Warm Weather Drive

So, it's getting warmer, and as such, it's high time to get back to some fun drives. Here's some of what I've been listening to on the occassions that I've been out and about on the road thus far. These songs in paticular are forever associated with the coming warmer weather.

All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix

Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve

Clocks - Coldplay

Flyin' - Adam Ezra Group

If There's A Rocket Tie Me To It - Snow Patrol

Kids - Goodtimes Goodtimes

The Long Goodbye - A Girl Called Eddy

My Maria - B.W. Stevenson

Queen Bitch - David Bowie

Stay (Wasting Time) - Dave Matthew's Band

This Is My Song - Carbon Leaf

Time Is A Runaway - The Alternate Routes

Waiting - Josh Clayton-Felt

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Image from Flickr

Basement Song - Adam Ezra Group

CarryYouAway's good friend Adam Ezra has offered up one of his songs from his latest album View from the Root for a free download. It's one of their more political songs, and has the following message:

ok, so here’s the deal. on 11/4/08 you can change the world by voting for the next president of the united states. we’ve posted the song “basement song” from “view from the root” as a free download from adam's facebook page. ( http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=891725392 ) download it, listen to it, pass it along to as many people as you know! pass along this voter registration info as well and make sure you get out and vote on nov. 4. depending on where you live, you might even be able to cast your vote now! if you are not registered, here are a couple of sites you can go to to register:

http://www.rockthevote.com/rtv_register.html

http://www.maps.google.com/vote

there is so much at stake; serious issues that affect us all: war, the economy, education, energy, the environment…

thanks for making a difference!

aeg

I'm right there with him. If you haven't - go vote. Use wikipedia, the New York Times, Washington Post, National Public Radio, candidate webpages, watch the West Wing, do something, get involved, learn about what's going on in the world and vote.

Basement Song - Adam Ezra Group

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Happy Birthday Adam Ezra!

Today is CarryYouAway favorite Adam Ezra's birthday. Hope that he's having a good one.

In recent AEG news, were recently selected to perform at the Rothbury Festival in Michigan, alongside Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Phil Lesh, Widespread Panic, Snoop Dog, Primus, Medeski Martin & Wood, Modest Mouse, Taj Mahal, among others. Way to go!

Hopefully, I'll be seeing these guys on Saturday.

Flyin' - Adam Ezra Group

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Album Review: View from the Root

A while ago, I came across a new band, the Adam Ezra Group, and was struck right away during their concert that these guys were good. I saw them the next week, and ran a feature on them, saying that they were good, but they had to refine their sound a little before they were really good.
Later this month, the group is releasing their first album in three years, View from the Root, and it looks like my wish came true - the band has come a long way since that last album, and this latest album is undoubtedly my favorite and their strongest work thus far.
They have tightened down their timing and feel, coming out with a superior album. There's a lot of really good songs here - Home Again Soon, Katie, Basement Song (more about that in a second) and Flyin' - all with everything that I loved about the group's sound.

One thing that I've noticed between their live work and their albums is the intensity - these guys play a killer show with a ton of energy. Their earlier albums didn't really translate that as well, but it's coming through here.
One song has been recycled from an earlier album - Basement Song, which previously appeared on Ezra's solo album Chain, from 2005. The new version has been taken down almost two minutes, and really is a good benchmark for how far these guys have come - The original was a lot more raw, rough and not quite as good. The newer version incorporates the entire band, and has a much better sound and feel to it - much tighter and refined.

They also really seem to have found their own sound and groove - I've felt that they sound like a couple other bands, a little Dispatch, Dave Matthew's and a couple other random ones. Here though, we have a really independent feel, and it seems that they have come into their own with their album. I'm really hoping that with this new album, we'll see another tour from them, because I can't wait to see them live and in person once again.

The band is currently going out on tour to various locations to support their new album. If they hit your area, I highly recommend checking them out. Here's where they'll be:

saturday, may 10, 12pm
wayland town beach
wayland, ma

sunday, may 11, 10:30am
pine street inn homeless shelter
boston, ma

friday, may 16, 8pm
watertown, ma

sunday, may 18, 8pm
old oak tavern
rochester, nh

thursday, may 22, 8pm
land ho!
orleans, ma (cape cod)

friday, may 23, 7pm
bishop guertin high school - www.bghs.org
nashua, nh

saturday, may 24, 9pm
twin river casino
lincoln, ri

sunday june 8, 12:30pm
artesani park
cambridge, ma

thursday, june 12, 7:30pm
harbor park at the moakley courthouse
boston, ma

saturday, june 14, 8pm
uncle eddie's
salisbury, ma

thursday, july 31, 9pm
redhook brewery
portsmouth, nh

saturday, august 2, 3pm
mass maritime academy
buzzard's bay, ma

Katie - Adam Ezra Group
Flyin' - Adam Ezra Group

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The Best of April

This month's had a bunch of really good new songs and releases. There was a lot of really good stuff this month:

View from the Root [Album]
The Adam Ezra Group has rapidly become a favorite of mine, ever since I saw them last December with Carbon Leaf, and again when they returned a week later. They've recently come out with their latest album, and it's a step up for them - they've really refined and strengthened their sound and have produced a really good record. Flyin' is a nice, laid back song that just feels right, and Katie is another fantastic song from them with a great beat and rhythms. My review is coming soon.

Thirty One Today - Aimee Mann
This song feels and sounds great, but it's depressing as hell. The guitar, keys, bass and vocals all work wonderfully today with a nice, seductive sound that's really propelled it to the top of my playlist.

Julian of Norwich - Bombadil
A Buzz, A Buzz - Bombadil
I covered these guys recently with a review of their debut album, A Buzz, A Buzz. They've got a really neat, unique sound with some fantastic songwriting that's really set them apart from a lot of other groups that I've listened to. Julian of Norwich and the title track, A Buzz, A Buzz are two of the best on the album.

Violet Hill - Coldplay
Coldplay's first single off of their upcoming album. It's pretty different from some of their earlier works. I like this sound, and I'll be interested to see what the next album brings.

I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie's back with a new album and a wholly new sound. I have yet to hear the rest of the record at this time, but so far, I really dig it. I Will Possess Your Heart, I think will become one of their better songs, despite the drama from the fanboys on this one. Bands do change their sound. Relax, you will live to see another day.

Westward Bound - The Fairline Parkway
Nowhere to Be - The Fairline Parkway
These guys are new, and made a splash at the South by Southwest festival. My review of this album is forthcoming, but here are two of my favorite tracks from this album.

Let It Go - Jon Regen
The Last Song - Jon Regen
Regen is a new artist to me, and I love his Soul/Jazz sound that really resembles Marc Cohn's Walking In Memphis. This whole album is tight, full of emotion and really sounds fantastic.

Memory One - Lili Haydn
Satellites - Lili Haydn
Lili Haydn's also a new artist to me, although this is her third album. She has a nice, easy going style that's really set apart with the piano and violin.

John Adams Theme - Robert Lane
My new favorite show - I'm in love with history, and it's fantastic to see a television show get something to the public that's actually good. John Adams is a wonderful show about the founding of the US, and this theme song is just amazing.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar - That Mitchell and Webb Look
This show just makes me laugh. This is actually a theme song for a reoccurring sketch within the show, but it's so slapstick, it's just hilarious.

Hideaway - The Weepies
I haven't listened to these guys extensively, but I'm adding them to my 'to listen' list because I'm really liking their laid back sound here. These songs are light, with a fantastic sound and some interesting lyrics.

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