Friday, January 30, 2015

Late Night Pick: Ben Howard

Alternative indie folk singer/songwriter, Ben Howard, is on Late Show with David Letterman tonight (CBS, 11:35 PM). You might like Ben if you like Mumford & Sons, Jake Bugg, Laura Marling, or Ed Sheeran. Here's Ben's "Keep Your Head Up":



Here's OK Go performing on last night's Late Late Show:

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Late Night Pick: OK Go

Power pop video geniuses OK Go will be on the Late Late Show (CBS, 12:35 AM) which is having guest hosts each week until the permanent new guy, James Corden, takes over. Comedian Whitney Cummings will be guest host tonight. OK Go has a song in the upcoming "Hot Tub Time Machine 2" movie (the first one was really funny, btw) but I don't know if they'll perform it tonight at least without some bleeping. It's called, "You're a F**king Nerd and No One Likes You". Speaking of nerds, the guy who invented the giant Rube Goldberg device in this video was on the "King of the Nerds" tv show last week (on TBS) to judge the nerd teams' Rube Goldberg inventions. Here's "This Too Shall Pass":



Here's Drenge making their network TV debut on Late Show with David Letterman on Tuesday night:

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Weekend Picks: Natalie Prass, Ingrid Michaelson, Evan Dando, Dukes of Dixieland, Sleepwalkers, Love Canon, No BS Brass Band


Your weekend starts on Thursday with the band that does '80's music bluegrass style, Love Canon. They'll be at The Broadberry. Doors open at 8 and no opener is listed. It's $10 in advance, $12 day of show. They'll be playing in NYC at Brooklyn Bowl on Saturday night if you happen to be up there. Here they are in Winchester in November doing "Money For Nothing/Break My Stride":



Friday night, Pandora is live streaming the Jack White show from Madison Square Garden starting at 9 PM. Go on Pandora and add the #‎JackWhiteLive station now and hear an exclusive Third Man Records mixtape until show time.


It's Saturday so that means another new beer from Hardywood and another party to bust it out and I say the more the merrier. It's FREE to get in. The barrels are tapped at 2 PM and the music starts at 5:30 with MicroWaves. The guitar driven indie pop of Manatree will be next. Finally, the new classic rock of Sleepwalkers. Sleepwalkers will be opening a bunch of shows for J Roddy Walston & the Business in March. These guys are moving up quick. I believe I caught one of their first shows at The Camel in late winter of last year. Here they are at The Broadberry in November opening for PBR:




Adult alternative indie pop rock singer songwriter Ingrid Michaelson will be at The National Saturday. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with opener Greg Holden. It's $20 in advance, $25 day of show. She's worldwide as she heads down under to Australia for a tour in March and a chance to cuddle some koalas. Here's her latest single "Afterlife":



'90's alt-rock heartthrob (and I assume he's still pretty good looking) and fine musician, Evan Dando of the Lemonheads is at The Camel on Saturday night. Tix are $15 in advance, $18 at the door. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with openers Sara Johnston and Long Arms. Here's Evan doing "Hannah & Gabi":



It's a special night of dixieland, horns and orchestras at the Carpenter Theatre on Saturday night. New Orleans' Dukes of Dixieland will perform with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra. RVA's own No BS Brass Band will open the show and will also perform with the RSO. I'm kind of hoping No BS will do their kick-ass cover of Rush's "Tom Sawyer" with the orchestra. Show starts at 8. Tix range from $10 to $78. Here's the Dukes doing "Midnight in Moscow" on a steamboat going down the Mississippi in New Orleans. How cool would that be?



Tuesday, you can catch singer-songwriter Natalie Prass in two places. She'll be doing a free show at Plan 9 in Carytown at 1 PM. Then, you can catch her with her whole band at The Broadberry that evening. Doors open at 8 and no opener is listed. Tix are $10 in advance, $12 day of show. Natalie's self-titled debut album was produced by Richmond's own Matthew E. White and Trey Pollard and is getting great reviews. Web site Stereogum chose it as their album of the week. She played a sold out show in London last night and will be opening for Ryan Adams on his international tour. So to say she's getting a lot of positive press and buzz might be an understatement. This may be one of those "I saw her before she got big" shows. And Natalie recently moved to Richmond so support a new hometown gal. Here's "Bird of Prey" from the album:



By now, many of you have heard that the remaining four members of the Grateful Dead will play three final shows together on July 3, 4, 5 at Chicago's Soldier Field with Trey Anasatasio on guitar and Bruce Hornsby on keys. If you are wondering how Trey might sound with The Dead, here he is playing with Furthur at the Lockn' Festival in 2013. This is the video from the big screens and soundboard sound. If you are short on time, go to the The Other One and the ensuing jam which was pretty weird and exciting.



Have a great weekend! See you at the Natalie Prass shows and maybe at Hardywood too!

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Late Night Pick: Drenge

The brother duo of Rory and Eoin Loveless with the band name that sounds like the gunk you pull out of your sink drain, Drenge, will be on Late Show with David Letterman tonight (CBS, 11;35 PM). After 20 months of touring, Drenge have their second album called "Undertow" coming out on April 6th. You'll probably hear the first single from that album, "We Can Do What We Want" tonight. Here's "Backwaters" from their first album:



Here's The Lone Bellow on last night's Late Night with David Letterman:

Monday, January 26, 2015

Late Night Pick: The Lone Bellow

Americana band The Lone Bellow is on Late Show with David Letterman tonight (11:35 PM, CBS). They will no doubt be performing something from their new album, "Then Came The Morning". They'll be at the Boston Calling Music Festival in May, which looks like a good one with Beck, Pixies, My Morning Jacket, Ben Harper, Tenacious D, Tame Impala, St. Vincent, TV on the Radio, Jason Isbell, Run the Jewels, and more. Here they are back on 2013 peforming "Teach Me to Know" from their self-titled debut album:



The Decemberists debuted their new project on Jimmy Kimmel Live the other night, "The Decemberists Sing YouTube Comments":




Thursday, January 22, 2015

Late Night Pick: The Decemberists

Geeky alt rockers The Decemberists are on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight (11:35 PM, ABC). Mayor Charlie Hales of Portland, OR recently declared Decemberists Day in Portland on 1/20/15. That just happened to conincide with the release date of their new album, "What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World". Here they are doing "The Mariner's Revenge Song":



Here's Belle & Sebastian on last night Conan doing "Nobody's Empire":

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Weekend Picks: Zap Mama, Antibalas, BRONCHO, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Avers, Bio Ritmo, Trongone Band

Thursday night at the Modlin Center, two-time Grammy winners Spanish Harlem Orchestra will turn up the heat. The show starts at 7:30 PM and tickets range from $10 to $32 depending on your demographic. Here they are a few years ago:




Friday night at The Camel, Trongone Band headlines with opener Dale and the Zdubs. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 and it's $7 to get in. Trongone Band just got back from Key West, where they played a private wedding event, so they will be tanned and ready to go. Here they are at The Camel in December with Ron Holloway on sax doing an Allman Brothers classic:



Indie garage punk alternative noise rock band BRONCHO (out of Norman OK) will be at Strange Matter Friday. Doors open at 9 and it's $10 to get in. Yonatan Gat, The Milkstains and Daddy Issues open. You can download the Dine Alone Records Winter Sampler for FREE which includes BRONCHO, Lucius and others HERE. Here's BRONCHO's video for "Class Historian":




Hardywood Park Craft Brewery has a party on Saturday to celebrate their work with Cigar City Brewing to create The Milkmaid (White Milk Stout) and The Milkman (Chocolate Milk Stout). The tapping begins at 2 PM. Live music starts at 5 PM with The Trillions (shred pop), then
Warren Hixson (Lofi psychedelic surf pop) at 6:15 PM and Avers (hard psychedelic pop) at 7:30. Charlie Glenn will pull double duty playing with both The Trillions and Avers so buy him a beer. The Trillions will most likely be doing some songs from their new album, "Superposition", which comes out 1/31. Here's Avers doing "Hold On" at The Broadberry in October:



Wood Face, The Green Hearts and Jordan Tarrant will be at Sound of Music Recording Studio Saturday starting at 7 PM. It's $5 to get in. Here's The Green Hearts in the dark at Southside Lounge somewhere in America in 2013:




You can get your salsa on at The Broadberry on Saturday with Bio Ritmo. It's $8 in advance, $10 at the door and things get under way at 8 with DJ Felty and DJ Pari. They'll be recording this show live so get there and be on the recording. I'm on three official live recordings: The Kinks - "Live: The Road", Grateful Dead - "Nightfall of Diamonds" and Grateful Dead - "View from the Vault 1". I'm the guy yellling "Wooooooooooooooo!" after each song. Here's Bio Ritmo at The Camel in December:



Wednesday night, African jazz avant garde group Zap Mama is at the Carpenter Theatre with Antibalas. Tix are $30 - $38 and Antibalas opens the show at 7:30 PM. They'll be playing together so this should be a really cool funk jazz show. Here's the press blurbs for the bands:
Known to her fans as Zap Mama, Marie Daulne redefines the term "vocalist." Athletic and powerful on stage, Daulne is a “sonic stylist who alternates between storytelling and creative vocal expression.” She is the sound of urban, afro-scat, and alternative funk. Since bursting on the scene almost 20 years ago, the Belgian-Congolese diva has wowed audiences around the world with her unique sound, which seamlessly blends African, American, and European cultural influences and effortlessly mixes genres such as R&B, hip-hop, and jazz with indigenous and tribal sounds.

Antibalas is Afrobeat’s premier second-wave ensemble and disciples of Fela Kuti, the brilliant big-band leader and Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer. This eleven-member ensemble from Brooklyn deals in the rhythms that define the Afrobeat style, but bring in jazz, funk, dub, improvised music, and traditional drumming from Cuba and West Africa to much acclaim. Through their concerts, tours, and recordings, Antibalas has earned the admiration of a wide array of respected musicians, including everyone from Questlove and David Byrne to members of Fugazi and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. NPR Music’s Bob Boilen writes “If they come to your town, drop what you’re doing and go see them. Wear dancing shoes.”
Here's Zap Mama in Belgium:



As you may have heard, the remaining members of the Grateful Dead will be playing three final shows together in Chicago's Soldier Field on July 3, 4, and 5 to commemorate the band's 50th anniversary. Trey Anastasio from Phish will be on guitar (which I'm excited about, Hitler not so much) and Bruce Hornsby will be on keys. And I know you were probably wondering how Hitler, apparently a big Deadhead, would react. So here you go.



Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan

Late Night Pick: Belle & Sebastian

Indie pop band Belle & Sebastian put a new album out yesterday, "Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance" and they'll be on Conan tonight  (11 PM, TBS). This seems eerily similar to yesterday's Late Night Pick blog. From 2003, here's B&S' "I'm a Cuckoo":



Here's Sleater-Kinney on last night's Conan. I'm getting quite a crush on Carrie Brownstein. She's smart, funny, pretty and she rocks!

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Late Night Pick: Sleater-Kinney

Sleater-Kinney is getting some of the best reviews of their career for their latest album, "No Cities to Love", which is their first release together in 10 years and came out today. Tonight, they'll be on Conan (TBS, 11 PM) to play a song from that. They've also sold out a large chunk of their tour including the shows closest to us in DC (9:30 Club, 2/24 & 25) though you can still get tickets for their show in Raleigh (The Ritz, 4/22). Here's one from their last album, "The Woods", called "Modern Girl":



Here's Run the Jewels on Thursday night's Conan (language NSFW):

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Late Night Pick: Run The Jewels

Alternative rappers, Run The Jewels, whose album "RTJ2" showed up on many a year-end best-of list including a few designating it the #1 album of the year, will be on Conan tonight at 11 PM on TBS. And that success looks like it will continue in 2015 as they open for Jack White at Madison Square Garden on 1/30 and they will play at Coachella. Here's their title track, "Run The Jewels" by Run the Jewels (language NSFW):



Here's Panda Bear on last night Tonight Show:

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Weekend Picks: The Whigs, VibeFrost, The Northerners, Four Year Strong

Wanted to make sure I got this out by Thursday this week because all the state workers have a day off on Friday for Jackson - Lee day, when we celebrate the contributions of Michael Jackson and Bruce Lee to the great Commonwealth of Virginia. What? It's about Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee? Well then let's just call it Dead Losing Generals of the Civil War Day!

Saturday evening, you can rock for a good cause at VibeFrost at Positive Vibe Cafe. It'll run from 6 PM to 10 PM. It's a $10 donation to get in and music will be provided by The Taters, Andy Vaughan and The Driveline, and The Hullabaloos. Here's a clip from The Taters New Year's Eve Show:




Over at The Camel Saturday, it's Americana from The Northerners, Nicky C & The Rattle Snake Bites, and GOAT. The show starts at 8 and it's $7 to get in. The Northerners have some new tunes and a new lineup so it you haven't seen them in a while it'll be just like new. Here's The Northerners with "My Song" (not the Elton John tune, an original):




At The Broadberry Saturday, it's a fine rock n' roll show with Athens band The Whigs, Sideways Orange and Lightfields. Tix are $12 in advance, $14 at the door. Doors open at 7:30, show starts at 8:30. You might dig The Whigs if you like The Raconteurs, My Morning Jacket, Kings of Leon, or Son Volt. I like this video for their tune "Hit Me" which actually came out in 2014 but here they are playing it on in 1973 on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test show or something like that:




It's a pop-punk potpourri at The Broadberry on Tuesday. Four Year Strong out of Worcester MA headlines the show, with Comeback Kid, Handguns, Expire and Heart to Heart opening. Doors open at 6, show starts at 6:30. It's $16 to get in and there are VIP seats available for $40 - $65. Here's Four Year Strong's "Go Down In History":



That's it! See you at The Whigs show this weekend. I'll leave you with a classic low-fi Star Wars parody, "Hardware Wars":



Tony Jordan

Late Night Pick: Panda Bear

Animal Collective co-founder, Panda Bear, is riding high right now on his critically acclaimed new release, Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper. You can hear a track from it tonight on Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:35 PM). Panda Bear's site to promote the album is verrrrrrrrrrrrry psychedelic. Use a Google Chrome browser and then move around with your arrow keys. My mind is blown.

Here's a video from Panda Bear:



Oops, wrong Panda Bear! Here's Panda Bear's "Boys Latin" video. He may play this song on the show tonight but this is a great video:



Here's Mariachi El Bronx on last night's Conan:

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Late Night Pick: Mariachi El Bronx

Tonight on Conan (TBS, 11 PM), Mexican Mariachi punk/pop/rock/adult alternative/indie band Mariachi El Bronx takes the stage. Here's MEB with "Holy":



Here's Brandy Clark doing "Stripes" on last night Late Night with Seth Meyers:


Monday, January 12, 2015

Late Night Pick: Brandy Clark

Americana artist Brandy Clark (who wrote hits for Band Perry, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves and LeAnn Rimes) will be on Late Night with Seth Meyers tonight (NBC, 12:35 AM). Brandy was recently nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best New Artist and Best Country Album. We'll find out if she wins on February 8. Here's a song in the good ol' country song about a cheatin' man from Brandy called "Stripes":




Thursday, January 8, 2015

Weekend Picks: Corey Harris, Robbin Thompson, Everwilde, Farm Vegas

The holidays are over. Everyone has the post-holidays, "damn I spent too much money" blues. It's too cold to go out. The local bands all played all over the place last month and have now retreated to their studios to make new music and rehearse. The touring bands, if they're touring at all, are touring down south where it's still warm. What does all that mean? It means a slow week here in Richmond.


Friday night, Farm Vegas take over The Broadberry for a rock n' roll show because they are not afraid to rock in the cold. Norfolk band Major and the Monbacks will open. Doors will open at 8. It's $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Here's Farm Vegas' set when they played Broadberry in June:




Up in Ashland, singer-songwriter Robbin Thompson is at Ashland Coffee & Tea Friday night. Robbin famous, of course, for being in one of Bruce Springsteen's early bands, writing songs with Timothy B. Schmitt of the Eagles and co-author of the unofficial Virginia state song, "Sweet Virginia Breeze". Show starts at 8, no opener. Tix are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Here's Robbin with Lewis McGeehee and Friends last February.



The Capital Ale House downtown is hosting a night of acoustic blues with Corey Harris Friday night. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9. Tix are $10 in advance, $12 day of show. Here's the press blurb on Corey:
He began his career as a New Orleans street singer, travelling throughout the southern U.S. In his early twenties he lived in Cameroon, West Africa for a year, which had a profound effect on his later work. He has recorded many old songs of the blues tradition while also creating an original vision of the blues by adding influences from reggae, soul, rock and West African music. His 1995 recording, Between Midnight and Day, is a tribute to the tradition of acoustic blues. Subsequent recordings, such as Greens From the Garden (1999), Mississippi to Mali (2003), and Daily Bread (2005) show Harris’ maturation from interpreter to songwriter. Some of his imaginative compositions are marked by a deliberate eclecticism; other works stay true to the traditional blues formula of compelling vocals and down-home guitar. With one foot in tradition and the other in contemporary experimentation, Harris is a truly unique voice in contemporary music.

He has performed, recorded, and toured with many of the top names in music such as BB King, Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy, Henry Butler, R.L.Burnside, John Jackson, Ali Farka Toure, Dave Matthews Band, Tracy Chapman, Olu Dara, Wilco, Natalie Merchant, and others. His additional recordings include Fish Ain’t Bitin’ (1996), Vu-Du Menz (with Henry Butler, 2000), Downhome Sophisticate (2002), Zion Crossroads (2007).blu black ( 2009 ),DC Blues (2010),Father Sun-Mother Earth(2011),Fulton Blues (2013),True Blues (with Taj Mahal,Shemeka Copeland,Guy Davis,Alvin Hart and Phil Wiggins-(2013).

In 2003 Harris was a featured artist and narrator of the Martin Scorcese film, “Feel Like Going Home,” which traced the evolution of blues from West Africa to the southern U.S. In 2007, he was awarded a $500,000 MacArthur Fellowship – commonly referred to as a “genius award” – from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The annual grant, which recognizes individuals from a wide range of disciplines who show creativity, originality and commitment to continued innovative work, described Harris as an artist who “forges an adventurous path marked by deliberate eclecticism.” That same year, he was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Bates College, in Lewiston, Maine.
Here's Corey when he played at The Camel in December with local sax legend, Gordon Jones:


Saturday, country rock band Everwilde is at Tobacco Company. It's FREE to get in and the show starts at 9:30. Everwilde was last seen (at least by me) impressing the audience prior to the great Delta Saints show at The National in early December. Here's an Everwilde original, "This Time":



That'll do it this week. I'll leave you with the Black Sabbath/McDonaldland mashup, Mac Sabbath. This is truly the stuff of nightmares. Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan'

Late Night Pick: Ghostface Killah

Member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah with the Revelations featuring AZ and Kool G Rap, does his thing on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon tonight (11:35 PM, NBC). I wonder if Johnny Carson ever thought there would be a guy named Ghostface Killah on the Tonight Show. But the times change, Johnny! Ghostface's new album, "36 Seasons" has a plot and has been imagined in comic book form, appropriate because Ghostface is long time comic book fan, calling his alter ego, Tony Starks. You can check out a slideshow of some of the comic book art HERE. Here's Ghostface's "2getha Baby" from 2011:



Here's The Lone Bellow with two songs on last night's Jimmy Kimmel Live, including the timely, "Cold As It Is":




Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Late Night Pick: The Lone Bellow

Americana trio, The Lone Bellow, are on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight (ABC, 11:35 PM). Their new album, Then Came the Morning, comes out on January 27 and they'll be close by in Charlottesville at The Southern on March 14. Here they are doing an NPR Tiny Desk Concert a couple years ago:



Here's The War on Drugs on last night's Tonight Show:

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Late Night Pick: The War on Drugs

Philly band The War on Drugs swept through the year end top 10 lists and you can see what they are all about tonight on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:35 PM). Here's a 35 minute performance TWOD did on KEXP last March:



Here's Big K.R.I.T and Raphael Saddiq on last night's Tonight Show:

Monday, January 5, 2015

Late Night Pick: Big K.R.I.T. with Raphael Saadiq

Happy New Year! We begin the year on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC, 11:35 PM) and the intriguing combination of rapper Big K.R.I.T. with neo-soul singer Raphael Saddiq. The Roots will join in too for a rendition of Big K.R.I.T.'s "Soul Food". Big K.R.I.T.'s latest album, "Cadillactica" was ranked #20 on Rolling Stone's "40 Best Rap Albums of 2014". From 2011, here's K.R.I.T.'s "Country Sh*t":



Here's the Foo Fighters on the Tonight Show last year (two weeks ago):