As I write this, Rob Paravonian’s “Pachelbel Rant” on YouTube has been viewed 7.6 million times. To give you a sense of how big that number is, if you put a cinnamon roll in the center of a football field, you’d have a really confusing and pointless scenario because honestly, do you need an analogy to understand that 7.6 million people is a whole friggin’ buttload of views?
In the famous viral video, Paravonian goes through one of the most famous chord progressions in the history of music, showing (with impeccable comedic timing) all of the pop musicians that have ripped off the series of chords over the years. While comedy isn’t necessarily what Fresh Scouts focuses on, there’s no doubting that there’s a market out there for musical comedy, and considering Paravonian grew up playing in orchestras and rock bands he knows the industry maybe as well as any “real” musician out there.
So we caught up with him at a recent show and talked about comedy, music, life, and love, the results of which are here for your viewing pleasure. Watch it, favorite it, subscribe, and then pass it around. We’re aiming for at least 7.7 million views. Think cinnamon rolls on a football field.
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I’m not quite sure where Ingram Hill is or even it’s a real place. I like to think of it as the spot where all of the kids go sledding in the winter time. “Hey gang, let’s go thrash it over at Ingram Hill! Neat-o!” That’s probably how the conversation goes anyways. It also turns out that Ingram Hill is a band from Memphis and they also thrash it. Not really in a metal-y kind of way, but more in a singer-songwriter-y band sort of way.
I saw Ingram Hill back in my college days more than once and listened to their first album release June’s Picture Show figuratively over 1,000 times. They have this sort of Tonic, Sister Hazel, southern rock thing going on that is hard not to like. Unfortunately as the days went on (and my iPod erased years ago) I lost touch with their music. However, I recently re-discovered this album and am fondly reminiscing on the time that I listened to it while frolicking in the wind holding hands with my best friends and laughing about times past. Ah, the memories.
Their single “Will I Ever Make It Home” got some heavy radio play in 2004 and their other songs had been known to show up a time or two on Internet radio and local stations. But don’t let the lack of exposure fool you. These guys know how to rock (in a singer-songwriter-y sort of way) and put on a spotless live show that will leave you wondering if you are listening to the album or the live band. That’s when you know you’ve got something special.
Check out the video for “Will I Ever Make It Home”:
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Buy the album:
In the summer of 2008, Tank, KC, and I drove a van down to Memphis, Tennessee (a place none of us had previously been) to eat massive amounts of barbecued pork and enjoy massive amounts of really good blues. Also, we might have gone to Graceland. Don’t judge us.
The highlight of the weekend was that Saturday night on Beale Street, where the hot, sticky June air combined with half-drunk, excited patrons for an evening of outdoors drinking and plenty of great music. We meandered in and out of the several blues bars until we stumbled upon a clump of dancing people assembled in a semicircle in front of the New Daisy Theater. We pushed our way to the front to see what all the ruckus was about, and there, rocking away in overalls and bare feet, was the great Richard Johnston.
Look, one-man bands are impressive even when they’re bad, but when you see a guy playing a partial drum kit with his bottom half, and wailing away on an electric guitar he handmade from a broomstick and a cigar box with his top-half, AND he’s got the quintessential blues singing voice… Well, that’s a winner right there.
We stuck around for God knows how long because it was so damned entertaining, and I even paid for a CD, which, two years later, I still haven’t grown bored with. We talked to Johnston after his set and found out that he’s not usually a street performer. He does tons of area shows, especially during the summer months, but does the Beale Street thing once in a while to stay true to his roots.
We also found out that he’d been offered major label deals on a few separate occasions but turned them down because what they would’ve done with his music was quite different from what he wanted to do with his music. So he plays small local shows, rocks the hell out of them, and really, really loves what he does. His CD, “Foot Hill Stomp” (which you can download for free from his website), is fantastic, but it doesn’t do justice to how good the live show is. We lucked into finding him on Beale Street that fateful night in 2008, but you probably won’t should you make the same trip to Memphis. Still, check out the album and imagine yourself in the hot summer air, drinking with other happy, toe-tappy people, and loving what Memphis is all about.
And maybe, just maybe, you’ll find the time to visit Graceland, too.
I had the pleasure to meet up with Angel Taylor at one of her recent gigs, and I have to say that the pleasure was all mine. Her live show is just as good as her album (which is more than pretty good, so that’s saying a lot) and her stage presence lit up the room (even though it was a poorly lit bar.) She has recently toured with other singer-songwriters including Brett Dennen, Mat Kearney, Brandi Carlile and Gavin DeGraw and is currently one of the few elite artists to be signed to Aware Records (the record company that also represents a one Mr. John Mayer.)
After expressing her deep love for the aforementioned artist, it’s easy to see where her influences lie, but she strives to create music that is unique to her style which I have to say I completely respect and value. She worries about sounding too much “like this” or “like that” and I think that’s exactly the attitude to have in a sea of singer-songwriters all trying to do the same thing.
After the official show, a small group of people followed her (rather stalker-ish, me included) to a small corner of a hotel where a piano stood waiting to be played. Angel then treated us to a private concert playing requests from her first album without hesitation. After seeing the show and getting a more intimate look at this up-and-comer, it’s easy to see why you need to keep your eyes open for her tour dates. I could stay up all night listening to that voice. Check her out. You could too.
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Fanfarlo – “Harold T. Wilkins”
For anybody getting tired of the ridiculously snowy winter months, check out this song and imagine yourself cruising on a highway in a red, drop-top convertible, en route to absolutely nowhere. Maybe the lyrics don’t scream “road trip,” but you could definitely use this song to lay over a montage of driving with your hair in the wind. I’m just saying. These guys make their U.S. television debut on Letterman later tonight, so set your Tivos for 10:35 CT and get yourselves a little preview. It’s good stuff.
Suzi Ragsdale – “Troublemaker”
Somewhere in between country and blues is this toe-tapping diddy from Suzi Ragsdale and Rodney Crowell. It’s catchy as hell, and what makes it even more interesting is that Ragsdale doesn’t just do music—she’s also a pusher of yoga and fine foods. I swear to God I’m not making this up.
Flobots – “White Flag Warrior”
FreshScouts believes strongly in what the Flobots do. Musically they know how to walk the tightrope between hip-hop and rock where a lot of fusion artists fall short, but mostly we love that these guys actually stand for something. Lead vocalist Jonny 5 is a talented cat, and this new cut from the guys does some cool stuff with off-beats while still managing to bring what we’d expect from a hot Flobots track. Throw in the fact that Tim McIlrath from Rise Against is featured on the track, and you’ve got a winner.
