Top 10 Albums of 2014

Now I know a lot of sites like to do their year-end lists at the end of November, but that means they won't include anything released in December.  Although I don't know anyone that is still listening to the D'Angelo album (Too much hype anyway.  It sounds like a poorly-mixed Prince demo in my opinion.), I bet there were more than a few critics who would've included it on their lists.  So now that last year's dust has settled, I'm going to be putting out my year-end lists.  It all starts here with the Top 10 Albums of 2014.

10. Rx Bandits - Gemini, Her Majesty

We all knew the hiatus wouldn't last.  While I still miss the horns, the Bandits affirmed that they've still got plenty of good songs in them with this crowd-funded, rocking effort.

9. Stardeath & White Dwarfs - Wastoid

Holy fuzz bass!  These roadies have learned more than a thing or two while tuning up the Flaming Lips' instruments.  Although the FLips' influence is there in spades (Hell, they even turn up on "The Screaming."), that shouldn't detract from the fact that this is better than anything Wayne & Co. have put out this year.

8. G. Love & Special Sauce - Sugar

Fifteen seconds into "Come Up Man," it's evident that Jimi Jazz and Houseman are necessary ingredients to the Special Sauce, reuniting with G. for the first time in eight years.  And though the original lineup is the main draw, guest spots include Ben Harper, Shamarr Allen, and 20 Feet from Stardom chanteuse, Merry Clayton. 

7. Speak - Pedals

The Austin band took D.I.Y. to the extreme for this LP: writing, recording, mixing, mastering, producing, and doing the artwork.  This level of control was a risky move, but the risk paid off, resulting in 14 tracks that will make you think just as much as they make you dance.

6. Stars - No One is Lost

Over the past decade, Stars' albums have either gotten too dour or too uneven for my tastes.  On this album, the Canadian group dove headfirst into electro-pop, reinvigorating their sound for their best work since Set Yourself on Fire.

5. The New Pornographers - Brill Bruisers

Easily the most fully-realized NP release yet, proving power pop is alive and well in 2014.  Albums like this make me wish I had a car, so I could roll down the windows and sing along at the top of my lungs.

4. St. Vincent - St. Vincent

I first listened to this in December, and I really wish I hadn't slept on it.  Believe what everyone says: This is the album Annie Clark has been threatening to make since she first stepped out of the backing band and into the spotlight in 2007.  Danceable, riff-heavy, sensual, and thought-provoking, this self-titled spectacle has it all.

3. Chris Mills & the Distant Stars - Alexandria

I'd been waiting for this album since I first saw Mills at Mercury Lounge in February of 2013.  The lyricism is astonishing.  I missed the first five minutes of the Super Bowl because I was waiting for the record's b-side to finish spinning.  Beautiful and timeless folk music.

2. The Majorleans - Black Belt

When a friend gives me their album to listen to, I'm tentative.  What do I tell them if I don't like it?  Will it put a strain on our friendship?  Thankfully, this one blew my expectations away.  Despite having a classic '70s feel, as if Lou Reed had fronted the Heartbreakers, Nicky Francis' ruminative street poetry grounds the Majorleans firmly in the present.

1. Vacationer - Relief

Combine Polynesian textures, hip-hop beats, and effervescent vocals, and you've got music as infectious as a tropical disease.  Kenny Vasoli and his Body Language cohorts created a record that brings the paradise to you.  No packing, no TSA, no kid kicking the back of your airplane seat.  Just press play and you're magically transported to a beach with water as crystal clear as the cover art.  There's something to be said about an album that you want to listen to again immediately after you're finished, and Relief was that album for me this summer.

Vacationer, the Majorleans, Chris Mills, and Speak were all on my podcast to talk about their albums, so make sure to have a listen.

I'll be posting my top concerts, live songs, and songs over the next few days, so don't be a stranger.

Top 15 Most Anticipated Albums of 2014

15. The John Butler Trio - Flesh & Blood
Release Date: February 4
Why I'm Excited: It's been four years since April Uprising.  Even the undead are excited!


14. Robert Ellis - The Lights of the Chemical Plant
Release Date: February 11
Why I'm Excited: Ellis shared in a Rolling Stone interview that the new record would move beyond his country/folk roots... into R&B, bossa nova, and free jazz.

13. Chris Mills & the Distant Stars - Alexandria 
Release Date: January 21
Why I'm Excited: Mills played most of the tunes when he opened for Ken Stringfellow last February.  I've been waiting a year to hear them again!

12. Peter Salett - Suite for the Summer Rain
Release Date: TBA
Why I'm Excited: Peter's back in New York, and he's convinced this is his best work yet.

11. Splashh - TBA
Release Date: TBA
Why I'm Excited: Comfort was good, but it was really a compilation of singles recorded in a bedroom.  This time they're gonna stop using socks for mic windscreens, and record a  proper album in a professional studio. 

10. The Notwist - Close to the Glass
Release Date: February 25
Why I'm Excited: It's the 25th year as a band for the German electro-rockers.  Check out the title track below.


9. Mad Caddies - TBA
Release Date: TBA
Why I'm Excited: My favorite third-wave ska band is finally back in the studio.

8. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - Give the People What They Want
Release Date: January 14
Why I'm Excited: The record was supposed to come out last year, but Sharon was diagnosed with cancer.  She's since kicked cancer's ass, and I'm ready to shake mine.

7. The Majorleans - Black Belt
Release Date: February
Why I'm Excited: I've heard early mixes of a few of the songs, and they rock.  Nicky Francis' talkin' blues voice makes the passing of Lou Reed easier to cope with.

6. Jack White - TBA
Release Date: TBA
Why I'm Excited: Blunderbuss turned me over to the White side.  I'm hoping he follows through.  Also, I'm a Third Man Vault member, so I'll probably end up with some super-cool edition.

5. Rx Bandits - TBA
Release Date: TBA
Why I'm Excited: They'd been on hiatus since 2011 until the 10th anniversary of The Resignation got them touring again.  Matt Embree's announcement that they were recording demos in late December was quite the Christmas present.

4. I Am the Avalanche - Wolverines
Release Date: March 18
Why I'm Excited: It's the last album with all the founding members, as Mike and Kellen are saying goodbye.  Their previous, Avalanche United, was scarily good.

3. Kishi Bashi - TBA
Release Date: Spring
Why I'm Excited: When I saw him perform at Irving Plaza in September, K admitted he'd already re-recorded lead-off single "Philosophize in It! Chemicalize with It!"  There's also a song on it about a dancing steak.

2. The Belle Brigade - Just Because
Release Date: February 11
Why I'm Excited: John Williams' grandkids team up again for their first LP since their eponymous debut, which was my favorite of 2011.  Download "Ashes" below.

1. Penguin Prison - TBA

Release Date: TBA

Why I'm Excited: You never know exactly what you're gonna get from Chris Glover, but you always know it's gonna be good.  If the new number he played at the Wall is any indication of what's to come, buy some new dancing shoes this year too.

Top 10 Albums of 2013

The Top 10 Albums of 2013

10. The White Buffalo - Shadows, Greys, & Evil Ways

The album is a narrative about a couple named Joe & Jolene.  With a voice that's a cross between Eddie Vedder and Cat Stevens, Jake Smith uses the story to tackle the topics of young love, PTSD, and forgiveness.

9. Lissie - Back to Forever

Lissie Maurus avoids the sophomore slump entirely with this stylistically diverse pop record, which ranges from the Fleetwood Mac flutter of "Sleepwalking" to the riot grrrl rawk of "Shameless" to the piano ballad title track.

8. The Flaming Lips - The Terror

It wasn't until seeing the FLips on the muddy banks of the mighty Mississippi that I was able to truly appreciate this album's horrifying bewitchery.  Those looking for Yoshimi singalongs will be disappointed, but it is infinitely better than both Embryonic and Heady Fwends.

7. Broken Anchor - Fresh Lemonade

It would've been even higher on the list if six of the songs hadn't been recycled from previous EPs.  Although, with the addition of "Canada," their catchiest song yet, it'd be a crime not to put it on.  (Learn the story behind "Canada" in my podcast interview with Broken Anchor.)

6. Generationals - Heza

Not really what you'd expect from a NOLA band, but it's a laid-back summer spin.  Put it on at the end of the barbecue when your mouth's full of s'mores and your head's full of dreams.

5. Phoenix - Bankrupt!

The four Frenchmen return with a more cohesive effort than Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.  It's a little darker than their previous records, suggesting an emotional depth that will hopefully stick around for their next release.

4. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

Like nearly every critic in the country, I was smitten with the warm analog electro-R&B of the band's long-awaited fifth LP.  The live instrumentation results in the most sentient offer from the robots, proving that they are in fact, human after all.  While the longer tracks "Giorgio by Moroder" and "Touch" are the album's most challenging, they also provide its best moments.

3. Goldspot - Aerogramme

Siddhartha Khosla mined his family's history from his father's unsent letters on napkins to his own childhood days spent in India to create a biographical work of art.  Chock full of instruments rarely heard in pop music on this continent, it's a feast for the ears.  Throw out your copy of Modern Vampires of the City, and replace it with this.  (Hear Sidd discuss the origins of several of the album's songs on my podcast.)

2. The Postelles - ...And It Shook Me

It may have all the hooks of a perfect summer album, but make sure to bring the tear-free sunscreen 'cause some of the songs have an underlying sense of melancholy.  Also beware, the hooks have barbs.  You won't be able to get them out of your head.





 1. Man Man - On Oni Pond

The faintly familiar brass and woodwind introduction eases you in, but it's all a ruse.  Once the organ blasts open the wonderfully weird "Pink Wonton" featuring spy movie guitar riffs and Chinese backup singers, you know damn well it's a Man Man album.  There's not a dud in the bunch either.  "Head On" is a radio hit, "Fangs" deserves a spot on your Halloween playlist, and "Paul's Grotesque" contains the grooviest jam of the year.  After I listen to it once, all I want to do is listen again.

Graveyard Lovers Bring the Riffs, But Not the Substance

Today, Graveyard Lovers released Dreamers, a collection of eleven riff-based rock songs. The tracks range from the Ramones-styled "Nameless" to the cock-rock of "Love & Hunger," a song that somehow worms its way into my head whenever I'm making spaghetti or cleaning the bathroom. Frontman Zach Reynolds sounds a bit like Perry Ferrell, but he lacks Farrell's ability to craft a story from abstract lyrics.  Take "When I Get Mine," one of the poppiest songs on the album, that is never able to truly take off because of generic lines like "I used to love a different woman / She used to say she loved me too / Then she ran off with some other guy / Yeah, she left me sad and blue."  It's almost like Zach wrote the guitar part and said, "Fuck the lyrics.  Next song."  The record's shining moment is the title track, which chugs along brightly and sounds like the band actually took some time building it into something past the riff.  Hell, there's even harmonica!  The album was produced by the band and Will Benoit, and a more experienced producer would benefit them on the next album.  There's a lot of records coming out this month, so Dreamers is by no means essential.  However, if you're so inclined to cherry-pick a couple tunes, you might just grab some sweet ones.

Broken Anchor Serves Up "Fresh Lemonade"

Pretty much anyone can make lemonade. It only has three ingredients: sugar, water, and lemon juice. Its simplicity and low production cost make it the commodity of choice for budding sidewalk entrepreneurs like the one featured on the cover of Broken Anchor's debut album, Fresh Lemonade, out 9/17.  When it's good, there are few things more refreshing than a tall, cold glass. But there's also a lot of shitty lemonade: too sweet, too sour, too artificial.  Austin Hartley-Leonard and his collaborators aren't drastically altering the recipe for indie rock music; they're just using better ingredients.  You won't find quality songwriting like this in the freezer section.  The first thing you'll notice is Hartley-Leonard's crackling voice.  It's at once unique and familiar, capable of both soaring to anthemic heights on "Always" or brooding gravely in "Head is a Hole."  While their sound draws heavily from the Pacific Northwest, the SoCal roots shine through unabashedly on the '60s reverb-drenched "Canada."  I dare you to listen to it once without smiling. Then I dare you to listen again without singing along.  My only gripe is that six of the songs were previously released on a handful of 2012 EPs. Thankfully, they are nowhere near filler, and come across more like greatest hits.  So don't judge it by its cover and let the toddler with his middle finger up deter you; you'll miss out on one of the year's best releases.

I interviewed Austin for The Next Round podcast, which will be up as soon as I slash through all the feed-hosting red tape.

Buster Blue Change Up Their Sound for Album #2

Folk music has made an enormous resurgence as an answer to the computerized sheen of today's pop.  Clever marketing teams have found ways to sell millions of records again even if every song sounds the same (Mumford & Sons) or reeks of inauthenticity (the Lumineers).  So many musicians are picking up their acoustic guitars and giving Americana a try that we've been confronted with an oversaturation of folk music to the point where every new artist I'm looking at comes with a "RIYL: Mumford & Sons, the Lumineers, the Civil Wars."  It's the largest folk explosion since the 1960s, and just like the '60s, there's a lot of shit to wade through to find the good stuff.  Fortunately, you've got me to put on the muck boots and do the dirty work.

In April, I was trudging through Daytrotter and discovered a folk quintet out of Reno called Buster Blue.  Their songs kept going in directions I didn't expect, just as you wouldn't expect Reno to produce many Americana acts.  On 8/23, Buster Blue will release their second full-length, Sleep Less Where the Heart Is.  Ironically, it's sleepier than the rest of their discography, a somber, subdued affair.  It gets off to a slow start, favoring traditional song structures and instrumentation.  Thankfully, the record wakes up on the b-side, the band members making better use of their talents and woodwinds.  While there's nothing on it as catchy as "Moonlight" from their previous EP, "Leave Me in C'oeur d'Alene" is the standout here.  With its almost orchestral feel and the heartbreakingly vivid image conveyed by the line, "Tell me is this some kind of joke / Or am I holding onto smoke?" the tune could easily be the tearjerking soliloquy in a Broadway musical.  The piano-based epilogue "Light in the Attic" evokes a similar mood, although it would be more appropriate as non-diegetic music in a film.  While I would've liked to hear more lead vocals from Rachael McElhiney, Buster Blue have still managed to do something that Mumford & Sons haven't: They made a record that doesn't sound exactly like their last one.

Edelweiss Gets Hazy on "Honduras"

The five members of Edelweiss are all under 21.  Three of them are still in high school.  The only reason worth mentioning their ages is that they have an even longer future ahead of them.  Having already released the proggy Pre-Columbians EP in 2011, this Tuesday, 8/6, they release their second EP, Honduras.  The opening track, "Grand," finds them expanding their math rock sound into shoegaze territory before they pick up the pace and the power with "Withering Heights."  Comparisons to Minus the Bear are warranted, but the main difference you'll hear is in the vocals.  While MTB's Jake Snider's are mixed on top of the tracks like most pop/rock songs, Edelweiss buries Tony Vitale's and Niko Porlier's a little deeper to create mood pieces instead of singalongs.  They still share that jittery energy though.  There might actually be too much going on by the middle of "March," what with the glockenspiel and all, but it chills out nicely in the end to almost an independent film score.  "Midas" wraps things up with a darkwave bow, but make sure to skip past 1:30 of silence at its end to hear a surprise acoustic gift from the band.

Stream/download "Withering Heights" below:

The Postelles Deliver a Great Show Despite the False Advertising

When the Postelles announced that they would be playing their latest release ...And It Shook Me in its entirety at their tour-closer at the Studio at Webster Hall, I knew I had to go.  It has all the hooks and singalongs of a great summer album, but there's an alluring sense of melancholy about it as well.  It's no coincidence that the record's cover depicts the band members sprawled in the sand on a well-traveled beach after everyone else has gone home.  I was pumped to see the rest of the new numbers live, as this would be my third Postelles concert this year. 

A few minutes after 10, the band took took the tiny stage and charged right into "Running Red Lights."  This meant the tracklisting wouldn't be performed in order, but no worries, as the song was a nice introduction to their soul-tinged pop/rock sound.  A quick dip into their debut with "Sound the Alarms" revved the crowd up even more for the choice "Caught by Surprise" that followed.  Daniel Balk wore a Rolling Stones '89 tour shirt, and thankfully limited most of his Jagger pantomiming to the first few tunes, though a well-timed point to the venue's low ceiling while hitting the "When I look in your eyes!" line in reggae fashion was a shining moment.  The tender title track gave way to "123 Stop," and the floor exploded with fans singing and jumping along.  The momentum carried into "Hey Little Sister," which ended with Balk coaxing the crowd to repeat the refrain several times.  "You guys sound beautiful tonight!" he complimented.

I'd like to take a moment to give David Dargahi some props, as he's definitely an underrated guitarist.  David serves the songs with his six strings, knowing precisely when to deliver that exact jangle to keep you nodding your head, or that right crunch to add depth to a ditty's emotion.  He's also capable of some serious shredding, as he proved last night with his solo in Wreckless Eric's "Whole Wide World."

The crowd was a visual representation of "Can't Stand Still," dancing as Balk cried out the chorus, leaving his microphone with a fan in the front row to finish out the song.  Before "Pretend It's Love," Balk revealed they only had a few more left, which left me scratching my head.  If they were playing the whole album, they, in fact, had quite a few left.  "We apologize, Webster Hall, but we really wanna fuck this place up," Daniel said, inviting as many fans as would fit onto the stage for "Stella."  It was visually interesting to see the onstage fans singing along, sneaking kisses on Daniel's cheek, and bouncing around, but sadly, Dargahi was nowhere near his mic, so his background vocals were left to the small group of us who remained on the floor.  "That must've sounded like shit. Alright, now get off the stage, you crazy motherfuckers," Balk commanded at the song's end.  But all's well that ends well, as they reprised the final bit to make up for it.  They closed the set with "Tidal Wave," Balk instructing the audience to pogo up and down.  They left the stage with the ...AISM count at 7 for 12, forecasting a lengthy encore.

We got the length, but only one more track from the album.  Billy Cadden's drums kicked off a raucous version of their usual encore starter, "Boy's Best Friend," after which the band paused to inform us that this next song would be its first time played.  "You might notice some people in the audience who look like us.  Those are our parents, and this song is for them," said Dargahi, taking his place at a synthesizer for "Parallel Love."  They did an admirable job on the slower number, which sounds like it could be a Nightmare of You b-side, but they obviously felt the need to amp things up once again after it ended.  Daniel downed a shot of tequila and they pounded out "Beat on the Brat," the highlight of which was a Dargahi solo that deftly combined blues and surf rock, too technically advanced for the Ramones to have ever been able to play.  "Sleep on the Dance Floor" was an unexpected treat before the obvious last song, "White Night."

I discussed the merits and downfalls of album-themed setlists in my review of the Wailers earlier this year, but I just wanted to iterate that there's a certain expectation when you advertise that you are playing an entire album... and it's that you play the entire album. The Postelles played 18 songs last night, meaning they could have easily performed the 12-track record, and still had time for a few covers, "123 Stop," "Stella," and "White Night" to make the kids go bonkers.  Don't get me wrong; the concert was great.  The band was relaxed, the crowd was energetic and adoring, and the sound mix was decent considering how eardrum-shattering it can be in that room.  I even got my wish for a vinyl release, so I'm not going to complain.  I was just really looking forward to hearing "Oh My Luck" live, but I guess that's just my luck. 

THE POSTELLES - 06.11.13 - THE STUDIO AT WEBSTER HALL (1 hour, 8 minutes)

SET -

Running Red Lights / Sound the Alarms / Caught by Surprise / ...And It Shook Me / 123 Stop / Hey Little Sister / Heavy Eyes / Whole Wide World / Can't Stand Still / Pretend It's Love / You Know I Won't / Stella / Tidal Wave

ENCORE -
Boy's Best Friend / Parallel Love / Beat on the Brat / Sleep on the Dance Floor / White Night

Spin Doctors Album Release Party at Brooklyn Bowl

Last night, I went to my third Spin Doctors concert in three years.  When I told my coworkers where I was going, they asked, "For real?"  "Yeah, it's an album release show," I replied.  "They have a new album?"  Yes, folks, Spin Doctors have finally delivered on their word and unleashed a blues record, If the River Was Whiskey.  To celebrate their first album since 2005's Nice Talking to Me, the Doctors treated fans to an almost two-hour concert at Brooklyn Bowl.

The show was opened by James Maddock, who looks like Lt. Dan (but with legs) and sings like Joe Strummer.  With such a great voice, I expected less generic lyrics.  When he started singing about "wrapping his coat around you" in the already sticky sweet "Beautiful Now," I rolled my eyes a little. I was impressed, however, by bespectacled drummer Doug Yowell, and how he was able to create a whole kit's worth of noise with just a cajon, a cymbal, a snare with brushes, and some bells strapped to his ankle.  Maddock dedicated "Step Into the Water" to Willie Manning, the Mississippi Death Row inmate who was granted a stay yesterday, hours before his scheduled execution.  After Counting Crows' guitarist David Immerglück led the band to a crescendoing climax on mandolin, James laughed and said, "We are not fucking Mumford & Sons, so just get that out of your head."  Maddock was selling advance copies of his upcoming album, Another Life, but there was another new LP we were itching for.

"This is a record release party.  This is not so much a concert as a party.  I hope you feel that way too," announced Chris Barron as Eric Schenkman strapped on his Flying V for "Scotch & Water Blues."  When he wasn't singing, Barron stood to the side intently watching Schenkman play.  The smile on his face revealed a musician genuinely impressed by his bandmate, a refreshing attitude in rock and roll.  When Barron felt the crowd wasn't cheering loudly enough for the solo, he yelled off-mic, "Come on, you motherfuckers! What the fuck?!"  Bassist Mark White was so tickled with his bandmates that he spent part of "About a Train" snapping their photos with his iPad.  It was great to see a band playing together so joyously after so many years.  "We're the original Spin Doctors," informed Chris.  "If you have any doubts to the veracity of that statement, I ask you who else could do this?"  Three quick hits from Aaron Comess, and Schenkman revved up the famous riff to "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong."  The crowd devoured it, proving Barron correct.

But even if most of the audience was there to hear their favorites from Pocket Full of Kryptonite, the Spin Doctors weren't there for that reason.  They were pushing If the River Was Whiskey, playing nine of the album's ten songs, and shooting the music video for the title track.  The record is currently number one on iTunes blues album charts, leaving Chris glowing, "We're fucking relevant."  Spin Doctors have always incorporated several styles into their songs, so the Whiskey tunes fit into the set swimmingly, ranging from the funky "Traction Blues" to barroom stompers like "Some Other Man Instead" to that archetypal, slow song about the devil, "So Bad."

However, it was the blues of one Jimmy Olsen that really ignited the fans.  The call-and-response section was easily the loudest I've ever heard a crowd sing at Brooklyn Bowl.  That is, until the band played a damn near perfect "Two Princes" that had everyone belting, "Just go ahead now!"  There's typically some sort of exodus after "Two Princes" (Why you would leave right after they bring the house down is beyond me.), but those who departed missed some of the night's best moments, including an extended jam in "Lady Kerosene" and an 18-minute encore that ended with rarity "Yo Baby."  Unfortunately, some people will only ever remember Spin Doctors as the band who did "Two Princes."  I know them as a band that always puts on a solid live show.  

Previous Spin Doctors review:

12.04.12 Irving Plaza

JAMES MADDOCK - 05.07.13 - BROOKLYN BOWL (42 minutes, 18 seconds)

SET -

Another Life / Chance / Beautiful Now / Happening To* / Keep Your Dream / Step Into the Water / Living a Lie / When the Sun's Out

SPIN DOCTORS - 05.07.13 - BROOKLYN BOWL (1 hour, 55 minutes)

SET -

What Time is It? > Nice Talking to Me / Traction Blues / More Than She Knows / Scotch & Water Blues / Little Miss Can't Be Wrong / Some Other Man Instead / If the River Was Whiskey / Charge (tease) / Yo Mama's a Pajama > About a Train / The Drop / Sweetest Portion / Jimmy Olsen's Blues / Refrigerator Car > Genuine / Two Princes > Lady Kerosene

ENCORE -
Happy Birthday / Ben's Looking Out the Window Blues > So Bad / Yo Baby

Broken Anchor Pre-Selling Fresh Lemonade

Normally you wouldn't buy fresh lemonade before you knew which kid on the block was selling it, but when it's Broken Anchor, rest assured, it's going to be tasty.  And probably spiked.  That's right.  My most anticipated album of the year now has a name (Fresh Lemonade), cover art (pictured), and a pre-order page on Pledge Music (click here).  Check out the Felliniesque music video for the first single, "Never Leave Me Alone" below:

T.E.N. EP Debuts Monday

On April 1, 2012, Thomas Pridgen (The Mars Volta), Eric McFadden (George Clinton & the P-Funk All Stars), and Norwood Fisher (Fishbone) got together at Hyde Street Studios in California to record some tracks.  On Monday, one year later, they will release the T.E.N. EP, the product of their collaboration.  The limited edition disc (available at live shows and iTunes) features four songs from the dreadlocked trio known as T.E.N. (Thomas, Eric, Norwood).

The hard-rocking "Queen Dreamer" kicks off the EP, immediately invoking Living Colour with its crunchy guitars and pounding drums.  McFadden's voice is similar to Vernon Reid's too, though that isn't a bad thing, as he's able to move deftly from a falsetto to a growl.  That growl comes in handy on the next cut, "Dog Eat Dog World," which wears the Fishbone influence on its sleeve.  It wouldn't feel out of place on an early Red Hot Chili Peppers record either.  The song gets a little silly with the number of howls and woofs (By its end, it sounds like the "twilight bark" scene in 101 Dalmatians.), but we're dealing with P-Funk and Fishbone here, so it's par for the course.

While the first three tunes come off as a little too derivative of late '80s funk metal, the final song, "Asleep in the Ocean" is where the eccentricities of each band member finally coalesce to make that original T.E.N. sound they were searching for last April.  Guitars swirl around sound effects of waves crashing to make a heady stew that is then peppered with violin before bubbling into the driving chorus.  My only complaint is that it's over too quickly.

The challenge of a "supergroup" is as such: How do you make it so it doesn't just sound like a couple songs from each member's primary band?  So far, they've done it with "Asleep," and we'll get to hear if T.E.N. can do it again when they release their full-length on the numerically appropriate release date, 10.10.

Jim James Flies Solo at Music Hall of Williamsburg

The last time I saw Jim James, he was playing to a sold-out Madison Square Garden crowd with his band, My Morning Jacket.  But that was 2011.  This is 2013.  Now touring behind his recently released debut solo LP, Regions of Light & Sound of God, James captivated a sold-out Music Hall of Williamsburg crowd with a straight-through album set and a few surprises for the encore.

The gig was opened by Dean Wareham, who you may know from Galaxie 500, Luna, or Dean & Britta, the indie pop duo he shares with his wife, Britta Phillips.  I'd heard of all these bands, but never listened before, so Wareham was uncharted territory for me.  Backed by a band that included Phillips, who looks fucking amazing for 49, Wareham doled out a short set heavy on Galaxie 500 tunes, including "Strange."  "That was an old song.  As you can tell because I mentioned Twinkies," Dean joked.  You'd suspect that being billed as a solo act, Wareham wouldn't be relying so much on the "Twinkie songs" of yesteryear (1989), but that wasn't the case.  Because he's been playing guitar so long, I also wanted more than the simple, slowed-down jangle pop instrumentation, with a solo at the end of "When Will You Come Home" serving as the lone moment of prowess.  He brought things to a close with a cover of New Order's "Ceremony."

After a lengthy set change that included the mounting of James' Gibson Flying V on a stand that made it appear as a literal Flying V, the lights finally dimmed for the show.  James began with album opener "State of the Art," an excellent choice, considering the slow build as each instrument was added one by one.  James sauntered around the stage in his suit, fist-bumped a crowdmember, and led fans on the chorus of vowels.  On the right-stage stairs sat ?uestlove, who dubbed James' "A New Life" the "most beautiful song he ever played on Late Night."  Once the song had gained full momentum, James came to the line "The power's goin' out," and the room abruptly went black.  The lights popped on again as the music returned, and the grinning audience immediately adapted to cheering "Woo!" on the return beat.  Those who listened to Regions of Light and were let down by the lack of guitar solos didn't have to worry about the Flying V going to waste, with James shredding a killer one here, and on two later tunes.  The album's single, "Know Til Now" shuffled out next, coming to its end with a mimed sax solo (I didn't see a mic.) from James.

The album unfolded in sequence, and you could tell by the look on his face that James was just happy to be up there singing these songs.  The record's instrumental filler track "Exploding" took on a little more weight as a live number, and "Of the Mother Again" actually got the crowd dancing.  Set-ender "God's Love to Deliver" was the obvious highlight, however.  The song wound down to what would be the record's last grooves, but this wasn't the record, and it evolved into a bass-led jam that conjured some of the same dark magic found in Phish's 12.30.12 "Carini."  Five minutes later, James topped it all off with a real sax solo (He played into a center-stage mic.).  The solos and jams effectively doubled the album's runtime, and James and company retreated backstage.

Having not spoken at all during the set, when he returned to the stage, he thanked us genuinely, "This is our fourth show ever.  It's been a real pleasure.  You've been beautiful."  James then played his first actual solo number of the night, an acoustic "Wonderful," which culminated in some sighs that sounded like a Muppet version of Elvis.  Realizing how silly it sounded, James remarked, "Do that when you go home and get in the shower tonight.  Just let it all out.  Let the day out."  The band joined him for some more My Morning Jacket tunes, "Wordless Chorus" and "It Beats 4 U," with James touching fans in the front fingertip-to-fingertip like E.T.  "Touch Me I'm Gong to Scream pt. 2" had fans screaming when MMJ bassist Two-Tone Tommy appeared to play electric guitar.  The song segued nicely into a joyous "Victory Dance" to finish out the memorable evening.

(Help is appreciated with Dean Wareham setlist.  Thanks.)

DEAN WAREHAM - 02.19.13 - MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG (31 minutes, 22 seconds)

SET -

Star Shine* / When Will You Come Home / Blue Thunder / Strange / Somebody Tell Me Which Way* / Ceremony

JIM JAMES - 02.19.13 - MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG (1 hour, 38 minutes)

SET -
State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.) / Know Til Now / Dear One / A New Life / Exploding / Of the Mother Again / Actress / All is Forgiven / God's Love to Deliver

ENCORE -
Wonderful (The Way I Feel) / Wordless Chorus / It Beats 4 U / Touch Me I'm Going to Scream pt. 2 > Victory Dance