There were two new artist additions to The Rock Boat yesterday. One of which was The Damnwells! Eeeek! Now I am convinced that nothing can stop this from being the best rock boat ever. My 2 favorite artists in the same spot? YEP! I am crossing my fingers for some Alex Dezen/Stephen Kellogg collaborations. I should probably bring along some Bayer in case I start to have a heart attack from the shock of how amazing it will be.
The other slightly-overshadowed addition was Bronze Radio Return. I immediately googled them & realized their new album Shake! Shake! Shake! was being released today. How convenient! They are streaming the entire album on their website. I didn't even have to make it through a whole song before I knew they'd be a must-see on the boat. I bought the album on amazonmp3 today & it's my first addition to my "cloud" or whatever they're calling it. Chris Henderson's voice has got that rough, yet polished sound to it and the music sounds fresh, yet familiar. "Shake, Shake, Shake" is definitely one of those songs that will get people in the crowd moving....because that's what it's written about. "Blurry-Eyed Worries" and the opening track "Down There" stand out initially but I haven't skipped a song yet! Definitely check this album out if you're looking for something fun & new. They also have a great cover (although it sounds almost TOO much like the original) of The Black Keys' "Tighten Up" that I found. Check em out!
I just realized I never posted about the Tony Lucca show I went to a few weeks ago. We all know Tony Lucca is an amazing singer & songwriter. I don't think I need to explain that to you, but if you're unaware, you can get his newest album Solo for free. Because Tony's shows usually blow everyone else away, I didn't have very high hopes for the 2 openers that night. When Micah hit the stage first, I was pleasantly surprised! Maybe I was blinded by the plaid, the beard & his overall adorable-ness but I thought he was pretty damn good! It turns out he went to Northeastern (my alma mater) & I'm sad I didn't know him then. Although, I think I've got a few years on him. Ha. He also threw in a medley that included Justin Bieber & Miley Cyrus, and you all know I'm a sucker for the Biebs! He's the kind of guy that should be playing colleges & coffeeshops, which isn't meant to be insulting. Most of my favorites started out that way. He's young & he's got a long road ahead of him but it's sure to be a promising one. Check out this video of his song "Coast to Coast" off the album of the same name from SXSW & if you dare log in to myspace, you can hear his stuff there. (P.S. when are artists going to quit the myspace thing? It's dead & no one wants to have to go on there anymore).
Seriously, how cute is he??
The other opener was not as promising so I won't waste your time.
Ivan & Alyosha (I don't totally understand the name...I think it's some sort of literary reference) is a band I just kind of came across by accident on twitter & through NPR. I took a chance and bought their older EP, The Verse, The Chorus before I even listened to more than 30 seconds of it. I'm glad I did. Check out their NPR Tiny Desk Concert to get a taste. They just put out their second EP & it's just as good as the first.
It's been a big music month & to be honest, I haven't given a lot of stuff a chance yet. I'm still all caught up in the releases by The Damnwells and Hotels & Highways. I definitely made it a point to pick up Matt Hires Live Sessions EP though. If you liked Take Us To The Start, you can't lose with this EP. There are 2 previously unreleased songs that are well worth the $3.99. His cover of MGMT's "Kids" is fantastic. Definitely check it out.
So I'm 3/4 of the way through my music marathon weekend and let me tell you, it has been AMAZING. I started out on Friday with Middle Brother at Lupo's. They just put out an album last Tuesday and this was only their 3rd show together on the tour. I was exhausted and they were hitting the stage pretty late but as soon as they did I got my second wind. Someone managed to catch a great video of their first song, "Blue Eyes." The guys were joined on stage by members of all 3 of their bands. It was super fun to watch them all jamming up there together. I wish I had a picture of one of their guests, Jonny Corndawg, because he was wearing the most amazing sweater I have ever seen. I think he hopped out of his time machine from 1970 and jumped right on stage. Now that I've looked at his website, I'm pretty sure he crafted the sweater himself. He apparently does leatherwork & airbrush work. Damn. I will find a picture of it. I promise.
On Saturday, I was a little bummed out because I had to go to this library show in Pepperell, MA all by myself. Google maps directed me to the wrong Main Street but I still managed to make it there before Hotels & Highways started playing. I would've hated to be the one who comes late to a quiet show at a library. I am SO glad I made it. Hotels & Highways is like a perfect love story. They've all known each other for years but never thought about starting a band together. Eventually, things just fell into place and they realized they were meant to be. The chemistry between them is clearly evident when they play. Lisa Piccirillo's voice blew me away on "Work It Out." I'm not gonna lie. I totally have a crush on her...and Syd...and Patrick Thomas. Can I date Hotels & Highways? Is that possible? I got chills when they dimmed the lights and started playing "Night Song." It was one of those songs that didn't even need words it was so good. Because they have all been doing the solo thing for so long, not one of them is afraid to take the mic and tell stories to keep us entertained. I find that really important when seeing a band live in a small room for the first time. If they go from song to song without any banter, I get bored. I like hearing what they have to say in between. This show was a little different because it was in such a small space, they kind of had a Q&A session halfway through the set. Because it was a family friendly show, Syd switched up the lyrics for "Nothing Hurts Like Nothing" to "No one in this town could give a hoot." They closed their set with a cover of Ryan Adams' "To Be Young" and I must've really shown my excitement because Syd totally called me out on it after. It was the perfect way to spend a Saturday night....especially since I was home and in bed by 11 even with a 1hr+ ride home. I think the whole show was recorded and I've been trying to track it down with no luck yet. If I find it, I will definitely give you guys a heads up because you need to hear it. Pick up Lost River on Tuesday. You won't be disappointed.
This video isn't from the show on Saturday but it will do.
So as if these 2 shows weren't enough, I got to see the one and only Matt Nathanson last night at URI. He is probably my favorite live act. I call it an act because he doesn't just play music, he also makes me laugh uncontrollably. He played a perfect mix of old and new stuff including "To The Beat Of Our Noisy Hearts", "All We Are", "Faster", "Pretty the World" and "Sad Songs." He even played "Laid" and "Starfish and Coffee" which are always fun sing-alongs. He played for almost 2 hours and I could've stayed for another 2 because I was so entertained. I managed to get a pretty good video of a new song "Kept" on my phone. I was up in the balcony so you can't really see much, but the audio isn't bad.
For the encore, Matt & Aaron did a great cover of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" because according to them, Metal is a dying genre. Then, of course he had to appease the crowds with "Come On Get Higher" as the finale. That song is the reason why a lot of those kids were there, but definitely not the reason why they'll keep coming back for more. I can't wait to get my hands on his album this summer because I know with a new album there will be a tour to go along with it.
That might be an exaggeration but it seriously has been a GREAT week for music. March is off to a fantastic start and I hope the rest of the month follows suit.
We all know I've been counting down the seconds for The Damnwells to release their new album. I finally got my digital copy of No One Listens to the Band Anymore on Tuesday morning (I downloaded before I even got out of bed) with the hard copy on its way. It is just as amazing as I expected. I had heard most of the tracks already but there's just something about hearing a polished version of a song you've been singing for months. The title track is one of my new favorites and it was a perfect choice to open the album with it. I keep finding myself going back to Let's Be Civilized. "No one's gonna rescue you, cuz no one has a fucking clue. So let's be civilized. Let's say I love you."
So I hadn't even made it through one full listen of No One Listens to the Band Anymore, when at work, I check twitter and find that Matt Nathanson announced a show in little old Rhode Island for THIS SUNDAY! If you have yet to see him live, DO IT. He's not only entertaining as a musician but he's hilarious! His highly-anticipated new album isn't out until the summer but I think this show will hold me over for a while. It's been forever since I've seen him. As I was typing this, I got an email with a free download of a new song off the album he just finished. It's a little heavy on the pop side and reminds me of George Michael's "Faith" at first listen. I hope he plays this on Sunday. It's fun and kinda sexy.
If you haven't heard of Middle Brother yet, you are missing out. They put the super back in supergroup. John McCauley of Deer Tick, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, and Matt Vasquez of Delta Spirit combined forces to create one amazing record. From the start of Daydreaming, you'd think these 3 were playing together for years. Although that's not the case, the chemistry between them says otherwise. I get a doo-wop feel from a few of the songs, and others are just straight up rock. Some are slow and gloomy (Daydreaming, Blood & Guts), others are upbeat and fun (Me, Me, Me; Middle Brother, Portland). They do a good job of switching up the lead vocals and it seems like each song was sung by the right person. I bet they have an amazing stage presence and I will soon find out! They are in Providence at Lupo's on Friday! (I told you this was a good week)
