Vibes blog

I’ve noticed that there is a lack of band introductions these days…

Sure, some bands do it old school — Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Al Green, Janelle Monae and others will have their band play first before being introduced and hitting the stage.

The Evening Muse, depending on who’s at the soundboard or hosting the show, will usually introduce the act hitting the stage.

Kiss is known for their “You wanted the best, you got the best,” introduction that they’ve been doing for years. Does John Mayer, Jane’s Addiction, Brittney Spears, Metallica or Harry Connick Jr. need to let you know who they are? If not, at what point is a band or artist famous enough to skip the intros?

However, a lot of places and people just don’t say a word. The lights go out, the lights come back on and the band is on stage as the first notes ring out. Sure, nine times out of 10, it doesn’t matter. The headliner is a big band and you already know who they are. But what about the opening acts? What about the people who are just there to see a new band and have no idea who they’re watching?

Most bands, even when not “introduced,” will let people know who they are at the same time they tell you there are CDs and t-shirts for sale in the back of the room. What’s your preference? Should a band be introduced before hitting the stage? Should they leave it as a mystery? Should they only say it at the beginning and/or end of the set?

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Each Friday, we bring you reviews of 10 recently released CDs done in 10 words each:

The Starting Line Somebody’s Gonna Miss Us — CD/DVD combo comes from hometown show during 2008 tour.

Dolly Parton Dolly: Live from London — DVD/CD set gives look at country legend’s recent performance.

Luego Taped-Together Stories — Some folk-pop with hints of electric blues… not memorable.

Ray Davies The Kinks Choral Collection — Band’s frontman returns with new vocal interpretations from past catalog.

Bad Lieutenant Never Cry Another Tear — New Order frontman Bernard Sumner’s latest project offers harmonized vocals.

Liam Finn & Eliza Jane Champagne in Seashells EP — Pop music gets some digital infusion for five delightful tunes.

Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers The Bear — Massachusetts-based roots rockers release enjoyable album worth multiple listens.

Calvin Richardson Facts of Life — Monroe native continues his soulful ways with Womack tribute album.

Burns Three Teknique EP — Third installment of techno monotony. Go pick up a guitar.

Sarah Blacker The Only Way Out Is Through — Singer has hints of Natalie Merchant in her vocal style.

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I just got this e-mail from Joshua Wade of Evelynn Rose:

We left Charlotte and flew to Frankfurt Germany, then to Saudi Arabia, and lastly Bahrain. The island is amazing — we’re having a blast with the locals as well as our new friends at the base here. Our first show was last night, and it went over very well. It’s hard to explain the feeling we get when the troops thank us! We have to respond with a resounding, “No, thank you!” The smallest piece of home really does seem to affect the moral here, and it’s been great interacting with everyone so far. We had some crazy times last night-our first “official” night on the island-but we’ll leave that alone for now haha. Luckily, we’ve captured a ton of video so far for our spring documentary release, and we have hundreds of hours more to come. Don’t forget to let everyone know about our first show back in the states at Whisky River on Dec. 11, too. Thanks for all of your support back home — we look forward to seeing you all again in a couple of weeks!

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Merry Christmas! It’s that time of year – you know Santa, gifts, family and all that. Christmas lights, movies, and of course – music. So, enjoy your holiday. It’s hard to believe Christmas is already here again. So soon!

Wait…..what’s that you say? It’s not Christmas yet? It’s not even December?!?! Well, it’s at least after Thanksgiving then right? No…….well, I’m confused. I figured it HAD to be close to the big day. Why? Because there’s been Christmas music on the radio for almost 2 WEEKS now!

When did the day after Halloween become the start of the holiday season? The day after Halloween, I found no less than THREE radio stations devoted to playing Christmas music 24/7! Did we all forget this little holiday called Thanksgiving? It’s just now Veteran’s Day for crying out loud. Are there really enough people out there who want to hear 2 full months of The Chipmunks sing “The Christmas Song”? Really, that’s what we need right now? I am convinced that I know the culprit behind this “start the Christmas season early” campaign. Wal-Mart. Gotta be. (more…)

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Here’s a list of the winners from last night’s CMA’s. (Is it CMAs or CMA Awards? Isn’t it Country Music Awards? Therefore, CMA Awards is Country Music Awards Awards? Or maybe it’s Country Music Association. Anyway….)

Single of the Year — “I Run to You” by Lady Antebellum
Song of the Year — “In Color” by Jamey Johnson
Vocal Group of the Year — Lady Antebellum
New Artist of the Year — Darius Rucker
Album of the Year — Fearless by Taylor Swift
Vocal Duo of the Year — Sugarland
Music Video of the Year — “Love Story” by Taylor Swift
Male Vocalist of the Year — Brad Paisley
Female Vocalist of the Year — Taylor Swift
Entertainer of the Year — Taylor Swift
Musical Event of the Year — Brad Paisley and Keith Urban
Musicians of the Year — Mac Macanally

Here’s a look at the monologue from last night:

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Local band Evelynn Rose is on its way to the Middle East as I type this, with local musician Eric-Scott Guthrie in tow as their soundman.

As long as they have computer access, they’ll be sending in blog posts from time to time during their trip.

The only word so far is from Guthrie via Facebook: “Uneventful flight… it’s amazing how much sleep you can get when the in-flight entertainment system is broken. Next stop… somewhere in the middle east. heh.”

Safe travels, guys…

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Here’s a quick rundown of some of the albums being released today:

AC/DC Backtracks

Tori Amos Midwinter Graces

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Live

Bon Jovi The Circle

Dashboard Confessional Alter the Ending

Flyleaf Memento Mori

Wyclef Jean From the Hut to the Projects to the Mansion

The Killers Live at Royal Albert Hall

Jason Mraz Live on Earth

Pearl Jam Backspacer

Switchfoot Hello Hurricane

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I try to keep an open mind when listening to music. I look for some kind of intrinsic value or something worthy of saying there’s talent. However, when I heard this song, I couldn’t find a damn thing about it that I liked. It’s like taking an ice pick to the ear drum.

Disagree? That’s fine. But if you do, leave a comment and let me know what it is about this song, particularly the vocals, that give any hint to some kind of talent. Sure, she was married to John Lennon, but that doesn’t mean she should be allowed near a recording studio.

“Enjoy.”

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Every Friday, we bring you reviews of 10 recently-released CDs done in 10 words each:

Systems Officer Underslept — Half of Pinback, Armistad Burwell Smith, releases a solo album.

Genitorturers Blackheart Revolution — The first single is “Cum Junkie.” You do the math.

Ad Frank Your Secrets Are Mine Now — Gothic-styled crooning mixes in hints of glam and pop.

Los Cenzontles with Taj Mahal and David Hidalgo American Horizon — Mexican-American group gets help from bluesman, Los Lobos frontman.

The Prairie Cartel Where Did All My People Go — Organize a few DJs with mics and this is result.

Mumiy Troll Paradise Ahead — Digital-only release has Russian rock band’s first English songs. (At Alley Cat on Nov. 15)

Atreyu Congregation of the Damned — Band teeters between cookie-monster metal and radio-friendly melodies.

Tinsley Ellis Speak No Evil — Blues rocker continues down his established path on 12th album. (At Neighborhood Theatre on Dec. 5)

Swollen Members Armed to the Teeth — Underground hip-hop gets help from Talib Kweli, Everlast, others.

Kottonmouth Kings Hidden Stash 4:20 — Two hip-hop CDs, bonus DVD focus on everything marijuana.

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The Deal: West coast newcomer releases first big label album (Atlantic) and amazes in the process.

The Good: A lot. With Francis’ major label debut (after his independent release One-by-One), we are introduced to a big talent looking to make his mark on music. The album is full of power songs showcasing Francis’ many talents, none stronger than his deep, baritone voice. Francis takes a single event in his life – the ending of a long-term relationship – and creates a theme album that gets stronger with each track. No song sounds the same as the last and you’ll realize with each listen (and trust me, you’ll want to listen more than once) that the songs may sound melancholy and down to begin with, but over time a real hope begins to shine through. As Francis himself says, “Over time, the theme of the album becomes more apparent. Once you live with the album for awhile, the power comes through – the more you listen, the more you understand.” With songs like “Nightfall,” “Junebug” and “Darkness” you get the full range of Robert’s voice and of the raw emotion that makes the album special. With each song, the heart and soul of a man pours through and you can feel what he feels, and that’s a nice change from most music you hear today.

Sounds Like: A lot of really great, legendary artists. On one track, you’ll swear you are listening to early Dylan. The next, U2 circa the Joshua Tree. Later, Springsteen in his heyday. What does that mean? A great album with a unique sound and powerful tracks.

The Bad: Nuthin’. Rarely these days do you hear an album that delivers from beginning to end. This album does just that.

The Verdict: If you ever wanted the chance to say “I heard this guy way back when, before he made ‘it’,” this is your chance. I’ve written in this space before that good albums are a thing of the past. With Before Nightfall, Francis proves me wrong. So head over to iTunes and for the price of a couple fancy cups of coffee, treat yourself to an album worthy of your hard earned cash.

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