Archive: 2009

Def Leppard, Poison and Cheap Trick performing at the Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, VA on Sunday, July 12th, 2009.

For those who maybe questioning White’s choice to play drums, don’t, the skins are pounded with power and precision.

Wilco have announced a string of North American dates set to kick off this fall in Iowa City, IA. The band are on the live trail in support of their self-titled album which came out via Nonesuch last month. As previously reported, former guitarist Jay Bennett died of a drug overdose in May. The dates […]

Kyle Hollingsworth Band (featuring Dave Watts of The Motet -drums, Garrett Sayers of The Motet -bass, and Dan Schwindt -guitar) tours Midwest and West Coast States this fall in support of Hollingsworth’s new album release.  Brushfire Records recording artist Zach Gill (ALO, Jack Johnson) joins Hollingsworth for the October run of West Coast dates and […]

French rock quartet Phoenix will indulge music fans and critics alike with a highly anticipated fall U.S. tour after they sold out select dates across North America earlier this summer. The tour will take the band from the Monolith Festival at the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver to NYC’s Central Park Summerstage to Austin […]

The Disco Biscuits have announced 30 performances to lay the groundwork for their Fall 2009 tour dates. “The Planet Anthem Tour” will feature nearly non-stop touring this fall, in support of the band’s forthcoming release of the same name. In addition to some weekend-based 2-night stands, “The Planet Anthem Tour” will see The Disco Biscuits […]

The first 7 Worlds Collide album, a collection of amazing musical talents from across the globe in aid of Médecins Sans Frontières, was a unique live performance experience, fusing the varied talents of a stellar cast across a range of cover versions to create a series of shows that culminated in the live album of […]

Exactly one month ago, on June 29th, I attended a concert in Wellington, New Zealand. The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra performed to a sold-out hometown crowd in one of the country’s most acoustically-pleasing auditoriums, The Michael Fowler Centre, and they blew the roof off the place. Yes, this 12 member, 11-ukulele-ensemble actually blew the roof off the mutha. Eleven ukuleles and one double bass. Yes, that’s right- 11ukuleles. I feel icky just typing that. The ukulele. The red-headed stepchild of the acoustic guitar. Eleven of them on stage at the same time and I actually liked it? Maybe I’ve been in New Zealand too long…

[All Photos by Matt Mueller]

I think its fair to say the ukulele has never been one of my favorite instruments. If I were asked two months ago to come up with a top ten list of my favorite musical instruments, ukulele might rank 37, just behind the French horn. But in the hands of these skilled ukeists (ukeleists? Ukelers?) this four-stringed-mandolin-wannabe not only becomes a pleasing instrument, but an impressive one. (You can see why its taken me a month to write this review- I’ve been struggling with such conflicting internal emotions. Someone hold me.)

The WIUO (as they will henceforth be referred to… since I’m into the whole brevity thing) were founded about 5 years ago in Wellington, New Zealand. The twelve member group play an unusual combination of modern hits, classic rock, kiwi standards and original compositions. In New Zealand, the band is pretty well known, thanks in no small part to a devoted hometown following, many high profile performances, two albums, and the recent success of founding member Bret McKenzie (yes, that Brett. Brit? Briiit.) Internationally, this “international” orchestra has yet to make a very big mark. However, if they continue to play shows like this one, all of that could change. READ ON for more of Neeko’s Uke-tastic review…

Last Week’s Sauce is a recurring column featuring recordings of shows that took place the previous week. Thanks to H20 for the photo.

Artist & Title: The Brew – Seen It All
Date & Venue: 2009-07-25 Rock & Blues Cruise, Boston MA
Taper & Show Download: Mike Salvo

Leading off this week is the first track off The Brew’s 2008 release Back to the Woods. The Brew next play this Saturday at the Wellfleet Beachcomber in Cape Cod.

READ ON for more tracks from the likes of Steve Kimock and Wilco…

Seems fitting for the occasion… U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday (Live at Red Rocks)

Each Sunday in August, starting this Sunday, a group of talented musicians led by virtuosic guitarist Tim Palmieri will perform the entire Beatles catalog in alphabetical order at Daniel Street in Milford, CT. The idea came from a jam Palmieri and mandolin wiz Sean Miller had back in 2006 on Dear Prudence. Sean was teaching […]

Having supported The Flaming Lips and Raconteurs in recent years, psychedelic rock band Birds Of Avalon indeed have an uncanny ability to make retro sound relevant again on Uncanny Valley, especially on the short but punchy “Side Two” but up the ante on the heady “I Never Knew” and the vibrant “Eyesore” thanks to the guitar work of husband Paul Siler and wife Cheetie Kumar.

Churning out their self-described "Creepfunk," a high energy, danceable variety of funk – one uniquely laced with electronic and improvisational sensibilities – the Madison-based five-piece band Steez has and teamed up with Mason Jar Records to produce the band’s full-length studio debut, Creepfunk Crusade.  The CD is set for release on August 13, 2009 via all major internet […]

The book truly is the story of the path leading to the event as we’re 170 pages into the story before we reach the morning of August 15, 1969. It’s all good reading, though. It doesn’t matter if you’re one of the several million who claim to have rolled in the mud at Woodstock (actual crowd estimates still bounce between 450,000 and 500,000), you’d still have no way of knowing all the amazing events that led up to the most famous 3 days of music the world has ever known. (Digging a series of new wells on Max Yasgur’s farm and laying out 14 miles of water pipe was just one little detail.)

This DVD features a great band making a great documentary about a great tour. Of course, it documents many of the amazing feats of the Somewhere Back in Time tour which found Maiden playing 23 shows in 45 days on five continents (sadly, they didn't get to Antarctica).

Former member of eclectic hip hop group Deltron 3030, Eric Sans, best known under his stage name Kid Koala, has garnered quite a bit of attention within the DJ scene with his innovative turntable manipulation and use of unusual sampling. Now he is collaborating with ex-members of Wolfmother and DJ Dynomite D in a limited […]

Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions, Hope Sandoval’s project with former My Bloody Valentine drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig, have announced a readjusted release date of September 29th for their highly anticipated album Through the Devil Softly, as well as cover artwork for said album (on the right), and U.K. tour dates for Fall 2009 (U.S. […]

A sign broadcasting this word hung on the studio wall while Ben Knox Miller, Jeff Prystowsky, and Jocie Adams, the three members of The Low Anthem, recorded Oh My God, Charlie Darwin. A Hebrew expression taken from John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, the word literally means “thou mayest.” The translation implies that there is some choice involved in whatever matter is at hand: thou may or thou may not. The Low Anthem’s speedy evolution from a local Providence, Rhode Island band with a grassroots attitude to international critical darlings hints that a lot of people have collectively decided The Low Anthem may.

Philadelphia psych-rock quintet Dr. Dog has signed with Anti- Records, and plans to release a new LP in early 2010, the label announced today. The band also announced 28 North American tour dates, beginning July 31 in Portland, Ore. and ending Oct. 24 in their hometown. Dr. Dog’s previous albums have been self-released or on […]

I just finished putting together today’s posts for YEMblog – a site that compiles all the new Phish-related content on the web – and there were a few items I felt should be shared with the HT readership as the countdown to the second leg of Phish’s Summer Tour heads towards zero. First up, the […]