New Music Monday

[Sarah in SC]

I know there are lots of musicians here....

So UPS just delivered a CD I am officially in love with!  It is Chris Knight's new Enough Rope.  This is his fourth album and it is powerful guitar/singer songwriter business.  Here is an exerpt of his review from Billboard: Billboard Magazine Review Monday, Jul 17th, 2006

While more mainstream country acts bluster about rednecks and hillbillies like it's a fashion statement, Kentucky's Chris Knight sings about rural fatalism and alienation with razor-sharp perception and narrative aplomb. By his own admission, the "body count's not as high" on his Drifter's Church debut, but the impact is just as powerful as Knight ups both the rock and violence quotient on "Jack Blue" and "Up From the Hill," then boogies convincingly on "River Road." "Rural Route" teems with stoic resignation, and the powerful "Dirt" hits home with its bitter take on urban sprawl. Elsewhere, "Old Man" and "William's Son" ecall early Steve Earle in their well-drawn character studies. The touring life is examined on "To Get Back Home," and the title cut is sad, beautiful and strong, a moving coda to perhaps Knight's best work yet. —Ray Waddell

It is hard to find new music, I find Pandora.com helps a lot...anyone else interested in the singer/songwriter genre have any favorites to share? The older stuff I like includes Steve Earle, John Prine, and Gram Parsons, but I find very few new releases that give me the same thrill.  I'm also a big fan of Robert Earl Keen, John Eddie, Cross Canadian Ragweed and Mark Knopfler. 

On another music related note, we just returned from Floydfest, a music festival up in Virginia.  The closing act on Sunday was David Bromberg and the Angel Singers.   Bromberg has not been touring in many years but...WOW!  He can make a guitar talk and sing, and the Angel Singers were nothing short of amazing.  If you remember him from "back in the day", it is worth checking him out while he's touring again.

Thanks for any sage wisdom available...
Sarah

 

[Danny]

John Prine - I sure do have a lot of that guy's vinyl...lately downloaded his Fair & Square, Inspite of Ourselves, and Lost Dogs & Mixed Blessings - he's a treasure....

Also, like hearing Leo Kottke and Greg Brown - good songs great guitars great voices...

The kids got to know a local guy named Mason Jennings - so we hear his music quite a bit - I like him. Here's his website: http://www.masonjennings.com/

Pandora.com is seriously cool..thanks for turning me on to it.

 

[Sarah in SC]

In Spite of Ourselves is great, and includes duets with some very cool ladies--my favorite on that album is We Could, with Iris Dement (who played at the cool festival last weekend). I also love Dear John and Let's Invite Them Over.
My all time favorite John Prine has to be Spanish Pipedream. Hilarious.

I like that Ain't Got Love and Jackson Square from the Mason Jennings website, thanks for the link. Seems like an interesting guy, and I hear the George Harrison coming through loud and clear...

I have a lot of vinyl, slowly working my way through converting them to MP3s. I play vinyl, and the John Prine, Emmylou Harris, and Little Feat seem to always be out of their sleeves. I do have an autographed Leo Kottke album I got from somewhere, need to give it another listen.

Pandora RULES! Except that occasionally it will embarrass me (and Billy Bob Thornton I hope) by playing that his truly horrible song, Angelina.
Sarah

 

[Danny]

I just rediscovered Steve Goodman, Tom Rush and really heard Leonard Cohen for the first time - thanks to that open Pandora's box on my desktop....I'm not getting a lot done today, good thing I'm retired...heh heh heh heh..time to make some coffee to keep awake....so I can hear more music.

 

[HFWR]

A few other names...

Tom Lehrer, Loudin Wainwright III, Phil Ochs, Austin Lounge Lizards, Asylum Street Spankers, John Hartford...

 

[Sarah in SC]

Ooh, I love Asylum Street, Wammo is great, my favorite is Hick Hop from the Mercurial album. They played Floydfest last year. The best young artist there this year was William Walters, who had a great stage presence and a Dave Matthews sort of sound.

I'll check out the other guys, thanks!
Sarah

 

[ERD50]

I just rediscovered Steve Goodman...

If you never saw him perform live, you really, really missed something. The guy went from wacky and energetic to philosophical/emotional/romantic and never missed a beat.

All while fighting leukemia, which took him way too young.

The live side of his 'Anthology' CD (with Jethro Burns on mandolin - from Homer & Jethro) and the on-air recordings of 'The Easter Tapes' come close to capturing what he could do live. But, I think it is tough to appreciate his genius if you never saw him perform. A true artist.

-ERD50

 

[Danny]

If you never saw him perform live, you really, really missed something. The guy went from wacky and energetic to philosophical/emotional/romantic and never missed a beat.

All while fighting leukemia, which took him way too young.

The live side of his 'Anthology' CD (with Jethro Burns on mandolin - from Homer & Jethro) and the on-air recordings of 'The Easter Tapes' come close to capturing what he could do live. But, I think it is tough to appreciate his genius if you never saw him perform. A true artist.

-ERD50

That's right...that was my experience too.

I went to see John Prine at Berkeley Community Theater. They announced from the stage that Prine had to cancel because of illness - the substitute would be his bud Steve. The crowd was initially very let down.
SG comes on stage just himself & guitar to polite quiet applause.
Started off with "When The Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob Bobbin' Along" soon the crowd was singing along and everything was copacetic from then on..he just oozed warmth and humor. His enthusiasm was contagious. We had a great time....

 

[HFWR]

Have an old video recording of SG (no, not sgeeee) from Austin City Limits, with guest Jethro. "Men Who Love Women Who Love Men" and "Elvis Imitator" are among the gems, as well as "Banana Republic" and "City of New Orleans".

He's also the writer of the perfect country song, made famous by David Allan Coe, entitled "You Never Even Call Me By My Name".