Robert Randolph

Saw a jaw-dropping show by Robert Randolph and the Family Band at Tipitina's Uptown Saturday night. They played for over two hours and ended at 2AM. It was my fifth time seeing them, and they never fail to amaze. Randolph's playing was funkier than I have ever seen before. I still firmly believe that he is the best guitarist alive. After the show, I ended up on the band's bus doing shots of Patron. It was an intense night for sure!

Tracey Thorn "It's All True"

Tracey Thorn is a former member of Everything But The Girl. Her amazing new single, "It's All True," is out now. She is one of my favorite vocalists of all time.
Here's the video:

Phix/Lack of Oxygen Debate

Wnt with some friends to see Phish tribute band, Phix (http://www.phixband.com/), in Baton Rouge. They put on a great three hour set, which included a mind-blowing "Wolfman's Brother." The band members all had excellent interplay and it was an amazing evening. On the way to the show, my friend was blaring Phish's new Colorado '88 collection. The Cds give a great look at what Phish was like when they first started touring outside of Vermont. I started thinking about all the great bootlegs I've heard from Colrado shows and all the great bands that are from the Rocky Mountain State. One of my favorite bootlegs ever is of a 2002 Robert Randolph and the Family Band show in Boulder (http://www.archive.org/details/rrfb2002-03-03.sbd.shnf). For some reason, bands seem to throw down excellent shows in Colorado a lot. I think it has something to do with the lack of oxygen. The same theory applies to New Orleans, because everywhere else bands play they get a normal amount of oxygen. This means that good bands will play adequately in almost anywhere, but when they reach the extremes of New Orleans or Colorado, they go nuts and throw down!!!

RIP Kirk

I saw Split Lip Rayfield live twice and they were my favorite local KC area band. They played the fastest, most maniac bluegrass I have ever heard. Kirk will be missed. Here's a link to an article on Kirk's passing from Jambase: http://www.jambase.com/headsup.asp?storyID=10001 Here's a link to a great The Kansas City Star's top music writer, Tim Finn, has posted a great article and Split Lip videos on his blog: http://backtorockville.typepad.com/back_to_rockville/2007/02/split_lips_kirk.html#more

Recommended New Releases for 2/6/07

Sondre Lerche "Phantom Punch"
Sondre Lerche is a singer-songwriter from Norway that is on the quest to craft the ultimate pop song. He reminds me of a young Burt Bacharach because of his excellent skill at crafting melodies. However, Lerche rocks harder than Burt could ever dream of and knows how to find the perfect balance between rock and pop. I haven't heard "Phantom Punch" yet, but if his past work is any indication, it may be one of my top albums of 2007. I'll keep you posted....

Video link:"Phantom Punch" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL6fIpGR5lc

Welcome

Welcome to the first post of Sounds and Words, the blog of McClain Johnson. On this blog I am going to post some of my comments on new releases, music news, favorite music videos, and oh so much more dedicated to this glorious world of music in which we live! Enjoy!