The economy causes music world to suffer

The downfall of the economy is further reaching than I ever thouhgt it was.  Apparently Scott Stapp and company's money didn't last forever, and they're back.  I'm not kidding.    Some of this will make you cringe, some of it will make you laugh, but all of it will make you unhappy.      I'm confident Stapp himself wrote this press release and that their so-called "time to reflect" is code for "I need some money."  The following came directly from www.creed.com.

ORIGINAL CREED LINE-UP OF SCOTT STAPP, MARK TREMONTI, SCOTT PHILLIPS AND BRIAN MARSHALL PLAN SUMMER TOUR AND NEW ALBUM

April 27, 2009 - Orlando, FL - Creed, one of the most successful rock bands of the past decade, has announced all four of the original band members are back together for a summer tour and new album. Since their formation, Creed has sold close to thirty-five million albums and millions of concert tickets.

The songwriting team of Stapp and Tremonti are considered one of the most prolific in rock history. Their collaborations delivered numerous chart-topping records that are a testament to the enormity and success of Creed. The band was the first act to have seven consecutive number one rock radio singles, four of which came off of the debut album. Their third album, Weathered, tied The Beatles Anthology, for the most consecutive weeks at Number One on Billboard’s Top 200 chart (eight weeks since the beginning of the SoundScan era (1991).

The band’s debut, My Own Prison, was released on August 26, 1997 and has sold over six million copies in the U.S. The follow-up, Human Clay, was distributed on September 28, 1999 and certified Diamond for sales in excess of 11 million copies. The band’s last studio album, Weathered, was released on November 20, 2001 and sold six million plus. In November 2004, Creed Greatest Hits was released, and has sold two million copies. The band was voted Favorite Group in 2003 on the People’s Choice Awards and won numerous American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards and others including the Grammy Award for best Rock Song in 2001 for "With Arms Wide Open."

On reuniting, guitarist Mark Tremonti stated, "We're all very excited to reconnect with our fans and each other after six long years." Drummer Scott Phillips added, "Our career as Creed came to a very abrupt and unforeseen ending. After reflecting on some of the greatest personal and professional moments of our lives, we've come to realize that we are still very capable of continuing that career and our friendship on a grander scale than ever before." Bassist Brian Marshall continues, "This is a development we are all happy about. It has been a long time since the four of us have taken the stage together, and without hesitation or reservation this is something all of us are in to. The anticipation to get back out there is electrifying. Singer Scott Stapp concluded, "Its amazing how life can change and bring you full circle. Time gave us all a chance to reflect, grow and gain a deeper appreciation of our friendships, artistic chemistry, passion for music, and sincere love for our fans! It's rare in life to get a second chance to make a first impression and we embrace the opportunity. We all believe the BEST IS YET TO COME!"

The band has also teamed with I Love All Access to provide a variety of VIP ticket packages for the tour, including premium seats, meet and greets, photo ops, parties and more. For more information visitwww.ILoveAllAccess.com.

The complete itinerary is as follows:

DATE	CITY	On-SALE
Thu/Aug-06	Pittsburgh PA	9-May
Sat/Aug-08	Darien Lakes NY	9-May
Sun/Aug-09	Hershey PA	9-May
Tue/Aug-11	Saratoga Springs NY	9-May
Thu/Aug-13	Philadelphia PA	9-May
Sat/Aug-15	Wantagh NY	9-May
Sun/Aug-16	Holmdel NJ	9-May
Tue/Aug-18	Boston MA	9-May
Thu/Aug-20	Hartford, CT	9-May
Fri/Aug-21	Washington DC	8-May
Sat/Aug-22	Virginia Beach VA	9-May
Tue/Aug-25	Detroit MI	30-May
Wed/Aug-26	Cleveland OH	9-May
Fri/Aug-28	Cincinnati OH	9-May
Sat/Aug-29	Indianapolis IN	9-May
Sun/Aug-30	Chicago IL	9-May
Tue/Sept-1	Milwaukee	9-May
Wed /Sept-2	Columbus OH	30-May
Fri/Sept-4	Raleigh NC	15-May
Sat/Sept-5	Charlotte NC	15-May
Fri/Sept-11	Atlanta GA	30-May
Sat/Sept-12	Birmingham AL	15-May
Tue/Sept-15	Orlando FL	9-May
Wed/Sept-16	West Palm Beach FL	9-May
Fri/Sept-18	Lafayette LA	16-May
Sat/Sept-19	New Orleans LA	16-May
Sun /Sept-20	Bossier City LA	16-May
Tue/Sept-22	Dallas TX	9-May
Thu/Sept-24	San Antonio TX	9-May
Fri/Sept-25	Houston TX	9-May
Sun/Sept-27	Las Vegas NV	9-May
Tue/Sept-29	Glendale AZ	16-May
Wed/Sept-30	Irvine CA	30-May
Fri/Oct-2	Salt Lake City UT	30-May
Sat/Oct-3	Denver CO	30-May
Tue/Oct-6	Minneapolis MN	30-May
Wed/Oct-7	Omaha NE	30-May
Fri/Oct-9	Tulsa OK	30-May
Sat/Oct-10	Kansas City MO	30-May
Tue/Oct-13	St Louis MO	16-May
Wed/Oct-14	Nashville TN	30-May

In with the outtro and out with the old...

The end of April means many things....warmer weather, emotional outbursts, Waterfront Wednesdays, dining outside and best of all, the Derby is right around the corner.  As you solidify your Oaks/Derby plans, enjoy this mix of tunes.  It's got a few ingredients to it, some soft, some heavy, some fun, some not.  As the Format said "Cover your ears, for the end is near. BUT, the beginning is here..."

 Up next week: Songs for before and after the Derby.

1. "The Great Defector" by Bell X1
A little bit of Arcade Fire and a whole lot of Talking Heads makes for one faaaaantastic tune.  Turn it up loud and try to sit still.  Just try it.  This is off their second effort, Blue Lights on the Runway, and it's just as good as their first album, Flock.  The Irishmen had a brief tour of the US along with the release of the album in early March but is spending the immediate future in Europe and the UK with no hint of a US tour at the moment.  Keep your hopes up.

2. "Shampoo" by Elvis Perkins
Perkins released his newest album, Elvis Perkins in Dearland earlier this month.   He continues to produce both lyrically and musically.  Check him out at Bonnaroo this summer.

3. "Mission Accomplished (Because You Gotta Have Faith" by Todd Snider

One of my favorite non-lyrical tunes of late.  What Snider says when the music ends is pure genius.  He was just here for the first Waterfront Wednesday and will be at The Dame in Lexington on May 28 and at The Southgate House (what a venue!) in Newport on May 29.  

4. "The Postman (Styrofoams' Just Like the Nineties Never Happened Mix) by American Analog Set

I first came onto AMANSET in college and haven't heard much from them since.  They appear to  be extinct at this point, but they have released some terrific albums for our enjoyment.   This link is an acoustic version, which they also released.  They'll be playing on my ipod for the next couple days...

5.  "Deer-Ree-Shee" by the Black Angels 

The Austin, Texas outfit is at it again.  I thought they stole the show in the all black night of The Black Angels and Black Keys at Headliners about a year ago, and have been waiting for the next album with moderate eagerness.  Turns out I missed it as it came out in December.  Despite their lack of a tour and the fact their lead singer has a bit of Jim Morrison in his voice, they're a band to look out for.  

6. "The Wanting Comes in Waves" by The Decemberists
I'm not so sure about the newest release just yet (more on that at a later date) but this is my favorite track from it.  They put on a helluva live show and will be playing The Brown again on August 10 (tix go on sale tomorrow (April 24).  It's sure to be entertaining....they know how to get you out of your seat.

7. "The Mountain" by The Heartless Bastards
This band puts rock in "indie rock."  When I first heard them I thought for sure they were European.  Turns out they're from just up the road in Cincinnati, Ohio.  It seems like a few good artists have come out of Ohio recently (The National, Josh Ritter, Black Keys, 500 Miles to Memphis).  They'll hit Headliners on July 6.

RayLa at The Taft

Ray Lamontagne played The Taft Theatre last night (Saturday, April 18) in Cincinnati.  The Taft is similar to the Palace here in Louisville...all in all a terrfic place to see Ray.  Jessica Lea Mayfield got things started, playing mostly new tracks from her recently released album ?.  She's the perfect opening act for Ray, because she sets the mood for the evening.  Mayfield's songs can tend to sound similar, but her dark energy and lyrics provide listeners with something tangible.  Ray kicked things off the way he should, by himself.  First came "Burn," then "Jolene" and then the rest of the band came out and joined him.  They played tremendous versions of "It's a Shame (Henry Nearly Killed Me)" and "Hold You In My Arms."   I think with every artist comes a different mindset for a show, and this crowd wasn't in the right one.   At a Ray show in a beautiful theatre, I think you should sit in your seat and just enjoy.  No shouting during songs, no dancing during songs like "Empty" and did I say you should sit down?  You really should....All in all, it was a good show, but I've seen him do better.

The Soft Six

Though the sound coming from these tracks is quiet, the words within them are not.   

Iron and Wine - The Trapeze Swinger
Sam Beam's distant look at life, death and all that surrounds them both.  Full of raw emotion. this is Beam at his best, eloquently leading all of us along with his lyrics that make us sad, that challenge us, that make us want to hug the ones we love, that provoke religious thoughts and that attack our emotions from all sides.  He started his show at Headliners last year with this song, and I cannot thank him enough for doing so.   Perfectly beautfiul.  The closest Iron & Wine will get to Louisville is Chicago on May 12 at the Lakeshore Theatre.   For my friends in ND, check him and dozens of other terrific artists out at the Winnipeg Folk Festival this July 9-12.

Bright Eyes – Land Locked Blues
Conor Oberst = genius.   This song's lyrics are no different.  Emmylou Harris backs him up on this slow moving tune that's bursting with emotion.  "It all boils down to one quotable phrase: if you love something, give it away."  Well said, sir.  Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band will be playing Headliners on June 30, 2009.  See you there. 

Elvis Perkins – While You Were Sleeping 
Perkins' mom died in the attacks on September 11, 2001 and this song is supposedly about that event and the days that followed.  It has a dream-like feel as he leads us down the winding path of his words.  This was one of the top tracks of 2007.  Perkins is touring this summer and Bonnaroo is the closest he'll get to Louisville.  

MMJ – Sooner (live)
The opening track off the Acoustic Citsuoca ablum.  Those five songs are some of MMJ's best work, especially live.  If you don't have this album, get it soon.

Pearl Jam – Release
Turn the lights off and turn this one up loud. If Eddie Vedder's words don't speak to you, I don't know what will.  It's the last track off Ten, which has recently been re-released.  Check out the details here or visit ear x-tacy.

Ray Lamontagne – Please
A barely known track by this generation's Van Morrison.  It's not as moving as or full of wisdom like "Burn" or "Lesson Learned" but it's just as valuable.  Ray's currently on tour...playing a soldout show at The Brown on April 25...and if you're one of the unfortunate folks like me who didn't get tickets, you can still try to get them to the show on April 18 in Cincinnati at The Taft.

April 2009: The Spread

Every month will begin with an opportunity to check out some music PTC thinks you should be listening to. Some new, some old, all good (in our opinion). Sing loud, listen hard and enjoy.

April 2009: The Spread 
Not only was The Spread the best weapon in Contra, it's the theme of the April playlist. The list has a solid mix of different artists and styles. From Scottish rock to spiritual folk to alt country to a splash of R & B, this spread of music is wide reaching and ranging.

1. Frightened Rabbit – “Good Arms vs Bad Arms”
What started as a brotherly duo has grown in total band members but also in number of fans. This Scottish group is coming on strong and their appearance on the World Café with David Dye in March has surely boosted their success. The lyrics are raw and at the heart of their music and words is a passionate outlook on experiences everyone can relate to. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s sad, sometimes it’s powerful, but no matter what the emotional output is, it’s always good music. This is the top track on their latest release The Midnight Organ Fight. We hope to see them on a US tour soon. As a good friend a mine said after hearing this song, “I could go into battle after listening to that.”

2. Iron & Wine with Calexico – “Dark Eyes”
A track off the I’m Not There soundtrack. Their cover of the Bob Dylan original is just that, original. Sam Beam has a sound that nobody else does, and when paired with Calexico, it’s a unique and powerful musical force.

3. MGMT – “Kids”
I first heard this song on EA Sports’ FIFA 09 and it’s been on a solid rotation at WFPK this year as well. MGMT brings elements of pop, techno, rock and old school video game sounds to their songs. This tune is a great taste of what their album, Oracular Spectacular, has to offer. If you’re headed to Bonnaroo this summer you should check them out.

4. William Walter and Tucker Rogers – “When I Leave for California”
Pandora provided me with this track via a My Morning Jacket playlist. It’s a simple, meaningful and beautiful song. I don’t know much about these guys yet, but it appears this duo has a lockdown on the state of Virginia.

5. 500 Miles to Memphis – “All My Friends Are Crazy”
This Cincinnati area band played at the 3rd Street Dive last weekend. On the musical map, they land somewhere in between Ryan Bingham and The Avett Brothers….with an alt country, slide guitar, serious, yet ready to party feel to their tunes. They are energetic, play a good live show, and are nice guys to boot. They call themselves “country punk” and I call them a band to watch out for. If you’re up for a road trip, they’ll be playing two shows the night of April 4 in Cincinnati and another in Newport, KY on April 11.

6. Daniel Martin Moore – “Who Knows Where the Time Goes”
DMM is the playing the first set in an all Kentucky show on May 8 when he opens for Ben Sollee at the Bomhard Theatre. This is a terrific version of a Sandy Denny song (do you know who Sandy Denny is? I didn’t before this song). He walks the same musical lines as Andrew Bird and M. Ward. He is sure to add to an already stellar show in early May.

7. Good Old War – “Coney Island”
This song leans toward the poppy end of my personal musical enjoyment scale, but it’s one that I can’t stop singing along to. They’re an apple that’s fallen off the Death Cab For Cutie tree and they’re currently touring with The Gaslight Anthem (check them out, they’re terrific too), but they’ll be playing on their own at the Mad Hatter in Covington, KY on April 8.

8. Ben Sollee – “Mute with a Bullhorn”
Louisville’s most recent musical standout is reaching new heights all the time. His popularity has skyrocketed since his album release party in early 2008 at the 21c Museum. This is the B-side off a single he released late last year. He is truly an original talent and we should be proud to call him one of our own. If you haven’t seen him live, do so immediately. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to see Ben Sollee with Daniel Martin Moore at the Bomhard Theatre on May 8th. I’m hoping Brooks Ritter makes a special appearance there as well…

9. Ra Ra Riot – “Suspended in Gaffa”
The Rhumb Line was an album I heard in late 2008, and I like it more and more each time I listen to it. There are several big time tracks on it, and this is one that has come on late for me. Don’t even download this song, just go to Ear X-tacy and buy the album. They’re playing at the Palace on April 10 with Death Cab for Cutie and it promises to be a fantastic show.

10. Michael Franti & Spearhead - "Hey World (Don't Give Up Version)”
It seemed every DJ at WFPK loved Franti and Company’s latest album, All Rebel Rockers, and so after months of hearing different tracks but never really listening that hard, I bought the album and haven’t looked back. He’s got a little Ben Harper, Amos Lee and Bob Marley in him….and I won’t complain about any of that.

11. My Morning Jacket – “Where to Begin”
A not-so-well known track by our own MMJ off the Elizabethtown soundtrack. Jim James’ lyrics are top drawer in this one (no shocker there). It’s been around awhile, but if you haven’t heard it, you’ll enjoy it. I know I’m not alone in my anticipation of their new live compilation album from last year’s tour, with some of those songs coming from their performances at Ear-X-tacy and their life changing concert at the Waterfront. That album is set to be released on April 18 and is only available at independent record stores.

12. The Gabe Dixon Band – “Disappear”
I first heard this group in 2004 with their track “All Will Be Well” came across the public radio airwaves of North Dakota. They’ve recently released a self-titled album with that same track and several new ones as well. Dixon plays the piano with pure passion, his voice is original and his lyrics meaningful. They were here this winter and are playing Nashville tonight (April 1st). “Disappear” is my favorite track on the album. I don’t know these guys personally (or really any other artist) but a friend of mine wanted to learn how to play a song of theirs on piano and couldn’t find the sheet music anywhere….but an email to Dixon himself through the website quickly put the music in her hands, which is pretty cool.

13. Fun – “Benson Hedges” (Demo)
When Nate Ruess and Sam Means announced that their musical vehicle, The Format, were calling it quits, the door was slammed shut on a previous chapter of my life. The duo came along at the right time for me, in college, singing about things that happen to people in their early twenties. A few months after the break up, Nate Ruess made another announcement…that he had formed a new band called Fun. The group is just starting out on tour and will release their first full album sometime this year (details are hard to come by). They’ll be in Covington, KY on May 8 at the Mad Hatter. If you dig Jimmy Eat World, check out Fun. If anything, you’ve got to give it to them for their choice of name.

14. The Frames – “What Happens When the Heart Just Stops?” (Setlist version)
Another tune from a few years back. Glen Hansard, lead singer of The Frames, recently found massive success for his involvement in the Film “Once” (he played the lead male role and co-wrote and performed the songs from the film with Marketa Irglova, with their band name being The Swell Season). As for The Frames, they are group of Irish Rockers whose live album, Setlist, provides listeners with great music and insight into the songs. The story that prefaces this song is a dandy, and the song that follows is one to remember.

15. Richard Shindell – “Next Best Western”
Shindell is more of a folk singer than the other artists on this list, and his songwriting is closer to storytelling than anyone else on the list as well. This is an older song of his, and it’s off his live album Courier. If you listen to Sam Baker or John Prine, you’ll enjoy Shindell. His songs address many topics, and his writing ability constantly shines through the simple, yet impressive music. He’ll be performing in Madison, Indiana at the Ohio River Folk Festival on May 15th.

16. Delta Spirit – “People, Turn Around”
Delta Spirit’s album Ode To Sunshine made a huge impression on me in 2008, and landed in the top spot of my album of the year list. They have a twinge of The Beatles in them, but they rock hard with an independent, folk-like twist. This is just one of many worthwhile tracks from the album. They’ll be at Lollapalooza in Chicago this June and though I’ve not seen them live, all reports are that it’s a tremendous show.

17. The Weakerthans – “One Great City!”
Being that I grew up near the Canadian border, this song hit home right away. It’s a quick, fun tune about the city of Winnipeg. The Weakerthans hail from said Manitoban city and produce a sound that could again be put in the same category as Death Cab. I’m hoping the cross the border sometime soon.

18. Cat Power – “Good Woman”
A good friend whose musical taste rarely matches up with mine insisted I check out Cat Power for two reasons. The first was he loved her music, especially her lyrics, and the second was her looks. This track is off You Are Free, which was released in 2003. Fortunately for all of us, Eddie Vedder backs her up on a few tracks from this particular album, including this one.