Daily Loaf

This Friday at the 21st edition of Ribfest, JET proved once and for all that they are no longer a garage rock band but full-fledged rock ‘n’ roll professionals.

The Aussies headlined opening night of the three-day waterside barbeque at Vinoy Park, wordlessly hitting the stage in T-shirts and jeans, kicking off their set with the chart topping “Cold Hard Bitch,” and generally pumping up a crowd of both diehard JET fans and spectators simply there to enjoy a side of music with their racks of ribs.

After “Bitch,” lead singer Nic Cester (third from left) thanked the audience with a boyish grin and asked, “Alright, people, how ya doin’!?” And we were doin’ good, because we knew we were about to be treated to some more of JET’s classic-rock inspired music. Read the rest of this entry »

Wanna bet?

Las Vegas sports books have been taking a bath lately and I don’t mean comfortably inside a lavish Bellagio hot tub. Weeks ago, Vegas reported its biggest losses in years. The reason? The disparity between the haves and the have-nots in the NFL is so broad that when these teams play each other, bookmakers can’t set the lines big enough for gamblers to bet on the underdogs.

In the NFL, a 14-17 point spread generally indicates one team is significantly better the other. But even with lines that high, the stronger team has still been covering the number.

Read the rest of this entry »

Does Friday the 13th equal a freaky news day in the music world? Find out here.

The Who are scheduled to perform at Super Bowl XLIV, which will be held Feb. 7, 2010, in Miami. This will be the band’s first North American performance since 2008. The biggest night in pro football and the Who? My dad (and probably yours, too) can now die happy. (But let’s hope they don’t! Die now, that is.)

With absolutely no idea of what to expect, I headed into the Orpheum this past Thursday night to see Captured by Robots. Now, truthfully, I did take a few minutes to check out the band’s website so I could prepare myself for the performance, but it wasn’t nearly enough.

Taking the stage in chains, a leather bondage mask with protruding eyeballs and disemboweled entrails hanging from a bloody t-shirt, robot abductee JBOT conducted his Teddy Bear Orchestra while whipping the crowd into a motivationally-charged frenzy. In addition to JBOT, the band consists of GTRBOT66 (who plays a double-neck Flying V), percussionist AUTOMATON, drummer DRMBOT0110, The Headless Hornsmen, The Ape Which Hath No Name and finally Son of Ape Which Hath No Name.  Bear in mind that JBOT is the only living creature on the stage; the rest are “real” robots. The band’s set consisted of 80’s rock and pop covers, including a decent rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run.” As for JBOT himself, he was kind of like a cross between Andy Kaufman, Jim Henson and Dale Carnegie. Believe me, it’s a frightening combination. Read the rest of this entry »

A quick breakdown of this weekend’s most worthy concerts beginning with Thursday, ’cause that’s when the weekend really starts, right? For a more comprehensive schedule of concerts, check out our Upcoming Events page.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12
Pete Yorn [pictured] I’m an admitted fan of Pete Yorn’s 2001 debut, musicforthemorningafter. It’s full of alt pop gems like “Life on a Chain,” “For Nancy (‘Cos It Already Is),” and “Strange Condition,” the last featured on such romantic comedies soundtracks as Me, Myself & Irene, 40 Days and 40 Nights and The Sweetest Thing. The Jersey-based singer-songwriter has released four more albums since then, including his latest, Break Up, a collaborative concept album recorded with actress-singer Scarlett Johansson and inspired by Serge Gainsbourg’s duets with Brigitte Bardot. Yorn performs solo at this Bay area appearance. 9 p.m.,Push Ultra Lounge, St. Petersburg, $17.50.

Captured by Robots A one-human comedy-experimental rock act, JBOT (Jay Vance, actor, comic and former bassist for ska punk bands Blue Meanies and Skankin’ Pickle), is backed/enslaved by inhuman (robot, ape and ambiguous) players: DRMBOT 0110, a severed doll’s head on drums, assistant drummer AUTOMATOM, GTRBOT666 on bass and guitar, The Ape Which Hath No Name on tambourine halo, The Son of the Ape Which Hath No Name on monkey cymbals, and on horns, despite missing the parts that conduct air, the Headless Hornsmen. 7 p.m., Orpheum, Ybor City, $8 advance/$10 DOS.

Home w/Flexxehawk/Insect Joy NYC-by-way-of-Tampa experimental pop quartet Home return to the Bay area with their whimsical psychedelic sounds in tow. The band has self-released 15 albums since 1992 – seven cassettes, one 8-track, an internet-only download, and five CDs; Relativity Records put out the band’s sole major label release, IX, in 1995. 9 p.m.,  New World Brewery, Ybor City, $7. Read the rest of this entry »

Last year, Bradenton-based quintet Have Gun, Will Travel caught the attention of NPR with their stylistic and thematic take on Old West-flavored Americana in Casting Shadows Tall as Giants, their sophomore full-length.

The band’s self-released third effort, Postcards from the Friendly City (out Nov. 17) maintains the dusty trailblazing charm of its predecessor with rambling melodies, rustic musical textures — banjo, lap steel and acoustic guitar, viola, harmonica, percussive frills from cowbell to shakers — and the vivid storytelling of lead singer/songwriter Matt Burke, his lyricism continuing to draw from different moods of times long past.

The pervading call of crickets and other rural evening sounds open the ominous “Wolf in Shepard’s Clothes” as the underlings of a toxic leader plan a revolution: “We got the number while the captain slumbered, and we’re gonna cut him down.” Read the rest of this entry »

Chris Wollard & The Ship Thieves made their Tampa debut at Crowbar this past Friday, November 6, with support from Mike Hale and How Dare You.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Swell Season was originally the name of Irish vocalist/guitarist Glen Hansard and Czech vocalist/pianist Markéta Irglová’s first album, released in 2006.  The duo now refers to themselves as The Swell Season, the name taken from humanist Josef škvorecký’s 1975 novel of the same name — Glen’s favorite novel.

The initial success of the one-time romantically linked couple (they split in 2009) came after they co-starred in the 2007 Irish film, Once. Glen played a Dublin street performer to Markéta’s immigrant street vendor.  The film was shown at Sundance in 2007 where it won the World Cinema Audience Award. Incidentally, Once was written and directed by John Carney, former bass player in Glen’s old band, The Frames.  It’s a beautiful film; you should check it out. 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.

We met Mushroom Montoya in Long Beach after a long, hard day on Malibu Beach. A practicing “modern shaman” for nearly three decades, Montoya views music as more than entertainment: he uses it for healing the mind, body and spirit. His tools are the drum and the didgeridoo, a hollowed-out pole that, when blown into, sounds like a nest of idle bees. Montoya’s choice of the didgeridoo is no accident; the instrument is said to be man’s first wind instrument dating back thousands of years. Aboriginal shamans in Australia used the didgeridoo in their own rituals and ceremonies.

Well, it just so happened that Phil was complaining of congestion, so Montoya took out one of his three didgeridoos to help clear our crew member’s sinuses. Watch the video below: Read the rest of this entry »

Meet NYC resident and frontman of The Strokes, Julian Casablancas. On his solo debut, Phrazes For The Young, he has replaced all your expectations with synths straight out of 1984. Listen closely. Pop waves too polished to be considered prog echo shades of Duran Duran’s “Rio,” Madonna’s “Borderline” and “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince. Within this palette of ’80s-style synths, a secretly danceable album bubbles up. Nagging speculation about how the songs would sound if guitars replaced the shiny textures, or if some feedback and grime were swapped for the forlorn tropical vibe glistening across “11^th Dimension” and “Glass,” is senseless and unnecessary, for solo albums serve as outlets to indulge those musical urges normally suppressed by a group dynamic.

Take “4 Chords of the Apocalypse.” The song’s slowed-down tempo makes it feel really out of place to Strokes fans, a knee jerk reaction and possible obstacle for those expecting another “Last Nite” because the track celebrates the despondency of Otis Redding and Solomon Burke-era soul, and not the dissonance and recklessness of CBGB. Read the rest of this entry »

Photos by Eric Snider

“This didn’t have to happen,” says Rob Douglas, his 6-foot-4 frame slouched on a sofa in his south St. Pete condo, his raspy voice weary and tinged with bitterness. He’s a linchpin of the St. Petersburg concert scene, his tenure as a promoter, venue operator and production manager dating back to the early ’80s, when shows were put on by enterprising locals rather than megacorporations. He spent 25 years working at Jannus Landing, one of the Bay area’s most beloved concert venues, until August when he severed ties with the downtown St. Pete institution. Douglas, 54, had reached the end of his tether with then-owner Jack Bodziak. “Even with the wreckage of the economy, we could have survived this,” Douglas says. “It was due to piss-poor stewardship.”

When he spoke those words in late October, Jannus Landing had been empty for most of the prior three months, its last show having been the execrable Insane Clown Posse on Oct. 9. Several scheduled concerts had relocated to other venues, most to the Ritz Ybor. Bodziak was beset by financial and legal problems, the most glaring of which was his arrest by state agents in May on charges that he failed to pay more than $200,000 in sales tax on revenues from Jannus Landing. He also owed a reported $160,000 in back rent and faced eviction. A new guy, Jeff Knight, waited in the wings, a well-heeled businessman with grandiose plans and no experience in the concert business. Read the rest of this entry »

4:30 p.m. – Yin

Driving into the parking lot of Ruth Eckerd Hall this past Friday for a late afternoon “meet & greet” with blues/rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Admittedly, I wasn’t that familiar with his work and I felt a bit unprepared. Beyond recent media blips about his appearance at the Royal Albert Hall, and some hasty Internet research, I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t have a single intelligent thing to ask. I resigned myself to keeping my mouth shut and taking pictures.

As I waited in the Green Room at REH with about a dozen avid fans, I noticed they’d come prepared. Most had tickets, t-shirts or magazines ready for an autograph, while one guy even clutched a limited edition Joe Bonamassa Gibson Les Paul in a case that looked as though it had never been opened. I wondered if spending nearly his entire life in the public eye would make Joe one of those rock stars who take all of the attention in stride or if it had made him intolerant of rabid fans, autograph seekers and the media. Since I wasn’t sure which way it would go, I slid my camera backpack around to the front, in order to block any crazed, Britney-like attacks on the paparazzi that might be forthcoming. 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 we approached Phoenix, the Routes Music crew heard news reports about a cold front that was bringing high winds into the desert and creating a mighty dust storm as a result. But not until we stepped out of the car in Tempe did we really see what the newscasters meant.

From the west, a faint haze grew darker and darker as it approached. The dust storm was roaring across the desert like a scene out of The Mummy.

But the desert sands weren’t the only thing in disarray: Phil and Terrence were having problems of their own.

The previous night, they’d driven 16 hours straight through the ever-changing terrain of Texas and New Mexico. At one point, border patrol stopped the van to check for illegal immigrants. (“Really?” Phil still comments whenever the subject’s brought up. “I could maybe understand if we were headed to Mexico, but in the middle of this country?”) Read the rest of this entry »

Your enjoyment of Raditude is entirely dependent on your feelings about Weezer’s brand of pop music — sing-a-longs, whoa-OH choruses, and inane lyrics that you can’t get seem to get out of your head.

Lead singer-songwriter Rivers Cuomo seems to have given up on writing the sort of lyrics he did back on Pinkerton, an album cherished by many Weezer fans for its self-reflective, interesting verses. Now, listeners are stuck with songs that come off as jokes.

Take “Can’t Stop Partyin’,” which features the studio work of well-known hip-hop producer Jermaine Dupri (Jay-Z, Usher) and guest vocals by, of all people, NOLA rap artist Lil Wayne. In the track, Cuomo sings about how much he loves Patrón and jewels, pretty girls and “bottles of the Goose.” It’s hard to reconcile the lyrics with their creator, a skinny, nerdy Harvard English graduate. The opening single, “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To,” is similarly simple-minded and features such oy-inducing lyrics as “I swear it’s true / without you / my heart is blue.” Read the rest of this entry »

Ritz Ybor’s website boasts a capacity of 1,150 for its concert hall. I would call that a conservative estimate for Brand New and Thrice as I politely pushed through the throng of mostly teenage girls clogging the stairways leading to the pit. All the ”Excuse Me’s” I could muster made no difference when I bumped a girl’s flip-flopped foot and received a flat, condescending “Ow” in reply. Here’s a novel idea — don’t wear flip-flops to rock concerts and don’t stop in the middle of a stairway to watch a band. Unless you’ll permit the rest of us to pee on you instead of pushing through to the facilities.

Following a false start, Thrice (pictured right, all photos by Mike Wilson) hit the stage around eight and overcame some early technical problems to deliver a ten-song set of competent, mostly mid-tempo post-rock with intermittent lite-hardcore breakdowns. Guitarist Teppei Teranishi’s backup vocals created some pleasant harmonies with frontman Dustin Kensrue’s otherwise bland leads. Thrice didn’t perform as if very excited, and aside from a pinch of hardcore fans singing every word they elicited little more than head-bobbing from the crowd. It took a cover of “Helter Skelter” — a song that pre-dates the birth of every bandmember and most of the audience — to finally evoke some movement. “Silhouette” off their major label debut, The Artist In The Ambulance, received the best fan reaction, and enough people caught onto the “We are beggars, all” chant from their new LP’s title-track as Thrice finally forged a connection before ending their set. I heard more than a few Thrice supporters object the lack of ‘hits.’

Thankfully, Brand New (pictured below) left little room for similar complaints. (Setlists for both bands after the jump!) Read the rest of this entry »

You people out there give us
something more than just record sales.
You give us something to hate.
And we hate you,
you brainless mutants.

So begins Dethklok’s traditional closer “Fansong.” I suppose when you’re (fictionally) the world’s seventh largest economy you can take your fans for granted. After all, Dethklok represents creator Brendon Small’s metal nerd wet dreams. He creates the Metalocalypse cartoon series following the end of Home Movies‘ five-year run. He takes his cartoon metal band on increasingly successful tours with the use of touring musicians and a giant video screen. He made death metal history with the release of The Dethalbum, which temporarily became the biggest-selling debut in the genre until The Dethalbum II came along.

In reality, Dethklok exists because of its fans — socially awkward, maladjusted metalheads ignored and derided by most until Metalocalypse came along. The silly plots, vulgar characters and heavy metal parody lured not only metalheads but the rest of the weirdos that find Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim lineup funny. Dethklok also attracts an increasingly improving pedigree of support bands for its tours. This time around they bring stoner-metallers High On Fire, metalcore veterans Converge, and the incomparable Mastodon. (Setlists and videos for Mastodon and Dethklok 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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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 »