Here’s a guy who just doesn’t get enough recognition for his talent and contribution to American music. Whether performing folk and country with the Flatlanders or rocking alongside the Clash or performing classic Mexican folk with Joel Guzman, Ely has proven himself a masterful musician. Here’s a randomly selected trio of Ely classics: Ely’s take […]
Monday Morning Video: Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers
Chances are that you’ve seen Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers cover of Hall & Oates “I Can’t Go For That.” It has gone viral and has nearly 1.5 million views on YouTube. The cover is part of their Van Session series, recorded with an iPhone in their van as they tour (the video descriptions include […]
Monday Morning Video: Newport Folk Festival
Here’s a great video from this past weekend’s Newport Folk Festival. Torrential rain threatened to cancel the backstage bbq event but the musicians took it upon themselves to make it happen. Here’s Jim James, Ben Sollee, Joe Fletcher and others with an acoustic take on the INXS classic “Never Tear Us Apart.” Pretty special.
Monday Morning Video: John Doe (with Jon Dee Graham)
Here’s a lost classic that remains one of my favorite songs. Doe and his band (look closely to see Jon Dee Graham on guitar) let loose a furious romp that punctuates Doe’s social commentary. Some people say they like to hear me talk ’cause I tell ’em what’s wrong. I don’t see much more than […]
Tom’s Picks: Overlooked in 2011
There’s always a few late releases or ones that seem to pass me by every year. Here’s a few to file in the “better late than never” category: GARRETT J. BROWN, Priorities [★★★★/3.875] CASEY DONAHEW BAND, Double-Wide Dream [★★★★/3.600] These guys fill all voids that Reckless Kelly leave between records. This is Texas country the […]
Monday Morning Video: Lucero with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra
First it was the horns. Now horns and strings?! Damn, what I would have done to have been at this show. Hopefully we’ll get to see and hear the full show at some point.
Monday Morning Video: Whiskeytown
Ah Ryan, such a great songwriter and always so, um, soft-spoken. Here’s a gem from 1997.
Monday Morning Video: Dave Alvin, Flaco Jimenez & Los Lobos
Last week I posted a video featuring Alejandro Escovedo joining Los Lobos at an LA performance earlier this year. Apparently Alejandro wasn’t the only guest that evening for what must have been an incredible evening of music. Here’s Dave Alvin and Flaco Jimenez joining Los Lobos for Alvin’s classic — and seasonal — song “Fourth […]
Monday Morning Video: Alejandro Escovedo with Los Lobos
Wow, this is a find. Here are two clips showing Alejandro Escovedo performing with Los Lobos earlier this year. The first shows the musicians rehearsing Escovedo’s “Rosalie” in a Los Angeles studio; the second shows them performing it the next night at LA’s Greek Theater.
Monday Morning Video: The Waterboys
Here’s my question for the day: how come I never had an assembly like this when I was in grade school? Here’s Mike Scott of the Waterboys performing “The Whole of the Moon” for a group of schoolchildren in Ireland. And the best part? The kids know the words and sing along!