Seattle songwriter Christopher Mansfield, the visionary of modern folk project Fences, is currently on tour with Gainesville punk heroes Against Me! Both acts will be playing Neumo’s on Feb 4th along with Michigan power pop threesome Cheap Girls. Tickets are available online 0r at Moe Bar.
Fences released his anticipated self-titled debut with Onto Entertainment last year, earning a spot on many favorite album lists of 2010 (including KEXP, Sound on the Sound) and was tagged as one of SPIN magazine’s Best Albums You Might Have Missed This Year. Co-producing the ten song LP with Mansfield was Sara Quin of indie pop tag team Tegan and Sara, who expressed interest in working with Fences after hearing his original EP. Fences also recently appeared on a remix of “Otherside” for Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ The VS EP.
It’s one helluva great weekend for local music in the Triangle–and for beneficiaries of two local organizations, including Durham’s Central Park School as well as Moving Island, a Raleigh community education facility focused on emerging arts, technology and, according to its Web site, “the business of living.”
If you’re in Raleigh this weekend and looking for two nights of great local music, $15 gets you in for both nights in advance. Single night tickets are $8 advance/$10 door. Here’s the link to buy.
Here’s the lineup for both nights:
Friday:
The Big Picture 7:30pm
Organos 8:15pm
Wowser Bowser 9:00
Gray Young 10:00
Veelee 11:00pm
Lonnie Walker 12:00am
Saturday:
Young Volcanoes 2:00pm
Mac McCaughan (of Superchunk/Portastatic) 3:00pm
Old Bricks 4:00pm
Phil Cook & His Feat 5:00pm
Schooner 6:00pm
Intermission/Q&A about what Moving Island 7:00pm
Kid Future 9:15pm
Naps 10:00pm
Juan Huevos 10:45pm
Heads on Sticks 11:30pm
Motor Skills 12:15am
DJs presented by Denmark Records 1:00am
Bassist about town and writer par excellence Spike Perkins is adding his unique voice to TVD all week long. Here he reflects on another of his favorite vinyl albums-Milt Jackson at the Kosei Nenkin.
Vibraphonist MiltJackson was one of the most creative improvisers in modern jazz, on any instrument. A founding member of the long-lived ModernJazzQuartet, he also performed and recorded with many other notable jazz artists, including DizzyGillespie, TheloniousMonk, MilesDavis, JohnColtrane and Ray b. The MJQ took a hiatus in 1974, and Jackson had the opportunity perform and record with any all-star groups for NormanGranz’s Pablo label throughout the 1970s.
Granz is a bit of a jazz legend in himself. An impresario, artist manager and record label founder, Granz established the Jazz At The Philharmonic series of concerts. Artists he discovered or managed at one time include EllaFitzgerald, OscarPeterson, RoyEldridge, DizzyGillespie, ArtTatum, CountBasie, and BenWebster. He founded Clef and Norgran Records, which he consolidated into Verve in 1956.
Granz knew authentic talent when he heard it, and was not trend-driven like most of the jazz press at the time. He didn’t care about labels like “be-bopper,” or “moldy fig,” “East Coast,” or “West Coast.” For recording sessions he often paired older, swing-era players like Ben Webster with young, bop-savy musicians like Oscar Peterson and RayBrown, with wonderful results.
After selling Verve to MGM in 1960, Granz eventually returned to the record business, founding Pablo in 1973. Once again, the music press was touting something new and trendy. Miles Davis’s electronic experiments had given rise to fusion, which attracted hordes of young fans who had grown up on rock. Many veterans of the swing and bop eras were still working and playing at the height of their powers, but they weren’t getting much attention. These were the artists that Pablo sought to record, often in all-star, live sessions.
Recorded March 22 and 23, 1976 in Tokyo, Japan, this live concert recording featured Jackson with CedarWalton, piano; RayBrown, bass; TeddyEdwards, tenor sax; and BillyHiggins, drums. As it is a two-record set with only two or three cuts per side, the musicians are given ample opportunity to stretch out, and oh boy, do they! The repertoire includes modern jazz classics like “All Blues,” “St. Thomas,” and “Killer Joe,” standards like “Bye Bye Blackbird,” and “Get Happy,” and a couple of originals from the group, including one of Cedar Walton’s most interesting compositions, “Bolivia.”
The video below features Jackson with two of the other players.
Spike Perkins has resided in New Orleans since 1982, where he works as a musician and freelance writer. His work has appeared in the Times-Picayune, and other publications, and he has performed with many New Orleans-based artists. He wrote the cult hit “Pitbull” with Coco Robicheaux, and appears on Robicheaux’s “Spiritland” CD.
Two Toronto treasures, orchestral indie pop singer-songwriter Nick Teehan and jazz-pop innovators The Jessica Stuart Few play Toronto’s Supermarket, 268 Augusta Ave, Thursday February 3 to celebrate the official launch of the title track video from The Jessica Stuart Few’s widely acclaimed CD Kid Dream. Check out the making of the Kid Dream video here!
Often likened to the fun, quirky genius that is Rufus Wainwright-cum-Tom Waits, Nick Teehan found some success as a saxophonist – playing the MuchMusic Video Awards, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Summerfolk Festival and performing with Toronto funk/rock bands Barbarella and Pure Finesse – before finding songwriting was his true calling. Nick plays supported by a talented six-piece band that includes two brass players, guitar and drums, and sometimes even includes a string section. Nick’s older brother, Juno-nominated composer Rob Teehan, plays sousaphone in the band. The pair enjoy a fruitful collaborative relationship and plan to co-produce Nick’s first full-length album expected in 2011.
Growing up in suburban Oshawa, Nick felt most free after dark, whether he was watching rented Charleton Heston movies, wandering the city’s forest paths, or trekking south to yell and throw rocks at the 4:00 a.m. train. His teenage afternoons were spent pushing carts at the local grocery store and cruising his rusty old bike across town on the sidewalk.
Stroll On are always checking out music, new and old. Each week we will present some of our findings to you in a 25-30 minutepodcast. We hope you enjoy our playlist and come back for more.
This weeks tracks are:
Intro
Deerhunter – Cover Me (Slowly)
The Sundowners – Always You
Therapies Son – Touching Down
Lo Borges – Aos Baroes
David Vandervelde – Nothin’ No
Outer Limits Recordings – Julie
Tyler, The Creator (Feat. Hodgy Beats) – Slow It Down
We continue our Winter Giveaway lovefest this week with a CD Giveaway from experimental rock chanteuse Laurie Anderson. Sometimes a singer is so special that even we will listen to her on CD.
Laurie Anderson paved the way for such acts as Animal Collective and Bluebrain, whose weird and fantastic antics have dissolved the lines between music and art. During one of her most famous exhibitions, Duets on Ice, she wore ice skates with the blades frozen into a block of ice while playing the violin, and played until the ice melted.
Anderson is nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for “Flow,” the closing track from her newest album Homeland. Enter to win both Homeland and her debut album from 1982, Big Science, which is the 2007 deluxe re-issue.
To enter to win both CDs, please comment and tell us what you would do if you held an experimental rock concert. You have seven days (until Wed 2/2) to think of something clever and outlandish. Time’s ticking…
Laurie Anderson | “Flow” from Homeland
Laurie Anderson | “O Superman” from Big Science “O Superman” reached #2 on the UK charts.
While not a Cleveland area record store (they are located in Cincinnati, Ohio), Shake-It Records has strong ties to the Cleveland music scene dating back to the early 90s through its own label imprint (Shake-It). Shake-It Records released the early recordings by the renowned 90’s Cleveland-area rockabilly/punk group, the Cowslingers (in addition records by a few other bands too).
Shake-It the record label started as a mail-order only operation. In 1999, the business was expanded into its own stand-alone retail storefront, and has continued to be the premier indie record store in the Cincinnati area. The record label continues to release new 7″ singles and albums, including the Record Store Day 2010 limited edition 7″ release by the brainy band The Seedy Seeds entitled Roll Deep (Shake 764/ER-06/GGR pressing # 10-0057).
We had the pleasure of speaking with Shake-It co-owner Jim Blase for a quick “answer as many questions as you can in 2 minutes” interview:
What are the top 3 sellers at your store right now? Decemberists, The King Is Dead; Social Distortion, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes; and Daniel Martin Moore, In The Cool Of The Day.
What is the craziest request you have ever received from a customer? Recently, a man walked in wearing a rabbit fur coat and star sunglasses, and asked if they carry fake beards and mustaches. [Editor’s comment: They don’t].
What, in your opinion, is the greatest album of all time? Professor Longhair, Crawfish Fiesta
The improvisatory quartet, which features Skerik on saxophones, MikeDillon on vibes, MarcoBenevento on keys and StantonMoore on drums, has been holed up in the studio recording their latest opus.
Garage a Trois is emerging Saturday night to play one show at D.B.A. on Frenchmen Street. TVD/NOLA has one pair of tickets to give away to the first person that correctly answers the following question in our comments section.
Which band was Skerik jamming with when he famously delivered a massive blast of feedback from the stage at the Jazz Fest in 1999?
Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean
Destroyer – Kaputt
Deerhoof – Deerhoof vs Evil
Cloud Nothings – S/T
Wanda Jackson – The Party Ain’t Over
Ryan Adams – Gold (10th Anniversary Edition)
Monotonix – Not Yet
Cold War Kids –Mine Is Yours
Sic Alps – Napa Asylum
Death – Spiritual | Mental | Physical
The Books – Thought For Food
Young The Giant – S/T
V/A – The Sound of Siam: Leftfield Luk Thung, Jazz & Molam in Thailand 1964 – 1975
The Ex – Catch My Shoe
Carolina Chocolate Drops / Luminescent Orchestrii – 10”
Zs – New Slaves Part II: Essence Implosion
My Disco – Little Joy
Caroline – Verdugo Hills
Mike Adams At His Honest Weight – Oscillate Wisely
Epstein – Sealess See
John Vanderslice with the Magik Magik Orchestra – White Wilderness
Lia Ices – Grown Unknown
Clues – Ledmonton 7”
Chain & The Gang – Cry, Cry, Cry 7”
Lake – You Are Alone 7”
Origami Vinyl is located in Echo Park. More info. at origamiorigami.com.
Out of San Diego is a three-piece synth pop group known for their 80s-inspired head-shakin’ beats that are getting everyone all riled up. This past year, despite the fact that the guys hadn’t released a record yet, Lesands received all sorts of buzz. KCRW took notice and so did New York’s CMJ. Lesands is singer Austin Taylor Tirado, drummer Joel Plotnik and guitarist/bassist Nik Ewing.
Now, the band has officially released their debut EP Sweet Skin for free. But it will only be available for one month. I hadn’t heard songs “Sweet Skin” and “Restless Lover” until today, and though it’s hard to pick favorites on the record because they’re all noteworthy, original and addicting, these two tracks are my new fixation for the next week. So get ready friends to hear me blasting the EP on my computer, my iPod while at the gym and my car stereo while on my way to Santa Barbara this weekend.
Now, if you don’t trust my word, then go listen for yourself and download it. Again, it’s freeeeeeee.
Seattle’s The Moondoggies released their second album “Tidelands” on Sub Pop/Hardly Art in October. Similar to LA’s The Dawes, The Moondoggies’ pop harmonies and lush organs propel the band forward over intimate lyrics. The band is playing the Local 506 in Chapel Hill on Jan 27 and TVD has a pair of tickets to give away.
Be the first to name the Washington state capital in the comments (please leave your E-mail address too, so we can contact you) and you’ll win a pair of tickets to the show, along with a copy of the LP.
Americana/rock fans, get happy. The Decemberists new album sounds like it was made by a group of real people with a united musical purpose. In other words, they sound like a band. Though they have been together about 10 years, I get a feeling that they recently got a shot in the arm that is propelling them to give it their all, like they have all agreed that “This is why we’re here, so let’s do it!” A great level for any band to reach.
And by request of frontman and vocalist Colin Meloy, there’s something on this record that only Peter Buck can bring to the table. Somehow, having Peter around can give a band a bit more of a purpose. He sounds like he loves to play, and it shows. The little touches he adds, while never over the top, are well placed, adding a new character that steps up the propulsion, both musically and “psycho-dynamically.
The record starts with a song that could easily become their theme song. “Don’t Carry it All“ is a strong demonstration of every member’s abilities. Meloy unabashedly rings out like a band from Athens, Georgia, but for the Nor’west coast twinge of Portland, OR, the band’s home. From a light intro verse, the piece swells into a full blown picture of a rock band, with his ubiquitous vocal counterpart, Jenny Conlee, kicking in with the bass into the second verse. And the universal message of “don’t carry it all” is one we can all feel good about.
“Calamity Song” is both rhythmically playful while lyrically telling a tale of what could be. Mr. Buck breaks out his special “jangle pick” on this one, fueling this fun-fest to some to some high heights.
“Rise to Me” takes us from fun-land to a greener part of America, with some perfectly placed pedal-steel parts which, when added to the Dylan-esque harmonica, leaves this listener with a wish to get back to simpler things, to get away from our asphalt meadows. And there’s a gentle tug to come along with them.
It’s not exactly clear what “Rox in the Box” is all about; in fact, it could be about a couple of things, each having to do with some painstaking work and an element of danger that keeps the listener looking over his shoulder. But Meloy never seems to have a problem conjuring vision after vision, and when added to the minor keyed “fiddle” and a fun but wary sing along chorus, it’s a little jewel that adds easily to the eclectic bag of tunes.
Lonely and haunting are about all you can say when describing “January Hymn“. In his best Athens voice, Meloy sounds a bit too optimistic that this one will have a happy ending, given the musical tragedy he gives us a glimpse of. As if the reality hasn’t quite soaked in. “January” takes us to that place that every one of us has been, at least once. It’s a painful part of being human, and the band pays it the reverence that it’s due.
“Down by the Water” … is a hit. It’s one that fans will love and not fans yet can use to get on board. Meloy and Peter Buck together on this track become the Buck/Stipe that uncannily gives the Athens crowd the obvious next step that they stopped short of. It’s hard to describe except to say it screams of sing along hit, a bit of a nostalgia, and had R.E.M. written it instead of The Decemberists, it would have ended up on all of their “Best of” records.
Have the words lynch pin EVER been used in a song. What a great sign. “NO RULES.” But one rule that has shown up consistently on this record is melody. And when a melody is a breeze to sing along with, some call it an “infectious” melody. (It grows on you! Yikes!). Throw in a fun lyric and a fun musical vehicle to drive that lyric in, and you have “All Arise“, another winner. And thanks for not naming it “Just be mine tonight”.
Another hymn; it’s getting into summer in Springville (Hill?). “June Hymn” is close to being a folk standard with one difference. Jenny really shines on this when it bursts into a 3 part harmony. It gives you a brief look into her soul and it shows her passion in a place where usually more generic is called for to keep the spotlight on the frontman. In “June Hymn” she’s but an inch away. (She’s good!)
When this title, “This is Why We Fight” shows up … it’s time to batten down the heart hatches for fear of hearing a bad story. Or personal drama. But here, the band gives us the more meaningful “big picture” look at the absurdity of those moments. It’s an aggressive battle hymn that gives reason for pause before we break things that don’t mend easily, if at all.
Something we’re all guilty of. A succinct song that gets to the point, then leaves us with a happy ending, both musically and lyrically.
I don’t know the Avery from “Dear Avery“, but she should consider herself lucky to have someone somewhere that would write a song like this for her. And to have music, like the rest of the record, that one just cannot neatly compartmentalize written for her.
The Decemberists are a prize, hard to find today, in a sea full of mediocre stuff that gets put together in someones bedroom. They show a unity that is a rare collaboration of musical minds and spirits, probably done in a place where they could bounce ideas off each other easily, but still hold reality at bay long enough to try different things and, amazingly, learn a few things. Under the guidance of Colin Meloy, the unit presents a focused direction, but in a lot of different colors, some bright, others dark … kind of like music. We are a long way from hearing the last of these folks, as they seem to just now be finding some fun AND purpose in the world. Ten years is not a long time to get to that point by ANY band.
—John Hampton
John Hampton is a Grammy winning producer/recording engineer whose experience includes working on albums with The Dead Weather, The Gin Blossoms, The White Stripes, The Replacements, The Cramps, Alex Chilton and John Kilzer.
Bassist about town and writer par excellence Spike Perkins is adding his unique voice to TVD all week long. For the next three days he writes about his favorite vinyl albums.
Who wasn’t in love with Laura Nyro in 1971? Those smoldering eyes, that raven hair, the slightly histrionic emotion of her singing style and her surreal, hip, urban lyrics, coupled with infectious pop hooks. As a performer, she had a strong cult following, but she is best remembered for the other artists who had hits covering her songs, which included the Fifth Dimension, Three Dog Night, Blood, Sweat and Tears, and BarbraStreisand.
Oddly enough, one of my favorite Laura Nyro albums is actually a collection of covers, the only one she ever recorded. “Gonna Take A Miracle,” features tunes made famous by Ben E. King, the Shirelles, Martha and the Vandellas, Smokey Robinson, and other early sixties girl groups and soul artists. The idea was most likely a nostalgic tribute to her roots, though she was also heavily influenced by gospel and jazz.
Produced by Gamble and Huff, the architects of the Philly sound, this record sounds earthier and less slick than some of their other work. Though the horns and strings are there, to be sure, they never bury Nyro’s pumping piano.
But the vocals are nothing short of amazing. The vocal group Labelle—Patti Labelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash, backs Nyro. They are a perfect vocal foil to Nyro—matching her phrasing, sometimes with harmonies, sometimes with soulful call and response. Listen to their up-tempo vamp at the end of Smokey Robinson’s “You Really Got A Hold On Me.” If that wasn’t a spontaneous improvisation in the studio, it surely sounds like one. It even has counterpoint, a rarity in pop vocal arrangements.
The most haunting performance of all is the title cut, “Gonna Take A Miracle.” Originally recorded by the Royalettes in 1964, it charted just shy of the Top 40. It’s an interesting song musically, with a Robinson-esque “A” part and a bridge more like a jazz standard. Deniece Williams had a hit with in the 1980s, but Nyro’s 1971 version is the definitive one. Laura Nyro and Labelle make this song a heartbreak anthem.
Here is Nyro’s version of “Gonna Take A Miracle.”’. While I think Nyro’s is superior musically, there are no performance videos available. The music is accompanied by a slide show.
Below is a video of the Royalettes performing “Gonna Take A Miracle.”
Spike Perkins has resided in New Orleans since 1982, where he works as a musician and freelance writer. His work has appeared in the Times-Picayune, and other publications, and he has performed with many New Orleans-based artists. He wrote the cult hit “Pitbull” with Coco Robicheaux, and appears on Robicheaux’s “Spiritland” CD.
“Vinyl was some kind of mystical artefact as a kid. I knew that if I approached it, I’d usually get told to handle it with care. So it was like doing brain surgery everytime I wanted to put on a record, holding the needle with infinite care and hoping that it would not bounce off, or skid across, the spinning disc.
“Looking at the old Beatles records that I spent most of my childhood with, it looks like I was never too successful in taking enough care of them. The inner sleeves are all aged with drops of fruit squash and drawings on, the cardboard outer sleeves are all tattered and have come unglued at the sides. And the actual records themselves are like some advanced jitter-techno megamix of the Fab Four’s hits. ‘Here Comes The Sun’ has somehow lost half a chorus, ‘You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away’ now has a weird 4/4 dusty thud transposed arrhythmically across the waltz, and side 1 of ‘Rubber Soul’ has been warped concave, so that now the whole side lasts about twenty seconds as the needle bounces across the grooves.
Sam Forrest | Echo Godless
And there was the album artwork. I’d spend hours drawing pencillized recreations of the photographs. ‘Beatles For Sale’ was my favourite, a) because of George’s coconut shaped haircut on the back and b) because it had a picture of the band playing instruments on the inside. Hours were spent perfecting the ‘Ludwig’ logo on Ringo’s kick drum and carefully drawing the frets on John’s guitar.
The whole process of searching for, and buying the vinyl was like some mystical challenge too. I’d spend teenage afternoons in Red Rhino Records in York lost in the Metal section gazing at the covers on Iron Maiden records and having the covers of thrash metal bands like Testament and Bathory have more of a lasting effect on me than the music itself.
Sam Forrest | River Bed
Also, what with vinyl being a physical artefact, it gets judged better too. One offending record by an unnamed Texan group was recently snapped over my knee in a fit of rage after they were deemed to have ‘gone up their own arse’. Try doing that with an mp3. And thumbing through my vinyl collection it’s easy to spot the records that have perhaps been a mistaken eBay purchase after a bottle of wine. The fact that they are still immaculate is an obvious sign of neglect and signposts my as being guilty of buying into hype and not using my ears to listen first and then buy later.
Whereas the best records in my collection, Beatles, Kinks, Masters Of Reality, Jane’s Addiction and The Everly Brothers all show the signs of age, human affection and overindulgence. So that just like a second hand guitar, vinyl gets better with age.” —Sam Forrest
You may be familiar with UK singer-songwriter Johnny Flynnfor taking a small band called Mumford & Sons on the road with him in the U.S. back in the day. Now that small band happens to be huge and the same goes for Johnny Flynn’s infectious songs and authentic melodic grit. His second album, Been Listening, was produced by Ryan Hadlok (think Regina Spektor, The Strokes) and came out in the US at the end of last year via Transgressive Records.
TVD NYC has been lucky enough to have snagged a few copies of Been Listening on vinyl for our readers. Leave a comment below with your best reason why you’ve “Been Listening” to Johnny Flynn and we’ll hook you up with some vinyl.
For inspiration, check out the video for the track “The Water” above. Not only is it a duet with the darling Laura Marling, but an alternate version of this track is featured on the vinyl piece that could be yours.
