Kiko and the Lavender Moon
This just made everything better:
Ick’s Pick: Laughin’ and Cryin’ with the Reverend Horton Heat
Jim Heath and his power psychobilly trio Reverend Horton Heat are like the damn Energizer bunnies of rock & roll – they keep on a goin’. It wouldn’t surprise if they’re out on the road 300 days out of the year. And this has been going on for 20 years… I’ve seen ’em many times, and it’s always an experience.
The Rev’s 11th studio album, Laughin’ and Cryin’ with the Reverend Horton Heat was released just a few weeks ago, along with its unsettling cover (especially for you coulrophobics out there… yeah, had to look it up). The new record is stocked full of the types of tunes and lyrics that endear him to his cult following. Songs about drinkin’ and cigarettes, Vegas, using his growing belly as a beer holder…even an ode to Arizona’s Saguaro cactus.
With Jimbo slapping hard on his stand-up bass, and the Rev pickin’ mean on his Gretsch, the album gives us high dosages of rockabilly, punk, and the ever-present humor. A case in point found in this tune, featuring the standout line: “His dirty feet might dangle like it’s [??] / But it’s not a grocery basket if there’s booze inside”. Kudos to whoever can nail those missing lyrics there…
Reverend Horton Heat – Please Don’t Take the Baby to the Liquor Store (mp3)
Buy Laughin’ and Cryin’ with Reverend Horton Heat
Links: Official Site | MySpace
Oh hell, if you haven’t heard “400 Bucks”, then you need to… this song is the best part about seeing the Rev live, in my humble opinion.
Reverend Horton Heat – 400 Bucks (mp3)
From the still amazing 1993 album, The Full Custom Gospel Sounds of the Reverend Horton Heat
Sea of Heartbreak / Rosanne Cash + The Boss
“Sea of Heartbreak” is one of those classics you recognize when you hear it, you enjoy it, but you really know nothing about the history or origin of the song. Well, that’s my experience anyway. After hearing Rosanne Cash‘s new version, with Bruce Springsteen on harmonies, and listening about 5-6 times in a row, it was time to hit All Music and get to the bottom of it.
The song was written by Hal David and David Hampton. Far as can tell, it was originally recorded by Don Gibson in 1961. Rosanne’s old man Johnny covered the song on his 1996 Rick Rubin-produced album Unchained
, an album that features Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers as the session band.
It’s the first single from Rosanne’s forthcoming album The List, due out October 6th. The story goes that Johnny gave Rosanne a list of 100 essential country songs when she was 18 years old. Juuust a few years later, she’s taken a handful and made The List.
I think Rosanne’s voice is flawless. Love it. And add the Boss to the mix? Sheesh. Fuhgetaboutit.
I think I’ll listen to it 5-6 more times…Buy the single on
Visit: Rosanne Cash’s Official Site
Back Porch Hand Me Down Tunes
This Labor Day weekend, the temperature here in the Arizona desert finally dropped below 100 degrees for two straight days. Some rain, lots of clouds, and best of all, a chance to venture out to the back patio for one of my favorite pastimes: listening to my oodles of music on Shuffle. It seems I discover something new each time. If you’re constantly gathering music from all sources – ripped CD’s, ripped vinyl, eMusic, iTunes, the Amazon MP3 Store, etc – there’s little chance you listen to everything in your music collection. Especially more than once or twice.
Therefore, it’s important to me to spend a lot of time with the iTunes on Shuffle, and let it flow. Yesterday morning, as I wrapped up the yard work, and relaxed on the patio chair with a bottle of water, the tunes did flow: “Black Man’s Cry” (Fela Kuti & Ginger Baker), “Gypsy Woman” (Bruce’s version), “Don’t Go Away Mad” (Little Village)…
Then a soft acoustic tune came on – a rocking chair on a rural country porch kind of tune. I didn’t recognize it. And those are exactly the moments I look for: hearing something great in my collection, and having no idea who it is or where it came from. Turns out it was the Avett Brothers, and the song was the final track on their last full length album Emotionalism – “Hand-Me-Down Tune”.
Take a listen…
The Avett Brothers – “Hand-Me-Down Tune” (mp3) – from Emotionalism
September is a big month for the North Carolina-based Avett Brothers. Their latest full length, I and Love and You will come out on September 29th. During the month, starting Tuesday, they’ll release 13 video pieces on their web site – combining live footage, fan and band interviews – each of them dedicated to a a song on the new album.
Pre-order I and Love and You by clicking on the cover…
New Video: Ryan Bingham’s “Snake Eyes”
Anyone catch Ryan Bingham on Austin City Limits recently? A great set, and it made me lament the fact that I missed him when he came through town in July. He’s got an awesome voice, and the kind of swagger on stage that I admire.
Here’s the new official video for “Snake Eyes”, one of the introspective slow numbers from his latest record, Roadhouse Sun.
New Tunes: Scott Warren’s Quick Fix Bandage
Scott Warren is a L.A. based musician and front man for the Indie band Signal Hill Transmission. A few weeks ago (July 28th if you’re keeping track), Scott released his solo debut Quick Fix Bandage. The lead song, “Before You Say Goodbye”, has made several appearances on my iTunes – and in my head – over the last several weeks – most notably on a hike in Telluride in late July. “The reality sets and the reality…”. You’ll see what I mean.
It’s a solid album – mellow, leaning toward the rootsy side – and bookended by the grand finale of America’s “Sister Golden Hair”, one of my mellow 70’s rock favorites.
Scott Warren – Before You Say Goodbye” (mp3)
Buy:
Visit: Scott Warren’s Official Site | MySpace
Summer of Sound Saturday Night on Mill Ave
If you’re with me here in the Valley of the Sun, and you like good tunes, join me & m’ lady Saturday night at the Mill Cue Club on Mill Avenue in Tempe. The New Times Summer of Sound series kicks off, with Americana as the theme of the evening, featuring local bands Tractor Pull Divas, Matthew Reveles, the Cartwheels, the Sugar Thieves, and L.A. band the BellRays. Entry is only $5.
Live music on Mill Avenue. Feels like 1995!
Tractor Pull Divas
It’s time to spread the word about some quality music in my neck of the woods here in Arizona. I don’t do it enough..
Tractor Pull Divas hail from Chandler, one of Phoenix’s ‘burbs just southeast of the city. They’ve got a nice rootsy sound with a good, clear vocalist reminiscent of Roger McGuinn and Tom Petty. They’re keeping it pretty incognito online. They have a MySpace page, but nowhere do I see any mention of their names and backgrounds.
But I do know they have an EP that they released last year: Love Songs for (Insert Your Name Here), and I recommend dropping the $5. You can never go wrong supporting an unsigned band, can ya?
Hear: It’s Not Going To Kill Me (mp3)
Buy their EP, Love Songs for (Insert Your Name Here) on CD Baby or on
Bolero!: Conor Oberst at the Marquee Theater in Tempe
Thanks to a last minute ticket offer (gotta love Twitter), I headed out to see Conor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band last night at the Marquee Theater in Tempe. They played the ACL Festival last September, but I missed ’em there. I’ve been an admirer of Conor’s since I heard the Bright Eyes album ‘I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning‘. Brilliant record. Conor’s self-titled solo debut last year is also top notch, “Sausalito” being my favorite.With the venue located in the heart of Arizona State University, the college set was out in full force. I was one of the old folks in the crowd, and I’m only 38. Props to the older 50 something who was accompanying his teenage daughter. I’ll be doing the same down the road. I love seeing that.
Conor, his new wide-brimmed black bolero hat, and the band strolled out at around 9:20pm, and launched into a track called “Spoiled” from the MVB’s forthcoming album, ‘Outer South‘. The 90 minutes of music focused exclusively on music from that album, and from Conor’s record.
I was back by the soundboard, and my only complaint of the evening was the occasional muddiness in the mix in some of the louder full band songs – especially “Sausalito”. An exception though was a tune that the lead guitarist sang about a half hour into the show. It was a short, sweet blast of rock n roll – sort of like when Keith Richards steps to the mic for one of his uptempo tunes. I was taken aback. I’ll be keeping an eye out for this tune on the new record. I tried to get some lyrics down, but pretty much failed. All I got was “I still get…” and “with you”. That helps, huh?
What surprised me too was hearing the Conor songs live, and the way it breathed new life into them. “Eagle on a Pole” was explosive and spirited; “Get Well Cards” and “Moab” were also great.
The true magic for me though came when things slowed down, namely in the opening and closing songs of the encore. The first song of the encore was just Conor and his acoustic, singing “White Shoes” (from the new MVB album). It was just gorgeous, centered around the chorus: “Anything you wanna do. Lover, anything you wanna do.” Intimate and intense. You can hear it right here.
The closer of the evening was “Milk Thistle”, which also closes Conor’s record. Apparently I hadn’t taken the time to focus on this song when listening to the album, because the lyrics blew me away…
I’m not scared of nothing / I’ll go pound for pound
I keep death on my mind / Like a heavy crown
If I go to heaven / I’ll be bored as hell
Like a little baby / At the bottom of a wellAnd
And I’m not pretending / That it’s all okay
Just let me have my coffee / Before you take away the dayI was really impressed by Oberst and the band. Conor couldn’t have been more genuine and personable in his interaction with the 700 or so people in the crowd. He seemed to be in a great mood, and the crowd fed off that, enjoying every song, even the new unfamiliar ones.
Except for those few who felt like chatting away during “White Shoes”. I am not fond of people like you.
Conor Oberst – Milk Thistle (mp3) – from Conor Oberst
[audio:milkthistle.mp3]
Links: Official Site | MySpace
Ick’s Pick (Week XIV): Old Californio’s new album, ‘Westering Again’
Sure, I could steer you toward the new Neil Young, Richard Swift, or Doves albums – all out this week – but this one’s been on steady rotation for several weeks now, and it would be silly of me not to make this my Ick’s Pick o’ the week. A few weeks ago, I announced myself blown away by this band: Pasadena’s Old Californio, and their new album, Westering Again – largely due to the mind-blowing infectiousness of the opening tune, “Mother Road”.
Well, today’s the day the album is unleashed to the masses, and I strongly recommend you visit one of the links below to pick it up. If you’d be interested in a diverse American album drawing on influences ranging from Gram Parsons and Moby Grape to the Grateful Dead and Crazy Horse, you’d be well served by hearing this album. Here’s my “Mother Road” post that goes into the band and album in more detail. And, you can still rock out to “Mother Road”…
BUY Westering Again here on iTunes or here on CD Baby.
HEAR Old Californio – Riparian High (mp3)
VISIT: Old Californio on MySpace
