Oslo's Jaga Jazzist tear up the Phoenix Thursday

Dee Dee Bridgewater @ Koerner Hall tonight!

Historic Heat: John Gilmore & Lee Morgan

The Egyptian by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers (1966)

Alejandro Escovedo unplugged in St. Louis

Down In The Bowery



Anchor

The Thing blasts @ The Tranzac Sunday!

The Thing in Bucharest Dec. 9, 2010

Pining for real country music in Toronto

An authentic sounding traditional country song was the last thing I expected to hear on a label survey put out by Toronto-based indie operation Blocks Recording Club, let alone one as neatly written and brilliantly arranged as She's Gone by The Pining. Of course, not sounding remotely like anything by Final Fantasy, PDF Format, The Blanket, Shadow Self or The Torrent is exactly what made the all-female ensemble's jarring contribution to Building Blocks Singles Club, Volume 1 so memorable. You can check it out right here and have a look at the video for She's Gone below. 

As I later discovered, the tunes She's Gone and Life Ain't Fair were just two of a number of great original songs the Pining had written since coming together two years earlier out of a shared appreciation for the Carter Family, Hazel Dickens, Patsy Cline, Freakwater and Jameson's Irish Whiskey – not necessarily in that order. Those two and three more Pining faves have since been posted on CBC's Radio 3 site (which you can visit right here) which prove that She's Gone wasn't a fluke.

I'm pleased to report that The Pining have maintained the same high standard of quality control for their fantastic Adam Bell-produced debut album for Blocks which you can pick up at their record release party with tonight (Friday, June 24) at the El Mocambo. The Pining plan to take the stage at 11:30 pm but be sure to arrive in time to catch opening sets by Coole & Downes, the engaging partnership of primo picker Chris Coole and singer/songwriter Simone Downes at 9:30 pm followed by a rare acoustic set from catl at 10:30 pm. Tickets are $10 at the door or $7 in advance if there are any left at Soundscapes or Rotate This.  
NOTE: Those who prefer their country music on vinyl should grab a copy of The Pining album on the double – there were only 300 copies pressed of the LP which was superbly mastered by Harris Newman at Grey Market.

She's Gone by The Pining



LINKS
The Pining http://www.myspace.com/thepining
Blocks Recording Club http://www.blocksblocksblocks.com/

One For The Weekend: Smoove & Turrell

If ever there was a number made to measure for ?uestlove's Thursday night Bowl Train party at Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY) it's Slow Down, the latest single from fast-rising Geordie soul tandem Smoove & Turrell.
Not only does the uptempo floor-filler have the precisely the right funky 70s throwback vibe to rock The Roots' drummer's weekly DJ event showcasing classic Soul Train clips in the popular Williamsburg hipster hang out, Richard Hadley's video for Slow Down is set in a damn bowling alley! How he ever managed to get Seth Rogan to play the role of singer John "Smokey" Turrell for the shoot, we'll never know but it's a snazzy piece of work.
You should also know that Wass Records has released a white label seven-inch version of the Slow Down single b/w Hard Work in a limited edition of 400 copies as a preview of the dynamic duo's second album Eccentric Audio out now right here. 


Slow Down by Smoove & Turrell


Interview with Smoove & Turrell