Tag Archives: music

Dave Grohl Documents the History of Sound City

Dave Grohl’s 2013 plunge into documentary filmmaking “Sound City” mines the history of the recently shuttered studio where Nirvana’s “Nevermind” was recorded.  Grohl weaves many story lines together in his film, from the people who built and ran Sound City, to the technology that made the studio famous and the later technology that doomed it, to the string of major artists that passed through its unassuming front door.  He concludes with a strong statement about the virtues of musicians hunkering down in a studio till inspiration and perspiration get it just right, and shows us what he means by releasing “Sound City 606”.

Check out the trailer for “Sound City”, then listen to one of the first songs released from the CD featuring Paul McCartney rocking as hard as he has since “Helter Skelter”.

Here’s a link to page on the Sound City Studio website that lists every album recorded there: Sound City Recordings.  It is an amazing list,  and the very first album ever recorded there was Spirit’s masterpiece “Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus”.  If you’re not familiar with that album or have forgotten what a tour de force it was, listen to “Nature’s Way” and “Mr. Skin”.

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Music Websites – Wolfgang’s Vault, Daryl’s House and Tiny Desk Concerts

It’s probably fair to say that the granddaddy of all music websites is Wolfgang’s Vault.  If by any chance you’re not acquainted with it, discover this gold mine. In 2003 rock fan and businessman Bill Sagan bought the archives of legendary rock music promotor Bill Graham’s production company, archives which had collected dust for over a decade following Graham’s death in 1991.  In addition to uncovering an huge collection of mint condition photos, tickets, posters and other memorabilia from three decades of concert promotion, Sagan came upon an amazing treasure trove – thousands of live concert recordings.  Since Wolfgang’s Vault launched, recordings beyond Graham’s collection have been added as well.

You can sample the site for free, but if you check out the “Performers” list on the “Concert Vault” section of the website, you’ll see why a membership is the best money a rock music fan could ever spend.  And by the way, “Wolfgang” refers to Graham’s given name when he was born in Berlin before World War II.

http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/

In 2007 Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates launched “Live from Daryl’s House”, a web series of performances featuring Daryl and his band hosting an incredibly broad range of artists.  Among the dozens of episodes, for example, are sessions with Nick Lowe, Cee lo Green, and Neon Trees.  See our earlier post for a link to an episode featuring Allan Stone and Daryl Hall

http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/

A potpourri of unknown and well-known artists cram into a corner at the offices of National Public Radio for its “Tiny Desk Concert” series.  You can hear stripped-down sets from blues giant Robert Cray, electro-pop favorite Passion Pit, and the late Chuck Brown – Godfather of Go-Go. And do check out the unknowns too.

http://www.npr.org/series/tiny-desk-concerts/

The Avett Brothers and Jackson Browne – Folk Rock Now & Then

Folk rock is getting plenty of attention these days.  With Mumford & Sons taking Best Album honors at the 2013 Grammy Awards, and John Mayer recalling the influences of the Laurel Canyon artists of the late 60’s and 70’s in his 2012 release “Born and Raised” (see our post from January 27 John Mayer), acoustic music and heart-felt songwriting are back.

The Avett Brothers were 2013 Grammy nominees for their sixth album “The Carpenter”, a Rick Rubin production.  We don’t know if the Avetts would claim him as an influence, but Jackson Browne’s 1974 classic album “Late for the Sky” shares some of the moods and breadth of “The Carpenter”, and Browne was among the central figures of that Laurel Canyon era.  Enjoy listening to “Winter in My Heart” from the Avetts and the title track of “Late for the  Sky”.

A nice set of interviews with the Avett Brothers and some unplugged performances appeared on CNN.  Start here:

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Frank Ocean’s and Stevie Wonder’s Best Albums

“It’s the future of soul music being invented in real time” said Rolling Stone of Frank Ocean’s second album “Channel Orange”.  Seems that others agree, voting it Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards.  Ocean performed the track “Thinkin Bout You” backed by a trippy guitar arrangement (that looks like John Mayer in the shadows, stage right) on Saturday Night Live.   See if you find some similarities to “Visions” from 1974’s Grammy winner for Best Album, Stevie Wonder’s “Innervisions”.

If you like “Innervisions” era Stevie Wonder, you’ll probably also like the arrangement of Ocean’s “Sweet Life”.

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Music Documentaries – Ginger and Sixto and Their South African Connections

Two critically acclaimed rock music documentaries hit the screen in 2012, raising the profile of important musicians of years gone by – both with ties to South Africa.

Jay Bulger won the 2012 South by Southwest Film Festival Grand Prize for “Beware of Mr. Baker” about the life of rock drum innovator and legend Ginger Baker.   Bulger lived at Baker’s ranch in South Africa for months, interviewing him for the movie. Check out the trailer and then watch Baker play with Nigerian musicians, a phase of Baker’s life chronicled in the movie.

Malik Bendjelloul’s “Searching for Sugar Man” won numerous awards in 2012 and is nominated for a 2013 Oscar. The documentary follows two South Africans who set out to investigate what became of Sixto Rodriguez, an obscure American folk singer from Detroit whose songs became anthemic among whites involved in South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement.

See the film trailer (you have to click through to YouTube?) then listen to the tune that inspired the movie title from Rodriguez’s first album.

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