World Class Song Stylist

Pop Maestro Kyle Jarrow

Brooklyn-based playwright Kyle Jarrow has won some fine honors for his musical theatrical craft, but along the way he has also led some exceptionally cool bands, including The Fabulous Entourage and Super Mirage. He is now with a new entry, Sky Pony. Watch this live performance of an original tune below, leaving no doubt that Jarrow is one of the authentic singer-songwriter talents in the country, and one doing a sophisticated brand of electro-pop thriving almost exclusively on the coasts, at least stateside. It has a smart lyrical and melodic quality and a playful, sexy bounce to its funky rhythmic structure.  More on Sky Pony below.

 

Sky Pony

"I did indeed get married, last May. Thank you for the congratulations. She's a very talented actress/singer. It's been a lot of fun starting a band with her!." - Kyle Jarrow.

Sky Pony is billed as a husband-wife act, i.e., "It's a brand new band that combines the "uptown" talents of singer/actress Lauren Worsham (City Center's Where's Charley, Goodspeed's Carnival, City Opera's Candide) with the "downtown" sensibility of her husband Kyle Jarrow (from the bands The Fabulous Entourage and Super Mirage, also an Obie Award-winning playwright for A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant) -- as well as an ever-changing collective of guest performers."

The quote above references an update to this piece that first appeared on January 18. RARWRITER.com has featured Kyle regularly on this site but hadn't been in touch with him in awhile and was not aware of the nuptials. Our best wishes!

Here is a description of an upcoming Sky Pony show planned for January 29 at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn: "Expect a theatrical concert experience that may well blow your mind, featuring a talented calvalcade of special guests: backup singers Jessi Suzuki and Megan Stern, guitarist Kevin Wunderlich, bassist Eric Day, drummer Perry Silver (of The Fabulous Entourage), cellist David Blasher, and raconteur Clay McLeod Chapman (of Pumpkin Pie Show fame). Costumes and choreography (yes, there will be both) by Eunice Bae."

More info at www.sky-pony.com.                            (Update 12112)

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The Parson Redheads

Oh Portlandia: Or Eugenia, possibly, which is the Oregon location from which they originate, though they have that Portlandia vibe. The Redheads are lo-fi and lo-pretension, which somehow works, even with their lo-concept songwriting inclinations, particularly when the band plugs in for a big show. This video below captures this metamorphosis rather charmingly.

 

Blitzen Trapper

Portland-based favorite Blitzen Trapper is touring with fellow townspeople the Parson Redheads in March, hitting some spots in Northern California before moving onto this year's SXSW Festival. It'll the their first visit since 2009. You can find there tour dates here.

BT drummer Brian Adrian Koch directed the video below for the band's American Goldwing track “Takin’ It Easy Too Long”.

 

Great American Taxi

Produced by Todd Snider, recorded in East Nashville, TN,
third studio album is “electrified folk music for our times”

The lead track, “Poor House,” came to them in a peculiar way while the band was playing in Oklahoma City. They received a call from their songwriting friend Benny Galloway, who had no idea that GAT was in Oklahoma. By coincidence, he called to say he was driving through Woody Guthrie’s hometown of Okemah, OK, knowing that the Taxi boys were big Guthrie fans. Galloway showed up about an hour before the show and ran “Poor House” by them as a potential song they could play together that night. Galloway obliged the band’s desire to include the track and dropped off a demo version weeks later while all were back home in Colorado. 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Produced by East Nashville’s critically acclaimed singer-songwriter Todd Snider, Great American Taxi’s third album, Paradise Lost (released October 11, 2011) continues to occupy a top-ten Americana Airplay chart position. The new release is described as “a mixture of country, blues and rock blurred together,” notes keyboardist/singer and album executive producer Chad Staehly. “Taxi moves along the tradition of playing what is really electrified country folk music of the common man.”

“It’s hard to imagine someone not liking Great American Taxi. In their bone structure and general jiggle, GAT is a modern equivalent to Little Feat, Los Lobos and the Grateful Dead — i.e. bonhomie-rich, barroom-ready rockers with a healthy facility with twangy stuff, all anchored to quality songwriting, playing and presentation. The Taxi is the whole dang package,” Dennis Cook recently wrote in Jambase.

Great American Taxi is Vince Herman (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Chad Staehly (keys, vocals), Jim Lewin (guitar), Chris Sheldon (drums) and Brian Adams (bass). On Paradise Lost, the band enlisted master folk musicians Tim O’Brien, Barry Sless and Elizabeth Cook to tackle songs about working class, blue-collar issues while maintaining Taxi’s signature upbeat, country-, bluegrass-, rock-infused, Americana-without-borders feel.

“I believe in the power of music and songs that can generate the energy to do something,” explains Herman. “Politics should be in music; everything’s politics, especially music. Songwriting can draw attention to appropriate issues of our times.” The band holds no bars in confronting current issues like mountaintop removal, nuclear energy, poor economic conditions, or a soldier returning home from war.

“Taxi’s latest release has shed the jamming and gone for the throat with focused song writing and tight musical arrangements,” adds Staehly. “The album combines ‘folky’ elements with straight ahead bluegrass that was propelled by Tim O’Brien playing fiddle, banjo and mandolin on several numbers mixed with equal parts rock ’n’ roll — think early-’70s country-rock Rolling Stones.”

The band crafted a batch of 12 songs that follow a script of sorts, focusing on America in the new millennium. The theme started to develop in 2010 when they spent time in Nashville. Later that year, while on tour with Snider in Denver, lightning struck: Snider and the band decided to work together to create Taxi’s third album, which was to explore what “paradise lost” means to all of us, individually and collectively. Paradise Lost takes on issues such as loss of childhood, loss of innocence, lost loved ones — even the loss of the record industry.

The release wraps up a trilogy, the band realized while working on Paradise. Their three albums loosely sketch out three periods in American history. People came to this country to carve out their Streets of Gold (GAT’s first release in 2007), got caught up in a bunch of Reckless Habits (2010) and have ended up with a sense of Paradise Lost.

When work began on Paradise Lost, Snider wanted the lyrics first before anything else. All five band-members contributed. Snider helped them edit and whittle down the catalog of songs to about fifteen tunes before they shored up the music and headed for East Nashville in April of 2011. There they arrived at Eric McConnell’s house (where Snider cut his acclaimed release East Nashville Skyline and where Jack White produced Loretta Lynn’s Grammy-award winning release Van Lear Rose).

Staehly recalls, “The house definitely has a certain vibe to it, maybe it’s all the old analog gear or McConnell’s approach, but this new album from Taxi hearkens to the sounds of both of those albums. It’s a bit raw with all kinds of warmth and vibe to it that helps bring home these workingman songs. Paradise Lost has an everyman’s aesthetic to it that evokes a reminder of how things ought to be for those in search of the elusive American Dream.”- Cary Baker

Flat River Band

Brothers in arms, joined at the nut and the saddle...just for the sake of musical euphemism... How else could you get this tight?

 

Brothers Chad, Dennijo and Andy Sitze grew up playing together in a family musical act, and it shows. They have the kind of cohesive musical expression that can only be achieved among family and close childhood friends. Check out the video above and the naturalness of their precision performance. They are probably just a songwriting acquaintance away from breaking out following a long apprenticeship in Missouri and Tennessee playhouses such as Dollywood and Silver Dollar City, and countless fairs and festivals throughout the South and the Midwest. - RAR

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RAR Tribute to Classic Country

Something about the Winter months seems to put yours truly (RAR) in the mood for the slower tempos and sweet ruminations of what we now call "Classic Country". I grew up with this schmaltz, with particular exposure to the songs of Hank Williams, Jim Reeves, Ray Price, Marty Robbins, Willie Nelson, and others who were likely to be played on AM radio in America's heartland. My first record, given to me by my paternal grandparents, who were first generation Nebraska homesteaders, was Reeves' version of "Billy Bayou", the story of a Louisiana boy whose fate seemed inextricably intertwined with quicksand. Check out the video below for a taste of what it was like back in the '50s. (And for the record, I was a dedicated Boy Scout, as were "we" all.) And then after you have recalibrated your silly meter with "Billy Bayou", please continue this journey through Classic Country right on into heartbreak land, with Willie Nelson covers and a RAR original.

 

Click on the covers shown above to hear the individual tracks.

My little tribute above includes two covers of classic Willie Nelson tunes leading to a RAR original, the last provided as an example of how the influences of my formative years have expressed themselves in my later creative life, which is most certainly an arc experienced by many of the readers of the site.

"Something to Think About" is an attempt to capture that strange feel of a Willie Nelson performance, with its scratch and jab guitar playing so free of technique and artifice that it feels inspired. I'm not sure that I achieved that, but the song achieves something poetic and great, as does "Hello Walls", a paean to abandonment and loneliness. I have an Arkansas cousin who as a kid used to go around singing "hewwo wahs", which speaks to the influence of this soundtrack on my very DNA and among my native kin (rather like Kenneth, of "30 Rock", and his brethren the "Hill People"). The "Hello Walls" cover is unadorned, just the bald honesty of the lyric against that beautiful, simple but dramatic melodic structure; beautiful even with me singing it. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I was rejected by TAXI when submitting this song regarding a request for classic country cover tunes. They didn't find the vocal up to snuff.)

"Hoping that You're Lonely" is the output side of my own personal sausage factory, an original composition that owes everything to those early County influences. The guitar playing, however lame, owes much to my appreciation for the far-more legitimate playing talents of a certain "Ghosty McToasty". (You know who you are.)

For me personally, "Hoping that You're Lonely" taps into the same well of loneliness and introspection that I feel from "Something to Think About" and "Hello Walls" - bittersweet reminiscences suitable for a cold and lonely winter's night. - RAR

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MOST PLAYED "ROOTS" MUSIC 2011

(Use this link to see the index of lists)

TOP 100 BLUES ALBUMS

 

Gregg Allman's Low Country Blues tribute was the most played album in the Blues category, topping a list that included LPs by Tedeschi-Trucks, Marcia Ball, Steve Miller and even Buddy Guy (oh my!).

See the complete Blues list

 

 

 

TOP 100 FOLK ALBUMS

 

The Civil War's Barton Hollow was the most played album in the Folk category, topping a list that included LPs by Paul Simon and Bruce Cockburn.

See the complete Folk list

 

 

 

TOP 100 ROCK ALBUMS

 

Lucinda William's Blessed was the most played album in the Rock category, topping a list that included LPs by Dave Alvin, Ray Manzarek and Roy Rogers, Robbie Robertson and Ry Cooder.

See the complete Rock list

 

 

 

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Alan Lomax in Space:

Voyager, the Pursuit of Genius, A Theory of Everything

FANMAIL: Rick this is one part of 4 on YouTube...fascinating...this is a person (Alan Lomax) who has given us a lot of cool music...the first section (Who is alan Lomax) casts light on his father's background...v cool....pax doug  Thanks! We'll watch them all.
 
 

Lila Rose Out with Heart Machine

Oakland, CA - Canadian-born, San Francisco based artist Lila Rose releases her first full-length album, a genre-bending tour de force titled Heart Machine, Tuesday 1/10 on the Oakland based label, RTFM Records.

Co-produced by David Earl (aka SFLogicninja), the album has been dubbed ‘cinematic indie-pop’ based on the merging of Earl’s grandiose cinematic arrangement, and Lila’s anthemic, emotionally driven lyrical content and striking vocals. From high operatic vocalizations and hooky choruses to deep, haunting harmonies, Lila’s voice leads the listener on a heartful and epic journey of varying tone, texture and intensity. Immersed in sonic landscapes from full orchestras, taiko drum ensembles and big pop beats to gospel choirs, the album is an enchantingly unpredictable journey of raw, evocative songwriting and cutting edge artistry that pushes the envelope at every turn.

Lila’s previous releases include two singles with GRAMMY winning producer Peter Prilesnik, and an EP titled Osmos Your Sonica in 2009. A one-time actress and world traveller, Lila’s passion comes through more than just her music. A strong advocate for LGBT issues, animal rights, native rights and environmental issues, she plans to be the first artist to release an album whose artwork is on 100% tree-free kenaf paper.

Heart Machine will be available on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Bandcamp, and other online music outlets January 10th 2012. The preview single “Obsession”, a teaser video (see below), and the coming album can be found at http://www.lilarosemusic.com. The CD release party is planned for Saturday February 18th, 2012, 8pm at The New Parish, 579 18th St. in Oakland, CA.

 

 

 

MOOT DAVIS DELIVERS MAN ABOUT TOWN

New Jersey country artist enlists Grand Ole Opry star/Outlaw Country Sirius XM host Elizabeth Cook and Kenny Vaughan as guests on new CD.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — From Auckland to Austin to Nashville, New Jersey-based country musician Moot Davis took quite a journey to make his third CD, Man About Town, but it was certainly worth it. Davis describes his new release as the one he likes the most because “it wasn’t altered to suit anybody’s tastes but mine.”

Moot Davis burst onto the country music scene in the mid-2000s. With his self-titled debut, Davis delivered a set of timeless honky tonk that brought comparisons to Hank Williams Sr. Entertainment Today touted Davis as “primed to be the leader in the new insurgent country music scene.” The kudos continued for his second effort, Already Moved On, which about.com’s Kathy Coleman ranked as the Fourth Best Country Album of the Year, ahead of the likes of Dwight Yoakam and Brad Paisley.

Man About Town fulfills the promise of his earlier efforts while also expanding into new musical territory. Tracks like “Day the World Shook My Hand,” “How Long” and “Only You” should resonate with fans of his earlier, retro honky-tonk sound. “Queensbury Rules,” on the other hand, boasts a harder, rockier sound, while “Rust” mixes country twang with a funky beat. Davis wanted a change with this disc. “I didn’t want to make the same album again and again.”

In a sign of his artistic growth, Davis accomplishes several firsts on Man About Town. “Crazy in Love With You” stands as his first duet, with the delightful Elizabeth Cook serving as his singing partner. He also delivers his first murder ballad with “Black & White Picture,” a highly cinematic tale driven by Mexican-style guitar picking.

Davis populates this CD with a number of vivid character studies. The lead-off track, “Rags to Rhinestones,” is a prime example of his storytelling talents. In this classic honky-tonk number, a musician goes from “rented rooms to mansion homes” only to squander it all and wind up being kicked “out of bars on Lower Broadway.” The tune came together for Davis after his buddy, musician Dave Gleason, told him of a successful country musician whose life and career veered off course. Davis became intrigued by the idea of “someone who rises to a certain level and then just dive-bombs.”

The song’s Nashville references reflect the fact that this album is the first one Davis recorded in Music City. (His first two, released on Little Dog Records, were done with the esteemed producer Pete Anderson in Los Angeles.) The ace players on Man About Town are from Marty Stuart’s band: guitarist Kenny Vaughan, who served as producer; pedal and lap steel player Chris Scruggs; drummer Harry Stinson and bassist Paul Martin. Also featured is fiddler Hank Singer, who plays with George Jones. These guys, according to Davis, are “all serious players but they are all regular guys too.” He describes the sessions as “one of those things where everything comes together. It’s kinda rare.”

Man About Town marks a return to recording after a short hiatus as Davis extricated himself from his Little Dog contract. A bit disillusioned with the music business, he travelled to New Zealand to do some acting. There, he says, “I fell back in love with music” and started writing songs again on an acoustic guitar. He next moved to Austin, bought a Telecaster and continued working on his tunes. The music evolved even more upon his return to New Jersey, where he played with some local guys. “They’d rehearse for hours with me, just kicking songs around. It was kind of like a therapy session.”

Growing up in New Jersey, Davis actually was more into classic rock than country. In fact, he sparked to traditional country from an unusual source: a TV ad. In his early 20s, he heard Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart” in a Pepsi ad and, in Davis’ words, “it just got my antenna going.” He immersed himself in the music of Hank Sr., Lefty Frizzell, Webb Pierce and others from the golden era of honky tonk. This music inspired him to learn to play an acoustic guitar and start writing songs.

A major turning point came for him when he wrote the song “Whiskey Town.” When he played it for other people and saw their reactions, Davis recalls, “I knew I was onto something.” Within a year of writing that tune, he had moved to Nashville and a year later he was flying to L.A. to record with Pete Anderson. “Whiskey Town” also landed a spot on the Crash soundtrack — the first of now nearly 20 song placements that Davis has had over the years, from movies like The Hills Have Eyes to TV shows such as Criminal Minds.

Man About Town also is the first album on Davis' own record label, Highway Kind Records. He started the label with Paul W. Reed, a Texas businessman who is a huge Davis fan. Davis marvels how this friendship developed and evolved into a business relationship too. “He really had some guts to help get this going,” Davis admits, adding, “I find it’s always better to be in charge of your own destiny.” Davis feels the current music scene has created a leveled playing field that allows the opportunity to achieve the American Dream if you work hard enough and have some talent. “Every success is a victory,” he exclaims — and with this new album, Moot Davis should have many more victories in his future. - Cary Baker

 

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Drei Donà Tenuta la Palazza Vineyard

Signel-Z Selected for Winery Video

Proud fourth-generation Italian-American multi-instrumentalist Steve Ignelzi and his jazz band Signel-Z have been featured in a video for the Italian win company Drei Donà. Check out the company's Facebook page, which features the video, which is all in Italian. This is a really cool win for a way cool guitarist and band.

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Baby and Album

Hilary Duff is Back

Timing a rebirth of one's career with giving actual birth to a child does not at first seem like a realistic plan...thinking more about it, it doesn't even seem like a realistic second, third or fourth alternative plan, but that is what former Disney tweener-starlett-turned-pop-idol Hilary Duff has planned for the next couple months. She has been in the studio, and you can use this link to  watch promotional videos, should you be inclined.

I suggest that cautiously, understanding that most readers of this site are not big Hilary Duff supporters, with reasons ranging from demographics to musical tastes. Yours truly is a big Hilary Duff fan, based on the age of my teenaged daughter and our shared experience of Hilary Duff live, which turned out to be one of the nicest concert surprises of my entire concert-going life. Full Disclosure: I attend concerts at a frequency only slightly greater than that of my encounters with Bigfoot, which doesn't really qualify me as an expert on either phenomena. That said, the Hilary Duff performance I saw in an outdoor setting was fueled by a top-flight band, featuring powerhouse drummer Shawnee-Baby and metal-guitarist Jason Hook, and an utterly charming high energy rock performance by the high-gleen princess of pop, who at the time had the top-selling album in the U.S..

Hilary Duff was golden in that period, bringing the full wattage of her natural charisma to a collection of really strong material featuring really fine production. I once read an interview with the guitarist Hook, who seemed a bit thrown by the Duff organization's commitment to first-class accommodation on all levels. He was marveling at hotel suites with heated marble floors. (It is interesting that Hook's Wikipedia article makes no mention of Hilary Duff, outside of the list of acts he has worked with, though it has clearly been his largest exposure - he toured with her internationally. Maybe the high-end digs didn't set well?)

That Hilary Duff is a Republican - one doesn't sense she has a strong political bent, just a natural inclination to blend seamlessly into the upper "one percent" - is off-putting to someone like myself, as perhaps is her marriage to a pro hockey player, but then she is still very young (24) and developing in her adult vision. (Yeah, right, the nobles obliged do that, one might rightly say.)

As one might expect to have happened, Duff seemed to lose her way about the time she started exploiting her young-adult feminine charms, with videos from her Dignity album (which had the irredeemable qualities of co-writer/co-producer Kara DioGuardi all over it) featuring lush production values and top-end sound that came across as utterly phony. The LP didn't do particularly well, though the videos have racked up as many as 34 million views on YouTube!

Certainly a big part of the attraction is that the face of young-adult Hilary Duff is a pleasure to behold, explosive with the expressiveness that made her such a charmingly unaffected teen actress, but now supported by a physiognomy rather like that of the young Faye Dunaway. This led her to be cast in a remake of the Dunaway-Warren Beatty classic Bonnie & Clyde, from which she was paid $100K to walk away from. There was a dispute over production schedules and Duff's pregnancy, but there were also reports that the film's producer Tonya S. Holly wanted to dump her because she just didn't have the acting chops. Duff landed her Disney gig with virtually no acting experience and has been developing the craft while developing her career, which is bound to present pitfalls, and the Bonnie & Clyde thing, which even featured a public spat with Faye Dunaway herself, probably left scars. Now Hilary Duff is getting her voice back into shape and concentrating on an upcoming album.

Her challenge will be to find that voice that captures her innate charm, while avoiding the clichés that dogged her last LP. At her best, young Hilary Duff was a mainline high of blue skies and optimism. It isn't that easy to be that person after life has dealt a few blows and a few wrong choices have been made. I am not even sure it is possible to be 24 years old and not apparently jaded, given where young Duff has been. The video below is what it looked like with Hilary Duff when last she seemed in the wonder of it all - life and early success. - RAR

 

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Suffering Ends for Legend Etta James

Legendary R&B singer Etta James has passed away at age 73. James' manager, Lupe De Leon, confirmed that the singer died in Southern California's Riverside Community Hospital from complications of leukemia. Her husband, Artis Mills, and her sons were reportedly by her side.
 

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Little Freddie King

Born in McComb, Mississippi in 1940, Fread E. Martin grew up playing alongside his blues guitar-picking father (Jessie James Martin), then rode the rails to New Orleans during the early fifties where he crossed paths with itinerant South Louisiana blues men such as "Poka- Dot" Slim and "Boogie" Bill Webb whose unique country-cum-urban styles would influence his own. Honing his guitar chops at notorious joints like the Bucket of Blood (which he later immoralized in song), he jammed and gigged with Bo Diddley and John Lee Hooker, and also played bass for Freddy King during one of the guitarist's stints in New Orleans. People began comparing the two musicians' styles, hence Martin's nome-de-plume. While well-vested in a variety of styles, nowadays Little Freddie sounds a lot more like his cousin Lightin' Hopkins - albeit after a three day corn liquor bender! Nevertheless, the King sobriquet is fitting, as Freddie is undeniably the monarch of the Crescent City blues scene. - ( from his Website, pretty much sic)

 

 

About to Pop (March 6)

I See Hawks in L.A.

In a world that seems bursting with Americana talent, I See Hawks in L.A. soars like a Peregrine Falcon over the angel's folk-rock skyline

 

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — I See Hawks in L.A. have released five critically acclaimed albums since they began writing songs in their Echo Park living rooms 11 years ago. The band’s sound layers electricity and Southern California psychedelia over acoustic guitars and rich vocal harmonies.

Meanwhile, fans have always treasured the Hawks’ acoustic shows, where Rob Waller’s rich voice, the band’s subtle guitar arrangements, and the dark, literate lyrics take the spotlight. A three-year one-mic acoustic series hosted by the band at Cole’s bar in downtown L.A., and memorable acoustic shows all over the U.S. with Ray Wylie Hubbard, Chris Hillman, and Dave Alvin, have honed the Hawks’ sound.

So in 2012, the End of the World according to the Mayan calendar, I See Hawks In L.A. will finally release that acoustic album, New Kind of Lonely, recorded live in a circle at Marc Doten’s Echo Park studio with lovely German microphones. Street date is set for February 21 on Western Seeds Records.

It’s been a long and colorful journey for L.A.’s best-known alt-country band. Countless whiskey-fueled shows from Santa Monica to downtown to the high desert with Mike Stinson, Randy Weeks, Tony Gilkyson and dozens of other artists spawned a now-thriving roots country scene amidst the palm trees and yuccas. Four I See Hawks In L.A. releases notched #1 on the Freeform American Roots (FAR) Chart, and several have hit the Euro Americana Top 10. Dave Alvin has cited the Hawks as “one of California’s unique treasures.”

Treks to Europe and U.K. and repeated tours through most of the 50 states have created a solid following scattered across the globe. “We thrive in the margins,” the Hawks always say. New Kind of Lonely could be the recording to push them into prominence.

On every track, shimmering textures of Martins and Gibsons and upright bass, with touches of dobro and some beautiful fiddle from Gabe Witcher, embellish haunted themes. Death and loss, in very personal terms, weave into almost every song. L.A. Americana’s favorite sister, fiddler/songwriter Amy Farris, is mourned lyrically; the sorrow waiting at the end of every long and joyous marriage is explored in the bittersweet “Your Love Is Going To Kill Me (Someday).”

In reaching back to pre-electric traditions, the Hawks seem to have tapped into the mortality that looms in the work of Hank Williams, The Stanley Brothers, and the Carter Family, far from the feel-good suburbiana of today’s Nashville songwriting. Dark times do need some kind of acknowledgement. I See Hawks In L.A. have taken this on.

But much of the music is rocking and uplifting. “Big Old Hypodermic Needle,” a black humored two beat about two best friends overdosing, is perfect for a barn dance. “Hunger Mountain Breakdown,” in which the singer plans a dramatic ridgetop suicide, is driven by Cliff Wagner’s kickass bluegrass banjo and Gabe Witcher’s virtuoso fiddling. “The Spirit of Death” is hard charging Cajun rock. “I Fell In Love With the Grateful Dead,” a compendium of the three bandmates’ Dead show experiences over four decades, ventures into jam band territory, with lots of notes expended on guitar and bass.

I See Hawks In L.A. will launch New Kind of Lonely with, appropriately enough, an acoustic show at McCabe’s (February 24), followed by an electric version of the new tunes at Pappy & Harriet’s (March 10) in the high desert. The band will tour North Carolina in May and will also perform at the Strawberry Festival in California's Sierras. Over the summer they will hit the road to places new and familiar. - Cary Baker

The Devil Makes Three

Amazing claw hammer-and-harmony with a distinctive lead vocal...

Over the past 7 years, The Devil Makes Three have garnered fans the old school way - playing a city, making friends, conquering fans and moving on. When they hit the next town, venues are packed with folks that heard from a friend in a city that the band had played before. Because of this, The Devil Makes Three have established thousands of die-hard and devout fans. The Devil Makes Three are songwriter, guitar and vocalist Pete Bernhard, banjo player Cooper McBean and stand-up bassist Lucia Turino. All three members migrated to Santa Cruz via New England. Fellow Vermonters, Bernhard and McBean played in punk influenced bands back home but found a common ground in acoustic, country and bluegrass inspired music. When they met New Hampshire native Turino out west, she taught herself the stand-up bass and a band was born. 

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Americana and Roots Music Website Puts Out Call for Donations

"As you can imagine, operating a site with all these features, plus a membership of close to 20,000 people and more than 100,000 unique readers each month, is no small task."

So goes the positioning of Publisher Kyla Fairchild and Community Manager Kim Ruehl of the No Depression Website.

No Depression, which takes its name from Southern Gospel pioneer gospel pioneer J.D. Vaughan's "No Depression In Heaven", was launched in 1995 as a quarterly print magazine covering alternative-country music. The operation has built staff over the years and become one of the nation's most prominent and broad-ranging sources for information on Americana and Roots music. No Depression has received Utne Reader Independent Press Awards for Arts & Literature coverage, and in 2004 was cited by the Chicago Tribune as one of the nation's Top 20 magazines of any kind.

Other ventures during the company's print history included a No Depression Tour (featuring Whiskeytown, the Old 97's, Hazeldine, and the Picketts) in 1997; two best-of anthologies published by Dowling Press (1998) and University of Texas Press (2005); and the No Depression Radio Show, which aired on dozens of stations across the country in 2002 and 2003. The first No Depression Festival was held at Marymoore Park in Seattle in July of 2009, and the second festival was in August of 2010.

No Depression is one RARWRITER.com's favorite site, an international treasure in terms of calibrating music fans of today to the true north in terms of where Americana culture originates. There is an "Americana Culture" you know, and you can find it in the audio recordings and informed articles you find on the No Depression site, not to mention in the tributes of the regular collection of featured bloggers.

RARWRITER.com encourages music lovers everywhere to visit the No Depression site and send a little love in the form of a monetary donation. Good works deserve good support! - RAR

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Phillip Rauls' Photo Archive

Photo-documenting Rock History

Former Atlantic A&R pro Phillip Rauls will probably eventually want to donate his extraordinary personal collection of photographs of golden era rock luminaries to a rock museum someplace. It is probably paralleled by few other such collections. For now, however, he has put some of it online, in documentary form, and you can watch it by going to his Photolog site. Just click on the image at right or on the link provided here. Happy trails.

 

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Stephen Paul Smoker

Following the release of an EP in 2010 and after a year spent coming together as a live force to be reckoned with, Stephen Paul Smoker emerge with a harder, darker edge on their upcoming debut LP, Ripe Fruit, out March 20 via Kilo Records. The first track from Ripe Fruit, "Green City." Incessant stomp, gutter guitar that evolves to squall, psychedelic canyon vocals and elements of disco all appear in "Green City" by Chicago act Stephen Paul Smoker. This is dirty music for dirty times...

A Lancaster, PA native, musician Stephen Paul Smoker began his career at an early age, honing his craft as a touring musician and hired gun for bands like MewithoutYou and the Mint. Smoker relocated to Chicago to join and perform with childhood friend Grace Kulp and continued to tour with other acts such as the Loto Ball Show.

Inspired by the bright sun light in his Pilsen attic which doubled as his bedroom, Smoker created what would eventually become his debut EP , Violent Sun / Violent Fun, a no-frills, psychedelic DIY take on indie pop.

After releasing Violent Sun / Violent Fun, Stephen formed band and began to perform his music live. Teaming up with local Pilsen musicians Michael Kostal, Evan DePue, Bethany Smoker, Paul Roots, as well as Gerald Baily (Trumpeter/Black Bear Combo) and Emma Hospelhorn (Flute/Hollows) the group began performing live in late 2010, and spent 2011 preparing for their first full length release, RIPE FRUIT, which will be available March 20th, 2012 on Kilo Records. 

 

Hank Williams

Sunset Park Show 7/13/1952

Just months before his death on New Year's Eve, 1952, the great country singer-songwriter Hank Williams played a show in Pennsylvania that was captured on audio tape. It is a treasure that should be heard by every fan of great American music. It is Williams playing with a small band and singing beautifully. His banter with the crowd is a fascination in itself. Take 28 minutes and remember the feel and sound of the authentic. - RAR

 

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Rip Cat Lands The Blasters, K.K. Martin

 

Rip Cat Records announces the signing of two iconic Southern California-based music artists, The Blasters and K.K. Martin.

The Blasters formed in Downey, California back in 1979 and, along with X, Black Flag, Red Hot Chili Peppers and others, have been an integral part of the SoCal underground/indie-rock scene since their formation. Led by brothers Phil and Dave Alvin, the group originally signed to much-loved indie label Slash Records in 1981 and were known as much for their grueling touring schedule as their unique country-punk sound. Among the noted musicians that have performed as members of the Blasters through the years: the dynamic saxophone duo of Steve Berlin and Lee Allen; bassist John Bazz; the late Hollywood Fats (a/k/a Michael Mann) and X's Billy Zoom, Greg "Smoky" Hormel, James Intveld, and current guitarist, Keith Wyatt; and drummers Billy Bateman, David Carrol and current member, Jerry Angel. The Blasters were featured in the popular 1984 film Streets Of Fire and placed two songs in the sound track, "One Bad Stud" and "Blue Shadows." The Blasters are currently in the studio recording a new album for Rip Cat.

K.K. Martin was a founding member, lead guitarist, singer and songwriter for 80's-era band A La Carte. The group gained considerable renown as one of the most in-demand groups on the then-vibrant Sunset Strip music scene. Exposed in the womb to the music of Jimmie Rodgers. Robert Johnson and Hank Williams, he began touring with his parents at age 10. K.K. was transplanted to California in 1969 and cut his teeth on the local L.A. rock scene at age 16, landing a brief stint with the Albert Collins backup band. Martin has performed with a Who's-Who in the music business including Eric Burdon, Booker T, Rick Derringer, Johnny Winters, Blondie, and currently, Lester Chambers of famed R&B/Soul group The Chambers Brothers. K.K. was a recipient of "Outstanding Blues Artist" at the 9th Annual Los Angeles Music Awards in 1999. In the last decade, Louisiana native Martin has reconnected with his Blues roots. He toured with Lester Chambers of the 60's Chambers Brothers fame, recording a project with Lester called "Blues for Sale." Martin has continued to play extensively throughout L.A. and Orange County as a solo act as well as with the band Roadside Revelers. His latest CD is "Naked Blues Vol. II," which will be re-released by Rip Cat.

Orange County-based Rip Cat Records is one of the quickest-growing independent labels in Southern California, with a solid artist roster that includes guitarist Barry Levenson; The 44's, vocalist Lisa Cee; Johnny Mastro and Mamma's Boys; Whiteboy James & The Blues Express; John Marx; Little Barry G; The Mighty Mojo Prophets; and Gino Mateo.

 

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RILEY ETHERIDGE JR. TO RELEASE EP IN JANUARY

NYC-based Americana singer-songwriter Riley Etheridge Jr. will be releasing a four-song EP, “Better Days,” in digital format via Rock Ridge Music on January 24, 2012 (see track listing below). The EP will be available through the usual digital download portals. Instead of utilizing a full band, or performing the songs as solo acoustic guitar arrangements (Etheridge’s original idea for the recording), he opted to work with a trio lineup, which included drummer Dan Rieser and bassist Tim Luntzel. Felix McTeigue (who also co-wrote the title track) produced the EP.

Says Etheridge of the process: “I am really pleased with the ‘live’ and spontaneous approach that we took. It was a completely different experience for me, which I enjoyed. I met Dan and Tim after seeing them perform in NYC, and, on just a few days’ notice, they agreed to meet and track these songs with me at a studio in Brooklyn. It was done live over two brief sessions. I love how simple the arrangements are. We picked this group of four songs as our favorites out of about seven songs and ‘rolled the tape’ with no charts, click track or rehearsal. We at most did two or three takes of each track. One friend who heard the tracks called it ‘real people playing real music,’ and I viewed that as a major compliment, and the result of an experiment that paid off.”

“Better Days” is the follow-up to Etheridge’s 2011 release, “Powder Keg,” his sophomore album. Etheridge may call New York City his home now, but his music sounds like he’s still living down South. A South Carolina native, Etheridge spent many years living - and playing music - in Louisiana. “Powder Keg” deftly blended together rock, country, blues, soul, and folk into a rich Americana sound. Etheridge’s first album, “Things I Used To Know,” came out in 2010. Atlanta’s A-List has compared Etheridge to Radney Foster, Billy Joe Shaver and Uncle Tupelo, while Owl Magazine lauded Etheridge’s “blues/country fusion that just plain grooves.” Innocent Words praised Etheridge’s lyrics, saying, “…nothing grabs your attention more than Etheridge’s clever word play and finesse with the language of love, lust, and loss. …[Etheridge is] a songwriter with real intellect who makes you want to hit the repeat button again and again to catch what he said.” - Krista Mettler / Skye Media & Rock Ridge Music

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KREEP: Obnoxious Vocals, Brutal Bass/Drums - What's Not to Like?

KREEP is a hardcore metal band that features face peeling obnoxious vocals, heavy hitting drums, huge guitar riffs, and brutal bass lines that force you to punch the person next to you. KREEP is a band that demands attention and gets it.

 

KREEP has released their exceptional debut album ‘LEAD US NOT’ (available now on iTUNES, digital stores, AMAZON & finer record stores worldwide). They debuted their powerhouse skills when they played their first live show with this line up to a sold out crowd at The Joint in the legendary Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas NV for Xtreme radio’s annual Holiday Havoc concert. KREEP has just released the new video BLOODLETTING starring METAL SANAZ.

KREEP originated with potent vocalist Brett Pirozzi putting together a band that would stand out in the world of metal. Brett’s New York roots and the garbage he was hearing on the radio propelled him to want to write songs that expressed his anger with the world and music of today. Brett began to write songs that were about things happening in life and in the process realized that these issues affected a lot of people in society today. That’s the heart of KREEP: angry guys making angry music for an audience of confused people.

On drums, KREEP features the explosive and heavy hitting, Ivan de Prume. Ivan is best known for his playing with White Zombie and is a multi-platinum selling, Grammy nominated artist. Ivan’s in your face, New York attitude adds to KREEP’s musical presence and leaves listeners defenseless to his powerful and undeniable abilities on the skins. Ivan now lives in Oregon and his extensive technical knowledge in the recording studio field allowed KREEP to record their new album LEAD US NOT.
KREEP has shared the stage with numerous National acts ranging from Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach, Hoobastank, Hollywood Undead, Prong, Divine Heresy, Green Jello, and many more.

KREEP is one of the premiere releases on the new MAXIMIZED Label, the major new independent METAL & HARD ROCK label headed by industry veteran JAY WARSINSKE. Jay has over 38 years experience in working with the likes of METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, AC/DC, GUNS ‘n ROSES, & many more. For more info visit www.MXMZD.com

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JOSEPH SEIF VIDEO FEATURE

RARWRITER.com has been holding on to an interview we did last year with multi-dimensional San Francisco film maker Joseph Seif. He is an experienced fashion photographer and art director, whose credits include independent films and music videos. He is also a musician in his own right, leading his "shoegaze" band Skycamp.

Seif would make a great art director and cinematographer for our film making series the "RAR Movie Project". This feeling about our interview subject's unique qualifications for the job have had an impact on the release of this interview, which is excellent for its insight into the creative process specific to working with light and film. Read More...

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The Ragbirds

By Ami Heinrich

After a highly successful 2011 The Ragbirds are kicking off a new year with the release of their 4th studio effort, Travelin’ Machine on January 1st, 2012. In this exciting new album the band has seamlessly blended a wide palette of musical genres into a fresh and cohesive 10-track package that is full of life and energy.

It’s rare to stumble upon a band that brings as much joy and creative flare to their music as the Ragbirds. Led by the energetic front woman, Erin Zindle, the band tastefully unites multi-cultural rhythms with a roots rock flavor that is as captivating and flirty, as it is smart.

The five-piece project is clearly built around the multi-talented Zindle, who is not only the singer and songwriter for the project, but also is proficient in a range of stringed instruments. This classically trained violinist can aptly pluck the eight-stringed mandolin, wield a wild accordion and rock the banjo while maintaining lead vocals. Surrounding Zindle's earthy-sweet voice is the whirlwind of a guitarist T.J. Zindle, dynamic bassist Brian Crist, drummer Loren Kranz and standout percussionist Randall Moore.

Chock-full of radio-friendly material, Travelin’ Machine showcases the band’s skills with adventurous lyrics and a unique blend of styles. The album kicks off with the contagious opening track “Six Wheels” - an energetic song with Afro-Cuban rhythms and a frisky pop melody that manages to linger in your head all day long. The second track, “Following You” has obvious bluegrass influences with just a charming wink of country twang.

Sweeping throughout the album is a breezy quality that makes you feel like celebrating. Tracks like “Silence is Everywhere” and “Moribayassa (I’ll Fly Away)” highlight the percussive prowess of the group with layers of thick drums and sounds reminiscent of an African village. In “Learn to Shine” Zindle’s beautiful voice leads a soaring reprise you will want to hear while you’re driving towards a mountain sunset, while the lively Cajun-Zydeco-inspired “The Bully” seems straight out of the bayou. The bands diversity shines in the unique “Acrobats” – a Circus-waltz with haunting accordion undertones, while “Mercy of the Sea” is a rock Sea-Chanty with a classic swagger. All and all the album takes the listener on a great musical journey that is as inspiring as the world landscape from which it is drawn.

Beginning January 1st Travelin’ Machine will hit on-line stores and boutique music shops around the country. A bright and diverse addition to any music collection, the album provides charming, danceable songs that will be embraced by listeners of all ages.

For more information about the band or their forthcoming release, Travelin’ Machine, check-out their official website at www.theragbirds.com .

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Now in its 13th year of publication as an annual guide to the music industry, "Indie Bible" is now available on line, as well. Click on the graphic above to go to the site for a free trial. You get industry listings and information that is updated daily.

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