Something So Strong

Hot licks for a cold night: JD McPherson and band rocking the Ale House,
Troy, NY, March 3, 2014. Photo by Jeremy Clowe.

March is in like a lion! Last night JD McPherson was back in town, for a return engagement at Troy's Ale House (where they first played last July). Once again, we had a blast listening to his classic rhythm and blues sound in this charming, intimate venue (awesome chicken wings), and enjoyed chatting with the band afterwards.

I was particularly interested to find out from the pub's staff that McPherson's drummer, Jason Smay, is originally from my hometown of Rochester, New York. It turns out that Smay used to play with one of my favorite bands from the area, The Frantic Flattops, and I can see how jamming with those rockabilly greats would serve him well in his current gig (amazing how he can simultaneously shake a maraca and pound the drum skins, while keeping perfect rhythm). 

The band was on their way to Rochester from Troy, and this afternoon I was able to hear a live streaming of an interview McPherson gave to WBER, the station where I used to DJ in the mid-90s. Hopefully JD and the boys will be back in the area soon—I wouldn't mind a chance to interview the band myself (signed, sealed, signified).

Speaking of interviews, I just posted an uncut version of an interview I conducted with Neil Finn, one of my long-time musical heroes. I have been a fan of this beloved New Zealand singer/songwriter since I first heard his band, Crowded House back in the mid-80s. Coincidentally, this morning my alarm went off to the sounds of their hit, "Something So Strong" playing on the radio— not a bad way to start the day.

My video interview was conducted at Wilco's Solid Sound Festival, held at Mass MoCA, where Finn had performed with his side project, The Pajama Club back in June 2011. An honor to interview Finn, I enjoyed learning more about his new band and musical family, which includes sons Liam and Elwood, who are embarking on successful music careers of their own (I have some nice footage of Liam playing in the museum galleries during the festival—I hope to share soon).

This past month, Neil Finn has continued his creative journey with the release of his third solo album, Dizzy Heights. Our local station WEXT has been playing the album's first single, "Flying In The Face of Love," and it's sounding good... as always. 

Inspiring to hear artists keeping it real... and strong... after all these years.

Related Links:

http://neilfinn.com

www.pajamaclubmusic.com

www.jdmcpherson.com

"JD McPherson: Giving The Drummer His Due," Rochester City Newspaper, July 3, 2013

Sound of Sunshine

Wow. What a great week this has been for music. 

Take me out! Franz Ferdinand, live on Letterman. Photo by Jeremy Clowe. 
All rights reserved.

Thanks to all who tuned into our radio show this past Monday. Sarah and I were heading back from the Franz Ferdinand concert in New York City that evening, and were able to catch the live streaming of the show off our phone. I really think Sarah sounded great, and I enjoyed our banter and song selections. For those who missed it, WEXT will rebroadcast our My Exit show this Saturday, July 27, 8 a.m. ET. 

Franz Ferdinand shining light on the dark of the
matinee. Photo by Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Franz Ferdinand was fantastic. We queued up outside of the Ed Sullivan Theater an hour or so before showtime, and caught a glimpse of Paul Shaffer as he left the building following that evening's taping of The Late Show (no sign of Dave Letterman though). It really was interesting being inside of the historic theater, seeing the stage set in-person and realizing how small the venue actually is (I kept thinking that this was where the Beatles made their U.S. debut!) Franz Ferdinand ran through a rocking, energetic set... seriously, I was completely in my element, dancing in the aisles to the band's infectious blend of angular, artsy, indie rock. FF have been consistent songwriters over the years, and I loved hearing many favorites (especially The Dark of the Matinee!). Their new stuff sounds solid as well. 

After the show, which was streamed live on the Letterman website, we were able to meet the Scottish rockers... a real treat! The following day we relived the concert by watching the webcast, still dumbfounded by how small the studio is. You can catch the show here and, if you're look close enough, see me raise my arm in triumphant indie rocker glory.

JC with Alex Kapranos, lead singer of Franz Ferdinand.
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Last night we kept the live music theme going by checking out roots rocker JD McPherson  at The Ale House, a very small pub in nearby Troy, New York. I only found out last week about this last-minute show, and I was elated! I have been waiting for McPherson to play in the area... hell... even the East Coast, since I first heard his music a year ago (his album Signs & Signifiers was high on my list of favorite albums for 2012). 

JD McPherson and band rocking out The Ale House, Troy, NY,
July 2013. Photo by Jeremy Clowe. ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

This show really was intimate... it felt like we were in the band's living room! The brick and mortar design of the pub lent a real throwback atmosphere to the gig. Rockabilly at its finest, and McPherson did not disappoint! I mentioned before how, as a performer myself, I am a little intimidated by his vocals... he brings such raw energy and conviction. Real soul. The music has a similar quality... in fact, we met the band after the gig and spoke with them at good length about how they deliberately sought out vintage equipment and recording methods (analogue vs. digital) to get the right groove for their first album. It was a truly memorable evening... a raw, feel-good vibe... the crowd loved the band, and they seemed to feed off of that energy. Sarah said she had a smile on her face the entire evening, and for me it was just a dream to see them in such a venue... Before last week, I had been tempted to drive out again to the Newport Folk Festival, where they are playing this Friday, but they finally came to our backyard. A special evening... I hope they will return soon.

Mr. and Mrs. C with JD. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

This weekend we are heading back to my hometown to visit friends and family. Really looking forward to getting away... with music blaring from the car radio, of course.

Related Links:

Exit 97.7 WEXT (listen live)

www.franzferdinand.com

www.jdmcpherson.com

Live on Letterman

Soundtrack of the Year

Hmmph... we discovered a bit of a surprise upon arriving at The Lumineers' free show at the Upstate Concert Hall last night...around 2000 other people thought it was a good idea to check out as well! The line weaved it's way through the parking lot of this modest strip mall (don't ask), and unfortunately we were on the side of "over-capacity" to even think about entering the small club. Too bad. I noticed on the band's Facebook that they had tried to play a few songs outside to make it up to the rest of us, but the cops had other ideas. We decided to head back to Schenectady with one of my fellow improv mates for drinks at the Bier Abbey, so it ended up being a good night after all.

I'm sure we'll catch the band some other time. I love their new album... in fact, it made it on to my top 10 list for the year. Yes, it's that time... can't resist the trend for making one of these year-end lists, especially when it comes to music... so here's to you, 2012:

10. Divine Fits, A Thing Called Divine Fits

When I first started hearing the song "Would That Not Be Nice" on the radio, I thought that it must be the newest from the band Spoon... I was half-right. The distinctive vocals were indeed from Spoon's lead singer, Britt Daniel, but also backed up by musicians from such bands as Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs. There is a bit more strange retro keyboard sheen on this supergroup's debut album, and that's all good.

9. Delta Spirit, Delta Spirit 

"California," the lead single from Delta Spirit's self-titled album, hinted at a return to glory... but still shy of their masterpiece: 2008's Ode to Sunshine. A little rougher sound this time out, hinting at an exploration of new sonic territories for the San Diego band (one of my favorites). 

8. Bruce Springsteen, Wrecking Ball

I tend to avoid the crowd when it comes to picking favorite music, but I do admire Bruce Spingsteen. In this case, the lead single "We Take Care of Our Own" was one of the year's most exciting tracks... the rest of the folk-tinged album holds up, and was an inspiring, rallying cry for this fragmented election year. 

7. Alabama Shakes, Boys & Girls

Hearing this Southern band's bluesy sound was a nice surprise! I first thought that the husky lead vocals were from a man, but remained impressed when I realized it was the soulful Ms. Brittany Howard... channeling Janis Joplin. "I Found You" should have been played at our wedding.

6. Django Django, Django Django

If a garage/surf rock band from the 1960s started messing around with Kraftwerk's electronics, I imagine this is what they would sound like. "Default" was one of the year's best, quirky tracks.

5. Diego Garcia, Laura

Well... this album was actually released last year, and we were already intrigued by such songs as "You Were Never There" that we started hearing on the radio, but seeing the artist perform live in Albany this past February sold it for us... so much so that we chose one of his songs as the first dance at our wedding. Wonderful instrumentation and songwriting on this ode to unrequited love... extra points that the Latin alternative artist invited us up on stage to dance at his show this past summer.

4. Frank Turner, England Keep My Bones

As wonderful as the year was, I also had my share of frustrated moments... This feisty British songwriter's album (also released in 2011) served as a great soundtrack, as I learned to channel my anger into a positive direction. Like a young Billy Bragg calling out life's many inequalities, he never strayed too far from great, spirited melodies.

3. The Lumineers, The Lumineers

Charming, heart-felt indie-folk. "Stubborn Love" may be one of the most beautiful songs I have heard in years...

2. J.D. McPherson, Signs & Signifiers

Major label release for an album that was originally released a couple years old... yet it sounds like it could have been recorded back in the late 1950s! Pure, rockabilly soul that might actually intimidate the Stray Cats... tight, backing band; effortless songs; and some serious soulful swagger from McPherson, a former art teacher. They don't need to change a thing, and I can't wait to see them live at some point.

1. The Shins, Port of Morrow

A couple years back, I never thought I would find myself expressing an interest in The Shins. In addition to that "popularity" thing mentioned above, I found the band's 2007 music to be a little too precious... pretentious... studied. However when I heard "Simple Song" off this year's album, I was hooked... I listened to this album non-stop on Spotify (one of the year's best tools!) before finally venturing out to buy a physical copy (not an easy task in these digital download days). Singer-songwriter James Mercer seemed to let his guard down with these tracks, which showcased romantic yearning, melodic hooks, and plenty of songwriting smarts. Maybe I was wrong about these guys... if so, please forgive me, Natalie Portman.

So there you have it... a wonderful year for music. Who said rock was dead?

Deck The Halls

OK, since it's the holiday season and I'm in a musical mood (but really, when aren't I?) here's a great, new Christmas tune from singer JD McPherson:

I honestly don't know how he does it. His music is so soulful... like you just popped a quarter in the vintage jukebox, and this came screaming off of the spinning 45. McPherson has this amazing, soulful growl, that I would love to figure out... even here, on a holiday tune, he's nailed it.

Other favorite holiday songs? Well, for the same reason I would have to include the Vince Guaraldi Trio's A Charlie Brown Christmas. I always look forward to hearing this one... the jazz swings, and you wish you were inside nestled with your loved one, while the snow falls steadily outside. Where's my cocoa?...

www.vinceguaraldi.com

www.jdmcpherson.com

Light My Fire

This guy is great, and I find his singing intimidating for some reason...



Yeah, that's some soul... I hope we get treated to some of his rockabilly around these parts soon.

Links:

JD Mcpherson's official website

Retro Active

Yes, dear readers... that was yours truly decked out in a Spidey suit in yesterday's post. We took our cousin Becky out to celebrate her 21st birthday (which just so happens to fall on Halloween), and my costume for the upcoming Heroes & Villains exhibition came in handy for the occasion... don't blame me for the mess at Bombers Burritos though... that was Becky getting a little carried away with my webshooters.

I tell ya, squeezing into a skin-tight Spider-Man costume sure does get you motivated to hit the gym... not that I was a slouch before, but I've been hitting the treadmill even harder this week to do "Justice" to the "Marvels" pictured in Alex Ross' illustrations. As always, music helps keep me going... here is a sample of what I'm listening to:



JD McPherson sounds like someone you might discover in some old vinyl record collection from the 1950s. In fact, he's a modern artist (and former art teacher) from the southern United States, who started as a punk rocker and then turned towards more rockabilly and roots style music... I have probably mentioned before that I love that kind of stuff, and his album Signs & Signifiers is pretty tasty. It's something you might imagine being played during the "Enchantment Under The Sea Dance" in the movie Back To The Future, and funny enough, someone else thought so too in this YouTube mash-up! 

Another cool retro sound is from the UK band Django Django. What we have here is a bit of 80s electro fused with 60s garage rock/psychedelic. It's all quite interesting... their song "Default" sounds like robots channeling Donovan... or something. Me like:



It's funny how the freshest stuff also sounds retro to me... at least this time it's not classic soul. Anyway, a nod to the past as we look forward... it's going to be a busy week ahead, with the exhibition, election, and a quick trip back to my hometown! I've got the new Shins to accompany that drive...

Band Websites: 

www.jdmcpherson.com

www.djangodjango.co.uk