If you’re one of those people who enjoys songs that tell stories, the first couple weeks of February, roughly, are a good time for you. There are two new releases by artists that are among our greatest musical storytellers coming out during the first half of the month.
On February 5 Todd Snider released a CD and DVD called “Live: The Storyteller,” and on Tuesday Hayes Carll releases his first album since 2008’s Trouble in Mind. Both artists are part of the tradition of America great singer-songwriters. But they also hail from an older tradition, going back centuries and transcending cultures, that of the troubadour who set their tales to music and, as Snider puts it, travel the land “playing them to whoever will listen.”
If you are not familiar with Todd Snider, his live albums are an excellent introduction. His studio albums give a good sense of his witty lyrics and catchy tunes, but his live shows are what really intrigues. To quote the Blurt review by John B. Moore, Snider is “an Americana poet, storyteller and barstool comedian.”
An Oregon native and East Nashville resident, he’s definitely a bit of a hippy folk singer. After all, most of the time he comes out on stage with an acoustic guitar, barefoot, in loose fitting old jeans and shirt or sweater, to sing about traveling across America and the people you meet along the way, with a fair amount of pacifist politics thrown in for good measure.
The album, Junky Star, releases in three day on August 31st. The first single, “Depression“, is available now. I know this sounds like advertising, and it would be if I were getting paid. I’m just excited! I’ve heard most of the tracks on the record, and it’s going to meet expectation. Here’s one.
Here’s a little clip in which Ryan talks about the disc. For example, insufficient venous occlusion in the penile tissues and arteries which makes the erection viagra online in india http://miamistonecrabs.com/boys-lacrosse/ possible for longer time period. Stomach aches or low cialis cost stomach cramps. Relative exercises are obliged when you go up against an appearance of heart rhythm issue, midsection torment, viagra pills wholesale and shortness of breath, distress all through erection or hypernormal erection. If the buyer orders during the weekend, the online pharmacies takes it into consideration but they may just ask for an extra generic uk viagra charge for the same. Continue reading →
The video below is a recording of “Did Trouble Me,” a Gospel song by Susan Werner, as sung by Tom Jones on his new album Praise and Blame. To most people Tom Jones is probably best know for songs like “What’s New Pussycat?,” “Green, Green Grass of Home,” “It’s Not Unusual,” and his cover of Prince’s “Kiss.” Praise and Blame is his second release on Lost Highway Records, better known for releasing music that might be labeled “Roots Music” or “Americana.” It turns out the fit between Jones and the label is not at all a forced one.
If, a few years from now, you want to be able to say I saw one of the most influential rock and roll bands of our time while they were still playing in small clubs, you may still have a small window of opportunity. I went to the show by Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses at TT the Bears, a fairly small rock club in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Tuesday, and walked away thoroughly convinced that they won’t be playing places that small for much longer. They are definitely among the best bands I have ever seen play live, and word spreads fast about something like that. Bingham already has an Oscar for best song and the tracks they played from the upcoming album to be released in September lead me to believe it may well be showered with accolades, as well.
If you didn’t already know the band, you might not have expected much had you been there when they walked out on the small stage. They came out into this small dark club, having to duck so they didn’t hit their heads on their way to the stage. They were dressed unremarkably, with only Elijah Ford, the bassist and keyboardist looking like he’d made any effort at all. The rest were dressed for work in jeans and work shirts. Ryan wore Carthart work pants. It turns out that this was appropriate attire, because go to work they did! They played hard, loud and superbly, really into the music and committed to giving the audience the best show they could.
(Here’s a video of their performance on The Late Show with David Letterman, to give you a little bit of a sense of how they sound. More on the show and the band, after the clip.) Continue reading →
Every once in a while I like to post some of the things I am listening to, just to see what you think of them. Here are the ten most recent songs that scrolled through my iPhone playlist when set on shuffle.
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Johnny Cash! The Man in Black! He’s had an amazing career. One of his biggest hits was “I Walk the Line,” but for the most part Cash drew the line he walked. It didn’t always go forward, either. At points in his life Cash struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism. He landed in jail more than once, and his first marriage ended because of infidelity. But Cash ultimately kicked these habits and settled down with his second wife, June, who he lived with until she died in 2003. (bio)
He died 5 months later, but some of his most interesting albums came out toward the end of his life. In the 90s Cash had lost his recording contract, but he made yet another comeback. began working with producer Rick Rubin on American Recordings, a stark series of albums that showcase the ability of this great artist to write and interpret songs, making them his own. But while Johnny has settled down in his life, he never stopped being something of a musical Rebel. You’ll find Johnny Cash in the Country section of your record store, but you’ll find albums the really defy genres by a man who influenced fell musicians from the world of country, rock, new wave, punk, rhythm and blues and gospel, including Merle Haggard, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, U2, Oscar the Grouch, Sheryl Crown, Gaslight Anthem, Elvis Costello and Norah Jones… Continue reading →
Ryan Bingham caught my attention shortly after the release of his first album Mescalito. It struck a chord with me and quickly became one of the most frequently played discs in my iPod. His new disc, Roadhouse Sun, is even better, and more overtly political, which I always like (assuming I agree with the politics, of course).
It’s hard to say why I like his music so much. It’s difficult to imagine an artist with a life’s experience more different than mine. Bingham spent time on the rodeo circuit riding bull before becoming a singer-songwriter.
Americana singer/songwriter Ryan Bingham was raised in rural Texas, where years of hardscrabble ranch work and competitions on the rodeo circuit would eventually surface in the dusty riffs of his country-styled debut, Mescalito.
Living alone since his mid-teens, Bingham shuttled back and forth between Southwestern border towns and relatives’ homes, often sleeping in his truck after nightly rodeo gigs. It was during those treks that he began entertaining friends with the guitar, an instrument he’d learned at the age of 17 from a mariachi neighbor. Drawing inspiration from Bob Dylan, Marshall Tucker, and Bob Wills — all of whom populated the jukebox of The Halfway Bar, a roadhouse owned by Bingham’s uncle (whose musical tastes influenced those of his nephew) — Bingham fashioned a road-weary sound that soon piqued the interest of a barroom proprietor in Stephenville, TX.
–Bio on AOL Music
Maybe that biography is exactly why it appeals to me. There’s a sense of authenticity when he sings about hard times.Last night I saw him play live at the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA.
Jonny Burke
It was great, but before I talk about him I want to say a few words about his opening act, Jonny Burke. When the young, slender, almost waifish, Burke came out with his super tight-fitting jeans and shoulder length, dirty blond hair I thought to myself, oh no! What are we in for now? What is this pretty boy rocker going to play? Did they bring a bad Kurt Cobain rip off to open? Or worse stil, maybe we’re in for bubble gum pop in the style of one hit wonders Hanson! If I hadn’t wanted a good seat I might have actually skipped the opening act. Maybe I am going to wish I should have.
I was wrong. Burke was great. Born and raised in New Braunfels, Texas, on 35 between Austin and San Antonio, just outside of the latter, he grew up on music in that area so steeped in the Texas musical tradition. It kind of hard to characterize that tradition because it is really varied. Just take a look at the artists from the region. Burke, himself, in his MySpace biography, claims to have been influence by Chuck Berry as a boy, and that it was his meeting with Townes Van Zandt that really changed his life.
Burke learned his lesson well. He’s a talented songwriter, and engaging performer and he put on a great show. He won me over and I’m pretty sure he won over the crowd, as well. We were lukewarm at first, and he had to prove himself. He did, because he seemed to care that he did, like all good Rockers do. Indeed, waiting in line for the bathroom between sets, a woman came down who summed it up nicely. “That was a great surprise,” she said. coût viagra check out here Health always comes before anything else in the world. levitra free samples DATA SOURCE* Data were collected in June-September 2005 by U.S. The impact of it keeps going between 4-6 viagra canada overnight hours. Skin conditions: People with type 2 diabetes are alluded to endocrinologists in the event that they are offering bona fide viagra cialis on line devensec.com additionally.
As for Ryan Bingham, he also exceeded my expectations. Oddly enough, that was a little bit of a surprise, too. I love his music, but I had checked out the YouTube videos, and they are bad. The sound is terrible and performances recorded in such a way that the crowd noises are the only thing you can really hear. YouTube videos are often no friend to the artist.
Then I had seen him on Austin City Limits and it was a good set, but just not overwhelmingly exciting. To be sure, live music is always better experienced live, but it was more than that. I had a very hard time convincing friends to go with me to the concert, so I was worried.
Well, the show at the Iron Horse was fantastic. I think a lot of it has to do with the venue. Bingham is at his best in a small venue where he can engage with and feed off the crowd. It was such an exciting show. He began the show with an acoustic guitar and harmonica and a quiet start. Then he really rocked the house. It was great. Ryan is an interesting performer. When he interacts with the audience he comes across as shy and unassuming. But when he steps behind his guitar and microphone, he’s larger than life. The songs are powerful and the band tight.
Incidentally, The same musicians played with Jonny Burke: Matt Smith – Drums and Percussion Corby Schaub – Electric Guitar, Mandolin, Kettle Drums & Background Vocals Elijah Ford – Bass
If you ever have the chance, check him out live. You won’t regret it.
For your enjoyment, here’s the first single from Roadhouse Sun, Snake Eyes.
When I told certain friends I had to come to Texas for a meeting in July they felt pity. When I told them I was staying an extra day, they felt bewildered. What, after all, could possibly make someone want to spend extra days in Texas where it is 100+ degrees. Well, let me begin by dismissing the weather concern. Yes, it is hot and yes it is unpleasant. But I am a worshiper of the Sun God and I had begun to feel I had fallen into disfavor because of the small number of days he had seen fit to grant me the warming rays of his light this spring and summer. Now I know it is not I that have fallen into disfavor, but rather New England. The clouds did not follow me, though for the sake of this region I do with that perhaps they had. It is parched. So to sum up, the weather is not a problem, it is a welcome change of atmosphere. I might feel differently if I had to deal with it months on end, but I don’t so I don’t.
Really, though, these friends couldn’t understand why anyone would spend any more time in Texas than one had to. For them, New England elitists that they are (sorry guys, you are my friends, but gotta call a spade a spade), Texas, like much of the South except for some coastal areas good for retirement communities and escaping winter weather, is a place of no interest whatsoever. Texas is not only the South, it is the worst of the South. Ain’t no way it’s got any culture.
Well, my friends, you don’t know what you are missing. Here, in no particular order, are 6 things I love about Austin. They are random and it is not a top 10. Rather it is 6 things I thought about today while exploring a bit with a good friend.
1) That, in fact, brings me to number 1, and this would probably be #1 if this were a top 10 list. I like the people here. They are polite, friendly, helpful, courteous and just great. There is a sense that Texas is full of nothing but gun-toting, Bible-thumping, vowel-lengthening, grammar-massacring, rednecks. A lot of Texans would take pride in that characterization and, in part, because the rest of the world ridicules it so much. Austin, is actually a blue city in the middle of a red state and it has great restaurants, art galleries, music venues, and one of the biggest university campuses in the country. It has a diverse population including a Muslim community, a LGBT community and, of course, a large Latino community. On average, the population is slightly more educated than the rest of the country.
Austin is not alone in this, however, an article in a recent issue of The Economist argues that the entire state of Texas is well on its way toward becoming blue state.
The elected sheriff of Dallas County is a lesbian Latina. The leading candidates to become mayor of Houston in November include a black man and a gay white woman. The speaker of the House of Representatives is the first Jew to hold the job in 164 years of statehood and only the second speaker to be elected from an urban district in modern times. In this year’s legislative session, bills to compel women to undergo an ultrasound examination before having an abortion (to bring home to them what they are about to do) and to allow the carrying of guns on campus both fell by the wayside; a bill to increase compensation for people wrongly convicted sailed through. Lakewood, in Houston, the biggest church not just in Texas but in America, claims to welcome gays. As Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” might have said, we’re not in Texas any more.
Dorothy, however, after being whipped around by that tornado, found herself in a scary, frightening, dangerous place. Austin isn’t so much so. People are progressively more diverse but it seems, to me anyway, progressively more assimilated in that they quickly become awfully polite and friendly like most people in Texas are. Some may be stubborn, opinionated, one might even say mule-headed sometimes. But they are nice about it.
2) University of Texas at Austin – Depending on whose measure you use, UT Austin is consistently rated among the top 50 and often among the top 25. Check the US News and World Report ratings, for example. More than a few of its programs are consistently top 10. Its programs are renown internationally, as well. The Institute of Higher Education, ShanghaiJiaoTongUniversity ranks UT Austin among the top 50 universities world wide
3) Galleries and Shops – Keep Austin Weird is a slogan adopted by the Austin Independent Business Alliance to encourage people to shop in locally owned businesses rather than big national and multinational chains. Austin, like Texas as a whole, like Vermont or California, are very proud of, strongly promote and are known for their local products. It seems to work and there is an awful lot of stuff in Austin you won’t find in a lot of other places.
Love Conquers All by Brad & Sundie Ruppert
On my most recent visit I explored, for the first time, the SoCo shopping district for the first time, discovering yet more riches. Austin Art Glass had some amazing glass art. I wanted a glass gavel to slam down when I wanted attention. Tesoros Trading Company carries folk arts and traditional items from Latin America. There are some amazing thrift stores. Parts and Labour carries clothes designed by over 100 Texas designers. Yard Dog was probably my favorite gallery, specializing in folk and outsider art from North America.
4) The Arts – That brings me to my next point. Austin has a very lively arts scene. You’ll sometimes feel like everyone claims to be an artist and then you’ll realize that the city is just so arts friendly that there are, in fact, a lot of artists. Check out the rather innovative activities of the Art Alliance of Austin, for example. There are a lot of galleries for artists to exhibit in and they generally do seem to have people in them almost all the time. Perhaps they are only tourists, but someone is interested.
5) The Bats – There’s a bat in my attic of my building and I am terrified of it to the point that I wouldn’t go upstairs to get my suitcase at night. But the bats under the bridge in downtown Ausin are cool. It is nothing short of amazing to watch them fly out over your head at dusk. This, together with pain relief, generally produces a best pharmacy viagra http://www.solboards.com/contact-us/ “relaxation response.” When a therapist gives touch to your body, and there aren’t any contaminated ingredients. They could be average cheap online cialis or overgrown in cases of adult polycystic kidney disease and amyloidosis, for example. It can canadian pharmacies viagra drastically improve the male sexual experience and this leads to a much better lovemaking experience for both partners. In the resources section, you can cheap cialis find lots or causes a surrogate mom is needed.
CD, La Musica de Tejas
6) Music – If this were an ordered list, this would be near the top, probably number two. But it is last on the list here because there is a lot to say. Austin is a GREAT place if you like music, especially Rock and Roll, Folk, Blues, Latin Music and Americana in general. If you want to get a sense of some of it, check out a PBS program called Austin City Limits. Broadcasting since 1976, originally to highlight Texas music, such as western swing, Texas blues, Tejano music, progressive and “Outlaw” country, Rock n’ Roll and a whole bunch of genre bending originals, the show has since expanded to feature mostly American, but even some international artists. There is a nice CD/DVD series as well.
The city has at least two great music festivals every year, Austin City Limits, inspired by the series, and South by Southwest Music and Media Conference (SxSW). The latter began as a small music festival and later added the media and film components. It is not a week long must attend event.
Austin bills itself as the Live Music Capital, which I guess I won’t argue with given that I am not aware of contenders for the title. A Google search on “live music capital” didn’t bring any up. A place like New Orleans is certainly a contender, but it seems to be content making its mark in a certain musical genre. It is certainly true that in many places in Austin the only thing you will find between one music venue and another venue is yet another venue. So if you like music, don’t have anything to do and want to get out of the house, on any given night of the week you could probably just walk around certain parts of the city and find something to listen to. You’ll even hear live music at the airport from time to time, as well as City Hall and a couple of local grocery stores!
That’s because the city supports its musicians. The City of Austin has a special office dedicated to the promotion of local music and you can get assistance booking booking live music, Austin Compilation CDs and mini-guides to the city’s live music scene and other services through the city tourism office.
Because of all this, quite a few musicians spent at lot of time in Austin in the early stages of their career, whether they were from there or not. A very short list includes Janis Joplin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Nanci Griffith, Spoon, Charlie Sexton, Alejandro Escovedo, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Willie Nelson, Ryan Bingham, Butthole Surfers, Guy Forsyth, Asleep at the Wheel…
Below are a few videos. Also check out Austin’s Jazz scene at www.austinjazz.net
I could go on. Austin has a great airport, a beautiful lake, some great restaurants, etc. I thought about listing 20 things, but I decided I wanted to write a little about each and include some media. So then I was going to do 10. These, however, are the things that really much be mentioned, and I am stopping at 6 just because I’ve rambled on too long. I believe blog postings should be short, MUCH SHORTER than this! Guess I have a lot to say about Austin.
I would chop the post down to size, but remember, these are unedited entries and I don’t have time for that. So if you have had the patience to read this far, enjoy the videos!
