When I was planning out my music a couple weeks ago, I came across Benjamin Cartel's Soundcloud page and was immediately pulled in by his instrumental arrangements. I had to hear more and decided do head over to Bowery Electric to see him and his band perform live. Even deeper texture in the instrumentals at the live show.
I love the chord progressions and the feel of some of the songs where the bass plays slow beats with the guitar speeding away. I like some of the haunting instrumental lines.
A song that particularly caught my attention was "Save That Number". The song is from his "Flickering Light" album, released a year ago. Listen to the awesome guitar interlude at 2:30 to 3:15 on the clock! :::
Benjamin Cartel doesn't have any other shows coming up in the next few weeks, but here's the click to his Facebook page when you can keep an eye on what's happening: ::: Benjamin Cartel on Facebook (CLICK HERE).
I saw San Franisco band "Wooden Shjips" do a show at Boot & Saddle a few weeks ago.
Here is "Lazy Bones" :::
Wooden Shjips doesn't seem to be coming back East any time soon, but here is the click to their web page where you can keep an eye on them: Wooden Shjips on Facebook (CLICK HERE)
OMG I'm still writing about April 26. Also playing at that great basement house show at The Wormhole on April 26 was the band "Mesen Around", named after its mastermind, Brandon Mesen. While Petty Vandal was the band whose live show sounded most like their work on the web, Mesen Around was just the opposite, and maybe an opposite to the extreme. Mesen Around could even be the poster Childs for "two different bands". ... However, to me that was good, because I really liked the live show way better than what's on line. The music at the live show was a little more full-bodied, a little looser in the construction, and THEY HAD A SAX! Wow, that was a surprise. So, while I can't show you a representative sample of what you would hear in a live show, you'll just have to take my word for it: Go see them! Mesen Around on Facebook (CLICK HERE)
Juniper Douglas (Minneapolis)
OMG I'm still writing about April 26. Juniper Douglas is one of the most unusual acts I've ever seen. The band does a concert, but it's in a narrative form; it's a story. Autobiographical I think, part true, part fantasy. Sounds like part rock and part whatever pops into their heads while they play.... So this is another band where I can't show you a sample, but, this time, for different reasons. DON'T LOOK AT THEIR STUFF ON LINE: IT WILL BE A SPOILER! First, any song would mean little if taken out of context of their whole story. Secondly, while there are some samples of their narratives floating around the internets, they probably would be spoilers (If you watch them it will take the surprises out of the show when you see them live) and thirdly the camera in the online videos focuses on only a couple singers / actors at a time, while in the live show, there's a lot going on among multiple people all at once. There's more impact and interest to the live show. So, the next time this band heads east, definitely check them out. A very unique experience. Go see them! Juniper Douglas on Songkick (CLICK HERE)
The Mysteries (Philly)
Moving into May! On May 9 I went to see Trash Boy play at Milkboy. One of the supporting bands was Philly band "The Mysteries". I liked The Mysteries: hard-hitting with classic rock vibes. I don't have any music samples to show because I don't even know wtf if there are any! While there don't seem to be any music links from their Facebook page itself, a secondary Google search approach basically turns up nothing definitive. There seem to be a zillion other bands named "The Mysteries" and who knows which link is from which band in which city. Why people establish bands that use the same name that a zillion other people have used is a "mystery" (Maybe that was the source of their name : haha.lol) Anyway, they're a band worth seeing. You'll just have to keep watch on their Facebook page. Go check them out: The Mysteries on Facebook (CLICK HERE)
New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (May 15)
NEWS! RUE SNIDER RELEASES NEW VIDEO ::: ::: Rue Snider just released a new video version of his song "Speak My Mind". The re-release is prompted by the recent events in Alabama.
What happened in Alabama shook the nation, maybe the world. It certainly instigated Rue Snider to re-release his song, "Speak My Mind". I asked Rue about the song's background. I wrote that song the day after the election in 2016 distraught about seeing my hometown in Pennsylvania be the county that swung the state for that climate change denying misogynist. It became my mantra on the tour that year. It's been performed at almost every show since it was written.
Here's the new video, released just a few weeks ago, on May 15 (Link to the original is at the bottom of the page) :::
Here are the lyrics, printed out :::
This isn’t where I thought we would be
Half a decade deep celebrating white supremacy
Fear is an easy sell, like reality TV
Evangelicals chose the candidate of bigotry, the hypocrisy
Privilege is ignition
It burns in the alt-right
These are people who think women should be in kitchens
These are people still against miscegenation who think white men are maligned
And they speak their minds
So I’ll speak mine
When you politicize reproductive rights
You threaten the lives of people that I love
When your immigration line is that it’s deportation time
You threaten to destroy families that I love
Dr. King dreamed about equality this morning I woke up and I felt like that dream died
The successor to my county’s first black president
Is a KKK supported climate change denying misogynist who lies
Seventy two percent of the time
It still makes me cry
What do you say to the kids that wake up today
Who aren’t Christian, white, able-bodied, and straight
It’s hard to teach them to love even in dissent
When ridicule is embraced by the president
So now we’re standing in the present naval gazing at the past
Depending on where you’re standing it might not look that bad,
If that’s the case you’ve been had
We can never go back
This isn’t where I thought we would be
Half a decade deep celebrating white supremacy
Rue doesn't have any shows coming up in the next few weeks, but here is the click to his Facebook page where you can keep an eye on what he's doing. He hopes to be coming out with a new single on June 21! Rue Snider on Facebook (CLICK HERE). ... And check out the link to the ORIGINAL VIDEO "Speak My Mind" ::: Original video "Speak My Mind".
New Music / Freshly Written & Recently Released (last Thursday)
NEWS! SAM SEEGER RELEASES NEW VIDEO ::: ::: Sam Seeger just released a new video last week, "Take Me With You". More fuzz in Sam's guitar this year? Check it out:
Sam doesn't have any concerts coming up soon, but here's a click to his Facebook page where you can keep watch: Sam Seeger on Facebook (CLICK HERE).
OMG! I'm still writing about April 26! ... On April 26 I went to a basement house show at The Wormhole. It was an exceptional night in that every act did a great show and I want to see all of them again (even the impromptu guy who wasn't previously scheduled).
Of all the local acts that performed that night, Georgey V was by far the best showman; he had the best stage presence. Really smooooooth banter with the audience. His music is somewhere near the juncture of indie and pop.
Last November he came out with a new album, "car parked radio vol. 1". Here is the third track from that album, "Summer Daze" :::
Go see Georgey V. Georgey V doesn't have any other shows coming up soon, but here is the click to his Facebook page; keep an eye open for the next show. Georgey V on Facebook (CLICK HERE).
