Flashback Fridays

1971: Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You: Wilson Pickett

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It's time for another installment of Flashback Friday's and this time we're going way back in the alley to 1971 for Wilson Pickett and his tune Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You. I've wanted to write this article since last month when I bought my new (old) bicycle. It's a Schwinn SS from 1971 in great condition with all the original parts from the factory in Chicago. Naturally my next step was to try and pin point its personality with a song from the year of its creation and Mr. Pickett won this decision hands down. 

However, the first time I rode it I was overwhelmed with the sense of history which I was connecting with via my butt and the bike seat. Who where the owners before myself? What were they like? Why did they give up the bike, and what incredible things did they experience during there time with it? 

Read on and get the full low down on what was going on in the world when my bicycle was made and Wilson Pickett was still the king. 

Wilson Pickett: Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You

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Videos

Said the Whale – Big Sky, MT

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I didn't think Said the Whale would top their great music video for "Lines" (a loving Back to the Future tribute that was one of my favorite videos of 2011), but this one for "Big Sky, MT" from their recently released album Little Mountain is somehow even better. It's an unfair comparison, since they are so different, so let's just say this video is also awesome. Read on for my thoughts on this amazing clip.

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New Releases

Texas Guitar Quartet: Red

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The Texas Guitar Quartet has released their long awaited debut recording today. It is entitled Red after a three movement work of the same name from TxGQ member/composer Joe Williams. The album features music from J.S. Bach, Antoine de Lhoyer, L.V. Beethoven,  Issac Albeniz, and Joe Williams. Red is a remarkable new achievement in the world of classical guitar. The musicality is refined, their tone is rich, full, and pliable to their desires, and the repertoire is multi-faceted and unique unto the quartet.

I am pleased to present this album today not only because of how highly I regard this music and these musicians, but also because we helped Kickstart this album and the Dig Nation is nothing if not generous and gracious.

Read on for the full review TxGQ's new album Red. You dig?

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Unearthed Music

Pandercakes: Paint By Numbers EP

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Pandercakes is a four piece band of Joel Floyd, Logan Goldstein, Desirée Richardson, and Phillip Soellner. Their music is textural, experimental, and unusually orchestrated. Yet it is also simple, accessible, poppy, and fun. Pandercakes is a purposeful contradiction. They fulfill the norm of the pop music medium but at the same time and push towards the unexpected. Even the name has a hidden depth. In their own words, "Pandercakes is a comment on the duality of popular music: appealing and accessible, but prone to demean itself in order to gain widespread approval." This is what Pandercakes is all about. At first glance they are a catchy band hell bent on a good time, but a second looks shows them as an intelligent and forward thinking quartet writing songs about French surrealist writers. 

The four song EP Paint By Numbers was released Feb 28th of this year and opens up with the title track. Paint By Numbers sounds like something from the Elephant 6 Collective, except that they are more immediately accessible. I really dig the textures they are creating in their music by combining a wide array of instruments and playfully tossing around vocal lines across the band.

Read on and get a full taste of this enticing band.

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Videos

Effi: Bye Baby

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The Ef in Effi is for infectious. Seriously though, what's not to love? With left to right scrolling game boy style animation, astronauts, ukulele, horns, instant sing-along-abiltity, and a playful but ultimately not very helpful paper-mache sun, Effi's new video for Bye Baby is an immediate favorite. Effi is from Graz Austria and his new album Astronaut features 13 tracks that effortlessly playback with the perfect amount of hook and heart to reach out of your ear buds and into your regular rotation. His music is charming, multi-dimensional, and interesting in that way that has massive appeal across genre and market. He also very clearly has an eye for design and visual interest. I expect big things from our man Effi. Check him out via Soundcloud and Facebook. You dig?

Effi: Bye Baby

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Digcast

Digcast Episode IV: Ronald Pearl Interview

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Digcast Epsiode IV is out today and in it I interview the reknowned classical guitarist, composer, and professor Ronald Pearl. We discuss his performance history, the loss of liner notes in contemporary music, his instrument, his compositional approach, baseball, and more. Ron Pearl is an insightful, talented, and multi-dimensional musician and we are proud to have him on the podcast.

Read on to check out the full episode as well as to get the links for everything we discuss in the interview. You smartphone users out there can also download the interview via the itunes store for FREE here. You dig? 

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First Impressions

Delta Spirit – Delta Spirit

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I'm trying to get this feature happening the week the new album reviewed comes out and should have it that way soon, but I'm going back to March 13th for tonight's post. Based on your votes, I've got the self-titled release from Delta Spirit in the First Impression crosshairs.

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Videos

Professor Penguin: Pirate Music Video

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Professor Penguin is a London based nine piece we recently featured on the Dig here. Their newest single Pirate was released yesterday and along with it came an uncomplicated, earnest, and nostalgic music video. What I dig about these guys is the cleanliness of their songwriting, and the warmth of their sound. With a nine piece band I expect to be overwhelmed by texture and effort, but Professor Penguin is the perfect balance of harmony, rhythm, melody and countermelody – they've got me hook line and sinker. I look forward to the release of the full album and grand things to come from our friends across the pond. Please do remember to show the guys a little love via their social media at Twitter, Soundcloud, Official Webpage, and Facebook. You dig?

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Gigs We Dig

First Blush Live at the Upper East Side Music Festival

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After releasing their self-titled EP at the tail end of 2011, First Blush is making their stage debut March 20th at the Upper East Side Music Festival in NYC at Bar East. In case you missed it we featured the band on Episode 3 of the Digcast and you can check them out here to catch back up. 

Tuesday night's performance will feature Charles Sekel and Carlo Neda on synths, keyboard and vocals, Jonathan Goldberger on guitar, Zach Honoroff on drums and Zak Croxall on bass. Although the first band takes the stage at 7:45, First Blush will play at 9:15. Tickets are only 10 bucks and can be purchased in advance here or at the door. The show is 21 and older so bring your ID and take advantage of the excellent craft beer selection. The festival also features the music of Jett Brando, My Short Happy Life, and Machine Life.

The full EP is streaming via Youtube for your listening pleasure, but the audience should also be on the look out for new material Tuesday night. We love interacting with the Dig Nation so have your smart phone on hand and send us updates, gig feedback, and photos by way of Twitter and Facebook for this and any of the Gigs We Dig.

First Blush: Be Back Home/Gemini

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