Athens Ear Buds (11-25-09)

We sure pulled this edition of Athens Ear Buds out of the proverbial hole in the lower back of the human body. My weekly solicitation on Friday landed with a big, fat thud, and by Sunday evening, I had one Ear Bud blurb, and that one had been held over from last week (sorry, Andy!).

But a couple came in Monday morning, I found a left-over AEB from Chris Pyle, whipped one up myself, took in a few more between Monday and Tuesday, and voila! Athens Ear Buds survives to fight another day. Actually, after I wrote the preceding, about six of them arrived in my in-box, and we now have enough for both this week and next week. It's a bloody embarrassment of riches!

Despite the good fortune, however, I'm really not confident that we'll be this lucky on a continuing basis, so if you all would like to see Athens Ear Buds stay alive, please send me names of musically inclined folks who might be interested in contributing. I've come to the conclusion that this is the answer to keeping AEB going, rather than continuing to harass long-time contributors who have either lost interest, don't have the time, or whose ears were gnawed off by gutter rats. At the very least, these kind folks wouldn't feel compelled to contribute so much if others were picking up the slack.

Please e-mail me at news@athensnews.com if you'd like to become an Athens Ear Buds contributor or if you know someone else who might be interested. Happy turkey day. "“ Terry Smith, Athens Ear Buds weekly beggar and street urchin

Christopher Pyle, owner of Donkey Coffee and 3 Elliott Studio, plays in the local band The Jarts: "Beg, Scream, and Shout: The Big Ol' Box of '60s Soul" (Rhino Records, 1997). If you like box sets and '60s R&B music, this is for you. The box comes with a book, trading cards, and all the CDs are in these cool 45 record jackets. This has got all the usual suspects (James Brown, Smokey Robinson, Jackie Wilson, Aretha) but it's got a lot of one-hit wonders and forgotten about singles as well. This six-CD set has been played more than any of my box sets (and that is saying A LOT).

Andy Vogel is an OU student who was cramming for finals when he wrote this. The band Tournament thrashed at the Smiling Skull with We March two Fridays ago. They rocked so hard that their bass head amplifier caught on fire. I was able to snag their EP, "Swordswallower" for 5 bucks. It was a good buy indeed. Sounding like Mastodon but without the excessive prog, Tournament is one gnarly metal band. The Brooklyn natives keep the speed continuous on the entire EP. The most notable track would have to be "Night Lion," a fast-paced song with steady guitar chords that just makes you wanna run around with madness squirming in your brain. I am sure they will have a triumphant return to the Skull in the near future.

Dave Alexander, Athens' resident trainspotter and Dave Rave promoter: N.A.S.A., "Spirit of Apollo" (March 10, 2009 on Anti). N.A.S.A. stands for North America South America and is a collaboration between Squeak E. Clean (Spike Jonze's brother) and DJ Zegon. The album is influenced by Brazilian funk, and there is a constant contrast between the musical styles of the two continents. The album features an all-star roster of guests including Tom Waits, Kanye West, Seu Jorge, David Byrne, Chuck D and Santigold, among others. Standout tracks include "Money," "Way Down" and "Gifted." I found the album to be fresh and different, but the project is very ambitious, and hip-hop purists might not appreciate the clutter and lack of flow resulting from so many diverse contributors.

Greg Bikowski, bassist for the Bob Stewart Band and the Bikowski Jazz Trio. Paramedic for SEOEMS: "EnRoute" by the John Scofield Trio (Verve, 2003) really sells Scofield as a "dig in on your heels" jazz guitarist. Recorded live at the Blue Note in New York, "EnRoute" captures a finely tuned performance that shows off the talent of Scofield on guitar, Steve Swallow, electric bass, and Bill Stewart on the drums. The music is played with a post-bop feel that allows the trio to have intelligent musical conversations with solid interpretations. Most of the tunes are originals allowing Scofield to dip into his guitar bag of tricks to unite rock, jazz and fusion into a clever melodic stew. Other tunes such as "Alfie" and "Wee" are solid yet fresh when this crew digs in. A truly inspirational live album.

Terry Smith, Athens NEWS editor, Athens Ear Buds ventilator: Reigning Sound, "Love & Curses" (In the Red Records, 2009). Boy, I've really been falling down on my avocation of keeping up with indie-rock music. How else can I explain completely missing the August release of the latest CD from Reigning Sound, one of my favorite bands of the decade? Well, now I have it, and while it will take a lot more listens for me to give it a full assessment (this band holds up very well under repeat plays), right now I'd place "Love & Curses" among this Asheville, N.C./Memphis band's best work. The new Reigning Sound is a nice correction from the band's last studio CD, "Too Much Guitar," in 2004, and is more reminiscent of the band's 2002 masterpiece, "Time Bomb High School." Whereas "Too Much Guitar" was basically a gimmick album - wall-of-sound punk/garage guitars with bandleader Greg Cartwright's vocals buried in the mix, "TBHS" and "Love & Curses" showcase what Cartwright does best. That's mixing organ-drenched '60s soul of the 2 a.m. Memphis variety with Cartwright's no-nonsense, straight-for-the-gut garage attack. This is intense stuff but always melodic and hook-laden, and Cartwright's strained, heartfelt (and almost suffering) vocals are never anything but riveting.

Andie Walla, Smiling Skull Saloon booking manager, bassist for The Wallabeez, grad student: Belle & Sebastian, "Tigermilk" (Matador/Electric Honey Records, 1996). This is one of my favorite indie-pop bands of all times! "Tigermilk" was the first full-length album released by the Scottish group, featuring many well-known musicians including Stuart Murdoch, Stuart David and Isobel Campbell. All of whom have solo records as well as with other great groups, including the electronic indie-pop group Looper. Their cynical, catchy lyrics and pop overtones create an environment that's simple and surreal. The combination of cello, piano, guitars and synthesizers is a perfectly unique approach to the heavily influenced '60s pop-music style that Belle & Sebastian has. I always considered this record to be great to listen to in the early months of winter, when I tend to feel bittersweet and reflective about the approaching holidays. The group tells a story with every song, which I can always find some way to relate to my own experiences. My favorite tracks on the record are "The State I Am In," "Expectations" and We Rule the School." Well, actually I love every track, and this is a must-have record for any indie-rock fan! Check 'em out; you might be surprised just how many modern pop bands have been influenced by Belle & Sebastian.

John Hurlbut, manager at the Fur Peace Ranch: Michael Bloomfield with Nick Gravenites and Friends, "Live at Bill Graham's Fillmore West 1969." This legendary concert is finally available on CD released in April of this year on the Australian label Raven. The first seven songs come from the 1970 vinyl release, on Columbia, with the same title. This CD contains four bonus tracks from the same performance. Michael Bloomfield was a giant in the blues world, and his guitar-playing prowess earned him incredible cred from many of the great musicians in the blues and rock world, living and dead. Michael recorded his first sessions for Columbia in 1964. In 1965, he joined the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, appearing on the first two legendary recordings of this groundbreaking group. That same year he was the guitarist on Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited," laying down the widely recognized guitar solo on "Like a Rolling Stone" and backing Dylan at Newport when he went electric. In 1967 he formed Electric Flag, and in 1968 he teamed up with Al Kooper for two great records, "Super Session" and "The Live Adventures of Michael Bloomfield andAl Kooper." And now we come to the "Live at Bill Graham's Fillmore West 1969" album. The detailed notes that accompany this CD state that in 1969, Bloomfield and Gravenites wanted to do some dates together, and Mike's close friend Bill Graham was only too willing to offer up the Fillmore West and also record the night's legendary concert. This concert finds Michael in great form with plenty of extended guitar solos that will serve as a testament to why he is considered in the company of the greatest blues guitarists of all time. Mike had a piercing tone in his guitar solos and a sustain and fluidity in his playing that set him apart from so many guitarists of the day. Putting his playing in a present-day context, it is important to note that he achieved these sounds with very little help from electronics, which are so heavily relied on in this day and age. Michael's guitar break on "Blues on a Westside" is one of the best blues solos in recorded music. Aside from the very fine blues guitar of Michael Bloomfield, this CD features the fine blues singing of Nick Gravenites, who was also a member of the Electric Flag with Mike. Nick does a great job on the vocals, and as an added treat he gives up the microphone to Taj Mahal on the classic "One More Mile To Go." I can't say enough good things about the incendiary guitar playing of Michael Bloomfield and how on this night in 1969 he really let it shine. Electric Blues lovers, old and new, can discover a real treat with this concert recording.