It’s hard to believe just how far Bobby Long has come in the past four years. When we first started covering him back in 2009, we knew he had a powerful voice and a small collection of well-crafted songs, but his biggest claim to fame was the legion of fans that discovered him through his musical contribution to the first Twilight film. While the placement certainly did wonders for his career, we also wondered if it would serve as a musical typecast – if he’d be able to break away from Twilight and strike a chord with a broader audience.

Sure enough, in that short time he’s managed to sign to ATO – the label founded by Dave Matthews and Coran Capshaw that hosts the likes of My Morning Jacket, Alabama Shakes, Primus and Drive By Truckers; complete two full albums and an EP and evolve as a musician. His vocal qualities carry the material, but what a careful listener will notice most over this short time period is the continual reinvention of  the music. What began as mostly singer-songwriter acoustic material has morphed into rock ‘n’ roll replete with distinctive electric guitar licks. Each album in itself is entertaining, but the changes from one to the next are enduring. Here, Long discusses his latest album entitled Wishbone.

Hidden Track: Let’s start out with the recording process. Perhaps you could compare how things played out with this process on Wishbone with how things worked on a Winter Tale, or even before that on your pure solo material.

Bobby Long: Well, this time around we actually had time – more than A Winter Tale at least. I did an EP last year with a backing singer, and we recorded that in about two hours. I like recording fast, but it felt like a nice option to have time on this record where the guys in the band came in for five days and tracked, and then we had an extra week and half afterwards for me to do my work on certain arrangements and stuff like that.

So, it was nice having time. It wasn’t so much time where we felt we were just doing stuff for the sake of it. For the first time ever, I was in the studio where we weren’t rushing to do a certain number of songs in a day.

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Using generous math, over the last quarter century, The Allman Brothers Band have cultivated a sense of reverence and loyalty around their annual March residency at New York City’s Beacon Theatre. For a band that traces their origins to the south, it’s a slight curio that the legacy of their autumn years will unquestionably be the evolution of their yearly northern stints into one the most hotly anticipated classic rock events of each year.

[Photo By Dino Perrucci]

The Allmans aren’t the only band that plants roots in New York City. Phil Lesh & Friends and Furthur often spend significant stretches of time in town and this past month has seen Soulive host Bowlive, their own residency in Brooklyn and the Black Crowes return for a series of four shows split between Port Chester and New York City. Artists with deep catalogs are starting to see the allure of extended visits to one venue with Tom Petty exploring the viability of his own residency at the Beacon with five shows in May. Still, no residency comes close to generating the excitement of the Allmans slate of March dates, which raises the question: “what makes The Allman Brothers Band’s Beacon Theatre residency so special?”

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A Friend of Phil, a regular at Bob Weir’s TRI Studios and Weir Here performances, a guest with Kimock, a swingman extraordinaire in the ongoing God Street Wine reunion, a member of Assembly of Dust…Jason Crosby’s been absolutely everywhere lately. And on top of all that, he’s still found time to work on original music and also tackle a series of interpretations tied to Beck’s Song Reader project.

[Photo by Jeremy Gordon]

It seems like a lot. But if you’ve been aware of Crosby for a while – maybe from his stints with the Susan Tedeschi or Robert Randolph bands, maybe as a frequent sit-in guest in the New York area and at festivals, maybe from some other vantage on his adventurous body of work – you know this is how the man operates: his notoriety spreading, his presence ubiquitous, his talents for violin, keyboards and many other instruments in high demand.

In between appointments, Crosby was gracious enough to chat with Hidden Track for a few minutes and catch us up. We touched on pretty much all of his current projects, although it’s clear his recent involvement with the various priorities of Weir and Lesh has him most excited.

HIDDEN TRACK: Well first things first, you are based out West full time now, correct?

JASON CROSBY: Yes. I am in Marin County, specifically Mill Valley. It became official in February though I’ve been out here really since the beginning of the year when I came out to do some shows with Phil & Friends. I decided I wanted to stay a few weeks because I’d had such a great time with God Street Wine out here and wanted to see who else I would run into and meet.

I was considering relocating from New York anyway. And then I reconnected with Bob [Weir] and we had begun working on the Weir Here webcasts, so he was really the driving force to getting me out here. He had heard a bit about me maybe moving, and he said to me, there is a lot of stuff we could be doing if you move here. I could tell by the way he said it and the look in his eyes that he meant it.

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Upon first listen to Frightened Rabbit’s new album, Pedestrian Verse, it wouldn’t appear that much has changed with the boys from Scotland. From Midnight Organ Fight to Winter of Mixed Drinks to the this, the overall sound has gotten bigger, but at face value it sounds the same. A big difference did occur this time around, however, as this is the first album that came together as a true full band collaboration. Previously, it was really the Scott Hutchison show with the front man writing all the material and penning all the lyrics based on personal experience. The broader group, including Scott’s brother Grant, essentially served as sidemen.

[All Photos by Chad Anderson]

On Pedestrian Verse, that all changed. With a bigger budget and more time to write and record courtesy of this being the first full length since signing with Atlantic, the band opened up the idea flow and started collaborating. We caught up with drummer Grant Hutchison last week to chat about the new record and based on the conversation, it’s clear that the change was a welcome one.

Hidden Track: I wanted to start our talk with the new record obviously  I read about how you had so much more time in the studio for this one. I’m curious, what kind of impact did that have? We’re you able to do some more experimentation this around?

Grant Hutchison: We had more time even before the studio to write, which was great as well. We were able to go to Atlantic with songs that we thought were right for the album. We haven’t really been able to do that previously. Because of that, we came up with a really strong record. We ended up with a lot more songs than we’ve had in the past. Previously, we would generally record the songs that we had, and they’d go on the record. This time we had a large pile of songs done, maybe twenty songs, so we had to actually cut songs from the record instead of trying to scramble to add more. [laughs]

We had four weeks in the studio as well, which was also great. We still didn’t have everything fully formed when we went in. There were a few songs that were pretty close, but that really came to life in the studio. With Leo Abrahams, our producer, both Backyard Skulls and the Woodpile both sort of took some slight turns when we actually went to record them. We would have had to do those songs as they were if we hadn’t had that time, so that was really good.

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Greyboy Allstars @ Brooklyn Bowl – April 6th

Photos and Words: Andrew Blackstein

While still waiting for Spring to actually show up in New York City, The Greyboy Allstars made their way to Brooklyn this past weekend for two jazz/funk-filled shows. Originating from San Diego, Karl Denson (saxophone, flute) Robert Walter (keyboards), Chris Stillwell (bass), Elgin Park (also known as Mike Andrews) (guitar), and Aaron Redfield (drums) bring a unique brand of dance friendly improv that centers around Denson’s vision of combining sax solos and tightly woven percussion beats. Denson’s arsenal these days sees much more than just two saxophones and a flute, as a cowbell, a shaker, a triangle, a tambourine and a dozen other “instruments” were littered on the stage.

[All Photos by Andrew Blackstein]

Although Denson might be the bands driving creative force, Robert Walter’s present organ work should not be overlooked. Songs like Cramp Your Style and Trash Trunk show off just how deep a Hammond organ can be. Walter’s ability to decorate any and every groove is truly a special gift that not many musicians possess.

The Greyboy Allstars were slated to play three sets on Saturday night with DJ Logic spinning in between one of the sets and after the third. For whatever reason, DJ Logic canceled at some point during the first set. When walking outside in between sets a flyer was posted informing the audience about the change. Set two featured a continuation of the Allstars performing most of their new album, Inland Emperor, for the Brooklyn crowd. The new material was strong, well rehearsed, and translated as well as their tunes from late 1990’s. Having some help from Maurice Brown (trumpet) & Cochemea Gastelum (sax),  many attendees appeared to be pleased with what was a solid night of music, food and bowling. Here’s a full gallery of Andrew Blackstein’s photos of the Greyboy Allstars…

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The world “Perpetual” is defined as “never ending or changing” or “everlasting.” For Perpetual Groove and their catalog of music over the past decade plus, this is exactly the mantra that always prevailed in light of the challenge at hand…until now. They’ve experienced the highest of the proverbial highs, and in more cases than they probably care to admit, the grueling lows of lows. Even their favorite venue, The Georgia Theatre, where the band has played so many of their shows over the years represents the band and its lineup shift and other problems, having burned to the ground and eventually having been rebuilt bigger and better than ever. So, it is fitting that they will properly say goodbye on that very stage this Friday at their home base in Athens, Georgia.

[Photo by kfishphotography]

After original member Matt McDonald left the band and was replaced in mid-2008 by John Hruby, PGroove changed and continued to duke it out on the road, before McDonald eventually reclaimed his seat at the end of 2011. McDonald chatted with me then, and did so again this past week, about life, the end of PGroove and what is next for him and some of his current and future band mates. So, in typical bittersweet fashion, while one chapter ends, another begins with the trio of McDonald, Adam Perry and Albert Suttle in their new venture, Ghost Owl – who will in a way be ”opening” the show for themselves this Friday before PGroove bids a proper farewell. “I know some people who have been surprised by it. I guess that’s funny from my perspective because I couldn’t think of a better way to introduce what’s new than saying: ‘Hey, before we wrap this up proper, we hope to see a lot of you, and we hope you dig this too and give this a shot,’” exclaimed McDonald.

McDonald, to me, always represented the X factor in PGroove. He is a master of sorcery on the keys, making the notes and knobs bend like a cosmic swirling of sound, with sonic titty-twisters, arcs and crescendos that always complimented front man Brock Butler’s emotional vocals and guitar playing, while the backbone of the band laid squarely on the shoulders of cool-cat bassist Perry and the driving force of rock-solid Suttle on the drums. It’s sad to see them go, as I’ve been lucky enough to call the band friends, but is also something I can genuinely feel in McDonald’s voice as he talks about the next steps for him and his mates, including Ghost Owl. “I feel like we made what our intentions were very clear to each other, the four of us, that this was for the fans and we wanted to go out on a high note. And I feel like musically we’ve done that and feel like we are going to do that,” McDonald excitedly conveys. “But, every day, Ghost Owl has been something that takes up my time, and my mind, and my family’s mind, and everyone around the three of us and it’s been nothing short of amazing.”

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snoe.down @ Killington and Rutland, Vermont: March 21 – 24

Photos and Words: Paul Citone

Festival season is upon us as Upstate New York natives moe. rocked out Killington and Rutland, Vermont last weekend at snoe.down 2013, their annual winter music and sports festival. Hosts moe. performed at Killington’s Bear Mountain on Saturday afternoon, while playing the Spartan Arena in Rutland on Friday and Saturday nights. An acoustic VIP brunch at the Wobbly Barn in Killington was the headlining act’s final performance of the weekend. A slew of other artists were on the snoe.down bill as well including HT faves Dumpstaphunk, Strangefolk and Marco Benevento.

[All Photos by Paul Citone]

Attendees had the chance to take part in various activities surrounding the festival, including a snoe.down special Ski/Ride program offered to guests. Whether you like to ski, snowboard, tube or just listen to the music in one of the cozy lodges, snoe.down had endless options.

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I was blown away this morning when I was doing my daily search of Phish videos on YouTube and came across a series of mind-blowing videos uploaded (and shot by?) Lawrence Blumenstein in which the cameraman shadows legendary drummer Buddy Miles as he meets and then performs with Phish at Madison Square Garden on October 22, 1996. All in all there are six clips of differing lengths that any Phish fan is going to absolutely love featuring unbelievable backstage footage.

In the first part we see Phish’s manager at the time, John Paluska, rapping with Buddy Miles about Trey’s love of Hendrix and how Buddy came to work with Jimi while in the background you can hear Phish playing It’s Ice for the MSG faithful. In the second part we see Buddy heading towards the stage and then talking with the band during the setbreak and discussing the song selection. For the third part, we see Jon Fishman talk about how much meeting with Miles means to him and we see Buddy pitching Trey on a hip-hop version of All Along The Watchtower.

Part Four brings us into Phish’s backstage practice room where Buddy is teaching Phish and Merl his version of Watchtower. This is the real gem of the series as we get an intimate look at Phish jamming with their heroes and the Watchtower they lay down backstage is almost better than the one they delivered on stage. Then, Part Five puts us right on the tip of the stage for an interesting view of the performance itself that differs greatly from the clip that was unearthed back in December. Finally, as if these videos weren’t incredible enough, Part Six takes us backstage for a heartfelt discussion between Buddy Miles and Trey and Mike. I’ll tell you, in the six years I’ve been doing this I’ve come across some amazing gems people have shared on YouTube, but these videos right here might take the cake. Enough from me, clear out about a half an hour and check out this video playlist…

How they play and play for that happy day…for that happy day…

Superhuman Happiness: Hands

Superhuman Happiness’s revelatory full-length debut is part dance party, part afrobeat-tinged indie pop, part loosey-goosey funk improv. In all cases, it’s just the right part: a perfect blend. I triple-dog-dare you not to smile while listening to this album, let alone sing, clap and boogie should the mood strike you. This is the well-mixed margarita for the spring and summer to come, a delicious gulp of sunshine. Are you ready?

Spotify: Superhuman Happiness – Hands
MOG: https://mog.com/m#album/80546975
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00BDNE0YU
Rhapsody: http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/superhuman-happiness/album/hands

Elephant Stone: Elephant Stone

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There’s a band out on the highway, They’re high steppin’ into town, It’s a rainbow full of sound, It’s fireworks, calliopes and clowns. Everybody dancin’. C’mon children, C’mon children, Come on clap your hands. Sun went down in honey and the moon came up in wine, You know stars were spinnin’ dizzy, Lord The band kept us so busy we forgot about the time. – The Music Never Stopped (Barlow/Weir)

For four days the 27th annual SXSW Music Festival was the equivalent of my own living jukebox. A cacophony of sounds emanated from every imaginable space in Austin, Texas – creating a non-stop playground for music fans. This is spring break for adults. It’s an aural buffet of genres. It’s darkened bars and make-shift stages in parking lots. It’s bands playing for as few as ten people in a Mexican restaurant to crowds of thousands in an amphitheater attached to a legendary BBQ joint. It’s a giant choose-your-own-adventure book, with infinite possibilities each day. It’s an intoxicating experience that leaves you both enthralled and exhausted each day, as you hustle from show to show, sometimes fully knowing the band that you’re about to see, while other times just taking a chance on one that you overheard someone talking about.

There is no right way or wrong way to experience SXSW. You can spend your time each day hunting down parties that offer the promise of free booze, or setup shop at one venue that offers two stages of continuous music or stand in line for hours to get into a club show from an act that has put those days of playing small rooms way behind them. You can plan your schedule for weeks leading up to the fest, only to throw all that out the window once you take that first step onto Sixth Street.

It had been four years since I last attended SXSW, and there were some noticeable differences from the last time I was in Austin. First and foremost, the hip-hop world seems to have finally gotten the memo that the fest isn’t just for buzz-y indie bands or bearded Americana acts anymore. The genre is tailor-made for SXSW, as it’s best consumed in 20-plus minute high energy sets. Every hip hop show I passed seemed to be more packed than the next, as the rapid-fire pace gets the audience involved right from the start. The other noticeable difference for me was having a smart phone. Back in 2009 iPhones were still expensive toys for tech geeks, and Twitter was still in its infancy. The well-designed SXSW app was truly a revelation making for easy planning, band discovery and maps to every venue – which can be tricky to find if they are off the beaten path.

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The thought of physically plugging my phone or tablet into a dock or speakers is now as foreign to me as popping in a VHS tape to watch a movie. Bluetooth speakers have gotten so much better with improved sound and performance that I may never have to attach my device to my sound source again. Yet, even with improved power, fidelity and acoustics, there’s been one nagging issue with Bluetooth speakers: stereo. There’s no way around it. A single speaker can emulate, pretend, and make-believe that it is giving you great separation, sound stage and true stereo results but the laws of physics dictate otherwise. There’s an absolute limit to the “stereo” and room filling sound that a single speaker can give regardless of its price or quality. There’s been no stereo Bluetooth speakers. Until now.

The Disco Twin by Supertooth, [$199] is a powerful pair of wireless speakers offering a massive 32 Watts of true stereo output. The two speakers have integrated A2DP controls, can be placed up to 30′ apart to cover even the most generously sized rooms and can run for 10 hours or so on a charge. There’s a lot to like about these speakers including the gorgeous sound, the portability and battery life. Read on to learn more about these wireless wonders.

[Supertooth Disco Twin Speakers]

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Historically, Saturday, the last day of SXSW, tends to be the thinnest day of the week. Most of the bands and quite a large number of industry folk flee town before the weekend, smartly avoiding the mass exodus on Sunday and the overwhelming crowds that descend upon Sixth Street in hordes that seem greater than normal. Unlike the Olympics, there are no “official” closing ceremonies but unofficially John Fogerty, Vampire Weekend and Justin Timberlake will play “closing” sets. Oh yes, there’s also Prince, but that seems to be Samsung-sponsored boondoggle and it’s unclear whether badge holders are even encouraged to go. Timberlake’s gig appears to be a guerrilla-style affair with the location being tweeted by MySpace like a siren call during the day. Yes, I too am surprised that MySpace has money to afford this.

[Vampire Weekend Photo by @kiasuchick]

Despite the fact that there is no MOG showcase this year, the line for Mohawk extends well down Red River and the day showcases are filling up much earlier with locals making SXSW their Saturday activity.

At the All Things Go Music/Indieshuffle day party, Haerts, from Germany are entertaining a crowd that would be deemed healthy under normal circumstances but for shortly after noon, it’s quite impressive. From Germany, you would have to think that the odd spelling of their name owes less to a Gaelic homage to the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day and more to solid advice from their intellectual property attorneys. Their set consists of pleasing pop that flows nicely from one song to the next.

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With many of the artists that make SXSW so appealing fleeing before the weekend, Friday usually provides one last chance to catch bands that you’ve missed so far on the theory that you’ll catch them later. On a separate note, the two things I think I’ve enjoyed most when they occur: a lead singer talking to the audience while forgetting that their reverb level is still set to maximal distortion and a set simply ending without fanfare as the band simply puts down their instruments and everyone disperses. The latter is such a corporate way to end a set. There’s also the tall person that parks themselves in front of me and then immediately ignores the band to tweet, text or facey-spacey. But I get that in New York too. Apparently, it’s a universal social skill possessed by crowds in all states.

[Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears Photo by Joan Bowlen for Glide]

The Sam Chase Band entertains the early risers at Red Eyed Fly as part of the After The Gold Rush party which treats the guests to Bloody Marys (and tasty ones at that). With fiddles, banjo and sax, they are reminiscent of a rowdy band that plays the saloon where the villains hang out in a western flick.

Wild Belle bisects their set on the airier outside stage. The siblings from Chicago offer up high quality reggae-inflected, indie pop and with added confidence, the attractive Natalie Bergman has the makings of a fine front woman.

• Hitting The Trunk Road @ SXSW: Intro, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

One of the inanities at SXSW is the pre-festival pressure to RSVP for certain day parties. For the most part, it’s a non-sensical endeavor. With a couple exceptions, no one is getting turned away from a free party because they didn’t click on a virtual button two weeks prior. Unsurprisingly, the party host simply wants your e-mail address and demographic information. The Fader Fort holds to the mandatory RSVP policy but allows plus ones and gives deference to badge holders. Another, a bit pretentiously, is SPIN magazine, who unnecessarily complicates the process of coming to their showcase by adhering to the RSVP policy. Quite frankly, if this works to keep you out, it’s a moronic mess; if you get in, it’s a minor inconvenience and a reward to forethought. Either way, SPIN shouldn’t be doing anything that paints them in a bad light. How many times have they gone bankrupt?

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Yonder Mountain String Band @ The Pageant – March 8 and 9

Words and Photos: Rex Thomson

Looking out on a capacity crowd at St.Louis’s venerable music hall The Pageant, the members of Yonder Mountain String Band had to be gratified to see their hard work so well rewarded. It’s said that it’s better to work smart than to work hard, but Yonder took the road less traveled and did both, and it’s gotten them where they are today, playing sold out shows to diehard fans.

[All Photos by Rex Thomson]

While the grind of constant touring has broken the dreams of many acts it seems to have just made Jeff Austin, Adam Aijala, Dave Johnston and Ben Kaufmann that much stronger as people and a unit. More than a decade of methodically criss-crossing the nation, building more than a fan base, but an actual family has paid off in so many more ways than just financially. It isn’t tough to imagine how hard the separation from family and the rigors of travel are on a band, and having such a stellar support network of smiling faces goes a long way into making the journey that much more than simply earning a living. There isn’t a city they have visited where there aren’t members of their vast network of supporters, known collectively as “Kinfolk,” waiting to spend time with their leaders. And the love of the Kinfolk is returned a hundred times over by the band, like a fire being stoked by love instead of wood.

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Railroad Earth @ Best Buy Theatre – March 9

Words: Chadbyrne Dickens
Photos: Kylla Delisio

One of the prominent leaders in the current jamgrass revolution showcased their immense talent last week by returning to New York City for the first time in a year at the sold-out Best Buy Theatre. Formed in 2001, New Jersey ‘s own Railroad Earth consists of Todd Sheaffer (Lead vocals), Tim Carbone (Violin, electric guitar), John Skehan (Mandolin, Irish bouzouki), Andy Goessling (Acoustic & electric guitars, banjo, dobro, mandolin, flute, pennywhistle, saxophones), Carey Harmon (Drums) and Andrew Altman (Bass). The band’s name pays homage to a short story by Jack Kerouac.

[All Photos by Kylla Delisio]

With their patented sound including consistent rocking rhythms and gyrating grooves, Railroad Earth seems to improve every year. By mixing up a consistent rotation of bluegrass, Celtic, jazz, jam and rock, one is consistently challenged to anticipate what melodic structure or sound will come next. This particular incarnation of RRE showcased deeper and more fulfilling jams than in the past. The members played well off each other and appropriately filled in the spaces with exploratory instrumental magic. Black Elk > Spring-Heeled Jack was an appropriate opening complete with an intricate call and response jam. After the warm up, a Lake A Buddha > 1/2 Jiggy > Where Songs Begin segment fueled the crowd with its abundant energy.

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