2010 - Some Great Songs

Here a little mix for y'all of some of my favorite songs from the past year.  There were tons of great songs but these stand out for me for one reason or another.  Most are some kind of alt-country/Americana/whatever the hell it's called now.  All are really good. 

1.  Jackson, Don't You Worry - Two Cow Garage
2.  Down In The Bowery - Alejandro Escovedo
3.  The Weary Kind - Ryan Bingham
4.  Interstate - Randy Rogers Band
5.  Lonely Is A Town - Glossary
6.  Bring It On - The Gaslight Anthem
7.  Tragedy - Peter Wolf & Shelby Lynne
8.  Circles Around Me - Sam Bush
9.  Messenger - Joe Pug
10.  I Was A Photograph - Kasey Anderson
11.  Trippin' On Down - The Brothers Comatose
12.  The Cave - Mumford & Sons
13.  Where Rainbows Never Die - The SteelDrivers
14.  Forty Watt Moon - Mat D.

As always, if you like what you hear please support the artist.  Buy some music or merch, see a show, do something in return for all of the great music these talented artists make.  You can download the mix here.

Enjoy the rest of the Holiday Season and be safe.

2010 - The Year In Concerts

I made it to 30 shows this year which is less than usual in recent years.  I think it might be even less this year.  I love music, especially good live music, but it is getting tougher and tougher to get out during the week.  I am feeling the years my friends and getting up for work is harder to do when you get home from a show after midnight.  That said it will be hard to say no too often and the quality of live music is exceptional in the NYC area (I am out on the 'burbs of Long Island but only a train ride away).  Local venues also increasingly get shows I like with the Boulton Center a favorite venue (about 250 seats).  I also am looking forward to a summer of festivals.

So here goes a recap of 2010 shows I made it to.

Cheap Trick - Irving Plaza
I just don't get their appeal.  I think I was the only one there who was bored out of their mind.  This was payback for dragging a friend to see Railroad Earth.

Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck - MSG
I ended up somewhat disappointed by this one.  The pieces were better than the whole.  Jeff Beck is brilliant but not always easy to listen to.  Eric Clapton is an all time fave. Together their styles just did not quite mesh.

Railroad Earth - Boulton Center (Also in October)
My favorite band on the jam scene.  Great musician who make the most joyful sounds.  Took the wife and she loved it.

Pat Green - Terminal 5
Great show at the shittiest venue in NYC.  Texas Independence day celebration with the "biggest" act to come out of the red dirt scene.  Tons of fun and a long night of music.

Sam Bush - BB King's
My first time seeing Sam.  Sam was my starting point in my journey into bluegrass.  What a great show and easily one of the years highlights.  I hope to see him at a couple of festivals this summer.

Lucero - Music Hall of Willaimsburg
I love Lucero, but live (at least on this night) Ben Nichols was too sloppy.  I left a bit bummed out although they do redeem themselves live later on in the year.

Pat Travers - BB King's (also in December)
PT is one of my favorites from back in the day.  Loud, ballsy, unapologetic rock & roll.

moe. - Theater at Westbury
Great show but a crappy crowd.  I love many of the "jam bands" but the crowd is growing increasingly annoying.  I know you are all hippy-fucking-dippy but I don't have any free tickets, I don't want to buy your nitrous balloons and no I am not enjoying you trying to sit my seat when I go to get a beer.  Buy a ticket, pay attention to those around you and act like a civilized human being.  Oh yeah, take a shower sometimes the patchouli isn't covering anything up.

Hot Tuna & Steve Earle - Theater at Westbury
I only got to stay for Steve Earle.  Crappy week with a death in the family.  I should have stayed home.

Tommy Emmanuel - BB King's
This one was for my son.  He is an amazing player.  Not the best songwriter but he can play the guitar.

Widespread Panic - Radio City Music Hall
See moe. above only worse.

Rush - Jones Beach
For me this is strictly nostalgia.  I loved Rush in high school.  Now it can be a bit much.  I went to take my son but he is moving away from this kind of music so it will in all probability be my last time.

Willie Nelson & Levon Helm - Radio City Music Hall
An American institution and a music legend.  Enough said.

Gov't Mule - Theater at Westbury
I think I've seen them too many times.  I think a break is required.

Crosby, Stills & Nash - Jones Beach
Just sad.

Heart - PC Richards Theater
Freebies for a radio show.  5 acoustic songs.  Not half bad.

Jerry Jeff Walker - BB King's
Jerry Jeff solo and acoustic.  The Texas Troubadour was his usual self telling stories and singing his classics.

Gaslight Anthem - Radio City Music Hall
My favorite new band rocked it big time.  Long time fans were disappointed with the show.  If this was them a bit off then on must be a site to see (and hear).  These guys deserve to be huge.

The Subdudes - BB King's
I came late to the party with the Subdudes.  This is my second time seeing them and one of the best concerts of 2010.  I heard they are going on indefinite hiatus again which is a sad thing to hear.

Roger Waters - Nassau Coliseum & MSG
I felt obligated to go.  It was a HUGE show but not a concert in the traditional sense.  Also, the Wall is just not that good a record.

Nick Lowe - City Winery
I was hoping for more since he was touring with the full band.  I'm just not that big a fan of his output since the late 70's.  It didn't suck.

Social Distortion - Roseland Ballroom
Punk legends were a bit too polished in my opinion.  Openers Frank Turner and Lucero were both excellent on this night.

Richard Shindell - Boulton Center
My first time seeing him with a full band.  Great set from one of my favorites.  You should really check him out if you are a fan of modern folk.

Ian Anderson - Theater at Westbury
A friend won tickets.  It was...different.  I like old Jethro Tull as much as the next guy my age but most of the show was his solo material which is not so strong.  We did get all of side 1 of Thick as a Brick though.

Levon Helm - Beacon Theater
The voice is gone but you NEED to see him and the band while you can. A great night of music featuring some stellar musicians.

Chris Smither - Boulton Center
Just Chris and his guitar telling stories and singing songs.   A nice night of music.

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - Best Buy Theater
We'll see.  The show is Thursday night.

So all in all a good year in live music.  I hope the great shows continue in 2011.

Infamous Stringdusters

From the folks over at Music Fog, here's the Infamous Stringdusters and Magic #9.  Warms you up on a cold friggin' mornin'!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to you and yours this holiday season!
OldRockr1

A Glossary Christmas

Feral Fire was one of the better records this year.  They also kicked it at the Music Hall of Williamsburg back in March with Lucero.

CD's vs. Vinyl

I've Had This Conversation Before...Several Times

So You Want To Close Your Facebook Account

Why I Hate Hipsters

2010 - A Great Year for Music

I was talking to one of my friends down at Looney Tunes the other day and I was saying what a good year it was for music, maybe not the popular hit crap, but music in general.  John went so far as to say that the past few years have made the past decade one of the best ever.  Being an Oldrockr from back in the day I don't know if I can go that far, but these past years have seen some great music being released, predominantly by independent labels and artists.

I love putting together these year end lists.  Like any true music geek I am constantly arranging lists in my mind.  Those characters in Hi Fidelity are just composites of all of us and our idiosyncrasies.  We organize and we make lists.  So here goes my year end Best of 2010 list.  These are in no particular order but all have become staples on the turntable or in my iPod.  Sorry record labels I don't even want CD's anymore.  So for better or worse  here we go....

Joe Pug - Messenger
A great album of modern folk by one of the up and coming young singer songwriters.  He reminds me a bit of Bob Dylan in the vocal department but there are worse comparisons that one can make. I've been playing this quite often lately   Not So Sure, The Sharpest Crown and Bury Me Far (From My Uniform) are several standouts among many.

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Young English guys pick up assorted Americana instruments and make a great big wonderful sound. The album sounds so familiar and at the same time fresh and exciting.  Little Lion Man may be the "hit" but the rest of the album, especially Caves, is just as good.  Banjos, mandolins, and acoustic guitars haven't sounded this good in years.

The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
The older I get the more bored I am by the Rock & Roll that is being released.  These boys from Jersey have made a classic.  A great album to crank up in the car from start to finish.  I hear the Springsteen influences (a good thing) but this is so much more.  I can't recommend it enough.  

Mat D. - Plank Road Drag
The internet has become the place for me to find new music.  I saw a video of Mat D singing Forty Watt Moon (one of favorite songs of the year) on another blog and immediately tracked down this album.  I think it was $1.88 on Aimie Street (I miss this site) and I would easily pay 10 times that.  A great, great record.

The SteelDrivers - Reckless

This is not only the best bluegrass release of 2010, it might be the best album of the year.  You can check my review out here.

The Fox Hunt - Long Way To Go
The Infamous Stringdusters - Things That Fly
Modern bluegrass has stretched the genre far beyond the traditional sounds.  This may piss off the traditionalists but it works so well for me.  I hope to see both of these acts at Grey Fox in July!

Otis Gibbs - Joe Hill's Ashes
For the second year in a row Otis Gibbs lands on my year end best of list.  Think Billy Bragg if he came from the midwest.

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - I Learned The Hard Way
Real soul music that sounds just like it should.  A fine update for a genre that doesn't often fire me up.  This one does.

Randy Rogers Band - Burning the Day
The best country music isn't coming out of Nashville folks.  Texas is a might fine place to start looking for some quality country and the Randy Rogers Band delivers the goods once again.

Peter Wolf - Midnight Souvenirs
If this was only a 45 with the excellent Tragedy (featuring Shelby Lynne) it would be on this list.  Lucky for you and me it is so much more than that.  An excellent album by an oft overlooked talent.

Mavis Staples - You Are Not Alone
Working with alt-country pioneer and Wilco front man Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples makes on of the best recordings of her career.  A unique voice and true talent.

Black Country Communion - Black Country Communion
All the excess of the 70's hard rock scene which in this case is a good thing.  Killer guitars, pounding drums and some great vocals.  I hate me for liking it but I can't help myself.

Kid Rock - Born Free
Kid Rock finally ditches his old persona and releases his inner Bob Seger.  Pure 70's retro good time music.  I love it.  Hipsters need not apply.  As for me I'll be playing this one all summer long...

Bruce Springsteen - The Promise
Bruce released the right album in 1978.  Darkness on the Edge of Town is his best work.  Period.  That said most artists would kill to release this much good music in the career.  And these are leftovers!  Buy the box set, it's worth it.


Best release of new versions of old songs:  The Black Crowes - Croweology
Best Concert: Sam Bush (BB Kings) and The Subdudes (BB Kings) a tie!
Best Box Set:  Bruce Springsteen - The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story
Best Reissue:  The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street

Here's to a Happy and Healthy 2011 that brings us all more great music!

Robin Trower - The Playful Heart

Robin Trower just keeps playing killer guitar.  This one features his road band on some more slow blues with a little introspection.  That and did I mention guitar!  Robin has lost nothing over the years.  In fact he plays with even more taste than ever.  Check him and the band out on tour and give a listen to some recent versions of his classics below.  You want a guitar hero, let me tell you kiddies Robin Trower is a certified monster...

This Ain't Taylor Swift's Country

I am so sick of the shit comin' out of Nashville.  We need more real country music and less little girls singing about their fucking boyfriends.  It's supposed to be about the Honky Tonks not the mall folks.  Here's some real country music from some very un-CMT artists.

Hellbound Glory - Scumbag Country


Hank III - Country Heroes


Whitey Morgan & the 78's - Hard Scratch Pride

John Lennon - Thirty Years Gone

It's hard to believe it's been 30 years.  I was a freshman in college out in California when it happened.  I remember I was driving home in my car listening to the radio when I heard the news.  Just total shock.  Such a waste.  It's a tribute to the man that the music still matters all these years later to so many people.  Without John popular music would not be the same today.  Rest in peace.

Still More Free Music

There is so much great music being made today.  In fact 2010 has been a great year for music as has been the last few.  I was worried that as I got older the music would stop appealing to me.  Well the mainstream has but great music is thriving on the indie scene...and many bands are giving it away!  So if you like what you hear, go see the band if they make it to your area.

Arliss Nancy - Truckstop Roses

Somewhere between punk rock and alt-country but it definitely rocks hard.

Brett Detar - Bird in the Tangle
Some very nice singer-songwriter sounds here with some mournful pedal steel.  For fans of Americana and alt-country.

Free Music Alert - Joe Pug ep

I am a big fan of his most recent "Messenger".  If you sign up for the email list you get a free download of his "In the Meantime" ep.  Good stuff...check it out.

Feeling a Bit Irish

Kinda have that Irish feeling going today. It must be the rain...or the beer.

The Jayhawks Reunite

The classic Jayhawks lineup that produced Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow the Green Grass will be playing some club dates to promote the re-issues of these two classics in January.  New York and Chicago will each get two nights...the first will be Hollywood Town Hall and the second Tomorrow the Green Grass played in their entirety along with fan favorites.

I hate Webster Hall.  Probably more than Terminal 5 which is an atrocious venue.  I'm still going to the 1st night.  Hollywood Town Hall is one of my all time favorites.  The mix of alt-country and pop sensibilities is just so...perfect.  Both records are great, but this one wins out for me.  I personally can't wait.

Flying Burrito Brothers - Christine's Tune

I've been reading Keith Richard's autobiography the past few days and it got me thinking about Gram Parsons.  You have to admit, without him (and also the Band) the entire Americana movement would in all probability not exist.  Go back and listen to The Flying Burrito Brothers "The Gilded Palace of Sin" or his two solo albums.  Truly wonderful music.

Levon Helm at the Beacon

So last night it was off to the Beacon to see Levon Helm and Bettye LaVette.  I am late to the party with Ms. LaVette but I have to say I enjoyed her latest Interpretations: The British Rock Song Book.  She has a great soul singer kind of voice and can still belt it out at 65.  In particular I found Isn't It a Pity and Love Reign O'er Me to be excellent.  The uptempo numbers were good, but she's a bit too old to be shaking it in my opinion.  Just a touch creepy.  Other than that she was very good.

Levon Helm is a throat cancer survivor.  He's lucky to be talking much less singing but has still made two excellent albums over the past few years.. Dirt Farmer and Electric Dirt.  The latter is a big favorite of my son so I took him last night.  I posted back in July about his show with Willie at Radio City and how much I enjoyed it and this was no different.  Great night of music all around.  Levon only sang on a few cuts (he has had throat issues  for the past year or so which are not cancer related) opening with Ophelia as well as parts of Deep Elem Blues, Blind Willie McTell (duet with Larry Campbell), the Weight (everyone sings) and the closer I Shall Be Released with his daughter Amy.

In between you get some really great music.  Some Band, some Dead, it's different every night as it should be. The band is very tight and also freaking huge at 12 counting Levon.  At one point during the encore there were 15 people on stage.

The Band played Americana before anyone knew what it was.  They were the great American band of the 60's.  Levon Helm continues to bring this great music to folks 35 years after they broke up. I hope he continues and am planning on attending a Midnight Ramble some time this summer.  I love this stuff...

Pictures courtesy of Larry Dell'Erba.

Wille Nelson Busted for Possession

From the AP:
SIERRA BLANCA, Texas – A U.S. Border Patrol spokesman says country singer Willie Nelson was charged with marijuana possession after 6 ounces was found aboard his tour bus in Texas.
Patrol spokesman Bill Brooks says the bus pulled into the Sierra Blanca, Texas, checkpoint about 9 a.m. Friday. Brooks says an officer smelled pot when a door was opened and a search turned up marijuana.
Brooks says the Hudspeth County sheriff was contacted and Nelson was among three people arrested.
Sheriff Arvin West didn't immediately return a phone message left at his home Friday, but he told the El Paso Times that Nelson claimed the marijuana was his. The singer was held briefly a $2,500 bond before being released.
Nelson spokeswoman Elaine Schock declined to comment when contacted via e-mail by The Associated Press.

This is probably not a surprise to anyone.  Do the border guards not know Willie? Imagine that, his bus smelled like Weed.  Let the old man be...he's an American institution for goodness sake.

Isle of Wight 2010

I was watching some of this earlier and all that really sticks is that this stuff sucked in the 80's.  I am woefully and thankfully out of touch with pop music 2010 as I was in 1984.  Didn't like it then, don't like it now.  Vampire Weekend, Feeling Fires and oh shit Spandau Ballet is back.  Fucking yippie.  And here comes Blondie again.  Please just go away.

Fuck pop, let's rock...




And don't get me started about My Chemical Romance.  A friend of mine says I'm a hater, not open to new music.  I say that is wrong.  There's loads of great music and 2010 was a banner year in my opinion, but the state of modern pop music is at an all time low.  At least that's how I see it.

Free Music Alert - Suburban Home Records

I really like a lot of the artists on Suburban Home Records.  How could you not?  Drag the River, Two Cow Garage, Tim Barry.  Good stuff here.  Suburban Home does things the right way.  Cool vinyl pressings for far less than the majors charge.  Great give aways, auctions and other merch and mix tapes.  Right now you can download for FREE two mix tapes and selections from their 15th anniversary show from their site.  Follow the links below, download them and enjoy.  Oh yeah, how about you pick up something and support the artists as well.

Suburban Home Mix Tape Vol. 4

Suburban Homes 15th Anniversary Show

Suburban Home Mix Tape Vol. 6

Record Store Day

Head on down to your local indie retailer today and grab some of the great Record Store Day Black Friday exclusives.  Looney Tunes in West Babylon, NY has some very cool stuff including a Metallica double 10 inch Live at Grimey's, George Harrison's All Things Must Pass numbered on 180 gram vinyl, some cool Springsteen & Dylan 45's, U2 Live ep and other stuff.  Grab the re-release of Frank Sinatra's Jolly Christmas on vinyl and start your holiday's off early!  For a full list of releases and to find a store near you head on over to the Record Store Day website.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all from the entire Rockr family!

OldRockr, MaRockr, and the little Rockr's

Bruce Springsteen - The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story

 So I've been waiting a bit to write about this one.  Favorite record by my favorite artist so as you can imagine I've been looking forward to this for a while.  A serious price tag is rewarded with one of the better box sets that I have seen.  3 CD's and 3DVD's in a replica of Bruce's notebook from the sessions is everything this type of release should be for the fan. 

CD1 is the remastered Darkness on the Edge of Town.  Sony has done a shit job with the original CD's and to date have only remastered Born to Run.  The sound quality is greatly improved, sort of like taking some ear plugs out.  There is a vibrancy missing from the original CD's, more in line with the original vinyl releases.

CD's 2 and 3 are The Promise which features 21 unreleased tracks from the era, many of which are making their first appearance on official releases.  It makes for a great listen but one that is very much different than Darkness.  I think Bruce releases the right album at the time.  With a little more space, Because the Night and the Promise would have fit, but most of the others are of a different sound altogether.  Some were recorded by Southside Johnny and the tracks have that 60's rockin' soul sound for the most part which sound far too "light" compared to what was released in 1978.  A great listen for sure, just don"t compare the two.

DVD 1 is the full Promise documentary.  DVD 2 has the entire Darkness album performed on 2009 by the E. Street Band as well as some videos recorded in the studio and the 4 existing tracks from the Phoenix 1978 show that generated the Rosalita video.

The third DVD is the motherload...a full show from Houston in 1978.  As far as I am concerned the best tour he ever did (although this past decade saw some great shows) is finally available as a complete show on this "offical bootleg".  The sound and video quality are fine and seeing the E. Street band in their youthful prime is just so good.  It brings back those early days when I became a fan and blows away my Passaic 1978 boot.

All in all this is a great box set that will please the fans.  As there are no real wishy-washy Bruce fans that means just about everyone who ever listened and liked.   Grab it for someone this holiday season.

I'm Just Saying...

“I’m not a religious person, but I do believe in guitars, bass, drums, keyboards, 3-minute songs, Elvis Presley, Bruce Fucking Springsteen,The Hold Steady and Rock n Roll.”

Quoted on stage by Frank Turner...


Frank Turner "Thunder Road" Asbury Park, NJ 11/5/10 from Ed Erlenmeyer on Vimeo.

Truckstop Darlin'

Here's one for you folks that love the Drive-By Truckers.  Well, maybe that's not fair but I can hear the influence on this one for sure.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I have to say I really like this one.  it's kind of sleazy, alt-country inspired, kickin' rock & roll actually.

Truckstop Darlin' is out of the Pacific Northwest and they have all the prerequisites you would expect in this genre.  Gritty vocals, some pedal steel, a little bit of jangly guitars.  You've heard it before but it really works for them.  I found myself digging this one pretty fast.  The album starts out with a killer 1-2 punch of Tired Old Prom Queens and Bluegrass State and keeps barreling on from there.  These guys must be great live.  Makes you just wanna drink some beer and raise a little bit of hell.

Good stuff here that comes highly recommended for fans of the Drive-By Truckers, Lucero, Slobberbone, etc.  Go on out and grab this one, crack a beer and give 'em a chance.  You won't be disappointed.  You can download the mp3's at CDBaby.



Tired Old Prom Queens


Bluegrass State

Social Distortion with Lucero & Frank Turner

I was really looking forward to this show last night at the Roseland Ballroom.  I have never seen Social Distortion before and I am a big Lucero fan so there was high level of anticipation going in.  My son's favorite band is Lucero (go figure a 16 year old kid on LI loves Lucero) and he also really likes Frank Turner.  These past couple of years have been great going to shows with him, the excitement level is definitely up when he goes.

First up was Frank Turner who hails from Winchester in the UK.  I liked the two albums I had heard (Love Ire & Song and Poetry of the Deed) but I have to say that live he was even better.  Loads of energy, great songs and a band that really kicks.  A short but great set where you can hear his influences from Billy Bragg to the Clash.  Frank Turner wants to rock, we should.  The crowd up front was really into it and more people began to congregate as the set went on.

Lucero was up next.  I love this band, but was disappointed when I saw them earlier this year. I think the whiskey sometimes gets in way.  Last night was a shorter set (about 45') but let me tell you Lucero was really, really good last night.  We got a couple of horns to augment and they tore through the set with a fire that was missing at Williamsburg.  Kiss the Bottle, Sixes and Sevens, Bikeriders and about 7 others made for a short but very tight set.  You had to see the look on my kids face...priceless. 

Social Distortion are truly legendary in the punk world.  In fact they are one of the few bands (Rancid is another) that really carries the torch from the old days.  Hell, they are pretty much the old guard now.  Mike Ness and crew sounded great.  I mean fucking huge.  That might be the problem for me.  They were so tight that it felt a bit...off.  And a bit dull.  I am probably in the minority, and it didn't suck by any means, but it only left me a bit bored.  Ball and Chain was great, Mommies Little Monster, some of the new songs were really good.  Everything was good, just not great.  Bands like this need a shorter set as the genre lends itself to repetitiveness which can wear on you a bit.  At least it does me.  Lucero at 45' was tight and focused.  Lucero at 2 hours was sloppy.  Here it was a case of too tight and too slick.  An hour set full of rage works better than a longer set.  At least for me.  Don't get me wrong, it was far from bad, just not as good as I'd hoped.

Thanks to Larry Dell'erba for the pictures.

Sunday Youtube Treats

It's been a very busy couple of weeks so I am just kind of vegging today.  Here are some really interesting clips floating around YouTube.

The Band - King Harvest Has Surely Come recorded in Woodstock


Buffalo Springfield - I am a Child and Kind Woman from Bridge School Benefit.


Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man from the Bookshop Sessions


Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - Let Them Knock from French TV


Good music for a great Sunday afternoon! Enjoy friends.

Mountain Heart - That Just Happened

Mountain Heart is a bluegrass outfit out of Nashville.  Their newest, That Just Happened, dropped on October 19th and is a 7 song e.p.  I kind of like the idea of releasing e.p.'s and extended singles with songs that are ready for prime time.  All killer, no filler seems like a good idea to me.

There's something here for both country and bluegrass fans.  I really like their bluegrass leanings and the tracks Little Sadie and Same Old Heartache are particularly good.  I hear a little bit of the SteelDrivers in the soulful vocals which is a good thing in my book.  They really step out on a cover of the Allman Brothers Whipping Post which stretches out solidly into Jamgrass territory.  The only track that really didn't grab me was Even if it Breaks which was a bit too slick but my wife really dug it so what do I know.

If you are digging the contemporary bluegrass scene give this one a listen, I think you might just find something you like.

Little Sadie


Same Old Heartache

Kind of funny...

RIP Solomon Burke

I was away last week when news broke that Solomon Burke had passed.  I came to the party late on this, back in 2000 or so but I was lucky enough to have seen this legend.  Soul music like it is supposed to be.  Words can't express how much talent he had so check out a show from 2008 recorded from the soundboard at Estival Jazz.  The bitrate is only128 kbs but it sounds great.

Solomon, you will be missed...Long Live the King.

Some Buddy Guy for Y'all

Here's a few Buddy Guy shows I found on an old Megaupload account.  Good stuff here.

Buddy Guy - Estival Jazz 2008

Buddy Guy - Estival Jazz 2002

Buddy Guy - I've Still Got the Blues (with Stevie Ray Vaughan)

All three are excellent soundboards and the Jam with Stevie Ray is just absolutely freakin' awesome.

Two Really Good Shows

I've been so backed up lately at work that I haven't had time to write about some recent shows.  The Gaslight Anthem was great at Radio City.  I heard more than a few complaints that they were off that night, but this was my first time seeing them and if this was off then watch out folks...

Gaslight Anthem are just a killer rock & roll band.  In my opinion their sound is ready made for big arenas (not desirable) right now.  I'd love them to stay in smaller venues but they are just so right for big crowd sing-a-longs.  Catch them if you can.

The Subdudes made their annual trek to NYC and were their usual wonderful selves.  Just a great group of musicians.  It's worth going just for the encores with the band un-mic'd out in the crowd.  Pure talent.

Two great recent shows by two totally different bands.

Roger Waters - The Wall

I haven't posted in a while as life has gotten a bit hectic.  Made it to the Wall last night at the Nassau Coliseum and I have to say the show was good.  Good, not great.  Visually stunning and all high tech goodness but to me the album just doesn't hold up well.  I have to rank it behind Dark Side, Wish You Were Here and even Animals on my Pink Floyd list.  Some classics for sure but also some clunkers.  So it was a fun night.  A little bit of a flash back but nothing that I will be talking about for very long.  And I really love Pink Floyd...