Too Old To Rock & Roll...Too Young To Die

New Lucero

2012-02-13T19:04:00.000-05:00

Here's a free download from the new Lucero album "Women and Work" which is out March 13th on ATO records. This is one band that keeps getting better and better (in my opinion). I like these guys so much I am going to the Webster Hall show on 4/20...I hate Webster Hall. Hell, I hated it when it was the Ritz.

New Song - Sometimes

Springsteen in the boonies behind the stage was $120 bucks. Lucero is $25. Doesn't seem right.

A Great One-Two Punch

2012-01-30T11:14:00.009-05:00

I've been feeling pretty crappy the past couple of days and pretty much just vegging out trying to beat this bug. TV sucks so I played a bit of music and got caught up on some reading. I had some Dead on and as per usual I got around to my favorites...Workingman's Dead and American Beauty (I also really love Reckoning). I know these are the "hit" albums that everyone likes but that is for a reason...these are two pretty much perfect albums.

I was not a big Dead Head in my youth. Yes these two have always been in my collection but the rest...not so much. To this day I still can't stand Dark Star, The Eleven, The Other One, and don't get me started on the waste of time that is Drums>Space. I love so much of what they did over 30 odd years and at the same time I can't stand the rest of it. Maybe that's why I love the 1977 shows. The Dead were so on and so much more melodic that year. Focused jams and well played songs!

Way back in 1970 the Dead were heading into the studio with very little cash to record their fourth studio album (they had been ripped off) and went with a stripped down, back to basics sound that hearkened back to their roots rather than continue on with their psychedelic explorations. Good choice. This is very much a cousin to the first couple of Band releases but with a more West Coast vibe. How can anyone find fault with these tracks:

Uncle John's Band
High Time
Dire Wolf
New Speedway Boogie
Cumberland Blues
Black Peter
Easy Wind
Casey Jones

These are some of my all time favorite Dead songs, and I suspect some of yours as well. I never get sick of playing this album and it is probably my favorite Dead album. Now American Beauty, also released in 1970, might also get that award. Slightly more Rock & Roll than Workingman's Dead, it still has that great homespun sound. Great songs played very well. Hell, they even sang some pretty good harmonies. The Dead would never sound this good again on any record (aside from Jerry's first "solo" album).

Box of Rain
Friend of the Devil
Sugar Magnolia
Operator
Candyman
Ripple
Brokedown Palace
Till the Morning Comes
Attics of My Life
Truckin',

The over-all tasty goodness that these two albums delivered got me thinking about other great "one-two punches". So I'm listening again to a bunch of artists who have delivered just that...two great, I mean great not merely good, records in a row. This should be fun. Check back over the next couple of weeks and see what I found.

Sunday 'Toon

2012-01-29T14:27:00.000-05:00

I've been feeling like crap all weekend, but this one made me chuckle.

All ROIO Links Are Now Dead

2012-01-23T17:50:00.000-05:00

Looks like the days of downloading live ROIO's has come to an end. I haven't posted any in a while but I suspect that any of the old links that were still active are dead now. I won't be re-uploading any of the shows. It's a shame that this has come to pass. The ROIO's were for the hardcore fans, not the casual listeners. At least there is still the Internet Archive and bt.etree to hear some live music.

Robert Earl Keen - The Paramount 1/21/12

2012-01-22T12:13:00.002-05:00

Robert Earl Keen arrived in Huntington on a night that was, and I quote, "colder than a miner's ass". I suppose that must be pretty cold because it sure felt like winter last night. I guess it was a bit different than Texas in January.

I imagine that seeing REK in Texas must be a blast...hometown hero and all, but he and the crowd gave it their best Lone Star effort last night. This was my first time at the Paramount and I like what I saw and heard. The most important things to me at a show are the sound and the sight lines. Both were excellent at this venue. I hope they continue to book shows for those of us who may not rock as hard as we used to!

Openers The Deep Dark Woods are from Saskatchewan in Canada. I kind of like what I heard last night although I was unfamiliar with the group up to this point. The band has a very Americana sound that veers between a more country influenced sound and a jam band aesthetic. The latter did become a bit of distraction towards the end of the show as they kind of did their own little version of Space. Aside from this little misstep I enjoyed the performance and I intend to check out their music on Spotify.

Robert Earl Keen is one of the premier singer-songwriters from the great state of Texas. He's been making records for years that show off a keen insight into the lives of everyday people and a razor sharp wit. He often cloaks songs that are not dealing with cheery subjects in humor, more often than not with great success. His new album "Ready for Confetti" is one of his strongest and worth a pick up if you like this kind of music.

Last night's show featured several from the new album, the best of which were the title track (think Jimmy Buffett from Texas but smarter and a better writer) which has a little Island sound, and I Gotta Go. He also played many of the songs that you would expect to hear at a Robert Earl Keen show...Corpus Christi Bay, Amarillo Highway, Gringo Honeymoon, Dreadful Selfish Crime, and of course The Road Goes On Forever. From start to finish it was an excellent show full of great songs played by a very, very tight band. A great example of the music that has been coming out of Texas for years. If you are a fan of country music check and unfamiliar with Robert Earl Keen and Texas country check him out. You won't be disappointed.

If you like what you hear think about checking out Texas Independence Day at Teminal 5 on March 3rd with Pat Green, Eli Young Band, Randy Rogers Band and the Josh Abbott Band.

In Defense of Toby Keith's Red Solo Cup

2012-01-15T12:19:00.000-05:00

Now Toby Keith really doesn't need my support. In fact, I suspect Toby Keith is doing just fine without it but I'm going to offer some anyhow. There has been a huge backlash around the blog-o-sphere about this little ditty. How it is a collection of some of the dumbest lyrics ever written. I have to agree with that, however, it is supposed to be a joke, I mean just watch the video. Silly and sophomoric? You bet. Pretty funny? Yep. Too many folks are taking things like this much more seriously than I do. Lighten up and laugh a little. I need a beer.

This one cracked me up back a few years ago. Even Willie thought it was funny.

Todd Snider does Beer Run and he's a satirist (and a pretty funny guy). The songs aren't all that different.

Here's one more ode to that wonderful barley beverage...

Human Touch

2012-01-08T18:19:00.000-05:00

I love this Springsteen song. One of my favorites from one of the best show I have seen him do (E. Street Night at the Garden).

Van Halen at the Cafe Wha

2012-01-08T11:46:00.000-05:00

I can understand the excitement, I just don't know if it will be what folks expect. I didn't go in 2008 and some friends said it was really good...I remain skeptical. I'll always remember that Van Halen was white hot back in 1978 when they opened for Black Sabbath. The problem was that as time went on Dave became a joke. They made a great one in 1984 but the inevitable happened and they split. Personally I plan on skipping the MSG shows. Maybe I'll play a couple of albums at home and have a beer or two. The memories, for me at least, will always surpass the reality of this union. You can decide for yourself.

I Admit It...I Love The Live Album

2012-01-08T11:33:00.000-05:00

Well maybe not any released in the last twenty or so years but back in the day the double live album ruled. I know that they are often heavily doctored in the studio but these live albums had a vibrancy that the studio efforts often did not have. Usually, not always but usually, this was the case with bands that had not made what you would call a "classic" up to that point. None of what follows will be a shocker to anyone, but I grew up with each of them and they still hold a special place in my collection.

Bob Seger had been huge prior to this 1975 classic. The problem was he was huge in Detroit and maybe parts of the midwest. This one put him on the map nationally. I picked this up after Night Moves came out. I tend ot go back and get everything an artist did when I find something new and back around 76 or 77 this was new for me. It's hard to believe that as huge as Bob Seger got he was pretty much a non issue at West Babylon High School in the late '70's. I think a friend and I were the only ones from school there when he played the coliseum on the Stranger in Town tour. Oh well, I digress. This one is rock solid from start to finish and Bob Seger rocks more and with more soul than he ever did again (and I really liked the next 3 albums). From the opening of Nutbush City Limits to the hyper-speed Let It Rock this is a stone cold classic.

I've been buying records for as long as I can remember. When I was but a young vinyl addict I often bought them because of the cover. That's how I found Kiss at 13. I was shopping with my mom at the old TSS store and there it was on the front rack. I had to have it. When I got home I think I played this non stop for the next month or so on my crappy little stereo. Everything you could want at 13...

Now Destroyer was a fine record and I think I stayed on the Kiss train for another year or two, but the act wore thin as the music. Not so with Alive (and Destroyer). This was a Rock & Roll Monster that still holds up today. Art? No. A whole shit load of fun? Yup. Let Me Go Rock & Roll my friends.

My musical tastes expanded pretty fast and I grabbed a couple of Rush albums back around '76 or '77, All The World's a Stage and A Farewell To Kings (thank you Columbia House). This was different. A little spacey rock, a little Zep boogie and that voice. Geddy Lee was, and is, an acquired taste as a singer but I always liked this stuff. Rush didn't break big until Permanent Waves, but these got me on board early. We must have drove around in my buddy's '59 Ford pickup listening to an 8-track of 2112 for a solid year straight! I didn't much care for anything after Signals, but I still play those early records quite often. Like all the other dads my age I got to take my son to see them a couple of time recently. A pretty cool experience all around.

I got to see Rainbow at the Commack Arena right around the time this came out. I think I prefer Rainbow to Deep Purple. Ritchie Blackmore was a monster and Ronnie James Dio one of the finest singers of the era. Too bad they couldn't get along. Very much in the Deep Purple vein, Rainbow was all about mixing the blues with medieval images...Kill The King, Sixteenth Century Greensleeves, Man On The Silver Mountain. A short lived burst of all sorts of musical goodness. Then Dio left and Rainbow got wimpy. Now Blackmore literally plays medieval music in Blackmore's Night...what a waste.

There were so many more great live albums among them Frampton Comes Alive, UFO - Strangers In The Night, Foghat - Live. There were also some that were less than stellar...The Song Remains The Same and the Stones Love You Live come to mind, but I can live with that. It was a good time to be a music fan.

I'm am feeling a bit nostalgic of late, but these were great records. I think I'm gonna keep on playing 'em.

It's 2012 and I Am Turning a New Musical Leaf

2012-01-07T13:19:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about music. I know it has been my passion for most of my life, but what do I really like? It sounds like a stupid question but like many of you out there I can tend to be a bit of a snob. I tend to want to discover artists before anyone and start to sun them when they "break". Now I wouldn't call myself a hipster because I am firmly rooted here on Long Island listening mainly to rock, blues and country, but I do go through periods where I will stop listening to some things because I feel it is my "duty" to stick with the indie acts over those who have "made it"

An example...I really do like Hellbound Glory. Great country music. I also happen to love George Strait, Alan Jackson and yes, even Toby Keith. I have even more trouble with rock music lately. I have to say there isn't much that has truly fired me up over the past couple of years, but I still find something interesting every once in a while.

What do I listen to most of the time? In the car I have a classic rock Smartplaylist with about 6000 songs that lasts for months. And when I say classic rock that is exactly what I mean. The newest thing on there is some Gaslight Anthem and a little Foo Fighters...the rest is pretty old. And I don't care. I love this stuff and always have. In fact this morning I have played Rush, UFO and Thin Lizzy...and enjoyed every minute of it. Now some of the stuff I liked in high school is a tough listen now, Black Sabbath in particular, but I don't think I ever really loved it even back in the day. I like to rock but heavy metal has never been my thing. I need a little groove, a little melody.

So what this all comes down to for me is that 2012 is the year I am going to be comfortable in my "musical skin". No more feeling that I have to like something, no more working through music and hoping it grows on me. I stand by every one of the albums on my top 10 this past year, but so many others were just not that exciting. I have a feeling that as the years progress that year end Top 10 will be more and more difficult to make.

Shit, maybe this is another midlife crisis. Well if it is it's no big deal. Maybe turning 50 won't be so bad. And I can guarantee that I won't feel old if Rush tours this summer.

Oh yeah, and I can't wait for the new Springsteen album and tour. 2012 may be a good year yet.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T21:25:00.000-05:00

Here's hoping 2012 is a good year for all!

Merry Christmas To All!

2011-12-18T17:05:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to you and yours from the entire OldRockr1 family!

Best Records of 2011

2011-12-04T17:59:00.000-05:00

And I do mean records. 2011 will be remembered, at least by me, as the year that virtually every new release I wanted was available on vinyl in addition to those other formats. I love it. Wanna stop piracy? Release it all on vinyl. One negative that has not been corrected by many of the labels is the failure to provide a download code. C'mon you money grubbing whores at the majors...those of us buying the new vinyl are your core customers so how about a little respect.

OK, enough of that. 2011 was for an OK year in music. There were some really good releases but not as many as in years past...at least to these ears. What I did like I enjoyed immensely with some great music coming from both new and established artists. What follows is a list of records that did it for me in a bid way in 2011. These are in no particular order and I am leaving what I think is the top album for the end. So here goes nothing...

I know, I know this is chock full of the same old blues classics but you know what? Johnny Winter is playing and singing better than he has in years. This is a legend ripping through some of his favorites along with some top notch guests. You can't go wrong with this one if you like the blues at all. Good time, beer drinking rockin' blues.

John Hiatt has been making great records for decades. All of them are good, some of them are great. This one falls in the latter category. This is the best thing he has done since Slow Turning.

Austin Lucas doesn't look much like a country singer, but he sure as hell sounds like one. The best high-lonesome sound I have heard in years. Real Country Music!

Speaking of real country music...it doesn't get much more real than this one. The self described "scumbag country" band returns with their finest work yet. Ever so slightly less in your face than last year's Old Highs and New Lows, Damaged Good benefits from the approach. The song writing and performances are top notch. You can trash all those Jason Aldean records...Hellbound Glory is the real deal my friends.

The hardest working man in rock & roll serves up his first solo project since the mid-90's. Warren turns to the soul music he loves and gives it a little kick. I haven't enjoyed a Mule record this much since Life Before Insanity.

I never much cared for The Decemberists. That is until I heard The King is Dead. With an REM meets Neil Young sound, The Decemberists take it in a much more accessible direction which is a very good thing. This was my favorite album for most of the first half of the year and it is still right up there. Love it, love it, love it.

By now you know the story. Glen Campbell has early Alzheimer's and he wanted to make one last record and go out on the road before he can't anymore. If this is his goodbye record he is going to be remembered for creating a classic. A tremendous record from start to finish that rivals and often surpasses his best work from the late 60's and early 70's. A shining example of how great music is timeless and ageless.

This one took a bit to grow on me. I didn't dislike it at first...it just wasn't doing it for me. More than a few folks whose opinions on music I respect said I need to give it a few more spins. How right they were. This record has grown on me to the point it is on my year end list. Both Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks are undeniable talents who have left me a bit cold on previous efforts. This material fits them both quite well and all the Delaney & Bonnie comparisons are not that far off. A very, very good listen.

Matt Schofield is a British Blues guitarist who has made quite a name for himself on the other side of the pond over the last couple of years. He reminds me quite a bit of Robben Ford in his playing. Definitely more polished than raw with some great vocals and never less than impressive playing. I hope he gets over here this year for a couple of shows.

I know is voice is shot now but it wasn't too bad when this was recorded back in 2008. I don't care about that. The shear joy that jumps out of the grooves is worth the price of admission. Levon Helm is an American classic!

They may not be the most traditional bluegrass outfit but they can sure play their asses off as this live document attests. The best of the young bluegrass/newgrass/jamgrass bands.

Any record that starts off with a killer (pun intended) murder cut has to be good and this one is. Cruz Contreras and the rest of the Black Lillies have turned in one of the best Americana releases of the year. Tall trees is like some kind of bluegrass meets the Allman's with a kick of gospel mash up and it works really, really well. I've been playing this since it ended up in my ReviewShine inbox. I'm still playing in December.

And last but not least my favorite album of the year....

Former Hot Water Music vocalist Chuck Ragan has been leading the folk-punk charge for a bit now and he has released what may be the perfect example of this genre (whatever the hell folk-punk means). A stripped down guitar/fiddle/bass sound to go along with his gruff but honest vocals singing songs of the road has kept me playing this over and over since it came out. Think Springsteen rocking out with acoustics and no E. Street band with a little high lonesome sound thrown in for good measure. A couple of cuts with Brian Fallon doesn't hurt either. An instant classic.

So there it is, my faves for 2011. It wasn't the best year ever but there were some really great releases. Let's hope 2012 is another good one.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2011-11-24T10:28:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from the entire OldRockr1 Family!

Dave Alvin - The Boulton Center 11/22/11

2011-11-23T12:24:00.000-05:00

Dave Alvin and the Guilty Ones pulled into the Boulton Center on a very rainy night to heat things up a bit for the criminally sparse group in attendance. I can't figure out Long Island and the lack of interest in great music. Last night there was zero support for this roots rock pioneer and let me tell you that folks are going to get what they deserve. The last couple of shows I have seen at the Boulton Center have been sparsely attended. The place only holds about 250 people for goodness sake. C'mon Long Island you need to start going to some of these shows to keep the place afloat.

Those in attendance did get more than their money's worth out of Dave Alvin. Long one of America's great songwriters, Dave Alvin also knows how to bring the rock & roll (more roots rock of late but still rockin'). The show last night started out with King Of California and while this tight 4 piece wasn't exactly unplugged, it was a bit more introspective during the first set. An excellent Border Radio was one of many highlights.

After a short break the Guilty Ones returned to crank it up a bit. Dave Alvin is touring in support of his fine new album Eleven Eleven and several great new songs were featured including Harlan County Line and one of the encores Johnny Ace is Dead. Abilene and Fourth of July were predictably crowd pleasers, but if you were familiar with his work you would know that already. These are two of my favorite songs so they were worth the price of admission alone.

Great songs and some really good stories behind them made for a great night of music. The Blasters Marie Marie sent everyone out back into the rain a little happier than on the walk in. Great Rock & Roll has a way of doing that. Dave mentioned that his brother Phil in the hospital at the moment. Let's hope that he makes a full recovery. Another Blasters tour wouldn't suck folks.

Dave is playing City Winery tonight in NYC. Check him out if you can.

Furthur - MSG 11/10/11

2011-11-14T12:13:00.000-05:00

Furthur rolled into MSG last Thursday night for the fall stop of their 2011 tour. Bobby and Phil may be the only original members playing in this line-up so it's really not the Dead, but it is a pretty good group just the same. In fact, aside from a few Phil shows back around 2000, I have to say this is pretty much my favorite post-Jerry lineup.

The first set was just so much fun. I took my son for the first time and he loved it. Kind of a Best of the Dead set. The second set really stretched out a bit with a fine The Other One > St. Stephen. It was even great to hear the Disco Dead of Shakedown Street. Larry Campbell guested on a number of songs and his always fine playing was a wonderful addition.

Here's a photo of the setlist...

This was my first time seeing this line-up. My last couple of experiences were less than great (Dead @ Nassau 2009 and Ratdog at Westbury) but this might draw me back again next year. This was a good time folks.

You can download the show at the Internet Archive.

John Hiatt at City Winery - October 21, 2011

2011-11-14T07:26:00.000-05:00

I've been a John Hiatt fan since "Bring the Family" but I've only been able to catch him live one time with Lyle Lovett, Guy Clark and Joe Ely (during a blizzard yet) for one reason or another. This deficiency was solved last night at City Winery. My first visit to the venue was last year for Nick Lowe and I wasn't crazy about it. Too many tables too close together but there was none of that feeling last night. Perhaps they took a few tables out.

Opening the show was Lily Hiatt, John's daughter, who is a singer-songwriter in Nashville. Her style is generally not my thing but she got a polite, if not overwhelming, reception and appeared to have went over well. It does help when your father is the headliner.

John Hiatt is nothing if not consistent. He has made good album after good album for the past twenty years and his newest is no exception. His set drew heavily from his latest as well as a bunch of songs from Bring the Family and Slow Turning. The band was tight, his voice was strong and things were good.

All in all a great night of music.

Willie Nile - The Innocent Ones

2011-10-10T12:37:00.000-04:00

For years I had a cursory awareness of Willie Nile. He made some records in the 80's that I remembered hearing but I was never "a fan" in that I kept up with him as time passed. Every 10 years or so you would see a review of an album or show but the output was never what you would call consistent. For me things changed with the release of 2005's "Streets of New York". Essentially a love letter to NYC, this album captured the city in a way no other had. Frankly it was absolutely brilliant.

2010 saw the "release" of "The Innocent Ones" in Europe. The album will see its domestic release on November 22nd here in the US. "The Innocent Ones" is another dose of superior songwriting that is somewhere between Bob Dylan and The Clash. Often times deceiving in its folk approach, the topics and delivery are more often CBGB's than The Bitter End.

There is some really great rock music on this album. Willie Nile tackles some of the realities of the past couple of years and there isn't always a happy ending.

“This album,” he says, “includes a number of songs dedicated to the downtrodden, the forgotten, the outcasts, the hopeless — the innocent ones. It deals with some heavy issues here and there, but at the same time I think it’s an upbeat, feel-good record. I wanted it to be light on its feet and fun to listen to, and it’s all that.”

"Singin' Bell", "The Innocent Ones" and "Rich and Broken" are among his best. Folks this is a true believer in the power of rock & roll. Check this one out and grab Streets of New York while you are at it. You won't be disappointed. No question this gets the OldRockr1 Seal of Approval.

Johnny Winter - Roots

2011-10-10T11:40:00.000-04:00

If you've seen Johnny Winter live over the past decade you probably had the same feeling I did...this is not someone in great health. Thankfully he seems to have gotten stronger over the past couple of years in spite of a ridiculous touring schedule that sees him out on the road for much of the year. If the recent release "Roots" is any indication things are going pretty well for him at the moment.

"Roots" will not be a revelation to anyone who has listened to any of his records over the past 40 years. Johnny is paying tribute to his influences here and it comes off as exactly that. This is what Johnny Winter has been doing his whole career...bringing blues to the masses. His vocals and playing are stronger than at any time in recent memory. In particular the duet with Susan Teseschi finds them both in excellent form.

Track listing and special guests joining Mr. Winter on Roots:

T-Bone Shuffle (featuring Sonny Landreth slide guitar)
Further On Up the Road (featuring Jimmy Vivino guitar)
Done Somebody Wrong (featuring Warren Haynes slide guitar)
Got My Mojo Workin'
Last Night (featuring John Popper on harp)
Maybellene (featuring Vince Gill on guitar)
Bright Lights, Big City (featuring Susan Tedeschi on lead guitar/vocals)
Honky Tonk (featuring Edgar Winter on sax)
Dust My Broom (featuring Derek Truckson slide guitar)
Short Fat Fannie (featuring Paul Nelson on guitar)
Come Back Baby (featuring John Medeski on organ)

Lots of guests to be sure and all fill their roles well. I'd prefer a little more Johnny Winter and a little less guests but that is just me. Lots of good playing on an enjoyable, if a bit predictable, blues album. Is it groundbreaking? Nope. But it still gets the OldRockr1 Seal of Approval. Oh Yeah, there is some stellar guitar playing on this one...but you probably already knew that.

Dust My Broom with Derek Trucks

Bright Lights Big City with Susan Tedeschi

Done Somebody Wrong with Warren Haynes

Grateful Dead - Cornell 77 and Veneta 72

2011-09-29T11:31:00.000-04:00

Here's a pair of classic Dead shows for your listening pleasure. If you haven't grabbed them before, now is the time. First up is the Veneta, OR show from August 27, 1972. This is one of my favorites and the sound is stellar for the era.

Grateful Dead
08/27/72
Old Renaissance Faire Grounds
Veneta, OR

SBD Recording

Set I
Promised Land
Sugaree
Me & My Uncle
Deal
Black Throated Wind
China Cat Sunflower->
I Know You Rider
Mexicali Blues
Bertha

Set II
Playin’ In The Band
He’s Gone
Jack Straw
Bird Song
Greatest Story Ever Told

Set III
Dark Star->
El Paso
Sing Me Back Home
Sugar Magnolia
Casey Jones
One More Saturday Night

Download it here.

Next I have perhaps the most famous Dead show ever...Cornell 77. Some say it is overrated, which may be true, but this version of Scarlet>Fire is worth the download alone. I guess it holds up so well for so many because it was one of the first pristine soundboards that circulated back in the day.

Grateful Dead
May 8, 1977
Barton Hall
Cornell University

Set I

1. Minglewood Blues -> (AUD splice provides beginning of track)
2. Loser
3. El Paso
4. They Love Each Other
5. Jack Straw
6. Deal
7. Lazy Lightning -> Supplication (Aud Splice during transition)
8. Brown Eyed Women
9. Mama Tried
10. Row Jimmy
11. Dancin' In The Streets

Set II

12. Take A Step Back/Tuning
13. Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain
14. Estimated Prophet
15. Tuning/Dead Air
16. Saint Stephen->
17. Not Fade Away->
18. Saint Stephen->
19. Morning Dew
20. Encore: Saturday Night

You can get this here.

Keep checking back. Many more shows to come over the coming days, weeks and months. I have collected a lot over the years and it's time to give back. As always...thanks to the tapers wherever you are.

The SteelDrivers - Grey Fox 2011

2011-09-27T18:25:00.000-04:00

Gotta say up front...I Love This Band! I was a little worried when Chris Stapleton left and Gary Nichols took over on guitar and vocals but those fears have long since subsided. The SteelDrivers performed two sets at Grey Fox this year (dance tent and main stage) and both were killers. I have found a copy of the main stage set that you can find here. I am still looking for the other if anyone comes across it.

A couple of years back I was not a big time bluegrass fan, you might say I was a fringe fan. Some newgrass and some jamgrass but that was about it. Sam Bush and Railroad Earth. I saw the SteelDrivers on the Opry and was hooked.

The Steeldrivers
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival
Walsh Farm
Oak Hill,New York
7-15-2011

Setlist:

1.Introduction
2.Two Angels>
3.Peacemaker
4.Good Corn Liquor
5.Where Do You Go When You Don't Come Home
6.Can You Run
7.You Put The Hurt On Me
8.Drinking Dark Whiskey
9.Heaven Sent
10.To Be With You Again
11.Midnight Tears
12.Guitars,Whiskey,Guns And Knives
13.Sticks That Make Thunder
14.If It Hadn't Been For Love
15.Band Introductions
16.Ghosts Of Mississippi
17.Blue Side Of The Mountain
18.Encore Break

Encore:

19.Where Rainbows Never Die
20.outro

Tammy Rogers-Fiddle,Vocals
Mike Henderson-Mandolin,Vocals
Mike Fleming-Bass,Vocals
Gary Nichols-Guitar,Vocals
Ricahrd Bailey-Banjo

This may not be Bill Monroe bluegrass, but the sound is just fantastic. How about we call it "Soul Grass"? I for one can't wait for the next album and hope they'll be back on the bill next summer. Just another great set among many at this year's festival.

Talented Artists Can Make Boring Records

2011-09-27T17:58:00.001-04:00

I am kind of a little bored with some new releases. They sounded good on paper, but on record...not so much. The first one I am not thrilled with is the new release from Beth Hard and Joe Bonamassa "Don't Explain". She can flat out sing and he is a great guitarist and singer as well but for me this is, well just dull.

It does everything right. Perhaps what's woring is it is too perfect sounding. Soul music with very little soul. You want to have a blast check out the JJ Grey & Mofro live album "Brighter Days". A shout bam-a-lama greasy southern soul stomper.

Another couple of artists I try to dig time after time are Derek Trucks and his Mrs. Susan Tedeschi. Both have gobs of talent but frankly bore the hell out of me. The new album "Revelator" is no exception. Well played, good vocals and still not worth my time. I tried to like it. Played it a bunch of times which makes listening to music work instead of a joyful experience.

Both releases prove that the sum is not always greater than the parts. And don't get me started about the Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton collaboration...BORING!!!

I know I am in the minority on these releases, but music is so personal and it's really what I am feeling. Nothing here sucks, but for me none of these warrants another listen.

Sam Bush - Grey Fox 2011

2011-09-26T17:40:00.000-04:00

This year's Grey Fox Festival was a blast. I have a bunch of shows from the festival and will be putting a few up over the next day or so. To start things off here are both of Sam Bush's sets (Main Stage and Master's Stage).

Sam Bush Band
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival
Walsh Farm
Oak Hill,New York
Main Stage
7-16-2011

Setlist:

1.Introduction/Tuning
2.Old Joe Clark>
3.Long Haired Country Boy>
4.Old Joe Clark
5.The Mahavishnu Mountain Boys
6.One More Love Song
7.Roll On Buddy Roll On
8.Unconditional Love
9.Riding The Bluegrass Train
10.Circles Around Me
11.Out On The Ocean
12.Band Introductions # 1
13.Key And locket
14.Ballad Of Stringbean And Estelle
15.Bringing In The Georgia Mail
16.Blue Mountain
17.Howlin' At The Moon *
18.New Country
19.Friends Of The Band Introduction/Banter
20.Laps In Seven
21.Band Intro #2/Encore Break

Encore:

22.Banter/Tuning/Neck Jeenie
23.Up On Cripple Creek>
24.Arkansas Traveler
25.Thank You Very Much,Have A Great Evening!

Masters Stage – Workshop 6:00 pm

Sam Bush - Mandolin
Stephen Mougin - Guitar
Scott Vestal – Banjo
Mark Schatz – Bass

1.Soundcheck and Introduction
2.Little Girl Of Mine In Tennessee
3.Sam talks about last year's shortened set...
4.Paddy On The Turnpike
5.Sam talks about Bill Monroe
6.Heavy Traffic Ahead
7.Q & A about Sam's favorites
8.Revival
9.Sam talk
10.Ralph's Banjo Special

Time: 55:15

You can get them both here in one big package. As always...thanks to the tapers.

Railroad Earth - A Pair of Shows

2011-09-26T17:09:00.000-04:00

Railroad Earth is one of my favorite "new" jam bands. They jam, but in an organic, acoustic, sorta bluegrass kind of way. A RRE show will for sure put you in the right frame of mind. These are a couple of shows from the NYC area that sound fantastic. Thanks to the taper for his/her efforts!

Railroad Earth
12/10/09 (Thu)  
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY
    

Set 1: 
1 Carrying Coal to Newcastle - > 
2 Mighty River
3 Give That Boy a Hand
4 The Good Life 
5 Bread and Water
6 The Forecast 
7 Crossing the Gap
8 Water Fountain Quicksand

Set 2: 
1 Happy Song
2 Elko
3 For Love
4 Been Down This Road 
5 Like a Buddha
6 New Jam (Spring-Heeled Jack) 
7 Peace on Earth
8 Sing for Me
9 e: Moonshiner


You can grab this one off the Archive or you can direct download it here at VBR.

Railroad Earth
2010-10-29
Irving Plaza
New York, New York

Taper: Tim in Jersey
Location:On floor, near balcony, DFC
Source:mk4(ORTF)>kc5>cmc6>SD 722 @ 24/44.11
Transfer:SD 722>IEEE 1394>PC>Audacity 1.3.12-beta (amplify, dither, tracking, FLAC encoding)

**16 bit**

Set 1:
01. Crowd
02. Long Walk Home
03. The Jupiter and the 119
04. Bird in a House
05. The Hunting Song
06. Old Man and the Land
07. Mourning Flies
08. The Green Roofs of Eireann>
09. Like a Buddha
10. Bringin' My Baby Back Home

Set 2:
01. Crowd
02. Long Way To Go
03. Head
04. Lone Croft Farewell
05. Storms
06. Water Fountain Quicksand
07. Black Elk Speaks
08. Spring-Heeled Jack
09. Potter's Field
10. E: Peace on Earth

Again, you can get it at the Archive or direct download here in VBR.

Glen Campbell - Ghost On The Canvas

2011-09-25T13:18:00.000-04:00

A lot has been written already about this record and the story behind it. For those who may not know, Glen Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer's this past year. He has chosen to make a record while he still has the ability to say good by to the industry and fans he has been playing for all these years. One would expect this to have the sad overtones that pervaded the Johnny Cash records with Rick Rubin, but for me at least that is not the case. This is a record full of reflections on a life lived but it is one of thanks and very often satisfaction.

There are so many strong songs here, in fact there are no real misses to be found, that it is hard to pick any one favorite. In particular the title track, A Thousand Lifetimes and It's You Amazing Grace make as good a 3 song stretch as I have heard all year. It's also important to remember that Glen Campbell is also a fine guitarist who was a very in demand session player before he hit solo success (Pet Sounds is him). The solo at the end of There Is No Me...Without You is all the proof you need.

My wife commented to me that these songs sound so much like his classics of the late sixties. It's true...that sound is captured here but with an update that makes it at once in the here and now and at the same time of the past. My kids probably won't get it, but if you have a desire to here music played that goes beyond today's pop sensibilities this one is for you. Music for adults folks.

His last album, Meet Glen Campbell, was a surprise. This is not. It is the work of a master performer who still can sing and play at such a high level, even at 75. Alzheimer's may dim his memories but music like this will keep his memory alive for future generations. This gets the OldRockr1 Seal Approval for this or any year.

Chuck Ragan - Covering Ground

2011-09-24T12:08:00.000-04:00

I have to say that start to finish that "Covering Ground", the new Chuck Ragan album is one of the finest releases of this or any recent year. Having released several fine acoustic albums of modern folk music over the past number of year, the Hot Water Music singer has made what is, for me at least, a classic. Now this isn't folk music in the traditional sense, in fact it owes more to Bruce Springsteen than Bob Dylan or Arlo Guthrie, but it is nothing short of spectacular. This is folk music to drive your car to...fast.

Ragan is accompanied by some fine folks including Brian Fallon of Gaslight Anthem, but it is Jon Gaunt and his ever present fiddle that puts this disk over the top. The instrumentation is perfect for songs of the road and the price that it places on all who take up the journey. There is a strong sense of loss here in the songs, but one never feels down hearing them. These songs are just so strong and played so well that I have the feeling that this will find its way onto my turntable for years to come. This is good stuff folks. Check out meet me in the Middle with Brian Fallon.

I am going to put a couple more videos at the end but this should give you the idea how good this one is. I tend to be partial to singers that sound like they smoke too much and drink whiskey far too often (Ben Nichols anyone) but this release moves beyond that little niche. Chuck Ragan has made a classic modern folk/Americana album. Hell this is a great rock album and it gets my overwhelming Oldrockr1 Seal of Approval. Go buy this. Now!

Ten Years

2011-09-11T15:05:00.000-04:00

C'mon Irene...Let's Get This Over With

2011-08-27T20:29:00.000-04:00

The build up to this hurricane has been one of the most tedious events of my life. Day after day of impending doom. Well it looks like Irene will be here on Long Island some time tomorrow. I am praying for the best. The family and I are hunkered down en mi casa and everything is all battened down. Let's get this over with so we can get on with life.

Stay safe my friends...

Dear Gov. Perry

2011-08-20T10:50:00.000-04:00

I heard you say that Evolution is some idea out there and that in Texas you teach our children Creationism along side evolution as another theory. As a science teacher my students understand that a theory is not some "best guess" thrown out there to explain something. A theory holds all the weight of the experimental evidence behind it. A theory is something that explains the data and is not something we take lightly.

Creationism is not science. There is no data to back it up. For example, some say that the earth is thousands of years old, however uranium dating (accurate to the time frame of a presidents term) puts it at something like 4.5 billion years. The data doesn't lie. Taking something that is faith based and trying to put it forward as science minimizes the importance of each.

My students always ask me if I believe in evolution. Science is not something to believe in. Science is the response to observations and experimentation. Belief is an issue of faith. As a person of faith I have long since reconciled my understanding of science and the universe with my religious beliefs as have countless people (including the current Pope) over the many years since Mr. Darwin published his work. My faith is important to me but it has no place in my classroom. I will share my knowledge of science with my students but my beliefs remain my own...remember separation of Church and State.

What you have done to schools in Texas with respect to science is disgraceful. No matter what the residents think on issues of faith, no matter whether or not they believe in a higher power, teaching Creationism as science is just wrong. If you think this belongs in school show me the data...

Shooter Jennings - Outlaw You

2011-08-17T18:13:00.000-04:00

A lot of folks in NashVegas are not gonna like this. Not one bit. Fuck 'em.

Hey Justin Moore and Eric Church...I think he's talking to you.

Jeff Bridges New Album

2011-08-17T09:51:00.000-04:00

I've been streaming the new Jeff Bridges album on Spotify this morning. It's not bad. Unfortunately what it is is boring. Mr. Bridges was great in Crazy Heart where his warm, comfortable vocals were on display. Removed from the movies he sounds a tad too comfortable...almost sleepy. T-Bone Burnett does his usual production which too is getting a tad bit predictable. All in all not worth my time for a second listen.

The Wood Brothers - Looney Tunes 8/15/11

2011-08-16T15:11:00.000-04:00

The Wood Brothers played a nice little one hour set at Looney Tunes CDs yesterday in support of their new album "Smoke Ring Halo". They played most of this fine album (review to follow in a few days), a couple of older songs and a cover or two.

I was never a big Medeski Martin & Wood fan but I have to say I really enjoyed yesterday's set. It had a kind of quirky Americana feel to it, and Chris Wood is simply a killer bass player. Check out the video below for "Chevrolet".

Sorry for the crappy video quality, I shot it on my phone.

Wood Brothers promo for Luckiest Man

Here's Luckiest Man from Looney Tunes yesterday...

Is It Hockey Season Yet?

2011-07-29T12:54:00.000-04:00

Glen Sather completed a stellar off season with the signing of Ryan Callahan to a 3 year deal this week. Now it's time for Torts to give him the C and play some HOCKEY!

It's Funny How Musical Tastes Change (and Don't)

2011-07-29T12:44:00.000-04:00

I grew up, both physically and musically, in the late 70's. My musical diet was a steady dose of FM rock radio. I started out loving the Beatles and Elton John as a middle school kid and moved on to the other classic acts of the era. I remember a friend of my father gave me a box of cassettes one day and my world changed over night. In that box was:

Led Zeppelin IV
Rod Stewart - Gasoline Alley
Yes - Close to the Edge
Ten Years After - A Space In Time
Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet

This music set me off. A 14 year old who thought KISS was the shit was taken in new directions (Thanks Beep!). I was off and running on my life long musical exploration.

All throughout high school I kept on listening and my list of favorites kept growing. All the Zep, Pink Floyd, The Stones, early metal from Black Sabbath, Rush and the rest were added to my collection. I dove head first into punk with the Clash and of course my life long musical obsession with Bruce Springsteen took hold around 1978.

During my college years I relocated to California where I soaked up the west coast rock along with the exploding new wave scene. I listened to all kinds of music, even extending to country out of my love of Southern Rock such as the Marshall Tucker Band. Naturally, country rock acts like The Eagles and southern California artists such as Jackson Browne had a place in my constantly growing record collection.

As I've progressed in years to my current total of 49 I have listened to all kinds of new artists and genres. I love the alt-country sounds of Uncle Tupelo and their progeny. I have become a fan of Bluegrass over the past few years and can finally appreciate the music in its purer form that I loved on Workingman's Dead. Newer Blues artists like Matt Schofield are next to John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters on my record shelves. About the only thing that I have no taste for is Heavy Metal and it's offspring (hair metal, thrash, etc.). It just doesn't do it for me. Houses of the Holy? Still love it to this day. Master of Reality? No more.

My current fixation has been on the 60's and early 70's. I recently finished David Browne's excellent new book on 1970 "Fire and Rain". It looks at this pivotal year in the music of Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor and The Beatles and the albums they released. A great read. It got me pulling out those albums and others this summer.

What I guess this whole ramble is about is that this era produced music with a timeless feeling that I don't get from so many of today's artists. As I've gotten older and my tastes have changed I can appreciate so much more that I didn't "get" when I was younger. Could I have loved Sweetheart of the Rodeo at 17? Probably not. Now? Love it! So that is what I guess I am getting at. The journey never ends. And if the journey is this much fun I hope that it never does.

The Steel Wheels - Live at Goose Creek

2011-07-25T13:14:00.000-04:00

Here's a band I would love to see on the Grey Fox lineup in 2012. The Steel Wheels are a 4 piece acoustic act out of Virginia. They have a strong sense of how acoustic music should be made...great playing and strong singing. It's a little bluegrass, a little jamgrass, some folk tinges, all mixed up into great American music. This set was recorded live in an old barn that have been converted into a concert venue and the sound achieved is spectacular.

"Red Wing" is a great example of what the Steel Wheels are about. The music is firmly routed in the sounds of Apalachia but without the sometimes excessive twang that some of these acts have. I love all kinds of roots music but on occasion some of the more traditional outfits stick too close to the old timers. I much more prefer a little update of the sound and the Steel Wheels achieve that on this live set. Traditional but with just the right updating of the genre.

Check out "Walk This Way For a While" for another fine example of the Steel Wheel's sound.

I'm going to be playing this one for a while. You should too 'cause this one gets the Oldrockr1 Seal of approval.

Blame Sally - Speeding Ticket and a Valentine

2011-07-25T12:19:00.000-04:00

Blame Sally is an Americana act that features four ladies from San Francisco. I hate to categorize acts under a banner like Americana, but that seems to be where I would file this one. The music is primarily acoustic with some very, very strong harmonies. Modern folk perhaps? Doesn't really matter because this is a very good listen. There are several standout tracks such as the opener "Bird in Hand" and the pop inflected "Living Without You". Styles and influences flow and merge from song to song making for a varied but most enjoyable listening experience.

The band has commented that this album has a retro feel to it and I agree with that, but there is also something very much more to this album. It has the feel of something that is at once familiar and new at the same time. "Parajos Sin Alas" is a genre spanning cut that combines a Latin influence with folk harmonies to create a song that is more than the sum of its parts.

Check Blame Sally...they are worth your time.

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival 2011

2011-07-20T10:59:00.000-04:00

I've seen a lot of concerts. Not as many as some, but more than most. Several hundred over the years and I have never been to a festival much less a Bluegrass festival. I love lots of music...classic rock, blues, country (real country) but I have only really given bluegrass a chance over the past few years. My first exposure was to non-traditional forms that were bluegrass in spirit but not in practice...String Cheese Incident, Railroad Earth, some Dead. I was open all these years but the traditionalists didn't do it for me. I was more Willie and Waylon than Flatt & Scruggs.

I saw The SteelDrivers on the Opry and that changed things. They played the traditional instruments but with a more soulful sound. Hard to describe and instantly addictive. I soon discovered Sam Bush on etree.org and I was off. I would say may taste runs more towards Newgrass and Jamgrass but to me there should be room at the table for all flavors so I decided to pack up the wife and son and head out to this year's festival (my daughter wants no part of camping or bluegrass).

We had the pop-up set up about half way back by 3:30 on Wednesday and the first thing that strikes you is the number of folks pickin'. The talent level was amazing, in fact the group behind us was as good as many of the acts featured on the festival stages. A few beer, some great music, I was beginning to lose my apprehensions about camping in a field for 4 nights. A word about the camping...outhouses (clean), pay showers (hot), water trucks when you run out, ice for sale...you can make do quite easily. There were tons of vendors selling food, beer, instruments, clothing, whatever you need and there are several places close by to get what you run out of. We enjoyed the open mic night and generally soaked up the good vibes until late in the evening.

There were artists for everyone to enjoy whether you were a traditionalist (Del McCoury) or a pickin' hippie (Yonder Mountain). Great music was to be found all through the day and night on the main stage and at the other stages set up around the festival. In fact some of the best performances were in the dance tent. Some highlights for me...

Greensky Bluegrass - I've been a fan the past couple of years and they did not disappoint either in the Master's tent or on the main stage headlining Thursday night. Great playing from a band that is not afraid to jam a bit.

The Dirty Hillbenders - Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen along with the Hillbenders (a big surprise) ripped it up in the dance tent on Friday afternoon. Crossroads was just sick...

The SteelDrivers - two sets on Friday were a highlight for me. The set in the dance tent was fantastic and folks were dancing up storm and singing along. The main stage set was right up there. Love this band and they haven't missed a step with Gary Nichols taking over on vocals and guitar.

The Infamous Stringdusters - Love these guys. I first saw them with Railroad Earth in Williamsburg back in 2010. They get some shit about playing with and for the rock crowd. This is a load of crap because these guys can flat out play. Yes they jam a bit but the songs are top notch. Catch them if you can in the future.

Sam Bush - I've seen Sam a few times and he never disappoints. Traditional bluegrass in the Master's tent and Newgrass on the main stage.

These were just a few highlights of many. So much great music around you it is impossible to see and hear everything so you have to pick and choose. After the "official" music ended there were many late night jams around the farm that were often times quite good. A music lovers dream come true.

You may not think you are a bluegrass fan but I encourage you to check this festival out. You just might find out you are. I'll be back next year...

Austin Lucas - A New Home in the Old World

2011-07-11T12:11:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to write about this absolutely wonderful album for weeks. Don't let my delay in writing this review lead you to believe that this is anything less than the best country record that I have heard in years. I love country music, Nashville not so much. Far too much emphasis on looks and production and not enough on talent. Austin Lucas however is the real deal. He has a voice that is all high lonesome vibrato and sweetness. The boy can flat out sing country music.

You want your country to rock (albeit like rem) check out Thunder Rail. Run Around is all Appalachian breakdown that misses nothing but the jug being passed around. Sleep Well featuring Austin's sister Chloe is another standout that folks who listen to country radio should hear. This is what country is supposed to sound like, not the pre-packaged Rascal Flatts/Tim McGraw/Carrie Underwood crap. Go drop the needle on Feast, which is classic country gospel. Hallelujah and Amen indeed. This is country music from the heart. Each and every track on the album is a keeper. You can grab A New Home in the Old World on CD or colored vinyl over at Last Chance Records. Grab the vinyl...it sounds fantastic.

Austin Lucas has crafted a modern country masterpiece. My son calls it folk-punk because he refuses to accept the idea that country music, when played like this, is simply great music. Whatever you want to call this it is without a doubt one of the best albums of the year and it gets the OldRockr1 Seal of Approval!

If you like this you need to check out Bristle Ridge by Austin and Chuck Ragan from a couple of years back. To quote Chuck Ragan “the entire record has a very strong sense of bluegrass, folk and old time gospel with a certain feel of exactly where we were and what was going on when we layed it down”. It does and you should hear it.

It Was a Good Week Ranger Fans

2011-07-07T20:57:00.000-04:00

This past week has been a good one for the Blueshirt Faithful! Richards and Rupp make them so much better. The youngsters are locked up and the King is in his prime. 2011-2012 should be one fun ride folks...

Is it October yet?

Nancy Grace is a Big Fat Poo Poo Head

2011-07-07T20:26:00.000-04:00

OK so that title is a bit juvenile. I can't help it because to me the collective intelligence of the "press" is pretty much at a pre-K level at the moment. The death of any child is tragic, these circumstances are almost unspeakable. Did Casey Anthony kill her daughter? Probably. I hope there is a special place in hell for whomever did this vile crime however, Casey Anthony was found not guilty by a jury of her peers. Case closed. Time to move on folks. This is OJ the sequel or Michael Jackson part 2. It isn't right and we all have to live with that. It is also how our justice system works. Sometimes the guilty go free. It has to happen in order to prevent the conviction of an innocent man or woman. It's what our fore fathers had in mind, you know those wise old guys and those trivial bits of paper called the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

A jury of 12 peers decides guilt or innocence in this country. It is not perfect but it is the best game in town. About 10 years ago I sat on a jury. We knew the guy was guilty but based on the testimony, evidence and the judge's instructions on the law we were forced to return a not guilty verdict. No one in that jury room was happy. After 3 weeks there were all kinds of strong emotions expressed but we had no choice but to follow the law rather than our hearts. After the trial the judge told us about the large amount of evidence that was not allowed in court for one reason or another and he told us we did the right thing. In fact it was so one sided in court he said he would have reversed the decision if we found him guilty. The system works based upon the law.

I don't know what the jury knew or didn't know outside of the trial. I didn't watch that closely to begin with so this rant is based on the aftermath. The talking heads on HLN and the like can discuss this forever, but the jury could only weigh the evidence and there was reasonable doubt in their opinion. Do they think she is guilty...probably. Did they listen to the law instead of their emotions...yes and good for them.

Prior to this week I thought that Nancy Grace was someone who was the brunt of jokes on the Soup. She is something far worse that that. She is the antithesis of what a reporter should be. She is simply some loud mouth looking to further her career regardless of what her ranting does to lower the level of discourse in our society. She is despicable. She is in fact a great big poo poo head.

The Fab Faux - Abbey Road Side 2

2011-06-27T11:01:00.000-04:00

I am 49 years old today. Too young to have every had a chance to see the Beatles. In fact my first exposure to their genius was the cartoon in the 60's! My first records were Beatles records (Hey Jude and Let It Be) when I was around 9 or 10. My love of this music has grown even more over the years and I am constantly going back and hearing something new or different from the last time I played it. Simply amazing music that we have all shared over the years.

I am not generally a big fan of cover bands, Beatles cover bands, in particular. Last year The Fab Faux played a benefit show for my home school district (a fire destroyed one of the elementary schools) and my wife and I volunteered to help out with the show. Rich Pagano is the drummer of the Fab Faux as well as a classmate way back in the day and it was a wonderful gesture on his and the band's part to do the show. I have to say I was amazed at how good these guys are. It's truly a labor of love as the music is painstakingly re-created by top notch musicians. No silly costumes here. Just great music played and sung extremely well.

The Fab Faux will be at the Beacon Theater on October 29th performing Magical Mystery Tour and other classics. I never thought I would be going to the Beacon to see an act play Beatles songs, but the wife and I are going. Big time fun.

Summertime and the Living is Easy

2011-06-27T10:43:00.000-04:00

It has been a long school year. In New York and across the country teachers are being blamed for all of the economic and social woes of our country. That's right it is us...not the investment bankers or the oil companies or the...

Well enough of that. It is summer and summer is the time for rest and relaxation. Time to re-charge the batteries and renew spirits before September rolls around. So this my wish that all of my teacher colleagues, known and unknown, have an enjoyable summer before we return to teach a new batch of children in the fall because no matter what the newspapers and our neighbors say that is why we do this job in the first place.

R.I.P. Clarence "Big Man" Clemons

2011-06-19T10:02:00.000-04:00

I never met Clarence Clemons. I have been a fan for almost 35 years, I own everything that Bruce & the boys have ever released. I have all the bootlegs, videos, etc. but I never met any of them. That's OK. The mythology of the band is my point of familiarity. I feel like I have known them my whole life. In fact, these records have provided the soundtrack for most of my life since high school. A part of that soundtrack is now gone from my future, but never from my past.

Clarence was a monster sax player. You just need to be there one time when he steps up to do the solo in Jungleland to understand that. But he was so much more than that to the band. He was the foil for Bruce. The King to his Boss. He was the soul to go with Bruce's heart.

I can't thank you enough Clarence for all the music, all the joy you gave me. If you don't understand you had to be there one October night in 2007 at MSG. Bruce introduces the next song for Peter Boyle who had just passed and the band launched into Meeting Across the River which of course moved into Jungleland. Pure Magic. People who were complete strangers were all hugging and singing along. Truly magical. That was one moment for me and there were many more.

As my musical heroes get older they are beginning to pass to their next gig. We all are getting up there and I miss so many that are gone. Clarence you were the shocker...a big part of my soundtrack is gone. Rest in Peace and God Bless Big Man.

I Like It

2011-05-09T18:42:00.000-04:00

The SteelDrivers

2011-05-07T18:16:00.000-04:00

I am starting to get a little amped up for Grey Fox in July and was listening to the new SteelDrivers CD Reckless. I was a little concerned that there would be a let down in the future without the vocals of the amazing Chris Stapleton. Those fears were unfounded if Gary Nichols continues to sound like he does in this video. Good stuff indeed.

The Black Lillies - 100 Miles of Wreckage

2011-05-07T16:04:00.000-04:00

Cruz Contreras (formerly of Robinella and the CCstringband) formed the Black Lillies along with Tom Pryor (pedal steel), Jamie Cook (drums), Robert Richards (bass) and Trisha Gene Brady (vocals) back in 2008 and they released their debut album, Whiskey Angel, in 2009. In April they released their sophomore effort 100 Miles of Wreckage. The new album is everything that their fine debut was and more. There is no doubt that this one gets the Oldrockr1 Seal of Approval for 2011 and I expect it to be on my best of at the end of the year.

Americana is a big tent for music in 2011 and the Black Lillies most definitely belong there. Touches of country and bluegrass abound. There is also some very fine pedal steel playing courtesy of Mr. Pryor. I love the mournful sound it gives The Arrow. There is a bit of a melancholy feeling to the record which was recorded by Sparklehorse drummer Scott Minor that may be the result of the suicide of Sparklehorse founder Mark Linkous during the recording. The record is not, I repeat not, a downer; rather there is a sense of loss that pervades the album.

Styles merge and flow throughout the disc. One surprise for me was the track Tall Trees which starts out as a lovely acoustic track and it turns slowly into a country jam track with some good old fashioned gospel along the way. That's at least how I would describe it. Doesn't much matter what it is, what matters is how good it sounds.

2011 is shaping up to be another excellent year for music from off the beaten path. The Black Lillies have released a standout for this or any other year.

Greg Smith and the Broken English - The Losing Hand

2011-04-19T15:18:00.000-04:00

There has been a pretty good pile of releases in my ReviewShine inbox lately. Greg Smith and the Broken English's newest e.p. "The Losing Hand" is a really good example of what is so great about music today. So many artists now have the ability to get their music out with being beholden to a major. Leave the pop music to the masses. This is intelligent music that is both well written and performed. Intelligent music for intelligent people.

Greg Smith is a singer-songwriter currently based in Brooklyn who writes songs of struggle and pain that could hardly be described as upbeat, but The Broken English move many of these songs along with strong playing that at times departs from the typical folk singer approach.

The title track is a stand out as is Spare Me Eliza. Good stuff here.

The Belle Brigade

2011-04-19T14:49:00.000-04:00

There seems to be a resurgence of the California sound of the 70's of late. The Decemberists have channeled the Laurel Canyon sound on their latest and now The Belle Brigade have released this self-titled album. This one is a little less Neil Young (circa Harvest) and a whole lot more Fleetwood Mac.

The Belle Brigade is a brother-sister duo and they have that whole late-70's vibe going strong. Loads of crisp harmonies and some stellar production make this an enjoyable listen. While Fleetwood Mac immediately springs to mind sound wise, the lyrics themselves lack the emotional weight of anything off of Rumours. Even so I have to say I like this quite a bit. "Where Not To Look for Freedom" in particular impresses me as does "Losers".

All told a solid release that has that wonderful, breezy sound that you don't get to hear too often anymore.

Losers

Where Not To Look For Freedom

Robyn Ludwick - Out of These Blues

2011-04-18T09:12:00.000-04:00

This record is one of the reasons I so enjoy being on the ReviewShine website. I get tons of new music submitted to me...some of it good, some of it not so good, but every once in a while there is a gem that appears in my inbox. Robyn Ludwick's Out of These Blues is one of those gems. This is simply a fantastic listen from beginning to end.

Ms. Ludwick is the sister of Bruce and Charlie Robison so she is part of the Texas music scence, but Out of These Blues is not cut from the same Red Dirt. Comparisons to Lucinda Williams are inevitable, but miss the mark. Robyn Ludwick sounds at once familiar and at the same time strikingly different. For whatever reason I tend to not gravitate towards female artists that often, but when I do I am usually hooked and that is the case with this album.

From the opening duo Hollywood and the title track Out of These Blues, straight through to the last this is a great album full of emotion and wonderful songwriting. There is a great mix of styles here; one song is reflective singer-songwriter, the next is pure county bliss. This is not only the best record I have heard on ReviewShine this year, it is one of my favorites so far. For sure this gets the OldRockr1 Seal of Approval.

Axe - Rock & Roll Party in the Street

2011-04-10T18:19:00.000-04:00

Way back when I was a younger rocker I really loved this song. It was the perfect top down, music turned up, drive around town song. No socially redeeming values, just some good time rock & roll. Loved it then...still do.

I miss those nights cruising around listing to KZOZ or 99X!

Ian Hunter - Central Park & West

2011-04-10T18:10:00.000-04:00

The great Ian Hunter and a love song for NYC. England's loss was our gain.

It's Playoff Hockey Time!

2011-04-10T10:10:00.001-04:00

Let's Go Rangers!!!

Nothing more needs to be said.

So what is your Led Zeppelin IV?

2011-04-09T11:03:00.000-04:00

I was talking to some friends the other day down at the local indie record store about the new Foo Fighters. I think the Foos have recorded some good tracks over the years but for the life of me I don't see how they are mega huge with the media and the fans. They are good, not great, just a good working rock band. There used to be so many acts that fit the bill and now...well the journeymen have become the stars.

Don't read this as a rant about the Foo Fighters, that's not my intention, what I am getting increasingly less optimistic about is the future of Rock music. I think it may be dead, or at the very least in a coma. There are so few acts over the past decade that get me excited in the rock arena. I'm not talking indie rock or any of those sub genre's, I'm talking good old fashioned turn it up loud and enjoy rock music. I know what I am talking about...I went to high school in the 70's!

You have 4 albums to me to get my attention and keep it. You get 4 shots because Led Zep made IV and that is the standard bearer for the time it takes to make a classic (well they made 4 by that point but that's another story). Springsteen made Born To Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town by the 4th lp. That's more than enough chances to find your way.

I guess it is just that the newer acts are so...generic. There really is nothing special about the Foo Fighters. I want the next Jailbreak or Straight Shooter, The River or Every Picture Tells a Story, Rust Never Sleeps or Moondance. No matter the genre of rock these were classics. Americana is trendy and hip...listen to Workingman's Dead because it has been done before and done better.

I want records that are good from beginning to end. All Killer...No Filler! They exist, but with striking lack of frequency in my opinion. The only thing that comes to mind of late was the Gaslight Anthem's American Slang. Loved it last summer, still do. I have heard lots of great music over the past couple of years, it's just that none of it can really be classified as rock music. And deep down inside I am really a classic rock kind of guy. Even now all these years along it still sounds good.

I want more...

Warren Haynes - Rivers Gonna Rise

2011-04-02T13:02:00.000-04:00

Here's a track off of Warren Haynes soon to be released album "Man In Motion". This one is Rivers Gonna Rise. It's got that Warren sound but with a more funky, soulful twist. The record is great by the way and a break from Gov't Mule is a good thing in my opinion. More on the album to follow.

Buddy Guy & Junior Wells - Newport 1968

2011-03-23T17:40:00.000-04:00

This is a smokin' set I found over at Arizona Jones. It was recorded at the Newport Folk Festival on July 28, 1968 and the sound is simply fantastic. A must download. Grab it here.

Buddy Guy & Junior Wells Blues Band
Newport Folk Festival
Newport, Rhode Island
July 28th, 1968
Soundboard

1. Intro
2. One Room Country Shack
3. Checkin' On My Baby
4. Somebody Hoodooed The Hoodoo Man Intro
5. Somebody Hoodooed The Hoodoo Man
6. Messin' With The Kid
7. You Gotta Help Me Intro
8. You Gotta Help Me
9. Crowd/Talk
10. Stormy Monday/I Feel Good

Buddy Guy - Guitar, Vocals
Junior Wells - Vocals, Harmonica
A.C. Reed - Sax
Jack Myers- Bass
Fred Below - Drums

Runtime - 39 Minutes 4 Seconds

Bruce Springsten The River Tour 1980-81

2011-03-05T15:59:00.000-05:00

There are only 3 or 4 known soundboards from The River Tour as far as I know. I have two of them and while both are good, one is amazing. First up is the great performance/OK sound show from November 5, 1980 in Tempe, Az.

The second is the legendary NYE show from the Nassau Coliseum. Just download it...

I don't know the source and there are some problems with cut songs and fades on this one but the sound is absolutely fucking amazing. It is the 12-31-80 show and it is two discs so it is incomplete but well worth the download for the sound quality. You can grab it here.

Bruce Springsteen 1975

2011-03-02T18:45:00.000-05:00

Big time, long time Bruce fan here so I figured I would post up some of my favorite ROIO's from the Boss. I'm going to try to hit a bunch of years/tours one at a time and give you all my idea of the cream of the crop. So here goes nothing with 1975.

The Main Point 2-5-75

Part 1 Part 2

The Bottom Line 8-15-75
This is the complete broadcast.

Get it here.

And last but not least one of the most amazing boots I have ever heard...
Bruce Springsteen
and the E Street Band
December 31, 1975
Tower Theatre
Philadelphia (Upper Darby), PA

Uber Series: Vol 33

Generous/Mysterious Uber --> CDR --> EAC --> FLAC Frontend

At first blush, this tape might seem a bit ho hum as a complete
soundboard recording of the 12/31/75 show has been in circulation
for years (as are other nights from the same stand). But make no
mistake, you have never heard this before.

The previously circulating soundboard (generally attributed to be
sourced from the late, great Ed Sciaky) was recorded live to
two-track, likely on cassette or perhaps reel, and it sounds a lot
like other '75 board sources. But it turns out a multi-track
recording was also made on 12/31/75, and in early 1976 those
multi-tracks were mixed down to stereo for consideration of a live
album that never happened.

These nine songs are taken directly from the 1976 production reels
of those mixes and offer what is arguably the finest live recording
of the era. Undoubtedly, the official Hammersmith release sounds
great, but it was mixed in 2005, not 1976. If you thought
Springsteen was in your living room on the WGOE session, the entire
E Street Band is there this time.

Track Listing
1. Night
2. 10th Avenue Freezeout (slow)
3. Spirit in the Night
4. Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?
5. It's My Life
6. Pretty Flamingo
7. It's Hard to be a Saint in the City
8. Mountain of Love
9. Jungleland

Grab this classic here.

Hope you enjoy these shows. More to come in the near future.

The Who - 1973 & 1975

2011-02-27T19:25:00.000-05:00

A pair of shows from The Who. The first is from 1973 and is found around the internet as Tales From The Who. The second is from the Houston Summit in 1975. Both are soundboards which are not bad for the era. Check 'em out.

Tales From The Who

Houston 1975

John Hiatt and Neil Young Unplugged Shows

2011-02-27T18:08:00.000-05:00

That would be each alone and not together. The first show features John Hiatt in an acoustic performance recorded in Baltimore in 1991. it is an excellent soundboard and worth a download for any fan. You can get it here.

Setlist:

Tennessee Plates (Hiatt/Porter)
Tip Of My Tongue
Permanent Hurt
Through Your Hands
Real Fine Love
Don't Think About Her When You're Trying To Drive (Hiatt/Cooder/Keltner/Lowe)
Your Dad Did
Have A Little Faith In Me
Rock Back Billy
Drive South
Icy Blue Heart
Slow Turning
Feels Like Rain
Thing Called Love

The Neil Young is a 2-CD set compiled from audience recordings during the 2007 tour. It features acoustic performances that opened each show. You can get it here.

A Pair of Queen Shows

2011-02-26T19:01:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of Queen shows from the 70's. The first is from December 1975 and it is one of the better Queen boots I have found. The second show was recorded in Chicago in 1978 and is also pretty good. Both are soundboards.

Queen
Hammersmith Odeon
12-24-75

Queen
Chicago, IL
7-12-78

Hammersmith 1975
Chicago 1978 Part 1 and Part 2

Jackson Browne - Baltimore 2002

2011-02-26T18:37:00.000-05:00

Jackson Browne
2002-05-18
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Baltimore, MD

This is an excellent soundboard recording from his solo acoustic tour of 2002. You can grab it here. Please note that the sound check disc is not included.

The Clash - Bonds Casino 1981

2011-02-26T18:27:00.000-05:00

Here's a great one from The Clash...Bonds Casino 1981. The files say 6-13-81 but it is the Complete Chaos bootleg. A great soundboard recording from one of my all time favorites bands. You can grab the mp3's here.

Loved This...

2011-02-24T09:28:00.000-05:00

Hey follow me

2011-02-17T19:59:00.001-05:00

Recently started up a Twitter account. Follow me at oldrockr101.

Gary Moore - Rest In Peace

2011-02-06T13:03:00.000-05:00

The BBC is reporting that guitarist Gary Moore passed away this morning. Gary Moore was a member of Thin Lizzy in the late '70's and a solo artist playing first hard rock and then concentrating on the blues since the early 90's. Simply put he is one of the best players I have ever heard. He will be missed.

Robert Plant - Still Cooler Than You at the Beacon Theater

2011-02-02T10:34:00.000-05:00

I had wanted to see this show but hesitated both due to the timing and the price. Shows are getting expensive since my son has been attending with me so I didn't grab these when they went on sale. A friend of mine called this past Saturday and made me too good an offer for third row center. How could I say no?

Being well prepared for what the Band of Joy plays and more importantly how they play it, I was really looking forward to seeing the show. Robert Plant has really aged quite gracefully for a rock star. It was so refreshing seeing someone from the 70's re-work old classics and also play new music with such enthusiasm and joy. He is playing what he wants, with whom he wants, exactly the way he wants. It was great being along for the ride Sunday night.

Opening with a swampy Misty Mountain Hop, Plant and the band played a well planned mix of material from the Band of Joy album, some Zep covers and a couple of solo numbers. The oldies were re-worked but very much enjoyable. Houses of the Holy grooved and Ramble on rocked, Tangerine and Gallow's Pole were not all that unlike the original versions. Rock & Roll got kind of a hillbilly treatment. All were quite good. Tall Cool One and In The Mood also worked well in this format. From the new album Angel Dance and House of Cards were particularly good.

The band really plays well together and you can't ever go wrong having Buddy Miller as your guitar player. Buddy, Darrell Scott, and Patty Griffin all had solo spots with Robert Plant happy to sing back up or play some harmonica. In particular Darrell Scott was a revelation having not been familiar with his work...an omission I am currently rectifying.

I for one can live without a Zep reunion, as much as I love them. I could never be the same. The O2 shows will have to do and there are plenty of shows out there. You really need to check out the Band of Joy if they make it back here. It was a truly great evening of music.

Here are a few clips of the Band of Joy. Quality is so-so but you get the idea. There is also a ROIO form London last fall that is easy to track down and it has excellent sound. Search it out, it's worth the effort.

New Lucero Song...

2011-01-21T12:05:00.000-05:00

...or perhaps a new Ben Nichols solo album is coming out??? Either way this is a winner.

Here's Hello Sadness and Last Pale Light in the West from the same performance.

The Jayhawks - Webster Hall 1/20/11

2011-01-21T11:40:00.000-05:00

I've been waiting to see the Jayhawks for years. Back when Hollywood Town Hall came out the kids were really young and I wasn't going to many shows. However that album has become one of my all-time favorites. So when I saw that they were playing it in its entirety at Webster Hall I jumped on tickets.

A word about Webster Hall. It has to be one of my least favorite venues. Way oversold which is a shame. This would have been such a great show at the Beacon or one of the smaller theaters. Maybe it's just me. I think I am done with club shows. That said, the band was very good if not great most of the night with some moments of greatness.

Hollywood Town Hall kicked things off right around 8PM. At times the performance felt a bit awkward to me and there seemed to be little interaction between Gary Louris and Mark Olson. The harmonies didn't quite mesh at times and the years appear to have worn a bit on them both. Was it awful? Far from it. It just wasn't what I had hoped, something which probably could not have been attained given the years.

It appeared that there was supposed to be an intermission but Gary led the band right into the second half of the show. You got some unreleased tracks (both new and old) and a good chunk of Tomorrow The Green Grass which they will be playing tonight. I suspect tonight's show will be a bit of a reverse. All of TTGG and some of HTH.

I plan on running out to my local indie today and grab the new 180 gram vinyl editions of both albums, settle down on the couch with the wife and enjoy them both. Perhaps even with a few cold ones. Should be a nice afternoon.

Setlist and pics from the Village Voice...

Set List
Waiting for the Sun 
Crowded in the Wings 
Clouds
Two Angels 
Take Me with You (When You Go) 
Sister Cry 
Settled Down Like Rain 
Wichita 
Nevada, California
Martin's Song
I'd Run Away
Warm River
Tomorrow In The Green Grass
Nothing Left To Borrow
There's No Place For People Like Him
She Walks In So Many Ways 
Miss Williams' Guitar
Black Eyed Susan
Reason To Believe
Blue
(encore)
Tampa To Tulsa
Up Above My Head
Lights

Check out a few of the videos below if you are unfamiliar with the Jayhawks. One of the most important acts in shaping what has become known as Americana (or alt-country, or whatever the hell it's called now).

Elton John - 1973 Christmas Show

2011-01-17T14:12:00.000-05:00

D & P's Bootleg Tunz World: Elton John - Christmas Show 12.22.1973:

Very nice pre-FM recording from back in Sir Elton's heyday. Well worth the download.

Former Charlie Daniels Band Guitarist Tommy Crain Passes Away

2011-01-16T11:14:00.000-05:00

Nightwatcher's House Of Rock: Former Charlie Daniels Band Guitarist Tommy Crain ...: "John Thomas “Tommy” Crain, Jr., who played guitar in the Charlie Daniels Band (the CDB) for more than a decade and became one of the most pr..."

Bluestock

2011-01-12T17:21:00.000-05:00

Three days of blues at Hunter Mountain August 26th to the 28th. No official lineup yet but Pollstar has Buddy Guy on Sunday. I expect this to be a good one and I have already booked my room at the Lodge at Hunter! Gonna be a whole OldRockr family event!

Gregg Allman - Low Country Blues

2011-01-08T20:07:00.000-05:00

I've been checking out a copy of Gregg Allman's new album "Low Country Blues". Folks this one is a keeper. I'll be writing a more detailed review in the near future but on first listen I am very, very impressed. Old school blues that fits his voice better than anything he's done in years. CD/Digital/Vinyl drops on January 18th.

The Top-Selling Vinyl Records of 2010

2011-01-08T12:01:00.000-05:00

The Top-Selling Vinyl Records of 2010

Sad to say (well maybe not sad) but I think the end is near for CD's. Everyone under 30 is all digital and those of us of an advanced age can even go digital as well as analog. Aside from a short car trip I almost never play CD's anymore. It's either iPod or good 'ol vinyl. Almost every new release on vinyl also comes with a free download or even the entire CD as a throw in. CD's? I won't miss 'em when they are...

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T11:01:00.000-05:00

2010 - Some Great Songs

2010-12-28T12:40:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-27T10:25:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-27T09:39:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-24T15:32:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to you and yours this holiday season!
OldRockr1

A Glossary Christmas

2010-12-23T18:49:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-23T18:39:00.001-05:00

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

2010-12-23T18:34:00.000-05:00

So You Want To Close Your Facebook Account

2010-12-23T18:26:00.001-05:00

Why I Hate Hipsters

2010-12-23T18:24:00.001-05:00

2010 - A Great Year for Music

2010-12-18T16:08:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-09T20:13:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-08T20:00:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-08T17:05:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-07T18:22:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-07T17:57:00.000-05:00

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

2010-12-01T18:02:00.000-05:00

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

The Jayhawks Reunite

2010-12-01T17:02:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-30T20:14:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-28T10:48:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-27T15:43:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-27T12:51:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-27T10:24:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-26T13:51:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-25T11:02:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-24T15:50:00.000-05:00

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...

2010-11-10T19:55:00.001-05:00