http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/jfp.php/music/ en demonsblaze@gmail.com Copyright 2009 2009-07-15T19:27:00-06:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/funk_evolution_071509/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/funk_evolution_071509/#When:19:27:00Z While some bands these days slap on a guitar or two and find someone to play drums, Austin-based T-Bird and the Breaks realized it needed more to complete its sound.by Byron Wilkes July 15, 2009 While some bands these days slap on a guitar or two and find someone to play drums, Austin-based T-Bird and the Breaks realized it needed more to complete its sound. Boasting its own sax section, backup and lead singers, rhythm and bass guitars, the 10 members of the Breaks bring a brand of music to the stage that is not only refreshing, but an experience in itself. Music Features 2009-07-15T19:27:00-06:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/rob_in_stereo_the_man_in_the_mirror_071509/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/rob_in_stereo_the_man_in_the_mirror_071509/#When:19:26:00Z I recently had an hour to kill in the airport, so I indulged myself and picked up a few tabloid magazines inundated with Michael Jackson stories. In the weeks following Jackson's death, I was dismayed to see the media shift its focus from the genius of Jackson's musical contributions to speculation over how he died.by Rob Hamilton July 15, 2009 I recently had an hour to kill in the airport, so I indulged myself and picked up a few tabloid magazines inundated with Michael Jackson stories. In the weeks following Jackson's death, I was dismayed to see the media shift its focus from the genius of Jackson's musical contributions to speculation over how he died. The cover of Life & Style captures the theme perfectly: "Who Killed Michael Jackson?" 2009-07-15T19:26:00-06:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/delta_rockabilly_pioneer_keeps_rolling_070809/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/delta_rockabilly_pioneer_keeps_rolling_070809/#When:19:27:00Z Rockabilly Mac Allen Smith’s musical education began in the 1940s when he was a small boy visiting his grandfather’s home outside Carrollton.by Larry Morrisey July 8, 2009 Rockabilly Mac Allen Smith’s musical education began in the 1940s when he was a small boy visiting his grandfather’s home outside Carrollton. His uncles were skilled musicians and would play for dances held at the house. Smith remembers watching them “just set up in the living room and play for the dancers.” 2009-07-08T19:27:00-06:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/hermans_picks_vol_7_no_43_070809/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/hermans_picks_vol_7_no_43_070809/#When:19:26:00Z Sonorous indie-folk comes cheap this Thursday night when Washington, D.C.-based Frau Eva puts on its delayed ambience at the Eudora Welty Commons, 7 p.m., free.by Herman Snell July 8, 2009 Sonorous indie-folk comes cheap this Thursday night when Washington, D.C.-based Frau Eva puts on its delayed ambience at the Eudora Welty Commons, 7 p.m. free. If you’re a fan of the harmonious stylings of Beach House, Elliott Smith or Grizzly Bear, go hang out and give them a listen. Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/frauevamusic. The Commons is a cool writer’s retreat, bookstore/coffee shop on Congress Street with interesting space worth checking out. Events 2009-07-08T19:26:00-06:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/music_reviews_070109/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/music_reviews_070109/#When:19:26:00Z by Lindsey Maddox July 1, 2009 Pure Power Pop Olympic Records act, the Da Vincis, make exactly the music teenage boys should make. Their loose, jazzy pop songs possess a purity free from the baggage that comes with age and experience and strategic commercialism. Their debut album, “See you Tonight,” is breezy, diverse and catchy. Reviews 2009-07-01T19:26:00-06:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/rob_in_stereo_spirit_of_94_070109/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/rob_in_stereo_spirit_of_94_070109/#When:19:25:00Z New-age punk rock, for better or for worse, can be tied to 1994. It was during this year that the genre re-emerged from music’s doldrums and experienced a renaissance.by Rob Hamilton July 1, 2009 New-age punk rock, for better or for worse, can be tied to 1994. It was during this year that the genre re-emerged from music’s doldrums and experienced a renaissance. Green Day and The Offspring spearheaded this re-emergence in the mainstream with their respective multi-platinum albums “Dookie” and “Smash.” Reviews 2009-07-01T19:25:00-06:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/fresh_and_easy_062409/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/fresh_and_easy_062409/#When:19:26:00Z by Katie Eubanks June 24, 2009 Daniel Guaqueta, tall and dark-headed with a half-grown mustache and goatee, is sitting in the control room at the WLEZ radio station and unwrapping a CD as quickly as he can. “I am so not ready for this show,” he says. Music News 2009-06-24T19:26:00-06:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/hermans_picks_vol_7_no_41_062409/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/hermans_picks_vol_7_no_41_062409/#When:19:25:00Z It’s Friday; it’s payday, and the drinks are cold.by Herman Snell June 24, 2009 It’s Friday; it’s payday, and the drinks are cold. Club Fire will host the seven-piece Pink Floyd tribute band Eclipse Friday night at 10 p.m. $15, $20 if you’re age 18-20. The band consists of three guitarists and six vocalists, and it has an extensive lighting set. You won’t get the opportunity to hear the real thing often, and these guys are ready to win you over, so if you’re a Pink Floyd fan, check them out. Events 2009-06-24T19:25:00-06:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/jubilee_jam_saturday_highlights/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/jubilee_jam_saturday_highlights/#When:18:42:00Z Saturday's festivities were even hotter than Friday, if that's at all possible. When I headed over around 3 pm, it was already much later than I'd anticipated as I was avoiding the heat and grimaced at the Walgreens marquee declaring 99 degrees. Thankfully, the Jam folks installed two large misting fans to cool down the crowd. First up for me was Latinismo! at the Trustmark Stage. With at least 13 members on stage, they played a rousing set of Latin groove. The horns were sharp and the guitars had a saucy ring for the few people daring to dance in the sun. I hope that it was just the heat that made the crowd small. I had a lot of fun swaying my hips to the music and started imagining them giving my summer birthday party a bit of salsa swing. Latinismo! started wrapping up their set with a slinky cover of The Doors' "Light My Fire." Next I wandered up the hill toward the VisitJackson.com stage at State Street for Blue Mountain. The gathering crowd crammed themselves into the small patches of shade to enjoy the homegrown country rock. I'm not familiar enough with the band to know the songs, but I enjoyed the twangy guitars enough that I'll definitely get their discs to enjoy in the comfort of some cranked A/C or play it at a bbq when it's not eleven million degrees in the shade. The Trustmark Stage then sported Passenger Jones at 5:00. The Jackson darlings have six members (two guitars, bass, drums, keys and cello) to their ensemble, creating a full sound that isn't so dense that it's not accessible. I am still impressed with how well they've managed to harness the ability to use dynamics with so many instruments. It's rare, I think, that bands are able to play great music in the rock spectrum that isn't just hard and loud for their 45 minutes. At one point, front man Taylor Hildebrand declared, "Y'all, I have wanted to play this festival my whole life." He got his wish as they played songs old and new for the growing crowd. I especially liked the bluesy guitars of "Taste It," but will make a point to see their brand of rock next time they play in Jackson. I had to leave mid-set to head to the Budweiser Main Stage. I caught a few songs from Charm City Devils. Their brand of loud guitar rock really isn't for me. I mean, I enjoy Led Zeppelin, A.C.D.C. and obviously, Joan Jett, but something about the songs about drinking and rockin' didn't resonate with me. I felt like they were guys with guitars trying too hard to be glamorous. They had a decent sized crowd who seemed to be enjoying themselves. But I was there to head back stage for the headliner. When I interviewed Joan Jett on the phone earlier this month, she made the point of inviting me to come backstage to hang out with her. I think I told every single person I knew and even some I don't know in my excitement. I got back stage with my friend Lindsay, who is probably a bigger fan than even me, and we waited and waited. I watched the clock as it got closer to Joan's stage time of 6:30 PM and gave her tour manager a call after I still didn't see anyone from the band. He assured me I was in the right place and came over to chat. He explained that she'd be out momentarily and just to hang tight. The next five minutes were chaotic as several photographers came back stage who apparently didn't have the right credentials to shoot the show and in dealing with that and some missing equipment, I didn't get to meet Joan Jett. I was all of ten feet away from her and surprisingly, she's a very small lady. I guess I'm surprised because on stage, she casts a frame that is larger than life, when in reality she's maybe 5'3" with a solid, muscular body. She ran on stage and gave us all what we came for with the following: Bad Reputation Light of Day (Springsteen cover) Cherry Bomb Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) Change the World You Drive Me Wild Love Is Pain I Love Playing With Fire Naked Love Is All Around Fetish I Love Rock 'N' Roll Crimson & Clover I Hate Myself For Lovin' You A.C.D.C. Everyday People If you were in Jackson and not at this show, shame on you. My vocal chords felt shredded after hollering along to "I Love Rock 'N' Roll" and "A.C.D.C." It was a truly awesome experience to be at the front gate with my friends, sweating ourselves away into puddles and grinning at each other with the start of each new song. Joan Jett still has pure rock 'n' roll running through her veins and with longtime creative partner Kenny Laguna, has created something that all rock bands should take to heart. The Blackhearts are a solid band and are the luckiest guys on earth that they get to play the music they love such a strong and talented woman. The awesome thing about this whole experience is that the story with Joan Jett didn't end with me leaving backstage to go up front to see the show with everyone else. Between last night and this morning, I have gotten a phone call from Kenny Laguna, a call from Kenny Laguna and Joan Jett and a follow up call from Ed, her tour manager. The first two were checking in on me and wondering if things were okay as they missed seeing me. The second call made my day: they loved the JFP article. Ed was totally gracious and apologetic about the chaos. I explained to them that I was just glad I got to be there to experience, for me, the ultimate rock show. Two things out of this weekend: 1) Jackson, you did me proud with the energy you gave to Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. I wish the crowd had been bigger, but for those of us who made it out, we got what we came for. 2) I'm in the good graces of one goddess of rock 'n'roll. Life is good. music blog 2009-06-21T18:42:00-06:00 http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/jubilee_jam_friday_highlights/ http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/jubilee_jam_friday_highlights/#When:05:23:00Z The first day of Jubilee! Jam 2009 was sincerely hot and sticky with temps hovering in the high 90s til way after dark. Still, a sweat soaked crowd turned out to hear great music, big and small names alike. The best of the night, I believe, came straight off of the Trustmark stage, which is hosting the local acts. Here's the run down of what you missed today: I caught Cyril Neville & Tribe 13 first at the Budweiser Stage. The band is seasoned and plays well together and I especially enjoyed the powerful harmonies and the saucy cover of "Piece of My Heart." Next up came my appetite which was satisfied by the Clarksdale BBQ Nachos from the F&B Catering tent. Oh, right, music. . . The Bailey Bros. were doing a fine Dylan cover as I started heading up the hill to hear Carolina Liar. Truthfully, I didn't know much about the band. My friends informed me that they have a song, "Show Me What I'm Looking For", on Vh1 presently, I had no idea what to expect, but the buzz leading up to the Jam was enough to pique my curiosity. They opened up with the hopeful "California Bound" and followed with "Something To Die For," which, frankly, sounded exactly like the other song. Unfortunately, that trend continued through their set and I decided to seek out something else. They do have talent and they'll continue to gain a fan base and probably play the college campus circuit. This little band that originates from Sweden will get a little fame for their hard guitars and attempts at thoughtful lyrics. I can see them following the likes of Better Than Ezra, who are altogether a way better band and better songwriters. The best quote of the night came from my friend Joy who turned to me and said, "It's like watching Nelson." Two members of the band were sporting the flowing blonde locks and y'all, she was right.The crowd seemed to like the mid-90s throwback sound, but I needed something else to inspire me. I went on to the other end of the festival back to the Budweiser stage to hang out at JJ Grey & Mofro. They have the typical jam band sound, but had some great dirty, bluesy guitars and a horn section adding just the right amount of spice. I was thoroughly amused by the ladies with the homemade hula hoops in the way back of the crowd. Even 96+ degree heat didn't stop their hula dancing. They definitely had the biggest crowd by that point and everyone was really joyful dancing around. I will probably never purchase their music, but I'd definitely see them live again. The band gave a lot of great energy to a welcoming audience. The next act I caught made me entirely happy to be at the festival. I've been listening to Quills via Myspace for a few weeks now since they played with my friends, The Delicate Cycle. I knew that half of the band are former members of King Elementary, whose music I adored and always floored me by being so young. Anyway, they took the stage at 9:30 and God bless America, they are so great. The songwriting is beautiful, the band is tight and the performance is engaging. These guys should be well on their way to the Austin City Limits music festival or should be prepared to make an appearance at South by Southwest. They are THAT good. The guitars are tightly wound with each other, the rhythm section is just right and not overpowering, the lyrics are moody and simple, making for one catchy "radio song" after another. Morgan Jones is a fierce frontman and is well supported by three talented musicians (Andrew Fox, William Fox and Justin Cook) who help to create an accessible wall of sound with dark guitars and quick tempos. These guys know how to manipulate dynamics on stage, which is important to my ears. I don't want a band to be at 10 the entire set. The set included a bluesy turn with "Irons In the Fire," "Disinformation," and my personal favorite, "Tell Me Now Charlotte." Do yourself a favor and catch their next show. Ginger Williams informed me that this was only their third gig with the present lineup and if they're this good now, they're only going to get better. Quills are the band to watch. After Quills, I caught a little of Guster, set up prominently at the VisitJackson.com stage at the top of Capitol St. I was watching Twitter while listening and I can agree with two of the people I follow: hearing Guster reminded me of writing papers late at night while in college. They played all the favorites and sound great live, like a band that has many seasons logged on the road. And last, but not least, I closed out my night with 7even:Thirty & 5th Child at the Trustmark Stage. Again I will say that the local acts should be the darlings of the whole festival. These two guys are forces of nature. Mark my words: I will not miss their shows ever again. 5th Child took the stage first with J-Gutta and DJ Venom. He was all over the stage, in and out of the crowd in his t-shirt proudly declaring SOUTH JACKSON. 5th spits to hard beats until he gets to "Easy," which takes everything in a funky direction. His energy is hot and his passion is real: he does it for the city he lives in and that city is Jackson. 5th makes me really proud to be a part of this city. After 5th departed, 7even:Thirty took the stage in his purple t-shirt and futuristic sunglasses. His sound varies from 5th and carries more of a disco beat, but it's exactly what the crowd wanted. 7even:Thirty is a smooth storyteller and his lyrics flow with ease. He was also backed by DJ Venom and joined by James Crow. The icing on the cake was when all four guys are onstage and have the entire crowd of 100 or so jumping in unison. The energy was electric and only the best of performances generate that. Best of the night? 7even:Thirty & 5th Child with Quills at a very close second. Let's hear it for the home team. For Saturday's enjoyment, I plan to see Jesse Robinson, The Church Keys, Passenger Jones, Joan Jett!! and more if the heat doesn't melt me first. music blog 2009-06-20T05:23:00-06:00