Here Comes The Flood - a weblog about music

Dundee band The Law got lucky when they song Don't Stop, Believe was picked for the Hollywood movie The Men Who Stare at Goats, which found them sharing the bill, in a way, with George Clooney, Kevin Spacey and Rebecca Mader.

The harsh reality is that they still are a promising guitar band trying to get a gig in a half decent place, so that they can play the songs of their A Measure Of Wealth album. It is a record filled with mostly uptempo pop songs with plenty of catchy hooks and riffs. Singing about getting sucked in by a TV with hundreds of channels, boys, girls, and looking forward to the weekend, it is refreshing to hear a Scottish band that doesn't go for the grandiose, but for down-to-earth danceable melodic.

The Law:
Stuart Purvey: vocals
Stevie Anderson: guitar
Simon Donald: bass
Martin Donald: drums

2. Don't Stop, Believe
3. The Chase
4. Local Boy Lost
5. Man In The Moon
6. Television Satellite
7. Still Got Friday To Go
8. Strings (For You And Me)
9. Milk & Honey
10. Vertical Feeling
11. City Boys. City Girls
12. Congratulations

MP3: The Law - Don't Stop, Believe
MP3: The Law - Television Satellite

• 03/17 SXSW Austin, TX - The Dirty Dog
• 03/17 SXSW Austin, TX - Bayou
• 03/18 SXSW Austin, TX - Rusty Spurs
• 03/19 SXSW Austin, TX - Maggie Mae’s
• 03/19 SXSW Austin, TX - Latitude 30
• 03/19 SXSW Austin, TX - Bayou Lounge
• 03/20 SXSW Austin, TX - Fado Irish Pub
• 03/20 SXSW Austin, TX - Scholz Garten
• 03/20 SXSW Austin, TX - Aces Lounge
• 03/22 San Diego, CA - X1FM Open Door Session
• 03/23 Hollywood, CA - On The Rox
• 03/24 Hollywood, CA- The Swinghouse
• 04/30 Wick, Scotland - Blackstairs Lounge
• 05/01 Elgin, Scotland - Flanagans Bar
• 05/08 Edinburg, Scotland - Cabaret Voltaire

» thelawmusic.com
» myspace.com/upthelaw

Phish played to Genesis songs at the 2010 Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in New York: Watcher of The Skies and No Reply At All (with a three piece horn section). The vocals need some work.

The award was presented last night to the British prog pioneers by Trey Anastasio. No sign of Peter Gabriel ...

Video: Phish - Watcher of The Skies

photo: Burak Cingi

Drowned In Sound has a photo gallery of Jonn Cale performing Paris 1919 at the Royal Festival Hall, London - 2010/03/05.

UK band Gloria Cycles have released a three track EP called Relgious which serves as a teaser for their new album Campsite Discotheque. It's a bit risky to call them Britpop, their singer is a Scot, who looks like he missed out on being a roaring twenties sportsman.

The title track of the EP is used in motion picture My Last 5 Girlfriends, but it thankfully far too good (and uptempo) to be considered as a sappy chick flic track. Chewed Up is angry love song of sorts and Wonderbus will fit in nicely among a collection of early Kinks and Who singles (think Blur in their Modern Life Is Rubbish phase).

Gloria Cycles:
Kenny McCracken: lead vocals, guitar
Jen Dalby: vocals, bass
Julian Ward: guitar, vocals
Jack Hannan: Drums

1. Religious
2. Chewed Up
3. Wonderbus

• 03/17 Hilton Hotel Austin, TX
• 03/17 SXSW - Habana Calle 6 Austin, TX
• 04/08 T.B.C Rome, Italy, Roma
• 04/09 Ex Macello, Censenatico, Italy
• 04/10 Limonaia Festival Fucecchio, Florence, Italy
• 04/11 Mattatoio Carpi, Italy
• 04/17 Purple Turtle Camden, London, UK
• 05/06 Concorde 2 Brighton, UK
• 05/18 Audio Brighton, London, UK
• 05/29 Meadowlands Festival Glynde, Nr Lewes, UK

Video: Gloria Cycles - Religious

» gloriacycles.co.uk

Mike Gordon
2010/03/12
Theatre of Living Arts
Philadelphia, PA

1. -intro-
2. Time For Loving Is Now
3. Andelmans' Yard
4. Weekly Time
5. Cruel World
6. Soul Food Man
7. Wave The Ocean (1)
8. Voices (1)
9. Walls Of Time (1,2)

1. Sound >
2. Another Door
3. Be Good And You'll Be Lonely
4. Sugar Shack
5. Country Boy
6. River Niger
7. Jones
8. Suskind Hotel
9. -encore break-
10. Intensified >
11. Crumblin Bones

(1) w/ Deanie Richardson on fiddle, Jeff White on vocals and stepdancers Nathan Pilatzke, Jon Pilatzke, and Cara Bultler (all currently touring with The Chieftains)
(2) w/ Jeff White on vocals and guitar

» Grab your torrent

Folk music with a conscience. Singer-songwriter Eddie West cares about the environment. His debut album doesn't merely preach to the converted. Sure, they are songs about farming (Fix the Tractor and In the Morning of the Earth), but he also writes about folk and bluegrass staples such as bad guys (Inlaw Joe) and travel (Hit the Road).

The singer from Phoenix, AZ, is still a bit shy and his voice needs a bit of depth, but his composition skills are full-grown. Producer and multi-instrumentalist Marty Rifkin adds some great pedal steel, Dobro, banjo, bass and drums. The "odd" track is Cannon, which sounds like a demo recording slowly rising from a noodling tuning guitar tidbit into a lovely melody that doesn't need any words after all. It is a musical path that he should explore more on the next record.

Eddie West is a self-released album. Buy it from CD Baby.

1. Fix the Tractor
2. Maybe Long Beach
3. Love
4. In the Morning of the Earth
5. Heartstrings
6. Dag
7. Hit the Road
8. Inlaw Joe
9. Taft Hill
10. Cannon

• 03/22 The Talking Stick, Venice, CA

MP3: Eddie West - Fix The Tractor

» eddiewestmusic.com
» myspace.com/eddiewestmyspace

John Cale picks ten records that have made a mark in his career in the April Issue of UK magazine Uncut:

1. All Night Workers - Why Don't You Smile
   

   The record that made me love Lou Reed
   "It's all "Louie, Louie" changes, and the first song that Lou and I wrote on drunken evening. It was the b-side of a single by friends of Lou's. It was my first rock 'n'roll session and the guys were all popping pills. It was my introduction to collaborative songwriting. It had a simple beauty that gave absolutely no indication of the problems we would have later."

2. Frank Zappa - Thing-Fish
3. Terry Riley - In C
4. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
5. Yellow Swans - Dreamed
6. John Cale - Sabotage/Live
   

   The record that makes me miss CBGB
   "We had a lot of fun, recording it there on New Year's Eve. It was dark and greasy. YOu went there to lose control. I retain affection for the place. Not for the $8 beers, bu t it was a centre, and everybody knew about it and gravitated towards it. And at the end, Hilly (Kristal, founder and owner) wanted it moved to Vegas. That is branding. If I was a brand, I'd move to Las Vegas."

7. Martha Reeves and The Vandellas - Dancing in the Street
8. Clips - Wamp Wamp (What It Do)
9. Kokane - Back 2 tha Clap
10. Smetana - Ma Vlast

» uncut.co.uk

Note: Sabotage/Live was recorded in June 1979. Part of the Even Cowgirls Get The Blues was recorded on New Year's Eve 1979.

(Thanks: Ken Clark, mailman & Gary Fox)

photo: Bo Cross

San Diego rock band Dirty Sweet embark on a huge European tour plugging their new album American Spiritual, the long awaited follow-up of their 2007 full-length ...Of Monarchs and Beggars.

• 03/29 King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, Uk
• 03/31 Fibbers, York, UK
• 04/02 Barfly, London, UK
• 04/03 Underbelly, London, UK
• 04/06 Spirit of 66, Liège, Belgium
• 04/07 Paradiso, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 04/08 Paard van Troje, Den Haag, The Netherlands
• 04/09 Effenaar, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
• 04/10 Bar Mondial, Antwerp, Belgium
• 04/14 Thunderbird Lounge, Saint-Étienne, France
• 04/15 Le Mojomati, Montpellier, France
• 04/16 Apolo 2, Barcelona, Spain
• 04/17 Black Note, Valencia, Spain
• 04/18 Japan Rock Club, Castellón, Spain
• 04/20 La Boîte, Madrid, Spain
• 04/21 Mardi Gras, A Coruña, Spain
• 04/22 Sala Mogambo, Vigo, Spain
• 04/23 Dom Pedro, Gijon, Spain
• 04/24 Kafe Antzokia, Bilbao, Spain
• 04/25 Jimmy Jazz, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
• 04/27 Les Pavillons Sauvages, Toulouse, France
• 04/30 Wild At Heart, Berlin, Germany
• 05/01 Oosterpoort, Groningen, The Netherlands
• 05/02 Het Bolwerk, Sneek, The Netherlands
• 05/04 Nachtleben, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
• 05/06 L'Ouvre Boîte, Beauvais, France
• 05/07 Caf'Conc, Ensisheim, France
• 05/08 Moulin Blues Festival, Ospel, The Netherlands

» dirtysweetmusic.com
» myspace.com/dirtysweetmusic

HCTF review of ...Of Monarchs and Beggars.

Mike Gordon
2010/03/11
The Jefferson Theater
Charlottesville, VA

1. Middle Of The Road
2. Dig Further Down
3. Spiral
4. Midnight At The Oasis
5. The Beltless Buckler
6. Traveled Too Far >
7. Emotional Railroad >
8. Fire From A Stick >
9. Traveled Too Far

1. Only A Dream
2. Can't Stand Still >
3. Radar Blip
4. 15 Step
5. Be Good And You'll Be Lonely
6. What Things Seem >
7. Hap Nappy >
8. Morphing Again
9. Meat
10. E: Foundation

» Grab your torrent

Good news for vinyl lovers. Musician and producer James Tritten of the newly founded Fort Lowell Records kicks off with a single by the Young Mothers, a five-piece from Tucson, AZ.

Songwriter Zachary Bennett Toporek has come up with two pop songs that can stand the test of time. Come On, The Cross is driven by a Pixies styled guitar and vocal parts that explore different tempos. The flip-side Good Swords is slower with Sixties West Coast harmonizing.

“Come On, The Cross” b/w “Good Swords” is released on 7inch green vinyl, limited to 500 copies. Covet art by photographer Alaina Brownell, who is still using analog equipment. Release date: April 20. Vinyl challenged? Look for it at the usual digital outlets

MP3: Young Mothers - Come On, The Cross

» myspace.com/youngmothersmusic

Trey Anastasio & Classic TAB
2010/02/20
State Theater
Minneapolis, MN

1. Last Tube
2. Shine
3. Cayman Review
4. Push On Till The Day
5. Mozambique
6. Drifting
7. Night Speaks To A Woman
8. Tuesday
9. Sand
10. Joy+
11. Water In The Sky+
12. Bathtub Gin+
13. Sleep Again+
14. Farmhouse+
15. Waste+
16. Chalkdust Torture+

1. Gotta Jibbo
2. Valentine
3. Money Love and Change
4. Liquid Time
5. Alaska
6. Goodbye Head >
7. Mr. Completely
8. Show Of life
9. Black Dog
10. encore break
11. First Tube

+ Trey solo acoustic

» Grab your torrent

John Cale will playing Paris 1919 in Paris, with the Orchestre National d'Île-de-France.

• 09/05 Salle Pleyel, Paris, France

» John Cale tour dates

(photo: Peter Andrew)

Steve Dawson is the main songwriter for Chicago band Dolly Varden, an underground favorite that never made it big. He is a folk-rocker who uses his solo output for slower, softer songs. He teaches songwriting at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago and his new album I Will Miss The Trumpets and the Drums is a 101 for making his musical intentions clear: creating melodic pop songs with memorable lyrics.

Dawson mainly sings about love gone bad, a subject as old as the hills, but he finds new angles with ease. Recorded in his home studio I Will Miss The Trumpets and the Drums is as relaxed as a glorious Sunday afternoon. The drums sound dry and crisp, Dawson's fingers dance over the frets with the barest of touches at times and there unexpected surprises such as using clarinet and bass clarinet (courtesy of Keefe Jackson) on the title track. Dawson may sing about grief, but he has made an album that puts a smile on the face of the listener. Recommended for fans of Neil Finn, Roger McGuinn and Alex Chilton.

I Will Miss The Trumpets and the Drums is a self-released album. Buy it from the band's website.

1. Obsidian
2. Long Overdue
3. A Conversation With No One
4. Mastadons
5. Today She Found The Way (To Break My Heart)
6. Preaching To The Choir
7. Worry, Worry, Worry
8. I Wish That I Could Believe In You Again
9. Know Now
10. I Will Miss The Trumpets & The Drums
11. Waiting
12. Goodbye
13. It’s Not What You Think

MP3: Steve Dawson - Obsidian
(live w/ Steve Frisbie and Ingrid Graudins)
MP3: Steve Dawson - Waiting
Video: Steve Dawson - Mastadons

• 04/11 Chicago, IL @ Simon’s
• 04/25 Evanston, IL @ S.P.A.C.E
• 05/16 Chicago, IL @t Old Town School of Folk Music

» stevedawsonmusic.com
» myspace.com/stevedawsonmusic