Happy Birthday Mr. Dylan!

Today is Bob Dylan's 70th birthday and Shady Groove would like to celebrate.  Let's take today to celebrate his life, his music, his influence.  It's funny that almost every radio station you turn the dial to today is playing either a Dylan song or a cover of one of his.  Makes me wonder what Bob is doing today.  Imagine your birthday is a worldwide celebration of your life's work.  Do you listen and celebrate too? Do you try to get away from it all?  I'd have to say that its most likely the latter.

Regardless, let play some Dylan tunes, listen to some Dylan covers, break out your old records, watch some video's.  Here's one of my favorite vids:

Song Writing Insights from Keith Richards....

"Songs are strange things.....If they stick, they stick. With most of the songs I've ever written, quite honestly, I've felt there's an enormous gap here, waiting to be filled; this song should have been written hundreds of years ago. How did nobody pick up on that little space? Half the time you're looking for gaps that other people haven't done. And you say, I don't believe they've missed that f'ing hole! It's so obvious. It was there staring you in the face! I pick the holes."

from Keith Richards' "Life", page 304

Podcast #27

Hey peoples! Twas a blast this week putting together some tunes for y'all.

Download: Podcast 27

Podcast 27 included the following red hot tracks:
Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks ++ The Felice Brothers - Frankies Gun! ++ Elvis Costello - (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes ++ The Allman Brothers Band - Ain't Wasting Time No More (live) ++ The Middle Brother - Blue Eyes ++ G. Love & Special Sauce - Give It To You ++ Peter Bjorn & John - Second Chance ++ The Police - The Bed's Too Big Without You ++ David Wax Museum - Born With A Broken Heart ++ Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up ++ Cake - Mexico ++ Hayes Carll - I Got A Gig ++ The Gourds - Shake The Chandelier

Live it. Love it.

By the way if you haven't already, follow me on Twitter, and "like" our new Facebook page.  It'll give you a chance to be up to date on all things Shady Groove.

Cake at the Keswick Theatre, Glenside PA 4.18.11

Some may call it "geek rock", some may call them the "greenest" band on the planet, some may call them post-alternative rock. Whatever the moniker, the band that calls themselves Cake knows how to put on a show. The seasoned veterans put on a monster show Monday night at the Keswick.

The normally tame Keswick crowd was brought to life by the band.  John McCrea, the lead singer/songwriter lead the charge, seemingly almost forcing the crowd to get involved.  Although the Cake faithful were more than happy to oblige...

The band that has notoriously been anti-establishment, anti-big business for 20 years now has slowly but surely built a loyal following that like to have a good time. 

Cake's new album, Showroom of Compassion, marks its 6th carefully crafted, self-released, studio album. (Thier albums are known to take months, even years.  As McCrea puts it "this band is a domocracy, and democracy takes a long time.)  It is a great one....be sure to check it out if you get a chance.

Here is the setlist from Monday night:
Sad songs & waltzes
Frank Sinatra 
Arco Arena
Opera singer 
Bound Away
Long Time
Shaddow Stabbing
Ruby Sees All
Satan is my Motor (public acknowledgement that there is a dark side)
*Epic Crowd involvement*
Mustache Man (wasted)
Sheep go to heaven

Intermission

Mexico
Federal Funding
Love You Madly
Rock n roll lifestyle
(Thrills)**Gave away an apple tree** for answering the question "the declaration of independence was written on parchmet...what was the parchment made of?" A: sheep skin
Comanche 
Sick of you
*massive crowd involvement*
Italian Leather Sofa
Never there

crowd started chanting "need more cake!"!!

Encore:
Short skirt long jacket
Wheels
The Distance

Shady Groove Podcast #25

Hope you enjoy this weeks podcast.  It was fun for me.  If you really like it, go "like" it on our facebook page.  "Like" Shady Groove

Download: Podcast #25

These are the tracks that are included on Podcast 25:
Cake - Frank Sinatra ++ Joe Tex - I Gotcha ++ Mason Porter - Hotel Yorba ++ Gurf Morlix - Baby Can I Crawl Back To You ++ Black Keys - Psychotic Girl ++ JJ Grey & Mofro - Orange Blossoms ++ Blitzen Trapper - Saturday Nite ++ Bruce Springsteen - Born In The USA ++ Derek Trucks Band - Back Where I Started ++ Delroy Wilson & Inner Circle - Cool Operator ++ Jimi Hendrix - Like A Rolling Stone (live) ++ Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited ++ John Prine - Angel From Montgomery ++ Black Crowes - God's Got It ++ Taj Mahal - Stagger Lee ++ Shawn Colvin - This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) ++ The Gourds - Dying of The Pines.

Shady Groove Podcast #24

Had a great time this week with the shadiest of all podcasts.  In this episode you'll find some 90's throwbacks and some 60's originals.  Duane Allman is filtered throughout. There's some new music from Mason Porter and the Decemberists, and of course music for the unwashed and well read.  Dem good ol' boys, The Gourds.  So have fun! or not. whatever you prefer.

Download: Podcast #24 

Here are the tracks that made it to the list:

Podcast #24: Cake - Jolene ++ The Black Keys - Meet Me In The City ++ Old 97's - Big Brown Eyes ++ Decemberists - All Arise! ++ Boz Scaggs - Look What I Got ++ Hayes Carll - Girl Downtown ++ King Johnson - AdultContemporaryRootsRockBluesJazzFunk ++ Dead Weather - Hustle & Cuss ++ Link Wray & His Ray Men ++ Black Dub - Sing ++ Bob Marley - Rocking Steady ++ Mason Porter - Girl From The North Country ++ Allman Brothers Band (Hourglass) - Down In Texas ++ Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - 40 Day Dream ++ Dr. John - Tipitina ++ The Gourds - On Time

Podcast #23

This podcast is for all y'll that have lived.  Lived through those high highs and low lows, have sang all that you have sung.  Cause, "If I die young, at least I got that chocolate on my tongue"(WB).

Download: Podcast 23 here

Podcast #23: This weeks tracklist was this:
Link Wray - Rumble ++ The Rolling Stones - Torn & Frayed ++ Avett Brothers - Go To Sleep ++ Hayes Carll - KMAG YOYO ++ Lucinda Williams - Can't Let Go ++ Mason Porter - My Creole Belle ++ Eddie Spaghetti - Sundowner ++ The Band - To Kingdom Come ++ Guy Clark - Texas Cookin' ++ Gregg Allman - I Can't Be Satisfied ++ Neil Diamond - Cherry, Cherry ++ Tom Waits - Step Right Up ++ The Felice Brothers - Run Chicken Run ++ Ryan Bingham - Bread & Water ++ The Wood Brothers - Chocolate On My Tongue ++ The Gourds - Boil My Strings

Shady Groove Podcast #22

I broadcasted this weeks podcast from a satellite venue in Sussex County, New Jersey.  Shut in on a rain-drenched afternoon, I dropped this lovely set of tunes.

Download: Podcast #22

Podcast 22 included these excellent tracks:
The Wood Brothers - Angel ++ Leon Russell - Prince Of Peace ++ Wilco - Hate It Here ++ Avett Brothers - Spanish Pipedream ++ ? & The Mysterians - 96 Tears ++ Derek Trucks Band - Down In The Flood ++ Hayes Carll - Stomp and Holler ++ Gregg Allman - Rolling Stone ++ Shinyribs - Poor People's Store ++ Cake - Mustache Man (Wasted) ++ Cheers Elephant - Shark Attack ++ Toots & The Maytals - 54-46 Was My Number ++ Old 97's - Please Hold On While The Train Is Moving ++ The Gourds - All The Way To Jericho

Shady Groove Podcast #21

Here we go again! Back for some more of that good ol' Hee Haw stuff from the shade master of all shades, Shady Groove.

Download: Podcast #21 here

Podcast 21 include such works of art as:
Gurf Morlix - Big Cheesburger and Good French Fries ++ Bo Diddley - Mona ++ Greg Allman - Floating Bridge ++ Hayes Carll - Drunken Poet's Dream ++ Albert Lee - Look Out Cleveland ++ Cake - Bound Away ++ Wanda Jackson - Shakin' All Over ++ White Stripes - Your Southern Can Is Mine ++ Johnny Cash - A Backstage Pass ++ The Secret Sisters - Big River ++ Jimi Hendrix and the Band Of Gypsys - Who Knows ++ The Sir Douglas Quintet - At The Crossroads ++ Old 97's - State of Texas ++ Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band - Glory Glory Hallelujah ++ The Gourds - Hallelujah Shine

Rock it loud-

Shady Groove Podcast #20

Another fine setlist from the Shadiest of all Grooves.

Download: Podcast #20 here

Here are the tracks that were on this weeks podcast:
Greg Allman - I Believe I'll Go Back Home ++ Cheers Elephant - A Pocket Full Of Change ++ The Wood Brothers - Postcards From Hell ++ Cake - Federal Funding ++ Bob Dylan - Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn) ++ The Byrds - You Ain't Goin Nowhere ++ Hayes Carll - Hard Out Here ++ Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good ++ Lyle Lovett - All Downhill ++ Delroy Wilson - Better Must Come ++ Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Chelsea ++ Linda Ronstadt - That'll Be The Day ++ Old 97's - Champaign, Illinois ++ Carolina Chocolate Drops - Cornbread & Butterbeans ++ Electric Light Orchestra - Showdown ++ John Prine - Spanish Pipedream ++ The Gourds - My Name Is Jorge.

Stay Positive and the Love Will Come Back To Me...

Happy Birthday Bradley

Feb 22, 1968

Forgot to give a shout out yesterday.  Here's a belated regalo para todos.  Off of their Second Hand Smoke album, compiled after he passed. Totally 1992.

Download >> Sublime: Romeo

Message of Love: Podcast 19 is here!

Wassup Shady Groovers out there? Thought I'd get all sentimental on you folks today for the Valentine's Holiday.  Its not all about roses and chocolates out here in Shady Groove land.  There happens to be a plethora of great songs about love, cupid, valentines, etc.  So for this Valentine's day we've put together a great playlist for you and your special one to listen to and enjoy.  Remember, love on yourself or love on someone else; cook some dinner, pop a bottle, and turn on Shady Groove podcast #19.

Here it is, a very special V-Day edition of Shady Groove equiped with a podcast for your listening pleasure.

Download: Shady Groove Podcast 19: Message of Love

Podcast 19 included such tracks as:
Willie Nelson - Valentine ++ Otis Redding - Bring It On Home ++ The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You ++ Old 97's - Valentine ++ Mason Jennings - Be Here Now ++ Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) ++ Everly Brothers - When Will I Be Loved ++ The Gourds - Valentine ++ Sam Cooke - Cupid ++ Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros - Home ++ Jimi Hendrix - Message of Love ++ Cake - Haze of Love ++ Rolling Stones - Love In Vain ++ Buddy Holly - Love Me ++ Drive-By Truckers - Everybody Needs Love ++ Blitzen Trapper - Not Your Lover ++ Jack Johnson - Cupid ++ Bon Iver - Skinny Love ++ Gregg Allman - Please Accept My Love ++ Leon Russell - A Song For You ++ Van Morrison - Tupelo Honey ++ The Gourds - Country Love


Live it...Love it

Midnight Ramble in the Cards for The Gourds?

The Gourds have confirmed that they will be recording a new album at the esteemed Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY.  This is HUGE news for them Gourd boys!  Shady Groove is both excited and delighted at the news.  They are scheduled to record from Mar 21-Apr 1.  It has me wondering if maybe there could be a Midnight Ramble in the cards....we shall wait and see.

Read more in an article from the Houston Press: "This Just In, The Gourds Land Dylan Vet, Levon Helm's Studio For Next LP"

Podcast 18: Vermont Edition

This weeks podcast was recorded at "The Studio" in East Burke, Vermont. The tracks included these amazing gems>>

Podcast #18: Vermont Edition
Greyboy - Bath Music ++ Hugo - 99 Problems ++ Black Keys - The Desperate Man ++ Black Crowes - Shine Along ++ David Lowery - Raise 'Em Up ++ Doug Sahm - Juan Mendoza ++ Kellar Williams - Freshies ++ Bob Marley and The Wailers - You Can't Blame The Youth ++ Old 97's - Jagged ++ David Allan Coe - You Never Even Called Me By My Name ++ Wilco - Walken ++ The Wood Brothers - Pray Enough ++ Blitzen Trapper - God & Suicide ++ John Lennon - Be My Baby ++ Harry Nilsson - At My Front Door ++ Bob Segar & The Silver Bullet Band - Ramblin' Gamblin' Man ++ The Gourds - LGO

Download: Podcast 18: Vermont Edition

Powder Daze

I'm a sucker for fresh powder.  There's something about that feeling that you get on a powder day.  The adrenaline rush, the burning quads. When the snow is sooo light and fluffy that you can literally float on top of the snow and even if you eat it, its like falling into a bed of pillows.  These big snows are the reason that I ski.

Gotta love the freshies.

Download: Kellar Williams - Freshies

Podcast 17: Music To Soothe The Soul

Download: Podcast #17 here

This weeks tracks included:

Harry Nilsson - Turn On Your Radio ++ Link Wray - Fire and Brimstone ++ Black Keys - Act Nice and Gentle ++ Ryan Adams - To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High) ++ The Gourds - Cold Bed ++ David Bowie - Oh, You Pretty Things ++ Old 97's - Crash On The Barrelhead ++ Wilco - You Are My Face ++ Jack Johnson - Badfish/Boss DJ ++ Cheers Elephant - My Bicycle Ride ++ JJ Grey and Mofro - WYLF ++ Toots and the Maytals - Time Tough ++ Avett Brothers - A Gift For Melody Lane ++ Backyard Tire Fire - Good To Be ++ Harry Nilsson - The Lottery Song ++ Rolling Stones - You Got The Silver ++ The Gourds - Tear Down The Shed

Harry Nilsson: Musical Maverick

It was on January 15, 1994 that we lost this immensely talented musician.

Ahhhh… what to say about such an intense superstar. Such a tragic story, really, of a gifted artist, musician, bacchanal, father, husband, man, whose angelic voice and thoughtful, witty songwriting managed to capture the musical world in the early 1970’s.

Here’s a little background on this exceptional character:

From a very young age Harry was forced to find his way on his own. His father abandoned the family early on which led to a confidence, need for harry to do things his own way. Always the gifted lyricist, Harry worked his way into the music industry through his songwriting, writing songs for artists such as the Ronnettes, Little Richard, The Yardbirds, The Monkeys, and Three Dog Night.

He was friendly with all of the Beatles, most likely because of their proclamation at a press conference that he was their favorite American artist. This was a huge accolade at the time for Harry who was generally an unknown. Ringo was also a close friend of Harry’s, later becoming the best man at his wedding.

Fortunately, and unfortunately, much of Nilsson’s notoriety stems from a stint in the mid 70’s in which Nilsson hung out and was a drinking buddy of then ex Beatle and recently separated, John Lennon. Fortunately, because Lennon played an important part in Nilsson’s future recording career. Unfortunately because Nilsson was a much more talented musician to simply be known for his friendship with the Beatles. Now, the part about him being known as an excellent drinking buddy…..much more spot on.

And oh yes, did Nilsson like to party. His bacchanalian lifestyle was widely known, especially to his pals in the music industry. Friends of his are known to dread getting ‘the call’ from Harry, who would normally be on a bender of epic proportions, citing that they would need to block off 3 or 4 days of their time if they wanted to be able to party with him.

Throughout the years, from when Harry began in the early 1960’s, to his dark years where he had a ‘death-wish’, through his eccentricities and much of the debauchery that followed him around, there has been a slight shroud of mystery over his career. Much of this mystery stems from the fact that he never performed live. Besides a few TV appearances and BBC sessions, he never wanted to tour. His RCA office phone would ring off the hook with inquiries of his touring schedule. It is said that he would answer the calls himself, taking the callers by surprise. He later recalled candidly answering the questions, saying that a typical conversation would sound something like this:

"When did you play last?" "I didn't." "Where have you played before?" "I haven't." "When will you be playing next?" "I don't."

But lets stick to the music. I think it is safe to say that Harry Nilsson has put his stamp on modern rock and roll. The songs that he has written and performed have paved his way into rocks legacy. Songs like “One”, which Three Dog Night took into the top 10 in 1969, Midnight cowboy’s “Everybody’s Talkin”, the calypso-tinged, quasi-musical-drama, “Coconut” (later used in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs), as well as “Jump Into The Fire” (used in Goodfellas). Although he never performed any of them live, they remain classics in the truest sense of the word. He recorded several albums throughout his career with the pinnacle being Nilsson Schmilsson, perhaps one of the best albums of all time. Definitely top 10 for me.

What I really love about Harry was his refusal to be grouped into any sort of genre or category. His works constantly push the envelope between rock and pop, folk and country, alternative and world rhythms. Although he stayed closest to both rock and roll and pop music, his allegiance belonged to none. He was The Musical Maverick. It’s evident that Harry did not care what people thought. He wanted sole artistic control and for the most part he got it. The fact that he never played live shows manifests this more than anything. He had no interest in giving the people what they want. Harry simply did what he wanted. Artistic satisfaction reigned supreme, leaving commercial approval in the background. There are only a handful of music greats that you can say that about. Most artists crack under the pressure of fans requests, the pressure to put out a popular album, the pressure to perform and perform well. Throughout musical history these pressures has sent great artists into exile (Brian Wilson), and has driven many to insanity, drug use and death (Jimi Hendrix). The best comparison I can make to this indifferent, hardheaded approach to recording is Bob Dylan, who I believe is still around because of his indifference to his fans wants. This refusal to care what people think, although it took him into some uncharted and odd territory was one of his most appealing characteristics.

He was a renegade. A rebel. An individualist of epic proportions. We lost the man simply known as Nilsson. Fortunately for us, music does not die. His warm, quirky, playful, witty, bittersweet music lives on, and will continue to impress myself and the world. Though he endured many hardships and tragedy throughout is life, he maintained a positive outlook. Preach on Harry.

“I do believe that most men live lives of quiet desperation. For despair, optimism is the only practical solution. Hope is practical. Because eliminate that and it’s pretty scary. Hope at least gives you the option of living.” HN

Shady Groove Podcast #16

As the snow continued to pummel Philadelphia, I slipped out of my local watering hole, shut myself in with a late night pizza, and dropped podcast 16. Enjoy.

Shady Groove Podcast #16 >>> Download it here

These are the songs on this weeks late night edition of the Groove:

Jimi Hendrix - Burning of the Midnight Lamp ++ Delaney and Bonnie - Come In My Kitchen ++ The Gourds - Hooky Junk ++ Tommy James and the Shondells - Hanky Panky ++ Carl Perkins - Everybody's Tryin To Be My Baby ++ Black Keys - Girl Is On My Mind ++ Buddy Holly - Girl On My Mind ++ Elvis Costello - Watching The Detectives ++ Harry Nilsson - Let The Good Times Roll ++ Dr. John - Let The Good Times Roll ++ Johnny Jenkins - Walk On Guilded Splinters ++ Cheers Elephant - Como Es La Vida ++ Toots and the Maytals - Louis Louis ++ Harry Nilsson - Coconut ++ Blitzen Trapper - Furr ++ The Gourds - Magnolia

This day in Rock History.....

.......Kenny Loggins was born in 1948 in Everette, Washington.

You're probably thinking, "What does Kenny Loggins have to do with Caddyshack. Well, I'll tell you.

Kenny Loggins, best known for being half of the duo Loggins and Messina, has given us many great hits over the years. From "Danny's Song" to "Your Momma Don't Dance", and even the solo hit "This Is It". But perhaps his most prolific and immeasurably timeless classic is still "I'm Alright", the theme from Caddyshack. You really cannot get any better than the end of that movie. And the Loggins-sung soundtrack simply adds to the greatness. I don't think there is a single Caddyshack fan on this planet that does not think of that hillarious, dancing gopher puppet the minute they hear the song. The moment will live in infamy.

Big ups to Harold Ramis, Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase, Ted Knight, and Bill Murray for turning out one of the best movies of all time. So here it is. Feel free to laugh, cry, dance, shake, fall over, whatever...

Couldn't embed the video so find it HERE

And here is the music video: