The Langerado Music Festival is upping its game. While it has been a significant festival the last several years, this year's line up seems more diverse and an attempt to push Langerado into the upper festival echelon. Modest Mouse is the latest addition to the annual Florida gathering joining Snoop Dogg, Death Cab for Cutie, Ryan Adams and The Cardinals as some of the marquee names.

The rest of the line-up isn't too shabby either. Highlights include Broken Social Scene (great with or without Feist), Cold War Kids, Flogging Molly, Mute Math, Gym Class Heroes, The Pogues and Matisyahu. The Zach Brown band will also bring their anthem "Chicken Fried" to represent the country set while rubbing shoulders alongside festival mainstays like Umprey's McGee, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Michael Franti and Steel Pulse.

Besides some new names, there is also a new location. This year Langerado moves to Bicentennial Park in Miami on March 6, 7 and 8th. Tickets are on sale now.

Labels: Broken Social Scene, Cold War Kids, Death Cab, Festival News, Gym Class Heroes, Modest Mouse, Robert Randolph, Ryan Adams, Slightly Stoopid, Umphrey's McGee

In a year when reunions were all the rage, Robert Randolph, John Medeski and the North Mississippi Allstars finished 2007 by putting their own spin on the concept by resurrecting their gospel-blues based project known as The Word. The Police, Genesis and Van Halen were the poster boys for the Year of the Reunion Tour, efficiently targeting fiscally solvent fans with nicely staged concerts firmly rooted in the nostalgia of their glory days. In that sense, The Word’s four night swing through the East coast qualifies as a Bizarro reunion. With only one six-year old album under their belt, fans did not flock to New York City’s Terminal 5 this past Thursday to bask in the abundant riches of yesteryear. Rather, they came to see what new tricks this veritable supergroup of the jam scene was capable of performing.

When The Word first assembled in 2000-2001, Robert Randolph was a little known pedal steel guitarist who had been toiling away in the churches of New Jersey. Even though he’d hardly played outside his own chapel, Medeski and the North Mississippi Allstars – Luther Dickinson, Cody Dickinson and Chris Chew – were impressed with Randolph’s considerable skills and recruited him to provide the “sacred steel” for their gospel tinged project. Using traditional gospel as their focal point, the quintet imposed their considerably eclectic chops on the music and created an eminently accessible collection of gospel-inflected songs that appealed to the devout with the same fervor as it did to the lapsed.

The Word introduced Robert Randolph to the world; six years later, he’s the most recognizable member of the troupe and for these recent shows he’s been acting as the de facto leader of the band. Despite the improvisational firepower on stage, The Word stayed relatively loyal to the central musical themes. That’s not to say they put on a rigidly formatted show. To a man, they all played loosely. When Randolph piqued everyone’s curiosity with a throwaway riff from The Ohio Players’ “Love Rollercoaster,” it just took one look back at Medeski and Luther Dickinson for a seemingly impromptu cover to occur.

A show featuring the five musicians of The Word would be an easy sell in its own right; that they had a body of communal music to work from helped considerably. With Cody Dickinson’s drumming giving a feral bluesy kick to the gospel melodies, The Word played together as if they do it daily. Over the course of the night they updated the songs from their sole self-titled release, offering up groove-heavy renditions of “Joyful Sounds” and “Without God” and soulful offerings of “At The Cross” and “I’ll Fly Away.” They augmented the set with a nice smattering of covers: if they didn’t quite hit the appropriate pounding funk of Stevie Wonder’s “You Haven’t Done Nothin’,” they nailed the requisite heavy groove on their quick detour through The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” They saved their best cover of the evening for the encore, extending the inspirational motif to embrace Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues.”

The show focused on the music and kept theatrics at a minimum. For most of the night, Chris Chew reclined comfortably against the equipment cases next to Cody Dickinson’s drum kit and the ever-excitable Randolph remained primarily rooted to his pedal steel. The two sets consisted almost exclusively of instrumental music. Chew provided the only vocals of the night during a brief New Orleans style run through “Down By The Riverside” and “When The Saints Go Marching In.” Luther Dickinson would occasionally stroll up to Randolph and engage him in a little give-or-take and Randolph sporadically gave a challenging glance over at Medeski before trading a couple riffs but otherwise the most notable solo was turned in by Cody Dickinson. At the close of “Waiting On My Wings,” Randolph took over on the drums and Dickinson went to town on his decidedly non-ecclesiastical electrified washboard.

For close to three hours, Randolph, Medeski and the NMA turned a set of songs derived from gospel and other inspirational sources into an enthusiastic jam session. Without question, if The Word were the house band at any local house of worship, attendance would go through the roof.

The Word wasn’t the only Randolph affiliated show in the Big Apple that night. On the other side of town, Jason Crosby of Randolph’s Family Band was holding court at the Ace of Clubs. Crosby’s show made for a nice after-hours affair for those intrepid enough to travel across town from Terminal 5. Crosby had his crowd moving with his brand of fusion jazz, danceable funk as well as a couple covers that included a pleasantly tuneful version of The Korgis’ “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime.”

Crosby will rejoin Randolph & The Family Band in March at this year’s Langerado Festival in Big Cypress, Florida. After a night at Levon Helm’s Woodstock home/studio for one of his Midnight Rambles, Medeski along with Billy Martin and Chris Wood will embark on a late February run of shows before likewise heading down to Langerado where they’ll play with Jon Scofield. The North Mississippi Allstars won’t be at Langerado, but they will be busy. Before lending his skills to the Black Crowes in March, Luther and the Allstars will head out on a comprehensive U.S. tour to coincide with the January 22 release of Hernando.

Labels: Medeski Martin and Wood, North Mississippi Allstars, Robert Randolph, The Word

Labels: Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, Live Reviews, Robert Randolph

For those of us born too late to see Jimi Hendrix play live, there are a couple projects in the works that should give us a close (as possible) approximation to the experience. The Experience Hendrix tour, which last time around was lead by Carlos Santana, is set for a five city run with a remarkable set of musicians.

This year the legendary Buddy Guy (who was also on the first tour) will be joined by feature performers Robert Randolph, Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Special guests are also said to include Robbie Krieger from the Doors, Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones and Mississippi-born guitarist Hubert Sumlin who worked with other legends like Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters. A very cool feature will also have the original Jimi Hendrix Experience rhythm section, Mitch Mitchell (drums) and Billy Cox (bass), that backed Jimi at Woodstock. And, if that wasn't cool enough, they'll also be joined by Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon, a/k/a Double Trouble, the from the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band.

This is something I very much hope to catch. Tickets are on sale now for dates in Washington, D.C. (Constitution Hall), NYC (Beacon Theater), Hampton Beach, NH (Casino Ballroom), Atlantic City (Trump Casino) and Waterbury, CT (Palace Theater). And, there is more fun in store for Hendrix fans as The Jimi Hendrix Experience at Monterey, Jimi's debut at the Pop Festival, will be released on DVD on October 16th to serve as a reminder as to why this was such a special artist. While there will never be another Hendrix, it is very cool and importnat that culturally significant music like this lives on for new generations to remind us, and those picking up a guitar for the first time, that musicianship counts. Hendrix had "it" - we can only hope others that follow can even get close.

Labels: Hendrix, Robert Randolph

The amazing Robert Randolph and the Family Band will light up the Bottle & Cork in Dewey Beach, Delaware and Philadelphia's own Pawnshop Roses will open the show. I hear it may be sold out, so call the club before you head down to see if there are still tickets.

If you haven't caught them yet (or are very new to this blog!), the Pawnshop Roses join bands like the Drive By Truckers, Kings of Leon and others who have led the resurgence of Americana rock the past couple years in getting back to basics with one foot in the present and one foot in the good old days of album rock. You may recognize them from winning the YouTube Underground Contest for Best Live Video and appearing on Good Morning America, where they will always be known as the band that got Diane Sawyer to say "It Gets So Hard" on live tv.

Since then, Earvolution Records put them in the studio for their first full length record Let it Roll, an Americana rock gem produced by Pete Donnelly of the Figgs (Amos Lee/GLove), with a couple song co-arrangements by noted alt-country artist Tom Gillam. Jonn Savannah (Van Morrison, Joe Cocker, Squeeze) sits in for a couple tracks on piano, including the Jayhawks' influenced "Here We Go" (free mp3). Distributed by HomeGrown Music, the record is in select stores this week and available internationally via iTunes, Urge, etc. The band quickly lept into Home Grown's top seller list alongside big names like Spearhead, Xavier Rudd and more.

Labels: Pawnshop Roses, Robert Randolph

By: David Schultz

A March tradition that could rival St. Patrick's Day and the NCAA Tournament for alcohol fueled excitement, the South By Southwest festival once again attracted every facet of the music industry to downtown Austin, Texas. For those in the business, a portion of SXSW is just that: panel discussions and trade shows abound and this year featured keynote addresses by the likes of Pete Townshend and David Byrne. Technically an industry conference, the 5 day, 4 night festival is so much more than a boondoggle; it attracts press, fans and most importantly, musicians from all over the country.

Billing itself as the music industry's largest gathering, SXSW brings more than 1,300 artists to play at hundreds of official and unofficial parties and showcases. The SXSW sanctioned showcases take place at night, with each invited act getting at least one official chance to ply their craft. For every official appearance made over the week, each artist will give many more performances at the various parties and unofficially sponsored showcases which magnificently inundate SXSW. Wherever there was room, someone put on a show. For the 2007 SXSW, Earvolution joined the fray, sponsoring what will ideally be the first annual Earvolution.com showcase at Emo's (IV) Lounge on the corner of Sixth Street and Red River Street.

While fun and games for those in the audience, much work goes into getting singers and bands onto these stages. Managers fight hard to secure slots for their acts, signed or unsigned, on as many showcases as possible, there being a premium on being seen, being heard and generating as much as buzz as you can. For the musicians, the stakes can be large: potential managers, publicists and labels use the occasion to gauge interest in the band not only by the fans but also by their competitors. Killing at SXSW can create ripples that emanate loudly throughout the biz. The typical showcase set runs about 40-45 minutes, leaving little time for building up a rapport with the crowd. As a result, most acts get right down to business, putting everything they have into the limited time they're given. Making it at SXSW shows that you can play, but the larger question raised after SXSW is can you sell?

Given the large industry presence, it's easy to look at SXSW, (or "South By" as one badge wearer could be overheard instructing another), with a cynical eye. Quickly though, it becomes obvious that with so many quality musicians playing that week than physically possible to see and hear, to remain skeptical and suspicious just makes yourself your own worst enemy. Amongst the many things I learned at my first South By – besides picking up the lingo – comfortable shoes are a necessity, especially if you plan to take in full days of music. A game plan for the day, whether you follow it or not, also helps.

Tuesday, March 13

Our SXSW contingent consists of myself and Earvolution founder Jeff Davidson and we arrive on Tuesday evening. Our landlord for the duration, local filmmaker and Austin native Mike Mann, offers to take us into the downtown area to scout out Emo's and give us the lay of the land. The Emo's complex is staggering both in size and efficiency, with four separate stages, an open courtyard and live music emanating everywhere. In New York City, such a facility would be simply unfathomable: getting past the space restrictions, a Manhattan version would charge at least a $20 cover charge regardless of the bands on stage. At Emo's, when there is a cover, it goes straight to the band and many nights simply being old enough to enter gives you access to at least a dozen bands . . . and this is just one of a couple dozen venues that populate the Sixth Street downtown area. No wonder the Austin music scene thrives.

With our guide Mann pointing out such local tidbits like the bouncer being the lead singer of The Crackpipes. We also caught part of set by Ume, a trashy little power trio. Ume's heavy sound may be a bit standard but their guitarist, the remarkable Lauren Larson, is not your typical riot grrrl. Petite and ladylike, Larson simply shredded her guitar with a skill and proficiency you wouldn't expect from a lovely blonde, especially one sharing the stage with her husband on bass. After tearing through a dozen or so of dead-on punk rock guitar riffs with her long locks swinging wildly in front of her face, she daintily picked up her purse and walked demurely off the stage. In briefly speaking with her after her set, I prepared for a coarse Courtney Love like demeanor only to have my stereotype shattered by Larson's Southern-style hospitality.

Only hours in, I'm already hooked on the Austin music scene. We stay at Emo's a bit longer for the Good Times Crisis Band before heading over to another stage for Brothers & Sisters, a Sixties-style outfit fronted by a hefty Gregg Allman look-alike, who wore a muumuu (possibly a poncho) while leading the band through some traditional classic rock style compositions before a packed room.

We leave Emo's and amble around Sixth Street for a bit and it becomes clear why Austin is considered one of the preeminent cities for live music. Unlike Manhattan, where the music remains barricaded behind close doors, Austin's venues entice you by letting you hear what's going on inside. As a result, a walk down Sixth Street exposes you to the multitude of blues, country, metal and rock that keep the Austin machine well oiled. With an abundance of BBQ and beer and a cornucopia of music ahead, Austin will not only be the epicenter of the music world for the rest of the week, it will be sensory and auditory nirvana.

Wednesday, March 14

Wednesday afternoon marks Earvolution's introductory foray into SXSW at Emo's Lounge. Like everyone who descends on Austin for the festival, Earvolution had a slightly self-interested motivation for hosting a day of music: generating awareness and interest in Pawnshop Roses, an old-school, classic-rock inspired quartet from Philadelphia, PA cut from the mold of bands like the Black Crowes and Exile On Main Street era Rolling Stones. They also happen to be the first artist signed to Earvolution Records.

The couple hours leading up to Joshua James' just after noon-time opening set are a bit daunting. In a form of opening night jitters, we frankly worry that no one will show. Fears of an empty house are quickly allayed: throughout the day we are joined by Justin Ward of the Live Music Blog; local, music-loving Austinites (possibly Austinians), a good number of laminate-bearing industry types and someone who looks conspicuously like Rolling Stone's David Fricke. James and Wes Hutchinson give different variations of the singer-songwriter motif, showing how much can be done with just an acoustic guitar. After his set, Hutchinson accomplished the not inconsiderable task of meeting nearly everyone who came to hear his set, making new fans with his personality as well as his music.

Our friends from Brooklyn, The States, woke everyone up with an early afternoon set heavy on material from The Path Of Least Resistance, their upcoming album which is in the final re-mastering process. At the close of the set, a father approached Chris Snyder, the States’ lead singer and guitarist, with his two young children in tow. Explaining that his kids really loved The States' set, he asks for autographs while his son and daughter shyly loiter close by. Even though the scene is way too precious, I go off in search of some promo cards while a sweaty but always affable Snyder, clearly flattered by the praise, chats with the family. When I return, he signs autographs for the beaming children, making them fans of The States for life.

Pawnshop Roses deliver a set that pulled in a good number of interested people off the street and I notice an individual who looks conspicuously like the ageless David Fricke. While fellow Philadelphians Jealousy Curve entertained a growing crowd, I learn that the gentleman in the sunglasses is not Fricke covering our showcase for Rolling Stone but rather is here in support of the two Philadelphia bands. I learn later that the Fricke look-a-like is Roger Hale, father of Halestorm's Lzzy and Arejay Hale. A band I would seemingly see just about everywhere during my stay in Austin.

After Toledo's We Are The Fury cap off the inaugural Earvolution SXSW showcase with a tight set of glam-rock in the mode of the New York Dolls, Live Music Blog's Justin joins us in a celebratory Jameson toast and we hang with Pawnshop Roses' Kevin Bentley talking music and basking in the glow of the successful showcase. While we wax philosophic on all things musical (i.e. discussing who we've seen live lately), the BBQ buffet for the Sub Pop party taking place that evening gets going. Curious as to who will be on the Sub Pop showcase, we grab one of the time sheets and discover that Emo's has made a glorious mistake: they designate the night's entertainment as the "SXSW Earvolution Party." Oh yes, I do love this town.

Next I was off to one of the official SXSW "badge events." The badge itself is an interesting object. More than just an entry pass, the badge, bearing the wearer's photo and company information, gives you a sense of security; for all intents and purposes, the festival is your oyster. The laminate, which costs upwards of $500, turns out to be the de rigueur accoutrement for SXSW. For some reason, it is required that anyone in possession of a laminate prominently display it around their neck. Even if optional, I sense that no one would choose to hide their badge as "access" plays a not-so-insignificant role in this business. On the first night of the festival, the failure to laminate ourselves, or acquire its cheaper, lower-access equivalent, a $175 wristband more suitable for those with no interest in attending any of the panels, frustrates our attempt to see The Rapture at the Free Yrself showcase at La Zona Rosa.

Not tarrying outside La Zona Rosa any longer than necessary - there are too many other showcases not requiring a badge and other bands playing for free to fret over missing one - we ambled back down 4th Street pondering the importance of the badge. Initially, I debated whether I was envious of the privileged laminate-owning masses or whether I was committing a truly indie-level, rebellious act and by remaining "unlaminated" I was doing my part to fight the power. Rationalization can be quite fun. I will experience moments of laminate-envy over the next four nights, but they are relatively brief. As it turns out, with some shrewd foresight and a little cash (much less than the cost of a laminate and a little less than a wristband), you can pretty much see any act you wanted to catch.

Jeff and I decide to check out the Fado Irish Pub, where Pawnshop Roses will be playing tomorrow afternoon as part of the Industry of Music showcase. A traditional Irish pub, Fado has an outdoor stage area reminiscent of a backyard patio and I quickly recognize "not-David Fricke" amidst the crowd. As I brood over being followed around, albeit preemptively, we bump into Roses' lead singer Paul Keen, who explains the complex Lost-style connections between the various Philadelphia bands down in Texas this week. As one of the Philly bands turns out to be Halestorm, the presence of "not-David Fricke" at Fado now makes sense.

Fortunate enough to come all the way from New York to catch an uninspiring set from Brooklyn's Locksley, we decide to scout out the potential of getting into the Beauty Bar to catch Illinois as part of the Ace Fu showcase. Our motivation disappears after hearing the dual guitar assault of Paul Ritchie and Dave Rosen and the Robert Plant quality wail of Mark Melicia of New Jersey's Parlor Mob, who follow the same Seventies-style Sabbath-driven heavy metal vision as Wolfmother. After an hour of energetic Zeppelin-ized blues, Halestorm takes the stage with Lzzy Hale leading the hard-rock quartet on to the stage with an a capella burst of vocal theatrics comparable to Melicia's.

As the final act reflects a "very special guest," we make the mistake of sticking around in case something exciting happens. Even though there are rumors abounding of a Rage Against The Machine reunion somewhere in Austin this night, we are not delusional that we are in its presence. Before the "special guests" appear, we sit through an interminable set from the Gore Gore Girls, who seemingly played the same song for a half hour straight. The song titles changed and one had a harmonica break, but the three chord drone remained constant. After toughing out the set, hopes were dashed as we learned that "special" is a term that can be thrown around rather indiscriminately: the mystery artist is revealed as Amsterband. In wandering back down 4th Street, we become enthralled with the Spazmatics playing outdoors at the Cedar Street Courtyard. Dressed as...well...spazzes, the geeked-out band-o-nerds had a full house rocking with a Violent Femmes medley. With nearly every other band in Austin making an effort to stand out with their original music, the Spazmatics looked backwards with their ultimate New Wave 80's Show, showing off their style or rather, lack of it, by closing the night with a cover of Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer."

Thursday, March 15

With landlord Mike Mann leading the way, Thursday begins with a noble SXSW goal: finding free lunch. With the allure of "free BBQ, free beer and free metal," we head to the Soho Lounge on Sixth Street only to find out that it's a laminate-only event. Though sparsely filled, we are denied entry, but since we weren't married much to the "free metal" idea, we don’t put up a huge fight. As we regather to formulate a plan, I learn that there’s more to SXSW than simply official and unofficial parties, there are also invitation-only private parties. The laminates might have been the most common skeleton key but they by no means opened every door; the private parties ratchet up the exclusivity level. Most of the invitations for the private parties are a little bit bigger than index cards; like the laminates they are designed to be worn around like necklaces. Anyone with private invites proudly wore them in addition to their laminate like Mr. T baring his chains. I imagine that whoever got the most invite cards around their neck wins SXSW.

Calling a quick audible, we make it to the Fontana Distribution party at The Lava Lounge in time for some Iron Works barbecue and Ian Moore. Basking in the sun of the outdoor patio, we quaff some local brews while Canadian Ron Sexsmith ran through an extremely short set before turning the stage over to Kiefer Sutherland's favorite guitarist and co-star of I Trust You To Kill Me, Rocco Deluca. With his backing band The Burden, Deluca was one of the many artists running themselves ragged this week playing numerous showcases. Deluca' afternoon set came with no frills: accompanied by Ryan Carman perched upon the nifty drum box he used to provide the beat, Deluca played a dazzling set on his Dobro steel guitar allowing him to focus more on his Jeff Buckley like vocals.

Once Deluca finished his set, we made a quick scamper to the outskirts of Austin for Peter And The Wolf's set at The Peacock Lounge, one of the more contrived concert spaces in the Austin area. A cozy little space with a small outdoor deck and a comfortable collegiate style living room area, the venue was far from ideal for a SXSW showcase, much less one for the modestly sized band fronted by local musician Red Hunter. Using every bit of the available space, Hunter and a choir led by Dana Falconberry loped through a relaxing 20 minute set of lo-fi, atmospheric, Grizzly Bear styled folk better suited for a late evening than a sunny Texas afternoon.

On the way back downtown to catch Rachel Fuller's and Pete Townshend's Attic Jam at La Zona Rosa, I learn that the music scene's saturation of Austin life even permeates the transportation industry: our cab driver was extremely fluent in all forms of music and knew the city's clubs and their denizens quite well. Getting to La Zona Rosa at the same time as the Attic Jam was scheduled to begin, we encountered a short line to get in. The venue dropping the price of the show once Townshend played turns out to be a bit of a mixed blessing. While we wait unnecessarily in line, Townshend opens the show with an acoustic version of "Drowned." The cashier dutifully dropped the price while cheerfully making sure everyone knew that Townshend would be coming on and off for the next 2 1/2 hours. Further reason to keep calm: when Townshend is in the building for an Attic Jam, there is but one closing act.

Hosting a bill that caused her to blurt she was so excited "she could pee herself," Fuller welcomed Alexi Murdoch, Willy Mason, Martha Wainwright and Joe Purdy with lavish introductions. Each performer played a song before Townshend and Fuller would join them on stage. Without exception, each musician had a look on their face that expressed their amazement that they were not only on stage with the legendary guitarist but that Townshend was accompanying them on their material. Purdy opted for one of Townshend's songs and their acoustic duet of "Let My Love Open The Door" transformed the song from a cocky demand to a yearning plea. Ever the comic, Townshend kept the mood light, good-naturedly letting the various singer-songwriters shine while letting his star provide the glow. Due to running late, Townshend's closing set may have been cut short and although possibly historic, proved slightly disappointing. Accompanied by Fuller, Townshend sang "In The Ether," the weakest effort off of The Who's recent Endless Wire before picking up the guitar and closing the show with what he believed to be the first ever public performance of "I Can't Reach You" from The Who Sell Out. Given the wealth of material at his disposal, the performance of an obscure track from 40 years ago felt a tad anticlimactic.

The Attic Jam abutted nicely with an evening showcase anchored by the Cold War Kids. Even though they have reached a level of success that makes their appearance at SXSW seem gratuitous, Cold War Kids put on a simply astounding performance that blew away everyone in attendance. Having been eminently impressed with the California foursome on a couple other occasions, their forty-five minutes at SXSW left me speechless. The comfortably filled La Zona Rosa that existed during Elvis Perkins' stellar opening set slowly hit maximum capacity during the break. By the time the Kids took the stage and launched into "We Used To Vacation," there was hardly any room to breathe much less move in the 1,200 capacity hall as it felt like the entire festival crowd packed themselves into the spacious warehouse.

As opposed to many of the other sets throughout the week where experienced crowds showed appreciation but never real excitement, Cold War Kids brought out everyone’s inner music fan. When the opening bass line of "Hang Me Up To Dry" echoed throughout the cavernous room, the hall erupted. Going off the board a little bit, Elvis Perkins and his band returned to the stage and the two groups collaborated on a cover of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," during which Nathan Willets' emotionally fragile voice turned the soulful tune into a Cold War classic. With Perkins and friends providing the percussion and horn blasts that make up the auditory chaos underlying the chain-gang chant of "St. John," the set closed with one of those "Oh My God" moments that keep people attending shows night after night. The unrestrained, unapologetic and decidedly unindustry response was phenomenal . . . and quite cool. Equally as impressive: once the Cold War Kids left the stage, so did a great number of people. The Cold War Kids were clearly a destination event.

Returning to Fado, where Pawnshop Roses played an early afternoon set, I catch The Gay Blades, an East coast guitar and drums duo that is a pair of double Ds short of The White Stripes. The Blades tore through a fun set notable for Clark Westfield's rifling guitar, quick wit, an impulsive announcement to give away everything at the merch table to anyone in the industry using the honor system and an unintended contribution by Sam Bey, Parlor Mob's drummer, that scored big numbers on the unintentional comedy scale. Grabbing a cowbell, an overly inebriated Bey continuously staggered on stage without bothering to take off his bulky backpack to lend additional percussion while provoking wagers on whether he would fall off the stage or tumble into the drum kit. Bets were taken off the board when the tambourine he kicked off the stage hit the bouncer in the head resulting in his prompt escort from the premises.

Hoots & Hellmouth, a raucous acoustic string band overcame the difficulties inherent in following the previous calamities with an upbeat set that seemed torn from a mountainous backwoods. Opening with a romp through the Grateful Dead's "Samson And Delilah," the foursome led a genuine hootenanny. Substituting foot stomps and energy for a rhythm section, Hoots & Hellmouth generated one of the rare instances of actual dancing at an SXSW event. The mostly hirsute Philadelphia quartet finished their hillbilly run through Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" by walking amongst the people, stomping, clapping and exhorting everyone to join along like crazed hippie camp counselors.

The evening concluded at the Cedar Street Courtyard with Grace Potter & The Nocturnals warming the slight evening chill by previewing selections from their upcoming album This Is Something. The winsome Potter, fast on her way to becoming the sexiest, hippie goddess in rock, led the Nocturnals through a rootsy, soulful set punctuated by guitarist Scott Tournet's increasingly killer guitar solos, Brian Dondero's finely honed bass and Matt Burr's straightforward, powerful drums. Rather than try to put into words the extent that the Vermont natives conquered SXSW, let this tale suffice. In the 21 years that I have been attending concerts the one thing that I have always ached to see, but never have, is a true encore. Without fail, once the planned encore ends, every crowd immediately shuffles off like lemmings, leaving the very intoxicated and consciousness-expanded few to scream fruitlessly for more. When Potter and the Nocturnals finished their set, few left the Courtyard. Even though the curfew had passed, the band upstairs and the power turned off, the crowd howled for more. Potter came back to the stage, seemingly questioning whether they could heed the request for "one more song" only to be told no. Over the protests of the venue's staff, Tournet came running down the stairs with an acoustic guitar and he had Potter played a brief but rollicking "Mystery Train." With Potter spilling her whiskey while she bopped and sang next to Tournet, the two played what has to be every musician's dream – a true encore. In talking with Matt Burr after the show, he said that it's every band's desire to kill at SXSW. Well, Potter & The Nocturnals didn't kill at SXSW – they devastated it.

Friday – March 16

Running from show to show, it can become easy to lose the forest for the trees so Friday was spent making an effort to soak up the SXSW atmosphere. Starting the day by catching our friends The States making some new fans at Darwin's Pub on Sixth Street, we lingered to catch the Tyrone Vaughan Band. The son or nephew of Stevie Ray Vaughan, which also implicates Fabulous Thunderbird Jimmy Vaughan's genes, Tyrone showed the power of good breeding, leading his foursome through some nice Texas style blues-rock.

Possessing vague directions to Antone's, Jeff and I progressed to our only intended destination for the day, the EMI Publishing party featuring Robert Randolph & The Family Band. Given Randolph's stature and our perception of where he was playing, we imagined the "Hendrix of the pedal steel" to be playing an outdoor locale. Arriving at the cozy confines of Antone's, we were overjoyed to merge with the excited crowd bopping along to Randolph's funkified gospel and soul. Remaining firmly entrenched behind his pedal steel, the low stage allowed Randolph to play inches from the front of the crowd. The intimate surroundings also allowed the personable Randolph to play around a bit: during an instrumental version of Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Something," he invited people from the audience to handle lead guitar and he made sure that a group of young kids right up front not only had a fun but also had a memorable afternoon. Due to the unexpected absence of Marcus Randolph, The Family Band welcomed Vinnie Amici of moe. who sat in with the band on short notice. As SXSW provides such a limited opportunity to present each band's skills, Amici's inclusion into the Family Band brought a bit of the communal, lets-see-what-happens spirit more commonly found at jamband festivals than SXSW. While the musicians are all enormously supportive of each other, once on the stage, the artists have to sink or swim on their own at SXSW.

Later that evening over at Stubbs Ampitheater, Tom Morello stole the show and 99% of the crowd in attendance never knew it occurred. Starting on Stubbs' interior basement stage within seconds of Badly Drawn Boy closing his set on the main stage with Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Morello, formerly of Audioslave and past and presently of Rage Against The Machine, played an impassioned half-hour acoustic set chilling in its political acuity and directness. Making reference to the appearance of Slash at his set at The Parish the night before, Morello immediately informed the intimate assemblage that this evening it would be just be him, The Nightwatchman, before tearing into his six song set. Like an even more pissed off Johnny Cash, Morello previewed songs from his upcoming album, One Man Revolution, and resurrected "Guerilla Radio” for those who won't be able to "scale the walls at Coachella." In song, Morello gave voice to the economically disadvantaged and politically disenfranchised with lyrics calling for the President to drown the next time a Southern levee breaks. Pity George Bush that his leadership has awakened the slumbering beast that is Rage Against The Machine. If Morello's performance at Stubbs is any indication of the fire fueling the upcoming reunion, Rage Against The Machine are about to become the most dangerous band on the planet.

Morello's performance was tucked between sets of a Friday showcase that featured Perry Farrell's Satellite Party, Andrew Bird, Pete & the Pirates, Badly Drawn Boy and his fellow British brethren The Good, The Bad & The Queen. Farrell's latest project, featuring former Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, pieced together a nicely varied set that flaunted the mocking tone that greeted the project's recent album. Farrell's voice and image have matured over the years but one thing hasn’t changed: he still imagines himself one sexy beast.

Gorgeously playing traditional violin as much as treating the delicate instrument like a guitar, the multi-talented Andrew Bird, whose band included another multi-instrumental talent, Martin Dosh, drew waves of appreciation for his quirky, ambient repertoire. Before diving into every 80s music fans wet dream of a finale, Badly Drawn Boy pulled a couple Ryan Adams diva stoppages and showed a feisty edge that you wouldn't imagine from his music.

The night's headliner, The Good, The Bad & The Queen came across as the most polished arena-friendly act but over the course of their hour on stage, nothing seemed to take hold. Damon Albarn's latest "supergroup" never seemed to do anything really super. Damon Albarn moved between the keyboards and center stage but never seemed to captivate the crowd. The efforts of Clash bassist Paul Simonon, Verve guitarist Simon Tong and drummer Tony Allen can't be faulted but given the firepower at their disposal, their performance came off mundane.

Saturday – March 17

I tiredly and ruefully make my way out of Austin on a midday flight back to New York City. As I relaxed before my flight with a cup of coffee and a breakfast taco (no McMuffins, 8 places selling breakfast tacos: go figure), the scope of the SXSW Festival hit me like Pete Townshend's guitar nailing an unsuspecting amp: even the airport had a showcase.

All total, I caught roughly 30 of the 1300 bands that played here over my 3 1/2 days in Austin ...and not once did I hear anyone cover "Crazy." There is hope for us all.

Labels: Cold War Kids, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Robert Randolph, SXSW, The States, Tom Morello

By: David Schultz

Whether playing concise opening slots for Eric Clapton or the Dave Matthews Band, featured sets during the summer festival season or headlining clubs and theaters, Robert Randolph and the aptly named Family Band, consisting of his cousins Danyel Morgan (bass) and Marcus Randolph (drums) and extended family member Jason Crosby (keys and fiddle), have always lived up to their reputation as a band that must be seen to be believed. However, just about a year ago, their stage act seemed on the verge of stagnating; not from a musical perspective but from an originality standpoint. Although retaining their entertainment value, many of the antics that seemed fresh and endearing while word spread of Randolph's infectious buoyant energy and "Jimi Hendrix of the pedal steel guitar" skills were becoming predictable.



This past Friday, Robert Randolph & The Family Band returned to New York City's Roseland Ballroom as a headliner after more than two years with an extended Family Band that included Randolph's sister Lanesha on backing vocals and percussion and his cousin Joey Williams on rhythm guitar. Many of the live staples in danger of becoming stale were absent on this evening. The Michael Jackson and Jimi Hendrix covers were gone as was the instrumental switch bit where Randolph and his cousins rotate between the bass, drums and pedal steel during a lengthy jam. One trademark not shed from the set: the invitation to the women in the audience to come on stage during "Shake Your Hips" and illustrate the concept of the John Lee Hooker boogie style rocker. The visual display of women with widely varying dancing ability may not have been worth the apparent annoyance to the band: Morgan seemed perturbed at having the women swarm into his space and a couple ladies weightily hung on Randolph while he played his pedal steel.

In discarding some of their familiar gimmicks, they unfortunately dropped their lengthy instrumental jams featuring Randolph's lengthy, crowd-pleasing pedal steel guitar solos. With the exception of a quick run through "Run For Your Life," the uninspired instrumental interludes, which were used mostly as bridges between songs, offered nothing substantial and failed to give the eager audience a hook to latch onto. Akin to the disappointment that would be engendered by Eric Clapton playing an entire show on the piano, Randolph's decision to spend half the night playing electric guitar unfairly deprived the audience of a substantial serving of his pedal steel histrionics. On the other hand, Randolph's increased dexterity with the guitar turned into one of the night's pleasant surprises. During "Roll Up," the evening's closer, Randolph impressively traded riffs with Morgan, dropping to his knees in the show’s sole homage to Hendrix. Although Randolph's pedal steel was primarily missing in action, Morgan's bass, which is so integral to the band's fusion of gospel, soul, R & B and traditional classic rock, made its presence felt. Beginning the bass line from "I Need More Love" from backstage, Morgan led the return processional for the encore. It was to be one of Morgan's few times in the spotlight; the presence of Randolph's sister, who handled many of the higher-ranged vocals, relegated Morgan's signature wail to cameo appearances.

The band focused heavily on their Colorblind material. While their opening stomp through "Ain't Nothin' Wrong With That," "Diane" (featuring an assist from the Conan O'Brien horn section) and the set closer "Deliver Me" soared, their cover of The Byrds/Doobie Brothers tune "Jesus Is Just Alright" never gained momentum. Rarely one to lose the crowd, Randolph & The Family Band nearly did just that during an interminably long and uneventful "Homecoming." With guitarist Rocco DeLuca joining in, Randolph kept running through a lazy rap that endlessly namechecked the band, stretching the song beyond its limits without anyone adding anything terribly interesting. Randolph & The Family Band nearly refrained from their propensity to insert a mistimed, poppy ballad into their shows, waiting until the encore to slot the slow-moving "This Love" between a raucous "I Need More Love" and a stellar "Roll Up."

The newfound finesse Randolph & The Family Band showed on Colorblind has spilled into their live shows. Despite lip service paid by any group's fans to the concept of wanting to see their band grow and do new things, deep down, they don't want to see them deviate too far from what originally made them ardent fans. It's nice to see Randolph & The Family Band evolving and doing different things on stage, but they have to be careful not to alienate their core fanbase by transforming themselves into a different entity altogether.

Labels: Robert Randolph, The Family Band

By: David Schultz

Anyone who has been to see Robert Randolph & The Family Band in person knows that the young pedal steel guitarist has it within his power to be the savior of rock n' roll. A typical show features numerous rollicking instrumental jams featuring Randolph's awe inspiring pedal steel guitar riffs, multiple audience participatory dance parties, crowd members coming on stage to perform guitar solos and unending doses of Randolph's youthful ebullience. While they have been known to incorporate traditional blues and gospel into their music as well as cover the occassional Jimi Hendrix or Michael Jackson tune, without question, Randolph & The Family Band have shown that they can achieve so much more than simple rehashes of time-tested riffs. Unclassified, their 2003 studio debut, captured the energy of Randolph & The Family Band's frenetic live performance so well documented on Live At Wetlands; Colorblind, their latest, reigns in that enthusiasm, gaining in finesse where they lose their zeal.

With far less experience than the others on the list, Randolph's pedal steel guitar work earned him a spot on Rolling Stone's 2003 ranking of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Puzzlingly, Randolph's pedal steel seems to be relegated to the background of the majority of Colorblind's tracks, featured most prominently on the freewheeling closing track "Homecoming." The omission of Randolph's signature instrument shows that they are trying to stretch in new directions: the horn section on "Diane" nicely compliments Danyel Morgan's funky bass and euphorically high-pitched backing howls and on the disc's opening "Ain't Nothing Wrong With That," they blend the stomp of a collegiate step-dance with a little OutKast bridge resulting in a roaring joyous romp of an anthem that will surely become a staple of any reputable SWAC marching band.

In part Colorblind creates the same kind of raucous funky community rhythms of another Family band, Sly & The Family Stone. It also contains excursions into the band's softer side which oftentimes turns unnecessarily syrupy. As on Unclassified, Colorblind has a couple moribund tracks where Randolph explores his schmaltzy Stevie Wonder "I Just Called To Say I Love You" feelings. On "Stronger," which features soul singer Leela James, Randolph strikes a nice balance but on "Blessed," he brings the album to an unnecessary halt. These tracks don't terribly weaken the album, but they do considerably slow down the pacing.

Randolph & The Family Band have received a good deal of exposure as an eagerly anticipated opening act for Eric Clapton and the Dave Matthews Band, with Randolph usually returning to help close out the main set. On Colorblind, Clapton, Matthews and saxophonist Leroi Moore return the favor, making high-profile guest appearances on the album. Matthews and Moore join in on the deliciously sizzling "Love Is The Only Way." Sounding more like a Matthews tune than a Randolph romp, the song, which Matthews gives a suave assured sense of confidence, may possess Colorblind's most crossover appeal. Clapton lends his estimable guitar to a cover of The Doobie Brothers' "Jesus Is Just Alright," a song that has been a Randolph concert staple for some time, usually augmented by the ubiquitous Warren Haynes. Clapton not only goads inspirational performances from Randolph, who matches Slow Hand's skills with his own on the pedal steel, and his cousin Marcus Randolph on drums, he absolutely nails the song's bridge, coming the closest to his "God" persona since performing "Eyesight To The Blind" in Tommy.

Remaining true to their gospel roots, much of Colorblind remains grounded in pseudo-religious themes. "Thankful N' Thoughtful," whose lyrics don't expand much beyond the title, and "Angels" focus on bring grateful for the gifts that life brings and "Blessed" is simply self-explanatory. Best exemplified by the fact that Randolph's adrenalin fueled rhythms have already attracted the attention of the NCAA, which featured "Thrill Of It" prominently as part of their opening weekend games, Colorblind moves Randolph & The Family Band a little closer to the mainstream and a little farther away from the rock icon persona they could easily assume. At the present time, they are softly treading the line between the two worlds (which don't always have to be mutually exclusive), keeping one foot placed firmly in each camp. Fortunately, they are young and they have time; the fun will be in watching their career mature and develop.

Labels: Robert Randolph, The Family Band

For those in the LA area, get yourself over to the ABC studios now to get a good spot for a FREE special 5-7 song performance and be on national TV with Robert Randolph & The Family Band.

They will be performing "Thrill of It" on the Jimmy Kimmel (show check your local ABC station for air time). In addition to performing on the show, the band will also be playing a mini-concert on the Pontiac stage in the Jimmy Kimmel parking lot directly following the taping. For more information click here.

Labels: Robert Randolph, The Family Band

I saw Robert Randolph put on his usual terrific show when he opened up for the Black Crowes on the Philadelphia waterfront a few weeks back. It was a steamy summer night, but the crowd still jumped, danced and generally boogied despite the heat. It was my third time seeing Randolph and each time seems to be a little better, which is a high hurdle since I was floored the first time I saw him at the Electric Factory in Philly back in 2003 where I thought he was literally going to blow the roof off the place.

In addition to touring this summer, Robert and crew are readying for the release of his latest studio effort, Colorblind. Besides his "Family Band," Robert enlisted some help for this recording. He collaborated with other songwriters, including Tommy Sims (who has written songs with Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, and Garth Brooks), Jeff Trott (Sheryl Crow), Mark Batson (Dave Matthews Band, Gwen Stefani), and the team of Drew Ramsey and Shannon Sanders (India.Arie, Heather Hedley).

As a preview of how the recording sessions turned out, you can listen to "The Thrill of It" audio streams here: Real High / Real Low / Windows Media High / Windows Media Low / Quicktime High / Quicktime Low

Labels: Robert Randolph, The Family Band

Colorblind, Robert Randolph & The Family Band's follow-up to Unclassified, their 2003 studio debut will be released on Warner Bros. Records on September 26. Randolph describes the album as a "mix of rock, R & B, country, blues, and gospel inspired by repeated listenings of albums by Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Stevie Wonder." The album features a guest appearance by Eric Clapton on "Jesus Is Just Alright." Randolph first incorporated The Byrds classic, popularized by The Doobie Brothers, into his live act about one year ago, highlighted by a Mountain Jam performance with host Warren Haynes.

The record is being produced by Mark Batson (Dave Matthews Band, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Gwen Stefani) and Drew & Shannon (The Temptations, India.Arie, Johnny Lang, Marc Broussard), as well as top gospel producer/songwriter Tommy Sims (Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton).

Currently on tour with the Black Crowes and Drive-By Truckers, Randolph & The Family Band will join their friends in the Dave Matthews Band for a series of August dates out west. Once Colorblind drops, look for Randolph to headline a series of shows in support of the new album.

Labels: Eric Clapton, Robert Randolph, The Family Band

One of the hottest tickets of the 2006 outdoor concert season will surely be this summer's Black Crowes tour. The Crowes can generate enough excitement on their own, but they will kick it up a notch of Emeril-like proportions by bringing along pedal steel guitar wizard Robert Randolph & The Family Band and the alt-country superband Drive-By Truckers. While the Crowes will be continuing their seemingly neverending tour, (although they do have a new DVD, Freak 'N' Roll . . . Into The Fog), the Truckers will be out in support of their new album A Blessing And A Curse. At this time it's unclear whether Randolph's new album, currently in the final stages, will be out by the summer as no release date has been announced.

The recently announced tour kicks off in Seattle on June 10th and winds its way east.

Labels: Robert Randolph, The Family Band

By David Schultz

The Dave Matthews Band has worked hard to cultivate a reputation that they are a band who cares about their fans. Unsurprisingly, the DMB used their popularity to turn the New York leg of their summer tour into a weekend festival that would present established acts like the Barenaked Ladies and the Black Eyed Peas and give exposure to wonderful new burgeoning superstars like Ray Lamontagne and Robert Randolph & The Family Band. While the DMB should be commended for putting together a terrific slate of performers, their choice of venue was horrific. On this last weekend in July, the Dave Matthews Band showed not love and respect for their fans but rather complete and utter disdain for their audience’s concert-going experience.

DMB billed their weekend shows at New York City’s Randall's Island, an inconvenient and relatively inaccessible venue, as an Island Getaway. Although they created a viable festival atmosphere, complete with a wide variety of food and beverages, the resemblance to any proper lawn concert ended there. Notably, there was no lawn! Concert-goers with general admission lawn seats, who were forbidden from bringing beach chairs and the like, were offered a large expanse of dirt for their blankets. Within moments of claiming a patch of dusty earth, each blanket and its occupants were immediately covered with the dirt kicked up by the breeze or tramped onto them by other people ambling through the grounds. Those who seated themselves to the rear of the lawn were forced to watch the bands through a Pig-Pen like quarter mile dust cloud that defiantly hovered over the crowd. This weekend's badge of courage is surely a hacking case of "brown-lung."

Inversely proportional to the excessive number of food and drink vendors were the number of garbage cans. Those that did exist quickly overflowed and were rendered useless by 3:00 in the afternoon. Rather than create garbage mounds in the vicinity of the cans, fans simply dropped their refuse at their feet. If your ideal concert experience involves sitting and standing amongst garbage, this weekend was made just for you.

For the right to sit in dirt and garbage to catch the faintest sight of the bands onstage, Dave Matthews charged his beloved and adored fans $54.50 apiece - with an additional $9.60 if you purchased them through Ticketmaster. Anyone who still believes that Dave Matthews and his band love their New York fans deserves a punch in their nose, a kick in the stomach and the most egregious of atomic wedgies.

The Dave Matthews Band does attract a mighty crowd, and deservedly so. I am sure the majority of the thousands of fans that were drawn to the shows mistakenly imagine themselves as children of the Deadheads. With exceptions, this scene falls far short of embodying the camaraderie and compassion of the Dead crowds. A Dave Matthews fan will just as soon stomp you into the ground as share his joint with you. Scratch that, DMB fans don’t share their weed with anyone. The Daveheads are also well equipped and proficient with their cell phones. While useful for finding your friends if you get separated, the mobiles have led to a disconcerting proliferation of phone calls to friends to tell them what they’re missing at the show.

Given all the venue’s annoyances, and there were many, the music was well worth it. Each night's concert was apropos to the weather. Saturday was hot and humid so DMB kept the music upbeat, giving the crowd a reason to sweat with Matthews and violinist Boyd Tinsley cranking up classics like Tripping Billies and Warehouse. Sunday night was cooler with a nice breeze and Leroi Moore's sax solos were the centerpiece of a laid back and relaxed show that featured a beautiful rendition of Under The Table And Dreaming’s #34.

Ever the gracious hosts, DMB invited Robert Randolph onstage to close out both shows. Imbuing the band with what seems to be an endless reserve of enthusiasm, he was the center of gravity for Tinsley and Matthews during Saturday's blistering version of Stand Up's Louisiana Bayou. The next night, Randolph emerged for the news album's titular Stand Up and remained on stage for the band's warhorse cover of All Along The Watchtower. After Matthew's dreary intro, Randolph was handed the entire song and nearly set his pedal steel on fire with his scorching solo. Randolph was not the only guest in the house. Phish's Trey Anastasio appeared onstage on Saturday and helped give Jimi Thing an exciting 20 minute workout that included an extended intro incorporating Buffalo Springfield's For What It's Worth. Putting on airs for the important guest, every member of the band amped up their game with Trey on stage.

The arrangements of most DMB songs are not simple and Carter Beauford does an amazing and usually underappreciated job of anchoring the band. Over the course of the weekend, each band member was given time to shine. Tinsley, shredding strings, literally and figuratively took center stage during Dancing Nancies. Sunday's encore of Seek Up featured bassist Stefan Lessard and Leroi Moore, who soloed often throughout the night.

The only change in the weekend's lineup was the penultimate act in which the Barenaked Ladies narrowly edged the Black Eyed Peas in the battle to shameless suck up to Dave Matthews. With every rap, the Ladies and the Peas worked in references to the headliner. Unsurprisingly, the Barenaked Ladies crafted the more entertaining and witty freestyle references, with Ed Robertson winning significant brownnosing points for incorporating and plugging Matthews' appearance in Because of Winn-Dixie.

Outside of currying favor, the Saturday concert was greatly improved by the Ladies' presence. Aware that they had a stadium to entertain, BNL made sure to mix their well-known songs like One Week, complete with Chicken Dance, and the always popular lottery promoting If I Had $1,000,000 with the idiosyncratic Pinch Me and the weepy ballad Break Your Heart. They also got huge bonus points by acknowledging the back of the crowd.

The Peas appearance at this show, as well as others on the upcoming tour, is a troubling proposition. Your thoughts on whether the Black Eyed Peas belong on the same bill as Dave Matthews depends upon your thoughts of where DMB sits on the musical landscape. If you think of them as an offshoot of the jamband scene, then the Peas are sorely out of place; but, if you think of them as a Top 40 radio darling, then the Peas are right at home.

It is the Peas' Top 40 leanings that fail them in an expansive setting. The Peas are essentially four average singers and none of them have a strong voice like Mariah Carey or the charisma of Bruce Springsteen to keep the interest of a stadium audience. To put a band behind them that could keep the interest of the back rows would be to upstage the stars of this act and obviously there is no chance of that occurring. The Peas tried to play reggae, 70's funk, blues and surf rock, succeeding only in presenting a generic, homogenized version of music ill-suited to the band's strengths.

While not inspiring the audience to wonder whatever happened to the Fugees, the Peas offered an overly simplistic but well intentioned rationalization that our gathering together to listen to music was an effective way to battle the evils of terrorism. They then immediately implored us all to "get retarded." Quite possibly, they wanted company.

Ray Lamontagne, looking very shaggy and a bit uncomfortable in the midday sun, was the star of the side stage. Lamontagne's warm and intimate songs, which are better suited to a candlelit late night listen with a friendly companion, were not especially suited to the brightly lit open-air venue. However, there is no denying the power and emotion of Lamontagne's wonderful, emotional Van Morrison-esque songs.

Every bit the musician that he is not a performer, Lamontagne opened both sets with his yearning heartfelt ballad Burn. Plagued by an apathetic audience and apparent sound problems on Saturday, Lamontagne unnecessarily apologized to the audience, feeling he was having a bad day and that he shouldn't be up there. With a more appreciative audience on Sunday, Lamontagne played a longer set, closing with Danielle, a new song which held its own with any other rocker played that day.

After Lamontagne closed the side stage, Jem and Mike Doughty performing earlier, the focus moved to the grand main stage and Robert Randolph & The Family Band. Randolph's set has evolved but not changed much over the past 18 months. Although they clearly know what gets the crowd on their feet, Randolph & the Band run the risk of becoming a cliché by overusing the stage tricks that are currently endearing them to fans everywhere.

On this weekend, Randolph shuffled the set list but retained the core elements that have become trademarks of his shows. Drummer Marcus Randolph and bassist Danyel Morgan seemed to relish the opportunity to dive into the rhythm sections of the now obligatory Michael Jackson cover. In a sly nod to the "Hendrix of the pedal steel guitar" raves, Robert Randolph always makes sure to include a scorching rendition of Voodoo Chile or Purple Haze. Saturday's performance closed with Unclassified's Nobody, during which Randolph and his cousins took turns playing each other's instruments. Just to show that they truly could switch off at will, they did it again on Sunday during the gospel inspired I Don’t Know What You Come To Do.

It is a shame that the weekend's concerts were marred by the abysmal conditions of the venue because the music, for the most part was fantastic. It is an even worse shame that most of Matthews' fans consider these conditions acceptable and felt no compunction about spending a ten-hour day in a scene straight out of The Grapes Of Wrath. If his fans will sit through this, you can expect the New York leg of the 2006 Dave Matthews Band tour to take place in a Staten Island landfill.

Labels: Dave Matthews Band, Ray LaMontagne, Robert Randolph, The Family Band, Trey Anastasio

by David Schultz

In sitting down to compile this list, I had to first figure out what exactly constitutes an underrated album. It doesn't seem like it would simply be a great record that didn't sell well. In that case, the Velvet Underground's entire catalogue would be considered underrated but given the near unanimous critical approval those albums receive, they can't truly be considered underrated. Conversely, it also doesn't seem that it would be a poorly reviewed record that sold millions. I don't think under any set of criteria the Titanic soundtrack or any Spice Girls album could or should be called underrated. After much thought, the definition became simple: an underrated album is a record that discerning musical fans should have in their collection but for some reason the majority of them don’t.

So, in no particular order, here are the 20 most underrated albums:

George Harrison: All Things Must Pass (1970)

In the aftermath of the Beatles, John Lennon had classic albums like Imagine and Plastic Ono Band, Paul McCartney had Wings and Band On The Run and Ringo had . . . well, Ringo had Barbara Bach. The silent Beatle's solo career, like his stint in the most famously analyzed and studied of bands, was dwarfed by the attention paid to Lennon & McCartney. However, that is not to say that George does not deserve mention with his more acclaimed band mates. Harrison's first true solo effort is unquestionably his most triumphant. The three album set showcases the musical chops that weren't able to fully flourish with the Beatles. The record's success comes from its combination of White Album era songs like All Things Must Pass, fresher material like What Is Life and Wah Wah, Dylan covers and collaborations like I'd Have You Anytime and If Not For You and My Sweet Lord's inadvertently borrowed melody. It is the third album of the set though that is the icing on this cake. Foreshadowing the jamband scene by a good decade or two, the album's finale consists of George and the band, which consisted of Eric Clapton and Dave Mason on guitar, Billy Preston and Bobby Whitlock on keyboards and Ringo on drums, working out puzzlingly named extended grooves like I Remember Jeep and Thanks For The Pepperoni. An underrated album by the most underrated Beatle.

Pete Townshend: White City – A Novel (1985)

If this was a Who album instead of a Townshend solo album, it would rest comfortably with the classic rock mainstays of anyone's collection. Like most conscientious rockers in the late eighties, Townshend was against Apartheid and chose to combat it as only he could -- with his sarcastic wit and killer guitar licks. Using the structure that worked so brilliantly on Quadrophenia and Tommy, Townshend tells yet another story of alienation and oppression, this time set in a segregated county that is a thinly veiled South Africa. Townshend's voice is a perfect fit for the restrained fury of White City Fighting and Brilliant Blues. However, it lacks the power necessary to push other tracks like Give Blood and Secondhand Love into the pantheon of true arena rockers. Fortunately, Townshend knows that people aren't buying his albums to hear him sing and the album is peppered with his signature guitar. True Townshend junkies will not be disappointed with the album's last track Come To Mama. An added bonus: since the mid-eighties was a fertile period for rap, Pete unabashedly gives it a shot on Face The Face. White City pulls of the difficult task of possessing a sense of importance without becoming pretentious and it is without doubt, the most complete album of Townshend's solo career.

SideBar: The Most Underrated Concept Albums: There is always a bit of a stigma attached to the concept album. Oftentimes, it is not undeserved. Usually, the artist has come up with some idea that he feels is so important and so monumental that one song will not do the idea justice, hence the concept must be spread throughout the entire album. In this attempt, the limitations of the artist as a songwriter and/or musician are laid bare for all to see. As Styx taught us with Kilroy Was Here, there is nothing funnier or more embarrassing than an earnestly put forth concept album that defies logic and reason. Fortunately, Green Day's American Idiot revived interest in the concept album by conjuring up images of Quadrophenia and demonstrating that a wonderful work of art can be created when the concept is carried out successfully.

The top 5 underrated concept albums (again in no particular order: 1) The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway – Genesis (1974); 2) Joe's Garage – Frank Zappa (1979); 3) Southern Rock Opera – Drive By Truckers (2001); 4) White City – Pete Townshend; 5) Jethro Tull – A Passion Play.

Big Head Todd & The Monsters: Midnight Radio (1990)

Big Head Todd's true debut album should have made them superstars. With half of the tracks recorded live on stage and the other half recorded in basements and living rooms throughout their hometown of Boulder, Colorado, the band successfully channeled their laid back sound, which is reminiscent of John Hiatt at his finest, into their most intimate record. The resulting album is the perfect soundtrack for a late night summer drive on a wide open road with the convertible top down. The first 2/3 of the album presents the band in their finest element, rolling through amiable, jangling tunes like City On Fire, The Leaving Song and Dinner With Ivan. In subtle contrast, the album closes with a trio of achingly contemplative songs, Monument In Green, Ann Arbor Grandfather and Elvis, that showcase Todd Park Mohr's ability to captivate an audience with simply a guitar and naked emotion. The standout track on the album is undoubtedly Bittersweet. Even 15 years later, the intro to this song will make a live crowd explode and the brilliantly restrained guitar solo Mohr unleashes near the close of the song is quite possibly one of the more underrated solos in rock. Where some bands follow their astounding debut album into oblivion, this album shows why Big Head Todd is still recording and touring 15 years later.

Goo Goo Dolls: Hold Me Up (1991)

Before the Goo Goo Dolls began one of the most horrific descents into mediocrity and morphed into the sappy lite-rock charade of a rock band they are today, they were one of the best garage bands on the planet. I kid you not. Though it may be hard to believe now, this trio from Buffalo, New York used to be favorably compared to the Replacements. Spin magazine paid this album the highest compliment it could think of when it called Hold Me Up the album for the pathetic loser in all of us. Quite frankly, there is no better album to get you through an ugly break-up than this one. The album consists of mostly of three minute songs with Johnny Rzeznik's thrashing guitar dominating throughout. Knowing that the Goo Goo Dolls were capable of "fuck you" lyrics like Two Days In February's "I know you're living way out west/don't get me wrong I'm not impressed/ with you/ no more," three chord sonic assaults for the defeated like Laughing, There You Are and Just The Way You Are (absolutely no relation to the Billy Joel song) and kick-ass covers of the Plimsouls Million Miles Away and Prince's Never Take The Place Of Your Man, makes their MTV friendly, mopey soft rock like Isis and Name that much more maddening. Given what they became, Hold Me Up may go down as the most underrated album ever.

Stone Roses: Stone Roses (1989)

This was the album that brought the Manchester sound to the forefront of musical culture. Although bands like The Soup Dragons, Jesus Jones and Inspiral Carpets tried, none got it better than the Stone Roses. Starting with a fundamental base of psychedelia, the Roses mixed it with danceable funk (Fools Gold), cascading guitar riffs (Waterfall) or flat out U2 like pomposity (I Am The Resurrection). Immediately following Waterfall, the band reverses the audio track and creates a new song, Don’t Stop, over the reversed loop. The album also possesses a wicked sense of humor, calm soothing melodies come complete with some of the most frightening and threatening of lyrics. On Shoot You Down, Ian Brown, with the emotional range of a serial killer, gleefully describes that he'd "love to do it and you know you always had it coming." One of the album's highlights, an adaptation of Simon & Carbuncle’s Scarborough Fair that transforms the innocent ditty into an ominous ode to assassinating Queen Elizabeth. Oh yes, they could also play it straight (I Want to Be Adored). Sadly, this album is the only worthy testament to the greatness of The Stone Roses. Shortly after its release, the band became involved in numerous lawsuits that frustrated the release of their follow-up album for close to 5 years. By the time the pompously named Second Coming was released, the magic was gone. Indicative of the group’s importance, without the Roses at the forefront, the Manchester movement withered and died. Unlike the albums of their Manchester brethren, the Roses debut album holds up years later and deserves proper recognition.

Richard Thompson: Rumor and Sigh (1991)

Richard Thompson is one of those musicians that have been around forever and you've probably heard his name mentioned once or twice before but can never seem to recall why you recognize the name. Thompson was a founding member of the Fairport Convention and left the band with his wife Linda in 1971. Richard & Linda Thompson recorded a pair of wonderful albums, Shoot Out The Lights and I Want To See Bright Lights Tonight, which would be on this list but for the fact that the two albums are critical darlings. Without the angst and turmoil provided by his ex-wife, Thompson's solo career never skyrocketed. However, the karmic forces aligned when he recorded Rumor & Sigh. His songwriting, always sharp, is at its best here. There is swagger on Feel So Good, British charm on God Loves A Drunk and wizened confusion on Grey Walls and Read About Love. The album's masterpiece is the bizarrely romantic love story of James and Red Molly that centers on a 1952 Vincent Black Lightning. I defy anyone to listen to Thompson’s delivery of James' final words to Molly and not feel a chill down their spine as he gives her one last kiss and dies, but gives her his Vincent to ride.

Traveling Wilburys: Volume 1 (1988)

In 1988, George Harrison started work on a new album with producer Jeff Lynne in Bob Dylan's garage. Over the course of the recording sessions, neighbors Tom Petty and Roy Orbison drifted over and common interests being what they were, they all started recording together. Adopting pseudonyms and declaring themselves all Wilbury brothers, they recorded an album that brought out the best in all of them. The Wilbury songs expressed fragility (Handle With Care), reflection (End Of The Line) and a sense of humor (the Springsteen "homage" Tweeter & The Monkey Man). The alter-egos seemed to give the Wilburys, especially Dylan, the freedom to relax and the songs possess a freewheeling sense of fun often missing in their "real-life" recordings. The spontaneous feeling prevails throughout the album, which is also notable for being one of Roy Orbison's last recordings before his death. Given the star power here, it is amazing that the Wilburys aren't a staple of what's left of classic rock radio.

SideBar: The Most Underrated Benefit Show: Farm Aid 1985. At some point during his unintelligible set closing the Live Aid show in Philadelphia, Bob Dylan told the crowd that he thought it would be nice if we gave a million dollars or two to the American farmers to help pay off the mortgages on their farms. As might have been expected, this pissed off Bob Geldof to no extent. However, it caused John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson and Neil Young to coordinate Farm Aid, the first major follow-up to Live Aid. Taking place on September 22, 1985 in Champaign, Illinois, without heavy promotion and without even a major TV deal, (the fledgling Nashville Network had no penetration back then), Farm Aid boasted a pretty serious line-up. In addition to the founding musicians, Billy Joel, Tom Petty and Lou Reed appeared as did the major country musicians of the time including Alabama, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and the Charlie Daniels Band. Of course, Bob Dylan lent a hand and more satisfyingly played a relatively coherent set. Don Henley, who was huge at the time following the release of Building The Perfect Beast, closed the show with a set that eschewed Eagle classics and featured The Boys of Summer and Sunset Grill. Most noteworthy from the show was Van Halen's first public performance with new lead singer Sammy Hagar. Unfortunately, the conclusion of their set was only seen and heard by the live crowd as radio and TV abruptly cut away when Hagar uttered a curse word from the stage. Hagar did however, leave both breasts covered.

Allman Brothers Band: Back Where It All Begins (1994)

After a seven year hiatus, the ABB reformed in 1989 with Warren Haynes and Allan Woody joining Gregg Allman, Dicky Betts and the rest. Back Where It All Begins is the last studio album of this version of the band as Haynes and Woody left soon thereafter to devote their time to their side project, Gov't Mule. Without doubt, this album ranks with the strongest of post-Duane, ABB studio albums. Most notably, the album contains the first appearance of the Warren Haynes classic Soulshine, which if recorded in a different era would be one of the rock classics of all time. Gregg Allman invests it with the withered soul that illustrates the magic that occurs when a song and singer are perfectly matched. There are also the instrumental heavy Southern rock jams that the Allmans are known for. The title track and Sailing Across The Devil's Sea are not only highlights of the album but mark the high point of the Allman Brothers version 2.0. Given that the Allmans back catalog is filled with some extraordinarily groundbreaking recordings, Back Where It All Begins, coming as it did in the nineties, is unfairly overlooked

Robert Randolph & The Family Band: Live at the Wetlands (2002)

This album has the potential to come off this list at some point in time as Randolph has the potential to be one of the saviors of rock and roll. Not only does this record capture one of the final performances at the Wetlands, the jamband Mecca of New York City, it also captures one of the most exciting musicians of the 21st century in the relatively fledgling stages of his development. Robert Randolph has been accurately described as the Jimi Hendrix of the pedal steel guitar and this Live at the Wetlands is proof that the comparison is far from gratuitous. Wetlands features long extended jams that give the band, especially Randolph, the opportunity to show off their chops. Ted's Jam breathlessly kick starts the album, building up to crescendos usually found in a band's encore rather than their opener. The band's gospel origins are evident in the soulful Pressing My Way and the rollicking Tears Of Joy, but they come front and center on the penultimate I Don't Know What You Come To Do. With a chorus right out of revival meeting, Randolph with the persuasion of Baptist minister, declares that that he's come to clap his hands and stomp his feet and the crowd is right there with him. This album, capturing Randolph in his infancy, could be his Beatles in Hamburg – so it may not be underrated for long.

Ted Hawkins: The Next Hundred Years (1994)

Ted Hawkins spent the majority of his life as an obscure but talented singer and guitar player. Although he had a bit of a break in the late 60's, his career evaporated in a haze of heroin and multiple stints in jail. By the early 90's, Hawkins had become one of the many street musicians that populate Venice Beach, California. Remarkably, Hawkins became one of the most popular buskers with people coming from miles around and waiting hours to hear him play. Michael Penn (a/k/a Mr. Aimee Mann) was one of those people and in 1993 he persuaded executives from Geffen Records to get Hawkins off the street and into the studio. Hawkins finally relented and the resulting album, The Next Hundred Years, is astounding. Primarily accompanying himself on guitar, Hawkins invests original songs like The Good And The Bad and Big Things and covers of There Stands The Glass and Biloxi with an aged and knowing voice. With the exception of some strings added post production, this album is purely Hawkins and his guitar – and it is absolutely fantastic. Upon its release in late 1994, the album received extraordinary reviews but relatively little airplay. With his guitar in tow, Hawkins went around the country doing radio interviews and studio performances, mainly on free form radio and miraculously, the album slowly started to sell. Tragically, within weeks of the albums release, Hawkins died and he never got to enjoy the well deserved adulation he received for his wonderful album.

Dread Zeppelin: Un - Led - Ed (1990)

As the name would imply, Dread Zeppelin was a band that played nothing but reggae versions of Led Zeppelin songs. Interesting concept, eh? Oh yes, their lead singer was an Elvis impersonator named Tortelvis. Long before studio technicians were mashing up songs, Dread Zeppelin was mashing up genres in an acid fueled blender with tongue firmly in musical cheek. However, the joke carries through the entire album – and carries well. In the past decade there have been reggae homages to Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead, but none show the same reverence for their subject as Dread Zeppelin. From the introductory Black Dog, which includes a nice segue into Hound Dog, through a version of Your Time Is Gonna Come that stands comparison to the original to the closing drum beat of Moby Dick, the album stands on its own as a "reggae" classic and not as a one-off joke. Given the bizarre concept, Un-Led-Ed is an easy album to overlook and underrate.

Jimmy Cliff: The Harder They Come (1973)

Reggae 101 involves the purchase of Bob Marley's Legend, listening too it numerous times, getting a brightly colored Marley T-shirt and then declaring that Jah Love, you are a fan of reggae. The upper level course in reggae involves the soundtrack to The Harder They Come. Although the lions share of acclaim for reggae's widespread success rightly goes to Marley, it is Jimmy's The Harder They Come that first brought reggae music to the forefront of the collective musical consciousness. The 1972 film, which is reggae's Citizen Kane, was primarily responsible for introducing reggae to the U.S. and tilled the soil for the release of Marley's debut album, Catch A Fire. In addition to The Harder They Come, the soundtrack has other classics like Many Rivers To Cross and Sitting In Limbo. The album contains Toots & The Maytals brilliant renditions of Pressure Drop and Sweet & Dandy as well as Desmond Dekker's take on Shanty Town. Even though the Rivers Of Babylon in this collection isn't sung by Cliff, the Melodians do it justice. Sadly, there seems to be room for only one legend leaving Jimmy Cliff to remain reggae's unsung hero.

Pink Floyd: Meddle & Animals (1971/1977)

Meddle and Animals get grouped together in one selection as they are the most underrated albums of a group whose ubiquitous catalog can be found in just about everyone's CD collection. Pink Floyd are played on classic rock radio with the same frequency as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and The Who. However, if your only exposure to Floyd came from the radio, you wouldn't be faulted if you thought Pink Floyd's entire career consisted of Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall. With Meddle, the band introduced the trippy aural psychedelic sound that would soon become the band's trademark. The songs vary considerably: menacing guitars on One Of These Days, airy flowing riffs on Fearless and San Tropez and standard blues on Seamus, an ode to an old hound. Foreshadowing Dark Side by at least two years, the album closes with the 18 minute-plus opus Echoes that ranks with the greatest Floyd has to offer. In 1977, two years after Wish You Were Here, Floyd's returned to the realm of long extended tracks with Animals. The band's paeans to Dogs, Pigs and Sheep marked Floyd's last true trip to the psychedelic realm they are renowned for. Are these albums truly underrated? Well, the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll omits discussion of Meddle and unfairly relegates Animal's significance to the inclusion of inflatable pigs in their stage show.

Tin Machine: Tin Machine (1989)

This is the one album that would be impossible to overrate. It didn't sell well and was reviled by practically every music critic. Critics hated his album – not just disliked it, but hated it – like it kidnapped their mother or killed their dog – or both. For those who don't remember, in 1989 David Bowie renounced his solo career and formed a band with guitarist Reeves Gabriel and Soupy Sales' two kids. The eponymously titled album that followed was a dark, gloomy and downbeat affair. After releasing a handful of chirpy and insubstantial records in the 80's, (Let's Dance, Blue Jean) the heavy guitars was a drastic change for Bowie. Bowie fans should always be prepared to expect the unexpected from the thin white Duke, but no one seemed willing to accept Bowie as part of a band, especially this band. But here's the thing, looking back on this album, the simple fact is it wasn't that bad - in fact, I will stand alone on the island and proclaim that it was actually pretty damn good. In the 70's Bowie had an edge to him that vanished sometime in the 80's. Save for a misguided cover of Lennon's Working Class Hero, which was a grand idea but somewhat failed in its execution, this album gave Bowie the roughest non-glam edge he'd had in his career. Underappreciated in its time, it deserves a better legacy.

Sting: Dream of the Blue Turtles (1985)

This album is the actual point where Sting moves from post-punk god to adult contemporary mainstay. Disconcertingly, he did it with style. Moving 180 degrees from the Police, Sting did so in daring fashion by gathering a band of accomplished jazz musicians that included keyboardist Kenny Kirkland, drummer Omar Hakim and saxophonist Branford Marsalis, long before Jay Leno "discovered" him. The songs on Blue Turtles are a bit heavier than the breezier fluff Sting has churned out over the past 20 years but they work and are eminently listenable due to the expert musicianship involved. Plus, you can't hate a song like Shadows In The Rain that starts with a howling "Woke up in my clothes again this morning/Don't know exactly where I've been." It is easy to diminish Sting's solo legacy as the car commercial fodder but his first foray into jazz fusion worked extraordinarily well. Good trivia note here as well, Eddy Grant, of Electric Avenue fame, contributes conga drums to Consider Me Gone.

Van Morrison: A Night In San Francisco (1994)

A night at a Van Morrison show nowadays is a risky proposition. For usually $70-$80, Van will make you show up early, cut off beer service when he takes the stage and most nights, play for just over an hour. Even worse, he will consciously omit any of his hits and force the audience to sit through plodding versions of sub-par recent compositions or covers from the 30s. However, that wasn't always the case. A Night In San Francisco captures everything that is great about Van Morrison. Without being a "play the hits" show (for that listen to It's Too Late To Stop Now), Van shows why he is "the Man." With a band that is likely more at home than a jazz club than an arena hall, Morrison rolls through a couple of his classics but also ventures into the slipstream with long extended versions of songs that move from James Brown and Sly & The Family Stone soul classics through blues staples like Stormy Monday and Good Morning Little Schoolgirl and even includes a hip rendition of My Funny Valentine. Without question, this is the best Van Morrison album in the past 25 years.

The Kinks: One For The Road (1980)

If this list was created in the mid-eighties, there is no way this album would be included as it was the biggest live album of that time. Well, with the exception of Frampton Comes Alive. Capturing the Kinks in the heyday of their live performances, it is the rare live album that provides the hits along with other lesser known favorites without ever hitting a down note. In between definitive and iconic versions of Lola and Celluloid Heroes there are raucous readings of Low Budget, Superman and National Health. Even more amazing, Ray and Dave Davies get through the entire album without once attempting to physically assault each other. The Kinks are often overlooked in any discussion of the British Invasion, which is a shame. Although the CD version is an edited version, it is still a worthy reminder of why the Kinks were the Prince of the Punks.

Elton John: 11-17-70 (1971)

It may be hard to believe nowadays, but Elton John was once the biggest rock and roll star in the world and at the time it was well deserved. This album, which shows why Elton deserved such status, comes from a November 17, 1970 concert that took place at a recording studio in New York and was broadcast live on WABC-FM. Although released after Tumbleweed Connection, it was recorded beforehand and contains rough but amazing versions of Burn Down The Mission and Amoreena. From the moment, he bangs out the intro to Bad Side Of The Moon to start the show, it is evident this is not your parents' Elton John. As an added treat, Elton breezes through a honky-tonk rendition of the Stone's Honky Tonk Woman and manages to slide in and out of the Beatles' Get Back. This is an Elton John that most don't remember existed, stripped of the flamboyant costumes and snarky anti-paparazzi behavior, Elton was truly one of the great rock pianists of all time.

Blues Brothers: Briefcase Full of Blues (1978)

If you want to know what keeps this album out of the comedy discount bin, just check out the picture of the band that comes with the album. When Dan Akyroyd and John Belushi created their labor of love to blues and soul music, they gathered musicians that would lend credibility to the effort. In Steve Cropper, Duck Dunn, Matt Murphy. Lou Marini, Bones Malone you have some of the musicians that created the Stax/Volt sound that defined the music the Blues Brothers revered. Recorded live before a surprised audience who came to see Steve Martin at the Universal Ampitheater, the album succeeds because Akyroyd and Belushi were serious about this effort, willing to walk off of Saturday Night Live when the two projects conflicted. Letting the music take the forefront, Briefcase Full of Blues revived interest in classics like Soul Man, B Movie Boxcar Blues and Hey Bartender. Even though Belushi delved deep into the Jake Blues persona, his comedic timing couldn't be contained on I Don't Know, a hidden classic from this album. The movie with soundtrack that came afterwards are worthy ventures in their own rights but never would have occurred if this album was not rock solid. John Belushi and Dan Akyroyd will long be remembered for their comedic roles, but this album should not be overlooked as part of their rich legacy.

Body Count: Body Count (1992)

This album never had a chance. With in weeks of its release, the controversy over its last track, Cop Killer, overshadowed any honest rational consideration of its musical merits. The album didn't charter any new musical territory, that accolade goes to Living Colour, but it did blend rap with heavy metal long before Kid Rock discovered the recipe. Plus, Body Count did it with a harder grittier edge. Originating as a side project, Ice-T rapping in front of a heavy metal band was something new and unique. Before the controversy broke, Body Count had been touring the country as part of the original Lollapalooza to some acclaim. There Goes The Neighborhood and Body Count – it was a song, the band, the album – created funky metal right about the same time Rage Against The Machine was ready to break. References to police shootings aside, the album possesses a sense of humor with its sly take on black culture working its way into white America's as well as Ice-T's touching ode to his Evil Dick.

If this list causes any of you to go out and purchase, download or acquire in any manner whatsoever even one of the albums listed above and you enjoy it, then I can only inappropriately quote Bob Geldof when I say "don't tell me this doesn't work, don't let anybody tell you this doesn't work."

Labels: Allman Brothers Band, Big Head Todd and The Monsters, Body Count, Dread Zeppelin, Elton John, George Harrison, Goo Goo Dolls, Jimmy Cliff, Pete Townshend, Pink Floyd, Richard Thompson, Robert Randolph, Sting, Stone Roses, Ted Hawkins, The Blues Brothers, The Family Band, The Kinks, Tin Machine, Traveling Wilburys, Van Morrison