Review – Kendel Carson – Rearview Mirror Tears

Kendel Carson knows a thing or two about music. At the tender age of three she began playing violin and soon after climbed in the Canadian classical music world appearing as a featured guest soloist with the Victoria Symphony and later joining the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. She performed across her native Canada and around the globe since she joined her first musical group at nine years old.

Carson’s muse led her to the Juno-winning roots music band The Paperboys and she appeared on their most recent album, The Road to Ellenside.

Now at the age of 22 you could say she’s been around.

After making the acquaintance of music veteran Chip Taylor – best known for his country-folk work, being the brother of John Vought (and Angelina’s uncle) and for penning one of the most enduring songs from the 60’s “Wild Thing” – at a 2004 South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas Taylor began offering Carson long-distance encouragement and guidance similar to the guidance he gave to another singer/violinist from Austin by the name of Carrie Rodriguez.

As with Taylor’s collaboration with Rodriguez he has written songs that encourage Carson to bring out both the playful and the smoldering side, and Carson’s charming new release on Taylor’s Train Wreck Records label “Rearview Mirror Tears” serves up plenty of both and more.

The album kicks off with a runner in the excellent “Run to the Middle of the Mornin'” which showcases Caron’s and Taylor’s’ off-kilter harmony with Southern sass and fine fiddle work.

“Take Me Down to the River” has a swampy vibe that makes it sexy and just a little spooky.

Ribbons & Bows and Gold in the Hills (Of Saltery Bay) are great guy/girl songs about the trials and triumphs of love.

“In the Middle of a Think About You” sounds like a Bonnie Raitt country-blues stomp that cruises along nicely with guitar
work by John Platania. “Especially for a Girl” is a sassy strut about desire bubbling-over featuring great slide guitar work.

The album’s rowdier tracks, “I Like Trucks” and “I Certainly Know Why” both sound as if they were recorded in
a bar full of drunk, loud women and it seems to set the right environment for the songs.

Carson isn’t belter, she a setter of mood, but her voice excudes a confidence that is beyond her years coupled with her
nuance and fine fiddle work drives this release all the way to the bank.

Kendel Carson – I Like Trucks

Willie’s 4th of July Picnic Moving to Washington State

I’m headed home to Dallas to visit the ‘rents for the 4th of July weekend and had planned to head out to Ft. Worth to catch Willie Nelson’s picnic. And what does the Texas Yoda go and do? Moves the dang picnic to the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Wash., about 150 miles east of Seattle.

Insult in injury it’s one of the best line-ups in years with a distict alt flavor – Son Volt, Dallas’ recently reunited Old 97s and a newly Jason Isbell-less Drive-By Truckers.

I guess that July heat was finally getting to him.

Miranda Lambert In The New York Times

The New York Times has a cool write-up on Miranda Lambert. Lambert talks about the influences for her new album – “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” – gives credit to Gretchen Wilson for opening the career door for her and is compared to some mighty company:

Ms. Lambert, 23, cites the usual outlaw influences — Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard — as well as the well-regarded singer-songwriters Steve Earle, Buddy Miller, Jerry Jeff Walker and Guy Clark. In essence, Ms. Lambert is an alt-country singer operating covertly in the mainstream. “Dwight Yoakam, the Dixie Chicks — I think there’s a way to be really cool and mainstream, too,” she said.

Elizabeth Cook – Balls

Balls is the boldly titled release by Wildwood, FL. native Elizabeth Cook. With singer, songwriter and ex-guitarist for Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band Rodney Crowell sitting in as producer the release has one boot astride in contemporary swagger and one firmly planted in tradition.

I’m new to Ms. Cook, but apparently she’s been around a spell and is the hottest thing I never heard of. She made her Grand Ole Opry debut on March 17, 2000, and appeared repeatedly thereafter, which is a remarkable achievement considering that, at the time, she was an indie artist with zero radio airplay.

The album kicks it off right with “Times Are Tough In Rock ‘n’ Roll” – A celebration of country music bounces along with a jaw harp boinging throughout. The song softly disses on rock music, thought with the singling out of Britney Spears I wonder if it’s really pop music that is being tarheted with this fun tune.
“Don’t Go Borrowin’ Trouble” follows with a slow-burning lament that looking for bad times leads to you just might finding some.

The song that begets the title, “Sometimes it takes Balls to be a Woman” is next – Like many great country songs recorded by woman it’s both boldly declarative and coyly playful. A nice shuffle and some mean guitar work by the Nashville master Kenny Vaughn drives this baby all the way home. Cook does a shout out to Loretta and Dolly just to let folks know she knows who paved the path she’s now gracefully walking.

A duet with alt.country rocker Bobby Bare Jr. on the “Amazing Grace” reminiscent “Rest Your Weary Mind” sets Bare’s woozy rasp against Cook’s pitch perfect voice blended to fine effect with acoustic guitar, mandolin and soulful fiddle.

“He Got No Heart” is a slight boom-chucka tune about some no good dude that’s done this girl no good (he got no heart/his mama forgot that part) and makes feeling bad a lot of fun.

“Mama’s Prayers” is a pious tear-jerker about mama loving her while she’s out in this mean ‘ol world that wins because of it’s sincerity.

“What Do I Do” is a great song in the vein of classic Tammy Wynette of love on the skids.” Gonna Be” is a toe-tapping song of gumption and wherewithal.

An independent sprit shines throughout this fine album. Cook has a voice that is as clear as a crystal pond and strong enough to belt out a song that leaves the Underwoods and Wreckers in the dust. It’s easy to draw a line in the country lineage from Loretta and Dolly to Elizabeth Cook.

Dale Watson Announces U.S. Tour Dates

Texas honky-tonk troubadour Dale Watson’s brand new studio album, From The Cradle To The Grave, is set for release nationwide April 24 on HYENA Records. Watson will hit the road in May to support its release with a run of East Coast and Midwest tour dates. It will mark the beginning of a year long promotional push that will find Dale performing in all corners of the United States, as well as, Europe and Australia. If you’ve never seen Dale in concert do youself, and your buddies or your gal, a favor.

On second thought don’t take your gal, you’ll never measure up after she sees Dale do his stuff.
Dale Watson’s upcoming tour dates are:
May 11 / WFPK “Live Lunch” / Louisville, KY
May 12 / Midnight Jamboree at Ernest Tubb / Nashville, TN
May 13 / Hideaway BBQ / Raleigh, NC
May 14 / Shenanigans / Richmond, VA
May 15 / The Iota Club / Arlington, VA
May 16 & 17 / The Rodeo Bar / New York, NY (Yeah!)
May 19 / Johnny D’s / Boston, MA
May 20 / The Ale House / Troy, NY
May 21 / The Sportsmen’s Tavern / Buffalo, NY
May 22 / Beachland Ballroom / Cleveland, OH
May 23 / Martyr’s / Chicago, IL
May 24 / Club Tavern / Middleton, WI
May 25 / Vnuk’s Lounge / Cudahi, WI
May 26 / Lee’s Liquor Lounge / Minneapolis, MN
May 27 / Knuckleheads / Kansas City, MO

Country Music Is Not Dead

CMT, the channel that doesn’t entirely suck, gives me another reason to think so by featuring Chet Flippo and his always thoughtful and enlightening commentary on The Nashville Skyline section on their web site.
Chet has a nice recent commentary about rescuing a frightened turtle of a feeder road off Highway 100 west of Nashville and sees this terrified reptile as a symbol of the recording industry in the twenty-first century, the myopic economics of radio programming the strong-arm tactics of Wal-Mart and, alas, the inevitable death of the CD.

“But what does country music really have to offer these days? I think it offers more than the exploiters see on the surface. I think the many layers of talent in country have never been fully presented commercially, and, of course, if I knew how to do that, I would be a rich man today. And country has a steady stream of fresh new talent, most of whom will likely not ever get a chance to gain wide exposure because of the changing nature of the marketplace. Already, a number of new artists are having their debut releases postponed because of the market.”

Though I take exception to Chet’s argument that Nashville needs another mega-star like Garth or Shania (I think the mindless pursuit of cash cows is part of the recipe for crap), I do agree with his fundamental point that county music needs to take chances and risk alienation of some fans in order to survive. And I hope indy labels, local bars, the internet and blogs like this one and my other twangy-blog buddies can help usher in a new dawning of country music.

If not, we’ll have a damn fine time trying.

By way of The 9513.

Merle Haggard in Newsweek

Merle Haggard Newsweek features a pretty sweet interview with Merle Haggard. Hag talks about touring with Dylan and the Stones, the Dixie Chicks fracas and going back in the studio with George Jones for only the second time in 25 years.

an Excert: You had a duet out this year with Gretchen Wilson called “Politically Uncorrect.” The lyrics go, “Nothing wrong with the Bible, nothing wrong with the flag, nothing wrong with the working man.” That doesn’t seem to be particularly controversial or politically incorrect.
Yeah, but what is nowadays? Everybody’s twisted around. Freedom ain’t free no more. What America was and what America is is a totally absolutely different country.

It’s a different country now compared to when and what?
Fifty years ago there was as much freedom in San Quentin as there is in the streets of New York today, with obvious exceptions. You’re just as likely to have a police officer throw down on you with a .30-30 [rifle] in New York as you are in San Quentin.

Gram Parsons – The Complete Reprise Sessions

Gram Parsons - The Complete Reprise SessionsFrom Rhino Records – Gram Parsons The Complete Reprise Sessions produced by Emmylou Harris and Rhino’s James Austin, the three-CD set is a comprehensive collection of Parsons’ legendary recordings for Reprise. Disc one presents his 1973 solo debut, GP, plus seven bonus tracks, including a rare 1973 promo interview. Disc two presents 1974’s posthumously released Grievous Angel, along with three bonus tracks, including another revealing interview. Disc three contains seven previously unissued alternate takes from the GP sessions and eight from the Grievous Angel sessions, plus three more solo outtakes released only on A&M’s 1976 compilation Sleepless Nights.Florida-born, Georgia-bred singer, songwriter, musician and raconteur Gram Parsons was among the first, if not the first, to bridge the gap between country and rock in the late 1960s and early ’70s, as a member of The International Submarine Band, The Byrds, and The Flying Burrito Brothers.
Then the California-based “Grievous Angel” flew solo, capturing the soul of real country music on two landmark albums, and connecting West Coast redneck rock and the Nashville establishment. Musical protégé and collaborator Emmylou Harris carried his torch by touring and recording with his band, The Fallen Angels. Later generations of artists, from Elvis Costello to R.E.M.’s Peter Buck to the Black Crowes, discovered his legend and recorded his music.

Pitchfork review.