Where they last left off in the long-running so-called bootleg series, #7, those recording were rare and unreleased tracks from 1961 and 1966 (which included his very first recorded song, "When I Got Troubles"). I'm pleased to see that #8 focuses more on his recent material, from his No Mercy (1989) to Modern Times (2006). It's compelling because it would seem that only his last three releases (Time Out of Mind, Love and Theft, and Modern Times) seems to be in the public's eye because they charted in the top 10 on the US charts.
Anyway, although there's no credit(s) on whoever compiled these tracks, it's evident to me that Larry "Ratso" Sloman must've had a hand in suggestions: not only did he write the introduction in the 60-page booklet, but he also painstakingly wrote notes for each of the 27 songs. I'm glad that Columbia Records is letting this massive fan put together the series, because only Dylan's hardcore fans/completist can truly make this worthwhile.
The Sloman essay details about his first GWW (Great White Wonder) bootleg to more recent quotes about his 2006 album, Modern Times. I suggest that anyone picking up this album to read it, as I suspect the majority of fans won't take the time to read the liner notes.
I had to dig out his last album, Modern Times to compare some of the tracks, to see what the differences are: and they are far apart. The alternative version of "Ain't Talkin'" is a little more upbeat, his vocals seems a little faster-paced. The version that did made it on Modern Times has more space in the song. When it comes down to it, both version of the song is amazing, but I felt the Modern Times version ultimately fit the album.
Obviously the blatant example that people will note is the three very different version of "Mississippi". We're given two unreleased version of the song on the Bootleg CDs, but the version that appeared on Tell Tale Signs is nothing like stripped acoustic version #1 or the what sounds like an evening verision #2. What a rare glimpse into Bob Dylan's brilliant mind.
Also, one interesting thing that I've observed is that as Dylan ages, his voice becomes more and more bluesy, so songs like "Marchin' to the City" (unreleased) and "Lonesome Day Blues" (live) sounds even better as he's gotten older!
Columbia Records did the smart thing and released this as a stripped down CD (retails $10), but I would recommend paying an extra $5 to get the 2-disc edition with slipcase and a 60-page booklet... which I think most people are going to get. Super hardcore Dylan fans might want to check out the deluxe version of The Bootleg Series #8, as it comes with a bonus 12-track CD, a slipcase, a hardbound book (150 pages). The price is pretty steep: over $100, you know you're worth it.
Bob Dylan's The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8 is out now and you can find this at any record store. Still not convince? Download a free song from this album through Amazon.com.
Links:
bobdylan.com
myspace.com/bobdylan
|
11 Oct 2008 Vic Theatre (SOLD OUT) Chicago
12 Oct 2008 Newport Music Hall (SOLD OUT) Columbus, Ohio 14 Oct 2008 Paradise Rock Club (SOLD OUT) Boston, Massachusetts 15 Oct 2008 Webster Hall (SOLD OUT) New York, New York 16 Oct 2008 Williamsburg Music Hall (SOLD OUT) Brooklyn, New York 17 Oct 2008 Theatre of the Living Arts (SOLD OUT) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 18 Oct 2008 Nightclub 9:30 (SOLD OUT) Washington DC, Washington DC 20 Oct 2008 Cat’s Cradle Carrabo, North Carolina 21 Oct 2008 Mercy Lounge Nashville, Tennessee 23 Oct 2008 Lola’s Ft. Worth, Texas 24 Oct 2008 Emo’s Alt Lounge (SOLD OUT) Austin, Texas 25 Oct 2008 Warehouse Live Houston, Texas 26 Oct 2008 Voodoo Music Experience New Orleans, Louisiana 03 Nov 2008 Irish Centre Burmingham 04 Nov 2008 ABC Glassgow 05 Nov 2008 Academy Dublin 06 Nov 2008 Ritz Manchester 07 Nov 2008 Astoria London 09 Nov 2008 AB Brussels 10 Nov 2008 Paradiso Amsterdam 11 Nov 2008 Mousonturm Frankfurt 12 Nov 2008 Knust Hamburg 13 Nov 2008 Vega Copenhagen 15 Nov 2008 Lido Berlin 16 Nov 2008 Lucerna Music Bar Prague 17 Nov 2008 Vienna Arena Vienna 18 Nov 2008 Atomic Cafe Munich 19 Nov 2008 Abart Zurich 21 Nov 2008 Circolo degli Artisti Rome 22 Nov 2008 Spazio 211 Turin 23 Nov 2008 Rockstore Montpellier 24 Nov 2008 Razzmatazz 2 Barcelona 25 Nov 2008 Moby Dick Madrid 27 Nov 2008 Le Vigean Bordeaux 28 Nov 2008 Le Phare Toulouse 29 Nov 2008 Bataclan Paris |
So, this Cold War Kids' show on October 10th, was sold out. Lots of younger-looking, er, youths, but there is the odd retired guys (!) and the rude professional photographer. Oh, let me also mention that despite having a photo pass, it was ultimately useless as the Fine Line does not offer any sort of safe haven for photographers.
I was kind of surprise to see that AA Bondy was the opening act. Clearly his Americana/folksy/rootsy music sounds nothing like CWK's sound of energetic youth indie rock! Still, playing in front of several sold-out shows, might help spread words around - even though the audience wasn't there for him.
It was a bonus for me, as I did review American Hearts last year and seeing the songs played live. Some highlights was when he said he was going to do a whole Christian song right before "Vice Rag" (the opening line was "sweet, sweet cocaine"). The set was pretty low-key until Dylan, I mean Bondy went electric with the last two songs, "Killed Myself When I Was Young" and "American Hearts".
Cold War Kids storm the stage with two piano-driven songs ("Every Valley is Not a Lake" and "We Used to Vacation"), before singer Nathan Willett took center stage. What's kind of interesting to note is that most of their set, they were backlit, which makes for impossible photography without the aid of the flash.
Speaking of flash, during "Robbers", the lights was almost turned off and the smoke machine worked overtime to show off the flashlights they had brought on tour. I'm sure this sounds stupid, but it was pretty cool to witness.
The audience loved all their hits, especially this one, "Hang Me Up to Dry":
![]()
Links:
coldwarkids.com
myspace.com/coldwarkids
myspace.com/aabondy
|
Tour Dates 10/11/08 Kosha Dillz @ Red’s Bar Sioux City, Iowa 10/13/08 Kosha Dillz @ Riot Room Kansas City, Missouri 10/14/08 Kosha Dillz @ Nutty’s North with Murs + Kidz in the Hall Sioux Falls, South Dakota 10/18/08 kosha dillz + flex mathews w/ SLICK RICK @ Ned Divines washington DC, Washington DC 10/19/08 kosha dillz + flex mathews w/ Cunninlynguists @ 13th Floor Herndon, Virginia |
Modular Moods Records is going to drop a serious chunk of hip-hop funk with a distinctly Hebrew flavor in the form of the LP Freestyle Vs. Written by C-Rayz Walz and Kosha Dillz. C-Rayz, one of the original members of the legendary Stronghold, has been a giant in New York City's underground hip-hop scene for years, hosting all manner of shows and events and beatin' down some of the top battle emcees in the world (even freestyle legend Supernatural). Kosha Dillz, on the other hand, is a fresh face on the scene: an upcoming Israeli-American hip-hop artist who has performed live with big-name rap stars like Pharcyde and Jurassic 5 to Grammy Nominee and reggae ninja Matisyahu. So what happens when you put together the freestyle might of C-Rayz Wallz together with the swaggering beats and multilingual vocal styles of Mr. Dillz?
You get an explosion of classic hip-hop that rests firmly on a bed of oldskool beats but extends high above the heads of many so-called contemporary "rap superstars" with lyrics that jump from the socially conscious to the outright hysterical and back again.
The album's beats recall the glory days of hip-hop's youth, mixing heavy, funkalicious beats with powerful samples taken from old soul, blues, jazz, and funk records. Many of the samples on this album sound like they came from blaxploitation movie soundtracks, which gives Freestyle Vs. Written a true urban edge that complements the sharp-witted, and often sharp-tongued, lyrics perfectly. Horns and phased guitars predominate over the rumbling beats, but the emcees' voices and styles are, naturally, foremost on every track. And these guys have got skills, y'all: their rhymes are tight, their deliveries fresh and rhythmic, and their lyrics often profound. The two emcees play off of one another so skillfully it's impossible to determine what rhymes were written ahead of time and what rhymes are freestyle examples of champion extemporization. Produced by 19-year-old prodigy Kentron Da Mastadon, Freestyle Vs. Written is a superb melange of its creators' "Jerusalem Zionist-meets-Black Bronx ghetto aesthetic" which will appeal to all fans of oldskool rap, freestyle, and socially-conscious hip-hop.
One of the most impressive elements of this record is the lack of swearing. Now, I'm not one of those stuffy prudes who frowns on cussin'--but one of the things that has made me dislike so much contemporary hip-hop is the genre's overemphasis of the words "fuck," "motherfucker," and "nigger," mainly because these words provide all-too-easy staples for rhymes and rhythmic filler. True emcees come to battle and/or record with a truckload of vocabulary and wit, not just foul language and lame insults. Both C-Rayz Wallz and Kosha Dillz are literally overflowing with deft rhymes and sharp observations. "Calouses of a Hustler" and "The Foolish Path" are aimed at uplifting their listeners and educating them, and C-rayz's flow on these tracks is very similar to that of Atmosphere's Slug. Tracks like the lighthearted "I Love Jews" (built around a sample of the Del-Phonics "La-La (Means I Love You)" and "Ariel Sharon" (which rides atop a rolling beat and jangly banjo) clearly display Kosha Dillz Jewish background in his rhymes as he mixes English, Yiddish, and Hebrew.
In short, Freestyle Vs. Written is a solid mixture of oldskool flavor and modern hip-hop styles that will have your head bobbin' as it has your mind thinkin'. This is hip-hop that aims for the brain as well as the booty and demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that even in a music world dominated by such untalented babblers like Souljah Boy and Nelly, real hip-hop is still being produced, and it's coming at you from every corner and every culture of the Earth.
The album is available for digital download, with the CD version coming on October 14th.
Modular Moods Records wanted to us know about their Remix Contest. All info and sound files are at freestylevswritten.com/remix. They have also expressed that they'd like you to see their ridiculous music video for "Sof".
![]()
Links:
crayzwalz.com
koshadillzmusic.com
myspace.com/crayzwalz
myspace.com/koshadillz4life
|
|
Also, last night, I conducted an interview with Kerry Politzer (W♥M). It was totally unexpected and spontaneous. It was like You're here, I'm awake, let's do it!!!, and so it was done. Lots of fun, and you can hear a portion of it here (#27). The full show will air October 12th. Now that's how things are done!
She's playing a few upcoming dates:
|
SESAC Writers On The Storm at Rockwood | NY, New York | ||
|
Girls Rock The Night at Caffe Vivaldi | New York, New York |
As you know we get a ton of music submissions (which is both a blessing and a curse), and although I hold actual physical CDs more important than demos or MP3s, in this post I am taking care of some digital submissions. Below are some notes I've put together for these MP3s - most are in the form of one or two songs. I think the most important thing they want to get across is that we mention their new tour dates, etc.
So apologies in advance if I don't go into a lot of details about their biography or music. Just think, this is only four of hundreds of digital submissions.
Also, I know my statement regarding not accepting MP3s is discouraging. If that didn't frighten you off, please consider submitting us some of your music. It wouldn't hurt to try, right?
Oh, and please stop sending me tea. I am not a tea drinker.
|
lookmexico.net ♥ myspace.com/lookmexico This Florida band seems really impressive, at least according to their latest press release. Their music, from the first two passes through their four-track EP, Gasp Asp, sounds very much like all-american alternative rock. You know, the kind of thing you'll find at the Warp Tour (but not as aggressive). They are about to finish the rest of their tour, ending on Halloween, which actually looks really fun:
10/16 Auburndale, FL @ Bloodhound Bash 10/17 Ashville, NC @ The New French Bar w/The Dark Romantics 10/18 Charlotte, NC @ Lunchbox Records w/The Dark Romantics 10/26 Virginia Beach, VA @ The Jewish Mother 10/28 Columbia, SC @ The New Brookland Tavern 10/29 Nashville, TN @ Springwater w/Winter Sounds 10/31 Gainesville, FL @ The Fest 7 |
hushpuppies.com ♥ myspace.com/hushpuppies They have one of those love/hate/adorable/detestible name don't they? Because they are French and because they are signed to one of my favorite record label, Minty Fresh, I'm mentioning them here. So what makes this rock band so compelling? Maybe it's because they're about to blow up when they appear on the upcoming Guitar Hero World Tour (Oct 28th), alongside other well-established acts such as Modest Mouse and REM. It's all planned accordingly when their album, Silence Is Golden will hit the States on November 4th. More information on news.w♥m |
|
myspace.com/thepalecorners Two things going for this band: (1) they are from Sweden, and (2) their song is call "Steve Buscemi". Mr Pink, himself. I hate to judge the band on one song, but that's all they sent me, and it's what you would expect: Swedish Indiepop, or as one girl calls it, "sissy music". If you like Sarah Records, you'll want to check out this band - even though it looks like they only have some demos so far. Their biography (by the way, bands when you send me random MP3s, please include a brief biography) lists that they are a four piece band (Christian Lilja, Henrik Nordström, David Tibblin and Victor Palm) from a variety of different "band constellations". They came together as The Pale Corners through their mutual love of pop music and table tennis. What else, my friend, what else? They are playing a few dates, if you happen to live in the area.
12 Nov 2008 Klubb Kavalkad @ Smålands Nation Lund 15 Nov 2008 Höstgask @ V-Dala Nation Uppsala 26 Nov 2008 Landet Stockholm 09 Dec 2008 Cole’s Corner @ Pet Sounds Bar Stockholm |
www.myspace.com/rolotomassi ♥ partywounds.blogspot.com Rolo Tomassi are a noisy screamo band from Sheffield and two songs were sent to me via "I Spy" have elements of electronica thrown in and the singer stood out as a woman (usually these screamcore band are men-oriented). They were recently on the cover of Plan B Magazine and it confirms that the girl singer is hot... and probably criminally underage. Their debut album is called Hysterics, it was recently released on September 23rd through Hassle Records. I would imagine their live shows to be intense and insane, so be sure to check them out:
13 Oct 2008 wedgewood rooms, portsmouth w/blood red shoes 15 Oct 2008 cockpit, leeds w/blood red shoes 16 Oct 2008 academy 3, manchester w/blood red shoes 17 Oct 2008 brudenell social club, leeds brainwash festival 18 Oct 2008 cafe drummonds, aberdeen w/blood red shoes 19 Oct 2008 king tuts, glasgow w/blood red shoes 20 Oct 2008 academy 2, newcastle w/blood red shoes 21 Oct 2008 waterfront, norwich w/blood red shoes 22 Oct 2008 the regal, oxford 23 Oct 2008 academy 2, birmingham w/blood red shoes 24 Oct 2008 astoria 2, london w/blood red shoes 07 Nov 2008 the royal, derby refuse revolt clubnight 08 Nov 2008 the engine rooms, brighton w/don caballero 09 Nov 2008 93 feet east, london hokaben festival |
I don't really know why it bothers me, its just the way they get away with it, that is, the news that Local Borough Councils in the UK are likely , set, to lose millions as they have invested Council Tax paying citizens money in Icelandic Bank accounts as the credit crunch hits. Its inconceivable how they can take money that's meant to pay for services, Fire Brigade, Police, Refuse collection, constantly cutback on services, and then tell us all that they have billions invested in foreign banks that they are about to lose. This is when bosses are taking record cash payouts... has anyone hear the term 'rip-off'.. simple 2 words, its happening to us, we're being ripped off... How does it feel... is there a revolt in the streets, no, everyone just sits in front of the big-plasma screens, eats more crisps, getting fatter so they can cost the health service more, with ever increasing obesity rates in the country... I don't know how the 2 are related, something about flatulence, obesity, and greedy f****** must relate to Local Councils mustn't it... personally I'm not paying my Council Tax.. Jail at last
on a nicer tone... I am getting radio play at influential Radio, which is great,,, here's my latest report!!
This week we received a spin from KEXP in Seattle WA which is really, really
exciting! They are one of the most influential and important college
stations in the country. We are also seeing a growing number of stations
putting Marshall Star in medium spins. Some of the new stations doing this
include WCFM in Williamstown MA, WFCF in St. Augustine FL, WHUS in Storrs
CT, WMSC in Upper Montclair NJ, WNMC in Traverse City MI, WPTS in Pittsburgh
PA, WVOF in Fairfield CT, WWPV in Colchester CT, WHPK in Chicago IL, KAMP in
Tucson AZ, and many more! TUNE IN ... DROP OUT!!!
)

/