Ben's New Outfit

Ben Harper is touring with a new group and revealing a side of himself that may contrast with the crooner you're accustomed to.

In true artist fashion, he's reinvented himself. But not in a deliberate or calculated way. Rather, this feels like an organic transition to a musical arena that has influenced his music in the past but never quite so directly and with quite so much assertiveness as it does now. The guitars sound a little louder, the vocals a little looser and the drums a lot heavier. Ben Harper and The Relentless7 sing the blues and play rock 'n' roll.

It's edgier, grittier and much more forceful. One can sense upon first listen that this new outfit unleashes and enhances something that's been bubbling in Harper's consciousness for a long time. And from what I gathered when I saw them perform the other night, this new ensemble is having a damn good time taking the Blues by storm.

I do enjoy the old Ben Harper, but this is much more my style.

Beyond Bluegrass

Bluegrass had never really been prominent on my musical spectrum. I always appreciated it and had great respect for its sustainability as a purely musical (and not effects or production-driven) realm in an increasingly tech-driven world. But when mixing blues with anything, I generally gravitated more towards rock rather than country.

Enter The Brothers Comatose. They've been playing around San Francisco lately, and I'd recommend the show to even non-bluegrass fans. The band is comprised of wildly talented and precise musicians dressed in rock stars' clothing. While the music is beautiful, the boys retain a raw and rugged cool in both their music and their persona that makes for an engaging and sexy stage presence. I'd never seen anyone rock out on a violin or a standing bass. It's a pretty awesome thing to see. With catchy harmonizing and foot stomping jams, these boys know how to shake up a room.

A Truly Motley Crew

Did you think Mmmbop was the last you'd ever hear from Taylor Hanson? Not so much.

He has returned with the likes of guitarist James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins), bassist Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne...aka, the band gave us 'Stacey's Mom'), and drummer Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick).

It's funny. Really funny. But, incredibly, it isn't a joke. This unbearably silly and quite greasy video was intentionally posted on their myspace page. See for yourself: http://www.myspace.com/tintedwindows.