From indie rock to Americana to jazz, there's a wide array of new albums streaming this week. There are new albums from Mountain Goats, Muse, and Beth Orton, among others. And in the continuing trend of bands from the 1980s popping up with new albums, there's a new album streaming from southern rockers The Outlaws (remember "Green Grass and High Tides," ""There Goes Another Love Song," etc.?).
"Lord Knows" by Dum Dum Girls, from their new EP "End of Daze."
Former Broken Social Scene member Jason Collett has not one but two albums streaming this week, a new album ("Reckon") and an eleven-song, career-spanning retrospective ("Essential Cuts"). Speaking of collections, Suzanne Vega is releasing her latest albums consisting of re-recordings of her previous tunes, grouped around a particular theme. "Close-Up Vol. 4: Songs of Family" includes songs including "Widow's Walk," "Blood Sings," "Bad Wisdom," "Honeymoon Suite," and "Tired of Sleeping."
We don't normally cover jazz here, we're making an exception for a couple of notable releases that are streaming: "St. Peter and 57th" by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (marking the group's 50th anniversary) and "Made Possible" by The Bad Plus.
There's also a new album by Emmanuel Jal, the former child soldier from Sudan who burst onto the scene a few years back with "War Child," and a second chance to hear Sera Cahoone's excellent new "Deer Creek Canyon" and the Dum Dum Girls' EP "End of Daze." (You've got a few chances to see Dum Dum Girls in the near future: they're playing Europa in Brooklyn on Sept. 30th, appearing at Other Music on Oct. 1st [free], and opening for The Walkmen at Terminal 5 on Oct. 18th.)
And in honor of Feist's "Metals" winning the Polaris Music Prize last night for best Canadian album of the year, the CBC is streaming it now (not sure for how long, though)... see the bottom of this article.
There are many more streaming albums below (and at the linked websites); have a listen and enjoy.
Rolling Stone:
"Transcendental Youth" by Mountain Goats (who are playing in NYC soon: Oct. 14th at Music Hall of Williamsburg and the next night at Bowery Ballroom)
The Guardian/iTunes:
"The Second Law" by Muse (streaming at The Guardian in the U.K.; at iTunes in the U.S.)
NPR First Listen:
"Sugaring Season" by Beth Orton
"Until the Quiet Comes" by Flying Lotus
KCRW Album Preview:
"12 Bit Blues" by Kid Koala
Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"End of Daze" by Dum Dum Girls
"Made Possible" by The Bad Plus
"Reckon" and "Essential Cuts" by Jason Collett
"The Poet's Dead" by Rah Rah
"Bodyparts" by Dragonette
"Close-Up Vol. 4: Songs of Family" by Suzanne Vega
"Look A Little Closer" by Levek
"Deer Creek Canyon" by Sera Cahoone
"Reptile Youth" by Reptile Youth
"A Beating Heart Is A Bleeding Heart" by Kingsfoil
AOL Music Listening Party:
"St. Peter and 57th" by Preservation Hall Jazz Band
"Half-Made Man" by Ben Sollee
"It's About Pride" by The Outlaws
"See Me Mama" by Emmanuel Jal
CBC:
"Metals" by Feist
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Metric at Radio City Music Hall - Recap & Set List
Although a seated show at Radio City Music Hall isn't the ideal venue for seeing Metric, the band put on a great show nonetheless. (See the set list at bottom of article.) Of course, the viewpoints of fan and performer are different; and singer Emily Haines spoke of being able to play in the gorgeous, world-famous hall and how far it was from her small-town origins in Ontario, Canada.
The photos don't come close to doing justice to the show (yes, of lesser quality than usual), but they at least give an idea of what the show looked like. As always, Haines was like the Energizer Bunny: prancing from one end of the stage to the other, smacking her tambourine, shaking her head from side to side, and in general rarely standing still.
An already impressive show was made even more special when Haines called Lou Reed to the stage. He sang along on "The Wanderlust" (as he does on Metric's latest album, "Synthetica;" video from last night below), and added vocals on Metric's rendition of the Velvet Underground classic, "Pale Blue Eyes." Before bringing him on, Haines talked about how her older brother helped broaden her musical horizons by introducing her to acts such as Patti Smith and the Velvet Underground.
Metric at Radio City: Set list
(from Setlist.fm)
Artificial Nocturne
Youth Without Youth
Speed the Collapse
Dreams So Real
Empty
Help I'm Alive
Synthetica
Clone
Breathing Underwater
Sick Muse
Dead Disco
Stadium Love
Encore:
Black Sheep
Monster Hospital
The Wanderlust (with Lou Reed)
Pale Blue Eyes (The Velvet Underground cover, with Lou Reed)
Gold Guns Girls
Gimme Sympathy (acoustic; Emily and Jimmy only)
 |
| Emily Haines and Metric Sunday at Radio City |
An already impressive show was made even more special when Haines called Lou Reed to the stage. He sang along on "The Wanderlust" (as he does on Metric's latest album, "Synthetica;" video from last night below), and added vocals on Metric's rendition of the Velvet Underground classic, "Pale Blue Eyes." Before bringing him on, Haines talked about how her older brother helped broaden her musical horizons by introducing her to acts such as Patti Smith and the Velvet Underground.
| Haines at the keyboard. |
 |
| Lou Reed joined Metric for two songs. |
Metric at Radio City: Set list
(from Setlist.fm)
Artificial Nocturne
Youth Without Youth
Speed the Collapse
Dreams So Real
Empty
Help I'm Alive
Synthetica
Clone
Breathing Underwater
Sick Muse
Dead Disco
Stadium Love
Encore:
Black Sheep
Monster Hospital
The Wanderlust (with Lou Reed)
Pale Blue Eyes (The Velvet Underground cover, with Lou Reed)
Gold Guns Girls
Gimme Sympathy (acoustic; Emily and Jimmy only)
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Bruce Springsteen at MetLife Stadium, Night #2 - Review & Set List
Despite being on the verge of turning 63 (his birthday is Sept. 23rd), Bruce Springsteen wasn't slowing down much in his second of three shows with the E Street Band at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Friday night. He didn't run side to side along the stage as much as in the past (or slide on his knees after doing so), but aside from that he was his energetic self, with plenty of vocal strength, in the three-hour show on Friday, Sept. 21st. (See set lists for the 21st, 22nd, and other shows at Springsteen's live dates page.)
Due to a strict no-camera policy, this is the only photo I have from Friday night. Yeah, I'm not happy about it, either. Pretend you're inside the stadium, and it's dark, & Springsteen & the band are on stage.
I've seen Springsteen and the band about a dozen times in all (over a period of almost 40 years), and I'd have to say Friday night's show was one of the best. Maybe it was the wide-ranging setlist, which included oldies such as "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?" and "Incident on 57th Street" leading into a typically rousing "Rosalita."
Or perhaps Springsteen was energized to be playing in his home state again—and breaking in yet another new venue (his MetLife show Wednesday was his first appearance at the new home of the NFL's Giants and Jets). A few times he said "Jersey! Jersey! Jersey!," and adding "My people!" afterwards near the end of the show. (The last time I had seen Springsteen and the band was during the final run of shows at the old Giants Stadium in 2009.)
Bruce was also no doubt happy to team up with an old friend, Gary U.S. Bonds, who made a two-song appearance with the band. Springsteen resurrected the career of the "Quarter to Three" rock and roll pioneer in the early '80s, and on Friday the two sang "Jolie Blon" and "This Little Girl," both from Bonds's comeback album, "Dedication."
Like many Springsteen fans, I was curious to see how this version of the E Street Band—the first to not feature the late Clarence Clemons—would sound, and how his passing would be acknowledged. A five-piece horn section handled the brass duties, featuring Jake Clemons, Clarence's nephew, who played most but not all sax solos and seemed to fit right in.
As for recognition of the Big Man, Springsteen introduced "My City of Ruins" by talking about ghosts, how they were always with us. He said the song was "For all your ghosts... and all our ghosts, too."
A more specific tribute took place in "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," when Bruce halted the song after singing the key line about when "the Big Man joined the band." A number of photos of Clarence were shown on the video screens, to enthusiastic applause, after which the song resumed.
This was my first time in a general admission standing section on the floor of a stadium, and it proved to be a good decision. Although I wasn't in the "pit," or front section, Springsteen walked out along pathways blocked off by barricades to sing on small elevated stages on each side of the GA section.
Springsteen had several audience members on stage during the night. The first was a young boy, who sang a bit of "Waitin' on a Sunny Day." Later he invited several fans up on stage to dance with band and crew members, apparently based on signs they had been holding up.
As if there was any doubt, Friday's show demonstrated that Springsteen's still got it: not only in terms of his vocal strength but in energy, stamina, and ability to put on a show that pleases the crowd for an entire three hours.
(One sour note: As you'll notice, we have no photos from the concert. That's because a "no camera" policy was strictly enforced, and my small digital camera was one of many deposited at a bag check near the stadium entrances. Ironically, most of the people at the show had smartphones that had a higher quality camera than my seven-year-old dedicated camera.)
See "Notes from the Road" for MetLife night #2 at BruceSpringsteen.net
See the set lists for all three nights at MetLife (Sept. 19th, 21st, and 22nd), and other past shows, at Springsteen's live dates page. Click on the symbol to the right of "Wrecking Ball Tour" to view set list for each date.
Set List: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (from Springsteen's website)MetLife Stadium, Friday, Sept. 21st, 2012
"Wrecking Ball" Tour
1. Living on the Edge of the World
2. Out in the Street
3. Night
4. Hungry Heart
5. No Surrender
6. Lost in the Flood
7. We Take Care of Our Own
8. Wrecking Ball
9. Death to My Hometown
10. My City of Ruins
11. Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?
12. Jole Blon
13. This Little Girl
14. From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)
15. Talk to Me
16. This Depression
17. Shackled and Drawn
18. Mary's Place
19. Waitin' on a Sunny Day
20. Incident on 57th Street
21. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Encore
1. Rocky Ground
2. Born to Run
3. Ramrod
4. Bobby Jean
5. Dancing in the Dark
6. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
7. American Land
I've seen Springsteen and the band about a dozen times in all (over a period of almost 40 years), and I'd have to say Friday night's show was one of the best. Maybe it was the wide-ranging setlist, which included oldies such as "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?" and "Incident on 57th Street" leading into a typically rousing "Rosalita."
Or perhaps Springsteen was energized to be playing in his home state again—and breaking in yet another new venue (his MetLife show Wednesday was his first appearance at the new home of the NFL's Giants and Jets). A few times he said "Jersey! Jersey! Jersey!," and adding "My people!" afterwards near the end of the show. (The last time I had seen Springsteen and the band was during the final run of shows at the old Giants Stadium in 2009.)
Bruce was also no doubt happy to team up with an old friend, Gary U.S. Bonds, who made a two-song appearance with the band. Springsteen resurrected the career of the "Quarter to Three" rock and roll pioneer in the early '80s, and on Friday the two sang "Jolie Blon" and "This Little Girl," both from Bonds's comeback album, "Dedication."
Like many Springsteen fans, I was curious to see how this version of the E Street Band—the first to not feature the late Clarence Clemons—would sound, and how his passing would be acknowledged. A five-piece horn section handled the brass duties, featuring Jake Clemons, Clarence's nephew, who played most but not all sax solos and seemed to fit right in.
As for recognition of the Big Man, Springsteen introduced "My City of Ruins" by talking about ghosts, how they were always with us. He said the song was "For all your ghosts... and all our ghosts, too."
A more specific tribute took place in "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," when Bruce halted the song after singing the key line about when "the Big Man joined the band." A number of photos of Clarence were shown on the video screens, to enthusiastic applause, after which the song resumed.
This was my first time in a general admission standing section on the floor of a stadium, and it proved to be a good decision. Although I wasn't in the "pit," or front section, Springsteen walked out along pathways blocked off by barricades to sing on small elevated stages on each side of the GA section.
Springsteen had several audience members on stage during the night. The first was a young boy, who sang a bit of "Waitin' on a Sunny Day." Later he invited several fans up on stage to dance with band and crew members, apparently based on signs they had been holding up.
As if there was any doubt, Friday's show demonstrated that Springsteen's still got it: not only in terms of his vocal strength but in energy, stamina, and ability to put on a show that pleases the crowd for an entire three hours.
(One sour note: As you'll notice, we have no photos from the concert. That's because a "no camera" policy was strictly enforced, and my small digital camera was one of many deposited at a bag check near the stadium entrances. Ironically, most of the people at the show had smartphones that had a higher quality camera than my seven-year-old dedicated camera.)
See "Notes from the Road" for MetLife night #2 at BruceSpringsteen.net
See the set lists for all three nights at MetLife (Sept. 19th, 21st, and 22nd), and other past shows, at Springsteen's live dates page. Click on the symbol to the right of "Wrecking Ball Tour" to view set list for each date.
Set List: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (from Springsteen's website)MetLife Stadium, Friday, Sept. 21st, 2012
"Wrecking Ball" Tour
1. Living on the Edge of the World
2. Out in the Street
3. Night
4. Hungry Heart
5. No Surrender
6. Lost in the Flood
7. We Take Care of Our Own
8. Wrecking Ball
9. Death to My Hometown
10. My City of Ruins
11. Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?
12. Jole Blon
13. This Little Girl
14. From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)
15. Talk to Me
16. This Depression
17. Shackled and Drawn
18. Mary's Place
19. Waitin' on a Sunny Day
20. Incident on 57th Street
21. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Encore
1. Rocky Ground
2. Born to Run
3. Ramrod
4. Bobby Jean
5. Dancing in the Dark
6. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
7. American Land
Thursday, September 20, 2012
NYC Concert Notes: Tickets for Japandroids, Gaslight Anthem, Amanda Palmer, & More On Sale Fri.
CMJ will hit New York in less than a month, but tickets for some other great autumn shows are going on sale tomorrow, Sept. 21st. If you missed out on getting tickets for hot acts like Japandroids or The Gaslight Anthem, you'll be glad to know that shows have been added for these and other groups. See the list of concerts going on sale, with links to tickets, below.
As for events taking place this weekend, the big news is that the All Tomorrow's Parties festival is finally coming to New York City. "I'll Be Your Mirror," which is curated by ATP and Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs, takes place tomorrow through Sunday at Pier 36. Acts include Frank Ocean, the Afghan Whigs, The Roots, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and the Mark Lanegan Band. (Pier 36 is, the website says, "a new indoor venue sitting on the edge of the East River between the Manhattan & Williamsburg Bridges.")
Also tomorrow: If you're a Bon Iver fan, you'll want to watch a live webcast of their Radio City Music Hall show Friday night at 9:15 p.m. at Bowery Presents.
See what concerts are going on sale tomorrow below, after the video for Japandroids' "The House That Heaven Built."
Japandroids, "The House That Heaven Built"
* Thu., Sept. 27th: Two Door Cinema Club at Music Hall of Williamsburg (also playing Sept. 28th at Rumsey Playfield, Central Park) - On sale Friday at Noon
* Tues. to Mon., Oct. 16th, 17th, 19th, 20th, and 22th: Crosby, Stills, & Nash at the Beacon Theatre, performing their 1969 debut album - On sale 10 or 11 a.m. (check specific show page for time)
* Wed., Oct. 24th: Old 97s at Music Hall of Williamsburg - "Too Far to Care" 15th Anniversary
(also playing Webster Hall Oct. 23rd) - On sale at Noon
* Sun. and Mon., Nov. 4th and 5th: Gary Clark Jr. at Bowery Ballroom - On sale at Noon
* Sat., Nov. 10th: The Tragically Hip at Terminal 5 - On sale at Noon
* Thurs., Nov. 15th: Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience at the Wellmont Theatre (Montclair, NJ) - On sale at Noon
* Tues., Nov. 20th: Of Monsters and Men at Terminal 5 - On sale at Noon
* Fri., Nov. 30th: The Gaslight Anthem at Terminal 5 (Nov. 28th and 29th sold out) - On sale at Noon
* Wed., Dec. 5th: Japandroids at Webster Hall (also playing Dec. 4th) On sale at Noon
* Fri., Dec. 14th: The Killers with Tegan and Sara at Madison Square Garden - On sale at 11 a.m.
* Sat. to Mon., Dec. 29th, 30th, & 31st: Punch Brothers at Bowery Ballroom - On sale at Noon
* Mon., Dec. 31st: Amanda Palmer & the Grand Theft Orchestra at Terminal 5 - On sale at Noon
As for events taking place this weekend, the big news is that the All Tomorrow's Parties festival is finally coming to New York City. "I'll Be Your Mirror," which is curated by ATP and Greg Dulli of the Afghan Whigs, takes place tomorrow through Sunday at Pier 36. Acts include Frank Ocean, the Afghan Whigs, The Roots, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and the Mark Lanegan Band. (Pier 36 is, the website says, "a new indoor venue sitting on the edge of the East River between the Manhattan & Williamsburg Bridges.")
Also tomorrow: If you're a Bon Iver fan, you'll want to watch a live webcast of their Radio City Music Hall show Friday night at 9:15 p.m. at Bowery Presents.
See what concerts are going on sale tomorrow below, after the video for Japandroids' "The House That Heaven Built."
Japandroids, "The House That Heaven Built"
* Thu., Sept. 27th: Two Door Cinema Club at Music Hall of Williamsburg (also playing Sept. 28th at Rumsey Playfield, Central Park) - On sale Friday at Noon
* Tues. to Mon., Oct. 16th, 17th, 19th, 20th, and 22th: Crosby, Stills, & Nash at the Beacon Theatre, performing their 1969 debut album - On sale 10 or 11 a.m. (check specific show page for time)
* Wed., Oct. 24th: Old 97s at Music Hall of Williamsburg - "Too Far to Care" 15th Anniversary
(also playing Webster Hall Oct. 23rd) - On sale at Noon
* Sun. and Mon., Nov. 4th and 5th: Gary Clark Jr. at Bowery Ballroom - On sale at Noon
* Sat., Nov. 10th: The Tragically Hip at Terminal 5 - On sale at Noon
* Thurs., Nov. 15th: Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience at the Wellmont Theatre (Montclair, NJ) - On sale at Noon
* Tues., Nov. 20th: Of Monsters and Men at Terminal 5 - On sale at Noon
* Fri., Nov. 30th: The Gaslight Anthem at Terminal 5 (Nov. 28th and 29th sold out) - On sale at Noon
* Wed., Dec. 5th: Japandroids at Webster Hall (also playing Dec. 4th) On sale at Noon
* Fri., Dec. 14th: The Killers with Tegan and Sara at Madison Square Garden - On sale at 11 a.m.
* Sat. to Mon., Dec. 29th, 30th, & 31st: Punch Brothers at Bowery Ballroom - On sale at Noon
* Mon., Dec. 31st: Amanda Palmer & the Grand Theft Orchestra at Terminal 5 - On sale at Noon
Monday, September 17, 2012
Now Streaming: New CDs from Paul Simon, Rickie Lee Jones, James Iha, Ben Folds Five, Sera Cahoone, & More
Although this post's title may give the impression that it's mostly veteran artists who are streaming new albums this week, there's actually a diverse array of offerings. Among the veterans, Paul Simon is out with the two-CD, one-DVD "Live in New York City," just a few weeks after his old partner Art Garfunkel issued a two-disc collection of favorite tunes.
Video "To Who Knows Where" by James Iha's new album (streaming this week).
Rickie Lee Jones returns with an album of her interpretations of familiar tunes such as "The Weight," "Sympathy for the Devil," and "Only Love Can Break Your Heart." James Iha (formerly of The Smashing Pumpkins) is back with "Look to the Sky," his first solo album in 15 years. And the reunited Ben Folds Five is streaming its latest release (and has done a video with the Fraggles, the furry critters from Jim Henson's "Fraggle Rock").
Oh, and if you need a Michael Jackson fix (or just want to feel really old), Spinner is streaming the 25th-anniversary edition of the King of Pop's "Bad."
For albums from artists who are newer and/or more unusual, NPR Music is streaming albums by electronic musician and producer Ricardo Villalobos, the Danish band Efterklang, the singer-songwriter Sera Cahoone, and the Paris-based musician Melody Prochet (performing as Melody's Echo Chamber), her first. And KCRW has new releases from The Peach Kings and John Tejada.
Also: Pitchfork is streaming the new EP by one of our favorites, the Dum Dum Girls.
See the specific sites for more streaming albums, and as always, let us know what you think of these releases by leaving a comment. Dig in, and enjoy...
Pitchfork:
"End of Daze" EP by Dum Dum Girls
KCRW Album Preview:
"Handsome Moves" EP by The Peach Kings
"The Predicting Machine" by John Tejada
NPR First Listen:
"Deer Creek Canyon" by Sera Cahoone
"Melody's Echo Chamber" by Melody's Echo Chamber
"Piramida" by Efterklang
"Dependent and Happy" by Ricardo Villalobos
Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"The Sound of the Life of the Mind" by Ben Folds Five
"Mirage" by Band of Horses
"Live in New York City" by Paul Simon
"Look to the Sky" by James Iha
"Bad 25" by Michael Jackson
"Telepathic" by L'Altra
"Tiny Prayers" by Aaron Embry
"Sweet Lights, Sweet Lights" by Sweet Lights
"This Is An Adventure" by The Lighthouse and The Whaler
AOL Music Listening Party:
"The Devil You Know" by Rickie Lee Jones
"All The Way Home" by Ocean Carolina
"When Ledge Is Home" by Bi-Polar Bear*
*I don't know a thing about this band, but I had to include them because of the clever name.
Video "To Who Knows Where" by James Iha's new album (streaming this week).
Rickie Lee Jones returns with an album of her interpretations of familiar tunes such as "The Weight," "Sympathy for the Devil," and "Only Love Can Break Your Heart." James Iha (formerly of The Smashing Pumpkins) is back with "Look to the Sky," his first solo album in 15 years. And the reunited Ben Folds Five is streaming its latest release (and has done a video with the Fraggles, the furry critters from Jim Henson's "Fraggle Rock").
Oh, and if you need a Michael Jackson fix (or just want to feel really old), Spinner is streaming the 25th-anniversary edition of the King of Pop's "Bad."
For albums from artists who are newer and/or more unusual, NPR Music is streaming albums by electronic musician and producer Ricardo Villalobos, the Danish band Efterklang, the singer-songwriter Sera Cahoone, and the Paris-based musician Melody Prochet (performing as Melody's Echo Chamber), her first. And KCRW has new releases from The Peach Kings and John Tejada.
Also: Pitchfork is streaming the new EP by one of our favorites, the Dum Dum Girls.
See the specific sites for more streaming albums, and as always, let us know what you think of these releases by leaving a comment. Dig in, and enjoy...
Pitchfork:
"End of Daze" EP by Dum Dum Girls
KCRW Album Preview:
"Handsome Moves" EP by The Peach Kings
"The Predicting Machine" by John Tejada
NPR First Listen:
"Deer Creek Canyon" by Sera Cahoone
"Melody's Echo Chamber" by Melody's Echo Chamber
"Piramida" by Efterklang
"Dependent and Happy" by Ricardo Villalobos
Spinner.com's Listening Party:
"The Sound of the Life of the Mind" by Ben Folds Five
"Mirage" by Band of Horses
"Live in New York City" by Paul Simon
"Look to the Sky" by James Iha
"Bad 25" by Michael Jackson
"Telepathic" by L'Altra
"Tiny Prayers" by Aaron Embry
"Sweet Lights, Sweet Lights" by Sweet Lights
"This Is An Adventure" by The Lighthouse and The Whaler
AOL Music Listening Party:
"The Devil You Know" by Rickie Lee Jones
"All The Way Home" by Ocean Carolina
"When Ledge Is Home" by Bi-Polar Bear*
*I don't know a thing about this band, but I had to include them because of the clever name.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Ian Hunter Turns Back the Clock at Highline Ballroom
Ian Hunter, the veteran British rocker who's now lived in the States for more than half his life, played a rousing show at Highline Ballroom last night and—if you'd closed your eyes—you could have sworn you were hearing one of his shows from 30 or 40 years ago.
Actually, you might have thought the same thing with your eyes open, because the former Mott the Hoople frontman looked nothing like a 73 year old, and still sports his familiar mop of long, curly blond hair (as well as his ever-present sunglasses). More important, his voice sounds in good form after all these years of touring and recording. And his backing group, the Rant Band, is a tight collection of veterans, led by James Mastro (formerly of The Bongos and The Health and Happiness Show) and a former member of Wings, among others.
Hunter is touring to promote his latest solo album, "When I'm President," which came out last week. He and the band played much of that album, but also reached far back into Hunter's catalog. There were Mott the Hoople staples such as "All the Way From Memphis" and "All the Young Dudes;" favorites from his solo career, including "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" (which was a hit for Great White) and "Just Another Night;" and even a Lou Reed cover ("Sweet Jane").
Despite the title, the album is actually less political than his more recent efforts, and the title track is more a reflection on the good-intentions-gone-awry stalemates of politics than a rant on any specific issue. Though he does sing "I'm gonna lean on the 1%," and even allows himself to dream, "you'll see my ugly mug up on Mount Rushmore."
The title song from Ian Hunter's "When I'm President."
Ian Hunter (center) at Highline Ballroom, flanked by Andy York and James Mastro.
Actually, you might have thought the same thing with your eyes open, because the former Mott the Hoople frontman looked nothing like a 73 year old, and still sports his familiar mop of long, curly blond hair (as well as his ever-present sunglasses). More important, his voice sounds in good form after all these years of touring and recording. And his backing group, the Rant Band, is a tight collection of veterans, led by James Mastro (formerly of The Bongos and The Health and Happiness Show) and a former member of Wings, among others.
Hunter is touring to promote his latest solo album, "When I'm President," which came out last week. He and the band played much of that album, but also reached far back into Hunter's catalog. There were Mott the Hoople staples such as "All the Way From Memphis" and "All the Young Dudes;" favorites from his solo career, including "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" (which was a hit for Great White) and "Just Another Night;" and even a Lou Reed cover ("Sweet Jane").
Despite the title, the album is actually less political than his more recent efforts, and the title track is more a reflection on the good-intentions-gone-awry stalemates of politics than a rant on any specific issue. Though he does sing "I'm gonna lean on the 1%," and even allows himself to dream, "you'll see my ugly mug up on Mount Rushmore."
The title song from Ian Hunter's "When I'm President."
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