My Morning Jacket :: Fox Theatre :: Oct. 31

By Brian F. Johnson

If My Morning Jacket were an article of clothing, it wouldn’t fall under casual garb, for sure. It would be something ragged and rugged, yet cleaned, pressed and donned for special occasions, or even church. Not religious-type church — although you might get some exposure to that too — My Morning Jacket would fit best worn entering the hallowed halls of rock and roll and the Church of Reverb.

My Morning Jacket is, in fact, not an article of clothing, but a five piece Kentucky-based rock quintet that was born, raised and baptized in that Church of Reverb — a gargantuan sweeping temple with limitless ceilings and speakers as large as Peterbilt sleeper cabs. And, with its latest release, the band’s fourth full-length album, Z, its as if the band has graduated from altar boy to high priest.

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From the barstool of the publisher

I usually use this space for my “From the Barstool of the Publisher” column. But something happened this month on the way to deadline that made me stop and change that.

While under the gun of deadline, the new Lucero DVD review (that I had yet to write) was pulled from the issue due to space constraints. But, while waiting for the various last-minute items like dates and stories to roll in, I popped in the DVD and immediately realized I had made a big mistake. This DVD needs to be reviewed and you all need to see it. And, you all need to see Lucero live. The band is playing a number of dates in the area this month (see the calendar section for details).

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A Revamped and Re-amped Farrar puts Son Volt back together for Okemah

By Brian Kenney

Flipping through the ‘S’s in the Rolodex of Americana long enough eventually brings you to Son Volt (see also Farrar, Jay).

In some circles Son Volt is as much a musical institution in Americana, alt-Country, pseudo honky tonk and folk rock as those who proceeded the band and those whom the band hold in high esteem — the Guthries and Dylans of the world.

When the band and primary songwriter/founder Jay Farrar revamped and re-amped after a seven year hiatus, the result was no mere speck on a radar screen, but a giant beaming mass that set the Americana world on end. Continue — Read more »

Tim O’Brien returns to boulder with new band for benefit show

By Bruce Lish

Boulder favorite son Tim O’Brien continues to thrive in his ‘new’ home in Nashville, Tenn., and continues moving forward in a musical career that has brought him from his birthplace in the river steel-town of Wheeling, W. V., to Wyoming and Colorado, and now for almost a decade to a busy and rewarding career in one of the music meccas of the world.

“I outgrew Boulder for that reason (the business aspect),” said O’Brien in a very gracious, recent conversation with The Marquee. “I had to dig in and find a way to support my family, this (Nashville) being by a bigger stream … you put a lot of lines out there, like a fisherman,” he continued.  “It’s a bigger stream to fish out of here.”

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Iron & Wine, Calexico team up for the release of In the Reins EP and Tour

By Timothy Dwenger

As the final notes of “Dead Man’s Will” fade out of the speakers and the first collaboration between Iron & Wine and Calexico comes to a close, there is a strange sense of calm that sweeps in. In the Reins makes its mark as a very solid seven-song EP that showcases the unique attributes of each musician.

While both bands have had success on their own, Sam Beam’s role in this project as lead singer and songwriter for Calexico seems a natural fit. As a joint tour looms, both John Convertino of Calexico, and Sam Beam of Iron & Wine took time to speak with The Marquee about the In the Reins project. Continue — Read more »

Jason Mraz follows Rocket with a more personal look at Mr. A-Z

By Yvette Rebik

Following an artist through a year of their life is not something that most fans are afforded. But fans of the hip-hop influenced singer/songwriter Jason Mraz are getting exactly that opportunity with the release of Mraz’s sophomore release Mr. A – Z.

The album is exactly 365 days of Mraz, all packed into just under one hour. Mr. A-Z took exactly one year to make, from the day the first word was scripted in January 2004 to mastering in January 2005.

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Blues Traveler stop thinking so much for their latest incarnation

By Brian Kenney

Badges? We don’t need no stinking badges!

The tone and velocity with which Blues Traveler’s new disc ¡Bastardos! comic book-like cover jumps out at you in sunset oranges and yellows,  shows five sombrero wearing, pistol-waving, fist-a-cuff flying, lone ranger banditos and one damsel in distress. Apparently there are no badges needed for the ambassadors of  pop jam.

“Hey, we’re five Clint Eastwoods doing what we want  to do,” said Blues Traveler keyboardist Ben Wilson in a recent conversation with The Marquee.

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Unconventional music, CD concept propel System of a Down to the top of metal

By Jeffrey V. Smith

Wild Creativity, unique instrumentation, one-of-a-kind lyrical passion, tricky time and structural shifts, and Eastern European folk music with operatic influences are descriptions not commonly used to portray a band outside the world of jazz or jam bands. Certainly not a metal band. But System of a Down, the current reigning champion of metal around the world, is all that and more.

The unlikely mix of ingredients, styles and politics that encompasses System of a Down’s sound would not normally equate to popularity, and its members are as surprised as anyone that it has. It is, after all, widely considered to be one of the most original, wholly unique bands recording today — not something the masses usually accept. Newsweek calls it “prog-rock-metal-politico-pop with an operatic twist” while the Los Angeles Times suggests it’s as if the “Marx Brothers took possession of Metallica and hired Frank Zappa as arranger.” Sounds strange, but it is in fact not only extremely popular, it’s wildly addicting and begs the question why more bands don’t do it the S.O.A.D. way.

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’8O’s Christian Metal rockers Stryper resurrects themselves

By Brandon Daviet

It’s been 15 years since Stryper, one of the first and easily the most recognizable of the Christian metal bands, released their last studio album Against the Law. That may not be a whole lot of time when compared to the texts of the Bible, but it is a lifetime when you are talking about rock and roll. In fact, 15 years represents the entire career of southern rockers The Black Crowes, so far, and is also roughly the amount of time Axl Rose has spent trying to make a new Gun’s ’n Roses album.

So it’s no surprise that when Stryper announced they were coming out of retirement to do a tour and test the proverbial waters of their popularity, critics and fans alike were skeptical. No one can say for sure if it was divine intervention or not, but the fact is that Stryper’s return was successful enough (the band drew over 1,000 people to their 2003 performance at the Ogden Theatre) to warrant a full-scale reunion and a new album aptly titled Reborn.

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New Pornographers ride the newest wave of Canadian invasion with Twin Cinema CD

By Chris McNamara

What do Cannibal Corpse, Nashville Pussy, and Insane Clown Posse have in common? They’re all bands with outrageously shocking names that produce outrageously bad music. It’s almost a rule in rock & roll — the talent of a group is inversely proportional to the shock value of its name.

So how do you explain The New Pornographers? Their name would suggest that the band members realized their music sucked, so they decided to adopt a moniker that would at least raise a few eyebrows — Barenaked Ladies was already taken.

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Midnite brings roots reggae to the U.S. from the Virgin Islands

By Cornelia Kane

Since the untimely death of Robert Nesta Marley (known to most as “Bob”) in 1982, there has been a void in the world of reggae music that has gone essentially unfilled, despite efforts by countless bands to hold that title spot.

The roots style that Marley perfected and popularized has lost ground to other types of reggae, such as dub and dancehall. Original rebel music made by Rastafarians has become increasingly hard to find, while remixes and covers of old Marley tunes continue to dominate playlists. While the world looks to Jamaica for the second coming of Bob, roots music has re-emerged somewhere else entirely: the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Dickey Betts heads back to where it all begins with Hall of Fame show DVD/CD release

Dickey Betts & Great Southern
Back Where It All Begins – Live From the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum
Eagle Rock Entertainment
3.5 out of 5

Fans of Dickey Betts will enjoy watching the Southern Rock hero lead his band Great Southern through a soulful, if somewhat subdued, 12-song set. Fans of the Allman Brothers be warned, though, as you could be somewhat disappointed while watching this DVD recorded at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on September 29, 2004.

Betts sings signature tunes such as “Blue Sky” and “Ramblin’ Man” and all is good. Michael Kach takes the vocals over from behind his Hammond organ for a few of the songs as well. On the opening “Statesboro Blues,” Kach playfully adds the lyric, “I ain’t Gregg Allman baby.” Well, his point is glaringly obvious to anyone listening.

Nevertheless, Betts’ playing is sharp throughout, as his fingers still manage to magically find harmonics all over the fretboard. Prefaced with a verbal nod to Jerry Garcia, Betts begins “Blue Sky” by intertwining the signature riff with licks from the Grateful Dead’s “Franklin’s Tower.” Although his erstwhile ‘brothers’ are elsewhere, Betts keeps it in the family by having his “pride and joy” — son Duane Betts on guitar — join the band for the instrumental “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.”

An accompanying five-song CD of soundcheck versions of familiar songs provides an interesting listening alternative. The DVD also includes an interview with Betts discussing selected tracks. So, if you are looking for hard-rocking Allman Brother blues then you might want to look elsewhere; but, for the country-infused sound of Dickey Betts & Great Southern, you will appreciate this DVD.

—   Daniel J. Cohen