Essential listening for today, pupils o' mine, is anything from the living legend known as Ben Harper. From dyno-funk to big-time rock to soulful slow, this guy just kills. Recommended in particular is his latest album, Diamonds On The Inside, but anything he does is gold.
In a related segment, sweetdisaster contributor/supporter-from-day-one DJ Omnifik recently got ahold of Meditation, featuring the Needilworks crew, and this here, kids, is some of the sickest scratching I've ever heard in my life. This bunch features DJ Dopey, aka the reigning World DMC champ, and it's just ridiculous. I can understand why Omnifik no longer considers himself worthy to scratch. Wow.
Thousand Foot Krutch are heading out on the Sea of Faces tour opening for labelmates Kutless. The tour will also feature TFK one-off FM Static and a band called Falling Up that I've never heard. Ryan Dobson will be a guest speaker. Don't know about itinerary; I'm more concerned with when TFK will bring their dog-and-pony show to Ottawa again. Oh, and the band's 1998 debut full-length That's What People Do is being re-sold via the band's website. Limited run, so move quick if'n you want some.
I listened to a bit of the new Crystal Method record at HMV, and it sounded pretty good. Guests include former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland and The Roots' Rahzel, human beatbox extraordinaire.
Some really really heinous news pretty much wrecked my afternoon: vocalist Jason Gleason is leaving Further Seems Forever. This band released my favourite record of 2003 with How To Start A Fire, and I really thought things were solidified in their camp after all the Gleason-replacing-Chris Dashboard hoopla. Man, what a kick in the crotch. Official statements from Jason and the band respectively can be read here, but the key phrase is as follows, spoken by the remaining four members: "Jason has verbally agreed to complete the album with us, bringing our last project as FSF to fruition. We believe in the music enough to share it with others despite the now certain disbanding of FSF." That does it. I can't talk any more about this atrocity. On to other things.
Dates for the Every Time I Die/As I Lay Dying tour for y'all. Please, if you would, note the ABSENCE of an Ottawa show. Dang. Supporting acts are Scarlet and The Black Dahlia Murder, two bands I've never heard, much to the horror of everyone I'm sure. Oh well.
3/23 Indianapolis IN @ Emerson Theater
3/24 Detroit MI @ Shelter at St. Andrews
3/25 Cleveland OH @ Peabody's Down Under
3/26 New York, NY @ The Continental
3/27 Toronto CAN @ Club Rockit
3/28 Montreal CAN @ Salle LX
3/30 Providence RI @ The Living Room
3/31 New York NY @ The Knitting Factory
4/1 Philadelphia PA @ First Unitarian Church
4/2 Baltimore MD @ Ottobar
4/3 Richmond VA @ Alley Katz
4/4 Charlotte NC @ The Casbah
4/5 Atlanta GA @ Echo Lounge
4/6 St. Petersburg FL @ State Theatre
4/7 Orlando FL @ The Social
4/19 Salt Lake City UT @ Albee Square
[hxc]
Guitarist Andy Godwin and drummer Mark Garza of the recently-belly-up Embodyment are writing more songs together, in the vein of the band's older Halo of Winter material. I'm excited to hear it.
One of my surprise favourites of last year, Florida hardcore band Seventh Star have parted ways with their vocalist, Jai Leacock.
Another band is calling it quits, and this one goes a long way back for me: veteran Christian rock band Bleach are packing it in. If you wanna read all the gory details, you can hit this here up.
Posted by mike at January 21, 2004 06:05 PM