More CD picks, recent shows, and more...

Well, hello again and thanks for reading! I've got a couple more CD's to mention-some artists you should be listening to, 'cause they've made great albums, as well as some recent shows I've seen and a brief glimpse behind the scenes here at WBOS...



Chandler Travis Philharmonic, Tarnation & Alastair Sim: First things first...Chandler is f***ing nuts. That's a good thing. Chandler is a local institution, with his band The Incredible Casuals performing every Sunday at the Beachcomber in Wellfleet from Memorial Day thru Labor Day for the past 27 years. The Chandler Travis Philharmonic made this 48-track opus in a lightning-quick 5 years (take notes, Axl), and it's worth the wait. Sure, many of the tracks aren't really songs at all, just random oddities such as answering machine messages, silence, strange noises and the like, but the songs themselves-killer. We've been featuring the tracks "Wireless" and "Money Won't Buy You Happiness" on Boston Music Sundays, but there's so much more here. Straight jazz, rave-up rockers, Princelike funk, the entire gamut, all rooted in Chandler's witty, smart lyrics. Get this record (BUY it...he needs the money), put it on at your next houseparty, and watch the smiles light up the room. "Dance Goddamit" might be my favorite song for the summer. Get more info, listen to song clips, and read some of Chandler's insanity here: http://www.sonictrout.com/bands/chandler/tarnation/tarnation.html

Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles, Diamonds in the Dark: One of the brightest lights on the Boston music scene comes into their own on their Sugar Hill Records debut, a brilliant follow up to 2005's Silver City. Sarah combines elements of trad-country luminaries like Wanda Jackson and Tammy Wynette with the swagger of Lucinda Williams and an undercurrent of punk rock/indie vibes into a package all her own. Day We Met has a twang and a hook that'll stick with you for days. Stop and Think It Over has a girl-group sunshiney energy that gets better with every listen. The standout, for me, is Around 9, a heartbreaker of a ballad that features an achingly beautiful slide solo from guitarist extraordinaire Mike Castellana. This record announces the arrival of a MAJOR talent...trust me. But if you have trust issues, go to www.sarahborges.com and discover for yourself.

Saw some good shows recently too...if you were there, let me know your thoughts (dginsburg@wbos.com). Last Monday, Joss Stone & Ryan Shaw at Avalon brought neo-soul sounds to life before a packed crowd. Ryan Shaw kicked it off with his vintage Al Green/Otis Redding/Muscle Shoals sound & energy. We've been fans of this guy (all of 26 years old) for a year now, having seen him at a radio convention last summer at 1 in the morning, when he absolutely brought the house down. His self-titled debut is available now (you're hearing Nobody on WBOS these days), but it's his live show that showcases his extraordinary talent. Great voice, tremendous charisma, and a backing band that delivers the soul goods. Come see him at Copley on August 2, you won't be disappointed. And he's a helluva nice guy too.
Joss Stone has a tremendous voice, and touring behind her 3rd record at the tender age of 20. While she has stage polish and the voice is the real deal, I found the show somewhat lacking in energy. Too many mid-tempo numbers strung together didn't make for the right ebb-&-flow dynamic I wanted to hear. She was feeling under the weather that day, so we'll chalk it up to her not being 100% for the show and give her a pass until next time.

Mika at Avalon on Wednesday was remarkable in its own way. First, opener Sara Bareilles delivered a stunning solo set that won her a legion of new fans. We'll be hearing more from her in the near future. Mika though...wow. This was a show. His falsetto in top form, Mika hit the stage before a jam-packed throng of adoring fans and delivered his unique combination of Bee Gees meets Queen flavored uptempo danceable soul in a lightning-quick 60 minutes. But oh, what an hour it was. Big Girls featured...well, a couple of larger ladies in lingerie as backup dancers. Love Today was the smash singalong, with Mika pogoing gleefully like a giddy child after too many pixie sticks. Grace Kelly brought the house down before the full band returned to the stage for an encore dressed in animal costumes, with balloons dropping from the ceiling. For a minute, it felt like I was suddenly at Elton John's bachelor party...which of course I wasn't, since I don't know Elton and not sure he had a bachelor party before he got married last summer. But I digress...

On Saturday night (I'm a busy boy!), I went to the Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles CD release show at Johnny D's in Somerville. Another packed room, sweaty and blissful, as SB & BS delivered the goods, again. Sarah is a true frontwoman, charismatic and in complete control, resplendent down to her white cowboy boots. The band was tight, the room rocked, many beers were drunk, and a little bit of Nashville honkytonk was right here in our little slice of the world. Castellana tore it up on various guitars, bassist Binky was yet again a showman par excellence (and Bink, dig the new Johnny Thunders-esque tattoo)...I'm tellin' ya, see this band.

Finally, we had our first-annual Father's Day Over Easy this past Sunday. A live audience of 'BOS listeners came in to see George Knight in action, enjoy breakfast, and see a pair of local legends perform up close & personal, Jake Brennan and his dad Dennis. (I mentioned Dennis' excellent new CD Engagement in my last posting, but I'm plugging it again-it's that good. Pick it up today. Discover for yourself at www.dennisbrennan.com.) WBOS has been very supportive of Jake Brennan for a couple of years now, and deservedly so-this kid is a huge talent waiting to be discovered by the masses (www.myspace.com/jakebrennan or www.jakebrennan.org). Anyway, Jake & Dennis came in on Sunday and wowed the crowd...they don't play together very often, so this really was a treat. The songs are posted on www.wbos.com now, under the "Sights & Sounds" tab. Check it out, enjoy, and remember-support your local musicians. There's a great scene in Boston these days.

That's all for now...I've been in the office for 12 hours and need to go to that place where my stuff is kept...right, home. Back soon, y'all. In the meantime, feel free to post a comment or send me a message directly: dginsburg@wbos.com. Thanks again for reading...and thanks for listening to WBOS!