Tag: video

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The Ridges on Daytrotter

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Musically, one of my favorite things about 2011 was getting into Ohio’s own beautiful chamber folk rock group, the Ridges. Their evocative music still makes me happy when I hear it, and I’m even happier that this talented crew was able to realize a great ambition when they travelled to Rock Island, Illinois to record at the Horseshack, home of titanic music site Daytrotter.

Their Daytrotter session debuted yesterday, and it is gorgeous. Everything that made me love their EP is present, fine-tuned and featured gloriously, from the sometimes winsome, sometimes seasick strings to Victor Rasgaitis’ plaintive vocals. The cast for this recording consisted of: Victor Rasgaitis (Vocals and Guitar), Johnny Barton (Percussion and Vocals), Talor Smith (Cello and Vocals), Allie Levin (Cello), Sarah Edgerton (Viola and Violin), Lauretta Werner (Violin), Chris Damm (Accordion) and Nathan Zangmeister (Bass and Vocals).

To get this gorgeous session, head here very quickly and download swiftly, then listen slowly. Then when you are so enamored by what you hear that you want more, make way to the Ridges’ Bandcamp site and grab their EP.

Heartfelt kudos and congratulations to Vic and the band. You done good, kids.

 

 

The Ridges @ Daytrotter

The Ridges @ Bandcamp

The Ridges @ Facebook

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Saturday Matinee: Just before Elvis Costello was banned from SNL

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On December 17, 1977, Elvis Costello and the Attractions performed on Saturday Night Live, filling in for the Sex Pistols, who were having visa issues. I’d always wondered what the deal was with Costello stopping mid-verse and launching into a different song.

From Dangerous Minds:

Costello’s record label, Columbia, wanted him to perform “Less Than Zero”, the first single from his as yet unreleased (in the U.S.) debut album My Aim Is True. Elvis wanted to perform “Radio Radio,” his attack on corporate control of the airwaves – a punk move that would have been in the spirit of The Pistols. Columbia disapproved of the idea and SNL producer Lorne Michaels allegedly told Costello, on orders from his employer NBC, to not perform “Radio Radio.”

Come show time, the band started playing “Less Than Zero” and then abruptly stopped and shifted into “Radio Radio.” At the end of the tune, they defiantly walked off the set.

 

Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Less Than Zero/Radio, Radio – Live 1977 from docinwestchester on Vimeo.

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Joe Strummer: “I wake up and thank God for punk rock every day.”

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Even after writing the date again and again, I somehow forgot that yesterday was the 9th anniversary of the death of NTSIB patron saint Joe Strummer. As I said to a friend, some days it seems like more, some days it seems like a lot less.

Here’s some treats I gathered in remembrance: extra interview footage from Dick Rude’s great documentary Let’s Rock Again!, the great (and cranky) Bo Diddley talking about his opening slot for the Clash in 1979 and, via boingboing, the 1942 New Year’s resolutions list of one of Joe’s heroes, Woody Guthrie (you can easily imagine a very similar list coming from Joe himself).

 

 

 

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Rebirth of the Cool: Searchin’

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The album cover, with it’s eye-searing blue-on-red pattern of a repeated image of the group, is a lesson in bad design, but the vinyl platter inside was a masterclass on making music to appeal across divisions. This best of Coasters’ album from my mother’s collection is one of the small group of things that reside in the overlap of the Venn diagram representing me, my mother and my father. And it’s one of those rare things that can make my notoriously cranky father act a little goofy, as he dances through the house, singing along and pointing his fingers in the air.

“Yakety Yak”, probably the Coasters’ best-known song, was always my least favorite due to over-saturation, having heard it on the local oldies station (WMJI, Majic 105.7… back when it still played oldies. Remember those days, Cleveland kids?) a million times and seen it depicted in several cartoons of the time. But one of my favorites on that best of album was “Searchin'”, with it’s sliding rhythm. A great song to do the Stroll to.

Written by the legendary songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, the song was released on Atco Records in 1957.

 

 

The Coasters had a knack for recording songs with catchy, instantly-likeable rhythms. (Though the song was slowed down in their live performance of it on censorship-loving Steve Allen’s show.)

Fun fact: The Beatles covered “Searchin'” in their audition for Decca Records in 1962. Their cover was pretty terrible. They should have taken a cue from Bill Lee Riley, who covered the song in ’57 for Sun Records.

 

 

There was also a creditable rendition by the Hollies in 1963.

In 1965, the Spencer Davis Group laid down a surprisingly soulful version of “Searchin'” with a little more hipsway in the mix.

 

 

In the mid-’90s, Man of a Thousand Bands, Mick Collins, covered “Searchin'” with his band Blacktop, adding his signature loud, fuzzed-out, chainsaw guitar sound. (Collins also covered the Coasters “The Idol with the Golden Head” with the Gories, making me like him even more than I already did.)

(Note: I have no idea where the visuals are from in this video. It’s just what was available.)

 

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Saturday Matinee: The Artist Formerly Known as Captain Beefheart

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It was a year ago today that fearless artist Don Van Vliet, more widely known as Captain Beefheart, died of complications from multiple sclerosis. If you’re unfamiliar or only passingly familiar with the man who likely influenced every musician you listen to, check out this Beefheart documentary from legendary music enthusiast John Peel.

 

 

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California Calling: Mark W. Lennon, Home of the Wheel

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Mark W. Lennon is originally from Greenville, North Carolina, but for now, he calls Los Angeles home. In 2009 he released his first EP, Down the Mountain, and earlier this year he put his full length debut, Home of the Wheel.

I spent a chunk of the fall listening to Home of the Wheel and humming along with his (mostly) slow, sweet grooves; the exceptions are These Times, which has infectious clap/stomp along beat, and Stop&Go, which has more of a rock-and-blues feel. It’s difficult for me to pick favorites here because I pretty much like them all, but I’m especially fond of The River Stays the Same and Paper Doll, the former because it’s good to have touchstones and constants, the latter because it has a particularly pretty melody.

I leave you with two videos. The first one for The River Stays the Same, which is the first song on the record; the first notes always cause the tension in my shoulders to ease. The second one is for California Calling, the third song on the record; it has both neat sampling effects and killer harmonica highlights.

 

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Christmas Grab Bag 2011 1.0

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Some seasonal selections!

From Jon Walker, the season’s (probably) hardest rocking cover of “Do You See What I See?” I’m not quite sure who’s singing with him but at least one of them sounds suspiciously like Tom Conrad, from Empires. Jon Walker’s summary of this song: “Recorded a christmas cover in my basement last winter but never got around to releasing it. Here it is now. I don’t remember if alcohol was involved.” (Mr. Walker is currently on sabbatical in Costa Rica.)

 

Do You See What I See by JON WALKER MUSIC

Download from AP.

Next it is time to get funky, y’all, and get down with Sugar Rump Fairies, from HOLIDELIC by Everett Bradley. Mr. Bradley is taking his epic show on the road starting at the end of this week; it will be stopping in Hudson and New York, NY; Northampton, MA; and Philadelphia, PA.

SUGAR RUMP FAIRIES

 

Yes, it’s The Killers, singing a quasi-country (more like “country”) song, and yes, it is totally ridiculous. But a) I will listen to Brandon Flowers sing whatever he wants and b) completely ridiculous is one of the things they do best (I will always, always love a band that wears their sequins unironically), and most importantly c) the proceeds from the sales of this song go to (RED), an AIDS charity. Special note: the reason why this is among my favorite holiday videos appears at 1:07.

The Killers - The Cowboy's Christmas Ball

 

From the department of Amazing Things I Did Not Know I Needed Until They Appeared, I present Scott Weiland singing Winter Wonderland, from his Christmas album The Most Wonderful Time of the Year:

Scott Weiland - Winter Wonderland (Official Video)

 

And from the same department, two from Bob Dylan’s Christmas album, Christmas In The Heart. First up is Little Drummer Boy, because it’s sweet and the video is pretty, and second, I give you Adeste Fidelis because all y’all need to experience Dylan singing in Latin. (I love this song no matter the season and totally subjected April and Cam to it a) in July and b) on the way to Graceland.)

Bob Dylan - Little Drummer Boy

 

I’m pretty sure I also made them listen to this one, which is Angels We Have Heard on High, by Family Force 5. There are two videos because one is a live recording, just so you can really feel the bass when it comes in, and the other one is three ladies in Texas redefining “kick it” when it comes to this song:

http://youtu.be/7R9eZIrPbt0

http://youtu.be/O9wjucHHJ9w

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JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound in Cleveland TONIGHT!

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CLE, who of you will be out at the Beachland booty-shakin’ with me tonight? JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound will be working out their soul thang in the Tavern.

 

 

You can download an mp3 of the above song from Rolling Stone.

Then get yourself to the Beachland and say hey. As always, I welcome you to buy your favorite blogger a drink.

Thu, Dec 1 | 8:30 PM (8 PM door)
JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound
Aphrodite’s Hero
DJ Charles McGaw
$12.00
Tavern | All Ages