Category Archives: Uncategorized
The Acoustic Poetry of We Are Baker
I had the privilege of meeting We Are Baker last year at The Extended Play Sessions. A duo composed of Mishal Moore and Richard Cortez, their music is both thought-provoking and unusual. Today they released a short film/long video of their song ‘Owl’.
Mishal Moore
Richard Cortez
I am far from an expert on music videos, but this film captures what I know of Mishal’s and Richard’s personalities. Emotional and introspective, those qualities and more are conveyed through this film. Their music is not easy to quantify. When I was introduced to them, they were described as soulful jazz, although jazzy soul might better suit them. Those fit as well as any descriptor (okay, they are not a country band, nor are they a pop, rock, or roots band).
There is a tremendous amount of sensuality in their music and their live performance, and that is conveyed well in this video.
We Are Baker is embarking on a European tour in the very near future; if anyone reading this wants to host a house concert, please contact their manager, Elliott Chambers, at echambers@wearebaker.com. They are worth seeing.
Up-And-Coming Retro Majestic Indie Rock Act Delivers A Solid Performance
I may be a bit biased when it comes to Laney Jones and the Spirits because they are friends, but I watched the reaction of the audience at the Extended Play Sessions where they performed on Friday night and saw that everyone in the room was as enthralled with this band as I am. Phew!
Laney Jones
You may wonder what ‘retro majestic indie rock’ (Laney’s self-description) is; my answer to that is that you should listen to the band’s new music which is not yet out on an album. Here’s a video of one of the songs performed at this Session.
This Riff Raff Is Everything But!
Everything but riffraff, that is… Hurray for the Riff Raff has been one of my favorite bands since the first time I saw them at the Newport Folk Festival two years ago. The band returned to Boston to perform at the Paradise Rock Club in what might have been their first headlining show at a major venue in the area.
Hurray for the Riff Raff (4/5)
Hurray for the Riff Raff (3/5)
This show might possibly be the best show of theirs I have seen to date; the energy in the room was tremendous and the band fed off that (although it was truly symbiotic – they fed off us and we fed off their energy and joy).
In Spite Of The Devil, Spuyten Duyvil Is Heavenly
For my review of this marvelous Spuyten Duyvil show at Club Passim, with Laney Jones and the Spirits opening, click here.
John Neidhart, James Meigs, Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil
Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil
Ric Mercaldi of Spuyten Duyvil
James Meigs of Spuyten Duyvil
Ric Mercaldi of Spuyten Duyvil
John Neidhart of Spuyten Duyvil
of Spuyten DuyvilJagoda
Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil
Beth Jamie Kaufman, Mark Miller and Ric Mercaldi of Spuyten Duyvil
Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil
James Meigs, Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil
Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil
Laney Jones and the Spirits
Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil
Ric Mercaldi of Spuyten Duyvil
James Meigs, Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil
Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil
Mark Miller and Ric Mercaldi of Spuyten Duyvil
Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil
Beth Jamie Kaufman of Spuyten Duyvil
Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil
Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil
Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil
James Meigs of Spuyten Duyvil
James Meigs, Beth Jamie Kaufman and Mark Miller of Spuyten Duyvil
Laney Jones
Matt Tonner of Laney Jones and the Spirits
Curtis Seligson of Laney Jones and the Spirits
Alex Shames of Laney Jones and the Spirits
Laney Jones
Laney Jones and the Spirits
Laney Jones
Laney Jones
More Wonderful Acts Added To The Newport Folk Festival Line-Up
The Newport Folk Festival continues its lineup announcements and added even more interesting acts.
Newport Folk Festival Trademarked Logo
Hitch Your Ride To These Rising Stars
If you have been reading this website for a while, you might recall that a year ago I fell in love with the hip-hop bluegrass group Gangstagrass. Our love affair continued over the weekend at Johnny D’s where they appeared in support of their latest release, American Music.
Gangstagrass
Nobody was more surprised than the band when the album debuted at #5 on the Billboard bluegrass chart! They deserve to be known for more than the theme song for the television show Justified, and maybe now they will be!
Rench
What Is Hip? Tower Of Power At The Lowell Summer Music Series, That’s What!
Rhythm and Blues favorites Tower of Power will be appearing at the Lowell Summer Music Series on Thursday, July 30! I have not seen them in a long time and they always put on a fun show.
Rhiannon Giddens’ Powerful Voice Must Be Experienced
Rhiannon Giddens embarked on her first solo tour several months ago. She achieved much success as a co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, but her reputation exploded through a couple of projects in which she participated over the last two years: the Another Day, Another Time concert, a celebration of the music that inspired the film Inside Llewyn Davis, and The New Basement Tapes, a collaboration that set newly found Bob Dylan lyrics to music.
Rhiannon Giddens
Rhiannon mentioned that this show at the Somerville Theatre was originally billed as a Carolina Chocolate Drops show; I would have seen the show either way, but I am glad it was her show.
Jamie Dick, Malcolm Partson, Jason Sypher, Rhiannon Giddens, Hubby Jenkins, Rowan Corbett
The Lowell Summer Music Series Announces A Fabulous Doubleheader
What a fabulous co-bill this will be: John Hiatt & The Combo and the Taj Mahal Trio will be appearing at the Lowell Summer Music Series on Thursday, August 27! These are two of my favorite performers and it will be great to see them at one show!
Entertaining Singer-Songwriter Evening
A New York friend strongly suggested I see Willy Porter perform, going so far as checking on his local dates for me. Accommodating person that I am, since I had a hole in my schedule I decided to see him at Tupelo Music Hall, one of my favorite venues because the audiences are usually extremely respectful of the music.
Willy Porter
I am glad I did. Willy is an entertaining performer, an excellent guitarist, and someone who obviously loves what he does.
suze reviews the blues 