One of the quintessential rock and roll singles to come out of New Orleans, Shirley & Lee's "Let The Good Times Roll" sold a million copies in 1956, reaching #1 on the R&B chart and #20 on the Pop chart.
Shirley Goodman and Leonard Lee were high school classmates who caught the ear of Aladdin Records owner Eddie Messner. The duo's first hit was "I'm Gone" in 1952 (it zoomed to #2 on the R&B list), a scattered beat blues that is credited by some as a precursor to ska and reggae.
But Shirley & Lee took a real right turn with the driving "Let The Good Times Roll." Produced by Crescent City legend Dave Bartholomew, the secret of the song is the driving drum beat of one of the true masters of the instrument, Earl Palmer. It gives the tune its bawdiness along with the cool contrast between Goodman's soprano and Lee's baritone.
After a split with Lee, Shirley Goodman continued to work in the music business through the 1960s as a session singer for Dr. John, Sonny & Cher, and others. Notably, she was a background singer on The Rolling Stones' Exile On Main St. Goodman briefly came out of retirement in 1974, when she was convinced by her friend Sylvia Robinson to record what became one of the seminal hits from the disco era, "Shame, Shame, Shame."
Shirley returned to New Orleans and lived there until her death in 2005.
"Let The Good Times Roll" is true classic to enjoy over and over again, especially while The Big Easy leads the celebration of Mardi Gras today. Laissez les bon temps rouler!
The Night Owl is going to try his best to find his way into a sold out Strokes show scheduled for this weekend at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. Encouraging our presence was their especially fine form this past weekend on NBC's Saturday Night Live, with Julian Casablancas throwing off an obscenity near the end of "Under Cover of Darkness" that scooted by the censors delay button.
Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold took to Twitter today and dropped three new musical treats on us, presumably to tide fans over until the 1 May release of the band's sophomore effort Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop). Pecknold indicates that they were recorded in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago: "These aren't Fleet Foxes songs, but I didn't know where else to disseminate it. Pretty mellow jams." The first is a contemplative rambler titled "Derwentwater Stones":
"Derwentwater Stones" - Robin Pecknold
The second piece is a collaboration with Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste. It reminds us of the David Crosby compositions from the first CS&N album as well as his initial solo effort If I Could Only Remember My Name . . . :
"I'm Losing Myself" - Robin Pecknold with Ed Droste
The final selection is a beautiful cover of English musician Chris Thompson's "Where Is My Wild Rose," a Gaelic lament that fits right into Pecknold's vocal wheelhouse.
My Morning Jacket's sixth studio album is set for release this spring. Titled Circuital, a writer from Rolling Stone opined that the record “feels like the culmination of the sonic adventures the band began with 2005's Z—while also capturing the power and dynamics that have made MMJ one of the greatest live bands of their generation.”
No argument on the comment about MMJ's live prowess. To hear for yourself, the group is offering a series of downloads from their recent shows at New York City's Terminal 5. (The first tune available is "Butch Cassidy" from 1999's The Tennessee Fire.) Just click here to be directed to the MMJ website to sign up for the series of songs, which will also include the title track to Circuital.
This past weekend Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard introduced two new songs at San Francisco's Noise Pop Festival: "Codes and Keys," which will appear on the upcoming DCFC album of the same name,and a solo tune from the upcoming Arthur 2.0 soundtrack, "When The Sun Goes Down On Your Street."
Recorded at various studios over the course of several months in 2010, the new Death Cab for Cutie album — Codes And Keys — represents a departure of sorts for the band, but perhaps not one as radical as initial press reports have implied. The band employed a more cut-and-paste style of songwriting — as well as more of guitarist/producer Chris Walla’s compositions — on the record, but it will still sound very much like a Death Cab record. Despite comments from front man Ben Gibbard that likened the new record to Brian Eno’s Another Green World, Harmer is quick to point out that there will still be plenty of guitars as well.
“Oh, there are definitely guitars on this record,” he says, “there are just less of them than before and we’re using them in different ways this time. Ben was really inspired by writing on acoustic guitar and on a piano, so often those parts become voices or keyboard lines, rather than guitar parts. We really experimented with piecing the songs together in different ways and using the studio differently, so this a much less guitar-centric album than we’ve ever made before.”
In other Death Cab news, Consequence of Sound reports this morning that the Washington State group will appear at the Hop Farm 2011 Festival in Kent, England this summer. Other performers include Lou Reed, Morrissey, Iggy & The Stooges and Patti Smith.
You can sample the two new songs below:
Ben Gibbard, "Codes and Keys" (SF Noise Pop Festival, 27 February 2011)
Ben Gibbard, "When The Sun Goes Down On Your Street" (SF Noise Pop Festival, 27 February 2011)
We've had our eye on Amos Lee since his self-titled debut album was released in 1995. Now the Philadelphia/Cherry Hill, NJ singer-songwriter has released his fourth long-player, Mission Bell, on Blue Note Records. The record went to number one on the charts and Lee will begin his American tour at the end of March; many of the mid-size venues are already sold out.
"Windows Are Rolled Down" is a breezy melody juxtaposed with lyrics from the point of view of a broken down soul. It is in the great tradition of John Prine and Neil Young, and TNOP thinks you will enjoy it.
On this date in 1942, Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed was born in Brooklyn, New York. He is the founder (along with John Cale) of one of the most influential bands in rock and roll history, The Velvet Underground. Since 1970, Reed has crafted a prolific solo career, pushing the creative envelope and collaborating with countless artists, from Andy Warhol to David Bowie to Robert Wilson to Patti Smith to Laurie Anderson.
And he just may have written the perfect rock and roll song. Aptly titled, of course.
Susan Elizabeth "Suze" Rotolo, whose image will endure forever in rock and roll lore on the cover of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, has died of lung cancer, according to a Los Angeles Times report quoting Rotolo's son Luca. She was 67 years old.
Dylan and Rotolo met in the summer of 1961 in New York City at an all day folk music festival held at a local church. In his memoir Chronicles, Part One, the singer-songwriter wrote of their first encounter: "Right from the start I couldn't take my eyes off her. She was the most erotic thing I'd ever seen. She was fair skinned and golden haired, full-blood Italian ... We started talking and my heart started to spin ... She was just my type."
Rotolo was credited with exposing him to the work of Paul Cézanne and Wassily Kandinsky, Bertolt Brecht and Antonin Artaud, Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud. Together they went to see Picasso's Guernica and François Truffaut's Shoot the Pianist. After she told him the story of a 14-year-old African American boy who had been brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955, he wrote "The Ballad of Emmett Till," one of his early broadsides against injustice.
Many Dylanologists claim Rotolo inspired some of his finest early songs, including "Boots of Spanish Leather," "One Too Many Mornings," "Tomorrow Is a Long Time" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right."
As Dylan's star rose dramatically in 1964, the couple broke up, amid reports of his romantic liaison with Joan Baez. The demise of the relationship is supposedly the subject of Dylan's "Ballad In Plain D."
Rotolo shunned interviews for years, but broke her silence for Martin Scorsese's 2005 documentary No Direction Home. She then wrote a memoir of the early years, A Freewheelin' Time, published to warm reviews in 2008.
In addition to her son, Suze Rotolo is survived byEnzo Bartoliocci, her husband of 40 years.
As we've been reporting over the past few months, a new Paul Simon album is in the offing. His tenth solo effort, So Beautiful or So What, will be released on Concord Music Group on 12 April. It reunites Simon with producer Phil Ramone, who manned the sound board for some of the singer-songwriter's more memorable efforts (There Goes Rhymin' Simon and Still Crazy After All These Years).
In today's Huffington Post, we get a sneak preview of the liner notes for the record, which were penned by none other than Elvis Costello:
How do the fingers of this thing entwine? Which foot falls first upon the trail?
Is it the word? Is it the music?
It generates few visible blisters, so may even be mistaken for an unearned reward.
As Fred Astaire once wisely sang, you have to "Let Yourself Go."
So how do you begin? When do you know when you've reached your destination? What do you cut and when do you run without painting over the picture?
A thing of beauty?
Who needs it?
But that's the very mystery and fascination of it.
The trick is, as I know it, is to care like hell and not give a damn at the same time or as more elegantly proposed here; So Beautiful Or So What.
***
I believe that this remarkable, thoughtful, often joyful record deserves to be recognized as among Paul Simon's very finest achievements.
It's a lot to add to what you've done when those songs are titles anyone could name but Paul's greatest songs will find worthy, easy company here.
This is a man in full possession of all his gifts looking at the comedy and beauty of life with clarity and the tenderness bought by time.
It seems no accident that three of the song titles contain the word, "love" and most of the others consider it in its many manifestations.
The record begins with a fragment of a sermon underpinning the promise of the song, "Getting Ready For Christmas Day."
Within it is the voice of the Rev. J.M. Gates, who waxed warnings of eternal punishment from his first hit homily, "Death's Black Train Is Coming" to his last caution in 1940, "Hitler and Hell."
These days it might court shallow mockery to sing so openly of our humanity, mortality and divinity but not with music to make these themes fly or words containing such wit, grace and humility.
The musical shapes and shades arrive from all over the world and back in time to illuminate the heartfelt intelligence of the writer.
Central to the picture is Paul's vivid singing and own beautiful guitar playing - which doesn't always get full measure in the shadow of his writing.
Throughout the record, I kept coming up against what I can only call, rock and roll surprises; not some orthodox formula but indelible, hypnotic guitar motifs and swinging, off-center rhythms tipping your expectations into a new kind of thrill.
Then there are the ballads...
In "Love and Hard Times," two-thirds of the Trinity arrive on earth only to disagree over who and what is worthy of salvation. This bold and, for any other songwriter, completely humbling piece of composition took my breath away on first hearing.
The opening statement is as lovely as anything Paul has written. I felt as if I was suddenly within the idyllic scene of natural beauty that it describes, only for it be leavened by the Lord's blue aside, "We'd better get going," as He departs the scene.
The song concludes with recognition that it is the reassuring touch of a lover that calms an uneasy but grateful heart near dawn. If love is discovery made in a moment, then it is still one for which we must give thanks.
Equally startling is the rushing, telescopic journey from creative to destructive explosion and the making and undoing of the world in "Love Is Eternal Sacred Light."
These wonderful songs refuse to despair, despite the evidence all around us. "So Beautiful Or So What" rejects the allure of fashionable darkness and the hypnosis of ignorance - better to contemplate and celebrate the endurance of the spirit and the persistence of love.
Here's the track listing for So Beautiful or So What:
"Getting Ready For Christmas Day" – 4:06 [SAMPLE HERE] "The Afterlife" – 3:40 [SAMPLE HERE] "Dazzling Blue" – 4:32 "Rewrite" – 3:49 "Love And Hard Times" – 4:09 "Love Is Eternal Sacred Light" – 4:02 "Amulet" – 1:36 "Questions For The Angels" – 3:49 "Love And Blessings" – 4:18 "So Beautiful Or So What" – 4:07
Right off the heels of this year's Grammy telecast came the surprising -- but exciting -- news of the arrival of a new Radiohead album. King of Limbs can be downloaded starting this Saturday 19 February; presale is taking place now by clicking through here.
And that also got us thinking of their last superlative effort (which ended up in TNOP's top five albums of the year for 2009), In Rainbows, and the stunning performance of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood at that year's Grammies, accompanied by the USC Marching Band on "15 Step," which you can revisit below. [Tip of the hat to CO'B for the reminiscence.]
The front men of some pretty good indie bands have banded together to form Middle Brother: Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes), Matt Vasquez (Delta Spirit) and John McCauley (Deer Tick). McCauley takes the lead on the first single, a rave-up that reminds us of another (unfortunately obscure) side project named Rockpile, which featured Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds. Turn it up and maybe try out some private dance moves.
Seems as though the reported on-going collaboration (presumably four songs in at the studio) between David Byrne and Annie Clark aka St. Vincent has got Annie listening to some of David's old pals.
Back in 1981, The Night Owl's college roommate came home with a new album from the neighborhood independent record store, indicating that he had bought it because of a quick listen on the store's turntable. (Maybe Nick Hornby happened to be there as well, using this incident as a basis for his famous vignette in High Fidelity.) Well, I couldn't just ignore the guy, given he had unearthed Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane's Rough Mix only a month earlier. So I grabbed the LP cover from him while he placed 33 1/3 on the record player and dropped the stylus on the vinyl.
I scanned the multicolored photo on the front and back. Brian Eno. Yeah, the guy from Roxy Music who quit before they really made their mark. The English studio wizard who had worked with Bowie. Here Come The Warm Jets. Oh yeah, that record he put out before the ambient music thing pulled him away from rock.
The song titles didn't exactly invite you in as a listener: "The Paw-Paw Negro Blowtorch"; "Baby's On Fire"; and "Dead Finks Don't Talk" among the ten tracks.
But damned if I didn't sit next to the Advent speakers for the next 40 minutes totally taken in by the melodies and production. Later research revealed original rave reviews from Lester Bangs ("Incredible") and Robert Christgau ("Grade 'A' . . . The idea of this record -- top of the pops from quasi-Dadaist British synth wizard -- may put you off, but the actuality is quite engaging in a Velvet Underground kind of way"). I've been a true disciple of the album ever since, and with recent reissues, Here Come The Warm Jets still resonates with new generations.
And so it is with St. Vincent, who now gives us a wonderful cover of "Some of Them Are Old." We invite you to compare, contrast and enjoy both her version and the original.
The Night Owl has always held a special place for Bruce Springsteen's 1987 release Tunnel of Love. Its oftimes intensely personal lyrics and more subtle melodies still lead us to conclude that this is The Boss' Blood On The Tracks.
But our treat to all of you on this feast of St. Valentine is an obscure audio recording of "Valentine's Day" from a 28 January 1988 band rehearsal at the Expo Center in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. Backed by the E Street Band and The Horns of Love (Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg and associates), its a shame the arrangement never saw the light of day.
The Louvin Brothers, Charlie and Ira ... One of the great close-harmony brother acts. The sound of Ira's mandolin and Chet Atkins' guitar, making the best music this side of heaven, even when singing about Satan. These songs on death, sin, and despair resonate with raw power and start beauty. . .
----Bob Dylan, Theme Time Radio Hour ("The Devil" episode)
Charlie Louvin was haunted by a voice in his head for over 40 years. Charlie said every time he sang a song originally recorded with his brother Ira, he would subconsciously step away from the microphone out of deference for his sibling's response. In 2007, Charlie told Paste that "Anytime and every time I sing a song, I can hear his part, even though he's not there. I ain't never found nobody who can duplicate Ira's part. A lot of people imitate him, but no one can sing a harmony like he could."
Born Charles Elzer Loudermilk in Henager, Alabama in 1927, Charlie was one of seven children raised on a cotton and potato farm. The family had a collection of 78s that they would listen to in the evenings after returning from the fields. Charlie and big brother Ira (by three years) particularly were drawn to the records of the Delmar Brothers and the Monroe Brothers. Like so many singers, they honed their voices in church; the boys attended Baptist services regularly, and the fire-and-brimstone from that pulpit would be reflected in the Loudermilk brothers' professional careers.
Charlie and Ira changed their stage name in 1947 to The Louvin Brothers. Signed as a gospel act, the two were determined to crack the secular market. And indeed they did. Between 1952 and 1963 they had a string of Top 10 country singles on the Capitol label, including "When I Stop Dreaming," "I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby," "You're Running Wild" and "Cash On The Barrel Head." Their harmonies - Ira's tenor on top, Charlie's baritone filling out the bottom - were almost seamless.
Here's Ira on mandolin and Charlie on guitar from 1961 doing "I Can't Keep You In Love With Me":
The partnership ended in 1963, when Ira's drinking, womanizing and temper wore his little brother out. In a cruel irony, Ira was killed in a car crash by a drunk driver in Missouri on June 20, 1965. "Do I miss him?" Charlie asked tersely to the Paste interviewer after his brother had been dead for almost 42 years. "Of course I miss him. How would you like to do without your brother, your wife or one of your children? If something happened to them, you'd miss them."
Most serious music followers have probably never listened to The Louvin Brothers. But when they do, their first reaction is usually "they sound like The Everly Brothers with a country bent." And one cannot underestimate the influence The Louvin Brothers had on the progeny that followed: from Don & Phil Everly to Lennon & McCartney to Simon & Garfunkel to Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris to Roger McGuinn & Chris Hillman.
Listen to Emmylou harmonize with Charlie and Vern Gosdin back in the 1980s on "Love & Wealth":
In 2003, the list of singers who signed up for the tribute album Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of The Louvin Brothers included this staggering cast: Johnny Cash, Allsion Krauss, Harris, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton and James Taylor. And his 2007 album Charlie Louvin featured guest turns by Elvis Costello, Jeff Tweedy, George Jones, Tift Meritt, Tom T. Hall, Marty Stewart and Will Oldham.
Charlie Louvin died after a bout with pancreatic cancer last Wednesday at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Betty, and three sons.
A fitting tribute is this performance of "My Baby's Gone" at Royal Albert Hall on 18 June 2009 by Nick Lowe and Ron Sexsmith (tip of the cap to reader Al for the great video find):
The big news sweeping the music blogoshere today is the announcement of the start of Fleet Foxes' upcoming tour and the leaking of the first single from their upcoming Sub Pop album. The song is "Helplessness Blues," the title track to the LP, whose release date has been announced as 3 May 2011.
You can view the tour dates announced here; tickets for these selected shows go on sale tomorrow, 1 February.
"Helplessness Blues" starts off in traditional Celtic fashion -- it reminds us of The Clancy Brothers -- until it takes a little bit of a tempo turn into the familiar three-part harmony made popular in the rock world 40 years ago by Crosby, Stills & Nash. Check it out for yourself below:
The Band's Robbie Robertson has announced that he will release his first solo effort in 13 years on 5 April. How To Become Clairvoyant will feature three tunes he penned with Eric Clapton as well as guest appearances by Trent Reznor, Tom Morello, Steve Winwood, Robert Randolph and Taylor Goldsmith (of current TNOP fave band Dawes).
"The boys helped me out," Robertson told Rolling Stone. "I think I've written some really good songs, and ... it turned out quite extraordinary." He adds that the album explores addiction, 60s idealism and "rock and roll's early reputation as the devil's music".
Two tracks are particularly interesting. "This Is Where I Get Off" recounts the end of Robertson's affiliation as lead guitarist and chief songwriter with The Band upon the conclusion of The Last Waltz project. The second can be sampled below: "When The Night Was Young" is a quiet, soulful melody complimented by Scottish singer Angela McCluskey and anchored by Martin Pradler's piano; subtle allusions to The Band's apprenticeship in the American South and its wide-eyed introduction to New York with Bob Dylan are evident.
Here's the track listing: 1. Straight Down The Line 2. When The Night Was Young 3. He Don't Live Here No More 4. The Right Mistake 5. This Is Where I Get Off 6. Fear of Falling 7. She's Not Mine 8. Madame X 9. Axman 10. Won't Be Back 11. How To Become Clairvoyant 12. Tango For Django
"It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry"
Original Dylan version found on Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
[Ed. note: Regular readers of this blog know that Bob Dylan is affectionately referred to as the "Patron Saint" of TNOP. After a brief hiatus, we resume our weekly feature in which we sift through the thousands of cover versions of Dylan songs and provide you with our favorites, as well as a quick memory of our first exposure to the original.]
If Steve Earle was going to cover a Dylan song from Highway 61 Revisited, one would guess it would be "Outlaw Blues." After all, the Texas singer-songwriter led a notorious life there for awhile, careening from bouts with substance abuse and serial marriage (eight times at the altar so far).
This take on Dylan's "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry" is taken from 1996, when Earle was on the comeback trail after running off the tracks. in the preceding four years, Earle had been convicted of illegal drug and firearms possession, resulting in a stint in jail. But the incarceration allowed him to kick his habit.
Earle's rollicking performance of the song, with his crack backing band The Dukes, was recorded at Tennessee's Cold Creek Correctional Facility on 25 June 1996 as part of a court order. The concert was preserved on film (titled To Hell and Back) and shown in an edited form on MTV.
Here, "It Takes A Train" is given the up-tempo treatment, a powerful blues anchored by pile driving drummer Custer and the furious guitar of David Steele perfectly complimenting Earle's huffing harp and growling vocal, emphasizing the lonesome wail of the lyrics.
It's always been one of our top five Dylan songs and Earle does it great justice. The style is akin to the alternative take recorded during the Highway 61 sessions known as "Phantom Engineer" (with four lines of alternate lyrics) - which was revealed officially on The Bootleg Series: Vol. 1 -3.
The ultimate studio version would be a slower, lonesome blues, to be echoed famously six years later on stage at Madison Square Garden during Dylan's set at The Concert For Bangla Desh. The vocal is definitely nodding to the R&B style. Rhythmically, Dylan introduces the song with a lazy acoustic guitar riff, followed on its heels by Bobby Gregg's shuffling drums. But the star here are the keyboards of Paul Griffin: a two-beat boogie-woogie played on a tack piano (literally an altered ordinary piano in which tacks or nails are strategically placed on the hammers in order to come in contact with the strings, thereby creating a more tinny, distinctive sound).
The lyrics are few, for a Dylan composition, but the words create some stunning imagery. It is a notable achievement in Mr. Zimmerman's vast canon.
CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR TV TIMES AND/OR REPEAT SHOWINGS; ALSO CONSULT WEB SITES AND YouTube
TONIGHT, MONDAY 24 January The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) - The Walkmen Conan (TBS) - Iron & Wine The Tonight Show (NBC) - Lizz Wright Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC) - The Script Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC) - Local Natives Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC) - Menomena Lopez Tonight (TBS) - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
TUESDAY, 25 January Conan - Wanda Jackson Late Night with Jimmy Fallon - Iron & Wine Last Call with Carson Daly - Broken Bells The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central) - James Franco
WEDNESDAY, 26 January Conan - Motorhead The Tonight Show (NBC) - Amos Lee Jimmy Kimmel Live - Cold War Kids Late Night with Jimmy Fallon - Two Door Cinema Club The Ellen DeGeneres Show (Syndicated) - One eskimO
THURSDAY, 27 January The Late Show with David Letterman - Robert DeNiro; Dustin Hoffman Conan - The Ghost of A Saber Tooth Tiger Late Night with Jimmy Fallon - Neon Trees Last Call with Carson Daly - Fitz & The Tantrums
FRIDAY, 28 January The Late Show with David Letterman - Gregg Allman Last Call with Carson Daly - Tift Merritt; Matt & Kim The Ellen DeGeneres Show - Amos Lee
As regular readers are aware, our Irish correspondent Celtic Ray is always looking for the next big thing on the Emerald Isle. This week he turns us all on to Derry, Northern Ireland electronic trio The Japanese Popstars, who have been a popular house DJ act since 2008. Now Declan McLaughlin, Gary Curran and Gareth Donoghue are on the eve of releasing their third release, Contolling Your Allegiance, due in March on Virgin/EMI. While Ray notes that there will be guest appearances by Green Velvet and Jon Spencer, "Song For Lisa" with songstress Lisa Hannigan really caught his ear. Try it for yourself below.
Sargent Shriver, architect of the Peace Corps and, with his late wife Eunice Kennedy Shriver, creator of the Special Olympics, was eulogized at a funeral mass in suburban Washington D.C. yesterday by many family members and dignitaries. What struck us as particularly touching and apt for a life well lived was the singing of two Dubliners - Bono, accompanied by Glen Hansard - of the Peace Prayer of St. Francis.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has announced its 2011 line-up, and it is loaded with heavyweight acts. Among those TNOP would target to see: Wilco, Arcade Fire, John Mellencamp, John Legend & The Roots, Sonny Rollins, Robert Plant & The Band of Joy, Lupe Fiasco, Mumford & Sons, Jeff Beck, Jesse Winchester, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, The Avett Brothers, The Decemberists, Gregg Allman Band, Ahmad Jamal, Lucinda Williams and Ricky Scaggs.
The Festival takes place over the course of two weekends, 29 April - 1 May and 5 May - 8 May. You can view the individual days' acts by clicking here.
Tickets for the Festival, which takes place at the Fair Grounds Race Course, are on sale. A limited number of discount ticket packages including tickets to each day of a particular weekend of the Festival will be offered. Ticket packages purchased for all three days of the first weekend (April 29, 30 & May 1) will be $120 ($40 per day), while second weekend packages purchased for all four festival days (May 5, 6, 7, & 8) will be $160 ($40 per day). (Tickets included in each package are day-specific.) Advance single day Jazz Fest tickets are only $45; the gate price is $60. Children’s tickets (ages 2 - 10) are still only $5 and are available at the gate only. Single day tickets to Jazz Fest are on sale by specific weekend, with each ticket valid for a single day’s attendance.
The happiest of birthdays to Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle, born this date in 1955. The Texan singer-songwriter continues to be prolific in a number of areas of the arts as a musician, actor (The Wire and Treme) and playwright.
If you haven't had the pleasure of delving into Earle's music, TNOP suggests you start with these superlative albums: Guitar Town (1986); I Feel Alright (1996); and Transcendental Blues (2000). You'll hear a full spectrum of influences from rockabilly to Celtic to honky tonk to folk.
In celebration, here's a vintage Earle performance from 1996:
Sam Beam and crew showed up on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last week, performing a couple songs from the new LP Kiss Each Other Clean. Here's one of them, a song that feels like it has dropped gently from the sky and settled inside Levon Helm's barn in upstate New York: "Half Moon." Gorgeous.
This 23-year old Kansas City native studied musical theater in New York before reversing course and heading down to Atlanta to make her musical bones. Monae was "discovered" there by Outkast's Big Boi and then introduced to Sean Combs, who ended up producing her debut, the stunning The ArchAndroid. Setting aside the attempt at a linear science fiction theme, everything else works. Monae genre-hops with ease, producing some of the most groove-tastic numbers since Stevie Wonder's heyday of the 1970s. Not a note wasted, the album is a repeated listening pleasure from beginning to end. What's more, she backed it up with a mesmerizing stage presence while on tour as an opening act for Of Montreal this year. In short, A Star Is Born.
KEY TRACKS: "Locked Inside"; "Tightrope"; "Come Alive (War of the Roses)"
This was the year that this quirky band broke through into the mainstream, thanks to this superlative effort. The National tell compelling stories that are drenched in Heartland Americana. They get better with each studio album. The songs range from lost Flannery O'Connor-like short stories set to a brooding melodies to pastoral feelings to fuzzed out metal guitars.
Wee Irishman Conor J O'Brien uses the moniker Villagers. This set of engrossing tales challenge the listener in the best Dylanesque tradition: Clever social commentary? The yin and yang of an individual's daily struggle to fit in this world? The unsure journey of a romantic relationship? All of the above? Whatever the interpretation, the songs confirm that this artist is a wordsmith with the goods to endure in the music business.
KEY TRACKS: "Becoming A Jackal"; "Ship of Promises"; "Home"
This year's champs of intricate harmonies are the L.A. group Local Natives, following in the footsteps of the past two years' champs, Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear. But the twist of this quintet is their fascinating give and take with the drumming of Matt Frazier. Impressively accomplished at such a young age, this band is on the come.
In which the Canadian indie darlings swing for the fences . . . and hit a triple. The concept as a whole is interesting, a series of middle class John Updike-type tales of how life can be complex even away from the grittiness of an urban environment. While that theme starts breathing heavy by the end of this 16 track opus, it's definitely built for arenas from a musical standpoint. The Suburbs nods to everyone from Bruce Springsteen to The Cars. And Win Butler and Regine Chassagne are not afraid to rock the boat and actually stand up for their politics, which is refreshing in the present world of rock.
KEY TRACKS: "Ready To Start"; "Sprawl II"; "Month of May"
Ever since our trip to Ireland in the summer of 2009, we've been recommending these unique four-part harmony English folk rockers to anyone who will listen. And apparently many started to listen, due to the solid debut Sigh No More and a triumphant sold-out US tour this past year. But it doesn't work just for the harmonies: their booming sound and imagery hits the listener equally firm with repeated spins.
KEY TRACKS: "Little Lion Man"; "The Cave"; "White Blank Page"
Outtakes of Springsteen's Darkness On The Edge Of Town sessions, recorded back in 1977 and 1978. The Boss & The E Street Band had famously been away from the recording studio for almost three years due to a managerial dispute. But then Springsteen came to The Record Plant in New York City with a wealth of material, and this 21 (22?) track archive stands as a great double LP addition to his wonderful catalog. The majority of the record could be peeled off and titled Born To Run 2.0. And boy is that a good thing: we hear all of Springsteen's glorious influences sprinkled throughout the album (Phil Spector, Memphis soul) as well as the songs that could have cozily fit next to Darkness' track listing.
KEY TRACKS: "Gotta Get That Feeling"; "It's A Shame"'; "Because The Night"; "Talk To Me"; "The Promise"
Damon Albarn puts together his loose collective once again for the first time in five years in the guise of illustrated characters created by Jamie Hewlett. While there may not be numbers as groove-laden as "Feel Good, Inc." or "Dare" (from 2005's effort Demon Days), Plastic Beach finds Albern continuing to push pop music forward. The album includes fantastic takes from vets Bobby Womack, Mos Def and Lou Reed. Oh, and a solid rhythm section in two vets from the English music scene: Mick Jones and Paul Simonon. Like most worthy albums, Plastic Beach takes a few listens to digest and enjoy. Take the time to do so.
KEY TRACKS: "Stylo"; "On Melancholy Hill"; "Some Kind of Nature"
LCD Soundsystem mastermind James Murphy is no young pup to the music scene. When the first cut ("Drunk Girls") was leaked from This Is Happening we were fooled into thinking his first LP in three years might be a rave filled dancefest. Wrong. Really wrong. The album marks a giant step forward, with Berlin-era Bowie haunting many of its tracks. Let's hope this isn't Murphy's last go-round; he obviously still has plenty to say.
KEY TRACKS: "All I Want"; "Dance Yrslf Clean"; "I Can Change"
After years of toiling in and slogging across the country to small clubs, the Akron duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney hit it big commercially. Seemingly in the background every time you view a commercial on TV (we're not against making a buck, but boys . . . a jewelry store?) or hear a bumper on sports talk radio, it cannot be denied that Brothers strikes gold once again to our ears. They went into the studio with Danger Mouse for the sole purpose of coming up with a radio friendly single that would not belie their blues roots and damned if they didn't do so: "Tighten Up" is one of the best songs of 2010. The remainder of the record is loose and playful, drawing on influences from Junior Kimbrough to Credence Clearwater Revivial. We dare you to try to turn it off while driving.
The Band From East L. A. shows once again that it cannot make a bad album. Mostly a bluesy affair, but not above the occasional fiery aside that Los Lobos is noted for when armed with electric guitars.
KEY TRACKS: "Burn It Down"; "Tin Can Trust"; "27 Spanishes"
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12 Richard Thompson - Dream Attic
From our review of Thompson's live show back in November, which included a performance in full of Dream Attic: "Any guitar solo by Thompson is never an exercise in naval-gazing. Indeed, the crowd has witnessed one of the best ever at his instrument, who is still contributing vital music over 40 years after bursting on the music scene."
KEY TRACKS: "If Love Whispers Your Name"; "Big Sun Falling In The River"; "The Money Shuffle"
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13 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - I Learned The Hard Way
Miss Jones continues her progression into one of the true greats in the soul genre, helped in no small way by her crack nine-piece Brooklyn band. Not to mention one of the more dynamic live shows you'll ever see.
KEY TRACKS: "I Learned The Hard Way"; "Better Things"; "Money"
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14 Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
This 20 year old songwriting wunderkind broke through the noise of mediocrity with this effecting sophomore effort, evoking a young Joni Mitchell.
The grand dame of gospel and soul returns to the spotlight in this Jeff Tweedy produced disc. Mavis sings some of her father's songs and also takes on with great success John Fogerty, Randy Newman, Allen Touissant and Little Milton. She's a national treasure.
KEY TRACKS: "You Are Not Alone"; "Wrote A Song For Everyone"; "Downward Road"; "Losing You"
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16 New Irish Collective - Popical Island
One of the best kept secrets of the year. This interesting batch of songs was gathered by an Irish collective of Dublin indie bands. The 15 tracks run the gamut of musical styles and tastes.
Further proof of the resurgence and vitality of soul music. Cee-Lo's obviously got the goods and delivers on this jukebox crammed album. Speaking of which, why wasn't "Georgia" included?
One of the pleasant surprises of the year. Elton John teams up with one of his idols, the very underrated Leon Russell, to make an album which reinvigorates Captain Fantastic, who until recently has been on rock icon cruise control. And the choice to have T-Bone Burnett produce didn't hurt, either.
KEY TRACKS: "If It Wasn't For Bad"; "I Should Have Sent Roses"; "Hey Ahab"
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19 Spoon - Transferrence
Lost in the shuffle because it was released at the beginning of the year, the Austin minimalist rockers went back to basics on this, their seventh studio long-player. More stripped down than Spoon's last two efforts (Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and Gimme Fiction), Transferrence still pays attention to the basics of rock 'n roll: swagger and great hooks.
KEY TRACKS: "Who Makes Your Money"; "Written In Reverse"; "Got Nuffin"
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20 The Cast of Cheers - Chariot
Irish correspondent Celtic Ray turned us on to this 33-minute blast of post-punk glory that's not above nicking groups as diverse as The Beatles and Foals. You can still download the album for free by going to The Cast of Cheers' bandcamp site.
KEY TRACKS: "Goose"; "Derp"
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BEST REISSUE: The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St.
BEST OFFICIAL ISSUING OF A BOOTLEG: Bob Dylan - The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964 (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 9)
BEST TRIBUTE ALBUM: Dirty Hearts & Broken Windows: Songs of John Prine
REGRETS, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE (Albums that made the list in 2009, but should have been ranked higher): Passion Pit - Manners; Dawes - North Hills
BOY, DID WE MISS THE BOAT (Album that should have made the 2009 list, but didn't): Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Up From Below
PREVIOUS WINDMILL LANE ALBUM OF THE YEAR WINNERS: 2009 Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest 2008 Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Phil Ochs may be a singer-songwriter that you have heard of, but probably a performer that you have never heard. An artist with serious left political leanings, Ochs came to the forefront of the folk movement in the early 1960s, heralded in the same class of Greenwich Village scene stars as Joan Baez, Peter, Paul & Mary, Bob Dylan and Tom Paxton. Ochs famously declared himself "the best" until he heard Dylan and revised his statement to "second best."
Preferring the term "topical singer" as opposed to "protest singer," Ochs was best known for his compositions "Too Many Martyrs," "Draft Dodger Rag" and particularly "I Ain't Marching Anymore." He appeared at countless political rallies not only in the United States but in South America and Africa supporting civil rights, labor and anti-war movements. He was at the center of a couple of seminal events: the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968 which turned into what was eventually described by an independent commission as a "police riot"; and the "Free John Sinclair" rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1971, notable for the first public appearance and performance of John Lennon since he left The Beatles (looking back, it is likely John & Yoko lifted their "War Is Over! [If You Want It]" campaign from Ochs' song "The War Is Over" in which he tells listeners to just unilaterally declare the war in Vietnam to be finished).
These topics and events, as well as Ochs' personal struggles with mental illness and alcohol, are mined by director Ken Bowser in the new documentary Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune, which opened in New York City last night. Selected cities will see screenings in the coming months. In addition to archival footage, the film is interspersed with commentary from Ochs' immediate family as well as Billy Bragg, Pete Seeger, Sean Penn, Christopher Hitchens, Ed Sanders, Baez and others.
It is worth a short column to celebrate Gerry Rafferty's contribution to pop music. The Scottish singer/songwriter died after a long bout with alcoholism yesterday at the age of of 63. If it hadn't been for the perpetual presence of two songs on oldies radio for the past 30 years, Rafferty may have vanished without much notice.
But those two songs!
A solo effort, "Baker Street" (from 1978's five million selling LP City To City), is a soft rock classic, blending an unforgettable sax groove with a searing guitar solo and the pitch-perfect vocal of Rafferty.
The crowning achievement, though, is the continuing jukebox wonder of "Stuck In The Middle With You." Written with partner Joe Egan and recorded under the group name Stealers Wheel, the tune topped the US and UK charts in 1972. Produced by legendary songwriters Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, 'Stuck In The Middle" is an irresistible three and a half minutes of pop heaven. Anchored by Rafferty's emotional lead slyly sneering at the industry that is ironically making him money, the song is powered by a funky bass line and George Harrison-like slide guitar.
Turn it up. Pick a partner. Or just dance along in your chair. It's great stuff.
Laura and Lydia Rogers, sisters hailing from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, go by the name The Secret Sisters. Their first full-length eponymous LP was released in 2010. Executive Produced by Americana major domo T-Bone Burnett, the album was recorded in Nashville. You can get a great feel for their gospel and bluegrass roots by listening to a recent interview and performance for The World Cafe here.
The Secret Sisters also ended up at Jack White's Third Man Studios, stepping out of their usual comfort zone to record a scorching version of Johnny Cash's "Big River." Listen and enjoy below.
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