So, I’ve recently stumbled on some new music that I really like, but of course that’s because it’s music that isn’t afraid to go in new (old) directions. It may sound confusing, but how uncool has it been in the last 20 years to sound like prog-rock at all? Correct, very. But throughout that time I’ve still always harbored a love for progressive rock, in all it’s ‘indulgent‘ grandeur. The argument against prog rock has always been that it’s over-indulgent, which I never understood because I figured music would be the perfect place to indulge. It’s every other facet of life that we must curb our indulgences…but why not let’s make the music freer than we?
All right, now that I’ve confirmed that I’m a dork, I wanted to turn you on to some examples of new Indie bands who aren’t afraid to borrow from some of rock’s taboo past. All of these bands had albums that just dropped this month too, that I recommend any and all of. Let me start with this video from a duo called MGMT, who have a prog thing going on in their music. They’ve got something pretty magical going on…this video will prove that… See the video for “Time To Pretend” here.
And here’s the same song performed on Letterman, with capes, mind you…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqzoRQv2UIU&rel=1]
Now check out this band, Black Mountain, who have a heavy prog thing going on. Their new album, In The Future, is one of my favorites right now. Check out them performing ‘Wucan‘ at ATP…wicked riffin’…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhvE-D9osY8&rel=1]
And here’s Vampire Weekend whose album just dropped today, who are not afraid to use African rhythms, rock-style, like the Talking Heads did…and Paul Simon. The Dirty Projectors kinda have the African thing going on too, but first check out this brand-new Vampire Weekend video, and dig their style…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XC2mqcMMGQ&rel=1]
Click on through to the other side, to see the amazing Dirty Projectors video, as promised…
I thought it was pretty cool this morning when I found this here blog was getting referrals from the U.K.’s Guardian popular music blog, who are linking to my post from way back in November regarding Sparks’ upcoming 21 albums in 21 nights tour. I guess I’m a legitimate news source now. HA!
The link to NewmRadio is in the text ’20 studio albums over 20 nights‘ right under Ron Mael’s picture. Check it out here…
Whilst I was there I read a fun piece about genre-naming and Vampire Weekend, the band who once opened for our buddies, Frances, and who are blowing up, full-stop. Have you guys heard them yet? What do you think? Read about them here… and the review is here…
Btw, anyone see any good shows lately?
Did the White Stripes ‘jack’ a riff from Urge Overkill? Wow, I just noticed this as the White Stripes “Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine” from the Elephant album came up on shuffle. I thought to myself, ‘strange, I didn’t know I had an Urge Overkill bootleg on my iPod,’ and then I soon realized it’s not Urge Overkill at all…but the White Stripes.
Take a listen to the two and tell me that the White Stripes’ riff on this song doesn’t sound an awful lot like Urge Overkill’s riff from “Positive Bleeding” (from their ’93 Saturation album, which is a brilliant album, btw). Click the album cover to hear…
Well, what do you think?
The band, Family, is certainly one of the Best Bands You’ve Never Heard In Your Life. They formed in England in 1967 and consisted of the late Ric Grech on bass, who would later join the supergroup Blind Faith. The other members of Family that defined their progressive-psychedelic sound were guitarist John “Charlie” Whitney and singer Roger Chapman, whose unique vocal style was described as “bleating vibrato” and “an electric goat”. With a few personnel changes through the years, Family went on recording great albums until 1973. The song I’ve got for you right now is from Family’s first album from 1968 titled Music In A Doll’s House, and was produced by Dave Mason of Traffic fame. It is also notable that the Beatles were recording what became their self-titled album, better know as the White Album, during 1968 and were originally intending to call the album A Doll’s House, but changed it after the release of Family’s Music In A Doll’s House was released in the summer of ’68. So here’s one of the Best Bands You’ve Never Heard In Your Life…Family, with “Hey Mr. Policeman”….
Who played keyboards on Black Sabbath’s ‘Sabbra Cadabra’?
Wow, I just found out Heath Ledger died yesterday in Manhattan at age 28. How sad. I think he was a great actor. Here’s a clip from I’m Not There…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAzWccKfDbw&rel=1]
Which album was the first released by Bob Dylan after his motorcycle accident in 1966?
Well, in honor of the newly-born Reese Elizabeth Paciorek, I want us all to list 5 songs that are great kid songs. The first 5 songs you think of that have to do with kids… written for kids, performed by kids, about kids, lullabies, whatever! Just make sure to list your 5, so the Paicorek’s can start finding the stuff and turning Reese into a music-lover like the rest of us! Click through at the bottom of this precious picture to see my list and to add yours…
Yo, The Upright Citizen’s Brigade just launched a funny-ass new comedy site called UCBcomedy, that’s got stupid-mad fresh comedy videos. But also what they gots is the hippest of the hoppest in new non-black hip-hop crunk-stylee rap artists. Word it up please, nephew of mine…
(I believe there’s some masturbation going on in this clip, see if you can spot it)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMrwHdHq3RE&rel=1]
What Broadway play did David Bowie star in? (1981)
Okay…I got a quick schooling on the legendary soul singer, The Mighty Hannibal last night at Magnetic Field, where we went to see a new throwback 4-girl singing group called the Sweet Divines. What’s cool is that in the super-packed house, I got to stand next to the blind soul legend right there at the bar in front of the stage, where I helped him whenever he needed the bartender to pour him another Jack on the rocks. He also shared with me the moments when he thought the girls (and amazing backing band) were totally on point…and there were a lot of those times.
As soon as the girls hit the stage, they went into Hannibal’s biggest hit, ‘Somebody in the World For You‘ (which you can listen to right here). Hannibal seemed to love it! It was nice to see him so excited to hear these young white cats completely nailing his material…because it would be pretty sad if they sucked. They played for a good hour, the rest of the songs originals, and sounded fantastic. I should’ve seen it coming, but when encore time came, the band said they were out of songs. But they could play an old soul song but it requires a male vocal. Up jumped Hannibal, as a couple helping hands reached out to guide his way to the stage, and they launched into another Mighty hit, ‘Get in the Groove’. It was tons of fun.
So only having heard of Hannibal only here and there, on What It Is R&B and Soul compilation, and remembering hearing about him singing withe the Dansettes at McCarren Pool last summer, I just did some searching and re-listening and found some cool stuff. And I will share three things with you now:
1) The song above…”Somebody in the World For You” by the Mighty Hannibal
2) This picture, so that you can see that he used to wear a turban…
3) This killer series of YouTubes that I found from last January when Hannibal performed with one of my favorite newer bands, The Black Lips…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPp9pEn62no&rel=1]
UPDATE: Mo has brought it to our attention that the above Sitting Guy (or whatever he may call himself) is directly ripping off Tom Green’s old ‘Bum Bum Song (Lonely Swedish)’. You decide…which is funnier?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPT2JdqQYak&rel=1]
So what’s been going on? Round 8 of RT is really draggin’ on, innit? I’ve been turned on to another great band, the Streetwalkers, which features a couple ‘chaps’ from the band Family, who actually I’ll be exposing to the Nights With Alice Cooper radio audience in the next few weeks. Some other cool shit I’ve heard lately…speaking of street walkers (zing!), Amy Winehouse doing Toots and the Maytals’ ‘Monkey Man’ (magnificent!), and Cat Power covering Dylan’s ‘I Believe in You’ is hot!
Let’s see…I think I have some other shit to show you. Here it is…
I love the last sentence of this Amazon description of an upcoming (very good and catchy) album, because haven’t I been saying this for a while now?:
Product Description
This NY four-piece draw on their diverse backgrounds and interests, experimenting with African guitar music, the Western classical canon, hazy memories of Cape Cod summers, winters in upper Manhattan, and reggaeton. “Equal parts shruggy New York indie strumming and groovy Afro-pop, Vampire Weekend’s organ-and-drum runs highlight narratives about relationships, punctuation, and sometimes both” – Spin. Named “Hot New Kids” in Rolling Stone’s “Hot” issue. Vinyl contains MP3 coupon.
You absolutely MUST see this video of Tom Cruise talking about Scientology over at the Star-Room!
Did you miss Jimmy Page’s Birthday?
Grab this rare Earth & Fire album (notice: no Wind) over at Chris Goes Rock.
Let NGOoTB turn you on to the amazing music of Henry Kaiser.
Check out new NYC local band Hospitality. They play Piano’s on Saturday 1/19 at 8:30 and Frances’ Paul Hogan at 9:30.
What do you think of these Best Bands You’ve Never Heard In Your Life?
Fight the Good Fight, ya’ll…for Triumph has just reunited! Not sure how excited I am, if at all. It’d be funny if they hit Bonnaroo though!
And how do you all like the new NewmRadio look?
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Name an Ultravox album title that describes a four person band.
Odds and Sods (1974)
Country Joe and ____ _____ (group)
Who were Jimmy Page’s first two choices to form Led Zeppelin instead of Robert Plant and John Bonham?
I found this on Ween’s website in their ‘Waste’ section and found it thoroughly entertaining…and insightful. And you get to see what Deaner’s wife and mom and dad look like. The recipe he shares for his Sunday Sauce looks awesome. I can almost taste the waste… (click on ‘Waste’ when you get there)…
What was Billy Squier’s first solo LP called?
Mighty Baby is a definitely one of the Best Bands You’ve Never Heard In Your Life. Or have you?! Mighty Baby was a short-lived band from the late-60’s, their sound sometimes described as sort of the Grateful Dead or Buffalo Springfield of England. Of course, they were never as well-known as either of those bands. The band was known earlier as The Action when they were signed to George Martin’s Parlophone label, but changed to Mighty Baby in 1969. They released two albums, one in 1969 and the other in 1971 and in that time, many of the bands members became Muslims of the Sufi order (soo-fee). There is definitely a substantial difference in sound from the first album to the second album, and fans are probably split on which sound they like better. I think I lean towards the overall sound of the second album. Let me know if you want me to post something from the 1971 Jug of Love album so you can hear the difference. This song one is called “Egyptian Tomb” and it is from Mighty Baby’s self-titled album from 1969. Dig it…
