JOE BONAMASSA INTERVIEW

Broadcast live on KBAC 3/19/10 - listen back if you missed it HERE


Don't forget to check out Joe's new disc, "Black Rock," due in stores and online March 23, 2010 (^_^)

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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

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PHISH ANNOUNCE TELLURIDE, SUMMER SHOWS

Hey, Phish-heads ~

Just got word there will be 2 Phish dates at the breathtakingly gorgeous Telluride Town Park (regular home to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Telluride Blues and Brews), August 9 and 10. Get your ticket requests in by Friday, March 26, 2010, as whatever's left goes to general public sale on April 2nd.

HERE's the page I linked from. Good luck (^_^)

~ TOAST

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TnJ 110 (3/11/10)

-HOUR ONE-

JOE BONAMASSA – Jockey Full of Bourbon (2009 the Ballad of John Henry) jbonamassa.com
JIMI HENDRIX – Hear My Train a Comin’ (2010 Valleys of Neptune)
moe. – Spaz Medicine (2002 Warts & All Vol. 2, 2/23/02 the Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA) moe.org
ALO – the Champ (2010 Man of the World)
MARK EGAN – Frog Legs (2010 Truth Be Told)
THE DUHKS – Down to the River (2006 Migrations) duhks.com
JOHNNY CASH – Aloha Oe (2010 American VI: Ain’t No Grave)
JIMMY CLIFF – Many Rivers to Cross (1976 – In Concert – the Best of Jimmy Cliff)

-HOUR TWO-

LEGION of MARY – Harder They Come (6/8/75 El Camino Park, Palo Alto, CA)
MANDOMORPHOSIS – Out of the Furnace and into the Fire (2009 2010) mandomorphosis.com
CORNMEAL – When the World’s Got You Down (2009 Live in Chicago, IL Vol. 1) http://www.cornmealinthekitchen.com/
BEN HARPER & RELENTLESS7 – Lay There & Hate Me (2010 Live from the Montreal Int’l Jazz Festival) benharper.com
SWAMP CABBAGE – More Booty with Buddha (2010 Live from New York City… On the In Tune) swampcabbage.com
LAURIE MORVAN BAND – Come On Over to My BBQ (2009 Fire It Up!) lauriemorvan.com

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CONCERT REVIEW - EMMITT-NERSHI BAND

EMMITT-NERSHI BAND – 3/10/10 Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM

Two giants of the jam genre – Drew Emmitt of Leftover Salmon and Bill Nershi of String Cheese Incident – have spent several years building a viable side project called the Emmitt-Nershi band, drawing heavily from the bluegrass/jazz hybrid style of newgrass (pioneered in the 70s by the likes of Tim O’Brien, Béla Fleck and Sam Bush). This was the first night of the 2010 tour and, after admitting they had no set list and would be making it up “on the fly,” the quartet launched into a 2-hour set of ripping originals, covers, and occasional jams which indicate this combo knows exactly what they’re doing, even if they’re making it up as they go.

Opener was Drew’s “Lonesome Road,” recently from his 2002 solo release “Freedom Ride,” but also on the out-of-print “Ask the Fish” from Leftover Salmon in 1995. Being a newgrass show, I should’ve known this would not be the only time the themes of “lonesome” and “road” would come up. Any mando players at home who want to know Drew’s secret on this one: upstroke. Lots and lots of upstroke.

Second song was Bill’s (he dislikes being addressed as “Billy,” by the way, even though everyone I know calls him that) “These Days,” from the Emmitt-Nershi band’s debut album of 2009, “New Country Blues.” Bill admitted in an interview it’s one of his favorites from the new crop, and it seems like a declaration of sorts for him, trying to carve out a quieter, rootsier niche for himself than the overblown colossus that String Cheese Incident became.

Drew took the lead on song three (“Gold Hill Line”), setting the pattern for a mostly back-and-forth-between-Bill-and-Drew show, with occasional instrumentals and duets thrown in for good measure. You may remember this as the standard pattern Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir fell into during the Grateful Dead’s glory days. Of course, if Emmitt-Nershi were going to borrow more heavily from the jam-band template, they’d have to have 2 drummers or 2 guitarists, but they seem content with the string band configuration of banjo, mandolin, guitar, and – oops, electric bass.

But, as stated earlier, this is not your grandpa’s bluegrass. This is newgrass. All bets are off. I did make a note during the next song (Bill’s “When You Coming Home”) that they could’ve sorely used a fiddle in the mix, but this was the first hint at “jamgrass” they’d laid on us all night. The banjo picker, Andy Thorn (from North Carolina, by way of Colorado, according to Drew), laid down some nice fills, and took the lead on the following instrumental, which Drew dubbed “Thorn Pipe.” Whether this was a surfing or smoking reference, I can’t say, but I hope that track makes it onto a recording someday.

Drew and Bill joined voices to lead the cover of Bill Monroe and Hank Sr.’s “Blue and Lonesome,” which might just be the wellspring from which all bluegrass streams flow – note the recurrence of themes like heartache, loneliness, and the healing power of music. As Steve Martin (now a professional banjo picker himself, in a bizarre twist of fate) once said, it’s hard to feel blue when the banjo’s pickin’.

I’ll call everything up to now a warm-up. Next stop on the Emmitt-Nershi train: the String Cheese classic, “Born on the Wrong Planet,” from the 1997 release of the same name. The band and the audience seemed ready to really stretch out at this point and get into a good, long jam. The overall flavor of the show from here on seemed to adopt a “no shoes required” approach. I would later notice (during the super-jammy SCI call-back “Love Is Like a Train”) that Bill wasn’t wearing any shoes on stage – only socks, and that seemed as good an indicator as any that these guys wanted the show to feel like a good porch session. Mission accomplished. I think we all felt like taking our shoes off at this point. Maybe it just took this long for the pre-show ingestions to kick in

I snuck out back to a spot where I could still hear the band but also feed my nicotine addiction, and noticed their unassuming transportation was a Chevy extendo-van with a Thule rack on top. I smiled to think they were touring the country in such an understated ride, and wondered what Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys might’ve used in the early days. Another microbrew from the bar and I was ready to jump into the second half of the show. No set break, by the way, for the curious.

After the instrumental “Flight of the Durban”, which reminds me of “Cosmic Hippo”-era Béla Fleck, Drew told us it was Andy Thorn’s birthday (which it wasn’t), and the audience spontaneously broke into singing “Happy Birthday, Dear Andy,” like suckers. Drew Emmitt – merry prankster, compulsive liar, or too stoned for public? You be the judge.

Drew claimed the next song, “This House,” was co-written with Jim Lauderdale, and that the SCI jam “Jellyfish” was a “true story, written in 4 different bars in Telluride,” but after the not-really-Andy’s birthday thing I’m not sure when we’re supposed to believe him, exactly. “Jellyfish” seemed a good choice to sample from the SCI catalog, with Bill’s rap about hitching a ride from Telluride to Santa Fe with some girls and getting stranded there without a ride back. Appropriately, “Jellyfish” clocked in at 10+ minutes.

“All Night Ride” is a Drew co-write with Colorado near-legend Benny Galloway from 2005’s “Across the Bridge.” Great song, maybe the best on that album – and the “Look for Sasquatch” jokes played well to those familiar with Monarch Pass – but it got me to wishing there had been more sampling from the Leftover Salmon backlist.

Perhaps Drew Emmitt is determined to draw a line in the sand, as it were, gerrymandering his own territory separate and distinct from LOS, similar to what I inferred from Bill’s “These Days” with regard to SCI. If this is indeed the case, they seem to be off to a great start.

Set List:

01) Lonesome Road
02) These Days
03) Gold Hill Line
04) When You Coming Home
05) Thorn Pipe (instrumental)
06) Blue And Lonesome
07) Born On the Wrong Planet >
08) > "Keep Looking for a Train" Jam
09) Down in the Hollow
10) Good Times Around the Bend
11) Flight of the Durban (instrumental)
12) This House
13) Jellyfish
14) Long Road
15) Love Is Like a Train
16) All Night Ride
17) Black Clouds

Encore:

18) New Country Blues

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THX to Matt Hogan @ SciFidelity for helping me identify most of the song titles!

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CONCERT REVIEW - NEKO CASE

NEKO CASE, KELLY HOGAN, PAUL RIGBY – 3/5/10 Greer Garson Theater, College of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM

Ethereal, magical, sublime, transcendent - I don’t think I can conjure any adjectives reviewers haven’t already used to describe Neko Case in concert, so I’ll just leave it at this – perfect. Not that mistakes weren’t made (Kelly Hogan’s music box solo during “Middle Cyclone” was marred by a series of thunderous electrical shorts), but Neko and company seemed so comfortable onstage and with each other that they just rolled right through the rough spots with a wink and, more often than not, a quip. Their humorous, self-effacing camaraderie was endearing – almost familial – making it seem less like (fanfare) THE AMAZING NEKO CASE SHOW (more fanfare), than an intimate front porch jam with friends. Okay, maybe a perfectly rehearsed, mic’d, and amplified front porch jam with friends.

Until now, I never realized Neko Case uses a harmony vocalist. Kelly Hogan’s voice matches so perfectly, I had always assumed Neko just doubled her own vocals in the studio. Because they sing SO well together, I wondered how far back they’d been doing it. My guess is early childhood. They might’ve learned to sing together before either could walk. Kelly was always ready with a friendly jab toward Neko too, like, “Oh, another song about an animal, imagine that,” which kept the mood light even when the lyrics implied gloom and foreboding (the song was “The Tigers Have Spoken”). When Kelly returned from what I assume was a bathroom break, to find they were about to launch into the Sparks tune “Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth,” she rolled her eyes and decried it as the “nut-buster” of the set, but nailed it anyway.

Much has been written of Neko’s “well-honed machine” of a voice, and everything you’ve read is true. She must have what my choir teacher in middle school called “perfect pitch,” because even a cappella, she belts out the right note every time, no approach, no waver, no glissando. Even when she aborted her reading of Bob Dylan’s “Buckets of Rain” before finishing the first verse, thinking she had somehow flubbed it (she hadn’t), she got right back on the horse and nailed it a second time. This is a hard one to find in her catalog – only available on the Live from Austin TX disc, or on an obscure compilation called “Sweetheart” from 2005.

Whether due to the acoustic trio arrangement, or due to what they called Santa Fe’s high-altitude “freaky air,” they played a good half-dozen songs that rarely appear on Neko Case set lists, including tracks from the little heard 2001 release “Canadian Amp.” They admitted the oft-requested “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood” is rarely played because it’s “scary,” and Neko characterized the Harry Nilsson cover of “Don’t Forget Me,” (which appears on her latest release, “Middle Cyclone”) as “cruel.” “Scary” to play? “Cruel” to sing? As in, “these notes are such a vocal workout it’s cruel to ask anyone to sing them?” Whatever. They sounded great. Even on the first “high-notes” number of the night (“Maybe Sparrow”), their collective perfection thrilled. It was kinda like watching a trapeze act or a NASCAR race – part of the thrill was in the anticipation it could all go horribly wrong at any moment. But it never did.

“Star Witness” was epic, even for an acoustic trio – a real “show-stopper.” We could’ve all gone home ecstatically happy at this point. The show had already been the length of 2 full Neko Case albums. But, after an almost non-existent encore break – about 15 seconds – they hustled back onstage and admitted they “didn’t really want to leave in the first place,” and proved it by playing a 6-song encore.

I’d be remiss not to mention Paul Rigby, the very-nearly one-man band, who had quite the array of effects pedals for an acoustic performance. He accompanied the madness from start-to-2-hour-finish with a smile, a “Rex Harrison hat” (yes, Neko quoted the John Hughes film “Weird Science”), and just the right amount of flair. If the acoustic trio configuration is this good, I can only imagine what the full band sounds like (not that they were missed at all during this performance). This was my first Neko Case show, but I certainly hope it won’t be the last.

~ Chris Diestler, A.K.A. “Toast”

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Set List:

A Widow’s Toast
Margaret vs. Pauline
I’m an Animal
That Teenage Feeling
Tightly
Polar Nettles
Maybe Sparrow
The Tigers Have Spoken
Favorite
Things That Scare Me
Middle Cyclone
People Got a Lotta Nerve
Hex *Catherine Ann Irwin song*
Dirty Knife
Buckets of Rain *Bob Dylan song*
Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth *Sparks song*
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
In California *Lisa Marr song*
Star Witness

Encore:

Vengeance Is Sleeping
Sometimes When I Get to Thinkin' *Buffy Sainte-Marie song*
Ghost Wiring
Don’t Forget Me *Harry Nilsson song*
Knock Loud *Sook-Yin Lee song*
John Saw That Number

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TnJ 109 (3/4/10)

-HOUR ONE-

PHISH – The Curtain With (11/1/09 Festival 8, Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA) livephish.com
MAX ALLEN BAND – Carina’s Song (2009 Ending Sun) homegrownmusic.net
MICHAEL ROSE – Sensemilla > How You Fi Do That (1998 Party in Session – Live, 6/21/98 Slim’s, San Francisco, CA)
SLY & the FAMILY STONE – MEDLEY: Music Lover / Higher (2009 the Woodstock Experience, 8/17/69 Woodstock Music and Art Fair)
INDUBIOUS – Presto Chango (2009 Cosmic Seed) indubiousmusic.com
EUFÓRQUESTRA – Soup (2009 Soup) euforquestra.com

-HOUR TWO-

UMPHREY’S McGEE – Wife Soup (12/31/04 Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL) livedownloads.com
THE DEAD – The Weight (5/7/09 Pepsi Center, Denver, CO)
NEKO CASE – Prison Girls (2008 Middle Cyclone)
JEREMY KITTEL – Woods (2010 Chasing Sparks) jeremykittel.com
EMMITT-NERSHI BAND – Restless Wind (2009 New Country Blues) emmittnershiband.com
GREAT AMERICAN TAXI – One of These Days (2009 Reckless Habits) greatamericantaxi.xom
LEFTOVER SALMON – Breakin’ Thru (12/31/04 Fox Theater, Boulder, CO)
JOE BONAMASSA – India / Mountain Time (2008 Live from Nowhere in Particular) jbonamassa.com

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CHECK IT OUT...

Many of the Santa Fe jam faithful already know Woody Duncan as the ex-guitarist/songwriter for the sadly-defunct band Pigment. Well, apparently he's been busy recording solo in the home studio of late. Sample his work
HERE

TnJ 108 (2/25/10)

-HOUR ONE-

EMMITT-NERSHI BAND – Flight of the Durban (2009 New Country Blues) emmittnershiband.com
ROSE’S PAWN SHOP – Blood Running Rivers (2006 the Arsonist) rosespawnshop.org
GRATEFUL DEAD – Big River (1973/1993 Dick’s Picks Vol One, 12/19/73 Tampa, FL)
GEORGE HARRISON – Wah-Wah (1970 All Things Must Pass)
JOHN BUTLER TRIO – One Way Road (2010 April Uprising) johnbutlertrio.com
CHUCK MEAD – She Got the Ring (I Got the Finger) (2009 Journeyman’s Wager) chuckmead.com
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Surprise Valley > Drums > Surprise Valley (7/18/09 Mile High Music Festival, Denver, CO) livewidespreadpanic.com

-HOUR TWO-

JOE BONAMASSA – Blue and Evil (2010 Black Rock)
JOHNNY WINTER – Mean Town Blues (2009 the Woodstock Experience, 8/17/69 Woodstock Music & Art Fair)
PAPA GROWS FUNK – Fire in the Garage (2001 Doin’ It) papagrowsfunk.com
JOHN ELLIS & DOUBLE-WIDE – Okra & Tomatoes (2010 Puppet Mischief) johnaxsonellis.com
TEN TON CHICKEN – Minus Man (2010 Efitol) tentonchicken.com
MATT BUNSEN and the BURNERS – Beer (2009 Greatest Hits) mattbunsen.com
KELLER WILLIAMS – Freeker by the Speaker (2002 Laugh) kellerwilliams.net

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TnJ 107 (2/18/10)

Big thanks to guest toast Michelle LaFlamme-Childs (A.K.A. DJ Funky Shalom) for sharing her musical treasure this week! Listen if you missed it @ kbac.com

-HOUR ONE-

GOV’T MULE – The Shape I’m In (2007 Mighty High)
RatDog – Two Djinn (9/15/02 Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Telluride, CO)
PRIMUS – Southbound Pachyderm (1995 Tales from the Punchbowl)
TV on the RADIO – Crying (2008 Dear Science)
U-MELT – Perfect World (2009 Perfect World)
YEASAYER – Wait for the Summer (2007 All Hour Cymbals)
TINARIWEN – Cler Achel (2007 Aman Iman: Water Is Life)

-HOUR TWO-

DR. DIDG – Bob’s Cloud (1998 Seratonality)
MATISYAHU - Temple (2009 Light iTunes exclusive)
RADIO LA CHUSMA – Travel Wide (2007 91.5 MexM)
LEE “SCRATCH” PERRY – Pussyman (2004 Panic in Babylon)
CORNMEAL – Heaven on Time (Tales from Magic Stone Mountain)
LEFTOVER SALMON w/ MICHAEL WOOTEN – Catfish John (12/31/04 Fox Theater, Boulder, CO)
YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND – Keep on Going > Legalize It (2001 Mountain Tracks: Volume 1, c.2000)

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FESTIVALLLLL!!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Legendary Musicians Phil Lesh and Bob Weir Bring Furthur to Nateva Music & Camping Festival this Summer
Renowned Jam Band to Headline Three-Day Festival with Performance on Sunday, July 4th; Moe. and The Flaming Lips to Headline First Two Nights Respectively

The Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Keller Williams, Lotus, Moonalice and
Zappa Plays Zappa Also Set to Perform in Oxford, Maine

OXFORD, MAINE (February 19, 2010) - This 4th of July weekend, music fans have a new reason to celebrate as Nateva Music & Camping Festival organizers today announced that FURTHUR, founded by the Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh and Bob Weir, will be the closing headliner of the inaugural event at the Oxford Fairgrounds in Oxford, Maine on July 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

Joining Furthur at Nateva, moe. will be the Friday night headlining band on July 2nd, while The Flaming Lips will headline on Saturday, July 3rd. Additionally, for those who wish to arrive at the Nateva Music & Camping Festival in advance of the official kick off, Lotus will headline the Thursday night festivities on July 1st. Organizers have also noted that Zappa Plays Zappa, Keller Williams, and Moonalice will join The Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band to perform as featured artists at Nateva. Dozens of additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Weekend passes with and without camping are $249/$229 but are on sale now for a very limited time for $199/$179 at NatevaFestival.com. A limited number of VIP packages ($425) featuring special viewing platforms, preferred parking, camping, dining, a full-service bar, and more are also available.

15,000 music-loving campers are expected to flock to the scenic, 100-plus-acre site to take in world-class bands and special entertainment, including stilt-walkers; magicians; jugglers; and art installations. Dozens of the world's most acclaimed bands, including accomplished and up-and-coming jam, country, folk, reggae, classic rock, bluegrass, and indie artists, are scheduled to perform on multiple stages during the intimate, three-day spectacle.

"We set out to create a festival that would offer an unprecedented line-up of the world's top musicians in an intimate festival setting," said Frank Chandler, CEO of Nateva Music & Camping Festival. "With Furthur and the astounding line-up of artists that have already committed to Nateva, Northern New England is sure to get the music festival of their dreams this summer."

Grateful Dead members Phil Lesh & Bob Weir are embarking on a musical adventure with their new band Furthur. Fans can expect Lesh & Weir to push the musical envelope with jaw-dropping improvisations and loving renditions of Grateful Dead classics, with an all star band that includes keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and percussionist Jay Lane (RatDog), drummer Joe Russo (Benevento - Russo Duo, Trey Anastasio), and guitarist John Kadlecik (Dark Star Orchestra). New and old fans of the Grateful Dead alike will be entranced as Phil & Bob take the musical journey "further," exploring some of the Grateful Dead's most beloved songs in a tour that promises to keep the feet stomping and the bodies shaking.

moe. is the preeminent progressive rock band with a remarkable career that's touched on three decades and produced 17 albums. The quintet of Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey (guitars and vocals), Rob Derhak (bass and vocals), Jim Loughlin (guitar and vibes), and Vinnie Amico (drums) continue to push the standard on performance art. Critical acclaim and a solid national and international fan base have built a dedicated following that grows each year. Whether touring across the globe, headlining music festivals, or sharing the stage with such celebrated acts as the Allmans, The Who, or Robert Plant, among others, what keeps moe. at the forefront of the music scene is not only the energy and vitality of their music and songwriting, but the showmanship in which it is delivered.

The Flaming Lips are an American experimental rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983. The band features founding members Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitar, theremin, keyboards) and Michael Ivins (bass, keyboards), longtime member Steven Drozd (keyboards, guitar, drums, synths, vocals) and Kliph Scurlock (drums). The Flaming Lips are known for their lush, multi-layered arrangements, spacey lyrics and bizarre song titles. They are also acclaimed for their elaborate live shows, which typically feature animal suits, puppets, streamers, video projections and complex stage light configurations. From their beginnings as Oklahoma misfits to their pop culture breakthrough in the mid-'90s to their status as one of the most respected groups of the 2000s, The Flaming Lips have ridden one of the more surreal and haphazard career trajectories in pop music. An acid-bubblegum band with as much affinity for sweet melodies as blistering noise assaults, their off-kilter sound, uncommon emotional depth, and bizarre history firmly established them as true originals.

As Northern New England's premier jam-based music festival, Nateva has set out to bring music to fans in the true jam band tradition, while offering a mix of country, folk, reggae, classic rock, bluegrass, and indie artists. With Furthur, and the eclectic festival line-up of innovative artists announced to date, Chandler and his team have done just that. The artists that will join Furthur, The Flaming Lips and moe., along with the entire line up of world-class talent, offer fans a significant musical range with a roster that includes some of the industry's most inspired musical talent.

Located just two hours and 25 minutes from Boston and only 45 minutes from Portland, Maine, the Oxford Fairgrounds feature electricity, water, bathrooms, 150 RV hook-ups, shower trucks, free WiFi, flat land, plenty of shade, and easy access to Route 26. Family and VIP camping areas will also be available.

ABOUT NATEVA MUSIC & CAMPING FESTIVAL
The Nateva Music & Camping Festival is a three-day, multistage outdoor camping event held July 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at the beautiful 100 acre Oxford Fairgrounds, located 2 hours and 25 minutes from Boston and 45 minutes from Portland, Maine. As Northern New England's premier jam-based music festival, Nateva brings together artists in the true jam-band tradition - as well as an eclectic mix of performers spanning the country, folk, reggae, classic rock, bluegrass, and indie genres.

For more information on the Nateva Music & Camping Festival, visit NatevaFestival.com.

TnJ 106 (2/11/10)

-HOUR ONE-

JOHN POPPER w/WARREN HAYNES – Alone (2007 Warren Haynes Presents: the Benefit Concert Vol. 2, c. 2000, Asheville, NC)
JOE BONAMASSA – One of These Days (2007 Sloe Gin)
BAYLOCK – Kind of Strange (2009 One Good to be Told)
moe. – Lazarus (2008 Dr. Stan’s Prescription Vol. 2, c. 2001, Turin, NY) moe.org

-HOUR TWO-

MEDESKI, MARTIN & WOOD (produced by DJ SPOOKY) – Free Go Lily (2009 Radiolarians: the Evolutionary Set, “Remixolarians” disc) mmw.net
ZACH DEPUTY – Cool Yourself Off (2009 Sunshine) homegrownmusic.net
DENIS AUSTIN – Lazarus Man (2002 In the Raw)
STRING CHEESE INCIDENT – Shakin’ the Tree (7/4/00 Paolo Soleri Amphitheatre, Santa Fe, NM)
ALO – I Love Music (2010 Man of the World)
GARAJ MAHAL – Celtic Indian (2003 Live Vol. 1, 8/23/02 Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA) homegrownmusic.net
JOHNNY SKETCH and the DIRTY NOTES – Curb (2004 Live at the Spleaf) johnnysketch.com

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NEXT WEEK > Guest Toast Michelle LaFlamme-Childs brings tasty nugs to share (^_^)

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TnJ 105 (2/4/10)

-HOUR ONE-

TOUBAB KREWE featuring UMAR BIN HASSAN – Moose (2008 Live at the Orange Peel) toubabkrewe.com
TOM PETTY and the HEARTBREAKERS – Mary Jane’s Last Dance (2009 the Live Anthology, 9/21/06 Gainesville, FL)
BOB MARLEY and the WAILERS – Trenchtown Rock (5/26/76 the Roxy, Hollywood, CA)
EASY STAR ALL-STARS – Speak to Me > Breathe (In the Air) > On the Run (2003 Dub Side of the Moon)
PINK FLOYD – One of These Days (1971 Meddle)
LOTUS – Scrapple (2009 Oil on Glass EP) lotusvibes.com
DAVID FIUCZYNSKI – Moonring Bacchanal (2008 KiF Express)

-HOUR TWO-

CHARLIE HUNTER – High Pockets and a Fanny Pack (2010 Gentlemen, I Neglected to Inform You You Will Not be Getting Paid)
OUT to LUNCH – To the Queen (for Cyp’s Parents) (2009 Melvin’s Rockpile)
HILL COUNTRY REVUE – Intro (“The Modern Blues Band for a New Generation,” avail. only @ HCR shows, c. 2008)
THE STATESBORO REVUE – The Painter (2009 Different Kind of Light)
PHISH – Wolfman’s Brother > Prince Caspian (3/7/09 Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA) livephish.com
STRING CHEESE INCIDENT – 45th of November (7/10/04 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO)
BORIS GARCIA – Scootch (2008 Once More into the Bliss) borisgarcia.com
LIPBONE REDDING and the LIPBONE ORCHESTRA – The Whistle (2008 Party on the Fire Escape) lipbone.com

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STRING CHEESE INCIDENT 2010 NEWS

From SCI's publicist:

THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT ANNOUNCES
SELECT INCIDENTS IN 2010

THE BAND WILL PERFORM
RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE ON JULY 23, 24, AND 25
AND HORNING’S HIDEOUT JULY 29 – AUGUST 1

SCI’S RECENT DOUBLE LIVE CD RELEASE, TRICK OR TREAT, IS AVAILABLE NOW; ALSO SCI’S ROTHBURY PERFORMANCE NOW AT iCLIPS

The String Cheese Incident will perform a handful of “Incidents” in 2010. The band will play their greatest hometown venue, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, on July 23, 24, and 25. In addition they’ll set up camp at a site close to the band’s/fans’ hearts, Horning’s Hideout (near Portland, Oregon), July 29 through August 1.

This announcement ends a three-year break from performing; a hiatus interrupted only once - this past summer - when SCI united to headline ROTHBURY for one incredible Incident. (Fans can download SCI’s epic ROTHBURY 2009 performance in its entirety at www.iClips.net, and check out a sneak peek at www.stringcheeseincident.com).


2010 Show details are as follows:

July 23, 24, and 25, 2010
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Morrison, Colorado

Red Rocks Ticket Information:
Tuesday, February 9 at 10:00 am MST – Presale at www.stringcheeseincident.com
Friday, February 12 at 10:00 am MST – KBCO Presale at www.kbco.com
Saturday, February 13 at 10:00 am MST – Public On Sale www.ticketmaster.com

Hotel/Travel packages for Red Rocks shows available at www.stringcheeseincident.com


July 29 – August 1, 2010
Horning’s Hideout
North Plains, OR
Full Festival Line Up and Schedule To Be Announced
Presented by Madison House Presents

Horning’s Hideout Ticket Information:
Tickets available beginning Tuesday, February 9 at 10:00 am MST
Only at www.stringcheeseincident.com

Four- day tickets and RV Passes available.

Every ticket order placed at www.stringcheeseincident.com will receive a download code to LiveCheese.com for a FREE “Best of” SCI sampler – “Cheese on the Rocks” (RR) and/or “Cheese in the Trees” (HH) - depending on the tickets purchased. Each download features over 100-minutes of old-school SCI.

Visit www.stringcheeseincident.com for all the details.

By all accounts, The String Cheese Incident’s only performance in the past three years - at the ROTHBURY music festival in July 2009 - was magical. It left the band and its community itching for more. This summer, SCI steps into a new decade to deliver…

For this new era, SCI stays true to its roots - by nurturing their community and creating live musical experiences rather than just concerts. In 2010, look for SCI to continue to think out-of-the-box about their musical journey – hosting special events instead of the typical tour-routing, exploring new ways of releasing new recordings, and building on their reputation as innovators of fan participation.

The String Cheese Incident’s recent live release, Trick or Treat (SCI Fidelity Records / October 2009), offers fans a chance to relive the group’s legendary “Hulaween” Incidents. Known to perform special concerts comprised heavily of cover tunes each Halloween, Trick or Treat offers selections from SCI performances recorded at Atlanta’s Variety Playhouse (1998), Philadelphia’s Electric Factory (1999), Portland’s State Theatre (2000), New York City (2001), Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium (2002), Sin City’s Cox Pavilion (2003), and Madison Alliant Energy Center. The two-disc release is available now on CD, vinyl, and digitally at www.stringcheeseincident.com.

TnJ 104 (1/28/10)

-HOUR ONE-

RatDog – One More Saturday Night (12/3/05 Lensic Performing Arts Center, Santa Fe, NM)
COL. BRUCE HAMPTON & the QUARK ALLIANCE – Open the Door (2007 Give Thanks to Chank) homegrownmusic.net
SWAMP CABBAGE – New Voodoo Boogaloo (2008 Squeal) swampcabbage.com
ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND – Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (5/16/09 The Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA)
ROBERT LUSSON & the SOCIAL BEAT – The Egalitarian Café (2010 Loveland) thesocialbeat.org
ROUND MOUNTAIN – Burn It Down (2007 Truth and Darkness) roundmountainmusic.com
DAVID BOWIE – Sunday (2009 A Reality Tour, c. 2003)

-HOUR TWO-

WIDESPREAD PANIC – Thought Sausage (7/19/09 Mile High Music Festival, Denver, CO) livewidespreadpanic.com
SOULFÈGE – Do Right (2008 Take Back the Mic) soulfege.com
BONERAMA – Mr. Go (2007 Bringing It Home, c. 2006)
THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND – Wal-Mart Killed the Country Store (2008 the Whole Fam Damnily) bigdamnband.com
OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW – Tennessee Pusher (2009 Live at the Orange Peel and Tennessee Theatre DVD)
CHARLIE HUNTER – Gentlemen, I Neglected to Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid (2010 Gentlemen, I Neglected to Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid) charliehunter.com
RODRIGO y GABRIELA featuring ALEX SKOLNICK – Atman (2009 11:11) rodgab.com
SANTANA – Soul Sacrifice / Head, Hands & Feet (1977 Moonflower)

# # #

TnJ 103 (1/21/10)

-HOUR ONE-

SOULIVE – So Live (live) (2000 Turn It Out)
JANIS JOPLIN / BIG BROTHER & the HOLDING COMPANY – Ego Rock (1972 In Concert)
GREEN LEMON – Shoulder (2003 Green Lemon)
THE SKYS – Different Faces (2009 Songs from Small Dreams in an Elevator) homegrownmusic.net
THE MOTET – Tonight It Belongs to You (2009 Dig Deep)
U-MELT – Elysian Fields (2010 Perfect World) harmonizedrecords.com

-HOUR TWO-

REBEL ALLIANCE JAM – Will It Go Round in Circles (8/16/08 Yarmony Grass, Copper Mountain, CO) festivalink.net
EMMITT-NERSHI BAND – I Come from the Country (2009 New Country Blues)
INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS – No Resolution (9/13/08 Normal,IL) livedownloads.com
SARAH JAROSZ – Tell Me True (2009 Song Up in Her Head)
REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND – Why Is Everybody Getting Paid But Me (2008 The Whole Fam Damnily)
PAPA GROWS FUNK – Fish-Eyed Fool (2006 Live at the Leaf)
GREAT CAESAR’S GHOST – Les Brers in A Minor (2009 First There Is a Mountain)

# # #

COACHELLA FESTIVAL TIX ON SALE FRIDAY

COACHELLA FESTIVAL in Indio, CA has announced their lineup for this year, and are putting the tickets up for sale this Friday.

April 16-17-18, 2010

Tickets on sale 1/22 @ 10am

TnJ 102 (1/14/10)

-HOUR ONE-

LEGION of MARY – I’ll Take a Melody (5/21/75 the Keystone, Berkeley, CA)
LEO KOTTKE & MIKE GORDON – Rings (2005 Sixty Six Steps)
THE DEVIL MAKES THREE – Do Wrong Right (2009 Do Wrong Right)
JOHN HARTFORD – Up on the Hill Where We Do the Boogie (3/27/83 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse)
REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND – Worn Out Shoe (2008 the Whole Fam Damnily)
JACOB FRED JAZZ ODYSSEY – Imam (2009 One Day in Brooklyn EP)
CADILLAC JONES – Moneyshot (2009 Rhythm Method)
GALACTIC – Two Clowns (2001 We Love ‘Em Tonight: Live at Tipitina’s)
KINGS of LEON – Crawl (2008 Only by the Night)

-HOUR TWO-

TR3 – Do You Wanna (2009 Radiance)
THEM CROOKED VULTURES – Scumbag Blues (2009 Them Crooked Vultures)
CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED – Overtable Interlude > Pretty Lady (2009 Happiness and All the Other Things)
SCARECROW COLLECTION – Act That Way (2007 Radio Frequency Disaster)
DUMPSTAPHUNK – Meanwhile… (2007 Listen Hear EP)
AFROSKULL – Me and My TV (2009 to Obscurity and Beyond)
THE PEACE – Goin’ to Yoga (2009 the Peace)
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Hatfield (6/11/05 Bonnaroo Music Festival, Manchester, TN)

# # #

DUMPSTAPHUNK 01/11/10

Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM

By Ian's own admission, they went off the list at times. This was their first show of the new year, and though the setlist was similar to their last Santa Fe visit, the arrangements were definitely tighter.


I seem to remember "Standin" happening much earlier in the show than as listed, and the band invited several ladies to shake it onstage during that number (despite the SF Brewing Co's stage being the size of a postage stamp).

Practice makes perfect: on this particular evening, signature songs "Meanwhile...," "Put It In the Dumpsta (curiously not listed, though appearing within the first half-dozen songs)," and especially "I Cannot Make It" were some of the tightest, phat-est, low-down-funkiest jams ever known to man.

In the unlikely event you've seen them before and were unimpressed, try again - they've ripened nicely.

Ivan Neville, Nick Daniels, Tony Hall, Raymond Webber, and Ian Neville are A TEN-ARMED FUNK JUGGERNAUT! Only James Brown and Parliament were ever any funkier.

# # #

TnJ 101 (1/7/10)

* BEST of 2009 FLASHBACK *

-HOUR ONE-

OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW – Wagon Wheel > Tell It to Me (2009 Live at the Orange Peel and Tennessee Theater)
SAM BUSH – Roll On Buddy, Roll On (2009 Circles Around Me)
SHEMEKIA COPELAND – Big Brand New Religion (2009 Never Going Back)
The GumboProject – Phrygian Funk (2009 roux EP)
ASSEMBLY of DUST featuring AL SCHNIER – High Brow (2009 Some Assembly Required)
SON VOLT – Exiles (2009 American Central Dust)
JEFF BUJAK – Yogoque (2009 Alive Like the Spine)
FELICE BROTHERS – Cooperstown (2009 Yonder Is the Clock)
THEM CROOKED VULTURES – Spinning in Daffodils (2009 Them Crooked Vultures)

-HOUR TWO-

CAGE the ELEPHANT – Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked (2009 Cage the Elephant)
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS – George Jones Talkin’ Cell Phone Blues (2009 the Fine Print: a Collection of Oddities and Rarities 2003-2008)
CASEY DRIESSEN – Regarding Life Thus Far (2009 Oog)
RODRIGO y GABRIELA – Buster Voodoo (2009 11:11)
PHISH – Down with Disease > Free (8/1/09 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO)
OUTFORMATION - Eleventeen (2009 Fastburn)

If you want to read more about this year's picks, start with the Toast-n-Jam Best of 2009 post on this here blog.

Looking forward to more great jams in 2010 (^_^)

# # #

TnJ 100 (12/31/09)

BOMBS AWAY!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR (^_^)

-HOUR ONE-

SANTANA – Savor > Jingo (2009 the Woodstock Experience, 8/16/69)
SOUND TRIBE SECTOR 9 – Satori (2002 Seasons 01)
LES CLAYPOOL’s FROG BRIGADE – Pigs (Three Different Ones) (2001 Live Frogs Set 2)
TOM PETTY & the HEARTBREAKERS – It’s Good to be King (2009 the Live Anthology, 9/21/06 Gainseville, FL)

-HOUR TWO-

YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND – On the Run > Crow Black Chicken > On the Run (4/11/09 Fillmore, San Francisco, CA)
DUMPSTAPHUNK – Keep on Marching > Fly Like an Eagle > Slippin’ into Darkness > Fortunate Son > Soprano’s Theme (Woke Up This Morning) > Fortunate Son (3/20/09 Highline Ballroom, NYC)
LEGION of MARY – Mystery Train (4/12/75 Masonic Temple, Scranton, PA, late show)

# # #

BOMBS AWAY THIS THURSDAY

I'ma throw nothing but long bombs on this Thursday's broadcast - 10 minute minimum from everyone that rolls this week (^_^) HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Yes, I'm stalling so I can get my BEST of 2009 show together for 1/7/09...

# # #

BEST of 2009

TOAST’s FAVORITE ALBUMS of 2009

10) DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS – The Fine Print (a Collection of Oddities and Rarities 2001-2008)

Unsure of whether I can technically list this as an “album,” since it’s a collection of leftovers, but holy crap, if these are leftovers – bring on the next “real” album, you guys (Update: New album “The Big To-Do” due 3/16/10)! After listening to the unearthed Jason Isbell track “TVA,” originally recorded for “The Dirty South,” I’m sure I’ll miss his presence all the more in the future (he’s no longer with the band). This track is a mini-rock opera in itself. I also enjoy the alternate takes on “Uncle Frank” and “Goode’s Field Road,” their cover of Tom Petty’s “Rebels” plays better than the original IMO, and Patterson Hood’s “George Jones Talkin’ Cell Phone Blues” and “Mrs. Claus’ Kimono” are delightful, showcasing Hood's quite twisted sense of humor. A great collection from one of the best-sounding live bands around.

09) SAM BUSH – Circles Around Me

The elder statesman of Newgrass returns with another solid collection of originals, traditionals, and covers. Guests like Jerry Douglas, Edgar Meyer and (original Bluegrass Boy) Del McCoury don’t hurt, but it’s Bush’s virtuoso picking which wins the day. So many good songs here, but my favorites are “The Ballad of Stringbean & Estelle,” “Blue Mountain,” and “Souvenir Bottles.”

08) THE FELICE BROTHERS – Yonder is the Clock

These upstarts from upstate New York continue to concoct a brew which shifts between sounding like The Band on an acid bender and a genre I will call folk punk. Nothing on this disc is as memorable as “Whiskey in My Whiskey,” from their self-titled 2008 release, but “Penn Station,” “Chicken Wire,” and especially “Run Chicken Run” come mighty close. For quieter moods, try “Cooperstown.”

07) JEFF BUJAK – Alive Like the Spine

Electronica isn’t my favorite genre, but Bujak has put together an extremely listenable album here. The titles take some work remembering – not only because many of them are instrumentals, but also because I’m not sure some of these words are actually words. I’m especially fond of “Nomadd,” “Yogoque,” which is the most likely to get airplay outside my show since it has lyrics (but is also unlikely to get airplay because it’s over 8 minutes long and has a title few could guess at pronouncing – Bujak told me it’s YO-go-cue, BTW), and “Prodigium,” which incorporates a great JFK sample.

06) THEM CROOKED VULTURES

Probably not for everyone. Super-retro heavy psychedelia from Dave Grohl, Josh Homme, and the one-and-only John Paul Jones. Most of my favorites are on what would’ve been “side B” in the old vinyl days: titles like “Scumbag Blues,” “Caligulove,” and “Spinning in Daffodils” may imply a tongue-in-cheek approach and maybe history will prove this album a one-off novelty. Endure the lengthy “Bandoliers” and the lengthier “Warsaw or the First Breath You Take After You Give Up” before passing final judgement.

05) SHEMEKIA COPELAND – Never Going Back

The first thing that impressed me was the personnel: John Medeski, Chris Wood, Ike Stubblefield, Kofi Burbrudge, among others. But Copeland’s voice is the real star, pulling everything together into a heady blues/jazz/gospel fusion. Try “Never Going Back to Memphis,” “Limousine,” or “Dirty Water” on for size and tell me, with a straight face, that blues is a dead genre.

04) CASEY DREISSEN – Oog

How Driessen takes a style of music that pre-dates my own grandparents and somehow makes something progressive out of it is a mystery indeed. He may piss off the bluegrass traditionalists in the process, but I hope he keeps these coming. Guitarist Darrell Scott impresses even as a hired studio gun. “Uncontinental Breakfast” and “Lunar Cages” both flirt with being “world music” and remind me of some of Béla Fleck’s more experimental fancies, but my favorite is Driessen’s take on “Conversation with Death,” with the knockout “The Day Before Halloween” chaser.

03) ASSEMBLY of DUST – Some Assembly Required

This album’s biggest strength may also be its greatest weakness. Though it boasts an incredible roster of guest artists, it lacks a certain aesthetic cohesion and, therefore, doesn’t rank as highly as it might have. As an assemblage of sparkling singles, rather than a proper album, it definitely works. Personal favorites include “All That I Am Now” with Richie Havens, “Arc of the Sun” with Mike Gordon (of Phish), and “High Brow” with Al Schnier (of moe.).

02) OUTFORMATION – Fastburn

Sam Holt really knocks this one out of the park. Some of my favorite songs of 2009 are here, including my absolute favorite song this year: “Faded Memory.” You can call it simplistic, by-the-book, rock songcraft, but its hooks still make me smile after multiple spins. The jaunty instrumental “Eleventeen” is another favorite, as is the title track, “Fastburn.” This album is proof that simple doesn’t necessarily equal boring.

01) SON VOLT – American Central Dust


Jay Farrar outdoes Jeff Tweedy in the Uncle Tupelo derby this year. I would call this a true return to form for Son Volt, except I’ve never heard them sound this good. “Sultana” alone is worth the purchase price – this sprawling, heartbreaking epic is a perfect vehicle for Farrar’s talents. “When the Wheels Don’t Move” recalls a saying from the birth of union labor and fits perfectly among these folky gems. Also great are “Down to the Wire,” “Exiles,” and “Jukebox of Steel.” This is not only the best album of 2009, but the best album of Son Volt’s career.

# # #

TOAST’s FAVORITE SINGLES of 2009

These may or may not have been officially designated singles by their respective labels, and a lot of my favorite “singles” are already included on my favorite albums. These are songs which I feel deserve recognition even though the album from which they’re taken might not’ve made the “best of” list as a whole. That being said, some of them actually were singles.

10) PAOLO NUTINI – 10/10
His album “Sunny Side Up” kicks off with this lively, 2 Tone-ish number and rambles through varying degrees of Mowtown-era soul, early Van Morrison, and nouveau swing. He’s got a unique voice and I expect we’ll be hearing more from this Scotsman in the future.

09) BLOODKIN – The Viper
One of the dirty south’s best-kept secrets, and “Baby, They Told Us We Would Rise Again” may be their best album to date. This track almost hurts to listen to, in a really, really good way.

08) NATHAN MOORE – Hard Times
I imagine all folk singers go their entire lives without being able to say, “yup, just like Dylan woulda done.” Congrats, Nathan. Bring the new Surprise Me Mr. Davis lineup to Santa Fe sometime!

07) EILEN JEWELL – Shakin’ All Over
From outta left field, this oft-covered 1960 gem gets the surfabilly treatment via Jewell’s old-timey flavor. The whole “Sea of Tears” album is pretty good, but this track really stands out.

06) THE SOUL of JOHN BLACK – I Knew a Lady
Simply the single most memorable funk song of the year. I was singing it to myself for days after the first listen. Why this guy’s so underrated is beyond me.

05) One eskimO – Kandi
Hypnotic, tender, yearning. Like U2 in the old days but with a more minimalist approach. Many of my friends actively HATE this song.

04) WILCO – You Never Know
Jeff Tweedy continues to try his hand at being the new Beatles, this time focusing mostly on George. Wilco (the Album) is another solid effort, just not as solid as SBS or YHF.

03) RODRIGO y GABRIELA – Buster Voodoo
One of the most memorable instrumentals ever. The porn-guitar break is awesome.

02) DAVY KNOWLES & BACK DOOR SLAM – Coming Up for Air
Seventies guitar-rock is back – courtesy of a British twenty-something.

I should also mention that thirty-something Joe Bonamassa, whom I've only recently discovered, has also added some tasty riffs to the 70s guitar-rock "lictionary."

01) CAGE the ELEPHANT – Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked
Three minutes of perfect, crunchy, post-millenial angst. Can’t wait to see these guys live.

# # #

TOAST’s BEST of 2009 – SPECIAL CATEGORIES

BEST WIDELY-CIRCULATED LIVE PERFORMANCE –
PHISH – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO (7/30 – 8/2/09)

Especially the “Boogie on Reggae Woman > Morrison Jam #3” from 8/2 – Quite possibly the perfect jam.

BEST UNCIRCULATED LIVE PERFORMANCE –
OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW / THE FELICE BROTHERS / CHUCK MEAD –
Santa Fe Brewing Company, Santa Fe, NM (9/22/09)

Even members of the bands seemed to agree with me on this one, though no one was taping – sadly.

BEST LIVE ARCHIVAL REISSUE –
TOM PETTY & the HEARTBREAKERS – The Live Anthology

Beats SCI’s “Trick or Treat” box set (which reminded me why I fell in love with String Cheese Incident in the first place) by reminding me why I fell in love with rock’n’roll in the first place.

BEST LIVE DVD RELEASE –
OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW – Live at the Orange Peel and Tennessee Theatre

I popped it in to “check it out” while making dinner, and ended up glued to it straight through. Raucous, feel-good, old-timey charm with an undercurrent of cynical, almost sinister, worldliness. Like a subversive tent revival.

BEST LOCAL RELEASE –
The GumboProject – roux EP

Despite my distaste for bands who insist on unusual capital letters (or lack thereof) as some kind of grammatical fashion statement, my only real problem with this disc is it’s only an EP! More, please!

BEST SUPERGROUP –
Forget MOSTERS of FOLK – gimme THEM CROOKED VULTURES!!!

Don’t get me wrong, I love Jim James, and the M.O.F. is a great listen, but the FOO FIGHTERS / LED ZEPPELIN / QUEENS of the STONE AGE combo wreaks Godzilla-like havoc by making lo-fi retro rock somehow modern. Agreed, the M.O.F. also accomplished this, but TCV made it HEAVY (^_^)

BEST DISC to PLAY while FALLING ASLEEP –
IRON & WINE – Around the Well (disc 1)

This is no insult, but a high honor in my book. One of my favorite Neil Young albums makes this category as well. Honest.

BEST SONG NO ONE OUTSIDE SANTA FE HAS HEARD YET –
JOHN COURAGE – Stuck in Encinitas

A nearly-perfect rock’n’roll record. Hopefully available in 2010 from Frogville Records!

# # #

I asked a few contributors to the show what their favorites of 2009 were, and many of their replies were new to me, which just goes to show how much great music is out there. Keep diggin' for treasure y'all, and keep the "best of" lists comin' (^_^) TOAST

# # #

ANONYMOUS / NM Guitarist

BOOKER T. JONES – Potato Hole
PELICAN – What We All Come to Need
VINYL – Fogshack Music Volume Two
PIGMENT – Pigment

CHRISTOPHER ROBIE / Homegrown Music Network

MEMORY TAPES – Seek Magic
BIBIO – Ambivalence Avenue
THE NEW MASTERSOUNDS – Ten Years On
MYKA 9 – 1969
BLAKROC

# # #

SAD NEWS

Folk-rocker Vic Chesnutt dies in Geogia at 45

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (CP) – 1 hour ago

ATHENS, Ga. — Vic Chesnutt, the folk-rocker whose sometimes dark reflections on life were influenced in part by a car wreck that left him paralyzed, has died. He was 45.

Family friend Christina Stuckey, who answered the phone at Chesnutt's home, confirmed the death to The Associated Press. Chesnutt's record label, Constellation Records, said in a statement on its website that Chesnutt died on Christmas Day, Friday.

The brief statement says "Vic transformed our sense of what true character, grace and determination are all about."

Chesnutt worked with such notable artists as R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe and guitarist Guy Picciotto of the punk band Fugazi.

Chesnutt said in a biography posted on his MySpace page that he came to "a whole new understanding of music" after the 1983 car crash.

He recently had toured with his Vic Chesnutt band, a "supergroup" of sorts featuring members of Canadian bands Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Thee Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra, as well as Picciotto.

"This is a truly incredible braintrust, with all these people - we've got some of the smartest and most sensitive punk rockers out there," he told the Athens Banner-Herald for a story in October.

The rocker released two albums in the past year, including "At the Cut."

However, Chesnutt had recently struggled with a lawsuit filed by a Georgia hospital after he racked up surgery bills totalling some $70,000, the Athens newspaper reported. He said he couldn't afford more than hospitalization insurance and couldn't keep up with the payments.

The problems baffled his Canadian bandmates, Chesnutt said.

"There's nowhere else in the world that I'd be facing the situation I'm in right now. They cannot understand what kind of society would inflict that on their population," he said. "It's terrifying."

Unlike Canada and other developed industrialized countries, the United States does not provide universal health care coverage. Most Americans obtain their health insurance through their employers, but a self-employed musician like Chesnutt with pre-existing medical conditions would have difficulty obtaining an affordable health insurance policy.

Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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The Canadian Press

TnJ 099 (12/17/09)

No broadcast next week (12/24/09), but keep your eyes on the blog and your ears on the radio (or the webstream) for Toast-n-Jam's Best of 2009 lists (^_^) TOAST

-HOUR ONE-

SAM BUSH – Blue Mountain (2009 Circles Around Me)
MAX ALLEN BAND – Gridlock (2009 Ending Sun) homegrownmusic.net
ERIC McFADDEN TRIO – Hey Bulldog (2003 Diamonds to Coal) ericmcfadden.com
DUMPSTAPHUNK – Stinky (2007 Listen Hear EP)
LUBRIPHONIC – Say Something Good (2008 Soul Solution) homegrownmusic.net
The GumboProject – Rubick’s Cube (2009 roux EP) gumboproject.com
moe. – Moth (2008 Dr. Stan’s Prescription, Vol. 1, 3/17/95 Garton’s, Vail, CO) moe.org
GOV’T MULE – Broke Down on the Brazos (2009 By a Thread) mule.net

-HOUR TWO-

DEREK and the DOMINOS – Got to Get Better in a Little While (1994 Live at the Fillmore, c. 1970)
DAVY KNOWLES & BACK DOOR SLAM – Hear Me Lord (2009 Coming Up for Air)
EILEN JEWELL – Fading Memory (2009 Sea of Tears) eilenjewell.com
THE HOT CLUB of SANTA FE – Jitterbug Waltz (2008 Musique de la Ville Différente)
ASSEMBLY of DUST featuring RICHIE HAVENS – All That I Am Now (2009 Some Assembly Required) assemblyofdust.com
SLY & the FAMILY STONE – Love City (2009 the Woodstock Experience, c. 1969)
AFROSKULL – Spyplane (2009 To Obscurity and Beyond) afroskull.com

# # #

TnJ 098 (12/10/09)

Special thanks to David Avery, Kevin Morris, and Matt Hogan for helping set up the interviews with Bill Nershi and Kyle Hollingsworth (both of String Cheese Incident fame, of course), and to Bill and Kyle for being their thoughtful, effervescent selves.

If you missed the interviews, I’ve posted them for playback on kbac.com

-HOUR ONE-

Interview > BILL NERSHI (12/09/09 KBAC studios, SF, NM)
EMMITT-NERSHI BAND – These Days (2009 New Country Blues) scifidelity.com
Interview > KYLE HOLLINGSWORTH (12/9/09 KBAC studios, SF, NM)
KYLE HOLLINGSWORTH – Piece of Mine (2009 Then There’s Now) scifidelity.com
STRING CHEESE INCIDENT – Exodus > Under African Skies (2009 Trick or Treat, 10/31/99 Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA) scifidelity.com

-HOUR TWO-

THE DOORS – Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) > Backdoor Man > Love Hides > Five to One (1970 Absolutely Live)
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Goin’ Out West (6/28/08 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO) livewidespreadpanic.com
MGMT – The Handshake (2008 Oracular Spectacular)
THE POLYPHONIC SPREE – Section 19 (When the Fool Becomes a King) (2004 Together We’re Heavy)
JERRY JOSEPH & the JACKMORMONS – Ten Killer Fairies (2002 Conscious Contact)
ROUND MOUNTAIN – Let Somebody Know You (2009 Windward) roundmountainmusic.com
ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND – Revival (1992 An Evening with the Allman Brothers Band…First Set)

# # #

OH, X-MAS CHEESE, OH, X-MAS CHEESE...

Interviews with Bill Nershi and Kyle Hollingsworth (both of String Cheese Incident fame) this Thursday night! Look in the column on the right for links to the live stream or the uploaded podcast after the fact (^_^) TOAST!

# # #

TnJ 097 (12/3/09)

-HOUR ONE-

KARL DENSON’s TINY UNIVERSE – Shake It Out (2009 Brother’s Keeper)
GARAGE à TROIS – Fat Redneck Gangster (2009 Power Patriot)
ADAM STERN – Bear Up the Stair (2009 Twang Shui)
J.J. CALE / ERIC CLAPTON – Dead End Road (2006 the Road to Escondido)
YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND – If You’re Ever in Oklahoma (12/31/99 Nederland, CO)
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Travelin’ Light (1998 Light Fuse, Get Away)
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS – Uncle Frank (alternate version) (2009 The Fine Print)
ALLEN THOMPSON – Virginia (2009 26 Years)

-HOUR TWO-

ANDY HALL – Deep Elem Blues (2008 Sound of the Slide Guitar)
SOLOMON BURKE f/ BEN HARPER – A Minute to Rest and a Second to Pray (2008 Like a Fire)
JIM WEIDER’s PROJECT PERCOLATOR – Dreamline (2009 Pulse)
TV on the RADIO – Golden Age (2008 Dear Science)
UMPHREY’s McGEE – Turn & Dub (Michael G Easy Star All-Stars remix) (2009 Turn & Dub EP)
GOGOL BORDELLO – Start Wearing Purple (2005 Gypsy Punks Underdog World Strike)
THE FELICE BROTHERS – Memphis Flu (2009 Yonder Is the Clock)
LEFTOVER SALMON w/ JOHN BELL, JEFF AUSTIN, PETE SEARS, and JOHN COWAN – Nobody’s Fault But Mine (9/9/00 Planet Salmon, Lyons, CO) jambase.com

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TnJ 096 (11/26/09)

THANKSGIVING SPECIAL – EXTRA HELPINGS

I’m thankful for Ira Gordon (KBAC) and Hutton Broadcasting. They believed in this show from the beginning and continue to let it roll!

I’m thankful for all who turn on and tune in, as well as past co-hosts, guest toasts, and everyone who’s shared the love and donated shows to the library. I couldn’t do it without you. God bless (^_^)

-HOUR ONE-

GRATEFUL DEAD – Brown-Eyed Woman (1972 Europe ’72)
JERRY GARCIA BAND – That’s What Love Will Make You Do (3/8/80 the Stone, San Francisco, CA)
AFROSKULL – Redemption (2009 To Obscurity and Beyond)
AFROSKULL – Dance of the Wild Koba (2/4/05 Parkside Lounge, NYC) archive.org
JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE – Are You Experienced? (1967 Are You Experienced?)
JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE – Red House (1987 Live at Winterland, c. 1968)

-HOUR TWO-

UMPHREY’s McGEE - #5 (3/6/07 Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO)
UMPHREY’s McGEE – Nemo (12/30/04 the Riviera, Chicago, IL)
LEFTOVER SALMON – Up On the Hill Where We Do the Boogie (2/16/98 JR’s Dickson Street Ballroom, Fayetville, AR) jambase.com
LEFTOVER SALMON – River’s Rising (7/14/96 Great American Music Festival, Winter Park, CO) jambase.com
PHISH – Wilson (2009 the Clifford Ball box set, 8/17/96 Plattsburgh, NY)
PHISH – Boogie On Reggae Woman > Morrison Jam #3 (8/2/09 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO)
PAPA GROWS FUNK – Stanky (2007 Mr. Patterson’s Hat)
PAPA GROWS FUNK – Rat a Tang Tang (2003 Shakin’)

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TnJ SPECIAL 11/26/09

Tune in this Thanksgiving for a special EXTRA HELPINGS edition of Toast-n-Jam.

Extra toasty. Extra jammy. Guaranteed (^_^)

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TnJ 095 (11/19/09)

-HOUR ONE-

THE HOUR GLASS – B.B. King Medley: Sweet Little Angel / It’s My Own Fault / How Blue Can You Get? (1972 Duane Allman: An Anthology, c. 1968)
DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND w/ DR. JOHN – It’a All Over Now (1989 Voodoo)
JJ GREY & MOFRO – Tragic (2009 Country Ghetto)
FUNKTION – Full Time Servant (2009 Funk Prelude)
FOUR FINGER FIVE – Get It Together (2007 Four Finger Five)
NEW RIDERS of the PURPLE SAGE w/ PROFESSOR LOUIE – Let It Grow (9/30/06 Shawnee Cave Amphitheater, Murphysboro, IL)
BLOODKIN – The Viper (2009 Baby, They Told Us We Would Rise Again)

-HOUR TWO-

BEN HARPER & the INNOCENT CRIMINALS – With My Own Two Hands (2003 Live at the Hollywood Bowl EP)
DISCO BISCUITS – Wet (2006 the Wind at Four to Fly)
ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA – Cosmik Debris (2008 Zappa Plays Zappa DVD)
KYLE HOLLINGSWORTH – Too Young (2009 Then There’s Now) scifidelity.com
THE BRIDGE – Poison Wine (2008 Blind Man’s Hill)
PAOLO NUTINI – 10/10 (2009 Sunny Side Up)
EMMITT-NERSHI BAND – Surfing the Red Sea (2009 New Country Blues) scifidelity.com
JACK & JORMA, the original acoustic HOT TUNA– Good Shepherd (6/20/01 the Big Easy, Boise, ID)

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This entire audio stream is posted @ kbac.com CLICK HERE to listen - Enjoy (^_^)

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TnJ 094 (11/12/09)

-HOUR ONE-

NEIL YOUNG – Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) (12/10/1989 Muziektheater Stopera, Amsterdam, Netherlands)
NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE – Powderfinger (2/28/04 Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, NM)
CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED – Train to Birmingham (2009 Happiness and All the Other Things)
YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND – Four Walls of Raiford (2004 Under the Influence, Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute)
RANDALL BRAMBLETT – Visions (2008 Now It’s Tomorrow)
GOV’T MULE – Railroad Boy > Monday Mourning Meltdown (2009 By a Thread)

-HOUR TWO-

WIDESPREAD PANIC – Bowlegged Woman > Worry (7/22/03 Paolo Soleri Amphitheatre, Santa Fe, NM)
GOSHEN – To Begin Again (2007 Lioness)
MEDESKI, MARTIN & WOOD – Strance of the Spirit Red Gator (1996 Shack-Man)
THE SOUL of JOHN BLACK – Betty Jean (2009 Black John)
GUMBO PROJECT – Old Man and the River (2009 Roux EP)
OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW – Fall on My Knees (2003 Live)
GRATEFUL DEAD – Wharf Rat (2007 Live at the Cow Palace, 12/31/76)

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CHRIS on ALTO SAX w/ PAPA GROWS FUNK

10/16/09 Santa Fe Brewing Company




I am nowhere near as good as this guy - Jason Mingledorff




Finally, all those years of marching band are about to pay off!








These guys are great -
everyone should own at least one of their CDs






Seriously fun sitting in with these guys -
but altogether nerve-wracking...




SOLO TIME (^_^)




THX, guys!!!




Photos by Jay A. Johnson

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TnJ 093 (11/5/09)

-HOUR ONE-

moe. – Lost Along the Way (2008 Warts and All, Vol. 6, 1/28/07 Lawrence, KS) moe.org
MARK STUART & the BASTARD SONS – Best Thing (2009 Bend in the Road)
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS – TVA (2009 the Fine Print, c. 2003)
LEFTOVER SALMON – Dance on Your Head (10/19/94 Charleston, SC)
LUBRIPHONIC – Mixin’ in the Kitchen (2008 Soul Solution, 1/10/08 Chicago, IL) homegrownmusic.net
SOULIVE – Tabasco (2000 Turn It Out)
PROFESSOR LOUIE & the CROWMATIX – Night Time in the Switching Yard (2009 Whispering Pines)
JOHN COURAGE – Stuck in Encinitas (2009 Lovers Without a Care) coming soon from Frogville Records

-HOUR TWO-

PHISH – Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley > Taste (2008 Live Phish, 12/30/97 Madison Square Garden, NYC)
RODRIGO y GABRIELA – 11:11 (2009 11:11)
CHUCK MEAD – Gun Metal Gray (2009 Journeyman’s Wager)
GREENSKY BLUEGRASS – Hoxeyville (2006 Tuesday Letter)
REBEL ALLIANCE JAM – Franklin’s Tower (8/16/08 Yarmony Grass, Copper Mountain, CO) festivalink.net
KINGS of LEON – Closer (2009 Only by the Night)

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TnJ 092 (10/29/09)

-HOUR ONE-

PIGMENT – John Henry (2008 Pigment) pigmentjam.com
TAARKA – A Whole New You (7/18/09 Horning’s Hideout, North Plains, OR)
ELEPHANT REVIVAL – Scottish Reggae (1/17/08 Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO)
EASY STAR ALL-STARS – Time (2003 Dub Side of the Moon)
BEN HARPER – Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) (1997 the Will to Live, bonus live EP)
THE BAD PLUS joined by WENDY LEWIS – Feeling Yourself Disintegrate (2009 For All I Care)
WIDESPREAD PANIC f / IVAN NEVILLE – Slippin’ into Darkness (6/27/08 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO) livewidespreadpanic.com

-HOUR TWO-

STRING CHEESE INCIDENT – The Wedge > Get Down Tonight (2009 Trick or Treat, 10/21/00 Portland, ME)
BONERAMA – Turn on Your Love Light (2009 Hard Times EP) boneramamusic.com
UMPHREY’s McGEE – Don’t Do It (12/31/04 The Riviera, Chicago, IL)
LEVON HELM BAND – Atlantic City (4/26/08 Merlefest) festivalink.net
MARK STUART & the BASTARD SONS – I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal (2009 Bend in the Road)
JJ GREY – Tupelo Honey (2009 the Choice Cuts – vinyl only, Alligator Records)

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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

# # #

BLACK CROWES CANCELED

The news just in from the promoter today - no Black Crowes show tonight. Those who used plastic to purchase tix will be automatically refunded, other holders should approach point of purchase for refunds. No further details avail at this time. Alas!

# # #

TnJ 090 (10/15/09)

-HOUR ONE-

BLACK CROWES – Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution (2009 Warpaint Live)
BLACK CROWES – Nonfiction (8/12/06 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO)
JACK JOHNSON – Bubble Toes (2009 En Concert)
BLOODKIN – Rhododendron (2009 Baby, They Told Us We Would Rise Again)
KELLER WILLIAMS – Twinkle (2007 Dream)
Interview – John Gros part 1 (10/13/09 KBAC, pre-recorded)
PAPA GROWS FUNK – Pass It! (2006 Live at the Leaf)

-HOUR TWO-

Interview – John Gros part 2 (10/13/09 KBAC, pre-recorded)
PAPA GROWS FUNK – Walkin’ In Our Own Shoes (2007 Mr. Patterson’s Hat)
KARL DENSON’s TINY UNIVERSE – Mighty Rebel (2009 Brother’s Keeper)
LOTUS – 72 Hrs Awake (2009 Feather On Wood EP)
TOUBAB KREWE – Lamine’s Tune (2008 Live at the Orange Peel)
WIDESPREAD PANIC – Surprise Valley (6/11/05 Bonnaroo)
ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND – Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More (2007 The Benefit Concert, Vol. 2, 12/21/00 Asheville, NC)

# # #

TnJ 089 (10/8/09)

-HOUR ONE-

LITTLE FEAT – Don’t Bogart That Joint (1978 Waiting for Columbus)
LITTLE FEAT w / CRAIG FULLER and VINCE GILL – Spanish Moon (2008 Join the Band)
LITTLE FEAT – Rock and Roll Doctor (1981 Hoy-Hoy!, c. 1974)
LITTLE FEAT – All That You Dream (1978 Waiting for Columbus)
MONSTERS of FOLK – Losin Yo Head (2009 Monsters of Folk)
EMORY QUINN – Blue Gone (2008 the Road Company)
SAM BUSH – Junior Heywood (2009 Circles Around Me)
STRING CHEESE INCIDENT – Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! > Hot in Herre (2009 Trick or Treat, 10/31/03 Las Vegas, NV)

-HOUR TWO-

PAPA GROWS FUNK – Gorillafaceugmopotamus! (2007 Mr. Patterson’s Hat)
STEEZ – Saz > Bass Theme > Duderfunk (2009 Creepfunk Crusade)
GRATEFUL DEAD – Playing in the Band (1974/2005 the Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack)

# # #

HALLOWEEN MASQUERADE REQUESTS

In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, T-n-J is planning another harvest of Halloween "masquerade" covers for the broadcast on 10/29/09. You know, bands masquerading as other bands - cover songs (^_^)

If there's a song you'd like to hear covered, please leave a comment.

Check out Phish's Festival 8 album cover countdown. It's ghoulish.

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