this is kind of interesting stuff. i’m not a fan of “electronica,” but this kind of has a neat sound and vibe to it. personally, i was pretty surprised that i kind of liked this…
computer vs. banjo
If you’ve always pigeonholed folk and electronica as polar opposites, Computer vs. Banjo will make you rethink everything you thought about both. Hatched in the musical crucible of Nashville, the genre-bending band fuses fingerpicked folk with experimental beats to create such a full, original sound, it’s hard to believe CVB is just a duo.
THE BUZZ:
“Everything from guitars, drum machines and banjos to dobros, synths and mandolins are thrown into the musical blender. The result is a series of tasty digifolk jams from a band who doesn’t need a weatherman to tell it which way the zeitgeist is blowing.” -Wired
“The name of the Nashville band Computer Vs. Banjo says it all: Johnny Mann and Beau Stapleton blend folky banjos and acoustic guitars with synth-heavy electronica and experimental beats. The computer tends to win the battle on the group’s self-titled debut, but countless computerized samples of more traditional instruments give the record an eclectic, genre-bending sound.” -NPR
“Mann and Stapleton have created something truly extraordinary in Computer vs. Banjo’s unique sound, making them Nashville’s next big thing.” -PopWreck
“From the very first listen, I was in love with this album. If Ill Lit and Califone had a love child, it would be these guys.” -Fuzzy Lion
Thankfully, CvB is just what I thought it was going to be. Catchy electro pop matched with poignant banjo, handclaps, fuzzed vocals and irresistible desire to hit repeat. -Perfect Porridge
What is Forecastle?
Fore·cas·tle (f’ok_sol) n. ~ A superstructure at the bow of a ship where the crew is housed. Hard at work in the boundless blue sea, a place where workers congregate after a hard day of labor. A place where the people come together.
What is The Forecastle Festival?
Forecastle is where the Midwest connects™. Founded in Louisville, KY, the annual gathering is equal parts Music, Art, and Activism. A symposium for musicians, artists, and environmentalists, Forecastle connects the progressive Midwest.
What is the goal of Forecastle?
The goal of Forecastle is to establish a new cultural entertainment medium ~ Music.Art.Activism® ~ equally showcased in a scenic, outdoor environment. Merging entertainment with education, Forecastle unites the creative and activism communities of the Midwest, while building a new festival model in the United States.
July 25th – 27th
The Riverfront Belvedere
12:00pm – 11:30pm | $15 – 20 | All Ages
With performances from:
The Disco Biscuits
Tortoise
Z-Trip
GZA
Dr. Dog
Ekoostik Hookah
Del McCoury Band
Del the Funky Homosapien
The New Mastersounds
Groovatron
Snowden
Extra Golden
Catfish Haven
Gran Bel Fischer
Prizzy Prizzy Please
Devlin and Darko of Spank Rock
Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s
Backyard Tire Fire
People Noise
Unwed Sailor
Paradigm
Code Red
Cabin
saturday afternoon, australian singer/songwriter, missy higgins delivered a nice short (but very good) set at ear x-tacy. her music ranges from the “folkish,” serious singer/songwriter vein to a nice popish (but a little pissed off too) vibe. however you describe it, quite simply, it works.
i was unaware of her and her music, but was interested in checking her out after hearing about the in-store and then reading her bio and decided to go see her play. i’m glad i did. her voice has hints of sarah mclachlan, maybe a splash of tori amos, but is uniquely her own. she and her guitarist did four-song acoustic set from her new record; “on a clear night.” it was pretty well attended, mostly by people that seemed to be fans and familiar with her and her music. she has a very charming and engaging stage presence and was good enough that i picked up her (again, very good) new cd and a ticket for her show at phoenix hill tavern later that night.
her show @ phoenix hill was opened by one of louisville’s better singer/songwriters, teneia sanders, who delivered a great 30+ minute set to one of the more horrible and rude audiences that i remember recently, i’ll rant more on that later. but, she was a trooper, made a few subtle statements about it, which were completely ignored, and did the best she could under the circumstances and delivered a nice set.
missy came on with her full band and played a great set, a little over an hour and a half, a nice mix of stuff from her new record and previous releases. she switched off between guitar and piano, playing about half the show on each. she backed by her 3 piece band (unfortunately, i didn’t write down their names and can’t find them on line) which was excellent. for me, highlights were “secrets,” a nice funky little number, “peachy,” and upbeat and poppy sounding song with some pretty pissed off lyrics. again, it works. and the show closer “steer” which she intro’ed as a song about taking control of your own life and destiny with a nice little reminder about our place in the scheme of things. reminding us that there are more stars in the sky than grains of sand on the earth and also reminding of the distance between the stars and compactness of the sand, putting into perspective a how small a place in the universe they we as people really occupy. in closing, she challenged everyone to go out on a clear night, lay on their back in the grass and to just look up at the stars. a good story, a nice reminder and a great way to close out the show.
this girl is a great talent, check her out.
ok, the rant… this was without a doubt the rudest, most obnoxious and self-absorbed audience that i have seen at a show in recent memory. for the life of me, i do not understand the mentality of people that go out of their way to buy a ticket to a show, drive to the venue and then sit there and incessantly talk louder than the performers who, by the way…have microphones and amplifiers! maybe you (the geese) just don’t care, maybe you are there to socialize and/or are just trying to get laid. maybe you are just a rude, inconsiderate and selfish person and don’t care. but for the record, you are not the show, you are not the reason we are there. the rest of us did not pay to see and/or hear you act like a fool. we are there for the performers, the people with their name on the ticket, the people on the stage. and FYI concerts are NOT (for the most part) an interactive experience, when a performer during their on-stage banter makes an observation or asks a rhetorical question that is not a cue to start a back and forth conversation with them.
and if you can’t drink more than 2 or 3 drinks without making a fool of yourself, ummm…don’t have more than two or three drinks. just a thought, show a little consideration and restraint. in other words, grow the hell up. it’s amazing how a small group (hell, one or two can do it) of inconsiderate, self absorbed asses can ruin and/or seriously diminish the experience for the 100+ others in attendance. but last night it was probably 25-30% of the audience that was horrible. i just don’t get it. we, and more importantly, the performing artists deserve better.
and if you think i’m kidding or over-reacting, to top off the evening, during the final song of the night, two girls got up and walked up to the front of the stage and one of them started posing in front of the stage, directly in front of missy, while the other took flash pictures of her. it’s like they were taking goddamn tourist snapshots and she was posing in front of the statue of liberty or something. this was far beyond any stupidity and lack of courtesy/respect, i don’t think i have never seen anything that stupid, inconsiderate or rude at a concert before. ever. idiots.
July 22
Almighty – Original S.I.N.
Black Kids – Partie Traumatic
Buddy Guy – Skin Deep
Candlebox – Into The Sun
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – CSNY / Deja Vu Live
CSS – Donkey
David Byrne – Big Love
Dr. Dog – Fate
Nine Inch Nails – The Slip
Paul Weller – 22 Dreams
Pepper – Pink Crustaceans and Good Vibrations
Sugarland – Love On The Inside
Tea Leaf Green – Raise Up The Tent
U2 – Boy [Mastered Re-Release]
i saw these guys deliver a scorching set @ tall stacks in cincinnati a couple of years ago and while they are not necessarily my “cup of tea” musically, they are brilliant and gifted musicians nonetheless. their music is hard to describe and manages to walk a fine line between free form improvisational funked up jazz and jam band.
also, this is a great concept for a tour, not to mention, and extremely brave one…
Each leg offers audience new music
Medeski, Martin and Wood, or MMW as the trio is known to its legions of fans, is not your ordinary jazz group.
From their beginnings in the early 1990s, the three have stretched the boundaries of their music. MMW — John Medeski on piano, organ and other keyboards; Billy Martin on drums and percussion; and Chris Wood on acoustic and electric bass — throughout its career has incorporated elements ranging from funk to freeform to build its unique brand of jazz, which it will bring to the Kentucky Center’s Bomhard Theater today.
MMW has fans in both the jazz and jam-band communities. Its tour schedule ranges from jazz clubs to pop festivals.
Louisville is the band’s final stop on the second leg of its 2008 <strong>”Viva La Evolution Tours.” For each of the three VLET treks, MMW will write new music, which it intends to play only for those audiences.
Following the performances, they will record the music as “The Radiolarian Series,” the first volume of which it has just completed in the studio.
In a telephone interview, Wood expressed the excitement that he and his colleagues share: “This is fun, it’s going to be all-new music, people get a chance to see works in progress. It’s not like we’re going to be playing stuff that we’ve played a million times and are sick of.
“I think it’s exciting to see stuff that’s fresh and new, and see the band members actually working it out on stage. I think people will get a kick out of it.”
The approach is different, Wood said, adding, “The basic idea is that once we record this material, we’re done with it, and probably won’t play it live again.”
They will not be recording the concerts for live-album releases; these performances are “strictly geared toward the studio process,” he said.
While the trio operates as a self-contained unit, MMW also enjoys working with other artists. They have had a particularly rewarding relationship with guitarist John Scofield, with whom they recorded “A Go Go” in 1997.
They reunited as Medeski, Scofield, Martin and Wood for last year’s release “Out Louder,” which is available as a single CD and as a double set that includes 45 minutes of live performances.
Their most recent release is, of all things, a children’s album, the whimsical “Let’s Go Everywhere.”
So, are they a jazz band, a jam band or jack-of-all-trades band?
“You can’t control who is going to be attracted and come see your music and how people are going to categorize it,” Wood said. “That just sort of happened and has its own life.
“We focus on the music. We are definitely affected. When we’re in a festival situation with a sea of college-age kids, then it affects what material we come out with.
“If we’re in front of a seated club, where there’s a quiet, listening audience, then we’re going to play two different shows in both those situations.”
A musician who sounds equally comfortable on the upright acoustic bass and electric bass guitar, Wood said, “They serve different purposes. Once we figure out what we’re going for in a certain piece, I tend to stick with one or the other.
“Sometimes we have a tune we’re playing on tour, we feel like we haven’t quite found exactly what it is yet, and then I’ll experiment with the different basses and see what works.”
Despite the configuration of keyboards, bass and drums, Wood and Martin do not serve as a rhythm section for the ostensible lead instrument. “My interplay with Billy is constantly changing from moment to moment,” Wood said. “It’s not set in stone; we’re not just accompanying John.”
He added, “With the trio, we have the freedom to change roles. We all, at times, have to take the lead. There’s a lot of trading-off. There are times when Billy and I are interacting and accompanying John, while at other times when we’re all equally interacting with each other.”
By Martin Z. Kasdan Jr. • The Louisville Courier-Journal • July 18, 2008
over the rhine is a paradox of sorts, beautiful words and music from people that were inspired by and named themselves after a tired, worn and violent inner city neighborhood. they have a large, intensely loyal following, yet until recently, it wasn’t out of the norm to see them play to a well attended but less than capacity audience in their own hometown of cincinnati. their home audience may have taken for granted or been slow to recognize what they had, but many others weren’t. they may not be a household name, but it is not uncommon to attend a sold-out show in new york, atlanta, massachusetts or new zealand. and at those shows, in casual conversation it is commonplace to strike a chat with someone who may be attending far from their home, like; hawaii, colorado, california, texas, new york, florida, toronto, belfast or even katmandu (yes, katmandu). while their cd’s can be hard to find through chain & “big box” stores and “traditional” channels people make the effort to seek & find their music at independent retailers and via the internet and they have sold well over a quarter of a million albums, with one of them selling more copies in paris (france, not kentucky) than in the state of ohio. they are known for introspective and inspiring songs sung by their beautifully voiced co-founder and singer, karin bergquist, yet two of their more recognizable and popular songs in concert are light-hearted songs with their keyboardist and other co-founder, linford detweiler taking the lead on vocals. i could go on…
OtR has gone through many changes and line-ups since the original foursome of mostly college acquaintances; karin bergquist, linford detweiler, ric hordenski, and brian kelly formed the band over 20 years ago. at the end of 1996 the band went through major changes, ric and brian moved on and karin and linford emerged as over the rhine, and carried on with the name. since that time they have performed as a duo, trio and with several varying configurations and styles of music. during these years there have been many great players (jack henderson, matt slocum, byron house, devon ashley, brad jones to name a few) joining and supporting karin and linford on stage and on record. the current line-up is primarily a four piece band consisting of karin (vocals, guitar, keyboard), linford (keyboards, guitar, bass, backing vocals), jake bradley (bass, guitar) and <strongkenny hutson (guitar, mandolin, pedal steel).
over the rhine: linford detweiler, karin bergquist, mickey grimm, jake bradley
karin and linford were recognized by paste magazine as part of a very exclusive group that they considered “america’s 100 greatest living songwriters,” an acknowledgement they richly deserve and earned. over the years they have shared the stage with artists the likes of; bob dylan, john prine, cowboy junkies, ani difranco, buddy miller and have played in smokey dive bars, the ryman auditorium and pretty much everything in between, and in couple of weeks they have been invited to play at the legendary “newport folk festival.”
they write music from their own lives and life experiences, the results are deeply personal and come from a place of both joy and fear; “the saddest songs are the happiest, the hardest truths are the easiest.”(long lost brother-ohio). their songs are ripe with both spirituality and doubt and they comfort and assure those that are dealing with personal doubts and fears with affirmation, joy and love. “yeah, we’re gonna be alright/you can close your eyes tonight/‘cause we’re gonna be alright” (etcetera whatever-good dog bad dog). their style continues to evolve, they consistently seem to reinvent themselves and remain relevant, fresh yet familiar to their fans.
in order to remain true to their music, their vision and most importantly, themselves… they recently left their label to form their own imprint, “great speckled dog” (named after their great dane, elroy), to ensure that they can make and release music that they want to make, on their own terms. the first release on the label was the well received, “the trumpet child” and their second, the limited edition, “live from nowhere volume 3” will be shipping shortly. a couple of years ago, they were challenged by david foreman, their sound engineer to “go deep…go deep or don’t go at all.” in my opinion, and that of many others, not only have they met and exceeded dave’s challenge, they have left it in the dust.
i feel blessed to have stumbled on a used copy of their first record, “till we have faces” many years ago and again to have wandered into “the wild beet” in bloomington, indiana years ago on a cold winter night just as their set was starting to hear them live for the first time. in the years since, they have become the soundtrack for my life. they have given me peace, joy, laughter and brought more than a tear or two to my eyes also. their music has helped introduce me to people that have become great, lifelong friends that i have shared bread, wine and my home with on many occasions in the past and look forward to doing so again in the future. i have seen them over 150 times, in cities near and far (new york, northampton, dallas, atlanta) since that first night in bloomington, to steal another line from one of their songs, “i need thousands more, at least.”
and more importantly than everything said above, they are damn fine people that i am proud to call my friends.
i hope you’ll give them a listen and maybe find some of what i’ve found…
i’ll be starting a new feature shortly where fans will have the opportunity to talk about their favorite artists from a personal perspective and hopefully introduce them to a larger audience here. for me, it’s always been interesting to see how passionately and deeply people are attracted to music and most times, particularly to one artist or band so much more than any other.
obviously there is something much deeper than just “words and music,” the connection between some of these artist and their fans is deeply personal, something different. but, what is it?
well, what is it for you… tell us what it was that first “hooked” you, and why/what is it that keeps you coming back for more. is it the live performance, the lyrics, the music, the personality, or all of the above? what is it that connects with you on a different level than any other band or artist.
and who knows, this little exercise may help you recognize or realize something that you weren’t consciously aware of. it may help introduce others to your favorites, help them connect with someone new and help “your band” expand them expand their reach and find a new audience. while this isn’t “rolling stone” or “paste,” we are getting in excess of a couple of hundred unique hits per day, and we are brand new. and in my opinion, we are not your “casual or average fans,” we are people who love music. we are willing to expand our universe and open to seeking something new to us.
there are no “rules” but, i’d ask that you share a “personal” type of introduction, some basic information relating to the band, maybe touch on their recorded music, their live shows, again whatever it is the “connects.” also share the names, instruments played, and links (websites, myspace, etc) to access the band and their music for more info (like bios, tour dates, etc). i hope you’ll participate and share your thoughts.
it will be my goal to feature one or two bands/artists a month (depending on your submissions). i’ll be starting this off in a day or two with a feature on my personal favorite, “over the rhine.”
please send your submissions to: bivester@gmail.com
On a recent trip through California to see a handful of Cowboy Junkies shows, I stumbled head first into a new sonic landscape. At once, it was a place of familiar echoes but new furniture. This new place was Monahans (actually just two members) who were opening up select shows along the tour. Their slow burning sound sliced into my temporal lobes and provided a soundtrack to the late night driving along empty highways.
Monahans are born from Milton Mapes, a highly regarded Austin, TX outfit who critics liken to everyone from Neil Young to Uncle Tupelo. They first caught my attention when they covered a little known Junkies song for a label compilation. The Junkies were also paying attention and Milton Mapes were soon opening shows for the indie veterans from Canada. On their first album, Low Pining, Monahans step outside the Americana honky tonk and start walking into a dark Texas night until the sun begins to peer over the empty sand hills from which they take their name. Out here the silence resonates with meaning.
Matching the punch of the new music is the honesty of the live performances. Singer Greg Vanderpool and guitarist/percussionist Roberto Sanchez weave and loop a droning pulse around each song that hint at what Sigur Ros might sound like if Iceland was a lonely truck stop floating out in West Texas. Their stage presence is refreshingly unassuming and a perfect compliment to a Cowboy Junkies set. Together, the two bands make for an incredible night of music. On the last night of the California tour, Monahans exited with a cover of the Junkies lament “Now I Know” that swirled the original into a musical tendril of heartache and hope. Is it too early to name it my live music highlight of the year? Probably not.
According to their website, the duo will be joining the Cowboy Junkies tour in Colorado next month before the entire band reassembles for shows in Texas this August. Greg was kind enough to spend a little time answering questions this week and I posted one of the album tracks to give all these words some context. So, take a listen to Monahans and then head over to i-Tunes or here to buy the rest of the mesmerizing Low Pining.
JL: On the Milton Mapes record Westernaire, there is an instrumental track named “Monahans” that hints at the road the current album travels. Was that a point of departure for the current project when you decided to pursue the sound further? When did you realize that the new sound would be a whole new band?
GV: I think our main intention when we started recording Low Pining was to just let the music happen, instead of trying to manufacture a new Milton Mapes record. We kept telling ourselves that this didn’t have to be a release of any kind, but rather experimentation for our own amusement. The instrumental track “Monahans” was done many years before, but in a similar way, and so we referenced that recording when talking about the new stuff. It wasn’t until we were close to completing the album when we got serious about releasing it under a different name. And we still could have released it as Milton Mapes, but we wanted to keep that spirit of starting fresh and treat it as something new.
JL: With Milton Mapes, there is a lot happening in the songs while Monahans embrace silence and space within each song. Is this similar to the Texas experience with the activity in towns like Austin and Dallas being surrounded by oceans of open space and small towns that rarely change?
GV: Yeah, I think that’s exactly it. You know I love a lot of the country music people associate with Texas (Willie, Ray Wylie Hubbard, etc.) That and Tejano are really our state’s signature style of folk music. But Texas, to me feels bigger than that particular brand, which is sort of what that has become. I’m still inspired by the expansiveness, and the highways and the romance of the land and sky—all those Texas cliches— I just want to explore that feeling in a different way, musically. It’s real easy around here to get tagged as another Texas balladeer, and that becomes the extent of what you do in people’s minds. But I feel ambiance and rhythms can describe that scenery just as powerfully, if not better, than words can. So one of our goals, as Monahans, is to let the negative space do most of the heavy lifting. The lyrics on Low Pining are mostly fragments, simply planted as little road signs you pass along the way.
JL: Art is almost always informed by where you’re from. How has the Deep Ellum and Austin scenes influenced your work?
GV: I grew up in Dallas and was playing in a band around Deep Ellum in high school. The Deep Ellum scene was still in its infancy, so we were more likely to play in a warehouse than an actual established club/bar. Like most young bands, we wanted to be just like our influences at the time. The Police, U2, Peter Gabriel, REM… But we had a lot to learn. There was a point along the way when we started examining who were were and where we came from. We always felt like we were on the outside looking in on the music scene there, although we played at just about every club that ever came and went. I think that ignited the process of figuring out where we fit in, what Texas sounds like, and trying to express that through music. We’re still in the process of doing that I suppose.
JL: When you mentioned Cowboy Junkies’ The Caution Horses on the Milton Mapes song “Lubbock” did you ever imagine a scenario where you would tour and record with a band that appears to have been a major influence on your music?
GV: I can’t even describe how cool of a thing that is. It took a little restraint at first to hang out with those guys and not launch into personal accounts of how deeply their songs and recordings have moved me and influenced me. But it’s so great to listen to them every night when we’re touring. When Jeff Bird plays the mandolin—that’s it! That’s the sound on the record that I listened to when I was 18 years old. So for them and their audience to listen to us and appreciate what we do is extremely gratifying.
JL: At a recent show in Santa Cruz, I noticed that you guys were sitting to the side of the stage watching Cowboy Junkies and you seemed as excited as the fans to be watching them. Earlier in their career, they often mentioned the impact touring with Townes Van Zandt had on how they approached live shows and life on the road. Have you gleaned any nuggets of wisdom from Junkies (who have been touring for over two decades now) in the same way?
GV: It must resemble, to some degree the feeling of getting called up to the big leagues and taking the field alongside Nolan Ryan or something. When we’ve toured with Cowboy Junkies, we’ve usually played on larger stages in nice theaters vs. the small rock clubs we play on our own tours. I think what I notice most is how they have mastered the art of presenting their music in a way that is both mysterious and intimate at the same time. They stay behind the curtain just enough to give the audience a sort of magical transcendental experience, but they also know when to let loose and improvise just enough to make it feel as if you are sitting in their living room. So they command the audience’s attention in that respect. It’s difficult to take that approach into a rock club setting, but it’s certainly something we strive for.
JL: How far along are you with the next Monahans album and where are you writing it?
GV: Well, we have been recording at a studio called Ramble Creek in Austin where we made Low Pining. Currently, we have enough material recorded to warrant an album in the traditional sense. Sometimes it feels close to finished, but then we take a step back and realize we still have a ways to go. I’d like to think we could release something this year, but we also don’t want to rush it. So far I would say the songs have a bit more structure than on Low Pining, but there is still plenty of negative space to explore.
Nashville, TN: Its no secret that the home of country music serves as a hideout for one of America’s most bustling music scenes. People move to Nashville aspiring to change it, only to find themselves chewed up and spit out by the spirit that gave us Johnny Cash, Woody Guthrie, and Bob Dylan. What rises from the dust are songs with ache and pain, hopes and sorrows, victories and defeats. But redemption is found in the community of people whose kinship runs much deeper than the music.
Ten out of Tenn is a compilation that shines a light on a few of the many Nashville artists who haven’t waited around for the world to hear about them. With TV being the new radio and beat up vans the new tour bus, this generation of American originals have taken full advantage of opportunities to take their music beyond the city limits of their adopted home town. Years of restlessness and work have allowed competition to give way to a community where late nights on the front porch are king.
Ten out of Tenn volume 1 was released in 2005 and partnered with Myspace and Paste Magazine for an extensive national tour. Volume 2 is partnering with American Songwriter Magazine for a tour set to launch on July 19 at Nashville’s historic Cannery Ballroom. The tour will feature a rotating lineup of artists sharing musicians and supporting one another. Tickets will go on sale June 13th.
Jul 19 2008 8:00P Cannery Ballroom – ALBUM RELEASE PARTY!!! Nashville, Tennessee
Jul 23 2008 7:00P Evening Muse Charlotte, North Carolina
Jul 23 2008 9:30P Evening Muse Charlotte, North Carolina
Jul 24 2008 8:00P IOTA Arlington, Virginia
Jul 25 2008 8:00P 8 x 10 Baltimore
Jul 26 2008 8:00P Blend Ridgewood, New Jersey
Jul 27 2008 8:00P World Cafe Live Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jul 28 2008 8:00P 939 Cafe Boston, Massachusetts
Jul 29 2008 8:00P Canal Room New York, New York
Jul 30 2008 8:00P Grog Shop Cleveland, Ohio
Jul 31 2008 8:00P Martyr’s Chicago, Illinois
Aug 1 2008 8:00P Radio Radio Indianapolis, Indiana
Aug 2 2008 8:00P Headliners Louisville, Kentucky
Aug 3 2008 8:00P The Southgate House Newport, Kentucky
Aug 4 2008 8:00P World Grotto Knoxville, Tennessee
Aug 5 2008 7:00P Eddie’s Attic Atlanta, Georgia
Aug 6 2008 8:00P Workplay Theater Birmingham, Alabama
what we need is music 