Daily Loaf

Routes Music is a documentary film acting as a roving music census, taking in the true musical passions (and disgusts) of the American people. We’re traveling all across the country, stopping along the way to interview local bands, take footage of live performances and chat with anyone and everyone. Learn more about the documentary here; check out all previous entries here.

The first thing we noticed on Austin’s infamous Sixth Street was the preponderance of clubs. Not the live music that Austin is known for, but booming bass beckoning babes in short skirts (and the dudes chasing them). Roads blocked off … police bored and leering … drunk college kids swaying from one sidewalk to another … a street musician, here or there, drowned out by the latest pop hits.

To find some music that wasn’t prerecorded, the Routes Music crew had to drive across town to locally-owned and operated Violins Etc., a full service string shop.

Inside, we were greeted by hundreds of violins – some brand new and ready for sale, others in various states of disrepair – as well as the employees who fixed them.
Read the rest of this entry »

Don’t forget about your homework for the weekend — keeping up on the latest music news.

Jay-Z announced the second leg of his tour for his new album, Blueprint 3. (No Florida stops are included.) The record may just be a “blueprint,” but no doubt it’s a plan to lay the foundation of yet another successful project for Jigga.

Routes Music is a documentary film acting as a roving music census, taking in the true musical passions (and disgusts) of the American people. We’re traveling all across the country, stopping along the way to interview local bands, take footage of live performances and chat with anyone and everyone. Learn more about the documentary here; check out all previous entries here.

Ok, we’ll admit it: The Routes Music crew has gotten a little side-tracked with an extended stay along the beach in Malibu, California. Can you blame us? The weather is perfect, the water beautiful, and the scenery … well, let’s just say you never know what you’re going to see when you walk out on the balcony in the morning.

We’ll be reporting in soon with a new report from San Francisco and a look back at Phish Festival 8 with a killer slideshow. Stay tuned …

See the complete photo-shoot video after the jump …

Read the rest of this entry »

With the exceptions of my sister and my buddy Jesse, there may be no one more stoked for the upcoming Maroon 5 album than me. Songs About Jane, their 2002 debut album as Maroon 5 (the four original members formerly played as Kara’s Flowers), is the one record that takes me back to my high school years, when I played it so many times that the CD is actually past due for replacement. Their follow-up, 2007’s It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, worsened my addiction — but I’ve never really attempted to cure it. Both albums have put the band on the map and have given fans high hopes for the next one. Currently on a tour of college campuses across the U.S., Maroon 5 promises a great release in 2010. Check out a series of three trailers promoting the forthcoming album after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Routes Music is a documentary film acting as a roving music census, taking in the true musical passions (and disgusts) of the American people. We’re traveling all across the country, stopping along the way to interview local bands, take footage of live performances and chat with anyone and everyone. Learn more about the documentary here; check out all previous entries here.

It’s 8 p.m. and Phil is driving through a torrential rainstorm in an abandoned part of New Orleans’ West End. He’s running his hand through his hair, bent over the steering wheel, trying to find Magellan Road. The GPS isn’t working and every street seems to lead back to the interstate we just exited. A tiny brown Chihuahua looks lost, too, as it darts across the road and between two houses.

It’s enough rain to make a New Orleans native nervous.

Read the rest of this entry »

I mentioned a few weeks ago that Fuse will be airing a John Mayer concert on Tuesday, November 17, the same day his new Battle Studies album hits the shelves. The concert, which takes at New York’s Beacon Theatre, will be broadcast live across the country beginning at 9 p.m. Fuse has also partnered with American Forces Network to broadcast the show to troops overseas via AFN Radio’s Hot AC to troops and their families stationed in 175 countries and on 140 U.S. Navy ships at sea. AFN Television’s “Spectrum” channel will also be airing the concert on Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. and on New Year’s Eve.

It’s great that Mayer fans, no matter where they are in the world, will be able to listen to his new music and his live performance the very day it’s been made available. Go, John Mayer! Go, Fuse and AFN! And GO, U.S.A.!

Some shots from the Monday, November 2 show at State Theatre.

Read the rest of this entry »

I stumbled upon one of my favorite area bands while meandering through Ybor City several months back: Asilo, a Lakeland-based fivesome whose music caught my ear, stole my heart and rocked my socks off. The show was not enough for me. I was addicted and needed a daily Asilo fix. Thankfully, they granted my wish and self-produced an amazing album that I’ve been spinning nonstop for the past week.

Fine Goods is their debut full-length that features 12 unforgettable songs. Pop it in and be prepared to be taken back in time to the late ’60s classic rock era. (Think Pink Floyd meets The Doors flavored with hints of jazz, blues and Motown; you can thank Sean Thomas and his trumpet for that.) Musically, the album starts out with lazy bass lines and jazzy piano intricately dispersed in and out of a slow-moving guitars riff. The song picks up along with frontman Ben Strok’s vocals. At one point, he sounds so much like Jim Morrison that he makes me feel like singing “Break on Through.” Classically trained, but very experimental and jazzy, Walter Gutowski adds so much to this band, his piano playing mimicking that of Ray Manzarek from The Doors, but with his own twist. And he plays barefoot, which is awesome. Read the rest of this entry »

Stockholm’s Taken By Trees is the name of Victoria Bergsman’s latest solo project, who, for 11 years (until 2006), was lead singer of The Concretes. You may recognize The Concretes’ song “Say Something New” from the Target commercial. Or maybe not, I don’t know how much TV you watch.

Before creating Taken By Trees, she collaborated with Peter, Bjorn and John on their infectious, whistle-heavy single, “Young Folks,” which also you may recognize. Anyway, Bjorn then returned the favor by producing and performing in her 2007 debut L.P., The Stark and Gentle Open Field, a beautiful album recorded in only six days. Read the rest of this entry »

Routes Music is a documentary film acting as a roving music census, taking in the true musical passions (and disgusts) of the American people. We’re traveling all across the country, stopping along the way to interview local bands, take footage of live performances and chat with anyone and everyone. Learn more about the documentary here; check out all previous entries here.

Refreshed and well-fed after another night’s stay at a Hampton Inn (thanks Routes Music friends!), we dashed out of the desert sand of Indio, which was quickly becoming a snowbird party scene. Past windmills and through a raging wildfire, the Gray Box cruised the mean palm-tree-lined interstates of Los Angeles. Tonight, we’re in Malibu for our first interview on the Pacific Coast — literally 20 feet from lapping waves. It’s a nice, quiet beach community here, and we aim to keep it nice and quiet.

Oh yes, about those wildfires — you can watch the video after the jump:

Read the rest of this entry »

At this point in time, nothing that Bob Dylan does should surprise anyone. His satellite radio program Theme Time Radio Hour pretty much laid all his cards on the table and pegged him once and for all as a mischievous kidder with a wit drier than any Sunday in the Bible Belt. Back in 1966, it was irresistible to the international press to try to pin him down into a shape that they could get a grip on. But by now (and thanks in large part to him), no one seems to care much about what motivates a pop star anymore. They do what they do and we like it or we don’t.

But when you see the cover of Christmas in the Heart (Sony), with its apparently sincere wintry scene of a couple enjoying a sprightly two-horse sleigh ride, a certain level of WTF creeps into your psyche, no matter how much you want to believe in Santa. You know that, yes, on one level Bob Dylan would not make a 15-song Christmas record as a complete joke, yet you also know that he would not do it completely seriously either. And when you open the jewel case you see that you are correct. Because right there, Bettie Page is perched in an immodest Christmas get-up, smiling at you like she wants to open your presents. Christmas in the Pants is more like it. Read the rest of this entry »

The siren wails of ascending notes, the speedy electro hammering of programmed drums and a fat and sinister guitar riff open Blackheart Revolution. And then the bestial growl of Genitorturers frontwoman/namesake Gen aggro blasts onto the track and demands your undivided attention: “Well no one cares about the rock star illusion / No one cares because the mystery is gone / Well, I know it’s time for evolution / Now I’m a savior and I’ve got a solution / I’ve whipped the masses and my legion’s grown strong / So I’m here to lead the revolution now.”

“It gets you, it grabs you,” Gen says about “Revolution,” the first song on her band’s fifth and latest studio release, which was co-produced by Genitorturers bassist David “Evil D” Vincent (Morbid Angel) and Scott Humphrey (Motley Crue, Rob Zombie, Ozzy Osbourne). “That’s definitely one of my favorites because it was a challenge trying to figure out how I was going to approach the vocals — the song needed to have a lot of attitude and it needed to be seething and powerful. David actually tracked a lot of the vocals on the record, and man, he just kept pushing me. He’d say, ‘Nope, not good enough. Nope, not good enough. Do it again.’ To the point where he got me so pissed off … there’s a scream on there that’s very heartfelt.”

Gen is a versatile singer — she can hit high notes, turn on the sweet croon, the sexy snarl, the commanding roar, the ferocious howl, the playful purr. Her vocals are set against big, ballsy industrial rock and electro-metal. The result is brutally seductive mayhem. Read the rest of this entry »

Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox has recorded under the pseudonym Atlas Sound since he was a teenager, and on his second proper solo release, Logos, he submerges the divine and ancient reason that tethers the universe into an inebriated kaleidoscope of pop memories. Cox is a smart enough pop music aficionado that he effortlessly fuses catchy with a DIY aesthetic of drone, loops, lo-fi, and ambient interludes to create his own vision of ballads riddled with despair, alienation, and forlornness.

The two tracks most blogged about this summer in anticipation of the release — “Walkabout,” a collaboration with Animal Collective’s Panda Bear that samples the ’60s shuffle of “What Am I Going To Do?” by The Dovers, and “Quick Canal,” which features the coquette-coo of Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier — are ruins processed inside Cox’s ramshackle rhythms. Tunes like “Shelia,” “An Orchid” and title track “Logos,” are subdued but upbeat, stuttering after bliss, hypnotized beneath brooding lyrics that evoke pop music’s cruel mistress: unrequited longing. Read the rest of this entry »

Just when you thought there was nothing to do on a Tuesday night, three quality acts make show stops right here in Tampa Bay.

Pretty Lights Derek Vincent Smith [pictured left] is the producer behind Pretty Lights, his song creations marked by hip hop high drama, pumping beats, swells of electro sonics, and layers of samples – fizzed-out basslines, laser beam shots, the occasional emceed hooks like “Fuck ‘em, I didn’t want to go to heaven anyway.” Smith is joined by drummer Cory Eberhard when playing live and their performances are accompanied by cutting edge lights and LED effects. The latest Pretty Lights album, Passing By Behind Your Eyes, is currently available for free download at prettylightsmusic.com. 8 p.m., Crowbar, Ybor City, $15.

White Tie Affair w/Every Avenue/Stereo Skyline/Runner Runner White Tie Affair opened for Lady Gaga the last time they came to town; this time around, the electro pop rock foursome headlines. 7 p.m., State Theatre, St. Petersburg, $15.

The Goddamn Gallows w/Viva Le Vox/Blind Buddy Moody The Goddamn Gallows produce twangy gutter-flavored psychobilly steeped in hardcore-punk. Fishgutz plays fast and furious upright bass, lead singer/shouter Mikey Classic handles riffs, Baby Genius pounds out the beats, Avery scrub-rubs the washboard, and newest member Jayke (formerly of 357 String Band) brings mandolin and banjo action into the mix. 8 p.m., The Emerald, St. Petersburg, $6.

Check out video of all three after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Routes Music is a documentary film acting as a roving music census, taking in the true musical passions (and disgusts) of the American people. We’re traveling all across the country, stopping along the way to interview local bands, take footage of live performances and chat with anyone and everyone. Learn more about the documentary here; check out all previous entries here.

“Where eeez yer pipe?”

A 6’4 security guard towered over me, glaring.

“Where eeez yer pipe?” he repeated in a thick Islands accent.

“What?” I replied, not sure he really just asked me what I think he just asked me.

“Where eeez yer pipe?” he asked again.

“My what?” I said again, still shocked.

“Yer pipe. Yer pipe.”

Now he was aggravated. I’m enjoying feigning ignorance.

“I don’t know what you’re saying, man.”

The guard switches tactics.

“Drugs?”

I smile.

“No, no drugs.”

“OK, go ahead.”

So began my very first experience at an extended-day music festival, and only my second time ever seeing the seminal jam band, Phish. Luckily, the rest of the three-day fest at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, Calif. went smoother than my entry.

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s depressing to think that much of the music I grew up with and love is now considered classic rock. The name “classic rock” evokes an image of elderly rockers, banging out overplayed tunes that can often be heard in the aisles of the local Publix. I suppose I take it a bit personally because I don’t think of myself as old. But, as my daughter once pointed out, most old people don’t. It’s a disturbing trend that goes right along with the recent revelation that my first car, a 1975 Mustang, is now considered an antique and items from my childhood show up on Antiques Roadshow from time to time. Maybe, when I finally give in to old age, these things won’t affect me so much. But don’t expect that to happen any time soon.

Friday night’s triple bill at the Ford Amphitheatre featured REO Speedwagon, Styx and Nightranger, all of whom qualify for the classic rock moniker. Still, despite this branding, these three bands managed to convince thousands of people to hand over their hard-earned money in exchange for a few hours of music and fun. In these tough economic times, that have seen the cancellation of many big name tours, this feat is one that should not be dismissed as a fluke or written off as a trip down memory lane. This was an old fashioned rock show that had the crowd on their feet dancing and screaming all night long. Even the weather held out and offered comfortable temperatures and a cool breeze.

Read the rest of this entry »

It may have been the day after Halloween, but thousands of people had plenty good reason to play dress-up this past Sunday afternoon at the St. Pete Times Forum. One didn’t have to look far to find a Yoda or Princess Leia milling about the concourses. Many congregated toward a makeshift exhibit of original Star Wars props and artifacts, including a Darth Vader costume, blasters and helmets. Nearby, children and adults alike sidled up next to Stormtroopers for photo ops. It was all a prelude to the main event inside the arena, “Star Wars: In Concert.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Dee Snider of Twisted Sister

The last time that I saw Dee Snider was during breakfast at the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando. While I was forced to make small talk with some Backstreet Boy (don’t ask me which one), Dee discussed high finance with my wife, who is a bank vice-president. Lacking Dee’s usual makeup and rampant abuse of the English language, breakfast was a less-than-surreal affair. I spent most of the time asking Lance or Kirk or Brad or whatever his name was, why he was wearing fake tattoo sleeves, instead of getting the real thing. He finally got tired of my badgering and left me to enjoy my coffee, while Dee went off to cook omelets or something.

Read the rest of this entry »

A few music-themed conversation pieces to use during this weekend’s Halloween festivities.

Photo by Tracy May.

• The Killers are releasing a CD and DVD of Live at Royal Albert Hall on Nov. 10, and the performance will also be in select movie theaters for one night only, Nov. 5. Is it a coincidence that the only night it will be in theaters is my birthday? No way. Brandon Flowers just gets what women want on their big day.
• An all-star list of musicians celebrated the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th birthday Thursday night, including Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Stevie Wonder. How did you spend your 25th?
• If you’ve been sitting, waiting, wishing to see Jack Johnson in concert, book a ticket to Hawaii for next month: Johnson will be performing two acoustic shows Nov. 13 and 14 in Honolulu to promote the release of his documentary film En Concert. If you have eyes and you live in Hawaii, you should catch one of these shows.
• While youngest Jonas brother Nick plans to record a solo album next year, all three siblings swear the Jonas Brothers are not breaking up. Oh, thank God. No, seriously, I’ve been losing sleep over the prospect of the end of the Jo Bros. Seriously.
• Weezer is appearing on Nickelodeon’s kids show Yo Gabba Gabba early next year, and will be jamming out in bug costumes. It will be the first time my generation has tuned into Nick since Kenan and Kel went off the air.
• Britney Spears unleashed her music video for “3″ today. Relive your Sesame Street days of learning to count to three — today’s show is brought to you by menage a trois — and get more music news links after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

My friend Renee recently told me about a band she used to follow (sometimes literally — oh, Renee!) during her heyday in Detroit in the ’80s called Toby Redd. I was interested to learn that the band’s drummer, Chad Smith (third from left), went on to become a member of megaband Red Hot Chili Peppers and supergroup Chickenfoot. It’s always interesting to see the humble beginnings of a great musician, and Toby Redd had — and probably still has — quite the following. They’re definitely the epitome of an ’80s rock band, which doesn’t offend me in the least.

Check out Smith and the rest of Toby Redd rocking Motor City during the band’s glory days after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

* The reunited Stone Temple Pilots (who still owe Tampa a show, by the way) spent the last few months working on a new album. They’re breaking to tour but will return to the studio afterwards to shoot for a spring/summer 2010 release.

Simply recording and releasing a new STP album may not be all that simple, and not just because Scott Weiland is a troublemaker. Atlantic Records sued Weiland and drummer Eric Kretz in 2008, asserting that half of STP is still under contract. The band’s other half, the DeLeo brothers, were released in 2003. STP can’t put out new music until this legal matter is settled.

* Morrissey collapsed on-stage one song into a Swindon, England concert last weekend (at least he made that one song count – “This Charming Man”), and spent the night hospitalized. While Moz has canceled many shows over the past few years due to various health issues, he vows to continue his current tour.

*Speaking of Morrissey, Pitchfork talked to Johnny Marr about joining The Cribs and dared to bring up his relationship with Morrissey and the likelihood of The Smiths reuniting:

Pitchfork: You said in a recent interview that you and Morrissey aren’t feuding, and that you email with each other. Is that true? (Hold your breath for Marr’s response after the jump!) Read the rest of this entry »

London-based Noah and the Whale has been dishing out their wistfully gentle indie/anti/nu/pop-folk for a mere three years. The band, Charlie Fink (vocals, guitar, harmonica, ukulele), Tom Hobden (fiddle), Urby Whale (harmonium, bass), and Doug Fink (drums), say that in addition to folk, they are influenced and inspired by punk rock. (But then again, who isn’t?) Critics have compared Noah and the Whale to Belle & Sebastian, Neutral Milk Hotel, and Bonnie Prince Billy. Read the rest of this entry »

For a long time I’ve had this funny thought roaming in the back of my mind. Ya know how bands like AC/DC and Kiss are still playing shows 20+ years after they made it big? Well, sometimes I wonder if Paramore will do the same. Maybe in 20+ years, I will be reminiscing on my childhood of listening to and adoring Paramore. At least now I know there is one memory I will cherish forever, and that is Monday night’s show at House of Blues in Orlando.

This show was worthy of the 90-minute joy ride from St. Pete to Orlando, so my friend and I set out on our adventure, blaring the new Paramore album,  Brand New Eyes, the entire length of the trip. Despite a minor bump in the road — I’m terrible with directions and we ended up driving around some residential area of Orlando, trying to find the House of Blues — we finally made it to Downtown Disney, and were immediately greeted with a line that had to be no less than 2 miles long. Great. Read the rest of this entry »

I went into Michael Jackson’s This Is It fearing the worst. After months of breathless coverage following MJ’s demise, what could a hastily assembled documentary about the rehearsals for the King of Pop’s comeback 50-night stand at London’s O2 Arena possibly have to add to the spectacle? I feared This Is It would be little more than a crass attempt by the financial backers of the concerts to not only recoup their money but make a killing in the process. After seeing the film, I can report that greed has won the day.

Read more and check out the This Is It trailer after the jump …

Read the rest of this entry »

An unexpected but enthralling update from Phil Bardi of Routes Music:

Austin is a city with a long tradition of many things, from mass murders to good music. So, it’s no surprise that many claim the state capital of Texas is haunted.

On Saturday, while coming down Brazos Drive in downtown Austin, I snapped some photos of Driskill Hotel.

While looking through my pictures tonight, I came upon these two similar photos:

Read the rest of this entry »

Bay area singer-songwriter David New picked up guitar as a kid, but never really got serious about being a musician until he was in his mid-20s.

“At the time, I was bored, hating my job really bad and just kind of searching for something else,” New told me last week when we chatted at the St. Pete Beach loft apartment-cum-recording space where his band, The Hip Abduction, spends much of their time. Bassist Chris Powers actually lives there, but the rest of the band members reap the benefits of the place, likely getting much inspiration for their vibrant tropical sounds from the scenic view of the Gulf off the third-floor porch.

Back then, New was working as an environmental scientist and it wasn’t anything like he’d imagined. “I thought I was gonna be green and save the world straight out of college, but it ended up that I was working for the oil company and standing up for big oil, which was awful. Writing took me somewhere else.” New says he endured it for about two years before he bailed. Then he spent a few years soaking up the sounds and culture of the Caribbean. “I ran a sailing program and taught marine biology and diving on the side. A lot of my lyrics come from what I experienced there. I grew up in Virginia, so I never listened to reggae very much. Then I really, really got into it down there and I’ve never been able to shake it.” Read the rest of this entry »

Imagine running into a crush from your early childhood. He or she is all grown up and married, and balances out a successful career with a loving family. Though you don’t carry the same torch for your former love, just the sight of that person makes you remember why you fell for them all those years ago.

That’s exactly what happened to me Saturday night with three different childhood sweethearts. Kind of.

The brothers Hanson played what has now come to be their annual concert at Orlando’s House of Blues this past Saturday, October 24, a stop on their “Use Your Sole” tour. While I haven’t listened to their music in years, I was the token Hanson fan as a young girl growing up in Oklahoma, where they were also raised. There was no way I could miss this show because I never got to see them in concert as a kid, and I owed it to the little girl inside me. I didn’t expect greatness from a trio of 20-somethings who launched to stardom in their teenage years, and I was content with the idea that driving to Orlando to see Isaac, Zac and Taylor (pictured from left to right) would be nothing more than a stroll down memory lane. Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever heard the creaky noise an unoiled door makes when it’s opened, or the screeching sound of violin strings rubbing against a chalkboard? That’s what most of Sufjan Stevens‘ new album sounds like — jarring and harsh.

Run Rabbit Run recycles material from 2001’s Enjoy Your Rabbit. The new album, arranged by assorted New York composers and played by the quartet Osso, consists of string versions of the songs from Enjoy Your Rabbit.

I’m not sure why this album is released under Sufjan Stevens’ name instead of Osso’s since it’s essentially an album of remixes, but I do know that certain sounds — like the violins, which sound like they’re being played by toddlers at a music store — are obnoxious. Osso’s string players, the same who worked so elegantly on Stevens’ 2005 album, Illinoise, bring a discordant and grating feel to the album. Read the rest of this entry »

In advance of the big CD release party for the new Have Gun, Will Travel record, Postcards from the Friendly City, Creative Loafing is giving away a free download of their new single, “Sons and Daughters of the Gilded Age” for a limited time only (See below for the link).

Show info:

Saturday, November 14th
Have Gun, Will Travel (CD Release Show)
with Special Guests: Lauris Vidal & The Whiskey Gentry
New World Brewery
1313 E. 8th Ave. Ybor City. (813) 248-4969
9 p.m. $7, 21+

Download after the jump …

Read the rest of this entry »

Routes Music is a documentary film acting as a roving music census, taking in the true musical passions (and disgusts) of the American people. We’re traveling all across the country, stopping along the way to interview local bands, take footage of live performances and chat with anyone and everyone. Learn more about the documentary here; check out all previous entries here.

As with anything in life – including music documentaries – the unexpected moments are usually the best. Our time in New Orleans was no different.

On Friday, we came across two girls – Anastasia Euthanasia and Joy Deemster – performing on the street in the French Quarter (in front of a police station no less!). Going by the name Delicious Gloom, the girls played a highly infectious song for us. After days of Los Mega Boyz’ “Selena” looping in our heads, it was welcome relief.

Check ‘em out: Read the rest of this entry »

Before listening to Life Starts Now, the latest album from Three Days Grace, I couldn’t quite decide how I felt about the Canadian rock band. It’s not that I’ve ever disliked their sound. In fact, lead singer Adam Gontier’s distinctively rough vocals make Three Days Grace stand out on radio stations so often filled with indistinguishable bands, and that’s impressive. But my question was always, “Why so angry, Three Days Grace? Don’t you have any good news to report?”

After playing (and re-playing) their third album (out Sept. 22 on Jive), I’ve made up my mind, and the verdict is in: Three Days Grace is completely rockin’ — but no longer completely hostile.

The opening track, “Bitter Taste,” pairs the band’s signature hard rock sound with their expected “you suck and I’m glad we’re through” lyrics, which initially made me wonder how similar this album would be to their 2003 self-titled debut and 2006’s One-X. But the next track and the album’s first single, “Break,” renewed my hope. This is easily the next big anthem for America’s anguished youth, and even 20-somethings standing at a proverbial crossroads. (You know who you are.) Read the rest of this entry »

The bump-and-groove crew was in high spirits as we enjoyed a brief reprieve from our regular lives and shed the stresses of the week to take a ride on the Junior Boys’ indie train to electro jam land. [All photos by elawgrrl.]

The stage was bathed in saturated lights and scattered with Halloween trimmings; flickering jack-o-lanterns, a crow perched on the keys, a huge skull and crossbones hanging over the drums, rainbow spears of light shining up and out of the drumkit and into the audience, and occasional blasts of fog for extra effect. Read the rest of this entry »

A weekly bulletin about who’s playing on late night TV; set your TIVOs or DVRs if you’ve got an early bedtime. See a day missing? No musical guest that night…

The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS
Monday, October 26: Harper Simon (son of Paul, who just released his self-titled debut)
Tuesday, October 27: Florence and the Machine (Florence pictured, photo by Alex Lake)
Wednesday, October 28: Sting
Thursday, October 29: Weezer
Friday, October 30: Weezer

The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, NBC
Monday, October 26: Wolfmother
Tuesday, October 27: Julian Casablancas
Wednesday, October 28: Uncle Kracker
Thursday, October 29: the Swell Season
Friday, October 30: Alice in Chains Read the rest of this entry »

The weekend doesn’t officially end until you’re caught up on your music news.

• RollingStone.com has exclusive video footage of Maroon 5 recording the follow-up album to 2007’s It Won’t Be Soon Before Long. The video also includes footage of the band lounging in Switzerland, where lead singer Adam Levine (pictured right) and company have been working on the album. Mr. Levine is truly my dream man, a beautiful, perverted poet. Isn’t that what all women want?

• Fuse will air the world premiere of Nirvana Live at Reading on Monday, Nov. 1, at 11 p.m. The concert is from 1992 and has never been released. Yes, everyone you know will be watching (and re-watching) this broadcast.
• Them Crooked Vultures have finally (finally!) announced the release date of their self-titled debut album to be Nov. 17. “No One Knows” for sure until the album drops, but I’d be a “Pretender” if I didn’t say this album could be a “Stairway to [Rock 'n' Roll] Heaven.”
• Artists like Pearl Jam, R.E.M. and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails have joined the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo after learning their music may have been used to torture detainees. Is Miley Cyrus on the list of musicians whose music aided in the torture? Seriously. I’m not trying to be funny.
• Weezer is teaming up with Chamillionaire, Sara Bareilles and Kenny G for tracks for an upcoming edition of AOL Sessions at AOL’s Beverly Hills studio. Well, Beverly Hills is where Weezer wants to be, but who knew it would be Kenny G that would get them there?
• Speaking of Weezer, the band released the video for “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To,” the first single off their new Raditude album, slated for release on Oct. 27. Enjoy the video — in your favorite undone sweater and with some pork and beans, of course — and more music links after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Routes Music is a documentary film acting as a roving music census, taking in the true musical passions (and disgusts) of the American people. We’re traveling all across the country, stopping along the way to interview local bands, take footage of live performances and chat with anyone and everyone. Learn more about the documentary here; check out all previous entries here.

On Tues., Oct. 20, the Routes Music crew rolled into St. Augustine. “It’s a quaint drinking town with a fishing problem,” as one local described it.

With the help of Mitch Cheney, our St. Augie ambassador, we hooked up with several scene stalwarts. One of them, Ryan Dettra, is the city’s premiere promoter.

After graduating Flagler College with a business degree, Dettra had a risky idea for a small beach town of 12,000: Open a profitable music venue that would bring regional and national acts to St. Augustine.

In 2002, he opened Café 11 inside a former convenience store off A1A. Although his first concerts brought only handfuls of people, Dettra kept at it, booking acts like Against Me! that would sell out shows. Then, six months after opening, he received his break.

The New York City-based art rock band, Les Savy Fav, was touring near St. Augustine. The five-piece was known for putting on wild shows, so Dettra booked them and they did not disappoint. At the encore, frontman Tim Harrington whipped the audience into a frenzy: Read the rest of this entry »