Concert Review: Josh Ritter at Diesel

Diesel is a strange place to see a concert. They have a good soundsystem, but the place has odd acoustic qualities depending on where you stand (this was especially apparent on Sunday night when both the opener and the headliner seemed to want the vocals turned up when the vocals were already too loud). On top of that, it’s hard to ignore the greasy nightclub vibe and the awkward layout, which, unless you arrive early, almost guarantees you an obstructed view. That said, the venue still works well for a rock show, as they do a nice job with lights and it has an industrial feel to it.

For all these reasons, Diesel should not lend itself well to a folky concert, but Josh Ritter—with plenty of help from a stellar backing band—has managed twice now to prove otherwise. It says a lot for this modern troubadour that his traditional yet understated live presence moves astonishingly well between small coffeehouses, large theatres and, apparently, even nightclubs.

Usually outfitted in a slim suit and tie, as he was Sunday, Ritter is always appreciative of his audience and rarely stops smiling when in the presence of fans, on stage or off. After a solid opening set by Mark Erelli (imagine the spawn of Paul Simon, Ray Lamontagne and Clay Aiken), Ritter kicked things off with “Rumors,” a rocker off his last full-length that woke the crowd up and set the tone for the rest of the show. While the night held plenty of Ritter’s old standards, he wasted no time in testing out some of his new material, playing three new tunes in all. The real standout of these was “The Curse,” a stirring waltz about a love affair with a mummy, full of wordplay and surrealism.

Fortunately, Ritter was only met with boos once during the set—after dedicating “You Don’t Make it Easy Babe” to Villanova. Too soon? Yes. Not surprisingly, the night’s loudest applause came from the many ladies in the audience when the band broke into a crowd favorite, “Kathleen,” during which Ritter interjected some lighthearted romantic musings as he often does and even took to his knees for the final verse.

After a great rendition of “Monster Ballads” (a personal favorite from his catalogue) and another exceptional new tune, Ritter was a bit uneven on a few of his classics, “Bad Actress” and “Harrisburg,” but quickly turned things around closing out the main set with a thoroughly energetic “To the Dogs or Whoever.”

Without delay, Ritter returned to the stage solo for a Springsteen cover which saw Ritter stepping to the fore of the stage for a few unmiked verses, a trick which usually works well but was sullied this time by a noisy barstaff. Finally, Ritter finished out the show by inviting the audience to join him afterward at Dee’s Café and launching into his much-loved sing-along, “Snow is Gone.”

But that wasn’t it for him. The consummate entertainer, Ritter immediately moved to the floor to filter through his fans, still smiling. It’s clear watching this guy that he finds a lot to love in life, and perhaps chief among those things are music and his fellow man. Surely everyone leaving the show on Sunday took a little of that love along with them.

Setlist:

1. Rumors

2. Right Moves

3. Love Me (?) (new song)

4. Lilian, Egypt

5. You Don’t Make it Easy, Babe

6. The Curse (new song)

7. Roll On

8. Mind’s Eye

9. Kathleen

10. Monster Ballads

11. Another New World (new song)

12. Bad Actress

13. Harrisburg

14. To the Dogs or Whoever

Encore:

15. The River (Springsteen)

16. Empty Hearts

17. Snow is Gone

Download:

Josh Ritter - "The Curse" (Mediafire link)

Recent Handsome Furs show reviews

For the tired and weary out there who may be debating whether to suck it up and make it out for an 11:00 p.m. Handsome Furs show on this fine Tuesday night, here are some recent reviews to help you make up your mind. You know you want to.

Minneapolis, MN (via Gimme Noise)

Columbia, MO (via The Bathysphere)

NYC (via Pop Wreckoning)

Download:
Handsome Furs - "I'm Confused" (Mediafire link)

Concert Review: Good Night, States at Thunderbird Cafe

"Guitars erupt over vintage synths as Good Night, States fuses familial indie quirks with steady rock and roll sensibility. Four part harmony, homemade guitar pedal white noise, and warbly vintage synths augment stand-alone songwriting to craft a memorable, melodic live show."

We'd seen this unattributed quote in a few places on the old internet and, though we’ve given them a few recent shout-outs on the blog and we both dig their studio releases, neither of us had seen Good Night, States live. Turns out the description above is pretty apt, as we learned for ourselves this past Friday when we both skipped the Antlers in favor of the local indie darling. Here's our take on our maiden voyage with GNS at the Thunderbird Café:

Roberto: It was clear from their stage setup on Friday that this is a band who takes their sound seriously. And though that doesn't mean their studio sound is translated directly to the live show, it does mean that the band's many nuances don't get lost in the mix.

With a healthy array of keyboards and a plethora of pedals at the ready, the five-piece started out with a couple of more traditional rockers--including the excellent "Family Dark"--before really spreading out and showing off their experimental side.

Henry: Yeah, it was hard not to notice the meticulous weave electric of cabling and homemade pedals they deftly plugged together. In an era of big, booming, black amps their array of mini-boxes strategically miked in the few spaces allowed by the intimate T-Bird stage gave the show a friend’s living room kind of feel.

R: And while less energetic on stage than the well-received Middle Distance Runner, who played just before them, GNS bring a sort of studious professionalism to their live show that works well for their sound. The obvious comparison for their studio material is a slightly poppier Wilco, and that holds pretty true for their stage presence as well (perhaps thinking of a Wilco before the addition of the explosive Nels Cline).

H: At first, I was underwhelmed when they turned the soundcheck into a steady rocker. But the show picked up steam and you had to recognize the tightness of the group. That said, Middle Distance had just finished rocking the room into a swirling frenzy of cigarettey, wailing rock and GNS’ articulate harmonies felt sweet but punchless for the first 4 or 5 minutes as a result.

R: What struck me about GNS, particularly on the epic "Long Coats, No Energy," was their ability to keep it controlled during a few electro-instrumental interludes that recalled middle-era Sonic Youth, which could have strayed into the risky realm of noise-for-the-sake-of-noise in a small venue like the Thunderbird. Thankfully, the band fell back in line well short of that mark. To me, this showed a level of restraint unexpected for a band at only two years of age.

H: It was clear that all three bands on the bill (Eulogies, MDR and GNS, in order of appearance) are worthy of their music-blog-hype.

Shifting gears, I’d be remiss if I didn’t commend GNS’ clever and oh-so-indie marketing stunt: the band’s merch-girl (who’s name I unfortunately didn’t catch) wandered the crowd throughout the night and had audience members write messages to their friends on GNS postcards, which the band would then mail for you. She had five different cards featuring each of the band’s indie-glamour mugshots on them.

I guess what I'm getting at is this: they are everything you want your local indie-rock-act-with-big-time-potential to be. They’re clever, smallish, tight-jeaned--but above all else, immensely talented. A solid and pleasing show.

R: Totally agree. Their focus was clearly on the music, and I think the audience could feel that and appreciated it. Though all the night's performers showed up to impress, most folks in the crowd actually seemed to be there for GNS, and it's no secret why.

Final note: GNS will be playing next on April 15 at the New Hazeltt Theatre on the Northside, and Eulogies will be back in town on May 8, this time at Diesel opening for the Dears.

New Bob Dylan Song: Beyond Here Lies Nothing

Asked after Modern Times was released if that record completed a trilogy based on its similarity of sound to Time Out of Mind and Love & Theft, Dylan responded that he didn't think in terms of trilogies but, if he was to, it would be the second installment. So it's no surprise that his newest record, Together Through Life, is his third in a row which is self-produced under the pseudonym Jack Frost. The album is out April 28, but you can download the first single right now through his Web site. Sort of a zydeco thing going on here. Sort of fitting I guess, given that it was written at the request of a french film director.

Click on the album cover above to pre-order your copy.

And you can read Dylan's atypically straightforward thoughts on the album here.

Download:
Bob Dylan - "Beyond Here Lies Nothing"

New Josh Ritter Song: The Curse

Josh Ritter played a handful of new songs last night at Diesel. The unquestionable standout among them was “The Curse,” a stirring waltz about (I think) a love affair with a mummy. Full of wordplay and surrealism, the song is evocative of “The Temptation of Adam” off The Historical Conquests and is, in my mind, among Ritter's best lyrical work to date.

Full setlist and review of last night's show a little later. For now, enjoy...

Download:
Josh Ritter - "The Curse" (Mediafire link)

Sunday's quandary

Josh Ritter will be in the Southside, while the Heartless Bastards will be in Millvale. Both are known to put on a great show. It's a tough one, but I gotta think you can't go wrong either way.

Here's Erika Wennerstrom and her band last week down in Austin:


And here's Ritter and his a few days ago in Charlotte:


Godspeed.

PC World guide to iTunes freebies

Their three suggestions:

1. Blog: Free iTunes Downloads
2. Site: Get Free iTunes Store Downloads
3. Gadget: iGoogle Free iTunes Downloads

Read the full article here.

Britney's roadies tasered on the Southside

Hey, it's Pittsburgh music news, sort of. Full story here.

Free Antlers live recording via NYC Taper

For those looking to warm up for Friday's show at Brillobox, NYC Taper has the Antlers' March 5 New York show in its entirety right... here. The sound quality's not half bad. Enjoy.

Weekend at Birdie's

When I was a young boy in the Indian Guides, my father and I wore rawhide vests and sewed patches on them and raced little wooden cars, which I assume did not exist back on the frontier, and we were called Lightning Bolt and Thunderbird, though I can’t remember who was which. But that has nothing to do with anything really.

So anyway, this week I’m not complaining about weekday concerts or Pittsburgh getting passed over, because just down the hill from Brillobox is another of the city’s best small venues, the Thunderbird Café, and as luck would have it, they’re also gearing up for a great weekend.

Friday has a bright indie rock lineup which includes the inaptly-named Eulogies, who have been seeing a lot of exposure over these past few weeks of SXSW buzz. Eulogies’ new LP will be out April 7, so if the Antlers are already yesterday's news to you, this may be your opportunity to get ahead of the next curve. But the highlight of the night will be Pittsburgh’s own Good Night, States. YEP christened them the best local act of 2008, and SPIN Magazine has described them thusly:

Like Ryan Adams singing for the Boy Least Likely To, Good Night, States marry singer-songwriter vocal stylings and confessional lyrics to near-twee tunes anchored by electronic blips, xylophone and the occasional drum machine. The
Pittsburgh-based quintet sprinkle carefree handclaps and sunny male/female harmonies on a Wilco-indebted Americana foundation.

That’s good company to be in, and the praise is well-deserved. Also playing Friday: Middle Distance Runner, who have enjoyed their fair share of hype over the last month as well. All tolled, this triple -bill (I’m not clear on the night’s order) warrants a ticket far pricier than the paltry $7 they’re charging.

Saturday, leave your American Apparrel gear at home. Calliope is bringing in Philly’s Hoots & Hellmouth—fresh off their own SXSW run—for a rollicking night of gospel-infused acoustic roots-rock. Hoots & Hellmouth have been touted by the likes of NPR and Paste, and they’re reputed to put on a hell of a good show. You can check out their Daytrotter session here.

Opening on Saturday will be local bluegrass maestros Mon River Ramblers. Known to burn through a mean jam before slowing it down for some blue crooners, the Ramblers never disappoint live, and should do well to warm up the crowd.

And, for the jammier fans out there who haven’t had enough come Sunday, Thunderbird will be holding their mostly-weekly Grateful Dead Hour to wind down the weekend. That is, unless you plan to cross the Mon for Josh Ritter, or maybe the Allegheny for Heartless Bastards. Either way, Monday may be a good day to call in sick.

Downloads:
Eulogies – “Two Can Play” (Mediafire link)
Good Night, States – “The Family Dark” (Mediafire link)
Hoots & Hellmouth – “Want on Nothing” (Mediafire link)

UPDATE: Good Night, States will be the headliner Friday.

Brillobox in bloom

Maybe you didn't make it to SXSW this year (neither did I), but over the next few weeks some of the most deservedly hyped indie acts of 2009 are going to be rolling through this here city of Pittsburh--specifically, to Bloomfield (or "Upper Lawrenceville" maybe? I'm always confused about that part of town).

The New York Times last year compared Brillobox to “an arty East Village bar,” but this café/eatery/tap room is all our own, from its Warholian handle to its friendly staff and a selection of suds via East End Brewery. It’s also a cozy place to catch a rock show. Why not try one of these:

• Antlers this Friday
• Handsome Furs next Tuesday
• Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin April 11
• Pomegranates April 15
• Headlights April 19

Be warned, however: the main acts at Brillobox tend to go on pretty late. Still, you’ll want to be timely for this set of shows, as openers will include some of Pittsburgh’s best young talent, including Chalk Dinosaur for SSLYBY and Triggers for the Headlights, either of which would be worth the price of admission by themselves.

Downloads:
Handsome Furs – “All We Want Baby Is Everything” (Mediafire link)
Pomegranates – “Corriander” (Mediafire link)
Antlers – “Bear” (Mediafire link)

Video: Vampire Weekend on Jimmy Fallon

If Jimmy Fallon's done one thing right so far, it's getting a killer lineup of musical guests. And actually I think he's done alright on the humor front as well.

I'm lukewarm on this new song, though. And on Vampire Weekend's live presence. Oh well. You can decide for yourself. (Also, that was a total bummer when they announced then cancelled the free show at CMU last summer. Man.)

Video: Public Enemy on Jimmy Fallon

Check out Chuck D., still representing the Buccos of Suckitude all these years later. (Didn't the Pirates try to sue him back in the 80's or something?) This performance is awesome, and it also confirms that the Roots can enhance even a tried-and-true classic, as they fill in for Anthrax on "Bring the Noise."

St. Paddy's Day Records: The Makem & Clancy Collection

This record probably marks my memories of childhood better than any other, and after rediscovering it about three years ago, it's become one of my favorites of adulthood as well.

As individuals, Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy have each earned their spot in any future folk music hall of fame. When brought together, Clancy's soft voice and touching delivery entwines with Makem's unique and vibrant baritone to produce striking harmonies. Their contrasting vocals also allowed them to carry a wide range of selections in their songbag. As Clancy's homepage proudly announces, Dylan called him "the best ballad singer I'd ever heard in my life." (For now I'll avoid arguing Clancy's more controversial influence over Dylan's work.) The late Tommy Makem, for his part, could handle the ballads pretty well also, but was perhaps at his best when he picked up the pace a bit on reels, drinking songs, and upbeat narratives like his crowd-pleasing "Town of Ballybay."

It's with good reason that Makem is known as the godfather of Irish music, and while his solo work is unwaveringly excellent, I still prefer him accompanied by his boyhood friend. Makem and Liam Clancy brought out the best in each other's music, and so the Makem and Clancy Collection, as it ranges from simple children's tunes to lush Celtic arrangements, is a great introduction not only to two legendary folk musicians, but also to Irish music in general. Click on the album cover above to buy it.

Downloads:

Makem & Clancy - "The Dutchman" (Mediafire link)

Makem & Clancy - "Morning Glory" (Mediafire link)

Check out SITKOT's full list of recommended St. Patrick's Day albums here.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

It's quite a fine St. Patrick's Day to be in Pittsburgh. After a cold and misty morning, as if blown in off the Irish Sea, we find ourselves warmed by the afternoon's rays as our gardens sprout signs of green.

And not least, our very own Dan Rooney has been nominated as our next Ambassador to Ireland. Why not download these classic Pogues tracks and go for a celebratory stroll?

Stay tuned for the final installment of SITKOT's great St. Paddy's Day records a bit later today.

Downloads:
The Pogues - "Misty Morning, Albert Bridge" (Mediafire link)
The Pogues - "Sunny Side of the Street" (Mediafire link)

St. Patrick's Weekend in Pittsburgh

Photo: BarSmart

For a city of our size, Pittsburgh is blessed to have a relatively large and very strong Irish community. From the suburbs to the city Pittsburgh has a good selection of pubs of a Celtic bent, but the heart of it all is in the strip district, of course, at Mullaney’s Harp & Fiddle. Mullaney’s offers a good bill of Irish music twelve months a year, but this Saturday and next Tuesday, that bill includes the best our city has to offer.

For those who haven’t experienced the Harp at St. Pat’s before, it's well worth the minor hassle and a reasonable cover charge to experience the joy that fills it every year. A tent goes up in the back parking lot, the bar stays as is, and you can move back and forth as freely as the crowd will allow. Between the two spaces, the live music never stops, with the tent providing folkier acts to balance out the modernized sounds found inside.

Saturday’s headliners are two staples of Pittsburgh’s music scene: Guaranteed Irish--including Bruce Foley, who played with Tommy Sands last weekend--and the always rocking Red Hand Paddy. Before them, the afternoon will be carried through by Hooley in the tent with Michael Murphy and the Shannon River Band in the bar. (And if you can't make it over the weekend, Tuesday brings back the same great lineup.)

So, if you're not in the mood to tread through collegiate puke in Market Square or to subject yourself to Hizzoner Luke in action at a parade, fret not; you have plenty of options:

Mullaney’s Harp & Fiddle
Mark Guiser, Michael Murphy & The Shannon River Band, Hooley, Guaranteed Irish, Red Hand Paddy

Claddagh
Hooley, Rivermen, Devilish Merry, Molly in the Crowd, Do it for Johnny, Bon Journey (not Irish, but definitely hilarious)

Molly Brannigan’s
Irish Dancers, Bagpipes, Gramsci Melodic

Finnegan’s Wake
Nothing listed on the outdated website, but it’s probably safe to assume they have something going on.

McFadden's

Girls Gone Green Jello Wrestling Competition (most likely to a soundtrack of GnR and hiphop)

Download:
Red Hand Paddy – “Fisherman’s Blues” (Mediafire link)

SXSW Freebie Alert

As a big fan of NPR's "All Songs Considered" I've learned to get past Bob Boilen's annoying diction and the underlying pretension of a show that claims to consider all songs in the world and purport 5 or so weekly as notable. Why, you ask? Because Bob usually does play good stuff and often it's stuff I've never heard of before. Plus, I just love Podcasts.

He's been hyping NPRmusic's association with SXSW, the SouthbySouthWest music festival, for a few weeks now and if you aren't going to make it to Austin this month (we aren't), NPR has done you the favor of providing a 10-Song, SXSW Sampler on iTunes - for FREE!



There's bound to be something you haven't heard before on there, unless you're Bob Boilen or something. SITKOT favorites the Avett Brothers are featured, as are David Byrne, the Decemberists and hip-pop darling K'Naan (pictured with hands up) who I can't stop enjoying no matter how much I want to. Anyhow, the real pleasures for me were the groups I hadn't known or known that I knew, like: Thao, Blitzen Trapper (bluish picture) and Blind Pilot.

The link for the iTunes download link is here.

And, if you haven't checked out the surprisingly robust offering that NPRmusic has become: give it a spin. They're doing live broadcasts from SXSW all week in addition to their bevy of other concert recordings, articles, Podcasts and information.

Phish reunion wrap-up

Photo: Jay Paul, NYT

Those of you who shampoo regularly may or may not be aware that the much-hyped Phish reunion went down over the weekend in Hampton, Virginia, and apparently lived up to expectations. The Times dished out a synopsis in yesterday’s edition. Some highlights (including a shoutout to the Burghtown):

When Phish announced in September that it would reunite and play three concerts here, the news instantly rekindled the Internet-fueled Phish fan network. Within days of the announcement, even before tickets went on sale, every hotel within at least 20 miles was booked solid.
...

“I was 5 years old when Jerry Garcia died, and 13 when Coventry happened, so I’ve been waiting all my life to come to a show like this,” Ben Cooper, 18, a high school senior from Knoxville, Tenn., said on Saturday night. Mr. Cooper said his family had pooled $900 to buy him tickets as a combined graduation and birthday present.
...

“You could offer me $20,000, and I wouldn’t walk away from these shows,” Olen Green, a 38-year-old truck driver from Pittsburgh, said as he sat in the first row of the balcony on Friday night. Mr. Green said he had paid $1,265 for his three nights’ tickets. “People say, ‘Oh, why are you going to all three shows?’ But it’s really just like one event.”

And those prices weren’t for luxury box seats. No such thing here. In an era of high-tech stadiums and fancy amenities, Hampton Coliseum is among the great old-school rock arenas. One of the few halls of its size still to offer full general-admission seating with an open floor, Hampton is known to rock fans as crowded, sweaty, stinky, smoky, loud and in every respect intense. Leave your seat without a friend to watch it? It’s gone.

You can read the full article here, and check out the weekend's setlists here.

They'll be at Star Lake in June. Thankfully, I'll be there too. Here they are jamming out "Mike's Song" on Friday night:

Mike's Song 03.07.09 from Jesse Borrell on Vimeo.

St. Paddy's records: The Long Black Veil

The Chieftains are legendary, and have done more than any other artist to spread the joy of Irish music far and wide, so I don’t mind that they should make it on here twice. They’re such a great band, and have worked with so many other great artists, that I struggled with whether to include one of their own records or another collaboration. But ultimately, this list was intended to follow in the spirit of the Chieftains themselves in promoting the genre beyond its core audience.

With a lineup that includes the Rolling Stones, Sinead O’Connor, Sting, Ry Cooder, and many others, The Long Black Veil is a great intro to Irish music, and provides recognizable songs and voices that make it all the more accessible. My favorite track off the record is also one of my favorite folk tunes. It’s thought to be of English origin, but most versions I’ve heard (including Bob Dylan’s) place the story stateside in Missouri. It’s been done by countless folksingers, but Mark Knopler’s interpretation of the song with the Chieftains’ rich orchestrations at his back breathes a whole new life into the old tune.

What’s perhaps most impressive about this record is that despite the stars that join the band on nearly every track, it’s the music of the Chieftains that shines brightest. The songs are all well-chosen, and upon listening you can almost hear the depth of the guests’ respect for their hosts in their voices. For any modern music fan, this is a record worth owning.

Download:

Mark Knopfler & The Chieftains - "Lily of the West" (Mediafire link)

See the full list of St. Paddy's Day record reccomendations here.

Video: M. Ward on Craig Ferguson

Harkening back to some of his own earlier work, M. threw a lot of religious overtones into his most recent record, Hold Time, and this song is a prime example. (For the first minute I thought maybe he'd injured his arm; not so.)

Dear Morrissey fans: It may be time to worry

After cancelling his Florida shows, then saying he was feeling better, then leaving the stage early in his Myrtle Beach gig and cancelling on Atlanta, Moz has probably justified the fears of fans with tickets for the St Patrick's Day show in Homestead. Particularly considering that he called off his past two scheduled Pittsburgh performances.

St. Paddy's records: Swagger, Warrior's Code

For quite a while I dismissed both Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys as Pogues rip-offs. Then I saw Flogging Molly live at the San Diego Street Fest, and they rocked a crowd of thousands. I soon gave into the infectious singalongs of both bands.

LA’s Flogging Molly stays pretty true to the sound of their Celtic rock forebears, and they do it very well. Their first record, Swagger, remains my favorite.

If you like your folk-punk with more punk than folk, Boston’s Dropkicks are your band: two parts Pogues, one part Mighty Mighty Bosstones, a touch of Lagwagon (at risk of overdoing it, maybe a twist of Metallica?). 2005's Warrior's Code rocks about as hard as a banjo and bagpipes will allow.

Either or both will keep your St. Pat’s party going strong into the wee hours. Click on the album covers above to buy.

Downloads:
Dropkick Murphys – “Sunshine Highway” (Mediafire link)
Flogging Molly – “Every Dog Has Its Day” (Mediafire link)

See the full list of St. Paddy's Day record reccomendations here.

Mr. Busta Rhymes sets sail

Before I call it a day here, I just want to remind everyone that Busta Rhymes is playing a show in Pittsburgh next Thursday. On a boat.



And we out.

Pete Yorn covers Springsteen

Here's Yorn lending his voice "Your Own Worst Enemy" as part of the ongoing Hangin Out on E-Street series, which you can check out here.

Video: U2 on Letterman - "Beautiful Day"

Video: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah debut new tune on Jimmy Fallon

I have to say, Fallon isn't doing too bad so far. Could have something to do with the presence of Burgher Anthony Jeselnik on his writing staff, yes?

Anyway, the song is apparently called "Statues." Good stuff.


Download:
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - "Statues"

Video: U2 on Letterman - "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"

Night 3 of U2 on Letterman:

St. Paddy's Day records: Wolfe Tones, Tommy Sands

I’ll be honest: I can’t blame Brian Warfield and the Wolfe Tones for being a little bitter after their people endured hundreds of years of persecution by the English crown, so if he wants to theorize that the devil has risen from the dead and joined the British Army, I won’t be one to doubt him. But north of the border, Tommy Sands pens lyrics of a different tone, and to the Wolfes he (with a hand from Pete Seeger) says: “Don’t sing songs of winning and losing... Sing me the music of healing.”

Many Americans think of drinking songs when they think of Irish music, and certainly those are a part of the modern Celtic canon. But there’s much more depth to be explored in the genre, and many of the songs are rich with tales of the country's history. Both Tommy Sands and the Wolfe Tones are staples of Irish folk music, and through contrasting messages they tell one story of the people of the Irish island.

A listen to the Wolfe Tones’ Greatest Hits followed by Tommy Sands’ The Heart’s a Wonder can offer valuable insights into the past struggles of the rebels against their rulers in the North, and the ongoing struggle to maintain a fragile peace among good people trying to move beyond bad memories. So today, I recommend both. (And I should mention that there’s more here than just lyrics—both also come packed with the melodies and instrumentation that mark all good Irish music.)

Several tracks from Tommy's catalog are available to stream at his website here (songs at left). He'll be at the Carnegie Lecture Hall in Oakland this Saturday, and tickets are still available through ProArts.

Download:
Wolfe Tones - "God Save Ireland" (Mediafire link)

See the full list of St. Paddy's Day record reccomendations here.

Wilco teams up with Feist

According to Rolling Stone, Feist stopped by Wilco's Chicago workspace last week to record a tune for the upcoming Wilco record, which is expected in June. I'm trying to think back, and it seems to me this may be Tweedy's first recorded duet with a female vocalist? I'm not sure.

They should be wrapping things up on the album, as they're due to start touring in just a few weeks, starting in New England, arcing through the Midwest on down to the South. Sorry, Pittsburgh; you'll have to drive to Athens, OH (or, better yet, hop a jet to Spain), if you want to see the boys this time around.

Downloads:
Jeff Tweedy & Jay Bennett - "James Alley Blues" (Mediafire link)
Wilco - "Peace, Love and Understanding" (Mediafire link)

Janes Addiction & NIN announce Burgh date

They'll be out at Star Lake on June 10.

Here's an epic performance of "Three Days" from 1990:


Also, Jane's has a four-disc box set of rarities, remixes, and such coming out on April 21.

Wayne Coyne: Arcade Fire are a-holes

I'm paraphrasing, of course. The Flaming Lips frontman had much harsher words for those canucks:

http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/smokingsection/2009/03/exclusive-wayne-coyne-tears-ap.php

Update: Win Butler says Touché! (click Win, then Win's Scrapbook, then wonder to yourself whether their website alone is evidence of pretentiousness.)

St. Paddy’s Day records: The Very Best of the Pogues

Today we nod to a compilation of the Shane McGowan era Pogues, because where would the Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, or even O’Death have come from without the Pogues before them? And where else will you find lyrics like this:

You remember that foul evening when you heard the banshees howl?
There was lousy drunken bastards singing "Billy In The Bowl."
They took you up to midnight mass and left you in the lurch,
so you dropped a button in the plate and spewed up in the church.

Now you'll sing a song of liberty for blacks and paks and jocks,
and they'll take you from this dump you're in and stick you in a box,
then they'll take you to Cloughprior and shove you in the ground
but you'll stick your head back out and shout "We'll have another round."

At the graveside of Cuchulainn we'll kneel around and pray,
and God is in His heaven, and Billy's down by the bay.

- Shane MacGowan, "The Sickbed of Cuchulainn"

Download:
The Pogues – "If I Should Fall From the Grace of God" (Mediafire link)

A Cacophony at the Confluence

The PG reports today that city planning approved the (re)construction of the tent/theater at Station Square. You remember the Chevrolet Ampitheater? It's baaaaack! Though likely not named "the Chevy" anymore. It's again to be nestled on the Mon/Ohio in the shadow of the Fort Duquesne Bridge on a slab of asphalt where hushed musical moments were often obscured by passing trains or downshifting tractor trailers at the bottom of their descent into our fair city.

Ultimately, any investment anyone is willing to make in bringing more, better live music is a good thing. But when you consider that the casino includes a 1,000 seat riverfront amphitheater and the Steelers intend to build a multi-use, year round ampitheater in the lot outside the Bettis Grille and that the renovated Point State Park has concert space - you've gotta wonder how many outdoor venues one tri-river confluence can support...

Video: U2 on Letterman - "Magnificent"

I see we have a very few semi-regular readers in the U.K. and Germany, but none from Ireland. Anyway, here’s U2 last night on Letterman:

St. Paddy’s Records: U2’s The Joshua Tree

No Line on the Horizon was officially released today, and it’s a solid record for the most part. But it’s not on the list. The Joshua Tree, however, is.

Maybe it’s not Irish music. It's not even Celtic rock. Most likely, it’s not their most “Irish” record. In fact, it’s named after a park in Southern California, its songs are rooted in blues and gospel traditions, and Bono’s lyrics draw heavy inspiration from the New World, both North and South. Even “In God’s Country,” which Bono set out to write about Ireland, ended up being about the U.S.

No matter. It’s one of the best rock records by one of the best rock bands of the past and present centuries, and though two of the bandmates were born across the Irish Sea, U2 cannot be thought of without reference to the land where all four were raised, so they deserve to be on this list.

Truthfully, it's not even my favorite U2 album, but it charges out of the gate with crowd-pleasers like “Where the Streets Have No Name” * and “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and picks up emotion as it goes. It's a classic because the songs are at once new and familiar, and its themes are epic. It’s awesome. So if you don’t own it, you probably should, and this is a pretty good time of year to buy it.

Download:
U2 – “Bullet the Blue Sky” (Mediafire link)

*I’m told “Where the Streets Have No Name” is the unofficial theme song of the Baltimore Ravens. Let’s pretend we don’t know that.

A Mighty Windup?

Spinal Tap annouced they will tour this Spring without theatrics or electrics.

Seriously? I'm suddenly not that disappointed to know they're skipping over Pittsburgh for freaking Columbus.

Some news

CP - East Liberty's AVA Lounge is a haven for jazz heads on Monday nights

WP - Imeem's Music Experiment: Getting Users To Pay For Tracks On Mobile Offered Free On PC

AP - Mall wants Manilow music to drive out unruly teens

BBC - Michael Jackson to announce London dates

Video: U2 on Letterman - "Breathe"

Reminders: Bono is to Dave as Van is to Jimmy

First up tonight, U2 start their whole week-long deal on Letterman. Then, change over to NBC see if Jimmy Fallon bombs as bad as expected before stepping back to let Van Morrison close out the show.

Great St. Paddy’s Records: Van & the Chieftains' Irish Heartbeat

That time of year is upon us when it’s good and proper to mention to all your American friends that your dad’s great grandmother’s cousin came over from the homeland during the famine, and your lineage has ever since been nurtured through infancy on warm stout and brownbread.

To celebrate this season, we’ll be bringing you seven to ten (I haven’t finished the list) records which make for a great soundtrack to the month of March. They may not be the best records ever to come out of the isle (in fact, some may not have come from olde Eire at all) and they may not be the best examples of Celtic music, but we love them no less, and we hope you will too. And so, in no particular order, let’s begin the week with the golden voice that is Van Morrison and a backing band who can’t be separated from the sod their sounds embody.

Van Morrison and the Chieftains – Irish Heartbeat

First, because I’m lazy, an overview via Wikipedia:

The album consists of eight traditional Irish songs, plus re-workings of the Morrison songs “Celtic Ray” (which first appeared on 1982's Beautiful Vision) and the title track “Irish Heartbeat” (which first appeared on 1983's Inartiulate Speech of the Heart).

The tracklist gives Van a chance to spread out and show off, getting laid back and upbeat on "Marie’s Wedding," heart-wrenchingly theatric on "Raglan Road," and, of course, awesomely melodramatic on "My Laglan Love." Van aside, the Chieftains more than hold their own between those soulful verses, sounding as tight and bright as they have on any of their own records.

To me, this is one of the most successful collaborations in modern roots music, and I wholeheartedly recommend it as a great disc for St. Patrick’s Day or any day.

Download:
“Marie’s Wedding” (Mediafire link)

Airborne Toxic Event Monday at Mr. Small's

Sure, it’s at least a little pretentious for a band to name themselves after anything taken from a DeLillo novel. But damn if it isn’t up there in my mind with Gatsby and Grapes of Wrath as holding some of the finest final pages of any American novel:

The supermarket shelves have been rearranged. It happened one day without warning. There is agitation and panic in the aisles, dismay in the faces of older shoppers... There is a sense of wandering now, an aimless and haunted mood, sweet-tempered people taken to the edge. They scrutinize the small print on packages, wary of a second level of betrayal. The men scan for stamped dates, the women for ingredients. Many have trouble making out the words. Smeared print, ghost images. But in the end it doesn’t matter what they see or think they see. The terminals are equipped with holographic scanners, which decode the binary secret of every item, infallibly. This is the language of waves and radiation, or how the dead speak to the living. And this is where we wait together, regardless of age, our carts stocked with brightly colored goods. A slowly moving line, satisfying, giving us time to glance at the tabloids in the racks. Everything we need that is not food or love is here in the tabloid racks. The tales of the supernatural and the extraterrestrial. The miracle vitamins, the cures for cancer, the remedies for obesity. The cults of the famous and the dead.

- Don DeLillo, White Noise

Airborne Toxic Event will be at Mr. Small’s tomorrow night. If you miss the show, still try and make it a point to read the book sometime in your life. And if you don't do that, maybe pick up the band's eponymous CD. It may not rock you like a DeLillo novel, but it's pretty solid stuff.

Download:
The Airborne Toxic Event – “Sometime Around Midnight” (Mediafire link)