TheGoodRev

I was offered 9db, 15db and 25db filters and was told that 15 was the most common for rock musicians. Some drummers go for the 25's, and most classical musicians go for the 9's. I took the 15's and they're great, no problem singing with them in, you can literally hear everything almost perfectly, just at a lower volume. I found a small amount of treble loss with them, but I guess nothing is perfect.

You'll want to contact an audiologist, that's who made mine.

And yes, they are worth every last penny.

Hey man, no worries at all. I don't know my music any more than you do, maybe we just know different shit. I've been thinking about you the past couple days as I'm in the middle of a giant Dylan kick, and I know what a huge fan you are.

In any event, I agree, Gov't Mule are a serious band.

This is gonna have its own thread soon, but I figured I'd post it here:

Ok, ok, I'm outnumbered. I still hear the South in Mule, though. Maybe not as much as Skynyrd or Marshall Tucker, but I hear it in there.

I tracked down an mp3 of Wine and Blood. Dig how much Southern rock is dripping off this tune. Bunch of slide guitar, the harmonies in the chorus, lyrics about a destitute old hopeless drunk of a woman.

Desiree's in disarray, waiting for her angels to come

Where she used to feel the weight of a thousand lifetimes

Now she just feels numb

But there was a time when her beauty raised the eyebrows of the town

Any man would gladly give up all he had just to take Desiree down

She stares out the window at the world passing by

She is caught beneath the wheel

Too heavy to lift - she feels too weak to try

People stare like strangers where once she might've asked them in

To fill the void where her heart once was

Now she just fills her glass again

And again

And she walks the floor less traveled

Thinks of a sad melody

Wine and blood don't mix like they used to

Now they just make memories

Too many years trying to do the right thing for the wrong man

Now the picture is clear

She drinks and she cries and she hides from the past

The truth is more bitter than the tears

All these half-truths and alibis help build a wall of denial

She takes comfort in the night - darkness blocks the light

From falling on her aging smile

Grey befalls her halo where there once was a golden mane

And her eyes don't shine like they used to

Without the moon, the sun would be in vain

So she walks the floor less traveled

Thinks of a sad melody

Wine and blood dont mix like they used to

Now they just make a memory

Too many years trying to the right thing for the wrong man

Now the picture is clear

She drinks and she cries and she hides from the past

The truth is more bitter than the tears

She puts on her make-up - though no one's seen her for days

Her silence is a lonely cry

She's trapped inside a maze

Her tears have turned to honey, drawing the black flies of depression

Desiree's in disarray waiting for her angels again

I want to laugh at the sterotypicality of the tune, but I kind of like it too much to do so! Great Lesli-fied solo, and you know with Warren he's playing it through a Leslie and not a simulator.

Wine and Blood

No problem man. They're both SBD.

Sorry for missing that Rev. I was skimming.

Actually I wasnt even skimming. I read nothing.

OH YOU'D BETTER APOLOGIZE YOU BASTARD

EDIT TO ADD: I refuse to let purple ruin my sarcasm

Lets not forget. Matt Abts is in that band. He's worth a ticket in my eyes. That is one pounding motherfuÇker.

Matt Abts on the kit (one of my absolute favourite drummers)

Absolutely, man. The guy is a monster.

I knew somebody would bring up the Truckers when I said that, and I knew it'd be you NR. I didn't see them when they came through, though I know I should have. I've heard they're records, and they are great. Ok, a tie with Mule. And the North Mississippi Allstars, circa 2002.

How about now?

My sweet lord. I knew it all along, Chris. Who's the lucky boy?

I'll give you MMJ - a fine band who have consistently put out some fine records over the past couple years. I'm just getting back into It Still Moves after a couple years, I've had in the car for a couple weeks now. I don't think they're any more South than the Mule, though. They portray a significant modern and/or indie/whatever you want to call it rock influence, I think. Was it you, Jaimoe, who posted that link to the video of Jim James and bandmate playing on the radio? The other guy was playing pedal steel for a while, and it was great I thought.

As for Mule, though. Heavy blues, guitar-rock, yes. Even moreso when they were a trio. But I hear the South in there all over the place, especially since Deja Voodoo (the first record as a quartet). Between Warren's accent and lyrics and his pentatonic scales, to the fact that they're one of the few bands who will bust into a straight boogie, they've got Dixieland written all over them. Have a listen to the tune Wine and Blood from Deja Voodoo and tell me that isn't the most obvious marriage of the 70's Nashville sound and modern country radio you've ever heard. Wish I had an mp3, I'd post it. Edit: found it.

Wine and Blood

Anyway, you make a good point. Southern rock is only one part of their sound. The predominant other part is definately blues-rock/guitar-rock/classic-rock.

I've never listened to Gov't Mule before

Brad I'm surprised. I think you'll like them.

There have been different Mule eras. They began as a trio, and were the most powerful trio I had ever heard. Original bassist Allen Woody was incredibly aggressive as a player, but it was warranted within the group; he was holding down all the rhythm playing, complimented by Matt Abts on the kit (one of my absolute favourite drummers) and of course Warren Haynes on guitar and vocals. Warren's main weakness is that he is something of a dinosaur rocker. Think Leslie West of Mountain. He seems to be perpetually in middle age; his voice, while powerful and expressive, is heavily rooted in blues-rock cliche; and his guitar playing, though it is virtuosic at times, is somewhat trapped within a certain mold. That said, though, he is the personality of the band and in buying into what he is all about, you buy into what he is expressing with the band. For the most part, I buy into what he does. Here are some mp3 examples I have kicking around of the Mule Trio, as I call them.

October 29, 1995 at Park West, Chicago, IL

Rocking Horse

Eternity's Breath Jam >

St. Stephen Jam

March 10, 1998 at Opera House, Toronto, ON

Pygmy Twylyte > Blind Man in the Dark >

Mother Earth

When Woody died in 2000, the band spent approximately 3 years playing with a rotating cast of bassists, also adding Danny Louis on keyboards in that time. Dave Schools of Widespread Panic played with them a great deal, as did Andy Hess, who toured with the Crowes before their hiatus. In 2003 they announced that Hess would be the new permanent bassist, and that lineup has remained intact.

They are certainly, in my books, the finest modern representation of Southern Rock that exists today. They also employ heavy nods to psychedelia and extended instrumental playing (in their own style of course), making them a highly entertaining act in my opinion. The only thing I find is that they have a big catalogue, so it's pointless to go to a show hoping and praying for a particular tune. What you get is what you get, and sometimes (a la last year's Kool Haus gig), you'll get a whole first set of fist-pumping cock-rock when you're looking for something a little more dynamic; but then you might be rewarded (a la the same gig) with a ridiculously intricate second set, wherein the band decides to cover, for example, three or four Beatles tunes in a row.

I think I'm going to be at the Dec 1 show. Looking forward to it.

Hey, check out LURE from Ottawa at Casbah tonight. They're an insane band. I don't know how to describe them really. Three-guitar attack. Intense progressive players, but the music runs the gamut from shimmering pop goodness to heavier excursions, etc. Check out their MySpace and listen to the tune "Hold On To Your Bricks". www.myspace.com/lureottawa

Also on the bill, other friends of mine, The Front Runners. Fist-pumpin, Brit-informed rock and roll. $5 cover tonight I do believe, and don't quote me but I think it's cheap Steamwhistle night, which means $3 pints.

Hahaha

Deb I can assure you that there is nothing school-related that will be getting in the way of anything music-related in my life.

You want to look for a thread entitled "Surly Young Bucks take a Surly Young Break". Basically, yeah, we've been around since about February, only serious since about July. What can I say? Our lives move quickly. Everybody has other projects they're going to concentrate on now: Max and Mike are recording an EP with Charlemagne, with Dan on the knobs; meantime, Dan has an INCREDIBLE solo record that is done and being mastered right now, and he has put together a band to support the record. I'll be playing pedal steel for him. The guy is incredible, for fans of Ryan Adams etc. You can hear a few tunes at www.dangriffin.ca . My favourite is The Summertime, but there's also Whiskey & Wine, and East Coast, the latter two we play in the Bucks.

So, given all that, the boys think it's realistic to reconvene in the spring after these two records have been pushed a bit, but I'm on the opinion that Dan's new band will serve whatever role the Bucks have been serving. The style will be similar and there will already be a record to push, so I just can't see it making sense to reconvene and put in all that rehearsal. We're all still friends, though.

But we DO have one more show left, and it's going to be a doozy. Thurs November 30 at Pepper Jack's with What The Thunder Said. What say, Deb, you guys feel like treking down to the Hammer?

I will agree that Marco was looking super fine last night.

Good times. Good jamming. I'm actually still here. Sink kid is here and alive and well.

Monster Jam seems to have ended early

I think I'll see you all soon!

HA

Just leaving for Monster Jam right now. It'll be a game-time decision whether I make it up there, but there's a good chance.

Last night was a blast. Nice to see ya, Mr. Slippery, and kookycanooky too, thanks for taping.

Everyone check out The Canaries, they were phenominal, such great writers and players. They're in Windsor next week, and playing at Tranzac in Toronto the week after. www.thecanaries.ca

Haha right on Sara! It was a good time playing with the boys.

I'm gonna do my best to get up there tomorrow...might be a bit later, I have a monster truck rally to go to. We don't have ladies' sizes per se, but we have generic S-M-L-XL...what do you think, would the small be cool?

Right, so, after much consideration and a fine-tooth-combing of the band bank account, we've decided that shirts will be $5 tonight. Five friggin dollars, how can you go wrong folks! They're nice too. Wish I had a picture to show you.

Oh, and the band will be good too.

Lure fucking smoked it last night in London, what a killer band. They're in Hamilton at Casbah on Monday night! Cheap Steamwhistle night, too. Jambanders will love these guys.

And the Thunder killed it too, as usual. Good times y'all.

Friday November 17

The Surly Young Bucks

Clinton's Tavern

693 Bloor Street West at Christie Subway

Opening for The Canaries

Bucks onstage around 10 or thereafter

$5 at the door

Also, since we're breaking up, our merch is priced to sell y'all! Come on down and score yourself a fine-looking and soon to be rare t-shirt!

On paper I'm a Communications Studies student at McMaster, but if you know me you know what a joke that really is. I work part-time at the campus radio station as the Audio Production Coordinator, where I write, produce and voice all the advertising spots and on-air promotions, produce programming, and train people to pre-record their own programming.

Oh, and I'm also a multi-instrumentalist with three musical projects on the go, as well as a producer and composer I suppose, having recently licensed a series of instrumental compositions. Oh, and a band from Moncton asked me to join on pedal steel this week. Look out East Coast, I may be in a whole new line of work in your neighbourhood soon...