Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Tom Waits @ The Grand Rex, Paris


Tom Waits and band played the great Paris venue Le Grand Rex last night (July 24th) and I have to say I’ve mixed feelings about the evening. On the one hand Tom Waits is certainly an American original and has a songbook second to none in the business. The live show we witnessed though showed a different side and, to be honest, I was a bit disappointed.
Certainly the guy takes up a lot space and has almost comic book super hero proportions. Commanding a stage set designed to look somewhat like an old vaudeville show, Waits is a dynamic and energetic performer. With a voice that I’d describe as foghorn mixed with elephant blast mixed with a smokers hack - his singing voice enough to shake the foundations of the earth and that’s the truth. It certainly seemed to overpower the musicians who accompanied him on stage although Waits is a force of nature for sure. They all took the stage 30 minutes late (what’s up with that BTW?) and literally exploded with his patented turn of the 20th century thump and stomp. This band never got far from that groove either and there were just one or 2 transcendent moments of musical band magic for the whole concert. It wasn’t until the band left the stage and he had sat himself down at the baby grand with just his contra-bassist as support that the evening settled down into what was, in fact, the highlight of the night. Friendly, warm and charming, Mr. Waits’s kept us all entranced for this all too short 30-minute musical interlude. I swear that when they returned to the stage they brought not one bit of energy with them and the show drug on in a decidedly lackluster fashion although Waits was working with every once of energy. My feeling from the band was “let Tom carry the show” although perhaps he had everyone on a short leash?
Hey folks, don’t get me wrong. Even after this less then glowing review, I’m still a fan. This guy has a catalogue of wonderful music that I’m very attached too. I mean it could have just been an off night right? Perhaps we expect too much from our star performers. Certainly he gave a good and engaging performance and we paid the ticket price freely. For myself though, I think 100€ is a lot of money for a ticket to 2 hours of music. It’s a shame that it comes down to these kind of critiques but then again, if the concert had been better do you think I would have brought the subjects up? I think not…

Bookerfatz2

Web:
tomwaits.com
MySpace: myspace.com/tomwaits

Tom Waits -Tom Traubert's Blues (live) .mp3
Tom Waits - Chocolate Jesus .mp3

Photo: billielolasorchaTom Waits – Grand Rex, Paris – July 25th 2008

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Monday, July 21, 2008

Gene Clark - Live In 1975


When Gene Clark’s masterpiece, No Other, was released in 1974, critics disapproved the overproduced result. The ex-Byrds career was knocked down. Years later, in 2003, the CD was re-released in Europe by Warner Music, remastered and expanded; the album was elected as the best reissued CD of the year by all the music magazines.
Silverado ’75 is an unplugged testimony of what Gene Clark did to the songs of No Other alone on stage in Denver (well almost, he is backed by Roger White on guitar and Duke Bardwell on bass). It’s touching, moving, the mastering is perfect. Only for hardcore fans and the others (
Collectors' Choice Music).

Gene Clark Fansite:
geneclark.com
No Other on Wikipedia

Gene Clark - Silver Raven .mp3
Gene Clark - White Light .mp3
Gene Clark - Aint Living Long .mp3

Bonus:
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Polly Come Home (Gene Clark cover) .mp3

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Thursday, July 17, 2008

Greg Laswell Third Flight

Another good cd from Vanguard Records that reached my mailbox few weeks ago done by a musician who was completely unknown to me before, Greg Laswell from San Diego, California. His new record, Three Flights From Alto Nido was just released at the beginning of July. Greg is not only a musician, but also a recording engineer and a producer. He has released two solo albums, Good Movie and Through Toledo in 2005 who were quite well acclaimed.
To be honest, it’s not really the kind of music that I care for, but I must admit that I was seduced by his songwriting and his voice and that I really like the sound of this record filled with potential hits like That It Moves or The One I love. If you like Coldplay with more acoustic guitars that is the record that you should purchase.
Unfortunately, at the time I wrote that post, Greg Laswell website doesn’t work but you can listen to Three Flights From Alto Nido on his MySpace.

MySpace:
myspace.com/greglaswell

Greg Laswell - The One I Love .mp3
Bonus: Anya Marina - Move You .mp3

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Friday, July 11, 2008

The Watson Twins - Fire Songs


I finally got around to picking up the new Watson Twins album, entitled Fire Songs, and am quite pleased with it; this first album is very enjoyable - in 2006 Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley) and The Watson Twins released a huge hit called Rabbit Fur Coat.

Chandra and Leigh Watson, identical twins sisters, sing with a quiet, ethereal sound that could easily be the background for drifting down a river on a lazy afternoon. It's mostly guitar, bass, and drums, some sweeping strings, and those sweet, sweet voices.
Fire Songs was released last June on
Vanguard Records; a historic label over 50-years-old that has been home to Doc Watson, Levon Helm, Mindy Smith, John Fahey and Joan Baez.
The Watson Twins are touring North America at the moment, don’t miss them!

Web:
thewatsontwins.com
MySpace: myspace.com/thewatsontwins

The Watson Twins - Sky Open Up .mp3
The Watson Twins - Just Like Heaven .mp3 via My Old Kentucky Blog

Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat .mp3 via Team Love

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Sunday, July 06, 2008

Ad Vanderveen - Still Now


On the above picture, you have Ad Vanderveen on the left and Iain Matthews on the right. I took it right after a set where they played more or less together for about 2 hours - maybe that why Iain seems a little bit tired - a generous and intense performance held by two artists who are also friends in the daily life helped on vocals and percussions by the talented Kersten de Ligny (Acoustic In Paris, la Pomme d’Eve, Wednesday July 2nd)
You all know Iain Mathews of course (Pyramid, Fairport Convention, Matthews Southern Comfort, Plainsong…). He is a legend for me and many people, I was proud to talk to him and believe me he is a very gentle person backstage. Among many things, he told me that he has enough material now to release a jazz oriented record and looking for a label...
But today, let me introduce to you Ad Vanderveen, I mean to those of you who missed the chance to listen to him before now. Although born a Dutchman, half of Ad’s family is Canadian and that may be part of the reason why his music is deeply rooted in a style nowadays known as Americana. At the moment Ad Vanderveen is touring with a band called
The O'Neils, on occasion with colleague and friend Iain Matthews, as well as doing his solo shows. He also became known in Folk circles as one third of a singer/songwriter collective called More Than A Song (together with Eliza Gilkyson and Iain Matthews).
Ad Vanderveen just release a studio record called Still Now (2008,
Blue Rose Records). While the contents of the songs are mostly about emotions dealing with love, loss, divorce and starting a new life, the form of Still Now is twofold; one disc is an electric band record, with plenty of guitar improvisation (Still Now - The Garage); the other disc is purely acoustic in the way the songs were born (Still Now - The Living). A yin and yang album in a way. I had the chance to see Ad playing live both electric and acoustic sets, believe me he is a tremendous guitar player, Neil Young-like style, and his songwriting is very intimate and evocative. You’ll find those two sides on the record. Still Now is a wholly impressive work (available on his Web).

Ad Vanderveen
Web:
advanderveen.com
MySpace: myspace.com/advanderveen

Kersten de Ligny
Web:
sk-management.nl
MySpace: myspace.com/kerstendeligny

Iain Matthews
Web:
iainmatthews.com

Ad Vanderveen - Late Bloomer .mp3
More Than A Song - All The Way .mp3
Iain Matthews - Cartwheel Avenue .mp3

Bonus:
Fairport Convention - Crazy Man Michael .mp3

Photo: Leaky Sparrow Ad Vanderveen and Iain Matthews – La Pomme d’Eve, Paris – July 2nd, 2008

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Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Neon Neon - Stage Of The Art


Just came back from a very very refreshing show: Neon Neon. Thanks to Stage Of The Art and The Palais de Tokyo who already allowed me to attend last April to an amazing Aidan Moffat performance (LS/2008/03).
In few words, Neon Neon is a neo Disco-Pop-Electro project created by two geniuses Gruff Rhys (Super Furry Animals) and Boom Bip. They just released an album full of hits, Stainless Style (
Lex), their first one, which is already one of the most rejoicing albums of the year with MGMT, in that specific style of course. To be convinced, I only had to watch the audience during the show, every face were showing smiles, including me... It was also the first Neon Neon live show in France.
S.C.U.M opened the evening with a very freaky and scary act. But I’m not against once in a while, 25 minutes were just enough to make me satisfied with the sound they proposed, but not more.

MySpace:
myspace.com/neonx2
MySpace: myspace.com/scum1968

Neon Neon - I Told Her On Alderaan .mp3 via Music Warship
Trick For Treat (Hot Chip Remix) .mp3
S.C.UM. - The John Barleycorn .mp3 via Antipodean Underground

Bonus:
Super Furry Animals - If You Don't Want Me To Destroy You .mp3

Photo: Leaky SparrowNeon Neon – Palais de Tokyo, Paris – July 1st, 2008

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