Merry Christmas everyone! Hope all of you who celebrate are having a wonderful day with family and friends. Here’s another of my favorite Christmas songs (although you may not hear it played too often on your local 24 hour wall to wall Christmas music radio station).
Paul is vacationing in Germany! Yesterday we spent the day in Cologne – a really beautiful city, including the stunning cathedral. And yes we climbed the 500 step spiral staircase to the top!
When we were leaving this group of young people set up in the public square in front of the cathedral in the rain to busk. As you can see from video this wasn’t just one or two on guitar or horn but a group of 10 – full horn section with percussion. I have no idea who they were or what they were playing but I thought it was pretty cool to hear.
Some of you know that my teenage son plays the double bass. Every summer for the past few years he has attended a week long music camp in Baltimore called BassWorks – all bass players, just bass players. One of the highlights of the week is the final concert where the entire orchestra of 82 bassists plays a classical number and a “pop” number.
I was excited when I heard they were going to be doing Guns N’ Roses, and it doesn’t disappoint. See what you think!
That’s right, we are attending Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul!
We arrived in style in our candy apple fuel injected rag top superfly terra plane!
Giddy up!
Last night I got to see some live music. That’s not a shocking statement for me. I love live music. A friend and I went to see the Smithereens play at musikfest café in Bethlehem. It’s a small venue seating about 350 people.
The Smithereens made a name for them selves locally mostly in the late 80s and early 90s. They had several top 50 hits and a few videos on VH1 and MTV. They never made it really big but over the years they’ve continued to record on and off.
Founding member, lead vocalist and principal songwriter Pat DiNizio unfortunately passed away in 2017 after a series of injuries and other health problems. That was seemingly the end of the band however they are embarking on a tour this year and recruited veteran singer Marshall Crenshaw,who had done some work with the band in its early days, to take over as lead vocalist. After watching their two hour plus show last night I can say that they made the right choice.
The band sounded great, they were tight and the vocals were terrific. The show felt like part tribute to their lost brother and part pure celebration of the music. They spoke lovingly at times of Pat and how some of the songs were created. They still played with the passion and joy that often seems to elude musicians who’ve been playing much of the same music for 30+ years. These guys were childhood friends and it still shows.
They of course played their hits, including “Only a Memory”, and closed the show with “A Girl Like You” their biggest hit but the stand out for me was “Blood and Roses” They also threw in a couple covers including the Beatles and Interlude in the middle of one long guitar solo where the Who popped in.
By now, people my age are used to seeing their rock ‘n’ roll heroes perform and tour well into their 60s and 70s. Jagger and Springsteen and Townsend though, are playing in front of 50,000+ fans and are getting PAID.
These guys are playing in front of 350 really appreciative fans. They’re not getting rich and they’re not going to be famous* but they’re doing it for the love of the music. They are soldiering on without a key founding member and that’s pretty cool
I’ve mentioned before that my eighth grade son plays in his middle school orchestra. I love how his orchestra director always tries to include a pop or rock song as part of their concerts. Here’s Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir from their end of the year performance.
Love Keep Kicking – Martha
I included a song by this band in a January new music post (here), although the song Heart is Healing was actually from 2018, and was a teaser for a forthcoming album. Well, they have a new single out, Love Keeps Kicking, which is the title track for the album due April 5 on Dirtnap Records. Like Heart is Healing, Love Keeps Kicking is a smart pop punk song with a catchy as hell guitar line about the travails of love.
You said love keeps kicking the shit out of me and there’s no solution I can see
No happy pill, no drinking bleach, no permanent lobotomy
Seventeen – Sharon Van Etten
From her 5th studio album, Remind Me Tomorrow, Seventeen is Sharon Van Etten‘s homage to her old neighborhoods in NYC, and how her favorite haunts have disappeared or permanently changed. Its also her talking to her seventeen old self, with both nostalgia for the way she used to be, knowledge of what she did right (or not) back then, and conjecture as to how her teenage self would view her adult self. Much more expansive than her previous work (the addition of synths helps), the song continues to grow on me with every repeated listen.
Maggie Rogers – Fallingwater
Maggie Rogers is a 24 year old singer/songwriter from the Eastern Shore of MD who incorporates electronica influences into folk song structures. She first gained some attention a few years ago when Alaska, a composition class song she put together for a masterclass with Pharrel Williams visibly moved him (you can see the video here). I first saw her when she opened for Mumford & Sons last year here in DC. Fallingwater is from her debut album Heard It in a Past Life. I love her voice, and also that a 24 year old local is doing her own thing, blazing her own trail into pop music.
Killer – Palehound
Palehound is a guitar trio from Boston led by Ellen Kempner on guitar and vocals, Larz Brogan on bass, and Jesse Weiss on drums who formed in 2014. I heard this song on a NPR Music new music show and was immediately taken by its dark, moody atmospheric feel, the whispering vocals, and the ominous lyrics about protecting your friends whatever it takes (literally). The guitar line propels the song along, and the lyrics give enough clues for you to know that the man who mistreated the singer’s friend will not have a happy ending.
When you winced and turned your head and wept, that’s when I knew
That it’s not enough to run that dog out of this town
My weapon’s cold in the backseat, hunt that monster down
Til next time….
Penns Peak is a concert venue in Jim Thorpe PA and my first experience there was last night when I was lucky enough to see Flogging Molly and openers Lucero.
I have seen both bands previously when each was touring with (oddly enough) Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls. The prior performance by Lucero was as an opener for FT and like this one was abbreviated to about 40 minutes. This band has been around for over 15 years and has produced a 12 albums of new and live material and after a deep dive into their music last year I can attest to how great this band is. Unfortunately, a short opening set only wets the appetite. The band members are top notch musicians and they got the show off to a great start, hi lighting material from their 2018 release “Among the Ghosts” By the time they got to the barroom rocker”For the Lonely Ones” the band was in high gear but ended their set. This band is one my watch list for headlining shows when they can really stretch out and dig deeper into their catalogue.
Flogging Molly has produced 8 albums since their debut “Swagger” in 2000 including Live at the Greek Theater from 2010. (A must-hear if you’ve never seen the band live. the accompanying videos are a great intro into how great this band is live). Their blend of Irish folk, punk and rock and energetic live shows ( complete with mosh pit) have gained them a reputation of one of the best touring bands around.
2 great versions from the Greek theater concert ( Yours truly had a technical glitch with his phone during these 2 songs at last night ‘s show)
FM played music spanning their entire career hi lighted by crowd favorites Drunken Lullabies and Seven Deadly Sins. An unexpected high point for me was Float which is a concert staple for the band but seemed to take on added resonance last night. Dave King definitely placed himself in the top tier of frontmen that I’ve ever seen with his energetic acoustic guitar playing , his stories and banter between songs, references to his early life in Ireland and loving, funny shoutouts to his departed parents.
It only adds to the everyman vibe of the band that after the final encore, the lights come up and the PA plays “Always look on the Bright Side of Life” (a song all Monty Python fans will know) while Dave King stays on stage to dance around and say hi to the crowd.
All in all , a great first concert of what I hope to be another great year of live music for me.
Digging this feature back out after a few starts last year. This is where I feature favorite classic picks and new finds in garage rock, inspired by the Nuggets compilation and Little Steven’s Underground Garage. Here’s a link to the original post that has more details on the idea.
First up, The Knickerbockers – One Track Mind
The pride of Bergenfield NJ, the Knickerbockers formed in 1962 – their classic line up consisted of brothers Beau Charles (guitar and vocals) and John Charles (bass and vocals), Buddy Randell (vocals and sax), and Jimmy Walker (drums). They got their name from a road that ran through an adjacent town.
I featured their top 20 hit Lies, from 1965, in a Song of the Day back in September of last year. One Track Mind came out in 1966, and didn’t do as well (#45) due to distribution problems. Both songs have great pop melodies reminiscent of the Beatles.
Next up, Big Star – When My Baby’s Beside Me
Big Star (Alex Chilton (guitars, piano, vocals), Chris Bell (guitars, vocals), Jody Stephens (drums, vocals), and Andy Hummel (bass guitar, vocals)) formed in 1971 in Memphis, and before breaking up in 1974, released a series of albums that served as a blueprint for power pop music for decades to come. They were one of those bands that never really achieved commercial success at the time but in retrospect were hugely influential, cited as an inspiration by REM, the Replacements, as well as many others. When My Baby’s Beside Me is off their 1st record, aptly names Number 1 Record.
Let’s go overseas to Scotland and The Marmalade’s I See The Rain
As I’ve mentioned, one inspiration for these posts is Little Steven’s Underground Garage. Usually, the 4th set of the show features what Steven calls a “slightly psychedelic” set. While I’ve never really been into that genre very much, I did hear this song for the first time on the show and really loved it (and to be honest, it is really only slightly psychedelic!). I especially like the guitar line, the harmony vocals, and the making the best of the situation ethos of the lyrics.
The Marmalade were from Glasgow Scotland, having first formed in 1961 and going under several other names before settling on The Marmalade in 1966. Members included Patrick Fairley (vocals, 6 string bass/rhythm guitars), William Junior Campbell (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Dean Ford (lead vocals, guitar, harmonica), Raymond Duffy (drums), and Graham Knight (vocals, bass). I See the Rain was released in 1967 (and topped the charts in the Netherlands) and was also on their 1968 album There’s Alot of It About.
Cotton Mather – Lost My Motto
While I have mostly focused on classic garage from the 1960s, there are many great garage bands still keeping the flame alive. Here’s another great one that I discovered on the Underground Garage.
Named for the 17th century Puritan preacher, Cotton Mather formed in 1990 in Austin TX, and consisted of Robert Harrison (guitar and vocals), Whit Williams (guitar and vocals), Matt Hovis (bass) and Greg Thibeaux (drums). Weaving in influences from the Beatles to early Elvis Costello, they play great guitar power pop. This cut, Lost My Motto, from the 1994 album Cotton Is King, also has a distinctly Squeeze like feel. As of 2017, they were still active.
Well, time to roll the garage door down for now. Til next time…..
Sources: Wikipedia
The Beths – You Wouldn’t Like Me
When multiple bloggers I trust start recommending the same band, its time to pay attention. When I’m in love with a song about 5 seconds into it, time to stop what I’m doing to check them out. This is what happened with New Zealand band The Beths. While I missed when their debut album dropped last year, fellow bloggers Steve for the Deaf and Aphoristical both featured them in just the past couple weeks. Rather than go on too much about them, here are links to Steve and Aphoristical’s posts, which are much more fun to read and erudite than I could ever be. Just suffice it to say these catchy power pop gems (think Weezer, or Best Coast)will be on serious rotation the rest of the year on my listening device. There’s not a bad song on the album, so here’s a random cut.
Spielbergs – Five On it
I heard this song on a new music playlist and immediately loved the loud, somewhat fuzzy big guitar sound. And then fellow blogger The Soul of a Clown also featured them recently. Spielbergs reminds me of bands like Japandroids or Cloud Nothings. They’re are a three piece indie rock band from Oslo Norway who put out a debut EP last year – this song is from their debut album, This is Not the End, which came out last week. From the feedback squeals at the beginning and end, this song is two and half minutes of guitar bliss.
Tancred – Queen of New York
Ok I’m detecting a theme for this installment of New Music Discoveries – guitar, guitar, guitar! And fellow blogger recs! Tancred is the stage name of Jess Abbott, who writes great guitar pop songs like this one. As with The Beths, this came out last year so not super new (but who cares) – I was alerted to it The Soul of a Clown, who posted this great review of Tancred’s album Nightstand a few days ago. I’m a complete sucker for these types of bands!
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