Silversun Pickups are an Indie Rock band out of Los Angeles, California. Their new album Swoon is a power-packed rock album reminiscent of the Smashing Pumpkins of the 90’s.
“There’s No Real Secrets This Year” is a catchy fast paced tune. At the end of the track it breaks into an ambient keyboard piece with light vocals over the top, which lead into the next track. “The Royal We” starts off light and gets a bit heavier at times, occasionally incorporating an eerie violin in the background while the guitars blare. “Growing Old Is Getting Old” breaks out with a solid bass line to usher in the lyrics about the undesirability of growing up “Suddenly / We decompose / But we're not alone.” Halfway through the song rips through and gets more intense in coming to terms with the inevitability of age: “And don't be afraid of the cold / Afraid of the cold / Afraid of the time / You've got no where to go but here.” “It’s Nice to Know You Work Alone” brings in a driving bass line to back a simple guitar riff and a drum beat that pave the way for a song seemingly about a failed relationship. The violin from “The Royal We” comes back for another appearance adding a little flavor at the end of the track. “Panic Switch” starts off strong and heavy, with tight drums and bass backing up a grungy guitar lead. The song keeps building in an anxious way into a spastic guitar solo in the end, followed by the repeated mantra “Waiting and fading and floating away.” “Draining” is one of the more mellow songs on the album. It incorporates a simple bass-line and light drumming backing a clean guitar part. The vocals really shine here, especially with the vocalist’s unique style of singing. “Sort Of” brings a frantic distorted bass-line, heavy drums, and very supportive organ like keyboard part. During the chorus a high-pitched guitar squeal accompanies the height of the vocals, and breaks free at the end for a melodic solo. “Substitution” comes through with that Smashing Pumpkins feel the band has. The song feels like throwback to the alt-rock of the 90’s. “Catch and Release” uses the front of fishing and very simple musical piece to tell the story of how to catch a lover: “Come and see / How the wind in / your hair will feel differently / Catch and release / The lure above.” “Surroundings (Or Spiraling)” is a solid ender for the album. It’s quite driving and pushes forward, and tapers off at the end with some reverb.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
My Morning Jacket - Celebración De La Ciudad Natal
My Morning Jacket's recently released EP, Celebración De La Ciudad Natal, is a fantastic live display of all the glory that is MMJ. Not only do these country boys play their hearts out like no other live band I've heard in my life, but they do it for good reason. This EP was partially recorded at an independent record store, “ear-x-tacy” in Louisville, KY, and will only be released to independent record stores to honor and support such fine establishments.
The EP starts off with a song off of My Morning Jacket's newest album, the title track, “Evil Urges.” Strange keyboard sounds and Jim Jame's high wailing voice take to the center stage of the song straight away. Part way through the song the pace speeds up and gives way to a very energetic breakdown that leads back into the original jam before the song ends. “Highly Suspicious,” another tune off Evil Urges follows. “Highly Suspicious” is a raucous, animated tale of a paranoid drug user and his encounter with law enforcement officers that think he is, in fact, “highly suspicious.”
“Gideon” leads off with one of the most captivating guitar parts off any My Morning Jacket Song. The breakdown in the middle of song is a fantastic show of all instruments going above and beyond, backing Jim James and his voice, the signature and most unique instrument of MMJ. “Where to Begin” comes up next and digs into the country roots with slide and acoustic guitar and simple drums and bass. The lyrics add to the country feel as well: “My head takes a lickin', but my heart keeps on tickin' just the same / always startin' over but somehow I always know where to begin.”
A beautiful “Librarian” graces the ears with a soft acoustic piece, and eerie slide guitar in the background, with only a minor drum and bass line to keep time. “Librarian” is a beautiful love story-song, that goes beyond the normal cookie cutter love song.
“Phone Went West” is a classic My Morning Jacket song from earlier in their career, off At Dawn. With poppy instrumentals reminiscent of a little ska, a heartfelt guitar solo that shreds into the depths of the soul, and lyrics like “Tell me I'm wrong, tell me I'm right / tell me theirs nobody else in the world” how could you not melt? At the end of “Phone Went West” Jim James gives a short speech dedicated to the gratitude of My Morning Jacket's following, and welcoming new fans to the show. The speech leads into an epic “Dondante” weighing in at a whopping 14:31, and not a second wasted. The song starts off slow and a little melancholy with cymbals ringing out occasionally, dispersed chords ringing out here and there and the unearthly high pitched whine of Jim Jame's voice. A third of the way through the song, a guitar solo paves the way for a heavy progression into a new dimension of “Dondante.” After the heaviness dissipates, two guitar solos dance around each other in an extended improvisation backed by steady drums and driving bass, with a mild keyboard to pull it all together. Just when you think it is all over, a beautiful Saxophone solo takes the forefront. After this magnificent instrumental piece is finished, the song slowly rings out.
With such a great live EP release, My Morning Jacket is sure getting out their message that they support independent record stores. To quote Jim James “It's scary because a lot of towns are turning into Anytown, U.S.A., and you walk around, and you're like, 'where the f am I?” Remember kids, support your local record stores, Celebración De La Ciudad Natal is as good a reason as any.
The EP starts off with a song off of My Morning Jacket's newest album, the title track, “Evil Urges.” Strange keyboard sounds and Jim Jame's high wailing voice take to the center stage of the song straight away. Part way through the song the pace speeds up and gives way to a very energetic breakdown that leads back into the original jam before the song ends. “Highly Suspicious,” another tune off Evil Urges follows. “Highly Suspicious” is a raucous, animated tale of a paranoid drug user and his encounter with law enforcement officers that think he is, in fact, “highly suspicious.”
“Gideon” leads off with one of the most captivating guitar parts off any My Morning Jacket Song. The breakdown in the middle of song is a fantastic show of all instruments going above and beyond, backing Jim James and his voice, the signature and most unique instrument of MMJ. “Where to Begin” comes up next and digs into the country roots with slide and acoustic guitar and simple drums and bass. The lyrics add to the country feel as well: “My head takes a lickin', but my heart keeps on tickin' just the same / always startin' over but somehow I always know where to begin.”
A beautiful “Librarian” graces the ears with a soft acoustic piece, and eerie slide guitar in the background, with only a minor drum and bass line to keep time. “Librarian” is a beautiful love story-song, that goes beyond the normal cookie cutter love song.
“Phone Went West” is a classic My Morning Jacket song from earlier in their career, off At Dawn. With poppy instrumentals reminiscent of a little ska, a heartfelt guitar solo that shreds into the depths of the soul, and lyrics like “Tell me I'm wrong, tell me I'm right / tell me theirs nobody else in the world” how could you not melt? At the end of “Phone Went West” Jim James gives a short speech dedicated to the gratitude of My Morning Jacket's following, and welcoming new fans to the show. The speech leads into an epic “Dondante” weighing in at a whopping 14:31, and not a second wasted. The song starts off slow and a little melancholy with cymbals ringing out occasionally, dispersed chords ringing out here and there and the unearthly high pitched whine of Jim Jame's voice. A third of the way through the song, a guitar solo paves the way for a heavy progression into a new dimension of “Dondante.” After the heaviness dissipates, two guitar solos dance around each other in an extended improvisation backed by steady drums and driving bass, with a mild keyboard to pull it all together. Just when you think it is all over, a beautiful Saxophone solo takes the forefront. After this magnificent instrumental piece is finished, the song slowly rings out.
With such a great live EP release, My Morning Jacket is sure getting out their message that they support independent record stores. To quote Jim James “It's scary because a lot of towns are turning into Anytown, U.S.A., and you walk around, and you're like, 'where the f am I?” Remember kids, support your local record stores, Celebración De La Ciudad Natal is as good a reason as any.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The Decemberists - Hazards of Love
The Decemberists’ recently released album, The Hazards of Love, is a concept album with a very wide range of sounds and a very thick plot behind it. It is based loosely on Anne Brigg's 1966 EP, also entitled The Hazards of Love. The story is of Margaret and William, who are lovers trying to find each other throughout the album but are stifled by an abductor and an evil Queen.
The Hazards of Love starts out with a prelude, solely comprised of a very mellow organ piece. The prelude flawlessly melds into the next song, “The Hazards of Love I,” setting up the character William and his love for Margaret. This song is also quite mellow, containing lyrics and acoustic guitar accompaniment only. “A Bower Scene” speeds up the pace quite a bit and kicks the distortion into gear, at times even getting really sludgy. “Won't Want for Love” adds piano, and is where we first hear the voice of lovely Margaret. The previous two songs have served to set up her character. “The Hazards of Love II” returns again to a slow acoustic piece, starring William. He responds to Margaret's call for love in the previous song with romantic lyrics such as “I lay you down / in clover bed / the stars a roof / above our heads.” “The Queen's Approach” weighs in at only twenty-nine seconds, but with it's melancholy banjo riff, conveys the emotion of the piece quite well. “Isn't it a Lovely Night” is quite an upbeat tune that combines a slow beat, and beautiful accordion with the vocals of both William and Margaret in duet. “The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid” introduces vocally the Queen who approached earlier. She is every bit as beautifully voiced and vitriolic as the hint we were given. Here we also hear William begging her, to let him out to find his love.
A slow acoustic interlude now takes places, and separates the story into two pieces. “The Rake's Song” is masked by quite a simple instrumental, invoking a sort of menacing feel. To truly listen to the lyrics though is to understand the magnitude of it all; “The Rake's Song” tells the story of our new character. This man killed all of his children after his wife died while giving birth. Don't worry though, it doesn't bother him: “And that's how I came your humble narrator / to be living so easy and free / expect you think that I should be haunted / but it never really bothers me.” “The Abduction of Margaret” is musically very similar to “A Bower Scene”, but a bit more anxious. This song however involves the abduction of our female star from earlier in “Won't Want for Love.” The abductor is no other than the vile Rake. “The Abduction of Margaret” runs into “The Queen's Rebuke/The Crossing” with the same instrumentals but the Queen is now speaking. The lyrics tell the Queen's mastery of her domain, the forest. The song also tells of the beginnings of her son. Toward the end of the song there is a fantastic organ solo. “Annan Water” is another heavily acoustic piece. However, it includes an eerie ambient presence of morphing keyboard in the background, giving it a sense of urgency. Halfway through and at the very end of the song the guitar fades to give way to the eerie keyboard, along with William's voice begging the Annan Waters to part for him: “But if you cull / and let me pass / you may render me a wreck / when I come back .” Again we see Margaret in “Margaret's Captivity.” In this song there is a dialog between Margaret and the Rake. The purity of Margaret's voice is captured in the organs accompanying her vocals. “The Hazards of Love III” brings the murdered children of the Rake back from the dead, in an eerie chorus of children's vocals. Each of the three murders from “The Rake's Song” is elaborated upon and the children declare they have returned and seemingly claim revenge. “The Wanting Comes in Waves” is reprised after “The Hazards of Love III.” It is quite ironic for it to come here before “The Hazards of Love IV” because in this song, Margaret and William are finally united, in the waves. The love story ends very powerfully: “These hazards of love, never more will trouble us.”
The Hazards of Love starts out with a prelude, solely comprised of a very mellow organ piece. The prelude flawlessly melds into the next song, “The Hazards of Love I,” setting up the character William and his love for Margaret. This song is also quite mellow, containing lyrics and acoustic guitar accompaniment only. “A Bower Scene” speeds up the pace quite a bit and kicks the distortion into gear, at times even getting really sludgy. “Won't Want for Love” adds piano, and is where we first hear the voice of lovely Margaret. The previous two songs have served to set up her character. “The Hazards of Love II” returns again to a slow acoustic piece, starring William. He responds to Margaret's call for love in the previous song with romantic lyrics such as “I lay you down / in clover bed / the stars a roof / above our heads.” “The Queen's Approach” weighs in at only twenty-nine seconds, but with it's melancholy banjo riff, conveys the emotion of the piece quite well. “Isn't it a Lovely Night” is quite an upbeat tune that combines a slow beat, and beautiful accordion with the vocals of both William and Margaret in duet. “The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid” introduces vocally the Queen who approached earlier. She is every bit as beautifully voiced and vitriolic as the hint we were given. Here we also hear William begging her, to let him out to find his love.
A slow acoustic interlude now takes places, and separates the story into two pieces. “The Rake's Song” is masked by quite a simple instrumental, invoking a sort of menacing feel. To truly listen to the lyrics though is to understand the magnitude of it all; “The Rake's Song” tells the story of our new character. This man killed all of his children after his wife died while giving birth. Don't worry though, it doesn't bother him: “And that's how I came your humble narrator / to be living so easy and free / expect you think that I should be haunted / but it never really bothers me.” “The Abduction of Margaret” is musically very similar to “A Bower Scene”, but a bit more anxious. This song however involves the abduction of our female star from earlier in “Won't Want for Love.” The abductor is no other than the vile Rake. “The Abduction of Margaret” runs into “The Queen's Rebuke/The Crossing” with the same instrumentals but the Queen is now speaking. The lyrics tell the Queen's mastery of her domain, the forest. The song also tells of the beginnings of her son. Toward the end of the song there is a fantastic organ solo. “Annan Water” is another heavily acoustic piece. However, it includes an eerie ambient presence of morphing keyboard in the background, giving it a sense of urgency. Halfway through and at the very end of the song the guitar fades to give way to the eerie keyboard, along with William's voice begging the Annan Waters to part for him: “But if you cull / and let me pass / you may render me a wreck / when I come back .” Again we see Margaret in “Margaret's Captivity.” In this song there is a dialog between Margaret and the Rake. The purity of Margaret's voice is captured in the organs accompanying her vocals. “The Hazards of Love III” brings the murdered children of the Rake back from the dead, in an eerie chorus of children's vocals. Each of the three murders from “The Rake's Song” is elaborated upon and the children declare they have returned and seemingly claim revenge. “The Wanting Comes in Waves” is reprised after “The Hazards of Love III.” It is quite ironic for it to come here before “The Hazards of Love IV” because in this song, Margaret and William are finally united, in the waves. The love story ends very powerfully: “These hazards of love, never more will trouble us.”
Monday, April 6, 2009
Street Racing
The Fast and the Furiously Illegal: Street Racing in Suburban New Jersey
Long after the sun goes down, in the late hours of the night, a counter-culture of adrenaline junkies take to the streets in incredibly fast, expensively and expansively modified automobiles. This is the world of underground street racing.
At about 11 p.m. on a balmy night in early February I found myself with a friend awaiting the call. The call we were waiting for was going to be from the individual who organizes and sets the location for the street racing. The ideal place to hold such a street racing event is generally out of the way of any type of residential traffic or police patrol, on a straight, double lane road in generally good repair. Just such a place is where we were headed after the call came through.
We drove up to the particular road, which will remain unnamed for privacy reasons, in a pair. My friend and I were at point, with a follower, whom we met up with prior to the call, both driving American Muscle Cars. On the other side of road we saw a few Import Cars with their headlights out hiding in a small cove just off the shoulder. We drove up the road, made a U-Turn and met up with them in the cove. My friend got out of the car and met up with the organizer to speak with him about racing and attendance for the night. When he came back to me by his car, he said there would be quite a few racers tonight. Looking down the road I saw the bright headlights of cars, one by one, slowly pulling in and turning off their headlights, filling the cove and overflowing onto the shoulder and even the road itself. Before long the entire road was blocked off by modified street racing cars. It was a surreal scene, right out of the movie The Fast and the Furious.
I watched from a distance as the cars were pulling up and staging. There was an overwhelming majority of Import Cars: Honda Civics, Toyota Corolla’s and Mitsubishi Eclipse’s, just to name a few. Cars lined up in pairs next to each other. Before each race started, the drivers would warm up the cold rubber tires by burning out: spinning their tires to create friction with the road. I heard the squeal of the rubber on the pavement and saw the clouds of smoke being created from this preparatory ritual. After both drivers were satisfied with their burnouts, the organizer flagged them off to fly down the road at dangerous, breakneck speeds. When one of the street racers were far enough ahead that there was no possibility the other driver could catch up, they would switch on their hazard lights to signify that they had won the race.
Lives aren’t the only thing at risk in this dangerous practice. The organizer collects bet money from the two opposing drivers; anywhere from three hundred dollars, to three thousand or more. Some drivers are even racing for pink slips, or ownership of the loser’s vehicle. Participation in this sport of street racing is dangerous even if you aren’t in a race. Passing motorists will usually alert the local police as to what is going on. Getting caught illegally street racing can cost a driver any number of expensive tickets, from speeding to illegal modification, and even getting their car impounded or appropriated as evidence.
This night was no exception to such danger. The driver of a tractor-trailer, which passed just minutes earlier, must have alerted the local police dispatch to send a patrol out. The massive gathering of street racers on the road was more then obvious. Just as my friend was about to queue up for a race we saw a set of headlights staring down the road, then a third light, a spotlight. It was a police car. With the windows open I could hear fellow participants and onlookers shouting; “Dipset! Cops! Cops!” The engines roared in the rush to escape. We spared no time cutting across the road and going the opposite direction of the approaching squad car. My friend accelerated around some of the others trying to escape, reaching speeds of eighty miles an hour and over in seconds. With some quick turns and an exit off the road we managed to escape.
It took the ride home and meet-up with the friend that followed us to the race earlier in the night to realize the authenticity of it all. I had been a spectator in something I had once only seen in movies and television. I gained a real appreciation for the rush of the race, the chase, and the observation of such an event. The underground culture of street racing is alive and well, thriving on the back roads of suburban America.
Long after the sun goes down, in the late hours of the night, a counter-culture of adrenaline junkies take to the streets in incredibly fast, expensively and expansively modified automobiles. This is the world of underground street racing.
At about 11 p.m. on a balmy night in early February I found myself with a friend awaiting the call. The call we were waiting for was going to be from the individual who organizes and sets the location for the street racing. The ideal place to hold such a street racing event is generally out of the way of any type of residential traffic or police patrol, on a straight, double lane road in generally good repair. Just such a place is where we were headed after the call came through.
We drove up to the particular road, which will remain unnamed for privacy reasons, in a pair. My friend and I were at point, with a follower, whom we met up with prior to the call, both driving American Muscle Cars. On the other side of road we saw a few Import Cars with their headlights out hiding in a small cove just off the shoulder. We drove up the road, made a U-Turn and met up with them in the cove. My friend got out of the car and met up with the organizer to speak with him about racing and attendance for the night. When he came back to me by his car, he said there would be quite a few racers tonight. Looking down the road I saw the bright headlights of cars, one by one, slowly pulling in and turning off their headlights, filling the cove and overflowing onto the shoulder and even the road itself. Before long the entire road was blocked off by modified street racing cars. It was a surreal scene, right out of the movie The Fast and the Furious.
I watched from a distance as the cars were pulling up and staging. There was an overwhelming majority of Import Cars: Honda Civics, Toyota Corolla’s and Mitsubishi Eclipse’s, just to name a few. Cars lined up in pairs next to each other. Before each race started, the drivers would warm up the cold rubber tires by burning out: spinning their tires to create friction with the road. I heard the squeal of the rubber on the pavement and saw the clouds of smoke being created from this preparatory ritual. After both drivers were satisfied with their burnouts, the organizer flagged them off to fly down the road at dangerous, breakneck speeds. When one of the street racers were far enough ahead that there was no possibility the other driver could catch up, they would switch on their hazard lights to signify that they had won the race.
Lives aren’t the only thing at risk in this dangerous practice. The organizer collects bet money from the two opposing drivers; anywhere from three hundred dollars, to three thousand or more. Some drivers are even racing for pink slips, or ownership of the loser’s vehicle. Participation in this sport of street racing is dangerous even if you aren’t in a race. Passing motorists will usually alert the local police as to what is going on. Getting caught illegally street racing can cost a driver any number of expensive tickets, from speeding to illegal modification, and even getting their car impounded or appropriated as evidence.
This night was no exception to such danger. The driver of a tractor-trailer, which passed just minutes earlier, must have alerted the local police dispatch to send a patrol out. The massive gathering of street racers on the road was more then obvious. Just as my friend was about to queue up for a race we saw a set of headlights staring down the road, then a third light, a spotlight. It was a police car. With the windows open I could hear fellow participants and onlookers shouting; “Dipset! Cops! Cops!” The engines roared in the rush to escape. We spared no time cutting across the road and going the opposite direction of the approaching squad car. My friend accelerated around some of the others trying to escape, reaching speeds of eighty miles an hour and over in seconds. With some quick turns and an exit off the road we managed to escape.
It took the ride home and meet-up with the friend that followed us to the race earlier in the night to realize the authenticity of it all. I had been a spectator in something I had once only seen in movies and television. I gained a real appreciation for the rush of the race, the chase, and the observation of such an event. The underground culture of street racing is alive and well, thriving on the back roads of suburban America.
Get The Led Out Concert
Get The Led Out rock Nokia Theatre, Saturday March 7th
Get The Led Out(www.gtlorocks.com) is an American Led Zeppelin Tribute band. The band played at the Nokia Theatre in New York City this passed weekend, and rocked the sold out house of over 2,000 for two and a half hours with true to the very note covers of Zeppelin’s studio work spanning their entire career.
The lights dimmed, the house music stopped, and the band pulled no punches for the opening song. “Immigrant Song” started the party in a hard rock way, getting the crowd riled up right off the bat. “Misty Mountain Hop” and “Good Times, Bad Times” followed, building the crowd up. You could tell they were about to pull a jack move, and it happened with the bluesy “Since I Been Lovin’ You”. Vocalist Paul Sinclair hit every high note with the finesse of a young Robert Planet, while guitarist Paul Hammond let the blues flow. “The Ocean” came up next, followed by a beautiful “No Quarter” with an ever so eloquently improvised keyboard solo by the band’s keyboardist, Andrew Lipke. After that the band took it back to the roots of Zeppelin with another blues favorite, “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You,” followed by a more up beat “Over the Hills and Far Away.” A super energetic “Ramble On” paved the way for the dark “Dazed and Confused,” powered by bassist Paul Piccari.
After “Dazed and Confused” The lights dimmed and the band disappeared for a moment, only to reappear with acoustic guitars and mandolin in hand. One of the most famed parts of Led Zeppelin show is the acoustic break, and Get The Led Out did not shy away from such a ritual. “Goin’ to California” set the mood for this part of the act, with very pleasing acoustic guitar riffs melding with the sweet sound of mandolin. Afterwards came “The Battle of Evermore” where the band brought out a special guest to sing the female vocals to the song. Next they played the country style single “Hey Hey What Can I Do.” Finally the band wrapped up the acoustic portion of the set with “The Song Remains the Same” and “Rain Song,” one after the other, true to the song order on Houses of the Holy.
The regular set reopened with the famous drum song, “Moby Dick.” After the full band intro to the song, the spot--light shined solely on drummer Adam Ferraiolli, while the rest of the group left the stage. Adam beat the skins with sticks, and with hands, and back to sticks, playing “Moby Dick” the way the late John Bonham would have in concert. After the epic drum solo that is “Moby Dick” the band brought out Ted Nugent Band guitarist and vocalist, Derek St.Holmes, for “Rock and Roll.” There is a point at every good concert where the music truly hits you, chills run up your neck, and the proverbial face melting occurs; “Rock and Roll” was it this night. The crowd went wild, and Derek did a fantastic job singing and jamming out to the song. Afterwards, the band took a break from Zeppelin tunes and let Derek lead in one of his very own, “Stranglehold.” Riding on the energy of “Rock and Roll”, “Stranglehold” was no disappointment. Everyone traded off solo’s and the bass and drums were so loud, you could feel it deep within your chest. Next the band brought out yet another high intensity Zeppelin hit, “Heartbreaker.” Guitarist Paul Hammond again showcased his expertise, with an extended, improvised solo. Once again, the band stayed true to Zep’s studio works by connecting “Livin’ Lovin’ Maid” to “Heartbreaker.” Get The Led Out ended the show with the ever popular, “Kashmir.”
Even in the end, it’s still not quite over. The band came back out for the encore, the one song that every Led Zeppelin fan knows is missing at this point: “Stairway to Heaven.” Guitarist Jimmy Marchiano walked out on stage and started playing the signature lick, and the venue became electrified. “Stairway” was not denied. Finally, the show ended with “Whole Lotta Love,” complete with thermin and rototom fueled breakdown.
Get The Led Out(www.gtlorocks.com) is an American Led Zeppelin Tribute band. The band played at the Nokia Theatre in New York City this passed weekend, and rocked the sold out house of over 2,000 for two and a half hours with true to the very note covers of Zeppelin’s studio work spanning their entire career.
The lights dimmed, the house music stopped, and the band pulled no punches for the opening song. “Immigrant Song” started the party in a hard rock way, getting the crowd riled up right off the bat. “Misty Mountain Hop” and “Good Times, Bad Times” followed, building the crowd up. You could tell they were about to pull a jack move, and it happened with the bluesy “Since I Been Lovin’ You”. Vocalist Paul Sinclair hit every high note with the finesse of a young Robert Planet, while guitarist Paul Hammond let the blues flow. “The Ocean” came up next, followed by a beautiful “No Quarter” with an ever so eloquently improvised keyboard solo by the band’s keyboardist, Andrew Lipke. After that the band took it back to the roots of Zeppelin with another blues favorite, “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You,” followed by a more up beat “Over the Hills and Far Away.” A super energetic “Ramble On” paved the way for the dark “Dazed and Confused,” powered by bassist Paul Piccari.
After “Dazed and Confused” The lights dimmed and the band disappeared for a moment, only to reappear with acoustic guitars and mandolin in hand. One of the most famed parts of Led Zeppelin show is the acoustic break, and Get The Led Out did not shy away from such a ritual. “Goin’ to California” set the mood for this part of the act, with very pleasing acoustic guitar riffs melding with the sweet sound of mandolin. Afterwards came “The Battle of Evermore” where the band brought out a special guest to sing the female vocals to the song. Next they played the country style single “Hey Hey What Can I Do.” Finally the band wrapped up the acoustic portion of the set with “The Song Remains the Same” and “Rain Song,” one after the other, true to the song order on Houses of the Holy.
The regular set reopened with the famous drum song, “Moby Dick.” After the full band intro to the song, the spot--light shined solely on drummer Adam Ferraiolli, while the rest of the group left the stage. Adam beat the skins with sticks, and with hands, and back to sticks, playing “Moby Dick” the way the late John Bonham would have in concert. After the epic drum solo that is “Moby Dick” the band brought out Ted Nugent Band guitarist and vocalist, Derek St.Holmes, for “Rock and Roll.” There is a point at every good concert where the music truly hits you, chills run up your neck, and the proverbial face melting occurs; “Rock and Roll” was it this night. The crowd went wild, and Derek did a fantastic job singing and jamming out to the song. Afterwards, the band took a break from Zeppelin tunes and let Derek lead in one of his very own, “Stranglehold.” Riding on the energy of “Rock and Roll”, “Stranglehold” was no disappointment. Everyone traded off solo’s and the bass and drums were so loud, you could feel it deep within your chest. Next the band brought out yet another high intensity Zeppelin hit, “Heartbreaker.” Guitarist Paul Hammond again showcased his expertise, with an extended, improvised solo. Once again, the band stayed true to Zep’s studio works by connecting “Livin’ Lovin’ Maid” to “Heartbreaker.” Get The Led Out ended the show with the ever popular, “Kashmir.”
Even in the end, it’s still not quite over. The band came back out for the encore, the one song that every Led Zeppelin fan knows is missing at this point: “Stairway to Heaven.” Guitarist Jimmy Marchiano walked out on stage and started playing the signature lick, and the venue became electrified. “Stairway” was not denied. Finally, the show ended with “Whole Lotta Love,” complete with thermin and rototom fueled breakdown.
Les Claypool - Of Fungi and Foe
Les Claypool, Champion of the Strange
It’s hard to categorize Les Claypool’s newest album Of Fungi and Foe. This work even stands out from his last studio album, and all of his other work with bands such as Primus and C2B3. The boundaries of traditional instrumental use are as usual, surpassed by Claypool and his distorted, synthesized, slapped, popped, tapped and all around whacked out bass lines. The only category it could possibly fit in to, is strange.
The albums starts out with not one, but two songs about mushrooms. “Mushroom Men” and “Amanitas” are both songs Claypool wrote for the upcoming video game release, Mushroom Men. This doesn’t make them any less authentic Claypool style. Heavy, tribal drums and driving synthesized bass lines only serve to compliment Claypool’s nasally voice, speaking about none other than mushrooms.
“Red State Girl” gets political in a way only Les can. A quick listen to a less than flattering physical description followed by “She wants to grow up to be Sarah Palin, / she’s a self proclaimed, bona fide, red state girl” clearly show’s the man’s political side.
“Booneville Stomp” brings out the dobro bass and it’s metallic sound for a raucous jam that sounds like it belongs in a horror movie. “What Would Sir George Martin Do” shows Claypool’s penchant for bowing his nifty upright five string fretless bass. He also brings his son Cage into the mix with a slide whistle solo.
“You Can’t Tell Errol Anything” tells the story of a know-it-all, drug dealing, musician handyman that doesn’t take well to criticism: “If you got a project then he’s quick to your aid / just don’t bitch about the service or critique the grade / ‘cuz you can’t tell Errol anything / ‘cuz Errol knows anything”
“Bite Out Of Life” features special guest Eugene Hutz of the band Gogol Bordello on guitar and vocals. Eugene’s gypsy-punk influence is clearly seen in the fast paced jam.
“Kazoo” takes it down a notch and adds in a soothing cello and vibraphone piece over Claypool’s slow bluesy bass line. “Primed by 29” is a song about how drugs make everything better until they destroy your life. In this song Les is on an instrument so strange only he could pull it off- the bass banjo.
“Pretty Little Song” goes off the deep end of weird with the synth bass lines, hard hitting drums, and satanic background vocals. The title track “Of Fungi and Foe” follows off the deep end with strange instrumentals leading up to a mantra like chanting of “of fungi and foe, fungi and foe” until the instrumental takes over again and ends the song.
“Ol’ Rosco” is another classic Les Claypool story song. It is about a drunk driver who always gets away with it until one time “he went head on with a purple PT Cruiser, came out without a scratch, now that’s the dumb luck of a boozer.” As odd as the song may sound, it has quite a ring of truth to it.
There is a lot that can be said about Les Claypool’s strange musical stylings, but the only true way to experience the man’s genius is to go and listen. You’ll either love, or hate it.
It’s hard to categorize Les Claypool’s newest album Of Fungi and Foe. This work even stands out from his last studio album, and all of his other work with bands such as Primus and C2B3. The boundaries of traditional instrumental use are as usual, surpassed by Claypool and his distorted, synthesized, slapped, popped, tapped and all around whacked out bass lines. The only category it could possibly fit in to, is strange.
The albums starts out with not one, but two songs about mushrooms. “Mushroom Men” and “Amanitas” are both songs Claypool wrote for the upcoming video game release, Mushroom Men. This doesn’t make them any less authentic Claypool style. Heavy, tribal drums and driving synthesized bass lines only serve to compliment Claypool’s nasally voice, speaking about none other than mushrooms.
“Red State Girl” gets political in a way only Les can. A quick listen to a less than flattering physical description followed by “She wants to grow up to be Sarah Palin, / she’s a self proclaimed, bona fide, red state girl” clearly show’s the man’s political side.
“Booneville Stomp” brings out the dobro bass and it’s metallic sound for a raucous jam that sounds like it belongs in a horror movie. “What Would Sir George Martin Do” shows Claypool’s penchant for bowing his nifty upright five string fretless bass. He also brings his son Cage into the mix with a slide whistle solo.
“You Can’t Tell Errol Anything” tells the story of a know-it-all, drug dealing, musician handyman that doesn’t take well to criticism: “If you got a project then he’s quick to your aid / just don’t bitch about the service or critique the grade / ‘cuz you can’t tell Errol anything / ‘cuz Errol knows anything”
“Bite Out Of Life” features special guest Eugene Hutz of the band Gogol Bordello on guitar and vocals. Eugene’s gypsy-punk influence is clearly seen in the fast paced jam.
“Kazoo” takes it down a notch and adds in a soothing cello and vibraphone piece over Claypool’s slow bluesy bass line. “Primed by 29” is a song about how drugs make everything better until they destroy your life. In this song Les is on an instrument so strange only he could pull it off- the bass banjo.
“Pretty Little Song” goes off the deep end of weird with the synth bass lines, hard hitting drums, and satanic background vocals. The title track “Of Fungi and Foe” follows off the deep end with strange instrumentals leading up to a mantra like chanting of “of fungi and foe, fungi and foe” until the instrumental takes over again and ends the song.
“Ol’ Rosco” is another classic Les Claypool story song. It is about a drunk driver who always gets away with it until one time “he went head on with a purple PT Cruiser, came out without a scratch, now that’s the dumb luck of a boozer.” As odd as the song may sound, it has quite a ring of truth to it.
There is a lot that can be said about Les Claypool’s strange musical stylings, but the only true way to experience the man’s genius is to go and listen. You’ll either love, or hate it.
Dan Auerbach - Keep it Hid
Keep It Hid is the solo debut of Dan Auerbach, singer and guitarist for the Black Keys. It opens up with “Trouble Weighs a Ton”, a song with a country feel that includes only a mellow acoustic guitar and harmonies, which give this song a very eerie, yet soothing sound.
“I Want Some More” bursts out of the smooth acoustic track preceding it with a somewhat heavier, more psychedelic groove. Auerbach’s multi-instrumental talents shine through in the song with distorted bass, and guitar riffs, and a keyboard that produces a sound straight out of the late sixties. The next track on the album follows in the same psychedelic vein. “Heartbroken, In Disrepair” is a very dark love song, with the some notably haunting lyrics as “Searching for light, grasping for air / Heartbroken, in disrepair.”
“Whispered Words” breaks the psychedelic feel and slows it down for a few tracks. The words for this song were written by Auerbach’s father ,Charles, and put to music by Auerbach himself. The music is very soothing, but doesn’t lose the garage rock feel. The next song opens with a solid keyboard part, and a synthetic drum machine beat that is quickly replaced by authentic drums. “Real Desire” calls on many elements of the blues in its guitar line, which can be heard wailing behind the lyrics for the duration of the track, and comes out into the spot light for a solo toward the end.
“When the Night Comes” slows it down even more, to the effect of the first track of the album. A slow acoustic guitar line is accompanied by a ghostly violin piece in the background, and a very light drum track that is hard to notice through most of the song.
The calm is broken by the next track on the album. “Mean Monsoon” has a driving drum track that gives the feel of “I Want Some More” earlier in the album and Auerbach’s blues guitar influence can again be seen in this song, also carrying into the next song. “The Prowl” is a very interesting track lyrically, showing life through the eyes of seemingly, a stalker. With lyrics like “I wish someone could understand / but you know I could never tell / I’ll just live on in the dark / If there’s no harm, there’s no foul”, that’s sure how it seems.
The title track or the album also comes in with a synthetic drum part that is soon replaced by real drums. “Keep It Hid” is driven by the simple yet powerful bass line, which makes it easy for another very bluesy guitar line to dance over it.
“My Last Mistake”, the next track on the album, is the first song with a very pop rock feel to it. Its lyrical structure puts the narrator in a very shaky, inquisitive voice in the first half of the song, and a more staunch answering voice in the second half.
“When I Left the Room” does the unthinkable. It combines elements of country, and psychedelic rock, into a guitar driven track with banjo accompaniment. It works out very well. “Street Walkin’” is another song that is somewhat poppy, with a bit of Nineties grunge feel thrown into the mix. “Goin’ Home” closes out the album just at beautifully as it was brought it in. A very calm, acoustic country feel and lyrics telling of how the narrator is goin’ home are a sort of good-bye and thanks for listening.
“I Want Some More” bursts out of the smooth acoustic track preceding it with a somewhat heavier, more psychedelic groove. Auerbach’s multi-instrumental talents shine through in the song with distorted bass, and guitar riffs, and a keyboard that produces a sound straight out of the late sixties. The next track on the album follows in the same psychedelic vein. “Heartbroken, In Disrepair” is a very dark love song, with the some notably haunting lyrics as “Searching for light, grasping for air / Heartbroken, in disrepair.”
“Whispered Words” breaks the psychedelic feel and slows it down for a few tracks. The words for this song were written by Auerbach’s father ,Charles, and put to music by Auerbach himself. The music is very soothing, but doesn’t lose the garage rock feel. The next song opens with a solid keyboard part, and a synthetic drum machine beat that is quickly replaced by authentic drums. “Real Desire” calls on many elements of the blues in its guitar line, which can be heard wailing behind the lyrics for the duration of the track, and comes out into the spot light for a solo toward the end.
“When the Night Comes” slows it down even more, to the effect of the first track of the album. A slow acoustic guitar line is accompanied by a ghostly violin piece in the background, and a very light drum track that is hard to notice through most of the song.
The calm is broken by the next track on the album. “Mean Monsoon” has a driving drum track that gives the feel of “I Want Some More” earlier in the album and Auerbach’s blues guitar influence can again be seen in this song, also carrying into the next song. “The Prowl” is a very interesting track lyrically, showing life through the eyes of seemingly, a stalker. With lyrics like “I wish someone could understand / but you know I could never tell / I’ll just live on in the dark / If there’s no harm, there’s no foul”, that’s sure how it seems.
The title track or the album also comes in with a synthetic drum part that is soon replaced by real drums. “Keep It Hid” is driven by the simple yet powerful bass line, which makes it easy for another very bluesy guitar line to dance over it.
“My Last Mistake”, the next track on the album, is the first song with a very pop rock feel to it. Its lyrical structure puts the narrator in a very shaky, inquisitive voice in the first half of the song, and a more staunch answering voice in the second half.
“When I Left the Room” does the unthinkable. It combines elements of country, and psychedelic rock, into a guitar driven track with banjo accompaniment. It works out very well. “Street Walkin’” is another song that is somewhat poppy, with a bit of Nineties grunge feel thrown into the mix. “Goin’ Home” closes out the album just at beautifully as it was brought it in. A very calm, acoustic country feel and lyrics telling of how the narrator is goin’ home are a sort of good-bye and thanks for listening.
Mastodon - Crack the Skye
Mastodon is one of the best metal bands out there these days. Their new work on Crack the Skye is no exception. The band is a smooth amalgamation of melodic clean and distorted guitar and bass lines backed by one of the hardest hitting drums around, and vocals that don’t overpower but blend perfectly with their surroundings.
“Oblivion” starts the journey, fittingly so with an intro that slowly fills in all the instrumentation and proceeds to birth eerie vocals that haunt and soothe simultaneously. “Quintessence” follows on the heals of the previous track with a piercing guitar intro, taken over right away by a quick and driving drum line that gives way to vocals that meld beautifully with the instrumental.
“The Czar” is a ten-minute epic progressive metal masterpiece that comes in four parts: I Usurper, II Escape, III Martyr, and IV Spiral. It opens up with an ominous keyboard piece and the beautiful keys continue to back the song throughout the duration of Usurper. The switch from Usurper to Escape is obvious at the tempo change several minutes in, where the song becomes very drum driven. The song again breaks into a slowing bit followed by a small guitar interlude, introducing Martyr and Spiral. These two parts seem to be closely intertwined rather than separate; there is no distinguishing tempo or instrumental variation to set them apart, not even the lyrics can lend a hand: “Spiraling up through the crack in the sky / leaving material world behind / I see your face in constellations / the martyr is ending his life for mine.” This part of the song does however sport several mind blowing guitar leads, magnificently backed by the rest of the band. The piece ends perfectly with all instrumental sound slowly disappearing into a bird’s song.
“Ghost of Karelia” showcases throughout the song how tightly the band can play together. The music is everywhere and all of the instrumental seems to flow together perfectly through rapid and erratic chord changes. The title track, “Crack the Skye” picks up on the end of the previous track’s ring out and starts anew with a more classic metal feel. It adds pounding double bass drumming into the mix along with deep growling vocals sung along side more harmonious ones on the upper register. “The Last Baron” is the longest track on the album weighing in at over thirteen minutes. The lyrics conjure a story of magic and pyromancy backed by the intense instrumentals: Faltering footsteps, dead end path / all that I need is this wise man’s staff / encased in crystal he leads the way / I guess they’d say we could set the world ablaze.”
“Oblivion” is the first totally instrumental track on the album. It puts the quick hard hitting drums at center stage, holding it all together for the heavy guitar and bass riffs throughout. “Divinations” is the second instrumental song on the album. A version with vocals however is also included. The strangest part of “Divinations” though is its use of the banjo. One might wonder how a banjo fits into a metal song; Mastodon makes it work, very well at that.
“Oblivion” starts the journey, fittingly so with an intro that slowly fills in all the instrumentation and proceeds to birth eerie vocals that haunt and soothe simultaneously. “Quintessence” follows on the heals of the previous track with a piercing guitar intro, taken over right away by a quick and driving drum line that gives way to vocals that meld beautifully with the instrumental.
“The Czar” is a ten-minute epic progressive metal masterpiece that comes in four parts: I Usurper, II Escape, III Martyr, and IV Spiral. It opens up with an ominous keyboard piece and the beautiful keys continue to back the song throughout the duration of Usurper. The switch from Usurper to Escape is obvious at the tempo change several minutes in, where the song becomes very drum driven. The song again breaks into a slowing bit followed by a small guitar interlude, introducing Martyr and Spiral. These two parts seem to be closely intertwined rather than separate; there is no distinguishing tempo or instrumental variation to set them apart, not even the lyrics can lend a hand: “Spiraling up through the crack in the sky / leaving material world behind / I see your face in constellations / the martyr is ending his life for mine.” This part of the song does however sport several mind blowing guitar leads, magnificently backed by the rest of the band. The piece ends perfectly with all instrumental sound slowly disappearing into a bird’s song.
“Ghost of Karelia” showcases throughout the song how tightly the band can play together. The music is everywhere and all of the instrumental seems to flow together perfectly through rapid and erratic chord changes. The title track, “Crack the Skye” picks up on the end of the previous track’s ring out and starts anew with a more classic metal feel. It adds pounding double bass drumming into the mix along with deep growling vocals sung along side more harmonious ones on the upper register. “The Last Baron” is the longest track on the album weighing in at over thirteen minutes. The lyrics conjure a story of magic and pyromancy backed by the intense instrumentals: Faltering footsteps, dead end path / all that I need is this wise man’s staff / encased in crystal he leads the way / I guess they’d say we could set the world ablaze.”
“Oblivion” is the first totally instrumental track on the album. It puts the quick hard hitting drums at center stage, holding it all together for the heavy guitar and bass riffs throughout. “Divinations” is the second instrumental song on the album. A version with vocals however is also included. The strangest part of “Divinations” though is its use of the banjo. One might wonder how a banjo fits into a metal song; Mastodon makes it work, very well at that.
William Elliot Whitmore- Animals in the Dark
Animals in the Dark is William Elliot Whitmore’s newest studio Album. Whitmore unleashes his soulful voice and simple banjo and guitar riffs to get his emotionally, and politically charged message across.
“Mutiny” opens up the album with drums only as an a cappella style song. Whitmore uses this opportunity to showcase his powerful voice. The snare drum keeps time, while he roars and is occasionally supported by background harmonies.
“Who Stole the Soul” is a mellow tune about a loss, and a rediscovery. Whitmore speaks of the loss of his “spark” earlier in the song, and goes on to find it in a progression from the morose to the heartfelt.
“Johnny Law” is a fast paced, old school country style song, with an old school country theme: protest of the police. With Lyrics like “Johnny Law, Johnny Law, he’s the littlest man I ever saw, with his badge and his gun he’ll just hassle everyone, he’ll getcha on the run Johnny Law” it’s not hard to see where Whitmore stands on the subject.
“Old Devils” is a song along the same lines as “Johnny Law” but this time taking aim at the Old Devils: “The Old Devils are at it again, when I say devils you know who I mean, these animals in the dark, malicious politicians with nefarious schemes, charlatans, and crooked cops.” The tempo of the song gradually speeds up, as the verses get more intense, the two perfectly compliment one another. Whitmore has a strong message that rang true in old country and folk- and carries on just as strong today.
“Hell or High Water” takes a break from the political message of the previous songs. It’s a beautiful, simple song about love for friends, with a perfect acoustic piece to accompany the lyrics that brings on waves of summers past type nostalgia.
“There’s Hope for You” is the first song on the album to add several instrumental dimensions into the mix. It starts off slow with acoustic guitar, adds some backing keyboards and drums which all evolve through the song into more prominent versions of themselves. The message of the song is quite powerful as well; it’s an inspiring encouragement to be your best and help others do the same, just the kind of thing we need in today’s world.
“Hard Times” changes everything up and adds electric guitar to the mix, but keeps all the simplicity of the former tracks. It a lyrical genealogy and a mantra of self worth all packed into one song. “Lifetime Underground” takes it to the folk on a serious note with the introduction of Whitmore on the banjo. In this track Whitmore has created a ballad out of a piece of his life story: where he has been, where is from, and the family and love he misses; major themes not to be left out of a great folk/country album.
“Let the Rain Come In” takes the folk instrumental from “Lifetime Underground” and speeds it up with a driving drumbeat; it even adds in a little country flavor with some slide guitar in the background. The lyrics to this song are a tribute to loving the simple parts of life: “Open up the door, and let the sound come in, I can hear the owls and the dogs begin, and they sing, and they shout, when the moon is out.”
“A Good Day to Die” strikes a more serious chord in the heart, and draws heavily on folk standards of the past with thanks to the lord and imagery of a beautiful country day- a good day to die. This song closes out the album in a very mellow way, and fits perfectly.
“Mutiny” opens up the album with drums only as an a cappella style song. Whitmore uses this opportunity to showcase his powerful voice. The snare drum keeps time, while he roars and is occasionally supported by background harmonies.
“Who Stole the Soul” is a mellow tune about a loss, and a rediscovery. Whitmore speaks of the loss of his “spark” earlier in the song, and goes on to find it in a progression from the morose to the heartfelt.
“Johnny Law” is a fast paced, old school country style song, with an old school country theme: protest of the police. With Lyrics like “Johnny Law, Johnny Law, he’s the littlest man I ever saw, with his badge and his gun he’ll just hassle everyone, he’ll getcha on the run Johnny Law” it’s not hard to see where Whitmore stands on the subject.
“Old Devils” is a song along the same lines as “Johnny Law” but this time taking aim at the Old Devils: “The Old Devils are at it again, when I say devils you know who I mean, these animals in the dark, malicious politicians with nefarious schemes, charlatans, and crooked cops.” The tempo of the song gradually speeds up, as the verses get more intense, the two perfectly compliment one another. Whitmore has a strong message that rang true in old country and folk- and carries on just as strong today.
“Hell or High Water” takes a break from the political message of the previous songs. It’s a beautiful, simple song about love for friends, with a perfect acoustic piece to accompany the lyrics that brings on waves of summers past type nostalgia.
“There’s Hope for You” is the first song on the album to add several instrumental dimensions into the mix. It starts off slow with acoustic guitar, adds some backing keyboards and drums which all evolve through the song into more prominent versions of themselves. The message of the song is quite powerful as well; it’s an inspiring encouragement to be your best and help others do the same, just the kind of thing we need in today’s world.
“Hard Times” changes everything up and adds electric guitar to the mix, but keeps all the simplicity of the former tracks. It a lyrical genealogy and a mantra of self worth all packed into one song. “Lifetime Underground” takes it to the folk on a serious note with the introduction of Whitmore on the banjo. In this track Whitmore has created a ballad out of a piece of his life story: where he has been, where is from, and the family and love he misses; major themes not to be left out of a great folk/country album.
“Let the Rain Come In” takes the folk instrumental from “Lifetime Underground” and speeds it up with a driving drumbeat; it even adds in a little country flavor with some slide guitar in the background. The lyrics to this song are a tribute to loving the simple parts of life: “Open up the door, and let the sound come in, I can hear the owls and the dogs begin, and they sing, and they shout, when the moon is out.”
“A Good Day to Die” strikes a more serious chord in the heart, and draws heavily on folk standards of the past with thanks to the lord and imagery of a beautiful country day- a good day to die. This song closes out the album in a very mellow way, and fits perfectly.
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