A sweet video from Glossary. "Under a Barking Moon" is from their stellar 2011 album Long Live All of Us.
Showing posts with label Glossary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glossary. Show all posts
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
April Feel Bad for You Comp
Your monthly comp from your favorite bloggers, twitterers, nere-do-wells, and jackasses of the internet. See the main Feel Bad For You website for back-issues and commentary. Download, or stream below.
1. The Youngbloods - Darkness, Darkness
Elephant Mountain (1969)
Submitted By: Popa2unes
Comments: A little trip in the wayback machine. With the departure of member and co-founder Jerry Corbitt, Jesse Colin Young became the primary songwriter of the band writing seven of the thirteen songs on this album. This album was produced by Charlie Daniels who in 1971 formed the band Corbitt & Daniels with former member Jerry Corbitt. Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, the media conglomerate Clear Channel Communications included The Youngbloods’ recording of the Chet Powers song "Get Together" on a list of "lyrically questionable" songs that was sent to its 1,200 radio stations in the United States. Go figure.
2. Johnny Cash featuring Krist Novoselic, Kim Thayil, and Sean Kinney - Time of the Preacher
Twisted Willie: A Tribute to Willie Nelson (1996)
Submitted by: Adam Sheets
3. The Ragged Jubilee - Blood On The Highway.mp3
Buy (mp3): American Moan (2011)
Submitted By: Truersound
Comments: Bands from San Luis Obispo continue to impress.
4. Dan Bern - Tiger Woods
Fifty Eggs (1998)
Submitted By: philnorman
Comments: April means the Masters. It ain’t braggin’ if it’s true.
5. Cornershop - Good Shit.mp3
Buy: When I Was Born for the 7th Time (1997)
Submitted By: Simon
Comments: Favourite track from Cornershop’s classic album.
6. Michael Hall - Sometimes I Wish I’d Never Heard The Rolling Stones
Lucky Too (2002)
Submitted By: toomuchcountry
Comments: I submitted a track from The Setters to FBFY February 2012. One of the band members was Michael Hall so I figured I’d follow up for April with Hall himself. As a songwriter, its gotta be mighty tough knowing how high the bar has been set by predecessors such as Jagger-Richards, Lennon-McCartney, Dylan, TVZ, and so on. Hall was originally in The Wild Seeds and today writes for Texas Monthly magazine.
7. D.R. Hooker - Forge Your Own Chains
The Truth (1972)
Submitted By: Lord Summerisle
Comments: Messianic psychedelic lounge muzak!
8. The Parlor Soldiers - Lawless
When The Dust Settles (2012)
Submitted By: Autopsy4 (ninebullets.net)
Comments: You wanted to like the Civil Wars but in the end you found yourself bored? The Parlor Soldiers are the sounds you were looking for.
9. The Only Sons - Bully.mp3
From: When The New Wears Off (2012, available April 24, from This Is American Music)
Submitted by: Corey Flegel
Comments: This is the first single off of the new TOS record. Heavily influenced by Big Star, The Faces, and Ron Wood. I kept hearing some serious comments from folks who were involved in this recording. Comments/comparisons like – straight out of the 70′s, Big Star-y, early Rod Stewart and Ronnie Lane. I was taking all of this a little lightly, but about 10 seconds into hearing WTNWO, I started smiling widely. They were right…I think.
10. Dave Hause - Time Will Tell
Resolutions (2011)
Submitted By: Rockstar Aimz
Comments: I saw Hause live in December at a hole in the wall here in Boston, and again last week at the Revival Tour. I am continually impressed with his music. Hause is also the frontman for the punk band The Loved Ones.
11. We Are Augustines - Book of James
We Are Augustines (2011)
Submitted By: Ryan (Verbow @ altcountrytab.ca)
Comments: This whole album is about the lead singer/guitarists brother, who struggled with mental illness and drug use before committing suicide. This song in particular is like a conversation between them from beyond, and it just kills me every time. Great band and great album.
12. Biters - Breakin Your Heart Again
All Chewed Up EP (2011)
Submitted By: Erschen
Comments: Some fun rockin’ power pop. Saw these guys at sxsw and they put on a great show. High energy, great songs.
13. Glossary - West Liberty.mp3
From: Dear Friends and Gentle Hearts EP (2002)
Submitted By: TheOtherBrit
Comments: I’ve only heard them play this song once (and it definitely did not have banjo!), but it was still awesome. They have downloads of all their old full length albums on their website for $5 a pop so go load up!
14. The Clash - London Calling
London Calling (1979)
Submitted By: annieTUFF
Comments: It’s the Clash, they're rad. I could pick a less well known song to show how awesome I am and that I know more than just the "London Calling" album, but ya know what? This song kicks ass, this album kicks ass, this band kicks ass. The end.
15. Lyle Lovett - Brown-Eyed Handsome Man
Release Me (2012)
Submitted By: tincanman2010
Comments: Written by Chuck Berry after observing how L.A. police were treating whites and blacks differently, Lyle does a great cover on his new album. Feels timely in the wake of Trayvon Martin.
16. The Blakes - Two Times
The Blakes (2007)
Submitted By: BoogieStudio22
17. Earl King - Trick Bag
The Sonet Blues Story: Earl King (2006)
Submitted By: Brad Kelly
18. Lowell George - 20 Million Things.mp3
Buy: Thanks I'll Eat It Here (1979)
Submitted by: TheSecondSingle/Beldo
Comments: A classic country rock track from the only solo album by the late, great Little Feat frontman.
19. Dr. John - Getaway
Locked Down (2012)
Submitted By: Mike Orren
Comments: Somehow this crept up very quietly — the Night Tripper produced by the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach. You can really hear Auerbach all over this album (and maybe by transition, some Danger Mouse) — and boy, does this reinvigorate Dr. John’s sound. Hard to pick a track, so went with the first one I heard on shuffle today.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
SXSW First Timers Guide #2: What's with all these 'unofficial' Parties?
More SXSW advice from my homegrrrl Rad Jen. I am not going this year, so if you invite me to a SXSW party or showcase, I will forward that invitation to Rad Jen. She can out drink me by a lot. Consider yourself warned.
SXSW First Timers Guide #2: What's with all these 'unofficial' parties? How do I get in? What about the RSVP thing?
Yes, there are a million day and night 'unofficial parties'. Which basically means a line-up of bands/artists and (hopefully) free beer and food - all sponsored by a Magazine/Record Label/Radio Station/Website/Blog/Whatever. Many of these performers will be part of the 'official' showcases at night. Some of them won't be. My experience is the 'parties' are way more fun than most showcases....
INVITE ONLY PARTIES
The real industry parties are 'badges' only, and you need to secure a hard laminate 'invite' directly from the sponsor. Some of these invites are given out at the convention center. If you are a non-industry 'wristbander' like me, you can send grovelling emails to the sponsor of the party which you really want to go to, and they may mail you an invite. (This used to work with New West records, back when they had the Drive-By Truckers on their roster, and the party to go with it....) I have no idea how to get an invite to Perez Hilton's party, or SPIN magazine, or whatever. Ask your industry contacts. (You will notice showoffs wearing multiple party badges around their necks like trophies.....FWIW).
Conversely, if you DO happen to get your hands on some laminate party invites, don't change your mind and leave them in the hotel room. Bring them with you and GIVE THEM AWAY to someone who looks like they would appreciate them. Make friends and good rock karma!
'FREE' PARTIES with or without RSVP'S
Most of these will be advertised as 'Free' on their websites or give you an RSVP to click. The RSVP is virtually meaningless. No one is going to check your name. It is simply a way for the party giver to call this a private party, and get their temporary liquor license. So yes, RSVP for the hell of it, but the trick here is to GET THERE EARLY. Like, opening time slot. Otherwise you are in a line up for hours when you could be at a different party, drinking.
VENUE CAPACITY
All venues will stop the lineup at the door when their venue is AT CAPACITY, whether you have an invite or not. This goes for all events - unofficial and official SXSW events. You'll see a guy with the clicker. Why? Because you'll also see fire marshals walking in and out of clubs regularly throughout the festival. No club wants to get shut down. You may not get in, but the good news is that you're not going to die in a nightclub fire in the middle of Texas. That will not happen.
ALL AGES
Note which parties are ALL AGES because, guess what? Free + All Ages means a long lineup and kids with nothing better to do than stand in line. Get there early.
BRING YOUR I.D.
Just a reminder, you need your I.D. at all times.
www.showlistaustin.com
This site does the MAGNIFICENT task of compiling and listing all the 'unofficial' events and parties, including all the RSVP links. It's ONE guy who does all of this! If you run into him, please buy him a drink! This site also allows you to quickly view who is throwing which parties on which day.
More soon,
Rad Jen
If you are going to go to any unofficial parties, you should go to at least one, if not both, of the parties that my colleague over at NineBullets is throwing. Check this shit out:
Glossary - Lonely is a Town.mp3
Buy: Feral Fire (2010)
SXSW Schedule
TUE 15 Hole in the Wall, 8:00pm
WED 16 The Mean Eyed Cat, 4:00pm
THU 17 Sam's Town Point, 11:00pm
FRI 18 NineBullets Party I, Double Down Lounge, 2:00pm
SAT 19 NineBullets Party II, Revolution Bar, 3:00pm
The Only Sons - Lay Back Down.mp3
Buy (mp3): Steel Hearts (2009)
SXSW Schedule
FRI 18 NineBullets Party I, Double Down Lounge, 2:00pm
SAT 19 NineBullets Party II, Revolution Bar, 3:00pm
Austin Lucas - She Did.mp3
Buy: Somebody Loves You (2009)
SXSW Schedule
SAT 19 NineBullets Party II, Revolution Bar, 2:00pm
Somewhere along the line make sure to catch Kasey Anderson and the Honkies. They are doing seven different gigs during SXSW - all FREE. I'm not posting tunes right now as I will do a proper write-up of their new album Heart of a Dog
in a few weeks.
SXSW Schedule
THU 17 Music Gorilla Showcase, Treasure Island, 3:00pm
FRI 18 Stag's Rock Roll Circus South, Zax, 12:00pm
FRI 18 NineBullets Party I, Double Down Lounge, 3:00pm
FRI 18 Romeo's, 11:00pm
SAT 19 Smoke and Sand Showcase, Rusty Spurs, 12:00pm
SAT 19 NineBullets Party II, The Revolution Bar, 2:00pm
SAT 19 Twangfest Party, Jovita's, 5:30pm
____________________________________________
SXSW First Timers Guide #2: What's with all these 'unofficial' parties? How do I get in? What about the RSVP thing?
Yes, there are a million day and night 'unofficial parties'. Which basically means a line-up of bands/artists and (hopefully) free beer and food - all sponsored by a Magazine/Record Label/Radio Station/Website/Blog/Whatever. Many of these performers will be part of the 'official' showcases at night. Some of them won't be. My experience is the 'parties' are way more fun than most showcases....
INVITE ONLY PARTIES
The real industry parties are 'badges' only, and you need to secure a hard laminate 'invite' directly from the sponsor. Some of these invites are given out at the convention center. If you are a non-industry 'wristbander' like me, you can send grovelling emails to the sponsor of the party which you really want to go to, and they may mail you an invite. (This used to work with New West records, back when they had the Drive-By Truckers on their roster, and the party to go with it....) I have no idea how to get an invite to Perez Hilton's party, or SPIN magazine, or whatever. Ask your industry contacts. (You will notice showoffs wearing multiple party badges around their necks like trophies.....FWIW).
Conversely, if you DO happen to get your hands on some laminate party invites, don't change your mind and leave them in the hotel room. Bring them with you and GIVE THEM AWAY to someone who looks like they would appreciate them. Make friends and good rock karma!
'FREE' PARTIES with or without RSVP'S
Most of these will be advertised as 'Free' on their websites or give you an RSVP to click. The RSVP is virtually meaningless. No one is going to check your name. It is simply a way for the party giver to call this a private party, and get their temporary liquor license. So yes, RSVP for the hell of it, but the trick here is to GET THERE EARLY. Like, opening time slot. Otherwise you are in a line up for hours when you could be at a different party, drinking.
VENUE CAPACITY
All venues will stop the lineup at the door when their venue is AT CAPACITY, whether you have an invite or not. This goes for all events - unofficial and official SXSW events. You'll see a guy with the clicker. Why? Because you'll also see fire marshals walking in and out of clubs regularly throughout the festival. No club wants to get shut down. You may not get in, but the good news is that you're not going to die in a nightclub fire in the middle of Texas. That will not happen.
ALL AGES
Note which parties are ALL AGES because, guess what? Free + All Ages means a long lineup and kids with nothing better to do than stand in line. Get there early.
BRING YOUR I.D.
Just a reminder, you need your I.D. at all times.
www.showlistaustin.com
This site does the MAGNIFICENT task of compiling and listing all the 'unofficial' events and parties, including all the RSVP links. It's ONE guy who does all of this! If you run into him, please buy him a drink! This site also allows you to quickly view who is throwing which parties on which day.
More soon,
Rad Jen
____________________________________________
If you are going to go to any unofficial parties, you should go to at least one, if not both, of the parties that my colleague over at NineBullets is throwing. Check this shit out:
Glossary - Lonely is a Town.mp3
Buy: Feral Fire (2010)
SXSW Schedule
TUE 15 Hole in the Wall, 8:00pm
WED 16 The Mean Eyed Cat, 4:00pm
THU 17 Sam's Town Point, 11:00pm
FRI 18 NineBullets Party I, Double Down Lounge, 2:00pm
SAT 19 NineBullets Party II, Revolution Bar, 3:00pm
The Only Sons - Lay Back Down.mp3
Buy (mp3): Steel Hearts (2009)
SXSW Schedule
FRI 18 NineBullets Party I, Double Down Lounge, 2:00pm
SAT 19 NineBullets Party II, Revolution Bar, 3:00pm
Austin Lucas - She Did.mp3
Buy: Somebody Loves You (2009)
SXSW Schedule
SAT 19 NineBullets Party II, Revolution Bar, 2:00pm
Somewhere along the line make sure to catch Kasey Anderson and the Honkies. They are doing seven different gigs during SXSW - all FREE. I'm not posting tunes right now as I will do a proper write-up of their new album Heart of a Dog
in a few weeks. SXSW Schedule
THU 17 Music Gorilla Showcase, Treasure Island, 3:00pm
FRI 18 Stag's Rock Roll Circus South, Zax, 12:00pm
FRI 18 NineBullets Party I, Double Down Lounge, 3:00pm
FRI 18 Romeo's, 11:00pm
SAT 19 Smoke and Sand Showcase, Rusty Spurs, 12:00pm
SAT 19 NineBullets Party II, The Revolution Bar, 2:00pm
SAT 19 Twangfest Party, Jovita's, 5:30pm
Monday, December 27, 2010
My Favorite Albums of 2010
My normal year-end favorite albums list usually tends to favor the bands/artists who I saw live in that year. This is only somewhat true for 2010. While The Hold Steady, The National, Drive-by Truckers, and Justin Townes Earle all had killer live gigs in Toronto this year, I just couldn't get into their 2010 releases (I didn't write a review of The National at Massey Hall on June 8 because every other blogger in Toronto did). Turns out that I tended to like some of the opening acts better than some of the headliners, which makes me sound like an even bigger music snob than I already am. And this list makes me sound worse! Only three pseudo mainstream indie records made the cut. I also noticed that the albums I favored this year leaned towards the Bruce Springsteen/Tom Petty-style of rock. I'm not sure why, but that's just what tickled my fancy, or something, in 2010. If I could, I supplied links to buying the albums directly from the band's/artist's web site (more $ for the band). Go buy these records! Most have cheap shipping, and it's only like $1-2 more to ship to Canada. All of these records are worthy of being in you collection.
1. The Fox Hunt - Long Way to Go
This modern bluegrass quartet out of Martinsburg, West Virginia, put out the best album in 2010. From my original review posted in September: The band has two primary songwriters, John R. Miller and Matt Kline, who both cover a range of human emotions in their music. Women, sinning, drinking, misery, temptation, you know, the happy subjects, are covered in depth in their lyrics. Their music is mostly uptempo country/folk, filled with vocal harmonies, and lots of banjo and fiddle, rounded out with acoustic guitar, mandolin, and upright bass. And the musicians frequently rotate instruments and share lead vocals. Now that's talent!
Long Way to Go spans an entire range of roots music, with a mid-tempo opening track called "Screw Me Up" which is about a woman messing with a dude's head. Later, a snappy song called "It Suits Me" which is ostensibly about a one night stand (the instrumental outro kills me). One of the best songs on the album, "Four Horses" is a slaying meditation on life and death. "No one said that life was easy. No one said that life was fair." Gulp. One of my favorite songs on the album, "I'll Drink Cheap," is about breaking the bank to please your lush of a woman. I listened to and enjoyed this album more than any other record released in 2010. You should be doing the same.
Third runner up to song of the year:
Four Horses.mp3
Buy: Long Way to Go
2. Glossary - Feral Fire
Remember when The Hold Steady released their first few albums and everyone, including me, said they were the second coming of Thin Lizzy? Wrong! Ladies and gentlemen, I present Glossary. Feral Fire is such a killer rock album. It takes its name from a line in the Cormac McCarthy book, The Road
. Apparently this is their sixth album, but I am just hopping on the bandwagon now. Can't wait to listen to their back catalog, some of which is free on their web site. If you like Bruce Springsteen/Tom Petty/Drive-By Truckers kind of rock, then get this album pronto.
Second runner up to song of the year:
Save Your Money for the Weekend.mp3
Buy: Feral Fire
3. Matthew Ryan - Dear Lover (electric and acoustic)
I got a copy of Matthew Ryan's Dear Lover back in October 2009, and I have been dying to put it on my top 10 list for the last fourteen months. From my original review from February: The entire record revolves (evolves?) around the theme of a romantic relationship. Relationships are complicated, wonderful, confusing, stressful, exhilarating, scary, empowering, and even lonely, sometimes all at the same time. "I could be your super hero. I could be your biggest disappointment." Ryan is telling stories in his songs, but the stories are vague enough where each listener can interpret the song in his/her own way. The mark of a great songwriter is the ability to let his audience decide what the song is about, and Ryan thrives in this aspect of musicianship.
The songs on Dear Lover are power pop anthems, indie rockers, soft ballads, and electro/synth tracks you could hear in a Manhattan martini bar. Some people may be turned off by the ambient/electro-sounding songs, but I think they really add to the overall feel of the album and show Ryan's willingness to experiment with diverse sounds. In fact, one fan called Dear Lover "Matthew Ryan's synth/techno/electro Nebraska."
Later in 2010 Ryan released Dear Lover as an acoustic album, with a different track order, and one new track, which makes it a completely different album. I haven't heard of an artist doing this before, except in the context of a live album or something. This approach may be a new way for indie/DYI artists to get more mileage out of one record. Screw that iTunes "exclusive" or iTunes "sessions" crap. I may be old school, but I like the physical disc in my hand, in both electric and acoustic forms.
City Life.mp3
City Life (acoustic).mp3
Buy both: City Life (electric and acoustic)
4. Joe Pug - Messenger
I saw Joe Pug open for Justin Townes Earle back in March, and I was totally taken with Pug. At the time I didn't own the album Messenger, but after subsequent listens I was enamored with his work. This is a solid singer/songwriter folk-ish, country-ish album, with brilliant lyrics and great storytelling. I don't have a lot to say about this album. The music speaks for itself.
Fourth runner up to song of the year:
Not So Sure.mp3
Buy: Messenger
Pug has a free EP out right now. You can download it for the cost of your e-mail address.
5. Tim Barry - 28th & Stonewall
I had the pleasure of seeing Tim Barry in concert twice this year: once opening for Chuck Ragan in February and once opening for The Gaslight Anthem in July, both times solo acoustic.
Barry is intense, and pissed off, but also deeply sincere and forthright. He has deep convictions, and he stands by them. You don't fuck with Tim Barry. You also don't fuck with his album 28th & Stonewall, an intersection in Barry's home town of Richmond, Virginia. I would love to know about the significance of this particular corner. This album continues with Barry's style of simple storytelling about complicated people. The characters in Barry's songs are presumably semi-autobiographical: they are fucks-up who are trying to do the right thing, but keep stumbling into people who are constantly letting them down. In addition, he's also very self-deprecating and self-aware. 28th & Stonewall is Barry's most well-written solo album, with vibrant lyrics boosting his powerful voice. But, this album is not for the timid. You may be offended by some of the content, but Barry doesn't give a shit, and neither do I.
(Memento Mori).mp3
Buy: 28th & Stonewall
6. Two Cow Garage - Sweet Saint Me
The fact that Two Cow Garage hasn't cracked the indie rock glass ceiling completely baffles me. Sweet Saint Me is their fifth album, and as I said in my November review, this album as a whole is their strongest one yet. Sweet Saint Me is nearly a pure rock album, but this time the lead singers, mostly Michal Schnabel with a few tracks by Shane Sweeney, seemed to have really concentrated on honing their songwriting technique. The entire album seems more mature and focused. But don't worry, "mature and focused" can also kick fucking ass! Take my favorite track, "Lydia;" "Lydia, you're much too young to have your teeth on the tip of my tongue. If your lips were just a little bit older…" I heard through the twittervine that when Schnabel premiered "Jackson, Don't You Worry" at SXSW, a song dedicated to Sweeney's baby son, grown men were weeping. Indeed, I took a hard gulp the first time I heard it. And I'll be damned if Schnabel didn't steal the "Insolent Youth" lyric "just because you can doesn't mean you should" from me, cause I've been saying that for years. Sweet Saint Me is peppered with hard rock anthems ("My Great Gatsby"), love songs ("Closer to You"), and stories ("Lucy and the Butcher Knife"), with the occasional lyric borrowed from Bruce Springsteen, Townes Van Zandt, and Bob Dylan. To paraphrase my reader Ron from Buffalo, Two Cow Garage has written better individual songs ("No Shame," "Swingset Assassin," "Humble Narrator," "Mediocre," "Saturday Night," "Come Back to Shelby") but this album is solid everywhere.
Lydia.mp3
Buy: Sweet Saint Me
7. The Sadies - Darker Circles
A few months ago I was listening to a podcast of the CBC radio show Q where the host was interviewing The Sadies lead guitarists/singers/songwriters brothers Dallas and Travis Good. One of them said that after their mom listened to Darker Circles she called them to make sure they were OK. You know you've made a good album when you freak your mom out.
Per my May review: Darker Circles is a very different album from their 2007 release New Seasons, although both were produced by Jayhawks member Gary Louris. Darker Circles is, well, much darker than New Seasons, with lyrics like, "it won't be long 'til all your hopes and dreams are dead and gone," ("Another Year Again"), and "I turn to oblivion night after night," ("Tell Her What I Said"). The songs have themes of isolation, regret, remorse, and ponderances of "what could have been." There is even a country-rock killin' song ("Violet and Jeffrey Lee," not quite a murder ballad). The entire album has a very psychedelic feel to it, like a 2010 version of The Byrds. Especially my favorite track "Postcards," (listen below) which sounds like it could be straight out of Roger McGuin's 1960s catalog.
This is not an album that will cheer you up on a bad day, but it is a killer country-rock psychedelic folk bluegrass record (its damn impossible to categorize The Sadies). As my friend Whiskey Devil said, "Dark Sadies might just be the best Sadies."
Postcards.mp3
Buy (Maple Music): Darker Circles
Buy (Amazon): Darker Circles
8. The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
I was apprehensive about The Gaslight Anthem's newest release until I saw them live back in July. They totally lived up to the hype. Blew me away actually. They blasted into the title track "American Slang" and never looked back.
American Slang and The Gaslight Anthem are filling in a much needed niche in music right now: they are a solid rock band. They don't fart around with pretentious new sounds, or have weird outfits, or feel the need to do namby-pamby acoustic folk songs (and I like namby-pamby acoustic folk songs). American Slang is essentially following the same Tom Petty/Bruce Springsteen rock formula that they have been using since their 2008 debut album Sink Or Swim, except that they have become better singers/guitarists/musicians in general. I'm hoping that the Gaslight Anthem will get today's teenagers interested in rock and roll. God knows that popular music needs it.
Stay Lucky.mp3
Buy: American Slang
9. Kasey Anderson - Nowhere Nights
Nowhere Nights came out in early 2010, and as I predicted in February, it set my standard for the year in rock music. It contains eleven tracks of solid rock songs: some slow, some fast, some you can dance to, some that will make you think, and some that will just make you rock out.
Anderson's rock influences are all over this album. You can hear Tom Petty in "Sooner/Later," Bruce Springsteen in "Leavin' Kind," and Mike Cooley-penned Drive-By Truckers songs in "All Lit Up." "Real Gone" is an obvious nod to Tom Waits, but it also seems like it could be Anderson's "Desolation Row."
"I Was a Photograph" is the song of the year. Anderson wrote this song about Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller after reading an article about the Iraq veteran in Rolling Stone. You can read Anderson's thoughts on the song on a post he did for Ninebullets.net.
While the album is largely autobiographical, the themes and stories easily resonate with everyday folks (in other words, me). Two songs specifically hit home for me. The first track, "Bellingham Blues," reminds me of never feeling at home in the town where you grew up. Similarly, the song "Home" reminds me of my home town. I'm assuming that this song is also about Bellingham, a city similar in population to my home town. "That's how it goes in a town this small. You either play your hand a little closer to the vest, or you don't play at all." Great lyrics, and so true.
Song of the year, easily:
I Was a Photograph (Blake's Song).mp3
Buy: Nowhere Nights
10. The Black Keys - Brothers
The Black Keys do it again with a killer blues-based rock album called Brothers. This album makes me want to tap my feet, shake my ass, and drink hooch like an old blues man on Maxwell Street. Some have compared The Black Keys to The White Stripes in terms of a blues-based rock duo, but The Black Keys has a deeper, more restrained and disciplined sound, as opposed to blues-spaz-rock and bizarre lyrics that sometimes spews from Jack White. For Brothers itself, the recording is raw and uncomplicated, but you can also hear a bit of punk rock and hip-hop influences throughout the record. The songs are catchy, fiery, and sexy, and will get stuck in your head. This is a good thing.
Brothers also has the worst/laziest album art of 2010.
Apparently The Black Keys are driving some of my US peeps crazy because several of songs are licensed for TV commercials. But those licenses didn't reach Canada, so I can't complain!
Next Girl.mp3
Buy: Brothers
This modern bluegrass quartet out of Martinsburg, West Virginia, put out the best album in 2010. From my original review posted in September: The band has two primary songwriters, John R. Miller and Matt Kline, who both cover a range of human emotions in their music. Women, sinning, drinking, misery, temptation, you know, the happy subjects, are covered in depth in their lyrics. Their music is mostly uptempo country/folk, filled with vocal harmonies, and lots of banjo and fiddle, rounded out with acoustic guitar, mandolin, and upright bass. And the musicians frequently rotate instruments and share lead vocals. Now that's talent!
Long Way to Go spans an entire range of roots music, with a mid-tempo opening track called "Screw Me Up" which is about a woman messing with a dude's head. Later, a snappy song called "It Suits Me" which is ostensibly about a one night stand (the instrumental outro kills me). One of the best songs on the album, "Four Horses" is a slaying meditation on life and death. "No one said that life was easy. No one said that life was fair." Gulp. One of my favorite songs on the album, "I'll Drink Cheap," is about breaking the bank to please your lush of a woman. I listened to and enjoyed this album more than any other record released in 2010. You should be doing the same.
Third runner up to song of the year:
Four Horses.mp3
Buy: Long Way to Go
Remember when The Hold Steady released their first few albums and everyone, including me, said they were the second coming of Thin Lizzy? Wrong! Ladies and gentlemen, I present Glossary. Feral Fire is such a killer rock album. It takes its name from a line in the Cormac McCarthy book, The Road
. Apparently this is their sixth album, but I am just hopping on the bandwagon now. Can't wait to listen to their back catalog, some of which is free on their web site. If you like Bruce Springsteen/Tom Petty/Drive-By Truckers kind of rock, then get this album pronto.Second runner up to song of the year:
Save Your Money for the Weekend.mp3
Buy: Feral Fire
3. Matthew Ryan - Dear Lover (electric and acoustic)
I got a copy of Matthew Ryan's Dear Lover back in October 2009, and I have been dying to put it on my top 10 list for the last fourteen months. From my original review from February: The entire record revolves (evolves?) around the theme of a romantic relationship. Relationships are complicated, wonderful, confusing, stressful, exhilarating, scary, empowering, and even lonely, sometimes all at the same time. "I could be your super hero. I could be your biggest disappointment." Ryan is telling stories in his songs, but the stories are vague enough where each listener can interpret the song in his/her own way. The mark of a great songwriter is the ability to let his audience decide what the song is about, and Ryan thrives in this aspect of musicianship.
The songs on Dear Lover are power pop anthems, indie rockers, soft ballads, and electro/synth tracks you could hear in a Manhattan martini bar. Some people may be turned off by the ambient/electro-sounding songs, but I think they really add to the overall feel of the album and show Ryan's willingness to experiment with diverse sounds. In fact, one fan called Dear Lover "Matthew Ryan's synth/techno/electro Nebraska."
Later in 2010 Ryan released Dear Lover as an acoustic album, with a different track order, and one new track, which makes it a completely different album. I haven't heard of an artist doing this before, except in the context of a live album or something. This approach may be a new way for indie/DYI artists to get more mileage out of one record. Screw that iTunes "exclusive" or iTunes "sessions" crap. I may be old school, but I like the physical disc in my hand, in both electric and acoustic forms.
City Life.mp3
City Life (acoustic).mp3
Buy both: City Life (electric and acoustic)
I saw Joe Pug open for Justin Townes Earle back in March, and I was totally taken with Pug. At the time I didn't own the album Messenger, but after subsequent listens I was enamored with his work. This is a solid singer/songwriter folk-ish, country-ish album, with brilliant lyrics and great storytelling. I don't have a lot to say about this album. The music speaks for itself.
Fourth runner up to song of the year:
Not So Sure.mp3
Buy: Messenger
Pug has a free EP out right now. You can download it for the cost of your e-mail address.
I had the pleasure of seeing Tim Barry in concert twice this year: once opening for Chuck Ragan in February and once opening for The Gaslight Anthem in July, both times solo acoustic.
Barry is intense, and pissed off, but also deeply sincere and forthright. He has deep convictions, and he stands by them. You don't fuck with Tim Barry. You also don't fuck with his album 28th & Stonewall, an intersection in Barry's home town of Richmond, Virginia. I would love to know about the significance of this particular corner. This album continues with Barry's style of simple storytelling about complicated people. The characters in Barry's songs are presumably semi-autobiographical: they are fucks-up who are trying to do the right thing, but keep stumbling into people who are constantly letting them down. In addition, he's also very self-deprecating and self-aware. 28th & Stonewall is Barry's most well-written solo album, with vibrant lyrics boosting his powerful voice. But, this album is not for the timid. You may be offended by some of the content, but Barry doesn't give a shit, and neither do I.
(Memento Mori).mp3
Buy: 28th & Stonewall
The fact that Two Cow Garage hasn't cracked the indie rock glass ceiling completely baffles me. Sweet Saint Me is their fifth album, and as I said in my November review, this album as a whole is their strongest one yet. Sweet Saint Me is nearly a pure rock album, but this time the lead singers, mostly Michal Schnabel with a few tracks by Shane Sweeney, seemed to have really concentrated on honing their songwriting technique. The entire album seems more mature and focused. But don't worry, "mature and focused" can also kick fucking ass! Take my favorite track, "Lydia;" "Lydia, you're much too young to have your teeth on the tip of my tongue. If your lips were just a little bit older…" I heard through the twittervine that when Schnabel premiered "Jackson, Don't You Worry" at SXSW, a song dedicated to Sweeney's baby son, grown men were weeping. Indeed, I took a hard gulp the first time I heard it. And I'll be damned if Schnabel didn't steal the "Insolent Youth" lyric "just because you can doesn't mean you should" from me, cause I've been saying that for years. Sweet Saint Me is peppered with hard rock anthems ("My Great Gatsby"), love songs ("Closer to You"), and stories ("Lucy and the Butcher Knife"), with the occasional lyric borrowed from Bruce Springsteen, Townes Van Zandt, and Bob Dylan. To paraphrase my reader Ron from Buffalo, Two Cow Garage has written better individual songs ("No Shame," "Swingset Assassin," "Humble Narrator," "Mediocre," "Saturday Night," "Come Back to Shelby") but this album is solid everywhere.
Lydia.mp3
Buy: Sweet Saint Me
A few months ago I was listening to a podcast of the CBC radio show Q where the host was interviewing The Sadies lead guitarists/singers/songwriters brothers Dallas and Travis Good. One of them said that after their mom listened to Darker Circles she called them to make sure they were OK. You know you've made a good album when you freak your mom out.
Per my May review: Darker Circles is a very different album from their 2007 release New Seasons, although both were produced by Jayhawks member Gary Louris. Darker Circles is, well, much darker than New Seasons, with lyrics like, "it won't be long 'til all your hopes and dreams are dead and gone," ("Another Year Again"), and "I turn to oblivion night after night," ("Tell Her What I Said"). The songs have themes of isolation, regret, remorse, and ponderances of "what could have been." There is even a country-rock killin' song ("Violet and Jeffrey Lee," not quite a murder ballad). The entire album has a very psychedelic feel to it, like a 2010 version of The Byrds. Especially my favorite track "Postcards," (listen below) which sounds like it could be straight out of Roger McGuin's 1960s catalog.
This is not an album that will cheer you up on a bad day, but it is a killer country-rock psychedelic folk bluegrass record (its damn impossible to categorize The Sadies). As my friend Whiskey Devil said, "Dark Sadies might just be the best Sadies."
Postcards.mp3
Buy (Maple Music): Darker Circles
Buy (Amazon): Darker Circles
I was apprehensive about The Gaslight Anthem's newest release until I saw them live back in July. They totally lived up to the hype. Blew me away actually. They blasted into the title track "American Slang" and never looked back.
American Slang and The Gaslight Anthem are filling in a much needed niche in music right now: they are a solid rock band. They don't fart around with pretentious new sounds, or have weird outfits, or feel the need to do namby-pamby acoustic folk songs (and I like namby-pamby acoustic folk songs). American Slang is essentially following the same Tom Petty/Bruce Springsteen rock formula that they have been using since their 2008 debut album Sink Or Swim, except that they have become better singers/guitarists/musicians in general. I'm hoping that the Gaslight Anthem will get today's teenagers interested in rock and roll. God knows that popular music needs it.
Stay Lucky.mp3
Buy: American Slang
Nowhere Nights came out in early 2010, and as I predicted in February, it set my standard for the year in rock music. It contains eleven tracks of solid rock songs: some slow, some fast, some you can dance to, some that will make you think, and some that will just make you rock out.
Anderson's rock influences are all over this album. You can hear Tom Petty in "Sooner/Later," Bruce Springsteen in "Leavin' Kind," and Mike Cooley-penned Drive-By Truckers songs in "All Lit Up." "Real Gone" is an obvious nod to Tom Waits, but it also seems like it could be Anderson's "Desolation Row."
"I Was a Photograph" is the song of the year. Anderson wrote this song about Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller after reading an article about the Iraq veteran in Rolling Stone. You can read Anderson's thoughts on the song on a post he did for Ninebullets.net.
While the album is largely autobiographical, the themes and stories easily resonate with everyday folks (in other words, me). Two songs specifically hit home for me. The first track, "Bellingham Blues," reminds me of never feeling at home in the town where you grew up. Similarly, the song "Home" reminds me of my home town. I'm assuming that this song is also about Bellingham, a city similar in population to my home town. "That's how it goes in a town this small. You either play your hand a little closer to the vest, or you don't play at all." Great lyrics, and so true.
Song of the year, easily:
I Was a Photograph (Blake's Song).mp3
Buy: Nowhere Nights
The Black Keys do it again with a killer blues-based rock album called Brothers. This album makes me want to tap my feet, shake my ass, and drink hooch like an old blues man on Maxwell Street. Some have compared The Black Keys to The White Stripes in terms of a blues-based rock duo, but The Black Keys has a deeper, more restrained and disciplined sound, as opposed to blues-spaz-rock and bizarre lyrics that sometimes spews from Jack White. For Brothers itself, the recording is raw and uncomplicated, but you can also hear a bit of punk rock and hip-hop influences throughout the record. The songs are catchy, fiery, and sexy, and will get stuck in your head. This is a good thing.
Brothers also has the worst/laziest album art of 2010.
Apparently The Black Keys are driving some of my US peeps crazy because several of songs are licensed for TV commercials. But those licenses didn't reach Canada, so I can't complain!
Next Girl.mp3
Buy: Brothers
Thursday, May 20, 2010
May (or May Not) Feel Bad For You
The monthly comp from the forum users at AltCountryTab.ca.
Download the zipped comp for one week only!
1. The Broken Family Band - "Give And Take"
Hello Love (2007)
2. Roky Erickson and Okkervil River - "Goodbye Sweet Dreams"
True Love Cast Out All Evil (2010)
3. Michael Schenker - "I Am Grateful"
Thank You, Vol 3 (2003)
4. Earl Scruggs, his kids, and The Byrds - "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"
His Family and Friends (1972)
Comment: This album is one of my faves, but the DVD is a must have.
5. Country Gazette - Tried So Hard.mp3
From: Traitor In Our Midst (1972, out of print)
Comment: Good take on this Gene Clark song.
6. Jim and Jesse - "Roll Over Beethoven"
Berry Pickin' In The Country (1965)
7. The Sadies - "Postcards"
Darker Circles (2010)
Comment: My favorite from their new one, though all of the songs are exceptional.
8. The Fox Hunt - "I'll Drink Cheap"
Long Way to Go (2010)
9. Joe Pug - "Not So Sure"
Messenger (2010)
Comment: This song has been kicking my ass lately.
10. Martha Tilston - Rockpools.mp3
Buy: Lucy and the Wolves (2010)
Comment: I just discovered this purveyor of British folk with an absolutely gorgeous voice. This is my favorite song off of her new album.
11. Martha Tilston - "Wild Swimming"
Lucy and the Wolves (2010)
Comment: Another song from Tilston's new album, this one much darker.
12. John Moreland - Trust Funds.mp3
From (free download from MySpace): Rob's House Demos (2009)
Comment: This guy kinda reminds me of Tim Barry. Saw him open for Two Cow Garage.
13. John Moreland - "One More Headache"
First Demos (2006)
14. Andrew Anderson - Once Met a Girl.mp3
Buy: As Long as This Thing's Flying (2009)
Comment: Hardcore troubadour from Idaho that I saw as an opener a while back. Like the cut of his jib.
15. Andrew Anderson - "The Hawk"
As Long as This Thing's Flying (2009)
16. Merle Haggard - "Take Him Fishing"
All Gone Fishin' compilation (2006)
Comment: ACT fathers - you know what to do.
17. The Del-Vikings - "Whispering Bells"
Come Go With Me (1959)
Comment: Love that 1950's doo-wop. The Del-Vikings were a multiracial vocal group, pretty rare at the time.
18. Smiley Hobbs - "Train 45"
Classic Bluegrass From The Smithsonian Folkways (1956)
Comment: Album title says it best.
19. Deadstring Brothers - "Jones Street"
Deadstring Brothers (2003)
Comment: Stones copyists get it right.
20. Skye Paige and the Original Recipe - "Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, Wrong"
Whole Lotta Woman (2010)
Comment: Skye Paige is a kick ass local musician here in Charleston….great rockabilly-punk attitude…doesn’t take any shit especially from douchebag guys.
21. Prison Book Club - Heart of Lead.mp3
Buy: Required Reading (2009)
Comment: Another brilliant tune from John R. Miller of The Fox Hunt fame…this band will rock your socks off…get a chance to see them live and make sure you get them to do their cover of "Rock Salt and Nails" from Utah Phillips.
22. Prison Book Club - "Everything’s Fine"
Required Reading (2009)
Comment: Nothing like the first song off an EP that kicks you in the teeth from the get go…and nothing more fucking annoying than an artist’s “side project” that is so fucking good it makes you want to sell your guitar and start working a “real job” again.
23. Glossary - The Sweet Forever.mp3
Buy: Feral Fire (2010)
24. Glossary - "Bend With The Breeze"
Feral Fire (2010)
Comment: Forget all the BS you may have heard about this band not being worth a damn from certain members of this board. Their 6th album Feral Fire is fucking great and these 2 selections should put all the haters in their place. You know who you are bitches.
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