Scanlon�s voice authentically delivers the songs of her country and heritage with an intimate kitchen party sense but an enchanting loneliness. Unlike some Irish singers of late that achieve the latter by whispered, breathy vocals, Scanlon makes you feel as if she�s out alone by a forgotten cottage, and yet, she still punctuates her delivery to hit the rhythm delivered by that fine band.
Compass Records has labeled Hush: �File under Celtic/Irish,� but as you listen to Scanlon and Scott take their parts on the conversation of �The Demon Lover,� you can hear both the hills of Ireland and Appalachia . What we now have in Americana originally came over and across the sea, so it�s hard to know whether Scanlon met Tompson, Malone, and Scott in a pub or if Tompson, Malone, and Scott found Scanlon singing on the front porch of a house in some Kentucky holler.
Exemplifying this connection, Scanlon gives a tender swing to �Rain and Snow,� a song noted to have appeared in Sharp and Karpeles� English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians, #11. Duncan �s fiddle sounds like a dance at the end of the night�still having that sway but everyone�s grown pretty tired, which works well with the song�s theme of a man and woman who grow tired of one another, their dance coming to an end.
You�ve Seen These Guys Before
After telling you that I like Scanlon�s album partly due to the contribution of Tompson and Malone, you may be able to guess why I like Johnsmith�s Break Me Open. Tompson, Malone, and yes, Scott, lend tremendous support to Johnsmith�s tender-but-forceful folk.
�Back to the Mystery� comes out of that same place that captures the imagination of Peter Mayer�staring into the unknowns of the sky, hearing that hymnic folk melody. The country blues of �Pothole Season� resonates with any Midwestern driver�an extended metaphor for looking for hope beyond the edges of the bumps.
�Messy Thing� is a bluesy folk stomp through the difficulty of love with a rejuvenating spirit in Suzi Ragsdale�s call-and-response Gospel harmony vocal. The Appalachian blues of �Silver Creek� shows Johnsmith�s storytelling ability�and an appropriate song to use in my own Manitowoc County , Wisconsin , since our Silver Creek is under constant threat of pollution from farm run off. Johnsmith reminisces about his Silver Creek�s place in his memories, running through life with a giving spirit.
Besides Scott, Tompson, and Malone, Pauline Scanlon�s fiddler Stuart Duncan lends a hand on Johnsmith�s album as well. He delivers a funereal �Amazing Grace� introduction and motif to �Cold Cold Ground.� The song was written in memory of his brother, Davey. While the spiritual answers in this song don�t necessarily resonate with Gospel hope, the song puts to tight harmonies the oft-unspoken anger at the seemingly pointlessness of death.
Break Me Open also includes a cover of Darrell Scott�s �Love�s Not Through Me��a song that finds Johnsmith in his most tender folk voice. Johnsmith covers LJ Booth�s �Box Elder� with that same tender flair�a heart-breaking tune combining images of a box elder invasion and the crucifixion of Christ.
While covers of Scott and Booth are ample tributes, the cover song is most revealing tribute. �Lightnin� Hopkins tapped his foot,� and Johnsmith lets his foot tap in that same way, a blues prayer, a blues stomp on the edge of town, a singer/songwriter who can name the time of his conversion: seeing Hopkins�if only in the mind�s eye.
Mar
30
2007
Category : Reviews
Mar
26
2007
When the group made their first Grand Ole Opry appearance in early 1946, the revolutionary banjo style of Scruggs sent the crowd reeling and reports say that radio listeners were bewildered because all that could be heard over the air was the rambunctious crowd response drowning out the music.
This quintessential line-up lasted only two years, when Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs left the band and formed their own group Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys (for a short time in 1949 joined by Howard Watts). Monroe felt this was a personal affront and refused to speak to either man (or even be in the same room with them) for many years.
Flatt & Scruggs began appearing on other radio stations, most frequently in Knoxville where they began a long association with the Martha White Flour Mill, who sponsored a fifteen minute segment of the Grand Ole Opry. In 1953 the Martha White Company made the request that Flatt & Scruggs begin appearing on their segment of the Opry. In fear of offending Monroe, the Opry declined and Martha White began sponsoring a thirty minute morning show featuring the group.
1955 marked the year that the most enduring Foggy Mountain Boys line-up would assemble featuring Flatt on guitar and vocals, Scruggs on banjo (guitar on gospel numbers), Curly Seckler on mandolin, Paul Warren on fiddle, �Cousin Jake� Tullock on bass and �Uncle Josh� Graves on Dobro. Their success couldn�t be denied and they were made members of the Grand Ole Opry that year as well.
Their popularity also led to a regional television show called Flatt & Scruggs Grand Ole Opry (which must have really gotten Monroe�s goat) sponsored by Martha White and Pet Evaporated Milk and aired in parts of Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina and West Virginia. The show featured the playing of the group and an occasionally guest star and aired from 1955 to 1969 when the group disbanded.
In those days of television is was commonplace for a show to be recorded, aired and then recorded over, losing the contents forever. This was believed to be the fate of the Flatt & Scruggs Grand Ole Opry shows.
That is until 1989 when Bill Graham, who once worked for the ad agency that represented Martha White Mills, was cleaning out his garage and found a box containing 24 fully intact episodes of the show. He donated these precious pieces of Country and bluegrass music history to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Soon after this donation another source contacted the museum with 12 more episodes.
With the arduous process of transferring these fragile films to video complete, the CMHFM are releasing the rescued shows on DVD featuring shows from 1956 to 1962.
Each volume in the series will contain two complete shows which follow the same general format, a format that lays the groundwork for Country Music variety shows that followed such as The Wilburn Brothers Show, and the Porter Wagoner Show.
The show begins with an introduction from Grand Ole Opry announcer T. Tommy Cutrer who brings in Lester Flatt, who in turn welcomes the viewers (neighbors, as he calls us) and launches the band in to an opening number. The format that follows is roughly the same each week including a couple of songs from the band, a commercial for a Martha White product (complete with cooking demonstration) , a gospel number preceded by �Uncle Josh� Graves reading off a list of names from families and individuals who had sent in postcards and letter that week., a couple more numbers and another commercial, followed by a song, a comedy bit and a few more songs to round out the show.
The first two shows on Vol. 1 come from August 1961 and February 1962 and feature the band in top form. Watching them together, ribbing each other good naturedly between songs, it is evident that they get along like family and are having a lot of fun. The second show on the DVD (Feb. 1962) features a guest appearance by Hylo Brown. Brown was a member of the Foggy Mountain Boys starting in 1957 and his popularity prompted Flatt & Scruggs to start a second �division� for the Foggy Mountain Boys called the Timberliners. Hylo continued with the group until he went solo in 1961 and appears here in early 1962 singing two of his recent Capitol singles, �John Henry� and �Lovesick and Sorrow.�
The 2nd volume contains two shows from 1961 (July and August) that follow the format established on the first DVD release. The special guest on the second show (Aug. 1961) is the venerable Mother Maybelle Carter who plays one song on the guitar (�Wildwood Flower�) and another on autoharp (�The Liberty Dance�). This appearance comes just weeks before Flatt & Scruggs release Songs of the Famous Carter Family.
These two releases (and subsequent ones to follow) mark an incredible find and a treasure to fans of Bluegrass. Many of the early Bluegrass groups were not captured on film and with roster changes and artists passing on, the chance to see them doesn�t exist except in cases like these wonderfully put together DVDs.
Mar
21
2007
Category : Features
The event had been scheduled for the large outdoor stage but rain drove us inside to the much smaller indoor venue. Too many people and not enough room. Plastered to a wall feeling guilty for having a seat while most are forced to stand. I sit alone, alternating my gaze between a wall of fat asses and my watch, considering another hour and a half of this, and contemplating blowing the whole thing off when a voice fills the room and silences the din. It doesn’t take long to forget my discomfort.
The voice is large, kind of a cross between Joan Osborne and Janis Joplin, low to mid-range but powerful. The words are well-enunciated, easy to understand and the accompanying music instantly engages the room. People crowd in trying to get a look at the source of all of this, further diminishing my view of the stage and giving me a microscopic view of the asses. I rise to my feet in an act of desperation, like a diver breaking to the surface for a breath of air. I have to maneuver to find a crack to see through: when I do I spot a pretty blond head. The face sings with eyes closed and an almost pained expression, like the woman it belongs to has gone some other place for the words. When she does open her eyes, the travel of her gaze extends only to the microphone. I am sure she knows we are there, but her mind is focused on the job at hand, finding words and sounds from well-practiced territory and bringing them back to us.
Two men share the stage with the woman. One plays bass. He too plays with closed eyes, in perfect sync with the woman. The other plays drums.
The first song is very good. The second proves that the first was no fluke: this woman can sing. By the third song the woman finally acknowledges that she shares the room with the rest of us, but just between songs. She always sings from this other world.
By the time the set is done, an hour of nothing but very good music and well-crafted original songs, I know I have witnessed a rising star. Those that participate on the American Idol show should be thankful: if this young woman showed up, they’d all be packing their bags and going home.
After the set, I give up my seat in exchange for breathing space and move to the back of the room, then to the yard outside and stand in the rain. I finally decide to leave. I can hear Lucinda on the CD player in my pickup truck and there’s no place inside the building I want to be that allows me a view of the stage. On the way out, I see the face of the woman, sitting behind a table near the door, selling CD’s. It’s attached to a much smaller body than I anticipate. I am left wondering how so much sound can come from this petite person. The bass player sits beside her.
I walk up, introduce myself and buy a CD, after signing and giving them a couple of books I had brought for Lucinda. On the way home I listen to the CD, read the jacket and listen more. I discover that not only do the songs sound good; there is substance to go with the sound, and the woman, Erica Wennerstrom, has written all of them.
Remember that name. If you get the chance, go see the Heartless Bastards. They’ll be opening for Lucinda for a while longer, but with the talent they have, it won’t be long before they are the main act and filling rooms on their own merit. Lucinda is opening the door: the Heartless Bastards tear up the place once inside. The CD I bought is well worth your time. The Heartless Bastards’ Web site has a good preview of their music.
The sound might be a little hard for some; I am tempted to call it Rock and Roll, but if Cross Canadian Ragweed qualifies as Americana, then so can the Heartless Bastards
Mar
19
2007
Songs featured on the album include hits such as �City Lights,� �Run Boy,� �San Antonio Rose,� and the title track �Invitation to the Blues� written by Price�s bass player, Roger Miller (who plays bass and sings harmony on the track).
Recommended listening for any fan of classic Country at its finest.
Mar
19
2007
In the recent past there have been relevant and excellent albums from Bobby Bare, Kris Kristofferson and Charlie Louvin. Willie Nelson had two albums out last year and Merle Haggard one. This year they team up with long time pal Ray Price to produce a fantastic 2-disc set covering a wide breadth of Country Music.Last of the Breed (Lost Highway) is the first album to team up all three Country legends and also the first to team Haggard and Price.Ray Price began his career in 1946 in the Dallas area with appearances on the Big D Jamboree radio barn dance. He soon moved to Nashville to pursue a major label contract, finally signing to Columbia in 1951. A year after signing, Price had his first top ten hit with “Talk To Your Heart” and soon after met his hero, Hank Williams.Hank took a liking to young Price and soon gave him a song to sing (“Weary Blues”) and took Price on the road. One of Price’s duties turned out to be standing in for Williams when he was too incapacitated to perform. In 1953, Williams died and Price inherited his backing band, The Drifting Cowboys.With the Drifting Cowboys backing him, and the ghost of his hero guiding him, Price continued to tour and hone his sound. In late 1954 he realized that to forge his own place in Country Music, he would have to assemble his own band and concentrate on his own sound.In 1956, Price continued in the hard country, honky-tonk vein Williams first mined, but added his own distinctive style, scoring chart hits with “Run Boy” and “Crazy Arms.” He also traded out the Drifting Cowboys for a new band, the Cherokee Cowboys, made up predominately of ex-band members of another of his heroes, Lefty Frizzell.Meanwhile on the other side of the country, in California, another Frizzell fan was on his way to realizing his dreams of becoming a musician. Merle Haggard had been playing music only for a short time when a man approached him in a club in 1956 and asked him to appear on a television show in Missouri. The experience wasn’t a great one for Haggard and he decided to move back to Bakersfield.At the same time, a young songwriter and disc jockey decided to make a run at a recording career and went to Vancouver, Washington to record a song written by Leon Payne the writer of one of Hank Williams’ best known songs “Lost Highway.” Nelson played the song on his radio shows stimulating sales and gaining encouragment to continue.As the Fifties gave way to the Sixties, Price continued his hit making streak, while different fortunes struck his peers, Haggard and Nelson.After returning to Bakersfield, Haggard, having a hard time finding work, ran afoul of the law and was soon arrested after trying to break into a restaurant that was, unfortunately for Haggard and his accomplice, still open for business. Having a long juvenile record, he was sentenced to San Quentin prison.Nelson, who had continued to write songs after the encouragement of Leon Payne and others, also was in need of cash and sold an early song, “Family Bible,” for $50. Hearing the song on the radio in 1960, he decided to make an attempt at getting a contract in Nashville. Unfortunately at that time, if they ever were, Nashville wasn’t ready for the offbeat sound of Nelson’s voice. But the power and beauty of his songwriting shone brightly through the rough demos.Fellow songwriter and recording artist Hank Cochran used his clout to help Nelson get signed to a publishing deal with Pamper music – co-owned by Ray Price. Recognizing something special, Price recorded Nelson’s “Night Life” and invited him to join the Cherokee Cowboys as bass player.While playing with Price, Nelson watched his songs hit the top of the charts sung by stars he admired: Faron Young (“Hello Walls”), Patsy Cline (“Crazy”), Billy Walker (“Funny How Time Slips Away”). During that time he also signed a recording contract with Liberty Records and in 1962 scored two top ten singles of his own.In California, Haggard himself was picking up the bass. After being released from prison in early 1962, he made his way back to the Bakersfield clubs and was soon asked to join the band of early Bakersfield sound pioneer Wynn Stewart. Haggard heard Stewart practicing a new song and asked his boss if he could record it himself. Stewart obliged and “Sing a Sad Song” became a national hit sending Haggard on his own path to stardom.The late Sixties would see Haggard’s star rise high while Nelson’s began to fade and his dreams of being a recording star buried by his songwriting success. The Nashville Sound was taking shape and the sales of hard-country music began to wane. In response, Price began to record a more crooning style more acquainted with singers like Eddy Arnold and drew sharp criticism from his many fans.As the Seventies bloomed, Haggard was one of the hottest stars in Country Music. Nelson, on the other hand, left Nashville in discouragement and returned to Austin, Tx. Where his career exploded. For Price, hits were becoming hard to come by and the lush sounds he had adopted in the ‘60s were losing favor.Even as these stars continued their separate careers, their paths would cross from time to time. Nelson invited Price to record an album of duets in 1980 and San Antonio Rose featured Price returning to a Western Swing sound he had moved on from in the early ‘60s as he and Nelson ran through an inspired set of old favorites and songs Price had made famous.In 1983, Nelson and Haggard teamed up to produce the No. 1 album (and No. 1 single) Pancho and Lefty. The duo came together again in 1987 for Seashores of Old Mexico, while the re-teaming of Nelson and Price would be 23 years after the San Antonio Rose with 2003’s Run That By Me One More Time.Now, in 2007, these three superstars combine their still incredible talents on Last of the Breed.The song list runs from the ‘40s to the ‘70s, with two new songs put into the mix. The album kicks off with “My Life’s Been A Pleasure,” a song from the Bob Wills repertoire that was covered by Nelson and Price on San Antonio Rose and Nelson and Haggard on Pancho & Lefty. The song is the perfect kick-off. Having been covered by various configurations of the artists, it shows the way they came up with the material to record, like an old-fashioned guitar pull where the artists sing whatever they know, sharing tunes that might not be as familiar with the others. It also exhibits another factor in picking the material – to show the influences of these great artists.Throughout the 22 song set the enthusiasm and respect for the material is evident. The backing band is made up of a mix of studio legends (Boots Randolph (saxophone), Buddy Emmons (pedal steel), Charlie McCoy (harmonica) and Johnny Gimble (fiddle) and newer hotshots (Aubrey Haynie (fiddle) and Brent Mason (guitar)). Vince Gill guess to lend harmony to Ray Price as he sings the Harlan Howard classic “Heartaches by the Numbers” while Kris Kristofferson alternates verses with Nelson and Price on his classic “Why Me.”There are two originals on the album, “Sweet Jesus,” a modern hymn to the Savior by Haggard and “Back to Earth” by Nelson, which is originally found on last years Songbird. While the song was a standout on that album, the production here brings a more classic quality to it as legendary producer Fred Foster (who produced Nelson’s other album from last year You Don’t Know Me: Songs of Cindy Walker) brings his immense understanding of the artists and their talents to the table.Oral tradition has always played a part in folk music, even in early Country Music, as one generation passed important songs of the day on to younger generations. In one sense this is exactly what N
elson, Haggard and Price are doing here, passing on a wealth of classic songs, songs that shouldn’t be forgotten and that should be passed on for generations to enjoy. As people lament the death of “real Country Music” legendary artists are still producing works of art such as Last of the Breed.
Mar
14
2007
Category : Features
Gillian Welch (& David Rawlings) "One More Dollar" from the album Revival
(Produced by T Bone Burnett, 1996. Grammy nominated Best Contemporary Folk Album.)
INTRODUCTION
Americana music is not a type of Country Music. It�s not Bluegrass, either. It�s not Rock-a-Billy or Appalachian or Folk. It doesn�t need prefix modifiers like: Neo-, Alt-, Revivalist-, or Retro-.
In fact, I think one of the difficulties in talking about Americana music is that when we use this term, we usually think we�re applying it to a genre of music, a style or sound as if we should be able to go into a music store and easily find it under a heading, distinct like �Rock�, �Rap�, �Country�. I think it�s a slippery term because it�s not about a place for music to sit, but a place where it comes from. It�s not so much a type of music as a type of artist. It�s more of an overarching term for that organic music that can�t be suppressed and just comes out of people, rather than music made for purposes of filling bins and airtime and wallets. Americana music is involuntary. These are artists, not just musicians. And wrapped up in this type of expression is the very important element of story telling.
And so, Americana artists are a wide-ranging and restless group who express themselves in so many different ways it�s no wonder the only folks that seem to be able to apply the term very properly is the listeners and the artists, leaving those involved in running The Machine to scratch their heads and wonder what to do with these records.
Sometimes artists produce a song, maybe even an album, that perfectly encapsulates the gestalt of a time period. It will bring you back to a year, a feeling, a person and her perfume; it stands for someone we once were. These become signposts or mile markers in our past. They stay right there, reminding us of 1996, 1926 or 2026.
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings don�t make that kind of music.
METHODS
If you listen to music reviewers, they will usually tell you that Gillian & David make Old Time Music. I think reviewers say this because Gill & Dave�s music is organic, pure, distilled, concentrated� and they make it mainly using instruments that have been around a long time. But I don�t think it�s correct to call it Old Time Music. It is my opinion that they make music outside of time.
In fact, most people used to make this kind of music back before the industrial revolution turned artists into assembly line workers. So, it�s easy to see why Gill & Dave are considered by some to be Old Time Musicians: because they make music that reminds us of the kind of music people used to make when music was not produced to fit neatly into identifiable slots. Indeed, Gill & Dave create musical postcards, acoustographs, songs that outline people and their stories with music coloring in the emotions. And from the snapshot we�re given, we know the people in the stories have histories and futures. They write and sing about people we know; sometimes they even write about us.
Some artists make their mark by stretching the bounds of their particular flavor of music and end up occasionally crystallizing a moment of time; the best of this type of undertaking can define a generation. Others make music to deliberately match a story or idea or emotion rooted inside them, and at their best, they may occasionally produce a single example that defines their genre.
I don�t think that one could find a more definitive example of Americana music than that which Gillian Welch and David Rawlings produce. Among their excellent body of work is a song that I think exemplifies a perfect marriage of story, theme, lyric and pathos with songwriting excellence and shows off their particular talent of musicianship, harmony and interplay: One More Dollar, from their 1996 album Revival. Speaking holistically, if I were to choose a single song to represent Americana, this one would be on my short list.
RESULTS
The story Gill tells in this song is an effective, visceral version of a theme common to the �Old Time Music� genre that her music finds itself – the story of a protagonist leaving his home and his love in order to make some money, with plans of returning as soon as the illusive next dollar is made. This story may be one of the universal themes that we can all relate to, working hard and making a personal sacrifice with the expectations of a better life just to come� and of missing home.
A long time ago I left my home
For a job in the fruit trees
But I missed those hills with the windy pines
For their song seemed to suit me
One more dime to show for my day
One more dollar and I’m on my way
When I reach those hills, boys, I’ll never roam
One more dollar and I’m going home
As Gill and David sing, David�s guitar resonates the great distance between past and future, between intention and outcome, between hope and loss, and we share that longing for home, share the ache produced from a detached existence, understand the regret born from poor decisions, long shots that haven�t paid off, measures that come up short.
The story continues and time reveals an uncooperative fate:
No work said the boss at the bunk house door,
There’s a freeze on the branches,
So when the dice came out at the bar downtown,
I rolled and I took my chances
A long time ago I left my home
Just a boy passing twenty
Could you spare a coin and a Christian prayer
For my luck has turned against me
Their musical style and instrumentation combine with their acclaimed, unique and perfectly balanced vocal harmony to match the lyrical environment Gillian has set for her character. These elements form to produce an obvious first impression of the song being set in the past. The lyrics �One more dime to show for my day…� and ��a job in the fruit trees�, as well as an allusion to living in a bunk house, missing the �hills� and �pines� of home, and the brokenness of asking for �a coin or Christian prayer� add richness and specific imagery to create a story that is very likely set in depression-era Appalachia. And though this affective song works perfectly well at that level, I think its enduring power comes from our ability to immediately and personally relate with it in our own current and specific circumstances.
Though I had listened to the album and loved this song since I found Gillian Welch in the late �90s, I found myself as this story�s lead character a few years ago. Just as the young man in the story had done, I had left home and was trying to make my living, following the promise of work. I was also sending my money back home and pining for the same hills as the fellow Gillian sings about. And as I sat there in my Iraqi bunk house I found my own fate just as fluid and unmanageable as he found his. Also like him, I swore that I�d never again leave home, if I could just do my time and make it back there.
I�m sure this song would be poignant to any immigrant of opportunity who has pined for home, hilly or otherwise. It is a powerful song, has a nearly universal emotion-laden topic, and is a great example of art done right: compelling story, unique specifics applied to a relevant shared theme, a perfect match of medium to message, and excellent technical execution that synergistically combine to produce an emotionally resonant and soulful work of art as a whole.
CONCLUSION
I don�t think Gillian�s music is Old Timey, nor do I think her stories are of long ago people. They are timeless. She sings of lovers and addictions, hope and loss, light and pain, family and work, God and humanity, decisions and consequences, and women and men. Of course like any good writing, her stories have people, and her people have stories; But her songs are great because her people have people and her stories have stories. They are relevant and universal and without time. This song, One More Dollar, is an excellent example of songcrafting done right. It moves me because it�s about me� it�s about all of us.
This song is about regular folks� but it�s not Folk Music; it chronicles our country, but it�s not Country Music. It is Americana.
Gillian Welch has made 4 full length albums and has contributed to many collections and tribute albums, and was one of the major thrusts behind the �Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?� movement. She and David Rawlings continue to tour, make music, influence other musicians and define Americana.
Doc English has been a combat medic and an officer in the US Navy, worked with the USMC as a researcher in the field of Medical Ecology. He is currently is a professor of animal ecology and researches mating behaviors, acoustic properties of mating calls and consequences of mate choice among animals that use acoustics as part of their mating ritual. It may not be coincidental that he also enjoys traditional styles of music, in particular the rich and varied styles of Americana.
Mar
07
2007
Category : Reviews
Kevin Deal – Roll
Any guy whose band’s backup vocals come from The Moron Tavern Cackle Choir instantly has my attention. So it is with Kevin Deal on his new album Roll on Blind Nello Records. Deal is yet another Texas Troubadour who unfortunately is not known well outside of Texas. While music seems his passion, he has covered the bills over the years with his own masonry company. He definitely plays workin’ man’s music and fortunately he hasn’t injured his guitar and harmonica playin’ hands with a trowel. His music has a bluesified country honky tonk sound somewhat like a bluesier Steve Earle. Kevin’s deep gruff voice lends itself well to his often humorous tales of drinking, the road and relationships. He lets us know how he operates on the first rocker "Just the Way I Roll" saying he basically tries to "keep it ‘tween the ditches". Harmonica and electric guitars contribute to the bluesy feel of the CD while mandolin and violin add a country feel. "Road Trip" is another great tune with lots of harmonica and guitar. "Luck of the Irish" features accordion giving it a "Copperhead Road" sound. "By the Side of the Road" and "Texas & Beer" are also good tunes. On the latter Kevin sings "Texas and Beer, does it get any better than this?" Only if you add great music! – Don Zelazny
Ryan Bales Band – Revival
The Ryan Bales Band hails from San Marcos Texas. Their first CD Revival was actually released in 2006. The entire band is under 30 but have been together for about 3 years, fine tuning their songs live before finally recording the CD. They play a raw Southern Rock type of music somewhat reminiscent of Cross Canadian Ragweed. Their is nothing fancy about these guys or the music they play. They’re a traditional 4 piece band with guitar, bass and drums and vocals. The songs are simple; verse, chorus, guitar solo followed on most songs. Ryan’s rough voice fits well with the bands high energy music. There is nothing groundbreaking on the disc, but if you want an upbeat album to play loudly at a party, check out Revival. – Don Zelazny
Devon Sproule – Keep Your Silver Shined (City Salvage Records)
25 year old Devon Sproule has just released her fourth album Keep Your Silver Shined. She was born in Ontario, Canada but spent much of her childhood on a commune in Virginia. Drawing off her memories of Virginia seems to be the likely inspiration for this album. Eight of the ten tracks on the album are originals by Devon. Another song is a beautiful rendition of the traditional tune "The Weeping Willow," featuring fellow Virginian Mary Chapin Carpenter on vocals. One other, "Eloise & Alex" was written by Sproule’s husband of two years Paul Curreri, a prominent musician in his own right, who also plays nylon-string guitar on the song. So much talent in one family!
The album has hints of old time jazz, vintage country, folk and probably a few other styles as well as a very diverse selection of instruments. Two of my favorites, "Let’s Go Out" and "Does the Day Feel Long?" feature clarinet, guitar and accordion. The sparse "Old Virginia Block" opens the album and features six string banjo, harmonica and fiddle. Pedal steel, mandolin, organ, thumb piano and ‘trash kit’ are featured on other tunes. Wonderful production by Jeff Romano make all these combinations sound great. Jeff has also worked with Corey Harris and Dave Matthews among others. I never felt the instrument combinations sounded odd, although on a few of the songs it did seem like Devon was trying to fit in too many lyrics into the space available.
This lady has a great deal of versatility and obvious songwriting skills, writing such a diverse collection of tunes at such a young age. This ability the people she surrounds herself with would seem to guarantee continued success for her. Although I don’t know what to expect, I certainly look forward to hearing more from Devon Sproule and friends in the future. – Don Zelazny
Mark Collie – Rose Covered Garden (Highway 64 Records)
It has been a while since we have heard anything from Mark Collie. In fact, you have to go back 8 years since his last studio release. His latest CD, titled Rose Covered Garden, takes us all the way back to his roots.
This is an all acoustic CD, with only Mark and his guitar. Collie also wrote all 10 songs which appear here. He does a masterful job here using his guitar to play off his well written melodies. Collie also included a salutary song for his friend Johnny Cash, titled �Song for John�, complete with the Cash guitar sounds.
This CD has a good mixture of slower passionate songs, and upbeat toe tappers as well. Highlighting the upbeat songs is a humorous take on �Shackles & Chains.� This song is sure to have you singing along with the chorus. The title cut � Rose Covered Garden �, coincidently, is also based around prison life. It is a great story only Collie could tell, with compelling feeling and passion. Another passionate tune is �Wildflowers�, which may well be the best written song here.
If you enjoy acoustical music, then this cd is definitely for you. Collie does a great job, and hopefully he does not wait another 8 years to follow this one up. � John Walker
American Catapult – Trees of Mystery
The new release from the Southern California quartet American Catapult is a fairy straight ahead alt/country-americana disc. Nothing on the CD strays too far from this style. Their "Garage-Band" homepage says they sound like Son Volt, Counting Crows and Wilco. In fact, the band name apparently stems from the Counting Crows song "Catapult." The band has released several CDs the past few years, but has spent the majority of the time touring. Vocalist/guitarist Tom Townsend says in a press release that the band has had great difficulty finding decent places to play, and in trying to find an audience have played in all sorts of "arenas" including a laundromat, rest stops and an abandoned airfield. That’s a band dedicated to touring and reaching new fans! They deserve our attention just for that!
Of the eleven cuts on Trees of Mystery I especially liked the rockin’ opening cut "This Time" and the closing cut "Disappointment Is", one of the slower songs on the CD. "Stingray" and "Find Another Way" are also good listens. I enjoyed the disc more with each listen, yet if American Catapult is to grow and reach a wider audience they will likely need to develop a wider songwriting style for a bit more diversity while keeping their Americana Roots (play on words intentional!). – Don Zelazny
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Asleep At The Wheel – Reinventing The Wheel (Bismeaux Productions)
Asleep At The Wheel has long led the way as one of the best Western Swing bands. They do not disappoint with their latest release entitled Reinventing The Wheel. With the recent addition of female singer Elizabeth McQueen, the band has strengthened their already powerful harmonies.
From the very start, you can tell this is going to be a fun one. The Blind Boys of Alabama make an appearance on the Bob Wills opening cut �The Devil Ain�t Lazy.� The tempo never dies down after that, as the band takes us on a swinging tour of other past classics including another Bob Wills song �Misery,� sang masterfully by fiddler Jason Roberts, and �The Cape� written by Guy Clark, in which Benson soulfully closes out the cd.
As always, the instrumentals and harmonies are what set Asleep At The Wheel apart from others. Jason Roberts, who also writes and sings �Am I Right (or Amarillo ),� has the fiddle and mandolin sizzling throughout. The band stretches its legs and gets moving on the Benson penned instrumental entitled �Pop a Wheelie,� which features Rolf Sieker on banjo.
Other songs here which are sure to keep you hopping include another Benson song called �Hot Like That�, and a toe tapping remake of the 1949 Louis Jordan classic �Saturday Night Fish Fry.�
This CD may well be one of their best, as the addition of McQueen adds more quality range, and includes a strong mixture of new and classic material. – John Walker
The Rounders – Wish I had You
If you are not familiar with The Rounders, they are a 5 piece outfit from Oklahoma City that has been together since 2000. They are ‘labeled’ as a blues-rock band but really are much more than that. Their new CD, Wish I Had You is The Rounders first release on the Blind Pig record label, which incidentally was founded in the basement of one of my favorite live music bars, The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The band members list R.L. Burnside as a main influence, yet I heard more of this influence on one of their previous releases, Little Bitty Can of Worms which had more of a country-blues feel than their new release. Wish I had You is highlighted by Brian Whitten’s vocals, which are very solid, easily handling either up tempo rockin’ tunes, or slower county-blues type songs. The guitar playing is also solid. With the guitar lines from guitarists Ryan Taylor and Michael Stone frequently mirroring the vocals I found some of these lines getting stuck in my head after only one listen. That’s a sign of catchy tunes. The standout tracks for me are ‘You Know Better Than That’, ‘Through No Fault of My Own’ and ‘Oh, My Dear Mind’, which is easily my favorite new tune of the year so far.
If you are old enough to appreciate ‘album cover art’, this groups "albums" are worth it for the cover art alone! I would love to see this band live. They are a tight unit who would satisfy blues, rock, or just plain good music fans! "Hey guys, how about playing a gig in Michigan…perhaps the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor?" – Don Zelazny
Rocky Votolato -The Brag & Cuss
Lets make this easy. If you are reading this review on this website, you should really enjoy the new CD from Seattle resident Rocky Votolato. Although still young, Rocky has been on the music scene for a long time now. He was raised in rural Texas by his mother and biker father who listened to who you’d expect, Cash, Willie, Steve Earle. He moved to Seattle with his mother before high school. In high school Rocky really acquired a taste for music, especially the underground indie sounds coming out of Seattle at the time. He played in a number of bands, eventually fronting the punk band Waxwing. Rocky stated that he often found himself writing stuff with a bit too much ‘twang’ for the bands he was in, so eventually he gave in to the pull of his early life in Texas and started writing songs on his own.
The Brag & Cuss is Rocky’s 5th solo release, and is a departure from the styles found on previous CDs. On some of his early releases, such as Suicide Machine Rocky still seemed to be influenced by his early punk days. His singing was louder and angrier than on the new record. His more recent ‘breakthrough’ release Makers was more minimalist folk, highlighting guitar and voice and drawing comparisons to Elliott Smith both in sound and subject, i.e. drugs, relationship problems. The Brag & Cuss is different in that Rocky moves away from the ‘singer-songwriter’ format and dives more into alternative country band territory. This is definitely a ‘band’ record. The disc, well produced by both Rocky and Casey Foubert, features a wide variety of instruments played by musicians borrowed from many other bands. Included are James McAllister (Sufjan Stevens) on drums, Jesse Sykes bassist Bill Herzog, and Rick Steff on piano, Hammond B-3 organ and accordion (Cat Power, Hank Williams Jr.). The band sounds like it has played together forever, with subtle but effective use of the accompanying instruments.
Some of the same subject matter of previous releases is still there; relationships, whiskey, memories, but you don’t feel dejected after listening to The Brag & Cuss. These are mostly mid-tempo songs with a few slower ones thrown in, such as "Whiskey Straight" and "Silver Trees", backed mainly by acoustic guitar and harmonica. The highlights for me are "Your Darkest Eyes", "Time is a Debt", and my favorite track "Red Wagon Wishes" where we are reminded to "just watch your step, don’t fall between the blanks in your memories". Rocky is now touring supporting the new album with a full band, made up mainly of members of the now defunct band Drag the River. Based on this new album I imagine if they come by your way they would be well worth seeing live! – Don Zelazny
everybodyfields – plague of dreams
There�s something about the way notes bend on a resophonic guitar that just makes you want to cry. No really, a good country record can reach in and make your heart ache. The everybodyfields and their down-tempo ballads may take some time to marinate but the tunes come from somewhere deeper.
Jill Andrews (vocals, bass and guitar) and Sam Quinn (vocals, bass and guitar) share songwriting and vocal responsibilities. Their sophomore release features down-tempo ballads stolen from a different time. Their vocals blend in harmony over bending steel guitar and fiddle strings. In Andrews �By Your Side,� her clean vocals �These old hills are my home but I�ve seen them for too long, / I�m gonna burn the ropes and be on our way we�re reach the sea.� It�s the sort of ambling lyrics that fit so well with the Angela Oudean�s fiddle.
Andrews �Baby Please,� showcases her crystal clean angelic voice. She begins the song like a heart-broken girl in an empty bar. Instead of a slow ballad, Andrews and Quinn quickly turn the song into a declaration. �Don�t wanna talk no more . . . wanna be scootin across the floor with a buzz on.� Andrews sings of the joy of getting lost in a song.
The slower numbers lack the punch of the fast ones. Despite his unique vocals, Quinn�s songs are not as consistent. The clear standout, and perhaps the best track on the album is his tune �Good to be Home.� His trembling croon contains the kind of poetic detail every country song should have. The whining fiddle notes bend and drench the story in the beauty. He sings:
In my mind every single day is sunny,
It�s so bright it almost hurts my eyes to see,
When the rain is pouring out over the gutters,
I thank the lord just to be here in Tennessee.
The song paints a picture of life in a town and the idealization of home.
�Good to be Home� harkens back to Quinn�s �T.V.A.� which won 1st place in the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest 2005 at Merlefest. The track hails from the everybodyfields� debut �half-way there: electricity and the south�
Quinn�s trembling voice and Andrews� clean soprano fill out the chorus harmonies nicely. The everybodyfields manage a record with strong compositions and voices that sound like they grew up by the �apples by the baseball bat in august.� Theirs is the stark beauty of a simple life, far from the countrypolitan. Let�s hope they keep passing it on.
Jayson Bales & the Revival - Cruel & Unusual
Jason Bales is either a financial advisor moonlighting as a musician, or a musician daylighting as a financial advisor in Dallas. In any case, with a family and the above obligations, he’s a very busy guy. His latest album with his band The Revival is titled Cruel & Unusual, his first record for Pampelmoose Records. Hopefully it is not his results as a financial planner that have inspired these songs, because this is not the happiest bunch of songs. On "X Street" he sings, "we’ve all been educated/but the truths they taught us are highly overrated." X Street is also where we find "a woman in a stained blue dress with a white house badge around her neck and a cigar in her left hand". Don’t end up on X Street. The songs vary between up-tempo lively (depressing) Americana tunes driven by electric guitars, and slower ballads such as "Amy’s Song."
My favorite songs on the CD are sad the sad laments, I Wonder Where You Are Tonight?, and Why Don’t You Cry Anymore?, as well as the rocker Lazarus Banquet Table at which "Peter says to John, and John says to Paul, do you ever get tired, wish you could just be Saul?"
Uplifting this is not. Nothing blew me away, but Jayson Bales & the Revival have put together a very listenable album that will keep your head bobbing, your toe tapping and your soul crying. – Don Zelazny
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Cracker & Camper Van Beethoven (MVD Visual)
In the 1980s the band Camper Van Beethoven was one of those bands that was often without a genre playing music that came before the indie rock explosion and the roots rock craze, but that would fit into either. By the dawn of the 90s the band had disbanded and singer/guitarist David Lowery formed the roots-influenced rock band Cracker. With hits like �Euro-Trash Girl,� �Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now),� and �Low� the band became a hit on the Modern Rock radio charts while the line-up remained unstable. Lowery used time between recording and touring to produce acts like Joan Osborne and Counting Crows. This DVD documents a two-day festival that featured reunited line-ups of Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker as well as solo sets from Camper members Johnny Hickman and Victor Krummenacher. – CEB
Leonard Cohen: Under Review 1934-1977 (Sexy Intellectual)
This 90-minute documentary features rare interviews and photographs combined with interviews with former producers, band mates and critics such as Robert Christgau to review the work of Leonard Cohen as he moved from poetry and fiction writing to songwriting. Each of Cohen�s early works is taken individually and reviewed by the panel members adding insights into his life and work. – CEB
Tim Buckley: My Fleeting House (MVD Visual)
Tim Buckley is somewhat of a cult artist who is sometimes lost in the shuffle, but, thanks in part to the attention garnered by his son, Jeff Buckley, is gaining the opportunity for his music to reach a new audience. Buckley recorded nine albums in his brief career that spanned 1967 to 1974 when he died from a heroin overdose. Never content to rest on the critical praise from the last album, Buckley moved his music from folk to progressive jazz while maintaining the acoustic twelve string underpinnings and folk lyricism. This new documentary provides us with rare performances from a variety of late-60s/early-70s television shows as well as rare interview clips. This serves as a great introduction to Buckley�s work through critical interviews with band mates, producers and co-writers. – CEB
Born In the Honey: The Pinetop Perkins Story (Vizztone)
At age 93 blues pianist Pinetop Perkins is still rocking with the best of them. �Born in the Honey� provides a comprehensive look at Perkins life from growing up in the Mississippi Delta to migrating North and becoming a sideman for such legends as Sonny Boy Williamson, Earl Hooker and Muddy Waters. Starting his solo career at age 83 Perkins began to revel in the spotlight and continues to this day. Not only is this the story of Pinetop Perkins, it also serves as an overview of the migration north many African-Americans embarked on in the 1930s and 1940s. It is a fascinating story and one more than worthy of the DVD treatment. Also packaged with the DVD is a CD containing 9 live tracks and one rare studio track. – CEB
Chris Knight � Trailer Tapes (Drifter’s Church)
This is Chris Knight distilled to his essence. Just him and his guitar sitting in front of a couple of mics and letting the songs come out. Some of the songs on this disc have been floating around in bootleg form for several years, but included here are cleaned up versions (cleaned up by Ray Kennedy and overly cleaned up or anything) and a few songs never passed around.
The songs are pure Chris Knight telling stories of small towns and people that, if you grew up in one of those towns, you know. Three of the songs here have been released in full-band format on his other projects (�Something Changed,� �House and 90 Acres� and If I Were You�), but hearing them in this way is hearing them anew – the rawness lends itself to the picture being painted. Other stand outs include �Rita�s Only Fault� and Hard Edges.� Highly recommended! – CEB
Jack Cooke -Sittin� On Top of the World (Pinecastle Records)
Jack Cooke didn�t write any of the songs on Sittin� On Top of the World, the first solo album from the 37-year veteran of Ralph Stanley�s Clinch Mountain Boys. But he has lived these songs, year in and year out, and you hear it in every note.
As bassist for Ralph Stanley for the better part of four decades, Cooke has been there since the days of back road schoolhouse and VFW hall one-nighters. If you�ve listened to bluegrass for any length time you know these songs all too well; songs like �On and On,� �Dark Hollow,� �Long Black Veil� and the title track. You might even be tempted to think songs like these are just clich�s at this point. But listening to the intuitive interplay on �Dark Hollow� for example, confirms the relevance that these classics hold today in the hands of those that have the depth and experience to truly interpret them.
This project largely came at the instigation of Jim Lauderdale. There�s no more empathic producer out there for this kind of material and with Lauderdale at the helm, the rare occurrence of real mountain soul is allowed to come to full fruition.
Heartfelt music like this remains a very special thing. With the expected superb backup from musicians like Del McCoury, Ronnie McCoury, Rob McCoury, Mike Bub, David Grisman, James Alan Shelton, Jim Lauderdale and the master himself, Ralph Stanley, one gets the impression that every note, sung and played, is there for a reason, a very good reason. – Joel Schwelling
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Howler – Howl At The Blues
Howler lays down a Southern Rock blues vamp as Stephen Foster chants out his complaints in �I�m Mad as Hell (And I�m Not Going to Take It).� As the verses do a hesitation jam, Foster�s vocal cadence matches like another instrument in the mix. The song�s rant is equal opportunity (Republicans and Democrats), and he touches on quite a few categories making it the kind of song that lets just about anyone blow off.
Elsewhere, Stephen Foster & Howler lay down fairly routine country blues rock, although tracks like �Wearin� a Hole in the Blues� swing along enjoyably.
Yet, Foster & Howler�s strength are in the blues vamp/chants �I�m Mad as Hell� and the album closer �Why Do They Go?� Here Foster can take on the role of grumbling, disenchanted, ornery blues man, and Howler as a band can let that tension grow as the vamp plays on. – Ben Squires
Eddie Turner – The Turner Diaries (Northern Blues Music)
Reviewing Eddie Turner�s debut solo release, Rise, from 2005, I quickly came up with the comparisons: Jimi Hendrix, Keb� Mo�, Lenny Kravitz, and Vernon Reid (Living Colour). However, now with the 2006 sophomore disc, The Turner Diaries, I�m seeing all comparisons in a different light. Turner makes new music that�s like the old blueprints for the music that came before him. There�s no way that Turner could�ve inspired the sounds I�m hearing, but he makes you believe that he�s the one that launched those riffs.
The funk of the Spin Doctors was really just a pale imitation of Turner�s new song, �New Day.� When the Doors covered Willie Dixon�s �Back Door Man,� really they were trying to follow in Turner�s future footsteps on �Shake 4 Me.� On �Jody,� I can imagine Keb� Mo�, Robert Cray, and Motown all taking inspiration from Eddie Turner.
The disc kicks off with �Dangerous,� built on a dangerous guitar lick like in Classic Rock, but here you get the whole deal. With mic test intact (�Check one, two�) and some feedback, �Cost of Freedom� is like the blazing core to a Living Colour song. �I�m a Man, I�m a Man� evokes that Country Blues on the Victrola that I hear referenced so many places today, such as Jars of Clay�s �Trouble Is� (Who We Are Instead).
Spiritually, The Turner Diaries doesn�t have as many easy hooks as Rise, but certainly, in the African rhythmic pulse of the title track, we�re meeting Turner in conversation with his doubt and our own��Believe us, deceive us.� Turner is also know as �Devilboy,� and Jeff Jaisun (BluesToDo.com) has said, �If anybody ever went down to the Crossroads and let the Devil tune his guitar, it was probably Eddie Turner.� The Turner Diaries challenges you to face head on the legend of blues and the devil, but even in these darker tunes which point towards the limited light of our sight (�Some say heaven is a far away land/I only know what I can see�), I still find truths that seek the light which sets you free. – BS
The Miller Brothers Band – Tales From Foundry Town
The Miller Brothers Band delivers up some good soul blues on Tales from Foundry Town. There�s a real blues feel to the songs��Wolf at Your Door� even has an Eddie Turner-like riff. However, with outstanding keys from Bob Ramsey, soulful backup singing from Gia Ciambotti and Sharon Celani, plus a Motown bass line from Tommy Miller and Mark Tomorsky. It�s a bit like the Commitments tapping into soul, funk, blues, and Motown, although the Miller Brothers Band serve up all originals. – BS
Amy Speace – Songs for Bright Street (Wildflower Records)
With Michelle Shocked soul, Amy Speace & the Tearjerks lay down Songs for Bright Street, an American Folk album that lands near Shawn Colvin, Eliza Gilkyson, Catie Curtis, and Lucy Kaplansky, but could just as well be Country-influenced Rock or Blues Rock at times. Speace can speak like Ani Difranco, but she can also croon like Susan Tedeshci (�Not the Heartless Kind�). Lead guitarist/producer James Mastro works his magic like Bo Ramsey to Greg Brown. Embraced by the grass-roots crowd, there�s more here than just another Alison Krauss. �Shed This Skin� is like June Carter Cash with Maria McKee. – BS
Billy Coulter
Billy Coulter is still touring and playing in support of his 2003 self-titled release�a CD worthy enough of a follow up for this D.C. songwriter and band. The songs are Blues Rock layered on top of Country-influenced Rock and Folk-influenced American Rock. �Disconnected� gives a blues ride to the sound of the BoDeans. �Too Far� is like a blues man meeting Adam Duritz for a ballad. A Gordon Lightfoot acoustic guitar blends the hues of �Being Human.� The Blues Rock takes another step on �Bad Day to Run Into You,� channeling Boston �s classic vamps.
The opening lyric of the AltCountry-tinged scorcher �St. Kilda Beach� captures the feeling I get from Coulter�s music:
I�m old enough to know when punk broke
I�m young enough to still care
I tipped my world on its axis
Several times since then
Coulter blends a sense of rock �n� roll history into his roots rock providing touchpoints for many musical travelers. – BS
Love Tractor – Green Winter (Fundamental Records)
�Well, she�s climbing the stairway to heaven.� At least, that�s immediately what I started to sing when first hearing the open salvo on Love Tractor�s �Saturn Rings� from Green Winter. However, Love Tractor takes Classic Rock as an idiom, spins it around cooking sauce, and emerges with Neo-Classicism.
Mike Richmond actually sings, �Well, she�s walking out on the Saturn rings.� The song has the acoustic build up of Led Zeppelin�s �Stairway,� but it also has sci-fi keyboards, 70�s funk rhythm, and a Jam Band breakdown.
This all shouldn�t be a surprise for a band that came out of Athens , Georgia , in the 80�s playing a blend of prog rock which has been described as fusion. Green Winter certain fuses those Classic elements that are recognizable from listening to hours of Classic Rock radio�although usually not found in any one band.
For instance, because you�re already in the Classic Rock mode, Billy Holmes� flute on �Wrong Turn� immediately makes you think of Jethro Tull, but the jazzy turn on that flute echoes Van Morrison�s Moondance album even more. Close harmonies vocals and sitar-like wash on �Inventor of Worlds� brings the Byrds to mine, but then the disco dance ball bridges disrupt you from getting lost in a hookah dream. (Stepping back to Love Tractor�s own era of the 80�s, this track also has strong resemblance to the Mighty Lemondrops). – BS
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Joe Goldmark � Seducing the 60s (Lo Ball)
One of the few pedal steel stylists to emerge in recent years, Joe Goldmark keeps good company playing with Dallas Wayne and is a member of the hillbilly collective the Twangbangers (featuring Wayne, Bill Kirchen and Redd Volkaert).
Seducing the 60s recalls a time when steel players such as Bud Isaacs and Buddy Emmons produced albums of their own out of the shadow of the artist they usually play behind. Here Goldmark takes 13 songs from the 1960s and records them mainly with pedal steel in place of the vocals (there are a songs that feature lead singing by Brandi Shearer, Bart Davenport and Gary Claxton).
Songs include Dylan�s �Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands,� the Beatle�s �I Feel Fine,� Steely Dan�s �Dirty Work� and Gram Parson�s �Hickory Wind.� The pedal steel is a very expressive instrument and lends itself to the part of lead vocalist, especially in the capable hands of an artist like Goldmark. – CEB
Po� Girl � Home to You (Nettwerk)
This Canadian five-piece offers up a song cycle of tunes expressing longing for home and even though it reflects the hectic touring life the ladies have had in the last couple of years, the songs are laid back and emotional.
All five of the girls take a turn at vocals and all of their voices are superb. Mixing jazz vocal elements, roots instruments such as banjo and fiddle along with saxophones and clarinets makes a fantastic soundscape drawing you into the feelings surrounding the songs. – CEB
Loomer � Songs of the Wild West Island (Newtone)
Drawing comparisons to Gram Parsons, Jay Farrer and Jeff Tweedy can be a daunting thing for a new band, but Loomer (lead by vocalist and chief songwriter Scott Loomer) appear to be up to the task.
The songwriting on the album ranges from the straightforward to deeply metaphorical. For example, �Only Lovers� is a fairly straightforward take on a relationship (with guest vocals from Sarah Harmer) while �Caramel Heart� is heavy with imagery and imagination with the singers love interest having a heart of caramel (�warm and sticky�) while he is ice cream thrown in the back of the freezer and forgotten behind the old bread.
Drawing from equal parts country, Americana and indie rock, Loomer assembles a sound that is their own with having to resort to gimmicks to stand out. The band is creating a lot of buzz with the fantastic songs reinforced by the strong musicianship of the band and as the band continues to grow we can look forward to many more great albums. – CEB
Coco Montoya � Dirty Deal (Alligator)
On his newest release the former Bluesbreaker Montoya continues in the R&B/Blues style for which he has become known. His guitar playing remains the focal point while his vocals, though still strong, don�t serve to separate him from the pack.
The songs range from mellow R&B like �Clean Slate� to the sizzling �Three Sides to Every Story� (which features members of Little Feat) and all ground in between. While it is a good album and Montoya is a fantastic guitarist, there is little to help him rise above the crowd. – CEB
Mar
06
2007
Category : Reviews
Cadillac Sky � Blind Man Walking (Skaggs Family)
One of the most anticipated Bluegrass releases off the year is the early-in-the-year release of the debut album of Cadillac Sky. This quintet has created quite a buzz in both the Bluegrass and Country music realms and they deliver with precision playing and fantastic songs. It seems in today�s commercial atmosphere the tried and true themes of Country music, love and loss, heartbreak and redemption, are heard less in mainstream Country music. Thankfully these themes, and the attendant songs, are often picked up by Bluegrass musicians whether they are covering classic tunes of the Country genre or, as is the case in Cadillac Sky, creating their own songs destined to be classics.
The playing on the disc, as evidenced in the instrumental �Neighborhood Bully�s Long Look in the Mirror,� is top notch, which is almost a given considering the band was handpicked and signed by Ricky Skaggs. Bryan Simpson, whose voice compares to Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts in range and timbre, handles most of the lead vocal and songwriting. Simpson has penned songs covered by artists including George Strait and Kenny Rogers and his songwriting carries the catchy hooks but avoid clich�. Songs like �Born Lonesome� and �Motel Morning� deal with loss and broken hearts while �Redbird� resigns not to cave to that feeling of helplessness. �Never Been So Blue� is a beautiful tribute to the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe. �Can�t Trust the Weatherman,� an excellent story song about a couple of convicts, should stand the test of time.
�Homesick Angel� is a stand out (sung by Mike Jump with harmony incredible Sonya Isaacs) track and represents the gospel side of Cadillac Sky. Along with �Blind Man Walking� and �Sinner Welcome� tell of God�s love for us and, as told in �You Again,� the redemptive power of that love. The Gospel story and songs of faith are intricately intertwined in the fabric of Bluegrass. Which brings me to�..
Kenny & Amanda Smith Band � Tell Someone (Rebel)
Former guitarist for the Lonesome River Band, Kenny Smith, along with wife Amanda, recently released Tell Someone, their fourth release. Tell Someone is the band�s first all gospel release.
The tone of the album is set in the praise filled lead track �Shoutin� Time� and from there it is like stepping into a great little country church where the praise is uninhibited and not overproduced by a rock star wannabe band.
The majority of the vocals on the album are handled by the sweet voice of Amanda and Kenny�s fantastic playing is featured on many tracks, but the main thing here are the lyrics of praise and worship
The Infamous Stringdusters � Fork in the Road (Sugar Hill)
The young musicians that make up Nashville-based Infamous Stringdusters come from a long of tradition: Dobro player Andy Hall played with Earl Scruggs, Dolly Parton and CharlieDaniels and Chris Eldridge is the son of Seldom Scene banjoist BenEldridge and has performed with Seldom Scene, Tony Rice and Chris Thile, for instance. The other musicians (Chris Pandolfi (banjo), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), Jesse Cobb (mandolin) and Travis Book (bass)) have all played with artists ranging from the Osborne Brothers and Mike Snider to Jim Lauderdale and Bering Strait.
Musically, these guys have the chops. The album is on the progressive side of Bluegrass, but the band stays rooted in tradition. The title track is penned by Chris Jones and John Pennell and shows the band�s roots in the traditional side of things while a cover of John Mayer�s �3×5� shows they are in touch with the current music scene. The instrumentals �40 West� and �No Resolution� shows the band stretching out for newgrass jams proving they can play with the best of them.
Members of the Stringdusters wrote the majority of the songs on the album and with their quality (take a listen to �Tragic Life� and �Dream You Back�) that is a strong sign of things to come from this band.
John Starling & Carolina Star � Slidin� Home (Rebel)
John Starling started his Bluegrass career in 1969 with jam sessions in a basement with a couple of guys named Mike Auldridge and Ben Eldridge. Soon John Duffey, who had recently quit the popular Bluegrass group the Country Gentleman began playing with them and soon invited his friend and former bass player in the Gentlemen, Tom Gray, to join the group. They began playing once a week in a small Washington D.C. club and became known as Seldom Scene, one of the leaders in what became known as �Progressive Bluegrass.� He remained with the group until the mid-70s when he left to pursue his medical practice.
In the time that has passed, John Duffey has passed away, Auldridge and Gray have been in a succession of bands, Starling has retired and Eldridge carries on the Seldom Scene name.
With Slidin� Home Starling has reunited with Auldridge and Gray (along with Richie Simpkins and Jimmy Gaudreau) to form Carolina Star. The songs on the album range from country classics such as �Waitin� for a Train� and �They�ll Never Take Her Love Away from Me� to more modern classics such as �Willin�� and �In My Hour of Darkness.�
Recorded live sitting in a circle without headphones the band is as tight as ever and Auldridge burns up the resonator on several of the tracks making the title apropos, while Simpkins and Gaudreau contribute the blistering instrumental �South Riding Tango.�
If Slidin� Home is any indication, Starling and company are ready to take up the �innovator� label and continue where they left off.
Various Artists – More Ultimate Pickin� (Pinecastle)
This set of instrumentals features some of the best pickers in the industry: Adam Steffey, Aubrey Haynie, Phil Leadbetter, Bobby Osborne and a host of others. The tracks were culled from the 90s releases of Pinecastle Records and feature many Bluegrass standards that will be familiar or if you aren�t familiar with the classics, this will make an excellent primer.
Mar
06
2007
In 1973, Aubery Holt, along with a couple of brothers and an uncle, formed The Boys From Indiana and powered by Holt�s songwriting and crystal clear tenor, the band became a hit of the festival circuit recording albums for the Starday and King bluegrass labels. The group disbanded, uncle Harley Gabbard began to play as a sideman with such groups as the Osborne Brothers and Aubery pursued a songwriting career in Nashville. After being turned away many times for writing songs deemed �too old fashioned,� Holt returned to Indiana and continued to write and perform locally. Daylight�s Burnin� is the newest release by The Wildwood Valley Boys, made up in part by Aubery and son Tony. Aubery contributes eight songs to the twelve song project, (son Tony, brother Tom, banjo player Brian Leaver contribute one each and they also cover the Sterling Whipple train song �Sliver Ghost�) and his workingman point of view places you firmly in the time and place of each of the characters. Also check out the blistering dobro work of Matt Despain and the ringing mandolin of Jake Brown on the instrumental �Boilermaker.�
While Aubrey and the Boys from Indiana were touring the festivals of the �70�s, their path surely crossed that of high tenor and elder statesman Del McCoury. The Promised Land marks the first all gospel album of McCoury�s illustrious career. One unique thing about this album is the selection of the material performed. Instead of reaching into the deep well of classic Bluegrass Gospel songs available, McCoury reaches out to contemporaries such as Shawn Camp, Billy Walker, Scotty Emerick, Dean Dillon and Ronnie Bowman. He also draws half of the album from the catalog of Country Gospel writer Albert E. Brumley, many of which are being recorded for the first time. I recently saw McCoury and band perform many of these songs at an in-store appearance at Ear X-tacy in Louisville, KY. The crowd was predominantly made up of young college students dressed in tie-dye and smelling of patchouli, a crowd of fans who browsed the Grateful Dead section while listening to the Bluegrass float out in to the streets.
The jam band crowd has embraced Bluegrass music and continues to fuel one branch of its evolution. One band who continues to make music embraced by the Bluegrass loving jam band fans is the Yonder Mountain String Band. Their self-titled fourth studio release, finds the band continuing to define their sound by, for the first time, adding a splash of drums to their mix. The band plays a schedule of opening for bands such as Dave Matthews band, headline shows and Bluegrass festivals. While Bluegrass purist might find the band out of their favor, they continue to grow an audience of appreciating music fans with songs such as �Angel,� �Troubled Minds� and �How �Bout You.�
Yonder Mountain String Band isn�t the first band of younger Bluegrass fans to be derided by Bluegrass purists. In the late Sixties, mandolinist Sam Bush and his Bluegrass Alliance where often met with skepticism at Bluegrass festivals for their way of dress, long hair and improvisational tendencies. Bush formed New Grass Revival in 1972 and his new release, Laps in Seven, finds him, fourteen years later, continuing to stretch and broaden the scope of both Bluegrass and NewGrass in to territories of JamGrass. With guests such as Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller and Jean Luc Ponty, Bush creates a canvas on which he paints with precision the lightning strokes of his mandolin work. Only a virtuoso such as Bush could say of the song �Laps in Seven�: �Our dog, Ozzie, was lapping his water one day when I realized he was drinking in a syncopated, 7/14 time signature.�
In 1973, New Grass Revival added lead singer John Cowan, who vocally had more in common with Soul or Rock than Bluegrass. New Tattoo is Cowan�s first release in four years and finds him returning to the Newgrass/acoustic music in which he first gained notoriety. Produced by Jay Joyce, the album takes a rock production take on the acoustic base of Cowans music. With songs from Robbie Fulks, Darrell Scott and others, Cowan proves again that he is a masterful interpreter of material with his soaring vocals taking center stage while not drawing attention from the musicians behind him. Cowan writes one song on the album, �Drown,� a song that is a graphic, while not gratuitous, portrayal of the horror of child molestation taken from the childhood of Cowan himself.
Building on the Jamgrass roots planted by Cowan, Bush and others, The Waybacks� From The Pasture To The Future mixes elements of pure Bluegrass, Newgrass, 1940�s hot jazz and Western swing to develop a rollicking unique sound of their own. Owing equal parts to Bill Monroe and the Grateful Dead, The Waybacks are masterful musicians who bring songs to life with a meddling of styles that will not allow you to merely sit still and listen. Mixing the Bluegrass instruments with surprising elements such as the tuba, the music draws you in and makes you a participant in the way that people enjoyed music in the parlor in days gone by. Song�s such as �Bluebird Waltz,� �Armando�s Rhumba� and �Monkey Pants� transport you to that time while songs like �Moterway� and The Petrified Man� bring you squarely into the Jamgrass movement.
Much as the Waybacks remind us that Bluegrass can not be held by stylistic boundries, Rhonda Vincent reminds us in the opening lines of All American Bluegrass Girl that it also can not be bound by state lines: �Bill might be from Kentucky/Jimmy from Tennessee/I�m an All American Bluegrass Girl/Proud as I can be.� Joined by Dolly Parton on �Heartbreaker�s Alibi� and Bobby Osborne on �Midnight Angel,� Vincent reminds us why she is the reigning IBMA Female Vocalist. She shows her songwriting strength on not only the title cut, but also the touching �God Bless The Soldier.� When you see this album in the stores, don�t be fooled by the glammed up photo on the cover, this is still the same, fantastic and talented Rhonda Vincent. Rage members Mickey Harris and Josh Williams share lead vocals with Rhonda on the album closer, Roy Acuff’s �Precious Jewel,� paying tribute to one influential in many Country music careers.
Paying tribute to those who have come before them is one of the things in Bluegrass that draws many fans. On A Distant Land To Roam: Ralph Stanley Sings Songs Of The Carter Family, Dr. Stanley, a venerable figure in music himself, pays tribute to the Carter Family and their influence on him as well as music as a whole. Growing up in Virginia, Ralph and brother Carter drew from the music that surrounded them, including their Clinch Mountain neighbors the Carter Family. The influential writing of A.P. Carter and the innovative guitar style of Maybelle influenced the young Stanleys as they carved out a niche in what was becoming Bluegrass music. On A Distant Land, Ralph draws the songs of his youth while applying his world weathered and aged voice to them to give them a deeper personal meaning. His acappella reading of �Motherless Children� is haunting and poignant while, in contrast, his joy can be heard in �Waves of the Sea� and �Keep On The Firing Line.� Songs such as �God Gave Noah The Rainbow Sign� and �Distant Land To Roam,� songs of longing for another home, take one a rich meaning when interpreted by the 79 year old voice of Stanley.