Tag: Rock

Remembering Robbie France

 

Python Lee Jackson
Python Lee Jackson

Drummer Robbie France passed away on January 14, 2012 at the age of 53.  Born in England, he moved to Australia in 1970, where he was a fixture in the music scene.  He returned to England in 1982.  A superb drummer, one only needs to read his list of groups and accomplishments to get a flavor on just how good he was.

1. Python Lee Jackson, with whom he recorded “In A Broken Dream” with Rod Stewart as a guest vocalist

2. Diamond Head

3. Ivan Chandler’s All-Star Quarter – with Andy Hamilton od Duran Duran and Wham fame

4. UFO from 1985

5. One Nation

6. Wishbone Ash

7. EBH (Ellis, Beggs and Howard)

8. Jean Touissant

There are some amazing cuts below.  Robbie France was a driving force behind many groups (as the rhythm section usually is) and influenced a great many of today’s drummers.

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With Diamond Head

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Ellis Beggs and Howard – Big Bubbles No Troubles

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In A Broken Dream – Python Lee Jackson

 

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The Jobe Wilson Band – Twitter Thursday

The Jobe Wilson Band followed me on Twitter a few months ago, and I have been meaning to put up a post for some time now.  They seem like a definite good time, in your face party type of band, and I love this kind of energy.  They fired up in 2005 and took south Texas by storm.  They paused after a while and reorganized in 2008.  I could see myself having a great time in some bar with these guys rocking it out in the background.

Bad Bad Voodoo Whiskey

1003

 

The group is now recording their second album.  If you want to follow-up on them, you can hit the link above or visit them on MySpace, Twitter or Facebook.

Bang Bang Shoot em Up

 

Talent Tuesday – Canadian Releases – January 17, 2012

After a lengthy drought, ostensibly for Christmas, Canadian artists have begun to release new music once again.  Just in time, as we are now deep in the throes of a Canuck cold spell and need some new stuff to keep the blood flowing.

John K Samson

English: John K Samson, performing with the We...
John K Samson

The first album to look at is by John K Samson, and is titled “Provincial”.  He hails from Winnipeg, Manitoba.  Some may know him as the front-man for the Weakerthans, a folk-punk band that has enjoyed some success in recent years.  This album is part of a series on Manitoba’s provincial roads.  An interesting subject.

The song below is from the album and performed live.

“Letter in Icelandic from the Ninette San”

Kathleen Edwards

Kathleen Edwards at Wakefield, Quebec's Black ...
Kathleen Edwards

Next we have a highly anticipated release by Kathleen Edwards.  The album is titled “Voyageur”, and as with all her releases, is very good.  If you are interested, she is David Letterman tonight.  I have posted on her in the past. I put the link to this post in the related articles, New Canadian Music Releases – December 6, 2011.   I simply say, download and or pick up this disc.,  You will not be disappointed.  The song I have attached is simply called Mint, and is a live version.  Enjoy.

“Mint”

Luke Willms

My last release for the week is a new set from Luke Willms, called “Atlasphere”.  Currently based in BC, his sound has a familiar feel to it.  I could not find much biographical material on him, so the description will be short.  The tune I have posted is off the album.

“Throw It To The Universe”

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My Top Tunes of 2011

Raphael Saadiq, American singer-songwriter.
Raphael Saadiq

This post includes songs that were new to me in 2011, meaning some of them may not be real 2011 releases.  Once again, my blog, my rules.  Now that I have set the ground rules, I will not mince words or platitudes on these bands or songs and will simply post the video with a link to their website.  Please visit them, and remember, support these artists and any others that strike you, be they authors, musicians, sculptors etc.  It is hard to be creative when you are starving.

10. Adele        Rolling In The Deep

Could have picked any of the songs on this album.

9. Matthew Barber    Keep It Alive

A beautiful ballad.

8. Foster The People   Pumped Up Kicks

The lyrics are what sets this song apart from the pack.  Easy to sing along, but what is it that you are singing.

7. Sara Bareilles    King of Anything

A light pop sound, but done, oh so well.

6. Amos Lee    Windows Are Rolled Down

This guy has been blowing me away for years.  Great, great song.

5. Cake    Sick Of You

My solar-powered entry.

4. Frank Turner   If Ever I Stray

British folk songs, sung by ex-punk stars with really cool videos seem to be very popular now.

3. Eliza Doolittle   Pack Up

Another cool retro style British pop song, and I have no idea why I liked it so much.

2.  Raphael Saadiq   Stone Rollin’

Saw him at the House of Blues in New Orleans.  PERFECT!!!  If R&B hadn’t been invented, he would be right now.

1. Trombone Shorty     Do To Me

I was stunned when I first heard this album.  Couldn’t download it fast enough.

My Philosophy Of Music

Frank Sinatra at Girl's Town Ball in Florida, ...
Frank Sinatrra

 

For those of you that follow my ramblings, you may have noticed that I post a lot of entries about music.  You may find it odd that a travel blog does this on such a regular basis.  The truth is, I find it hard to accumulate my thoughts and generate regular travel posts and I choose to fill these creative lapses with other people’s creativity.

I have had a life long obsession with music and have become slightly philosophical about it.  For example, the following videos.  What do they have in common.  Figure that out, and I believe you will understand my tastes in music.

 

Lady Antebellum – “Need You Now”

 

 

Clue 1 – I normally cannot even listen to country music, however, I do make the odd exception, and this is one of them.

 

John Mayer Trio – “Vultures”

 

 

Clue 2 – Supposed pop artists have other sides.

 

Hudson Ford – Crying Blues

 

 

Clue 3 – Just because you never heard of it, doesn’t mean the music is uninteresting or bad.

 

And finally

 

Frank Sinatra – Fly Me To The Moon

 

 

Now it is time to connect the dots.  Lady Antebellum, John Mayer Trio, Hudson-Ford and Frank Sinatra.  I do not like country, but I really like Lady Antebellum’s song, John Mayer, notorious pop artist, Hudson-Ford, obscure 70’s group, and Frank Sinatra, classic crooner, as far from rock as one can get these days.  The common thread is simply that each and every one of these is GOOD. Good is, well, good.   Nothing, even genre, can transcend great songs.  All of these are, in my mind, well written and well performed.  Great players make great music.  Even if you don’t like the type of music, certain songs can pull you in, solely by just how well done they are.  I have learned over the years not to dismiss or be prejudicial towards any form of music and to listen closely for what may be, or not be, something that could be the next big tune on my iPod.   I would hate to miss that song.

New Canadian Music Releases – November 22, 2011

I have nothing.  Other than a raft of Christmas albums, which I refuse to review, there were no releases of Canadian albums at all in the past week.  In the place of new music, I bring some people I have been listening to lately.

 

First is Edmonton singer/guitarist/songwriter Michael Rault.  His album  Ma-Me-O has been receiving extensive play on my iPod of late.  I have attached a live video of him and his band playing “I Want To Love You ” at The Artery in Edmonton.  Kind of an early Beatles/rockabilly sound.  Very good when he cuts loose, which is in the second video titled “Don’t Need No Help Gettin Down”.  Enjoy

 

I Want To Love You

I Don’t Need No Help Gettin Down

 

Another artist I am enjoying right now is Matthew Barber.  He hails from Port Credit, Ontario, and is becoming a very popular singer/songwriter in the Amos Lee style of folk and indie.  I am beginning to really like him.  The attached song “Keep It Alive”  has been growing one me in recent weeks.  Matthew plays a live version of the song, recorded at CBC 3 studios.

 

Keep It Alive

 

 

Here’s hoping we have some new stuff to share next week.

 

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Remembering Jimmy Norman

time is on my side - car

R&B/Jazz singer and songwriter Jimmy Norman passed away yesterday.  Paying tribute to these greats is fitting, as they created most of what we listen to today, yet they languish without recognition.  A lot of the time they are known only for writing or recording one great song.  All of the time, they were exceptionally talented musicians and songwriters, with a lifetime body of work that demands we pay attention, even if only for a moment in remembrance.  This is why I write these tributes.  Whether we realize it or not, the soundtrack of our life has been written by these people.  Jimmy Norman is a prime example of this.  His body of work includes session work with Jimi Hendrix (Groove Maker, a Norman composition), playing and writing for Bob Marley (Chances Are album), writing for Johnny Nash,as well as having Peter Tosh record some of his songs.  He also was also a member of the Coasters for a while.  His most notable song composition though is “Time Is On My Side” the Rolling Stones classic of the mid sixties.  Not well known, but an important cog in the formative years of our music.  I have included an interview with Jimmy discussing songs as stories, Jimmy doing one of his solo songs “Here Comes The Night” and a video of the Stones doing the classic “Time Is On My Side”.

 

Western Canadian Music Awards

The Western Canadian Music Awards were held in Whitehorse, Yukon on October 23.

Whitehorse on the Yukon river
Whitehorse, Yukon

These awards have been happening in one form or the other since 1995 and were created to recognize musicians from, you guessed it, Western Canada.  A link to all the winners is here.  I have included some video and links to showcase some of the winners in categories I follow,.

Outstanding Blues Recording ~ Little Miss Higgins ~ Across The Plains

Little Miss Higgins was born in Brooks, Alberta, grew up in Lawrence, Kansas and now has roots in Saskatchewan.  The award is for her 2010 album and the song I have attached is “Bargain Shop Panties”.  Lots of Saskatchewania in this tune.

Outstanding Rock Recording ~ The Sheepdogs ~ Learn & Burn

The SheepdogsOn the Cover of the Rolling Stone.  What a year for these Saskatoon players.  They won the contest to be on the cover of Rolling Stone, they will clean up at the Junos and are taking the music world by storm.  In the meantime, they have won Outstanding Rock Recording for their recent album.  The Sheepdogs are riding the wave.  The video is “I Don’t Know” off the album.  I do believe they are channelling Lynyrd Skynyrd or something, what a great song.

Outstanding Roots Duo/Group Recording ~ The Wailin’ Jennys ~ Bright Morning Star

The Wailin' Jennys #0807
Wailin' Jennys

Winnipeg’s Wailin’ Jennys have been around since 2004 and have been creating excellent roots/folk music since that time.  Attached is “Storm Comin'” off the album, performed live at CBC Radio 3.

April Wine = A Canadian Classic

Canadian rock band April Wine in concert at th...
April Wine

A new series of posts based on classic Canadian artists. In the early years of rock and roll, we in Canada had government regulated rules for Canadian content on the airwaves. This created a cottage industry for Canadian bands to create and record as radio stations had to put something on the air, and even though American Woman by the Guess Who is a great song (and fairly long), you couldn’t play it 15 times a day. The upside is that the rules did kick-start an entire stable of artists, which inspired more and more artists until it was no longer necessary to regulate the content. Think current artists such as Arcade Fire, Feist, Celine Dion, Avril Lavigne and even Justin Bieber. There is a possibility that none of these people would have made it without this intervention. We also have a catalogue of great songs that the rest of the world has not heard, which is kind of cool.

The artists that I have chosen to kick off this series with is “April Wine“. A band out of Montreal, formed in 1969 and still touring and still recording. In their heyday they were legendary for their live shows. Frontman Myles Goodwin has been the force behind the band from the beginning and has been the constant since day 1. He handled most of the vocals and played guitars in every incarnation of the band. Other long time members were Jim Clench on bass, Brian Greenway on guitars and vocals and Jerry Mercer on drums. In their career they recorded 16 studio albums (Electric Jewels is my favourite), had 15 compilations and 9 live albums. The most famous live one is Live at the El Mocambo. They opened for a band on that night called the Cockroaches, who in fact were the Rolling Stones.

Despite have 21 top 40 hits in Canada, they had limited success elsewhere. In the USA they had 3 top 40’s and 7 total that charted. In the UK only 2 songs reached the charts with none breaking into the top 40. Truly a Canadian phenomenon. The video is I Like To Rock, which charted in all 3 countries, hitting 86 in the USA, 41 in the UK and only hit 75 in Canada. This is the official video of the song, released in 1980.

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Listening To Classics – The Doobie Brothers

Remember the Doobie Brothers

A definite classic, China Grove by The Doobie Brothers, recorded live in 1974.  This band was always hit or miss for me.  I loved lots of their stuff (Black Water) and some, not so much (Listen to the Music).  No matter though, this particular song is part of the soundtrack of my life as it is for many others.

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