11/22 MGMT @ Palace

MGMT is heading to our neck of the woods:

11/22 Louisville @ the Palace (8pm $32)

Near by:

11/12 St. Louis, MO @ Peabody Opera House

11/14 Columbus, OH @ Lifestyle Communities Pavilion

11/15 Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room at Old National Centre

Melodie's new favorite MGMT video

Team Totoro releases Occupy Wall Street protest song!

Team Totoro has came out of hiding to release the track "Broken Monocles" in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement. You can download it here on 37flood for free! Who doesn't love a protest song to get the blood flowing when this weather's getting so cold?!?


Right Click, Save As "Broken Monocles" Here!

New Deer Meet Album out now!

Earlier this month, Deer Meet released their second album, You Can Walk Across It On The Grass to the masses and the wait was worth it! Jimmy Angelina, Scott Nethery and Troy Williams bring sounds of rock, punk and psychedelia to my ears! Tracks like "Old Man" and "Why Aren't we Here?" really get my head moving and it's all together a very fun rock album! For some reason and i've said it before, Angelina's voice harkens to the days I listened to Beulah non stop for a summer; he's just an excellent songwriter!

Not only is the new album great but after shooting some shows and recording sessions over the past couple years I was given a rough demo of the tracks and asked to let my imagine guide me to create photographs that would be used for the album artwork. I gave the disc a listen and for some reason a boat kept coming to mind. I didn't fight it and found a little boat kit I could build and paint. I spent several weeks just looking at the tiny wooden boat and listening to the demos to see what it would evoke. I shot some in the grass in the dark with lighting and then put it back on the shelf until i decided i wante to see the boat on fire so I grabbed a lighter and set it afire! In my career as a photograher, I haven't been given many freedoms to create what I please unless it's a personal project that i just need to get off my chest. This was one of the most fun assignments I have yet to take on. I'm proud this great group of guys are from right here and Louisville and let me use their music to express myself!

The new album is available now at ear X-tacy, iTunes and their bandcamp site here.

Here is a video for their first single "Old Man"

 

RISING to stop Mountain Top Removal...

I recently went to the CD release party from a consortium of Kentucky bred singers, musicians and poets. The evening at the Rudyard Kipling included performances by many of the artist on the CD as well as readings from several poets and storytellers; it was a beautiful, soulful night full of emotion.

Rising: A Gathering of Voices for New Power is a very centered release that voice the urgency to save our mountains. I'll spend more time informing you about the dangers and consequences of mountain top removal before getting to details about the music... Mountain top removal is a form of coal mining that uses explosives to blast off the tops of mountains to gain access to coal seams. MTR is most commonly associated with mountains in the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern US. This form of coal mining is highly damaging to the biodiversity of the areas affected as well as impacting the drinking water that many families have to use. It is truly a devastating and tear evoking site...

This is one of those albums that you need to sit and listen to... this is not a cd to play in the background, it needs to be heard. Starting with the emotional, somber "Not What it Meant" by 11oby Jay the cd picks up pace with other songs such as "Mi$ter Coal and Mi$ter Green" by Bob Masterson that highlight the greed of the coal mining companies that do this damage to our lands. Peppered between fiddle and banjo tracks are readings from authors that tell stories that will make you well up if you have any sort of heart at all. If you recall, Woody Guthrie reminds us that "this land is your land and this land is our land;" land we should be proud of, land we should take care of. Without the trees to assist in the production of oxygen and provide homes for thousands of species of animals and insects, without clean drinking water, what kind of species would we really be? A greedy self center species is the answer... There's nothing quite like the beautiful rolling mountains of Appalachia; If you haven't driven east to witness the beauty or you live on the other side of the country or the other side of the world just imagine beautiful rolling hills more so than jagged mountains filled with deciduous and coniferous trees as far as the eye can see. These mountains seem to reach up and grab the clouds and pull them into their valleys and produce a profound site. This is an issue for all of us to stop; this is a call to tell Big Coal that we don't need your barbaric form of energy production; we need to find new ways to power the modern conveniences of life we all enjoy. We need New Power.


To purchase the cd, visit http://www.ear-xtacy.com/, itunes or CD Baby. All proceeds go to Kentuckians for the Commonwealth to assist in the efforts in ending Mountain Top Removal.


If you'd like to see photos from the cd release show at the Rudyard Kipling, click here.


For more information about stopping Mountain Top Removal please visit http://www.kftc.org/ or http://www.appvoices.org/ and be sure to head over to the facebook page located here.

Bro. Stephen and John Davey tonight at DCE!

Bro. Stephen and John Davey are playing a free show in Louisville on Nov. 17th at Derby City Espresso. Bring a friend. Bring your mom. Bring your mom's friend (you know, the one who spends the night every weekend). Anyway, it'll be a nice time drink coffee and beer and coffeebeers and water. And tea.

Bro. Stephen is a collection of songs written by Scott Kirkpatrick. At times they are sung in hushed tones, alone, and untethered; other times they are propelled by the backing force of hazy guitars and mountains of voices. Which side you get just might be a surprise. He has recently released a couple of EPs and is prepping to release a 7" on Crossroads of America Records and a full-length in the next short while.

John Davey is one of the hardest working songwriters out there and he's from just up the road in West Lafayette, IN. He has been touring full-time for over 3 years now and has played shows in almost every state of this union. His songs indicate his time on the road as they are often ruminations of the toll the road takes or the high cost of relationships. These thoughtfully composed and artfully expressed songs are disguised as pleasant earworms that will snuggle in your brain for days to come.

Marco Benevento Trio live @ the Hideaway 05/12

MARCO BENEVENTO TRIO Live In LOUISVILLE, KY
WEDNESDAY, MAY 12 @ THE HIDEAWAY

New Album, BETWEEN THE NEEDLES & NIGHTFALL, In Stores May 11

"Benevento swings between rude-synth fun and high-speed piano breaks as if he were both Keith Emerson and McCoy Tyner." - Rolling Stone

"This keyboardist/sound sculptor has been building a nationwide following for jaw-dropping improvisational skills, a no-genres-barred approach and a globe-trotting touring schedule. Seemingly incapable of resisting an unexplored musical direction, Benevento can, essentially, do just about anything." - Los Angeles Times

Who:
MARCO BENEVENTO TRIO
featuring Marco Benevento (piano), Dave Dreiwitz (bass) & Andy Borger (drums)

What:
Marco Benevento has announced North American tour dates in support of his forthcoming new album, Between The Needles & Nightfall. The Brooklyn-based pianist leads his trio for a 29-night headline run that includes a stop at The Hideaway in Louisville, KY on Wednesday, May 12.

On Between The Needles & Nightfall, Benevento's third studio effort in as many years, he proves himself one of the most prolific new voices of his era. Blurring genres from song to song, and more often from measure to measure, the pianist offers his own take on simple pop pleasures, dance party rave-ups and art jazz experimentation. The results range from the day-glo electro-rock of "It Came From You" to the simply-stated lullaby "Ila Frost" to the shimmering Arcade Fire-meets-Brad Mehldau anthem "Two Of You." Speaking in modern sonic tongues, cut-and-pasted, tweaked-out and glitchy, Marco Benevento creates music full of wide-eyed wonder that rejoices in the limitless horizons of sound and melody.

Between The Needles & Nightfall hits stores May 11 on vinyl, CD and download via The Royal Potato Family.  A free mp3 download of the album's lead track, "It Came From You," is available now at marcobenevento.com.

Where:
THE HIDEAWAY
1607 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY
(502) 485-0114

When:
WEDNESDAY, MAY 12
9PM

Price:
$12

'One Night of Queen' concert review

I'll start by saying I have never been an over the top Queen fan. I know people who swear by them and I saw plenty of ‘em Tuesday night at the Brown Theatre. I am familiar with quite a few of the popular songs but as high school kid of the 90's, my first real thought when I think of Queen is the scene from Wayne's World when Wayne and Garth rocked me with "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the AMC Gremlin. Oh yea, there's also the ass kicking "We Will Rock You" that you can thank every competitive sporting event in history for ruining for me... thanks. I quickly found out what I missed from a live Queen show when Gary Mullen and the Works of jolly old England hit the stage.

When it comes to cover bands I'm always skeptical of what I'm in for and my first question is usually; will they do the original band justice? Are these tribute bands riding the coattails of their idols merely for monetary purposes or is a true love that makes them get out there and perform numbers from bands of the past? With a little help from friends, I learned to look at these cover bands as a window into the past of something that I can't experience anymore, if I was even old enough to have enjoyed it in the first place. Gary Mullen is one of those die hard Queen fans, telling the story of a show that can no longer be told by the originals. Back in 2000, Gary’s love of karaoke led him to a television show in the UK called "Stars in their Eyes" performing as Freddie Mercury and won the competition. With his band "The Works," One Night of Queen was born and have toured the world ever since.

The concert itself was supercharged from the beginning; Gary embodied Freddie Mercury in voice as well as in action. From his flamboyant dancing around the stage to participation with his audience, he was Freddie to a T; it was uncanny really! Again, I'll say, I'm not a diehard fan but if I would have closed my eyes, I could hear no difference from an actual live recording of Queen. The band was spot on performing "Somebody to Love", "Under Pressure" and many other classic Queen tracks. Like many other tribute shows, the crowd ranged from baby boomers to young children. While the kids may have just been brought by parents who forgot to get a sitter or if they were just trying to turn them on to some different music, a good time was had by all. It amazes me how excited people get and makes me realize that at one time they had a special relationship with the music if you will. Like how I feel when I put on the Weezer blue album; the bliss (and pains) that were high school memories come rushing back and its 15 years ago all over again.

As I have been asked to review two tribute shows from the past now at the Kentucky Center venues maybe I should compare the shows; I think not. It would be difficult to really pit the two shows against one another from only my stand point; the Pink Floyd Experience had a far better light show but Pink Floyd was known for their light shows. Gary Mullen had a phenomenal stage presence that really brought Freddie Mercury back on the stage for many; the Pink Floyd Experience didn't have that action but only because David Gilmour and Roger Waters didn't really move from their stage stations of space rock. I think I've made my point that the two shows from roughly the same era (at least overlapping) simply cannot be compared to one another. They both brought something very valuable to the table; they bring important music of the past to the attention of younger generations while letting others a chance to relive a time they fondly remember.

Stay tuned...

John King was nice enough to lend us a couple tracks from the upcoming T.R.A.F.O.Z.S.A.T.S.F.M. Bowie cover album. Stay tuned for next wednesday to give them a preview. This is going to be a great album!
Pre-order starts Wendesday, October 1st at www.louisvilleisforlovers.com

Photos: Forecastle Day 2

We're still recovering from a very hot, very fun Forecastle Festival last weekend. Here is a gallery of some shots from Saturday, day two if the festival. I'll post some Sunday shots over the weekend. Enjoy!

We approach the Peak Summit

The Peak Summit takes the family camping…

What: the Peak Summit Groove and Dance Festival
When: Aug 24 *thru* Aug 26. (gates open Fri at 6pm, close at 6pm Sun.)
Where: the Rustic Frog, 1720 Old River Road New Albany, IN 47150

Admission:

$25, weekend pass. Camping included. All ages. Rain or Shine.

Saturday $15 day passes ONLY available at the gate from 11:30AM UNTIL 6PM…then it goes back up to $25. Support the early bands, get in cheaply!

Sunday $5 day passes available at the gate from 11:30am until 6pm.

ALL AGES ARE WELCOME, children under 12 are free

Over the past six years, the Peak Summit Groove and Dance Festivals have continually grown--artistically, conceptually, and in popularity. Each festival has produced record attendance and sales highs for the venues involved, routinely garnering capacity crowds in the thousands. This year presents the next logical phase in that growth, expanding to a 3-day, outdoor, camping, family friendly event, boasting 39 of our region’s favorite bands, 3 popular DJ’s, 5 talented artists, 3 interpretive dance troupes, and a plethora of activities for festival-lovers of all ages. Indoors and outdoors there are a total of three stages on Friday and Saturday, and one stage on Sunday. Each will be packed with popular music…reggae, rock, bluegrass, blues, funk, jazz, and much more. A complete lineup can be found on www.PeakSummit.com.

The annual festival’s past format has focused on using multiple, closely placed venues in Louisville’s bar districts, creating a mini-Bonnaroo atmosphere, but with two glaring exceptions—the lack of outdoor-camping and, and few (if any) family-friendly elements. This problem has been solved (!), thanks to a little-known venue that is only a 10-minute drive outside of Louisville.

The Rustic Frog sits on 5 acres of land, sandwiched between industrial complexes, nature preserves, and the Ohio River. It affords all the amenities of a camping/music festival, while being close enough to the city to run home, let the dog out, and take a shower. On site will be a sand-volleyball pit, horseshoe lanes, a bonfire, a variety of food vending, inflatable kiddie jumpers, a kiddie water-slide (kids, bring your bathing suits!)…and much more.

Complete lineup and other important information is available at www.PeakSummit.com or by calling the Peak Summit office at 502.599.7636, or e-mailing info@peaksummit.com.

This is a rain or shine event. No refunds. All artists are scheduling are subject to change.