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Archive for July 2007
There is no “Seattle music scene” without mention of the band Heart. For over three decades, the Wilson sisters, Ann & Nancy, have been not only pioneers for women in rock but pioneers of a rock & roll scene that flourished in the decades following their unparalleled arena rock successes. They have been friends to that great music scene over the years, continuing to perform with, record with, and support each other and many of the young artists whose influence is felt in the world of rock today. Ann Wilson’s voice, in particular, is one of the most recognizable and iconic voices in the history of rock music.
Like many acts of the 1970’s, Heart (and particularly Ann Wilson) were heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin and their legendary, enigmatic, sexy and genre-shattering vocalist Robert Plant. Appropriate, then, that on Ann Wilson’s first ever solo album, entitled Hope & Glory (due September 11th from ZOË/Rounder Records), she pays great tribute to Zeppelin and many other acts she loves including Bob Dylan, John Lennon, and Neil Young. Her first solo effort has an impressive lineup: featuring guest appearances from Elton John, Gretchen Wilson, Alison Krauss, Rufus Wainwright, Ann’s sister Nancy Wilson among others, she has already graced us with the first single from that album. If you own Zeppelin III, you’ve probably heard “Immigrant Song” before but, and this is my opinion, you haven’t heard too many people reinvent the song this well.
Listen to Ann Wilson - Immigrant Song
You can purchase Hope & Glory from Amazon by clicking here.
Memphis, get ready to get up for the get down at the Hi-Tone on Saturday night with Buck Wilders, The Hook Up, Chase One (Memphix) and Redeye Jedi (Memphix). When these shindigs happen, the parking lot is always full, the place is always packed, the music is always funky, and the vibe is always good. See You There!
Seriously, this is a damn good video for a damn good song. BOOM.
I expect to see fans of Gravy Train!!!!! at this show next Wednesday night. Get out your gold lame’ and your dancing shoes, Memphis — next Wednesday, get ready for party time.
Gravy Train!!!!! - Club Situation
Get More Gravy At iTunes
I get all settled down and figure I’ve gotten all the world of music sorted and figured out. I look around and I see that not only do I not have this shit sorted and figured, the expansive reach of influence has touched people I know nothing about and moved them to create, recreate and infiltrate in ways I never knew they could. Take the light of DJ Day for an example. Here’s a cat from Palm Springs, California who has been digging, crating, upgrading and restating funk and soul grooves for a hot while now and I guess I slept on him. Well, I remember seeing his name on a flyer for some bomb-assed after party at Coachella this year that I couldn’t get to (I believe that involved one Mark Ronson and one Lilly Allen as well, but you know I have been wrong). OOPS, you’d better pick that up, I think I dropped a few names there.
Well, ok, that hardly matters when you’re dealing with music this smoothed out. DJ Day’s tracks are mash-ups for sure, but they’re not just average mashes. These are (wait for it)….mashterpieces. On the best day of my life with all the knowledge I have, I could not recreate a fraction of this genius with my equipment. In his own words, DJ Day says on his MySpace page that “Music to me is the most immediate form of expression and one that transcends culture, class, race, language and all that. Whether Im making my own music, or playing records in front of a crowd, I’m out to make people feel something.” Well, you got me, brotha. If you’re emoting, I’m feeling you to the maximum allowed by law.
So anyways, DJ Day got himself a little bit of music floating out there. I don’t wanna give away the man’s catalog, but I will treat you to something you probably ain’t gonna find on your own here in the states. Here’s “What Planet What Station” ripped from a vinyl 12″ re-released earlier this year on Milk Crate. Forget finding this shit on vinyl, it’s long gone. But you can bang it out for a minute. Take one part Jungle Brothers and one part soul classic, mix gently, add some spice and serve warm. Damn, that tastes good. And hey, he’s giving away this track called “Four Hills” on hi MySpace page from his newest full-length The Day Before so, yo. Check it, too.
DJ Day - What Planet What Station (Vocal)
DJ Day - Four Hills
Don’t sit there nodding your head, go hit up DJ Day on Myspace by clicking this link. Wanna support the music? Go to iTunes and buy his record entitled The Day Before by clicking here.
Ok, trip this: the mash up is not effing dead, ok? See, I know nothing about DJ Skeet Skeet but he emailed me this tight mash-up this morning that I figured some of you would probably be ready to get down on. His Royal Skeetness reps the 310, is a real thug, plays electro, and (I’m just guessing) loves french fries dipped in tartar sauce as much as the next person. If you read this blog, you people know that I’m down for whatever usually. So you know I’ll crank this track up when we tearing up the club in Memphis. It’s a mashup of Shop Boyz’s explosive hit rap song “Party Like A Rockstar” and Spacehog’s one hit wonderism “In The Meantime”. Can you dig it? Yes you can.
DJ Skeet Skeet - Party Like A Rockstar (DJ Skeet Skeet’s Totally Dude! Megamix)
Also, here’s an hour-long mixtape my man’s hooked you up with. I haven’t peeped it, but something tells me it might be pop-n-fresh.
Hour Long Mix from DJ Skeet Skeet
You can kick it with DJ Skeet Skeet over at Eat Skeet by clicking that damn lank right char
Most of the reports I’ve been reading about Sly’s European adventure have been very iffy. I think this video from Amsterdam’s North Sea Jazz Festival pretty much silences any doubt that it is actually possible he’s coming around and, in fact, might be damn good. Go Sly, get down, get funky, get into it.
I have no pictures, so don’t ask. I wish I did but I forgot to grab my camera and by the time I thought about it, I was too late. But one thing did happen last night: I made the very credible threat that Loudersoft may become the VHS or Beta blog for the next several months.
Opening act Ron Franklin delivered the inspired bluesy, soul-infused sound I’ve come to expect. Twin Pilot delivered an empassioned set of Euro-influenced indie rock that sets them apart from all other bands from Memphis.
But the night belonged to VHS or Beta, a band whose year-long hiatus has clearly been a period of tremendous growth, one whose songwriting remains as infectious as their energy and optimism. Tearing through a set of mostly new material from the forthcoming Bring On The Comets, their set started with frontman Craig Pfunder noting that they “usually do this very dramatic entrance” which they couldn’t do because of how the Hi-Tone was set up. Peering into the crowd, he let everyone know that sitting down “isn’t going to work, it’s too much like a movie” then rightly demanded the crowd at the Hi-Tone to “move forward or we’re just going to stand here and wait”. I think for bands that come to Memphis, this is probably the best thing you can ever ask a crowd to do because it keeps everyone energized and alert.
Once everyone was in place, the band launched two songs off of their soon-to-be-released album before revisiting 2004’s Night On Fire in t