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This Was Coventry (The Video)
Matt Bushlow
November 19, 2009

This Was Coventry from Matt Bushlow on Vimeo.

I had just returned to the U.S. when Phish announced Coventry. I had been in Peace Corps in Cape Verde, a tiny little country off the coast of Senegal. I had a good friend there named Steve, who had started seeing shows in 1998 and had continued until the hiatus. I had started seeing shows in 1993 and stopped--for various reasons--in 1997. We bonded over stories of epic shows and adventures, talked about the phases the band had gone through, and spent a fair amount of time sipping beers and listening to shows.

When I heard about the festival, I contacted Steve. It only made sense that we go together. It would be an adventure, and our first trip back in the States. When the band announced that it would be their final show, we knew the trip was a must.

I had wanted to do something with video for a while. This was before YouTube blew up, and I think I had delusions of making movies. I bought a cheap little Sony MiniDV camera and came up with the idea that we would interview fans and hear how they felt about the final festival. Or something like that.

What actually happened has been well documented, as most of us know. Torrential rains made a colossal mess of the festival grounds, backing up traffic until people had been in their cars for as many as 36 hours. Thousands never made it, even though they had tickets.

Our story: We left from Burlington, Vermont at around 11 p.m. Friday night, hit traffic around 1 a.m. or so Saturday morning, and had moved about a mile by the time Mike Gordon came on the Bunny around 8 a.m. and announced that the band had to turn people away. Like thousands of others, we parked, paid a farmer to camp on his lawn, and started walking. One of the great ironies of the situation, and this video, is that Saturday was sunny and gorgeous. (Oh, there's mud, but you won't see it for a while.)

This video is the story of our trip. It's just one of many. I hope folks who also made that crazy journey enjoy it. I'm happy to share it with you.

Special thanks to Steve, as always. Yura Yura Teikoku - Photos of My Favorite Japanese Rock Trio
Mike McKinley
November 17, 2009
I gave Yura Yura Teikoku's latest release Hollow Me a few listens this past week and it sounds just like I remembered from seeing them about two months ago opening for Yo La Tengo--dreamy‚ psychedelic and awesome. Matt Bushlow reviewed the show (here) and Brent Harrewyn took some amazing shots that night. His shots of Yura Yura Teikoku didn't get published because he thought we were only covering Yo La Tengo‚ and when he sent in the shots of Yo La Tengo‚ we thought he missed the impressive opener. Eventually we figured it out and these great photos surfaced. All I keep thinking looking at these is, "This is what rock music looks like."











































Marco Benevento's New DVD‚ Live in NYC (The Sullivan Hall Residency)
Mike McKinley
November 11, 2009
I just watched the trailer to Marco Benevento's new DVD‚ Live In NYC: The Sullivan Hall Residency‚ plus the sneak peak track "Megafauna" (see below)‚ and still‚ after years and years of listening to Marco (and also, declaring April 17th national gay for Marco day)‚ I find myself surprised by the music he's making and spreading.

Seeing these videos come on top of my first experience hearing Garage A Trois' -- Marco‚ Skerik‚ Mike Dillon and Stanton Moore -- new album Power Patriot last night. One listen and I know they made a great album. They really went for it‚ making some killer music. At one point‚ I found myself transported by one of Marco's organ runs -- dirty‚ playful‚ super intense‚ and above all‚ playing that's making a meaningful statement. I thought‚ "Ah‚ Marco! Nobody like him."

About a month ago I had JFJO sitting in my living room relaxing and listening to different records before they headed back out on the road to their next gig. They talked about different musicians and whether or not they have their own voice. It was really interesting to hear their perspective. When Marco's name came up there wasn't much discussion‚ just unanimously‚ "Yeah‚ Marco's one-of-a-kind. He definitely has his own voice."

He's been bringing Led Zeppelin‚ Sesame Street and a world full of new colors to jazz for a long time now‚ and man‚ it's been a wonderful ride aging with this cat. Oftentimes it feels as if music‚ especially jazz‚ forms a scene that becomes homogenized and stuffy sounding. Not with Marco though‚ he consistently walks along with his imagination leading the way‚ obliterating any notion of the norm when it comes to musical idioms and style.

Here are the musicians that appeared during his January 2008 residency:

Andrew Barr‚ Billy Martin‚ Bobby Previte‚ Brad Barr‚ DJ Olive‚ G. Calvin Weston‚ Reed Mathis‚ Joe Russo‚ John Ellis‚ Kaki King‚ Marc Friedman‚ Skerik‚ Stanton Moore and Steven Bernstein

I can't wait to see this. Buy it now!

Marco Benevento & Friends - Live in NYC : The Sullivan Hall Residency from Shine A Light Productions on Vimeo.

"Megafauna"
Vetiver - "More of This" Remix
Mike McKinley
November 9, 2009
Just got a text from Adam King (SoM writer, musician) saying "Vetiver remix is dope." He had no idea what it was, just that he heard it on UVM's radio station‚ WRUV. I did some investigation‚ and yes‚ it is dope‚ and it's Vetiver's Andy Cabic doing his own remix of "More of This" -- the original appears on Vetiver's latest release Tight Knit. Here's some love for your ears:

Vetiver - "More of This" remix



From Bella Union (who will be releasing the remix later this month on 12" vinyl):

Vetiver will return to brighten our winter months with the new single "MORE OF THIS" -- a wonderful slice of West Coast pop released this November. "MORE OF THIS" will be released on limited edition 12" vinyl on Monday 30th November and will be backed Cabic's very own remix of "More of This" -- a jam that takes the original‚ strips it to the bone and then soaks it in these lazy African and Hawaiian rhythms.

Halloween 2009: More Than an Excuse to Dress Up Like a Hooker
Mike McKinley
November 8, 2009
Bill Maher said‚ "Let's call Halloween what it is -- an excuse to dress up like a hooker." For a lot of bands‚ it's a chance to dress up in a musical costumes and play a wide range of covers. There were plenty of surprises in 2009. Here are a few cool things I found out and about on the interwebs.

Phish covered the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street in its entirety. Check out Adam King's review and Andrew Hill's photos. Interesting blog on the Stones' making Exile here.

Phish - "Torn & Frayed"


Phish - "Shine A Light"


moe. had plenty of surprises (see the review and photos here) -- Paul Simon‚ Phish‚ Miley Cyrus‚ Pink Floyd‚ Grateful Dead and Tenacious D. Here's there second set opener‚ Phish's "Stash":


Lotus used David Bowie as their theme at the Sonar in Baltimore -- going in and out of different Bowie material throughout the night ("Suffragette City‚" "Fame‚" "Let's Dance!‚" "Under Pressure‚" "Space Oddity‚" "Rebel Rebel"). Also‚ each band member dressed up as Bowie from a different era. They worked with a professional makeup artist and all -- here's a photo posted on the band's message board:


Lotus - "Let's Dance!"


Rubblebucket's Alex Toth and Kalmia Traver dressed up as each other - pretty spot on:



Widespread Panic played in Austin‚ TX and covered songs by Nirvana‚ ZZ Top‚ Meat Puppets and Leon Russell -- it looks raging:


Gov't Mule with guest Jackie Greene‚ paid tribute to the Rolling Stones at the Tower in Philly -- check out Matt Abts doing his best Mick Jagger:

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