As we speak, Filligar is bringing American Rock N' Roll back to those who need it, one show at a time. One of my truly favorite bands touring today, I have had the privilege of seeing them crush a sold-out Bowery Ballroom and turn an intimate CMJ show into a modern day Juke Joint. Wise way beyond their years, these guys are soaking in the lessons of this great country and carrying the rich traditions of Chicago Blues with them.
Jook Joint
Filligar's sonic chemistry runs deep, in fact it's in their blood. The band is made up of the Brothers Mathias, twins Teddy and Pete (bass & drums) and younger bro Johnny (lead singer/guitar) and lifelong friend, Casey (keyboards). Even though they are all first generation musicians, that's a DNA compatibility of over 99.9%*. They get their time-tested style by reaching into the Ethnomusicological archives, taking hints from diverse greats ranging from Little Feat to Little Walter, Brahms to The Band. The result is a sound that touches on every human impulse to let go and rock out. No wonder they have dominated my headphones since I first heard them just about a year ago.
Filligar 8/4/11 @ Bowery Ballroom
I have put off writing about them because I feel like my words can barely their insane talent any justice. Thankfully, the Independent Music Awards has taken notice and nominated their latest LP, The Nerve, for Best Rock(/Hard Rock) Album. To celebrate this honor, Filligar is letting you pay whatever you want to download it by simply clicking that big button below. Would I be the biggest music snob if I said I was not surprised about their nomination. With amazing songs like Gray Area, Health, Robbery, Guilty Good Intentions and Not Gonna Settle, I suggest you pay them the maximum of $25. In fact, I guarantee your money back AND a free banana it will be the best money you spend all year** (read the fine print below). If you think that's a little steep, give them the equivalent of a couple of dranks or throw down on some road grub. Either way, grab the album right now and #FollowFilligar on every type of social media possible (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Spotify) to make sure you see them next time they come to your town. Even though these songs are officially some of the best rock songs of the year, they are nothing until you hear them live. After they've blown you away, tell them #EDAS sent you.
Despite all the classics I have named above, today's song is my favorite off the B-Side of The Nerve. Tucked all the way three songs from the bottom, is a track I am just infinitely drawn to from start to finish. Enjoy Wild Nature and prepare yourself because my sources tell me that these guys are getting ready to release more material later this year.
Filligar - Wild Nature
Fine Print
*This figure was estimated by an amateur Musico-Scientist***
** Guarantee Not Guaranteed, except for the banana part... Maybe.
Guess who was just named Fire Warden at the office?
Yes... Yours truly. Now I'm not sure exactly what the responsibilities are, but I know what they ain't thanks to George Costanza.
Seriously you tell everybody to run. Obviously take the stairs, unless there's fire in the stairs, then take the other stairs. Now that that's off my chest, I want to congratulate my Ohio State Basketball team on reaching the Elite 8 in the NCAA tournement. Tomorrow/Today (depending on when you read this) The Buckeyes take on the Syracuse Orange (no longer 'Men') in a showdown that pits my alma mater against my mother and brother's. OSU, or as I call them, The Ohio Players, are gonna light it up and torch those chumps. Coach Thad Matta has ignited a flame deep within the team and they are going to incinerate their foes and blaze a trail to glory. See what I did there? No, but seriously the Syracuse colors are supposedly Orange and Burnt Orange.
Today is March 14th, which can also be written as 3/14 or 3.14. This gets nerds all uppity because 3.14 are the first digits of the Mathematical constant Pi or π. Back in my High School days, at New York's finest Science and Math institution, this was more of a holiday to us than Columbus Day or even Festivus.
Today's song is definitely the most sensual recitation of a stream of numbers that I have ever heard. The video has been spliced it up with scenes from the movie, Pi (some of which was shot on the block where I grew up) which is a pretty interesting film if you ever want to check it out. Just listening to the sounds of the pretty weird & weirdly pretty singer Kate Bush sing pure numbers really shows her dynamite range. Not a bad start if you want to further explore her catalog.
Blind Benny is one of my favorite up-and-coming bands working the New York City scene right now. The brainchild of the gorgeous and talented Jade<3 and the equally gorgeous and talented Jonathan Carmelli. Tomorrow, March 13th, the duo brings their celestial melodies to the Bowery Electric (Click here for tickets), where they will add to their sonic artistry by playing with a full band. This weekend I was able to speak with Guitarist/Composer/Arranger/Producer/Grassroots Every-Man
Jonathan Carmelli and ask him a few questions about where Blind Benny comes from and where they think its going.
Jonathan Carmelli and Jade<3
EDAS: Last time we spoke, you guys were performing as Jade<3. Nowadays, you guys are known as Blind Benny. Other than your moniker, what has changed over the last year? BB: A lot has changed actually, and its evident on our new EP. With "No Honor" we have basically gone organic. No electronic instruments were used on the whole project, so as a result the new EP is warm and kind of timeless.
EDAS: That seems to be a sensible process considering many bands spend hours synthesizing in post production to get that "wall of sound," reverb-heavy, ambient thang that is so prevalent these days.
BB: Well, with our last EP we started a sound that we would like to continue and hone. Its like half electronic half organic. Ideally, we would love to marry the two and take it to the next level. With this record our primary focus was to make it scalable. We really wanted the songs to feel the same when we play live regardless if there are 2 of us or a whole band like there will be on Tuesday. Every song on this EP started with just a bare bones vocal and acoustic guitar track and grew from there.
EDAS: Being a twosome, how does the creative process go down?
BB: We are both coming at music from two different angles: I am coming from an alternative, rock, pop perspective and Jade<3 comes from the urban, pop, r&b world. We just write it up and whatever happens, happens. I may come up with an idea that is mostly rock, but when Jade<3 takes it she spins in the total opposite direction. The only place that we really meet creatively is with Pop. Jade<3 melodies and lyrics are always catchy and have great hooks and I tend to want to make the production tell that story simultaneously.
Finally I asked Jonathan, a fellow student of the world of music who emphasizes his versatile guitar playing, what he is able to contribute specifically. “My goal as a musician, producer, and band member is always, ‘How do I make this better?’ not ‘How to I inject myself into this?” and since Jade<3 already has her own unique sound, its easy to achieve."
Directly below you can expierence for yourself the magic of Blind Benny. Come on through to the Bowery Electric tomorrow and see this great band play "No Honor" and just plain tear it up on the Lower East Side. If you can't make it, get their music and follow them on twitter to find out where and when they play next. Hope to see you guys there tomorrow night, I'll be there fo sho. Word is they go on at 9pm.
Don Robinson, sometimes known as the Rapping Bum, was a fixture of the, THE Ohio State Campus, walking up and down High Street amongst the studious ebb and raucous flow of young Buckeyes. Some say he had been rapping up and those streets for over 20 years. That's so long, I actually wonder whether his mind began to process in rhyme. After he obtained enough money to buy food, I wonder if he ordered like that. It would probably prove difficult after a while, I mean what rhymes with Burrito?
It turned out he definitely wasn't a bum, technically he was a busker; and he had a home and from what I hear, a family. You could call him an independent artist who brought his music directly to the consumer on an intimate and high volume basis. Basically he walked up and down the street rhyming until you gave him money. He wasn't half bad either... Maybe in terms of true rapping, his flow lacked a little versatility; but in some ways, his throwback style of heroic couplets was a nod to Shakespeare.
The last time I saw Don Rob was at the day of my graduation. I knew I was coming back to New York City long-term so I just stood there, basking in his near-endless stream of street poetry. He touched on such varied and intellectual topics as sports, the economy, local cuisine, weather, politics, science, chivalry and Michigan Sucking. After what might have actually been 4 or 5 minutes, I slapped the few bills I had in my pocket into his hand and said, "Thanks." Regardless of what mood you were in, if you just failed a test, or got rejected at a raging kegger, somehow... just hearing his signature line, "Help is on the way" seemed to make it all better.
Word comes from C-bus that Don Robinson passed away this week, coincidentally during the same week of Biggie's Death 15 years ago. After scouring the internet I was able to find a youtube video of someone claiming to have bought one of his CD's. Obviously this song is called "Help is on the Way." Feels great to hear it one last time.
RIP Don, your help was always appreciated.
Don "The Rapping Bum" Robinson - Help Is On The Way
Yesterday was freezing and today is above 60, so it looks like some of the final nails have been placed in Winter's Frigid Coffin. Although there has been nearly no snow this "winter," our flowery brethren are awaiting their turn to re-spawn and, according to this video, eat us to a soundtrack of Danish Sugar-Pop.
Here, the angelic sounds of Coco Maja Hastrup Karshøj, play over the sparkle-filled tracks of producer, Robin "The Cannibal" Hannibal (as I have just dubbed him) to make up the dynamic duo from Denmark, Quadron. I was introduced to this song a lil' bit ago by EDAS favorite Megan from FoodieCantFail (who has apparently been e-slackin more than I have) and it's flower steppin ways have been stuck in my head ever since. Cool Video too.
Seeing Spacehog tonight for the second time. Last time I saw them they actually rocked so hard, they actually transformed into some sort of SuperNova. Expecting nothing less this time. Catch them at Rockwood Music Hall tonight and if you miss them, they'll also be there next tuesday.
Spacehog: Live at The Studio at Webster Hall January 16, 2010
Right around Christmas I tried to purchase the Soul Train Box Set
from a local DVD Store that was liquidating due to a lost lease. The guy was closing his store the next day and he still wanted 90 bucks for it. I offered him 40 and he still said no dice. Maybe it's not the most appropriate thing to talk about cheaping out on a person's body of work on the day of their death, but the truth is Don Cornelius' legacy lives on for free every day.
I've already mentioned how much I love Soul Train so I'm not going to sit here and lecture about what an influence it has had on American Culture. Instead, think of that person who introduced you your favorite song; Don Cornelius was that guy for an entire generation. The only problem I ever really had with Soul Train was the horrible lip synching. Marvin Gaye is one of the best performers ever, but make him fake sing to Sexual Healing, and he is as awkward as a chubby white kid singing it in a Montreal karaoke bar during Spring Break 2003... not that I would know.
In honor of the Conductor of the Soul Train, the aforementioned locomotive is making three stops on #EDAS. First up is a young Lionel Ritchie apparently trying to scare away vampires by wearing a wreath of garlic as a member of the Commodores. At the next stop, Don Cornelius flexes his all-time buttery voice in an interview with Aretha Franklin, who is draped in some sort of a hammock, fully exposing her untamed soulful bosom; truly a sight to be seen. The third and final stop is a medley by the man who puts the Soulin Soul Train, James Brown. I included his performance because not even Aretha's flowin' lady-parts can follow the hardest working man in show business... The only person I've seen play the show live, you can't possibly ask the Godfather to fake it.
Don Cornelius is an epic figure in the history of music and through his fans and late night reruns, he was able to inspire me to do a somewhat danceless, bizarro version of his timeless soul showcase. Although he must have been battling some demons, I am more than thankful for his contributions to the music community. Here is his traditional sign-off one last time...
I'm Don Cornelius, and as always in parting, we wish you love, peace and soul"
Don "Cornelius" Cortez
1936-2012
The Commodores - Machine Gun
Aretha Franklin - Jump
James Brown - Cold Sweat/Papa's Got a Brand New Bag/
Payback/Damn Right I Am Somebody
I recently came across an amazing up-and-coming band from my old stomping grounds of Columbus, Ohio. Way Yes is anything but traditional, blending a world of influences to create a unique tropical ambiance, capable of making even the most discerning toe tap for days. I was lucky enough to speak to them about music and chicken fingers on the verge of their Second Anniversary.
Way Yes
EDAS: Congratulations
on your Two-Year anniversary as a band. How did Way Yes start and how has the
group evolved over its lifetime?
Way Yes: Thanks! Time
flies. You could say Way Yes started in Drivers Ed. That's where Glenn
and I (Travis) met. We bonded over a shared interest in white Chevrolets and
Radiohead and have been playing/writing together ever since. In the months leading up to us forming, Glenn and I had been listening to
as much African music as we could get our hands on (which, thanks to the
Internet, is a ton). We fell in love with the guitar work found in the Soukous
music of the 1960's and decided to try and imitate that style in our song
writing. The result was the Herringbone EP, a feel-good collection of songs that people
could relate to.
After the Herringbone
EP ran its course, we became obsessed with Brazilian music. We
fell in love with the artists of the Tropicália movement of the late 1960's.
Artists such as Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, and especially Os Mutantes became
big influences on us pretty immediately. So all of that led up to us recording the Walkability EP. Whereas Herringbone's main
influence was in the guitars, Walkability's was in the rhythm and percussion.
Also, the lyrical themes were a little darker than on Herringbone. We played
the Walkabilitysongs for a while as a two piece. But the craving for a more
full live sound led us to recruit multi-instrumentalist Max Lewis, who
engineered both the Walkability and Herringbone EPs. He was so familiar with
the material that it was the most logical step to take. After playing with Max
for a little while he became a full-fledged member.
Way Yes - Walkability/Ties
Our next release was
the Oranjudio 7" (named after the Columbus studio). Leading up to that recording
we had been joined by auxiliary percussionist Tim "Timless" Horak.
With Oranjudio we really just wanted to get studio recordings of the two songs
"Automail" and "Tia". They fit so well together but we had
already moved on stylistically to new territory and knew that they wouldn't
make sense with the new material. Shortly after that we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to join
Lefse Records. Now we're finishing up writing for our first full length and
heading in to the studio at the end of February! So there you go... Way Yes:
Unabridged, Unauthorized, and Undressed.
EDAS: Well my dog is named Tia, so I automatically love her new theme song, which can be found both on iTunes and on Spotify. Moving on, I am a former
Son of Columbus and therefore lifetime Buckeye. I loved it, but it is certainly
no tropical paradise. How does C-Bus, factor into your Afro-Brazili-ribbean influenced sounds?
Way Yes: The Columbus
weather scene actually does have an influence on our songwriting believe it or
not, but not as much as the music scene. There’s so much going on right now and
we're really excited to be a part of it. On "Singing" from
Walkability we got the chance to collaborate with Sam and Yoni from Maza Blaska
which made that song what it is. We hope to do a lot more of that in the
future. But we just want our music to make people feel good whether they're
from Columbus or an actual tropical paradise such as Myrtle Beach or Virginia
Beach.
Way Yes - Singing
EDAS: Wow, I hardly think Myrtle and Virginia Beach can be considered tropical. Sounds like you guys need a band trip to Jamaica or maybe Belize. In the meantime, what are your
favorite places to go in Columbus?
Way Yes: We love going
to and playing at Kobo and Carabar, both are great venues and bars. As far as
food, you've got to get back here and have Ray Ray's if you haven't already.
It's a food truck on N. High St. with the best BBQ. That's all I can think of
right now. The other guys get out a lot more than I do. If I had answered
honestly I probably would have said my basement and Amazon.com.
EDAS: My favorite
spot overall was definitely Roots Records on High Street. That was an amazing
reggae oasis. I also used to live above the building that housed Johnny-Go's
records, where I actually started collecting Vinyl, and Raising Cane's a
restaurant that only sold chicken fingers, I used to eat there at least twice a
week. Can you believe that they really only sell Chicken Fingers?
Way Yes: Raising Cane's is a Way Yes tradition. Once a week after practice. Clockwork. Current combo of
choice: The 3 Finger.
EDAS: You guys would
be a HIT in NYC, any chance of a tour in the future?
Way Yes: Thanks and
definitely! We have plans to head your way towards the end of April actually.
We're hoping to do a larger tour once the record is finished. But in the
meantime we're just doing little jaunts here and there, including a big second anniversary show this weekend at Carabar!
EDAS: Well I am already waiting for my tickets. What stops
would you be excited to make on Tour?
Way Yes: Really
excited to play NYC. Wouldn't mind hitting Portland, OR along with the whole
west coast too. I've never been. I'm excited for the chance to go anywhere
though. Being on the road is a lot of fun.
EDAS: I'm sure it is. In today's
volatile musical climate, what do you think is more important, making records
or touring?
Way Yes: It is
volatile, isn't it?! I think making records is more important. Records are one
of the great art forms in my opinion. Also, the records are what you get to
leave behind as tangible proof that you existed. And with the wonders of the
InterWeb and Time Capsules there's a good chance they'll always exist in one
form or another. I know records aren't as profitable as they used to be, but
they're at least being listened to by more people than ever. But with that
being said, you gotta tour!
EDAS: I totally agree... Records are timeless. Every time I throw one on, I am transported into a vacuum where the songs are able to just permeate every fiber of my soul. Studies are even coming out confirming that music is being consumed at higher rates than ever. What is your
favorite part about making music?
Way Yes: For me that
would have to be the actual process of recording. Writing and recording are two
things I don't think I could live without.
EDAS: What can we
expect from Way Yes over the next two years?
Way Yes: You'll
definitely be seeing a full length album within the next year. A proper tour.
Battle of the bands? Raising Canes sponsorship? Sky is the limit.
Wow. Thanks so much to Glenn and Travis of Way Yes for taking the time to answer my questions and for making such amazing music. Check out their website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter (@Way_Yes). If you are in the Greater Columbus Area, help celebrate Way Yes's Second Anniversary this Saturday Night in at Carabar. Click the poster below for more info.
Click above to RSVP
Finally, here is the song that first introduced me to this amazing band that I'm sure you'll be hearing loads about in the very near future. Check out "Important" and stay tuned for more updates from Way Yes, and more conversations with up-and-coming bands at Every Day, Another Song.
Cut the fro off yesterday... It was probably the least amount of time I've ever gone between two haircuts. Pretty soon, I'm going to be a bald guy going to a barber 5 times a week just to pantomime a haircut above my cueball head.
Imagine a world where you have to worry before talking about your favorite musician, reviewing a local restaurant, or criticizing a political candidate online. With legislation like SOPA and PIPA making its way through the House and Senate, we are on the verge of these worries becoming a realty. These systemic changes would forever allow censors to determine whether a person's thoughts and words deserve to be on the internet. Under the guise of ending Piracy, certain big businesses are pressuring the government to take complete control of the internet rather than adapt to the new economic opportunities and difficulties. Below is an open letter going around from various Artists and Creative Professionals expressing their oppostion to SOPA, PIPA and any similarly oppressive proposals.
An open letter to Washington from Artists and Creators
We, the undersigned, are musicians, actors, directors, authors, and producers. We make our livelihoods with the artistic works we create. We are also Internet users.
We are writing to express our serious concerns regarding the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).
As creative professionals, we experience copyright infringement on a very personal level. Commercial piracy is deeply unfair and pervasive leaks of unreleased films and music regularly interfere with the integrity of our creations. We are grateful for the measures policymakers have enacted to protect our works.
We, along with the rest of society, have benefited immensely from a free and open Internet. It allows us to connect with our fans and reach new audiences. Using social media services like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, we can communicate directly with millions of fans and interact with them in ways that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago.
We fear that the broad new enforcement powers provided under SOPA and PIPA could be easily abused against legitimate services like those upon which we depend. These bills would allow entire websites to be blocked without due process, causing collateral damage to the legitimate users of the same services — artists and creators like us who would be censored as a result.
We are deeply concerned that PIPA and SOPA’s impact on piracy will be negligible compared to the potential damage that would be caused to legitimate Internet services. Online piracy is harmful and it needs to be addressed, but not at the expense of censoring creativity, stifling innovation or preventing the creation of new, lawful digital distribution methods.
We urge Congress to exercise extreme caution and ensure that the free and open Internet, upon which so many artists rely to promote and distribute their work, does not become collateral damage in the process.
Respectfully,
Aziz Ansari
Kevin Devine, Musician
Barry Eisler, Author
Neil Gaiman, Author
Lloyd Kaufman, Filmmaker
Zoë Keating, Musician
The Lonely Island
Daniel Lorca, Musician (Nada Surf)
Erin McKeown, Musician
MGMT
Samantha Murphy, Musician
OK Go
Amanda Palmer, Musician (The Dresden Dolls)
Quiet Company
Trent Reznor
Adam Savage, Special Effects Artist (MythBusters)
Hank Shocklee, Music Producer (Public Enemy, The Bomb Squad)
I hope its not illegal that I straight up added myself to the bottom of the list. I do however agree that broad legislation on an infinite and dynamic community such as the internet could have devastating effects on people's ability to speak their minds without fear of being censored or punished. Formulate your own opinion by doing your own research.
Today's song is blacked out, just like much of the rest of the internet. But enjoy being serenaded by some of the history's foremost punks and dissidents, The Clash. Strummer would NEVER have let anything like this happen.
from a local DVD Store that was liquidating due to a lost lease. The guy was closing his store the next day and he still wanted 90 bucks for it. I offered him 40 and he still said no dice. Maybe it's not the most appropriate thing to talk about cheaping out on a person's body of work on the day of their death, but the truth is Don Cornelius' legacy lives on for free every day.
