What are you listening to right now?

[Kanada Kev]

[Kanada Kev]

I am a huge fan of Daniel Lanois. Absolutely incredible talent. Eagerly awaiting the release of this album. For now, a single

http://bit.ly/dk6NDW

Black Dub – I Believe In You (Single)

Black Dub, the enigmatically eclectic new quartet helmed by acclaimed guitarist and Grammy award-winning producer Daniel Lanois, hit the road this November in support of their self titled debut album.

The tour launches in conjunction with the release of the band’s self-titled JIVE debut, landing in stores on November 2, 2010. Black Dub combines tripped-out soul with flourishes of rock ‘n’ roll and Jamaican dub for a sound that’s elegant and entrancing.

Lanois told Rolling Stone, “I had been fantasizing about putting a band together for a long time that would allow me to write music with a funkier angle. I’ve also had a fascination with Jamaican dub music.†The album went so well that the group are reportedly already talking about album No. 2.

mp3@320CBR

Track List

1. I Believe In You

2. Jimmy Dub

http://bit.ly/dk6NDW

[Kanada Kev]

An excellent version of Ripple from busker in Boulder, CO.

[hamilton]

Blondie, Parallel Lines.

[hamilton]

Richard & Linda Thompson, Shoot Out The Lights.

New Rhino Handmade reissue featuring a bonus disc with 70 minutes of music from the US tour. Mind-bogglingly good!!!

[Asparagus]

^^^^ that's a great album!!!

With some incredible musicians backing her up too. I'd love to see Betty kick some current-day "divas" asses! She's so good and nasty I'll toss up her other stuff too if you don't have it.

I'd love it if you posted her other albums. I've been digging your blog for awhile now.

[Freeker]

http://www.indierockcafe.com/top-ten-songs/

Just found this motherload of indie singles. All the tracks are streamed from various sources and most are great quality/connection.

I hope it get you through your work day like it's getting me through mine.

[NewRider]

[bradm]

Mr. Something Something with Ikwunga The Afrobeat Poet - Deep Sleep

Aloha,

Brad

[bradm]

Sisters Euclid - All Babies Go To War

Aloha,

Brad

[djmelbatoast]

Grinderman 2

[hamilton]

Little Feat, The Last Record Album.

[hamilton]

Gene Ammons, Boss Tenor.

Best liner notes ever: "Boss Tenor is Gene Ammons's album masterpiece. That it came off as well as it did is something remarkable. Take a good look at the cover photo. Gene Ammons is as high as a Georgia pine. In fact, he had been released from prison a very short time and would return to complete his sentence (because of a parole violation) within a few days of this session. When he returned in 1961, he was strung out again." Quality!

[Kanada Kev]

http://bit.ly/9rGOcZ

Gov’t Mule – Holy Haunted House

It’s hardly a surprise that Gov’t Mule performed Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy (Atlantic, 1973) in its entirety in sequence on Halloween, 2007. The legendary British band is one of the most profound influences on The Mule, in both their original compositions—â€Streamlined Woman†and others on High & Mighty (ATO, 2006)—and covers—â€When the Levee Breaks†and “Living Loving Maid (She’s Just A Woman),†as well as “No Quarter†from Houses.

A tribute to Gov’t Mule’s collective professionalism, instrumental expertise and honest love of music, Holy Haunted House might be a bonafide tour de force except that the group sounds a little too careful a little too often here. Granted, that may not be all that surprising under the circumstances of a one-off show, but Mule nevertheless nails “The Ocean,†and rightly so: it sounds like a riff of its very own. Meanwhile, “The Song Remains the Same,†“Dancing Days†and “Over the Hills and Far Away†fit neatly within the quartet’s riff-rock oeuvre. “D’Yer M’ker†is of a piece with guitarist Warren Haynes and co.’s Jamaican fascination, but they can’t imbue “The Crunge,†a misconceived and altogether lightweight tribute to James Brown, with any substance.

Elsewhere traversing Zeppelin’s fifth album, Warren Haynes’ guttural vocals infuse that soporific ballad “The Rain Song†with gravity and soul. Nearly as much as his playing on the tunes themselves, the drum solo by the other charter member of Mule, Matt Abts, suggests he would’ve been a suitable replacement for the late Zeppelin drummer John Bonham at the rock icon’s reunion last year.

Augmented for the second set by guitarist Audrey Freed—formerly a Black Crowe and regular guest of Gov’t Mule—the quartet finishes this second eighty minutes of the night with the blues. An interpolation of Robert Johnson’s “Come in My Kitchen†and “32/30 Blues†may or may not be commentary on accusations of Zeppelin rip-offs, but they definitely contain the kind of sly ingenuity to be expected from Gov’t Mule.

Mule’s opening set on 10-31-2007 carried an unusual potency and its own internal logic. The dub- influenced arrangement of “Play with Fire†is a logical segue from the Rolling Stones song into the original “Time to Confess,†which has a built-in reggae rhythm. Keyboardist Danny Louis’ electric piano solo on “Million Miles From Yesterday†brightens the sound as much as that instrument, in combination with organ, lightens the dusky atmosphere of “Rockin’ Horse.â€

Gov’t Mule navigates the instrumental twists and turns of “Birth of the Mule†with a finesse that also fosters a seamless transition from “Larger Than Life†into “Fallen Down.†“The Other One Jam,†based upon the Grateful Dead’s long-standing improvisational vehicle, is equally deft. So often and appropriately a show closer, “Blind Man in the Dark†allows bassist Andy Hess to engage in a furious solo. It’s a frenetic close to what is only the first hour-plus of a special occasion at the O’Shaughnessy Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota. - Doug Collette

mp3@256

Track List

01 Play With Fire

02 Time To Confess

03 Million Miles From Yesterday

04 Rocking Horse

05 Birth of The Mule

06 Larger Than Life

07 Fallen Down >

08 The Other One Jam

09 Blind Man In The Dark

10 Crowd

11 The Song Remains The Same

12 The Rain Song

13 Over The Hills and Far Away

14 The Crunge

15 Dancing Days>

16 Drums

17 D’Yer Mak’er

18 No Quarter

19 The Ocean

Enore

20 Come On Into My Kitchen>

11 32/20 Blues

http://bit.ly/9rGOcZ

[bradm]

The Dusty Drifters - (live recording) 2010-10-29, The Elmdale House Tavern, Ottawa, ON

Aloha,

Brad

[Schwa.]

Did you get the whole show the other night, Brad? Would love to hear it.

[bradm]

Did you get the whole show the other night, Brad? Would love to hear it.

I got the whole show, but don't (yet) have permission from the Drifters to distribute the recording. (I'm working on it, through.)

Aloha,

Brad

[Schwa.]

kudos, I'm sure a link will follow

Gracias!!!

[Kanada Kev]

http://bit.ly/bFqOPV

Little Feat – Little Feat

It sold poorly (around 11,000 copies) and the band never cut anything like it again, but Little Feat’s eponymous debut isn’t just one of their finest records, it’s one of the great lost rock & roll albums. Even dedicated fans tend to overlook the album, largely because it’s the polar opposite of the subtly intricate, funky rhythm & roll that made their reputation during the mid-’70s. Little Feat is a raw, hard-driving, funny and affectionate celebration of American weirdness, equal parts garage rock, roadhouse blues, post-Zappa bizarreness, post-Parsons country rock and slightly bent folk storytelling. Since it’s grounded in roots rock, it feels familiar enough, but the vision of chief songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Lowell George is wholly unique and slightly off-center. He sees everything with a gently surreal sense of humor that remains affectionate, whether it’s on an ode to a “Truck Stop Girl,†the weary trucker’s anthem “Willin’,†or the goofy character sketch of the crusty old salt “Crazy Captain Gunboat Willie.†That affection is balanced by gutsy slices of Americana like the careening travelogue “Strawberry Flats,†the darkly humorous “Hamburger Midnight†and a jaw-dropping Howlin’ Wolf medley guest-starring Ry Cooder, plus keyboardist Bill Payne’s terrific opener “Snakes on Everything.†The songwriting itself is remarkable enough, but the band is its equal — they’re as loose, vibrant and alive as the Stones at their best. In most respects, this album has more in common with George’s earlier band the Factory than the rest of the Little Feat catalog, but there’s a deftness in the writing and performance that distinguishes it from either band’s work, which makes it all the more remarkable. It’s a pity that more people haven’t heard the record, but that just means that anyone who owns it feels like they’re in on a secret only they and a handful of others know. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine

mp3@320CBR

Track List

1. “Snakes on Everything†(Payne) – 3:04

2. “Strawberry Flats†(Payne, George) – 2:20

3. “Truck Stop Girl†(Payne, George) – 2:32

4. “Brides of Jesus†(Payne, George) – 3:20

5. “Willin’†(George) – 2:24

6. “Hamburger Midnight†(George, Estrada) – 2:30

7. “Forty-Four Blues / How Many More Years†(Chester Burnett) – 6:25

8. “Crack in Your Door†(George) – 2:16

9. “I’ve Been the One†(George) – 2:20

10. “Takin’ My Time†(Payne) – 3:45

11. “Crazy Captain Gunboat Willie†(Payne, George) – 1:55

http://bit.ly/bFqOPV

[Kanada Kev]

http://bit.ly/a8vCEw

Little Feat – Sailin’ Shoes

Little Feat’s debut may have been a great album but it sold so poorly, they had to either broaden their audience or, in all likelihood, they’d be dropped from Warner. So, Sailin’ Shoes is a consciously different record from its predecessor – less raw and bluesy, blessed with a varied production and catchier songs. That still doesn’t make it a pop record, since Little Feat, particularly in its first incarnation, was simply too idiosyncratic, earthy and strange for that. It is, however, an utterly thrilling, individual blend of pop, rock, blues and country, due in no small part to a stellar set of songs from Lowell George. If anything, his quirks are all the more apparent here than they were on the debut, since Ted Templeman’s production lends each song its own character, plus his pen was getting sharper. George truly finds his voice on this record, with each of his contributions sparkling with off-kilter humor, friendly surreal imagery and humanity, and he demonstrates he can authoritatively write anything from full-throttle rock & roll (“Teenage Nervous Breakdownâ€), sweet ballads (“Trouble,†a sublimely reworked “Willin’â€), skewered folk (“Sailin’ Shoesâ€), paranoid rock (“Cold, Cold, Coldâ€) and blues (“A Apolitical Bluesâ€) and, yes, even hooky mainstream rock (“Easy to Slip,†which should have been the hit the band intended it to be). That’s not to discount the contributions of the other members, particularly Bill Payne and Richie Hayward’s “Tripe Face Boogie,†which is justifiably one of the band’s standards, but the thing that truly stuns on Sailin’ Shoes is George’s songwriting and how the band brings it to a full, colorful life. Nobody could master the twists and turns within George’s songs better than Little Feat, and both the songwriter and his band are in prime form here. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine

mp3@320CBR

Track List

* All tracks by Lowell George, except where noted.

1. “Easy to Slip†(Lowell George, Fred Martin) – 3:22

2. “Cold Cold Cold†– 4:01

3. “Trouble†– 2:19

4. “Tripe Face Boogie†(Richard Hayward, Bill Payne) – 3:16

5. “Willin’†– 2:57

6. “A Apolitical Blues†– 3:28

7. “Sailin’ Shoes†– 2:53

8. “Teenage Nervous Breakdown†– 2:13

9. “Got No Shadow†(Payne) – 5:08

10. “Cat Fever†(Payne) – 4:37

11. “Texas Rose Cafe†– 3:42

http://bit.ly/a8vCEw

[Kanada Kev]

http://bit.ly/bYfEmr

Little Feat – Dixie Chicken

Following Roy Estrada’s departure during the supporting tour for Sailin’ Shoes, Lowell George became infatuated with New Orleans R&B and mellow jamming, all of which came to a head on their third album, 1973′s Dixie Chicken. Although George is firmly in charge – he dominates the record, writing or co-writing seven of the 10 songs – this is the point where Little Feat found its signature sound as a band, and no album they would cut from this point on was too different from this seductive, laid-back, funky record. But no album would be quite as good, either, since Dixie Chicken still had much of the charming lyrical eccentricities of the first two albums, plus what is arguably George’s best-ever set of songs. Partially due to the New Orleans infatuation, the album holds together better than Sailin’ Shoes and George takes full advantage of the band’s increased musical palette, writing songs that sound easy but are quite sophisticated, such as the rolling “Two Trains,†the gorgeous, shimmering “Juliette,†the deeply soulful and funny “Fat Man in the Bathtub†and the country-funk of the title track, which was covered nearly as frequently as “Willin’.†In addition to “Walkin’ All Night,†a loose bluesy jam by Barrere and Bill Payne, the band also hauls out two covers which fit George’s vibe perfectly: Allan Toussaint’s slow burner “On Your Way Down†and “Fool Yourself,†which was written by Fred Tackett, who later joined a reunited Feat in the ’80s. It all adds up to a nearly irresistible record, filled with great songwriting, sultry grooves, and virtuosic performances that never are flashy. Little Feat, along with many jam bands that followed, tried to top this album, but they never managed to make a record this understated, appealing and fine. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine

mp3@320CBR

Track List

1. “Dixie Chicken†(Lowell George, Fred Martin) – 3:55

2. “Two Trains†(George) – 3:06

3. “Roll Um Easy†(George) – 2:30

4. “On Your Way Down†(Allen Toussaint) – 5:31

5. “Kiss It Off†(George) – 2:56

6. “Fool Yourself†(Fred Tackett) – 3:10

7. “Walkin’ All Night†(Paul Barrère, Bill Payne) – 3:35

8. “Fat Man In The Bathtub†(George) – 4:29

9. “Juliette†(George) – 3:20

10. “Lafayette Railroad†(George, Payne) – 3:40

http://bit.ly/bYfEmr

[Kanada Kev]

http://bit.ly/bkpLtA

Little Feat – Dixie Chicken

If Dixie Chicken represented a pinnacle of Lowell George as a songwriter and band leader, its sequel Feats Don’t Fail Me Now is the pinnacle of Little Feat as a group, showcasing each member at their finest. Not coincidentally, it’s the moment where George begins to recede from the spotlight, leaving the band as a true democracy. These observations are only clear in hindsight, since if Feats Don’t Fail Me Now is just taken as a record, it’s nothing more than a damn good rock & roll record. That’s not meant as a dismissal, either, since it’s hard to make a rock & roll record as seemingly effortless and infectious as this. Though it effectively builds on the Southern-fried funkiness of Dixie Chicken, it’s hardly as mellow as that record – there’s a lot of grit, tougher rhythms, lots of guitar and organ. It’s as supple as Chicken, though, which means that it’s the sound of a touring band at their peak. As it happens, the band is on the top of their writing game as well, with Bill Payne contributing the rollicking “Oh Atlanta†and Paul Barrere turning in one of his best songs, the jazzy funk of “Skin it Back.†Each has a co-writing credit with George — Payne on the unreleased Little Feat-era nugget “The Fan†and Barrere (plus Fred Martin) on the infectious title track — who also has a couple of classics with “Rock and Roll Doctor†and the great “Spanish Moon.†Feats peters out toward the end, as the group delves into a 10-minute medley of two Sailin’ Shoes songs, but that doesn’t hurt one of the best albums Little Feat ever cut. It’s so good, the group used it as the template for the rest of their career. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine

mp3@320CBR

Track List

1. “Rock & Roll Doctor†(Lowell George, Fred Martin) – 2:57

2. “Oh, Atlanta†(Bill Payne) – 3:26

3. “Skin It Back†(Paul Barrère) – 4:11

4. “Down the Road†(George) – 3:46

5. “Spanish Moon†(George) – 3:01

6. “Feats Don’t Fail Me Now†(Barrère, George, Martin Kibbee) – 2:27

7. “The Fan†(George, Payne) – 4:30

8. “Medley: Cold Cold Cold/Tripe Face Boogie†(George/Richie Hayward, Payne) – 10:00

http://bit.ly/bkpLtA

[Kanada Kev]

http://bit.ly/9JJMGY

Little Feat – The Last Record Album

The title of The Last Record Album isn’t literally accurate, but it cuts a lot closer than the band intended, for this is really is the last album of the group’s classic era. Starting with this album, leader Lowell George fades into the woodwork, and while the remainder of the group tries valiantly to keep the band afloat, the timing of friction was wrong and the amount of tension was too great. Musically, the group attempts to make Feats Don’t Fail Me Now, Pt. 2, but the production from George is curiously flat, and, truth be told, the group just isn’t inspired enough to make a satisfying album. For a very short album — only eight songs — too many of the cuts fall flat. Those that succeed, however, are quite good, particularly Paul Barrere and Bill Payne’s gently propulsive “All That You Dream,†Lowell George’s beautiful “Long Distance Love,†and the sublime “Mercenary Territory.†Even these songs don’t have the spark or character they would have had on the more organic Feats, due to George’s exceedingly mellow So-Cal production, which is pleasant but doesn’t provide Little Feat with enough room to breathe. There are enough signs of Little Feat’s true character on The Last Record Album — the three previously mentioned songs are essential for any Feat fan — to make it fairly enjoyable, but it’s clear that the band is beginning to run out of steam. [The CD reissue of The Last Record Album includes two bonus tracks, "Don't Bogart That Joint" and "A Apolitical Blues," that were originally included on the 1978 live album Waiting for Columbus. They were pulled from the CD reissue of that album due to time restrictions, and appeared here instead.] - Stephen Thomas Erlewine

mp3@320CBR

Track List

1. “Romance Dance†(Paul Barrère, Bill Payne) – 3:49

2. “All That You Dream†(Barrère, Payne) – 3:52

3. “Long Distance Love†(Lowell George) – 2:43

4. “Day or Night†(Payne, Fran Tate) – 6:24

5. “One Love Stand†(Barrère, Gradney, Payne) – 4:26

6. “Down Below the Borderline†(George) – 3:41

7. “Somebody’s Leavin’†(Payne) – 5:07

8. “Mercenary Territory†(George, Hayward) – 4:27

Additional tracks on CD (the omitted tracks from the single CD version of Waiting For Columbus)

* “Don’t Bogart That Joint†(live) (E. Ingber, L. Wagner) – 1:03

* “A Apolitical Blues†(live) (George) – 3:41

http://bit.ly/9JJMGY

[Kanada Kev]

http://bit.ly/bQOrCe

Little Feat – Time Loves A Hero

When Little Feat headed into the studio to record Time Loves a Hero, tensions between the bandmembers — more specifically, Lowell George and the rest of the band — were at a peak. George had not only succumbed to various addictions, but he was growing restless with the group’s fondness for extending their jams into territory strikingly reminiscent of jazz fusion. The rest of the group brought in Ted Templeman, who previously worked on their debut and produced Sailin’ Shoes, to mediate the sessions. George wasn’t thrilled with that, but that’s probably not the only reason why his presence isn’t large on this release — all signs point to his frustration with the band, and he wasn’t in great health, so he just didn’t contribute to the record. He wrote one song, the pleasant but comparatively faceless “Rocket in My Pocket,†and collaborated with Paul Barrere on “Keepin’ Up with the Joneses.†Barrere was responsible for the only bright moments on the album, the ingratiatingly silly “Old Folks Boogie†and, along with Bill Payne and Ken Gradney, the funky singalong title track. Elsewhere, Barrere and Payne come up dry, turning out generic pieces that are well played but not as memorable as comparable Doobie Brothers cuts from the same time. Then there’s “Day at the Dog Races,†a lengthy fusion jam that Templeman and everyone in the band loved — except for George, who, according to Bud Scoppa’s liner notes in Hotcakes & Outtakes, disparagingly compared it to Weather Report. He was right — no matter how well Feat play on this track, it comes across as self-serving indulgence, and the clearest sign on this muddled album that they had indeed lost the plot. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine

mp3@320CBR

Track List

1. “Hi Roller†(Paul Barrère) – 3:35

2. “Time Loves a Hero†(Barrère, Kenny Gradney, Bill Payne) – 3:47

3. “Rocket in My Pocket†(Lowell George) – 3:25

4. “Day at the Dog Races†(Barrère, Sam Clayton, Gradney, Richie Hayward, Payne) – 6:27

5. “Old Folks Boogie†(Barrère) – 3:31

6. “Red Streamliner†(Payne, Fran Tate) – 4:44

7. “New Delhi Freight Train†(Terry Allen) – 3:42

8. “Keepin’ up With the Joneses†(Barrère, George) – 3:51

9. “Missin’ You†(Barrère) – 2:21

http://bit.ly/bQOrCe

[Kanada Kev]

http://bit.ly/bnJORb

What constitutes a great live album? It’s clearly not the mere application of a band’s studio performances. That approach may satisfy the attending audience, but what’s the point of making a record that sounds just like the one that already exists? It’s far more rewarding to experience a live album on which a band turbocharges its studio sound (as The Who did on the scorching 1970 document Live At Leeds); or expands the material through improvisation (The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East from 71 classic example); or enlarges the aural palate to open up a body of work (like The Band’s 1972 beauty Rock Of All Ages, its Allen Toussaint horn arrangements). What makes Little Feat’s Waiting For Columbus memorable is that it seamlessly and quite naturally encompasses all these approaches.

Waiting For Columbus (Deluxe Edition) contains the original Waiting For Columbus as well as ten tracks recorded during the same tour that were not included in the original album. It also contains previously unreleased outtakes.

Little Feat’s lone official live album was chopped up for its initial CD release, with two tracks lopped off so it could fit on a single disc (they showed up, inexplicably, as bonus tracks on the CD issue of The Last Record Album). After years of neglect, the album was finally restored in 2002, except “restored†might not be the right word for it. It was re-thought and expanded, with the original album now spilling over onto a second disc (which is where the encore is), which is fleshed out with seven previously unissued outtakes, plus three songs initially released on Hoy-Hoy. It’s a lovely package, with copious notes from Bud Scoppa and lots of photos, great remastered sound, and generous bonus tracks. It’s as well done as could be expected, but be forewarned — none of the unreleased material is as good as what made the record, tending to be a little slack and emphasizing their encroaching fascination with fusion. That’s really not that big of a deal, of course, since collectors will buy this no matter what, and they’ll be happy with this lavish, loving package.

Little Feat:

Lowell George (vocals, guitar, maracas, cowbell)

Paul Barrere (vocals, guitar)

Bill Payne (vocals, piano, electric piano, organ, synthesizer)

Kenny Gradney (bass)

Richie Hayward (drums, percussion, background vocals)

Sam Clayton (congas, percussion, background vocals)

With:

Mick Taylor (guitar); Tower Of Power (horns); Michael McDonald,

Patrick Simmons (background vocals).

Recorded live at the Rainbow Theatre, London, England; The Lisner Auditorium,

Washington, D.C. in August 1977. Includes liner notes by Bud Scoppa.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

mp3@320CBR

Track List

Disc 1.

01 Join The Band

02 Fat Man In The Bathtub

03 All That You Dream

04 Oh Atlanta

05 Old Folks Boogie

06 Dixie Chicken

07 Tripe Face Boogie

08 Rocket In My Pocket

09 Time Loves A Hero

10 Day Or Night

11 Mercenary Territory

12 Spanish Moon

Disc 2.

The Encore

13 Willin’

14 Don’t Bogart That Joint

15 Apolitical Blues

16 Sailin’ Shoes

17 Feats Don’t Fail Me Now

Previously Unissued Outtakes

18 One Love Stand

19 Rock And Roll Doctor

20 Skin It Back

21 On Your Way Down

22 Walkin All Night

23 Cold, Cold, Cold

24 Day At The Dog Races

Outtakes First Issued On Hoy-Hoy!

25 Skin It Back

26 Red Streamliner

27 Teenage Nervous Breakdown

http://bit.ly/bnJORb