The Earworm's Review

got the blues?

2012-02-22T19:40:00.001-05:00

I sure do. Been one of those weeks. Been one of those months.
One is self-medicating with the blues. More so Delta/Detroit than, say, piano-tinkling jazzy blues.

Totally binging on Robert Johnson songs. Bought the complete recordings on vinyl.

A track you ought to check out is Norman Greenbaum's recording of "New Dead Shrimp Blues", which is based on Johnson's "Dead Shrimp Blues". You can find it on Spotify. It's nice.

Via Erick, yes, this is our president.
A very Clapton-esque style, but hey. Get it out there.

Via Rushad, this is "Ramblin' on my Mind".
He totally gets the whole one-man-orchestra aspect of things that Johnson had going on.

And then there's this. Anne Bredon's folk song, turned into the bluest of blues by the best band ever.

There's always the White Stripes.
Not that they need the publicity, seeing as they're done and all, but this is one of their best.

And there's always the Black Keys. Masters of their game.

Enjoy this mid-week blues extravaganza. Poke around a little, discover - blues is both a spirit and a style, and in that vein, I can recommend a bunch of names. Not going to do links. Head straight over to Youtubers.

Johnny Cash
Tallest Man on Earth
Black Mountain
Old Crow Medicine Show
Beck
Little Feat
Marshall Tucker Band

Yours, whether blue, green or just white,

Earworm

Disruption, corruption, interruption

2012-02-15T10:03:00.002-05:00

....

Jack White's new single.

Cons:

Jack White is now divorced from not one, but two really cool, talented women
my backup backup plan of dying my hair red, moving to Nashville and marrying him on, like, wife #4, is looking less good = KIND OF A BUMMER
Weird 70s pimp vibe
Actual lyrics/subtext/backstory

Pros:

hey a Jack White song!
Flow of lyrics (inimitable)
Melody - simple, yet in that Jack White way, unforgettable
Ruby Amanfu
Valentine's Day is once again behind us

Monday Morning Medication part 3

2012-02-06T11:14:00.002-05:00

To be completely honest, I have in the past expressed irritation with people who always talk about how fast time passes. As in, "can you BELIEVE it's Monday again?!" because yes, I can believe that. It requires no stretch of mental capacity. It's like gravity, you don't have to believe it, it just IS, and you get hurt if you try to boycott these conventions of a 7-day week or dropping things on your foot.

For Pete's sake, everyone's an IDIOT!!!!!!! but then all of a sudden my life has assumed that speed, like, wasn't I just doing this yesterday?
But no, it was a week. So, sorry.
You may be idiots, but it's for other things! hah.

Moving on.

I think calling this a "lost" solo is a bit of a misnomer - it was just cut, no need to be dramatic about it, BUT it's neat anyway. This happens to be one of my favorite George (with or without the Beatles) songs...

Can we get something potentially awkward out of the way, great, well, I have this bad habit of crushing terribly on old dead guys, specifically their younger 1960s/70s selves, and the problem with this is, I THINK JOHN HARTFORD WAS MY SOULMATE. I mean, he wrote this for me, basically, seeing as I am, in fact, left-handed. So much emotional trauma that comes with knowing you were meant to be with someone that's already dead.

Here we have Mary Black singing one of the McGarrigles' songs. I CANNOT IMPRESS UPON YOU how perfect of a voice this is. Like, this is EXACTLY, textbook, perfect technique, and yet so incredibly soulful. Could go on and on. Talk to me NO MORE of your Adeles and your Taylors. Mary was 24 when this was recorded, so everybody just shut up and listen.

The charming and erudite Gabriel Kahane descends upon NPR's Tiny Desk Series, with a whole crew of people, and absolutely slays it, playing songs from his new album which you should have already bought but can still get here.

And with that, I'm out,
remaining faithfully yrs,

Earworm

PS - suggestions welcome for future topics of discussion, or if you just want to hear my opinion I am very opinionated about all music and actually, almost everything.

Monday morning medication part 2

2012-01-30T10:15:00.000-05:00

I always fail with these weekly themed posts,
but what the heck, it's a new year.
Some of my favorites these days:

The Wrinkle Neck Mules got a lot of great publicity after Geico used their song in a commercial. That's our friend Stuart Gunter on drums! Yeah! Here's a good live version of the whole thing.

This unbearable bit of cuteness is a 4-year old movie of a just-starting-out
Mumford and Sons singing my favorite of their tunes, "Banjolin song".
Neat to see how defined their style already was, fresh as they were.

My neighbor, folkie and master potter Guy Wolff,
plays a Beatles tune on clawhammer banjo.
No complaints.

Brilliant: a Bon Jovi cover performed in the style of Bon Iver, by Miracles of Modern Science.

And to close out the post, how about Railroad Earth (with Vince Herman) playing some John Hartford?

Like you have time to watch 5 videos on a Monday morning... sorry... but not really. Enjoy.

Yrs,
Earworm

2011 concerts in review

2012-01-19T12:34:00.000-05:00

My 2011 resolution (which was practically kept!) was to attend just one concert per month.
One good one. That's all. It was also to buy at least one CD or LP per month which, ehem, I may have surpassed.
By like 4x. Whoops.

January's concert found me at the Bowery Ballroom, for Punch Brothers' p-Bingo #1. A great show (Secret Sisters opened and Karen Elson showed up!).
Made memorable by the fact that I couldn't remember where I parked and thus wandered, cold and lost, for about 1.5 hours in Chinatown after midnight.
Long story short, when I realized I was not going to find my car on foot, I managed to get a taxi within seconds (this is a miracle) and found my car within 10 minutes.
STILL ALIVE. Mom still doesn't know. Don't tell.
PS, there are NO PEOPLE on the street in Chinatown after midnight. None. Not one.

February:

Railroad Earth at Toad's Place, the Giving Tree Band opened.
Perfect hippie concert, bunch of friends were there, SO much fun.

March:

Crazy crazy good show with Gabriel Kahane, Brad Mehldau and Chris Thile at Le Poisson Rouge.

April:

Punch Brothers' p-Bingo night #2, also at the Ballroom.
Lake Street Dive opened (!) and Sarah Jarosz showed up to sing a couple of songs.
I did not lose my car this time, thanks for asking. Also I took one of my best photos of the year.

May:

Ventured into Brooklyn (which is like 10x easier to navigate and find parking) for my
rapidly-becoming-second-favorite* band, Tornado Rider at the Knitting Factory.

The two openers, 5 Deadly Venoms (now the Six Deadly Venoms) and the Ryan Scott Power Trio, were both outstanding.
That was one of those shows where you feel like you committed a crime by getting to see music of that caliber for that price.

June:

Beatlemania. My brother's guitar & drums teacher plays George Harrison, and at this giant free concert at the Levitt Pavilion in Westport, we sat out in a parking lot with zero view of the stage, and they still sounded great. Would definitely go see them again.

July:

Crooked Still, a ChirpCT free concert at Ballard Park in Ridgefield CT.
Their regular sound guy (you were missed, Erick!) wasn't with them and there were the usual pitfalls of playing an outdoor show, but it was a nice night and we had a picnic and there was bourbon, so, no complaints to speak of.

August:
Punch Brothers at Fairfield Theatre Company. The first time they've played in CT since fall of 2009!

Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana at The Falcon. This was the night of Hurricane Irene, and we decided there was no way we were going to miss this. We made the right decision.
The venue actually suffered a good bit of flood damage the day after, and our ride home was pretty watery.
But what a show.

September:
Gabriel Kahane at The Falcon, with the ACME string quartet and Grey McMurray.
Stunning music - if you ever get a chance to see Gabe, TAKE IT.

Tornado Rider at Tommy's Tavern in Brooklyn (of the 5 or so other bands that played that night, the only notable one was Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children MacNuggits, a kind of crusty band from SoCal that are sort of awesome and awful at the same time).

October:

The FESTY!
3 glorious days of music. Highlights for me were Toubab Krewe, Railroad Earth and The Wood Brothers (no pictures of these sets as I was completely busy dancing).

Also Rubblebucket, while I was almost too tired to last through their late-night set, was totally worth seeing again.
The Stringdusters, the guys who put the whole thing on, were going through some band changes and brought in Dominick Leslie (from the Deadly Gentlemen) to play mando, and they totally killed it two nights in a row.

(Another Deadly Gentleman, Mike Barnett, was there with David Grisman's Sextet.)
I didn't think I was going to love that set as much as I did, but seeing Grisman somehow closed a Grateful Dead-related musical loop that I didn't know was open for me. A good feeling.

Crooked Still again, for the last time in a long time, at the Somerville Theatre
with very special guests Rushad Eggleston and Ruth Ungar Merenda.

Crooked Still is on an "indefinite hiatus" while band members persue solo projects.
Y'all remember what happened with Nickel Creek and THEIR indefinite hiatus, so... anyway.

I had never gotten a chance to see the original CS lineup when Rushad still played with them, so this was a real treat on all counts.

What a killer night. If you hear of anyone who taped this show, please drop me a line?

November: okay we may have failed on November (to be fair I was completely slammed at work due to the weather) but I doubled up on some other months so let's overlook this, please.

December:
Lake Street Dive at Cafe Nine in New Haven CT. They rocked the heck out of that little bar, proving yet again that great concerts don't have to cost much.

I don't know that I'll be able to duplicate this year (as far as hitting one show per month) and I feel my favorites/priorities have shifted somewhat, meaning this year will look very different. But you know, it was enjoyable. I ENJOYED myself at these shows. Got some shots that make me very happy, made some new friends, made a giant difference to the music industry (ha ha jk), etc.

LEGAL download links:
Punch Brothers p-Bingo #1
Railroad Earth @ Toad's Place
TONS of sets from The Festy

My Flickr photostream has LOTS more photos from most of these shows.
My Youtube channel has some (very low-quality) movies from a couple of these shows.

Thank you for reading all of this, now go make your own resolve:
Attend live shows! Buy merch! Support the folks who make a living making music.

Peace & love,

Earworm

*ultimate favorite band is Led Zeppelin. All other favorites subject to change, but Tornado Rider is pretty high on the list for now.

Goat Rodeo Sessions quandary

2012-01-09T23:32:00.000-05:00

Okay so by now you should all own Goat Rodeo Sessions. This is an outstanding album, akin to Strength In Numbers' "Telluride Sessions" or even Appalachian Journey.

But the thing I want to talk about today is a little blip in the liner notes for this album, where Thile says he & Meyer wrote much of the music around the fact that Ma doesn't improvise & Duncan doesn't read music.

And for once, I have no strong opinion to express, just a few thoughts, and then I would love it if you ghosty readers would chime in with yours? Please?

1. Most classical musicians don't improvise. I understand why. And I'm not surprised in Ma's case, actually, that makes complete sense about the way he sounds. No one could accuse Ma of playing without feeling, and he has worked on some really interesting material. So, okay, could we justify this as, if your source material is good enough may you don't need to improvise? (And that said, his Vivaldi album is not what you could call memorable.)

2. A handful of great musicians, across genres, don't read music. It seems odd, not unlike being a mechanic who doesn't drive. Obviously, Stuart (a multi-instrumentalist) makes it work. Can we justify this as, most folk music in general and fiddle music in particular is handed down by aural tradition?

So what's my problem? I'm a lapsed amateur! I may get flamed for writing this! But it kind of kills me to see two super-stars like Yo-Yo and Stuart (don't laugh, he's a folk giant!) who are missing what I view as GIANT PIECES OF THE MUSICAL PUZZLE.

Someone's got to improvise, or the whole thing falls flat. And someone has to write the music. Skill-sharing? Sure! But....

Can you, musicianer people, friends, creepers, ANYONE OUT THERE HELLOOOOOOOO, give me a few more reasons why one would not want to improvise (at all, ever, even on the most flexible & forgiving music), or not want to read music (even when you are working on some of the most complex projects of our age)?

And for what it's worth, I have nothing but love and admiration for all these guys. For a price somewhere between a movie ticket and a concert ticket, they have an upcoming live show which will be simulcast to movie theaters nationwide. You might want to buy into that.

PS, more coming soon, I promise. Happy New Year.

See the weekend out with the Wood Brothers

2011-11-06T14:14:00.004-05:00

The Wood Brothers were one of my favorite acts at The Festy Experience this year.

My friend and I were talking about the nicely matured quality of their songwriting.
They're not old by any means, but we were specifically discussing the different perspective that comes from people who are comfortable in their skins, their lives, their relationships.
A few years down that road can make a huge difference. Good stuff.

These two songs are from their newest release, Smoke Ring Halo which is only 10 DOLLARS, please buy it.

Here's "When I Was Young".

And here's "Shoofly Pie".
If someone makes me a mashup of "Shoofly Pie" and "Custard Pie", I will pay you.

yrs,

Earworm

PS - more soon, I promise. Pretty busy these days.

Rapturous music for a Friday (Jark Matter)

2011-10-21T09:54:00.000-04:00

Ha ha you thought this was going to be about that guy, didn't you. No. That guy is a nut. Don't take my word for it.

We're going to talk about the rapturous business (rapturous! raptor-ous! see what I did there? I WORKED HAROLD CAMPING AND FALCONS INTO THE SAME BLOG POST.) that is Tornado Rider's newest album, Jark Matter.
C'mon, you know I loved their first two albums but part of the reason I was so psyched to back their Kickstarter project was that, as they said, the albums sounded NOTHING like the live shows.

YOU GUYS, THEY FIXED IT.

So let me run you through this?
Firstly, you should buy the physical album because it has a map of the land of Sneth inside (and way too much cool stuff to describe, just trust me, BUY IT), and since these songs all connect geographically, these songs will make much more sense.

1. "Sawed Off Heads" - Shades of Metallica. Not gonna lie, first listen I was kind of freaked out, like, is the entire album going to be like this? And then the bridge came, and it was this soaring cello line with some sort of medieval sounding gang vocals, and I was all like, phew!

2. "Search Warden" - Bill Bargenson, the desert of Ornch, and a horse powered by a Corvette motor! This shreds and rips along like there's no tomorrow until you get to the bridge where you're met by a mystical bass & cello interplay . Kills me every time. And then straight back to shredding, finishing with something that Rachmaninoff would have been proud to write.

3. "Lonely Electric Cactus" - will make no sense without the map, also one of the quieter songs on the album.

4. "The Goat God" - Okay so if you know your mythology at all, the Goat God was Pan. Eggleston=totes Pan vibes. One of the heavier-sounding (tons of awesome bass) and also one of the silliest tracks.

5. "Giant Tree Man". This one amuses me (because our dad is a tree man, for real).

6. "Little Pet" - a raucous, happy, nutty dance track. Feathery swoop of delight. Rushad has a great voice which he typically hides with growls, grumbles and shrieks, and here you actually get to hear a lot of very straightforward singing, which is cool.
Scott & Graham provide consistent and good backing vocals, I think you hear them more at a show then on the album, but whatever.

7. "Rain Jam" - power ballad! A nice showcase of Scott's perfectly controlled drumming. Plus, flatpicked cello. If you don't like this, I don't like you.

8. "I am a Falcon" - I hear you, you're saying "again?!!1!?" but no, really, they redid it. Look at this very early solo version of the song. Listen to those melodic parts that got cut for the version on "Sneth Rock". It makes total sense to have gone back to playing it this way. Plus, Falcon is kind of like THE Tornado Rider song, if you were gonna redo any of them, this is probably the one to do.

9. "Medusapus" - Medusa+octopus = Medusapus. Spooky, jickly song. Hard to describe.

10. "The Ballad of Donna & Bill" - this is a love song. The very first Tornado Rider show I went to, they played this. I may have mentioned before that there were about 6 people at that show. I had no idea what to expect, other than what I'd seen on Youtube. TR, despite the near-empty venue, put on one of the craziest, most powerful shows I've ever seen, and then towards the end, this got played, quietly, calmly. Have you ever felt time stop before? It is a strange and good feeling.

11. "Dinosaur" - a version that bears only faint resemblance to the version on "Sneth Rock" - also totally worth reworking.

12. "The Lair", an otherworldly instrumental. See this, scroll down for Rushad's post about the music. Interesting stuff.

Okay, so that's the album. I love it. I have never been so psyched about spending money on anything. If you're looking for high-quality music for yourself, your friends, or your kids (plus no need to explain ~~pretty girls in the hotel bed~~ ~~17 year old girlfriends~~ most of the songs to your kids!).

I saw Tornado Rider in Brooklyn just about 3 weeks ago. Pictures came out crap.
So here's a shot of Graham from the Brooklyn show in May (that I just found! not sure how I missed this!)

And here's a shot of Scott, same show.

And here's a shot from last weekend, when I saw something kind of epic, which was Rushad and Crooked Still. Which is a story in itself, for another time.

Y'all GO SEE Tornado Rider, they're incessantly touring. Give them your money, and they will give you their very hearts and souls. Don't leave 'em hanging, they are quality dudes and deserve your love & support.

yours, as ever,

earworm,

PS. The Sneth name that was part of my Kickstarter reward is Princess Daniellianeestra of Clockto P'Glimpuanock. You may call me that if you wish.

The Gabriel Kahane comprehensive review

2011-09-26T19:43:00.000-04:00

Y'all remember him from my very second post in which I reviewed his eponymous album, right?

GREAT SCOTT, you guys, he upped his production quality by like 3000.
I didn't have an issue with the last CD. It was obviously what he could afford, and the music itself was - and is - top-notch. So there were no fancy effects! I care not.

But how nice is it when your production can match your music?

The result is 11 tracks of sheer delight, which can be purchased at his Bandcamp page OR also on Amazon, where he is currently trying to crack the top 100. You have absolutely nothing to lose, since you can stream the whole thing track-by-track on Bandcamp, and c'mon, we both know you have the money.

As always, I recommend you purchase a physical copy - a super-nice little digipak deal with full liner notes and some cool photos, extensive credits, etc. Whoever did this deserves applause, because it's minimalistic and beautiful without being at all hipsterish.

See, the thing about Gabriel Kahane is that he's like what Josh Groban could have been. I'm serious! Don't laugh!
If you have a sneaking liking for Groban, Kahane is someone you can embrace while retaining your musical self-respect!
Look at it this way, it's all of the actual musical skills (and more, let's be honest) with none of the ~~screaming middle-aged women~~ hype. And have I mentioned Kahane doesn't have unctuous dollops of vibrato all over his songs?

They've got similar range and tone but where Groban veers into schmaltz, you get the feeling Kahane (they're roughly the same age, by the way) is some kind of super-powered Byronic/Gershwinian hybrid.
An old soul, if you will, but so well in tune with the here and now that he can make music out of Craigslist ads, as shown below.

Below is "Neurotic and Lonely". If this does not make you laugh, you are a cold and broken person and should seek help.

Of note, of course, is that the always exceptional Rob Moose, currently on tour with some little no-name band, and Chris Thile play on this album. (I mention them first because they are my favorites, and this is my first hearing of the also excellent Casey Foubert and Matt Johnson.)

Give this album a listen, or for that matter, his last, and see if you do not find the lyrics extremely evocative. See if you do not have a very clear picture of the people in each song, of the lives and the stories behind each 3 or 4 minutes. I'd be surprised if you didn't.
This is pop music, I don't want to be misleading here, but this is the very highest quality of adult contemporary pop music. Subtle, subtle, subtle, this is not what you could call indie music, it is, in fact, almost impossible to pigeonhole into a subcategory*.

*Chamber-pop seem insulting and snobby, which is so far the opposite of this rich, complex music. How can I explain this to you? It's pop composed with intelligence! This is what popular music was MEANT TO BE!

Thanks to the trading/taping network, I had been listening to a couple of live Kahane shows at least a year before seeing him this January, with Chris Thile & Brad Mehldau, at Le Poisson Rouge. I have no pictures from that show, regrettably, but fortunately it was taped in its entirety and also filmed in part. Below is "Where are the Arms", the title track.

Saturday night we once again ventured out to The Falcon.
Side note: I had been debating whether or not I felt like spending $10 on a single shot of Hudson Rye -it's worth it, no matter how broke you are-, and after the opener, a ~~wildly out of tune~~ well-intentioned gypsy band, I needed that drink.

On this particular evening, Kahane had 5 musicians with him - Grey McMurray and a string quartet. The string quartet was called ACME, and the lineup rotates. I failed to catch the names of the two I didn't recognize, sorry ladies, you were wonderful. If anyone knows, feel free to leave a comment.

Two of the current members, pictured below, are also part of a fabulous group called yMusic, along with the aforementioned Moose.
Their debut album, which I helped back on Kickstarter, drops tomorrow on New Amsterdam Records. It's outstanding and you should buy it as well.

They weren't just accessorizing the music by adding string parts - they took it above and beyond. I have seldom been so moved at any concert.

If you follow me on Twitter you'll remember that my first comment about this album was that it made me feel worshipful. I stand by that still. (If you click on those pictures you'll be taken to my Flickr page, where you can see a few more shots from this show.)

The long and short of it is, Gabriel Kahane will probably one day be every bit as famous as Josh Groban, which means we'll have to go to nasty arenas, 3000 deep, and pay money to shake his hand or belong to his fan club. I entreat you to get on board NOW while the getting's good.

Yrs,
Earworm

Strange yet delightful

2011-09-19T22:08:00.000-04:00

Not Zooey Deschanel, you fools! This is my blog.

(jk. Sorry about last week, where I totally missed the whole Thursday link roundup thing anyway. Nothing happened in the music industry anyway, but if you want to read about it, there's always Rolling Stone. jk, sorry again. I do not hate Zooey OR Rolling Stone. Much.)

So, this week, since I'm not sure I can pull together a CD review as planned, we move on to more musicians you may not have heard of, because these 3 guys have band names that aren't their names.

Firstly, Alex Ebert, from Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.

WHOA boy, you want to talk wierd. This dude has a line on some maaaaaaaad desert drugs, totally got that whole John-the-Baptist-in-the-wilderness-running-around-in-a-loincloth-eating-crickets vibe going on. And yet there is this incredible, trance-like fervor with which he sings, a reedy voice, eyes rolling back in his head, a voice crying in the wilderness, if you would.
Edward Sharpe & Co turn out a pleasant, sanitized, polished hybrid of hippie/hipster music. Alex's solo music is as strange as his voice.

Secondly, Justin Vernon, from Bon Iver.

I know he doesn't need the publicity. In fact, I would probably hate him for being as popular as he is, if he did not plainly work so very hard at what he does. The fact is, sometimes insanely good musicians actually get what they work for.

************TANGENT**************
For a long time I mentally put Justin in the same box with Sam Beam (Iron & Wine), mainly because they both had high voices and beards. This was wrong (all beards are not created equal). Sam Beam gives off a rather fluffy vibe, and Vernon looks like a linebacker. Beam's songs are emotive but quiet, soft, peaceable, rather happy. Vernon's are almost the opposite, with the predominating theme being a piercing melancholy, gorgeous in a way our own melancholies seldom are. Don't get me wrong, I think Sam is cool, but at this stage in my life, his music just sounds goopy-sweet to me.
***********************************

You're probably all somewhat familiar with his falsetto, which apparently he discovered by accident. And you're all probably familiar with Beth/Rest, the most-hated song off of their relatively new self-titled album.
And yet here he strips that song down, just voice and piano, with a great demonstration of the lower end of his register. Click here to listen on NPR.
And then check out the whole of Bon Iver in action here. (If Arcade Fire is reading this, I suggest you watch and learn: THIS is how a big band should be done.)

Moving on!

Kristian Matsson, aka The Tallest Man on Earth.
Anything that's ever been said about Tom Waits or Bob Dylan has also been said about this guy. And you'll hear the obvious similarities. I have yet to really get into Waits, so I'll keep my mouth shut. Dylan is one of the best songwriters of all time, and yet I can barely stand listening to him.
In my opinion someone like Kristian takes what is good from both of these guys (who are, rightfully so, legends) and makes something that is quite his own. Judge for yourselves.

So that's that. Crazy couple of weeks coming up.
2 concerts, 1 festival, etc. Crap-load of photos.

Stay patient, stay sharp.

Yrs,Earworm

Guy Davis, Tony Rice and Chris Thile walk into a bar...

2011-09-10T17:27:00.003-04:00

This is like a mini-showcase of guys with gorgeous voices. I'm just sayin'.

For starters, Guy Davis.
Never heard of him and then this came up on my Pandora. Just disgustingly good. LISTEN.

Tony Rice, who sadly no longer sings, is still an incredible guitar player (I saw him last year!) Lately, again, Pandora's been serving up some of his stuff from 20-odd years ago and I'm utterly blown away. Plus this has the added benefit of Sam Bush, who's also a great singer.

(Well you knew I was just leading up to this, didn't you.)
And then we've got Chris Thile, who might just have the perfect voice. Really. Always just the tiniest bit sharp, very sweet, well-supported, and he's working his lower register now. I am more impressed every time I hear him. Here's something from a show 3 years ago (start at 4:00).

UPCOMING:
Tornado Rider "Jark Matter" review!
More musical links on Thursday to keep you informed of what's what and who's who!
Next weekend: youtube links to men with strange but lovely voices, such as The Tallest Man on Earth, and Justin Vernon, and maybe Alex Ebert. Don't know who they are? STICK AROUND.

That about does it. Have a good weekend.
Yrs,
Earworm

Thursday Link Roundup #5

2011-09-08T09:17:00.000-04:00

Hey friendly people!

Firstly and most importantly -
The Falcon, that charming little venue I was at only the weekend before last, really suffered in Irene. They're right on a little river, which became a VERY LARGE RIVER given the amount of rain they had, and it washed away their walkways and plantings and part of the parking lot. The worst of it is that they don't have flood insurance.
They're asking that if you want to give them a hand, you do so by coming out and seeing a show, and buying food and drink. Remember, all the money you put in the donation box goes to the artists - they only make money on food and drink. So go enjoy a wonderful dinner or dessert and a world-class bar selection (I can highly recommend the Hudson Rye Whiskey - expensive, but the best drink I've ever had) and help the Falcon get back on their feet!

Second:
Possibly the best Q & A about the state of the music industry you will ever read: Tim Siedell's interview with Weird Al. You should all know Weird Al and a good chunk of his repertoire by now. And Tim is funny. And you can pick up Al's latest, "Alpocalypse", on his website. It's great.

Thirdly:
The Feds go after Gibson. Big time. It seems odd, considering how many US-based instrument makers who import the same materials have not been "approached". Read Gibson's statement here.

Fourthly: You may have missed the whole Bela Fleck/Throw Down Your Heart thing. I almost did.

DO NOT MISS IT. It's streaming on Netflix, or you could buy it on Amazon. You know how I rave about Dave Sinko, my favorite sound guy ever? He did the sound on this. He miked grass huts. He miked pits in the ground so people could pound on logs and make music. And the result? Perfect. I own the CD and listened to it the first time and thought, huh, well, this is okay, I guess? And then I watched the movie, and then I went back and listened again, and couldn't believe they got THAT out of THIS. You need the one to appreciate the other.

Fifthly! The ever-delightful Deadly Gentlemen introduce themselves and talk a bit about their style. If you're not familiar with them, this is a great place to start, and if you are familiar with them, this is really funny.

Yours, as always,

Earworm

Another band you probably haven't heard of

2011-09-04T14:05:00.002-04:00

Yes, folks, you probably haven't heard of The Trews, and that's because they're from Canada.
When you're American, Canadian music almost doesn't exist. And yet nonetheless there is this amazing Canadian rock scene (hello, Black Mountain?! Go check out their video "The Hair Song" IMMEDIATELY).

But this post is about the Trews. A grungy, tough, gritty little band.

"Paranoid Freak", below.

And my introduction to them, a song I still happily return to, "Tired of Waiting".
It's terrible quality, but whatever.

That's all, y'all, have a good weekend, stay safe, see you next week!

Earworm

Thursday link roundup #4

2011-09-01T00:35:00.000-04:00

Feel free to chime in here, I feel like I'm talking to myself, which is fine, I mean, I do that anyway, but... if you're reading... PIPE UP!

Firstly: During my brief Spotify trial, I was like, hmm, I feel like listening to Pete Seeger today, and I stumbled across this album, which I haven't heard in YEARS.

This was one of my favorites when I was about 11 or 12.
Mom must have bought "For Kids and Just Plain Folks" right after it came out, which is odd, because she didn't really buy that many CDs. We listened to it so much, I think she hid it. It's a wonderful album, a great lite introduction to folk music, good for all ages, and I'm fairly certain you'll like it. Great singing, great picking, what more can you ask for?

Secondly: More on Spotify, I know, sorry, but Gabriel Kahane writes in depth about the spiritual experience of listening to music and how we're damaging that.... Trust me, read the whole thing, read the rebuttal article someone else wrote (he links to it) and then Gabe's rebuttal rebuttal.

Thirdly: Tom Daly, a great photographer based out of Charlottesville VA, posted some KILLER pictures of My Morning Jacket, a band you should by all means listen to.

Fourthly: The Festy is accepting work-exchange volunteers! Five hours of work per day, and you can attend and camp for only a $10 fee (plus a refundable deposit if you complete your shifts). You guys, I had a wonderful time there last year and am really looking forward to it again this year. Thoughtfully curated lineup, GORGEOUS location, not over-crowded, way easier to drive to Virginia than, say, Colorado, etc. etc. etc. Don't feel like volunteering? Just buy a ticket. See you there. Also, Festy people: if anyone needs a ride from Virginia back up the East Coast on Monday the 10th, I may be able to help.

Fifthly: Feel like a little glorious chaos? YES YOU DO.
Then check out this video from the Railroad Revival Tour. OCMS, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Mumford & Sons on stage. Together. Singing a Woody Guthrie song. I kind of feel like anything I say is pointless. Just turn it up, and feel free to dance.

Yours,

Earworm

a few shots from this weekend's shows

2011-08-29T18:59:00.001-04:00

Firstly, my portion of Connecticut was relatively untouched, for which I am hugely thankful for many reasons - and it meant we got to go to both of these shows safely.

Brad & Mark's gig was scheduled for Sunday, and they moved it to Saturday. Ironically, the weather was worse driving back from that show on Saturday than it was on Sunday night here.

This was, not that I'm counting, my 8th Punch show. We got treated to a number of new songs, there's a new album in the works. Stellar versions of 'Sexx Laws' and 'Ophelia'. I had the best seat in the house, not gonna lie.

From Punch Brothers at Fairfield Theatre Company:

(Full set here on my Flickr - please click through & enjoy the slideshow!)

So I'd heard from a reliable source that Mark was a crazy good drummer. Well, it was true. I've never seen anyone drum like that, never seen anyone pull so many musical rabbits out of hats. Unbelievable.

Brad is well-known as a super-famous jazz pianist, and the first time I saw him, I wasn't sure I was going to like it, I'm not a jazz lover. And he proceeded to play some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard. The Guiliana-Mehldau duo plays electronic music, and so well, my friends, SO well. Hopefully some Youtube footage will turn up.

From Brad Mehldau & Mark Guiliana at The Falcon:

(Full set here on my Flickr - the most recent 8 shots are from this gig, and then it's other shows - no need to sit through the whole thing unless you want to!)

Catch you on the flip side!

Earworm

Thursday link roundup #3

2011-08-25T10:01:00.000-04:00

Stunned that another week had passed so quickly, the Earworm sat bleary-eyed at a computer on Wednesday evening, trying to track down the things she had meant to bookmark earlier in the week!

Firstly:
Chris Pandolfi of the Infamous Stringdusters has written a couple of great blog posts about IBMA, the International Bluegrass Music Association, and their nomination process. You can read his first post here - a couple of industry folks let it be known that they were listening, and Chris will now be giving a keynote speech at IBMA's business conference. He's written about this before - the general attitude of the bluegrass "gatekeepers" (think "none shall pass" and you have a pretty good idea of what the more straitlaced bluegrass community is like these days) - but specifically these posts address the fact that some new processes are needed if the community at large is to continue to grow.

(Pandolfi at the Festy, October 2010)

Secondly:
Set aside half an hour and check out this delightful long-form jam in a kitchen. It's Rushad Eggleston of Tornado Rider, and Lewis (cello) and Anton (violin) Patzner of Judgement Day (a "string metal" band), and James Erwin on guitar (if anybody has James' link, let me know and I'll put it in). Such an over-abundance of skillz in this kitchen.

Thirdly:
Devon Sproule and Paul Curreri are moving from Charlottesville VA - to Germany.
Read C-Ville Weekly's article here on Devon's site. I was particularly saddened by their remarks on shockingly low album sales, and the fact that they can make a better living overseas. I wish them the success that they deserve and am sorry they're not able to find it stateside.
Lucky Germans.
(I remember watching Devon walk out on stage and thinking, she's so tiny, how is this going to SOUND, and was then promptly blown away by some of the strongest, crunchiest guitar playing and best vocals I've ever heard from anyone. Paul is an equally great musician and this just reaffirms my decision to buy all their albums over time.)

(Sproule & Curreri at the Festy, October '10)

Fourthly:
The world goes to hell in a handbasket and NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE!!!

Fifthly:
Silly tweets from a few musicians you've probably never heard of - click through for a laugh, and follow these fine folks.
Zachariah Hickman (bassist for Josh Ritter)
Noam Pikelny (banjoist for Punch Brothers)
Sam Amidon (Appalachian alt-folk, banjo, strange vocals, occasionally plays with Doveman or Samamidon)
Nico Muhly (composer, pianist)

You may not hear a lot from me next week as I'll be busy processing pictures from the TWO SHOWS that I am going to this weekend (Punch Brothers on Friday, Brad Mehldau/Mark Guiliana on Sunday), so that's all for now. Enjoy your weekend. Probably send a few tweets your way from these concerts.

Fondly,
Earworm

Keeping it in the family

2011-08-23T10:29:00.001-04:00

You may or may not be aware that my brother is a dang fine musician.

Our musical taste overlaps in places (mostly stuff from the 60s and 70s) but where I go bluegrass, he goes dubstep.

But I appreciate some good guitar playing as much as the next person, even if I do have to live with it at full volume on repeat (KIDDING).

He and a couple of his friends have started a band ("We the Bride") and he also plays at church.

Here's a few samples from his Youtube channel.

Covering Gaga -

A little Raconteurs intro:

Enjoy,

Earworm

Kicking off the weekend with Ben Sollee

2011-08-19T09:44:00.000-04:00

By now you should all know who Ben Sollee is - a groovy young cellist hailing from Kentucky.

I've mentioned him in connection with his album with Daniel Martin Moore and also in connection with the style of Rushad Eggleston, but Sollee is his own man. He spins a fine thread between the hillsy, Appalachian alt-folk music and things like this, a more edgy, frenetic, minor-toned piece, taped at a recent concert. It's not super-fancy but it's great quality and it looks like it was a great show.

You can pick up Ben's albums and merch here. I haven't had a chance yet to see him on tour, but it's something I'm looking forward to. His collaborations seem very thoughtfully chosen, so no matter when you see his show, it's going to be a bit different. I like that.

Ben actively promotes a green-conscious lifestyle (he & Daniel Martin Moore's duo album, "Dear Companion", speaks to the crisis of mountain-top removal coal mining - I really will review this one soon!) and so, what a pleasure to see that he practices what he preaches! From last year early into this year, Ben & crew mapped out a tour that they could bike, gear and all, with only a couple of connecting train rides when biking became impossible.

If I could do one thing through this blog, and one thing only, it would be to get you, the consumer, to support more musicians like this - hardworking people who are quietly making a living and making an impact on their communities. Of course talent is part of the equation, and Ben is an enormously talented person, but in the long run, hard work pays off more than talent. Sollee embodies the sentiment that keeps coming back to me these days - live well where you are.

Have a wonderful weekend, guys.

Yours,
Earworm

Thursday Link Roundup #2

2011-08-18T07:41:00.006-04:00

I know, I know, this was the highlight of your week last time, right?! So we're bringin' it back.

Firstly.
The Falcon, an outstanding music-space in Marlboro NY. They're unique. Shows are free, there's no cover. First come, first seated - they make their money off of the food and drink, which are excellent (they just went farm-to-table! And they have local beer and locally roasted coffee!). You put what you want to pay into a box, and that money goes directly to the artists.

You know who's playing there August 28th? Brad Mehldau. I shouldn't have to say any more. He's unbelievable.
And you know who's opening? Mark Guiliana, the only drummer I know of endorsed by Chris Thile.

MAJOR HUGE DIGRESSION:
Remember my second blog post when I put the theory out there that all roads lead not to Rome, but rather to Chris Thile? My own private version of six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon?
A little backstory.

October 15th 2009. My 3rd Punch Brothers show, Albany, NY - I'm standing in line to say thanks after the show, and I was behind a father and son. The son was maybe 12 or so, and they'd just bought "Punch" and I remember thinking gee, I hope that kid knows what he's in for, that's heady stuff!

So they get up to the table and the father starts talking to Thile, and says, "I know Brad Mehldau, you guys should play a show together." Thile replies "Well, I would have to get over my fear of playing with Brad Mehldau first".

March 2nd, 2011 - I'm in Manhattan, watching Gabriel Kahane, Brad Mehldau and Chris Thile share a stage and bust out some of the most crazy, complex beautiful music I've ever heard.

(That father and son, by the way, were Tony and Lee Falco. Tony owns The Falcon. Lee drums for a couple of different bands and sometimes runs the soundboard.)
All of this to say - life is cool. And you should go see Brad and Mark at the Falcon. I'll be there. And I'll be putting more in that donation box than I'd pay for a ticket under ordinary circumstances, because 100% of my money is going directly to Brad and Mark.
Please come and help me stick it to Ticketmaster!!!

Secondly: Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile are releasing an album in October, called "The Goat Rodeo Sessions", available on Amazon for pre-order. Watch them performing "Attaboy" here on MSN.

Thirdly: A great article detailing the dilemma of a music lover who's at concerts... and has to wait tables.

Fourthly: A painfully funny comic from Wondermark. Tubas! Mortality!

Fifthly: Justin Vernon, the bearded wonder behind Bon Iver, shared a downloadable MP3 of he and Phil Cookson rehearsing their mashup of Donnie Hathaway's "A Song For You" and Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me". If this doesn't make you cry, YOU HAVE NO SOUL.

I think that about covers it for this week! See you soon.

Ever yours,
Earworm

LSD for everyone!

2011-08-16T23:12:00.003-04:00

And I bet this'll be my most popular post EVER!

So by now you should all know about Lake Street Dive. They're one of those bands that you've heard of, but probably not heard.

My friends, it was a mistake I had also made.

Until I saw them opening for Punch Brothers at pBingo #2, and was utterly flabbergasted.

Mike Calabrese is one of the finest drummers I've ever seen/heard.

Bridget Kearney plays a mean bass.

Rachael Price has a soulsy old-school voice.

Mike Olson is an insane trumpet & guitarist.

So the long and short of it is, if you have ears and a sense of humor and like jazzy, bluesy, unsappy music, you should own their entire catalog.

My favorite banjo player in the entire world, Greg Liszt (of Crooked Still and The Deadly Gentlemen) also happens to have a simple, beautiful approach to filming, and has filmed a live concert in HD. Video & audio, an exclusive download, coming soon, available only on their site, which is a great idea, and something I'll 98% likely buy. Because I can't resist. The 2% is really just money-based.

Sample the trailer here -

Hopefully this will go a long way towards washing your ears of everything unlovely you heard today.

Ever yours,
Earworm

Thursday Link Roundup

2011-08-11T13:33:00.002-04:00

Start your partying a day early with the Earworm's Link Roundup! Just kidding.
But seriously. I came across too many cool things this week not to share with y'all. And I like Thursdays better than Fridays, so here we are.

I've been really enjoying my free Spotify trial, which I was comparing it to Pandora's free service. (PS - in two weeks, I listened through probably 30 albums wishlisted albums, and was able to eliminate a couple, added a few new ones, and bought one immediately. In terms of a preview tool, this beats those 30 second Amazon clips ALL HOLLOW.)
I can stream almost anything I want, whenever I want it! Oh wait, that's the problem. Read this article and then tell me what you think.
I think that Spotify may be charming and fun, but it doesn't really fit with what I'm trying to do - support artists.
So, back to my free Pandora station and regular album purchases. I'd rather have one new album at $10 a month than know that a $10 subscription fee really went a thousand different ways.

The ever-delightful Gabriel Kahane is releasing his 2nd album, "Where are the Arms", in September.
You can pre-order now on his Bandcamp page.

Tornado Rider's 3rd album, "Jark Matter", dropped a week or so ago and can be ordered here.

(Tornado Rider in Brooklyn this May)

Steve Reich steps in it. I admire what he does, but the message sent by this cover is not a positive one. His response to the fall-out is almost flippant, in my view. Yes, he's changing the cover, but this SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN PROPOSED AS A GOOD IDEA. Feel free to share your thoughts.

One of my favorite sound guys, Erick Jaskowiak, wrote a great article on his mentor (and my hero - best sound guy EVER!), Dave Sinko. Go read it.

(Dave Sinko setting up for Punch Brothers in Manhattan this April)

That's all for now, folks - have yourselves a great Thursday>Friday!

Fondly,
Earworm

Monday morning medication with the Allman Brothers

2011-08-08T09:13:00.000-04:00

Up too early! At work too early! How about a little treat from the Allmans? Wikipedia has a little backstory on this song.And you can buy the album here -

Eat a Peach (Vinyl)

Eat a Peach (remastered CD)

Istvan Medgyesi/BRB, y'all

2011-08-05T14:59:00.001-04:00

So, couple of things: I have to go underground with work & life, etc. over the next couple of weeks. Good things are happening but there won't be a formal CD review until the fall - may find time to squeak in a show review and of course will keep sharing great music links & music videos as much as I can. Please do stay tuned. (I have no idea how many people there are reading this on a regular basis but I appreciate your visits and hope you get a little something out of the experience!)

Gonna leave you with a track from Istvan Medgyesi called "I Knew This Girl". Perfect, perfect, melancholy summer music, hat tip to my friend Lisa for sharing.

You can download it for only 50 CENTS on his Bandcamp page.

And you can watch it on Youtube here.

Fondly,
Earworm

I hate Wednesdays

2011-08-03T10:08:00.004-04:00

I love Thursdays, but you gotta get through Wednesday to get there.

So for today, a little John Butler Trio (minus Nicky Bomba)? Yes.

Little back story - on tour in Canada, JBT had to cancel a show, so they went and played a free show in the park. CLASS ACT, y'all. Enjoy.

Fondly,
Earworm

An unprecedented and harbunguous Tornado Rider omnibus review

2011-07-13T20:18:00.001-04:00

I've held off on this post for a while because I was like, what do I do, review the one Tornado Rider CD? Or the other one? As they said themselves in their Kickstarter fundraising video, their CDs sound nothing at all like the live show.

SO what the heck! Why not do it all at the same time! That's right folks, I'm going to review both CDs, briefly, and also review the live show, and I will try to refrain from making any more "brief" puns. You want briefs, go to a Tornado Rider show.

Okay, so, they've got two CDs. You can't buy them on Amazon. You can't buy them online just now. Another excuse for you to go to a show. They're like $10. They're lo-fi. They're cheaply packaged. The photos are silly. But you know what? You've still never heard anything like it. "Do You Have Time...?" and "Sneth Rock!".

So you've got one cellist, one bassist, one drummer, that's it. Every band has a frontman, whether or not they want to admit it, and that's definitely Rushad Eggleston.

Graham Terry plays a clean, gutsy bass line. He always has great shoes. And very skinny knees.

Scott Manke hammers out hours of flawless drumming, Cheshire-cat grinning the entire time.

So by now you may have drawn the conclusion that this is a silly band, and yes, you're probably right. I mean, it's a punk-rock band that rocks, in their way, as hard as Zeppelin did, but there's no guitar and there IS a cello and the only other place I've seen costumes like this was P-town (the socks? the tights? the elf/raccoon/cow hats?) and you'd be right, because they ARE a silly band, but it's a very calculated silliness.

Here's why. You listen to this stuff and you'll hear stuff that sounds like the Ramones. Stuff that sounds like Buddy Holly. Stuff that sounds like Beethoven and stuff that IS Boccherini, and depending on the night, songs about cookies and bison and golden apples and falcons and rotten apples, and things that live in Rushad's pants. Maybe all in the same night if you're lucky. But I digress.

It takes a crap load of work to make things look this silly and effortless. Tornado Rider is raucously touring the United States under their own steam, in a Sprinter.
They schlep their own gear. This isn't a fancy band.
There isn't a ton of money. They put out a tip bucket.
They show up and watch their own openers, something I think bands should always do, no matter how famous you are.
They make a supreme effort to visit and connect with fans before and after their shows.
And ultimately, they play. They play HARD. This is a VERY sweaty band. I assume there is also blood and tears. The flamboyance and ne'er-do-well vibe is, not to say an act, but calculated.

What goes on at these shows? Well, a lot of stuff.

If the venue is a tent, usually there's a hanging-by-the-knees-from-the-rafters cello solo. I've seen Rushad play lying on his back on the floor, leading a "cello train" around the room, standing on a bar, while leaping over a table, while jumping backwards from the floor up onto the stage, and flatpick (you've never seen that done on a cello. I promise), and yeah, I've only been to two shows so far.
He seems to go through about one cello bow per show. On the last song when I saw them in Brooklyn, the bridge on the cello just snapped (Ginsberg's "Kaddish" had been wedged under it) and they were like "WELL guess that's it, folks!"...

Is this a show you should take your mom to? Well, not unless your mom likes incredibly high volume and half-naked sweaty men who usually strip off another layer or two during the show.
If she does, then bring her along!
Is this a show you should take your kids to? I have no idea, that depends on your kids.
A lot of these songs make total sense from a kid's standpoint. Cookies? Falcons? Bright colors and loud noises!?? Heck yes!

Want to see the rest of my photos from those two gigs? Here.

What I'm telling you is go see these guys before they get the fame that they rightly deserve.
Go see them now while they still have time. Give them your money, because they're sure working hard enough for it.
Go see them while they are still on that perilous musical tight-rope of high-strung brilliance. Go and don't bother bringing ear-plugs. Just enjoy.

Check out one of their quieter acoustic performances here -

And then check out their official music video.

--harbunguously yours, Earworm.

How to develop good music buying & listening habits (if you want)

2011-05-22T18:25:00.007-04:00

Allow me to get philosophical before we kick things off, eh? I decided to not do the typical CD review post. My blog, why not.

There are moments in life where you recognize something greater than you is happening.
During those moments you may cry, you may laugh, be overwhelmed with the piercing sweetness of what is going on, or saddened by the fact that this blip in time has a finite end and that end is arriving very soon. Or all of these.

Some of these are obviously personal to the point where you can't vocalize (or maybe even shouldn't) what has happened. But some are more tangible.

You'll recognize them more readily at concerts.
When Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau, the whole crowd stilling after several chaotic and brilliant sets, began playing Elliot Smith's Bottle Up and Explode as the final encore, time stopped.

When Rushad Eggleston finally sat down after jumping over and licking every stationary object in the room and started flat-picking his cello for a song about airplanes made of hay, time stopped.

On a whim I bought Modest Mouse's This Is a Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About, and it was the end of a tough day, and Dramamine turned out to be that day, in music.

2-odd years ago I stepped off a plane in Kentucky and despite never having been there before, knew I was home.

One bitter cold night I was waiting in my car for some friends to show up for our dinner date, and bored with the CDs on hand, turned on the radio and stumbled across a local station spinning some bluegrass and jam bands. And from the first notes of Railroad Earth's The Forecast I knew I'd found a song I could listen to for the rest of my life.

I'm not sure if these are all made of the same substance as those moments that Malcolm Gladwell and others refer to as the "click" or "snap" moment, instances where what you know to be good, true or right combines with corresponding emotions, or "gut" reactions.

A visceral reaction to another human is a combination of all that above, plus their body language & yours communicating, and "chemistry" is real - your biochemical properties/patterns and theirs finding a certain peace or in some cases, a pleasant discord. Visceral reactions to music means something just settled in way down inside, something made sense in the moment, music that will probably stay with you for some time.

Not necessarily talking about impulse here. I don't typically buy music impulsively, I mostly schedule my purchases. I try to approach albums the way artists laid them out, which means whole albums rather than picking & choosing downloads, and listening to the album through, in order, at least once before allowing myself to skip around.
I would argue that a trustworthy artist puts thought and care into their tracklisting, so give it the respect due.

Ideally your first listen to any album would be in an environment with minimal interruptions - in the car (although if you're concentrating/into it as much as you should be, you probably shouldn't be driving, through headphones (never EVER on computer speakers for your first listen, please.), or in the space you have set up for listening (surround sound! a comfortable chair!).

Beautifully, a good listening experience isn't a rich man's game. For the sake of the argument let's assume everyone has SOME way to listen to music (CD player, turntable, car stereo, mp3 player, laptop, computer, smartphone, the list goes on). The easiest way to get great sound is with quality files that you purchased yourself (physical format - CD or record - or a high-quality download or high-quality rip from physical format) and a good pair of headphones.
Let me share with you that Skullcandy makes in-ear or over-ear headphones starting at about $20 that are as good as some of the "audiophile" quality kind that will run you big $$$. Seriously. Good headphones make a huge difference.

As to why you should purchase this stuff yourself? Well, I'm an advocate of legally procuring all your music. It pays the artists and it pays you in high-quality files, not lossy mp3s that have really "been around", shedding quality with every digital twist and turn.
You're broke, like me? I understand. Start with Archive.org, where you can safely stream and download thousands and thousands of live shows. Any artist appearing on there has sanctioned the distribution of their live shows. Clean conscience. And it's FREE.

Not that they need my plug, but Pandora and many similar internet radio sites will allow you to stream a certain number of hours of music free per month. I max out my free subscription pretty quickly and haven't yet convinced myself to shell out for the unlimited Pandora One subscription, but I use Pandora to point me in new directions. It comes up with things I never would have found by myself. Downright inspirational when you get sick of everything you have. And again, FREE.

Go to the library. Your library could use your support. They have racks and racks of CDs. Bring them home. Listen to them. Return them. FREE.

SwapaCD.com allows you to post unwanted CDs into the system, earning you credits towards another CD of your choice as they're available. It's practically free. It works out to about $1.50 per CD, which is very reasonable.

Dollar stores, inexplicably, will sometimes have great CDs. Keep an eye out.

Daytrotter, in a marketing stroke of genius, provides free mp3 downloads of 4 or 5-song sets performed live at their facilities. In some cases you can buy the same tracks in high-quality for a nominal sum.

Have a band you particularly like? Get on their forums and find out where you can trade live shows. Sometimes this is easily done, using legal torrents, and sometimes you might have to actually send a few blank CDs and a SASE to the taper. Either way, again, legal, free in the case of the download, and almost free in the latter case.

(I'm going to get rude now, but congratulations if you've stuck with me thus far!)
An audiophile has no business downloading anything UNLESS it isn't available in physical format.
Portability, you whine? Can you not handle ripping & moving the files to your mp3 player? You have an extensive vinyl collection, well, cheers. Get an mp3-rip turntable. You're actually a musician? Good for you! All the more reason you should be supporting your fellow tradespeople. If you're on tour, don't tell me your bus or van doesn't have a CD player. Don't tell me you don't have a laptop. Don't have the space for a system? Believe me I sympathize - see above on how to play good music cheaply.
Do you think if music was less portable, we might make more time for it, we might sit down more and take it in? Just let that one roll around in your head.

The ability to endlessly sample & immediately procure anything we want has, in my opinion, destroyed the listening experience as it was meant to be. While we still have a crumb of the right idea in that we can stand or dance through a 1 1/2 - 2 hour concert, I see most people busier with their phones or cameras rather than actually listening. Dude, I've tweeted from some concerts. And I take pictures. But my primary focus must remain the music, the experience of the live show that cannot be had from any present mode of musical immersion. Take pictures, sure, film some stuff, sure but PLEASE put the tech stuff down and hear with your ears for the majority of the concert. They're up there ideally giving their all for you, the least you can do is give them your full attention. Otherwise you could just be at home trolling Youtube or in a theater watching a concert video.
Maybe eventually we'll all be able to afford virtual reality systems in our home. And it wouldn't be a stretch to pay to experience a concert from any angle you desire, including walking around the stage. Why not. But this is a long way off.

This is about improving the quality of your listening experience, not showing off, because there really is no ceiling in the cost of stereo equipment. The difference between $50 and $150 speakers is astronomical, but the difference between $1K and $5K speakers, not so much. $120K speakers, on the other hand, sort of demand a house to be built around them.
JBL and Canton make some very decent and very affordable pro-sumer speakers which you can easily find. Befriend someone in the audio business. Haunt your pawn shops and Goodwills.

I am not entirely outlawing downloads. But I think we are using them in the wrong way (as the sum of the musical whole, rather than only a part).
Don't ever start your collection of a particular artist's discography with a "best of" - choose albums as they appeal to you, wind up with the "best of" in the long run if you must but be aware that you will miss some wonderful deep cuts if you take chronological shortcuts like this.

Commit to buying one record a month. Just one. You can afford to pay full price if you're only buying one. Choose well. Ask people what they've bought and enjoyed. Don't follow the advice of Amazon best-seller lists, or God forbid, Pitchfork. Expose people to good music - if you've found something special, spread the word. Don't be afraid to shelve something you know you'll grow into musically. Don't be afraid to sell something you really hate. Don't be afraid to love something that others have rejected. You don't have to be a tastemaker, but ideally, you should educate your taste buds and your opinions should be well-informed. The best way to get passionate about this stuff is to go see live shows. You don't have to see tons. Try one a month. No matter where you live, there are affordable shows. I personally love the cheap shows in small venues with low attendance. You make the artists happy, you get to be right up front, you get to interact with the music in a way you simply cannot in larger venues.

I keep a backlog of about 200 albums that I want to buy, and then I buy them as I see them for sale, preferably on sale. Occasionally if I get a little windfall I'll buy the one I want the most. I try to give my business to record stores if possible, and ideally, to the artist themselves via merch tables or their online vendor of choice. Goodwill? Sure. In terms of used music your money is probably doing the most good here. Amazon? Well, sure, you're probably supporting an individual if you go used. eBay? Last resort. Usually CDs on eBay are dreadfully scratched and minus any liner notes (you need the liner notes. Read on!).

Why are the liner notes important? They're important because they give you insight, provided they're thoughtfully written, and that insight just may deepen the experience for you.
For a CD there's the physical challenge of cramming the gorgeous full-size art one used to get with vinyl into a small booklet, complete with lyrics and credits and more.
I've seen a few artists direct traffic to their website for lyrics (which annoys me but it's a great idea).

Vinyl can be customized in colorways simply not possible in CD format. Think about it, rather than just a colorful label, the entire record can be brightly colored, even multi-colored. This is a long way from the White Album. Just by virtue of space, vinyl allows greater surface area/packaging to decorate, making the whole experience that much more limited and unique.
What can you do to a CD? A few extra tracks - call it limited edition, sure, throw some exclusives on iTunes or Amazon mp3. I don't like this, honestly, since it means I have to scurry hither and yon to compelte the album and then pull it all together into the same file on my computer. Make the extras something unique. Don't make them inaccessible.

A delightful trend finally getting on its feet is artists offering up a free track in exchange for your email address. 50% of the time after getting these tracks, I end up pre-ordering the album. We're all happy. They sign me up for emails, I get a risk-free sample. I'm your consumer! Incentivize me!!

Josh Ritter's street team signs off their emails with a modified lyric from one of his songs: "Hold it high for us and we'll do the same for you". I find this charming and meaningful. Think about it. It means accountability and accessibility, two things we don't have with most of our musicians. Folks, we can ALL cash in on this. Support your local musicians, support your favorite bands by buying their merch. In turn, be rewarded with reasonably priced music, affordable concerts, and freebies (like stickers). If there are any artists reading this, I can just say that it costs you next to nothing to include a small sticker with every CD. If I like you enough to buy it, I'll like you enough to put it on my car. INCENTIVIZE ME.

Artists, make your ticketing simple. Make it collectible, as the Railroad Revival Tour did.
Do as one of my favorite venues, The Falcon does - with a donation box. It's free to get in. First come, first served. They make their money off of the food (which is great) and the bar. The artists get 100% of what you put in that box. I put in about double what I would have paid for a ticket.

Suggested reading:
Lawrence Lessig's Free Culture: The Nature and Future of Creativity
Greg Kot's Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music

Nothing is infallible, obviously, and I'm not a psychologist. Nor am I a professional musician. But I try to be a professional, thoughtful listener. I urge you, learn to listen to yourself. Learn to decipher the impulses, the odd attractions in life and music. Educate yourself. Test, try, sample, INVEST.

Fondly,

Earworm

(good lord, did you read this far?!)

#5 - I put ashore in front of your apartment

2011-02-20T18:17:00.004-05:00

I promised January. I lied, plainly, since it's almost March. But cut me a little slack. I went to 3 weddings in 3 weeks at the end of December/beginning of January. Also Railroad Earth, but that's a review for another time.

And I went to see Punch Brothers, which brings me to, at long last, Antifogmatic. Please note that this review refers to the 2-CD/1-DVD deluxe fancy luxury edition, which I can tell you is worth whatever you pay for it.

• I'm not going to get into the origin of the album name, because that's been done to death, except to tell you that Punch Brothers are burgeoning bartenders.
• If you're looking for bluegrass from Punch Brothers, go to one of their live shows. It seems doubtful that they'll be recording much of that any more.
• If you're one of the 3 or 4 people that really loved Punch (holla!), then you'll particularly want to take a close look at the 4-track instrumental EP included in this Deluxe Fancy Luxury edition. Because it's similar, and not quite as emo.
• This is the first Punch Brothers album with Paul Kowert. And Paul Kowert is AWESOME.
• Go look up Jon Brion and his catalog right now so you don't have to pretend you know who he is when people are all like "oooh aaah Jon Brion produced this!!"
• Go see a live PB show. They're just as pristine and twice as fun live. And thanks to Dave Sinko, the sound at said shows is always perfect.

So what IS this, anyway?

My friends, it is two to three clicks away from being ADULT CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FROM BROOKLYN, that beloved fodder of hipsters everywhere. (Except Punch Brothers are waaaayyyy too mainstream now, having gotten steady and well-deserved publicity throughout 2010.)

Well, IS it like Sufjan Stevens? No.

It's the same basic bluegrass band instrumentation that they've always had (mandolin, fiddle, banjo, bass, guitar). Amplified and undistorted, but played with a ferocity and intensity one might associate more readily with a really GOOD rock band (I am not talking about Nickelback here, folks). It's complicated-sounding in the same way that Sufjan's music is, but more classically approached. And yet, more accessible than most classical music (and, indeed, most of Punch) is.

It's the same old Punch Brothers with, well, more money. Better production, better advertising, and almost inconceivably, better suits. And yet they manage to remain thoroughly realistic. Ballads for the broken-hearted and angsty positively ABOUND. Of particular note is "This is the Song", a crowd favorite for the last few years. I was afraid they were never going to record it. At the live shows this is always the one where no one breathes.

i put ashore in front of our apartment
and watched you comb the stoop for shards of porcelain
satisfied that there were none, you broke the silence,
and after this i promise not to interrupt again

(All of the above accompanied by a bowed bass line from Kowert.
I tell you, it's enough to make me weep. In public.)

If this is what the new group-written Punch Brothers tracks sound like, the new Luxury Deluxe Fancy Punch Brothers with their vintage instruments and suits, well, then, I'm still a fan. I suspect you will be too.

(Video above is from the DVD included in the Luxury Fancy, yeah, you feel me, right? Just buy the dang thing.)

Fondly,

Earworm

#4 - You better come on in my kitchen

2010-12-14T19:48:00.003-05:00

(Here we are again, and I'm a little more on time. This record was slated for the New Year, but honestly, I just saw them for the fourth time this year, and they were so dang good, I can't wait any longer.)

Crooked Still - Shaken by a Low Sound

I knew who they were before I bought the CD. They'd done some live stuff with my perennial favorite, Punch Brothers (I'll be spinning "Antifogmatic" next month if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise!).
So! I was down in Pennsylvania at a Half Price Books (which is almost the best place in the world! If your favorite thing to do is sit on the floor going through enormous stacks of $1 CDs. It's totally my favorite thing to do.). And I saw this for $2.98. All I have to say about that is that some poor sucker sold something really great for a mere pittance.

The very first notes hook you. You notice this instantaneous addictive swell of rippling banjo notes (I know, but really. This must be heard to be believed, especially if you've only been exposed to clawhammer), these bitter-dark bass lines, sweet high vocals, and something... wait... it's a cello. Yes. An Americana/alt-bluegrass group, with a cello. (Please note that the present lineup includes a different but equally great cellist, Tristan Clarridge, plus a fantastic fiddler, Brittany Haas. Fiddling on this album is by Casey Driessen, a fabulous guy out of Nashville who just happens to guest on tons of albums. )

Yes, I know I've already raved about Greg Liszt's remarkable playing, but it bears repeating - this guy is GOOD. Noam Pikelny won (and surely deserved) Steve Martin's "First Inaugural Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass", but it is my sincere hope that Greg Liszt will get the second one.

(Photo kindly provided by Brandelicious.)
Rushad Eggleston (the cellist on this album, now flamboyantly fronting Tornado Rider) contributes an unearthly presence here - picking, sawing, chopping, I can guarantee that you've never heard anything like this. I can only point you towards this Youtube movie in which he demonstrates his various styles because otherwise you wouldn't believe me. I think it's safe to say he blazed a trail for folks like Ben Sollee or Wes Spring (both of whom are well worth checking out!).

The bassist, Corey DiMario, is a fine player. I advise you to crank the bass up and enjoy. You may know my profound love of arco-bass; they don't have much written into their songs, but then again, with a cello, perhaps it's not as necessary to round out the sound.
.
Aoife's vocals are clean and non-frilly. I'm incredibly picky about female vocalists, so that's a compliment.

There's a handful of songs on here you may have heard before - that first song that struck me so was Bill Monroe's "Can't You Hear Me Callin'". There's a whole bunch of classic Appalachian/Celtic-origin folk songs, but done with instrumentation so clean you'll think you're dreaming.

Dylan's "Oxford Town" runs into "Cumberland Gap" so well, you'd think he wrote it that way

They got a lot of publicity for "Come On In My Kitchen" and "Ain't no Grave" so I'm not even going to go there. Suffice it to say that the whole album is meritorious and you should get it in your ears as soon as possible.

Digi-pak - an attractive one. Bright colors and an appropriately hip but folksy design. Can't pick my favorite lyrics, they're all great.

Track listing:
1. Can't You Hear Me Callin'
2. Little Sadie
3. New Railroad
4. Oxford Town/Cumberland Gap
5. Lone Pilgrim
6. Come On In My Kitchen
7. Ain't No Grave
8. Ecstasy
9. Mountain Jumper
10. Railroad Bill
11. Wind & Rain

It's a 2006 release on Signature Sounds, produced by Lee Townsend.

I'm spinning this now, for probably the five hundredth time (no exaggeration). It just doesn't get old. From the heartbreaking beauty of "Wind and Rain" to the frizzly insanity of "Mountain Jumper", this is one of my desert island albums. Make it one of yours.

Fondly,

Earworm

(P.S. See you in 2011 with a slew of great new albums! Stay sharp.)

#3 - I steep leaves for you

2010-11-07T18:20:00.007-05:00

To the two or so people reading this blog, I apologize for the tardiness of this post. It's been a busy couple of months, and my original goal of one review per month is proving to be somewhat unrealistic. (Which is why I'm currently at Starbucks trying to write two reviews at the same time so that there actually WILL be a review in December.)

Which brings me to my current review.

Daniel Martin Moore (photo kindly provided by Sprocket87)

first floated into my consciousness about a year ago, when I heard his near-perfect record with Ben Sollee (and Yim Yames!) "Dear Companion" (which I promise will be reviewed here in 2011).

Stray Ageis, well, it's an unusual album, in a word, simple. Simple melodies. Peaceful lyrics. Moore's voice is tending towards deep, very sweet-toned. Don't get me wrong, this is a totally professional recording, but the music feels personal, like sitting on your front porch with a handful of good friends who just happen to be decent musicians, and someone busts out the iced tea spiked with bourbon and someone else pulls a guitar from their car, and someone sings, and the next thing you know it's 4 in the morning. It is unabashedly warm and fuzzy music.

(Look, we're in New England, and we're facing 4 months of bitter gray and white cold, and nobody's really into that front porch business, so you can see why this might sound so good. If you're from the South, perhaps you have this and are taking it for granted, in which case, please don't!)

10 of 11 tracks are original, and there's a notable cover of Sandy Denny's "Who Knows Where The Time Goes". There's a handful of backup/accompanying musicians, all of whom are perfectly fine, but nothing stands out in particular, and it's so consistent I believe it to be intentional. The focus here is on Moore's voice and playing. If anyone else tried to pull off such an album, you'd almost dismiss it, you'd be like, "nah, that's not enough". But if that little handful of spare quiet songs is done with such care as these are, it can be just right.

The album aesthetic is perfectly matched to the music. (And living proof that Digi-paks can be 100% attractive...) Sweet quality paper, super typography, and liner notes with... no lyrics. This used to irritate me, but it's actually a great tactic for driving folks to your site to find them. Favorites? From "Every Color and Kind":

you read to me
i steep leaves for you
the like the cure for the like
an ear for the word
a sky for the bird
a song for the time movin' by

It's a 2008 release on Sub-Pop, Joe Chiccarelli & Moore as producers. I think you need to buy it, and spin it for a real chill party, or curled up on the couch with someone you love.

I suggest, also, that you grab his session on Daytrotter, because it's free and it's fabulous, as are they.

Track Listing:
1. Stray Age
2. It's You
3. That'll Be the Plan
4. In These Hearts
5. Who Knows Where the Time Goes
6. The Old Measure
7. By Dream
8. Where We Belong
9. Restoration Sketches
10. Every Color and Kind
11. The Hour of Sleep

Enjoy.

-- Earworm

#2 - A dress to hang her hopes on

2010-09-09T18:19:00.004-04:00

Gabriel Kahane - Gabriel Kahane

Disclaimer: Some friends and I (it might be mostly me) have a saying that all roads lead not to Rome, but to Chris Thile. (This is our version of 7 degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon.)

Back in '06 when I was still messing about on piano, someone told me to listen to Gabriel Kahane, and I ignored them. Someone else sent me videos from his Youtube channel.

Flash forward to December '09. I know said Kahane has a few albums by now, one of which includes a track with said Thile. I venture into Manhattan, to The Stone to see Rob Moose's first solo show plus Rob & Dana Lyn in Bach Reformed. I was there because I heard about it on Twitter and had seen Rob with Punch Brothers on their Fall '09 tour.

Get to the point, Earworm, okay, well, I saw lots of people in that audience that are on this album. And Gabriel Kahane was wearing a strange and wonderful hat. (I like hats. So sue me.)

Which brings me to this review.

It would be easy to overlook this album entirely, but oh, what a mistake.

The first thing that you notice is the style of piano playing. Proficient, but clean.
Kahane is possessed of a warm and pleasant voice, not tremendously polished, but comfortable and good to listen to.

Yeah, okay, so Sufjan is on here, but so is Rob Moose, so is Sam Amidon playing some great banjo.
C.J. Camerieri has a couple of really incredible trumpet solos. And of course, Chris Thile.

(You could point the hipster finger but I wouldn't.)
What keeps it from teetering over the edge of sweater-vestness and self actualization?
The dippy humour of lines like "a cocktail of two parts whiskey/and one part benzedrine tablets". The sweetness of Underberg, which I'll not quote here. For Underberg alone you need to buy this record.
The melancholy of "Keene" (from which our title springs), and the edge of insanity in "The Faithful".

And then, wait a minute, "Arnold Corrects the Papers While My Grandmother Washes His Children" is the one that always makes me stop and hit repeat a few times at the least. It's a rearrangement of Bach's "Wie Soll Ich Dich Empfangen" which also appears here in a shortened form. Your reaction, as is my reaction to most of Sufjan's titles, should be "HUH?!". It is a revelation.

I think almost any album can be improved by adding Chris Thile so I'll spare you my enthusiasm for "Villanelles" except to say that this is harmony the way God intended.

This is young music. Not green, mind you, dude is skilled and works like a dog. I would wish to impress upon you that this is noteworthy stuff, and that he's only going to get better as time goes on. I'm unable to turn up any information on his current record label. This album is not what I'd describe as hi-fi, but again, the sheer quality of the composition and instrumentation means I listen to this album a lot. The aural & aesthetic design of this album could be called sparse. And I like it.

I will stop now.

Please go buy this album. Or at the least, you could follow him on Twitter, he's a hoot.

It's a 2008 release. Kahane & Moose produced.

Yours,

Earworm

#1 - You're twisted, but oh, you favor me.

2010-08-03T19:16:00.011-04:00

The Bastard Masterpiece - The Deadly Gentlemen.

General disclaimer:
This CD not appropriate for small children, feminists, or the easily offended, containing a fair amount of material about drugs, sex, and alcohol. It comes from an unabashedly male perspective, tongue firmly in cheek, and as such, I'm cool with it. You may not be, and that's okay too.

I've found so much good music this summer I couldn't decide what to write about first.

The same procrastination led me to think that maybe Bastard Masterpiecewould wait for me. And it did. It waited months. Months during which I went and saw Crooked Still again, and watched the gents on YouTube. But something said "it's time" and it came and I popped it into the computer and started it playing and that weird and wonderful thing happened where from the VERY FIRST NOTES I knew this was The One. Not just The One to christen the blog with, the one to inflict upon you, my reader, but a definite candidate for the 10 CDs I would listen to for the rest of my life if you took everything else away.

Why? Why am I biased, why do I like this so much, why should you like this so much?
First of all, because Greg Liszt is awesome. I will confine my admiration here to saying that he drives Crooked Still with banjo that sparkles. No, really. I mean sparkle in the good old-fashioned way that means full of light and has nothing to do with vampires. Banjo done wrong is so horrible that I think we tend to forget how good it can really sound. If you're just looking for speed, I'd tell you to look elsewhere, because you're probably not going to appreciate what comes next: he's got tone and he's got style. The fact that he writes the bluegrass/alt-folk version of the Onion in his spare time is perhaps irrelevant to this post, but pretty amusing.

SO when Greg Liszt decides it's a good idea to collect a bunch of guys who play acoustic stringed instruments and record an acoustic music record with what he calls rapped and I call somewhere between rapped & Charlie Daniels & Pavement (?!) & spoken word vocals, pay attention.

And those guys?
Sam Grisman on double bass.
Josh Pinkham on mandolin.
Mike Barnett on fiddle.

I don't know what ought to impress me more, the fact that these three are all under 25, ~~already better than I'd ever be if I practiced 10 hours a day from here till the end~~ in multiple bands and projects (current and past include David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, Sarah Jarosz, Bearfoot, Northern Lights, and Tony Trischka. That's just a few.), or just how GOOD they are and how funky the whole album is.

(Note: the lineup has changed somewhat and for the next record, according to their site, will be Greg Liszt, Stash Wyslouch, Sam Grisman, Mike Barnett and Dominick Leslie.)

Sam's playing here blew me away. I love bowed bass with an undying love. It's one of the paths to my heart. So for ordinary plucked/slapped bass to blow me away? You can bet it's pretty sweet. There's an extraordinary amount of tunefulness in his playing. Think about it. This is an instrument confined largely to the background, one with a low register that doesn't really stand out unless miked really well. But this music was written with GREAT bass lines.

Josh's playing is clean, plenty of chop. It hangs tight with the rest of the band, and I don't have much to say about it other than that.

Mike's playing is bright and cheery. Fiddle grows on me increasingly as I hear it done right, and this is right. You'll notice a fair bit of Celtic styling, again with that sweetness, and in fact you could almost accuse the entire album of being too sweet in tone EXCEPT for the saving factor - the lyrics are alternately sour, spicy, and salty.

The last thing in the world I would do is call this bluegrass. The instrumentation is, sure, but you could just as easily call it Celtic. This is smart music, thinking music, something for you to wrap your dancing ears and ticklish mind around.

The music and lyrics are all written by Greg. The lyrics owe some inspiration to classic bluegrass songs (Hobo Rockstar borrows heavily from Brakeman's Blues) but mostly it's a passing hint. This isn't hillbilly stuff (and I'm not hatin', I'm making a distinction). These songs contain an enviable vocabulary and remarkably crisp diction. The whole thing just swings, perfectly balanced.

Track Listing:
1. The Splendor of the Bender
2. Hello, Apocalypse
3. Working
4. When I Was a Cowboy
5. Roll Me, Tumble Me
6. Locked Up
7. Hobo Rockstar
8. I'm Coming Back
9. The Demon Ether
10. The Better the Bitchin'

It's a 2008 release, Erick Jaskowiak at the helm. I think you should dig it.

Fond regards,

Earworm