G. Love, Donavon Frankenreiter, and Moon Taxi

G.Love. Legend says that the 'G' stands for Garrett, and the 'Love' is there because, in his own words: "It just sounded right." G. Love, the frontman of the fantastic funky band Special Sauce, plays funky blues like no other artist out there in todays music world. A unique talent, rather under-appreciated it seems amongst many. This is because you need to see him live people! You wont be able to stop moving your feet or humming the tunes after the gig, it's that groovy! Songs such as; 'Nothing Quite Like Home' and 'Good Life' will stick in your mind for days. When you are watching him live, the atmosphere, the music and G himself make you feel like part of the music. It's an amazing feeling. You feel so in the moment with G, like you are part of something really personal, something that alot of musicians cannot do. He is one cool cat ladies. I meeeeean he plays guitar and harmonica simutaneously. Correct me if I'm wrong but that is a special talent. G. Love is a special talent.

Donavon Frankenreiter is a Californian singer-songwriter who makes, or at least made, music very similar to Jack Johnson. Unsurprisingly really, given that he has been a close friend of fellow surfer Jack Johnson for yonks. His self-titled debut was perfect, beach campfire music – slow, hook-driven folk rock (one of the songs even featured Johnson). More recently, Frankenreiter has broadened his pallet with bluesy soft rock, reggae and world-laced America.
It probably won’t come as a shock to hear that when I first saw him live he was supporting none other than Jack Johnson. However, this was years and years ago, just as Frankenreiter had launched his musical career and before Johnson became a superstar. It was at a tiny, dingy club in Falmouth, Cornwall; Johnson had wanted to do a special gig in the surfing capital of the UK.
I owned and love Frankenreiter’s debut and was expecting low-key acoustic music. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find a ramped-up, full band show, with his minimal surf ballads turned into extended, bluesy jams. If I had to guess, I would say that his early live touring shaped the recorded albums that followed. Song like ‘Free’ and ‘It Don’t Matter’ sounded fuller live, with the singer-songwriter showcasing real skill on the guitar, which he played with a much flashier style. The chilled out entertainer was eventually welcomed back to join Jack Johnson for a couple of tracks during his later headline slot; by then, Donavon Frankenreiter didn’t need to win over the audience.

Moon Taxi is an American indie-progressive rock band who hail from Nashville in Tennesse. This band have been around for about eight years writing catchy pop songs that have the characteristics of indie songs with the choppy guitars the blankets of synthesizers, and the gravelly dulcet tones of Trevor Terndrup’s vocals. This first song “Southern Trance” sets the scene for what is going to be a fantastic and lively set. Mid way through their set I realize that they sort of remind me of a more underground Kings of Leon. “Common Ground”, is the mid tempo track that is led by the electric guitar and the synthesizer playing a riff simultaneously, the audience even reciprocate joining in with this catchy hook.
It’s fantastic that they play songs from their latest release, an album called “Mountains Beaches Cities”. Which endorses a fresh sounding indie rock, that this audience really get behind, especially songs such as “River Water” and “Morocco”