Listen Up: American Babies
Seems like 4 out of every 5 new bands I discover these days are from Brooklyn, NY. Here’s another one: Tom Hamilton’s American Babies. This tune caught my ear recently, I think on Sirius. Influences range from Ryan Adams to Bright Eyes to Mr. Springsteen. But in this one, I hear Rodney Crowell.
Catchy, quality roots-rockin’ goin’ down right here. Oh, also, drumming in the band is Joe Russo from Benevento-Russo Duo.
American Babies – Invite Your Friends (mp3)
Linkage: Official Site | MySpace
Buy American Babies for $10 on CD Baby. Go. Now.
Review: Friday at the 2008 McDowell Mountain Music Festival
When you show up to at a music festival to pick up your press credentials, and you’re handed a VIP pass with 12 free drinks ready to be punched, at a Sierra Nevada-sponsored festival, well – you just know it’s gonna be a great day. Nine hours later – after seeing and hearing the likes of Gov’t Mule, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, the subdudes, Steve Reynolds Band, and Mikel Lander, Meridith Moore & Friends – I was right, it was great.
This was my second straight year at the Friday offering of Scottsdale’s McDowell Mountain Music Festival. It’s a young festival (this was it’s 5th annual), and with the impressive lineups, the great organization, and so much room at the Westworld venue to expand, it’s going to pick up steam and continue to grow each year. So on this Friday, my partner in crime was my friend Greg. Let me take you through our day…
Review: In Tucson with David Hidalgo and Louie Perez
This past Sunday, I jumped on I-10 East and headed down to Tucson for a Dave & Louie show. Dave & Louie being David Hidalgo and Louie Perez, two members (and the main songwriters) of Los Lobos. The atmosphere and show format could not have been cooler: two 45 minute sets of music followed by a Q&A session – where audience members could step to the microphone and ask questions. Did I step to the mic? But of course! More on that later.
Sunday’s Tucson show was the final stop on a short seven city tour of the West, celebrating almost 40 years of writing songs together.
Hittin’ the Speed of the Sound of Loneliness
As I sit to type this, I’m watching American Idol contestant Kristy Lee Cook absolutely BUTCHER the Beatles song “8 Days a Week”. An uptempo, countrified version. Buhhh-leck. “Dolly Parton on helium,” says Simon. Lucky for me I don’t watch American Idol. Oh sh – -, caught!
So anyway, here’s Alabama 3 with a version of John Prine’s “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness” – one of my favorites in his catalog. A3, as the popular country group Alabama insists they call themselves stateside, is a British acid house band that mixes in genres like country, gospel, and blues. Their claim to fame so far is “Woke Up This Morning”, the theme song to The Sopranos (RIP). I heard this on Sirius a few weeks ago, and promised to share it with you fine folks sometime soon.
From Last Train to Mashville, Vol. 2 (2003)
It’s a fun version – hee-hawed up a bit and turned into a first person perspective. I don’t think they’re being irreverent, and I don’t think the point of the song is lost on them (Prine’s lyrics imply a more somber tone) – but they do alter the atmosphere of tune – one of sadness and – well – loneliness.
photo by Senor McGuireAnd who captures the atmosphere of the song the best? My favorite version (I have to honestly say I like it better than Prine’s original) is Nanci Griffith‘s, from her great album of covers, Other Voices, Other Rooms. With a little help from Mr. Prine himself on backing vocals, Nanci sets the tone perfectly – wistful and bittersweet. Every time I hear it though, I wish Prine would take that second verse!
From Other Voices, Other Rooms (1993)
And that isn’t to say that Prine’s version is lacking in any way. Here’s the original from Prine’s 1986 album German Afternoons.
John Prine – Speed of the Sound of Loneliness (mp3)
From German Afternoons (1986)
Links:
Alabama 3’s Official Site
Nanci Griffith’s Official Site
John Prine’s Official SiteThe Felice Brothers: Hey Hey Revolver
Talk about a dark and lurid tale. This one could have fit right in on Springsteen’s Nebraska or Ghost of Tom Joad. I can’t find a whole lot about the Felice Brothers online to give you a decent background. There’s no official site, and their MySpace page formatting is all jumbled up. I do know that they’re based out of NYC. And I think I can make out from their upcoming tour dates that they’re opening for Bright Eyes.
I got their new one, Tonight at the Arizona from eMusic. I put it on my iPod this morning and headed out for a run. It wasn’t long before I had to switch over to something else. This album made me want to slow down, hit the nearest tavern, shuffle up to the bar, and hang my head with a glass of whiskey. Up tempo running music it ain’t.
What it is: loose, dark, acoustic music in the Americana vibe, if I must categorize. The singer’s voice brings to mind a little Keith Richards / Al Stewart crossbreed.
Check out some of the lyrics to this one…
My teenage daughter’s knocked up
Jamie this time you really fucked up
You oughta be in the hospital
But I can’t afford to go [?] the billand
Blue Burger King billboard signs
remind me of her mother’s eyesThe chorus?
Hey hey revolver
Don’t lead me on
Your shiny barrel’s long and narrow
Hey hey revolver.Holy moley. Nothing good’s coming out of this scenario. Great song!
The Felice Brothers – Hey Hey Revolver
The Gourds go Gyroscopic – it’s Austin time
I ask you, what’s not to like about a band with a member named Shinyribs Russell? It’s the Gourds out of Austin, Texas. You may have heard a funny bluegrass version of Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice” several years back (in the free Napster-era when we were all pinching ourselves – “holy shit, I can find any song I want!”). Many folks wrongly tagged the song as coming from Phish, but nope, it was the Gourds.
They released their latest, Noble Creatures, back in July. I just picked it up on eMusic after hearing “The Gyroscopic” on Sirius. Nice earthy feel. I recommend.
The Gourds – The Gyroscopic
Buy Noble Creatures: Amazon
Deep in the Heaaart of Texaaas…. And so listening to an Austin band segues quite conveniently into my much anticipated maiden voyage to Austin for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. For those that can’t make it, you can check out a live webcast all weekend at the AT&T Blue Room. See y’all on the other side!!
Come Over to Jeb’s Yard, Get Your Heaven Right Here
I heard another older song a few weeks ago that’s brand spanking new to me, courtesy of Sirius (where Steve Earle now has his own radio show on Outlaw Country – yipee!). This one is by Jeb Loy Nichols. Jeb made a unique musical journey from Austin, Texas to New York City to London. He’s been based out of the UK for some time now. In 2000, he traveled to Jamaica to record Just What Time It Is, a fusion of soulful pop, reggae, and a little country. The studio engineer was Stephen Stanley (Buju Banton, Burning Spear).
The song will reel a lot of you right in with its infectious sing-along chorus: “come ooon over to my yaard.” La la la la la… It’s a nice one!
Of the song, Jeb writes on his site:
I wrote this after the bulk of the album was already finished. Lorraine and I were cycling through Wadebridge, in North Cornwall, the lyrics came in a tumble, the whole thing was written in twenty minutes. I was pleased with the day, happy to be out of London, I’d recorded a record I liked and I was counting myself lucky. Things were looking up, I was doing what I wanted to do with people I admired, I was out of one thing and into another.
Take a listen (and don’t crap out before the chorus)…
Jeb Loy Nichols – Heaven Right Here (Come Over to My Yard) (mp3)
Buy: Just What Time It Is (Amazon)
Linkage: Official Site
Steve Earle News: Washington Square Serenade
Thanks to Jeffro for alerting us that New West Records has announced details of Steve Earle’s first record with the label. Due September 25th, and titled Washington Square Serenade, it will feature the CD and a bonus DVD of Steve taking us on a walking tour of Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, as well as some documentary footage.
Steve’s wife Allison Moorer duets with him on a tune, and Brazilian / NYC group Forro in the Dark joins him on “City of Immigrants”.
The track list is as follows. As you’ll see, he gives me a shout out on this album with “Steve’s Hammer (for Pete)”. ‘Bout time!
Track List:
“Tennessee Blues”
“Down Here Below”
“Satellite Radio”
“City of Immigrants”
“Sparkle and Shine”
“Come Home to Me”
“Jericho Road”
“Oxycontin Blues”
“Red Is the Color”
“Steve’s Hammer (For Pete)”
“Days Aren’t Long Enough”
“Way Down in the Hole”Steve fans, mark your calendars for September 25th. Speaking of Steve and September, I’ll be catching Steve at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Yiieeahh…
Los Lobos – Be Still
A majestic Los Lobos tune. One of those songs where I picture the singer (David Hidalgo in this case) standing atop a high hill, tall green meadow grasses all around, looking over the Pacific Ocean sunset. Love the way the intro transitions into the great lyrics. Inspiring…
Los Lobos – “Be Still” from this amazing box set: El Cancionero: Mas y Mas
Be Still
(David Hidalgo/Louie Pérez)Let the calm, calm blue waters through
Wash your soul, passing right through you
Like the smallest rose out of the hardest ground
Like a tiny hand reaching up for the sun.
Let us pray that our hearts are one
The toughest love is the strongest one
Like a crippled man fights his bitter pain
On two tired legs that hope to walk once again
Stay gold and be still.As we grow, a river flows
Through our hearts
Finding peace wherev’r it may goLet the pure, pure blue waters through
Don’t let the wind take ’em away from you,
like the littlest star shines in the darkest night
Like a mother’s egg brings in a new life
Stay gold and be still
Pray that we all can stay gold and be still.Calling out to the Old 97’s
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 – from Too Far to Care
Old 97’s: In the Satellite Rides a Star – from Drag It Up
Old 97s Official Site.
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