It’s a rainy, dreary day here in Chicago and what better way to spend it than with the Baroque English folk of Nick Hudson. Nick Hudson’s new record, The Elegy, is out on Kiddiepunk Records in June.
On the song “Atlantic Dash” Nick hits just one note: somber. But listening to some of the other songs that are streaming on MySpace show an experimental side to this artist that’s not apparent from this one song.
“Real” publications do it, so why not Songs:Illinois? Here’s a letter to the editor, music blog style, with links to live shows from Mark Jungers, Scott Nolan and Danny Schmidt. Thanks to Chad for sending this along.
Hey man-
Got a bunch of links and info for you, that you may or may not know.
Saw your post on the new Adam Carroll record. It’s great. It was produced by Scott Nolan (who wrote the song “Bad Liver and a Broken Heart’ on Hayes’ new record), and recorded in Mark Junger’s garage, and engineered by Jungers, who might have helped out with some of the production too, not sure.
Here’s one of my favorite shows that I went to in 2007: Mark Jungers, with Scott Nolan and Adam. Adam plays, for the first time ever live (i think), Oklahoma Hustler and Hi-Fi Love, and perhaps the funniest version of “Werewolves of London” i’ve ever heard. Mark’s cover of “Powderfinger”, with Scott Nolan on lead, is however, one of the best cover versions I’ve heard.
Mark Jungers w/Scott Nolan and Adam Carroll (Flac file)
If you don’t know Scott Nolan, check him out. He’s got a bunch of videos on YouTube. He and Joanna Miller play as a duo, and get a sound that sounds like a 5 piece band.
Also, a buddy of mine (who taped the above show also), recently taped Danny Schmidt, and Danny played a bunch of new ones. Thought you might want to check that out:
Danny Scmidt (Flac) (listen for Danny’s great new song about globalization)
Lastly, I discovered The Lonelyhearts through your site. Really really dig their tunes. Don’t know if you knew or not, but their first band has a ton of downloads available at www.rustbeltmusic.com
Figured I’d gotten enough stuff from your site that I should share a bit.
-Chad
I’m not completely sold on all the young newgrassy bands (how `bout you?). Crooked Still, The Duhks and others just leave me a little cold. The music is pristine and shiny, but at times lacks the passion of less acclaimed and even less purely talented groups.
One of the most acclaimed young groups that stradle this line between polished bluegrass and down to earth country is Nashville’s Infamous Stringdusters. They’ll be releasing their new record on Sugar Hill In June. The guys in the `Dusters can certainly play, and that, along with their age and scruffy appearance, are a few of the reasons the band is treated more like a jam band than a bluegrass band on the road.
So here’s “You Can’t Handle The Truth” from the sophomore long player from the Infamous Stringdusters. Compare and contrast with the Hayman, Watkins, Trout and Lee song below.
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What perfect timing. Here’s an example of an English band playing traditional American music just for kicks around the kitchen table. Hayman, Watkins, Trout and Lee is the name of Darren Hayman’s bluegrass inspired americana group. Darren Hayman is the former front man for the English cult pop group Hefner. So this will receive a wider release than your “typical” London bluegrass band; it’ll be out on Fortuna POP! via Cargo and iTunes on May 6 (today!).
They literally recorded this around the kitchen table in Darren’s flat. It’s probably a purist’s nightmare and is no doubt riddled with miscues and off key singing. But there’s something to this. The lyrics are original and address topics that are more relevant cold Appalachian winters and/or moonshine stills. So again compare this with the song above and see what you think.
Buy it now here. Here’s the song “Sly and the Family Stone”
and a cute video of Darren’s dog running around England to the tune of “Beulah Crossing The Marshes”
So which do you prefer or did you even read this far?
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Bonus demo of “Don’t Flake Out On Me” from the upcoming reissue of Hefner’s 2nd record The Fidelity Wars.
This morning there appeared a horrible article in CNET about music blogs. It was filled with inaccuracies, misspellings (Lilly ?! Allen) and downright silliness. Idolator has already taken them to task but I can’t help to point out a few things as well.
First off, this quote – “we pick up the phone and bring original reporting” – by a Rolling Stone staffer about how Rolling Stone with it’s use of the common phone has blogs beat is just classic. I picture an intern or an old geezer with a typewriter, cigar and a rotary phone trying to call Man Man to get an update on the new record. Ironically the guys from Man Man have just abandoned phone use and gone all digital.
Secondly, for an article supposedly about Music Blogs its interesting to note he doesn’t speak with nary a one. None of the people he interviews writes a “real” blog in my opinion. This is not sour grapes I don’t care that he didn’t rush to my doorstep for a quote or two but I do care that he didn’t talk to StG, IGIF, MOKB, GvB etc etc. Maybe none of those guys were sitting by the phone either.
Finally, and maybe I’m wrong about this one, but the dude from Rolling stone is quoted as saying “”I wouldn’t call what they do as writing,” – is that even good grammar? If so it’s awkward at best.
P.S. This article was neither spell checked nor fact checked. And that’s part of the beauty of blogs. If RS even wanted to counteract this post it’d take `em 6weeks, a lot of phone calls (I generally don’t pick up) and a handful of interns. And we’d all be on to the next great band.
I’ve got a couple kids. And they drive me crazy. The most recent incident was a bad fall at the park by my 3 year old resulting in 4 stitches just millimeters from his right eye. Then one day this weekend both kids cried and tantrumed off and on all morning (mostly on). But all of that is quickly forgotten with a hug, a shared book, or a single that makes it out of the infield at t-ball.
Because of my kids I can relate to Lisa Cerbone’s new song for her daughter “Mia Noelle”. The lines in here that strike home about kids are “we have fallen under your spell” and “making friends with everyone”. That’s the truth about little kids.
Lisa’s new record is called We Were All Together and is the first for her in over seven years. Lisa has worked extensively with Mark Kozelek in the past, although on this record she collaborates with some of Baltimore’s finest musicians.
I was introduced to Lisa on a lullaby sampler put out by La Blogotheque. The songs on the new record can be thought of as lullaby’s as well. They’re mostly soft with gentle fingerpicking and subtle instrumentation. Lisa’s voice is stunning and haunting in equal quantities. You can buy this here now at Amazon.
Bonus:
“Tiny Patch Of Earth” video
(Wash Out Your Dirty Eyes by Keiti Ota)
I’m still liking everything I hear from Russian Red, Cable & Tweed mostly agrees but questions her choice of Cyndi Lauper covers.
3Hive expounds on the Joe Pug phenomena (fyi Joe will be performing at the next Songs:Illinois House Concert on June 6 – email me if you’re interested in attending).
The fiendishly good blog Anyone’s Guess has some lofi folk from Nathan Moomah.
Quarterlifeparty has 2 songs from the Wye Oak spinoff Noble Lake.
When I first wrote about Heather Waters and her 2004 record Shadow Of You I was impressed by it’s subtlety and it’s quiet moments of desperation. Heather’s brand new record, Propeller, has gone in a completely different direction. Now instead of being compared to Gillian Welch or Lucinda Williams her new material can more closely be compared to Canadian singer Holly Cole or even L.A. darling Aimee Mann.
It’s a pretty radical shift for Heather. Pedal steel has been replaced by B3 organ, acoustic guitars by electric and brushed drums by a heavy beat. This has been a conscious effort on Heather’s part which she elaborates on in the bio section of her website.
“I don’t want to be restricted by genre, or at least, people’s perceptions of what genre is,” Waters states, adding, “I live in Los Angeles. I’m married to a rock drummer. We own a pit bull named Rosebud. I don’t drive a truck and I haven’t ridden a horse or lived on a farm in ages. I might say “howdy,” but there’s more to me than that and I think the music should reflect that.”
You can buy Propeller now at CdBaby here.
I already have a Honky-Tonk Friday and an occasional Bluegrass Tuesday and I should rightly add an Austin Thursday. Austin is the hub of all things Americana, folk and alt-country. And Band Of Heathens have risen to the top of that heap. This is not just me blowing smoke but the whole town of Austin agrees as the group was named best new band in Austin in 2007.
This group of disparate singer-songwriters (Colin Brooke, Ed Jurdi, Gordy Quist, Seth Whitney and John Chipman) began playing a casual weekly gig together that quickly turned into the “it” show in town. So they decided to combine talents, come up with a name and work together as a band.
Their debut record is due out soon produced by Ray Wylie Hubbard with special guests Patty Griffin, Gurf Morlix and Stephen Bruton.
“Jackson Station” is the type of soaring anthem that probably goes over pretty well in the bars along Sixth Street. But it’s also nuanced enough to be just right for Songs:Illinois. I like that you get two distinct vocalists as well as Bandesque harmonies throughout. Lyrically the song is filled with iconic images of trains, funerals and gin whiskey.
Pre-order the self titled debut here.
“Jenny Was A Keeper”
