Month: December 2011

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The Ridges on Daytrotter

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Musically, one of my favorite things about 2011 was getting into Ohio’s own beautiful chamber folk rock group, the Ridges. Their evocative music still makes me happy when I hear it, and I’m even happier that this talented crew was able to realize a great ambition when they travelled to Rock Island, Illinois to record at the Horseshack, home of titanic music site Daytrotter.

Their Daytrotter session debuted yesterday, and it is gorgeous. Everything that made me love their EP is present, fine-tuned and featured gloriously, from the sometimes winsome, sometimes seasick strings to Victor Rasgaitis’ plaintive vocals. The cast for this recording consisted of: Victor Rasgaitis (Vocals and Guitar), Johnny Barton (Percussion and Vocals), Talor Smith (Cello and Vocals), Allie Levin (Cello), Sarah Edgerton (Viola and Violin), Lauretta Werner (Violin), Chris Damm (Accordion) and Nathan Zangmeister (Bass and Vocals).

To get this gorgeous session, head here very quickly and download swiftly, then listen slowly. Then when you are so enamored by what you hear that you want more, make way to the Ridges’ Bandcamp site and grab their EP.

Heartfelt kudos and congratulations to Vic and the band. You done good, kids.

 

 

The Ridges @ Daytrotter

The Ridges @ Bandcamp

The Ridges @ Facebook

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2011: A Year In Pictures, Pt. 4 – October – December

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Love Crushed Velvet, The Norwood, October 2011

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The Tower & The Fool, Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, Providence, RI, October 2011

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Eric Nally, Foxy Shazam, Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, Providence, RI, October 2011

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Brendon Urie (Panic! at the Disco) and the lucky bra, Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, Providence, RI, October 2011

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Foxy Shazam, Starland Ballroom, November 2011

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Patrick Stump, Starland Ballroom, November 2011

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Brendon Urie (Panic! at the Disco), Starland Ballroom, November 2011

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Panic! at the Disco, Starland Ballroom, November 2011

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Thomas Dybdahl, Beacon Theater, December 2011

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Tori Amos, Beacon Theater, December 2011

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HOLIDELIC, Joe’s Pub, December 2011

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2011: A Year in Pictures, Pt. 3 – July – September

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You Won’t, Scyamore, July 2011

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The Maples, Sycamore, July 2011

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The Dead Ex’s, Bowery Electric, July 2011

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Gin Blossoms, BB Kings, July 2011

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The New York Dolls, Camden, NJ, July 2011

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Bret Michaels (Poison), Camden, NJ, July 2011

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Motley Crue, Camden, NJ, July 2011

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Crazy Band, The Smell, Los Angeles, July 2011

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Audacity, The Smell, Los Angeles, July 2011

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Nick Murray (White Fence), The Smell, Los Angeles, July 2011

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Welldiggers Banquet, The Echo, July 2011

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Grant Langston & The Supermodels, The Echo, July 2011

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Ruby Friedman Orchestra, The Echo, July 2011

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Manchester Orchestra, Jones Beach, August 2011

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Frank Iero and Mikey Way (My Chemical Romance), Jones Beach, August 2011

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Widowspeak, Bowery Ballroom, August 2011

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White Fence, Bowery Ballroom, August 2011

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Ducktails, Bowery Ballroom, August 2011

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Woods, Bowery Ballroom, August 2011

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Shaggy and Bebe Rexha (Black Cards), Central Park Summerstage, September 2011

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Nick Santino (A Rocket to the Moon), T5, September 2011

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William Beckett (The Academy Is . . .), T5, September 2011

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Travie McCoy (Gym Class Heroes), T5, September 2011

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Gabe Saporta (Cobra Starship), T5, September 2011

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Lucas Carpenter, The Sidewalk Cafe, September 2011

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Mark Rose, The Sidewalk Cafe, September 2011

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Jon Walker, The Sidewalk Cafe, September 2011

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Brett Detar, the bell house, September 2011

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Nick13, the bell house, September 2011

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Hugh Pool Band, Hill Country BBQ, September 2011

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Shooter Jennings, Hill Country BBQ, September 2011

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Nick Kinsey (The Diamond Doves), Webster Hall, September 2011

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Nicole Atkins and the Black Sea, Webster Hall, September 2011

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Ian Felice and Christmas (The Felice Brothers), Webster Hall, September 2011

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Saturday Matinee: Just before Elvis Costello was banned from SNL

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On December 17, 1977, Elvis Costello and the Attractions performed on Saturday Night Live, filling in for the Sex Pistols, who were having visa issues. I’d always wondered what the deal was with Costello stopping mid-verse and launching into a different song.

From Dangerous Minds:

Costello’s record label, Columbia, wanted him to perform “Less Than Zero”, the first single from his as yet unreleased (in the U.S.) debut album My Aim Is True. Elvis wanted to perform “Radio Radio,” his attack on corporate control of the airwaves – a punk move that would have been in the spirit of The Pistols. Columbia disapproved of the idea and SNL producer Lorne Michaels allegedly told Costello, on orders from his employer NBC, to not perform “Radio Radio.”

Come show time, the band started playing “Less Than Zero” and then abruptly stopped and shifted into “Radio Radio.” At the end of the tune, they defiantly walked off the set.

 

Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Less Than Zero/Radio, Radio – Live 1977 from docinwestchester on Vimeo.

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Joe Strummer: “I wake up and thank God for punk rock every day.”

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Even after writing the date again and again, I somehow forgot that yesterday was the 9th anniversary of the death of NTSIB patron saint Joe Strummer. As I said to a friend, some days it seems like more, some days it seems like a lot less.

Here’s some treats I gathered in remembrance: extra interview footage from Dick Rude’s great documentary Let’s Rock Again!, the great (and cranky) Bo Diddley talking about his opening slot for the Clash in 1979 and, via boingboing, the 1942 New Year’s resolutions list of one of Joe’s heroes, Woody Guthrie (you can easily imagine a very similar list coming from Joe himself).

 

 

 

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Rebirth of the Cool: Searchin’

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The album cover, with it’s eye-searing blue-on-red pattern of a repeated image of the group, is a lesson in bad design, but the vinyl platter inside was a masterclass on making music to appeal across divisions. This best of Coasters’ album from my mother’s collection is one of the small group of things that reside in the overlap of the Venn diagram representing me, my mother and my father. And it’s one of those rare things that can make my notoriously cranky father act a little goofy, as he dances through the house, singing along and pointing his fingers in the air.

“Yakety Yak”, probably the Coasters’ best-known song, was always my least favorite due to over-saturation, having heard it on the local oldies station (WMJI, Majic 105.7… back when it still played oldies. Remember those days, Cleveland kids?) a million times and seen it depicted in several cartoons of the time. But one of my favorites on that best of album was “Searchin'”, with it’s sliding rhythm. A great song to do the Stroll to.

Written by the legendary songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, the song was released on Atco Records in 1957.

 

 

The Coasters had a knack for recording songs with catchy, instantly-likeable rhythms. (Though the song was slowed down in their live performance of it on censorship-loving Steve Allen’s show.)

Fun fact: The Beatles covered “Searchin'” in their audition for Decca Records in 1962. Their cover was pretty terrible. They should have taken a cue from Bill Lee Riley, who covered the song in ’57 for Sun Records.

 

 

There was also a creditable rendition by the Hollies in 1963.

In 1965, the Spencer Davis Group laid down a surprisingly soulful version of “Searchin'” with a little more hipsway in the mix.

 

 

In the mid-’90s, Man of a Thousand Bands, Mick Collins, covered “Searchin'” with his band Blacktop, adding his signature loud, fuzzed-out, chainsaw guitar sound. (Collins also covered the Coasters “The Idol with the Golden Head” with the Gories, making me like him even more than I already did.)

(Note: I have no idea where the visuals are from in this video. It’s just what was available.)

 

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2011: A Year In Pictures – Pt. 2, April – June

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The Architects, T5, April 2011

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Neon Trees, T5, April 2011

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Gerard Way, My Chemical Romance, T5, April 2011

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Whitesnake, Irving Plaza, May 2011

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The Dig, Bowery Ballroom, May 2011

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Glasvegas, Bowery Ballroom, May 2011

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The Felice Brothers, the bell house, May 2011

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Foxy Shazam, T5, May 2011

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fun., T5, May 2011

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Spencer Smith, Panic! at the Disco, T5, May 2011

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Brendon Urie, Panic! at the Disco, T5, May 2011

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Sharon Little, High Line Ballroom, June 2011

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John Batiste Band, High Line Ballroom, June 2011

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Fred LeBlanc, Cowboy Mouth, High Line Ballroom, June 2011

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Follower, Studio at Webster Hall, June 2011

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The Constant, The Studio at Webster Hall, June 2011

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Sean van Vleet, Empires, Studio at Webster Hall, June 2011

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Emily Zuzik, The Living Room, June 2011

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2011: A Year In Pictures Pt. 1 – January to March

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Bobby Bare, Jr., Brooklyn, January 2011

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Carey Kotsionis, Brooklyn, January 2011

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Carey Kotsionis, City Winery, January 2011

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Bobby Bare, Jr., City Winery, January 2011

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Rhett Miller, City Winery, January 2011

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Black Bells and Roger Greenawalt, Beatles on the Ukelele, Brooklyn Bowl, January 2011

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The Zambonis and Roger Greenawalt, Beatles on the Ukelele, Brooklyn Bowl, January 2011

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Love Crushed Velvet and Roger Greenawalt, Beatles on the Ukelele, Brooklyn Bowl, January 2011

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Melissa Ward and Roger Greenawalt, Beatles on the Ukelele, Brooklyn Bowl, January 2011

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Edie Brickell, Radio City Music Hall, January 2011

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Sam Beam (Iron & Wine), Radio City Music Hall, January 2011

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Wye Oak, Beacon Theater, January 2011

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The Decemberists, Beacon Theater, January 2011

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Walk the Moon, Bowery Ballroom, February 2011

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Spencer Smith and Brendon Urie, Panic! at the Disco, Bowery Ballroom, February 2011

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You & Me & Everyone We Know, shortly before the band imploded, High Line Ballroom, February 2011

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Greta Morgan of Gold Motel, High Line Ballroom, February 2011

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Hellogoodbye, High Line Ballroom, February 2011

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Moving Mountains, Gramercy Theatre, February 2011

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Biffy Clyro, Gramercy Theatre, February 2011

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Tongue In Public, Crash Mansion, February 2011

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ALEXCALIBUR, Crash Mansion, February 2011

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Charlotte Sometimes, Crash Mansion, February 2011

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Love Crushed Velvet, Crash Mansion, February 2011

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Alexis Foxe, Crash Mansion, February 2011

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Meat Loaf, Irving Plaza, February 2011

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Allman Brothers, Beacon Theater, March 2011

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So So Glos, T5, March 2011

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The Pogues, T5, March 2011

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Superchunk, Radio City Music Hall, March 2011

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Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes, Radio City Music Hall, March 2011

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Lighting a Signal Fire: Phantom Planet Is Back!

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Early in November, a new Twitter profile appeared. The Internet said, All right, but is this real?

Yes, quoth the band. ‘Tis us and none other.

And then today, the following did appear:

 

Phantom Planet Reunion - "Knowitall" Teaser (1st Rehearsal Since Hiatus)

 

TIME TO DO THE HAPPY DANCE, Y’ALL, THEY’RE BACK!!!!

So far details are thin, but, should you want to be kept apprised of developments as they occur, subscribe to the new Twitter feed, as that is the primary source of information.

Meanwhile, in celebration of this happy news, here’s some more Phantom Planet, starting with an acoustic version of Raise the Dead, from a post-show jam:

 

Raise The Dead (acoustic)

 

And Ship Lost At Sea, one of my personal favorites (to the surprise of NONE OF YOU, I am sure) from their Daytrotter session:

 

Ship Lost At Sea (Daytrotter Sessions)