Opinion: New Jeff Beck Album Cover Just Blew My Mind

When Jeff Beck’s new album, Emotion and Commotion, comes out Apr 13th, it will be sporting an album cover of such epic awesomeness that viewers’ faces may melt like they were looking at the Ark of the Covenant.

Look at this this thing! A majestic bald eagle flies across a stormy sky while carrying a guitar in its talons. It is almost too cool for words. I, for one, would be honored to have that image painted on the side of my Chevy van, or airbrushed onto my denim jacket.

The only thing that could possibly make this album cover better was if the eagle was wearing a Wolf Shirt.

The album, according to Rolling Stone, will be a combination of rock and classical music.

One thing that bothers me is based on the weight of the guitar and where the eagle is gripping it, the bird should be massively unbalanced. Eagle and Stratocaster should be spinning out of control as they plunge majestically to the Earth, as this album will probably do.

Its not too late to add a Wolf Shirt.

Dave Matthews Announces Summer Tour, Douchebags Rejoice

DMB will continue the their tradition of providing a place for obnoxious, visor-wearing, red bull and vodka-drinking, Adult Swim-watching tools to go besides the bar this year, announcing a massive 4 month tour, including several dates in the New York City area.

Dave Mathews Band will be supporting 2009’s hit album Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, which is a good bet to pick up a Grammy this weekend, and despite my disdain for DMB, is actually pretty enjoyable.

GrooGrux was the first album done without saxophonist LeRoi Moore, who died in 2008 in an ATV accident. On the Dave Matthews Band website, they said that they will start their tour in Europe in the Spring, and reach America on Memorial Day Weekend.

Dave Matthews is a complex issue for the author. He likes the music, but hates almost everyone else who likes the music. This may be the definition of “music snob.” Or “douchebag.”

According to Rolling Stone, there will be many different bands opening for DMB on this tour. They include Gov’t Mule, The Zac Brown Band, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and Ben Harper and Relentless 7.

The Tour Dates are as follows, with NYC area shows in bold (cause most of my readers are from there):

May 28 – Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre
May 29 – Hartford, CT @ Comcast Theatre
Jun. 1 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Amphitheatre
Jun. 2 – Darien, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
Jun. 4 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Jun. 5 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Jun. 7- Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center
Jun. 8 – Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center
Jun. 15 – Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
Jun. 16 – Maryland Heights, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Jun. 18 – Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
Jun. 19 – Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
Jun. 22 – Columbus, OH @ Huntington Park
Jun. 23 – Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
Jun. 25 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
Jun. 30 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
Jul. 1 – Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
Jul. 3 – East Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre
Jul. 4 – East Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre
Jul. 9 – Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium
Jul. 10 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PNC Park
Jul. 13 – Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
Jul. 14 – Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain
Jul. 16 – New York, NY @ Citi Field
Jul. 17 – New York, NY @ Citi Field
Jul. 20 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Virginia Beach Amphitheater
Jul. 21 – Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte
Jul. 23 – Washington, D.C. @ Nationals Park
Jul. 25 – Louisville, KY @ HullabaLOU Festival
Jul. 27 – Atlanta, GA @ Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
Jul. 28 – Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheatre
Jul. 30 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre
Jul. 31 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre
Aug. 14 – Wichita, KS @ InTrust Bank Arena
Aug. 17 – West Valley City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
Aug. 20 – Chula Vista, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
Aug. 21 – Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Aug. 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
Aug. 25 – Concord, CA @ Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord
Aug. 27 – Marysville, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre
Aug. 28 – Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
Aug. 31 – Boise, ID @ Taco Bell Arena
Sept. 3 – George, WA @ Gorge Amphitheatre
Sept. 4 – George, WA @ Gorge Amphitheatre
Sept. 5 – George, WA @ Gorge Amphitheatre
Sept. 10 – Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sept. 11 – Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center
Sept. 14 – Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center
Sept. 15 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center

Rolling Stone noticed a hole in DMB’s tour date at exactly the same time as the Bonnaroo Festival, but does not speculate beyond that.

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Bob Dylan, John Mellencamp and more to perform at civil rights concert

On February 11, some of the biggest and best performers in music will come together for the Obamas’ civil rights concert. The show will feature musicians such as Bob Dylan, Smokey Robinson, John Legend, and John Mellencamp.

The concert will be hosted by the Obamas, and will be emceed by Morgan Freeman and Newark, NJ’s own Queen Latifah.

Also on the list to perform are:

Natalie Cole
Seal
Blind Boys of Alabama
Jennifer Hudson
Howard University Choir

The evening will consists of musical performances and “readings from famous Civil Rights speeches and writings,” according to a press release from the producers, WETA.

WETA is the public broadcasting station in Washington D.C. and has been producing the concert, formally known as “In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement” since 1978.

Of note is Bob Dylan’s performance, as he was a performer the original “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” in 1963, where Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The Folk Scene of Greenwich Village was very involved in the Civil Rights Movement.

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The Kaitlyn Eller Project

A few weeks ago I got an email from someone who I assumed was some folksinger's Dad. The email was simply titled "The Next Ani Difranco." I laughed. In Folk cicles, calling yourself the next Ani Difranco is like calling yourself "the next Jesus."

Still I checked out the email and listened to the video it linked to. Not Bad. I reponded and asked for some more. What I found was that in just a few performances, the musician, Kaitlyn Eller, had gotten exponentially better. I also noticed that her songwriting had a depth to it that you don't normally see in young people. I was intrigued. She wasn't the next Ani, but she was the next something.




I was also intrigued as to how a singer in the middle of nowhere (the farm lands of California), was going to make anything out of her talents.

So this is why I present "The Kaitlyn Eller Project." I plan on keeping tabs on this young lady, and reporting on her progress every couple of months or so. I'm doing this to satisfy my own curiousity, but I hope that you will follow along. Hopefully it will paint a picture of the music industry as it is today, and maybe help a folkie from the boonies make a career out of something she loves.

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Josh Ritter to play Town Hall--Tickets on sale

Following up his moving performance at Radio City Music Hall on the 19th, Josh Ritter announced that he is playing Town Hall on May 20th. Tickets are on sale at Josh’s website, and are sure to go fast.

The concert at Town Hall is a CD release party of sorts. His new CD will be coming out at approximately the same time.

For those of you that don’t know, Josh Ritter is one of my favorite singer-songwriters. I find his music to be melodic and catchy, but does not range into the pop category. His lyrics are extraordinary. He may be the best lyricist of the past ten years.

If you are interested in checking out Ritter’s library, I suggest starting with his album Hello Starling. That is the album that first got me into him.

As of last week, Hello Starling is available as a deluxe album, with a bonus acoustic CD.

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Phoebe Snow Suffers Brain Hemorrhage

Singer songwriter Phoebe Snow, 58, whose throaty growl of a voice has captivated audiences for 35 years, had a brain hemorrhage in her NJ home last Tuesday. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Snow has undergone emergency surgery, and that it was successful.

Sue Cameron, Snow’s manager, released a statement about the hemorrhage. “Phoebe is a very strong person and she is stable now. It is too early to assess any residual motor damage, and we are taking it day-by-day, but doctors are hopeful for a complete recovery.”

The New York area singer has been nominated for two Grammys, including Best New Artist in 1974. Her most famous song was the hit “Poetry Man.”



Snow was born in New York City, and raised in Teaneck, NJ. She continues to be a frequent performer, doing about 50 shows a year. She is not unfamiliar with television as well. She has performed on Saturday Night Live three times, and she appeared on an episode of Hannah Montana last year.

Phoebe Snow’s most recent album was titled Phoebe Snow -- Live.

The author wishes Phoebe a swift recovery, as he is one of many entranced by her voice.

Review: Ringo Starr "Y Not"

Ringo Starr is back in all of his delicious Ringo-ness. His new album, Y Not, has everything you expect from a Ringo Starr album. That’s because it sounds like every other Ringo Starr album (excluding Beaucoups of Blues).

Ringo continues with what he does best on Y Not -- pop rock with a vintage rock undercurrent and excellent instrumentation (he‘s always backed by the best musicians in the business). He may have been a Beatle, but he doesn’t have the Beatles taste for experimentation. Maybe it’s because he “don’t smoke it no more.” Maybe he should start again. I, for one, would love an album of “Octopus’s Garden.”

Sounding the same isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It means that the listeners know exactly what to expect. If you like Ringo’s voice, which I am not particularly enamored with, you will like this album.

Even if you aren’t crazy about Ringo’s golden pipes, there are some pretty good songs on Y Not, like his autobiographical tune “The Other Side of Liverpool,” and his duet with Paul McCartney “Walk With You.” My personal favorite song on Y Not is the closing track, “Who’s Your Daddy?” a duet with Joss Stone that gives off an awesomely dirty pedobear vibe. Now we know what happens in the break room at Shining Time Station.

Ringo to spend his 70th birthday at Radio City

This year, Ringo will be 70 years all. It’s a little bit shocking to imagine a Beatle at 70 (the “When I’m 64” jokes have all gone away), but Ringo is still going strong. Ringo will be spending his birthday, July 7th, on stage at Radio City Music Hall. Can we expect a rousing version of “Birthday?”

Y Not.

Grade for Ringo Starr, Y Not: B-

The Grammys Present: Michael Jackson in 3-D

Love your dead pop stars but need an extra dimension and funky glasses to truly appreciate them? On January 31st, the Grammys have your number.

According to Rolling Stone, The Grammys will have a lifetime achievement ceremony for Michael Jackson and the centerpiece of it will be a 3-D segment from his concert film This Is It.

The 3-D segment was supposed to be the centerpiece of This Is It. The film went uncompleted due to Jackson’s sudden but not shocking death, but will be released on DVD anyway on Tuesday (1/26), says Jackson‘s website.

The Grammys’ version will feature a chorus of Usher, Carrie Underwood, Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson, and Celine Dion singing along with the late Jackson on the song, “Earth Song,” while the 3-D footage plays.

Michael Jackson’s website also says that “CBS and Target have partnered to provide millions of free 3-D Grammy glasses.” If you are interested (and god help me, I am) you can get these glasses at Target anytime during this week.

If you can stomach them, The 52nd annual Grammy Awards will air Jan 31st from 8PM - 11:30PM Eastern Time.

Review of "Hope For Haiti Now"

It seems a little bit tasteless to review a telethon, but I’m pretty tasteless too so it suits me.

All together, the stripped down performances were very good. None of the performers made the mistake of adding dancing or anything too upbeat to their performances, with the exception of Wyclef Jean‘s Rivers of Babylon/ Yele medley. The songs were somber (again, with the exception of Jean) and sufficiently tear jerking.

The Good

The Spirituals. Springsteen, John Legend, and Mary J Blige all decided to do traditional folk songs (“We Shall Overcome,” “Motherless Child,” and “Hard Times Come Again No More” respectively) that were all appropriate, tasteful, and moving. But the best performance of the night came from Haitian singer Emeline Michel.

Michel’s version of Jimmy Cliff’s “Many Rivers to Cross” was about as inspiring as a song can be without Prince writing it for the Vikings. Her voice carried so much pain that it was tactile. If tonight was a contest, she would be the winner.

The Bad

The Fake Spirituals. Going for a spiritual song doesn’t always work out, like these three below.

Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” is so overplayed that it had absolutely no impact at all. If she wanted to move people, she shouldn’t have done one of her best known songs.

Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, and Keith Urban completely blew “Lean On Me,” even disregarding my disdain for Keith Urban. The three voices just did not go together at all. It was like listening to mediocre karaoke.

Justin Timberlake trying to get through Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah was painful. First of all, Hallelujah is a completely inappropriate song for a charity telethon. Doesn’t anyone read lyrics? Second, Timberlake took this song high up in the register, where it just doesn’t belong. Third, this song is too good for so many people to cover. Its become an epidemic over the last 10 years or so. Stop it.

The Ugly

Dave Matthews and Neil Young--The ugly has nothing to do with the very poorly aging Neil Young. These two could just not get their stuff together on “Alone and Forsaken.” The song was dominated by Young’s high reedy voice, where it would have sounded much better with Matthews out in front and Young singing harmonies.

The Bottom Line

If the musicial performances from “Hope for Haiti Now” proved anything last night, its that when you want to be sincere about a cause, sing a sincere song. But for Pete (Seeger’s) sake, you have to mean it!

Prince Writes Song For Minnesota Vikings; Breaks Author’s Heart

Thanks to Dave Chappelle and Charlie Murphy, Prince’s love of basketball is common knowledge. But football too?

Foxnews, the Washington Post, and numerous other sources are reporting that Prince wrote a fight song for the Minnesota Vikings. Prince was supposedly inspired after being on hand for the Vikings deconstruction of the Dallas Cowboys 34-3 last weekend.

This is not Prince’s first time on the gridiron. Prince performed at Superbowl XLI in 2007, in one of the greatest halftime shows ever. While there were no wardrobe malfunctions, Prince’s guitar did have a giant penis.

Fox says that “he (Prince) went home night (sic) after the Cowboys game and wrote the song.” The name of the song? “Purple and Gold.” Purple and gold, of course, are the colors of the Minnesota Vikings.

Like all sports fight songs, the lyrics are a bit questionable. Even more in this case, as Prince adds his special “Princeness” to the lyrics, coming up with rallying calls such as:

the veil of the sky draws open
the roar of the chariots touch down
we r the ones who have now come again
and walk upon water like solid ground

As far as fight songs go, this one is pretty good, a mix of “funk and circumstance.” Its certainly much better than the awful songs that come out every year to support the local team (I’m lookin at you, morning zoo).

And yet, my heart is broken. I just assume that every one that I admire is a Jets fan. I know its foolish, but when it comes to football, I’m a fool (and yes, I‘ve been a Jets fans for a very long time). Who will write the Jets’ song? I can hope for Bruce, or even Bon Jovi, but I’m preparing myself for the inevitable: Lady Gaga singing about the Jets.

Bono, Bruce to join pop stars at “Hope for Haiti” concert

If you needed a reason to watch (and donate to) the “Hope for Haiti” telethon tonight besides the cause, the show will feature several of our favorite musicians. According to MTV, Bruce Springsteen, Bono and The Edge, Sheryl Crow, and several other rockers are joined up with George Clooney and Wyclef Jean’s show.

“Hope For Haiti” will air tonight at 8PM on just about every single channel, so surrender, you can’t escape it. While you’re surrendering, open up your wallet and donate.

Some of the musicians performing tonight that aren’t awful are:

Bruce Springsteen
Bono and The Edge
Sheryl Crow
Sting
Dave Matthews
Stevie Wonder
Kid Rock (yes, I like Kid Rock)

ABC News is reporting that the Telethon should reach 640 million homes, including China’s new MTV channel. In comparison, 1985’s Live Aid was seen by an estimated 1.5 billion people, though they did not have the massive social networking technology that will no doubt propel “Hope for Haiti.”

All donations to “Hope for Haiti” will go to Oxfam America, the Red Cross, Partners in Health, UNICEF, and “Yele Haiti” the charity founded by Wyclef Jean.

And yes, I will be watching tonight. I have no life outside of music.



U2 at Live Aid 1985

Open letter to Steven Tyler: You may be in rehab, but you’re still a tool

So Rolling Stone Magazine is saying that you are in rehab. That’s great, lovely, wonderful. I’m glad that you are getting help. But you’re still a tool, and you have a lot to answer for.

Aerosmith had been together for 39 years until you decided to quit the band. What, did you decide that you didn’t like your bandmates? Do you think you can do better on your own? Do you think anybody cares?

Look, Aerosmith hasn’t been very good for years. You guys have been putting out half-dead radio friendly (not in a good way) stuff since the 90s. You even performed at the Superbowl with N Sync and Britney Spears! What the hell?

Even your blues album, Honkin on Bobo, was a disappointment, lacking the badassitude of your earlier music and replacing it with a soulless fake swagger.

At the same time, Joe Perry has been putting out great music on his own. Is this what inspired you to ditch the band?

This is what pissed me off: You said that you were taking time off to work on “Brand Tyler.” I don’t think a douchier, more “sold out” line has even been spoken. It’s like South Park’s “Reach for the Skyler,” except its real.

Now, according to Rolling Stone, you are saying that you never said that, and that you never quit. Why should we believe you over your own bandmates? You were probably too doped up to remember what you said anyway.

I know plenty of drug addicts, former and current. I sympathize for what you are going through. Of course, there have always been drugs in music, going all the way back to the Mississippi Delta. That does not excuse you for saying such awful things and then denying them. It certainly does not excuse you for putting out mediocre music for the last 20 years. You think we will take you back? Dream On.

Barenaked Ladies to release new album March 30th

The quirky Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies will release their 11th studio album at the end of March. This, according to Billboard.com, who reports that the new album will be fittingly called All In Good Time.

All In Good Time is the first album for adults from Barenaked Ladies since 2007’s Barenaked Ladies Are Men. In 2008, Barenaked Ladies released a children’s album called Snacktime!, which featured the powerful murder ballad, “7 8 9.”

All In Good Time will also be the first Barenaked album since guitarist Steven Page left the band in February of 2009. Page felt that he wasn’t being valued as a songwriter and that his contributions were diminished (CBSnews.com).

Barenaked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson appears very excited about All In Good Time. “This is a really important record for us and we're really proud of it,” said Ed in a statement. He went on to say that this album is much rawer emotionally than their previous work. “We're redefining who we are, and how we communicate as a band, and as friends(Billboard).”

Barenaked Ladies continues to tour, and will be performing as part of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games celebration on February 16th and 17th.

The lost Townes Van Zandt songs set for release

Townes Van Zandt is getting his own Mermaid Avenue.

Israeli singer-songwriter David Broza is releasing an album of lost Townes Van Zandt lyrics on February 23rd. The album, called Night Dawn: The Unpublished Poetry of Townes Van Zandt, will feature 11 songs with lyrics by Townes and music by Broza. The final track, “Too Old to Die Young,” is an instrumental by Broza.

Broza expressed humility in regards to the project. “I'm just beginning to understand what's happening here -- that it's happening. I only hope I've done those lyrics justice, turning that poetry into song as Townes would've liked (Billboard).”

It took four years to write the music for these songs, according to Broza. The songs “all deal with death -- almost all of them,” not surprising since Van Zandt was dying as he wrote these lyrics, finally succumbing to the lifetime damage of drugs, alcohol, and the crushing weight of his own genius/madness.

This will be the second musical tribute to Townes Van Zandt in the past year. In Spring of 2009, Steve Earle--who was mentored by Van Zandt--released an album of Van Zandt covers titled Townes.

Simon and Garfunkle Reunite . . . Again

The famed singer-songwriting duo of Simon and Garfunkle have decided to reunite. Rolling Stone is reporting that the New York natives are getting back together to play this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The pair will perform April 24th, on the festival’s second day.

Every now and then the "old friends" decide to reunite. In 2003, Simon and Garfunkle went on tour together on what was called the Old Friends tour. Last year the pair got together twice, once Garfunkle joined Simon for an encore at Paul Simon’s concert at the Beacon Theater in NYC. The other time was at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25 anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden.

The childhood friends from Queens have had a famously rocky relationship. After many years producing some of the best music of the 20th century, the two began to focus more on their separate careers and broke up.

Their most famous reunification was a free concert in Central Park in 1981, that had a crowd of over half a million people.

This author hopes that a new tour or album may be in the works, but is not going to hold his breath.