And here you were thinking the glory days of Arena Rock were long gone. The mullets have become a bit grayer and the lighters have turned into cell phone screens swaying high in the air, but the music has survived intact; for the most part. In fact, after listening to Styx slam-bang out a set of songs from their very successful past, it has actually gotten stronger.
Normally cover albums draw a lot of skepticism as they tend to be just excuses to pump an album out, which is usually comprised of shoddy renditions of popular artists's song. And the same could be said about Keller Williams and the Keels' new release, aptly titled Thief, if it were not for the oddly redeeming but sparkling choices presented in this collection.
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is excited to announce the newest addition to the 2010 lineup: the Lunar Stage. The stage will be set up outdoors and have a
!!! have announced the tracklisting and release date for their new album. Released in the UK on August 23 and on August 24 in North America, ‘Strange Weather, Isn’t It?’
KISS is unleashing another assault on North America with The Hottest Show on Earth tour starting on July 23. KISS will perform such classics as “Detroit Rock City” and “Rock
The final album made by former Wilco member Jay Bennett, is to be released as a free download. ‘Kicking At The Perfumed Air’ will be released on July 10 via
A curious song on Marco Benevento’s latest album, Between The Needles & Nightfall, entitled Music is Still Secret lends itself to an interesting musical perspective. It’s vague, but it’s also quite thoughtful. In fact, many musicians put forth the exact opposite corollary; that virtually all music has been played before (by men with wigs). The song says a lot – without saying anything – about Marco’s philosophies toward music and how he goes about it.
And he is philosophical, not in any overbearing or annoying way, but in the way he knows what works in order to keep it fresh for both him and the listener. So, what does that mean, music is still secret? It’s really a question that everyone should answer for themselves, but in the meantime, we’ll let you in on some advice for unearthing a response.
Playing Music
“If I played in the same band all the time, I think I would get so bored.”
Since propelling to improvisational glory with comrade Joe Russo as the Benevento-Russo Duo and subsequently Mike Gordon and Trey Anastasio as GRAB, Marco pulled a relative about-face. Whereas most artists would probably be tempted to ride out that wave of publicity, Marco chose to keep his artistic boundaries wide open and apportion time between a slew of bands including Bustle in Your Hedgerow, Garage a Trois, Surprise Me Mr. Davis, and of course, the Marco Benevento Trio.
READ ON for more of our feature on Marco Benevento…
You couldn’t blame Disco Biscuits fans for thinking the worst when the news came out that Jon “Barber” Gutwillig broke his wrist back in March, but two months later the
As Furthur prepares for next weekend’s Furthur Festival, the group has announced a pair of “live rehearsal sessions” on Monday and Tuesday night at The Palm Ballroom in San Rafael,
In our never-ending quest to dig up some great bands that cost less than a corned beef sandwich at Katz’s Deli, we bring you another round of Blips. Blips highlights some great bands that are largely still in their larvae stage, but will soon morph into their beautiful butterfly. In this edition, we have some really cool new music, so take a sec, poke around the bands’ various websites, and see what you think of these four under the radar acts…
I seem to have an affinity towards bands coming out of the Laurel Canyon-area these days. In the late 1960s and early ’70s the small neighborhood nestled in the Hollywood Hills above Los Angeles was the epicenter for the folk and country rock movement, and now, over the last few years, the area’s rich musical history is influencing a new generation of bands. The latest to dive head first into the pool is the L.A.-based act Truth & Salvage Co., whose sound impressed Black Crowes lead singer Chris Robinson so much that he decided to sign the band to his Silver Arrow label and produce their debut.
Splitting the songwriting duties between four people, the band’s doesn’t fall too far from the Crowes tree, leaning more on the vintage weed and whiskey sound of outlaw country, than Southern-fried rock and blues. Drawing influences from the likes of Waylon Jennings, Little Feat, The Grateful Dead and CSN – they arrive at some amalgam that’s firmly rooted in the past, that at times is rowdy rock, and others mellow laments. Truth & Salvage Co. will release their self-titled debut next week, and will head out on a lengthy summer tour that will includes appearances at Bonnaroo and High Sierra, as well several dates serving as the The Black Crowes’ opener.
debut next week, and will head out on a lengthy summer tour that will includes appearances at Bonnaroo and High Sierra, as well several dates serving as the The Black Crowes’ opener.
