REVIEW: Tim O'Brien and Darrell Scott - Memories and Moments

Tim O'Brien and Darrell Scott are Americana royalty. Among other achievements, I have always treasured O'Brien's 1996 album of Dylan covers Red on Blonde. Their talent is also highly sought after in mainstream Nashville country, where the competition to have songs recorded is fierce. You would be hard-pressed to find another duo whose songs have been recorded by chart-toppers like The Dixie Chicks, Dierks Bentley, Nickel Creek, Kathy Mattea, Faith Hill, Guy Clark, Sam Bush, Brad Paisley, Sara Evans, Garth Brooks, Patty Loveless, Trace Adkins and Tim McGraw. This partially explains why, after their 2000 record Real Time met with such universal acclaim, it still took 13 years for them to find the time to record a followup. But man, was it worth the wait. I have rarely heard a duo with such perfect vocal harmonies and such perfectly coordinated instrumental runs. On some of the longer songs, they really stretch out and play - check out "Fiddler Jones":



Scott's from Kentucky and O'Brien from West Virginia, but even without knowing that, anyone listening can tell they come by their mountain music credentials honestly. Add to that their willingness and qualifications to address mountaintop removal and the legacy of mining in that part of the world: note their dead-on take on John Prine's "Paradise" (including a version with Prine himself), which plays off their original song "Keep Your Dirty Lights On" - odes to a back-breaking legacy and mountains removed, never to return, so a growing nation could have power and "Mr. Peabody" could keep his coal train filled.



There are common country and mountain music themes - religion ("On Life's Other Side"), family ("Memories and Moments"), love both found ("Angel's Blue Eyes") and lost (an absolutely devastating, mournful take on Hank Williams' "Alone and Forsaken").



And the album features unadorned traditional country and mountain music instrumentation - just perfect interplay among resonators, acoustic guitars, fiddles and mandolins. The album is on a newly formed label, Full Skies (a combination of Scott's Full Light and O'Brien's Howdy Skies) and distributed via Thirty Tigers. It's wonderful in every way - great singing, great playing, and you can feel their love for the music. You can buy it at their combined website (link below) - either digital or physical CD.

Tim and Darrell website
Howdy Skies (Tim O'Brien) website
Full Light (Darrell Scott) website
Thirty Tigers

New Video from William Tyler - "A Portrait of Sarah"

Nashville guitarist William Tyler's Impossible Truth is one of the best records of 2013... and one of the best guitar instrumental records since John Fahey's heyday. We reviewed it here, and have shared a few videos that were released as followups. In addition to his guitar work, Tyler runs a restaurant/music venue in Nashville, The Stone Fox. And he makes engaging, interesting videos, like this one for album track "A Portrait of Sarah". Made with Nashville filmmaker Michael Carter, it's an homage to the 1971 film Two Lane Blacktop, and once again Tyler's music serves as a cinematic inspiration.



Read more about Tyler and the album, listen or just buy it at Merge Records.

REVIEW: Vandaveer - Oh, Willie, Please

Vandaveer's new album Oh, Willie, Please requires a strong constitution. Not the music, the music is terrific. Vandaveer's core is a duo - Mark Charles Heidinger and Rose Guerin - and they are both terrific vocalists, with a real knack for the type of clear, evocative singing that folk ballads require. But the subject matter... well, it was only a matter of time, I suppose, before someone came up with an all-murder-ballad album. Inspired by their participation in The 78 Project (which featured other WYMA favorites and may inspire a post of its own on WYMA at some point), Heidinger and Guerin moved forward with just that in mind.

In addition to Heidinger and Guerin, the band on this album also features J. Tom Hnatow (These United States, The Mynabirds) and Phillips Saylor (Stripmall Ballads, The Shiftless Rounders) with steel string, resonator and pedal steel guitars, banjos and pianos. And these tragic, timeless ballads are played and sung impeccably, with intricate harmonies between Heidinger and Guerin, and lots of beautiful interplay between the string instruments. The pedal steel on "The Knoxville Girl" and the resonator on "Banks of The Ohio" and "Mary of the Wild Moor" are particular highlights, but it's all at a very high level.

Heidinger takes the lead on the first few songs, and he's got a great voice for this material. Not an otherworldly tenor like Ralph Stanley (whose "Pretty Polly" duet with Patty Loveless may be familiar to some readers), Heidinger's mid-range vocal supplies a sense of gravity that makes this collection of songs very "earth-bound", for want of a better description. It's an approach that a whole album of material like this calls out for. Guerin takes the lead on "The Railroad Boy" and she's got a clear, ringing voice that can occupy the lower register as it does on this song, but the higher one on some of the duets. She does a wonderful job with this song and her other lead "The Drunkard's Doom", which are really beautifully sung. Heidinger's vocal highlight, in my opinion, is "Poor Edward" which, having more spare instrumentation, relies more on the singing, and to great effect.

Here's the video for "Pretty Polly":



And you can listen, and download it here:



The album is rich, full and as well-played as any folk album I've heard in years. The inspiration of America's historical folk recordings that drove Vandaveer to make this record is obvious in the theme, the truly amazing vocals and the depth of emotion that is evoked. In listening, you are left with the sense that this band will be a tremendous live presence... and they are heading out on tour to support the album next week - more info here. The record is out Tuesday (Apr. 30) and you can learn more, or order the record from their website.

Vandaveer Website

Water Liars - Wyoming, out in March - free download of "Fake Heat" available now

Water Liars is a Mississippi duo, Andrew Bryant and Justin Kinkel-Schuster, whose sophomore LP Wyoming will be out 3/5 on Big Legal Mess/Fat Possum.

"Fake Heat" is the first track off Wyoming, and they've made it available for free download as a preview.



This is recommended if you like well-sung folk rock like Richard Buckner or the recently-featured Joshua James - a good strong, evocative voice over fairly delicate instrumentation.

New Americana Discovery - Joey Kneiser: Moonlight For The Graveyard Heart

Glossary's Joey Kneiser has an EP, Moonlight For The Graveyard Heart coming out tomorrow (Dec. 11), and it's a very enjoyable piece of Americana. When I say "Americana", think beyond just "anti-Nashville" and include in your universe artists like The Band. Because (and I know this is a very strong statement) this 5-song EP reminds me of some of Rick Danko's work, both in the Band and his solo stuff.

Kneiser's got a very pleasant but slightly off-kilter croon, and on this disc has created five really enjoyable slices of well-sung folk-rock. Lead track "So Many Midnights Ago" features pretty sparse instrumentation backing his plaintive wail about lost times and forgotten people - really, just an acoustic guitar and some synthesizer for the first 2:30, then the song fills out into a lush piece of pop that calls to mind Wilco's Summerteeth or something similar (which, in turn, if we're honest with ourselves, calls to mind lush 70's pop like ELO). The second cut, "Born With A Black Eye" starts out in the lush pop territory, with some gentle, meandering guitar sounds - the song reminds me quite a bit of an old favorite, "Moonlight Mile". Given the album's title, I don't suppose that's entirely a coincidence.

Enough with the comparisons to album rock titans of the '70's... take a listen... and for $4 you can take it with you and listen any time you want.



I really like this record, and a little more each time I listen. Score another one for This Is American Music.

REVIEW: Joshua James - From The Top Of Willamette Mountain

From The Top Of Willamette Mountain is the latest and third album from Utah's Joshua James, and it is a triumph, a record you can truly get lost in. Like some of My Morning Jacket's best work and the recent Damien Jurado record we reviewed here, it features excellent and affecting songs, a variety of tempos, a lot of reverb, terrific songcraft and a unique lead vocalist.

He's really got an amazing way with a song - on the acoustic ones (opener "Mystic" and "Doctor, Oh Doctor") he and Richard Swift (Damien Jurado, Gardens and Villas) mix it just right. On the more rocking songs, he and Swift excel at building them to what would seem a peak, only to top that with a well-placed pedal steel, nicely multitracked vocals or a string section.

You can download "Queen Of The City", the second track on the album, here. I think it's the best song on the record, and that's saying a lot - there are lots of very good songs on here. "Feel The Same" is a pretty ballad with some sobering lyrics: "I started wishing for a chemical to make me feel/ A little more animal and a little less real" - and all kinds of effects backing up a pretty simple construction. "Holly, Halej" is a beautiful, soaring yet understated rock song - almost a hymn with drums, bass, electric and pedal steel guitar.

Here is a video for "Ghost In The Town":

You can learn more, or buy the record at his label, Intelligent Noise. The record came out last week - so you're in luck. It's available now.

As a bonus, here's a video of James performing Tom Waits' "Green Grass":

Even if his songs weren't so good, his voice might draw you in. But his songs are very good. 

First Aid Kit - new video for "Wolf", iTunes session, upcoming tour

First Aid Kit continues to enthrall audiences worldwide. Here's the video for the new single "Wolf":



And they're meeting with great success all around the world... a long way from those videos of them performing folk songs in the woods, and yet pretty much the same thing: two ladies with great voices singing in really close harmony.

Performing Simon and Garfunkel's "America":



Here's a link to buy the iTunes Session - they've reworked a few of the songs from Lion's Roar and earlier records, plus a few they had not recorded before.

And tour dates:


SEPT. 24         CHICAGO, IL                    METRO*
SEPT. 25         ANN ARBOR, MI                THE BLIND PIG*
SEPT. 26         TORONTO, ON                  DANFORTH MUSIC HALL*
SEPT. 28         BOSTON, MA                    ROYALE NIGHTCLUB*
SEPT. 29         NEW YORK, NY                 IRVING PLAZA*
SEPT. 30         BROOKLYN, NY                 MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG*
OCT. 2            WASHINGTON, DC            SIXTH & I HISTORIC SYNAGOGUE*
OCT. 3            ASHEVILLE, NC                 ORANGE PEEL*
OCT. 4            ATLANTA, GA                   BUCKHEAD THEATRE*
OCT. 5            NASHVILLE, TN                3RD & LINDSLEY*
OCT. 6            ST. LOUIS, MO                 FIREBIRD*
OCT. 8            OMAHA, NE                     WAITING ROOM*
OCT. 9            LAWRENCE, KS                 THE GRANADA THEATRE*
OCT. 12          AUSTIN, TX                      AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL
OCT. 13          DALLAS, TX                      THE KESSLER THEATER*
OCT. 16          LOS ANGELES, CA              THE FONDA THEATRE*
OCT. 17          SAN FRANCISCO, CA          THE FILLMORE AUDITORIUM*
OCT. 19          PORTLAND, OR                  ROSELAND THEATER*
OCT. 20          SEATTLE, WA                    NEPTUNE**

New Country/Folk Discovery: Aaron Embry - Tiny Prayers

Aaron Embry is working in a timeless style - acoustic country music with guitar, piano and harmonica, and twangy, emotion-filled vocals. Some of these songs would not be out of place in, say, an old Jimmy Stewart western - they're that earnest, spare and plainspoken.

Here's "Moon Of The Daylit Sky":



It's really charming stuff, and highly recommended if you enjoy the likes of Mumford & Son and The Avett Brothers. Here he is performing "Your Heart And Mine":



He's toured with Elliott Smith, Willie Nelson and Daniel Lanois and will soon be supporting Milo Greene:

NOV. 1 ANN ARBOR, MI BLIND PIG

NOV. 2 CHICAGO, IL LINCOLN HALL
NOV. 3 MADISON, WI HIGH NOON SALOON
NOV. 4 MINNEAPOLIS, MN VARSITY THEATER
NOV. 7 ST. LOUIS, MO FIREBIRD
NOV. 8 LAWRENCE, KS THE BOTTLENECK
NOV. 9 DENVER, CO BLUEBIRD THEATER
NOV. 10 SALT LAKE CITY, UT KILBY COURT
NOV. 13 VANCOUVER, BC  THE MEDIA CLUB
NOV. 14 SEATTLE, WA THE CROCODILE
NOV. 16 SAN FRANCISCO, CA THE INDEPENDENT
NOV. 17 LOS ANGELES, CA EL REY THEATER

Tiny Prayers will be out next week (Sept 18) via Community Music.

New Spanish Folk Rock Discovery: Maria Rodés - Sueño Triangular​

Maria Rodés is a Spanish singer/songwriter who is creating some of the most beautiful pop music I've heard in some time... touching on folk, alt/country and even some gently rocking soul, but with an almost supernatural voice in front of all the tempos and arrangements.

Here's the lead track "Te Vi" - gently picked acoustic guitar, lush keyboards, and that voice:



And here's the second song "Cae Lo Que Fuego Fue", which features a gently rocking second half, and serves as a good example of the variety and quality of her songs on this record:



Here's "Mirall" - the vocals, again:



It's out now on BCore Disc.

New Video from First Aid Kit - Conan appearance

First Aid Kit (who we recently reviewed here) appeared on Conan recently, performing "Emmylou":



No studio tricks, no overdubs, just great vocal harmonies and a real feel for the song. Not hard to see what all the fuss is about.

They are on tour - Coachella this weekend (no, no HoloGram Parsons, sorry) and then back to Europe to finish up, including several dates opening for Jack White.

REVIEW: Leigh Marble - Where The Knives Meet Between The Rows

Leigh Marble is a Portland-based singer/songwriter who will release on April 24 his third album Where The Knives Meet Between The Rows, an intimate, very emotional collection of songs written through a very challenging period of Marble's life. On songs like "Walk" and "Holden", the emotion is right on the surface, and on songs like the gentle, dirge-like "Evil" and the longer "Nail", the emotion informs the entire track.

Click here for a download of "Walk" the opening track - a slow building, country-tinged track that revives, for me, memories of the great Joe Ely... another sharp observer of the human condition and the triumphs and tragedies that make up a life.

"Jackrabbit" (download available here) is a masterpiece, a full-bodied country rock ode to hangers-on, or as Marble introduces the song "strippers and politicians". Your choice, I suppose. The song starts in a bit of a minimalist vein, like "Walk" with a quicker tempo, but in the chorus it really gets going as Marble sings over the top of a rollicking drumbeat, keyboards and guitars in full roar:

"Who's bought out shares of your loyalty
Let's follow the dollar and see
Who's waiting in the wings to collect
As their demands get more direct?"

Here's a video of a recent performance of "Pony":



Well-written and extremely well-played, this album is out April 24 on Laughing Stock Records. On this record he has help from Erin McKeown, and local Portland musicians Jesse Emerson (Amelia, The Decemberists), Matt Harmon & Kali Giaritta (of The Ascetic Junkies), and Rachel Taylor-Brown.

Leigh Marble website

The Next Shiny Thing - Distractions discovered on the way to somewhere else

I noticed a common element in live Sly Stone videos while selecting clips in honor of Sly Stone's birthday. In each of the videos, Sly sported a runny nose worthy of former Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis

Sly Stone sported a shiny upper lip on a number of performances throughout the 70's.



The sheen was the direct result of massive cocaine ingestion. As I watched more clips, I realized the tell tale sign was a constant.

Shortly after Sly's B'day I was checking out clips of Merle Haggard. As I am wont to do, I became distracted by performances by George Jones. In addition to being, perhaps, the finest country singer of all time, George was renowned for his battles with the bottle, Tammy Wynette and prescription drugs. George's drug of choice were black beauties -pharmaceutical amphetamine (aka speed). Strictly speaking, a black beauty was a tablet of Biphetamine, manufactured by Strasenburgh Labs before finally being pulled from the market in 1998. Black beauties allowed George to engage in the buzz maintenance required by prodigious alcohol consumption and nightly performances on the Country & Western Circuit.

Check out George's eyes in this clip. The man is wired for sound. The same look I used to see in tweaking truckers and bikers in my bartending days. I am sure he had to fight turning three minute songs into two minute ditties.



Other notable examples of video intoxication are Sid Vicious



Shane McGowan pushed the edge of the alkie envelope while performing with the Pogues.



During my years as a bartender I witnessed far too many substance fueled crash and burns. The blues greats were particularly susceptible. However, folkies were every bit as susceptible - John Fahey and Phil Ochs were two notable disasters I witnessed.

REVIEW: First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar

Scott recently featured this Swedish duo on his Midnight World Pop Scout, and since their new album is creating quite a buzz, we thought perhaps a full review/feature might be in order.

A bit of backstory, or perhaps you already know the backstory. No? Well, apparently these two sisters filmed a video of themselves performing blues standards in the forest, and thousands of YouTube hits later, they were international sensations. The legend grew - when they were playing a show at a small club in Nashville, word was sent to them that Jack White wanted to meet them and would like to record a song or two at his Third Man Studios. If you haven't heard it, here is the song "It Hurts Me, Too" - an old favorite and a nice recording:



What people are responding to in First Aid Kit, aside of course from their strong, clear voices, are reverence for and love of traditional folk music that seem to be universal. In the US, of course, we call it "country music" and we've done it every which way: down home with an acoustic guitar and a stark song of murder and betrayal, and uptown with horns and lush string sections backing crying songs of heartbreak and unrequited love - and everything in between.

So, these girls have apparently listened to all that, and along with producer Mike Mogis, who has produced some delightfully "throwback" records with M Ward, decided to throw a bit of all of it into their second album.

Here's the title track:



The thing I find most interesting about their journey to where they currently reside is that they came to Nashville and put together a truly rocking version of an old blues standard, then went to Omaha to make a record that, in a lot of ways, pays homage to the old Nashville "countrypolitan" sound.

But, in the end, it's the voices. They know that, as did White and as does Mogis. Listen to the yodel, the cry and the harmonies in "Emmylou". This is the single:



If you're looking for good country music and you don't mind it coming from another country, you'll find it here.

First Aid Kit Website

Midnight World Pop Scout: First Aid Kit; Hhappiness

Because it's always midnight somewhere....

Tonight we have two groups from Sweden who have a discernible American feel to their music


Johanna and Klara Söderberg, sisters from Stockholm, comprise First Aid Kit. However, if you didn't know they were from Sweden, you'd guess--just based on the sound--that they were from the southern United States. And to my ears, the sound isn't a glossy Scandinavian cover of the Americana/country genre, but an authentic and warm presentation of our roots music. And I'll admit to a fondness for bands that list snowball fights as a band interest.

Johanna and Klara released The Big Black & the Blue in 2010, and now they are releasing The Lion's Roar. Here is the title track --

The same track on Soundcloud, if you prefer--
First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar by Wichita Recordings

Even if I weren't convinced to like this group before, finding a song about Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons sells the deal quite nicely.


Blogfather John Hyland advised me that First Aid Kit released a this single on Jack White's Third Man Records.

My understanding is that the albums and one or more singles are available on Amazon and iTunes.

"Ghost Town" is a single from First Aid Kit's debut LP--


Website
Facebook
Twitter ( @FirstAidKitBand )



Hhappiness is an lo-fi, experimental pop rock group from Stockholm--so experimental that they even have an extra "h" in their name. The group was formed three years ago but they are just now releasing their debut recording, the three-track bananas EP, on the French label, Almost Musique. The track here, "All Kinds of Trouble" seems to me to be a Swedish-Americana stomp. I know that may sound weird, but it actually is a nice track.
hhappiness - all kinds of trouble by AlmostMusique

"Bananas" --


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Almost Musique