In this edition of the Flashback I’m jumping back to 1971 to a performance by a young Joe Walsh and his James Gang band. Now known primarily for his work with The Eagles, Joe Walsh had quite a successful early career with The James Gang and as a solo artist. There’s not much available online, but luckily this video exists and captures the power trio in a great performance of their moderate hit “Walk Away”. There’s something special about the power trio setup. One Guitar, one bass, drums and vocals… Not much wiggle room, especially when playing hard rock. This band was great at it. Enjoy: continue reading...
I don’t think there’s a real shortage of female singer-songwriters in the music world today, but if anyone deserves to break through, it’s the hard working and supremely talented Kathleen Edwards. I’ve been a casual fan of hers over the past few albums, but this new single “Change The Sheets” from the upcoming Voyageur album really impressed me. Looking forward to this new album and excited to see where it takes her. Enjoy: continue reading...
In a Live Flashback double rarity I’m only flashing back one day into the past and I’m re-featuring a band I’ve already featured. Double rare! Anyways, The War On Drugs made their network television debut on the Jimmy Fallon show last night (01/11) and wow was it great. Not only is “Baby Missiles” a fantastic song, but you throw in ?uestlove as a 2nd drummer and you’ve got yourself a classic performance. Sprinkle in the fact that they’ve got a Jimmy Fallon lookalike on keyboards and it’s truely memorable. Slave Ambient was my 2nd favorite album of 2011 and this band deserves as much attention as they can get. Catch them on tour if you can! continue reading...
So much good music was released in 2011 that it was quite difficult to narrow down my 20 favourite albums of the year. As such, I’ve also included some Honourable Mentions. I didn’t have the chance to write a quick blurb for each album, so you’ll have to take my word that these are definitely the 20 albums that I personally enjoyed the most in 2011. Each album entry is hyperlinked to a YouTube video of my favorite song from said album. Enjoy/criticize/laugh/agree: continue reading...
One of the very best bands of the 1980’s, Tears For Fears are almost criminally under-appreciated. They pushed the boundaries of pop music and wrote hit songs that had something to say. The message in “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” has never been more relevant and this performance at Knebworth in 1990 is a testament to how good they were in a live setting. Enjoy: continue reading...
M83’s new album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming is getting a lot of love on all the year-end lists (which reminds me, stay tuned for SoundMojo’s Top 20 albums of 2011) and the song that seems to resonate the most with people is “Midnight City”. One listen to the gigantic cascading vocal samples and exhilirating synths and you’ll quickly understand why. Enjoy: continue reading...
This is just awesome. “Beggar In The Morning” has been one of my favorite tunes ever since I first heard it about a year ago when the Barr Brothers debut was independantly released, but I’d been on the lookout for a good live version or a while (I’ve also been trying my damndest to get to a live show, but that’s a whole other story). Well, that search is over. This is such a great performance that really allows the viewer/listener to get a sense of the sounds and delicate atmospherics present in the song. It’s also beautifully sung by a guest musican, Marie-Pierre Arthur, which adds a whole other dimension to the song. Seeing the band recreate the intro live is such a treat. This is a band to watch. Check it out: continue reading...
Plants and Animals have just recently announced a new album titled The End Of That and the first taste is a new single called “Lightshow”. In a nutshell, it’s everything I like about Plants and Animals. I suppose that’s both good and bad. It’s a good song, but at some point I could use a little variation in their sound. Then again, it’s only a single… and like I said, it’s a good song. Ok, I’ll stop, just give it a listen, continue reading...
A casual music fan will probably be aware of Spoon, but most likely be unaware of their earliest albums. Which is fine. Most bands expand their sound over time and appeal to a broader audience. Completely normal. One cool thing is that when someone actually decides that they like a band and wants to dig into the back catalog, there’s usually lots of exciting music to be found from a band still finding its way. This is very true of Spoon. Their first two albums sound quite different from their later albums, showcasing tight and explosive guitar driven tunes that owe a lot to bands like Husker Du and Wire. continue reading...
In 1971 The Faces were probably the only other band who could hang with the Stones and compete for the title of ‘best rock and roll band in the world’. Ragged and loose, but incredibly good players, The Faces also featured Rod Stewart while he was still a rock star (and not the lame pop star he became famous as). “Stay With Me” is probably their most well known song, but it’s still a lesser known tune in the annals of classic rock… which is a shame, because it’s one of the all time best rock and roll tunes ever created. This performance should make everything abundantly clear: continue reading...
