Calling out to the Old 97’s

June 8th, 2007 by Pete

Where are the Old 97’s? I know they have some tour dates scheduled, but we haven’t seen any new studio stuff since 2004, when they released their debut on New West Records, Drag It Up. The formerly Dallas-based band has released some gems over the years, my favorite still being 1997’s Too Far to Care. Fusing country, punk, rockabilly, and later on more of a pop oriented sound, the Old 97’s really shine on the stage. These guys put on an amazing live show. An energetic and spastic live show. A late 90’s Old 97’s show at Nita’s Hideaway in Tempe is one of my live music highlights.

The guys are apparently still together, though I need to figure out if a new album is in the works. They left Texas a while ago. I believe lead singer Rhett Miller still lives in NYC (Rhett lived right near ground zero with his girlfriend on 9/11/2001), and bassist and singer Murray Hammond lives in L.A.

Though they have an arsenal of barnstorming, shit-kicking songs that will knock your pants off and have you hopping around like Hee Haw’s Grandpa Jones, I especially enjoy the slowed down Old 97’s. Here are a couple of great down-tempo Old 97’s tunes…

Old 97’s: Salome (mp3) - from Too Far to Care

Old 97’s: In the Satellite Rides a Star (mp3) - from Drag It Up

Old 97s Official Site.

Posted in Country Rock, Roots Rock | 5 Comments »

Joe Ely with the Boss in Dublin

September 3rd, 2006 by Pete

This would make a great St. Patrick’s day post, but it’s only September, and I’m way too impatient to sit on this show for too long. The date is St. Patty’s Day 1996. The location is Dublin, Ireland. Joe Ely and Bruce Springsteen both find themselves overseas on their latest tours (Joe for Letter to Laredo, Bruce for The Ghost of Tom Joad).

It was the last night of Joe’s tour, playing in front of a raucous Dublin crowd. And lo and behold, who’s in the house but his friend Bruce, who comes on stage to join Joe for a handful of the last few songs of the evening. I’d call this a pretty decent way to celebrate a St. Patty’s Day…

By the way, I’m curious, does any Bruce / Ely aficionado out there know how far back Springsteen and Ely go, where / how they met, etc.?

Joe Ely
March 17, 1996
Dublin, Ireland
w/ special guest Bruce Springsteen

Gallo Del Cielo
Ranches & Rivers
Spanish Love Scene
Rode Goes On Forever
Boxcars
Saint Valentine
I Saw It In You
Run Preciosa (fades out)
Bluebird
Letter To Laredo
Gangster Of Love (Sung by lead guitarist Jesse Taylor, RIP 1950-2006)
Me & Billy The Kid
Road Hog
BBQ & Foam
All Just To Get To You *
Oh Boy *
Settle For Love *
1000 Miles From Home
My Eyes Got Lucky
Fingernails Medley *
Blowin’ Down The Road *

* with Bruce Springsteen

Posted in Blues, Country Rock, Roots Rock | 5 Comments »

It’s Been a Long Time Comin’

June 23rd, 2006 by Pete

Bruce and the band have been pulling out some good ones on the final few shows of the tour. Here’s the Seeger Sessions take on one of my favorites from ‘Devils & Dust’, a great tune called “Long Time Comin”. This one stays pretty true to its original version, more so than any of Bruce’s other material that have been given the Seeger Sessions makeover. It’s a nice country rock feel to it with the slide guitar and the full band.

More to come!

Bruce Springsteen & the Seeger Sessions Band: Long Time Comin’ (mp3) - live in Detroit, Michigan, June 16, 2006

• Original from Devils & Dust

Posted in Country Rock, Folk, The Boss | 1 Comment »

Gone for Good

March 10th, 2006 by Pete

Here’s a great live version of a great indie-country (indiecow? countrindie?) song, sung by a great singer, James Mercer of the Shins. Do enjoy.

James Mercer: Gone for Good (mp3) - live 07 Jan 2004 - studio version comes from Chutes too Narrow

Posted in Country Rock, Indie | 2 Comments »

We’ll go Stepping Out

March 9th, 2006 by Pete

Thanks to those of you who have followed me from my old web address to another one, and now finally to this one. I promise, this is the last stop! As you can see, I finally got my domain sorted out, and got my Wordpress blog transferred over to it. For you bloggers out there, I definitely recommend Wordpress. Blogger / Blogspot is a great way to get started, but if you’re ready to make a leap to better blogging software with cooler and more robust features, look at Wordpress.

First off is the Waco Brothers. Jon Langford, founding member of the Mekons, formed alt-country-rock-punk band the Waco Brothers in the mid-90’s. Jon’s from the UK, but expatriated to Chicago, and obviously has a soft spot for that American rootsy country sound with a whole lot of brash punk sensibility thrown in. This one’s great, and reminds me of a drive back from Las Vegas years ago with this tune cranked (truly the wickedest city in the world).

Waco Brothers: Wickedest City (mp3) - from Do You Think About Me

Posted in Country Rock | No Comments »

Sunday Grab Bag 2

December 4th, 2005 by Pete

Another random sampling of some music I’ve been particularly enjoying of late.

Though a ton of artists have recorded this Boudleaux Bryant classic, I first heard Nazareth’s version as a kid, then the Everly Brothers (who did the original in 1961). It wasn’t until a few years ago that I finally heard Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris do things to it that make me quite content to never hear another’s version again.

Gram Parsons w/ Emmylou Harris: Love Hurts (mp3) from Grievous Angel (1973)

A Cuban friend at work was kind enough to turn me on to legendary conguero Carlos “Patato” Valdes, thought by many to be the greatest Cuban conga player. This one comes from ‘The Legend of Cuban Percussion’, a 2000 release. With a flute, piano, bass, and Patato on the congas, it is most definitely headphone worthy.

Carlos “Patato” Valdes: Luz (mp3)

Posted in Acoustic, Country Rock, Latin | No Comments »

Supersuck It

August 3rd, 2005 by Pete

Pioneered by most excellently named band members Eddie Spaghetti, Dan “Thunder” Bolton, and Dancing Eagle on the skins, the Supersuckers have been around and touring their little asses off since the early 90’s. Originally from Tucson, they moved to Seattle and signed with Sub Pop records way back when. They’ve since started their own label, Mid-Fi Records. They’ve pretty much focused on releasing post-punk, garage-y, aggressive numbers on their releases, but their “country” album did it for me. ‘Must’ve Been High’ was released in March 1997. There are some great tunes on there, two of which are right here.

Supersuckers: Hungover Together || Juicy Pureballs (mp3’s)

• Buy ‘Must’ve Been High’.
• Check out Official Site of the Supersuckers.

Posted in Country Rock | No Comments »

My lungs are rattlin

July 3rd, 2005 by Pete

1994 saw the release of Red Hot & Country, an AIDS-benefit album offering then contemporary versions of classic country tunes. One of the songs is a great version of Ernest Tubb’s 1937 song, “The TB is Whipping Me”, as performed by Wilco & Syd Straw.

Wilco & Syd Straw: The TB is Whipping Me” (mp3)

• Buy Red Hot & Country on Amazon

Posted in Country Rock | No Comments »

I’ll kiss you for each leaf on every tree

March 23rd, 2005 by Pete

In between 1996’s ‘Being There’ and 1999’s ‘Summerteeth’, Wilco sat down with Billy Bragg and a bunch of Woody Guthrie lyrics to write and record 1998’s “Mermaid Avenue”. The album is a journey through Guthrie’s wildly imaginative, erotic and brilliant words, and the superb musicianship of Bragg and the boys from Wilco.

One of my favorites on the album is “Hesitating Beauty”. It’s an uplifting plea to Nora Lee, the object of the singer’s desires….

For your sparkling cocky smile I’ve walked a million miles
Begging you to come and wed me in the spring
Why do you my dear delay
What makes you laugh and turn away
You’re a hesitating beauty, Nora Lee

Well I know that you are itching to get married, Nora Lee
And I know how I’m twitching for the same thing, Nora Lee
By the stars and clouds above we could spend our lives in love
You’re a hesitating beauty, Nora Lee

We can build a house and home where the flowers come to bloom
Around our yard I’ll nail a fence so high
That the boys with peeping eyes cannot see that angel face
My hesitating beauty Nora Lee

Well I know that you are itching to get married Nora Lee
And I know how I’m twitching for the same thing Nora Lee
By the stars and clouds above we can spend our lives in love
If you quit your hesitating, Nora Lee

We can ramble hand in hand across the grasses of our land
I’ll kiss you for each leaf on every tree
We can bring our kids to play where the dry leaves blow today
If you quit your hesitating, Nora Lee

Well I know that you are itching to get married, Nora Lee
And I know how I’m twitching for the same thing, Nora Lee
By the stars and clouds above we could spend our lives in love
If you quit your hesitating, Nora Lee

If anyone out there has Bright Eyes’ latest album, ‘I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning’, listen to the similarities between “At the Bottom of Everything” (track 1) and Wilco’s “Hesitating Beauty”.

Wilco - Hesitating Beauty (mp3, live, unknown date and location)

Do yourself a favor and buy Mermaid Avenue.

Posted in Country Rock | 1 Comment »

The Sadies and Mister Williams break it on down

February 27th, 2005 by Pete

If you have a spare 6 minutes and 32 seconds, listen to this snippet from NPR’s American Routes. It’s a short interview with the Canadian band the Sadies (with some clips of their tunes).

The Sadies are a mix of bluegrass, country, surf and garage rock, among others…here’s a taste:

Listen: The Sadies - Flash
Buy: The Sadies on Amazon

One thing they talk about in the interview is their collaboration with Andre Williams, an R&B pioneer from Detroit. This man has been around since the 50’s, and it would take me all day to talk about the things he’s done, so read here for his bio. But basically, Andre had some serious drug issues in the 80’s & 90’s and ended up living on the streets. He cleaned himself up though, and has been releasing albums again with the likes of the Sadies, and a couple of guys from the Demolition Doll Rods. Now, Mick Collins and Dan Kroha are the two fellows from the DDR’s, and they wrote everything on Andre’s 1998 release, ‘Silky’ (along with Andre), including this cool rollicking surf shuffle….Ohh, you’re gonna like this.

Listen: Andre Williams - Only Black Man in South Dakota (mp3)
Buy: Silky

Posted in Country Rock, Soul | No Comments »