Show Sanctuary

Posted By ROSCO on May 7, 2009

Artists:  BEN HARPER & RELENTLESS7

Album:  WHITE LIES FOR DARK TIMES

Release Date:  MAY 5, 2009

He’s done it again.  For an artist who is constantly creating, ever evolving, and always innovative, it’s hard to imagine that there was yet another frontier to conquer.  But, along with the fresh new faces of ‘Relentless7′, Harper’s come, seen, and destroyed a new musical landscape.

Now, obviously I’m a fan.  Truth be told, however, I didn’t enjoy all of his previous work equally.  With ‘The Innocent Criminals’, it was the softer stuff that I appreciated most.  With albums like ‘Fight For Your Mind’ (1995) and ‘Burn To Shine’ (1999), Harper not only went gold but built a faithful fan base with a unique acoustic/reggae/roots vibe.  Most of the heavier stuff came into play when Harper sat down to thrash on a steel guitar.  Some of these tracks worked…  Some didn’t.

White Lies For Dark Times is mostly on the heavier side of things, though there are a few mellow tunes.  The difference with this new band is that everything seems to work.  But, don’t just take my word for it.  Check out the album’s closing track, ‘Faithfully Remain’, from a December performance in Los Angeles (below).

 TOUR DATES:

MAY 8:  Brooklyn, New York - Music Hall of Williamsburg

MAY 9:  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Theatre of Living Arts

May 10:  Boston, Massachusetts - Paradise Rock Club

May 15:  Detroit, Michigan - Saint Andrews Hall

May 16:  Chicago, Illinois - Vic Theatre

Category: Albums of the Month, Must See Show of the Week, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags: Ben Harper, Relentless7, Rock Albums, White Lies For Dark Times

Posted By ROSCO on April 17, 2009

She gently plucked on my heart strings. 

She cast a spell on me. 

She wove a web to which I am forever attached. 

Adele’s voice bellows out like a cannon.  That cannonball landed on me with the force of a million of cupid’s arrows.  I can’t get enough.  Apparently, neither can anyone else.

With only one album released, she has already claimed two Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.  The latter was given for her single, “Chasing Pavements.”  You can check it out below.  Be warned:  protective armor is necessary.

TOUR DATES:

6/13/09:  East Troy, WI - Alpine Valley Music Center

6/21/09:  Bristow, VA - Nissan Pavilion

6/24/09:  Burgettstown, PA - Post-Gazette Pavilion

7/05/09:  Virginia Beach, VA - Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheatre

7/15/09:  Atlanta, GA - Lakewood Amphitheatre

Category: Artists Under the Radar, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags: Adele, British Music, Chasing Pavements, Female Vocalist, folk, Soul

Posted By ROSCO on April 15, 2009

“Out Of The Blue”

My my, hey hey
Rock and roll is here to stay
It’s better to burn out
Than to fade away
My my, hey hey.

Out of the blue
and into the black
They give you this,
but you pay for that
And once you’re gone,
you can never come back
When you’re out of the blue
and into the black.

The king is gone
but he’s not forgotten
This is the story
of a Johnny Rotten
It’s better to burn out
than it is to rust
The king is gone
but he’s not forgotten.

Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There’s more to the picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey hey, my my.

TOUR DATES:

April 27:  Magness Arena - Denver, Colorado

April 29:  Quest Center - Omaha, Nebraska

April 30:  Sprint Center - Kansas City, Missouri

May 03:  New Orleans Jazz Festival - New Orleans, Louisiana

Category: Uncategorized, Weekly Lyric | No Comments »
Tags: classic rock, folk, into the black, Lyrics, neil young, out of the blue

Posted By jackson on March 23, 2009

Just heard about these guys today, but they are ultra-creative.  Using no instruments and just their voices, these guys play everything from the guitar to the harmonica and all of their percussion. Mixing rap and R&B elements, this New York group is truly unique. Really cool stuff…..definitely give Naturally 7 a listen!

Check them out jamming in a Paris subway:

Check out this crazy guitar solo!!! (sorry for the quality)

Category: Artists Under the Radar | No Comments »
Tags: Guitar, Guitar solo, Lessons and Instruction, Music, Naturally 7, New York, Shopping, Stringed, Strings

Posted By jackson on March 12, 2009

I’m not the world’s biggest hip-hop fan, but when someone can combine catchy beats with thoughtful, intelligent lyrics, my ears are open. I’m a little late on his bandwagon, but K’Naan can straight-up spit it. Somalian born, Canadian bred and reggae influenced, K’Naan’s sound is profound. In his own words, he makes “urgent music with a message”, often urging peace and cease-fire in his homeland Somalia. His poetic lyrics are captivating and his anti-ganster message is refreshing in a rap culture where it is “cool” to let everyone know how gangster you are. He dropped his latest album, “Troubadour“, on February 24, 2009, and it features an array of extremely thoughtful, well-mixed jams. Definitely check him out.

Watch his video for “Dreamer”:
Dreamer - K’NAAN

Category: Artists Under the Radar | No Comments »
Tags: Arts, Canada, Hip-Hop, K'naan, Lyrics, Music, Somalia, Troubadour

Posted By jackson on March 4, 2009

Here’s some of the shows I’m liking this week. Click on the links for tickets!

Thursday 3/5

Ben Kweller @ 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia

This dude is ultra-talented, no doubt. Combining classical rock and country influences with the occasional punk jam, he’s sure to please. Additional Ben Kweller shows.

Friday 3/6

Donavon Frankenreiter @ Wilma Theater in Missoula, MT

I’ve been a huge fan of Frankenreiter’s laid-back jams for a few years now. He has long been know for his acoustic strumming, but his newest album, Pass It Around, has a more low down funky-groove vibe. Definitely worth checking out! Additional Donavon Frankenreiter dates.

Check out Franenreiter’s video for “Your Heart”:

Saturday 3/7

Ani DiFranco (with special guest Chad Stokes) @ Washington DC’s 930 Club

I have family coming to town this weekend and we’re headed to this one. Although we’re going more for the former Dispatch and current State Radio front-man, Stokes, we should definitely be entertained by the talented and seasoned DiFranco. Additional State Radio dates.

Category: Must See Show of the Week | No Comments »
Tags: 40 Watt Club, Athens Georgia, Ben Kweller, Chad, Donavon Frankenreiter, Music, United States, Washington DC

Posted By ROSCO on March 3, 2009

Artists:  BUSH

Album:  SIXTEEN STONE

Track:  COME DOWN

love and hate, get it wrong
she cut me right back down to size
sleep the day, let it fade
who was there to take your place?

no one knows - never will
mostly me but mostly you
what do you say, what do you do
when it all comes down?

CHORUS:
cause I don’t wanna come back down from this cloud
it’s taken me all this time to find out what I need
no, I don’t wanna come back down from this cloud
it’s taken me all this, all this, all this time

there is no blame, only shame
when you beg you just complain
the more I come, the more I try
all the police are paranoid

so am I, so is the future
so are you, just be a creature
what do you say, what do you do
when it all comes down?

CHORUS:
cause I don’t wanna come back down from this cloud
it’s taken me all this time to find out what I need
no, I don’t wanna come back down from this cloud
it’s taken me all this, all this, all this time

Category: Weekly Lyric | 1 Comment »
Tags: 16 Stone, Bush, Come Down, Comedown, Gavin Rossdale, Grunge, Lyrics, Sixteen Stone

Posted By jackson on February 27, 2009

The lady and I checked out the Tokyo Police Club last night at Washington, DC’s Black Cat and we were treated to a fast-paced, highly energetic show. We didn’t know much about them beforehand, but these Canadians knew how to rock.  Their fast-paced style moved swiftly from song to song pleasing the sold out crowd.  Their songs are on the shorter side, but with as much energy they put into their performance, I  hardly believe they could have sustained for any longer.  Eager concert goers were loving the more popular “Your English Is Good” and the base-riffs in “Nature of the Experiment”.  They have become increasingly popular having played most of the top-notch festivals in 2007 and 2008 (Coachella, Glastonbury, and Lollapalooza) and opened up for Weezer on their 2008 Troublemaker Tour.  Definitely check them out if you get a chance.  Tokyo Police Club tour dates.

Check out their music video for “Nature of the Experiment”:watch?v=DPY5vTbLhs8

Category: Show Reviews | No Comments »
Tags: Asia, Black Cat, Japan, Prefectures, Tokyo, Tokyo Police Club, Washington DC, Weezer

Posted By jackson on February 23, 2009

Here’s some of the shows I’d love to catch this week Click on the links for tickets!

Monday 2/23

Andrew Bird @ the Moore Theater in Seattle, Washington

We really like this guy…and think you all should check him out too. Additional Andrew Bird dates.

Tuesday 2/24

Modest Mouse @ the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California

This trio has been rocking for years and are a definite must see for those who haven’t seen them. Check them out!. Additional Modest Mouse dates.

Wednesday 2/25

George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic @ House of Blues in Boston, MA

This man is one of the greatest innovators of soul, rock and funk, and has been pleasing concert goers for over forty years. A can’t miss live show…highly energetic. Additional George Clinton dates.

Friday 2/27

G. Love and Special Sauce (featuring Tristan Pettyman) @ The Jupiter Bar and Grill Tuscaloosa, AL

This Philadelphia trio fuses blues, hip-hop, R&B… and just about everything else, leaving concert goers wowed and wanting more. Definitely check them out! Pettyman can definitely jam too, making this quite the night of live music. Additional G. Love and Special Sauce dates.

Saturday 2/28

Lucinda Williams at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA

She can straight-up jam…and his been doing so for years. Fusing blues, rock, and country, she’s sure to please a wide variety of listeners. Additional Lucinda Williams dates.

Category: Must See Show of the Week | No Comments »
Tags: andrew bird, Arts, g. love, George Clinton, Hip-Hop, Hollywood Palladium, Lucinda Williams, modest mouse, Music, Parliament-Funkadelic, special sauce, tristan pettyman, United States

Posted By jackson on February 4, 2009

Here’s some shows I’m liking this weekend. Click on the links for tickets!

Thursday 2/5/09

Tim Reynolds @ The Rhythm Room in Phoenix, AZ - This man can straight-up jam. Concert goers will be blown away by his ridiculous skills and loving the ticket price ($15). Additional Tim Reynolds shows!

Friday 2/6

Big Head Todd and the Monsters @ The 930 Club Washington, DC - This group has been around for awhile and although I don’t know much about them, I’m going…and you should too. Tix are cheap ($25), and these guys are apparently known for their highly energetic live shows. Additional Big Head Todd and The Monsters shows.

Saturday 2/7

State Radio @ Numbers in Houston, TX- The former front man of Dispatch, Chad Urmston, formed State Radio to the delight of many. State Radio is a reggae-rock fusion that’s sure to have concert goers grooving. Check them out! Additional State Radio dates.

Yonder Mountain String Band @ War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville, TN - These Colorado dudes sure can jam. Their progressive bluegrass style entertains fans night after night. With tickets starting at $22….why not? Additional Yonder dates.

Category: Must See Show of the Week | No Comments »
Tags: big head todd and the monsters, state radio, tim reynolds, yonder mountain string band