Josh Ritter - Live at Williamsburg Music Hall, NYC 4/28/08

Before I even get into Josh Ritter's performance, I have to say that I'm in love with Williamsburg Music Hall. The Bowery Ballroom attracts most of the best acts, but they would be much better served to play WMH on any given night. An intimate, yet sizable venue, WMH provides exactly the type of experience you would want from Josh Ritter.

It had taken me until April to see Ritter in person when he played a riveting solo acoustic performance at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Hilary Hahn, a famous violinist. His absolutely stunning version of "Idaho" sold me for good on his work (check out "Girl in the War" from that night on his myspace page). Not that I needed any convincing - see here and scroll to the bottom.

At WMH, Ritter played a great set list with a full band that truly seemed to enjoy playing with him. Unfortunately, Jack the Rabbit met Ritter a few days prior and officially dubbed him as arrogant and aloof (sounds like the perfect JTR artist if you ask me...), but I respect JTR's assessment. However, it was hard to not be moved by Ritter's on-stage presence.

His night managed to capture most of my favorite songs while keeping everything fresh. He didn't just run through The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter absentmindedly as so many artists do nowadays. Instead, he played quite a bit from his entire catalog, including songs like "Come and Find Me" from the Golden Age of Radio and a slew of songs from The Animal Years, including a fantastic "Lillian, Egypt" to close out the show.

One thing I found interesting was Ritter's decision to swap his opening songs from their order on THCOJR. On the album, "To the Dogs..." leads into "Mind's Eye," while in concert, he flipped the two to open the show. Was this a post-release realization of Ritter's or was he just trying something new? Anyone who's ever made a mix knows that the order of songs means just as much as the songs played so it's interesting to see Ritter switch it up so soon after an album's release.

You should probably own The Animal Years and THCOJR at least by now so I won't get into how great his performance was on those songs (and it was amazing...), but I will suggest you go see him live at some point. It's rare to see an artist seemingly enjoy their work so much that they can't help but smile throughout their show. At one point, Ritter asked the crowd to turn around and sing an a capella version of "Empty Hearts" to the sound man on tour. It was fun and definitely a highlight of the night.

Check out the set list below, but I highly recommend buying a few of his albums to get into his body of work if you haven't yet.

Set List:

1. Mind's Eye
2. To the Dogs or Whoever
3. Wolves
4. Open Doors
5. Good Man
6. Come and Find Me
7. Snow Is Gone
8. Here at the Right Time
9. Wings
10. Rumors
11. Right Moves
12. Real Long Distance
13. Thin Blue Flame
14. California
15. Empty Hearts
16. Kathleen

***
Encore:

1. Temptation of Adam
2. Lilian, Egypt

*Side Note*
Check out Langhorne Slim. They opened and were so good I bought their self titled album on the spot. Cool sound, great stage presence, and a lot of fun.

Jack the Rabbit: This Bud's for You

An email from JTR (italics added by me for emphasis):
"We like the new ray lamontage single that’s been leaked, right? Sounds like it’s harkening back to the heart of the matter.

Worst albums I’ve ever bought:

The Weepies – Say I am You

Martin Sexton – Seeds

The National – Boxer

Ray – TTSTB"

JTR, in response to the last two albums, I have asked Harland Williams to best express my feelings at exactly 0:59 from the clip below. That is all.

Raycharles

You'll thank me later:

http://tracychapstick.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/373/

Also, if you haven't heard it yet, head over to Heather's blog to check out Ray's new single, "Let It Be Me," off his upcoming Gossip in the Grain. I'm more than excited. It sounds like it could have come off of Trouble (quiet, backing instrumentation and lots of Ray's vocals) and I've already listened to it 5 times at work today.

The Huckleberry Flynns

As promised a million years ago, I've found my version of The Huckleberry Flynn's A Lost Duet. This is not the version off of their EP Live in Rathmines, but rather off of a live bootleg set from 2006.

It's raw, but you can sense the burgeoning talent. Latest I've heard, the group added a Bristol, CT guitarist. They are currently giging in central Connecticut under their latest reincarnation, "The Bob Dylan Motorcycle Incident" but have plans to begin a recording effort dubbed the Red River Sessions before the end of the summer.

I will keep you posted as best I can as events develop.

A Lost Duet

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive

I've got about six other posts that I'm three months late on, but I couldn't wait on this one. After anxiously awaiting The Hold Steady's new release, Stay Positive, for so long, I was finally able to buy it late last Tuesday night. Needless to say, I listened to it three times before lunch the next day.

The only thing that would do it justice is to say that it is good. Really freaking good. Like 'I want to dance around like I'm in convulsions because Craig Finn does it and I can hear it in his voice as he spills his tales of drunken debauchery and youthful mistakes in love and life' good.

"Sequestered in Memphis" is the lead single from this album, and while entertaining, it's not the standout track for me. "Lord, I'm Discouraged" brings me into a Cream-esque daze that I want to climb into and never come out. A soaring guitar solo that lasts a full minute and soulful lyrics combine to make this song a memorable one in my book.

"Both Crosses" is Craig Finn's closest attempt at making a Springsteen song. Dark and dreary, it delves into the emotions of Christ's crucifixion - not happy stuff. Then again, nothing on this album is overly joyful. While some of the songs sound decently upbeat, the album title serves more as a warning than anything.

If I were to pick one song, I'd say "Magazines" is the front runner for a back to basics Hold Steady track. Wry lyrics, piano, and hard guitar riffs cover all their usual bases on this uptempo tune that is sure to please.

Overall, I have to say I really like this album. I don't think it will have the same staying power as their previous releases, but I think it will give them greater exposure as a band. I needed a new Hold Steady fix and this fills the gap nicely for now. I don't know how many times I can listen to "Party Pit" but I was beginning to test the limits, so this comes at just the right time.

I think Finn is branching out just enough to keep things interesting. While not reinventing himself, he is working with different styles and I like that (check out the Frampton sounding guitar work on "Joke About Jamaica"). The Hold Steady know what their sound is and they know that it works. While they might never achieve Springsteen status - and I know the analogy is overused, though accurate - I don't think an artist like Springsteen could flourish in today's market. Cream would never score and Van Morrison could take his pipes and go home. However, I think in 20-30 years, we'll have an interesting discovery of great music that got lost in the mix and never was able to fully develop.

Here's to hoping The Hold Steady find their Miracle-Gro.

The Hold Steady -
*Lord, I'm Discouraged.mp3

*Both Crosses.mp3

*Magazines.mp3

Get On Board with Pela

Pela is an American rock band from Brooklyn, NY that represents all that's good about music and America. Please spend some time on their myspace

(listen to "Lost to the Lonesome" first), and then read their bio. If you don't love them, that's your choice, but it's the wrong one.

Remember when Little D. used to post seven times a day...those were the days.

Required Listening

Little Gun - Maybe in your letter to Ray, you really just wanted to ask him to be a bit more like Kreg Viesselman. - Jack the Rabbit

Well, Oh well, Jezebel
The friends that you made
They're headed for hell
Lazy old fools
The sheep and the mules,
For doing it just like you tell

The sailors come
Between the storms
And they use you like a tool
They make promises now
When they're hungry some how
Just to break them when they're full

Well, oh well, Jezebel
There's a bird in your hand
And there's two in the well
No one knows why
The sparrow won't fly
And nobody blames you he fell

He came to you like a newborn calf
And he left you like a bull
And you lost your hold
On your heartstrings, I'm told
Before you felt the pull

The Pull, The Pull
Out on the end
You'd think I'd have learned
But down I descend
The Pull, The Pull
Back on the mend
Breaking my spirit Again

Well, oh well, you ragged girl
I guess that you gave it a whirl
Squeezing so hard
On that broken old shard
It's like to turn into a pearl

Listen

"She was just like Jesse James"

D., Little

G., Little

Hoping you guys can help me out. I'm looking to expand upon my iPod playlist which includes only songs that mention Jesse James.

So far I have:

Jesse James by Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band

Jesse James by The Pogues

Crazy Face by Van Morrison

Western Plain by Van Morrison

Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me by Warren Zevon

Thanks!

The Rabbit, Jack

KREG VIESSELMAN IS THE MAN

You'll see.

A Letter to Ray LaMontagne

Dear Ray,

First off, I consider myself not only your fan, but your friend.
We've met once. You remember. It was at the Austin City Limits Music
Festival. It was 100 degrees outside and you were dressed in a
flannel shirt and jeans. I walked up to you and asked if you were Ray
LaMontagne, and you said, "Yes. Yes I am." You were watching Tristan
Prettyman, your future flame, perform. I asked you when you were
going to perform. You had no idea. I think we really hit it off.
I'm sure you remember the conversation like it was yesterday.

Due to our friendship, I think I owe you my honesty. And frankly,
with honesty comes some tough talk. So here it comes. Your last
album, Till the Sun Turns Black, was not very good. I'm sorry if that was
harsh. Your first album, Trouble, was unreal. It immediately slid
you into my top ten artists of all time. I could listen to Trouble
forever and not get sick of it. The songs are simple, classic,
emotional, raw. It was a classic album. Till the Sun Turns Black was
the exact opposite. It was over-produced. Your powerful voice was
somehow smaller. The normally raucous, powerful "Three More Days,"
sounded like elevator music. You turned the heartbreaking, hushed
"Can I Stay," into something that should be on a Zales commercial.
You where flannel shirts in 100 degree heat. You're a man who buys
hard packs of cigarettes and swings 9 pound hammers. Your music
shouldn't sound like a Zales commercial. And I don't even know what
to say about "Barfly;" what was that?

However, I have a solution. I'm going to tell you how to make your
next album. You need to follow these instructions word for word. You
can thank me later.

First, you need to get away from any type of studio. I need you to go
and rent a cottage on Prince Edward Island. Preferably on the
seashore. If there's a lighthouse around, that's even better. In
fact, if there's a lighthouse, you should probably record there, the
same way that Jim James of My Morning Jacket used to record in a grain
silo. In fact, that's not a bad idea. If there's a grain silo, get
yourself into one of those. You should take your pick-up truck (I'm
sure you own one) and pack in it these things: one beat-up guitar, a
four-track recording device, once violin, one trumpet. Maybe a
ukulele. No, leave the ukulele, that would be ridiculous. I don't
care who plays trumpet or violin, but it should probably be someone
from Calexico. Actually, it should be definitely be someone from Calexico…those fuckers know what they're doing. Nowhere on this album should you
have "lush orchestration." Your last album was filled with "lush
orchestration." Your first track should feature no instrumentation,
just your pipes; maybe a little guitar. Take a page out of Josh Ritter's book and listen to the song "Idaho." I want the guitar barely audible. You should title
it "Spokane." Please title the album "Can I Stay?" and re-record the
song "Can I Stay." Make it hurt this time.

That's it. Don't forget about the silo.

Little Gun

Author's Note: Apparently Ray did not listen to all of the advice I gave him, but if you go to his website, it'll tell you a little bit about his new album Gossip In The Grain set to drop (as the kids say) on Sept. 9th. I'm a huge fan of this "railroad blues" talk.