Ben Harper and Relentless7

[capt. scotty]

First single Shimmer and Shine off the upcoming album White Lies for Dark Times came out a few days ago and you can listen to it here http://www.relentless7.com/. Theres also a couple pretty good covers of Good Times Bad Times and Purple Rain that it plays after this song.

Also, apparently theyre playing tonight at the Highline Ballroom in NYC (damn you New Yorkers and getiing all your special shows!!) and a radio station there 101.9 RXP will be broadcasting the whole show at 8PM on Wednesday the 18th, and you can listen to it on their website too tomorrow at 8PM

http://www.1019rxp.com/music/BenHarper.aspx

[Janet]

Are the Innocent Criminals kaput or is this just a completely separate project?

I took a listen and I'm on the fence.

[dragonboy]

I took a listen and I'm on the fence.

Me too. Ben's voice sounds great but the song has a disappointing "let's right a rock song!" feel to it.

[Soulshine]

Are the Innocent Criminals kaput or is this just a completely separate project?

I took a listen and I'm on the fence.

It is a seperate project

[capt. scotty]

Yeah, he said he'll work again with the IC's but this is his first album with the new band (though they played on Serve Your Soul off of Both Sides of the Gun)

I think Shimmer and Shine is okay, but nothing special. The lyrics, and chorus especially, dont seem to fit the music really to me.

The whole point of getting this new band was for a new sound though, and a lot of what Ive heard is more straight blues-rock. A couple Ive heard I really like, so Im definitely interested to hear that broadcast tomorrow for good audio and to hear more of the songs.

[capt. scotty]

That show is going to start airing in 15 minutes at the link to the radio station above if anyone is interested

[Penny Lane]

First single Shimmer and Shine off the upcoming album White Lies for Dark Times came out a few days ago and you can listen to it here http://www.relentless7.com/. Theres also a couple pretty good covers of Good Times Bad Times and Purple Rain that it plays after this song.

Also, apparently theyre playing tonight at the Highline Ballroom in NYC (damn you New Yorkers and getiing all your special shows!!) and a radio station there 101.9 RXP will be broadcasting the whole show at 8PM on Wednesday the 18th, and you can listen to it on their website too tomorrow at 8PM

http://www.1019rxp.com/music/BenHarper.aspx

i had class but really wanted to go to that.

[capt. scotty]

I was pretty impressed with the show. Shimmer and Shine IMO is one of the lesser songs out of all the new ones, so I have no idea why its the first single, but the good news is a lot of those songs are very good.

I think getting a new band was the best thing for him. The songs seem to me have a lot more energy and it just sounds like theyre all having fun. I think with this sound he's really going back to his roots which was blues, by he's just put his own rock flavor on it. The band's jams were pretty intense (and they sounded good for not playing together much) and I havent heard him sound like that since the late 90's when him and the IC's were still a quartet. Much more of Ben on the lap slide than lately too, which to me is a great thing. Sweet cover of "Under Pressure" as well. This almost reminds me of bizarro-world Dan Auerbach, with this being Harper's harder and more in your face Black Keys.

Keep It Together, Boots Like These, and Number With No Name are early favorites.

[capt. scotty]

Video just dropped for Shimmer and Shine. Cool video, and I must say the song is growing on me and fits the video perfectly. Still one of my least favorite of the new songs, but growing nonetheless

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=53497600

I think I noticed a link either on hsi site or the myspace to listen to that show WRXP aired a couple weeks ago too. HIGHLY recommend doing so  [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

[capt. scotty]

New album out today, woooohooooo!!!!!  :D

Probably wont give it a full listen til tonight, but Im going to go out now and pick up my copy and listen to a few turned all the way up in my ride. Ive already heard almost every song live, but cant wait to hear them on the album.

I want a physical copy, but FYI for people who aren't as big BH fans as myself - you can download the MP3 album on Amazon for only $3.99 at the link below. Dont know if its just for today or what, but it even tempted me to just get the MP3 instead of the CD  :o :o :o

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0026MYV1Y/ref=mu_dm_alb_dp?ie=UTF8&qid=1241553635&sr=1-1

[capt. scotty]

I know there are a few Harper fans here - but no one has gotten the new one yet?! I urge you, do it. It's a great album.

After Lifeline, I told myself I may never buy another Ben Harper album, because IMO that album was hands down his worst and just lacked everything I loved about BH in the first place - originality, emotion, energy, vocals that jump out of the room, and head nodding guitar work. That album sucked. I think I tried to like it, and havent listened to it since the 2nd week I bought it.

This album is fantastic. I dont know if the band change was what he needed necessarily, because I thought the double album Both Sides of the Gun from a couple years ago was pretty good and seems to be underrated to this day, but this album I think is clearly better. It's his best album since Will To Live IMO, but it's got a blues rock sound that predominates most of it and separates it from any other album he's ever made. There's a few softer songs (that are just as good as the rest of the album), but he's left those "Oppression" type songs to the wayside for this album.

Keep It Together is the best "rock" song he's made since Faded, and I was angered a few years back when Dressed In Black didnt make the BSOTG cut because it rocks, but maybe he knew what he was doing because it's that much tighter with the new quartet. Here's a few clips. Sound is decent, but no studio versions have been posted yet so thats as good as it gets.

I promise you wont be disappointed with this album if you've ever like anything Ben has ever done.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv5tdJgQLq0[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Q-75ZTWM4[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px8_TBWPWJY&feature=related[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQmx908NpkI&feature=channel_page[/media]

[Penny Lane]

I know there are a few Harper fans here - but no one has gotten the new one yet?! I urge you, do it. It's a great album.

After Lifeline, I told myself I may never buy another Ben Harper album, because IMO that album was hands down his worst and just lacked everything I loved about BH in the first place - originality, emotion, energy, vocals that jump out of the room, and head nodding guitar work. That album sucked. I think I tried to like it, and havent listened to it since the 2nd week I bought it.

This album is fantastic. I dont know if the band change was what he needed necessarily, because I thought the double album Both Sides of the Gun from a couple years ago was pretty good and seems to be underrated to this day, but this album I think is clearly better. It's his best album since Will To Live IMO, but it's got a blues rock sound that predominates most of it and separates it from any other album he's ever made. There's a few softer songs (that are just as good as the rest of the album), but he's left those "Oppression" type songs to the wayside for this album.

Keep It Together is the best "rock" song he's made since Faded, and I was angered a few years back when Dressed In Black didnt make the BSOTG cut because it rocks, but maybe he knew what he was doing because it's that much tighter with the new quartet. Here's a few clips. Sound is decent, but no studio versions have been posted yet so thats as good as it gets.

I promise you wont be disappointed with this album if you've ever like anything Ben has ever done.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv5tdJgQLq0[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Q-75ZTWM4[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px8_TBWPWJY&feature=related[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQmx908NpkI&feature=channel_page[/media]

sounds good capt--i'm gonna pick this up on the weekend.

[Penny Lane]

ps-was checking some setlists and looks like they're not doing much innocent criminal stuff....only lonely day....but they've been doing 'whole lotta love' or 'good times..bad times'....i'm tempted to get a ticket for tonight's brooklyn show but i might have to work late again. ...(er.note to self..maybe if i get off the internet i can get my work done)

[Vadie Stark]

Note to plnyc: Leave Early---Save Work For Monday ;)

[capt. scotty]

ps-was checking some setlists and looks like they're not doing much innocent criminal stuff....only lonely day....but they've been doing 'whole lotta love' or 'good times..bad times'....i'm tempted to get a ticket for tonight's brooklyn show but i might have to work late again. ...(er.note to self..maybe if i get off the internet i can get my work done)

Yeah, they arent really playing any songs from older albums for obvious reasons, but I think part of it is the rest of the band never played them before anyway, so why not create a new identity with this band.

The only old song I know theyve played frequently is Serve Your Soul, which makes sense because these guys actually backed him on that song on Both Sides of the Gun despite the IC's backing him on basically every other song. My favorite song off of that album too, so fine by me!

It seems like they've basically been playing the whole new album, 1 of those Zeppelin songs you mentioned or Dazed & Confused, and then maybe Under Pressure or Purple Rain.

If I was you, Id get my ass off here and get my work done so I could make it to that show tonight!!  ;D ;)

[Penny Lane]

tix are still a little steep on craigslist.

[capt. scotty]

tix are still a little steep on craigslist.

i was wondering how the hell it wouldnt be sold out since theyve been playing pretty small venues, plus its the week of release, plus its NYC.

[Penny Lane]

tix are still a little steep on craigslist.

i was wondering how the hell it wouldnt be sold out since theyve been playing pretty small venues, plus its the week of release, plus its NYC.

it's definitely sold out. bought up by scalpers who then post on craigslist....

[Vadie Stark]

tix are still a little steep on craigslist.

i was wondering how the hell it wouldnt be sold out since theyve been playing pretty small venues, plus its the week of release, plus its NYC.

it's definitely sold out. bought up by scalpers who then post on craigslist....

Bailout money gone?  ;)