With their ninth studio album just released and a quarter of a century under their belt, Kurt Neumann and Sam Llanas bring their most exposed, vulnerable voices to the table with Mr. Sad Clown. The result is the perfect balance of beauty, sadness and raw realism that encompasses the changing realities of their lives.
If you have never seen Derek Trucks live, then you have no clue what is about to hit you. All innocent of face and with such a laid back stage persona that he would be invisible if it wasn’t for the spotlight beaming down upon him, Derek was sweating out a batch of new souled-out blues that kept you out of your seat and on your feet swaying for the entire set.
I am assured that peace will come to me,” Josh Ritter sings on “Lark,” a song that channels his inner Paul Simon on his newest album, So Runs the World Away. Before Ritter penned these tunes, the songwriter from Idaho suffered a case of writer’s block, but you can’t tell that he was struggling on his fifth full-length; because on these 13 tracks, Ritter sounds better than ever.
Newton Crosby/Wyllys/Kung Fu @ Mexicali, Teaneck NJ: 05/06/2010
Over the past few years, we’ve admired journalist Diana Costello’s writing for The Listening Room and the HeadCount Blog so we’re honored to present her first review for Hidden Track. Hopefully you’ll be seeing her much more of her work on this site in the coming months.
[All Photos By Eric Murray]
You know those nights where you’re just like, “Thank God I’m here right now!” Well, that’s absolutely how I felt Thursday as a continuous flow of outstanding talent took the stage at Mexicali Live in Teaneck, N.J.
Considering the lineup — Kung Fu with Wyllys and Newton Crosby [ed. note – Wade “Wyllys” Wilby is a Hidden Track contributing writer] — I knew it was going to be a good one. But the collaboration between bands and a surprise appearance by Jennifer Hartswick on trumpet kicked things up to the next level.
Newton Crosby started the night off right with some danceable grooves, proving that despite being newbies to the scene, they nevertheless know how to connect with an audience. The rhythm section kept things tight and funky, giving the guitar and keys a solid launching pad for improvisation.
READ ON for more of Diana’s thoughts on Thursday’s show…
The creators of liveween.com have teamed up with iClips to launch Ween TV – a portal that will broadcast a vast array of brown concert footage from throughout Ween’s career.
As you’ve probably read, the streaming service we used for Friday Mix Tape – Lala – will close on May 31 after the company was purchased by Apple. Current Lala
If you’ve caught Tea Leaf Green over the last six months, you’ve probably heard a number of the tracks that will make up the group’s new album, Looking West, which
Wayne Shorter Quartet – Philadelphia Museum of Art – April 23, 2010
Going to see the Wayne Shorter Quartet premiere a new commissioned piece penned by the legendary saxophonist is an odd occurrence. Certainly he is recognized as the greatest living jazz composer, but in fact his band, now celebrating its tenth year (a tenure largely unheard of in the jazz world) has long since moved beyond the concept of songs per se, addressing most performances instead with an organic, suite based approached that has more to do with spontaneous composition than written music, with the closest listening than the defined roles of piano, drums, bass and sax.
As an ensemble, Shorter, Danilo Perez, Brian Blade and John Patitucci are the world’s premier improvisers, delicate and dynamic, ethereal and explosive all at once. Two years ago Shorter wrote a piece for the Imani Winds, and their performances featuring the sax player held tightly to the written form; but to see the Quartet handle a new composition on their own more than piqued my curiosity and sent me running to the Philadelphia Museum of Art three hours before show time.
The commission for the Philadelphia Music Project, entitled Lotus, was a response to the museum’s varied collection and was to be unveiled as part of the free Live at 5 series, a bit surprising considering the world class talent involved and the small space that is used for these events, nestled at the foot of the museum’s main staircase. An hour and a half before the show began, the stairs and gallery above were packed with people, and by gig time, it was a hectic scene with a few thousand people crowded into the institutions first floor.
READ ON for more from Dan on the Wayne Shorter Quartet…
Tickets for psych-pop act MGMT’s Radio City Music Hall debut – set for August 17 – went onsale this morning and although tickets for that show are still available, a
Earlier this week the world’s greatest bar band The Hold Steady released their fifth studio album, Heaven Is Whenever, their first without long time keyboardist and mustache enthusiast Franz Nicolay.
