tunes on tuesday 5-13: keb mo, leyla mccalla, john renbourn, john bardorf & james lee stanley

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun project. Each week I'll try to bring you some fun videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.




NEWER RELEASE
Released just a month or so ago, Looking Into You: a Tribute to Jackson Browne is a fun collection of recordings by a wide variety of artists, each covering one of Browne's songs. Some are close representations of the original but each are uniquely styled by the performing artist. From this album is Rock Me on the Water performed by Keb Mo. Though written in 1970 and recorded in 1972 by Jackson Browne on his debut self titled album, Linda Ronstadt actually released the song 5 months earlier than he did when she released her own self-titled album that very same year.



NEWER ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER
I first saw Leyla McCalla about a year ago when she was a member of the fabulous Carolina Chocolate Drops. This New Jersey native studied classical music at Smith College and New York University, then moved to New Orleans and fell in love with the musical culture there. Add the Haitian influence that stemmed from her immigrant parents and you have the musical mosaic that is Leyla. Tim Duffy of Music Maker Relief (a blues/roots music preservation organization located in Hillsborough, NC and formerly mentioned in a previous TFT post) came upon Leyla in New Orleans where she was playing cello as a street musician in the French Quarter. Tim introduced her to Rhiannon Giddens of the Chocolate Drops, Leyla joined the group and from there had a wonderfully successful Kickstarter project funded her own solo album, Vari-colored Songs: A Tribute to Langston Hughes. From that album is Heart of Gold.



'ROUND THE WORLD MUSIC
John Renbourn is a British songwriter who has always had a wide range of musical styles and influences. Having studied classical guitar in school, his recordings range from amazing renditions of pieces by Bach, bluesy Robert Johnson tunes and a whole lot of early/medieval English songs. Add a love of skiffle, jazz and folk, along with fabulous guitar and sitar talent and you have John Renbourn. He started attracting a lot of interest in England during the British Folk movement of the '70's and was tagged as folk-baroque when he joined forces with Scottish pal Bert Jansch. John continued playing his unique style of music  throughout his career, even while forming his baroque-rock group Pentangle, also with Bert Jansch, which was very popular in both the US and abroad, and from time to time heading back to school to further his studies of classical music.  Here is The Cuckoo.



INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER
Though you may not recognize his name, John Bardorf has been making music since the '70's. His group, Bardorf & Rodney and his second group, Silver, opened for all the big songwriters of the times, including America, Seals and Crofts, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Fleetwood Mac, The Doobie Brothers, Bread, Pure Prairie League, Harry Chapin,and John Prine. In the '80's he was writing jingles and singing backup to big-time recording artists including Rod Stewart, Motley Crue, Dave Mason, Eric Anderson, and David Lee Roth. More recently he's put out his first solo cd and recorded a cd with James Lee Stanley called "All Wood and Stones", which is a collection of acoustic renditions of Rolling Stones covers. Here is Batdorf and Stanley performing "Ruby Tuesday" from that album.




Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.

tunes on tuesday 4-29: temples, parker millsap, t.rex, declan o'rourke, the pretenders

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun project. Each week I'll try to bring you some fun videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.




NEWER RELEASE
Ok, so I can immediately think of about 5 classic bands that this group has adopted sounds from, but it's kind of refreshing to hear new music that has a nostalgic feel. Temples is a Britpop group that just released their debut album Sun Structures. The group has played a couple of larger UK music festivals and have just announced some dates in the US and Australia. Find out more, see a few of their psychedelic videos and hear a couple more songs at their website. Here is a fun one: Shelter Song.



NEWER ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER
Parker Millsap is 21 years old, from a tiny town in Oklahoma, raised in a Pentecostal home, and has the voice of a man with many years and some hard living under his belt. Howlin' Wolf meets Tom Waits meets Lowell George, Delta Blues mixes with folk, country and a knack for red-dirt story-telling. That's Parker Millsap. His debut album, released just a little over a month ago, is self titled and this song is Quite Contrary. I think you're going to like it. Expect more to come from Parker Millsap!



CLASSIC

Though T. Rex was only in existence for 10 years, their impact was substantial in the music world. The band morphed as key personnel changed and the group developed their own unique sound, but they found themselves with the release of the very popular Electric Warrior and Slider albums. They appeared frequently on the popular British TV show, Top of the Pops, and after one particular performance where Marc Bolan appeared with glitter under his eyes and sparkling in the studio lights, the Glam Rock genre was born. Fast friends with such musical greats as David Bowie, Elton John and Ringo Starr, and with well earned recognition for his album releases and live performances, Marc Bolan was living his rock-n-roll dream. Tragically, he was killed in a drunk driving accident at the young age of 29 so we’ll never know of the great music that was to come, but the few albums we are left with are gems. Here is Jeepster from the Electric Warrior LP.  



'ROUND THE WORLD MUSIC
Declan O'Rourke is a singer/songwriter from Ireland who has been slowly gathering much deserved attention in the US. This beautiful song is Time Machine from his US debut album, Mag Pai Zai, the third album he's recorded. He joined in a series of Transatlantic Sessions with Allison Krause and Jerry Douglas and though he's mainly touring in Ireland we can still enjoy his posted music and videos. See and hear more about Declan at www.declanorourke.com.




INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER
When I first heard The Pretenders back in the late 70's, I was immediately taken with Chrissie Hynde's voice. Male lead singers far outnumbered female rockers at that time and when Chrissie burst onto the scene she was not trying to be an imitator. She was confident, self-assured, pounding out songs with a crystal clear, emotional style that was all her own. The Pretenders have seen a lot of personnel changes throughout the years, two of them really important losses due to drug overdoses, but Chrissie has remained the constant driving force throughout. In 1972, Neil Young recorded Needle and the Damage Done, a song he wrote in reaction to seeing the effect that heroin use was having on his fellow artists, particularly the decline he was seeing in his Crazy Horse guitarist, Danny Whitten. It's a beautiful, acoustic hymn that still sends chills to listeners today. Add Chrissie Hynde's take on this classic and the result is awesome.





Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.

tunes on tuesday 4-22: trischka, barn birds, monkees, rodrigo y gabriela, fotheringay

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun project. Each week I'll try to bring you some fun videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.




NEWER RELEASE
The banjo legend, Tony Trischka just released his 17th album, this one titled Great Big World. Widely regarded as one of the best and earliest innovators of banjo stylings, this bluegrass artist started his musical journey in Syracuse, New York. He was inspired to pick up the banjo when he first heard the Kingston Trio and has been playing and performing steadily now for over 45 years. Tony has performed and recorded with an endless list of great musicians, has been recorded for movie soundtracks and is a regular featured radio guest on musical programs including Mountain Stage and Prairie Home Companion. He's also known as one of the best banjo teachers around!


NEWER ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER
The Barn Birds is a duo with an awesome vocal blending. Jonathan Byrd is a native of Chapel Hill/Carrboro, North Carolina where he tried the rock band thing for a while then gave it up for a more successful acoustic run. He has been writing songs and recording for 10 years and proudly says that each album is recorded within a day's time, just 6-10 hours! He met Chris Kohesh, who has been with the popular Northwestern region group, Misty River for 14 years, at a song writing workshop in 2007. The two sang and toured together for a number of years around the Northwest and Midwest regions and then recorded an album in 2011. Jonathan still frequently tours NC as a solo artist.  This song is Close Enough to Touch from their self-titled cd, released in 2013.


CLASSIC
The Monkees TV show only aired from 1966-1968 and the record releases ended in 1971, but their fans love them still.  Mike Nesmith was the only Monkee to be involved in the music from the beginning of their 5 year stint but eventually all four earned the right to take over the music that was released under the Monkee name. Remarkably, in 1967 Monkee albums outsold both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones! Here is What Am I Doing Hanging 'Round taken from one of their TV episodes.






WORLD
Rodrigo y Gabriela - The Russian Messenger from their newly released album 9 Dead Alive  Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero met and began playing music together as teens in Mexico City, Mexico. Feeling like they were being held back in their native country they moved to Dublin, Ireland and played on the streets and everywhere else they could, becoming increasingly popular there. Eventually they moved to the US, settled on the West Coast and made their musical debut here in 2006. They've recorded 8 albums and collaborated on the movie soundtracks of Puss in Boots (Shrek sequel) and Pirates of the Carribean (On Stranger Tides).




INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER
Fotheringay was formed in 1970 by the fabulous Sandy Denny after her departure from Fairport Convention. They did a great version of Bob Dylan's Too Much of Nothing on their self-titled album, the only studio album that they recorded together. Also in the short-lived band were Trevor Lucas of Fairport Convention and Gerry Conway, who is best known as backup for Cat Stevens and Jethro Tull, and is a current member of Fairport. Sandy sadly passed away in 1978 and holds the honor of being the only singer to guest with Led Zeppelin (The Battle of Evermore).



Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.

tunes on tuesday 4-15: the war on drugs, mandolin orange, the kinks, shooglenifty, devil in a woodpile

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun project. Each week I'll try to bring you five videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.



NEWER RELEASE 

The War on Drugs, Lost in a Dream, from their album of the same name, released in March of this year. An indie-rock band from Philly, their music seems to have a heavy Dylan/Springsteen influence though loaded with effects and dream-like ambience.  This is War on Drugs' 3rd album release.






NEWER ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER

Another fun group to come out of Chapel Hill, NC is Mandolin Orange. A sweet mix of bluegrass, gospel, folk, pop and whatever else inspires, this Americana duo is quickly growing in popularity and traveling to play for audiences farther afield, always with great reviews. Here they perform Turtle Dove and the Crow off their 3rd album, which was just recently released. To find out where they'll be next, check out their website at www.mandolinorange.com.



CLASSIC

A Well Respected Man was released on 45 rpm in the US in 1965. Written by Ray Davies for his band The Kinks, it was a reaction to the band's perception of the upper-class guests at the luxury hotel where they were staying and the song became a sort of an anthem for the class frustrations going on in England at that time. It reached #13 on the US charts. The Kinks (original 4 members) were inducted into the US Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005 and also into the UK Music Hall of Fame in that same year.  






WORLD

Shooglenifty is a six member band from Edinburgh, Scotland that played regularly at a local pub and now busily tours internationally. They describe their music as  "hypno-folkadelic ambitent traditional", and if you sit and listen to a selection of their songs you'll see why. There are traces of international music throughout but always with a Scottish backbone.  This really high-energy performance of Tammienorrie is infectious!







INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER 

Devil in a Woodpile created a really upbeat, fun version of Led Zepplin's Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. Though this Chicago based group disbanded several years ago, they produced 3 albums of mainly jazz, blues and ragtime cover songs reimagined in their own funky style.




Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.

 

tunes on tuesday 4-8: the head and the heart, big ron hunter, the hollies, yann tiersen, johnny cash

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun project. Each week I'll try to bring you five videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.


NEWER RELEASE

The Head and the Heart is a group from Seattle and here is Shake from their second album, Let’s Be Still which was released in the end of 2013.  According to band member Josiah Johnson,  the story behind the name of the band is that "your head is telling you to be stable and find a good job, you know in your heart that this [the band] is what you're supposed to do even if it's crazy." 

NEWER ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER

Big Ron Hunter is the son of an NC sharecropper who taught the young Ron how to play the guitar. Like many musicians, Ron developed his sound all while raising a family and working a day job. Big Ron is one of the fabulous Music Maker Relief artists, a group that works to support elderly, often empoverished American Roots musicians and to preserve their sound before it disappears. My band and I (Graymatter) had the fantastic opportunity to open for Big Ron Hunter last summer at a club in Hillsborough and we thoroughly enjoyed playing for him as his sat, clapping and singing along at a front row table. Here is Big Ron performing his song, Goin' For Myself.

CLASSIC

Recorded at Abbey Road studios and released in 1967, On a Carousel was the second single that came to us from The Hollies. The group was formed by elementary school pals, Alan Clarke and Graham Nash who began playing together in the 1950's. They came up with the name for their band just before beginning a gig in honor of one of their idols, Buddy Holly. On a Carousel hit #4 in the singles charts in the UK and #11 in the US.








WORLD MUSIC

Yann Tiersen is a French singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who is probably best known in this country as the composer of the soundtrack for the movie Amélie, which was actually a collection of songs pulled from his first four albums and just one of several movie soundtracks to his credit. Yann has released 8 studio albums, 3 live albums and several EP and shorter length recordings. He also does a lot of collaborating and guesting with other artists on their own albums. Here is a live video/recording of Yann and his band performing Le Banquet.



INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER

One of the last recordings we have from Johnny Cash is a Nine Inch Nails song, written by Trent Reznor, entitled Hurt. This video, which won Best Video of The Year at the Grammys and the CMA's, features images of Cash's life and appearances by his wife, June Carter Cash. Even if you're not a fan, the performance is so emotional that it will give you goosebumps and probably make you a little teary too. Johnny was definitely expanding his musical vision when he released this single with the B-side Personal Jesus, a Depeche Mode cover.



Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.

tunes on tuesday 4-1: aoife o'donovan, rogue band of youth, neil young, loney dear, tim o'brien & company

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun project. Each week I'll try to bring you five videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.


NEWER RELEASE

Aoife O'Donovan is a Boston native, now living in Brooklyn. She formerly was lead singer for the group Crooked Still and now strikes out on her own. She's collaborated with incredible musicians like Chris Thile, Yo Yo Ma, Alison Kraus, and even performed with the Boston Pops Orchestra and toured with Garrison Keillor and Prairie Home Companion.  Listen to her amazing voice as she performs Red and White and Blue and Gold from her newish album Fossils.




NEWER ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER


A lot of great music continues to come out of North Carolina and Rogue Band of Youth adds to the state's musical treasure trove. The trio just added a new self-titled LP to their discography this week.
Based in Carrboro, RBOY is getting some great notices. The Daily Tarheel calls their harmonies "masterful", Resound Magazine touts their harmonies as "flawless" and Indy Weekly describes the band as a  "folk-derived, harmony-heavy trio and their music as "adorned with textural swooshes and orchestral swells." Enjoy the first song off this full-length recording, Fair Shake, and then head to their Bandcamp page and give a listen to the whole album. This is a group to watch!



CLASSIC

Seems I've got an acoustic bent to my selections this week so I'm throwing in a super-great electric song and performance here. One of the best concerts I've ever attended was in 1978 when Neil Young and Crazy Horse rolled through during their Rust Never Sleeps tour. It was amazing, the performance was high-energy, the songs thrilled and it was classic, awesome Neil. Here's a video clip from the tour....Cinnamon Girl.  To follow the tour up with an album release and full-length movie too - those were the best after-concert souvenirs ever!






WORLD MUSIC

Loney, Dear is a Swedish singer/songwriter whose name is actually Emil Svanängen and this toe-tapper is I Am John from his 2007 CD released on SubPop records. This is the unofficial video he made because frankly, the "official" video is pretty awful and gets in the way of the music. Emil toured with Andrew Bird in 2009, his first exposure in the US.









INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER

Though there's a fair amount of controversy and confusion over who actually can claim Hey Joe as their own, Jimi Hendrix undoubtedly has title to the best-known version. The earliest recording of the song was by Billy Roberts of The Leaves back in 1965 (Billy Roberts and Scottish singer/songwriter Len Partridge performed this song together at their gigs throughout Edinburgh as early as 1956) and the song got a real boost when recorded by David Crosby and The Byrds in 1966.  In 1967, Jimi Hendrix released his version on Purple Haze, the same year that Cher released it as a single. One claimant said that the song is actually a traditional Scottish tune. No matter what the origin, it's a memorable song and this video I'm sharing is a really fun one. Recorded live in Glasgow, Scotland, this is Tim O'Brien on vocals and mandolin, with Jerry Douglas on dobro, John Doyle on acoustic guitar and Todd Parks on bass.





Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.

tunes on tuesday 3-25: amos lee, st paul and the broken bones, diana ross and the supremes, paco de lucia, james taylor & carly simon

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun new project. Each week I'll try to bring you five videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.


NEWER RELEASE

Chill in the Air from Amos Lee is off his new album Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song which was released on Blue Note Records at the end of 2013. Amos is a Philly native and former school teacher and Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song is his 5th album. The title song of the album is based on a visit he had with Levon Helm in Woodstock shortly before Levon's death. Amos's voice is soulful, full of emotion and Chill in the Air is a song that will get stuck in your head.

NEWER ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER

Based in Birmingham, Alabama, the 6 member St Paul and the Broken Bones  produce an R&B sound that's both nostalgic and refreshing all at the same time. Lead singer, Paul Janeway, was raised on gospel music and virtually shielded from secular music until his late teens. At that time he steered away from his calling to become a preacher and so began a musical path that leads to St Paul and the Broken Bones.    Call Me is from their first album, Half the City, which is newly released.  


CLASSIC

Stop! In the Name of Love was released in 1965 on the legendary Motown Record label and hit the top of the Billboard charts in both the Pop Singles and Soul charts For many people, this is the song that was their introduction to Diana Ross and the Supremes. This single has a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's honorable "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" collection.








WORLD MUSIC

Paco De Lucia, a giant in the guitar world, passed away last month. He was born, raised and lived in Andalusia, an area in southern Spain that is the hub of Roma or Gypsy life and tradition. Paco's father and two brothers were both flamenco guitar players and at age 7 Paco picked up a guitar to follow in their footsteps. He made his first record at age 15 and become one of the world's finest jazz/gypsy-jazz/flamenco guitarists ever seen. In this performance of Mediterranean Sundance, Paco is joined by guitar legends Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin. The three went on to record together and make guitar history.


INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER

James Taylor and Carly Simon sing James' song  You Can Close Your Eyes, recorded in 1977, not long before the couple married. Their marriage lasted until 1983 and they have two very musical kids, Ben and Sally, both of whom have recorded and performed with each of their parents. It's a beautiful song performed by two amazing singer/songwriter/vocalists.  








Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.

tunes on tuesday 3-18: benmont tench, mount moriah, springsteen, buena vista social club, van morrison & the chieftains

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun new project. Each week I'll try to bring you five videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.


NEWER RELEASE

Here is Benmont Tench's Veronica Said from his debut solo album, You Should Be So Lucky. You'll know Benmont as a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.  His first solo album includes guest artists Don Was, Ryan Adams, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty, Gillian Welch, and Dave Rawlings. He actually composed Veronica Said back in the 80's but never really felt like it was done. Eventually, he lost the demo and over time, forgot most of the song. When thinking about tracks for You Should Be So Lucky, Benmont pulled this song from the cobwebs, rewrote the whole second half of the song. So here's a fun song that interestingly enough, has 25+ years of rest in the writing.



NEW ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER

Mount Moriah is a group from the Chapel Hill/Durham areas of North Carolina and have recently released their 2nd album, Miracle Temple, on Merge records.  Bright Light is a song that will get stuck in your head and the vocals from Heather McEntire will pull you in and have you singing along. Amy Ray from the Indigo Girls guests on this new album, adding some background vocals.




CLASSIC

Here's a fun live performance, filmed in 1982 of Bruce Springsteen belting out Born to Run.  Written when he was just 24 years old, this song was the vehicle that exploded Springsteen into our lives. The album by the same name, which was released in 1975 by this New Jersey native, is often touted as one of the best albums ever produced and in 2003, Billboard Magazine listed it at number 18 in it's Top 500 Albums-of-All-Time list.

On a personal note, back in the early 80's we were making the long drive from NC to NJ and feeling very weary towards the end of the journey. We hit the Garden State Parkway, dialed in our favorite NYC station, WNEW, and Born to Run was playing. With a surge of renewed energy we both exclaimed "we're home!"



WORLD MUSIC


The Buena Vista Social Club was an actual members-only club in Havana, Cuba, where local musicians would gather to jam during the 1940's. It was wildly popular and the music that resulted was amazing. Fifty years later, Ry Cooder joined with one of the original guitarists from the group and did a recording with some of the other original members. So encouraged, they were urged to take the original BVSC group to Amsterdam for a live performance in 1998 and the event was filmed for the first time. A second concert was booked and filmed at Carnegie Hall in NYC, artists were interviewed and the resulting documentary shined a light on this once hidden musical sensation. This video is of the  Buena Vista Social Club  performing Chan Chan in Amsterdam, 1998. You can't help but be moved by just how joyous the musicians are, especially the two singer/guitarists that are featured here.



INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER

In honor of St Patrick's Day, here is Van Morrison and The Chieftains  performing Star of County Down. This is an old Irish folk song with lyrics by Cathal McGarvey (1866–1927) of County Donegal and a tune that was used and reused in several other songs and hymns, as is the typical folk tradition. Super-fun performance!











Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.

tunes on tuesday 3-11: linda thompson, lake street dive, rem, miriam makeba, the civil wars

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun new project. Each week I'll try to bring you five videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.


 NEWER RELEASE

Released in the end of 2013, It Won't Be Long Now is a long awaited solo album from Linda Thompson. The title song was written by her son, singer/songwriter Teddy Thompson, features Tony Trischka on banjo, ex-husband Richard on guitar and background vocals by Teddy and also by Amy Helm, daughter of Levon. Listening to the song is like a visit from an old friend that I hadn't seen in a long time. Great to hear from her again!




NEW ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER


The four members of Lake Street Dive met a dozen years ago or so, when they were students at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and ever since they've been winning over new fans wherever they play. Rachel Price's voice is amazing and in this silly promo for an EP release some years ago, the band show off some really incredible talent as they cover Micheal Jackson's  I Want You Back.




CLASSIC

REM released Shiny Happy People back in 1991 on their Out of Time LP. Joining them on this ultra-upbeat song is Kate Pierson from the B-52's.  It hit Billboard's Top Ten list and was considered by many to be the song of the summer.










And how can you not love their rendition of Shiny Happy Monsters that they did with the Muppets back in 1999.  (song runs to 3:48 then wanders into another unrelated sketch)












WORLD MUSIC


Many folks had not heard of Miriam Makeba until discovering her in Paul Simon's Graceland project, but in South Africa she was a shining star. Needing to leave the country during the anti-Apartheid era, she continued to sing about the struggles in her homeland. “Under African Skies” is a good example of her work and showcases her beautifully strong voice. Miriam passed away in 2008.








INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER

The Civil Wars perform their really interesting take on Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. The Grammy Award and Americana Music Association award winning duo of John Paul White and the very expressive Joy Williams released this song on their VH1 Unplugged EP in November of 2012.  (enlarge video by hitting play and then the lower right corner)






Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.

tunes on tuesday 3-4: rosanne cash, lost in the trees, ekova, cat stevens, simon/crosby/nash

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun new project. Each week I'll try to bring you five videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.


NEWER RELEASE

Rosanne Cash is back! Her single, The Sunken Lands,  is co-written with her husband John Leventhal, from her newly released album The River and The Thread which showcases songs by these two as well as songs that Rosanne co-wrote with her ex-husband, Rodney Crowell.  The eldest daughter of the legendary Johnny Cash, Rosanne's musical style crosses over many genres.  I think The Sunken Lands is hauntingly beautiful and think you're going to really enjoy this too.



NEW ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER

I've recently seen Lost in the Trees classified as American orchestral folk-pop and that's about as good a description as any. Their new album, Past Life, is a slicker, more commercial path for them than you'll hear in their previous 3 releases and it's getting them a lot of notice in the wider music world. Whether you prefer their earlier more acoustic stuff or their slick electronic sound, Lost in the Trees is proving that they have a broad musical reach. I got to see Ari Picker and Lost in the Trees this summer when they provided a live soundtrack to an incredible giant puppet production put on by Paperhand Puppet Intervention in Chapel Hill, NC.  I made sure to sit right behind them in the pit so I could watch them not only perform but lend amazing and creative sound effects throughout the show. So here is Daunting Friend off their new cd.


CLASSIC

Cat Stevens left the music biz in 1976 but before he did he said his good-byes to his fans with his "Earth Tour". When you watch this video of Tuesday's Dead you just can't help but see the sheer joy and immense fun he was having during this performance.










WORLD MUSIC

Ekova's home base is France, though the global-pop group members hail from other parts of the world. The vocalist/cellist is American, oud/guitarist from Algeria and their percussionist is Iranian. Diedre Dubois sings in multiple languages as the group provides a combination acoustic and electric instrumentation built on a completely enchanting drone. Here's the very lively Siip Siie from their 2nd album, Space lullabies and other Fantasmagore.






INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER

Paul Simon, David Crosby & Graham Nash join forces in an amazing tribute to George Harrison. Their rendition of Here Comes the Sun gives me goose bumps every time I listen to it. This is a once in a lifetime moment of musical magic.











Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.

tunes on tuesday 2-27: nickel creek, carolina chocolate drops, simon & garfunkel, pierre bensusan, joe walsh with daryl hall

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun new project. Each week I'll try to bring you five videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.


NEWER RELEASE

Due to be released on April 1st: the much anticipated new album A Dotted Line from Nickel Creek! Chris Thile, and siblings Sara and Sean Watkins reunite after a 7 year hiatus to bring us more of their musical magic. Playing together since they were youngsters, this album and supporting tour mark their 25th anniversary.

Two songs from the new album: here is Chris featured on Love of Mine...






...and Sara featured on Destination.












NEW ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER

The Carolina Chocolate Drops are a string band from Durham, NC that came together in 2005 after attending a Black Banjo Gathering in Boone, NC. They earned a Grammy in 2010 in the American Folk Album category and just added to their busy touring schedule, a slot at this year's Bonnaroo Festival.

It was hard to decide which Carolina Chocolate Drops song to share. There are so many good ones and the styles vary so, but Rhiannon Giddens voice just soars in this favorite of mine, so here is Leaving Eden, from an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry last year.

Learn more and hear more at www.carolinachocolatedrops.com.


CLASSIC

Recorded and released in 1966, Simon & Garfunkel's Hazy Shade of Winter reached the #13 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 list. This is one of S&G's harder hitting songs and one that is still being covered today. The Bangles recorded a harder, edited version in 1987 and since then punk-pop, thrash metal, psyche-rock, darkwave covers have been released by other bands around the world. To me, the original folk-rock version from 1966 hits home.

 






WORLD MUSIC

Pierre Bensusan is a French Algerian guitarist you'll definitely want to look into. I first heard Pierre's amazing guitar back in 1979 when I discovered his album, Près de Paris. He released this album, the first of eleven, when he was just 18 years old. It's hard to classify his style, because you can hear celtic, jazz, world, new-age and folk influences throughout. His creative use of DADGAD tunings and his amazing talent will carry you away! You can learn a whole lot more about Pierre at pierrebensusan.com.



INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER

Joe Walsh with Daryl Hall doing Rocky Mountain Way. Need I say more? I just dare you to stay still during this amazing jam!










"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.

tunes on tuesday 2-18: david crosby, seth walker, the turtles, cinemacinco, plant & kraus

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun new project. Each week I'll try to bring you five videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.


NEWER RELEASE

Releasing his first solo album in 20 years, David Crosby is gifting us with 11 new original songs. "Croz" is co-produced by his son, James Raymond, who also performs on the album, as does Mark Knopfler, Leland Sklar and Wynton Marsalis.











NEW ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER


Seth Walker is a North Carolina native and part of a very musical family He moved to Austin, Texas in his 20's and has been writing, performing and recording ever since. Seth has an amazing bluesy style that you're going to love. Find out more about Seth and hear lots more music at sethwalker.com.







CLASSIC

The Turtles biggest and best known hit is "Happy Together", released in 1967. The song reached #1 status on Billboard's Top Ten list and stayed there for 3 weeks, knocking The Beatles "Penny Lane" off of that spot.












WORLD MUSIC

Cinemacinco is a contemporary Columbian Folk band that came to the US to perform at the 2013 SXSW Festival. You gotta love their smooth harmonies!


 







INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER

Two very different musical worlds collided when Robert Plant and Alison Kraus decided to join forces. They recorded a mixture of songs from each of them, with the other providing harmonies that surprised us with their wonderful fit. Here's one from Alison with Robert doing harmony...


 (HT to Donna for suggesting this song)

...and here is one of Robert's with Alison joining in.














"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.

tunes on tuesday 2-11: McCartney, Driftwood, Seu Jorge, Fleetwood Mac, Martin & Brickell

Tunes on Tuesday is a fun new project. Each week I'll try to bring you five videos or audio files, each one focusing on a song, group or collaboration that just might pique your interest! If you have someone for possible spotlight then shoot me a private e-mail and we'll give it a listen. Hope you enjoy Tunes on Tuesday! 


NOTE: All videos may be expanded to full screen. Hit play then click on the icon at lower right.


NEWER RELEASE

From Paul McCartney's album "New" released at the end of 2013. Early Days is touching,heartfelt and sung with great emotion. If you're a Lennon/McCartney fan then you need to give this song a listen.












NEW ARTIST / REGIONAL / UP & COMER

Out of Binghamton, NY, Driftwood is a band you need to catch as they drift through your area. This super friendly and talented group of musicians recently premiered their video The Sun's Going Down on CMT. 


Learn more about them at their website  http://driftwoodtheband.com/




CLASSIC

Go Your Own Way from the 1977 Fleetwood Mac album "Rumors". The album stayed at #1 on Billboard's chart for 31 weeks and produced 4 Top Ten singles, including this one.












WORLD MUSIC

So this could go under the cover section of this post but it's so great I'm going to put it in World Music just so I can share it with you this week. Seu Jorge is a Brazilian guitarist who is probably best known in this country for his performances on the "Life Aquatic" soundtrack. This video is from the recording session of Bowie's Life on Mars for that movie.








INTERESTING COLLABORATION OR COVER

Steve Martin and Edie Brickell earned a Grammy this month in the American Roots Song category for their song Love Has Come For You, originally released in April of 2013 on an album by the same name. Steve is an accomplished banjo player, often performing with the Steep Canyon Rangers, a band formed at UNC-Chapel Hill in the 1990's. Edie, famously fronted the New Bohemians in the 1980's and is married to Paul Simon. Both Steve and Edie have several recorded albums to their credit. 




"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." PROMO ONLY, Nonprofit, No Copyright Infringement Intended, All Copyrights Belongs to the Owner.