March 12th - Sky City - Augusta, GA
DEAD CONFEDERATE With Special Guests FUTUREBIRDS + GIFT HORSE
Doors 8pm | Music 10pm | $8 adv - $10 day of

Sky City website
Dead Confederate website
Futurebirds website
Gift Horse website

Gift Horse Update

• • Saturday February 6, 2010 playing some MY BLOODY VALENTINE songs @ Tasty World (Athens, GA) with Futurebirds
  • Tuesday March 16, 2010 @ City Tavern (Dallas, TX)
  • SXSW--Wednesday March 17, 2010 (Austin, TX)
  • SXSW--Thursday March 18, 2010 (Austin, TX)
  • SXSW--Friday March 19, 2010 (Austin, TX)
  • SXSW--Saturday March 20, 2010 (Austin, TX)
  • Thursday April 1, 2010 "MOUNTAIN OF YOUTH" ALBUM RELEASE @ 529 (Atlanta, GA)
  • Friday April 2, 2010 "MOUNTAIN OF YOUTH" ALBUM RELEASE @ Caledonia (Athens, GA)
  
  

Merry Christmas

Dead Confederate's new sound

Posted below is a video clip of Hardy Morris, singer and guitar player for Dead Confederate, playing two songs that just may be on the next DC album. Both songs are undeniably akin to the works of singer/songwriter Elliott Smith. Unsurprisingly, DC lists Elliott Smith as one of the band's key influences. These new songs evidence the fact that DC is shifting from the sound of Wrecking Ball; DC's scream grunge and 8 minute pysch songs may be a thing of the past. I expect the next album to be a more concise and consistent effort.

A complete Beatles rip-off, but it's still pretty good.

New Vic Chestnutt

Vic Chestnutt's new cd At the Cut was released September 22. Click to listen to the song "Philip Guston." And check out a few more of the new songs off of Vic's Myspace Page

There were plants, and birds, and rocks, and things...

Sorry to the enormous Gavel and Tone nation for the long hiatus. I hope to keep posting when I can, so check back at least once every couple weeks.

Deer Tick

I've been praising these guys since their first Album War Elephant. It seems they'll be playing a Halloween show with some band called Dead Confederate. Here is a song off Deer Tick's new album Born on Flag Day.

Gift Horse- the band

The beauty of Gift Horse is...the atmosphere the band swallows you in. Prepare to be transfixed in an aural array of psychedelic grunge and indie rock."
-Flagpole

For Gift Horse, it started in a large, empty, plain white room in downtown Athens, GA. This was the venue for Gift Horse's soon-to-be-released debut album. I, for one, am intrigued to see what the boys conjured up in that white lab they called the recording studio. I'm at least certain that those white wall's are now forever stained by the band's blood, sweat, & tears.

Go to Gift Horse's WEBSITE to check out a few of the new songs and for show dates.

Acoustic DC

 

Enjoy the acoustic version of "As Able, As Well" as well as the acoustic version of "Wrecking Ball." Ha.

New Pearl Jam Album

 
Pearl Jam's new album Backspacer is due out sometime this Fall. yeeeeah for Pearl Jam.

Here is a new song "Get Some" as performed on Conan:

"These go to 11"

 

A new Spinal Tap album is on the way. Read about it HERE

Here are a few choice clips from This Is Spinal Tap:

The Dead Weather

 

Jack White (White Stripes, Raconteurs) is a musical bigamist. He has formed yet another band called the The Dead Weather. And he plays drums instead of guitar.

Here is the first single "Hang You From the Heavens":

New Deerhunter EP

 

Deerhunter to release a five-song EP on May 18 digitally and June 8 on CD and vinyl. - More info -

Here is a released song taken from Pitchfork.

Welcome to Neverland

In the past it seemed Michael could do no wrong, but years of public scrutiny, plastic surgery, and two child molestation trials, have taken their toll. If Michael, Mccully Culkin, and Danny Bonaduce have taught us anything, Hannah Montana and Dakota Fanning are screwed. And, much like Bonaduce keeps trying reality shows, Michael recently announced he will perform 30 live dates at the O2 Theatre in London. The shows will occur between July 8, 2009 and February 24, 2o10.

Could it be that M.J. still has it? I'm not convinced he can still handle it; hes been in virtual isolation in the middle east for several years and covers his face when hes in public, but now I 'm suppose to believe he is ready to return to performing in front of thousands? I know hes sold out venues since he could walk, but obviously those years took their toll.

I don't think I'll try to too hard to catch Michael these days. I prefer to remember him at his peak, when he was performing absolute classics like Beat It, Thriller, and Bad.

This whole video is sick, but at least check out from 6:05 on:



Can you count how many fans pass out in this video?:

Wilco DVD to precede new album

According to Wilcoworld.net, Wilco is nearing completion of its next album (title TBD), which is due out sometime in June.  The last few weeks have been spent mixing in Valencia, California.

Here is the tentative song list:

Deeper Down

Conscript (aka I'll take Flight)

One Wing

Solitaire

Wilco (the song)

County Disappeared

Everlasting

Bull Black Nova

Sonny Feeling

You and I (w/ Feist)

Wilco's tour documentary "Ashes of American Flags" is due out April 18. Watch the trailer here

And here's a list of upcoming shows in the area:

April-20 Athens, GA --Classic Center

April-21 Asheville, NC--Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

April-22 Birmingham, AL--Sloss Furnaces

April-23 Oxford, MS--Lyric Oxford (sold out)

Click HERE to see a full length version of "Side with the Seeds" off the DVD
A few of the new songs? Why not...

BONUS!!!: Click HERE to download Wilco's 2007 Austin City Limits performance.

The Topical Neil Young

 

Neil Young is no stranger to using music as a medium for expressing his opinions on all things current.  Many artists do it (see Eddie Vedder, Bruce Springstein), but Neil does it with the least amount of shame.  Neil's new album Fork In The Road (released April 7th) is a classic example of this.  Neil pokes fun at corporate America in "Cough up the Bucks" and wonders why he isn't getting a bailout in "Fork in the Road."  He even makes his case for hybrid cars in "Fuel Line," howling "she runs so quiet it's just like a ghost!"  But he may have recognized in "Just Singing A Song" - out of frustration perhaps - that he "can play his guitar and see how it goes" but "just singing a song won't change the world."  Hmm, well, maybe not one song, but how about an entire rock show? Has anyone seen Almost Famous?

As with a lot of Neil's albums, the lyrics in Fork In The Road steal the show. The music is typical Neil, but not the Harvest Moon Neil; it's the plugged in Neil that keeps stabbing the same notes, only to heal the wound with an occasional slammed open E string.  In the end, his guitar tone and new album are harmonized with the state of the world:  they're distorted.  

Fuel Line (Album Version) - Neil Young

Fork In The Road - Neil Young

Johnny Magic (Album Version) - Neil Young

Light A Candle (Album Version) - Neil Young

A few full reviews:

• Rolling Stone Magazine gave it 3 out of 5 stars, calling it "messy, funny and pretty crazy at points." Click here for the full review.

• L.A. Times

• Boston Globe

Here Neil's self-made(and pretty funny) video of the song "Cough up the Bucks":

Neil Young - Cough Up The Bucks

Elliott Smith

Elliott Smith lived fast and died young. His success as an artist, with brilliant releases like From a Basement on the Hill & New Moon (both released posthumously), along with his academy award nominated track “Miss Misery,” were matched only by his struggles with depression, drug abuse, and alcoholism. Tragically, E.S. never got a chance to fully enjoy his success. The exact circumstances surrounding his death are unclear, but on October 21, 2003, police found E.S. dead from two stab wounds to chest. According to his girlfriend, the two were fighting forcing her to lock herself in the bathroom. When she emerged, she found E.S. standing with a kitchen knife sticking out of his chest. She removed the knife and called police. To this day, E.S.'s death has neither been ruled a homicide or a suicide. Some suggest foul play (for detailed info see this and this).

E.S.'s music is amazing; his lyrics are deep, haunting, and often laced with references to his struggles with drug addiction. In “ A Fond Farewell” he whispers:

Veins full of disappearing ink
Vomiting in the kitchen sink
Disconnecting from the missing link
This is not my life.

A reference no doubt, to his struggles with heroin. In light of his death, songs like “A Fond Farewell” and “Last Hour,” both released posthumously, seem like aptly named premonitions. In “Last Hour” E.S. croons:

And the bodies you left lying around
Talking it out
The last hour
I'm through trying now
It's a big relief
I'll be staying down
Where no-one else gonna give me grief
Mess me around.

The song is either a sad coincidence or a horrible premonition. It would be incorrect to state that all E.S.'s songs are dark and morbid. Some songs, like "Clementine" and "Miss Misery," are clear nods to love and relationships.

Overall, E.S. delivers his lyrics in a soft, whispery, and sometimes whiny tone. At times, it sounds as if he struggles to force the words out… but in a good way, if that makes sense. Under his lyrics, E.S. lays down beautifully simple acoustic riffs. The chords in “I Figured You Out,” “Lets Get Lost,” "Angeles," and “A Fond Farewell” are particularly catchy. It's all part of the E.S. package and it comes highly recommended. E.S. has a large fan base and the love of his music has sparked fan sites like Sweet Adeline, a 21 track tribute CD, fan tatoos, and even a tribute wall on Sunset Blvd in L.A..

Some find his music morbid and depressing. I enjoy it. As Elliott said:

“some songs are sad but they make you happy anyway.”

E.S. Henry Fonda Theatre 2003

--The E.S. Tribute Wall--

Those new to E.S. should check out:

- Miss misery
- Pitseleh
- A Fond Farewell
- I Figured You Out
- Let’s Get Lost
- Angeles

Also check out these live performances.

June 2, 1998: Studion: Stockholm, Sweden
- A C.D. quality acoustic gem.

The show is available for free download here.

November 10, 2001: Roseland Theatre, Portland, OR
- An upbeat, full-band, show with electric guitar.

The show is available for free download here.

enjoy,
-- DMN