“When I was seventeen my Dad brought me home John Prine’s first album and it became my private religion for a while. I learned to play the guitar by learning his songs, and my Dad and I still play them around the table after supper. They’ve kept me company for years, in hotel rooms and foreign countries, on stage and away from it, telling the truth in beautiful and unexpected ways. This is a record I always wanted to make.”
The quote above reflect Jeffrey Foucult’s feelings on John Prine and form the basis for his new Prine cover record, but they could probably be the feelings of anyone who has heard Prine’s songs. I imagine that every Prine fan has a story about how his records or songs affecting them or changed them in one way or another.
These songs were recorded with friends (David Goodrich, Mark Erelli, Kris Delmhorst, Peter Mulvey) in the president’s office of an old bank. They’re lofi folk songs performed with an ease and relaxed manner that is uncommon in this age of studio trickery. Shoot The Moon Right Between The Eyes came out Feb. 17 on Signature Sounds. Order it here.
Instead The Forest Rose To Sing is the new record from Austin singer-songwriter and poet Danny Schmidt. I add that “poet” tag to separate Danny from the hundreds of singer songwriters and folk artists toiling away in near obscurity whose songs never rise above the mundane and ordinary. As I (and others) have said before Danny is one of the great songwriters working today. Add to that the fact that he plays guitar effortlessly and jawdroppingly well makes anything he does potentially great.
The new record has several songs that will stand the test of time and others that are sleepers that will grow more potent with age. On the new record Danny tackles the question and value of money on several songs. For instance “Better Off Broke”, with it’s lyrics of “You’re better off broke with soup in your belly. Than sittin’ there hungry round a pot of gold”, addresses the age old question of whether money will make you happy. That same theme pops up again on the bank robbery gone bad tale of misfortune “Two Timing Bank Robbers Lament”. Money on a global stage comes into play on one of my favorite songs on the record in “Southland Street”. It’s the story of the rise of industry in the US complete with it’s fall after production moves south and then east. I know that sounds a little dry but the song is at once deeply personal and at the same time universal.
The emotional heart of the record has got to be “Grandpa Built Bridges”. As Danny describes it this is a song on how our urban and technologically advanced culture no longer is in touch with ancient cultures and the ways those cultures dealt with death and dying. Here’s a stanza or two (all of the lyrics as well as a short description of each song can be found here):
Grampa buried dignity when he got old
Like a killer and child now for seven long years
But he wets his own britches if he’s not told
But he used to build bridges, they would light em up at night
Grampa built bridges, they were delicate webs
With ridges and valleys joined hand in hand
When Grandma went empty the last of her days
He told her she’d come and could go with grace
Instead… is out on March 10 on Red House Records and can be pre-ordered here now through Amazon. Danny Schmidt’s official showcase is at The Driskill Hotel on Thursday, March 19.
Here’s one of the sleepers on the new record. It came to life with incredible force this weekend at the house concert we hosted with Danny Schmidt and Pokey Lafarge.
John Wesley Harding has such a distinctive voice, singing cadence, and style that it’s hard to label him folk, rock, or pop. His music is consistent from one record to the next. What sets each record apart are the songs and the production. The new record is called Who was Changed and Who was Dead and features guests like the Minus 5, Kelly Hogan and Peter Buck. And as far as I can tell from the one song below we’re in for a treat on line with a new record from Nick Lowe or Elvis Costello.
“Oh! Pandora” is a clever take on the Pandora’s Box story. It’s a song that screams positivity in this era of gloom. It’s a a song that declares the glass half full. Musically it’s upbeat with a glorious horn section and soaring vocals. Who was Changed and Who was Dead will be in stores on March 31 but there are a bunch of special order packages you can order through JWH’s website here.
The ratio of male to female artists has always been skewed about 5 to 1 in favor of the guys here on Songs:Illinois. I’m not sure what the reason is for that but I’m pleased to follow up yesterday’s post on Sarah Sample with today’s on Antje Duvekot. Antje Duvekot is a rising star in the folk world. The songs from her breakout record, 2006′s Big Dream Boulevard, really resonated with fans and industry types alike. Her new record, The Near Demise Of The High Wire Dancer, is her second studio release, was produced by Richard Shindell, and has guest appearances by John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky and Victor Krauss.
Antje’s vocals owe much to Dar Williams and Ani Difranco, but her songs are fully her own. They are generally not simple tales of love gone wrong but are more intricate affairs. Her followup is due out March 17 and is on Black Wolf Records. This label is way too small (a MySpace page with 7 friends) to make a dent, so I just hope the team behind Antje have a way to get the word out about this record.
You’ve probably heard this song or some variation of it before, perhaps even hundreds of times. But when a song like this is done right it’s still great to hear. It would work perfectly in shows like Grey’s Anatomy or Gilmore Girls; in venues like Hotel Cafe, Joe’s Pub, or Schubas here in Chicago. It would appeal to your mother-in-law, sister, or sensitive friend.
Sarah Sample has a new ep out called Born To Fly. This is the title track. Buy it here. She’s got some shows opening up for Edie Cary in March so check those out too.
Here’s a song by Noelie McDonnell from Ireland that I think my 4 year old and 8 year old could both relate to. Noelie is a pretty big name in the UK as his record has been atop their iTunes folk chart for a while now. He’s yet to crack into the US market but he’s poised to. His new record Beyond Hard Places came out towards the end of 2008. It’s available through CD Baby here.
“Nearly Four” is a cute little song about a toddler (Noelie’s son) that name drops “Ben 10″, Batman, and Mystic Force while listing the ways this little boy is all grown up (or at least “nearly four”). Noelie’s been described as a combination of John Prine, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan but I hear more Damien Dempsey, David Gray, Damien Rice and Mark Geary. He’ll be in the US to attend Folk Alliance and also has some choice opening dates for Greg Brown in Minneapolis in February.
There appears to be a new song from Ana Egge’s upcoming release. This song recently appeared on Ana’s website. A quick perusal of her back catalog confirms that this song has not appeared before and thus may be the first thing we’ve heard off of her upcoming album Road To My Love.
“New Tattoo” is as lush and sensual a sound as I’ve heard from Ana and the whistling and romantic horns are a nice addition (as always). Ana’s got a February residency at The Living Room on Tuesdays starting on Feb 3. On the 17th the residency will turn into a full fledged record release party.
No 2008 “best of” wrap-up would be complete without mention of Joe Pug. His debut EP from out of nowhere impressed this writer and many more influential blogs. But its best selling point are the rave reviews from ordinary folks up at the Cd Baby page for the EP. Read them here and buy the disc as well while you’re there.
Here’s my favorite rave review from Cd Baby courtesy of Stuart McClure:
Dylan comparisons aside, Joe Pug is Malcolm Holcombe’s son, Danny Schmidt’s half brother.
Here’s my original post from April:
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It would almost be impossible for me not to post the music of Joe Pug. He fits the Songs:Illinois demographic so well it’s like some computer program spat him out. He’s young, he’s just releasing his debut, he writes poetic songs, he lives in Chicago (for goodness sake), is clearly influenced by Dylan/
Young/Springsteen and has a record release show coming up at Schubas.
His debut EP is called Nation Of Heat and is being released on May 13. I’m sure you can pick one up at the Schubas show on the 3rd however.
On both the songs below Joe eschews verse/chorus/verse and instead lets loose a barrage of stream of consciousness that somehow is devoid of pretension and cliche.
Matt Keating’s 2 disc set Quixotic has been praised for its timeless mix of folk rock songs. I haven’t heard the whole thing but I’ll go out on a limb and call it one of the best records of the year. Here’s my original post about it from March:
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Hey all,
How’s your week going? Mine’s OK. Thanks for asking.
I just heard about a new record from Matt Keating. It’s a double cd called Quixotic. Matt made a name for himself in the early 90′s with albums that resembled the crunchy power pop of Mathew Sweet. He’s mellowed over the years (haven’t we all?).
I can’t claim to give you a full assessment of the new record, but if you were a fan of power pop back then but now like your music at a slightly less frenetic pace than you should look into Quixotic from Matt Keating.
On a completely unrelated note, there’s a new record by The Waybacks out now on Compass Records. The song “Good Enough” is a good example of their easy rockin’ acoustic country sound. You can buy the new record, Loaded, here.
One of the big events in the Songs:Illinois family is our the trip to the circus in 4 days. I know it’s 4 days away since my sons have been counting down since day twenty. If I played them this song they wouldn’t get it. They don’t see that the circus is also a sad, nearly tragic place. Even the best ones are constantly under attack from animal rights groups, the performers live the lives of gypsy’s, and it’s a commercial rat-trap with worthless toys and gadgets for sale around every corner (they love that part).
I wrote about Rachel Harrington’s new record City of Refuge in September and I’m still struck by the song “Housewife’s Lament” and now I’m awed by this one too. Rachel Harrington’s song “Under The Big Top” uses the high wire act as a metaphor for life and just hopes that someone will be there to catch her when she falls. You can order City Of Refugehere.
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.
Last time I wrote about Peter Cooper it was on a Honky Tonk Friday, he didn’t quite fit then and he doesn’t fit now. But this time I can’t wait `til Friday to write about his new record Mission Door on Red Beet Records. Mission Door is a re-release of his debut record Cautionary Tales. But as is the case with most self released records this one initially didn’t make a dent with the public despite awing critics and fellow musicians. So a re-do is in order.
Here’s two liquor soaked tunes from Mission Door. Buy it here now.
Ron Sexsmith’s voice is sublime, his songs are consistently great, and he’s the consummate live performer, but he’s been jumping from sub genre to sub genre over the past couple of albums. And with nine albums under his belt you can hardly blame him. The new record is titled Exit Strategy of the Soul and features horns on every single song and a blend of soul and gospel influences. This is a far cry from the americana records that hint at alt-country that he’s done of late and I think it’s a welcome one
“This Is How I Know” is the first song Ron wrote for the new record. Here’s what Ron says about that one:
The album finds Sexsmith at his most soulful—not that he sounds like Al Green. “I don’t have that kind of voice,” he acknowledges, unnecessarily. “’This Is How I Know’ was the first song I wrote for the record,” says Sexsmith, “and it felt to me kind of like a gospel tune. As I continued writing, I started getting this vibe that there was a spiritual element to them.
Pre-order this July 8th release now here. Or to find out more about the record visit the Yep Roc eCard here.
I’m always talking the talk about over-produced records and how something lofi is usually ultimately more satisfying. Well today we walk the walk with the new record from Trailer Star aka Shaun Belcher. This arrived unannounced in my inbox by way of England. Shaun Belcher is a singer songwriter along the lines of our own Jim White. That means he’s concerned with sin and salvation and creates folk music that has a southern gothic feel to it. To go along with the music Shaun creates original artwork that is clearly influenced by the folk art of the deep south. Here’s his song “Firework Factory” and the artwork that goes with it.
Suit of Nettles is the new record and the limited edition cd can be purchased here.
Jon Jackson wrote the other day with news of more uploaded video’s. And I swear him sitting in his trailer somewhere on the outkirts of Nashville is somehow better that each and every overproduced video I’ve seen on the web or CMT for God’s sake. I’m thrilled he put up “Green Apples” but also excited to hear his ode to the Waffle House girl song, “Excuse Me”, for the first time.
His debut record Green Apples is a Songs:Illinois must-buy recommendation here (do we even have that!?).
P.S. John will be playing the latest incarnation of the Songs:Illinois House Concert series on June 6 along with Joe Pug from Chicago and Michael Fracasso all the way from Austin, Tx. If you’d like to come email me here – cbonnell@gmail.com.
Not to toot my own horn, but what the heck, I was one of the few bloggers that picked up on the atmospheric roots music of Dao Stroma few years back. Now that she’s back with a new record I’ll be glad to get out in front again. Everything That Blooms Wrecks Me is out now after a recent cd release party in Alaska. It’s a more accomplished record than her first, or at least it seems that way, since it’s a little more fleshed out with a variety of instruments and a slightly more full sound.
Dao is more well known for her critically acclaimed fiction than for her earthy, unusual, and heady music. Her first two books were well received, as was her 2005 debut record Send Me Home. Musically Dao is firmly planted in the indie folk/out-there alt-country genres. It’s clear that her music is informed by her life experiences and her diverse cultural and ethnic background (Dao is Vietnamese but grew up in the mountains of Northern California and now lives in Juneau, Alaska).
This new record has a very rural feel to it. It oozes modern hippie. Not in a bad way of course, but more along the lines of the freak folkers like Devandra, Alela Diane and Marie Sioux. The title track is a beautiful cello and piano based number with Dao’s vocals front and center.
You can buy Everything That Blooms Wrecks Me or Send Me Home or her novels for that matter all here.
I’m not sure if Lex Land will be the next Lily Allen or not, but she’s got the beginnings of a similar tale of struggling unknown to superstar in waiting. Lex Land is a California based singer-songwriter whose independent, near self-released record (it’s on the flegling label Intelligent Noise Records), is currently #3 at iTunes folk page. Time will tell if Orange Days on Lemon Street crosses over like Lily or even Norah. Listening to the album stream over at the Lex Land site gives the impression that the album may be a jumble of too many styles and genre’s to be pigeonholed as simply folk.
However it’s the sultry, near jazzy, vocals and acoustic guitar of “Easy” that made the biggest impression on me. Lex sounds like any number of West coast artists coming from the Hotel Cafe scene, but clearly she’s been able to differentiate herself enough to rise to the top of the iTunes chart. It’s “Easy” to see why! (urgh…..sorry)
Join the hordes and buy Orange Days…over at iTunes here.
Want to hear a music blogger’s wet dream? Here it is:
An artist that you love emails you out of the blue announcing a new song from an as yet unnamed new release. They kind of like your blog and would like you to have an exclusive. If that’s OK with you. Um….yeah.
This is what happened recently when I received an email from Austin singer-songwriter Matt The Electrician. That said, it’d all be irrelevant if the song didn’t cut it but “Got Your Back” does.
Matt played all the instruments on the new record including the horns, ukulele and I assume the whistling on “Got Your Back”. “Got Your Back” is a simple but powerful love song about two people who are there for each other. I hear it as a song about about fidelity and faithfulness; two traits that we’re learning are harder to come by in this sexed-up, post spitzer-hooker world.
Matt’s got some other good news (kind of along the Music 3.0 lines) he’s had a song placed in an upcoming episode of Eli Stone. So tune in Thursday April 10th and listen for the song “Valedictorian”. I’d recommend picking up Matt’s last record One Thing Righthere in the interim.
Why is it that one family can produce multiple talents (be it writers, actors, or musicians) and others (mine in particular) don’t produce any. Is their a type of child rearing that can stimulate those little minds or is it all in the genes? Is a stable home life better or does chaos somehow create little musical prodigies?
Mathew Barber got me thinking these thoughts today. He’s the brother of Canadian chanteuse Jill Barber and now has a new record out called Ghost Notes on the Canadian label Outside Music.
“Easily Bruised” stands out due to the effortless and confident delivery of Mathew’s vocals and the simple, catchy chorus. You can buy Ghost Noteshere.
Easily Bruised (the Canadian blog Chromewaves has a demo of this song here)
I find that Shelly Short’s near inaccessibility is one of the things that draws me to her music. She has a wonderful voice and very good ear for creating both the lyrics and the music to compliment it. But she’s not content to create something that is easily digestible. On the surface her music is very listenable but just under the surface there are subversions and distractions that lend it an air of mystery or an ethereal quality.
On her forthcoming record Water For The Day the pedal steel languishes just a little bit longer than usual, her voice flutters and swoons in unusual manner and her repeated use of phrases or portions of phrases toys with the traditional notion of verse, chorus, verse.
The song “Swimming” below is one of the most straightforward and most beautiful songs on the record (but still listen for the odd guitar plucking). The new record is due out April 22 on the always excellent Portland based label Hush Records.
I was so enamored by the first song I heard off of The Brendan Hines new record that it’s no surprise that the whole thing is right up my alley. “Miss New York” was the clever song that stuck out at first (here). As an avowed East Coaster stuck in the Midwest I can relate to the nostalgia that one feels for a hometown.
The new record from The Brendan Hines is called Good For You Know Who. The songs on the record deal with subjects as diverse as drinking yourself to death, suicide, more death and drinking, and selfish behavior of all sorts. Sounds a bit dreary, I know, but musically the songs are fairly jaunty filled with horns, toy instruments, piano and guitar and they mostly come with a pretty big slab of sarcasm on the side. You can order this now via Cd Baby here.
Glad you found me at my new url. Songs:Illinois is committed to writing about music that is under-appreciated and unique. I've found that the music I write about shares a couple of traits. And they are: lyrical integrity, musically diverse, and written/performed by compelling characters.
Most songs found here are free and legal and have been provided by either the artist or label. If for some reason you'd like to have a song removed, please email me at cbonnell (at) gmail.com.
