Category Archives: Video

The Civil Wars Split, For Now

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The Civil WarsThe rumblings started several days ago. While on a well-reviewed UK leg of their current tour the news of cancellations of upcoming shows in Michigan, Florida and 2013 tour dates of Australia & New Zealand were announced. Emails for details were not returned.

Then today the other show dropped. From The Civil Wars official Facebook and Twitter account:

“We sincerely apologize for the canceling of all of our tour dates. It is something we deeply regret. However, due to internal discord (SP) and irreconcilable differences of ambition we are unable to continue as a touring entity at this time. We thank each and every one of you for your amazing love & support. Our sincere hope is to have new music for you in 2013.

– Joy Williams & John Paul White.”

After seeing them recently at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival and watching their set stream from the Austin City Limits Festival there was no sign of tension or discord.  On the contrary, Nashville vets  Joy Williams and John Paul White appeared outwardly to be having the time of their lives. Working with T Bone Burnett and Taylor Swift on the Hunger Games soundtrack,  a pair of Grammys and an Americana Music Association award for Duo/Group of the Year, a gold album and new album underway and some of the biggest audiences in their young career it was easy to see why.  Last week the couple released a cover of “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” as part of a Holidays Rule compilation also featuring Paul McCartney and others. The tipping point for super stardom for the duo was now. It must have been something serious to tip things the other way.

For a couple of performers of songs of love and heartache that so many people assumed were a romantically involved couple the ending comes off as a bitter break up.

The end of groups are almost never permanent and the wording of the statement alludes to only touring and “…to have new music for you in 2013.” The tone of the announcement is certainly gives hope for future collaboration.

The reason for the halt to the tour might be that new mother Joy Williams simply wanted to be with her husband Nate Yetton, the duo’s manager, and their only son Miles Alexander which was born last Summer.  But this is just speculation.

I have always championed The Civil Wars as a shining light of the commercially desirable wing of the Americana brand that did not have to compromise their talent to gain that mass acceptance.  Here’s to a quick respite for this excellent band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDlGq1wxLRg

A Far Away Feel – Happy Birthday Gram Parsons

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“Left us too soon” and “What might have been” are often terms associated to the brief career of Gram Parsons who overdosed in Joshua Tree, CA on September 19, 1973 at the age of the age of 27.  I say screw that, let’s celebrate the greatness that was!

Though largely unappreciated in his lifetime Parson introduced the world to Emmylou Harris, laid the groundwork for bands like The Eagles, Uncle Tupelo, the Rolling Stones country leanings of Exile on Main Street and Sticky Fingers and was directly responsible for shaping the country rock fusion that resulting in cow punk, alt.country and Americana.

On this 66th birthday of Gram Parsons what is your favorite Gram song? Here’s mine – Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris – Love Hurts (Studio Recording)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bwmiJWFHN0

Video Feature: Big John Bates – “Taste the Barrel”

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Truth be told  had no awareess of Vancouver, Canada’s Big John Bates until they tweeted this video to me during my  day-long Twitter #HalloweenTwang video theme playlist. Their sound could be described as  dark gothic Americana along the lines of The Handsome Family and Those Poor Bastards.

The video for Taste the Barrel,  from their latest release Battered Bones (Rookie Records) , has a Sun-washed dustiness to it reminiscent of a Sergio Leone western.  Singer and stand-up bassist stars in the video as a victim of either torture or just frontier surgical practices. Either way, the gruesome outcome if the same. Bones sings with a sort of wailing unhinged soprano befitting the the scenes ans though i’m unsure of the storyline it’s effective. She even drops in a quick title of a Cormac McCarthy book “All the Pretty Horses” to give the whole thing another level of greatness and menace. The only thing missing is a parting shot of buzzards circling overhead.

A great find that i wanted to apss along and very fitting for All Hallows Eve Twang Style!

Taylor Who? – 5 Female Americana Music Artists

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Since the release of her new album Red it’s been all Taylor Swift al the time (like that’s different.) I like what I know about Taylor Swift as a person and her diligence to her work and devotion to her fans. It’s her music that leaves me cold. Slap whatever Music City label you want on it she’s in with Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus for the tween pop market.

I prefer my music for adults, even when being performed by a 20-something. I have no problem with style and spangles  but I want it served with substance.  Here are 5 female artists that fit the bill  that I would counter in any “Taylor is awesome!” discussion.

Your choice not here? Leave yours in the comments.

Lindi Ortega – That voice, those songs, that style. Triple threat!

Amanda Shires – All the above with the added awesomeness of being a Texan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv6Oj3zDo6Q&feature=relmfu

Lera Lynn – Caught her show in Nashville last September. Amazing!

Lydia Loveless – If you like your music served neat I would recommend Ms. Loveless

Nikki Lane – Also saw Ms. Lane in Nashville. Great show. I hope to hear something new from her soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXplet4afOU&feature=relmfu

 

 

 

 

 

Nikki Lane

Video Feature: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – “Danko Manuel”

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On Nov. 20, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit will be release their first live album Live From Alabama on Lightning Rod Records/Thirty Tigers.The album captures highlights from two sold out shows at the WorkPlay Theater in Birmingham and Crossroads in Huntsville in the Summer of 2012.

Let’s be honest, The Drive-By Truckers were a better band when Jason Isbell was in the fold. Songs like Dank Manual are the reason why. This beautifully shot black and white video from the live performance has Isbell and his band taking the original spare performance from the DBT’s Dirty South and building up to a more nuanced and meatier performance with keyboards and horns.And of course Isbell kills on the guitar as well .

 

Music Review: Cigarettes & Truckstops – Lindi Ortega [ Last Gang Records]

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Let’s deal with the obvious first, yes,  Nashville-by-way-of-Toronto Lindi Ortega’s soprano trill is reminiscent to a certain buxom, bewigged country music superstar. It’s not something she shies away from. Hell she even name-checks Dolly on the title cut.  But where Dolly would chirp hopefully within every syllable leading to a home-spun happy ending Ortega takes a dreamy Julie Cruise into a beautifully melancholic coastal journey driving the protagonist toward a reunion with a love that may (or may not) end well.

The Day You Die is a dark tune about enduring a loveless marriage, though you might miss that with it’s lively shuffle. Despair and hopelessness also runs through Lead Me On, where a the title plays on the equine and behavioral definition. This tale of unrequited love is as beautifully sad and gritty and echos classic heartache from the Tammy Wynette songbook.

“Don’t Wanna Hear” simmers with rockabilly sass that show’s why she was slated to open slot for Orange County roots-punkers Social Distortion. The Middle-East tinged dobro of the confessional Murder of Crows and the Old Testament haunted Heaven Has No Vacancy are beautiful dark roots dirges that would make Lonesome Wyatt wail in agony.

Colin Linden ( Bruce Cockburn, Lucinda Williams, T-Bone Burnett) production does an excellent job of allowing Ortega’s tales of darkness and love to glide over the entirety of “Cigarettes & Truckstops” by setting just the right amount of solemn atmosphere or shifting into an open road twang when necessary.

“Cigarettes & Truckstops,” Lindi Ortega’s follow-up to 2011’s excellent “Little Red Boots,” proves the lady’s no fluke. The nearly flawless album displays a maturity and depth that ” Boots” only hinted at and gives us one of the best Americana music releases of the year.

Official site | Buy

Top 5 Billy Joe Shaver Songs

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Few people alive have the amazing life that Billy Joe Shaver has had. With staggering  highs and bleakest of  lows it reads like a passage from the Old Testament.Along with doling out some near smiting outside a bar in Lorena, TX

Billy Joe Took some time a few years ago recall some of it for me.

In celebration of Mr. Shaverplaying the beautiful Great American Music Hall tonight I’ve put together videos of what I consider his top 5 songs.

One or two featuring his talented son Eddie, who left us too soon, on guitar.

These are in no certain order and hardly close to being complete list of this legendary man’s best. Please share your favorites in the comments section.

 

 

 

Honky Tonk Heroes

Old Five And Dimers Like Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoiuwUa9oZs

Georgia on a Fast Train

I’m Gonna Live Forever

I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal

Billy Joe Shaver – Georgia on a Fast Train

‘Love for Levon,’ Tribute to Levon Helm at Izod Center [VIDEOS]

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After attending hundreds of concerts there are very few shows occurring  these days that I wish I had attended. This is one of them.

Gregg Allman, Jakob Dylan, Bruce Hornsby, Mavis Staples, John Prine, Joan Osborne, John Hiatt, Jorma Kaukonen,  Roger Waters, Ray La Montagne and other Rock and Americana music greats all paid tribute to the great Levon Helm who passed away last April.  The performers were backed by the tremendous Levon Helm Band featuring Amy Helm and now led by the guitarist and fiddler Larry Campbell.  The concert will eventually be shown on AXS TV and released as a DVD.

Here are some of the best videos I could find from this once in a lifetime event.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkUCu3Si5OI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUFQeZDy3eQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dBJpRTSuLg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfRGU9aMjWc

George Jones, Jamey Johnson and Blackberry Smoke – “Yesterday’s Wine ” [VIDEO]

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While indulging my frequent music video ADHD I followed a YouTube  trajectory to a  series of videos of Jamey Johnson doing classic cover of Waylon Jennings and Patsy Cline and the like . One really caught my eye, it was Johnson not only covering, but joining with none other than country  music legend George Jones on Willie Nelson classic “Yesterday’s Wine.”  And it had only 751 views!! What a find!

“Yesterday’s Wine”  is the title cut from Willie’s 1971 album and, in 1982, Merle Haggard and Jones recorded a duet of “Yesterday’s Wine” which became a number one single on the country chart. Not everyone can fill The Hag’s boots but Johnson and Blackberry Smoke’s Charlie Starr do a fine job.  And, ladies and gentlemen , if that went enough the great Atlanta-based Southern Rock band Blackberry Smoke is backing them up. As one twitter follower responded when i posted it “Dayum!”

I was puzzled where the track came from and discovered, through the power of the google machine , that it’s included as a bonus track on Blackberry Smoke’s  “Little Piece of Dixie” (2010.) I guess i should have payed more attention that that fine album!

Behold the greatness!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyRLTzdEv_k&feature=youtu.be