Artist Feature | Mark Kozelek 04/20/08


I finally got around to catching Mark Kozelek live at the Aladdin here in Portland earlier this week. He has been on my list of artists(rather short list lately) that I wanted to make an effort to go see after listening to the album "Ghost of the Great Highway" by his band Sun Kil Moon as well as their new release, "April". Knowing this was billed as a solo show I was excited and a bit hesitant to hear if Mark live was as hypnotic and inspiring to my ears as he was in the studio. Some artists excel in the studio but for a variety of reasons have a hard time capturing that energy on stage and I feared this would be the scenario here.

First thing I should mention once the lights came down is this wasn't truly a solo gig as he had a guitarist, Phil Carney, join him onstage. This proved to be a wise choice I thought as Phil did a great job of adding enough texture on guitar for Mark without stepping on him. Overall the combination of the two guitars provided a warm full sound that filled the theatre perfectly.

With the opener Heron Blue off his new release, I was immediately floored by his voice live. Some musicians are blessed with a unique voice that seperate them from the rest and Kozelek is no exception. It's a ethereal voice that pulls you in and get's your attention quick and while I feel some of his lyrics are a bit bland I could care less as I was grinning ear to ear this evening. The strongest part of the set for me was the back to back of Salvador Sanchez, Unlit Hallway, and Lucky Man as well as Duk Ko Kim near the end. The version of S.S. was nailed beautifully which elicited the only smile I think I saw from him that night. The rest of the set was filled with tracks from his two albums with Sun Kil Moon and if I recall correctly a song or two from Red House Painters.

My only complaint from this evening is I wish Mark would step into some unfamiliar territory and rock out some. What he currently does he obviously does well.. really well. But I almost felt at times as if he seemed a bit too comfortable with the music and where it was going.

With that said, I didn't find him to be moody(aka asshole) as others have warned me about.. he does have a biting sense of humor when he talked about his thoughts/questions on portland but everyone seemed to appreciate the honesty with some comical responses from the impaired in the crowd.

Highly recommend checking him out in a venue near you.
-Kevin


Artist Feature | Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags 04/16/08

Live from Mission Theatre in Portland, Oregon 4/18/08


Portland's own Scotland Barr and the Slow Drags will be live on Little Moon Radio from Mission Theatre this Friday the 18th at 9pm pst. This will be their official release party for their new album, All The Great Aviators Agree. If you haven't had a chance to hear these guys, do yourself a favor and tune in. The band will then follow with a 6 week tour so be sure to check out their homepage to find a venue near you as well as where to buy their new cd.


Artist Feature | Reconstruction 03/31/08

Many moons ago a friend of mine, kind of a big brother if you will who had been seeing the Grateful Dead since late 70's, had given me a tape of a band called "Reconstruction"..I didn't recognize any of the songs on the cassette case nor even heard of the band for that matter.... With a grin he said check it out and let him know what I thought... He had never let me down before with choice music so my curiousity was peaked as I left his house and drove down the road in my first car, a 1979 Ford Granada(same and only year I learned later that the Reconstruction were around). Plunking the cassette into my *ghetto box* in the passenger seat and pushing play I nearly drove off the side of the road as there was no warning when the horns came blaring out of the speakers to "Telling My Friends About You".... How do I describe this?... funk..yep!... jazz, some gd style jamming, R & B... definitely at moments!! It's hard to really say exactly what it is but it isn't hard to put a date stamp on it after a few songs.. It wasn't until hearing a powerful rendition of Jimmy Cliff's "Strugglin Man" with Jerry Garcia on vocals did I figure out why my friend gave the recording.

"We are reconstruction, we are trying to reconstruct, we are trying to knock the disco out of the Box" -Gaylord Birch (1/30/79 Intro)
The band was formed by the late John Kahn, Jerry's lifetime friend and bassist for Garcia's many projects(Legion Of Mary, JGB, etc..) outside of the Grateful Dead.. With Garcia on lead guitarist and Vocals and long time co-collaborator Merl Saunders on keys and sharing vocals as well, the only other member of Reconstruction who had played with Garcia outside of this formation was Gaylord Birch on drums who had a brief stint in JGB in late '85. The remaining two members were Ed Neumeister on Trombone and Ron Stallings on Tenor Sax who later both went on to have very successful careers in their own right.. The band had played a total of 57 shows in it's career from the end of January in 1979 to September of the same year. While a short stint they sure packed a punch in those 8 months!

I have to be honest though.. It really hasn't been till the magic of the internet have I really appreciated Reconstruction.. Having been too young to witness this band live nor have there been any official releases to this day, I have only ever heard two shows before the net and one was so awful recording-wise I don't think I ever made it through 45 minutes. Now that I am able to download a lot of shows from this particular era, it's a delight to hear Garcia on material that was not necessarily familar territory for him. What maybe even more interesting is that he was not the leader of the band leaving him the opportunity to sit back a bit which I imagine he might of appreciated for a change. The band had a rather short repertoire they took on the road with less than 30 songs and all of them cover songs except instrumentals that Merl brought to the band like "Fast Tone" & "Soul Roach". Garcia contributed only a few songs on vocals like Dear Prudence, I'll Take A Melody, and the rare Robinson tune, "When The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game" that some maybe familiar with.. Besides that, a good chunk of their setlist seems to have been borrowed from other prominent artists like Bill Withers(Lovely Night For Dancing, Don't It Make It Better, etc..) and Nina Simone(Do I Move You).

Some of my friends love reconstruction, others can't get past the horns or the overall *era* sound.. Tune in on Monday April 7th at 12 noon PST while I play a compilation I made of all the various live recordings that circulate from this band.


Artist Feature | Martín Fierro 02/16/08

Tenor sax player Martín Fierro, from Marin County, California sadly has passed away March 18th. He has had a 50+ year career that began in the west Texas town of El Paso and has blessed the San Francisco Bay Area since 1968. The bio below was written before this thanks to Steve.

Like many, I first heard Martín's sax and flute on those legendary Legion of Mary tapes where he supported Jerry Garcia, Merl Saunders, and John Kahn on what many believe was the best incarnation of a Garcia Band. Legion of Mary's tenure was all too brief ('74 - '75), but managed to encompass 100+ concerts. A typical setlist would include, : Tore Up , I Feel Like Dynamite, You Can Leave Your Hat On, Tough Mama, Mystery Train, Expressway To Your Heart, Lala, I Second That Emotion, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Sittin' in Limbo, How Sweet it Is. : Their music was soulful, warm, honest, and free, much like Martín. Martín also played on the amazing 1972 experimental jazz collaborative with the great Howard Wales and Garcia, on which he co-wrote "South Side Strut" and features "Uncle Martín's". This is some far out groovy shit. Martín has a long musical history and discography that begs much much explanation and can be viewed here.

From 1985 to 2007, Martín has been a member of Zero, the other band from Marin County. Originally featuring Steve Kimock, Greg Anton, and the late, great, John Cipollina, they have morphed into many different lineups but still, the core remain. Steve, Greg, and Martín are Zero. This is psychedelic rock music in a jazz format, with original instrumentals, Robert Hunter lyrics and choice covers. I'll never forget that night at the Sweetwater where every song went in and out of "Badge" on Clapton's birthday, or the instrumental "Many Rivers to Cross" from the Oregon Country fair, or the "Catalina" at sunset on the Big Island of Hawaii. On certain nights or moments Zero can be the best band in the world. Martín's plaing is warm, versatile, and adventurous yet always sounds like home. When not playing with Zero, Martín is often found gigging around the north bay with whomever happens to be in town.

Between 1996 and 2000 there were Sunday's in San Rafael with Martín. He would play as the Martín Fierro "Quintet" (mas o menos) at a little bar on Fourth Street in front of a small audience and would be joined by whomever showed up that day. It was the perfect end to the weekend and was always worth the 1.5 hour drive each way from Santa Cruz. We just had to be there. We never knew who was going to show up. It might be Howard Wales or Doug Sahm or the great Jackie King or flautist Matty Eakle. It never mattered, though, we knew Martín would be there.

Martín is among he warmest, truest brothers one could ever meet. Always a friend to his fans, he is a proud man with a huge heart and a true connection to the Great Soul. Known affectionately as "The Meester", Martín is a jokester and consistently causes fans to groan and laugh at his plethora of jokes like "The Australian Kiss", "Naked Pygmies Jogging", and "Hey Meester, how's your seester? I keesed her on Easter and she gave me a bleester." His clothing line is "Zero Underwear" and will regularly tell you to "Chut Up!". You can't help but love the guy.

To exemplify his soul, intuition, and character, I'll share a story from my best friends wedding. He and his jazz band were playing and when the couple turned around to walk back down the aisle he started singing "Unforgettable". It was perfect and beautiful in every way. Later I asked him how he chose to do that and he replied, "Brother, sometimes the spirit just moves you."

This is Martín.

Love you, brother.

*Thanks Steve for these beautiful words


Bill D. In The Southwest 01/25/08

My father had never met his grandsons from my oldest brother Pat who lives in Phoenix. They are 25 and 22 years old, so it was quite an event for Dad. We’ve been trying to get out there for the past few years, but one thing or another always seemed to come up, preventing us from making the trip.

Well this year, knowing that the Cardinals were going to be out west, I figured this year, we must make this thing happen.

So my father, brother Mike and I headed for Phoenix last Wednesday the 16th. We stopped in Baltimore and kept the same plane for Phoenix and got there without a hitch. We all met up at Pat’s house south of Phoenix in a town called Laveen-in the boonies. It was great to see Pat again-I’ve seen him only a few times in 30 years. He killed us all in billiards and we called it a night.

Mike and I took the 2 hour trip to Tucson on Friday and had a great dinner at the Hotel Congress, which Kevin rightfully suggested. John Dillinger was captured there in 1934. We saw a great show at the Rialto. The evening was marred for me by a drunkard who tipped by laptop/recorder stand over, which sent everything crashing to the ground. I didn’t think either would survive, but I immediately got everything together and plugged the air card back in and surprisingly everything worked again. It was my first attempt to stream the show live and I had some trouble at first, but it seemed everything worked for most of the show. Man was I pissed! I called Kevin after the show and showered him with a string of expletives that I don’t think he knew I was capable of-directed at the aforementioned drunk.

I left Dad and Mike behind in Phoenix and hopped on a plane the next morning bound for San Diego and was there in no time. I thought this show was spectacular. Heavy jamming with truly inspired playing and singing by the boys. Ryan was in a great mood. Again, I had trouble doing the stream, but finally got the second set going.

I spent the next day at the SD Zoo. It was a great day and I had tons of fun. I took some good pictures. The zoo is huge, but some of the exhibits were a little sparse with animals. I much preferred the Bronx Zoo’s gorilla exhibit. I only saw one gorilla. The pandas were cool though.

I left for Santa Barbara by 4:00. The traffic was horrendous getting through LA and forgot what day it was for a minute and figured it was rush hour, but it was Sunday. Anyway, Santa Barbara is a beautiful town with mountains on one side and the Pacific on the other. It was another great show in Santa Barbara. I met new friends Chip and Michelle after the show for a few drinks. They’re really cool.

I took off for Claremont the next morning a little bit fogged in. I couldn’t get the computer to work for the stream, so I scrapped it and just recorded it. I got to know Paul at the board a bit better. What a great guy! As I was setting up my stuff, I noticed security come toward the two people sitting in front of me and ask them if they had their tickets. The guy on the left said “Well, um, uhh, we’re…. the performers”. It was Ryan and the skateboard cat that always has the hat on. I can’t remember his name. I introduced myself and we chatted a bit about a few different things including the streaming of the shows. He seemed to know all about it, and was cool with it. It was a great way to end the tour for me. It was another great show in Clarmont with inspired playing and different takes on familiar tunes. Ryan had a noticeable cold but it didn’t stop him/them from putting on a great show.

I had a nice flight the next day and got back into Albany at 11:45pm est.

I’m already looking forward to the next run.

Artist Feature | Neal Casal 01/23/08

In November 2005 on a very cold evening driving down to New York City to catch a Ryan Adams & the Cardinals show, I distinctly remember feeling anxious and excited about the gig that night. After witnessing a somewhat lackluster and weird show in Vancouver at the end of the summer with JP no longer in the band(west coast tour was cancelled after this show), I was definitely curious and a bit skeptical about the future of the cards as well as this new kid on guitar and vocals, Neal Casal. After all, I have been following Ryan's muse for many years as it speaks to me in the same content and blissful way as the Grateful Dead did when Jerry was around... so you can say I am bit loyal as well as unfortunately I guess critical of things I love so much...

Some friends had attended the mojo benefit earlier that fall with Neal Casal's first appearance as a Cardinal and reviews were mixed and scattered. There were also a couple of shows the band played support for at the Beacon that week but still it was really difficult to get a feel for this new incarnation of the cardinals. The first thing I remember when walking into the Tribeca Performing Arts Center that evening was the positive feedback from the crew regarding Neal. Well thats a good sign as those guys can be a tough lot and certainly don't waste their time blowing smoke up anyone's ass.. It wasn't though until the lights went down and the band took the stage jumping out of the gates with Shakedown on 9th did any appprehension I did have quickly disappear replaced by me dancing at the back of the venue along to the thunderous beats of Brad on drums leading the band. That evening I was floored not only by the band as a whole but also by what Neal Casal brought to the sound. A band that I always thought up until to this day suffered at times by not so great harmonies now were achingly beautiful and focused. While NC in my opinon is not as flashy of a player as JP was, his style of more subtle fills and color with the guitar are just as much appreciated and really bring life to some songs I was growing old of at the end of '05. After a classic Magnolia Mountain jam with Neal and Ryan, I was just as excited about the cards as I was in '04 when I first saw them live.

After the show I was inspired to find out more about Neal Casal. With a bit of research I felt like I was living under a rock as I had not heard of his name until now. He has quite the impressive catalogue and I really enjoyed the opening sets he performed during the '06 tour with my favorite being the 2 nights in Altanta with no repeats which really showcased his talents as a singer/songwriter. I can write a whole bio regurgitating someone else's words but instead please do yourself a favor and check out his website. You can buy all of his albums at fargo records.

So today, check out our daily hour feature with Neal. Michele has compiled some great music so enjoy!
-Kevin

A Special Thanks 01/22/08

We here at LMR want to give a special shout out to taper extraordinaire, Bill D from New F'ing Yawk. This cat has put a lot of time and energy into bringing some quality casts for LMR listeners.

Anyway, if you see this guy at a show in your area be sure to buy him a beer... or two.. :)

Natural Born Easy On The Road Again | Part 1 01/20/08

Day 1: My spiritual advisor, Mountain Girl, flies in to the Las Vegas airport, where I am to meet her and continue on to our first stop, Tucson, AZ. We are about to embark on a two week, eight concert trip up and back down the west coast of the USA and we are more than ready to go.

While waiting for our flight we grab a beer and eventually move to our departing gate. Eyeballing the poker machines in ourt waiting area, I announce to MG that I'm feeling lucky, and we move to the gambling area. As I start to play my third hand, our flight gets called. I turn my cards and end up with a royal flush with wild cards, paying 65 dollars. I look at MG and we nod at each other in agreement that it is time to go.

We eventually arrive at our Tucson hotel at 3AM. We are a bit hungry, but at this time of night we find little relief. We retire to our room, unpack and make ourselves at home.

Before you know it, MG is asking what time it is and lo and behold, it is EXACTLY 6AM!!! Where did the time go???? Time for the free breakfast buffet to begin! We don't have high hopes, but we throw on some clothes and mosey down in the hops of finding something OK to take back. But what we encounter is a hot breakfast buffet that we couldn't have been more thankful for. Eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes with cheese, bagels, toast, juice, fruit, pastrys! We are stoked! And it becomes obvious that we are much more stoked that the 6 other dudes in there who are eating breakfast and then on their ways to work.

We eat, we laugh, we leave and we are ready for a nice 10-12 hour sleep.

The next day we wake up late in the afternoon and look forward to the arrival of our friends The Wheels. They bring us by some beers and they are ready to grab some food from the hotel restaurant and things kick off. Never ones to be in a rush, we also figure that the Cards had been going on a good 30-40 minutes late on the last tour, so we REAllY weren't in a rush.

Fortunately we were tuned in to Little Moon Radio, where we heard the start of the show!!! While we were in our hotel room!!! Gotta love technology! At that point we figured that we might want to call a cab, which we did, as we listened to the show and partied with our friends. Eventually the taxi showed up and we were forced to leave. 28 bucks to get there.

Artist Feature | Patty Duke Syndrome 01/18/08

  Brian Walsby Ryan Adams Jere McIlwean
 
 
 
Since Little Moon Radio was previously Ryan Adams Radio we decided it was only appropriate to start our daily artist feature series with Ryan Adam's various bands as well as his solo career. So let's jump right in and start with Patty Duke Syndrome for today's feature.

While PDS was not the first band Ryan was in, it is certainly the most well known formation pre-Whiskeytown. The band was formed in 1993 in Jacksonville, NC with Ryan on guitar/vocals and his friend Jere on bass and Alan on drums. It wasn't long before Ryan moved to Raleigh and PDS was put on hold while RA played in some other bands that quickly disolved. Jere later moved to Raleigh and PDS was reborn with Brian Walsby taking over on drums.

During the 2 years of the on and off again PDS they did manage to release 2 tracks, "Texas" & "History", for a side of the rare 7-inch. While a great appetizer to the insight into the band the real jewels are in the unreleased 11 track album the band recorded in August of '93. Among those tracks is a song, Sara Bell, that Ryan used as a bonus track renamed "Hypnotixed" for 2003 release of "Rock & Roll". While fans may be able to find these tracks with a bit of effort on the web, many hope to see a proper release of this album. Unfortunately it seems at this point Ryan does not wish this according to Brian. When all is said and done, the band produced 15 tracks that will be played on LMR today with a bonus track, Whiskeytown's "Theme For A Trucker" that Ryan wrote for the late Jere to conclude the PDS feature.

While Ryan went onto Whiskeytown, Jere and Brian played in other various bands in the Raleigh area. Sadly Jere passed away but Brian has become a well known comic artist as well as still playing drums. Definitely check out his site, especially of interest to ryan fans would be his 3 page comic concerning Brian's history with Ryan. It may be found here.

LMR Website is born! 01/18/08

After much procrasination and proding from LMR listeners, I finally got around to developing a new site. Please bear with me while I add more features when I have free time. Soon we will be accepting new registrations and a forum. If you find any bugs please report them to me!
-Kevin