Matthew Ryan Side Project

Blind Dating My Music

Today I got an email from an artist I’ve played on the show a few times before, Matthew Ryan. He mentioned how he had just released a song “Some Streets Lead Nowhere” and the proceeds were going to help fund his next album. I got excited and was about to download the new song when I realized I had already bought this song! I paid 99 cents for it on iTunes and listened to had listened to it maybe once (the play count field on iTunes read 0 meaning I never had clicked on it). Why do I mention this? Because it seems to be happening to me more and more these days.

I’m simply overwhelmed by the amount of music I have access to.

This is coming from a guy who started All You Need Is Hops and the Hopscasts in order to help my friends and others filter their choices in music. What older bands have I been missing? What new albums do I need to be downloading? What songs belong on my mp3 player if I’m in a bad mood? In my quest to help figure all of this out I have downloaded more music than I could possibly listen to. According to my iTunes playlist it would take me over 52 days to listen to everything on my hard drive, and that isn’t counting the hundreds of CDs I haven’t uploaded yet. It’s all starting to feel like homework. I get two or three albums or songs by a few new bands and try to listen to them before I get a bunch more in the next few days. I can’t keep up, I don’t even want to.

This made me realize - I don’t want to be set up on a date with my music. I want to meet my music in a bar.

Or in a movie. Or on my iPod while I’m taking the train. Or in my kitchen when Mrs. Hops and I are making dinner. Discovering new music should happen organically. It should be connected to some type of emotional response. Why do you think you fall in love with songs when they’re played in great movies? Especially when you’ve heard them dozens of times before. I’m sick of listening to stuff just because its on my list of things to do.

So what now? I’m going to keep focusing on creating Hopscasts that make you hear music in a different context than you would if you had just downloaded the songs onto your mp3 player randomly. Hopefully it will help both of us remember why we listen in the first place.

Sometimes there might even be a new band that I think you should definitely check out. I’ll pick the bar. I promise you won't regret it.

Download Matthew Ryan's "Some Streets Lead Nowhere" through iTunes

Excitable Boy

Here are five albums due to be released in the coming months that I'm really excited for:

Warpaint by The Black Crowes on March 4^th

Finally! Its been six long years since the Black Crowes released a proper album. In between we got Chris Robinson’s disappointing solo efforts and some greatest hits packaging (which are fantastic by the way). Even more exciting is that this new album will feature none other than Luther Dickinson of The North Mississippi All-Stars. Yes! To coincide with the release the band will be playing the album in its entirety at its shows starting in March. Listen to a few of the new tracks on their site. What I’ve heard so far is really excellent – classic Crowes.

A video for one of their new songs “Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution” can be seen on You Tube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGRKkxoh_Q0 – but they disabled the embedding feature so I can post it here for you..

Shockingly, I’ve never played The Black Crowes on any episode of All You Need Is Hops. But I GUARANTEE they’ll be on the next episode. That was planned in advance of this post.

Smilers by Aimee Mann sometime in March

As you know I’m a big fan of Aimme Mann’s recent work, especially The Forgotten Arm. To hear that entire album in a format of a book with lyrics click here. According to an inverview with Aimme in the DCist this album won’t be conceptual but will be tied together musically. In Aimee I trust so I’m ready no matter how the album is presented.

Aimee Mann appears on the following All You Need Is Hops Episodes - Episode 22: Rejuvenation and Resurrection and Episode 8: Halloween Part 2 - Costume Party

Matthew Ryan vs. The Silver State by Matthew Ryan on April 1^st

I have no idea what Mr. Ryan has against the state of Nevada but based on the four tracks I’ve already heard it’s something emotional. Matthew Ryan is one of the most deserving artists out there and more people should pay attention to his music. Here is what he has to say about the new album:

This is an arrival that's been 25 years in the making. "Everyone I know and love is in this record… including myself, there's a lot of myself in there. "It Could've Been Worse," "They Were Wrong," "Drunk And Disappointed"... they all speak to where I've been, where my friends have been, but not where we're going. I just want us all to figure it out. I want everyone to win."

I don’t know what that means exactly but it certainly speaks to introspection. Check out the four tracks in the player below.

Matthew Ryan appears on the following All You Need Is Hops Episodes - Episode 17: America, The Beautiful, Episode 20: Business Travel, Episode 13: Mystery Madness and Episode 11: A New Hope (as a part of Strays Don’t Sleep)

Evil Urges by My Morning Jacket on June 10^th

Waiting until June will be painful. MMJ are one of the best bands on the planet both in studio and live. Learn them… live them… love them.

Here is the band playing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Lalapalooza.

My Morning Jacket appears on the following All You Need Is Hops Episodes - Episode 22: Rejuvenation and Resurrection, Episode 15: The Electric Kool-Aid Hops Test, Episode 3: Hot Days and Holidays and they have the honor of being the first band ever played on the show in Episode 1: An Introduction

TBD album name by Yeah Yeah Yeahs on a TBD date

I have a lot of info on this one don’t I? What else do you need to know except that this is the follow up to Show Your Bones, one of my favorites from 2006 and IS IS – an excellent EP released last year which features this incredible video:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs appears on the following All You Need Is Hops Episodes - Episode 20: Business Travel, Episode 12: Beside You In Time, Episode 10: Top of the Hops

Concert Review: Josh Rouse

So what's up Hops fans? Since we last spoke I attended a Josh Rouse show at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA. It was my first trip to the venue, though I used to play soccer around the corner from it all the time. I met up there with my pal Kate and her two co-workers. We were joking before the show that this is the 3rd Josh Rouse show we've seen together - in 3 states (NJ, MD and now VA). I've also seen him in Missouri and DC (twice). So I'm a fan. I'd say the show overall was average. The band was a bit smaller than previous tours with only his usual drummer and the great base player Hags (show in background of photo - looking like Jack Osbourne and Poindexter from Revenge of the Nerd's love child). They really missed the rest of the band including Pat Sansome (now with Wilco and Autumn Defense) and especially Kurt Perkins who always seemed to be Josh's right hand man. I think the stripped down band made it less of a rocking show and more of a singer songwriter vibe. That would have been great except for a really annoying drunk guy in front of me who would yell out requests every two seconds and make out with his girlfriend. He yelled "I’m getting laid on account of you Joshy" which gave me the image of him and his girl having sex and I got a bit sick. Totally unnecessary and annoying. The other part of the show that annoyed me was that his girlfriend, Paz, came out for the encore (for her 2nd live show ever). While I liked her on the song she sings, I've already posted about the girlfriend issue I have with this (see album review post). Anyway here is the set list:
It Looks like Love/ Under Your Charms/ Givin' It Up/ His Majesty Rides/ Quiet Town/ My Love Has Gone/ Winter In The Hamptons/ 1972/ Comeback/ Wonderful/ James/ Oh I Need All of The Love/ Dressed Up Like Nebraska/ Direction/ Late Night Conversation
ENCORE: Jersey Clowns/ Streetlights/ The Man Who( with girlfriend Paz Suay) / It's The Nighttime

The opener was Strays Don't Sleep. At first there were literally no people anywhere on the dance floor. A few brave people started creeping up, including our crew and it was well worth it. They are fronted by one of my favorites -Matthew Ryan - and are a new project of his. One nteresting note is that Josh sang backup vocals on his song "I hear a symphony" a few years back on his outstanding album EastAutumnGrin. So it was all in the family at this show. For their closer "Cars and history" Matthew Ryan came onto the floor and sung in the crowd (if 10 people makes a crowd). In a better world it would have been a concert moment of a lifetime for those there. I really enjoyed it, its an awesome song and I’m really digging the band. Listen to some songs and see the Cars and History video here: http://myspace.com/straysdontsleep