Just heard about this guy earlier this week when some of my friends caught his show at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, NC. In fact, they're still raving about it. It's pretty easy to hear why...

I heard this fella put on a hell of a show the other night at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, NC. Hate I missed it... http://youtu.be/c8jCu-PHGEQ

Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires, now on tour with the Alabama Shakes. Lee Bains III is also a member of The Dexateens.

Gary Clark, Jr. performing "Shotgun Man" on KEXP. Gary's entire KEXP performance.

Mike Farris (formerly of the Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies) and The Roseland Rhythm Revue featuring The McCrary Sisters covering Mary Gauthier's "Mercy Now".

ON THIS DATE (28 YEARS AGO) April 9, 1984- R.E.M. Reckoning is released. # ALL THINGS MUSIC PLUS+ 4.5/5 # allmusic 5/5 # Rolling Stone (see original review below) Reckoning is the second album by R.E.M., released on this date in 1984 by I.R.S. Records. Released to critical acclaim, it reached number 27 in the United States—where it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1991—and peaked at number 91 in the United Kingdom. Produced by Mitch Easter and Don Dixon, the album was recorded at Reflection Sound Studio in Charlotte, North Carolina over 16 days in December 1983 and January 1984. Dixon and Easter intended to capture the sound of R.E.M.'s live performances, and used binaural recording on several tracks. Singer Michael Stipe dealt with darker subject matter in his lyrics, and water imagery is a recurring theme on the record. After its debut album Murmur (1983) received critical acclaim, R.E.M. quickly began work on its second album. The group wrote new material prodigiously; guitarist Peter Buck recalled, "We were going through this streak where we were writing two good songs a week [...] We just wanted to do it; whenever we had a new batch of songs, it was time to record". Due to the number of new songs the group had, Buck unsuccessfully tried to convince everyone to make the next album a double record. In November 1983, the band recorded 22 songs during a session with Neil Young producer Elliot Mazer in San Francisco. While Mazer was briefly considered as a candidate to produce the band's next album, R.E.M. ultimately decided to team up again with Murmur producers Mitch Easter and Don Dixon. R.E.M. started recording Reckoning at Reflection Sound in Charlotte, North Carolina, on December 8, 1983. The group recorded over two eight-day stretches around Christmas 1983, separated by two weeks of canceled studio time that allowed the band to play a show in Greensboro, North Carolina, go out to see a movie, and shoot a video in the studio. While the studio diary listed 16 days for recording, the album sleeve later claimed the album was recorded in 14 days, while in interviews Buck at times commented that the album was recorded in 11 days. The producers both disputed that the sessions were that short; Dixon insisted that they were at the studio for at least 25 days (during which he worked eighteen-hour days), while Easter said, "When I read 'eleven days' I thought, what the fuck! It was twenty days, which was still short, but it's not eleven." ORIGINAL ROLLING STONE REVIEW Murky yet emotionally winning, brainy but boyishly enthusiastic, R.E.M.'s debut album, Murmur, burst onto the pop scene last year with minimal fanfare. Though some critics lumped the Athens, Georgia, quartet with the big-guitar bunch (the Alarm, Big Country), R.E.M.'s approach was more delicate and pastoral. Their sound was a curious fusion of vocalist Michael Stipe's bookish, still-wet-behind-the-ears pretension and guitarist Peter Buck's cheerful folky energy. The tunes aside, there was something positively seditious in a song like "Laughing," where an engagingly bright acoustic guitar arpeggio accompanied a lyric like "Laocoon ... martyred, misconstrued." Stipe's words may largely have been indecipherable, but Murmur was consistently intriguing. In short, the best LP of 1983. On Reckoning, R.E.M. has opted for a more direct approach. The overall sound is crisper, the lyrics far more comprehensible. And while the album may not mark any major strides forward for the band, R.E.M.'s considerable strengths — Buck's ceaselessly inventive strumming, Mike Mills' exceptional bass playing and Stipe's evocatively gloomy baritone — remain unchanged. If Murmur showed Buck to be a master of wide-eyed reverie, Reckoning finds him exploring a variety of guitar styles and moods, from furious upstrumming to wistful finger-picking. "Letter Never Sent" displays Buck at his sunniest, whirling off twelve-string licks with hoedown fervor, from a lock-step part in the verse that recalls early Talking Heads, to a cascading, Byrds-like riff in the chorus. Buck proves to be an equally infectious keyboard player; his echoey chords slide easily underneath Stipe's cry of "sorry" on the album's single, "So. Central Rain." And on "7 Chinese Brothers," Buck does it all: curt, distorted background chords, icy piano notes, warm chordal plucking and high-string riffs that drone as Stipe sketches, in a mournful hum, the fairy-tale story of a boy who swallowed the ocean. Yet, for all that aural activity, the song flows with elegiac grace. Stipe, whose voice is usually mixed way back, comes up front for "Camera," an enigmatic account of failed love that's enhanced by an eerie single-string solo from Buck. While less powerful than Murmur's "Perfect Circle," this ballad demonstrates a surprising degree of emotional depth in Stipe's singing. On "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville," a more traditionally structured country rocker, Stipe stretches himself even further, singing in an exaggerated, down-home twang. There's an off-the-cuff feel to much of Reckoning — even some of the band's jams and coproducer Mitch Easter's exhortations are preserved on side two. Unfortunately, improvisational songwriting has its pitfalls. The group, for example, could benefit from a tougher drum sound. Bill Berry shows a deft touch on the cymbals in the peppy "Harborcoat," but the martial beats of "Time after Time (Annelise)" are about as threatening as the Grenadian army. Stipe's amelodic singing also poses problems at times. While the band tends to use his voice as an instrument, his vocalizing in such songs as "Second Guessing" and "Little America" seems out of place, unsatisfying. As a lyricist, Stipe has developed considerably over the past year. In "So. Central Rain," he notes, intriguingly, that "rivers of suggestion are driving me away." Yet he still waxes pedestrian on occasion, as in "Pretty Persuasion," which finds him griping, "Goddamn your confusion." His erratic meanderings may give the band some hip cachet, but they are an impediment that will prevent R.E.M. from transcending cult status. With skill and daring like theirs, the tiniest commercial concessions — some accessible lyrics from Stipe and a major-league drum sound — could win this band a massive audience. Even without those changes, however, R.E.M.'s music is able to involve the listener on both an emotional and intellectual level. Not many records can do that from start to finish. "Jefferson, I think we're lost," cries Stipe at Reckoning's end, but I doubt it. These guys seem to know exactly where they're going, and following them should be fun. ~ Christopher Connelly TRACKS: All songs written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe except where noted. Side one – Left "Harborcoat" – 3:54 "7 Chinese Bros." – 4:18 "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" – 3:15 "Pretty Persuasion" – 3:50 "Time After Time (AnnElise)" – 3:31 Side two – Right "Second Guessing" – 2:51 "Letter Never Sent" – 2:59 "Camera" – 5:52 "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" – 4:32 "Little America" – 2:58 1992 I.R.S. Vintage Years reissue bonus tracks "Wind Out" (With Friends) – 1:58 "Pretty Persuasion" (live in studio) – 4:01 "White Tornado" (live in studio) – 1:51 "Tighten Up" (Archie Bell and Billy Butler; cover of Archie Bell & the Drells, 1968) – 4:08 "Moon River" (Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer; cover of Audrey Hepburn, 1961) – 2:21 2009 Deluxe Edition bonus disc (Live at the Aragon Ballroom) "Femme Fatale" (Lou Reed; cover of The Velvet Underground, 1967) – 3:19 "Radio Free Europe" – 3:54 "Gardening at Night" – 3:38 "9–9" – 2:48 "Windout" – 2:13 "Letter Never Sent" – 3:03 "Sitting Still" – 3:13 "Driver 8" – 3:28 "So. Central Rain" – 3:23 "7 Chinese Bros." – 4:27 "Harborcoat" – 4:34 "Hyena" – 3:26 "Pretty Persuasion" – 3:49 "Little America" – 3:23 "Second Guessing" – 3:07 "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville" – 4:30

Considering this thread is 76 pages deep this has in all likelihood been posted before. If so, here it is again. http://youtu.be/m_wtkJ8j1Uc http://youtu.be/ll3osZF_b9I

REMHQ has posted a brief piece by their manager Bertis Downes which celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the band that also includes links to several articles about them that were posted upon the news of their disbandment back in September of last year.

On a similar note, here's what happens when you speed up "Imaginary Lover" by the Atlanta Rhythm Section a couple a notches, instant Stevie Nicks.

One of my fellow DJ's turned me onto this when I was working at an AM Country station in Eastern North Carolina back in the 80s. It's what happens when you play Springsteen's "I'm On Fire" at 45 rather than 33⅓ rpm.

This clip is only available on Vimeo so I can't post a YouTube clip of it here. Definitely worth the 10 minutes it takes to watch. Silver & Light

Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea joins The Faces Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood record band's first album in over 30 years

Last show I saw was Jeff Hart & the Ruins at Fat Daddy's in Raleigh last night. Prior to that it was Dan Baird & Homemade Sin with Terry Anderson & the Olympic Ass Kickin' Team at the Berkeley Cafe in Raleigh on Thursday night. Here's a couple clips from the show. The first is of the Olympic Ass Kickin' Team which features Terry Anderson, the original writer of "Battleship Chains" but is probably more well known for the version the Georgia Satellites did. Terry has penned a number of other fairly well known songs including "I Love You Period" and "I Can Give You Everything" which was recorded by the late, great Ms. Etta James.

I have fallen prey to the budget section at Best Buy once again. As long as they're willing to mark 'em down to $5, I'm more than willing to snatch 'em up. I picked up the Skynyrd mainly because of the two unreleased live tracks. Until I heard "Railroad Song" at a local restaurant around a year ago I wasn't even aware that they'd even played that song live, much less that it was available on the reissue of Nuthin' Fancy. I haven't heard most of Wide Awake In America in forever and a day; unfortunately I've been unsuccessful at ripping it to iTunes.

Interesting read, it reminds of a blog where this young girl is posting her thoughts on music she's never heard before. I don't have a link for that one at present but if I can find it I'll be sure to post it. Also, according to a post in the comments section, Kiss Alive! isn't live at all. I knew I'd read that some overdubs were done after the fact but I had no idea that the whole thing was recorded in a studio with the sound of an audience being added after the fact. Note: This is a recurring series in which we ask our unimaginably young interns to review classic albums they've never heard before. Jenna Strucko is an intern for NPR Music. You've Never Heard Kiss' 'Alive!'?! (from NPR)

Kevn Kinney of Drivin n Cryin is the guest editor at Magnet Magazine this week. In this entry he waxes poetic on all things Peter Buck.

All Things Music Plus ON THIS DATE (39 YEARS AGO) March 28, 1973 – Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy is released. # ALL THINGS MUSIC PLUS+ 5/5 # Allmusic 5/5 Houses of the Holy is the fifth studio album by Led Zeppelin, released by Atlantic Records on 28 March 1973. The album title is a dedication by the band to their fans who appeared at venues they dubbed "Houses of the Holy". It was the second Led Zeppelin album to not officially be titled after the band. It was also the first of the band's albums to be composed of completely original material. It represents a musical turning point for Led Zeppelin, as they began to use more layering and production techniques in recording their songs. The record album provided notable additions to the band's catalogue of songs, and it has certified for shipping 11 million copies in the United States. In 2003, Houses of the Holy was ranked number 149 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Much of this album was recorded in Spring 1972 at Stargroves, the country estate in Berkshire, which was owned by Mick Jagger, through the use of the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. Some songs from the album had initially been tried out earlier than this, such as "No Quarter", which was first attempted during a session at Headley Grange. Some songs which were recorded from these various sessions did not eventually make it onto Houses of the Holy, namely "Black Country Woman", "Walter's Walk", "The Rover" and also the title-track, "Houses of the Holy". All of these songs were retained and later released on subsequent Led Zeppelin albums. ALBUM COVER The cover art for Houses of the Holy was inspired by the ending of Arthur C. Clarke's novel Childhood's End. (The ending involves several hundred million naked children, only slightly and physically resembling the human race in basic forms.) It is a collage of several photographs which were taken at the Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland, by Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis. This location was chosen ahead of an alternative one in Peru which was being considered. The two children who modelled for the cover were siblings Stefan and Samanatha Gates. The photoshoot was a frustrating affair over the course of ten days. Shooting was done first thing in the morning and at sunset in order to capture the light at dawn and dusk, but the desired effect was never achieved due to constant rain and clouds. The photos of the two children were taken in black and white and were multi-printed to create the effect of 11 individuals that can be seen on the album cover. The results of the shoot were less than satisfactory, but some accidental tinting effects in post-production created an unexpectedly striking album cover. In February 2010 Stefan Gates presented a half-hour BBC Radio 4 documentary entitled Stefan Gates's Cover Story, about his part in the making of the album cover. Gates claimed in the documentary to have felt there was something sinister about the image, although his sister disagreed. He also admitted never actually having heard the album. The programme ended with Gates returning to Giant's Causeway and listening to the album on a portable player, after which he claimed that a great weight had been lifted from him. In 1974, the album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of best album package. REVIEW by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic Houses of the Holy follows the same basic pattern as Led Zeppelin IV, but the approach is looser and more relaxed. Jimmy Page's riffs rely on ringing, folky hooks as much as they do on thundering blues-rock, giving the album a lighter, more open atmosphere. While the pseudo-reggae of "D'Yer Mak'er" and the affectionate James Brown send-up "The Crunge" suggest that the band was searching for material, they actually contribute to the musical diversity of the album. "The Rain Song" is one of Zep's finest moments, featuring a soaring string arrangement and a gentle, aching melody. "The Ocean" is just as good, starting with a heavy, funky guitar groove before slamming into an a cappella section and ending with a swinging, doo wop-flavored rave-up. With the exception of the rampaging opening number, "The Song Remains the Same," the rest of Houses of the Holy is fairly straightforward, ranging from the foreboding "No Quarter" and the strutting hard rock of "Dancing Days" to the epic folk/metal fusion "Over the Hills and Far Away." Throughout the record, the band's playing is excellent, making the eclecticism of Page and Robert Plant's songwriting sound coherent and natural. TRACKS: Side one 1 The Song Remains the Same (Page, Plant) 5:32 2 The Rain Song (Page, Plant) 7:39 3 Over the Hills and Far Away (Page, Plant) 4:50 4 The Crunge (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant) 3:17 Side Two 1 Dancing Days (Page, Plant) 3:43 2 D'yer Mak'er (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant) 4:23 3 No Quarter (Jones, Page, Plant) 7:00 4 The Ocean (Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant) 4:31

Part 1 of 6 of an R.E.M. fan's history of his love for the band from The Onion's A.V. Club