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Bits: TV on the Radio, Over the Rhine, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Royal Bangs

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  • Yay yay yay! TV on the Radio will be releasing a new album, Nine Types of Light, this spring. And April 13 will be TV on the Radio City Music Hall day as they play a gig at the famed New York venue to kick off a national tour. I’m a little excited.

  • Over the Rhine’s new album, The Long Surrender, drops today, and you can listen to it Spinner. (Nicole Atkins’ Mondo Amore is up there, too.)

  • It’s the day of streaming (for a given value of “streaming”), as Jessica Lea Mayfield’s latest, Tell Me, is up at Rolling Stone.

  • In sad news, Justin Robinson will be leaving the Carolina Chocolate Drops. But CCDs will continue on with two new members, multi-instrumentalist Hubby Jenkins and beatboxer Adam Matta.

  • Our friends at Citizen Dick have a track for you from the upcoming Royal Bands album, Flux Outside. The album is set for release on March 29.

To close out a live video of Over the Rhine performing “The Laugh of Recognition”.

The Laugh of Recognition from Sneak Attack on Vimeo.

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I Am Your Champion

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Duane, my oldest friend and the benefactor of this blog, is a man who has always been full of ideas. He’s making a name for himself in the gaming industry, and while I’ve never been much of a gamer, his latest idea has me inspired to play along. It’s a game called I Am Your Champion.

From his A Terrible Idea website:
“I Am Your Champion is a game that will challenge your existing ideas regarding charitable fundraising. I sincerely believe that if you complete all five rounds of this game, you will look at working with charities, and your ability to assist your favorite charities, in a whole new light.

We will play the game in five rounds. Each round will begin at 10:00 AM, starting today and going through Friday. Each round will consist of three Tasks you must complete to proceed to the next round, as well as additional Drills that are optional, but will have an effect I will describe in a moment. And you can join the game at any time – if you’re reading this Friday morning, you can still complete all five rounds (but you might need to hustle).

Any player who completes all five rounds will receive a special pass from me. Only people who finish this version of the game will get this pass. In addition to being a unique and interesting item in and of itself, this pass will entitle the bearer to certain benefits to be disclosed after the game has been completed. Each one will be unique, and if you complete some of those Drills I mentioned earlier, your pass will reflect that.”

Now, here’s where I tie that all in to the modus operandi of NTSIB.

So many of the artists who gave us the music that inspired the music we still make today, music that feeds the soul, music that sometimes even made a difference in the world, died poor and sick, buried in unmarked graves. At times, the music itself has almost been lost to history. Some music has been lost.

The Music Maker Relief Foundation works to provide for mostly older musicians who are keeping the roots of Southern music alive by providing for their day-to-day needs, helping them develop their craft and helping them get gigs, record deals, etc. Artists on their roster, past and present, include Jack Owens, Robert Belfour, Ernie K Doe, and they’ve even helped the Carolina Chocolate Drops.

Since I first heard some of those early, scratchy blues tunes, I’ve felt it important to educate people about the roots of American music, to share the love this music so richly deserves. For that reason, Music Maker Relief Foundation, I Am Your Champion.

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Notable Shows in the Greater Cleveland Area

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Shows worth checking out this week in and around Cleveland:

The Beachland Ballroom & Tavern

  • Fri, Feb 4| 9 PM (8:30 PM door)
    Whiskey Daredevils
    Heelsplitter
    $7
    Tavern | All Ages

  • Sat, Feb 5| 8:30 PM (7:30 PM door)
    Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
    Charles Bradley
    $28
    Ballroom | All Ages
    SOLD OUT

  • Sun, Feb 6| 8 PM (7 PM door)
    Baby Soda
    $10
    Tavern | All Ages

  • Wed, Feb 9| 8 PM (7:30 PM door)
    Hugo
    Attack Cat
    Dan Miraldi & The Albino Winos
    $6
    Tavern | All Ages

Kent Stage

  • Fri, Feb 4| 8 PM
    Leon Redbone
    $25

  • Tue, Feb 8| 8 PM
    Justin Townes Earle
    Jessica Lea Mayfield
    $25

Wolstein Center at CSU

  • Fri, Feb 4| 8 PM
    Salt-n-Pepa’s Legends of Hip Hop tour
    Whodini
    Kurtis Blow
    Rob Base
    Doug E. Fresh
    $42.50 / $52.50

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Rock ‘n’ Roll Photog: Iron and Wine with Edie Brickell

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This week, Jennifer visits with a couple of old friends, watches Sam Beam rock out (and get Dylan’d for his trouble) and has some choice words for the monkeys at the circus.

Occasionally my adventures in modern music appreciation feel a bit like being at a big party with a lot of pleasant strangers, where I’m half wandering between intriguing conversations and half hiding behind a potted palm with a cocktail thinking Who are these people and what is going on here? And then the crowd parts and a familiar but rarely-seen face appears, and I feel a surge of relief and affection and want to stop and chat and see what they’ve been up to all this time.

One of these moments occurred last Saturday night, when Edie Brickell & friends (including Charlie Sexton!) took the stage at Radio City Music Hall:

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In case you are now squinting your screen thinking Edie who?: she had a big hit with What I Am in 1988, and then in 1992 married Paul Simon (MTV nation emitted a collective WHAT? at the time) and essentially fell out of pop-cultural memory. She did not, however, stop making music, and now it looks like she’s come back with a new band The Gaddabouts . Also I am pleased to tell you that her voice is as clear and sweet and true as ever, and she sounds comfortable – settled in herself – and best of all, like she is having the most possible fun she could be having on stage. If you’d like to hear more, she’ll be on WFUV this coming Friday night, along with Iron & Wine.

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Iron & Wine were also next up at Radio City. If you haven’t heard of them before, they normally specialize in somewhat mellow folk. Their average tempo is somewhere between gentle swaying and spinny hippie dancing. I say “normally” because that is what they did for the first half of their set: glided pleasantly through tunes like He Lays in the Reins, from In the Reins the album they made with Calexico, and Naked as We Came from Our Endless Numbered Days.

Then the horn section and the drummer came out –

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– Sam Beam plugged his guitar in and SHAZZAMO! Iron & Wine became a rock band and proceeded to stomp through Lion’s Mane like roadhouse veterans and give House By the Sea some jazzy calypso swing. The songs that followed were similarly rearranged and reimagined, and I have never before been as simultaneously baffled and pleased at a show. Though I do have to say it was the kind of reinvention that rewards people who pay attention to lyrics, because there was really no other musical cues to go by to figure out which song they were playing.

While I felt the evening was a success, musically, some of my fellow audience members were less excited. Several people left and one person yelled Judas! at him (Sam Beam: “But Judas was Jesus’ favorite!”) But really the biggest irritant of the night were the people hollering out requests. Ladies. Gentlemen. You are at Radio City Music Hall. The person on the stage 1) can’t hear you and 2) isn’t a jukebox and also 3) please can we all at least pretend to be adults who know how to behave? And really, where-ever you are, unless the artist actually says, “So, what do you all want to hear today?” be quiet and let the artist work whatever magic they feel like working.

— Jennifer

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Bits: the Dirtbombs, the Grande Ballroom, the Black Keys, Shivering Timbers, Jamie Stillman, Drive-By Truckers, Carolina Chocolate Drops

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  • Stream the new Dirtbombs album Party Store at the Detroit Free Press. Do it now!
  • Speaking of the greatness of Detroit music, there’s a campaign on to fund a documentary called Louder than Love: The Grande Ballroom Story, about the enormous, once-majestic venue that played hosted to local Detroit legends like the Stooges and MC5 as well as national acts like the Who.
  • The Black Keys brought tales of urine-soaked minivans to NPR’s Fresh Air yesterday. Listen here.
  • Baby You Can Drive My Car shares a lovely performance and interview with Shivering Timbers.
  • The Akron Beacon Journal has a nice article on Jamie Stillman (he of Drummer, Harriet the Spy, Party of Helicopters, Relaxer and about umpteen other projects) and his effects pedal business, Earthquaker Devices.
  • The Drive-By Truckers reunited with Jason Isbell for an evening in Huntsville. You can download the show.
  • The Carolina Chocolate Drops have released a collaborative EP with Luminescent Orchestrii, and CCDs will begin their 2011 tour tomorrow in New York with a show at Lincoln Center.

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Notable Shows in the Greater Cleveland Area

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Shows worth checking out this week in and around Cleveland:

The Beachland Ballroom & Tavern

  • Fri, Jan 28| 8 PM (7:30 PM door)
    The Schwartz Brothers
    Physical Rockett
    $6
    Ballroom | All Ages

  • Wed, Feb 2| 7:30 PM (7 PM door)
    Two : Two – First Annual 2 Man Band Festival
    Qix – 11:30 PM
    Green Abyss – 10:50 PM
    Beach Stav – 10:10 PM
    Madame & The Moist Towelettes – 9:30 PM
    The Walkies – 8:50 PM
    < me > 8:10 PM
    Highland – 7:30 PM
    $2
    Tavern | All Ages

Grog Shop

  • Mon, Jan 31| 8 PM
    Tapes ‘n Tapes O
    berhofer
    Filmstrip
    $10 adv / $12 dos

Now That’s Class

  • Sat, Jan 29| 9 PM
    Dog That Bites Everyone
    Antispetic
    Lorain Skum
    $5

Musica

  • Sun, Jan 30| 6 PM
    Queens Club
    Lystrata
    Poema
    The Whenever Plan
    $9

Happy Dog

  • Thu, Feb 3| 9 PM
    Winters Warm
    Triggers
    Shivering Timbers

Wilbert’s

  • Fri, Jan 28| 8:30 PM
    C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band
    Mo’ Mojo

Akron Civic Theatre

  • Sat, Jan 29| 8 PM
    Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt
    $38/$48/$58

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Rock ‘n’ Roll Photog: Video Grab Bag

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This week, Jennifer shares some music she’s excited about right now, along with visual accompaniment.

Here (In Your Arms), Hellogoodby, from evilp8intpro922

Hellogoodbye put out their first record, Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! in 2006; I stumbled over it in 2008 and promptly bought it because of the seriously irresistible title. The track in the video above is one of my favorites, and indicative of their then sweet synth-poppy sound. After some wrangling with their now ex-label, they have put out a new record, entitled Would It Kill You? (less synth-y, but still poppy; also still delicious) and are hitting the road with, among other people, Gold Motel. That link back there leads to a free-for-Tweet-or-Facebook-Like tour sampler, which I highlight and heartily encourage you to check out because it includes a Gold Motel cover of Here (In Your Arms) which I cannot stop listening to, and much more besides.

The Black Apples – Where the Wild Things Go (Live at The Echo, Los Angeles, 2010-11-08) by lineinla

And then hopping over a couple of genres, for the psychadelic surf-rock fans in the audience, I bring you The Black Apples, who recently released a vinyl LP into the wild. You can find digital excerpts on bandcamp and the full LP on iTunes. Why I like it: They have TWO drummers and a lot of sweet grooves. In my collection, they occupy the “sounds like Scooby Doo” category with MGMT, but their sound is heavier – big solid drums and crisp guitars, as opposed to candy-colored dreamy noodling. They are having a record release party this Friday, January 28 at 7 PM Origami Vinyl in Echo Park, Los Angeles, CA, and, special note to Colorado and New Mexico, they will be headed your way in early March!

Brett Detar, It’s Only The Night from Tocy777

Brett Detar formerly the lead singer for The Juliana Theory, has recently launched a solo career. I found him and his new record when I was noodling around on Facebook one evening and, ladies and gentlemen, if you enjoy old-fashioned country, you need to get yourself over to his website right now and check out his tunes. My favorites: It’s Only The Night, Cocaine, Whiskey & Heroin, A Miner’s Prayer and This City Dies Tonight.

Panic! at the Disco, The Ballad of Mona Lisa lyric video, from Fueled by Ramen

And finally, I leave you with the lyric video – as in, video composed solely of lyrics – for Panic! at the Disco’s new single, The Ballad of Mona Lisa from their third record, Vices & Virtues, which is expected later this spring. I am a tiny bit of a typography nerd and so I must tell you I am all a-flutter because they are using new and different (and lovely!) fonts here and in their other promotional materials. I do also like the song; they would appear to have left behind the ’60s stylings of Pretty. Odd. and jumped back into the present with both feet, and I can’t wait to hear the rest of the record.

— Jennifer

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Bits: Juniper Tar, Mike Watt, Sebadoh, Fugazi, The Black Keys, Sonic Youth, Jon Walker, Michael Runion

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  • The good guys in Juniper Tar will be taking part in the Pablove Benefit Concert at Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this Saturday, January 29, 2011. The show, “a special evening to improve the lives of children with cancer”, kicks off at 5:30 PM and also includes Cory Chisel, Fitz & the Tantrums, an acoustic set from Brian Aubert and Nikki Monninger of Silversun Pickups and more.
  • Stereogum has a free download of “Arrow-Pierced-Egg-Man” from Mike Watt’s latest, an opera called Hyphenated-Man.
  • Sebadoh’s Bakesale is being reissued with bonus material on April 4, 2011. In support of this, Sebadoh will be touring the United States beginning in February (including a stop at the Grog Shop in Cleveland on April 2 – coincidentally, just days after J Mascis brings his acoustic tour through the Grog ).
  • The Fugazi documentary Instrument will be screening at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, on February 27, 2011. Director Jem Cohen and members of Fugazi will be on hand for the screening.
  • If you missed it, the Austin City Limits Sonic Youth/Black Keys split episode can now be viewed at the PBS website. Long live PBS.

Additionally, Jennifer reports:

  • Jon Walker (The Young Veins, Panic[!] at the Disco, 5o4 Plan) has put out a solo record. Recommended tracks: Sun and Moon and Growing a Beard.
  • Michael Runion has revamped his website and there are a couple of new songs available as free downloads. He has also started a new band, The Chances, and they are playing an acoustic show at The Standard in West Hollywood, California, on January 26, 2011, at 7:30 PM at the Cactus Lounge.

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Notable Shows in the Greater Cleveland Area

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Shows worth checking out this week in and around Cleveland:

The Beachland Ballroom & Tavern

  • Fri, Jan 21| 9 PM (8 PM door)
    Roy Loney (original Flamin’ Groovies frontman)
    Purple Knif (w/ Chris Butler of The Waitresses & John Teagle of the Walkin’ Clampetts)
    Living Stereo
    $12
    Tavern | All Ages

  • Sat, Jan 22| 9 PM (8 PM door)
    The Hesitations (legendary Cleveland soul vocal group)
    DJ Charles McGaw
    DJ Racecard
    $10
    Ballroom | All Ages

  • Sat, Jan 22| 9 PM (8 PM door)
    15-60-75 (The Numbers Band)
    $7
    Tavern | All Ages

  • Sun, Jan 23| 7 PM (6:30 PM door)
    Whistle Pigs
    Hey Mavis
    Johnny & The Apple Stompers
    $6 adv / $8 dos
    Tavern | All Ages

Grog Shop

  • Sun, Jan 23| 8 PM
    Red Buttons
    The Poland Invasion
    Cereal Banter
    Galactic Moustache
    $5

Happy Dog

  • Sat, Jan 22| 9 PM
    Terminal Lovers
    Pickering/Scheible
    Melted Face Constitutional

Annabell’s Bar & Lounge

  • Fri, Jan 21| 10 PM
    Ashely Brooke Toussant
    Shivering Timbers

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Rock ‘n’ Roll Photog: The Beatles Complete on the Ukulele

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The Beatles catalogue gets refreshed on… the ukulele? It’s true! And Jennifer was there to experience it.

The Beatles Complete on the Ukulele 2011, producer Roger Greenawalt’s annual weekend-long celebration of the Beatles’ entire catalog / fundraiser – this year’s recipient is Mark Zuckerberg – took place this past Saturday and Sunday at the Brooklyn Bowl.

This actually marks the second concert I have attended in a bowling alley. The first a all-star Cure cover-band (The Love Cats) at Asbury Lanes, and, well, I love all aspects of Asbury Park, Asbury Lanes included, but in terms of style, Brooklyn Bowl is a cut above. It is, in fact, possibly the fanciest bowling alley I have ever attended. Also, the food is delicious.

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The “Uke Mob”, performing Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?


The first two songs of the evening were performed by a “Uke Mob” made up of enthusiastic amateurs. After that, a wide variety of bands took the stage to celebrate the Beatles, and were accompanied by Greenawalt on the ukulele. The following are some of my favorite moments:

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The Zambonis, their mascot, and Greenawalt

I promise I am not making this up: The Zambonis are normally dedicated solely to songs celebrating hockey. I took this particular picture when their mascot, Sir Hockey Monkey, joined them on stage for a rousing rendition of Everybody’s Got Something To Hide But Me And My Monkey.

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The Wild ConFabulations singing When I’m 64 through a traffic cone.

In addition to inventive appropriation of non-musical objects, the Wild ConFabulations gave the proceedings some swing. And some tap; for their songs, percussion was provided by the shoes of Lorinne Lampert, the talented lady on the far right.

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A.L.X. of Love Crushed Velvet and Greenawalt, powering through Back in the U.S.S.R.

A.L.X. made an interesting point when introducing the song: the USSR as a concept is starting to fade from pop-cultural (if not historical) memory. The song is as catchy as ever, though. (By which I mean: the chorus is still stuck in my head.)

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Nat Wolff (left) and friends, making Here Comes the Sun bearable.


All I am going to say is that I once had an alarm clock that played cheesy synthed-out version of Here Comes the Sun; I still kind of want to throw something across the room when I hear it. The Wolff brothers and friends performed a far superior interpretation of the tune.

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Starting the Magical Mystery Tour with The Jingle Punks


Intriguing discovery: the Jingle Punks are both a band and a music licensing company! If you are a musician and want to get your work on tv or in movies, etc, you probably want to check them out.

— Jennifer