I sampled most of the tunes on their second disc, Dancing On The Gallows, and I can see I have some catching up to do.  I have to admit that I haven’t really sat down and heard all the tracks yet because I’m just streaming this – like I recommend YOU do but it’s grabbing me.  More every time I hear it.

Love “Pine Box”, for example.  See what you think.

But then I listened again and was really liking this one.

Rose’s Pawn Shop has the requisite banjo,  mandolin, fiddle, and upright bass, as well as guitars, acoustic and electric, and drums that make great Americana music. The members are: Paul Givant – Lead Vocals, Guitar & Banjo; John Kraus – Banjo, Electric Guitar & Vocals; Tim Weed – Fiddle, Mandolin & Vocals; Stephen Andrews – Upright Bass & Electric Bass; and Christian Hogan – Drums & Vocals. The music is catchy and intricate; the lyrics are full of stories.
I had to ask for a lyric sheet so I could really read them. And then I had to order the CD so I can really just analyze the whole damn thing.

You can hear more of  Rose’s Pawn Shop on their MySpace or catch them live as they like to play the festivals –

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,,,,,,

And they are so generous, sharing their booze-driven music with everyone everywhere around these parts.  They livened up the local sleepy bar with their CD release party and then turned around and did a benefit for a local emergency care center, then road tripped Texas and had a grand time playing with Lonesome Heroes and the like.

The CD is called Tub Life.  Relax, kick your shoes off and enjoy.  Something original, raw, unpredictable and not quite perfect, but with hints of some stellar influences of old.  The live show is even better, of course.  Okay, I’m a fan.  I drank the kool-aid….or, in this case, ate the cheese.  I got the CD, the T-shirt and stuck a Rat Trapper sticker on my guitar case.

www.rattrapper.org

www.wwjwd.com

I look forward to seeing where this brand new CD release will take them.  They’ve already got folks from Laramie, San Marcos, Dallas and parts unknown tapping their toes and singing along with John Whitley.

What would John Whitley do?  DRINK!

“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.

Opening Track:  ”Alabama Pines” – perfect!  5 stars.

2nd Track:  ”Go It Alone” – Every bit as appropriate and touching as promised.  Love this song.

3rd Track:  ”We’ve Met” – Very convincing.  Very Jason.  So good.

4th Track:  ”Codeine” –  “One of her friends has taken her in and given her Codeine.” That’s the refrain, but let me give you a sample line from one of the later verses:

“If there’s one thing I can’t take,
it’s the sound a woman makes,
about five seconds after her heart begins to break.
That’s one thing I can’t take.”

Can this man write or what?  And his voice sounds as sweet and real as ever.  And the band sounds better than ever.

Don’t miss this album.  I almost did.  I was so pissed about not hearing of it first I went straight out and bought the whole SiriusXM car thingy and fancy home speaker unit, too.

So, thank you, Jason Isbell for HERE WE REST.  I’m resting here with a depleted checking account, thanks to you, but I love your songs, man.

And they are altruistic, claiming their debut album, Booze Fighter “is saving country music one shot of whiskey at a time.”

So, naturally, I was intrigued.

The first song “Honky Tonk Nights” got my attention.  It starts with  a mellow guitar chord, the sound of beer can popping open, and then busts into some Celtic punk-sounding hillbilly bluegrass with redneck/punk vocals and a manic fiddle.    That’s the best I can describe it.  Fun.

The other tracks continue in that musical vein.  A lot of polka, rockabilly, mandolin, washtub bass even..  And to make it better, they aren’t afraid to wield a harmonica on some tracks.  I love me some harmonica.

My favorite part of the Streakin’ Healys, though, is their lyrics.    So deep, they really make you think.   Well, kinda.  At least they make you laugh.  A lot.

You can get an idea of how their minds work by going to their website or Facebook page but following are a sampling of my favorite lyrics:

“My conscience screams fucking apathy.”

“Dirty pirate whores for life
I never got to say goodbye.”

“Gimme some Willie or Johnny or Waylon  or even Hanks I, II, or III.
Get out of my face, your life’s a disgrace, and start drinking heavily.”

“Christmastime in rehab has been so good for me.”

Look for Booze Fighter on Amazon and at CDBaby.com the end of May.  In the meantime, you can sample them at their Facebook site or download single mp3s from Amazon.

This is a band I’m going to have to see live.   Streakin’ Healys – won’t you please come to Denver?

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?

The title cut is great and, of course, “Faded Cut Off Jeans” touched me, having been there for the original version of those lyrics. What it morphed into is perfect.

‘Three Points” is sad.  Lead guitar player/slide, Brandon Turner is really just perfect on “Port City”. I love me some slide guitar.  “Forty Ton Oak” could have been a Guy Clark song.

The album ends with “Has it all gone to hell for nickels and dimes?”  Sad songs, pretty songs, good songs that make you think…..and so easy to listen to.  Jon’s got a bunch of albums out. This one isn’t his latest, just my personal favorite.

Check him out when you’ve gotcha some time.

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.  

If you have ever listened to any guitar playin’ women and dug it, you will have to give Donna a listen and let me know what you think.  I’m liking her upbeat attitude about a subject we can all relate to from the first line, which is “I been walking on eggshells around you lately….”  Yes, yes, I can relate!  The song is What Am I Gonna Do?

Comparisons have been made . . . Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams . . .I think I’ll listen to Donna Dean some more and get back to you on this.

Fauss’s first EP, New Songs for The Old Frontier, was damn good (see my review).  But his new stuff is nothing like his old stuff was. It’s better.  Rocks more.  Rougher voice.  I like that.  Got a fiddle on some of it.  I like that too.

I can’t get the first song, To Ease My Mind,  out of my head.  Very catchy tune.  And It’s a Long Long Way is a funny talking blues song (think Todd Snider’s Talking Seattle Grunge Rock Blues) explaining the direction, or lack thereof, of a guy growing up in the post-Nixon era.  I’m pretty sure that anyone who rhymes “riches” with “bitches” is headed in the right direction.

Wish had me fooled.  I thought it was a  sweet little love song but then I really listened to the lyrics.  It’s more like a hate song.  There’s a lot of bitterness packed in that one, with amusing lyrics to boot.  And the mandolin and harmonica just make it that much better.

I love the fiddle on Just Another Tuesday.  And the lyric “Sometimes a dream is worth believing, even if it’s only in your head.”

Fauss has got that songwriting/storytelling gene I admire in the great ones – James McMurtry, Steve Earle, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen .   The music stays with you and the stories are fascinating, kind of open ended so you have to think.  With a lot of humor thrown in.

I think I figured out how he does it – he’s a nosy bastard. I spent some time with him this week before his show at Quixote’s and I wanted to ask him about the stories behind some of his songs but he kept turning the tables on me.  Asked me all sorts of questions I didn’t want to answer.  Seems to have an instinct for which buttons to press.  Uncanny.

And that inquisitive streak has got to be where he gets his material.  He looks for stories and he puts them into his songs.  Makes for great music.

Ronnie’s Denver show last  week wasn’t attended nearly well enough but that didn’t stop him from playing as if the club was full.  And this was after he spent a day in 95 degree heat watching baseball.  He might have had a few beers too.  It only helped his voice.  Ragged and good.

He also had a bunch of really great stuff that hasn’t shown up on either EP.   He says he’s going to make another one soon.  Get on it, Ronnie.  We’re waiting.

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.

The Philistines, Jr. are doing something different. On first listen, my thoughts meandered this away: Long, electro intros that make me wonder if it’s gonna be worth the wait, stellar keyboard work, interesting and unexpected arrangements, sparse lyrics well worth the wait. Now this was so sweet and strange that I have to admit that I did have to hit Pause and go fix myself a waffle at one point. Starting over with “Twenty Miles to NH”, I sank into the couch a little deeper. I decided to find out if they were touring and when they’d be around here and considered maybe catching them live, maybe sitting in with ‘em for a short set with my flute-o-phone or something…..This is how you start thinking when you listen to this shit…

I’m going to have to go now and put on some Townes and get this new vibration (so reminiscent of very old vibrations) OUT of my head. Out! Out! ….Pancho was a bandit, boys, horse was made of polished steel, wore his gun outside his pants…

“Hey, Hey, It’s the end of the world again….”

They are kinda saying the same damn thing, aren‘t they?

Maybe I better check out this Philistines, Jr. website, MySpace, FaceBook, and all a little more closely and see if there are any other tracks out there. I want to hear more.

Maybe I’ll give the whole album another listen.

Y’all check it out.

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.

Townes Van Zandt reportedly said he didn’t like circus songs much, and I tend to agree with him.  So, “The Flying Wallendas” will never be one of my favorites, but, that said . . this is not an album with a theme like that.  Variety is the spice here.  Finally, I have a studio cut of “After the Scene Dies.”  Strike the set and cue the wrap party!  I love this song.

Mad love to Shonna Tucker!  She has really proven herself as a singer and songwriter on this one.  I can see the day when Truckers’ shows will feature a lot of Shonna.  (I’m still waiting to hear Purgatory Line live, but that’s a whole ‘nother album.)  Hearing “You Got Another” was a beautiful thing.  I like “I Told You So” even more.  It’s a rocking, dancing number.  This is unusual and catchy.  Good goin’, woman!

Patterson Hood has been following the news and waxing prolific again, but you will never hear me complain about that.  If you buy one song from this release, it’ll be “The Wig He Made Her Wear”, I’ll bet.  It’s a fascinating story and you just can’t quite look away.  “He made her do things that made her feel so ashamed.”  So, she shot him.

I think my favorite Cooley cut on this one is “Get Downtown.”  Put your face in somebody’s that ain’t mine. That’s just so Cooley!

Check it out.  This ain’t no band full of slackers, here.  They keep me entertained year after year after year after year.

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. 

Guy’s song "The Guitar" gets my vote for song of the year.  I’ve played it for everyone I know.  I ordered the double-disc-deal of Kristofferson.  I knew I’d beat myself up if I didn’t and sure enough, the live bonus disc was a delightful trip through an Ireland concert and Silver Tongued Devil tripped me all the way back to the seventies.  And Kris commented (I love to hear him talk) that his very young son had told him that was NOT a good song.  "Why?"  "You’re just blaming your problems on somebody else!"  Brilliant kid!  Yes, that IS what the 70′s were all about!

Digress?  No, details are important.  Ask Simone Felice.  Keep an eye on those Felice boys.  I think they’re up to something.  Check out The Duke and The King’s "Nothing Gold Can Stay."  Then find the backstory on that.  Simone was one sad mofo when he wrote some of these songs.  The other Felice Brothers put out "Yonder is the Clock" this year.  I like every album they’ve released and this one was no exception.  It’s fantastic.  I picked up a copy for a friend.  If you miss the opportunity to see this band live, you might die with an incomplete musical education.  Kinda like the live George Thorogood show, only not.  Not at all.  Just go see them.  Then all the songs make sense.

Hey, that Roseanne Cash chick is serious!  What a voice!  “The List” is a gently put together album of oldies that her daddy said should be saved.  She saved them.  Really nicely.  And, her harmony singers are no slouches, either.

Ah, what else?  Them Truckers!  On Austin City Limits!  What about that, huh?  And the release of The Fine Print was a delight.  Finally!  Beautiful!  And Wes Freed’s artwork rocks.  Read the reviews of The Fine Print on this site and a hundred others and you won’t find anything but praise for this perfectly lined-up collection of DBT songs old and new – funny (Mrs. Klaus’ Kimono-Patterson) and sad (Uncle Frank-Cooley) and touching (Thank God for the TVA-Jason Isbell). 

And speaking of which, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’s self-titled, self-artworked CD/Album deal at the first of this year was a super standard-setter for all that followed.  What a pretty piece of work this is! 

2009 also brought the previously threatened Murdering Oscar by Patterson Hood..  He puts his all into all he does and does it with a devilish, literate sweetness that you just don’t accidently acquire.  Nobody had to teach Patterson how to don the rock star attitude.  He throws himself into the songs like real rock is his to save and his alone.  He’s up on that stage championing his cause more nights of the year than not and still knocks you upside the head with one brilliant song after another that he somehow finds time to scribble between his entertaining updates on the websites (alabamaasswhuppin.com and ninebullets.org) and all the worthy causes he supports..  (see Nuci’s Space).

Okay, what else?  The Gourds "Haymaker!.  And don’t miss Ryan Bingham’s Roadhouse Sun or anything that Gordy Quist and his Band of Heathens put out.  Oh, yeah, and Todd Snider’s new "Excitement Plan".  He should really be our national ambassador of good sense.  Him and McMurtry.

Y’all keep rockin’ on for another year.  I hear Deer Tick’s puttin’ out something good.  And Slobberbone is apt to make an appearance….somewhere…
I’m going to put on this new Drive By Truckers on Austin City Limits in 2009 CD and tell myself "it’s good to be alive", even though the economy sucks and we’re all eating Ramen way too often.