In Brief: Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, Spring 2012

Photo courtesy of The Bottom String.

Recently, Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance released a scintillating taste of what is sure to be an EXCELLENT lineup for their Spring Festival, to be held April 19th-22nd. Featuring returning favorites and some fresh blood, there's no way to complain about this preliminary list. Myxem favorites Driftwood are returning, as well as Midtown Dickens, Mandolin Orange and Holy Ghost Tent Revival. After stunning the entirety of our staff at Hopscotch, seeing Bombadil make it onto the lineup was a delightful surprise. Having been recently introduced to Curtis Eller's banjo-based roots-ragtime, seeing his name pop up was both unexpected and certainly a good reason to dig further into his catalog.

The preliminary lineup announcement is after the jump AND on Shakori Hills' website

In Brief: Neil Young's Doing Neil Young Things

Neil Young, seen here expressing either the magnanimity of
his catalog, or his complete confusion regarding Greendale's
popular reception. 

For the first time in almost nine years, Neil Young announced plans last week to re-enter the studio with longtime backing band Crazy Horse. Most initially seemed doubtful about the realistic prospects of the project, given the Grandfather of Grunge's penchant for on the fly decision reversals. Today, however, we are treated to what is (more than likely) an extended jam session recorded by Mr. Young and Crazy Horse, available here. Featuring a nearly 38 minute jam of both "Fuckin' Up" and "Cortez the Killer," Young's growling guitar sits restlessly atop the pulsing rhythms provided by the long adrift backing band. At around the 25 minute mark, when "Cortez the Killer" begins, the guitar switches from the muddy fuzz to a soaring solo. Neil's voice, still his trademark ethereal whine (only slightly older), lends a newer credence to the song, but, be warned, this is probably only for die-hard Neil Young fans (like you should be).

William Shatner - "Seeking Major Tom"

William Shatner's Seeking Major Tom was
released Oct. 11th, 2011 on Cleopatra Records

William Shatner returns this week with a double cd of his trademark spoke-sung tunes. This time, it's a covers album full of space-themed songs. There are a few decidedly-not-space-themed songs, including a cover of U2's "In A Little While," Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" and a cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." Of course, several Major Tom songs make the cut, from Bowie's own "Space Oddity" to Peter Schiller's "Major Tom (Coming Home)" to K.I.A.'s "Mrs. Major Tom." The truly impressive part is the caliber of the musicians he's managed to gather around himself for this album, including Ritchie Blackmore, Zakk Wylde, Nick Valensi (of the Strokes), Sheryl Crowe, Bootsy Collins, Peter Frampton and actually many more.

The thing that put me off about this album is, being a covers disc, it puts William Shatner back into his campy, silly hat. It finds him back on the pony that knows only one trick. Sing speaking Elton John's "Rocketman" again is a huge step backwards for what was looking like a promising late-blooming recording career. His last effort, Has Been, was actually one of my favorite albums of 2004. With help from Ben Folds and guest spots from both Joe Jackson and Brad Paisley (the only radio country artist that I have respect for), Shatner managed to craft Has Been into an excellent, sometimes intensely personal album that looked inside Shatner the celebrity and found Shatner the man. He dealt with his impending mortality, his relationship with his estranged daughter, and more. Compared to that, this album is a tired retread of something that wasn't very amusing to begin with.

That's not to say I dislike this album, but knowing what Shatner's capable of, this album falls flat. From the very moment I heard that he'd be releasing an album this year, I'd been waiting with bated breath. "How can he top Has Been?" His response, a double cd collection of novelty covers, may not've been the answer I was looking for, but William Shatner permanently has my respect and I'll be damned if I'm not going to listen to the whole album. A couple of times.

Hopscotch '11 - In Brief - Day One

We got a late start today. We had planned to be at the Big Boss day party held at Sadlack's Heroes, but as the rumor spread that it'd been closed down due to a noise complaint we decided to sit tight and catch up with a few episodes of Friends. Which was by no stretch of the imagination a waste of time.

By the time we had made it downtown, it was with just enough spare time to be one of the first through the door for Dinosaur Feathers. These boys took King's Barcade through the roof. I cannot possibly think of a better opener for King's incredible line up, and I hazard to say it'd be difficult to name a band I'd rather have seen as my first band of Hopscotch 2011.

We made a mistake and left King's, as they were counting people as they exited and letting the same number of people in, it seemed re-entry was unlikely. We lamented our bad luck, but forged on to Cassis Orange down at The Union (which is kind of a haul from King's). The two and half songs we caught were amazing. There were some technical issues with a sample going awry and it was pretty difficult to see, as The Union does not have a stage.

From the 'Net: Affirmations of the Mindheart

Mike Leffingwell, currently tenured on both Twitter and working with the Upright Citizen's Brigade, also finds time to create "Affirmations of the Mindheart." As seen at left, they're humorous takes on the idea of inspirational photographs, not unlike the demotivational poster meme. Excluding, of course, the fact that Leffingwell is both intelligent and, on an average day, pretty hilarious. Ranging from simple jokes, as seen on the left, to more adult themed work (think copulation, horses), Leffingwell covers the gamut of humor, but is always guaranteed to make you laugh.

In Brief: Hamell on Trial's Daytrotter Session

Hamell on Trial

The most aggressive music being played today comes not from the dark speed of Scandinavian Metal nor from the anger and volume of its American counterpart. It comes from a bald man, Ed Hamell, and his acoustic guitar. I've had the opportunity to see him live a handful of times and being eyewitness to a show that combines brutal honesty, subversive humor with heavily-amplified acoustic guitar is truly awe-inspiring. Covering topics as diverse as bumping in to John Lennon and Anne Coulter's pungent nethers, Hamell on Trial is a wrecking-ball with a punk rock attitude, a whip-smart sense of wit and far more intelligent than any one person should be. That's why when it came to my attention he'd recorded a Daytrotter session a few months ago, I waited with bated breath for the day it got posted. Lo and behold, the day is nigh and Hamell on Trial brings a ruckus to Rock Island, Ill. and to your computer. Replete with a couple of unreleased songs, the session also hits highlights, like the aforementioned John Lennon story, "7 Seas," the ode to his guitar (it's a love story), and "Inquiring Minds," dealing with the pains of untoward parental honesty. You can listen here, on Daytrotter's website.

The Sims 3 Expansion Pack "Generations"

The Generations expansion pack was
released May 31st, 2011

The Sims 3: Generations is latest expansion pack in the 22-title Sims empire. Released on May 31st, 2011, the expansion focused on bringing the social experience of your Sims more to the forefront of game play. The tagline is "Live your life to the fullest," which is exactly what the game is designed to help your Sims do. This expansion pack expands social options for every generation, from imaginative play for children to cane-shaking anger at the world as an elder. There are a few other upgrades that come with it as well, such as the ability to adjust Sim's body hair in the Sim creator, new sliders that specifically adjust the life cycle length, the return of the "memories" system that more or less gets in the way and, of course, a myriad of new objects.

"Weird Al" Yankovic Releases "Alpocalypse"

The Alpocalypse arrives bearing accordions and Hawaiian shirts
on June 21st, 2011.

"Weird Al" Yankovic returns today with his latest effort, Alpocalypse. This is his first release in almost five years, preceded by 2006's Straight Outta Lynwood and rhe associated hit "White & Nerdy." Alpocalypse is exactly the music we've come to expect from the parody legend; it is the master of his craft adroitly mixing a dry cocktail of witticisms, parody and polka. In other words: Ray Manzarek plays the organ and Yankovic provides a surprisingly convincing Jim Morrison in a satirical look at Craigslist, Taylor Hanson guests on a Hanson style parody about a person who obviously knows nothing of love, "Whatever You Like" plays on T.I.'s hit of the same name with a cheerful recession-based theme, and about a million instances when the album is delightfully predictable. No, there is nothing new on this album other than the songs Yankovic chooses to lambaste but, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. While comprised mostly of top 40 hits, Yankovic pays tribute to deserving bands via style parody, tackling the White Stripes, Queen and Meatloaf, as well as the Doors (and for some reason, Hanson). I would not call this album remarkable, though I can't find anything bad to say about it.  It's the sort of album that people who enjoy listening to Weird Al will enjoy listening to. For people who are ambivalent, I recommend trying it. For those who entirely dislike Weird Al, I don't assume you've read this post.