WeHo Music

Seems like a new DC cycle is starting up. Always like to see...

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:16:00 -0400

Seems like a new DC cycle is starting up. Always like to see the start of the first post-Idol cycle with this amazing performance. Not to mention the sheer joy of watching Kyle do his best “animal” and kill it on drums. Declaration on SNL.

A Loud, Wild, Blessed, Sweeter Tour Comes to Santa Rosa, CA

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:25:25 -0400

^ DAVID COOK ^

^ GAVIN DEGRAW ^

^ CAROLINA LIAR ^

It’s not very often that the stars align to bring together three amazing acts in one show. As a super-fan of David Cook & Carolina Liar, and a new (but strong) fan of Gavin Degraw’s, my worlds collided on stage last night. First and foremost, every musician that took the stage at the Wells Fargo Center in Santa Rosa shined like a supernova. From frontmen to their bandmembers, this was a show that hit perfection and the audience let it be known.

I’ve been a Carolina Liar fan for about as long as I’ve been a David Cook fan. CL hit the scene with their debut album “Coming to Terms” just as David was winning season 7 of American Idol, in the spring of 2008. ”Coming to Terms” and Cook’s eponymous major label debut album remain my favorites of 2008 - and will likely remain top tier for me for many years to come. Led by frontman Chad Wolf, Carolina Liar is an alternative rock band with a pop flavor. Wolf is from South Carolina and lives in LA. His band members are from Sweden and they record in Stockholm. They released their debut through Atlantic Records, but their sensational sophomore effort, “Wild Blessed Freedom,” is self released. They’ve gone indie and yet are getting onto radio, soundtracks and booked on a major tour. I think this is a great test - one that’s showing how quickly major labels are losing clout (and cramping artists’ style). Carolina Liar rocked the joint and the crowd loved them. Wolf is a charmer with great stage presence and those are qualities he shares with Cook & Degraw.

I’m fairly new to Gavin Degraw. I am crazy about his new album “Sweeter,” and this was the first time I saw him live. His brand of bluesy pop-rock is fresh and current, and he can work that stage like no one’s business. He’s got a distinct style and his vocals were spot on. He can do some very interesting things with his voice and clearly knows the kind of material that suits him well. I’m now a pretty big fan.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a diehard David Cook fan. I watch his career track (and opine all too often), see as many shows as I can get to (usually local or regional in California), and take advantage of living in LA by getting myself into the studio audience when he tapes TV talk shows. I follow his band members and their fantastic side projects very closely. Cook’s long-time friend and lead guitarist Neal Tiemann is not on this tour and I wondered how much I would miss him. Well I missed him (and the dynamic he has with his friends), but Cook’s current lead guitarist, Devin Bronson, is superb. And different. Just as David made songs “his own” on Idol - something which great singers do - so should a musician. Bronson has a style and take on David’s songs that bring something fresh and different to this tour. Not better. Not worse. Just different. This was my 12th David Cook concert (and first of this tour), and I truly enjoyed getting a different experience. (For some background, Bronson’s last tour was with Avril Lavigne). Let me also add that David’s set list was everything I hoped for. All the songs I wanted to hear from “This Loud Morning” and “David Cook,” and none that I did not want to hear. Top tier all the way! Plus he did what I had hoped: opened the show with “Circadian” and closed it with “Rapid Eye Movement,” just like the album. Plus he played the bonus track “Let Me Fall For You” (phenomenal live and on the album).

The Wells Fargo Center is a gem. I think this is the best venue in which I’ve seen David Cook and Carolina Liar play, and one of the best theater venues period. It’s fairly intimate, ultra modern, well staffed (with friendly people), few restrictions (no one hassled anyone taking videos or pictures), and has great acoustics. There really isn’t a bad seat in the house.

So you see why, for me, this was a truely win-win concert. From the artists, to the venue, to the meet & greet afterwards. And it was in California Wine Country (and not just ANY region, but Sonoma).

The camaraderie between the bands - especially between all three frontmen - was a joy to behold. They pumped each other up every chance they could. In the after-show meet & greet, it was clear how much they enjoy being on the road together. The guys are so at ease and attentive to their fans.

I will put Cook’s set list at the bottom of this post. I want to add some personal observations regarding Cook’s sophomore album cycle, and this is a bit of an editorial:

Sometimes you just need more information to figure things out. Now I don’t know the details of what goes on in David Cook’s life, other than what all his fans have observed over the past couple of years, and what he chooses to share with us via interviews and personal conversations. We know David had a turbulent two years following Idol. From the highs of winning to the lows of losing his brother. Instant fame mixed with the pressure of doing 155 shows in less than a year. Much has been said about the long gap between albums. I am now utterly convinced things had to happen the way they happened. Sure, there are things his management does that make my head spin, but getting TLM the way he wanted it (or as close to it as his label’s A&R team would let him) was imperative. For the record, I think Cook got it pretty close to where he wanted it. This was David’s therapy. I truly feel he needed to do this album this way, and take the time that he did. If he had rushed it, caved in to tempting pop choices his label may have wanted (I emphasize may - because what we don’t know is a lot), and dropped the album and lead single 6 to 8 months earlier, we may have gotten music that was far less satisfying to both David and his fans, and David may not have healed the way he has. Because let me tell you, the man was filled with joy last night. He is proud of the record and just seems to be in a very good place right now. If this is what it took for David to heal and take pride in his work (and remain honest as an artist), then that’s what had to be done. An unhealed artist hawking an inferior album would be a recipe for disaster for David and his fans. Editorial over.

As for set lists, I was not tallying so I’m not even going to try… other than to say Carolina Liar & Gavin Degraw played all their hit singles plus a nice amount of material off their new albums. I’ve moved over Cook’s set list from his website (few artists have a more active website with a zillion fans posting than David Cook).

David Cook’s set list:

Circadian
Kiss On the Neck (with Hotel California)
The Last Goodbye
Hard to Believe
Heroes (with Champagne Supernova)
We Believe
Paper Heart
Come Back to Me
Right Here, With You
Movin’ Out (Billy Joel cover)
Let Me Fall for You
Goodbye to the Girl
Bar-ba-sol
Light On

Encore:

Fade Into Me
Rapid Eye Movement

My concert photos: http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/25997437@N03/6268012682/

Spotify, last.fm & Music's New Paradigm

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 17:38:14 -0400

I’m finding scrobbling on last.fm to be lots of fun. What an effortless way to listen to the music you love (and support the artists you love) and have it “counted.”

There are some interesting similarities and differences between last.fm and spotify, both of which make good use of iTunes.

Spotify is really designed for you to choose what you want to hear, whether you own it or not. It’s like itunes except you stream instead of purchase/download, and it can be linked to your iTunes music library (you can then chose either iTunes or Spotify as your music player when you want to listen).

Last.fm seems designed to not only play what you have, but also share with others and find you new music you might like. Its “my mix radio” channel takes what’s in your library and then throws in music that you don’t have, based on what artists & genres you own & play most. It reminds me of iTunes “genius” except that iTunes only plays what’s in your library (a “smart” playlist), where as last.fm will stream stuff you don’t have and throw it into the mix with what you do have.

I love that both spotify and last.fm link to your itunes, and that they have strong community / friend sections, that not only make it easy to share music & artists, but actually encourage it. I think it’s far more useful than Ping.

Best of all, Spotify generates revenue for artists like David (and their labels), while Last.fm measures poplularity, which is great for an artist like David who has lots of fans who play his music often, but doesn’t have a huge radio presence. RCA has already indicated it looks at these new methodologies and metrics. It won’t be long before Billboard and other industry entities start including this information in their reports.

There is a lot of overlap but each service has a slightly different purpose. I see tremendous value and potential all three (itunes, Spotify & last.fm) and I’ve already decided that, for me, I will use all three. I truly believe this could spell the death for terrestrial radio, and I for one won’t weep. Radio has been a dictatorship for years - one which does not represent my musical taste. I love that we have a new way to link our vast itunes/mp3 libraries to something that will enable us to learn about new music. That for me was the only reason to stay with radio: to learn about new music and artists, like Adele and Augustana. We now have great tools to introduce David to other music lovers who are not familiar with him.

“Drown” music video from Carolina Liar. Lead single...

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:58:00 -0400

“Drown” music video from Carolina Liar. Lead single from upcoming sophomore album Wild Blessed Freedom, due Sept. 27th. What do you think?

My Music Lists

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:29:00 -0400

I get a lot of inquiries about what I’m listening to and what albums I like from recent years. So I’ve decided to share my musical tastes. This is a work in progress - always growing - but my goal is to provide lists of my favorite artists, and some of my album picks from the past few years. I suppose the information here are my music recommendations.

I didn’t provide links because you can google any of these artists and find their websites, facebook & myspace pages immediately.

My Favorite Contemporary Artists:

(not necessesarily in this order, but David Cook and Ryan Star do share the top spot)

David Cook
Ryan Star
MWK
Andy Skib/THH
U2
Carolina Liar
Matt Nathanson
Gavin Degraw
Green Day
Green River Ordinance
Sleeperstar
Death Cab for Cutie
Shades of Day
The Northstar Session
Crash Kings
Augustana
Anna Nalick
Burn Halo
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Pink
Coldplay
Phil Marshall
The Killers
Guster
Seether
Vampire Weekend
P!nk
The Kooks
Foo Fighters
Violent Femmes
Pearl Jam
Daughtry
R.E.M.
Linkin Park
Collective Soul
Pet Shop Boys

Favorite “Classic” & “Past” Rock/Pop Peformers:

The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Pink Floyd
Led Zeppelin
Nirvana
The Police
10,000 Maniacs
Pat Benatar
The Eagles
Jethro Tull
The Moody Blues
Lots of Motown

Favorite Singers (vocals count big time here!):

k.d. lang
David Cook
Ryan Star
Andy Skib
Kelly Clarkson
P!nk
Barbra Streisand
Adele
Eric Clapton
John Mayer
Erin McCarley
Cyndi Lauper
Chris Isaac
Annie Lennox
Sarah McLachlan
Jewel

Favorite Albums of 2007:

Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces - Seether
Magnolia - Phil Marshall
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace - Foo Fighters
Minutes to Midnight - Linkin Park

Favorite Albums of 2008:

David Cook - David Cook
Coming To Terms - Carolina Liar
Narrow Stairs - Death Cab for Cutie
Funhouse - P!nk
Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends - Coldplay

(I include the follow-up EP “Prospekt’s March” with this)

To Have Heroes - To Have Heroes (Andy Skib)
Day & Age The Killers
New Prehistoric Times - The Northstar Session
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Only By The Night - Kings of Leon
Rockferry - Duffy
Low vs Diamond - Low vs Diamond
I Am…Sasha Fierce - Beyonce

Special mention to the spectacular 4-song EP Luna Despierta by MWK

As Sinatra sang… “it was a very good year.”

Favorite Albums of 2009:

21st Century Breakdown - Green Day
No Line On the Horizon - U2
Crash Kings - Crash Kings
The Open Door (EP, follow-up to “Narrow Stairs”) - Death Cab for Cutie
Love, Save the Empty - Erin McCarley
All I Ever Wanted - Kelly Clarkson
Out of My Hands - Green River Ordinance
Burn Halo - Burn Halo

Favorite Albums of 2010:

11:59 - Ryan Star
Sanctuary Live Sessions - MWK
Vampire Weekend - Contra
Just Another Ghost - Sleeperstar
Fearless Love - Melissa Etheridge
Take All Night - Shades of Day
The Morning Passengers (EP) - Green River Ordinance
Wait A Minute More (EP) - Green River Ordinance
Winter Collection (EP) - The Northstar Session

Favorite Albums of 2011:

This Loud Morning - David Cook
This Quiet Night (EP) - David Cook
Lost In America (EP) - To Have Heroes (Andy Skib)
Wild Blessed Freedom - Carolina Liar
21 - Adele
Sweeter - Gavin Degraw
Modern Love - Matt Nathanson
Late Bloomer - The Northstar Session
Up From the Ashes - Burn Halo
Augustana - Augustana

Special mention to Elton John, Billy Joel and Madonna (who will always hold a place in my heart as one of my favorite pop stars - an “original” who’s spawned endless horrible imitations). I can’t say I’ve bought an album from these three artist this decade, but I bought EVERY album of theirs prior to 2000. Their extensive and brilliant catalogs of music still hold up.

Finally, six standout albums from 2006: Analog Heart by David Cook, dondonisi by Phil Marshall, Incoherent With Desire to Move On by MWK, Mayday by Shades of Day, and Daughtry by Daughtry.

All-time favorite concerts/concert experiences:

David Cook, Gavin Degraw & Carolina Liar, Santa Rosa, CA 10/20/11
Ryan Star, CD Release Show 8/3/10, Irving Plaza, New York City
Rolling Stones “Steel Wheels Tour” - opening night, Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, 1989
David Cook, Hollywood 9/9/09; opening acts Ryan Star, Crash Kings
Florence & the Machine, Greek Theater Los Angeles, June 2011
Foo Fighters - The Forum, 10/13/11

Review: "Super 8" (with all that great 70s music, why not?)

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 21:27:00 -0400

The first thing that struck me no more than 10 minutes in is how Spielbergian this movie is. By the midpoint, I kept thinking, this is so JJ Abrams (think “Lost” and the “monster”). Well, since Abrams wrote and directed this sci-fi thriller, and Steven Spielberg was one of the executive producers, I suppose it’s “mission: accomplished.”

The plot is somewhat derivative of Speilbergs’s “Close Encounters” and “ET.” Alien is trapped on earth, humans don’t understand, and the big bad military is called in to “contain the situation.” The movie-making style evokes both of those Spielberg masterpieces as well: adolescents straddling the line between childhood and adult, riding their bikes through suburbia as they stare danger in the face and save the day. While you’re at it, throw in some “Jaws” (with the dad who’s a cop) and a little “Stand By Me.” What isn’t clear is whether Abrams is paying homage to Spielberg, or whether Spielberg was simply heavily involved as a collaborator.

That said, I love the Sci-Fi and storytelling of both Abrams and Spielberg, and I loved “Super 8.” They made so many good choices. The authenticity of recreating the late 1970s was almost surreal. The period recreation is supported by a great soundtrack that includes The Cars (Bye Bye Love), ELO (Don’t Bring Me Down), Blondie (Heart of Glass), Wings (Silly Love Songs), Alan O’Day (Under Cover Angel) and The Knack (My Sharona). I was in high school and then college for the second half of that decade and as far as my memory is concerned, they really got it right. What was so odd is that “Close Encounters” was made in 1977, and this movie recreated that time period to a tee. The sets and styles of both movies are interchangeable. I think that is a very good sign.

The movie takes place in an Ohio steel town in 1979. A group of youngsters are making a zombie horror movie on Super 8 film, with the hope of entering it in a Cleveland film festival. They get caught up in a deep, dark secret filled with conspiracy and danger, set against a backdrop of young love and overwhelmed single fathers. I hate spoilers (or too many details in general), so I’ll just leave it at that. The ending was maybe a tad too pat for me. Abrams still has a little bit of a problem wrapping things up. That didn’t stop “Super 8” from being thoroughly enjoyable, from start to finish, with some scenes that will make you jump out of your seat. The special effects are top notch - including a train derailment that rivals the spectacular crash in “The Fugitive.”

The young cast is superb, with a performance by 13-year old Elle Fanning that could earn a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. Kyle Chandler (“Early Edition”) turns in a solid performance as a sheriff’s deputy who’s also the father of one of the kids.

I give “Super 8” 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.

PG-13, 112 minutes. Paramount Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, Bad Robot.

Forget "singles," This is an Album!

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 13:02:00 -0400

In this age of singles, singles, singles, and the ability on itunes to download tracks a la carte, David Cook has given music lovers a reason to go for the whole enchilada. Cook hesitates to call This Loud Morning a “concept album” because he wants listeners to interpret its theme and songs their own way; but the theme is so strong, and the flow so carefully layed out, it really is best to listen to the album in order - start to finish - in one sitting. This is the closest I’ve seen anything come to a classic 70s/80s-style concept album in two decades. Don’t let that scare you. No single track relies on another for a great listening experience. Play any one of them and you’ll have a winner for 3 to 4 minutes in your head. It’s just that played in order, as a whole, the experience is enahanced 10-fold. The musical connection between first track Circadian with last (non-bonus) track Rapid Eye Movement is a stroke of genius. They are bookends that tie the whole album together. It truly is like falling asleep and into a melodious and intense dream… before you go under for that deep sleep.

Lyrically, This Loud Morning shows great progression on the part of Cook. Musically, it further establishes his style and voice, but it is far superior to anything he has created in the past. Producer Matt Serletic (Ryan Star, Matchbox 20) took these great songs and worked magic on them. The instrumentation and arrangements are brilliant, but best of all, Serletic did what he’s known for: he let the singer’s voice remain front and center. With Cook’s last album, my only (minor) complaint was that too many of the tracks had a wall of sound that didn’t let his amazing voice shine through. This time, David’s voice is the star, and the instrumentation and effects are superb supporting players.

Standout tracks for me are Circadian; Right Here, With You; Take Me As I am; Paper Heart; Goodbye to the Girl; Rapid Eye Movement and bonus track Let Me Fall For You. I’m just waiting for NBC to use “We Believe” for the Olympics (the way they’ve used Cook’s “Heroes” on NBC Sports for the last two seasons).

http://www.davidcookofficial.com

http://www.facebook.com/davidcook

http://twitter.com/thedavidcook

“The Last Goodbye” official music video (lead single...

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:41:00 -0400

“The Last Goodbye” official music video (lead single from This Loud Morning)

11:59 Review: A Flawless Album

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:02:00 -0400

I bought Ryan Star’s “Last Train Home” EP last year and was already expecting half of 11:59 to be songs I already had. It doesn’t matter. This is one of the finest albums to come down the pike in the past few years, and it was worth the wait.

The tracks range from optimistic and hopeful (Right Now, Brand New Day, This Could Be The Year), to sexy (Start A Fire), to emotional (We Might Fall, Losing Your Memory).

Losing Your Memory uses bagpipes in a way that I’ve never heard before. They’re actually symphonic and it makes that one of the most unique and gripping rock ballads in recent years. Start A Fire has a driving, infectious beat.

Breathe is a work of art, and the music video that aims to tie unemployed people to potential employers is a truly noble effort.

Matt Serletic produced this in a way that captures Ryan’s powerful voice and phrasing. It’s loaded with energy.

This album is filled with songs that have hooks that will stick in your head all day. It’s extremely radio friendly and I hope there are multiple hit singles from it. Be sure to get the deluxe version. It has 3 music videos and 13 superb tracks (the three bonus tracks are stellar), and is well worth the price.

Ryan Star’s “The Last Train Home” (official...

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:00:00 -0400

Ryan Star’s “The Last Train Home” (official music video)

Review: "Avatar"

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 10:04:00 -0500

32 years ago a brilliant combination of storytelling, casting, special effects, musical scoring and a reworking of the western genre, added with just the right amount of camp, set up a winning formula for Sci Fi & Action films that would last a generation. That movie was “Star Wars,” and 6 months later “Close Encounters” brought Sci Fi to a new and classy level by delivering a powerful message along with the “wow.” George Lucas & Steven Speilberg set the standard.

James Cameron, whose filmography includes the first two “Terminator” movies, “Aliens,” “The Abyss” and the Oscar-laden “Titanic,” has set the new standard with “Avatar.” It combines the best of his past efforts and catapults him into territory where Lucas & Spielgerg have reined supreme.

I loved “Avator” for many reasons. It is political. It is engrossing. It is downright spellbinding. It is an unrelenting assault on your senses. It takes you into a dazzling world unlike any other you’ve experienced. Most of all, I walked out of the theater thinking this is the first time in years I got way more than my money’s worth - and those 3D tickets were not cheap!

—-
Side note on 3D: I feared it would be a gimmick. Within 10 minutes I could see how Cameron and his team used the feature to enhance the experience. While the special effects and artistic direction far surpassed any movie I’ve seen before, the 3D was used with restraint, sometimes extremely apparent and sometimes less so. It was a wise move.
—-

The story takes place 150 years in the future when the Earth’s depleted environment has forced humans to colonize and mine other planets. The humans we see in “Avatar” all seem to be American civilians and mercenaries who work for some giant corporation that “runs the show.” The movie reworks some common themes and there’s no denying it’s derivative, but here’s the beauty of the Science Fiction genre: you can use those familiar filmic ideas to take audiences to new places. The trick is to remain plausable and “Avatar” never lets us down in that area. This is a “cowboys and Indians” movie for the new millennia. It’s “Dances with Wolves” meets “Terminator,” “Minority Report,” and “Star Wars.” When it goes into spiritual territory, the science of this strange, new world allows you to accept everything that’s happening.

“Avatar” is also a movie with a message - several messages in fact. First and foremost, it issues a scathing indictment of the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld era’s “pre-emptive first strike/war on terrorism” policies. It does this by switching our perspective - instead of backing our own (the modern “western” world and its mighty military) we throw our support behind the native aliens of the wonderous and dangerous planet Pandora. The movie condemnes the 19th century US policy of manifest destiny that wiped out Native Americans and sparked the war with Mexico. It also packs a powerful environmental message, and delivers a warning about what will happin if global corporations gain too much control.

I’m not sure how “Avatar” will play in some quarters. Some conservatives might find it anti-American, anti-capitalism, and anti-religion. I think most people will recognize that it does what a great piece of literature or art is supposed to do: force us to look at ourselves and re-evaluate who we are, and what we do, as a society. Yes, this movie is THAT deep.

A minor criticism now. Some of the characters are a little over the top and obvious. Stephen Lang’s gung-ho marine Colonel is perhaps too well defined, and you know the fate he will meet down the road. Yet this does little to detract from the move, because the stars are really the visuals - the special effects, cinematography, and sets. The wonderful cast, including rising star Sam Worthington as the protagonist who goes from paralyzed marine to native-alien sympathizer, take on more of a supporting role that draws you in and gets you invested. Like the script, the cast is good without ever overstepping their bounds, and that is yet another wise choice by writer/director James Cameron. Go big in some areas, and understated in others.

Avatar should be a shoe-in for an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. I suspect it will reap nearly a dozen nominations. Like “Titanic,” this is one of those rare glossy, expensivie films that could win.

Review: Coming to Terms by Carolina Liar

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:42:00 -0400

Carolina Liar is an alternative band with a pop sound. You might be more familiar with their music than you think - at least half the tracks on this album have been used on numerous TV Shows and commericals. MTV’s “The Hills” helped put them on the map.

This is one of the few times in recent memory that I downloaded the album instead of singles or favorite tracks. Well worth it. Also one of the rare albums I listen to from start to finish, in its entiriety. Great vocals, great lyrics, great music. Really smart. There isn’t a track on this album that I don’t love. Isn’t it great when a new band hits a home run on their debut album? Keep this up and Carolina Liar is headed for the big time! I’m waiting for more singles to be released and hit the radio. This album should be 3x platinum!

Carolina Liar is mostly frontman Chad Wolf and uber-producer Max Martin. Wolf, a native of South Carolina who now lives in LA, teamed up with Martin and assembled a band of Swedish musicans. Wolf has several co-writers with whom he collaborates (most work closely with Martin on other pop albums). The result is music with great hooks and excellent production, that never skimps on meaningful lyrics.

The two hit singles, “I’m Not Over” (huge on alternative radio) and “Show Me What I’m Looking For (huge on Hot AC & on TV commercials) are superb. Other standout tracks for me are “All That Shit is Gone” (my favorite and in some ways a better version of “Show Me What I’m Looking For”), “Simple Life,” “Done Stealing” and “When You Are Near.”