Carrie Rodriguez to Release New Album ‘Lola,’ February 19

lola-carrie-rodriguez

Singer/songwriter multi-instrumentalist Carrie Rodriguez is set to release ‘Lola,’ her sixth studio album and first on her own Luz Records

‘Lola’ was inspired by 1940s-era recordings of her San Antonio-born great aunt Eva Garza, the bilingual album presents a collection of ranchera-inspired originals by Rodriguez in English, Spanish and “Spanglish,” coupled with Spanish songs written by some of her favorite Mexican composers.

Produced by Lee Townsend (Bill Frisell, Loudon Wainwright III, Kelly Joe Phelps), the album features an all-star band dubbed “The Sacred Hearts,” including internationally acclaimed composer/guitarist Bill Frisell, Viktor Krauss on bass, Luke Jacobs on pedal steel and guitars, David Pulkingham on nylon string guitar and electric guitar and Brannen Temple on drums and percussion. Vocalists Raul Malo and Gina Chavez and Grammy Award-winning bajo sexto player Max Baca also make appearances.

Of the album Rodrigues says “I still remember the first time I listened to one of the recordings by my great aunt, Chicana singing sensation Eva Garza, from the ‘40s… As the strings and trumpets soared behind her gutsy alto voice, I was immediately moved to tears, awestruck by the connection I felt to her and to my family history,” Rodriguez says. “Ever since that first listen it has been a dream of mine to create my own blend of Tex-Mex music. Lola is the album I dreamed of, inspired by the rich landscape of blended cultures that I call home: Texas.”

Rodriguez recently gave birth to her first child, Cruz Calvin Jacobs. Born October 6th.

Rodriguez will tour widely in support of the album—tour dates to be announced.

‘Lola’ Track List:

1. Perfidia (written by Alberto Domínguez) [feat. Raul Malo]
2. Llano Estacado (written by Carrie Rodriguez/Luke Jacobs)
3. I Dreamed I Was Lola Beltrán (written by Carrie Rodriguez/Susan Gibson)
4. La Última Vez (written by Carrie Rodriguez/Gina Chavez) [feat. Gina Chavez]
5. Que Manera de Perder (written by Cuco Sánchez)
6. Frío en el Alma (written by Miguel Ángel Valladares Rebolledo)
7. Z (written by Carrie Rodriguez/Susan Gibson)
8. Noche de Ronda (written by María Teresa Lara)
9. Caricias (written by Carrie Rodriguez/Luke Jacobs)
10. The West Side (written by Carrie Rodriguez)
11. Si No Te Vas (instrumental) (written by Cuco Sánchez)
12. Si No Te Vas (written by Cuco Sánchez)

Watch Out! Matthew McNeal – “Doubt” – Cinderblock Sessions [PREMIERE}

Matthew McNeal - "Doubt"

There’s a rough-hewn soulfulness that pours from Ft. Worth-based Matthew McNeal’s song “Doubt.” His apprehension takes the form of a woman that troubles his worried mind as his strummed acoustic and baritone croon tells the tale.

Of the song McNeal says: ” ‘Doubt’ was written years ago when I was getting ready to release a collection of songs called ‘When You’re Down’. I knew nothing of the industry beyond playing shows across north Texas, but I knew that I had to start somewhere. Four years later, the song still rings true as I grow and mature as both an artist and as a man. Though it predates ‘Compadre’, I still see ‘Doubt’ as part of the same story.”

“I think struggling with doubt is something that most people deal with, especially in the ‘coming of age’ portion of life. It’s a blanket feeling that can find its way into just about any thought that crosses your mind. I just recently started bringing it back into our live shows- it’s one of those tunes that can always be relevant no matter what I’m going through. Sharing ‘Doubt’ with everyone years ago and having people tell me how much they related to it really solidified my choice to spend my life pursuing music. Bringing the tune back into our set is really a celebration of how far I’ve come as an artist, and this is only the beginning. ”

The live session video Dallas-based live session channel called Cinderblock Sessions. The video is part of a new series for them called ‘Off the Block’- showcasing artists in unique locations throughout the Dallas , Ft Worth metroplex.

“Doubt” is from McNeal’s 2013 ep ‘When You’re Down.’ Buy it here.

Buy his current release ‘Compadre’ here.

Watch Out! Steve Martin and Edie Brickell – “Won’t Go Back” [VIDEO]

Steve Martin and Edie Brickell -  “Won’t Go Back”

This is not a video for the claustrophobic. This whimsical video follows a red dressed traveler – Edie Brickell, of Dallas’ own Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – entering an elevator to be met by a jovial banjoist, Martin. As the song “Won’t Go Back” build into a bluegrass meets Brill building 50’s pop the elevator fills with a cast of diverse characters each with a part, and an instrument, to play.

Come for the fun. Stay for the music.

Steve Martin cheekily tells vanityfair.com that the video was three years in the making and was a delight to work on,” says of his and Edie Brickell’s song “Won’t Go Back.” Martin continues, “Especially wonderful to work with was “hey you” (our director) and “hey you” (our costumer), and I am deeply indebted to “hey you” (the woman who sang).”

“Won’t Go Back” is from their upcoming second studio LP, ‘So Familiar’ out Oct 30th. Pre-order here.

Americana Music Festival 2015 Picks

americana-fest

Sleep deprivation, dehydration and perpetual joy at musical discovery are risks faced by attendees at the 16th annual Americana Music Festival and Conference this week in Nashville.

But those voluntary perils are undertook gladly for an opportunity to see some of the best roots music from around the world playing live showcases at multiple venues around the city and to partake in panels and seminars giving career tips and insights to musicians and other industry types. Then there’s the indescribably good Hattie B’s hot chicken) located near the hosting Hutton Hotel.

I’ll be skipping this year but if I were on the ground (and had a way to be many places at the same time) these are the shows I’d be sure to see.

Tuesday, September 15th

Donnie Fritts & John Paul White – 11:00 PM – City Winery

Wednesday, September 16th

The Suffers – 10:00 PM – Cannery Ballroom

James McMurtry – 11:00 PM – City Winery

Patty Griffin – 12:00 AM – City Winery

Thursday, September 17th

Ry Cooder / Sharon White / Ricky Skaggs – 10:00 PM – 3rd & Lindsley

Buddy Miller & Marc Ribot – 3rd & Lindsley

Ryan Culwell – 8:00 PM – The Basement

Daniel Romano – 12:00 AM – The Basement

Ray Wylie Hubbard – 9:00 PM – Cannery Ballroom

Pokey LaFarge – 10:00 PM – Cannery Ballroom

Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen – 11:00 PM – Cannery Ballroom

Eilen Jewell – 9:00 PM – City Winery

Dustbowl Revival – 10:00 PM – City Winery

Jeffrey Foucault – 12:00 AM – City Winery

Legendary Shack Shakers – 8:00 PM – The High Watt

Birds of Chicago – 9:00 PM – The High Watt

Lindi Ortega – 10:00 PM – The High Watt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AnMZG9sgkY

Possessed by Paul James – 12:00 AM – The High Watt

Mary Gauthier – 10:00 PM – The Listening Room

The Stray Birds – 8:00 PM – Mercy Lounge

Lera Lynn – 10:00 PM – Mercy Lounge

honeyhoney – 11:00 PM – Mercy Lounge

Humming House – 12:00 AM – Mercy Lounge

Darrell Scott – 6:00 PM – Downtown Presbyterian Church

B̩la Fleck & Abigail Washburn Р7:00 PM РDowntown Presbyterian Church

Friday, September 18th

Lewis & Leigh – 8:00 PM – Mercy Lounge
September 16, 12pm AMA-UK Mid-Day Party, Blue Bar
September 17, 5:30pm, Acoustic Set at British Underground High Tea, Tin Roof

Sam Outlaw – 8:00 PM – 3rd & Lindsley

Caitlin Canty – 9:00 PM – City Winery

Lee Ann Womack – 9:00 PM – 3rd & Lindsley

John Moreland – 10:00 PM – Mercy Lounge

Whitey Morgan – 10:00 PM – 3rd & Lindsley

Cale Tyson – 10:00 PM – The High Watt

Jim Lauderdale – 11:00 PM – 3rd & Lindsley

Uncle Lucius – 12:00 AM – – 3rd & Lindsley

Henry Wagons – 11:00 PM – Basement East

American Aquarium — 12:00 AM – Mercy Lounge

Saturday, September 19th

Andrew Combs – 10:00 PM – Mercy Lounge

Doug Seegers – 10:00 PM – City Winery

Gretchen Peters – 11:00 PM – City Winery

The Hello Strangers – 12:00 AM – City Winery

Fats Kaplin and friends – 11 PM – The Station Inn

Sunday, September 20th

Thirty Tigers Gospel Brunch – 1:30 PM – City Winery

Album Review: Kacey Musgraves – ‘Pageant Material’

kacey-pageant material

Musgraves, like Taylor Swift before her, has a way uncannily bringing people that wouldn’t be caught dead listening to a George Jones record into the dusty fold.

But unlike Swift’s winsome fairytale strewn path to a pure-pop exodus Musgraves shows on ‘Pageant Material,’ that she’s content to stick around Music Row for a while, and use her wit, charm and a stiff shot of deft songcraft to draw in the twang wary and change things from the inside.

Musgraves’ pop comes in the form of populism that is less soapbox serenades than barstool banter. Songs like “Biscuits” and the excellent title song speak in appealing, self-depreciating southern grammar to draw you into ideas of non-conformity and acceptance while bringing the highfalutin down to earth.

Musgraves also takes time to have fun. “High Time” is a perfect Summer song that moseys along in Ronnie Milsap pop-country accentuated by a carefree whistling , well-timed hand claps and a sweep 50’s era Nashville Sound stings.

“Family is Family” is a fun jaunt in praise of blood lines that would give John Prine and chuckle. “Late To The Party” is a cuddly soft folk ballad that has Musgraves letting out her inner James Taylor. “Dimestore Cowgirl,” allows us to travel along with on her exceptional journey. “I’ve had my picture made with Willie Nelson/Stayed in a hotel with a pool” “Slept in a room with the ghost of Gram Parsons/ Drank some wine I can’t afford.” While reminding us she’s not getting above her raising and celebrates home in a way that feels real. Cause I’m still the girl from Golden, Had to get away so I could grow / But it don’t matter where I’m goin’, I’ll still call my hometown home.”

“This Town” is a personal favorite. With reverbed guitars, tambourine and eerie ‘Ode To Billy Joe’ – style strings Musgraves does her best Nancy Sinatra in this study on small town grapevine with it’s gossip and legit news puts Twitter to shame.

Musgraves worked behind the scenes foy years in Texas and Music Row before signing to Mercury Nashville and releasing “Same Trailer, Different Park.” Her chops shine in this excellent clutch of songs crafted with some of the friends – Shane McAnally, Brandy Clark, Luke Laird, Ashley Arrison, Josh Osborne, and Natalie Hemby – she’s made along the way.

Musgraves has much in common with one of her heroes, Willie Nelson. Both are adroit at the game and genre boundaries and are able to push the them to make room for a larger community. They affect change through the ver Southern qualities of quiet strength of example and likeability. They both stand as examples to an an industry, already excluding the female and alternative voice, that change is good.

‘Pageant Material’ is a subtle hillbilly Buddhist bomb of a record that will challenge attitudes. biases and business while being bracingly real.

The simple power is summed up nicely in a line in “The Good Ol’ Boys Club.” “It shouldn’t be about who it is you know / but about how good you are.”

four-half-rate

Patty Griffin To Release New Album ‘Servant Of Love” This Fall. Hear The New Song “Rider Of Days”

ServantofLoveCover

A great year of roots and Americana music just got a whole lot better with the announcement of a new Patty Griffin release.

On September 11 in Europe and September 25th in the US (and the rest of the world) Patty Griffin will release ‘Servant Of Love.” This will be her tenth album, and her first to be released on her new self-owned imprint in conjunction with Thirty Tigers. It marks the third time she has collaborated with producer Craig Ross.

From the release:

In Servant of Love, Patty Griffin digs deep into folk and roots tradition with its grounding in the experience and rhythms of the everyday, but she also writes in the vein of another tradition, less often mined: the transcendentalism of writers like Emerson and Whitman. Grounding itself in the natural world and finding patterns there which speak both to human experience and to the call of the spirit, Griffin’s new album weaves an elemental spell out of the stuff of life.

Griffin suggests that there are twin mysteries at work: the Love that underpins all our human movements-our passions, our desires, our mistakes, our neuroses; and the symmetry in nature that we don’t understand, yet shows up repeatedly, as in the mathematical structure of a seashell or a sunflower. In the vernacular of folk tales, blues cants, and jazz exploration, Servant of Love creates of these seemingly disparate notions a larger narrative of the human place in nature, in society, and in time. Griffin brings her genius for character-driven storytelling to bear on this overarching narrative of mystery. The same transmigrated soul seems to inhabit the characters in these songs, all different, yet all speaking from the same source: the storyteller herself, of course, but also, the album suggests, a greater source, a mysterious source.

Hear the new song “Rider Of Days” below.

Griffin also announces the first leg of her North American tour, starting on September 22 and running through October 17. Featuring great openers like John Moreland and Sam Lee and more dates will be announced soon. The confirmed dates are below, for more information and tickets please go to her tour page.

North American Tour Dates
Sept 22 – Waco, TX – Common Grounds*
Sept 23 – Austin, TX – Paramount Theater*
Sept 25 – Louisville, KY – Headliners#
Sept 26 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre#
Sept 27 – Pittsburgh, PA – Byham Theater#
Sept 29 – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere
Oct 1 – New York, NY – Town Hall
Oct 2 – Boston, MA – Somerville Theater
Oct 3 – Orono, ME – Collins Center#
Oct 4 – Montreal, QUE – L’Astral
Oct 6 – Northampton, MA – Academy of Music
Oct 7 – Philadelphia, PA – Keswick Theater^
Oct 9 – Ithaca, NY – State Theater^
Oct 10 – Ann Arbor, MI – Power Center^
Oct 11 – Columbus, OH – Lincoln Theater^
Oct 13 – Chicago, IL – The Vic^
Oct 14 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium^
Oct 15 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse^
Oct 17 – Asheville, NC – Orange Peel^

* – John Moreland opens
# – Sam Lee opens
^ – Darlingside opens

Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis Announce a Classic Country Duets ‘Key of Strife’ Tour

strife

Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis are often described as one of the finest roots male/female couples working today. Starting in July the husband and wife duo will bring that considerable talent to a mostly-Texas classic country duets tour they’ve labeled the “Key of Strife” tour.

The single released in May, ‘Storms Never Last’ originally performed by Jessi Colter & Waylon Jennings, is an perfect example of the caliber of performances to be expected.

“My favorite part about country music is how someone can talk about such a broad idea like that, like how life is hard, and say it so succinctly and with such grace. I think this concept is a great way to pay homage to all of the past great country couples.” – Bruce Robison

The logo and tour name “Key of Strife” is a play on Stevie Wonder’s famous album, ‘Songs in the Key of Life.’ The title’s inclusion of ‘strife” pokes fun at the popularity of somber country tunes while also honoring country’s greatest couples, such as George & Tammy, Johnny & June, Dolly & Kenny.

Hear ‘Storms Never Last’ and see tour dates below.

6/27/15 Black Marlin Bar & Grill – Port Aransas, Texas
7/03/15 The Kessler Theater – Dallas, TX
7/11/15 the Broken Spoke – Austin, Texas
7/17/15 Gruene Hall – Gruene TX
7/18/15 Mucky Duck – Houston
7/26/15 Red Ants Pants Festival – White Sulphur Springs, Montana
8/05/15 Main Street Crossing – Tomball TX

Watch Out! Kacey Musgraves Performs “Biscuits” On Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon

Kacey Musgraves Performs “Biscuits” On Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon

Kacey Musgraves is hitting the late night circuit ahead of her much-anticipated release ‘Pageant Material’ to be released later this month.

Musgraves treated fans to her steaming hot latest single “Biscuits.” The song reflects Kacey’s own no nonsense spunk and charm, and she and the band sported their cosmic country and western finery as they always do on her road performances.

‘Pageant Material’ is the follow-up to 2013’s 2-time Grammy-winning ‘Same Trailer Different Park’ and is sure to top the country and Americana charts.

In a separate video Musgraves reveals the song’s writing session with Shane McAnally and Brandy Clark and how “Biscuits,” how the recording session took advantage of some authentic bakeware as instrumentation and why the song wasn’t included on ‘Same Trailer Different Park’

Catch the replay and song background below.

Musgraves also gave some background on how she, Brandy Clark and

Watch Out! Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard – ‘Missing Ol’ Johnny Cash’ [VIDEO]

Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard - Missing Ol' Johnny Cash

Another charming, behind-the-scenes music videos in a series showing Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard working on their new collaboration ‘Django and Jimmie’ at Willie’s studio in Luck, Texas.

Thats Django as in the legendary gypsy-jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and Jimmie as in Jimmie Rodgers, the vaudevillian dandy turned mythic “Singing Brakeman.”

Each a personal musical influance to the respective Willie and Merle.

Featured in the video are the main men along with Willie’s longtime producer, collaborator and friend Buddy Cannon. Bobby Bare joins his old friends as a recording on the song ‘Missing Ol’ Johnny Cash’ is a honky-tonker that allows the men to reminiscence about the times with the Man in Black.

Merle describes his approach to writing the song like this ‘It was just some words that I had some chords to. Not really a melody to it, just kinda rapping.”

I sounds more like talking blues to me but I’m hardly one to argue with The Hag.

There’s some great stories throughout including a NSFW one at the end told by Merle.

‘Django and Jimmie’ is out now.

Watch Out! Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz & Aoife O’Donovan “Be My Husband” [Video]

Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz & Aoife O'Donovan  "Be My Husband"

The elegant simplicity of the video for Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan’s “Be My Husband” mirrors in production the song’s simple beauty in this acapella vow of love and devotion.

Deftly directed by Watkins’ husband, Todd Cooper, the video was filmed in March on the deck of the A Prairie Home Companion cruise (they have a cruise for everything ) through the windy Carribean. Accompanied only by the percussion of foot stomps and claps the song highlights these extraordinary women’s vocal prowess to the song written by Andrew Stroud for his then wife, Nina Simone’s 1965 album Pastel Blues.

The performance brings to mind that singular moment of Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris and Gillian Welch performing ‘Go To Sleep You Little Baby’ off the “Oh Brother Where Art Thou?” soundtrack.

“Be My Husband” is the B-side off their 7″ single release Crossing Muddy Waters, available now. “Be My Husband” will be digitally available on May 26.

Fittingly the connection with A Prairie Home Companion will continue as the girls will be appearing on the May 22nd show and May 23rd broadcast in Vienna, VA to launch their US “I’m With Her Tour” dates. (Full dates below).

The 7 inch vinyl can be found here.

Tour Dates
2015-05-22 Vienna, VA – A Prairie Home Companion
2015-05-23 Vienna, VA – A Prairie Home Companion
2015-07-10 Katonah, NY – Caramoor
2015-07-11 Mt. Solon, VA – Red Wing Roots
2015-07-18 Vancouver, Cananda – Vancouver Folk Music Festival
2015-07-25 Lyons, CO – Rockygrass
2015-08-29 Fayetteville, AR – Fayetteville Town Center
2015-09-05 Pagosa Springs, CO – Four Corners Folk Festival
2015-09-19 North Adams, MA – FreshGrass