Carolina Chocolate Drops Redefine Folk

C    
     Last month, the Carolina Chocolate Drops won a Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album, for their 2010 release Genuine Negro Jig. So when they appeared at the Theater of Living Arts, we went to check them out!
     The Drops are Don Flemons, who plays banjo, guitar, jug, and snare, and Rhiannon Giddens on banjo and fiddle. Recently joined are beat boxer Adam Matta and Hubby Jenkins. The original members met at the Black Bango Gathering of 2005 in North Carolina. Their songbook consist mostly of covers from 19th century America, with some re-workings of modern hits.
     The crowd at the TLA was pretty dense, especially for a traditional folk band, and their enthusiasm was evident early. At the start of the first song, the majority of the crowd began stomping the floor to the beat of the song. This continued though out the majority of the night, with added hand claps when appropriate. Perhaps the most unexpected moment came about halfway through. In an a capella performance, Rhiannon sang an up-tempo traditional Irish jig, while Adam performed some pretty impressive beat box vocals. The result was a dance song that could cause any Daft Punk fan get down. Equally awesome, but very much expected, was the cover of Blu Cantrell's "Hit 'Em Up Style."
     When most people think of traditional folk bands, they think of older men in white beards. The Drops, however, are African-Americans in their late 20's or early 30's. While it's probably true that one would have to have a basic appreciation for old time music, CCD bring a very modern take on these songs. Modern folk has crept into popular music recently, certainly in the area of indie music, and the Drops have taken this aesthetic much further. Anyone who enjoys musicians who know how to play their instruments will want to check out the Carolina Chocolate Drops.

End Of The Road

     Last week, Detroit rock band The White Stripes, announced they were officially done recording and touring together. The Stripes broke through in 2001 with the release of their third album, White Blood Cells, which included the single "Fell in Love with a Girl." They went on to release six studio albums, including 2007 Icky Thump. We were lucky enough to catch them live twice, most recently at Bonnaroo in 2007, and decided to review Under Great White Northern Lights. Lights is a concert documentary film which follows the band on their first, and last, tour of Canada in the summer of 2007. It first premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September of 2009.
     The tour wasn't the usual trip across Canada, where bands play two or three shows at major venues. Instead, the White Stripes play shows at bowling alleys and elementary schools at small towns all over Canada, including the northern territories. They also play free shows, some announced only minutes in advance, in town squares, on public buses, and at a senior center. Virtually all of the hits are performed, as well as deep tracks, such as "We Are Going To Be Friends," and covers, the best of which is Dolly Parton's "Jolean."
     The film includes performance videos plus behind the scenes footage of Jack and Meg. Longtime fans are already familiar with the relationship between the two, who are ex-husband and wife. Meg is quiet, even painfully shy at times. In contrast, Jack is extroverted, forcing conversations with perfect strangers and cracking jokes, often at Meg's expense. It is this dynamic which has fueled speculation about the reasons behind the break-up of the band. Were there tensions between the two that drove Meg to call it quits? The last scene of the film, a behind the scenes performance of "Blue Moon," raises more questions than the film answers.
     For fans of rock docs, Under Great White Northern Lights is an unconventional look at an unconventional band. For fans of the White Stripes, Lights provides a look at the contentious partnership between Jack and Meg, plus some great tunes from a band at the top of their game. Thankfully, the film offers the chance to experience the Stripes live for thousands of fans who will never have the opportunity. The live CD of the same name is highly recommended for all garage rock fans.

Girl Talk Can Throw A Party

     This Monday, we took a trip to Baltimore to check out electro artist Girl Talk at Rams Head Live, which is a terrific venue just blocks away from the inner harbor. Girl Talk is one of the most innovative and controversial artist in music today. On first listen, its not hard to see why.
     Girl Talk, aka Gregg Gillis, uses samples from popular songs of the last 50 years to create party anthems that present some of your favorite songs in a new context. On his albums, it may be Lil Mama rapping over Metallica riffs. On stage, however, he drops samples from left field to constantly keep the audience guessing, like Wu-Tang Clan over Radiohead's "Creep."
     The controversial part, for sure, is the flagrant disregard of copyright law. Of course, he is not the first artist to sample. Sampling started over 30 years ago, when early rappers began looping disco beats and dropping rhymes. Several years ago, DJ Danger Mouse lifted vocals from Jay-Z's Black Album, and put them over melodies from the Beatles White Album to create The Grey Album. It was generally greeted with critical acclaim, and Jay-Z has even given the album his blessing, despite not receiving any royalties. Girl Talk says that he is using an exception under the fair use doctrine of copyright law, which, conveniently, is one of the most confusing and ill-defined areas of law. What is really going on, though, could be that Gillis samples songs that everybody knows, and artist that are more successful than he.
     For a better understanding of his position, and the problems with copyright law in the 21st century, there is the documentary film Good Copy Bad Copy.
     The concert was fun for all. If you like classic rock, you were immediately satisfied, as the intro to the first song was from "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath. He sampled 60's soul, and 90's alternative, and even used Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone." It has been some time since Girl Talk first played Baltimore, and his shows have gotten bigger and better. Balloons, confetti and a giant video screen added to the sense of chaos and pandemonium. Girl Talk is highly recommended for anyone who likes dance music, and probably most that don't. Hearing unexpected clips of old favs juxtaposed against different genres will give you a new appreciation for those songs, and probably others you didn't know you liked.
     Lastly, we would be remiss not to mention the opening band. Penguin Prison are a NYC based electro band, combining 80's style new wave and more contemporary indie funk. The result was a pleasant surprise, and got the whole crowd ready to dance. Penguin Prison are a new band, but one with a huge potential upside. Opening for Girl Talk will certainly provide them with a ton of new fans.
     So, if you ever have a chance to see Girl Talk, go for it. Keep an eye on Penguin Prison. And find any reason to visit Baltimore's Inner Harbor and see a great band at Rams Head!

New Years at the Bordello

New Year's Eve is a time for most of us to reflect on what has just passed and look forward to what will come in the new year. For some of us, its a time to party. In a way, no band is better for both pastimes than Gogol Bordello. When they played the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC this new year's eve, TWY2 went to check it out.
The evening started with a blazing set by Washington DC natives Trouble Funk. They brought their style of 80s funk to the 9:30 stage and did a great job getting the crowd pumped for authentic Gypsy Punk, maybe a little too excited. Before the main act even got to the stage, concert-goers were already drinking heavy. When Gogol came on, the crowd went crazy, as usual. The normal energetic but friendly vibe at GB shows gave way to crazy dances and a few threats of physical violence. The band, however, was in great form. Starting out with oldies like "Not a Crime" and "Wonderlust King," Gogol quickly got the mosh pits going. Then the set list got heavy on songs from their new CD, which by our count was one of the best of 2010. "Trans-Continental Hustle," "Immigraniada," and "Break the Spell" show that the collective have only gotten tighter. Then came the miraculous "American Wedding" which was done a capella. "Start Wearing Purple" was given a long intro, which included the title of the song sung in the native languages of the band members, Russian, Spanish, and Chinese just to name a few. The encore included a cover of Johnny Cash's "Ghost Riders," and the closing medley which is one of the best parts of any GB show.
Gogol Bordello has been around for over a decade, and are still gaining in popularity. Frontman Eugene Hutz brings his manic guitar playing and revolutionary lyrics to a sound that blends traditional eastern European klezmer music with western punk. The new CD is produced by Rick Rubin, and with stints at festivals such as Bonnaroo and Coachella, the legend of the live shows has continued to grow. They have been touring the world for years, and if they come to a town near you, be sure to check them out!