LiveBlackCrowes.com *FREE DOWNLOAD*

The Black Crowes, probably one of (if not) the best live bands of the past 18 years or so, have started a webservice for downloading the band’s shows. Both current shows will be offered as available, and archive shows will be added from time to time, all from soundboard sources. Shows are avaible in mp3 format ($9.95) and flac format ($14.95), current shows will be also available on cd ($23.00) in the future. If you are one of the first 10,000 to register for the site you’ll get a FREE download of a compilation of the recent “One Night Only” shows featuring songs from the new album Warpaint, old classics and outstanding covers. Check it out, if only for the free offer, it’s well worth it.

Tracklisting for One Night Only FREE EP:

disc one
01. Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution
02. Poor Elijah – Tribute To Johnson
03. Good Friday
04. Another Roadside Tragedy
05. Rockin’ Chair
06. Darling Of The Underground Press
07. Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye
08. Girl From The North Country
09. Don’t Do It
10. Hey Grandma
11. Torn N Frayed

disc two
01. Sometimes Salvation
02. Sting Me
03. Wounded Bird
04. I Don’t Know Why
05. Sister Luck
06. Oh Josephine
07. Waiting Guilty
08. Nonfiction
09. Seeing Things
10. Lets Go Get Stoned

Live Black Crowes (Free Download)

T.D.R. Review for Warpaint

MuxTape

Appearing for the first time today is the website www.muxtape.com What is a MuxTape? It’s an online streaming mix-tape that anyone can upload and as it uses java, can’t be downloaded. Seems like a good idea and implemented fairly well. I’m sure the RIAA will close this place down as soon as they can but, as always, they are being short sighted. They see it as people listening to music for free, not free advertising for their product. What better way to discover new music then streaming some tunes online posted by a friend or some random internet blogger? MuxTape does have a few rules, 1. You can’t upload more then one song per artist, 12 songs total. 2. No songs larger than 10mb. 3. You’re not to post songs you do not have permission to let Muxtape use, however looking at the muxtapes of the site’s founder has somewhat mainstream artists on it so it’s unclear what exactly that means.

At any rate, I posted up an 11 song muxtape. Here’s the track listing:

The Felice Brothers – Frankie’s Gun!

Federale – Be Over Soon

The Dexateens – Mary

JJ Grey & Mofro – Country Ghetto

Tim Berry – Avoiding Catatonic Surrender

Glossary – Shout It From The Rooftops

Two Cow Garage – The Great Gravitron Massacre

Bobby Bare Jr. – Sister Golden Hair (cover)

Centro-matic – Love Has Foound Me Somehow

Corey Barnan – Wayward & Down

Drag The River – Life In Ruin

Hear it here

If this site somehow doesn’t get shutdown I might make a semi-regular feature of posting up some songs.

Glossary – The Better Angels of Our Nature (REPOST) *FREE DOWNLOAD*

(tone.deaf.rambler: I’ve noticed that the most viewed post on my blog is the one on the Dexateen’s Lost & Found which is likely due to tags denoting the free download of the album. So I’m reposting my review of Glossary’s The Better Angels of Our Nature with hopes that with better tags (this was posted at my old blog and reposted here before I knew how to properly tag posts) more people might have the opportunity to hear this great album & get into the band. I’ve also added some youtube videos to the post.)

Glossary’s fifth album, The Better Angels of Our Nature, may not be much of a departure from their previous work but it may be their best. Following up on 2006’s For What I Don’t Become, Angels takes the heartfelt lyrics and the guitar rock Americana they do best and infuses it in 10 new tracks. Whether it be the rockin’ “Shout It From The Rooftop” to the lamentfull “Almsgiver” to the “we’re still standing” anthem of the set’s closer, “Blood On The Knobs.” This is American music, music of the heartland, full of tales of regret, lost love and rebel spirit. Music reminiscent of The Band and Anodyne era Uncle Tupelo.

Music this good needs to be heard. Glossary knows this, which is why it needs to be mentioned how the band distributed this album. A full three weeks prior to the album’s release Glossary offered it up for free download on their website, in fact it’s still available there (see link below). Yeah, yeah, you say Radiohead did that too, what’s the big deal? Well, first Glossary didn’t ask for anything in return for the download, they would like your email to keep you up to date on the band’s doings, but it isn’t necessary to download. Second, unlike Radiohead, Glossary offered a near cd quality rip of the album (up to 320kbps vs Radiohead’s 160kbps). For a band with no name recognition to give away an album, especially one of this quality, tells you one thing, they know they have something good that people will pay for even after hearing it for free. And for those that do pay for the album, they’ve hand printed the album art and are going to offer them in limited numbers. When the limited number of the art is up, they’ll print out another limited run of the album with different album art.

+++HIGHLY RECOMMENDED+++

Glossary’s homepage
Glossary’s MySpace
The Better Angels of Our Nature FREE Download

Shout It From the Rooftops – Live @ Exit/In 02.03.07

Almsgiver – Live @ Exit/In 02.03.07

Gasoline Soaked Heart

Blood On The Knobs (acoustic)

The Drams | Cortez the Killer *VIDEO*

Video of The Drams covering Neil Young’s “Cortez the Killer” via Tequila Brad

from vids.myspace.com posted with vodpod

The Black Keys | Attack & Release

The boys from Akron, Ohio have returned with the help of Danger Mouse to release their latest work titled, Attack & Release (out April 1). For those of us who have been following the Black Keys from their beginnings with The Big Come Up, it will come as no surprise that with Attack & Release Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney present yet another shade of blue to the guitar and drum blues they’ve become known for. Some credit surely must also be given to producer Danger Mouse, no doubt responsible for much of the added textures to the Key’s known sound. Acoustic guitars, banjos, bass, background vocals, and samples are just some of the textures you’ll find here that haven’t been or previous albums. These textures, when added to Carney’s drums and Auerbach’s guitar and vocals, produce an added dimension and freshness to the band’s sound. Thats not to say that the band’s sound on previous albums were in anyway stale, it’s just refreshing to hear a band continually progress as their career moves forward.

From the opening acoustic guitar strums of “All You Ever Wanted” to the closing slow blues of “Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be” the Keys’ have complied 40 minutes of music that runs the gamut of blues and rock with shades of country and funk while still remaining the Black Keys.

++RECOMMENDED++

Track Listing:

1. All You Ever Wanted
2. I Got Mine
3. Strange Times
4. Psychotic Girl
5. Lies
6. Remember When (Side A)
7. Remember When (Side B)
8. Same Old Thing
9. So He Won’t Break
10. Oceans & Streams
11. Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be

Homepage

MySpace

The Dexateens | Lost & Found *FREE DOWNLOAD*

With their trademark blazing guitars, concrete back beat, and Alabama tainted vocals, The Dexateens have made a very solid twenty-four minutes of southern rock tinged pop music. Whether it be songs like “Lost & Found” and “Mary,” with Stones-esque guitar licks or the more acoustic songs like “Slender Thread” or “Kid,” Lost and Found features pop-sensibilities reminiscent of those of found in the late ’60’s or early ’70’s. This a more mature and restrained Dexateen album than one maybe used to; but it’s definitely one worth spending the time to hear.

The Dexateens are offering Lost & Found as a free download for a limited time at the links at the top & bottom of the page and one would have to be a fool not to give them a chance. They just want your email address and they’ll take donations if one feels so compelled.

This won’t be the last time I’ll be posting about this band. They’re playing some dates in May with the Drive-By Truckers and lucky for me, one of them is local.  So look for a review of their live show (along with one of the DBT) sometime after May 8.  In the mean time, download Lost & Found while you can.

Tracklist:

Lost and Found
Out On Your Own
Mary
Enough of Nothing
Altar Blues
Slender Thread
Kid
You’re Gonna Love Me
Sweet Little Loser

Band’s Album Write-up

Download

Homepage

MySpace

Neil Armstrong

Review: Ha Ha Tonka – Buckle in the Bible Belt

Back in July I ventured out to my local live music venue (The Chameleon Club, Lancaster, PA) to see what I was led to believe was a show featuring The Drams and the Old 97’s. I was pretty excited to see The Drams as I’m a fan of Slobberbone and liked the songs on

Jubilee Drive (over-produced somewhat, but still good songs) and I liked some of what the Old 97’s do and had heard they put on a great live show. Well, to my disappointment and despite what the club’s website would have me to believe, The Drams we not on the bill. In their place was this band with the strange name, Ha Ha Tonka. These guys came out and kicked some ass playing for 30-45 minutes and throwing in a great cover of Ram Jam’s Black Betty. (They really made the headliner, the Old 97’s, look bad as their show was almost an exact copy of a show that I downloaded a couple years ago and it seemed like they were going through the motions. But that’s a story for another day.)

Hailing from Springfield, Mo and taking their name from a local state park, Ha Ha Tonka blends rock hooks, strong harmonies, and pop sense- abilities resulting in a strong and cohesive sophomore album. (While this is the first album released under the Ha Ha Tonka name, the band previously released an album under the name Amsterband.) What’s truly impressive is the depth the of subject matter in the lyrics ranging from lost love, racism, organized religion, and even health care. And yet the songs don’t drag the listener down with depressing melodies. It’s quite the juxtaposition, talking about what’s wrong with the world (at times bitterly) while remaining upbeat and rockin’. Mixed in with the band’s nine original songs is a cover of the traditional song, Hangman (think Led Zeppelin’s ‘”Gallows Pole”), sung in four part acappella harmony and provides an interesting break from the guitar/keys based songs in the middle of the album. The only complaint would be about the length of the album, it’s only about a half an hour long. Beginning with Buckle in the Bible Belt, Ha Ha Tonka is a band that hopefully will be etching name in the musical landscape for many year to come.

Standout Track: Bully in the Pulpit

++Recommended++

Myspace

Homepage

St. Nick on the Fourth in a Fervor

Black Betty (cover)

Hayes Carll – Trouble in Mind (April 8)

I don’t know about you, but I almost always hesitate to say that I listen to country music when discussing music with others. It’s not the I’m ashamed of it, it’s just I always feel the need to qualify exactly what country music I listen to. When you say that you listen to country music, one’s mind typically goes to Garth Brooks, Allen Jackson, Kenn Chesney, and one can’t forget Big & Rich and others. [Just to clarify, all of those I listed and pretty much everything played on country radio & CMT I don't think very highly of (to say the least). Why? Well that's a rant for another day.] I then feel the need to tell about the country bands I do like, most of which are unknown to the general population. Which then tends to lead to a much longer, detailed discussion then the other person is likely interested in having. One of the names I do mention is Hayes Carll.

Hayes Carll plays country music as it should be played, with heart, soul, and without the intervening of Nashville. Hayes is a Texas singer/songwriter in the tradition of Ray Wylie Hubbard, Steve Earl and Townes Van Zant. Trouble In Mind (out April 8 ) will be Hayes’ third album and first for Lost Highway Records and will be available on 180 gram vinyl as well as cd. Five songs from Trouble In Mind can be heard on Hayes’ Myspace page.

The track listing is as follows:

1. Drunken Poet’s Dream
2. It’s A Shame
3. Girl Downtown
4. Bad Liver And A Broken Heart
5. Beaumont
6. I Got A Gig
7. Faulkner Street
8. Wild As A Turkey
9. Don’t Let Me Fall
10. A Lover Like You
11. I Don’t Wanna Grow Up
12. Knockin’ Over Whiskeys
13. Willing To Love Again
14. She Left Me For Jesus

Myspace

Homepage

Hayes also has numerous live shows worth checking out on the Live Music Archive I can highly recommend his show from the Cheatham Street Warehouse on November 30, 2006 with His Imaginary Band (in other words, it’s a solo show).

Wish I Hadn’t Stayed So Long

Hey Baby Where You Been?

It’s A Shame

Centro-matic/South San Gabriel – Dual Hawks

Denton, Texas’s band with two names, Centro-matic and South San Gabriel will be releasing a split LP in the coming months on Misra Records and have offered 5 songs from each band’s half on their myspace pages. For the uninitiated, Centro-matic and South San Gabriel (SSG) are bands that share the same members, (Will Johnson, Matt Pence, Mark Hedman, and Scott Danbom) with the only difference being that Centro-matic plays one type of indie rock while SSG plays a slightly different, more mellow style. Dual Hawks will be, as mentioned above, a split double LP containing one disc of Centro-matic and one disc of SSG. These guys have been playing together for over ten years and have released over 12 albums together (not to mention lead singer Will Johnson’s 2 solo albums). Centro-matic/SSG is the best band you’ve never heard. It’s about time you rectified that. Check out the links to the bands’ myspace pages, website and youtube videos below.

UPDATE: The latest intel gives Dual Hawks a June 3 release date.

The track listing for Dual Hawks is as follows

Centro-matic/Dual Hawks
Rat Patrol and DJ’s
Two Seats Gold Reserved
Quality Strange
Remind Us Alive
Every Single Switch
I, The Kite
Strychnine, Breathless Ways
All Your Farewells
Counting The Scars
Twenty-Four
A Critical Display of Snakes

South San Gabriel/Dual Hawks
Emma Jane
Kept On The Sly
When The Angels Will Put Out Their Lights
Of Evil/For Evil
My Goodbyes
Senselessly
Corner Cross
Trust To Lose
The Arc And The Cusp
Alabama Crusade
Jornada Del Muerto #20
From This I Will Awake

Centro-matic Myspace

South San Gabriel Myspace

Centro-Matic/SSG Homepage

Centro-matic – Triggers and Trash Heaps

Centro-matic – Love Has Found You Somehow (live)

Centro-matic – Call the Legion in Tonight

SSG – Smelling Medicinal

Review: The Black Crowes – Warpaint

With news of The Black Crowes recording a new album, Warpaint (out March 4th), one knew that this album would either signal the end of the band or signal a new beginning. If Warpaint turned out to an an album of the Crowes trying to make more “Black Crowes songs” (much like By Your Side turned out to be) the band would likely lose what’s left of their devoted fan-base and fade in to rock and roll history. However, if the band could come together and make an honest, mature record reflecting on where they are today and not try to recreate their masterpieces of 10-15 years ago, Warpaint would signal the ushering in a new era of The Black Crowes.

With the release of Warpaint, today is the first day of a new era of The Black Crowes. Warpaint is an explosion of the blues, country, and the rock ‘n’ roll sounds the Crowes have forged their way into music history making. Diverse and dense, the tunes exude a confidence and attitude of a band who knows who they are and where they want to go, “It’s too late to play it safe/So let’s let it all ride” (Oh Josephine). Whether you’re along for the ride is up to you as the opening track (Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution) asks “… don’t you wanna see the ship go down with me?” Warpaint shines on tracks such as “Walk Beleiver Walk”, “Moving On Down the Line”, “Evergreen”, and cover of Reverend Charlie Jackson’s “God’s Got It” which will fit well with the Crowes’ live classics. While the album falters slightly with “Wounded Bird” and “There’s Gold In Them Hills”, songs which would be better suited for an album by Chris Robinson’s New Earth Mud, the album as a whole is the best thing the Black Crowes have done in ten years.

Only time will tell how Warpaint will stack up to the quintessential trio of Black Crowes’ albums (Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, Amorica, and Three Snakes and One Charm) but the fact that it’ll be in the conversation is a sign that the band is moving in the right direction.

Standout Track: Moving On Down the Line

++RECOMMENDED++

 

Chris & Rich in the AT&T Blue Room performing acoustic & talking about the new album.

Blue Room