Feel Bad For June

Behind schedule once again. See ya June! Happy summer holidays to you all, and enjoy some tunes from your favorite bloggers, twitters, music lovers, rogues and rapscallions. Check out more at http://feelbadforyou.atruersound.com/.

1. Adam Carroll - Blondie and Dagwood.mp3 removed by request
Buy: Lookin' Out the Screen Door (2000)
Submitted by: toomuchcountry
Comments: This one is for all you June brides and grooms who want your new marriages to last. My suggestion is to put down that copy of 50 Shades of Gray and listen closely to Carroll’s lyrics of romance based on the couple from a comic strip legend.

2. River City Extension - Clever & Quickness
Nautical Sabbatical (2009)
Submitted By: @popa2unes
Comments: Formed in Asbury Park, NJ, in 2007. The band played an explosive showcase at last year’s SXSW; Newport Folk Festival producer Jay Sweet stumbled upon the gig, and later told Billboard, "This band, River City Extension, is ripping the paint off the wall."

3. The Rolling Stones - No Spare Parts
Some Girls (2011 reissue)
Submitted By: Bowood
Comments: Jagger in hillbilly mode for this great road trip song from last years deluxe reissue

4. The Gaslight Anthem - "45"
Handwritten (2012)
Submitted By: Gorrck
Comments: Single released in advance of the album. Thinking about actually getting the 45 on vinyl.

5. O. Children - PT Cruiser
Apnea (2012)
Submitted By: tincanman2010
Comments: Sunshine. Music. Cruising. I said cruisING not cruisER. Oh well, rockin’ driving song so I’ll keep it.

6. Ryan Montbleau - Head Above Water
For Higher (2012)
Submitted By: Mando Lines
Comments: Ryan Montbleau’s new album was recorded in New Orleans with George Porter, Jr., Ivan Neville, Simon Lott and Anders Osborne. Ben Ellman (Galactic) produced. The majority of the songs (including this one) are Montbleau originals, but the record also has covers of Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers and Muscle Shoals great Eddie Hinton. Great record.

7. The Lovely Bad Things - I Just Want You To Go Away
New Ghost/Old Waves (2012)
Submitted By: annieTUFF
Comments: I just heard of this band a couple of months ago, so I’m still trying them on for size. But sometimes the best love song is an anti-love song.

8. Cory Branan - Yesterday
Buy: Mutt (2012)
Submitted By: TheOtherBrit
Comments: Cory finally got this album out and this ode to John Cougar is the perfect way to kick off summer.

9. Red Red Meat - Chain Chain Chain
Bunny Gets Paid (1995)
Submitted By: Ryan (Verbow @ Altcountrytab.ca)
Comments: I’m constantly surprised at the numbers of bands I missed out on in the 90′s. Red Red Meat were straight outta Chicago, even touring with Smashing Pumpkins – yet I’m only just now finding out about them thanks to Tim Rutili’s current band (Califone). This is off of their recently reissued Sub Pop masterpiece Bunny Gets Paid – damn fine song if you ask me. Crank it.

10. Ray Wylie Hubbard - The Messenger
Crusades of the Restless Knights (1999)
Submitted By: Rockstar Aimz
Comments: Killer song by RWH. This version features Patty Griffin on background vocals.

11. TV Smith - Ready For The Axe To Drop
Useless – The Very Best of TV Smith (2001)
Submitted By: Simon
Comments: The only redeeming feature of this week's Jubilee celebrations for me has been the various media articles and TV programming on the BBC revisiting punk, not that it ever really went away – which brings me to this month's song choice from a guy who’s continued to record solo and in various collaborations after the punk band he fronted split in 1979, prompted by one of the aforementioned BBC Rock-docs, here's a track from the The Adverts front man TV Smith http://www.tvsmith.com/

12. Austin Lucas w/Glossary - Alone In Memphis
unreleased (2012)
Submitted By: Bryan Childs (ninebullets.net)
Comments: This, I assume, will be on Austin’s next album.

13. Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires - Everything You Took
There is a Bomb in Gilead (2012)
Submitted By: @philnorman

14. The Mavericks - Come Unto Me
Suited Up and Ready EP (2012)
Submitted By: Trailer
Comments: Bad ass song. Glad they’re back!

15. Pearl Woods - Sippin’ Sorrow
From: Eeny Meeny Moe! (song orig. 1961, out of print)
Submitted By: BoogieStudio22
Comments: An old R&B tune, from a ripped LP that I recently acquired (quality’s not great). Just plain fun!

16. Jake Klar - Bring Flowers To My Grave
Jake Klar (2012)
Submitted By: Slowcoustic
Comments: Some great twangy singer songwriter "alt-country" from this new-to-me artist. The 7 track album is even a free download on his bandcamp page: http://jakeklar.bandcamp.com/ Highly Recommended.

17. Michael Dean Damron - Creakin’ Ol’ Bones
Nah Death, Im’a Comin’ For You (2012)
Submitted By: Romeo Sid Vicious
Comments: Mike D. has been getting me through a lot as of late and this track is the one I queue up the most at the moment.

18. Shooter Jennings & Last False Hope - Title: 1922
Outlaw Radio Compilation Vol. 2 (2012)
Submitted By: Adam Sheets
Comments: Based on a Stephen King novella.

19. The Riverboat Gamblers - Loser Neck
The Wold You Feed (2012)
Submitted By: erschen

20. Magnolia Mountain - Set On Fire
Buy (only $5): Town & Country (2012)
Submitted By: Corey Flegel (This Is American Music)

21. Micah P Hinson - Sweetness
…And The Pioneer Saboteurs (2010)
Submitted by: Lord Summerisle
Comments: I am baffled as to why this man is not huge. Probably my favourite artist of the last 10 years in terms of consistency. Every album is great.

22. Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys - The Devil Ain’t Lazy
Buy (mp3) Western Cowboy Classics (song orig. 1948)
Submitted By: April @ Now This Sound Is Brave
Comments: I get a kick out of the fact that this song is essentially praising Satan’s work ethic. And, of course, since it’s Bob Wills, it swings. The mellow-voiced Tommy Duncan provides the vocals.

Sunday Videos

A few cool videos came across my monitor this week which you need to check out!



How killer is this? And how was I NOT at this show?????



I've had this song stuck in my head for the last month. Watch how furiously Branan beats on his guitar. I thought he was going to snap a string when I saw him back in early Oct. "Karen's Song" will be on his forthcoming album. I actually like Branan live acoustic solo better than his studio albums, which sound too slick for my ears. Also, I wonder if any of the Spanish/Catalan speakers of Barcelona would have even noticed if messed up the verse. I love Barcelona. One of my favorite cities in the world.



Ryan sounds really great here, but his wifey Mandy Moore is no Emmylou Harris.

Cory Branan and Drag the River, Oct. 4, Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto

Photo by MatzohBall77

I have been following the music of Cory Branan and Drag the River for a long time. In fact, Drag the River's album You Can't Live This Way was my favorite album of 2008. I've been trying to see these guys live for years, and have been stewing about the fact that they haven't toured Toronto in my tenure in this city. It turns out that they hadn't toured Toronto, or Eastern Canada, period. Their Toronto debut at the Horseshoe Tavern on October 4th was their last stop on their North American tour before heading off to pillage Europe.

Branan opened the show with a short acoustic set. There were only about 30 people there, which is, sadly, not surprising for an alt country show in downtown Toronto on a Monday night (see my Scott Miller review where only about 10 people were paying attention to him). Despite the low turnout, everyone there was there to see Branan/DTR, and everyone was paying attention to the show (i.e. minimal background chatter). Branan sounded fantastic. He's a hell of a guitar player and one entertaining dude. After the second song Jon Snodgrass of DTR joined Branan on stage for some sweet harmonizing. Holy crap do Branan and Snodgrass sound great together. Their voices are completely different, but they complement each other incredibly well. Even my buddy Jenny leaned over and said, "This sounds really good." Branan and Snodgrass put out a split album last year, but they should seriously consider doing an acoustic duets album. See the video below.

I got a chance to chat with Branan after his set. What a totally nice dude! He said that he has a new album ready to go and it should be released some time in the spring of 2011. Branan mentioned that he is "very proud" of the new album, and that it is full of storytelling, something which Branan excels at. My pea brain is already plotting to somehow get Branan to play a gig at the Dakota Tavern in support of this new album sometime next spring. Please?

Cory Branan Set List
1. Eh? I couldn't place this song and I wasn't even drunk (yet). I will presume that it's a new one.
2. Survivor Blues
3. Karen's Song
4. Tall Green Grass
5. The Corner
6. Sour Mash
7. Tame
8.Walk Around.mp3
Buy (Vinyl): Cory Branan & Jon Snodgrass (2009)
-->Also widely available in MP3 format.
9. Wreck of the Sultana
10. Girl Named Go

Check out this video that my virtual pal romeosidvicious, contributor to Ninebullets.net, filmed in Houston in early September.



Awesome!

After a short break, the audience doubled in size, and Drag the River ambled onto the stage, with singers Jon Snodgrass and Chad Price on electric and acoustic guitars, respectively. I'm going to describe this set as pseudo-disorganized chaos. DTR is not the kind of band to show up with a prepared set list. It was basically Jon asking the audience what they wanted to hear, selecting a random request, then ripping into it. This is essentially how it went down for three hours. Snodgrass and Price alternated lead singer duties, while bassist J.J. Nobody and drummer Steve Bauer kept the singers in line.

The band meandered through originals and covers. They covered their favorite songs by their contemporaries such as Bad Astronaut and The Bottle Rockets, classics by Sam Cooke and Thin Lizzy, and even songs by their previous bands, Armchair Martian and ALL. I am pretty sure that I was only person in the audience, maybe in all of Ontario, or maybe even in all of Canada, who got it when Snodgrass, a native of St. Joseph, Missouri, threw in a reference to Festus, Missouri, during "Indianapolis." Spending six years of my life in St. Louis finally pays off in obscure Missouri geography references.

Drag the River was all over their extensive catalog, going back to some of their 2000 demos, right up through new, unreleased songs. Everyone got to hear their favorites. How Snodgrass and Price have the stamina for this type of show, I do not know. But hell, they are professionals. As Snodgrass said, "I'm looking forward to my 40s since I've never had a fucking day job!" Which made me seethe in jealousy.

Drag the River set list
1. Me and Joe Drove Out to California
2. So Lonely
3. Strange
4. Calloused Heart #2
5. Brookfield
6. Mars Motors
7. Disbelieve
8. Br00tal
9. Booze and Pills
10. Indianapolis (The Bottle Rockets)
11. Death of the Life of the Party
12. Tobacco Fields.mp3
Buy: You Can't Live This Way (2008)
13. Medicine
14. Eh? I went to get a beer and missed this one.
15. Amazing G.
16. She Used to Smile
17. Spiderman, Wolfman
18. Until I Say So (ALL)
19. Tomorrow Morning
20. Dancing in the Moonlight (Thin Lizzy)
21. Having a Party (Sam Cooke)
22. Get Drunk.mp3
Buy: Closed (2002)
23. New
24. Jessica's Suicide (Bad Astronaut)
Note: I'm hammered at this point, so my set list taking skillz really go to hell.
25. New, I think
26. New
27. Hybrid Moments (Misfits)
28. Eh? Drunk. Maybe new?
29. Crocodile
30. Hang Dog
31. Tired and Fired
32. Break Your Frame (Bad Astronaut)
33. Peachy Tuscadero

Yeah, 33 songs is nuts, and they weren't finished! I had to leave at this point because I was, as the French say, "Chateau Shitfaced," and I had to be at work in six and a half hours. I only know that "Peachy Tuscadero" was playing when I left because I ran into Branan on my way out and he told me that "Peachy Tuscadero" is the name of Chad Price's dog. At least, I think that's what he told me. I hope I didn't just make that up.

I bought their goofy gig T-shirt (logo below). A friend said to me, "That is the most ridiculous shirt I have ever seen." Which is exactly the point. When people ask about the shirt, which looks like it was drawn by a five-year-old, I say, "It's by Jon Snodgrass who is in Drag the River. They put on a killer show at the Horseshoe with Cory Branan...." and I get to tell people about what a kick-ass, crazy night I had, and introduce them to their new favorite artists.

DTR first formed in 1996, and put out their first demos in 2000, and Branan released his first album in 2002. That's 18 collective years from first album to playing in Toronto. Gentlemen, let's tour up this way a little more often, OK?

Snodgrass, Price, Branan, and Austin Lucas are currently touring Europe. I know there are a bunch of readers of this blog from Germany and the UK. I insist that you catch one of these shows. In fact, I would love it if one of you would write a guest post, a little European perspective. Contact me at rockstaraimz at gmail dot com if you are interested. I would love a review from Barcelona because that city rules and Nov 2 is my fucking birthday, dammit.

October
17 London @ Windmill Brixton
18 Aachen @ AZ
19 Hamburg @ Logo
20 Hannover @ Mephisto
21 Kiel @ Roter Salon @ Pumpe
22 Leipzig @ Conne Island
23 Zwiesel @ Jugendcafé
24 Vienna @ B72
25 Budapest @ Könyvtar Klub
26 Ljubljana @ Metelkova
27 Ora (Auer) - Piccolo Teatro Aur-Ora
28 Freiburg - Swamp
29 Pontlevoy - Le Commerce
30 Alsasua @ Squad
31 Madrid @ Sala Pequenya Betti

November
1 Orihuela @ Sala La Gramola
2 Barcelona @ Rocksound
3 Toulouse @ El Camino
4 Besancon @ La Cour des Miracles
5 Trier @ Exhaus
6 Basel @ Kaserne w/ Mad Caddies
7 Munich @ 59 to 1
8 Berlin @ Lovelite
10 Bad Hersfeld @ Zigeunerkeller
11 Schwalmstedt @ Bunker
12 Dresden @ az conni
13 Prague @ Akropolis
14 Wiesbaden @ Schlachthof

August Feel Bad For You Comp

The mother of all comps. From our friends at AltCountryTab.ca. Enjoy!

The photo is from a family vacation near LaFollette, Tennessee. Kona the Chocolate Lab leads the chase, but Mikey the Boston Terrier in his personal flotation device will eventually get the tennis ball. I hope I am reincarnated as a dog and I get to spend my next life chasing tennis balls all day.

1. Ben Lee - Away With The Pixies.mp3
From: Grandpaw Would (1995, out of print)

2. Bryn Loosley - "The Wrecker"
The Wrecker (2008)

3. Todd Snider - "Travelin' Light"
A Case For Case: A Tribute to the Songs of Peter Case (2006)

4. Ben E. King - Supernatural Thing.mp3
From: Supernatural Thing (1975, out of print)

5. Rancid - "Civilian Ways"
Let The Dominoes Fall (2009)

6. Steve Goodman - "Yellow Coat"
Steve Goodman (1972)

7. Cheekyboy - Smells Like Compton (NWA vs. Nirvana).mp3
From: Best of Bootie (2005, click link for download info)

8. Loo & Placido - Black Beatles (Beatles vs. Black-Eyed Peas vs. Ludacris vs. Kelis).mp3
From: Best of Bootie (2005, click link for download info)

9. The Builders and The Butchers - "Raise Up Your Weary Hands"
Salvation is a Deep Dark Well (2009)

10. Truckstop Coffee - "Ghost or an Angel"
For Dear Life (2009)

11. The Replacements - "Within Your Reach"
Hootenanny (1984)

12. Bahamas - "Already Yours"
Pink Strat (2009)

13. Sunparlour Players - "Battle of 77"
Wave North (2009)

14. Frank Turner - "Substitute"
Love Ire & Song (2009)

15. Jon Snodgrass feat. Cory Branan - Wild One.mp3
Buy (Suburban Home Records): Jon Snodgrass and Cory Branan (2009, limited edition vinyl)

16. Kathleen Edwards - Moneytalks.mp3
From: Live From the Bowery Ballroom (2003, bootleg)

17. Chris Knight - "Blame Me"
Trailer Tapes II (2009)

Note: 18-23: These songs are all directly/indirectly associated with Tom Wilson.
18. Junkhouse - The Kitchen Feels Like Home.mp3
From: Strays (1993, out of print)
Tom Wilson's second band, out of Hamilton, Ontario.

19. Colin James - Freedom.mp3
Buy (Maple Music): Bad Habits (1995)
Co-written with Tom Wilson. Tom performs this one live with his new band, Lee Harvey Osmond.

20. Blackie & the Rodeo Kings - Blackie & the Rodeo King.mp3
From: High Or Hurtin' (1996, out of print)
Tom's other band (with Stephen Fearing and Colin Linden). Band name taken from a Willie P. Bennett song. Bennett died at age 57 in 2008. Great Canadian songwriter.

21. Skydiggers - "The Truth About Us"
Desmond's Hip City (1997)
Josh Finlayson and Andy Maize are part of Tom's new band, Lee Harvey Osmond. This song was written by a friend of the band, Scott Garbe. Written from the perspective of Lee Harvey Oswald's Russian wife.

22. Tom Wilson/Bob Lanois - "Kids"
The Shack Recordings (2005)
Recorded with Daniel Lanois' brother Bob in a shack in Waterdown, Ontario, which is part of Hamilton, Ontario.

23. Lee Harvey Osmond - "Parkland"
A Quiet Evil (2009)
This song, again written by Scott Garbe. You'll know what it's about when you listen to it. This album is flying under the radar and that's a damn shame.

24. Doc Watson - The Train That Carried My Girl From Town.mp3
Buy: The Doc Watson Family (1990)

25. The Felice Brothers - "Greatest Show on Earth"
The Felice Brothers (2008)

26. Abner Jay - "St. James Infirmary Blues"
True Story of Abner Jay (2009)