Thursday, December 23, 2010

Quick note

More later as I am so flu ridden I can hardly move.

But, we collected over 500 new toys for the Toys for Tots program and plenty of Coats for Kids as well. Thanks to all that donated and to Sgt Timothy Harrington of the US Marine Corps.

I'll have a more complete recap later.

Digger

Saturday, December 18, 2010

The Duke and the King get another top ten album nod

Link

Here is the original review of Long Live The Duke and The King:

This year is turning out to be a vintage one for me, album-wise. This timeless offering from Duke & The King is right up there on my list. From the opening bars of ‘Gloria’ I knew that the bar had been raised even higher than Nothing Gold Can Stay, which was one of my albums of 2009.

The crafting of the songs and the soaring harmonies put this in a league of its own. There is no genre or boxes you can tick with these guys, they are unique and carving themselves a niche in rock’n'roll folklore. From the late 60s San Francisco feel of lead single ‘Shaky’ through to the more traditional Americana sounding ‘You and I’, they arouse your senses and carry you away into your stereo. At times I almost felt that I was in their log cabin studio deep in the woods of Bearsville, New York.

This album has a much more collective feel to it than the debut, with lead vocals shared amongst the band members, much like a Duke & The King live show. This record takes you to a better place in your heart. Track four ‘Right Now’ will take you to that better place immediately, it’s a true uplifting message straight from the gospel of Reverand Loveday. The bluesy ‘Hudson River’ is just stunning and Simi Stone has the most stunning vocal delivery on ‘No Easy Way Out’.

Every one of the ten tracks on this long player is mindblowing, however just for this week ‘Children Of The Sun’ is taking me the highest places. I have been privileged and honoured to both meet and interview the band as well as catching them live on a couple of occasions. They bring their love back to the UK next month and I tell you it’s the most moving gig experience I have ever had and one you should not miss out on. I’m not sure if I can give an album 11/10 but I’m going to anyway! This is the best record I have heard in the last ten years!

Long Live The Duke and The King drops on Loose Music 27th September. The lead single ‘Shaky’ is available from Monday 20th September.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

No Depression tabs Mix Tape in top albums of 2010

It's that time of year again for everybody to begin pushing their own year-end picks of 2010. For my 2010 picks, I chose the 20 albums released this year that I predict I'll surely be returning to beyond December 31st, 2010.
Link
Here's my list, in no particular order, followed by brief impressions of each.

1. Johnny Cash: American Recordings VI: Ain't No Grave
2. Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band: Legacy
3. Punch Brothers: NPR's Newport Folk Festival Recording
4. Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell: Hawk
5. Neil Young: Le Noise
6. Bill Callahan: Rough Travel For A Rare Thing
7. Roland White: I Wasn't Born To Rock N Roll
8. Black Twig Pickers: Ironto Special
9. Carolina Chocolate Drops: Genuine Negro Jig
10. Del McCoury: Del McCoury
11. Mavis Staples: You Are Not Alone
12. Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore: Dear Companion
13. Steeldrivers: Reckless
14. Trampled By Turtles: Palomino
15. Charlie Parr & Black Twig Pickers: Glory In The Meeting House
16. Felice Brothers: Mix Tape
17. Charlie Louvin: The Battles Rage On
18. Black Keys: Brothers
19. Justin Townes Earle: Harlem River Blues
20. Bonnie Prince Billy & Cairo Gang: The Wonder Show Of The World

"16. Felice Brothers: Mix Tape. The Felice Brothers are best when performing live on a stage. Comparing the band's live dynamics, which shift between energetic rambunctiousness, somberful serenading, and rural-tinged ballads, to the renditions found on their studio releases, is just pointless. The band's live performances and studio releases are just two, equally satisfying, experiences. Mix Tape is a loose collection of tunes that doesn't hint at the artistic seriousness of the excellent Yonder Is The Clock, but seems more like middle ground between that album and The Felice Brothers. It's a comfortable and unimposing collection, that stretches out just enough and feels simpler and more understated without too much refinement. Mix Tape wears well like those old jeans you just can't toss away."

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Felice Brothers DVD available for Christmas

Link




It's from Mountain Jam 2007
Setlist:
Two Hands
Two hands
Waterspider
Take this bread
Oxycontin
T for Texas
Black Girl
Roll on Arte
We bid you goodnight
Ballad of Lou

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Forever Green from the Felice Brothers in Rochester






I got it a little late, sorry but it was history. A very lively set,
much attributable to the Reggae show next door. 90 minutes.








Forever Green
Fire at the Pagaent
Wonderful life
Dance hall
Ponzi
Let me Come home
Tenderly
Stepdad
River Jordan
Whiskey
Ballad of Lou the Welterweight
Bread
Limo
Chicken run
Ruby
Frankie's gun
Better be
Greatest Show
Liquor
2 hands

Friday, December 3, 2010

Rochester 12-3-10

Forever Green
Fire at the Pagaent
Wonderful life
Dance hall
Ponzi
Let me Come home
Tenderly
Stepdad
River Jordan 
Whiskey
Ballad of Lou the Welterweight
Bread
Limo
Chicken run
Ruby
Frankie's gun
Better be
Greatest Show
Liquor
2 hands

Middle Aged Guy ties jacket around waist, and rushes the stage











Syracuse Setlist


Fire
White Limo
Murder By Mistletoe
Ponzi
Dance Halls
Take This Bread
Whiskey in my Whiskey
Step Dad
River Jordan
Frankies Gun
Farley's Song
Run Chicken Run
Wonderful Life
St Stephen's End
Got WHat I need
Helen Fry
Marie
---
Loves Me Tenderly
Two Hands

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

What Take This Bread is Up To


Last Week we were in Boston, feeding folks meals under the Expressway overpass by Albany St, it was a good time and we handed out roughly 90 meals and met some nice folks.


Over the holiday we also helped deliver about a ton of food to The Food Pantry,



We are continuing our free landscaping program for senior citizens through the leaf season. (2 jobs left).


And from Dec 5-December 20th The Take This Bread truck will be collecting Toys for Tots on Edgartown Rd on Martha's Vineyard. We will also be accepting Cellphones for Soldiers and Coats for Kids. Please stop by and make a donation if you can.


Finally we adopted 4 Teens!

Through the Salvation Army's Adopt a Family Program, we are adopting the Christmas wishlist for 4 Cape Cod area teens this season. We are pretty excited about it.

If you are interested in Adopting a Family, in your area check it out on this link


We got some more kicking as well.

What do The Felice Brothers share with Hugh Hefner???

I know!

For those have heard their new outstanding track "Ponzi", The prerecording at the beginning of the tune, there is dialogue from an apparently old film. That film, i think is the 1946 Rita Hayworth classic "Gilda"

Hugh Hefner, porn extroadinaire and film buff (of the non-porn variety) recently listed the 5 sexiest movies ever, and Gilda was on the list

Here is what he had to say about it:

''It defined Rita Hayworth as a sex icon. Afterward, she said that men went to bed with Gilda but woke up in the morning with her.''


LINK


Here is a performance of the song from Brooklyn last month. Thanks to Sean, who filmed it and is starting up the new Frankiesgun.com with me in 2011!