Rat Trapper
There are just a whole helluva lot of things that don’t happen around here a whole helluva lot of the time, but sometimes….the strangest combinations of people get together and form a band – the right way.
I’m fascinated, intrigued and ever-so entertained by a new young band that just sprung up outta nowhere – well- at the hardware store, really, I guess. It started with a washtub, a broomstick and some weed-whacker line, the way I heard it, but check the bios on their site for the real story.
See, thing is, they write their own songs! Yeah, words, music, all that! You will be amazed at the weird mix of killer keys, banjo, guitars and that crazy washtub bass. It’ll make you scratch your head. Well worth the listen – funny, smart, serious, danceable,,,,,,
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – “Here We Rest”
It’s not a well-kept secret that Jason Isbell songs just send me tingling all over, right? So, my old cabana boy called me the other night and said “Have you heard the new Jason Isbell record?”
“No, where’d you hear it?”
“Oh, they’re playing a few tracks on Outlaw Country on Sirius. There’s one song with a line that goes something like ‘I’m taking it home to go it alone again.’” Then he said a lot of other shit while I scrambled to look up the phone number of the only available place to shop in this little town, the sub-par conglomerate that I won’t even name. They had two copies, so I snagged them both. One for him (to rub it in, see?) and one for me to keep in the wrapper and fondle, while I “tested” the gift copy. Cover art by Browan Lollar. Birds, this time. Beautiful, as always. Read the full article »
The good, the sad, and the pretty…
JON DURHAM - Roots and Wings (2008), Half Fast Music
I was so pleased to find this in my mailbox one day. The cover art and the song titles are so pretty. Inside are words of wisdom – “Remember your roots and use your wings”, “Wings can unfold at a moment’s notice.”
In the first song, Jon revisits the small town he remembers. It’s true, man. I grew up that way, too.
“Courtesy” follows and brushes up against a question that’s been on my mind lately - Are we growing more patient because so many things take so much longer due to the lack of courtesy, customer service, thoughtfulness and general efficiency in our day to day activities? Or, is it just driving us crazier? Read the full article »
Donna Dean
I wanna hang out with this band. Check it out. They look like they are having fun. I love music when it’s fun.
No Depression rocks. Still. They interviewed our boy Ronnie Fauss, then Shady from the New Zealand radio station, Radioactive-FM, interviewed him. Now they have introduced Donna Dean to the masses and about time, I’d say, because it’s clear that they have been practicing for a while….uh, duh…..where has she been? where have I been? Thanks for the alert on this, Shady, because I am richer for having heard it this morning.
2011, 2011, 2011!!!
It’s a brand new year. Congratulations to everyone who managed to stay a toe’s length from the edge of that bridge for another damn year. It wasn’t a great year and I don’t want to go on and on about it, but that ‘focusing on the positive’ wasn’t working for me, either, so I turned on Sirius and listened to the Drive By Truckers ringing in the new in New York City. They were dirty, nasty, dark and put a grin on my face from the git-go, with Patterson sending you all a big, fat “Happy New Year, Motherfuckers!”. They opened with the Gregory Dean Smalley story, reminding us all right away that we can’t die now ‘cause we’ve got another show to do. The Big To-Do was represented, but, mostly, it reminded me of shows of old, with Decoration Day, Gravity’s Gone, Ronnie and Neil, Dead, Drunk and Naked, bunch old stuff, and Ghost to Most! They ended with Shut Your Mouth and Get Your Ass on the Plane and Angels and Fuselage. Oh, yeah, Shonna Tucker broke out her new one. (will be on Go-Go Boots, which they’ll kick out in February)
My year had a few smiles. Ronnie Fauss put on quite a show at our place. He’s a treasure both musically and personally. He has great EPs, too. Check out Naomi’s review of Mulligan and if you haven’t heard him before, you’re missing out.
We Got Mail
We don’t get all that much mail, ‘cause we’re slackers and all, but The Philistines, Jr. band sent me a free listen to their new album “If A Band Plays in the Woods…” Hmm.
Maybe I was just in a mood this morning like I felt like I needed a nudge in a new direction. Maybe I just love innovation supported by well-written, thought-tickling lyrics and a we-are-all-in-the-same-boat-together attitude.
This is NOT my kind of music. At all. Is it? Sounds like some weird combination of electronica and a toy-store xylophone. It’s sure not raging southern guitar rock, folky Americana or banjos and mandolins. So, why did they send this to me? Did it leak that I’m a closet ABBA and Boy George fan? Did someone catch me listening to that danged White Stripes stuff? I don’t know.
How Big Is The Big To-Do?
The new Drive By Truckers’ album was released on March 16th and I was pretty excited about this one. It’s a full-blown PRODUCTION kind of album. How big is Big To-Do
I’m a big Drive By Truckers fanatic and I can never wait for the next show or the next album. A live Trucker show is like a shot in the arm, and not in that bad way . . . The new CD is like reading a good book. Lots of story-songs on this one. Patterson tells smutty tales of some bad-ass characters and Cooley sings about hookers and being jobless. You know, everyday life stuff.
Hayes Carll at the Walnut Room
Denver, Colorado – February 3, 2010
On a cold winter Wednesday night in a small room in downtown Denver, with a warm fuzzy warm up from the beautiful Angie Stevens, Hayes Carll thrilled a focused crowd. This was not your typical shit-stirring, body-bumping audience. These fans mostly knew the words, sang along or silently stood in ‘rapt-attention’ mode. I know I did, anyway.
Hayes just seems like the kind of guy you wind up on a barstool beside and surprisingly find yourself as relaxed and at ease as you would with someone you’d known and conversed with for years.
Top Ten for 2009?
(or What I Spent My Grocery Money On)
You all know by now my penchant for owning the physical disc. Even when times are hard. I’d love to tell you it’s because my high morals won’t allow me to copy OPD’s (other people’s discs) but, well, I just really like to peel off the wrappers and pop out the pretty inserts and stuff.
And, I do like to cuss the postal system when it’s late, cuss the state of our society because there are no independent music stores – you know, get myself a little worked up. Then, when I finally get my hands on the actual item, I run my fingers over the lyrics booklet, read the dedication and thank yous and all before I listen from track one to the very end.
From the moment I sussed out the info that Steve Earle was releasing "Townes", I knew I’d have to have that one. It’s a forever keeper. And, Guy Clark’s "Sometimes the Song Writes You" was getting multiple rave reviews before I’d ever heard of it, so I internet-ordered that. Kris Kristofferson’s "Closer to the Bone" kept me camped out by the mailbox for a while. Well worth the frostbite, though.
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit
Jason and the 400 Unit put out a crazy good CD just a year or so ago called Sirens of the Ditch. It had "Brand New Kind of Actress" and "Dress Blues "and got plenty attention. I ordered it pre-released and it’s been played and played and I still love it and it still moves me.
The new self-titled album is a beautiful work of art. No, really, I bought the package deal from their website and got the album and an autographed CD. My record spinner is out of commission right now, but I had to have that big ol’ album, just for the cover art. Browan Lollar did it. Talk about multi-talented, this band’s got that wrapped. Jason’s just a wizard at everything.
The 400 Unit is Browan Lollar, Derry deBorge, Jimbo Hart and Matt Pence. They’re no slouches. Look them up, if you haven’t. Those of you who like to cherry-pick songs (which I still find kinda weird) try "Sunstroke" first. If you love it, try "Good" too. If you don’t think you love either of ‘em and you just wanna drink beer and get in touch with your inner cowboy, give a listen to "Cigarettes and Wine". If that don’t get ya, I’ll cry in my beer for you.