Thom Yorke and Flea Team Up

Thom Yorke seems to be one of the most frequent appearing names in music news these days, but this time the news is sure to grab attention. With the steady release of new solo material over the past year or so, the Radiohead frontman posted on Radiohead's blog that he has formed a new solo band to perform this material. Joining Yorke in this band is Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, Beck/REM drummer Joey Waronker, percussionist Mauro Refosco, and Red Hot Chili Peppers bass-wizard Flea. Personally, I'm psyched to see how Flea funk-rock slap riffs will fit in with Yorke's dark, heavier songwriting, but regardless, this is going to be an interesting project. The group only has two gigs lined up at the moment and they are October 4th and 5th at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. Lets keep our fingers crossed for some more dates in the future!

www.myspace.com/thomyorkemusic

Phish: Halloween Hints?

Just posted today on Phish's website is a gallery of album covers which could possibly act to narrow down which album will be covered on Halloween. For those who are unfamiliar with Phish's Halloween tradition, every Halloween Phish performs a "costume" set where they cover an entire album by an artist or band whom they are inspired by. While many have speculated as to which album they will play during their costume set at Halloween weekend's Festival 8, there have been no hints given by the band until now. Among the numerous albums displayed on their website are some that could've been predicted such as Thriller (in memory of Michael Jackson), Exile on Main St. (Phish frequently covers "Loving Cup" from this Stones classic), and Fear of Music (they also commonly pull out a funky cover of "Cities" from this Talking Heads album), but the plethora of covers also shows some that come as a complete surprise like MGMT's Oracular Spectacular, Beastie Boys' Hello Nasty, and the White Stripes' Get Behind Me Satan. Seeing as how the website says Phish will play the "last record left alive," I'm sure they will sporadically take albums away leaving one in the end for all Phishheads to enjoy. Take a peek at the gallery for yourself at phish.com. Phish will perform this costume set at Festival 8 which will take place 10/30-11/1 at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, CA.

Attention College Students: DJ Dangerous Dave and PhiStock

Fall is a busy time for college students, but its crucial to leave room for the most important thing: The music. For all students in the Boston area, I have a couple things to give you a heads-up about. The first being Wentworth's #1 radio show, DJ Dangerous Dave's "Through The Wire." Dangerous Dave (Dave Robb) is back at it for year number three as the shows host and plans to bring the show to the next level this year by featuring guest hosts and perhaps even organizing concerts by schoolyear's end. For those unfamiliar with the show, it airs Tuesday and Thursday nights from 8-9PM (ignore the times on the picture) and features a wide array of music as well as insightful chatter about today's on-goings and going-ons. You can stream Dave's show by visiting http://wire.wit.edu/




Next I would like to make everybody aware of a special event occurring this Saturday at the BU beach at Boston University. PhiStock, presented by BU's Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority, will be happening this Saturday, October 3rd, from 1-4PM. The event, which will feature music, arts, and guest speakers, will benefit the Sharsheret Breast Cancer Organization as part of Breast Cancer Awareness month. As for music, the lineup is as follows:
Chorderoy (www.myspace.com/chorderoymusic)
Terry and the Sall Shakers
Dear Havanah (www.dearhavanah.com)
The Imps

Other activities will include a tie dye station, spin art, hemp and beads, dart art, and a hippie dress up booth. Tickets are 7$ in advance (at the GSU link, Sept. 28th-Oct. 2nd) and 8$ at the door. Outdoor concert season is winding down people, so what better way to spend a nice fall day than listening to some great tunes, supporting a terrific charity, and hangin' with the fine young ladies of AEPhi.

Perry's Pick: Ha Ha Tonka

This week's Perry's Pick goes to a band called Ha Ha Tonka from the Ozark region of Springfield, Missouri. Named after the popular Missouri State Park, these boys definitely carry a heavy southern influence, but blend it well with a northern indie flavor. While their songs touch upon dark themes, the force that lifts these songs up and gains immediate attention is the voice of lead singer Brian Roberts. Sounding very similar to Caleb Followill of the Kings of Leon, Roberts isn't the only one emulates this band, as many of their tracks have the same feel as tunes off of the Kings' first couple albums. While Roberts takes the forefront vocally, he leaves room for harmonies from the rest of the band and big hooks from lead guitarist Brett Anderson. With masterful care to detail in the studio, their latest release Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South features many indie footstompers that start off soft and acoustic and crescendo into booming anthems by the end. The band has been lauded by Rolling Stone, SPIN Magazine and Jambase just to name a few and are sure to turn heads with the release of their new album and a large string of shows this fall. Having toured with the likes of the Old 97's and the Meat Puppets as well as landing spots at Lollopalooza and the Sundance Film Festival, look for Ha Ha Tonka to be on the rise in the coming year. Friday kicked off Ha Ha Tonka's massive fall tour which will take them all over the states. Be sure to check them out on tour and pick up their latest album Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South. Watch the video below to get a taste of what went into the making of Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South.



http://www.hahatonkamusic.com/

Review: Assembly of Dust at The Paradise Rock Club 9/24/09

Reid Genauer has been around awhile. From his days in the 90's as a founding member of popular New England jamband Strangefolk, to his musical hiatus as an Ivy-League scholar, to being the storyteller at the forefront of his current operation, Assembly of Dust, Reid has soaked up his various life experiences and squeezed them into meticulously written songs that float in the same realm as artists such as Crosby, Stills, and Nash or Jerry Garcia. Thursday night at The Paradise in Boston, Reid and Assembly of Dust showed up toting a handful of classic material as well as new tunes off of their latest release, Some Assembly Required. The album itself features guest artists on every track including Phish's bass master Mike Gordon, Vermont's country girl Grace Potter, and Woodstock legend Richie Havens.

Before AOD hit the stage, they were supported first by singer/songwriter Nathan Moore who some might know as The Slip's fourth member when they play under the name Surprise Me Mr. Davis. After Moore, the Emmit Nershi Band hit the stage. Featuring String Cheese Incident's Bill Nershi and Leftover Salmon's Drew Emmitt, the band blazed through a fine set of foot-stomping bluegrass filled with fast-fingered banjo and mandolin solos. Just after 11, Assembly of Dust made their way to the stage in front of an extremely age-diverse crowd, all of whom had packed in with the sole intention of hearing a classic Assembly of Dust set.

Reaching far back into his repertoire, Reid pulled out the Strangefolk classic "Valhalla" to kick off the set and as folks bounced to the upbeat chorus, it was clear that lead guitarist Adam Terrell was in for an all-star night. Terrell blistered through a tremendous solo in the middle of the tune and had the crowd hooked. Toning it down, but staying vintage, the band broke out into another Strangefolk hit, "Mama." Sounding a bit softer stacked up against the voluminous opener, the tune served to once again loosen up the crowd with Genauer singing, "Put on a smile, let your hair gently down."

The next highlight of the set came with the guitar-heavy hand-clapper "Pedal Down" off of the new album. While the studio recording features help from Zach and Andrew Gabbard of the Buffalo Killers, the song translated extremely well live. With the crowd still in motion, Reid and the boys kicked it with "Tavern Walker," another fast tune from Assembly of Dust's older catalog. The song alternates between a bouncy rock riff in the verses and a bluegrass shuffle in the chorus. Strutting his stuff on this tune was bassist John LeCeese who reminded me of a certain Phish bassist with his Modulus bass and goofy head nod. After the slow but rich "Cold Coffee," AOD stuck with the bluegrass for "Telling Sue," which was a highlight off of their 2006 release Recollection. With Terrell still on fire, the band moved to the powerful "Songs We Sing" which showcased Reid's mighty vocal chords and took the crowd a bit higher with a lengthy solo.

At this point in the set, three quarters of the band left the stage, leaving Reid and his guitar up for some stripped down tunes. Leading off with "Shame," Reid was then joined back up by his bandmates, but sticking with the acoustic theme, the four of them played a stripped version of "Bootlegger's Advice." As Reid struck the first notes of fan-favorite "Roads" the crowd recognized it right away and went nuts. With Reid's powerful vocals still in the forefront, the tune brought the meaning of acoustic to a different level. The crowd was overjoyed with this selection, belting out each lyric along with its creator, Mr. Genauer. Plugging back in to finish up the set, AOD played a few more tunes which included "All That I Am Now," the leadoff track of Some Assembly Required, which features the genius of Richie Havens in the studio version. To cap off the set, the boys threw at us the Strangefolk classic "Westerly." While the band seemed to be on different pages to begin the tune, they were reeled back in once again by another one of Terrell's beastly guitar solos. Capping of the set with great energy, the band opened this tune up, giving Terrell the opportunity to improvise and build up.

Wading back to the stage amongst a sea of "A-O-D!" chants (initiated by me- you're welcome), the band whipped out the roaring anthem "Man With a Plan." This time it was drummer Andy Herrick who showed his guns, tapping triplets on the ride during the song's build-up at the end. The tune brought to memory former member Nate Wilson, who no longer plays with the band. There was a clear void in the tune that left me itching for Wilson's additions, but at the same time, I was amazed at how the band made out with just four members. As the band left the stage again, the rowdy applause continued from dedicated fans who were determined to stick around. Unable to resist, Genauer was hooked back on stage for a solo version of "Second Song." It was a sweet end to an unforgettable night. Assembly of Dust worked their magic for another fantastic set, transforming a normal Thursday night into an early weekend. As the boys truck on to their next tour dates, I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to catch them while you can.

Set I: Valhalla, Mama, Sidestep Blue, Pedal Down, Tavern Walker, Cold Coffee, Telling Sue, Borrowed Feet, Songs We Sing, Shame*, Bootlegger's Advice^, Roads^, Truck Farm, All That I Am Now, Westerly
Encore I: Man With A Plan
Encore II: Second Song*

*Reid Solo Acoustic
^Full Band Acoustic






http://www.aodust.com/

HYMNS Fall Tour

New York folk rockers HYMNS are gearing up for a fall tour in support of their summer release Appaloosa. Despite forming in New York, HYMNS' music is clearly southern influenced, sounding like a mesh between Neil Young and Pavement. Combining basic indie rock with southern country twang, HYMNS is the best of both worlds for rock fans. Diving into the folk realm, HYMNS also draws comparisons to the various Gram Parsons outfits as well as early Wilco. Write ups from SPIN magazine as well as Rolling Stone are just a few of many sources praising HYMNS' unique sound. This fall, they will hit the road for a series of solo dates as well as dates with Daniel Johnston and others.

HYMNS Fall Tour:
10/2- Austin City Limits Festival- Austin, TX, w/ Daniel Johnston
10/3- Limelight- San Antonio, TX
10/4- East Side Showroom- Austin, TX
10/5- City Tavern- Dallas, TX
10/7- The Moon Bar- Ft. Worth, TX
10/8- The Cavern- Dallas, TX, w/The Soft Pack
10/9- Hailey's- Denton, TX
10/13- Union Hall- Brooklyn, NY, w/Ladybug Transistor and Parson Red Heads
10/22- Regency Ballroom- San Francisco, CA, w/ Daniel Johnston
10/23- Canes- San Diego, CA, w/ Daniel Johnston
10/24- Music Box @ Henry Fonda Theatre- Los Angeles, CA, w/ Daniel Johnston
10/25- Casey's- Los Angeles, CA, w/ Parson Red Heads and The Street & Babe Shadow
11/3- Snug Harbor, Charlotte, NC, w/ Nicole Atkins
11/4- Snug Harbor, Charlotte, NC, w/ Nicole Atkins
11/6- Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington, DC, w/ Nicole Atkins

Check out the video for "Streets Alone" from 2007's Travel In Herds:


hymnsband.com

Yo Gabba Gabba!: Music is Awesome! and MGMT Appearance

Everyone's favorite Ritalin-induced, hipster-cred, Nickelodeon show, Yo Gabba Gabba!, is known to showcase various indie bands. Despite targeting an audience of 3-5 years old, Yo Gabba Gabba! has attracted audiences of all ages because of its artistic weirdness and its ability to get artists like The Shins and The Aggrolites to sing songs about not giving up and the importance of eating bananas. Yo Gabba Gabba! is set to release a soundtrack of the show properly entitled Music is Awesome! The album is set to release on October 20th, but until then, let this video of MGMT satiate your appetite. MGMT were rumored to be on season 2 of Yo Gabba Gabba!, but no proof was found until some hipster with a lot of free time posted this online under the tag "Russian Rugrats." The tune is called "Art is Everywhere" and is painfully catchy and extraordinarily weird. Enjoy!

Phish Reveals Festival 8 Schedule: First Ever All Acoustic Set

Since their announcement of Festival 8 in August, Phish have given few details and hints towards the upcoming Halloween weekend Festival in Indio, CA. Fans of Phish know that Halloween is a special time where Phish dedicates an entire set as a "Costume Set," where they cover an entire album of another artist or band whom they are inspired by. While the band has not revealed yet what album they are costuming, they did announce today that they will be playing their first ever all acoustic set. Throughout the 3-day festival, they will be be playing 8 sets and this special acoustic set will lie at the crack of noon on the last day (Sunday 11/1). For all those folks who plan to party hard at the festival on Halloween night, you may have a tough wakeup the next morning, but it will all be worth it to hear this special set. Phish have also included that "coffee and donuts will be served."

phish.com

Choose moe.'s Halloween Setlist

Jamband vets moe. are once again thinking outside the box to benefit the experiences of concert-goers everywhere. Halloween ranks up there with New Years Eve and the 4th of July as one of the most treasured and anticipated concert dates of the year, so for this year, moe. has decided to let their fans choose the setlist. On the long list of tunes to choose from is a large portion of moe. originals and fan-favorites as well as covers that range from the open-minded "Tempted" by Squeeze and "Riki Tiki Tavi" by Donovan, to the standard choices of "Dark Star" by the Grateful Dead and "Stash" by Phish, to the downright strange "We Got The Party" by Miley Cyrus and "Movin' Right Along" from the soundtrack to the Muppet Movie. To vote for the setlist, go to the newly refurbished jambands.com and cast your vote before October 6th.

moe.org

Tuesday Tribute: Prince

This week's Tuesday Tribute goes to a man who you may know by name, or you may know by sign. He's won Grammys, he's won Academy Awards, he's performed at the Super Bowl halftime show, and he's still one of the best entertainers in the world. Having a career that has held strong in four decades now, Prince is known for his theatric live performances, as well as his on-screen rock operas such as the acclaimed Purple Rain and the lesser known, but in my opinion, equally as strong Sign O' The Times. Finding most success with his band the Revolution, Prince introduced and featured the insanely talented Sheila E as his drummer. Despite constant comparisons to Michael Jackson and many risque career moves, there is no denying his supreme versatility as a musician and his overwhelming power as an entertainer. With that said, I hope to portray Prince's unbelievable coolness through my internet video finds.

The first video is the opening scene of Sign O The Times where Prince performs his tune of the same name. People criticize the 80's for their music and their style, but Prince makes both of these things look better than ever. My favorite part is his call and response with the crowd at the beginning of the song where he hits a note that few other males in the world have the ability of hitting.



Check out this clip of the king of soul James Brown and the King of Pop Michael Jackson calling Prince up the stage early on in Prince's career. Michael keeps it short and sweet and James Brown has no clue who Prince is, but when Prince hits the stage, he attempts to steal the show but is so cool that he only gives the crowd one note on the mic. The quality is iffy, but the video is kind of funny.




The next video is of Prince performing his later hit "Kiss" on the Ellen DeGeneres show. With a "Soul Man" intro, Prince uses the highest of his many pitches to crank out one of his sexiest tunes.


Lastly, I bring you some of the new-millennium Prince with his tune "Black Sweat." Off of 2006's 3121, "Black Sweat" is Prince's response to the the crunk hip-hop of the early 2000's. My favorite line is "You'll be screaming like a white lady when I count to three." Clearly, he hasn't lost his touch

prince - black sweat
Uploaded by eikichi. - See the latest featured music videos.

Prince has no official website, so here is his online fan page: http://prince.org/

Welcome to My Blog

Hello there readers, friends, concert-goers, and music lovers everywhere. Welcome to "The Concert Buzz," a music news website with a personal twist. The objective of this blog is to provide readers with the latest news in the music world, reviews of shows, albums, and venues, spotlights on new local bands as well as old favorites, and personal opinions and point of views on today's music scene. As I contribute to my blog, I hope that you will respond to any posts that you find interesting or aggravating, posts that you may agree or disagree with, or posts that you may like to compliment or criticize. Please note that you do not need a Blogspot account to follow this page. All you need is an email address and an interest in music. Most importantly, I hope that you share my love of all things music and take something away from what you read. Enjoy!