If you’re a music fan and have never been to the Newport Folk Festival, you are truly missing out. You can’t ask for a more picturesque setting to enjoy music from a wide range of genres. Yes, that’s right, the “folk” part of the festival’s title doesn’t exactly ring true. This past weekend in Newport we were treated to outstanding performances from folkies, rockers, hipsters, jammers and the King of the Parrotheads. The only downside was a fierce hour long storm.
The two days of action at Newport’s Fort Adams, a coastal fortification that was opened in 1799, couldn’t have been more different from each other. While the Phishheads reigned supreme on Saturday the parrotheads took over on Sunday. Yet, I was more impressed with the smaller acts that I found at the Waterside Stage and the Harbor Stage than those rockin’ the Main Stage.
My adventure started around Noon on Saturday when I arrived on site to catch the end of the Young @ Heart Chorus’ set, which featured members ranging in age from 72 to 88 singing a number of rock tunes including I Wanna Be Sedated and the Talking Heads’ Heaven. The choir isn’t just a gimmick, these senior citizens offered outstanding arrangements delivered with style and gusto.
READ ON for more of the first part of Scotty’s Newport Folk review…
It’s been a while since we’ve had a self-congratulatory ego strokin’ post on HT, but we can’t help our excitement over being named one of WNEW’s Best Music Blogs. We grew up listening to WNEW, and learned so much about the music we cover today from that station, so this honor is especially sweet for us.
Enough about us, let’s see what else is goin’ on:
I’m getting extremely psyched to see She & Him at the Newport Folk Festival on Saturday afternoon, especially after seeing these clips of the lovely Zooey Deschanel and rootsy singer-songwriter M. Ward performing for MTV Canada last week.
I’ve been writing full time here for about five months or so, and figured it was about high time that I took a crack at offering up a B List. Last week the HT Staff gathered Around The BBQ to gab about some of our favorite music of the year, so far. To continue on that theme I thought I’d give you a more focused list of my favorite albums of ‘08 with my Top 6 Of The First 6.
Taking a quick glance at my iTunes I was a bit underwhelmed by the majority of the music that has been injected onto my iPod, but here’s the best of what I’ve heard…
6. Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
When I tell my friends how much I’ve been loving this album they seem to scratch their heads a bit. Not because this isn’t a killer party album, it’s just because I’m not the type to usually like killer party albums. But what’s not to like here? Greg Gillis has essentially taken the last 40 plus years of pop music and smushed it into a powered packed hour of samples and beats. Within one song he offers up hooks from Procol Harum, Fergie, The Band and 50 Cent - and that’s just scratching the surface. This is the feel good album of the summer and quite possibly the year. READ ON for more of the B List…
Since getting back together with the E Street Band in the late ’90s The Boss has kept busy with his backing band churning out some great albums and epic concerts. While NJ’s favorite sons are about announce the final leg of their Magic tour, which is rumored to include a five night stand at Madison Square Garden, many are speculating this could be the last run for the band.
If seeing a rousing three-hour plus Springsteen show isn’t for you, then maybe one of these recently announced tours will be…
Finally. the festival announcements have come to a considerable halt over the last few weeks; but the initial line up for the inaugural Jackson Hole Music Festival caught our attention when it was revealed the other day. Among the handful of bands that were announced to appear alongside the Black Crowes, Medeski, Martin & Wood and Kaki King are old Uncle Tupelo band mates Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar with their current bands.
It’s no surprise the two acts will appear on different nights, since there is no love lost between those two. I’m sure there are people out there who are crossing their fingers that the two might kiss and make up and play some tunes together, but I wouldn’t hold your breath on that one. Good looking festival, though.
