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Friday, October 22, 2010

City Slang

Eddie Baranek and Alejandro Escovedo; plus, New Sights Album

Posted By Brian Smith on Fri, Oct 22, 2010 at 12:27 PM

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r the years the Sights have toured madly and in the process won lotsa fans along the way, and not just the usual suspects such as old what's-his-from the Sopranos. We're talkin' other such relics as Robert Plant, Ian McLagan and U.K. music-biz suits who may or may not have schtupped Marianne Faithful back when she was hot. Yeah, yeah the Sights have mottled twitter-kids behind 'em too, but it's telling that the old stars sidle up. One reason is because of the band's thick and deep knowledge of song -- you know, if you're gonna be doctor, you go to med school; If you're gonna be in a rock 'n' roll band you gotta learn your musical history, back to the Mills Brothers, say. Besides, what music fan can listen to a "rock" band whose record collection doesn't run any deeper than OK Computer or A Flock of Seagulls?

The roundabout point here is that the old rock stars recognize shit in the Sights that younger fans might not get. It's a certain passion for song, a certain metered language ...

Having said all that, it's no wonder then that long-time critic's darling Alejandro Escovedo is a new Sights fan. So much that he invited Sights front man Eddie Baranek on stage to tackle the Stones' "Beast of Burden," when the two bands gigged together last week at Ferndale's Magic Bag. Watch the video below.

In other Sights news, the quartet's new album, Most of What Follows is True (Alive), is finally out (CD and vinyl) on Tuesday Nov. 16. Get it. You'll recall we talked about the band and the recording of the new album here. Also, watch for Baranek to debut at MT very very soon ...

Tags: the sights, Alive records, Robert Plant, Alejandro Escovedo, Most of What Follows is True, Magic bag Ferndale, Crofoot, Video

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