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Showing posts from June, 2011

The Blastoff Music & Arts Festival: Day Two

Words By Stevie Tee Photos By Tomas Culver ( 89ViSiON Photography ) & Joseph Le ( Joe Le FOTO ) After midnight, it was time to really let it all hang down. In the coveted post-headlining late night slots were Cirque Du Womp resident DJ K@dog and Ohio’s rising star junglist Sheepdog. Though they were billed on the schedule to have two separate hour-long sets each night after the headliners, they performed together and dropped some of the wildest drum ‘n’ bass, jungle, dubstep and overall heavy bass music. Often informally referred to as Two Stupid Dogs (based on the names K@dog and Sheepdog, referring to a cartoon on Nickelodeon with the same name) these guys really held their own compared to any of the national DJs. Sheepdog’s scratch turntablism elicited a huge crowd response and K@dog’s brand of heavy yet laidback dubstep and bass music helped dip things back into lower tempos so they could build it back up. K@dog even introduced some of his own original material in the set. Wh

Thursday Jazz: Joshua Redman

Words By J-man Joshua Redman had always displayed superior abilities in many areas. After graduating from Harvard, he was accepted to Yale Law, but decided to defer entrance for what he thought would only be a year. Moving to Brooklyn, NY, he was immersed in the jazz community and began gigging with some of the greats including Roy Hargrove. In 1991, Joshua won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition which thrust him into pursuing music as a career full time. He was signed to Warner Bros. Records and recorded his first album in 1993, earning himself his first Grammy. Following the Grammy he recorded and toured with such names as Pat Metheny, Christian McBride, Brad Mehldau and Brian Blade. In early the early 2000s, Joshua was involved in the creation of the SFJAZZ Collective. Redman also performed on many television shows and soundtracks following his time with the collective. In the later part of the decade, Joshua focused on trio work and to this day continues to

The Acoustic Cool Down: Iron and Wine & Brett Dennen

Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock ( phatphlogblog.blogspot.com ) After the rage fest that was Summer Camp, I took advantage of a more subdued form of entertainment, the acoustic show. Luckily for me, living in Denver makes it never too hard to search out any type of concert experience. I had the privilege to catch Iron and Wine as well as Brett Dennen less than a week apart. Acoustic music soothes the soul, plain and simple. It was a way for me to get grounded and focus on the true basics of what I love. It was my first time seeing Iron and Wine and I must say that Sam Beam has truly evolved. What began as a simple singer-songwriter shtick has morphed into a full-on band with elements of jazz, lounge, gospel, and rock. He still maintains his acoustic base but the show was much more than I expected. First of all, there was a diverse crowd that comes with the territory when you wander off the well-worn path of jam. It was everyone from grandma and grandpa to the overly enthuse

Dave Matthews Band Chicago Caravan Preview

Introduction By Greg Molitor The Dave Matthews Band Caravan rolls into Lakeside in Chicago July 8-10 with some of the biggest and brightest touring acts of 2011. DMB will headline the festival each night, and as an added bonus to the Chicago Caravan, a Summer Camp Saturday Stage will host Summer Camp Music Festival artists Umphrey’s McGee, moe., Yonder Mountain String Band, and Cornmeal on July 9th. Check out the line up and ticket information below... DMB CHICAGO CARAVAN LINE UP: Dave Matthews Band (3 shows), Umphrey’s McGee, moe. O.A.R., Ray Lamontagne, Emmylou Harris, The Flaming Lips perform Dark Side of the Moon, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Amos Lee, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Drive-By Truckers, Soulive, SOJA, Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Blind Pilot, Albert Cross, Gary Clark Jr., Bobby Long, Ben Folds, G. Love & The Special Sauce, Yonder Mountain String Band, Vieux Farka Toure, Dumpstaphunk, TR3, Bombino,

The Blastoff Music & Arts Festival: Day One

Words By Stevie Tee Photos By Tomas Culver ( 89ViSiON Photography ) It’s exciting to see a new music festival pop up in your area, inspiring to see a community build a festival from the ground up. The story of this festival starts about two years ago when DJ Grant “K@dog” Jackson, visual and lighting expert Scott Sutterfield and event coordinator Angela Palaian started putting on parties known as the Dubstep Circus in Detroit. At this time Dubstep had become popular in the UK, NYC and LA, but had yet to develop a major presence in Detroit. These parties brought the new subgenre of electronic dance music to the limelight in Detroit and raised the standard of dance parties in the area with their high-end production values. The group became known as Cirque Du Womp and as the name suggests, they’ve formed a collection of artists and performers to create an immersive theatrical experience that is a spectacle to behold. As they’ve expanded, the group has grown in many directions musical dir

Jamtronica Sampler: Artists of All Good Music Festival

Words By Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) Even though the All Good Music Festival 2011 line up isn’t loaded with as many live electronica acts as other festivals are this summer, there are a few big names on the bill that will surely keep the masses hyped and movin’. Here’s a sampler of some jamtronica artists that’ll be performing at All Good Music Festival, taking place in Masontown, WV, from July 14 – 17… Pretty Lights www.prettylightsmusic.com Big Gigantic www.myspace.com/biggigantic STS9 www.sts9.com For more complete All Good Music Festival 2011 information, visit www.allgoodfestival.com

Electric Forest’s Solar Glow Disk Experience

Words By Greg Molitor Electric Forest Festival 2011 is bringing a unique twist to the game of disc golf with the first ever Solar Glow Disk Experience. The Solar Glow Disk Experience builds upon the previous work of Stephanai Myers, author of Disc Golf Michigan, who debuted the very first extreme glow disc golf course at Hoxeyville Music Festival 2009 in Northern Michigan. Taking inspiration from Rothbury’s Sherwood Forest, Myers used 2,000 glow sticks at Hoxeyville 2009 to line the course and baskets, creating a visual disc golf experience that wowed attendees throughout the weekend. After improving the course for Hoxeyville Music Festival 2010, Myers and friends have created The Solar Glow Disk Experience for Electric Forest 2011. The glow sticks have been replaced with solar powered LED lights to create more stunning visual stimulation as well as to promote a more sustainable disc golf experience. By combining the sport of disc golf with sustainable visual enhancements, The Solar Gl

Electronic Spotlight: Break Science

Words By Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) Drummer Adam Deitch is quite possibly the hardest working man in the jam scene these days. This dude is seemingly everywhere as of late. While Deitch is more apt to be known for contributing percussive muscle to the electronic juggernaut Pretty Lights or his funk supergroup Lettuce, the producer / drummer combo of Break Science is currently his most intimate and personally expressive project… With Break Science, Deitch and producer Borahm Lee combine hip-hop, funk, soul and jazz rhythms with the deep bass and textured layers that are synonymous with electronic music. The duo’s tour schedule during the upcoming months is festival-heavy with stops at Electric Forest, Camp Bisco, Wicker Park and the Royal Family Affair among others. In January 2011, Break Science released a free album titled, Further Than Our Eyes Can See. Click on the link below to download it! Album Download www.breaksciencemusic.com

Flashback: Genesis Live

Words By Jon Irvin This week on Flashback, I dive a little deeper into the catalog bringing you 1973’s Genesis Live. This isn’t your mid 80s Phil Collins Genesis that we grew up with, even though “Land of Confusion” was a pretty awesome music video. No, I’m going way back, into the depths of the beginning of the progressive rock age. Before Genesis started to turn out radio hits one after another, their early days were a bit more complex. With Peter Gabriel at the helm, Genesis became one of the leading acts, following Pink Floyd, to dive into the multifaceted new genre, progressive rock. Long before Phish took us through Gamehendge, Genesis was the king of musical stories. With every show, the audience was taken deep into a mystical world created by Gabriel, rich with both ground breaking song structures and elaborate costumes and theatrics. Genesis Live is the only live release to feature Peter Gabriel before departing on his highly successful solo career. T

Jam Band Spotlight: Great American Taxi

Words By Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) Great American Taxi is the perfect band name to describe Vince Herman’s latest musical project. With Taxi, Herman and the crew take their audiences on an energy-filled ride by infusing multiple genres into their signature Americana sound. By offering top-notch instrumentation and sharp lyrics within their songs, Great American Taxi has a bit of something for everyone to take home after their shows. The band has tour dates scheduled through the end of August and along the way will perform at multiple festivals including Northwest String Summit in Oregon, Hoxeyville Music Festival in Michigan, and Nedfest in Colorado. Before you take your next trip on the live Taxi, be sure to check out this crisp recording from Dunegrass Music Festival 2008 that features sit-ins by fiddlers Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth) and Allie Kral (Cornmeal). Enjoy! Great American Taxi Live at Dunegrass on 2August 1, 2008. www.greatamericantaxi.com

Telluride Bluegrass Festival

Words By Chris Pandolfi ( Infamous Stringdusters ) Why is Telluride Bluegrass so epic? There are a million reasons, which is why people have been making the trek for 38 years. This year was more hype than most, with the encore performance of Mumford and Sons and the earliest sell out ever. But it was also the same quality plan of years past–the definitive gathering of acoustic all stars atop an endless lineup of must-see bands, all set in one of the most beautiful and inspiring places in the world. Telluride is a huge party in the mountains that’s home to the biggest and best acoustic sounds going (albeit sometimes in a more electric setting). Epic is the only word for it. The original Flecktones set was the highlight. Howard Levy was back after almost 20 years, and he was just killing it. Their music is pure innovation, newer and better than before (Future Man’s rig sounded great). That level of originality is still so inspiring after all these years. Big kudos to Bela Fleck–the und

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival Preview

Oak Hill, NY July 14-17 Words By Tabitha Clancy Photos By J-man & Jon Irvin Steeped in the tradition of bluegrass, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival provides an atmosphere for musicians, students, and patrons to enjoy their favorite old-time songs as well as absorb fresh sounds of up and coming artists. Located in Oak Hill, NY on the Walsh Farm, Grey Fox continues its annual fest, from July 14-17, with pride in its artists, vendors, and minimal footprint recommendations. The festival won the International Bluegrass Musician’s Association award for Event of the Year in 2009. In addition to providing a temporary home for Bluegrass music aficionados, Grey Fox offers a yearly scholarship to students of the genre. Also included are workshops throughout the weekend and a free academy for kids. Berklee College of Music faculty will be presenting educational workshops focusing on American Roots Music. Grey Fox takes their Bluegrass serious and it shows in the line up. With approximately 40 bands

The Grateful Dead & Red Rocks

Words By J-man Many bands have formed a special relationship and connection with the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre and the Grateful Dead were no different. The elevated energy and the beauty of the venue made for one hell of an "experience" and quickly took many of the Red Rocks shows to legendary status. Enjoy the first run/experience that the Grateful Dead ever played at Red Rocks. These shows are literally some of the best Dead shows that I have heard, not only in performance but in regards to recording quality as well. Enjoy! Grateful Dead Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 7, 1978. Jack Straw, Candyman, Me & My Uncle-> Big River, Friend Of The Devil, Cassidy, Tennessee Jed, Passenger, Peggy-O, The Music Never Stopped Cold Rain & Snow, Beat It On Down The Line, Scarlet Begonias-> Fire On The Mountain, Dancin' In The Streets-> Drums-> Not Fade Away-> Nobody's Fault But Mine-> Not Fade Away-> Black Peter-> Around & Arou

The Funky Four

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue Words By Andy DeVilbiss I know. This used to be The Funky Five. Now it's going to be The Funky Four. I could say it's because of some mystical cosmic crap like The Funk is, rhythmically, primarily a four-beat per measure affair that forms The One, allowing mankind to create multidimensional harmonic synergy for maximum universal awareness. I could say it's because MusicMarauders can't afford #5 until we lock up our lucrative glowstick and frenchbread pizza advertising deal. But... No. Five is just too many for me. To put it in boxing terms, I've got to punch my weight. Especially when the hot, humid Baltimore summer is melting my brain. I've never understood why the month of June is such a big month for weddings. Thermometer's creeping around 90. The air is so muggy you need a scuba tank. Yeah buddy, that's the perfect time for dressing up to sit under the sun in rows of tightly packed fold

Fareed Haque's MathGames & Shakedown in Denver

The weekend of July 1st will mark the return of Fareed Haque and MathGames featuring Ray White to Quixote's True Blue in Denver, CO! Also, performing the music of The Grateful Dead will be Shakedown Street! Join us for three nights of top notch musicianship at one of Colorado's most incredible venue's! MathGames: The Math Games Trio is an electronica jazz/funk groove band perfect for festival rave or night club settings. It is Fareed Haque's latest project and it will be bringing their hip new sound to the road. Moog guitar enthusiasts will not want to miss this band, as the new and innovative instrument will be Fareed's ax of choice for shows. Math Games will be playing as a trio, as Flat Earth Ensemble members Alex Austin and Greg Fundis bring their talent and flair to the mix. MathGames made its recent debut at Chicago's Mayne Stage theater in November of 2010. Watch the video below to see how this unique trio is transforming light and sound into a funktronic

Thursday Jazz: Bill Evans

Words By J-man Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett... these are some of the great players of our time. As folks who have elevated jazz music to its prestigious current day level, they have paved the way and sparked interest in many young players captivated by their sound. But who inspired them? Who paved their road to virtuosity? The answer is Bill Evans. Bill Evans's contribution was in his style. Bill played rhythmically independent, "singing" melodic lines unlike what anyone else had done prior. He would juxtapose the harmonies to create an altogether unique sound differing from the previous bebop swing jazz that came before him. Instead, he fused classical music with jazz and other styles to create his masterful sound while displaying a deep understanding of melodies with his playing. Bill played with the likes of Billie Holiday, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, Jack DeJohnette, Tony Bennett and so many other greats. But as with many great jazz musicians, Bill had