Ted Pitney was one of the founders of the bluegrassy collective King Wilkie. He’s just released a solo EP called Genesee. As you might expect the record is more stripped bare than a regular King Wilkie record. Instead a full range of instruments you get just one or two (or on the more rocking tracks 3 or 4); instead of rich vocal harmonies you get just the one voice. This leaves more room for the song.

On “In & Out Of Place” you get a sleepy rock song reminiscent of the early country rock of the 70′s. Images of back roads, canyons, and hilltops attach a physical location to the idea of a better life with a loved one.

Buy the EP here via CDBaby.

In and Out Of Place

Harely Dean is an unlikely Texas troubadour. He’s a college educated man with degrees in Biology and Animal Science. He isn’t one of those guys that sat on his Dad’s knee absorbing all kinds of Texas country music. He didn’t pick up the guitar at 3 years old and he didn’t write his first song at 12. He took a more mature approach buying his first guitar at age twenty five and getting his first gig for beer and tips shortly thereafter. He released a record in 2003 and tried the whole go-on-the-road-with-a-band-and-play-shitty-clubs-for-no-money-thing but tired of it. He’s now working on a more acoustic singer/songwriterly thing.

His new record Brighter Days was produced by Walt Wilkins (wrote about his new one yesterday!!). This song features Harley’s rich vocals and splashes of organ and pedal steel. Buy the new record here.

Hell Bent On Loving You

There are a couple of sounds that I’m always on the lookout for. One of them is represented by the songs on the new EP by Austin band Black Coyote. The best way to describe it would be “ragged and frayed” (I have a feeling this new genre name is not doing to take off like Chillwave). In essence the bands sound mirrors it’s lyrics and the emotional tenor of the music. That’s a pretty fine description of the songs on the new ep Cigarettes and Dust.

Slightly unrelated but I’m heavy into all four seasons of Friday Night Lights and I’d just like to nominate this song as the new anthem of this Texas based show. “Of Strippers and Cowboys” is a perfect fit as it lays out in compelling detail the realities of life in a small Texas town.

Order the ep now here.

Of Strippers and Cowboys

Howe Gelb of Giant Sand fame doing Flamenco inspired music makes as much sense as his gospel project Sno Angel. But to some extent Howe Gelb is one of the artists tyhat can simply do no wrong.

In the past Howe’s music has been inspired by the Arizona desert and the rustic sounds that heat combined with despair and a level of remoteness that urban dwellers can only dream of. Now on Alegrias he has joined forces with the members of Band Of Gypsies and several other world renowned Flamenco players to deliver this new record which features older Giant Sand songs along with 4 new songs inspired by the Spanish town of Cordoba.

More info here from Eureka Music.

The Ballad of Lole y Manuel

UNEVEN LIGHT OF DAY. Howe Gelb & A Band of Gypsies [HQ] from eureka music on Vimeo.

I never thought to put the two words “country” and “funk” together. But that’s just what the guys in Stone River Boys are up to. You can hear both ends of that spectrum on “The Struggle” from their latest record Love On The Dial with it’s incessant bass line, groovy horn section, and and both funky and country guitar. I’m honestly not sure if it works for me.

The band consists of Dave Gonzalez of the Hacienda Brothers and Mike Barfield of the Hollisters. Live they have a full band with pedal steel and I imagine it’s a funky good time.

The Struggle

“Luckenbach” with it’s tex-mex accordion and references to Lone Star Beer, banditos, and breezy front porches is a perfect example of the songs on this Texas themed record. Buy it now here via Village Records.

Luckenbach

This song from Mark Erelli’s new record Little Vigils is not really representative of the sound or the style of the record. But that’s the case with just about every song on the record. There’s no one sound or style that can sum up Little Vigils. On Little Vigils Mark is content to use different textures and tempos to convey different emotions on a wide range of songs. Whether it’s the delicate twang of “August” or the deathly folk sounds of “Hemlock Grove” this record can simply not be pinned down. Mark Erelli has made a record that is suitable for multiple listens and new discoveries (and new favorite songs) on each listen.

At the moment I am loving the nostalgic rock `n’ roll of “Basement Days” but check in with me tomorrow and I might be on to the anti-religion screed of “Kingdom Come” or perhaps it’ll be the bluegrassy goodness of “Mother of Mysteries”. Either way for now I’m loving the song “Basement Days” which is a look back at the teenage “lets-form-a-band” eagerness and naivety that is usually lost by ones early twenties. The beauty of the song is how it pegs that feeling of awe and wonderment that is usually left behind as we grow up. Ironically the song with it’s chorus of “can’t get back to those basement days” is not completely autobiographical as Mark Erelli has never lost that sense of wonder and the idea that the power of a song is unequaled. I highly recommend this record.

Buy Little Vigils here or here now.

Basement Days

P.S. I’m off for my family’s spring break so I won’t be posting for a week or so. See you soon…

I should have a slew of posts about Slim Cessna’s Auto Club in the archives of Songs:Illinois. But somehow I have failed to write about this band from Denver. Their mix of folk, country, bluegrass and punk is a perfect fit for Songs:Illinois. The band’s new record is called Buried Behind The Barn and it’s an 8 song CD of lost songs that appeared briefly in 2004 as a limited edition cdr.

Buy Buried Behind The Barn here.

Jackson

1. Cold. Yes, Texas was frigid the last couple of days.
2. Good food. Pizza, migas (for breakfast from Gueros) and cupcakes from that trailer on Congress.
3. Music (Carolina Chocolate Drops, Whitey Morgan and the 78′s, Skybox, Ha Ha Tonka, Waco Brothers, and all my favorite singer/songwriters (Danny Schmidt, Matt The Electrician, Adam Carroll, Lee Barber etc etc etc)

One of the unexpected highlights of SXSW for me was band opening up for John Hiatt at the New West party. Ponderosa is newly signed to New West Records and their brand of Stonesy southern rock played well in the hot Texas sun of Day 1 of the fest. The band has a 10 song (!) EP out called Moonlight Revival. Some of these songs may appear on the band’s debut. I like these two below. “Old Gin Road” shows the band’s soul rock side while “Little Runaway” slows it down a bit for a more contemplative, slow burn sound.

Old Gin Road

Little Runaway

What is it about drinking and country music. If songs aren’t about trucking than they are invariably about drinking. And more importantly why do I like these songs? Me, a guy who has to stop drinking soon after the first one. I wrote about the Austin based band (duo) The Texas Sapphires back in 2006 here. There new record is called As He Wanders… and is out on April 6. You can order it here now.

“How Did I Get So Sloppy Drunk When I Was Drinking Neat” is the drunkenest song on the new record. Enjoy and treat this as a cautionary tale for the weekend ahead.

How Did I Get So Sloppy Drunk When I Was Drinking Neat