Archive: 2007

Trailer Life is a catchy, happy release by the Drunk Stuntmen, an independent roots-rock band fronted by Steven M. Sanderson, and made up of eight or nine other seasoned musicians. What comes across when spinning this disc are the stories, experiences, and work that went into crafting these tunes.

On Long Island Shores, Smith pervades her distinctly gentle voicing amidst soft modern country ballads and light gales of folk-pop textures.

Following a January schedule spent flying coast-to-coast playing 6 already-sold-out shows, Cold War Kids have lined up a busy spring tour.   This coming Tuesday, January 9th, "Hang Me Out To Dry" will be the iTunes Single of the Week! COLD WAR KIDS TOUR DATES  01/10/07 New York, NY @ Pianos 01/12/07 Los Angeles, CA @ The […]

Neko Case will open four shows for country legend Merle Haggard in February, and then play a few of her own headlining shows later in the month. Case, primarily a solo artist, but one who has spent much of her performing time in recent years on the road with her ongoing side gig, The New […]

"Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, a steel guitar prodigy who rose to fame as one of the original members of the Flying Burrito Brothers, has died. He was 72. Kleinow, who also worked in film as an award-winning animator and special effects artist, died Saturday at a Petaluma convalescent home near the skilled nursing facility where he […]

Consumers will finally get the chance to own an iPhone, a mobile phone that plays iTunes and surfs the Web, electronics maker Apple said Tuesday. The device will retail for between $499 and $599. Company chairman Steve Jobs, speaking at the company’s annual Macworld expo, called the iPhone, which will be available in June, a […]

If you’re familiar with The Lefsetz Letter, you’re aware of the fact that this guy knows his shit, and he’s knows your shit. He’s the Roto Rooter of the music world, sifting through everybody’s shit and cleaning all the pipes. I’m a little late on this, but Lefsetz issued his 2007 Predictions last week, basically […]

Any of you Widespread Panic fans ever wondered what John Bell would sound like if he were a chick? That’d be pretty weird, but I bet someone has. Wonder no more, freaks, your answer has arrived. Jesse Sykes has been around for a few years now, even making New York Times critic Jon Pareles’ list […]

I’ve written about Tea Leaf Green coming to New York and flat-out flooring me so many times that I can’t even find a fresh angle with which to present the blistering 12/28 show at Mexicali Blues in Teaneck, New Jersey.

I guess I can talk about how I brought my snobby musician friend who previously had only unflattering adjectives to describe them, only to hear him whisper “I’m totally sold” a few songs into the proceedings. I can talk about the sweet, sweet venue and how it played the perfect host on a sold-out night. I can talk about the impossibly frenetic Wet Spot > Death Cake > Wet Spot that closed the first set, or the beautiful nod to the New York crowd in the wholly original Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues cover, or the utter evilness and sheer nastiness emanating from Josh Clark’s guitar in Bouncin’ Betty.

Mostly, though, I left the Mexicali show elated that TLG had successfully restored my faith in the band after two fairly mediocre shows in October (Irving Plaza and The Vic). I had written after the CBGB show in April that “TLG gets hyperbolically better every time I see them. Tighter. Looser. More Confident. They’ve got the swagger now. They don’t take a night off. They don’t take a note off.”

But whereas I had begun to re-evaluate the above stream of thought after those two shows in October, I walked out of Mexicali Blues that night as committed to their present and their potential as I’ve ever been. This show proved exactly why this band is one of my favorite touring acts in the country today.

With my faith now restored, I can now in good conscience present this sick photo gallery from the show, courtesy of our crafty friend Ted Wong…

After a couple of short weeks, we’re back to the grind with a full week of action. Don’t think of it as more work, think of it as more Hidden Track. To start you off on the right foot, here’s a handful of links to keep you occupied: Cold Turkey’s Benji Eisen and Mike Greenhaus offer us […]