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Hey all you Southerners, specifically those in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas, if you’re anywhere near the venues on the list below, get yourself to this show and see Leon Russell with Eric Himan opening. I saw … Continue reading
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I’d been wanting to see Bettye LaVette in concert ever since I happened to catch the broadcast of her concert on Austin City Limits back in 2008. She blew me away, especially the performances of the song “Choices‘” by Billy … Continue reading
The performance of The Live Art: Tree of Life at the Landmark Theater on December 22 had a few problems. Among other issues, a smoke machine set of a fire alarm, more than a few dancers missed their marks, and a pianist was slightly off tempo. Yet the show left me completely spellbound from beginning to end! The problems, with the possible exception of the fire alarm, only enhanced the charm of a truly magical evening that celebrated all forms of the arts, and the joy of participation in them, regardless of skill level or ability. Continue reading
St.Paul de Vence were looking for fan support to make a new album, I was on board, right away. Getting involved in crowdsourcing projects makes me feel like a bit of a producer, and I like the feeling of making music happen. Backers often get the music before anyone else, but if that’s not enough, you can get additional perks. In the case of St. Paul de Vence, I also just really want them to make an album as soon as possible. I wrote of my appreciation for their self-title debut in a previous post. It was an interesting, unique project with a distinctive sound.
The campaign ends Sunday Dec 22, 9:00pm EST, so act now!
The St. Paul de Vence Kickstarter Campaign is about to enter it’s last week, so if you want to get in on it, you need to do it soon. Earlier this week I interviewed band leader Benjamin Doerr about the plans for the new album. Find out what he had to say and watch a St. Paul de Vence performance below.
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Declan Bennett accompanied by Alon Bisk
This past Friday I caught a show on Rockwood Music Hall’s Stage 3 that was a revelation. Declan Bennet, currently starring in the West End production of Once, is on a brief break, during which he played a show in New York. It was brilliant! It’s been a while since I left a concert this excited about the artist, but this guy is the real deal!
I’d only discovered his music a few weeks ago, when I read a short blurb about the live and unplugged remake of his 2011 album Record: Breakup. I didn’t know who he was, so I certainly wasn’t aware of the original, electric, studio version of Record:Breakup, but something about the blurb intrigued me. I remember jotting down the link on my phone, and finding it later that night, I was blown away. Continue reading
Here’s a good song for Halloween, “Raise the Dead” by Caravan of Thieves.
Caravan of Thieves are a fun band to play at your Halloween party because of songs like Monster, Ghostwriter and Butcher’s Wife that treat appropriately macabre Halloween type themes, but that’s not the only reason. They’re also a band that celebrates the things that really make a holiday like Halloween fun, dressing up in costume, and letting it bring out your wild side. To be sure they do their fair share of songs about kind of creepy, macabre themes, but there’s a playfulness to it. Think more Dia de los Muertos or even Carnival, Mardi Gras or a Gypsy Fair, than crass commercialism, blood and gore! It’s a party for one and all! Continue reading
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I’ve never been to any other place where music is as omnipresent as it is in New Orleans. Of course there are more important centers of the music industry, producing much more of the stuff the world listens to and … Continue reading
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If you were anywhere nearby this weekend, Harvard Square was the place to be for the New England Americana Festival, now in its fourth year. This is a gallery of images from Saturday, September 28, featuring photos by Rachid Aadnani … Continue reading
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Will Dailey and Bleu wrapped up their PledgeMusic sponsored tour on Thursday night with a rocking, rollicking, high energy show at Brighton Music Hall, supported by Air Traffic Controller that felt a little like a reunion of old friends. Perhaps … Continue reading
Boston-based independent recording artist Will Dailey‘s advice to aspiring singer-songwriters is to seek out experiences that you can call on in your work, and “listen, not just to music, but to everything around you.” It seems to have worked for him. He grew up surrounded by music from across the spectrum from Classical to Folk and says it all left an imprint. He exercises the the songwriter’s prerogative to call on whatever styles of influences seem appropriate for the song. The result is songs that are rich and complex, gathered into albums that are varied and full of surprises, refusing to be constrained by the conventions of a narrow style of genre.
Will Dailey and Bleu duet during the last show on the PledgeMusic Tour
A hard working and prolific artist, Dailey has done well for himself since his first self-produced release in 2004, GoodbyeRedBullet, in spite of being repeatedly knocked around by the vicissitudes of a recording industry struggling to come to terms with the digital age. He’s released 4 albums to date, 5 if you count Torrent Volume 1 and 2 separately. Collectively they reveal a songwriter with mastery over a wide variety of styles, and an interest in exploring a wide musical pallet. And while each album has it’s own distinctive feel, each is also a a musical buffet of sorts, with varying musical styles juxtaposed and hidden gems to discover.
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