Lauris: A Revelation!

By Duncan Strauss

I'm fortunate enough to host an afternoon drive music show called the Sonic Detour each Wednesday on WMNF, Tampa's 70,000-watt community radio station, and because I live in an entirely different part of the state (Jupiter Farms, a three-hour drive to Tampa), it just hasn't been practical for me to get plugged into the flourishing Tampa music scene.

That bugs me--during times over the last few decades when I've done radio &/or music journalism, I've also been steeped in my local music scene at the time, and a champion of it. My disconnect in Tampa, my inexperience with its artists and their work, has struck me as a real weak spot of my Sonic Detours.

So about a year ago, I invited Bev Capshaw, a longtime WMNF programmer and supreme expert on (and advocate of) the Tampa scene to start offering local music segments--she's done so ever since, including the first one a few months ago about Lauris Vidal and another one on Lauris two Wednesdays ago, tied to his involvement in the Citrus Circuit Tour, which also features The Takers, Truck Stop Coffee and Have Gun, Will Travel.

She's become such a fast, fervent fan of Lauris, that we've joked--on the air & off--about her having a crush on him.

In e-mailing her this morning with my take on the Citrus Circuit tour, which stopped last night semi-close to my house, at Propaganda in Lake Worth, I later realized the portion about Lauris Vidal might work as a blog post. Let's see:

"Lauris: a revelation! I totally get your crush. I mean, I've really been digging the EP since you did the first local music segment on him, but live (with that incredibly good, muscular, nimble rhythm section), Lauris comes across as an emerging major artist:

insanely gifted, adventurous in a host of ways, a great synthesizer of influences but clearly heeding a powerful muse to yield a wholly original blast of art (the unholy love child of David Byrne & Tom Waits, if those guys had a more pronounced reggae bent? or maybe that was just the 3 beers talking in my head!), plus all the things that spell "special":

unfettered, genuine joy in performing...ease, flexibility & spontaneity...charisma to burn...lotsa intriguing choices (from his instruments, to how he plays them, to how he hears & creates music, to the wonderfully quirky cover of "Paint It Black," etc.)

If I didn't have a few notable personal & professional responsibilities standing in my way, I'm half tempted to volunteer to go on the road as his roadie--just so I could see him perform every night!"

That's the end of that portion of the e-mail to Bev, but not the Lauris tub-thumping. You'd be well advised to get your hands on his EP, "Shoot, Shoot Your Skeletons," visit his MySpace--and catch him live!

“Skeletons” by Lauris Vidal (mp3)(iTunes)(Amazon)

Catch Lauris Vidal and the rest of the Citrus Circuit Tour tonight (6/27) at the New World Brewery in Tampa.

A Good Year Living Under These Dark Clouds

Lauris Vidal likes the ukulele. He really does. And he makes it sing. Along with banjoes, lap steel guitars and other instruments from years past.

Vidal's multi-instrumentalist tendencies evokes a post-Raindogs Tom Waits, but with a tenor voice. Vidal's urgent, bluesy folk music is an original, crafted from years developing his craft in Florida clubs.

The Daytona-based Vidal leads the Citrus Circuit Tour which blows through South Florida this week. Joining Vidal will be Tampa's Have Gun Will Travel, who are generating some serious buzz on the state's west coast. Joining the bill is Lake Worth roots rockers Truckstop Coffee and Gainesville honky tonkers, The Takers.

I'll be catching them on Friday. I can not wait

Citrus Circuit Tour

Jun 24, 2009, 8:00 PM Bank & Blues, Daytona Beach, FL

Jun 25, 2009, 8:00 PM Tobacco Road, Miami, FL

Jun 26, 2009, 8:00 PM Propaganda, Lake Worth, FL

Jun 27, 2009. 8:00 PM New World Brewery, Tampa - Ybor City, FL

“Good Years, Dark Clouds” by Lauris Vidal (mp3)(iTunes)(CDBaby)

“Land Of The Living” by Have Gun Will Travel (mp3)(iTunes)

“Taker Easy” by The Takers (mp3)

Punk/Folk Troubadours Hit FLA

Joey Cape

At a time when bands trim the Florida leg from their summer tours as a nod to the creaking economy, three exceptional singer/songwriters are headed to the Sunshine State.

Joey Cape, vocalist of the Southern Cal punk outfit Lagwagon, will lead the Punk/Folk Troubadour Revival into our sweatbox of a state. Joining Cape will be fellow punk folksters Jon Snodgrass and Cory Branan. The three sharing the same stage promises an evening a damn good music.

Along with fronting Lagwagon, Cape explored his poppier influences with Bad Astronaut and the cover band legends Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. On the link below, Cape does a heart-wrenching version of Bad Astronaut's "Killers and Liars." I love the line, "Lying is like murder, It's easier each time." Definitely a songwriter with something to say.

“Killers and Liars (Acoustic)” by Joey Cape (mp3)(iTunes)

Snodgrass is a label mate of Cape and fronted the great and under-appreciated Drag The River. Snodgrass recorded his first solo album earlier this year and is about to release a vinyl and cassette album only (so very old school - schweeet) with good friend Branan. Below is a classic DTR track for your listening pleasure.

“Me & Joe Drove Out To California” by Drag The River (mp3)(iTunes)

Branan is a new name for me, but sign me up. Cory evokes Conor Oberst or Jeff Tweedy in his voice and phrasing. The more I listen, the better it gets. You are going to hear of this guy again. Seriously.

“A Girl Named Go” by Cory Branan (mp3)(iTunes)

Looking forward to their southernmost gig at Propaganda at Lake Worth. However, I suspect the New World Brewery date in Tampa will be the state's can't miss show.

Tour Dates:

Sun. 6/21 - Atlanta, GA : The Earl

Mon. 6/22 - Savannah, GA : The Jinx

Tue. 6/23 - Jacksonville, FL : Jack Rabbits

Wed. 6/24 - Gainesville, FL : Common Grounds

Thu. 6/25 - Tampa, FL : New World Brewery

Fri. 6/26 - Orlando, FL : Will's Pub

Sat. 6/27 - Lake Worth, FL : Propaganda

Sun. 6/28 - New Smyrna Beach, FL : Beachside Tavern

Tue. 6/30 - San Antonio, TX : Rock Bottom

Wed. 7/1 - Houston, TX : Walter's On Washington

Thu. 7/2 - Dallas, TX : Double Wide

Fri. 7/3 - Denton, TX : Andy's Bar

Sat. 7/4 - Austin, TX : Red 7 (Punk Rock BBQ)

Summer Dream for a Southern Surprise

Old Crow Medicine Show

Enveloped by the warm, sultry blanket of a south Florida summers, it is time to reach down to the bottom of one's soul for a wish - perchance a dream. 

My dream, my need, is a Big Surprise.  More specifically, the Big Surprise Tour.

The near magical combination of Old Crow Medicine Show, David Rawlings and Gillian Welch, The Felice Brothers, and Justin Townes Earle in one hoedown show is nearly a fever dream. Perhaps the finest collection of Americana musicians going - in one show and one stage.

Billed the Big Surprise Tour, the shows will be broken down into two 90-minute sets with an intermission for a smoke and a beer.  The bands are set to share the stage, playing each others' songs, traditional tunes and covers.

Just a handful of dates have been announced.  Still no dates south of Knoxville.  But that is where the dream comes in.  A dream where this rag-tag group of pickers and players make its way to Florida - during the height of hurricane season.

Yes, I know its a dream.  However, the schedule at the Pompano Beach amphitheater is light this August.  Hell, just get south of I-10 and I'll be there. 

Tour Dates Below: 

AUGUST 2009 

04 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Casino Ballroom | more info 

05 – Boston, MA @ House Of Blues | more info 

06 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre | more info 

07 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory | more info 

09 – Charlottesville, VA @ Charlottesville Pavilion | more info 

10 – Cary, NC @ Koka Booth Amphitheatre | more info 

12 – Louisville, KY @ Waterfront Park | more info 

13 – Nashville, TN @ Riverfront Park | more info 

14 – Knoxville, TN @ World’s Fair Park | more info

Download: Don’t Wake The Scarecrow by The Felice Brothers (mp3)(iTunes)(Amazon)

Download: Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show (mp3)(iTunes)

Like Milk and Gasoline

Musically, something is happening in Tampa.

The latest compilation of Tampa Bay area bands, Tales of Lust & Longing, documents the rising tide of talent in the area. It is a thoroughly enjoyable listen from BAAMO. (thanks, Duncan!).

Catching my ear on the first listen was "Milk & Gasoline" by St. Pete's Experimental Pilot, who consist of brothers Robert and Stephen Vessenmeyer. The acoustic duo and longtime area musicians team up with a kicking back-up band on this tale of a struggling couple searching for for a way out. With a driving rhythm section, the song is reminiscent of a Hayes Carll tune.

I've been replaying this song for a week - taking special pleasure when Stephen whispers "All it takes is a spark" as the band kicks it into another gear.

“Milk & Gasoline” by Experimental Pilot (mp3)(iTunes)(CDBaby)

Like the Back of My Hand

Like finding a stack of old baseball cards in your parent's attic, I stumbled upon this beautiful bit of digital flotsam that brought about that same release of nostalgic joy.

Just a simple mp3 of the only hit from a short-lived band from England. It was enough to bring a downpour of memories. The Jags' "Back of My Hand" is a very delicious piece of power pop candy.

“Back of My Hand” by the Jags (mp3)(iTunes)(Amazon)

Released in 1979, "Back of My Hand" made it to #17 on the UK charts. It was included on the album "Evening Standards" the next year, when it made its appearance stateside and quickly found its place in the nation's bargain bins.

However, the song emerged at the right time for me. It was the summer between junior and senior years of high school. The song is full of heavy beats, angst, lust, harmonies and a hook that won't quit. My brother's band played it. For them, it was the great, hip cover of a little known hit from an even more obscure British band. A nice little stamp on the growing hipster cred. Plus, it was easy to play.

I've must have listened to this song at least a thousand times - a large percentage with air guitar accompaniment. Most of that time between the ages 17 and 18. The vinyl made the trip to college where it would be broken out at parties whenever I commando-ed the turntable. Ultimately, the album was lost during the Great Mold Tragedy of 1995.

The song returned to the fringes of cultural consciousness in 2006 when it was included in a forgettable soundtrack. However, the first and second (and final) albums remain lost to the dusty bins at record or second-hand shops. They can't be found on iTunes or Amazon.

But their single remains. It brought about a myriad of memories of the time when the music was constant and essential. I'm sure I wrote a girl's number on the back of my hand.

Bettye LaVette: Best Interpreter in Rock

Quite simply, Bettye LaVette is the best interpreter of rock music going. 

Possessing an incredible, soulful voice, LaVette consistently wrings out new levels of emotion from songs long lost in the classic rock radio ghetto.  The best, recent example is LaVette's soaring take on The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me" at the Kennedy Center Honors.   Pete Townshend, who was being honored and the song's author, was reportedly moved to tears by her version.

Like a modern day Sarah Vaughn,  LaVette reinterprets the standards of the day.  Instead of recording Duke Ellington or Henry Mancini, LaVette covers Neil Young, Elton John and Sam Cooke. At her recent SunFest show, she performed searing versions of songs from Lucinda Williams and George Jones. During the show, the 63-year-old strutted and danced like the professional she is with 48 years in the business. She did take a break - a "senior citizen moment" - near the end of the one-hour set to sit cross-legged at the edge of the stage for an intimate ballad. It was a wonderful, albeit short, concert.  LaVette is a treasure. 

Below is a great recording of LaVette at Joe's Pub singing a killer version of Neil Young's "Hear of Gold."  Enjoy.

"Heart of Gold" by Bettye LaVette (mp3) 

SunFest 2009 Preview

Aaaaahhhhhh.... SunFest.

And not a moment too soon. The 27th annual West Palm musical festival, which begins on Wednesday, can not get here quick enough to provide that wonderful cocktail of blue skies, ocean breezes, cool beverages and a spot on the lawn for good music.

SunFest is unabashedly local. If you have put any time at all along this dune line, you will renew a friendship or acquaintance every year at SunFest. It is the enduring legacy of festival's humble beginnings as a free, community-organized arts and jazz festival. Now, the festival is much bigger and much more mainstream. It is still where to be for the locals.

Throughout the years, the festival consistently mixes up varied musical genres with the oldies, classic rock and pop. There are always some nuggets of gold to be found. This year, I have my eye out for two acts during then opening night and then the final act of the four-day fest.

Wavves is the creation of distortion popster Nathan Williams. Anointed earlier this year by the N.Y. Times and Pitchfork as an artist of interest, the 22-year-old San Diegoan is also catching some backlash. I'll leave the hipster flame wars to the unshaven and moussed. There is something interesting going on with Williams. He opens the festival at the main stage (5:30 p.m. Wednesday).

Topping off Wednesday's New Music Night will be Monterey, Mexico's Kinky. This latin rock/funk/alternative/techno group has steadily been gaining North American fans during the past decade. Kinky provides a fresh approach to rock. They perform 8 p.m. Wednesday at the amphitheater.

Finishing off the festival Sunday night will be the incomparable Bettye LaVette. For purely selfish reasons, I wish she was performing in a late morning, much like Mavis Staple's Sunday morning gospel concert a couple of years ago at SunFest. To bask in the sun and LaVette's distinctive voice at the same time would perhaps asking a bit much. Sunday night will have to do.

These are just three shows where you most likely see me. Other acts such as UB40, Sly & Robbie, Cold War Kids and Monty Warren will be as tempting as the locale.

Just in the nick of time.

“So Bored” by Wavves (mp3)(iTunes)(Amazon)

“Presidente” by Kinky (mp3)(iTunes)(Amazon)

“Down To Zero” by Bettye LaVette (mp3)(iTunes)(Amazon)

Bill Comes Due for Phil Spector

In an era when a lot of folks are getting their due, legendary music producer and gun-wielder Phil Spector just received his.

Phil is looking at 18 years to life for his conviction in the second-degree murder of Lana Clarkson. For many who had dealings with Spector, this verdict is the only possible ending to the producer's long, twisted tale.

A musical genius responsible for the Wall of Sound, influencing Brian Wilson and Bruce Springsteen and producing some of the most famous rock albums ever, Spector was bully. According to the trove of stories available even before his trial, Spector liked to dominate people - women and musicians in particular. He kept Ronnie Spector locked up in hell. He pulled guns on Dee Dee Ramone and Leonard Cohen.

During his producing efforts in 1975 for John Lennon's Rock 'n' Roll, Spector reportedly discharged a gun in the recording studio. Below are three examples of the sometimes playful, sometimes testy and sometimes bizarre relationship Lennon and Spector had in the studio.

Phil And John 1

Phil And John 2

Phil And John 3

Colin Hay's Cheeky Melancholia

Colin Hay is a charming bloke.

The former Men At Work frontman and "Scrubs" favorite continued building on his slow and steady post-MTV solo career with an entertaining 90 minute show Saturday night at Palm Beach County's newest venue, The Borland Center.  Hay wrapped his literate ballads and acoustic versions of his 80's hits with a steady and funny recounting of his 30+ year career.  Nearly a third of the 90-minute show was Hay's hilarious commentary. 

Some of the revelations:

• All the Men At Work hits, "Down Under," "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Overkill," were written while stoned.  Not exactly a surprise considering the genre, but it does explain the shout-out to the vegemite sandwich.
• The previous night's show in Jacksonville did not go well.  According to Hay, the venue had a meth lab in the back. There is no reason to doubt him.
• When an audience member broke out the handy-cam and started videotaping in the 21st century version of flicking one's Bic at a concert, Hay politely and firmly chided him to stop.  Saying he "didn't want to sing to a red light," Hay said he hates to have his shows on the ubiquitous YouTube because his audience will hear all his bits before attending the show.  A very honest answer and a welcome retort to our "look what I saw" culture.

Perhaps the main revelation and the overriding theme of the evening was Hay's 1991 sacking by MCA records. He spoke of it twice.  When he wasn't enthralling the crowd with humorous tales of his post-stardom life, he performed a strong selection of his well-crafted songs filled with his brand of cheeky melancholia

During the encore, Hay spoke of his desire to return to a larger stage of stardom.  It was a perfect set-up final song, "Waiting for My Real Life to Begin" - a song about the longing for the life we want to live.  It appears that Hay is well on the way to reaching this life. 

“Waiting For My Real Life To Begin” by Colin Hay (mp3)(iTunes)(Amazon)