video: rockforward faves

VIDEO: The Lumineers breaking big ("Stubborn Love")

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The Lumineers have sold nearly 300,000 copies of their debut album.  They played a 200-person club in Indianapolis in May, and much like fellow Americana darlings The Civil Wars, are on the cusp of breaking really big.  Love their sound, and love the loose-limbed live performances.  Here’s one recorded in a radio studio of “Stubborn Love” – simultaneously  melancholy and uplifting…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6gKOKO484w]

Matchbox Twenty has their best single – ever.

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I wasn’t trying to love it, but the the new Matchbox Twenty single is the best thing they have ever done.  “She’s So Mean” is thrilling, stuttering, rocking ower-freakin’-pop.  Great drums, Tele guitars, and Rob Thomas’ confident swagger is nicely understated.  Video is good too.  Song is a part of their new album North, coming in September.  One of the pop/rock bands that lost their way.  “3 A.M.” was a killer little pop song, and they had a handful of radio hits. But the new one is better than all of them.  Trust your friend Rob on this one… And remember, guitarist Kyle Cook is from Indiana.  Shout out to Frankfort.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8WLa6umgdw&feature=player_detailpage]

VIDEO: Springsteen with The Roots at Roskilde Festival – July 7, 2012 – "E St. Shuffle"

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Springsteen’s current tour continues to amaze the rock critic/fan in me.  The E St. Band’s combination of majesty, soulfulness and power seemingly grows with each tour – defying the laws of getting old.  Bruce’s performances this trek rivals the sustained energy of the Darkeness on the Edge of Town tours of 1978 and the sometimes overlooked fireworks during the subsequent tour from 1980-81, supporting The River album.
Factor in his age (62), the loss of his musical soulmate Clarence Clemons, and that he continues play six cuts off a new record, the consistant excellence of the shows (YouTube is awesome) and the palpable passion that Springsteen invests makes the Rolling Stones at the same age look a bit mellow (though Mick was/still seemingly taking his own age-defying, dance moves-inducing supplement.)
After a run of At a huge (85,000+) festival in Denmark, Bruce invited The Roots,  his friends from the Jimmy Fallon late night show, on stage to honor their incredible, best-ever-TV-studio performance of the same song from earlier in 2012.  In front of many thousands, with a band swelled to nearly 25 members for this song, they blow it out again.  Dig the Sly Stone refrain in the middle, and the crunchy rock and roll mixed with Santana-esque rhythms.  A joy to watch…
(More pics from the show from brucebase.wikispaces.com)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn5ZRgJEGd8]

Brand new Bruce…

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wrecking ball - bruce springsteenBrand new Bruce Springsteen song released today.  “We Take Care of Our Own” is from the upcoming (March 6) album Wrecking Ball. You can get the song at Amazon as a download, or watch the video/hear the audio here.
Don’t want to say too much yet; listen for yourself and we’ll discuss later. Yet I will say there is a pop music gleam to this one, while retaining the core of Springsteen’s brilliance – gospel, majestic and hopeful music, tinged with some anger. More info on the release and new producer Ron Aniello here.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHPx3RghAKw]
Wrecking Ball TRACK LISTING

  • We Take Care of Our Own
  • Easy Money
  • Shackled and Drawn
  • Jack of All Trades
  • Death to My Hometown
  • This Depression
  • Wrecking Ball
  • You’ve Got It
  • Rocky Ground
  • Land of Hope and Dreams
  • We Are Alive
  • two bonus tracks