Radio City With Jon Grayson & Rob Ross: Episode Fifty-Five

Radio City With Jon Grayson & Rob Ross:  Episode Fifty Five (doin’ double nickels on the dime – we jam econo…)
 
After losing the original episode 54, there were a few timely and important topics Jon and Rob wanted to revisit and discuss, which they’ve done, but at the same time, there are no less laughs on this latest edition of your favorite and essential podcast, especially when it comes to dissecting what passes for “celebrity” in this day and age.  Among the items the boys tackle:  Mattel making “strong women Barbie” dolls; the death of Russ Solomon of Tower Records; the Oscars aftermath; another shoutout to the U.S.-gold medal winning ladies’ hockey team since they lost their original tribute (and there’s been an appalling lack of attention to their magnificent feat); in the U.K., NME will cease its print version – the last of the weekly music papers; Gary Cohn quits the White House while Sam Nunberg goes off the rails, as well as “In Our Heads”.

This is easily one of those moments when you’ll want to pour a drink, make yourself comfortable and prepare to think about what you hear.  Be a part of where it’s at.

 
Radio City With Jon Grayson & Rob Ross: Episode Fifty Five
 

The podcast will be on the site as well as for subscription via iTunes and other podcast aggregators. Subscribe and let people know about Radio City, as well as Popdose’s other great podcasts David Medsker’s Dizzy Heights and In:Sound with Michael Parr and Zack Stiegler.
 

Album Review: Erica Blinn, “Better Than Gold”

In the same methodical way she takes apart engines and makes them roadworthy again, Erica Blinn constructs American rock songs, one earnest melody at a time. She forces Midwestern air through beat-up harmonicas and hammers out sincere words that stretch and twist through her tunes. A guitarist/harmonica player/singer/songwriter, Blinn bends the rules of the blues like her heroes, The J. Geils Band (!), and knocks down walls of pop music to create an Americana rock & roll sound of her own.  For her sophomore effort, Better Than Gold, it’s her third time working with producer/engineer Mike Landolt (Maroon 5, Blues Traveler), but her first time recording in Nashville. “About half of the record was done in Columbus (Ohio) and about half of it in Nashville.”  Blinn relocated from her hometown of Columbus to the incredible music community of East Nashville during the autumn of 2015. “This album features a lot of the new friends we’ve made in Nashville, but the most special part for me was having my dad in the studio. He came up with the bass part for “Suzie” and drove down to Nashville to play it on the record.”

Having that kind of support and community in the studio translates well into the music.  Opening with “Softer Side”, it’s a good start, as the song is catchy and memorable; a country-pop vibe with inflections of soul.  In a different time, this is a quintessential single/radio track.  “Dance With The One (Who Brought You Here)” is also upbeat; a good-time, beer on a Saturday night in a bar and out on the floor kind of moment; “Dreamer’s Heart” carries on in the same style – kicking, rocking (not dissimilar, soundwise, to The Wallflowers) and two things to be noted:  the production is perfect for these performances:  crisp and buoyant drums; a perfect balance of guitars and keyboards and Ms. Blinn’s voice is downright sultry at moments, while having that feel perfected by Bonnie Raitt.  “Suitcases And Truck Stops” is a beautiful, slow and warm moment with tasteful guitar and a powerful melody; “Don’t You Be Lonely” is in a slow groove pace; again, soulful and her voice downright makes you ache at moments – and listen to those Memphis Horns-styled punches and “When I’m With Suzie (I Do What I Want)” is a sexy, sly, get down – an overheard conversation where Ms. Blinn caught the tag line via a drunken patron, “Hey!  When I’m with Suzie, I do what I want!”, as a brown paper bag with tequila was being passed around – by connecting the dots, she came up with this gem.

A damned fine collection of 11 songs, sounding like a million dollar release, Erica Blinn’s second album shows that she has the goods as a writer and the chops as a performer.  And with a bit of hope and a willing audience, Erica Blinn could be riding the charts soon enough – and deservedly so.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Better Than Gold is currently available

http://ericablinn.com/

Album Review: Editors, “Violence”

It must have hurt Editors to watch the chart success end so abruptly. The band racked up 10 UK Top 40 singles, including two Top 10 hits and two Number One albums, in a span of four years. That last hit: “Papillon,” the lead single from their third album, 2009’s In This Light and on This Evening. That album, a dark wave-drenched affair, was a radical departure from the walls-of-guitars approach of their debut and sophomore albums (2005’s The Back Room and 2007’s An End Has a Start), and while the songwriting continued their trademark twisted bombast, the sonic shift hurt them deeply from a commercial standpoint, even though it liberated the band from a creative standpoint.

Since “Papillon,” they haven’t put a single, um, single in the UK Hot 100, never mind the Top 40. They did rack up two more Top 10 albums (2013’s The Weight of Your Love and 2015’s In Dream), but in the UK, that’s a backhanded compliment. If it didn’t hit Number One, it didn’t happen.

It’s unclear if the band’s fortunes will change with their new album Violence – at press time, the hitless streak with regard to singles has remained intact, something we’ll get to in a moment – but this is easily the most diverse, energetic, and uplifting album the band has made in years, possibly ever. The most welcome new addition to the band’s arsenal has to be the love of the groove; Editors have written many great songs in the past, but this is the first time that they’ve written a jam.

The album’s second and most recent single, “Hallelujah (So Low),” is so jam-packed with Muse-like bits that Ultravox could sue for plagiarism. It’s also their best single since “Papillon.” (Warning: the video is a bit hard on the eyes, so maybe listen with your eyes closed.)

Then again, maybe “Magazine” is the band’s best single since “Papillon.” It’s the first four-on-the-floor beat the band’s ever done, with requisite house-like piano chords and wordless vocal hook, like the pop kids do.

The album’s title track boasts a chorus that sounds like a club version of their song “Munich,” and “Nothingness” begins with a morose, pulsing synth riff but slowly builds into an explosive dance track. They haven’t completely forgotten their roots, though: “No Sound but the Wind,” is a gorgeous piano ballad that doesn’t rise above a whisper.

It took a few albums, but with Violence, Editors finally seems to have found the right balance between man and machine. If you bailed on the band while they were finding themselves, that’s understandable, but now it’s time to jump back in.

CD Review: Editors, “Violence”

It must have hurt Editors to watch the chart success end so abruptly. The band racked up 10 UK Top 40 singles, including two Top 10 hits and two Number One albums, in a span of four years. That last hit: “Papillon,” the lead single from their third album, 2009’s In This Light and on This Evening. That album, a dark wave-drenched affair, was a radical departure from the walls-of-guitars approach of their debut and sophomore albums (2005’s The Back Room and 2007’s An End Has a Start), and while the songwriting continued their trademark twisted bombast, the sonic shift hurt them deeply from a commercial standpoint, even though it liberated the band from a creative standpoint.

Since “Papillon,” they haven’t put a single, um, single in the UK Hot 100, never mind the Top 40. They did rack up two more Top 10 albums (2013’s The Weight of Your Love and 2015’s In Dream), but in the UK, that’s a backhanded compliment. If it didn’t hit Number One, it didn’t happen.

It’s unclear if the band’s fortunes will change with their new album Violence – at press time, the hitless streak with regard to singles has remained intact, something we’ll get to in a moment – but this is easily the most diverse, energetic, and uplifting album the band has made in years, possibly ever. The most welcome new addition to the band’s arsenal has to be the love of the groove; Editors have written many great songs in the past, but this is the first time that they’ve written a jam.

The album’s second and most recent single, “Hallelujah (So Low),” is so jam-packed with Muse-like bits that Ultravox could sue for plagiarism. It’s also their best single since “Papillon.” (Warning: the video is a bit hard on the eyes, so maybe listen with your eyes closed.)

Then again, maybe “Magazine” is the band’s best single since “Papillon.” It’s the first four-on-the-floor beat the band’s ever done, with requisite house-like piano chords and wordless vocal hook, like the pop kids do.

The album’s title track boasts a chorus that sounds like a club version of their song “Munich,” and “Nothingness” begins with a morose, pulsing synth riff but slowly builds into an explosive dance track. They haven’t completely forgotten their roots, though: “No Sound but the Wind,” is a gorgeous piano ballad that doesn’t rise above a whisper.

It took a few albums, but with Violence, Editors finally seems to have found the right balance between man and machine. If you bailed on the band while they were finding themselves, that’s understandable, but now it’s time to jump back in.

Book Review: Deanna M. Lehman, “Kinderwhore”

Let’s begin by making clear a disclaimer:  this is not an easy book, by any means.  Deanna M. Lehman’s Kinderwhore is one of the most harrowing things I’ve ever read, filled with a litany of real-life horrors that it makes your toes curl. It’s also one of the best, most powerful things I’ve read in many years – and the staggered facts are that this is from a first-time author and it is her own story.

I couldn’t put it down from the moment I began and finished it within 2 1/2 hours because I sat there, completely drawn in and wanting to know what happened next, always hoping for a better turn in the following chapter.  Although this is an autobiography, it’s also a highly graphic and visual series of snapshots and Ms. Lehman’s skill in melding the two is one of her underlying talents. While, if I’m being honest, I wish she didn’t have to write it, Kinderwhore is an emotionally gripping piece of work; riveting and yet, done without the slightest trace of victimization (considering the horrific nature of her experiences).  The events of her life are reported beautifully and eloquently in a matter-of-fact manner and it is to her credit that she is able to frame her story in such a way that it makes it have more impact; more punch.  I want it to be very clear:  this is a graphic tale of child abuse – physical, psychological and sexual; it shows a deeply flawed (so-called) child protection system and brings up intense emotions while reading – it’s impossible.

Ms. Lehman tells her story from birth to age 16; this is the first of a series and already we know she is a survivor.  If the next segment is anything like this one, I’m not sure how I will feel afterwards, as I’m guessing it will twist my emotions again.  That’s either a curse or a gift, but Deanna Lehman certainly knows the power of her words and Kinderwhore is a stunner of a debut.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

https://deannamlehman.com

http://www.jfitzagency.com/author1/deanna-m-lehman/

Soul Serenade: The Holy Trinity of Soul (Isaac Hayes Vinyl Reissues)

Isaac Hayes began his career as a session musician. He was called on to sub for Booker T. Jones when Jones was at school, studying for his music degree at Indiana University. There were occasions, however, when both keyboard players appeared on the same record. Obviously, Hayes’ talent as a keyboard player was acknowledged by Stax management but I wonder if anyone knew at the time that one day he would be the savior, at least temporarily, of the company that he was playing occasional piano for.

For Hayes, there was a step in between his role as a session keyboard player and his ascent to the heights as a solo star. Before he made his own records he wrote hit songs for other artists, notably Sam & Dave. Teaming with David Porter, the pair penned smashes like “You Don’t Know Like I Know,” “Soul Man,” “When Something Is Wrong with My Baby,” and “Hold On, I’m Comin’.” Hayes and Porter also produced records by Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, and other Stax artists.

By 1969, Otis Redding, the biggest star on the Stax roster, had been killed in a plane crash. Shortly after that, the label lost all of its master recordings when Atlantic was sold to Warner Bros.-Seven Arts and the distribution contract between Stax and Atlantic was terminated. According to the terms of that contract, if that contract was terminated the Stax master recordings would belong to Atlantic, now part of Warner Bros. Stax was left with nothing to sell and needed fresh product immediately.

Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul

Al Bell was an executive vice president at Stax at the time but in reality, he was running the show by then. He issued a call for a mind-boggling 27 new albums to be released by the label in 1969. The most successful of these new albums was Hot Buttered Soul, the second solo album (the first one hadn’t gotten much attention) by Isaac Hayes. Hot Buttered Soul featured a stunning cover photo and extended versions of songs like Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “Walk on By” (12:03) and Jimmy Webb’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” (18:42). The album topped the R&B chart and rose to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Hayes’ success continued with subsequent album releases The Isaac Hayes Movement (#1 R&B, #1 Jazz, #8 pop) and …To Be Continued (#1 R&B, #1 Jazz, #11 pop). In 1971 Hayes wrote music for the blaxploitation film Shaft. If anything, his wah-wah (played by the late Skip Pitts) driven title song surpassed the film itself in terms of success. The single was #1 for two weeks on the Billboard pop chart. The other two vocal tracks on the album, “Soulsville” and “Do Your Thing” also became hit singles. “Theme from Shaft” won Hayes an Oscar for Best Original Song. He was also nominated by the Academy that year for Best Original Dramatic Score.

Hayes wasn’t done by a long shot, however. Later in 1971, he released a double album called Black Moses. The big hit single from that album was the Hayes take on the Jackson 5’s “Never Can Say Goodbye.” The album also included unique Hayes versions of Bacharach-David songs “(They Long to Be) Close to You” which had been a hit for the Carpenters, and “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” originally a hit for Dionne Warwick. The Friends of Distinction (“Going in Circles”) and Johnny Taylor (“Part Time Love”) were also covered. Hayes considered Black Moses to be his most personal album.

The three Hayes albums, Hot Buttered Soul, Shaft, and Black Moses, became known in some quarters as the “Holy Trinity of Soul.” It has been a long time since any of the three have been available on vinyl. A few weeks ago Craft Recordings released remastered (from the original analog tapes) versions of all three of the classic albums on 180-gram vinyl. The producers have faithfully reproduced the covers and all of the original artwork for the albums and the Black Moses album even includes the cross-shaped fold out that became legendary.

Purchase links:

Hot Buttered Soul 

Shaft

Black Moses

The videos below feature remastering engineer Dave Cooley discussing his work on the project and Isaac Hayes III and Cooley discussing the legacy of Isaac Hayes.

Radio City With Jon Grayson & Rob Ross: Episode Fifty Four

Radio City With Jon Grayson & Rob Ross:  Episode Fifty Four

With the widening audience/following behind Radio City, the topics expand and there’s no shortage in conversation on this latest edition between Jon and Rob. HOWEVER…  it should be noted – the original taping of Episode 54 was lost for the ages, due the so-called infallibility of technology.  In a word, the recording equipment fucked us but good, so now, the show is, indeed, current (we record a week in advance; what would have been 55 is now 54 by default).
Nonetheless, there’s a plethora to digest here, including the NRA finally finding companies that say no as the Georgia governor tries to screw Delta Airlines; the Olympics are over, while Rob discusses the NHL trade deadline insanity; the self-righteous bullshit of the Oscars; Trump vs. Baldwin – are you 7?; Lisa Said’s new band, Piramid Scheme – video on Popdose; E.P. coming soon plus “In Our Heads” and STILL so much more
This is it – your one-stop shopping to keep fully apprised on what’s going on around you on both sides of the fence.  Brought to you, free of charge and out of the goodness of their hearts…

Radio City With Jon Grayson & Rob Ross: Episode Fifty Four (like Studio 54 – all the depravity; just none of the cocaine…)


The podcast will be on the site as well as for subscription via iTunes and other podcast aggregators. Subscribe and let people know about Radio City, as well as Popdose’s other great podcasts David Medsker’s Dizzy Heights and In:Sound with Michael Parr and Zack Stiegler.

Album Review: Jeffrey Gaines, “Alright”

Jeffrey Gaines is a name you should be familiar with because he’s been putting out thoughtful, soul-clenching, highly personal and rewarding music for over 25 years.  Alright is his first album is 15 years (!) and it’s a corker.  Recorded in Los Angeles with producer/multi-instrumentalist Chris Price (whose production resume includes acclaimed recent comeback efforts by Emitt Rhodes and Linda Perhacs, as well as his own widely celebrated second solo effort, Stop Talking), Alright features an all-star studio band consisting of guitarist Val McCallum (Jackson Browne, Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams), bassist Davey Faragher (Elvis Costello, Cracker, John Hiatt), and drummer Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello, Squeeze, Elliott Smith), who also record on their own as Jackshit.

“The whole experience of making this album was just a joy from beginning to end,” Gaines asserts. “We didn’t have a lot of time, so there was no fooling around. We just went in and knocked it out. Everybody played great, so it was an inspiring situation. The musicians have similar influences to me, so we were all on the same page, and I picked the songs I thought would suit this group of musicians. It was cool to have a structure, but at the same time it was also loose and organic.”

Alright’s title, Gaines explains, is a reflection of the mood in the studio during recording. “It’s just what everybody kept saying over and over again while we were making the record,” he says. “People would come into the studio and listen to a track and say ‘Hey, that’s alright!’”

Opening with the crisp, aptly titled “Feel Alright”, there’s an instant breeziness and, indeed, good feeling that washes over you, even before Mr. Gaines’ warm vocals begin.  The acoustic guitars are tasteful; the rhythm section tight and the countrified runs between the verses are the just-right touch; “Firefly Hollow” kicks along at that delightful on-the-road kind of gait; rolling with punchy rhythm and catchy to no end; at moments, it recalls Tom Petty during the immediate post-Full Moon Fever period and is an early, easy highpoint.  The yearning but never over-dramatic “No Longer” is a contemplative breakup song that doesn’t fall prey to the usual fodder of “why, oh why?” but looks at a split from both sides with wisdom and some wry perspective (listen closely to the lyrics…); “Promise Of Passion” is an explosive rocker that grabs you by the throat, reminiscent of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, circa This Year’s Model – frenetic, taut and driven by a hypnotic organ and cascading guitars (and is an absolute killer standout) and “I Will Be” is a perfect radio track – guitars galore, piano punches and, again, highly catchy – listen for the chorus.

Jeffrey Gaines may have been out of the game for a while, but he hasn’t lost a step.  His pairing up in the studio with Chris Price is a masterstroke – the sound of this album is glorious – and he’s in league with some absolutely stellar players.  And that combination has created a winning album that simply must not be overlooked, passed or missed.  That would be a crime – and that’s not alright.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Alright is currently available

http://www.jeffreygaines.com/

Album Review: Tango With Lions, “The Light”

The acoustic guitar scales dance with trickles of piano and the occasional tip-tip-tapping of drums, singer-songwriter Katerina Papachristou’s breathy vocals leading the way. It is a magical stew, one concocted with ease, even with solemnity. And this is how we’re introduced to The Light, the newest offering from Tango With Lions, one of Greece’s most renowned English-language bands.

The record is amazingly accessible and goes down easy, a kind of ballad-heavy, pop or pop-rock record – in the classic sense – with gallons of substance to spare. But there’s also a richness and earthiness to the recording that lends even the most spare moments elements of indie-folk, and Papachristou’s vocals bely shades of her acoustic singer-songwriter roots.

On “Back To One,” the aforementioned opener, the gentle 1-2-3-4 roll of a snare fits in perfect time with the finger-picked acoustic measure, an ideal backdrop for Papachristou to gently push out her reverb-tinged harmonies. “Proof of Desire” is an impeccably recorded blues number (you can hear the fingers and guitar-pick scrape against the strings) whose most important moment is either the rock explosion at the end or, earlier on, the accompanying electric guitar, which wouldn’t be out of place in one of Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s songs. “Last Thrill” is a pop-rock gem, where bright guitars, tight drum-work and a bouncy bass are overshadowed only by a backing vocal track on the chorus – “ba-ba-BAH-BAH” – and some trumpet accompaniment that are simply, utterly delicious.

And this is just the first three songs.

We’ve known for nearly 10 years now that Tango With Lions was a force to be reckoned with. But, following A Long Walk, the band is geared up to show listeners just how sharp the musical knife cuts. “Phoenicia” is a brightly colored acoustic number that exudes charisma and positivity, while the title track goes Frisell-faux-electric to wondrous effect. On the other side of the spectrum (but only a few songs later) is the moody, gray “The Go Betweens,” which shows Black Heart Procession a thing or two about storm clouds and musical saws. (Between them is the rollicking acoustic-driven “What You’ve Become,” a single if the record has one.) They close the proceedings with the spare, found-sound-laced “L’Ombre,” an unusual curtain-call but a fitting end to a record that keeps you paying attention, never quite knowing what to expect lurking around the next corner.

Let it be said: Papachristou alone is reason enough for checking out the LP, out now on Inner Ear. She exudes a warmth but also a staggering command of the songs that helps drive the whole record. This is a woman who knows what she wants and knows how to deliver. But the band is not an afterthought and neither are the songs. The Light is a wondrous little record, at once vulnerable and assured in its presentation, and worth finding.