Post by Matt Kivel

Alright, we get it. Country is cool. Late nights barnstorming, plowing through bottles of Jack Daniels, lamenting broken love affairs, firing a 12-gauge -- it's all well and good, but where is the new angle? Where is the next level of artistic depth that once seemed inevitable when bands like Uncle Tupelo and The Jayhawks roamed the midwest? David Vandervelde is cut from that same cloth of talented country songsmiths as Tweedy, Louris and Farrar, but he really doesn't stray from the tried and true formula of honky-tonk rave-ups and weep into your Pabst ballads that seems to define nearly every band under the alt-country tag. 

His trio proved to be a nice change of pace for the Echo stage, whose audience was ready for a reprieve after an altercation with the police and a brutal series of hardcore acts. Bass, drums and guitar, simply played with Vandervelde's axe floating high above the mix. They dutifully channelled the hard-rocking power of Southern rock overlords Lynard Skynard and were met with a modest reception from the weary crowd of punks and hardcore addicts. 

There is no doubt that David Vandervelde is good at what he does -- especially the ultra morose ballads, which are quite reminiscent of Secretly Canadian labelmate Jason Molina's work. His high wail cuts clear and warbly, much like Neil Young's more somber vocal inflections ("Old Man" and "Mellow My Mind"). But he's just not adding anything new or exciting to the tested songwriting formulas.

Photo by Nick Befort

Post by Sammy JC

How can music so violent inspire such an odd sense of joyful camaraderie between band and audience? This was the juxtaposition posed by Trash Talk's thrashing hardcore set.

The entire front floor area was cleared out for a young male bonding ritual of tackling and collective screaming. Mirroring the celebration often reserved for college football national championships, twenty or more boys soon rushed onto the stage, bouncing together in a massive group huddle. The band's long-maned lead-screecher even had his mic pulled away by an overzealous fan, but nonetheless, continued to roam the stage -- shouting with a poisoned expression on his face. Chaos ensued and security guards attempted to hurl and elbow a sense of order into the crowd to no avail. The kids won.

A little more than three years ago, a publicist called to say Aretha Franklin wanted to be interviewed by me (I think they meant Variety but were trying to make me feel good about it) before her first L.A. show in 21 years.
It didn't matter that Variety didn't do profiles or concert previews or that Aretha's biographer David Ritz had told me that she is not very forthcoming. I figured, how often do I get a chance to speak with Aretha Franklin, the single greatest female voice of the rock 'n' roll era?
Now, of course, since this is Aretha and she obviously plans her life out months in advance - the reason for not playing L.A. for so long was because of the drive - there was only one 20 minute slot that she would have available. That day, however, was not a good one: I would be in New York on a trip to a half-dozen baseball stadiums with my daughter (her brilliant idea, not mine) and who knew if I would be in a position to do the interview.
A week or two passes and no confirmation call or email arrives. Nothing. Far as I'm concerned it isn't happening, which meant time for quick nap before that evening's Mets-Astros game.
Phone rings. At the appointed time. It's Miss Franklin. She's an absolute delight and as long as the conversation stays on upbeat and positive topics, she willingly talks up a storm. Just don't try to talk about anything that might force her into having a cross word about someone.
Interview produced two news tidbits: She was forming her own label and she was doing a duets album. When she said "next" album, I thought she meant Christmas. As in 2004.
Well, lo and behold, the album exists, it has a title and a release date.
"Jewels in the Crown: All-Star Duets With the Queen" will be released Nov. 13 on Arista Records.
The lead single is “Put You Up On Game” with Fantasia, which is being released to radio on Oct. 1.
Franklin duets with Whitney Houston (“It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be”), John Legend (“What Y’All Came To Do”), Luther Vandross (“Doctor’s Orders”), Annie Lennox (“Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves”), Keith Richards (“Jumping Jack Flash”), Elton John (“Through The Storm”) Frank Sinatra (“What Now My Love”), George Michael (“I Knew You Were Waiting”), Michael McDonald (“Ever Changing Times”), George Benson (“Love All The Hurt Away”), Mary J. Blige (“Don’t Waste My Time,”“Never Gonna Break My Faith”), Bonnie Raitt and Gloria Estefan (“A Natural Woman") and Mariah Carey (“Chain Of Fools”). 
Album also features her performance of Puccini's “Nessum Dorma.”