Ok this guy rocks! I love his old school blues style. I have seen him many times in Portland. He’s a Maine based artist but he has toured and played festivals all over the world. Last time I talked to him he told me he was signed and would be putting out a professional cd, I didn’t think it would be available on Amazon though. I gave Taylor one of his cd’s, Sam thought it was funny as hell when I told him. But let me tell you he knew who Taylor was and seemed to like him. Sam is one of those real musicians, you can catch him playing at a local bar, a local fair, on the street corner for spare change or at a big music festival any where in the world. I hope he had a lot of success. He deserves it.
Here is a cool write up about him from Bull Moose Music:
Quote:
The highly anticipated Songs Famed For Joy & Sorrow by Maine-based artist Samuel James is finally released on April 1st. Coming from a long line of musicians (his grandfather played guitar and his father has played piano professionally and has even joined Samuel on stage) and a master of finger style, slide, banjo, harmonica, and piano, Samuel has used his talent to create his own version of the blues without forgetting where it came from. Samuel is incredible live and you’ll have chance to catch Samuel on April 19th at the Portland Bull Moose where he’ll be performing songs from Songs Famed For Sorrow & Joy. If you’d rather travel to Eastern Europe you can also catch him at the Rawa Blues Festival in Katowice, Poland on October 4th. The choice is yours.
(Alicia)
Here’s a cool video from a live show in Portland! It’s a great interview and a great show. Taylor should check out the show next time he’s in Portland, they have some really great people on it.
I have never heard these guys before but they sound great. Another blues sound, a little bit of old-timey instrumentation with haunting guitars, subtle bass, and minor percussion with some bar-boogie organ thrown in. Definitely worth a check. (Alicia)
Shine a Light: Original Soundtrack
The Rolling Stones
This sounds like a really cool cd to accompany a really cool movie. Marin Scorsese filmed The Stones when they played at the Beacon Theatre in NY on October 29 and November 1 2006. I would love to see this, Scorsese is great at capturing the heart of the characters in his films, imagine what this will be like. Filming and producing two super shows with a famed band at a famed theatre. Special guests were Buddy Guy, Jack White from White Stripes and Christina Aguilera. Get the Deluxe Version it has more songs really good ones too. (Alicia)
Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow
Sevendust [EXPLICIT LYRICS]
Pretty sweet metal band who has collaborated with outside artists, including Chris Daughtry, yes that’s right the same guy from AI and no I’m not insane. The album is pretty good and Sevendust is a great metal band. Worth a listen if you like metal or hard rock. (Alicia)
Accelerate
R.E.M.
I haven’t heard any songs from the album yet but they are usually great. It looks like it’s their first studio album in 4 years. Two different ones available one just cd and the other cd/dvd which includes a 64 page book and video of behind-the-scenes footage and performance from the album. (Alicia)
The New York Times has a feature on REM and Accelerate:
Quote:
From its debut in 1981 until the mid-1990s R.E.M. was a definitive American rock band, but its sales and influence have steadily declined in the last decade. “Accelerate” is a very deliberate response to an internal crisis that Mr. Stipe, the group’s singer, described as major, and that they all agreed almost broke up the band.
Its last album, the hazy, somber “Around the Sun” (2004), took nine months to make and satisfied neither the musicians nor their fans. It didn’t crack Billboard’s Top 10 and sold less than 250,000 copies. The band members realized they needed to find a new way to work together or quit, coming to the end of a road that took them from this out-of-the-way college town to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
It makes me feel old to hear kids talk of REM as "my father's band", since they weren't around yet when I was in college so I still think of them as a hip new band. How does that happen??
I really don’t know a thing about this movie except that it’s the acting debut of singers Norah Jones and Cat Power. The title song is a new Norah tune, the soundtrack includes Cat Power, Amos Lee, Ruth Brown, Otis’ “Try a Little Tenderness”, Mavis Staples’ “Eyes on the Prize” and some Ry Cooder instrumentals. A good soundtrack is a pre-made mix tape/playlist, with a good variety of tunes that you really do want to hear on the same listen. This may just be the first awesome soundtrack of 2008. I know I want it.
From the Amazon blurb: “The 2008 release of KEEP IT SIMPLE is Van Morrison's 35th album. It is his first album of new material since 2005, and the first in several years in which he composed all 11 songs specifically for one album.” I checked out the previews, and these songs inhabit Van’s territory –- the place between folk, country, soul and blues and spirit. No jazzy horn arrangements, not much shouting -- as the title says “Keep It Simple” with bluesy organ, harp, some background singers, and Van’s vocals right up front, arrangements that would work in a small club. I need to hear these songs in whole to see where they go.
It makes me feel old to hear kids talk of REM as "my father's band",
Can only imagine how my 30-something son will react to that idea - not well I suspect.
He is a long time fan - will ask for his thoughts on the album
****************************************************** My Blueberry Nights soundtrack seems like a must have !
Here's a trailor for the movie - may rent it for the people factor - the finding yourself theme is a little been-there-done-that for me Cast : Norah Jones , Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Rachel Weisz, David Strathairn, Cat Power, Bill Hollis
This was kind of interesting
"My Blueberry Nights" Making Of Documentary Parts 1 through 4 - Embedding disabled by request
Van Morrison's new album Keep It Simple
Some extra tidbits about the main event (for me at least) - excited to get my hands on this one
VM's offical site has the lyrics of all the new songs - - the site won't allow direct linking so will have to follow the path from the home page http://www.vanmorrison.co.uk
“It’s not going to be the same every time – you have to go through the ups and downs,” he continues. “It’s ups and downs, death and rebirth. It’s not going to be easy -- unless you want to be doing the same thing at the same level all the time. I’m not relying on what I did years ago. I’m not a greatest hits act. That’s the difference between me and most of what’s going on in pop music.”
