One Note Ahead

Farewell.

2010-04-20T21:03:00.004-04:00

You may very well have seen this coming. Then again, maybe not. In the 2009 Year In Review, I discussed the tough year One Note Ahead had, explaining that after reaching a peak of popularity in 2008, ONA slipped in '09 -- and powerful forces seemed to be working against it. But I ended by saying, "As long as people are reading and I have the time, I'll keep ONA going."

About that....

Since last July, I've been trying various methods of attracting and maintaining interest and visibility, and I've been paying close attention to the results. There have been some signs of promise here and there, but it seems that overall, the long-term trend has been a definite decline in both interest and visibility. Readership was not the only key component of this blog to suffer. There have also been too many instances in which I haven't even been able to find new artists to write about -- and too many instances in which it no longer made sense to write about the same artists, either because getting reviewed on ONA no longer mattered to their careers or because my relationships with those artists had reached a point where writing about them would not have been appropriate.

As for time, well, I'm not so sure I have it anymore. Posting on ONA has become a chore: "SJ, remember to put something up on One Note Ahead this month," operating on the premise that posting at least once a month would help to keep readers on board. But since the end of last year, my work as a music publicist has reached exciting, and sometimes exhausting, new levels, and posts on ONA have become rather perfunctory: "Okay, let me just review this so I can get back to work." I truly feel that the quality of my posts has suffered this year, both because of the time factor and the shortage of artists to write about. The new "Top 5 of the Moment" series does not represent the kind of blog One Note Ahead should be.

So after three years and seven months, I am ending One Note Ahead while it still has some dignity. It will remain online for now. You can take this time to look through posts you might have missed. Most of them are good or even great -- and even the ones I'm not proud of are still not bad!

I'd like to take a moment to spotlight the artists who, when all was said and done, gave One Note Ahead its own special character. Not the artists I wrote about once or twice and never mentioned again, talented though they all were, and not the classic artists who have received plenty of coverage elsewhere. I'm talking about the contemporary artists who made a lasting impression to the end of the blog's lifespan and whose music really represents what One Note Ahead did best: championing, often pioneering, great new sounds from artists who lived outside of the proverbial box. In order according to their first ONA appearances, they are:

Matt Duke

SuperJimenez (R.I.P. -- "Rock In Perpetuity," as Artie Wayne would say)

Andrew Lipke

Laura Cheadle

Downtown Harvest

The Swimmers

The Idles

Jim Boggia

Nicole Atkins

Ingrid Michaelson

Jake Snider (don't forget to support him in the College Battle of the Bands!)

April Smith

The Guggenheim Grotto (new song just released: http://www.guggenheimgrotto.com/wisdom/)

Tim McGlone

Diane Birch

Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles

Sharon Little

The Bacon Brothers

Panic Years

Honorable mention to these artists who might've become ONA essentials if they'd only had time:

Butterfly Boucher

Reality Stricken (now known as The Escape)

Tippy Canoe

Chris Bruni

In truth, I must thank all of the artists I've ever covered in any way here because they all gave me something to write about. And I sincerely thank you, the readers, for being an audience and for giving me feedback and support through the years. One Note Ahead has been a pretty amazing journey in itself, but now it is time to travel new roads. Happy trails to you, until we meet again.

Oh, and....rock on!

Copyright © 2010 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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Top 5 of the Moment - 4/17/10

2010-04-17T21:27:00.003-04:00

I was not expecting to do a second installment in this new series so soon after the first, but hey, the times call for it!

1. Jake Snider heading towards the big time?

I told you in January that our buddy Jake Snider is in college in NYC but still comes back home to the Philly area when he gets a chance. That's all still true, but what's also true is that out of thousands of submissions, Jake Snider will be one of a mere three acts representing the New York area in the College Battle of the Bands -- sponsored by AT&T and Gibson! The NY battle happens on the 29th; the winner goes on to the North Semi-Finals in May, whose winner plays the Grand Finale in Las Vegas in June! BUT if you know anything about Battles of the Bands, you know that you need to help the artist advance. In this case, you can go vote for Jake and rate his ONA-favored track "All You Need" here: http://www.collegebattleofthebands.com/Jake_Snider/

More info is available on that page as well.

2. Thom McCarthy

Quickly becoming a celebrity on the Philly music scene, this guy is not your average singer/songwriter. Proof? His brand-new EP is called I Lost Half My Album & My Favorite Hat in the '92 Flood. It's like someone mixed folk, soul, and showtunes that are not at all ready for Broadway but will be appreciated someday by future generations. Except these tunes are being appreciated NOW by a growing number of Philly music fans, as demonstrated by the crowd's raucous singing along at Thom's EP release earlier this month. Yeah, I was there, wailing right along with everyone else, and you might be doing the same thing if you ever make it to one of his shows. Just don't talk loudly while he's playing....he doesn't like that.

http://www.myspace.com/thommccarthy
http://www.facebook.com/thommccarthy

3. Dani Mari

If you read One Note Ahead enough, you know how I feel about Jersey Girls. Especially Jersey Girls who can sing. For about three years, I've watched and listened as this Jersey Girl shared her fascinating songcraft and developed into a hell of a singer, bringing an endearing quirky jazz slant to her pop-sensible folk-rock. And she always seems to be organizing events or hosting Open Mic's, so if you're trying to avoid her....good luck. She's got a big music video and an album in the pipeline, but meanwhile, enjoy the catchy and haunting single "Vampire," which you can find on iTunes.

http://www.myspace.com/danimarirock

4. So you wanna make money in the music business?

World Cafe sent this out through Facebook yesterday. Some artists say they make more money from selling CDs at shows than they do from online record sales, but I never realized just how true that could be: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/04/chart-of-the-day-4.html#more

5. The mysterious Mr. Gibson revealed!

I started with a Battle of the Bands sponsored by Gibson, so I'll end with a musician named Gibson. Years ago, I picked up an oldies CD of questionable legitimacy which contained a mysterious instrumental entitled "Midnight," the artist identified as "Johnny Gibson." I had no idea who he was, but the instrumental, fast-paced beat and dramatic orchestration aside, was simple, basic rhythm & blues. Or so I thought until I tried to play it by ear and realized it was a lot more complex than it seemed. But who was Johnny Gibson? All I could find was that he was an R&B pianist and that "Midnight" was a minor hit in 1962. And I couldn't find a clean copy of that track to save my life.

Well, there is a clean copy available on iTunes now, on Twirl Records Story Volume 3. (There is also an entire Johnny Gibson comp on iTunes, but "Midnight" is a scratchy vinyl dub on that one.) And there is now a bio of Johnny Gibson which has me intrigued enough to want to check out his other recordings.

Here's "Midnight" for the uninitiated:

And here is the informative bio: http://home.comcast.net/~twirlrecords/johnnygibson.html

And that's my Top 5 of the Moment!

Text copyright © 2010 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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Top 5 of the Moment - 3/29/10

2010-03-29T22:01:00.006-04:00

As much as I love the "One Video Ahead" and "Now Hear This!" series, I must say they can be a bit constricting. So while those series will continue, I've decided to start a new one to share whatever I happen to be into at the moment, as long as it's relevant to music.

1. Liam and Me - "Say It Out Loud"

It seems as though everyone I know in the music business already loves this band. Maybe I just know a lot of people with good taste. I haven't seen Liam and Me in person yet, and so far they only have one single out -- but what a single! "Say It Out Loud" sure is some snappy, melodic pop-rock with sly lyrics; it's got "hit" written all over it. Also, you know that I rarely enjoy music videos, but I genuinely like this one!

2. "Somewhere" in '60s pop music

So how great is West Side Story, anyway? Well, I don't know.....I've never seen a dancing, singing gang in real life.....but how about those songs? "Somewhere" has long been one of my favorite tunes of all time, and lately I've been thinking about two rather quirky hit versions from the 1960s. The best-known to American audiences, as well as the easiest for us in the US to find, is by Len Barry, done in a stomping Motownish style with some downright odd vocal acrobatics and....recognize that horn riff in the intro? It's one of those records that shouldn't work, but does.

And then there's P.J. Proby's version, a minor hit in the US but a sensation in the UK. I could go to the trouble of describing just how he came up with this interpretation, but those would be mere words, and mere words cannot do it justice. It just has to be heard to be believed:

There's also a very good, albeit much less quirky, version by The 4 Seasons, from their Entertain You album. Any other '60s pop versions I should know about?

3. Birdie Busch

She's a favorite on the Philly music scene, and I've recently come to understand why. This delicate-voiced young woman excels at writing songs that are intelligent without being pretentious, and can she ever play some rootsy guitar. And as if her musical talents weren't enough, she keeps us both entertained and enlightened with her fascinating musings on her blog: http://birdiebusch.blogspot.com/ I must admit to being a late-comer to her fan base, but better late than never, right?

4. Ringooooo!!!!!

Ringo Starr's solo work seems to be extremely polarizing; just look at the comments below any of his online videos. Okay, so his solo talents don't quite measure up to those of his former bandmates, but he has come up with some charming and even moving material over the years. "Walk With You," the lead single from his new album Y Not, has received a lot of attention for featuring a prominent harmony vocal from Paul McCartney. That's all well and good, but if you ask me, it deserves to be recognized as a genuinely good song, too! Its message about the triumph of love and friendship is just what we need in these times of bitter discord. To hear two old friends, who happen to be the only surviving members of the Fab Four, sing it together just adds an extra layer of poignancy. Yes, these guys are truly survivors, and it's comforting to hear two of The Beatles' voices together again.

I don't have the whole album as of yet, but Ringo recently did a great World Cafe interview about it: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123380813

5. Makes no difference if the man in the mirror is black or white.

The question that has puzzled us for decades: did Michael Jackson really have a skin disorder or did he deliberately make his skin lighter? The answer to both questions is: yes. If you haven't heard the news, check it out: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100327/ap_on_en_mu/us_michael_jackson_investigation

While you're at it, compare that article to this one. I don't remember how or when I found it, but it really makes you think: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090716f1.html

And that is today's Top 5 of the Moment!

Text copyright © 2010 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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EP Review: The Panic Is On!

2010-03-22T22:04:00.004-04:00

"And all I want is to go farther than my mouth will let me." (from "Farther")

If we think of life and its soundtrack as part of a continuum, the past few months in the One Note Ahead universe have made perfect sense. For example, at the end of 2009, Panic Years' self-titled debut and Reality Stricken's Signal Fire ran neck-and-neck in the "EP of the Year" stakes, with Panic Years getting the nod. Here I am three months later, now Reality Stricken's publicist, beginning another phase of campaigning on their behalf but taking a little time out to review Panic Years' second EP.

Finally, Today Is Tomorrow is not a radical departure from the first EP. Yes, the band's influences are somewhat more pronounced this time around, Foo Fighters and Silversun Pickups in particular, but Panic Years still don't really sound like anyone else to my ears. The basic elements that made the band so special in the first place are still here: fluid-but-driving guitars, complex drumming patterns, raw vocals, and the juxtaposition of beautiful melodies with downbeat lyrics.

However, Finally is not a mere retread of the eponymous debut. Finally has a more straightforward rock sound overall, with a greater focus on electric guitars and drums presented more aggressively in the mix. Considering what singer Ed Everett does to his voice, it's a wonder he even has one left, but on this EP he explores new dimensions of it: from soft near-whispering to throaty growling to shouting like Mick Jagger, as well as the pained screaming we so loved on the first record. There is also a higher level of complexity to the song structures and arrangements, although this seems a natural progression given that the songs and arrangements on Panic Years were hardly simple.

EPs are proving to be an ideal medium for this band, with two strong five-song collections that have their own identities and personalities. It'll be interesting to see where Panic Years go next artistically, but meanwhile they will be literally going a few places to celebrate tomorrow's release of Finally, Today Is Tomorrow. Catch them on Volta Radio tomorrow night, March 23rd, at 7:30 PM (EDT) and on Radio 104.5 Friday, March 26th, at 5 PM (EDT). If you're free that night, at least 21, and can get there and back home, consider their CD release show at North Star in Philly.

For music and more info: http://www.myspace.com/panicyears
Panic Years EP review: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2009/08/spotlight-on-panic-years.html

Copyright © 2010 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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Album Review: Bruni Is "Here"

2010-02-05T20:31:00.004-05:00

In a blog entry on MySpace last year, Philly singer/songwriter Chris Bruni wrote: "Just a reminder, I've posted yet another song from my new album for you to take a listen. This song is called 'Use It.' I suppose it's somewhat political, but not necessarily. Take it however you'd like to, I just hope you like it."

That laid-back vibe pretty much dominates on Chris' second album, I've Been Here, though you'd hardly know it from the work he put into this thing. It's an increasingly familiar storyline for recording artists these days: he and his label parted ways, and he turned to his fans to fund the recording and manufacturing of his next album, getting some local heavy-hitters to help him bring his musical vision to life. The finished product sounds great; I've previously praised Tim Sonnefeld's skills as a producer and I'm not about to stop now.

I've Been Here presents Chris as a soul-influenced folk-rock singer/songwriter with a touch of David Gray in his voice and a knack for writing lyrics that paint pictures in your mind but are also open to interpretation. It's a pretty mellow affair by Chris' own admission, so don't go running to this album if you're looking to rock out; personally, it's helped me to wind down a bit during some hectic times in my work life! Some of the highlights for me so far are as follows: "Too Late," with downbeat lyrics and exquisite cello from our friend Krista Nielsen -- you know, Andrew Lipke's cellist; "Bobby Run," a moody, rootsy story-song in the finest folk tradition; the romantic drama "Standing By Your Room," superbly performed as a duet with local fave Laura Shay; and the uptempo "4th of July," with Chris' rhythmic vocal delivery.

For music and more:
http://chrisbrunimusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/chrisbruni
http://www.sonicbids.com/chrisbruni

Copyright © 2010 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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Now Hear This! - Vol. 4

2010-01-30T22:46:00.006-05:00

It's been a few months since I've compiled a list of earworms for you, but let's get to it! As always, these are not exactly chart-toppers, and as always, I'll choose at least three newer ones and just as many older ones. These tracks can all be downloaded legally -- or at least streamed on an authorized website.

Newer

"Tell Me What I Have To Do," The Bacon Brothers (available on New Year's Day)

Remember how I reviewed The Bacon Brothers' XPN festival performance last year and how I included an entire TV program of same in my 2009 Video Time Capsule, yet I never once spotlighted any of their songs in particular? Uuuuhhhhh......my bad. For my Philly peeps, the title track to the Bacons' latest album is a wonderful celebration of a local tradition, but the rest of y'all out there probably have no clue what a Mummer is, so I'm choosing a more universal song that I also can't get out of my head. "Tell Me What I Have To Do" is an aggressive-yet-gentle folk-rocker in which Michael Bacon mumbles his way through some off-the-wall musings about unrequited love. Great harmonies and tasty harmonica round out the package.

"Balboa," Downtown Harvest (available on Discovering Dinosaurs)

Taking care of more unfinished business from 2009, you might recall a few news updates about DTH's new album. Oddly, a PR rep for the band told me that Valentine's Day is its official release date, but check your favorite digital music store and you'll probably find it now. There are a few "earworms" on this one, including the album's opener, "Balboa." Adroit vocal trade-offs, a funky jazz-rock sound, and lyrics that are either sexy or criminal (perhaps both) make this track a must-hear.

"Don't Let Me Forget," Charlotte O'Connor (availability details below)

My friend Katie recently spotlighted this artist on her blog and even picked this song as a winner, so I had to hear what all the fuss was about. This young British singer/songwriter has a major label deal and is working on her first album, but she has already built up quite a following and played many shows. And yes, Katie is right: "Don't Let Me Forget" is a gem. Breezy mainstream pop, yes, but good breezy mainstream pop with heartfelt lyrics and some nice vocal moments. It just works, but you can't get a copy of it yet: you'll have to listen on Charlotte's MySpace. Incidentally, if you go to her website and register, you get a free download; hoping to get "Don't Let Me Forget," I was offered "Move On" instead. Not a bad song, but "Forget" is gold.

Older

"Stranger With A Black Dove," Peter and Gordon (available on Peter and Gordon [1966])

More unfinished business from 2009! Remember how, when Gordon Waller passed away, I named this "sublimely abstract" song as a prime example of Peter and Gordon's songwriting talent? Well, it's not my fault that it took so long to get onto iTunes! It was actually intended as the A-side of the single, but got flipped over with "There's No Living Without Your Loving" taking top honors. Pity, because "Black Dove" is one of those 1960s folk-pop songs with strangely mystical lyrics that make you remember just why the '60s were such a special decade for popular music. On a personal note, I'm thrilled that I no longer have to listen to my scratchy vinyl copy -- or anyone else's!

"Help Me Find A Way (To Say I Love You)," Little Anthony & The Imperials (available on The Best of Little Anthony & The Imperials [Capitol Records - not the Rhino label comp])

I've spent half my life as a fan of Little Anthony & The Imperials -- an unusual thing for a 28-year-old to say, but it's true! However, I only recently discovered this minor hit from 1970 which hasn't always made it onto the group's greatest hits compilations. Here in Philly, Thom Bell worked soul magic with vocal bands that weren't necessarily heavy on talent, but Little Anthony & The Imperials sure could sing. And they were veterans by this time, having been on the charts every now and then since 1958. The assured professionalism of the group, combined with the elegant touch of Thom Bell, made for a great overlooked Philly soul record. Anthony really hammed it up with his lead vocal, but in so doing he brought a lot of depth out of a song that was pretty simple on its surface.

"The Dedication Song," Freddy Cannon (available on Boom Boom Rock 'n' Roll - The Best of Freddy Cannon)

They should prescribe Freddy Cannon's records as antidepressants! His specialty was and still is loud and proud all-American rock 'n' roll, and he had his biggest hits at times when America sure needed them: the period of 1959-1963, when rock 'n' roll had been beaten into submission thanks to the payola scandals and other unfortunate developments; and 1964-65, when the British Invasion was knocking many American artists off the charts. But by 1966, the Boom Boom Man was falling out of fashion as well, and the rowdy "Dedication Song" stalled just outside of the Billboard Top 40. It was Freddy's last Hot 100 hit until 1981, but what a way to go out: a crazed, hyperactive arrangement and ol' Freddy's typically raw vocals delivering a tune that paid homage to the rock 'n' roll deejays who made dedications for their teen listeners. This Russ Regan composition is a timely song now that radio deejays just ain't what they used to be.....

Freddy Cannon fans, check out this recent, extraordinary retrospective and interview with Ronnie Allen: http://www.jerseygirlssing.com/RonnieRadioPage.html#Freddy%20Cannon

Text copyright © 2010 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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EP Review: Definitely Not "Idle"

2010-01-17T21:12:00.005-05:00

"The rain is comin' down to clean the streets / Wash away the liars, wash away the cheats" (from "The Surge")

Way back in March of 2008, I introduced you to a self-described "dirty rock 'n' roll" band out of Liverpool called The Idles. These days, The Idles are still turning out music for those who like their rock 'n' roll loud, raw, and unpretentious. Their new EP, Arrogance Through Ignorance (Forty Six Records), is a professional studio effort with all the requisite sonic polish, but while many bands would sound watered down in such a context, The Idles sound brash and powerful. New member Aaron Sawyer's drums are particularly forceful in these mixes, while the fluidity of Matthew Freeman's rhythm guitar takes on new significance.

"Powder" is an excellent example of the band's tremendous playing, while Ben Hartland's soulful, raspy vocals are best displayed on "Changing Faces." This song is similar musically to "Rock 'n' Roll Room Service" from their demo EP Dirty Rock 'n' Roll, but while "Room Service" was badass and snotty, "Changing Faces" accomplishes the more impressive feat of being tender while still rocking. As for "Everyday I'm A Rockstar," which the band previewed online last year, its double-edged lyrics will keep you amused for months.

Most bands need to grow or expand stylistically so they don't become stale, so it's nice to hear The Idles change things up with "The Surge," a moody, bluesy shuffle with vivid lyrical imagery.

The release of Arrogance Through Ignorance was delayed twice, but you can find it now on iTunes and Amazon. Get it while the getting's good.

For music and more info: http://www.myspace.com/theidlesrocknroll

[revised January 20, 2010]

Copyright © 2010 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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One Video Ahead: Teddy and Bobby (Not Kennedy)

2010-01-14T21:11:00.004-05:00

Our first "One Video Ahead" of 2010 is yet another poignant entry in the series, and remember that the volume varies on these clips and they might not be available forever. That said, you may have heard the news by now: two of the greats of R&B just passed away, and neither one of them should be sent off without some major props for their contributions.

In the realm of Philly soul, Teddy Pendergrass was one of the tops. Sure, the group that made him famous was called Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, and he was not their first lead singer or their last. But his voice, with a little help from Gamble and Huff, propelled the Blue Notes to their greatest heights:

Pendergrass went on to have a successful solo career, but a horrible car accident in 1982 left him paralyzed from the waist down. What always struck me about him was that as he continued to perform post-injury, he still had an obvious love of performing:

If you are interested in learning more, here's a good two-part feature on Teddy and his spinal cord injury from 2007: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSE6QQUHUME&feature=related (Part One) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cUXHyQTHHo&feature=related (Part Two)

We've also just lost Robert Charles Guidry, better known as Bobby Charles. Either of his names seems ubiquitous when looking through the history of Louisiana music. A reclusive, somewhat mysterious singer and songwriter, Charles recorded the original version of his composition "See You Later, Alligator," which became a hit when Bill Haley and His Comets covered it in a rock 'n' roll style. Charles went on to write more classics of the early rock 'n' roll era and later worked with luminaries like The Band and Dr. John. Here are some of his greatest hits:

Bobby Charles - "See You Later, Alligator"

Bill Haley - "See You Later, Alligator"

Fats Domino - "Walkin' To New Orleans"

Clarence "Frogman" Henry - "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do"

For more on Bobby Charles, check out this excellent article: http://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/2010/01/bobby_charles_louisiana_songwr.html

Rock on, Bobby and Teddy. Rock on!

Text copyright © 2010 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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Album Review: Ultimate Jake

2010-01-10T17:56:00.011-05:00

I first reviewed Jake Snider in September of 2008, and if you've been following One Note Ahead since then, you might be a tad confused by the release of an ostensibly new Jake Snider album featuring a lot of familiar song titles. I'll clear it all up for you, but first let me say that if you're new to Jake Snider, you should check out his eponymous full-length. Here's a young singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who most definitely does not fit the bland teenybopper profile that dominates the radio these days. The Jake Snider album showcases his jazz, soul, piano pop, and classical influences at their best, with lyrics that are intelligent without being pretentious. Go to enough Jake Snider shows and you'll see a frequent supporting cast including sax-playing brother Cary Snider, bass picker and drum basher Jeff Berman, harmony queen Emily Bach, and bass jam-master Ben Berry; they're all on this album, as is Eric Bazilian. Yes, you read right.

What about this album's specific contents?

=> Two tracks on Jake Snider, "How?" and "Prisoner of the Alley," appeared previously on Jake's debut EP Green Lights For Granted. These songs contain some of Jake's darkest lyrics -- for example, "Alley" features lines like "Call me slave of the street, but I don't want no more sympathy; sympathy just makes me lonely." Back in the day, I wrote that "the glorious 'How?' needs little adornment to cement its position as a sublime slice of jazz-pop," and I still stand by that. A third title, "To the Ocean," sure looks familiar but don't be fooled: the version featured on Green Lights was a polished studio recording, whereas the version on Jake Snider is Jake's original rough demo. I can't really say which one is better; it's the first Jake Snider song I really fell for, so I'll probably be a sucker for it in any form.

=> "All You Need," "The Seven," "The Day I Got Old," "Headmasters of the Past," and the instrumental "King's Cross" first appeared on a limited-release EP called The Seven. Though I announced last October that the EP would get a large-scale release, it was handed out at certain shows and that's all. Jake described it as being influenced by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'm no Harry Potter buff, but "Headmasters of the Past" certainly relies on a J.K. Rowling connection, and I'll guess that "The Seven" does, too. The others can be enjoyed absent any literary context. This goes especially for the amazing "All You Need," whose elaborate structure and arrangement complement, rather than overshadow, the song's message: "And we stand, you know love is a mountain, the higher you climb, the slower time is taken away."

=> Completely new to this album are the songs "City Blues," "Something Beautiful," "Rewind," and "Moment In Yours." "Something Beautiful" and "Rewind" exemplify the magic that takes place when Jake combines his mood-shifting compositions with Jeff's jazzy drumming and Emily's warm voice. I want so badly to write off "Moment In Yours" as piano lounge mush, but I can't; it's just too sincere in its delicate beauty. "City Blues" is a moody, funky masterpiece, with Cary's scat-like sax technique used to satisfying effect.

=> Three worthy songs still available on Green Lights For Granted are not here: "Early Morning Somewhere," "Mr. Hemingway," and "Say Farewell." Your life will go on.

Jake Snider is in college in New York City these days, but he comes back home to the Philly area when he gets a chance. So if you live in or near either of those places, keep your eyes out for him because he is well worth seeing in person. Meanwhile, the Jake Snider album is available on CD Baby and iTunes.

For music and more information: http://www.snidercreative.com/ or http://www.myspace.com/jakesnidermusic

Copyright © 2010 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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ONA Year In Review: 2009

2009-12-11T23:35:00.003-05:00

Click here for the 2009 Video Time Capsule.

Sometimes you have to hit bottom in order to learn what's really important to you. And did One Note Ahead ever hit bottom in 2009! Since ONA's inception in October of '06, I'd used MySpace to promote it. There were occasional problems with MS, but they were short-lived. Then during the first 3 or 4 months of 2009, ONA suffered a two-sided indignity: MS blocked all links to ONA, redirecting users to a page claiming that ONA was "very naughty" and was most likely a spamming, phishing, or virus website. (In truth, the problem was that certain other sites on this webhost were allegedly problematic, leading MySpace to block the entire domain -- this problem still exists on occasion.)

While the content and readership of ONA in 2008 were solid, I'd lost sight of the diversity that used to characterize the blog. As a result, I lost a lot of the diversity in my readership. Without realizing this, I just so happened to start reintroducing diversity into the blog -- but there wasn't necessarily an audience for it. I had to find a diverse readership once again, and I had to do so by deliberately posting more material that would interest different kinds of people.

I tried new methods of promoting ONA and tracking its visibility. Some of them worked, but jumping on yet another social networking bandwagon didn't do much good. Yes, One Note Ahead's Facebook page got a nice little group of "fans" including some ONA musicians, but it hasn't gone viral as I'd hoped. Despite the woes of MySpace, people apparently prefer it for keeping up with ONA.

I never wanted to give up One Note Ahead, but in July I decided that if it didn't appear to be back on the upswing by October, I'd end it before the year was out. The year is nearly over now; One Note Ahead isn't.

And now, some of the highs and lows of 2009.

My favorite ONA lines from 2009:

[about SuperJimenez] Then there's "Rescue Remedy," in which drummer Daz Coen lays down a subtle trip-hop beat and lead singer Ronan Cunningham comes in crooning a Dido-ish melody; this shouldn't work, but it does. (from Album Review: A Jimenez Most Super)

[about Bojibian] Incidentally, they're named in honor of rock legends Bo Diddley and Jibi Hendrix. Not buying that? Okay, fine: they're actually named after Armenian financier A. Randolph Bojibian, who funded their first recording session. Okay, fine! In truth, "Bojibian" doesn't mean anything. (from Now Hear This! - Vol. 2)

[about Matt Duke at the XPN festival, with Tim McGlone in his band] He also turned the lead spotlight over to Tim for one song, McGlone's catchy "Hollywood." During this number, a friend of mine was grooving along but nevertheless leaned over to me and said, "Not as good as Duke!" Well.....who is? (from XPoNential Function, Part One)

[about Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles at the XPN festival] Meeting them afterwards, I found them to be every bit as fun and funny as they were on stage. Smart, too: Sarah had introduced a slowish number by saying that slow songs are a great way to get to know the person next to you, if you get her drift. Maybe so, but it was actually during a fast number that I found a new dancing partner, and I told Sarah as much after the show. "Did you meet someone?" asked Sarah with a surprising amount of enthusiasm, to which I replied, "I did! During 'Stop and Think It Over,' I believe." After getting over her enthusiasm, Sarah admonished, tongue somewhat in cheek, "Well: Stop! And think it over before you do anything." (from XPoNential Function, Part One)

[about Illinois at the XPN festival] My XPN member newsletter refers to them as "indie-rockers." Oh, really? At the festival, they played a stompin' folk-rock raveup, then a number with hip-hop beats and heavy synthesizers, then a piano ballad; their last song was a funky thang with a banjo and ear-splitting electric guitars. This ain't no indie-rock band. (from XPoNential Function, Part Two)

Michael is an extremely prolific film and TV composer. Kevin is a movie star. So are The Bacon Brothers any good or are they just trading on their success in other endeavors? Well........they're actually good! (from XPoNential Function, Part Two)

Norristown, PA, a scenic train ride from Philadelphia, is home to an up-and-coming bunch of rockers known as Reality Stricken. The title of their latest EP, Signal Fire, is fitting because.....this stuff is hot! (from EP Review: Get Stricken!)

And the "Please don't ever die again!" award goes to: (drumroll, please) Michael Jackson. A lot of people have complained that MJ was sent off too positively: many of his fans let him off the hook for things they'd hold against anyone else, and some in the media suddenly stopped treating him as a sideshow and started treating him as a saint just because he was dead. All true, but in my circle, the problem was not that people sent him off too positively; the most outspoken actually acted as if he never did anything good in his life, acknowledging his talent reluctantly if at all. One needn't approve of his personal behavior to feel a sense of loss now that he's dead; Frank Sinatra and James Brown didn't have the cleanest hands, but they were damn good (and extremely significant) artists -- their deaths affected me on that level. Though Michael Jackson reached a previously unseen level of public bizarreness, I can only judge him so much; I never even met the guy, and I really cannot know all the details of what happened in his personal life. I was appalled that normally reasonable people who were in the same boat nevertheless tore into MJ and anyone who stood up for his right to have an artistic legacy. I don't care whether MJ's detractors intended to take their anger out on appreciators of his talent; bottom line is, a lot of them did. The so-called debates that raged in the first 24 hours following MJ's death were good only for turning friends into enemies and complete strangers into instant adversaries -- I literally lost my appetite. One such "debate" started immediately after MJ's death had been confirmed, when one of my Facebook friends posted a status update which read: "One more child molester off the street." In response, ONA-approved Jim Boggia made the only worthwhile contribution that anyone (myself included) ended up making to the ensuing comment thread: "It was Off The Wall. Know your history."

EP of the Year: Eligible EP's are contemporary releases which I own and gave full reviews or referred to repeatedly on ONA in 2009: Tim Laigaie's Out of Focus, Jake Snider's The Seven, Panic Years' eponymous debut, and Reality Stricken's Signal Fire. These are all good, but the two strongest contenders are Panic Years and Signal Fire. Signal Fire is simply a mind-blowing rock EP, a non-stop wild rush of face-melting mania with sophisticated songwriting and excellent production. Then again, Panic Years presents a sound that's hard to describe and even harder to forget: derivative in theory, distinctive in practice; raw and crude on the surface, beautiful and delicate at heart. Both releases are all killer, no filler affairs whose songs reveal more and more depth with every listen, and anyone who wants proof that some of today's best rock music can be found in Philly needs to hear these EP's. That said, I'm gonna risk my hide and give the nod to Panic Years. Incorporating a wider range of influences than Signal Fire, Panic Years is more representative of what I've actively sought to embrace with ONA this year, namely the synthesis of diverse elements into one complex-yet-accessible whole.

Album of the Year: Same eligibility criteria as EP of the Year. Candidates are The Guggenheim Grotto's Happy The Man, SuperJimenez's BANG, Butterfly Boucher's Scary Fragile, Tim McGlone's Street Sounds, Diane Birch's Bible Belt, Tippy Canoe & the Paddlemen's Parasols & Pekingese, and The Swimmers' People Are Soft. Wow, a lot of interesting albums here, and a lot of fascinating stories surrounding them, but this award must go to Happy The Man. Unless you're a close friend of mine, you have no idea how miserable I was in January. Then I listened to Happy The Man, and for a young man going through (cliche coming in three...two...one...) a major existential crisis, it was a life-changing experience. It didn't answer all my questions, nor was it alone in helping me come to better understandings about life, but it did give me quite a lot to think about and it soothed my wounds while I was thinking. Besides, it really is a consistently great album; to my ears, there are no throwaway tracks. While I can say the same thing about Scary Fragile and People Are Soft, Happy The Man gets the edge because of its profundity and, like the Panic Years EP, its effortless synthesis of surprisingly diverse musical elements.

That said, I am extremely happy that my Scary Fragile review was quoted in a Butterfly Boucher press release (although as of this date, typing in onenoteahead.com will only get you here indirectly -- but it's the thought that counts!).

Must-Hear Track of the Year: "Breakdown" by Tim McGlone. This was the first track I raved about in the Now Hear This! series, and with damn good reason! While I'm at it...

Live Moment of the Year: Tim McGlone and The Turn were performing at World Cafe Live's Beta Hi-Fi Festival. Going from memory, I'd say the date was August 17th. Audience members voted for their nightly favorites, and Tim and the Turn won. Not surprising considering the level of showmanship: for the dramatic reprise on his closing song "Confidence," Tim slung his guitar behind his back, grabbed his mic from out of the stand, stepped onto a vacant chair in front of the stage, then stepped onto the vacant table in front of that chair, leaned back, and shouted: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I GOT this WAY with CON-fidence!" He sure did.

2009 has been a rough year, but we sure have had some excellent music to talk about here! I thank you all for either standing by One Note Ahead, coming back to it, or getting into it this year and I hope you'll stick around for next year. As long as people are reading and I have the time, I'll keep ONA going. All the best for whatever holidays you're celebrating and as always, stay tuned -- you never know what'll be on One Note Ahead next!

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

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One Video Ahead: 2009 Time Capsule

2009-12-11T22:10:00.006-05:00

As previously announced, I decided not to do One Note Ahead Live this year, but I did decide to make a video time capsule with a mix of videos. Not all of these videos are from 2009, but they are all about artists I've featured here in 2009. Not every ONA artist from this year will be included; basically, these are current artists who interest me most and/or have the best relevant videos online.

Let's start with two from last year's holiday season:

Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles previewing "Do It For Free"

Sharon Little (and Scot Sax) performing "Follow That Sound" -- http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4649951n

Now that we've got you in the holiday spirit, let's move on...

Panic Years profile and performance (I was there when this live footage was shot)

The Guggenheim Grotto performing "Her Beautiful Ideas"

The Swimmers performing "A Hundred Hearts"

Tim McGlone and The Turn performing "Breakdown" -- http://www.vimeo.com/5008389

Butterfly Boucher performing "Gun For A Tongue" -- http://vimeo.com/5614051

And to close, two particularly interesting pieces.

Tippy Canoe in the super-cool music video for "Mass Transmissions"

And finally, some of The Bacon Brothers' XPN festival set was packaged as an episode of the PBS TV series On Canvas. If you watch this episode, look towards the bottom right-hand corner during the performance segments....see if you can spot a certain dancing machine wtih a 'fro and a striped shirt.....(ahem) -- http://video.whyy.org/video/1316777670/

Continue to the Year In Review.

Text copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

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Big News: 3 ONA Favorites

2009-11-25T14:37:00.013-05:00

Just when I thought there was no news left to publish, huge news came my way from three One Note Ahead mainstays. Ready?

=> On an uplifting note, The Idles are gearing up to release their new EP, Arrogance Through Ignorance, and you can get a taste in advance. The official statement from the band's MySpace bulletin:

Its been a while, but we've been well and truly busy finishing the EP and getting it just right. We've put a sneak peek for you, so head to our MySpace page for a listen. Let us know what you think.

The full EP is out for release on iTunes and all other digital providers online on the 14th December, with the official launch party in Liverpool at the Masque on the 12th, everyone's invited so come along and bring your friends, you don't wanna miss it.

So all my Liverpool readers, mark your calendars! For all of you in the rest of the world, the MySpace preview consists of snippets of the new tracks. I know The Idles are up for a review, so I expect the EP to be one of the first releases I review in 2010.

=> You know how big a supporter I've been of Drexel University's MAD Dragon Records. I even had the pleasure of working in conjunction with MDR as a publicist last fall (click here for details). And with MDR being one of the most buzzed-about labels on the Philly scene, you'd think this next news item would be getting more attention. As it was, it went right over my head and I needed some actual MDR folks to point it out to me. From Philadelphia City Paper, issue dated November 12, 2009:

Major stuff: [Ropeadope Records founder Andy Hurwitz] — Baby Loves Disco-tech, Temple U teacher, Piazza at NoLibs booker/broker — left those latter two jobs up north (but never the 'Dopey) for points west: He'll start a gig teaching at Drexel and running Mad Dragon records, home of The Swimmers, Andrew Lipke, etc. This all means that mad Terry Tompkins was let go from the Dragon but stays on as professor at DU.
(http://citypaper.net/articles/2009/11/12/icepack)

This almost coincides with a vague statement on MDR's MySpace page, dated September 5, 2009: As the summer draws to an end, we at MDR are keeping busy supporting our artists and staying on top of label business. We are also saying goodbye to a few dear staff members...

What is the ultimate meaning of all this? Good question. The rumor mill is already grinding away, and I'm not about to contribute to it. But having an inside track to MDR, I can say that the label's going through a major transitional period. The end of Terry Tompkins' reign as President of MAD Dragon's record division signifies the end of an era from an ONA-centric perspective. From the first Matt Duke feature over three years ago, Terry was a big part of the label and even set up a couple of ONA reviews himself. But then again, certain other people who were also part of the label in 2006 are still part of the label today, and they're still committed to supporting real talent that deserves more exposure. Given Ropeadope's reputation as a cutting-edge label, and Andy Hurwitz's involvement in innovative endeavors, it's difficult to predict what direction MAD Dragon Records will take next. But I can't imagine it'll be boring. Meanwhile, don't forget the Dragon! The Swimmers' excellent People Are Soft is the label's latest release.

=> Reaching back to 2006 for another longtime ONA favorite, I'm afraid I have some sad news: SuperJimenez have called it quits. The news came rather abruptly through MySpace via frontman Ronan Cunningham:

Superjimenez are no more

Thanks to everyone who said something nice.
Thanks to DJ's and fans that played and sang our songs.
Thanks to promoters and festivals for giving us stage time.
Thanks for the good reviews.

To the begrudgers...fuck you all.

Music is a tough business. To everyone who ever picks up a guitar or writes a song in search of fame, glory or whatever reason, I wish you all the luck in the world.

No regrets, I may be back myself at some stage.

I think I sometimes oversold the band, but when they were at their best, I thought they made brilliant pop/rock and I thought they deserved to find an audience beyond Ireland. But Ronan is right: music is a tough business. Remember, these guys went through hell just to get one album made, dealing with record label issues and having to fight the Irish government for nine months to get their Australian lead guitarist back. So not every last track in their small catalogue is the stuff of legend; they still leave behind a lot of wonderful tunes that should not pass into obscurity. Get thee to iTunes while the goods are still there.

Well, this news bulletin has been dramatic! Unless some more big updates come a-knockin', here's what I have planned for the rest of 2009:

There will be no One Note Ahead Live this year. I'd love to do it, but I'm not pleased with most of the relevant live videos.

There will be a big year-end wrap-up, possibly in two parts.

There will be no more new reviews in 2009, but there may be new entries in the "Now Hear This!" and "One Video Ahead" series.

I'm really looking forward to wrapping up 2009 in high style and kicking off 2010 in even higher style. Thank you for reading and stay tuned!

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

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One Note Ahead Update #3

2009-11-09T22:53:00.002-05:00

It's time once again for updates on some of our favorites.

=> I announced last month that The Swimmers' second album, People Are Soft, would drop on November 3rd. Now I have it and I cannot stop listening to it! As enjoyable and well-received as their first album was, they could have just made a carbon copy for their second. Instead, The Swimmers opted to break loose, crafting intense songs about human vulnerability and performing them with remarkable gusto amidst fascinating sonic landscapes. People Are Soft is truly an album-length statement, and best appreciated as such. I've run out of profound things to say about the album, so......just give it a chance, eh?

=> Our good friend Matt Duke is not doing so well; he's fractured his right hand and has had to stop performing for the time being. He's updated us on his blog, but in the meantime, I hope all of us in the One Note Ahead family wish him the best. I know I do.

=> On a brighter note, remember how April Smith asked for your help in funding her next record? Well, she exceeded her goal and is currently working on the album! Congrats, April.

=> In our last update, I said that Downtown Harvest had a new album in the works. It's out now, and it's called Discovering Dinosaurs. It's been a long gestation period, with the forthcoming release announced at times as an album called Taco Hospital (greatest album title ever rejected), an EP called Shimmy, and an album called More Than Friends -- maybe not in that exact order, but I know everything else I said is correct! At any rate, Discovering Dinosaurs is available at all DTH shows and will hit iTunes next month. I don't even have my copy yet, but I hope to change that soon. If you're in the same boat, check MySpace for some new tunes.

=> Finally, I'm trying to keep up with Nicole Atkins.....I really am......but it's difficult these days. After two EPs and one album, she and Columbia Records have parted ways; she's now looking to move to a smaller label. She's out on the road trying out new songs on her live audiences, and plans to record her next album this coming winter. If you've been missing her in person (I have), live performances of her new songs keep showing up on YouTube; so many, in fact, that I'm waaaaayyyy behind in checking them all out! You can also listen to a live audio recording of her new song "The Tower" on MySpace.

And that is all for now!

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

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Now Hear This! - Vol. 3

2009-10-24T01:34:00.003-04:00

You know how this goes by now: a bunch of earworms that you might've missed out on, some of which are oldies, others more recent. I try to make sure you can find them all as individual tracks online, and I tell you which albums they're on if you want more than one song. Songs from albums or EP's I've already reviewed on One Note Ahead are not eligible.

Let's do this!

Newer

"Polite Society," Maia Sharp (available on Echo)

I found out about this artist because she was supposed to open for The Guggenheim Grotto here in Philly. That ultimately didn't happen, but I did get to discover this fantastic slab of impossibly sweet-sounding angry rock 'n' roll. The biting lyrics ("The greater good you go on about has been redefined to keep everyone out") are offset by smooth vocals and a melody that could've come out of the Brill Building. A must-hear for fans of female singer/songwriters, but it has great potential to appeal to a much wider audience.

"Lost and Found," Victor Victor Band (available on Chatterbox)

Like The White Stripes but better. Hyperbole? Damning with faint praise? Check out Philly-based couple Jamie and Danielle Victor and decide for yourself. Personally, I'll reconsider my opinion when Meg White can play keys and drums at the same time like Danielle does. I honestly cannot explain why this particular track from their current album stands out to me. I just know that I can't get it out of my head. And hey, ONA loyalists, did I mention that Andrew Lipke produced it?

"Once Was Love," Ingrid Michaelson (available on Everybody)

You might recall that Ingrid was a major ONA darling last year. Of all the songs on her new album, "Maybe" was chosen as the lead single, "Soldier" became the opening track, "Everybody" lent its title to the album, and "The Chain" seems to be the pick hit in my circle -- at least among the ladies! All those songs have their merits, but "Once Was Love" leapt out at me like no other track on the album: a hypnotic, slightly sharp-tongued ode to love gone cold, with Ms. Michaelson doing some unusual vocal acrobatics over an arrangement that at times sounds like it was copied from the Philly soul playbook. Ingrid, if you're reading, you might want to consider this as a single.

And now, a bonus: I told you that ONA favorite Jake Snider was releasing a new EP called The Seven. It's been available at his shows and is supposed to get an online release later this fall, but if you can't wait, check out the amazing "All You Need," a standout track which is streaming on Jake's MySpace page now.

Older

"You Won't Forget Me," Jackie De Shannon (available on What The World Needs Now Is...Jackie De Shannon - The Definitive Collection)

Jackie De Shannon sure had a lot going against her, writing and singing serious pop, folk-rock, and soul songs at a time when white female singers weren't supposed to write their own material, sing serious music, or sing soul music. And folk-rock wasn't a recognized style, either. Think I'm exaggerating? Perhaps a bit, but Jackie sure was a trailblazer. Take "You Won't Forget Me," a sophisticated pop composition in which the female protagonist takes an empowered stance against her cheating lover. Powerful stuff for 1962 -- too powerful, probably, for radio at the time.

"Little By Little," Dusty Springfield (available on Dusty Springfield Gold)

Well, I had to go from one trailblazing woman to another! Dusty was so influenced by American music that it's easy to forget she was from the UK, where she had much more chart success than she did here. For example, "Little By Little" was stuck on a B-side in the US, while her UK label recognized it as hit material and released it as an A-side. It's a bouncy Motownish number with a great melody, but let's remember that Dusty was a great interpreter of song. In this case, she injected the lyrics with a lot of fire while also retaining the cool, understated feel the melody demanded. A delicate balance, to be sure, but she nailed it.

"Turn Up Your Radio," The Masters Apprentices (available on Fully Qualified - The Choicest Cuts)

Though it is under-recognized worldwide, Australia has a colorful rock 'n' roll history of its own. The Masters Apprentices were one of the top Aussie rock acts of all time, and "Turn Up Your Radio" was one of their most beloved hits. The 1960s were turning into the 1970s, and rock was getting louder and heavier. These Apprentices edged into near-metal territory with a song whose lyrics paid homage to early rock 'n' roll of the 1950s! Somehow, it worked. Loud, raunchy, crude, and brilliant, this song reminds us all that no matter how the music changes, rock 'n' roll is still rock 'n' roll.

I hope these earworms keep you entertained for now.

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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One Video Ahead: Oh, Diane!

2009-10-24T01:14:00.006-04:00

So a few months ago, I spotlighted "Fools" by Diane Birch in my Now Hear This! series. I was trying to demonstrate that she has more good songs besides the ubiquitous "Nothing But A Miracle," a point which I would have preferred to drive home with good live videos of her performing such songs. But I wasn't pleased with what was out there.....until recently.

Here are a couple of songs she performed for Spinner's The Interface. First, let's go with "Fools."

Now another favorite of mine, "Valentino."

I haven't even had time to watch it all, but there is more where that came from: http://www.spinner.com/interface/diane-birch

Text copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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One Video Ahead: Exclusive Michael!

2009-10-16T23:44:00.004-04:00

I know I've spent a lot of time avoiding the volatile subject of Michael Jackson, but the new "This Is It" song and movie are not the only lost MJ treasures finally being unearthed. I've gotten ahold of exclusive video of a previously unaired, unreleased interview with and performance by The King of Pop himself, and whether you're a fan of his or not, you have to see this!

Okay, okay, sorry about that. But I really think the subject of MJ needs a little good-natured humor now and then. That was actually Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry back in 1990 on their BBC sketch comedy series A Bit of Fry and Laurie.

Here's another one for you, featuring Steve Martin and Jay Thomas in 1984 on the short-lived NBC sketch comedy series The New Show.

And that's about all for now.

Text copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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In the interest of disclosure.

2009-10-11T21:41:00.005-04:00

The Federal Trade Commission recently issued new guidelines to remove the veil of secrecy from bloggers' faces. The FTC wants us to disclose whether we are getting freebies or kickbacks in exchange for our reviews. I haven't yet made up my mind whether this is merely well-intentioned government action to protect consumers or an attempt on the part of our government to discredit bloggers. Either way, I've got nothing to hide.

I have at times reviewed products I paid for. But if I can get free a CD or DVD in exchange for my review, I might just take advantage. "Might" -- I have standards when it comes to what I review for One Note Ahead.

Take the DVD set Elvis: The Ed Sullivan Shows. A marketing company contacted me about posting a press release or review on ONA. I wasn't going to post a press release and merely advertise a product I had no connection with. However, I did some research on the product and decided that I would most likely be able to write a review that was both favorable and honest, so I agreed to review it. The marketing company sent me a copy of the DVD set, and the rest was history. I still have the DVDs; incidentally, this article claims that traditional journalistic venues (as opposed to blogs) typically must return products they receive for review, but I really haven't known this to be the norm in music journalism. And bear in mind that I have worked as both a music journalist and a music publicist.

There have been plenty of instances in which artists, bands, and their representatives offered me a complimentary copy of an album or EP for review. I accept the offer only if I believe I can write a review that is (here it comes again) both favorable and honest. I don't review artists or products I don't like; it serves no one's purpose and it wastes my time.

Now, there have also been times when I've offered to review an artist or band and they (or a representative thereof) accepted my offer and gave me a free copy of whatever they wanted me to review. This is just the way things work, people! But I always operate on this principle: if I offer to review an album, EP, or DVD and get a free copy only to decide I don't want to review it, I will pay for it. I will not review it just to avoid having to pay for it.

I have NEVER requested or accepted payment for my reviews. If someone puts me on the guest list to a show or does me some other favor because they like my review, fine -- I don't expect it or demand it, but it's a nice gesture when it happens. But no monetary bribes or rewards! I refuse to play that game as a reviewer and as a publicist because the moment I do, there goes my integrity and thus my credibility. One Note Ahead has never been a money-making endeavor. Why do you think it takes a backseat whenever I'm otherwise occupied? I never wanted One Note Ahead to be bound up with the need to make money because as a music journalist I had gotten so concerned with making money that I began to devote less consideration to the music. I always wanted ONA to be pure in that sense, but that means I need to make money elsewhere and the blog must become a secondary or tertiary priority when my income-generating work leaves me little to no blogging time.

In closing, I will add the following: I no longer make a habit of reviewing albums, EPs, or DVDs I paid for. I might do it occasionally, but most of the products reviewed on ONA from 2008 onward were freebies. If someone gives me a freebie and asks for nothing in return, I may or may not review it. That said, the "Now Hear This!" series is open anything that's available to the general public, whether I paid for it or not. I've only ever reviewed one book on ONA; it was a book I read because someone in the music business recommended it and I happened to find interesting enough to review.

Any questions?

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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Album Review: Tippy Canoe (but no Tyler)

2009-10-04T16:49:00.001-04:00

On one song, it's jaunty country-rock. On another, it's '80s power pop. '60s girl-group styles dominate elsewhere, leaving Vaudeville, Tin Pan Alley, and Latin motifs to be explored on still other tracks.

And that's just the sound of this album.

Tippy Canoe & the Paddlemen are not exactly your typical indie-pop band. Parasols & Pekingese (Late Bloomers Works) is not exactly your typical indie-pop album.

Aside from the Randy Newman-ish "Monday Night Man," on which guitarist Mikie Lee Prasad takes the lead, the focal point of this record is girl-with-ukulele (were you expecting "guitar"?) Michele Kappel-Stone -- that's Tippy Canoe to you, thank you very much! Her songwriting is multifaceted, to say the least. She delves into the rich history of popular music with glee, but displays a thoroughly contemporary attitude with songs like "Mood-ish Me," whose lyrics include "Did I conjure you to saw me in half?" and "Kick my ass for my own sake."

I have to stop and let you digest that one.

Tippy is quite good at taking unexpected left turns and juxtaposing seemingly contradictory moods. "Champs-Elysees" has a bouncy melody and paints cheerful pictures of gumdrops falling on the street, yet it climaxes on a snarky "Ha ha joke's on you!" refrain. "Sleep, Sleep My Dear" is a chilling, macabre lullaby, but she sounds undeniably sexy dragging out its syllables in that robust voice of hers: "Sleeeeeeep, sleeeeeeep, my dee-heeeeeeeeeeeear......"

That voice is a captivating instrument, with an almost operatic lilt and a sweetness offset by Ms. Canoe's tendency to hit the notes ever-so-imperfectly. Instead of making her sound like a clueless American Idol hopeful, her natural imprecision brings nuances out of the notes, each tonal variation contributing to the memorability of the performances.

There's only one real complaint I have about the album, which is that the recording quality could stand improvement. I try to be forgiving of such things when it comes to independent and small-label releases because they are often made on a shoestring budget (if even that much). But at certain points on Parasols, Tippy's voice is somewhat buried in the mix and one must listen especially carefully to make out her lyrics. This is particularly true on "Mass Transmissions," an otherwise solid commentary on the culture wars we wage every day: "We hold so dear our warring contradictions, and often times they're just two sides of the same coin."

Michele is from Baltimore and is now based in Oakland, keeping a busy tour schedule when she can. Having seen her when she swung through Philly recently, I can tell you that she is a delight live and she plays a mean ukulele. If you get Parasols and Pekingese, be prepared for one of the most unusual -- and most interesting -- pop albums you've ever heard.

For music and more information: http://www.myspace.com/tippycanoe

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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One Video Ahead: New Swimmers

2009-10-04T16:27:00.002-04:00

Remember The Swimmers? They're baaaa-aaaack! And their new album, People Are Soft, promises to be a lot darker and heavier than their debut Fighting Trees. The Swimmers are previewing tracks on their website and MySpace right now, and they've also got a video for the song "What This World Is Coming To."

Yes, I know: I share video clips of live performances and interviews, but rarely do I share music videos. I'm not usually a fan of music videos, but this is one of the most striking pieces of audiovisual art I've seen in a long time. And take note: among its directors are Swimmers frontman Steve Yutzy-Burkey and Jonah Delso, not only a talented solo artist but also ONA-approved Tim McGlone's funky bass player. What a small world the Philly music scene is.

What This World Is Coming To from the swimmers on Vimeo.

People Are Soft is due from MAD Dragon Records on November 3rd.

Text copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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EP Review: Get Stricken!

2009-09-27T20:40:00.004-04:00

"I'm the surefire cure to the angst you endure / So take me in without warning and call the doctor in the morning" (from "Stitches")

Norristown, PA, a scenic train ride from Philadelphia, is home to an up-and-coming bunch of rockers known as Reality Stricken. The title of their latest EP, Signal Fire, is fitting because.....this stuff is hot!

Every track on this EP leaps out of the speakers with enough force to blow down an entire block of rowhomes. This is the real rock sound of today, with big, loud riffs and chords, massive drums, and huge walls of shouted vocals. These guys are clearly in it for the love of music; nowhere on this EP will you find them watering down their style with poppy hooks and mundane lyrics just to get a hit. Instead, all of these songs are intricately constructed and arranged, with lyrics that challenge you to think without beating you over the head. Lead singer Steve Angello has an edge about his voice which is hard to describe and even harder to ignore. He gives an already powerful band an even more distinctive character. The songs on this EP are not only well-chosen, they're impeccably well-produced and recorded thanks to Chris Badami.

There is simply not a dull moment on this record, and by the time it's over you'll be cheering for more. All you can do is hit "Play" again. With releases this good, it's about damn time that the Philly-area rock scene got its due.

For music and more information: http://www.myspace.com/realitystricken

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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Beatlemania Remastered - Part Two

2009-09-16T00:23:00.003-04:00

See Part One for the introduction. And now, the individual reviews:

Please Please Me

Abbey Road had four-track recording capabilities, but all The Beatles were allowed to use was lousy two-track -- hence the binaural stereo soundscape. And some of the selections on this album were intended only as singles when the Fab Four laid them down in the studio: recorded in two-track to get a good balance on the mono mix used for the singles. In those days, recordings intended for singles would often be mixed and mastered in mono and then the multi-track session tapes required to make a stereo mix would be reused, discarded, lost, or destroyed. If the time came for those singles to reappear on a stereo album, the stereo pressings of the album would use alternate takes, fake stereo versions, or true stereo mixes that were somehow pieced together from whatever tapes remained. The Beatles were not immune to this! Thus, the stereo edition of their first album included fake stereo versions of the songs from their first EMI single, "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You." Mercifully, the new CD includes these tracks in mono. But the album's title track was not spared. Mind you, the song "Please Please Me" does not appear in a fake stereo mix. It's true stereo, alright, but based on an inferior alternate take (in which there is a painfully obvious lyrical flub), with the harmonica passages cut-and-pasted from the mono version into the right channel. This is the atrocity I used to hear on oldies radio and I couldn't stand it as a teenager! I haven't grown any fonder of it now; if you want the correct version (the mono!) in clear sound quality, it's most readily available on the mono box set or the ubiquitous 1962-1966 CD comp from 1993.

Another issue with the Please Please Me album is that most of it was recorded in a marathon style throughout a single day. The remastering makes it clear just how raw The Beatles' voices were during these sessions, and did I mention that John had a bad cold? On the remaster of "Twist and Shout," you can hear how much John struggled, both because of his cold and because it was the last song they recorded that day.

So is this remaster too much of a good thing? Not entirely. Primitive though the mixes may be, the level of detail in the sound allows you to hear just how skilled these guys were as musicians even in this early stage. And the rawness is strangely charming, like you're at a show and these guys have been singing and playing non-stop all night long. Also, these mixes have not been soaked in echo like a lot of the US releases of the early Beatles, so they're crisper than what many of us Americans are used to hearing. You get to hear that less really is more on "There's A Place," and you can appreciate just how hard Ringo could rock (even as a singer!) on "Boys." "P.S. I Love You" is simply a revelation, with the distinct percussion parts finally being discernible from each other (Ringo was left to shake maracas while session man Andy White took over the drums).

The final analysis: If you love the early Beatles, you should get this remaster. If the middle or later Beatles are more your bag, you might not even like this album, so hearing it in remastered form probably won't change your feelings.

A Hard Day's Night

Well, this is the ultimate Beatlemania album, isn't it? But does the remaster do it justice? Let me see if I can answer that question in a classy, dignified manner.

HELLLLL YEEEEEAAAAAH!

Okay, I tried to contain my enthusiasm, but this remaster really is that good. The 1987 CD version sounded lifeless, and even the good stereo remasters of certain tracks on 1962-1966 didn't bring those tunes to life as much as this new CD does. The boys were now recording on four-track and could make more sophisticated records with more careful overdubs and more nuanced stereo mixes -- no binaural here. Listen to John and Paul's thoughtfully-layered vocals on the title track; Ringo's swinging drumming on "Can't Buy Me Love"; George's textured guitar playing on practically every selection. These cuts happened to be well-recorded by the standards of the time; while this remastered version does expose a few inherent flaws (the guitars on "I'll Be Back" never did sound right anyway), it mostly brings out the best in this album. "Tell Me Why," "Any Time At All," and "Things We Said Today" just leap out of the speakers, with both the fun and drama of those songs brought to the fore. And I never realized just how funky "You Can't Do That" was until I heard it here.

I should note that the stereo version of the album is materially different from the mono. You'll notice that the opening harmonica passage on the stereo "I Should Have Known Better" is not as smoothly played as it is on the mono (although it's a great song and recording either way). "If I Fell" has differences in the vocals and if you ask me, the vocals on the mono version are superior, though in both versions Paul's voice breaks on the word "vain" (if McCartney had a hard time hitting that note, you know it's a tough note to hit!). If you're trying to be a completist, you'll need the mono version of this album as well as the stereo.

The final analysis: You're reading this because you like The Beatles, right? Anyone who likes The Beatles should own this CD.

Beatles For Sale

This is probably The Beatles' most maligned album, and it's true that no amount of remastering will make "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party" less depressing or turn Ringo's butchering of "Honey Don't" into a tour de force. But it's still a Beatles album, so it still contains some classics and the 1987 reissue didn't present them in the best light.

Sometimes the stereo mixes on this album are just not as thoughtful as they were on A Hard Day's Night. It's clear in many cases that their main objective with four-track was to have more flexibility in the recording and mixing processes, not to create balanced stereo mixes. Still, hearing "No Reply" in crystal-clear stereo really brings out the darkness of the arrangement, the morbid piano chords and cymbal crashes jumping at you with dramatic intent. "I'll Follow The Sun" sounds warm and spacious, while a seeming throwaway like "Mr. Moonlight" becomes a multi-dimensional listening experience.

"Eight Days A Week" is a delight here. Squashed and warped on the 1987 reissue, it has unprecedented breathing room on this remaster, allowing you to hear how closely twined John and Paul's voices are on this brilliant co-lead vocal.

Then again, "I'm A Loser" just sounds too clean and, as a result, soft. I'm not about to lay down the cash for that mono box set, so the 1987 mono will have to suffice -- it's listenable and unlike the stereo remaster, it has teeth. "Every Little Thing" is also too pristinely remastered, to the point that the vocals hit me right in the head, and not in a good way. The stereo version on The Capitol Albums, Vol. 2 has minor flaws, but it's easier on my ears.

The final analysis: Since it is one of their least celebrated albums, you have to really like it (or at least some of it) in order to consider this remaster a worthwhile purchase. It's worth buying if you really do care that deeply about the content of this album; otherwise, you can live without it.

If you have any comments about these or the other new Beatle remasters, please share them -- but please be civil. Thank you.

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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Beatlemania Remastered - Part One

2009-09-14T21:47:00.011-04:00

You've seen and heard the fuss by now: The Beatles' catalog has been remastered and reissued! But what's the significance of this? Basically, all of The Beatles' original UK albums, plus the US Magical Mystery Tour album, were released on CD in 1987. The first four albums were released in mono and the remainder in stereo. The CD era was young then, and the sound quality on the 1987 reissues has left many Beatle collectors wanting remasters. There has also been some dissatisfaction with the sound on the two Past Masters compilations of non-LP tracks. Finally, the albums and the Past Masters comps have been remastered.

But are they worth the money, especially in this recession?

Let's consider the facts: Past Masters is now a 2-CD set. The new reissues of the individual albums all feature the stereo versions of the albums. They do not feature new remixes; the Help! and Rubber Soul albums are presented in their 1987 remixes, the others in their original mixes. So you get familiar mixes, but they're supposed to sound clearer and livelier than before. For a limited time, the individual CDs contain mini-documentaries that you can view if you have the right computer equipment and software. There is also a stereo box set and a mono box set -- the latter also includes the original stereo mixes of Help! and Rubber Soul. Confused yet?

Personally, I wasn't convinced that I had to replace all of my Beatles CDs with these new remasters. I need to spend my money more practically, anyway. But I've been a good boy with my dough lately, so I could find room in the budget for three of these remasters in particular: Please Please Me, A Hard Day's Night, and Beatles For Sale. On the 1987 reissues of these albums, the sound quality was often muffled, flat, and one-dimensional. Some tracks on those CDs had at least passable sound, but there was a lot to be unhappy with. And they were in mono. Sometimes I prefer mono to stereo, but I like to have the choice.

I will review the new CDs individually, but some general comments first. Sometimes when oldies are remastered, they actually sound worse. Recording technology in the 1960s was nowhere near as sophisticated as it is now, and there are a lot of inherent defects in the sound of recordings from that era. And let us remember that Abbey Road Studios liked to reserve their best recording equipment for easy listening and orchestral recordings; thus, The Beatles and other "beat groups" did not get to make the best-sounding recordings they could make until they were powerful enough to convince Abbey Road to give up the goods. That said, remasters often do have the desired effect of making recordings sound better than ever before, and these Beatles albums both benefit and suffer from remastering.

Since these albums are short in length, EMI and Apple Corps could have included the mono and stereo mixes of each album on each individual CD; instead, one must buy the mono box set. That's simply unfair. And the mini-documentaries are nothing to write home about. Visually, each has a montage of photographs and old film clips. Vintage concert footage is haphazardly synched to studio recordings. You hear the individual Beatles and George Martin reflect on the making of these albums, but you need to rely on your own ears to tell who's who. These docs don't provide much insight that knowledgeable Beatles fans didn't already have. In addition to the original album notes, each CD comes with new liner notes, which are informative but you still have to look elsewhere if you want to dig deep. The packaging is nice, folding out into three parts and ostensibly eco-friendly -- much more pleasing than the original reissues.

See Part Two for the individual reviews. And if you have any general comments about the new Beatles remasters, please share them -- but please be civil. Thank you.

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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A Round of Tributes

2009-09-03T18:31:00.003-04:00

This has been a summer of losses in the entertainment industry, and I'm not talking about dollars. A lot of great artists have passed on recently, and I've tried to pay tribute to some of them, but I am only one man!

Last week, fans of classic pop music lost two folks who might not have been household names, but there music sure was widely known. Ellie Greenwich wrote and produced some of the most beloved pop hits of all time. Don't believe me? Take a look. I've mentioned Artie Wayne here before and recommended his blog; well, his Ellie Greenwich tribute has attracted comments from many music business giants who knew her. Check out Artie's thoughts and the responses: http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/ellie-greenwich-r-i-p-rock-in-perpetuity/

While you're at it, take a look at Artie's tribute to Larry Knechtel, not only a member of Bread but also one of the most prolific session musicians of all time: http://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/larry-knechtel-r-i-p-rock-in-perpetuity/

If you know me, you know I've been largely avoiding the subject of Michael Jackson on One Note Ahead because, well, you've seen and perhaps been involved in the controversy. I dove headfirst into it myself right after he died and that was a mistake! But today is the date of his burial, which has me thinking about a blog posted in June by Boy Wonder, one of the big names on the Philly music scene. So he incorrectly identified Michael's cause of death; I still think this is one of the more intelligent fan tributes I've seen. And note how he lists "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" twice among Michael's greatest compositions; I'd like to think that's not a mistake. http://boywonderrocks.blogspot.com/2009/06/boy-wonder-professional-musician-107.html

Of course, there are plenty of other MJ tributes out there (including Artie's), but I wanted to share that one in particular.

That's all for now. Stay tuned.

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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One Video Ahead: A Les Paul Tribute

2009-08-18T22:50:00.004-04:00

I'm not a guitarist. I've never been. Even when I used to be a musician, I found the keyboards perfectly suited to my linear way of thinking while the guitar bewildered me. Maybe this is a good thing, for if I had ever seriously attempted to play the guitar, at some point I would have gotten hip to Les Paul. And I would have tried to play like him. And I would have failed miserably and given up the axe in shame.

Before giving up the instrument, I might've read how he built one of the first solid-body electric guitars and that the Gibson Les Paul became a favorite model of such rock giants as Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, and Jimmy Page. And I might've tried to invent my own innovative model, which of course would have led to nothing.

But wait! There's more! Multi-tracking is a recording technique that's long been near and dear to my heart. As a 14-year-old, I was fascinated and inspired that Gene Pitney transcended the limitations of early-1960s recording technology to multi-track himself into a full band. Little did I realize that Les Paul had pioneered that very technique more than a decade earlier!

See, I knew the name. I knew he was a big deal. But I didn't realize how big a deal he was until after he died last week at the age of 94. Let everyone else deliver the umpteenth story about that other great musical talent who passed away this summer; One Note Ahead will now present three Les Paul videos for your viewing and listening pleasure. Remember that the volume varies on these and that they might not be available forever.

Les Paul and his then-wife and partner Mary Ford demonstrate multi-tracking on "Omnibus" with Alistair Cooke, October 23, 1953. The techniques and Paul's playing are way ahead of their time.

I don't know the date on this one, but this is another demonstration: the Les Pulverizer!

Les Paul at 90, still going strong. From the documentary Les Paul: Chasing Sound!

Text copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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Spotlight On: Panic Years

2009-08-10T17:47:00.004-04:00

Let's not even try to come up with a label to pin on Panic Years; any label we could place on them wouldn't do them justice. And let's not begin with a list of their influences, for even when they are obviously influenced by another act, they still sound like Panic Years. Let's just say that if you're into recent or contemporary rock music, keep reading.

Panic Years began in Virginia Beach with singer Ed Everett and guitarist/keyboardist Amy Miller. With the assistance of Mark Padgett and Rob Sweitzer, the pair recorded the excellent Panic Years EP. Intricately-crafted melodies and complex drumming patterns provide a surprisingly sophisticated setting for the band's raw, angry lyrics -- and Ed's equally raw, angry vocals. Amy's fluid guitar work adds a bit of sheen to the proceedings while still providing the driving rhythms that keep the songs anchored. The music is aggressive, but it's also undeniably beautiful, transcending the narrow appeal of rock's subgenres to create something more universal.

Amy and Ed moved to Philadelphia last year, seeing the specialness in my fair city that so many Philly artists don't even see. They've since fleshed out Panic Years with new members to become a much beloved local act. I've yet to experience them in person, but the EP is one of the more engaging releases I've reviewed, and I recommend grabbing a copy online if you can't make it to the band's shows. If you can and do attend a show soon, maybe you'll see me there.

For music and more information: http://www.myspace.com/panicyears

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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One Video Ahead: Bob Gaudio

2009-08-04T22:02:00.003-04:00

I know I've got some fans of Frankie Valli and The 4 Seasons among my readers! Well, I became a fan of theirs during that awkward time period between their hit streak and their post-Jersey Boys resurgence. In other words, I became a fan when it wasn't cool. While it's great that Jersey Boys has renewed interest in the guys, I must admit I haven't even seen it yet. Maybe if it gets made into a movie, I'll rent it when the DVD comes out. I've seen various casts of Jersey Boys on TV and let's face it: good as the actors may be, nothing compares to the real thing. For me, the classic era of 1962-1970 does the trick. There were three constant members of The 4 Seasons, thus there was a sound and there were identifiable faces. While some of the later efforts were stellar, the band became more like a franchise owned by Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio. Who? Well, if you're a devoted fan, you know who Bob Gaudio is. If you're a casual fan, you should learn about him. Either way, you'll get a whole lot out of this interview with Jian Ghomeshi on Canada's arts and culture series QTV.

Text copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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XPoNential Function, Part Two

2009-07-28T00:05:00.008-04:00

Continued from Part One.

Day Two: Saturday, July 25, 2009

Having had such a blast on Friday, I was really psyched about Saturday and Sunday. Slathered in sunscreen, umbrella packed despite forecasts for a clear day, I arrived at the festival grounds in time to hear and see local rockers The Peace Creeps. I must hand it to them for demonstrating the perils of well-intentioned but ill-advised covers. One month to the date after Michael Jackson's death, it was not surprising to hear covers of his or The Jackson 5's songs. As I was making my way through the festival grounds, I heard The Peace Creeps absolutely slaughtering "I Want You Back." Having never seen or heard them live, I thought, "This is what The Peace Creeps sound like? This is terrible!" But then they played their own songs and they sounded great!

Sharon Little is difficult to pin down genre-wise, but I truly believe she is a soul sister at heart. And she is such a photogenic performer that whenever I see her, it takes much discipline for me to actually pay attention to the music and not just take an endless stream of pictures. I once made a point of leaving my camera at home for that very reason. Thankfully, her River Stage set was too funky for me to even hold on to my camera; I took a couple of photos but I was too busy dancing to go overboard. Supported by Scot Sax (her partner in almost everything) and Josh Dion, she delivered a typically exhilarating performance marked by untamed vocals and all sorts of dramatic gestures. Combining established favorites with new songs, some of the latter featuring a nifty horn section, her set was one of the festival's strongest. Sharon is one of those rare artists who can make me smile and bring tears to my eyes at the same time. Go, sister, go!

Bands with geographical names are not always named in honor of their home turf, a case in point being Pennsylvania's Illinois. I was somewhat familiar with this band and was looking forward to seeing them take over the Marina Stage. My XPN member newsletter refers to them as "indie-rockers." Oh, really? At the festival, they played a stompin' folk-rock raveup, then a number with hip-hop beats and heavy synthesizers, then a piano ballad; their last song was a funky thang with a banjo and ear-splitting electric guitars. This ain't no indie-rock band. Illinois' festival set was, in a word, marvelous. Their musicianship was spectacular and frontman Arch was funny as hell. I wasn't the only one who was impressed: I made a point of getting to the festival merch table quickly to buy the band's CD The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe, but even in my haste all I could get my hands on was the next-to-last display copy. All the others had already sold out!

Michael is an extremely prolific film and TV composer. Kevin is a movie star. So are The Bacon Brothers any good or are they just trading on their success in other endeavors? Well........they're actually good! And they're wise enough to surround themselves with excellent supporting musicians. Their River Stage set of Americana rock was at times funny, at times moving, and always enjoyable. Michael came off as the serious, devoted musician; Kevin came off as the one who was in it for fun. They complemented each other well and they were both solid showmen. And I'm glad to report that Kevin did not have a "movie star" attitude on stage; he was just one of the guys and interacted nicely with the audience. I tried to meet the brothers Bacon afterwards, only to find that their meet and greet session took place before their set -- the worst part being that I had looked at the meet and greet schedule earlier and should have known that! No matter; I mostly just wanted to tell Kevin that I went to the same high school he went to.

Speaking of high school, I thought I'd first become aware of the eclectic They Might Be Giants during my 10th grade class trip to New York City, when one of my classmates handed me his Walkman (remember those?) and suggested I listen to them. After seeing them at the festival, I realized I'd been aware of their music for longer than I'd thought. See, I'd always enjoyed them whenever I heard them, but I was never a connoisseur. Still, I was definitely interested in checking out their performance, and I did just that with about six million of my closest friends in front of the River Stage. You need to have a forgiving sense of humor to appreciate the band's on-the-nose comedy: ".....in the front: THE PEOPLE IN THE FRONT!!!!!" The band's stage act, and hearing their songs in the context of a festival featuring so many of my current favorites, taught me a lesson about They Might Be Giants and myself. Follow me here: TMBG are nerdy. I used to be. I used to really like TMBG. I'm no longer nerdy. I don't like TMBG as much as I used to. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy their performance, but it represented a sort of bittersweet closure, a break from my old nerdy self if you will.

I should note that up to this point, I'd never seen anyone do an encore or even get asked for one by anyone from XPN. Maybe the fest's organizers took my complaints to heart (read the Matt Nathanson section of last year's Day Four if you don't know what I'm talking about). After TMBG's finale, I assumed there would be no encores and I walked away, but the crowd went so wild that the band came back out and played "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)." As if anything could compete with The Four Lads' version! Anyways, I was tired but I decided to head over to the Marina Stage to check out rootsy locals Hoots and Hellmouth. Though never among my favorite acts, I knew this band to kick ass in person, so I thought it would be cool to see them. There was a thick, impenetrable crowd in front of the stage and I couldn't get a good view, so I just decided to forget about it.

Days One and Two had been awesome! Heading home on Saturday night, I wasn't sure how Day Three would play out. The scheduling of the acts I most wanted to see was tricky, to say the least. And with storms in the forecast, would we have a repeat of Friday night? Well.....

On Sunday morning, I woke up about three-fourths asleep and aching all over. I'd rocked the festival on Friday and Saturday, and apparently I'd rocked both days a little too hard. Trying to decide whether to drag myself out to Camden for one more day, I turned on my radio and listened to the weather forecast. I heard terms like "flash flood watch," "gusty thunderstorms," "damaging winds," and "hail." I turned the radio off, went back to bed, and slept in -- there was no way I was going back to the festival. Did I miss some great acts? Oh, sure. But having bought my 3-day pass with my member discount during the early bird pricing period meant that I definitely got my money's worth from the first two days, and I enjoyed those two days so much that I really didn't care about having to miss Sunday. By the way: the festival DID get rained on that night!

Thank you, XPN, for putting on such a wonderful festival. Do it again next year?

If you haven't already, check out my accompanying photo album!

Missed the festival? Attended but want to relive it? Here you go: http://www.xpn.org/music-artist/festival-2009

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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XPoNential Function, Part One

2009-07-27T22:06:00.011-04:00

Ever since attending my first XPN festival last year, I haven't been able to shut up about it. If you've been reading One Note Ahead recently, you know I spent a lot of time impatiently anticipating this year's event -- and did it ever deliver! But wait a minute; maybe you have no idea what I'm talking about. WXPN is a public radio powerhouse located in my fair city of Philadelphia and now heard worldwide thanks to the internet. Every year, XPN hosts a huge music festival which is currently known as the XPoNential Music Festival and takes place across the Delaware River from Philly on the beautiful Camden, New Jersey waterfront (yes, that's right: there is beauty to be found in Camden). Like XPN itself, the festival brings together an impossibly diverse array of musical genres including rock, blues, country, folk, soul, hip-hop, and pop......no no, not "pop" as in Lady Gaga! And just as XPN gives its members a lot for a small amount of money, XPN does the same for festival attendees, whether they're members or not. Of course I am a member, so I get all sorts of perks like meet and greets with certain artists and complimentary non-alcoholic beverages with unlimited refills -- oh-so-helpful in the dead of summer!

Even before it began, this year's festival was noticeably different from last year's. The economic recession prompted XPN to shorten it from four days to three. The lineup was decidedly edgier. Now that the fest is over, I can say these were good changes. A shorter festival meant the lineup had to be more focused in terms of quality. As for the edginess, I'll be honest: as much as I loved last year's event, I did feel that it was a bit safe overall and I feared it was reflective of a comfortable medium on XPN's part. This year's lineup helped to restore my faith in XPN as a station with some teeth to it. Besides, the edgier lineup suited the times well. Along those lines, there was magic in the air throughout most of last year's event, but with the malaise and disillusionment of 2009, I wondered if that magic would still be there. I needn't have worried one bit.

And now, the specifics of what I experienced and feel inclined to report:

Day One: Friday, July 24th, 2009

It's a delicate balance, having to prepare for blazing sunshine and the possibility of thunderstorms in the same day! I got it half right, at least. And may I just say, if you go to this festival, bring your own reusable bottle and your own hand sanitizer! I learned those lessons last year, but I'm profoundly happy to have put those lessons to use this year. If you need some other tips, contact me.

I have to question the wisdom of opening the festival with the laid-back Brazilian jazz band Minas. Maybe they're usually more energetic and this was not a representative performance; all I know is that they were good at what they did, but they hardly brought the kind of excitement you'd want to kick off a festival with. It would have made more sense to put them on later.

Minas' set took place on the Marina Stage, which is the smaller of the two festival stages. (As far as I'm concerned, the Kids Corner stage does not exist. I'd have been all over it if I were 20 years younger, though.) The first artist to perform on the vast, spacious River Stage was longtime ONA favorite Matt Duke. How awesome is it that he's come so far over the past few years? Matt performed with a setup similar to that of his Kingdom Underground CD release last year: a four-piece band backing him, with the recently ONA-approved Tim McGlone on acoustic guitar and Matt giving us the rare treat of his electric guitar work. Matt just rocked. No quiet songs, but all the aggressive material from his current album. I especially appreciated this version of "Walk If Off" because it was furious without being disconcerting; I've always found the recorded version difficult to listen to because it is a little too crazed. Typically for Matt, you had no idea how or what he was going to sing or play, his stage mannerisms were equally unpredictable, and he found amusing replacements for the cuss words in his songs -- this WAS a family-friendly event and it WAS being broadcast on the radio! He also turned the lead spotlight over to Tim for one song, McGlone's catchy "Hollywood." During this number, a friend of mine was grooving along but nevertheless leaned over to me and said, "Not as good as Duke!" Well.....who is? I enjoyed the set quite a lot, but another friend of mine who listened on the radio thought Matt "sounded awful." I'd like to think she was just listening on an awful radio.

Annuals. I knew the name and not much else. I was curious enough to want to see them. Upon learning that I'd never seen them before, a friend of mine who works for XPN (and made some good recommendations last year!) told me Annuals are amazing and described them as sounding like "The Warped Tour if it took place in Texas." They're actually based in North Carolina, but my friend's description did put my curiosity over the top. The sextet combined indie-rock, country, harmony pop, folk, and I swear I heard some Latin elements somewhere in there! Yet they had their own identifiable sound. Their set was just outrageous, with layers of dramatic voices and instruments and powerfully intense playing, all offset by frontman Adam Baker's offbeat sense of humor. I met them afterwards and briefly talked with some of them. They seemed very nice -- but things aren't always what they seem, right? Well, a few hours later I was standing by the river and I saw Annuals leaving, so I just looked their way and smiled. It was quite dark and I wasn't sure they could even see me, but one of them actually said to me, "Have a good night, man!" Talented, friendly, and their latest CD Such Fun borrows its artwork from Bob Ross, who inspired me to become a painter as a kid and whom I dressed up as for Halloween in 1995. This is all just too cool.

I was familiar with the instrumental surf-rock stylings of Los Straitjackets, but I'd never seen them in person. Their stage act is ridiculous, but in a good way. Wearing Mexican wrestlers' masks and matching suits, their coordinated stage moves were often interrupted by long ramblings delivered in fast-tongued Spanish -- broken up with some archly-pronounced American English for good measure. There was really nothing new or original about what they played; you can go back to The Ventures, Duane Eddy, Santo & Johnny, and countless other guitar-rock pioneers to get the basis of their sound. But Los Straitjackets are good musicians and fun showmen. And they played the theme from The Munsters, which is only one of the coolest TV themes ever!

During Los Straitjackets' set, we experienced what XPN veteran David Dye so cleverly called "setus interruptus." The possibility of a thunderstorm was now a reality, and we had to go running for cover. The XPN festival is an all-weather event, you see; it would pretty much take a tornado to derail it completely. After the storm broke (or at least we thought it did!), Los Straitjackets returned to their set and their shtick, the dark night sky finally rolled in, and a beautiful post-storm breeze dominated for the rest of the night.

For me, the setting was just right to head on over to the Marina Stage and rock out to Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles. Here's a band I'd considered seeing for quite some time and I'd resolved to finally get it done at the festival. I'm glad I did. Their country-infused rock 'n' roll sound is just wondrous at its best, their super-tight playing and Sarah's familiar-yet-distinctive voice making it clear that they're not just another bar band. They also have a knack for balancing their original material with unusual cover choices; it takes a special band to open a set with Doug "Sir Douglas" Sahm's "You're Out Walking The Streets Tonight"! Meeting them afterwards, I found them to be every bit as fun and funny as they were on stage. Smart, too: Sarah had introduced a slowish number by saying that slow songs are a great way to get to know the person next to you, if you get her drift. Maybe so, but it was actually during a fast number that I found a new dancing partner, and I told Sarah as much after the show. "Did you meet someone?" asked Sarah with a surprising amount of enthusiasm, to which I replied, "I did! During 'Stop and Think It Over,' I believe." After getting over her enthusiasm, Sarah admonished, tongue somewhat in cheek, "Well: Stop! And think it over before you do anything."

Sage advice.

Robert Cray was the last act of the night, and I didn't want to end such a happy day and night with the blues! But I just missed the ferry back to Philly and had to wait for the next one, so I did hear his set and it did actually provide a strangely suitable soundtrack as I stood there by the river looking into the absolutely gorgeous night sky, watching the Philadelphia waterfront and skyscrapers in their illuminated glory.

And I don't even like skyscrapers.

Continued in Part Two.

And check out my accompanying photo album!

Missed the festival? Attended but want to relive it? Here you go: http://www.xpn.org/music-artist/festival-2009

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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Now Hear This! - Vol. 2

2009-07-23T17:06:00.004-04:00

My "earworm" series continues. As before, I'm including a few newies and a few oldies and I'm keeping everything on the lesser-known side. I try to always go for songs that can be downloaded individually (and legally!), but of course I will tell you what albums or compilations to look for if you want to buy more than just the one song.

Newer

For the newer ones this time, I'll stay in the spirit of the season and recommend songs I associate with summer.

"Lullaby Appetite," Alexa Wilkinson (available on Lullaby Appetite)

Ah, the summer of 2007! A time spent healing my frustrated music journalist's wounds by going to concerts and tossing back a couple of beers. Beer may not be the best way to heal, but music this beautiful sure eases the pain. I wasn't even familiar with Alexa when I saw her; she was sharing the bill with another artist whom I followed at the time. The shy, mild-mannered Ms. Wilkinson didn't make much of an impression on me at first.....then in the days following the show, I couldn't get this song out of my head. An inviting, soulfully sung folk-pop ballad with simply gorgeous instrumentation and a haunting melody. I'm getting all tingly just listening to it right now.

"Hallway," Bojibian (available on the Bojibian EP)

Although I could have stayed home and watched reruns of reruns of reruns of How I Met Your Mother, the summer of 2008 found me spending Monday nights at the Philly Rising Open Mic, where I watched this local foursome rock the stage on numerous occasions. Incidentally, they're named in honor of rock legends Bo Diddley and Jibi Hendrix. Not buying that? Okay, fine: they're actually named after Armenian financier A. Randolph Bojibian, who funded their first recording session. Okay, fine! In truth, "Bojibian" doesn't mean anything. The lyrics to "Hallway" are only slightly more meaningful, but with menacing chords, gritty harmonies, and a tripped-out guitar break, does anyone really care?

"Fools," Diane Birch (available on Bible Belt)

The summer of 2009! Hellish times for many of us, but we've still got some good music to help us through it all. You're probably seeing Diane Birch a lot on TV and in the press these days. That's great. Every time you've seen her on TV, you've probably heard her perform the song "Nothing But A Miracle." That's not great. Who am I to disagree with her record company or whatever experts chose "Miracle" as the lead single from her album? I'm a consumer who went out and bought her album and decided that even though "Miracle" is good, "Fools" is the pick hit: an immediately engaging slice of soul-pop heaven with a scintillating melody and a structure that's simple without being simplistic. But hey, as long as this talented singer/songwriter is getting recognized....

And as a bonus, I'd like to mention a track that's not available yet but you can listen to it online. You might remember The Idles. They're working on a new record, and the track "Everyday I'm A Rockstar" is streaming on MySpace now. This is more of that raw, nasty, fun rock 'n' roll The Idles are known for -- pay special attention to the lyrics on this one! The Idles have been good to One Note Ahead, so please be good to them.

Older

"(Do The) Mashed Potatoes (Part I)," Nat Kendrick & The Swans (available on The Legendary Henry Stone Presents: Nat Kendrick & The Swans)

James Brown believed that an instrumental based on the "Mashed Potato" dance (in which people shuffled their feet as if mashing potatoes with them!) could be a hit. Syd Nathan, the head of JB's label King Records, didn't agree -- by the way, King also let Hank Ballard's "The Twist" go to waste around the same time, only for Chubby Checker's cover version to cause a Twist sensation. Not one to let Nathan's ineptitude hold him back, The Godfather of Soul had his band cut "Mashed Potatoes" for another label under a pseudonym, enlisting deejay King Coleman to overdub his vocals over Brown's so Nathan wouldn't get hip. The result is weirdly cool, some basic R&B riffage punctuated by off-kilter shout-singing, and it's all over in a heartbeat. There have been numerous alternate versions and reworkings over the years, but there's nothing quite like the hit version I've spotlighted here. (Note: For some reason, "Nat Kendrick" is sometimes billed or listed as "Nat Hendrick.")

"Mean Old World," Rick Nelson (available on The Best of Rick Nelson, 1963-75)

A young Billy Vera wrote this for Dionne Warwick, but such a crudely written song would hardly have fit such a refined singer. Ah, but Rick Nelson! Never a technical genius as a vocalist, but he had a pleasant voice, a knack for choosing excellent musicians, and a true feel for downbeat lyrics. And are these lyrics ever downbeat: "I can't let them see me cry/'Cause they don't care if I live or die." Ouch! Framed by some of the most solid instrumental work heard on any of his records, Rick sounds downright pissed by the time this track is over. If you've ever been left alone or mistreated in your time of need, you'll feel his pain.

"I Feel Much Better," Small Faces (available on The Immediate Years, Disc Two)

It's too bad that the Small Faces had only one major hit in the US, and it's too bad that their only major US hit was "Itchycoo Park," which has dated so poorly it's embarrassing. But that's the problem with this band's work: for every "Afterglow (Of Your Love)" there was a "Here Come The Nice," for every "All Or Nothing" a "Sha-La-La-La-Lee" (actually, they didn't even like that one). Silly tunes like "Lazy Sunday" made and still make it hard for some to take the Small Faces seriously, but they really were fantastic and powerful musicians. "I Feel Much Better" is one of my favorites, with its whimsically poetic lyrics, slyly trippy harmonies, and mood-shifting instrumentation. (Like most Small Faces tracks, it's available on many many compilations. The one I named is the iTunes comp that has what I consider the best-sounding mix. I have the track on a different collection, though.)

That's all for now. The XPN festival starts tomorrow, so look for a blog (or some blogs) about that next week. :-)

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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One Video Ahead: So Long, Gordon

2009-07-20T14:50:00.006-04:00

A poignant entry in our "One Video Ahead" series, as I'm sad to report that Gordon Waller of Peter & Gordon has passed away. This news struck a particular chord with me as Peter & Gordon were one of the first British Invasion acts I collected. In keeping with British pop of the 1960s, some of their recordings were a little overproduced for my tastes, but Gordon's resonant baritone and Peter's boyish tenor complemented each other perfectly when they found the right material. Speaking of material, some of their own compositions were damn good and have been unjustly overlooked: collectors, keep your eyes and ears open for "Don't Pity Me," "Morning's Calling," and the sublimely abstract "Stranger With A Black Dove" (as well as other hidden gems I've been told about but haven't yet discovered). But they were, of course, skilled interpreters: P&G had one of their biggest and best hits with Del Shannon's "I Go To Pieces," which Shannon gave them on tour. And because Paul McCartney was dating Peter's sister Jane, Peter Asher and Gordon Waller became best known for their interpretations of McCartney's compositions "A World Without Love," "Nobody I Know," "I Don't Want To See You Again," and "Woman." (The songwriting credits on these are fascinating: most everything McCartney wrote at the time was credited to him and John Lennon, but some say Peter helped Paul complete "A World Without Love," and it's well-documented that McCartney wrote "Woman" pseudonymously to see if it would become a hit without the benefit of his famous name.) Though P&G broke up in 1968, they reunited and once again became quite active in the 2000s. At times, it was clear that Peter had aged better than Gordon, so I'm afraid the latter's death from cardiovascular disease was not entirely surprising.

And now, two P&G videos for you. One from the mid-1960s TV series "Hullabaloo," performing "Woman" with an intro from Paul Anka:

And here they are last summer on an LA radio morning show. Though it was over 40 years after their hit streak and they sound like they've weathered quite a few storms, the harmonies are still solid. Here they're performing "I Go To Pieces" and "A World Without Love":

For more information on Gordon Waller and his passing: http://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=421722&GT1=28102

Original text copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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April Smith needs YOU!

2009-07-13T21:51:00.003-04:00

Remember April Smith? If not, you must not have been reading One Note Ahead last autumn! Check out my review of her live EP and the videos I posted of her in last year's ONA Live.

Now, April is trying to make a new studio album. Apparently, I'm in the minority for being a fan who's pleased to have the live versions of "Colors" and "Wow and Flutter" and won't die of musical malnutrition without polished studio versions. So here's the deal: a lot of independent artists these days are turning to their fans for funding. Making a professional quality record is not cheap, and without a label backing the artist, a lack of money often prevents records from being made. Thus, April is asking fans for help. View her own personal plea here:

Whether this convinces you to give her some of your money in these lean times is a different story entirely, but I give her an "A" for effort. Hell, even I pledged some money to this project, picky as I am about how I spend my money. Such is the power of April Smith, I suppose!

She's already more than halfway to her goal. Let's keep up the momentum:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aprilsmithmusic/keep-music-indie-april-smith-makes-a-record

And here's her official website for more info: http://www.aprilsmithmusic.com/

Original text copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.
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One Note Ahead Update #2

2009-06-28T21:20:00.004-04:00

The world reels from (and mires itself in controversy over) the sudden death of Michael Jackson while '60s rock fans mourn the loss of The Seeds' Sky Saxon. The Grim Reaper's been on a mass media spree this past week, claiming the lives of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Billy Mays as well. But the Grim Reaper hasn't gotten all of us yet, and so life goes on. Life in this case is bringing much news to the realm of One Note Ahead and, in an eerie parallel to last June, I feel compelled to provide an update.

=> The fast-approaching start date of the XPoNential Music Festival provoked me to re-read my blog about last summer's event, and did I ever notice how much has changed since then! The Redwalls are down to Logan and Justin Baren but are still working on new songs and recordings. Nicole Atkins, formerly backed by a band called The Sea, now has a new backing band called The Black Sea (making a mere historical artifact out of that dirty-cool "Nicole Atkins & The Sea" button Nicole gave me). The Back Door Slam I saw and wrote about last summer are history, and frontman Davy is continuing with supporting musicians as "Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam." To prove that some things remain constant, Ingrid Michaelson has a new album and tour coming up. These are but a few examples of what's up with last year's XPoNential Fest performers!

=> Matt Duke has a forthcoming release called Kingdom Underground. I know I said that last June and that I reviewed a Matt Duke album by that title last September, but let me explain: the full title of this new release is actually Acoustic Kingdom Underground EP. Its title really says it all: an acoustic EP meant to complement the Kingdom Underground album. Whether I'll review it depends on whether I can score a promo copy; either way, the EP comes out this Tuesday, June 30th. Three of its tracks are on Matt's MySpace now.

=> Jake Snider will be releasing a new record next month called The Seven, whose contents are inspired by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I doubt that I'll be reviewing this collection because I am only vaguely familiar with Harry Potter and I've never felt like those books and movies were up my alley. But it's a Jake Snider record, so I might just like it anyway. He's having a couple of CD release shows in the Philly area; check online for details.

=> Further down the road, Downtown Harvest plan to drop their long-anticipated third album this fall. And since I haven't been their publicist since last May, who knows? I might just feature them on ONA again. Speaking of ONA favorites turned PR clients turned former PR clients, I'm afraid Laura Cheadle joined that group in February. Don't worry, we're still friends. Her new album Live On, which I mentioned in last year's update, came out in February -- yes, around the same time that I stopped being her publicist. You can check out some of the tracks on MySpace if you're curious.

That's quite enough for now! Stay tuned, for you never know what One Note Ahead will bring you next.

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

One Video Ahead: What the EMF?!?!

2009-06-15T21:58:00.003-04:00

If you're a '90s kid like me (that's the 1990's, folks), there's a good chance you remember and love EMF's immortal hit "Unbelievable." And if you have a pulse and like music, you probably have some affinity for Tom Jones -- even if you'd never admit that publicly. Still, the pairing of Tom Jones with EMF?!?! You might say it's......unbelievable.

Original text copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

Now Hear This! - Vol. 1

2009-06-05T18:09:00.004-04:00

This is a series I've been considering for over two years, and I've finally decided to do it. It's simple: I'm going to recommend a bunch of tracks I'm digging and want more people to know about. If I've already given an artist a full review or feature on One Note Ahead, whatever album or EP I've written about is off limits in the "Now Hear This!" series because it will get (or has gotten) a shout-out in the "Quick Takes" series; unrelated tracks by that artist can be included in "Now Hear This!"

If you've read enough of my work, you know what eras are my favorites, so I'll have some newer tracks (since the 1980s) and some older tracks (before the 1980s) each time I do this. If I can find these selections on iTunes, I'll let you know where to look for them so you can get the whole album or compilation if you want.

Newer

"Breakdown," Tim McGlone (available on Street Sounds)

This likable singer/songwriter is boys with Matt Duke and has had Jake Snider support him at two sold-out shows; I was inevitably going to get hip to this guy. While he runs through a variety of styles on his new album Street Sounds, "Breakdown" is the kind of rock 'n' soul you just don't hear much anymore: a production that's slick but edgy, a captivating arrangement (Tim's own), and a raw voice belting out lyrics most of us can relate to. Tell your friends and maybe it'll be on iPods all around the world.

"No Way Out," Jim Boggia (available on Misadventures In Stereo)

I've only mentioned Jim a couple of times, both in connection with last year's XPN festival, and that's just as well -- there are plenty of writers out there who simply adore him and have demonstrated as much. But I have been remiss in not saying anything about this particular song, a most off-kilter ode to drinking one's life away. There are some killer riffs in the dizzyingly over-the-top arrangement and it would make a hell of a production number for a burlesque show. Intrigued?

Jim Boggia and a huge supporting cast do "No Way Out" live:

"Plenty Good Reasons," Pete and J (available on Plenty Good Reasons)

Okay, you caught me: there's a connection here, namely that Pete and J played as a band with Jim Boggia at a recent show which kicked so much ass that they should all be arrested if they never do it again. "Plenty Good Reasons" is a proud slab of all-American folk-rock, marrying the great American folk song tradition to the driving rhythms of early rock 'n' roll. This is a rare offering that reminds us of this country's grand musical history while sounding fresh enough to light up today's radio playlists. (Recent experiences with various friends compel me to add that Pete and J are not the same act as my PR clients The Josh and Pete Band!)

Older

"You're My Girl," The Everly Brothers (available on Walk Right Back: The Everly Brothers On Warner Bros. 1960-1969)

The Everly Brothers might have been known for their sweet harmonies and clean-cut appearances, but some of their mid-1960s work was downright badass. Don and Phil with fuzz guitar, choppy drumming, and lyrics like "When I close my eyes and I think of you/You wouldn't believe what comes in view"? It's all here. This didn't become a hit. Maybe it wasn't commercial enough. Maybe Americans just didn't care about the Everlys in 1965. Too bad. This rocks.

"The World Through A Tear," Neil Sedaka (available on Sedaka Sings The Hits)

Also from 1965, by which time Neil Sedaka could no longer "down-doo-be-doo-down-down" and "doo-ba-bop-bop-o-doo-bop-she-down-down" his way to the top of the charts. But wait! Easy Listening was a still a viable market in 1965. And that was the field in which Sedaka made his comeback.......but in 1974, not 1965. Too bad, for "The World Through A Tear" is fabulous: a somber yet breezy ballad with a Latin beat and an unusually reserved vocal from the normally flamboyant singer. It made the charts at least, but it probably left Sedaka's loyal fans confused because -- it sounds nothing like a Neil Sedaka record! And he didn't write it, no matter what he might imply in this clip:

"I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top," The Hollies (available on Epic Anthology)

I remember when I raided my sizable collection of Hollies CDs to load a bunch of their tracks onto my iTunes library. I wasn't quite sure why I included this one, but I'm glad I did because I've come to realize how beautiful it really is. The Hollies scored two of their biggest US hits with "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" in late 1969/early 1970 and "Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)" in 1972. Nestled between those records was this gem, a deliciously-harmonized love song with a spacious arrangement. A pre-stardom Elton John played piano on this track, which did quite well in the UK but barely registered in in the US.

I'm not going to post volumes in this series with any regularity, just whenever I can and feel like doing so. But stay tuned all the same!

Text copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

Album Review: Chasing A Butterfly

2009-05-26T17:26:00.006-04:00

MISSING: Intelligent, exquisitely-crafted pop album. Answers to the name Scary Fragile. Neglected by record company since January, 2006. Several songs heard on MySpace. "A Bitter Song" heard on TV series Grey's Anatomy, released as a single in 2007. Album's whereabouts of great concern to Butterfly Boucher fans. If found, please notify.

If what you just read leaves you puzzled, a little background is in order. Butterfly Boucher (pronounced like "voucher") is an Australian singer/songwriter, producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist currently based in Nashville. She signed to a major label for her debut album, 2004's Flutterby, but the label could not figure out how to market her. No wonder Flutterby didn't become a huge success. No wonder the follow-up, Scary Fragile, collected dust even as the placement of "A Bitter Song" in an episode of Grey's Anatomy drummed up demand. And no wonder Butterfly and her label went through a lengthy divorce, Butterfly emerging from her cocoon (sorry, couldn't help it) to release SF independently.

"I've been there and I've done that/I've got the photos and I've got the scars to prove it/I'm so tired and I'm so glad for what I have." (from "They Say You Grow")

What she has in Scary Fragile is a consistently engaging, thought-provoking, and entertaining collection which sounds as fresh as the spring flowers even though it's been sitting on the shelf for over three years. And let's not mince words here: Butterfly knew she was under pressure to deliver a hit while she was creating SF. For an album made under that kind of pressure, with hot-shot producer David Kahne to boot, SF rarely comes off as a deliberate attempt to make Butterfly sound ultra-commercial. If anything, the material on SF is more challenging than the material on Flutterby, lacking the lighthearted and sometimes off-the-wall lyrical elements of her first album and making greater use of tempo changes and mood shifts. She's much more serious and sophisticated here, as well she should be.

SF also has a tendency to present familiar motifs in unexpected ways. "Keeping Warm" is not a particularly Beatlesque song, but its arrangement sure points to the late-period Fab Four, while "To Feel Love" sounds like the theme from a Western movie before revealing itself as a straightforward singer/songwriter tune. "Bright Red" contains a similar rhythm to Kelly Clarkson's "Gone," but it's a diatribe against the very shallowness which American Idol alumni like Clarkson have both benefited from and battled. Most refreshingly, "For The Love of Love" avoids being just another "peace and love" plea with its out-of-left-field lyrics: "Take all the ones you fear and take all the ones you hate/Cook a hearty stew, flash a smile and fill their plates."

Flutterby was a diamond in the rough, representing a hopeful (albeit somewhat confused) dreamer. Scary Fragile sees that dreamer coming to terms with reality, learning the ropes of love and self-actualization, taking full command of her voice and arranging skills and using them to greater effect and advantage than ever before. Flutterby demonstrated that Butterfly Boucher had her brilliant moments, but with Scary Fragile, she has made an album both worthy and reflective of her brilliance.

Scary Fragile is not supposed to be released to the general public until June 2nd. But it's on iTunes now. Yes it is. Seriously, I am telling you, I have my iTunes Store open and it's on sale now and people have already reviewed it. The album is also available in physical form at her shows.

For more information: http://www.butterflyboucher.com/

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

The Festival Is Coming!

2009-05-21T19:33:00.005-04:00

Just a quick newsflash to inform you of this year's XPoNential Music Festival, the annual gathering hosted by WXPN on the beautiful Camden, New Jersey waterfront. You might have seen my blog about last year's event (and assuming I go this year, I will blog about it again, but I'll post a separate entry for each day to make it easier to read!). If you read even a fraction of that blog, you know that last year's fest was an amazing gathering of like-minded music lovers and many truly fine artists, and that it was all available for a low price.

This year's festival looks like another great one, although it will run for only three days instead of four. I'm pleased to report that One Note Ahead favorites Matt Duke, Andrew Lipke, and Gillian Grassie will be performing there (and Gillian's leaving the country for a year after that, so if you wanna see her....). But the lineup includes so many interesting, dynamic, and just plain fabulous artists that I can't even begin to tell you who I'm most excited to see.

Why not check out the lineup for yourself? http://xpn.org/music-artist/festival-2009/lineup

And the members-only internet presale is going on now! Tickets and three-day passes will become available to the general public eventually, but if you're an XPN member, you'll get a discount and loads of awesome members-only perks. So if you can spare the dough -- a big "if" these days, I know -- and believe in XPN's mission, please consider joining. If you don't become a member, this festival will still cost you less and give you more than a lot of other summer music festivals! Because XPN's just cool like that.

Maybe I'll see you there?

[May 28th, 2009 update: Tickets and passes are available to the general public now. A three-day pass is just 40 bucks if you're not a member and 30 bucks if you are! These prices are available only through July 10th. You can get single-day tickets as well. Go here for details.]

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

Album Review: A Jimenez Most Super

2009-04-27T18:28:00.007-04:00

In the summer and early fall of 2006, I searched for publications to which I could reasonably pitch an article about a hot new band out of Dublin, Ireland. Finding such publications was difficult enough, but actually pitching the article led to nothing but unanswered e-mails and one automated rejection letter. I got fed up, formed a blog, and posted the article there. Of course, the blog was called One Note Ahead, and if you're a loyal ONA reader, you'll have figured out that the band's name was SuperJimenez.

Now it's the spring of 2009 and I'm reviewing the band's just-released debut album. So what the hell took so long??? Oh, the usual......the lads parted with their record label and went out as independent artists, their Australian lead guitarist was deported and his bandmates fought for nine months to get him back......yawn, sooooo mundane.

But the guys are quite literally back with a Bang -- that's the name of the album. Ten tracks of shimmering, hooky pop-rock with driving rhythms and winding melodies. While their sound is radio-friendly enough to find mainstream favor (let's not forget that "Helicopters" was an Irish Top 20 hit), their stylistic diversity ensures that they won't simply fade into the crowd. The raggedy "Gojii Kids" has a punk-pop flair, but "I Feel Designed" is a sweeping folk-rock ballad. "Hear You Now" bears a strong 1980's U2 influence, while "Promises" adds elements of Springsteen and Motown to a modern rock foundation. Sometimes there's no telling what they'll do next: "Somebody There" was originally a somber B-side (to "Beau"), but here it's recast as a rollicking Beach Boys-styled singalong. Then there's "Rescue Remedy," in which drummer Daz Coen lays down a subtle trip-hop beat and lead singer Ronan Cunningham comes in crooning a Dido-ish melody; this shouldn't work, but it does.

There are enough lyrical twists and turns as well, as the boys tackle the existential dilemma of youth culture ("Gojii Kids"), deliver musings from a war zone ("Helicopters"), and make downright odd statements of love (as in "I Feel Designed," in which they sing, "Arrest me, I'm a threat, see. I wouldn't discourage a sentence for all of my life."). Vocally, there's Ronan's combination of vulnerability and aggressiveness, and band harmonies ranging from the depths of darkness to the brightest sunlight. Producers Liam Mulvaney and Adrian Bushby somehow figure out a way to bring it all together in the studio and make it sound sellable to the world at large. (The band's ever-so-tight playing helps, too.)

While the album has no complete artistic failures, the earnest singer/songwriter tune "My World" just feels like a poor fit for SuperJimenez. But listen to the brilliant, stomping "Faye," featuring Ronan, Daz, lead guitarist/keyboardist Rhys Domagala, and bassist Nick O'Laoire in top form, and you'll understand why these guys have the goods to do Dublin proud.

Bang is available internationally on iTunes, as is the nifty single version of "Somebody There" and the overlooked "Come Out To Play" (the "Helicopters" B-side which was not used for the album). So get to downloading, already!

For more info, visit: http://www.superjimenez.com and read the previous ONA feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2006/10/superjimenez-to-rescue.html

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

One Video Ahead: The Ropes

2009-03-30T22:29:00.001-04:00

This is the first installment of a new video blog series on One Note Ahead, oh-so-cleverly titled "One Video Ahead."

You know the scenario: someone tells you about an artist or band you've never heard of. You check them out. They're not bad; maybe they're actually quite good at what they do, but what they do is just not your thing......generally speaking. But while checking them out, you get hip to one song that you just can't stop listening to. And it happens to have a dirty cool video to go with it.

This happened with me and The Ropes. The song I can't stop listening to is called "Kitty Get Down," and the dirty cool video is by Andi Krop:

On the video's YouTube page, The Ropes explain: "'Kitty' is a metaphor for anyone who has ever been scared or intimidated by the world. After realizing that everyone else is also hiding and climbing their own metaphorical trees, Kitty finds the strength to get down and face fears. This is the only choice because if Kitty doesn't make the change, no one else will. If you are like Kitty, maybe it's time to get down."

And I can dig it.

Original text copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

ONA's Quick Takes, Vol. 2

2009-02-17T22:28:00.001-05:00

One Note Ahead's Quick Takes was such a good idea that I'm having a hard time understanding why I didn't do it again. Maybe I've gotten such a solid fan base that I forgot some people can't or don't want to read full-length articles and therefore might be missing out on some great music. It's about time that I offered a fast glimpse at the artists I've reviewed since.......August, 2007? Has it really been that long? Damn.

If you remember the last "Quick Takes," you know that these artists cannot be established superstars, and their tracks must be available for legal download. I focused on iTunes last time, but this time I care only that their tracks can be downloaded individually from a well-known, easy-to-access digital music service. Because some of these artists were included in the previous roundup, I'm changing the format a bit to reflect the releases reviewed since last time. And there'll be a little surprise at the end.....

Ready?

Band: The Swimmers
Album Reviewed: Fighting Trees
Sounds Like: Indie pop/rock with dreamy vocals, spirited instrumental work, and oft-mysterious lyrics. Sunny harmonies abound.
Key Tracks: Go with "We Love To Build" and "Pocket Full of Gold" for your serious moments; choose "Goodbye" and "St. Cecilia" when you want something a little out of left field.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/03/album-review-swimming-into-trees.html

Artist: Jake Snider
EP Reviewed: Green Lights For Granted
Sounds Like: Piano-driven singer/songwriter fare with a wide range of influences, performed by a teenager who sounds more mature than anyone his age has a right to.
Key Tracks: Personally, I can't get enough of "How?" and "Early Morning Somewhere," but in truth, the whole EP is strong.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/09/cd-review-snider-gives-green-light.html

Artist: Matt Duke
Album Reviewed: Kingdom Underground
Sounds Like: Dark, brooding rock and quiet, pensive folk, all with a pop-friendly coating.
Key Tracks: "Sex and Reruns" has "radio hit" written all over it. "I've Got Atrophy On The Brain" is the angry rock anthem. "Rabbit" or "30 Some Days" should satisfy your folkier inclinations.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/09/album-review-duke-and-his-kingdom.html

Artist: Gillian Grassie
Releases Reviewed: To An Unwitting Muse (EP); Serpentine (album)
Sounds Like: A classically-trained opera singer delivering brainy pop and folk-rock songs with jazzy inflections, all while accompanying herself on a Celtic harp. I couldn't make this stuff up.
Key Tracks: So hard to choose! How about "Mr. Houdini" and "Steps" from the EP; "No Answer," "Silken String," and "Tamlin" from the album. Nope, I'm not satisfied with that list....
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/09/spotlight-on-gillian-grassie.html

Artist: April Smith
EP Reviewed: Live From The Penthouse
Sounds Like: A half cutesy, half snarky 20-something of the 2000s listened to her parents' and grandparents' vintage pop records and suddenly became inspired to develop her own cabaret act. Again, I couldn't make this stuff up.
Key Tracks: "Wow and Flutter" and "Colors." But come on: there are five tracks on it. Just buy the whole EP.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/09/ep-review-april-all-year-long.html

Artist: Andrew Lipke
Album Reviewed: Motherpearl and Dynamite
Sounds Like: Equal parts sad-sack folkie and emotionally overwhelmed rocker.....but generally, more fun and more compelling than that description implies.
Key Tracks: Folk-wise, "On My Way" makes my day. Rock-wise, I find "Mindgames" and "Get It Over With" most interesting, but if you have a short attention span, choose "The Barker Song" instead.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/10/album-review-lipke-volume-three.html

Artist: Tim Laigaie
EP Reviewed: Out of Focus
Sounds Like: A sensitive singer/songwriter and a macho rocker in one man, with lyrics that are, well.......unique. By the way, it's pronounced "lay-shay."
Key Tracks: "Eyes Wide Shut," "City Bred Cowboys," and "For All The Lovers" are my top picks.
Full Feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2009/01/ep-review-laigaie-in-focus.html

Band: The Guggenheim Grotto
Album Reviewed: Happy The Man
Sounds Like: British and American folk-pop garnished with sounds from various other genres and cultures, all marinated in a distinctly Irish combination of tragedy and whimsy.
Key Tracks: It's one of the best albums I've ever reviewed. You should buy the whole thing. But if you really don't want to, I'd select "Fee Da Da Dee," "Just Not Just," and "The Girl With The Cards" as a sampling. Actually, just buy the whole album.

And now, the surprise....

Last July, I wrote about 2008's XPN Festival. Here's a mix of songs which represent the way I remember that mind-blowing event. To be honest, I don't have all of these songs in my personal collection nor do I even know all of these songs expertly! These are just the songs I most associate with the festival and if you hear them in one form or another, you'll at least have a soundtrack to the experiences I documented.

Jim Boggia, "To and Fro"
The Brakes, "Supermarket" and "Into The Ground"
Dar Williams, "The Babysitter's Here"
Alejandro Escovedo, "Put You Down" and "Always A Friend"
The Redwalls, "Modern Diet"
Jesse Ruben, "A Lack of Armor" and "Point Me In The Right Direction"
Nicole Atkins, "Maybe Tonight" and "Love Surreal"
Amos Lee, "Sweet Pea" and "Arms of a Woman"
Back Door Slam, "Come Home"
Ingrid Michaelson, "Die Alone" and "The Way I Am"
Matt Nathanson, "Come On Get Higher" and "Answering Machine"

Enoy the music.

See also ONA Year In Review: 2008 and 2008's ONA Live (the latter is last November's blog archive; scroll down to the bottom and work your way up).

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

Album Review: A "Happy" Grotto

2009-01-11T17:58:00.004-05:00

"She used to say about love that it should come from above and it should come from below/She used to say, 'My love, wear the lips of a saint and the hips of a whore.'" (from "Her Beautiful Ideas")

I was vaguely familiar with The Guggenheim Grotto when I decided to check them out in person. What a wise decision that turned out to be. Throughout two generous sets, Kevin May and Mick Lynch filled the room with their superb harmonies and skilled instrumental accompaniment. And yes, they came prepared with lots of quality material. I asked Kevin if he and Mick were looking for any blogosphere buzz, and Kevin offered me the duo's current album Happy The Man for review. Accepting it turned out to be another wise decision.

The stripped-down singer/songwriter duo I heard and saw in person is rarely to be found on Happy The Man. First of all, one Shane Power was also a member of the Grotto when this album was recorded. Secondly, the Dublin-based band recruited a substantial supporting cast to assist in the record's creation; the ethereal guest vocals of singer/songwriter Jenny Lindfors are particularly prominent. And while the Grotto's sound is based in British and North American folk/pop, Happy The Man is fleshed out with elements of electronica, rock, traditional Irish music, and whatever else the lads could throw in to mix things up a bit. While this sort of experimentation could have made for an overblown mess, Happy The Man always stays down-to-earth and never loses its focus on Mick and Kevin's songs and harmonies.

After seeing the album's title, not to mention the promotional blurbs describing it as "upbeat," one might be surprised to find a collection of songs concerned mostly with sadness, loss, and resignation. But these tracks often succeed through contrast. "Sunshine Makes Me High" opens with a dark sludge of compressed drums and menacing bass, then conjures up images of a joyful free spirit. The matter-of-fact lyrics of "Fee Da Da Dee" are delivered in a most uplifting manner, while every aspect of "The Dragon" combines whimsy and tragedy so equally as to make each listen a different emotional experience. The closing track, "Heaven Has A Heart," pretty much sums up the tone of the album: "I'm not saying, 'Don't fall in love... don't reach for the stars...' But everyone should know that heaven has a heart of stone."

Put simply, this is one of the most beautiful albums I've ever heard. One of the most consistent, too: don't bother trying to find the throwaway tracks because there aren't any. The Guggenheim Grotto are on tour in the United States right now, and Happy The Man (released in the US on UFO Music) is available at shows and on iTunes. Physical copies hit stores on January 27th. There's never been a better time to get your Grotto on.

For music and more information:
http://www.guggenheimgrotto.com
http://www.myspace.com/guggenheimgrotto

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

EP Review: Laigaie in "Focus"

2009-01-01T17:06:00.000-05:00

First of all, it's pronounced "lay-shay." Say it with me now....

On the front cover of his debut Out of Focus, Tim Laigaie is pictured in shadows, a pained expression on his face, looking every bit the sensitive singer/songwriter. But on the back cover, we see a muscular fellow walking tall, lugging his guitar case as if he's heading into a saloon to fight a bunch of outlaws and then serenade the ladies who will inevitably hail him as a hero. The EP's seven tracks reflect this balance between toughness and sensitivity, as Tim delivers these meaty pop/rock tunes with equal parts assertiveness and vulnerability.

And then there are his lyrics. Try these on for size:

"I guess the sweet ain't as sweet without the sour" (from "Last Winter")
"Welcome to the enigma masquerade" ("Eyes Wide Shut")
"Money from my pocket falls in your hands 'til there's nothin' but lint left" ("For All The Lovers")
"Life took a backseat ride, happiness subsided, and they're losing the battle to maintain" ("Quicksand")
"I knew this girl named Jen, always wanted to be a dime" ("Out of Focus")

That last one's my favorite, by the way.

Put all these ingredients together and you might become a bit confused. But what immediately struck me about Tim Laigaie is that, given the right promotion, he should have no problem catching on. His songs are catchy and memorable, with radio-friendly hooks and instantly accessible themes. From the rockin' party animal anthem "City Bred Cowboys" to the hard-times lament "Quicksand" and "Eyes Wide Shut," the obligatory ballad of a mysterious woman, Tim Laigaie's songs are familiar enough to win over mainstream audiences but different enough to stand out from the crowd. And is it just me, or is "For All The Lovers" really a mighty fine country song disguised in pop/rock attire?

The Philadelphia-based artist is currently playing out in the area, but thanks to online commerce, you can get Out of Focus pretty much anywhere. The production may be a little rough in some places and the songs a little quirky, but make no mistake about it: deep down inside, this stuff is gold.

For music and more information: http://timlaigaie.com
http://www.myspace.com/timlaigaiemusic

Copyright © 2009 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

ONA Year In Review: 2008

2008-12-23T22:17:00.004-05:00

Wow.

That's the first word that comes to mind when looking back on this year.

I often wondered about the fate of One Note Ahead, thinking it might simply fall by the wayside as more pressing obligations took up time that I would have otherwise spent blogging. I needn't have worried. True, the posts on ONA became less frequent and, until September, fewer in number. But in the process, the quality improved. I stopped writing whatever I could think to write just for the sake of having something new here, and I never had to remove anything I posted in 2008.

2008 was also the year in which One Note Ahead finally started to receive the respect I always thought it deserved. Artists who'd gotten plenty of press elsewhere told me how thrilled they were to be reviewed favorably here. People in radio complimented my writings and record executives sought out and expressed appreciation for my services as a reviewer. My circle of frequent readers grew to include some extremely discriminating music connoisseurs! There's a definite sense that this blog is making a difference just by existing, and that makes it all worthwhile.

On the minus side, I've had less time to devote to interviews, works of history, and the quirky opinion pieces that used to add more diversity to One Note Ahead. But the review-dominated format of 2008 was simply an accident of fate, not a deliberate attempt at a makeover. In other words, One Note Ahead remains open to whatever I deem suitable.

And now, a few of 2008's ups and downs.

Words I must never use in 2009: "wonderful," "energy," "intriguing," and unless absolutely necessary, "rock" and "roll." Of course, I'll continue to overuse all of those words anyway.

My favorite ONA lines from 2008:

But in person, the four-man outfit in the tight-fitting clothes played an exciting fusion style combining the aggressiveness of rock with the feel-good energy of roll. Or, as I told the band’s product manager and their street team leader after the show, “The Redwalls are amazing!!!!” (from The Music Breathing Dragon)

This was the day when I started thinking I didn't have the easygoing disposition necessary for a festival of this type and magnitude, and I seriously wondered whether I'd actually make it through all four days. But this was also the day that one of the food vendors told me I looked "chill." I am most definitely NOT a "chill" person, but this was such a "chill" festival that the, um, chills must have been rubbing off on me. (about Day Two of the XPN Festival, from XPoNential Value)

"She's basically Roy Orbison as a Jersey Girl, so I have no choice but to love her." That's how I described the fabulous Nicole Atkins to friends who were not familiar with her. I also told people that if I went to this festival and missed Nicole, I would not forgive myself. Even the most ardent advocates of forgiveness would have understood my sentiments if they'd seen Nicole and her band The Sea at the XPoNential Fest. (about Day Three of the XPN Festival, also from XPoNential Value)

I didn't dare go to the meet and greet line because that thing was long enough to extend all the way to hell and back. (about Back Door Slam on Day Four of the XPN Festival, also from XPoNential Value)

Oh, the joys of being a music industry insider! One Note Ahead favorite Matt Duke’s second album won’t be released to the general public until September 23rd, but my fellow insiders have been giving me their opinions of it for nearly four-and-a-half months! (from Album Review: A Duke And His Kingdom)

Give me a Jersey Girl who lists Gene Pitney among her influences and dedicates her most sarcastic material to Paris Hilton, and I might forget to check whether she has any actual talent before declaring myself her biggest fan. Well, singer/songwriter/guitarist April Smith is a Jersey Girl. She lists Gene Pitney among her influences. She dedicates her most sarcastic material to Paris Hilton. Oh, I hope she has talent......(he listens closely to her music)......yes! She has talent! (from EP Review: April All Year Long)

In a more electrified vein, "Get It Over With" is actually a simple pop song at heart, frosted, drizzled, and sprinkled with a bewildering series of stops and starts and impenetrable layers of solid sound. In its own strange way, it's one of the best tracks on the album. (from Album Review: Lipke, Volume Three)

One thing I love about Ingrid is her sense of humor. Another is her down-to-earth charm. In these performances of her hit "The Way I Am," both qualities just pour out of her like water out of a.....thing that you carry water around in and that thing got a hole in it and the water started pouring out. (from ONA Live: Ingrid Michaelson)

If it ain't one thing, it's another: About Gillian Grassie's only full-length album to date, I wrote that "choosing the 'worst song' on Serpentine makes as much sense as picking out the 'fattest woman' in a room full of Victoria’s Secret models." I got in trouble for that line, of course, but I still stand by it. Come on, a room full of Victoria's Secret models? The "fattest woman" in that bunch would still be skinny, just as the "worst song" on Serpentine would still be good. Sheesh. (See the infamous piece, which Gillian actually liked, here and also here.)

Must-Hear Track of the Year: "Get It Over With" by Andrew Lipke. I'd heard the song live many times, but the recording took me by surprise. The juxtaposition of alt-rock motifs with classical elements, the free-flowing execution of such a rigidly constructed song and arrangement, and the daring length all make this track a truly surreal experience in the best way possible. And not to slight anyone else involved in this recording, but it would be nowhere near as memorable without Krista Nielsen's otherwordly cello and Dave Perrin's fancy drumming.

Breakout Star of the Year: Jake Snider. When I was in high school, I was making crude lo-fi DIY recordings and singing in front of my classmates in the school auditorium. But in the same stage of his life, Jake Snider has already made a professional EP and played proper gigs at major venues in the Philadelphia area. And why the hell not? He is an accomplished singer, songwriter, and keyboardist who posesses more raw talent and professionalism than an embarrassingly large percentage of today's hottest chart-toppers. And in the mere eight months since I discovered him, he's just gotten better! This guy's got what it takes to go all the way. Read my review of his EP here (and here, for that matter).

Overall, I'm quite pleased with the way One Note Ahead has evolved in 2008 and I am extremely happy about the music and musicians featured on the blog! I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported One Note Ahead in some way. I'm ready for 2009, and I can only imagine what will be in store for ONA in the coming year. Until then, I hope you enjoy whatever holidays you may be celebrating this time of the year, and stay tuned! I don't plan on going anywhere yet....

Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

ONA Live: Ingrid Michaelson

2008-11-23T01:11:00.003-05:00

The grand finale is upon us, and what better way to end this year's roundup of live videos than with a few good laughs?

To which some music critics would retort, "Laughs? Because Ingrid Michaelson's music is a joke?"

But not me! If you read my XPN festival blog, you know how and when I became a card-carrying Ingrid fan. Well, actually there's no card, but maybe there should be. One thing I love about Ingrid is her sense of humor. Another is her down-to-earth charm. In these performances of her hit "The Way I Am," both qualities just pour out of her like water out of a.....thing that you carry water around in and that thing got a hole in it and the water started pouring out.

(cough)

Here is the "Rap Remix" (yes, "Rap Remix") from "The Bob & Tom Show" earlier this year:

But THIS is pure gold, although whoever filmed it does seem to be fixated on singer/guitarist Allie Moss.....at any rate, this bit of goofing around took place at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston on May 15th, 2008:

I last covered Ingrid Michaelson in Day Four of my XPN festival blog: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/07/xponential-value.html

And that does it for this year's edition of One Note Ahead Live. Like what you saw? Dislike what you saw? Wonder why your favorite wasn't included? Please send me some feedback. After all, the feedback I got last year inspired me to do this again.

Thanks for watching! We now return to your regularly scheduled One Note Ahead.

ONA Live: Matt Duke

2008-11-23T00:59:00.002-05:00

So I gave Matt Duke's latest album Kingdom Underground the most negative review I've ever given an album on One Note Ahead. But I still had nice things to say about at least six out of the ten songs! I was a big Matt Duke fan when I wrote that review and I still am. You can imagine my dismay in not being able to find any great live videos of songs from KU. But this amateur video of Matt laying down an acoustic "I've Got Atrophy On The Brain" does have its own quirky charm. Besides, I witnessed this performance in person at MilkBoy Coffee in Ardmore, PA on July 21, 2007, so it holds special significance to me.

My infamous Kingdom Underground review: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/09/album-review-duke-and-his-kingdom.html

The grand finale is next!

ONA Live: April Smith

2008-11-23T00:34:00.005-05:00

So far, we've seen that a lot of Philly-based artists like to play in New York City. Well, it's time to get even.....

Seriously, Jersey girl April Smith is currently based in New York City, but she is a favorite in certain circles here in Philadelphia. They just can't get enough of her on "The 10! Show," a local morning variety series from which this February 12, 2008 performance and interview was taken. I remember watching this on TV, lamenting the fact that the lousy weather was keeping me from seeing her in person at the Northern Liberties Winter Music Festival that night. (Proving that it is a small world after all, Andrew Lipke was also on the bill for that night of the festival.)

They love her in Asbury Park, NJ as well. Here's a cool stripped-down version of "Wow And Flutter" from The Saint, August 15, 2008:

"Stripped-down" was perhaps too appropriate a term for that song.....

April Smith on One Note Ahead: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/09/ep-review-april-all-year-long.html

The party continues!

ONA Live: The Redwalls

2008-11-23T00:26:00.002-05:00

I've already written plenty about these guys this year, so let's get on with the rock 'n' roll!

Here are The Redwalls playing "Modern Diet" on "The Late Show with David Letterman," January 23, 2008. The guitarist who opens up the number is Andrew Langer, who recently left the band. The remaining members are Logan & Justin Baren and Rob Jensen. Since I've previously remarked about the Barens' personalities, I'll point out that Logan is singing lead here and Justin is singing harmony.

I first covered The Redwalls in my MAD Dragon Records blog: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/02/music-breathing-dragon.html

I last covered The Redwalls in Day Two of my XPN festival blog: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/07/xponential-value.html

ONA Live ain't over yet!

ONA Live: Nicole Atkins

2008-11-22T23:27:00.004-05:00

A major label artist who's toured internationally and appeared on top-rated TV programs would normally not be considered a candidate for inclusion on One Note Ahead, but my blog about this year's XPN festival broke all the rules. And Nicole Atkins actually thanked me for what I wrote about her, which is more than I can say for some artists who need the publicity a lot more than she does. So if she appreciates being featured on One Note Ahead, why not keep featuring her?

Well, if she suddenly started sucking, that would be a good reason. But let's hope that doesn't happen.

On my 27th birthday (that would be September 16, 2008) Nicole Atkins and The Sea performed the splendid "Maybe Tonight" on the British series "Later with Jools Holland." As Jools himself would say, "Nicole Atkins! Marvelous!"

I'll make a shocking confession: "The Way It Is" is not one of my favorite Nicole Atkins songs to listen to. But it IS one of my favorites in a live setting! This October 30, 2007 clip from "The Late Show with David Letterman" should demonstrate why:

Yeah, Dave was so obviously smitten!

I last covered Nicole Atkins in Day Three of my XPN festival blog: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/07/xponential-value.html

Stick around for more One Note Ahead Live.

ONA Live: Andrew Lipke

2008-11-22T22:51:00.002-05:00

I don't know what's up with Andrew Lipke. I had to exclude him from last year's One Note Ahead Live because I couldn't find any high-quality live videos of him. Now there are a few, but nowhere near as many as there should be. So I present to you these two solo acoustic performances captured at The Bitter End in NYC on June 4, 2008. These clips lack the awesomeness of Andrew's band The Prospects (formerly known as Bandrew), and they don't necessarily show that Andrew is precisely 20 feet tall, but they're good for what they are.

"On My Way":

"The Barker Song," which I like to call "The Bob Barker Song" (apparently I'm not the only one):

Both of these songs are on Andrew's new album Motherpearl and Dynamite, which I reviewed here: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/10/album-review-lipke-volume-three.html

Stay tuned! We'll be right back after these messages.....

ONA Live: Gillian Grassie

2008-11-22T00:26:00.002-05:00

On stage, the beautiful Gillian Grassie radiates such warmth as she gently infuses every word with emotion while lovingly caressing her harp.....and patiently tolerating an intransigent mic stand.

Can a mic stand be considered intransigent?

You can decide for yourself as you enjoy this performance of "Silken String," one of my favorite GG songs. This was filmed at The Bitter End in New York City during the November 6th finale of the New York Songwriters Circle's 2008 Songwriting Contest. You might like to know that Gillian won 2nd place!

Gillian Grassie on One Note Ahead: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/09/spotlight-on-gillian-grassie.html

The very same piece was also published on Crunkbox: http://www.crunkbox.com/articles/articles/131/1/Spotlight-On-Gillian-Grassie/Page1.html

More One Note Ahead Live coming up!

ONA Live: The Brakes

2008-11-20T22:22:00.004-05:00

I wasn't sure who should go next in this year's compilation of live video clips. Seeing The Brakes last night made my decision easy. No band has a right to be as tight and accomplished as they are in a live setting. It's fitting that their current album, Tale Of Two Cities (Hyena Records), is a collection of live performances from their spring 2007 residencies at New York's Knitting Factory and MilkBoy Coffee in the Philadelphia suburb of Ardmore, PA. The album's strong musicianship includes the drumming of Josh Sack, who unfortunately passed away in May of this year after putting up what sounds like a hell of a fight against leukemia. His legacy looms large in the consciousness of The Brakes and their fans, but the band plays on with Spence Cohen aptly filling Josh's shoes for the time being. Here's Spence with Zach Djanikian, Matt Kass, Adam Flicker, and Derek Feinberg playing "Danger Blues" at NYC's Mercury Lounge on June 2, 2008:

I last covered The Brakes in Day Two of my XPN festival blog: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/07/xponential-value.html

Stay tuned!

ONA Live: The Swimmers

2008-11-18T23:39:00.004-05:00

Last year's One Note Ahead Live! was a simple concept: post some live video clips of ONA artists so my readers can see what these folks are like in concert. It was so well-received that I'm doing it again this year, only bigger and better. Instead of posting all the videos in one blog entry, I will devote a separate blog entry to each artist. Some artists will get more than one video, if there are enough good videos available and if the mood strikes me. The selection of artists will draw from across the One Note Ahead spectrum: longtime ONA favorites who've been featured here within the past year, artists who were formally reviewed here since the last ONA live roundup, and some of the acts I included in my XPN festival blog.

Let's begin with The Swimmers. Now, any band can play a song live. But it takes a special type of band to play a song live.........while marching and rolling a piano through the streets of Philadelphia:

Heaven [live]

The Swimmers on One Note Ahead: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2008/03/album-review-swimming-into-trees.html

Stay tuned for more One Note Ahead Live in these last weeks of November.

Album Review: Lipke, Volume Three

2008-10-19T21:19:00.012-04:00

"Bodies broken by the roadside, sad to say it's nothin' new to me/I'll offer up a piece of advice: if you close your eyes, you never have to see." (from "On My Way")

One Note Ahead favorite Andrew Lipke currently has just one word in the "Sounds Like" section of his MySpace page: chutney. And nothing sounds more like chutney than his third album, Motherpearl and Dynamite, which drops on November 11th. More consistent than his first (Ghosts) and more demanding than his second (The Way Home...), Motherpearl is an intriguing effort whose highlights far outnumber its misfires.

Indeed, by my count there are only one and a half misfires to be found among the album's nine tracks. The half-misfire appears in the form of "Forgive and Forget." The lyrics are unusually mundane by Andrew's standards, and the melody is not ideally suited to his voice or range, but this recording of it does have a pleasant rootsy sound. I'm afraid I can't even be that kind to his Neil Young cover, "After The Goldrush." Andrew most definitely should not have tried to sing the song in Neil Young's key, and he doesn't help matters by leading The Prospects (formerly known as Bandrew) through a tedious arrangement.

Happily, the remaining tracks rise to a much higher level. Andrew has always split his energies between folk and rock, and this album contains some of his finest work in both genres. The best folky numbers on Motherpearl are all quietly intense ruminations on life and death. The haunting "On My Way" is my personal favorite, while "Flesh and Bone" is alarmingly nonchalant considering its weighty subject matter.

In a more electrified vein, "Get It Over With" is actually a simple pop song at heart, frosted, drizzled, and sprinkled with a bewildering series of stops and starts and impenetrable layers of solid sound. In its own strange way, it's one of the best tracks on the album. "The Barker Song" aptly fills a niche for quick-and-dirty rock 'n' roll, with wry lyrics and a quirky vocal. But for pure drama, nothing on the album can measure up to "Mindgames," a complex and disturbingly accurate analysis of sexual psychology in which Andrew's affinity for '90s alt-rock collides head-on with his love of Led Zeppelin. Andrew's blistering Rickenbacker solo should go down in history as one of the greatest rock guitar solos of all time.

The self-produced Motherpearl is Andrew's second album for MAD Dragon Records, and it seems to be getting more of a promotional push than his MAD Dragon debut The Way Home... ever received. In a sense, this is unfortunate. Home... contained many great songs that were also ultra-commercial. Motherpearl has a lot of strong material, but aside from "The Barker Song," nothing on it really sounds like an obvious single. Thus, while this album will likely receive more attention than its predecessor, it probably won't become the breakthrough its predecessor could have been.

Andrew Lipke's Motherpearl and Dynamite: the perfect addition to your next samosa tray.

For music and more info: http://www.myspace.com/andrewlipke

One Note Ahead review of The Way Home... : http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2007/02/album-review-lipke-goes-home.html

Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

EP Review: April All Year Long

2008-09-23T22:50:00.002-04:00

Give me a Jersey Girl who lists Gene Pitney among her influences and dedicates her most sarcastic material to Paris Hilton, and I might forget to check whether she has any actual talent before declaring myself her biggest fan. Well, singer/songwriter/guitarist April Smith is a Jersey Girl. She lists Gene Pitney among her influences. She dedicates her most sarcastic material to Paris Hilton. Oh, I hope she has talent......(he listens closely to her music)......yes! She has talent!

April’s debut album, loveletterbombs [sic], was released by the tiny Indigo Planet label in 2005. Most of its tracks were guitar-heavy, cathartic rock mini-dramas sung in a punky voice. It was a solid effort, but there was no way it could prepare anyone for what was to come. As her self-released EP Live From The Penthouse demonstrates, the new April Smith offers beguilingly melodic pop opuses which draw from various elements of vintage popular music while retaining a thoroughly contemporary attitude. “Drop Dead Gorgeous” is a good example of this delicate balance: it sounds at times like a 1950s teen idol ballad, but lines like “You’re so enchanting when your mouth is closed” and “A pretty face is all you’ll ever be to me” would never have been uttered by Frankie Avalon. The delightfully naughty “Wow And Flutter” also excels at bridging the gap between old and new, its music hall style offset by many eyebrow-raising proclamations: “My mouth is wide open, ready to explore,” “I’m gonna spin you around and play you like a record,” and pretty much anything else a woman might say to get a man both aroused and a bit frightened.

All of the songs on the EP have something special to offer. “The Battle of Eliyahu” combines a jazzy melody with a sunshine pop arrangement and lyrics worthy of a sassy cabaret act, while “Beloved” is an extremely touching ballad. “Colors” is a rousing sing-along and one of my personal favorites. April likes to dedicate this one to our troops serving overseas, and while that is a kind gesture, “Colors” is simply too cheerful for me to associate it with something as bleak as war.

Throughout the EP, April is supported by her band The Great Picture Show. These performances have all the rawness and quirkiness you would expect from a live show, and they are mostly quite good. April’s throaty, elastic voice has really matured into a full-bodied instrument, and The Great Picture Show prove themselves to be no slouches. The slow numbers sound great, but the up-tempo “Wow and Flutter” and “Colors” are both a blast in this live setting. “The Battle of Eliyahu” suffers somewhat from an uneven vocal, but it must still be enjoyable because I’ve certainly played it enough times! This EP is well worth the purchase if you want April’s newer songs or if you’re looking for a handy document of her (and her band’s) live work. Be sure to look for it online or at April's shows.

For all things April Smith: http://www.aprilsmithmusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/aprilsmithmusic

Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

Spotlight On: Gillian Grassie

2008-09-12T18:59:00.004-04:00

Gillian Grassie writes catchy, intellectually-stimulating pop and folk-rock songs. She sounds like a classically-trained opera singer trying her hand at jazz—and succeeding. She plays the harp.

Yes, you read all of that correctly.

The Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter/harpist (ahem) has two self-released records, both of which benefit from the substantial talents of producer/multi-instrumentalist Tim Sonnefeld. But Gillian is always the star of the show. She makes her harp sound at times like a piano and at other times like a guitar, but her playing is so naturally graceful that these auditory metamorphoses never sound forced. Her lucid voice is capable of conveying a wide range of emotions without ever losing its character.

Here is the breakdown of her two releases:

To An Unwitting Muse (EP, 2005): There are some moments when the songwriting could use a little tweaking or when Gillian’s vocals get a tad overdramatic. But overall, this is an impressive debut, especially when one considers that Gillian was barely 19 years old when it was released. The delightfully Celtic “Steps” is an exemplary piece of contemporary folk-rock songwriting, while “Oceans” includes the startling confession, “Women are like oceans, as whimsical as tides/They swell up with emotions and then forever change their minds.” The wonderful “Mr. Houdini” stands in a class all its own as the only harp-driven, psychedelic pop-jazz song ever to contain the word “erotomaniac.” At least I think it’s the only one....

Serpentine (full-length album, 2007): This album reveals itself in new ways with each listen, and clocking in at 37 minutes, it avoids the two-headed evil of being either too short or too long. “No Answer” kicks off the album in high style, Gillian opening with some echoed harp and an Erin McKeown-styled vocal before the track evolves into a distinctive slice of Triple-A heaven. “No answer is an answer; it’s just not the one you were waiting for.” “Pulse” exemplifies the principle of beautiful dissonance, whereas “Silken String” isn’t dissonant—just beautiful. The chilling “Tamlin” references classic folklore and literature, but you needn’t understand the allusions to be emotionally devastated by this heartbreaking masterpiece. The album closes with the pensive lullaby “The Train,” one of Gillian’s most haunting compositions. Not everything is wonderful; the graphic, stream-of-consciousness lyrics of “Tell Me” are not for the squeamish, and though the politically-charged “Sweet Metallic” has noble intentions, it could stand to be more focused both lyrically and sonically. But I hate to complain about such a likable album. After all, choosing the “worst song” on Serpentine makes as much sense as picking out the “fattest woman” in a room full of Victoria’s Secret models.

For music and more information: http://www.gilliangrassie.com
http://www.myspace.com/harppower

Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

Album Review: A Duke And His Kingdom

2008-09-12T18:46:00.006-04:00

Oh, the joys of being a music industry insider! One Note Ahead favorite Matt Duke’s second album won’t be released to the general public until September 23rd, but my fellow insiders have been giving me their opinions of it for nearly four-and-a-half months! Long before I got my hands on a promo copy, I knew that Kingdom Underground (Rykodisc/MAD Dragon) would be a controversial offering. For example, one of my peers raved to me that this album is simply amazing and that it captures Matt’s raw intensity so much more than his debut album, Winter Child. But I recall another one of my friends in the biz moaning to me that KU is a too-polished effort, that all of its best songs can be found in its first half, and that its last few tracks sound like a bunch of random B-sides.

My opinion falls somewhere in between these extremes.

For starters, Kingdom Underground is a strange title for an album that really has nothing “underground” about it. If “radio friendly” was the phrase of the day for Winter Child, “pop friendly” is Kingdom Underground’s guiding principle. Unusually for Matt, all of the songs are noticeably hooky, while Marshall Altman’s production and arrangements ensure that even the folkier and rockier tracks are sweetened a bit. Thus, acoustically-based numbers like “Spilt Milk” and the gorgeous “30 Some Days” are fleshed out with full bands; “I’ve Got Atrophy On The Brain” doesn’t get to be the riff-driven heavy rocker it wants to be; “Rose” could have been cut at a Sheryl Crow session; and “Sex and Reruns” loses its folk-rock edge in a sea of electronic effects. Still, the bottom line is that these cuts all sound good—simple as that. And as a vocalist, Matt does have more mad moments than he’s had on any of his previous releases, displaying at least some of that rawness which was largely absent from Winter Child.

What about the material? Out of KU’s ten songs, the first five range from solid to fantastic. “The Father, The Son And The Harlot’s Ghost” is a logical successor to Winter Child’s “Tidal Waves,” and none the worse for it. “Sex And Reruns” is about neither sex nor reruns, but the art of muddling through: “When you suck at life but you’re much too scared to die/Embrace the sweet indifference with your brothers and we’ll march in time.” The improbably-titled “I’ve Got Atrophy On The Brain” goes from muddling through to barely holding on, with declarations such as “You’re sick, the time you’ve lost, you choke/The bile’s in your throat.” Its brilliantly gloomy lyrics are rivaled only by one of Matt’s best melodies yet. (The other songs on the first half are “Rabbit” and “30 Some Days,” both released on a digital single over the summer.) Does the second half of the album pale in comparison to the first? Unfortunately. The last five songs aren’t terrible, but Matt has better songs that would have been more welcome and one has to wonder why they weren’t used. Of KU’s second half, “Rose” stands out as a fun slab of rock ‘n’ roll with a cool “Lady Marmalade”-styled refrain. The disconcerting “Walk It Off” affords Matt the opportunity to freak out vocally, and his emotionally-packed performance on “Spilt Milk” might just make listeners think there’s more to the song than there actually is.

Kingdom Underground was recorded in less than a month. While it is not a bad album, it could have been a great album if only more time and care had been put into it. The entire body of work could have been as strong as the first five tracks, but in the final analysis, KU comes off as a rushed effort that tries to do right by the artist, but does not always succeed. But that’s just my opinion, and of course....everybody has one.

One Note Ahead article on Winter Child: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2006/10/winter-child-for-all-seasons.html

Music and more info: http://www.mattdukemusic.net
http://www.myspace.com/mattduke

Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

EP Review: Snider Gives The Green Light

2008-09-03T22:34:00.007-04:00

You might expect a 17-year-old singer/songwriter from the suburbs to sing about fake ID’s and how his mom won’t buy him a new cell phone. Of the six songs on Jake Snider’s EP Green Lights For Granted, only “Say Farewell” will meet such expectations. More commonly, you’ll encounter moody masterpieces such as “To The Ocean,” with mind-boggling lines like “I went to see the warriors of virtue with you” and “Breaking open the calluses created by your mind.” How many 17-year-olds are writing lyrics like that and pairing them with beguiling, classically-influenced melodies? Jake’s first professional recording, Green Lights is mostly a collaboration with his buddy Jeff Berman, who handles both bass and drums with equal ease and provides a strong backdrop for Jake’s impressive keyboard work. The tracks generally have a stripped-down sound, although “Early Morning Somewhere” is fleshed out with Jake’s guitar and layered vocals, and the glorious “How?” needs little adornment to cement its position as a sublime slice of jazz-pop. Despite its upbeat musical qualities, “How?” is also the darkest offering on the EP, its lyrics almost disturbing in their portrayal of a man on the brink. While some of Jake’s vocals on Green Lights are a bit rough, his voice is so smooth and robust that with a little work, he should eventually earn his place as one of the great singers of his generation. Lately, Jake has been performing in Philadelphia and the western suburbs where he grew up. If you can make it to a show, you will be in for a treat as Jake jams with his friends and family, plays a wider variety of music than you might expect, and harmonizes superbly with fellow teenaged singer/songwriter Emily Bach. If you can’t make it to a show, get your Jake Snider fix by purchasing Green Lights For Granted on CD Baby or iTunes.

For music, videos, and more info: http://www.snidercreative.com
http://www.myspace.com/jakesnidermusic

Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

XPoNential Value

2008-07-15T18:13:00.002-04:00

Thousands of people converging on the Camden, NJ waterfront. Lines of food and beverage vendors and Port-A-Potties. A zero-tolerance policy for glass containers. Radio personalities seated behind fences, shouting excitedly into microphones. The sounds of rock, soul, blues, folk, hip-hop, and alternative pop filling the air. A sensitive, delicate-voiced singer/songwriter......rapping. What else could it possibly be but the 2008 XPoNential Music Festival, the current name of the annual shindig hosted by WXPN, a leading public radio station based in my fair city of Philadelphia, PA. Thursday and Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday afternoon and evening. Loads of terrific live music for a terrifically low price, and a great opportunity to get sunburned in the process! This year was my first at the festival, and as an XPN member I enjoyed many perks, including the chance to meet certain artists whom non-members did not get the privilege of meeting. Top local acts and XPN favorites from other cities and countries graced two stages in Camden's enormous Wiggins Park, the large River Stage and the more intimate Marina Stage (there was also a Kids Corner stage). I didn't see every act, nor did I like every act I saw, but there was so much of interest at this year's event that I had to document some of the highlights for posterity. (Click on the links for images; I tried to post images directly to this blog, but they kept ruining the formatting.)

Day One: Thursday, July 10, 2008

Free for XPN members and Camden County residents (Camden County includes the City of Camden and many other municipalities in South Jersey). I didn't know what to expect, but I was getting into it and seeing a lot of familiar faces.

Kicking off the festival was Philly favorite Jim Boggia. I'd heard so much about this guy, yet I'd never seen him. After witnessing his powerhouse performance, in which he was supported by a mammoth 11-piece band, I had to ask myself HOW I'd never seen him before. An engaging performer with intriguing material, a soulful voice, and an irresistible sense of humor.

Image 1: When I met Jim Boggia, I told him he could call me either "SJ" or "Dibai." See how he signed my festival guide.

The Salvador Santana Band had me wondering if they'd be any good. See, Salvador is the son of Carlos; I'd hoped he wasn't just coasting on his famous name. I needn't have worried. Salvador's band delivered a high-energy fusion of hip-hop, funk, rock, and Latin dance music which attracted an impressively diverse crowd and had practically everyone from every imaginable demographic dancing. (Well, those who were physically incapable of dancing were probably nodding along!) Like his father, Salvador Santana knows the importance of surrounding his own talents with those of others. The Salvador Santana Band is truly an integrated unit in which the members trade moments in the spotlight, play off each other, and work together to bring on the good times.

Day Two: Friday, July 11, 2008

This was the day when I started thinking I didn't have the easygoing disposition necessary for a festival of this type and magnitude, and I seriously wondered whether I'd actually make it through all four days. But this was also the day that one of the food vendors told me I looked "chill." I am most definitely NOT a "chill" person, but this was such a "chill" festival that the, um, chills must have been rubbing off on me. This was also the day that I met beloved XPN deejay Matt Reilly, who was gearing up to leave Philly and go back to his former home of Austin, TX. Peace out, Matt.

The Brakes are Philly rock royalty. I'd seen them before about two years earlier and caught them on local TV recently, so my expectations were high for their festival set. Well, they didn't meet my expectations; they exceeded my expectations. A tight, solid band that put on a genuinely entertaining show and got the crowd (myself included) groovin' right along. I met most of them later on, and they were all very nice and truly appreciative.

Friday evening was my first time seeing the highly-touted Dar Williams, and she was a riot. If you like your brainy singer/songwriters to be hilarious on stage, you need to make it out to one of her shows. Being right across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, many artists referred to the city in which the festival took place as "Philly," but Dar Williams actually thanked the City of Camden for letting her call it Philly on several occasions! She was so charming and had such a fully realized stage presence that I keep forgetting she was the only one on stage.

As for Alejandro Escovedo, what word can I use to describe an artist whose arrangements included guitars that threatened to break the sound barrier and overdriven psychedelic cello solos? Oh, right: intense.

One Note Ahead readers know I like The Redwalls, and I saw them on the Marina Stage (my second time seeing them overall). I was especially taken by the personalities of the two brothers in the band, Logan and Justin Baren. Logan is the most prominent singer in the band, capable of a satisfyingly aggressive shout which gives his vocals a distinctive edge. Yet when I met the band afterwards, Logan was the silent one. He just sat there signing whatever people handed him but I never heard him talk to anyone and rarely saw him look at anyone. Mind you, he didn't come off as snobby; just withdrawn and perhaps shy. Conversely, Justin was quite personable. We fans were meeting the band under somewhat rushed, chaotic circumstances, but Justin was easygoing and took the time to talk with people who had something to say. Justin also struck me as the tough guy in the band, which I just had to respect, as I've had to play the role of "tough guy" many times in my own life.

Image 2: Logan Baren might not be the most talkative person, but he sure has a robust autograph. He almost shoved Jim Boggia's off the page!

Day Three: Saturday, July 12, 2008

Chill. That's the way I was truly feeling as this day progressed. I knew I'd have to come back on Sunday. Must have been something in the complimentary beverages available to XPN members. This was also the day that I had the pleasure of meeting David Dye, host of the nationally-broadcast public radio program World Cafe, which originates from XPN. And I made a few new friends as well. Always great to make new friends through music!

I was vaguely familiar with Wilmington, DE's The Spinto Band, so I checked them out. They played a fun style of indie rock, and even though they weren't the sort of band I could see myself becoming a huge fan of, I fondly remember trying to dance to their music while balancing the plate of hot food I was eating! (I didn't spill anything.) I had similar feelings about another popular local band, Fooling April: I couldn't see myself becoming a huge fan, but it was nice to see them.

A friend of mine who works at XPN was particularly keen to see two of the festival's acts, one of whom was Jesse Ruben. This friend of mine is quite fond of One Note Ahead favorites Matt Duke and Andrew Lipke, so I trust her judgment at least to a certain extent! In fact, I had seen Jesse perform a few songs at an XPN Philly Local concert in May, so I decided to try taking in a full set of his. He fits neatly into the singer/songwriter subgenre, the pre-blues John Mayer being an obvious influence; he has a good voice and a lot of strong material. In particular, his song "Point Me In The Right Direction" left me spellbound; its detailed story of a war veteran reminded me of an uncle who served in Vietnam and was never quite the same afterwards. Jesse was also eminently likeable, down-to-earth and personable on stage and off.

Image 3: Jesse Ruben signed my festival guide with a smiley face!

"She's basically Roy Orbison as a Jersey Girl, so I have no choice but to love her." That's how I described the fabulous Nicole Atkins to friends who were not familiar with her. I also told people that if I went to this festival and missed Nicole, I would not forgive myself. Even the most ardent advocates of forgiveness would have understood my sentiments if they'd seen Nicole and her band The Sea at the XPoNential Fest. Nicole Atkins & The Sea rocked. Yes, rocked. Nicole's music doesn't rock on record, nor does it always rock live. It seems to depend on the show; all I know is that she and her band laid down a heavier, more aggressive sound than I was used to hearing from them, while still retaining the focus on her sweet sweet melodies and her amazingly beautiful voice. It was loads of fun to stand right up front and have Nicole look down at me and smile whenever she caught me dancing; it was even more fun to watch her put her guitar down and rock out herself, her long brown hair and shiny blue dress creating a whirlwind of activity around her. I'd seen Nicole and The Sea once before at the top Philly venue World Cafe Live (which is actually located right next door to XPN and is named after David Dye's program). They didn't rock there, but they were wonderful all the same. Though I'd met her and talked with her after that show, I didn't expect her to recognize me at the festival. "That was three and a half months ago. She meets so many people. I mean, she might remember me, but I'm not holding my breath." So when I went to the meet and greet area and it was my turn in line, she smiled at me, gave me a hi-five, and said, "Hey, man! Good to see you again!" I replied, "So you remember me?" I still had my doubts, but she said, "Yeah......World Cafe Live, right?"

I think I was on Cloud Nine for the rest of the night.

Image 4: While waiting in line to talk to Nicole, I spotted her keyboardist Dan "Cashmere" Chen. Maybe it's because I used to play keyboards, but I am often drawn to keyboardists, and Dan is a damn good one. I asked him to sign my festival guide and his huge autograph hardly left any room for anyone else's! He must not be used to signing his autograph. Or maybe he just has a big ego!

And then there was Amos Lee. Soulful, bluesy, and just plain cool. Nothing more to say.

Day Four: Sunday, July 13, 2008

Exactly how much sleep was I not getting by this point? It was catching up to me, I tell you what. Still, I wanted to see some of the acts who were scheduled for Sunday, and I also wanted to see some friends who were planning on being there. So off I went for one last day!

Back Door Slam are the heirs to Cream's throne. The young British trio gave us a healthy dose of heavy, blues-based rock with rich vocals and wild guitar solos. The sun was really beating down on the crowd and the humidity was high, but we couldn't help moving to such energetic music. I didn't dare go to the meet and greet line because that thing was long enough to extend all the way to hell and back.

I don't know why I felt compelled to see Ingrid Michaelson. Going into the festival, I didn't have any strong feelings about her either way. Perhaps I just thought this would be a good chance to see what she's like in person. Or maybe I just really wanted to hear "The Way I Am" live. Having seen her on TV once, I thought we'd be in for a low-key, pleasant-but-uneventful set of mellow singer/songwriter music. Was I ever wrong about THAT! If Dar Williams was a barrel of laughs, the adorable Ms. Michaelson was two and a half barrels. She didn't even have to try; she just opened her mouth and unbelievably funny things came out. Audience participation played a big role in her set; she even taught us our parts, acknowledging that many of us were probably not experts on her music. And yes, she did perform the XPN (and Old Navy commercial) favorite "The Way I Am," but being sick of doing it the same way over and over again, she opened the song.....by rapping. And rapping. And rapping. At one point, she led us through an impromptu singalong on the theme from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. As if her natural humor and charm weren't enough, I was impressed that she had WOMEN in her band! No disrespect to all the wonderful female artists with all-male backing bands, but it's nice to see a woman who actually employs female musicians; two women played right along with two men in Ingrid's fine band. Yes, Ingrid Michaelson is an easy target for critics because she has a sound which is common for female singer/songwriters of today. But she is a truly special performer with many quality songs, and I am now officially a fan.

One more thing: in the meet and greet area, most artists sat or stood behind a table, the separation between artist and fan well-established. Ingrid stood on the same side of the table as the fans who waited in line to meet her, talking face-to-face and letting us hug her! She has to get mad props from me for that.

Image 5: For some reason, Nicole Atkins signed under Ingrid Michaelson's picture, leaving Ms. Michaelson to scribble an autograph over her own forehead!

I was fading fast, and I knew I couldn't stay at the festival 'til the end. But remember my friend who so wanted to see Jesse Ruben? I was intrigued that the other act she most wanted to see was Matt Nathanson. What a pleasure it was to hear and see him. An enjoyable singer/songwriter with a lot of heart and soul and an off-the-wall sense of humor. He was at times snarky and at times inappropriate for an ostensibly family-friendly event, but he made me laugh regardless. I also have to hand it to him for demonstrating why the folks running this event should not have allowed artists to do their grand finales only to say, "Let's have another song!" Matt Nathanson did a wonderful grand finale in which he engaged the audience in a rousing singalong. Then someone in a position of power had him come out and do another song, and he admitted that he had no idea what to play because he hadn't planned on doing an encore. Fortunately, his former touring buddy Ingrid Michaelson was observing him from the rear of the stage, so he brought her up to duet with him. Even more fortunately, the duet worked.

And that was it for me. There was more festival left, but I was half asleep and ready to call it a day...weekend...weekend plus. Whatever. It was a rollercoaster ride, but the highs were incredibly high and the pleasant surprises especially sweet. I'm already looking forward to next year's event. Are the tickets available yet???

Missed the festival? Didn't miss it but want to relive it? No problem: http://www.xpn.org/festival08/media.php

Original text copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

One Note Ahead Update

2008-06-19T18:45:00.004-04:00

What times these have been! Last December, I reached two major turning points, one right after the other. First, I joined the indie music website Crunkbox as a staff writer. Days later, I was offered a job as the publicist for One Note Ahead favorites Downtown Harvest; of course I took it! From that point onward, I became more and more entrenched in PR work, and when I did turn back to music journalism, my attentions were split between Crunkbox and ONA. In addition, my being Downtown Harvest's publicist meant I could no longer write about them myself. Now, my days as DTH's publicist are over, but in the meantime I began representing another ONA favorite, Laura Cheadle. Therefore, it would now be a conflict of interest for me to write about HER! For all of these reasons, ONA hasn't been updated as frequently as it used to be, but the time is upon us for some news.

Two of our most beloved acts, Andrew Lipke (MySpace ONA) and the aforementioned Downtown Harvest (MySpace ONA) are busy working on new albums and have been previewing the new material at their shows. If you've missed out on the songs Andrew's had on his MySpace page for the past several months, check them out. Judging from what I've heard thus far, both acts are proving that they are not about to get stuck in a rut anytime soon.

Though it would be a conflict of interest to write about her per se, I'm certainly allowed to simply mention that Laura Cheadle (MySpace ONA) is also working on a new album, Live On, and is in fact previewing new material on her MySpace page.

Of course, our biggest celebrity around here is the one and only Matt Duke (MySpace ONA). His second album, Kingdom Undergound, is ready to be released on August 26th. Some of the new songs are currently playing on his MySpace page, and if you're particularly impatient, you can now get two of them ("30 Some Days" and "Rabbit") on iTunes. Having heard several of its songs live and on MySpace, I predict that Kingdom Undergound will be a case of building strength upon strength.

That's all for now. Stay tuned!

[July 14, 2008 update: Matt Duke's album is now scheduled to be released in September. Expect reviews of both Duke's and Lipke's new albums here in the relatively near future.]

Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

Obscure Originals, Vol. 2

2008-04-21T22:43:00.010-04:00

This is the second installment in a series spotlighting songs that are best known by artists who did not record them originally. As in Volume 1, the histories presented herein are not meant to be exhaustive or unbiased.

Song: “Dazed and Confused”
Best known by: Led Zeppelin
Originally recorded by: Jake Holmes
The story: Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused” sounds like a work of such striking originality that it’s hard to believe there is actually almost nothing original about it! First of all, Zep didn’t write the song—Jake Holmes did. The American singer/songwriter recorded it in an acid-folk style with Dylanesque lyrics, an eerily minimalistic arrangement, and a vocal that can only be described as frighteningly intense. It was included on his album The Above Ground Sound of Jake Holmes in 1967; in August of that year, Holmes opened for The Yardbirds in New York City, where Yardbirds drummer Jim McCarty found himself spellbound by “Dazed and Confused.” At McCarty’s suggestion, The Yardbirds worked out their own arrangement of the song, complete with one of their classic “rave up” instrumental breaks and heavy riffing courtesy of their lead guitarist at the time, a fellow named Jimmy Page (ahem). As was his wont, lead singer Keith Relf habitually messed around with the lyrics and blew into a harmonica on the break. Page played his guitar with a violin bow. Audiences went crazy. But The Yardbirds were coming apart at the seams, and they finally disintegrated in the summer and fall of 1968. Thus, for all their electrifying live performances of “Dazed,” The Yardbirds never got around to recording a proper studio version; meanwhile, through a long, convoluted series of events, The Yardbirds morphed into Led Zeppelin by the end of 1968. Page knew a hit song when he heard one, so Led Zep took the basic elements of The Yardbirds’ arrangement, rewrote most of Jake Holmes’ lyrics, and cut a thick, screaming rendition sounding as if Satan himself was at the producer’s chair. Released on Zep’s eponymous debut album in 1969, it became one of the all-time classics of hard rock. But, of course, Jake Holmes was screwed because Page and Robert Plant claimed authorship of the song! To this day, ASCAP’s database retains two separate copyrights: one for a “Dazed and Confused” written by Holmes and one for a “Dazed and Confused” now credited solely to Page! In order to learn how ASCAP allowed such things to happen, it looks as though we’d need to consult another Holmes—namely Sherlock. As for Jake Holmes, he found his fame as the composer of commercial jingles: “Raise your hand if you’re Sure,” “Be all that you can be in the Army,” “Gillette, the best a man can get,” and many, many, many more. His version of “Dazed” has become readily available thanks to ItsAboutMusic.com, but good luck obtaining the Yardbirds’ rendition of it; several live recordings have been released, sometimes legitimately, but Page keeps finding ways to get those releases off the market.

Rare footage of The Yardbirds performing "Dazed And Confused" on French TV in March, 1968:

Song: “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
Best known by: Ray Charles
Originally recorded by: Don Gibson
The story: He was popular for decades, but during his late ‘50s/early ‘60s peak, Don Gibson was country music’s ultimate sad sack. His song titles from that era say it all: “Oh, Lonesome Me,” “Lonesome Old House,” “Blue, Blue Day,” “Bad, Bad Day,” “Don’t Tell Me Your Troubles,” “Sea Of Heartbreak”—okay, he didn’t write that last one, but the point still stands. Under the skillful guidance of the one and only Chet Atkins, Gibson was one of the first country artists to cross over to the pop charts in a big way. In 1958, “Oh, Lonesome Me” became his first major pop hit; in those days, B-sides often became hits, too, and though the tears-in-my-beer balladry of Gibson’s self-penned “I Can’t Stop Loving You” petered out at #81 on Billboard’s pop charts, it was a Top 10 country hit. Ray Charles was not the first to break it out of its pure country shell (Roy Orbison did a delicious Nashville pop rendition in 1960, for example), but Brother Ray’s version was nonetheless revolutionary. A lifelong lover of country music who was trapped in a world that rarely accepted black artists as practitioners of the genre, Brother Ray dared to cut the album Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music, from which “I Can’t Stop Loving You” was the lead single. Musically and chart-wise, the track transcended numerous boundaries, topping Billboard’s pop, R&B, and adult contemporary charts in 1962. Moreover, it began a run of popular country covers that earned Ray Charles the approbation of many in the country music establishment.

[Note: Don Gibson re-recorded many of his ‘50s hits for the Hickory label in later years. Look for compilations released by or licensed from RCA or its parent company, which is currently Sony BMG. Roy Orbison re-recorded “I Can’t Stop Loving You” in a radically different arrangement in 1972; these days, the 1960 version can be found most easily on Roy Orbison Sings Lonely And Blue.]

Song: “Land of 1000 Dances”
Best known by: Wilson Pickett
Originally recorded by: Chris Kenner
The story: Chris “I Like It Like That” Kenner was a fixture on the New Orleans R&B scene in the 1950s and ‘60s. He wrote “Land of 1000 Dances” (and later gave Fats Domino co-writer’s credit so that Domino would cover the song) but the only movement Kenner’s version elicits from this writer is to walk to the nearest bed and lie down. Kenner’s sluggish, monotonous rendition represented the New Orleans sound at its least inspired, but it must have gotten some sales or airplay somewhere, because it actually hit the charts in 1962. Fortunately, it didn’t become enough of a hit to make an indelible impact. The song made its way to the East LA scene, where seemingly countless Chicano bands thrived on obscure R&B. Vocal group Cannibal & The Headhunters worked up a smoldering mid-tempo arrangement; lead singer Frankie “Cannibal” Garcia couldn’t remember the lyrics on stage, so he ad-libbed the na-na’s that we now consider an essential component of the song. Cannibal & co.’s record became a Top 30 hit in 1965, and fellow East Los Angelenos Thee Midniters had a minor hit that same year with their competing version. The song was getting faster and faster, and Wilson Pickett’s supercharged Memphis soul reading cranked up the tempo to the max. It was just what the Billboard charts were looking for: #6 pop, #1 R&B in 1966. Even though Pickett’s version is often regarded as the ultimate, that hasn’t stopped the song from being one of the most popular rock ‘n’ roll cover items of all time.

Song: “Do Ya”
Best known by: Electric Light Orchestra
Originally recorded by: The Move
The story: Birmingham, England in the 1960s was overflowing with bands of various stripes. Though The Move never quite caught on in the United States, they had massive success in the UK and “on the continent” during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Roy Wood led The Move, while a young Jeff Lynne led The Idle Race, a Birmingham band with close ties to The Move. Having lost some Move members around the end of the 1960s, Wood invited Lynne to join The Move and Lynne accepted. The early ‘70s Move, led jointly by Wood and Lynne, continued to have hits, but both Wood and Lynne were getting tired of the band and wanted to, er, move into symphonic rock. In 1971, they started Electric Light Orchestra as a side project, but it was soon to become a full-time endeavor. The Move’s final single, “California Man,” came out in 1972 and reached the UK Top 10. However, its throwaway B-side “Do Ya” was plugged as the A-side in the US and picked by many American tipsters to become a hit. In a bizarre twist of fate, the Lynne-composed “Do Ya” became The Move’s only song to make Billboard’s Hot 100—where it peaked at a measly #93. And that was it for The Move. ELO continued on, although Wood left after the group’s first album due to creative differences with Lynne, and in 1976 Lynne elected to dig up “Do Ya” and give it the ELO treatment. Whereas The Move’s version was just loud, crazy guitar rock, ELO’s version had the requisite orchestral and spacey touches. Needless to say, it became a much bigger hit, making #24 on Billboard in 1977.

Song: “Dedicated To The One I Love”
Best known by: The Shirelles; The Mamas & The Papas
Originally recorded by: The “5” Royales
The story: Goodness gracious, this is a strange story. Lowman Pauling of R&B vocal outfit The “5” Royales [sic!] shared the writing credit on this tune with his group’s producer Ralph Bass. The “5” Royales cut a bluesy version of the song, complete with raunchy guitar fills, in 1957. Released at the end of the year on the mighty King label, it went nowhere. The Shirelles sneaked into the lower rungs of the Hot 100 in 1959 with their streamlined rendition, released on the fledgling Scepter label. In late 1960, The Shirelles hit the big time with the now-inescapable “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (the word “still” does not technically appear in the title). Scepter, now on its way to becoming even mightier than King, reissued The Shirelles’ version of “Dedicated” as the follow-up. It reached #3 on the Hot 100 in early 1961, but not without some competition: King had noticed that Scepter was giving The Shirelles’ version another go and re-released The “5” Royales original. The two recordings went up against each other briefly, but The “5” Royales’ version ultimately could reach no higher than #81 on the Hot 100. The song was hardly recognizable in The Mamas & The Papas’ elaborate sunshine pop reading, but America’s favorite hippies took it all the way to #2 in 1967.

[Note: If you’re seeking The “5” Royales’ rendition, you should know that there are at least two variations: the original and an awkward overdubbed version. If you get the track on Volume 10 of Ace Records’ excellent Golden Age of American Rock ‘n’ Roll series, you will get the superior version without the overdubs. Other compilations or albums might contain the overdubbed version instead.]

Song: “Hush”
Best known by: Deep Purple
Originally recorded by: Billy Joe Royal
The story: For a few solid years, Billy Joe Royal was the main voice for fellow Georgian Joe South’s compositions, with South himself producing Royal’s records. Though this relationship initially yielded strong commercial results, Royal’s 1967 single of “Hush” didn’t exactly reach the same heights as “Down In The Boondocks,” stalling out at #52 on the Hot 100. Its appealing country-soul style presaged the sound that brought Elvis back to the top of the charts in 1969, but it was perhaps a bit premature in ’67. Lest you think the song’s catchiness went unnoticed, it spawned numerous international covers which experienced varying degrees of success in their respective countries. One such cover was recorded by British singer Kris Ife, whose frenetic soul-rock reading smacked of the Mod scene and got a lot of spins in the UK dance clubs (hear it on his MySpace page). A new British band by the name of Deep Purple learned of the song from Ife’s version and recast it in a low, menacing key, giving it a heavy rock interpretation with a psychedelic jazz slant. Despite doing little business in the UK, it was an enormous US hit in 1968 (#4 on the Hot 100) and has been one of Deep Purple’s signature songs ever since. Incidentally, it was released in the US on Tetragrammaton, a short-lived label co-owned by Bill Cosby! Joe South himself cut the song with a funky country-rock feel, and his version came out on his Games People Play album in 1969. Naaaaah na na naaah na na naaah na na naaaaah....

Stay tuned for Volume 3. Meanwhile, don’t forget The Originals Project: http://www.originalsproject.us/

Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

Spotlight On: The Idles

2008-03-31T18:54:00.002-04:00

Forty-some odd years ago, Liverpool was at the center of a rock ‘n’ roll revolution, and people praised the British Invasion for bringing rock ‘n’ roll back to basics. Now, The Idles are hoping to put Liverpool at the forefront of another rock ‘n’ roll revolution. Are these guys a bunch of Merseybeat revivalists? Hell no. The Idles lay down the kind of raw, badass sound that you might find yourself rockin’ out to in a crowded pub on a Friday night; Dirty Rock ‘n’ Roll is the title of their four-song demo, and dirty rock ‘n’ roll it is. But like many great Liverpool bands of the past, The Idles grab hold of rock ‘n’ roll and whittle it back down to its basic essence. Driving guitars, rolling basslines, spastic drumming, hoarse vocals. Songs that say what they need to say in just a few short minutes—and with no tempo changes, complex chord sequences, or flowery lyrics. But don’t mistake The Idles for a band whose range of talent encompasses the mastery of three chords and the ability to scream like a banshee. These guys know how to play, how to sing, and how to write songs that draw upon their strengths. The crude sound of their demo might provoke some to label them a garage rock band, while their finger-in-the-air attitude (guess which finger) might cause others to call them punks. In reality, The Idles don’t fit into any category but rock ‘n’ roll, pure and simple. Each track on their demo has its own appeal, from the Idles-as-idols “Rock ‘n’ Roll Room Service” to the soulful, melancholy “Rescue Me” and the high-octane shout fest “Wasted.” But “I Don’t Really Think So” is the standout by far, its propulsive rhythm and instantly memorable refrains making it a hit waiting to happen. Or, more appropriately, dirty rock ‘n’ roll at its finest.

For more information and to hear The Idles: http://www.myspace.com/theidlesrocknroll

Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

Album Review: Swimming Into Trees

2008-03-04T17:29:00.004-05:00

“When she comes out, she causes accidents in the street…”

Whether you bake them into a pie, stir fry them, or serve them raw with a zesty salsa, eating your words is never easy. But when I found myself asking for a review copy of The Swimmers’ debut album Fighting Trees, deep down inside I suspected that I’d have to do just that: eat my words. After all, why would I have asked for a review copy unless I thought I’d like it? And yet, just a few weeks ago in my writeup of a MAD Dragon Records concert, I said that the Philadelphia-based indie pop quartet’s “energy on stage was incredible,” but “having heard a few recordings of theirs, I can say that the recordings don’t do the band justice.” Indeed, the highest compliment that I could bestow upon the band’s recordings was the phrase “smile-inducing ear candy.” Smile....inducing....ear....candy. So now I sit here at the dinner table, my napkin tucked into my collar, my words resting upon a bed of Basmati rice and drizzled in a spicy curry sauce. And the specters of guitarist/frontman Steve Yutzy-Burkey, his keyboard-playing wife Krista, bassist Rick Sieber, and drummer Scott French all staring me in the face saying, “Bon appetit, SJ.”

So how about this: The Swimmers sound different on record than they do in person. In person, you have all four of them playing and singing, sometimes switching between instruments during the course of one song, and they get happily caught up in each musical moment, singing with gusto and playing with (you guessed it) an incredible energy while still remaining tight and focused. The sound on the self-produced Fighting Trees is more calculated. The arrangements are complex and sophisticated, the productions multi-layered and carefully crafted. Scott focuses more on his amazing technical virtuosity than the livewire presence he maintains on stage, while Steve (who wrote and sings lead on all but one song) employs a breathy, even whispered vocal approach throughout. Since The Swimmers are a pop band, and a skilled one at that, they manage to make this restraint and precision work in their favor, giving the sound of these recordings a sense of purpose. In particular, the breathy vocal technique is very much in vogue in indie music these days, and thus it gives a decidedly contemporary personality to an album that contains numerous unabashedly retro elements: the crunchy power-pop guitars and lush sunshine pop harmonies heard on most of the album, the ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll triplets on “All The New Sounds,” the almost new-wavey arrangement of “St. Cecilia” (I said almost), the fab Beatlesque production of “Heaven,” the dirty cool Duane Eddy-styled guitar runs on “Pocket Full Of Gold,” and so on. Not content to simply do what’s already been done and not content to simply do what everyone else is currently doing, The Swimmers recall the past with today’s attitude, creating an intriguing sound in the process.

The lyrics are often mysterious and subject to much interpretation on the part of the listener, but one thing is certain: whether the songs are, as I interpret them, tongue-in-cheek (“It’s Time They Knew,” quoted at the top; “Goodbye”), wistful (“Heaven”), or philosophical (“We Love To Build”), they all end up bursting with good cheer thanks to the band’s spirited playing and vivid harmonies. Even “Home,” with such bleak lines as “I close my eyes, the ceiling drops/I fall asleep, my heart stops” brings a smile to this angry young man’s face. “Pocket Full Of Gold” is a true gem, its blue collar sentiments and dense sound conjuring up images of Springsteen as an indie kid. “St. Cecilia” is totally out of left field; written and sung by Scott, it pairs a downright unorthodox structure with off-the-wall lyrics and is highlighted by Krista’s atypically hyperactive keyboarding. It’s a divergence, but a welcome one. A more curious change of pace is the title track, a folky ballad which is not really suited to Steve’s voice, but hipsters will probably tell me that his fractured vocal brings a lot more pathos out of the song than a pristine performance would. Not having an ounce of hipster credibility, I’ll just take their word for it and enjoy the Beach Boys-influenced harmonies.

Fighting Trees is not a mind-blowing, earth-shattering album. Few pop albums are, and that’s part of the appeal of pop music: it’s fun, it’s easy to take, and it makes you feel good. Fighting Trees is an album for pop lovers who are looking for something a little outside of the mainstream to complement their spring and summer days or warm up their fall and winter nights. The Swimmers are currently touring behind the album’s national release, and if you have a chance to see them, please do. A good time is almost certainly guaranteed.

For music and more information: http://www.theswimmers.com
http://www.myspace.com/helloswimmers

Copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

The Music-Breathing Dragon

2008-02-11T20:16:00.004-05:00

I need not recuse myself.

Sure, MAD Dragon Records is Drexel University’s innovative student-run, faculty-supervised record label. And I like most of what MAD Dragon puts out.....and I went to Drexel. But I am not unfairly biased towards MAD Dragon because it’s associated with my alma mater. If that line of reasoning were true, I’d own every book written by my former professors (I haven’t even read most of those books) and I’d attend every remotely interesting event on Drexel’s campus (I’ve attended only two events on campus in the past year—both MAD Dragon concert showcases). MAD Dragon just so happens to have a knack for spotting and nurturing talent. The label’s initial release, the first in the Unleashed compilation series, came out a few months before I graduated. Though I was a history major who had taken a grand total of two music courses at Drexel, I was nevertheless intrigued enough to buy the CD, a respectable compilation of Drexel artists. I watched as the label expanded beyond Drexel acts, snagged a national distribution deal with Ryko, and garnered all sorts of positive attention in the press. Before long, I found myself writing about the label’s artists. Having met some of the devoted faculty and many of the impressively driven students who make the MAD Dragon breathe its musical fire, I know that this label has the potential for greatness. Maybe it’s already reaching that potential; the MAD Dragon Concert Showcase which took place at Drexel’s Mandell Theater on February 8th was one of the best shows I’ve ever attended. So good, in fact, that I feel compelled to write about it. Now, anyone who knows my work knows that I don’t write concert reviews. But this is not a concert review; this is a document of a cutting-edge label whose latest live showcase proved how much it has on the ball.

While concertgoers waited in the lobby for the doors to open, unannounced guests Hoots and Hellmouth offered some acoustic entertainment. Their American roots style is grounded in folk and bluegrass with rock elements sprinkled in. I’d been familiar with this band for quite some time and I’d never denied their talent, but I’d never felt that their music fit my tastes, either. That said, I was impressed as these guys jammed before the show and again between acts during the show. They handled their instruments effortlessly and raised their voices in harmonious glee, filling large rooms without any apparent amplification. Besides, it’s no longer common to see someone rockin’ out on an upright bass, and it’s never been common to see someone rockin’ out on a mandolin!

The show got underway in earnest with “special guests”—i.e., not MAD Dragon artists—The Takeover UK. The Pittsburgh pop-punk band played a brief, lively set and had an amiable stage presence, making for a decent, albeit unexceptional, opening act. But let’s not dwell on a band that’s not even on the label.

Kicking the show into high gear was guitar-slinging singer/songwriter Andrew Lipke, a One Note Ahead favorite over the past year. Andrew appeared with his under-acknowledged band, “Bandrew,” featuring Dave Perrin on drums, Joe Divita on bass, Joe Vasile on guitar, and Krista Nielsen (my hopeless rockstar crush) on cello. Andrew had promised me a mix of older songs and newer songs and he sure delivered. Hearing classics—you know, songs released a whole year ago—like “Untitled Song #1” and “Green Street” was a powerful experience. Andrew’s music has such a cathartic quality to it that you can heal many wounds by letting yourself get lost in his songs. I got to chat with him after the show about two newer songs I particularly enjoyed: the arrangement on “Get It Over With” had blossomed beautifully over the course of several performances, while the mood-shifting “Mind Games” contained an eerie, “Stairway To Heaven”-ish passage which still haunts me as I write this. In person, Andrew’s voice is so otherworldly that one must ask, “What IS that sound and where is it coming from???” My one minor complaint is that ever since Andrew and Bandrew played at a Sgt. Pepper tribute concert last June, they’ve been fond of performing a supercharged “Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!” as a live novelty. They do an excellent job on it, but as a rare Revolver man in a world of Sgt. Pepper-ists, I wonder who else is up for an Andrew Lipke cover of “I’m Only Sleeping”....ahh, I can hear Krista’s cello now.... Anyway, Andrew’s currently working on a new album, and his MAD Dragon debut The Way Home… is readily available.

Andrew Lipke and Bandrew in the official video for "Untitled Song #1" (2007):

The Swimmers graced the stage with their distinctly 21st century take on new wave and power pop. This was my second time seeing The Swimmers, and their energy on stage was incredible both times. Having heard a few recordings of theirs, I can say that the recordings don’t do the band justice. To be fair, the same can be said about a lot of artists, including several that I’ve previously written about. Capturing that live energy in the studio is next to impossible without that give-and-take between the band and the audience, and of course a performer might be less inclined towards free-spiritedness when the performance is being fixed in perpetuity as an auditory representation of their work! That said, the best of the Swimmers tracks I've had the opportunity to listen to are smile-inducing ear candy, and I suspect that their forthcoming MAD Dragon album Fighting Trees will be a favorite among indie pop collectors. What I know for sure, however, is that The Swimmers are a wonderful live act with a great ability to make people feel good. They still have some growing to do, but they also have a lot of potential and I think they are better equipped to live up to it than much of the competition. Additionally, it was a joy to meet the band’s frontman Steve Yutzy-Burkey and learn that one of their best-known songs, “St. Cecilia,” is at least in part about pipe organs.

[March 4, 2008 update: Watch me eat my words about The Swimmers here.]

The Swimmers performing "St. Cecilia" at The Khyber in Philadelphia, 2006. Slightly glitched, but it will do until a better, more recent clip of this song is made available:

Next up was one of the very first artists featured on One Note Ahead, singer/songwriter Matt Duke. It was good to see that Matt is still working with bassist Dane Klein and drummer Nate Barnett—together, the three of them have a sound. Matt was his usual self, which is to say that I had no idea what he was going to do, say, or play next. He had his mellow moments, his silly moments, his frighteningly intense moments (those are always the most rewarding), and those seemingly inevitable Murphy’s Law moments which he handled with a typically ridiculous sense of humor. But the most intriguing aspect of the night’s set was the actual music. Instead of playing it safe, Matt laid down a bunch of newer, less familiar tunes. That meant no “Oysters,” no “Weeping Winds,” no “Tidal Waves,” no “Yellow Lights,” nothing from the XYX compilation or the Winter Child album. It would have been too much to ask him to play “Don’t Ask (For Too Much).” What he gave us was a host of fantastic-sounding songs whose lyrics I’ll need several more listens to totally absorb and whose titles I either don’t know or can’t remember yet—typical Matt Duke fare!—plus the strangely atmospheric “Love Buried” (featured last year on the label’s worthy Unleashed 3), which afforded Matt the opportunity for a Hendrix-style guitar freakout. He announced that his next album will be out in June. I’m already tired of waiting.

Closing out the night were The Redwalls, the only non-Philly act among the actual MAD Dragon artists who performed in this showcase. The Chicago band’s story is well-publicized, but the long and short of it is that Capitol Records had put out one album by the guys, who recorded a follow-up album only to get dropped by the withering major before the damn thing was released. Unusually, Capitol let The Redwalls keep the follow-up, which found a sympathetic home at MAD Dragon. Released last October, The Redwalls is a strong effort, building on the band’s Beatles and Kinks influences with doses of neo-psychedelia, orchestral rock, power pop, and American roots music. But in person, the four-man outfit in the tight-fitting clothes played an exciting fusion style combining the aggressiveness of rock with the feel-good energy of roll. Or, as I told the band’s product manager and their street team leader after the show, “The Redwalls are amazing!!!!” All the complex arrangements on the records were reduced to two guitars (one a Rickenbacker, no less), bass, drums, and three voices. This lean, mean sound called for each Redwall to play his part to the hilt, and all of the guys rose to the challenge. The harmonies were impeccable and the energy they gave to the audience was infectious. I was particularly impressed by the dreamlike “Each And Every Night,” which was surprisingly effective without the mock Phil Spector production of the album version, and the stripped-down treatment of “Build A Bridge,” a Capitol-era song recently featured on an AT&T/Cingular commercial. Of course, not everyone shared my positive sentiments. On my way out, I ran into someone I’d been chatting with before The Redwalls’ set. I said, “Hey, man! What’d you think of The Redwalls?” He smirked and replied, “They played how many different songs tonight? Two, right?” I simply paused to mull that over and groaned, “I didn’t find THAT funny. I’ll see ya ‘round.” And I walked away.

MAD Dragon gets inside The Redwalls' heads at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, 2007:

For more information: http://www.maddragonrecords.com/ http://www.myspace.com/maddragonrecords

Matt Duke on One Note Ahead: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2006/10/winter-child-for-all-seasons.html

Andrew Lipke on One Note Ahead: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2007/02/album-review-lipke-goes-home.html

Original text copyright © 2008 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

Play That Folky Music

2007-12-15T23:16:00.000-05:00

“Above this snowy grid, the land turns cracked and broken, so much like my resolve to keep you far from me/Like each river and each creek that snakes a path beneath, you are water in a rock determined to break free…”

So goes “Mind’s Eye,” an impressively haunting, poetic masterpiece by the guitar-and-mandolin-wielding duo Folk By Association—Karen and Jill to those of us who know them. These ladies have carved an underground niche for themselves in the Mid-Atlantic United States and beyond, doing it all through their own hard work and persistence, and with no record label or outside management. No image consultants, either: Karen and Jill are all about the music. With a basis in folk and an openness to elements of other genres, their sound truly is “Folk By Association,” and one listen to their current album As We Travel will prove that in spades. True, the deliberately-strummed mandolin and airy flutes of “Seconds Soaring” could have been borrowed from Ye Olde Renaissance Faire. But the playful “Letter To Myself” evokes images of a casual jam session at a jazz club, while “Mind’s Eye” keeps one foot dipped in indie folk-rock and the other in pure pop sensibility. “I’m Not Sorry” is prime Lilith Fair material—albeit nearly ten years too late!—tinged with alt-rock motifs and set apart by its sharp-tounged lyrics: “Now you’re on the phone/And suddenly I remember why I want to be alone […] I won’t say I’m sorry, I’m not sorry that you’re gone!” As is the case with their live performances, the duo’s harmonies on As We Travel are impeccable, two soaring voices sounding as if they were plucked from the highest mountain range. Though there is still room for growth and development, the best offerings on the album have an effect that is powerful yet understated, low-key and at the same time compelling. If Karen and Jill continue to build on their strengths and embrace a diverse array of influences, they will just get better and better as time marches on.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing the ladies about their music and career. Upon careful consideration of their responses, I found them to be two intelligent, determined individuals whose story holds much insight and many lessons for everyone in (or interested in) the music industry. The highlights are published below:

SJ: Explain the name "Folk By Association."

Karen: We had been looking for a name for a little while, and I was discussing this problem with a friend of mine. I was thinking out loud about how I thought it was surprising that the style that seemed to manifest between Jill and me was much different than my solo work’s style. The phrase “folk by association” slipped out, and initially reflected the nature of our partnership. However, since our sound was definitely not strictly folk, we both felt that an added second bonus of the name was that it was a good catch-all. We are influenced by many different genres, but accept that most would likely refer to us as folk artists.

Jill: "Folk By Association" was supposed to be rather self-explanatory. It also has the added benefit that if someone searches "folk" on say, MySpace, our name comes up pretty close to the top of the list. Unplanned, but useful.

SJ: The songs are mostly written by Karen, while the vocal arrangements are mostly by Jill. Is this a deliberate division of labor or did it just come about naturally?

Karen: Well, Jill typically does the harmony-arrangement, meaning that I often will have a song basically finished and will bring it to the table to see what she can “hear” as her part. Every now and then I’ll have some concept or vague outline of what I might like her to do, but by and large she’ll listen to what I’ve composed and find the harmony that’s to her liking. This does seem to be the natural way of our collaboration, though we do write together on occasion.

Jill: Karen is a very prolific songwriter so from day one she brought a lot of material to the table, although I also write separately and we will sometimes write together. I ended up doing a lot of the vocal arrangements because it's really easy for me to hear harmonies. We don't really have set jobs. That's just how things usually go down.

SJ: How did the songs evolve from the acoustic duo arrangements to the full-band arrangements on As We Travel? Have you ever played live with a full band?

Karen: The arrangements were challenging. While some songs had a clearer picture of where they needed to go, others were really more like fumbling down a dark hallway. We put in a lot a time with our two percussionists before going into the studio to record, just trying things out and seeing what felt right.

We did two CD release parties with the line-up from the CD, but due to financial and logistical restrictions, we’re really only able to perform as a duo right now.

Jill: We had been playing most of the songs on As We Travel out for some time before they found their way into the studio, so it was logistically and artistically challenging to alter them while keeping their basic feel intact. “Mind's Eye” REALLY did not want to be put to a steady beat of any kind. We played it to a click and it didn't even sound like the same song. The bass tracks had to be recorded at a different studio and then brought back and tacked on to the existing songs. The sax track on “Letter to Myself” is actually a combination of four different tracks pieced together because we only had Jon [Thompson] in the studio for one day. He played over the song four times and we took what we liked best.

For me the best part of the recording process was finally getting to add third and fourth harmonies to the songs. […] I had a great time taking the two main vocals home on a disc and adding all sorts of additional parts.

SJ: Talk a bit about your home base and primary markets. Where did you start out and how did you branch out into other territories?

Karen: It’s been a slow, painful process! We’ve put in over seven years now, and feel like, if nothing else, we’ve certainly paid our dues. We started around the Jersey Shore, and gradually shifted west as we both separately relocated multiple times. We always intended to be more than a local act. We occasionally traveled out of the area for gigs from early on, but we both had day jobs and were still finding our footing as performers. At about the five-year point, I “hit the wall,” quit my other jobs, decided that I would seriously manage us, and dove into researching and contacting places for gigs. I was tired of having the same conversation over and over with Jill that “wouldn’t it be great if someone would…” and “we need someone to…” It’s not like there’s any easy path to sustainability. We just play a lot—some shows are great, but others can be demoralizing. It’s really hard, but we need to do this and the progress is there.

It’s funny how other artists often ask us how to book shows and what the “trick” is. The “trick” is spending a ridiculous amount of time and energy and still only getting about 10% of what you go after. After a while you start to know your targets a bit better, so you can avoid some dead ends. Nowadays we are fortunate that venues and people that want to hire us sometimes approach us, but it’s mostly about being proactive.

Oh, and go on tour to places where you have friends and family to crash with!

Jill: We are lucky in that we seem to have fans across a broad range of ages, genders and walks of life, but marketing ourselves has always been a bit of a conundrum for that very reason. We don't have a demographic, or even an easily defined genre. We're folky but we don't play traditional folk songs. We use bluegrass instruments, but we aren't bluegrass. We are singer/songwriters but most singer/songwriters are solo performers. We aren't, but we aren't a full band either. That is one of the reasons that self-management is a good fit for us. I don't know that even a well-intentioned outsider [would] be able to anticipate our needs artistically or on the business end better than we do ourselves because we don't fit neatly into any of the existing categories. We're always metaphorically checking the "other" box, and the way things are progressing I think we'll be getting more "other" in the future rather than less.

SJ: Your MySpace contains the following statement: “We strongly admire independent musicians, especially women, who creatively and boldly redefine success in this industry as not necessarily having anything to do with major labels, mass-media, and the lowest common denominator.” I wonder if you could elaborate on the sentiments behind that statement.

Karen: It’s not that we set out to be guerilla musicians! Mostly it just was the available path—do it yourself or nothing gets done. But there’s a great freedom in that, too, and after a while you see a lot of the upsides. But Jill and I did have in common from the beginning that we didn’t like the ideas of Image and Brand, and also had a great deal of stage fright and camera-shyness. The thought of mass media terrified us. We agreed from day one that we just wanted to make a living doing what we loved. These days there are more possibilities outside the mainstream than ever.

Jill: I know a fair number of musicians who have relationships with labels, production companies, and outside booking and management. There are a lot of horror stories. In order for us to trust our "baby" as it were to anyone else, they would have to be pretty spectacular, and we aren't going to sit around waiting for them to ride up on a white horse. I also know that neither one of us could tolerate being told what to write or what to wear or that we have to fix our teeth or something. That isn't acceptable.

SJ: You obviously feel strongly about being independent artists and operating outside of the established infrastructure of the music industry. But do [you] ever wonder whether this is truly the right approach? For example, do you ever think, "If we sold our music through iTunes or if we had outside management, we might be doing better?"

Karen: Honestly, we just haven’t gotten around to iTunes! Sad, right? And if someone else can get us more and better gigs, they can go right ahead. But they better not try and tell us what to do.

Jill: There's always a lot more to do, and we are open to getting help, but only if we can maintain control of our own destiny.

Many thanks to Karen and Jill for the interview and for jumping over the logistical hurdles with me!

For streaming audio, shows, and purchasing information: http://www.myspace.com/folkbyassociation

Copyright © 2007 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

One Note Ahead Live!

2007-11-23T18:29:00.000-05:00

One Note Ahead's readership spans the globe. Most of the artists I write about have recordings that are available worldwide, so I usually don't need to worry that my readers won't be able to hear the music I want them to check out. But what about seeing these artists? Many of them are local favorites here in the Philadelphia area and haven't played much (or at all) elsewhere; others play in regions or countries that are foreign to me and therefore I've never seen them in person, which in turn means that many of my readers are in the same boat. So that we may all have a fuller appreciation of these artists, I've scoured YouTube and other sites and posted my favorite live performance clips of some of the artists I've written about. (Sadly, I couldn't find any live videos of Andrew James, Andrew Lipke, or Mindy Rhodes.) The artists' names are hyperlinked to their respective One Note Ahead features. Enjoy.

Downtown Harvest, "Four Hundo" at The Trocadero in Philadelphia:

Laura Cheadle, "Midst Of Your Mystery" at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia (I was there!):

Half of SuperJimenez, "Faye" on Balcony TV:

Lovers Electric, "Is It Over?" on This Month In Music TV:

Ed Rambeau, "You'll Never Find (Another Love Like Mine)" on a Carnival Cruise Ship:

Matt Duke, "Weeping Winds" at The Knitting Factory in New York City:

Stay tuned.....

For more information, see One Note Ahead's Quick Takes and One Note Ahead: One Year Later.

CD Review: "Rhodes" Scholarship

2007-11-14T22:11:00.000-05:00

The scene was set for culture shock: there I was, the proverbial “tortured writer” character with a rock ‘n’ roll spirit and a penchant for dancing wildly to loud, funky music. And there she was, the elegant, sophisticated, classically-trained easy listening singer and pianist associated with The Dilworthtown Inn in West Chester, Pennsylvania—a highly-rated restaurant that I’m nevertheless disinclined to visit for the simple reason that it has a dress code. But this unlikely encounter was no accident. As I sat there in the cozy Kreutz Creek Winery in Media, Pennsylvania, enjoying the sweet sounds of Mindy Rhodes as much as I was enjoying the sweet taste of the Proprietor’s Red, I was doing exactly what I wanted to be doing. Having previously caught a few minutes of Ms. Rhodes—I’ve hardly earned the right to call her “Mindy” in this context—I had made sure to see her again next chance I got. Wanting a souvenir of her beautiful, lucid voice and her sometimes idiosyncratic pronunciation and vocal acrobatics, I sought to obtain a copy of her CD, Blush. Of course, I had to tell her that I’m a music journalist of some stature, so after some discussion she entreated me to review the CD…but only if I like it.

I like it.

On six of the twelve tracks, Rhodes is accompanied by a bassist and a drummer; otherwise, she flies solo. Half of the album is occupied by interpretations of well-known material, and as is the case with her live sets, she covers a variety of genres while always maintaining her own style. Her affecting solo performance of the notorious Charlene hit “I’ve Never Been To Me” achieves the impressive feat of extracting some profundity from the rather bizarre lyrics. “On My Own” is a selection from Les Miserables and Rhodes delivers it subtly without compromising her operatic tendencies or the song’s emotional intensity. Her laid-back, jazzy take on Mary Chapin Carpenter’s ubiquitous “Passionate Kisses” is strikingly beautiful in its simplicity and quietude (yes, “quietude” as opposed to “quietness”). “Someone To Watch Over Me” is without question one of the great American standards, and Rhodes’ powerful reading does not disappoint, with a few vocal and instrumental twists to keep the song fresh. However, there are a couple of curious choices on Blush. On John Denver’s “Annie’s Song,” Rhodes sounds a tad too methodical, and while there is nothing wrong with her piano solo on Debussy’s “Claire De Lune,” it is simply not fitting to end an album of easy listening vocals with a classical instrumental.

Rhodes’ original compositions on Blush are all concerned with the ups and downs (but mostly the downs) of romance. Sometimes her melodic inspirations are obvious: “Don’t Come So Close” contains elements of “Here Comes The Sun” and “Forbidden Fruit” bears more than a passing resemblance to “Autumn Leaves.” But they are both enjoyable all the same, especially “Forbidden Fruit,” a sexy, Latin-tinged jazz romp with particularly vivid lyrical imagery. The starkly confessional “I Want To Let You In” is highlighted by pleasingly transparent euphemisms and metaphors such as, “The iron walls are sturdy where green ivy grows/And within lies a softness few will come to know,” and “There are fields of freshness and intricate lace/Crystal drops of water in my special place.” In “That’s All You Have To Say,” statements are more like questions: “If you ever told me that you’d stay until you died/I would always wonder why.” “Whisper Wind” is a haunting pop song whose arrangement is accentuated by a bowed bass, played to sound as much like a cello as possible. Only “You Move Me” falls flat; well-intentioned though it may be, it tries too hard by relying on name-dropping and the awkward placement of inside references.

Ms. Rhodes—Mindy, if you will—told me that Blush is available at her shows and at the aforementioned Dilworthtown Inn. Maybe this review will drum up enough demand to warrant more widespread distribution. In the meantime, if you’re in the Philadelphia area, please do check out one of her live performances. And be sure to tell her that S.J. sent you.

For more information and venues where Mindy Rhodes performs frequently:

http://www.whisperwindstudios.com/ - Mindy Rhodes’ website

http://www.dilworthtown.com/ - The Dilworthtown Inn

http://www.kreutzcreekvineyards.com/media.html - Kreutz Creek Vineyards’ Media, PA Tasting Room - check the music schedule

http://www.kreutzcreekvineyards.com/westchester.html - Kreutz Creek Vineyards’ West Chester, PA Tasting Room - check the music schedule

Copyright © 2007 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

Obscure Originals, Vol. 1

2007-10-22T22:50:00.000-04:00

This is the first installment in a series. Here, we’ll take a look at songs that are best known by artists who didn’t record them originally. You might be surprised to learn how many songs fall into that category, so let’s start with just a few examples. But first, a fair warning: the stories presented herein are not meant to be exhaustive or unbiased!

Song: “Louie, Louie”
Best known by: The Kingsmen
Originally recorded by: Richard Berry & the Pharaohs
The story: The short version is as follows. Richard Berry appropriated the riff from a Latin dance tune called “El Loco Cha Cha” and turned it into “Louie, Louie.” Berry’s 1957 recording, done in an R&B doo-wop style with some calypso influences, made some local noise in his stomping ground of Southern California. The song made its way to the Northwest via R&B hitmaker Ron Holden, who wowed audiences with his live rendition. Tacoma-based singer Rockin’ Robin Roberts teamed up with pioneering Northwest rockers The Wailers to record a proto-garage rock version which became a huge regional hit in 1961. The song was now a Northwest standard, and in 1963, Portland’s Kingsmen made a poor attempt to copy The Wailers’ version. Despite being in direct competition with a more accomplished take by another Portland-based band (Paul Revere & the Raiders!), The Kingsmen’s version became THE “Louie, Louie.” The full story is best told in the music and liner notes of the fantastic CD Love That Louie: The Louie Louie Files (Ace Records). Incidentally, “Louie, Louie” is an innocent love song about a lonely Jamaican sailor; the allegations of pornographic lyrical content stemmed from the raunchy sound of The Kingsmen’s version, in which Jack Ely’s indiscernible babbling raised a few too many eyebrows.

Song: “You’re No Good”
Best known by: Linda Ronstadt
Originally recorded by: Dee Dee Warwick
The story: Another one with a complex history. Written by prolific songwriter Clint Ballard, Jr., the original version by a nose belonged to Dionne Warwick’s younger sister Dee Dee. Her 1963 recording was done in a bombastic heavy soul style, and there was another soul version on the market that same year. Betty Everett’s sleek, sophisticated reading of the song charted towards the end of 1963, eventually reaching the middle of Billboard’s Hot 100; Billboard had temporarily discontinued its R&B chart at the time, but some sources show Everett’s version making the Top 10 on R&B charts published by other organizations. At any rate, it peaked on the charts in early ’64, during the start of the British Invasion, and indeed the British beat boom brought yet another version. The Swinging Blue Jeans’ moody Merseybeat take on this tune made the UK Top 3 but just barely charted in the US in 1964. Linda Ronstadt's flamboyant 1974 reimagination (produced by Peter Asher of British Invasion duo Peter & Gordon) became a #1 pop hit the following year, establishing her as one of the hottest singers of the 1970s.

[Note: If you’re looking for The Swinging Blue Jeans’ version on iTunes or Napster, forget about it; you’ll only find re-recordings. You’ll have to seek out the old vinyl or locate the 1964 recording on CD—if you’re fortunate enough to get your hands on EMI’s fascinating UK release Beat at Abbey Road 1963 to 1965, so much the better.]

Song: “Respect”
Best known by: Aretha Franklin
Originally recorded by: Otis Redding
The story: Otis Redding wrote this song. His pounding, insistent 1965 recording was pure Memphis soul, and the lyrics portrayed a man who was willing to take a lot of abuse from his woman (“Do me wrong, honey, if you wanna/You can do me wrong, honey, while I’m gone”) but he had his limits: “All I’m asking is for a little respect when I come home.” It was a Top 5 R&B hit and it also made the pop Top 40. Interestingly, the song began attracting covers from white garage rock bands. The Rationals, based in Ann Arbor, had a regional hit with their minimalistic reading in 1966, while New York City’s Vagrants almost made the charts with the tune in 1967—until Aretha’s version shut them down. As she usually did with covers, Aretha altered the song almost beyond recognition: instead of “You can do me wrong, honey, while I’m gone,” she sang, “I ain’t gonna do you wrong while you’re gone.” Instead of “What you want, honey you got it,” she sang, “What you want, baby I got it.” Instead of “You’re sweeter than honey/And I’m about to give you all of my money,” she sang, “Your kiss is sweeter than honey/And guess what? So is my money!” Here, she managed to refashion “Respect” into a feminist anthem, and the addition of the “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” bit at the end was so ingenious that Otis Redding began to sing it himself when he did the song live.

Song: “Got My Mind Set On You”
Best known by: George Harrison
Originally recorded by: James Ray (as “I’ve Got My Mind Set On You”)
The story: James Ray was homeless when a record mogul discovered him. He went on to have a couple of hits and then he died shortly afterwards of a drug overdose. Now, that’s a rock ‘n’ roll story if ever there was one! But James Ray was actually a soulful R&B singer who had the questionable luck of getting paired with the eccentric arranger Hutch Davie. On Ray’s biggest hit “If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody,” Davie’s bizarre arrangement made the record that much more enjoyable. On “I’ve Got My Mind Set On You”...not so much. Both songs were written by Rudy Clark, and though a brief edit of “Mind” was issued as a single in 1962, George Harrison heard the gloriously awful two-part mix included on James Ray’s self-titled LP. Oh, Ray sang the song just fine, but that arrangement! The drumming veered from Latin to jazz to rock ‘n’ roll and back to Latin again. Misplaced big-band horns and a Vaudeville banjo drove the track. Part 2 had Ray doing vocal battle with a screechy, histrionic chorus. To be fair, Clark must take some of the blame, as the song originally included a deviant passage with the lyrics, “Everywhere I go, you know, bad luck follows me/Every time I fall in love, you know I’m left in misery”—kind of a downer considering the upbeat nature of the rest of the piece. Thankfully, George’s 1987 revival was based on how The Quiet Beatle heard the song in his head. While James Ray’s version was a bona fide flop, George’s version was a #1 hit. Speaking of The Beatles...

Song: “Twist and Shout”
Best known by: The Beatles
Originally recorded by: The Top Notes
The story: New York music biz hustler Bert Berns co-wrote this song, originally cut by an obscure R&B group called The Top Notes in 1961. Producer Phil Spector and arranger Teddy Randazzo were two of the geniuses of American popular music, but somehow they didn’t get this one right. The Top Notes’ version wasn’t bad, but it didn’t sound anything like, well, “Twist and Shout.” Upon hearing it, Bert Berns is believed to have said to Spector, “Phil, you fucked up my song!” The secret to this song’s success seems to be simple: cut it in a hurry at the tail end of a session. The Isley Brothers did just that (with none other than Berns producing), and their endearingly sloppy treatment hit the pop Top 20 and nearly topped Billboard’s R&B chart in 1962. But The Beatles’ rendition—cut at the end of a day-long recording marathon for their first album in 1963—eclipsed the Isley’s version upon its release as a US single amidst the Beatlemania of 1964.

Song: “Mandy”
Best known by: Barry Manilow
Originally recorded by: Scott English (as “Brandy”)
The story: Scott English was a successful and prolific American songwriter who had also enjoyed a regional hit as a singer in 1964 with the haunting, doo-wop flavored “High On A Hill.” He was based in England when he co-wrote and recorded a dopey-but-irresistible love song called “Brandy” in 1971. The light and airy arrangement was pleasant enough, but English’s vocal sounded like a drunken Randy Newman attempting to impersonate Gene Pitney while choking on his own vomit. In the United States, the record crawled into the bottom of the charts and quickly departed; however, British audiences welcomed it into their Top 20. Its hit status in the UK is probably what prompted Clive Davis to suggest that the then-hitless Manilow cover it in 1974. Manilow wasn’t terribly keen, but after some trial and error he adapted it to suit his style, slowing it down, cranking up the melodrama, and cutting out the rather silly coupling “Riding on a country bus/No one even noticed us.” Since Looking Glass had recently scored with a totally different song called “Brandy,” Manilow changed the title to “Mandy.” His sweet, wistful voice certainly fit the sad lyrics, and his recording became a #1 hit in the US, making Barry Manilow a household name once and for all. But wait—there’s more! In between English’s original and Manilow’s remake, there was an engaging cover by New Zealander Bunny Walters (a male singer, by the way). Walters’ version was based on English’s and was also titled “Brandy,” and it reigned supreme on the New Zealand hit lists in 1972. Since most New Zealanders were unaware of English’s original, they assumed that Walters wrote the song and that Manilow stole it from Walters!

[Note: Barry Manilow’s box set The Complete Collection…And Then Some includes a monaural excerpt of Scott English’s “Brandy”—the most you’ll find on iTunes, but Napster has the full Scott English track in stereo. Bunny Walters’ version can be streamed at this website; just click on Walters’ picture. Also worth noting is that this song is NOT about a dog, as rumored. See this webpage for more details.]

Song: “Can’t Get Enough Of You, Baby”
Best known by: Smash Mouth
Originally recorded by: The Toys
The story: Record producer, songwriter, arranger, recording artist, mogul—Bob Crewe did it all. Two writers in his cadre, Denny Randell and Sandy Linzer, came up with a catchy little pop ditty with Motown influences and called it “Can’t Get Enough Of You Baby.” Girl group The Toys (of “A Lover’s Concerto” fame) cut the tune in 1965 in a New York-meets-Detroit pop/soul style, and The 4 Seasons recorded a similar version later that year. However, punk pioneers ? & the Mysterians gave the song a fresh coat of paint in 1967. The hypnotic alternating organ chords and riffs of their breakthrough hit “96 Tears” still loomed large, and they tried to recapture some of the magic by doing “Can’t Get Enough Of You Baby” with a “96 Tears” feel. This entailed changing the chord sequence, altering the melody, and removing a number of the lyrics just to make the new arrangement work! But it hit the charts, peaking at #56 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Smash Mouth recreated The Mysterians’ arrangement with a ‘90s flair; their version hit #27 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Airplay chart in 1998.

[Note: If you’re looking for ? & the Mysterians’ version, be sure to get the one on ABKCO’s Cameo Parkway 1957-1967, as other versions floating around are either incomplete or latter-day re-recordings.]

More coming soon…meanwhile, check out The Originals Project. Not perfect, but getting better all the time: http://www.originalsproject.us/

Copyright © 2007 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

One Note Ahead: One Year Later

2007-10-09T19:31:00.000-04:00

October 22, 2007: The personal recollections originally posted here in celebration of One Note Ahead's one-year anniversary have been moved to a MySpace blog entry. The following rundown, also posted here in celebration of the one-year anniversary, remains here as originally published. Enjoy.

Here is a list (in chronological order) of One Note Ahead's current lineup of features, their descriptions, and their rankings in the top 50 search results on Google and Yahoo! as of October 9, 2007.

Feature: Spotlight On: Andrew James
Description: A brief review of a British pop/rock singer and songwriter on the move.
Search result rankings: For search term: andrew james singer songwriter [sic] -- #2 on Google, #4 on Yahoo!

Feature: A Winter Child For All Seasons
Description: An in-depth, personal look at the music and performance style of Jersey boy folk-rocker Matt Duke and his debut album, Winter Child.
Search result rankings: For search term: matt duke winter child [sic] -- #13 on Google, #25 on Yahoo!

Feature: SuperJimenez To The Rescue!
Description: An introduction to one of the hottest new Irish rock bands of 2006, with many quotes from lead guitarist Rhys Domagala.
Search result rankings: For search term: superjimenez [sic] -- #4 on Google, #11 on Yahoo!

Feature: It Rocks. It Rolls.
Description: A highly opinionated take on the history and nature of rock 'n' roll. One Note Ahead's most controversial feature ever.
Search result rankings: Not applicable.

Feature: What IS that song?
Description: A rundown of songs used in American television commercials in 2006.
Search result rankings: Not applicable.

Feature: Book Review: A House On Fire
Description: A review of John A. Jackson's book A House On Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul, which is widely regarded as the definitive Philly soul tome.
Search result rankings: For search term: house on fire philadelphia soul [sic] -- #5 on Google, #9 on Yahoo!

Feature: Tribute 2006
Description: A tribute to the three music legends whose 2006 passings had the most impact on me personally: Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, R&B jack-of-all-trades Richard "Ritchie" Barrett, and '60s pop star Gene Pitney.
Search result rankings: For search term: ritchie barrett [sic] -- #17 on Google, #22 on Yahoo!

Feature: You call that music?!?!
Description: A look at prevalent attitudes regarding the generation gap in popular music.
Search result rankings: Not applicable.

Feature: DVD Review: Elvis On Sullivan
Description: A detailed review of the Image Entertainment 3-DVD set Elvis: The Ed Sullivan Shows.
Search result rankings: For search term: "Elvis: The Ed Sullivan Shows" [sic; results identical without capitalization] -- #31 on Google, #33 on Yahoo!

Feature: Album Review: Lipke Goes "Home"
Description: A review of The Way Home..., the second album by Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter Andrew Lipke.
Search result rankings: For search term: andrew lipke the way home [sic] -- #11 on Google, #25 on Yahoo!

Feature: Bobby Parker: The Real Fifth Beatle?
Description: How bluesman Bobby Parker's classic "Watch Your Step" influenced The Beatles, and how Parker himself got the inspiration for "Watch Your Step."
Search result rankings: For search term: bobby parker [sic] -- #14 on Google, #22 on Yahoo!
For search term: bobby parker watch your step [sic] -- #10 on Google, #7 on Yahoo!
For search term: bobby parker beatles [sic] -- #2 on Google, #2 on Yahoo!

Feature: Lovers...Electrified!
Description: A brief review and an out-of-the-ordinary interview, the subject of both being Australian indie pop duo Lovers Electric, a.k.a. Butterfly Boucher's sister Eden and Eden's husband David. A few months after the publication of this feature, Lovers Electric started taking their music in a rather different direction, so think of this as a piece of history.
Search result rankings: For search term: "lovers electric" [sic] -- #37 on Google, #33 on Yahoo!
For search term: lovers electric eden david [sic] -- #8 on Google, #9 on Yahoo!
For search term: lovers electric butterfly boucher [sic] -- #8 on Google, #12 on Yahoo!

Feature: Guilty Pleasures Await You
Description: Hipster credibility? What hipster credibility? I admit to being a huge fan of several songs I probably shouldn't even like. But they were all hits!
Search result rankings: Not applicable.

Feature: Rambeau, Part II
Description: Eddie Rambeau was a highly prolific singer and songwriter during the 1960s. Now, he's known as Ed Rambeau, and he's still making plenty of noise in the music business.
Search result rankings: For search term: eddie rambeau [sic] -- #20 on Google, #50 on Yahoo!
For search term: ed rambeau [sic] -- #13 on Google, #14 on Yahoo!

Feature: Funky Fresh Jersey Girl
Description: She sings. She writes songs. She plays guitar. She's hard to categorize. She's Laura Cheadle, her current studio album is Falling In, and this article is written in the style of "A Winter Child For All Seasons."
Search result rankings: For search term: laura cheadle [sic] -- #22 on Google, #37 (as a blog feed) on Yahoo!
For search term: laura cheadle falling in [sic] -- #9 on Google, #14 (as a blog feed) on Yahoo!

Feature: Spotlight On: Downtown Harvest
Description: A review of an impossible-to-categorize Philly band's first two albums, Downtown Harvest and Golden Dragon.
Search result rankings: For search term: downtown harvest [sic] -- #10 on Google, #28 on Yahoo!
For search term: downtown harvest golden dragon [sic] -- #9 on Google, #11 on Yahoo!

Feature: One Note Ahead's Quick Takes
Description: A brief rundown of some of the artists I've featured in full on One Note Ahead, complete with download recommendations.
Search result rankings: Not applicable.

Feature: Ozzy Osbourne, '60s Pop Star?
Description: Some say that Ozzy Osbourne was in a successful '60s pop band called The Magic Lanterns. Ozzy says he wasn't. Who's right?
Search result rankings: For search term: ozzy osbourne magic lanterns [sic] -- #3 on Google, #1 on Yahoo!

Yes, that's right. One Note Ahead has just achieved a #1 search result ranking. Now, that's truly One Note Ahead!

Copyright © 2007 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

Ozzy Osbourne, '60s Pop Star?

2007-09-24T18:39:00.000-04:00

In 1968, an unassuming British pop band called The Magic Lanterns scored a major hit in North America with the catchy “Shame, Shame.” Little did anybody know that nearly 40 years later, a debate would be raging as to whether one of the most legendary and controversial figures in all of rock was a member of this outfit. The issue has been in dispute for decades and it may never, ever be resolved. But that doesn’t stop this writer from tackling one of the most polarizing questions concerning the history of rock ‘n’ roll:

Was Ozzy Osbourne a member of The Magic Lanterns?

Here are the facts: The Magic Lanterns were from Warrington, England. During the late ‘60s, their personnel included a bass player and singer named Mike “Oz” Osbourne (also spelled Osborne), who was featured on “Shame, Shame” and other Magic Lanterns recordings from 1968-69. Many music critics and historians have since claimed that Mike “Oz” Osbourne and John Michael “Ozzy” Osbourne are one in the same and record dealers have often sold the Lanterns’ 1969 LP Shame, Shame as an early effort by the Black Sabbath frontman and solo superstar. Ozzy himself has always denied being a Magic Lantern, but there is no shortage of music lovers who refuse to believe him.

Ozzy’s fans have plenty of responses to charges that he was in The Magic Lanterns: Ozzy’s from Birmingham, not Warrington. Black Sabbath were already active, under the names Polka Tulk (or Polka Tulk Blues Company) and Earth, before and during the period when Ozzy was supposed to have been plucking away at his bass as a Magic Lantern. And for that matter, when has Ozzy Osbourne ever been a bass player? In addition, this webpage includes detailed personal recollections from The Magic Lanterns’ own Alistair “Bev” Beveridge, who mentions Mike Osborne [sic] but never says a word about Ozzy.

And yet, one can reasonably make the argument that Ozzy is indeed doing what oh, so many people over a certain age are wont to do: lying about what he did in the ‘60s. Here’s a picture of The Magic Lanterns from the appropriate era:

Now, here’s Ozzy:

There is a fellow in the Magic Lanterns’ photo who looks like Ozzy. One might even listen to recordings from Mike “Oz” Osbourne’s tenure in the band and discern a voice in the harmonies that bears a certain resemblance to Ozzy’s. Most intriguing is this paragraph from Mark Marymont’s liner notes to The Magic Lanterns’ CD compilation Shame, Shame (Collectables Records, 1998):

“[Ozzy] has denied that he was ever in the group and most rock history books have Black Sabbath forming in 1967 in their native Birmingham, England. The four schoolmates were originally known as Polka Tulk, a blues band, before changing their name to Earth in 1968 and Black Sabbath in 1969. The record company for whom The Magic Lanterns recorded, however, has confirmed that it is indeed THE Ozzy Osbourne on these recordings. It would appear that this group was only a side-gig for the fledgling superstar.”

This paragraph seems compelling at first, but it raises a few questions. Exactly what record company confirmed the identity of the Lanterns’ bass player? The UK branch of CBS Records, to whom The Magic Lanterns were originally signed? Atlantic Records in the United States, for whom the band recorded the Shame, Shame LP? Or was it another label entirely? Also, one must only look at a map of England to see some problems with The Magic Lanterns being Ozzy’s side-gig during Black Sabbath’s early history. Warrington is close to Manchester, which is in turn a considerable distance from Birmingham. Marymont claims that The Magic Lanterns “ventured down to London in the mid-‘60s,” but if we operate on the premise that the Lanterns were based in London during the “Shame, Shame” era, we must also take note of the fact that London is no closer to Birmingham than Manchester. If Ozzy was already in a band in Birmingham, why would he take such a long trek to play in another band as a side project? It’s possible that Ozzy felt he wasn’t advancing quickly enough in the music business, took up the bass, traveled a long way to live a second life in a commercial pop group with a UK chart entry (“Excuse Me Baby”) under its belt, and then denied having any involvement in said band after he became famous. It’s just not particularly likely. A voice in The Magic Lanterns might sound like Ozzy’s because a latter-day listener is casting about for proof that the Prince of Darkness really was in that band. As for the Ozzy lookalike in the Lanterns’ photo, let’s face it: Ozzy Osbourne does not have a distinctive face. His overall image is what makes him easy to identify.

So the data available to us would seem to indicate that Ozzy Osbourne was NOT one of The Magic Lanterns after all. But The Magic Lanterns have a lot of intriguing connections that can be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt:

=> “Shame, Shame” and other early Magic Lanterns tracks were arranged by John Paul Jones, soon to become the bass player for Led Zeppelin. This is not surprising; during the 1960s, Jones was a highly prolific arranger and, like his eventual bandmate Jimmy Page, an in-demand session musician.

=> Later Magic Lanterns recordings (post-Mike Osbourne) included Albert Hammond, the singer/songwriter responsible for ‘70s soft rock favorites like “It Never Rains In Southern California” and “The Air That I Breathe.” Hammond co-wrote a number of Magic Lanterns tunes from the early ‘70s, including their small US hit “One Night Stand.” Hammond’s son is the appropriately-named Albert Hammond, Jr. of The Strokes.

=> The Magic Lanterns’ only UK chart entry, “Excuse Me Baby,” was written by Artie Wayne, a legendary mover-and-shaker who has done everything and then some in the music business. His website is here and his entertaining blog can be found here.

=> “Shame, Shame” was co-written and originally recorded by American singer and songwriter Keith Colley, best known for his own regional 1963 hit “Enamorado.” He and his wife Linda wrote several songs that ‘60s rock and pop collectors know and love, such as “Shame, Shame,” “One Track Mind” (The Knickerbockers), “Playgirl” (The Knickerbockers, Thee Prophets), and “Mindrocker” (Fenwyck, The American Breed). Colley’s demo version of “Shame, Shame” is available on his Mindrocker compilation, but the 45 version remains a rarity.

All those ties plus the allure of Ozzy Osbourne’s alleged membership? Not bad for a typical-sounding pop band that would probably have been forgotten otherwise.

Original text copyright © 2007 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

One Note Ahead's Quick Takes

2007-08-14T17:31:00.000-04:00

I created One Note Ahead for the purpose of having my own outlet for my music journalism, but one of the reasons I feel so strongly about music journalism is that it enables me to promote interesting and talented artists who deserve the publicity. However, in a world where soundbites rule and full-length magazine features sometimes amount to less than a page, it can be a bit much to expect people to read a full story or review on an act they've never even heard of.

Now, you don't have to.

The rules are simple. If an artist I've written about is not already a superstar, I'll list that artist here. So...Elvis Presley is out. If I wrote about an artist but later removed that article from One Note Ahead, that artist will not be included in this rundown (full apologies to Butterfly Boucher, but I'll probably make it up to her by reviewing her next album). If an artist's music is not available on iTunes, I'll skip that artist for now; many of Ed (Eddie) Rambeau's oldies are on iTunes, but his recent material was the subject of my writeup and interview. The rest is self-explanatory.

Get your downloading fingers ready.

Artist: Matt Duke
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/mattduke
Sounds like: Folk-rock singer/songwriter who employs unusual song structures and colorful lyrics. Known for dramatic vocals, but can sing in a subdued fashion when appropriate.
Key tracks: The radio-friendly single is "Oysters," which is excellent. However, "Don't Ask (For Too Much)" is more representative. For social commentary, go with "Tidal Waves" or "Yellow Lights." Signature song "Weeping Winds" is not currently available on iTunes.
Full feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2006/10/winter-child-for-all-seasons.html

Artist: Andrew James
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/andrewjamesmusic
Sounds like: Piano-and-guitar based rock with a pop-friendly sheen. Soulful vocals and dark, brooding lyrics complete the package.
Key tracks: The soaring "Safe As Houses" or the mysterious "I Can't Fight" should do the trick nicely.
Full feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2006/10/spotlight-on-andrew-james.html

Artist: Laura Cheadle
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/lauracheadle
Sounds like: A mix of old-school funky soul and contemporary singer/songwriter pop/rock. A songwriting and playing style all her own. Smoky voice.
Key tracks: "Bright and Beautiful" more than lives up to its title; the dreamy, sensual "Perfect Design" and the languid, bluesy "Midst Of Your Mystery" are also great choices.
Full feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2007/07/funky-fresh-jersey-girl.html

Artist: Andrew Lipke
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/andrewlipke
Sounds like: From low-key folk to high-energy rock, his foundation is always acoustic singer/songwriter music. Unusual voice, wide vocal range, and thought-provoking lyrics.
Key tracks: Only his second album, The Way Home..., is on iTunes at this time. "Untitled Song #1" and "Check Your Mirror" fit the bill for driving alt-rock; "My One And Only" is the acoustic coffeehouse tune; "Standing Over You" is a brilliant pop opus.
Full feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2007/02/album-review-lipke-goes-home.html

Artist: SuperJimenez
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/superjimenez
Sounds like: Smart, tight modern rock delivered by a band with a diverse array of influences and a knack for bending the rules of songcraft and arrangement.
Key tracks: "Helicopters" (the "radio edit" version) is exceptional, while the single version of "Somebody There" (on the "Beau" single) is a novel showcase for their quieter side. Look for their rockin' new single, "Faye," in November and an album next year.
Full feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2006/10/superjimenez-to-rescue.html

Artist: Downtown Harvest
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/downtownharvest
Sounds like: Somebody took rock, funk, hip-hop, dance, jazz, and a bunch of other genres, threw them into a blender, and made the world's most awesome smoothie.
Key tracks: Again, hard to choose just a few. Go with "Hurry Before Worry" and "B.O.B." from their self-titled first album. Pick up "Something Elephants," "Four Hundo," and/or "Clockwork Tangerines" from their latest release, Golden Dragon.
Full feature: http://onenoteahead.blogspot.com/2007/07/spotlight-on-downtown-harvest.html

Stay tuned. You never know who or what will receive the One Note Ahead treatment next.

Copyright © 2007 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

Spotlight On: Downtown Harvest

2007-07-31T18:38:00.000-04:00

Cities like Philadelphia have wildly bustling music scenes in and around them, to the point that one can easily be tempted to look at a band like Downtown Harvest and, with nary a listen to their music, write them off as just another Philly band sweating it out in an overcrowded market. That, however, would be a colossal mistake. Here are four guys who know no boundaries. Across their two albums, they mix rock, funk, hip-hop, disco, R&B, jazz, rap, and electronica as if those genres are all one in the same. Electric guitars, keyboards, saxophones, and all sorts of percussive gimmicks drive most of the band’s arrangements. Each of DTH’s vocalists has his own distinctive sound, making for some attention-grabbing harmonies and vocal interplay. The band’s songs often employ sudden tempo changes, stops and starts, and other structural quirks, while their lyrics range from mysteriously poetic to downright unintelligible. In other words, if you’re looking for the next big thing in mainstream rock, keep looking. But if you’re looking for something truly different in a world of seemingly endless sameness, look no further.

Here’s the breakdown of DTH’s albums, both available from Malogna Records:

Downtown Harvest (2006): Impossible to categorize and quietly off-the-wall from start to finish. A subtle, fun album whose tracks tend to sound custom-made for a small houseparty. The presence of a continuous song sequence towards the end illustrates the point that this is more of a free-flowing, full-length statement than a collection of individual songs. Highlights of Downtown Harvest include the low key, mood-shifting “Rubber Band Song”; the funky “Hurry Before Worry”; “Hills of Beverly,” with its dreamlike new wave textures; the goofy quasi-electronica of “B.O.B”; and “Rattle On,” which has a lethargic, rootsy feel.

Golden Dragon (2007): Louder and more in-your-face than Downtown Harvest, Golden Dragon has more of a straight-ahead rock sound on its first several tracks, reserving its most daring experiments for its second half. Not as much of a cohesive statement as Downtown Harvest, but an entertaining collection with many strong tunes. Highlights include the kaleidoscopic “Full Circle”; “Something Elephants,” a bouncy, absurdist take on indie rock; the heavy New Orleans sound of “Four Hundo”; the psychedelic blues-rock of “MDK”; and “Clockwork Tangerines,” whose multi-movement construction is quite classical in nature. (No comments on the liner notes, which are said to resemble a Chinese food menu—this review is based on an advance press copy without full packaging.)

For music and more information: http://www.downtownharvest.com
http://www.myspace.com/downtownharvest

Copyright © 2007 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.

Funky Fresh Jersey Girl

2007-07-09T23:43:00.000-04:00

How to describe the music of Laura Cheadle? It’s probably best understood as a rich stew—or, in the sweltering heat in which I am writing this, a summer salad—the recipe for which goes something like this: two cups of old-school soul; one and a half cups of acoustic singer/songwriter; one cup of classic pop; one tablespoon of rock ‘n’ roll; jazz and blues to taste. Best served funky.

The 21-year-old songstress grew up in a heavily musical family, which put her in a position to either love music or hate music. Fortunately, she took the former course: “Music is my life and is so natural and medicating to me,” she explains. “I need it just the same as I need air to breathe. I can't imagine living without it and I am thrilled to have grown up in such a musical environment.” Laura’s comments on the making of her current studio album, Falling In, reveal that music is still largely a family affair for this Jersey girl: “The main musicians [on Falling In] are myself on rhythm guitar and vocals, my father James S. Cheadle on keyboards, my brother Jimmy Lee Cheadle on lead guitar, Dave Sikorski on bass, Bill Grillo on drums and Justin Hirsch on percussion. […] I wrote all of the music originally on my acoustic guitar so it was a blast making this album with a live band.”

The songs on Falling In deal with the usual themes of love, lust, infatuation, and separation, but there is no mistaking this for a typical “been there, done that” affair by yet another pretty girl with a guitar. First off, there’s Laura’s smoky voice, which veers from a sultry, seductive whisper to an electrifying gospel-tinged shout. Then there’s her songcraft, based on ringing, textured guitar chords with jazzy chromatics, often employing tempo changes and slightly unorthodox chord sequences. “I taught myself how to play the guitar at age 15 and I don't really have a conventional way of writing or playing,” she says with some amusement. “I wrote all of these songs during different times of my life and just developed a style that felt like me.” Indeed, that style carries over to her lyrics, which often contain stream-of-consciousness musings related in a strangely poetic manner. For example, “Perfect Design” offers pairings like “I take you in my lips, devourin' every inch/Your charm and your mind, your whole perfect design”—phrases so pure and delicate I hesitate to apply such a stark label as “sexually explicit” to them. “Midst Of Your Mystery” is even more hauntingly down-to-earth: “It was kinda scary when the car said check engine/You just smiled and reassured we'd be just fine […] Deep down I wish we woulda got stranded, just to spend another moment with you.”

When combined with the musicianship of her band and her father’s production, Laura’s songs get transformed into intriguing sonic collages. “Bright and Beautiful” combines the funk of a vintage Stevie Wonder track with a summery breeziness reminiscent of Malo’s “Suavecito.” And that’s only part of the story. Laura: “For ‘Bright and Beautiful,’ we kept my music how it was written on the guitar but randomly decided to put a ‘jazz break’ in the middle of the song. I LOVE how it turned out.” The album’s title track starts off like the greatest ballad that Dionne Warwick never recorded, only to jump into a hip-swaying dance groove along the lines of War on happy juice. “Midst Of Your Mystery” marries the ethereal atmosphere of Rachael Yamagata’s gentler songs to the down-and-dirty sound of a bluesy bar band, while “Love Map” brings in a country flavor on its swinging choruses. According to Laura, “that was not intentional. My acoustic version of [“Love Map”] does not sound country at all. My brother Jimmy Lee enjoys country music and he was playing that guitar riff on the album.”

Two of the selections on Falling In differ so notably from the rest of the album that they deserve special mention. The ominous, minor-keyed “Replaying” is a quietly dramatic pop opus whose sound exists out of place and time, and Laura told me that it strikes a special chord with her: “I wrote ‘Replaying’ a few years ago and it's about a love that I had to let go of. I enjoy how this song came out because the music matches my emotion at the time. It's one of my favorite tracks on my CD because I was actually crying during the vocal.” Equally eerie is the acoustic “Surrounded,” whose lyrics are atypically abstract: “Affection takes over my world/All is surrounded by a single girl. Will she wander to an escape?/Cluttered with worries, there’s no steps to take.” Naturally, Laura can account for the singularity of this particular tune: “I wrote ‘Surrounded’ after my album was finished and about to be released. I went back in the studio to lay it down just to have it. I then decided to make it a bonus track. Many of my songs are love songs, but I wrote ‘Surrounded’ completely about life. I woke up with it in my head and wrote it down. It's really about figuring out different parts of your life and trying not to worry about what happens next.”

So that’s Laura Cheadle as an in-studio recording artist. But Laura Cheadle is more than just an in-studio recording artist; she’s a personality. For one thing, she is an eccentric free spirit. Friend her on MySpace and it’ll be just a matter of time before she fills your message center with random bulletins informing you of her latest road trip or the last Tower of Power concert she attended. She even poses all sorts of—you guessed it—random questions to her fans and shares photos and drawings in her bulletins and blogs. It’s clear that she believes strongly in being connected to her fans, which the internet allows her to do with some semblance of ease. However, it is in person that Laura gets to make the ultimate connection with her funky followers.

Whether you see Laura acoustically or with her live band (also featuring her dad and her bro), she is sure to get wrapped up in a world of her own, letting each song take her and propel her into a realm understandable only by those who truly feel the power of her music. In an acoustic setting, she lets the raw emotion of her songs do the talking. With a full band behind her, she takes control of the stage, shaking and swaying every inch of her dancer’s form to every single beat of the music. Either way, she banters freely with the audience, displaying a natural charm and a quirky sense of humor—both hard to resist. And in that moment when she looks out into the crowd and sees you dancing or singing along to her music and she engages your eyes, lingers for a moment, and winks, it is far beyond a mere connection. It is a genuine spiritual exchange. Or at least that’s my perspective as a fan. Happily, Laura’s perspective as the artist is similar: “Live performances are my favorite! The rush from the crowd is incredible and you get to be so spontaneous with the arrangements of music and performance. I live to perform. Acoustic shows are a great intimate setting where you can tell the crowd where [and] when each song was written. Full band shows are amazing because I get to dance and really stretch out vocally. I also love having that musical connection with all of my bandmates where we don't have to say a single word during a performance, yet we know exactly what each other is thinking.”

What’s next on the horizon for this rising young star? “I finished my brand new song ‘10 Weeks of Immortality’ and that is up on my MySpace page for a listen. I am working on a new album, which will probably be finished by next year or so. I have been writing like crazy and feel like I just keep growing and growing. I went away on vacation last week and wrote four more songs.” She adds, smiling, “It's hard to say how each song will turn out because I am getting inspired more and more every single day.”

In the meantime, Falling In is readily available in CD form and on iTunes, and Laura also has a fun(ky) live CD which you can order directly from her. At the time of this writing, there are also some highly entertaining videos on her MySpace profile (“The MySpace Funk” has to be seen to be believed). It is fortunate that Laura Cheadle’s music can be accessed so easily in this high-tech digital world, for she is an artist who has it all: the looks, the moves, the charisma, and the TALENT to back it all up.

Or, to put it more simply: Laura Cheadle is bright and beautiful.

For music and more information: http://www.lauracheadle.com
http://www.myspace.com/lauracheadle

Many thanks to Laura Cheadle for the interview.

Copyright © 2007 S.J. Dibai. All rights reserved.