http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJNN-YmaJ8I

Roy Hargrove is a music sensation. His albums define the true creativity that Jazz can express. He has used hip-hop and funk, as well as R&B artists to contribute to this American Art Form.  You will find that Roy has been playing the trumpet ever since he was a little boy. He has been influenced by the greats, like Wynton Marsalis and David “Fathead” Newman. He has performed with legends such as Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall, Common, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Diana Ross, Natalie Cole, and John Mayer among many others. You will hear a lot of these artists on his recordings.

The RH Factor’s “Hard Groove” is one of my favorite albums; this was actually the first Roy recording I had ever heard. One song that I can’t stop listening too is called “Kwah/Home”, featuring Anthony Hamilton.  His sounds have such full eccentric sounding chords that always manage to evolve. He is very soulful, and any true lover of music will enjoy Roy Hargrove.  When I first heard he was coming to Blues Alley in DC, I was excited. When my friend and I got there, the line was practically around the corner. We had to wait a good while before they let us in. Blues Alley is known as one of the top performance venues for Jazz artists, so I felt glad that I was able to attend this event. Our seats were right in the front, because my friend actually knows Roy and has had the opportunity to play with him. The scene inside was very intimate, the place is only but so big, so everyone was able to see the stage.  The audience was in awe of his performance.  Each song gave them a chance to give him a warm and full applause. This night the music was truly straight ahead jazz with a little bit of funk at the end. He allowed guest musicians to come and perform with his band. His band members include: Justin Robinson (sax), Jonathan Batiste (piano), Ameen Saleem (bass) and Montez Coleman (drums).  Each musician on stage was able to carry their own show if allowed; their solos were full of rhythms, distinct melodies, and dissonant harmonies. I truly had a great night seeing and hearing this wonderful art form at it’s best.

If you do not know Roy Hargrove’s music you must begin your journey now!!!

More info about Roy Hargrove: http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/royhargrove

]]> http://www.meandthestereo.com/2009/11/17/the-night-roy-came-to-dc/feed/ 0 http://www.meandthestereo.com/2009/09/28/video-game-reviews-the-beatles-rock-band/ http://www.meandthestereo.com/2009/09/28/video-game-reviews-the-beatles-rock-band/#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:40:31 +0000 Neto http://www.meandthestereo.com/?p=780 Video Game: The Beatles: Rock Band
Publisher: MTV Games / Electronic Arts
Developer: Harmonix
Systems: PS3, Wii, XBox360
Release Date: September 9, 2009
Decision: 4/5 All in All

1. Background:

Since the release of the game Rock Band, it has seemed like the Holy Grail of music games were the Beatles.  When Rock Band came out it allowed for four players to play at the same time and there were four people in The Beatles.  Also, the same year Rock Band came out Guitar Hero released its first band specific game in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.  But getting the Beatles to even allow their songs to be played in a game seemed like a pipe dream, let alone allow a full game to be made.

The aforementioned Aerosmith game was not exactly a quality product, and the Beatles, who have always been shy to release their music online, did not seem receptive to the idea.  At the time it seemed far more likely that they would join the growing chorus of detractors of the music game genre.  Apparently, though, it was Metallica that convinced the Apple Group, the name of the group of holders to Beatles music rights, that a quality representation of the Beatles’ work could be produced.  Specifically it was the guys at Harmonix playing a Metallica song on an early version of Guitar Hero that did it.

So after so long the game was finally released.  And its easy to see the care that was put into it.

2. The Substance:

The game plays like the other games in the music game genre.  There is a list of songs and to win the game you have to play them all.  There is very little revolutionary about the gameplay.  It’s the wrapping on the gameplay that is impressive.  To the gameplay though they did add the ability to sing three part harmonies as long as one of them is correctly singing the lead singer’s pitch.  This allows for more people to join in the fun or for people playing instruments to also sing without worrying too much about staying on key.

The best part about the game is the care that was put into telling the story of The Beatles.  The visuals that play while you’re playing reflect the Beatles’ sensibilities.  The opening cinematic is a work of art. And the background visuals are great too. You will want to play the game and then you will want to watch someone else play the game.  That is how beautiful the game’s visuals are.

There was also a lot of Beatles history packed into the game.  All of the Beatles’ songs are unlocked from the start.  This is great for being able to play the game at parties from the start, but that doesn’t leave much to reward those who play well.  Or at least it wouldn’t if it weren’t for all the extras you can unlock through playing well.  Pictures of the Beatles’ early days, documentary footage, and old recordings are all available to be unlocked.  If you’re a Beatles fan this is a treasure trove of extras that will make you want to keep playing the game.

If you’re not a Beatles fan there is little reason to own this game, though.  Unlike the Guitar Hero band games, the songs available are all Beatles songs.  They are mostly great songs but since they are presented in chronological order, there is little variety in each chapter of the game.

3. The Decision:

4/5 All in all, though, this is a quality product that any fan of The Beatles or music history in general should check out.

Unfortunately, this article was not as easy as I thought it would be.  It turns out deciding on only five songs that I will listen to for the rest of my life (as in as long as the supplies on the plane last cause I’m not much of a survivalist) was not that easy.  My first list mostly represented music from the late 90’s and early 00’s but then I realized I would eventually get tired of all that angst.  I needed to diversify my list and include some more toe-tapping numbers.

My new list is better.  It includes music from more time periods.  It includes some singable songs (for when I get tired of simply talking to my volleyball) and is more of a broad sampling of Rock and Roll.  So here’s my list in no particular order and without any references to LOST.

Come On Lets Go – Ritchie Valens
Its singable, danceable, and gets bonus points for being sung by a Mexican.

Hey Jude – The Beatles
I have to include a Beatles tune though I know Hey Jude is kind of a cliched pick.  But what can I say, I really like the “Na Na Na” part at the end.  Its a good song to play if I want to bring my fellow castaways together.

Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin
I won’t be able to survive a deserted island if I can’t get the Led out.  It was between this and Black Dog.  I find this song more fun.

Ingrata – Cafe Tacuba
Talk about your fun songs.  I will waste days away trying to perfect the singing of this song.  And then doing a full long performance of it will scare the smoke monster away.

The National Anthem – Radiohead
Finally, when I just want to be alone, this is the song that will be playing in my head.  Played extremely loud, it’s oddly soothing.

Ok, so I lied about the order and the references.

Life by the Drop by Stevie Ray Vaughan. This song is from the album entitled ‘The Sky is Crying’. It is the last track on the album. It’s a very simple song, seemingly sung from the heart. It is just Stevie Ray and a twelve string acoustic guitar. I have to guess that it’s a song that reflects his struggle with substance abuse and how he finally overcame all the addictions and realized what was really important in life. Put this song on, turn it up, close your eyes and lean back and enjoy. I get goose bumps every time I hear this song…no lie.

Black Dog by Led Zeppelin. This song is from the album lovingly referred to as the Zoso album. You know the one where the dude on the front is carrying a big bundle of sticks on his back? I vividly remember the first time I heard this song. I was walking through a parking lot and I walked by a clunker of car that was cranking out this Zeppelin tune. The stereo system in this car was easily worth more than the car itself. Robert Plant wailing through those speakers, followed by Jimmy Page’s furious onslaught of guitar riffs was glorious. The song embodied everything rock and roll had to offer…at least to my impressionable young ears. When I finally scraped together enough to buy the album, I listened to this song a hundred times in a row and I never got tired of listening to it.

Three Strange Days by School of Fish. This song is from the debut album from these guys. I don’t think they were tremendously successful in the music industry, but this one song still sticks in my head. The guitar riff totally hooks you right from the first note and the lyrics have some great imagery. From “floating on my back” to the “simulated wood grain” that ‘Johnny Clueless’ brought; this song is a great tune for relaxing and singing along to. If you can find it, listen to the version that contains the extended introduction. They are doing some weird stuff in that version before the song starts…but it’s very cool.

Been Caught Stealing by Jane’s Addiction. This song is from the album called ‘Ritual de lo Habitual’ which was Jane’s second studio album. The entire album is excellent, I just freakin’ love this song! Perry Farrell on vocals is sublime. The song is just so complete; from the frantic beat of the bass through the fast tempo to the searing guitar work of Dave Navarro, it is just one solid tune. It took some time for this song to grow on me, but when it finally clicked, it’s definitely one I could listen to a million times. This song also has an extended version…check that out if you can find it.

Voodoo Chile by Jimi Hendrix. This song comes from Hendrix’s last studio album entitled ‘Electric Ladyland’. From the first few strikes of the guitar pick against the guitar strings, this song is amazing. It’s also probably one of the most recognizable riffs in guitar history. You don’t believe me? Here is a quote from Joe Satriani: “It’s just the greatest piece of electric guitar work ever recorded. In fact, the whole song could be considered the holy grail of guitar expression and technique”. Okay, so now that I have Joe Satriani on my side, how could you disagree? I challenge you to dig it out of your record collection and give it a fresh listen! That’s good stuff!

Okay, so there you have it; my desert island selections. Fortunately, you and I don’t have to be marooned on an island to enjoy listening to these kick-ass tunes. Considering the sheer number of great songs out there and the multitude of great artists, it is very hard to pick just five songs. I may have to revisit the desert island line-up and make some amendments in the future.

Gold Medal: Geoff Tate. For those of you who may not recognize the name, Geoff Tate is the amazing voice, and backbone, of the group Queensryche. The first time I heard this guy sing, I was blown away. His range is absolutely astounding. And he sounds just as good in concert as he does on the recordings. I was lucky enough to catch Queensryche on the Operation Mindcrime tour. Are you freaking kidding me?!?! My jaw was on the floor the whole show. For some classic Geoff Tate high notes, check out the early stuff like ‘The Warning’ and ‘Rage for Order’. The newest release, entitled ‘American Soldier’, is very good stuff also (and will be a future album review). If you have ever wondered how high the male vocal range can get and still sound as powerful as ever; listen to some Queensryche!

Silver Medalist Bruce Dickinson!

Silver Medal: Bruce Dickinson. I’m not sure if Bruce Dickinson is any more recognizable than the gold medalist, but his voice is just about as remarkable. Bruce has been the front man for Iron Maiden since roughly 1981. He left the band for a few years, and then reunited with them and has been a staple out front ever since. The element about Dickinson’s voice that I most admire is the strength behind the notes. His notes come across almost like an opera. Supposedly, he actually studied opera singing prior to turning to metal music and that’s how he got such a powerful voice and great range. I have seen Iron Maiden several times over the years and the live shows are fantastic! Lot’s of energy! On the album front, my favorite Maiden disc is still ‘Power Slave’, followed very closely by ‘Piece of Mind’ and ‘Number of the Beast’. Virtually any song on any of these albums will put Dickinson’s powerful voice on full display for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!

and finally...Bronze Medalist Freddie Mercury!

Bronze Medal: Freddy Mercury. This vocalist probably needs no introduction. He was easily one of the best vocalists and front men in the business. His real name was Farrokh Bulsara, but he will forever be remembered by his stage name. To me, Freddy Mercury always seemed larger than life. His voice was so enormous and powerful…it propelled the music forward at a frenetic pace, even on the slow songs! His voice simply drove the music right out of the speakers and punched you square in the chest. My favorite Queen album remains ‘News of the World’, but I was also a huge fan of ‘Jazz’ and ‘A Day at the Races’. There are some great, great Queen songs on those albums that really demonstrate the vocal virtuosity of the late, great Freddy Mercury.

Honorable Mention: There are a few singers that I did not mention in the top three, but definitely deserve a shout-out for their vocal ability. I consider Robert Plant a phenomenal vocalist…his range and power are legendary. The late Brad Delp of the group Boston still makes me crank up the volume and try desperately to sing along. James LaBrie of Dream Theatre really belts it out…love that guy’s voice. Brent Smith of Shinedown sounds great, even unplugged! And last but not least, I have to include Rob Halford of Judas Priest. He has the original high-pitched wails that make you cringe! Turn it up! And sing along!

Here are the sources for the second and third photos.

Crüefest 2 consisted of five bands on the main stage: Charm City Devils, Drowning Pool, Theory of a Deadman, Godsmack and, of course, Mötley Crüe headlining the event. There was also a second stage featuring some good, up-and-coming bands. I checked out a band called Schram, out of Detroit. These guys put on a good show. They had a ton of energy and seemed genuinely happy to get out on stage and play. I also caught a band called Silver Stone, out of Arkansas. They also put on a really good show. The singer was good and the guitar player shredded some pretty killer riffs. They also had a third band on the second stage, but I only caught a few of their tunes. Okay, okay, so I was waiting in the beer line and didn’t get over there in time. What? I was thirsty! Thankfully, the second stage was jamming while the main stage was setting up for the next band. I made my way back and forth from one stage to another all night long…with an occasional stop at the concessions.

Watch out, Crüe!

On to the main stage! I got to the main stage in time to catch Theory of a Deadman’s set. It was excellent! Those guys put on a great show. They brought the house down with a kick-ass rendition of ‘Bad Girlfriend’. Tyler Connolly sounded great on vocals and was tearing into his solos on guitar. A good show. The next band up was Godsmack. If I said the Godsmack set was awesome, it would be understating how great these guys are…what a freaking show these dudes put on. Sully is an absolute freak out front! And Shannon Larkin on drums is just ridiculous! They had a fantastic set of all their hits. If you weren’t singing along, you may have been dead because there was so much energy coming from these four guys that you couldn’t help but get up and jam. During the show, Sully jumps on a drum set and Larkin’s set rolls forward on the stage, and these two go face-to-face just beating the piss out of the drums. Sully is a talented guy, he sings, plays guitar, and oh yeah, just happened to play drums for twenty-plus years before he became a front man. You know what; I will make the statement that Godsmack was better then the Crüe on this particular evening. Yeah, I said it. Should it be called Smackfest?

Finally, the main event; the bad boys from L.A. themselves took the stage. After some brief theatrics in front of the curtain, the Mötley Crüe stage was revealed; a padded room with lights on the walls, leading back to the drum set. The remaining three members, Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars came pouring out of the padded tunnel and they busted into Dr. Feelgood to open the show. The plan for this tour was to play the Dr. Feelgood album from front to back, in its entirety. That was fine by me! I have many favorites on that album and they played them all with gusto. ‘Kick Start My Heart’ and ‘Same Old Situation’ both sounded great. I did take note that Tommy Lee was not behind the drum kit. As it turns out, he injured his hand and the guy behind the kit was playing in his place until he healed up. That didn’t detract from the show, in my opinion. Tommy Lee is a good drummer, but nothing spectacular as drummers go. Average will always describe the bass playing of Nikki Sixx. Mick Mars and Vince Neil both sounded great, but didn’t knock my socks off.

Overall, this show is not to be missed! Godsmack was clearly the best band on this night. The Crüe sounded good, but I thought they lacked the sheer energy that they are easily capable of and have displayed in gaudy excess in years gone by. Check it out, if you dare!

Here’s the sources for our images! Image 1 and Image 2.

If you like the sounds of Janet Jackson, Amerie, or Rihanna, than you’ll love the music of this up and coming artist, Miss Amani. She is a very energetic performer with a promising music career ahead of her. She is 21 years old, comes from Honolulu, Hawaii and has settled, for the time being, in Los Angeles, California.

I had the wonderful opportunity of seeing Miss Amani perform at Club Element in Los Angeles, California. I didn’t know what to expect, because I had never heard of this artist before. The lights were dark and all of a sudden, POW! The music comes on and she is cat walking down the stage. Her dance steps were so fierce and versatile that I lost focus of what she was singing; never the less I came back into sync with everything.

She has two dancers in all black executing all of the moves to the songs. This trio was tearing up the stage and the crowd was going wild. The dance steps were brilliantly choreographed by MidNite of MidNite Productions. There came a part in her second song where she did a quick outfit change, removing her hat and shirt, revealing a glittery short jump suit with high stilettos. This was another key element to her performance. Whether you knew her songs or not, you could not help but move your body to the words and rhythms of her music. This artist was the best performer of the night. The act that followed her did not engage the crowd and certainly did not have half of the energy Miss Amani displayed.

It takes a lot of skilled coordination between dancing and singing and I believe Miss Amani is well on her way to mastering these techniques. She had amazing stage presence, stamina, and you could tell that she simply loves her job. I was glad that I made it to Club Element, which was the first club I had ever been to in LA, and it was well worth it after seeing this great artist perform.

It won’t be long before you hear the sounds of Miss Amani on the radio as well as seeing her albums in stores.

Check out her myspace page: www.myspace.com/amanisoul

Check Miss Amani out performing live at the Ultra Shore Lounge in Long Beach, California:

A large leak...kind of...

It has been a big couple of weeks for leaks.  Radiohead and Weezer both experienced song leaks last weeks with varied results.  Radiohead’s song, “These Are My Twisted Words”, was a very good song reminiscent of Kid A, which is my favorite Radiohead album by far.  Weezer’s leak a few weeks ago was less successful musically.  “The Girl Got Hot” was just more run of the mill Weezer from the Green Album rather than brilliant Weezer from Pinkerton (will we ever see that Weezer again?).

More telling than the quality of the songs, though, was the reaction to the leaks or the almost non-reaction.  Leaks have become almost commonplace these days.  Its the price of doing business in these modern times.  And both bands seem to have come to terms with that.

It would be understandable for a band to want to control the material that is released by them.  A release of a track that hasn’t been polished or is unrepresentative of the album they are about to release could damage them.  And if their best work is released before the entire album is complete, it could take some of the shine away from the album when it comes time for it to be reviewed.

Don't blame the fans! Blame Bono!

But you can’t blame the fans of a particular band for wanting to hear everything that is released.  A few years ago, my brother and I were debating this very issue.  One of his then favorite bands’ message board moderators had begun kicking people out who shared leaks of the band’s upcoming album.  My brother was one of those kicked out, but he was taking it in stride.  I was arguing with him that the fans, such as those who frequent a message board devoted to a band, should be the last people you punish for trading leaks with other fans.  The word fan comes from fanatic, which means that you are going to show such devotion to the band’s music that you don’t really care about the rules.  It may be only Rock ‘N Roll, but we like it, damnit.

The better way to approach the problem is to do like Weezer and Radiohead just did.  Both bands have always been more enlightened when it comes to their material so their reaction to a leak is not surprising. Weezer has always had extra material floating around that is sometimes better than the albums themselves.  Radiohead has found great success by giving their songs away and letting their fans pay what they want for them.  When their songs leaked,Weezer just accepted it and moved on.  They released a different and better song (thankfully) as the first single for their new album, Raditude.  Radiohead has embraced and started to offer the leaked song as a high quality, free download on their site.  They have embraced it so much that most believe that they are the ones behind the leak.

If that’s true, then Radiohead has finally discovered how a properly motivated fanbase, and a well placed leak can do for your work.  Even if its just a publicity stunt, its one that worked:  It got people talking about Radiohead during a summer with no new Radiohead release.

Here’s the source for the first photo done by Matthew Bowden! And here’s the source for the second photo!

Lester William Polsfuss was born in June of 1915. You may know him better as Les Paul. He apparently had an uneventful childhood in Wisconsin until around age 8. He then discovered music by way of the harmonica. He moved on to the banjo and eventually settled in to play the guitar. By the age of seventeen, Les Paul was a professional musician who had played guitar and harmonica on many recordings and radio shows under several different pseudonyms. As successful as he was, he was unsatisfied with the limited sounds that he could create on a ‘traditional’, acoustic hollow body guitar and set out to produce the first solid body, electric guitar. It was dubbed ‘The Log’ because that’s basically what it was; a regular old 4-by-4 piece of lumber with a bridge, neck and self-invented pickup attached. I don’t want to muddy the waters (no pun intended), but Leo Fender was working on a solid body guitar around the same time (so was a fellow named Adolph Rickenbacker). I mention this fact because the folks at Gibson were not interested in Les Paul’s ideas regarding solid body electric guitars until Fender put out an instrument that was well-received…Gibson didn’t want to take the chance. Eventually though, the Gibson folks relented and in the early fifties, Gibson and Les Paul struck a deal and designed the first Gibson Les Paul guitar. And the rest is history, as they say!

Jimmy Page with Les Paul Guitar

Besides the solid body, electric guitar, Les Paul had a huge impact on the recording of music. Les Paul invented many of the recording techniques that engineers and musicians take for granted in today’s industry. For example, he pioneered the use of overdubbing and multi-tracking. He would cut acetate records with an original recording, and then play those recordings and play guitar along with them, thus creating the sound of two guitars playing. He did this over and over again until he achieved the sound he was seeking. He also invented many of the delay features such as tape delay and phasing. It always amazes me to read about innovators like Les Paul or guys like Eddie Kramer (the sound engineer for Jimi Hendrix) who can just imagine some sound they want to recreate and then figure out a way to make it materialize.

I have often wondered why many of the well known guitarists in music decided to play the Fender Stratocaster instead of the Gibson Les Paul. I’m talking about guys like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck. I guess these guys know the sound they’re looking for and couldn’t get that sound from the Gibson. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of good guitar players playing Gibson guitars; Slash, Ted Nugent and Alex Lifeson, just to name a few. Regardless of which guitar a person chooses to play, there is no denying that Les Paul will pop up in the conversation of great guitars and great guitar players. In the words of The Edge: “His legacy as a musician and inventor will live on and his influence on rock and roll will never be forgotten.”

Thanks, Vodes, for helping us remember a great guitar player, fun musician, and exciting innovator. Thanks for the tunes, Les Paul! Sources for the first photo and the second photo.

Anyone who was born after Pong (1972) probably grew up playing videogames.  So their influence should be reflected in music, just like we see the influence of movies and books in music.  Some bands reflect that influence into the themes of their music.  Both Horse The Band and The Protomen liked the classic game Mega Man enough that they decided to write music about some of the characters.  Horse The Band wrote a great hardcore song called Cutsman.  As the name implies it tells the story of the Mega Man villain.

The Protomen went even further.  Taking their name from Protoman, the recurring character of the Mega Man series, The Protomen composed a rock-opera expanding on the simple story of Mega Man.  When they play live shows they do it in costume.  They even stay in character when they are interviewed.

While these bands show their roots through their lyrics, other bands do it through the music itself.  A lot of bands use the sounds of classic videogames in their music.  This style of music has come to be known as Chiptune.  Chiptune artists use the sound chips from classic systems like the Commodore 64 or the NES to add sounds to their music or compose new tracks altogether.  While most Chiptune artists are relative unknowns, some well known artists have released Chiptune remixes of their music.  Namely, Beck, everyone’s favorite Scientologist, released an EP of remixes of four of his songs from his album Guero.

Beck “Gameboy Homeboy” from wyldfile on Vimeo.

My favorite of the Chiptune bands is Anamanaguchi.  Incorporating Chiptune music into their songs,  Anamanaguchi creates a hard rock sound unlike anything you’ve heard.

Finally, Bitshifter composes original music from those little chips.  But don’t confuse this with regular electronic music.  These compositions would feel more natural playing during a level of Double Dragon than during a rave.

If you want to hear some more great Chiptune artists and/or you wanna hear Chiptune artists in a more comfortable setting, check out this album of Weezer covers from Chiptune artists HERE.