Mic Test #29: Jesca Hoop...

Jesca Hoop:
Eclectic/Indie/Alternative
*Note: The music featured in the Mic Test is typically new to me, too. Just throwing out some info. about bands that seem to be offering something exciting. Enjoy.

Smokin' with The Black Keys...

The Black Keys rolled through Detroit Motor City two nights ago on a tour sponsored by Camel Cigarettes...(kinda odd), but the real smoke was created on stage by this powerful duo. How can so mush music come from just two guys? They continue to leave a trail of destruction in their wake.

Some exciting side notes to this show include the fact that my good friends at Madhouse, aka Capital A Prints, did the Limited Edition Screenprint for this show (shown above / designed by S. Mockensturm). I have been fortunate enough to help a bit in the process and let me tell ya...ink can be some fun stuff! Hit up their site to get your hands on some of this fine work.
There was also an artist named Pete Nawara doing a live painting while the Keys were tearing up the stage on the verge of spontaneous combustion. He was really gracious guy with some really nice work. His website is amazing. Here is an image of a Black Keys painting he did about a week or two earlier during the tour.


If you missed these guys live, you can go over to a great concert video site called FABCHANNEL. This is a Keys performance from last summer in Germany. Don't forget to check out the list of other show while you are on FABCHANNEL. Long live The Black Keys!

Ryan Adams Video @ Gem Theatre, Detroit...

As promised...here is some video I took of the Ryan Adams show last week at the Gem Theatre in Detroit (6/20/07). The lighting was bad and I had to take these "on the DL"...but, at least the audio turned out OK. I hope to post a few more soon.

Two

Everbody Knows

Take a Stab at The White Stripes...

So, we all know that The White Stripes are everywhere with their new release, Icky Thump. Some great performances have taken place...just in the last few weeks. As always, the YouTube Nation has helped put you there...Bonnaroo, NYC Fillmore East, Icky Thump Records (promo show on Sunset Blvd) & Cannery Ballroom in Nashville. Rather than spend all day looking for the video, check out Little Cream Soda's page on YouTube. You'll be busy for hours...nicely compiled.

Grab Your Pitchfork...

The Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago is only a few weeks away (July 13th - 15th). The solid line-up has developed into a who's who on the indie scene. And now they have teamed up with emusic to offer this Free Sampler of some bands that will be doing their thing in Union Park. Free is good...and so are these tracks.

Upcoming Shows...

A quick check of the Rock 'n Roll Radar to list the noteworthy shows coming to the area. Do your ears a favor and go see a live show.

6/23 Fiery Furnaces @ Blind Pig (Ann Arbor)
6/24 Indie.Arie @ Southfield Civic Center
6/26 The Black Keys @ Majestic Theater (Detroit)
6/28 The Redwalls & Robbers on High Street @ Magic Stick
6/29 Wolfmother @ Lifestyles Pavilion (Columbus)
6/29 Jackie Greene @ The Ark
6/30 Wolfmother @ Lifestyles Pavilion
6/30 Old Crow Medicine Show @ House of Blues (Cleveland)
6/30 The Dynamites @ Gypsy Hut (Cinci)
7/1 James Hunter @ The Ark
7/1 John Mayer @ Blossom (Cleveland)
7/1 Mountain Stage (Cat Empire & more) @ Power Center
7/4 – 7/8 Comerica Cityfest (Detroit) w/ Spoon/Femi Kuti/ Ryan Shaw)
7/5 John Mayer @ The Palace
7/6 Polyphonic Spree @ Majestic Theater
7/10 Sage Francis @ Magic Stick
7/10 The Nightwatchman & Ike Reilly @ Shelter (Detroit)
7/12 Yellowman @ Blind Pig
7/12 Bob Dylan @ Toledo Zoo Amphitheatre
7/12 Violent Femmes @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
7/12 The Long Blondes @ Magic Stick
7/13 Great Lakes Myth Society @ Blind Pig
7/13 Cat Power @ Majestic Theater
7/14 Gogol Bordello @ Majestic Theater
7/14 Jesse Malin @ Headliners (Toledo)
7/14 Benjy Feree @ Magic Stick
7/17 The Police @ The Palace
7/17 The Ponys @ Magic Stick
7/18 Travis @ Clutch cargos
7/19 The Comas & Great Northern @ Blind Pig
7/20 93.9 Riverfest w/ Ben Kweller & more @ State Theatre (Detroit)
7/21 They Might BE Giants @ Beachland Ballroom (Cleveland)
7/22 Concert of Colors in Detroit
7/24 Xavier Rudd @ House of Blues (Cleveland)
7/25 Marc Broussard @ House of Blues (Cleveland)
7/25 Jeffrey Foucault @ The Ark
7/26 Richard Buckner & Six Parts Seven @ Miagic Stick
7/28 Interpol @ State Theatre
7/30 Sheryl Crow @ Toledo Zoo Amphitheatre
7/31 Alison Krauss @ Fox Theatre (Detroit)
7/31 TV on the Radio @ State Theatre
8/3 Erykah Badu @ Chene Park (Detroit)
8/5 The Roots @ Royal Oak Music Theatre

Big Bad Birthday Bash...

Ryan Adam's Easy Tiger Fans in Detroit...

Normally, if you were considering a strong line-up of six guys in Detroit, you might think of the Detroit Tigers infield...or even the starters for the Red Wings. But forget all that...this line-up featured Ryan Adams & The Cardinals bringin' their "A" game to the Gem Theatre last night. With such a beautiful, intimate venue and the audience's big expectations, you just figured something special was about to happen. Ryan & his band took to the stage with no opening act. The stage was dimly lit with all members lined up in a row. Mr. Adams was decked out in a sportcoat and a tie and some rose colored lens Wayfarer sunglasses. And that would seem to be how he must be viewing the world these days...through rose colored glasses...sober, positive and ready to share his talents with the world (minus all the drama). Just when fans were getting used to some antics & moods, he seems to have traded all that for a steady flow of coffee, Diet Coke and soulful truth.

Acoustically, the Gem Theatre felt like a studio session with Ryan's voice sounding stronger than ever. This amazing songwriter and this band were there for the music...and it showed. Although Ryan was not yet back to playing guitar (due to a skateboard mishap), it actually seemed to work to everyone's advantage. Without guitars to tune and change, he seemed focused like it was an audition for his voice, his soul and his words. The idea behind this mini promotional tour was a showcase of his latest effort, Easy Tiger (due out on June 26th)...and judging by the crowd response, there are about 450 new "Tiger" fans in Detroit today. The new material sounded great...sung with so much emotion. His voice soared and hit the highs...fans could feel this man's lyrics, full of anguish and uncertainty. Good stuff.

Here is a setlist (to the best of my recollection):
Please Do Not Let Me Go
Let It Ride
?
The Sun Also Sets
Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.
Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd.
Halloweenhead
Blue Hotel
Strawberry Wine
Beautiful Sorta
Two
Dear John
Everybody Knows
Winding Wheel
How Do You Keep Love Alive
Nightbirds
I See Monsters
Encore
Starlite Diner
Blue Sky Blues

It wasn't until about seven songs in that he started to warm up to chatting with the crowd. Someone yelled "DJ Reggie" (referring to his alter hip hop ego featured on his website)and with that he started to come out from behind the low lights. He replied with comments like "Awwww yeah....Snapalicious" and "Me and my crew about to play some music". He joked with the crowd and then whispered "We have to pretend like we're not friends now", so they could get back to "singing songs about people dyin' and depression, up in here." During Halloweenhead, he was singing and giving his guitarist a Frankenstein-like zombie stare as he became preoccupied with his hair and it's ability to looked spiked on command.

At some point, audience song requests reached a fevered pitch. One guy yelled something during a quieter moment and Ryan chimed in with..."We sort of have a setlist"...but then continued on lightly mocking the guy who yelled by saying "I have your Dokken album and you still have my Iron Maiden album...I miss you...remember when we used to ride dirt bikes, back in the day?"
Another funny exchange came when Ryan seemed to have trouble with the sound and communication with his sound man. After several futile hand gestures, the sound man crept into the scene from stage left. Ryan quickly called him out by whispering (loudly) into his mike..."If you tip-toe, no one can see you." He continued in the same voice for a while, even offering a humorous dedication saying..."this one goes out to Nick f-ing Nolte".

His Detroit performance was memorable in way that honored his talents...great songwriting and a voice that just cuts to the bone. Critics are probably on deck to take their shots at this latest release, but he is keepin' it real and bringin' the heat this time. I say, Batter Up....take your best swing. Ryan Adams is back in the game.

Stream his new album on Much Music.

Check back...I managed to capture some video. I'll post it as soon as I can.

On the Eve of Adams...

The excitement is building for the Ryan Adams show in Detroit tomorrow night. So, here are some relevant links to remind us why so many are fans of his work:

New article in the New York Times (6/17/07)

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals on NPR (6/15/07)
I Am Fuel, You Are Friends has MP3s of this performance...Click Here.

And here are some amazing videos of Ryan playing around Jamaica (Love these clips):
Answering Bell

You Will Always Be the Same
New York, New York
To Be Young
Firecracker
Rescue Blues

Instant Karma's Gonna Get Ya...

The Heat Takes Over Bonnaroo...

"The Heat"....The Police....it's summer....outdoor festival....people sweating....you get the idea.
Message in a Bottle, Bonnaroo 2007 (set opener)

Can Ya Dig Conya...

Conya Doss will bring her sweet soulful sounds to Jackson's Lounge & Grill (downtown Toledo) on Friday, June 22nd. We'll just let her own words describe her style.

"If they want to label me in the Neo-Soul movement they can, but to me this soul music is nothing new. The D'Angelos and Lauryn Hills derive from what we grew up on -- like Donnie Hathaway, Angela Winbush and so forth, it's just modernized. I grew up on every form of music from Bonnie Raitt and Steely Dan to Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan. It's hard to categorize me into one genre of music because it narrows your audience and I learned from them all. It's just good music -- and that's the way I see it."
-Conya Doss
Can't argue that! Check her out.

Glass City Half Full...

I feel good about G. Love & Special Sauce coming to my hometown, Toledo, Ohio...the "Glass City"...but there a few other highlights headed this way. If you live in the area, there are some shows that you oughtta support:






6/19 Sparta & Straylight Run @ Frankie's
6/22 Heartless Bastards @ Mickey Finn's Pub
7/5 Eastern Conference Champions @ Frankie's
7/8 The Working Title @ Frankie's
7/10 G. Love & Special Sauce @ Headliners
7/14 Jesse Malin @ Headliners
7/27 & 7/28 Toledo Indie Pop Fest @ Mickey Finn's
8/6 Sea Wolf @ Silversun Pickups @ Frankie's
8/9 The Bottle Rockets @ The Village Idiot

Bonnaroo Live Webcast...

Don't forget about the AT&T Blue Room...If you can't make it to the actual festival, tune into the Bonnaroo live Webcast this Friday, Saturday & Sunday. So many great performances are expected during this jam packed weekend.

Fionn the Phenom...

Fionn Regan has built up a steady flow of support in his young career. He hails from Ireland and his acoustic Indie-Folk sound has earned him some comparisons the likes of Nick Drake. The End of History, his debut album, is set for U.S. release on Lost Highway Records (not too shabby) on August 10th.

Take a listen:
The Underwood Typewriter
Hunters Map
...and a look.

Flaming Lips Got You Covered...

Late night searches on YouTube turned up a few interesting covers done by The Flaming Lips. Besides some european festival dates, the band will be in the states for Bonnaroo (6/16), Diversafest in their home state of Oklahoma (7/27), and Monolith, a new festival at the amazing Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado (9/15). Remember, their live DVD , U.F.O.s at the Zoo, is scheduled to be released on July 10th. The last video is a clip from that somewhat legendary show.

FL doing Seven Nation Army / The White Stripes

FL doing Suspicious Minds / Elvis

She Don't Use Jelly from U.F.O.s at the Zoo

Causin' Hysteria in Your Area...

Beastie Boys are going beyond the few festival dates they had scheduled for the summer. With the imminent release of The Mix-Up (6/26), they are getting ready to blow up the spot. It seems they are planning to do some "typical" shows and then some that feature their new stuff & instrumental jams in more intimate venues (as yet unannounced). Here are the initial tour dates scheduled for August...Pre-sales begin this week so sharpen your Ticketmaster skills:

8/1 Philadelphia @ Festival Pier
8/6 Boston @ Bank of America Pavilion
8/8 New York @ Summerstage
8/9 Brooklyn @ McCarren Pool(SICK!!!)
8/16 Denver @ Red Rocks
8/23 Santa Barbara @ County Bowl
8/25 Berkeley @ Greek Theater

G. Love Rockin' the Glass City...

Every once in a while, the stars align and Toledo's music scene gets another unexpected surprise from the heavens. This gift comes in the form of G. Love & Special Sauce bringin' their special blend of Garage Blues & Hip-Hop to Headliners on Tuesday, July 10th. Be at this show, you will be smiling for days after. Thank you, Rock Gods. And if you are a big G fan, check out his personal YouTube page, where he uploads periodic homemade videos on his travels.
This is his latest addition:

Classic Clips: Neil Young...

Mic Test #28: Starling Electric...

Starling Electric:
Pop/Rock/Psychedelic
*Note: The music featured in the Mic Test is typically new to me, too. Just throwing out some info. about bands that seem to be offering something exciting. Enjoy.

The Root Word...

The Roots will be in Chicago for Lollapalooza in early August, but the hip-hop fun doesn't stop there. According to the Royal Oak Music Theatre's website, The Roots will be performing in Royal Oak, a Detroit suburb, on Sunday, August 5th. Tickets are on sale now through the venue's website.

Chris Thile's Chemistry Set...

It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got those stings would sum up Chris Thile's visit to The Ark in Ann Arbor last night. When acoustic bands get together, there seems to be a more urgent need for on-stage chemistry...and this group had it. Chris was strumming the strings of his mandolin while surrounded by a banjo, a fiddle, a guitar and an upright bass...it was a string thing. These musicians were the perfect compliment to each other and best of all, they were having a great time together. The performance flowed from fast to slow songs with amazing harmonies and solos...flawless! Here is some video I grabbed at the show...the song is the title track to the album, How To Grow a Woman from the Ground.

It's About How You Use White Space...

The new video for The White Stripe's, Icky Thump has surfaced. As passe as some videos have become, you gotta give some credit to this band for coming up with some fresh visuals to match their unique sound. They also made a recent appearance on Jools Holland in the U.K. If you have an hour to burn, connect your brain to YouTube and take a look at some of the good stuff...past & present (I have linked to some of them).





The Hardest Button to Button (Video)
Seven Nation Army (Video)
Fell in Love With a Girl (Video)
My Doorbell (Video)

Here are their currently scheduled U.S. 2007 tour dates:
June
17 - Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
July
22 - Portland, ME @ Cumberland Civic Center
23 - Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena
24 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
25 - Wallingford, CT @ Chevrolet Theater
27 - Wilmington, DE @ Grand Opera House
28 - Fairfax, VA @ Patriot Center
29 - North Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
30 - Birmingham, AL @ Sloss Furnaces
31 - Southaven, MS @ Snowden Grove Park Amphitheater
September
13 - Albuquerque, NM @ Kiva Auditorium
15-16 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
19 - Inglewood, CA @ The Forum
21 - Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
24 - Anchorage, AK @ William A. Egan Civic Center
26-27 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Ballroom
28 - Boise, ID @ Idaho Center Theater
29 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The "E" Center
30 - Jackson Hole, WY @ Snowking Center
October
2 - Rapid City, SD @ Rushmore Plaza Civic Center
3 - Fargo, ND @ Fargo Civic Auditorium
4 - Lincoln, NE @ Pershing Center Auditorium
6, 7 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom

Cold War Kids will open most of their shows on the upcoming tour.

This is a Radio Clash...

If you love music and the internet is your playground to keep your ears happy...then check out this campaign. It is a big battle that needs your help.

The French Connection Lives On...

La Blogotheque is a great French music site that is worth a visit. This site has an amazing section called Take-Away Shows, which is self described as the following:

The Take Away Shows are a Video Podcast produced by the french weblog La Blogothèque. Every week, we give away a session, shot with a band, in an unusual, urban environment. Sessions are always filmed as a unique shot, without any cut, recorded live. We usually haven’t much time to record them, so the groups have to be spontaneous, to improvise, play with what they have with them, and with their environment, whether there’s a public or not.

A great concept (that I wish I had thought of first)
Spend some time with these stunning performances:
Sufjan Stevens
Andrew Bird
The National

or you can visit La Blogotheque's YouTube Page. So much material to keep you captivated.
Here is Arcade Fire playing in an elevator, such a huge sound in such a small place.

Release the Beastie Within...

The Beastie Boys went off at Sasquatch Festival Last week. Here is proof that still rock the party. And if this clip doesn't satisfy you, Magmazing has some great clips on YouTube. Also, stay up on the latest on their official website, which has been tricked out to help ramp up the hype for their upcoming release. Oscilloscope on Flickr has some great Beastie Photo Sets and Mic to Mic is a great blog that will keep you up on all the latest from Ad Rock, MCA & Mike D. They are on the front end of many tour dates...so hopefully there will be a steady stream of Beastie Boys info over the next few months.

Recommended Daily Allowance of Wilco...

Need a Wilco fix?...sweet stuff! Eat up. Wilco's performance on World Cafe will be airing on Friday, June 8. Fans can find their local station by going to World Cafe's website by clicking here or can listen online by going to WXPN online.

Jeff Tweedy appeared on BBC Radio 2 - Dermot O'Leary on Saturday (May 26). You can listen to the interview and session here.

Wilco also appeared on BBC Two - Later... With Jools Holland on Friday (May 25). They performed 'You Are My Face' and 'Sky Blue Sky'. You can view the clips by clicking on the titles.

WILCO were on Sound Opinions a few weeks back, which airs on Public Radio on various stations around the country, including WBEZ in Chicago. The show has now been archvied in their podcast and you can download it directly here.

Hey Neighbor, Wave Your Hands in the Air...

DJ Z-Trip, one of the brightest lights in the world of DJ Turntablism, has set a date to perform up in Ann Arbor at The Blind Pig on August 10th. When I visited his website to get more information, I was greeted with this little hip-hop gem from days past. Fred Rogers throwing down with his peeps. He will be perfoming with Gift of Gab and Aceyalone. Z Trip is notorious for finding beats and hooks in unlikely places...the man is committed to his craft. Go check him out.

When I say "Neighbor", You say "Hood".


This is a video that will give you an idea of how open-minded this DJ's approach can be. Fresh.