Category Archives: Folk

Folk, Indie, Music, New Release, Pop Rock, Punk, Review, Rock

Fake Problems – Real Ghosts Caught On Tape – Album Review

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There was a time and place when I liked the band Fake Problems because they sounded like some other band out there that I enjoyed that will remain unmentioned.  The similarities between them and this certain Gainsville, Fla. act I speak of were clear but never to be considered a rip off, at least to my ears.  I soon learned of their hard working antics, their harsh stories while touring and most of all their passion for what they love to do.

I recall the first Fake Problems release as being an enjoyable punk/folk sing-a-long jam while the follow-up showed a clear change in their style.  Now dropping Real Ghosts Caught On Tape,their third full length release, Fake Problems really have evolved from a one time punk rock sounding band into a fine-sounding rock n roll outfit that impresses me on a few different levels.

Still kicking it with Side One Dummy Records, the Naples, Fla. foursome is back with all new material bordering on more of an indie-rock feel without letting go of their roots.  There is this major fun change though that is heard throughout making me think that Fake Problems has pointed their style in a different direction almost hinting back to the 60’s.   Real Ghosts contains 11 toe tapping songs that will easily compliment any good day you are having.

The opening “ADT” won me over immediately.  I loved the drum playing, the white-collar rock n roll strums and of course the, dare I say, heartfelt lyrics.  It was easily the catchiest song on the track.  Following was “5678”, a more dance-causing, Electric Six sounding, jam worthy of multiple listens.  Again, another catchy track especially with the “everybody’s clapping along” chorus.

It’s not all about the fun though on the album, just listen to the lyrics on “Songs For Teenagers”, a beautifully done tune but with a saddened message about letdowns, suicide contemplation and drug use.  “Soulless” on the other hand was fun-major, if that makes sense, with tons of energy slapped into the 60’s-ish, girl doo-whopping track Phil Spector would even enjoy (I have the feeling I am not the only one who has said that but oh well…).

Real Ghosts is well written from start to finish and if anything, the band has proved on how they have matured as musicians.  With hints towards So.Cal. indie-rock and sandy beach jams they have not forgeotten where they came from.  Real Ghosts is a whole more fun and a lot more mainstream friendly than their priors, but don’t be too quick to throw that “sellout” label at them.

In a sense sellouts happen because it there is a certain element that grabs attention – it happens all the time if you think about it (i.e. Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly, 1/2 the bands on the Warped Tour).  Sure, sometimes bands throw in a huge twist to earn more green in their wallets but this is not the case with Fake Problems.  They are a fun and hardworking act that dropped a great, fun album aimed at anyone out there who is looking for a upbeat and catchy album to listen to.

Country, Download This!, Folk, Music

Download This: Cheyenne Marie Mize & Bonnie “Prince” Billy Among the Gold

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Cheyenne Marie Mize and Bonnie “Prince” Billy have released Among the Gold, their rendition of a collection of 19th Century American parlor music handpicked by the duo themselves.  The album it is available to enjoy for everyone for free.

Yes, free.  What are you waiting for???


DOWNLOAD THIS! – Cheyenne Marie Mize & Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Among the Gold

Track Listing:
1.) Silver Threads
2.) Loves Old Sweet Song
3.) Beautiful Dreamer
4.) Let Me Call You Sweetheart
5.) Kiss Me Again
6.) Only A Dream

Upcoming Shows
Jul 27 – Czar Bar – Kansas City, MO
Jul 28 – Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA
Jul 29 – The Mill – Iowa City, IA
Jul 30 – Uncommon Ground on Clark – Chicago, IL
Jul 31 – White Rabbit Cabaret – Indianapolis, IN

Columbus, Folk, Good Times, Live Shows, Music, Photography, Review, Road Trip, Rock, The Awesome

The Gaslight Anthem / Chamberlain / Tim Barry – Lifestyle Communities Pavilion – Columbus, OH – 07/28/2010 – Concert Review

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Last Wednesday Columbus, Ohio was the place to be if you were looking for an amazing rock show.  New Jersey’s The Gaslight Anthem headlined the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion with special guests Chamberlain and Tim Barry and I must say, all who packed the floor knew well in advance that they were in for a good time.  It was a show I had been looking forward to since it was announced in the Spring and luckily I was able to be a part of it.

Even if it down-poured on the way down there and careless drivers kept trying to crash into my vehicle my friends and I made it down to Columbus with some time to kill.  Having never been to the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion before I was not sure if it was an indoor or outdoor venue.  Turns out it was both but due to a baseball game at the neighboring stadium the show was going to be played inside.

While wasting some time I enjoyed a tall, cheap, and ice cold Natural Light (no I did not get paid to say that) as I conversed with friends and the people around me at the A&R Music Bar that stood left to the concert hall.  Turns out we were not the only folk who traveled to see the show.  One group of guys, who I swear I knew one of, were from Cleveland and another few came all the way from Indianapolis.  I also got word that someone else I knew was traveling from Charleston, WV.  When it is a show like the one we all had tickets to, it was worth the drive no matter how far away.

Making way into the indoor section of the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion I was impressed with what I saw.  The inside was not only super clean but nicely laid out with a split level floor as well as an upper floor where one could see the stage just about anywhere you hung out.  My only vice was that my photo pass only allowed access to the photo pit for Tim Barry, not that I am complaining.  I just had never encountered a venue so strict with their press before.  Regardless I was beyond pleased to be in the building that was about to host three exciting acts even if it were going to be indoors.

Tim Barry took to the stage with a beer in hand and a baseball cap shut down over his head.  While most know Barry as the punk rock lead of Avail there were many who had no idea who he was.  There seemed to be a lot in the crowd who were expecting more than a man and his acoustic guitar to fill the opening slot.

That soon changed as the Richmond, Virginian working class hero kept close to the mic stand and strummed his guitar playing “This November”.  The punk turned folk rocker told everyone how busy he has been being on the road touring since January and pointed out at one time that he was not afraid of death at all but feared failure and especially being on stage playing a bad show.

I was most impressed to hear Barry not only play “Prosser’s Gabriel” but also state to the crowd before the song that he was planning on playing a free show on the parking lot in Virginia that lies over the burial site of Gabriel Prosser.  The punk at heart bad ass was not kidding and even mentioned being told to bring along a lawyer because he knew he would get arrested.  By the time the song was over just about everyone in the venue had their eyes on the one man show.  Other tracks I enjoyed seeing live were “Avoiding Catatonic Surrender” as well as the end of the set chilling “Dog Bumped”.  During that final song I could not help but scream along in approval (queue in Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison applauds) with the crowd during different moments of the track.

Barry might be a tough mother you-know-what, but he is also sincere and genuine as seen when he thanked the crowd for letting him play once it was time for him to exit.  While the next act was getting set up Barry was actually walking around amongst the crowd where my two friend’s spotted him and bought him a beer.  I was told that Barry said not only thank you to them but also yelled “that’s the biggest damn beer I ever seen!”

Tim Barry Setlist:
This November
Moving on Blue
Idle Idylist
Church of Level Track
Prosser’s Gabriel
Avoiding Catatonic Surrender
Dog Bumped

Chamberlain hit the stage next and as much as I thought I was going to enjoy their set I didn’t.  I have heard their material and recognized when certain songs were played like “Try For Thunder” and “Mountain Of A Heart” off The Moon My Saddle but just was not impressed.  They sounded much rockier than what I am used to on their studio album and not to mention the lead singer was just acting off key.  I am not the only one who noticed that either.  Luckily for the band my thoughts about them were not shared with the rest of the crowd.  They loved them and erupted with approval when the band stated they were happy to be back in Columbus.

The band played through a good set including “Manhattan’s Iron Horses”, “Stars In The Streetlight”, and the impressive live sounding “Raise It High” which I later picked up a 7″ of at their merch table.  They were solid and on point but again I just was not feeling it (until the last song).  I really need to give these guys another chance live as I love their albums and especially adore their previous act Split Lip.

The rock band of the night, hell -the year, Gaslight Anthem took the stage while Jay-Z’s “Empire State Of Mind” blasted over the PA with all smiles to the packed house.  Wasting no time the band jumped into their latest album’s title track “American Slang” followed by “Boxer”.  Brian Fallon and crew looked so happy to be on stage and gave the crowd the show they paid for continuing with my favorite track off American Slang “The Diamond Church Street Choir”.  During the song I was curious to see if Fallon would be able to sing his Billy Joel-like ending and to my satisfaction he nailed it.

Keeping the momentum the band moved along with “Old White Lincoln”, “Even Cowgirls Get The Blues”, as well as “Mile Davis and The Cool” and “The 59 Sound”.  Needless to say the entire crowd helped sing along throughout the set as well as danced, moshed, and just lost all control.  After “Film Noir” Fallon spoke to the crowd but be it my bad ears or him strumming his guitar a little too hard, I could barely understand what he was saying. He mentioned to the crowd something along the lines that his Mom loved and shared this band from 1959 that featured a bunch of African-American men playing on an album with some guy named Elvis.  The band immediately broke into “Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis?” – Again, the place went insane.

After about six more songs including “Blue Jeans and White T-shirts” and “The Queen of Lower Chelsea” the band finished up their set with “Great Expectations”.  Knowing that there would be an encore in just a few moments I was already fully satisfied or so I thought.  With the crowd cheering in a soccer like chant of ” Gaslight Anthem” followed by claps the band returned to the stage and announced they would be playing a few more songs starting off with a cover of Lucero‘s “The War”.  All I could think was how awesome it was going to be to hear their version when all of the sudden Tim Barry came out and sang along.  I was speechless.

The encore, which lasted longer than most opening acts I have seen in my day, also included “We Came To Dance”, “Senor and the Queen”, and another cover from a band called The Who.  It has been quite some time since I have seen an entire venue participate during a song but the moment “Baba O’Riley” started that all changed.  The Gaslight Anthem’s version was exceptional and the moment they finished Fallon screamed “Yeah! So much fun!”  He was correct in that statement, it was.  I thought the show was over and that was the band’s farewell but they kept playing and I was not complaining one bit.  Ending with “The Backseat” it was clear that I was not the only one who had just witnessed an amazing performance by a young and growing talented band.

The band exited the stage, the lights came on, and that was it – the show was over and it was time to go on our separate ways.  Immediately the saying “the memories will last a lifetime” rolled thought my mind and I could not agree more.  Throughout all of the shows I have seen this year this one will stand out a little more over the others.  I was treated to an amazing performance by a band I have been a fan of since they were playing small clubs as well as finally grabbed the chance to see a good man named Tim Barry.  That night is what live music is all about to me and I am grateful to have been there.

The Gaslight Anthem Setlist:
American Slang
Boxer
The Diamond Church Street Choir
Old White Lincoln
Even Cowgirls Get The Blues
Bring It On
Miles Davis & The Cool
The ’59 Sound
Red In The Morning
Angry Johnny & The Radio
Film Noir
Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis?
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
Stay Lucky
Boomboxes & Dictionaries
The Spirit Of Jazz
The Queen Of Lower Chelsea
Great Expectations

Encore:
The War – Lucero cover w/ Tim Barry lending vocals
We Came To Dance
Senor & The Queen
We’re Getting A Divorce, You Keep The Diner
Boba O’Riley – The Who cover
Here’s Looking At You Kid
The Backseat

90's, Electronic, Folk, House, Music, New Release, Review, Solo, Techno

Quick Reviews: Sh*t Robot, The Chemical Brothers, J. Tillman

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I have been getting tons of material lately for review consideration so I thought I would try something new and shrink down my usually lengthy reviews.  Nothing fancy, just trying to get the word out on some amazing bands and releases.  Enjoy.

Sh*t Robot – From The Cradle To The Rave

Marcus Lambkin, aka Sh*t Robot, has taken his time releasing his debut album – literally it has been 20 years in the making.  The Irish born punk rocker turned DJ has made a name for himself in the NYC club scene and even though has never recorded an album before has made a huge name for himself by just doing his thing.  I should also mention that Lambkin helped build that which is now DFA Records from the ground up.

From The Cradle To The Rave reflects Lambkin’s life as a DJ and more.  Opening track, co-written by LCD Soundsystem‘s James Murphy, “Tuff Enough?” is an electronic anthem of sorts with simple beats and synthesizer that was actually written about an upcoming expectancy.  “Losing My Patience” featuring Hot Chip‘s Alexia Taylor was a fun track that I think many of the dance clubs will have no problem spinning. “Simple Things (Work It Out)” was an entertaining experimental dance track of sorts with almost a spoken word feel to it.

My personal favorite cut on the album was “Take ‘Em Up” featuring another musician from LCD Soundsystem, Nancy Whang.  This song not only screamed retro 80’s but also heavily reminded me of what would happen if Daft Punk decided to sample a Sonic The Hedgehog soundtrack.  Whang’s vocals are perfect for this track more suitable to be played at a roller rink.

From The Cradle To The Rave is proof that sometimes taking your time is a good thing.  This release is for all the folk out there that still enjoy the clubs.  Full of electronic goodness that reaches back to the days when techno was all the hype in the 90’s as well as hints at some Kraftwerk.  The album is solid front to back without over doing it.  Where I don’t frequent those types of clubs anymore I still got a kick out of that which is Sh*t Robot.

The Chemical Brothers – Further

Seeing a band like The Chemical Brothers come out with new material makes this guy right here happy.  As a longtime fan of the British duo (Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons), I was thrilled when Further was released and even more intrigued when I heard that alongside the album would be visuals to accompany each of the songs. While I still have yet to obtain the videos I can tell you that they are available on DVD and iTunes for download.

Further is different from previous releases as it is mostly instrumental with Rowlands taking it upon himself to sing on a couple tracks as well as features Stephanie Dosen (Massive Attack) who lends her vocals as well.  I honestly prefer when they collaborate with other musicians on their previous releases but still enjoyed listening to tracks like “Escape Velocity” and “Another World”. “Swoon” was a trip in itself that I could not help but tag along with.

Heavy on the synthesizers and easing back on the drum machines throughout make for a very chill album to listen to.  This is one of those types of albums I can see myself not growing tired of anytime soon.  For those of you out there that still has a soft spot for the duo who hit the charts with “Block Rocking Beats” back in the day don’t hesitate to pick up Further.  The duo still has it and has dropped one great album to dance the night away to or even just sit back and get lost in.

J. Tillman – Singing Ax

Beautiful is just one of the many words that can be used to describe J. Tillman‘s latest release Singing Ax. Not just a member of Fleet Foxes, the folk artist has been very involved in recording material with others as well as himself since around 2004.  His latest offering is a vinyl only release that was recorded by Tillman almost entirely by himself in just three days.  The result is a calm yet captivating collection of songs that couple compliment any campfire gathering or just a quiet afternoon of solitude.

Opening track “Three Sisters” pretty much set the bar up high for the entire album for me.  While listening to TIllman’s singing I could only anticipate on what he was going to sing next and patiently waited the story, backed by acoustic guitar playing and drum machine, to unfold.  “Diamondback” continued with a calm retreat of a pleasant tale that had me closing my eyes and absorbing the intimate song.  In fact I found myself doing that a lot while listening to Singing Ax.  Later on I was treated to the album ending “A Seat At The Table” a song, to me, that almost was a musical rendition of a storm rolling in complete with thundering drumming towards the end of the track.

Tillman dropped an amazing album that barely carried any further supplement aside from his singing and acoustic guitar.  Honestly nothing more was needed as the folk chill release was presented perfectly.  I can only imagine what a live performance would entail.  Luckily for me he is touring with Phosphorescent and is making a stop in Cleveland in just a short couple of weeks.  Fans of Nick Drake and even a younger Neil Young I think will really enjoy this album as well as anyone out there that is just looking for a musical form of relaxation.

Folk, Music, New Release, Punk, Review, Rock, Solo

Sundowner – We Chase The Waves – CD Review

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A sundowner can be a lot of things (a car, drink, plane, type of wind), but in this case the Sundowner I am referring to is an amazing solo project by Chris McCaughan, the guitarist and vocalist of punk act The Lawrence Arms.  

We Chase The Waves is Sundowner’s second album and like the first, it is far from punk rock and more of a brush with folk music that brings forth good moods and instant sing alongs.  Recently dropping on Asian Man Records, We Chase The Waves might just be the album that gets me through the rest of the summer.

Starting as a side project, McCaughan wrote a few songs in his free time and played intimate shows around the Chicago area taking the moniker Sundowner.  With help from fellow band mates and friends the project turned into a band of sorts with Sundowner’s debut being released in the spring of 2007 on Red Scare Records.  Just three years later McCaughan and friends decided for a follow-up and recorded We Chase The Wave in their homes, literally, in just eight months.

Passionate and compelling are the two words that describe McCaughan’s wiring styles on the CD.  The guy is a natural storyteller and just has a way with words. From the moment “In The Flicker” started off the album I was beyond mesmerized.  The song was nothing more than an acoustic jam amongst friends but I was addicted, I wanted more, and before I knew it the ten track album was wrapping up.

Tracks like “As The Crow Flies” impressed the hell out of me even though the song was nothing over the ordinary.  The way the song presented itself to the listener, told the story, and ended it on a positive note not only begged for another listen but might have very well inspired a certain someone typing out this review…

“Baseball’s Sad Lexicon” took words from the 1910 poem of the same title by Franklin Pierce Adams telling the tale of the Cubs succeeding over the Giants thanks to a game winning double play (the only way I ever would have known this was by reading the CD insert and Google).  As an ode to McCaughan’s beloved Chicago Cubs he did a great job rendition of the classic poem.

“Mouth Of A Tiger” was a stern and ever so low opinionated track with lyrics like “I’m as lucky as a funeral” and “I’m not looking at the glass half full”.  I adored the singing style on the song match up with the acoustic and lap steel guitar playing.  Full of everyday truth and plain old honest opinions, the song begged to be played on repeat.

We Chase The Waves was an amazing start to finish album with no lulls in between.  McCaughan nails it dead on with his catchy melodies and fine storytelling that will grow on you regardless if you are a fan of him, The Lawrence Arms, or not.  Don’t look at Sundowner as a side project by a punk rock guy, look at it as a talented musician who has created something that more people need to know about.