Davy's Got The Blues

I had missed my previous chance to go see Isle of Man’s blues guitar wunderkind Davy Knowles and his band Back Door Slam a couple of months ago, and I made sure I didn’t take any chances this time. And the kid didn’t let me down. I was in the mood for some fiery blues guitar, and that’s what I got last night at the Rock & Roll Hotel.

Looking a bit like a younger, shaggier version of another English Davy (Jones), the fresh-faced Knowles (22) sounded like Paul Rogers (Bad Company), and played like Stevie Ray.

Back Door Slam kept things pretty basic on bass and drums, leaving plenty of room for the singularly-talented Knowles to lead the way on rhythm and lead guitar. Mixing in covers like Neil Young’s Cortez the Killer” and CSNY’s “Almost Cut My Hair” with originals throughout their set, they were always sure to include the sweet release of a string-bending guitar solo for the audience to eagerly look forward to.

Is Knowles groundbreaking? Not necessarily, but he’s extremely good and soooo young, and it’s very cool to see a rising guitarist up close. Plus, he’s been associating with some old masters in the field, playing and touring with guys like Warren Haynes, Joe Satriani, Jeff Beck, Peter Frampton, so I think we’ve got more good things to look forward to.

A Case of the Fridays - Thanksgiving Edition

Bluesman Bobby Parker will help you get your holiday blues on this Saturday, November 28th at Madam’s Organ in Adams Morgan. With stinging guitar licks and years of experience playing and touring with musicians such as Bo Diddley, Sam Cooke and Chuck Berry, the blues are in his bones, and you can hear it when he plays and when he sings. Born in Lousiana, but a DC-area resident now, check him out above at a Madam’s Organ gig a year ago.

For a folkier sound, check out Elvis Perkins in Dearland at the Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington, DC, Wednesday, December 2nd. With a haunted voice, Perkins and his small band of multi-instrumentalists create beautiful Americana with an air of darkness.

MP3: Shampoo – Elvis Perkins in Dearland

Jason Segal Gets His Swell On

You most likely know Jason Segal as Marshall in How I Met Your Mother or as that dude who wasn't afraid to let it all hang out in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. He bursts into the occasional comedic song or riff on HIMYM, but here he is doing a number a more grandiose scale - accompanied by The Swell Season at their show this past Wednesday. Check it.

Thanks to UnQ for the tip

Eggs Over Easy...

After reading a post by Michael over at I Like Songs. And Songs Like Me awhile back, I was inspired to check and see what a live Lyle Lovett performance was like (thanks, YouTube). I mean, I have his Live In Texas album, but I've always meant to catch one of his shows at Wolf Trap and never have followed through. Anyway, here's a beautiful performance of "Nobody Knows Me" recorded for Austin City Limits back in the 90s.

Matthew Ryan Jams In Fairfax

This past Friday I found out that one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Matthew Ryan, was doing a private house concert nearby, in Fairfax. One of my fellow music bloggers, Pete from Ickmusic, cleared things for my attendance, and my rainy Friday was made.

Driving out I had no idea what the house in question and atmosphere would be like. Turns out it was hosted by some very cool folks at a well-decorated house, and there couldn’t have been more than 20 or so people there. So we’re talking a nice intimate setting, with Matthew Ryan standing up and playing in the living room, hanging out with the everyone the whole evening. How cool is that?

Anyway, the two-set show was excellent. There’s just something so immediate about listening to someone just play and sing directly, and not having to hear their sound sent through a PA system. It was mostly Ryan with his acoustic guitar and a bit of harmonica, and he was in very strong voice. He played a good number of tracks off of his new CD, Dear Lover, and he hit a lot of my old favorites, too (especially enjoyed “Me and My Lover”). The audience got him talking throughout the evening; he’s very compelling to listen to, revealing a few stories about the music industry and answering questions about the logistics of being a musician.

Great evening, and thanks to John for hosting.


Concert photograph courtesy of Ben Maphis

Some Words With Danilo

It's kind of funny. Though I'm more of a rock/pop/blues type of guy I've recently been getting the chance to write about jazz and talk to a couple of top jazz musicians. I just interviewed jazz pianist Danilo Perez here. I must say, he's got some fast fingers, and a very positive outlook on things.

John Gerrard Gets Virtual

Irish artist John Gerrard has got a new exhibit over at the Hirshhorn that combines 360-degree American Dust Bowl photography and gaming software into a rather stark, hypnotic virtual reality. But with all that software power at his disposal, he doesn't even play video games! Check out my interview with him here.

Radiohead in Hi-Def

This is some very nice hi-def footage of a 2008 Radiohead show in Japan. Quality sound, and some very cool lighting, courtesy of the hanging tube lights.

Butch Walker Belongs With You

Watch Butch Walker go into his studio and bust out a jaunty studio cover of Taylor Swift's "You Belong To Me." For the kids, of course.

The Dark Horse

I first came upon Ryan Star in season two of Rock Star (Rock Star: Supernova). Nicknamed “The Dark Horse” by crazy Dave Navarro, I was impressed by his strong finish in the show, but I hadn’t considered what would become of him afterwards. But when I heard his recent recordings, my interest was definitely piqued. Though Star's new album, 11:59, seems to keep getting delayed, several of its new tracks are now available as an EP (Last Train Home) - kind of a teaser until the whole album drops.

Anyway, I just found a very cool video of him performing an acoustic version of the anthemic “Last Train Home” acoustic for a Seattle radio station. And he just released his new single, “Breathe.” Perhaps that bodes well for the new album’s release…

MP3: Last Train Home – Ryan Star

Trey on "Push On Till The Day"

Wow, here’s a very high-quality video of the Trey Anastasio Band live at Bonnaroo ripping through an oh-so-funky “Push On Till The Day.” I just love this song, and Trey just burns it up at the end. Awesome.

Matthew Sweet/Susanna Hoffs CD Giveaway

Power-popper Matthew Sweet and lead Bangle Susanna Hoffs are at it again as duo “Sid N Susie.” Anyway, last time around it was 2006, and they were covering 60s classics. This time, they’ve progressed into the 70s, covering songs by acts like Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart and Mott the Hoople.

They’ll be in the area for two shows – this Sunday, November 8th at the Birchmere, and Monday, November 9th at the Ram’s Head Tavern in Annapolis. And you can win a copy of their new CD, Under the Covers Vol. 2 over at MetroMusicScene.com right here.

Walken Shows His Poker Face

Christopher Walken recites Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" on Jonathan Ross' BBC show...

New Weezer

Weezer's new album, Raditude, drops this Tuesday. But while you wait, you can check out the video for the very poppy and rather catchy "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" here.

Worse Than The Fourth Kind?

As soon as I saw the ads for The Fourth Kind (you know, the ones that list different "kinds" of abductions), I felt they were missing the worst kind.