Gary Allan’s latest release is called Living Hard. More than anything “Living Hard” is fueled by guitar. Make no mistake he’s a country artist and this is a country record. It just so happens that the album also rocks fiercely.

His voice is gritty, heartfelt, wonderfully unpolished and chock full of raw emotion. The lead single from the album is Watching Airplanes one of the mellower tracks on the album. My personal favorites are “She’s So California” which puts me in a mind of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” and “Wrecking Ball” which was co-written by one time Black Crowes guitarist Audley Freed.

“Living Hard” is the sort of country music that Merle Haggard might make in 2007 if he was a younger man. It has more in common with great Southern Rock than it does with much of the contemporary music out there labeled as country. Gary Allan’s sound has no pop sheen on it.

The two words that kept ringing in my head listening to this album are honest & guitar. Honest because that’s the word that best describes how the music sounds to me.  And as good as the vocals and other music are on the album the guitar playing carries the day. While some of the riffs are pretty big and dirty sounding they are always tasteful and compatible with the songs. In that way they remind me a little bit of the guitar work that David Lindley did on Jackson Browne’s early 70′s stuff.  

If you like real country music, southern rock or just good music without pretense Gary Allan’s “Living Hard” is a release to seek out.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are suing Showtime for having a show called “Californication.” They claim it devalues their CD of the same name. Clearly they must be delusional, if not insane.

The term Californication appeared in Time Magazine as far back as 1972, 27 years before the Chili Peppers released their album.

In 2006 their album “Stadium Arcadium” was the best selling of the year. They toured the world and capped things off by winning 5 Grammy awards.

For a band that is still that commercially viable, suing a Cable Network over the title of a Television program seems desperate and lame. I have no idea if they have a chance in hell of winning this lawsuit but it makes them look ridiculous.

Are they trying to get their name in the news to spike CD and merchandise sales for the holiday season? I’m not sure what else this could be about especially since the timing of the lawsuit comes several weeks after Californication’s season finale aired. Odd that they wouldn’t sue during the previous two plus months that the show was actually airing.

Once considered to be anti-establishment innovators and an influence on music and bands that came after them the Red Hot Chili Peppers now look like they want to be the establishment. Whether this lawsuit is someones idea at quick publicity, quick cash or they actually feel wronged it still stinks. With this lawsuit The Red Hot Chili Peppers want everyone to believe they own the word “Californication.” These guys were much more interesting when they were wearing socks on their penises.

Following up on their well received 2006 album, London based Razorlight have recently released a digital EP “Before I Fall to Pieces.” The title track is the single and it’s cool sounding Brit Pop.  It starts out with an interesting guitar riff and has a pounding, pulsating drum beat that speeds up at the end. In between are numerous cool flourishes including a solid vocal. But don’t take my word for it you can hear it for yourself:

Razorlight – “Before I Fall to Pieces” from Before I Fall to Pieces Digital EP.

The lights went down and without fanfare Stevie Wonder walked out to the middle of the stage accompanied by his daughter. He briefly addressed the crowd and explained that his Mom’s death last year ended up inspiring him to get back on the road to do what he does best. After that brief introduction he proceeded to bring the house down for two and a half hours.

He served up so much funky music the Garden seemed to take on a swamp like vibe. Other than speaking to the crowd every now and then he didn’t stop. Several songs such as “My Cherie Amour” were given intros that explained their origin. During other songs such as “Ribbon In The Sky” He urged the audience to participate and they gladly obliged

He smiled broadly the entire night and kept the audience engaged. Mostly he played and sang with passion and zeal.

By the time Stevie played the first notes of “Signed, Sealed Delivered, I’m Yours” the crowd was absolutely jumping. A few tunes later he mentioned that his mom had two favorite singers. One of them was Ella Fitzgerald and the other he said he was happy to have recorded a duet with.  And with that he brought out Tony Bennett to duet with him on “For Once in My Life.” An already giddy crowd was given an additional boost. They both sounded great and the song was performed true to their Grammy nominated version of 2006.

Stevie’s band is large and tight. In addition to a drummer,2 keyboard players, bassist and backup singers he has 2 percussionists and 2 guitarists. Their sound is thick, immense and overwhelmingly joyous.

Late in the show the familiar notes to “Superstition” began to ring out. It had occurred to me early in the night that there are only 2 men living with as much funk in their bones as Stevie Wonder. George Clinton is one of them. As “Superstition” started I thought of that again and then I had an out of body experience as Stevie called the other gentleman with equal funky credibility to the stage. That man is of course Prince. He strode out, strapped on a guitar and played lead. It seemed like the crowd was already as high as it could get but Prince proved that notion wrong. The sell out crowd found another level. In the middle of the song Prince and Stevie were side by side dueling a solo, guitar versus keyboard. It was just unbelievably good.  Normally an appearance by Prince would have to be THE highlight of a show. Make no mistake it was tremendous. However the entire show was one highlight after another. To name that moment as the singular one of the evening would sell the rest of it short.

Stevie Wonder is clearly having a terrific time out on the road playing from his vast catalog of classic music. If the audience at Madison Square Garden is any indication, fans are as well.

Please Clap Your Handsa 5 song EP, is the newest release from the Bird and The Bee.

The duo of Greg Kurstin and Inara George have a sound that’s hard to categorize and highly original.

The vocals are jazzy, cool and have a 60′s hipster vibe to them. The music veers off in that direction as well. But it also has dancy beats and trippy drums sounds.

Keyboards abound and they run the gamut of sound from pure jazz at times to wild 80′s style flourishes at others. Various other avantgarde textures complete a compelling kaleidoscope of sound.

Somehow it all comes together in a fantastic package. Most importantly, it works.

Their originals are very good and demand your attention for their inventiveness and sheer exuberance.

Most revealing for a duo whose entire sound is a pleasant and welcoming surprise is the last track on the EP. Dozens of people have covered the Bee Gees “How Deep Is Your Love.” Not a single one of them comes close to this version. It alternately respects the original yet forges some of it’s own sound. It might be the single best cover of a Bee Gees song to date. I know I haven’t heard a better one.

“Please Clap Your Hands” is a welcome addition to your collection if you enjoy jazzy vocals and eclectic music. It’s likely to be one of the more interesting things you hear this year. Perhaps one of the most often played too.

When the Eagles reunited for a tour in 1994 most people believed it was a one time cash grab. Once around the park Jeeves, fill the truck with money, and head home. Except it didn’t happen that way. Thirteen years later they’re still together. That’s longer than their original (1971-1980) run.

And now, 28 years after “The Long Run,” there’s finally a new Eagles studio album.

“Long Road Out of Eden” is, well for one thing, long. Twenty new songs spread over 2 discs. For a band that hasn’t released a full album of songs since 8-track tapes were popular, the largesse is not only excusable but welcome.

Which version of the Eagles sound do you want? The early country feel? The later epics? You want Joe Walsh guitar licks? Timothy B. Schmit on lead vocals? Whatever piece of the Eagles sound suits your fancy “Long Road Out of Eden” delivers.

Most importantly those heavenly harmonies are ever present. In fact, if there is one thing most consistently at hand over the 91 minutes their new release runs, it’s the Eagles legendary harmonies.

Henley, Frey, Walsh & Schmit all have their own songs to shine on lead vocals. The underpinning of each though is when all 4 of their voices come together to form that classic Eagles sound.

If you want this album, and if you like the Eagles you should want it, you’ll either have to go to Wal-Mart or order it on-line. The Eagles made a deal to distribute it exclusively though them at retail. Shopping Wal-Mart is a small price to pay for the pleasure of a new Eagles release. One benefit of this deal is that at around $12 it’s priced like a single CD.

Here’s hoping the next one arrives before 2035.

It’s been 3 months since I saw The Police play the Garden.

Over twenty years is how long I had waited for the opportunity, since I missed them the first time around, before they broke up.

In retrospect, I wish I was still waiting. Some things are better on paper, or in your minds eye, than in reality.

If there was an ounce of passion on display at Madison Square Garden when I saw The Police, it was clearly not coming from the stage. Cold, calculated, apathetic and disinterested are all words that accurately describe their August performance at the greatest arena in the world.

All three of them are good musicians, at the very least. Their set was far from sloppy. In fact they seemed to have it down. Missed notes were not the problem. The set list was not an issue.

The length of the show was one issue. Clocking in about 15 minutes shy of two hours is completely unacceptable. Arena headliners who have no problem charging hundreds of dollars for the right to see them have no business playing a millisecond less than 2 hours. It may not be written in stone anywhere, but it should be.

The length of the set and the price of the ticket are minor grievances compared to the utter lack of zeal displayed by Stewart Copeland, Andy Summers & Sting. Over twenty years between tours, playing New York City and MSG for the first time in even longer and they seemed bored to tears up there. If the musicians on stage don’t care, how can I care? I have seen toll booth collectors more excited about their jobs than the members of The Police are about theirs.

Maybe they do hate each other as much as it’s always been rumored. That would explain the lack of interaction between them onstage. If they had at least channeled their hatred  that would have been something with feeling. As it stood there were only two things The Police proved for sure, their love of money, and a total disdain for their audience.

If you’re thinking about plunking down some money to see The Police, do yourself a favor, flush it down the toilet instead, at least you’ll save on gas and parking.

It’s three months later, and it still stings (pun intended).

Play It as It Laysis Patti Scialfa’s third album. It’s also her best.

More than her previous releases this one shows her musical roots are deeply embedded in the Asbury Park sound.

Soulful, bluesy music, delivered with grit.

Amongst her musical collaborators in the studio were Steve Jordan, Nils Lofgren, Soozie Tyrell and her husband, Bruce Springsteen.

None of them overshadow the terrific songs she wrote for this album or her passionate vocals. They all play with fire though, especially Nils whose trademark guitar sound is on full display through several tracks.

More fully realized than her previous efforts “Play It Where It Lays” also begs and rewards repeated listening. Layers of sound become more apparent with each subsequent listen.

Hopefully during a break from her touring duties with the E Street Band she’ll get the chance to take these songs on the road with her own show, they would surely flourish in that setting.

Last night at the Hammerstein Ballroom Morrissey and his band tore through a 22 song set with fervor.

His backing band was tight and played powerfully with zeal and joy. Their sound had a ferocious bite that kept the SRO crowd happy all night. His rhythm section is comprised of two brothers. No surprise once you hear them, as they sound so good together, they’ve probably been doing so since they were in diapers.

Morrissey’s vocals soared over the wall of sound his band provided no matter how loud they rocked the joint. For his part, he worked the room like the seasoned alternative rock statesman that he has become. He conveys a charm and charisma from the stage that keeps the audience engaged every second he’s out there.

Two songs in the middle of the set leaned towards the mid-tempo side. Outside of that coupling Morrissey and his band kept up a furious pace. Briefly between some songs he addressed the crowd. Mostly, he sang his ass off.

The set list was made up of both solo tunes as well as Smiths songs. Both Morrissey and the band treated each and every song equally, wringing every note and emotion possible out of them.

Some performers exude a joy onstage that makes it clear how much they enjoy what they’re doing. Last night in New York City, Morrissey had a blast. It was my pleasure to share his good time.

Ben Harper has regularly released albums since 1994

Lifeline is his latest. Coming in at just over 40 minutes it’s a concise effort. However it never sounds rushed.

His best work tends towards a sultry soulfulness and this is no exception.

Recorded right after his last tour ended the songs have a warmth that come both from his band, The Innocent Criminals, being so tight, and recording to analog tape.

The songs are terrific, but more than that the entire project has a feel. It’s comfortable, like an old pair of jeans but continually surprises with musical flourishes.

Guitar riffs, organ grooves and Ben Harper’s incredibly pleasing voice are amongst trademark sounds that embellish song after song and give them life.

“In The Colors” and the title track are a couple of the highlights. The penultimate track “Paris Sunrise #7″ is an instrumental and rocks with a harder bite than the rest of the album.

The people who influenced Ben Harper shine through his songs sometimes. Listen close and a couple of the songs will recall Marvin Gaye. Still another brings to mind Terence Trent D’Arby. Through it all though, the music is uniquely Ben Harper

Next Sunday morning, brew a pot of coffee, cook some eggs and have some friends over for Brunch. Crank up “Lifeline” while you’re at it, everyone will be glad you did.