MOG - NeilNathan's Posts

My New Video - "3 Seconds"

NeilNathan — Wed, 07 May 2008 02:43:45 GMT

My friend Talia Lugacy directed this and I'm really pleased with it. I know that because I barely squirmed once while watching myself, a real feat!

Her recent film debut, "Descent" starring my old roomie, Rosario Dawson, is quite powerful with some amazing performances. The NY Times gave it a very impressive review comparing Rosario's performance to DeNiro in "Taxi Driver." You would think a distributor would run with that and release the thing nationally with quotes from that review pasted on every newspaper and web site. But they never really got what the film was all about and only ended up premiering it at Tribeca Film Festival and releasing it in NY and LA. It's now out on DVD and I highly recommend checking it out. It's a very different look at date rape than what American audiences are used to. However, if you are a bit squeamish, beware of the ending. I think it is a very courageous and auspicious directorial and writing debut for Talia and Rosario's best acting performance yet. I had three tunes in the film which was good fun for me.

Talia did a great job of portraying this pretty bizarre concept I presented her with. The song came to me in a dream that took place in an English pub. The world was coming to an end and we were all blazingly drunk singing the chorus together. When I awoke, I immediately sat down and recorded it. The original demo had a much more sing along, sloppy vibe to it, and as you will hear, it came out a lot cleaner in the studio.

Robert Lehrer plays the elder me and it is quite spooky. We are doppelgangers! My mother saw him at the video release and jokingly asked me to introduce her to my grandfather!

I'm really happy with my layman friends' acting in it. Lots of eerie vibes.

Hope ya dig.

The Verve and Feist in One Wondrous Evening

NeilNathan — Thu, 01 May 2008 23:10:26 GMT

So, I was supposed to head straight to Feist on Tuesday night, but things didn't quite work out that way!

As I was getting a pre-show cocktail, I ran into a friend of mine. He's a fabulous Liverpuddlian guitarist who played on a few of my recordings. We were like kids in a candy store at that session in engineer Michael Brauer's (Bob Dylan, Cold Play) private room at Quad Studio. Some very cool vintage analog tape delay effects that made my voice sound like a very comfy 70's living room couch! He now plays in the shoegazing, Britpop outfit, The Picture. Some great songwriting.

Anyway, he was on his way to see the second night of The Verve. And the more I talked about it, the more excited I got about that special Monday night show.

So I convinced my other friend that we should bag Feist and buy tickets to The Verve. But I clearly should not have tried to re-create the magic. The boys seemed a little lower energy than the night before. So we left mid set and headed over to catch the tail end of Feist (no pun intended)!

Hammerstein was not a good venue for her as there were too many chatty folk on the very large and long floor. Town Hall was perfect when I saw her last. But of course, she was fantastic. I love her Malcolm Young headbanging move when she's rocking out on the guitar.

Got a nice little poster to commemorate the evening. Will go nicely next to Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and You Am I in my hallway.

In other fantastic rock art news, my buddy is moving to Barcelona, and is allowing me to babysit his folk art Robert Johnson wood shudder thingy.

He seems very happy in my living room on the exposed brick. Woo hoo!

The Verve Rock My Post Detroit Album Bender Celebration Week

NeilNathan — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:14:40 GMT

Wow!!

I've seen Richard Ashcroft twice this past year and nothing prepared me for The Verve. He was an entirely different character fronting his boys! The cheeky, tripped out, Brit shaman was definitely in the house! "We've got two songs left. One a classic, and one a future classic." That kind of ego seemed warranted at the time and was much preferred to his whinier solo persona. "Oh woe is me, I'm just playing in front of a thousand people here at Webster Hall. But I'm a huge rock star, you must believe me!" That is a bit paraphrased, but you get the idea.

The Wamu Theater is tucked underneath MSG and it kind of feels like you are literally in the ass hole of the Garden, which isn't a good feeling!; especially if the band sounds as huge as the Verve do and should be playing the Garden proper! Perhaps next time. Though after hearing some of the dancier new tunes, I think this album is going to be a bit more European friendly.

They opened with A New Decade off of A Northern Soul, which was the perfect hard rock rave up. Lucky Man and The Drugs Don't Work were my faves off of Urban Hymns.

Their washed out reverb/delay combo created a sound built for a stadium and the light show was pretty powerful as well.

Off to Feist, as the party continues!

Back From Recording in Detroit - The Bender Celebration Week Begins!

NeilNathan — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:38:35 GMT

Wow, what a whirlwind. Just tracked for 9 days in Detroit. I am so incredibly proud of the way this thing sounds. Easily the best experience of my life. Bobby Harlow from The Go, ran the show and produced one hell of a record. And the musicians were all so damn freaking good and chill too! This appeared in the RealDetroitWeekly last week and they are also doing a little article for us that should be appear soon.

"While mingling with some folks and waiting for a hot pie to come out of the oven, we overheard some cool folk talkin’ about The Go’s Bobby Harlow (singer/producer) who’s in Dave Feeney’s (Blanche, American Mars) Tempermill Studios this week producing an album for this New York rocker named Neil Nathan. Word is that Nathan heard Harlow’s production on The Go’s Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride and called him up to throw together an all-star team of Detroit musicians to record on Nathan’s upcoming record. Names we heard being thrown around included Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age), Joey Mazzola (Detroit Cobras, Sponge), Kenny Tudrick (Detroit Cobras, Kid Rock), John Krautner (The Go), Danny Methric (The Muggs, The Paybacks) and Loretta Lucas (The Sisters Lucas). Sounds pretty damn hot, right?"

Attached is a little shot of the band and Bobby standing in front of Joey's '66 Dodge Corona. Awesome muscle car action in the Motor City. What else can a man ask for!?

So, to help me decompress from such a high, I've got a serious music appreciation week scheduled. It began with a little theater on Saturday night, Fuerza Bruta; from the peeps that did De La Guarda. It's real high energy dance stuff with high flying trapeze type of stunts thrown in. And the cast mills about in the audience as the show develops. When I saw De La Guarda a few years back, one of the guys in the cast came over and gave me a giant wet kiss on the lips, which was a bit discombobulating and something I was hoping to avoid this time out! (not that there's anything wrong that;)

The show was absolutely wild and there were moments when I felt like an extra in The Wall or something. Lots of rock n roll largess on display. Highly recommended.

Last night was fellow mogger Jackie Greene at the Highline Ballroom. Very strong and varied performance. Some solid, blues and folky moments too. He's got the disheveled intensity of a young Dylan. Can't wait to check out his new record.

Tonight, it's on to The Verve, who I have never caught live and am extremely amped for!

Tomorrow, it's Feist and then the climactic Hold Steady on Friday.

Woo hoo!

I will have to stare at the walls after it's all over and take it all in, but in the meantime, the party continues!

Aussies Rock - The Lovetones

NeilNathan — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:35:28 GMT

You Am I is one of my favorite bands with some great songwriting and an amazing mix of Kinks, Stones, Beatles, and Who influences. So I was quite pleasantly surprised when some random Australian added me as a MySpace friend cause he saw they were one of my influences. He then recommended The Lovetones to me.

The Lovetones are another example of a band that should be huge over here if we had any taste!

I believe they've written a few numbers for Brian Jonestown Massacre as well.

These are my two faves so far from this gem of an album filled with Beatlesish ballads known as Be What You Want. They're entitled Something Good and The Sound and The Fury. Enjoy!

The Gutter Twins Rock Webster Hall

NeilNathan — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:15:41 GMT

Second time I've seen the brothers Dulli and Lanegan this Winter. First time was at Bowery Ballroom which was at the onset of the tour. Interesting to hear their live approach develop over time. Was a lot looser this last time, which worked well on some numbers and not on others. Sound was crisper at Bowery Ballroom. Webster Hall sometimes gets washy which didn't help some of the harder rockers.

This tune Idle Hands was incredible at Bowery Ballroom. Just made you wanna put up the devil horns and bang your head. And then that voice......

Lanegan just stands there like a cool statue. I believe that is how the artful mogger Henry put it. He actually does not move the entire show and by about 40 minutes in, it starts to have quite a surreal effect. Though I swear I saw him move a bit on this one the other night. How could one not!?

Dulli was in fine voice and they complement each other well. The disc has taken me a few listens to get into, but there are some real moments of psycho-sexual/whiskey soaked wonder, which is pretty much what the Afghan Whigs and Lanegan are all about. And the combo works well.

They close with a kind of medley tune that ends with Shadow of the Season off of the Screaming Trees' Sweet Oblivion record. That was quite a treat and that riff sounds like a great Dulli riff live. And then there was Methamphetamine Blues off Lanegan's Bubblegum. Whoa, that just killed.

Blind Melon Returns

NeilNathan — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:42:15 GMT

Great rock show last Saturday night at the Hiro Ballroom. The place was packed and the energy was pretty electric.

I saw Blind Melon when I was in college in a bar with 12 people. I was the only one who knew the tunes. They must have thought I was some kind of freak singing along with every tune they played from a record that had just come out weeks before.

I caught them three or four times over that same year, including a little sit in, acoustic promo session at Sam Goody in the West Village. My last show of that year was at Roseland, as they played in front of a thousand plus people. It was quite a trip to watch them explode like that over such a short span of time.

Shannon's lyrics came from a very personal place, but nailed the identity confusion and coming of age stuff we all go through. They really struck a chord with me at the time. I hadn't listened to them in over a decade to be honest, so when I heard this new guy singing the shit out of these old tunes, it really hit me how much of an effect this band had on me as a youth.

Travis Warren is a high, scratchy tenor, just like Shannon, but he's got his own thing going on too. These guys were smart to wait 'til they found the right guy and were inspired to get out there again.

On some tunes, I just wanted to push his voice a little higher or add just a bit of this, and poof, it would have been Shannon up there. So in that sense, it was kind of bittersweet. But, despite a few painful moments like that, the show was pretty damn fun.

I gotta get used to the new tunes, still haven't heard them enough, but the old ones sounded very tight. And they did the same trippy, heavy intro to "No Rain" that they started infusing on that first tour. It was kind of like they never stopped. Just picked up where they left off.

Sure, Shannon was the magic, but the band has their own take on the classic rock, blues thing which is pretty unique. And it was a pleasure to experience that again.

One of the best of the night was Change. And I guess it's appropo considering.

Soulsavers w/ Mark Lanegan

NeilNathan — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 19:09:00 GMT

I have been a fan of Mark Lanegan for 15 years, and yet had never seen him live. For some reason, he so rarely comes through NYC . But alas, my cherry has been popped, and boy was it a wondrous experience.

I continually go back to many of his albums including The Screaming Trees, Sweet Oblivion, which is such a classic. But my favorite is his folk and blues cover record, I'll Take Care of You.

Last year's collaboration with Isobel Campbell also had some great moments. His voice just cuts through to the deepest, saddest parts of my soul and has got that whiskey soaked, cigarette burned, lived in quality that speaks to the undercurrents of darkness and suffering we all live with at times.

This Soulsavers record is very well written and has elements of electronica, rock, gospel, and soul. But live, it was an incredibly powerful and soulful brand of all out rock. The guitarist was very Neil Young with his distorted soaring lines and the drummer was hitting hard. On record, it sounds like Lanegan held back a bit, given the arrangements, production and instrumentation. But live, his voice was so much richer and guttural.

If these guys come to your town, do yourself a favor and get some religion, rock n roll style.

Bruce at the Garden

NeilNathan — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:09:18 GMT

The last time I saw Bruce with the E Street Band, it was 1987, whoa! He tired me out that night and I was just a kid. I dug Tunnel of Love, though many do not. I am also a huge fan of his new album. It's moodier just like Tunnel of Love and also has some very mature and nuanced songwriting. There are definite classics as well, that harken back to Darkness and Asbury Park.

I am not someone who listened to much Springsteen growing up, besides the obvious hits. That wall of sound thing can get a little obnoxious. But this record, just seems to be pushing my buttons. Perhaps, it's because the songwriting is more mature and the band is a bit mellower. Clarence isn't blowing all over every tune and I just love it when artists age well. Fine wine baby, fine wine.

Girls in Their Summer Clothes is everything you'd want in a Bruce tune. And when you are at a show, there is still no one I have ever seen, that makes me feel like such an American. Cheesy, I know. And I'm really no patriot, for many reasons that are too lengthy to get into here. But there's just something about what he taps into, the response from the crowd, and that curious delusion that is the American dream. He just speaks to that working class character in most of us. Sometimes that can be hard for me to reconcile, since he is a freakin' millionaire umpteen times over, but the man has integrity and is very serious about his role as an artist and a family man. You may not agree with it, but it's quite honorable.

Keep on aging Bruce. It suits you.

A Night in Rock n ' Roll Heaven - Bobby Bare, Jr. and Band of Horses

NeilNathan — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:41:42 GMT

I have seen Bobby Bare, Jr. at least ten times in the past few years and I keep going back for more. The instrumentation is always different and he always changes up the songs. Love that.

I would have to say this show was the best of the year for me. He had a guy on organ/synth who did the double duty on bass a la Ray Manzarek. He also had a lap steel guy and a drummer. Bobby was on electric all night. They had a variety of elongated rockin' jams that were thunderous and trippy all at once. And if this wasn't enough to send me into the stratosphere, he played my favorite songs one after the other for about 30 minutes.

He opened for Lucero and we bailed to see Band of Horses at the new Terminal Five. But, I can safely say that I'm positive Bobby blew Lucero out of the water.

Walked into Terminal Five, to the opening chords of The Funeral. Damn that was kizmet! The sound in that joint far outweighs the Webster Hall experience, which is where I saw Band of Horses last. His voice is like a reverb ridden force of nature. So hypnotizing. And the band was very rocking. Great dynamics from song to song. They are getting much better at the live rock show compared with my last experience. Much tighter and more confident.

Not bad for a Sunday night. Two very powerful and affecting shows.

M. Ward and Victoria Williams at Ground Zero

NeilNathan — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 18:57:55 GMT

I caught the indomitable M. Ward for a solo performance at Town Hall last year that was breathtaking. The man was a whirlwind of guitar virtuosity and that voice....

I also saw Victoria Williams in her home town last year in Joshua Tree. Downtown NYC was definitely different than the desert.

Ground Zero was quite the backdrop. My buddy died in that building on 9/11, which made the show bitter sweet. But the songwriting and musicianship on display were enough to make me forget.

M. Ward had two drummers, which I normally would scoff at, but loved. Imagine this tune with both of 'em locked in, chugging along.

BRMC and Kings of Leon at Radio City

NeilNathan — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 18:38:05 GMT

After recently catching Damien Rice full band at this historic venue, and now seeing this show, I've come to the conclusion that I really don't dig this place sound wise for an all out rock concert.

That being said, Black Rebel was in great form once again. I caught them earlier this year at Webster Hall, which was an amazing, almost classic rock vibe, complete with extended jams. This time they went for a much moodier, wall of sound, noise thing and though it didn't seem to work so well on the throngs of Kings fan in the house, just jonesing to dance, I was in heaven.

My favorite was All You Do Is Talk. One of those tunes I kind of overlooked when getting into the album, and then after seeing it live, played it on repeat for days. Great build, great lyrics.

I am not a big Kings fan. Or I should say, I'm a fan half of the time. When they do their more southern rock thing, I really dig it, but when they do the more 80's new wavey sound, they lose me. They were very tight though and the fans were dancing their arses off.

A Perfect Night of Live Music in NYC

NeilNathan — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 16:09:04 GMT

The stars seemed to be aligned a few weeks back. Caught two of my friends in one night and they were both lights out.

Alan Semerdjian mystified the Living Room with a surreal performance, amazingly odd and powerful energy. Folk, Rock, Country, Indie, all wrapped neatly into one set.

And then, The Above did their mod, rock, soul, groove thing in a sweaty tiny room, that completely transported you to some hipper than though dimension, where you must dance to stay alive.

Feist vs. Sexsmith - you will have to decide

NeilNathan — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 03:02:30 GMT

So I caught Ron Sexsmith live this summer and loved his sweet, mellow numbers. He wrote the tune Secret Heart, which Feist has now made famous.

I have to say, I dig his version better than her recorded version.

But I do believe her live version delivers the knockout punch.

What a great tune, by a great songwriter.

Go Canada.

Outrageous Cherry

NeilNathan — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 22:50:32 GMT

I heard this band on the Black Snake Moan soundtrack and picked up their album.

Really smooth, digable, trippy and all that. Definitely some Velvet Underground vibes. Lots of great songs and catchy choruses.

This one makes me smile.

This song gives me the chills every time

NeilNathan — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 05:51:25 GMT

so much soul in this live version and the drum fills are fantastic

this tune is obviously nothing new, but i've been listening to it on a loop of late and belting it out in my best steve marriott impersonation

just wanted to share

Drive By Truckers Live Sans Isbell

NeilNathan — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 06:25:53 GMT

After experiencing the three lead guitar attack of DBT twice in the past two years, I was a bit nervous for my first post Jason Isbell experience.

My friend books these free downtown NYC shows in the summer, so I was very lucky to be standing just 10 feet away from the band on the side of the stage, which certainly adds.

To replace Isbell, they brought in a utility guy that played pedal steel and guitar. He sounded great, but looked a bit out of place.

Patterson told some great stories as usual. One I'd never heard before was about his depressed mom locking herself in her room for years after his dad left. Yikes, that'll make you into a good songwriter real fast. But the story had a happy ending, as he regaled us with the romantic tale of the trucker she eventually married.

I've still never seen Steve McQueen or Nine Bullets live, which are my favorite tunes of theirs. But they did play Buttholeville which I've never heard them do before. And they also did a great version of Lookout Mountain.

Ironically, Jason was playing across town on the same night. I was hoping to complete my DBT experience and hear if he actually plays his DBT songs live, but alas, it was not to be.

Mike Cooley and Patterson are holding down the fort though. I just need some more time to mourn the loss :(

Me and Bobby Harlow from The Go

NeilNathan — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:16:05 GMT

Here are the two tunes I recorded with Bobby Harlow from The GO in Detroit last weekend.

Would love to hear your expert MOGGER feedback.

The first tune "Gone(Fly Away)" is featured in the film "Descent," starring Rosario Dawson. It comes out in a few weeks.

I wrote the second tune, "Not Bad Enough," for the same scene but it didn't make the cut.

I love the vintage rock sounds he gets.

Got their new record, "Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride" on vinyl and have been listening on a loop for days; incredibly well written and tasty stuff.

The Go - Live in NYC

NeilNathan — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 18:06:08 GMT

I love this band!

They are the kings of classic rock for me.

Jack White played with them before he became..........

And they opened up for Guided By Voices on their farewell tour.

Still, they seem to be the best kept secret in rock.

Marc, the drummer, has the sexiest, loosest feel I've ever encountered.

The Go are serious rock history buffs and every record sounds authentic and different, though there is always that garagey vibe throughout. This new batch of tunes is a lot more Beach Boys, Beatles-esque. Previous records have been more Stones, Faces, Zep-esque, with some power pop thrown in for good measure. There are even some Allman's moments.

The tune I'm attaching is off the new record. It's written and sung by Jon, who is the bassist, but used to play rhythm guitar for them back in the day.

This tune goes for just 3:40 but it feels like it's double than that for some reason. Their tunes seem so lived in to me.

I'm probably going out there in a few weeks to record a few tunes with Bobby producing. One of the tunes is in that Rosario Dawson film coming out soon. I can't wait, it's like rock n roll fantasy camp.

Dylan Live at the Beach

NeilNathan — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 18:14:41 GMT

The stage on the water, the full moon just overhead, the perfect breeze, and Bob.

Now that was a summer evening to remember. My favorite concert of all time was at Jones Beach; Blind Melon, Soundgarden, and Neil Young. And Bob may have trumped it.

I saw him a few years back with Willie Nelson, which was also a magical show. I'm continually impressed by his vocal control. His voice is so smoked out and low these days, but he still gets an incredible amount of mileage out of that limited range. So expressive.

He only played keyboards and harmonica at that show, and it was a real treat to hear him on the electric guitar for the first time.

The band is constantly toying with new arrangements and Bob plays with his phrasing a lot. Timeless classics like Blowing in the Wind and All Along the Watchtower seemed fresh and new. Often it takes a while to even realize what tune he is playing.

The lap steel was mixed way too low, but other than that, the sound was crystal clear.

Can't wait to catch him again.

Below is the set list

1. Cat's In The Well (Bob on electric guitar, Donnie on violin)
2. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
(Bob on electric guitar, Donnie on lap steel, Stu on acoustic guitar, Tony on standup bass)
3. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (Bob on electric guitar, Donnie on lap steel)
4. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
(Bob on electric guitar, Donnie on violin, Stu on acoustic guitar)
5. Moonlight (Bob on keyboard and harp, Donnie on electric mandolin,
Stu on acoustic guitar, Tony on standup bass)
6. 'Til I Fell In Love With You (Bob on keyboard and harp, Donnie on lap steel)
7. Visions Of Johanna
(Bob on keyboard, Donnie on electric mandolin, Stu on acoustic guitar)
8. Rollin' And Tumblin'
(Bob on keyboard, Donnie on electric mandolin, Stu on acoustic guitar)
9. Shelter From The Storm
(Bob on keyboard and harp, Donnie on pedal steel, Stu on acoustic guitar, Tony on standup bass)
10. Things Have Changed (Bob on keyboard, Donnie violin)
11. Spirit On The Water
(Bob on keyboard and harp, Donnie on pedal steel, Stu on acoustic guitar, Tony on standup bass)
12. Highway 61 Revisited (Bob on keyboard, Donnie on lap steel)
13. Nettie Moore (Bob on keyboard, Donnie on violin, Stu on acoustic guitar)
14. Summer Days (Bob on keyboard, Donnie on pedal steel, Tony on standup bass)
15. Blowin' In The Wind
(Bob on keyboard, Donnie on violin, Stu on acoustic guitar, Tony on standup bass)

(encore)
16. Thunder On The Mountain
(Bob on keyboard, Donnie on lap steel, Stu on acoustic guitar)
17. All Along The Watchtower
(Bob on keyboard, Donnie on lap steel, Stu on acoustic guitar)

Feist and Grizzly Bear Live at Town Hall, NYC

NeilNathan — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 04:34:50 GMT

Town Hall has been good to me this past year. Caught Aimee Mann, M Ward and now Feist there. Three breathtaking shows.

Grizzly Bear was the perfect opener. AutoHarp, flute, clarinet, lots of trippy harmonies and falsetto. Very pretty stuff. Was kind of reminding me of an earthier version of Sigur Ros.

Feist had it all working. Her voice was just as breathy, jazzy, folky and sexy as it is on record. And her command of the crowd with her witty, but mellow sense of humor was quite complete. However, my favorite moment was when some male fan screamed out "I love you," and her drummer in a very low voice, responded with "I love you too."

Her guitar playing surprised me the most. Great dynamics, finesse and some rocking moments as well. She even bangs her head a bit at points, revealing her rock roots. This is kind of bizarre, but at those moments her movements were very Malcolm Young-esque.

There are definitely those of us in the Mog-o-sphere who are quite smitten and with good reason (i won't name names, but you know who you are)! That's some kind of fantasy woman.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Live

NeilNathan — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 22:01:13 GMT

Caught them at the same venue last year and they've really taken it up a notch since then. New drummer is a finesse machine, laying a hypnotic backdrop, never overplaying or overhitting. And utility guy moved from bass, to guitar to keys seemlessly, really helping to fill out the sound.

Great rock show, the songwriting just keeps getting better, and the juxtaposition of the acoustic/harmonica numbers from the last record and some of the moodier harder numbers provides a wonderful diversity of sounds and styles to dig into.

At different points, I felt like I was watching velvet underground, brian jonestown massacre, tom petty, cheap trick, and dylan. They varied between a melange of moody, bluesy, rootsy, and power pop vibes.

They had the crowd swaying and cheering something mad and I rarely see that in cooler than though NYC .

I dig this tune off of the new album. A nice combo of the mellower, rootsy and the more rocking moody. Sounds like evolution to me.

Andrew Bird Live

NeilNathan — Fri, 18 May 2007 21:19:50 GMT

What an original talent this guy is. Angelic voice, clever lyrics, unique songs, violin, guitar, xylophone, and probably the most impressive whistler on the planet. I've never heard anyone incorporate whistling so effectively. He sounds like some sci fi avian species from an alternate dimension.

Just three players on stage create a lush orchestra. The drummer programs loops, then plays over them, Andrew does vocal or violin loops and then plays over them, and the other guitarist adds some lovely textures. It's all very organic, improvised, and of the moment.

And if that's not enough, he's touring around in a biodiesel fueled tour bus.

The Willie Nelson/Andrew Bird ticket has my vote for the Presidency.

Mesmerizing stuff. Here's my favorite tune off the new record. Very powerful live.

Stones inspired gems

NeilNathan — Mon, 07 May 2007 05:20:48 GMT

"shoot my way to freedom" by the compulsions (a dirty, local, nyc rock band - my old rock band THIS and this band were both featured on the hard rock comp NYC Rock N Roll a few years back)

sometimes referential, vintage, ridiculously retro tunes just work

i freakin' love this song, and fear no one will ever hear it, cuz this band is bound to be local forever, think of how many great tunes by local acts that never break through for one reason or another will never be heard by the masses

the horror!

Stones inspired gems

NeilNathan — Mon, 07 May 2007 05:11:18 GMT

inspired by that joseph arthur tune that satisfied mind posted...........

when i think of greatest stones influenced tracks, i think of two tracks that keith might have heard and sat about ripped thinking, "i wished i'd written that"

"shuffle it all" by izzy stradlin (the late, great rhythm guitarist for gnr)is the first

My Tunes at Tribeca Film Festival

NeilNathan — Tue, 01 May 2007 00:04:18 GMT

Two of my songs, Glide and Gone, are featured in the new film, Descent, starring Rosario Dawson. Written and directed by Talia Lugacy, the film is a very unique, emotional, and psychological experience. Highly recommended (and of course I would say that even if my songs weren't in it);)

It premiered at Tribeca Film Festival on April 26th, and is playing a few more times this week if any of you NYC moggers wanna check it out.

-May 3rd 7pm
AMC Village VII
66 Third Avenue (at 11th St.)

-May 4th 11:59pm
AMC Village VII
66 Third Avenue (at 11th St.)

-May 6th, 4:15pm
AMC 34th street
312 W. 34th Street (between 8 th and 9 th Avenues)

Then it travels to Cannes, before opening in theaters this summer.

Here's the movie version of Glide. The new version will be featured on my upcoming EP. I'm producing it with David Seitz (Aqualung, Moby, John Wesley Harding)

Jamie Leonhart at Rockwood Music Hall

NeilNathan — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 18:09:40 GMT

Jamie Leonhart sings back up for Paul Brill and is an incredible performer and writer in her own right. Very classy and singular voice. After seeing her at a Paul show a while back, I recruited her to sing on my new EP and it's sounding beautiful thus far.

I'm attaching her cover of Kermit's Rainbow Connection.

Paul Brill at Rockwood Music Hall

NeilNathan — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 18:02:41 GMT

Incredibly intimate venue, Rockwood Music Hall, 30 people are crammed into a great sounding room the size of a closet; about the size of the apartments we overpay for here in the NYC .

Have seen Paul Brill a few times, a true mogger and a very impressive songwriter. Every show features a different group of players and varied instrumentation. And the songs are so well written, that it doesn't matter who is playin' em or how they are presented. "Begin at the end" and "Favorite Thing" were both beautiful.

This one's called Gold Rush.

Jesse Malin "They're Way Ahead Out There"

NeilNathan — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 17:32:51 GMT

The Apple Store in Soho

A viewing of the new documentary about the making of Jesse's album in New York and L.A. by Jo Jo Pennebaker (son of D.A., who did Don't Look Back and Monterey Pop)

Jesse Malin live and acoustic, just him and a keyboardist.

Sparse and intimate with just enough punch.

Anthemic acousto rockers, images of life in NYC , and intimate, pretty numbers as well.

There are some very well written songs on Glitter in The Gutter, including this Replacements cover.

David Vandervelde at Spaceland

NeilNathan — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 00:45:08 GMT

vandervelde's record has some great vintage sounds reminiscent of t-rex, bowie, the moody blues and george harrison

i was definitely interested in seeing how that all translated live, especially the tunes like "murder in michigan" that have lush string arrangements

and vandervelde went in the absolute opposite direction with a super stripped down approach

the classic rock power trio is indeed alive and well

the bassist was great and i think i saw him playing with bobby bare, jr. a few months back. he's working the handle bar moustache quite well i must say

the drummer was reminiscent of mitch mitchell and vandervelde's guitar playing was a combo of neil young and jimi hendrix, a bit over the top at times, but his talent was very much on display

i like the production on the record, but if you want some good hard rock, check out the live show

Victoria Williams Live in the Desert

NeilNathan — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 23:45:24 GMT

Did some hiking in Joshua Tree two weeks back and caught Victoria Williams in her hometown venue, Pappy and Harriet's in Pioneertown. Mark Olson from the Jayhawks sat in on keys.

It was a wonderful chance to see an incredible songwriter up close and personal. Most people left after the first set, thinking that was the end of the show. So only about 10 of us saw the second set, which was amazing.

She got some very spacey effects out of her banjo, which I'd never heard before. And she veered between some quirky tunes that she seemed to be making up on the spot, mumbling her way through them while her bandmates hung on for dear life, and perfectly penned classics like Crazy Mary.

What a treat.

The attached video is clearly not from a chill, intimate show, but will give you some idea of the vibe. It features Century Plant followed by Crazy Mary, which most people know from Pearl Jam's cover version.

Are The Long Winters the new GBV?

NeilNathan — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 06:53:14 GMT

Before you call me a blasphemer, check these guys out live and watch them blast their way through a two hour set filled with some seriously catchy and literate power popping rock.

Sure, they were drinking bottles of water instead of beer after beer, but John Roderick was definitely channeling his inner Bob.

The stage banter was obscenely witty and quick. The guy has a career as a stand up comedian if he wants it.

Their last effort, When I Pretend to Fall, is filled with some very diverse songwriting and interesting production. But I was pleasantly surprised at how great everything sounded just stripped down and rockified, especially those tunes featuring the double les paul attack.

The tune I'm attaching is a great one and well produced, but live it rocked a lot harder.

Rock n Roll Animae

NeilNathan — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 16:07:04 GMT

This video is pretty amazing. It's for a song written by my friend and collaborator Mike "Slo-Mo" Brenner. He played lap steel for Marah and Magnolia Electric Company/Songs Ohia for a while. Now he fronts a fun, genre bending outfit from Philly called Slo-Mo. They've been getting some great airplay on XPN and have a new record coming out next month.

Recorded him this weekend on a few of my tunes along with old Marah and current Slo-Mo percussionist, Hoagy Wing, who is also featured in the vid.

Enjoy........

You Am I

NeilNathan — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 00:07:20 GMT

Every time I see these guys they play Heavy Heart a different way. I love it when bands change up their songs live and keep it organic. The Dylan show I caught last year with Willie was a perfect example of that. You barely knew what tune he was playing until it was halfway through. A well written song holds up no matter how you play it.

There was definitely a whiff of The Replacements wafting through the club. Tim chugged from a bottle of red wine as they pounded through their down and dirty, Sunday night set. These Aussies do indeed rock.

Regardless, I'm still posting the ballad, cuz it works on me every time.

Midlake Live in NYC

NeilNathan — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 16:37:32 GMT

I was turned on to this band by the glorious mogger Glam Parsons and they infected me with their chill brand of breezey trippy rock immediately.

Been looking forward to this show for some time.

The boys switched between synths depending on the song, which added to the natural feel of the evening. They also had a cool visual projection thing going on, which had some original video on some tunes, while others featured footage from classic films.

We started pretty close to the stage but the farther back we moved, the better the experience got. They were clearly a kind of festival/stadium act playing a smaller venue. To me, Midlake comes off live as a kind of Great Plains, American version of Pink Floyd or Radiohead. Organic, trippy and ethereal with some nice fuzzy crunch on a few numbers. They described themselves as pastoral rock, which sounded funny at the time, but on second thought, seems accurate. They acted surprised that New Yorkers would like such music.

But, the crowd was digging it.

I was into the mix of late 19th century imagery with more modern/futuristic stuff. Brought to mind the beginnings of the industrial revolution and the future it ultimately reaped. And it was only from hearing the music and seeing the video at the same time live, that i finally understood that connection.

Roscoe was my favorite tune of the evening.

Josh Ritter Solo at Jazz at Lincoln Center

NeilNathan — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 02:13:24 GMT

Always wanted to check out the Jazz at Lincoln Center space in the new Time Warner Uberscraper at Columbus Circle

Even for a jaded New Yorker like myself, it's quite a spectacular view seeing a show there and looking out onto Central Park, Columbus Circle and the rest of the nude metropolis all alive and buzzing

The Josh Ritter Solo Show was part of the American Songbook series and he was appropriately affable for the uppity crowd

It was all a bit too classy for my taste though

They absolutely accosted my friend when she tried to take a quick and flashless cell phone photo of the man in between songs. It was pretty hilarious.

And they even handed out set lists on powder blue, Lincoln Center stationary upon our departure

But this is all besides the point. The man himself was really strong. To be engaging for 75 minutes with just yourself and an acoustic is certainly a feat. And as a bonus, he did up great covers of John Prine and Leonard Cohen tunes.

I just listened to the Animal Years again, and I think some of those slicker versions don't do the tunes justice. Check him out live and naked as the day his mother bore him in Idaho.

Set list (as transcribed from aforementioned stationary)

Best for the Best
Monster Ballads
In the Dark
Good Man
Harrisburg
Mexican Home
Girl in the War
Idaho
California
Wolves
Murder on My Mind
Kathleen
Adam
Thin Blue Flame
You Don't Make It Easy Babe
Snow Is Gone

m ward town hall nyc 1.26.07

NeilNathan — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 05:33:55 GMT

saw the indubitable m ward tonight

last minute 5th row seats at cost on craigs list was a nice weekend omen

damn, that guy puts on a classy show, so moody

he played solo tonight and sounded like a full band at times with his very impressive fingers

rambled all over the stage like a man posessed, rarely engaging with the audience at all, except through some very emotionally expressive guitar and vocal stylings

watching this guy, you really feel like you're seeing and hearing something special, something real

or at least one of the most realistic displays of american musical simulacra i've ever had the pleasure to experience

New "Glide" Video

NeilNathan — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 00:12:38 GMT

This is the new video for my song "glide."

It was done by Adam Kendall of the Hellbender Film Projekt and the man behind RAKE and VBrooklyn. Check out his stuff at www.hellbender.org

Thanks to Satisfied Mind for his tech help. He is truly a mogger's mogger!

"Glide" Video Shoot

NeilNathan — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 17:13:04 GMT

Beautiful day to be out on the Hudson shooting a video. I've always loved the incredibly unique industrial detritus that is just slipping into the river in a very oblong, askance and organic fashion. It all used to be part of a pier that burned down decades ago. But as they build up Riverside Park with all the modern, fancy accoutrements(largely as a result of Trump building so many ugly condos), these steel dinosaurs remain like skeletal reminders of the past.

I'm having a release party for the vid on January 6th at Mo Pitkin's. You can hear the tune on the main page at www.neilnathan.com

Adam Kendall is directing. You can check out some of his other stuff at www.hellbender.org

Bob Dylan Musical; the last days

NeilNathan — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 23:35:44 GMT

Bob on Broadway seems like an oxymoron, but there were definite moments. It felt a bit like a greatest hits record on repeat or something. Kind of got annoying, but I did like the thematic father/son approach rather than a more contrived plot line. The father character/circus ringmaster had a rough, textured Tom Waitsy vibe which worked nicely, but the son was all slick, clean Broadway and that was pretty painful. The band was strong and "Not Dark Yet" is always a great song. Glad it was included amongst the oldies. The Queen Musical which is now in Vegas and I caught a few years back in London, did an impressive job of weaving songs into a coherent plot line without the show seeming like a greatest hits record. That was not achieved by Twyla Tharp and company.

DBT and Bobby Bare, Jr. Live in NYC

NeilNathan — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 03:06:04 GMT

Drive By Truckers put on a great show. They play marathon sets filled with some amazing rock moments. How can you go wrong with three lead guitarists?! Outfit is still my favorite tune. Have never seen my other faves live though, Nine Bullets and Steve Mcqueen.

Bobby Bare Jr. is a unique mix of country, rock and punk. The songs are very well written; powerful, emotional, smart, and funny. I've seen him a bunch of times and he can be amazing or pretty shitty, mostly depending how drunk he is and the band he is playing with at the moment. But this bunch of guys he's got with him on this tour was amazing and he seemed really sharp. A few great all out rock jams and moments. Some quite trippy and powerful.