Nick Lowe - "Endless Sleep"

While listening to Nick Lowe's greatest-hits reboot Quiet Please: The New Best Of Nick Lowe, we stumbled across a serious gem from the singer-songwriter's earlier days. Culled from his Bowi EP  , the track "Endless Sleep" is a bulletproof example of the man at his very best.

Unlike much of his early work, the track is subtle in delivery, and eschews the pub-rock machinations of his hit records at the time. Instead, the track is a subtle build-up centered around a reverb-laden guitar and a pulsing bass drum. Combine that with Lowe's voice being in top form and, well, you've got yourself a classic.

mp3: Nick Lowe - Endless Sleep

Wilco and Nick Lowe Played Central Park - Pictures, Review, Setlist

Last night we stopped in at Rumsey Playfield to catch the first of Wilco's two nights in New York.  The band is helping to close out the final days of the year at the Central Park venue, and despite predicted rain, the evening managed to go off without any serious interference from the weather.  Alongside the band was legendary musician and producer Nick Lowe.  The band recently covered Lowe's "I Love My Label" as a B-Side to "I Might", and apparently dug doing so enough that they decided to bring him along for their inaugural tour under dBpm Records.

Nick Lowe was touring without a band, and delivered a set in true singer-songwriter style with his voice and a lone acoustic guitar.  Much akin to his longtime friend and collaborator Elvis Costello, Lowe can still command a crowd even with such simple implements.  Lowe's voice is unquestionably in top form, and hearing him live was a real treat; Roy Orbison came to mind as we listened to the delivery.

If anything, the years have improved Lowe's voice, by giving it an even warmer, more even timbre - sweet without being saccharine.  His set started off with a fair dose of his newer material, which definitely held its own.  However, Lowe managed to truly win over the crowd when he delivered his own "Cruel To Be Kind" and "What's So Funny (About Peace, Love, and Understanding)?", as well as a cover of Elvis Costello's "Alison", at the end of the set.

Wilco took to the stage soon thereafter, and launched in to a 2+ hour set that covered the breadth of their entire catalog.  Before we go any further, we'll start by saying this:  Wilco is one of those bands who, no matter what, in any circumstance, always seem to win us over live.  Even if we're dragging a bit on the way to the show, the opposite is always true on the other side.  Inevitably, we spend the next few weeks revisiting their entire catalog and getting back into the band.

This is why it was such a surprise, that last night, this simply didn't happen.  Did the band put on a bad performance?  Not particularly, but it wasn't great either.  There was something in the band's approach and attitude that simply felt staid; like they were just going through the motions.  It didn't help things that the crowd was a bizarre mix of insanely devoted fans, and arbitrary New Yorkers who didn't even seem aware that they were at a concert.  There were no quiet moments, but there were no truly raucous moments either.  Everything chugged along a steady, neutral pace.

The new material from the band's latest, The Whole Love, was certainly tolerable, but it didn't have any real grip on the crowd.  Moreover, the arrangements of the band's old material were the same ones that we've been hearing for the past few years, with little deviation or inspiration.  The lone standout was a somewhat updated version of "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart", that added some fuzzy tones and textures, no doubt culled from the recent album sessions.

It's difficult to issue such a negative assessment of a Wilco show, because the fact remains that they are a fantastic band, and they do truly deliver, even when they're a little bit off.  Nonetheless, after watching their shows for the past ten years, we also feel pretty confident saying that they've reached something of a creative impasse, and perhaps need to find a way to get "unstuck".  It brings to mind the scene from the film I Am Trying To Break Your Heart where Jeff Tweedy opts not to play it safe as the band constructs their live setlist.  Mr. Tweedy, it may be time to take some of your own advice.

Wilco Setlist 09-22-2011
Art Of Almost
I Might
Ashes Of American Flags
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
One Wing
Bull Black Nova
At Least That's What You Said
One Sunday Morning
Shouldn't Be Ashamed
Born Alone
She's A Jar
Handshake Drugs
Standing O
Rising Red Lung
Impossible Germany
Dawned On Me
A Shot In The Arm
Hummingbird
--
Via Chicago
Whole Love
War On War
Jesus, Etc.
I'm The Man Who Loves You
Monday
Outtasite Out Of Mind


Wilco and Nick Lowe play Central Park again this evening.

Unreleased Nick Lowe Doc Hits The Web

File this under "awesome": a never before seen 1978 documentary on Nick Lowe just hit the web in all it's glory. Needless to say, we have our weekend entertainment carved out for us! Part one of twelve is embedded above - grab the rest here!

Nick Lowe Interviewed By The Believer

If you don't already subscribe to The Believer, we'd like to encourage you to do so. The McSweeney's published monthly periodical is the source of some of the best interviews and essays out there, and it's unique format and content is second to none.

Case in point: this month the magazine features comedian Todd Barry interviewing music icon Nick Lowe. The interview is clever and insightful, and features Lowe's thoughts on touring, music composition and technology. Notably, the fact that he has neither a cell phone or email! Check out the interview here.

Nick Lowe @ The Fillmore In April

Hot on the heels of the reissue of his 70's classic Jesus Of Cool (which is currently available on eMusic), English rock legend Nick Lowe will be out on tour this Spring. What does that mean for us here in San Francisco? Well, it means get your ass to the Fillmore on April 12th. We here at H.A.D. missed him last year at the Great American, so we're more than psyched that he'll be back in town again. As an added bonus, the show is actually a double bill, with former Soft Boys frontman Robyn Hitchcock also on the line-up. If you're down with a night of seminal 70's rock, then this is the show for you.

Tickets are on sale now.

Hardly Strictly to feature Jeff Tweedy, Nick Lowe, Bela Fleck, Boz Scaggs, and more

San Francisco's favorite free fall festival (how's that for alliteration!) got its lineup announced today, and it's a doozy! The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival has amassed an amazing group of artists for the weekend of October 5th in Golden Gate Park. Jeff Tweedy plays on Friday afternoon, Saturday seems to be crossover artists day with Boz Scaggs, Nick Lowe, and Bela Fleck all making appearances, and Sunday is going to throw some serious picking your way, with both Dave Grisman and Earl Scruggs appearing. The show is always mobbed, and it's always crazy, but it's also always free! So get out your blankets and sunglasses - we'll see you there!

Full Lineup:

The Abrams Brothers
Alison Brown Quartet with special guest Joe Craven
Allison Moorer
Austin Lounge Lizards
Bela Fleck & the Flecktones featuring Victor Lemonte Wooten, Future Man & Jeff Coffin
Belle Monroe & Her Brewglass Boys
Bill Callahan
Bill Kirchen & the Hammer of the Honky-Tonk Gods
Blanche
Boz Scaggs & the Blue Velvet Band
Buddy Miller
Charlie Louvin
Chris Smither
Dale Ann Bradley & Coon Creek
Dan Reeder
Dave Alvin & the Guilty Men
David Grisman Bluegrass Experience with special guest Curly Seckler
The Del McCoury Band
Doc Watson with David Holt & Richard Watson
Dry Branch Fire Squad
Earl Scruggs
Emmylou Harris
Fionn Regan
The Flatlanders featuring Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Butch Hancock
Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams
Gillian Welch
Guy Clark & Verlon Thompson
The Hacienda Brothers
Hazel Dickens
Heartless Bastards
Hot Buttered Rum
James McMurtry
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit
Jeff Tweedy
Jim Lauderdale
Jimmy LaFave
Jody Stecher & Bill Evans / The Secret Life of Banjos
John Prine
Jorma Kaukonen
Julay Brooks & Richard Brandenburg & the Cash Magnets
Keller Williams
Kevin Welch & Kieran Kane & Fats Kaplin
The Knitters
Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands
Los Lobos
Marley's Ghost
Mekons
Michelle Shocked
Moonalice
The Mother Hips
Ned Sublette
New Lost City Ramblers
Nick Lowe
Pete Wernick & Flexigrass
Poor Man's Whiskey
Railroad Earth
Red Wine
Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder
The Roan Mountain Hilltoppers
Robert Earl Keen
The Sadies
Shana Morrison & Caledonia
Songwriter Circle with Chris Smither, David Olney, Ray Wylie Hubbard & Steve Young
Steep Canyon Rangers
Steve Earle
the subdudes
Symphony Bluegrass Ramblers
T Bone Burnett
Teddy Thompson
The Whoreshoes
The Wronglers