[RH Photos] Gary Clark, Jr. at the Historic Scoot Inn (10/29/2014)
Photography by Virgil Solis
Perhaps one of the best blues guitarists of our generation, Austin's very own Gary Clark, Jr., played a free show last week at the Historic Scoot Inn. With fellow South Austin homies Zeale and Phranchyze opening up for GCJ, the night was truly an Austin show. If you have yet to see Gary perform, it should be a bucket list for any true Blues fan. Thanks to the good people over at C3, I was at hand to snap some shots of the show. Check them out below.
[Video] The O'My's: "Sweet Love"
The O'My's are easily one of the most soul-packed bunch in Chicago. Led by Maceo Haymes and Nick Hennessy, the band has seen its stock grow since releasing their latest album, A Humble Masterpiece late last year via RH and playing a host of high-energy sets around their hometown and beyond. Yesterday, playing on the "love is in the air" vibes of mid February, The O'My's crew dropped their latest visual for the song "Sweet Love" off their latest release. The video, directed by Dan Moraru, details what it's like when a friend of yours falls in love, worse yet, a roommate and what that means for everyone he was friends with. Check out the full video below.
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[Video] Charles Bradley Announces Tour
The "Screaming Eagle of Soul Music" himself, Charles Bradley is one of the my favorite, and most refreshing stories of making it against the world's forces. The 65-year-old crooner has found success late in his life, garnering attention at 2011 SXSW on the strength of his debut project, No Time For Dreaming and a rousing string of performances. Last year he followed that up with the critically-acclaimed Victim of Love, continuing to show a lost generation the ways of soul. Yesterday Bradley announced his touring plans for 2014 alongside a video of him performing his song, "Confusion" live on Soundcheck. Tour dates can be found after the video.
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Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires Tour Dates
Feb 05 Northampton, MA - Pearl Street
Feb 06 Providence, RI - The Columbus Theatre
Feb 07 Boston, MA - House of Blues (with Galactic)
Feb 08 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory (with Galactic)
Feb 22 Wellington, New Zealand - NZ Festival (James Cabaret)
Feb 23 Wellington, New Zealand - NZ Festival (James Cabaret)
Feb 25 Perth, Australia - Perth Festival
Feb 28 Adelaide, Australia - Adelaide Festival (Free Opening Night Festival)
Mar 01 Canberra, Australia - National Portrait Gallery (Enlighten Canberra - FREE)
Mar 02 Sydney, Australia - The Basement
Mar 03 Sydney, Australia - The Basement
Mar 04 Brisbane, Australia - The HiFi
Mar 06 Melbourne, Australia - Corner Hotel
Mar 07 Melbourne, Australia - Melbourne Zoo Twilights
Mar 08 Meredith, VIC, Australia - The Golden Plains Festival
Mar 09 North East Tasmania, Australia - Panama Fest
Mar 12 Singapore - Mosaic Music Festival
Apr 22 Cleveland, OH - The Beachland Ballroom
Apr 23 Ann Arbor, MI - The Blind Pig
Apr 24 Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall
Apr 25 Nashville, TN - Exit/In
Apr 30 Austin, TX - Stubb’s
May 01 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks
May 02 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
May 03 Houston, TX - Houston International Festival
May 09 - May 11 Atlanta, GA - Shaky Knees Music Festival
May 15 San Francisco, CA - The Regency Ballroom
May 17 Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre
May 18 Dana Point, CA - Doheny Blues Festival
May 29 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound
[RH Interview] Mike Golden
Photography by Mike Hari
Chicago is easily identifiable as a musical city. Without argument, the Second City has produced greats in every genre and discipline, and continues to do so without much sign of stopping. As of late, it seems as though every couple of months we are seeing a new act take off from the city and one act that has been making noise for awhile around the scene is finally looking primed to do just that. Mike Golden & Friends is a breath of fresh air in a musical landscape that is increasingly dominated by a sort of digital hoarding that has made the computer an instrument. While he brings in elements of electronic production to pair with the live instrumentality of the band, the core of Mike Golden & Friends is the pure, unadulterated organic sound that starts and ends with the jarringly poignant voice of Golden.
The 26-year-old Hammond, Ind., native was the first act to bring Kids These Days and Rockie Fresh down to the Eastern Illinois University for shows is the central figure to his namesake band and last week at the House of Blues for the band's album release show for Utopia, Golden commanded the stage, rattling off a plethora of songs, returning for an extended encore. Over the past couple of years Chicago has re-established a reputation as increasingly younger artists have taken off. Mike Golden shows that there is still room to set a foundation, evolve and make great music while consistently taking things to a higher plane. I had a chance to talk to Mike Golden last week about the new album, hearing his music in video games and what the whole ride has been like thus far, check it all out below.
[Video] Cass McCombs: "Big Wheel"
Early this week, Cass McCombs premiered the new music video for "Big Wheel," a track off his latest album, Big Wheel and Others. Though labeling Big Wheel an album is somewhat of an understatement. This 22- song masterpiece explores the mind and world of McCombs, emulating a variety of different styles from blues to country.
The video, shot by Cass's close friend and collaborator, Albert Herter, presents clashing and vivid imagery, complimenting and colliding with the soothing and subtle sound of Cass's voice and style. Check out the video and upcoming tour dates to catch Cass McCombs live.
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Cass McCombs' Tour dates:
Jan. 8 - Bristol, UK @ Colston Hall
Jan. 9 - Glasgow, UK @ CCA
Jan. 10 - Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute
Jan. 11 - Dublin, IE @ Workmans Club
Jan. 13 - London, UK @ Queen Elizabeth Hall
Jan. 16 - Lisbon, PT @ Teatro Maria Matos
Jan. 17 - Aveiro City, PT @ Teatro Aveirense
Jan. 18 - VN Famalicao, PT @ Casa de Artes
Jan. 19 - Santiago, ES @ Salon Teatro de Santiago
Jan. 20 - Madrid, ES @ El Sol
Jan. 21 - Cadiz, ES @ Edificio
Jan. 23 - Barcelona, ES @ La Sala (2) Apolo
Jan. 24 - Bordeaux, FR @ Bordeaux Rocks
Jan. 25 - Rouen, FR @ Le 106
Jan. 26 - Paris, FR @ MoFo Festival @ Mains D'Ouevres
Jan. 30 - Melbourne, AU @ Northcote Social Club
Jan. 31 - Brisbane RNA, AU @ Laneway
Feb. 1 - Melbourne, AU @ Laneway
Feb. 2 - Sydney, AU @ Laneway
Feb. 6 - Sydney, AU @ Oxford Art Factory
Feb. 7 - Adelaide, AU @ Laneway
Feb. 8 - Fremantle, AU @ Laneway
Feb. 17-20 - Southwold, Suffolk, UK @ Latitude Festival
[Album] Mike Golden & Friends: "Utopia"
Mike Golden & Friends have been slowly building themselves into one of the premier acts to catch in the increasingly crowded Chicago music scene and yesterday they dropped their latest release, Utopia to continue that climb. Teased over the last few weeks with the behind the scenes video for the single "Mary Jane" featuring Vic Mensa and Donnie Trumpet, Utopia is a truly transcendental project for the group, who bring together a myriad of influences and sounds to create the soulful, highly instrumental sound that sees the band float between rock, blues and post-punk sensibilities behind the strong-voiced Mike Golden at the helm.
Utopia demonstrates a certain growth that comes naturally for a band in their 20s, a slightly more mature, developed songwriting and computed worldview that bleeds through in the music. On "Best Part", Golden glosses over aiming for the sweetest time in a relationship, aka the best part, singing, "I just wanna make it to the best part,". On the album's title track, he explains, "When you wake depends on when you take a hold of it," As the rap scene in Chicago seems to take over how people view the city, acts like MG&F demonstrate the true range of music coming out of The Second City. A sold out show last Friday at the House of Blues in Chicago was a fitting celebration of the group's latest release since 2011's well-received Groceries and served as a proper introduction for a project that we should see pop up quite a bit throughout this year.
Lili K & The O'My's: "Baby It's Cold Outside"
Today listeners got a treat from two of the most soulful up and coming acts in the Chicago market. With a heavy helping of Christmas spirit, Lili K & The O'My's linked up to produce their own version of the timeless wintertime classic. The song, premiered today on Okayplayer, is a perfect crossroads for the 22-year-old songstress, Lili K, who released a Christmas-themed single last year with frequent collaborator Peter CottonTale and earlier this year dropped a project of her own eclectic takes on classic Jazz standards in My Favorite Things. The O'My's, who closed out their year with the release of their album, A Humble Masterpiece, are who you thought they were, setting the backdrop for a beautiful interplay between frontman Maceo Haymes and Lili K's voices. Check out the song below.
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Cass McCombs: "There Can Be Only One"
Promoting the release of his seventh album, Big Wheel and Others via Domino, Cass McCombs hits the road this holiday season with his December tour. McCombs has been making music for over a decade, but the new album is said to be his most encompassing work to date, highlighting McCombs' talent for storytelling, harrowing melodies, and beautifully honest voice.
Big Wheel and Others consists of twenty-two songs, making this work a double album, with a plethora of influences and sounds including folk, rock, blues, and many more. The album takes you on an intimate journey and makes you feel almost like you are reading a book or a collection of poems that you just can't put down. Big Wheel and Others is available on double CD, LP, and digital here.
Check out tour dates and take a listen to Cass McCombs "There Can Be Only One."
Tour Dates
December 2, 2013 Boston, MA The Sinlcair
December 3, 2013 Montreal, QC II Motore
Decemeber 4, 2013 Toronto, ON Great Hall
December 6, 2013 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
December 7, 2013 Louisville, KY Zanzabar
December 8, 2013 Nashville, TN High Watt
December 9, 2013 Alanta, GA Drunken Unicorn
December 12, 2013 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
December 13, 2013 Philadelphia, PA Boot & Saddle
December 14, 2013 Baltimore, MD Ottobar