Archive: 2009

On Son Volt's new album, American Central Dust, Jay Farrar only plays an acoustic guitar, not its electric counterpart. The bandleader's choice of instruments is as much a direct reflection of the overall approach he applies to the album as the choice of label for which Son Volt debuts.  Rounder Records has become one of America's primary independent music distributors, largely by focusing on the folk, blues and country music that form the foundation of Farrar’s new songs.

The Shotgun is a monthly column of "Shotgun" CD reviews by Glide contributor Eric Saeger

In an era where technologically savvy producers can make even the likes of Katy Perry sound decent on CD, it’s always refreshing when an artist’s performance outshines their album. Such was the case with Jenny Lewis.

With each passing year, the annual Garden Grove Festival continues to grow in size and scope.  Hosted by touring powerhouse band Badfish, a Tribute to Sublime, the fourth annual Garden Grove Festival will be held Saturday July 25, returning to the 2500+ capacity Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, New Jersey for the second […]

Austin’s own …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead announce a headlining North American tour kicking off July 26th at Jelly NYC’s Summer Pool Party Series in Brooklyn, NY at the new Williamsburg Waterfront music venue. Look for the band on the festival circuit, making stops at All Points West on August […]

MGMT and Karen O are set to make guest appearances on the Flaming Lips’ upcoming double album, Embryonic, out December 29 on Warner Brothers. Says frontman Wayne Coyne, in an interview with a Swiss website, "We have MGMT doing a song with us and we have Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs doing a […]

On October 6, Merge Records will release Lou Barlow’s new album, Goodnight Unknown. In the four years since his career-redefining, mostly acoustic record Emoh, Lou Barlow has reunited with Dinosaur Jr. and reissued three of Sebadoh’s classic albums. But as the brilliant new Goodnight Unknown illustrates, he’s hardly living in the past. Borrowing the live-band energy of Dinosaur Jr. […]

[Originally Published 7/4/07] We’ve got an abridged version of GTA for this week’s edition — well, less words, more links. There’s something for everyone on the list of streamable shows from SugarMegs, all concerts played on the Fourth of July. Clever, no? Shut it. Talking Heads — 7/4/82 — Rock Werchter Fest, Belgium Jimi Hendrix […]

I totally forgot to mention in today’s Televised Tune – the column featuring television listings we started two years ago –  that Sundance will be showing the Wilco film Ashes of American Flags tonight at Midnight (EDT/PDT) as well as Saturday afternoon at 6PM (EDT/PDT). If you’re a Wilco fan and haven’t seen it, you’ll […]

I was recently at the Two Boots Pizzeria on Bleecker Street between Broadway and Lafayette when I saw a painted ice cream sign on their window. Seems that Two Boots has partnered with Max & Mina’s Ice Cream of Queens to make Cajun inspired flavors for their pizza locations.

As there are many people who read this blog that are annual JazzFest visitors, I have to say that I had the Banana’s Foster flavor and it was great. As you can see on the attached pic, Two Boots has even taken the extra step to suggest their custom slice->Max & Mina ice cream pairings. This is some good stuff, I may have to head out to Queens to check out the original Max & Mina’s in Kew Gardens which is at 7126 Main St, Flushing. I am always out there looking for new foodie discoveries…

Other goings on in the foodie-verse this week

With all of the new food trucks popping up, you knew something was brewing behind the scenes: The NY Times broke the story Tuesday afternoon: Six Arrested in Probe of City’s Food Vendors.

READ ON for more goings on from Jon…

Sundance teamed up with Brushfire Records to create a 45 minute documentary about the Kokua Festival in Hawaii, an event which raises funds for environmental causes, that will air on Sunday at 12:15ET/9:15PT. Look for performances by Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews and others. Friday, July 3 [all times EDT]: Genesis: When In Rome [Palladia HD […]

The days of Phish-related speculation being relegated to message boards and blogs seem to be over as local papers pick up on these rumors and run with them. We’ve got a couple of examples that popped up today. Most Phish fans are convinced that the band’s upcoming Halloween Festival will take place at one of […]

On his recently completed tour with Eric Clapton, iconic multi-instrumentalist Steve Winwood used his solo slot to perform a riveting version of Low Spark each night. Here’s a clip from the Hollywood Bowl… Steve Winwood – Low Spark of High Heeled Boys

For the third annual Stormy Mondays Fourth of July episode we have a monster Grateful Dead show closer from the very beginning of the legendary Europe ‘72 tour (4/8/72 at the Wembley Empire Pool in London), a weighty piece of psychedelic fogginess close to an hour long. An ethereal Dark Star stretches across a vast […]

If you’re not lucky enough to be at the Rothbury Festival this weekend at least you can follow the action from home. iClips has just released the schedule for their Rothbury webcasts and the lineup couldn’t be more varied. Ralph Stanley, Martin Sexton, STS9, Willie Nelson and Toots are among those whose sets are being […]

We’d like to welcome back Ryan Holiday for a look at how the music industry got to the point it is at as well as his take on how to save it…

With the music industry in such a shambles, young bands have the unfortunate duty of figuring out which way to take their careers. On the one hand, some bands are taking the traditional route of getting signed; other, less conventional musicians are trying to find innovative ways to sell their music on their own.

However artists go about eking out their livings, one primary problem remains: any way you look at it, no one is buying music anymore. How did the industry get to this point? The simplest answer is that we have all gotten greedy. Musicians bought into the idea of selling out arenas, dating supermodels and being on Behind the Music as the only benchmarks for success, while the industry brainwashed bands into thinking that major labels were the holy grail of a noteworthy career. The new, casual listener became king and instead of building a loyal following for acts through hard work, record labels began to strip-mine and water down the talent. The consumer? Well, he’s just looking for a deal. “Free” is everyone’s favorite four-letter word.

READ ON for an example of why the music industry is failing…

When Topaz McGarrigle still lived in New York, he was a fixture – in the clubs with Topaz (the band), sitting in all over the place, a general man about town who definitely had a lot to contribute to the city’s thriving jazz-funk and jam scenes. And while it’s not as though Topaz (the man) has faded away, he’s been gone from the Big Apple for about four years now. Consider your correspondent among those who misses the infectious spirit and thrilling improvisation he brought to once-regular, now-occasional Manhattan gigs.

A native Texan, Topaz moved back to the Lone Star state in 2005, and he’s now based in Austin with a revamped band, Mudphonic. Not only is the personnel different from his earlier, jazz-funk-heavy ensembles, but Topaz also added harmonica, guitar and vocals to his own trick bag. He’s no longer “saxophonist Topaz,” at least in the sense of describing everything the man does on record and on stage.

Mudphonic, a six-piece, has a greasier, swampier, more rocking sound than any band Topaz brought on the road in his New York days – as much tethered to roadhouse blues as the jazz-inflected funky stuff on which he made his name. Mudphonic’s debut album, Music for Dorothy, came out in 2008, and while Topaz has kept the band until now a principally regional affair – most tours in the South and Midwest with once-in-a-while forays to San Francisco, New York and other spots – he’s shopping for a booking agent and readying for the next Mudphonic record, as well as more national exposure.

Hidden Track caught up with Topaz in advance of his return to a New York stage tonight at Sullivan Hall. The full Mudphonic won’t be with him; instead, Topaz will play a late show with an all-star band consisting of himself, Joe Russo on drums, Mark “Tewar” Tewarson on guitar (from Mudphonic and also the original Topaz in 1998) and former ulu bassist Justin Wallace. Expect a special guest or two, Topaz warns – the last time he was in New York, over New Year’s Eve, Will Bernard, Eric Kalb and John Popper all made the stage.

HIDDEN TRACK: You’ve been gone from New York about four years, yes?

TOPAZ: It’s been almost four. My wife is from New York, so we get back a couple times a year, and I try to set up a gig or two.

READ ON for the rest of Chad’s conversation with Topaz McGarrigle…

[youtube]_dBVzKSZNCQ[/youtube] Elvis Perkins In Dearland – Chains, Chains, Chains

Over the years Rhino Records has earned a reputation as the home for fantastic vault releases, reissues, box sets and compilations. While we’ve been overjoyed with the high quality Grateful Dead and Phish releases the label has bestowed upon us, their next high profile release for obsessive music nerds comes this fall when they drop […]

San Francisco rock band, Tea Leaf Green is known for their incendiary, psychedelic rock shows and skillfully crafted songs.  Over the years, they have developed an alter ego band with the namesake, Coffee Bean Brown.  Coffee Bean Brown is known for playing impromptu shows that display their acoustic side while focusing more on singer/songwriter Trevor Garrod’s timeless songwriting skills.  These shows are special for the few Tea Leaf Green fans who attend and now they are offering one of their most intimate shows available with clear, crispy quality.