Fishbone Takes Over "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Last Night

Part of the reason I was so excited for this year's Voodoo Experience Festival in New Orleans was because I was finally going to get to see the legendary Fishbone live. How I missed them all these years is beyond me. I'd heard their live show was non-stop energy and, as I was on three hours of sleep and no coffee when I arrived for their 1:45 PM set, it would be a good test.

To set the tone, the band started crowd surfing almost immediately (as you can see, and much to the chagrin of the security guy who'd obviously, wasn't informed in advance). But even being passed around on the hands of the audience, lead singer Angelo Moore never missed a beat. Sometimes video can capture the essence of a show better than photos, but this was one of those shows that the essence was obvious, not matter the medium. (You can see the rest of the photos from the set here.) Truly one of the top 10 shows of all time, no doubt.

A documentary, Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone came out in October to rave reviews. The band hit the stage of Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night, and as par usual, brought the house down.

Happy 70th Birthday Clarence Clemons

Fans of Bruce Springsteen are chomping at the bit, eagerly awaiting the new E Street Band tour dates to be announced. This time out will be especially poignant, as this is the first E Street tour ever without "the Big Man," Clarence Clemons. Clemons, who passed away in June of last year, would have turned 70 today. In honor of that, we give you one of the greatest E Street Band showcases of Clemons wailing away on his horn, "Paradise by the C."

Craig Finn's Solo Record, Clear Heart Full Eyes Out in January, Tour Dates Announced

The Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn made a solo record this year while The Hold Steady in on their break. Titled Clear Heart Full Eyes, the 11 tracks come across a tad twangier than the full on testosterone-laden rock normally heard in The Hold Steady.

Craig Finn - Honolulu Blues by Vagrant Records

Finn is touring behind the record as well. Tickets go on sale this Friday (12/16).

Craig Finn 2012 Tour Dates
2/01 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada*
2/02 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory*
2/03 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown*
2/04 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club*
2/06 - Iowa City, IA @ The Mill*
2/07 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle*
2/08 - Detroit, MI @ The Lager House*
2/09 - Columbus, OH @ The Basement*
2/10 - St Louis, MO @ Off Broadway*
2/11 - Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar*
2/13 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge*
2/19 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah*
2/20 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour*
2/21 - San Francisco, CA @ Noise Pop at Bottom of the Hill
2/23 - Portland, OR @ The Doug Fir Lounge*
2/24 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile*
2/27 - Ringwood, NJ Live @ Drew's House
2/28 - Allston, MA @ Great Scott#
2/29 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge (Late Show)#
3/01 - Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's#
3/02 - Washington, DC @ Rock N Roll Hotel#
3/03 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506#
3/05 - Atlanta, GA @Earl#
* - w/ Mount Moriah
# - w/ Marcellus Hall

Finn talks some about his inspiration for the songs and the making of the record. Accompanying Finn in the studio were members of White Denim, The Heartless Bastards, Phosphorescent, and Centro-matic. About the title, he says, "I’m calling this record Clear Heart Full Eyes. It’s a juxtaposed reference to Friday Night Lights, a TV show that excited and moved me and also happened in Texas. Further, “Clear Heart” signifies honesty and transparency, and “Full Eyes” suggests experience. Thus, it’s about being optimistic and open without succumbing to the weariness or doubt that comes with age and experience. To me, that is what it’s all about.”

Craig Finn "Clear Heart Full Eyes" from Helms Workshop on Vimeo.

Avett Brothers Debut New Song During "CMT Unplugged" Episode

The Avett Brothers used their gorgeous tones to perform quite a few tracks from their most recent release, the lovely I and Love and You, for an upcoming CMT Unplugged episode. They also debuted a new track, "The Once and Future Carpenter," during the show, for which we have the video! These boys really take beauty and harmony to a whole other level.

The Once and Future Carpenter (CMT Unplugged) - The Avett Brothers - The Avett Brothers Videos

This You Must See-Marvin Gaye Sings the Star Spangled Banner

In light of that thing Christina Aguilera did at the Super Bowl this weekend, ladies and gentlemen, let me give you the baddest bad-ass version of all time-Marvin Gaye singing the Star Spangled Banner at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game. The backing drum track dates it a bit, but you just have to appreciate the fact he's singing to such a random beat, not to mention that incredible voice that just melts all over the hardwood. No one would ever make patriotism this sexy ever again.

Justin Townes Earle (with Jason Isbell!!) Plays "Harlem River Blues" on Letterman

Justin Townes Earle brought his country ode to NYC to Late Night with David Letterman last night. The track, "Harlem River Blues," is a wonderful example of why JTE has been characterized as "Nashville North," because it sounds like barreling down a country back road, as well as barreling down NYC's 2nd Avenue.

And look closely at the guitar player in the swanky fedora behind JTE...if you think that's the super cool Jason Isbell, you would be correct. (Isbell is playing the 930 Club on 1/14 with Justin Jones FYI...)

JTE is touring Europe this winter but will do a one-off show at the YMCA Boulton Center in Bay Shore, NY this Saturday (1/8). Ticket are still available here.

Just Let the Music Take Us and Carry Us Home: Bruce Springsteen's Appearance on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon"

I raced home from shooting Nick Cave at the 930 Club last night to be sure I caught all of Bruce Springsteen on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." Springsteen was to be the only guest/performer on the show and given what a fan Fallon is, and that the new box set The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story, came out yesterday, it was bound to be an incredibly wonderful reason to stay up late.

Indeed it was. We heard good stories about the making of Darkness, like that Springsteen's guitarist, Steve Van Zandt, wanted to call it "A Bunch of Lost Arguments," and that Springsteen wrote the song "Fire" for Elvis Presley. There was also a spot-on recreation of Bruce's look from back in the mid-70s...back when the E Street Band was a band who wore hats.



Later, Bruce, Steven, and "Professor" Roy Bittan played "Because the Night" and "Save My Love" with Quest Love and The Roots. "Save My Love" is one of the best songs on the box set and when Quest hit the drums at the start of it, I almost jumped out of my chair....So brilliant. How on earth that song hadn't seen the light of day before now, especially live, is completely beyond me. Here's hoping it gets tossed into a set list somewhere on an upcoming tour...



"Now there's something coming through the air, that softly reminds me..." sang Springsteen. Late night tv can sometimes feel canned but this wasn't one of those times. This was a soft reminder of how great a performer Springsteen is, as well how well the man has long been able to turn a phrase. Watch the whole episode...it's definitely worth it.

Lights That Flash in the Evening: The Vaselines/Teenage Fanclub @ 930 Club, Washington, DC (10-2-2010)

My photo/text review of Saturday's Vaselines/Teenage Fanclub show at the 930 Club is up over at the Washington City Paper if you like to check it out.

They played Jimmy Fallon last Thursday too, doing the ever-lovely "Jesus Don't Want Me for a Sunbeam," probably the least sexual song of their entire catalogue.

Seen Your Video: Superchunk Doing "Digging for Something" and "Precision Auto" on Jimmy Fallon

Superchunk rawked the tv on Jimmy Fallon last night for the first time in 16 years. The dude pogoing around to Mac's left like a maniac during the first video ("Digging for Something") is John Darnielle, lead singer of The Mountain Goats. Second video is a web-only performance of "Precision Auto."

The Bruce Springsteen Fan Explained

Pretty funny stuff about many of the Bruce Springsteen fans I know, many of whom are amongst my best friends...this video speaks the truth!

Columbia Records To Release Bruce Springsteen's The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story on 11/16

Color me speechless. It was officially announced today that Columbia Records will release Bruce Springsteen's The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story on 11/16. The set will include all sorts of goodies like 3CDs/3DVDs (including Darkness on the Edge of Town digitally remastered for the first time), two hours of audio, six hours of video, studio and live footage/photographs never released, and an 80-page notebook containing facsimiles from Springsteen's original notebooks from the recording sessions, with alternate lyrics, song ideas, recording details, personal notes, with a new essay by Springsteen. Looks like the big package is running $115, but for all that, that’s mighty worth the cost. (Santa, if you're reading this, I already know what you can get me for Christmas...)

"Darkness was my 'samurai' record," Springsteen writes, "stripped to the frame and ready to rumble…But the music that got left behind was substantial." For audio, the two discs will contain a total of 21 previously-unreleased songs from the Darkness recording sessions, songs that Springsteen writes, "perhaps could have/should have been released after Born To Run and before the collection of songs that Darkness on the Edge of Town became." Look for a rock version of "Racing in the Street," "Someday (We'll Be Together)," "Ain't Good Enough for You," a soul-based vocal performance on "The Brokenhearted," a haunting "Breakaway," never-before-released original recordings of "Because the Night," "Fire," and "Rendezvous," and the fully orchestrated masterpiece and title song "The Promise."

For video, the package will include a 90-minute documentary, The Promise: The Making of 'Darkness on the Edge of Town,. Shot between 1976 and 1978, it includes footage of home rehearsals and studio sessions during the making of Darkness, new interviews with Springsteen, E Street Band members, manager Jon Landau, former manager Mike Appel, and others closely involved in the making of the record. The Making will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on 9/14, and run on HBO 10/7.

Can you take one more?? Are you sure?? The set features more than four hours of live concert film from the Thrill Hill Vault, including the bootleg house cut (the footage that appeared on-screen at the concert) from a 1978 Houston show, and a 2009 performance of Darkness on the Edge of Town in its entirety, at the Paramont Theater in Asbury Park, NJ. This performance was shot in HD, without an audience, and “successfully recreates the stark atmosphere of the original album.”

A previously unheard song "Save My Love" and an excerpt from the documentary will be streaming here sometime between now and the 9/14 documentary premiere in Tornto (they think. I rang Shorefire to ask about "when" this will begin and they didn't know exactly, this was the best guess). So keep checking in...

Update 4:42 PM: The "Save My Love" stream is now live here.

Bruce Springsteen - "The Promise: The Making of 'Darkness on the Edge of Town'" Sneak Peek from Columbia Records on Vimeo.

All the specifics of the package are below.

Video.....
DVD 1: "THE PROMISE: THE MAKING OF 'DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN'"
DVD 2:
-DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (PARAMOUNT THEATER, ASBURY PARK, NJ, 2009)
1. Badlands
2. Adam Raised A Cain
3. Something In The Night
4. Candy's Room
5. Racing In The Street
6. The Promised Land
7. Factory
8. Streets Of Fire
9. Prove It All Night
10. Darkness On The Edge Of Town

THRILL HILL VAULT (1976-1978)
1. Save My Love (Holmdel, NJ 76)
2. Candy's Boy (Holmdel, NJ 76)
3. Something In The Night (Red Bank, NJ 76)
4. Don’t Look Back (NYC 78)
5. Ain't Good Enough For You (NYC 78)
6. The Promise (NYC 78)
7. Candy's Room Demo (NYC 78)
8. Badlands (Phoenix 78)
9. The Promised Land (Phoenix 78)
10. Prove It All Night (Phoenix 78)
11. Born To Run (Phoenix 78)
12. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) (Phoenix 78)

DVD 3: HOUSTON '78 BOOTLEG: HOUSE CUT
1. Badlands
2. Streets Of Fire
3. It’s Hard To Be A Saint In The City
4. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
5. Spirit In The Night
6. Independence Day
7. The Promised Land
8. Prove It All Night
9. Racing In The Street
10. Thunder Road
11. Jungleland
12. The Ties That Bind
13. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
14. The Fever
15. Fire
16. Candy's Room
17. Because The Night
18. Point Blank
19. She's The One
20. Backstreets
21. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
22. Born To Run
23. Detroit Medley
24. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
25. You Can't Sit Down
26. Quarter To Three

Audio...
CD 1: REMASTERED DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN
1. Badlands
2. Adam Raised A Cain
3. Something In The Night
4. Candy’s Room
5. Racing In The Street
6. The Promised Land
7. Factory
8. Streets Of Fire
9. Prove It All Night
10. Darkness On The Edge Of Town

CD 2: THE PROMISE (DISC 1)
1. Racing In The Street ('78)
2. Gotta Get That Feeling
3. Outside Looking In
4. Someday (We'll Be Together)
5. One Way Street
6. Because The Night
7. Wrong Side Of The Street
8. The Brokenhearted
9. Rendezvous
10. Candy's Boy

CD 3: THE PROMISE (DISC 2)
1. Save My Love
2. Ain't Good Enough For You
3. Fire
4. Spanish Eyes
5. It's A Shame
6. Come On (Let's Go Tonight)
7. Talk To Me
8. The Little Things (My Baby Does)
9. Breakaway
10. The Promise
11. City Of Night

Columbia will also release The Promise,, a double CD that includes tracks from Darkness "lost sessions" around the same time as The Promise package.

They're doing preorders now here.

Some Thoughts on Live Aid, 25 Years Later...

As we mentioned earlier this week, Tuesday marked the 25th anniversary of the Live Aid. If you are a music dork and you watched it that day, most likely you still have the grainy video tapes somewhere because you taped it, even if you no longer own a VHS player. Looking back, the event, which took place before any of the global connectivity we have today was in place, it's kind of amazing that it even happened. And somehow, organizer Bob Geldof put the thing together in just three weeks.

It's sad that the DVD that came out a few years back wasn't great quality. But I read somewhere that it was inadvertently Geldof's fault. Thank goodness the Brits ignored him!

As part of Geldof's insistence that it should be a one-off event, the TV companies responsible for the outside broadcasts in London and Philadelphia were under strict instructions to destroy all the recordings of the show. The BBC ignored this stipulation, kept its tapes and archived them but ABC dutifully destroyed its own material. This meant that when the Trust decided to release the concert on DVD, all the Wembley footage was available (including multi-tracked audio), but recordings of the Philadelphia sets had to be assembled from B-roll tapes, the BBC's own copies of the satellite-linked sections and material that had been archived by MTV. (Source)

I was 14 when it took place and discovered Geldof's band, the Boomtown Rats via early MTV previously (that video for Up All Night both freaked me out and made me kinda hot for Geldof ), so I really wanted to see them. I was also into The Jam by this point too, so I remember being pissed and unclear as to why MTV, which did the full broadcast in the States, couldn't have started things earlier so as to catch all of the UK set. As such, those of us in the States missed many of the early sets including the Status Quo, Style Council, the Boomtown Rats, Ultravox among others. Was that 988987987th showing of a Hall and Oates video from three years ago reaallly that necessary right then MTV??

(Status Quo)


(The Style Council)


(Boomtown Rats)


(Ultravox)


I was also really excited to see U2 (yes, obviously, I had (have) a thing for Irish male singers). I'd also discovered them about a year earlier and had been playing The Unforgettable Fire non-stop ever since. Theirs was one of the memorable aspects of the day, as Bono jumped down to get a girl out of the crowd whom he saw was getting crushed by the crowd, then slow-danced with her while the band played on. They were supposed to play three songs and only wound up playing two because of it, but no one really seemed to mind.



There were some other pretty amazing moments...Tina Turner's wardrobe malfunction thanks to Mick Jagger, (scandelous!); The Who reunion and that damn technical glitch during "My Generation;" Paul McCartney playing live for the first time in forever and having the sound go out on the mic..

Townshend and Bowie and Alison were all standing there waiting for the signal to go on. They didn't know Paul's power was down and couldn't understand why he kept playing verse and after and never got to the chorus. 'I didn't know it was this long,' muttered Townshend.(Source)

Two things I do distinctly recall are how much better the UK lineup seemed, and how much more the UK crowd seemed to be into it (to me anyway). Proof positive of this was when Queen did "Radio Gaga."

It's been said that many artists were a bit miffed that Queen was playing Live Aid because they'd played Sun City in South Africa, a venue many artists refused to play in the 80s because of apartheid. "It's interesting, they [Queen] were the most nervous backstage. They'd been arguing, they'd been falling out...They thought Queen didn't matter anymore," said Bernard Doherty, Press Office for Live Aid. Queen then went out and promptly stole the entire show, which given the amount of talent playing that day, was not an easy feat. Even if you don't like the band at all, it's undenyable that Queen's performance was, without question, the most amazing one of the day. I know no matter how many times I see this performance, it still makes me break out in goosebumps seeing an entire 85,000+ population all in complete synchonicity over a song...."Every single person in the place was clapping along to 'Radio Gaga' and singing along," said Tony Hadley of Spandeau Ballet, "I was thinking 'Damn, I wish we had a song like that.'"



I did tape the whole thing and, given that the formal release of the DVD a few years back left out a bunch of good stuff because of copyright issues, am I ever glad I did. In talking to a few like-minded music dorks I know about Live Aid recently, it's amazing how many of us reported the same two memories: those of us who lived with parents were repeatedly asked by them, "Are you going to sit and watch that tv all damn day??," and we all recorded it. And, not surprisingly, every one of us have kept the tapes all these years later for reasons we can't really explain. Maybe it's because we know we were witness to something really special though; sometimes that's just reason enough.

...even though I recently acquired the shows on DVD, there is still a stack of VHS tapes in my attic somewhere that contain most of the broadcast in all its grainy glory. They've been packed and unpacked, moved and temporarily heaped in the junkpile more than a dozen times as I've moved around the country. But they've never been tossed. I won't lie: I've never watched them, but for some reason I just can't let go. Maybe I thought I'd want to show them to my kids, or pop them in some day to remind myself of a time when, despite all the other turmoil around the globe, the world was made aware of injustice and rose up together to try and make a difference. (Source)

The Henry Clay People Release Video for "Your Famous Friends," Open for SSPUs at DAR Tonight

The Henry Clay People are opening tonight for Against Me and Silversun Pickups at DAR (tickets still available here). Their down-to-earth anthemic rock and roll is always crazy amounts of fun to see live. (They go on at 7:30 tonight so get there early.)

Their new record, Somewhere On the Golden Coast came out last week and it doesn't disappoint. It's music great for driving real fast to, for dancing in your living room with friends to, for anytime you want to witness merriment come alive in you or your friends.

The band released the first video today from Golden Coast for the song "Your Famous Friends." The video mixes their tongue-in-cheek humor (the HCP have long dressed up like Ronald Reagan and played shows) with their not-so-famous friends. "It was shot by Ben Hoste out in front of our old rehearsal space in downtown Los Angeles," says singer/guitarist Joey Siara. "We got some of our buddies to put on some presidential masks and goof around on a hot spring Saturday. The real star of the video is our pal Fieron Santos who endured water balloons aimed at his crotch, hair caked thick with wet flour and a flying attack from Saddam [Hussein]. If making videos were always this fun then we would have a lot more."



Give a Listen:: Your Famous Friends-The Henry Clay People/ Buy Somewhere On the Golden Coast

Superchunk Announces Four Tour Dates

Superchunk doesn't tour as much as it used to but it seems their incredible 2010 SXSW performances may have roused the band's touring jones. While it's not a full on tour, they have announced four upcoming dates, including one at the CAT'S CRADLE in Chapel Hill, NC. Given that Superchunk is from there, let's just say that a) you should look at getting tickets right this second because it will sell out in minutes and b) wear something really lightweight because the Cradle will be packed to the gills.

They're also playing a festival in Omaha, NB which sounds worth the trip as additional acts performing include Old 97s, Spoon and The Faint, with more to come. Superchunk did a couple of new songs at SX, let's hope these aren't the only dates to come forth...

Superchunk Summer Tour Dates
May 21: Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC
May 27-29: Primavera Festival, Barcelona, Spain
June 19: Westword Festival, Denver, CO (with Dirty Projectors, Neon Indian, and others)
July 24: Maha Music Festival, Omaha, NB

Seen Your Video: "Nobody Told Me"-John Lennon

In honor of what would have been John Lennon's 69th birthday today, we give you one of our long-time favorites, since childhood in fact, "Nobody Told Me," from Lennon's solo collection. Interesting fun fact: Lennon had originally written the song for Ringo Starr to include on a solo record Starr was doing, but Lennon was killed before it could be used.

John Lennon - Nobody Told Me


Give a Listen: Nobody Told Me-The Flaming Lips

Stephen Colbert Welcomes Wayne Coyne & The Flaming Lips; Streams "Embryonic" on Colbert Nation Site Until 9/21

The Flaming Lips were on the Colbert Report last night, playing "Convinced of the Hex" off the new record, Embryonic (out 10/13). It sounds like Wayne and the boys got stuck in some 60s time warp with the Moody Blues and Ravi Shankar.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Flaming Lips - Convinced of the Hex
http://www.colbertnation.com/
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Protests

"Embryonic" is available for streaming in its entirety on the Colbert Nation homepage (left nav bar, above the "Upcoming Guest" block) from now until Monday, 9/21. (However, there may be a few problems: I couldn't locate any link so I checked the Flaming Lips' blog about it. There were comments that others saw no link as well, but one poster said he found it but it was missing the last three songs. Possibly a browser issue?)

Lead singer Wayne Coyne also sat down and chatted a bit with Stephen Colbert. Did you know that the Lips's song, "Do You Realize" is now the official state rock song of their home state, Oklahoma? Nice to see Governor Henry sports some top notch musical taste!

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Wayne Coyne
http://www.colbertnation.com/
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Protests

In Homage...

One of my favorite songs from the Jay Bennett era with Wilco...
Jay Bennett Dies at Age 45



(Thanks)

Seen Your Video: The Avett Brothers Cover Springsteen's "Glory Days"

When I first saw The Avett Brothers at the Monolith Festival in September, I wasn't sure what the fuss was about initially. But as I said after seeing them, Seriously, don’t let the “bluegrass” tag avert you, these guys bring the rock. The bluegrass is filtered through in ways you don’t even notice until you realize you’ve stopped breathing because you’re so overwhelmed by the beauty of their melodies.

And their lyrics! You know when you hear a snippet of a line and are so knocked out by it, you look up the whole thing? They have this song "Laundry Room" which is this combination of sensuality and anticipation and stirrings of amazing emotion...

Last night I dreamt all night long,
woke with a head full of songs....

I spent the whole day,
i wrote 'em down,
but it's a shame
tonight i'll burn the lyrics,
cause every chorus was your name...

Break this tired old routine,
and this time don't make me leave...

I am a breathing time machine,
I am a breathing time machine

So it's utterly appropriate that this band that weaves such beautiful lyrical imagery covers another of my favorites who does the same: Bruce Springsteen. I don't know if "Glory Days" would have been my first pick from the Springsteen cannon for them to cover ("The River" would be incredible...or "Beautiful Reward" maybe...or "Spare Parts" but slowed down, making it all the more ominous), but regardless, it's a place to start.



(Hat tip to Ryan for the link)

Silversun Pickups Talk About the Making of "Swoon"

Lots of strings on this one it seems...

MTV Shows

Seen Your Video: Two from Devotchka at the Monolith Festival 2008, Red Rocks, Denver, CO

During an interview with Earlimart awhile back, their drummer and I got to talking about video and whatnot. He said he discovered the Flip Video camera and found it was great during touring because it was so easy and versatile to use. Given the amount of video interviewing I've been doing, (yay to no transcribing), I thought it seemed like a good investment.

My first attempts with this new toy are below: two songs, "Queen of the Surface Streets," and "Last Beat of My Heart," from Devotchka's excellent set at the Monolith Festival last month.

Queen of the Surface Streets


Last Beat of My Heart
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