After a year’s hiatus due to COVID-19, Thursdays on the Village Green is back on Hamilton’s Village Green. In addition to performances every Thursday, each night will includes family-friendly events arranged by the Hamilton Public Library. Live Music At the Village Green dates back to 1902 and is a great place to get together as a community.
photo credit to Scrap Paper Social.
The series will begin on July 15th with Chris Eves and the New Normal, followed by Leon Etienne. July 22nd brings Stephane Wrembel, one of the foremost master guitarists in the world specializing in the Django Reinhardt style. Next is July 29th with Realtime Dixieland Band and August 5th features Nate Marshall & the Family Band. August 12th brings 90s cover band Lazer Dad along with the Robert Rogers Puppet Show “Just So Stories.” August 19th will feature Opus Black String Quartet with the Utica Zoomobile “Amazing Animal Tails” for the activity.
Thursdays on The Village Green will give locals and visitors alike a chance to enjoy downtown Hamilton’s eateries and boutiques. Ranging from home goods and fashion to antiques and gifts, there’s something for everyone to explore and enjoy.
The audience is encouraged to dine on the Village Green or enjoy the music from the patio of the Colgate Inn. The evening’s concert and activities are free for all to enjoy. Blankets, chairs and dancing are encouraged!
Activities for events will begin at 5:30 PM and music will run from 7:00 PM until 8:30 PM. For more information, please visit their Facebook page or the event website.
Historic Lark Hall venue in Albany has big things coming.
Lark Hall owners Jennifer and Justin Miller have just announced a new management services agreement with Building Blocks Management, LLC, owned by Albany natives Danny and Stephen Taylor.
Owners Jennifer and Justin Miller
The Taylor brothers have strong experience in music venue operations. Danny currently serves as General Manager at the Palace Theatre in Albany, while Stephen is General Manager at Hi-Line Merchandising, based in Shoemakersville, PA.
The Taylors are eager to collaborate with the Millers in ramping up Lark Hall’s operations, seeing as COVID-19 restrictions are now lifted in New York State. These steps will include bolstering front of house operations, hiring new staff and security personnel and improving room management and bar operations.
This management partnership is exciting news for Albany-area music lovers as Lark Hall hopes to book even bigger talent and, of course, ensure that fans have an enjoyable and memorable live music experience.
The Millers with Danny and Stephen Taylor
We are excited to announce this partnership with Building Blocks Management, which will allow us to quickly achieve our mission to host and manage top level artists and events at Lark Hall and deliver a unique fan and guest experience like no other in the region. Danny and Stephen have quietly become two of the most talented and respected leaders in the venue and live music event management industry – both locally and across the country.
From the day we met, we knew the Taylor brothers were a perfect fit for our management and planning needs and they instantly recognized our goals and the potential for Lark Hall to be a premier venue not only for Albany, but the entire Capital District and beyond. We welcome them to the Lark Hall family and look forward to exciting times ahead.
Jennifer and Justin Miller
In addition to this big news, Lark Hall will also be hosting a job fair for prospective employees. Those interested in working with the Lark Hall team can attend the fair on July 17 from 10AM-2PM in the main event space at 351 Hudson Avenue in Albany (corner of Lark Street and Hudson Avenue).
NYS Music profiled Lark Hall back in March, outlining over 100 years of history. The venue has “a long history of being operated and owned by women” and has held suffrage conventions, wartime aid operations, school dances, fitness events and so much more.
A post-pandemic Lark Hall is sure to bring great entertainment and promising new ventures. You can keep up with Lark Hall and explore upcoming events including job fair details on their website.
Hudson-Valley native and indie-pop singer-songwriter, Aubrey Haddard, shared her new single “National Tragedy” on June 23, along with a music video. “National Tragedy” is the latest of four singles released by Haddard over the course of the last year.
Inspired by singer-guitarist Susan Tedeschi, Haddard forged her own path in music with a confident spirit and bold art style. She released her debut album Blue Part in July 2018 to wide critical acclaim. The success of Blue Part resulted in seven nominations and several wins at the 2018 Boston Music Awards, including Vocalist of the Year and Singer/Songwriter of the Year.
Following her debut, Haddard has made a name for herself at festivals across the country, including Firefly, Mountain Jam, and Waking Windows.
This year, Haddard has released one other single besides “National Tragedy,” called “Red Portuguese.” In 2020, she released “Thin Line” and “Sweeter Than Honey,” that show the beginning of her shift to a more smoother, retro style.
Like reliving a childhood memory of witnessing something scary on the television, it was remembering Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales’ passing that inspired the song. “National Tragedy” provides a soundtrack to Haddard’s memory of the unwavering presence of the news in her childhood home, to the confusion of watching her mother crying on the couch, and the sorrow played out on TV.
One of my earliest memories is my mother watching Princess Di’s funeral on our old screened-in porch, the feelings of uncertainty and sadness. Throughout my life, each time tragedy struck and the world stopped to watch, the reality would sink into me a little deeper, but in September ‘97, my inability to understand was the perfect escape. “National Tragedy” is part memory, part sweet escape and an all too familiar feeling.
Aubrey Haddard on “National Tragedy”
Haddard takes on a different, more somber style for this release. Usually a passionate rocker similar to Tedeschi, “National Tragedy” has a tinge of 70s easy-listening. The guitar riffs are repetitive and the drums are simple, which complement Haddard’s controlled, yet strong voice. The instrumental break in the middle of the song can be best compared to late-60s experimental art-rock like Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”
According to Haddard, “National Tragedy” needed a music video to match the song’s “lighthearted, imaginative twist.” The result is an animated clip art utilizing ethereal scrapbook-like collages by collaborator Kaya Blaze Kelley.
Narrating her own experiences in life and love, she holds space for dialogues of hardships as well as times of joy. Her goal is to encourage others by singing her truth, and her relatable topics and catchy lyrics are a great way to connect to listeners.
Haddard will also be performing live at the Levitate Music Festival in Massachusetts on July 9, 2021.
Renowned music photographer Michael Weintrob has announced his newest book, Instrumenthead: Revealed along with a free livestreamed concert series.
Weintrob’s 2017 photo book, Instrumenthead, showcases portraits of famous musicians with their signature instruments covering their faces. It won the Independent Book Publisher’s Award for Most Outstanding Design.
Instrumenthead: Revealed will feature “unmasked” portraits of the same 369 musicians, taken at the same photography session. Portraits include Bootsy Collins, Susan Tedeschi, Mickey Hart, Johnny Winter, Charlie Musselwhite and many more.
Michael Weintrob, photo accessed through his website.
I want to do my part to inspire people to learn about new music and the artists who create it. I love to connect and break down walls with my photography. Everyone has the ability to be a kid again. This book is really special, because we’re unmasking the original photos. The book reflects the new energy this year.
Michael Weintrob
Instrumenthead: Revealed is available for preorder until July 22 through a crowdfunding campaign. $3 of every book will benefit the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic. Founded by a coalition of music advocates in 1998, the New Orleans’ Musicians’ Clinic is the first medical clinic for musicians, performing artists and cultural workers in the US.
In addition to his new book release, Weintrob is also presenting a concert series featuring several of the “revealed” artists. The concerts will be livestreamed and free to enjoy.
6/22 Steve Poltz * 6/23 Kyle Tuttle Band featuring Lindsay Lou * 6/24 Korby Lenker 6/27 Ashley Campbell * 6/29 Sally And George 6/30 Richie Owen and the Farm Bureau 7/1 Boo Ray 7/4 Muriel Anderson 7/6 Moon Taxi Duo * 7/7 Jeff Coffin, Victor Wooten, Future Man, Bob Lanzetti * 7/8 Vince Herman and Friends (Steve Poltz, Kyle Tuttle, Anthony DeCosta) * 7/11 Taylor Brashiers and Then the Killer Dee’s 7/13 Tim Easton 7/14 Cody Brooks and Bee Taylor / Emory joseph 7/15 Lady Couch Acoustic 7/18 Michael Webb Trio 7/20 Ghost Note * 7/21 – Peter Levin and Friends (Marcus King, Lamar Williams, Jr, Chad Gamble, Jimbo Hart) *
On June 24, members of the American Symphony Orchestra played Opus 40 in Woodstock. Winds Among Trees, a wind instrument sextet brought a new layer to experiencing the sculpture park. Both shared a story of creative survival amidst destruction, which made it the perfect time and place for the convergence to occur.
The sextet blending in the shadows
Senses Alive
Bright light, contrasting stone and stunning landscapes made for the perfect atmosphere. Placing the band strategically on the artwork itself, allowed for an elevated way of experiencing both the art and the music.
A welcomed visual obstruction
Ornate hedges and seemingly innocuous smaller sculptures partially obstructed nearly every view the music and the monolith. Senses were heightened as participants were compelled to be more present, and listening with a more focused ear and eye. As the post-solstice afternoon progressed, the sun started to blare into the eyes of the audience, which made viewers feel like they were part of a progressive performance art piece.
Enjoying the experience
Rare Music, Rare Location
The contrasting stone with all of the afternoon’s light made all the of the artist’s intentions clear. The monolith’s sun dial- like beacon of love was built on an old bluestone quarry after the land had been destroyed by construction.
Beautiful works like this achieved though years of manual labor.
The music played by the sextet was extremely rare in that it is not often played or performed, but also in the idea of it being chosen by the musicians. During shutdown, when all sought-after cultural celebrations of art and music were closed, members of the American Symphony Orchestra were given an interesting assignment. Captains were chosen to enlist a team to learn a collection of rare music.
A beautiful venu
This is not common and the idea to perform these collections in different interesting venues made this even more thoughtful. Being able to have creative control as well as the project and accountability hopefully helped some through the incredibly trying time.
Music stands excited they non longer have to socially distance
Visitors to Opus 40 took away a feeling of gratitude. They felt music in a unique environment during a new beginning for our society.
Setlist: Serenade for 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, and 2 Horns (Matyas Seiber), Sextet No. 1 in Eb (F.H.J. Castil-Blaze), Sextet (Harald Genzmer), Adagio and Rondo (Carl Maria von Weber)
Setlist via americansymphony.org
To see more of what the ASO has done over shutdown, visit their website.
The album that solidified Neo-Soul/Hip Hop outfit, The Roots, as a force in the hip hop realm is being redistributed. Considered a staple of the Jazz-rap subgenre, Do You Want More?!!!??!, achieved cult-like status despite not selling an immense amount of units. The group’s major-label debut was released over 26 years ago on January, 17 1995 and didn’t reach Gold status until 2015, over 20 years later.
Nonetheless, the album’s merits are never to be questioned. In an era of machismo and increasingly violent tales in hip hop, the Philadelphia bred ensemble managed to entrench themselves in music history in their own way. Their blend of live instrumentation, story-telling along with the introspective and technically proficient lyrics of Black Thought and Malik B. made them a first of their kind.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=uROfXQML7NY
Led once again by, MC Tariq“Black Thought” Trotter and drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, the Philadelphia rap crew are going back to where it began with a 3LP, 4LP and a digital deluxe collection of Do You Want More?!!!??! to be released on June 25, 2021 via Geffen/Ume records.
This deluxe edition draws from the original recordings and features 18 bonus tracks curated by Questlove, ranging from unreleased records to songs that have never made it to streaming platforms. The 3LP deluxe vinyl edition features five bonus tracks — “Proceed II Feat. Roy Ayers”, “Proceed III”, “Proceed IV (AJ Shine Mix)”, “Proceed V (Beatminerz Mix),” along with five remixes of “Silent Treatment,” with the “Street Mix” made available for streaming before the project’s release.
Also included, is a 24-page booklet featuring images taken by Mpozi Tolbert, essays by Questlove and Black Thought as well as track-by-track commentary. The 4LP edition features all of the above plus another additional eight bonus tracks; “In Your Dreams Kid (I’m Every MC),” “The Ultimate (Original ’94 Version),” “……(dot dot dot…on & on),” “Pffat Time,” “Swept Away (Original Draft),” “It’s Coming,“”Lazy Afternoon (Alternate Version),” and two remix versions of “Distortion To Static.”
By way of their innovative and breakthrough blend of hip hop and other black genres, The Roots have cemented themselves as an important part of rap’s evolution, distinguising themselves as the first true hip hop band. Their success as artists have also spawned other opportunities. They also serve as the house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and held the same role on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from 2009 to 2014.
With the deluxe edition of Do You Want More?!!!??!, a classic album is revisited. While it can be a risk to dabble with an album held to such prestige, fans should have trust in the group’s combined musical connaissance.
The deluxe version of Do You Want More?!!!??! can be streamedhere.
The Long Island Music Hall of Fame has announced the awarding of its 2021 student scholarships. This year LIMHOF acknowledged four students with the $500 Distinction in Music award for their accomplishments.
This year’s winners are Elias Giuliano of Northport; Emily Howell of Plainview; Lauren Enos of Riverhead; and Anthony Barone of Mastic.
“The Long Island Music Hall of Fame is honored to have the opportunity to support and acknowledge accomplished high school seniors who are pursuing a future in music… The talent that exists on Long Island is something we at LIMHoF want to celebrate. In addition to following their own dreams, we believe these students will encourage and inspire others.”
LIMHoF Education Chairman Tom Needham
Left to right, top to bottom: Elias Giuliano of Northport; Emily Howell of Plainview; Lauren Enos of Riverhead; and Anthony Barone of Mastic, were the recipients of the 2021 Long Island Music Hall of Fame Distinction in Music Award.
Here are the for LIMHoF award winners:
Elias Giuliano, who attends Northport High School, plays viola in the symphony orchestra and piano in the jazz ensemble. He received accolades for his original compositions of piano music. “Elias possesses the versatility of a first-rate composer, performer, and mentor to so many students. He is an outstanding musician and person,” said Dr. Frank Doyle — who was awarded by LIMHoF as Music Educator of Note in 2016.
“I am honored and thrilled to be a LIMHoF scholarship recipient,” Giuliano said. “As an aspiring music teacher who wants to make music a lasting part of my life — and hopefully the lives of many others — I am humbled to be recognized by some of Long Island’s most amazing talent.”
Giuliano plans to attend SUNY Fredonia this fall and major in Music Education.
Emily Howell, who attends Plainview Old Bethpage High School, plays the French horn. In addition to recognition as a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) All-Eastern Symphony Orchestra, she was also a member of the 2019 All-State Wind Ensemble and 2020 All-State Symphony Orchestra as a principal horn.
“Music provides a mode of expression and gives hope in a way that nothing else can; it truly enriches my life,” Howell said. “Music provides comfort and solace at all times — and especially in today’s unsettled times. Whether it might be at a funeral (where music truly heals), or a wedding (where music commemorates and celebrates), or simply in my living room or kitchen (where some type of live or recorded music is always going), music has an emotional role and influential presence. It is a vehicle for communication, an art of sound that expresses emotions, thoughts, and ideas through harmonies, rhythms and melody: The ultimate universal language that speaks to everyone.”
Howell plans to attend Julliard School of Music and major in performance on French horn.
Lauren Enos, who attends Riverhead High School, has been playing music since the third grade. She currently plays bass clarinet, and she participated in the All-State 2020 Wind Ensemble and was principal clarinet in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) All-State 2019 Symphony Orchestra.
“It is a great honor to receive an award from the Long Island Music Hall of Fame and to be among some of the most distinguished musicians on Long Island,” Enos said. “I appreciate the generosity of this organization in their efforts to help musicians like me further their musical endeavors.”
Enos plans to attend Eastman School of Music in Rochester.
Anthony Barone, who attends William Floyd High School, plays double bass in the William Floyd High School Symphonic Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. He also participated in the All-State 2019 and 2020 Symphony Orchestra and the New York Youth Symphony. “Anthony is the real deal,” said William Floyd Symphonic Orchestra Director Christopher Shaughnessy about Barone, “…One of the hardest working students I have ever met.”
“Music has made me what I am now, and in my heart of hearts, music is who I am,” said Barone. “I will become a teacher to not only spread my appreciation of music, but to also help those, like me, through music.”
Barone plans to attend Ithaca College this fall and major in Bass Performance.
Students in Brooklyn, Nassau, Queens, and Suffolk counties are eligible to apply for the scholarships. This program is in addition to other education acknowledgments that the Long Island Music Hall of Fame sponsors, including the Music Educator of Note and the High School Recognition Awards. Learn more about LIMHoF’s scholarship program HERE.
As live music returns, archival streams are going the way of the Dodo, at least for now. Phish has announced that their Dinner and a Movie series, which started in April 2020 will go back into the freezer, but not before one more installment, one from 1991 at Arrowhead Ranch in Parksville, NY.
Thus, on Tuesday, June 29 at 8:30 ET, Phish will broadcast their July 20, 1991 concert at New York’s Arrowhead Ranch, featuring The Giant Country Horns: Dave “The Truth” Grippo, Russell “Killer” Remington and Carl “Gears” Gerhard. The show was the second of a two-night stand at Ranch Arrowhead, and all ages shows with Phish and special guests TR3 and The Radiators opening.
Sue Zemanick, owner and James Beard Award-winning chef at Zasu, located in New Orleans’ Mid-City neighborhood provides the final meal for Dinner and a Movie. The name Zasu, derived from Zasa, which means “once again” in Slovak, is inspired by Sue’s Slovak heritage and childhood memories of family bonding in the kitchen. Sue brings a three course dinner of Coconut Curry Corn Soup, Spicy Tofu Larb Lettuce Wraps, and a Blueberry Creme Fraiche Pound Cake. Recipes can be found here.
The beneficiary for this episode is Phans for Racial Equity. PHRE promotes racial equity and respect for difference within the Phish and greater music community and beyond. Striving to make a more welcoming space for people of all races and ethnicities, bearing in mind the many ways in which race/ethnicity intersects with gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, disability, and other identities.
PHRE’s aim is to facilitate education and thoughtful engagement, first and foremost within the Phish community, about race and its intersection with other issues; give people tools to build a more welcoming environment; and activate our community to positively impact racial equity in the U.S. more broadly. More info here, and donate anytime here.
Phish – Arrowhead Ranch, Parksville, NY – July 20, 1991
Set 1: Chalk Dust Torture, Foam, The Squirming Coil > Llama, The Oh Kee Pa Ceremony > Suzy Greenberg[1], The Landlady[2], Bathtub Gin[1], My Sweet One, David Bowie[1]
Set 2: Buried Alive > Reba[3], Caravan[1], Dinner and a Movie[1], Flat Fee[1], Golgi Apparatus[1], Stash[1], The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday > Avenu Malkenu[1] > The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday, You Enjoy Myself[4], Rocky Top
Encore: Possum[5]
[1] Giant Country Horns.[2] Giant Country Horns; Rene Lopez on percussion.[3] Carl Gerhard whistled with the band.[4] Giant Country Horns; vocal jam based on burgers.[5] Giant Country Horns; Charlie Chan and Oom Pa Pa signals.
Denver-based guitarist Marcus Rezak just announced an album release tour to celebrate his newest EP, ‘Truth in Sound.’ He will begin the string of performances in New York City at Cafe Wha? and will conclude the tour in South Carolina.
Known as a master of jazz improvisation, Marcus is a frequent preference for bands and musicians looking for an excellent performing guitarist. He has a distinguished guitar style and an admirable stage presence that makes audience members craving an encore. He treats each show as if it were a live recording session, which is apparent because of the euphoric energy he radiates.
Marcus Rezak wrote, recorded, and produced ‘Truth in Sound’ over the course of 2020 in the hopes of healing listeners through music and lyrics. The EP features four epic tracks that showcase his talent as a writer as well as a guitarist. Shred is Dead & members of Mike Gordon, Nth Power, Kung Fu, Raq, and more will join Marcus on his tour. Members of Trey Anastasio Band collaborated with Marcus throughout the process of creating the sophomore EP and are featured on percussion and tabla.
Full Tour Schedule
6/27 – Cafe Wha? – New York, NY
6/30 – 118 North – Philadelphia, PA
7/1 – Cafe 611 – Frederick, MD
7/2 – The Camel – Richmond, VA
7/3 – 5 Points Music Sanctuary – Roanoke, VA
7/4 – Charleston Pour House – Charleston, SC
7/6 – Nectar’s – Burlington, VT
7/7 – Zenbarn – Waterbury, VT
7/8 – Stone Church – Brattleboro, VT
7/9 – T-Rex Theater – Essex, VT
7/15 – Levitt Pavilion Denver – Denver, CO
7/24 – Rancho Relaxo – Austin, TX
7/31 – Empire Control Room – Austin, TX
8/7 – The Lodge at Woods Boss Brewing – Denver, CO
8/13 – La Boca – Middleton, CT
8/14 – The Stone Church Music Club – Newmarket, NH
8/20-8/22 – Summer Camp Music Festival – Chillicothe, IL
9/18 – Deadwood Jam – Deadwood, SC
Tickets for the tour are currently on sale here. Additional dates will be announced throughout the summer. Rezak’s vinyl record via Color Red will be available in the coming weeks. You can pre-order it here.
These are old school music lovers. The obsessive Boomers who spent way too much of their youth flipping through tons of heavy vinyl, the literal and figurative. In used record and department stores. At yard sales, stoop sales and flea markets. In church basements and Goodwill and Salvation Army stores. Anywhere an obscure gem could be unearthed for less than the price of a cup of Joe or can of Tab (the original diet soda introduced in 1963, just ask your grandmother). Along the way, they developed wrists of mighty girth from all the light-speed musical flipping, much the same way today’s generation has thumbs overdeveloped from swiping through the limitless universe of sounds on Spotify, Pandora and the like and hook-ups on Tinder.
Now a duo of these music obsessives and a host of their friends have put together a book about their most memorable finds. With a reading and some deep listening, it will give you a doctorate degree in the deep cut music that matters most. These are the hidden gems of doo-wop, sunshine pop, psychedelia, progressive rock, soul, early metal and proto-punk, ones that are left out of rock’s big history books.
The White Label Promo Preservation Society: 100 Flop Albums You Ought to Know is a delicious new deep dive written and compiled by Sal Maida, NYC-born bassist for Roxy Music, Sparks and ‘70s power pop combo Milk ‘n’ Cookies, and veteran rock journo and A&R exec Mitchell Cohen. The duo recruited for their “society” a gang of esteemed music obsessives – musicians, label executives and journalists –who chose favorite albums from the ‘60s and ‘70s to rave about. The only criterion was that the albums never made the top 100 on Billboard’s LP Top 200.
As Sal and Mitchell write in the book’s introduction: “These are the albums you might not read about, except here. No one needs to tell you why Pet Sounds, Revolver or Blonde On Blonde are essential parts of any decent record collection or guide you towards classics – or even somewhat lesser efforts – by the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry or the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Or which Pink Floyd album is indispensable (hint: the debut; you can stop right there). Although we have strong opinions about pantheon artists like Led Zeppelin and Marvin Gaye and are happy to share those views with anyone within earshot, that isn’t what The White Label Promo Preservation Society: 100 Flop Albums You Ought to Know is about. We aren’t here to challenge or endorse rock orthodoxy. Neither is the mission to, once again, assert the brilliance of Skip Spence’s Oar, of such artists as Nick Drake, Big Star and the Velvet Underground, whose influence, despite the lack of any commercial success in their time, has been thoroughly – one might even say exhaustively – documented elsewhere.”
To help tell this story, Sal and Mitchell called upon an impressive team of two dozen guest essayists. They include Patti Smith Group guitarist and writer Lenny Kaye, producer Russ Titelman, scenester/singer Bebe Buell, journalists Jim Farber, Peter Keepnews, Ira Robbins and Mike Stax, Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley, NYC’s chameleon chanteuse Tammy Faye Starlite and many more.
What you will find here? Stories like how with Evie Sands made one of the most confident and accomplished albums by a female singer-songwriter, Any Way That You Want Me, two years before Carole King waxed her 1971 platinum-selling masterpiece, Tapestry. You’ll also hear how county crossover star Bobbie Gentry followed up her monster single “Ode to Billie Joe” and the LP of that title, with a haunting, mysterious concept album that defies description and still surprises with listens today. In all likelihood you will be introduced to the quirky New York folk-rock duo of Bunky & Jake, to the art-rock of Ars Nova, and to the entrancing psych-pop of Blossom Toes. Georgie Fame, Joe South, the Hollies, Jackie DeShannon, The Impressions, the Everly Brothers and Nico all pop up here, often in ways you might not expect. This is a book for everyone who has gravitated to used record stores, garage sales and flea markets and is willing to take a risk in on something simply based on the cover pic, the liner notes or the vibe/impulse to take it home.
As with his bass playing, Maida has a wonderful flow and emotional drive with his words. In The White Label Promo Preservation Society: 100 Flop Albums You Ought to Know, he demonstrates his authority and love for the deep cuts of British pop and American psyche like The Hollies’ Here! Here!, the Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll’s Open, The Bonniwell Music Machine, Curt Boettcher and The Millenium’s Begin, the debut by the Jeff Lynne-led Idle Race and Tomorrow’s self-titled debut. Cohen’s contributions span the stylistic gamut from the vocalese of DJ Murray the K’s Gassers for Submarine Race Watchers comp, the folk treasures in Tim Hardin’s debut and the off-beat pop of Lovin’ Spoonful guitarist Zal Yanovsky’s obscure debut, Alive and Well in Argentina. Cohen also tackles the progressive soul of The Impressions’ The Young Mods’ Forgotten Story, the sharp twang of Merle Haggard’s Pride In What I Am and Laura Nyro’s Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, with some smart comparisons to the work of another R&B inspired tri-state NY collective, The Rascals.
The work of the many “society” contributors also sparkles, with musical knowledge and a resonance of the emotion these ofttimes unknown offerings still trigger in them.
Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley provides a heartfelt tribute to the lasting impact of the hard-to-find 1966 bossa nova classic Os Afro Sambas by Baden Powell and Vinicius De Moraes, while drummer/reissue maven Pat Thomas reintroduces Seize the Time, an obscure 1969 disc by Black Panther Elaine Brown which chronicled the movement in song. One of the most fun is bassist Eva Gardner’s (Cher, Pink, Moby) recollections of her father Kim’s work at bassist for legendary British mod poppers The Creation and The Birds.
Proving my own worth as a rock anorak, I was familiar with a good deal of the artists covered, while maybe not the particular discs upon which the writers chose to expound. There were a few fab exceptions that I had no idea of, ones that sent me scrolling through YouTube and Wikipedia to discover .
Jim Farber, an excellent music writer who traffics in elevating obscurities these days for the New York Times and The Guardian, explores the spirituality laced folk of Rachel Faro’s 1974 album, Refugees. It’s a should’ve been classic of the Blue-era Joni Mitchell idiom, one produced by John Simon (The Band, Van Morrison) for an artist who disappeared by the end of the decade. Journalist Jim Allen raves on the one album recorded by Paul Siebel, a popular Greenwich Village folkie, 1971’s Jack-Knife Gypsy. Paul was a great songwriter and performer who called it quits after this one offering.
An album cover I encountered repeatedly in ‘70s but never listen to, Baby Huey’s Living Legend, gets the proper praise from Cohen. Produced and with three songs by Curtis Mayfield, it featured the powerhouse 400-pound singer fronting a full throttle band of session aces (Leon Russell), a band compared to James Brown’s JBs meets the Vanilla Fudge. After a blitz of press, Huey’s story ends sadly with an overdose before his album is released. His tune “Hard Times” lives on as a sample in the works of rappers like Ice Cube and A Tribe Called Quest. Well worth many listens.
There were just a couple of puzzling entries in the book. Mega-producer Russ Titelman (Randy Newman, James Taylor) wisely chose Judee Sill’s self-titled 1971 debut, one featuring the classic “Jesus Was A Crossmaker.” But he only goes on for a few short paragraphs about it and the singer’s star-crossed life and career. Songwriting ace Marshall Crenshaw takes on an unexpected choice, Soft Machine’s decidedly avant-garde, self-titled 1969 debut. After complaining about the garbage sounding drums, bass, and a Lowrey organ played with fuzz through a Marshall stack and ear-splitting jamming, Crenshaw somehow concludes about how much he loves it. I might have preferred he discuss something that had a more logical impact on his work, but perhaps, that really isn’t the spirit of the book and his contribution.
If that’s not enough for you, the book concludes with Sal and Mitch’s recommendations of 150 more great albums that failed to crack the charts. Their suggestions include artists like Irma Thomas, Alan Price, the Sir Douglas Quintet, Kaleidoscope, Spooky Tooth, Taste, Jack Bruce, Grapefruit, The Move and more.
I had the pleasure of tackling The White Label Promo Preservation Society: 100 Flop Albums You Ought to Know on long a cross-country drive. Like me, it is one you will want to spend a lot of time with. With open ears, open mind and a long drill down the YouTube wormhole, it will help you discover a boat load of astoundingly cool retro sounds, ones whose impact can last a lifetime, just like they have for these intrepid vinyl scavengers.
