great versions of songs you probably(maybe) know, and my favorite version of my favorite song ever

things ive been listening to

When The Classic jam Meets Today's Music : Umphrey's Mcgee

I don't think I speak more often about any band during my day. The only band T shirt I will ever wear is Umphrey's Mcgee's "Nothing To Fancy" shirt.
Umphrey's Mcgee is a 7 piece jam/prog band. It's music that has taken the old theory of jazz and applied it to more modern types of music such as progressive rock and metal. Of course they never forget their jam roots and always play with real funk and style. They are some of the most talented all around musicians I have ever seen at a live show. Jake Cinniger and Brendan Bayliss are guitar geniuses, maybe not so much lyrically though, Ryan Stasik hold his own with some really funky improv bass and they really hit the old school by having a piano/synth for old school jams like "Woman Wine and Song"
They are none for their instrumental piece "Nothing To Fancy". It is full on improv and in my opinion one of my favorite pieces of music I have heard in a long time. Take a gander and see if you can see yourself downloading shows from nugs.net!

Fall into an Ocean

For those of us who love a great acoustic guitar player, and so few there seem to be, John Butler is a saviour. His skills on many instruments and vocals are extremely strong. He opened for DMB on the 12 and 13 of November this past year launching them into the mainstream for the first time. Ocean was one of the few performances that I can safely say blew my mind without the help of, well you can guess. Enjoy it!

#41 Listners Supported

I think at one point in our lives we have all come across that perfect song, the one we always go to when we are sad, angry, happy or just whatever. This song has always been mine and in particular this version. It''s one of the rare early version with the flute that disappeared pretty much after 2000. Roi on sax is enough to put me to tears knowing that he is gone forever, but his soul lives on the music he used to play for thousands of people. All Dave Matthews fans will be able to appreciate this and all people who love soul will love Roi on sax and flute. Take a gander because this song is perfect.

Foreign Stuff

these four songs are great... popular outside of the united states

Yellow Brick Road

Angus and Julia Stone is probably one of my favorite acoustic bands I listen to. Each song is very different because on some Angus takes lead vocals and on others Julia takes them. This is a personal favorite of mine. I hope you enjoy it!

ragers

a new genre... shit will blow ur mind when it drops

Explosions in The Sky

DO NOT READ THIS POST WITHOUT LISTENING TO AT LEAST YOUR HAND IN MINE :)














A special kind of jam. Explosions in the sky is a band that falls under the unique category of Post-Rock. post rock is a hard to define type of music, but if I had a sentence or two to do so it would be music without words that involves intense melodic and ambient sounds. The whole point is to create emotion in the listener and bring something new to the table.Explosions was founded in 1999 by the four musicians from Austin, Texas. Munaf Rayani, Mark Smith, Michael James and Chris Hrasky are still the core members of the band. They have four records and have gained more popularity with each one.
Early on they became known in the underground scene for their live performances and their beautiful melodies. This would serve as the groundwork for the first post-rock band to reach high success ever.
The latest record "The Earth Is Not A Cold Place" had songs featured in "Friday Night Lights" and was a critically acclaimed album. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but take a gander and see if you enjoy it.

Great Chill Playlist

For any of the jam lovers, this is a quick playlist that I made up for when I was skiing this weekend. It's got a little bit of jazz, a little bit of jam and a lot of chill.

"Freedom is acknowledging the mask you have on, and possessing the strength to take it off"

Phish: A Musical Experience

After checking where Jam started, The Grateful Dead, I now move onto the next generation of jam. Phish is a band that arose in 1983 in Burlington, Vermont. They toured endlessly for years creating a fury wherever they went. The next big thing in jam was going to be Phish.
The personnel include Big Red (Trey Anastasia) on guitar, Mike Gordon on bass, Page McConnell on keys and John Phishman on Drums and vacuum cleaner (yes I said vacuum cleaner). Each member of the band is extremely talented on each of their respective instruments and are among the most respected in the jam world. Each member contributes vocals and crazy antics on stage.
Their most popular trick is the trampoline stunt during "You Enjoy Myself." As many call it is a musical experience filled with fun and jam. This is one of the most outrageous band that I have listened to in a very long time. They have guested with many of the top artist of the day and have also been apart for many years. Because of tragic drug problems the band has split up a few times, but has now picked it up again and is touring strong. Their shows are available for free trade as are most of the bands I talk about. Enjoy the epicness that is known only as Phish.

Chill/ Depressing Playlist

Phil Lesh & Friends (Furthur, The Other Ones, Ratdog, The Dead)

After the tragic death of Jerry Garcia, the band immediately disbanded. The only thing that remained was the desire to keep making the best music they could. They first decided to create "The Dead" whcih was The Grateful Dead minus Jerry. They basically just kept playing the same way they had been until Jerry's death. Each of them started to branch out into new bands.
Phil Lesh (my idol) is a one man bass machine and a musical genius. His improv bass skill are some of the best I have watched. His after project after the dead was "Phil Lesh & Friends". He has one album titled "There and Back Again" ironically the same title as Bilbo Baggins' book from Lord Of The Rings. He has many jam legends guest in the studio during it's production. Warren Haynes, Bob Weir, Trey Anastasio and Derek trucks come to mind first. They all went to perform shows with the Phil. The lineups included multiple lead singers singing the old tunes of The Grateful Dead in a new and interesting way. Warren Haynes and Trey Anastasia are the two that come to mind as my favorites.
Bob Weir created Ratdog. This band plays mostly Dead and Dylan covers.
Now Phil and Bob, The original core of The Grateful Dead have gone back to their roots and are back playing together in a new group Furthur. This band plays primarily covers and Grateful Dead tunes written by Jerry. They have guested with many of the jam worlds finest musicians and continue to tour. (they hit Madison Square Garden back in November).
The band that never dies and will be a force to reckon with till death do them part. These Gentleman The Grateful Dead.

Mumford and Sons

New band. You may have heard Little Lion Man. The leader is an astounding vocalist and is extremly talented. This band is rock/ borderline country, they are unbelievable live. Heres two songs from their bookshop sessions.

one of the best bands right now

... is arcade fire... so good they can play in an elevator

if your here for the first time be sure to check out older posts

Back To Our Beginninging: The Grateful Dead

The jam genre can be traced back to the improv of jazz artists on stage. Coltrane would perform 20-30 minute ballads. This requires an intense knowledge of the instrument and of music theory. When the idea of improv finally hit rock music it came in a beautiful form, The Grateful Dead. Following their roots, each musician was influenced by many genres ranging from jazz to bluegrass. Phil Lesh on Bass, Bob Weir on guitar as well as Jerry Garcia; it was one of the most talented bands of the time. Not to mention the fantastic other musicinas that took part in what became a country wide phenomenon of music. Percusionists and keyboard players came and went, but the core never changed. Every song is different, every version brings on something new and spectacular. The power of the Grateful Dead has never ceased. They continued to be a force for 30 years on tour. Their improv jam sessions became historic and their sets with guests from all over started the genre that has now become known as jam.
They even took the liberty to allow free recording of their shows. If you know where to look almost every single Dead show can be downloaded. I have about 100 dead tapes on my computer that date from 1965-1992. Of course these shows are freely trade able and if anyone needs to get a hand on em, don't hesitate to ask.

Just would like to introduce myself for the time being

If you don't know me, my name is Spencer Moore. I am a fan of all music that involves live performances. I live off of what is live and jamtastic. I am a huge fan of the jam genre. This basically means any bands that improv their solos and their live performances. On occasion, they will venture into the realm of covers and even interpolations of other songs into their own songs. I plan to share this experience with the world. My music may be a little out there for some, but I feel like many others will find something really great.

Prepare for an adventure!

help is on the way

since this is getting bigger than i originally thought, i decided to get some help. smoore will be covering the underground jam bands, very cool stuff, not many people listen to music like this. give it a shot. taymic will be covering the oldies. groups like the who, crosby still & nash, led zeppelin, the eagles, boston. this is gonna be awesome i think. everyone, not matter what their taste will be able to fund something they like. I, of course, will still be contributing, with the usual stuff. enjoy the new and improved music education.

Can't Get Enough of This Guy

More Macklemore, great lyrics. The musically educated will recognized the Red Hot Chili Peppers base line. Songs about drug addiction, deep stuff. Check it out for sure.

Check out the Macklemore appreciation blog at... http://fuckyeahmacklemore.tumblr.com/

The New Comes From The Old

Franz Ferdinand, The Fratellis, and Phoenix, are all relatively new groups, but their music could have easily been from the 60s, 70s, despite some electronic sounds in some songs. These guys are great live, they don't use auto-tune, they play plainly, and it sounds great. They have great beats, very upbeat, good stuff for parties. You may recognize this Fratellis song from an old iPod commercial. Check um out.

Shoutout to B Rech for this idea

Music Saves Lives

http://www.musicsaveslives.org/

Four Best Voices of Our Time?

Espen Lind(guitar), Askil Holm, Alejandro Fuentes, Kurt Neilsen (World Idol), singing one of the most beautiful songs ever written.

Different Stuff

Passion Pit, MGMT, The Shins, nuff said. Groups like this are what this blog is about.

John Mayer

If you know me, you know that I love John Mayer. Not necessarily as a person, in fact, most of his public statements make him seem like an asshole. But I'm not here to judge. I've met him before however, and he seemed pretty nice. I've been to six concerts of his two at Nikon Jones Beach, two at MSG, one at the Beacon Theatre, and one at Nassau Coliseum. The Beacon theatre concert was the best concert I've ever went to, one because I met him, and two because he was really into it that night, and it was clearly visible through his playing. His live album  "Where the Light Is," is my favorite album ever. Here's a playlist I have of just his music. Make sure you listen to the versions that are on the playlist, they're the best.

Looks Like This is Getting Around

Camp friend from almost seven years ago just inboxed me telling me he liked my blog. Pretty happy to see this blog is getting around. He recommended I add some Dispatch to the blog. Probably all of you have heard of Dispatch, and even if you haven't or don't recognize the name, you must know the song the General, and maybe even the song Two Coins (Small Change.) But do you know Prince of Spades, Flying Horses, Bridges, Bats in the Belfry, and Open Up? Obviously they have more songs, but those are only a couple of my favorite. Start listening, reunion tour was announced January 1st. Concert in NJ on June 28th, I'll probably go, wouldn't wanna miss it. Also I think its fitting to throw a winter song in here... Have a nice snow day. 

Getting Pretty Late Heres Something To Fall Asleep To.

This playlist always makes me sleep, you may know some of the songs, but nonetheless they are all good. Always been a big fan of Jack Johnson, although most of his albums sound the same, except for his two most recent. He tried to change up his style with Sleep Through the Static and To The Sea, but it didn't work for him I don't think. He's gotta go back to his old stuff, no matter how similar it is, its always great stuff. Joe Brooks is another unknown he's a young kid from the UK, major talent. Alexi Murdoch makes great chill music, some of it can be depressing though, then again this is a sleep playlist, you'll be the judge.

Competition

After viewing my blog, EZwill and "Scotty- Doesnt Know" were compelled to start their own blog. 2jewboyz I believe it is called. They started this blog in spite of my blog. We will see who wins... this is for you (not referencing any home made video purposefully)

Nyle

Video was shot in one shoot, pretty sick. Originally a Lil' Wayne song, but Nyle does it better.

Being Yelled At

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, been non-stop with this blog since it started. I welcome any feedback, even if its negative. I've been told that my blog is sexist, always have been partial to male vocalists, so I need to add some girls to this... hmm ... lets see... Shout out to Newman and the show, "No Ordinary Family," for this one. 

David Gray... with an A... not an E

This guy is amazing, his entire band is amazing, everything they do is great. Gray released his first album in 1992. His most famous album is called White Ladder, it has gone platinum 14 times in Ireland, and has sold over a million copies in the UK. Most people will my age will not appreciate this guys greatness, his guitar skills, his voice, but if you play him for your parents... I can almost guarantee they will. My favorite songs of his are Babylon, This Years Love, and Sail Away. Check um out on youtube, ill post one of them up on the blog.

I think this is enough for today. I am constantly on my computer scouring the web for great, not mainstream music. Ill post what I find, thats what this blog is about. Hopefully you guys like some of the songs I've spoken about. I post some new songs fro different genres either tomorrow( snow day.. chyeah), or late tonight.

Dayuum

Aight, since I have 27 views already ill post some more stuff. This band is amazing. Called City & Colour, yes, colour not color, its british. City and Colour is the recording alias for the award winning Canadian(yes canadian) singer-songwriter Dallas Green. If you've noticed, the name of the band is City and Colour because of the main guys name Dallas(a city), and Green (a color....) Very smart I think... heres a couple of my favorite songs by them. Enjoy.

First Song

I'll start this blog off with some Northwest Rap. Which means its from Seattle. This rap has meaning, listen to the lyrics. Very few people outside of the Northwest know Macklemore. Another great Northwest rap crew is Blue Scholars. Heres two videos:

You may not like it but I can promise you that you will eventually like some of the music I post. If you like an artist just look um up on youtube and listen to their other stuff.

Wat Tha Gluck

I started this, one, because I need something to do in my many hours of free time, and two, because I want people to listen to good music. I am constantly sending songs to people, sometimes they are rap, sometimes rock, alternative, indie, basically... everything. But I am so annoyed that the majority of people still listen to the same crap, stuff like Juelz Santana, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, all that crap. To be honest I used to like it but when you trace rap back to its roots, most music connoisseurs will agree that you get Bob Dylan, the first "rapper." But rap isn't how Bob Dylan made it anymore, its filled with crap, drugs, violence. Kids think it's cool but it just stupid and disgusting. While I'll admit I do like some mainstream rap, Kanye, Cudi, Jay- Z, Eminem, most rap nowadays is shit. IF you go back to Biggie and Tupac that's a different story, that was a music revolution, a new beginning, but rap is nothing like it used to be. I also admit that I follow some rap culture by  "wearing my pants below my waist," and occasionally pulling up to a red light with the bass in my car cranked up. But, I'm here to educate, hopefully, my readers on what real music is. I am going to be posting all the new songs I find, and even old songs I love. They will be all different genres, but it will be MUSIC, art in other words, not the usual pop culture crap. Most people I know will listen to this and read this, and be like wow this kids such a looser, f him. Which is fine, I don't expect everyone to change their tastes, I'm just asking everyone to give real music a chance. It'll help you in the long run.