Roger's Music Blog

Moving Blog to onlymusicleft.com

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 22:09:25 -0400

It's with a heavy heart that I leave rogerzmusic.com. I've been blogging on this platform since February 2005. I started this blog as an outlet for my excitement for new music, going to concerts, and general music news. It's served that purpose well, but I wish I could say the same for this blog platform. It was the ideal solution, using iBlog to connect to my MobileMe iDisk, giving me lots of power and flexibility at no cost or 3rd party hosting environment. About a year ago (maybe longer), iBlog was essentially abandoned, in the middle of a major upgrade no less. That left many, many months of trudging along with an outdated tool in a quickly changing landscape.

Amidst major changes, now is the time. Of course I couldn't find the ideal replacement blog setup, but I've found a very good one - using a free, hosted Wordpress account and ecto. This also gives me the flexibility to blog from Flock and my iPhone. And while the new platform isn't quite perfect (paying for CSS, no iFrames, etc.), neither will the transition. I had dreams of a sharp cut over to the ideal layout and structure. Ha. Still, it's a start and a good foundation to build from, rather than an abandoned ship.

Eventually, I would love to make an effort to make onlymusicleft.com a major Cleveland music blog... Keep your eyes out.

Jennifer O'Connor (10/15/08)

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:20:52 -0400

I can't say that I'm a huge Jennifer O'Connor fan, though I've enjoyed her new album more than previous ones. But I really wanted to get out and see a show. Actually, my original plan was to go see the in-store performance of Frightened Rabbit at Music Saves prior to seeing Jennifer, but that just didn't work out (just too early). But she was very good and the show was very enjoyable... until the sold out (??) Nick Lowe show in the Ballroom let out and crowded the Tavern. Guess I'm glad Jennifer got a bit more of an audience... but that made it a good time for me to ditch.

The kicker in all this is that I just found out that Frightened Rabbit (whom I *really* like) ended up playing at the Spot that night!! What a bummer! Sorry Jennifer, but I would have gone to that show instead. Oh well.

Liam Finn (10/3/08)

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:16:02 -0400

Just to get this out of the way, yes he's the son of Neil Finn... but he stands out as a performer in his own right. I had been really enjoying some songs on his album and was excited to see him perform at the Grog Shop. This ended up being a much more rock show that I was really expecting. He jammed on songs harder and longer than I've seen before, well, except maybe for Xavier Rudd. Guess it's something about those from down under. Not all his songs were great, similar to the album, but I just loved the jams, the banter on stage, the cutie brother that came out to perform, etc. Just over a great personality, energy, and I expect great things from him.

Ryan Adams (9/30/08)

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:13:21 -0400

My friend Tim was able to hook me up with tickets for this show. I've been a sideline Ryan fan for a couple years. Lately his song "Two" has just gripped me (embed below). He's one of the artists that I wouldn't pay a lot to go see, but would DEFINITELY go if for free. :-)

I invited my co-worker with me and we had a GREAT time, stopping at Becky's before the show, as I always do before going to Playhouse Square. Which by the way, was a great venue for him! Sure, the audience was a little annoying, but overall the played an amazing set. Clean, crisp and well done. Even his awkwardness on stage, bantering was extremely charming.

Since then, I started listening to his new album Cardinology, and I think I'm going to start listening to him even more now. He's definitely been knocked up a notch, and I will definitely see him next time (even if I have to pay).

Revel in the brilliance.

Two - Ryan Adams

Neko Case (9/23/08)

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:12:41 -0400

Another sold out Neko show. I was excited early on for this show, but as it approached, I became less-so. Something about sold-out shows really turns me off. I ended up showing up late and leaving early, but not before being charmed by her once more. She played some new songs off the new album... FINALLY! Bring it on Neko.

Dar Williams (9/16/08)

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:01:06 -0400

Oh Dar... how I love thee. I was sooo glad to see her perform at the Beachland, rather than the House of Blues like last time. And the funny thing is that she made light of that during her show, commenting on how the audience loved the Beachland more, despite almost killing a Beachland-goer trying to back the tour bus into the Beachland parking lot.

As soon as I walked in, I saw my friend Jen sitting in the front row. She offered me a couple seats!! Love her.

The show was good as always, and I enjoyed the unconventional drumming for this show. Oh, and Shawn Mullins opened. I admit I wasn't that excited about him, but he was rather enjoyable! I might even see him again.

Since this show, I've spent even more time with her new album and I'm LOVING it more and more. I couldn't find "Buzzer" to embed, but check it out on her MySpace page.

Nathan Duprey (9/12/08)

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 07:45:37 -0400

What a night... I had been planning on this show for a while, being very excited to see him since he surprised me with his previous performance at the Spider opening up for Liz Stahler. Since that night, I've seen Liz & Brianna again, offering up my place to crash. They were excited, and VERY appreciative to the offer and it hit me last minute that Nathan might be interested as well. I emailed Liz and she passed the message and and it worked out! I'm so happy to help out traveling musicians. :-)

Chad & I went to the show and had a great time watching Nathan perform on the old Piano in the corner of the Spider. Extremely talented and dynamic! After his set, the bluegrass band that followed asked him to join them on a couple songs and it was great. After the show, we went back to my place, hung out, played skip-bo and ate pickled eggs. Well, Nathan didn't. I think they kinda freaked him out. The next morning we ate a little breakfast and he was on his way. Can't wait to see him perform again.

Hopefully next time I'll remember to take a picture...

Ra Ra Riot (9/10/08)

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 07:42:35 -0400

These guys were a big surprise... I had been hearing their name, then saw they were coming to Case Western. It had been awhile since I've seen a show at The Spot (Supersystem), and I was itchin' to go. Their new album was enjoyable, and so was their show. Well, other than the hoochie guy & girl grinding in the front like they were at a Lil' Kim concert. They even had the gall to be confrontational as all the indie kids just stared at their ridiculousness. Ugh. But despite, they were great performers and I'd love to see them again.

I'm also happy to see they're getting some bigger press!

Ra Ra Riot Crosses "The Rhumb Line" (npr.org)

Eilen Jewell (9/6/08)

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:40:05 -0400

My friend Tim had been telling me about Eilen Jewell, wanting me to go see her in Akron. I couldn't make it, but found out she was going to be at the Black Swamp Arts Festival. She was really the only performer that I would consider paying attention to this year, unlike previous years. She was good, I'd see her again.

Silver String Band (8/30/08)

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:39:43 -0400

Another great night at the Spider.

Silver Jews (8/29/08)

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:33:19 -0400

[another round of rapid catching up...]

My friend Jared contacted me about seeing the Silver Jews. I hadn't heard much about them before, but listened to the new album and was surprisingly impressed. The meloncholy sound and the deep voice, reminding me of Johnny Cash. At the show, Jared told me this was the kind of band he'd like to hear on some random country rest-stop jukebox. Very well put.

One of my favorite songs from the new album:

Mates of State (8/3/08)

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:03:42 -0400

I had been enjoying this album, but this was another one of the shows where their performance solidified their stature as one of my favorites. Mates of State looked like a 30-something married hipster couple (and I mean that with the utmost respect). I really enjoyed seeing them perform, but I really need to get more acquainted with their earlier stuff, as that was a major crowd pleaser. They were *really* into it. They really seemed into the crowd as well, saying we were "better than Lollapalooza." Suck ups. :-)

Janis Ian (7/31/08)

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:58:09 -0400

Another show at Cain Park. This time I wasn't going to dare take a photo.

I've seen Janis Ian at Cain Park before (pre-blogging), and had a great time. This time wasn't any different. I called early and got 4th row seats. I told my neighbors and they were VERY jealous, because they tried and got seats much further back. The day of the show, I surprised them and switched tickets. I was happy to do it because they were so excited, and I didn't mind hanging back this show.

One of the best aspects of a Janis Ian show is her storytelling. Every song had a long story that wound it's way to lead into the song. She is a very enjoyable story teller, which is probably what makes her such a great musician.

Over the Rhine (7/22/08)

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:53:39 -0400

What a great night to be at Cain Park! Even better that this Over the Rhine show was part of their $2 show promotion.

Unfortunately we were running late. As we were walking in, I heard them covering Gillian Welch's "Look at Miss Ohio." Ugh!! What a great song. Unfortunately, walking in we saw how few people were there. WTF? Over the Rhine is definitely an established and respected band, so this was a surprise (not to mention the price). They went on to play a great set, making this a nearly perfect summer night. They also covered Emmylou Harris' "Orphan Girl" and Pretenders "My City was Gone."

My only complains that night were the bug light continually zapping, and that the ushers were camera nazis. Within seconds of me taking a photo with my phone, they were on me, almost having a fit. A couple minutes later, a woman in front of me did the same. Only this time, the usher caused a ruckus by making the concert-goer delete the photo right in front of them, proving it's demise. Whatever. Just good to remember for next time.

Pitchfork Music Festival 2008

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:14:10 -0400

[...time to blow through these shows that need posted]

Where to start... Last year's Pitchfork Music Festival was amazing. So much so, that I knew I was coming back this year despite who was performing. I wasn't disappointed.

Of course, one of the reasons that a weekend like this is possible is because of my good friend Sal and her husband Chris. Going to Chicago always results in a good time hanging out with them. Though one of the stipulations this year was that I stay for the entire day (both days) at the Festival, so I didn't get to hang with them as much as I'd like. This year we drove in on Saturday morning, just enough time to drop our stuff w/ Sal and head on over to Union Park.

One of the defining characteristics of Saturday was the rain. It wasn't what I was hoping for, but the show went on and people made the best of it. It was almost a welcome addition. We got settled in time to hear Caribou (from a distance)... From there Saturday day included Jay Reatard, Fleet Foxes, Dizzy Rascal and Vampire Weekend, and !!!. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed Vampire Weekend. They were very fun, and very "festival." Amongst these shows, we ate some festival food and watched mud-diving. By this time, evening was upon us and we we saw !!!, The Hold Steady. We stayed for some of Jarvis Cocker, but decided to head out and meet Sal & Chris for some drinks and food. I was curious to see Animal Collective, but staying wasn't necessary (boy these days are long).

A point of conflict for me at this festival is viewing location. Once D and I sat our chairs down in the lawn, we were able to just swing directions between stages A & C. Stage B was at the other end of the park and we usually interested in the main two stages. The problem is that I would have liked to stand close for some of these shows, getting a better feel for the performance. But this required committment, as being close required no chairs and missing a band on another stage while the one you were waiting on set up. This year we took the easy route and just stayed planted. Sure, I missed some great close-up pics and the crowd's energy, but no where was there a bad seat or a lack of people-watching. We took the path of least-resistance and stayed put.

With Day 2, we parked it in the same location. It worked. We were there in time for the Dirty Projectors. I then walked over to see HEALTH on stage B. I was back at stage A for Apples in Stereo which were great, they played a lot of new stuff. I walked up close for them, hence some of the better photos for them. Back to our seats, we watched Les Savy Fav. I wasn't expecting them to have a lead singer sporting a one-legged, red leotard. Oh, he was also bald(ish), chubby with a beard. F*cking crazy, but lots of fun, and I would totally see them again. Next up were the Dodo's. These guys were okay, and one of the bands I was really looking forward to. They were good, but I'd much rather see them in close proximity in a place like the Grog Shop. Then was M. Ward, who's performance made me want to give the She & Him album another shot. Stayed for a bit of Spirtualized, then headed over to see Bon Iver back over to Stage B. Unfortunately, that didn't work out so well because it was PACKED and you could still hear Spiritualized. We finished off with Spoon, which we only watched a couple songs as we were walking out.

Overall, this festival is as much about the overall experience (food, beer, people watching, etc.) as it is about the music. I think it was this realization which made me more comfortable with just sitting back and taking it all in from the folding chairs near the back. But who knows, that may change next year.

Melissa Etheridge @ CPT for Kucinich

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:11:08 -0400

Interesting... Wish I had the $50 to check this out. Well, maybe.

Thanks to Spangle for the heads-up!

Spiralling is Infectious

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:52:45 -0400

I admit I liked Keane when they first came out, but haven't been paying much attention since. However, I LOVE this song! Where the hell did this come from??

Looks like I'm going to have to keep an eye on Keane again.

Cathedrals

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:44:11 -0400

Wow, this is becoming the women's music blog lately... Nothing wrong with that I guess.

One of the surprise tracks on Joan's new CD is "Cathedrals" which is originally a Jump Little Children song. The original was great, and Joan's cover is okay... It's worth hearing:

You should still listen to the original here:

Happy Birthday Ani...

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:33:05 -0400

It's been a crazy couple weeks... Just wanted to wish Ani a happy 38th birthday today. It's fitting that her Daytrotter session has also come to my attention today!

They've posted:
- Present / Infant
- Coming Up
- Subdivision
- The Atom

Enjoy!

Live Patty Griffin Album out Today

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:46:10 -0400

I've already downloaded my eMusic quota for the month, so this album is on my saved list until October. :-( But the previews sound good!

PATTY GRIFFIN: LIVE FROM THE ARTISTS DEN CD SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 9 DIGITAL RELEASE
AN ARTISTS DEN RECORDS AND ATO RECORDS JOINT RELEASE

On September 9, 2008, Artists Den Records and ATO Records will release the digital CD, Patty Griffin: Live from the Artists Den, filmed at an invitation-only concert on February 6, 2007, the day her latest album, Children Running Through, was released. The special concert took place at the Angel Orensanz Center for the Arts, a converted synagogue on New York's Lower East Side.

The digital CD will feature 16 live tracks – including a never-before-released cover of the traditional French song, "J'irai La Voir Un Jour" as well as Griffin's take on the Sam Cooke classic, "Get Yourself Another Fool."

February 6 was a bitterly cold winter day in New York City that turned into an even colder night, with temperatures dropping to nine degrees Fahrenheit as devoted fans huddled together outside the Orensanz Center for a chance to see Griffin perform songs from her new album for the first time. Inside, the historic building's neo-gothic arches were lit with the warm glow of candlelight as Griffin stepped into the packed house to play a special concert, filmed for the television series Live from the Artists Den.

Griffin's crystal-clear voice filled the room with newly penned songs as well as Griffin classics, accompanied by new band members and longtime players alike. A special treat on some songs was the addition of legendary keyboardist Ian McLagan (Small Faces, the Rolling Stones) – who appeared for this night only – and a five-piece string section. At the end of the evening, the enchanted audience walked back out into the biting cold braced with the warmth of an unforgettable night.

That next week, Children Running Through went on to garner Griffin her biggest first-sales week of her career, bowing with 26,834 pieces and the 34 spot on the Billboard Top 200 chart, nearly doubling her previous best. The media reaction to the record was stellar: "Griffin's release has it all" – Billboard, "Griffin's pure voice never misses" – Entertainment Weekly, "When she opens her mouth, everything else falls away" – USA Today.

With her heartfelt, insightful songs and singular voice, Griffin has won a fiercely loyal fan base. Originally from Maine, and now a resident of Austin, Texas, Griffin has also had a tremendous influence across all genres of music. Among the many artists who've recorded her songs are the Dixie Chicks, Bette Midler, and Emmylou Harris. Children Running Through, her most successful album to date, continues the remarkable creative evolution that's quietly established Patty Griffin as a vital and original force.

The Artists Den presents both emerging and established musicians in unique settings around the world. Some of the notable musicians who have performed in Artists Den concerts include Alanis Morissette, KT Tunstall, Crowded House, Aimee Mann, Regina Spektor, the Swell Season, and Ani DiFranco. A movable feast, Artists Den concerts take place in such unconventional venues as a natural history museum, a Masonic temple, Christie's auction house, a 100-year-old ship, an Archdiocese cathedral, and a 1930s movie theater. In January 2008, the Live from the Artists Den series debuted on the Ovation TV network, presented by Grey Goose Entertainment.

Dan Black

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:13:25 -0400

Here's a great cover on Notorious BIG's Hypnotize (one of my fav rap songs) by Dan Black. Don't know who he is, but the cover is great and the video is equally cool.

Click here to be taken to the Queerty page which also posts the original video.

MySpace

Vinyl's Come Back

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:44:03 -0400

I went to Music Saves the other day and drooled over their collection of new vinyl. Once I'm financially back on my feet, I'd love to start collecting (and paying for) high quality analog recordings. Here's an article talking about it's resurgence.

Another Spin for Vinyl (NYT)

"The ranks of vinyl devotees are growing. Lately, the anachronistic LP has experienced an unlikely spike in sales, decades after the mainstream music industry wrote off the format as obsolete. Major labels are expanding their vinyl offerings for the first time since they left records for dead nearly two decades ago, music executives said."

Lucy Wainwright Roche on NPR

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 07:50:37 -0400

There's so much going on in my life right now (read break-up), which is why I've been slacking. But the news doesn't stop and I still have a lot of great things to share. One of which is the lovely Lucy Wainwright Roche performing on NPR. Click the image to be taken to the story and listen in.

Also, you really need to check her out live. She'll be performing in Oberlin at the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse on Saturday, September 27th. I really hope to be there.

MySpace

Finally... I have an iPhone!

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:45:34 -0400

This has been years in the making. I remember I was so excited when I got my first Palm Phone (Kyocera 7135) with the ability to sync information from my computer (a Mac) to my phone. It was clumsy and inconsistent, but it existed. Even then, I had dreams of Apple reviving something like the Newton, but with the ability to make phone calls. Finally, after all these years my dream has come true. From the Kyocera, I went to a Treo 600, then to a Treo 650. Hard to believe it's been almost 3 years since I upgraded to to the 650, when I thought it was the best phone ever. :-) How times change.

Of course some of the best features of the iPhone are music related, with Pandora's iPhone application being one of my favorite! There's also YouTube (obviously), LastFM, Eventful, and this new website / app I have yet to figure out called BlueHaze, involving the ability to view/submit concert photos being taken in your area. Something worth looking into. I'm hoping that the camera for the iPhone will fare slightly better in low-light concert venues. Hell, with the Wordpress application (if I change my blog location), I could even do live blogging from my phone... (we'll see).

My ONLY complaint at this time is the lack of ability to just listen to any artist I want. I can't navigate to their MySpace page because Flash isn't supported on the iPhone yet. Any suggestions on any apps or sites that would work on the iPhone, just let me know!

MP3 technology, are we settling?

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:48:53 -0400

The technology of MP3's have been on my mind lately... the more I hear about their overall poor quality, I wonder if we're getting used to mediocrity when we could easily be experiencing much better quality music if we just put a little effort into it (similar to our food consumption).

2 Articles recently breezed through my RSS reader recently talking about this and I thought I'd share:

Five ways to make digital music sing

Neil Young says the tech industry doesn't care as much about music quality as it should.

Perhaps that's because the average iPod-toting iTunes customer doesn't give a second thought to whether the digital file of the latest single they just bought is uncompressed or lossless.

Young told a bunch of tech luminaries gathered for an industry conference as much on Wednesday: "People's understanding has been skewed by MP3s and convenience. It's important to get music out there...but not at the expense of quality."

He's not the only one who feels that way. Grammy-award-winning producer T-Bone Burnett (who says audio nowadays is so degraded it's akin to viewing "a Xerox of a Polaroid of a photograph of a painting") is spearheading CODE, a new high-definition audio format distributed on a DVD.

(keep reading...)

Wrong! 5 Reasons Lossless Formats Will Not Destroy MP3

Rumors of the imminent demise of the MP3 format are exaggerated, and I for one won't stand for it. A recent DVice article claims that the compressed MP3 is going the way of the Dodo bird because everybody's going to switch to lossless formats, which retain every audio bit on the CDs from which they were ripped.

According to the article, lossless codecs will "destroy" the MP3 format because hard drive and media capacities are on the rise, Blu-Ray movie soundtracks are encoded losslessly, iPod docks are showing up in high-end home stereos and Apple could flick a switch and have iTunes start encoding into Apple Lossless by default. Balderdash, I say!

(keep reading... )

Dar Williams Deal of the Century

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:55:03 -0400

This Fall is shaping up to be a whopper for new music releases from some of my favorite women... New Ani, Joan, Catie, and Dar oh my! I also just received an email from the Beachland that pointed me to a link where you could pre-order the new Dar Williams for $10. I though "hey... I'm down with that."

I follow the link and see that the non-sale price was $18.98!!! (wtf!) No wonder people aren't buying CD's anymore. However, I also notice a "Similar Shoppers Purchased..." section and see another promotion for Dar. TWO CD's AND a bonus DVD for 15.00!!!!! Amazing. The strangest part being that this was on MusicSpace.com. Quite strange seeing such a great offer from a site who's speciality is selling cheesy compilations, one of which being the obnoxious Kidz Bop albums. Whatever...

I couldn't order these fast enough. Now I just need to figure out who I'm going to give the other Dar album to. Interested?

MySpace (new song posted!)

(Don't forget to get your Dar tickets... 9/16/08 @ the Beachland)

Indie Indigo Girls & New Amy Ray

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:49:02 -0400

I guess Indigo Girls stint with Hollywood Records didn't last long, but I'm VERY glad to see they're on their own now. I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner, as they seem the quintessential band to accomplish this.

As many or all of you know, we are now officially a fully independent band, and the newest record will be our first independent ‘album’ release since 1987 when we released ‘Strange Fire’. Things have come full circle, and it feels liberating and centering, even in the midst of change. In addition to releasing the studio tracks recorded with the band (Matt Chamberlain: drums, Clare Kenny: bass, Mitchell Froom: keys, me and Amy), we will also release recordings of the same songs done acoustically. Amy and I sat in a room together with our instruments (Alison Brown joining in on some banjo), and recorded the same songs live together (plus at least one new song not on the band record and possibly another to come). We thought you might enjoy both versions of the new set of songs.

(keep reading...)

Also, another Amy Ray solo album... hope this comes with a tour!

Didn't It Feel Kinder / August 5th

Didn't It Feel Kinder marks Ray's first solo effort utilizing a producer. Greg Griffith (The Butchies, Le Tigre, Loudspeaker, Vitapup), a fearless listener and multi-talented musician, worked with Ray to incorporate a variety of sounds and influences as diverse as Al Green, The Pretenders, OutKast, and Violent Femmes, to create her unique and evolving voice throughout this record. Ray rose to the challenge to redesign the halls of rock and folk that have housed her for so long: "I just thought I wouldn't break new ground unless someone was making me do it." The two took Ray's back-of-the-napkin GarageBand maps to structure every song - another first for Ray's solo work, because she normally has arranged her music and harmonies in a live setting. Overall, the album teems with the Clash-esq energy that drives so much of Ray's solo work, bouncing and begging the listener to shout along. But as it rocks out, it starts to groove, and then waxes poetic in a well-balanced sequence of intensity, beauty, and fun.

(keep reading...) Also, check out the cool Limited Edition LP (w/ CD)!

Here's a player from the new album...

Joan Osborne Back To Her Roots (finally)

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:36:17 -0400

I have high hopes for this album. I've been excited about every one of her releases, but none have matched up to her music before, and up to Relish. This sounds promising...

Joan Osborne has reunited with producer/writers Rick Chertoff, Rob Hyman, and Eric Bazilian on her new album 'Little Wild One,' scheduled for a September 9 release on her own Womanly Hips label in partnership with Plum Records. The team last worked together on Osborne's breakthrough, debut album 'Relish,' which sold five million copies worldwide and yielded the smash hit "One Of Us" as well as scoring six Grammy nominations.

'Little Wild One' features eleven new songs, most of them written by Osborne in collaboration with Chertoff, Bazilian and Hyman. Highlights include "Hallelujah in the City," "Sweeter Than The Rest," "Cathedrals," the haunting title track "Little Wild One" and the stripped-down "Bury Me On The Battery," an ode to Osborne's coming of age hometown, New York City.

In a career that spans over fifteen years, Joan has proven to be an artistically restless yet consistently enthralling performer. In 2002, she cemented her reputation as a top tier soul singer with an incredible turn in the acclaimed documentary film 'Standing in the Shadows of Motown,' followed by a tour with legendary Motown backing band The Funk Brothers. In 2003, Osborne toured with the Dixie Chicks and then surprised and wowed audiences touring throughout America for two years as the lead singer for The Dead. In 2007, she graced the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.

Osborne loves to sing and perform in many different genres, but she comes back to her soulful rock roots on 'Little Wild One.' Watch for Joan to tour extensively around the release of her new album.

'Little Wild One' Track List

1. Hallelujah In The City
2. Sweeter Than The Rest
3. Cathedrals
4. Little Wild One
5. Rodeo
6. To The One I Love
7. Daddy-O
8. Meet You In The Middle
9. Can't Say No
10. Light of This World
11. Bury Me On The Battery

Check out some of these new songs on her MySpace Page!

Drew Gibson (7/10/08)

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:30:19 -0400

This day couldn't have been more beautiful. Earlier I spent the afternoon at Nelson Ledges with friends, it was my first time and I was introduced to just how magical that place is... That's a whole 'nother discussion. But I followed that up with dinner and this show with our new friend Tom.

Last time I saw Drew Gibson , he said he came back to the Spider several times a year. I'm so glad he followed through. Already knowing what a good performance he gives, I thought I would try to tell as many people as possible about this show to bring more people in... after all, it was a gorgeous night and as always, the Barking Spider has no cover (just a tip system). Why wouldn't they come?? Sadly, only Tom took the bait (no offense Tom). :-)

It was another great show by Drew... After his show, I was telling Tom about my struggle to describe great experiences like this in words. He took a stab at it:

"As dusk came to pass and the cool gentle breeze glided across the room at the barking spider the yellow glaze from tiny lantern lights inside grew brighter on our skin and in ours eyes as we enjoyed the lilting almost sleepy blues influenced folk songs of drew gibson."

Works for me... It was such a beautiful night, we also stayed for the following bluegrass band, Crossties.

MySpace

New Pretenders Album, Innovative Distribution

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:36:14 -0400

Can't say I'm a huge Pretenders fan, but I definitely enjoy them... and hey, they (used to be) local. Take a listen (or download) The Nothing Maker over at iLike.

(via Billboard)

The Pretenders will roll out their new album, "Break Up the Concrete," as one MP3 per week with a different partner leading up to the Sept. 23 CD street date via Shangri-La Music.

The first song, "Boots of Chinese Plastic," is available for free download via AOL's Spinner.com and the Pretenders' Web site. Subsequent tracks will roll out with partners such as QuickTime, ClearChannel.com, CMT.com, iLike, iMeem, MP3.com, VH1 Classic, Yahoo!, CBS Radio and MSN Windows Media.

Keep Reading...

MySpace