Beatles’ Selling, Axl Suing, Fleet Foxes Personalizing

24 Nov

Who said that the agreement that finally put Beatles‘ songs up for sale on iTunes was no big deal? After a week on iTunes, The Beatles’ have sold 450,000 albums and two million individual songs worldwide.

Link: http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/11/24/beatles-week-1-2-million-singles-sold-but-which-classics-endure/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Am I surprised? No. The Beatles once again prove why they are the biggest band in the world. Ever. It does not matter that they broke up 40 years ago. Hey, Usher, remember when you said Justin Beiber was a pop craze like the Beatles. Lets see if 40 years from now he is still selling like the Beatles.

The massive quantity of songs and albums sold reflect a symbolic jailbreak of music. It is nice to see that people did not acquire the mp3 versions of the songs for their portable music devices illegally. Well, some, some waited to acquire the music legally.

So, I guess we can look at the ratings and see what is officially the most popular Beatles’ song and album – according to iTunes sales.

Best Selling Album: Abbey Road

Best Selling Song: “Here Comes the Sun“…

Which is off of Abbey Road, my favorite Beatles’ album. iTunes fans have spoken. Now, while the best Beatles’ song is arguably “A Day in the Life” and best album probably is the one with peppers in its name, this is certainly telling. Heck, Abbey Road was the last album released before the Beatles dissolved. Imagine if they kept releasing music. Do you see what I did there?

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In other news, Axl Rose is suing Activision, makers of the Guitar Hero games, for $20 million. Yawn. Store this in the I don’t really care news bin. Rose, who is already rich, is looking for more money because…well read the article if you are interested.

Link: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/axl-rose-sues-activision-over-guns-n-roses-guitar-hero-feature/story-e6frfku0-1225960010189

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Performing on Letterman (Credit: Blush Photo)

Fleet Foxes, the awesome indie/folk band from Seattle that took the country by storm with their eponymous first album in 2008, is planning on releasing their new album in the Spring of next year.

According to lead singer Robin Pecknold, the album is going to travel inwards.

“It’s a lot more personal to me and direct in terms of the lyrics, less shrouded in metaphor or visuals. Musically I’d say it’s still in the same family but hopefully just more refined,” said Pecknold in an interview with clashmusic.com

I am excited. Fleet Foxes is an excellent modern band that have the attention of true music lovers. Their brand of folk/rock calls back to the 60’s musical tradition and I am eager to hear what is coming next.

Link: http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/fleet-foxes-finish-more-personal-album_1185915

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Spooner’s Sea Monster

23 Nov

Like many others, a youthful Jason Spooner came across his father’s collection of oldies and was hooked. How can you pass up excellent musicians and song writers that are important threads in the voluminous blanket of excellent music. But, while others simply feel the beat, Spooner decided he was going to create it; a new beat that takes a taste of old and combines it with an emerging modern acoustic/blues trend. Music that never forgets about the important art of lyric. Spooner has grown up and come a long way. He has just released his third album, an absolute gem. As songwriter Christine Lavin wrote about Spooner, “This is someone important.”

A review of Spooner by MaineToday.com summed up his music the best. “Jason’s songs are keys to the locked trunks that hold the artifacts of our lives. You can enjoy the music as top-shelf entertainment, but I guarantee that you’re going to want to come back and dig
for the treasure.”

People are coming back for more.

Spooner released his first album Lost Houses in October of 2002. The album featured a young musician demonstrating tremendous musical maturity. The highlight of the album is his voice. It’s controlled beauty perfectly overlaps a fun acoustic guitar that sings sweetly in “Cry Me To Sleep” and refreshingly twangy in “Pickup Truck.” The album lifted the Maine-based songwriter to the status of musician and soon after he added a rhythm section composing Adam Frederick and Reed Chambers.

The Flame You Follow followed five years later. The acoustic guitar was joined by an organ and horns. The album explored several different genres and portrayed an even stronger grip over instrumental and vocal poise. Like a composed quarterback, Spooner leads his band down field while remaining in the pocket, strong and incredibly talented.

No wonder why he has been recognized as both a musician and lyricist.

Taken from his biography,

“Jason won “Best Singer/Songwriter” in the Portland Phoenix’s annual “Best Music Poll 2008.” Jason also won the International finals of the Mountain Stage NewSong contest held in New York City. He was honored as a national finalist in the Starbucks Music Makers competition in Boston. Jason took part in a tour of the East Coast as a selected member of the Falcon Ridge “Most Wanted” Preview Tour. He was also recently named as a New Folk Finalist in the renowned Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, TX. Jason and his band returned to both festivals as a main stage act in 2007. Previously, he won the Ossipee Valley Bluegrass Festival songwriting contest in NH and was a finalist in the prestigious John Lennon Songwriting Competition.”

That is a lot of recognition for a young musician. Well, listen to one reason why. Here is the title track off The Flame You Follow:

Sea Monster, his most recent release, hit the stores in October of this year and is perhaps his best combination of songs thus far in his young career. It was recorded in Maine with his mates and unearthed some new musical territory.

“In the past, I had been so focused on making acoustic music that the electric was relegated to more of a supporting role,” said Spooner in an interview. “One of the smaller brushes in the batch. This time around, I just focused on the right guitar for the right song. There’s no question that the electrics ended up front and center on this record and I’m very happy with the progression.”

This is natural. A musician has to keep experimenting. Like any good professional, you never stop learning and Spooner is still learning. Off of the new album, here is “Half a Mind.”

This is an excellent blues piece that features Spooner’s powerful voice and some awesome instrumentation. I love the raw emotion in the live recording. And then we have this:

A complete change of gears. His voice remains the same, but, the lyric becomes even more personal and somber and the song transforms from blues to a melancholic mixture. But, this expresses a rare skill. He effortlessly switches genre on the same album. Perhaps this is why the album cover features a scuba diver. Spooner dives into the mysterious realm of the mostly unexplored ocean. He is not sure what he will find, but, with his musical talent, it is going to be melodious.

 

Check Spooner out further:

Website: http://www.jasonspooner.com/default.asp

http://www.myspace.com/jasonspooner

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=jason+spooner&aq=f

 

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The Tallest Man on Earth – The Torch has been Passed

22 Nov

Occasionally you find an artist who just turns heads. In this case, it is not because of physical height, but instead an immense presence that is evoked in a brand of folk music that is eerily similar and stupendously different. The Tallest Man on Earth, the moniker of Swedish folk musician Kristian Matsson, plays music that is effortlessly perfect. Rarely do I drag an entire album into my exclusive Favorites playlist on my iPod. But, Matsson’s music is the pinnacle of folk perfection. It calls back to better days. And, his voice…wow…is that Bob Dylan?

That is perhaps my favorite song from Mattson. It appears on his first LP, Shallow Grave, which was released in 2008. Since then, he has put out another LP (The Wild Hunt) and EP (Sometimes The Blues is Just a Passing Bird), while releasing his first single “King of Spain,” which I will include below. The music is immaculate. It is, like I said above, pure folk perfection; everything from the guitar riff to his eccentric and eclectic voice. Is the voice for everyone? No. But, if you are a fan of Bob Dylan’s classic folk music, you will love this.

But, as much as the music may sound similar to Dylan, it maintains some strong differences. The music plays around with more modern musical ideas. It moves away from basic chords and experiments with different techniques. It also implements some strumming original to Mattson.

The voice does sound like Dylan, but, Mattson’s voice is deeper and more guttural. It even sounds more natural on first listen.

The 27-year-old Mattson also plays piano and banjo. This is a talented up and riser and he most certainly deserves some Music Court attention. Enjoy “King of Spain” off his new album.

By the way. “Boots of Spanish Leather.” I see what you did there with that lyric Mr. Mattson.

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Bob Dylan is Bob Dylan

19 Nov

Let’s get this straight. Bob Dylan is a musical legend, but his skills have certainly diminished over the years…and drug use. He is an iconic figure of musical intuition and perseverance, a man that is more of an idol than an actual living, breathing performer. So, when you get the chance to see him grace an audience with his presence, well, you go. And, go I did.

On Wednesday Nov. 17, Dylan stopped at Binghamton University to instill in students, faculty and residents a quick lesson on how to rock and how to stay alive. The 69-year-old performer played a straight one hour and a half set of blues. I understand many virgin Dylan concert-goers went anticipating an acoustic guitar strapped around Dylan’s next with an harmonica in a sling attached to his mouth. They expected him to run through old favorites like “The Times They Are ‘A Changin.” But, that’s just not how he roles any longer.

Please understand this folks and don’t be upset. Dylan changes music genres more than weather changes in Binghamton. He is now on a blues fix. If he continues to play, who knows, he may go back to playing “Lay Lady Lay” like he did in 2002. But, Wednesday night saw Dylan and his excellent band (who all matched in grey suits…except for the rebellious drummer) truck through some blues music.

Blues allows Dylan to concentrate a little more on the music. He was singing, yes, but no one could really understand his words. But, that’s okay, no one could understand him 40 years ago. While Dylan’s guitar playing was dull, his keyboard playing was on par and he blew the harmonica with passion.

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for AFI

Passion. The word of the night. Dylan may be 69, but he was moving around stage with a youthful nimbleness that I did not expect to see. He swayed while he played the guitar and actively participated with his band when he was near them. When he was at the keyboard he was certainly more detached and he concentrated on the song at hand. But, a surprisingly energetic Dylan had the crowd of around 5000 tapping their feet and dancing. By God, it seemed like Dylan was enjoying himself.

That is the reason why he continues to play. The man has plenty of cash. But, he loves performing. At the heart of his being is an entertainer and music has always been calling. It doesn’t matter what type. All that matters is that he can be on stage playing the music. That is respectable, and fans have to be excited that they can still see a living legend when he buses to their town to play a set.

The highlight of the night was “Highway 61 Revisited.” My favorite Dylan song was played with enthusiasm and, while it may have been hard to follow him, I still sang along. And then came the encore with “Like A Rolling Stone.” He has transformed the song and the way it is sung, but, it was still fun to sing the chorus with a crowd full of people.

Listen. Was he sharp the entire night? No. But, you go to a Dylan concert with a split mindset. You want to enjoy the concert, yes. But, you are seeing Bob Dylan. The name itself can almost make the show.

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Bob Dylan Tonight

17 Nov

Bob Dylan’s list of pseudonyms is long. His never-ending tour is longer. Tonight I will be seeing Mr. Robert Zimmerman, a.k.a. Bob Dylan, a.k.a Zimbo, a.k.a Bobby The Hobo, a.k.a Luxury/Boo Wilbury, at Binghamton’s Event Center. And, whatever name he chooses for the performance will be just fine with me. Seriously, I would not mind a Traveling Wilbury reunion tonight. Roy Orbison can come back from the dead for an amazing reborn performance.

The never-ending tour is just that. Bob Dylan has performed around 100 shows a year since 1988. That is 22 years folks. I am 21. Maybe there should be another name addition for Dylan. The Machine. That is what he has become.

I saw the tambourine man a few years ago at Nassau Coliseum. The show was an interesting experience. It was not what I expected. Dylan transformed his well-known pieces into unrecognizable tracks. I looked at the set-list after the show and seriously questioned whether I heard some of the songs on it. But, after reviewing the concert over in my head I realized something.

This is Bob Dylan. He is a cryptic trend-setter. The man changed rock n’roll and didn’t care what you thought. That’s why we love him right? From social activism to electric to country to swing to gospel, who cares. Bob Dylan effortlessly amalgamates genres and creates a bubbling cauldron mixture of excellent music and lyrics. So, for those going tonight, take a spoon. The soup may taste weird, but, this is Bob Dylan we are talking about. If it didn’t taste odd, something would be wrong.

In preparation for tonight here is one of my favorite Dylan songs off of my favorite album:

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