Willie Nelson, and his talented daughter Paula, duet beautifully on this languid version of the Creedance Clearwater Revival classic. You can almost imagine sitting on the porch and watching a spring shower.
Like many of his recent music videos this was one was shot at Willie Nelson’s replica western town in Luck, TX, (about a 45 minute ride from downtown Austin) for his own Luck Films. The video is shot in a rich black-and-white and features Paula looking lovely, Willie looking pensive riding a horse and looking pensive playing cards.
There’s also some pretty great family photos. Baby Paula ( I assume,) Willie’s pianist and sister Bobbie Nelson, Waylon and the Appalachian moonshiner legend, Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton
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
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.”
On March 13th of this year, Ryan Bingham took the stage at the historic Gruene Hall, the oldest continually run dance hall in Texas. The hall echoes the songs of Texas legends Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, Doug Sahm, Lyle Lovett and others.
Captured in glorious sepia by TourGigs, this sold-out, intimate performance that features renditions of: “Tell My Mother I Miss Her So,” “Boracho Station” and “Hallelujah.”
My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard and tUnE-yArDs’ Merrill Garbus took to NBC’s Jimmy Fallon Show, Backed by Fallon’s house band, The Roots, to perform their version of late Nigerian bandleader Fela Anikulapo Kuti ‘s “Trouble Sleep Yanga Wake Am.”
The band wonderfully reflects Fela’s love for American R&B blended with a classic African afro-pop style.
The cut can be found on Red Hot + Riot, with this second volume celebrating Fela’s music. This , and all their excellent releases, help fund the not-for-profit Red Hot organization fight AIDS worldwide.
Boo Ray’s “Boots and Blue Jeans,” from his current release “Six Weeks In A Motel” carries a heap of grit and soul. The video filmed at the legendary Johnny’s Tavern in Nashville, TN by Daniel Henry & Price Harrison show folks having a high time. The kind of folks that would drop quarter after quarter to play this hotnumber.
Ray’s time raised in the western mountains of North Carolina has given him a sensibility for southern and roots rock in the vein of Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Faces. melody with bite and brawn. This is 100 proof with an ear for a hook.
“Six Weeks In A Motel,” the Boo Ray’s follow up to 2010 release “Bad News Travels Fast.”
The musicians featured include Steve Ferrone on drums (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Jimmie Lee Sloas on bass (Keith Urban, Reba McEntire), British guitar virtuoso Sol Philcox, and Bruce Bouton (Randy Travis, Emmylou Harris, Ricky Skaggs) on pedal steel.
the Late Show with David Letterman continued it’s support of great music by featuring a special musical performance in honor of the film Muscle Shoals, featuring R&B legend Candi Staton, Jason Isbell, John Paul White (The Civil Wars) and The Swampers (Spooner Oldham, Jimmy Johnson & David Hood).
the ensemble performed “I Ain’t Easy To Love” written by James Leblanc and Angela Hacke, is featured in the Magnolia Pictures film Muscle Shoals, in theaters now & available on iTunes and On Demand.
About the film:
“Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Alabama is the unlikely breeding ground for some of America’s most creative and defiant music. Under the spiritual influence of the “Singing River,” as Native Americans called it, the music of Muscle Shoals has helped create some of the most important and resonant songs of all time. At its heart is Rick Hall who founded FAME Studios.
Overcoming crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, Hall brought black and white together in Alabama’s cauldron of racial hostility to create music for the generations. He is responsible for creating the “Muscle Shoals sound” and The Swampers, the house band at FAME that eventually left to start their own successful studio, known as Muscle Shoals Sound. Greg Allman, Bono, Clarence Carter, Mick Jagger, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Keith Richards, Candi Staton, Percy Sledge and others bear witness to Muscle Shoals’ magnetism, mystery and why it remains influential today.”
Two musical loves of mine is classic heavy metal and Americana music. I know this skit from from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, featuring the Avett brothers covering Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills,” Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” and Metallica’S “One” is done for laughs, but part of me would love for it to be real. I mean if Ryan Adams can do Iron maiden straight why not?
The fake release is described thusly “If you’re looking for a sunnier, gentler sound of heavy metal classics like Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” then pick up a copy of “The Avett Brothers Sing Heavy Metal.”
