Hidden Track

I have no idea as to the origin of this photo, but it’s one of the funniest Photoshop jobs in both music and political history…makes for good filler. “We got to this place, a joint, in Fort Worth, Texas. It was burned out, bombed out. The roof wasn’t even on the place any more. And […]

We’re doling out an added bonus with every post that stinks of blogger autofellatio, so allow us to present your reward up front: Saturday marked the seventh anniversary of the best second set in the popular rock band Phish’s 1999-2000 period, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention it. Simply seeing the […]

I learned at an early age to heed the sage advice of those two important wisdom dispensers that regularly preached “Don’t believe the hype.”

That strong warning from Chuck D and Flava Flav against getting caught in a rushing, gushing torrent of positive hysteria has often proven prophetic, but as it turns out after my virginal awakening last night at the Roseland Ballroom, My Morning Jacket is clearly the exception that proves the rule.

Jimmy James Incorporated (any Newsradio fans?) and the disgusting amount of hype surrounding the Louisville-based “post-jam” band blew through New York like Hurricane Gloria last night, and I’m not entirely sure of the last time I’ve exited a show with such a strong first impression or melted face: The caliber of their balls-to-the-wall, fuck-your-face rock from start to finish actually made my brain hurt from all the spastic headbanging I involuntarily enjoyed.

It must’ve been my morning blazer night at the Roseland as well, with more sport jackets per capita than any venue in the country. But the well-diversified crowd came to rock, and from the hot-out-of-the-gate opener to the 36-song encore, MMJ last night exhibited all the qualities that have just about every music blogger out there calling them the “best band in the country.” After that show, I can’t disagree, either because they were that damn good, or because I’m hurting so bad this morning I feel like Terri Schiavo over here…

I learned at an early age to heed the sage advice of those two important wisdom dispensers that regularly preached “Don’t believe the hype.”

That strong warning from Chuck D and Flava Flav against getting caught in a rushing, gushing torrent of positive hysteria has often proven prophetic, but as it turns out after my virginal awakening last night at the Roseland Ballroom, My Morning Jacket is clearly the exception that proves the rule.

Jimmy James Incorporated (any Newsradio fans?) and the disgusting amount of hype surrounding the Louisville-based “post-jam” band blew through New York like Hurricane Gloria last night, and I’m not entirely sure of the last time I’ve exited a show with such a strong first impression or melted face: The caliber of their balls-to-the-wall, fuck-your-face rock from start to finish actually made my brain hurt from all the spastic headbanging I involuntarily enjoyed.

It must’ve been my morning blazer night at the Roseland as well, with more sport jackets per capita than any venue in the country. But the well-diversified crowd came to rock, and from the hot-out-of-the-gate opener to the 36-song encore, MMJ last night exhibited all the qualities that have just about every music blogger out there calling them the “best band in the country.” After that show, I can’t disagree, either because they were that damn good, or because I’m hurting so bad this morning I feel like Terri Schiavo over here…

There’s nothing quite like finishing the long week after the Thanksgiving holiday — we’re a mere three weeks from Christmas and four weeks from New Year’s. But before you get all weekend aggro out there, check out these sexy links: George Harrison passed away five years ago this week. In honor of one of my […]

There’s nothing quite like finishing the long week after the Thanksgiving holiday — we’re a mere three weeks from Christmas and four weeks from New Year’s. But before you get all weekend aggro out there, check out these sexy links: George Harrison passed away five years ago this week. In honor of one of my […]

I’m not very technologically advanced. Sure I’ve got two blogs, a cellular telephone, a handful of DVR boxes and wireless Internets, but if technological stupidity were dirt, I’d cover a full acre or two. I’m clueless 99.44 percent of the time. So I recently coaxed my good friend over at Newmradio to create some podcasts with the Hidden Track audience […]

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for the unofficial kick-off to festival season, the 5th Annual Langerado Festival. We’re counting the days ’til March…

Recently I spoke with one of the festival’s founders and promoters, Ethan Schwartz, about all things Langerado. He filled us in on the origin of the festival, the difference between Langerado and other festivals where police presence has been increased, bands he’d love to see play in the future and so much more…

I was hoping I’d wake up and it would be Friday. Since that didn’t happen, why not spend this lovely Thursday discussing the best ever rock side projects. It’s not easy to come up with a perfect definition for side projects, but since this is a dictatorship, we will say that the band must have started while one of the band members was performing regularly with a larger act.

1. The Traveling Wilburys: One of the few supergroups that has actually produced material that was not only good when it was released but has grown on me even more over the years. If rock n’ roll were like professional wrestling, Petty, Orbison, Lynne, Harrison, and Dylan would be the Five Horseman and could kick any other teams ass. Plus, you gotta love that they skipped right over Traveling Wilbury’s Volume 2, releasing Volume 3 two years after the first record.

Please read on for the rest of The B List…and let’s hear your thoughts at the end.

Sound Tribe Sector 9 keyboard player David “Lars Ulrich” Phipps has started using his laptop for things other than music. Phipps recently used his band’s message board, The Lowdown (snicker), to rant against the torrent site Oink. Your best bet’s to take a moment and read Phipps’ complete open letter from The Lowdown site, but […]