Skip to content

Posts from the ‘Music’ Category

10
Aug

Actor Wil Wheaton Explains Why the Entertainment Industry Causes Piracy

Actor/ geek Wil Wheaton (Stand By Me, The Guild, Eureka) explains why the entertainment causes piracy through stupidity.

I haven’t really pirated anything in a very long time because I earn enough money to pay for my own stuff. However I have bittorrented movies, music & games after purchasing legit versions simply because the cracked versions were more user-friendly than the locked-down crap I paid for.

Also, it’s become clear that pirates are also the best customers.

(Via techdirt)

 

 

8
Aug

Rodrigo y Gabriela, “Live in France” Review

Insane guitar duo, and my favorite band Rodrigo y Gabriela (RyG) have released a new live album called Live in France.

It basically captures their latest tour, and most of their second studio album 11:11 (minus Atman, Logos & Master Maqui).

The good

RyG are the only band I know of where I at the very least like every song they have released. I absolutely love their music, and Live in France is no exception.

Five songs stand-out:

Hanuman (dedicated to Carlos Santana) – This rocking first track will get your blood flowing

Gabriela’s Solo – Gabriela is easily one of the most incredible guitarists playing today. Her approach to playing rhythm guitar while filling in percussion blows me away even after years of watching her play. Most guitarists, I can watch and feel confident that if I practice my ass off, one day I could play like that… I have never once felt I could, or ever will be able to reproduce a single bar of her work. Ever. Needless to say, her solo is spectacular.

11:11 (dedicated to Pink Floyd) – Spacey and beautiful, whenever I listen to this song I find myself wishing it would last for 20 or 30 minutes.

Rodrigo’s Solo – The dude can shred, and this solo rocks. Most shredders play on electric guitars with a ton of distortion, Rodrigo does it on an acoustic guitar without distortion. If you don’t play guitar, let me assure you, what he does is incredibly difficult.

Tamacun – My favorite track on the album, Tamacun is a party in song form.

The not-so-good

This may sound ridiculous, but I’m upset that there isn’t more on this album.

I saw RyG on this tour at Radio City Music Hall, and two of the standout performances for me were Atman performed with Alex Skolnick, and Orion performed with Metallica’s Rob Trujillo. I desperately wanted recordings of those performances on this album, and I’m very disappointed by their absence.

To be blunt, as great as Live in France is, the show they put on in New York was better.

The bottom-line

This album is so good that my only complaint is that it isn’t longer. RyG manage to create difficult and unique music that is also very intense and beautiful. It’s a rare feat.

Regardless of your musical tastes, I think you will find something to love on this record.

Buy Live in France:

CD – Download (Amazon) – Download (iTunes)

7
Aug

Download the “Bastion” Soundtrack

Last week I reviewed the downloadable game, Bastion, and I liked it a lot. Probably my favorite part of the game was the music. I wrote:

“The mostly guitar driven music is crazy good. The acoustic ‘In Case of Trouble’ at the beginning of the game sets the mood magnificently… Later in the game, there is a swampy electric guitar track named ‘Spike in a Rail’ that added a lot to the beautiful environment… If I could buy this soundtrack I would.”

It turns out, you can acquire the soundtrack for the low price of $10.00.

Give it a listen:

Get the Bastion Original Soundtrack

Full Bastion Review

27
Jul

Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay – Playing For Change

I’ve had a very busy day, and all throughout I’ve had this segment of a chord progression stuck in my head. I couldn’t place it until I was driving home and I realized it’s the bridge from the Otis Redding classic, Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay.

Here’s a beautiful rendition recorded by Playing For Change:

I think it’s time to pick up my guitar and play along for a while.

6
Jul

A Motorhead Mood

I’m having a tough time thinking of a more badass bassist than Lemmy. The guy roadied for Jimi Hendrix, then he essentially created heavy metal.

I didn’t realize that Motorhead recorded a cover of Metallica’s, Enter Sandman.

The bass on this version has way more balls than Metallica’s record.

30
Jun

Jonny Lang Live at BB King’s (Concert Review)

The Show

Jonny Lang & openers Moreland & Arbuckle

June 28, 2011 @ BB King’s Blues Club

This was an odd show for me for two reasons.

  • I didn’t know any of Lang’s material
  • I got stuck near the most disrespectful audience members I’ve ever encountered

Why’d I go to the show?

I know Jonny Lang from his collaboration with other artists. I’ve heard him play, and he’s always been good. Plus, any guitarist who has earned the respect of Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton & Carlos Santana is a guitarist worth watching.

The Opener - Moreland & Arbuckle

Every so often an opening act takes you by surprise. Moreland & Arbuckle almost knocked me on my ass.

They’re a stripped down, hard rocking, heavy blues band. These guys all clearly live and breathe rootsy blues music. They were all excellent, but what stood out to me was the band’s synergy, passion & guitarist Aaron Moreland.

Moreland played most of the show on a four string cigar box guitar. It sounded like he had a bass string on it, and three guitar strings (I could be wrong). He played the hell out of that thing with a metal slide, and damn near melted my face off. It was fun to see.

The M&R guys successfully sold me a few albums, and I hope I get to see them again soon.

Their new album Just Had a Dream is due on August 23.

Jonny Lang

Moreland & Arbuckle set the bar really high. Fortunately Jonny Lang & Co. put on one of the finest shows I’ve seen.

Jonny is a psychotic guitarist, and man is his voice soulful.

Then there was his band. I can’t get over how much talent he packed on that stage. These guys were total monsters, and when they got to jamming, they made the music soar. When they took solos they each displayed a terrifying amount of technical skill, class and soul. It’s hard to find the balance, and they all did.

Finally, there was Barry Alexander, Jonny’s drummer. He combines raw power and total control in unspeakable ways. No one as big as Alexander should be that nimble and quick.

(Watch the whole thing to get an idea of his range, watch the second half if you just want to be impressed)

Alexander’s solo made my week.

Belligerent Assholes

I see a lot of live music, and I’ve dealt with my fair share of obnoxious drunks, but last night I met the most disruptive concert attendees I’ve ever encountered.

We had a pair of couples next to us who wouldn’t stop talking. The music got loud, they got louder. The music got quiet, they stayed loud. If you’ve never listened to Lang, he pretty much plays as much quiet music as he does loud.

My girlfriend and I took turns politely asking them to keep it down. After all, it wasn’t a cheap show to see. Each request worked for about a minute before they returned to conversing at the top of their lungs.

After about four polite requests, they were yelling over a beautiful acoustic piece and in desperation I yelled, “WOULD YOU PLEASE JUST SHUT UP!”

They yelled back, “We’re in church.” Which was true, but besides the point.

Then, the cherry on this insane sundae came a minute or so later when one of the guys approached me and expressed his desire to assault me. Now most people don’t know this, but I don’t take kindly to threats of physical violence, and years of being a scrawny geek taught me that backing down from people like this usually makes matters worse.

I hate fighting, but I’m not a pacifist. I’ve learned that most fights can be avoided by scaring the shit out of the aggressor. I turned on the crazy eyes and explained to him with some rather colorful language what would happen should he choose to throw a punch. It worked again, and he backed off.

But seriously, who the hell tries to start a fight during a quiet emo-bluesey acoustic song at a Jonny Lang concert?

Bunch of savages in this town.

The bottom-line

The show was great in spite of the disruptions. I didn’t know Lang’s music, and I still loved the show. He made a fan out of me.

I’d love to see Moreland & Arbuckle and Jonny Lang again soon. Hopefully next time I won’t have to deal with nasty, self-important drunks.

29
Jun

Dream Theater – On the Backs of Angels

Prog metal gods Dream Theater posted a track from their upcoming album, A Dramatic Turn of Events to YouTube.

On the Backs of Angels gives us our first glance into the Mike Mangini era of Dream Theater, and I think it’s a sign of good things to come. Mangini assumed Mike Portnoy’s throne on drums, and maintained Portnoy’s style, while throwing in hints of his own flair. It works.

It’s not their heaviest song, but it sounds great, and it’s full of the technical wizardry that Dream Theater fans expect and love.

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 239 other followers