Peasant, Bones Premier Fox

Painting Gauche and color pencil by artifact, me

Peasant's, music will be exposed to a large audience tonight on the season premiere of Fox's television show Bones. The song featured is "Raise Today," which is one of my favorites from his recent release On the Ground. I am not a big television fan but know how important TV placement is for musicians to have a viable shot at making a living. In another music climate Peasant's music would have airplay and immediate traction. So cheers, Peasant on your debut! MySpace My Review of On the Ground *this is the only time I will mention the Fox network (Fox Virus) positively.

Felice Brothers new video tour Deer Tick

The Felice Brothers US headlining tour with Deer Tick. Now that's the kind of line-up I like! Gritty, homespun Ecstasy.

"FRANKIE'S GUN"

The Felice Brothers "Wonderful Life"mp3 The Felice Brothers Daytrotter live sessions free mp3's Weary Men Rejoice, And Drink (words; Sean Moeller) Deer Tick Daytrotter live sessions free mp3's A countryside Of The Gathered And Scattered And Splintered Wood People (words; Sean Moeller)

Viking Moses, Golden Ghost, Wildebeest, Garage Show

The Naideau shows have been a mainstay for the past few summers. This is where music is appreciated garage style. An oriental carpet darn the stage area, and Christmas lights and snow shovels embellish the walls. They book great touring bands and mix it up with local bands and returning musician friends. I missed the host’s new outfit tentatively named "Your Birthday" but was there to hear Sleepwall’s short energetic set. They integrate rock riffs with punk force and have an awesome drummer. Viking Moses and his tour partner Golden Ghost (Laura Goetz) had a nice night at The Cake Shop with the backing of a full band but ended their full summer tour appropriately in a garage filled with music connoisseurs. I, unfortunately, arrived to hear only two songs by Golden Ghost. She plays electric guitar and has a distinctive voice, similar to a softer Joanna Newsome with a bluesy austere resonance. Her experimental song structures meander into the unexpected. I’ve had more time to appreciate her eccentricities in her self-produced Fauna of Mirrors! Viking Moses’ (Brendon Massei) music really appeals to me. Leonard Cohen on crack comes to mind. His low voice can be soft, emphasizing his storytelling, but he brings songs to life with dynamic hard-core vocals that project a Missouri drawl of soulful fervor. Joined by Laura Getz on the keyboard, Brandon played electric guitar fashioning an echoing style of eerie and abrupt leads of striking simplicity. He played mostly new material giving the crowd a first live run-through. I loved a new one he introduced as “Rough Rider.” It had a continuous beat that he induced hitting the electric guitar between leads. When asked for requests, the audience of young, attentive garage huggers was familiar, and he was accommodating. Since age fourteen, Brandon has taken his non-commercial art on the road, going it alone with little financial reward. At age twenty-nine, he retains his youthful exuberance and affirmative spirit to continue his minstrel lifestyle and openness to share music. He reminds me of another beloved troubadour David Dondero. It was great hearing his music for the first time, and I was immediately taken by his authenticity and captivating music. Just can’t shake it. Awesome!

The night continued as Wildebeest started his set, asking all to follow him into the back woods of the property. In the dark, we listened to a 12-minute poetic speak / song rant with guitar picking and harmonica. After catching our breath, he played three great new songs. He took requests but forgot all the words “Living and Dying” from the incredible out-of-print Motion and Language. He luckily remembered “Host and Hostage” and ended with “Animals In the City.”

I wasn’t the only person listening who has savored every release, EP, or demo Matthew Winn puts out. He might have left them behind, but his recordings live on. We were all grateful to hear him. Wildebeest has taken a personal renaissance from touring. His creative growth has only made him stronger as a performer. Flickr

Viking Moses Video!

Golden Ghost Video

Viking Moses is Scheduling dates for a Fall tour to promote his new release, The Parts that Showed, due out before Halloween.

o'death "Lowtide" MP3 Rules

WOW!!!! OK, I knew that o'deaths new recordings from their soon-to-be-released Broken Hymns, Limbs & Skin would be phenomenal, and they are!! With the help of producer Alex Newport, o'deaths amazing live feel is transported with precision and urgency. The authentic quality and robust muscular instrumentation are not lost here. The subtleties on this featured song, "Lowtide" only emphasize the level of intensity that ensues. Proof. Here Recently signed to Kemado Records (North America) City Slang (Europe)

Touring Musicians Vote Absentee Ballot

I thought this was an applicable post considering bands are on the road and on tour and might not have registered to vote. Many will not be in their home state during the general election. What to do? Every state has a different deadline for voter registration, most in Early October. Time is running out! You must register first before applying to receive an absentee ballot. Every state has an absentee ballot form. There isn’t a general form. WEB Search: Absentee ballot followed by your state example: ABSENTEE BALLOT NY I know that you are all busy but you have very little time to get this together! I will be voting for Barack Obama! I believe he can win only if young voters come out in force. Many are in college or are not living in their home state on Tuesday, November 4th. I am concerned with this election and its outcome. Many feel that their state is already leaning towards one candidate or another and that their individual vote won’t count. Many more are cynical about the process. I don’t blame you.  I urge you to take the time to do this!

Langhorne Slim Daytrotter encore

Langhorne Slim’s awesome encore session is up on Daytrotter and is a sweet free download. Featured are three from the new self-titled release and two unreleased songs. So enjoy and get a feel of the live sound. Missing are the visuals of Slim's performance style, which is full of charismatic swagger, guitar straddling, and facial mannerisms. His fastidious attention to showmanship is also seen in his dapper attire, but this down-home session between tour stops is described in all its sweaty grimy glory. Read the free-flowing word impressions of the session by Daytrotter founder Sean Moeller entitled: “Sweat That They Have Is Sweat That They Give, All Along The Way” Daytrotter download page

"Colette," "Diamonds and Gold," "Nobody But You," "Rebel Side of Heaven," "We Love The Animal

Willy Mason, The Felice Brothers, Unplugged, Newport Folk Festival

The Newport Folk Festival is a beautiful setting for an outdoor event. Rain usually doesn't affect the amplification, but the power was turned off because of lightning. Willy Mason made an impromptu decision to do the set unplugged with the help of his family. The Felice Brothers followed suit, the footage tells it al

  

Video: Our Stage.com

The incredible barefoot and muddy footage of The Felice Brothers

NPR Live Streams of Jim James, Gillian Welch, She and Him, and others Check labels for related articles about Willy Mason and the Felice Brothers

Langhorne Slim and The Felice Brothers @ McCarren Pool

The Rain was not going to deter me from seeing Langhorne Slim. Did some quick thinking and brought some garbage bags from the Brooklyn renovation site I was working at earlier in the day. Deertick canceled due to a flight delay, still have yet to see them live but a must-do! The expansive sound of Langhorne Slim and the War Eagles (Malachi DeLorenzo drums and Paul Defiglia Stand-up bass) in an outdoor space were welcome. Relentless touring has amplified Langhorne’s robust voice. His ease and charming manner are felt immediately. Rather than drenched in rain, I was soaked with affection. The soulful grip of his passionate timbre dripped over the wet receptive crowd. They performed an awesome two-for-one combo of “Mary” with “Cut It Down,” a hidden live track on Electric Love letter EP. Also playing “Restless,” “Hello Sunshine,” the great raucous “Set Em Up,” Hummingbird,” and “Diamonds and Gold” from their self-titled release, and the infectious unreleased “We Love the Animals.” "Hummingbird" was a highlight. Unaccompanied, Langhorne was not alone, he had everyone’s attention. Ending the set with “Diamonds and Gold,” the crowd smiled and swayed as the hazy sun peeked through the clouds that felt like a rainbow. Langhorne can charm, and the War Eagles can jump-start any crowd with their tight-quality performance.

I enjoyed The Felice Brothers opening for Bright Eyes at the big expansive Radio City Music Hall, but they are even more engaging close-up. Their homegrown street theater style is much rougher around the edges. I like the communal staging and switching of focus between all the players, including the theatrical antics of drummer Simone Felice. James Felice on accordion is a big presence not to be forgotten. Starting with “Roll on Arte,” Ian Felice’s rough and earthy voice was a gritty delight. “Whiskey in my Whiskey” and “Radio Song” was the warm-up! Craig Farley, fiddle and washboard player, adds jug-band gusto to the mix. Sadly I had to leave early, believe me, this was a necessity, but I can’t get the songs out of my head.

Conor Oberst "Souled Out" video

Comedic Video selection of Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. After writing a serious and detailed review of this release, I thought I'd present this hilarious video as comic relief. Due to the extraordinarily large quantity of news and posts about Conor Oberst, my thoughtful and laborious review is lost. So here it is in all its glory. README (Word Painter; Conor Oberst's self-titled review).

  

And this "MOAB" on Late Night with Craig Ferguson

Word Painter; Conor Oberst self titled review

Conor Oberst's songwriting is an intricate composition of words that construct images real and implied. Words that juxtapose, contradict, form associations, comparisons, and work to form an asymmetrical structure. The listener navigates the labyrinth of iconic symbols, religious legends, history, geography, and societal phraseology of a troubled world. Oberst is always trying to figure it out and maybe get it right. 

  Conor and The Mystic Valley Band recorded in a temporary studio in a mountain villa for a one-month session in Tepoztlán, Morales, Mexico. The simplicity and comfort of production capture the words and bring to life the songwriting palette of Conor Oberst. His brushes are metaphors that are lovingly woven into melody structures. There are familiar sounds like Dylan song-speak in “Get-Well-Cards” and Tom Petty in the upbeat “Sausalito” and " Souled Out” that are inspirational appropriation. And yes, there is Bright Eyes. The beautiful single note intros, treatments of atmosphere, and countryesque rootsy folk charm. 

 The song “Cape Canaveral” starts with a pulse of percussion marking time while the guitar gently picks. The narrator weighs his destiny as he reveres the ancient stoic presence of totem poles juxtaposed with the rocket's boundless possibilities at Cape Canaveral. Our lives, often messy and complicated, are not symmetrical like a universal formality. We search for common truths in our memories that fade and blur with time. / some 1980’s grief / gives me parachute dreams / like old war movies / while the universe was drawn / perfect circles form infinity. The sad circumstances of a young life taken too soon from bad bone marrow take on a celebratory tone in “Danny Callahan.” A message ensues / how the love we feel inside we can pass / see a brother in the gutter / you reach out your hand /. In contrast, the rollicking rockabilly of “I Don't Want To Die (in a hospital)" is a hilarious affirmation of life. An older man passionately declares / I don’t want to die in the hospital / You got to take me back outside /. In the form of a desperate chant of determination, he shouts/let me get my boots on / as the raucous piano chops of Nate Walcott play on with Jason Boesel's drum shuffling with abandon. “Lenders in the Temple” has the emotional weight necessary to convey how money and power can corrupt and lead to the hypocrisy of divergent ideas. / There’s moneylenders inside the temple / that circus tiger going to break your heart / something so wild / turned into paper / If I loved you / well that's my fault / He manages to insert his own frailties and remorse and make some kind of atonement for what he has done. Overwhelmed with empathy for / the starving children / ain’t got no mother / and commercialism gone awry, / while there are pink flamingos in the mall / I’d give a fortune for you infomercial if somebody will just take my call / take my call…… “Sausalito” and “MOAB” are road songs where both the physical and abstract meet. / while bikers glide by highway shrines / where pilgrims disappear / is the chorus of “Sausalito.” The happy, upbeat sounds glide by while / hair blowing in the hot wind / and smell of leather in your new car /. As the chorus celebrates the joyous simplicity of a road trip, the words find footprints anchored in history. “MOAB” is a slow country tune with beautiful harmonies / there’s nothing that the road cannot heal / that has a formidable answer / you can’t break out of a circle that you never knew you were in /. The music starts simply on “Eagle on a Pole,” but dramatically becomes full as Conor’s wavering and forceful emotional voice is highlighted. The drama of fragile memories and the significance of our mementos are fleeting …/ while the ashes of the dead / like the dandelions head / exploding and are scattered by the breeze /. The weeping guitar leads of Nik Frietes poignantly erupt. And sadly, these words ring true / It’s such a long way back / when nothing seemed to bother me. The last track, “Milk Thistle,” expresses the fragile nature of life and always-looming death compared with life’s harsh realities. While this sentiment is relayed, there is still hopefulness and a fight to go pound for pound, encouraging those trying their best. Unfortunately, there are always reminders of what a struggle it can be to stay above the ominous reality…/ newspaper / newspaper / can’t take no more / you’re here every morning /waiting at my door / I’m just trying to kiss you / and you stab my eyes / make me blue forever / like an island sky /and I’m not pretending / just let me have my coffee before you take away the day. / Effective simplicity, with Conor on guitar and Macey Taylor on bass. 

On this release, words are vehicles for understanding and give meaning in a world filled with contradictions. As I visualize his words, I find solace and claim life and optimism despite the inevitable. One day I won’t feel it, but on this day, I still do. Produced by Conor Oberst with the help of engineer and longtime associate Andy LeMaster. Conor Oberst (guitar, voice), Taylor Hollingsworth (guitar, voice), Nik Freitas (guitar, voice), Macey Taylor (bass, voice), Nate Walcott (Keys, Piano), Jason Boesel (drums, voice), Andy LeMaster (voice)