Friday, November 25, 2011

The demise of the local show?

I am sitting, awaiting a night of music with Nathan Lynn and Sluegrass at Doe's Eat place in Paducah. I just spoke with another local musician and he has me running things through my head. He told me that he is seeing a trend at local live shows, less people.

Why? Is it the music? Is it the economy? Is it that hand fishing dude on the tube who wants me think he just goes around sticking his hand in holes in muddy rivers? [side note... Where I come from, ya find more than a catfish in those holes]

Now that i think about it I have been perusing Facebook all day as folks plop post after post on their shopping prowess and the location of their latest "find" of yet another useless trinket but I have yet to see one single post about the band they are going to see down on the corner.

I hope this is just a minor burp and not a trend but just in case.... Folks, ALL bands start as local bands at some point. If you don't get out, explore and find new music then you may awake someday to no music at all.

Go explore! Find a band that plays something different and make them your own. Help build their reputation and you can grow with them.

Go now... No, right now! Get up, get out and hear some tunes!

Nathan Lynn and Sluegrass begin at 9 at Doe's Eat Place in Paducah... K-Y.


- Salut!

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Sunday, November 13, 2011

Front Porch Adds for November 19 Show

Some of these albums should have been added months ago but I am just now getting around to it. Nonetheless, here are the new adds that you will be hearing on next weeks show.

Noam Pikelny - Beat the Devil and Carry a Rail

Another incredible production from Pikelny.  If you truly want to know what Pikelny is all about, take a listen to the duet with Steve Martin as they cover the traditional tune "Cluck Old Hen". No one has ever made this tune feel so good. It's still traditional at its core but Pikelny brings a modern soul to the tune that makes it come at you in a smooth and refreshing manner.

Pikelny surrounds himself with the best of the best on this one. He is joined by Bryan Sutton (guitar), Chris Thile (mandolin), Tim O’Brien (mandolin, fiddle) and Jerry Douglas (dobro), Aoife O’Donovan (vocals), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Chris Eldridge (guitar), and Mark Schatz (bass). This album also is the debut of Punch Brothers fiddler Gabe Witcher's as producer.

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Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chis Thile - The Goat Rodeo Sessions

When you place four masters of their craft in a room good things can result... sometimes. With this album, to say "it worked" would be quite the understatement. The Goat Rodeo Sessions is a collection of original tunes penned by the members of the quartet. They are what I am going to call classijamgrass... not totally classical, not anywhere near bluegrass as a bluegrass purist would insist but hints of both exist and the feeling of an open, no rules jam session is prevalent but probably not totally the case.

"Quarter Chicken Dark" seems to be the one tune I keep coming back to but the entertainment is a start to finish experience. Aoife O'Donovan of Crooked Still joins the scene for two vocal tracks including a tale of somewhere between where we started and where we will end up called "Here and Heaven" in which Thile shares the microphone. O'Donovan stays on for the lonely "No One but You" tale of having something to see and share but no one to share it with.

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Barnstar! - C'mon!
A barnstar (or barn star) is a decorative painted object or image, often in the shape of a five-pointed star but occasionally in a circular "wagon wheel" style, used to adorn a barn. They have no structural purpose, but may be considered lucky, akin to a horseshoe mounted over a doorway.

~ Wikipedia
I stumbled upon this album on another blog but aside from the 5-members in the band, I don't know a lot about them. I assume the 5-member band has something to do with the band name thus, I placed the Wikipedia reference above. I do know Mark Erelli is a member and I am a big fan of his.

You can here previews over at Bandcamp where you can also pick up the album for $10. I also noticed on www.markerelli.com that a packaged version of the album is now available through that website. All in all, this is a great album!

Band members include:

Jake Armerding – fiddle, vocals, member and son of co-founder Taylor Armerding of bluegrass band Northern Lights

Taylor “Old Train” Armerding – mandolin, vocals, co-founder of bluegrass band Northern Lights

Mark Erelli – guitar, vocals, accomplish recording artists and side musician for Lori McKenna and Josh Ritter

Zachariah Hickman – double bass, vocals

Charlie Rose – banjo, vocals  current bass player for the Crooked Jades. Also played with Asylum Street Spankers, and South Austin Jug Band.

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Trampled By Turtles - Where is My Mind

Yeah, the Pixies cover and it's pretty danged good!

From trampledbyturtles.com...
Trampled by Turtles have released a cover of Pixies’ “Where is My Mind” . The digital single is available as a free download here on the website or through any digital retailer for $.99, with all proceeds going to benefit WhyHunger, the organization founded by the late singer-songwriter Harry Chapin. WhyHunger supports grassroots solutions to inspire self-reliance and community empowerment to connect people to nutritious, affordable food. For more information go to www.whyhunger.org.

listen here
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Also added to my library this week and definitely worth your attention:

Nicki Bluhm - Driftwood
The Loom - Teeth
Anna Coogan - The Wasted Ocean
Jonathan Burks - God Talk E.P.
Dan Blakeslee - Tatnic Tales
Sinful Savage Tigers - The Last Night of the Revels
Some Velvet Evening - No Law Against Talking
Shawn Nelson - San Juan Street

Noam Pikelny's a funny guy


Sunday, August 7, 2011

New Wood Brothers Album "Smoke Ring Halo"

The new Wood Brothers album is out. Here it is on Spotify.

http://open.spotify.com/user/ujdmc/playlist/3RCUP427v1QAvLYEjZvEds


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Sunday, July 3, 2011

heard... shared

I added four new or almost new albums to my Front Porch rotation this week and thought I would share them real quick. The first being the most heralded, The Harrow and the Harvest by Gillian Welch. A very melodic album with incredible storytelling laid on top of immensely interesting layers of acoustic instrumentals. There is plenty being said elsewhere about this album so I will leave it to others.

The Harrow and the Harvest album artwork has a life of its own. See the story below.


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Back in April John Hartford, Tony Rice & Vassar Clements was released to almost no fanfare, which is probably why you are scratching your head wondering why you haven't heard of this album. With Roy Huskey on bass this album brings together some of the most influential acoustic artists of the past 20 years and definitely worth your money. Don't expect a ton of improv and solo work here. It's just straight-forward standards without much flash but still a lot of good music.

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Sarah Jarosz has followed up her debut 2009 release Song Up in Her Head with an equal effort. Follow Me Down presents 11 individually unique and entertaining tracks. Only two of the tracks are not originals including a Dylan and Radiohead cover (with help from fellow Radiohead fan Chris Thile) and there isn't a bad song in this package. The whole album leaves we wondering just how good can she become?

Hear Sarah talk about the new album.



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The Greencards latest release The Brick Album is out. This one may be more of a stretch for some. There are times when this album is pretty awesome like when Same Bush joins them for the groovy/pop/earthy "Make it Out West" but there are some songs that drag this album down as well. Take a good listen to previews on this one before you buy the whole thing.



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Sunday, June 19, 2011

Chris Thile and Michael Daves at NPR

... it's a tiny desk concert.

Because I Can... and Want To

Ahhhhh... Darrell Scott for my Sunday morning!

Rod Picott "Welding Burns"

Rod Picott
Welding Burns
Here's a guy you may know... but didn't know it. He has a resume that runs from hanging drywall to the opening act for Alison Krauss and Union Station. In 2001 Picott co-wrote "Broke Down" which his childhood friend Slaid Cleaves recorded and made the most played song in Americana radio. The song grabbed Austin City Music Awards "Song of the Year" honors and ended up on the Brian Koppelman film "Solitary Man" starring Michael Douglas.

This is Picott's sixth album and it's packed full of songs of hard labor and leftover pain. "Rust Belt Fields" is the perfect example. The song paints the emotional leftovers of the raw and brutal core realities of business and the inability to return the same dedication as those whose hands built it.

This guy is a great songwriter and presents his craft extremely well. If you're into the Americana sound that's a bit rough around the edges and brutal at it's core then this is a great album for you.


Buy the album at Village Records
Rod Picott's website

Friday, June 17, 2011

Return of the Communion! New Music

Man, the cobwebs are thick! Time to sip the bourbon and share some new music. Just a couple albums you should add to your library.

Chris Thile & Michael Daves
Sleep with One Eye Open
Nonesuch Records

Mavin meets tradition in a New York City bar. The journey leads to a Nashville studio owned by Jack White. The end result, an incredible hour of music that absolutely ROCKS! These two beyond-incredible musicians attack bluegrass-y tunes with a fervor and end up presenting it in a raw form that takes the concept one step beyond. Buy this NOW!

Nonesuch background



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Greg Brown
Freak Flag
Yep Roc Records

The weathered voice is unmistakably Greg Brown and the story is as good as the record. His 24th release was delayed by a lightning strike that wiped out all but the title track of the record. Brown picked up his bags and headed to Memphis to re-record the lost tunes plus add a few more. Great stuff from a tremedously cool cat.

Yep Roc album bio & purchase