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Creation Rebel: Trojan Re-Mixed, Re-Visioned, Re-versioned
Trojan Records, October 16, 2007
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What better way to honor the 40th Anniversary of the seminal Trojan Label than with a groundbreaking new release from DJ Spooky? Last year brought forth In Fine Style: DJ Spooky Presents, which quickly became the Must Have reggae collection for fans and critics alike. A pioneer whose style and substance is like no other, DJ Spooky returns with a new and equally revolutionary release.
The Creation Rebel: Trojan Remixed project is a mash-up of various sounds and styles from the rich and deep Trojan Records archives. On this collection, DJ Spooky links current music production with older techniques pioneered by Trojan catalog artists such as King Tubby and U-Roy. By exploring the art of remixing, sampling, turntablism - all of the elements that can be traced back to dub ? Spooky has created a mini history of electronic music. Everybody says techno started in Detroit, and hip-hop came out of NY. Creation Rebel shows that maybe Jamaica got there first!
Creation Rebel Track Listing
Creation Rebel - DJ Spooky meets Mad Professor & Rob Swift
Mr. Brown Remix - Bob Marley
Revolution Disco Dub - DJ Spooky meets Tapper Zukie
No No No Mix - Dawn Penn
Dis Poem Burns Bablyon - The Observers meets Mutabaruka
Under Mi Sensi Remix - Barrington Levy
East of the River Nile Remix - Augustus Pablo
Dis Poem Burns Babylon v2 - The Upsetters meets Mutabaruka
Freedom Reign - DJ Spooky presents Michael Rose
Soul Rebel Remix - Bob Marley
Under Mi Sleng Teng Remix - Wayne Smith
Mr. Brown (A Cappella) - Bob Marley
Babylon Burning Dub ? DJ Spooky vs The Observers
Dub of the Traveler (Bonus Beats) - Scientist
Levon Helm's first record in more than a decade, Dirt Farmer, will be released to the public on October 30, through Dirt Farmer Music LLC in conjunction with Vanguard Records. Levon sings and plays drums, guitar and mandolin on the CD, accompanied by Larry Campbell on guitars and fiddle, and the voices of Amy Helm and Teresa Williams. The record explores songs Levon learned as a boy in Arkansas and others in that style.
"Growing up on a cotton farm in the Arkansas Delta, Dirt Farmer rings true to home," Levon said. "Amy encouraged me to go all the way back and try to record some of the family songs from home that we always loved best."
The CD will be available to the general public on October 30. But to mark this milestone in his career, Levon will offer his longtime supporters and fans the opportunity to purchase it six weeks early through a limited edition offer at the LHS website. The $300 package will include one of 1,000 numbered, autographed Dirt Farmer CDs, a Dirt Farmer t-shirt, and two Midnight Ramble tickets good for any show at Levon Helm Studios in 2007 or 2008. The CDs will be shipped on September 15. For more information please go to levonhelm.com.
Dirt Farmer:
1. False Hearted Lover Blues 3:29
2. Poor Old Dirt Farmer 3:52
3. The Mountain 3:35
4. Little Birds 4:41
5. The Girl Left Behind 3:35
6. Calvary 4:53
7. Anna Lee 3:42
8. Got Me a Woman 3:11
9. A Train Robbery 5:28
10. Single Girl, Married Girl 3:18
11. Blind Child 3:26
12. Feelin? Good 3:31
13. Wide River To Cross 4:52
The Heavy Pets: Whale (self-released)
The Pets just might be a perfect jamband. Given nearly a quarter century of Phish, 17 years of moe.and myriad now forgotten fellow travelers like God Street Wine, one would expect younger musicians to adopt their ancestor's expansive, genre twisting moves but few do so quite as naturally as The Heavy Pets. First off, nice big balls to release a 2-CD, 20 track behemoth as their debut. Second, it's all pretty good ? really enjoyable swayers custom made for live extension, and varied enough to suggest several solid songwriters in their midst. The production and arrangements are full of nice touches like the winged violin that flies in from nowhere on "Pleasure Tank." Nothing directly references the jam forefathers but it's impossible to imagine this band happening without H.O.R.D.E. and digital show trading. What sets the Pets apart is a soft spot for island grooves (more Weather Report and Sublime than icky O.A.R.) and a sweet tooth for classic rock that alternately adds he-man or the shuffling swellness of early Little Feat crunch to their gently meandering sojourns. Working hard to become a national touring concern, Florida's The Heavy Pets have a great deal of quality raw material and no little amount of heart. Methinks their future is bright if anyone is listening.
Andre Williams: Movin' On With? (Vampisoul)
There's a seamy underbelly to pop music from the '50s & '60s, big bad wolves lurking amongst the sunshine and lollipops. Williams' teeth are sharp 'n' nasty on this set of "greasy & explicit soul movers." Ranging from 1956-1970, this 28-track rump shaker evokes the nasty ghosts of Ike Turner, Little Richard and Screamin' Jay Hawkins as Williams warns us about jail bait and chicken thighs while smacking the groove until it howls. Even the instrumentals feel dirty! Give this and a pair of shiny go-go boots to your favorite honey child and see what happens.
JamBase | On The Edge
Corey Harris: Zion Crossroads (Telarc)
Always a style explorer, Harris turns his eye towards Jamaica and comes up with something Island Records might have put out in the '70s. Always interested in finding connections between American and African music, Harris continues to tug at his bluesman label, finding his Steel Pulse on these swipes at heathen Babylon. Like the artists he's clearly inspired by (Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear) many cuts are a strange combination of sugary melodies and hardcore politics. There's no doubting Harris' sincerity and if the music is bit rote it's also not unpleasant as global political harangues go.
Robbers On High Street: Grand Animals (New Line)
This is a meat pie stuffed with minced Squeeze and prime Elvis Costello and the Attractions, baked crisp and served piping hot by Belle & Sebastian. Despite hailing from NYC, Robbers are so bloody anglophile the disc should come with chips and overcooked peas. That said, it's a damn tasty concoction that darts with a cleverness that eludes most aspirants to these pop heights. An endearing '80s white funk swagger crops up a few times, adding spice to the sweeping arrangements. Fast or slow, they know a hook and bait it with cerebral chestnuts worthy of their ingredients.
Death Ships: Seeds Of Devastation (Faithful Anchor)
There's something afoot in this bucolic jangle, something smart and sweet that eagerly makes you an offer you can't refuse. Like a slightly stoned dB's or a kissin' cousin to Midlake and Band of Horses, Death Ships roll one fine number after another, renewing our faith in exuberant boys with guitars and their ability to make us shrug our shoulders in time to their warmly melancholy musings. Nothing like the plague vessel their name implies, Death Ships sculpt mysterious echoes into an ear-tugging fog that happily envelops the listener.
Rasputina: Oh Perilous World (Filthy Bonnet Co.)
This emerges from slurred dulcimer, humming cello and shambling percussion into "1816. The Year Without A Summer." Rasputina's sixth album lodges the intrinsically offbeat trio well left-of-center but they inhabit that spot with a naturalism that normalizes the unorthodox instrumentation and precipitous shifts in mood. "Choose Me For A Champion" incongruously evokes both Queen and Patti Smith, but "Cage in a Cave" chirps like Scandinavian radio fare, bright skipping in service of a dark rumination. In the past, Rasputina's eccentricities may have kept less adventurous listeners at bay but Oh Perilous World is perversely catchy, balancing the stormy bits with the pastoral ones in a pretty winning way.
Go See Live Music!
Back again to let you know about the most savory and eclectic albums that may have slipped under your radar in the past few months. If you've heard these artists or albums then be sure to add your voice to the comments below. Let us know whether you like it, love it or hate it, and what in particular you dig or loathe about it.
Album of the Month:
The Molecules: Friends (Ra Sounds)
Try shoving Frank Zappa, An Albatross, many handfuls of large caliber bullets, a couple of cinderblocks and a bull in a china shop on PCP into a standard household garbage compacter and you're only halfway close to the feel of The Molecules. With the gritty ass, half buried vocals of multi instrumentalist Ron Anderson, Friends erupts in a panic filled frenzy of burly basslines, bi-polar jazz and math punk, which starts out like a score to some really hectic cartoon violence ala Tom and Jerry before getting pretty maniacal like Itchy and Scratchy. The vicious keyboard throwdown on "Turn Up Your Hair" is like being in the slot machine section of a casino built over a fault line as a massive earthquake sends the walls crumbling around you. Worth mentioning that Carla Kihlstedt (Tin Hat Trio) took the time to drop some violin on the record, so therefore you know the album is going to rule.
Runner Up:
Disrupt: Unrest (Relapse)
As with all genres and sub genres of rock & roll, there are many bands whose influence is clearly etched in sound for the generations that followed but never got their due in their own time, bands like Boston cult heroes Disrupt, whom many heralded with sparking the "crust punk" movement. While most of their fans in their day got to know them through their endless series of 7-inches, 1994's Unrest was their only official album. A mix of grinding hardcore and thrash metal, Disrupt defined a culture of alienated kids who pissed off their parents and peers, singing with rabid, mongrel vocals. Even though the album is 13 years old, Disrupt threw up a huge "fuck you" to all of society's fixtures of conformity, police brutality, racism, human right abuses and animal testing, as well as the connection between greed and the pillaging of the Earth. Hmm, sound familiar?
JamBase | Out There
Grails: Burning Off Impurities (Temporary Residence)
Hailing from Portland by way of somewhere in the middle of a sunbaked Carlos Castaneda novel, Burning off Impurities slowly ignites a trail for a brave new world post-rock should head towards in the 21st century. Dashes of what sounds like ritual music from the indigenous people of Central America join feathery percussion patterns that still boom. Even the reverb is cryptic and intricate. Moments remind one of Massive Attack's darkest hours circa Protection. Mantras fed by the jungle and desert-like isolation generates the most chilling drone slabs. In a nutshell, you need to go and get this album right now!
The National Lights: The Dead Will Walk, Dear (Bloodshake Records)
So dark yet so winsome and cryptic, the National Lights are an enchanted folk and Americana laced journey through a shadowy and sometimes phantasmal road. With rootsy, soft banjo plucking and feathery acoustic songs built with a somewhat chilling palette, the cotton soft vocals and harmonies distil an almost unnerving sensibility in the softness of the tone with country sadness. Imagine a Cormac McCarthy novel dealing with the tragic aftermath of a Tennessee Williams play with the background music funneled through Ray LaMontagne's most reserved songs and Richard and Linda Thompson's I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight.
Blitzen Trapper: Wild Mountain Nation (Lidkercow Ltd)
Blitzen Trapper is the most mysterious extra terrestrial/cyborg glob of kooky, country fried, electro laced, rambunctious "whattehfuck" that ever fell from space and landed in the wilds of Portland, nourished by milk from the teats of Clinic, Badfinger and the Flaming Lips, just as Romulus and Remus suckled on the she wolf. But things turn out a bit nicer for Blitzen Trapper than the twins. The stoner metal funk on "Miss Spiritual Tramps" remains the staple on this flawless disc. The robots and their indentured alien servants have taken over…and they just happen to be throwing a hootenanny.
Maps: We Can Create (Mute)
Covered by a toothsome blanket of fuzz, the brainchild of UK James Chapman is spun together with a cold blizzard of tidbits filtered through the atmospheres of Spiritualized, Galaxie 500, early Mercury Rev and the ethereal feel of Air. We Can Create gently pulsates with electronic beats and ennui laced shoegazer pop projectiles, but with more of an emphasis on intricately woven electronica that can be synthetically orchestral, epic, reflective and solitary. "It Will Find You" is easily one of 2007's best songs.
Oxbow: The Narcotic Story (Hydra Head)
The Narcotic Story is for those who fancy their avant garde rock on the more disturbing side. Singer Eugene Robinson sings likes he suffers from multiple personality disorder with a few vicious egos fighting for supreme control. He whimpers and tries to retain sanity while on the hot seat with his shrink, teetering on the edge of a breakdown. Sludge metal and neo-classical garnishes vamp the band's post-hardcore tendencies, which are sophisticated and lush but at the same time the listener can almost smell the dark insulation of a state psychiatric institution.
Justice: "Cross" (Ed Banger Records)
Frenchies have always incorporated disco cache and decadence in most of their native electronic music. It's taken until the 21st century for "Cross" to drop from this duo and form the quintessential triad with Daft Punk's Homework and Les Rythmes Digitales' Darkdancer of Gallic dance albums. The long anticipated arrival of Justice's proper full-length is a rocking, throbbing electro compendium of checkered light dance floor beats and funky suave breakdowns. Film buffs will be brought in by a scene with Vincent Cassell (the Johnny Depp of France who is ten times the actor that Depp is, Yeah, you heard me right.) dealing with noirish turmoil at a discothèque. Be it the revving, big beat laced "Genesis" or the ghetto ass hopscotch/double dutch canticle "D.A.N.C.E.", "Cross" est un massif jalon pour danse musique.
The Rosebuds: Night of the Furies (Merge)
Listening to The Rosebuds' new album is like one of those evenings where you've stepped out for a night on the town with your boy/girlfriend and another couple who are just too much in love. But, hubby Ivan Howard and wife Kelly Crisp don't quite make it seem revolting as they express their mutual feelings. On their third album, they've tossed out almost any notion of the cuddly and twangy Americana pop of their previous release (2005's fabulous Birds Make Good Neighbors) and have traded it in for a more sugar spun disco electro pop dynamic fresh from an '80s mix tape from Larry Levan.
Jerry Granelli: The Sonic Temple (Songlines)
This double disc set was recorded last year over two nights at the Atlantic Jazz Fest and features the master percussionist sifting through a chiming world of meandering be-bop and post rock, though the improvs can get a bit humdrum. This is no reason to brush off Granelli, who has been a shamefully underrated figure in jazz for almost 50 years. However, this release is recommended for longtime fans only. New listeners should start with the drum work that he contributed on Denny Zeitlin's 1965 release Live at the Trident and Granelli's 1992 solo release, A Song I Thought I Heard Buddy Sing, which is laced with themes that touch on the life of Buddy Bolden, one of the fathers of jazz who never got to record his music.
The Fucking Champs: VI (Drag City)
Break out the kegs and have your friends hold you by the ankles as you suck in the suds upside down. San Fran's The Fucking Champs' instru-metal goes through riffs and riffs of shifting sharps and flats in a time machine that's run out of gas in the vortex that runs from late '70s New Wave of British Heavy Metal all the way to the '80s Bay Area thrash movement and more contemporary doom metal. These are paladins with just a mist of hair metal gusto sprayed on like Aquanet. Cali heads should let their older brothers listen to this in order to be taken back days of skating on a Powell Peralta while sporting Airwalks and blaring Exodus from a boombox.
All Smiles: Ten Readings of a Warning (Dangerbird)
Yes, we all knew that parting was such sweet sorrow last year when doted on California band Grandaddy parted ways with a final album that was, well, uh, just okay. Band member Jim Fairchild has found his own path, recording under the alias of All Smiles. Ten Readings of a Warning was made almost entirely on an 8-track recorder in various living rooms with help from Joe Plummer of the Black Heart Procession, Danny Seim of Menomena and Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney, who doesn't shred the shit out of the skins here. Ten Readings is a rather scanty and feathery array of delicate folk pop that makes one warm inside with a melancholy that evokes Wilco's most somber moments as well as parts of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass.
Pissed Jeans: Hope for Men (Sub Pop)
Raining down a musky golden shower of post hardcore that labels like Dischord and, to some degree, Touch and Go were founded on, Pissed Jeans are pandemic with rigid, jagged riffs and tempos. Among the highlights is "Scrapbooking," where singer Matt Korvette is screaming, talking shit about someone while trying to pick himself up out of the gutter. Hope for Men will piss some people off, and that's a good thing when it comes to this Allentown foursome. The flow is oh-so-sloppy but still kicks ass. It's a like a binge fueled night of crashing into every party in sight with a shamelessly rabid punk fortitude that's grimy, greasy and intense enough to make the listener wet their pants.
Go See Live Music!
Newport Folk Festival :: 08.04.07 :: Newport, Rhode Island
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Gone are the days when the festival's ridged, folk-oriented lineup cultivated an environment that actually booed Dylan's first electric performance (7/25/65). In 2007, fiscal difficulties necessitated the festival be "presented" by Dunkin Donuts. However, as much as things have changed, plenty has stayed the same. Even with a lineup that has grown well outside the comfort zone of acoustic folk, the promoters have continued to book artists whose roots are progressive, and whose musical tales are worthy of being heard.
Roughly 15 years ago, the site of the festival was transplanted from a local baseball field to Fort Adams State Park, a site built as a naval facility in 1824. With the stone walls of the fort behind the stage, and the harbor to the audience's backs, the new location provided a beautiful environment that rivals any major American music festival.
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Following Potter's set, the John Butler Trio had everyone wrapped around their finger in no time. The trio has played their fair share of festivals, so to assume that this was just another gig for them would be a fair assumption. However, when JamBase caught up with Butler prior to his performance, he commented, "I'm stoked to be here. It's such a legendary festival. I've wanted to play this one for the last, I don't know, however many years. It just feels good to be here." As for comments about Newport's arguably low-key lineup, Butler was quick to rebut, "It's not quantity, it's quality." Butler performed one of the more qualitative sets of the day. His unique brand of bluesy, folked-out rock gave everyone in the crowd something to chew on.
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During the set, Morello made a point to mention that for him, playing Newport was pulling a "Dylan in reverse." He explained that Bob Dylan came to Newport to "go electric," where he came to Newport to leave the amp at home and "go acoustic." This statement spoke to the fact that even though the festival has strayed from its roots, the promoters are still conscious of offering their audience performances that push the boundaries of industry norms. And more than that, they're booking bands that offer a bit of the old and a taste of the new.
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Back on the main stage, following a set of southern grit by the North Mississippi Allstars, the Allman Brothers kicked off their headlining set with an energetic version of "Hot 'Lanta." They quickly took things into overdrive with "Trouble No More" followed by a crowd-pleasing "Midnight Rider." Many Newport regulars found it strange that the Allman's were booked to headline a festival which is primarily a folk outing. But such are the times. With events like Bonnaroo blowing genres wide open and mixing fans of all types, evolution in the festival world has to occur.
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Sure enough, every demographic in the audience seemed to appreciate the choice. While kids in tie-dye shirts air noodled to "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed," the folkies were instantly turned on by the cover of The Band's "The Weight," featuring the North Mississippi Allstars' Luther Dickinson on guitar. As the sun began to set behind the stage, and boaters in the harbor began amassing on the banks of Fort Adams, the Allman's closed with an articulate take on "Revival." The tune demonstrated to everyone in attendance why folks are saying that Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks are one of the best guitar duos on the road. More importantly, it ended the day's festivities on a note that couldn't have hit higher.
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JamBase | Rhode Island
Go See Live Music!
DeVotchka :: 07.24.07 :: Spiegeltent :: New York, NY
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Their sound is a distinct mix of styles - Eastern European traditional folk tinged with mariachi, jazz and rock. Their live performance landed somewhere between rowdy street musicians and an orchestra. While the gypsy sound may lead to comparisons to Gogol Bordello, in contrast to Gogol's craziness, the suited and booted DeVotchka echo the style and class of the swing era. Singer Nick Urata is reminiscent of a modern day Frank Sinatra with the voice of a Nick Cave-Thom Yorke crossbreed.
The band members switched instruments with ease, offering contrasting sounds that came together nicely. Jeannie Schroder provided a bouncy rhythm for the band, swapping between double bass and a sousaphone adorned with red fairy lights. At times, the heavy hitting of percussionist Shawn King offset the soft ache of the band's string section. During other songs he provided subtle, Portishead-like 'rat-a-tat-tat' drum rolls that melded well with plucked violin strings and Urata's haunting lyrics. Later, for his encore solo, King pulled out a trumpet from behind his drum kit.
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The string section, which featured three violins and a cello, added a depth to Urata's vocals, which, at times, veered with stretched notes towards the operatic. However, before they were in danger of taking themselves too seriously, they returned to their kitschy burlesque roots and pulled out the maracas. Later, they added a dub reggae jam, leading the crowd in a chorus of "Yo yo yo's." This mix of styles probably shouldn't work but it does, coming together in a heady mix that sounded original even though their influences are obvious.
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JamBase | NYC
Go See Live Music!
Creation Rebel: Trojan Re-Mixed, Re-Visioned, Re-versioned
Trojan Records, October 16, 2007
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What better way to honor the 40th Anniversary of the seminal Trojan Label than with a groundbreaking new release from DJ Spooky? Last year brought forth In Fine Style: DJ Spooky Presents, which quickly became the Must Have reggae collection for fans and critics alike. A pioneer whose style and substance is like no other, DJ Spooky returns with a new and equally revolutionary release.
The Creation Rebel: Trojan Remixed project is a mash-up of various sounds and styles from the rich and deep Trojan Records archives. On this collection, DJ Spooky links current music production with older techniques pioneered by Trojan catalog artists such as King Tubby and U-Roy. By exploring the art of remixing, sampling, turntablism - all of the elements that can be traced back to dub – Spooky has created a mini history of electronic music. Everybody says techno started in Detroit, and hip-hop came out of NY. Creation Rebel shows that maybe Jamaica got there first!
Creation Rebel Track Listing
Creation Rebel - DJ Spooky meets Mad Professor & Rob Swift
Mr. Brown Remix - Bob Marley
Revolution Disco Dub - DJ Spooky meets Tapper Zukie
No No No Mix - Dawn Penn
Dis Poem Burns Bablyon - The Observers meets Mutabaruka
Under Mi Sensi Remix - Barrington Levy
East of the River Nile Remix - Augustus Pablo
Dis Poem Burns Babylon v2 - The Upsetters meets Mutabaruka
Freedom Reign - DJ Spooky presents Michael Rose
Soul Rebel Remix - Bob Marley
Under Mi Sleng Teng Remix - Wayne Smith
Mr. Brown (A Cappella) - Bob Marley
Babylon Burning Dub – DJ Spooky vs The Observers
Dub of the Traveler (Bonus Beats) - Scientist
Levon Helm's first record in more than a decade, Dirt Farmer, will be released to the public on October 30, through Dirt Farmer Music LLC in conjunction with Vanguard Records. Levon sings and plays drums, guitar and mandolin on the CD, accompanied by Larry Campbell on guitars and fiddle, and the voices of Amy Helm and Teresa Williams. The record explores songs Levon learned as a boy in Arkansas and others in that style.
"Growing up on a cotton farm in the Arkansas Delta, Dirt Farmer rings true to home," Levon said. "Amy encouraged me to go all the way back and try to record some of the family songs from home that we always loved best."
The CD will be available to the general public on October 30. But to mark this milestone in his career, Levon will offer his longtime supporters and fans the opportunity to purchase it six weeks early through a limited edition offer at the LHS website. The $300 package will include one of 1,000 numbered, autographed Dirt Farmer CDs, a Dirt Farmer t-shirt, and two Midnight Ramble tickets good for any show at Levon Helm Studios in 2007 or 2008. The CDs will be shipped on September 15. For more information please go to levonhelm.com.
Dirt Farmer:
1. False Hearted Lover Blues 3:29
2. Poor Old Dirt Farmer 3:52
3. The Mountain 3:35
4. Little Birds 4:41
5. The Girl Left Behind 3:35
6. Calvary 4:53
7. Anna Lee 3:42
8. Got Me a Woman 3:11
9. A Train Robbery 5:28
10. Single Girl, Married Girl 3:18
11. Blind Child 3:26
12. Feelin’ Good 3:31
13. Wide River To Cross 4:52
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Formed in 2003, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk was initially put together by keyboardist Ivan Neville on a whim in order to perform a solo gig at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Ivan called in cousin Ian Neville (guitar), the double-bass bottom of both Nick Daniels and Tony Hall, and drummer Raymond Webber to round out the show. Named after a song Ivan had recently written, Dumpstaphunk's informal performance became that of immediate legend. The project has since grown from chance side-project into what is now widely considered to be New Orleans' most popular musical export. The band was recently voted 2007's "Best Funk Band" by both Offbeat Magazine and Gambit Weekly, and performs at some of the nation's largest music festivals such as Bonnaroo, Voodoo Fest, 10,000 Lakes, and High Sierra.
Dumpstaphunk Tour Dates
08.25 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
08.26 - Indianapolis, IN - Music Mill
08.28 - Sterling, IL - Starlite Theatre
08.29 - Cleveland, OH - Wilbert's
08.30 - Pittsburgh, PA - Moondogs
08.31 - New York, NY - BB Kings
09.01 - Ketchum, ID - Sun Valley Labor Day Weekend
09.02 - Jackson Hole, Wyoming - Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
09.04 - Annapolis, MD - Ram's Head
09.05 - Troy, NY - Revolution Hall
09.06 - Northampton, MA - Iron Horse
09.07 - Washington, DC - City Tavern Club
09.08 - Raleigh, NC - Pour House
09.10 - Oxford, MS - Proud Larry's
09.11 - St. Louis, MO - Atomic Cowboy Outdoor Patio
09.12 - Iowa City, IA - The Mill
09.13 - Lincoln, NE - Rococo Theatre
09.14 - Denver, CO - Quixote's
09.15 - Park City, UT - Suede
09.18 - Santa Barbara, CA - Soho Restaurant and Music Club
09.19 - Los Angeles, CA - Temple Bar
09.20 - Petaluma, CA - Mystic Theatre
09.21 - Monterey, CA - Monterey Jazz Festival
09.22 - Crystal Bay, CA - Crystal Bay Casino
09.23 - Las Vegas, NV - Baloonapalooza
09.27 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
09.28 - Austin, TX - The Parish
09.29 - New Orleans, LA - Tipitina's
09.30 - New Orleans, LA - Congo Square Rhythms Festival
IN SUPPORT OF DEBUT LP DUE SEPTEMBER 11 ON DANGERBIRD RECORDS
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Walker has been keeping quite busy since the label's inception in 2004, touring behind his two solo albums as well as participating behind the scenes of Dangerbird's acclaimed roster [Silversun Pickups, Sea Wolf], alongside partner Jeff Castelaz. With Eulogies' debut full-length, Walker continues to demonstrate his penchant for production. The multi-faceted musician has manned the boards for label mates Dappled Cities and All Smiles as well as his own solo efforts.
Eulogies is an accomplished new step in Walker's career, showcasing his newfound confidence as a band leader/member. Joined together by bassist Tim Hutton and drummer Chris Reynolds, the trio's 13-song collection and newfound moniker resulted from 30 shows in 40 days. Crammed in a van withstanding long drives to opening slots, the album vividly emulates the obvious chemistry that only such conditions can create.
EULOGIES ON TOUR
08.30 - San Diego, Calif. @ Beauty Bar
EULOGIES ON TOUR WITH BENEVENTO/RUSSO DUO
10.28 - Aspen, Colo. @ Belly Up Tavern
10.30 - Sacramento, Calif. @ Harlow's
10.31 - San Francisco, Calif. @ The Independent
11.02 - Portland, Ore. @ Berbati's Pan
11.03 - Bellingham, Wash. @ The Nightlight Lounge
11.04 - Seattle, Wash. @ Chop Suey
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The festivities begin Thursday, October 25, and run through Sunday, October 28. This year's lineup, with 12 bands from all over the country, also features the best of Northern California's excellent music scene, with San Francisco based headliner Tea Leaf Green exploding nationwide, Brushfire Record's recording artist ALO, global music road warriors New Monsoon, and from the mountain shores of Lake Tahoe and host band Blue Turtle Seduction.
Building on last year's success, 2007's version of Las Tortugas has expanded to include three stages, featuring the JamBase Stage in the Terrapin Big Top, Tuolumne Hall and The Tavern. There will be nightly themes, including a band costume contest, as well as the Friday Full Harvest Moon Soiree, and a fan costume contest on Saturday at the Halloween Masquerade Ball. The magical woods of Yosemite National Park will encourage plenty of musical collaboration throughout the weekend.
The Thursday night kickoff party on the 25 will feature two sets from ALO, who will also be performing on Friday, October 26. Host Blue Turtle Seduction will play each night of the event. Headliner Tea Leaf Green will throw it down on Friday and Saturday, and New Monsoon will unleash their global rock on Saturday and Sunday. A full lineup of bands, as well as ticket and lodging (onsite and offsite) information, can be found at evergreenhalloween.inticketing.com. On-site camping and nearby offsite lodging options still remain; free shuttle service will be provided between offsite lodging facilities and the venue. With such a strong lineup located in one of the most scenic places on Earth, Las Tortugas II will certainly be one of the best and most intimate festivals of 2007.
Back again to let you know about the most savory and eclectic albums that may have slipped under your radar in the past few months. If you've heard these artists or albums then be sure to add your voice to the comments below. Let us know whether you like it, love it or hate it, and what in particular you dig or loathe about it.
Album of the Month:
The Molecules: Friends (Ra Sounds)
Try shoving Frank Zappa, An Albatross, many handfuls of large caliber bullets, a couple of cinderblocks and a bull in a china shop on PCP into a standard household garbage compacter and you're only halfway close to the feel of The Molecules. With the gritty ass, half buried vocals of multi instrumentalist Ron Anderson, Friends erupts in a panic filled frenzy of burly basslines, bi-polar jazz and math punk, which starts out like a score to some really hectic cartoon violence ala Tom and Jerry before getting pretty maniacal like Itchy and Scratchy. The vicious keyboard throwdown on "Turn Up Your Hair" is like being in the slot machine section of a casino built over a fault line as a massive earthquake sends the walls crumbling around you. Worth mentioning that Carla Kihlstedt (Tin Hat Trio) took the time to drop some violin on the record, so therefore you know the album is going to rule.
Runner Up:
Disrupt: Unrest (Relapse)
As with all genres and sub genres of rock & roll, there are many bands whose influence is clearly etched in sound for the generations that followed but never got their due in their own time, bands like Boston cult heroes Disrupt, whom many heralded with sparking the "crust punk" movement. While most of their fans in their day got to know them through their endless series of 7-inches, 1994's Unrest was their only official album. A mix of grinding hardcore and thrash metal, Disrupt defined a culture of alienated kids who pissed off their parents and peers, singing with rabid, mongrel vocals. Even though the album is 13 years old, Disrupt threw up a huge "fuck you" to all of society's fixtures of conformity, police brutality, racism, human right abuses and animal testing, as well as the connection between greed and the pillaging of the Earth. Hmm, sound familiar?
JamBase | Out There
Grails: Burning Off Impurities (Temporary Residence)
Hailing from Portland by way of somewhere in the middle of a sunbaked Carlos Castaneda novel, Burning off Impurities slowly ignites a trail for a brave new world post-rock should head towards in the 21st century. Dashes of what sounds like ritual music from the indigenous people of Central America join feathery percussion patterns that still boom. Even the reverb is cryptic and intricate. Moments remind one of Massive Attack's darkest hours circa Protection. Mantras fed by the jungle and desert-like isolation generates the most chilling drone slabs. In a nutshell, you need to go and get this album right now!
The National Lights: The Dead Will Walk, Dear (Bloodshake Records)
So dark yet so winsome and cryptic, the National Lights are an enchanted folk and Americana laced journey through a shadowy and sometimes phantasmal road. With rootsy, soft banjo plucking and feathery acoustic songs built with a somewhat chilling palette, the cotton soft vocals and harmonies distil an almost unnerving sensibility in the softness of the tone with country sadness. Imagine a Cormac McCarthy novel dealing with the tragic aftermath of a Tennessee Williams play with the background music funneled through Ray LaMontagne's most reserved songs and Richard and Linda Thompson's I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight.
Blitzen Trapper: Wild Mountain Nation (Lidkercow Ltd)
Blitzen Trapper is the most mysterious extra terrestrial/cyborg glob of kooky, country fried, electro laced, rambunctious "whattehfuck" that ever fell from space and landed in the wilds of Portland, nourished by milk from the teats of Clinic, Badfinger and the Flaming Lips, just as Romulus and Remus suckled on the she wolf. But things turn out a bit nicer for Blitzen Trapper than the twins. The stoner metal funk on "Miss Spiritual Tramps" remains the staple on this flawless disc. The robots and their indentured alien servants have taken over?and they just happen to be throwing a hootenanny.
Maps: We Can Create (Mute)
Covered by a toothsome blanket of fuzz, the brainchild of UK James Chapman is spun together with a cold blizzard of tidbits filtered through the atmospheres of Spiritualized, Galaxie 500, early Mercury Rev and the ethereal feel of Air. We Can Create gently pulsates with electronic beats and ennui laced shoegazer pop projectiles, but with more of an emphasis on intricately woven electronica that can be synthetically orchestral, epic, reflective and solitary. "It Will Find You" is easily one of 2007's best songs.
Oxbow: The Narcotic Story (Hydra Head)
The Narcotic Story is for those who fancy their avant garde rock on the more disturbing side. Singer Eugene Robinson sings likes he suffers from multiple personality disorder with a few vicious egos fighting for supreme control. He whimpers and tries to retain sanity while on the hot seat with his shrink, teetering on the edge of a breakdown. Sludge metal and neo-classical garnishes vamp the band's post-hardcore tendencies, which are sophisticated and lush but at the same time the listener can almost smell the dark insulation of a state psychiatric institution.
Justice: "Cross" (Ed Banger Records)
Frenchies have always incorporated disco cache and decadence in most of their native electronic music. It's taken until the 21st century for "Cross" to drop from this duo and form the quintessential triad with Daft Punk's Homework and Les Rythmes Digitales' Darkdancer of Gallic dance albums. The long anticipated arrival of Justice's proper full-length is a rocking, throbbing electro compendium of checkered light dance floor beats and funky suave breakdowns. Film buffs will be brought in by a scene with Vincent Cassell (the Johnny Depp of France who is ten times the actor that Depp is, Yeah, you heard me right.) dealing with noirish turmoil at a discoth?que. Be it the revving, big beat laced "Genesis" or the ghetto ass hopscotch/double dutch canticle "D.A.N.C.E.", "Cross" est un massif jalon pour danse musique.
The Rosebuds: Night of the Furies (Merge)
Listening to The Rosebuds' new album is like one of those evenings where you've stepped out for a night on the town with your boy/girlfriend and another couple who are just too much in love. But, hubby Ivan Howard and wife Kelly Crisp don't quite make it seem revolting as they express their mutual feelings. On their third album, they've tossed out almost any notion of the cuddly and twangy Americana pop of their previous release (2005's fabulous Birds Make Good Neighbors) and have traded it in for a more sugar spun disco electro pop dynamic fresh from an '80s mix tape from Larry Levan.
Jerry Granelli: The Sonic Temple (Songlines)
This double disc set was recorded last year over two nights at the Atlantic Jazz Fest and features the master percussionist sifting through a chiming world of meandering be-bop and post rock, though the improvs can get a bit humdrum. This is no reason to brush off Granelli, who has been a shamefully underrated figure in jazz for almost 50 years. However, this release is recommended for longtime fans only. New listeners should start with the drum work that he contributed on Denny Zeitlin's 1965 release Live at the Trident and Granelli's 1992 solo release, A Song I Thought I Heard Buddy Sing, which is laced with themes that touch on the life of Buddy Bolden, one of the fathers of jazz who never got to record his music.
The Fucking Champs: VI (Drag City)
Break out the kegs and have your friends hold you by the ankles as you suck in the suds upside down. San Fran's The Fucking Champs' instru-metal goes through riffs and riffs of shifting sharps and flats in a time machine that's run out of gas in the vortex that runs from late '70s New Wave of British Heavy Metal all the way to the '80s Bay Area thrash movement and more contemporary doom metal. These are paladins with just a mist of hair metal gusto sprayed on like Aquanet. Cali heads should let their older brothers listen to this in order to be taken back days of skating on a Powell Peralta while sporting Airwalks and blaring Exodus from a boombox.
All Smiles: Ten Readings of a Warning (Dangerbird)
Yes, we all knew that parting was such sweet sorrow last year when doted on California band Grandaddy parted ways with a final album that was, well, uh, just okay. Band member Jim Fairchild has found his own path, recording under the alias of All Smiles. Ten Readings of a Warning was made almost entirely on an 8-track recorder in various living rooms with help from Joe Plummer of the Black Heart Procession, Danny Seim of Menomena and Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney, who doesn't shred the shit out of the skins here. Ten Readings is a rather scanty and feathery array of delicate folk pop that makes one warm inside with a melancholy that evokes Wilco's most somber moments as well as parts of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass.
Pissed Jeans: Hope for Men (Sub Pop)
Raining down a musky golden shower of post hardcore that labels like Dischord and, to some degree, Touch and Go were founded on, Pissed Jeans are pandemic with rigid, jagged riffs and tempos. Among the highlights is "Scrapbooking," where singer Matt Korvette is screaming, talking shit about someone while trying to pick himself up out of the gutter. Hope for Men will piss some people off, and that's a good thing when it comes to this Allentown foursome. The flow is oh-so-sloppy but still kicks ass. It's a like a binge fueled night of crashing into every party in sight with a shamelessly rabid punk fortitude that's grimy, greasy and intense enough to make the listener wet their pants.
Go See Live Music!
Back again to let you know about the most savory and eclectic albums that may have slipped under your radar in the past few months. If you've heard these artists or albums then be sure to add your voice to the comments below. Let us know whether you like it, love it or hate it, and what in particular you dig or loathe about it.
Album of the Month:
The Molecules: Friends (Ra Sounds)
Try shoving Frank Zappa, An Albatross, many handfuls of large caliber bullets, a couple of cinderblocks and a bull in a china shop on PCP into a standard household garbage compacter and you're only halfway close to the feel of The Molecules. With the gritty ass, half buried vocals of multi instrumentalist Ron Anderson, Friends erupts in a panic filled frenzy of burly basslines, bi-polar jazz and math punk, which starts out like a score to some really hectic cartoon violence ala Tom and Jerry before getting pretty maniacal like Itchy and Scratchy. The vicious keyboard throwdown on "Turn Up Your Hair" is like being in the slot machine section of a casino built over a fault line as a massive earthquake sends the walls crumbling around you. Worth mentioning that Carla Kihlstedt (Tin Hat Trio) took the time to drop some violin on the record, so therefore you know the album is going to rule.
Runner Up:
Disrupt: Unrest (Relapse)
As with all genres and sub genres of rock & roll, there are many bands whose influence is clearly etched in sound for the generations that followed but never got their due in their own time, bands like Boston cult heroes Disrupt, whom many heralded with sparking the "crust punk" movement. While most of their fans in their day got to know them through their endless series of 7-inches, 1994's Unrest was their only official album. A mix of grinding hardcore and thrash metal, Disrupt defined a culture of alienated kids who pissed off their parents and peers, singing with rabid, mongrel vocals. Even though the album is 13 years old, Disrupt threw up a huge "fuck you" to all of society's fixtures of conformity, police brutality, racism, human right abuses and animal testing, as well as the connection between greed and the pillaging of the Earth. Hmm, sound familiar?
JamBase | Out There
Grails: Burning Off Impurities (Temporary Residence)
Hailing from Portland by way of somewhere, in the middle of a sunbaked Carlos Castaneda novel, Burning off Impurities slowly ignites a trail for a brave new world post-rock should head towards in the 21st century. Dashes of what sounds like ritual music from the indigenous people of Central America join feathery percussion patterns that still boom. Even the reverb is cryptic and intricate. Moments remind one of Massive Attack's darkest hours circa Protection. Mantras fed by the jungle and desert-like isolation generates the most chilling drone slabs. In a nutshell, you need to go and get this album right now!
The National Lights: The Dead Will Walk, Dear (Bloodshake Records)
So dark yet so winsome and cryptic, the National Lights are an enchanted folk and Americana laced journey through a shadowy and sometimes phantasmal road. With rootsy, soft banjo plucking and feathery acoustic songs built with a somewhat chilling palette, the cotton soft vocals and harmonies distil an almost unnerving sensibility in the softness of the tone with country sadness. Imagine a Cormac McCarthy novel dealing with the tragic aftermath of a Tennessee Williams play with the background music funneled through Ray LaMontagne's most reserved songs and Richard and Linda Thompson's I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight.
Blitzen Trapper: Wild Mountain Nation (Lidkercow Ltd)
Blitzen Trapper is the most mysterious extra terrestrial/cyborg glob of kooky, country fried, electro laced, rambunctious "whattehfuck" that ever fell from space and landed in the wilds of Portland, nourished by milk from the teats of Clinic, Badfinger and the Flaming Lips, just as Romulus and Remus suckled on the she wolf. But things turn out a bit nicer for Blitzen Trapper than the twins. The stoner metal funk on "Miss Spiritual Tramps" remains the staple on this flawless disc. The robots and their indentured alien servants have taken over…and they just happen to be throwing a hootenanny.
Maps: We Can Create (Mute)
Covered by a toothsome blanket of fuzz, the brainchild of UK James Chapman is spun together with a cold blizzard of tidbits filtered through the atmospheres of Spiritualized, Galaxie 500, early Mercury Rev and the ethereal feel of Air. We Can Create gently pulsates with electronic beats and ennui laced shoegazer pop projectiles, but with more of an emphasis on intricately woven electronica that can be synthetically orchestral, epic, reflective and solitary. "It Will Find You" is easily one of 2007's best songs.
Oxbow: The Narcotic Story (Hydra Head)
The Narcotic Story is for those who fancy their avant garde rock on the more disturbing side. Singer Eugene Robinson sings likes he suffers from multiple personality disorder with a few vicious egos fighting for supreme control. He whimpers and tries to retain sanity while on the hot seat with his shrink, teetering on the edge of a breakdown. Sludge metal and neo-classical garnishes vamp the band's post-hardcore tendencies, which are sophisticated and lush but at the same time the listener can almost smell the dark insulation of a state psychiatric institution.
Justice: "Cross" (Ed Banger Records)
Frenchies have always incorporated disco cache and decadence in most of their native electronic music. It's taken until the 21st century for "Cross" to drop from this duo and form the quintessential triad with Daft Punk's Homework and Les Rythmes Digitales' Darkdancer of Gallic dance albums. The long anticipated arrival of Justice's proper full-length is a rocking, throbbing electro compendium of checkered light dance floor beats and funky suave breakdowns. Film buffs will be brought in by a scene with Vincent Cassell (the Johnny Depp of France who is ten times the actor that Depp is, Yeah, you heard me right.) dealing with noirish turmoil at a discothèque. Be it the revving, big beat laced "Genesis" or the ghetto ass hopscotch/double dutch canticle "D.A.N.C.E.", "Cross" est un massif jalon pour danse musique.
The Rosebuds: Night of the Furies (Merge)
Listening to The Rosebuds' new album is like one of those evenings where you've stepped out for a night on the town with your boy/girlfriend and another couple who are just too much in love. But, hubby Ivan Howard and wife Kelly Crisp don't quite make it seem revolting as they express their mutual feelings. On their third album, they've tossed out almost any notion of the cuddly and twangy Americana pop of their previous release (2005's fabulous Birds Make Good Neighbors) and have traded it in for a more sugar spun disco electro pop dynamic fresh from an '80s mix tape from Larry Levan.
Jerry Granelli: The Sonic Temple (Songlines)
This double disc set was recorded last year over two nights at the Atlantic Jazz Fest and features the master percussionist sifting through a chiming world of meandering be-bop and post rock, though the improvs can get a bit humdrum. This is no reason to brush off Granelli, who has been a shamefully underrated figure in jazz for almost 50 years. However, this release is recommended for longtime fans only. New listeners should start with the drum work that he contributed on Denny Zeitlin's 1965 release Live at the Trident and Granelli's 1992 solo release, A Song I Thought I Heard Buddy Sing, which is laced with themes that touch on the life of Buddy Bolden, one of the fathers of jazz who never got to record his music.
The Fucking Champs: VI (Drag City)
Break out the kegs and have your friends hold you by the ankles as you suck in the suds upside down. San Fran's The Fucking Champs' instru-metal goes through riffs and riffs of shifting sharps and flats in a time machine that's run out of gas in the vortex that runs from late '70s New Wave of British Heavy Metal all the way to the '80s Bay Area thrash movement and more contemporary doom metal. These are paladins with just a mist of hair metal gusto sprayed on like Aquanet. Cali heads should let their older brothers listen to this in order to be taken back days of skating on a Powell Peralta while sporting Airwalks and blaring Exodus from a boombox.
All Smiles: Ten Readings of a Warning (Dangerbird)
Yes, we all knew that parting was such sweet sorrow last year when doted on California band Grandaddy parted ways with a final album that was, well, uh, just okay. Band member Jim Fairchild has found his own path, recording under the alias of All Smiles. Ten Readings of a Warning was made almost entirely on an 8-track recorder in various living rooms with help from Joe Plummer of the Black Heart Procession, Danny Seim of Menomena and Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney, who doesn't shred the shit out of the skins here. Ten Readings is a rather scanty and feathery array of delicate folk pop that makes one warm inside with a melancholy that evokes Wilco's most somber moments as well as parts of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass.
Pissed Jeans: Hope for Men (Sub Pop)
Raining down a musky golden shower of post hardcore that labels like Dischord and, to some degree, Touch and Go were founded on, Pissed Jeans are pandemic with rigid, jagged riffs and tempos. Among the highlights is "Scrapbooking," where singer Matt Korvette is screaming, talking shit about someone while trying to pick himself up out of the gutter. Hope for Men will piss some people off, and that's a good thing when it comes to this Allentown foursome. The flow is oh-so-sloppy but still kicks ass. It's a like a binge fueled night of crashing into every party in sight with a shamelessly rabid punk fortitude that's grimy, greasy and intense enough to make the listener wet their pants.
Go See Live Music!
and The Nightwatchman on MySpace...
By: Kayceman
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However, it's not the many "Best Guitarist" awards or even his Earth-shattering style that makes Morello so special. There have been many groundbreaking guitar players and there will be many more. What makes Morello stand out is his ability to take what he learned in school, from his family (his great uncle was the first elected Kenyan President and his mother a Civil Rights activist) and his experiences growing up as the only colored kid in town, and put it all into action through his music.
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With the world in as bad of shape as it's ever been, Morello needed to get back to his roots. Yes, he's a musician, but he's also an activist, revolutionary and freedom fighter. Rock songs with big hooks and massive riffs are great, but Morello has a message and he needs to scream it. Enter The Nightwatchman. Formed in 2003, this is Morello's "political folk alter-ego" and features him stripped down with an acoustic guitar and a slew of protest songs. As our political and social climate continues to deteriorate, we've also seen the reunion of Rage Against the Machine, something Morello swears is no coincidence. Performing together for the first time in seven years, Rage is back, and perhaps we need them more than ever.
With the demise of Audioslave, the return of Rage and a very successful Nightwatchman tour, JamBase sits down with a very busy Tom Morello to pick the brain of a man who truly walks the walk.
JamBase: I wanted to just start with the path from groundbreaking guitar man of Rage and Audioslave to Nightwatchman. What prompted the stylistic change?
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JamBase: Now was there any specific event or something that really spawned the initial thought to do this?
Morello: Yeah, there was, actually. I was hosting a talent show at a teenage homeless shelter called Covenant House in Hollywood and there was this one kid who got up there, he might have been 19 or 20 years old, and he had a lot of problems. He got up there and he sang two songs with as much conviction as I've ever seen anyone sing. And I thought to myself, "You know, I've got a guitar. I've got a few ideas in my head, and if this guy can run it up the flagpole, what's keeping me from doing that?" So, I wrote my first batch of songs and then shortly thereafter started playing open mics around L.A.
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JamBase: The messages in Rage and Nightwatchman are sort of coming from a similar vibe. Everything you do, that I've heard, has this sort of political vibe to it. Do you find that you're working from a similar place of inspiration when you're doing Rage or Nightwatchman or even Audioslave?
Morello: In Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave I'm not the lyricist. So, the one thing that has been very liberating about making One Man Revolution [released April 24 on Epic] and doing this Nightwatchman tour is that every note and every chord and every word comes from me. And there's a real sort of purity of purpose and vision that you don't get in a rock & roll band. In a rock & roll band you get chemistry, and through the sort of submerging yourself in the collective you get something that you could never get on your own. But, what you get on your own is a singular vision, and that's what I like about doing this.
One song off One Man Revolution that resonated with me immediately was "The Garden." In the press materials I received you talk about growing up Catholic and some of the effects that might have had on you. Having witnessed a lot of very negative aspects to religion in America and the hypocrisy in the church, to me that's one of the major problems in America; I'm sort of curious what your feelings are on that.
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Now, thinking about what you do with The Nightwatchman, the folk revolutionary vibe definitely shares some similarities with '60s protest music. There's a lot of parallels today to the '60s with what we're dealing with socially and politically. I'm kind of wondering why, in your estimation, we put up a good fight in the '60s and then a lot of hippies turned into yuppies and now we're kind of dealing with the same thing. How do we see this movement through and actually make this world a better place for future generations?
Well, there's two answers. One is that in playing at countless benefit shows and demonstrations, many of the songs that were performed [by other musicians] at those events were from the '60s and even earlier. I thought, we need songs for now. We need songs that speak to what's going on now and songs that fans of, whether it's Rage or System of a Down can relate to in those contexts. Militant songs speak in an uncompromising and uncompromised way, and an unflinching way about the current situation we're in. But, at the same time, the way things will change now, and in the future, is the way that things have changed in the past - by people realizing that they are agents of history. You can't wait for the Democrats to do it for you, or for some new president or Supreme Court justice to wave a magic wand and set things right. How change - how radical, progressive and revolutionary change - occurs is people stand up for their rights where they live, where they work and where they go to school. That's how women got the right to vote, that's how lunch counters got desegregated and that's how apartheid ended. You can't wait around for your leaders to do it.
In line with this, can a song or music change the world?
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Now as Rage has sort of gotten back together, at least for the time being, is it for the same reasons you started Nightwatchman - dealing with social and political hardships; is that why Rage is coming back now?
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Right.
It was specifically Chris Cornell's quitting Audioslave and that opened up possibilities. For me, it opened up the reassessment of my priorities and values and what it was that I wanted to do as a person and as a musician. And I decided I only wanted to be involved in music that expresses my world view and music that fights for change.
I did have one question about Audioslave, in regards to Chris leaving the band. I haven't found any real definitive explanation of what happened there. Can you elaborate on what happened with that?
All rock bands have disagreements. Audioslave was no different. And often they're quite goofy in nature. Just watch the movie Spinal Tap. Spinal Tap is nonfiction, I'm afraid. Bands are either able to get over those hurdles because of friendship or belief in the music or avarice or whatever it is that makes bands stay together, or they're not. We were unable to kind of get past some of the disagreements that we had. But, at the end of the day, I think everybody's better off. I think that Chris is certainly much happier working with - I don't want to put words in his mouth - my guess is that he's happier playing with hired musicians rather than a band of equals. I'm on this Nightwatchman tour now. I've never had a better time on tour, felt that a tour was more focused or about what I want a tour to be about as this Nightwatchman One Man Revolution tour, and at the same time we're playing Rage Against the Machine shows so I think everybody wins.
There were some relatively well documented issues that drove Rage apart seven years ago. Have those sort of been rectified now that you've played some dates and have more lined up? How do you feel about the inter-band relationships?
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Do you expect to have sort of an elaborate future with Rage?
Right now we only have six shows booked.
And that's all that there is, really?
That's all there is right now, yeah.
What drew everybody into you was your guitar playing. Now, do you still get off on making weird noises with the guitar and exploring what you can do with that thing?
Yeah, absolutely. Right now my focus has been doing this Nightwatchman music. It feels like the biggest creative leap for me since I learned how to play guitar solos, and I'm really interested in continuing to explore that. But you know, my guitar playing has always been part of the bigger picture, and in Rage and Audioslave it was about making huge riffs and exotic sounds. The guitar playing in this Nightwatchman music is more about creating mood and texture.
Was that difficult for you, to go from those huge, bombastic guitar pyrotechnics to just be stripped down and no pedals to hide behind?
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One thing that I certainly appreciate about the way you operate is that you really walk the walk. You write protest songs but you also protest. Has it always been this way, dating back to when you were a young man? Were you always sort of socially and politically involved?
Yeah, it's kind of in the blood. My great uncle was Jomo Kenyatta, who led Kenya's independence movement against the British. My mom has been a lifelong activist and ran an organization called Parents for Rock and Rap and worked with the Urban League on different civil rights issues. So, I think it may be genetic. Ever since I was 16 or 17 years old, I've been involved in social justice issues. Whether it was helping to start an underground newspaper at my high school or participating in the anti-apartheid movement at Harvard University, or a myriad of labor issues and antiwar issues, it's kind of gone hand in hand with my music throughout my life.
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When you write or perform a song, how important is the balance or the idea of entertainment versus message to you?
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Right! You know, that's sort of something that interests and upsets me. When I watch the news, and I know I'm not the only one who feels this way - I'm surrounded by people who feel this way, I often get so angry, and I don't know why people aren't standing in front of the White House lighting shit on fire.
Yeah, amen. I'm with you there.
In your estimation, being somebody who is sort of on the front lines, why aren't there more people like this? When I watch clips from when John Lennon was doing shit, there were a million people in D.C. protesting. So why aren't we like that today?
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In line with this, when you try to inspire somebody with a song, is there something you draw upon when you're writing or performing that you feel can get the reaction out of people? Is there one specific thing that leads to enlightenment or opening of eyes?
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Thinking about the fact that you're knee deep in Nightwatchman and Audioslave kind of just came to an end and Rage is back on people's minds, thinking about all three of those projects, what is the most gratifying thing about each of those for you?
Well, certainly about Rage Against the Machine it's the legacy that that band created. I mean we wrote that initial batch of songs without expecting to be able to book a club show. Now, in the four corners of the globe, people have been radicalized by that band and that music. That's pretty amazing. With Audioslave, it was the fact that we healed one another. We came from personal and musical situations that were very difficult and we came together as four friends who built a multi-platinum band, unexpectedly, and both personally and musically really rejuvenated one another. And with The Nightwatchman stuff, it feels like what I should be doing. There's a real clarity to this work and a satisfaction that I get whether it's playing in front of 10,000 steelworkers in the midst of a teargas attack or playing to 800 people a night at these club shows. Some nights it feels like everybody's soul in the room is at stake.
JamBase | San Francisco
Go See Live Music!
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The Cold War Kids Tour Dates:
With The White Stripes:
09/08/07 - Madison, WI @ Willow Island - Alliant Energy
11/17/07 - San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre
11/23/07 - Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre
11/27/07 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
11/28/07 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
11/29/07 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of the Living Arts
11/30/07 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
12/01/07 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
12/04/07 - Boston, MA @ The Roxy
12/11/07 - Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater
09/13/07 - Albuquerque, NM @ Kiva Auditorium
09/16/07 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's BBQ
09/18/07 - Chula Vista, CA @ Coors Amphitheatre
09/19/07 - Inglewood, CA @ The Forum
09/21/07 - Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
09/24/07 - Anchorage, AK @ George Sullivan Sports Arena
09/26/07 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
09/27/07 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
09/28/07 - Nampa, ID @ The Idaho Center
09/29/07 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The E Center of West Valley
09/30/07 - Jackson Hole, WY @ Snow King Convention Center
10/02/07 - Rapid City, SD @ Rushmore Plaza Civic Ctr Arena
10/03/07 - Fargo, ND @ Fargo Civic Auditorium
10/04/07 - Lincoln, NE @ Pershing Auditorium
10/06/07 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
10/07/07 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
Rock The Bells :: 07.28.07 :: Randall's Island :: New York, NY
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The highlight of the event was a headlining performance by the recently reunited Wu-Tang Clan. However, when Rock the Bells came to New York City, Wu-Tang Clan was just a fraction of the hype behind this year's bill. This time around, Wu-Tang would be sharing their headliner status with the newly reunited Rage Against The Machine. In addition to the two headliners, the main stage was overflowing with hip-hop legends like Public Enemy, Cypress Hill, The Roots and a blood boiling performance by Immortal Technique.
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Public Enemy's premature set-close ushered in a performance of instrumental hip-hop by The Roots. After they wrapped up their intriguing, yet ultimately uninspiring set, Cypress Hill tore into a haze-friendly set featuring a three-foot bong, an inflatable Buddha and enough second hand ganja smoke to give any cop on hand a contact high. Given the changes the group has gone through over the years, folks were skeptical of the authenticity they would muster. However, by the end of the set, the qualitative delivery of their punked out hip-hop combo was sure to convert even the most cynical doubters.
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Even with all the energy the group brought to the stage, Wu Tang's set was a bit sloppy. The performance of "Bring Da Ruckus" was dragged out and off rhythm. But, considering the feuds these guys have had over the years and the strong likelihood that they'd never grace a stage together again, the sheer thrill of seeing them all on one stage is what ultimately made their set a success.
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Even with a possible feud still brewing behind the scenes, to say that Rage's performance was anything short of amazing would be ridiculous. The fact of the matter is Rage Against the Machine helped to radicalize a generation of politically apathetic music fans. When Rage takes their message to the stage, every crowd they perform for responds with fire coursing through their bodies. What the future holds for them is uncertain, but for anyone who caught their set at Rock the Bells it was abundantly clear that Rage has still got it.
JamBase | New York
Go See Live Music!
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Another Planet Entertainment has implemented an extensive composting program at The Greek, making it the first major music venue to institute a program of this scale for an entire concert season. The venue uses compostable beer cups, wine cups, napkins, plates, and utensils?all of which can be placed in the 32 compost receptacles throughout the venue. Each compost receptacle is lined with a compostable can liner, which is made from corn.
Composting is the controlled decomposition of organic matter. Once collected and placed under the proper conditions, the cups, utensils, plates, and food scraps from The Greek Theatre will break down and become compost in as few as 180 days. Compost can be used for a variety of functions in gardening, agriculture, and landscaping. Additionally, all these items will stay out of landfills, which are rapidly filling with waste. The composting program joins a long list of environmental initiatives already in place at The Greek, including the purchase of renewable energy credits to offset all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions related with artist travel and concert production, the use of recycled paper and soy ink for all printed materials, recycled content paper towels and toilet paper, and environmentally-friendly cleaning products.
Another new option offered by Another Planet is the ability for Greek-goers to "green" their own tickets for an additional $1. When purchasing tickets, concertgoers can add $1 to their order?this dollar will go toward the purchase of renewable energy credits through NativeEnergy. NativeEnergy will then use these funds to help build new wind turbines that will provide energy that otherwise would have to come from burning fossil fuels such as oil or coal. Through this program, concertgoers can offset the CO2 emissions that they will create by driving to and from The Greek.
Additionally, all of the Greek's compost, recycle, and waste receptacles are labeled with brand new signage that lists exactly which items go into each receptacle. Additional help will be provided by the newly formed "Green Team," made up of volunteer students from U.C. Berkeley who will roam the venue to ensure that items are placed in the right containers?both by conversing with patrons and by pulling compostable and recyclable items out of waste bins. The Green Team will be present for all of the season's shows, which include Wilco, Beastie Boys, The White Stripes, Phil Lesh & Friends, The Shins, and Bryan Adams and George Thorogood.
"We're looking forward to the day that we can remove all the trash cans from The Greek Theatre and use only recycling and compost bins," said Gregg Perloff, CEO of Another Planet Entertainment. "We?re counting on the audience to take a few extra seconds and put all their trash in the right place."
In all, Another Planet will take the following steps to reduce the environmental impact of the concerts slated this season at The Greek Theatre, which is located on the University of California-Berkeley campus. The venue will feature:
? Carbon offsets to make the season climate-neutral
? $1 opt-in for ticket-buyers that allows them to offset their environmental impact
? Recycling stations and composting stations throughout the venue
? Compostable cups, plates, napkins, and utensils for concertgoers
? Recycled paper and soy based ink for all printed materials
? Recycled content toilet paper and paper towels throughout the venue
? A ?Green Team? to help and inform concertgoer about The Greek?s initiatives
? Environmental contests, winners receive free "Green Tickets" to future concerts
? An online guide to traveling to The Greek by foot, bike, or public transit
About Another Planet Entertainment
Another Planet Entertainment is a leading concert promotions company that organizes and promotes events and concerts throughout the United States. The company was formed in July 2003 by longtime veteran Gregg Perloff. On August 16, 2003, Another Planet premiered, in a collaborative effort with Giants Enterprises, presenting Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco. Since its inception, Another Planet has produced over 500 events with artists ranging from Dave Matthews Band, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and Simon & Garfunkel to Kanye West, Pixies, and Metallica to Phish, The Strokes, and Jack Johnson.
In its first year of operation, Another Planet Entertainment was honored to be selected by a vote of its peers in the concert industry as "Promoter of the Year" in the United States by Pollstar Magazine. Again, in 2004 and 2005 Another Planet was pleased to be named "Independent Promoter of the Year."
ON THEIR LONGEST U.S. TOUR TO DATE
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"Startling power... all over the map of acoustic American music, the Avetts are musically loose, a bit florid...and able to burn up the stage." -Los Angeles Times
"Heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the raw energy of the Ramones." -San Francisco Chronicle
"You could get splinters listening to these guys." -San Diego Union Tribune
"The finest example of indie-roots in action. Known for their wildly creative take on bluegrass, they stray with ease, often finding themselves belting out early-Beatles pop harmonies, or dredging up brief moments of loud rock." -The Portland Mercury
With tour dates extending all the way through the end of the year, be sure to catch The Avett Brothers' raucous live show in a town near you.
Avett Brothers 2007 Tour Dates:
08/22 - The House of Blues, Chicago, IL
08/24 - Crossroads, Kansas City, MO
08/25 - The Soiled Dove, Denver, CO
08/26 - E-Town @ Boulder Theatre, Boulder, CO
08/27 - Belly Up Aspen, Aspen, CO
08/28 - The Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
08/30 - The Record Exchange (In-Store Performance), Boise, ID
08/30 - Big Easy Concert House, Boise, ID
08/31 - Wow Hall, Eugene, OR
09/01 - Bumbershoot Festival, Seattle, WA
09/02 - Vancouver East Cultural Centre, Vancouver, BC
09/03 - Delta Fair & Music Festival, Memphis, TN
09/07 - Attucks Theatre, Norfolk, VA
09/08 - Water Street Parking Deck/The Soapbox, Wilmington, NC
09/13 - Jefferson Center, Ronaoke, VA
09/14 - Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Briston, TN
09/15 - War Memorial Auditorium, Greensboro, NC
09/19 - Recher Theatre, Towson, MD
09/20 - Toad's Place, Richmond, VA
09/21 - Satellite Ballroom, Charlottesville, VA
09/22 - Capitol City Carnival, Centreville, VA
09/26 - War Eagle Supper Club, Auburn, AL
09/27 - Jupiter, Tuscaloosa, AL
09/28 - Big Spring Jam/Big Spring Park, Hunstville, AL
09/29 - Bijou Theatre, Knoxville, TN
10/02 - Decibel, Providence, RI
10/03 - Toad's Place, New Haven, CT
10/04 - Stone Church Music Club, Newmarket, NH
10/05 - Revolution Hall, Troy, NY
10/06 - Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY
10/07 - The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON
10/09 - Eagle Theater, Pontiac, MI
10/10 - Stuart's Opera House, Nelsonville, OH
10/11 - Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN
10/12 - Workplay Theatre, Birmingham, AL
10/13 - The Echo Project, Atlanta, GA
10/18 - McNears Mystic Theatre, Petaluma, CA
10/19 - Hanford Fox Theatre, Hanford, CA
10/20 - Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA
10/21 - Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival, Joshua Tree, CA
10/28 - The Music Farm, Charleston, SC
11/01 - 6th Annual American Honors & Awards, Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
11/02 - Granada Theater, Dallas, TX (w/ Will Hoge)
11/04 - La Zona Rosa, Austin, TX
11/07 - Georgia Theatre, Athens, GA
11/09 - Imperial Theatre, Augusta, GA
11/11 - Common Grounds, Gainesville, FL
11/15 - Norwalk Concert Hall, Norwalk, CT
11/16 - Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
11/17 - Webster Hall, New York, NY
11/18 - State Theatre, Ithaca, NY
11/19 - Sellersville Theater, Sellersvile, PA
12/28 - The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
12/29 - The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC
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The run continues with several shows in the Northeast, including a date at the Knitting Factory in New York City on October 6. The band then turns south for sets at the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival and The Echo Project in Atlanta, an innovative new festival integrating environmentally sustainable practices.
A highlight of the tour is a special Halloween run that takes Toubab Krewe from Magnolia Fest in Florida to the Voodoo Music Festival in New Orleans, where they will also play late night shows at the Maple Leaf and Howlin' Wolf. The band celebrates Halloween night back home in the Carolinas at the Visualite Theatre in Charlotte. Toubab Krewe stays close to home in November, finishing out the tour with several shows in the Southeast.
2007 Fall Tour Dates:
09.08 | Trade, TN |Trade Music Farm
09.12 | St. Louis, MO | Lucas School House
09.13 | Urbana, IL | Wall to Wall Guitar Festival
09.14 | Chicago, IL | Double Door
09.15 | Columbus, OH | House of Crave
09.16 | Madison, WI | High Noon Saloon
09.17 | Milwaukee, WI | Shank Hall
09.19 | Ashland, WI | Northland College
09.20 | Minneapolis, MN | Cabooze
09.21 | Davenport, IA | Redstone Room
09.22 | Lawrence, KS | Bottleneck
09.24 | Ann Arbor, MI | The Ark
09.26 | Cleveland, OH | House of Blues
09.27 | Lafayette, IN | Lafayette Brew Co.
09.28 | Bloomington, IN | Lotus Music Festival
09.29 | Bloomington, IN | Lotus Music Festival
10.02 | Ithaca, NY | Castaways
10.04 | Northampton, MA | Pearl Street
10.05 | Burlington, VT | Higher Ground
10.06 | New York, NY | Knitting Factory w/ special guest DJ Equal
10.09 | Falls Church, VA | State Theatre
10.10 | Baltimore, MD | The 8X10
10.11 | Philadelphia , PA | World Caf? Live
10.12 | Silk Hope, NC | Shakori Hills Festival
10.13 | Atlanta, GA | The Echo Project
10.23 | Wilmington, NC | Soap Box Laundro-Lounge
10.24 | Charleston, SC | Pour House
10.25 | Live Oak, FL | Magnolia Fest
10.26 | New Orleans, LA | Voodoo Music Festival
10.26 | New Orleans, LA | Maple Leaf
10.27 | New Orleans, LA | Howlin' Wolf
10.31 | Charlotte, NC | Visulite Theater
11.02 | Greenville, SC | Handlebar
11.03 | Huntsville, AL | Crossroads
11.07 | Knoxville, TN | Blue Cats
11.08 | Boone, NC | Legends at Appalachian State
11.09 | Winston-Salem | Ziggy's
11.10 | Carrboro, NC | Cat's Cradle
11.15 | Athens, GA | Melting PT
11.16 | Atlanta, GA | Smith's Olde Bar
PREMIERS AT BULL RUN REGIONAL PARK 9/21-9/23
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The festival will span more than two days, starting at 5 p.m. Friday and running until 11 p.m., with Saturday hours 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., and 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sunday. Over 50 breweries will be in attendance, offering 4oz samplings from two varieties each. Advance tickets are $25 Friday, $35 Saturday and $30 Sunday, and include four tasting tokens. Full size beer glasses and additional tokens can be purchased at kiosks throughout the event.
The roster of music for the Capitol City Carnival sets it apart from existing beer events, with heavyweight headliners including the Godfather of Funk George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Junior Brown, Fishbone, The Avett Brothers, and Southern Culture on the Skids, as well as regional favorites American Dumpster, DJ Williams Projekt, Sons of Bill, Kings of Bellmont, Eli Cook Band, Peen, Cashmere Jungle Lords and Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band. But beyond the great music and the hundred or so great tasting beers for sampling, the real flavor of the festival comes in part from the retro-carnival flair of Coney Island Sideshow Attractions. Included in the price of admission, festival goers can sneak-a-peak at Diamond Donny, Insectavora, Heather Holiday, Serpentina, and Roc Rockit. Additionally, if the World Famous Pontani Sisters Burlesque show doesn't knock some socks off, than Yard Dogs Road Show, a cutting-edge variety show also performing at this year's Bonnaro, will. And if all of this is too much to take in, than hop on the ferris wheel and get some air and a bird's eye view.