songs:illinois

Bakelite 78 is performing tonight (last night…oops) at Fitzgeralds along with Black Bear Combo and Jimbo Mathus (from Squirrel Nut Zippers fame). I’ve written about Chicago’s Bakelite 78 in the past and am happy to update you on the status of their new record. It’s called Delta Disc and it was recorded in Como, Mississippi by Jimbo himself with funding from Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs. The band is surely one of the few to incorporate styles as diverse as blues, swing, cabaret, dixieland and country.

The record release party is tonight (oops…sorry but it was last night!)

Buy it here.

Darkness On The Delta
Scotch

Bonus track from Jim Mathus

The Stranger

If you were really paying attention to the Americana music scene and truly had your ear to the ground you might have heard some rumblings about the band Avi And Celia. I know I’ve heard a thing or two - so I looked them up and got permission to share the lead off track from their new record Let It Rise.

“Rollin’ and Tumblin’” is a traditional song that’s been reworked by this duo. They’ve kept in tact that southern blues feel and added a few new lyrics to the tune. I suspect the new additions are the ones that make the song a little more about world peace and a little less about internal peace (of mind). The new record came out September 26 and is available now at Dig Station here.

Rollin’ and Tumblin’

The line graph above is a representation of the Songs:Illinois traffic trend. Can you tell which way it’s trending? Neither can I. While I’m happy with the number and quality of visitors I would like to see that trend going up instead of jumping all over the pace.

SO while this is dorky and a little pathetic I thought I’d ask for your help. I ask this because I truly love the music on Songs:Illinois. The writing leaves a lot to be desired, I know. But the music inspires me, often brightens my day, and never fails to move me in some small way.

SO SO I was thinking I’d ask you guys for help. If you’re a regular reader or even a newbie I thought I’d ask you to help spread the word about this little site. Email a friend or two, if you’re on Facebook do one of those little updates (ie “Fred Smith is loving Songs:Illinois right now”), add a link to me on any of your online sites, sign up for the email update, etc., etc.

I’d like to thank everyone else who links here especially the excellent web mashup Ample Sanity and my brother from another mother music blog The Late Greats.

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Here’s a little something that will make the spiders at Hype and Elbo.ws pick up this post. These songs are from the early 1900’s and have just been reissued on Tompkins Square. Read more about this fascinating release here.

Pre-order it here through Amazon.

Oysters and Wine At 2 AM

There was a moment a couple of days ago when I thought I’d change the subtitle of this blog to “Songs:Illinois: The music blog for adults”. I may change it yet. JJ Grey & Mofro are certainly a band for adults. In a way that few bands are able to JJ Grey combines a blues, southern rock, and 60’s jam band mentality with that famous Muscle Shoals sound and even some New Orleans funk. Sounds impossible, right? But check out the title track to his new record Orange Blossums on Alligator Records and tell me I’m wrong?!

Buy Orange Blossums here.

Orange Blossums

JJ Grey talks about Orange Blossums

In itunes via Alligator

Look, a lot of shit’s already been written about Tom Ovans and his record Party Girl. That’s because it came out as an import on an English label in 2007 and also because of it’s apparent greatness. There are two fine reviews (here and here) that are only lacking in the notable absence of mp3’s.

To rectify that here’s a couple of songs from Austin based folk-bluesman Tom Ovans (btw that’s the closest semblance of a label that will fit). The new record, Party Girl, is getting a nice re-release on the fine roots rock label 00:02:59 Records (Scott Kempner, Willie Nile, Christopher Denny). Buy it here.

West Texas Blues
Both Sides of the Night

David Olney’s Live At Norm’s River Road House Vol 1 is a hit and miss affair much like the man himself. He’s capable of writing disarmingly good songs but at other times he’s content to wallow in the kind of blustery blues rock that gives blues a bad name. When he’s at his best like on the Rounder releases High, Wide And Lonesome and Through a Glass Darkly his combination of literate, poetic lyrics and by turns somber and then preacherly delivery is hard to beat.

You can pre-order this August 26th release here now or here.

Who’s The Dummy Now

Bonus track from The Wheel:
Boss Don’t Shoot No Dice
Bonus track from The Migration
Speak Memory
Bonus track live via Folk Alley
Jerusalem Tomorrow

Of late Fat Possum has gotten into the reissue business. Not reissuing lost nuggets from the 50’s or even pre-war blues mind you, but instead lost classics from the past year or so. First there was the reissue of AA Bondy’s terrific solo debut and now the reissue of Wilem Maker’s self released record Stars Fell On.

“Red As A Rose” is a trance blues number that should appeal to fans of Charlie Parr and William Elliott Whitmore. It’s a bit busy in parts, but when the fog clears and you get Wilem’s possessed vocals and incendiary guitar it’s pretty special.

There’s a few copies left here or you can pick it up in September through Fat Possum.

Red As A Rose

Bonus tracks from the Big Legal Mess Records’ archive:

Goin Away - Elmo Williams and Hezekiah Erly
Believe - Famous L. Renfroe
Talkin It (Remix) - T Model Ford

London born and occasional Detroit resident Mr. David Viner has been signed by my favorite UK label Loose Records. It’s a great signing since David Viner’s brand of folk blues relies heavily on a gothic blues underpinning that should play well in Europe (think Nick Cave, Grinderman). His debut for Loose will be out Sept. 22 and is called Among The Rumours and the Rye. The first single will be a duet featuring Jaymay called “Go Home”.

You can hear bits of blues, Rolling Stones’ swagger, English folk and more in these three unreleased tracks from Viner’s archives.

Get Through This
Easier To Cry
Rolling Along

There’s a few classic roots/rock artists that I have never posted about. Part of the reason is based in my quest for something new and part is the fact that some of these artists don’t jell with my personal taste. Sonny Landreth is in the latter camp. I can appreciate his slide guitar playing (he’s one of the best), his swamp blues (ditto) and his songwriting ability but much like John Hiatt or Warren Zevon or even Graham Parker I never quite jumped on the bandwagon.

“When I Still Had You” is from Sonny’s newest record From The Reach and it’s classic Landreth and classic swamp blues-rock. Eric Clapton contributes both guitar and vocals on this one. The new record features a smorgasbord of a-list guest stars including Dr. John, Jimmy Buffett, Robben Ford and Mark Knopfler. Buy it here from Amazon or Village Records here. Anyone want to convince me that I’m missing out than I’ll meet you in the comments.

When I Still Had You

Sometimes I think the blues genre is just completely played out. There doesn’t seem to be anything new that’s being attempted. But sometimes you can hear something that has that little spark of energy that gives you hope. Track 1 of the new cd by Moreland & Arbuckle has that spark. From the wild slide intro reminiscent of Hound Dog Taylor to the multiple cliches found in the lyrics, this song breaks no new ground but it does so with such enthusiasm and verve that it’s hard not to sit back, tap your foot and smile.

1861 is out now and can be purchased here.

Gonna Send Ya Back To Georgia

P.S. The fine music blogs Hero Hill and Nine Bullets jumped right on these guys. So to get even more perspective (and a couple more songs) check out the links above.

Shit…no one told me someone re-released Charlie Parr’s 2002 record entitled 1922 last year. Isn’t that why we have all these mp3 blogs? Come on guys, I can’t do it all by myself.

“Yo Yo Blues” is a classic blues tune with a clever play on words at the expense of Yo Yo Ma.

As best as I can figure the re-release is being handled by Low’s in-house Label Chairkickers Union but it’s digital-only so check with iTunes.

YoYo Blues
1922 Blues
Jesus At The Kenmore

P.S. This is a truncated post on account I’m off to SXSW. A day late and at least a dollar short but I’m looking forward to checking out about 300 bands.

In my mind I may have already typecast Langhorne Slim’s music as crazed-one-man-band-rebel-folk-blues. So it was a slight surprise to hear songs from his new record that are fleshed out with cello, piano and pop melodies I wasn’t even sure he was capable of. Langhorne has one of those horrible major label stories I’m sure. He was signed by V2 in a move that could only be called mystifying. Sure, it was clear he was a major talent, but it was also clear that this was not a guy that they could change and meld into a safe bet like a Damien Rice or Ray LaMontagne. Of course he was promptly dropped by V2 and has now reappeared on the respected indie label Kemado.

His new self titled record is out on April 29th and features the song “Restless” from his V2 EP Engine along with 12 other new tracks. Picking out a song was pretty easy as Langhorne has chosen “Diamonds And Gold” as one of his favorites from the record. Like the others from the record it’s virtually abandoned the frantically strummed guitar of his previous records and notorious live shows.

Bonus song:

Diamonds and Gold

Restless
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It’s a bit absurd how often I’ve written about Dawn Landes. I’ve been talking about her newly re-released record Fireproof for what seems like two years. But she’s deserving of such high praise. This song is the A-side to a 7″ she did with The Earlies. You can buy it here; Dawn’s off on a European tour supporting Josh Ritter on March 20th. But first you can catch her at SXSW at St. David’s Church on Thursday the 13th.

Caroline

I can’t get with all of the electric guitar bravado that is Alligator Records, but from the good press surrounding recent signee Eric Lindell, and the song below, with all it’s Boz Scaggs circa 1969 soul, Muscle Shoal type horns, and sex-fueled delivery I’m very open to hearing more from him.

Eric Lindell is a New Orleans native and that comes through on the mix of styles present in even this one song. If NYC is the melting pot, than New Orleans must be the gumbo stew that gets cooked up in that pot. You can hear traces of blues, Van Morrison’s blue-eyed soul and even the surf-jamband-lite of contemporaries like Jack Johnson. The new record, Low On Cash, Rich In Love, came out this past Tuesday and is available to be ordered directly through Alligator Records here.

Lay Back Down

P.S. Is there a great blues blog that I’m not aware of, cause I’ve never found it.

Bakelight 78 is practically the house band over at Chicago’s Hideout. They, along with Devil In a Woodpile, have found a second home in this out of the way hole in the wall. It’s somewhat fitting that the bands name comes from an early form of plastic used to make records since they strive to emulate that early jazz/folk/blues sound.

Bakelite 78 has been recording their new album in Como, Mississippi with Jimbo Mathus of Squirrel Nut Zippers fame. In interviews with the band it’s clear that they see themselves as a punk rock type entity and on “President Can’t Be Reached” you can hear some of that fire and brimstone anti-Bush rhetoric shining through. This song will be on the new record, due sometime this winter. The band plays tomorrow, Friday, at Old Town School Of Folk Music.

President Can’t Be Reached