Davey
09-07-2006, 07:24 AM
Been a while since we've had a good ol' Americana lovefest around here, so who's been clanging your bell lately? Ya know, stuff like that new freak-folkie Devendra Banhart in my player right now, going on about his good friend Will, who sings like good ol' John Mayall on that classic Goin' back to California. And what does "tit smoking in the temple of artesan mimicry" really mean? And isn't "Rejoicing In The Hands" just a great song?
I'm kind of an alt-country and folk guy so don't listen to much new country, so with that proviso out of the way, one of my favorites of modern times is Gillian Welch. She and her husband/partner David Rawlings did a very good one a few years ago called "Time (the Revelator)" that's destined to be a modern classic in the loosely defined country folk genre, and very nice sounding too. Not really quite what I call country, but recorded simply, live in the studio with just a couple of Neumann mikes, Gillian and David, banjo and vintage acoustic guitars, and a lot of good music. Gillian describes the album, "As opposed to little tiny folk songs, they're really tiny rock songs performed in an acoustic setting. In our heads we went electric without changing instruments."
Also Richard Buckner is a big favorite along those same country folk lines. "Bloomed" is outstanding, along with some of his newer stuff too. The 1999 Rykodisc reissue has some nice bonus tracks, but it is kind of pumped up unfortunately.
And Califone has a lot of country folk leanings, especially on the excellent "Roomsound". A little more eclectic, for sure, but really typifies what I like in music.
And the Walkabouts. They did an album of covers in the mid 90s called "Satisfied Mind" that is outstanding, both musically and sonically. Real country. Even goes back to grab the 1927 Carter Family classic "The Storms Are On the Ocean" and make it a modern, moody classic. Beautiful album. I just recently picked up their "Ended Up A Stranger" from 2002 and it's really nice. Shouldn't have waited so long. Carla, as always, is a gem of a singer. Kinda wish she sang the lead even more often. The band is hot. The music is great. Even the sound is pretty nice, with Phil Brown producing and mixing along with the band, and Denis Blackham mastering. Brown and Blackham are a pretty good team. I have some others they've worked on like the Talk Talk reissue of "Spirit of Eden" that sounds great. Just honest and natural, without the fake pizzaz that wrecks a lot of CDs.
Lots more. That debut by Mary Gauthier called "Mercy Now" is really good. Kind of a Lucinda Williams bent at times, but still her own woman. Real emotional delivery. Made quite a few best of the year lists. Way too compressed like most modern stuff, but what can ya do? And of course, Lucinda is the real thing, anything by her is choice. I'm partial to the self-titled one from the end of the 80s, but "Car Wheels" from the mid 90s is a certified classic.
Over The Rhine is another one that gets some good press hereabouts. A couple years ago they put out a sprawling 2-CD (or gatefold LP) epic with both acoustic and electric sections called "Ohio" that was easily one of the best of 2003. Again not entirely country, but Karin Bergquist has such a wonderfully expressive voice and you won't find music and lyrics much more compelling than this. Think maybe something along the lines of Fleetwood Mac meets Gram Parsons (or maybe Whiskeytown covering Gram Parsons like they did on that great tribute album from a few years ago that Emmylou Harris put together called "The Return of the Grievous Angel"). The lush sound is a little reminiscent of the Cowboy Junkies or Blue Rodeo. Not as overtly pop sounding as the Fleetwood Mac reference would suggest (nor as dreamy and hedonistic either). Think more "Tusk" than something like "Rumours". Somewhat spiritual. Nicely recorded by Paul Mahern at Echo Park in Bloomington, Indiana on 2" analog tape.
And speaking of Emmylou Harris, the one she did with Daniel Lanois in the mid 90s called "Wrecking Ball" is outstanding. Man, it would be fun to discover another record like that one. My laser has dug around in those pits quite a few times.
Anyhoot, been kind of a slow alt-country and folk year for me so far. That Deadstring Brothers record was some good ol shiz, but it is kind of old sounding with a lot of the sound of The Band and Stones. Love the Willard Grant Conspiracy, but they've done it before. The top album on the charts at the americana.uk site is some great power pop from Daniel Wylie "The High Cost of Happiness" they rated 10 out of 10. Guess that says something, eh? Like, where's all the great country music?
Just ordered the new Woven Hand record a few days ago. Supposed to be very good, maybe his best. So been playing a bunch of Woven Hand and 16 Horsepower. But I'm open to suggestions .... new Nina Nastasia in a couple weeks! That one is big on my calendar, along with the highly anticipated new Califone. Yeah, that should get my twig shaking and rattling :)
I'm kind of an alt-country and folk guy so don't listen to much new country, so with that proviso out of the way, one of my favorites of modern times is Gillian Welch. She and her husband/partner David Rawlings did a very good one a few years ago called "Time (the Revelator)" that's destined to be a modern classic in the loosely defined country folk genre, and very nice sounding too. Not really quite what I call country, but recorded simply, live in the studio with just a couple of Neumann mikes, Gillian and David, banjo and vintage acoustic guitars, and a lot of good music. Gillian describes the album, "As opposed to little tiny folk songs, they're really tiny rock songs performed in an acoustic setting. In our heads we went electric without changing instruments."
Also Richard Buckner is a big favorite along those same country folk lines. "Bloomed" is outstanding, along with some of his newer stuff too. The 1999 Rykodisc reissue has some nice bonus tracks, but it is kind of pumped up unfortunately.
And Califone has a lot of country folk leanings, especially on the excellent "Roomsound". A little more eclectic, for sure, but really typifies what I like in music.
And the Walkabouts. They did an album of covers in the mid 90s called "Satisfied Mind" that is outstanding, both musically and sonically. Real country. Even goes back to grab the 1927 Carter Family classic "The Storms Are On the Ocean" and make it a modern, moody classic. Beautiful album. I just recently picked up their "Ended Up A Stranger" from 2002 and it's really nice. Shouldn't have waited so long. Carla, as always, is a gem of a singer. Kinda wish she sang the lead even more often. The band is hot. The music is great. Even the sound is pretty nice, with Phil Brown producing and mixing along with the band, and Denis Blackham mastering. Brown and Blackham are a pretty good team. I have some others they've worked on like the Talk Talk reissue of "Spirit of Eden" that sounds great. Just honest and natural, without the fake pizzaz that wrecks a lot of CDs.
Lots more. That debut by Mary Gauthier called "Mercy Now" is really good. Kind of a Lucinda Williams bent at times, but still her own woman. Real emotional delivery. Made quite a few best of the year lists. Way too compressed like most modern stuff, but what can ya do? And of course, Lucinda is the real thing, anything by her is choice. I'm partial to the self-titled one from the end of the 80s, but "Car Wheels" from the mid 90s is a certified classic.
Over The Rhine is another one that gets some good press hereabouts. A couple years ago they put out a sprawling 2-CD (or gatefold LP) epic with both acoustic and electric sections called "Ohio" that was easily one of the best of 2003. Again not entirely country, but Karin Bergquist has such a wonderfully expressive voice and you won't find music and lyrics much more compelling than this. Think maybe something along the lines of Fleetwood Mac meets Gram Parsons (or maybe Whiskeytown covering Gram Parsons like they did on that great tribute album from a few years ago that Emmylou Harris put together called "The Return of the Grievous Angel"). The lush sound is a little reminiscent of the Cowboy Junkies or Blue Rodeo. Not as overtly pop sounding as the Fleetwood Mac reference would suggest (nor as dreamy and hedonistic either). Think more "Tusk" than something like "Rumours". Somewhat spiritual. Nicely recorded by Paul Mahern at Echo Park in Bloomington, Indiana on 2" analog tape.
And speaking of Emmylou Harris, the one she did with Daniel Lanois in the mid 90s called "Wrecking Ball" is outstanding. Man, it would be fun to discover another record like that one. My laser has dug around in those pits quite a few times.
Anyhoot, been kind of a slow alt-country and folk year for me so far. That Deadstring Brothers record was some good ol shiz, but it is kind of old sounding with a lot of the sound of The Band and Stones. Love the Willard Grant Conspiracy, but they've done it before. The top album on the charts at the americana.uk site is some great power pop from Daniel Wylie "The High Cost of Happiness" they rated 10 out of 10. Guess that says something, eh? Like, where's all the great country music?
Just ordered the new Woven Hand record a few days ago. Supposed to be very good, maybe his best. So been playing a bunch of Woven Hand and 16 Horsepower. But I'm open to suggestions .... new Nina Nastasia in a couple weeks! That one is big on my calendar, along with the highly anticipated new Califone. Yeah, that should get my twig shaking and rattling :)