) ensembles by Dbone, Hassan and me – but I had never created a horn chart in my life – quite a way to cut one’s teeth…” he says. “Never mind the logistics involved with getting such a large group of working musicians together and dealing with all managerial aspects of the band. Yeah – it’s been a full-time job for me for the past year, but well worth the effort. I can’t wait for people to hear what we have put together. Perhaps I’m a bit biased, but I think people are going to be blown away by this project.”

NICK CHARGIN

KEYBOARDS & VOCALS & VISIONS & POODLE GROOMING

Nick began studying piano at age 5, later picking up guitar at age 15. A California native, Nick moved to San Jose in 1984 to study music production, keyboard synthesis and performance at SJSU under Dan Wyman and Alan Strange. He has been playing professionally since age 17 with the majority of his time spent writing, playing and recording original music with such Bay Area bands as Swing Party, BlissNinnies, Elephino and Corduroy Jim. Over the years, Nick has shared the stage with such acts as the String Cheese Incident, Leftover Salmon, Zero, the Kantner Balin Cassidy Band, Steve Kimmock, KVHW, JGB, the Radiators, Merle Saunders, Eddie Money, Starship, Firehose, Wang Chung and Jonathan Richman. For the past 15 years, Nick has been a vital part of the critically acclaimed South Bay band, the Houserockers, has backed the legendary Zigaboo Modeliste and at one point assembled a short-lived band playing Zappa music backing Ike Willis.

NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK

VOCALS & TENOR SAX & FLUTE & STYLE ICON

Napoleon Murphy Brock, front man for Frank Zappa in the early seventies, was first discovered by Frank on a day off in Hawaii. Frank and his band stopped into a club where Brock was leading his band through a set of originals and contemporary funk, rock and blues hits. Zappa was immediately struck by Brock’s voice and sax playing, but was particularly taken by his commanding stage presence.

Brock soon hit the stage and studio with Zappa, first appearing on the breakthrough album, Apostrophe (‘). By 1974, Napoleon had learned and memorized the Zappa Song Book (including new material written specifically for Napoleon) and recordings from the 1973 concerts were soon released on what many consider to be Frank’s penultimate live album – Roxy and Elsewhere. To this day, the all-star “Roxy Band” is commonly considered one of the greatest bands that Frank ever assembled.

The release of One Size Fits All followed which, like Roxy, became hugely influential on not only Zappa fans, but fans of progressive rock, fusion, and bluesy jazz-rock in general. In 1975 Zappa released the iconic Bongo Fury, a live album which documented the collaborative tour that year with the last Mothers lineup (including old friend and co-conspirator, Captain Beefheart).

After the 1975 and 1976 Zappa tours, Brock went on to tour and record with fellow Zappa alum George Duke in his

hugely popular George Duke Band. He went on to make several albums with Duke including Master Of The Game,

Follow The Rainbow, Dukey Treats, and Don’t Let Go (which spawned Duke’s huge hit “Dukey Stick”).

At the end of the 1970’s, Frank again called on Napoleon to provide vocals on the recording of Sheik Yerbouti – which went on to become Zappa’s biggest selling album worldwide. The fact that Frank called on Napoleon to lay down vocal tracks (including the lead vocal on “Wild Love”) speaks volumes about Frank’s continued respect and trust in Napoleon’s vocal prowess.

Since 2001, Brock has worked with several Zappa tribute bands around the world including Project/Object, the longest continually touring alumni-based Zappa tribute band in the world. In 2007, Napoleon received a Grammy Award for his work with Dweezil Zappa on the live album release from the inaugural tour of Zappa Plays Zappa. He continues to perform, record and lecture around the world.

DILLON VADO

TUNED PERCUSSION & IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBILITIES

Dillon Vado is a professional drummer and vibraphonist in the San Francisco Bay Area, and a graduate of the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley. He grew up in San Jose, where he played many small club gigs on drums and marched snare drum for the Santa Clara Vanguard. He has recorded at Fantasy Studios, and played with many musicians at The Freight and Salvage, Yoshi’s, and the SF Jazz Center. He has also performed overseas at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy. Dillon has performed with Art Lande, Hafez Modirzadeh, Royal Hartigan, Marcus Shelby, Erik Jekabson, Jeff Denson, Alan Hall, Jovino Santos Neto, Marcos Silva and Kate McGarry. In 2014, Dillon won 1st place in the Jazz Search West competition on vibraphone. Dillon was also acknowledged as the Most Promising Young Jazz Artist of 2017 from the Buddy Montgomery Jazz Legacy Awards. He regularly performs on vibraphone with Alan Hall’s Ratatet, on drums with The Jeff Denson Quartet, and Erik Jekabson’s Electric Squeezebox Orchestra and leads several of his own projects, including Never Weather, The Table Trio, and Beyond Words: Jazz and Poetry.

JOSH BAKER

BASS & RANDOM SCREAMS

Josh started his love of music with the Piano at age 8 and was hooked. The bass came into focus at age 12. Josh’s early years on bass was in the Abraham Lincoln High School Jazz band for 4 years where he had the privilege of playing many in High School Jazz band competitions and even playing in Hawaii for the Aloha Bowl. Josh also received the Louis Armstrong High School Jazz Award for recognition in his Senior year. After High School, Josh spent his summer at the Berklee College summer music program in Santa Fe New Mexico. Josh studied 2 years with bass player Keith Jones( Santana, Flora Purim,and Andy Narrell)

Josh has played with local bands Sporadic Greetings, George Heagerty & Never the Same, Soup, Grampa’s Chili, the Sliders, Black Sunday RoadShow and Levi Jack

MICHAEL PALLADINO

DRUMS & SPANKINGS

Michael has been drumming professionally in the greater Bay Area for over 25 years. He studied various rhythmic styles ranging from jazz to West African and afro-Cuban under the tutelage of San Jose State professors Dan Sabanovich and Royal Hartigan. His band credits include Soup, Sporadic Greetings, Mescalito, Corduroy Jim, Grampa’s Chili and Tricycle Side Project, for which he had the opportunity to perform with Ike Willis from Frank Zappa’s esteemed list of previous band members. He has performed at hundreds of venues up and down the entire West Coast bringing his unique style and energy to every performance he gives.

JON HASSAN

SAXOPHONES & MEGAPHONES & STANK

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JO MAJOR

SAXOPHONES & FLUTE & PUNCTUALITY

Jo Major began playing professionally in his teens and has played with a variety of groups, including the Jimmy Dorsey band and the University of Illinois Jazz Ensemble. In the local area, he has been featured with A Touch of Brass, the KA Wonton Little Latin Jazz Big Band, Bug Horn Rex and the Chabot Jazz Ensemble.In settings ranging from salsa to swing, he has been featured with Ernie Watts, Bobby Shew, Eric Marienthal, Wayne Bergeron, Francisco Torres, and Geoffrey Keezer.Jo has studied with Ben Torres, Kristen Strom, Charlie McCarthy, Bob Reynolds, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown and Chris Cheek. He is a member of Bob Reynolds Studio.

MIKE MCWILLIAMS

TRUMPETS & CRUMPETS

Mike McWilliams started playing the trumpet back in 1974. In 1986, he began performing with cover bands and performing all over the SF Bay Area. He currently is a member of the Houserockers horn section, and teaches private lessons as well as public middle schools with the School Spirit band program.

Mike believes that there is no substitute for real horns, and his influences include Tower of Power, Earth Wind and Fire, Maynard Ferguson, and Doc Severnsen. Mike heard his first Zappa cassette tape in 1977 while on tour with the Santa Clara Vanguard and, many years later is enjoying playing this amazing music.

KEVIN KONO

TRUMPET & FLUGLEHORN & MASTIC ADHESIVES

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PAUL DEGEN

SAXOPHONES & FLUTE & HYDROHYPNOTHERAPY

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TOMEK SIKORA

GUITARS & ALL THINGS POLISH

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MIKE BOSTON

VOCALS & GUTTURAL UTTERANCES

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MARK ‘D-BONE’ DE SIMONE

TROMBONISMS & EVER-CHANGING FACIAL HAIRS

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AMY BARNES

VOCALS & ASTRAL PROJECTION

Amy Barnes began studying piano and flute at the age of 8. After a fateful move to Santa Cruz at the age of 16, she joined forces with the Musical Group World Entertainment War for 5 very entertaining years. Increasingly fascinated with the human voice, she embarked on an obsessive vocal discovery mission; earning a B.A in Voice Performance from UOP Conservatory followed by an M.A. In Voice Performance from UC Santa Cruz. She has prepared works in more than a dozen languages, and has enjoyed teaching singing as much as the singing itself. Amy has travelled thru many different musical galaxies over the years, and is currently very much enjoying her visit to the Zappa Constellation…

SUZI BAKER

VOCALS & KALE DISTRIBUTION

Suzanne Baker began her singing career touring with Plum Tuckered, a children’s musical performing group under the direction of Lynn Shurtleff, musical director and composer from Santa Clara University. While growing up, she enjoyed singing in many school and church choirs, but she honed her skills at Abraham Lincoln High School for the Performing Arts in the sixteen member Swing Choir, under the voice instruction of Connie Lukien, musical director of the San Jose Civic Light Opera. She went on to be lead singer of the innovative band, Sporadic greetings from 1990-1992 and sang back-up vocals in various other bands over the years. She is very fond of her time directing her own elementary school choirs and currently assisting with her classroom musicals.

Victor Manning

Guitars

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sinceileftyoublog · 5 years

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Riot Fest Sucks

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Riot Fest Sucks. It’s a tongue-in-cheek phrase that occupies multiple meanings and connotations, referencing the organizer’s self-deprecating recognition that they’re not gonna make everyone happy with the lineup and scheduling conflicts. It’s the name of a Goose Island Beer Co. pale ale made for the Fest, at times served lukewarm, its $10 price tag a symptom of a somewhat pretend punk festival bombarded by corporate sponsors whose presence fails to belie the lack of close, cheap parking, credit card lines, and functioning ATMs. Oh, and Riot Fest Sucks because hours into it my girlfriend sprained her ankle exiting the Vans popup experience down the 20-foot fire pole with no soft landing. So unlike previous years, this year, I left after a couple sets on Friday.

I won’t get there yet--first things first, Caroline Rose. When I walked up to her stage and heard Natalie Prass playing on the loudspeaker, I thought what I initially did upon first seeing Rose’s name in small print on the lineup poster: “Why not Pitchfork?” But as soon as her band gradually came out--first "nicest legs in the band” drummer Will Morse, then “handsome and single” bassist Mike Dondero, then “best friend” Abbie Morin--and started playing a surf rock melody as Rose entered, it was clear that her unique mix of electro pop and retro rock--not to mention her early folk and country material--had her suited for a festival that embraces classic sounds. They began with new song “Everybody’s Making Out”, potentially from the new album she just finished, and then “Cry!”, the band providing a plinky breakdown to the LONER standout. Rose alternated between genuinely appreciative of a fairly large crowd coming out early on a Friday to hear some upbeat but sad songs, and being playful and goofy--essentially conducting the band with her feet while playing keys on another new spacey synth pop song, all before noticing the camera and posing as if she was in a photoshoot. Her joking fit the sarcasm of songs like “Money”, which was interrupted by Rose chugging a 312 and barely smashing the can on her head and then playing Aerosmith’s “Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” on kazoo. Rose is as fun at a festival as she is forlorn on record.

But then the incident happened. I listened to a remarkably nonstop and consistent Hot Snakes set through the medical tent next to the stage as my girlfriend iced her foot, leaving for urgent care right as Neck Deep’s catchy but juvenile pop punk began, not to return until mid way through Turnstile on Saturday. Thankfully, we were able to rent a wheelchair for the next couple days. Navigating the grounds with a wheelchair was a challenge, parking for free on Roosevelt before going through the grass of Douglas Park and the various street curbs separating the Ferris Wheel and the Rebel Stage from the main area. For what it’s worth, save for a couple unsavory comments (“You’ve got him trained well!”), most people were extremely aware and respectful, moving out of the way when necessary, and even helping us out of the mud. We chose not to get ADA access next to the sound stage until Sunday, partially because we were unaware of the possibility, but also because we wanted to be with friends and in the crowd. And from my brief experience, Riot Fest and its attendees walked the walk as much as they talk the talk about acceptance and zero tolerance for discrimination against differently abled bodies.

Speaking of Turnstile, what I saw from them was a perfect mix of rap rock, hardcore, and nu metal, favoring songs from last year’s Time & Space like “Generator”, short ditty “Bomb”, and standout “Moon”, the last played twice, once regularly and once a capella by vocalist Brendan Yates to close the set. It was much more inventive and progressive than the band who commenced immediately afterward, nonetheless Riot Fest staple Gwar. This time around, most of Gwar’s set surprisingly focused on the generic thrash music, not as many antics, just costumed men playing and spraying blood willy nilly as opposed to as part of a plot. (Except when they killed Donald Trump--that was great.) It’s not Riot Fest without Gwar, but at this point, their sick jokes and edgelord humor is appealing mostly to dudes like the one in the Joe Rogan 2020 shirt I saw leaving the set.

We then traveled to the secluded Rebel stage to catch supergroup The Damned Things, who thankfully came on late, since on the way we got caught up in one of many “What happened?!?” conversations with a friend. The band first formed in 2010 to release their debut album Ironiclast, then consisting of Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley of Fall Out Boy, Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano of Anthrax, and Keith Buckley and Josh Newton of Every Time I Die. Nine years later, they’ve released their second album High Crimes, and this time around, Caggiano and Newton have left, and in has come Alkaline Trio’s Dan Andriano. At Riot Fest, they played half songs from the first record, half from the new one, including the first four tracks of the latter, which showcase equally what The Damned Things do well and where they fall into the traps of MOR rock. “Cells” is more raw than you’d expect from a band with FOB and Alkaline Trio members, both on record and live, and is a surprisingly great introductory song to the album. The other songs they played from High Crimes, including cheesy cheerleader chanting “Something Good” and “Omen”, whose lead riff can’t decide whether it rips off Tame Impala’s “Elephant” or Muse’s “Uprising”, could have been ditched in favor of record standouts like “Carry a Brick” or “Young Hearts”. The former combines the vocal urgency from Buckley that we’re used to with ETID, with Anthrax-worthy thrash metal, while the latter (along with the record’s centerpiece “Storm Charmer”) interpolate a menacing blues rock stomp that could have been emphasized over the pop punk sheen of the Fest. Not to mention “Let Me Be (Your Girl)”, whose music is straightforward but whose lyrics feature gender inversion when assumed sung from the perspective of the lead singer. I left enjoying the set but wishing they had played for longer so I could hear the deeper cuts.

Album score: 6.3/10

Of course, the scheduling gods put Testament, also known as “if Metallica was still good,” during The Damned Things, so we had time for just a bathroom break before catching The Struts. In case you’ve never heard of them, The Struts are English glam rockers, fronted by a man who wears a shirt with batwing sleeves, who fancy themselves the lovechild of Queen and Def Leppard but end up falling closer to someone like The Darkness--which is not a bad thing! Their second album Young & Dangerous is catchy and somewhat undeniable, and the band’s fanbase came out to support them at Riot Fest, British flag in tow. It was probably the crowd’s enthusiasm that fed off lead singer Luke Spiller that made the set infectious; “If you’re not ready to dance and sing, then you might as well fuck off,” he proudly proclaimed, a nice, clear contrast to drummer Rafe Thomas oozing out the words “Hello Chicago” in the most droll voice possible. Sure, the lyrics “I bet your body’s so sweet” are even more cringey in 2019 than they would have been in the 70′s and 80′s, and the “instructing the crowd to get down to the ground” maneuver is pretty tired, but it was refreshing to see a band so unabashedly and unironically unashamed of their influences. “Don't wanna live as an untold story / Rather go out in a blaze of glory,” Spiller sang on the opening lines of “Could Have Been Me”, and upon ending the song, he instructed the crowd: “Ladies and gentlemen, remember our names!” It felt like a scene from a movie, and I couldn’t help but think that such cinematic flair is exactly what the band is going for.

I had time to catch a little bit of underrated electro pop band Pvris and pick up an Orange Wit from All Rise Brewing Co (another Riot Fest staple whose most popular beer has actually improved over the years) before catching Wu-Tang Clan, almost by default. The legendary group seems to be Riot Fest’s token hip hop booking every other year, and so I’ve seen them play Enter the 36 Chambers about 36 times. They ended up doing it again even though not billed to do a complete album set, but was I really going to see Rise Against, Manchester Orchestra, or Andrew W.K. over some of the greatest artists, let alone the greatest hip hop collective, of all time? I’ll take time number 37.

Then came what I knew was going to be the most difficult decision of the weekend, and one I kept thinking about even after it was made. Thrash metal titans Slayer were playing their final Chicago area show at Riot Fest, and their other supposed farewell show I saw last year was phenomenal. Then again, who am I to believe that this would be the time Slayer would finally stop cashing it in and retire? Instead, I opted to see something I very likely would not see again: Bloc Party playing their 2005 debut Silent Alarm in full. Based on how surprisingly great their Lollapalooza 2016 set was, I was eager to hear a set filled with, uh, only good songs, and the idea of the first sounds of the set being the echo of the opening drums to “Like Eating Glass” traversing through the crowd, was one that supplied me with a rare kind of glee. So when the band came out donning masks, launching into the album’s slow final song “Compliments”, I realized that what I initially heard as speculation--that they would be playing the record in reverse--would be true. There went my dream. The sounds and images of fire coming from Slayer’s stage filled me with regret.

But as the set went on, I realized that the choice was one that was both strategic on the part of the band, making the crowd stay to hear favorites like “Banquet”, and beneficial to the crowd. Each song was more energetic and frankly better than the previous one, from the sweet dancefloor melancholy of “This Modern Love” to the stop-starts of “Positive Tension” and “Helicopter”. Of course, “Like Eating Glass” proved to be a worthy singalong, everyone around me air drumming like nobody was watching. And I even got to see Slayer close with “Angel of Death” on the way out!

With one full day of Riot Fest finally in the books and surprisingly sore from navigating a wheelchair over patches of grass, mud, and curbs, I was thankful that the first batch of sets we were interested in seeing on Sunday was at the same stage, where I could grab beer and food and come back, and we could switch off between the grass and the ADA stage (which, awesomely, had free water). Arriving to hear the end of wildly cool and catchy Chicago post-punk band Ganser, we sat and waited for Nick Lowe with Los Straitjackets (and watched a different kind of “jacket” swarm unfortunate members of the crowd who mistakenly wore too much cologne). With the masked instrumental rockers (another band with masks?!?), two years ago Lowe released an album of instrumental versions of some of his best songs, so I was curious to hear how they would fare as his backing band. They got a slowed down “So It Goes” out of the way, as if to say to casual fans in the crowd, “I dare you to leave,” before burning through a variety of early era Lowe classics like “Without Love”, given a country spin by the band. The band delivered a mid-set instrumental performance as Lowe took a break, showing their guitar chops and stop-on-a-dime dynamism, before Lowe came back for “Half a Boy and Half a Man” and the other song everybody was waiting for, “Cruel To Be Kind”. Before playing set closer “Heart of the City”, Lowe said to the crowd, “Thank you, music lovers!” the quintessential statement from a true “music critic’s band,” but one with the pop songwriting talent to reach beyond.

I took the one-two punch of the “Save a lollipop, suck a dick” t-shirt and the tardiness and subsequent flatness of The Village People’s set as a sign that I should leave and walk by Less Than Jake opening their set with Back to the Future music, be mad again at the scheduling gods for putting the amazing-sounding Ride at the opposite end of the park from where Guided By Voices was about to play, and grab some delicious Harold’s Chicken for myself and unfortunately protein-lacking pad thai for my girlfriend. But there’s nothing like GBV to fix a less-than-ideal situation or improve an already good one. “How do you follow The Village People?” Robert Pollard hypothetically asked as the band went on. “With the village idiots!” With even less time to play than they had at Summerfest, GBV churned out practically all hits, starting with their usual set closer “Glad Girls” and revealing a barrage of known live gems--“Cut-Out Witch”, “Motor Away”, “The Best of Jill Hives”--and some they haven’t played in a while, like Isolation Drills’ “should have been a hit” “Chasing Heather Crazy” and “Echos Myron” prelude “Yours to Keep”, during which a crowd member actually blew a whistle when Pollard sang, “the whistle blows.” The latter was part of the band’s Bee Thousand finale, giving a crowd of casual fans exactly what they wanted and pleasing diehards no matter what.

Deciding to forego sprinting and catching any of Against Me!’s full albums (two of them!) set or Dave Hause & The Mermaid, I planted myself in a spot where I could see Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson’s beehives. The B-52′s followed a recipe for success in their set, leading off with track one of their debut, placing one hit early (“Private Idaho”), segueing a couple more from their debut into “Roam”, saving the two you knew they were gonna save for last. (Though I didn’t know they’d introduce “Love Shack” with War’s “Low Rider”.) The band was appropriately absurd and silly, frontman Fred Schneider’s sprechgesang adding hilarity to his response to Pierson’s “Something’s on fire in that pizza joint!” (“That’s my dinner!” he responded.) After the band ended with “Rock Lobster”, Pierson broke character and said two very serious things: 1) “Please vote!” and 2) “Go see Patti!”

And Patti Smith we did see, in all her glory. Her voice was as strong as ever on “People Have The Power”, “Dancing Barefoot”, “Free Money”, “Because the Night”, and “Gloria”. Unfortunately, almost half of her set was covers: “Are You Experienced?”, The Rolling Stones’ “I’m Free”, “Walk on the Wild Side”, “After the Gold Rush”, and for some reason, Midnight Oil’s “Beds Are Burning”. I would rather have heard something from her excellent later career albums like 2012′s Banga.

Hey, but she got a tribute during The Raconteurs’ set, as they chanted a little “Gloria” during “Top Yourself”. Along with shouting out headliners Bikini Kill (and the fact that they call God a “she” on new album closer “Thoughts and Prayers”), was it all part of Jack White’s plan to reveal himself as a feminist punk? I’m not sure; I do know that sociopolitical ideas aside, Help Us Stranger is a bit underwhelming as compared to the previous two Raconteurs releases, which were no White Stripes albums themselves. In any case, the band gave a very good set, because Jack White live is not to be reckoned with. The generic charge-up of album opener “Bored And Razed” was a buzzing jaunt on stage, and the blue-eyed soul of “Now That You’re Gone” was actually a nice change of pace from the blues-rock mashing of “Top Yourself”. On record, though it’s a welcome Ryan Adams diss track, “Don’t Bother Me” is straight up annoying, the repetition of the title after each line well-intentioned but flat--again, live, it somehow worked as a piece of absurdism. Thankfully, the band did play some of Stranger’s highlights, like the beautifully melancholy “Only Child” and power pop jam “Sunday Driver”. I wish they had replaced the comparatively generic “Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying)” with catchy punk dirge “Live a Lie” or “Thoughts and Prayers”. The latter is the best song on Help Us Stranger. From the title, you think White might be trying to comment on gun control, but the song is at heart about life, a zooming folk odyssey rife with synths and fiddle and mandolin. “There’s got to be a better way / To talk to God and hear her say / ‘There are reasons why it is this way’,” White sings. It would have been an appropriate Riot Fest song: realistic, yet inspiring.

Album score: 6.3/10

But it was Bikini Kill’s triumphant reunion that was the perfect way to end the weekend, with dizzying instrumentation courtesy of Tobi Vail’s drums, Kathi Wilcox’s bass, and Kathleen Hanna’s guitar and siren of a howl. You knew they would sound great and play everything you wanted, from “Rebel Girl” to “Demi Rep”, the latter of which I hope will expose a new generation of fans to the band as the theme song to Hulu’s excellent PEN15. But the most fitting, even if not entirely poignant, was Hanna’s commentary, decrying “Let’s take this country back” white feminists and men who think they know everything, calling out rape culture more explicitly than anybody at the entire fest. “I’m sure Slayer talked about this a lot,” she quipped at one point. But it was a thought-provoking off-handed comment, one that makes me look forward to future lineups. Forget my forced symbolism of a $10 dollar beer. And I know the inherent problem of having a private, very white festival in a public park in a neighborhood made up of predominantly people of color, is not going to go away as long as the fest stays in said park. But Riot Fest can make a statement with the curation. Do they continue to market to nostalgia with minimal radical politics? Or will the festival live up to the name and, in their own words, stop sucking?

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incarnationsf · 5 years

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Date & Time: Saturday June 22, 7:30 p.m. Venue: Incarnation Episcopal Church, 1750 29th Avenue, San Francisco Tickets: $20 General, $15 Seniors/Students

Eventbrite Ticketing: Buy tickets online

Ben Rosenblum Jazz Trio

Ben Rosenblum – piano/accordion Greg Feingold – bass Ben Zweig – drum

Award-winning jazz pianist, composer and accordionist Ben Rosenblum has been described as “mature beyond his years,” (Jon Neudorf, Sea of Tranquility), and as an “impressive talent” (C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz), who “caresses [the music] with the reverence it merits” (Bob Doerschuk, Downbeat Magazine). Ben is based primarily in New York City, and is a graduate of the Columbia-Juilliard program (in 2016). His original music combines his extensive knowledge of the history of jazz with a free-wheeling, modern melodic sensibility and powerful narrative approach to the piano. His profound passion for jazz, swing and world music genres finds expression in his unique fusion of harmonic and rhythmic elements from a wide array of sources, and gives rise to a signature compositional sound and style at once iconoclastic and deeply rooted in such figures as Bill Evans and Wynton Kelly. Ben’s first priority in his composition and in his playing is always narrative – to tell a compelling story with his music, while reaching the hearts of his audience, connecting on an emotional, an intellectual and a spiritual level.

Reviewers of his debut album Instead – released in 2017 with bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Billy Hart – have been impressed by his musicality and his tasteful playing in light of his immense technical skill. Bob Doerschuk of Downbeat Magazine gave the album four stars, and wrote, “He has the chops to shoot off a few fireworks, … but that doesn’t seem to be a priority when covering sacred material.” C. Michael Bailey notes approvingly: “there do emerge conservatoire aces with grit in their imagination and a facility to express such in their playing. Ben Rosenblum is one such performer/composer. The Julliard-Columbia trained pianist brings a freighter of technique to the keyboard, while still maintaining enough earthiness in his playing to satisfy even the fussiest listener.” Fred Stal of RG Magazine most recently described his experience of listening to Ben’s live CD release performance: “The music keeps you on your feet and not wanting to miss a single moment of magic. … Raindrops from heaven poured down with style and grace from Rosenblum’s piano.”

Since the release of Ben’s debut album, Ben has been touring regularly – both nationally and internationally – celebrating the album and collaborating with artists around the world. Ben’s trio made debuts in Japan and in Canada in 2018. During his two-week tour of Japan, Ben performed in eight different cities, including in Tokyo at Akasaka B-flat, and in Yokohama at Himawari-no-sato Concert Hall with famed koto player Yuko Watanabe. Highlights of his Canada tour included appearances at Upstairs Jazz in Montreal, Maelstrom and Bar Ste-Angele in Quebec City and the Southminster “Doors Open For Music” Concert Series in Ottawa. In the United States, Ben has traveled extensively throughout the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast, with trips planned for the South and Southwest. These domestic tours have featured performances at some of the most well-respected venues in the country, including Kuumbwa Jazz Center (Santa Cruz), Ravinia (Chicago), Cliff Bells (Detroit), An Die Musik (Baltimore), The Bop Stop (Cleveland), Mezzrow (New York City) and many others. As a sideman, Ben has had further opportunities to tour the world. In 2018, he traveled for three weeks through Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and Serbia with Astrid Kuljanic, during which the group performed at multiple festivals, including the Ljeto na Bundeka Festival in Zagreb and the Soboško Poletje Festival in Murska Sobota. He also performed for two nights at the Blue Note in Beijing alongside famed jazz singer Deborah Davis.

Born and raised in New York City, Ben had the opportunity to study with some of the most influential figures in jazz piano, including Frank Kimbrough, Bruce Barth, Ben Waltzer and Roy Assaf. At the early age of sixteen, the originality of his work was already being recognized with numerous awards, including the ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award (2010), the Downbeat Student Music Award for Best Original Song (2010) and the Downbeat Student Music Award for Best Arrangement (2011). As a result, even before entering Columbia, Ben was commissioned by the XIBUS World Orchestra to write a piece for performance at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall in 2012. Ben has continued to earn numerous distinctions and honors in recent years. In 2015, he was a finalist at the American Jazz Pianist Competition in Melbourne, Florida, and in 2016, at the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition in Jacksonville, Florida. In 2018, he earned further recognition from the ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award competition in the form of an honorable mention, and he was featured at the ASCAP Foundation’s 2018 “We Write The Songs” event at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.

In addition to his own work, Ben often collaborates with other musicians. He has worked extensively with Grammy-nominated singer Ryland Angel on several compositional projects, including the project Unspoken, which premiered at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis, in November of 2016. His debut album Instead has received very favorable reviews from a wide range of sources throughout the world, including Downbeat Magazine, All About Jazz, Drumset Magazine (Italy) and The Jazz Writer (Germany).

Ben performed with the Bachiana Brasileira Orchestra at Lincoln Center (conducted by Joao Carlos Martins and featuring Dave Brubeck), and he was a featured soloist at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium with the New York Harmonic Band (conducted by Reona Ito). He traveled to New Delhi, India, to perform at a Max India Benefit, and was a participant at Il Grande Veggio, in Perugia, Italy. He has played at the Masten Jazz Festival (Buffalo), the Richmond Jazz Festival (Richmond), the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival (Maryland), Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival (Manhattan), the DUMBO Arts Festival (Brooklyn), Musikfest (Bethlehem, PA) and the Music Mountain Festival (Connecticut). He has also appeared at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, the Appel Room at Lincoln Center, Ryles Jazz Club, Webster Hall, Symphony Space, The Blue Note, Smoke, Smalls and a host of other music venues throughout the northeast.

Ben has worked extensively with such jazz luminaries as Curtis Lundy, Neal Smith, Winard Harper, Wayne Escoffery and Deborah Davis, and he has performed in bands led by Bobby Watson, TS Monk, Chris Washburne and Warren Wolf. In addition, he has shared the stage with many other jazz legends, including Wycliffe Gordon, Brian Lynch, Phil Woods, Houston Person, Jerry Dodgion, Eliot Zigmund, Clarence Penn, Craig Handy, Dave Stryker, James Cammack, Ameen Saleem, Bob Nieske, Steve Nelson, Yasushi Nakamura, Essiet Essiet, Willie Williams, Patience Higgins, Josh Evans, Kenny Davis and Rogerio Boccato.?

While at Columbia University, Ben founded the Columbia Jazz House, a student-run jazz advocacy group that promotes jazz on campus through concerts, educational workshops and jam sessions. On December 28th, 2015, the Columbia Jazz House was featured in a New York Times article titled “Melodies Night and Day in this Columbia Dorm.”

Greg Feingold started playing bass at the age of 10. He quickly realized that bass was something he would pursue for the rest of his life and was accepted to the Chicago Academy for the Arts. After graduating from the Academy, Greg was given a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music. Greg was very active both locally and nationally while at Berklee. He began playing with the International String Trio and performing regularly with Berklee faculty such as Bill Pierce, Neal Smith, Jon Hazilla, Doug Johnson, Rebecca Cline and many others. After graduating, Greg moved to New York and began playing in Winard Harper’s Jelli Posse. Throughout his stay in New York, he worked with legendary jazz performers such as Jimmy Cobb, Eric Reed, Eric Harland, Cyrus Chestnut, Steve Turre, Jim Rotondi, Jackie Ryan, Stephen Scott as well as continuing to tour with the International String Trio and the Valinor Quartet. Greg moved to Seattle in 2015 to change his surroundings and currently performs with a variety of groups around the west coast. He can be seen performing regularly with Thomas Marriott, Julian MacDonough, Miles Black and other great local Seattle musicians. He also co-leads the 200 Trio which performs around the country as one of the up and coming jazz guitar trios.

Jazz drummer and educator, Ben Zweig, “is able to combine history with the current musical environment, making it sound fresh” (Don Sickler). After moving to NYC in 2011, the 26 year old has accompanied an impressive array of jazz luminaries, including; Randy Weston, Johnny O’Neal, Larry Ridley, David Williams, Roy Hargrove, Deborah Davis, Joe Cohn, Champian Fulton, Jerry Dodgion, and Steve Nelson. Described by downbeat as “especially crisp and articulate,” Zweig has presented his personal sound performed with tours throughout the continental US, Asia and Canada. He currently tours regularly with Ben Rosenblum’s trio and leads a bi-weekly residency hosting the Sunday late night jam sessions at Smalls Jazz Club in NYC. Zweig is an avid educator. He has taught clinics across the country with the Champian Fulton quartet and has also directed the after-school percussion program at WHEELS middle and high school. Mentored by master drummers such as Joe Farnsworth, Billy Hart, Kenny Washington, Rodney Green, Justin DiCioccio, Christopher Brown, John Riley, and Rogerio Boccato, Ben is committed to passing down the information he has received from these legends. In his formative education, Ben was classically trained by Kenneth Piascik, culminating in performances with the NAfME All-Eastern Orchestra and as principal percussionist with the MENC All-National Concert Band. He currently maintains a private drum studio in Morningside-Heights with students of all ages. Ben received his B.M. and a M.M. from the Manhattan School of Music.

#Jazz #jazz music #jazz trio #live jazz #Jazz Concert #san francisco #san francisco jazz #San Francisco Live Music #sunset district #SunsetDistrictSanFrancisco #ben rosenblum

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justforbooks · 6 years

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Mickey Turns 90, and the Disney Marketing Machine Celebrates

A two-hour prime-time special on ABC. Cupcakes the size of cars at Disneyland Paris. Collaborations with a dozen fashion designers, including Marc Jacobs. More than 30 books, including one from Taschen so big it comes with a carrying handle.

Small and subtle are not the Walt Disney Company’s style. But a new effort to focus attention on one of its oldest characters, Mickey Mouse, is truly something to behold.

Disney is using Mickey’s 90th birthday as a monstrous marketing moment, with the company’s cross-promotional machine revved up to what may be its highest level yet. Every corner of the $168 billion company is contributing to the campaign, which will intensify on Sunday when ABC runs “Mickey’s 90th Spectacular.” Disney theme parks will be hosting events into next year.

Disney executives describe the effort as a chance to polish the company’s broader brand and remind people — as Netflix moves deeper into family entertainment and Disney prepares to unveil its own streaming service — that the Magic Kingdom has been serving up beloved characters for decades. Mickey made his official debut in 1928 in “Steamboat Willie,” Hollywood’s first cartoon with synchronized sound.

Unless lawmakers intervene, as they have in the past, Disney’s control of the Mickey copyright will expire in five years. So there’s no time like the present to rally around him.

Disney has billions of dollars in merchandise sales to consider. Mickey and his friends (Minnie, Pluto, Goofy) make up Disney’s top-selling consumer products franchise, generating annual retail sales of at least $3.2 billion, according to The Licensing Letter, a trade publication. That tally does not include the Disney Store chain or outlets at Disney’s theme parks. Disney does not disclose sales information, although a spokeswoman said the franchise had been growing both domestically and overseas.

There are challenges, however, the result of a shifting retail marketplace (the demise of the Toys “R” Us chain) and declining television viewership. Disney’s child-focused cable channels are important Mickey engines, serving up animated specials, shorts and series. Mickey also has strong competitors in the preschool market — “Paw Patrol” on Nickelodeon, for instance.

“The challenge for any character, but especially for Mickey since he’s so historic, is maintaining relevancy,” said Marty Brochstein, a senior vice president at the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association. “And the adults are almost more important than the kids in that way. The grown-ups decide what the money gets spent on.”

Here are some of the components of Mickey-palooza:

Mickey the Muse

Associating older characters with of-the-moment artists is a tried-and-true way to demonstrate relevancy. That strategy appears to be part of the thinking behind “Mickey: The True Original Exhibition.” This Disney-created exhibit, running Thursday to Feb. 10 in a 16,000-square-foot space in Manhattan, features Mickey-inspired creations by contemporary artists like Amanda Ross-Ho, Shinique Smith and Daniel Arsham.

“With the scale of Disney and who Mickey Mouse has become, a lot of people forget that Walt Disney was a real artist,” Mr. Arsham said in a statement. “Being able to make my own mark on his legacy is a real dream.”

Tickets to the exhibit cost $38, and some time slots are already sold out. Darren Romanelli, a Los Angeles designer who works as DRx, served as curator.

Prime-Time Takeover

Fifteen dancers in formation. Drummers dangling from wires over the stage. Indoor fireworks. And the actress Kristen Bell, who provided Anna’s voice in “Frozen,” positioning Mickey as bringing “a much-needed warmth and reliability in a world where consistency is something hard to come by.”

So begins “Mickey’s 90th Spectacular,” a two-hour special on Disney-owned ABC on Sunday night. Produced by Don Mischer, whose credits include Super Bowl halftime shows and multiple Academy Awards ceremonies, “Mickey’s 90th” features performances by Josh Groban, Meghan Trainor and the K-pop group NCT 127, among others. Presenters include Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, who personally oversees the Mickey brand.

“We wanted to celebrate how this little character transcends boundaries,” Mr. Mischer said by phone after the taping. “He’s an everyman who sometimes fails but keeps trying. Who can’t relate to that?”

But it was tricky to find the right tone, said Charlie Haykel, another producer. “We didn’t want a history lesson,” he said. “And we didn’t want it to turn too sentimental.”

Stickers for Everyone

Mickey’s popularity has remained remarkably stable over the years, according to Henry Schafer, executive vice president for the Q Scores Company, which measures the popularity of celebrities, brands and licensed properties. A springtime poll by the company showed that 26 percent of the United States population ranked Mickey as a favorite cartoon character, far above the average. Mr. Schafer said Mickey’s appeal was particularly high among Latinos, 39 percent of whom said he was a favorite.

Disney’s vast theme park operation is one reason the squeaky-voiced rodent has remained so embedded in the culture. The parks, which attracted more than 150 million visitors last year, offer the masses a touch point — quite literally. Walking-around Mickeys sign autographs and pose for photos.

For the current campaign, the Disney parks will stock commemorative merchandise, sell “limited edition” desserts and host a dizzying number of events billed as the World’s Biggest Mouse Party. Hong Kong Disneyland will hand out birthday stickers to guests as they enter, for instance, and Disneyland Paris has those colossal (inedible) cupcakes on display. Starting in mid-January, Disney World in Florida will introduce a Mickey-focused “street jubilee.”

What About Minnie?

Poor Minnie. Always in the shadow of her boyfriend. But Disney has not left her out entirely.

She dances with Mickey on the ABC special and is front and center in the Mouse Party theme park events. Disney also arranged for her to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Mickey got his 40 years ago.) The sidewalk plaque was unveiled in January by Mr. Iger and Katy Perry, who wore polka dots in the character’s honor.

“To this day, no one rocks a bow, the color red or a dot quite like her,” Ms. Perry said at the time. “Trust me. I am trying.”

In recent years, Disney has put Minnie forward as a style icon, dispatching her to New York Fashion Week and arranging for Minnie-inspired collections or garments from Coach, Vans, Diane von Furstenberg and other fashion brands. Those efforts have increased Minnie licensing revenue considerably.

But the numbers are the numbers: Mickey has about 14.2 million followers on Facebook, while she has 4.8 million.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

#JUST FOR BOOKS

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bluesdoodles · 2 years

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Jimmy Hall is Jumpin’ For Joy

Jimmy Hall is Jumpin’ For Joy - it’s a sort of blues, jump blues with a leaping country feel to boot. Great fun. The album Ready Now out 16th September

Most famous for his time in Wet Willie, Jimmy Hall is now set to release a new album on Joe Bonamassa’s KTBA Records called Ready Now. The album is due in September and features a stellar core band: Joe Bonamassa, Josh Smith, keyboardist Reese Wynans, bassist Michael Rhodes and drummer Greg Morrow with special (and I mean special) guests Warren Haynes and Jared James Nichols. The lead single is…

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#Bluesdoodles CD Review #Jimmy Hall #Jumpin&039; For Joy

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dustedmagazine · 3 years

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Listed: Ches Smith

Photo by Mimi Chakarova

Percussionist/composer Ches Smith displayed his varied interests almost immediately. He first came to prominence playing with indie rockers Xiu Xiu, but he was also playing with artists like John Zorn and Mary Halvorson. His playing expanded as a solo artist and bandleader. Throughout this time, he studied Haitian Vodou music, enjoying its polyrhythms and polytonality. A few years ago, he assembled the quartet We All Break to create music focusing on this interest, and they released their first album in 2015. Since then, Smith’s expanded the project, which has turned into an octet (including saxophonist Miguel Zenón) for their new release Path of Seven Colors. In his review, Derek Taylor said, “The results adapt Haitian Vodou music traditions as a blueprint for a vibrant hybrid of improvised music that taps directly into that hoary AACM adage, “ancient to the future.””

For this installment of Listed, Smith gives us a set of “People I know, knew, or wish I knew,” including a few surprises.

Junk Magic — Compass Confusion (Pyroclastic)

Compass Confusion by Junk Magic

Craig Taborn himself is magic. I've played with him a ton at this point and I've still never analyzed his harmonic language, especially what comes out in his compositions. I think I should, but something is holding me back. Not knowing is pretty enticing at the moment.

Trevor Dunn — Nocturnes (Tzadik)

https://www.trevordunn.net/releases/nocturnes

Trevor's “classical” writing, performed by his friends and collaborators. Getting to know Trevor very well over the last 20 years, this music seems to me like a quite natural expression of him, like he’s in a conversation with you. And the writing is really, really good.

Mary Halvorson — Meltframe (Firehouse 12)

Meltframe by Mary Halvorson

A solo record from 2015 from a close friend from way back. Like Dunn’s, but in a different way, this lets you into her thought processes. Although they are all covers, they feel like her tunes, in the same way her improvisations feel like her tunes.

James Brandon Lewis — Molecular (Intakt)

Molecular by JAMES BRANDON LEWIS QUARTET with Aruán Ortiz, Brad Jones, Chad Taylor

Emotionally-charged, well-conceived music played by a great band of Aruán Ortiz, Brad Jones and Chad Taylor. James is a friend, a straight-up guy with his own worldview, his own sound, and he is driven to get his music out. He doesn’t seem to concern himself with an “inside/outside” dichotomy. I can relate. We play together in one project with Josh Werner and Patrick Holmes. I am looking to do more with that group, as well as other opportunities to work with James.

Terry Riley — Shri Camel (CBS)

youtube

Minimalist modal masterpiece for Yamaha YC-45D combo organ tuned in just intonation, performed by the composer in 1977. I’ve listened to this album easily as much as Coltrane’s A Love Supreme or Slayer’s Reign In Blood. A great composer, and a great improviser. I experienced this first-hand playing in some groups of his with his son, guitarist Gyan Riley, and one of my percussion teachers Willie Winant.

Frisner Augustin — “Blue Djouba Alaso”

youtube

One of my teachers of the Haitian tanbou, the late, great master drummer Tikelep. You can really see what was going on with his hands on this one.

Pauline Oliveros — Anthology of Text Scores (Deep Listening)

https://popandmom.org/products/anthology-of-text-scores

A book of “sheet music” but it’s all in words. You don’t necessarily have to perform them, but there are tons of good ideas to practice in your improvising. Oliveros was a heavy influence on all of us coming out of Mills College.

Kool Keith — “The 98 Year Old Refrigerator”

youtube

Probably my favorite rapper. This is a video of him talking/art piece. So good. Hilarious and profound.

Motion Man — Adult Situations (442)

Adult Situations by Motion Man with Beats by Unagi & Jethroe

Also probably my favorite rapper. This is one of the best concept albums about love (and lust) relationships of all time. A classic.

Chelsea Wolfe — Hiss Spun (Sargent House)

Hiss Spun by CHELSEA WOLFE

vimeo

One of my best friends Devin Hoff and I got obsessed with this record at the same time and didn’t know the other knew about it till a few years later. I can’t describe it, just listen to it. You probably already know it. I was just looking for a favorite track, but they're all my favorites. The drummer Jess Gowrie rips. Here she is playing the track “Vex.” It cuts to a quick shot of what I think is Sacramento at dusk. I'm from Sacramento. Watching that image, I can smell the dirt and cowshit in the air.

#dusted magazine #listed #ches smith #junk magic #craig taborn #trevor dunn #mary halvorson #james brandon lewis #terry riley #frisner augustin #pauline oliveros #kool keith #motion man #chelsea wolfe

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nuclearblastuk · 7 years

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BURN THE PRIEST CELEBRATES 20th ANNIVERSARY WITH RELEASE OF NEW COVERS ALBUM ‘LEGION:XX’

LAMB OF GOD Return to their Roots on a 10-Track BURN THE PRIEST album featuring covers of Classics by Cro-Mags, Bad Brains, Big Black, Ministry, Melvins, Quicksand and More

Legion: XX In Stores May 18, 2018 via Nuclear Blast

Watch the Official Music Video for “Inherit The Earth” & Pre-Order Merch Bundles via http://www.nuclearblaststore.co.uk/shop/nuclearblast/products.php?cat=5210

Stream “Inherit The Earth” HERE

RIAA-certified, Billboard chart-topping, Richmond, Virginia band LAMB OF GOD may be one of the biggest bands in modern metal, but they will never forget where they came from. Mark Morton (guitar), John Campbell (bass), and Chris Adler (drums) formed the first incarnation of the band, BURN THE PRIEST, in winter 1994 after meeting four years earlier as students at Virginia Commonwealth University. Less than a year later, in summer 1995, they met vocalist Randy Blythe before adding Chris Adler’s brother, Willie Adler (guitar), prior to transitioning to LAMB OF GOD – and the rest is global metal history.

Guitarist Mark Morton says, “To truly understand the essence of the band BURN THE PRIEST, one must first consider the landscape in which it began: the mid-90s. Grunge and alternative music ruled the airwaves. Social media and the internet had yet to assume their role as our collective sources for entertainment and cultural exchange. It was a time when DIY 'zines turned us onto new bands and regional scenes, and ‘copy and paste’ still implied a print shop and a glue stick.”

BURN THE PRIEST’s self-titled debut album, released via Philadelphia-based Legion Records, documented what was, in essence, a primal punk band performing metal. Ultimately, as they grew in local popularity, the five-piece chose to stray away from their name to avoid being associated with satanic metal, choosing the name LAMB OF GOD.

Morton continues, “As our sound and songs developed, so did our goals… we began playing basement parties and warehouse shows and in doing so, we realized that the energy we were creating was transferable. The shows we played in those squats and warehouses [in Philadelphia] and the people we met there are forever embedded in our collective consciousness and the DNA of our band.”

As they enter their 20th year since releasing their first self-titled album as BURN THE PRIEST, the band will release a full-length covers album that reflects on the greatness of classic punk, hardcore, crossover and noise - rock subgenres that contributed to what LAMB OF GOD - and indeed, the world - now view as modern heavy metal.

As BURN THE PRIEST, the band presents Legion: XX – featuring tracks originally performed by Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front, Quicksand, Ministry, Bad Brains, Melvins, S.O.D., The Accused, Big Black and Richmond punk band Sliang Laos. The tracks are performed with the unmistakable precision that has kept the band vital for two decades, but ultimately harks back to the raw, punk-driven sound first explored by four unsuspecting college students and a line cook-turned-vocalist in their formative years. Produced with Josh Wilbur at the helm, Legion: XX exhibits BURN THE PRIEST in their true element.

“Our inauspicious beginnings somehow grew into something none of us had ever even imagined possible, let alone aspired to, however, this is the story of BURN THE PRIEST,” adds Morton. “The songs we chose to cover on this album reflect that story. They are touchstones from that point in time. The inspiration we gleaned from these bands and these songs carries through our work and our creative pursuits, even to this day. Many thanks to these bands for lighting our fire and endless gratitude to our fans around the world for keeping it lit.”

Legion: XX will be officially released on May 18, 2018 via Nuclear Blast and will be available for purchase via all physical and digital retailers. Pre-orders and merch bundles are available now via http://www.nuclearblaststore.co.uk/shop/nuclearblast/products.php?cat=5210 and fans can stream the first single “Inherit The Earth” here: http://BTP.lnk.to/LegionXX. Vinyl ordered in the UK includes a special bonus track of “In The Meantime” (originally performed by Helmet).

Today, fans can watch the brand new BURN THE PRIEST music video for “Inherit The Earth”, originally performed by The Accused, and cut from Legion: XX (video directed by Travis Shinn). Watch here: http://Burn-The-Priest.com

“I’ve been an Accused fan since I was 14 when they were on the "Thrasher Skate Rock Volume 3” compilation with C.O.C. and all these amazing crossover bands,” says frontman Randy Blythe. “Their singer Blaine Cook was a huge influence on me, vocally.”

Drummer Chris Adler recalls,“‘Inherit The Earth’ hit me in the face soon after I managed to get my grubby mitts on the album sometime around ‘88. I got the Accused record at a “Yellow Banana” record store on Route 1 south of DC while in route back from my “counselor” to my home in Woodbridge, Virginia. I got home and grabbed my board and I rocked it on my Discman. At about 2:12 into the tune the clouds parted above me and on a loudspeaker, God bellowed down to me, ‘RECEIVE YOUR PURPOSE.’ That was the moment I knew that if I tried hard enough, I could convey myself and how I felt - with music. It will never be “ours,” and we know that about all the tunes we’ve covered, but hopefully one of them hit you in the face as I had been, and God will part the clouds for you, too.”

Legion: XX track listing:

1. Inherit The Earth (originally performed by The Accused)

2. Honey Bucket (originally performed by Melvins)

3. Kerosene (originally performed by Big Black)

4. Kill Yourself (originally performed by S.O.D.)

5. I Against I (originally performed by Bad Brains)

6. Axis Rot (originally performed by Sliang Laos)

7. Jesus Built My Hotrod (originally performed by Ministry)

8. One Voice (originally performed by Agnostic Front)

9. Dine Alone (originally performed by Quicksand)

10. We Gotta Know (originally performed by Cro-Mags)

11. In The Meantime (originally performed by Helmet) *bonus track on UK vinyl only

Blythe adds,“I have a radio show on Gimmie Radio, and [the station] is all metal shows except for mine. I do the punk rock show because I want to show the direct correlation between my band, and the punk scene going back to The MC5 and The Stooges. There is a direct link — look at old pictures of Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax, and they're wearing Misfits, D.R.I., and C.O.C. t-shirts. They fused the technicality of metal with the intensity of punk rock. Before them, metal was like in slow motion. Speed metal bands were listening to Discharge. I beat that drum all the time when I talk to kids.”

Legion: XX is a sonic tribute to metal’s dark, dirty secret - the punk inspiration of all future heavy music to come.

#burn the priest #lamb of god #legion: XX #inherit the earth

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theheadbangers · 4 years

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LAMB OF GOD - 'New Colossal Hate' Lyric Video

LAMB OF GOD have unleashed another track from their forthcoming self-titled album (now due June 19 via Nuclear Blast Records) in the form of 'New Colossal Hate' – a song which finds the band at the height of their formidable powers – unrelenting, unstoppable, and as always, setting the standard for aggressive modern music. Where now-classic LAMB OF GOD slabs "As the Palaces Burn" (2003) and "Ashes of the Wake" (2004) zoomed in on specific issues, "Lamb Of God" (2020) takes a broader view, calling attention to and laying out an argument against intolerance, apathy and injustice, both in the United States and abroad. The album tackles a broad range of issues, including the opioid crisis ('On the Hook'), school shootings ('Reality Bath'), and vocalist/lyricist D. Randall Blythe’s time protesting alongside native peoples at Standing Rock ('Routes').

'New Colossal Hate', which hits all digital and streaming services as a single and lyric video today – watch now at www.lamb-of-god.com - digs into the exploitative rhetoric and persistent “othering” of marginalized people that continues to divide. Guitarist Willie Adler speaking on the composition of the song: “'New Colossal Hate' came out of our very first writing session in Maine. Mark, our producer Josh Wilbur and I were at a super cool studio in South Windham called Halo. An absolutely beautiful spot run by some of the best people I've ever met. I'm pretty sure 'New Colossal Hate' grew from a few different demos I had. You know, like parts of car. However, as it started to take shape, it quickly became my favorite song on the record. Please enjoy this banger of a tune. It holds a very special place in my heart." 'New Colossal Hate' follows the official music video for 'Memento Mori', which has been viewed more than 3.5 million times since its late March debut. Executed from a narrative treatment written by Blythe, 'Memento Mori' features a blistering performance from guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell, drummer Art Cruz, and Blythe, juxtaposed against a grim storyline costarring Sinisteria, a dark performance troupe led by fellow Richmond, Virginia, natives Sabrina Elliotte and Gwooki. Audiences got a taste of the first new LAMB OF GOD music in nearly five years with 'Checkmate' back in February. All three songs will appear on "Lamb Of God", the follow-up to "VII: Sturm und Drang" (2015). The album was once again produced by collaborator Josh Wilbur (GOJIRA, KORN, MEGADETH, TRIVIUM), fueled by a mountain of riffs and looming rhythmic shadows. It’s also the band’s first record with Cruz, who sat behind the kit with LAMB OF GOD in 2018 and became an official member the following year. LAMB OF GOD propelled heavy metal into the new millennium two decades ago with the prophetically titled "New American Gospel". They followed with 2003’s "As the Palaces Burn", which made the Rolling Stone list of the Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time. "Ashes of the Wake" (2004) was the first LAMB OF GOD album to be certified gold by the RIAA, followed by "Sacrament" (2006), which debuted in Billboard’s Top 10. "Wrath" (2009) earned the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hard Rock, Rock, and Tastemaker charts and was No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Those No. 1 positions were repeated with "Resolution" (2012). "VII: Sturm und Drang" (2015) debuted at No. 3 in North America and in the Top 5 in several countries. The single “512” from "VII: Sturm und Drang" received a Grammy nod for the “Best Metal Performance,” making it LAMB OF GOD’s fifth Grammy nomination. The new album features guest appearances from Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT). Blythe sounds more driven and insightful than ever on "Lamb Of God", offering up the angriest and most comprehensive diatribes, addressing modern life in the current landscape, of his storied career thus far. "Lamb Of God" pre-orders are available at nblast.de/LOG-LambOfGod.

LAMB OF GOD is: D. Randall Blythe – Vocals Mark Morton – Guitar Willie Adler – Guitar John Campbell – Bass Art Cruz – Drums LAMB OF GOD online: www.lamb-of-god.com www.facebook.com/lambofgod https://twitter.com/lambofgod http://instagram.com/lambofgod Read the full article

#HEADBANGERS #headbangers.gr #LAMBOFGOD #VIDEO

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irish-nlessing · 7 years

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so i get super confused with all of nialls friends lol maybe you can help me out? are deo, willie and josh all related, and if so, how? and are they related to niall / are these the cousins he went to asia with? (i'm like relatively new to the fandom haha)

THE NIALL CREW

Deo - perpetual sidekick. lowkey harmless. brother of Willie, Martin, Derek. Went to Asia.

Willie - Niall’s housemate for years, actual adult, probably the most put together. Brother of Deo, Martin, Derek. Also in Asia w/ Niall.

Derek - the lost Devine. Married, way older, never shows up for anything.

Martin - Starting to turn up randomly, seems an alright lad. Probably close to what Willie is like.

Josh Devine - Touring drummer for 1d. No relation.

Matt Goulet - LA crew. highkey d bag.

Justin Stirling - See above

Courtney - LA Crew Selena’s bff, close with Goulet and Stir

Raquel - LA Crew Courtney’s bff, see above

Sean “Mully” Mulligan - Irish lad, now lives in LA (possibly in Niall’s house, we have no confirmation). Constantly seen telling Niall to “Fuck off” in Niall’s insta/snapchat.

Niall “Bressie” Breslin - Niall’s mentor from Mullingar. Irish national treasure, former rugby play, The Voice Ireland judge, frontman of The Blizzards. 6′6″ of mental heath awareness beauty. Calls Niall “Chief”. part of the London Irish Crew (LIC)

Laura Whitmore - MTV presenter/model, effortlessly cool af. Once rumored to be boning Niall to which she was visibly disgusted and said it would be like shagging her little brother. Part of the LIC. Niall once went through her underwear drawer and wore her bra on his head.

Eoghan McDermott - (pronounced Owen) RTE Radio presenter, general insane person, questionable hair choices. Hilarious and harmless. Dating possibly the most beautiful woman ever who is a model/doctor because apparently that’s a real thing. Member of the LIC.

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incarnationsf · 5 years

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Ben Rosenblum Jazz Trio

Date & Time: Saturday June 22, 7:30 p.m. Venue: Incarnation Episcopal Church, 1750 29th Avenue, San Francisco Tickets: $20 General, $15 Seniors/Students

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Ben Rosenblum Jazz Trio

Ben Rosenblum – piano/accordion Greg Feingold – bass Ben Zweig – drum

#jazz #jazz music #live jazz #live performance #live music #San Francisco Live Music #san francisco #sunset district #SunsetDistrictSanFrancisco #jazz trio

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12 Pop, Rock and Jazz Concerts to Check Out in N.Y.C. This Weekend

RANDY BRECKER at the Iridium (Jan. 21-22, 8 p.m.). This trumpeter was one of the most versatile studio musicians of the 1970s and ’80s, and together with his sibling — the influential saxophonist Michael Brecker — he led a successful fusion group, the Brecker Brothers, in which he served as primary songwriter. That band became known for its balance of pop sensibilities and jazz sophistication, a calculus that has remained Brecker’s calling card. At the Iridium he will perform with a modern-day iteration of the Brecker Brothers band, playing music from that group’s back catalog as well as newer compositions, including some by himself and others by the tenor saxophonist Ada Rovatti, his wife and longtime collaborator. 212-582-2121, theiridium.com

CYRUS CHESTNUT TRIO at Smoke (Jan. 16 and 19, 7 and 9 p.m.; Jan. 17-18, 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m.). A straight-ahead jazz pianist of enormous grace and power, Chestnut invests in a broad reading of the black American piano tradition, pulling equally from stride, bebop and modern gospel. He turns 57 on Friday, and these concerts — with Eric Wheeler on bass and Chris Beck on drums — will double as his birthday celebration. 212-864-6662, smokejazz.com

DAVID MURRAY OCTET at Jazz Standard (Jan. 16-19, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.). Murray stepped onto the New York avant-garde scene in the mid-1970s, when he was just 20 years old but creatively almost fully formed. Boasting a style that was blustery and agitated yet deeply in command — as influenced by the early-bebop saxophonist Don Byas as by the free-jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman — he became an emblem of his musical era. In 1980, the Village Voice named Murray its “musician of the decade.” He recently moved back to New York City after many years in Europe, and now he’s reviving the octet that was his flagship ensemble for much of the 1980s. In its current iteration, that group includes Lakecia Benjamin on alto saxophone, Josh Evans on trumpet, Terry Greene II on trombone, Mingus Murray on guitar, David Bryant on piano, Dezron Douglas on bass and Russell Carter on drums. (On Thursday and Friday, Calvin X. Jones will take Douglas’s place.) 212-576-2232, jazzstandard.com

MACEO PARKER at the Blue Note (through Jan. 19, 8 and 10:30 p.m.). This esteemed alto saxophonist was a central player on some of the most influential funk records of the 1970s, as a member of both James Brown’s bands and George Clinton’s Parliament. You can tell Parker was Brown’s right-hand man from listening to those albums: For one thing, you can hear the Godfather of Soul admonishing him to “blow your horn” on the hit “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag.” Over the past few decades Parker has focused mostly on leading his own groups, switching between greased-up funk and soul-jazz. 212-475-8592, bluenote.net

ERICA SEGUINE AND SHAN BAKER JAZZ ORCHESTRA at the Jazz Gallery (Jan. 18, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.). Fans of the bandleader Maria Schneider, the indie-rocker Sufjan Stevens, the composer Olivier Messiaen and a lot in between should check out this 20-piece big band, led by the two young composers Seguine and Baker. They pour their ideas about politics, ecology and interpersonal relationships into vast, multifaceted, semi-abstract compositions that deal in dissonance and overload but often resolve into major-key resplendence. The group has been around since 2011 but is just now preparing to release its debut album. 646-494-3625, jazzgallery.nyc

‘LARRY WILLIS: A LIFE IN JAZZ’ at Dizzy’s Club (Jan. 22, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.). Willis was a pianist whose impact was perhaps best measured by the achievements of those around him: He played on and contributed compositions to landmark recordings by Jackie McLean, Hugh Masekela and others. He mentored Roy Hargrove, the younger trumpeter whose career would come to define a jazz generation. But Willis also led a distinguished — if less prominent — career as a bandleader, recording close to two dozen albums and assembling a thick book of original compositions. He died last year at 76, and at this concert an intergenerational squad of musicians will pay homage to the work of a musician whom many knew as “Prof.” Led by the drummer Willie Jones III, the band will also include Justin Robinson on alto saxophone, Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Steve Davis on trombone, George Cables on piano and Gerald Cannon on bass. 212-258-9595, jazz.org/dizzys GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO

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