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| New England Music Scrapbook News |
| May 15, 2004 Number 65 |
| Web Version |
Post-Last-Minute News
Jake Brennan and the Confidence Men won the 2004 WBCN Rock 'n' Roll Rumble. According to various Noise board post-ers, dresses worn by Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls and Jenn Rassler of the Dents tied for second place.
The Dents won Friday night's WBCN Rock 'n' Roll Rumble semi-final contest. On Saturday, Jake Brennan and the Confidence Men triumphed, with an assist from Scott Janovitz - whose self-respect remains undiminished. The Brett Rosenberg Problem was selected as the wildcard band. Congratulations to the Dents, Jake Brennan, the Confidence Men, Scott J, and the Brett Rosenberg Problem! The finals are on Thursday, May 20. Here is that night's schedule:
A couple Rumble-related items are grouped together below.
Of Boston's daily newspapers, the best Rumble coverage on Monday morning, hands down, appeared in the Boston Globe:
Boston Globe feature
The latest record that has me all excited is Kissing and Telling (CD-EP, Curve of the Earth Records COTE 752, 2004), an eight-song, 24-25 minute disc by Rosie Huntress. I'll write more on this one as soon as I can get to it; but my first thought is that Huntress is doing an exceptional job of mixing the sounds of various past rock eras to create something quite new. Whatever it is she's doing, I like it. We'll be using her CD's cover, for the next few days, as our Current Illustration; and watch this space for more on the new Rosie Huntress album.
If you can get your hands on a copy of Thursday's Greenfield (Mass.) Recorder, do it. "Sounds Local" columnist Sheryl Hunter has great items about Pioneer Valley acts King Radio, who I've never heard, and star-in-the-making vocalist Sonya Kitchell.
Post-Last-Minute News compiled by Alan Lewis
Margo Thunder
at Boston Rocks Every Monday
Margo Thunder is a classic Boston singer, having had notable success in the national groups 9.9 and Lady Soul and having fronted a variety of local "Margo Thunder
I'm puzzled that Boston Rocks seems not to have a Web presence to speak of, but the people there can be reached at (617) 726-1110.
The Regattabar
and Those Old Cambridge Blues
Last issue, I think it was, we linked to a Larry Young feature in the Boston Herald about changes, actual and contemplated, in bookings at the nightspot, Ryles. On Wednesday, Steve Morse of the Boston Globe followed with an article that appeared under the headline, "Regattabar May Cast Wider Net in Programming."
Boston Globe feature
Wrote Morse, "The Regattabar in Harvard Square, one of the premiere jazz clubs in the area, is at a crossroads over who will book its shows - and what type of shows it will have." Part of the discussion in the Globe article centers on the idea of mixing the Regattabar's jazz programming with perhaps more blues and cabaret.
Interesting developments in New England's most important club community.
Lisa Bastoni
and Her CD, "Your First Sweetheart"
Thursday evening I listened to Lisa Bastoni's album, Your First Sweetheart, in hopes of running a record review next issue. Friday morning, I opened the virtual pages of the Boston Globe Online to discover that she's the subject of a feature by Scott Alarik. Pretty neat. Alarik's writings haven't appeared in the Globe often enough lately, and it's great to see that he sneaked in a profile of a worthy subject.
Boston Globe artist profile
Bastoni told Alarik, "I try to just say what I want to say in plain words, as simply as I can. I think people want to hear songs like that. I know they're the kind I need to hear, songs that are soothing and that give people hope. I think songs like that are always necessary."
I've only heard the album twice, and those two hearings were pretty far apart; so I can't comment on the particulars just yet. But the production is of a simple, unadorned 1960s independent-label sort. If you're quick to judge a folk album to be overproduced, then Bastoni is here to show you a better way with Your First Sweetheart. Her singing doesn't match up at all closely with any of the usual folk voices of reference. My first impression is that she has something uniquely her own going on here.
Lisa Bastoni's CD-release party happens on
"Sunday May 16th at the Burren in Davis Sq. Somerville [Massachusetts].
"Did I mention it's free?" [Great pricing strategy - Ed.]
Lisa Bastoni, "Your First Sweetheart," May 6, 2004
More (with any luck) next time.
For our subsequent review of Lisa Bastoni Your First Sweetheart, please visit
www.oocities.org/nemsnewz/news/0066.htm#lb
Shred of WBCN
and the 2004 Rock 'n' Roll Rumble
Kier Byrnes of The Noise previewed this year's Rumble wonderfully by interviewing the contest's field commander, Shred.
The Noise Interview
Shred told Byrnes that the WBCN Rock 'n' Roll Rumble is "like a playoff sport for Boston music. I dunno, dude, it's more of a celebration of local music and hopefully a little spring board for all 24 bands onto much more promising things in their career in rock."
It astonishes me that the legend of the Rumble Curse and rumors that the Rumble is fixed can coexist. There's a big contradiction between those two notions. Just thought I'd throw that in.
The Noise interview touches on a number of important points. Thanks to Kier Byrnes and Shred.
Recommended reading.
Rumble :
Preliminaries Wrap-Up
The award for the fullest coverage of the 2004 WBCN Rock 'n' Roll Rumble preliminary round - hands down - goes to the Weekly Dig.
www.weeklydig.com/dig/content/6527.aspx
Carefully thought out and well written? Well, I wouldn't go that far. This is more shoot-from-the-hip stuff. But it's a good read; and if you couldn't make it to the preliminary-round events and want to know what you missed, the Weekly Dig ought to be your first stop along the Information Superhighway.
Social Band :
"Respect and affection for the music shines through"
In a review of Florona (CD, self-released, 2004) by Vermont's Social Band, Robert Resnik of Seven Days said, "The Band may sound like a big church choir at first, but a closer listen reveals layers of sonic texture. Their respect and affection for the music shines through all the way. Florona has many hidden rewards for the attentive listener; supporting local music is rarely so pleasurable."
www.sevendaysvt.com/musreviews.html
Get the whole story from our source at Seven Days.
new rhythm and blues quartet
| Calvin Theatre |
| Northampton, Massachusetts |
| Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1, 2004 |
I don't think there is a music fan living in Western Mass., who hasn't seen NRBQ play at least a couple of times. The group, which has been together since 1969, has been such a popular band in these parts it's only fitting that they've decided to celebrate their 35th anniversary with two concerts at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton. These very special shows will take place Friday and Saturday night and will feature band members, present and past, delving through the group's impressive catalog.
Throughout its long, checkered career The Q, as the group is affectionately known by fans, has won a loyal, albeit small, fan base. Their brand of boogie-style rock encompasses a wide variety of types of music. This group of versatile musicians can veer from country to rockabilly to pop to bar-band to blues to free jazz all in one show.
The Q brings a lot of humor to the music, and the group also has a bit of an offbeat side. (They once tore the heads off cabbage patch dolls during a concert.) Band members have also written some amazing songs. Tunes like "Me and the Boys," "Cola and a Moon Pie," and "Ridin' in My Car," are great.
The band currently consists of founding members Joey Spampinato on guitar and Terry Adams on keyboards, along with drummer Tom Ardolino and guitarist Johnny Spampinato. Many considered the definitive version of the band to be the lineup that came together in 1974 - guitarist Big Al Anderson, Terry Adams, Tom Ardolino, and Joey Spampinato.
Anderson split in 1994 to pursue a career as a songwriter in Nashville. Since his departure, he has played with NRBQ a couple of times when the group was passing through the Nashville area, but this is his first official reunion with the band in ten years. As if that isn't enough of a monumental event, this show is also expected to include the appearance of the original NRBQ lineup that featured their highly regarded guitarist, Steve Ferguson.
NRBQ may not have graced the top of the charts, but the band has won the respect and admiration of fellow musicians. They can count among their fans the likes of Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Elvis Costello, and Greenfield's own Penn Jillete. In fact, Jillette penned the liner notes on the recently released NRBQ tribute album, titled The Q People: A Tribute to NRBQ. The album was released in March on Spirithouse Records, a new label out of Easthampton, Massachusetts, that is also home to The Ware River Club, Lonesome Brothers, and King Radio.
Spirithouse founders, Danny Bernini and Paul McNamara, built their new label around this disc, which was their first release. "When we started Spirithouse Records, we wanted to build our foundation on genuine, 'real' music. To us, NRBQ and all the artists that took part in the The Q People tribute, are about as real as it gets."
Many of the artists involved in this project are from the area, including J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., Settie, Ware River Club, and King Radio. Other participants include Steve Earle, Bonnie Raitt, Ron Sexsmith, Widespread Panic, and SpongeBob SquarePants. That's right the one and only SpongeBob is a huge Q fan and couldn't pass up the chance to appear on the disc. The man who provides the voice of SpongeBob, Bob Kerry, used to open for the band and he's assembled a wild 17-minute audio cartoon that's full of enough Q songs and inside references to have diehard fans wanting more.
Some of the highlights of the disc include Settie's gorgeous take on "Ridin' in My Car," J Mascis' absolutely burning version of "I Want You Bad" and Bonnie Raitt's rocking "Me and the Boys." The album is a fitting tribute to this much-underappreicated band and even serves as a nice introduction to NRBQ's work if you aren't familiar with it.
Of course, if you are a fan of the band, run - don't walk - to grab some tickets for what promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime show.
NRBQ will appear at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton on Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $75, $50 and $35. They are available at the Northampton Box Office located in Thorne's Marketplace. Charge by phone at 586-8686 or order online at www.iheg.com [No doubt you've noticed that these shows are past; but I like to post columns whole or, in this case, I like to post items whole whenever I can.]
For information on The Q People: A Tribute to NRBQ visit www:spirithouserecords.com
Editor's Note: Kevin O'Hare of the Springfield (Mass.) Republican reviewed the NRBQ reunion concerts for the paper's May 3rd issue. I have no idea how much longer the following direct Web address to that review will work, but I'm posting it for what it's worth:
Springfield Republican concert review
This is a fantastic notice and is must reading for the Q people of this planet.
| Parts of this column by Sheryl Hunter were first published in the Greenfield Recorder, Greenfield, Massachusetts, on Thursday, April 29, 2004. |
| Copyright © 2004 by Sheryl Hunter. |
| All rights reserved. |
| Used with permission. |
Mad Mountain Tavern
of Waitsfield, Vermont Closes and Nearly Re-Opens
Ethan Covey has an unusual article in the "Club Calendar" feature (online - it's elsewhere in hardcopy) of this week's Seven Days about the closing and attempted reopening of the Mad Mountain Tavern in Waitsfield, Vermont.
www.sevendaysvt.com/m.clubs.html
In its broad outline, it's a familiar tale. Government and law enforcement forces try to find an effective way to cut down on drunken driving. Their efforts are taken by club owners and patrons as infringing on their respective rights to do business and to enjoy entertainment in the setting of their choosing. Covey summed up by saying, "No matter whom you blame, tempers in the usually calm Valley are hot, and it appears as if there's no peace in sight."
The Blackjacks :
Compilation CD, Reunion Concerts
"Boston icon Johnny Angel and his band The Blackjacks have been collectible on vinyl since the eighties, and are now available on CD. What's better is, since the project has been taken on, two reunion shows and an official release party have been planned for the band. Here are the details:
"The Blackjack's reunion and official CD release party:
"Mark your calendars and set your alarm clocks for June 11th and June 12th and get to the Abbey Lounge in Somerville, MA. The original Blackjack's – Johnny Angel, Michael White, and Jeffrey Erna are getting on stage for two guaranteed winning performances. Local independent label Retrospect Records has taken on the task of re-releasing the Blackjack's material and will be offering the 23 track disc at both shows, while first run supplies last.
"The line-up for each of the two shows is as follows:
|
Friday – June 11th:
Saturday – June 12th:
|
"Retrospect Records intends on recording, from the audience, for the possibility of a great live release to represent the shows. It promises to be a fantastic performance from the days when music meant something, and we really hope to see you there – or at least standing outside with a cigarette, in your black leather jacket!
"Pre-order your copy at www.RetrospectRecords.com and hear samples from the CD itself."
Joe Dolan, Retrospective Records Press Release, May 12, 2004
Valley Sounds Concert Series
at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton
The Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, Massachusetts has started a new local-music concert series called Valley Sounds. Thursday's show featured Read Yellow (an Amherst, Mass. group you may have read about recently in the Boston Globe), the Mobius Band, and Leisure. The Valley Advocate's "Nightcrawler" columnist, Gary Carra, said, "With the area's newest showcase series - appropriately dubbed 'Valley Sounds' - the Iron Horse Music Hall and Budweiser True Music (and their friends at the Valley Advocate) are putting top local talent on display on a monthly basis."
Valley Advocate column
Sonya Kitchell, a world-class singer who is based in the Valley, played the same venue last night.
In the past, it seems, the Iron Horse has had a reputation as a hard place for local musicians to break in. Valley Sounds may help. I doubt, though, that more established acts such as the Lonesome Brothers (who take part in the King Radio CD-release party on Monday, May 17) and the Susan Angeletti Band (which plays the Iron Horse on Thursday, May 20) have a big problem getting bookings there. Looking ahead to Sunday, May 23, I notice that the Pioneer Valley's John Coster will be joining Kate Taylor and Joel Zoss at the Horse. Coster is a classic folk-rock songwriter who has gotten a lot of engagements lately in Western New England, including one just a few blocks from here on May 1st. The great blues guitarist, Ronnie Earl, is at the Iron Horse on Friday, May 28.
Piebald :
"All Ears, All Eyes, All the Time"
Music Editor Ethan Covey of Seven Days gave Piebald's latest album, All Ears, All Eyes, All the Time, a decidedly mixed review.
www.sevendaysvt.com/musreviews.html
He wrote, "The fist-pumping choruses and heart-on-sleeve lyrics provide perfect accompaniment to aimless drives through loser towns." But he also said that Piebald is "short on diversity" and wrote that the band isn't "big on originality."
jud caswell
Jud Caswell is a fine Maine-based singer-songwriter, and he is the proprietor of the Frog Hollow Studio. We first learned about him from Sam Pfeifle's February 20 "Beat Report" column in the Portland Phoenix. Yet Lost and Found is Caswell's fourth release, his debut dating back to 1994. He says his focus has been on playing in Maine.
The first time through, Lost and Found is apt to sound pretty coffeehouse-folky. Tracks one and two set just such a tone, as do the illustrations on the front and back of the booklet. The baseline of his art seems to originate from the point where David Mallett's music meets the music of Brooks Williams. But by the third cut, Caswell is ready to throw some variety at us. The sci-fi "451" is much more of a rocker and is driven by a softly-amplified bass and shuffling drums. A repeating bass-run creates something like an industrial undercurrent. "451," when juxtaposed with the earlier tunes, is the first sign that Caswell is a versatile songwriter with a voice that can keep pace with the various turns in his material. This carries through to the closing track, the wonderful "Transistor Radio," a light guitar-rag about his father and his father's hand-built radio.
Caswell is a solid guitarist, rich with potential, and he's passionate on the subject of guitar playing. In our first exchange of e-mails, I asked two questions. The complete answer to one was "No." The answer to the other question, about his favorite guitarists and his influences, ran to three good-size paragraphs that waxed eloquent on the playing of rocker Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Canadian icon Bruce Cockburn, the great singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin, John Doyle (Solas, Eileen Ivers, and a personal favorite), composer/guitarist Michael Hedges, legendary fingerpicker Leo Kottke, and contemporary star David Wilcox. On Lost and Found, Caswell teams up with electric and acoustic lead-guitarist Robby Coffin with good results. It would be interesting, as a point of comparison, to hear Caswell perform solo, say, on a demo.
"Bittersweet" may bring to mind the folk-pop of Ellis Paul, while the electric guitar break is eerily similar to one Wendy Sobel played on the great Daring Angels CD. "Too Hot" mostly laments oppressively high temperatures, while the music, a summertime strut, revels in those same tropical conditions.
Songs of protest and social commentary often come together in the heat of the moment and are seldom particularly well written, though many make up for a lack of finish with heavy doses of fervor and conviction. But Caswell's excellent "Leather Shoes" is a simple account, with the moral left to the listener, of a visit to a room full of shoes at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. It comes here in a very pretty performance, with Paul Schaffner getting a hauntingly-beautiful balalaika-like effect out of his hammered dulcimer.
In remarks to our friend Dave Madeloni, John Coster, one of New England's best singer-songwriters, spoke of strange things happening in out-of-the-way places. "Simple Fascination," which rides atop a catchy pop guitar riff, is, in a way, along those same lines. The extraordinary thing that happens is the simple fascination of the song's title. In the album's booklet, Caswell wrote, "We spent a good deal of our time in Ireland completely lost. I highly recommend it." And in the refrain, he sings,
|
And you and I in simple fascination Stand side by side in the growing rain. |
Jud Caswell is a finalist in the 2004 Rose Garden Coffeehouse singer-songwriter contest in Mansfield, Massachusetts, tonight.
| Copyright © 2004 by Alan Lewis. |
| All rights reserved. |
| Used with permission. |
Green River Music Festival
at Greenfield, Massachusetts
"The Green River Festival, Western New England's best summer festival, will be held Friday and Saturday, July 16 and 17, 2003 on the grounds of Greenfield Community College (I-91, Exit 26, Greenfield, MA). Presented by the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, this celebration combines music on two stages, food, crafts, dancing, a wide array of kid's activities and entertainment, and hot air balloons for the Pioneer Valley's biggest outdoor event of the summer. This is the only music festival in Massachusetts that features hot air balloons and rides. Complete event information is available by calling (413) 773-5463, via e-mail: fccc@valinet.com, and on the web: www.greenriverfestival.com."
Flora Reed, "2004 Green River Festival," May 13, 2004
Since Flora included contact information for details, I won't list the names of all the acts. Those that particularly caught my eye are Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem, Donna the Buffalo, the Drunk Stuntmen, Jeffrey Foucault, Hot Tuna, Lori McKenna, the Resophonics, and Gillian Welch.
Brief Items
"Jeanne French has been recording at electriclennyland in st. pete beach, florida, with glenn evans producing. sounds kool too!"
Glenn Evans, E-Mail Message, May 8, 2004
"Confidence Men: good friends of mine [Scott Janovitz's] have advanced to the semi-final round of this year's WBCN rumble. i will be joining them on organ and
Scott Janovitz, "The Dope: Confidence Men/Rumble....," May 10, 2004
"Carol Noonan's new album Somebody's Darling is available to order May 1st by calling 866-CAROLCD or on the web at www.carolnoonanmusic.com"
Carol Noonan, Postcard, Postmarked May 11, 2004
"[T]he Drive will be doing a reunion show on Friday, July 16, at the Beachcomber in Quincy [Massachusetts]."
Pat Dreier, "The Drive," May 11, 2004
"Primary Voltage Records is pleased to announce the addition of Baby Strange to its active roster. Baby Strange's new LP, Put Out, will be available on the Primary Voltage catalog July 20, 2004."
Evan Koch, "Baby Strange Signs to PVR," May 12, 2004
In a preview of this year's Newport Folk Festival, Boston Herald music journalist Daniel Gewertz wrote in Thursday's paper that Bob Jones, a driving force behind the festival for nearly two decades, "has been hospitalized this year with a severe case of Guillain-Barre syndrome. Paralyzed for months, he is now slowly recovering."
Boston Herald column
"The Dresden Dolls will be playing at this summer's Lollapalooza with Morrissey, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, The Pixies, Le Tigre, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest Mouse Gomez, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Flaming Lips, The String Cheese Incident, DJ Peretz (aka Perry Farrell), and many
"Fifteen cities, two days in each town. Lots of love.
"More details
Amanda Palmer, "Mission of Burma, Lollapalooza," May 10, 2004
Speaking of the new Cathedral CD by the Ware River Club, the Boston Globe's Jim Sullivan wrote in Tuesday's paper, "The album's a resonant, earthy country-rock-folk effort that fans of alt-country bands such as the Jayhawks and Wilco are just going to lap up."
Boston Globe column
Though it's short, Sullivan's WRC item is well worth checking out if you can get there while it's still readily available online.
Last time, in our review of the album In Exile Deo by Juliana Hatfield, we made note of changes for the better in Hatfield's singing voice. Since then, she told Linda Laban of the Boston Herald (Wednesday, May 12), "I made a real effort to work on the singing part. I remember, in preparation for recording it, I really did my vocal exercises. Calisthenics for the voice, which I don't usually do."
Boston Herald notice
Scott Alarik's "Folk Scene" column this month in the Calendar section of Thursday's Boston Globe is about fiddle camps.
Boston Globe column
Speaking of the latest CD by the Willard Grant Conspiracy, Linda Laban wrote in Wednesday's Boston Herald that "Regard the End is an ethereal, introspective, Gothic-toned set of Americana..."
Boston Herald notice
The Hartford Advocate's "Local Motion" columnist, Thomas Pizzola, is reporting, in this week's issue, the breakup of the band, SaveFace.
Hartford Advocate column
Daniel Gewertz has been with the Boston Herald for years; and before that, he was the folk music critic for the Boston Phoenix. He's been around for quite a while; and when he says that he just caught the single worst opening act of his reviewing career, his words carry much weight. Read about it, if you dare, at
Boston Herald column
Brief Items Compiled by Alan Lewis
Rest in Peace
The world of popular music has suffered a sad loss with the death of Barney Kessel, 80. We strongly recommend reading the Los Angeles Times obituary, which ran in the Boston Globe, if it's still available at newsletter time.
Los Angeles Times Obituary in the Boston Globe
Known almost exclusively as a jazz musician, Kessel was actually a remarkably versatile picker. Here's one paragraph from the LA Times story:
"Mr. Kessel played not only with the Oscar Peterson Trio (in a 1952 tour of 14 countries), Charlie Parker, Charlie Barnet, Art Tatum, and Artie Shaw, but also with such diverse musicians as Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, and Liberace. He was musical director of Bob Crosby's television variety show; signed, wrote songs for, and produced records for Ricky Nelson as a Verve executive; and played on the soundtracks of such motion pictures as 'Cool Hand Luke.'"
That's really just for starters, too. Barney Kessel did a lot. When the 1940s bands he played in swung into the blues, Kessel's solos sometimes sounded like proto rock 'n' roll. He played guitar on some of the rock records I loved as a kid, featuring such artists as the Robins and the Coasters - pretty much the same band, though much better known as the Coasters. He played on commercials. Though guitar isn't the main thing on it, it's still true that Barney Kessel played on "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys. He made remarkable recordings with Artie Shaw.
Though his was far from a household name, Barney Kessel was awesome. He will be deeply missed by hardcore music fans.
Alan King, 76, comedian. Alan King was in a
Boston Globe obituary
Issue 2004:65
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