Another Song - Unknown Mortal Orchestra, (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay

by Justin (@justasstrazdin)

Be glad these lads churned out a smooth and understated cover, lightly awash in their style, with a smooth ass bed of soul and punchy drums to drive the beauty of this song.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay

Happy July 4th From EDAS

From Every Day, Another Song

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son

Another Song: Mountain, Nantucket Sleighride

In just a few short minutes, I am headed to Nantucket Island, which was considered the whaling capital of the world in the 19th century .The term "Nantucket Sleighride" was coined by some old salts to explain the most immensely dangerous part of the whaling process process. The first strike of the harpoon was not intended to kill the whale but only to attach it to the whale boat. The whale would take off pulling the whale boat along at speeds of up to 23 mph (37 kmh). Once the whale had finally tired itself out, the leading officer would deliver the fatal blow with a penetrating lance and begin the arduous process of finding their way back to dry land.

The song "Nantucket Sleighride" is dedicated to Owen Coffin, a cabin boy aboard the whaling ship Essex, which was destroyed by a sperm whale in 1819. Owen ended up in the lifeboat with Captain Pollard, his uncle. Two other lifeboats also put out. During the next 3 - 4 months, the lifeboats separated. One was never seen again, but a certain few were destined to be part of the most memorable sea stories of all time.

During those long months at sea (and on desert islands), many of the men died. The survivors eventually had to resort to cannibalism to live. After those who died naturally were consumed, the men determined to draw lots to see who would sacrifice his life for the others. Owen Coffin "won" the lottery. The Captain tried to take Owen's place, but the youth insisted on his "right". The executioner was also drawn by lot. That "winner", another young man named Charles Ramsdell, also tried vainly to swap places with Owen. Again he refused. Owen's body kept the others alive for ten days, although Captain Pollard refused to eat his nephew. Another man died, and his body kept Pollard and Ramsdell alive a few more days until they were rescued.

The story of Owen Coffin still resonates on Nantucket Island and  certainly caught the attention of a young New York Jew named Leslie West. He and his band of Long Island Vagrants would eventually play Woodstock under the moniker Mountain and record an amazing album named after this an album that would bear the name, Nantucket Sleighride. 

Mountain - Nantucket Sleighride

Another Song: Supertramp, Hide in Your Shell

by Justin (@justasstrazdin)

Little known fact: There are three types of people on this entire planet. Those who love electric pianos, those who are in denial of their love for electric pianos, and those who have never heard an electric piano but would totally love them. The title of Supertramp's 1974 album, Crime of the Century, is arguably a reference to their confession of not having enough electric piano on the album.

Supertramp is an exemplary binge band. One day, you're all like, fuck, I could really use some music to clean my apartment and drink white wine to! And that's where Crime of the Century comes in, with a dense overload of orchestral pop production over a bed of coke rock and a spot o' prog that leaves you feeling super British for forty minutes.

A few days pass. You catch yourself listening to it on the way to work. It's playing on your tiny speaker while you shower. Your friends are exposed to it when they come over. It's a problem. You're thinking about back-to-back binging with Steely Dan. But all this shit has got to stop, your apartment is clean. You're not surfing down that mountain of coke anymore in the British countryside, into a spacious recording studio where the battered grand piano guides you through the halls of excess. No, you put the scratchy LP down and crawl back to some retro soul or noisy indie pop. Still, you ponder taking on Nilsson for next month's apartment cleaning, that time when you blast any damn record you want with a Sauvignon Blanc and a vacuum cleaner.

Monumental Victories For Equal Rights!!

A big day for human rights as the Supreme Court strikes down DOMA and returns Marriage Equality to California. In honor of the decisions made today in Washington D.C. I present one of the original Gay Rights Anthems, written by David Bowie and generously given to Brit Glam Rockers, Mott the Hoople. This song has spoken to the LGBT community since its release in 1972 due to lyrics like this:

"Now Lucy’s looking sweet,
Though he dresses like a queen,
He can kick like a mule, it’s a real mean team,
We can love, we can love"

These lyrics harken back to a time where the Stonewall Riots had just occurred. Homosexuals and alternative lifestyles as a whole were still highly marginalized if not violently targeted. Bowie's Lucy was not likely the stereotypical capri pants wearing, tea-cup yorkie holding, gay guy portrayed ad naseum in many media outlets. This Lucy was more likely a huge burly fellow who may have served in a war, ready willing and able to put the dukes up to defend his or herself and the corresponding way of life. If don't like seeing a 6 foot guy in a dress, big enough to be a linebacker... well tough luck Peppo, because this guy can change your mind by kicking a stiletto heel straight through it. 

For the non-violent protesters out there, think of All The Young Dudes as an "It Gets Better" Video 40 years before its time. I just don't think it makes any sense to have a government who control a who a person is attracted to. Today regardless of your political or religious beliefs, I think we can all take solace in the triumph of love over hate. 

Mott The Hoople - All The Young Dudes

#EDAS Album Review: Statistics, Peninsula

  

by Matt (@EDAS2Go)

Label: Afternoon Records
June 25, 2013
NOW AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD HERE

Style: F-Zero
Miami Vice Swag,
Japanese Crossover Potential

Audience: Deep White V-Necks,
Late Night Internet Cafe Hoppers,
Hot Air Balloonists,
Cool Cars Driving Through Tunnels

Better Tracks: Take The Lead,
Waiting, Look Alive
Nineteen Ninety Nine,
Pictures of Success

One of the true great guys in this business, Denver Dalley has a talent for doing it right the first time. Whether it's smashing guitars in Desaparecidos, droppin funky basslines with Har Mar Superstar, writing two solo projects or saving mexican orphans, this is not a person who gives any less than all of himself. I can sit here and gush about how this guy is legitimately one of our great americans, but his pet project Statistics is releasing it's first album, Peninsula, in over 8 years tomorrow and he personally gave me an advance copy.

Here's the scoop in PR Speak:

"It’s been 8 years since the last Statistics album. Peninsula has been in the works for the past 5. But it doesn’t sound labored or meticulous. The album is instead made up of songs that have stood the test of time, that are at once nostalgic and cutting edge... The grooving “Take the Lead,” featuring Har Mar Superstar, could easily have been a single off of Justin Timberlake’s Justified... A mellow cover of Rilo Kiley’s “Picture of Success” rounds out the record, its sparse arrangement showcasing Dalley’s subtle vocal power."

Denver with Desaparecidos
2.27.2013 @ Webster Hall

Usually this press stuff is just gibberish, but in this case it is spot on. Peninsula is a dynamic and vibrant return from a long hiatus. A versatile offering with twinkly electrojams, dance-rockers, acoustic handwritten ballads, and a just touch of legit, early-2000's Emo. As a band member, Denver is reliable enough to show up and play any instrument at the finest level, but as a mouthpiece, he has the unique ability to disarm and get right to the heart of the matter.

I did have a slight unquenched thirst for some guitar smashing bangers, but considering how hard Denver rocks as integral parts of Desa and Har Mar, I can understand his use of Stats as a more reserved, serene-sounding outlet. It may be on the softer side but if you choose to pass, know you will be missing out on some introspective songwriting on top of excellent arrangement and production.

Verdict: This is a peek into the mind of one of today's most versatile treasures. Like anything worthwhile, it may take time grow on you and you'll be glad it did. Download it for FREE at the Afternoon Records Site.

Born Cages Plays a Midnight Brooklyn Show with Har Mar Superstar

Born Cages winds down their most recent tour by descending upon Brooklyn. Drink an extra cup of coffee and catch them at the Knitting Factory for the midnight show on Friday June 28th opening for #EDAS favorite, Har Mar Superstar. If their EP is any indication, their hard-nosed ruffian rock will wake you up. Stream that EP now on Filter, and get ready for them to drop their first full-length, later this year. Come on over to Billyburg because I'm sure they'll be previewing some new stuff, and because Har Mar doesn't usually disappoint.

Here is my favorite cut off their 'The Sidelines EP', Caiti. Get your tickets here.

Ivan & Alyosha Embark on a Fundraiser Because Some Asshole Stole Their Gear.

The Victims.

You may remember a May 28th post I made celebrating Ivan & Alyosha's latest tour and their first full-length album after years and years of bandhood. Well, back on June 10th, someone in Atlanta liked them so much that they stole their van, and dumped it, sans gear and trailer. If you live in Atlanta, they posted a well-designed gear list and a plea that you check out area pawn shops and eBay/Craigslist for any of it. You should. Some big ass companies pitched in, and they setup a fundraiser with Kickstarter knockoff Pledge Music, because having all your gear stolen sucks. And to show us they are not fucking around, they added even more tour dates:

8/9 - San Diego, CA @ Humphreys Concerts By The Bay*
8/10 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues Anaheim*
8/11 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour
8/13 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Moes Alley
8/14 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
8/15 - Saratoga, CA @ Mountain Winery*
8/16 - Turlock, CA @ Turlock Community Theatre*
8/17 - Sacramento, CA @ Bows and Arrows
8/18 - Santa Rosa, CA @ Wells Fargo Center*
8/21 - Jacksonville, OR @ Britt Pavilion*
9/2 - Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot

* with Brandi Carlile

Cover Story: Irma Thomas - "I Needed Somebody"

Look past the star-spangled wrapper and you'll hear one of the best voices in soul.

Every time I hear Irma Thomas sing "I Needed Somebody," all I can do is howl "Irrrrmaaaa." It's because I love her so much. And I'm really dramatic. Maybe it’s because it’s a song about how, deep down, everybody needs somebody--even if it's just for a little bump and wiggle. Maybe it’s because she’s got the ability to rip your heart out through your chest with a wail. Or maybe I'm just being dramatic again.

This performance is a cover-tune, but it's not often that a cover is better than the original.

Still, whenever I’m feeling down and Irma sings, "Oh, it gets so lonely sometimes, in this great big ol' lonely town,” it makes me feel a little better.

I heard this song in 2006, almost accidentally, when a friend of mine (who happens to be a studio engineer in Nashville so toot-toot on that horn) and I watched New Orleans Music in Exile, a documentary about Hurricane Katrina's effect on the musicians of New Orleans. Interspersed with interviews with struggling musicians were filmed performances, and Irma was the best of the lot.

We re-wound and re-watched Irma sing this song (not this version, mind you. This Youtube clip was filmed much earilier) close to 10 times that night as we drank too much and turned the volume way up. Then our other roommate came downstairs and told us that it was 3 a.m. and we really needed to chill. Since then, this song has been a go-to whenever I feel like squirting a tear into my vodka--or if I ever need primal-scream therapy, I just sing along.

It wasn't until today that I realized that the original was sung by Ann Peebles.

Happy 71st Birthday to Sir Paul McCartney!

Happy Birthday Macca.

 

Paul & Linda McCartney - Woman Oh Why

Aerosmith to headline LivingSocial's Backyard Festival, July 13th on Randall's Island.

Just got the word that #EDAS will be covering one of the biggest bands of my childhood this summer. I don't think anyone born in the 80's has to defend liking Aerosmith, but I am beyond pumped to be seeing them headline LivingSocial's delicious Backyard Festival. We will be going a little further in depth to let you know the specifics of the event, but for now, just sit back and enjoy the Aerosmith. 

Aerosmith - Cryin'

Kick Off Your Summer Right with The Zombies in Central Park!

Tomorrow, NYC's favorite summer concert series, Summerstage really kicks it in to high gear with a one of a kind performance by British Invaders, The Zombies. Led by Rod Argent on piano and Colin Blunstone on vocals, the band scored US hits in the mid and late 1960s with “She’s Not There,” “Tell Her No,” and “Time of the Season.” Their 1968 album, Odessey and Oracle is ranked 80th on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time." In 2011, The Zombies released their fifth studio album, Breathe Out, Breathe In. This latest album enhances the legacy of this monumental rock group with The Independent declaring, “…an authentic 1960s prog-pop tone is sustained through Argent's surging organ and sly piano, combined with the layered harmonies of Blunstone, whose voice seems impressively unravaged by time.” Regularly grouped in The Stones, Beatles, Who and Small Faces; The Zombies actually had a more RnB influenced catalog. Instead of Chuck Berry, think Ray Charles. These guys have had their mojo's working for over 45 years and they still look and sound great. 

The bill features fellow brits, Django Django, however I am most looking forward to the openers, Adam Green and Binki Shapiro. You may be a fan of Greenster from his work with The Moldy Peaches or you from his amazingly tripped-out toon paintings.  These guys go on first so get there around 6:00pm to get a good spot. 

In addition to its impressive lineup, SummerStage is launching “Forewords” a panel discussion series before select SummerStage programs co-curated with The Strand Bookstore. Forewords is a great way to help support SummerStage's free programming and to get an inside look into the minds of the artists you love. I believe there is an admission for this event and it begins at 4:00 at regular Rumsey Playhouse location. The inaugural "Forewards" Panel features Colin Bluntstone, Rod Argent talking to Oscar Award Winning Director, Jonathan Demme. 

The weather is supposed to be great, so kick off your summer right and let the Zombies make you feel good!

The Zombies - You Make Me Feel Good

Quadron Crushes an #EDAS Encore Performance

We had an overwhelming reception for yesterday's Quadron Review but I was hearing a handful of complaints about the poor sound quality of the live recording. For those who are hungering for another taste  this stunning vocal talent, here is a sweetly soulful encore off Vested In Culture's newest baby, Avalanche. 

Quadron - Crush

#EDAS Album Review: Quadron Causes an "Avalanche" on Vested in Culture Records. Don't Miss Seeing Them This Summer!

   

by Matt (@EDAS2Go)

Label: Vested in Culture/Epic
June 4, 2013

Available at Quadron's Official Store

Style: Natural Vocal Blessings,
Nighttime Kisses,
Singing While Sitting on a Piano,
Kinda Like MJ 

Audience: Diva Enablers, Tangoers,
Parched in the Pop Diaspora,
Anyone with a Pulse or Anything Loosely Resembling an Ear 

Better Tracks: Hey Love, Sea Salt, Favorite Star, Crush, Neverland

When I was a kid, everybody in the whole world listened to Michael Jackson and it was awesome. Nowadays a person can't walk into a deli without hearing Rihanna and it's just not the same. Somewhere between then and now, pop lost its way.

Full disclosure, I have always considered myself a voice of the voiceless. I spent my high school years in smoked out indie mosh pits and started listening to strange world music forms in college. I don't think my street cred is on trail here, but I've been to an experimental electronica show in the back of a chinese restaurant for godsakes. While I was music snobbing it up, I felt comfortable leaving the pop music for the populous. Every now and again I would relive the glory days of the genre with the occasional early Beatles, Ray Charles or Motown record, but for the most part I didn't touch the stuff. Then I heard Quadron.

Shortly after I first mentioned them on #EDAS well over a year ago, I exhausted my entire rolodex trying to get into their sold-out VIP performance at Cameo Gallery. The wild goose chase that led me all the way to the upper floors of the Sony Music Headquarters paid off in spades because that night was one of the most moving musical performances I have ever had the privilege to attend.