DarkStar234
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posted on 5/12/2012 at 06:48 AM |
I've been on an Americana binge lately (bluegrass, country, country rock, folk, folk rock, etc.) and much of this has focused on country and country rock. I've been listening to stuff from the '20s and '30s (Rodgers and Carter Family) all the way through the outlaw movement and I have to say that there is really something special about the '60s/'70s country rock and outlaw movements. Sweetheart of the Rodeo, The Gilded Palace of Sin, Waylon and Willie's outlaw period. Jerry Jeff Walker, Michael Murphey, Freda and the Firedogs and the other 'cosmic cowboys' from Austin...amazing stuff, all of it.
I'll probably be using this thread to ramble out various recordings I'm listening to. Feel free to join in on the discussion.
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IPowrie
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posted on 5/12/2012 at 10:05 AM |
| Feel free to ramble, most of the stuff that is close to country that I listen to is Todd Snider, Drive By Truckers, Lucero, Yonder Mountain String Band, Leftover Salmon, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris. Do love me some Wille, Waylon and Cash. Keep posting as I'll end up checking out some of the groups u mention ____________________
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cmgst34
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posted on 5/12/2012 at 10:30 AM |
I've been listening a lot to the "Outlaw Country" channel on XM.
One of my new favorites (at least new to me) is Ray Wylie Hubbard. I like pretty much everything they play by him.
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DarkStar234
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posted on 5/12/2012 at 12:03 PM |
quote:
Feel free to ramble, most of the stuff that is close to country that I listen to is Todd Snider, Drive By Truckers, Lucero, Yonder Mountain String Band, Leftover Salmon, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris. Do love me some Wille, Waylon and Cash. Keep posting as I'll end up checking out some of the groups u mention
Emmylou Harris's solo material (the early stuff at least) is country and it is great.
As for Ray Wylie Hubbard: Steve Earle described Kris Kristofferson as the first 'post-Dylan' country song-writer -- contrasting him with people like Willie that he felt were brilliant but traditional writers -- and I'd happily add Hubbard to that list. He's a genius lyricist and his current recordings (the only ones available on CD) are a stew of blues, country, and rock that I think many members of this forum would enjoy. Not to mention, the guy can have some fun when he wants to: He wrote "Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother" for example.
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BlueSky4ever
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posted on 5/12/2012 at 12:36 PM |
| A few others to check out, Jerry Jeff Walker, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Robert Earl Keen, John Prine, Doc Watson, Merle Watson, Norman Blake, Hank Williams III, Patty Loveless. Allison Krauss. Some great music out there that is never played on mainstream country radio. ____________________
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Bluenose
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posted on 5/12/2012 at 01:08 PM |
Love this type of music.
Any Truckers fans should also check out Slobberbone - a bit more rough n ready than the Truckers but still sad in all the right places.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PMf-e5ieKc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV6n3Hy3E3s
One that I havent seen mentioned that deserves it is Lambchop - sheer size and number of instruments makes them kinda unique, but well deserving of your attention. ____________________
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DerekFromCincinnati
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posted on 5/12/2012 at 04:34 PM |
This gets it done.....and in 2012 to boot;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYk0XjBENas ____________________
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DarkStar234
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posted on 5/12/2012 at 08:02 PM |
Tonight I listened to the Guy Clark's double album disc, Old No. 1/Texas Cookin'. It covers his first two albums. Clark is most known for songs made famous by other singers (Jerry Jeff Walker in particular), such as Desperadoes Waiting For a Train and LA Freeway. The first album on this set contains both of those numbers, by the way.
Guy Clark is not a great singer -- might be why he never made a big name for himself in spite of his songwriting skills -- he's got a rough, somewhat nasal Dylan-esque baritone. A songwriter's voice, not a singer's.  It doesn't particularly bother me, but it won't knock you off your feet, either. But what he lacks in vocal capabilities he makes up for with his skills as a songwriter and arranger. The first album has a stripped down feel that I love; acoustic guitars, bass, drums, with piano, fiddle, harmonica and harmony vocals sprinkled throughout. It reminds me of Billy Joe Shaver's Old Five and Dimers Like Me album. An outlaw attempting to go back to country roots in opposition to the 'Nashville sound'. His second album is a bit more '70s' in flavor, with electric piano and electric guitars sprinkled throughout. (I don't mind the electric guitar, but I'm not too high on the electric piano.) The songs aren't quite as strong either, but it's a solid album. I'm sure it will grow on me.
I highly recommend this disc, in particular given that it can be had on Amazon for under $7 shipped.
[Edited on 5/13/2012 by DarkStar234]
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DarkStar234
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posted on 5/12/2012 at 08:25 PM |
By the way, thanks for the John Prine recommendation. I'll be picking up his self-titled album as soon as I can. It's amazing how relevant some of those tunes are (I googled some lyrics). "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" in particular. I've always had a soft-spot for witty songwriters with a dark sense of humor (Warren Zevon!) and Prine seems to be on that list.
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Brock
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posted on 5/12/2012 at 08:27 PM |
No Americana list is complete without mentioning Darrell Scott. Great writer, good voice and multi-instrumentalist. When Plant picked him for Band of Joy, I knew I had to see that show. You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69BwNVtyCKs
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IPowrie
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posted on 5/12/2012 at 09:51 PM |
Another favorite of mine is Joe Ely
Me and Billy The Kid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11gxJDrcxq8 ____________________
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BlueSky4ever
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posted on 5/13/2012 at 12:12 AM |
Love this song by Blaze Foley, first heard John Prine cover it. Blaze was an influence on Townes Van Zant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB_2CUj3y6Y
Another man who has to be mentioned in this catergory is Ry Cooder. His first 3 albums are classic in vein.
Two others guys i saw back in my college days are Bryan Bowers, master Autoharpist and Gove Scrivenor. Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger cannot be overlooked.
If you want to head way back, check out Woody Guthrie Leadbelly, Ramblin Jack Elliot, Cisco Houston....a song he played Saint james Infirmary is done by Doc Watson.
Keep em coming. Love this music and so much more to hear. ____________________
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DarkStar234
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posted on 5/13/2012 at 06:58 AM |
That Darrell Scott tune is excellent. I'll definitely be looking his stuff up.
Where do I start?
[Edited on 5/13/2012 by DarkStar234]
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EasyMichael
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posted on 5/13/2012 at 10:10 AM |
I'd like to read ideas about him, too.
My most-listened to genre of music anymore is what's termed "Americana". Darrell's bandmate Buddy Miller is one of my faves--along with the duo material with his wife Julie.
A recent discovery for me is Kevin Gordon.
Thanks for starting this thread.  ____________________
"You shouldn't confuse things that are popular with things that are really good"--paraphrasing Bob Dylan.
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DarkStar234
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posted on 5/13/2012 at 01:04 PM |
quote:
Thanks for starting this thread.
You're welcome. I'm pretty sure there's an audience here for (good) country music, along with other forms of Americana. I damn sure know there's a solid blues audience here! 
Speaking of reading, I'm currently reading Desperados: The Roots of Country Rock. I've recently read Twenty Thousand Roads: The Ballad of Gram Parsons and His Cosmic American Music and Cosmic Cowboys and New Hicks: The Countercultural Sounds of Austin's Progressive Country Music Scene. All of these books are recommended, though I should note that the last book is a cultural study - essentially an academic text and assumes a bit of prior knowledge about the '70s country scene in Austin.
[Edited on 5/13/2012 by DarkStar234]
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Brock
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posted on 5/13/2012 at 01:10 PM |
quote:
That Darrell Scott tune is excellent. I'll definitely be looking his stuff up.
Where do I start?
[Edited on 5/13/2012 by DarkStar234]
I'd start w/ Real Time that he did w/ Tim O'Brien. Each of those two is great, but together, fantastic. I would not recommend his latest, Long Ride Home; for some reason, it disappointed me.
http://www.amazon.com/Real-Time-Tim-OBrien/dp/B0007GADWC/ref=sr_1_8?s=music
&ie=UTF8&qid=1336932085&sr=1-8
Or, ck your PMs.
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bigCTfan
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posted on 5/13/2012 at 03:47 PM |
Jimmie Dale Gilmore...
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willieB69
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posted on 5/13/2012 at 04:01 PM |
Just picked up John Prine's new release, "the singing mailman Delivers" from his early days a struggling singer/songwriter and a chicago mailman. good stuff and his voice was so different in those days before throat cancer really changed its' timbre. I've also been listening to a lot of What I consider americana, as in, The Amazing Rhythm Aces, Pure Prairie league, & Ozark Mountain Daredevils lately! Last week, watched the DVd of Billy Joe Shaver from Austin City Limits from the early 80's. His son Eddie was one helluva guitar player (died young from you guessed it- substance abuse)who was very heavily influenced and even taught by Forrest Richard Betts. If you've never heard Eddie Shaver play guitar, do yourself a favor and youtube him from ACL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT3xxoyYlr4
and buy that DVD from new west rtecords!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwxYbb5uils&feature=related
[Edited on 5/13/2012 by willieB69]
[Edited on 5/13/2012 by willieB69]
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DarkStar234
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posted on 5/13/2012 at 04:54 PM |
It's terribly sad to hear about Billy Joe Shaver's son. It seems that many children of musicians/writers/etc. take a "like father, like son" approach and OD. BJS's Old Five and Dimers Like Me is a great album, and he wrote most of the tunes on Jennings's Honky Tonk Heroes. I'm ordering BJS's live album Unshaven.
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DarkStar234
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posted on 5/13/2012 at 06:31 PM |
Tonight's bit of Americana:
Gillian Welch - The Harrow and the Harvest
Gillian Welch and her partner David Rawlings got their start sixteen years ago with Revival, drawing on bluegrass and older string band traditions with the intent of taking these influences and placing them in a new context. I've been aware of her for a while but never got around to picking up an album until recently. I decided to pick up the latest album based on the great reviews.
The Harrow and the Harvest employs stark instrumentation; acoustic guitars, harmonica, banjo and hand and foot percussion. Generally speaking, a web of strummed guitar and picked banjo is weaved around Welch's alto, with the occasional self-harmonizing through double-tracking or backing vocals from Rawlings. Lyrical content tends to be dark and the songs slow, on average, which can make for a depressing experience if one is not prepared, but it can also be quite cathartic. For that matter, most of it is quite beautiful. I'd be inclined to say that the songwriting is firmly entrenched in the folk tradition of murder ballads, if the lyrics matched. They don't, so I'll just say that they commonly invoke a similar atmosphere.
I haven't fully wrapped my head around this release yet, and I don't think anyone else will on a first listen, either, but it's highly recommended. Just give it some time to sink in.
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BlueSky4ever
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posted on 5/13/2012 at 07:51 PM |
quote:
Just picked up John Prine's new release, "the singing mailman Delivers" from his early days a struggling singer/songwriter and a chicago mailman. good stuff and his voice was so different in those days before throat cancer really changed its' timbre. I've also been listening to a lot of What I consider americana, as in, The Amazing Rhythm Aces, Pure Prairie league, & Ozark Mountain Daredevils lately! Last week, watched the DVd of Billy Joe Shaver from Austin City Limits from the early 80's. His son Eddie was one helluva guitar player (died young from you guessed it- substance abuse)who was very heavily influenced and even taught by Forrest Richard Betts. If you've never heard Eddie Shaver play guitar, do yourself a favor and youtube him from ACL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT3xxoyYlr4
and buy that DVD from new west rtecords!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwxYbb5uils&feature=related
[Edited on 5/13/2012 by willieB69]
[Edited on 5/13/2012 by willieB69]
Here is a nice story about Eddie Shaver and how Dickey Betts taught him to play when he was 12.
http://listeningroom.lohudblogs.com/2010/04/21/guitar-players-you-should-kn
ow-eddy-shaver/
[Edited on 5/14/2012 by BlueSky4ever] ____________________
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Blooby
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posted on 5/13/2012 at 08:11 PM |
I couldn't agree more with Darrell Scoot. Great singer, great songwriter, and a session-level multi-instrumentalist to boot. He is just fantastic. If we were on a different board, I'd might suggest starting somewhere else, but on an Allman Brothers board, I can't say enough about his Live in NC cd. Great songs, great playing, and loads of improvisation. Can't say enough about Kenny Malone and Danny Thompson who hit every curve ball thrown at them. His version of "River Take Me" on that disc just blows me away. He plays both electric and acoustic guitar on this disc.
A stellar live act as well.
Whenever I need cheering up, I play this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmB7oBQSQyw&feature=related
Blooby
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jszfunk
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posted on 5/14/2012 at 06:29 AM |
Jimmie Dale Gillmore
Steve Earle
Drive By Truckers
Chris Smither
I am not sure if these are considered under that heading but I have liked what Mellencanp has done over his last two . Jakob Dylans last release, and Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs. ____________________
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willieB69
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posted on 5/14/2012 at 07:28 AM |
Here is a nice story about Eddie Shaver and how Dickey Betts taught him to play when he was 12.
http://listeningroom.lohudblogs.com/2010/04/21/guitar-players-you-should-kn
ow-eddy-shaver/
Here's the text from the link & article above on Eddie Shaver - Thanks BlueSky4ever!
You know you’re off to a good start when your guitar teacher is Dickey Betts, and he gives you Duane Allman’s Fender Stratocaster as a gift.
It also doesn’t hurt when your father is legendary country music singer/songwriter Billy Joe Shaver.
But make no mistake: Eddy Shaver earned his keep, playing alongside his dad and with some of the biggest names in music. He certainly mastered that Stratocaster.
Born in Waco, Texas, Eddy Shaver was the only son of Billy Joe Shaver, a rought-and-tumble legendary songwriter whose work has been recorded by the likes of Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.
According to British newspaper The Independent, Eddy Shaver was just 12 when Betts taught him to play guitar.
“A lot of my playing comes form watching Dickey Betts play,” Shaver once told the newspaper. “He taught me that every note had to have a presence to it.”
At just 13, the younger Shaver went on the road with his dad, largely to tune his father’s guitars, Billy Joe Shaver later said. But Eddy Shaver was off and running.
He formed the Delta Rebels rock band in Memphis, and later joined country star Dwight Yoakam’s band as lead guitarist, and gig that lasted until 1989.
He then teamed with his father, forming the band Shaver — in essence the two Shavers with a host of guest musicians. By then Eddy Shaver had developed a hard-driving guitar style that added a hard edge to his father’s music. They released their first album, Tramp On Your Street, in 1993.
The duo recorded several other albums over the years that followed, including 1999’s Honky Tonk Heroes, featuring Kris Kristoferson, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. For his part Eddy Shaver had established himself as a premier guitar player, and prepared to release a solo album in 2001.
But he had also inherited some of the hard-living habits that plagued his father’s early career. Eddy Shaver overdosed on heroin on New Year’s Eve in 2000, and died at the age of 38.
Billy Joe Shaver has released some of his son’s work posthumously, and maintains an online tribute page to his son. The obvious tragedy is that Eddy Shaver didn’t make a bigger mark before his death.
The beauty of it is that you can still hear him play — and you should.
[Edited on 5/14/2012 by willieB69]
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hotlantatim
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posted on 5/14/2012 at 10:13 AM |
Had a wonderful Americana music Saturday, as I saw Prarie Home Companion at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. What a treat. The house band is amazing (piano player Rich Dworsky is jaw dropping good). We got the added bonus of Sam Bush playing with them the whole time. He sang approx 5 songs. Joe Ely and his killer guitarist/dobro player performed as did the very talented Lera Lynn from Athens.
Our last minute "obstructed view" tickets turned out to be the edge of the first row with nothing obstructed that all of the first 10 rows didn't also have (grand piano blocking the drummer).
Hilarious show, including some great adlib moments.
The broadcast lasted 2 hours and the house band kept playing in the background through the 5 minute intermission. We also got 10 minutes bonus stuff before they went on the air, plus a grand encore afterward with all the musicians back on stage. ____________________
Tim L.
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