OUT TODAY: SEGAL & BLUNT STAR IN THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT

The Five-Year Engagement is out today!  Check back this weekend for more deets.  Thanks!

MANDOLIN MAN MARVIN ETZIONI IS BACK WITH MARVIN COUNTRY

While listening to both discs of Marvin Country, I get a sense of new discovery with every listen.  This assortment of musical poetry transports me.  Isn’t that what music is supposed to do?  If you don’t know who Marvin Etzioni is, may I suggest you Google him.  For now please allow me to share a few snippets… He is the original bassist/co-founder/songwriter for the pioneering LA roots rock band Lone Justice.  Through the 90’s he kept busy and wore one or more “hats” as producer/performer/songwriter with Toad the Wet Sprocket, Maria McKee, Peter Case, Sam Phillips, Counting Crows and The Williams Brothers.  In 2006, he performed on the much-talked about Dixie Chicks release, Taking the Long Way.

On Marvin Country, some of his Lone Justice mates join him: Maria McKee (You Possess Me), Don Heffington (various) and Lone Justice 2.0 Shane Fontayne (Where’s Your Analog Spirit?).  Other guests include John Doe (The Grapes of Wrath), Richard Thompson (It Don’t Cost Much), Steve Earle (Ain’t No Work in Mississippi), Lucinda Williams (Lay It on the Table), and this AMAZING 27-year-old blues guitar whiz Trevor Menear (Trouble Holding Back).  The first time I heard the song, I had to pick my jaw up off the ground!

Two songs (You Are the Light and Miss This World) were previously recorded by other artists but get a fresh reboot here.  One was previously a demo (You Possess Me) by Marvin and other artists but gets a new recording here.  Also, one was a key song in early live Lone Justice shows (The Grapes of Wrath).  Marvin is a true troubadour that seems from another time.  He has the lyric poetry and depth of legends Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen but with a voice somewhat reminiscent of Tom Waits.  The pedal steel guitar riffs by Greg Liesz fit masterfully with Marvin’s vocals and lyrics.  The squeezebox and accordions are courtesy of session musician/songwriter Phil Parlapiano.  There’s a sample of Gram Parsons in the song Gram Revisited.  Hey if Snoop Dogg can project an image of Tupac Shakur at Coachella, then Marvin Etzioni can sample Gram talking at the legendary Palamino in 1972! 

Do yourself a favor and listen to Marvin Country, then see Marvin perform at the Grand Old Echo LA, CA Sunday April 29, 2012 or City Winery NY, NY June 24, 2012 (with Martha Wainwright).  Limited copies of CDs and vinyl will be available at the shows.  That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it.

Nine Mile Records is presenting a special Grand Ole Echo deal! Order Marvin Etzioni's new 2 CD Set, Marvin Country! at a discount and pick it up at his show at The Grand Ole Echo on April 29!

http://ninemilerecords.mybisi.com/product/marvin-country-cd-grand-ole-echo-special

For more information, please visit http://www.marvincountry.com/

INTERVIEW WITH MUSICIAN DAVE PAINCHAUD

Check out my recent interview with eclectic composer and jazzer Dave Painchaud...

 http://www.musicscenemag.com/2012/04/dave-painchaud-eclectic-composer-and-jazzer/

SEVEN YEAR ITCH IS GONE! GARBAGE PERFORMS LIVE AGAIN

The band Garbage came onstage in full force to welcome their legion of fans on night two at the El Rey Theatre (Los Angeles).  And I was there to witness it!  Now, I’ve been a fan since the beginning but have only seen them perform a full concert once.  And wouldn’t you know it… Butch Vig was out sick:{  Does being at the Tonight Show with Jay Leno to see them perform Cherry Lips count?  Well so to speak… my Garbage cherry was popped on April 10^th 2012! And they did not disappoint.  Imagine Frank'N'Furter saying, “I see you shiver with anticipation!”  Seven years seem like 7 days the way each of these super-talented musicians play together.  Each one is such a vital part of the well-oiled Garbage machine. 

Garbage consists of American musicians Duke Erikson (bass, guitar, keyboards, and percussion), Steve Marker (guitar, keyboards), Butch Vig (drums, percussion) and fronted by singer/songwriter Shirley Manson.  IMHO, she’s a rock goddess extraordinaire.  You know… cool without trying!  And tonight, she was channeling glam Hollywood star Rita Hayworth.

The 90 minute + show were a terrific blend of classics from their 4 previous studio releases and three new songs: Blood for Poppies, Automatic Systematic Habit and Battle in Me from the forthcoming May 2012 release Not Your Kind Of People.  There was one hiccup but Shirley laughed it off and made the most of it.  For the song #1 Crush, Shirley couldn’t hear the band so she was totally lost.  Well, bands are human too!  So humble-pie Shirley blurted out “I’m not scared to fail.”  Spoken like a well-grounded rock goddess!

For the first three songs Shirley Manson wore this light pink see-through blouse over a blacktank top, shorts and leggings.  Even her platforms were black.  By song #4, the pink blouse came off.  Somewhere along the night, she changed her shoes to black flat boots.  For those interested, on their Facebook page, Shirley posted: “The boots you guys keep going nutso for are possibly the most perfect flat boot ever invented.  They are called "Joey" by Newbark@newbark.com.”

Picking a favorite Garbage song of the night is pretty much impossible.  They’re all so good!  Stupid Girl, Happy When It Rains are fun to dance to.  Paranoid and Push It are groovy and great to sing aloud.  But tonight, Bad Boyfriend had extra intensity and just plain ROCKED!  As far as the new songs, Battle In Me sounds like a classic already, an anthem song.  Blood For Poppies is a goth-rap delight.  Automatic Systematic Habit begins with a synth drum beat reminiscence of Duran Duran’s Wild Boys!  He he he…  But with Goth-like guitar riffs.  At first, I thought it was called Dirty Little Secret.  Must say this is my favorite newbie thus far.

Not sure if it was the venue or Garbage’s sound team but I could clearly hear Shirley’s vocals and she sounded AMAZING!  Usually the rhythm section or guitar drowns out the vocals but everything was well balanced.  Thank you Garbage and crew for a perfect night of escapism!

SET LIST

Supervixen

Temptation

Shut Your Mouth

Metal Heart

Queer

Stupid Girl

Why Do You Love Me 2 bar intro)

#1 Crush

Twine

Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)

Vow

Blood For Poppies

Automatic Systematic Habit

Milk

I Think I’m Paranoid

Bad Boyfriend

Only Happy When It Rains

Push It
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Special

The Trick Is To Keep Breathing

Battle In Me

GREEN DAY'S MUSICAL AMERICAN IDIOT ROCKS AT THE AHMANSON

Straight from Broadway!  Now until Sunday April 22nd!

"This BLISSFUL EXTRAVAGANZA makes you think even as it knocks you out."

- Bob Verini, Variety

"This RAMBUNCTIOUS CAST captures [Green Day’s] performance energy brilliantly."
  - Paul Hodgins, The Orange County Register

"INVIGORATING ORIGINALITY... Should thrill Green Day fans while   recruiting legions of new ones."

  - Les Spindle, Back  Stage

"Rabble-rousing pop-punk show.  ELECTRIC STAGING… The same  intensity as A FULL THROTTLE CONCERT."
  - Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times

Slinging razor guitars , thundering drums and an anti-hero named Johnny. Not the prelude of typical entries in the canon of musical   theatre. But these elements herald a groundbreaking American musical all  the same: with the burning passion of characters who yearn for something  more, songs bursting with emotion and a story that dares you to feel and  celebrate and hope.

The music of Green Day and the lyrics of lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong captured the zeitgeist of a generation with its Grammy® Award-winning  multi-platinum album. American Idiot puts those raw emotions front and center in a highly theatrical and thoroughly satisfying rock opera that burns  up the stage.

Monster hits like “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”, “21 Guns.,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “Holiday” and the title track soar like they  were written for the stage under the direction of Tony Award® winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening), choreography by Olivier Award winner Steven Hoggett (Black Watch) and music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Kitt (Next to Normal).

JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME RELEASED FRIDAY MARCH 16, 2012

Jeff, Who Lives At Home is a charming, sweet and funny movie that stars Jason Segal.  Jeff lives in the basement of his Mom's house.  The (always terrific) Susan Sarandon plays his mom, Sharon.  She asks Jeff to do one simple task.  But that task leads Jeff on an odyssey which you'll enjoy being on.  So hang on!  Ed Helms (The Office, The Hangover I, II) plays his impatient brother, Pat who embarks on Jeff's journey... by chance.  Judy Greer (The Descendants) plays Pat's fed-up wife, Linda.  What she does to a Porsche will make men cringe.  But, what Pat does after is painfully hilarious and just plain painful.  Produced by Jason Reitman.  Written and directed by the Duplass Brothers. 

Go and see this movie!  I've seen it twice already.  Once at the AFI Film Festival and once a few weeks back.  I loved seeing it both times.  The second go-around helped me catch the things I missed from laughing SO hard the first viewing.  That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it...

YOU'LL BE HOOKED WHEN YOU SEE SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN: OUT TODAY

Get thee to a local movie theatre and see the charming independent film Salmon Fishing In The Yemen.  It stars Ewan McGregor as a repressed, quirky fisheries expert named Dr. Alfred Jones.  Emily Blunt plays Harriet, assistant to the Sheik (Amr Waked).  He's a fishing aficionado who's dream is to bring salmon fishing to the Yemen.  The director, Lasse Halstrom, was a great choice.  Have you seen his movies Cider House Rules, Chocolat or Casanova?  I have to say that the best lines to go Kristin Scott Thomas in an unconventional role as government official Patricia Maxwell.  She is simply divine and laugh-out-loud funny!   I loved the fact they began in London, went to Scotland, then the Yemen.  What a quick way to travel!

Based on a novel by Paul Torday, this breath of fresh air screenplay was adapted by Academy Award Winner Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionare).  He found the novel to be an unusual mix of adventure and romance centered around this unusual request.  Simon is currently working on the sequel to the hotly anticipated series The Hunger Games.  Just in time to take the baton from Harry Potter and soon, Twilight.  Don't wait to see this fish-out-of-water story!  Literally!!  That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.