Review – Page 21 – #DKLPHOTOS

Coachella 2013 | April 12-14 | Sunday

Continued from Coachella 2013 | April 12-13 | Saturday

I woke up Sunday morning from the couch, wiped the sleep from my eyes to notice bodies strewn across the floor. In the corner, there appeared to be what looked like a pillow fort… and a feet protruding from its cushioned walls. Interesting I thought … it would turn out that those feet belonged to either the bassist or drummer of Father John Misty’s band. The morning was definitely starting out rock-and-roll.

I had a friend who happened to be in Palm Springs that weekend for work, so I ditched the group to head out to where she was to grab a late breakfast/early lunch. We met at a Hard Rock Hotel sponsored “party” and I given a “media pass” so that I could dine from the special menu. I get that lot of people forego a lot of the music at Coachella to attend these parties, but it’s really not for me. A bunch of people dancing in a pool to a DJ playing some innocuous dub-step music. I suppose the “perks” (massages, hair braiding, etc.) may make it worthwhile, but there are bands from across the world performing half an hour away, and you’re listening to dub-step from some no-name DJ? It was great seeing an old friend, but I had to be curt and hightail it back to the festival. Plus, the food was pretty bad… but that’s besides the point. Lol.

When I got the festival, I walked by the stages and tents where Jessie Ware and Kurt Vile, respectively, were performing. Jessie Ware sounded decent enough, but I wasn’t particularly drawn to her music in the first place, and Kurt Vile just didn’t sound very good. It reminded me of Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks from a few years ago, and I left that set early too.

There was a singer that I was interested in by the name of Alex Clare. From the United Kingdom, his biggest hit to date was his single, “Too Close” which, ironically enough, is a rock song with dubstep and soul influences. Now, I know I was just complaining about bad dubstep music, but when it’s produced by Diplo and Switch, it gets a pass.

Alex Clare blew my mind. That dude has some serious pipes. I wasn’t too familiar with his entire catalogue of music, but whatever he sang, I was feeling. He may have hit the stage five minutes past his starting time, but I’m not going to blame him for anything. His voice had a soulful rasp to it, and boomed.

Not only did he kill his set vocally, but he was extremely humble. When he addressed the audience half way through his set, he went out of his way say, “This is my dream right now.” I wish I new more of his catalogue, and I’ll probably buy his CD at some point in the near future, but what I do remember from the set was that his cover of Prince’s when “Dove’s Cry” was a pleasant surprise and perhaps the most impressive part of his set was when he sang sans accompaniment, a cappella. His crowd, which was particularly sizable, knew all the songs that I didn’t and the sang choruses quite pleasantly.

After Alex Clare’s set, I decided to wait around for Rodriguez. I hadn’t seen the documentary “Searching for Sugarman”, but I did have a copy of “Cold Fact” on CD. I knew about his legend, and I was really anticipating seeing him perform.

As I waited in the tent for his set to start, I noted that there were many others, like me, who wanted to get there early for a good spot. Some girl gave the stage manager a note on a napkin. He looked at it, and then pointed to his wedding ring. You can only speculate what was on that napkin.

When Rodriguez took the stage, he had to be escorted. It was at that moment that I felt like I was having a bucket-list moment. It took a moment for him to get set up, and you could feel the anticipation in the tent. Then the music started … are at least, I thought the music started. The levels across the board were a little off. The bass was to loud and the vocals were to low. In between the first couple songs, the crowd chanted, “Turn it up!” It wasn’t until “I Wonder” that I thought that the levels were correctly set, and that was about a third of the way into the set. “I Wonder” was perhaps the highlight of the set as everyone knew the lyrics and sang along.

Though I wish that the sound was perfect from start to finish, I’ll take what I got and appreciate it. Half an amazing set is better than none at all.

Another band that I had seen before at Coachella was Vampire Weekend. The last time I saw them, they were playing the Outdoor Stage. This year they were on the main stage. I had a good time then, so I knew I’d have a good time now. I didn’t get as far up as I would have liked, but it really didn’t matter. I just got lost to their music and danced with the other free souls in the area.

Cousins
White Sky
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
Diane Young (New Song)
Step
Holiday
Unbelievers
A-Punk
Ya Hey (New Song)
Campus
Oxford Comma
Giving Up the Gun
Walcott

At this point I was hungry, so I decided to eat between the Outdoor Stage where Pretty Lights was performing, and the Mojave tend where Father John Misty. The whole time I was eating, I was thinking, “Some dude on stage made a pillow fort next to the couch I was sleeping on,” …

After eating, I headed back to the Main Stage to get as far up front as I could for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

I have a friend who had kicked it with Nick back in the day. She told me a few stories about him, and I can say- if those stories are true- Nick Cave is the living embodiment of punk. I’ll be honest with you, I have a few of his albums, but they’ve always been more mood music to me than anything. His performance at Coachella changed my perception of him.

It was a relatively dark set, heavy on mood, but pure rock-and-roll. It was almost chilling when he brough up the Silverlake Conservatory children’s choir to sing the refrain of “Keep On Pushing”. Having watched him perform, I actually regretted not catching his other band, Grinderman”, perform the other day.

Jubilee Street
From Her To Eternity
Red Right Hand
Deanna
Jack the Ripper
Stagger Lee
The Mercy Seat
Push the Sky Away

After Nick Cave, I walked over to the Wu-Tang Clan to catch up with my friends. I came half way through their set, but I could hear them “bring the mutha-fuckin’ ruckus”. As tired as I no was from the three days of music, I pushed on to search for my friends. Once I found them, I sat down on the ground rest. At that point in the evening, the wind was picking up, and dust was flying around everywhere. Thankfully, I had purchased a bandana and used it to cover up my nose and mouth. The sand storm was actually bad enough that Wu-Tang actually acknowledged it on stage.

They’re set was a greatest hits compilation, and I should have been more pumped for it, but I think my exhaustion, coupled with the fact that I saw Wu-Tang a few years back to the entire “Enter the 36 Chambers” album, kind of left a been there, done that vibe with me.

Protect Ya Neck
Bring da Ruckus
Shame on a Nigga
Clan in da Front
Da Mystery of Chessboxin’
Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing to F’Wit
Can It Be All So Simple
Method Man
Tearz
C.R.E.A.M.
Bring the Pain (Method Man)
All I Need (Method Man)
Ice Cream (Raekwon)
Winter Warz (Ghostface Killah)
Duel of the Iron Mic (GZA/Genius)
4^th Chamber
Reunited
For Heavens Sake
Shimmy Shimmy
Brooklyn Zoo (Ol’ Dirty Bastard)
Da Rockwilder (Methodman and Redman)
Gravel Pit
Triumph

Before the Wu-Tang ended their set, I went to the main stage to check out The Red Hot Chili Peppers. My friend and I positioned ourselves toward the exits, with enough of a view that we could tell what was going on, and in line with speakers so we could hear everything clearly.

A this point, the sand storm was getting pretty intense. People started to leave the festival grounds. They started playing “Under the Bridge” and, for the first time all weekend, I lay on the sand covered grass. My friend was absolutely beat, so I promised her that I wanted to hear two more songs, then we would leave. The second song they played after “Under the Bridge” was “Higher Ground”. If you know me, you know that I love my Stevie. It was a sign that it was time to go.

Monarchy of Roses
Dani California
Otherside
Look Around
Can’t Stiop
Snow (Hey Oh)
The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie
Tell Me Baby
Parallel Universe
Under the Bridge
Ethiopia
Higher Ground
Californication
By The Way
Jam
Around the World
Give It Way.

And with that, my Coachella 2013 had concluded. Sandstorm notwithstanding, I’ll be back next year.

April 12, 2013May 10, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: ConcertsTags: alex clare, all I need, blog, cape cod kwassa, coachella, Coachella 2013, coachella blog, coachella review, crucify my mind, diplo, dove's cry, dub step, dust storm, duststorm, enter the 36 chambers, father john misty, from her to eternity, giving up the gun, grinderman, hard rock hotel, higher ground, holiday, I wonder, keep on pushing, methodman, nick cabe and the bad seeds, nick cave, nick cave and the bad seeds, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Review, RHCP, rodriguez, sand storm, sandstorm, searching for sugarman, sugarman, sunday, switch, too close, treading water, under the bridge, Vampire Weekend, white sky, wu-tang, wu-tang clan Leave a comment

The Weeks | Three Clubs | 3/29/13

I’m extremely grateful that my friends – most of my friends – have good taste in music.

On 3/28/13, a buddy of mine shoots me a text at 11:22am about a show that he’s planning on going to in Hollywood on 3/29/13. He tells me that a friend of his is managing a band based out of Nashville called The Weeks. He described them as “Shit kickin Southern rock” and that the band had recently signed to the Kings of Leons of record label, Serpents and Snakes. My buddy knows I’m a fan of Kings of Leon, so he was basically telling something that would peak my curiosity.

I check out the band’s Facebook page and I am immediately impressed with what I hear. Their latest release, “Gutter Gaunt Gangster” definitely has a Southern Rock feel to it, but it also definitely had catchy hooks and clean production value. It’s only 8 tracks, (with one track only 50 seconds long), so it wasn’t long before I had streamed the album 4 or 5 times in a row. It’s a loud and fun album that feels like a party.

I do a little research online and read that the band hails from Mississippi, and they are, in fact, currently signed to the Kinds of Leon’s record label, but they definitely have a sound distinct from KOL. They remind a little bit of We Were Promised Jetpacks but with a little more funk, and a little bit like Band of Horses but with more edge on the guitars. Mind you, I based this on only the one album I was listening to.

The songwriting is solid. Each member of the band may be in their early twenties, but you probably wouldn’t be able to tell it from the their songs on this album. The album opens with “The House We Grew Up” which seems to be their statement to the world that they’re on a mission with this music thing. The rest of the album seems to follow the general theme, with the band singing about looking for something better and confronting those things that have tried to hold them back.

If you listen to the lyrics on this album, a lot lyrics seems to come from an intense place. They use religious references freely, but it isn’t preachy. Rather, it just adds to the intense emotions they are bringing to the music.Take for example the following lyrics in “Stigmata” which has an uplifting chord progression that seems to contrast with its heavy lyrical content:

“I met the man who raped my childhood/ Oh well, we were never young it’s true/ But when everyone around you keeps dying lord,/ What the hell are we supposed to do. […] I blame the devil, what else could it be/ I blame Jesus, he ain’t answering me/ Don’t call me depressed, don’t call me sad,/ I’m giving up on this life I had”

But I digress. This isn’t supposed to be a review about the album though. Just trust me that it’s really good.

I text my buddy back and let him know that I’m going to make the show. It was a long work week, so I try to figure out a way to get to the venue without driving. I ended up getting a ride from a friend who was heading the same direction, where I spent a greater majority of the ride trying assure the person driving, who also was happening to have a bad week, that things will get better, and that they had to keep pushing through the hard times … kind of fitting, right?

It had been a long, long time since I had been to Three Clubs, and I was surprised that I totally forgot about the portrait of Billy Dee Williams with a Colt45 gracing the end of the bar in the performance area. It was definitely a sign of good things to come. I met up with my friend, and after briefly meeting some of his friends, I made a b-line to the bar to grab some drinks: a shot of Jameson and a Dewars on the rocks.

Shelly Colvin, a singer songwriter, was opening for the band while I ordered my drinks. Her smooth, laid back vocals helped the shot of Jameson go down quite smooth. I sauntered back out to the patio to catch up with my friend.

As I went back in later to get another drink, Shelly was finishing up her set. I got another shot of Jameson and Dewars con rocks and made my way to the front of the stage. As the band took to the stage, they took a minute to adjust the position some of their equipment. It was a really small stage. Shelly sang back up vocals a few songs, and her mic had to be set up off-stage left, and the keys had to be pushed to the far back to make way for the drum kit. The stage may have teeny, but the band worked every square inch of it.

I had only heard the songs from their latest EP, but they seemed to have played their older (and maybe newer?) songs in their set as well. It really didn’t matter that I didn’t know all of the songs in their set though. The band took that little, teeny weeny stage and made it their bitch. Imploring the crowd to move closer to the stage, they fed off the crowd, and themselves, and really kept the set moving with their energy.

The energy in that club was electric and the rising temperature of the room vouches that statement. The music hit hard, fast and frenetic. The Southern rock roots, laced with funk and soul, made the it easy to dance to and the crowd in front of the stage was moving to the rhythms. The live show was groovier than I expected.

It seemed like the set flew by, and that was because everyone was having a good time. By the end, my shirt was sticking to body, drenched in sweat. I made a b-line to the merchandise table to pick up a vinyl copy of the album. I caught the band on the patio cooling down and took a few pictures of the players from the evening. This one was my favorite… Probably because Shelly is a cutie.

Shelly Colvin and Sam Williams relaxing after the gig.

I offered to buy a round of drinks and Damien and Shelly accepted. I did a shot of Jameson with Damien and Shelly had glass of champagne. She appreciated the gesture, and kindly gave me a copy of her latest CD: “Up The Hickory Down The Pines”. I say I got the better end of the deal. Another of their fans was getting autographs on a T-Shirt, and after she was done, I borrowed the permanent marker to see if I could get all of their autographs on the LP I had just purchased. In my boozy haze, I think I may have missed a few. LOL. But I did like the fact that one of the guys had “branded” the LP with an “LA 2013”. A rock and roll time-stamp, if you will. Click here if you’d like to see some more of my music treasure.

It turns out that some of the band members wanted to grab a bite to eat, and my buddy suggested a nearby taco truck that was supposed to have some of the best pastor soft tacos. Ended up getting tacos with Alex Collier (keys), Damien Bone (bass) and Sam Williams (guitar). We grubbed it up, and afterwards, headed our separate ways.

Getting late night tacos with Alex Collier (keys), Damien Bone (bass) and Sam Williams (guitar).

The guys were continuing on their tour, and let me know they would be opening for Kings of Leon over the summer in Europe. I wished them the best, and they told me to pick up their upcoming album when it gets released. I assured them that I would.

Here’s their official video for “The house We Grew Up In” from “Gutter GauntGangter”

Here are some video clips from the show that I took.

April 3, 2013September 19, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: ConcertsTags: alternative, barnes, bass, concert, funk, gutter gaunt gangster, hollywood, indie rock, jackson, kick ass, kings of leon, live show, los angeles, mississippi, new music, performance, pop, Review, rock and roll, serpents and snakes, show, southern rock, the weeks, the weeks band, the weeks music, three clubs 1 Comment

The Night Hiatus Kaiyote Blew My Mind At The Del Monte Speakeasy 3/23/13

I saw Hiatus Kaiyote more recently at the Bootleg Theatre on July 31, 2013. You can check out that blog entry by clicking this link.

On Saturday night (3/23/13), I experienced what may very well have been an out-of-body, musical experience.

I’ve been to a lot of great shows in my lifetime, and each show was memorable in it’s own right. But sometimes, a concert going experience is so complete … a perfect storm of events … that it leaves you overwhelmed while adrenaline is pumping through your body after it is all said and done.

I’d only been following Hiatus Kaiyote for a few weeks, but I had been anxiously anticipating their show at the Del Monte Speakeasy ever since I clicked “accept” to purchase tickets to their show. I had a sense of how stellar their live performance would be as I had perused many of their live performance clips on Youtube, but what I experienced surpassed my imagination.

I had recently been to the venue for a show earlier in the month, so I knew two things: (i) don’t wear layers as the venue gets sweltering warm and (ii) get there early (as in, as close to the time the doors open for the venue) if you want to get the best view. Tickets for the show had sold out, so a friend of mine and I essentially got there when the doors opened, and we staked a spot, up front, stage left.

I had read an article/interview earlier in the week of the band, and Nai Palm mentioned that she was “prac tically breast-fed on Stevie Wonder” (you’ll note that I named my blog after one of Stevie’s albums, because I, myself, am a huge Stevie Wonder fan) so I decided to burn her a couple of discs of Stevie material: (i) two compilations of Stevie covers put together by DJ Spinna and Bobbito called The Wonder of Stevie: Essential Compositions, Covers & Cookies and The Wonder of Stevie: Melody Man: Further Forays Into The Stevie Songbook and (ii) a mix of some of my favorite, lesser known Stevie Tracks. In between the DJ set by Aaron Byrd of KCRW and the opening act, I saw Nai Palm sitting at a table on the side stage. I briefly introduced myself and gave her the CDs. Hopefully, there was something on those discs she hadn’t heard before.

Following the opening act, the band took the stage and Aaron Byrd introduced them to audience. Really though, the band didn’t need an introduction. Nai Palm approached the microphone stand when she noticed some flowers attached to the stand’s base. “This is jasmine,” she said as she leaned in to smell them. “This is my favorite flower. They just magically appeared,” she said with a giddy smile. And with that the band started into their set.

Nai Palm. Note the jasmine on the mic stand.

This band knows how to play live. Each band member’s musicality was, throughout the set, put on full individual display, but they way in which the band plays their music as one, is truly mesmerizing. If you’ve take any kind of music lessons or studied music theory, you know how complex their arrangements are. Standing in my spot, I was amazed by how seamless the band would jump back and forth between chord progressions and rhythms. Music phrasings, though I had heard them on recordings, came to life and jumped around in my ears. And it was all spot on. Paul Bender on bass, Perrin Moss on drums and Simon Mavin on keys, played impeccably, and their training/experience in jazz and soul music was fully realized. And even more than that, you could tell that they were all loving their time on stage. Nai Palm surely recognizes the caliber of musicians that make up the bad. In her humble way throughout the set, she would give each member individual, deserved, props. “Simon Mavin getting magical on the keys,” She said as his fingers intricately maneuvered the keys.

Nai Palm. Oh my lord. She could very well be my new favorite female vocalist. At 23 years old, she seems to have already mastered two instruments: her guitar and her voice. Watching her perform live, up close and personal, I was entranced by the joy in her voice, and the passion with which she played. She truly fed off the audience, even taking a moment to tell the audience that she loved hearing us sing along.

And if that weren’t enough, they Miguel Atwood-Ferguson join in on a couple songs on his viola. Like Hiatus Kaiyote, he played with such intensity and passion, it was a privilege just to be in the same room as him. He’s a tall man, and the ceiling of the venue was low, and watching him play as the sweat dripped from his brow, and as the strings on his bow started fraying, I was nervous for him as I thought his intense playing would cause him to break his bow on the ceiling. Who am I kidding? He’s a master at his craft. Even the setting couldn’t hold him back.

Being that close to the stage, able to watch each musician play with such skill, took me to a concert going place I haven’t been to in a while. It must have been at least a good hour and a half before I turn to my side to check in on my friend to make sure that she was hanging in there. I had gotten lost in the music. I was zoned in on watching the band play. It was truly an out-of-body experience. I was immersed in the music. Immersed in the performance.

Towards the end of the show, Paul Bender gives a shout-out to his brother who had apparently just recently moved to Los Angeles, and who also taught him to play the bass. At that point of the show, I had really lost track of time. Though I was drenched in my own perspiration, and weary from standing in the same spot all night, I was sad that the music had come to an end.

The set list that magically disappeared...

I noticed the set list on the floor that Nai was using, but the guy in front of me asked for it before I had the chance. I saw that Paul had a set list, so I asked him for his, and he passed it on to me. I took a picture of it, but it has somehow mysteriously disappeared …. hmm … I told Nai how much I was impressed with her show, and she gave me a little bud of the jasmine that was on the mic stand. I think I’ll keep that safe for a while.

I was able to hang out with the band for a moment, snap a few pictures and get them to sign a copy of their latest CD for me. If you want to check out some other music treasure I’ve collected, click through this link. I even joined in on a little dance circle to the soul music the DJ was spinning.

Hiatus Kaiyote was kind enough to take a picture with me.

I went outside to decompress with a cigarette, when Perrin and Simon came up and asked for one as well. Simon was thankful that I had extras to spare, and he mentioned that not only had it been a while, but they were all tired from their recent travel itinerary (they had just flown in from New York that morning). I once again reiterated how much I had enjoyed their performance, and by that time, I went to find my friend to leave for home.

When I got home, I lay in bed for at least 45 minutes watching the snippets of that evening’s performance on my cell phone. I had so much adrenaline in my body from the show that I had just witnessed, that it was hard for me to sleep. Hopefully, this band will be around for a while, and hopefully, they come back to Los Angeles to give me another musical, out-of-body experience.

Below are some video clips I took of the show. Enjoy them the best you can, but honestly, you need to see this band live to truly appreciate what they are about. Hopefully, they’ll be back in Los Angeles to perform in no time.

Note: In the next video you’ll see how happy Nai Palm gets when the audience sings along. Love it.

Note: At the start of the following video Miguel (at about the 8 second mark) takes note of the low ceiling. Great musicians take note of everything in their surroundings.

UPDATED 11/27/13: RELATED POSTS:

March 24, 2013November 28, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: ConcertsTags: "Tawk Tomahawk", 3/23/13, amazing, autograph, concert, del monte speakeasy, ferguson, Hiatus Kaiyote, jasmine, los angeles, miguel atwood, nai palm, paul bender, perrin moss, Review, set list, simon mavin, soul, Stevie wonder, venice 1 Comment

Snoop Lion (Snoop Dogg) | “No Guns Allowed” | The Lion Assembles an All Star Team To Create Message About Gun Violence

On March 20, 2013, Snoop released a powerful new single titled “No Guns Allowed”; a song that reflects about his past ownership of guns and guns in America today.

The Boss Dogg (or these days, the Boss Lion) has a storied relationship with firearms. Whether it was when the home of his family was raided while he wife and children were present, or whether it was friends or family falling by an intended or stray bullet, the recent mass shootings seems to have inspired him to shed his gangster image, thus his evolution to the Lion from the Dog.

Quoting his recent interview with Piers Morgan:

“It affected me to where I wanted to say something and I wanted to make some music to try to help the next person who was thinking about loading a gun, going into a school and then shooting and maybe helping him put that gun down and think about what he was doing or what she was doing before they did that.”

The Lion has assemble amazing musicians to contribute to this recording. The track was produced by Diplo and Ariel Rechtshaid with additional production from Dre Skull. Beirut’s founder, Zachary Condon, inspired the keyboard chord progression. The song was co-written by Angela Hunte, and Drake and Snoop’s daughter, Cori B, are featured vocalists. Oh, and Stewart Copeland play drums on the track too. Talk about a power ensemble.

The laid back reggae flow contrasts with the song’s strong social commentary, adding to the sense of how Snoop is simply worn and weary from the years of gun violence. By using his daughter as a featured artist, it also shows that this is a problem that needs to be dealt with for both the present and future.

The lyrics are poignant and moving. Snoop introduces the song with, “Money makes a man, and that’s a crime. If we all were rich, we’d spend more time with our daughters and sons, they’re losing their minds. We all feel hurt, here’s mine… No Guns Allowed.”

Drake’s lyrics are especially poignant as he raps about one of the most deadly shootings in the city of Scarborough, Canada. Truly speaking from the heart.

A strong message embedded in a powerful song. Let’s hope the world listens.

Lyrics:

[Intro]
Money makes a man, and that’s a crime
If we all were rich, we’d spend more time
With our daughters and sons, they’re losing their minds
We all feel hurt, here’s mine… hear me now

[Hook]
No guns are allowed in here tonight
We’re gonna have a free for all, no fight
I wanna get lost in the crowd in here tonight
I need to hear my thoughts, turn the music up loud

[Verse 1: Snoop Dogg]
Let the music play, me no want no more gunplay
When the bodies hit the ground, there’s nothing left to say
We don’t want to see more innocent blood shed
We don’t want to more youth dead (come hear me now)

[Hook]

[Verse 2: Drake]
News from back home, it’s when it hurts to be gone
Two more young names to be carved out of stone
One summer day that went horribly wrong
Got my dog on the phone, cryin’ and sayin’ to leave ‘em alone
But I’m not leaving his side, I know that somebody died
Somebody’s child, some people duck down and some hide
Some people just cannot react in time
Bullets do not choose a victim, it’s the shooter that picks ‘em
They just can’t wait to get you in the system
The district attorney could use a conviction
Told you no guns in there, you didn’t listen
Life is so heavy with that on your soul
Dedicate this to Shyanne and Josh
And pour something out for the lives that they stole – 416…

[Hook]

[Outro]
Money makes a man, and that’s a crime
Money makes a man, and that’s a crime
I wanna get lost in the crowd in here tonight

March 20, 2013March 22, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: UncategorizedTags: angela hunt, beirut, cori b, credits, diplo, drake, dre skull, full lyrics, gun violence, hip hop, listen, lyrics, major laser, major lazer, no guns allowed, no guns allowed snoop lion review, reggae, Review, single, snoop, snoop dogg, snoop lion, snoop lion no guns allowed review, stewart copeland, zach condon Leave a comment

Nai Palm & Hiatus Kaiyote: Australian Soul

[If you want to read about their show that “blew my mind” click here]

Sometimes you can’t find soul. Soul finds you. Apparently it found a group of talented musicians in Australia.

Last weekend I went to see Jose James at the Del Monte Speakeasy. I bought tickets for that show online on the venue’s website a few months ago. I noticed that there was a name I was unfamiliar with playing the following weekend. The venue site said they were from Australia (foreign bands always interest me, because it always seems that the best music these days comes from abroad, and it’s not often you can catch them playing in the United States) and there was something unusual about the spelling of the second word of the name of the band, so I decided to click through the links landing on their official website. Went straight to their band camp link, and listened to their latest project titled ““Tawk Tomahawk”. Impressed with what I heard, I decided to buy tickets that day, mostly because I liked the music, but also because tickets, at the time, were only $10 each. [If you want to read about their show that “blew my mind” click here]

I didn’t purchase the digital download of the album (I like to own LPs and CD, so I figured I’d wait), but I did download a free remix album and a live performance. I figured I should have something to listen too later, so I could know what to expect for the show.

A few weeks went by. I went to the Jose James concert (which was amazing, by the way) earlier in the week, and now, on this Sunday, March 17th, 2013 while others are sipping beer dyed with green coloring on a warm, breezy southern California day, I’m at my desk working. I remember I have the extra tickets, and post on Facebook to see if any of my friends are interested. Having only listened to the band’s latest album a couple of times, and their “remix” album as couple times, I described it as “Bjork with a jazz/funk/soul slant.” I’d like to take that back. They’re WAY more soulful than Bjork could be.

I hadn’t yet listened to the live download titled “Live at RRR FM”, so after posting on Facebook, I pressed start on my iTunes. It’s a 40+ minute live recording, and it’s already on it’s third replay … today.

Really, I’m just floored by what I’m hearing. I knew their recorded music was quality stuff. After doing a little internet snooping, I find out that Erykah Badu loves the band. ?uestlove of The Roots Tweeted about them. But their live recording … what I had been listening to for most of today, is really impressive. So much soul. So much talent. The lead vocalist’s, Nai Palm, voice reminds me (sincerely) of Amy Winehouse. The songwriting is filled with so much life. I think all of the jazz elements in the music breathes the life into it.

Spent a handful of distracted minutes to finding some quality live video links to share. I’m so looking forward to see them play next weekend.

This song is stunning.

Okay … now back to work. At least I have something to look forward to for next weekend.

Updated: 03/18/13: I found Nai Palm covering Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour”? If you didn’t already know, I named my blog after one of Stevie’s albums. I’m a huge Stevie fan. Nai gets SO many brownie points in my book. Can’t wait until the weekend.

March 17, 2013May 21, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: UncategorizedTags: "Tawk Tomahawk", ?uestlove, amazing, amy, amy winehouse, Australia, Bjork, concert, crazy music, dope music, erykah badu, hot new music, house, jazz, jose james, live, nai palm, neo soul, new music, nia, nia palm, palm, questlove, Review, soul, soul music, the roots, tweet, twitter, wine Leave a comment

Jose James | The Del Monte Speakeasy | 3/13/13

Earlier this year, a friend of mine posted a video clip on Facebook of a performance by a singer named Jose James. I liked what I heard, and started googling him and his music. When I stumbled upon his amazing cover of Freestyle Fellowship’s “Park Bench People”, I nearly lost my mind. I mean, I grew up with “Innercity Griots”, and I have always preached how that that album is in my top 10 list of best and most influential hip-hop albums of all time. What made that album so groundbreaking was how it pushed the limits of hip-hop (at the time), thematically and musically, especially using live jazz instrumentation, courtesy of members from The Underground Railroad (I even got to meet Onaje Murray– who kills it on Freestyle Fellowship’s version of “Park Bench People” in high school once, but that’s another story). Needless to say, I was feeling what Jose James was doing with his music and the fact that he picked one of my favorite hip-hop songs to cover earned him some mad respect.

While I was watching some of the video clips on Youtube, I noticed that Youtube had a tiny little caption in the video description that showed where he would be performing in Los Angeles next. I clicked through the link trying to see how much the tickets were, but apparently the show had sold out. Apparently, it was a KCRW promoted concert, and to my dismay, they had just featured Jose the day before, and tickets for the show sold out immediately. Slightly disheartened, I simply “liked” Jose’s Facebook page for updates on when he’d be in town in the future.

Facebook. Some people can’t stand it. I can’t live without it. About a week after trying to get tickets, I get a notice on FB that a second show had been added. I logged on and purchased tickets. FYI, the ticket for this second show also sold out. Thank you, Facebook.

It had been a tough couple weeks leading up to the show. Work had been overwhelming, and it seemed that everybody I was working with was heading to South By Southwest to work on various projects. I’ve never been to SXSW, so I was a bit envious. But since everyone was in Austin, TX for the music festival, I got a little reprieve from phone calls and emails to enjoy myself for the evening.

When I got to the venue, I picked up my wristband and got stamped at the door. The performance venue was downstairs in a dark basement with low a ceiling. My guest and I roamed the venue looking for a good place to stand, and we ended up basically where we started off, by the entrance, close to the stage right. The show was scheduled to start at 10pm, but the bouncer at the top of the stairs told me that he started around 11 the night before.

The later it got, the smaller our little space got. People kept filing in, and the temperature of the room started rising. You could feel it. Note to self: bring a small handheld fan for the next show I attend there. The air-conditioning was on (so says the venue), but you couldn’t tell.

Close to 11:00pm, the band the took the stage. One by one, the band members took the stage. Kris Bowers (keyboards), Solomon Dorsey (bass), Takuya Kuroda (trumpet) and Richard Spaven (drums). Each member introduced themselves to the audience through solos, and after a good 10 minutes of jazz instrumentals, Jose joined them on stage to sing “It’s All Over Your Body”, the first track of off his latest album . That song is about 5 and a half minutes long, but they jammed out for at least 10 minutes. It seemed to me that the audience truly understood the musicality of the gentlemen on stage. Each of them was truly skilled at their respective craft.

The room was getting hotter and hotter, and if you came in wearing a jacket or a sweater, you weren’t wearing it anymore. You could feel the the body heat coming off of the person standing next to you. You would think that the temperature would be unbearable, but no. Girls were shouting out Jose’s name with each line he sang, and bodies were swaying to the rhythm. If anything, people were sneakily pushing their way towards the stage, immersing themselves in the sweltering heat. The music was that good. No one wanted too leave their spot (at least where I was standing).

Jose has preached his musical root as being set in Jazz. He’s a tremendous “classic” jazz vocalist, as his duet album with Jef Neve, titled “For All We Know”, clearly showcases, but his talent and stylings are so much more that traditional jazz. Like Freestyle Fellowship, he takes a genre and stretches its boundaries.

People have compared vocals to D’Angelo and Bill Withers. People say that he evokes the 70’s soul of Gil Scott Heron. As cliched as it sounds, he’s Jose James. His performance showed me that he is his own style … meaning, if you heard his voice on the radio, you’d probably be able to tell that it’s him and not some other singer.

I usually try to take video clips of a handful of songs of the concert I go to, but after the show I realized that I had only taken clips of three songs. It was the kind of show where you didn’t want to watch it from the tiny screen of a cell phone. I was no more than 15 feet from the stage. I was going to soak it all in with my own eyes. Luckily, the three videos that I did take were of some of the highlight I took away from the show.

I had seen Robert Glasper earlier this year, and it just so happened that the music of “Vanguard”, one of my favorite songs off the album, was written by him. Jose wrote the lyrics. Great song.

Jose covered Bill Wither’s “Ain’t No Sunshine”. A great song. A great voice.

It was 1am when Jose closed his set with “Do You Feel”, and people started to leave. It’s almost understandable. Almost. After all, it was a Wednesday, and people have 9-5 jobs. The show was already over 2 hours. I, technically, have a 9-5 job. BUT he hadn’t played “Park Bench People” yet.

After a bit of cajoling from the faithful who moved forward to take up the space from those who couldn’t hang, Jose came on stage and started to sing a cappella a Marvin Gaye medley of “What’s Going On” and “Mercy Mercy Me”. What he did with the medley blew my mind. The voice is an instrument, but what he did with his instrument left me amazed. He became the human record player, scatting lines making it sound like a DJ was spinning records.

“What’s Going On” and “Mercy Mercy Me”, with their strong social commentary, segued brilliantly into “Park Bench People”, a song about the ravages of homelessness. He continued the scat passages of “Park Bench People” like he did with the medley and made those songs … for lack of more poetic words … his bitch. He took a song that I already loved, and left me amazed with his performance. Close to 1:30am, Jose and the band wrapped it up.

I was able to tell Jose before I left that I was amazed by his set, and that there was nothing I appreciated more in the world than good music, but upon retrospect the concert itself was a one of a kind experience. To experience that kind of musicianship, in that venue, with the heat, and skin, and vibe, excitement, and movement … Before I left him and his band alone, I was able to get Jose and Takuya autograph my 12” single of “Park Bench People”.

They say that listening to good music is like having sex. On March 13, 2013, in the crowded, sweltering basement of the Del Monte Speakeasy in Venice Beach, I left a concert drenched in my own sweat (and probably the sweat of others), my feet and legs aching from the physical exertion of standing for over two hours. I was physically and emotionally spent, but absolutely in awe of the performance that I was lucky enough to catch. When I got to my car, I sat there smoking a cigarette just to relax for a moment.

Yeah … I needed it.

Autographed 12" single of "Park Bench People". #Treasure — Autographed 12″ single of “Park Bench People”. If you want to see some other music treasure I’ve collected, click through this link.

March 15, 2013September 19, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: ConcertsTags: ain't no sunshine, bass, bill withers, del monte speakeasy, do you feel, drums, Facebook, for all we know, freestyle fellowship, innercity griots, instrumental, it's all over your body, jazz, jef neve, jose james, kcrw, keyboards, kris bowers, marvin gaye, No Beginning No End, onaje murray, park bench people, Review, richard spaven, robert glasper, solomon dorsey, south by southwest, sxsw, takuya kuroda, the underground railroad, trumpet, vanguard, what's going on Leave a comment

Morrissey | Staples Center | 3/1/13

“England is Mine and It Owes Me a Living”. Poster that I bought at the concert.

I remember when I was first introduced to the music of The Smiths. It was the summer after 8^th grade, and I was shipped off to a summer, boarding program called C.T.Y. [Insert nerd jokes here]. I always enjoyed spending the summers away from home (I went to my first summer boarding school after 6^th grade). Studying asides, I saw boarding school as an opportunity to meet new people and to learn to be somewhat autonomous.

At the time, I was listening to a lot of KDAY, so my music inclinations leaned more towards hip-hop. I had some alternative rock in my music collection, mostly Depeche Mode … in fact, at the time, my alternative music collection was all Depeche Mode… so every time I was introduced to new music I, tended to soak it all in.

There was a guy in my dormitory who was all about alternative music. He listened to Jane’s Addiction, Pixies… and the Smiths. We did a music swap, and made mix-tapes on cassette tapes (remember those?) for each other. I wish I still had that cassette tape, but I remember some of the tracks were “The Boy With The Thorn In His Side“, “Girlfriend in a Coma” and “How Soon Is Now“

I remember being taken aback by The Smiths music. It was a “new” type of rock music for me. It had hints of pop and rockabilly, but what really got me, was Morrissey’s vocal style. Morrissey’s croon captured my attention, and his lyrics, though very forlorn, was just so soothing to listen too.

After that summer, I kept up with Morrissey’s solo career, and over the years, I’ve amassed a nice little collection of The Smiths and Morrissey. Perhaps my favorite purchase is my most recent one, a live album titled “Panic!” of The Smith, which was recorded in Germany in 1986, that I bought November 24^th, 2013. I even posted a picture of the album when I first played it on Instagram.

Ironically enough, the day I purchased the album, was the day Morrissey was originally supposed to perform at the Staples Center. That show was cancelled due to his mother being hospitalized. I didn’t know it then, it wasn’t until a few weeks later when I visited another record store about the cancelled show. I saw the poster, and convinced the owner of Touch Vinyl to let me have it (after I bought a couple other albums). I figured it was a sign that I needed to get tickets to the rescheduled show, so I stopped by the box office when I was at the Staples Center for a Clippers game. Morrissey had been cancelling some concerts in recent days due to health concerns (bleeding ulcer) … thankfully he didn’t cancel the March 1, 2013 show.

While Morrissey’s health may not be 100%, his voice sounded amazing. It was a solid 19 song set, that mixed in old hits, new music and several The Smiths songs. I was sitting in the nose-bleed section, and there was no video monitor projecting the performance on stage, but a ticket is a ticket, and it’s Morrissey.

I could care less about Morrissey’s politics. I could care less about the news about meat being sold at the Staples Center. If you cared about that shit, you should have given your ticket to someone else who cared more about the music.

Morrissey and the band took their bows before they started playing. It’s the first time I have ever noticed a band or artist do so. The crowd went nuts, and Morrissey kicked off his concert with The Smiths song “Shoplifters of the World Unite”, one of the songs that was on heavy rotation on KROQ back in the day, and it seemed like all of Los Angeles who grew up during that time, were at the show.

Morrissey’s performance was all that you could have expected. His style hasn’t changed since I first heard him, and the themes that he’s known for … loneliness, heartaches, letdown, isolation … all came out through the music, though it did seem slightly ironic considering he sells out arenas. And the crowd loved it. Morrissey’s set list is below, with some video clips I took.

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Immediately below is a clip of Patti Smith performing her classic “Because The Night”. She dedicated it to her deceased husband Fred “Sonic” Smith, and it was the highlight of her set. Maybe she was the perfect opening for Morrissey because the night really did belong to lovers … of Morrissey.

Morrissey Set List

Shoplifters Of The World Unite  (The Smiths song)
Irish Blood, English Heart
Alma Matters
You Have Killed Me
You’re The One For Me, Fatty
Action Is My Middle Name
That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore  (The Smiths song)
I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris
Speedway
Meat Is Murder  (The Smiths song)
Ouija Board, Ouija Board
November Spawned A Monster
To Give (The Reason I Live)  (Frankie Valli cover)
How Soon Is Now?  (The Smiths song)
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want  (The Smiths song)
Everyday Is Like Sunday
Let Me Kiss You
First Of The Gang To Die

Encore

The Boy With The Thorn In His Side  (The Smiths song)

March 4, 2013September 19, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: ConcertsTags: 2013, concert, Depeche Mode, girlfriend in a coma, how soon is now, jane's addiction, kroq, live, march 1, morrissey, moz, panic!, patti smith, pixies, Review, set list, setlist, shoplifters of the world unite, staples, the boy with the thorn in his side, the smiths Leave a comment

Album Review: Soundgarden’s “King Animal”

In anticipation of the Soundgarden concert I’ll be going to later today (2/16/13) at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, today’s album review will be that of Soundgarden’s latest album, “King Animal”.

The picture above is the King Animal box set that I purchased. No, the picture above isn’t the box set that I purchased. Mine is still in its plastic shrink wrap. I’m a music dork, what can I say? Instead, I can only look at this picture and gain some satisfaction knowing that my set will rest in pristine condition until … well … who knows …

“King Animal” is Soundgarden’s 6th studio album, and first in 18 years. It was released on November 12, 2012 (one day before my birthday!) and received very solid reviews across the board, and I agree with all of them.

The production quality on this album is so much more polished than their prior albums. Each guitar lick is steady like a metronome, and pierces through without being intrusive, with the drums anchoring the steady count. I mean, just listen to “By Crooked Steps”.

Let’s not forget about Chris Cornell’s ability to wail through songs. His voice definitely sounds more mature than on the prior Soundgarden albums, but he can still wail. Check out “Black Saturday”. Though his voice may not be able to hit ALL of the notes he used to be able to sing, he’s smart enough to write melodies that fits the voice he as today.

The album starts with a bang. “Been Away Too Long” (very fitting title, by the way), the first track, is classic Soundgarden. Big and loud, it’s the kind of song that makes you want bust out the air guitar and fantasize about being a rock star. Other highlights for me include “A Thousand Days Before”, “Non-State Actor” and “Blood on the Valley Floor” (which, for me, sounds like a slowed down “Spoonman”). Coincidently, all of these tracks are in the first third of the album.

The rest of the album seems to be more toned down that the songs at the start of the album. I’m not sure if that’s what the band was looking to do, but that’s how it feels. I can’t say I particularly liked “Attrition”, “Taree”, “Halfway There” or “Eyelid’s Mouth”. They are average songs to me. In fact, and I hate to even say this, but “Halfway There” and “Eyelid’s Mouth” almost feels like <gasp> soft rock.

The album, as a whole, doesn’t finish as hard as it opens, but that’s besides the point. This is still a solid album. And if you are a Soundgarden fan, you will not be disappointed. I’m excited about what the future holds for them. The album was produced by Adam Kasper, but I’d love for them to branch out and get a cutting edge producer to do the next album… “Hello, is this Jack? Is Jack White there?”…

1. “Been Away Too Long”: *****

2. “Non-State Actor”: *****

3. “By Crooked Steps”: *****

4. “A Thousand Days Before”: *****

5. “Blood On The Valley Floor”: *****

6. “Bones of Birds”: ****

7. “Taree”: ***

8. “Attrition”: ***

9. “Black Saturday”: *****

10: “Halfway There”: ***

11: “Worse Dreams”: ****

12: “Eyelid’s Mouth”: ***

13. “Rowing”: ****

Album Rating: ****

February 16, 2013February 16, 2013 by dklee13 Categories: UncategorizedTags: chris cornell, grunge, hard rock, king animal, Review, rock and roll, soundgarden Leave a comment

Album Review: Allen Stone’s “Last to Speak”

Allen Stone’s vocal style reminds me of the classic soul and R&B singers of the 60s and 70s. Growing up in the small community of Chewelah, Washington (population 2,606 as of 2010!), it can be hard to imagine a voice as soulful coming from such an isolated city, especially since his dad was a pastor, and he grew up on gospel music, so you’d expect more of a secular influence.

Allen’s first full album release is “Last to Speak”, which, unfortunately, is only (as of the date of this writing) only available in a digital format.

It is a strong debut and gives the listener a craving to follow this talented singer to see where he evolves and takes his music. Though lyrically the music leans closer to folk than I necessarily would prefer, there is no doubt this album highlights the wide range of musical influences that Allen Stone has been able to cultivate at his young age (25 as of the date of this posting).

Elements of classic soul, popular music and R&B are used to tell various stories of heartache, social and religious commentary and self exploration, reminiscent of Stevie Wonder’s work during the late 70s and early 80s (Allen Stone has stated that Stevie Wonder was one of his idols).

I’ll admit that the album sequence could have been better. I would have put “Running Game” and “False Alarms” (in that order) before “Last to Speak”. That’s just a personal preference.

The vocal production is raw. It isn’t polished, softened or auto-tuned, and it shows all of the natural tendencies of Allen’s voice. I saw Allen Stone in concert in 2012, and I can guarantee you that what you hear on this album is how it sound live and in concert.

1. Shelter-I would have picked a different track to open up the album – ****