It takes something pretty special to transform a room as pristine as Philadelphia’s World Café Live into a loud, sweaty rock club, but Jason Isbell managed to do just that.
Among the largest places Isbell will play during this tour, the World Café surely wasn’t at capacity last Friday. Yet it’s hard to imagine another single joule of energy in the room. Isbell himself even took notice—thanking the crowd for bringing the show to another level, the way only a full house usually can. And Isbell needed the pick-me-up. Just a week into a two-month tour, Isbell was already liberally spraying Chloraseptic down his throat, trying to stave of a combination of fatigue and fever.
But it was the guitar licks traded between Isbell and 400 Unit guitarist Browan Lollar that caused the mercury to rise through the roof. Not being a longtime Drive-By Truckers’ fan, what excited me the most—aside from Lollar’s lead vocals on the David Byrne classic “Psycho Killer"—was the effortless guitar interplay between the two. Both extremely skilled at their craft, they jam and play to the crowd with incredible ease.
At this lunchtime radio concert for Philly’s WXPN, Isbell and his 400 Unit didn’t stray from their newly released self-titled album—very much a Muscle Shoals record, replete with plenty of high-hats and hopping horns. At one time, Jason implored the crowd to come back in the evening “if you want to hear the old stuff.” The band held up its end of the bargain, delighting the loyal crowd with two of Isbell’s Drive-By Truckers classics, and others from his solo debut Sirens of the Ditch, mixing in the Talking Heads cover along with versions of Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic,” and the Heartbreaker’s “American Girl.”
Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit: (Official / MySpace)
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DOWNLOAD: Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit - Seven-Mile Island (MP3) or Follow us for more Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit MP3s (Twitter)
This comment stream is so meta. Great review Kelly.
by chris on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 07.50 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
no prob. The whole album is excellent, combining some of the harder sonics of Los Angeles with the meat of his debut and obviously difficult to summarize in only 50 words… 
I’d say it’s on par with the debut, but better than Los Angeles.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.23 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
By the way, I really liked the mp3 posted. Thanks.
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “Picture yourself coasting your bike past space funk palm trees, homeless harpists, vintage video arcades, electronic drum circles, and 60s psychedelic singers who’re waiting for the bus. Cosmogramma is kinda like that if someone suddenly tripped you just as you’re starting to enjoy the ride. But in a good way.””
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
you’ll notice the author’s name under title.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.11 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “Picture yourself coasting your bike past space funk palm trees, homeless harpists, vintage video arcades, electronic drum circles, and 60s psychedelic singers who’re waiting for the bus. Cosmogramma is kinda like that if someone suddenly tripped you just as you’re starting to enjoy the ride. But in a good way.”
by HKD on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.10 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
i saw them open for the Cave Singers, not very original, the crowd was not into it either, frankly i think they suck
by rigamarole on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 11.30 am from the entry: The Dutchess & The Duke Tour Dates, Y'all
