If This Doesn't Make You Happy, Nothing Will

[mp3] Mavis Staples: "Creep Along Moses"

Had the pleasure of stumbling upon this live the other night -- Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy play their cover of Creedence's "Wrote a Song For Everyone" that's on Mavis' excellent new album You Are Not Alone, out now on Anti. Pick it up if you don't have it. Happy Friday ya bastards. See after the jump for a bonus Friday vid -- if THAT doesn't make you happy, you have no soul. "Beautiful..."

Review: Dr. Dog's Shame, Shame

[mp3] Dr. Dog: "Shadow People"

[mp3] Dr. Dog: "Stranger"

I had the pleasure of talking to Zach Miller, pianist for Philadelphia retro-pop act Dr. Dog, last summer just as his band was about to record its sixth full length album in New York's Catskill Mountains.

In our conversation, I asked Miller if the task ahead of the band - to build upon its enormous success in the last five years, which has seen the quintet steadily rise from Philly's best kept secret to national darling - was daunting. What could the band possibly have in store for the follow-up to 2008's Fate, a career breakthrough that combined modern indie sensibilities with the classic pop of yesteryear?

Miller's reply, after hesitating for a moment to find the right word: "Directness."

At the time, I wasn't quite sure what to make of the answer, given my appreciation for the band's subtle sonic and lyrical touches that have come to enhance - if not define altogether - what Dr. Dog is about.

But eight months later, after spending copious time with Shame, Shame, the album Miller and his band mates wound up recording and another exceptional addition to an already sterling discography, I can't begin to think of a better descriptor.

Shame, Shame, released on Tuesday via Anti- Records, is direct in a way Fate, and 2007's We All Belong before it, were not. Its 11 songs speak to us like a friend would, without pretense or distraction, and are transmitted to us not through the funnel of studio wizardry, but right from the band's mouths and amps to our ears.

For the rest of the review, continue reading after the jump:

 
It was easy on past releases to get lost in the words of co-singers Scott McMicken and Toby Leaman, who coated their lyrics with enough ambiguity that they could mean different things to different listeners. But Shame, Shame is the two writers' most outwardly autobiographical album yet, leaving little to interpretation.

Take a song like "Shadow People," McMicken's vivid account of a desperate night in his West Philly neighborhood, an anthem set to Velvet Underground chords.

"The neon lights on Baltimore / every shadow's getting famous / In some backyard, in some plastic chair / Hoping these cigarettes will save us," McMicken sings, as he searches his street and city for any kindred spirits who might feel the same as he does.

In "Jackie Wants a Black Eye," he finds them in Jackie and John, two bar mainstays perpetually stuck in sad situations, and bonds with them over their mutual anguish. In a perverse, but strangely satisfying consolation, McMicken assures his friends they're "…all in this together / as we all fall apart / swapping little pieces / of our broken little hearts."

Joined by the real-life Jackie and John on the song's powerful coda, McMicken preaches those words as if they were the lonely man's gospel. Sure, it might sound uplifting for these souls to be alone together, but at the end of the day, they're ultimately still alone.

In fact, much of Shame, Shame deals with that isolation, a theme Leaman has chalked up to spending too much of his life on the road and the realization that it's primarily been of his own accord. Leaman's songs on the album deal with the pain of leaving his friends and family at home for long stretches of time (the beautiful country ballad "Station") and confronting himself about the person he's turned into on tour, while the rest of the world moves along without him (the sublime and aptly-titled opener "Stranger").

But don't think Shame, Shame is all gloom and doom. Far from it. The album carries on stylistically right where Fate left off: an exciting, at times euphoric, blend of 1960s and '70s pop with a current spin.

The band has been, ahem, dogged in the past for sometimes wearing its influences too heavily on its sleeve. It's near impossible to read a Dr. Dog review without seeing at least one of three musical benchmarks mentioned: The Beatles, The Beach Boys and The Band.

That's not without reason. It's true: Dr. Dog sounds a lot like those bands. But does it matter when it pays tribute to them - and then expands on their sound - so well?

Go ahead. Spot the references. There are Brian Wilson's California harmonies lurking in the background on nearly every song, John Lennon's spirit and guitar tones on "Later" and a constant energy from the entire ensemble making Shame, Shame sound like a studio version of The Band's famed Last Waltz concert.

But Dr. Dog, under the tutelage of producer Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith) also adds new weapons to its arsenal: a Motown backbeat on "Unbearable Why," a sly R&B groove on the title track and a fractured guitar breakdown at the end of "I Only Wear Blue," to name a few.

Few bands are able to take cues from the past and translate them to the present so effortlessly. Shame, Shame is the document of Dr. Dog continuing to do just that, while managing to shift its lyrical and aural focus from careful to candid at the same time.

Dr. Dog is in the midst of a national headlining tour. The band will come home to Philadelphia on May 13, when it plays the Electric Factory at 8 p.m.

Rare Dylan and The Band. Free Stream. Eat, Eat, Ya Vultures . . .

The Band taught at least a few of us around here how to listen to good music. I dare say those Canadian (and Arkansan) bastards even snatched victory from the jaws of "jam band-dom" in one particular case. Thank god for simple gifts . . . And for free gifts. Wolfgangsvault.com is offering a previously unreleased stream of Dylan and The Band's Valentine's Day, 1974 show at the L.A. Forum. Five million people sent in paid ticket orders by mail for the 650,000 tickets that were available over the course of the tour (in support of Planet Waves). It remains the most demanded concert ticket of all time. Who knew? The new live release has all the Dyan gems one really needs to hear plus some Band staples. Ain't nothin' wrooooong with that...

Photo

-Tim Emmerick, Stark Contributing Writer

Morning Throwback Jam

[mp3] Marvin Gaye: "Baby Don't You Do it"

Many people I'm sure are familiar with the song by The Band "Don't Do It." It leads off The Last Waltz, and is one of The Band's most famous songs. What many perhaps don't know, is that it's a cover. The origional composistion was written by Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland, Brian Holland a crack squad of writers and producers largely responsible for the Motown Sound of The Supremes, Four Tops, Isley Brothers etc etc. So to go along with the amazing Heathers video below, here is a killer version of "Don't Do It" also called "Baby, Don't Don't You Do It" sung by none other than Marvin Gaye. It's interesting to hear how Levon developed the vocal lines and melodies from this version and how the rest of The Band took a driving New Orleans motown beat and added some gritty funk to it. Both versions are tied in my book. Enjoy.  

Happy Birthday Levon!

Yes folks - today is the one and only Levon Helm's birthday. He's 69. Anyone who knows us knows how much we love Levon and his amazing cannon of work, so we're not even going to go into it. You can read our review from one of his Midnight Rambles HERE.

Levon is celebrating his 69th year with the release of Electric Dirt, another amazingly strong collection of vintage Americana songs. Electric Dirt expands the sonic palate from Helm's previous Grammy winning effort Dirt Farmer. Electric Dirt finds Helm drawing more upon his stellar horn section as well as on his chorus of back-up singers including daughter Amy Helm. While the back-up singers can at times sound grating (not sure why) - Electric Dirt's greater emphasis on the soul and R&B chapters of the Americana catalog succeeds for the most part. It's hard not to love everything that Levon touches, but we would have to give it to Dirt Farmer by a nose over Electric Dirt. Yet, for anyone familiar with Levon's work, in The Band or otherwise Electric Dirt is clearly a must buy. It comes out June 30th on Vanguard Records. Happy birthday Levon!

The Big Pink - "Too Young To Love" Video

This came to us via Mike Bailey and Some Velvet Blog. These London natives take their name from the once Woodstock home of The Band...The Big Pink; the home's basement served as a recording studio for the Dylan-Band combination aptly titled, The Basement Tapes. You know it.

As for the song, its got balls and promise. But the video is pretty fucked. There is some nipple, body morphing and strobe light raving. It's pretty good for a mid-Monday, non-caffeinated, wake up.

Wilco + Fleet Foxes + Bob Dylan Cover - Get it Now!

Get it here.

It is a simple point-and-click here, people. Type your name and a valid email address, pledge that you will vote (for the right person hopefully) and download away. The tune you receive, a cover of "I Shall Be Released," (Stark feature anyone? Ha!) conjures up images of a packed Winterland Ballroom, a stage full of music icons, and Bob Dylan in all his glory. Wilco and Fleet Foxes do the tune justice -- layered harmonies seem to be this year's big cheese and both the aforementioned artists know how to produce. Enjoy the seemingly unmatchable, The Band-driven performance in the video above. THIS FILM SHOULD BE PLAYED LOUD!
Fist pump to GVB on this one.


After the jump.

Dr. Dog at Rittenhouse Square

DR. DOG

RITTENHOUSE SQUARE

Philadelphia, PENNSYLVANIA

8.13.08

by ANDREW DANIELS

In "The Way The Lazy Do", a standout track from Dr. Dog's 2007 album We All Belong, co-frontman Scott McMicken sings, "It's just that time of year/ that brings them here." On a beautiful August night in center city Philadelphia, hundreds of music fans and curious passersby gathered together to hear the soulful pop of Dr. Dog. It could've been the weather, like McMicken alludes to in the song. It could've been a chance to encounter one of the country's premier live bands, up close and personal. Or maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was all free. Wednesday night marked the first of four weekly concerts held in Philly's historic Rittenhouse Square, presented by Philadelphia Weekly. The city of brotherly love's own Dr. Dog played a triumphant, rousing hometown show, and by the end of the night had converted an entire park into believers.

Full review and pictures after the jump.
Continue reading...

The band took to the stage -- a modest plywood creation akin to something one would find for picnic entertainment -- around 7:30 p.m., when the sun was just beginning to set. The front and both sides of the stage were lined with throngs of Dr. Dog hardcores, but there was ample room for casual park strollers and those who arrived late to the show to catch a great view. The band opened with "The World May Never Know", the lead-off to 2005's breakout Easy Beat, musing on life's odd -- but ultimately satisfying -- little wonders. They quickly transitioned into "The Old Days", one of the night's first of many cuts from their excellent new album, Fate, just released on Philly's Park The Van. With a chorus simple and catchy enough that even the pets in the park could sing along to ("Down, down, down"..."Thump, thump, thump"..."Chop, chop, chop"...) and a jaunty, speakeasy piano breakdown courtesy of Zach Miller, the song certainly turned heads.


The seamless shift between McMicken's vocals -- dreamy, harsh, Lennonesque -- and fellow songwrtier Toby Leaman's -- husky, soulful, Segeresque? -- executed itself just as well live as it does on record. Take the one-two punch of Fate's "From", a McMicken song, and "Hang On", a Leaman track that followed. The former is a perfect Beatles tune, complete with lilting harmonies and token nonsensical lyrics (choo-choo trains and choo-choo rain), while the latter is a classic rock showcase with tinges of gospel. One of Dr. Dog's best drawing points is their borrowing from so many kindred spirits: quite obviously The Beatles, The Band, and The Beach Boys are all apparent benchmarks, but a closer look will point to influences like Wilco, David Bowie and even James Brown. That "something for everyone" approach is what has carried the band so far in such a short time, and by surveying the diverse crowd in attendance, it's working in droves.

Naturally, as a band armed with a record still in its honeymoon stage, they drew their hour-and-a-half-long set largely from Fate. Ten of that album's 11 songs were present and accounted for, and all translated extraordinarily well. Fate's closing duo of "The Beach" and "My Friend" served as the end to the night's regular set, before the band brought out string and horn players to accompany them on several orchestrated songs. McMicken introduced the players as some of Philly's best musicians, and they proceeded to lend their talents to "Oh No", "Army Of Ancients", "The Breeze", "Uncovering The Old", "Worst Trip", and the crowning closer, "We All Belong." It was clear that this night was special for the band, who proudly performed for their friends and family -- members' parents were in attendance! -- in the city they call home. It was an entertaining and undeniably fulfilling show, capped by enjoying it in an intimate, picturesque and free setting.


Fate is out now on Park The Van Records, and the band embarks on a national tour starting on September 5th in Arlington, Virginia.

Afternoon Coffee w/ Fire on Fire

Fire on Fire , named as one of Stereogum's "Bands to Watch" in 2007, has gone seemingly unnoticed since achieving that distinction. Hailing from Portland, Maine, the band produces a feeling and a sound that is reminiscent of their surroundings: raw and rustic. Their most recent hand-made EP WAS available on Young God Records (YGR), however, it is now sold out. Not all is lost. Available via the YGR website is a free download of what may be the band's most promising track, " Hangman"

The song's hook," You've got to have a friend/ even the worst of men have friends/ even the Hangman has friends", is preceded by full-band backed "la la la"s. The kick drum, jangling tambourine and Band- era mandolin line all push the tune forward. The track is structured like an Arcade Fire song with layered vocals (here, Colleen Kinsella fills the Régine Chassagne role) and eclectic instrumental noise. The difference, though, is that Fire on Fire sounds dirty, like the recording was done in a living room. Enjoy.