I am so glad I dusted this delightful little set off. It’s been a while since I listened to it, but this was a fantastic show I attended in 2002; I remember being supremely excited about the high school dream-pairing lineup of Toad/Counting Crows (and went to two shows of the five-show run). Both bands were top notch.
After formally disbanding in 1998 (after over a decade of making music together), Toad The Wet Sprocket reunited for a string of shows, opening for Counting Crows in San Francisco during one of the Crows’ December runs at the Warfield. Despite being the opening act and only having 45 minutes to play, this is an excellent setlist full of songs that perfectly align with what I would have hand-picked if they had asked my opinion. It’s a night of rosy memories — I saw the show with two of my longtime best friends, and I recall having dinner before the concert at a fantastic tiny little Italian restaurant that I’ve never been able to recall or find ever again. Blame it on the red wine.
Toad The Wet Sprocket December 17, 2002 The Warfield, SF
So, my secret is that I am addicted to wonderful, touching, funny, sad, voyueristic and strangely connecting appeal of the PostSecret blog and series of books. Billed as an “ongoing community art project,” people are invited to send in their secrets on one side of a homemade postcard. The secrets range all over the map, from humorous to heartbreaking, and the anonymity only makes it more fascinating. The author could be the guy sitting in the next cube, it could be your sister, it could be your dentist.
There have been travelling exhibits in the past of the actual postcards that Frank (the PostSecret dude) has received — many that have never been seen anywhere else. He is hitting the bookstore circuit this month, signing the new PostSecret book, and sharing some of his stories. I am going to try and check out the one in Denver.
My newest find, thanks to friend Chad (who said that they remind him of what the Zombies might be doing if they were recording today), is a couple of 20 year-olds from California who go by the name Princeton. Clearly these kids listen to some great influences because their music is instantly likeable without being silly. It’s simple and catchy, with some great handclap action going on, as well as tambourines, heavenly harmonies, and piano cadences that stick in your head.
Their 2006 EP A Case Of the Emperor’s Clothes was made with “one microphone, one acoustic guitar, a cheap keyboard, three pairs of hands, three sets of vocal chords, and one small egg shaker. All of the music produced by this small arsenal of sound was compiled, edited, and recorded in two rather poorly decorated London flats by a set of twin brothers and their best friend.”
Thus bringing us to the second best thing about this music — it was recorded during a study abroad sojourn (!!) which is something near and dear to my heart. While studying abroad at various universities in London, brothers Jesse & Matt Kivel and their pal Ben Usen also performed their music relentlessly in pubs and clubs, recorded the EP, and even got some radio interviews and mentions (Radio Star Fleet London, Smoke Radio). And that’s pretty impressive — the only thing I can boast about doing extremely well while studying abroad in Florence was eating a lot of gelato & drinking more than I should have on school nights.
LISTEN: Blackbeard – Princeton (maybe set your iTunes to start playing it at 0:02 and skip the opening pirate chortle/disgruntled Santa noise) The Indifference Curve – Princeton (it kicks in delightfully around 0:54)
G. Love (or Garrett Dutton, as his mama calls him) sent out this cool announcement today:
In January Philadelphonic Records will be releasing my “first” record, G. Love Oh Yeah. This record was recorded in 1992 in a number of different studios including Skidmore College and Temple University studios.
This record was the first documentation of Hip-Hop Blues and includes the original recordings of “Baby’s Got Sauce”,“Shooting Hoops” and “Rhyme for the Summertime.” I originally pressed up 250 cassette tapes of “Oh Yeah” and sold them on the streets of Boston while I was busking.
I call “Oh Yeah” my first record and 15 years later it finally hits the digital stores. Pretty cool. I still can’t figure out exactly how I played all of these songs. It’s as easy to hear the John Hammond and Lightning Hopkins influence as it is to hear the De La Soul. It’s definitely a cool record and is 100 percent acoustic solo foot-stomping-streetside-blues.
Samples: Mother – G. Love Sauce (original version of Baby’s Got Sauce) – G. Love
I think the album sounds fantastic, as early thumpin’ stompin’ G Love tends to be my favorite. The digital release of the album is set for January 23rd, with an exclusive earlier release on iTunes a week sooner (1/16).
:: TRACKLISTING AND NOTES FROM GARRETT:: 1. SAUCE The original version of “baby’s got sauce… the version I used to play on the streets of Boston … the original hip hop blues 2. WHAT’S GOING ON This is a sweet romancing song written when I couldn’t get a date. Front porch style. 3. WRITING ON THE WALLS When blues and hip hop city streets meet. A glorification of my graffiti writing days. 4. GIRLS AT THE LAUNDROMAT Another day dream about meeting the perfect girl at the Laundromat. 5. RUN FOR ME This is a cool tune about trying to get served as a minor all about finding yourself in a strange town. 6. MOTHER A dope rap about saving Mother Nature. The chorus was inspired by the Robert Johnson tune “breakin’ down” 7. RHYME FOR THE SUMMERTIME This is the first rap I wrote. Slide guitar and chicken scratch. 8. LEAVING THE CITY One of my best blues. A city kid dreaming of the country. 9. THE FAT ONE Nothing wrong with the fat one. 10. SHOOTIN’ HOOPS The original version of a G. Love classic. No frills straight streetside.
:: TOUR DATES ::(some with Matt Costa) Fri. 1/12 – Nashville, TN – City Hall Sat. 1/13 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues Sun. 1/14 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues Wed. 1/17 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom Thu. 1/18 – Kansas City, MO – Voodoo Lounge Fri. 1/19 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium Sat. 1/20 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium Tue. 1/23 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox Wed. 1/24 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox Thu. 1/25 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom Fri. 1/26 – San Francisco, CA – Warfield Theatre Sat. 1/27 – San Francisco, CA – Warfield Theatre Tue. 1/30 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues Wed. 1/31 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues Thu. 2/1 – Tempe, AZ – The Marquee Theater Fri. 2/2 – West Hollywood, CA – House of Blues Sat. 2/3 – West Hollywood, CA – House of Blues Fri. 2/16 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues Wed. 2/28 – Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live
I don’t know about you, but I’ve often pondered the existential question that all of us, if we’re honest, must someday answer: If you attended Bayside High, which Saved By The Bell character would you be? Finally there is a quiz to help you make that all-important determination with great questions like:
Everybody’s got a dark side. What’s yours? a) I’ve moved a lot because my dad’s in the military, so it’s difficult for me to make friends. b) I was addicted to caffeine pills. c) I’m a complete nerd…how much more dark can you get?! d) I went on a date with Screech. Eww! e) My family isn’t very wealthy, despite what people might think. f) I’ve been struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, depression and mild anxiety… Syke! Ha ha, I had you fooled there, didn’t I? You really believed I was that messed up! Ha ha! What a moron!
Bonus points if you can match each option with the appropriate character. It’s somewhat comforting to have such clear-cut roles in life. By the way, it tells me that I am Kelly Kapowski. I’m not really seein’ it; I think I’m more of a Screech (nerd), or maybe Slater? I’ve always so admired his fashion sense.
Happy new year and happy new music!
Sunday Morning k-os This one’s just fun and fresh and feels like something you should dance around to (if you, unlike me, have any feisty left in you after last night and especially -ugh- this morning). A slaptastic backbeat and repetitive lyrics that sound like they are droning at you from very far away, this is infectiously catchy. It’s got the class of an old soul deal remixed with modern hip hop beats, from Trinidad-Canadian k-os (stands for knowledge of self, pronounced like “chaos”) to help you start your year off right. From the upcoming release Atlantis: Hymns For Disco(EMI International).
Up Rob Crow I was prompted to finally listen to this new song that I downloaded a few weeks ago by seeing and (magnabbit!) liking the freaking Clorox Wipes commercial that Rob Crow (of San Diego band Pinback, not to be confused with Nickelback) penned and is, sadly, only available to tug at your heartstrings and make you feel all oozy as a snippet in the ad, as you watch a dad dance around with his daughter standing on his feet (as he stops, inexplicably, to wipe the table with a Clorox wipe, which is the logical move at that time in fuzzy technicolor-memory moments with your kids). Sorry. Back to this song, it’s from Crow’s forthcoming (Jan 23) album Living Well (Temporary Residence Ltd) and it reminds me a little of early Beck in its lo-fi acoustic/electronica-hybrid goodness.
Everybody’s Talking (written by Fred Neil, popularized by Harry Nilsson) Luna Dreamy (now defunct) indie ’90s band Luna put out a covers-only album this summer on Rhino Records (called Lunafied) that I just adore. You all know that I love the creative energies present in the best reinterpretations, and this album presents an always-interesting journey through songs by artists from the New York new-wave of Blondie and the Talking Heads to the Sixties goodness of Serge Gainsbourg and Donovan.
I Am A Leaver The Damnwells The second studio album from Brooklyn’s The Damnwells, Air Stereo (Zoe Records) made it onto the best-of 2006 lists of several friends I respect, so I decided to take it for a spin. Their sounds is warm and full, a golden pop-alt-country vibe that for me draws up memories of Gin Blossoms and the handful of Goo Goo Dolls songs that I like. It’s robust and thoroughly enjoyable, damn good.
War No More(link below) Tommy Guerrero San Francisco musician/ex-skateboarding legend Tommy Guerrero has a laid back, earthy sound that would be right at home on the front porch of one of the city’s lovely old houses, or perhaps a beach somewhere in the Pacific. This instrumental track has a global vibe to it with African-feeling drums and a shimmery Latin melody. Guerrero contributed to some of my favorite tracks on the Sprout surf movie soundtrack, and the aptly-named From The Soil To The Soul is an album that I could definitely see myself playing on repeat.
Trying something new, this is a free download of the song through an independent music promotor, IODA. They do all the linky work for me:
Name: Heather Browne Location: Colorado, originally by way of California Giving context to the torrent since 2005.
"I love the relationship that anyone has with music: because there's something in us that is beyond the reach of words, something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out. It's the best part of us, probably, the richest and strangest part..."
—Nick Hornby, Songbook
"Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel." —Hunter S. Thompson
Mp3s are for sampling purposes, kinda like when they give you the cheese cube at Costco, knowing that you'll often go home with having bought the whole 7 lb. spiced Brie log. They are left up for a limited time. If you LIKE the music, go and support these artists, buy their schwag, go to their concerts, purchase their CDs/records and tell all your friends. Rock on.
I am so glad I dusted this delightful little set off. It’s been a while since I listened to it, but this was a fantastic show I attended in 2002; I remember being supremely excited about the high school dream-pairing lineup of Toad/Counting Crows (and went to two shows of the five-show run). Both bands were top notch.
After formally disbanding in 1998 (after over a decade of making music together), Toad The Wet Sprocket reunited for a string of shows, opening for Counting Crows in San Francisco during one of the Crows’ December runs at the Warfield. Despite being the opening act and only having 45 minutes to play, this is an excellent setlist full of songs that perfectly align with what I would have hand-picked if they had asked my opinion. It’s a night of rosy memories — I saw the show with two of my longtime best friends, and I recall having dinner before the concert at a fantastic tiny little Italian restaurant that I’ve never been able to recall or find ever again. Blame it on the red wine.
Toad The Wet Sprocket
Awww, look. Princeton gets lost on the Tube just like I do. Circle? Bakerloo? Piccadilly?
Buy at 
Buy at 
Name: Heather Browne
