Twang Nation – The Best In Americana Music
Americana & Roots Music & Culture
Strand of Oaks was joined by members of My Morning Jacket guitarist Carl Broemel, drummer Patrick Hallahan, bassist Tom Blankenship, and keyboardist Bo Koster, as well as Jason Isbell and Amanda Shire performed a pastorally soulful rendition of ‘Ruby’ on “Colbert†last night.
“Ruby†is a track on the upcoming Strand Of Oaks album ‘Eraserland,’ out March 22 on Dead Oceans.
Pre-order ‘Eraserland’ here.
Watch their rendition of “Ruby†below:
If you like your music greasy then, folks, do we have a treat for you!
L.A.’s The Blood Moon Howlers’ newest single “Drunk N’ Cold,” slithers to life with grinding electric guitar and smokey saxophone (how many roots music dare to feature saxophone?!) Guitarist/vocalist Matt Wayne then growls, with harmony provided by bassist JuJu, this ode to swamp water and booze-drenched love would slot perfectly as a track from a particularly menacing David Lynch scene.
Of the song the band says “It’s the first song we wrote for the LP and it really set the whole writing process for the LP into motion. This is a song written about stories Matt has of hangin’ out with his friends partying outside in the cold when they were younger and there was no other place to go. Although people have interpreted it other ways which is fun to hear.”
“Drunk N’ Cold” is from the upcoming full-length album, “Mad Man’s Ruse, out April 6th.
Official Site: thebloodmoonhowlers.com/
Few contemporary bands embody what Greil Marcus coined as “Old. weird America” as well as The Felice Brothers and a new release by this Upstate New York rustic-core collective is always welcome news.
The new album, “Undress,” the follow-up to 2016’s “Life in rhe Dark,” will be released on May 3rd from Yep Roc Records.
Cut live to tape with very little overdubbing, Undress was recorded in the late summer of 2018 in Germantown, New York. Band members Ian Felice, James Felice, Will Lawrence (drums) and Jesske Hume (bass) teamed up with producer Jeremy Backofen to record their most personal and reflective album to date.
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“Many of the songs on the new album are motivated by a shift from private to public concerns,†says songwriter Ian Felice. “It isn’t hard to find worthwhile things to write about these days, there are a lot of storms blooming on the horizon and a lot of chaos that permeates our lives. The hard part is finding simple and direct ways to address them.â€
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Since the band’s last 2016 album release the group in a very different place. Between personnel changes, families growing and the political landscape, the result is a tighter, more-paired down release. “Every song is a story,†said James Felice. “On this album everything was a bit more thoughtful, including the arrangements, the sonic quality and the harmonies.â€
Listen to title cut “Undress”
Pre-order “Undress” Here
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Ian and James Felice grew up in the Hudson valley of upstate NY. Self taught musicians, inspired as much by Hart Crane and Whitman as by Guthrie and Chuck Berry, they began in 2006 by playing subway platforms and sidewalks in NYC and have gone on to release nine albums of original songs and to tour extensively throughout the world. Following the release of Life in the Dark, The Felice Brothers served as the backing band for Conor Oberst’s 2017 release Salutations and the subsequent tour.Â
The band kicks off a US tour starting on April 27 in Albany. Tickets go on sale on February 12 at www.thefelicebrothers.com.
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Tour Dates:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
4/27: Albany, NY – TBAÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
4/28: Syracuse, NY – The Westcott Theater           Â
4/29: Buffalo, NY – The 9th Ward at Babeville          Â
4/30: Toronto, ON – Legendary Horseshoe Tavern          Â
5/2: Chicago, IL – Sleeping Village                     Â
5/3: Lexington, KY – On The Rail Roots Festival                     Â
5/4: Columbus, OH – Rumba Cafe                                Â
5/6: Pittsburgh, PA – Club Cafe                                Â
5/7: Lancaster, PA – Tellus 360Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
5/9: Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s                     Â
5/10: Brooklyn, NY – The Bell House                     Â
5/12: Hopewell, NJ – Hopewell Theater                     Â
5/15: Portsmouth, NH – 3S Artspace                                Â
5/16: Providence, RI – Columbus Theatre                     Â
5/18: Cambridge, MA – The SinclairÂ
5/23: Virginia Beach, VA – Elevation 27Â
5/24: Richmond, VA – Richmond Music Hall               Â
5/25: Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap – with The Avett Brothers               Â
6/6: Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle Tavern                     Â
6/7: Decatur, GA – Eddie’s Attic                                Â
6/8: Nashville, TN – Exit/In
6/9: Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewery
6/10: New Orleans -Gasa Gasa
6/12: Austin, TX – Barracuda
6/14: Santa Fe, NM – Tumbleroot
6/15: Tucson, AZ – 191 Toole
6/16: San Diego, CA – The Casbah
6/17: Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Theater
6/19: San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
6/21: Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
6/22: Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
6/24: Garden City, ID – Visual Arts Collective
6/25: Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
6/27: Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
2018 is now in the pages of history and as America shifts (lurches?) into an uncertain future. Americana and roots music, unlike many other genres, continues to be true to its legacy and addresses our times with art that refuses to chase the charts and churn out reflexively commercial product and, lucky for us, refuses to treat the audience as mindless consumers.
That’s not to say that Americana and roots music is merely a barometer for political and social conditions and change. No sane person wants their favorite artists to be righteous yet starve. As the music industry continues to reflect changing consumer demands artists are also finding opportunities to reach audiences and generate revenue in movies and video games.
Some albums I’m personally looking forward to because I’ve heard some cuts, or on my faith in the artist, are Hayes Carll’s “What It Is,†Feb. 15: Dale Watson’s Call Me Lucky and Ryan Bingham – “American Love Song†, all on February 15th, Mandolin Orange’s “Tides of a Teardrop” on February 1st, and Joshua Ray Walker’s “Wish You Were Here” on January 25th as well as Son Volt’s “Union’ on March 29th.
As more dates come throughout the year I will be updating the list. If you know of an actual release not listed yet please leave it in the comments.
As always I appreciate your visiting the site and hope you join me in another great year for Americana and roots music.
January: Jan. 18th: Danny Burns – “North Country”
Jan. 25th: Lula Wiles – ‘What Will We Do’
Jan. 4th: Balsam Range – “Aeonicâ€
Jan. 18th: Alice Wallace – “ Into the Blueâ€
Jan. 18th: Ronnie Milsap – “Ronnie Milsap: The Duetsâ€
Jan. 18th: Greensky Bluegrass – “All for Moneyâ€
Jan. 18th: The Steel Woods – “Old Newsâ€
Jan. 18th: Whitehorse – “The Northern South Vol. 2â€
Feb. 22:
February:
Feb. 1st: Mandolin Orange – “Tides of a Teardropâ€
Feb. 1st: Abigail Lapelle – “Getaway”
Feb. 8th: Gurf Morlix – ‘Impossible Blue’
Feb. 15th: Hayes Carll – “What It Isâ€
Feb. 15th: Dale Watson – “Call Me Luckyâ€
Feb. 15th: Ryan Bingham – “American Love Songâ€
Feb. 15th: Joey McGee – “El Camino Real”
Feb. 15th: Kalyn Fay – “Good Company”
Feb. 22nd: Dearling – “Silver and Gold” (EP)
Feb. 22nd Vandoliers – “Foreverâ€
Feb. 22nd – Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell – ‘Songs of Our Native Daughters’
March:
March 1st: Mary Bragg – “Diamonds as Camouflageâ€
March 1st: The Cactus Blossoms – “Easy Wayâ€
March 1st: Dave Ernst – “Hickory Switchâ€
March 2nd: The Honey Dewdrops – “Anyone Can See”
March 7th: Townes Van Zandt – “Sky Blue”
March 8th: Patty Griffin – “Patty Griffin”
March 8th: Clara Baker – “Things To Burn”
March 22nd: Allison de Groot & Tatiana
March 22nd: Orville Peck – “Pony”
March 22nd: Luther Dickinson and Sisters of the Strawberry Moon – “Solstice”
March 29th: Son Volt – “Unionâ€
June:
June 14th: Hank Williams – ‘Health & Happiness Show’
June 21st: Buddy and Julie Miller -‘Breakdown on 20th Ave. South’
June 28th: Chuck Mead – “Close To Home”
August 16th
The Messenger: A Tribute to Ray Wylie Hubbard
August 23rd
Esther Rose – ‘You Made It This Far’
Erin Enderlin – ‘Chapter Three: Whatever Gets You Through The Night’
Tanya Tucker – ‘While I’m Livin’ ‘
Vince Gill – ‘Okie’
Dalton Domino – ‘Songs From the Exile’
Jason Hawk Harris – Love & the Dark
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys – ‘Toil, Tears & Trouble’
Leslie Stevens – ‘Sinner’
Croy and the Boys – ‘Howdy High-Rise’
Seth James –
Midland – ‘Let It Roll’
September 7th
The Highwomen – Self-Titled’
Terri Hendrix – ‘Talk To A Human’
Jason Tyler Burton – ‘Kentuckian’
Paul Cauthen – ‘Room 41’
Cut Throat Francis – ‘This Garden’s Never Gonna Grow’
Ana Egge – ‘Is It the Kiss’
NRBQ – ‘Turn On, Tune In’
Amy Speace – ‘Me and the Ghosts of Charlemagne’
These Wild Plains – ‘Thrilled To Be Here’
Trailerpark Idlers – ‘Ghost Town Nights
September 13th
Jeremy Ivey – ‘The Dream And The Dreamer’
September 27th
Hot Club of Cowtown – ‘Wild Kingdom’
October 4th
The North Mississippi Allstars – “Up and Rollingâ€
October 13th
Cody Jinks – ‘After The Fire’
North Mississippi Allstars – ‘Up and Rolling’
Corb Lund – ‘Cover Your Tracks’
Jonah Tolchin – ‘Fires for the Cold’
Marti Brom – ‘Midnight Bus’
Ted Drozdowski – ‘Learn To Love The Moon’
Jeremy Ivey – ‘The Dream And The Dreamer;
Janiva Magness – ‘Change In The Weather: Janiva Magness Sings John Fogerty’
October 18th
The Milk Carton Kids – ‘The Only Ones’
Darin Aldridge & Brooke Aldridge – ‘Inner Journey’
Driftwood Soldier – ‘Stay Ahead Of The Wolf’
The Drunken Hearts – ‘Wheels of the City’
Rory Ellis – ‘Inner Outlaw’
EmiSunshine and The Rain – ‘Family Wars’
Jimmy “Duck†Holmes – ‘Cypress Grove’
Jake La Botz – ‘They’re Coming For Me’
New Copasetics – ‘Twang-Ucopia’
David Newbould – ‘Sin & Redemption’
Karen & the Sorrows – ‘Guaranteed Broken Heart’
Zachary Lucky – ‘Midwestern’
October 25th
Allison Moorer – ‘Blood’
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – ‘Colorado’
Craig Cummings – ‘Absolute Surprise’
Karen & the Sorrows – ‘Guaranteed Broken Heart’
Van Morrison – ‘Three Chords and the Truth’
Jackson Stokes – ‘Jackson Stokes’
Zack Walther Band – ‘The Westerner’
November 20th
Bill Scorzari – ‘Now I’m Free’
January 31st
Dustbowl Revival – ‘Is It You, Is It Me?’
Today Twang Nation is proud to exclusively premiere the video for Grain Thief’s “Colorado Freeze” from their full-length debut “Stardust Lodge.” (out now – order below) The song is perfect road song and the video fitfully follows the band as they perform on their tour bus on the way to visit a Colorado amusement park. The VHS camcorder gives the whole thing a nice washed-out grainy aesthetic.
Grain Thief is a 5-piece americana string band from Boston, MA. The group comprises Patrick Mulroy (guitar, vocals), Zach Meyer (mandolin, vocals), Michael Harmon (bass, vocals), Tom Farrell (lead guitar), and Alex Barstow (fiddle).
Prior to the formation of the band, Grain Thief was used as a moniker for Mulroy’s solo project from 2011-2014. Mulroy toured the East Coast sporadically after recording two EPs and moving back to Boston from Washington, DC where he had worked in a Korean Restaurant and played bass in a heavy metal jam band called Thundertyts.
In Boston, he continued to use the name Grain Thief and brought in a revolving group of drummers, percussionists, guitarists, and bass players. Rhode Island born Tom Farrell joined the coalition early on as a lead guitar player–he and Mulroy met in a dark basement in Brighton somewhere around 2008. For a time, the band featured 2 drummers, with Farrell on bass allowing Mulroy to play his newly purchased blonde telecaster.
After much prodding, saxophonist, Zach Meyer reluctantly joined the band on mandolin. The two had met through a mutual friend in the Cambridge competitive beer-drinking scene and vaguely knew that the other could play an instrument. However, this quartet (Mulroy, Meyer, Farrell, and South Shore Joe Angellis on drums) would not last. Dissatisfied with the project’s direction, Mulroy dissolved it.
The new Grain Thief reformed almost immediately at Meyer’s apartment in Lower Allston, where the 3 former members (Mulroy, Meyer, and Farrell) worked on acoustic arrangements of some new and old songs to prepare for a one-off show in a converted Brooklyn warehouse.
Meyer’s then roommate was future fiddle-player Alex Barstow. Barstow was trained as a classical violist, but was soon dragged into jamming on old time tunes by Meyer who grew up in the old-time fiddle community in Washington state. Barstow never made it to that show in Brooklyn, but he did wind up at the band’s next rehearsal and first two shows at the Rosebud Diner in Davis Square.
Meanwhile, acquaintance of the band and recording engineer Mike Harmon was building a studio out by Wachusett Mountain in Central Massachusetts. Mulroy, a carpenter, seeing the opportunity to score some free recording time for his fledgling band, spent countless hours with Mike building out the studio. However, the free recording time would never come to pass, as Mike would soon join the band. With Mike’s bass, third vocal harmony, and Trident series 65 console, the band was now complete. Their union was solidified after Mulroy accidentally dropped Harmon’s 1939 Kay Bass down the stairs, snapping the headstock clean off, resulting in a costly repair and lifelong friendship.
Their debut EP Animal was recorded and released in November 2015. The record showcases the band’s roots in folk, bluegrass, and old time music. In 2017, the band began a residency at the Burren pub in Somerville and continues to entertain the Wednesday crowds to this day. From their perch in Massachusetts, the band has toured heavily in New England and made forays in the West, South, and East Coast.
The recording of Animal’s follow up Stardust Lodge began in April 2016 and finished a year and a half later. Mulroy’s lyrical approach to the album is met equally with songs of loss and regret, and the struggles of the everyday working man with a satirical twist. The arrangements and instrumentation represent a departure from Animal’s bleak simplicity with the band showing a bit more leg. With a new record out and shows booked throughout the country, the band has a long road ahead to cruise.
Reflecting on the inspiration behind the song, Mulroy has this to say:
“The song was co-written by myself (Patrick Mulroy) and a good friend, Connor McGinnis, a Nashville songwriter, formerly of the Zuni Mountain Boys, who is currently working on a new record down there.
He started the song, and I finished it is the short answer. It’s sourced from both of our memories of old flames and cold mornings. It deals with looking back on mistakes or memories from far into the future after the dust has settled.”
The song is the first single off of our record Stardust Lodge, which came out on August 24th.
In preparation for the release, the band did a 7 date tour of Colorado, hitting all four corners. They filmed the video on the road, and at various stops along the way– our bass player Mike handled the editing duties.
Official Site: grainthief.com
A decade before they went on to front the mighty Drive-By Truckers Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood collaborated in their first band, Adam’s House Cat. Cooley, Patterson et al are set to share those halcyon days with all of us by releasing ‘Town Burned Down,’ the first-ever official release of the 1990 recording will be released via ATO Records on Friday September 21.
Check out the first cut from the album, “Runaway Train,” below. Even in these early days the alt.country sensibilities were already on display reflecting their contemporary influences Uncle Tupelo and The Bottle Rockets.
On November 25, 1990, Adam’s House Cat set up in the rooms upstairs from Muscle Shoals Sound Recording Studio and recorded basic tracks for 15 songs with producer/engineer Steve Melton (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, Traffic). Tracked live on 2” analog 24-track tape, the songs recorded that freezing cold day represent an historic document of Adam’s House Cat in all their electrifying, unwieldy glory. The cavernous studio’s plaster walls, hardwood floors, and 25-foot ceilings enabled the band to create a massive sound without using the digital reverb common in that era. As a result, the recordings – mostly first and second takes – capture Adam’s House Cat as they truly were, loud, passionate and bracingly determined.
1991 saw Adam’s House Cat struggling to both fund their album’s completion and simply stay together. Hood tracked his lead vocals on the same January night in which George H.W. Bush began Operation Desert Storm. Backing vocals and minimal overdubs were added that winter and though Hood was not entirely thrilled with his vocal performances, by spring, Melton had begun mixing the raw recordings. Cahoon abruptly left the band mid-summer, replaced by Chris Quillen, who eventually contributed a memorable high-harmony vocal to the album’s “Long Time Ago.”
Alas, Adam’s House Cat’s days were numbered. Hood and Cooley relocated to Memphis in early September, and though their live shows that month proved among the band’s best ever, by month’s end, the band had played its last, quietly breaking up after an uneventful gig in Nashville. TOWN BURNED DOWN not only went unreleased, the original 24-track tapes were lost after Muscle Shoals Sound was sold and liquidated. As if that weren’t bad enough, Melton’s mixes were boxed up and sent to Jackson, MS’s Malaco Studio where they were later destroyed when a devastating tornado struck the historic building in 2011.
Hood and Cooley carried on, collaborating on a couple of ill-fated projects, but in 1993, the two had a falling out that lasted until Hood relocated to Athens, GA in April the following year. Their musical partnership resumed, with Hood making monthly visits to Cooley’s Birmingham apartment to record four-track demos together. With Cooley now also writing original songs, a new vision began to take shape. Hood and Cooley intended Chris Quillen to be a founding member but the bassist was tragically killed in a car accident that May, mere weeks before Drive-By Truckers officially came into being. John Cahoon passed away in 1999.
Fast-forward more than 20 years in which Drive-By Truckers grew to become what Stereogum hailed as “perhaps the greatest extant American rock and roll band,” equally acclaimed for their landmark 11-LP canon as well as their epic live performances. In 2015, three boxes labeled “ADAM’S HOUSE CAT” mysteriously appeared in the tape vault of longtime friend and DBT producer David Barbe’s Athens, GA studio. Contained within were the unmixed 2” tape master tapes of TOWN BURNED DOWN, along with another reel containing an EP’s worth of songs recorded the previous year.
Partly inspired by Chuck Tremblay’s near fatal heart attack in the spring of 2017, Hood made a New Year’s resolution to finally complete TOWN BURNED DOWN and in February 2018, Barbe baked the fragile tapes and placed them on reels for the first time in more than a quarter century.
Though the music and material were as powerful as ever, perhaps even more so, Hood remained as unhappy with his vocal performance as he had been in the past. Wondering if his hard-earned abilities would allow him to finally sing his songs as originally intended, Hood decided to attempt new vocal tracks. Within two hours, vocals were recorded for the entire album, raw and cathartic takes that were at once true to Hood’s original intent but reflecting the lessons of the intervening years.
On April 16, 2016, Hood, Cooley, and Tremblay convened at Barbe’s Chase Park Transduction studio in Athens to complete mixing TOWN BURNED DOWN – the first reunion of the Adam’s House Cat founding members in more than 27 years. The final mixes were later mastered at Sterling Sound in Edgewater, NJ by longtime DBT collaborator Greg Calbi.
TOWN BURNED DOWN can at last be properly heard the way Adam’s House Cat always wanted it to be heard, its raw soul and boisterous enthusiasm already hinting at what was yet to come. Songs like “Runaway Train” and “Cemeteries” display dark edges that surely must’ve intimated audiences in their time, but now sound startlingly heartfelt and full of fiery joy, energized by Cahoon and Tremblay’s versatile, dynamic backing and of course, the ever-present, undeniable chemistry between Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley.
“Finally releasing ‘Town Burned Down’ brings a sort of closure to one of the saddest and most important chapters of mine and Cooley’s lives,” writes Hood in the LP’s detailed liner notes. “The years we spent pounding out these songs made us the people and artists that we have later become, but we carried with us a darkness from never having been able to get the album out. The sound of these songs blasting out of the control room after all of these years while Cooley, Chuck and I grinned from ear to ear has truly been one of the most joyous events of my entire life. Songs from literally half of my life ago that somehow still seem vital to me all of these years later.”
Track Listing:
Lookout Mountain
Town Burned Down
Runaway Train
Down On Me
6 O’ Clock Train
Buttholeville
Child Abuse
Love Really Sucks
Kiss My Baby
Shot Rang Out
Long Time Ago
Cemeteries
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS TOUR DATES 2018:
August 25 – Amsterdam NL – Once in a Blue Moon Festival
September 2 – Sausalito, CA – Sausalito Art Festival
September 3 – Richmond, VA – Stone’s Throw Down
September 22 – Chicago, IL – Goose Island Block Party
September 27 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre #
September 28 & 29 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse #
September 30 – Chattanooga, TN – Walker Theatre
October 2 – Peoria, IL – Monarch Music Hall *
October 3 – Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre *
October 5 – Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater *
October 6 & 7 – Fort Collins, CO – Washington’s
November 6, 7 & 8 – Birmingham, AL – Saturn
November 9 & 10 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom &*
November 13 – Little Rock, AR – Revolution Music Room *
November 14 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom *
November 15 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
November 16 & 17 – Austin, TX – The Scoot Inn *
January 27 – Feb 1 – Tampa, FL – Outlaw Music Cruise – SOLD OUT
# – w/Adam’s House Cat
*- w/T. Hardy Morris
& – w/Lily Hiatt
On July 1, 1968, The Band’s landmark debut album, Music from Big Pink, seemed to spring from nowhere and everywhere. Drawing from the American roots music panoply of country, blues, R&B, gospel, soul, rockabilly, the honking tenor sax tradition, hymns, funeral dirges, brass band music, folk, and rock ‘n’ roll, The Band forged a timeless new style that forever changed the course of popular music. Fifty years later, the mythology surrounding Music from Big Pink lives on through the evocative storytelling of its songs including “The Weight,†“This Wheel’s On Fire,†“Tears of Rage,†and “To Kingdom Come,†its enigmatic cover art painted by Bob Dylan, the salmon-colored upstate New York house – ‘Big Pink’ – where The Band wrote the songs, and in myriad descendant legends carried forth since the album’s stunning arrival.
On August 31, Capitol/UMe will release Music From Big Pink in newly remixed and expanded 50th Anniversary Edition packages, including a Super Deluxe CD/Blu-ray/2LP/7-inch vinyl box set with a hardbound book; 1CD, digital, 180-gram 2LP black vinyl, and limited edition 180-gram 2LP pink vinyl packages. All the Anniversary Edition configurations feature a new stereo mix for the album, produced by Bob Clearmountain from the original four-track analog masters, achieving a striking clarity and incorporating some previously unreleased chatter from the studio sessions. The 50th Anniversary Edition’s CD, digital, and box set configurations also include five outtakes and alternate recordings from the ‘Big Pink’ sessions and a previously unreleased a cappella version of “I Shall Be Released.”
Exclusively for the box set, Clearmountain has also produced a new 5.1 surround mix for the album and the bonus tracks, presented on Blu-ray with the new stereo mix in high-resolution audio (96kHz/24bit). All the new audio mixes have been mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering. The box set also includes an exclusive reproduction of The Band’s 1968 7-inch vinyl single for “The Weight†/ “I Shall Be Released†in their new stereo mixes and a hardbound book with a new essay by noted music journalist David Fricke and classic photos by Elliott Landy. For the album’s new vinyl editions, Chris Bellman cut the vinyl lacquers for the album’s new stereo mix at 45rpm at Bernie Grundman Mastering, expanding the album’s vinyl footprint from one LP to two. The black and pink vinyl LPs were pressed at GZ Vinyl / Precision.
Pre-order “Music From Big Pink: The 50th Anniversary Edition” here.
It’s that time of year again. Time to raise your dead ass out of bed at the crack of dawn to stand in a line in the elements outside your favorite record still for limited-edition vinyl delights. Record Store Day follows behind the blooming of Spring and like it the selections bursts with bounty. Or something. It’s good, really good.
The DIY movement that nearly single-handedly resuscitated the vinyl format is back on Saturday, April 21. New releases, obscure releases, re-releases, picture discs, colored discs, die-cut discs…it’s all there for a sometimes hefty price. But it’s cheaper than buying it later on ebay for 3-times the original price.
Here are a few choice Americana and Roots music nuggets from the list (found in its entirety here) Highlights include Bobbie Gentry’s Live at the BBC in its first official release, Johnny Cash’s 5oth Anniversary edition of his watershed release ‘ At Folsom Prison’ and Uncle Tupelo demos from their genre-defining ‘No Depression.’
So, get to your favorite indy record early on April 21nd (I’ll be at Good Records in Dallas) and share those great finds with me on Instagram and Twitter.
The Allman Brothers Band – ‘Live At The Atlanta Pop Festival, July 3 & 5, 1970’
DETAILS
Format: 4 x LP
Label: Legacy
Quantity: 3000
Release type: ‘RSD First’ Release
MORE INFO
The Allman Brothers Band was one of Georgia’s top live acts still looking for a break when they were hired to open the three-day Atlanta International Pop Festival. The band’s Southern-blues style, bolstered by jams that stretched to epic lengths, won over audiences–and two days later, after legends like Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter and B.B. King took the stage, the Allmans were invited back for a second set. Recorded nearly a year before At Fillmore East established them as one of America’s hottest bands, fans can now discover these landmark nights in Allman Brothers Band history with this individually numbered, limited edition box set, available on vinyl for the first time and packaged in an oversize slipcase with an eight page booklet of photos and liner notes.
7/3/70 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Statesboro Blues 1.3 Trouble No More 1.4 Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ 1.5 Dreams 1.6 Every Hungry Woman 1.7 Hoochie Coochie Man 1.8 In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed 1.9 Whipping Post 1.10 Mountain Jam Part I 1.11 Rain Delay 1:14 1.12 Mountain Jam Part II 7/5/70 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ 2.3 Statesboro Blues 2.4 In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed 2.5 Stormy Monday 2.6 Whipping Post 2.7 Mountain Jam
Dickey Betts – Dickey Betts Band: Live At The Lone Star Roadhouse
DETAILS
Format: 2 x LP
Label: RockBeat Records
Quantity: 1400
Release type: ‘RSD First’ Release
MORE INFO
Dickey Betts may not have had the name but he was a co-founder and the ongoing heart and soul of the Allman Brothers. With the deaths of Duane and then Gregg, Dickey slipped into semi-retirement. This show was recorded in August, 1978 with his back-up band, Great Southern, at the Lone Star Roadhouse in New York City and simulcast on WLIR on Long Island. Dickey Betts and Great Southern riffed on some of the Allman Bros. best known hits: “Blue Sky”, “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed”, “Jessica”, Statesboro Blues”, “One Way Out”, “Southbound” and other gems. Dickey is backed by Warren Haynes- guitar/vocals, Johnny Neel- keyboard/vocals, Matt Abts- percussion and Marty Privette- bass. Special appearances by Rick Derringer, Jack Bruce and Mick Taylor. It was just announced that Dickey was embarking on his first tour in some time, touring with his son Duane sharing lead guitar..
Disc 1: Blue Sky, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, Duane’s Tune, Jessica
Disc 2: Statesboro Blues, One Way Out, Rock ‘n Roll Hoochie Coo, Spoonful, Southbound
Bobbie Gentry – Live at the BBC
DETAILS
Format: LP
Label: UMC
Quantity: 1200
Release type: ‘RSD First’ Release
MORE INFO
This LP is sure to be highly collectable for fans. No BBC material featuring Bobbie has ever been released (and only Ode to Billie Joe has leaked on YouTube as it featured in a BBC doc about songwriters) so these recordings are completely unfamiliar to fans.
Side 1: (1) “Mississippi Deltaâ€, (2) “Papa Won’t Let Me Go To Town With Youâ€, (3) “I saw An Angle Dieâ€, (4) “Ode To Billie Joeâ€, (5) “Mornin Gloryâ€, (6) “Ace Insurance Manâ€
Side 2: (1) “Niki Hokey/ Barefootinâ€, (2) “Penduli Pendulumâ€, (3) “Recollectionâ€, (4) “Sweet Peonyâ€, (5) “Greyhound Going Somewhereâ€
Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison: 50th Anniversary Legacy Edition
DETAILS
Format: 5 x LP
Label: Legacy
Quantity: 2500
Release type: RSD Exclusive Release
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“Hello… I’m Johnny Cash.” With those four words, The Man In Black solidified his legend as outlaw country pioneer with two spirited sets recorded at Folsom State Prison in 1968 and released as At Folsom Prison, one of the most acclaimed live albums of all time. This special box set includes both full concerts, including performances by June Carter, Carl Perkins and The Statler Brothers. This numbered deluxe package, featuring individually designed LP jackets packaged in a deluxe hardshell slipcase with an eight page, 12″ x 12″ booklet, and also includes a bonus 12″ single featuring previously unreleased audio of Cash and friends rehearsing at the El Rancho Motel in Sacramento, CA the night before the concerts.
Steve Earle & The Dukes – Live From The Continental Club
DETAILS
Format: 2 x LP
Label: E-Squared
Quantity: 2000
Release type: RSD Exclusive Release
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Side 1 – 1. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way 2. Guitar Town 3. Hillbilly Highway 4. My Olf Friend The Blues 5. Someday 6. The Devil’s Right Hand Side 2 – 1. Baby’s Just As Mean As Me 2. Dominic Stree/The Gallway Girl 3. Little Emperor 4. Aquainted With The Wind 5. Down THe Road Part II 6. Copperhead Road Side 3 – 1. So You Wanna Be An Outlaw 4. Looking For A Woman 3. Goobye Michaelangelo 4. Dim Lights , Thick Smoe (And Loud, Loud Music) 5. Amanda Side 4 – 1. Fixin To Die 2. Hey Joe 3. Johhny Come Lately 4. Wild Thing
Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives – Way Out West – Desert Suite (Trip One)
DETAILS
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: Superlatone Recordings
Quantity: 1200
Release type: RSD Exclusive Release
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(Trip One) is the first in a series of Desert Suite releases. Marty and His Fabulous Superlatives have reached back into the vault and let loose some of their favorite collaborations and B-Sides. Deseret Suite (Trip One) features guest appearances from Merle Haggard, Don “Juan” Maddox. It also features a never before released track called “Rattle and Roll” which is produced by Mike Campbell (Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers).
Side A: 1. The New Step It Up and Go (featuring Don Juan Maddox) / San Joaquin Boogie / TB Blues (featuring Merle Haggard) Side B: 1. Rattle and Roll
Uncle Tupelo – No Depression– Demos
DETAILS
Format: LP
Label: Legacy
Quantity: 3000
Release type: RSD Exclusive Release
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Released in 1990, Uncle Tupelo’s debut album No Depression was a genuine milestone in American rock and roll, a striking fusion of traditional folk and country with post-punk innovation and hardcore ferocity. For the first time on vinyl, fans can hear Jeff Tweedy, Jay Farrar and Mike Heidorn’s legendary demo tape Not Forever, Just For Now, recorded in 1989, plus a demo of “No Depression” recorded a year earlier.
Side A 1. Outdone [1989 Demo] 2. That Year [1989 Demo] 3. Whiskey Bottle [1989 Demo] 4. Flatness [1989 Demo] 5. I Got Drunk [1989 Demo]
Side B 1. Before I Break [1989 Demo] 2. Life Worth Living [1989 Demo] 3. Train [1989 Demo] 4. Graveyard Shift [1989 Demo] 5. Screen Door [1989 Demo] 6. No Depression [1988 Demo]
Hellbound Glory – Pinball (Junkie Edition)
DETAILS
Format: LP
Label: Black Country Rock
Quantity: 500
Release type: RSD Limited Run / Regional Focus Release
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A Record Store Day exclusive collector’s edition of the 2017 release, “Pinball [Junkie Edition]” features the entire album, and a very special version of a previous Hellbound hit, “Better Hope You Die Young”, performed by Tanya Tucker (feat. Leroy Virgil) and produced by Shooter Jennings. All on limited edition toxic green vinyl, with all-new artwork that continues the story from the first album cover. To top all of that off, the collector’s item will include a CD and download of everything, plus demos from they years that led to the pinnacle that is Hellbound Glory’s “Pinball”.
Side A. 1. ‘Merica (The Good Ole U.S.A.) 2. That’s Just What I Am 3. Six Strings Away 4. Vandalism Spree 5. Sun Valley Blues #3 (Bloodweiser) 6. Empty Bottles Sid B 7. Pinball 8. Delta Dawn 9. Hellbound Blues 10. You Better Hope You Die Young (featuring Tanya Tucker) 11. Blue Yodel Number 5 (California Blues) CD & DOWNLOAD CARD TRACKS 1. Hellbound Blues (Demo) 2. Empty Bottles (Demo) 3. Pinball (Demo) 4. Vandalism Spree (Demo) 5. Hellbound Blues (Hellbound AF Remix)
Mandolin Orange – Mandolin Orange Plays Cover Songs
DETAILS
Format: 12″ Vinyl
Label: Yep Roc Records
Quantity: 1400
Release type: ‘RSD First’ Release
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Mandolin Orange Plays Cover Songs is an EP of five classic covers reinterpreted by the Chapel Hill, North Carolina folk duo Mandolin Orange. Side A includes three traditional folk songs. Side B includes a cover of Gregory Alan Isakov’s “Amsterdam” and a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Boots of Spanish Leather”.
Side A: 1) Jordan is a Hard Road to Travel (Traditional) 2) Silver Dagger (Traditional) 3) Little Margaret (Traditional)
Side B: 1) Amsterdam (Gregory Alan Isakov cover) 2) Boots of Spanish Leather (Bob Dylan cover)
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – Live at Twist & Shout
DETAILS
Format: Vinyl
Label: New West Records
Quantity: 3000
Release type: ‘RSD First’ Release
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A six song EP recorded live at Twist & Shout in Denver, CO in 2007.
1 – Grown, 2 – Goddamn Lonely Love, 3 – Hurricanes And Hand Grenades, 4 – Danko/Manuel, 5 – Outfit, 6 – Into The Mystic
The Lone Bellow – Live at Grimey’s
DETAILS
Format: 10″ Vinyl
Label: Masterworks
Quantity: 2500
Release type: RSD Exclusive Release
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individually numbered, purple marble vinyl 10″ recorded live at Grimey’s New and Preloved Music in Nashville. This Record Store Day 2018 release includes two tracks from their latest album Walk Into A Storm and two never-before-recorded tracks: “Jessica” and “Lovely in Blue”
Side One: “May You Be Well†“Is It Ever Gonna Be Easyâ€
Side Two: “Jessica†“Lovely in Blueâ€
2017 was another great year for Americana and roots music, and 2018 so far shows no signs that the great music is waning. As our Cream of the Crop favorites from last year makes plain we continue to experience a golden age of roots and Americana music. From Sturgill Simpson winning the Grammy for the best Country album of the Year (for his least country album no less) to the increased numbers of roots artists in media and festival line-ups the genre continues to represent and deliver on great music.
As I’ve said before, this is important not only because as fans, there’s abundant choices for our entertainment but because it continues to lay a foundation for future ‘Cream of the Crop’ recipients.
The list below is a collection of known 2017 notable Americana / roots releases. Some anticipated releases from artists like American Aquarium and Kacey Musgraves have no release dates yet, but when I become aware of them and others I will be updating the list throughout the year. Follow me on Twitter to stay current on changes to the list.
If you know of an actual release not listed yet please leave it in the comments.
One thing is for sure, it’s going to be another great year for roots music folks.
January 12th –
Brooks Dixon – White Roses EP
Ryan Bingham – ‘Live’
Cindy Alexander – ‘Nowhere To Hide’
Seth Lakeman – ‘Ballads Of The Broken Few’
Cassidy Best – ‘Same Old Sins’
January 19th –
First Aid Kit – ‘Ruins’
Lanco – ‘Hallelujah Nights
’
R. Finn (aka Chris Rondinella) – ‘Collecting Trip
Calexico, The Thread That Keeps Us
Steep Canyon Rangers, Out in the Open
Kalie Shorr, Awake EP
Mary Gauthier, Rifles and Rosary Beads
Devin Dawson – ‘Dark Horse’
Caitlyn Smith -‘Starfire’
Van William – ‘Countries’
Alice DiMicele – “One With The Tideâ€
Grace Basement – ‘Mississippi Nights’
Glen Hansard – ‘Between Two Shores’
John Gorka – ‘True In Time’
January 26th –
The Ben Miller Band – ‘Choke Cherry Tree’
Laura Benitez and The Heartache’s – ‘With All Its Thorns’
Sara Morgan – ‘Average Jane’
The Fugitives – ‘The Promise of Strangers’
Ron Pope – ‘Worktapes EP’
February 2nd –
Mike and the Moonpies – ‘Steak Night at the Prairie Rose’
The Wood Brothers – ‘One Drop of Truth’
John Oates – ‘Arkansas’
Sunny War – ‘With the Sun’
February 9th –
Wade Bowen – ‘Solid Ground
’
Jim White – ‘Waffles, Triangles & Jesus’
February 16th –
Matthew McNeal – ‘Good Luck’
Brandi Carlile – ‘By the Way, I Forgive You’
Courtney Patton – ‘What It’s Like to Fly Alone’
I’m With Her (Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O’Donovan) – ‘See You Around’
February 23rd –
Jeff Hyde – ‘Norman Rockwell World’
3hattrio – ‘Lord of the Desert’
Doby Watson – “Family Mattress Deluxeâ€
March 2nd –
Vivian Leva – ‘Time is Everything’
Chip Taylor – ‘Fix Your Words’
Haley Heynderickx – ‘I Need To Start A Garden’
Son of the Chief – ‘Needless Road’
Savannah Conley – “Twenty-Twenty.â€
March 9th –
Ashley Campbell – ‘The Lonely One’
Ross Cooper – “Another Mileâ€
March 16th –
Trailhead – “Keep Walking”
March 23rd –
The Price Sisters – ‘A Heart Never Knows’
Paul Thorn – ‘Album Don’t Let The Devil Ride’
March 30th –
Caitlin Canty – ‘Motel Bouquet’
Lindi Ortega -‘Liberty’
Kim Richey – ‘Edgeland’
Ashley McBryde – ‘Girl Going Nowhere’
Great Peacock – ‘Gran Pavo Real’
Sam Morrow – ‘Concrete and Mud’
April 6th –
Blackberry Smoke – ‘Find A Light’
Sarah Shook & the Disarmers – ‘Years’
Jodee Lewis – ‘Buzzard’s Bluff’
Kacey Musgraves – ‘Golden Hour’
April 10th –
Rita Hosking – ‘For Real’
April 13th –
John Prine – ‘Tree of Forgiveness’
Simone Felice – ‘The Projector’
April 20th –
Old Crow Medicine Show – ‘Volunteer’
Joshua Hedley – “Mr. Jukebox”
Charley Crockett – ‘Lonesome As a Shadow’
Ashley Monroe – ‘Sparrow’
April 27th –
Band of Heathens – “Live Via Satellite” On April 27th
May 4th
Scott Mickelson – ‘A Wondrous Life’
Parker Millsap – ‘Other Arrangements’
Trampled by Turtles – ‘Life Is Good On The Open Road’
Daniel Daniel – ‘Lonesome Hollow’
Rita Coolidge – ‘Safe in the Arms of Time’
May 11th
Ry Cooder – ‘The Prodigal Son’
May 18th
Kelly Willis – “Back Being Blue”
The Dead Tongues – ‘Unsung Passage’
June 1st
Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore – “Downey to Lubbockâ€
American Aquarium – ‘Things Change’
June 8th
Erin Rae – ‘Putting On Airs”
June 22nd
Jeffrey Foucault – ‘ Blood Brothers’
Paul Cauthon – ‘Have Mercy’
Lera Lynn – ‘Plays Well With Others’
Adam Wright – ‘Dust’
Roanoke – ‘Where I Roam’
June 29th
The Milk Carton Kids – ‘All The Things That I Did And All The Things That I Didn’t Do’
July 13th
Carolina Story – ‘Lay Your Head Down’ – buy
July 15th
The Brothers Comatose – ‘Ink, Dust, and Luck’ buy
July 20th
Lori McKenna – “The Tree”
July 27th
Andrew Combs – 5 Covers & A Song’ EP
The Hollow Ends – ‘Bears In Mind’
August 2nd
Kevin Galloway – “The Change”
August 3rd
Jim Lauderdale – ‘Time Flies†and “Jim Lauderdale and Roland White’
August 10th
Dawn Landes – ‘Meet Me at the River’
Robbie Fulks & Linda Gail Lewis – ‘Wild! Wild! Wild!’
August 24th
Devil Makes Three – ‘Chains Are Broken’
Ryan Culwell – “The Last American”
Murder By Death – ‘The Other Shore’
August 31st
Aaron Lee Tasjan – ‘Karma for Cheap’ buy
September 7th
Roscoe & Etta – ‘Roscoe & Etta’
Mike Farris – “Silver & Stone”
William Elliott Whitmore – ‘Kilonova’
Kathy Mattea – ‘Pretty Bird’
October 12th
Colter Wall – ‘Songs of the Plains’
October 14th
Asleep at the Wheel – “New Routes”
October 26th
Whitey Morgan and the 78s – ‘Hard Times and White Lines’
The roots music supergroup Bermuda Triangle will begin its first tour of 2018 with a February 3 stop at the legendary Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA. The West Coast dates will bring also the band to San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland and Eugene as well as a trio of shows in Texas in April.
NPR Music premiered Bermuda Triangle’s dreamy debut song “Rosey,” (hear it below) anad the band’s live show has been covered by Rolling Stone stating the trio’s chemistry “was clear from the first-applause-silencing note,” “The band featured Howard switching between plucking out gorgeous, nimble-fingered nylon-string guitar solos and holding down the low end on upright
bass…with Mancari and Lafser trading off on banjo and acoustic guitar, accompanied by subtle beats from a drum machine on a pitch-perfect harmony-heavy set of blithe and breezy heartfelt folk tunes that filled the sweltering room with chill vibes.”
The artists have also been busy with their individual endeavors. Becca Mancari’s debut album, ‘Good Woman,’ was named by Rolling Stone as one of the top Americana/Country albums of 2017. Jesse Lafser’s follow-up to 2015’s ‘Raised On the Plains’ is due out in early 2018. In 2017, Brittany Howard toured North American with Alabama Shakes and performed at “A Concert For Charlottesville – An Evening Of Music And Unity,” held
at the University of Virginia’s Scott Stadium.
See below for itinerary. Tickets for all dates will go on sale this
Friday, January 5. For further details, visit www.BermudaTriangleBand.com.
Bermuda Triangle – Upcoming Tour Dates
2/3 – West Hollywood, CA @ The Troubadour
2/5 – San Diego, CA @ Music Box
2/6 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
2/8 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
2/9 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
2/10 – Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
4/4 – Houston, TX @ The Heights Theater *
4/5 – Austin, TX @ Antone’s *
4/6 – Dallas, TX @ The Kessler Theater *
* LIZ COOPER & THE STAMPEDE supporting