TnJ 116 (4/22/10)

-HOUR ONE-

TROMBONE SHORTY – Hurricane Season (2010 Backatown)
OZOMATLI – 45 (2010 Fire Away)
STRING CHEESE INCIDENT – Dirk > Cheap Sunglasses > Dirk (7/9/09 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO)
THE GOURDS – Gin and Juice (1998 Gogitchershinebox EP, 2001 Shinebox)
NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND – Tulsa Sounds Like Trouble to Me (2009 Speed of Life)
GRATEFUL DEAD – Deal (11/30/80 Fox Theater, Atlanta, GA)
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD – If We Could (2008 All Rebel Rockers – Special Edition Box Set)
KAKI KING – Everything Has an End, Even Sadness (2010 Junior)

-HOUR TWO-

JAY FARRAR & BENJAMIN GIBBARD – The Void (2009 One Fast Move or I’m Gone – Music from Kerouac’s Big Sur)
JOHN COURAGE – Ode to the Open Road (2010 Lovers Without a Care)
LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE of the REAL – Mystery (2009 Brando’s Paradise Sessions EP)
THE HUE – Bipolar Pride (2009 Beyond Words)
DISCO BISCUITS – Big Wrecking Ball (2009 Planet Anthem)
WILCO – Casino Queen (1995 A.M.)
FRANK ZAPPA – I’m the Slime > Big Swifty (1988 You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 1, 12/12/73 the Roxy, Hollywood, CA)
TEA LEAF GREEN – Borrowed Time (2008 Raise Up the Tent)

# # #

TnJ 111 (3/18/10)

-HOUR ONE-

THE RADIATORS – Devil’s Dream (2009 the Lost Southlake Sessions) theradiators.org
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Coconut (7/21/08 Myrtle Beach, CA) livewidespreadpanic.com
JOE BONAMASSA – A New Day Yesterday / Starship Trooper / Würm (2008 Live from Nowhere in Particular) jbonamassa.com
JOE BONAMASSA – Lonesome Road Blues (2009 Live from Royal Albert Hall DVD)
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD – Yell Fire (7/1/07 Taos Solar Music Festival, Taos, NM) festivalink.net
THE CONTRIBUTION – Which Way World (2010 Which Way World) thecontribution.net
MATT BUNSEN and the BURNERS – Sings (2009 Greatest Hits) mattbunsen.com

-HOUR TWO-

THE LOW ANTHEM – Home I’ll Never Be (2009 Oh My God, Charlie Darwin)
HANK WILLIAMS III – Pills I Took (2006 Straight to Hell)
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – Fork in the Road (2007 Fork in the Road) thestringdusters.com
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – 40 West (12/6/08 Morse Theater, Chicago, IL) archive.org
GRATEFUL DEAD – Truckin’ (2010 Road Trips, Vol. 3, No. 2, 11/15/71 Austin, TX) dead.net
BUILT to SPILL – Wherever You Go (2006 You in Reverse)
THE SKYS – Turtles (2009 Songs from Small Dreams in an Elevator) homegrownmusic.net
DISCO BISCUITS – Loose Change (2009 Planet Anthem) discobiscuits.com
PHISH – Casino Boogie (10/31/09 Festival 8, Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA) livephish.com

# # #

TnJ 091 (10/22/09)

-HOUR ONE-

JIMI HENDRIX – Stone Free (1999 Live at the Fillmore East, c.1969)
GOV’T MULE – Steppin’ Lightly (2009 By a Thread)
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD – Life In the City (7/1/07 Taos, NM) festivalink.net
CADILLAC JONES – Late Night with Merle Epstein (2009 Rhythm Method) homegrownmusic.net
ZACH DEPUTY – Paramus (2009 Sunshine) homegrownmusic.net
moe. – Wind It Up (2006 the Conch) moe.org
BOB MARLEY & the WAILERS – Stir It Up (1978 Babylon by Bus)

-HOUR TWO-

THE MOTET – Nemesis (2009 Dig Deep) themotet.com
FRANK ZAPPA – Village of the Sun (9/3/78 Ludwigspark Stadium, Saarbrücken, Germany)
RODRIGO y GABRIELA – Ixtapa (2006 Rodrigo y Gabriela) rodgab.com
NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE – Slip Away (1997 Year of the Horse)
HOLLIS BROWN – Don’t Wanna Miss You (2009 Hollis Brown) hollisbrown.com
SAM BUSH – Circles Around Me (2009 Circles Around Me) sugarhillrecords.com
THE INCREDIBLE SANDWICH – Bluebird 1 > Bluebird 2 (2009 The Incredible Sandwich EP) muletrainrecords.com

# # #

CONCERT REVIEW - MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD at PUMPKIN FESTIVAL day 1, Santa Fe, NM

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD setlist 10/3/09 Santa Fe Horse Park

This is corrected compared to what the actual printed setlist says…

A Little Bit of Riddim
Hello Bonjour
We Don’t Stop
Rude Boys Back in Town
All I Want Is You (w/Tainted Love tease)
East to the West *
Everyone Deserves Music
(You Got to Walk and) Don’t Look Back (w/Casey Jones tease)
Sometimes (Electric)
Anytime You Want Me
Never Too Late
Yell Fire * (w/Smells like Teen Spirit tease **)
Sound of Sunshine *
I Got Love for You

E:

Everybody Ona Move (w/Billie Jean tease)
Hey World (Remote Control version)
Hey World (Don’t Give Up version w/new arrangement, new lyrics)
Say Hey (I Love You) ***

* with guest Robert Mirabal
** with Mirabal and audience members Erica and Denny
*** with Mirabal and lots of kids from the audience

# # #

Michael Franti has God-like powers. I’m not just referring to his notorious ability to connect with an audience like the tractor beam connected with the Millenium Falcon in “Star Wars,” nor am I referring to the way he somehow manages to be political and positive at the same time – I’m talking about being able to deliver a performance which proves he has those powers and more while sweating out a fever of 104 degrees.

Michael Franti & Spearhead have been in their current configuration (minus Cherine Anderson) for some 15 years, but they’re now amidst an audience growth spurt with the release of their first, bona-fide, across-the-board, hit single – “Say Hey (I Love You)”. This is a roundabout way of saying there were a lot more “norms” in the crowd than usual, but also just a lot more people, period.

All the hoopsters (that particular brand of show regular first seen, by me, at String Cheese shows in the early 00’s) had started congregating on the grass. One already sunburned hippy-shaker managed to balance a glass of beer on her head while hula hooping in a very heavy, warm-looking, presumably homemade, patchwork halter top dress. These typical Franti-show-free-spirit-types mingled with the vaguely “Colorado-jock-and-their-perfect-family-with-2.5-children” types, and a few thousand varying degrees of us grooved along somewhere in between.

I had been in line for one of the ridiculously small number of port-a-johns about 30 minutes when the first drum-and-bass driven notes of “A Little Bit of Riddim” came thumping across the Santa Fe Horse Park. One of my favorites from their most recent release, “All Rebel Rockers,” its siren’s call nearly pulled me away from the queue, but I resigned myself to missing the first couple of songs in the interest of finally urinating. Nearby Apsen beckoned me to relieve myself in a more primitive fashion, but I was on the clock and reluctant to be branded as uncivilized.

“Hello Bonjour” came on, another personal favorite from 2006’s “Yell Fire.” That gal with the 2.5 children had certainly been in the plastic toilet a long time. “We Don’t Stop,” from Everyone Deserves Music (2003) may or may not have been great, or even played for that matter. I was now delirious with how close and yet so far I was from civilized relief.

Ah! At last! And “Rude Boys Back in Town” provided the soundtrack for my return the concert area. First though, I decided to take a load off and watch people pass by. I’d been standing or walking for about 5 hours straight and the row of hay bales looked comfy enough. Though I was now right at the center of the festival grounds (which also included vast expanses of kid’s activities, food and craft vendors, and carnival rides), the bustling crowd of earlier appeared to have vanished. They apparently couldn’t resist Spearhead’s call to positive, beat-driven revolution, and I supposed I shouldn’t either – so much for giving my dogs a rest.

During “All I Want Is You,” it seemed from a distance that Franti descended from the stage and was absorbed by the crowd, song still playing. He interpolated quotes from the terminally 80’s club hit “Tainted Love” which miraculously meshed with the former’s acoustic dub structure.

He returned to the stage without missing a beat, and welcomed Taos Pueblo flautist Robert Mirabal to the stage for a particularly delicate reading of “East to the West.”

A rousing “Everyone Deserves Music” followed, and I had finally made my way close enough to the front to really see what was happening: they had the audience – hippy hoopster and Colorado jock alike – totally caught in their tractor beam. Everyone was completely bewitched by Franti’s charms, and well they might be, for his charms are legendary. Young parents bore small children atop their shoulders; some were thoughtful enough to stuff makeshift napkin earplugs into their children’s ears. The children were also bewitched – clapping when asked to clap, hands in the air like they just didn’t care, singing along with songs to which they couldn’t possibly know the words. Thankfully, Franti leans less on the expletive-laden raps these days.

In the midst of an otherwise faithful rendering of Motown’s “Don’t Look Back” via Peter Tosh’s “Bush Doctor” (1978), Franti quoted “Casey Jones” with more happiness and conviction than I ever heard The Grateful Dead themselves muster in concert. I’m assuming Sly & Robbie turned him on to “Don’t Look Back” while he was recording with them in Jamaica, or perhaps they just helped show him how it was played, since they were also part of Peter Tosh’s band way back when. At any rate, I was glad that, if he was going to do an actual reggae cover, that it wasn’t a Bob Marley tune. Not because Bob Marley doesn’t have the most archetypal and broad reggae catalog in history, just that I’ve been sick of most of Bob’s material for years. I know, Rasta heresy.

I was glad to hear the electric version of “Sometimes” again. Originally arranged this way on the 2001 recording “Stay Human,” I’ve seen him perform this since in the acoustic “Songs from the Front Porch” arrangement more often than not. It’s a great song either way; I just prefer the one with a beat.

By contrast, I was perfectly happy with the next number, a beautiful acoustic sing-a-long called “Anytime You Want Me” according to the setlist, which I’m guessing is a new Franti original since I can’t Google up any responses from the lyrics.

“Never Too Late” reminded me that Franti’s never afraid to reveal that he has emotions and that it’s okay for us to have them too. At some point during the show when I broke away from looking at the stage, I saw two teenage boys (presumably not gay from the way they were dressed) put their arms around each other and sing something which involved the repetition of the word “love.” This was a welcome change for me, accustomed to seeing teenage boys mimic the thuggery they see in mass media, or some other form of alienated, bruised-but-tough guy. The entire audience was joyful – full to bursting, actually.

The title track from “Yell Fire” always get my blood pumping, and I remember thinking if anyone’s not sold yet, they surely will be now. Though, I really couldn’t imagine someone so determined to remain mired in their own cynicism they hadn’t been won over at this point, because I’m usually that person, and I was in. Mirabal guested on didgeridoo, which added an interesting new dimension to a song I already knew backwards-and-forwards. Then Franti pointed out a couple of audience members for security to let onstage – their names were Erica and Denny and I’m assuming they were picked at random since Franti had to ask their names – and they were given guitars and busted out with the riff from Nirvana’s angst anthem “Smells Like Teen Spirit!” All that rocking took the chill off the fact that the sun was setting on an already crisp fall day.

Franti introduced the next song – another acoustic number called “Sound of Sunshine” – by pointing out the blazing sunset (average by Santa Fe standards) and stated plainly that “the sunset can cure a lot of bullshit.” This was the only vulgar term I heard him utter all day, and I wondered if this sunset could go so far as to cure his fever, which he hadn’t remotely let on he was suffering through.

He prefaced the last song the same way he had almost exactly one year ago at Paolo Soleri, by telling us he’d written it for his then 21 year-old son when Cappy departed San Francisco for NYC on a Greyhound bus. The song was “I Got Love for You,” from “All Rebel Rockers,” and it really is a pretty song, at least the way it appears on the record. I don’t know if this is a typical reggae affectation, but I have seen Toots and the Maytals do it often: take a nice slow song (or a nice fast one) and, once you get a nice groove going, send it into double time and totally ruin the audience’s ability to keep up. Then, back to normal time just long enough to get the audience back into it, then, for no apparent reason, back into double time. Repeat until everyone, including the band, is totally exhausted. Despite all this annoyance, I remember thinking how blessed Cappy was to have a father who’d write such a heartfelt ditty for him to listen to while he was thousands of miles from home.

After the world’s shortest encore break (during which I presume Franti realized if he sat down now, he wasn’t getting back up without medical assistance), came a spot-on reading of “Everybody Ona Move” (no double time shenanigans) with a sprinkling of synth from Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” toward the end, like the toy surprise at the bottom of a Cracker Jack.

The “Remote Control version” of “Hey World” followed. Franti changed one lyric from the album version, and I thought it was a good change: before reprising the chorus, he would say “You’ve got to let go BEFORE IT TAKES ALL YOUR SOUL.”

Next was the “Don’t Give Up version” of “Hey World,” which began much like the recorded version. After about one verse and one chorus though, Franti stopped the song dead in its tracks, and told us he and the band had totally re-written the song the night before and we would be the first to hear it in public. WOW! If anyone has a recording of this PLEASE post it somewhere. Maybe, if we’re lucky, the band will release it as a bonus single or something. I tried to write down all the new lyrics, but simply couldn’t, and I don’t know enough about music theory to say what had changed about the arrangement, but this version of that song was a whole different ball game. They made a good song great and I sincerely hope I get to hear it again someday.

Finally, Franti instructed security to let the front-of-crowd children (he called them "all the little pumpkins") on stage. One presented him with a brown paper sack full of New Mexico green chilé (packed with vitamin C, y’all), which Michael said should help cure his cold. He announced that Spearhead was currently enjoying their first run in the top 10 of the nationwide charts with “Say Hey (I Love You)” (which means all you ingrates who complained about the $30 ticket price should be ready to pony up $60 next time), and I’ll be damned if those 2 dozen-or-so "little pumpkins" didn’t know just about all the words. Franti even passed his microphone to a couple of them during the “song about a boy and a girl” part, and this one boy totally nailed the words and the rhythm perfectly. The kids all bounced happily and sang along on stage while we all bounced happily and sang along in the audience. It was the kind of moment which seemed right at home in a Spearhead show but which, somehow, had never happened before and, sadly, probably never will again. I doubt most Spearhead shows take place at a kid-friendly pumpkin festival.

I did manage to write down some of the changed lyrics to “Hey World (Don’t Give Up),” and I now notice they seem to sum up the whole Spearhead vibe and are good words to go out on. They are: “Don’t let nobody tell you that it couldn’t be done | Don’t let nobody tell you that it shouldn’t be sung…” and what should be writ large and shouted from the mountaintops, a trio of perfectly distilled Spearhead-isms: “Don’t ever give up,” “Everything is possible,” and “Keep on believin’.” Coming from anyone else they would sound trite or childish. Coming from Michael Franti and Spearhead they sound sincere and powerful, almost holy.

God bless you, Michael, and get well soon.

~ Chris “Toast” Diestler

# # #

Chris’ interview with Michael Franti – Hear HERE

# # #

TnJ 080 (8/6/09)

Dang, but that new Zach Deputy CD is even better than the first one! Very groovy, my friend (^_^) TOAST

-HOUR ONE-

LEFTOVER SALMON – Railroad Highway (2002 Live)
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD – Nobody Right, Nobody Wrong (2008 All Rebel Rockers)
ZACH DEPUTY – Sunshine (2009 Sunshine) homegrownmusic.net
GREENSKY BLUEGRASS – The Radio Blues (2006 Tuesday Letter)
nelo – You Don’t Know (2008 nelo)
EUFORQUESTRA – Tramba (2005 The Adventures of Glen Devey) homegrownmusic.net
IVAN NEVILLE’s DUMPSTAPHUNK – Cannot Make It (3/20/09 Highline Ballroom, NYC)

-HOUR TWO-

ROBERT RANDOLPH & the FAMILY BAND – Ain’t Nothing Wrong With That (2006 Colorblind)
ANA POPOVIC – Wrong Woman (2009 Blind for Love) electogrooverecords.com
WALTER TROUT – Somebody’s Acting Like a Child (2009 Unspoiled by Progress, c. 1989, Huntington Beach, CA)
JJ GREY & MOFRO – By My Side > Nare Sugar (7/13/07 Howelsen Hill, Steamboat Springs, CO)
GALACTIC w/Lateef the Truth Speaker – No Way (2007 From the Corner to the Block)
JACOB FRED JAZZ ODYSSEY – Drethoven (2009 One Day in Brooklyn)
THE DEVIL MAKES THREE – Aces and Twos (2009 Do Wrong Right) thedevilmakesthree.com
ASSEMBLY of DUST featuring KELLER WILLIAMS – Second Song (2009 Some Assembly Required)

# # #

FRANTI TIX 8/1 ON SALE

Pumpkin Fest Day One - starring Michael Franti & Spearhead, with local flavor from the Sean Helean Band, Gordon Free, and Hardgroove's Overshine - at the SF Horse Park this October! Tix on sale August 1, 2009 (^_^)

TnJ 061 (3/26/09)

-HOUR ONE-

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD – Hello Bonjour > Light Up Ya Lighter (3/3/07 Stubb’s, Austin, TX)
FREEKBASS – Pretty Heavy Balance (2008 Junkyard Waltz)
COL. BRUCE HAMPTON & the QUARK ALLIANCE – Susan T (2007 Give Thanks to Chank)
GRATEFUL DEAD – Good Lovin’ > Samson & Delilah (2007 Live at the Cow Palace: New Year’s Eve 1976)
FM – Waiting for a Friend (2008 Waiting for a Friend)
ANGUS & JULIA STONE – Paper Aeroplane (2008 A Book Like This)
JEFF BUCKLEY – What Will You Say (2000 Mystery White Boy: Live ’95-’96)

-HOUR TWO-

JANE’S ADDICTION – Stop! (1997 Kettle Whistle, c. 1990 Hollywood Palladium)
AC/DC – Love Hungry Man (1979 Highway to Hell)
CREAM – N.S.U. (1970 Live Cream)
WILLIE NELSON – Whiskey River > Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer) (1995 Revolutions of Time: the Journey 1975-1993)
NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS – Keep the Devil Down (2008 Hernando)
THE BRIDGE – Diggin’ in the Cold Ground (2008 Blind Man’s Hill)
THE BLACK CROWES – Ain’t No Cane on the Brazos (8/12/06 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO)
QUACTUS – Van Winkle’s Dream (2008 Once a Pond, a Spine…)
THE BREAKFAST – Inner Glimpse (2005 Real Radio)

# # #

TOAST's BEST of 2008

It may not look like much of a genre-faithful list at first, but hey, the jamband scene (if there truly is one) is a many-headed monster, and all of these bands already have or certainly will play Bonnaroo at least once, some several times.

I intentionally didn’t include live recordings in my consideration for this year’s top ten list (though many made Honorable Mention status in an earlier post), focusing rather on studio releases which came across TnJ’s desk in 2008.

Every one of these little gems is worth several listens, IMO:

1) THE RACONTEURS – Consolers of the Lonely

Jack White has done it again, with another solid collection of songs showcasing his personal brand of frenzied lunacy. One could infer a few swipes at former bandmate (Sister? Wife? Anybody know?), Meg, in some of the lyrics. The big radio single “Top Yourself” is almost impossible not to take that way. But mostly, this is just an amazing rock-n-roll album. Production and arranging leans a little heavy on the Zep and Beatles “sounds,” but if you’re gonna steal, steal from the best.

Favorite Tracks: All of ‘em. Seriously. But if I gotta pick, “Consoler of the Lonely” – will strip paint off walls, “Top Yourself” – a nearly perfect rock-n-roll song, “Carolina Dream” – fancies ‘imself a post-punk bard ‘e does, “Rich Kid Blues” – all the meander and bluster of a great old Queen or ELP song, without all the suckiness.

9 out of 10 stars

2) THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – The Infamous Stringdusters

Like the Raconteurs release, an incredible sophomore effort which supersedes its predecessor. And both these bands’ debut records were awesome, mind you.

This is, however, the first Stringdusters to feature guitarist Andy Falco, and the first blessed by newgrass legend Tim O’Brien’s production. The Stringdusters have been hittin’ the festival circuit hard-n-heavy and are poised to become THE newgrass act to see (and kick yer heels up ta) in the years to come.

Favorite Tracks: “Glass Elevator” – rippin’ instrumental, “Get It While You Can” – catchy, “You Can’t Handle the Truth” – catchy & fast, and, of course, “Lovin’ You” – my favorite song of the year.

7 out of 10 stars

3) MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD – All Rebel Rockers

Like I said in an earlier Franti show review post, I think this boy’s really onto something. His usual charm and urgency is now happily anchored at the center of a Jamaican dancehall hurricane courtesy of dubmasters Sly & Robbie, among others.

He may or may not be the next Bob Marley, but he can keep on chanting down Babylon like this for years to come as far as I’m concerned. Conscious, rhythmic, playful, and powerful.

Favorite Tracks: “A Little Bit of Riddim” – stream of consciousness political commentary hasn’t been this instantly catchy since Dylan’s ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues,’ “Soundsystem,” – a fist-pumping anthem for the conscious party, “Nobody Right Nobody Wrong,” – an anti-protest song that brings a tear to my eye every time, unashamedly pretty.

7 out of 10 stars

4) DeVotchKa – A Mad & Faithful Telling

Who knew there was such a void waiting to be filled by this rocky mountain outfit’s gypsy-esque eastern-blockana? Though not as strong as their 2004 release “How It Ends,” which has its own template-from-which-all-others-must-borrow archetypal appeal, there’s a lot to love on this new release. A very entertaining band to see live.

FT: “Transliterator” – well-crafted crescendo catch-and-release à la Radiohead, “Head Honcho” – gotta have at least one Ennio Morricone-esque number on these things, don’t they? “Undone” was one of the few radio songs in this or any year which did not suck mightily. Shades of Robert Plant in the haunting choral refrain.

6 out of 10 stars

5) RAINMAKER – Long Slow Fade

Bay-area studio magic from a new band to these ears in 2008. Rootsy – some snobs will declare needlessly so – but somehow able to spin threadbare melodies and arrangements into a fresh and pleasing sequence of songs. Fans of Little Feat or The Grateful Dead who appreciate those acts for their solid-yet-quirky songwriting seem to be the target audience. Not particularly challenging, but hard not to like. How did simple get such a bad rep over the years anyway?

FT: “Sweetwater Has Run Dry” – a pensive ode to bygone days, “Further from the Truth” – li’l R&B flava, “In a Way That You Want It to Be” – instant nostalgia, like a Norman Rockwell painting.

5 out of 10 stars, as are the rest on this list. Am I too tough?

6) STEPHEN MALKMUS & the JICKS – Real Emotional Trash

With more than half the tracks clocking in at 5-10 minutes each, it’s almost as if Stephen Malkmus is TRYING to alienate the Pavement faithful. However, his sense of “lyricynicism (yes, I just made that up)” soldiers on with a new band and quite a few sonic diversions into what could be considered “jam” territory. His publicist, however, will probably spin that into “post-rock sonic experimentation” to make it sound cooler. Whatever. It rocks. Catch ‘em live if you can. Saw ‘em at The Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA while doing some work for a website. Great venue. Great show.

FT: “Real Emotional Trash” – a musical rollercoaster, 10 minutes of some of the best-sounding s#!t I’ve heard in years, “Baltimore” – c’mon, you gotta love a string of words like, ‘come on like gangbusters | laying it thick | arboreal Sleestak | lost in the sticks,’ “Elmo Delmo” – I could listen to him jam on this one for-just-about-ever, as long as he ditched the chorus.

7) moe. – Sticks and Stones

John Siket is a sonic genius. Can’t wait to hear what some of these songs sound like live, with extra SUPERJAM on top. Hee Hee (^_^)

FT: “Queen of Everything” – really, really can’t wait to hear this one live, “Deep This Time” – first track we picked for TnJ, yo, “202” – who let the ghost of Zappa onto this record?

8) THE DUHKS – Fast Paced World

Rick Anderson posted this on allmusic.com: “Someday the Duhks may find their natural style and settle into it, and when they do, their albums will become much less interesting.” I can’t beat that. Preach on, brotha (^_^)

FT: “Fast Paced World” – borderline preachy/puerile folk anthem in the making, couldn’t get it out of my head for days, “Ship High in Transit > Magalenha” – this is why it’s called ‘progressive’ bluegrass, folks, “New Rigged Ship” – original, knee-slappin’, toe tappin’ goodness.

9) MY MORNING JACKET – Evil Urges

You GO, Jim James! Perhaps between DeVotchKa, the Duhks, and My Morning Jacket, a pattern is starting to emerge – that of unclassifyability (yep, just made that one up, too).

Some of the most unexpected and mesmerizing sounds of the year, here. I’m kicking myself for not making it to the CD preview party out in the wilds of New Mex, might’ve been the perfect environment to experience this recording.

Stark yet beautiful, hypnotic yet provocative, grounded yet ‘far out,’ man.

FT: “Evil Urges” – a quirky, sonic masterpiece, “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream pt.2” – a sprawling, proggy, new wave 80s anthem, “Highly Suspicious” – can’t explain what there is to like about it, but it makes me smile wryly.

10) TEA LEAF GREEN – Raise Up the Tent

The circus-themed album art seems to bleed into some of the songs, most of which have a lilting quality generally absent from rock-n-roll these days. I applaud this new effort from one of the Bay-area’s best live bands and anxiously await their mysteriously-lit return to a live venue near me soon, dammit! David Lowery’s production is irreproachable.

FT: “Don’t Curse at the Night,” “Red Ribbons,” and “Not Fit” all demonstrate what clockwork-like songwriting precision four mere mortals can achieve.

~ Chris Diestler, A.K.A. “Toast”

# # #

TnJ 038 (10/1/08)

-HOUR ONE-

JERRY GARCIA & DAVID GRISMAN – So What (1998 So What)
DeVotchKa – Transliterator (2008 A Mad & Faithful Telling)
THE DUHKS – Fast Paced World (2008 Fast Paced World)
PHISH w/LES & LARRY from PRIMUS – Harpua > Wildwood Weed > Harpua >
I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart > Harpua > Suspicious Minds > Harpua (1996/2007 Vegas ’96)
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD – The Future (2008 All Rebel Rockers)

-HOUR TWO-

KARL DENSON’S TINY UNIVERSE w/SAUL WILLIAMS & MICHAEL FRANTI – Freedom (2002 The Bridge)
SOLDIERS of JAH ARMY – Open My Eyes (2005 Get Wiser)
THE RADIATORS – Tear My Eyes Out (2008 Wild & Free, 12/11/98)
MOSES GUEST – Best Laid Plans (2007 Best Laid Plans)
FLOUNDERS WITHOUT EYES – Get What You Pay For (2000 What Will It Bring)
MAMA’S COOKIN’ – Black Reign (2007 Mama’s Cookin’)
PAUL MARK & the VAN DORENS – Ruff House (2008 Blood & Treasure)
STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN & DOUBLE TROUBLE – Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) (2000 SRV Box Set, 10/4/84)

# # #

TnJ 037 (9/24/08)

-HOUR ONE-

DAVID BYRNE – Once in a Lifetime (2007 Live from Austin TX, c. 2001)
TALKING HEADS – I Zimbra (1982 The Name of this Band is Talking Heads)
JOHN COLTRANE – Acknowledgement (1965 A Love Supreme)
LIVING DAYLIGHTS – 6/8 (7/4/99 High Sierra Music Festival)
GALACTIC – Baker’s Dozen (5/1/04 New Orleans, LA)
PORTER BATISTE STOLTZ featuring PAGE McCONNELL – All We Wanna Do (2008 Moodoo)

-HOUR TWO-

LED ZEPPELIN – When the Levee Breaks (1971 Led Zeppelin IV)
SCISSORMEN – Whiskey and Mary Jane (2008 Luck in a Hurry)
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Pilgrims > Blackout Blues > Porch Song
(9/29/07 Paramount Theater, Oakland, CA)
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD – Hello Bonjour (11/13/06 Pittsburgh, PA)
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD – Soundsystem (2008 All Rebel Rockers)

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