Posts by Chad Berndtson

A few songs into Gov

You can’t fault The Pnuma Trio for its nerve: another keyboard-plus-rhythm-section jamtronica live album? Does the amorphous genre have room for one more, especially one that at first listen bears so much resemblance to the New Deal, Lotus, and the rest?

John Vanderslice has notched a hot streak of gems, including 2005’s Pixel Revolt. And then there is his techie jones: a tireless and self-professed production geek, as much enamored of a well-kept studio as he is of guitar strums and performance.

Filmmaker Lawrence Shapiro has shot Jam Cruise, Jazzfest, Hydra, Los Lobos, Bonnaroo and Phish’s IT and Coventry. His latest efforts were capturing the essence of Amsterdam’s Jam In The Dam.

At the Jammy Awards, the musical reach is broad and a sense of history is cherished. Not only that, but it's done so in an organic way that, despite similarities in intent, manages to pull off the type of shaggy genuineness that the museum-enshrinement theatrics of the Grammys and the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame just can't seem to nail.

Ten Silver Drops is a leaner effort than Nowhere, with an evidence of staying power, which none of us Machines freaks ever doubted. More importantly, Ten Silver Dropsis just frayed enough to suggest the trio is still just warming up, and their magnum opus may still await.

Black Wire posted a statement online that it doesn’t need a drummer

The Hidden Land drops in advance of a major year of touring for our beloved Flecktones, who didn’t perform together in 2005 but certainly found ways to occupy themselves, with all four members mounting successful side project jaunts. Hidden isn’t so much a comeback, as some observers have oddly termed it, but rather just picking up where they left off, possibly with a renewed sense of purpose and a sensibility that seems a bit more earthbound.

As far the Mule Year's Eve run went, this opening night was the meat-and-potatoes end of it: unglamorous and not entirely surprising in setlist, guest list and general delivery.

David Dodd’s initial work with the annotation of Grateful Dead lyrics first involved name checking certain references in “Ramble On Rose” and posting his findings on the Web. Ten years later, his remarkable scholarship has led to an absolutely essential book of the same name, “The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics.”