Music Tonight: Rootsy Connecticut-based trio Plume Giant performs at the Rohs Street Cafe in Clifton Heights with Columbus, Ohio's Deadwood Floats and Cincinnati's own Molly Sullivan (check out Sullivan's lovely, unique track "Bad Weather" here). Plume Giant released its self-titled debut EP last year, drawing praise from Seattle to New Haven, and travelled up and down the east coast in support. The Indie Folk trio — built around timeless songs, amazing three-part harmonies and pure, naked acoustic guitar/viola/violin backing — is taking on the Midwest this month, touring in advance of its first full-length, due this coming spring. Click here to listen to the EP and enjoy the Plume Giant song "Old Joe the Crow," performed live below. —-
• The term "Eskimo Brothers" has a very NSFW meaning in some circles (if you know what it means, you're quite the naughty girl or boy or you enjoy the FX show The League; if not, hit up Urban Dictionary here and make sure your boss isn't looking over your shoulder). In Nashville, non-pervs probably think of something entirely different — the traditional Country/Rockabilly/Honky Tonk trio The Eskimo Brothers. The threesome (this musical one, not the other kind) has been known to play everything from Buck Owens and Conway Twitty to the Hank Williamses (Sr., Jr. and 3) to AC/DC and Lady Gaga live. Catch 'em tonight at the Southgate House's Juney's Lounge at about 9:30 p.m. The show is free.
Momentous Happenings in Music History for December 15
On this day in 1992, Dr. Dre's masterpiece The Chronic was released. The album remains one of the most influential in modern music history. We'd go on, but you'll be hearing way too much about the album next year during its 20th anniversary victory lap. For now, just dig this — the full (likely NSFW) version of the "Let Me Ride" music video:
Born This Day: Musical movers and shakers sharing a Dec. 15 birthday include: Early Rock & Roll booster and popular DJ Alan Freed (1922); member of The Supremes and Pattie LaBelle's Blue Belles, Cindy Birdsong (1939); leader of Pop/Rock band The Dave Clark Five ("Glad All Over," "I Like It Like That"), Dave Clark (1942); well-traveled Rock & Roll drummer (Vanilla Fudge, Ted Nugent, Rod Stewart) Carmine Appice (1946); and bassist for The Clash, Paul Simonon (1955).
Although he retained a low profile since the end of The Clash, Simonon has been way more visible of late, performing with cartoon band Gorillaz alongside old bandmate Mick Jones and getting arrested earlier this year while he was working aboard a Greenpeace vessel (which had targeted an oil company in the Arctic) as an anonymous cook.
Simonon was in the George Harrison position in The Clash (surrounded by two of the best songwriters of his generation) so he didn't contribute a lot of songs to The Clash canon. But he did write (and sing) one of the band's best tunes, "Guns of Brixton," a Reggae-inspired song from The Clash's landmark London Calling album.
In an interesting "full-circle" twist, Jimmy Cliff recently released his version of the song, on which he's joined by Tim Armstrong of Rancid/Operation Ivy fame. "Guns" was inspired by the film Cliff starred in — The Harder They Come — while Armstrong has always worn his Clash influence proudly on his sleeve.
