A Bloy and his Blog

Orchestra Baobab plays a laid back, Afro-Cuban style, and their show last night at the Barrymore Theatre was almost perfect for a beautiful summer evening. The band from Senegal has nine members: three guitarists, two saxophonists, and four people who spent their evening singing, and taking turns at the three percussion stations.

Orchestra Baobab sings in their native languages (Wolof? Mandinka? and some French) and I’m sure most of us in the audience didn’t have a clue what they were singing about. But that didn’t matter with the easy going groove their music had.

read the rest of: Orchestra Baobab’s laid back groove

You could almost file The Odd Couple, the latest release by Gnarls Barkley, under “old school R&B.” Gnarls Barkley (a duo comprised of producer Danger Mouse and vocalist Cee-Lo Green) brilliantly reference that old R&B style, while adding modern musical elements of their own. Hear that mixing of styles in “A Little Better.”

Following up their critically acclaimed debut album, St. Elsewhere, must have been a daunting task. Even though there isn’t a smash hit like that album’s “Crazy,” The Odd Couple is a more consistent, and better record.

read the rest of: The Odd Couple by Gnarls Barkley

Weezer pays homage to the viral video.

Pork and Beans, from their forthcoming “red album” (out June 3).

On the first few listens of April, by Sun Kil Moon it’s the hooks (guitar riffs, chorus) that suck you in. Further listening uncovers the multiple layers beneath: the rich textured walls of sound, the expressive lyrics of loneliness, longing and memories of love. As each layer reveals itself and you become more familiar with the song, you move ever closer into the mind of the artists, feeling the depth of their emotions.

The opening track, “Lost Verses” sets the tone. It begins with a lone acoustic guitar accompanying the voice of singer Mark Kozelek. As it continues, instruments are added until the end of the song (a 90 second instrumental coda) has a wonderfully layered, full structure of sound.

read the rest of: April by Sun Kil Moon

Last night I went to one of the best concerts I’ve been to in years, when I saw Kathleen Edwards and her band put on an amazing show at Madison’s beautiful Majestic Theatre.

The concert began on a somber tone, with Kathleen playing the haunting “Alicia Ross” “Mercury” (from her debut album). She started by herself, accompanied only by her acoustic guitar. As it continued the other band members gradually chimed in, until all five musicians were playing in full force. By the end of the song I knew I was going to be in for a real treat. Just as that thought was in my head, the band confirmed my instinct and launched into the rousing and jangly, “In State,” a song from my favorite Kathleen Edwards album, Back to Me.

read the rest of: Kathleen Edwards and band amazing

Last night I went to see The New Pornographers perform at the Orpheum Theatre here in Madison. While the absence of Neko Case was disappointing for me (get better soon Neko, we missed you!), the concert was a good one. But I’m not going to talk about the whole show, if you’re interested Muzzle of Bees has a good review on their website. I want to talk about the encore the band performed.

After a good long set of music, The New Pornographers thanked the crowd and left the stage. Here it comes, I thought. It’s such a cliché, the way rock concert encores happen these days.

read the rest of: The perfect encore

I recently discovered an outstanding resource at T.U.B.E.: The Ultimate Bootleg Experience. Featuring both live and studio recordings (outtakes, rarities, etc.), T.U.B.E. is veritable goldmine. Some of the more interesting things I found there include:

• Joe Strummer - Solos, Soundtracks, & Rarities
• Van Morrison - Gypsy Soul (Studio Demos)
• Peter Tosh - Equal Rights Demos 1977
• Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - 1969-08-26 - Los Angeles
  (the earliest completely recorded CSNY concert)
• Talking Heads - CBS Demos (1975)
• U2 - Pulled The Covers (1979-2006)

The one minor downside of T.U.B.E. is the slightly complicated downloading process.

read the rest of: The Ultimate Bootleg Experience