Fresh Bread

T.J.I.F. - The October Edition

Thank Jah!!!  It's.....Sunday.  Okay, a couple days late but I have been lagging on the sweet irie tunes here on Fresh Bread.  I am just under two weeks until my first trip to Jamdown Jamaica.....SEEN!!!!....and really need to start getting in the mood.

Peep these three tracks from roots band Wailing Souls and feel that irie vibe....tings and time bwoy...tings and time...

KSUP FM
December 5, 1981
The Catalyst
Santa Cruz, CA

Station Intro -> Things and Time Will Tell.mp3

Old Broom.mp3

Firehouse Rock.mp3

Benevento/Russo Duo - Bowery Ballroom 10.28.06

Last time I saw the Benevento/Russo Duo proper was at least over a year ago at the Bowery.  I missed their opening set before this summer's GRAB show due to traffic on the LIE.  I did see Marco and Joe playing with the Zep tribute band Bustle In A Hedgerow on the Rocks Off Boat Cruise in August...but that was an all cover show.  I was very excited for this show as the Duo's latest studio release Play Pause Stop is one of my favorites of 2006.

The boys increased the stakes at the Bowery by announcing they would be recording the show for a future online digital download as well as possible DVD.  You could see the excitement in their eyes as the lights went down and they sat in their respective seats.  Marco was bright-eyed and raring to go.

The setlist: 

1. Soba
2. Play Pause Stop (with Duo Crew on vocals)
3. Sunny's Song
4. Memphis
5. Walking Running Viking
6. Powder
7. Welcome Red
8. Something for Rockets
9. ???
10. Becky
11. Echo Park
12. Hate Frame

E:
13. Best Reason to Buy the Sun

This show started off great - PPS was awesome and Joe's drumming during the reprise section was mouthwatering.  Powder was received by with high enthusiasm from the the crowd.  This song is great and one of the highlights on PPS. 

Marco will be playing a residency at Tonic in November.  Each show will be a different one - here are the dates and the lineup for each evening (tickets via ticketweb):

11.1.06 - Marco Benevento and Mike Gordon: "Guttman" performing the music of Benny Goodman. One set at midnight (technically, 11.2). Tickets are $20.

            

11.8.06 - Marco Benevento, Steven Bernstein (Trumpet), Dave Dreiwitz (Upright Bass) and Claude Coleman (Drums). Two shows at 8 pm and 10 pm. Tickets for each show are $15.

            

11.15.06 - Marco Benevento (solo and with friends). Marco will play a solo show with everything but the kitchen sink at 7:30 pm, and then will invite some NYC friends to stop by for a 9:00 performance, which will include the kitchen sink as well. Tickets are $15 for each performance.

            

11.22.06 - Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, Bobby Previte, Mike Dillon. Two shows at 8pm and 10pm. Tickets for each show are $15. Marco teams up with three of his favorite drummers on the planet for a night of pure joy for all.

            

11.29.06 - Marco Benevento, Matt Chamberlain and Reed Mathis. Two shows at 8pm and 10pm. Tickets for each show are $15. Marco hooks up this once-in-a-lifetime dream line-up as he plans to make the last week of the residency one that the city of New York is not soon to forget.

Haley Bonar - Club Midway 10.19.2006

Haley Bonar returned to NYC this past week for the first time in over 11 months.  Last time I saw her I was instantly swept off my feet and had my ears tickled by the sounds her gorgeous voice.  With a new album in tow, Haley and her band thrilled an outstandingly hushed crowd at Club Midway with a set consisting of mostly new material.

The highlights for me were "Captain Captain", "Hawaii", "Us", and "Car Wreck".

Lure the Fox will be officially released November 21st by Afternoon Records.  There are some excellent folkin' good songs on it.  My personal favorite is the track "Us". 

Peep the track here:

Us.mp3

Haley's honey vocals are mesmerizing and her hauntingly poetic songwriting is way above par.  I am not really sure why she has not garnered more press and even more surprised that the blog crowd has not embraced her.   

Download two tracks from Lure The Fox on Haley's myspace site

Mountain Goats - Bowery Ballroom 09.30.06

Just wow.  Incredibly, indubitably wow.  Mountain Goats live is something else.

I caught the first of two nights of John Darnielle - aka Mountain Goats - at the Bowery last weekend and was simply blown away by the subtle strength of his music.  I have been listening to the new MG album Get Lonely like it was my day job since it was released not too long ago.  It is an album in stark contrast to 2005's effort ,the Sunset Tree.  ST was an album of upbeat pop melodies laced over dark, traumatic lyrics recounting Darnielle's difficult childhood.  GL is colder, softer, hushed....to me it just sounds like a perfectly cold early winter day.  This feeling came through with the first song of the evening, "Wild Sage", when you could distinguish every single whispered word Darnielle sang.

Thank goodness the crowd was so respectful to the performer - you literally could hear a pin drop - I wanted to catch every single lyric, word and breath out of Darnielle.  Many of the songs in the set came from the new album - "Maybe Sprout Wings", "Song For Lonely Giants", "Get Lonely", "New Monster Avenue" - as well as some oldie-but-goodies like "Up The Wolves", an "Old Broom" > "Dance Music" combo, and "The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton" (download here).

Pull your coat-collar up and peep the title track  from Get Lonely:

Get Lonely.mp3

 

Sufjan Stevens - Town Hall 09.29.06

I truly enjoyed my first Sufjan Stevens show in NYC.  Town Hall was buzzing for the first of three nights by the singer/songwriter extraordinaire.  I strolled in to catch the last 30 min of opener My Brightest Diamond (more later) looking forward to the beginning of his set.

Sufjan knows how to put on a show with some flair.  One set of bird wings and a plethora of butterfly ones provided 1/2 the visuals on stage; the other half came in the form of a big video screen behind the stage showing pictures, video, and trippy designs throughout the show.

The setlist (via PTST):

"Sister"
"The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts"
"He Woke Me Up Again"
"The Transfiguration"
"Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)"
"To Be Alone With You"
"The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!"
"John Wayne Gacy, Jr."
"Worst Xmas Ever"
"Dear Mr. Supercomputer"
"Jacksonville"
"Abraham"
"A Good Man Is Hard To Find"
"Majesty Snowbird"
"Chicago"
Encore
"They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh!"
"Casimir Pulaski Day"

Highlights for me were "Man Of Metropolis", "Chicago", "Majesty Snowbird", and the encore song "Casmir Pulaski Day". 

Ryspace Blog has the mp3s from this show available here

Watch a video of "Majesty Snowbird" on youtube here

It is a shame that My Brightest Diamond lead singer, Shara Worden, waited until the last song of her set to let her voice shine.  Moreso, the fact it was on a cover of Bill Wither's "Use Me".  Shara has a beautiful voice - even more gorgeous than her looks (ooh la la!!) but MBD was a bit constrictive to her sound (IMO).

The Black Lips - Bowery Ballroom 09.28.06

I am not sure why Vice Records signed Atlanta's Black Lips.  I witnessed a head-scratching performance from them a couple weeks back at the Bowery Ballroom that left me thinking Vice is on crack.

I wasn't impressed with their brand of psychedelic-punk-comedy-rock.  When you get passed the on-stage kissing and mouth-pissing - yes, they  like the taste of their own piss - there really isn't much there.  Did I mention the guy stage left ^^^^ kept spitting up directly in the air, trying to catch his own spit in his mouth?  MMMM....tasty. 

I would have stayed around to see headliner Be Your Own Pet had someone not shot off a fire extinguisher at the conclusion of the Lips' set.  Everyone was ushered out of the Ballroom - I didn't have the patience to wait around. 

Regina Spektor - Town Hall 09.27.06

Surprisingly, my first exposure to New York's Regina Spektor was at Town Hall on September 27th.  I have all her cds.  I had heard rave reviews of her music and live show.  I just had never pressed play on her music.  Funny isn't it.

Spektor is a character for sure.  But she is more than quirky; she is a beautiful singer/songwriter.  Her lyrics - well - she sees life from a different but very universal perspective.  Like her song about finding a lost wallet....her music was accurately described to me as "a less pissed off Tori Amos".

Since I don't know much about her - except for the enjoyable evening I had at Town Hall - I will turn to Music Snobbery for the setlist and commentary.

Kasabian / Mew - Webster Hall 09.20.06

I have multiple posts that are long overdue.  A new job might have something to do with it as well as the new year and a sweet 24-hour fast last week.   First overdue post is the Kasabian and Mew show from Webster Hall last month. 

When I first saw Kasabian last fall at the Staten Island Stadium I was thoroughly impressed.  They sounded hungry, eating up the no-where-near sold out crowd.  As good of a show I expected that seeing them indoors, under a roof, would intensify the Kasabian experience in a good way.  In addition, the band was in the States to promote its sophomore release Empire.  Man, I was wrong.  Very "o.k." show.  Too much "see, I am a rock star" from the lead singer and not enough enthusiasm from the backing band. 

Music Snobbery was there; he has the setlist and a good review of the show. 

Mew - aka Mewyawn - opened up the show.  I yawned a lot.