Tina Dico at The Hotel Cafe

It was a cold and rainy night as I walked up to the Hotel Café. Okay, this is Hollywood, so when I say cold and raining, I really mean low 50s and drizzling. But I was the first in line so I stood under the doorway and listened to Astrid Swan I believe (I could be completely wrong here) as she did her sound check; sounded like Fiona Apple as her voice was filtered through the walls. I was all prepared for an evening alone; had my IPOD with me. But shortly after I arrived three people rolled out of a car and became my new best friends. Ed, Amanda, the guy with the hat (sorry, I just can’t remember his name) and I had a fun filled pre concert conversation, talking about everything from gas explosions (guy with hat works for Gas Company) to Chucky Cheese (Amanda used to be a rat). As the line grew, we were talking about gas blowing up in your face and this guy behind us tells us about his burns. Someone asked what the gas was and he said, “Petroleum Ether” (or something like that). I couldn’t resist, “Was that the last time you did freebase”? “Uhmmmm, actually it was hash oil”. Okay, enough nonsense.

The doors opened and in we went. If you haven’t been to the remodeled Hotel Café, they did a great job. You enter from the back now and there is a big lobby area where you can sit at cocktail tables and drink (there is a second bar too). You then go through double doors into the old room. They have widened the room by about 1/3 and instead of 2 rows of tables; there are now 5 or so rows. The capacity on the wall says 189, but that probably includes the back lobby where you can’t really hear the music. They did not change the stage one bit and yes, the red curtains are still there.

We sat down at the front table against the wall and awaited the opening act, Kristin Hoffman. Kristin is, according to her bio, classically trained. Part way through the first song you figure out that her instrument was her voice. One of the highlights of her performance was her cover of Joni Mitchell’s, “Case of You”. She hit all of the low and high notes. It was very impressive. There were a couple of really good songs in the set also, but it seemed like her voice lacked the emotion required to pull off this kind of music. Ed thought her piano playing on her right hand was a little heavy handed. Overall I enjoyed her show though. As she sang, you could hear the rain beating down on the side of the building (this time it really was rain) and Kristin commented on how cool it was and that it was like being in a cave. Yes, a cave filled with beautiful female voices.

And then it was Tina’s Turn. You can not start out a discussion of Tina Dico live without talking about her statuesque beauty. All legs, blond hair and the sweetest smile, this native of Denmark is as beautiful as she is humble. What you realize when she smiles is that she probably knows that she is beautiful, but that this is her art and that is what is important about the evening. The music isn’t about a producer making some beauty the next big thing, it is her personal life and she wants to share it with us.

And then she starts playing and wow! She played the guitar (a Gibson Hummingbird, which just sounded so good) with confidence and sang with the kind of emotion you get from sitting all day in an unfurnished flat in London with no money and only your music to get you by. Most of the evening was dedicated to her new CD, “In the Red”. No band was needed for this music: You can see that the songs are really that good. For her encore she dipped into her past for a couple of songs. One of the funny moments was when this guy yelled out an old song. She told the crowd that last night in San Diego someone yelled out that song and she said, “I’m sorry, I don’t really think I know that one well enough. Next time”. And the guy in the crowd said, “No problem, I’ll see you tomorrow in Hollywood”. So, there he was and so, as she promised, she sang it. For those wondering, she did not sing any Zero 7 songs (unless I missed one).

It was a great show that lasted about 45 to 50 minutes. Afterward we hung out in the lobby. The doorman said that after he let all of the people waiting in line for Jose Gonzales in, we could buy tickets. He assured us it wouldn’t sell out. So the 4 of us talked for about an hour. I slipped over and chatted with Tina for a few minutes. She really is so sweet. At about 10:30 the gang left. We said goodbye, never to see each other again. And I waited another 20 minutes. It became apparent that the line outside was continuing to grow and when I peaked my head into the room, it was packed all the way to the back of the bar. They were sold out (at least the fire marshal would probably say so) even as they continued to let people in. At just before 11, with no music started, I decided that as much as I wanted to see Jose, it was time to leave. I could barely see the stage and the sound in the back of The Hotel Café is usually overshadowed by talking. With Jose Gonzales, you really want to be right there: The music is so intimate. Maybe next time. He is playing at the Echo tonight, but I can’t see driving out to L.A. again.

Jill Sobule and Julia Sweeney at Largo in Hollywood

A funny thing happens when you combine a SNL alumnus with one of music’s most interesting, humorous, A.D.D. songwriters. In fact lots of funny things happen. Which is what we got last night at Largo as Jill brought up Julia Sweeney for a bit of fun on stage. The way it worked was very simple. Jill and the band (Adam Levy on guitar and Dave Carpenter on stand up bass) would play a song and then when it ended, the band would continue playing and Julia would tell a story that related to the song. So, when Jill sang Angel/Asshole, Julia talked about a guy she dumped (not to mention throwing up all over him). This went on for 4 or 5 glorious songs/monologues. There are always plenty of laughs at a Jill Sobule concert, but it went into overdrive with Julia doing her one woman act. Still, there are few people in the world as quick and funny as Jill and during the encore Julia was stumped when Jill made her come up for an unrehearsed story after singing “Under the Disco Ball” a story about a young gay man. Julia didn’t know what to say until a man in the audience yelled out, “Have you ever dated a gay man?”. Julia laughed and said, “Yes, but neither of us knew it”. It was a fun funny evening and those of us in So.Cal. may be lucky enough to see it again in the near future.

Opening the show was Adam Levy. Adam is best known as Norah Jones guitar player, but has played on everyone from Tracy Chapman to Amos Lee. And, yes he is a good guitar player. But what really got me, were his vocals. He is a cleaner/deeper/softer Jon Dee Graham. I can’t believe that he hasn’t been singing on his CDs. His songs, even when they were about doing the wash, sounded so special and important you were ready to cry. I look forward to hearing more from him down the road.

This Weeks Play List

Lots of music to add this week, so I’ll keep the comments short…

Grant Lyle – Grant Lyle (2006) An indie artist. He sent me some mp3s that I liked. You can hear more at http://www.grantlyle.com/music.htm

KT Tunstall – Eye to the Telescope (2006) Another one of the hot new artists you may be hearing a lot about this year. Very very good CD.

Elvis Costello (Live with the Metropole Orkest) – My Flame Burns Blue (2006) Not many artists take the risks that Elvis does. And when it works, it works real well. You start by enjoying the jazz remakes of a few of his songs, but even the new songs sound great. Yes, it is a jazz CD. But it is also an Elvis Costello CD. My favorite on the CD has to be the samba raved-up version of “Clubland”.

Etienne de Rocher – Etienne de Rocher (2006) Thanks to Mike for raving about this one. I really don’t know how to describe this guy. The first thing that came to mind was how much I kept thinking about Beck (not that he sounds like him). This is one talented guy who shouldn’t be on an indie label for very long. http://www.etiennederocher.com/

Willie Nile – Streets of New York (2006) I saw Willie at the “Light of Day” concert in Hollywood a few months ago and loved his music right off the bat. You can hear everything from Dylan to Springsteen in his influences. An excellent CD.

Hem – No Word from Tom (2006) This is the first time I’ve heard these guys. This is an odds and ends type CD based on performances over the last 5 years or so. Think Cowboy Junkies and you have a good idea how special they are. But I bought this CD just because of one song, REM’s “South Central Rain”. What a great version.

Sia – Colour The Small One (2006 – U.S. Release) This is the official U.S. release with a couple of new songs and 2 more versions of “Breathe Me”. Neither are as good as the original release, but well worth the listen.

Saint Etienne – Tales From Turnpike House (2006) A concept album for the new millennium. This one is about the people living in this apartment complex. The music at times takes you back to the days before the Beatles and Stones took over the world. At the same time they can have a very techno feel. This is a fascinating CD.

Slacktone – Slacktone (1997) I heard “The Bells of St Kahuna” in concert and realized for the first time how good surf music can be. These guys are as tight as any prog rock band. Best surf music I have ever heard.

Luke Doucet – Broken (and other rogue states) (2005) This may be the breakup CD of the year (maybe the new millennium). There are lots of songs about cold and broken hearts (or lack there of) and, well, I just love this CD. His future wife, Melissa Mclelland sings backup vocals on many of the songs. He is the indie poster boy of Canada. Someday… Buy this CD! http://www.lukedoucet.com

Beaver Nelson – Motion (2004) We saw Beaver in Austin last year and picked up this CD (yes I am way behind on my listening). A very enjoyable CD… but I have run out of time. http://www.beavernelson.com

Jenny Lewis at the Glass House in Pomona

An art center, right in the middle of Pomona: Who would have thought it was possible. This is a very cool alternative to driving all the way into L.A. Although, if I’m in the OC at 4pm, it ain’t gonna happen. I was able to adjust my schedule this week and work at my client’s in Chino Hills Wednesday, so I lucked out this time.

The Glass House is an old furniture warehouse, according to Bill. It is one big open space with a stage in the corner; allowing for a wide viewing angle. At the back of the building, there is a small upstairs area with a few seats. Although it would have been a comfortable and reasonable place to watch a concert, we were afraid of how the sound would be, so back down we went; into the crowd. We figured it was heavily a Claremont College crowd. And what a wonderful crowd it was. Maybe the best I’ve been in since the last Springsteen show. It was so uplifting to me to know that there were young people today who come to concerts to hear the music. Even if… well, we’ll get to that in a minute. I think I was the oldest or second oldest in the crowd. We found 2 others who looked our age. Otherwise the crowd was pretty much not at drinking age yet (I understand it is a 16 and over club). The thing was, they were respectful. There was little talking during the show, lots of enthusiasm for all of the songs from all of the acts and it was just obvious that they were really there to hear the music. How refreshing that was.

Opening the show was Whispertown 2000. So, before I say what I have to say about their performance you should know that it was their first show and Morgan was sick. She actually came out and immediately sprayed something into her mouth. You expect that when an artist is sick they have trouble hitting notes. But what you forget is that it also can affect their hearing. I’ve been listening to their site on Myspace and am now sure that is what happened because, well, Susie and I kept looking at each other with painful looks on our faces as Morgan kept hitting notes that should be made illegal (and may be in some parts of the world). It was really painful. No. It was really really painful. I can’t even begin to talk about the music itself because it was just so hard to get past the vocals that night. Listening to songs on their website, I can see how they could go so wrong. She/they do not produce typical melodies and if you miss some of those notes, it’s like hitting a gravel patch off the side of they road; you’re in deep trouble. The crowd was very supportive though. Some even started clapping along with one of the songs.

Michael Runion was the second act on the bill. He did a fun solo set playing music that reminded me of Jack Johnson. The lyrics sounded pretty interesting too. He is someone I am going to keep an eye on. Probably the highlight of his act though was his back and forth dialog with the audience. He is a very funny guy and had the audience laughing out loud at some of his off the cuff comments. I’d love to see him in a small club sometime.

Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins started the show in very dramatic fashion: With the band already on stage, they started singing the a capella opening to their CD, “Run Devil Run”. Slowly the three of them walked onto the stage, continuing to sing without microphones. As they hit the last note of the song, Jenny strummed her guitar creating a huge amount of feedback. It wasn’t what she had in mind, but this was opening night of the tour. Actually, sound was a problem all night for all three groups. Jenny apologized, they got the sound levels figured out, and off she went singing about God and religion and life in the big city. I love the new CD and they focused on it throughout the night; playing only a few songs outside of it. There were no Rilo Kiley songs, which seems to show how strongly she feels about this CD. Although I enjoyed the show, she really didn’t add to the songs. This is the first night of the tour so maybe it will take a bit of time and maybe I’m expecting too much; but I do like to see the artist push beyond the limits of the studio when they are in concert. One new song stood out, “Jack Killed Mom”, a funny rollicking blue-eyed soul/country song that turned into a gospel like rave at the end. During the encore they did an a copella version of “I met him on a Sunday”. The standout piece of the evening was the title track from “Rabbit Fur Coat” which she sang accompanied only by her guitar. It is a very powerful, semi-autobiographical song about growing up in Hollywood. The band, is comprised of a couple of Rilo Kiley members along with Michael Runion on bass and Jonathan Rice on guitar. Rice did a nice job playing lots of acoustic solos. Overall it was a good show and a fun evening.

This Weeks Play List

Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins – Rabbit Fur Coat (2006) The voice of Rilo Kiley creates this excellent closer to country than alternative CD. Her pragmatic look at God and religion is so refreshing. She’s not angry and she sure isn’t kissing butt as she lays out her life to be examined. Will easily make my year end best of list.

Calexico & Iron and Wine – In The Reins (2005) A great collaboration between these two bands. Hopefully this won’t be the last.

The Gousters –The Gousters (2005) An independent release featuring, again a collaboration, Walt Cronin and Zander Schloss, bass player of “The Circle Jerks”. I love how this CD changes styles; sometimes a strong country feel, sometimes it almost sounds like Jon Dee Graham. There is some good stuff on this indie CD. You can find out more at: www.thegousters.com .

Surf Music in San Diego

My college radio station, KCR has put out a benefit CD to help buy needed equipment for the radio station. As part of this effort, we threw a CD release party at The Whistle Stop in San Diego. The CD contains music from 11 surf bands located in Southern California. So, of course, we showcased three of them for our party. Although I liked all three bands, I really need to talk about the last band of the evening, The Slacktones. I was not prepared to be wowed by a “surf band”, but these guys did it. For those of you who don’t follow surf music, there are two things that all good surf bands have in common; a fast and tight drummer and a great lead guitarist. I hadn’t really thought about the latter until I watched these guys play; and Dave Wronski from the Slacktones is amazing. His songwriting is creative, pushing the limits of surf and yet still maintaining a surf sound. And the guitar playing was so fast and accurate and inventive. I really didn’t expect to walk away with a band’s CD, but there I was, asking which CD had that great song with the soft section in the middle (that would be, “The Bells of St. Kahuna”… and what a fantastic song that is). It is almost like going to a jazz concert except that it may be more melodic and the chances of hearing the theme to Hawaii 5-0 are better (they did a nice job on it, although it was no where near the highlight of the evening). It was a fabulous evening and we, the alumni, were able to collect over $800 for the station.

Kenny White and Cheryl Wheeler in San Diego

Watching Kenny White work a grand piano brought back memories of the first time I saw him when he opened for Shawn Colvin. He is such an impressive piano player that I sometimes find myself thinking, okay, just get to “In My Recurring Dream” (which is always the closer) so I can watch you take off. And on a real piano… wow! I’ve seen Kenny a few times over the last year or so, and with only a half hour or so to play with, he really can’t do much extra in his shows. He did add a new political song that takes some hard shots at the current administration. He told me later that there are 4 or 5 political songs that may come out on an EP. They will be available on his website, http://www.kennywhite.net sometime in the near future, hopefully.

Cheryl Wheeler put on a show very similar to the one we saw in NYC a couple of years ago. She is so funny that you don’t mind hearing some of the same stories over again. There were new ones though, and as always they were a hoot. For those who have heard her CDs, what you don’t get on the CD is her beautiful voice. It really comes through in concert. Overall it was a lovely evening. I look forward to their next west coast tour.

Kathleen Edwards and Luke Doucet at Largo in Hollywood

It was a night for couples. Not that any of the songs had anything remotely resembling a love song in them. In fact Kathleen said it best last night when she said, “Luke sang songs about a breakup. I’m singing songs about whoring and slutting”. Of course she was overstating things a bit, but it got a good laugh. The reason it was couples night was that Luke played most of his set with his future wife Melissa McClelland and Kathleen played most of her set with just Colin Cripps (her guitar playing producer).

Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland opened the evening and he warned us right off the bat that his new CD was all about his last breakup. Luke is pretty unknown in the U.S. which is too bad. He is a very talented writer. The music from the new CD was excellent in concert. And, yes many of the songs were about his breakup. In one of the best songs there was a line that was something like, “You have to have a heart in order for it to break”. As you might imagine, the breakup didn’t go well for him. But the intro to this song started a very funny moment, as he began explaining that he called her up to tell her the CD was coming out and it was all about her and that he thought she would rather she hear it from him then from friends. So he invited her over and he sang her the songs. It was at this point that Melissa said, “I wish I could have sung harmony on them”. We all laughed. She then did a clawing motion (can you say cat fight?). The ex’s response to all of this, according to Luke, was “You wrote an entire CD about our breakup. Do you know how many songs I’ve written? None”. And we all had to believe she was a heartless… uhmmm, songwriter. It was great moment that was only surpassed by the song about his brother who is selling crack on the street. It was a very sad and moving song. Luke spent much of the evening playing lead electric and singing, while Melissa played rhythm guitar and sang harmonies. She has a beautiful voice, and may be almost as witty as her future husband. What a wonderful duo they are and although Melissa hasn’t broken his heart yet, Luke was quick to point out that he had plenty more breakup songs that he just needs to add a name to. Yes, there is plenty of humor in his songs too.

When Kathleen Edwards doesn’t have a band behind her a different woman shows up. Or maybe it was just the small intimate surroundings that made her seem more accessible and soft (she was drinking whiskey straight up though). That isn’t to say that she didn’t rock hard with just the duo, but that she seemed more relaxed and approachable. In fact, after the show I talked to her for a minute and I was really surprised at how sweet she seemed. I gushed over her for a minute or so and she sincerely thanked me and asked my name. She was very sweet. But I digress. The duo played songs from both of her CDs along with a new song about a woman that never came home. It was a very sad and beautiful song. I’m guessing her third CD will be right up there with the first two. Part way through the show she asked a special guest to come join her. It was Benmont Tench; from Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers and so many guest appearances on CDs over the last 30 years. He is an amazing keyboardist. So he sat down at the old standup piano that lives on the back side of the Largo stage and refused to leave. After two songs, he said something to Kathleen or she said something to him, couldn’t really tell, and then he sat down as she said, “It’s in this key”, and strummed her guitar. Benmont said, “Oh that’s easy”. And then proceeded to play some awesome licks on a song he had never rehearsed with her. He did it again when they played an old John Prine song. He almost stole the show. Kathleen rounded out her set with several solo numbers which were easily as moving as the studio versions. They say that the true sign of a good song is how it holds up when you take the band away. The music held up just fine.

This Weeks Play List

I'm a bit late this week, but here we go. All three CDs are small label/Indie CDs. Hans and The Beautiful Girls are touring the U.S. right now, so check out their sites for tour dates.

And I just have to comment on the Super Bowl music... If I were the producer of the shows, I sure would have pulled my name from the credits. Mics going out. Guitars not in the mix. I know it is live, but you've got a billion people watching. Get it right or don't do it. Meanwhile my daughter was freaked out that she had to see Mick's stomach. Grant it, there are few 60 year olds that can show off their middriff. But please, for the sake of the children, DON'T. :-)

Leila Florentino – Sail (2005) Her voice reminds me a bit of Kate Bush. The music is more straightforward though and neither are as quirky. There is an innocence here that is beguiling. She is a young singer/songwriter with plenty of potential. Check her out at http://www.leilaflorentino.com and you can buy her CD at Amazon.com .

Hans York – Inside Out (2005) The guitar playing is exquisite and the production is impeccable. Think Bruce Cockburn and you’ll have an idea of where this artist is heading. Excellent CD. For more info you can visit his site: http://www.hansyork.com/

The Beautiful Girls – We’re Already Gone (2005) These Aussies are somewhere between Jack Johnson and Bob Marley. Most of the music on this CD is Reggae with the occasional JJ’ish ditty. You’ll also find socially aware lyrics and cool melodies. You can’t ask for much more then that. And I understand their live show is amazing. You can find them here: http://www.thebeautifulgirls.com

This Weeks Play List

Lots of new music for you this week, including our first batch of hot 2006 CDs. If the rest of the year is like last week, this is going to be an amazing year. And don't forget to pick up Tina Dico's first solo CD, In the Red, now available most everywhere.

Cat Power – The Greatest (2006) Okay, yes there is an R&B band behind her, but this isn’t R&B; no matter what the critics say. But having this excellent combo behind her may be just what she needs to move up to the next level.

Rosanne Cash – Black Cadillac (2006) Her best CD yet. That isn’t just from me, but from virtually every critic that has reviewed the album. Squarely focused on the death of her parents and step mother (all within 2 years), this as emotional an outpouring as you are going to see all year. A very sweet touch at the end is track 13 with is 71 seconds of silence. Both of her parents were 71 when they died.

Danielia Cotton – Small White Town (2005) A wonderful new artist with lots of wide variety of styles all mixed together. www.daniellia.com

KCR Radio Presents Aztec Beach (2005) Okay, this is a personal thing. My college radio station, KCR at San Diego State University, is having a fund raiser and this CD was put together for that very purpose. It is getting good reviews among the surf music community. If you wish to support college radio and hear some good surf music (11 bands, 21 songs) check it out here: www.kcralumni.org

Various Artists – Big Sweet Life, The Songs of Jon Dee Graham (2005) If you’re not going to donate to my old college radio station, then go to www.waterloorecords.com and buy this CD to help support Jon’s son who has a very expensive disease. It isn’t that he couldn’t afford insurance that this happened, but that his insurance company went under and no one will insure his son. It is so sad, and yet so exciting to see all of Austin come out to support him.

Various Artists – Austin City Limits Music Festival 2004 (2005) More a memento than anything else, there are still plenty of good songs on this CD. Available at www.waterloorecords.com

Firefly (2006) This Canadian band is working the alt-country scene and is doing a good job from what I’ve heard so far. They sent me a couple of mp3s and I liked them enough to play them for you. http://www.firefly-music.com/

Girlyman – Little Star (2005) My friend saw them open for the Indigo Girls and bought 2 of their CDs. They describe themselves as a coed Indigo Girls, and that really seems to fit. www.girlyman.com

David Lindley & El Rayo-X – Very Greasy (1988) An old classic. Call it Reggae. Call it Ska. It doesn’t matter. The beat will make your feet tape and your body will shiver from the great guitar solos.

This Weeks Play List

Beth Hart – Live at Paradiso (2005) This is Beth at her best; full of energy and power with the voice that… Well, let’s put it this way; It should have been Melissa Etheridge and Beth Hart instead of Joss Stone singing the tribute to Janis Joplin at the Grammy’s last year. She is that good. The in between chatter is pretty funny when held up against the singing on this CD. But she is so sincere and truly so excited to be performing for the crowd. After you’ve finished devouring this CD, pick up the DVD which will blow you away even more. Like so many good artists these days, she is taking the small/indie label route. You can purchase her CDs at www.bethhart.com .

Jill Sobule – The Folk Years (2004) The title is a bit of a joke. But I’m not joking when I say that Jill is one of America’s unknown treasures and one of our finest songwriters. Some of this CD ended up on her fabulous “Underdog Victorious” CD from 2004 and others we thought we would only hear in concert (Que Sara Sara and Sunrise/Sunset are such unusual covers in this rock in roll age). It is just more essential music that you should have in your CD collection. For more info, you can go to Jill’s website at www.jillsobule.com .

John Mayer Trio – Try! (2005) and Ryan Adams – 29 (2005) In some ways it is fitting that I add the John Mayer Trio CD and Ryan Adam’s last CD of 2005, “29” on the same play list. Ryan Adams has been accused of sounding like whoever he happens to be listening to at the time. If that is true, he has been listening to the Grateful Dead lately. John Mayer’s guitar playing not only sounds like Stevie Ray on Try!, even his voice when he is talking to the audience seems to have changed to fit the music. What is important here though, is that these two men do not care about labels. Playing the music they want to play is more important to them than pop stardom. And you have to give them both a lot of credit for that. This is Ryan’s second best CD of 2005, again with some of the songs having a very strong Dead sound to them. John’s CD is heavy on guitar and blues rock. He’s got the chops to play it and it is so funny to hear the girls screaming after songs they might not have been caught dead listening to a year ago. Neither album blazes any trails, but they are nice divergences (although in Ryan’s case every CD seems to be a divergence these days) from their more popular sounds.

KPRI – Live Tracks Volume 3 (2005) and KFOG – Live From the Archives 12 (2005) California is doing its best to keep up with the live CD compilations. San Diego’s KPRI and San Francisco’s KFOG have done an excellent job of putting together good live cuts.

Sylvia Tosun – Jump In (2005) Powered partially by Emil and Julie, two of the key songwriters for October Project, Sylvia has created a beautiful CD. If you like October Project, Sylvia’s beautiful voice and the lush production will win you over. www.sylviatosun.com

The Secret Policeman’s Third Ball (1987) A rare Kate Bush performance. Joan Armatrading, Peter Gabriel, Jackson Brown and World Party perform. Need I say more?

Jill Sobule and John Doe Live at Largo

It’s a new year. And what better way to kick it off then with some of the brilliant songwriting of Jill Sobule and solid musicianship of John Doe. John is “Presenting” acts every Thursday this month at Largo in L.A. Jill was the first in the series and what a great start. The evening actually opened with Tom Brousseau playing a few songs. Tom seemed a bit off this night. His guitar playing was a little sloppy. It was almost like he wasn’t prepared for the show. Still, he keeps growing on me. I may have to break down and buy his CD when it comes out (if it hasn’t come out already).

John Doe then came out with his 2 piece band consisting of a drummer and Dave Carpenter on stand up and electric bass. They played about an hour, singing old and new songs. John also did a couple of songs on his own. He finished up the set with Jill joining the band. After a nice duet, she got down on her knees ripping out a feedback drenched solo on her classic Gretsch guitar. At the end she stormed off stage, leaving her guitar lying on the floor. But, she came back a few seconds later because she just couldn’t leave such a beautiful guitar lying on the floor. It was all in fun, and we all enjoyed it enormously.

After a short break, Jill came out and did another hour. Most of it was solo, but about 5 or 6 songs were with the band (including John on guitar). I love when Jill plays solo. She is apt to do just about anything and that is just so much fun. But, you sometimes forget how good her songs can be. The full band brought that all back to me. When they rocked, they really rocked. Jill is working on new material, but it appears to be coming slowly right now. She ended up writing a song about writing a song. It was very cute and a nice start for the next CD. Meanwhile, she played lots of great stuff as she always does. The highlight may have been the closer; a blues number. It is, according to Jill, the first blues number she has ever written, and it really cooked. Jill was recently on tour with Cyndi Lauper. One of the highlights for her was when Cyndi asked her if she could sing with her on “Mexican Wrestler”. What I wouldn’t give to have a bootleg of that.

Last Weeks Play List

Okay, so I'm still behind with almost everything in my life. Here are last weeks additions to the play list along with my comments.

Beck Goldsmith – Purely Second Guesses (2005) I still can’t believe all the excellent female singer/songwriters that came my way this year. Beck, based in the UK (and if you listen very carefully, you can sometimes hear the accent) is another one to add to that list. This is a beautiful CD, not overly produced, but not stripped down either. She has a beautiful voice and has put together a very nice collection of songs. I look forward to hearing more from her in the future. You can find out more by going to her web site: http://www.beckgoldsmith.co.uk/

Kristy Kruger – An Unauthorized Guide To The Human Anatomy (2003) She got up on a little stage at a taco stand in Austin and I fell in love immediately. But it wasn’t until I realized that she had put a kazoo in her harmonica holder that I knew she was special. I finally got around to listening to the CD I purchased that day (I came home with over 20 CDs from the trip) and I can’t believe I wasted so much time on other artists’ CDs. I did not expect this CD to be this good: Sexy, strong, mysterious, a sound all its own. I just love this CD. Had I found it in 2003 it would have made my best of list. There are mp3s on her site. Please check them out and help support her “starving ass” (a little inside joke). http://www.kristykruger.com/index.html

Mary Gauthier – Mercy Now (2005) What an amazing artist Mary is. Sometimes it feels like I’m listening to Lucinda. Sometimes it feels more like Hank. The music is gritty and real and hard to ignore.

Kate Earl – Fate is the Hunter (2005) We enjoyed seeing Kate at ACL in 2005 and this debut CD is even better than her live performance. Like Fiona Apple 8 or so years ago, she is young and very talented and probably on her way to being someone very special.

Jud Newcomb – Byzantine (2005) Another artist we enjoyed on the ACL weekend in 2005, Scrappy Jud is part of that great Austin tradition of singer/songwriters; a little folk, a little rock, a bit of country, and a lot of heart. If you like artists like Jon Dee Graham and Alejandro Escovedo, you should check out Scrappy Jud Newcomb.

John Doe – Forever Hasn’t Happened Yet (2005) John Doe has been making good music since the 70’s when he was one of the leaders of one of L.A.’s greatest bands, X. I’m not real crazy about the production on this CD, but John is a good songwriter, and I love listening to what he has to say.

Bruce Cockburn – Speechless (2005) We’ve been raving about his guitar playing for years. And now, we have a full CD of it. There are some absolutely beautiful pieces on this CD and, of course, some great guitar playing. This is really for BC fans and fans of acoustic guitar playing only.

KGSR Broadcasts Vol. 13 (2005) I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: This is the best series of live broadcasts on the planet. Buddy Miller opens with a rockin’ “Worry Too Much”, Sam Phillips makes her second appearance in the series and all of the usual suspects are here. Actually there are two regulars missing: Bob Schneider and Shawn Colvin. And it is still an excellent CD. You normally can buy this at www.waterloorecords.com . But if it is sold out, there will be plenty of copies showing up on www.ebay.com .

Sia – Colour The Small One (2004) “Breathe Me” is probably the best song from the Six Feet Under Soundtrack. Her CD is very good and well worth a listen if you love that song (which is on this CD also). This is an import right now, but expect to see it show up in the U.S. in 2006

Collin Herring – Avoiding the Circus (????) I am Not sure of the date, but I am sure that this is one of those CDs that got lost in the crowd and shouldn’t have. Easily up there in quality of songwriting with most of what Ryan Adams has done, this CD is just excellent; and unavailable as far as I can tell. A friend sent me a copy (thanks Jessica) and it didn’t leave my CD player for quite awhile. Scourer the Internet for this one, it is worth it.

Jesse Malin – The Heat (2004) Jess has a great sound; sincere and emotional. I really enjoyed it.

Best CDs in 2005

2005 was a good year for music. During the year The Promise brought you 70 of this year's releases. Below are the best and the rest from this year. All of these CDs were played on The Promise, and I enjoyed them all, but some are better than others. Below are what I believe are the best of the year (at least the best that I had time to listen to... I've still got a list of CDs to listen to from 2005). Enjoy the lists. Your mileage may vary. And Happy New Year everyone. Thanks so much for listening to The Promise this year.

The Top 19 (in Alphabetical Order)

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals – Cold Roses

Kate Bush – Aerial

Death Cab for Cutie – Plans

The Decemberists – Picaresque

Kathleen Edwards - Back To Me

Eliza Gilkyson – Paradise Hotel

Jose Gonzalez – Veneer

Collin Herring – The Other Side of Kindness

Jorane – the You and the Now

Nickel Creek – Why Should the Fire Die?

Graham Parker – Songs of No Consequence

Porcupine Tree – Deadwing

Amy Rigby – Little Fugitive

Tina Schlieske – Slow Burn

Son Volt – Okemah and the Melody of Riot

The Soundtrack of our Lives – Origin Vol. 1

Bruce Springsteen - Devils and Dust

Loudon Wainwright III – Here Come The Choppers!

Without Gravity – Tenderfoot

The Rest of the 2005 Releases

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Jacksonville City Nights

Amelia’s Dream – Unravel

Tori Amos - The Beekeeper

Jamie Anderson - A Promise of Light

And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead – Worlds Apart

Keren Ann – Nolita

Aqualung – Strange and Beautiful

Bill Bryant – drawn from memory

Brandi Carlilie – Brandi Carlile

Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell – Begonias

Caesars – Paper Tigers

The Clarks – Between Now and Then

Bruce Cockburn – Speechless (2005)

Cowboy Junkies –Early 21^st Century Blues

The Devlins – Waves

John Doe – Forever Hasn’t Happened Yet (2005)

Doves – Some Cities

Kate Earl – Fate is the Hunter (2005)

Ben Folds – Songs for Silverman

Gabrielle – Wide

Mary Gauthier – Mercy Now (2005)

Mark Geary – Ghosts

Beck Goldsmith – Purely Second Guesses (2005)

Jon Dee Graham – First Bear On The Moon

Gomez – Out West

John Hiatt – Master of Disaster

Missy Higgins – The Sound of White

Josh Joplin – Jaywalker

KGSR Broadcasts Vol. 13 (2005)

The Knitters – The Modern Sounds of the Knitters

Shelby Lynne – Suit Yourself

Aimee Mann – The Forgotten Arm

Fergus McCormick – Jumping The Gun

Maria McKee – Peddlin’ Dreams

James McMurtry – Childish Things

Blue Merle – Burning in the Sun

Jud Newcomb – Byzantine (2005)

John Prine – Fair & Square

Bonnie Raitt – Souls Alike

Anny Rusk – Naked

Maia Sharp – Fine Upstanding Citizen

Shivaree – Who’s Got Trouble?

Patti Smith – Horses / Horses (Legacy Edition)

Spamalot – Original Broadway Cast Recording

Spottiswoode And His Enemies – Building a Road

Richard Thompson – Live From Austin TX

Richard Thompson - Front Parlour Ballads

The Tom Collins – daylight tonight

The Wallflowers – Rebel, Sweetheart

Waterline – Long Goners

The White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan

Lucinda Williams – Live at the Fillmore

Neil Young – Prairie Wind

Young Dubliners – Real World

This weeks play list... sort of

This year end has been so busy and a bit crazy. I added what will probably be the last set of the year on the 25th but haven't updated the web sites yet. It's a big list and I need to get through it all. I've also got my year end list of best CDs coming. Meanwhile, here are the CDs that were added this week. Another update is coming shortly. Happy Holidays everyone!

Beck Goldsmith – Purely Second Guesses (2005)

Mary Gauthier – Mercy Now (2005)

Kate Earl – Fate is the Hunter (2005)

Jud Newcomb – Byzantine (2005)

John Doe – Forever Hasn’t Happened Yet (2005)

Bruce Cockburn – Speechless (2005)

KGSR Broadcasts Vol 13 (2005)

Kristy Kruger – An Unauthorized Guide To The Human Anatomy (2003)

Sia – Colour The Small One (2004)

Cllin Herring – Avoiding the Circus (????)

Jesse Malin – The Heat (2004)

Light of Day - Hollywood Part 2

Okay, a good night’s sleep has helped. Let’s see if I can get through this.

As the next 4 artists came and left the stage (Scott Kempner, Rob Dunn, Shane Fontayne & Dawn Allen) I couldn’t help but think that it is really unfair to put Peter Himmelman on before them. Scott gave the show a bit of a rockabilly sound with just an electric guitar in hand and Shane Fontayne did some nice work with tape loops and a bit of a Latin sound from his acoustic guitar playing (he played a song with his son also… a nice touch).

I’m not sure if it is the years, or my ear just appreciates voices more, but Dave Alvin’s voice is breathtaking these days. Among his three or 4 songs were “4^th of July” and “Marie Marie”. Peter Case came out and played harmonica and an accordion player joined him. Excellent set.

Dave Alvin was a nice lead in to the highest energy portion of the show. Jimmy Lafave gave us some good Texas folk rock (or whatever you want to call it) that included Woody’s “Deportee” and a fun blues song (didn’t catch the name) to end his set.

My first real find of the evening came from Willie Nile, who brought his whole band with him. He is full of contradictions. He has this fun easy going appearance; very 50’s. Then he sings songs like, “Hard Times in America” and “Cell phones ringing in the pockets of the dead” (about the Spanish train bombings) and wraps it all up in a hard New Jersey rocking package. It was a great couple of tunes. I will be checking his music out.

The rockin’ continued with John Eddie and his band. I think they saw the need to keep the energy level up, because they just went right to it, playing “Family Tree” and then without stopping went into “Fall for it Every Time”. It isn’t a John Eddie concert without hearing 40 and it was at this point, an older woman whom I’ve never met or talked too, grabs me and says, “Isn’t he great? Is he from Jersey?” “Yes”, I said. “He must be from the Shore. Is he from the Shore?”. Excuse me! Do I look like I’m from Jersey! Okay, I didn’t say that. And not knowing the Shore from Hoboken, I said, “Yes. He is”. I thought that was it, until he started to play those unmistakable chords. She grabs my upper arm, hard, and yells, “That’s a Springsteen song! Isn’t it?!”. “Yes. Yes mam it is.” Okay, I didn’t say it exactly like that. I too was excited because John Eddie was about to perform, “She’s the One” and the whole place was starting to go nuts. He of course did a great version with only the solo near the end lacking compared to Bruce’s. John finished off with “Low Life” and that was that. I could have left pretty happy. But there were still 3 more acts!

Peter Himmelman’s brother-in-law was next. Jakob Dylan came out with just his guitar and performed three songs: “One Headlight”, “How Good it Can Get”, and… I just don’t remember the other song. Sorry. My notes said something about “beautiful sad song”. But I just don’t remember. It was nice and he had a few kinds words to say, but if I was only there to see him, it would have been disappointing. There was nothing wrong with his set, but after JE rocked the joint, it was a bit of a letdown.

I wasn’t really prepared for Buddy Miller. If you don’t know his music, think Steve Earle with a solid voice, projecting like those great old folk singers of the past. His short set was highlighted by a Steve Earle Christmas song which he said that he had learned for the Emmy Lou Harris show that he had performed at earlier that night. Since he had already written it down and he didn’t want to waste the only Christmas song he knew by only playing it once, he played it for us.

At about 1am, I moved downstairs. Did I mention I was in the VIP section and sat almost dead center upstairs hanging over the rail watching the show and eating dinner? Anyway, I figured that Lucinda Williams was worth standing for, and she was the last act. So, I wandered downstairs. Now, I haven’t said more than a few words to anyone all evening (that includes ordering dinner) and as soon as I get downstairs I run into a drummer for several cover bands in L.A. I know him from my connection to all the Springsteen fans I’m friends with in L.A. We talked for a few minutes and then this woman walks up to me. “Do you remember me?” Wow! I NEVER get that. She sees my blank stare and says, “Your name is Bruce, right?”. WOW again! “I’m Merit” (not sure of the spelling). “Of Course!” I said. “The 2000 Springsteen shows at the Pond”. We sat in line for a dozen hours and got to know each other pretty well. It all came back. She’s a teacher in Pacoima and loves the Dodgers. It was very cool reconnecting with her. We had started emailing with each other and I think her computer crashed and the emails just stopped (or maybe she was avoiding me). Oh well. We each found our honey’s (she’s been married for 3 years). How did I get on this subject? Anyway, Lucinda comes out; cute as ever. Okay, I’m gonna say this. I just can’t help it. She has got the cutest little tummy. And she wears her load-rider pants just below her tummy so it really sticks out. But it is so cute. That has nothing to do with the music. Just had to say it. For a woman over 50 she is in great shape.

Okay, the music. Lucinda did a nice 6 song set, starting with three new songs: “Jailhouse tears”, :Unsuffer me” and “Where is my love”: All good songs. If she gets someone like Hank Williams III to do the “Jailhouse Tears” duet, it will be a big country hit. The second half of her set was: “Out of touch”, “Righteously”, and “Fruits of my labor”. Throughout the 40 minutes or so that she played she kept, very sincerely, thanking the audience for staying up this late to see her set. She was really touched that we stuck it out for her. I’ve talked about how much I enjoy her in concert and this night was no exception. She seems very happy on stage these days, although she was a bit tired/out of it by 1 am. While the crew fetched her book, so that she could play “Fruits…”, she made a little impromptu speech about how we should enjoy life because we didn’t have any deadly diseases and should be thankful for that. She went on to talk about how she is obsessive compulsive and needs to have her lyrics in front of her (which by the way she glanced at a lot). Someone yelled out, “No you’re not”. And she said, “Oh YES I AM. And a perfectionist. I’m working on it though.” Whatever she’s doing, she needs to keep doing it, ‘cause her music continues to sound great.

At the 7 hour mark, the show ended and we all slowly shuffled out. Actually, a lot of people hung around. I’m guessing some of the artists came out. I know that John Eddie was just hanging in the corner chatting with people. I was way too tired and had too much on my plate the next day to turn it into a sunrise event. This is supposed to become an annual event. Hopefully they will pick a better night. It was a great evening. I’m so glad I went. Thanks to everyone who pushed me out the door. :-)

Light of Day Concert - Hollywood

I’m still working on 3 hours sleep and a couple of short naps. I’m not sure I can create a cohesive review here, but we’ll give it a try…

A bit of history first. The Light of Day benefit was started about 6 years ago in New Jersey, with mainly local talent. The first year was not heavily attended. Six years later they perform three nights and generally you can expect Bruce Springsteen to show up at one of the shows. It was originally a benefit for Parkinson disease research but now shares its profits with ALS research. So, the boys and girls from the Jersey Shore decided to share this extravaganza with the west coast, and Monday night at the Hollywood House of Blues we got our first peak at the Light of Day benefit concert.

You’d think that there were more New Jersey residents here who would have packed the house, but alas only a couple hundred showed up to cheer on a mixed bag of performers. I wrote down a lot of info over the night, but didn’t catch all of the names so please excuse any mistakes or missing names. By the time I got in, the music had already started. I can’t remember the name of the performer. I think his last name was Strange. His couple of songs were fine, but nothing grabbed me right away. This was the case for several of the artists/bands I saw during the evening. For those who don’t want to add them up as I go, there were 17 artists/bands and they performed over a 7 hour period. Many of them were from New Jersey or had strong Jersey connections. The opening act finished up right around 7pm, when the show was supposed to start. And so up first, really, was Dramarama. This was a three piece acoustic version of the band. Two of there 4 songs were new songs of the life/death/hope variety. Did someone have a near death experience? I think they needed to plug in.

Next up was Holly Ramos. 2 songs about lost love with a cute voice. Just not enough time to really comment.

An unnamed woman got on stage and performed two very nice covers: Wonderwall and Amy Rigby’s “Are We Ever Going to Have Sex Again”. A+ for taste in music.

The first strong set of the evening came from Peter Case. He opened with a potent version of “Crooked Mile”, followed with “Farewell to the Gold”, slipped in a Lennon tune, “Not a Second Time” (dedicated to Arnold for his allowing the death penalty) and finished with “Cold Trail Blues” which he dedicated to all the men on death row. Someday I must see a full concert of his. Stanley Tookie Williams was dead by the time the concert ended.

It felt like the show was just getting into gear. It’s about 8:30 and things are moving very quickly. Unfortunetely, one of the highlights for the evening came way too soon. Peter Himmelman came out with a guitar player and proceeded to introduce himself as Shlomo, a friend of Peter’s. He kept this up through the first 2 songs and finally pointed at a woman in the audience and asked her if she had a request. Impatient, he asked, humbly, do you even know who I am. Apparently she replied, “I do. I’m thinking”. But instead of waiting for a response, he decided to create a new song. I called it, “The girl in the yellow polka dot jacket”. It was very funny and pretty amazing that he can pull that stuff off. After a rousing ovation for his ad lib work, he got serious (as serious as he can get) and told the story behind the song “Woman with the strength of 10,000 Men”. It’s a story of him meeting a woman with ALS. Very moving. He sang the song and then he was gone. Way too soon. It has taken me years to see him in concert and I can’t believe I’ve wasted so much time. What a tremendous talent. Did I mention that he also performed a cute little blues number and “Impermanent Things” which he dedicated to L.A. Those who know the song got a good laugh.

Okay, I need sleep. We’ll finish this review later.

Jorane Live at the Knitting Factory - Hollywood

Back in May of this year I came across a unique artist by the name of Jorane. She is a cello player from Montreal who thinks she is a singer/songwriter with the artistic flair of a Kate Bush. And guess what, she’s right. For those of you thinking that a woman singing with only a cello accompanying her must be either pretentious or very boring need to see/hear Jorane. Much of her 50 minute set tonight was like any other good female singer/songwriter’s: Beautiful songs, strong melodies and a powerful voice. But, the things she can do with a cello go well beyond an acoustic guitar, the usual tool of any good singer/songwriter. With its deep tones and ability to be bowed, the cello adds textures and moods that would require a small bank of synthesizers to duplicate. Someone sitting next to me said that she has been signed to write music for Cirque du Soleil. That would make sense since her songs are so visual. Checking her website, www.jorane.com she has performed with Cirque before.

So, this was my first time in the Antiknit room at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood. It’s pretty small (makes the pre-remodeled Hotel Café look big), holding less than 100 I believe. It’s not very deep though, so everyone is close to the stage. When I walked in one of the hired help said, “Looks like there are more people than we expected” (there were about 60 or 70 people) and he started unpacking chairs to put in front of the stage. I gave him a hand and unpacked one, front and center… and then sat down with my feet on the stage. :-) The sound is good, but even with 2 double doors and plenty of padding, the punk band in the other room came through during quieter moments. Jorane sang about 10 songs: 8 on cello, 1 on acoustic guitar (a Sinead O’conner cover) and 1 on electric guitar. Most of the songs were from her first American release, “The You and The Now”. When on the cello, she mixed up styles; sometimes bowing and sometimes plucking. The plucking gave it a very bluesy stand up bass sound. I loved her personality, which could best be described as: Cute, happy French girl. She thanked us many times (maybe a bit too much) and seemed really happy to be up on stage playing for us. And I loved watching her eyes. Much of the time they were closed, but then she would open them wide and with a big smile look out with excitement at the audience, and then close them again. This may be the most Kate Bush thing she does. She closed with a short story about how an interviewer could hear some Led Zeppelin in her music. Her response to him was to play a medley of “Dazed and Confused” with one of her songs. And she played it for us; with plenty of gusto. It all ended way too soon. I need to see her again.

This Weeks Play List

The new play list is starting a bit early this week (Sunday actually). The first set with all of these bands will play on Monday for the first time at around 10AM Pacific Time. I am also messing with the play list window. The song times will not be accurate. Sorry about that. I need to display some form of album title (not correct either) or risk being de-listed. Hopefully, there will be software upgrades in the future that will solve all of this. Meanwhile, here's what's new:

Graham Parker – Songs of No Consequence (2005) This is my favorite GP album in years (and I loved last year’s country CD). Graham is still angry after all these years and this time around he is focusing his attention on all the people around him who have settled; or worse, sold out. That’s not to say that he isn’t leading a “Dislocated Life”. After he is through skewering everyone around him, he has no problem taking shots at himself. And only Graham Parker can get away with a chorus that goes: “ba ba ba ba bad chardonnay”. When he sings “Did Everybody Just Get Old”, those of us nearing 50 can easily feel a bit too close to the song. This will easily be near the top of my year end list.

Kate Bush – King of the Mountain (Single) (2005) Why buy the single when you already have her fabulous CD, “Aerial”? For her version of “Sexual Healing” of course. And that’s all I need to say here.

Neil Young – Prairie Wind (2005) This is an excellent CD from Neil. Whereas some of his CDs over the last decade have been only for fans, this is one that will reach out to the casual Neil Young fans and pop fans as well as his hard core following. The style is back to the alt-country of “Harvest” and “Harvest Moon”. But this is much better than “Harvest Moon”. There is some organ and even a gospel choir mixed in. The melodies are stronger and there are dark themes running throughout it. This should be in the top section of my year end list.

Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell – Begonias (2005) Caitlin seems to do best when she is working with a partner. Having escaped Ryan Adams with her life (and violin) she has found an excellent partner in Thad Cockrell. This CD will remind you of the mellower, country sounds of Whiskeytrain. And if that isn’t a good enough reason to check this CD out, then I don’t know what it.

The Decemberists – Picaresque (2005) I saw and heard these guys for the first time this last September in Austin and they were just so much fun. A cross between They Must Be Giants and Barenaked Ladies, you will either love them or, well, I just don’t think there is an “or”. Everyone I play “The Mariner’s Revenge Song” to loves them. And the rest of this CD sparkles with wonderful stories about all sorts of strange people and things. This is yet another CD that will end up high on my year end list (I guess I’ve been saving the best for last this year).

Anny Rusk – Naked (2005) It takes guts to leave the dance mix crowd behind, moving toward a more singer/songwriter sound. The title “Naked” pretty much tells it all, as the artist known simply as Anny tries to find a newer mellower groove. The emphasis isn’t on the beat here, but more on the mood and lyrics. More often than not Anny succeeds. She has created a fine CD worth checking out. For more info on Anny, you can go to http://www.annyworld.com .

Tina Dico – In The Red (2/7/2006) I listened to this CD once a week or so ago (there was no hurry on my part since it isn’t due out for a couple of months). Today, when I threw it on the player, I couldn’t believe how I totally remembered these songs. This CD digs right in under your skin and doesn’t go away. The melodies are haunting, the arrangements are beautiful and Tina’s voice is so pure. This will be the first CD to be placed in my 2006 Best of the Year List. For more info on Tina, you can check out her web site http://www.tinadico.com .

Doves – Some Cities (2005) Waiting in line to get Lucinda Williams’ autograph at the ACL Music Festival this year, I was able to hear much of The Doves’ set from a distance. It was good enough for me to just go out and buy their latest CD. And I wasn’t disappointed. There is a great pop sound to these guys with roots in the 80’s and 90’s. Good hooks. Good melodies. Good CD.

Various Artists – Music from Gilmore girls (2002) One of the problems with soundtracks is that they often are hard to find and they’re over priced. And so, having found the Gilmore girls soundtrack, I still couldn’t get myself to spend the money. It took a third visit to the store before I finally decided I just had to have those Sam Phillips “cues”. And I will pass them on to you, along with interesting music from Joey Ramone, The Shins (see Garden State), XTC, Grant-Lee Phillips (no relation) and a childhood favorite, Claudine Longet singing Brian Wilson’s “God Only Knows”.

Various Artists – Dead Man Walking (1995) I’ve gone 10 years without owning this CD (I never used to like soundtracks). What a great list of artists: Everyone from Lyle Lovett to Patti Smith, from Tom Waits to Eddie Vedder, from Johnny Cash to Bruce Springsteen.

Various Artists – Garden State (2004) One of the best AAA or World Class Rock soundtracks ever released. Are you sure this isn’t a Cameron Crowe film?

Greg Kihn – Next of Kihn (1978) They were just about to hit the jackpot in the rock and roll lottery and touring with this album got them the title “A poor man’s Springsteen”. These simple but effective songs truly came to life in concert, and few men worked harder on stage at the time. If you don’t know the pre “Jeopardy” Greg Kihn, this was his best work.

Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel 3: Melt (1980) Peter Gabriel has always been at his best when he really has something to say. Songs like “Biko” and “Games Without Frontiers” are great examples. And anyone who remembers in detail the OJ trial, re-listen to “I Don’t Remember” and see if you notice anything familiar.

Bruce Springsteen on the Big Screen

So… it was a fun evening. They put us in the largest standard theater (not the IMAX) and filled about 90% of it. The first 45 minutes (approximately… I couldn’t really read my watch) was the documentary on the making of “Born to Run”. For all Springsteen fans, this is a must see. My favorite moment and the loudest laugh from the audience came when Bruce was talking about “10^th Avenue Freeze Out” saying that to this day he has no idea what that phrase means. There were lots of bits and pieces from the recording sessions along with current Bruce (and E Street members), a la VH1 Story Tellers, talking about the significance of the songs. We then got about 40 minutes from the live ’75 concert that is on the DVD. The songs included, “Saint in the City”, “She’s the One”, “Rosalita”, the Detroit Medley and “Quarter to Three”. The fire and the energy of this young Boss was just so much fun to watch. I can’t wait to see the whole DVD. And in case you have been living under a rock and didn't know, tomorrow (Tuesday) Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" will be re-released with DVDs of the documentary mentioned above and more of that live show from England.

This Weeks Play List

Brother Rock – Rock -N- Roll Shoes (2004) This is a Christian band with some good strong rock and roll, uhmmm, shoes. There are a couple of songs on this fine CD that aren’t so explicitly religious (which works best for me) and I thought you all might enjoy them. For more info on this independent band, you can reach them at http://www.brorock.com

Patti Smith – Horses / Horses (Legacy Edition) – (2005) I can’t believe it was 30 years ago that I sat in a small club and watched this woman acting like a wild animal crawl around the stage, hump the monitors and just throw so much energy at us that we were shocked, amazed and totally enthralled. She is a poet, an inspiration to future generations and, most important, a rock and roll God. This double CD package includes her original Horses CD, “Elegie” and a live version of “My Generation” on the “1975” disk. On the 2005 disk, she plays all of these songs live from a 2005 concert. Just the two versions of “My Generation” are worth the price of the CDs. Horses itself is one of the great CDs from the 70’s. If you don’t own it already, this is an excellent package to have in your collection.

Rachael Yamagata – Happenstance (2004) Yes she has a beautiful voice, and yes she can write beautiful melodies. What surprised me about this CD, and what makes it unique over many female singer/songwriters, is the energy she puts out. This is not only a pretty CD, it is a strong CD. Hold on tight for a great ride.

Bonnie Raitt – Souls Alike (2005) Bonnie has stepped back from songwriting on this CD, turning it over to her keyboardist Jon Cleary and a Promise favorite Maia Sharp. What she ends up with is a CD that challenges our concept of who Bonnie is, while not letting us forget that this is indeed a Bonnie Raitt CD.

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Jacksonville City Nights (2005) This is the second of 3 CDs Ryan is planning on releasing this year. I’m hoping it is the worst of the three. This is easily my least favorite Ryan Adams project ever. Throughout the CD it feels like Ryan is trying too hard to be a country artist. The vocals sound forced, and that just ruins the whole thing for me. This isn’t a bad CD, it just doesn’t measure up to any of his other great ones. Let’s hope that the final CD of the year gives us a more natural Ryan (whatever that is). Okay, maybe I’m being too hard on this CD. It is a good CD. I just think Ryan was trying too hard.

A final note... I really wouldn’t blame any of my listeners if they found themselves listening to Sirius.com for the next couple of months. Channel 10 on Sirius has become “E Street Station” and is playing Bruce Springsteen 24/7 through the end of January. You can get three free days online to hear just how amazing this station is. Friday night we were dancing around the house as they played the entire Winterland ’78 bootleg. They are also playing rare live performances throughout the day. Thank God this is only lasting through January; otherwise I’d have to think seriously of owning both XM and Sirius systems.

Music Update

I'm trying to catch up on things. Here are the latest CDs that have been added to my stream. Coming soon: Rachael Yamagata, Ryan Adams, Bonnie Raitt, Patti Smith and Brother Rock.

Kate Bush – Aerial – (2005) Kate’s first masterpiece of the millennium is brilliant. But you will only get part of the beauty and power here. You really must listen to this on a good music system to truly appreciate just how much care Kate put into Aerial. The flow, the moods, the soundscapes envelope you and carry you into her world. It is a beautiful album. I hope you will try it out for yourself.

Nickel Creek – Why Should the Fire Die? (2005) This is my first Nickel Creek CD and I may have to go back and check out the rest. Are they all this good? This is such a unique band with such amazing performers. It starts off great and never lets go.

Asylum Street Spankers – Mercurial (2004) This was just a fun CD: Funky lyrics, TV references. It is just a lot of fun. When you get tired of SCOTS and the South Austin Jug Band isn’t risky enough, check out the Spankers.

Caesars – Paper Tigers (2005) A recommendation from Eric of the Section Quartet, these Swedish popsters belong in the 80’s or maybe early 90’s. They’re fun and they’ve got great melodies and cool hooks.

Amelia’s Dream – Unravel (2005) Amelia Gewirtz and her band travel around the musical world sometimes sounding like Sarah, sometimes sounding like Nirvana, but always challenging us. For more info on this excellent live CD, go to http://www.ameliasdream.com . You can also pick up the CD at http://www.cdbaby.com

Josh Joplin – Jaywalker (2005) A couple of years ago, I picked up Josh Joplin’s first CD and enjoyed it enough to put it on the station. But as time passed, I really fell in love with the CD. This new CD will hopefully hit me the same way. I immediately enjoyed it and am now waiting for it to totally win me over. A few more listens and we’ll see.

Badly Drawn Boy – About a Boy Soundtrack (2002) Every time I catch About a Boy on cable, I just fall in love with the music all over again. I finally found a copy of the soundtrack and can enjoy it over and over. These are beautiful well written songs; songs that really helped make the movie. You should also check out the movie if you haven’t already.

Amy Rigby – Little Fugitive (2005) I heard the song “The Trouble with Jeanie” and I knew I had to own this CD. This CD has wonderful stories about ex-wives, needy men and dancing with Joey Ramone. I love this one and it should be high on my year end list. Find out more about Amy at http://www.amyrigby.com .

Music Update

It has been real busy around here and although I've updated the station, my blog has fallen behind. Here is a quick list of the CDs that have been added over the last couple of weeks. More are coming this week along with comments about these CDs.

Nickel Creek – Why Should the Fire Die? (2005)

Porcupine Tree – In Absentia (2002)

Asylum Street Spankers – Mercurial (2004)

Caesars – Paper Tigers (2005)

Amelia’s Dream – Unravel (2005)

Josh Joplin – Jaywalker (2005)

Badly Drawn Boy – About a Boy Soundtrack (2002)

Amy Rigby – Little Fugitive (2005)

Porcupine Tree at the Grove in Anaheim... again

It’s only been a few months, but Porcupine Tree returned to the Grove in Anaheim. They are really an amazing band. Their blend of metal with pop harmonies is so unique, so well played, so inspired I find it incredible that they are so unknown. This time around, they focused less on the new CD and more on their more dark and intense songs. The mid section of the show seemed to lack in variety, which made this show a little less interesting than the previous performance in June. But overall it was a great show and a band that I look forward to seeing many times in the future.

This Weeks PLay List

I returned from Austin last week with lots of music and memories. It’s going to take awhile to get all of the music to you. Meanwhile, this week we have a sampling of ACL bands to go along with everything else. Songs by the Asylum Street Spankers, The Decemberists, Built to Spill and Kate Earl will lead off this week’s set.


We’ve also got Kate Bush’s first Single in a dozen years. Called “King of the Mountain”, it starts with a spacey opening and then builds with a reggae beat that grows and grows. What an excellent song. I can’t wait for the rest of the CD in November.

ACL Festival

I am in Austin for just under a week to soak in the music from the ACL Festival. We always start early with concerts at local clubs. Check out my ACL blog to see pictures and hear about performances. Go to: http://aclfestival.blogspot.com .

Kris Kristofferson and Steve Earle at Royce Hall UCLA

The last few times I’ve seen Steve Earle, he has been with his band and it was a powerful and exhilarating experience from both a physical and intellectual standpoint. So, Sunday night at UCLA was going to be different. It was just Steve and his guitar (and harmonica). At the beginning he started in on a long rap, as he played a riff on his guitar about being a recovering folk singer. How exciting this would be, to get more stories out of him. As it turned out, he then proceeded to stick to the music and only told a handful of stories and only made a few speeches. The speeches got a mixed reaction from the crowd. It seemed that the first anti-war or anti-Bush comment was well received, but a couple of comments later, the applause was much lighter. And this happened several times. Anyone who thought this wasn’t going to be at least somewhat political had no clue about these guys. Both Steve and Kris have been activists for many years. Near the end, Steve pulled out… okay I need to stop here for a second and say, “I was right”. Back in February we saw Steve Earle and Allison Moorer performing. Allison sang several songs with Steve and his band. I commented to the people around me that there was something going on. I could see it in her eyes. My friends said, “Nooooo”. Well, seven months later she has ditched her husband and Steve introduced her as his wife. So, Steve pulled out his wife, Allison Moorer and they sang a song together. You could see the love in their eyes without doubt this night (we had 5^th row… that helped). Most of the songs he sang were somewhat older, playing only one song from the current “Revolution” CD and the title track from Jerusalem. It was a very enjoyable show although a bit short and just not as powerful as when he has the band.

I really had no idea what to expect from Kris Kristofferson. We all know songs like “Me and Bobbie McGee” and a few others that have made it as hits, but that was about all I knew. Kris is a classic folk singer. That is, the words are what are important and the melody is, well, generally stolen from somewhere. In fact, at least 4 or 5 songs had bits of “Bobbie McGee” in them. To emphasize this point, and I’m not sure how intentional it is, but at the end of every song, as soon as he sang the last lyric, he would say “Thank you” and literally stop playing without hitting the final notes on the guitar. It was very annoying. But it left no doubt that he had things to say, words to bring to us. He may not be a John Prine, but he is way up there in this category, and if you can get past the basic arrangements, you will enjoy his shows. There were moments of humor too. He stopped a song mid way through to tell us that this line (“She had rings on her fingers and time on her hands”) was the best he had ever written and that it was so good, someone stole just that line and create a song from it. He also mentioned a movie that had some of his songs in it, but during the credits it said, “All songs written and performed by Willie Nelson”. This brought the comment (and I’m paraphrasing), “Songwriting is a great way to earn a living, but it isn’t for the meek”.

This Weeks Play List

Jose Gonzalez – Veneer (2005) The sticker on the CD describes him as Nick Drake with a Latin guitar. And, yep, that’s it. If you like Nick Drake, you must listen to this CD. It is beautiful and moving, with a sound that is both derivative and yet original. You can put this up front and listen carefully, or play it at your next dinner party and watch how people slowly notice the mood of the music. This is one helluva CD. http://www.jose-gonzalez.com

Eliza Gilkyson – Paradise Hotel (2005) Maybe the next queen of alt-country, this is really my first taste of Eliza; and she tastes very good. The arrangements are simple and yet very expressive. Her voice is so comforting. The songs bounce around between folk, country and straight forward singer/songwriter. And then she covers World Party’s “Is It Like Today”. The song, about God, the universe and everything, fits her songs so well. There is also a fascinating combination of her song Paradise Hotel with Procol Harum’s “Whiter Shade of Pale”. http://www.redhouserecords.com/

Richard Thompson - Front Parlour Ballads (2005) It’s heavily acoustic, but that doesn’t matter. Richard Thompson is one of the great guitar players, acoustic or electric. And he is such a great storyteller, taking you into working class lives and revealing the pain and joy. I can listen to this CD over and over… and have already. http://www.richardthompson-music.com

James McMurtry – Childish Things (2005) Some good alt-country here; with a rockin’ edge. Another good CD for you all to listen to. http://www.jamesmcmurtry.com

Procol Harum – Classics Volume 17 (A Long Time Ago) So, you know that I’m going to segue A Whiter Shade of Pale and Eliza Gilkyson’s “Paradise Hotel”. I just have to. Procol Harum is one of the great bands in rock history. They moved between elegant (“A Whiter Shade of Pale” and “Conquistador”) and rockin’ (“Simple Sister” and “Whisky Train”) then throwing in epic stories like “A Salty Dog”. Every so often I just have to put this CD on and let it take me back to a lost world.

Boz Scaggs – Boz Scaggs (1969) Long before Boz was the disco king (okay, I’m being rude here, but he was so friggin’ popular with the “dance” crowd back then), he was a great representative of the San Francisco blues/rock/funk scene. And listening to this CD for the first time in over 25 years, I found myself enjoying it more today then I did back in the 70’s. There was a driving reason for buying this CD though. I’ve been trying to find an inexpensive version of “Lone Me A Dime” for years. It is a classic blues rock piece that goes into double time at the end and features Duane Allman on some blazing solos. If you haven’t heard this classic, it is worth every penny.

Randy Newman – Little Criminals (1977) He is one of America’s great songwriters. And there is more this CD then the hit “Short People”. Songs like “Baltimore” get into your blood and change your DNA. It is that good.

Nuggets – Disk 4 (1998) This 4 CD set should be required listening for anyone who wants to tag “Rock and roll fan” on to their profile. The two LP set was expanded by Rhino into an amazing collection of music. Hmmm, okay, I’ve probably mention this 3 times before. Enough said.

Catching up on Concerts and stuff

It has been a very busy month so far. I am behind on concerts. I am behind on updating the play list. And it isn't going to get better. Next week I leave for Austin for the Austin City Limits Music Festival; Friday September 23rd thru 25th. As in previous years, I will be writing about the shows and posting pictures. You will be able to find these at http://aclfestival.blogspot.com . Meanwhile, here are a couple of mini concert reviews of Jill Sobule and Lucinda Williams.

Last week I saw Jill Sobule at Largo. Yep another Jill Sobule concert. Jill wasn’t 100% this time. Either tired or distracted, it took awhile for her to kick it into gear. She also forgot a couple of lines from songs. But you gotta love the way she deals with it: “Wait, can I start over?” she asks the crowd. She is so cute. The opening band, which included Dave Carpenter on upright bass joined her on several songs, giving her a full band for the first time in awhile. It was another fun show. We’ll probably go back in October when the next show is announced.

Last Saturday we saw Lucinda Williams. It was a last minute decision and so we had pretty mediocre seats (it didn’t help that we needed 5 seats together). CC Adcock was the opening act and I enjoyed him a lot (although that wasn’t a unanimous decision within my party). It was just him and a stand up bass player who spent most of the show bent over playing the bass almost parallel to the ground. He also had I believe something attached to his hand to hit the body of the bass with to give them a percussion sound. The sound of the two of them was sort of a Cajun mellow Violent Femmes (again I had trouble getting my friends to agree with me on this). I bought his CD and will post about it later.

Lucinda Williams was not the Lucinda we saw in Austin 2 years ago. In fact she wasn’t even the Lucinda I listened to on her new Live in Austin CD. This was a happy Lucinda; a sharing, giving Lucinda. Many of the songs came with stories about who or what influenced the song. Many influences were famous people and the crowd acknowledged them with applause. The largest applause came when she mentioned Paul Westerberg; very unexpected. But it made sense when she thanked the crowd (which she did several times) and said that she loved this crowd because they accepted both her “straight country” and rock and roll songs. I wish we were up closer for this show. It would have been nice to see the “good” Lucinda up close like we saw the “bad” Lucinda two years ago. She played for about 2.5 hours. I found a song list online so I’ll pass it on:

MAIN SET: (1) Ventura; (2) Fruits of My Labor; (3) Those Three Days; (4) Metal Firecracker; (5) Jailhouse Tears; (6) Pineola; (7) Still I Long for Your Kiss; (8) 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten; (9) Where Is My Love? (10) Righteously; (11) Knowing; (12) Changed the Locks; (13) Come On; (14) Essence; (15) Bleeding Fingers; (16) Joy; FIRST ENCORE: (17) Lake Charles; (18) Crescent City; (19) Bus to Baton Rouge; (20) Well, Well, Well; (21) Get Right With God; SECOND ENCORE: (22) Unsuffer Me; (23) American Dream; (24) West.

This Weeks Play List

This Weeks Play List September 5 2005

Just one addition this week, but there is always lots of new music to listen to on The Promise…

Death Cab for Cutie – Plans (2005) A thank you to Jeanne for turning me on to this band. I love the dark places these guys take me. And at the same time, the melodies put a smile on your face. It’s a great combination that you just don’t see enough these days. The song that really hooked me was, “I will follow you into the dark”, a tale that is half love song half suicide pact and totally beautiful. I have to find a way to see them when I am in Austin later this month. You can get more info on them at http://www.deathcabforcutie.com .

Red Cross Support at CD Baby

CD Baby, my favorite Internet only music store, has gotten together with many of the independent artists they support to donate all proceeds from the sales of their CDs to the Red Cross for hurricane relief. So, buy some music and support the relief effort. Here is the link: http://www.cdbaby.com/group/redcross