Leonard Skinner, the most important gym teacher in the history of rock, passed away yesterday at 77 years of age in Riverside, FL. Skinner was a by-the-book educator who taught
Aimee Mann performing at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis, MN on September 14th, 2010.
what really makes this a fantastic effort is the delivery. Rather than just remaster their old stuff, the band chose to head back into the studio and re-record each song. Sure, it’s not the original version, but it was a genius move, as not only will passive fans get an excellent compilation of moe. tunes, but long-time fans get to hear new, fresh versions of those comfortable originals.
Although he’s still figuring it out what it means to be a New Englander, Ryan Montbleau can at least know he’s resilient. After ten years of steadily touring the Northeast, Monbleau has finally reached a pinnacle, calling 2010 a year that “I’ll remember for a long time.” The singer-songwriter/guitarist has just released his fourth studio album – the eclectic and plentiful Heavy on the Vine, produced by Martin Sexton.
Justin Townes Earle had a bad, bad time at Indianapolis’ Radio Radio last Thursday, which resulted in the singer-songwriter being arrested and sent off to jail. After his Sept. 16
In what might be one of the most in-demand shows to grace the Las Vegas Strip New Year’s Eve, Jay-Z and Coldplay have signed on to share the stage at
Five time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Buddy Guy, will release his new album, Living Proof on October 26th. His 11th Silvertone/Jive studio release marks
Karkwa was named the winner of the fifth annual Polaris Music Prize. This award, given to signify the best Canadian album of the year, was presented tonight at the gala
It’s been quite the year so far for psych-pop revivalists Dr. Dog with the release of their critically acclaimed, and quite possibly their best studio album to date – Shame,
2010 has been a year of big anniversaries: it’s been 15 years since Jerry Garcia graced the planet and ten years since Allen Woody’s ugly mug and gentle soul stood on a stage. Thankfully there are also some happy celebrations to be had, most importantly the birth of the greatest band that ever was, The Phil Lesh Quintet, featuring guitar giants Warren Haynes and Jimmy Herring, walking Grateful Dead encyclopedia and fearless pianist Rob Barraco, master drummer John Molo and one of the great band leaders of the last decade (even aside from the Q), Phil Lesh; and it’s no mystery all three events are closely intertwined.
While Bob Weir spent the years directly after Jerry Garcia’s death on the road with Ratdog, doing his best to keep the spirit alive, Phil Lesh hosted only a small number of Phil and Friends gigs throughout the late 1990’s, and those stayed in the Bay Area, including those Norcal characters one might assume; there was good music, but the shows were very much a family affair, intimate and loose. Prairie Prince and Steve Kimock were regulars, as were members of the David Nelson Band, but the truly noteworthy three night stand that shifted the whole balance of the improv rock world was of course the legendary Phil and Phriends Warfield run featuring Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell.
This meeting of musical minds broke down any barriers, real or imagined, between the two camps that occupied opposite aesthetic ends of the field of live music masters. The old guard was forced to admit the prowess and power of the still underground (despite their massive following) gurus of glowstick wielding masses, and those very figureheads were finally free to admit the influence and their love of Grateful Dead music, something they had been avoiding for 15 years in order to the constant and sloppy moniker of the inheritors of the Grateful Dead’s ethos. “Everything I do to get the title, but when they use it on me, I’ll reject it,” Trey had so often sung, but now he sang Robert Hunter’s lyrics too.
READ ON for more of this week’s Stormy Mondays…
