20090111
Happy New Year! Great news, Rotary Downs is playing in Cannes! For years, I've been going to MIDEM, this top notch music business conference in the south of France, and it's a fantastic time and excellent business opportunities, but it's always been missing something....the music! There are some showcase sets, and a fair amount of eurotrashy DJ sets, but where's the rock I ask you?
Looks like Rotary Downs is answering prayers in 2009. They're gonna play Monday, night, January 19th, set starts at 8:30. Check the widget below out for some audio samples, or watch the videos for "B/W" and "Djinni Stomp". Their trip is being aided by SonicBids, so here's a link to the Rotary Downs EPK on SonicBids.
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Looks like Rotary Downs is answering prayers in 2009. They're gonna play Monday, night, January 19th, set starts at 8:30. Check the widget below out for some audio samples, or watch the videos for "B/W" and "Djinni Stomp". Their trip is being aided by SonicBids, so here's a link to the Rotary Downs EPK on SonicBids.
Labels: Cannes, MIDEM, mp3, NOLArock, rotarydowns
20080918
Testing out this new widget for the first time, how you like me now?
testing rotary downs mp3 downsload store, take 1
Take 2:
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testing rotary downs mp3 downsload store, take 1
Take 2:
20080630
Rotary Downs Presents: "A Shriners Guide to Guitar Playing" - or -
"Djinni Stomp: How to Manage Your Time Between Being Chased by Ghosts in the Desert and Smashing Guitars."
Rotary Downs "Djinni Stomp"
Check out the new video for the song "Djinni Stomp", off of Chained to the Chariot. Directed and shot by Jonathan David Evans (who also did the video for "B/W"), this new video stars the gems of the Crescent City's guilded screen Chris Lane and Sarah Fontenelle.
In California for the 4th? Do Not Miss Rotary Downs at the High Sierra Music Festival! See you there!
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"Djinni Stomp: How to Manage Your Time Between Being Chased by Ghosts in the Desert and Smashing Guitars."
Rotary Downs "Djinni Stomp"
Check out the new video for the song "Djinni Stomp", off of Chained to the Chariot. Directed and shot by Jonathan David Evans (who also did the video for "B/W"), this new video stars the gems of the Crescent City's guilded screen Chris Lane and Sarah Fontenelle.
In California for the 4th? Do Not Miss Rotary Downs at the High Sierra Music Festival! See you there!
20080320
SXSWinner: 
Steel Train | Trampoline
After being told about this record more than a few times, I finally "got" the album last month after listening ten times with one ear but not getting it, so I was primed to see them and catch a "Black Eye." Caught a daytime set at Red Eyed Fly, the club sound was merely average, the stage was miniature but the band's sound is big and getting bigger. Oozing New Jersey in their wifebeater t-shirts, this was honest rock and roll, songs about how the planes hit the towers and people actually died. There's an honesty in realizing one's mortality, but their songs seemed to be a trampoline of positivity after these negative experiences. It struck an honest chord for me, beyond the introspective songs, the honesty of admitting on your SXSW application that you're from Teaneck, NJ (when every other band claims to be from Brooklyn), there are few things that make me more proud than people who are proud to be from the Garden State. Trampoline is a great record, there are a half-dozen great songs on the album. People say Steel Train is a power pop band, not sure about that, but there are catchy tracks like "Kill Monsters in the Rain" and "I Feel Weird" that will get you singing all day long. - TK
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Steel Train | TrampolineAfter being told about this record more than a few times, I finally "got" the album last month after listening ten times with one ear but not getting it, so I was primed to see them and catch a "Black Eye." Caught a daytime set at Red Eyed Fly, the club sound was merely average, the stage was miniature but the band's sound is big and getting bigger. Oozing New Jersey in their wifebeater t-shirts, this was honest rock and roll, songs about how the planes hit the towers and people actually died. There's an honesty in realizing one's mortality, but their songs seemed to be a trampoline of positivity after these negative experiences. It struck an honest chord for me, beyond the introspective songs, the honesty of admitting on your SXSW application that you're from Teaneck, NJ (when every other band claims to be from Brooklyn), there are few things that make me more proud than people who are proud to be from the Garden State. Trampoline is a great record, there are a half-dozen great songs on the album. People say Steel Train is a power pop band, not sure about that, but there are catchy tracks like "Kill Monsters in the Rain" and "I Feel Weird" that will get you singing all day long. - TK
20080317
SXSWinner: Dusty Rhodes and the River Band
Sat, March 16, 2008 7:45pm
It is not often that I hit the record button and get a true gem, a moment in time, a man just preachin from his soul. Well, this man, he was a righteous man, and his name appears to me as Dusty Rhodes. Not the wrestler. Check the sermon kick off with "You, Me...and Obama! We will legalize marijuana!" I want to go see this man sermonize one of these Sundays. And the band was the perfect backing band for Dustin Apodaca, his River Band plays the honest, rootsy rock of The Band with a modern Oakley Hall kinda setup, rock and roll with violin and banjo. Sessions for their Side1Dummy record First You Live, first began in 2006 with producer Ikey Owens, keyboardist from The Mars Volta. They put on a great show, this clip was from Dusty and the River Band kicking off the JamBase Showcase at SXSW. - TK
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Sat, March 16, 2008 7:45pm
It is not often that I hit the record button and get a true gem, a moment in time, a man just preachin from his soul. Well, this man, he was a righteous man, and his name appears to me as Dusty Rhodes. Not the wrestler. Check the sermon kick off with "You, Me...and Obama! We will legalize marijuana!" I want to go see this man sermonize one of these Sundays. And the band was the perfect backing band for Dustin Apodaca, his River Band plays the honest, rootsy rock of The Band with a modern Oakley Hall kinda setup, rock and roll with violin and banjo. Sessions for their Side1Dummy record First You Live, first began in 2006 with producer Ikey Owens, keyboardist from The Mars Volta. They put on a great show, this clip was from Dusty and the River Band kicking off the JamBase Showcase at SXSW. - TK
20080309
The Weather Underground | When I was a Soldier (EP)I cannot stop listening to this band. Number one favorite new find of the year, pyched to see them in Austin this week. They've just got "it" (not that I can define what "it" is, but you know what I mean). The tracks are great, and even better, this band is great live. I'm telling you every song had the right mix of genres old and new, every kid in the band has a different cultural background, the band mixes well together, they really had charisma on stage. They were part Otis Redding, part young Elvis with rock and roll influences from the Who to the Beatles, but it doesn't sound regurgitated like so many wanna be indie rockers. Get into it. - TK
One Track To Start: "When I Was a Soldier"
Labels: los+angeles, rhapsody
20080305
Stephen Malkmus | Real Emotional TrashThe beauty of a Malkmus album is that you always know what you're getting: clever rhyming digressions, guitars that meander as much as the lyrics and more than occasional sloppy swells. Nor is there ever a bad song; merely a few that are less good than others. Real Emotional Trash might surprise you, at least a little: It's as psychedelic as he's ever been with the Jicks ("Hopscotch Willie" and "Dragonfly Pie"), and there are even a couple Pavement-esque moments ("Out Of Reaches" and "We Can't Help You") to break up the six- to 10-minute jam sessions ("Real Emotional Trash"). - Dan Shumate
Labels: Malkmus, matador, Pavement, rhapsody
20080212
Invisible BabyMarco Benevento's debut solo album, Invisible Baby, is full of fancy sounds. Playing with Reed Mathis(Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Tea Leaf Green) and a drumming duo of Matt Chamberlain(Tori Amos) and Andrew Barr(The Slip), Benevento creates some of the coolest and most novel sound landscapes these ears have heard in quite some time. You'd be remiss to miss out on this.
Track Recommendations: "Atari"; "You Must Be A Lion"
20080119
Cat Power | JukeboxIn her own personal Jukebox of favorites, Cat Power pays tribute to her inspirations by covering tunes from James Brown, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, Joni Mitchell, Billie Holliday, and in honor of Dylan and Aretha Franklin. Time will tell if Cat Power will continue to rise, but Chan Marshall already ranks with the most memorable female singers of this generation. This record moves beyond the Memphis soul of The Greatest, the band is looser and Dirtier, but they hang back a little more, underplaying so that Chan must stand up taller, and the result is a more confident Cat Power. Out of the darkness, into the light, perhaps. Nick D says she'll break your heart on the country number "Silver Stallion," and she'll turn Sinatra's "New York, New York" into a slinky penthouse jaunt. It's painful and beautiful, makes me nervous and calms at the same time. The lady's legend grows. -TK
Jukebox comes out Tuesday, but your peoples at Rhapsody delivered it to you yesterday. Pow!
Labels: catpower, jukebox, rhapsody
20071129
Rotary Downs on Current TV
I'm not usually one to post videos, but then again, I'm not on Current.TV too often! You gotta see this Current video (shot by the legend Thomas Eugene Green) that explains what I've been saying for almost two years, that the Chained to the Chariot album by Rotary Downs embodies the spirit of post-Katrina New Orleans as channeled by my favorite rock and roll outfit from the Big Easy. Give it a view, see if you can spot me. - TK
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I'm not usually one to post videos, but then again, I'm not on Current.TV too often! You gotta see this Current video (shot by the legend Thomas Eugene Green) that explains what I've been saying for almost two years, that the Chained to the Chariot album by Rotary Downs embodies the spirit of post-Katrina New Orleans as channeled by my favorite rock and roll outfit from the Big Easy. Give it a view, see if you can spot me. - TK
Labels: bigparade, current, katrina, rotarydowns
20071025
Edgar Winter | RoadworkInstead of a fresh new album, today I'd like you to turn your attention to a gospel/rock classic from 35 years ago that cousin Jerry turned me onto last night. Click this and check out this live record by Edgar Winter's White Trash. It will be a much better experience then you are probably thinking it will be as you read this now. It's somehow timely, in a yacht-rock-meets-gospel-tent kind of way, with it's chorus of "Save the Planet! Who will save my planet?" and the always funky refrains about "shuckin and jivin." It's got to be ok to go back to the 70's for one mo' time, old school, and listen to songs like "Rock n Roll Hoochie Koo" and feel what it was like to play it on stage. They take a tight spin on Otis Redding's "Can't Turn You Loose," what a kickin horn section! You will be impressed with the bassline mingling with the lead guitar work of the inimitable Rick Derringer on "Tobacco Road" and "Back in the USA." Listen all the way through, for there is about the Gospel preachinest "Lovelight" around, soul claps and all. I'd put it up against most Dead versions from Pigpen's era. Take out the White Trash for a spin, get a feel for what Edgar brought to the world beyond just the overplayed classic "Frankenstein." - TK
Labels: classicrock, edgarwinter, lovelight, rhapsody, savetheplanet, whitetrash, yachtrock
20071010
Band of Horses | Cease to BeginAt some point, I'm gonna have to stop listening to this record. Or at least switch it up for a while. Cease to Begin picks up where Everything All The Time left off; its dark and morbid, yet simple chorded and jangly and harmonius.
At first, I wasn't floored with the album as a complete piece. Maybe it was the sequencing? Kayceman said be patient, I kept it in the rotation and started to listen to it on random, and it grew like a weed party.
The album is filled with so many internal struggles, "No One's Gonna Love You" is the perfect example of this. You can understand where the struggles come from, as the Horses lost a founding member "looking like a limb torn off" and moved back to South Carolina "wheeling through an endless fall" and tried to figure out where this quick trajectory of success left them "the ever living ghost of what once was." Then its pretty again ("Anything to make you smile...") and then the hook comes at you with "Things start splittin at the seams and now the whole thing comes tumbling down." Yet it's sung with such beautiful harmonies that its a perfect song. The harmonies from this band give me chills, and while they didn't deliver it live last year, the new incarnation is much better, so go check 'em out live. We know you can't have the darkness without the light and when you can mix them together correctly it creates something akin to the sum of the parts being greater than the whole. The rapid fire geetar strumming is sorta like "running the blender in a lightning storm" - kinda like mixing vinegar and baking soda and getting the volcano to erupt. Even the lines about nothing - "run to the general store for nothing specific" resonate so perfectly. They will have their detractors who will claim BoH is trying to be this or that, or the albums are short, but their formula works for me. I'd rather have one short album a year than a shitty record any day. Hey Bridwell&Co, not sure why, but "no one's gonna love you more than I do." - TK
One Track Recommendation: If you do one thing today, listen to "No One's Gonna Love You" three times and try to tell me that is not a great f-ckin song! Song of the Year nomination from me.
Labels: BandOfHorses, harmony, rhapsody, SubPop
20070927
Soulive | Rhapsody Celebrity MixtapeI wanted to share this interview with you, I sat down with Soulive in the Rhapsody studios to celebrate their release of No Place Like Soul. This was hands down the best, most captivating, most dynamic interview that I have ever done. Since forming in 1999, the trio, now a quartet with singer Toussaint, has developed a reputation as one of the most sought after soul-funk units on the scene. Listen to the band members sing some of their selections and
talk about their musical history, it's a great listen. These fellas eat, drink, sleep, breathe and LIVE their music. Checkout the recommendations from out the mouths of Eric, Neal, Alan and Toussaint. Click + listen to the words and the music. - Ted K
Labels: interview, rhapsody, soulive, soulmusic
20070919
Two Gallants | Two Gallants[Two Gallants album is out next Tues, but Rhapsody has it NOW :-)]
When a band puts out a self-titled LP three albums into their career, is that a statement that this is the career-defining record? The one you want people to listen to first? Every one of Two Gallants albums has multiple songs that I could listen to over and over again from "Drive My Car" and "Train That Stole My Man" to "Steady Rollin" to "Age of Assassins", so I was wondering could that authentic 150 year-old poetroubadour sound be duplicated yet again?
So far, I've been listening to the album for three weeks and I've had four different favorite songs, I'll link 'em all below. Tyson's distinctive drum fills are as creative as ever, and all over the album, mixing well with the lyrical gems. Such as on "The Deader,": "The girl I love is oh so far away, I wonder can she hear me as I go through my day." The longing for the lost girl is still there, and the biting sting of Adam's tongue is still there, they're the perfect mix of adoration and scorn. The raw lust is still there, diving right in to the 'steel trap of your thighs' in "Despite What You've Been Told." So is the loss is still there, check out "My Baby's Gone." And I love this caustic one liner from "Reflections of the Marionette": "I don't want to see you fall, I wanna see you fail." Not only will Two Gallants not fail, they'll bring our fair city of SF with them as they climb to the top of the rock and roll pile on. This is one of the best records of 2007, listen now. - TK
20070911
The Society of Rockets | Our Paths RelatedI definitely played the Society of Rockets them for you last year, yamember? Man, I could not stop listening to "Out In The Evening" from their first album, Where the Grass Grows Black, all year, it was Best of '06! Well, they are back with another psychedelically bluesy, greasy, Stones-y rock record called Our Paths Related. They describe themselves as utilizing dirt burst guitar, harmonies, rattletraps, sub-stone rumble, sunnnnn organ, theremin, and hallucelluloids, among other things. These are local SF cats who ooze into the record with "Come Ahead Then," a chugging Pink Floyd-esque intro before slamming it into another gear, "Teenage Gears" - just "diggin in the dirt, leavin this world of hurt." It's a white R&B chill down during "Mountain Magic." The horns pop in and out of harmonic dissonance during interludes like "Loose Change". But the best song on the record might just be the burning bluesrock riff meeting the Beach Boys harmonies in "California's Burning." Solid record, Mustard Man. - TK
20070828
I am officially obsessed with the new Rilo Kiley album, Under The Blacklight. After each listen, I come back with a new favorite song, I just can't decide! My first love on this album was "Breakin' Up" - an upbeat melody and tempo but it's totally heartbreaking at the same time. "Are we breakin' up? Did my heart break enough?" My next favorite is "Dejalo" with Latino beats that remind me of Gloria Estefan (in a good way, if that's possible) and great lines like "I got a tail if you wanna chase it." Jenny Lewis's voice is pristine and innocent, devilish and fun. This is a great album to play really loud and dance around your room. Rock it! -SuperDLabels: indiepop, JennyLewis, rhapsody, RiloKiley
20070827
Stevie Wonder | 08.27.07 | concord, ca the legend of legends. the master of music. the godfather of gospelrock. he wrote the songs in the key of life. he's a talking book. if you start to look back, just every band you ever liked was influenced by stevie in some way. from kiedis to kanye, mariah to michael, he's the musician's musician. i am beside myself with fulfillingness that i got to sing his songs with him tonight. hafty said one he heard "love's in need of love today," he knew it was gonna be on. almost three hours straight. practically every song he ran through is a classic. who else could you go see on tour today that has more than thirty top ten hits? [check the charts] the bumpin-est parties you ever went to had stevie funkin up the soundtrack. boogie on reggae woman! sir duke! i wish!
when he dropped into "signed, sealed, delivered" the place just exploded - people of all ages and races were dancing in the aisles. when his all grown up daughter aisha morris came to sit with him for "isn't she lovely," tears were shed - by stevie and anyone who remembers her voice from the original version. he is so tapped in musically, i mean he has no sight and lost his sense of smell in a car accident in 1973, but his hearing and voice are perfect. everything stevie does is right in rhythm, from instructing the band to counting off the songs to simply the way he talks. he dropped in and out of covered classics like "billie jean" and "heard it through the grapevine" and he had us turn the mother out, p-funk style. a whole lotta rhythm was indeed goin down. you could indeed feel it all over. and if you listen deeper, the lessons are simple, and they're based in love: "his parents give him love and affection, to keep him strong, movin in the right direction." if you ever get the chance, do yourself a favor and tap it to the wisdom of stevland morris for a few hours. it'll set you so right, it's never wrong. - TK
Labels: concord, fulfillingness, legend, rhapsody, steviewonder, wondersummersnight
20070824
New Pornographers | ChallengersThis Vancouver supergroup's third album, Twin Cinema got me interested in their smileyindiepop sound, I listened to that album a lot back in 2005. The new record, Challengers, has got me hooked, line and many singers. The hooks are there, the harmonies are always gorgeous, and a heaping dose of strings and keyboards hold together the collectively written songs. I've been listening to "All the Old Showstoppers" pretty much non-stop this week. Did you know that Neko Case and Dan Bejar from Destroyer were in the New Pornographers, as well as AC Newman and Todd Fancey? Of course you did. That's why I knew I liked you. - TK
Labels: indiepop, matador, newpornographers, rhapsody
20070814
Bedouin Soundclash | Street GospelsBedouin Soundclash bring the most reverent respect of reggae roots to the Warped Tour people, and even if Street Gospels leans on heavier punk influences ("Gunships," "Walls Fall Down"), the opening "Until We Burn in the Sun" starts things off right with a hearty, dub-influenced groove. The production of Bad Brains bassist Darryl Jenifer only makes this Kingston quality stronger. If for only the name, the relaxed "Nico on the Night Train" is another favorite. - Nate C.
Labels: BedouinSoundclash, dub, rhapsody, side1dummy
20070808
Flight Of The Conchords | The Distant FutureThe year's funniest TV show results in 2007's best EP. What makes the Flight of the Conchords so special is that Jemaine and Brett are dead-on with their parodies, but their songs actually stand up on their own. This pairs three of the New Zealand duo's studio creations with three live renditions. The brilliant, Prince-worthy "The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room" is here, as is the inquisitive "If You're Into It." The Mick Jagger parody "Business Time" is so painfully true-to-life that it may result in a catastrophic rise in the global divorce rate. - Nick D.
Labels: Brett, Britt, Flight of the Conchords, Jemaine, Murray, New Zealand, rhapsody, SubPop
20070701
Endless Highway: A Tribute to the BandHere's why tribute albums usually suck: Seldom do new artists record better versions of original versions. Most tributes are compiled by indie labels who put their friends' unknown, sucky bands on just to give them exposure. Now here's why this tribute album doesn't suck. Jack Johnson (with ALO) can woo more women than all five members of The Band combined with his perfect rendition of "I Shall Be Released." Jim James & MMJ will make you weep if you listen to "It Makes No Difference." The Band's songs are so stellar that not even Blues Traveler can ruin "Rag Mama Rag." For the first time in his recording career, Jakob Dylan doesn't sound bored on "Whispering Pines." That kid from Gomez with the glasses still sings like Eddie Vedder, as heard "Up on Cripple Creek." Plus, "Acadian Driftwood" is the finest song ever written about the forcible displacement of the Acadian people with Cajun roots from eastern Canada. The Band were storytellers of the highest order, these are the same great stories told by some new faces, give it a whirl. - E. Shea (plus two cents from TK)
Labels: Allman Brothers, Blues Traveler, cover album, Guster, Jack Johnson, Jakob Dylan, MMJ, rhapsody, the band, Trevor Hall
20070620
Two Gallants | The Scenery of Farewell (EP)A pithy precursor to Two Gallants' forthcoming third album, this acoustic EP is the duo's first release since the October 2006 onstage incident that led to drummer Tyson Vogel's night in a Houston jail. The opener "Seems Like Home To Me" establishes the album's mournfully exposed spirit, while Adam Stephens' harmonica adds an introspective reflection to their somber formula of heavyhearted poetry and lonesome folk melodies. With less wavering agitation, The Scenery of Farewell hints at the frustration of last fall's tour: "Days get so dark/ I can hardly see/ I've been gone so long/ It seems like home to me" - Sabrina S.
Labels: houston jail, rhapsody, san francisco, two gallants
20070517
I'm From Barcelona | Let Me Introduce My Friends Under the guidance of principal songwriter Emanuel Lundgren, the debut from this coyly-named Swedish pop collective might be the Scandinavian answer to the Broken Social Scene, even if they choose hugely-orchestrated '60s sunshine over eclectic modernism. The set of buoyant, propulsive indie pop has one foot in The Beach Boys' Smile and the other in modern pop treatments from Beck, who seems to have taught Lundgren how to sing. With its big-gang backup vocals and spaced-out harmonies, LMIMF is an impressive introduction to the happiest band around. - Nate C.
One Track Recommendation: We're From Barcelona"
20070510
Wilco | Sky Blue SkyIf you prefer songcraft to sonic exploration, you'll fall for Wilco's Sky Blue Sky like you did for Being There. They wrote it in the studio as a band, and like any good album, the magic unfolds with repeated listens. In moments where Wilco settle back into the subtlety of their Americana roots, guitar phenomenon Nels Cline lets loose with something jazzy and proggy, but tasteful. "Either Way" is a simple, sunny song that sets the tone with a warm George Harrison feel. Doubled leads on "Impossible Germany" recall '70s soft-rock obscurities like the cosmic, countrified Krautrock of Sand. - E.Shea
I forgot to mention that Rhapsody got the Premiere stream of the album last Tuesday, I was so busy listening to it that I forgot to blog about it. The Young Wiseman Dan K mentioned that he thought there were riffs on SBS which reminded him of some old Steely Dan riffs. I think there's something to it, give it a stream and tell me what you think. - TK
Labels: jazzprog, krautrock, rhapsody, tweedy, wilco
20070501
ALO | Roses and CloverLocal boys done great! It's so heartwarming to watch the maturation of ALO from California college band to local jam band to scene stalwart, and knowing that they are still on the rise you wonder just how big they can go. In order to keep climbing the heart charts, a band must put out a solid studio album to add to the infectious live show. This new album makes it two in a row for ALO. Roses and Clover sees the SF foursome playfully collaborating with the veteran producer Robert Carranza (Beck, Ozomatli), freely knitting sun-soaked funk and gritty jam with uplifting lyrics, infectious hooks and rootsy rhythms. The album opens with first single "Maria," a summery, groove-heavy testament to love that makes ya feel like I'm ridin in a convertible down the coast. "Plastic Bubble" showcases a campy ukulele while "Lady Loop" bursts with lusty bass licks and oodles of keyboard twists. To quoth the Tan Man, "People just have a tendency to gravitate towards this band. The energy they put out is infectious, and they always seem to be able to maintain their roots while further expanding their fanbase. If ALO was a TV show, they would be 'Cheers'." - SS+TK, w/TW quote
Labels: ALO, happiness, maria, rhapsody
20070424
Pela | Anytown GraffitiPela's full-length debut abounds with blistering, reverent anthems. Influenced by the sounds of the Pixies, the Hold Steady and Hüsker Dü, as well as the writings of Raymond Carver, these four Brooklyn beatniks craft a kind of pastoral punk, fraught with vigilant instrumentation and zealous lyrics. "The Trouble with River Cities" masterfully weaves yearning guitar and bass melodies, while the anti-war ballad "Cavalry" embraces a rueful awakening amidst an unyielding horn section. - Sabrina Sutherland
A Top 10 Album for 2007. Listen now and later. - TK
Labels: indie_rock, Pela, rhapsody
20070420
Page McConnell (self-titled)This is the one I've been waiting for, the one former Phish member's solo album that I wanted to see what would happen next. I wondered where his mindset was at after hearing so little from him in almost three years since Coventry. Page McConnell is not the best album ever, but if you know who he is by name, then I think it'll make you smile. There's some of the shaggy happy-go-lucky Page that sort of makes me harken back to the olden days. At one point in the ten-and-a-half minute epic "Heavy Rotation" it's somewhere deep in the middle of a "Split Open and Melt" jam, there's a "Sneakin' Sally" funk when Page goes "Back to the Basement" for an eight minute instrumental. However, at some other points it's the snoozy (greenberg) that makes you feel like a watered-down "Water in the Sky" (can't bring myself to link to that song). Some classic layering of grand piano on top of organ and the old "top shelf" funky wurlitzer bring you back, but Page shows he's a modern man of the 00's, referencing '18" spinning rims and using some computer type beats and effects in "Complex Wind." Overall, he sounds more melancholy than fired up for his life, but I hear where he's coming from, wondering if he can "weather not the storm, but the calm." Life after Phish continues to go on, and it does the heart good to see Page making music. Verdict: I'm still a Page fan, fifteen years later. - TK
20070417
Greyboy Allstars | What Happened to TV?This may be the Greyboy Allstars' first studio set in a decade, but they still serve up snapping chicken-shack jazz-funk grooves simmered with saucy bits of New Orleans R&B. In spite of sporadic touring during the 00's, they still sound like an old, grizzled touring band that is still tearing up the countryside. Zak Najor and Chris Stillwell are still slammin' as a rhythm section, perfect for Karl D, Robert Walter and Elgin Park to solo over. Ditties like "Deck Shoes, "Left Coast Boogaloo" and "Pigeons Under Water" play like different scenes from the same great party. - Nick D.
20070415
Land of Talk | Applause, Cheer, Boo, HissThe first creatures you meet when entering the Land of Talk are fuzzy, buzzed-out indie rock guitars -- the kind that leave music critics scrambling for adjectives with z's in them (hazy? gauzy? zitty? Wait -- that's not right) and then, once we've found them, using them like an uncontrollable tic. Ze guitarz' partners in crime are -- mais oui -- ze drums, keeping the tormented current crackling and rippling. But the talk of the Land, the most magnificent creature is singer/guitarist Elizabeth Powell, who whinnies and wails with Montreal's prettiest, girliest, angstiest je ne sais quoi. - Rachel Devitt
This is chick rock that I can get down with. - TK
Labels: canadian, indie_rock, landoftalk, rhapsody
20070404
Kings Of Leon | Because Of The TimesThe brothers from southern mothers return with a third album that carries nary a hint of their heartland sound. Leaning hard on heady, proggy arrangements pays off with lengthy opener "Knocked Up," a tune that exemplifies drummer Nathan Followill's Harp mag quote about brother Caleb's penchant for transforming inner demons into melodic poetry. "On Call" works the same subtle magic as 2005's "The Bucket." The melody takes its time to burrow into your memory, strengthening its staying power. With echoes of Springsteen, the panoramically soundscaped "Arizona" should have been titled "Nebraska." - Eric Shea
Labels: followill, kings of leon, rhapsody
20070321
Panda Bear | Person PitchWhat if some of the Beach Boys were on drugs when they made Pet Sounds? Wait a second... OK, pretend Brian Wilson was really mentally imbalanced while -- hang on, that doesn't work either. But you get the point -- Panda Bear (a.k.a. Noah Lennox) is a big fan of the Beach Boys. On Person Pitch, he aspires to be something of a bizarro Boy, emulating and exacerbating their wall of sound and pairing sweet melodies about good times with weird electro-industrial loops. "I'm Not," with its watery Gregorian chant, is especially pretty. - Rachel Devitt
file under: sonic freakout alert. - TK
Labels: animal collective, panda bear, rachel devitt, rhapsody, sonic freakout
20070308
Neil Young | Live At Massey Hall 1971Any true Neil Young fan has already seen that jaw-dropping BBC footage of him performing acoustic on February 23, 1971. This monumental performance (from his second vault offering) predated that one by just over a month. Recorded on January 19, Young test-drives newly written songs like "Tell Me Why," "Old Man" and the ever creepy "A Man Needs A Maid" (with different lyrics bleeding into "Heart Of Gold"), as well as songs that would eventually become Harvest. Other rare gems include "Bad Fog of Loneliness" and "Dance Dance Dance" which was the blueprint for "Love Is A Rose." - Eric Shea
Labels: 1971, Massey Hall, Neil Young
20061230
Rotary Downs | Chained to the ChariotHere I come in a crumblin' Chrysler. What a great album, from start to finish. I've been hearing about Rotary Downs for years, first from Zack and more recently from J who simply said "Pavement meets Beck. Listen." So I figured they were good, but this album is way beyond good, it's great. I've liked it since I first heard it, it made my top albums of 2006, and I just listened to it five times in a row again because three different songs jumped out at me and I started to listen more to the lyrics and wonder what it would be like to live in Louisiana under "False Protection". Guess when you're living in a sunken city, you got to fight to keep from tumblin' under. Or maybe you should just drop everything and "Sing Like the Sun." I could go on, reminisce about NOLA, the big parades, pretty in the broken sunken city, all the marching bands are polished 'til they glow. Bow down, this is holy ground! Please stop shredding the truth and listen to this album three times straight through, Rotary Downs is intelligent rock music. - TK
Also featured in the IODA Promonet:
Download "Old Museum" (mp3)
from Chained to the Chariot by Rotary Downs (reapandsow, 2006)
Buy at RealPlayer Music Store
20061201
Brett Dennen | So Much MoreI could not believe how captivating Brett Dennen was when I saw him at the Independent the other night. I mean, the kid has the look of an overgrown Cabbage Patch Kid and sings about love lost and our pathetic government, yet there were 70% screaming girls in the audience. How is that? I think it's because his words are tender and sincere, and his voice is unique. The first track that hits you immediately is the first song, "Ain't No Reason" but as you dig deeper, songs like "I Asked When" are deep with meaning and songs like "One Who Loves You The Most" are loving and sweet, but both styles are well-written. By performing them with Dan "Chops" Lebo and Steve "Best Stash in the Game" Adams, that obviously took them up to another level. As the songs continue to grow on me, there are timeless classics on this record. The So Much More album is making it into my top 15 of the year, when you feel it, you'll know. - TK
"Music fills the space between the guillotines and the prophecies."
tags: JBRhapsody, playlist, Brett Dennen, Rhapsody, folk, ALO, rhaplink
20061121
Arts and Crafts | Label SpotlightToronto-based Arts & Crafts is not only one of Canada's most dynamic independent record labels, but also acts as an artist management firm, a design house, and a distribution and production company. This label also gets an award for being most requested among the few indie labels not yet available on Rhapsody. "When is Rhapsody going to have Broken Social Scene?" is a question often asked among my cohesive social scene. Well, you won't find BSS or A&C on any other subscription services, so have a listen to our latest label spotlight featuring Juno-winners Broken Social Scene, baroque pop-star Feist, and set yourself on fire with Stars and other lush rockers from the Arts & Crafts family.
20061114
And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead | So Divided...Trail of Dead have a lot of hype to live down, from their incendiary live performances to the fact that they are one of the few, if not the only, "rocking" indie rock band on the landscape in 2006; the Austin kids are left holding the torch for a lot of people's expectations. With So Divided, they show they are not afraid of the challenge, admirably taking on Guided By Voices, wriggling around like the Birthday Party and keeping things as heavy as they are accessible throughout. Good stuff, especially the trio of songs that opens the album. - M.McG
One Track Recommendation: "Wasted State of Mind"
20061113
Pavement | Wowee Zowee:Sordid Sentinels Edition
More than a decade since Pavement released this sprawling, unstoppably creative album, this remastered and 'luxe and deluxe' version arrives, and it has held up very well. The new super-expanded version has a whopping 50 tracks on it! It spotlights Malkmus & Co's once-ignored gift for writing catchy pop hooks ("drowning for your thirst!?" in "Rattled By The Rush") and their ragged appreciation of any (and every) musical style they ever stumbled across. This isn't about your memories of the times; it's about all the new dimensions these songs bring out when you listen to them again. Newly released tracks include all the B-sides from the singles (including the legendary Pacific Trim EP with the classic "Give It A Day" and "I Love Perth" & "Painted Soldiers" from the Steve Lamacq BBC evening session on 3.15.95. Whoo hoo hooo! I'm still dedicated to all my friends. - TK / ND
20061110
Muse | Black Holes And RevelationsBlack Holes and Revelations sweeps you into the ever changing vortex of sound. a spooky feeling is created with shredding, freak out jams and dark, evil lyrics, which bursts into glam rock that makes you wanna dance. Muse takes you on board a futuristic brit-pop rock opera with their soaring vocals and swirling gutiars. Get into it! - Deb B. (*the original TSR*)
20061101
Backyard Tire Fire | Skin and Bones (EP)The sophomore EP from Backyard Tire Fire has enough big guitars and hard-luck yowl from Easy Ed Anderson to demonstrate a love for heavy roots music and make a bid for the title of their generation's Crazy Horse. When "Tired of Being Tired" lumbers out of the speakers with an ominous gait, it has all the foreboding grit and guitar wail as "Down by the River." (Side note, do check out the new live version of "Down By The River" that Neil & Crazy Horse just released from Fillmore East.) The lone appearance of an acoustic guitar, on "Don't Know What to Do," is breezy and refreshing, but the band is at its best on boot stomping numbers like "Downtime" and "Blood on the Strings." Also of note is the live cover of Barry Cowsill (the Bonaduce of the real life Partridge Family) and his ode to scoring on the streets, "Crack Alley." - GK/TK
20061020
Annuals | Be He MeAt the time of Be He Me's release, the Annuals had been declared the latest Internet-bred indie rock sensation, hence hype-fueled comparisons to the Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, etc. The actual similarity? Well, it's that us-versus-them, fists held aloft, DIY spastic/drastic thing -- this music is urgent, earnest and cute. The difference? A little less Talking Heads, a little more Pink Floyd, a little less Muppets, a little more Fraggle Rock (no, we're not sure what that means). Comparisons aside, this is another record of delightfully shambolic orchestral indie rock from the fringes. Jon Pareles from the NYTimes wrote about the band's "joyful eccentricity that could make anyone believe the album's closing assurance, "We'll have it all. We ooh, we can." - GK
One Track Recommendation "Father"
20061017
Primus | They Can't All Be ZingersMaybe they can't all be zingers, but when it comes to the music of Primus, you can bet they are all wacko alt rock ragers. Led by ace of bass Les Claypool, the influential trio has been funking, punking and spelunking for well over two decades. This greatest hits set begins with Primus' earlier, harder stuff and closes with more recent fare, produced when they started buying into the hype surrounding their weirdness. Some nuggets are left off, unfortunately; this collection could have easily spanned two discs. At least you get "John the Fisherman" and "Tommy the Cat" and of course, "Wynonna's Big Brown Beaver" in all it's glory. - JZ
20061013
Cold War Kids | Robbers and CowardsCWK have been building buzz all year, especially around SF. Finally, an album to listen to, and it's one of those records, you know the more you listen to it, the more you like it. These songs are retro, yet modern, and the songwriting is mature, yet fresh. Robbers & Cowards kicks off with a wicked one-two punch of "We Used to Vacation" and then "Hang Me Up To Dry" - but it's not front loaded, the "Hospital Beds" and "Saint John" are just as catchy, showcasing the emotional lyrical style of Nathan Willett. Even the font and feel of the album cover and booklet exudes authenticity. A buzz band to stick around? We'll see, but this album is a likely candidate for the end of year top picks list. Give it a listen. Repeat. - TK
20061004
The Album Leaf | Into the Blue AgainIf for some strange reason you've been listening to raging death metal all day and require the complete and total antithesis to prevent you from killing someone, well we've got an Album Leaf record for you. For his third LP, main man Jimmy LaValle throws some formerly absent vocals onto a few tracks, although for the most part it's business as usual: lithe, languid instrumentals, 72-degree post-rock relaxation music with enough indie smarts to make it more than just the musical equivalent of those videos of fish. How can you not like the track "Always For You"?
20060929
Silversun Pickups | CarnavasCaught a killer SSPU set last night at the Rickshaw. Really loved their set, much better as a headliner than an opener. Don't know too many of the song titles, save for Sammy's "song of last year" called "Kissing Families," but pretty much liked everything they played, love the energy created by yelling in my face mixed with subtle melodies. They were so excited by the headlining slot, they played an extra long encore and even took requests. I think it's easy to make that comparison to the sound of the Smashing Pumpkins on first listen, but the more you listen, the more they grow into their own. Songs like "Lazy Eye" perfectly mix the bass, guitars and vocals and at this time, this is the favorite on the album. Plus, the female bassist Nikki is sublime, so quiet and shy yet dropping nimble bass bombs, she rocks. - TK
20060926
My Morning Jacket | OkonokosIt would not be a lie if I said we had been waiting 318 days for the double live album to come out, since the two MMJ shows at the Fillmore that this CD was recorded at were the best of the year. Wait no longer, Okonokos sounds as good as the shows were last year. Two-Tone Tommy's bass just pops when "It Beats For You," right in sync with Patrick Hallahan's drums, showing this is the best rhythm section in the game today. Bo Koster's bouncing keyboards make "Anytime" a good time. The guitar intro is beautifully pronounced on favorite "Lowdown" but screams while keeping it "Off The Record." Carl Broemel's guitar screams "Lay Low" but he shows another side of his musicianship with a killer sax solo in "Don Dante," I can remember right where I was standing at that point, next to sister Rachel, the stage awash in green leaves. So, yeah, for the memories this music continues to conjure, this is a top 10 record of the year. Everything Jim James touches turns "Golden." - TK
20060922
Up From The Catacombs: The Best Of Jane's AddictionDynamic synergy made them one of the most influential metal-funk-rock bands of the '90s. This best-of collection confirms that the whole is certainly greater than the sum of its parts, as Dave Navarro's crunching, psychedelic-tinged guitars seamlessly fuse with Perry Farrell's funky vocals, Stephen Perkins' arresting rhythms and Eric Avery's pulsating bass work. The compilation amasses tracks from their 1988 debut to 2003's Strays. Highlights include the alluringly erratic "Three Days" and a live Lollapalooza version of "Jane Says." - Steph B
20060920
The Black Crowes | Freak 'N' Roll... Into The FogI love it when sick local shows get remastered and released as CD/DVD combos! Taken from The Black Crowes' five-night run at our local shrine, the Fillmore Auditorium, in August 2005, Freak 'N' Roll... Into The Fog features the four-piece Left Coast Horns (superb on "Only Halfway To Everywhere") and a pair of backing vocalists augmenting the band's definitive lineup. With jaw-dropping interplay between guitarists Rich Robinson and Mark Ford, sparkling keys from newly departed Ed Hawrysch and an exceptional vocal performance from Chris Robinson, the Crowes make the case for being the greatest rock band of their generation. This double album is two hours of proof. - S.G. Zwickel
One Band Cover: "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"
20060915
Ratatat | ClassicsRatatat is coming to SF! Can you rock it on a Monday night? If so, do yourself a favor and meet me at the Great American on the 18th! Yes, every cool band seems to be a duo right now, but this one will blow your mind. Flavorpill writes, "Brooklyn duo Ratatat garnered well-deserved hype for their eponymous debut album, but no one was sure how they would top those soaring tracks...Fortunately, the boys hitched up their pants and turned the dial to "epic": their latest is a hazy mirage of unabashedly anthemic tunes, with acoustic and slide guitar, cello, and what we swear are harmonizing buzz saws swimming amid dizzying, layered atmospherics." True dat, the record is kinda great, and it's about time these Brooklyn electrohipsters came to the west coast. Let's turn it out on Monday and maybe next time they return on a weekend for a blowout. - TK
One Track Recommendation: "Wildcat" Grrrrrr!
20060914
TV on the Radio | Return to Cookie MountainThe last two weeks have been the two busiest weeks of the year for new albums. Not sure why TV on the Radio pushed their US release date to this week, but the Return record is eclectic enough to stand out- it's got heavy drums and strange whistle/clap/fuzzbox noises from David Sitek, plus the requisite dual-layered vocal attack of Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone. Here's what McGuirk wrote in his Rhapsody review:
Blonde Redhead, Roxy Music, Outkast and god knows what else are on the list of influences you'll find on this second record from these indie rock subversives. Along with Arcade Fire and Animal Collective, TV On the Radio are recording highly avant-garde pop music that threatens to make indie rock worth listening to again. And they're garnering attention from such big shots as David Bowie, who contributes backing vocals on "Province," and Trent Reznor, who took them on tour with Nine Inch Nails. - MMcGOne Track Recommendation: Beach Boys meet Beelzebub on "A Method"
20060912
Dr. Dog | Takers and Leavers EPDr. Dog was so freakin amazing last Saturday at the Du Nord. The band evokes some kind of bursting feeling inside, whenever I see them perform "Wake Up" it is like an epiphany that just makes me want to hold hands with the shoegaziest of the indie rockers and tell them like the things in your head, they are only what they seem, and embrace them for their ways, for we are only part of a dream. The band's label just loved what S.G. Zwickel wrote about their Takers and Leavers EP in last week's SF Weekly:
"Smug indie rockers, bare-footin' post-hippies, hooked-on-hooks pop junkies — can't they all just get along? Dr. Dog says yeah, they can, and the Philly five-piece offers this six-song EP as the soundtrack to the icebreaker. Like with any first encounter, there's gonna be some initial awkwardness, and in this case it comes in the form of unabashed exuberance. Dr. Dog's hazy, harmonized pop is sunnier than summertime, played with what could be considered lethally low levels of irony. This exuberance, young hipster, is to be savored, not feared. As is the deliciously sticky songwriting, compact but swollen with pithy turnarounds, tiny guitar solos, and surprise crescendos — like a new brand of bubblegum that somehow makes you smarter."Give it a whirl, if you only have time for one song, and you live where I live, and you love like I love, then stream "California" now! Trust me, you'll like the whole thing, 'extended play' means it's only six songs long, every track tasty in it's own way, Philly-style. - TK
20060907
The Format | Dog ProblemsNot sure why I just heard about this record a month ago, but since I popped it in, it's been in heavy rotation in my world. Pretty much every song is catchy in a Ben Folds-meets-Freddie-Mercury kinda way and worth a few listens (am I becoming a power-pop fan? or is this just good music?) The harmonies and orchestration are sure to win you over, if you can discern them, then the witty lyrics will (I also hate corporate magazines). First grabber is probably "Time Bomb" and I love how it flows into "She Doesn't Get It." In fact, that is one thing I totally love is the sequencing, how songs move from one to the next, also present after "Dead End" into "Snails" too. And who doesn't love songs about happy snails? Snails see the benefits, the beauty in every inch. - TK
20060905
Pinback | Nautical AntiquesThrough the first half of the '00's, the interlocking guitar lines and harmonized vocals of Pinback quietly became one of the most in-demand indie rock sounds in America, even if this feat was overshadowed by bigger boys like Modest Mouse and Death Cab. This collection of outtakes and rarities probably won't lure any new fans, but existing acolytes will find plenty to enjoy, including an early demo of "Seville" that reveals the band isn't always airtight, and a charming little ditty in "Versailles" based around some piano chords (rare for these guys). -GK
Also Worth Streaming: the 2004 Pinback masterpiece Summer in Abbadon is also now live in Rhapsody. Really such a perfect album all the way through, bookended by "Non-Photo Blue" and "AFK." Find me a better pre-sunrise album and I'll blog that too. - TK
TV on the Radio
My Morning Jacket
Delta Spirit
Islands
Big Light
Bon Iver
Fleet Foxes
Dr. Dog
Great Northern
Pela
Bishop Allen
Spoon
Andrew Bird
Wilco
Band of Horses
Two Gallants
Great Lake Swimmers
The Avett Brothers
Cloud Cult
Kings of Leon
Band of Horses
The Slip
Cold War Kids
Rotary Downs
Margot & The Nuclear So and So's * The Dust of Retreat
Built to Spill
Brett Dennen
The Whigs
My Morning Jacket
The Format
Two Gallants
The Raconteurs
Dirty on Purpose
Ratatat
Beneveto-Russo Duo
My Morning Jacket
Apollo Sunshine
Andrew Bird
Fiona Apple
Dr. Dog
White Stripes
Spoon
Benevento-Russo Duo
Dungen
Stephen Malkmus
The Mars Volta
The Magic Numbers
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Sufjan Stevens
My Morning Jacket
Best enjoyed in the 54 minutes before sunrise, Summer in Abbadon has equal parts soft breath and raucous screaming, layered guitars and vocals that somehow equal something larger and gorgeous. This is a magical record, one of the best of 2004, and I believe Pinback's best effort to date. "AFK" will make you think twice, it's elusive and thoughtful. What a great record.
It's a flawless album, LP has the mark of a great album - no matter my mood, I can pop it in and listen to it straight through, start to finish. LP was my number one record of 2004. "Stay Where You Are" and give it a spin, also "Stay Tuned" for we hope there is more to come from Ambulance LTD.
You're only making this list if your album is stellar from start to finish. The 2003 release of Penturbia somehow eluded me until two years later, but I'll never forget it again. I love my canoe, and you too. It's one big world and one small me. When will I come to terms that the only constant thing in life is change? Every song, so good. Hear it.
See where genre-defying innovators The Slip started it all. This is the very sophisticated debut album created by three teenagers from Providence, R.I. Gecko features classic instrumentals "Munf," "Yellow Medicine," "Cumulus," and "Spice Groove," as well as lyrical favorites "Alsoa" and "The Weight of Solomon."
The first Ben Folds Five album is a masterpiece. This is a top ten record of all time for me. BF5 features the classics "Underground," "Best Imitation of Myself," "My Philosophy" and "Alice Childress" - honestly, every song has it's own merits, I never get sick of this piano pop record.
The final Pavement album is in my mind, their best. Before yoiu S&E purists bash me, go back and listen to the record. TT is a masterpiece, the songwriting is poetic and disturbing, but you'll never know until you dig deep. This is a lesson in how relationships end, some are pleasant and others are painful. If you are not grabbed by the pop beauty of "Speak, See Remember" or "Major Leagues" then dig deeper and read into "Bilie" or "Folk Jam" - just don't 'waste your precious breath explaining that you are worthwhile.'
The second BHTM album was recorded on a two track in basements in the midwest and the raw, underproduced sound has helped it stand the test of time. Even after fifteen years of years of regular listens, this record continues to shine brightly like "city burning like a dream" or like the light from a tower in the distance, just "broadcasting it's resistance through the rain and through the night. Listen, and you will believe that "yes indeed, there is a paradise...and a band is playing there."