Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey will be playing four shows in September, including two gigs at their regular haunt in Denver, CO.
Live dates:
The David Bowie tribute at the Royal Albert Hall in London was disappointing as a whole, with the guest singers avoided taking risks and/or missing the notes by a mile. The music of Bowie needs a sparkle, dynamics and a mischievous smile. The arrangements were nice enough, but deconstruction and reinvention of the music would have turned into a truly memorable night, not a parade of nervous artists catering to the mainstream. One man could not save the night, but he came close. John Cale stood his ground and was one of the few highlights. The Guardian concurs:
Then John Cale arrives, wearing an overcoat, scarf and a skirt. In the hands of a Velvet Underground member who influenced Bowie in the first place, Valentine’s Day becomes a dark, electronic elegy, Sorrow a buzzing, gothic anthem, and Space Oddity an excursion into trip-hop, lifted high by the House Gospel Choir.
Bowie’s star burns the strongest here tonight, and the blackest, into the next day.
Retro Britpop quartet Itchy Teeth have made a DIY video for Solid Gold Tooth, a track from their forthcoming debut album (August 14th on Fourtwenty Records. They filmed at the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in Paris (final resting of place of Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde). A tongue-in-cheek slow song with plenty of "ooohs" and delicate guitar interaction.
Live dates:
NYC Avant-jazz keyboardist Marco Benevento hits the road again to promote his latest studio album The Story of Fred Short. The tour includes three shows in the UK in September.
Live dates:Watch Phish perform Scent of a Mule @ The Forum in Inglewood, CA - 2016/07/22. Trey Anastasio and Jon Fishman on Marimba Lumina.
Live dates:
Some bands blow it before they even play. The most important moment of any show is when a band walks out with the red amp lights glowing, the flashlight that shows each performer the way to his spot on the stage. It's crucial not to blow it. It sets the tempo of the show; it affects everyone's perception of the band.
Johnny Ramone
Canadian psychedelic raga rock trio Elephant Stone have just released Manipulator, another single from their forthcoming new album Ship Of Fools. A bit more poppy sounding than their latest one Andromeda, but with a loud and clear message about people trying to get into your head to have their way.
Manipulator is a self-released single. Buy it from iTunes. The Ship Of Fools album is out digitally on September 16th. Burger Records will handle the physical version - in the shops on November 25th.
Chicago blues rock quartet Steepwater Band have unveiled an animated video for Break, a track from their latest studio album Shake Your Faith. Video concept, design, and animation by Alexandre Barcelos.
Phish
2016/07/23
Sleep Train Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, CA
Jazzy soulpop band Ivory Caffee have just released their debut EP Shades. The Dutch trio offer four tracks of mainstream lounge music with a bit of electronics and sound effects. Plenty of chops and singer Thaïsia Stolk can carry a tune, and Shangho Dekker (keyboards) and Prince Verstraten (guitar) came up with some interesting ideas.
Shades is a no-brainer for boutique background music. The potential is there to get people paying more attention. They should consider turning it up a notch or two and a change of pace wouldn't hurt either.
Phish
2016/07/22
The Forum, Inglewood, CA
London based indie electropop duo Bella Loka are quick to release We Are Young, the other half of their new double A-side single. It's a cheerful and abrasive one-fingered salute to the music industry, driven forward by the dry sound of an acoustic guitar. They recorded it at Abbey Road Studios, with in-house producers Rob Cass & Pearse MacIntyre (Cave Productions) working their magic as the controls. It will be included on their debut full-length The Light, The Mud & The Dark later this year.
We Are Young is released on DEFDISCO. Buy it from iTunes.
Live dates:HCTF review of Honey B.
Phish
2016/07/20
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
Canadian punk rock trio The Dirty Nil have unveiled a video for Zombie Eyed. A girl walking the streets in suburbia get runs down by a car, turns into a zombie and has a lot of fun killing people, until she gets a taste from her own medicine. Run of the mill horror on a shoestring budget, that will some eyebrows among the soccer moms, but otherwise pretty harmless.
Phish
2016/07/19
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
London based indie electropop duo Bella Loka have finished recording their debut album The Light, The Mud & The Dark. The new single Honey B is a slice of catchy, smart pop that will find its way to playlists labeled "2016 Summer Tunes". They recorded it at Abbey Road Studios, with in-house producers Rob Cass & Pearse MacIntyre (Cave Productions) working their magic as the controls.
Honey B is released on DEFDISCO. Buy it from iTunes.
Live dates:HCTF review of Escape.
Phish
2016/07/18
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
A new documentary about Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards will be broadcasted on BBC2 on July 23rd. Directed b Julien Temple Keith Richards - The Origin Of The Species focuses on his formative years and the transition of a choirboy singing in front of the Queen at Westminster Abbey to a blues fan.
Phish
2016/07/16
Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA
The thing about 'Soft Machine' and me was that I never considered another profession.
Kevin Ayers
Phish
2016/07/15
Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA
Oakland based husband and wife folk duo The Saxophones have posted a stream of Best Boy, a soft spoken track from their debut EP If You're on the Water. I am Oak fans will love it,
Holly Bowling's piano versions of the Phish songs The Wedge and Twist are released on 180 gram transparent red colored vinyl thru The Royal Potato Family, as a companion for the blue vinyl release of her take on the Tahoe Tweezer. Taken from her Distillation of a Dream: The Music of Phish Reimagined For Solo Piano 2CD.
Live dates:
Another night of good old avant-garde goes down on Saturday July 16th @ The Nutclough Tavern on Keighley Road in Hebden Bridge. Multi-instrumental Matt Lupton-Levy, singer/songwriter Sarah Courtney and Colin Robinson will provide the mostly improvised entertainment, playing in difficult keys and time signatures that might be too challenging for dancing.
ZAPPATiKA have put up More Trouble Every Day, a track of their forthcoming live album Welcome to the Starlight Lounge, recorded during their European tour with Zappa alumni Ike Willis, Jeff Hollie and Craig Twister Steward. The album will be released in August.
HCTF review of The Pony Suite.
The two Phish shows in George, WA @ Gorge Amphitheatre (July 15-16) will be offered as pay-per-view webcasts:
UK pop artist Prints Jackson keeps it close to home with Rachell Morgan Jackson acting as guest vocalist on Summer Assaults, episode 29 of his "one new song each month till the day I die" project. It comes close to rap before taking a sharp left into detuned dance madness, with plenty of vocal effects. Too mellow for the ravers, but it could be sneaked into the set of a DJ looking for a song outside the ordinary to spice up his afterparty set.
Summer Assaults is a self-released single. Buy it (pay-what-you-want) from his website.
HCTF review of The Weather Girl.
John Cale performed at De Bijloke Site, Gent, Belgium - July 9, 2016. Part of Gent Jazz Festival.
The band:
John Cale: vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards
Dustin Boyer: lead guitar, samples
Joey Maramba: bass
Deantoni Parks: drums
Setlist:
(Thanks: Christoph Keller)
Phish
2016/07/10
Lakeview Amphitheater, Syracuse, NY
A wealth of artists will be paying tribute to David Bowie at the Royal Albert Hall in London on July 29 as part of the BBC Proms. Berlin based musicians’ collective s t a r g a z e and its Artistic Director André de Ridder will welcome guests John Cale, Jherek Bischoff & Amanda Palmer, Marc Almond and Laura Mvula to celebrate his musical heritage.
[s t a r g a z e] are joined by guest singers and collaborators – including Michel van der Aa, Jherek Bischoff, David Lang, Anna Meredith, Greg Saunier and Josephie Stephenson – to re-imagine the Bowie catalogue with fresh settings of classic works.Guest singers:
The show will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and 6 Music, as well as being shown on BBC Four.
» davidbowie.com
» amandapalmer.net
» John Cale on Facebook
» John Cale tour dates
(thanks: Marek Koudelka)
Phish
2016/07/09
XFINITY Theatre, Hartford, CT
Dutch explosive Americana band Rob Klerkx & The Secret have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the release of their new studio album Fever Dream. The release party will be held at the Paradiso in Amsterdam on December 8th.
Live dates:HCTF review of Live at IJland Studio.
Phish
2016/07/88
Xfinity Center, Mansfield, MA
English singer Sam Coates (previously of JUNK./ The Federals) has traveled far and wide. The songs for the debut single of his latest project Može Može when he resided in Croatia, but safe for the band name - "can can" in English - there is no sign of a Balkan vibe. Velcro b/w Deep Sea Blue leans heavily on The Velvet Underground in their garage rock guise and lawyers might consider suing for copyright infringement of I Can't Stand It and Sweet Jane by way of the Cowboy Junkies.
Watch a no-frills video of Fred Händl playing the Zappa classic Let’s Make The Water Turn Black on piano. It's a track from his Fred Händl plays the music of Frank Zappa – featuring The Giacomo di Lindini Trio album.
» drfreddies.com
» jazzappa.com
HCTF review of Fred Händl plays the music of Frank Zappa – featuring The Giacomo di Lindini Trio.
Watch Phish perform Guelah Papyrus @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY - 2016/07/03.
When I die, I want people to play my music, go wild and freak out and do anything they want to do.
Jimi Hendrix
Phish
2016/07/06
Cross Insurance Arena, Portland, ME
John Cale will perform at the POP Montreal International Music Festival at the Théâtre Rialto (Salle St-Ambroise) on September 22.
German-Dutch duo The Day have found a way to blend melancholy and electro indie pop on their debut EP Strangers With Familiar Faces. Laura Loeters and Gregor Sonnenberg write songs about failure and loss, but are adamant to carry on. Waving intricate synth textures with a sprinkling of choice effects, the duo sets sail to greener pastures.
Strangers With Familiar Faces is a short and sweet collection of exquisite, tender music that is way too smart for mainstream appeal, but it surely will find its way to the collection of musos and other geeks, who are able to handle counter-melodies and adventurous bass lines. Recommended if you like Belle and Sebastian, Suzanne Vega and Heather Nova.
The Prince Online Museum is a treasure trove of the Purple One's presence on the web. Director Sam Jennings:
We launch with over a dozen of Prince’s most popular sites, but over 20 years online, Prince launched nearly 20 different websites, maintained a dozen different social media presences, participated in countless online chats, and directly connected with fans around the world. This Museum is an archive of that work and a reminder of everything he accomplished as an independent artist with the support of his vibrant and dedicated online community.
Watch Phish perform The Moma Dance @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY - 2016/07/03.
ZAPPATiKA have put up a teaser track of their forthcoming live album Welcome to the Starlight Lounge, zecorded during their European tour with Zappa alumni Ike Willis, Jeff Hollie and Craig Twister Steward. The album will be released in August.
HCTF review of The Pony Suite.
On July 3rd Colin Robinson set up shop in in the courtyard of Northlight Art Studios with his one-man project Jumble Hole Clough, went in at the deep for a performance of five fresh tunes as part of the Hebden Bridge Open Studios weekend. Hooking up his guitar to his devices he used loops that he created on the spot as the foundations for his solo meanderings, like a bricklayer constructing lopsided, Escher-alike houses.
Robinson's spur of the moment improvisations are always a surprise. He doesn't have a clear idea about where he will go next, but he always brings it home by claiming his right-of-way through his musical mazes and soundscapes. He applied a church organ sound to The Bride stripped bare by The Batchelors, a title that might be inspired by Bryan Ferry's underrated solo album. The harsher guiyar tone for En prélude à une entorse au poignet should be recognised by anyone who has experienced the agony of sprained wrist.
Watch Phish perform Chalk Dust Torture @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY - 2016/07/01. First memorable of the 2016 Summer tour.
London garage punk rock trio False Heads have made a video for their latest single Thick Skin.. The clip was directed James Ray, who followed them around getting into trouble.
Thick Skin is released thru 25 Hour Convenience Store. Buy it from iTunes.
Phish
2016/07/03
Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
NYC blues rock quintet Jane Lee Hooker are on the road throughout the Summer, promoting their debut album No B!. It might get loud.
Live dates:
Organised Scum is rather punkish name for a duo peddling melodic Britpop. Tom Duggins and Sean Canty bumped into each other at Corpus Christi College at Cambridge University, quickly found out that their musical tastes were pretty similar and recorded a few demos that found their way to John Martindale (bass player with The Shields). Recognising their potential he offered to fix the mixes and now Insane Making Behaviour b/w Who's The Prick?, a double A-side single has seen the light of day.
Moving at a leisurely pace Insane Making Behaviour sounds like Blur ca 1992, while Who's The Prick? is a blend of XTC and The Replacements. It's all done in very good taste, but it lacks a spark. Send these guys some albums by The Libertines and The Kinks, and they will have some pointers on how to spice things up a bit.
Phish
2016/07/02
Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
Oakland based husband and wife folk duo The Saxophones have posted a stream of New Tradition, a track from their debut EP If You're on the Water. A straightforward sounding song that is actually quite complex.
Free download from Soundcloud.
Johnny Dowd has posted a stream of Presbyterian Wedding Bells, a track from the handmade 2CD set of rare Neon Baptist recordings, one of the perks of his campaign at Indiegogo (ends within a couple of hours from now). Punk meets rock meets Americana and all Hell breaks loose:
Here’s another live recording of my first band, Neon Baptist — a punk version of “Presbyterian Wedding Bells,“ with Jennifer Edmondson tearing it up on vocals. Recorded at The Nines, Ithaca, NY, in September 1990.
Presbyterian Wedding Bells is a free download.
Phish
2016/07/01
Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
There's something about music that encourages people to want to know more about the person that made it, and where it was recorded, what year it was done, what they were listening to, and all this kind of stuff. There's something that invites all this obsessive behavior.
David Byrne
NYC guitarist Andee Blacksugar doesn't care about what is hip and happening. He is here to play scorching solos and serve up a mix of funk, jazz, glam rock and electro pop on his new double album In The City's Arms, flying the Black Sugar Transmission banner with a bunch of friends helping him make his vision a reality. While the whole industry is clinging to singles and EP's, proclaiming that albums are dead, he took a sharp left and offers a 24 track double album. Tapping into the energy of the Big Apple, Blacksugar's hands-on, in-your-face approach is an ode to the bright and dark sides of living in a city that offers plenty of opportunities, but also can be a Hell on Earth for the less fortunate.
Despite its overall feel as a glorious dance-rock extravaganza In The City's Arms isn't easy to digest. Blacksugar has a habit of sprinkling notes like bread crumbs serving as musical sign posts, but some of them appear lead the listener to a dead end alley - in which case you should back track and try again. It's worth it. All those asides have turned the album into a maze and the best way to avoid getting lost is to don decent headphones and enjoy the ride.
