Monday, November 30, 2015

Late Night Pick: Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips will be on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon tonight (NBC, 11:35 PM). They may be doing a cut from their album, "Clouds Taste Metallic" which will be released tomorrow as a 20th anniversary box set reissue with rarities and a live set. Then again, the Lips are unpredictable, and may do something completely different. From the Lips' album, "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots", here's "Do You Realize?":




Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Weekend Picks: J. Roddy Walston & The Business, Elle King, NRBQ, Thanksforgrassgiving, Goldrush, Lady God, Avers, Susan Greenbaum

This weekend is as stuffed with great music as a big ol' Thanksgiving turkey is stuffed with oyster stuffing! And the great part is that most of it is local music so you can see some of the best musicians RVA has to offer this weekend. You've got a four day weekend. You'll want to get out of the house at some point. So grab Cousin Al and head out to see some music this weekend.

If you get out of work early on Wednesday, head down to Hardywood. The Hardywood Give Bock Release starts at 4 PM. They've got a new Bock beer in honor of FeedMore and each beer sold benefits FeedMore's efforts to feed the hungry. Drink beer and fight hunger. Everything is right about that sentence. There will be live music from 5 - 8 PM with The J. Smith Jazz Trio playing jazz and Latin standards along with originals so that should be good for all ages. Bring Grandma along, buy her a beer and chill out with some jazz.

The Tin Pan brings NRBQ to town on Wednesday night. Show starts at 8 (no opener), tix are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Terry Adams of NRBQ just released an album with his arrangement of Thelonious Monk compositions titled, "Talk Thelonious". NRBQ backed him up along with some horns, so you may hear something from that at the show. Here's the band playing "Green Lights":



Wednesday night at Broadberry, Fear of Music: A Talking Heads Tribute will perform for your entertainment. Tix are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Doors open at 8. Jordan Tarrant and Adam Eubank open the show. Fear of Music will probably do this song pretty straightforward but here's Postmodern Jukebox doing "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)" in '40's swing style:




Over at Tobacco Company Wednesday, it's the 5th Annual Gravy Ball. The Shack Band will provide the entertainment. It's $10 to get in and it starts at 9:30 PM. Here's the band performing their Americana rock at Broadberry a couple months ago:




Want to work off dinner on Thanksgiving night? Head to The Camel for Goldrush and Lady God. Doors open at 9 and the show starts shortly thereafter. It's only $5 to get in but if you bring canned goods to donate to FeedMore Central VA Food Bank, you'll get $2 off of admission. Goldrush will make it an extra super special night as they'll do both an original set and a set of Beatles covers. Here's Goldrush live at Gallery 5 back in September:



And here's a Beatles song they kind of have to play on Thanksgiving, right?



Friday night it's an all-star bluegrass show at The National led by Keller Williams. He's calling the show Thanksforgrassgiving. The band will feature Travis Book (bass) and Chris Pandolfi (banjo)from the Infamous Stringdusters, Jason Carter (fiddle) from the Del McCoury band, Jay Starling (dobro) from Love Cannon, the one and only Larry Keel (guitar) and Keller on mandola. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with Cabinet opening. Tix are $20 in advance, $23 at the door. Keller is, of course, no stranger to the bluegrass community. Here he is with his Grateful Grass band (they play Grateful Dead songs bluegrass style) doing "Samson & Delilah":



Avers and Rikki Shay (former members of the Black Girls with a new sound and new name) are at The Camel to celebrate(?) Black Friday. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with Rikki Shay. Tix are $8 in advance, $10 at the door and if you buy a pre-sale ticket you'll get a copy of the as-yet-to-be-released Avers EP. It will come out officially on 12/4. From the new EP, here's "Don't Wanna Lose You" which continues refining Avers psychedelic pop sound.




Saturday at Hardywood, Americana bands The Atkinsons and The Hot Seats will provide fine beer drinking music for you. The tasting room opens at 2 and the music gets underway at 5 PM. As always at Hardywood, it's free to get in. Here's The Atkinsons doing "Lyin' and Honesty" at Ashland Coffee & Tea a few months ago:



Speaking of Ashland Coffee & Tea, Susan Greenbaum and her band will perform their annual Holiday Show on Saturday night. Show starts at 8 (no opener) and tix are $16 in advance, $20 day of show. They'll play some of their originals and some holiday classics. Here's Susan's "You Are My Holiday" to get you in the mood:



A holiday show of a different sort, a Thanksgiving Throwdown, will go down at The Broadberry Saturday night with The Trongone Band. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with The Heavy Pets. The Trongone Band has been spending time in the studio so you just might hear some new stuff. They also got to open for Col. Bruce Hampton last week in Charleston. Here's a little sampler of Trongone Band at The Broadberry in September:




The National brings in the raucous rock n' roll of J. Roddy Walston and The Business Saturday night. Tix are $16 in advance, $20 day of show. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with RVA's own Sleepwalkers. And, no, they don't dress anything like the poser above. This will be the band's last gig until 2016 as they are preparing a new album. Here they are performing "Heavy Bells":



Saturday at Balliceaux, it's a benefit for FeedMore with Lady God and DJ sets by Bob Nastanovich and Kenny & Tracy. It's $5 to get in and starts at 10:30 PM. Here's Lady God's set in September in Gainsville:



New blues-rocker Elle King, who is riding a big hit with "Ex's and Oh's" right now, is at The National on Monday. Tix are $18 in advance, $23 day of show. Doors open at 6:30 and the show starts at 7:30 with Horse Thief. She'll be on "Dancing on the Stars" tonight (Tuesday) on ABC probably performing the big hit. And here she is playing the song in August:



That'll do it. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving weekend! I'll see you out somewhere this weekend. Too much good music out there not to get out and about. I'll leave you with the Drive-By Truckers "Thanksgiving Filter":



Tony Jordan

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Weekend Picks: Dumpstaphunk, Dave Rawlings Machine, Suzanne Vega, Duncan Sheik, Hardywood Goldrush party

The weekend before Thanksgiving and I'm desperately trying to avoid the early Christmas songs and decorations. I don't want to hear Christmas music until 2 weeks before Christmas. And the decorations shouldn't go up until the day after Thanksgiving. But I guess it's too late to put the genie, or should I say the quest for the $, back in the bottle. Every store is trying to be first now. At some point it just becomes background noise starting before Halloween and it loses its meaning.

But no Christmas music here this weekend (at least I hope not)! Friday night, Suzanne Vega and Duncan Sheik are at Modlin Center for the Arts. Show starts at 7:30. Tix are $20 - $40 depending on your demographic. They'll play alone and together. Here's the press blurb for the show:
Two of America’s most iconic singer/songwriters, Suzanne Vega and Duncan Sheik, join forces for one incredible night of music.
Bearing the stamp of a masterful storyteller who “observed the world with a clinically poetic eye,” Suzanne Vega’s songs have always tended to focus on city life, ordinary people, and real world subjects. Notably succinct and understated, often cerebral but also streetwise, her lyrics invite multiple interpretations. In short, Suzanne Vega’s work is immediately recognizable as utterly distinct and thoughtful, and as creative now as it was when her voice was first heard on the radio more than 20 years ago.
After breaking through in the late ‘90s with his Top 20 single “Barely Breathing,” Duncan Sheik spent much of the subsequent decade taking a breather from the usual rock singer/songwriter rituals. He focused on albums that broke with pop music conventions as well as theatrical musicals such as Spring Awakening, the Broadway sensation that won him two Tony® awards and a Grammy®.
Suzanne recently played at the 60th Birthday Bash for another one of my faves, Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens. Here she is doing "Small Blue Thing". Her voice still sounds amazing.



And here's Duncan Sheik a few days ago performing "Avalanche" from his latest album, "Legerdemain":




Hardywood has created a beer named after one of their favorite local bands (at least I assume that's what happened). The Goldrush beer is a saison and a limited, experimental, small-batch release. Be there and be part of the experiment. Drink the beer, listen to the band, live the experience. Live music starts at 5 with Landis Wine, who should change his name to Landis Beer for this event. Landis plays beat-driven electronic pop and improvisation. He'll be followed by New Boss (vibrant, rambling power-pop) and J. Flax & Heart Attacks (onslaught of surf & rock n roll). The night ends with the beer's namesake, Goldrush, and their psychedelic power pop. Here's Goldrush's "Pale Blue Dot":



The Americana super group Dave Rawlings Machine is at The National Saturday night. Tix are $33 in advance, $38 at the door. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8. No opener is listed. The DRM is made up of Dave Rawlings, Gillan Welch, Paul Kowert of Punch Brothers and Willie Watson of Old Crow Medicine Show. Besides songs from Dave, expect to hear covers of Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, The Band, and Neil Young. Here's the opening track from DRM's new album, "Nashville Obsolete". It's called "The Weekend":



Monday night, The Broadberry will be oozing the funk out of every nook and cranny. Great New Orleans band, Dumpstaphunk, will bring the jams to free your booty and your mind. Dumpstaphunk features Ivan Neville, because if you're a band from NO, you've got to have a Neville and they have two. Ian Neville is in the band too. The Nevilles just keep on comin'!  And if they aren't funky enough for you, the funk-o-meter will get turned up even more with local funkmeisters DJ Williams Projekt and Sam Reed Syndicate opening the show. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9, Tix are $15 in advance, $17 at the door. Dumpstaphunk was in the recording studio today (Wednesday) so they've got some fresh tracks to drop on your ass. I'll be there to make sure my soul is properly funkified and to give thanks to the Great Funk God in the Sky. Please join me and you too can feel the funk. Here's Dumpstaphunk with "Liar" from this year's Camp Barefoot:



Have a great weekend! I'll see you at Dumpstaphunk! Maybe Hardywood! Maybe Dave Rawlings Machine!

Speaking of Dave Rawlings, here's Dave with Gillian Welch on her song "Revelator". I am obsessed with this song today. I've listened to it 10 times today. It gives me goosebumps every time.



Tony Jordan

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Late Night Pick: Houndmouth

Americana band Houndmouth will be on Last Call with Carson Daly tonight (1:35 AM, NBC). The band was captured performing "Sedona" and "Say It" at the El Rey Theatre in LA last week. You might dig Houndmouth if you like Mumford & Sons, Alabama Shakes, Grace Potter or Drive-By Truckers. From 2012, here's "Penitentiary":



Here's the two songs Heartless Bastards played on Last Call last night:





Monday, November 16, 2015

Late Night Pick: Heartless Bastards

Roots rock/blues/punk/alternative/indie/garage band Heartless Bastards are on Last Call with Carson Daly tonight (1:35 AM, NBC). The great Charlie Musselwhite recently joined the band on stage in Boulder CO. From 2013, here's the band's "Only For You". For you Marvel fans, this song was featured in episode 11 of "Daredevil":



Here's The Internet performing "Under Control" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last week:

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Weekend Picks: Matthew E White, Ava Luna, Mavis Staples, Joan Osborne, Hiss Golden Messenger, No BS! Brass Band, Souper Bowl 2

The indie/soul/rock of local boy done good, Matthew E White, will fill The Broadberry on Friday night. Tix are $12 in advance, $14 at the door. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9. DJ Harrison will open the show. This is Matthew's last show of the year. He'll take a break for the holidays and then head to Australia and then the UK for a January tour. Here's Matthew's "Vision":



Ava Luna from NYC will play at Hardywood on Friday evening. It's FREE to get in. The tasting room opens at 4 and the music starts at 5:30 with openers Lucy Dacus and Manatree. Here's part of the press blurb for Ava Luna:
New York’s favorite ‘nervous soul’ outfit, Ava Luna began in 2007 when Carlos Hernandez, then a music composition student, set out to combine the heartfelt soul of Sly Stone and Shuggie Otis with the raw intensity of bands like Wire and The Raincoats. After self-releasing several EPs, their debut LP Ice Level was released in 2012 to a groundswell of support, lauded by Spin as “ice-cool vintage ’80s no wave grooves and extra-lush three-part girl group harmonies,” and by Pitchfork as “glorious.”
And their latest album, "Infinite House", was produced by Dave Fridmann, who has produced albums for Flaming Lips and Sleater-Kinney. Here they are performing "Plain Speech" at WOBC-FM earlier this year:




No BS! Brass Band is doing 4, count 'em, 4 shows at Balliceaux this weekend to celebrate the release of their new album, "Brass Knuckles". Tix are $10 in advance, $15 at the door for each show. Shows are Thursday & Friday at 10:30 PM, Saturday at 8:30 PM (all ages) and 11 PM. You'll hear lots of stuff from the new CD over these nights but here's their version of "Thriller" recorded last month:




Saturday at Max's Positive Vibe Cafe, it's Souper Bowl 2 featuring guest judge Larry Thomas aka the "Soup Nazi" from "Seinfeld". He'll decide which soup is best after tasting entries from fourteen local restaurants.  For $10, you can try samples of the soups yourself and listen to live music from The Cary Street Ramblers and The Hullabaloos. All proceeds benefit the Cafe's training program for people with disabilities. Here's the Ramblers doing "Hunting the Buffalo":




It's a night for great soul singers with Mavis Staples and Joan Osborne at Modlin Center for the Arts on Sunday night. Show starts at 7:30 and tix ranges from $22 to $45 depending on your demographic. Mavis and Joan will perform alone and together and it should be a treat. I don't usually do audience videos but I had to put this up. Here's Mavis, Joan and Bonnie Raitt doing "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" two months ago at The Fillmore in SF.



Folk/pop/psychedelic/country singer-songwriter Hiss Golden Messenger will be at The Broadberry Monday night. Tix are $15. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with No BS! Brass Band because they didn't play enough over the weekend. You might dig Hiss Golden Messenger if you like Dave Rawlings, Wilco, Bright Eyes, Bon Iver, Bonnie "Prince" Billy or Iron & Wine. Here's Hiss Golden Messenger doing an acoustic version of a song I really like, "Saturday's Song":



That's it. Have a great weekend!

Here's the late, great Allen Toussaint performing The Band's "Life is a Carnival" at the Love for Levon benefit in 2012. Allen had arranged the horns for the version in "The Last Waltz". RIP Allen!



Tony Jordan

Late Night Pick: The Internet

LA jazz/R&B/soul band The Internet is on Late Show with Stephen Colbert tonight (11:35 PM, CBS). You might dig The Internet if you like Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, Erykah Badu, Meshell Ndegeocello or Sade. Here's "Girl" from their latest album, "Ego Death":

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Late Night Pick: Sylvan Esso & Yo La Tengo

Two for the price of one on Last Call with Carson Daly tonight (NBC, 1:35 AM). Electro-indie folk duo Sylvan Esso performs as does indie/dream/noise/pop rockers Yo La Tengo. Let's do a video from each.

We'll start with Sylvan Esso's NPR Tiny Desk Concert from March of this year:



And here's "Today is the Day" from Yo La Tengo:



From last night's Last Call, this is Jesus and Mary Chain with "Blues From a Gun" (the video title is mislabeled):

Monday, November 9, 2015

Late Night Pick: Jesus & Mary Chain

Classic 80's indie rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain are on Last Call with Carson Daly tonight (1:35 AM, NBC). The band is out promoting the album, "Psychocandy: Live at Barrowlands" so expect a performance or two from the influential 1985 album, "Psychocandy". The performance was filmed live at The Fonda Theater in LA. From the "Psychocandy" album, here's "Just Like Honey":




Thursday, November 5, 2015

Weekend Picks: The Extravaganza, John Moreland, Guster, Hardywood Gingerbread Stout Release Party, Papadosio, STS9, Dead & Company webcast


Friday night, it's The Extravaganza! 15 bands spread out over three venues (Broadbrerry, Strange Matter, and En Su Boca). You can get tickets for Broadberry only for $20, Strange Matter only for $12, get a combo ticket for the two venues for $30 and you can get into En Su Boca for no additional cost if you buy one of those tickets. Here's the lineup:
THE BROADBERRY (2 stages)
5PM DOORS
5:30-6 - MANZARA
6:00-6:30 - THE TRILLIONS
6:30-7 - JEFFREY LEWIS & LOS BOLTS
7-7:30 - AVERS
7:30-8 - SUNFLOWER BEAN
8-8:45 - NO JOY
8:45-9:30 - LEE BAINS III & THE GLORY FIRES
9:30 - DIIV

STRANGE MATTER
10PM DOORS
10:30-10:50 - DAGGERING
11:00-11:20 - MUTWAWA
11:40-12:20 - AUTHOR & PUNISHER
12:40 - WOLF EYES

EN SU BOCA
10PM DOORS
11-11:30 - MANATREE
11:50-12:30 - SODA BOMB
12:50 - THE SNOWY OWLS
Highlights are Wolf Eyes (experimental/noise), No Joy (shoegaze/noise), Diiv (shoegaze),  Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires (southern/punk/roots rock) and Avers (psychedelic/garage). Let's do one from each.















You know the holidays are getting close when Hardywood has their Gingerbread Stout Release Party. Things get underway at 2 PM when they tap the kegs and let that sweet holiday nectar pour. There will be a bunch of food trucks out there for your culinary delight. And four bands playing. Neither the Hardywood site nor the Facebook event page gave the times or order of the bands but the bands usually start around 5, so just show up early and enjoy the stout and your favorite band will play eventually. The music is provided by The Milkstains (Surf-rock sock hop with a dash of Dinosaur Jr. = psychedelic-low-fi garage-rock grunge), Christi (rock n roll and scruffy punk), Atlantic Thrills (Fuzzy psychedelic riffs, reverb drenched surf anthems and raspy 50's inspired doo-wop ballads, out of Providence, RI!), and The Trillions (RVA shred pop). Here's The Milkstains new video, "Sink or Swim":




Psychedelic, progressive jam rock band Papadosio is at The National Saturday night. Tix are $17 in advance, $20 at the door. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with openers People's Blues of Richmond (who are opening for the VA and NC shows on the tour) and Third Nature. Here's "Epiphany" from Papadosio's new album, "Extras In a Movie":



If you'd rather jam at home on Saturday night, be sure to watch the live webcast of the Dead & Company HERE from Madison Square Garden starting at 7:30 PM. The Dead & Company consist of Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann joined by John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers Band, Aquarium Rescue Unit) and Jeff Chimenti (various post-Grateful Dead bands). Here they are doing "Terrapin Station" on Halloween at MSG:




Ashland Coffee & Tea has alt-country singer/songwriter John Moreland on Saturday night. Tix are $15 in advance, $18 day of show. Show starts at 8 PM. Here's John performing "No Glory in Regret" for American Songwriter last week:



Sunday night at The National, jamtronica band STS9 will warp your head. Tix are $29.50 in advance, $33.00 day of show. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30.You can download a free track from each night of the tour HERE. Here's STS9's first set Halloween night at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, MD:




Alt-pop band Guster plays Monday night at The National. Tix are $23 in advance, $28 day of show. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30 with opener Port Harbour. You might dig Guster if you like Barenaked Ladies, BoDeans, Virginia Coalition, Wilco, Camper Van Beethoven, or Big Star. Here's "Endlessly"from their latest album "Evermotion":



That'll do it! Have a great weekend!  I'll leave you with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' version of the traditional tale of "Stagger Lee". This is very explicit and very bad ass.


Tony Jordan