Hidden Track

If you saw Peter Bogdanovich’s brilliant documentary on Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers odds are you remember the 20 minutes he spent talking about Mudcrutch. Mudcrutch was Petty’s first band, which laid the groundwork for the Heartbreakers. 30 years later Tommy P has put the band back together to record a new album. The band […]

Over the past few days we’ve heard whispers that Pearl Jam would tour the East Coast in June, and today we finally got our dates. Eddie and the boys head out on June 11 for ten shows of their own, as well as a headlining gig at Bonnaroo. Kings of Leon and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists will split the opening duties. Tickets go on sale this Monday for Ten Club members, with public on-sales to follow shortly thereafter. Read on after the jump for the full list of dates.

After a major music festival hits you can always count on Largehearted Boy to compile all of the available downloads from said festie. Just check out their comprehensive 2008 SXSW Live Music Downloads and Streams page for music from A.A. Bondy to Yo La Tengo and all points in between. I can’t stop listening to […]

I gotta be honest I’m still burnt out from SXSW to really come up with something witty today. All those bands, all those panels, all those parties – it was exhausting. Oh wait I wasn’t in Austin, but it kind of felt like it from the wall to wall coverage detailing every second of the […]

Phil Lesh’s voice has always been the subject of debate amongst Grateful Dead fans. Some love hearing Phil sing, while others cringe anytime he steps near a microphone. Tonight, we get to see Lesh show off a different side of his talent, when he lends his distinctive growl to Comedy Central’s Lil’ Bush at 10:30 […]

In case you missed it earlier this week, the New York Daily News on Tuesday reported that R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe used his interview in April issue of SPIN to officially venture out from the closet. Again. I think. No? First time? I thought…wait, didn’t this happen two or three times already? Old news or […]

Last fall Gov’t Mule and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals teamed up for a memorable cross-country tour. It seems Grace and Warren must’ve hit it off, because they will be co-hosting the 2008 Jammy Awards at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on May 7. This isn’t the pair’s first go-around with the Jammys. Haynes […]

Over the past few years many bands have started to release series of live albums, such as moe.’s Warts and All collections, the Dead’s Road Trips and DMB’s Live Trax. I personally really dig Yonder Mountain String Band’s Mountain Tracks compilations. YMSB brings a certain energy to their performances that really shines through on disc. […]

No matter how much success a musician has found or how many sold out shows that person has played over the years, he or she should never forget what got them to the top of the mountain: the fans. The hard-working, 9 am – 5 pm fans who pay good money to attend shows, buy merchandise and, at least before the digital revolution, buy albums.

On Saturday night, my wife and I trekked up to the United Palace Theater in New York City to see Van Morrison, an icon and legend in the music world. The man has put out enough albums to fill a CD rack and has played the best venues around the world for the last 30 years. He knows what he is and the fans know too. He’s a musical genius. A guy with a voice so smooth and silky, it can hypnotize you. He’s funky and jazzy and has one of the most distinct voices in all of music. He is almost mystical. But he’s also clueless.

Fans, including my wife and I, shelled out anywhere from $80 to $350 for tickets and fees to see Morrison perform for a mere 92 minutes on Saturday night. The set was mind-blowing. A fusion of jazz, funk and rock with just enough lullaby to melt you into your seat, Morrison crafted a setlist of mostly newer material and selections from his forth-coming album filled with life and eclectic punch. It was a wonderful set of music. But it wasn’t enough. With a ticket time of 7:30 SHARP (The word SHARP actually appeared on the ticket), Morrison was off the stage and probably on his way to a nice steak dinner before most New York City concerts even get started. It was 9:02 pm and he was already giving a half-hearted bow to the crowd. Read on to find out why Luke thinks Van isn’t the Man…

Today marks the debut of yet another new HT once-in-a-while feature, Blips. Blips is our version of an emerging artists column where we’ll highlight some of the new (not Vampire Weekend) bands that have just started showing up on our radar that might just spark your auditory nerve.

We’re not seeking to turn on the hype machine, but rather just to pick out some bands that still only cost you five or ten samloleans for a solid night of fun. If you’re anything like me and know the URL for the IRS’s “Where’s My Refund?” site by memory, these might just come in handy.

Turbine

I caught Turbine at the Knitting Factory a couple weeks ago as part of a typical four band evening. I don’t even remember who we were there to see, but I do remember these guys. Upon hearing their name for the first time, they will probably catch you off guard as the name Turbine makes me immediately think trance-fusion, livetronica or whatever that shit is called these days, but it’s really a burning bluegrass-tinged guitar, an integral, festive harmonica, and versatile drums and bass. Upon seeing one live show, plowing through a few shows on the archive, and spinning through their MySpace page, you can quickly sense that this band is a group of creative songwriters with a love for a whole slew of genres.

There’s no mistaking that this band will evolve, because in just a short 3 years or so, they already have. They terrain covers bluegrass, country blues, straight-ahead rock, and yes, there is some Untz as well.

Read on for more Turbine, as well as three other new bands you need to hear…