reviews and musings of a music geek
Today is CarryYouAway favorite Adam Ezra’s birthday. Hope that he’s having a good one.
In recent AEG news, were recently selected to perform at the Rothbury Festival in Michigan, alongside Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Phil Lesh, Widespread Panic, Snoop Dog, Primus, Medeski Martin & Wood, Modest Mouse, Taj Mahal, among others. Way to go!
Hopefully, I’ll be seeing these guys on Saturday.
Flyin’ - Adam Ezra Group
A while ago, I came across a new band, the Adam Ezra Group, and was struck right away during their concert that these guys were good. I saw them the next week, and ran a feature on them, saying that they were good, but they had to refine their sound a little before they were really good.
Later this month, the group is releasing their first album in three years, View from the Root, and it looks like my wish came true – the band has come a long way since that last album, and this latest album is undoubtedly my favorite and their strongest work thus far.
They have tightened down their timing and feel, coming out with a superior album. There’s a lot of really good songs here – Home Again Soon, Katie, Basement Song (more about that in a second) and Flyin‘ – all with everything that I loved about the group’s sound.
One thing that I’ve noticed between their live work and their albums is the intensity – these guys play a killer show with a ton of energy. Their earlier albums didn’t really translate that as well, but it’s coming through here.
One song has been recycled from an earlier album – Basement Song, which previously appeared on Ezra’s solo album Chain, from 2005. The new version has been taken down almost two minutes, and really is a good benchmark for how far these guys have come – The original was a lot more raw, rough and not quite as good. The newer version incorporates the entire band, and has a much better sound and feel to it – much tighter and refined.
They also really seem to have found their own sound and groove – I’ve felt that they sound like a couple other bands, a little Dispatch, Dave Matthew’s and a couple other random ones. Here though, we have a really independent feel, and it seems that they have come into their own with their album. I’m really hoping that with this new album, we’ll see another tour from them, because I can’t wait to see them live and in person once again.
The band is currently going out on tour to various locations to support their new album. If they hit your area, I highly recommend checking them out. Here’s where they’ll be:
saturday, may 10, 12pm
wayland town beach
wayland, ma
sunday, may 11, 10:30am
pine street inn homeless shelter
boston, ma
friday, may 16, 8pm
watertown, ma
sunday, may 18, 8pm
old oak tavern
rochester, nh
thursday, may 22, 8pm
land ho!
orleans, ma (cape cod)
friday, may 23, 7pm
bishop guertin high school – www.bghs.org
nashua, nh
saturday, may 24, 9pm
twin river casino
lincoln, ri
sunday june 8, 12:30pm
artesani park
cambridge, ma
thursday, june 12, 7:30pm
harbor park at the moakley courthouse
boston, ma
saturday, june 14, 8pm
uncle eddie’s
salisbury, ma
thursday, july 31, 9pm
redhook brewery
portsmouth, nh
saturday, august 2, 3pm
mass maritime academy
buzzard’s bay, ma
Katie – Adam Ezra Group
Flyin‘ – Adam Ezra Group
This month’s had a bunch of really good new songs and releases. There was a lot of really good stuff this month:
View from the Root [Album]
The Adam Ezra Group has rapidly become a favorite of mine, ever since I saw them last December with Carbon Leaf, and again when they returned a week later. They’ve recently come out with their latest album, and it’s a step up for them – they’ve really refined and strengthened their sound and have produced a really good record. Flyin’ is a nice, laid back song that just feels right, and Katie is another fantastic song from them with a great beat and rhythms. My review is coming soon.
Thirty One Today – Aimee Mann
This song feels and sounds great, but it’s depressing as hell. The guitar, keys, bass and vocals all work wonderfully today with a nice, seductive sound that’s really propelled it to the top of my playlist.
Julian of Norwich – Bombadil
A Buzz, A Buzz – Bombadil
I covered these guys recently with a review of their debut album, A Buzz, A Buzz. They’ve got a really neat, unique sound with some fantastic songwriting that’s really set them apart from a lot of other groups that I’ve listened to. Julian of Norwich and the title track, A Buzz, A Buzz are two of the best on the album.
Violet Hill – Coldplay
Coldplay’s first single off of their upcoming album. It’s pretty different from some of their earlier works. I like this sound, and I’ll be interested to see what the next album brings.
I Will Possess Your Heart – Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie’s back with a new album and a wholly new sound. I have yet to hear the rest of the record at this time, but so far, I really dig it. I Will Possess Your Heart, I think will become one of their better songs, despite the drama from the fanboys on this one. Bands do change their sound. Relax, you will live to see another day.
Westward Bound – The Fairline Parkway
Nowhere to Be – The Fairline Parkway
These guys are new, and made a splash at the South by Southwest festival. My review of this album is forthcoming, but here are two of my favorite tracks from this album.
Let It Go – Jon Regen
The Last Song – Jon Regen
Regen is a new artist to me, and I love his Soul/Jazz sound that really resembles Marc Cohn’s Walking In Memphis. This whole album is tight, full of emotion and really sounds fantastic.
Memory One – Lili Haydn
Satellites – Lili Haydn
Lili Haydn’s also a new artist to me, although this is her third album. She has a nice, easy going style that’s really set apart with the piano and violin.
John Adams Theme – Robert Lane
My new favorite show – I’m in love with history, and it’s fantastic to see a television show get something to the public that’s actually good. John Adams is a wonderful show about the founding of the US, and this theme song is just amazing.
Sir Digby Chicken Caesar – That Mitchell and Webb Look
This show just makes me laugh. This is actually a theme song for a reoccurring sketch within the show, but it’s so slapstick, it’s just hilarious.
Hideaway – The Weepies
I haven’t listened to these guys extensively, but I’m adding them to my ‘to listen’ list because I’m really liking their laid back sound here. These songs are light, with a fantastic sound and some interesting lyrics.
I wrote this up back in December, just before Christmas after seeing the Adam Ezra group in concert:
After seeing the Adam Ezra Group with Carbon Leaf, I was able to see them again shortly after when they came up to play at Nectar’s. I’m happy to report that the speakers were able to keep up with the musicians this time around (remembering the sound quality of the last time that I was here, with Grace Potter & The Nocturnals)
The opening band during this show was called Carlson, which broke my okay streak of good bands for the past couple of performers. These guys have spirit, I’ll give them that, and a bit of youthful energy of a band newly formed, but they have a long way to go here.
Sound-wise, they sound somewhat like a not-as-good Bright Eyes, at least vocally. Bright Eyes can pull off their sound. These guys can’t.
This show seems to be made up of songs from David Bowie’s album, Ziggy Stardust. It’s a very uneven affair for these guys – a couple of songs are covered okay, such as Star Man and Ziggy Stardust, but the majority of these aren’t that great.
They do pull out some good sounds here and there, particularly their guitarist, but for the most part, this isn’t consistent. The two vocalists had a hard time sticking together, as well as the instrumentals – guitars, drums and bass also had some trouble lining up to any good level. There are times when they get into an energetic rock song that sounds like most rock songs out there, but this isn’t a consistent thing by any means.
My first impression of these guys was that they’re a couple of college students who thought that a band was a good idea. While that idea remains fairly unclear, they do have some potential, but it’s a little ways down the road. What we have here is an initial foundation that could certainly lead somewhere down the road, but that’s a fairly unclear path at this point, and to make any sort of prediction now would probably be premature. Hopefully, they’ll settle on a sound that’ll at least work. Some more practice sessions in the garage probably won’t hurt either.
Random quote from guy : Oh, everyone still sober? My bad.
Ziggy Stardust and the Space Invaders from Mars – Entire Set covered
Adam Ezra Group
These guys where a huge step up from the Carltons. They started off strong with their jam/rock/funk sound. Like last time, they’ve got a good mix in vocals and instruments that’s pretty together. Their sound works really well in Nectar’s, and they drew a pretty good crowd. And, once again, it looked like they were having fun on stage – they’ve got a great energy and vibe for the crowd. They seem to have an even greater energy than before, when they opened for Carbon Leaf, which is great.
It seems that this smaller venue is really where these guys are at home, at least for now – their energy really works in a smaller place such as Nectar’s, especially with their higher energy songs. While this might change over time, they really dominated the space and sound of the room, and got the crowd moving up in front. They didn’t just go for the high energy, which is a plus in their direction – several songs slowed down the pace, but not so much the intensity and focus. This was a bit of a step up from my first viewing of them, which I was very pleased to hear. I think these guys have quite a bit of potential within New England, and hopefully down the road, larger portions of the country. That being said, I think that there’s still minor things to be done with their sound at times, but they’re well on their way.
I only stayed around to listen to these guys to around 1:30. I had an hour drive back home and didn’t want to get too tired for the drive back – There was probably another six or seven songs beyond what I have written down on the set list.
Set List
1 – Shine the Light on my Sister, Mama
* 2 – “For a while”
* 3 – Small Town City (Thanks!)
* 4 – Waiting (New Song)
5 – I say … turn around … take one dime
6 – All the Time … sings out
7 – all my memories … in my eyes. walk around this down with my hair pulled down.
8 – On The Crawl
* 9 – Western Man
* 10 – sometimes you just slide, back on the road down an open path … back on the long…
11 – Ain’t No Use (Adam Solo) (don’t think twice it’s alright)
12 – For a thousand years or more (Cover) no mess? romance? (Adam & Turtle)
13 – Coste Seega Rege? – South African (Adam & Turtle)
14 – Cover Man
(The band played on until past 1:30. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish writing down the set list, as my laptop ran out of battery power.)
So, pretty good night, if you ignore the first band. Adam Ezra’s supposed to be back up in Vermont soon, and I’ll definitely try and make it out to see them again.
Judas - Adam Ezra Group
This week’s cover and original is a favored song of mine, Blind Faith’s Can’t Find My Way Home. This version happens to be the electric version of the song, rather than the acoustic, but it works. The cover version comes from the Adam Ezra Group, which was released on their EP Crawl, as a hidden track. This is a really good copy, with some great guitar work, and the group’s vocals really takes on their own sound with this song, a bit slower and more deliberate.
Can’t Find My Way Home (Blind Faith) – Adam Ezra Group
Can’t Find My Way Home (Electric Version) – Blind Faith
Now that the new year is upon us, I’m going to spend the week looking back on what I liked from 2007. First up, the best new artists that I came across.
Last year was particularly rich in music for me over the entire year, but even more since I’ve started this site. I’ve come across a number of really good artists. Many thanks to everyone who’s gone out and shared a little of what they’ve liked with everyone. I’ve gone out and purchased more music than I ever have before, through iTunes and hard copy and even vinyl. Here’s some of my favorite new discoveries this year:
Adam Ezra Group
These guys I just discovered a couple of weeks ago, and are a smaller indie band out of Connecticut who’ve just started out and are playing smaller gigs around New England. If you like Dispatch or Blues Traveler, you’ll likely like these guys. They’ve got a ton of songs up for grabs on their website, and they’ve got a pretty energetic live show.
Small Town City - Adam Ezra Group
The Alternate Routes
The Alternate Routes really released their first CD back in 2005, but they re-released Good and Reckless and True to fairly good radio coverage – You’ve probably heard Time Is A Runaway on the radio. I got to see them twice this summer, and their first album is a fantastic first effort on their part, there’s a bunch of really good sounds. A good one for any Ryan Adams fans out there.
Time Is A Runaway - The Alternate Routes
Blitzen Trapper
These guys were highlighted on NPR, which led me to check them out. They’ve got a bunch of really good songs and a new album out this year that I really enjoyed, especially Sci-Fi Kid and Wild Mountain Nation.
Sci-Fi Kid - Blitzen Trapper
Ferraby Lionheart
I loved this guy – Ferraby Lionheart’s got a wonderful sound along the lines of Rufus Wainwright. He’s been busy this year, with his first album, called Catch the Brass Ring and a self-titled EP. Catch the Brass Ring was in my time five albums of the year, and comes highly recommended from me.
Vermont Avenue - Ferraby Lionheart
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irgova
These two guys starred in the movie Once, which I’ve heard a lot about. Neither are actors, but singers, and covered a Dylan song for the soundtrack I’m Not There, which I also want to see (I think I have to wait until DVD). They also contributed to Once’s Sountrack.
You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irgova
Gregory Douglass
Douglass was recommended to me earlier this summer. He’s another Vermont musician, and has been doing gigs in the area. Hopefully I’ll be catching him next February when he comes to the Higher Ground. He’s got a really easy sound, somewhere along Rock and Soul. He just released his latest album Up & Away, which is quite good.
Hang Around - Gregory Douglass
Jesca Hoop
I think Jesca Hoop is one of my favorite new artists of the year. A breakout hit from Myspace and KCRW in California, she’s really gotten big in the blog world with her really unique sound and songwriting. Kismet is her debut album this year.
Money - Jesca Hoop
Jess Clemons & The Cooperative
Jess Clemons is another musician who I’d gone to high school with (the other being Grace Potter from the Nocturnals). She’s about to release a self titled album that sounds really good, and is someone to check out if you like Grace Potter.
Make-Out Song - Jess Clemons & The Coopertive
Kate Nash
Kate Nash, out of England, has her first album, Made of Bricks, coming out soon. She’s got a really cool sound. She’s got spunk and energy, and her entire first album is a fun one to listen to.
Foundations - Kate Nash
Priscilla Ahn
I saw Ahn open for Cary Brothers earlier this year, and she did fantastically on her own. She’s done a bit of work with other artists before, with Cary Brothers and Amos Lee, providing backup vocals, and now She’s released her first self-titled EP earlier this year and should have her first album out shortly, which I’m looking forwards to.
Lullaby - Priscilla Ahn
Sara Bareilles
Bareilles became a big internet hit with myspace and iTunes earlier this summer with her song Love Song. She has an incredibly strong voice and is probably one of the best female singers to come out this year. Love Song’s getting a lot of radio play, but there are a bunch of good songs on her album.
Love Song - Sara Bareilles
Skye
Skye came to my attention with a fantastic cover of Gorillaz’s song Feel Good Inc. She was a singer with another band, but is now solo, having released her first album Mind How You Go recently. She’s got a soft, easy sound that’s good for chilling out.
What’s Wrong With Me? – Skye
The Softlightes
I found these guys with their video for their first single, Heart Made of Sound, which is probably one of my favorite songs of the year, and probably one of the best videos that I’ve seen. Very creative. These guys have a wonderful sound with their first album, which came out earlier this spring, Say No To Being Cool, Yes to Being Happy. If you like Death Cab for Cutie, these guys sound similar, and very upbeat.
Heart Made of Sound - The Softlightes
Vampire Weekend
I suspect that these guys will make their big splash next year when their first album is released. They’ve already been huge this year on the internet, and it’s easy to see why – these guys are fun and interesting and really out there. They’ve got a weird afro-indie sound that’s pretty cool. I suspect that they’ll be one of the bigger indie bands to come out this/next year.
Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend
Some other groups that’ve been around for a long time that I just came across:
Josh Ritter
Corb Lund and the Hurtin’ Albanians
Brandi Carlile
British Sea Power
Cary Brothers
Arcade Fire
Coming Up, the best Albums and Songs of the year.
Small Town City - Adam Ezra Group
On The Crawl - Adam Ezra Group
(More tracks are avaliable through their website, here)
So, last night, Carbon Leaf returned to the Higher Ground for another amazing show. Despite the winter weather advisory, they pulled in a full house. They were fronted by the Adam Ezra Group, whom I had never heard of, but was quite impressed by.
Adam Ezra Grou Set List
1 Opening (Missed this one)
2 Gave Into Pressure
3 Nightly Gesture, I Call You
4 All Band Drum Solo
5 Say I’m not the Only One
6 Small Town City
7 Don’t Shine the Light on my System Mama
8 Back on the Road Tonight
9 We All Try Do or Die
10 Wagon Wheel (Old Crow Medicine Show)
11 You Can Tell A Lot About A Man
Unfortunently, I don’t know what the song titles are for the songs – these are snippits of the lyrics (except for Wagon Wheel and Small Town City).
I was pretty impressed by these guys. If you liked Dispatch or Blues Traveller, The Adam Ezra Group will probably suit you. They’ve got a cool drum lineup, as well as a fun, energetic sound. These guys looked like they were having a lot of fun on stage, and Adam seemed to never stop, either running around the stage or through the crowd at one point.
I was most impressed by several songs, most notably Small Town City, which really stood out from their setlist – this marked a refined and passionate song with some good songwriting here. Their sound overall is fairly unrefined, raw, and I imagine that they’ll be working over the next couple years to something even better. But as a beginning, these guys are someone to keep an eye on. I’ll be highlighting them in more detail later.
I got to speak with Adam after the show – nice guy, really enthusiastic about music and interested in the blog and everything surrounding that. Hopefully, I’ll get around to seeing them again next week when they play at Nectar’s.
Carbon Leaf Setlist
1 Wolftrap and Fireflies
2 Another Man’s Woman (New Song)
3 Toy Soldiers
4 Let Your Troubles Roll By
5 Texas Stars
6 For The 1st Time (New Song)
7 One Prairie Outpost
8 Life Less Ordinary
9 Attica’s Flowerbox Window
10 For Your Violin
11 The Boxer
12 Paloma
13 When I’m Alone
14 War Was In Color
15 Meltdown (New Song)
16 Come Together
Encore
17 Favorite Things Jam (By the Christmas Power Trio)
18 What Child Is This
19 What About Everything
Now, Carbon Leaf. I am continually amazed at how they’ll change up their shows a bit. This show featured a bunch of new songs – Another Man’s Woman, For the 1st Time and Meltdown. The best of these was Meltdown, which really blew me away.
Once again, the guys pulled out all the energy for this show – they really did a fantastic set, with a lot of new and some really old stuff that I’ve never heard live before (Toy Soldiers!). I’m not sure this is the best concert that I’ve heard from them, but it’s certainly one of the better ones.
One thing that impressed me the most, more than other shows, was Carter’s Guitarwork for this show. Completely off the hook and leaps and bounds above what I’ve ever heard before. There were a bunch of really cool solos here, and I’m really hoping that some of them will make their way onto Archive.org. I know the Boston Show will be making it’s way up there sometime soon, and I have another recent show that I’ll be pulling some new songs off of.
I finally got to speak with Terry and Barry – guys, if you read this, it was an absolute pleasure to see you guys again. Next time you’re up in Vermont, I’ve got a round of drinks for you.
Small Town City – Adam Ezra Group
The Boxer – Carbon Leaf
