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Thursday

Jul292010

2010 Newport Folk Preview - Part 7: Levon Helm

Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 10:00AM

The day has arrived - the 2010 Newport Folk Festival starts tomorrow and runs through the weekend. It's not too late - you can still get tickets. If you can't make it to the festival this year, watch visible voice for complete post-festival coverage!

For the past week I've been highlighting some of my favorite artists that are playing Newport this year. And, fittingly, I will wrap things up with the man that will close out the festival on Sunday evening - Levon Helm. My first Newport Folk Festival was 2004, when Levon Helm was on the bill along with Garth Hudson and the Dixie Hummingbirds. However, I didn't hear until I arrived at the festival that Levon had to pull out for health reasons - needelss to say I was bummed. I am beyond excited to finally get a chance to see one of my idols - so much so that I can't really put it into words. I'll just let this video do the talking:

My next goal is to finally motivate myself and come up with the cash to make it out for one of the Midnight Rambles in Woodstock NY. That might have to happen soon.

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Wednesday

Jul282010

2010 Newport Folk Preview - Part 6: John Prine

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 10:00AM

The 51st Newport Folk Festival is just a couple days away! If you don't have tickets to the festival yet I highly encourage buying them now - I've been numerous times and it's always a blast. Watch visible voice for complete post-festival coverage!

John Prine is one of the great American songwriters. His songs take powerful lyrics full of sharp wit and social/political commentary and marry them to hummable country/folk tunes. Admittedly, I'm more familiar with his self-titled debut from 1971 than anything else - but I have no doubt that seeing the legend perform Sam Stone, Illegal Smile, Spanish Pipedream, Paradise and others as the sun sets over Naragansett Bay will be one of the highlights of the festival. Below are a couple videos of Prine at Bonnaroo earlier this summer.

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Tuesday

Jul272010

2010 Newport Folk Preview - Part 5: Cory Chisel

Tuesday, July 27, 2010 at 10:00AM

Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons first hit my radar a few months ago when I saw that they were opening for Dawes at Great Scott. I liked what I heard so I bought the album, Death Won't Send A Letter. What really blew me away though was the live show - Cory Chisel has a commanding presence, tall and slender, he looks the part of a frontman. And he leads the band with a confident swagger and a nicotine-weathered voice. A young troubador that finds the geographic and sonic middle-ground between Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen.

Below are two tracks from Chisel's wonderful set in support of Dawes back in February.

Born Again (Live at Great Scott 2.20.10)
In The Deep End (Live at Great Scott 2.20.10)

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Monday

Jul262010

2010 Newport Folk Preview - Part 4: The Low Anthem

Monday, July 26, 2010 at 10:00AM

As the story goes, two years ago The Low Anthem volunteered at the Newport Folk Festival, collecting recyclable bottles and handing out copies of their record to anyone that would take one. They returned triumphantly last year as performers, playing to an overflowing crowd at the Water Stage. This year they return as local heroes to play the main stage. While their ascent in the last 2 years has been remarkable, The Low Anthem remain incredibly humble and grounded - just a group of talented musicians who travel from town to town to play their songs for those who will listen.

Theirs is one of my most anticipated sets of the weekend. 2008's Oh My God, Charlie Darwin and 2007's What The Crow Brings are both incredible albums, nearly note-perfect. However, I'm most excited to to hear the evolution of the new songs that will comprise their upcoming record. Ghost Woman Blues, Take Out Your Ashes, Dreams Can't Chase You Down and the handful of other songs I've heard so far are devestatingly honest and heartbreaking songs that show amazing growth in Ben Knox Miller's songwriting. Below is a full recording of The Low Anthem's recent show in Portland Maine - including some fantastic covers, including The Band's Evangeline with members of Brown Bird. Highly recommended.

The Low Anthem
SPACE Gallery - Portland ME
April 23, 2010

To The Ghosts Who Write History Books
Ticket Taker
Apothecary
Sally, Where'd You Get Your Liquor From
Charlie Darwin
Ghost Woman Blues
Evangeline
Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around
This God Damn House
Home I'll Never Be
Cigarettes, Whiskey & Wild, Wild Women
Cage The Songbird
Take Out Your Ashes
Dreams Can't Chase You Down
Ain't No More Cane
The Horizon Is A Beltway
Maybe So

Full set download

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Sunday

Jul252010

2010 Newport Folk Preview - Part 3: David Wax Museum

Sunday, July 25, 2010 at 10:00PM

David Wax Museum and the crew from Ktichen Sessions, Visible Voice and RSL celebrating their win with some Magic HatIt would be easy to make this up, but I swear it's the truth. When I first heard that Magic Hat was putting on a contest to choose the final band added to the Newport Folk Festival bill my first thought was "The David Wax Museum would be perfect for Newport". The folks at Magic Hat agreed, naming The David Wax Museum as one of three finalists. Apparently the masses agreed as well, because David Wax Museum won in a very competitive contest that went down to the final hours.

What makes them perfect for Newport, though? They play a thoroughly original brand of Mexican-inflected Americana that is infectiously catchy and firmly rooted in tradition. That, and their live show is something that just has to be experienced - at times a raucous party, at other moments incredibly intimate (they often play songs, unamplified, in the middle of the crowd) they make a connection with every crowd they play to. Below is the "get out the vote" campaign video that helped secure the win in the Magic Hat contest - produced by RSL and Kitchen Sessions: