Lots of Strange Folks and the Chronicles of Paul

Last night I asked the fantastic Lucy Rose and Simba if eARMusic ever put on a bad show. 6 shows in and the answer I keep forming in my own mind is NO!

Last night just confirmed again what I always say...there is nothing better than live music. Turned up to what's fast becoming one of my favourite places, the very cosy, homely and relaxing Monkey Chews in Chalk Farm with not a clue of who was performing, apart from Lucy would be hosting the evening so in my mind sub-conciously I set my expectations low...Greg Holden, Chloe Temtchine, Lisa Mitchell, Lucy Rose that calibre isn't easy to beat or come close to...but it was equalled again.

There were five acts but two that really stood out. First up was a total unknown, least to me...Paul Cook (and the Chronicles). As I now know Paul played in 2 previous bands...Brinkman and The Vessels and is sort of in the throws of forming a new band (hence the chronicles bit). Paul has a really good strong yet subtle voice that sort of reminds me a bit of Elvis Costello...maybe more than a bit but its cool either way. Anyways he played a great solo set and I stupidly didn't get more than 2 videos...which was a huge mistake. Anyways...check these out...

Bye Bye Him and Guilt

He also has a youtube channel...where there's some more videos of Paul playing in the bathroom. Go check him out, he is very cool.

Now my other little discovery, a band well two bands in one. So let me set the scene. There's one band (of 7 members) but then there's another band featuring half the actual band (3....so technically a lie....42.8% to be precise), playing under a different name....confused.com???? yep!!!!

I'll call them firstly by the collective name and then for the purposes of not confusing myself...I'll call them by the form the sub 43% form they took last night for the rest of the post...

Full Name - Roy Rieck and The Medley Band
Small Band - Strange Folks

So these are 3 guys I believe from THE Holy Land of Israel who all moved over to the UK a few months back...for the better weather of course...obviously to try and make some good music. I'll start by simply saying that the guys last night were three of the most talented musicians I have seen in a long time. Two amazing guitarists, one of whom simply owns the Lap Steel guitar whilst playing the Xylophone...impressive. The other is a vastly talents Electric guitarist of the highest order. Backing this up is Roy Rieck who sings and plays a beautiful Harmonica.

As a three-piece band they played a mix of electric and part acoustic folk/rock songs and judging by the CD I listened to and added to my iPod today, as a seven-strong unit they play the same but a bit more jazzy. There's some great tracks in there and if you're in London they're playing a few gigs near you soon...check them out.

iLike, youLike, weLike...take a gamble!!!

Quick post tonight as I feel decidedly under the weather and possibly about to share in an illness the rest of the world is dealing with right now (least I won't be alone).

Anyhoo - (I've got that into a blog twice now...and maybe that's starting to sound a bit retarded??) - there's a stack of wierd and wonderful tools out there designed to help you find decent music if you want it. Some of my favourites include Music-Map which is pretty damn smart, Pandora (which has been brutally taken away from the UK), Hypem and of course iLike.

Now alot of these are highly subjective so I tend to take them all with a pinch of salt. That being said Pandora is, in my opinion something extremely clever and the pursuit of good music is somewhat made more difficult without its very presence.

iLike is a bit of an odd one really. I have the iLike sidebar installed in iTunes and it throws up most of the time an odd array of unsigned artists or live versions of songs. Tendency on my part and I'm sure everyone elses is to ingore what you don't know or maybe to get a bit adventurous listen to a couple, get bit bored then move on.

Tonight I felt brave so I hit the play button against a couple of bands and to my surprise found a couple of real potential gems, one of which is a band called The Wilcot. Don't ask me to fill in the facts, I genuinely haven't got a clue about who they are, where they are, even how many of them there are....actually that's just displayed a total lack of effort on my part because a 3 second scan of their myspace page shows 4 guys from Joplin, Missouri. Anyways I've heard a couple of tracks and like an increasing number of emerging artists they have released 6 songs on a gratis basis. I've given them all a spin once and whilst they're not setting the world alight at this stage, they have some talent.

So the messages of tonight are, 1, don't judge a book by it's cover....I can post much longer blogs than I say...2, you have to work a bit harder with iLike than some other music finding services but it's worth it and...3, when blogging, spend that extra 2 seconds to research the subject so you don't look a total twat.

And with those thoughts I'll leave you with one final tidbit...My iPod is still stuck on Augustana. I have tried for a few days to resolve the problem but it just seems unable to move. In other words, I cannot put the music down, it is seriously good. I can't get enough of All the Stars and Boulevards, in particular Sunday Best, Boston, Mayfield and All the Stars and Boulevards. It's so fresh, so vibrant and so well produced and just damn amazing music.

Time to crash, let's hope the pigs don't come spread their germs near me!!!

Something exciting and new...

I haven't blogged for about a week, mainly cos I just felt I had nothing exciting to want to say to the world and then well then that all changed about two days ago when I made no no that's not true, I researched something which appeared to be of potential interest.

So right across America this Summer there's a tour going down. Labelled at "The Saturday Night Rebel Rockers" playing the "Traveling (should be a second L in that word but that's Ameriglish for you) Circus and Medicine Show". Sounds like some sort of a freak show but features my absolute favourite band Counting Crows (have I mentioned that I like them before - haha) and an up until the other day unknown-t0-me band called Augustana.

So now I know who Augustana are in a very BIG way. My Ipod is for the first time in what seems an eternity playing something fresh and brilliant. I'm smitten at the moment with their album "All the Stars and Boulevards" and there are some beautiful, deep, angst ridden, heart wrenching tracks on there as well as a some great ballads and some fresh and challenging music and well that's all I want to say about the matter really. Apart from you absolutely must go and check them out at all costs, without fail and if you don't well you're just a complete mentalist or a bit of a retard really. I can't yet comment on their most recent album because my Ipod won't allow me to play anything else just yet apart from at peripheral scan level but it too sounds great.

The power of support acts

So how many of us are guilty of doing this? We book tickets to see a band or a musician we really like, we find out what time they're on and then what do we do, either turn up late or sit outside drinking beer...all the time not knowing or hearing what's going down on stage.

Today I was in the car listening to 2 acts who supported Counting Crows on tour in the UK last month, one being Blind Pilot, the other being a solo artist, Saul Ashby. Whilst Blind Pilot played a set at Wembley I naively sat outside with a beer in my hand pondering the Crows choices for a setlist along with the majority of an 8,000 - 10,000 strong crowd...big mistake.

So then the Brixton gig got re-scheduled because Adam Duritz was ill and this time I made an effort to see the support act...Saul Ashby. The guy was amazing. For a solo artist, virtually, if not completely unknown to come on stage and play a solo acoustic set in front of I'd guess a crowd at that point in excess of 2,500, was simply awesome. Had I opted for the beer and chat outside I would have missed something quite special.

Why do we do it? I guess we have this in built notion that the act we have come to see, in this case Counting Crows is all we really want to see so whatever else is playing no matter how good it is, is just not worth seeing.

This got me thinking...the best way to get people in their seats early is for the "headline act" to open the show, play for a while, go off for an undisclosed amount of time, then come back and play a set. Then an arena/venue would be filled start to finish.

I thought I was being a pioneer and then, well turns out someone else had the same idea. Counting Crows are currently on a tour (with some odd name I am far too drunk right now to remember) with Augustana (who I know nothing of, yet!), and they're doing exactly that according to this update from Adam Duritz.

So it's a request/preach tonight. Next time you go to a gig, get in and see the support act(s). I learnt the hard way of what I was missing whilst having a beer outside...go support the lesser artists...more times than not they're awesome.

I am a bit drunk right now so I hope that all makes sense. Basically drink less. listen and drink more :-)

If you've got nothing to say...

Find something. In fact I just stated I hadn't blogged for a few days and got ribbed for not having something to say. So I was challenged to come up with something and well I don't do contrived well so...this could be the world's worst blog entry ever, well I can think of one or two more worthy of that title but it could be a car crash.

The last few days I've had my Ipod on shuffle mode which actually means it just plays good music all the time without me thinking about what I want to listen to, which makes the choice somewhat easier. Randomly it brought up a bit of Tennessee's finest, Will Hoge.

I hadn't listened to any of Will's stuff for a while and had forgotten just how much I loved some of his music, particularly his albums Blackbird On a Lonely Wire and Draw The Curtains. Will plays what I call real old fashioned traditional at times big band rock and roll with a hint of bluesy.

Anyways about a year ago, Will was in the process of recording a new album when he had a road accident on the way back from the studio which left him in a bad way...broken ribs, sternum, leg, knee cap, shoulder blades. He's been slowly recovering and has been out on the road again and it reminded me that his new album can't be far off so it's time to get re-familiarised with Will.

Go check him out, he's a great live performer and his music is very cool.

There, a half drunk, late night, I've got nothing to say recommendation. That's all you're getting for now, hopefully it was succinct enough. Goodnight world xx

Let It Burn...

Not an exercise video or diet tip. Last night we headed over to Monkey Chews in Chalk Farm (London) to yet another awesome live gig put on by the brilliant eAR Music. Sadly missed the first act Lisa Mitchell, catching just the last 2 minutes of her set from the corridor but by all accounts she was awesome, you couldn't get in the room there were that many people. Then came the brilliant Greg Holden who played an amazing set but what then followed was mind blowing.

Over from the US was Chloe Temtchine. I'd never heard of her before, most of the people there hadn't by the silent(ish) reaction. She sung for about 40 minutes what I could only describe as a sort of Acoustic, R&B meets Pop meets Soul. She was mindblowingly awesome, not only does she play the guitar, the piano (well keyboard) but managed to sing in 3 languages...don't that type of talent make you sick with envy??? She was nothing short of amazing. Take a look at my youtube channel, I put up a few videos, but check her out she might just blow your mind.

Major breakthrough's and minor miracles

The title of my forthcoming album...I think not!!! You'll never see one of those from me... on the basis that some things are best left to those with real talent.

Anyhoo (I've always wanted to say that out loud and never done it)...I've owned a guitar for 8 months and been trying to teach myself how to play it. I go through frustrating parts where I feel like giving it up but then I have little breakthroughs which make me want to keep working at it.

The first was when I learnt properly how to play my first song, Walkaways (not the official video but I just found this and it's really cool) by Counting Crows from Recovering the Satellites, which is a short song with quite repetitive chords but something I've really struggled with is singing albeit badly with the guitar. I've found the concept of this totally alien to the point I actually almost gave up.

Early in June I was lucky to grab an hour or so with Greg Holden after his gig at Monkey Chews and over a few beers I said to him that I tried to sing and play and simply couldn't and I was so shocked to learn he couldn't either for the first 6 months. It made me feel a little less retarded, even if he was bending the truth to make me feel normal, which is possible.

So wind the clock forward a month and I've been trying to master his song Bar On A. I've got the chorus sorted and I play the bridge from the chorus into the verses brilliantly (IMHO) although I find the chords in the verses quite tricky at the moment. But there I was playing the chorus and all of a sudden bang, I started singing and it worked, to the point I did it again, and again and again....significant breakthrough, even if it's a tiny part of the song....it's still a result.

Anyways that's not a review of anything but my lack of talent, and perhaps a bit self-indulgent but I just felt it needed sharing with the world...oh and no I won't be youtubing or making a CD so please no requests...it would make you very very unwell.

There's something about Holly...

At a couple of recent gigs in London where the brilliant Greg Holden and Julia Nunes were "headlining", I saw the really fun and very talented Lucy Rose (or Holly as she's also now known) play a couple of short sets. I found this video on youtube of a song of hers called Give Me A Sign which is really quite cool. Check out her myspace page too if you like what you see.

Fancy a late night guitar lesson?

Ok so I'm getting a bit more in tune with this whole blogging concept now, so here's a short one tonight before I crash.

If you've found my youtube channel then by now you've realised that I am quite a big fan of the ridiculously talented and still unsigned British artist Greg Holden. If you haven't well go check it out right now...no really go and do it...NOW! Have you done it yet?

So assuming you've either done it or you've followed orders, you'll see exactly who Greg is and what he's all about...anyways...Greg is quite a frequent video poster on youtube and tonight has posted up his first tutorial showing you how to play one of his songs Bar On A.

I've had a go, will need a bit of practice but if you've got a guitar, give it a go. It's a great song by a great musician.

Have a look at this one too. It's Greg and Julia Nunes singing the same song together...works brilliantly.

That's it, simple as that...enjoy!

Late night listening...

Ok so third blog in and now...now finally you get a review...of sorts. Picture if you will the scene (for those of you who stumble across my blog from outside the UK), today it's been about 32C (or 90F) - yes we do get weather that hot in the UK (rarely, but it does happen)!!!

So tonight is one of those warm summer evenings where it stays warm all night and it's just a bit difficult to sleep. I just went out for a quick drive on a bit of a scouting mission to look at somewhere that's nothing more than a pipe dream at this stage, BUT I got in the car, iPod in tow debating what to put on to accompany me on the 15 minute drive each way.

I find late at night (it's now midnight here) I need simple, relaxing, soothing acoustics, nothing complicated, heavy nor electric so I had a quick scout through and landed at Jonathan Clay's Acoustic Sessions album, which I got as a free download from his MySpace page a while back (not sure if it's still there now - check the blog history).

The premise behind the album is simple...a major denim clothes manufacturer (no shameless plugging of brands on my blog) gets plugged before each song by Jonathan, then you get acoustic versions of songs from Jonathan's albums Whole New Me and Back to Good. That's how the album becomes a free download...clever concept, bordering on genius if you ask me. The clothing manufacturer pays for the advertising...which in turn pays for the album production, which means that we the customer gets it for free, genius, anyways I digress.

The album is actually great, perfect for a night like this and I'd forgotten how much I liked some of the tracks until I put it on just now, in particular More Than A Picture, Hello Goodbye and After All.

So check him out, download the acoustic album, if it's still there or better still go buy his music, that is if you're impressed of course.

Let me know what you think too :-)

Oh and if you haven't checked out my youtube channel yet, please do...