Category Archives: Folk

Bob Dylan to Release Complete Sessions of Legendary “Basement Tapes”

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According to Consequence of Sound

The entire collection of work by Bob Dylan and The Band (then known as the Crackers) Basement Tapes sessions will be available to the general public. Coming November 4th via Legacy Recordings, the six-disc collection covers an impressive 138 tracks, 30 of which were never of known to exist until today’s announcement. Several other tracks have only existed as mediocre bootleg recordings.

The Basement tapes are the Rosetta Stone of modern roots and Americana music. These sessions occurred in the wake of Dylan’s post motorcycle crash recovery in 1966. Dylan and the band holed up in the basement of a Woodstock, New York house known as the Big Pink, where members of the Band were using as their base. They proceeded to record over 100 tracks together, including “This Wheel’s on Fire”, “I Shall Be Released” and “Tears of Rage” which appeared on The Band’s debut album, “Music from Big Pink.” Other cuts included “Quinn the Eskimo,” which Manfred Mann recorded and charted in the UK , “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” recorded as a single by the Byrds as well as “Nothing Was Delivered”, which appeared on “Sweetheart of the Rodeo.”

Rolling Stone posts that the unreleased material includes an “epic, apocalyptic rocker” called “Wild Wolf”; an early version of “I Shall Be Released” with slightly different lyrics; a cover of Hank Williams’ 1949 song “My Bucket’s Got a Hole In It”; and “country-fied” versions of “Blowin’ in the Wind”, “It Ain’t Me Babe”, and “One Too Many Mornings”, featuring keyboardist Richard Manuel handling lead vocals on the first verse. “”The stuff that people haven’t heard justifies, in every way, shape and form, all the hype, hubris and myth that surrounds these tapes,” says folk musician and writer Sid Griffin, who wrote the liner notes for this new collection (which is also being released as a two-disc version and three-LP set). “Some of this stuff is mind-boggling.”

Below, stream an alternate take of the original “Odds and Ends”

The deluxe edition of the album also includes a 120-page companion book featuring extensive liner notes and previously unseen photographs and memorabilia. Also available will be a more concise version dubbed, The Basement Tapes Raw, featuring 38 tracks on two discs or three LPs. See the full tracklist below.

Pre-order The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11(Deluxe Edition) vinyl or CD

The Basement Tapes Complete serves as the 11th installment in Dylan’s ongoing “The Bootleg Series.” The release also coincides with the release “Lost On The River: The New Basement Tapes” featuring a whos’who of roots-rockers – My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Mumford and Sons’ Marcus Mumford, Elvis Costello,Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith, Carolina Chocolate Drops’ Rhiannon Giddens, and shephareded by T-Bone Burnett.

The Basement Tapes Complete: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11 Tracklist:

CD 1
Disc: 1
01. Edge of the Ocean
02. My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It
03. Roll on Train
04. Mr. Blue
05. Belshazzar
06. I Forgot to Remember to Forget
07. You Win Again
08. Still in Town
09. Waltzing with Sin
10. Big River (Take 1)
11. Big River (Take 2)
12. Folsom Prison Blues
13. Bells of Rhymney
14. Spanish is the Loving Tongue
15. Under Control
16. Ol’ Roison the Beau
17. I’m Guilty of Loving You
18. Cool Water
19. The Auld Triangle
20. Po’ Lazarus
21. I’m a Fool for You (Take 1)
22. I’m a Fool for You (Take 2)

Disc: 2
01. Johnny Todd
02. Tupelo
03. Kickin’ My Dog Around
04. See You Later Allen Ginsberg (Take 1)
05. See You Later Allen Ginsberg (Take 2)
06. Tiny Montgomery
07. Big Dog
08. I’m Your Teenage Prayer
09. Four Strong Winds
10. The French Girl (Take 1)
11. The French Girl (Take 2)
12. Joshua Gone Barbados
13. I’m in the Mood
14. Baby Ain’t That Fine
15. Rock, Salt and Nails
16. A Fool Such As I
17. Song for Canada
18. People Get Ready
19. I Don’t Hurt Anymore
20. Be Careful of Stones That You Throw
21. One Man’s Loss
22. Lock Your Door
23. Baby, Won’t You be My Baby
24. Try Me Little Girl
25. I Can’t Make it Alone
26. Don’t You Try Me Now

Disc: 3
01. Young but Daily Growing
02. Bonnie Ship the Diamond
03. The Hills of Mexico
04. Down on Me
05. One for the Road
06. I’m Alright
07. Million Dollar Bash (Take 1)
08. Million Dollar Bash (Take 2)
09. Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread (Take 1)
10. Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread (Take 2)
11. I’m Not There
12. Please Mrs. Henry
13. Crash on the Levee (Take 1)
14. Crash on the Levee (Take 2)
15. Lo and Behold! (Take 1)
16. Lo and Behold! (Take 2)
17. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere (Take 1)
18. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere (Take 2)
19. I Shall be Released (Take 1)
20. I Shall be Released (Take 2)
21. This Wheel’s on Fire
22. Too Much of Nothing (Take 1)
23. Too Much of Nothing (Take 2)

Disc: 4
01. Tears of Rage (Take 1)
02. Tears of Rage (Take 2)
03. Tears of Rage (Take 3)
04. Quinn the Eskimo (Take 1)
05. Quinn the Eskimo (Take 2)
06. Open the Door Homer (Take 1)
07. Open the Door Homer (Take 2)
08. Open the Door Homer (Take 3)
09. Nothing Was Delivered (Take 1)
10. Nothing Was Delivered (Take 2)
11. Nothing Was Delivered (Take 3)
12. All American Boy
13. Sign on the Cross
14. Odds and Ends (Take 1)
15. Odds and Ends (Take 2)
16. Get Your Rocks Off
17. Clothes Line Saga
18. Apple Suckling Tree (Take 1)
19. Apple Suckling Tree (Take 2)
20. Don’t Ya Tell Henry
21. Bourbon Street

Disc: 5
01. Blowin’ in the Wind
02. One Too Many Mornings
03. A Satisfied Mind
04. It Ain’t Me, Babe
05. Ain’t No More Cane (Take 1)
06. Ain’t No More Cane (Take 2)
07. My Woman She’s A-Leavin’
08. Santa-Fe
09. Mary Lou, I Love You Too
10. Dress it up, Better Have it All
11. Minstrel Boy
12. Silent Weekend
13. What’s it Gonna be When it Comes Up
14. 900 Miles from My Home
15. Wildwood Flower
16. One Kind Favor
17. She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain
18. It’s the Flight of the Bumblebee
19. Wild Wolf
20. Goin’ to Acapulco
21. Gonna Get You Now
22. If I Were A Carpenter
23. Confidential
24. All You Have to do is Dream (Take 1)
25. All You Have to do is Dream (Take 2)

Disc: 6
01. 2 Dollars and 99 Cents
02. Jelly Bean
03. Any Time
04. Down by the Station
05. Hallelujah, I’ve Just Been Moved
06. That’s the Breaks
07. Pretty Mary
08. Will the Circle be Unbroken
09. King of France
10. She’s on My Mind Again
11. Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad
12. On a Rainy Afternoon
13. I Can’t Come in with a Broken Heart
14. Next Time on the Highway
15. Northern Claim
16. Love is Only Mine
17. Silhouettes
18. Bring it on Home
19. Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies
20. The Spanish Song (Take 1)
21. The Spanish Song (Take 2)

The Basement Tapes Raw: Bootleg Series Vol. 11 Tracklist:

Disc: 1
01. Open the Door, Homer
02. Odds and Ends
03. Million Dollar Bash
04. One Too Many Mornings
05. I Don’t Hurt Anymore
06. Ain’t No More Cane
07. Crash on the Levee
08. Tears of Rage
09. Dress it up, Better Have it All
10. I’m Not There
11. Johnny Todd
12. Too Much of Nothing
13. Quinn the Eskimo
14. Get Your Rocks Off
15. Santa-Fe
16. Silent Weekend
17. Clothes Line Saga
18. Please, Mrs. Henry
19. I Shall be Released

Disc: 2
01. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
02. Lo and Behold!
03. Minstrel Boy
04. Tiny Montgomery
05. All You Have to do is Dream
06. Goin’ to Acapulco
07. 900 Miles from My Home
08. One for the Road
09. I’m Alright
10. Blowin’ in the Wind
11. Apple Suckling Tree
12. Nothing Was Delivered
13. Folsom Prison Blues
14. This Wheel’s on Fire
15. Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread
16. Don’t Ya Tell Henry
17. Baby, Won’t You be My Baby
18. Sign on the Cross
19. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere

Watch Out! Carrie Ashley Hill + Jeff Berrall – ‘Found You’ [VIDEO]

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Carrie Ashley Hill + Jeff Berrall - 'Found You'

Carrie Ashley Hill + Jeff Berrall (Caveman) have released a lovely video for the song ‘Found You’ to accompany thier Stoned Ruin Records Lathe-Cut 7″

Tyler Bisson of Audio Geography cuts the records individually in real time on a 1940’s era lathe machine. Each 7″ is packaged in hand-screened artwork and includes digital downloads.

About the song the couple says “Jeff said to Carrie laughing, “You’re tired, I’m broken.” Later that day she sent him a text, “I found you when I knew I needed no one,” he replied, “I found you when I thought I was done,” and that is how these songs came to be.”

The couple resides in Brooklyn, where they are currently working on a full length record.

FoundYou7inch

The 7″ can be purchased at stonedruin.com, Norman’s Sound & Vision in Williamsburg, Brooklyn or at their next live show in NYC Saturday, August 23rd at 7pm at Rockwood Music Hall.

The video was created by a Liam Alexander and can be seen below.

Watch Out! First Aid Kit – ‘Master Pretender’ (Acoustic) [VIDEO]

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First Aid Kit - Master Pretender

Live is hard. This is a great video that highlights that as sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg perform ‘Master Pretender’ with their lovely, bending harmony and deft finger-picking in a live performance for an official video.

‘Master Pretender’ is from First Aid Kit latest, “Stay Gold,”out now.

Music Review – The Ben Miller Band – ‘Any Way, Shape or Form’ (New West)

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ben miller band

Performers like Konrad Wert (Possessed By Paul James) , Scott H. Biram and Hillstomp have been spectacularly creating Depression era country, bluegrass, folk, gospel, and blues music for years by jolting the dusty form with a furious intensity and emotional directness that would make Marcus Mumford sob into his vintage hanky.

We can now add to that the Joplin, Mo. trio of Ben Miller, Doug Dicharry and Scott Leeper, collectively known as The Ben Miller Band.

Producer Vance Powell ( Wanda Jackson,Buddy Guy, Jack White) is just the right man to steward ‘Any Way, Shape or Form,’ TBMB’s debut for New West records, though the many influences that make up what the band calls “Ozark Stomp” and bring out the band’s best effort to date.

Opener “The Outsider” evokes Dock Boggs and split Lip Rayfield as Miller’s clawhammer banjo, Dicharry’s percussion and Leeper’s washtub bass kick up a foggy mountian moshpit accenting by a hot guest slide guitar break by Chad “Gravy” Graves. The spirit of John Lee Hooker is raised in the jump boogie of “You Don’t Know” with a nasty little guitar break in the middle, and in the greasy/sleazy ‘Hurry Up And Wait” which features Dicharry’s blazing washboard work. Things gear down on the melancholy “I Feel for You” which is given a a dreamy quality from the inclusion of Graves pedal steel and Dicharry’s mandoline. The inclusion of the vaudeville-jazz ditty “23 Skidoo”, a 1920’s slang phrase for getting while the getting’s good is an odd twist especially when it grows into a dramatic swell. “Burning Building” is an Appalachian-meets-garage rocker that would make Jack White give a pasty smile.

the treatment given to the traditional folk ballad “The Cuckoo.” The internal dialogue of the piece occurs in a fever dream of roots-psychedelic, stabbing guitar, musical spoons and furious percussion. “Twinkle Toes,” is a jaunty lock-down break-down sing-along featuring blistering dobro. “Life on Wheels” kicks off like a “Whiskey River” remake but quickly breaks another direction as harmonica brings to mind a whining train whistle. “No War,” is a lofty Phil Ochs-style topical folk song calling out corruption and ponders the metaphysical.

“Any Way, Shape or Form” is work of considerable scope executed into a whole of rambunctious cohesion. It leaves you wondering what else Ben Miller Band might have up their sleeves.

Official Site | Amazon | iTunes

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Glen Campbell “I’ll Be Me” Official Movie Trailer

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GLEN CAMPBELL I'LL BE ME Official Movie Trailer

One of the most heart-breaking moments of my life was seeing Glen Campbell accept his lifetime Achievement Grammy due to the already evident effects of his Alzheimers. Talking to him and his wife, Kim Woollen, afterword gave me hope. As dire as his future looked he was still in good spirits and was surrounded by people who love him.

Below is the trailer for the Glen Campbell documentary, ‘Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me,’ which will be released on Oct. 24 in New York and Nashville.

‘I’ll Be Me’ features footage from Campbell’s Goodbye Tour mixed with stories from artists and celebrities who know and love him, including Blake Shelton, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Vince Gill, Steve Martin, Bruce Springsteen, Bill Clinton, the Edge, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Webb and Jay Leno.

The documentary won the Gibson Music City/Music City Films Grand Jury Prize at the 2014 Nashville Film Festival, where it premiered. It was directed by James Keach and produced by Keach and Trevor Albert.

More information can be found at the film’s official site.

Watch Out! Goodnight, Texas – “A Bank Robber’s Nursery Rhyme” [VIDEO]

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Goodnight, Texas

Check out this cool video for Goodnight, Texas’ roliicking string tune “A Bank Robber’s Nursery Rhyme,” shot live in their rehearsal space in the Bay Area by Matthew Washburn.

Grab a free download of “A Bank Robber’s Nursery Rhyme” here

Goodnight, Texas new LP “Uncle John Farquhar” will be released pit now on Tallest Man Records.

Music Review: Billy Joe Shaver – “Long In The Tooth” [Lightning Rod]

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Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe Shaver will laws be a welcome sight at Casa Twang. Shaver was the first interview I conducted of this blog and his generosity and great stories fueled me to keep at this because there is still great music comes from the
adventurous kind.

Shaver’s ’s latest work, “Long In The Tooth,” shows he’s still got some adventures to partake in.

Though done in the style that Nashville pop-stars like to slag as “Grandpa music,” ”Long In The Tooth” has Shaver digging deep in the soil of 70’s Outlaw Country. A movement that Shaver helped cultivate, and that those Music City marionette’s claim allegiance to.

billy joe shaver- Long In The Tooth

Shaver penned all 10 songs and they’re is all you’ll need for a state of the state. Politics, war, religion, class divide, love, heartache, and yes, the sad state of the country music.

The first cut Hard To Be An Outlaw” features Shaver’s old pard and character witness, Willie Nelson, this is a
hat-tip to the Country Gold OGs as both a nostalgic lament and a scrappy swipe at Music Row pop-country. “The Git Go” is a loping study in fatalism/destiny lament covering class disparity in politics made even more forlorn by Mickey Rafael’s mournful, nuanced harmonica.

“Music City USA” features a more jaunty, and optimistic view of Nashville as a place where dreams, a great music, can still be had.

Love is alive on this album. “I’ll Love You as Much as I Can” is a sweet waltz sang to a longtime sweetheart. “I’m in Love” is reworked from 1998’s album “Victory,” and, though a tad more world-weary, it’s still pure poetry.

Another contemporary Outlaw of sorts, Todd Snider, goosed Shaver into making this album by making him realize he still has a lot to give. We are lucky he did. Nobody would fault Billy Joe Shaver if he took to pasture and rested on his many laurels. But by the sound of “Long In The Tooth” he’s not ready to pack in that guitar just yet.

Official site | Buy Long in the Tooth

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Watch Out! Ray Benson (feat. Willie Nelson) – “It Ain’t You” [VIDEO]

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Ray Benson & Willie Nelson2

the newest video for “It Ain’t You” from Asleep at the Wheel front-man Ray Benson’s latest solo release “A Little Piece” (Bismeaux Records.) The vide is a video scrapbook of Benson and Willie Nelson’s 40-plus year friendship. A friendship that started when Willie suggested AATW move from their hometown in Philadelphia to Austin, Texas in 1973.

Ray and Willie duel on “It Ain’t You” and, as it is an old Waylon Jennings co-write, it recognizes the influence all three have had on the Texas music scene from a rear-view mirror if age and wisdom.

Ray Benson says of the song/video:

“When Sam, co-producer of my solo CD, played me this song written by Waylon Jennings and Gary Nicholson, I was amazed that no one had ever recorded it! It’s definitely an undiscovered gem and strikes an emotional response with many people. After listening, I called up my pal Willie Nelson and asked if he would sing the song with me. He agreed and we went out to Luck, TX and recorded his vocal.”

“Willie is 81 years young and I’m close to turning 64. The song is about growing old and yet feeling and acting young…it felt so appropriate for us to do. The video has captured the feeling of the song with its slow motion effects, an inside look at the backstage concert preparation and a peak of our long history together as friends. Hope you all enjoy it.”

Enjoy this lovely tune from two masters trading wistful recollections. The cut also features some of Willie’s signature jazz-tajanzo guitar licks.

Buy “A Little Piece.”

Songs Ryan Adams and Taylor Swift Should Do Together

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rytay cover

Tomorrow night, 8/13, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon has booked both Ryan Adams and Taylor Swift.

I think this has potential to be a fanatic opportunity for both performers.

Swift is appearing to promote her role in the upcoming movie ‘The Giver” and Adams booked as musical guest and is there to promote his upcoming self-titled release. I believe a few songs performed together would do a lot to gain Adams some mainstream exposure and allow Swift to gain a little indie creed.

Both performers are known for covering musicians that they respect. Ryan adams does a great interpretation of Iron Maiden’s “Wasted Years” and Swift really won be cover with her version of Mumford & Sons’ “Blank White Page.”

Aside from the image potential, I believe that interpreting eachother’s songs as duets or trade-offs would bring new dimensions to the work not head in it’s current form.

“Love Story” – Sure it’s sappy and naive, but Adams counts melt any jaded heart.

“Teardrops on My Guitar” – See above re: sappy and naive

“Back to December” – No one handles regret and heartbreak like Adams. This would kill.

“White Horse” – See above re: regret and heartbreak

“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” – Adams’ would deconstruct this pop ditty and lay it’s dark, fatalistic core out odor all to see.

“Safe & Sound” – This is an obvious one. This Swift/Civil Wars collaboration for the Hunger Games is half-way to being in Adams’ style wheelhouse. The other half is in Tori Amos’ .

Ryan Adams songs I’d like to see Taylor Swift cover

“When the Stars Go Blue” – Arguably the best song from “Gold.” Perfect for a duet. Obvious connection since Tim McGraw
covered this one.

“16 Days” – A gem from Strangers Almanac. A duet and a single of this radio-friendly cut would surely sell a ton. I wonder if Adam’s would torpedo this song’s climb up the charts twice?

To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High) – From Heartbreaker. It’s fun. Swift knows fun.

“Two” – His best off “Easy Tiger,” and one of his biggest hits. A duet with swift would bring out the song’s sweetness.

“So Alive” – Also off Gold. This song rocks U2-style. Swift has been known to rock out on occasion.

“Lucky Now” – From 2011’s “Ashes & Fire,” another of Adam’s most radio-friendly, and optimistic, love songs.

I can imagine the eye-rolls and sneers resulting from this post by Swifties and whatever Adams fans call themselves. But i believe that both sWIFT AND adams have an independent streak and a love of musical history that would suit them.

If nothing else I got fans in each camp to hear the other’s music, probably for the very first time.