Rolling Country 2006 Thread

Agree with jako upthread about Jessi Colter's voice: weathered without being decimated or elderly, a lot more left than either Bare or Lynn. That said, and this is only after one listen, but so far this doesn't come close to the Bare or Lynn; on most of the tracks it's only the voice that's speaking to me, the songs taking the same in-one-ear-out-the-other trip as much much much recent blues. I can't explain it, especially seeing as how a couple days ago "One Way Out" was doing its work of pouring like glue into my mind and gut. Maybe with me and blues it's either special or it's zero.

A couple of songs, though, reach me: "Starman," and especially "So Many Things," which sounds simultaneously like a lament and an incantation, chords going around and around while her voice quietly lays down its devastating tones. I haven't checked yet as to whether its words have anything to do with devastation, and the three songs that immediately come to mind when I hear this are Pajama Party's "Over and Over," the Dells' "There Is," and Jefferson Starship's "A Child Is Coming," all of which are far more noisy and exuberant than this one, none of which I would think to call devastating, but all three have that sense of reaching up and calling down while chords circle dramatically underneath them. Whatever I mean that; Bowie's "Man Who Sold the World" has the same feel. (Five songs from five different genres.)

And Martin, I will try to read that piece tomorrow.

Natalie Maines may be the best singer in the world when she's cracking her whip. It's she not Gretchen whom Miranda Lambert reminds me of. But you know, this isn't as good as Kerosene. I don't think the problem is the songs per se. "Ready to Run," "Goodbye Earl," and "Sin Wagon" are fabulous - whip crackers all three, but with beauty in 'em too, and the other songs all are decent enough. Somewhere, though, in the arrangements or the approach there's the lure of decorousness. Not sure what's wrong (and it's not that wrong; this is a good album); maybe the voice and style are too appropriate to each song, so each comes off as "what you'd expect for that particular type of song."

I'm not being articulate about this, am I? These women are live wires, but maybe that's them, not their taste, which is merely So Cal country-rock. So something has to jostle them. We'll see what's to come. I'm looking forward to the next one.

But my rudiments of music theory don't extend to my understanding what's happening with close-sung harmonies. And so here's my question: Everly Brothers, and through them Louvins and others, are in the ancestry of this music. Right? Or am I wrong? When I heard "Cathy's Clown," about fifteen years after it came out, this was like finding the Rosetta Stone. "Oh, that's the Beatles, "All I Wanna Do," "Not a Second Time." And then the Byrds drawing from folk, "Wild Mountain Thyme." So where is this coming from? Its insane sweetness was new, but the sound didn't come out of nowhere. (And am I right about "Rush" and "4ever" belonging to this line, or are they from somewhere else? Is there a music theorist in the house?)

I haven't heard the Veronicas yet, so can't speak to that, but as a general quesiton about Beatle/Byrd-esque harmonies and their off-shoots, oh yeah, most definitely. Another significant close harmony source would be The Blue Sky Boys, who don't get the props they deserve, though I think they predate the Louvins.

Also, a singer named Megan Mullins on indie label Broken Bow has a single at #52. Has anybody heard any of these songs? Are they good?

ANOTHER black woman country singer from cdbbaby: Buffalo-born Dionne Chin, more blatantly bluesy and even boogiefied than Miko Marks or Rhonda Towns. First track has rockabilly yelps and almost sounds pub rock; second song has goes light-Celine-Dion-melisma; third song has '80s new wave AOR production and a slight Shania tinge; "House of Broken Love" is a a harder boogie with a dark mood: Dionne "dealing with the devil" like Terri Gibbs in "Somebody's Knockin'"; "Country From My Boots On Up" is about how Music Row only wants to sing blond white girls "bright of eye and under 21" and "from the south"; "I Want It All" ends with soul-sister/gospel backup that sounds a lot like the backup on Mellencamp's *Lonesome Jubilee*; catchy closer has Dionne saying she'll take the wheel when they hit Mobile. Versatile!

and her name is Dionne CHINN (with two n's).

I'm going to dig around for info on Moody Scott in the next few days. And Martin, you the man on soul, seems to me; and I want to read your George Jackson thing...
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My copy of the Rhonda Towns (her name makes me think of former mining communities in South Wales but that's British people for you) arrived yesterday. First reaction is that it's mixed but when it hits, it really hits. I can't get enough of this slightly retro sounding modern country(politan), further recommendations welcomed.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/mikomarks

And this is the Stoney Edwards CD comp I swear by:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:cze997y0krrt

It occurs to me that one thing I hate about Steve Earle's version of "Rednecks" is that he really overplays its conceit, trying way too hard to sing it *like* a redneck (which Randy didn't really need to do at all), and it comes out ridiculous. I also have a feeling that Earle thinks using the N-word is hugely transgressive or some shit; he seems to give it this emphasis for no reason, like "look at me, I'm saying 'nigger', am I a renegade or what?" Though maybe I just imagined that. In contrast, Sonny Landreth (who has never done anything for me, inasmuch as I remember listening to him) really *underplays* "Louisiana 1927," and it's not great, but I don't mind it nearly as much. Maybe it's just that it would be really hard for *anybody* to do that song unmovingly now. (Well, except Steve Earle maybe, if he tried it.) Album also has the Duhks doing "Political Science," by the way, which I look forward to coming up on my random CD changer but it hasn't yet, and I've been too lazy to go un-random.

And Don, yes, I did get your Shackshakers thing. Thanks.

obviously, I'm a fan of Newman's, altho sometimes the cheap shots are a bit much, and it's not the sort of expansive, life-affirming music that I need to counterbalance my dark nites of the soul, etc.

and Don, shit, you absolutely need the Everly's "Roots." If you like the one I sent you. There are maybe 6 or 7 essential "country-rock" records, I went back and listened to a ton of that crap recently, and "Roots" probably beats 'em all except for maybe "Gilded Palace."

well, I'm having no problems with Jessi's record, after a few listens. I really love "Starman" and "You Can Pick 'Em" and "Out of the Rain," somehow the laggy electric piano on this record seems to establish a mood that's reflective but not too wet--she's wandering around the desert and she's staying cool, hydrated, remembering how Waylon used to laugh, maybe. for me, simple-minded fool I am, I just love the groove on most of this, like on "Velvet and Steel." and how she doesn't try too hard to be sexy, like she needs to try.

Shotgun Shack (see www.shotgun-shack.com) "My Guitar is a Memory" is really good if you think of it as a single with four extraneous alt-country B-sides ("recorded live one afternoon at Loho Studios in NYC"), less so if you think of it as an EP; your choice. I guess the second best song is "Welcome Back to the Nest." Title cut (opening couplet: "I got left outside of Austin, my guitar's still in the truck/Daaaaale Watson says he just ran out of luck") kicks much ass.
-- xhuxk (xedd...), November 16th, 2005.

All the contestants are so supremely confident, ambitious and grandiose in their plans, they're unnerving. But that's a common trait, I suppose, in reality 'reach for your dream' TV. You can't be a nebbish with a bit of doubt or desperation in your eye, until you get voted off, like Jewels Harrison did last night.

Criticisms wind up sounding stupid. Big could think of nothing to say that was clever one time so he chirped at the next to last guy for having too many of Steve Earle's stage moves. Shut it, Big. The dude was fine.

B&R opened the show with their hard rockin' "Comin' To You City." I can't follow the reasoning behind putting the midget/dwarf/little person with God Bless Tiny Tim canes/crutches onstage to rock out and grimace at the TV audience. This is bad practice and has to be stopped.

Cowboy Troy plays the comic foil/boob to Wynonna. I think the plan is to make the routine like the Sonny & Cher show if you remember that. I doubt if I'll be able to stick with it for the whole eight episodes.

Thanks for giving it a spin, Edd. I'm in Austin now (I'll keep my eyes out for you Josh; or drop me a line if you're checking the board) with a shitty wi-fi connection in my hotel room--apparently, if I stand on one foot and point the laptop northeast while humming "All My Exs Live in Texas", I get a connection.

Anyways, that's Anne Tkach (ex-Hazeldine and Nadine bassist) singing "Everything You Love", which I co-wrote with my friend Michael Friedman (who is not in the band), and Andy Ploof doing the Richard Thompsony guitar on "Hellbound Train" (a trad arr song, which Chuck Berry also cut), and yeah, I think you're right about the Fairporty qualities. But they're all friends, great people, so I'm not objective, but glad you're enjoying. If anybody else wants a copy (hey don, I need to send you one; drop me a line), just write.

I'm seeing The Mammals tomorrow, maybe Jessi Colter and Roky Erikson tonight. I'll report back.....

I guess the Newman thing isn't bad, having to choose from Sugarhill artists. I mean the possibilities are infinite; but I myself do just like to think about Del McCoury's thought-processes as he sings "Birmingham." did he know the song? probably, because there's really no such thing as local pros any more, and Del's hip. but actually he's boring doing "Birmingham." and it does sorta defeat him. "Rider in the Rain" suits Willy Braun of Reckless Kelly, this kind of artificial sorrow suits him too. but I coulda thought up, any one of us could have thought up, more interesting pairings. Toby Keith doing "Davey the Fat Boy." Gary Allan doing "Lucinda." Faith Hill doing "I Wish It Would Rain Today." Big & Rich doing one like "Political Science" or "It's Money I Love" from "Born Again."
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Yep, that's the routine. Troy acts like a goof, she looks slightly annoyed, cocks her eyebrows, makes a face or says something very vaguely
put down. It's really watered down Sonny & Cher.

The entire concept of open call auditions for 20,000 must appeal to an American chump's 'egalitarian' sense. But with a record contract at stake it's only an illusion. Realistically, the only people that are going to get on TV are those already polished to the state of readymade.

No Ted Mack's Amateur Hour. Most of the contestants seem technically better than the people whose names you didn't know on "Hee-haw."

eh, AMG seems to be saying that Dale Watson has mainly recorded for indies (Hightone, Audium, Koch), and just since the mid '90s, so no, probably no hits. (I was probably confusing those with Gene's, too.)

> It's really watered down Sonny & Cher.<

And wasn't Sonny & Cher mostly watered down Louis Prima and Keely Smith in the first place? At least that's the idea I've always had.

Thank you, Don! I think there are all kinds of other reasons why the reunited Green and Mitchell didn't work like the old days. Even if they'd had the old musicians (many are still available - I saw them playing together last year), they would still not have come up with a record to match any of Al Green's '70s Hi albums.

More explanation from the cdbaby page: "'Jack's Corner' is named after a tiny bar surrounded by sage-covered cattle grazing land that has survived the local development of southern California. Although you may work amongst the traffic and congestion of the city, you can drive for about a half an hour down a beautiful country road and come to this very special place where you can dance the night away."

And it occurs to me that lots of the CD takes place in SUBURBIA, really. So I may well be wrong about the desert, who knows. (Also, as anybody who has seen my second book might realize, I totally have a soft spot for Working-Woman Rock).

I'm pretty much done with the Randy Newman tribute, I think. Starting to think the Restless Kelly/Joe Ely cut isn't quite as great as I say above, and the Earle cut not quite as horrible. (I'm not sure I was right about the stress he gives the n-word, either.)Duhks' "Political Science" is kinda cool, a nice Dixieland-style move for them, and funniest when they drop the bomb on their sweet home Canada of course.

New in the 50: Most intriguing one, though perhaps mainly from a British perspective, is Rascal Flatts at #49 with 'What Hurts The Most', the song that ex-S Club lead singer Jo O'Meara attempted to launch her solo career in the UK with last year. Over here, it peaked at #13 then vanished without trace. Its American progress may be slightly more successful, you'd reckon...

-- William Bloody Swygart (thingummy9...), March 16th, 2006.

http://cdbaby_com/cd/j0hnnyrebel [not real link -- mods]