Back... Now buy The Head and The Heart

There are a few new albums that I keep replaying and seeming to not get enough of. Oh Course Adele's ...well anything by her is always a recently played in my head phones. But a new band that i find to being played the most is The Head and The Heart. It reminds me of the first time i heard the Avett Brothers, Blindpilot, or even Ray Lamontagne. They are a fairly recent band, and the web-site claims they met in 2009. Their album flows seamlessly and songs become one long melody at times. With the use of three main vocalist it also adds a nice depth to the songs. Its nice to see effort into albums and pieces of music not just 3 minutes of what you got 12 different times. But the video below is a very cool take on one of their solid songs from their self title 1st release...



who doesn't love a good song about being away from someone you care for.

The Beatles Master the Remastered

Well tomorrow 9-9-09 The Beatles will be releasing their Rock Band Game & also all albums remaster in mono & stereo. Now there are 10,000 Box Sets of the Stereo & Mono limited editions released and they are not easy to come by. I never thought I would be able to obtain; one and that over the next month I would buy each album on its own. Well thanks to my great friends at Indy’s Best Record shop I was able to not only buy the Stereo Box set, but also a few days early. So while driving back and forth to Chicago this weekend I was able to hear almost the entire collection. Let me just say that if you are a fan at all of The Beatles then these re-mastered recordings will blow you away. The box set comes with a few more perks, but each album comes as the original Vinyl album was released (in the UK), so the backs have those classic photos, it flips open like a vinyl record and has the original liner notes and more. So not only is the music as stunning as ever, but the whole packaging of all the albums is well done. It is so fresh and so clear…the vocals are as pure as they could be. George’s (and Paul’s) solos hit you in a place. I almost had to pull the car over during “Yer Blues” it was so powerful. John’s vocals on “Don’t Let Me Down” are as personal as he has ever sounded. He is singing from the soul even though he was on a roof top in London. I could go through each song on each album and pin point what I hear as significant differences and advantages of the remastered albums, but I won’t. My time with The Beatles this weekend reminded me that besides everything else these four chaps from Liverpool did for the world and the changing time, their music is truly their genius. The music and relationship they had as musicians was like nothing ever seen before, or may ever be again. Their art is eternal and like nothing else. When an artist reaches a level of perfection they never see it and keep reaching for that next step. Which is the human drive…but most artists fall flat on their face and never realize they have made their masterpiece or , where as The Beatles kept putting out better, deeper, remarkable albums. Hell, if Magical Mystery Tour & Yellow Submarine are your worse pieces of art then you are fucking talented!

** The Remastered Albums are best if heard on quality Sound System and turned it the fuck up!

Nina singing about the King

Simplicity can be the greatest form of anything we do. This song below is evidence of that, with Nina just doing what she does so perfectly. While lyrics are not all to important to me, as the voice is just another instrument , these hit home and send out a message that is as important today as so many years ago.

Hate Was Not his Way, He was not a violent man

Jim James as Yim Yames

Jim James’s of the band My Morning Jacket has just released an EP of 6 George Harrison Songs under the name Yim Yames. Which he recorded shortly after the Death of Harrison. Jim’s version of Dylan’s “Going to Acapulco” from the Film I’m Not There was stunning and his unique voice added so much to that one song, and made the movie somewhat worth it. So I figured I would give this EP of Harrison's song a try. Lets face it Harrison wrote some of the best Beatles songs of all time and his solo albums were pretty damn great. I am always extra critical of covers of Beatles Songs or Post-Beatles Solo Projects covered. However, there are some outstanding covers out there, but for the most part they fall short. So back to Jim’s 6 song album, it’s ok. The album is kind of what I expected, but I was hoping for something more. It is suppose to have the raw acoustic feeling where his voice and an acoustic guitar are the only means of expressing the deep emotion and power of Harrison’s music. However they all kind of sound the same and even with out his backing band he still sounds like he is singing in an empty silo. Which works great with his band and their heavy ‘Southern Rock” style (I use that term lose with MMJ), but with 6 songs all acoustic they seem to all sound the same. If you are a huge Jim James fan then go get the album. If you are a huge Harrison fan then you could pass on it.

Feeling Naked

Feeling a little naked this Monday Morning and thought I would enjoy The Beatles Let It Be Album as it was intended to be and not after the murderous Phil Spector got a hold of it and added his wall of sound. The "Long & Winding Road" was one of my least favorite songs (don't get me wrong that still puts it way higher than most music out there). When they removed all the backing orchestra and extras sounds that Phil likes to do, it quickly became a better song, the way it was supposed to be released. So we thank Ringo for getting the ball rolling on re-releasing it a few years back as Let It Be...Naked. "Across The Universe": below is also on Let It Be Naked, along with the Anthology albums. It is one of the most pure John Lennon recordings out there, during this ever changing time of his life. Again this version with out all of Spectors backings is 100% better and while some like the birds and shit, I don't. I like John and a Guitar singing from the heart.

Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue Turns 50

Below is a link to a great article from Fred Kaplan about the 50th Anniversary of one of the most influential albums of all times, in all genres. This article not only hits on what socially the album means, but more importantly the musical structure and the mind frame of the legend and the band that joined in (and any Jazz Lover knows his band for this recording was truly a who who, just before they became those whos). It truly is a stunning album that even no Jazz lovers can enjoy to its core, and if you are looking for a good first album for some one to turn them on to Jazz, this is a great start. it was my first Jazz album when i was in Jr High and i remember looking at my brother who gave it too me with a sort of "really" & "thanks" at the same time...the "really" was quickly explained when i put the album on and just sat there through all tracks.

http://www.slate.com/id/2225336/

Les Paul, June 9, 1915 - August 13,2009

The Man who brought us the Hollow Body Electric Guitar and Made the sweet sounds of Jazz, Rock & Roll, Blues And so much more has died at the age of 93. his list of accoplishments is endless so i will let Wikipedia take it from here... Les Paul Bio

Hot Single from N.A.S.A. "Gifted" (feat. Kanye West, Santogold, & Lykke Li)

Nice Hip-Hop single featuring 3 artist i love! They all 3 play off each other perfectly...

Havens at Woodstock 1969

With the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock approaching i will posting some great moments for this special and first of its kind (and last to be true) Music Festival. Also below is an articel expliaing more about this perticular song and how this one moment on stage was pure improve...who walks on stage in front of 500,000 people and just makes up a song that will out last all of us, Richie Fucking Havens Does...

From NPR Studio Session August 11, 2004 - Richie Havens will be forever remembered for his powerful performance of the song "Freedom" at perhaps the best-known music festival ever — the three days of peace, love and music at Woodstock, New York, in 1969.

It was the "coming out" party of the rock 'n 'roll generation. And as Havens tells NPR's Tony Cox, "it was the begining of the world, as far I was concerned."

As Woodstock's opening act, Havens was scheduled to spend just 20 minutes on stage. But after his set, he was asked to keep singing because the second act, Santana, was nowhere to be found.

"So I'd go back and sing three more," Havens says. "This happened six times. So I sung every song I knew."

By that time, Havens had been onstage almost three hours — and still they needed more. "And I thought, 'Gosh, what am I going to do?'"

Then he belted out "Freedom," and his electric ad-lib performance set the tone for the next three days. "The word 'freedom' came out of my mouth because this was our real particular freedom," he tells Cox. "We'd finally made it to above ground."

Indy Jazz Fest 2009

The Indy Jazz Fest is trying something a little different this year. Not only is the event later in the summer, but it is a city wide event all week long! So if you even like a little bit of Jazz there is something for you (and close). They seem to be focusing more on Jazz, and not bringing in big Blues, Soul, or R& B acts. Which is fine, and also focusing more on the legendary Jazz World NapTown had to offer so many years ago!

Click Here For Full Schedule of Events...looks like a great line up!