Thursday, December 27, 2018

TnJ BEST of 2018

Keep in mind that some of the best singles of the year are bound to be included on some of the best albums of the year, but I am reluctant to place the same band in more than one category.  Therefore, albums which rate in the breakout categories down the line are not also ranked in the “overall” lists.  Read on, music lovers!

-TOAST'S FAVORITE STUDIO ALBUMS of 2018-

01) MAGPIE SALUTE – High Water I

The “other” brother from The Black Crowes, Rich Robinson, proves he ain’t just background.  Heavier, with more complex arrangements than the spacey, folky output of the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, this album (by the title, presumably the first half of a double album) goes for broke with tough riffs and memorable harmonies couched in 70s rock à la Humble Pie and the Rolling Stones. 

HIGH POINTS: Send Me an Omen, High Water, Can You See, Mary the Gypsy, For the Wind, Walk on Water

02) RECORD COMPANY – All of This Life

This band is proof that rock-n-roll will never die.  Maybe it’s that the human ear will never get tired of hearing D, G, and A in endless combinations, or perhaps musicians will just never tire of those chords coming out of their amplifiers.  Heartland rock by way of Los Angeles, this trio knows how to push all the right foot-stomping, fist-pumping buttons.  

HIGH POINTS: Life to Fix, the Movie Song, Night Games, Make It Happen, You and Me Now

03) LUCY DACUS – Historian

It’s almost like listening to pop music from another dimension: one where dreamy atmosphere is more important than dance beats, baring one’s hidden thoughts is more valued than one’s street cred, and singing soulfully means more than looking good in a short skirt.  This album isn’t so much a product of its time as it is timeless.  

HIGH POINTS: Pillar of Truth, Night Shift, Yours & Mine, Nonbeliever, Body to Flame

04) DECEMBERISTS – I’ll Be Your Girl

These Oregonians continue their quest to dress up melancholy in glitter and sunshine.  Their instrumentation seems simple and folky, but the sound propels us along like a locomotive, through doom and gloom masquerading as optimism.  They are still the champions of indie folk, regardless of what Mumford & Sons might say. 

HIGH POINTS:  Severed, Sucker’s Prayer, Everything Is Awful, Tripping Along, We All Die Young

05) LEFTOVER SALMON – Something Higher

The second (or is it the third?) iteration of this venerable jamband-with-strings puts the proverbial pedal to the metal and offers another wild musical ride.  Like Little Feat before them, their tendency to consistently switch frontperson/songwriter roles from song to song only gives them solid architecture to build upon live. 

HIGH POINTS:  Show Me Something Higher, Analog, House of Cards, Astral Traveler, Evermore


06) KHRUANGBIN – Con Todo el Mundo

Texas seems an unlikely place to spawn a West-African sounding drone/soul combo, but here you have it.  It could be the background to a psychedelic space western or a documentary about desert nomads, if there weren’t so many hooky melodies involved. 

HIGH POINTS:  Maria También, Shades of Man, Evan Finds the Third Room, Cómo Me Quieres

07) FATHER JOHN MISTY – God’s Favorite Customer
If you have trouble distinguishing “sarcasm” from “sardonic” humor, a tour through the mind of Josh Tillman’s alter-ego Father John Misty might make matters even more muddy, but his dark wit and sense of song remains unassailable.

HIGH POINTS:  Mr. Tillman, Hangout at the Gallows, We’re Only People (And There’s Not Much Anyone Can Do About That), Disappointing Diamonds Are the Rarest of Them All



08) UMPHREY’S McGEE – It’s Not Us

It has always been true that Umphrey’s McGee is so much better live than in the studio that we must measure them as different bands on different scales.  Without the meltdown jams however, these recordings still pass muster.  

HIGH POINTS:  Maybe Someday, Whistle Kids, Forks, Half Delayed

09) MARCUS KING BAND – Carolina Confessions

It might be cliché to assign the label “old soul” to Marcus King, but he definitely has the guitar-and-vocal flamethrower skill of someone twice his age.  His band keeps improving and are on their way to the top of the heap.

HIGH POINTS:  Welcome ‘round Here, Where I’m Headed, Autumn Rains, Homesick



10) SPAFFORD – For Amusement Only

It’s telling that some of the best songs on this recording are also the longest; Spafford is destined for jamband greatness.  

HIGH POINTS:  All In, Mind’s Unchained, the Postman, Slip and Squander

-TOAST'S FAVORITE LIVE ALBUMS of 2018-

 
01) JERRY GARCIA BAND – Garcia Live Vol.10, 5/20/90 Hilo Civic Auditorium, Hilo, HI
Jerry had been rehabbing on the big island after a diabetic coma, and obviously had accumulated some extra magic.  This is one of the best JGB recordings ever.

02) LED ZEPPELIN – How the West Was Won [remastered]
The soundtrack to the film “The Song Remains the Same” has a bigger reputation, but these recordings from the year before capture LZ sounding less wearisome.

03) UMPHREY’S McGEE – 7/7/18 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
No live touring band impressed me as much as UM this year.  The perfect balance of lockstep precision and wild extrapolation, plus they look like they’re still having fun.

04) DAVID BOWIE – Glastonbury 2000
No doubt polished up from the dustbin of history to capitalize on his recent death, but these are spectacular readings from his catalog, and only days after a bout with laryngitis.

05) PHISH – 10/31/18 MGM Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV
By now you know their “Halloween masquerade” of Kasvot Växt was all a ruse, but Phish managed to drop a surprise new album on us, and it’s one of their best in years.

06) GRATEFUL DEAD – Dave’s Picks vol. 26, 11/17/71 Albuquerque Civic Auditorium, Albuquerque, NM
Their first-ever show in New Mexico catches the Dead in rare form.  Many of the versions here are slightly faster than normal, but all the liveliness stays tight.

07) moe. – 2/2/18 Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
This was their first night back on the road after Rob’s cancer scare, and they sound better than they have in years.  This show is a joy to listen to, and was likely a joy to play too.

08) CHRIS ROBINSON BROTHERHOOD – Raven’s Reels, vol. 1 [Record Store Day 2018]
Only available on vinyl, with only 1200 copies pressed, it’s already a collector’s item.  This is an entire show from 9/24/17 in Knoxville and the band is firing on all cylinders.

09) CHICAGO FARMER – Quarter Past Tonight
Chicago Farmer is the stage name of one Cody Dickhoff, and this DIY release showcases a vanishing breed of absolutely charming storyteller, singer and songwriter.

10) MUNGION – Live Fun Vol. 1
Relatively new on the Chicago jam scene, this double disc is a good primer to what Mungion is capable of: vibrant, fully-developed songs, and expansive jams.

-TOAST'S FAVORITE SINGLES of 2018-

All of these earworms stand up to repeated listening.  Let them infect you!

01) PHOSPHORESCENT – New Birth in New England
02) JANELLE MONÁE – Make Me Feel
03) DEATH CAB for CUTIE – Gold Rush
04) NEKO CASE – Bad Luck
05) MT. JOY – Silver Lining
06) KACEY MUSGRAVES – Slow Burn
07) BIRD STREETS – Betting on the Sun
08) JACK WHITE – Over and Over and Over
09) PHANTASTIC FERNITURE – Bad Timing
10) WOOD BROTHERS – Happiness Jones

-BOX SETS-

TOM PETTY – An American Treasure [deluxe version]
PHISH – the Baker’s Dozen Live at Madison Square Garden
BOB DYLAN – More Blood, More Tracks - Bootleg Series vol. 14

-COVERS-

JOE CRAVEN & the SOMETIMERS – Garcia Songbook
ORGŌNE – Undercover Mixtape
MYSTIC BOWIE – Talking Dreads

-ELECTRONIC-

PAPADOSIO – Content Coma
the ORB – No Sounds Are Out of Bounds
CUT CHEMIST – Die Cut

-WORLD MUSIC-

FEMI KUTI – One People One World
THIEVERY CORPORATION – Treasures from the Temple
HOLLIE COOK – Vessel of Love

-JAZZ-

KAMASI WASHINGTON – Heaven and Earth
GHOST-NOTE - Swagism
ROBERT WALTER’S 20th CONGRESS - Spacesuit

-BLUES-

CEDRIC BURNSIDE – Benton County Relic
DOYLE BRAMHALL II - Shades
CHAD ELLIOTT & the REDEMPTIONS – Rest Heavy

-FOLK-

DEL McCOURY – Still Sings Bluegrass
JOHN PRINE – the Tree of Forgiveness
HOT BUTTERED RUM – Lonesome Panoramic

-LOCAL-

PIGMENT – Crows & Elephants
BORIS McCUTCHEON – I’m Here, Let Me In
STEPHANIE HATFIELD – Live at Frogville

-TOUR DIARY HIGHLIGHTS-

MARCH FOURTH – 2/18/18 Dirty Bourbon, Albuquerque, NM
the MOTET – 3/31/18 Meow Wolf, Santa Fe, NM
RICHARD THOMPSON – 4/25/18 Popejoy Hall, UNM, Albuquerque, NM
ANTIBALAS – 6/1/18 Taos Mesa Brewing, El Prado, NM
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – 6/2/18 Taos Mesa Brewing, El Prado, NM
UMPHREY’S McGEE – 7/7/18 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
TAUK – 7/28/18 Taos Mesa Brewing, El Prado, NM
DR.DOG – 8/4/18 Kit Carson Park, Taos, NM
MARCUS KING BAND – 8/29/18 Launchpad, Albuquerque, NM
JERRY JOSEPH – 11/26/18 Taos Mesa Brewing, El Prado, NM


-MORE, PLEASE!-

CHRIS EVES & the NEW NORMAL
the WAR and TREATY
SNAIL MAIL
LOW CUT CONNIE
MOUNTAIN HEART
CAROLINE ROSE
the GREYHOUNDS
MAGIC BEANS
the SUFFERS
RICH KRUEGER

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TnJ 723 (12/27/18)

-HOUR ONE-

The Best of 2018 rolls on!

SPAFFORD – Slip and Squander  (3/4/18 Terrapin Crossroads, San Rafael, CA) nugs.net
LED ZEPPELIN – Black Dog [remaster]  (2018 How the West Was Won, 6/25/72 L.A. Forum, Inglewood, CA)
TOM PETTY & the HEARTBREAKERS – Concert Intro > King’s Road > Clear the Aisles  (2018 An American Treasure [box set], 6/28/81 the Forum, Inglewood, CA)
JOE CRAVEN & the SOMETIMERS – I Know You Rider  (2018 Garcia Songbook)
RECORD COMPANY – Make It Happen  (2018 All of This Life)
MAGPIE SALUTE – Walk on Water  (2018 High Water I)

-HOUR TWO-

moe. – Moth > Captain America > Hector’s Pillow > Moth > Meat > Moth  (2/2/18 Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY) nugs.net
MYSTIC BOWIE – Shakedown Street  (2018 Talking Dreads)
JERRY GARCIA BAND – Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door  (2018 Garcia Live Volume 10, 5/20/80 Hilo Civic Auditorium, Hilo, HI)

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Thursday, December 20, 2018

TnJ 722 (12/20/18)

-HOUR ONE-

CHRIS ROBINSON BROTHERHOOD – Forever as the Moon  (2018 Betty’s Midwestern Magick Blends, Vol. 4)
ROBERT RANDOLPH and the FAMILY BAND – Thrill of It  (2006 Colorblind)
MARCUS KING BAND – Welcome ‘round Here  (2018 Carolina Confessions)
JERRY JOSEPH – Cosmic  (2016 By the Time Your Rocket Gets to Mars)
FATHER JOHN MISTY – Hangout at the Gallows  (2018 God’s Favorite Customer)
KURT VILE – Skinny Mini  (2018 Bottle It In)

-HOUR TWO-

GHOST-NOTE w/ BOBBY RAY SPARKS – Pace Maker  (2018 Swagism)
FEMI KUTI – Best to Live on the Good Side  (2018 One People One World)
KAMASI WASHINGTON – Fists of Fury  (2018 Heaven and Earth)
UMPHREY’S McGEE – Gurgle > Dump City  (7/7/18 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO) nugs.net
PHISH – Play by Play  (10/31/18 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV) livephish.com

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Monday, December 17, 2018

HIGH SIERRA FESTIVAL LINEUP ANNOUNCED


July 4 - July 7, 2019, Plumas-Sierra Fairgrounds in Quincy, CA
Early Bird four-day passes on-sale now at http://highsierramusic.com/

December 13, 2018: Rock and roll on a racetrack, madre of West Coast music festivals, High Sierra Music Festival will return July 4 - July 7 to beautifulQuincy, CA, for its 29th consecutive year and today is pleased to announce its first batch of artists for 2019. Priding itself on a diverse musical lineup, one-of-a-kind intimate artist “playshops,” and legendary sit-ins and surprises throughout the weekend, HSMF remains the live music fan mainstay—a home away from home to pilgrimage to each year for a community experience of musical chances-taken, all day and all night, on stages big and small.

As the festival nears its third decade of existence, a milestone that speaks to the curation of both music and extra-curricular activities, HSMF welcomes the following artists to its 2019 lineup: Greensky Bluegrass, Jim James (with his full band), St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Galactic, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe presents Eat a Bunch of Peaches, The Marcus King Band, ALO, The Polish Ambassador, The Nth Power (for a very special Marvin Gaye Tribute), Jennifer Hartswick Band, Cris Jacobs Band, Cha Wa, and Ron Artis II & The Truth-- with more artists to be announced in the coming months.

From the Grandstand Stage to the “don’t let out the air-conditioning” doors of the High Sierra Music Hall, festival-goers spend every day celebrating old traditions, as well as forging new ones each and every year. Craft brews and artisanal cocktails and cuisine to satisfy any appetite can be found around the clock, and kids never get bored of the daily parades, accommodating Family Village, and the always-popular community swimming pool right next door. On-site yoga, Pilates, and guided meditations provide a non-musical lift for the body, mind, and spirit. High Sierra Music Festival continues to be the cradle of exciting music in the picturesque locale of Plumas-Sierra Fairgrounds in Quincy, CA-- located an easy distance from the Reno, NV, Bay Area, and Sacramento, CA, airports.

Visit http://highsierramusic.com/ to purchase four-day passes at early-bird pricing which is in effect until Jan 8th (while supplies last, get ‘em early!). All tickets, including FestivALL VIP packages, RV passes, and parking passes will be available on Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 10 A.M. PST.

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Thursday, December 13, 2018

TnJ 721 (12/13/18)

-HOUR ONE-

DAVID BOWIE – “Heroes”  (2018 Glastonbury 2000 CD/DVD, 6/25/00 Pilton, Somerset, England)
DAVID BOWIE – Life on Mars?  (2018 Glastonbury 2000 CD/DVD, 6/25/00 Pilton, Somerset, England)
FRUITION – Dirty Thieves  (2018 Fire EP)
TOMMY EMMANUEL w/ JASON ISBELL – Deep River Blues  (2018 Accomplice One)
TINARIWEN – Ténéré Tàqqàl  (2017 Elwan)
PHISH – Roggae  (7/22/17 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY [Night 2: Strawberry]) livephish.com

-HOUR TWO-

PHISH – Ghost  (8/5/17 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY [Night 12: Boston Cream]) livephish.com
UMPHREY’S McGEE – What We Could Get  (2018 It’s You)
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Coconut  (10/28/17 Park Theater, Las Vegas, NV) livewidespreadpanic.com
ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND – Blue Sky  (2003 S.U.N.Y. at Stonybrook, Stonybrook, NY 9/19/71)
GRATEFUL DEAD – Box of Rain  (2018 Pacific Northwest ’73-’74 – Believe It If You Need It, 6/24/73 Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR)
GRATEFUL DEAD – Sugar Magnolia  (2018 Pacific Northwest ’73-’74 – Believe It If You Need It, 6/22/73 P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, B.C., Canada)

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Thursday, December 6, 2018

TnJ 720 (12/6/18)

-HOUR ONE-

JIM MORRISON & the DOORS > the DOORS > JIM MORRISON & the DOORS – Stoned Immaculate > Peace Frog > Newborn Awakening  (1978 An American Prayer > Morrison Hotel > An American Prayer)
ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND – End of the Line  (2014 Play All Night – Live at the Beacon Theatre 1992)
TOM PETTY & the HEARTBREAKERS – Two Men Talking  (2018 An American Treasure [box set], ca. 2012 for Hypnotic Eye)
the BEATLES – Sour Milk Sea  (2018 the Beatles and Esher Demos [box set], ca. 1968)
BOB DYLAN – Tangled Up in Blue [take 3 remake 3]  (2018 More Blood, More Tracks – the Bootleg Series vol. 14 [box set], ca. 1974)
HOT BUTTERED RUM w/ ALO – the Deep End  (2018 Lonesome Panoramic)
DONNA the BUFFALO w/ JIM LAUDERDALE – I Believe  (2018 Dance in the Street)
HOT RIZE w/ JERRY DOUGLAS and STUART DUNCAN – Huckling the Berries  (2018 40th Anniversary Bash, ca. Jan 2018 Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO)

-HOUR TWO-

INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – Tragic Life  (1/21/15 Legends, Boone, NC) nugs.net
BILLY STRINGS – Salty Sheep  (2017 Turmoil & Tinfoil)
GREENSKY BLUEGRASS – Do It Alone  (2018 All for Money)
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Papa’s Home [Xmas version]  (1992 the Mother of All Flagpole Christmas Albums [various artists])
PHOSPHORESCENT – Christmas Down Under  (2018 C’est la Vie)
THIEVERY CORPORATION w/ LOULOU GHELICHKHANI – la Force de Melodie  (2018 Treasures from the Temple)
BEATS ANTIQUE – Egyptic  (2010 Blind Threshold)
DAVID BYRNE – Gasoline and Dirty Sheets  (2018 American Utopia)

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