RIP to a musical icon, Lou Reed – Here he is covering Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “See That My Grave is Kept Clean”
Category Archives: Americana
Watch Out! 10 Murder Ballads for Halloween
Hello ghouls and goblins! Halloween celebrations in some form has a long and rich tradition in 16th century European and Scandinavia. At roughly the same time the murder ballad evolved right along with it. Both washed up on these US shores with the pilgrims and were shaped, over time, with our own uniques cultural influences and musical styles.
Gallons of blood, and scores of lifeless bodies, have been detailed in many harrowing ditties. The genres of folk, bluegrass and country music count more death and malice
than in metal and gangster rap combined (to be fair, they have had centuries to stack up bodies.)
I bring to you this spooky season some contemporary versions and variations of the murder ballad. From the Wilburn Brothers’ version of “The Knoxville Girl,” an Appalachian murder ballad, derived from the 19th-century Irish ballad The Wexford Girl. There also modern takes like Lindi Ortega’s menacing “Murder Of Crows.”
Enjoy these dark treats and leave your favorites in the comments.
Wilburn Brothers – Knoxville Girl
Rachel Brooke – The Black Bird
Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers – Where’s the Devil?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgphO4JJIrw
Lera Lynn – Bobby, Baby
O’Death – Lowtide – Video
Stab – The Pine Box Boys
Lindi Ortega – Murder Of Crows
Porter Wagoner – Cold Hard Facts Of Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl4yjGzWOvI
Bobbie Gentry – Ode To Billie Joe
Johnny Cash – Delia’s Gone
Listen Up! Lydia Loveless – ‘Boy Crazy’
Rock-Americana chanteuse Lydia Loveless will follow up her exceptional 2011 release, Indestructible Machine, with the EP “Boy Crazy” n November 5th, 2013 via Bloodshot Records.
‘Boy Crazy’ is a pop-punk distortion surge around Loveless’ expressive, husky belt. Hear it below.
About the EP Loveless says : “I came up with the idea for the song ‘Boy Crazy’ when the band and I were all drinking at SXSW, and I was reminiscing for a bit about how a friend and I used to like to go to my little brother’s baseball games and flirt with all the boys on the team. People would call us ‘boy crazy’. When you’re young, you don’t know why you like someone; you just have all this energy. But when you grow up, there is less innocence. You get called all kinds of horrible names, like ‘slut’, if you go around dating a baseball team’s worth of dudes. It gets increasingly difficult to navigate relationships and friendships with others as you grow older, especially as a woman. I wrote the rest of the songs in the month or so after that discussion (except for the song ‘Lover’s Spat’, which I had originally written about Jeffrey Dahmer for my side project). We rehearsed for about a week and then went into the studio with a couple thirty packs and knocked it out. It’s my rock and roll tribute to baseball pants and youth.â€
Record Store Day’s Black Friday 2013 – Americana and Roots Music Picks
The day after Thanksgiving, November 29 – ominously named Black Friday (if you’re in the rush at Wal-Mart it kinda makes sense) – is the busiest shopping day of the year.
The good folks that organize Record Store Day have provided music fans with a holiday treat to make Black Friday more festive.
This year part of the retail bounty special exclusive releases from some of the most popular artists in almost every genre. Of course my focus is on Americana and roots music. Some dandies are being released from The Civil Wars, Blackberry Smoke, Blind Boys Of Alabama, Jason Isbell & John Paul White, Dawes, Uncle Tupelo and more. Some of these realeses are completely exclusive to the record store, some of them making their appearance at a record store before you’ll find them anywhere else.
Head to the official Record Store Day site to get a complete list of releases and participating stores.
Blackberry Smoke / Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd &
Blackberry Smoke Live 12″
Vinyl Split
Label: Southern Ground
A live compilation featuring six previously unreleased tracks.
Side A Lynyrd Skynyrd Live Slovesburg, Sweden 6/9/12 – “Whats Your Name”, “That Smell”, “Simple Man” – Side B Blackberry Smoke Live Winston-Salem NC 4/12/13 – “Six Ways To Sunday”, “Pretty Little Lie”, “Ain’t Music Left Of Me”
Blind Boys Of Alabama/Jason Isbell & John Paul White
Christmas In Dixie/Old Flame
Format: 7″ Vinyl
Label: Lightning Rod Records/Thirty tig
7″ Silver and White Swirled vinyl
Exclusive 7″ single featuring covers of Alabama classics. These and others on the Tribute to Alabama album.
Side A – Blind Boys of Alabama “Christmas in Dixie” Side B Jason Isbell and John Paul White “Old Flame”
Brandi Carlile/The Lone Bellow
Live Split
Format: 7″ Vinyl
Label: Descendant Records
Brandi Carlile recorded live on the Hard Way Home Convoy Tour in 2013; The Lone Bellow recorded at SXSW March 2013 at the Paste Magazine Stage on Sixth Party, sponsored by Record Store Day
Side A Brandi Carlile – “Raise Hell” Side B The Lone Bellow – “You Never Need Nobody”
The Civil Wars
Between The Bars
Format: 10″ Vinyl
Label: Columbia Records
10″ single containing exclusive studio versions of four cover songs which have been part of The Civil Wars live repertoire
“Sour Times” (Portishead cover), “Between The Bars” (Elliott Smith cover), “Billie Jean” (Michael Jackson cover), “Talking In Your Sleep” (Romantics cover)
Dawes
Stripped Down At Grimeys
Format: LP/CD
Label: HUB Records
Orange LP Version – Recorded live at Grimey’s in March of 2013. Contains songs from the acclaimed Stories Don’t End album and a few classic Dawes tracks. Set is a plugged in yet intimate approach as opposed to the typically bombastic Dawes live experience.
1. “From A Window Seat” 2. “Someone Will” 3. “Time Spent In Los Angeles” 4. “Most People” 5. “Something In Common” 6. “A Little Bit of Everything”
Bob Dylan
Side Tracks
Format: LP
Label: Columbia Records
A compilation of tracks that have never appeared on a formal Bob Dylan album. 180 g, numbered, triple LP package.
Harry Nilsson
Rarities Collection
Format: LP
Label: Columbia Records
RARE Nilsson tracks on 1 LP, 180g and indivually, numbered. A collection culled from the 17 CD Box Set which includes all of Harry’s original RCA albums, previously unreleased demos and radio spots.
Various Artists
A Musical Tribute To The Songs of Shel Silverstein
Format: LP
Label: Sugar Hill Records
Vinyl release of the 2010 star-studded tribute to Shel Silversein. On 45 RPM double white vinyl.
My Morning Jacket–“Lullabies, Legends and Lies”, Andrew Bird–“The Twistable, Turnable Man Returns”, John Prine–“This Guitar is For Sale”, Dr. Dog–“The Unicorn”, Kris Kristofferson–“The Winner”, Sarah Jarosz with Black Prairie–“Queen of the Silver Dollar”, Bobby Bare, Jr. with Isabella Bare–“Daddy What If”, Black Francis with Joey Santiago–“The Cover of the Rolling Stone”, The Boxmasters–“Sylvia’s Mother”, Ray Price–“Me and Jimmie Rodgers”, Todd Snider–“A Boy Named Sue”, Lucinda Williams–“The Ballad of Lucy Jordan”, Bobby Bare–“The Living Legend”, Nanci Griffith–“The Giving Tree”, My Morning Jacket–“26 Second Song”
Uncle Tupelo
I Wanna Be Your Dog / Commotion
Format: 7″ Vinyl
Label: Columbia Records
Side A – Stooges cover (studio, outtake from No Depression sessions)
Side B – Credence cover (previously unreleased studio outtake from No Depression sessions)
“I Wanna Be Your Dog”/”Commotion”
Townes Van Zandt
Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions & Demos 1971-1972
Format: Vinyl Box Set
Label: Omnivore Recordings
The vinyl version of this release housed in a 3 LP box, on clear vinyl. Includes 28 unheard versions of legendary songs by one of our most treasured songwriters. All songs drawn from his most prolific period, 1971-1972. Liner notes by Colin Escott.
This will be exclusive to indie stores for 90 days.
NASHVILLE 2.0: The Rise of Americana to Air on PBS This November
NASHVILLE 2.0 kicks off the “PBS Americana Music Weekend,†which pairs this documentary with an Americana music concert from PBS’ iconic Austin City Limits (ACL) series. In a special episode, ACL travels to Nashville to capture performance highlights from the 2013 Americana Music Association Honors & Awards. ACL PRESENTS: AMERICANA MUSIC FESTIVAL 2013 airs November 23rd on PBS in select markets (check local listings for broadcast dates and times)
The hour-long film was co-directed by Carol Stein and Susan Wittenberg (the duo behind 2011‘s Women Who Rock) and will feature a lineup of some of the best rising and veteran country, folk, rock and multi-genre artists prominent in building the Americana movement.
The special will incluse includes performances by, and interviews with, Alabama Shakes, The Avett Brothers, Billy Bragg, Laura Cantrell, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Rosanne Cash, The Civil Wars, Elizabeth Cook, Rodney Crowell, Dawes, Jerry Douglas, John Fullbright, Shakey Graves, Emmylou Harris, The James Hunter Six, Jason Isbell , Amanda Shires, Jim Lauderdale, The Lone Bellow, The Mavericks, The Milk Carton Kids, Buddy Miller, Mumford & Sons, Shovels and Rope*, Richard Thompson, and Dwight Yoakam.
This is hardly an exhaustive list, and not all of these artists are from, or reside, in Nashville. Buy Music City has become the de-facto hub of the Americana Music industry.
For now.
Listen Up! Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones – “Long Time Gone” (The Everly Brothers)
After seeing the live many years ago at Lollapalooza I quickly became a Green Day Fan. not a record buying kind, but the kind that when the subject of punk came up I weighed in on their side. Of course making a jillion $$ and a Bradway shows doesn’t help with punk cred, but none of that mattered to me anyway. I never bought into punk purity. Green Day could put on a show and hold an audience. I was a fan.
When I heard that Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong was collaborating with my Dallas home-girl Norah Jones i was amused. Then I heard it was a track-for-track tribute to the Everly Brothers’ 1958 classic, “Songs Our Daddy Taught Us.” Then I was intrigued.
The album, “Foreverly,” originated when Armstrong, who says he’s a longtime Everly Brothers fan, discovered the pop-Americana/folk 12-song collection a couple years go.
So why Norah Jones? “I thought of Norah because she can sing anything, from rock to jazz to blues,” he says, “and I knew her harmonies would be amazing.” Armstrong tells Rolling Stone.
The duo recorded the album in nine days at the Magic Shop studio in Manhattan with Engineer Chris Dugan at the boards. Armstrong and Jones split vocal duties (along with guitar and piano), Â and were accompanied by fiddle player Charlie Burnham, bassist Tim Luntzel, drummer Dan Rieser and pedal-steel guitarist Johnny Lam.
Armstrong and Jones told Stereogum that the process of making the album was similar to a “blind date.”
“We sang together with Stevie Wonder and his band and a whole bunch of people, that’s how Norah and I first met,” Armstrong says. “Then, well, I got into the Everly Brothers’ record a couple years ago, and I thought it was just beautiful. I was listening to it every morning for a while off and on. I thought it would be cool to remake the record because I thought it was sort of an obscure thing and more people should know about it, but I really wanted to do it with a woman singing because I thought it would take on a different meaning – maybe broaden the meaning a little bit – as compared to hearing the songs being sung by the two brothers. And so my wife said, ‘Why don’t you get Norah Jones to do it?’ and I was like, ‘Well, I kinda know her.’ Well, I mean, we had Stevie Wonder in common. And so I called her and she said yes.” Armstrong tells Rolling Stone.
Â
“The average listener might be like, ‘Well, that’s not punk rock’ or whatever in regards to this record, but I like doing different things – it’s fun, it makes life more interesting,” he said.
“Foreverly” will be released November 25th on Reprise Records. In the meantime, check the stream of the lovely and softly twangy “Long Time Gone.”
Music Review: Brandy Clark’ – “12 Stories”
The last few years there has been a quiet sea change in Music Row. The change toward song craft spearheaded by young women speaking to a larger audience of older country fans that prefer Kristofferson over Keith. And a younger audience that want to imagine themselves in the songs. All while adroitly straddling the worlds of rigid country music industry pressures and Americana free range creativity. Call them the anti-Taylors.
Add to this movement Brandy Clark’s debut, “12 Stories.” Clark has scrubbed behind the scenes for years spinning hits for contemporary female upstarts Miranda Lambert, as well as other music row heavy-hitters The Band Perry, Reba McEntire and, Darius Rucker.
As the title says, these are 12 co-penned gems of savvy working class narratives. Very much in the spirit of Kacey Musgraves’ newest, which Clark co-wrote several songs on. The daily struggles of a common life (the hazy groover “Pray to Jesus”) cheating and revenge (“Crazy Women,” “Stripes”) a new take on this medication nation (“Take A Little Pill”) and a bluegrass tinged herbal testament to the Book of Willie (“Get High.”) A Sunday morning, hymn-organ ode to Sunday morning and new beginnings (“Hungover.)
Clark’s tales of contemporary working class echoes those told by Cash, Haggard Dolly and Loretta decades ago. “12 Stories” reminds us of the poetry and emotion that Hank Sr. embodied and lays bare how great country music can still exist when an artist can resist country radio cliches.
Watch Out! Billy Gibbons joined John Fogerty on stage in Tulsa, Oklahoma for “Born on the Bayou.” [VIDEO]
ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons joined John Fogerty on stage in Tulsa, Oklahoma for a swamp-meets-grease version of classic Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Born on the Bayou.”
John Fogerty is currently on tour across the US.
Taylor Swift to Perform with Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Sam Bush at Country Music Awards
Nashville’s Tennessean posts an Associated Press story “Taylor Swift invites special guests to CMA Awards.”
These “Special guests” turn out to be some roots music heavy-hitters. Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Sam Bush, bassist Edgar Meyer and percussionist Eric Darken. They will join Swift for on the Country Music Awards “special version” of her hit song “Red.”
Swift has worked with Americana musicians in the past, most notably her Grammy-wining collaboration withe The Civil Wars for the song “Safe and Sound” for the Hunger Games soundtrack.
This allows huge exposure for these participating artists, and give Swift some gravitas and Americana cred for a future career move.
How do you feel about this announcement?
Tune in to find out November 6th on ABC. Follow me on twitter as I will live tweet thsi awards
(VIDEO ADDED)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76vj3O8402c
Watch Out: Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby “The Way It Is” on Conan10/17/13
Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby perform a bluegrass version of Hornsby’d hit from their album, “Cluck Ol’ Hen” on Conan. Out now.