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.  

Steve Earle and Allison Moorer are in love and in New York City. Washington Square Serenade. What can I say that hasn’t been said already? I absolutely love this album. It’s a beautiful collection of individual songs, but it’s a cohesive piece of art, too. I think it probably is my very favorite this year. It’s one of several Steve Earle albums that will be thrown in the ‘tote that will tote only the essential CDs to that deserted island’ when it comes time to go.

Tommy Womack released There, I Said It! early in 2007. It’s a wonderful, heartwarming gift from the perpetually tormented Tommy. It’s what passes for happy in his world. And I understand that. The year’s early releases tend to be overlooked sometimes. If you liked Circus Town or Positively Na Na, you’ll love this album. Some of the songs, like “Alpha Male and the Canine Mystery Blood” and “Nice Day” show a dangerously-close-to-grown-up version of this ‘40 something’ manchild. But, I’ve always thought he was a genius on the verge of either self-destruction or sweet success. So cool to see when it manifests itself as the latter.

Definitely my #1 pick of the year.

You remember the drummer for The Band? (who sang The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down?) Well, he’s older now. Levon Helm, who hadn’t crossed my mind in years, nearly blew said mind with his beautiful CD release, Dirt Farmer. Who’d ‘a thunk? It’s old-timey. It’s twangy. It has beautiful harmonies contributed by his daughter, Amy Helm and Teresa Williams. It’s Arkansassy…….It has a Carter family cut and a Buddy and Julie Miller cut. He says he’s just playing some of those old ‘back porch’ tunes. So sit yourself in an old rocking chair and listen to this one. What are you waiting for? This may be your best bet of the year…..

Jason Isbell. Well, yeah! He’s out on his own and has broken the mold. I don’t know what genre this music is. He opened for Cracker on their last tour. He held up his fair share of Drive By Truckers for several years and can throw down that rockin’, southern, fist-pumping shit with the best of them. But his recently released Sirens Of The Ditch is something apart and something very special. It could easily be the best album you will find this year. I would have to have this CD on that deserted island, for sure. Don’t take my word for it. Go to your my-space-tube-dot-com thingy and check out “Dress Blues”. If you aren’t totally sold, well, there’s no hope and Santa doesn’t love you.

Bettye LaVette released Scene of the Crime this year. The title refers to her return to Muscle Shoals and the studio that did not release her album many, many years ago. She got by with a little help from her friend, David Barbe this time. “Before The Money Came”, the song that explains that whole story, was penned by Patterson Hood of the Drive By Truckers for Bettye, with help by Bettye. When asked, she swore that she was not a song writer, but an interpreter of songs. So some of the expressions she used during their conversations in the studio are liberally sprinkled over this song, giving her co-writer street-cred.

She has a lot to say. She knows how to pick a song that works for her. She works for her songs. “Somebody Pick Up My Pieces” put me in a puddle of tears on the floor. I just want to listen to it again. It could be my favorite CD ever.

Gracey

Steve Earle is one of the most entertaining wordsmiths still slinging his guitar around these days. He got it honestly, learning from the likes of Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark. A little younger than Guy, seems Steve is keeping up with the times on Washington Square Serenade.

All the latest music magazines are talking about Steve Earle and Washington Square Serenade this month. And rightly so. This album is surprisingly good and I had trouble being surprised, having read reviews before I caught a good listen. I was a devotee of Steve from back in the day. (I’ve torn my house up this weekend looking for that lost copy of El Corazon. I know it’s around here somewhere.)

I thought Guitar Town was great. Leaving guitar town is even more fun. Maybe just being a grown-up myself makes it so easy to smile with Steve as he’s run toward his vision full steam ahead for the past decade. I thought Jerusalem was miraculous. "John Walker Blues"? "Ashes to Ashes"? The title track, "What’s a Simple Man to Do"? All great songs individually and lined up just so on that album. I’ve spent a lot of hours with it. In a way, "Amerika 6.0" was a warning in more ways than one. Besides what the lyrics told us, the style and method of that track were prophetic. Steve uses technology. You can’t write him off as a geezer guitar rocker. He’s versed and practiced in looping.

I don’t care how this album was created anymore than I care how Ben and Jerry’s got the chocolate and cherries proportioned so perfectly in the Cherry Garcia. I just love it.

Allison and New York City obviously agree with Steve. He says he wrote this one for himself. Nothing more political than the "City of Immigrants", done with a Brazilian band and an humble attitude really, simply saying that we are all immigrants. He swears he’ll return with more to say on the world’s plight, but for now, yeah, I agree with him, do this one for you, Steve. Sing to sweet Allison. She really does Sparkle and Shine. Her harmonies on this album are super duper – strong and unafraid, never over-powering, never too shy. I’m thinking she should have taken the lead on one or two songs, but maybe next time.

"Jericho Road" is an earworm song for me. I wake up with it in my head and it comes back periodically, but, hey, I’ve had worse earworms than this! Oxycontin Blues is great, Steve’s Hammer (for Pete Seeger) is a nod to old folkies everywhere. Satellite Radio asks the question, “Is there anybody out there?”

Yeah. I’m here. And so are a lot of other Steve Earle fans. Most all of us are nodding along and smiling. It’s nice to see Steve ‘playing nice’ and it’s good to give the critics a chance to catch their breath. A beautiful album is not the easiest review to write sometimes, but give him a chance. He swears he’ll be back with something controversial. Right now, right here, I couldn’t be happier with this CD. It’s on my top ten list for 2007.

Track 1 – Tennessee Blues – Goodbye, Guitar Town, leaving in the broad daylight with a blue dog on the floorboard and a redhead by his side. What could be sweeter, really?

Track 2 – Even if you aren’t familiar with Pale Male, the New York City red-tailed hawk, “life goes on down here below” in your town, too, I’ll bet, “and all these mortals struggle so”. See? Wordsmith extraordinaire, I’m tellin’ ya.

Track 3 – Turn it on. Turn it up. It’s Satellite Radio. Anybody out there?

Track 4 – City of Immigrants – Great mix with South American rhythm instruments galore. Makes me want a colorful full skirt to swing and a tall, dark dance partner. Backing band is Forro In the Dark. Nice voice work by Allison.

Track 5 – Sparkle and Shine – I didn’t want to like this one. You know the whole cliché about Steve always having to throw in a few ‘chick songs’ and all. At the risk of losing a few coolness points, I gotta admit it. I love this song.

Track 6 – Come Home to Me – Now, to me, this is where the album slows down a little bit. Not my favorite track.

Track 7 – Jericho Road – This one is a radio friendly number. Steady beat, great bridge, fine lyrics. Go Steve. You keep on walkin’!!!

Track 8 – Oxycontin Blues – Take a warning from a man who knows drugs. Oxycontin is not good for us. I love this line “I never cared much for whiskey, ‘cause it only made Daddy mean. Wrapped a little bit tight they tell me for the methamphetamine.”

Track 9 – Red is the Color – Not one of my favorites, but I don’t get Irish or bagpipes or any of that.

Track 10 – Steve’s Hammer – Old Folkie at heart. A little tired, but one of these days he’s gonna lay that hammer down and sing a different song. Hopefully after the coming election day, I’m thinkin’.

Track 11 – Days Aren’t Long Enough (With Allison Moorer)
- Sweet love song, sweet harmonies. Her voice is really a great compliment to his.

Track 12 – Way Down In The Hole – step back! A little farther back……..I dunno, I think I could get used to this “new Steve”.

I’ll give it 5 stars and a whole bunch of spins.

Mucklewain is a music festival that was held on August 19, 2006, in a big field in Harriman, Tennessee. Actually, it was a southern rock and Americana music festival. Better yet, it was a damn good time.

Mucklewain is the brain child of Joie Todd Kerns and Johnny Mark Miller of Les Honky More Tonkies, a kick-ass southern rock band. They named the festival after Tunis Mucklewain, a Revolutionary War-era Melungeon who posed as an Indian to spy on the British.

Kerns and Miller wanted to create a “working man’s music festival” for hard working bands and fans. The intent was to keep costs down ($30 advance tickets, $45 at the gate) while providing a musical forum for southern American rock bands that don’t get much airplay.

We arrived at Mucklewain a little before noon, parked in a big field, and rode in a school bus to the festival. Upon arriving at the festival, the first band, Mic Harrison and the Hi Score, was already rocking. Some people might remember Mic Harrison from the V-Roys. The band got the crowd dancing with some upbeat country rock songs.

We found a nice shady spot on the hill overlooking the two stages, laid our towels down, and settled in for the day. Including the songwriter stage, there were 30 musicians and groups playing at Mucklewain. The majority of the bands played on either of the two main stages that were set up opposite each other in a large field. When one band finished playing, the next band would be ready to start on the opposite stage.

The smaller songwriters stage was set up at the top of the hill. The only time we really spent at this stage was listening to Webb Wilder. Although Webb performed solo, he still performed crowd favorites like “Human Cannonball” and delighted (confused?) the crowd with his wit (“I come from a part of Mississippi that processes stumps”).

Headliners for the festival were Scott Miller and the Commonwealth, Steve Earle, and Todd Snider. Scott Miller is a local favorite and whenever he performs in East Tennessee, a crowd forms. Mucklewain was no exception. Scott had the crowd singing and dancing as he performed songs off his new CD, “Citation“, as well as some songs off earlier CDs.

Steve Earle, performing solo with an acoustic guitar, opened with “F*** the FCC” but then played some old favorites including “Someday” and “I Ain’t Ever Satisfied.” He made a brief political statement about supporting the troops by bringing them home now before launching into “Rich Man’s War” and ended his set with “Copperhead Road.”

Todd Snider’s set was one of the most entertaining of the day. He performed with a full band, including Will Kimbrough and Tommy Womack and played songs from recent CDs, “The Devil You Know”, released in August, and “East Nashville Skyline”, released in 2004.We only wish he had shared more stories. He can make you laugh.

As with any music festival, there are always performances and occurrences that survive until the next day for you to share. Some of these for us were the following:

• Dash Rip Rock…the lyrics were funny, the tunes were upbeat, and the performance was entertaining.
• Brian Waldschlager channeling Mick Jagger as he pranced across the stage rocking the crowd with southern sounds.
• $2 COLD beer
• Sitting on the hill and watching people migrate between stages for each new band.
• Being enthralled by the righteous hula hoop girl.
• Every 30 – 45 minutes a cannon would go off…we suspect it was set up in a cornfield to keep the crows away but it always woke up the crowd.
  Les Honky More Tonkies defines the term Southern Rock. They were great.
• Both of Mary Ann’s sandals broke but the barbecue lady provided tape to hold them together.
• Brief rain showers were like a mist tent, very refreshing.
• More $2 COLD beer.
• Jason Ringenberg’s cowboy outfit. 
• Before and after performances a lot of the musicians were seen in the crowd and on the hill listening to other bands.
• Trent Summar and the New Row Mob. Loved the performance and can’t wait to see them perform again. Trent was all over the stage, kicking his legs in the air, doing jumping jacks, and copping a beautiful Heisman Trophy pose. The songs had energy and the lyrics were entertaining. The funniest part of the festival was when The Yayhoos told Trent to “Shut the f*** up” so they could perform.
• Kevin Kinney, formerly of Drivin ‘N Cryin, performing “Straight to Hell.”
• Loved the $2 COLD beer.
• Will Hoge ROCKED out with a highly energetic set.

Mucklewain was a wonderful way to wrap up the summer. We had a truly outstanding and relaxing time listening to music. Kerns and Miller did a great job of organizing the festival and seeing that it ran on time. The wait for a school bus, a beer, some food, or a port-a-potty was always minimal. They said they wanted to create a festival to celebrate southern American rock music. That they did. We hope they’ll do it again next year! Go to the Mucklewain web site for more pictures and reviews.

– Brother Dave and Mary Ann

A sense of betrayal runs through the songs on this disc.  Most point out the senselessness of the war in Iraq and the dismal state of affairs here in the U.S. In particular, “Rich Man’s War” tells parallel tales of young people who are pawns in wars started by older powerbrokers who themselves are not at risk.

“Home to Houston” is the war in Iraq told from the point of view of a contract truckdriver – the chorus has him promising that if he ever gets home to Houston alive, he won’t drive a truck anymore. The upbeat music contrasts starkly with the bleak prayer of a man hoping to heck that he can survive.

“The Gringo’s Tale” is another tale of betrayal.  It tells the story of a former covert operator, now on the run with a price on his head, betrayed by the very people he served.  Readers of “Doghouse Roses,” Earle’s book of short stories published in 2002, will notice similarities between this gringo and a recurring character in the short stories.

“I Think You Should Know,” is one of only three apolitical songs on the disc and also one of the most sadly beautiful tunes in Earle’s catalog.  The heartbroken narrator, incapable of falling in love but unable to resist the temptation, offers honesty to his prospective lover:

“If you’re thinkin’ ‘bout breakin’ my heart,
You might as well just pick up your little black dress and go.
Somebody else already tore it apart.
And I thought you should know.”

In interviews, Earle has expressed a fascination with Condoleezza Rice – he can’t fathom how this woman, obviously intelligent and raised during the sixties and seventies as he was, can have such a hardcore conservative viewpoint.  He explores this obsession with a tongue-in-cheek love song: “Condi, Condi.”  The lyrics are shockingly disrespectful but awfully funny as he pleads with Condi to “skank for me, Condi, show me what you got. They say you’re too uptight I say you’re not.”  And he taunts her,

“Pretty little Condi,
Precious as can be.
Bet you never had
Another lover like me.”

One wonders.

The rocking “F The CC” is a scathing condemnation of the FCC, FBI, and the CIA.  Of course, the frequent use of the “f-word” will not please the soccer moms nor the family values crowd but there is a strong message in it about the dangerous erosion of our freedoms over the past few years.

The title cut of this disc has got to grow on you. I had to see it live to get the full impact.  The production of this song on the album is a little muddy but seeing him perform it live with just his guitar and his voice passionately snarling out the lyrics made me look at the song a whole new way. It’s a heartfelt appeal to all of us to look at what is happening in this country and to take action. And it gets its message across.

This CD is good solid Steve Earle with a heavy dose of politics.  If you’re looking for something a little less political, check out El Corazon and I Feel Alright, two of his best albums.  But if you can hack the politics, this one’s a keeper.