Jason and the Scorchers - Halcyon Days

For all of you youngsters out there who love the history of alt-country, the first fact to know is that Uncle Tupelo started it all. Wrong Answer!!!! Before there was something called alt-country, there were many in the field. Rank & File (an early Alejandro Escovedo project), X was heavily roots influenced, The Blasters just to name a few. However, in my mind (which was clouded with Beer during this period)there is one band who created what later became alt-country. At the time it was referred to as Cow-Punk. Who cares what it was called then or now, Jason & the Scorchers fused Country with Rock in a way nobody had before. Jason was the panache and the voice and Warner Hodges raging guitar licks were the soul. Everyone who came to see them had kickin' party they could almost remember. The energy in a Scorchers show could power a third world country.

My life changed in 1984 when I first heard Lost and Found. They dominated the college bar scene of the 80s. They began to grow in popularity and even played with Dylan. However, label troubles, sickness and rehab (the big three for all rock bands)eventually put them on hiatus. However, with the success of the alt-country sound, which they basically created, they came back with an excellent album A Blazing Grace in 1993.

Fast forward to 2010, two years after receiving a lifetime achievement award from the AMA, they release Halcyon Days. It is their first new release in almost 15 years. Guess what folks? They've still got it. It is a more mature sound but still has everything you would expect of the Scorchers. So go out and get yourself a history lesson. It appears they intend to finish what they started.

Here's one from 1984

January 12 - Release Highlights

While not a complete list here a a couple of releases I am excited about:

Ray Wylie Hubbard - A. Enlightenment, B. Endarkment (Hint: There Is No C) (Bordello) Here is an excerpt from the press release. (I'm sure it will be the dark but entertaining effprt we expet from him.)

Ray Wylie Hubbard will release A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment (Hint: There is no C) on January 12, 2010 on Bordello Records with marketing and distribution provided by Thirty Tigers/RED. The album was produced by Hubbard with help from George Reiff. With a keen eye for observation and a wise man's knowledge, Ray Wylie Hubbard composes and performs a dozen songs that couldn't spring from anywhere else but out of his fertile rock and roll bluesy poet-in-the-blistering-heat southern noggin. "I like to look at both enlightenment and endarkenment," he declares. "I feel comfortable observing each." A. Enlightenment
B. Endarkenment demonstrates the kind of talent that every great songwriter yearns for. Throughout the album, his focus remains on the song- constructing and performing stories set to music that resonate in a way that is completely his own.

Vampire Weekend - Contra - The best new indie band of 2008. This should have the quirkiness and understated World Music influences fo there previous release.

Cousins:

8) Charlie Robison 9) Sam Bush 10) Grant Langston

Sam Bush and Grant Langston have previous reviews here on AWT. Coming in at number 8 Charlie Robison rates higher than both. Beautiful Day is both a kiss off to Emily, his Dixie Chick ex-wife, and an embrace of new found freedom. It has three main ingredients heartache, piss and vinegar. It also has an awesome cover of Bobby Bare Jr.'s "Nothin' Better to Do."

Wrinkle Neck Mules - Let the Lead Fly

With the release of their fourth album the Wrinkle Neck Mules have established themselves as one of the premier roots rock bands. Let the Lead Fly is a bit less electric but rocks just as hard. With the use of banjo, mandolin and pedal steel, the roots move to the forefront on this release. As usual the band tells stories of the people on the margins of society. The poignant vignettes are especially effective at a time when the margins of society are growing However, this is not an album about sorrow and despair. As they say on the title cut, “Don’t just stand there raise, your guns and let lead fly.” Instrumentally the linchpin that brings the traditional and the electric rock together is “Medicine Bow.” This song stands in contrast to “The Waters all Run Dry,” which would have been a country standard if it had been recorded in the 40’s or 50’s.

The band has two members that contribute lead vocals and each gives the band a different feel. Andy Stepanian has a raw, edgy voice. Mason Brent has a smoother voice that gives a folksier feel. To put it in terms of bourbon it is like Old Grand Dad versus Basil Hayden. However, either one can result in a good time. This two singer, two style concept has a direct correlation to the Drive-by Truckers. The formula works pretty well for both the Truckers and the Mules. The comparison to the Truckers is not entirely fair given the depth of the Truckers catalogue. However, after four albums the Wrinkle Neck Mules have firmly established themselves. They seem to be here to stay and getting better. If you haven’t listened to them yet it is time for you to Let the Lead Fly.


Sample Title Cut

The Beautiful Loser Society - Aim Low

Recently I came across the band from the Four Corners region of Colorado, The Beautiful Loser Society. Whose new CD Aim Low is a veritable smorgasbord of Roots Rock styles. Featuring Southern Rock, Outlaw Country and Blues. The album rocks with tales of losers, loners, moonshiners and jilted lovers. All of these tales are cloaked with a certain Gothic charm. The Beautiful Loser Society is Chuck Barry on rhythm guitar and lead vocal, Kevin Chelf on lead guitar, Danny Bankston on the drums and Mike McCluhan on the electric and upright bass. The album was mixed and mastered in Austin by Dale X Allen and Cris Burns who deserve some of the credit for Aim Low's Gothic feel. Call it Roots Goth, or Gothic Twang. Whatever description it is given the Society's music deserves to be heard.

The band seems to have a loyal fanbase in the Durango/Telluride area but I can only hope their reputation can grow beyond this regional status to a wider audience. From the opening track,"Delta Shine," which tells the story of an outlaw moonshiner to the hilarious "Best Thing (That Ever Happened to the Worst Girl in Town.)" Their is also "ole John Deere," a touching tale about a family searching for something to cling to while facing hard Times. Country songs like "Talkin' to the Devil" also abound on Aim Low. The album is fun listen and certainly a gem of a find.

MySpace

Buy at CD Baby

Slimfit - Great New Band from Amish Country

Go Download this now!!!! Slimfit from Amish Country in PA.

From Their CD Baby Page (Sounds like everything AWT is about):

The band’s rollicking collision of meat and potatoes songwriting and punch-drunk delivery has never been more vibrant than on SLIMFIT’s debut full-length, Make it Worse. On it, you can hear UNCLE TUPELO’s fervor, STEVE EARLE’s rasp, TOM PETTY’s jangley pop and, if you put your ear to the ground, whispers of co-songwriters Joey McMonagle and Pat Kirchner’s other influences, including SUPERDRAG and DESCENDENTS. “Make it Worse is a complete love record,” says Kirchner, who plays electric guitar. While he’s referring to love of the fairer sex in the lyrics, he’s also alluding to the labor of love that these lifelong friends took on while writing and recording Make it Worse. “The way we write songs and the way we interact is a testament to our friendship,” McMonagle adds. “I can’t imagine being in a band where we’re not all best friends.”

In light of their tongue-in-cheek writing style, it might be difficult to believe that roots rockers SLIMFIT actually take themselves seriously. The band’s live shows ooze with fun and a devil-may-care attitude, climaxing with as many as three consecutive “bull-rushes” – a SLIMFIT specialty, during which Kirchner, co-guitarist Sam Gorgone, bassist Sean Harmann, or even drummer Tony Kirchner dives between frontman Joey McMonagle’s gangly legs like a greased piglet. It’s all sloppy, drunken fun … riding on the shoulders of meticulous, timeless roots-rock songwriting that hammers home the band’s ultimate dedication to their craft. They bled these songs out, and now they’re gonna dance to them.

Sample on MySpace

Blue Mountain Reunited and Reborn on New Album

2008 has seen some of the founding insurgents that have been credited for the Alt-Country movement have released albums this year. Names like the Old 97’s, Alejandro Escovedo, Gary Louris, Jason Ringenberg among others have proven that, in spite of rumors to the contrary, alt-country (or whatever you want to call it) is alive and well. You can now add a reunited Blue Mountain to that list. They have actually released two albums this year. Omnibus contains remakes of classic material. Midnight in Mississippi is an album of new work and the focus of this review. Folks Blue Mountain is back with a vengeance. The gang from Oxford, Mississippi has released an album that has a Southern Gothic masterpiece. Steeped in Southern Rock, Country and Hill Country Blues, the album like great Southern literature is at once dark and beautiful, a dichotomy which makes the album so compelling.

There are songs on the album that are mid-tempo Southern Rock. These songs, like “Groove Me,” “By Your Side” and “Gentle Soul,” provide an undercurrent from which other songs can spin off. “She’s a Wild One” is a story song set in Mexico. The title cut is a dirty blues influenced cut about a night that begins in Junior Kimbrough’s club and ends in violence in a cheap hotel. (Have you ever noticed how many country and blues songs involve cheap hotels?) The most fun song is the blues romp “Skinny Dipping” that closes the album. Blue Mountain was missed while they were gone and Midnight in Mississippi is a welcome return.

Listen on MySpace

This review also appears on Twangville

Allow Me to Introduce You

Hang Jones (AKA Stephen Grillos) is a bay area singer-songwriter who has recorded an album based around an outlaw tale. I was hooked by the concept, but the results seem even better. The tale centers around the Outlaw William Bishop. The Ballad of Carlsbad County is the title of his self-released album due out in September. Check out his Website to get the complete tale. Also check out the video below. Based on what I see on his site this seems to be a well crafted project. I hope you agree. Register on his website to be e-mailed as to when you can buy the album.

Fresh Thoughts on the New Old 97s

The Old 97s are one of my favorite bands. Maybe even my fovorite. A lot of people are saying the new CD Blame it on Gravity is recapturing their early sound. In fact that has been the tone of most of the reviews I've seen. I don't disagree with that point. However, this album is more than that. It is fresh also. This is no attempt to reproduce early works. What makes Gravity so refreshing to me is that it captures both sides of the band. The first side is the band that made the ground breaking Alt-Country album Too Far to Care. The other side is the band that made one of the best all time Power Pop albums Sattelite Rides. These two sides merge on Gravity and show the OLD 97s are not standing still and certainly are not going backwards. They are reborn and entering a new stage of their career. I for one can't wait to see where it goes.

I would be interested to see what you think. Join the conversation below.

Wild Sweet Orange Exclusive Video on Spinner

I love to see bands from Alabama go national. So it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to Wild Sweet Orange. I first heard them through Reg's Coffeehouse. They are an Indie Rock band with a Rootsy undertone. They recently filmed their EPK for the forthcoming album "We Have Cause to be Uneasy." They will also be starting a national tour to promote the album. The video introduces you to the band and to their town and mine, Birmingham. Check it out on Spinner:

Wild Sweet Orange, 'Have Cause To Be Uneasy' video premiere on Spinner

Cartridge Family - Shine Like a Bottle

"I still remember what you look like, buck naked riding your bike." I am not a songwriter myself and it is hard to pin down exactly what constitutes a good roots rock song. However, I know this; if you write a song that involves someone getting buck naked and riding something, you have succeeded. The Cartridge Family has certainly succeeded on the song "Do You Remember." Their new album Shine Like a Bottle mixes a punk ethos with good ol' Rock n' Roll. The kind of Rock playing right now in some garage near you. Like I said it is good roots rock.

The Cartridge Family hails from Raleigh, North Carolina. They are a nice addition to the thriving North Carolina roots scene. In the era of shoegazing atmospheric indie rock (a lot of which I like), it is nice to do what I'm doing as I write this review, pop a cold one and tap my foot to a good beat. So if that sounds good to you too, hop on the Cartridge Family bus. (David Cassidy and Susan Dey not allowed on this ride.)

Check out their MySpace Site which features some classic Partridge Family audio. "Come On Get Happy"

American Gun - The Means and the Machine

As many of you know I also write for Twangville. Todd Mathis is a fellow Twangville contributor and front man of the up and coming alt-country band American Gun, along with friend and fellow songwriter Donald Merckle. They recently released The Means and the Machine and it is an album with hooks that will grab you right away. However, for those that demands instant credibility, American Gun Delivers it. The album was mixed by Chris Stamey, (The DBs, Whiskeytown, Caitlin Cary, Alejandro Escovedo, Yo La Tengo, Tift Merritt)and Al Perkins (Flying Burrito Brothers)provides pedal steel. The album is full of great hooks and melody. As compared to their previous release Dark Southern Hearts, the new effort shares stylistic similarities; but it is a bit more fine tuned with harmony vocals, keyboards and of course Al Perkins on Pedal Steel. According to Todd these refinements were largely the suggestion of Stamey.

The songs on the album are a fun listen. On the song "Drunk Girls" they describe how the social division of every bar in America is determined by different types of drunk girls and where they stand. It is a true and hilarious observation of the co-ed sport of drinking. They, also show us their theological side on the song "Jesus Gave Us Rock and Roll." This is a song to which all the people can say Amen. "Girl Done Gone" is a dark tale that would make Patterson Hood proud. Hooking up with Stamey was a really great idea for American Gun. He expands their sound and they will likely expand their audience.

Sample songs on their website.

Alt-Country in 1 Minute

This is on the DL on Spinner

It is a one minute history of Alt-Country it is really good and pretty humorous.

Check it out on Spinner

No Depression - RIP Old Friend

No Depression Ceasing Publication

This is sad, shocking and I can't believe it as I write it; but No Depression will be ceasing operations after the May/June issue. They will still have a presence online but it will in no way replace the definitive Americana magazine. The Americana bible as far as I am concerned. The term Alt-Country was invented, defined and re-defined by Grant Alden and Peter Blackstock. I first started reading ND in 1996 when my friend David Deter introduced me to it. I bet I can count on one hand the number of issues I have missed in the last 12 years. In fact I am such a geek I still have the majority of the issues I bought. I can't bring myself to throw them away. The magazine covered the gamut from Roots Rock and Twang infused Alternative music to Traditional Americana, Country and Bluegrass. They also have increasingly spread their wings by including a diverse array of alternative bands that showed originality and creativity in their songwriting.

Moreover, No Depression was one of the last bastions of excellence in music journalism. While most music publications have eschewed excellense in writing, ND celebrated it with in depth and well written feature articles. In an era where two paragraphs can now constitute a feature story in some magazines, ND enlisted great writers to employ well crafted prose to draw you even closer to the artists they covered. I will never forget the issue where one of my favorite authors, Silas House, wrote an article on Lucinda Williams that was as enjoyable to read as it was informative.

The accountant side of me understands the economic realities that have led them to this decision. The music fan side of me laments the fact that the magazine, which resisted the influence of the rapidly shortenning attention span of our culture, will no longer be with us. No Depression you will be greatly missed.

Dan Israel - Turning

A late release in 2007 that I almost overlooked is Dan Israel's Turning. Israel has been around a while from the Midwest to Austin and back again. He has opened for acts as diverse as Morissey, Spoon and Peter Himmelman. He has won songwriter awards in both Austin and Minneapolis, including Minnesota songwriter of the year in 2006. He has done albums solo and with his backing band The Cultivators. This album is a combination of friends and members of The Cultivators. The friends who join him are a who's who of the Midwest Music scene. Marc Perlman (The Jayhawks), Dave Boquist (Son Volt), John Munson (Semisonic) and Jesse Green (Foo Fighters and Wilco) just to name a few.

All of these different contributors come together under the singular vision of Israel to make a cohesive album. If you like roots rock there is something for you here. The first three songs on the album prove this. The album opens with "Triangle," which showcases Israel's singer-songwriter side. This leads into the lose rocking and rootsy "Counting on You." The next song "Hurt and Love" is an Americana song with a gentle banjo and fiddle inter-play the creates a musical metaphor to the tug of war in relationships that the song addresses. The album's highlight is the power pop anthem "News to Me." Also, the slide guitar work on "Song for Africa" makes that song stand out. In all honesty there is no weak link on this album. It is strong from start to finish.

Check out his MySpace page

This review also appears on Twangville

North By Northwest

Recently I have run across some music by a few artists from the Northwest and Canada. Canadian artists are often ignored in this country, but there is a healthy music scene in Canada. Canada's music roster includes a wide ranging group of songwriters, from the obscure country of Corb Lund to musical Icons like Bruce Cockburn and Hank Snow. Bands hailing from Canada include legends Rush and The Guess who as well as current progressive groups like Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene. So I would like to take a few moments to introduce you to a couple of lesser known Canadian artists as well as one artist from the Seattle area, which is close enough I guess.

The Deep Dark Woods - Hailing from Saskatoon in Saskatchewan, they have just released their sophomore album Hang Me Oh Hang Me on Black Hen Music. According to the band they drew their inspiration from the long, depressing Saskatchewan winters. However, this is far from a depressing album. The songwriting is diverse and covers many genres. The music features rich vocal harmonies and the melodies draw you hypnotically into each song.

Check out the Title Cut

Jim Armstrong - Toronto based singer - Songwriter Jim Armstrong makes his debut with Mudtown He is an accomplished producer who has worked with number of independent Canadian artists. Although the comparison may not be fair, He is clearly influenced by John Hiatt. After working all of these years with other artists he is finally releasing a solo album of his own. In fact to call it a solo album is an understatement since Armstrong wrote or Co-wrote all of the songs, produced the album and played most of the instruments himself. The result of this tightly controlled process is an infectious hook laden Americana album.

Visit Jim Armstrong's MySpace Page

David Bavas - Originally from the Appalachian foothills, David Bavas now lives in Seattle. His style is unique, although his Appalachian upbringing definitely influences his music. However, his sound owes as much to Indie Rock as it does Roots Music. His newest album Songs of Love, Death and Trains was released on October 2nd by Proud Mountain Records. The album was mixed by Kevin Suggs (The Shins, Minus 5, Cat Power). Among his original tunes is an excellent cover of the Townes Van Zandt song "No Lonesome Tune."

Listen to All the Trains

Mary Gauthier - Between Daylight and Dark

When you think of the great storyteller songwriters certain names come to mind. Names like, Guy Clark, Joe Ely, Robert Earl Keen, Townes Van Zandt, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Jeff Walker and Chris Knight just to name a few. These people have one thing in common. They are all men. I have news for these gentlemen. The doors to the "old boys club" have been busted down and Mary Gauthier has just ordered a round for the house.

The best story songs, though often tragic, can be redemptive and healing to the listeners as they get lost in the narrative of the song. While the listeners may not directly relate to the extremity of the situations in which the characters on Between Daylight and Dark exist, they can still find plenty of common ground among less extreme but common circumstances in their own life. Sadness and tough circumstances come into contact with everyone at some point. Some people have more than their fair share of heartache.

The brokenness that scatters the landscape of this album is offset by characters who maintain some form dignity in their circumstances. Out of their sadness hope begins to grow. For example, "Last of the Hobo Kings" sings of the life of a man who was part of the train hopping sub-culture that no longer exists. Gauthier seems to suggest that the end of the Hobo era points to a greater loss of spirit and adventure in our country. She points to the wisdom that the hobo gained in his travels by saying he "knew how his nation was doing by the size of a sidewalk cigarette butt." "Thanksgiving" follows a grandmother taking her grandchild to see her father in prison on Thanksgiving. Growth is seen in "I Ain't Leavin." In this song the main character decides to stay and fight for a relationship when previously she would run away. "Broken on the inside is what I used to say. Then I'd pack my bags raise a white flag and drive away. I thought that's what made me strong, but I was young and I was wrong."

Every song on this Lost Highway release has similar impact. She wrote or co-wrote all the songs on the album. My favorite collaboration on the album is "Snakebit," which she co-wrote with Hayes Carll. Joe Henry produced the album and kept things simple and understated in a way that lets Gauthier shine in a way that makes this the best release of her career.

Listen to the Full Album Stream

This review also appears on: Twangville

Classic Uncle tupelo

A couple of Classic Uncle Tupelo Videos were linked on Nine Bullets:

Under the Radar: Giant Bear

Giant Bear just released there self-titled album on August 14th and it will rank up there with Elliot Randall as one my surprise favorites of the year. They are an Americana outfit with Indie Rock sensibilities. Based in Memphis the Commercial Appeal says they are "somewhere between cowboy noir and the best band to ever play on a front porch." The Source Weekly in Eugene, OR calls it "Orchestral Funk-a-Billy." I call it awesome. These guys could follow Lucero's rise from Memphis to the Alt.Country circuit.

The album starts out with the line "There are no honky tonks left in Nashville" musing about the current state of Music City from the perspective of a guy who "Wants to drink the old time way." The album also has the coolest cover since The Gourds did "Gin 'n Juice." They do a quirky Americana version of "Head Like a Hole" by Nine Inch Nails. Some of the songs are dark like "Devil in the Wall" - "There was blood on your wrist and a Bible on your reading list. I tried to fix you with my towel. You clenched your fist and woke me with a growl." Mostly though, the album is an upbeat good time. Also, Luther Dickinson from North Mississippi All-Stars contributes slide guitar on the album to give it the local Memphis "Street Cred."

The album is streaming for free on: http://redwaxmusic.net/ check it out for sure!

This review also appears on: http://twangville.com

Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch, Fats Kaplin - Kane Welch Kaplin

Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch, Fats Kaplin will be releasing a new album on September 11, the album is self titled Kane Welch Kaplin. Not exactly a creative title but after the first listen it is obvious they spent their time making the album not naming it. Their previous album Lost John Dean went number one on the Americana charts. So they have a lot to live up to and they succeed. In fact, I expect the new album will also spend some time at number one.

Like the last album this album is very rootsy with heavy folk, blues and gospel leanings. This time however they have added a fourth member. Fortunately they did not have to rename the band because it is Kieran's son Lucas Kane on percussion. Kane and Welch's history from Dead Reckoning Records allows them to mesh together even though their voices seem contrasting. It is the songwriting that is the glue that holds things together. If the songwriting adds cohesion, then Kaplin's musicianship gives the record its soul. Apparently Kaplin has a tendency to work whatever instruments that happen to be lying around into songs. That tendency gives the album its improvisational feel.

The songs come at you from a lot of different directions. There are Blues and Gospel numbers as well as story songs that weave a tapestry that is a little darker than their previous work. For example, "Dark Boogie # 7" is a spoken word folktale that goes inside the head of a mentally ill murderer. A more uplifting song is the closer "What are They Doing in Heaven Today," which was put on the album because all three have lost their moms in the last few years.

Sample the songs at:
http://compassrecords.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=520

This review als appears on: http://twangville.com