Widespread Panic and Yonder Mountain String Band are celebrating the New Year with two nights at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO, December 30 and 31. The New Year’s Eve
When we first heard that Peter Gabriel teamed up with electropop aces Hot Chip to record Vampire Weekend’s Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, we wondered how the track would turn out. Turns out they actually did a fine job of it. I’m sure Petey got a big kick out of singing his own name. [via Abeano]
Here’s a look at what else is happenin’ this week…
Finally, Neil Young absolutely kicked ass at the Garden on Monday night and his voice and guitar are still as powerful today as they were in his peak. Speaking of Neil Young’s peak, the trailer for the long-awaited Archives Volume 1 project came out yesterday. Check it out after the jump…
Every year around this time our partners at Glide poll your favorite artists on their tops shows, albums and experiences of 2008 along with predictions for the coming year. This year’s list of participants contains more outstanding acts than most major festival announcements including Mike Gordon of Phish, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Reed Mathis of Tea Leaf Green/Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Hardy of Dead Confederate and so many others.
[Photo by Adam Kaufman]
Keep your eyes on Glide tomorrow for all of the entries. To whet your appetite, here’s Ryan Stasik of Umphrey’s McGee’s picks for the Glide Magazine Best of 2008…
Best Album(s) of 2008
Skeletal Lamping – Of Montreal, Chinese Democracy – Guns n Fuckin’ Roses, Robotique Majestique – Ghostland Observatory
Favorite Song(s) of 2008
My favorite song of 2008 is from 1968. Just pick one!
Your Personal Favorite On-stage Moment/Show of 2008
Omega Moo’s show in Boulder CO, with Brendan, Jamie, and Darren…12-4-2008
Classic Album or Artist You Discovered This Year
Sparks, Lalo Schifrin, NKOTB (im sure I’d like it if I heard it)
Best Film You Saw This Year
Rediscovered Russ Meyer and all his works
READ ON for the rest of UM bassist Ryan Stasik’s Best of 2008…
2008 has been a great year for Phish archival releases and the year was capped off by last week’s surprise announcement that the legendary show from December 30, 1997 at
Jack Johnson and an assortment of musicians on his Brushfire Records roster pitched in to create a debut holiday album called This Warm December.
On the compilation, Money Mark contributes a quirky track called Stuck at the Airport. Mark is probably best known as the Beastie Boys’ longtime keyboardist. Aside from his contributions to the Beasties, he also tours and collaborates with Jack Johnson, and has released a number of impressive solo albums. Mark’s original material is filled with original and catchy tunes and a unique sound that’s tough to stick a label on. Money Mark shares his thoughts below about electric gingerbread guitars, Rudolph the stoned reindeer, and yummy apple cider…
Jack Spilberg: What do you want for Christmas?
Money Mark: I want a full size gingerbread Fender Telecaster guitar with a red licorice whammy bar- yummy!
JS: What’s better, naughty or nice?
MM: Ever heard of WWBD? “What Would Belushi Do?”
JS: Which do you prefer, real or fake Christmas trees?
MM: Fake aluminum Christmas trees mounted upside down on the ceiling- ha ha!
READ ON for more of Jack’s interview with Brushfire’s Money Mark…
Year after year, it is tough to top KINK.FM’s holiday benefit concert. Proving their station’s motto, “True To the Music”, the KINK staff outdid themselves once again. Christmas spirit, a kick ass silent auction and four headliners on the same bill, this yearly extravaganza is truly the show to see in Portland.
Start with the silent auction. Hundreds of items that run the gamut from a hand picked, 20 CD pack of KINK.FM artists to an electric guitar signed by John Mellencamp. Not your cup of tea? Spa treatments, autographed and framed concert posters, drum sticks, symphony tickets, hotel and resort stays. You get the picture. All done with great class and benefiting the Oregon Food Bank. This year’s take: over $23,000.00!!!
First up on the stage, the Bay Area’s Matt Nathanson. My first time seeing him, I was taken by his stage presence. Nathanson has an easy stage presence, relaxed and in control. Tossing one liners to the crowd while checking his tuning, he set up songs with phrases like, “This one is NOT about sex, it’s about ice cream”. He related a story about ‘Poop knocking at the Atlanta airport’ to introduce his wonderfully romantic song (up till I heard his explanation) song, Still.
READ ON for more from KINK-FM’s Holiday Benefit Concert…
Columbia Records is excited to announce that on March 17, 2009, Coheed and Cambria will release Neverender, The Children of the Fence boxset, a release that is possibly as ambitious
Major label expatriates and rogue rockers …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead announce a national US tour in support of their highly anticipated full-length – The
The Hold Steady have announced a string of dates, kicking off March 31 in Albany, NY. The band will perform at the House Of Blues in Chicago in January at
Alone II isn't the best release Cuomo has ever put out. Nor does it offer the best songs he's ever written. But for someone who has one of the strangest and notoriously guarded history in rock, it's exciting that he has become so open with his past. I only hope that Alone III isn't that far off.
