Lake Trout has grown to become a mature, focused band of rock careerists. The classic rock seeds of their youth and the jazz and hip-hop flavors of young adulthood merged with electronic inspirations, providing the the ability to weave those digital threads into ghostly indie rock.
The mid-1970s represented a particularly busy studio period for the Grateful Dead, and on March 7, Rhino will continue its Dead reissue program with the release of five studio titles from this period, each remastered and expanded with outtakes and/or concert recordings.
The trip down memory lane begins with 1973’s “Wake of the Flood,” the first album released on the band’s then newly established Grateful Dead Records label. It was also the first album to feature Keith Godchaux on keyboards. Making the new version a little more special is a previously unreleased live take of the album’s “Eyes of the World,” an acoustic demo of “Weather Report Suite” and studio outtakes of “Prelude/Part I/Part II” and “China Doll,” a song that would appear on the band’s next release.
The next year’s “From the Mars Hotel” is considered one of the better Dead studio sets. Its notable tracks include “China Doll,” as well as “U.S. Blues” and “Scarlet Begonias.” A live version of the latter is added to the reissue, along with concert takes of “Money Money,” “Wave That Flag” and “Let It Rock.” A studio outtake of “Loose Lucy” and acoustic demos of “Pride of Cucamonga” and “Unbroken Chain” also appear.
The 1975 album “Blues for Allah” appeared amidst long break from the road, and the dividends were evident in the recordings. Joining such favorites as “Franklin’s Tower” and “Crazy Fingers” are a half-dozen instrumentals captured during the studio sessions.
A return to touring left little time for the studio, so it wasn’t until 1977 that “Terrapin Station,” the Dead’s first album for Arista, appeared. It was the first album since 1968’s “Anthem of the Sun” to find the band working with an outside producer, in this case Keith Olsen, who had worked with the Byrds and Fleetwood Mac.
The album included Bob Weir’s venerable “Estimated Prophet” and a version of the Motown staple “Dancin’ in the Streets.” In its reissued form, “Terrapin” pairs instrumental outtakes of “Peggy-O” and “The Ascent” with studio outtakes of “Catfish John,” “Equinox” and “Fire on the Mountain,” as well as a live recording of “Dancin’ in the Streets.”
Completing this volley is 1978’s “Shakedown Street,” which was produced by Little Feat’s Lowell George at the Dead’s own studio, located in San Rafael, Calif. Rarities added to the original lineup include an outtake cover of the Olympics’ “Good Lovin’,” a staple of the Dead’s live set through the years. Also added are live versions of “Ollin Arageed,” “Fire on the Mountain,” “Stagger Lee” and “All New Minglewood Blues.”
There’s been no word if the surviving members of the Dead will mount any sort of tour in 2006. At deadline, the only thing on the books is a run of Phil Lesh & Friends shows that the Dead bassist will stage in New York (Feb. 10-12, 14-15, 17-19), Providence, R.I. (Feb. 21-22) and Philadelphia (Feb. 24-26).
Weir’s Ratdog is expected to tour in the spring, and it’s possible more will be heard from SerialPod, the group drummer Bill Kreutzmann formed with former Phish members Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon. The trio played a few late 2005 shows and Kreutzmann’s Web site says only to stay tuned for more info.
Source billboard.com.
Gritty singer/songwriter Will Hoge and his band begin a 3-month, 56-city tour of the U.S. and Canada on January 26.
The road trip comes in support Hoge’s upcoming album, The Man Who Killed Love. Known for his working-class, soulful rock
Originally scheduled to be handed out at a Feb. 6 ceremony in Los Angeles, the inaugural New Pantheon Awards have been bumped to an as-yet-undetermined date in March.
“We’ve decided to reschedule the inaugural event for the New Pantheon awards to give us greater opportunity for reaching our goals of making the best show possible,” organizer Tom Sarig said in a statement. “Rescheduling to March 2006 will in effect allow us to achieve the vision we set out to accomplish.”
The New Pantheon Awards aim to continue the mission of the now-defunct Shortlist Prize in recognizing noteworthy albums that have sold less than 500,000 copies in the United States.
The 10 finalists for the award are Animal Collective’s “Feels” (Fatcat), Antony and the Johnsons’ “I Am a Bird Now” (Secretly Canadian), Fiona Apple’s “Extraordinary Machine” (Epic), the Arcade Fire’s “Funeral” (Merge), Bloc Party’s “Silent Alarm” (Vice/Atlantic), Death Cab For Cutie’s “Plans” (Atlantic), the Decemberists’ “Picaresque” (Kill Rock Stars), Kings Of Leon’s “Aha Shake Heartbreak” (RCA), M.I.A.’s “Arular” (XL/Beggars Banquet) and Sufjan Stevens’ “Illinois” (Asthmatic Kitty).
The albums were selected by a panel of listmakers that includes Elton John, Elijah Wood, Beck, Margaret Cho, John Legend, Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, Keith Urban, Ric Ocasek, Shirley Manson, Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda, Suzanne Vega, Dave Matthews and Keith Urban.
Source billboard.com.
Jenny Lewishas booked a headlining tour in support of her debut solo album, Rabbit Fur Coat, with a month’s worth of dates starting in early March.
The Rilo Kiley frontwoman will be backed by the Watson Twins, a pair of Kentucky-born sisters Lewis recruited for the album.
The trek launches March 4 at Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco. She’ll wind her way all around the country, wrapping back home in Los Angeles April 1.
Prior to the tour, she’ll do three early February dates in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City.
Before completing her solo record, Lewis spent several months last year on the road with Rilo Kiley, including a North American support stint for Coldplay.
Source pollstar.com.
Having ventured more than 3000 miles for my last New Year’s extravaganza, I decided a more local approach would suit the bill to ring in 2006. By the night’s end I was in no way disappointed, and in fact I was pleasantly surprised. I live in the heart of a wonderful city (Portland Oregon) and spent my New Years Eve traversing three separate gathering/parties and dancing at one joyous local concert that matched up two local musical staples Asbury Park and Big Island Shindig.
Heavy Ornamentals, the eighth album from The Gourds, contains thirteen new songs that are full of the classic Gourd elements – enigmatic lyrics, soaring melodies and an unfettered sense of musical freedom.
Toubab Krewe truly breakdown all genre barriers and have created their own sound, as they call it, “Afro-Cowboy-Ninja-Surf-Music”. When you catch them live you will call it a blast.
The Strokes will begin a spring U.S. tour on March 3 with a hometown show at New York Hammerstein Ballroom. According to the band’s Web site, a five-week theatre outing will run through April 11 in Minneapolis, with more are expected to be added.
The quintet is also rumored to be playing the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in late April in Indio, Calif. “I loved it when we played it last time [in 2002],” guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. tells Billboard.com. “Absolutely loved it. It was one of the coolest festivals. No offense to American festivals, but it felt very European. It’s outdoors but it’s warm, which is so important.”
The Strokes will be out in support of their just-released third RCA studio album, “First Impressions of Earth,” which debuted earlier this month at No. 4 on The Billboard 200.
Before the U.S. run, the band will be in the United Kingdom for an 18-date tour that begins tomorrow (Jan. 24) in London.
Here are The Strokes U.S. tour dates:
March 3: New York (Hammerstein Ballroom)
March 6: Nashville (Ryman Auditorium)
March 8: Atlanta (Tabernacle)
March 10: Kansas City, Mo. (Uptown Theatre)
March 11: Tusla, Okla. (Cain’s Ballroom)
March 14: Austin, Texas (Stubb’s Barbeque)
March 15: Houston (Verizon Wireless Theater)
March 17: Grand Prairie, Texas (Nokia Theatre)
March 19: Denver (Filmore Auditorium)
March 21: Meza, Ariz. (Mesa Amphitheatre)
March. 24: San Francisco (Concourse)
April 2: Portland, Ore. (Roseland Ballroom)
April 4: Seattle (Paramount Theatre)
Apri 7: Chicago (Aragon Ballroom)
April 8: St. Louis (Pageant)
April 10: Milwaukee (Eagles Club)
April 11: Minneapolis (Orpheum Theatre)
Source billboard.com.
Canadian singer/songwriter Sarah Harmer will begin a North American tour Feb. 2 in Buffalo, N.Y. The 32-date run will include a March 17 performance at the South By Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, and will close April 16 in Santa Monica, Calif. The Shiftless Rounders will support through a March 4 show in Pittsburgh.
Harmer is touring in support of her third solo album, “I’m a Mountain,” due Feb. 7 via Zoe/Rounder. As previously reported, the set boasts 11 songs, including first single “I Am Aglow” and a cover of Dolly Parton’s “Will He Be Waiting for Me.” The disc was released in Canada in November and will come out March 6 in Europe.
Here are Harmer’s tour dates:
Feb. 22: Buffalo, N.Y. (Town Ballroom)
Feb. 23: Burlington, Vt. (Higher Ground)
Feb. 24: Boston (Paradise Rock Club)
Feb. 25: Newmarket, N.H. (Stone Church)
Feb. 27: Northampton, Mass. (Iron Horse)
Feb. 28: Alexandria, Va. (Birchmere Music Hall)
March 1: New York (Canal Room)
March 3: Philadelphia (World Cafe Live)
March 4: Pittsburgh (Dowes)
March 7: Carrboro, N.C. (Cat’s Cradle)
March 8: Greenville, S.C. (The Handlebar)
March 9: Asheville, N.C. (The Grey Eagle)
March 10: Nashville (Exit/In)
March 11: Decatur, Ga. (Eddie’s Attic)
March 13: Louisville, Ky. (Headliner’s Music Hall)
March 14: St. Louis, Mo. (Blueberry Hill)
March 17: Austin, Texas (Momo’s South By Southwest)
March 27: Ann Arbor, Mich. (The Ark)
March 29-30: Chicago (Schuba’s Tavern)
March 31: Madison, Wis. (High Noon Saloon)
April 1: Minneapolis (Fine Line)
April 4: Thunder Bay, Ontario (Thunder Bay Community Auditorium)
April 5: Winnipeg (Westminster United Church)
April 6: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Knox United Church)
April 8: Calgary, Alberta (Knox United Church)
April 10: Vancouver (Stanley Theatre)
April 11: Victoria, British Columbia (Alix Goolden Hall)
April 12: Seattle (Tractor Tavern)
April 14: San Francisco (Cafe Du Nord)
April 15: Los Angeles (Knitting Factory)
April 16: Santa Monica, Calif. (McCabe’s Guitar Shop)
Source billboard.com.
