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...

This performance is right at the height of Strokes-mania, when they were the most buzzed about band on the planet and probably the most buzzed about band ever.  Grunge, Alternative and Modern Rock had all lost their luster and the internet had quickly become an explosive new way to discover music and spread music.   The Strokes basically capitalized on a fresh Garage Rock sound and a audience looking for something that wasn’t boy band Pop.  The buzz was enormous, but luckily The Strokes had the songs to back it up.   Their debut Is This It was one of the best albums of the decade and set the bar ridiculously high for everything that came after.   This 2001 performance of “Last Nite” shows just how tight they were even back in the early days, and shows why the hype was justified in the first place.   Now if only they could regain the heights of that first album…. continue reading...

Ok, so I guess this is kind of the “ultimate” Live Flashback, but I’ll be going to see Paul McCartney in 2 days and I’m feeling quite excited.  The Beatles rooftop performance of 1969 was an idea proposed as a way to end the Let It Be film they were working on and on a chilly Thursday at lunchtime the band went up unannounced to the roof of their downtown London studio and played 5 songs before being shutdown by the police.   It’s considered the last public performance by the band.  It’s also an incredible glimpse into a band that was at the end of its time together, but still an undeniable force of creativity and talent.   While I would have hated to see The Beatles tour together into their 80’s like the Rolling Stones, it would have been amazing to have more visual documentation of their abilities as performers together.  That being said, I cannot wait to see Paul in a few nights!  Enjoy the best band of all time performing “Get Back” and “Don’t Let Me Down”: continue reading...

Real smooth… continue reading...

I don’t have much to write about Mumford and Sons.  They are a relatively new band from the UK with a folk rock sound that relies heavily on acoustic guitar, piano, banjo and mandolin.  The first song from their debut album Sigh No More is called “Little Lion Man” and it’s one of those songs that seems to have a little magic tucked into it somewhere.  Sure there might be some people who don’t like it, but my bet is that the majority of music fans will find themselves immediately taken with the song.  Whether its the heartfelt lyrics or the breakneck banjo playing or perhaps the whole song as it comes together, there’s something you’ll remember.  You’ll probably want to play it again immediately. continue reading...

LOS ANGELES, CA (July 30, 2008) – Los Angeles-based power trio The Human Value announced today that they will be releasing their second CD, Push and Pull, in the U.S. on September 23, 2008, along with a limited edition LP. The LP (500 blue and 500 yellow vinyl) includes a free download card for a one-time digital download of Push and Pull and two additional bonus tracks not on the U.K. version (released Nov. of ’07). The U.S. release is the first on lead singer Turu’s newly-formed Pretty Mouth Records (http://www.prettymouthrecords.com) via Big Deal Records (http://www.bigdealrecords.com <http://www.bigdealrecords.com/> ) with distribution from Ryko/WEA http://www.rykodistribution.com ).

The Human Value (THV) is a power trio fronted by serpentine vocalist Turu, king of the fuzz-tone guitar Hiram Fleites (ex-Kittens for Christian) and whirling dervish drummer Tim Bolish. THV first made a name for themselves in England on their debut self-titled CD in winter of 2006. Turu and Hiram, the core duo behind the LA-based THV, relocated to London that year, touring guerilla-style through ’07. They returned to the states to record Push and Pull, but went back to the UK for that release and more touring. They made the move due, in large part, to nomadic adventure and fantastic reviews in the notoriously fickle U.K. press (like NME “It’s powerful stuff” and The Fly “They are The Human Value. We are not worthy,”) on their UK debut. They soon became known for their eye-popping live show. continue reading...

This is a fantastic live look at the band in an intimate setting. The performances are broken up into individual video clips which are available in a playlist through the YouTube player, enjoy: continue reading...

Here are some more tunes from last night’s Led Zeppelin Reunion show:

No Quarter (good sound, but someone blocking view): continue reading...

Here they are, much older, but still rocking fairly hard. I hope they tour:

Good Times, Bad Times: continue reading...

Damn I wish I was going to this concert… Let us all pray that Led Zep decides to do some sort of a tour in 2008. Here’s a quick primer for the reunion show in London tonight from Canoe.ca by way of Sun Media:

So, what can we expect from the band that redefined hard rock in the ’70s? Here are answers to the 10 burning questions surrounding the reunion: continue reading...