May 31, 2008Club show: Jason Ricci and New BloodThis review should be in the paper, but it can't be, and here's why: It was a club show, which means that I'm sitting here just past 1 a.m., so I've missed any deadline. The only day it makes sense to go in the paper is Sunday, but Sunday's Extra section went to press a couple of days ago, so we can't get any news in it. At least I can be looser here than I would for print. That said, let's talk about an amazing bunch of performers, Jason Ricci and New Blood, who just finished up at Blue 5 Restaurant. May 29, 2008Pete Best rocks Awful Arthur'sLike a musical time capsule. Check out the review. May 28, 2008Great blues/jazz organist Jimmy McGriff diesHe was 72. Continue reading "Great blues/jazz organist Jimmy McGriff dies" » MusicCast Top 5: The Seed stays No. 1, but Jimmy Danger moves up fastFrom new channels editor Dwayne Yancey: > The Seed are back on top the MusicCast Top 5 for the second week in a row -- and the eighth week out of the past nine. They got displaced once by the Pickin Buds. But watch out -- because our newest video on the MusicCast is coming up fast. That's "Nothing But Wrong," by Jimmy Danger, featuring Neanderpaul, and even though it's only been up on the site for a few days, it's already gotten enough plays this week to pull a tie for second place. We base the MusicCast Top 5 on who gets the most plays -- no payola here -- so if there's someone you like, just keep on clicking. TOP 5 MUSIC VIDEOS this past week on roanoke.com 1. "No More," by The Seed 2 (tie) "Demijohn," by the Pickin Buds and "Nothing But Wrong," by Jimmy Danger, featuring Neanderpaul 4. "Can You Understand," by The Seed 5. "A New Season," by The Seed May 27, 2008Question of the week: Your favorite local actsWe've touched on this one a little bit recently, but haven't fully fleshed it out. Southern Culture on the Skids coming back to RoanokeThanks to Ron Bailey at http://ronbailey.us/blog/ for beating me to the punch on this one. >Southern Culture on the Skids will play Awful Arthurs (Towers Mall) on July 25… you’ll probably want to wear your dress overalls and your new ball cap for this one. >Bring yer dancin’ shoes - and a bucket of fried chicken, too. I searched the Web over -- pollstar.com, scots.com (Southern Culture's Web site), Awful Arthurs myspace page. Finally, I found the date listed at Yep Roc Records online. Yep Roc is SCOTS' label, so I reckon they know when the act is going to play. Not clear yet whether the show is at Towers Shopping Center. That's usually where they play. I'll update when I know. UPDATE: Here's the link to Awful's confirmation. It's at Towers, on a Friday. Anyway, you all know that drummer Dave Hartman and bassist/singer Mary Huff are from Roanoke. Here are a couple of podcasts I've done with them: Full band, from 2006 | With Hartman, from 2007 Video from our old pal NeanderpaulNeanderpaul, aka Paul Mays, is a guy who loops tunes and plays mad guitar. He's one of our old MusicCast guests, and he did us the solid of posting this video with a new collaborator, Jimmy Danger. It's your basic mainstream metal, with Neanderpaul singing his lungs out. Awful Arthurs music schedule for JuneAs always, there's mucho musica at Awfuls locations everywhere. Electric Chameleon, Drivn, The Seed, Blue Mule, The Kind, The Palominos, Mid-Atlantic Kingz, Gasoline Alley, Little Rodger and the Cheap Thrills, Alliens, Shayar and Krooshal Force, and Half Moon are among the plethora. May 21, 2008MusicCast Top 5 videosFrom new channels editor Dwayne Yancey: > Forget the Obama-Clinton race. We have quite a contest on our hands here. Last week, the Pickin Buds knocked The Seed out of the top spot on the MusicCast that the jamsters had held for six weeks. Well, this week, The Seed returned the favor, and returns to the No. 1 spot with "No More." The margin? Just one play (We base the MusicCast Top 5 on who gets the most plays week-to-week). > Also returning to the Top 5 this week: Mack Jones, who dislodges the Roanoke Allstars, whose "OxyContin Rock" had been a Roanoke standard most of the spring. > If you think your band's video should be in the Top 5, well, post it to our site, and maybe it will be. We base this list on who gets the most plays each week, so keep clicking. Details are below. > Here’s the week Top 5, based on number of plays on this MusicCast this past week: 1. "No More," by The Seed"
May 19, 2008Question of the week: Your favorite shows, venuesI had an interesting e-mail conversation last week with one of my bosses (too many bosses, I tell you!) Anyway, we were trading thoughts on favorite concerts, venues, hangouts, and the idea morphed into a question of the week. So tell me: What's your favorite haunt of today, yesterday or both? It can be in Roanoke, Blacksburg, the town where you went to college -- or all of the above. What are some great shows you saw there? Continue reading "Question of the week: Your favorite shows, venues" » Martin's Downtown to host FloydFest Emerging Artist Series, July 23-25There'll be a lot of action at FloydFest in late July -- so much that festival organizers are exporting a series of shows to Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, in Roanoke. The Emerging Artists Series is new for FloydFest -- even though it has presented plenty of up-and-comers over the years. Martin's will host a parcel of the acts over three days. The full list is here -- scroll two-thirds of the way down that page to get there. We'll let you know whether other Roanoke clubs will host shows as we get that information. Meanwhile, check out the schedule at Martin's ... UPDATE: Martin's is it. But onetime Radford resident Stephanie Rooker, who is on the FloydFest bill, will be performing that weekend at 202 Market. By the way, she's real good. Continue reading "Martin's Downtown to host FloydFest Emerging Artist Series, July 23-25" » May 15, 2008Live music scheduled for June at Martin's DowntownReggae month features Passafire, The Seed, Shayar and Krooshal Force, Scholar's Word and the Greg Ward Project. Irie. Continue reading "Live music scheduled for June at Martin's Downtown" » Our old pal Daine VineyardYou remember the late, (sort of) lamented TimesCast? Daine Vineyard made it what it was, with great graphics, ridiculously funny ideas and a generally good natured vibe that made him easy to work with. Daine was down for the goof, and in his time here, we got plenty of that in the can. He shot them, he edited them, he made them rock, and then he went to the bar and got drunk. Daine is also a bass player, and that took him away from us. He moved to Austin a while back, to get into the music scene. So, he just posted a myspace bulletin, saying he has a gig with Lions of Tsavo -- http://www.myspace.com/lionsoftsavo. The band plays the thrash-ist metal that Daine loves so well. If that's your thing, and you're on myspace, add the band and check it out. Keep it metal, Daine. Still mad at you for leaving me! My Radio rough tracksI'm working on a story about open mic nights, so last night I stopped at 202 Market. Jeff Hofmann, aka the hardest working bass player in Roanoke, was there, playing up his usual fine grooveness. Afterward, he played me some tracks from the sessions he's recently done with My Radio, the pop-rock band he's in with singer/keyboardist JP Powell, guitarist Brett Lemon and drummer Hunter Johnson. The tracks include a new version of the band's "Turn Up The Radio," which was already a hit in my book. It rocks a bit harder this time out, with some good backing vocals added. Other tunes I heard tell me that this is going to be a good CD, with plenty of 80s and 90s influences in there -- mostly the good kind! So maybe my wish from a previous blog entry will come true -- that a Roanoke-based band will hit it big. May 14, 2008Top 5 music videos this week on the MusicCastFrom new channels editor Dwayne Yancey: > We have a new number one music video in MusicCast land. For six weeks, The Seed ruled the top spot with "No More." Well, no more. This past week, the Pickin Buds from Rocky Mount moved into the top spot on our list of most-played local music videos with "Demijohn." > The Seed didn't fall far, though. The jamsters still own three spots in the Top 5. And the Roanoke Allstars continued to hang in there, as well. Falling out of the Top 5 this week: The Wading Girl. > If you think your band's video should be in the Top 5, well, post it to our site, and maybe it will be. We base this list on who gets the most plays each week, so keep clicking. Details are below. > Here’s the week Top 5, based on number of plays on this MusicCast this past week: 1. Demijohn," by the Pickin Buds May 13, 2008June Concerts 202 MarketThe big show is at month's end, when blues guitar icon Hubert Sumlin (Howlin' Wolf) comes to town with the Nighthawks. But the month also includes Tommy Womack (ex-Government Cheese), Monte Montgomery and Stephanie's Id. All worth seeing. Remember, this is the raw feed. So call the joint to make sure shows are still on: 343-6644. Worst songs by good bandsCollege sportswriter extraordinaire and rock music fan Doug Doughty e'd me a link to the Worst Songs by Good Bands site. The Replacements are in the top 10 -- which leaves the shot glass either half-empty or half-full: Should I be glad that knowledgeable scribes consider them a "good band" or should I be ticked off about the "bad song" they picked? (It's a song I really like, too!) I do love this quote about U2's "Discotheque" (a worthy choice for this list): May 12, 2008Question of the week: Slacking on a busy MondayToo much to do today. So here's an idea: You ask us a question. Or questions. And we'll try to answer them. Robert Plant and Alison Krau$$One of my co-workers e-mailed to say she and her husband were looking forward to the June 2 Plant-Krauss concert at the Roanoke Civic Center -- that is, until she got a look at the ticket prices. Tickets are going for $49 to $70. "I hope you won't take Roanokers to task when this probably great show gets a tiny turnout," my co-worker wrote. "This is outrageous." Roanoke has seen its share of $50-plus shows the past seven or eight years. Cher, Elton John and Rod Stewart have all commanded top dollar. But will music fans part with three and a half sawbucks to see a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer (who's doing some Zeppelin on this tour, I've heard) and a bluegrass ingenue? We'll know in three weeks. May 9, 2008Blue Mountain stage heavily damaged by stormFestival sources said a tornado touched town Thursday night, felling trees on the stage. But the June 20-21 shows will go on, according to site owner Rob King. 
Photo courtesy Judy King Below is raw copy from my contribution to a story that will run in The Roanoke Times and roanoke.com tomorrow: Continue reading "Blue Mountain stage heavily damaged by storm" » May 8, 2008Miley Cyrus, Disney and a half-nekkid duck in this week's Riffs columnRalph is out today, and I can't think of anything witty to write -- especially given that Ralph already opened with this killer: Holy Hannah Montana! Miley Cyrus has ... um, shoulders. And a back. Wow! Who knew? Apparently, Disney didn't. You'd think a company that's allowed a cartoon duck to waddle around pants-less for nearly 75 years wouldn't let a bare shoulder ruffle its feathers. Read the rest of it here, and drop us some feedback. Country music great Eddy Arnold has diedHere was one of the smoothest cats ever. Arnold died this morning. Continue reading "Country music great Eddy Arnold has died" » Modest Mouse coming to Charlottesville PavilionMaybe some day we'll have a decent-sized amphitheater in town or nearby, and we won't have to drive to Charlottesville to see bands like Modest Mouse. Till then ... http://www.livenation.com/event/getEvent/eventId/328046/?c=dm-473355&p=Test Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. May 7, 2008May music sked at Coffee PotAgain, sorry I'm late on this one. Good shows coming up include Allen Thompson wtih the Royal Greens. Music sked: Martin's Downtown for MayRunning a little late with the May stuff, but there's still plenty of good music at Martin's. The 15th and 16th are an interesting diversity -- Virginia Coalition with My Radio on the 15th, and Tim Barry with Josh Small and Red Clay River on the 16th. Music schedule: Fork in the AlleyHere's the first entry in a poo-storm of club dates that I've delayed posting because of all the things that go on every time I think I'm going to get them on the blog. So this afternoon, no matter what happens, I'm dealing out the music smack. And remember -- this is the raw feed. I only hit enter for line spaces when necessary. So call ahead before you make planz (with a "z") Here we go. MusicCast Top 5 videosFrom new channels editor Dwayne Yancey: > For the sixth week in a row, The Seed holds down the top spot in our Top 5 list of the most-played local music videos on the MusicCast with "No More." But hold on -- the Pickin' Buds are coming up fast with the video they sent us of "Demijohn." In fact, just one play made the difference this week. What will happen in the coming week? That's up to you. We base the MusicCast Top 5 on who gets the most plays. Technically, this week it's a Top 6 because, as you'll see, we had a tie for fourth place. >If you're thinking your band's video should be in the Top 5, well, post it to our site, and maybe it will be. Details are on the MusicCast. 1. "No More," by The Seed May 6, 2008Free downloads from MadroneLocal rockers Madrone are offering free downloads of every tune on their debut CD, "Cause and Compromise." If you want it, all you need to do is go to the band's myspace page. "Cause ..." has been out for a while, and the band promises a new CD in the summer. Till then, gird your ears for the older stuff. Then come back here and tell us what you think of the music. May 5, 2008Question: Your thoughts on contemporary songwritersOver the weekend, cable viewers could see documentaries on Bob Dylan and the late Townes Van Zandt. That inspires this week's question: Who among the new breed of songwriters can build a legacy that will last decades down the road? Is there even one out there now? Continue reading "Question: Your thoughts on contemporary songwriters" » May 2, 2008Kantstop got stoppedFirst off, remember the presumption of innocence is guaranteed in the United States Constitution. Now on to this item. The pseudo-romantic and sorta cliched story is that of rappers, hustlers, trying to fund their music careers through drug sales. There's a long list of people who slung product before they made it big on the charts. Apparently, it doesn't always work so well. The United States Attorneys Office in Virginia's western district alleges that Kantstop Records, of Burlington N.C., was a front to distribute crack cocaine and launder profits from drug sales in Southwest Virginia, Northeast Tennessee and North Carolina. The operation apparently centered in Bristol, Va., according to a U.S. Attorney's Office news release. Third Street Coffeehouse: May-October music skedDavid Simpkins, Kat Mills and more over the months at the coffeehouse. Continue reading "Third Street Coffeehouse: May-October music sked" » MusicCast Top 5From new channels editor Dwayne Yancey: > For the fifth week in a row, The Seed holds down the top spot in our Top 5 list of the most-played local music videos on the MusicCast. In fact, they hold down the top three spots. But we had a new video added this week -- the Pickin' Buds -- and they instantly moved into the Top 5, displacing Illbotz, who had themselves displaced The Wading Girl. Meanwhile, the Roanoke Allstars hang in there with "OxyContin Rock." > Random thought: OxyContin seems big these days. Steve Earle has a song called "OxyContin Blues" on his new release. >If you're thinking your band's video should be in the Top 5, well, post it to our site, and maybe it will be. Details are are on the MusicCast page. Top Tickets | Other stuffYo Mama's Big Fat Booty, Nicole Hart and NRG -- and way more -- are happening in nightspots starting tonight. See what's up on our Top Tickets page. Rocky Mount-based bluegrassers Pickin Buds have posted video on the MusicCast. Check it out. Read this Q&A with Roanoke College grad Corynne Wilder, who is now in the Big Apple, singing with her group Afterdawn. May 1, 2008Another loss for Charlottesville.Plan 9 and the Satellite Ballroom are closing. The Prism, Starr Hill Music Hall and Trax have all pulled down the tents in recent years. Is C'Ville the musical Shangri-La-la-la-la it's cracked up to be? We'll examine Friday in Riffs. Love to hear your comments, as always. |
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