Happy Halloween from Bruce Springsteen: “A Night With The Jersey Devil” (Video & Free mp3 download)

click here to see the video.

Free Download: “A Night With The Jersey Devil”

New Music/CD Releases – November 4, 2008

BILL’S PICK OF THE WEEK

Safe Trip Home
Disc: 1
1. don’t believe in love
2. quiet times
3. never want to say it’s love
4. grafton street
5. it comes and it goes
6. look no further
7. us 2 little gods
8. the day before the day
9. let’s do the things we normally do
10. burnin love
See all 11 tracks on this disc

(Available w/Deluxe Edition) Disc: 2
1. for one day (bonus track)
2. summer (bonus track)
3. northern skies (rollo mix) (bonus track)
4. Making of ‘Safe Trip Home’ (CD enhancement)

New Music/CD Releases – November 4, 2008
AC/DC – Black Ice
Andrea Bocelli – Incanto
Boys Like Girls – Live (DVD)
Brad Paisley – Play
Cafe Tacuba – Sino
Coralie Clement – Toystore
Dido – Safe Trip Home
Fall Out Boy – Folie à Deux
George Lynch – Let the Truth Be Known
Harry Connick, Jr. – What A Night! A Christmas Album
Honey Honey – First Rodeo
Jeff Dunham – Don’t Come Home for Christmas
Led Zeppelin – 12 Mini LP Replica CD Boxed Set
Little Joy – Little Joy
Mavis Staples – Live
Micah Stampley – Ransomed
Q tip – Renaissance
Randy Owen – One on One
Royce Da 5’9 – The Album
Sarah Brightman – A Winter Symphony
Shiny Toy Guns – Season of Poison
The Skeletons – Money
Tenacious D – Master Works (2 DVD)
We Insist! – Oh! Things Are So Corruptible

and remember, whenever possible buy your music directly from the artist(s) or your local independent record store. both could become endangered without your support.

click here for a list of exclusives available @ indie stores and for a listing of stores

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals – “Live on Letterman” (10.29)

fix it

cobwebs

David Byrne’s Tour Diary: Louisville, KY 10.20.2008

apparently david and band spent the day wandering around louisville and my neighborhood (or very close too it anyway), his tour diary offers a pretty cool look into his visit to town.

10.20.2008: Louisville

We’re staying at 21c, a combo museum and hotel here in downtown Louisville. The ground and lower floors are given over to curated shows of contemporary art, much of it from the collection of the owner, Steve Wilson and his wife.

I was given Wilson’s contact by Stefan Sagmeister, who designed the package for the various physical manifestations of my current album, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, as well as many of my past CDs. My palatial room (for which I was generously comped) features a whole wall of photos of Thai Ladyboys (sex changes), a series of photos of a woman undressing in front of a variety of men, and a muscular Chinese man in his underpants holding up the top of the picture frame. I guess some of these pieces were deemed not quite appropriate for the lobby.

(That’s not Kurt, by the way)

Well, I wasn’t going to make much use of this luxurious apartment all by myself, so I invited all the band and crew to stop by for mint juleps after they had their dinners. Jenni volunteered Steven to bartend, and with the huge patio there was plenty of room for all of us plus local musician/actor Will Oldham and some of his pals. It’s not really his kind of scene, I imagine, this hotel, but it was nice to meet.

During the day a few of us biked to the massive Cave Hill cemetery, which is so big it has a lake with a fountain, ducks and swans. Colonel Sanders is buried there, but we missed his gravesite. We moved on, through a neighborhood of large houses, to nearby Cherokee Park, “built” by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park and quite a few other urban parks, and we stopped for some homemade applesauce at a picnic table.

Apparently, Elizabeth found happiness at our picnic table.

Others biked in the opposite direction and came across blocks of burnt out buildings.

Led Zeppelin to tour with Robert Plant replacement

while led zeppelin was never one of my favorites back in the day, i did always respect what they did, even though it wasn’t my “thing” at the time. there is no doubt that few ever played pure rock and roll better, these boys could rock with the best ever to play the game.

i can’t imagine anything anything billed as “led zeppelin” without both plant and page involved. maybe the boys just got jealous of robert’s tecent success with allison krauss.

from NME:
Led Zeppelin to tour with Robert Plant replacement
Oct 28, 2008

Led Zeppelin will tour with a replacement for founding singer Robert Plant, bassist John Paul Jones has confirmed.

Earlier this month it was reported that the rock legends were rehearsing with singer Myles Kennedy after Plant refused to consider touring with the band.

Jones has now told BBC Radio Devon that the band are trying out “a couple” of alternative singers for a proposed tour.

“We want to do it,” he explained. “It’s sounding great and we want to get on and get out there.”

The bassist added that he and his bandmates were not after a Plant soundalike.

“It’s got to be right,” Jones said. “There’s no point in just finding another Robert. You could get that out of a tribute band, but we don’t want to be our own tribute band. There would be a record and a tour, but everyone has to be on board.”

There has been speculation about the possibility of a full Led Zeppelin tour since they played a reunion show on December 10 last year at the London O2 Arena.

Robert Plant ruled himself out of a tour by releasing a statement last month saying he would not be part of any such plans.

and from rolling stone:
Led Zeppelin To Tour, Record Without Plant?October 28, 2008 , 11:00 AM ET

Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
The non-singing members of Led Zeppelin apparently aren’t waiting around for Robert Plant to sign off on a reunion tour and/or album. In an interview with BBC Radio, bassist John Paul Jones said he and guitarist Jimmy Page and drummer Jason Bonham “are trying out a couple of singers.”

“We want to do it,” he said. “It’s sounding great and we want to get on and get out there.” But he cautioned Plant sound-a-likes were not the goal, and that “it’s got to be right. There’s no point in just finding another Robert. You could get that out of a tribute band, but we don’t want to be our own tribute band.”

With Plant, Zeppelin reunited for a well-received one-off concert last December in London. But Plant, who has been touring with Alison Krauss for most of 2008, recently said he has no plans to work with the band again.

In recent months, Page, Jones and Bonham have logged rehearsal time together in the hopes Plant would agree to tour. Rumors have also circulated that Alter Bridge vocalist Myles Kennedy is in the running to step in for Plant.

On Nov. 4, Rhino will release a 10-disc boxed set featuring Led Zeppelin’s nine studio albums plus the rarities album “Coda” in mini-LP replica sleeves with artwork from the original U.K. vinyl releases.

New Music/CD Releases – October 28, 2008

BILL’S PICK OF THE WEEK

RYAN ADAMS AND THE CARDINALS – CARDINOLOGY
1 Born Into A Light
2 Cobwebs
3 Crossed Out Name
4 Evergreen
5 Fix It
6 Go Easy
7 Let Us Down Easy
8 Like Yesterday
9 Magick
10 Natural Ghost
11 Sink Ships
12 Stop

a new release from ryan adams, one of my favorites, is always something i look forward to, and this is no exception. i’ll be in ear x-tacy on tuesday…

Bloc Party – Intimacy
Boz Scaggs – Speak Low
Brian McKnight – I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Celtic Woman – The Greatest Journey: Essential Collection
The Cure – 4:13 Dream
Hank Williams – Unreleased Recordings
Hunter S. Thompson – The Gonzo Tapes
John Legend – Evolver
Jesse Malin – On Your Sleeve
Kaiser Chiefs – Off With Their Heads
Lady Gaga – The Fame
Lordi – Deadache
M83 – Digital Shades
Marillion – Vol. 1 Happiness Is the Road: Essence
Marillion – Vol. 2 Happiness Is the Road: the Hard Shoulder
Pink – Funhouse
Queen – The Cosmos Rocks
Rodrigo y Gabriala – Live In Japan
Ryan Adams – Cardinology
Sara Bareielles – Live (DVD)
Shawn Mullins – Live at the Variety
Snow Patrol – A Hundred Million Suns
Susan Tedeschi – Back to the River
Toby Keith – That Don’t Make Me A Bad Guy (personal commentary – UGH!)
Tom Petty – DVD (2 Disc)
Twilight – Soundtrack

and remember, whenever possible buy your music directly from the artist(s) or your local independent record store. both could become endangered without your support.

click here for a list of exclusives available @ indie stores and for a list of stores

heaven…heaven is a place…where david byrne plays for 2+ hours” or, david byrne @ the palace theatre/louisville, ky (10.21.2008)

click on the photo to see more pictures

oh. my. lord.

i had predicted earlier that hands down, tom waits @ the fox would be, with out a doubt, the best show i saw this year. i now retract that.

i just saw david byrne turn in a two + hour abso-fucking-lutely amazing show of both musical and visual beauty. honestly, immediately afterwards, i didn’t have words to describe it, it was still soaking into my mind, my body and my soul. i wouldn’t say it was “better” than tom, but it was every damn bit as good…and that’s saying a lot.

wow!

what a truly amazing incredible night of music. i have been a long time talking heads fans and love david byrne’s solo work, this was my first time seeing him live, i can only hope it is not the last.

below is a review from the louisville courier-journal…

Byrne burns down the Palace
Jeffrey Lee Puckett, The Courier-Journal (Louisville KY), 21 October 2008 [Link]

To look at him, you would never think that David Byrne is a stone-cold rhythm machine, what with his gray hair and eccentric, professorial demeanor. When he took the stage last night at the Louisville Palace, dressed entirely in white and giving a halting thesis about the show we were about to see, Byrne seemed almost timid.

That changed with the first downstroke of “Strange Overtones” and rarely faltered through the raging conclusion of “Burning Down the House.” Byrne was a James Brown carved out of ivory and animated by nervous tics, leading a relentless band through a series of relentless songs, and he earned a sustained, almost ecstatic ovation.

The show was all about motion, in the music and on the stage.

Most songs were built on the polyrhythms of Afropop, expanding the sound Byrne created with Talking Heads and creating huge grooves that seemed effortless, almost weightless. Three dancers played a major role, another common aspect of live African music, and were occasionally joined by Byrne and three back-up singers.

It was almost an interactive live art installation as the dancers roamed the stage with choreography that carefully mimicked chaos, crossing in front of Byrne, catching him in a trust fall and once breaking the fourth wall to teach the singers how to dance.

Byrne’s dancing was completely charming; he sometimes looked as if he were being controlled by a puppeteer with palsy, but would suddenly bust a supremely graceful move.

The show was based on past and present collaborations between Byrne and musician/producer Brian Eno, with several songs from the new album, “Everything That Happens Will Happen Today.” They were hit and miss, ranging from the very strong (“One Fine Day,” “Strange Overtones”) to the mediocre (“Life is Long,” “The River”).

Not surprisingly, it was the Talking Heads songs that went over best, and with good reason. “Houses In Motion,” “Life During Wartime,” “Once In A Lifetime” and “Burning Down the House” were all less sterile than the original versions, with an aggressive, even ferocious, edge. “Burning Down the House” was particularly thrilling and had the crowd wired.

“Consider it burnt,” a friend said, which is as accurate and succint a review as you’ll find.

Strange Overtones
I Zimbra
One Fine Day
Help Me Somebody
Houses in Motion
My Big Nurse
My Big Hands
Heaven
Never Thought
The River
Crosseyed & Painless
Life is Long
Once in Lifetime
Life During Wartime
I Feel My Stuff
Encore 1:
Take Me to the River
The Great Curve
Air
Encore 2:
Burning Down the House
Encore 3:
Everything that Happens
Home

mieka pauley – “run” live @ the pleasant perk (cincinnati)

boston based singer/songwriter, mieka pauley recently performed a great set at “perkfection,” a local coffee house in jeffersonville. this video was shot the night before at “the pleasant perk” (a coffee shop owned by singer/songwriter kim taylor) in cincinnati. enjoy.

Mieka Pauley – Run from Cincy Steve on Vimeo.
Mieka Pauley performs “Run” at Pleasant Perk in Cincinnati, OH. The song Run is on Mieka’s current release titled Elijah Drop Your Gun.

“Kentucky Homefront” & “Roots & Boots” @ The Bomhard (10.19.2008)

ok, i’m a little behind on this. sorry…

last saturday evening i attended a great 2 for 1 type music event. WFPK sponsored (technically) back to back shows at the bomhard (partially to celebrate the kentucky center for the arts 25th anniversary), the shows were a part of the stations excellent series; “kentucky homefront” and “roots and boots,” both featuring american roots music.

the first show was “kentucky homefront” which was celebrating and featuring louisville singer songriters (in order of performance); john gage (also the shows founder and host), danny flanigan, teneia sanders, mickey clark, tim krekel, leigh ann yost and johnny berry. the show was in the traditional “in the round” format, with the artists sharing the stage and songs, with each performer doing two original songs.

already being a big fan of tim krekel and teneia sanders and familiar w/leigh ann yost and danny flannigan, i was mostly looking forward to seeing them. and i certainly not disappointed, all were great as i expected. i had no knowedge or reference point with mickey clark or johnny berry but really enjoyed their music and performances and look forward to seeing them again, hopefully in the near future. i got to talk to mickey clark for a while after the show and found him to be open, kind, generous and appreciative man. i look forward to hearing more from him and seeing him perform again.

my favorite thing about the show was just the sheer joy and pleasure that these performers had sharing their gifts with the (very appreciative) audience. it was infectious. it was very loose and improvised set with them jumping in on harmony vocals, joining in on guitar, sort of an acoustic jam and it worked perfectly. tim krekel was by far the highlight providing some outstanding guitar on most every song but all performances were excellent.

we are fortunate here in louisville to have a station like WFPK to give us the opportunity to have this music heard, both on radio and live. we are also fortunate to have this quality of local music in our own back yard. the talent and dedication of this music and these musicians needs and deserves our support.

next up the “roots and boots” segment featuring the LA based, but originally from louisville critics darlings… “the watson twins.”

first, let me say, i enjoyed the show, but in my opinion, it paled in comparison to the first show. the “twins” were good, but far from what i expected based on the raves they are receiving in reviews and national music magazines. it might have helped had i been more familiar with their music, etc but in kind…i heard nothing that made me want to rush down to their merch table and pick up a CD either, which is often the case when i see a band live. they had a nice tight band, but no player that i would consider exceptional. their lyrics/songs were nice, but no song, line or lyric struck me as prolific or outstanding. and Iifound their stage presence and banter to be awkward and a little distracting. to sum it up, in my opinion, they were “good” nothing more, nothing less…just “good.”

New Music/CD Releases – October 21, 2008

BILL’S PICK OF THE WEEK

Waylon Jennings – Waylon Forever
1. Jack of Diamonds
2. Outlaw Shit
3. Ain’t Livin Long Like This
4. Are You Ready For The Country?
5. Lonesome On’ry and Mean
6. Waymore’s Blues
7. White Room
8. I Found The Body

2008 release of Grammy Award Winner and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Waylon Jennings’ final recording Waylon Forever on Vagrant Records. The eight-song collection of cover songs and originals feature the vocals of Waylon Jennings backed by his son Shooter Jennings and the .357’s.

AC/DC – Black Ice
Anastacia – Heavy Rotation
Aterciopelados – Rio (Dig)
Azymuth – Butterfly
Brett Dennen – Hope for the Hopeless (Dig)
Electric Ice – Flashy
Escape The Fate – This War Is Ours
Hank Williams III – Damn Right, Rebel Proud
Kany Garcia – Cualquier Dia
Kenny Chesney – Lucky Old Sun
Kiss – Ikons [4 CD Set]
Lee Ann Womack – Call Me Crazy
Leon Jackson – Right Now
Lou Reed – Berlin (Live)
Of Montreal – Skeletal Lamping
Oren Lavie – The Opposite Side of the Sea
Rosemary Clooney – On The Air
Sugababes – Catfights & Spotlights
Waylon Jennings – Waylon Forever

and remember, whenever possible buy your music directly from the artist(s) or your local independent record store. both could become endangered without your support.

click here for a list of exclusives available @ indie stores and for a list of stores