Author: Jeff Giddens

January 14, 2011 by

perpetua: Beck“Where It’s At”Live at Sessions at West 54th, 9/6/1997 This is a truly phenomenal performance. So much energy, so much imagination, so much wit, so totally alive in the moment. Entertainment! It just keeps going. There are so moments in this that make me smile so hard it hurts. You think it’s not going… Read more »

Phosphorescent – Are You Ready For The Country?

January 12, 2011 by

Phosphorescent – Are You Ready For The Country? Phosphorescent – “Are You Ready For The Country?” You have heard Phosphorescent’s “I Don’t Care If There’s Cursing” and other tracks from their latest effort Here’s To Taking It Easy on KXT 91.7. Check out their take on this classic tune, from the upcoming Mojo compilation Harvest… Read more »

  Gregg Allman has one of the most distinctive voices in American music. Going back to the thrilling tracks of the early Allman Brothers albums — including my favorite, Live at the Fillmore East — Allman’s vocals have made him a rock star and a staple of classic-rock radio. But I’ve always heard a blues singer. Low Country Blues, out Jan. 18, gets Allman back to the roots he and brother Duane shared as they set out from Macon, Ga., on the unpredictable adventure that became the Allman Brothers Band. This stripped-down collection of covers (and a few Allman originals) was produced by T-Bone Burnett, who seems to possess an inexhaustible appetite for interesting settings that push established musicians past their comfort zones. In this case, Allman was joined by Dennis Crouch, who only plays acoustic bass, and Jay Bellerose, who played drums with calfskin heads that deliver an old-school sound appropriate for the material. Doyle Bramhall II had a tough job: how not to sound like any of the amazing guitarists associated with Gregg Allman over the years (Duane and Derek Trucks come to mind). His playing adds another fascinating chapter to Allman’s recorded legacy, which sounds reinvigorated here.

January 10, 2011 by

First Listen: Gregg Allman, ‘Low Country Blues’

January 7, 2011 by

In case you missed Justin Townes Earle performing the title track from his latest, Harlem River Blues on Letterman, here is the performance, featuring Jason Isbell on guitar. (Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

January 6, 2011 by

Vincent Moon has captured great performances at his site, La Blogotheque, for somet ime now. Here is a great one, showing Phoenix in their hometown with an off-the-cuff performance of “1901”.  (Source: http://player.vimeo.com/)

The Pogues – Fairytale Of New York

December 13, 2010 by

The Pogues – Fairytale Of New York The Pogues – “Fairytale of New York” This 1987 ode to those for whom the holidays aren’t necessarily happy comes from legendary Irish band The Pogues. The song tells a tale of an Irish immigrant couple confronting addictions and failed dreams at Christmastime in the Big Apple.  With… Read more »

December 8, 2010 by

John Lennon – “Beautiful Boy” This track, from Double Fantasy, was written for Sean Lennon, John’s only child with Yoko. Released just three weeks before Lennon’s murder in front of the Dakota, the record became a commercial success after his death. This song shows the tender side of John, who was abandoned by his father… Read more »