Posts by Nick Gunther

 The fact is that right now there is simply nothing stopping the Tedeschi Trucks Band.  If the current state of this band describes its immediate outlook for the future, the unit may be headed back to Swamp Raga to spend some time in the near future.  The Tedeschi Trucks Band is in a separate class of professionalism, and Everybody’s Talkin’ depicts that representation most effectively.           

The format of musical structure that represented Esperanza Spalding’s 2010 release Chamber Music Society is one that is centuries old.  It’s a presentation of music that had birthed itself in classical realms within a very intimate environment.  Originally Spalding was looking to release that record as a double effort alongside a possibly more familiar sounding arrangement, made available for an additional audience, but success has left time as a premium and that project would wait to unveil itself, until now in the form of Radio Music Society.

What differentiates Civil Twilight’s latest record Holy Weather from their debut record is a lesser fascination inside the storied characterization the lyrics set themselves within.  You could picture what was occurring in the minds of the musicians through what was presented, and it was exciting.

The heart monitor flatline in the opening of undun is more than an just an entry, it’s an exit and ending to a life that belonged to Redford Stephens, the poor-decisions-dictated-the-unfortunate-outcome-of-life type of identifiable character that The Roots’ 13th album is centered about.  In this detailed introduction, the reverse whirlwind that shifts from the piercing first note into the ghostly organ-driven lines leads up to a man’s final breath of air in a fast-paced adrenaline rush.

Nick Brown, lead singer and guitarist of the Nashville-by-way-of-Ohio-based rock group Mona, hasn’t broken a string in six months, but this evening at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia he’s already broken two in back to back songs; it doesn’t seem to bother him the least.  There’s an edge to Mona’s sound and band complexion, greatly elevated by Brown’s attitude and energy, comparable to The Clash’s Joe Strummer with a faint similarity in the style made public more recently by the Kings of Leon.

One of the most captivating musical characteristics of Esperanza Spalding is the way she uses her phenomenal voice as an instrument.  Her vocal presence appears to act as a guide at times for the pieces.  Communication is essential for musicians when performing together and when Spalding sings in a scat manner or just free-flowing, the sound seems to define what she is thinking right at the moment; something that can equally be translated from the other musicians onstage. 

 Chickenfoot III is a hint that the band is skipping through the second chapter, but if a quad level wants to be reached successfully, the collective might need to further define the musical mesh.  

A large thematic portion of The Wandas debut album appears to be focused around the idea of chasing after love, or quite possibly the missing out on that existence.  Listening to the instrumentation of the majority of this album, it wouldn’t be as apparent to interpret the lyricism as depressing matters; it nearly is disguised.   That could be viewed as a success in terms of expressing, or changing, that idea within the sound that makes up this band.   

World Wide Rebel Songs at its core resembles the structure of The Nightwatchman’s previous two records, but the sound broadens somewhat with the addition of more production instrumentals.

A common thread that can be drawn from any JBT show is the universal connection between the John Butler Trio as a group of musicians and the audience who equally share a passion for the music that is present.  What John Butler brings to every performance is a sacred offering that is unique to the crowd and the energy of that special moment, and Live At Red Rocks is a direct snapshot of that point in time.                  

Those who have been following the progress of The London Souls since their technical formation in 2008 know that their rise as a power trio has been hard fought through their steadiness to relentlessly tour all alleys of the New York music scene.  Nearly a year and a half after the recording of their debut album was complete The London Souls come through ready to document their official introduction.  In the time following album’s completion it’s as if the focus was geared to the performance and delivery of their sound in a way that could captivate fans through live shows, in any type of venue.  

Deep inside an electronic jungle there lies a creature with a personality that is characterized by the unique sounds that it spews into the atmosphere.  It’s those individualities that make up the sound of Swedish electro-jazz-pop quartet Little Dragon and the subtleties that keep their sound ever evolving within itself.  The band, whose identity was discovered through creative frustration, returns with their third album on Peacefrog Records titled Ritual Union, an album that works within the structure of diverse beats, yet explores beyond those boundaries extensively. 

Those who listen carefully and instinctively know when the soul of music has revealed itself.  It’s an honest fabric that can be sewn from a live performance or a single recording and can be sought out behind diverse layers in many different sound forms.  This summer, New York-based trio The London Souls, add to that vibration with the release of their debut self-titled record, produced by Ethan Johns at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Recently, Trixie Whitley took the time before a Black Dub show in Philadelphia at the Theatre of Living Arts to speak with Glide about Daniel Lanois, Black Dub and destiny

If her muse is a reflection leading towards her inner self, then Sarah Jarosz is an artist who has found her voice and fully brought it into life.

If Black Dub is the vehicle that has broadened listeners’ ears to the darker interpretation of untraditional dub, then Daniel Lanois is steady in the driver’s seat with lead singer Trixie Whitley as the co-pilot.

In his exploration of the limits of solo production, Pat Metheny’s last album, Orchestrion, succeeded at bringing together his own musical thoughts and combining them with technology to create an orchestra driven off of a singular input.  His latest project, What’s It All About, is a collection of acoustic covers of songs that have meant something to him, particularly in the early time period of his life where music was playing a more profound role. 

A summer staple, this year in its fourth annual installment, The Legendary Roots Crew hosted The Roots Picnic presented at Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing on Saturday, June 4th with an eclectic group of artists ranging from indie rock to jazz to the latest in the rap/hip-hop scene.

The 11-piece band that is the Tedeschi Trucks Band yielded an end product that combines both Derek and Susan’s individual styles yet opens the listener an unrestraint that could only be captured in this type of environment.

Running From a Gamble has some mellow points but the album is largely a swelling formation of poetic artistry that combine restricted forceful instrumentals with a “take me as I am, leave it all on the line” type of attitude.