tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-293455382024-03-07T04:06:52.446-05:00Ryan's Smashing Life Music / Film / Tech / Culture Ryan Spauldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18401858408851940636noreply@blogger.comBlogger687619tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29345538.post-88268877022651345572023-02-03T17:26:00.011-05:002023-02-03T17:47:13.800-05:00Healing Music ~ Sarah Blacker
<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">There's really nothing that New England songwriter <b>Sarah Blacker</b> cannot do. With more than an album’s worth of new material, the award-winning multi-instrumentalist is back in a big way in 2023, armed with new songs, plans to record and will be performing them for live audiences. </span><span style="font-size: medium;">Get ready for three minutes of realization! Sarah's "Beautiful Murderer" is a playful but real look at cause, effect and change. This home studio recording is a taste of what is to come and a refreshing promise of that which is to come.</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><br /></div>
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<div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sarah is a healer. Her titles, technically, are Psychotherapist and Board-Certified Music Therapist; roles which see her helping those suffering lifelong trauma and substance abuse - reaching them through music and helping them lead healthier and happier lives. And there were her own challenges, a car wreck meant some healing of the healer. "It was, a total car wreck," she recalls. The path out has been driven by music. Gorgeous ascending songs which she is ready to share with the world. "I have been writing lots with plans to do some studio recording this year, have joined with original members of jamband Percy Hill in the Ammonium Maze, and have been playing lots with my trio!"
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<div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday Feb 4, 2023</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Sarah Blacker Band </b><br />
at <b><a href="https://www.passim.org/live-music/events/sarah-blacker-band/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Club Passim</a></b><br />
47 Palmer St<br />
Cambridge, MA<br /><a href="https://www.passim.org/live-music/events/sarah-blacker-band/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">7pm doors / 8pm show</a><br /></span>
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<div align="center"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7Uz9xmeO9bJac4vAAR8uSKWUKfzt8W-oWziAGUjzSjZ-wx4uxgiD3H5nQHn6y7yLoAmq7CUe_Zm-SKF1RrRhDb8hzMugahiC-zF-jTSfs9ZH61eq4AInhPmoHIwf3NokZZcTXQMnVaDnfofyOveF8G5dJx7fp0gdkiMmsc_ScxHpSIH7/s1600/SarahBlacker.jpg" /> </div>
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<br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Name 'Female Performer of the Year' in the New England Music Awards, a Boston-Music Award nominee and CBS Boston 'Artist to Watch', Blacker has also supported Jefferson Starship, America, Paula Cole, Richard Thompson, Zack Deputy, and Sara Bareilles to name just a few.
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><b>SARAH BLACKER</b><br /><a href="https://www.sarahblacker.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Web</a> / <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/5KpfsV4jq3XGygWmuLPdSh" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sarahblackermusic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fb</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahblacker" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tw</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sarahblacker/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Insta</a></span>
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</div>Ryan Spauldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18401858408851940636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29345538.post-46208136015717021272023-01-23T15:22:00.008-05:002023-01-23T15:37:31.276-05:002023 is the Perfect Time for Bang Camaro to return with new music!<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">In the days before the pandemic end times, back through the seemingly never-ending, greed-fueled US political decay, we travel back mentally to a time of light filled with hope and entertainment most wild. It is now 2023 and we find ourselves mugged by our own fears, crippled by virus and weakened by wars. We travel back to the mid-2000s when Boston was a place where rock music was made and exported throughout the world. And in these brighter times, there were nights that never seemed to end and glorious, rock-filled epiphanies which ran through our ears like blood rushing off to some distant limb. We were going to live forever! The knights of this shining realm were a band of far-flung brothers who sought to create and spread joy. This is the story of <b>Bang Camaro</b> and - praise be, they have returned to us - today, in our greatest hour of need... It is 2023 and they have returned.
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<div align="center"> <img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoojbICOvILUoIJURjnKCMVQ0fdXRltNp83ATIP7OqO_upqddeZ65YzEb1_ejcLFLAOY-RNqDE6H9yMAFRXfb8p-D707RNnksOWirDM2zifJvQ3QugCi2wg48I9VZB3mqwcnRmLWkY5d_3m9fbA2TP5kxF07iEZzq2ZNjkQ5k7-gd2bAqx/s1600/bangcamaro540.jpg" /> </div><div align="center"><span style="text-align: left;"> III, the new album from gang vocal rockers Bang Camaro will see the light of day in 2023.</span></div><div align="center">
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>About the Video:</b> Directed by Bill Darmon and Rob McLain, "We Know You Know" will appear on the album 'BANG CAMARO: III'. Recorded and mixed by Mike Quinn and mastered by Pat DiCenso, the track features Mike Piehl (drums), Dave Riley (bass guitar and synth), Bryn Bennett and Alejandro Necochea (guitars). Bang Camaro is all about the gang vocals and this track is no different, featuring the above forementioned as well as appearances from John Brookhouse, Morgan Brown, Melissa Gibbs, Nick Given, Jared Marsh, Tad McKitterick, Kate Murdoch, Mike Nastri, Michelle Paulhus, Marc Pinansky, Mike Soltoff, Steve Trombley, and Rodrigo van Stoli - a virtual who's who of northeast rock talent. Who's getting excited? I'm getting excited.
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Cue the Press Release: </b>With face-melting guitar solos and a wall of gang vocals, Bang Camaro blasted onto the Boston music scene in 2005 as a reaction to the early aughts nostalgia for post-punk / new wave music. If bands like The Strokes, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Interpol were going to wax nostalgic about bands like Joy Division, Bang Camaro was spawned to fill the void left by groups like Def Leppard and Skid Row. Quickly boosted by their inimitable performances - complete with approximately 20 lead vocalists to bring their signature sound to life without backing tracks, leading to one apt description of their sound as “Headbangers Ball meets The Polyphonic Spree” - and inclusion in the widely popular rhythm games Guitar Hero and Rock Band, Bang Camaro hit the road. They toured the US and Canada for five straight years, appearing at festivals such as Lollapalooza and Summerfest. The relentless touring, coupled with the releases of their debut self-titled album in 2007 and 2009’s follow-up, Bang Camaro II, and appearances on national television shows like Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and MTV Spring Break, continued to attract fans, including stars Jimmy Fallon (who joined them on stage for a legendary performance at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom) and James Gunn."
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><b>BANG CAMARO</b><br /><a href="https://linktr.ee/bangcamaro" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Web</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BangCamaro/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fb</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/BangCamaro" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tw</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bangcamaro/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Insta</a> / <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/7sB9Netl8x6rYTw0gs1JJ8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a></span><a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/7sB9Netl8x6rYTw0gs1JJ8?" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br /></a>
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</div>Ryan Spauldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18401858408851940636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29345538.post-67114410343648974992022-12-31T14:37:00.008-05:002022-12-31T17:04:22.694-05:00Albums of the Year 2022 <div align="left">As the world crawls out and back under the burdens of Covid and War, how will you choose to recall 2022? Living and working largely alone in 2022, Song was my constant companion. I delved more deeply into the worlds of Indie Rock, Japanese Jazz and Brazilian Soul. And, of course, all those new records which keep calendar-turning worthwhile. This was a year shaped by incredible loss and moments of white hot triumph.<b> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4qr3KmLqQcaNzEQAayagkM?si=892822deb7a444bd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Here is a music playlist to enjoy</a></b>. These new albums helped fill the void and helped me shape my world in 2022. <br />
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<div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><b>Record of the Year 2022 - A</b></div><div align="center">
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<div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">Austin's <b><a href="https://spoontheband.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spoon</a></b> walked into the world early this year - a strong Best of candidate out of the gates. Riding high tailwinds from 2017's remarkable scorcher "Hot Thoughts" and 2014's near-perfect "They Want My Soul" this was Spoon's crown to lose - and they never did. Britt Daniels was the plaintive 22nd Century voice of my 2022 spirit guide. And the jangly guitar and irregular song structures of these pop rock juggernauts never saw defeat. There's something to be said for the team viewed as the best and defy every other squad's best shots all year. If you are long-term Spoon fan then you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you're not and you have an open mind <b>"Lucifer On The Sofa" </b>is an excellent entry point into a tremendous band's career. I recommend the last three records to start. Give yourself that compass and locate your way out of your forest. {<a href="https://spoontheband.com/collections/music" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">albums available</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/0K1q0nXQ8is36PzOKAMbNe?si=fiaMj3J0SeOXx0zPRgybRg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}<br />
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<div align="center"><b><br /></b></div><div align="center"><b>Record of the Year 2022 - B</b></div><div align="center">
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<div align="left">2022 was the year in which <b>Kevin Morby</b> ceased to be be just a poet and playful storyteller and crossed over into greatness. Anyone who has enjoyed Kevin's songs will tell you they have all enjoyed getting lost in his landscapes but the pieces of those worlds were never brought together so completely and sharply as they were with <b>"This is A Photograph."</b> Kevin Morby plays with words and is a hell of song constructer but on this effort he has sown Beck-level word imagery throughout his expansive audio backdrop. This is the perfect record to hit repeat and walk through the woods with. The record unfolds upon itself more and more with each listen and despite a ridiculous set of creative challenges from it's peers - Kevin Morby's This Is A Photograph found it's way at the very top of the pile for me in 2022. An excellent, well-earned Best of 2022 Selection! {<a href="https://www.kevinmorby.com/music" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">albums available</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6fxk3UXHTFYET8qCT9WlBF?si=PozhjWm2RCeaDewqD0oB8A" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}<br />
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<div align="center"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtmFLttitpTg28-NJWgcd-D_UX6NlFYy6dus0w8useSzS10BvmEAWHO2bIGddKeVxR0ucCbuI0k7bV6hcesmT_gZbRsUZq-lJD0EOud1LSHRycavuqsHil_qtTmr6PUgs28a5HyB_GdwwO8-Q86ApyL-PQ8SjT0-b5O4K-fFWpZIAOidq/s1600/kevin-morby-photo-by-chantal-anderson-480.jpg" /><iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1205555341&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="480"></iframe><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: 100; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><br />
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<div align="center"><b><br /></b></div><div align="center"><b>New England Album of the Year</b></div><div align="center">
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<div align="left">There is a before-you-have-discovered <b><a href="https://alimcguirk.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ali McGuirk</a></b> status you need to rid yourselves of and I want to help some of our global readers with. Ali and I have some mutual friends and I recall a time a few years back when I was able to get a good seat at her show. From that point on I was mesmerized by her live performance. Her voice has an impossible richness and texture and she is so casually graceful when performing she sort of glows on stage. (I kid you not.) With her new Must-Have album, <b>"Til It's Gone,"</b> McGuirk has stood up and seized her worthy place amongst the best creators of this young decade - as her song writing and the characters living in her songs now match or exceed that magical voice. I have spent a lot of quality time with this record and it's the best thing I heard from New England all year. {<a href="https://alimcguirk.bandcamp.com/album/til-its-gone" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">albums available</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3OfbynHmsOVxFagbJD5R6z" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIumYcFWTG1WuVZqFoeqAW9qqv7B1WrZxIY56XvKI0ywU4JBkxsPitcZ83s8FwvXMMegcE5O7yxLTB73nS5N7o6arN6Rj3o8gW4zlk0dnuiDTtciwuJr_ULsK5iXuZxAU9dSRkK3sI_ZVXyR-QbdHmGp5MRsZhgxicPA7ZHmFihwM2iDi/s1600/AliMcGuirk%20photo%20by%20Artrocity%20480.jpg" /> </div><div align="center"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> photo by Artrocity
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<div align="center"><b>These 22 Albums made My Year </b><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>
Spoon</b> - Lucifer on the Sofa - </span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><b>Kevin Morby</b> - This Is A Photograph</span></div><div align="center">*Records of the Year* </div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Ali McGuirk</b> - Til It's Gone - </span></div><div align="center">*New England Album of the Year*</div><div align="center"><br /></div>
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<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiZZ_cI0mIExdcq6E699n5E29uOIKvk3Aq6v674nj-oc_sG5Or7lfO61H8RQaIN4ZhglQEGtJD60lLXVETichLuZwY1oWob9m9wjWsJGegZG3Z0OWfeLX2xIAmXPU39zng274nyJ61yiPhB8UDcTg-Ue_xkifQaBXlxldvcLiFsXrximy/s1600/FirstAidKitlandscape.jpg" /> </span></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: left; white-space: normal;"><b><a href="https://www.firstaidkitband.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">First Aid Kit</a></b> - Palomino</span></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: 100; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><div align="center" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;">{<a href="https://shop.firstaidkitband.com/collections/music-other" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">multiple formats</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/21egYD1eInY6bGFcniCRT1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/21egYD1eInY6bGFcniCRT1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="300" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1320209347&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true" width="480"></iframe></a></div></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: 100; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><br /></div>
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<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8_--MX4iPBjdrhOiV357WR_25xwmZOSMc5ksAQ1d_7lURVYBzFilhs6u6JIR1Ugg85Kvrhmvk03ynb6mHTinA71QS2pXDHjoxFvyUHuV-Q8-rCJU58Xw3Qcc0AGEwyEDq4ehMtc9o5LyHjsK8TuBAeJbyMQqAm2Ha8DCNEMLqrqe-Cdy/s1600/Murder-By-Death-480.jpg" /> </div><div align="center"><b>Murder By Death </b><span style="text-align: left;">- Spell/Bound</span></div></div></div><div align="center">{available <a href="https://store.murderbydeath.com/category/vinyl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vinyl</a>, <a href="https://store.murderbydeath.com/category/cds" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CD</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/3yrQJxTTj7xS2deLcXiEM3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center"><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w_qcNfsG7RA" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <a href="https://murderbydeath.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">
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<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpUUfRr6oHaC8E8YA9t-Ztv5T7Tx__CJFr8Lcbd8DKbDCgvkBkX3AP4pCvuQwQCtgNObwwXw7y12SgGcU7BhCIqIh9hXvIQ2rD2k5RTYiM-w6Stu7aEoAt8RIcAb1vxVajHEJMYhOVoVZasZHceUFMhXRm_9AV7iY2uDD15hi4Pkbbwgv/s1600/FilligarTonight-480.jpg" /> </div><div align="center"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.filligar.com/" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank"><b>Filligar</b></a><span style="text-align: left;"><b> </b>- Future Self {</span><a href="http://www.rslblog.com/2022/02/future-self-new-songbook-from-filligar.html" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank"><b>spotlight link</b></a><span style="text-align: left;">}</span></span></div><div align="center">{<a href="https://www.amazon.com/music/player/artists/B0012P0VFG/filligar" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">available</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/3RHq5zTzuaD6J8uqiDrV2d" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center"><br /></div>
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6qAvF3c-JtI" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br /></div>
<div align="center"><br />
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpP6GiVja259Rc105yc0Q7X0fhiCTjVmLpRaR5g853AMVC_fzbeC8sSLoJ1x_kRTLTpfixW4EFxM2p-vsF1cbBdnKYO9e3Zq1cQyIKz_h0sAvBL7grLSfu47Vs8GeDLPYgWUzc12o5fXibj4mHGVb9bTlr3E55eGHw2G0SRzRE0QnnpO3c/s1600/Delvon%20Lamarr%20Organ%20CAW%20480.jpg" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://delvonlamarrorgantrio.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio</a> </b><span style="text-align: left;">- Cold As Weiss</span></span></div><div align="center">{<a href="https://www.coleminerecords.com/collections/delvon-lamar-organ-trio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vinyl</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/7owr01EP6gwCYjnfQtPKy8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center"> <br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hWS4g9VjIbY" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><b style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://paulcauthenmusic.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Cauthen</a></b><span style="text-align: left;"> - Country Coming Down</span></span></div><div align="center">{available <a href="https://www.hellomerch.com/collections/paul-cauthen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://orcd.co/countrycomingdown" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fXkvh05wFhuH77MfD4m9o" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center"><br />
<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="300" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1198787545&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true" width="480"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.dehd.horse/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dehd</a></b> - Blue Skies</span></div><div align="center">{available <a href="https://shop.merchcentral.com/collections/dehd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://dehdforever.bandcamp.com/album/blue-skies" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6yzuBFtT6dK2aQMZJZtcB1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center"><br /></div>
<div align="center"><iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="300" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1211707381&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true" width="480"></iframe> </div><div align="center">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.izaakopatz.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Izaak Opatz</a></b> - Extra Medium</span></div><div align="center">{available <a href="https://mamabird.lnk.to/MB049" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://izaakopatz.bandcamp.com/album/extra-medium" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ISWBim1mBiZ7bw6tXad3G" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center"><br /></div>
<div align="center"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dxQcHAvJFN8" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe>
<br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://bastardsofsoul.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bastards of Soul</a></b> - Corners</span></div><div align="center">{<a href="https://bastardsofsoul.com/collections/vinyl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vinyl here</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/051SepdklclXBe8KW7bCbY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div align="center">
<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="300" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1340457586&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true" width="480"></iframe> </div><div align="center">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://alvvays.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alvvays</a></b> - Blue Rev</span></div><div align="center">{available <a href="https://thecbpshop.com/collections/alvvays" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://specialistsubjectrecords.co.uk/products/alvvays-blue-rev-tape" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/3kzwYV3OCB010YfXMF0Avt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mPa08P7e_e0" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe>
<br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/widowspeakband" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Widowspeak</a></b> - The Jacket</span></div><div align="center">{<a href="https://widowspeak.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ZW7HlSuZz8ng2X21cXbdP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I80i1E4vxoI" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe>
<br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://stpaulandthebrokenbones.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">
St. Paul & The Broken Bones</a></b> - The Alien Coast</span></div><div align="center">{<a href="https://stores.portmerch.com/stpaulandthebrokenbones/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">get your copy</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fXkvh05wFhuH77MfD4m9o" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center"><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WOZwxqQlyLg" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe> </div><div align="center"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://jackwhiteiii.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jack White</a></b> - Fear The Dawn</span></div><div align="center">{<a href="https://thirdmanrecords.com/collections/jack-white" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Third Man Store</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/4FZ3j1oH43e7cukCALsCwf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikuFEjzXXjsj5E0GvirU3QgDtF6uEv0kVhq_5CWnW0edRtac_QODLchpApM0FJG_1lVWS8wPuJv0Y7fIlywB4IMccGOIIWjERXKRJQcpBfwxEyYDSe9-LLVCtqkN7_h-qn4YXXKNCMTwFatZb56h4DSk2P365YgAdAyQB1k0KcXYPYISyY/s1600/AA-480%20%281%29.jpg" />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b> <a href="http://www.americanaquarium.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">American Aquarium</a></b> - Chicamacomico</span></b></span></div><div align="center">{available <a href="https://americanaquarium.bandcamp.com/album/chicamacomico" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.americanaquarium.com/store" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/7nSYcucRT6IGiMepEmiZgT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center"><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FGkCEz0_a1o" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe> </div><div align="center"><br /></div>
<div align="center"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJ9ZzkTeBbWvy2j9HPSa7roI_ATBNfOQse9h9DaA0l96j1UnL8uV52-ut3ZCOqlnU2IJ4v0oTtWP6c2ksNaJ_CWMtcRMXVu57rMVHJ9ttLVsopu28MaDxIkxg8n79_NA4jVu2Vjy7_SFi_ZHILHKBbTGoCIDlSGYQyKbk6A-UgOi84UR8/s1600/VedderbyDannyClinch-480.jpg" /> </div><div align="center"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/EddieVedder/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eddie Vedder</a></b> - Earthling</span></div><div align="center">{<a href="https://shop.pearljam.com/collections/eddie-vedder-goods" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Pearl Jam store</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/0mXTJETA4XUa12MmmXxZJh" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center"><br /></div>
<div align="center"> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5bMAg3juSPY" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe> </div>
<div align="center"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUCPW1npc5QvvXkFRzWpinG-H-hroI3N0yGuj-hfX36OapR8aQHRRwxR1EzICVvTczjRiOyu72VnEulmLgJth-o5RCprnoPyHAC59zTnojt7Q5J_RktAwmN3xihYKRG8nWUjE__97PYmIyH98QWh0k_MfMvdvkctnyb0o-9L0Tx76Okyn/s1600/WetLeg-480.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.wetlegband.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wet Leg</a></b> - Wet Leg</span></div><div align="center">{<a href="https://www.dominomusic.com/releases/wet-leg/wet-leg/lp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Domino Music store</a> + <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/2TwOrUcYnAlIiKmVQkkoSZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center"><br /></div>
<div align="center"> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tjpgJjdk52c" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe> </div>
<div align="center"><br /><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizng0ntWgaAy4BNNnINrWBvjzBB6RQxTEGGskkl3oYqzuQW6NJW6DEqzb5KpmlkkeHB1IcqmhcuTFvD-9vcE8azhOlzmxSjSNxzdIsnlTMp2BnvdSaRSumLoM9ywYZVsRKmtn6hYPmoXOdCjv0LYFFaPtEJkMNyYPGbRCqcjjPeZugp3I4/s1600/LeoAnotherSide-480.jpg" style="text-align: left;" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://leonocentelli.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Leo Nocentelli</a> </b>- Another Side</span></div><div align="center">{availability: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Another-Side-LEO-NOCENTELLI/dp/B09HHMRCJM/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vinyl, CD</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/7wpiEcyGHoPCwTLtdgx50e" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><b>
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xgffq6GFKHN4xmriOMh8mgJAufRmSCyofWsmrKBk32rLT3J52vcfyhAczZBuTf-pz_cWugP4_k9xKaz5FGYZ2tmwLe3XKD1txigQTZecIXGb08-YqgQYjSWd7f-IB5ggmP7IjV4TTimeXv3lsN0-O9ul-gEUlpBB0d2mz07JvFsi01TB/s1600/ZS-480.jpg" /> </b></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: -webkit-center;"><a href="https://zolasimonemusic.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zola Simone</a></b><span style="text-align: -webkit-center;"> - Flower (EP)</span></span></div><div align="center"><span style="text-align: left;">{available </span><a href="https://musicspace.xyz/pro/zolasimone/" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">CD</a><span style="text-align: left;"> or </span><a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/62EOPpT45FPsh7wWpWnv9K" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Streaming</a><span style="text-align: left;">}</span></div><div align="center"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div align="center">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qP3j2IyZIEY" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe>
</div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div>
<div align="center"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAv-4MpjTJWVJMzL0S5u-nBzrKudoEjFSGjd6CrZUKe0ljPfe9BrsVyemfsuWYRndzB-t6Ef0YAi23lB-IoQHww_uOe_d0VKor1jrgv9vbUmbysPD45LkNFQeevJDWIwn2Cr92gitylVoJclJaB6s6jsjxU8Mb8enFbHQwR_FQUm0TBRB/s1600/TallHeights-480.jpg" /> </div><div align="center"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Tall Heights</b> - Juniors</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">{availability - <a href="https://store.tallheights.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vinyl, CD</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OVaGC0CDZaxjcPxclSNmp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Streaming</a>}</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div align="center"><iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1050309439&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="480"></iframe><span face="Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif" style="color: #cccccc; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;"> </span></div><div align="center"><span face="Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif" style="color: #cccccc; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span face="Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif" style="color: #cccccc; font-size: 10px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center">Ottawa's Hannah Judge is fanclubwallet
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4-Nyg9pXj3MfbekfJH569aUEKHa5uRBBTWfWlZTQt2gf1yijGuq9zvhjTJ0r13qqdMDdx2w8H0UYw7l_PNNurLij9sUxn-5QeptwL6M3zKjjuU-Solu2MF_SxfXvUbWSFMv9Xi-FnNij2qfEVaTnf5YVCeM_p23h7CpM2BrNDtNHlqIuZ/s1600/fanclubwallet480.jpg" /></div><div align="center">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.fanclubwallet.com/" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank"><b>fanclubwallet</b></a><span style="text-align: left;"> - You Have To Be Kidding</span></span></div><div align="center"><span style="text-align: left;">{availability: </span><a href="https://fanclubwallet.bandcamp.com/album/you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">CD</a><span style="text-align: left;"> or </span><a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/1NJUWqbiNAk1BPOyQhb2qe" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Streaming</a><span style="text-align: left;">}</span></div><div align="center"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center"><iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1208558563&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="480"></iframe>
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<div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4qr3KmLqQcaNzEQAayagkM?si=892822deb7a444bd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A MOST RIGHTEOUS </a></div><div align="center"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4qr3KmLqQcaNzEQAayagkM?si=892822deb7a444bd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>BEST OF 2022 </b></a></div><div align="center"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4qr3KmLqQcaNzEQAayagkM?si=892822deb7a444bd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>SPOTIFY <span style="text-align: left;">PLAYLIST</span></b></a></div><div align="center"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4qr3KmLqQcaNzEQAayagkM?si=892822deb7a444bd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LIES HERE</a></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><br /><b>More Best of 2022 Selections! Significant Love for:</b><br /><a href="https://www.sharonvanetten.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>Sharon Van Etten</b></a> - We've Been Going About This All Wrong<br /><b><a href="https://www.kingprincessmusic.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">King Princess</a></b> - Hold On Baby<br /><a href="https://www.guidedbyvoices.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>Guided By Voices</b></a> - Crystal Nuns Cathedral</div><div align="center"><b><a href="https://birdlanguagema.bandcamp.com/album/625-days" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bird Language</a></b> - 625 Days {<a href="http://www.rslblog.com/2022/03/new-songs-signal-triumphant-625-days.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">artist spotlight</a>}<span style="text-align: left;"> </span><br /><b><a href="https://www.raylandbaxter.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rayland Baxter</a> </b>- If I Were a Butterfly<br /><b><a href="https://www.daphneleemartin.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daphne Parker Powell</a></b> - The Starter Wife<br /><b><a href="https://www.mattyorkmusic.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matt York</a></b> - Gently Used<br /><a href="https://www.lolamarsh.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>Lola Marsh</b></a> - Shot Shot Cherry <br /><a href="https://www.bandofhorses.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>Band of Horses</b></a> - Things Are Great <br /><b><a href="https://bigthief.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Big Thief</a> </b>- Dragon New Mountain I Believe In You<br /><b><a href="https://www.ericamantone.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Erica Mantone</a> </b>- I May Have Asked For This <br /><b><a href="https://www.larkinpoe.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Larkin Poe</a> </b>- Blood Harmony</div><div align="center"><a href="https://www.weyesblood.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>Weyes Blood</b></a> - And In the Darkness, Hearts Aglow</div><div align="center"><b><a href="https://lastchancerocks.bandcamp.com/releases" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Last Chance</a></b> - Last Chance {<a href="http://www.rslblog.com/2022/12/the-last-chance-interview-with-dave.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">interview link</a>}<span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div align="center"><b><a href="https://www.senselessoptimism.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Senseless Optimism</a></b> - It Gets Better (EP)<br /><a href="https://www.lakestreetdive.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>Lake Street Dive</b></a> - Fun Machine: The Sequel<br /><a href="https://ga20band.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>GA-20</b></a> - Crackdown<br /><b><a href="https://www.hushclubband.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hush Club</a> </b>- Fingerprints & Stains<br /><b><a href="https://totem.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Totem</a></b> - The Power To Forgive<br /><b><a href="https://www.fantasticcatband.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fantastic Cat</a></b> - Fantastic Cat<br /><a href="Cordelia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>Cordelia</b></a> - How it Began <br />
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Ryan Spauldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18401858408851940636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29345538.post-22206888615827384102022-12-23T08:53:00.007-05:002022-12-24T04:46:15.492-05:00The 40 Greatest Pearl Jam Songs <div align="center"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBYba3FHjCDljvx032gyQCTAu6NqQAiDqPggCBaq4xAQggM1o17EGuFO8wZN9G3w-bcqm4vshsOGOBeda6aiNYrlu7IuXWEuIxLvoe4WgiykVUmfgTsusWuldj4VcTSfW7b8BYCUvCxKJjmO-Sj0z1gMEOQuM-vTpKHHSnQ5bnLuqtQuU/s1600/PearlJam540.jpg" />
</div><div align="center">Celebrating the band's catalog on Eddie Vedder's birthday (12/23/64)<br />
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<div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> Black<br />
I Got ID<br />
State of Love and Trust<br />
Not For You<br />
Alive<br />
I Am Mine<br />
Just Breathe<br />
Yellow Ledbetter<br />
Given To Fly<br />
Crazy Mary<br />
Dissident<br />
Elderly Woman Behind The Counter in a Small Town<br />
Corduroy<br />
Why Go <br />
Rearviewwindow<br />
Release<br />
Off He Goes <br />
Immortality<br />
Nothingman<br />
Glorified G<br />
Even Flow<br />
Jeremy<br />
Daughter<br />
Retrograde <br />
Love Reign O'er Me </b>(The Who)<br /><b>
Wishlist <br />
Sirens<br />
Indifference<br />
Better Man <br />
Porch <br />
Superblood Wolfmoon<br />
Smile<br />
Swallowed Whole<br />
In Hiding</b></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Footsteps<br />
Comes Then Goes <br />
Santa Cruz<br />
Seven O'Clock<br />
Dance of the Clairvoyants<br /></b></span><br />
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<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjExhMPcn5OUfd4ztTGE3CDlbxJTmRHJUtelybhPR4l6wcvNnutDWSLxAe9WOB5vgr-XEsH8LZ0inx1eA66ZHHgMhNELfwqez6LVI9WHw-D3AJZgFvqCBD1dX5DRBEFuTfSjVbqzldCxWczU15X6xRMkFOM2Ayl0uiXbUNvZEnOGcXQmM-g/s1600/Pearl-Jam.jpg" /></div><div align="center"><b style="font-size: 130%; text-align: left;">PEARL JAM</b></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/1w5Kfo2jwwIPruYS2UWh56" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify </a>/ <a href="https://pearljam.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Web</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PearlJam" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fb</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/pearljam" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tw</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pearljam/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Insta</a></span>
<br /><br />How did I do? </div><div align="center">Leave your suggestions and feedback!</div><div align="center"><br />
</div>Ryan Spauldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18401858408851940636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29345538.post-33567535686207646352022-12-11T19:22:00.049-05:002022-12-11T22:08:12.966-05:00The Last Chance Interview with Dave Baron <div align="left">Rising from the dust of the pre-pandemic world, the debut record from <b><a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/4EeBANTjfJWSkb8tUJcOsf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Last Chance</a></b> (Brooklyn, NY) has dropped and is proving to be one of my guilty listening pleasures this year. A guitar garage classic out of the gates, this bold little record gets set on repeat regularly and rolls on cleaning days and long drives into the office. Curious to find out more, I reached out to Dave Baron, guitarist/songwriter/producer for Last Chance in an attempt to learn more about the record and the band. Baron, formally of the celebrated rock band <a href="https://vanyaland.com/2017/01/09/listen-to-bostons-feints-tear-through-black-dog-in-honor-of-jimmy-pages-73rd-birthday/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Feints</a>, is someone I was excited to hear making records again. His trademark riffs and guitar arrangements are one of the reasons why the red-hot Feints burned so bright.</div>
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<div align="center"> <img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5erepiQv9Q2dQSAlscqxwo4umhcXHdhyFov0YZGfDwG40u7yFHvWXc721G4Z6L-oDJw3559Tp1qEvfdpN1vxs-poQt3ZphMaPjDm9Tf83GP8SXZAANZ5KCfVPDUW5q5UsUWLuQ1HO9iKLayQQTtyOoR0C_9cIT2dqS-hw2I5VepB6vvk/s1600/LastChance%20540.jpg" /> </div><div align="center"> <b>Last Chance</b> is Jordan Cannata, Frankie Rage, Rob Phillips and Dave Baron.</div>
<div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">RYAN (<b>RSL</b>): “Dave – congratulations on Last Chance! And thanks for making time for an interview about the new album. I have this idea of you knocking around the house unable to sit still. Eventually songs with big guitar solo epiphanies exploded out! How right am I?”
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DAVE BARON</b>: "Thank you! I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying <b><a href="https://linktr.ee/lastchancerocks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the album</a></b>. As far as not being able to sit still, I actually did sit still (musically) for quite a while after Feints went on permanent hiatus in 2015. That band was a hard act to follow. It was the bombastic, no-limits, BIG ROCK band of my dreams. When we stopped, it was very hard for me to figure out what to do next musically. It was no sure thing that I’d ever do any music project or recording again. What I did mostly after Feints was practice – trying to improve my guitar game and musicianship. And while doing that is rewarding on a personal level, without any practical application of playing live or recording, it’s all rather academic. I felt like: OK, I’m a bit better now. So what?
When I moved from Boston to Brooklyn, I started looking for new musical possibilities. I went to some jams. I auditioned for some bands, but nothing felt right."</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><b>Baron posted a guitarist-available ad online which resulted in Last Chance singer Frankie Rage knocking on his door. It was the beginning of great things. </b></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">"Frankie’s an original, NYC punk rock guy, and I’m a heavy rock/metal guy, but once we started talking, we clicked immediately, both musically and personally. And though I knew the music we’d create together would be quite different from Feints, it was still very much riffy rock – something I felt could sink my teeth into, that could be really special, and very cool.</div><div align="left"><br /></div>
<div align="center">Guitar Ace <b style="text-align: left;">Dave Baron</b></div><div align="center">
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnAZoZmXbVam-nuVfUA6Qitr54yAdyjiGVb3aqCOfIerBli3AkvVVXH-RkTC3lHpop5g2HOqJcnT137r3RqwVTPGR7NGS89_NbuWcpidNeGX4Wl6YpYGwln_jsxT8XMdUgGT8qg69ds2-W5r3GAFA0dsGfslZz9ePITtAaFismrpC7U7UL/s1600/DaveSpitfireCockpit.jpg" />
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<div align="center"><blockquote><blockquote><b><i>"Guitar solos are always going to be a part of how I express myself in any music I make. I enjoy creating that song-within-a-song aspect in my music."</i></b></blockquote></blockquote></div>
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RSL:</b> “Last Chance also features your Feints bandmate Rob Phillips. And the two of you are credited with its Production and Mastering. What has it been like working with Rob again? How different was the creativity process for you this time around?”
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DAVE BARON:</b> "Rob is my musical brother, and I have enormous respect for him. We have a great musical rapport, both as players and as producers. We produced all of the Feints music together, and I told Frankie from the jump that we should bring Rob in to co-produce the Last Chance album. Frankie loved the Feints stuff, so bringing in Rob to co-produce wasn’t a hard sell.
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<div align="center"><div align="center"><b>Phillips & Baron</b> celebrate in studio</div><div align="center">
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<div><br /></div><div align="left">I would have brought Rob in on bass originally, too, but when we first started, Frankie said, “I already have the bassist – a guy I’ve known for years.” Long story, short: Frankie’s bassist didn’t work out, and neither did a half a dozen drummers – for very common, lunkhead-musician reasons. But when all of that imploded, I said to Frankie, “Look, let’s just bring Rob in on bass (as well as production). He’s a great musician who plays bass, keys, guitar, and produces. He’ll be our John Paul Jones. There won’t be any drama because he and I already work really well together, and you’ll like him, too.” Again. It didn’t take much to sell Frankie on Rob. The evidence of Rob’s bass prowess was also all over the Feints tracks.
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<div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">"As far as the creative process goes, it was very familiar territory working with Rob, but I have to say, in the time between Feints and Last Chance, Rob – who’s a good deal younger than both Frankie and I – matured a lot. In the past, Rob was less willing to push himself, but we did a lot of marathon production sessions (sometimes 12 hours) to finish the Last Chance album. He would have balked at that in the Feints days. He definitely stepped it up.
And I think that one of the reasons why we work well together is that as producers, I tend to lean bold. That old, I want everything louder than everything else. Whereas Rob tends to lean conservative. So when we meet somewhere in the middle, it’s usually the right balance. And when Rob’s on bass, he’s competing with my guitars which are always a roaring T-Rex, and Jordan who’s a fucking monster on drums. We needed Rob to embrace his inner rock star and vie for equal attention, on bass as well. He stepped up there, too."<br /></div>
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RSL:</b> “I cannot help but notice that buried amidst the fury of drums and guitar ‘Last Chance’ the album has some songs with darker meaning. Was that intentional or incidental? How close is this album and its pieces from your original concept?”
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DAVE BARON:</b> "Yeah. It’s a dark album, no doubt. "Anything but That" is a very literal song about the pain of losing my father – horribly – to Alzheimers in 2021. It doesn’t get much darker than that. The album was largely written under COVID lockdown. A dark time for everyone, and certainly for me. Conceptually, we really didn’t set out to do anything specific – dark or otherwise. Frankie had some rough song ideas demoed that pre-dated our working together (Gotcha Back, Tattoo, Human Eyes, Kamikaze). We hammered those ideas into fully-fledged songs. As those songs solidified, we usually had to re-work the lyrics to fit the new arrangements. But on Frankie’s ideas, we tried to retain at least some of the original lyrical concepts.
So, for example, Kamikaze started off being about self-destructive behavior, but it ended up being more."</div>
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<div align="left"><b>RSL:</b> “Can you walk us through Kamikaze? Was the creative process for the song?”</div>
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DAVE BARON: </b>"Kamikaze was a Frankie idea that was originally just a series of ideas wrapped into one demo. It had like four bridges (I think they were bridges). Anyway, lots of extra parts that didn’t fit the song. What you hear in our version strips out all the excess and uses just the best bits, re-arranged. And it was a difficult song to piece together.
Frankie and I reworked the lyrics to the new arrangement together. It started off being about one guy’s self-destructive behavior, but soon, I found myself wanting to inject the duality of the Japanese Kamikaze pilot experience into the lyrics, and then into the sound. Frankie and I are both into WWII history, and it seemed like a cool idea. IMO, the duality works. For example, Big flaming Zero, could be a self-deprecating euphemism (as in, I’m a zero of a human being). Or it could be the duality of slamming an aircraft into a ship. I also knew I could work the sonics of that topic into the song in a fun way. </div>
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<div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">"There were times Frankie was unsure whether we should pursue Kamikaze, but the chorus was so damn catchy, I knew we had something. So I kept saying, “yeah, it’s going to work, and it’s going to be great,” I just didn’t know how it would work until later.
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<div align="left">"Kamikaze didn’t really come together until Jordan laid down his AMAZING drum groove for the song. Once he cut the drums, I got super excited about Kamikaze, and I knew that it was going to be epic! Once we had those drums, I knew what to do on the guitars, and more importantly, it gave Rob a direction for that totally sick bass part he came up with! The ending of the song is my recreation of a 1940s south Pacific carrier battle on guitar. Very fun! Great closer for the album.
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<span style="font-size: 130%;">LINK:
<b><a href="https://linktr.ee/lastchancerocks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LAST CHANCE</a></b><br /></span> <br />
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</div></div>Ryan Spauldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18401858408851940636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29345538.post-57742541355227167442022-03-29T14:42:00.003-04:002022-03-29T15:40:41.233-04:00New Songs signal a triumphant 625 Days for Bird Language<br />
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<div align="left">The sun rises on First Date, the new single from Bird Language. The second recent drop from the Boston five-some's upcoming full length debut, 625 Days, this song is particularly strong; offering standout atmospheric rock and space between the notes. This from a band which has become as well known for their diverse styles as their (sometimes) raucous live performances. The new track concerns the observations of a spectator to a new couple's first date - something of a sociological study amid song. </div><div align="left"><br /></div>
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</div><div align="left"> “It's the story of a first date at my favorite Somerville bar, Highland Kitchen,” says Bird Language vocalist, keyboardist, and lyricist Jeff Nicolai. "I was there one night and it seemed like every couple at the bar was on a first date. One looked like they were having trouble staying focused on each other, but trying really hard. The other seemed to have one person who was clearly talking way too much.”</div><div align="left"><br /></div>
<div align="left">Taking chances may be the theme of the song but it isn't the story of this band. After some chance jam sessions a few years ago, things really started to emerge. And just then COVID landed and disrupted the whole world. In this case it may have presented the group with real opportunity. Constructing a full album from the ground up, periodically meeting when safe to record in pockets as allowed by disparate lives. The new full length album, 625 Days, will be out later this Spring. <br />
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</div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Pat Piaskecki photo</i></span><br />
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<div align="left">“For me what makes a song good is the emotions you feel hearing different chords and notes,” says Simmons. “Those choices can transport the listener to a new place. I want the listener to feel what I felt writing it,” says Simmons. "“It’s not always easy to leave empty space sonically with a five-piece band; everyone wants to be heard, but I think we do a decent job holding back our play for the betterment of the song.”
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><b> BIRD LANGUAGE</b><br /><a href="https://birdlanguagema.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Camp</a> / <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Eg6eiu6o3QOjSirhFmheH" target="_blank">Spotify</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/birdlanguagema/" target="_blank">Fb</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/birdlanguageMA" target="_blank">Tw</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/birdlanguagema/" target="_blank">Insta</a></span>
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</div>Ryan Spauldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18401858408851940636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29345538.post-45601729931579504992022-03-03T14:42:00.005-05:002022-03-05T12:13:07.193-05:00Talking To Myself from The Linda Lindas<div align="center"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWJKqT_6cZp1DAiYDEZVqDk5E6cvRi05KYozkyw56BCoqo6PQV9VW5D9zmawNRDUfLciOWMp9jhQWIv6wtqlQ0hQWz1qOQlYYgZpTc49bvdBB9SWJjE0NQXys3-Nl2x0EXu717fGENogLOofJ1xP4dQVfZ1dLNsRkcBpjBmtR-2EH8dHqF" />
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">All girl punk band <b>The Linda Lindas</b> are the toast of the metaphorical town these days. As we await their full length debut <b><i>Growing Up</i></b> (<a href="https://www.epitaph.com/" target="_blank">Epitaph</a>), they have released a fun black and white video for "Talking To Myself" directed by Ryan Baxley. In creepy black and white glory, the video is a homage to a classic 1963 episode of the Twilight Zone called <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Doll_(The_Twilight_Zone)" target="_blank">Living Doll</a></b>. Evidently everything does come back again someday.. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
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<div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><b> TOUR DATES:</b><br />
Apr 1 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern # - SOLD OUT<br />
Apr 2 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern # - SOLD OUT<br />
Apr 3 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern #<br />
Apr 10 - Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour - SOLD OUT<br />
Apr 27 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza # - SOLD OUT<br />
Apr 28 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza # - SOLD OUT<br />
Apr 29 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza # - SOLD OUT<br />
Apr 30 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza # - SOLD OUT<br />
May 1 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge - SOLD OUT<br />
July 2 - Oakland, CA - Mosswood Meltdown<br />
Aug 20 - Tokyo, JP - Summer Sonic<br />
Aug 21 - Osaka, JP - Summer Sonic<br />
Oct 22 & 29 - Las Vegas, NV - When We Were Young Festival<br /># w/ Jawbreaker<br /><br />
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<div align="center"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><b>The Linda Lindas</b><br /><a href="https://www.thelindalindas.com/" target="_blank">Web</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheLindaLindas/" target="_blank">Fb</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/thelindalindas" target="_blank">Tw</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_linda_lindas/" target="_blank">Insta</a></span>
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</div>Ryan Spauldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18401858408851940636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29345538.post-11084639966310881702022-02-28T13:57:00.016-05:002022-02-28T20:42:39.875-05:00Future Self - the new songbook from Filligar<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Force of the Feeling</b>, the first track of Filligar's new <b><i>Future Self</i></b>, comes off a bit like a rediscovery. These are young men with experienced souls - and like all of us they are getting back to life after hiatuses and side-journeys. The "Force" is a perfect opener for an album full of disparate stories. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
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</div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">As I listen, I picture the first scenes of Indiana Jones where the weary adventurer finds the vine-covered steps to the long-abandoned stone temple obscured by trees and an impossible canopy of time. The album begins with soft, plodding drum beats, a bit of suppressed, jangly guitar and punctuated by piano. This gives rise to a slow number subdued but swanky and while new, it feels familiar. Singer Johnny Mathias leads us into the temple and his words, "Time goes by, and by and by.." set the tone. What follows is the most adventuresome record of the band's near-16 years of existence and it marks a new beginning.</span></div><div align="left">
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">"Welcome Back, welcome back - to the beginning" starts <b>17th Hour</b> - an ebullient dervish of a track, a song with an entirely different instrumentation backdrop which signals a new start. This is a repeating theme on this album and it truly works. And then <b>At Sea</b> starts to roll;</span></div><div align="left"><br /></div>
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">From here on in, the band enter uncharted territory. The record feels like a convergence of several tales set adrift and bound together like a storybook. The common thread is cinematic, fearless presentation.
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">MARCH 2022 ALBUM OF THE MONTH - <b><i>Future Self</i></b> was a delight right out of the box. I was pleased to find the band didn't re-enter the studio and attempt to make a record they could sell. This is a hodge-podge of themes - and here it really works. This record is a healthy new start for a band who has effortlessly executed in the past. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
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<div align="center"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6P4Sg6yELIypbEVvQs-Y20UuuCKICaoo-sthKU_EY6Tn5xpbfaBVdmuW4KK62Y1vBsBuYNTJOcopL1iT82PK8NheSuKoVEFGJPKua13SRn6c0iqFcusCD1fS8zhWcYQCUvY1Ccn4KskEX3v0L8OWL1yBKOY9Kj5KuBtzstnFwIV-0oN-Y" />
<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1218434308&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="540"></iframe> </div>
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>For fans of Dawes, Kasabian and Keane. </b>The album is both exciting and new but it isn't a complete departure. Filligar still produces hooky beats and feel good anthems but those tracks are now fully representative of the band and it's members. Casey Gibson's award-nominations for his solo piano debut, and the band's previous efforts <b><i>Hexagon</i></b> and <i><b>Keepsakes of the Interior </b></i>are all points in the rearview mirror at this point. But this is their history and their road. Somehow Future Self is both more free and fluid yet more mature. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">
So much has changed for fans of Filligar yet this band's endless pursuit of purpose through music and the vitality of their work product are still trademark and palpable. <b><i>Future Self </i></b>is proof that an already great band can work on itself, find new ways to execute and thrive. </span><br />
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<div align="center"><iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/1218434506&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="540"></iframe>
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><b>FILLIGAR</b><br /><a href="http://www.filligar.com/" target="_blank">Web</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/filligar" target="_blank">Fb</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/filligar" target="_blank">Tw</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/filligar/" target="_blank">Insta</a></span>
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</div>Ryan Spauldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18401858408851940636noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29345538.post-37338425699449925722022-02-21T13:33:00.003-05:002022-02-21T17:50:57.930-05:00Jailed Music Blogger Unveils Best of 2021<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeO62DO8Gjd-gpkD9aAzslgJvQ4FbwiNCHa172mJ1B7z5UlEWbOqhpEjTnobRYXz-aM52jV_TZT-PVKWSLGcb5DFTkiOkd3iHfHgRNuyWl4UKgSGKhPU3K30-HPo2VctZDjt1pTrpfBVEUVZVBAkTY-z549T2rEjhB7m3WM1XbnSRajZKQ" /></div><div align="center">Music Writer faces significant charges, currently out on bail</div>
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">You know what I haven't done much of in the last year? I haven't published anything here despite writing tomes of e-pages on my laptop and tablet. And the mental scraps; the cerebral note-to-selfs I've scratched across the back of my eyeballs? I've written dictionaries worth of meaningful starts to things which have remained unshared. That's about to change.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpGJQ-MKq3NP_sY_mPcMd4fuImpre7A_yJAub3IOXktNbnsKPMWnJXPsqq4SIkrGLlLmZ5vxZefCw36AOia8s3Llr6jiBhEJQH6jnBaYxyb1g36PJaeXUTksPEmQ40VEi5Cip2EAMaj4JjSRYRYejUVukRvTVVBgsNvdidGJYRWEq-fx5g" />
</div><div align="center">New York's <b>Lightning Bug</b> quietly produced the emotively charged record of 2021.<br />
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: large;">So while I haven't been sharing - I have listened to a whole lot of music. After skipping out on public life during the pandemic I have found that now, more than ever - music is my safe passage, my touchstone, my constant in this existence. I've been listening to a lot of classic rock, indie, folk and hip hop. (And buried between those interludes fell came sessions of Jazz and Soul.) 2020 and 2021 have been about identifying space and universe through music.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">Today's post, months in the making, is a synopsis of my favorite albums of 2021 and rather than explode a massive list (a top 50 or 100), I'm keeping this is list direct and digestible. You won't see a lot of repetition in the published critical lists from last December. (Commercial and popular. Who needs that kind of repetition? What would the point be really in And what would the point be (really) of that?) What is shared reveals as much about me as a listener and a fan as it does about the music itself. <b>Playlist with audio samples at the end of the post. </b></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><br /><br /></div><div align="center"><div align="left">
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</div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">LIGHTNING BUG - A COLOR OF THE SKY</span></b></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEig3kbvAqZCouX75AloMjdlR0zFIWOrPtFZuiutWSg86giDjTj9hpgT0E66cMzKPa_kPkQSLNM3W6EqvEquGz4coG9Y-MN7XfuvQuNH9Kn5ROfEajAMap8UgxNuR6VwESbb8BBCFKlelSbBTZQrh-_KLtxCrlhAi6G3siJAiHcykQgXlcBw" />
<div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">My album of the year was released by New York's <b><a href="https://lightning-bug.bandcamp.com/album/a-color-of-the-sky" target="_blank">Lightning Bug</a></b> (Audrey Kang, Logan Miley and Kevin Copeland). It's their third full-length career but the first of theirs that has wholly hit the mark for me in nearly every way. I wasn't alone. Fat Possum Records signed the act to contract after pressing their vinyl for them. The results on this new album are chilling; the songs come off as a day spent in a sun-drunk field surrounded by the sailing fluff from pussy-willow. A Color of the Sky is an emotive spell which latched on to me hard. The vinyl runs cut by Fat Possum have dried up and you'll find some new ones available in their store. </span><br />
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</div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER - QUIETLY BLOWING IT</span></b></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmtbQZz7lRDwxJkpDadil7ghhY1rl6vdQAElyalS39NjLdB8KV_T-m19jrwAegXaPVegHrv_z_vG9R2w-Zkz98wvlfmkUz_bZ4xMKP8Yu2CyFhanMyI8FIjii8d1-Avng57zrhsA0c11LjdKhCd6PEpnn6KTVHasoNk0nr284L3r_aY8d0" />
<div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">So believe me when I tell you that the future is female but the storyteller who gets us there is probably <a href="http://www.hissgoldenmessenger.com/" target="_blank"><b>Hiss Golden Messenger</b></a>. HGM is the nom de plume (and what a name it is) for North Carolina songwriter/creator M.C. Taylor who I have had great fortune to see perform a handful of times in intimate rooms. He's a gregarious storyteller and a thermometer of sorts for the industry and all things modern folk/Americana. Messenger's path to Quietly Blowing It was unlikely as was his survival. These are songs about good fortune, fate and learning to appreciate the good things as we can see they won't last for long. Probably the album I listened to most this year, Hiss Golden Messenger has become one of the Jiminy Crickets in my head. Welcome dude. Coincidentally it looks like the original vinyl pressing of Quietly Blowing It has sold out. The new cover features an upside down flag. It's the original cover as Taylor tells it. He's got stories for days. </span><br />
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</div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">TRISTEN - AQUATIC FLOWERS</span></b></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhodFSYkYQGDN3y8yot9mj-2LBJGFee9J8MQzO91oVxgUL8iSaqjRRvPCpKwgb6KzhgintGxLXbly1HIBsYTh3upzp7TkaF2oHIc7CLLT-zRMTnoF7kf6mXYknhb1N0w-v3-BvOrPuM1hZeFQCn_hQYE0KeZWVnZ1wapxIqLx06pyKDrUKh" />
<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">If it sounds like Tristen Gaspardarek's stellar indie pop/rock album 'Aquatic Flowers' aren't the result of the same pandemic and quarantine the rest of us where living through, that's probably because it's true. This is a fun, ebullient and challenging fast paced romp - truly one of the better feel good/defiant records of the entire two-plus year pandemic. Gaspardarek, who goes merely by her first name <b><a href="https://tristen.bandcamp.com/album/aquatic-flowers" target="_blank">Tristen</a></b> on stage, gave birth to her first child in between her records and found herself in a creative isolation long before COVID-19 descended upon the world. The Nashville-area songstress has always been of interest but on Aquatic Flowers she really shines. With collaboration with her husband (and co-producer) Buddy Hughen, Tristen formed a creative cell that started long before the storm and has carried the small clan through the dirt. I literally cannot wait for what comes back. This album (along with everything on this short list) should belong in your collection.</span></div><div align="center">
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</div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">SIERRA FERRELL - LONG TIME COMING</span></b></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiy7ez3P7-Wownzc-r_V0zCoCaVUHwcGHtSFouJTYjsBx8jsXYd2qpOP8C3hjV_WBKSedNbg4FUFUbuZQua3SCa8x-YOyi1yoO9othDjpURO0-7oY3rw-TTvnOKNua8PnVyAAQclY7Osms1i33YqV0DUmFoZ_OgsUA5kIQGIRI1enODbB0l" />
<div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">We don't have to travel far to meet up with Nashville's <b><a href="https://sierraferrell.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Sierra Ferrell</a></b> who took the world of music by storm. Her genre-crashing 'Long Time Coming' beguiled and won over hearts and souls of classic country and string fans and then returned for a public won over by Billy Strings and a host of others popularizing the vintage ghosts sounds of the the past permeating modern listening. This is really the right album at the right time. And a big more rooted than my musical tastes generally delve but I have a soft-spot for the right album at the right time. I spent four days in a row listening to Sierra Ferrell songs on repeat and what came out was a greater appreciation of what this lady can do. A winner through and through.
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</div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>HEARTLESS BASTARDS - A BEAUTIFUL LIFE</b></span></div><div align="center"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div align="center">
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKrNVKfMEb4NXG0AGDFKxjnlVBpvfijxBxrceatRDyv3iyaNpU0vaeR6CXnHD8tlSHM3-jneFcyKMtkiN8gE_UZGgXKth5_6GV8nK0PI0Fqkx7osFP82vIExw4u4BuKnDDxUbSu0ksHoms2MC_SiL1Ty94zHgugPDXpdyflmSgcijP4wTj" />
</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">Erika Wennerstrom continues to mesmerize this writer. <a href="https://heartlessbastards.bandcamp.com/album/a-beautiful-life" target="_blank">The Heartless Bastards</a> songwriter is truly one of the most gifted songwriters, arrangers and crafters in the business. I was just reminded it has been a decade since her masterpiece Arrow was released in the world and 14 years since The Mountain - two records that changed my life and direction as a writer. Wennerstorm has penned and sang songs which were the backdrop and catalyst for my own script. Having largely stepped over 2015's Restless Ones, I wasn't ready - it wasn't her, I found 'A Beautiful Life' to be a potentially surrendering swan song for her. This is a big record. It was meant to be either a capstone or a launching pad. Thankful for all of us, Wennerstrom's career and her future are assured with the soaring ascension of this gem. She is wiser and just as magical as ever. Long may you run Erika. Long may we roam.</span><br /></div><div align="center">
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GEESE - PROJECTOR</span></b></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimyBpIincprwfIh0_bjm5VbbueFySrNOctkfNUZySbW2tCyG0WEj6vZHnaE64b1Z8OJGa5KXnWbc_2USEJzq6UqHWdTdnr_Md7A_A-_niurOCQdvcnwaOtVyKsXODU8m4SfFYAEhB3Zp0uAQt0rWby9dZpnJDsPqXHLF60xtU91rs3K157" />
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sometimes getting lucky in music discovery is more important than being on the correct path and digesting what has been sent to you. I don't necessarily know how I found Projector by Brooklyn drum and bass quintet <b><a href="https://geesebandnyc.bandcamp.com/album/projector" target="_blank">Geese</a></b> but I know my mental space was such where I was primed for something very different and eye-opening. I had attempted to absorb some of their previous efforts and found them somewhat inaccessible but this time the pieces came together just right for me. (You'll find some of that same discovery math coming up for SUUNS, which follow.) Projector is their big label debut, having signed to Partisan record still plays out like a romp. This band is a tightly wound machine, a muscular beast which can spring it's way through a night of dancing and cerebral epiphanies. Projector is more digestible than what has come before (at least for me). "You're not scared of my angle anymore," Cameron Winter, singer from Geese says. And I'm thankful for that. East Coast US Dates in March.</span> <br /><div align="left"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">FREEDOM FRY - L'INVITATION</span></b></div></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjX6Ndmt1oRdpV5KLETutBcXTzx9WrkX9AtjzL_Tlzh3k8HkSMc8ZcCCVLo9B1iJyqHgnphwLWnnUEEYkXFbkH8Kt9nNEgDrcDWFgKrKsJfsXlrueZru0q7WS5nKwjoda7h1Nvq1kdQP93ybwqHYAEx3AAEb_dKfxaRybbZAuWbolPuD6v4" />
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<div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">Going to start with a bold statement and see just how far I have to walk it back.. <b><a href="https://freedomfry.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Freedom Fry</a></b> are the best Pop duo in music today. American Bruce Driscoll and Parisian-born Marie Seyrat are the Bonnie & Clyde of popular music today. The married couple have been making sweet tracks for more than a decade now. Their sensibilities and musical influences in that musical merger have produced much magic. And this past year 'L'Invitation' was the latest of the masterful maneuvers. Seyrat's vocals sail like so many seabirds in front of sweltering sun. Driscoll's arrangements, beats and musical mind bring energy and swag to the music. The result here is undeniable. This is a record that transforms one's day. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">DEVON GILFILLIAN - BLACK HOLE RAINBOW</span></b></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3jWl_vE-TN8MMRds-tcXMg8V7Z6SJPjLyIFculz89Upbr-GjHJ8OyMvQ3FRABZwe7KHDjaaSD7CvIIG7dROnNmsTi_wstAodvw-M3XpmnV5-DAytFv6qYBnBIEcsCBJSZEKE_2y-M35XZKG2EZgqu5IPh6aed5hllBPk0RNSPGb8JtO1t" />
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a warning. <b><a href="https://www.devongilfillian.com/" target="_blank">Devon Gilfillian</a></b> will write a song or an album about you without even letting you know about it. You'll discover it someday; find that the music is perfect for you and you'll not have a choice but to dance in place and hum along. That's kind of how I feel about 'Black Hole Rainbow' Raised on R&B and Motown and Hip-Hop, the Philadelphia-raised Gilfillian now drinks from the waters of Tennessee where his latest deeds on 'Black Hole Rainbow' is an infinitely accessible, modern entry into the deep waters of soul. He's another voice, an angel on my shoulder as I (like so many of you) stumble through this existence blocking our eyes but listen for truly great voices. This is someone you need to know. Definitely pick up this album.
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<br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>SUUNS - THE WITNESS </b></span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">
<img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihpcNJPlLOhilxK9tAI4qI3mipRu9Mzg-jtvlENijyPyRvLHZ_rRy8WGIaI9UBwRBattA9KTSk4F4clUQCRfCjIfkLSM7jS1gMD4kIdrw4bz-HCDUkNfs56-Lt1AZ0-rnd-_tF5GA2yTavWBsTfL6pJwPp9R-x9UkmBDD3fpLNBPInoPSu" />
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dateline: Montreal - I'm a self-described acolyte of the <b><a href="http://www.suuns.net/" target="_blank">SUUNS</a></b> cult. In a world in which a nearly endless number of musical releases drop by schedule non-stop in a calendar year, the sudden announcement in September that SUUNS were still creating but were about to drop an album were met by me with an audible squeal. This is relentlessly authentic, sincere approach. And this time, the frenzied telling was considerably more digestible but just as real. This is the first time I've ever put SUUNS on one of my best of list because it's the first time their vision provided to be worthy of a wider audience. This is jazz mixed with techno synth. And a fresh new direction. Give SUUNS a listen. The Witness is a winner.
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<br /> <b><span style="font-size: medium;">HARD FEELINGS - SELF TITLED</span></b></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">Songstress Amy Douglas (solo, Horse Meat Disco) has teamed up with Hot Chip's Joe Goddard to create one of the most addictive dance outfits of the last half decade. Just how good is the self-titled <b><a href="https://www.hardfeelings.net/" target="_blank">Hard Feelings</a></b> album? The record only peeked out at the very end of 2021 and it made every BBC listening list and blogger list in Europe. In 2022, billboards for Hard Feelings are found in New York, Los Angeles and in various cities across Europe. The duo have songs in rotation globally and watching it go up was a little like watching a wildfire grow. This is addictive and pleasing music. Beats, hooks and some really amazing vocals from Douglas. This will be one of the very best, prolific acts of 2022. Fair warning. Put some dancing boots on!
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<br /> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>NAOMI WESTWATER - FEELINGS</b></span></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center">
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: medium;">Each year I try to elevate a worthy dark horse candidate, a relative-unknown given some sun in a world in which people have good sensibilities but short attention spans. This isn't charity, it's just good intention. I didn't have to do a thing because this year <b><a href="https://www.naomiwestwater.com/" target="_blank">Naomi Westwater</a></b> found me instead. And there wasn't a shuffling of the cards, so to speak, her singing, her songs kicked and screamed their way to the top of this list. There can be no Best of 2021 without Naomi Westwater. The world is filled with just two types of people; those whole have heard her album Feelings and those who haven't yet. This is a short, barn-burner of an album with issues about racial injustice, body identity, lost relationships and climate change. This is a woman echoing the sounds of the past telling of our current calamities. The only person I can think of when I hear her sing is Sade. She is so darn good. And whatever kind breeze steered her to my eyes and ears, I thank each day. This woman is a star.
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<span style="font-size: 130%;"><b>HONORABLE MENTIONS</b></span></div><div align="center"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://lucydacus.com/" target="_blank">Lucy Dacus</a> - Home Video</span></span></div><div align="center"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://julienbaker.com/" target="_blank">Julien Baker</a> - Little Oblivions</span></span></div><div align="center"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://floatingpoints.bandcamp.com/album/promises" target="_blank">Floating Points</a> - Promises</span></span></div><div align="center"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://dillonwarnek.bandcamp.com/album/now-that-its-all-over" target="_blank">Dillon Warnek</a> - Now That It's All Over</span></span></div><div align="center"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.briandunnemusic.net/" target="_blank">Brian Dunne</a> - Selling Things</span></span></div><div align="center"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.michaelflynn.com/" target="_blank">Michael Flynn</a> - Survive With Me</span></span></div><div align="center"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.fruitbatsmusic.com/" target="_blank">Fruit Bats</a> - The Pet Parade</span></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://electricjalaba.bandcamp.com/album/el-hal-the-feeling" target="_blank">Electric Jalaba</a> - El Hal the Feeling</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.ghostofvroom.com/" target="_blank">Ghost of Vroom</a> - 1</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.guidedbyvoices.com/" target="_blank">Guided by Voice</a> - Earth Man Blues</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://japanesebreakfast.rocks/" target="_blank">Japanese Breakfast</a> - Jubilee</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://rongallomusic.com/" target="_blank">Ron Gallo</a> - Peacemeal</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://musicpronoun.bandcamp.com/album/omg-i-made-it" target="_blank">Pronoun</a> - OMG I MADE IT</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://cocowithlove.bandcamp.com/album/coco" target="_blank">Coco</a> - Self Titled</span></div><div align="center"><span><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span>ps - thanks for those who wrote the Judge. <br />
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</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Ryan Spauldinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18401858408851940636noreply@blogger.com2