tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-149802612024-03-19T02:48:35.244-06:00ROUTES & BRANCHESfeaturing the very best of americana, alt.country and roots musicScott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.comBlogger876125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-78055325162112230772024-03-17T15:34:00.004-06:002024-03-17T15:34:54.245-06:00HANGiNG STARS - ON a GOLDEN SHORE<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9scpFJPmzWyHHHPfKjDNriix3HRtMJdCFikl1kCE6WzC2_S7qjG6hP90c-Nhal0dcpNgDrFYn6j1sT4mDRLzNeAvm2tQt-J0w6Tbm7GhXYG-dH45PrT2cq0QjlxtJiYoBY5Vmn5yKj8nJ2rs2WGk-ba6BljIBigXK4esSHCELdzTz3n7KPQq-fQ/s1440/Hanging%20Stars%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1440" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9scpFJPmzWyHHHPfKjDNriix3HRtMJdCFikl1kCE6WzC2_S7qjG6hP90c-Nhal0dcpNgDrFYn6j1sT4mDRLzNeAvm2tQt-J0w6Tbm7GhXYG-dH45PrT2cq0QjlxtJiYoBY5Vmn5yKj8nJ2rs2WGk-ba6BljIBigXK4esSHCELdzTz3n7KPQq-fQ/s320/Hanging%20Stars%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">March 17, 2024</div><div style="text-align: center;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Returned from vacation abroad, where I was driving on the wrong side of the road and alarming the natives across the Scottish Highlands. As typically seems to be the case when visiting such rich cultures, we end up hearing a pale adaptation of American pop radio as opposed to more trad sounds from the immediate environs. </div><div><br /></div><div>As we've mentioned previously here at R&B HQ, americana music really has nothing to do with America, at least not in the sense that the country really <i>owns</i> the sounds that cobble together to make our kind of music. We pay regular visits to blogs that focus on roots music in the UK, in Finland, Norway, Canada, and Australia. </div><div><br /></div><div>When time came to create their fifth full-length record, <b>The Hanging Stars</b> departed their London home for a studio in northeast Scotland. There, the four-piece outfit, fronted by singer-guitarist Richard Olson, brought to life <i>On a Golden Shore</i>, a glimmering roots-pop gem with veins of psych and cool California folk. <i>I got you under a cold, dark spell</i>, Olson sings on the sessions which partner a bright ambiance with moody lyrics. </div><div><br /></div><div>With a recurring, good-natured acoustic guitar and flute (or pipe?), "Raindrop In a Hurricane" plays like the Kinks in their more pastoral moments, one of a couple of nods to Hanging Stars' UK influences. The song also establishes the sessions' habit of daydreaming: <i>I've been dreaming of another country / A warm place where the lemons grow / And I've been thinking 'bout a girl so pretty / She doesn't want my loving no more</i>. The album's closer, "Heart In a Box" adds horns and a bouncing bass for a shimmering, swaying anthem, Olson conceding: <i>I guess I'm blessed with you</i>. The Stars' British allegiance carries through as well on one of the LP's strongest tracks, the swaggering "Let Me Dream Of You". A chunky electric guitar and an understated glam sneer hone the song's Brit pop edge. </div><div><br /></div><div>Like Gary Louris' Jayhawks, a strong melodic streak speaks to Hanging Stars' dedication to pop expression. "Sweet Light" recalls a <i>lazy lost afternoon</i>, chiming guitars and the group's trademark harmonies deliver the tuneful chorus. Those harmonies are deployed throughout <i>On a Golden Shore</i>, playing to the record's psych sound and spirit. <i>Longing is the greatest gift / Waiting is her evil twin</i>, Olsen sings on "Happiness Is a Bird", bearing Jerry Garcia-inspired cascading guitar lines alongside those breezy vocals. It's a sound the band has evocatively termed <i>cosmic heartbreak boogie</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pieces like "No Way Spell" bear a country stamp, with banjo added to the lush mix. Pedal steel, courtesy of special guest Joe Harvey-Whyte colors the proceedings throughout, an essential element to the overall vibe. On the overcast "Disbelieving", the instrument peals alongside chiming guitars and a rattling tambourine: <i>Is it true that you're leaving / That you're gone / I have a hard time believing / That we're done</i>. Elsewhere, "Silver Rings" encourages a beach vibe with a piano bossa, while "Golden Shore" meshes the band's flute and hand percussion with a perennial blues reference: <i>Make me a pallet on your floor / Make it soft and make it pure</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Frontman Richard Olsen can sound like the Church's Steve Kilbey at times, his measured baritone well-suited for the dreamy, downcast lyrics. With producer Sean Read, drummer Paulie Cobra, bassist Paul Milne, and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Ralla, Hanging Stars weave an intoxicating musical spell that matches the Sadies' instrumentalism with Woods' eclecticism. Like Brown Horse, reviewed a couple episodes ago, it's accomplished with a distinctly British sensibility, with daydreams of California beaches and expansive cosmic country horizons. </div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, a quick glance at <a href="https://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster</a>, our fully appointed new release calendar. Longtime producer and instrumentalist to the stars <b>T Bone Burnett</b> returns his attention to his solo career for the first time in twenty years. Due April 19 via Verve, <i>The Other Side</i> offers contributions from Lucius, Rosanne Cash, Weyes Blood and more. <b>Adeem the Artist</b>'s 2022 <i>White Trash Revelry </i>brought the songwriter's essential work to a wider audience. The follow-up, <i>Anniversary</i> is scheduled for a May 3 release (Four Quarters). Heavy garage-blues duo <b>Left Lane Cruiser</b> are set for their first collection in five years. Alive Natural Sound has announced a June 7 date for <i>Bayport BBQ Blues</i>. That same date marks the return of <b>Good Looks</b>, whose <i>Bummer Year</i> drew a good amount of debut attention. Keeled Scales has landed on a June 7 date for <i>Lived Here For a While</i>. Avi Vinocur and Patrick Dyer Wolf have readied their next <b>Goodnight Texas</b> record. <i>Signals</i> drops July 19 on the 2 Cent Bank Check label. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>ROUTES-cast March 17, 2024</div><div><br /></div><div>- Tennessee Freedom Singers, "Tennessee Rise" <i>single</i> (TN Dawn, 24) D</div><div>- Waxahatchee, "365" <i>Tigers Blood</i> (Anti, Mar 22)</div><div>- Joe Kaplow, "Rock and Roll" <i>Posh Poodle Krystal and Toe</i> (Fluff & Gravy, May 17) D</div><div>- Eels, "Time" <i>Eels Time!</i> (Eworks, Jun 7) D</div><div>- Louisa Stancioff, "Cigarette" <i>When We Were Looking</i> (Yep Roc, Apr 12) D</div><div>- Scott Ballew, "Old Fashioned" <i>Rio Bravo</i> (La Honda, Mar 29)</div><div>- Old 97s, "Magic" <i>American Primitive</i> (ATO, Apr 5)</div><div>- Good Looks, "If It's Gone" <i>Lived Here For a While</i> (Keeled Scales, Jun 7) D</div><div>- Lostines, "Neon Lights" <i>Meet the Lostines</i> (Gar Hole, ,Apr 26) </div><div>- Kacey Musgraves, "Lonely Millionaire" <i>Deeper Well</i> (Interscope, 24)</div><div>- Emily Nenni, "Changes" <i>Drive & Cry</i> (New West, May 3)</div><div>- Willie Nelson, "The Border" <i>The Border</i> (Sony, May 31) D</div><div>- Wonder Women Of Country, "I Have Met My Love Today" <i>Wonder Women Of Country EP</i> (Bismeaux, 24)</div><div>- Katie Pruitt, "Worst Case Scenario" <i>Mantras</i> (Rounder, Apr 5)</div><div>- Secret Sisters, "Paperweight" <i>Mind Man Medicine</i> (New West, Mar 29)</div><div>- Tim Easton, "Everything You're Afraid Of" <i>Find Your Way</i> (Black Mesa, May 17)</div><div>- Deep Dark Woods, "Spanish Is the Loving Tongue" <i>Broadside Ballads Vol 3</i> (Victory Pool, May 1) D</div><div>- Arlo McKinley, "Watching Vermont" <i>single</i> (Oh Boy, 24) D</div><div>- Dustin Kensrue, "High Scalers" <i>Desert Dreaming</i> (Vagrant, Apr 5)</div><div>- Kyle Kimbrell, "Bar Rat" <i>Easy Truths</i> (Cornelius Chapel, Apr 5)</div><div>- Hermanos Gutierrez, "Low Sun" <i>Sonido Cosmico</i> (Easy Eye, Jun 14)</div><div>^ Hanging Stars, "Disbelieving" <i>On a Golden Shore</i> (Loose, 24)</div><div>- Left Lane Cruiser, "Turkey Vulture" <i>Bayport BBQ Blues</i> (Alive Natural Sound, Jun 7) D</div><div>- Quinn Pilgrim, "Time Ain't Going Nowhere" <i>A Few More EP</i> (6001, 24)</div><div>- James Elkington & Nathan Salsburg, "Buffalo Stance" <i>All Gist</i> (Paradise Of Bachelors, Apr 12) D</div><div>- Myriam Gendron, "Long Way Home" <i>Mayday</i> (Thrill Jockey, May 10) D</div><div>- Mitski, "Coyote My Little Brother" <i>Spotify Singles</i> (Dead Oceans, 24) D</div><div>- Brennan Wedl, "Fake Cowboy" <i>single</i> (Kill Rock Stars, 24) D</div><div>- Raelyn Nelson Band, "Which Jesus" <i>Let's Go Dancing: Celebration Of Kevn Kinney</i> (Tasty Goody, 24)</div><div>- Glen Campbell, "Long Walk Home (ft Hope Sandoval)" <i>Glen Campbell Duets: Ghost On the Canvas Sessions</i> (Big Machine, Apr 19) D<br /><div><br /></div><div><div>-------------------------- </div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/0O80dDbIFpxmWEZNQiNZDe?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-13464305786423983932024-03-10T11:00:00.002-06:002024-03-10T11:00:39.052-06:00ROUTES-cast March 10, 2024<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2y9Lo9Hc4iFxABn2VlOwUZ4nVsZ6f0AbAMP-ThzoMbNEEguPUyykjoReVVx80DyCq-PaqmTpcONjpTDc0_avNH1TeihYPcEBzPLfd7itxL3_3HRzlmvzVhe-zHJ_Ve3aWXhjKHjY-1oDyP0YYkBK7UR1gvpWATD984nZJ1-ERPMIfqPb08J6qdg/s1170/Hanging%20Stars.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1170" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2y9Lo9Hc4iFxABn2VlOwUZ4nVsZ6f0AbAMP-ThzoMbNEEguPUyykjoReVVx80DyCq-PaqmTpcONjpTDc0_avNH1TeihYPcEBzPLfd7itxL3_3HRzlmvzVhe-zHJ_Ve3aWXhjKHjY-1oDyP0YYkBK7UR1gvpWATD984nZJ1-ERPMIfqPb08J6qdg/s320/Hanging%20Stars.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">March 10, 2024</div><div style="text-align: center;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div><br /></div><div>ROUTES-cast March 10, 2024</div><div><br /></div><div>- Phosphorescent, "Impossible House" <i>Revelator</i> (Verve, Apr 5)</div><div>- Charlie Parr, "Bear Head Lake" <i>Little Sun</i> (Smithsonian, Mar 22)</div><div>- Iron & Wine, "All In Good Time (ft Fiona Apple)" <i>Light Verse</i> (Sub Pop, Apr 26)</div><div>- Loose Collars, "Toronto" <i>single</i> (Sentimental Noises, 24) </div><div>- Goodnight Texas, "Dry Heat" <i>Signals</i> (2 Cent Bank Check, Jul 19) D</div><div>- Black Keys, "This Is Nowhere" <i>Ohio Players</i> (Nonesuch, Apr 5)</div><div>- Cedric Burnside, "Closer" <i>Hill Country Love</i> (Mascot, Apr 5)</div><div>- Marcus King, "Hero" <i>Mood Swings</i> (American, Apr 5)</div><div>- Leyla McCalla, "Love We Had" <i>Sun Without the Heat</i> (Anti, Apr 12)</div><div>- Scott H Biram, "No Man's Land" <i>The One & Only</i> (Bloodshot, Mar 29)</div><div>- Joe Pug, "Brother John (Charcoal On Paper)" <i>Sketch Of a Promised Departure</i> (Nation Of Heat, 24)</div><div>- Ana Egge, "Where Berries Grow" <i>Sharing In the Spirit</i> (StorySound, May 17) D</div><div>- Adeem the Artist, "One Night Stand" <i>Anniversary</i> (Four Quarters, May 3) D</div><div>- Blitzen Trapper, "Hello Hallelujah" <i>100s of 1000s Millions Of Billions</i> (Yep Roc, May 17)</div><div>^ Hanging Stars, "Let Me Dream Of You" <i>On a Golden Shore</i> (Loose, 24)</div><div>- Angus & Julia Stone, "Cape Forestier" <i>Cape Forestier</i> (Nettwerk, May 10)</div><div>- Aoife O'Donovan, "Over the Finish Line (ft Anais Mitchell)" <i>All My Friends</i> (Yep Roc, Mar 22)</div><div>- Sam Evian, "Stay" <i>Plunge</i> (Flying Cloud, Mar 22)</div><div>- Sam Outlaw, "If You Still Want Me (ft Sarah Darling)" <i>Terra Cotta</i> (Black Hills, 24)</div><div>- Mavericks, "Moon & Stars (ft Sierra Ferrell)" <i>Moon & Stars</i> (Mono Mundo, May 17) D</div><div>- Rachel Brooke, "You Ain't the Only One" <i>single</i> (MAL, 24) D</div><div>- Tyler Halverson, "Anybody But You" <i>single</i> (Atlantic, 24) D</div><div>- Charley Crockett, "Hard Luck & Circumstances" <i>$10 Cowboy</i> (Son Of Davy, Apr 26)</div><div>- Morgan Wade, "2am In London" <i>single</i> (Ladylike, 24) D</div><div>- Swamp Dogg, "Mess Under That Dress" <i>Blackgrass: From West Virginia To 125th St</i> (Oh Boy, May 31) D</div><div>- Aaron Lee Tasjan, "Dylan Shades" <i>Stellar Evolution</i> (Blue Elan, Apr 12)</div><div>- Buffalo Tom, "New Girl Singing" <i>Jump Rope</i> (Scrawny, May 31)</div><div>- Donovan Woods, "Rosemary" <i>Things Were Never Good If They're Not Good Now</i> (End Times, Jul 12) D</div><div>- Rose Hotel, "Not Like That" <i>A Pawn Surrender</i> (Strolling Bones, Jun 7) D</div><div>- Quinn Pilgrim, "Pipe Dream" <i>A Few More EP</i> (6001, 24) D<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Owing to a current vacation, we haven't pointed at <a href="https://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster</a> in about two weeks. Of course, stuff has added up over that time - we'll mention just five. <b>Kelsey Waldon</b>'s fifth record finds inspiration in <i>old time songs and bluegrass music</i>. With guest spots from SG Goodman, Amanda Shires, Margo Price and more, <i>There's Always a Song</i> bows in on May 10 (Oh Boy). <b>Avett Brothers</b>' last full-length dropped in 2019. Following last year's Americana Trailblazer award, they will present a self-titled collection on their longtime Ramseur label on May 17. <b>Kim Richey</b> announced a date for her tenth project. Courtesy of Yep Roc Records, <i>Every New Beginning</i> is slated for a May 24 release. Expect Margo Price, Justin Vernon, Jenny Lewis and more on <b>Swamp Dogg</b>'s next sonic experiment. <i>Blackgrass: From West Virginia To 125th Street</i> celebrates the Black roots of the bluegrass genre (Oh Boy, May 31). <b>Richard Thompson</b> published a memoir since his last LP in 2013. The guitar legend returns on May 31 with <i>Ship To Shore</i> (New West). <br /><div><br /></div><div><div>-------------------------- </div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/0ZkmZqynhXMMnYvNRLpSYC?utm_source=generator&theme=0" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-1955220607354842322024-03-03T10:25:00.003-07:002024-03-05T13:49:10.209-07:00GLASS HOURS - GLASS HOURS<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zW9s1HsKRGgxvNMur2K6QqSfQycDtI5sq3DG-duV4fvqbErMQDOur3temGNUOeyuk65rIqsvrrXsAK8OLWYTQRcOLHQ5GWmt_FMj4v6lxQTvHAv3FY9bp8kVbpXEsrdtrb7RGaqiO8V0qDjVcFnbTtLtYQx-slFedzNOtsLDWzl8XFD_igm7Lw/s1764/Glass%20Hours%20by%20Braden%20Chattman.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1764" data-original-width="1436" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zW9s1HsKRGgxvNMur2K6QqSfQycDtI5sq3DG-duV4fvqbErMQDOur3temGNUOeyuk65rIqsvrrXsAK8OLWYTQRcOLHQ5GWmt_FMj4v6lxQTvHAv3FY9bp8kVbpXEsrdtrb7RGaqiO8V0qDjVcFnbTtLtYQx-slFedzNOtsLDWzl8XFD_igm7Lw/s320/Glass%20Hours%20by%20Braden%20Chattman.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div>March 3, 2024</div><div>Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Through the years, we've chased Brad Armstrong from his time with Dexateens back through his truly original music with 13ghosts, and forward into a trio of underappreciated solo projects (<i>Empire</i> in 2018, <i>Got No Place Remembers Me</i> in 2019, and 2020's <i>Heart Like a Sigil</i>). Those records under his own name sharpened and tamed his earlier unpredictable tendencies, while continuing to emphasize the creativity in his writing. All of this is well worth tracking down. <div><br /></div><div>Over the years, Armstrong has benefited from the vocal support of Maria Taylor (half of Azure Ray alongside Orinda Fink). He finds a new collaborator in Megan Barbera, beneath the moniker <b>Glass Hours</b>, and the duo has released a debut, self-titled album on the Cornelius Chapel label. A fellow Hudson Valley resident and an established songwriter in her own right. Barbera writes: <i>Just over a year ago, I took a chance on writing some songs with a person I barely knew. Someone very different than me. At least on the surface. But our songwriter was strikingly familiar</i>. Other than contributions from fiddler Sue Westcott, the product of their collaboration features only the instruments and vocals of Armstrong and Barbera in a warm, folk-based setting. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Glass Hours</i> isn't as sonically ambitious as Brad Armstrong's earlier work, though the greater ambition at play here might be simply opening oneself to the process of cowriting. Alexander and Barbera trade lead and support vocal throughout their project, their deliveries as complementary as those of Alexander and Taylor. "Hurricane" is a contemporary country number, benefiting from Westcott's fiddle and a prominent pedal steel: <i>He had a stick and poke tattoo / Hole in his heart like an empty room</i> Barbera sings. "Same Old You" maintains that twang with a gothic echo like a theme for a new season of <i>True Crime</i>: <i>Same old you / Splitting your world in two / When it was on the mend</i>. A storysong with a strong dark streak, "Silver For Mine Eyes" adds banjo and fiery strings. Armstrong's voice resounding like Nathaniel Rateliff or Sean Rowe. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was admittedly unfamiliar with Megan Barbera's songwriting prior to hearing <i>Glass Hours</i>. With a voice that shares qualities with both Natalie Merchant and Jolie Holland, she carries her breathy lead on the historically-inspired "Rattlesnake Springs": <i>Ditch the high hopes and the heavy things / Til you're down to nothing but the dirt to blame</i>. Barbera's work is especially resonant on "Covering Blue", its funereal pace and stamping drum introducing a lovely vocal and an unexpectedly untamed electric guitar solo. An almost dirgelike "Annie" is built from haunting piano and another terrific vocal: <i>I'm the break, you're the storm / It's the way we get along</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Glass Hours' most rewarding moments seem to bear the strong stamp of both songwriters, at the intersection of voices and strings. "Far Enough Away" leans beautifully into the blending of the pair's diverse styles: <i>Hey did you know every road is a straightaway / And everything's a simple shape from far enough away</i>. "Scarlet Tongues" chimes like a 60s folksong: <i>I got canyons in my heartbeat and razors in my voice</i>. There are few grand gestures on <i>Glass Hours</i>. Instead, Megan Barbera and Brad Armstrong succeed on the quiet strength of simplicity and sure songwriting. The sound of artists at work with shared intentions. </div><div><br /><div><br /></div></div></div><div>- Scott Ballew, "Mutiny" <i>Rio Brava</i> (La Honda, Mar 29)</div><div>- Aaron West & the Roaring Twenties, "Alone At St Luke's" <i> In Lieu Of Flowers</i> (Hopeless, Apr 12)</div><div>- Jon Snodgrass, "Crunchin' the Numbers" <i>Barge At Will</i> (Thousand, Mar 29) D</div><div>- Vandoliers, "Together We Will Sink Or Swim" <i>single</i> (Ted Hutt, 24) D</div><div>- Lawrence Rothman, "LAX (ft Amanda Shires)" <i>Plow That Broke the Plains</i> (KRO, Apr 26)</div><div>- LA Edwards, "Good Luck" <i>single</i> (Bitchin', 24) D</div><div>- Circles Around the Sun, "Gloaming Way (ft Mikaela Davis)" <i>After Sunrise EP</i> (Kill Rock Stars, Apr 5)</div><div>- Trummors, "Cosmic Monster" <i>5</i> (Ernest Jenning, Apr 12)</div><div>- Will Hoge, "Good While It Lasted" <i>Tenderhearted Boys</i> (EDLO, Apr 12)</div><div>- Kim Richey, "Floating On the Surface" <i>Every New Beginning</i> (Yep Roc, May 24) D</div><div>- Shane Smith & the Saints, "1,000 Wild Horses" <i>Norther</i> (Geronimo West, 24)</div><div>- Kelsey Waldon, "Hello Stranger (ft SG Goodman)" <i>There's Always a Song</i> (Oh Boy, May 10) D</div><div>- Wonder Women Of Country, "Won't Be Worried Long" <i>Wonder Women Of Country</i> (Bismeaux, Mar 15)</div><div>- Loose Collars, "Drunk" <i>single</i> (Sentimental Noises, 24) D</div><div>- Kacey Musgraves, "Too Good To Be True" <i>Deeper Well</i> (Interscope, Mar 15)</div><div>- Corb Lund, "It Takes Practice" <i>El Viejo</i> (New West, 24)</div><div>- Lost Dog Street Band, "If You Leave Me Now" <i>Survived</i> (LDSB, Apr 26)</div><div>- Martha Scanlon & Jon Neufeld, "It's Not Supposed To Be That Way" <i>Save It For Later</i> (Jealous Butcher, 24)</div><div>^ Glass Hours, "Far Enough Away" <i>Glass Hours</i> (Cornelius Chapel, 24)</div><div>- T Bone Burnett, "Waiting For You (ft Lucius)" <i>Other Side</i> (Verve, Apr 19) D</div><div>- Richard Thompson, "Singapore Sadie" <i>Ship To Shore</i> (New West, May 31) D</div><div>- Rosali, "Bite Down" <i>Bite Down</i> (Merge, Mar 22)</div><div>- Daniel Romano, "You Can Steal My Kiss" <i>Too Hot To Sleep</i> (You've Changed, 24)</div><div>- Avett Brothers, "Love Of a Girl" <i>Avett Brothers</i> (Ramseur, May 17) D</div><div>- Lake Street Dive, "Good Together" <i>Good Together</i> (Fantasy, Jun 21) D</div><div>- Stephie James, "Steve McQueen" <i>As Night Fades</i> (James, 24)</div><div>- Ophelias, "Black Ribbon" <i>Ribbon EP</i> (Ophelias, Apr 14) D</div><div>- Leslie Stevens, "The Dance" <i>Leslie Stevens</i> (Stevens, 24)</div><div>- Hurray For the Riff Raff, "Ogallala" <i>Past Is Still Alive</i> (Nonesuch, 24)</div><div>- Anna Tivel, "Disposable Camera" <i>Living Thing</i> (Fluff & Gravy, May 31) D</div><div><div><br /></div><div><div>-------------------------- </div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/6CF4GwkgQwL1MKxxxd07JV?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-65301312096734805502024-02-25T18:30:00.001-07:002024-02-25T18:30:38.140-07:00WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT FEBRUARY?!! <div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfpe90AGPQOhUtFxluvX8LE69sJbr94BUSsRv89UgDLc9GlM0MD4yYrrN8jYsFXH7rJXQCkifq1gaOeHeATpip5Ot_v5NdfHtqK8JlIizqL-OfzXVe160Xjd_fw4Bw1HG8otGPlkvbgnmnWIz8fMo_aleARYF-FjF2oiGH8i61XM5RxlVnMBl6A/s2048/Hurray.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfpe90AGPQOhUtFxluvX8LE69sJbr94BUSsRv89UgDLc9GlM0MD4yYrrN8jYsFXH7rJXQCkifq1gaOeHeATpip5Ot_v5NdfHtqK8JlIizqL-OfzXVe160Xjd_fw4Bw1HG8otGPlkvbgnmnWIz8fMo_aleARYF-FjF2oiGH8i61XM5RxlVnMBl6A/s320/Hurray.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">February 25, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Just a glimpse behind the curtain before we reach the important stuff. I'm out of the country for a couple weeks. This might or might not have repercussions on what's published here and when. For those who have planned your weeks around our regular Sunday Spotify ROUTES-cast and review, just keep the faith. At the very least, we'll keep on top of our playlists, and we'll get to those original reviews as time permits. As we understand it, time is different where we're going ...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As is our habit on the final Sunday of the month, we turn our restless attention to our ten favorite songs from the weeks passed. For our shortest month, February has delivered a diverse assortment from which to choose, even if it is absolutely dwarfed by the heaving mountain of stuff which awaits us in March. Something something Spring something. In addition to offering the rewarding singles below, February debuted a few collections that will likely be in consideration for our year-end favorites: Frontier Ruckus? Tucker Riggleman & the Cheap Dates, Hurray For the Riff Raff, Leslie Stevens!! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT FEBRUARY?!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Hurray For the Riff Raff, "Hawkmoon" <i>Past Is Still Alive</i> (Nonesuch, Feb 23) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2. Frontier Ruckus, "Mercury Sable" <i>On the Northline</i> (Sitcom Universe, Feb 16) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">3. Bonny Light Horseman, "When I Was Younger" <i>single</i> (Jagjaguwar, Feb 21)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">4. Scott Ballew, "Suicide Squeeze" <i>Rio Brava</i> (La Honda, Mar 29)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">5. Laney Jones, "Stay At Home" <i>single</i> (AHPO, Feb 7)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">6. Britti, "Keep Running" <i>Hello I'm Britti</i> (Easy Eye, Feb 2)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">7. Phosphorescent, "Revelator" <i>Revelator</i> (Verve, Apr 5)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">8. Pernice Brothers, "I Don't Need That Anymore (ft Neko Case)" <i>Who Will You Believe</i> (New West, Apr 5)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">9. Blitzen Trapper, "Cosmic Backseat Education" <i>100s of 1000s Millions of Billions</i> (Yep Roc, May 17)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">10. Blackberry Smoke, "Be So Lucky" <i>Be Right Here</i> (3 Legged, Feb 16)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We invite you to turn your attention to the obsessively updated release calendar we lovingly call <a href="https://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster</a>. This week, we've added the long-rumored new collection from <b>Old 97s</b>. First <i>accidentally</i> revealed by Steven King, <i>American Primitive</i> is set for an April 5 release (ATO). California indie-folk artist <b>Jessica Pratt</b> announced a date for her fourth full-length. <i>Here In the Pitch</i> reportedly finds inspiration in <i>the dark side of the California dream</i>, landing on shelves May 3 (Mexican Summer). New West introduced singer-songwriter <b>Emily Nenni</b> via their Normaltown imprint in 2022. Now on New West proper, they've slated <i>Drive & Cry</i> for a May 3 release. While he was never especially embraced by the country community during his lifetime, a forthcoming album pays tribute to the music of Tom Petty in a big way. <i><b>Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration Of Tom Petty</b></i> (Big Machine, May 31) will feature contributions from Chris Stapleton, Margo Price, Luke Combs and more. Sorta surprise recipients of some strong americana attention for their 2022 Easy Eye collection, <b>Hermanos Gutierrez</b> have landed on a date for their follow-up. Also on Dan Auerbach's label and produced by the man, <i>Sonido Cosmico</i> will arrive on June 14. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">ROUTES-cast February 25, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- Bonny Light Horseman, "When I Was Younger" <i>single</i> (Jagjaguwar, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Adrianne Lenker, "Fool" <i>Bright Future</i> (4AD, Mar 22)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Staves, "I'll Never Leave You Alone" <i>All Now</i> (Nonesuch, Mar 22)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Magic Tuber Stringband, "Twelfth House" <i>Needlefall</i> (Thrill Jockey, Mar 22)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Rhiannon Giddens, "Ballad Of Sally Anne" <i>My Black Country: Songs Of Alice Randall</i> (Oh Boy, Apr 12)</div><div style="text-align: left;">^ Hurray For the Riff Raff, "Hawkmoon" <i>Past Is Still Alive</i> (Nonesuch, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Pernice Brothers, "I Don't Need That Anymore (ft Neko Case)" <i>Who Will You Believe</i> (New West, Apr 5)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Glass Hours, "Hurricane" <i>Glass Hours</i> (Cornelius Chapel, Mar 1)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Teddy & the Rough Riders, "Scratch a Liar Catch a Thief" <i>single</i> (Rough Rider, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Corb Lund, "Girl With the Stratocaster" <i>El Viejo</i> (New West, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Emily Nenni, "Get To Know Ya" <i>Drive & Cry</i> (New West, May 3) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Katie Pruitt, "All My Friends" <i>Mantras</i> (Rounder, Apr 5)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- JJ Grey & Mofro, "Waiting" <i>Olustee</i> (Alligator, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Khruangbin, "May Ninth" <i>A LA SALA</i> (Dead Oceans, Apr 5)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Billy Allen + the Pollies, "I Thought You Wanted Him" <i>single</i> (Single Lock, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Kaia Kater, "Fedon (ft Taj Mahal)" <i>Strange Medicine</i> (Free Dirt, May 17) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Leslie Stevens, "Taken" <i>Leslie Stevens</i> (Stevens, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Rachel Baiman, "Equine Elvis (ft Pony Bradshaw)" <i>single</i> (Signature Sounds, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Alejandro Escovedo, "Castanuelas" <i>Echo Dancing</i> (Yep Roc, Mar 29)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Ken Pomeroy, "Cicadas" <i>single</i> (Pomeroy, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Matthew Logan Vasquez, "Bushwick Blues" <i>Frank's Full Moon Saloon</i> (Vasquez, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, "Motherfucker" <i>Revelations</i> (Abeyance, Mar 29)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Old 97s, "Where the Road Goes" <i>American Primitive</i> (ATO, Apr 5) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Nicolette & the Nobodies, "Show Up" <i>Long Way</i> (ArtHaus, Apr 12) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Tucker Riggleman & Cheap Dates, "Paradise" <i>Restless Spirit</i> (WarHen, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Daniel Romano, "Where's Paradise" <i>Too Hot To Sleep</i> (You've Changed, Mar 1)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Nathan Kalish, "Nepo Baby" <i>Southern Poverty Guitar Center Vol 2</i> (Yellow Canary, Mar 22)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Lucy Rose, "Whatever You Want" <i>This Ain't the Way You Go Out</i> (Communion, Apr 19)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Mama Zu, "Four Leaf Clover" <i>Quilt Floor</i> (Cosmic Twin, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Hour, "Hallmark" <i>Ease the Work</i> (Dear Life, Apr 12) D</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>-------------------------- </div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/5FjpXM54kizcQ8A2Wn7qKX?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-19103451833323416852024-02-18T11:11:00.001-07:002024-02-18T11:38:56.156-07:00TUCKER RiGGLEMAN & the CHEAP DATES - RESTLESS SPiRiT<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wUB3rOK3t6WbLlv8Ni4re12x4L4ybsmzKCOH0F8bELY10MRliqS2XIKe4ivgnjiFmEBtzMZSOgK_DHB-2We52zAGkteGODn9z8tgU5oJ-VSK8OyXowzqazkNIQ_qx5bcwRbQi4vCGw-pXMcRO_hVuoLl7UF0Uji32jrpkI6QoUvmfY9-STZ6gQ/s1440/Tucker%20Riggleman%202.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wUB3rOK3t6WbLlv8Ni4re12x4L4ybsmzKCOH0F8bELY10MRliqS2XIKe4ivgnjiFmEBtzMZSOgK_DHB-2We52zAGkteGODn9z8tgU5oJ-VSK8OyXowzqazkNIQ_qx5bcwRbQi4vCGw-pXMcRO_hVuoLl7UF0Uji32jrpkI6QoUvmfY9-STZ6gQ/s320/Tucker%20Riggleman%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div>February 18, 2024</div><div>Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Prison Book Club. Not a household name (unless you count R&B among your household), but a band we've mentioned at least a handful of times. Specifically, we've dropped the name in connection with reviews of albums by John R Miller and William Matheny, a pair of former members. Prison Book Club also included Adam Meisterhans (most recently busy with Slaughter Beach Dog) and Tucker Riggleman, the focus of this week's Episode. While the four members of PBC have moved forward with very different sounds, each is creating their own strain of superb, roots-adjacent music. </div><div><br /></div><div>For his part, <b>Tucker Riggleman & the Cheap Dates</b> (his trio, alongside drummer M Tivis Clark and multi-instrumentalist Mason Fanning) are releasing their second full-length album, <i>Restless Spirit</i> on the mighty WarHen record label. It follows behind a phenomenal debut (2021's <i>Alive and Dying Fast</i>), both produced by Duane Lundy, trading in a stage-born expression of diy punk, country, and rock. Riggleman himself likens it to, <i>Jason Molina, a twangier Lemonheads, The Cure if they wrote country songs, redneck Replacements ...</i> </div><div><br /></div><div>On the physical map, Riggleman places the pin most recently in an off-the-grid location near West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest, where he prepared most of <i>Restless Spirits</i>. The new sessions are more <i>garage</i> than <i>front porch</i>, decidedly aggressive rather than laid back. The tension erupts on "Telecaster", a number that first appeared on a 2020 EP: <i>I can play 300 shows / Back to back in a fucking row / And it ain't gonna get me a deal</i>, Riggleman drawls in his unadorned tone. With its prominent drums and Lee Carroll's supporting organ riffs, the song addresses one of the record's recurring themes in the artist's balance of artistic integrity with larger success: <i>I just want my songs to stand / At least somewhat of a chance</i>. "Paradise" speaks to the Molina influence, with its chunky guitar and a darker spirit: <i>Spilled my guts in a million shitty bars</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>The great appeal of <i>Restless Spirit</i> dwells in the trio's tipsy balance between the punk and roots elements of their mix, a blend that can be edgier than alt.country, but more organic than their garage rock peers. The riff-driven "Shotgun" recalls Country Westerns in its buzz and its touch of jangle. "Virtue" delivers a refreshing swagger alongside Clark's energetic drumming. <i>I'm just working on my downfall</i>, Riggleman spits, <i>Like it's another tractor in my barn</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Cheap Dates lean more into their country side on this second long-player, even as they never abandon the tension and electricity that binds them. "Queen Of Diamonds" is a sad bastard stroll with an appropriate degree of self-deprecation: <i>She's a blooming lily / And I'm just an old sticker bush</i>. Riggleman's approach to country is as left-of-center as Stephen Malkmus or Paul Westerberg, but lands nearer the target than those earlier acts. "Familiar Bridge" adds a low-slung baritone guitar and a loose sway, while the loping "Educated" finds Riggleman weaving personal colors into his story: <i>I was born in the backwoods / Tried to change the way I pronounce my words / A failed attempt to sound educated</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Tucker Riggleman and co. create a pleasing racket on <i>Restless Spirit</i>, with Lundy favoring a raw, in-studio electric guitar-and-drum approach that emphasizes the appeal of the band's trio vibe, even when the producer is adding the occasional organ fill from Lee Carroll. On the resigned ballad, "Silver Tongue", a mosquito guitar line carries throughout: <i>What kind of shit you been reading / Made you think you'd be enough</i>. "Bucket and the Boot" is an admirably sharp, simple rocker, like Alejandro Escovedo in his earlier incarnation: <i>Half my life I drank to die</i>. As a whole, the project is an expression of the <i>both/and</i>, but <i>neither/nor</i> artistry that fuels our oily machine at R&B, <i>the hungry ghost / You don't dare to feed</i>. While the results might frustrate purists, Riggleman & the Cheap Dates are just the thing for <i>Restless Spirit</i>s like ours. </div><div><br /></div><div>We track new and forthcoming releases on <a href="https://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster</a>. This week, that includes something called <i>Wonder Women Of Country</i>. Set for a March 15 street date, the EP posits the pairing of <b>Kelly Willis, Melissa Carper, and Brennen Leigh</b> (Bismeaux). Following a solo project and a holiday record from Julia, <b>Angus & Julia Stone</b> return as a duo. The Australian siblings have planned a May 10 due date for <i>Cape Forestier</i> (Nettwerk). That same date marks the next full-length for <b>Pokey LaFarge</b>. <i>Rhumba Country</i> (New West) promises to <i>capture the sound of pure joy</i>. May 17 marks the scheduled appearance of <b>Tim Easton</b>'s forthcoming collection. Boasting an all-Canadian backing band, <i>Find Your Way</i> is presented by the Black Mesa label. Finally, we're buzzed to hear that <b>Anna Tivel</b> is preparing her next album. <i>Living Thing</i> will happen May 31 with some help from the fine folk at Fluff & Gravy. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>ROUTES-cast February 18, 2024</div><div><br /></div><div>- Blackberry Smoke, "Be So Lucky" <i>Be Right Here</i> (3 Legged, 24)</div><div>- Wonder Women of Country, "Another Broken Heart" <i>Wonder Women of Country EP</i> (Bismeaux, Mar 15) D</div><div>- Lostines, "Full Moon Night" <i>Meet the Lostines</i> (Gar Hole, Apr 26) D</div><div>- Charlie Parr, "Portland Avenue" <i>Little Sun</i> (Smithsonian, Mar 22)</div><div>- Pokey LaFarge, "Sister Andre" <i>Rhumba Country</i> (New West, May 10) D</div><div>- Cody Jinks, "Change the Game" <i>Change the Game</i> (Late August, Mar 22)</div><div>- Sierra Ferrell, "I Could Drive You Crazy" <i>Trail of Flowers</i> (Rounder, Mar 22)</div><div>- Dead South, "Place I Hardly Know" <i>Chains & Stakes</i> (Six Shooter, 24)</div><div>- Matthew Logan Vasquez, "Vivian" <i>Frank's Full Moon Saloon</i> (Vasquez, 24)</div><div>^ Tucker Riggleman & Cheap Dates, "Familiar Bridge" <i>Restless Spirit</i> (WarHen, 24)</div><div>- Elizabeth Moen, "What's the Rush (ft Squirrel Flower)" <i>single</i> (Moen, 24) D</div><div>- Secret Sisters, "All the Ways (ft Ray Lamontagne)" <i>Mind Man Medicine</i> (New West, Mar 29)</div><div>- Elliott BROOD, "Wind and Snow" <i>Country</i> (Six Shooter, Apr 12) D</div><div>- Kyle Kimbrell, "Holy Bombs" <i>Easy Truths</i> (Cornelius Chapel, Apr 5)</div><div>- Stephie James, "Party Doll" <i>As Night Fades</i> (James, Mar 1)</div><div>- Scott H Biram, "Inside a Bar" <i>The One & Only</i> (Bloodshot, Mar 29)</div><div>- Hermanos Gutierrez, "Sonido Cosmico" <i>Sonido Cosmico</i> (Easy Eye, Jun 14) D</div><div>- GospelbeacH, "Droupouts (Pt 1)" <i>Wiggle Your Fingers</i> (Curation, Apr 26)</div><div>- Britti, "Save Me" <i>Hello I'm Britti</i> (Easy Eye, 24)</div><div>- Six Parts Seven & Goodmorning Valentine, "Red Lights" <i>Kissing Distance</i> (Suicide Squeeze, 24)</div><div>- Son of the Velvet Rat, "Deeper Shade of Blue (ft Jolie Holland)" <i>Ghost Ranch</i> (Fluff & Gravy, Mar 22)</div><div>- David Nance, "Credit Line" <i>& Mowed Sound</i> (Third Man, 24)</div><div>- Slaughter Beach Dog, "I'm In Love" <i>single</i> (Lame-O, 24) D</div><div>- Itasca, "Tears On Sky Mountain" <i>Imitation of War</i> (Paradise of Bachelors, 24)</div><div>- Jessica Pratt, "Life Is" <i>Here In the Pitch</i> (Mexican Summer, May 3) D</div><div>- Frontier Ruckus, "Mercury Sable" <i>On the Northline</i> (Loose, 24)</div><div>- Waxahatchee, "Bored" <i>Tigers Blood</i> (Anti, Mar 22)</div><div>- Sam Evian, "Rollin' In" <i>Plunge</i> (Flying Cloud, Mar 22)</div><div>- Aaron Lee Tasjan, "Drugs Did Me" <i>Stellar Evolution</i> (Blue Elan, Apr 12)</div><div>- Lilly Hiatt, "Hidden Day" <i>single</i> (New West, 24) D<br /><div><br /></div><div><div>-------------------------- </div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/2yScHHRcdr0BzDnHDBnZJz?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-25569074646177528122024-02-11T20:58:00.002-07:002024-02-17T15:56:07.425-07:00FRONTiER RUCKUS - ON the NORTHLiNE<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LQwPwiZQw5AHtszHz8c60mC8w2RYzg0BdaK0a7cpY4QAFJoXtc7l5TfYPy40tq5MWLEdiNRAy-l8NmfQK_2A2z-Wj3ATuMtJ0mJReKnXwWjwPtW4P460hjUB_9foJ8_w5r9s5fHk0gMtFblxjzIO6Pac_eaZ4VYYZ1c8IaHY5Pd3ZEmL62Mm6w/s678/Frontier%20Ruckus%20by%20John%20Mark%20Hanson.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="678" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LQwPwiZQw5AHtszHz8c60mC8w2RYzg0BdaK0a7cpY4QAFJoXtc7l5TfYPy40tq5MWLEdiNRAy-l8NmfQK_2A2z-Wj3ATuMtJ0mJReKnXwWjwPtW4P460hjUB_9foJ8_w5r9s5fHk0gMtFblxjzIO6Pac_eaZ4VYYZ1c8IaHY5Pd3ZEmL62Mm6w/s320/Frontier%20Ruckus%20by%20John%20Mark%20Hanson.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">February 11, 2024</div><div style="text-align: center;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Under the guise of <b>Frontier Ruckus</b>, Matthew Milia is the unofficial Poet Laureate of suburban Michigan. He is the documenter of minutiae, the Patron Saint of Humiliation. And he does it to the tune of a banjo, trumpet, and the occasional musical saw. Milia's trio returns from a seven-year break with <i>On the Northline</i>, a collection that plots Frontier Ruckus at the artistic <i>naivete</i> of their 2008 debut. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The four LPs released in the ensuing years remained admirably consistent for Frontier Ruckus, even as their decidedly Michigan-focused pop-folk engaged Milia's love for power pop or his nostalgia for 90s rock. The songwriter never wandered far from the hyper local lyrics, the hopeless romantic spirit, or the intimate arrangements which have always characterized Frontier Ruckus. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For <i>On the Northline</i>, Matthew Milia, David Jones, and Zachary Nichols gathered in producer Ben Collins' Ypsilanti studios, recording much of the sessions live in studio with few extraneous enhancements. It's a setting that perfectly suits Milia's typically warm and <i>intimately, excruciatingly personal</i> work. The songs are almost exclusively acoustic, "I'm Not the Boy" is characteristic with its strummed acoustic guitar, enhanced here with Jones' spritely banjo break, Nichols' lone trumpet and his abiding musical saw. The song cruises easily between time signature changes like chapters in Milia's novella: <i>When the stickiest answer / Is a Jolly Rancher / Passed between mouths in the night</i>. The collection's title track adds Connor Dodson's drums on an evocative drive into the city's outskirts: <i>The municipal golf course is strewn in October leaves</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>You had the physique of a youth travel soccer coach</i>, the writer remarks. Matthew Milia is the rare suburban lyricist who won't romanticize place, or whose songs won't restlessly obsess with looking for a way out. "Everywhere But Beside You" evokes the image of Elliott Smith set to banjo: <i>I hit the northern suburb / Where the cashiers at Home Depot know my name</i>. "Broomfield Marriot" suggests an expansive vista from the titular locale: <i>Looking out over the kingdom</i>. While his lyrics are commonly praised as <i>literate</i>, they skew more heartfelt than cerebral, never simply name dropping as a parlor game. His reputation as unfailingly melancholy, though not unearned, is not indulgent or wearing, even leaving space for a couple lovesongs about coming together with his wife: <i>Nothing will ever scare me / Like the chance of something good</i>, Milia sings on the brief, bare bones "First Song For Lauren". </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As a stalwart fixture in the narrow pop-folk lane, Frontier Ruckus have been filed alongside acts like Decemberists, Blitzen Trapper, or Have Gun Will Travel. While these aren't misleading signposts, the band is distinguished by Milia's lyrical precision, as well as by the trio's truly unique instrumentation. On this <i>return to the roots</i> project, there remain moments of power pop and other components of the band's audio stamp. "Machines Of Summer" is a rare country ramble, adding Pete Ballard's pedal steel solo to the mix. Milia's distinct vocal delivery naturally lends itself to the pop strains of "Clarkston Pasture", with its winter verses and summer chorus: <i>You called me the master / Of petty sad-bastardism / But that day all-in-all was not bad</i>. "Mercury Sable" might be <i>Northline</i>'s masterpiece, a sublimely paced lovesong that achieves an appealing instrumental and artistic balance between all these pieces of Frontier Ruckus: <i>All the neighbors saw me laughing so hysterically / All that I could do to keep from crying ... I can't make sense / Of something so completely / Intense</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Matthew Milia has spoken of <i>mapping emotional landscapes </i>onto the objective surface of the physical map. Even if we've never had the privilege of spending time in Michigan, <i>On the Northline</i> trades in universal truths, mining personal philosophy for universal meaning in the quotidian. After a pair of engaging solo projects during the pandemic, it's a great vista from which to overlook the valuable work of Frontier Ruckus. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We continue apace, adding promising numbers of forthcoming releases to <a href="https://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster</a>. This week, that includes the return of <b>Kacey Musgraves</b>. Again alongside producer Daniel Tashian, she has given a March 15 release date for their next project, <i>Deeper Well</i> (Interscope). Following a very promising first single, <b>Marcus King</b> has shared the title cut for his next LP. Expect <i>Mood Swings</i> to land on April 5, via American Music. <b>Iron & Wine</b> returns after a too-long hiatus. Sam Beam and his cohort will share <i>Light Verse</i> on April 26 (Sub Pop). May 17 is the scheduled appearance for <b>Blitzen Trapper</b>'s next full-length. <i>100s of 1,000s Millions of Billions</i> will land courtesy of their Yep Roc home. Finally, we've always harbored a fondness for former Massive Attack vocalist <b>Beth Gibbons</b>. She has published plans for her first proper solo record, <i>Lives Outgrown</i> (Domino, May 17). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">ROUTES-cast February 11, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- Brittany Howard, "Patience" <i>What Now</i> (Island, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Tyler Ramsey, "We Were a Small Town" <i>New Lost Ages</i> (Ramsey, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Scott Ballew, "Suicide Squeeze" <i>Rio Bravo</i> (La Honda, Mar 29) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- David Nance, "Side Eyed Sam" <i>& Mowed Sound</i> (Third Man, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Little Wings, "Bubbles Go Pop" <i>High On the Glade</i> (Perpetual Doom, Apr 1) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Marcus King, "Mood Swings" <i>Mood Swings</i> (American, Apr 5) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Black Keys, "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" <i>Ohio Players</i> (Nonesuch, Apr 5)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- A Savage, "Black Holes the Stars and You" <i>single</i> (Rough Trade, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Blitzen Trapper, "Cosmic Backseat Education" <i>100s of 1000s Millions of Billions</i> (Yep Roc, May 17) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Hanging Stars, "Sweet Light" <i>On a Golden Shore</i> (Loose, Mar 8) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Laney Jones, "Stay At Home" <i>single</i> (AHPO, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Madi Diaz, "Obsessive Thoughts" <i>Weird Faith</i> (Anti, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Britti, "Keep Running" <i>Hello I'm Britti</i> (Easy Eye, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Rachel Baiman, "Dominoes (ft Pony Bradshaw)" <i>single</i> (Signature Sounds, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Becca Mancari, "Short and Sweet" <i>single</i> (Captured Tracks, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Amigo the Devil, "Once Upon a Time At Texaco Pt 1" <i>Yours Until the War Is Over</i> (Liars Club, Feb 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Dustin Kensrue, "Death Valley Honeymoon (ft Cat Clyde)" <i>Desert Dreaming</i> (Vagrant, Apr 5) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Shane Smith & the Saints, "It's Been a While" <i>Norther</i> (Geronimo West, Mar 1)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Sam Outlaw, "Someone Quite Like You" <i>Terra Cotta</i> (Black Hills, Mar 7) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Dead South, "20 Mile Jump" <i>Chains & Stakes</i> (Six Shooter, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Will Hoge, "I'd Be Lying" <i>Tenderhearted Boys</i> (EDLO, Apr 12)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Aoife O'Donovan, "Daughters" <i>All My Friends</i> (Yep Roc, Mar 22)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Itasca, "Under Gates Of Cobalt Blue" <i>Imitation Of War</i> (Paradise of Bachelors, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Decemberists, "Burial Ground (ft James Mercer)" <i>single</i> (YABB, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Rosali, "On Tonight" <i>Bite Down</i> (Merge, Mar 22)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Iron & Wine, "You Never Know" <i>Light Verse</i> (Sub Pop, Apr 26) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Beth Gibbons, "Floating On a Moment" <i>Lives Outgrown</i> (Domino, May 17) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Angus & Julia Stone, "Wedding Song" <i>Cape Forestier</i> (Nettwerk, May 10) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Kacey Musgraves, "Deeper Well" <i>Deeper Well</i> (Interscope, Mar 15) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Kevin Coleman, "Mammut Americanum" <i>Imaginary Conversations</i> (Centripetal Force, Mar 19) D</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>-------------------------- </div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/7A1hixfxIdunYGjGiiY1SH?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-10004552089405495052024-02-04T09:13:00.001-07:002024-02-04T09:13:43.097-07:00SARAH JAROSZ - POLAROiD LOVERS<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MiZcVOXh7ox3fwo7j_bhedBeUi-xL1isxecdwT06G9qSuKazMKuArmueKslDKOKvCRTw9cqSvbg2VcvyMHqtuCMAgyGs6HU8atxRhRKJUSDZV8kfs2g7DMQCZr_I84yBvWzItaVj4TOtpdnjStdzV62tXVRM889GiDm9vM-0-D-uDVnpLxW-PQ/s526/Sarah%20Jarosz.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MiZcVOXh7ox3fwo7j_bhedBeUi-xL1isxecdwT06G9qSuKazMKuArmueKslDKOKvCRTw9cqSvbg2VcvyMHqtuCMAgyGs6HU8atxRhRKJUSDZV8kfs2g7DMQCZr_I84yBvWzItaVj4TOtpdnjStdzV62tXVRM889GiDm9vM-0-D-uDVnpLxW-PQ/s320/Sarah%20Jarosz.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div>February 4, 2024</div><div>Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>The story behind <b>Sarah Jarosz</b>'s seventh full-length collection tells of how the Texas-born bluegrass multi-instrumentalist has moved from New York to Nashville, and has released a decidedly non-bluegrass album. Fact is, Jarosz has never toed the 'grass line faithfully, but <i>Polaroid Lovers</i> (Rounder) doesn't fall especially far from the impressive musical tree she's already planted. Collaborating with writer/producer Daniel Tashian, she embraces a touch of contemporary production, and partners with a handful of reliable Nashville writers, but Jarosz's vocal continues to take center stage, surrounded by an impressive cadre of instrumentalists. </div><div><br /></div><div>Like her friend Chris Thile, Jarosz leaped into the spotlight at an early age, earning a reputation as another string music prodigy with the release of <i>Song Up In Her Head</i> before she turned twenty. Maturing across reliably strong album releases, she proved to be less cerebral than Thile, and drawn to more resonant melodies like her I'm With Her collaborators Sara Watkins and Aoife O'Donovan. Records were nominated for Grammys, AMAs, though perhaps tellingly she has never been formally recognized by the IBMA. While bluegrass is an inherently collaborative genre, Sarah Jarosz has consistently penned her own songs, followed her own muse, been her own artist. When she has recorded covers, she has turned her attention to names like Prince, Radiohead, U2 and Billie Eilish. </div><div><br /></div><div>For <i>Polaroid Lovers</i>, Jarosz chose to cowrite every song, working with producer Tashian, Jon Randall, Natalie Hemby and others with an established track record in contemporary country. Already tagged as among our favorite songs for 2023 (since it was released in September), "Jealous Moon" certainly must've sounded completely different before Jarosz brought it to the producer's attention. In its final form, the song opens the collection with a shiny, bright <i>pop</i>, glimmering synths and punchy bass, with the singer leaning more heavily into her delivery than we've heard to date. It's as confidently upbeat a choice as the orange suit and green shoes Jarosz wears on the album's jacket photo. While her octave mandolin carries a <i>whoosh</i>-ing solo, Fred Eltringham's driving drums and Tashian's keys punctuate the message that we've left the bluegrass fields far behind.</div><div><br /></div><div>That lively pulse animates much of the first half of <i>Polaroid Lovers</i>, embodied by husband Jeff Picker's steady bass, or by the programmed percussion of "When the Lights Go Out" (cowritten with Gordie Sampson and Jon Randall). Jarosz sounds almost like Christine McVie on the latter: <i>In a dream, we were Polaroid lovers / In the deep, where the edges don't lie</i>. "Runaway Train" is a midtempo heartland rocker, a singalong chorus and enough jangle in the guitars to pique ears listening for a healthy country hook: <i>No drug store roses / No cheap champagne / Stuff I'd only throw away</i>. For the Colorado-born "Take the High Road" (a Tashian cowrite), Jarosz's ticking mandolin is offset by a pealing electric guitar, echoing off snowy mountains. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>I'm tired of being quiet</i>, she sings on "High Road", <i>Time to face up to the fear</i>. While Sarah Jarosz's previous collections have been unafraid to color a little outside the bluegrass lines, she's always kept at least one foot stylistically close to home. As a singer, her delivery has been reliably mannered, even as her voice is atypically soulful for the genre. The second half of <i>Polaroid Lovers</i> favors more atmospheric textures on songs like "Good At What I Do". <i>I don't really know if I'm good at what I do</i>, Jarosz ponders, while acknowledging she is quicker to forgive the shortcomings of others. Those doubts also pervade "The Way It Is Now", a 70s-inspired shuffle laid atop those resonant guitars: <i>Like everyone's figured it out except me</i>. These softer open-sky arrangements recall the producer's work with Musgraves, and Jarosz's delivery has rarely been sweeter. </div><div><br /></div><div>One of <i>Polaroid Lovers</i>' most lasting impressions comes courtesy of "Columbus & 89th", a stirring number into which Jarosz pours her feelings about leaving her Upper West Side home. Justin Schipper's melancholy pedal steel lingers like a cold fog: <i>Give my regards to Broadway / And tell her that I'm in a good place</i>. Liberated from any earlier expectations, the sessions strike a new balance between electric and acoustic, tradition and personal expression. In this sense, Sarah Jarosz has followed a similar path to the less-established Kacey Musgraves on her Tashian-helmed breakthrough, though her results are an evolution as opposed to a fullscale transformation a'la <i>Golden Hour</i>. Jarosz's songs are more open, her sound more expansive, her future likely brighter for the risks she's taking. Sarah Jarosz has burned no bridges, but has widened her lane. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster</a> supports your commitment to keep aware of what's new in our kind of music. Since our last Episode, we've added a new announcement from <b>Martha Scanlan and Jon Neufeld</b>. Following a few singles, they're planning a March 1 date for <i>Save It For Later</i> (Jealous Butcher). Ben Tanner and John Paul White will coproduce the next chapter in the <b>Secret Sisters</b>' story. Named <i>Mind, Man, Medicine</i>, the collection will reach stores on March 29, via New West Records. Multi-instrumentalist <b>Leyla McCalla</b> reportedly draws from <i>jazz, Haitian Twoubadou, American blues, folk, and Brazilian Tropicalismo</i> for her next release. Courtesy of Anti Records, <i>Sun Without the Heat</i> is set for an April 12 drop. The next project for Oh Boy Records celebrates the music of overlooked Black songwriter <b>Alice Randall</b>. <i>My Black Country</i> will feature tributes from Allison Russell, Valerie June, Sunny War and more (April 12). Finally, nearly left for dead, <b>Lost Dog Street Band</b> have announced at least one more project. <i>Survived</i> has been added to our calendar for an April 26 debut. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>ROUTES-cast February 4, 2024</div><div><br /></div><div>- Trummors, "Hey Babe" <i>5</i> (Ernest Jenning, Apr 12) D</div><div>- Six Parts Seven & Goodmorning Valentine, "Instrumental 2" <i>Kissing Distance</i> (Suicide Squeeze, Feb 16)</div><div>- Jerry David DeCicca, "Forty Years In the Wilderness (ft Bill Callahan)" <i>Imaginational Anthem XIII: Songs of Bruce Cockburn</i> (Tompkins Square, Apr 5) D</div><div>- Merce Lemon, "I See a Darkness (ft Colin Miller)" <i>single</i> (Darling, 24) D</div><div>- Glass Hours, "Same Old You" <i>Glass Hours</i> (Cornelius Chapel, Mar 1)</div><div>- Martha Scanlan & Jon Neufeld, "Save It For Later" <i>Save It For Later</i> (Jealous Butcher, Mar 1) D</div><div>- Hurray For the Riff Raff, "Snake Plant" <i>Past Is Still Alive</i> (Nonesuch, Feb 23)</div><div>- Frontier Ruckus, "I'm Not the Boy" <i>On the Northline</i> (Loose, Feb 16)</div><div>- Britti, "Still Gone" <i>Hello I'm Britti</i> (Easy Eye, 24) D</div><div>- JJ Grey & Mofro, "Wonderland" <i>Olustee</i> (Alligator, Feb 23)</div><div>- Adia Victoria, "Went For a Ride" <i>My Black Country: Songs of Alice Randall</i> (Oh Boy, Apr 12) D</div><div>- Esther Rose, "Chet Baker (ft Bella White)" <i>Safe 2 Run (Versions) EP</i> (New West, 24)</div><div>- Wilder Woods, "Be Yourself (ft War & Treaty)" <i>single</i> (Dualtone, 24) D</div><div>- Caleb Caudle, "Monte Carlo" <i>Live From Cash Cabin EP</i> (Caudle, Feb 29) D</div><div>- Brit Taylor, "Church Bus" <i>Kentucky Bluegrassed EP</i> (Cut a Shine, 24)</div><div>- Willi Carlisle, "Great Depression" <i>Critterland</i> (Signature Sounds, 24)</div><div>- William Elliott Whitmore, "Dance With Me" <i>Silently the Mind Breaks</i> (Whitmore, 24)</div><div>^ Sarah Jarosz, "Dying Ember" <i>Polaroid Lovers</i> (Rounder, 24)</div><div>- Leyla McCalla, "Scaled To Survive" <i>Sun Without the Heat</i> (Anti, Apr 12) D</div><div>- Corb Lund, "I Had It All" <i>El Viejo</i> (New West, Feb 23)</div><div>- Silverada, "Wallflower" <i>single</i> (Prairie Rose, 24) D</div><div>- Lost Dog Street Band, "Brighter Shade" <i>Survived</i> (LDSB, Apr 26) D</div><div>- Kevn Kinney, "Brand New Key (ft Tom Clark)" <i>single</i> (Kinney, 24) D</div><div>- Holly Macve, "Time Is Forever" <i>Time Is Forever EP</i> (Loving Memory, 24)</div><div>- Lawrence Rothman, "Poster Child" <i>Plow That Broke the Plains</i> (KRO, Apr 26)</div><div>- Lucy Rose, "Could You Help Me" <i>This Ain't the Way You Go Out</i> (Communion, Apr 19)</div><div>- Aaron West & Roaring Twenties, "Paying Bills At the End of the World" <i>In Lieu Of Flowers</i> (Hopeless, Apr 12)</div><div>- Mama Zu, "Make a Joke" <i>Quilt Floor</i> (Cosmic Twin, Feb 23)</div><div>- Daniel Romano, "Chatter" <i>Too Hot To Sleep</i> (You've Changed, Mar 1)</div><div>- Stephie James, "Five & Dimer" <i>As Night Fades</i> (James, Mar 1)<br /><div><br /></div><div><div>-------------------------- </div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/5jvQ1S9qU9E4CYRjEk7wa9?utm_source=generator&theme=0" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-73887604570926300862024-01-28T19:03:00.007-07:002024-01-29T09:03:44.812-07:00WiLLi CARLiSLE - CRiTTERLAND<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydM9P90WgkmqDcP5nbijJR040MG4XfSNB0jemijT0qBgg_J32vdUXxxEE3QK7lXcJnnm0qWtJxccvBsO_TNyHxIaBBgV4Rh047ZJtP2yfhJnOEN1c0NTcS-x1aPB5i4ep0AytoTS1L3AYpgl7-HbLhS68cXSf-NLar03GMpLLFtvSvL7TA5Zt3w/s1043/Willi%20Carlisle%20Critterland.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="696" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydM9P90WgkmqDcP5nbijJR040MG4XfSNB0jemijT0qBgg_J32vdUXxxEE3QK7lXcJnnm0qWtJxccvBsO_TNyHxIaBBgV4Rh047ZJtP2yfhJnOEN1c0NTcS-x1aPB5i4ep0AytoTS1L3AYpgl7-HbLhS68cXSf-NLar03GMpLLFtvSvL7TA5Zt3w/s320/Willi%20Carlisle%20Critterland.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">January 28, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We've just about reached the finish line for 2024: Month One. Just a reminder that we mark the end of every month with an accounting of our ten favorite songs from our Spotify ROUTES-casts. While some fellow blogs are still yawning off their long winter nap, we've found some great sounds with which to start off our New Year. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT JANUARY?!!</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Angela Autumn, "Electric Lizard" <i>single</i> (Cacti Omen, Dec 29)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2. Waxahatchee, "Right Back At It (ft MJ Lenderman)" <i>Tigers Blood</i> (Anti, Mar 22)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">3. Marcus King, "Fuck My Life Up Again" <i>single</i> (Republic, Jan 19)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">4. Daniel Romano, "Field Of Ruins" <i>Too Hot To Sleep</i> (You've Changed, Mar 1)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">5. Leslie Stevens, "Blue Roses" <i>Leslie Stevens</i> (Stevens, Feb 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">6. Willi Carlisle, "Higher Lonseome" <i>Critterland</i> (Signature Sounds, Jan 26)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">7. Joe Pug, "Treasury Of Prayers" <i>Sketch Of a Promised Departure</i> (Nation Of Heat, Mar 8)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">8. Adrianne Lenker, "Sadness As a Gift" <i>Bright Future</i> (4AD, Mar 22)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">9. Sierra Ferrell, "Dollar Bill Bar" <i>Trail Of Flowers</i> (Rounder, Mar 22)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">10. Sarah Jarosz, "Runaway Train" <i>Polaroid Lovers</i> (Rounder, Jan 26)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Aside from our obsession for new music, R&B is driven by our desire to write. More specifically, we do this every week as an outlet and a practice for our hope to craft original, meaningful thoughts about shared music. So very many blogs are cut-and-paste nowadays, but there remain a few brave/foolish souls who continue to publish their original writing about music. As we turn our attention to <b>Willi Carlisle</b>'s new <i>Critterland</i> release, we'll draw your attention to a handful of very well-penned pieces that might set the table for our own review. Specifically, the writers for <a href="https://www.stereogum.com/2247443/artist-to-watch-willi-carlisle/interviews/band-to-watch/" target="_blank">Stereogum</a>, <a href="https://arktimes.com/rock-candy/2024/01/26/higher-lonesome-a-qa-with-willi-carlisle?fbclid=IwAR3-6GEguFDyX8B0TjXrmH0FydKrV4Bf1x6XhhQKMAxtIproE92Rv-lNCkY" target="_blank">Arkansas Times</a>, and <a href="https://www.nodepression.com/midwest-melancholy-a-page-from-willi-carlisles-zine/?fbclid=IwAR1kmdvVioASdthnsRkN5gL2oqVFhbujdzA4S6v5WHOMoinfoffMc_2xEtk" target="_blank">No Depression</a> have set a fine example of how quality music writing should look. </div><div><br /></div><div>Willi Carlisle's <i>Peculiar, Missouri</i> garnered resounding praise upon its 2022 debut, introducing the world to a songwriter and performer of great promise, delivering his wise and wise-cracking songs from a deep well of knowledge and appreciation for folk and country traditions. And while his songs fell firmly in those lanes, Carlisle sang of drugs and outlaws, outcasts and queers, demonstrating a refreshingly sharp edge on pieces like "Cheap Cocaine" and "Life On the Fence". </div><div><br /></div><div>For his follow-up, Willi Carlisle made the brilliant choice to partner with producer (and songwriter (and multi-instrumentalist)) Darrell Scott. Other than a couple notable guest spots, it's just Carlisle and Scott whose sounds populate <i>Critterland</i>, further rooting the sessions in <i>trad</i> territory, providing Carlisle with a foil and a mentor at a perfect time in his artistry. On the phenomenally rambling travelogue, "Higher Lonesome", his own harmonica and guitar are accompanied by Scott's iconic mandolin and lap steel to rousing effect. Carlisle has identified his Artist's Statement for the album in the song's lyrics: <i>See I don't want to hit rock bottom, just to see how deep it goes / Shine a light on six feet under, so I ain't afraid to go / Prove in fact the end's as lovely as can be / When higher lonesome kills the bitter parts of me</i>. Trailing a roadside litany of places and people, he sings of his incurable attraction to a life on the road in all its glory and its depravity. </div><div><br /></div><div>To date, Carlisle has ranged across the vast frontiers of roots music, establishing himself alternately in country, bluegrass, folk, and americana territories. On <i>Critterland</i>, he has chosen to work primarily in an americana and folk lane, setting aside amplification and more advanced production techniques for a much more immediate effect. "Two-Headed Lamb" is built off a chillingly lovely poem by Laura Gilpin (closing with the indelible line: <i>As he stares into the sky, there are twice as many stars as usual</i>). Carlisle accompanies himself solely on button accordion, adding nothing extraneous or distracting to the unblinking cut: <i>Even god can make a fuckup</i>. "I Want No Children" features only Carlisle's fiddle and Scott's banjo, with valuable harmonies from singer-songwriter Jude Brothers. The song finds liberation in leaving no heirs, even as the writer recognizes the meaning inherent in our connections with the past: <i>Kill my name / Call me home</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>For his new collection, Willi Carlisle tightens and further focuses his songwriting, both lyrically and musically. In interviews, he is an unusually thoughtful and creative subject, a caring and curious artist. These qualities shine through in his rich lyrics on songs like the title cut. "Critterland" is a box of lyrical treasures, set to a racing acoustic ramble that recalls Joe Pug's early work. He sings, <i>I am here for all the love that I can stand</i>, later altering the verse: <i>I am here for all the grief that I can stand</i>. Carlisle's poetry is never indulgent or unnecessarily ornate, even as it reveals a consistent creativity in its obvious love for language: <i>Why have a god if no one is saved / I think love is a burden if it ain't brave</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Critterland</i> also finds the singer reining in his vocal, emphasizing his rich and resonant tones on songs like "The Great Depression". Atop harmonica and banjo, he sings of our role in the larger story of family and community: <i>To win our kin a better life is still worth dying for</i>. "Dry Country Dust" and "The Arrangements" are just two of the pieces that process the passing of loved ones, on a record where reminders of mortality are as generous as our opportunities for redemption: <i>Thank god forgiveness comes in so many shapes</i>. Darrell Scott's pedal steel drifts across the track like a breeze. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Higher Lonesome" concludes with Willi Carlisle's admission: <i>The artist has his suffering / And the gods will have their pain / By the time the ride is over / I'm sure I'll ask to ride again</i>. The sharing of his character is one of <i>Critterland</i>'s great revelations, reintroducing listeners to a man who acknowledges and even explores life's dark corners without succumbing to bitterness and resentment towards himself or others. "When the Pills Wear Off" seems a lovesong to late friends, adding tasteful strings for the record's fullest arrangement. It's a moving and meaning-full song, a light touch that dives deeply: <i>He shines like the neon in the town's only bar / Slick as the needle and slim as the scar</i>. On a high-profile release that might have prompted him to embrace the more simplistic elements of his developing craft, Carlisle and his producer have instead created a shining example of meaning in restraint. </div><div><br /></div><div>Announcements of forthcoming records continue uninterrupted on our <a href="https://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster</a>. Since last Episode, we've added a healthy number of promising albums to the calendar. After a year of excellent country cover songs, Matthew Houck has announced his next original <b>Phosphorescent</b> project. <i>Revelator</i> will land on April 5, via the Verve label. Canada's <b>Elliott BROOD</b> have given a date for the companion LP to November's <i>Town</i> collection. The appropriately titled <i>Country</i> is slated for an April 12 release (Six Shooter). England's roots-pop <b>Lucy Rose</b> will follow 2019's <i>No Words Left</i> with more words. <i>This Ain't the Way You Go Out</i> arrives on April 19, courtesy of the Communion Group. Country traditionalist <b>Charley Crockett</b> is due for the next record in his prolific oeuvre. <i>$10 Cowboy</i> debuts on April 26 on the artist's own Son of Davy label. Finally, <b>Lawrence Rothman</b> is a familiar name as a producer, writer and a contributor to others' projects. Due April 26 (KRO), <i>Plow That Broke the Plains</i> is an opportunity for them to present a relatively rare but intriguing solo album. </div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">ROUTES-cast January 28, 2024</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- Katy Kirby, "Redemption Arc" <i>Blue Raspberry</i> (Anti, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Leslie Stevens, "Such a Good Time Without You" <i>Leslie Stevens</i> (Stevens, Feb 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Phosphorescent, "Revelator" <i>Revelator</i> (Verve, Apr 5) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Fruit Bats, "On the Avalon Stairs (live)" <i>Starry-Eyed In Stereo</i> (Merge, May 10) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Hurray For the Riff Raff, "Colossus of Roads" <i>Past Is Still Alive</i> (Nonesuch, Feb 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Band of Horses, "Is There a Ghost (live)" <i>Acoustic At the Ryman Vol 2</i> (Huger Lewis, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Brown Horse, "Reservoir" <i>Reservoir</i> (Loose, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- David Nance, "Tumbleweed" <i>David Nance & Mowed Sound</i> (Third Man, Feb 9)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Lucy Rose, "The Racket" <i>This Ain't the Way You Go Out</i> (Communion, Apr 19) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Nathan Kalish, "Existential AI" <i>Southern Guitar Poverty Center Vol 2</i> (Yellow Canary, Mar 22) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Lawrence Rothman, "Plow That Broke the Plains" <i>Plow That Broke the Plains</i> (KRO, Apr 26) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Bones of JR Jones, "My Hometown" <i>Slow Lightning (Deluxe)</i> (Bones, Feb 9)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Thee Sinseers & Joey Quinones, "Can't Do That To Her" <i>Sinseerly Yours</i> (Colemine, Mar 22) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Doug Paisley, "World's Worst Loser" <i>Sad Old World</i> (Paisley, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Staves, "I Don't Say It But I Feel It" <i>All Now</i> (Nonesuch, Mar 22)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Ana Egge, "Sorry You're Sick" <i>single</i> (StorySound, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, "Revelations" <i>Revelations</i> (Abeyance, Mar 29)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Sam Outlaw, "Ways To Go" <i>single</i> (Black Hills, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Wyatt Flores, "Milwaukee" <i>single</i> (Island, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Tyler Halverson, "Takes 8" <i>single</i> (Atlantic, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Charley Crockett, "$10 Cowboy" <i>$10 Cowboy</i> (Son of Davy, Apr 26) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Jamie Lin Wilson, "Maritime Moon" <i>single</i> (In a Wink, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Jason Hawk Harris, "The Risk You Take" <i>single</i> (Bloodshot, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Rod Picott, "Digging Ditches" <i>Starlight Tour</i> (Welding Rod, Feb 2) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">^ Willi Carlisle, "Jaybird" <i>Critterland</i> (Signature Sound, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- William Elliott Whitmore, "Golden Door To An Empty Place" <i>Silently the Mind Breaks</i> (Whitmore, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Chatham County Line, "Heaven" <i>Hiyo</i> (Yep Roc, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Sarah Jarosz, "Runaway Train" <i>Polaroid Lovers</i> (Rounder, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Brittany Howard, "Prove It To You" <i>What Now</i> (Island, Feb 9)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Circles Around the Sun & Mikaela Davis, "After Sunrise" <i>After Sunrise EP</i> (Kill Rock Stars, Apr 5) D</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>-------------------------- </div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/7iBoQBvkMeoIGTJ2KYm3aG?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-33051767364832455932024-01-21T18:53:00.001-07:002024-01-22T08:38:09.017-07:00BROWN HORSE - RESERVOiR<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8chPRHwGLrBRUNS6qVOVv6sCmJJksWmzODjhO9A8Na-Yk3G4vP4Ublkx4HmphTjZ2JY2PvH5q4GHbq-9G3901__6092ekz0rps89gzJ_4QxXn_wmw0fCO3Ry5ZRBv372qW0lpskJQ1D-J7ToMR5Rn7RNvlWyb-d2NMzpBY2os-47kmwCbFIYA9g/s2160/Brown%20Horse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="2160" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8chPRHwGLrBRUNS6qVOVv6sCmJJksWmzODjhO9A8Na-Yk3G4vP4Ublkx4HmphTjZ2JY2PvH5q4GHbq-9G3901__6092ekz0rps89gzJ_4QxXn_wmw0fCO3Ry5ZRBv372qW0lpskJQ1D-J7ToMR5Rn7RNvlWyb-d2NMzpBY2os-47kmwCbFIYA9g/s320/Brown%20Horse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">January 21, 2024</div><div style="text-align: center;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm not great at genre lines. I stumbled into radio one Summer by agreeing to cover for a friend's Saturday afternoon folk program. A couple weeks into my stint, I received a call from a listener wondering whatever happened to the folk music show that used to be broadcast during this time. Same thing happened when I agreed to sub-host a bluegrass broadcast, and my great tradition of missing the mark continued as I developed my own Routes & Branches "americana" show. Why wasn't I playing <i>americana</i> music? Where was the Guy Clark?!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Show me where the lines are and we'll cross them. While it's apparently still very possible to create a folk music playlist full of earnest acoustic ditties and whatever remains of the 90s and 00s singer-songwriter epidemic, the folk that draws our attention at R&B HQ is vastly wider ranging, edgier and more creative than its reputation might have one believe. Urban as opposed to rural, possibly electric as opposed to acoustic, more experimental than predictably <i>trad</i>, THAT is the folk music we follow. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Which raises the point of <b>Brown Horse</b> and their debut collection, <i>Reservoir</i>. The record's title track serves as a suitable orientation: Rowan Braham's accordion lowing beneath a fingerpicked acoustic and a divebombing electric guitar. Vocalist/guitarist Patrick Turner's keening, unsteady voice delivers the songs unspooling lyrics so that few lines are intelligible. When woven together, "Reservoir" haunts beautifully, like little we've heard before. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Brown Horse hail from the unlikely environs of Norfolk, a largely rural outpost in the east of England. Starting out as a four-piece band in 2018, they have grown to a sextet for their debut full-length, most of the members contributing to a collective approach to writing, even if it's Turner's enigmatic voice that we hear on songs like "Stealing Horses". Citing Jimmie Rodgers' "Muleskinner Blues", we hear Emma Tovelll's buzzsaw lap steel circling a strummed electric guitar and Braham's essential accordion, the whole a wonderfully thick hum, especially as guitar threatens to overshadow the proceedings. "Bloodstain" launches from that Crazy Horse-<i>inspired</i> squall, Turner's voice layered with singer-songwriter Phoebe Troup to lovely effect: <i>Call it distraction / Call it despair / No matter what you call it / You can feel it when it's there</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As heard on "Outtakes", the outfit maintain an appealing looseness to the <i>Reservoir </i>sessions, even in the midst of their sonic cloud. The song rambles ahead, Turner beckoning: <i>Come a little further in the door</i>. On another side of the spectrum, Brown Horse can be equally alluring when they dial back the noise. <i>Sometimes silence rings like a bell</i>, they sing on "Sunfisher", featuring a rare fiddle to complement the accordion. The measured "Everlasting" progresses on a bluesy piano. Most impactfully, "Paul Gilley" pays shimmering tribute to the legendary, short-lived lyricist: <i>If Paul Gilley wrote the words to the saddest song that Elvis ever heard / Maybe he could work something from the feeling that I've got</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On "Silver Bullet", Patrick Turner confesses: <i>I've had one true feeling in about a thousand years</i>. Elsewhere, Brown Horse have called themselves <i>alt country nobodies</i>. There is a melancholy spirit that pervades <i>Reservoir</i>, a downcast, moon-shadowed mood that might recall Jason Molina. It dovetails with a first-project humility that lends a rare magic to the sessions. Lines might be drawn to other entrancing classics such as Cowboy Junkies' <i>Trinity Sessions</i> or <i>Tonight At the Arizona</i> from the Felice Brothers. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">... or maybe it's NOT folk music. There's a chance that we just don't get it, that we're calling apples <i>oranges</i> here. Which is why acts like Brown Horse fit so well beneath our umbrella: <i>the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</i>. Our decision years ago to loosen the hazy parameters of R&B were only to set the stage for music like <i>Reservoir</i>. Call it what you will, Brown Horse's debut is one of the brightest records we've heard during this early year. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The march toward declaring March 22 a national music holiday continues apace on <a href="https://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster</a>, our peerless release calendar. With Big Thief, <b>Adrianne Lenker</b> released our favorite record for 2022. She has announced a solo collection to appear on March 22, <i>Bright Future</i> (4AD). On the verge of superstardom, <b>Sierra Ferrell</b> has set that same crowded day for her next full-length. <i>Trail Of Flowers</i> will hit shelves courtesy of the Rounder label. With the Bloodshot label back in business, <b>Scott H Biram</b> is ready for his next project. Expect <i>The One & Only</i> only a week later, on March 29. After an absence of five years, we're pleased to announce the next record from the <b>Pernice Brothers</b>. New West plans an April 5 debut for <i>Who Will You Believe</i>. Finally, <b>Yola</b> will be blurring genre lines on her forthcoming EP. <i>My Way</i> lands on May 24. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- Pernice Brothers, "Who Will You Believe" <i>Who Will You Believe</i> (New West, Apr 5) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Buffalo Tom, "Helmet" <i>Jump Rope</i> (Scrawny, May 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Gold Star, "Wild Boys" <i>single</i> (Like Ltd, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">^ Brown Horse, "Paul Gilley" <i>Reservoir</i> (Loose, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Fust, "Rolling Prairie" <i>Songs of the Rail: Early Demos</i> (Dear Life, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Magic Tuber Stringband, "Days Of Longing" <i>Needlefall</i> (Thrill Jockey, Mar 22) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Son of the Velvet Rat, "Rosary (ft Jolie Holland)" <i>Ghost Ranch</i> (Fluff & Gravy, Mar 22)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Glass Hours, "Same Old You" <i>Glass Hours</i> (Cornelius Chapel, Mar 1)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Old Heavy Hands, "When the Lights Go Out" <i>Small Fires</i> (Spitting Daggers, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Scott H Biram, "Easy Rider" <i>The One & Only</i> (Bloodshot, Mar 29) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Khruangbin, "A Love International" <i>A La Sala</i> (Dead Oceans, Apr 5) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Cedric Burnside, "Hill Country Love" <i>Hill Country Love</i> (Mascot, Apr 5) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Marcus King, "Fuck My Life Up Again" <i>single</i> (Republic, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Sam Evian, "Wild Days" <i>Plunge</i> (Flying Cloud, Mar 22) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Bridget Kearney, "Security Camera" <i>Comeback Kid</i> (Keeled Scales, Apr 12) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Madi Diaz, "Everything Almost" <i>Weird Faith</i> (Anti, Feb 9) </div><div style="text-align: left;">- Lizzie No, "Heartbreak Store" <i>Halfsies</i> (Miss Freedomland, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Stephie James, "Company" <i>As Night Fades</i> (James, Mar 1) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Sierra Ferrell, "Dollar Bill Bar" <i>Trail Of Flowers</i> (Rounder, Mar 22) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Sophie Gault, "Fixin' Things" <i>Baltic Street Hotel</i> (Petaluma, Apr 12)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Shane Smith & the Saints, "All the Way" <i>Norther</i> (Geronimo West, Mar 1)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Blackberry Smoke, "Azalea" <i>Be Right Here</i> (3 Legged, Feb 16)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Will Hoge, "End Of the World" <i>Tenderhearted Boys</i> (Edlo, Apr 12) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Chatham County Line, "Way Down Yonder" <i>Hiyo</i> (Yep Roc, Jan 26)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Doug Paisley, "Take the Stars Out Of the Sky" <i>Sad Old World</i> (Paisley, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Leslie Stevens, "Blue Roses" <i>Leslie Stevens</i> (Stevens, Feb 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Marika Hackman, "No Caffeine" <i>Big Sigh</i> (Chrysalis, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Adrianne Lenker, "Sadness As a Gift" <i>Bright Future</i> (4AD, Mar 22) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Shovels & Rope, "Gotta Get Out of Here" <i>Let's Go Dancing: Said the Firefly To the Hurricane</i> (Tasty Goody, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Shakey Graves & Jess Williamson, "True Love Will Find You In the End" <i>Texas Wild</i> (LCRA, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>-------------------------- </div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/3XyS4A9VAkCxYYcvoCKdKF?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-2997035603178342722024-01-14T20:17:00.001-07:002024-01-16T07:18:27.455-07:00OLD HEAVY HANDS - SMALL FiRES<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgupCWkoBv2ejxSlz_Rzc1tYbIdZNWggHB7U2bMTkVBSZzt2P73VYspwBg7U3J1n5O96DrJgDR0-JSBmvOs8gT-77XDcKt512fnFY_YzKac96pZKcla7t_tMKP6mdQ4uGLz3vcMNc2KJCezDjz1aM_fYoR9rxxWFf1Wm7Z0ZaIskLJ_iSdZlKFQ/s2048/Old%20Heavy%20Hands.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1431" data-original-width="2048" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgupCWkoBv2ejxSlz_Rzc1tYbIdZNWggHB7U2bMTkVBSZzt2P73VYspwBg7U3J1n5O96DrJgDR0-JSBmvOs8gT-77XDcKt512fnFY_YzKac96pZKcla7t_tMKP6mdQ4uGLz3vcMNc2KJCezDjz1aM_fYoR9rxxWFf1Wm7Z0ZaIskLJ_iSdZlKFQ/s320/Old%20Heavy%20Hands.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">January 14, 2024</div><div style="text-align: center;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I came of age at a time when "Southern Rock" was a thing, when acts like Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Molly Hatchet threatened to make <i>chooglin'</i> a national pastime. Relatively few of these artists actually made significant inroads onto the charts, possibly owing to their emphasis of boogie 'n blues over melody, bombast 'n badassery over song structure, legitimate endeavors if unlikely to land you on the stage of American Bandstand (if that is indeed a goal). As Southern Rock evolved, outfits such as Marshall Tucker Band, Little Feat, and .38 Special achieved some success with a strain that expressed a truer pop sensibility, a trend that ropes in later artists like Bob Seger and Tom Petty. The family tree isn't necessarily a sprawling one, with more recent performers like Drive-by Truckers, Steel Woods, and Blackberry Smoke finding acceptance in the <i>americana</i> niche. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">With the release of their third full-length record, <i>Small Fires</i> (Spitting Daggers, Jan 19), North Carolina's <b>Old Heavy Hands</b> strike an appealing balance between Memphis and punk, the fire 'n fury of Drive-by Truckers, the ragged morning after glory of Lucero, and ... well, the long lost pop element as heard on .38 Special or Atlanta Rhythm Section. Produced by Danny Fonorow, and engineered in part by Mitch Easter, the collection boasts songwriting and spirit only hinted at on the band's first albums. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The band's vocal duties are shared between Nate Hall and Larry Slaton, and songs initially alternate between the two writers. The record begins with Hall's heavy "Runaround", shots of electric guitar on the heels of John Chester's hurtling drums. Old Heavy Hands' punk roots rip through in the song's spit lyrics, acknowledging regrets and misdeeds: <i>I just never knew that I could be this mean / Who I was then is sickening</i>. Hall's delivery is barbed and throaty, even on the relatively midtempo "Coming Down", characterized by 90s grunge production details and a call-and-response chorus: <i>I'm coming down / Time's running out</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Larry Slaton is Hall's parry, with a smoother, more melodic delivery on "Between You and Me", recalling Adam Duritz at times. A piece in memoriam to his grandfather, the song showcases the quintet's skill in standing in the gap between <i>heavy</i> and <i>tight</i>: <i>There in the hallway / You were beaming light and radiation / Covered in stars that you'll carry home</i>. On "All the Time In the World", Slaton is joined by a gospel chorus and organ, lifting the track to a righteous Southern gothic outro: <i>If the make the promised land before I can / Please send me that brochure</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Not unlike the Hood/Cooley/Isbell iteration of Drive-by Truckers, the writers are divergent but complementary, both essential to the overall identity of Old Heavy Hands. Hall's "The Flood" augments a soulful vocal with horns and David Self's tough but eloquent guitars for a statement on resilience and renewal. "Scoreboard Lights" is <i>Small Fires</i>' strongest pure song, a story of inheritance and legacy that raises thoughts of Mr Petty & his Heartbreakers: <i>Just like that, one day you're obsolete / Woulda-coulda-shoulda-been is a deep dark disease</i>. Stay for the rare throwback sax solo. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Small Fires</i> arrives six years after Old Heavy Hands' last LP, <i>Mercy</i>. During that time Nate Hall faced down a life-threatening cancer diagnosis, while other band members dealt with the death of loved ones and some personal demons. <i>Think I used to have a little more patience</i>, they acknowledge on "When the Lights Go Out", <i>But I lost in all in a few small fires</i>. Guitar lines are sticky, and the sessions are never far from a memorable, pop-adjacent melody, even as they stay true to their Southern Rock tradition. Perhaps the band's challenges, the pandemic pause, and their subsequent emergence fueled their hunger for more, inspiring Hall and Slaton to grow into excellent, original writers and musicians. Whatever the reason, Old Heavy Hands sounds like a band reborn, defining their lane with grit and purpose. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- Waxahatchee, "Right Back To It (ft MJ Lenderman)" <i>Tigers Blood</i> (Anti, Mar 22) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Matthew Logan Vasquez, "Blue Eyes" <i>Frank's Full Moon Saloon</i> (Vasquez, Feb 16)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Frontier Ruckus, "Clarkston's Pasture" <i>On the Northline</i> (Sitcom Universe, Feb 16)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Aaron West & the Roaring Twenties, "In Lieu of Flowers" <i>In Lieu of Flowers</i> (Hopeless, Apr 12) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Rosali, "Rewind" <i>Bite Down</i> (Merge, Mar 22) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- GospelbeacH, "Hang Thyme" <i>Wiggle Your Fingers</i> (Curation, Apr 26) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Kyle Kimbrell, "Shape I'm In" <i>Easy Truths</i> (Cornelius Chapel, Apr 5) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Adam Remnant, "Dumb Luck" <i>Sunrise at Sunset Motel EP</i> (Coiled Myth, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Willi Carlisle, "Higher Lonesome" <i>Critterland</i> (Signature Sounds, Jan 26)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Charlie Parr, "Boombox" <i>Little Sun</i> (Smithsonian, Mar 22) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Amigo the Devil, "The Mechanic" <i>Yours Until the War Is Over</i> (Liars Club, Feb 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Six Parts Seven & Goodmorning Valentine, "Meditation in D" <i>Kissing Distance</i> (Suicide Squeeze, Feb 16) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Buck Meek, "Beauty Opens Doors" <i>single</i> (4AD, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Itasca, "Milk" <i>Imitation of War</i> (Paradise of Bachelors, Feb 9)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- John Craigie, "Damn My Love (ft TK & Holy Know-Nothings)" <i>Pagan Church</i> (Zabriskie Point, 24)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Corb Lund, "Redneck Rehab" <i>El Viejo</i> (New West, Feb 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Joe Pug, "Treasury Of Prayers" <i>Sketch Of a Promised Departure</i> (Pug, Mar 1)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Secret Sisters, "Same Water" <i>Mind Man Medicine</i> (New West, Mar 29) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Parker Millsap & Robert Ellis, "Here We Are" <i>single</i> (Okrahoma, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Alejandro Escovedo, "Bury Me" <i>Echo Dancing</i> (Yep Roc, Mar 29) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Marlon Williams, "After the Revolution" <i>Tomorrow Tomorrow and Tomorrow</i> (Dead Oceans, Feb 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Brit Taylor, "Saint Anthony" <i>Kentucky Bluegrassed</i> (Cut a Shine, Feb 2) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Aoife O'Donovan, "All My Friends" <i>All My Friends</i> (Yep Roc, Mar 22) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Katie Pruitt, "White Lies White Jesus and You" <i>Mantras</i> (Rounder, Apr 5) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Kaia Kater, "The Internet" <i>single</i> (Free Dirt, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Black Keys, "Beautiful People (Stay High)" <i>Ohio Players</i> (Nonesuch, Apr 5) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Aaron Lee Tasjan, "Horror of It All" <i>Stellar Evolution</i> (Blue Elan, Apr 12) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Mama Zu, "Safe Place To Stay" <i>Quilt Floor</i> (Cosmic Twin, Feb 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Daniel Romano, "Field Of Ruins" <i>Too Hot To Sleep</i> (You've Changed, Mar 1) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Fust, "Dancing and Railing" <i>Songs Of the Rail: Early Demos</i> (Dear Life, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">^ Old Heavy Hands, "All the Time In the World" <i>Small Fires</i> (Splitting Daggers, Jan 19)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This week we were subject to a daily deluge of new release announcements, expanding <a href="https://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster</a> to near bursting with forthcoming albums. We traditionally choose just five (5) to highlight here, a challenging task given the ridiculous array of choices. We'll start with <b>Waxahatchee</b>, whose <i>Saint Cloud</i> and Plains projects largely defined our year-end favorites. Katie Crutchfield has set March 22 as the release date for <i>Tigers Blood</i>, her first solo album for the Anti label. <b>Charlie Parr</b> pairs with producer Tucker Martine for <i>Little Sun</i>. With a planned March 22 shelf date on the Smithsonian Folkways label, the collection finds him fronting a band including Marisa Anderson, Victor Krummenacher, percussionist Andy Borger, and Asher Fulero on keys. March 22 is setting up to be THE target date for the early year. Guitarist/songwriter <b>Rosali</b> Middleman has chosen that date for the debut of <i>Bite Down</i> (Merge). The session finds her backed by David Nance & Mowed Sound (whose own full-length is set for a February 9 release). <b>Alejandro Escovedo</b> reaches into his back catalog for <i>Echo Dancing</i> (Yep Roc). Due March 29, the record presents reimagined takes on songs from throughout his career, including pieces from his earliest days with Buick MacKane and True Believers. Finally, mark April 5 as the date for <b>Katie Pruitt</b>'s 2020 debut, <i>Expectations</i>. <i>Mantras</i> explores issues of self-definition and validation (Rounder). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>-------------------------- </div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/0A4mFwR9of9I7SFGlNXTu2?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-40262443720324472352024-01-07T09:00:00.001-07:002024-01-07T09:00:39.982-07:00MiCHAEL NAU - ACCOMPANY<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFd4UONnptJRb9pTpgmEcc2hny82c3hgG10KBlfI97kdjyMf7XnHwfVwSnORiYC2g7lpBB7unokK4XYRsDNdSMoI1qlP3KiVSh3HozKfTqGXIe1uWhZf3WZnVtUYjKm2ud1I_Hk5gaArM62BLfSyVnxspstTz38t58ZN7eYxlNM-R9Cu72hOYlxQ/s576/unnamed%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="576" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFd4UONnptJRb9pTpgmEcc2hny82c3hgG10KBlfI97kdjyMf7XnHwfVwSnORiYC2g7lpBB7unokK4XYRsDNdSMoI1qlP3KiVSh3HozKfTqGXIe1uWhZf3WZnVtUYjKm2ud1I_Hk5gaArM62BLfSyVnxspstTz38t58ZN7eYxlNM-R9Cu72hOYlxQ/s320/unnamed%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">January 7, 2024</div><div style="text-align: center;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Suicide Squeeze label recently reissued Cotton Jones' 2008 <i>River Strumming</i> record, a true understated gem from <b>Michael Nau</b> and company. Alongside 09's <i>Paranoid Cocoon</i> and 2010's <i>Tall Hours In the Glowstream</i>, Nau began to cement his craft, constructing songs and snippets in the studio from threads of 60s pop, impressionistic folk and psych-soul. When he and his wife/bandmate Whitney McGraw started their family, Nau switched to recording under his own name, converting his band's patchwork artistry into an increasingly confident, singular expression. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Accompany</i> is Michael Nau's fifth full-length solo project, taking its place among earlier LPs, collaborations, singles and one-offs. Following a couple years afloat, Nau returned to the studio at the invitation of producer Adrian Olsen, bringing with him a cadre of friends, touring partners, and familiar conspirators. There has always been a real warmth to his music, but true to its title, <i>Accompany</i> bears a more collaborative, studio-born conversationalism. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As a whole, the eleven songs on <i>Accompany</i> represent almost the full range of Nau's expression, even as the overall sessions might bend in more of a roots direction. From Twain, Mat Davidson's pedal steel cements that impression on highlights like the good-natured "Painting a Wall": <i>It's an impossible life to get over</i>. Davidson weaves a bright ribbon through the number, supported by an Augie Meyers-like carnival organ, perhaps as close as the record comes to an upbeat cut. Billowy arrangements lend "Sharp Diamonds" a particularly <i>cosmic</i> bearing, lifting the pedal steel into the clouds. The song also features one of the spare but welcome backing vocals from Whitney McGraw. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Michael Nau isn't a prototypically showy singer, he's more likely to opt for a low-key, JJ Cale drawl on most numbers. Like Harry Nilsson (or Father John Misty), that doesn't prevent him from lending his pipes to more soulful causes. Nau's voice is mixed forward on much of <i>Accompany</i>, delivering the lovely "One Morning in Vibrato" from a stirring croon, ringed by pretty strings and a harplike keys: <i>Look at all these footprints / Where did everybody / Where did everybody go</i>. "Tiny Flakes" slips into a thick, bluesy pace, encouraging a rare duo vocal moment from Nau and Mcgraw, and allowing him to recline into the woozy strings and sly electronic burble: <i>Where a breeze is tripping over / All I know / Plus all I don't / Lying peaceful at the center / Every piece is stacked together</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If there is a unifying sonic theme to Michael Nau's oeuvre, it might be his practice of treating <i>arrangement</i> as an implement in his musical toolbox. Past recordings have presented a decidedly lo-fi sound, or have blurred Nau's voice to emphasize other aspects of the recording. Muted horns or stray sounds are wound into and through the songs. He has commented: <i>I like to think that one giant song shattered, and I'm just trying to scoop up and arrange the pieces into something that feels good</i>. Possibly as a result of the largely live-to-tape recording, songs like "Shiftshaping" seem more complete, more whole than they might have on early collections. Gathered around an unhurried piano progression, the piece displays a bit of Nau's psych-soul side, especially in his melismatic vocal. Steady electric strumming carries "Relearn To Boogie", a 60s orchestral pop cut with almost playful lyrics: <i>They built a sea / Around a ship / We watched it grow / Drip by drip</i>. Elsewhere: <i>The trash swirls / And gathers in the wind / Looks like a celebration</i>. See also, the <i>bonus track</i> "Last I Looked", a piano-pop and soul cut whose strings suggest a lushness only hinted at elsewhere. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Like Lambchop or Tim Rutili's Califone, Michael Nau's <i>Accompany</i> succeeds as a rich mosaic of sound and production, drawing from a generous pool of influence without becoming a tribute or an oldies record. Like Max Clarke's Cut Worms, his originals sound as relevant to today's milieu as they might on 60s or 70s AM radio. With producer Olsen's support, and with the services of Mat Davidson, Will Brown, Seth Kauffman and others at his call, Nau simply relaxes into his signature mix, at home however you want to name his sound. His first album on the Karma Chief label was released when most writers were turning their attention to wrapping up the year. It would be a mistake to lose <i>Accompany</i> in the shuffle. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We'll take advantage of the New Year's reset to make sure all are acquainted with <a href="https://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster</a>, our obsessively curated new release calendar. With just a click, you'll be equipped with the knowledge of the gods, in addition to a sprawling account of 2023's goings-on for the first few months of the year. Were we to be put on the spot, we might include the following as among our most eagerly anticipated releases for the next several weeks: Doug Paisley, <i>Sad Old World</i> (Paisley, Jan 19), Frontier Ruckus, <i>On the Northline</i> (Loose, Feb 16), Tucker Riggleman & the Cheap Dates, <i>Restless Spirit</i> (WarHen, Feb 17), Hurray For the Riff Raff, <i>Past Is Still Alive</i> (Nonesuch, Feb 23), Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, <i>Revelations</i> (Abeyance, Mar 29), Sophie Gault, <i>Baltic Street Hotel</i> (Petaluma, Apr 12). Your results may vary. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally, after a handful of weeks looking at the years passed, let's launch with gusto into thirty brand new tracks released since our last all-new Spotify ROUTES-cast: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- Hermanos Gutierrez, "Blood Milk Moon" <i>single</i> (Easy Eye, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- David Nance & Mowed Sound, "Mock the Hours" <i>David Nance & Mowed Sound</i> (Third Man, Feb 9) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">^ Michael Nau, "Painting a Wall" <i>Accompany</i> (Karma Chief, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Valerie June, "Ordinary World" <i>single</i> (Fantasy, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- John Craigie, "Good To You (ft TK & Holy Know-Nothings)" <i>Pagan Church</i> (Zabriskie Point, Jan 12)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Tucker Riggleman & Cheap Dates, "Restless Spirit" <i>Restless Spirit</i> (WarHen, Feb 17)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Hallelujah the Hills, "Alone in Love" <i>single</i> (Discrete Pageantry, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Esther Rose, "Safe to Run (ft Deslondes)" <i>Safe 2 Run (Versions) EP</i> (New West, Jan 9) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Sarah Jarosz, "Days Can Turn Around" <i>Polaroid Lovers</i> (Rounder, Jan 26)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Dead South, "A Little Devil" <i>Chains & Stakes</i> (Six Shooter, Feb 9)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Angela Autumn, "Electric Lizard" <i>single</i> (Cacti Omen, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- William Elliott Whitmore, "Break Even" <i>Silently the Mind Breaks</i> (Whitmore, Jan 26)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Charlie Crockett, "That's What Makes the World Go Around (ft Willie Nelson)" <i>single</i> (Son of Davy, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Kaitlin Butts, "Tomorrow Will Be Kinder" <i>single</i> (Butts, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Joshua Ray Walker, "Thank You For Listening" <i>single</i> (JRW, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Emily Frembgen, "Fentanyl" <i>single</i> (Don Giovanni, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Tyler Childers, "Time of the Preacher (live)" <i>Long Story Short: Willie Nelson at 90</i> (Sony, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Meg McRee, "The Moon (ft Hillary Lindsey & Lori McKenna)" <i>History of Heartbreak EP</i> (Secret Place, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Brown Horse, "Shoot Back" <i>Reservoir</i> (Loose, Jan 19) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, "Backsliders" <i>Revelations</i> (Abeyance, Mar 29)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Old Heavy Hands, "The Flood" <i>Small Fires</i> (OHH, Jan 19)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Patterson Hood, "Let's Go Dancing (ft Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey)" <i>Let's Go Dancing: Celebration of Kevn Kinney</i> (Tasty Goody, 24) </div><div style="text-align: left;">- Jason Isbell & 400 Unit, "Look What You've Done To Your Brother" <i>Let's Go Dancing: Celebration of Kevn Kinney</i> (Tasty Goody, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Glass Hours, "Scarlet Tongues" <i>Glass Hours</i> (Cornelius Chapel, Mar 1) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Son of the Velvet Rat, "Beautiful Day (ft Jolie Holland)" <i>Ghost Ranch</i> (Fluff & Gravy, Mar 22) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Brigid Mae Power, "Rose Marie" <i>single</i> (BMP, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Adrianne Lenker, "Ruined" <i>single</i> (4AD, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Buck Meek, "Cuero Dudes" <i>single</i> (4AD, 24) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Itasca, "Imitation of War" <i>Imitation of War</i> (Paradise of Bachelors, Feb 9) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Doug Paisley, "I Want To Be With You Always" <i>Sad Old World</i> (Paisley, Jan 19) D</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>--------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/59l55V2UvkDtILrHRNTTh5?utm_source=generator&theme=0" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-72690708579956200012023-12-31T09:35:00.000-07:002023-12-31T09:35:33.733-07:00FAVORiTE COVERs of 2023<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSo7OBk02K77JgSvZrHytxTV8Hh6AsFMzXeEtOwVvLG0CtU0lyxW7vK5DVtqgiHDAbMrpIX2ZxmoULdI8Lef4PYVh3dhQF9yPQjrUpw5y_sOXa5xuUqNfTTCMX5zbf2WWhJlVL178CuPd5esOYm-7Yt6xtGwufX9tURhGyFLnwG9mCGf_JieAfg/s900/Elizabeth%20Moen%20Covers.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaSo7OBk02K77JgSvZrHytxTV8Hh6AsFMzXeEtOwVvLG0CtU0lyxW7vK5DVtqgiHDAbMrpIX2ZxmoULdI8Lef4PYVh3dhQF9yPQjrUpw5y_sOXa5xuUqNfTTCMX5zbf2WWhJlVL178CuPd5esOYm-7Yt6xtGwufX9tURhGyFLnwG9mCGf_JieAfg/s320/Elizabeth%20Moen%20Covers.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Dec 31, 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We're declaring an end to 2023 with something sorta new (and <i>sorta</i> not): This list of our thirty favorite covers for the year. Cover songs have always been appreciated here at R&B HQ, a regular feature of nearly every Episode. When we decided to track our favorites for a year-end list, we starting pulling worthy candidates into a long playlist, ending up with over one-hundred to consider for our final roll. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You might (or might not) be surprised that we harbor strong opinions about what constitutes a quality cover. Each song featured on this Episode's ROUTES-cast checks at least one of these boxes (typically more):</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">- <u>Surprise</u>: We might also call this "novelty", when an artist tries their hand at a song or genre that's outside their usual musical territory. While a roots artist covering another roots artist won't check this box, perhaps a bluegrass musician tackles and reinterprets a familiar pop hit. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- <u>Creativity</u>: We appreciate it when an artist drags a familiar tune into the artistic sandbox, dicing and seasoning the song until we hear it differently. Otherwise, is there really a reason to record a literal, by-the-book cover? </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- <u>Perspective</u>: A quality cover song might remind us of an artist or a song about which we'd forgotten, or perhaps never known. In the case of an already familiar artist, we might be introduced to a deeper, less familiar track. A well-executed cover will point us back to that original artist. </div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In this light, a country artist with a faithful cover of Willie Nelson probably won't make our list. We hear at least a couple new Dylan covers every month, but these generally won't check any of the above boxes. These might be fine renditions, but at R&B HQ we're wanting more.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You can't open a new browser these days without landing upon a cover song. Aquarium Drunkard offers their excellent <i>Lagniappe Sessions</i>, and Spotify encourages their <i>Singles</i> artists to record at least one cover. Australia's <i>Triple J</i> broadcasting and BBC do the same. The ubiquitous and sometimes unnecessary trend of issuing <i>deluxe</i> editions of records a couple months after the original, or anniversary packages, gives an artist the space to consider a cover. And, of course, several songs in our list found the light of day as self-contained singles. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Before we launch into our Favorite Covers list for 2023, we'd like to highlight a couple things that maybe aren't included, but which merit mention. Worthy various artists collections were released this year in tribute to folks like Doc Watson (<i>I Am a Pilgrim: Doc Watson at 100</i>), Willie Nelson (both Next Waltz's <i>One Night In Texas</i> and the live broadcast <i>Long Story Short: Willie Nelson at 90</i>), and Leon Russell (<i>Song For Leon: Tribute to Leon Russell</i>). Teddy Thompson issued both a solo collection of classic country covers, as well as a full-length assortment of classic country duets with Jenni Muldaur, and Son Volt celebrated the great Doug Sahm with <i>Day of the Doug</i>. Something called the Lower Colorado Record Authority exceeded expectations with <i>Texas Wild</i>, a series of Texas artists covering Texas classics. And if you're going to cover Dylan, you might as well go all in, as Cat Power did on her terrific <i>Sings Dylan: the 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Extra Special Merit this year goes to Rounder's <i>More Than a Whisper: Celebrating the Music of Nanci Griffith</i>, which presented an assortment of often wonderful takes by high profile artists. But my favorite covers project this year is one that will continue well into 2024. <i>Said the Firefly To the Hurricane: Celebration of the Oeuvre of Kevn Kinney</i> will ultimately compile three full LPs of Kinney's friends, admirers and co-conspirators, paying due tribute to the songwriter's often overlooked catalog. We'll definitely continue to showcase songs from this series as they appear. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While we genuinely enjoy these special year-end wraps, we'll also be grateful to return next Episode to our usual faire, resetting our lists for the New Year and doing it all over again. With gratitude. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT 2023</span></b></div><div><span>or <b>FAVORiTE COVERs</b></span></div><div><span><b><br /></b></span></div><div>1. Elizabeth Moen, "Nobody Wants a Lonely Heart" <i>For Arthur EP</i> (Moen, Jul 28)</div><div>Rising songwriter-guitarist Moen dedicated this five-song EP to the music of the late, under-known musical polymath Arthur Russell. Her takes are phenomenally soulful, providing a great complement to her 2022 full-length original, <i>Wherever You Aren't</i>. Interestingly, John Andrews & the Yawns also offered a nicely shambling take on this song in 2023. </div><div><br /></div><div>2. Lydia Loveless & Jason Hawk Harris, "Portions For Foxes" <i>single</i> (Bloodshot, May 19)</div><div>This one-off collaboration between a couple of Bloodshot Records artists marks the perfect pairing of performer and song. Loveless especially embraces the bright colors and sharp edges of the song from Rilo Kiley's 2004 <i>More Adventurous</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>3. Alex Lahey, "Make Your Own Kind of Music" <i>single</i> (Australian Broadcasting, Sep 8)</div><div>The great Cass Elliot's forgotten 1969 classic was catapulted back into the spotlight for its inclusion on a trailer for the <i>Barbie</i> movie. Australia's Lahey commits herself enthusiastically to the soaring track, adding a tongue-in-cheek spoken bridge that breaks the musical fourth wall: <i>Anyway, here comes that key change ...</i></div><div><br /></div><div>4. Sunny War, "Baby Bitch" <i>Anarchist Gospel</i> (New West, Feb 3)</div><div>Sunny War's collection flirted with our year-end favorites list for its appealing mash of folk and punk. Her unexpected take on Ween's 1994 underground highlight earns special merit for incorporating a studio-generated children's chorus delivering the profane message: <i>Baby Bitch / I'm better now, please fuck off</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>5. Shannon Lay, "Angeles" <i>Covers Vol 1</i> (Sub Pop, Apr 14)</div><div>The songwriter-guitarist's covers collection includes her <i>shannonization</i> of tunes originally by the Velvet Underground, Vashti Bunyan, and Arthur Russell (see above!). Her acoustic run through Elliott Smith's 1977 dismissal of the LA music scene distills the song's hushed beauty, adding a lovely piano outro. </div><div><br /></div><div>6. Ana Egge, "Last Day Of Our Acquaintance" <i>Sharing In the Spirit</i> (Storysound, May 2024)</div><div>Sinead O'Connor's 1987 debut was nothing short of a revelation. Her tragic passing this year inspired a handful of worthy covers (see boygenius' "Parting Glass"), none more accomplished than Ana Egge's run through this song from her 1990 record. Following O'Connor's lead, Egge sings over a lone acoustic guitar, impactfully giving way to electric guitars and tumble of drums only as the tune unspools. </div><div><br /></div><div>7. Al Green, "Perfect Day" <i>single</i> (Fat Possum, Aug 21)</div><div>The Reverend Green returns from an extended hiatus with this perfectly eloquent delivery of Lou Reed's 1972 masterpiece. Reed always insistent that the song was literally about <i>feeding animals in the zoo</i> and hangin' in the park with a loved one, and Green's lightly soulful touch convinces us: <i>You made me forget myself / I thought I was someone else / Even someone good</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>8. Julia Jacklin, "Shivers" <i>single</i> (Polyvinyl, Jun 13)</div><div>Jacklin pays tribute to an early, <i>early</i> 1979 single from fellow Australians Boy Next Door, who would soon evolve into Nick Cave's Birthday Party. Jacklin invests the tune's infamous opening lyric with a perfectly dark melancholy: <i>I've been contemplating suicide / But it really doesn't suit my style</i>. A welcome reminder of this forgotten classic, written by a sixteen year-old Rowland S Howard </div><div><br /></div><div>9. Joshua Ray Walker, "Cuz I Love You" <i>What Is It Even</i> (JRW, Aug 4)</div><div>Texas belter Walker's 2023 LP was one of the year's cover highlights, an ode to infamous pop divas. Alongside tributes to Mariah, Whitney, and Christina (Aguilera), Walker applied his crazy capable pipes to this cut from Lizzo. Fascinating, earning Walker his own diva status in a year that's seen him play admirably with his own image. </div><div><br /></div><div>10. Brother Marshall & Choir of Fire, "All the Gold In California" <i>single</i> (Rough House, Jul 27)</div><div>This terrific <i>a cappella</i> run through the Gatlin Brothers' 1979 country smash hails from Sturgill Simpson and a chorus of hooting, hollering believers. The credited Brother Marshall is Simpson's snake-handling character from HBO's <i>Righteous Gemstones</i> series, recited like a transcendent, reverent hymn. </div><div><br /></div><div>11. Nicole Atkins, "1880 or So" <i>3Sirens Presents: With Love Pt 2 EP</i> (3Sirens, Dec 2)</div><div>The Grahams' 3Sirens studio has been releasing sporadic singles in addition to a pair of EPs featuring artists' takes on songs originally by Tears For Fears, Crowded House, the Church and more. Here Atkins smooths and updates the 1992 original from Television's final record, released on the occasion of their brief reformation. Especially meaningful at the close of a year that saw Tom Verlaine's passing. </div><div><br /></div><div>12. Sam Blasucci, "Linger" <i>Off My Stars</i> (Innovative Leisure, Jun 2)</div><div>In addition to sharing his first solo record, 2023 also featured a satisfying release from Blasucci's day band, Mapache. The singer-instrumentalist included a cover of the Cranberries' "Linger", accompanied by a strummed acoustic and unadorned piano. While his voice never approaches the heights of Dolores O'Riordan's original, there is a sweet and simple immediacy to Blasucci's take. </div><div><br /></div><div>13. Molly Tuttle, "Good 4 U" <i>Spotify Sessions EP</i> (Nonesuch, Jan 30)</div><div>With her Golden Highway band in tow, Tuttle shines on the first of a couple bluegrass reimaginings of current hits. She comments: <i>I think there is this kind of crossover of bluegrass music and that kind of high energy punk spirit that Olivia Rodrigo brings to the song</i>. The band invests their cover with an instrumentalism and energy that honors the original, replete with a banjo solo not featured on Rodrigo's original ... </div><div><br /></div><div>14. Shelly Fairchild & Shamir, "Fist City" <i>single</i> (Kill Rock Stars, Mar 15)</div><div>Fairchild recorded her run through Loretta Lynn's signature 1968 slam after learning of the legend's passing last Fall. The unexpected collaboration of gender-fluid indie artist Shamir cements the cover's impact as the duo alternate verses in surprisingly similar voices. </div><div><br /></div><div>15. Infamous Stringdusters, "As It Was" <i>single</i> (Americana Vibes, Jul 14)</div><div>There's always been a progressive element to the Stringdusters' strain of bluegrass, as enjoyed on their tribute to Harry Styles' ubiquitous 2022 hit. Bonus points for the interplay of Jeremy Garret's fiddle and Andy Hall's dobro, carrying the indelible signature line throughout the recording. </div><div><br /></div><div>16. Ryan Bingham, "Possum Kingdom (ft Texas Gentlemen)" <i>Texas Wild</i> (LCRA, Oct 27, Toadies)</div><div>Walker Lukens produced this better-than-it-needed-to-be compilation of Texas artists crossing genre lines to cover other Texas artists. Shakey Graves and Jess Williamson offer their version of Daniel Johnston's "True Love Will Find You", The Suffers present a soulfully reimagined "My Maria" (Brooks & Dunn), and the Toadies try their hand at Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone". Each of these was in consideration for our favorites list, but we awarded the spot to Ryan Bingham. Backed by Texas Gentlmen, Bingham tears off-kilter through the Toadies' own "Possum Kingdom", vocals and guitars just this side of unhinged. </div><div><br /></div><div>17. Johanna Samuels, "Real Emotional Girl" <i>Lagniappe Sessions EP</i> (Jealous Butcher, Sep 22)</div><div>For her Aquarium Drunkard <i>Lagniappe Session</i>, Samuels chose to cover standards like Dylan and the Beatles. She also gave a faithful piano rendition of this 1983 Randy Newman ballad, sometimes overlooked on an album that also featured "I Love LA" and "My Life Is Good". Samuels manages to masterfully draw out the song's jazz and blues nuance. </div><div><br /></div><div>18. Austin Lucas, "Just a Girl" <i>single</i> (GrindEthos, Oct 27)</div><div>2023 saw Austin Lucas release a strong collection <i>reinventing</i> songs from Against Me! While we'd initially represented that album here, it's the gender-fluid artist's tender, personal version of No Doubt's "Just a Girl" that's earned the spot. From Lucas: <i>The story of how I decided to
record this song is one that is deeply woven into the fabric of my coming to
understand myself to be a non-binary trans person… Over the many years spent,
both as a human being and artist, I sometimes deliberately and often
accidentally sought to express those things through the lyrics that I wrote and
the songs I chose to cover. An example of which I proudly present to the world
here in the form of a song (whose) true sadness may have been hard to fully
grasp when first presented to the world as an up-tempo ska song.</i></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div>19. NQ Arbuckle, "All Apologies" <i>Love Songs For the Long Game</i> (Six Shooter, May 19)</div><div>Neville Quinlan's Canadian cohort performs what is undeniably Nirvana's most covered tune. The alt.country act conducts themselves admirably, with booming percussion and shredded, angst-driven vocals. As strong an arrangement as can be imagined from a primarily acoustic act on this thirtieth anniversary of the original. </div><div><br /></div><div>20. Aoife O'Donovan, "Drover" <i>Apathy Sessions</i> (Yep Roc, Jan 27)</div><div>This deluxe edition of 2022's <i>Age of Apathy</i> added covers of both Sharon Van Etten's "I Love You But I'm Lost" and this 2011 pastoral Bill Callahan number. As her full-scale cover of Springsteen's <i>Nebraska</i> from last year reminded us, O'Donovan has a special way with her covers. Under her guidance, "Drover" becomes lushly beautiful, as reassuring as Callahan's original was overcast: <i>One thing about this wild wild country / It takes a strong strong / It breaks a strong strong mind</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>21. Lillie Mae, "Razor Love" <i>Festival Eyes</i> (s||c, Sep 8)</div><div>Here at R&B HQ, I've mentioned my relative aversion for Neil Young, even as I recognize his worth to our kind of music. So I'm very grateful for Lillie Mae's recording of the man's 2000 track, her expressive vocal and engaging arrangement that splits the difference between acoustic and contemporary. </div><div><br /></div><div>22. Taylor Ashton, "Running Up That Hill" <i>Pizza Tickets</i> (Signature Sounds, Mar 24)</div><div>Kate Bush stands as one of the cornerstone artists in my own personal musical edifice, her 1985 <i>Hounds of Love</i> still as perfect a record as I've heard. The last couple years have been very kind to Bush, crossing the threshold to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame as her "Running Up That Hill" took a very unlikely place in our popular pantheon. I've heard several covers of the song, but Taylor Ashton's is one of the few that boldly strip back the theatricality of the original, leaving just banjo and voice. </div><div><br /></div><div>23. Lake Street Dive, "Can't Help Falling In Love (ft Monica Martin)" <i>single</i> (Fantasy, Jun 20)</div><div>Of course, there is no shortage of covers of this song made famous by Elvis. Our own favorite is the wonderfully upbeat take by the obscure Irish band, Lick the Tins, featured on the 1987 soundtrack to <i>Some Kind of Wonderful</i>. That said, we have a weakness for Rachael Price's smoky jazz delivery, and Lake Street Dive have shared a great variety of superb covers over the years. This one features barely more than a guiding bass line and the voices of Price and Monica Martin. </div><div><br /></div><div>24. Margo Price, "Stranger In a Strange Land" <i>Song For Leon</i> (Primary Wave, Sep 8)</div><div>Price's <i>Strays</i> earned a place atop our year-end favorite albums list. Her busy year has also included a pair of companion records, in addition to a handful of appearances on tribute collections like this rewarding paean to the great and sprawling career of Leon Russell. Price's version embraces much of the original arrangement, the churchly backing chorus and the gradual build, with her soulful vocal a suitable complement. </div><div><br /></div><div>25. Bria, "By the Time I Get To Phoenix" <i>Cuntry Covers Vol 2 EP</i> (Sub Pop, Feb 24)</div><div>Bria Salmena and her band (FRIGS) spent much of the year supporting Orville Peck on his ambitious tour. She also found time to release a second EP of left-of-center runs through familiar <i>cuntry </i>classics. Jimmy Webb's "Phoenix" is given a excellent treatment here, perfect for the band's unique mix of psychedelic and country, atmospherics and acoustics. Now we're ready for a solo project!</div><div><br /></div><div>26. Rosie Thomas, "Eternal Flame (ft William Fitzsimmons, Denison Witmer)" <i>Every Drop Counts EP</i> (Singalong, Mar 29)</div><div>I'll be honest about the very soft spot I harbor for the Bangles' 1988 "Eternal Flame", an will acknowledge my feelings that Susanna Hoffs' original will never be surpassed. That said, Rosie Thomas and friends offer a welcome cover, cushioning the song in a cloud of angelic electronics. </div><div><br /></div><div>27. Caitlin Rose, "Nashville Moon" <i>CAZIMI (Deluxe Edition)</i> (Pearl Tower, Jun 23) </div><div>While his time with us was relatively brief, the late Jason Molina stands as one of the foundational artists for R&B. For the deluxe edition of last year's <i>CAZIMI</i>, Caitlin Rose included an appropriately languid, pedal steel-kissed edition of a tune from 2007's Magnolia Electric Co watermark, <i>Sojourner</i> box set. Rose remixes "Nashville Moon" admirably, growing the song with expansive instrumentation and a gorgeous vocal. </div><div><br /></div><div>28. Sierra Ferrell, "Coat Of Many Colors" <i>single</i> (Rounder, Jul 7)</div><div>Here's the rare example of a cover that succeeds despite not really checking any of our <i>essential</i> boxes. Ferrell's run through Dolly Parton's classic "Coat" earns its place in large part because it's a reverently restrained, lovingly delivered take on a beloved original. So sue us. </div><div><br /></div><div>29. Deer Tick, "Dancing In the Dark" <i>single</i> (ATO, Oct 11)</div><div>After so many years on the scene, Deer Tick succeed on the simple virtue of their loose, fun rock spirit. While John J McCauley and the band have adjusted their approach here and there, this Big Dumb Take on Bruce Springsteen's 1984 career highlight returns Deer Tick to their rough-and-ready basics. </div><div><br /></div><div>30. Elliott BROOD, "Rise Up With Fists" <i>Town</i> (Six Shooter, Nov 3)</div><div>2023 witnessed the Canadian trio releasing a strong <i>Town</i> LP, and promising a second companion record (<i>Country</i>) for the New Year. Elliott BROOD also shared a three-track <i>Covers Collection</i> that included a spirited run through Rodney Crowell's "Bluebird Wine" and this quality cover of a highlight from Jenny Lewis' 2006 solo debut, <i>Rabbit Fur Coat</i>. As our favorite covers do, it lures the band just outside their musical comfort zone while dragging the original into a new light. </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>--------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/61gEZX6FbKcfCZCDXA1WNA?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-48065217931601255882023-12-24T09:13:00.000-07:002023-12-24T09:13:09.559-07:00FAVORiTE ALBUMs of 2023<div style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkHWTAG57rbTptfzvziBREAFScx8ZbNe7YGKYcZX7xMICdqdwXa2_oJ64AaK7sBSbf3LuZUSArRDrviLzl2AowLVC9LaiN00j_NSE_zAXT3fJfrmMUE712zYUQPI7bS4hSKGcltuwAOScwyI6gswv0f9A0cvm8kQT5pTp58lDlNJ2dBnh7VYyTA/s316/MargoPriceStrays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="316" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkHWTAG57rbTptfzvziBREAFScx8ZbNe7YGKYcZX7xMICdqdwXa2_oJ64AaK7sBSbf3LuZUSArRDrviLzl2AowLVC9LaiN00j_NSE_zAXT3fJfrmMUE712zYUQPI7bS4hSKGcltuwAOScwyI6gswv0f9A0cvm8kQT5pTp58lDlNJ2dBnh7VYyTA/s1600/MargoPriceStrays.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></div><div style="text-align: left;">December 24, 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It doesn't happen like this too often. I don't think the very first review I've published in a year has ever played out to be my favorite record. And yet here we are. Sitting in a favorite coffee shop deciding to place <b>Margo Price</b>'s <i>Strays</i> atop my favorite albums list for 2023. An intensely personal, impressively literary, deeply soulful collection that soundtracked a year that also saw Price releasing a memoir and appearing on stages as arguably the foremost standard bearer for our kind of music. Of course, we'd also have to figure in that Isbell fellow.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This year, as in years past, we've juggled and shifted our list over the past several weeks, abandoning hope only as time gave out. The thirty favorites that follow represent just a sliver of the seven-hundred-plus collected at <a href="https://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster</a>. If we've published a review of the album, we've shared an excerpt. If we haven't, we've dashed off an original passage in appreciation for at least the top 15 or so. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As always, we hope R&B has played a role in populating your 2023 playlists, that we've introduced you to new and worthy artists and maybe widened your boundaries just a bit. Please feel free to share your favorites in the comments, or email them to me at routesandbranches@gmail.com. I will look a them and nod sagely. And if I'm lucky I might just learn something. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div><b>Next Episode: </b>Our Favorite Covers of 2023</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT 2023</span></b></div><div><span>or <b>FAVORiTE ALBUMs</b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div>^ 1. <b>Margo Price</b>, <i>Strays </i>and <i>Strays II</i> (Loma Vista, Jan 13 and Oct 13)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Price's
memoir attests that she and Ivey are incurable songwriters at heart, capable of
great pathos at the drop of a phrase. Nowhere is this more evident than
on <i>Strays</i>' closing cuts. With mournful, wide-sky reverb guitar, the lovely
"Landfill" depicts life's collected memories in a heap: <i>I could
build a landfill of dreams I deserted ... Those mournful blues and a blood red
rose</i>. The session's true eye-opener is "Lydia", a recitation
accompanied by Price's own acoustic and Drew Erickson's moving string arrangement.
Switching between first and third person, the songwriter addresses the
struggles of everyday life, from addiction to abortion, the lyrics
incorporating snapshots from Price's own story alongside that of the titular
character: <i>Just make a decision, Lydia / Just make a decision</i>. Both
musically and poetically, "Lydia" is a stunner, especially when heard
in the wake of <i>Maybe We'll Make It</i>. Margo Price's journey is fraught with
struggle and setback, disrespect and abuse. She and Ivey lost a newborn child,
Price has faced imprisonment, battled substance abuse and more. <i>Strays</i> portrays
the artist as victor, rising to meet these challenges and to ensure her seat at
the table. </span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmBnDL061XlupyKOlkyPsvCnCp_DqEg4zNkKnz35yWYnQbmQPVMhUAPXgkMhO2rqRdT9ue3-jcJOtDhG9sEAUARqSXwEykJpyxwg3lEIQoOaTsgOgeAhr7IZ2RCLOSvhynbbL-irZorbF_hbd1f71b37lShmTa6U02UssUssxknEyUnogt5REhA/s425/Jason%20Isbell%20Weathervanes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="425" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmBnDL061XlupyKOlkyPsvCnCp_DqEg4zNkKnz35yWYnQbmQPVMhUAPXgkMhO2rqRdT9ue3-jcJOtDhG9sEAUARqSXwEykJpyxwg3lEIQoOaTsgOgeAhr7IZ2RCLOSvhynbbL-irZorbF_hbd1f71b37lShmTa6U02UssUssxknEyUnogt5REhA/w200-h200/Jason%20Isbell%20Weathervanes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>2. <b>Jason Isbell & 400 Unit</b>, <i>Weathervanes</i> (Southeastern, Jun 9)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Routes
& Branches worships at the altar of novelty, and we take our holy communion
in the sandbox of musical experimentation. But we also admire an artist like
Jason Isbell whose trajectory finds him deepening in his artistry as opposed to
expanding in new directions. Like a weathervane atop a farmhouse, Isbell's
songs speak to the prevailing winds of our country, the issues and concerns
that continue to buffet us. <i>I was raised to be a strong and silent
southern man</i>, he sings on <i>Weathervanes</i>. Jason Isbell would also seem to be
a man of strong conscience and integrity, perennially aware of his privilege
and his responsibility. The songs of conflict and division on his new album are
also songs of love, stories that speak to a concern about his family and our
communities.</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfJrAwPqYkgk6-efUw2HQi3eo9ZXAAP32ysjpbxQqEx7X7KcQ8Zctl1UhQUWG1tTUfqGmq0npu_EiJo5j0Rzy9vhxh5n4P5WEi1wOUoW-3ZWpdJPdwKuiBguM_UZEMwcPp3f-DX3vJLIqiAacjo2AyyVjQ3MKYVPTkTYk6pInRer6SOarznD4XQ/s700/Andrew%20Bryant%20Prodigal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfJrAwPqYkgk6-efUw2HQi3eo9ZXAAP32ysjpbxQqEx7X7KcQ8Zctl1UhQUWG1tTUfqGmq0npu_EiJo5j0Rzy9vhxh5n4P5WEi1wOUoW-3ZWpdJPdwKuiBguM_UZEMwcPp3f-DX3vJLIqiAacjo2AyyVjQ3MKYVPTkTYk6pInRer6SOarznD4XQ/w200-h200/Andrew%20Bryant%20Prodigal.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>3. <b>Andrew Bryant</b>, <i>Prodigal</i> (Sentimental Noises, Nov 3) </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Andrew
Bryant's apparent decision to loosen his grasp on the birth of </span><i>Prodigal</i> has vested the collection with life heretofore unheard
in his earlier catalogue. It is a phenomenal sounding record, with special
praise due Sexton, Steff and McCarley. The relative freedom that he achieves by
sharing his process of creation with Bruce Wagner and his once-in-a-lifetime
band has given Bryant room to expand into his still very personal muse, making
this new album the most natural, dare we say the most freewheeling of his
career. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbG7yCxPUjIRclknHyjkaXbvdpAlnvfs3BcR0ah4ki2mbuQ_b9XzXKQa2RZpgGE_A0ga-jTjcn13tcT_NzRt5wMDFOwOqK1GBPPg7dNk856iL4ZdWBJVMR58lKT709MUzcOj4-IwSqDDF-zDcl6J5xmVAKWRmN5Pq1TLnAIAb6PtVsAh8L3k3QpA/s1500/Jess%20Williamson%20Time%20Aint%20Accidental.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbG7yCxPUjIRclknHyjkaXbvdpAlnvfs3BcR0ah4ki2mbuQ_b9XzXKQa2RZpgGE_A0ga-jTjcn13tcT_NzRt5wMDFOwOqK1GBPPg7dNk856iL4ZdWBJVMR58lKT709MUzcOj4-IwSqDDF-zDcl6J5xmVAKWRmN5Pq1TLnAIAb6PtVsAh8L3k3QpA/w200-h200/Jess%20Williamson%20Time%20Aint%20Accidental.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />4. <b>Jess Williamson</b>, <i>Time Ain't Accidental</i> (Mexican Summer, Jun 9)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Jess
Williamson would testify that god dwells within this mess, between connection
and separation, between confidence and doubt, between Marfa and LA. While we
tend to praise the strength we recognize in self-control and change management, </span><i>Time
Ain't Accidental</i> would remind us that it's often in moment of letting go
that we're closest to the spirit. The albums closer, "Roads", reads
like a Psalm, almost like a piece from Van Morrison's long-lost <i>no
guru</i> period. Perhaps at her most vulnerable time, bolstered
by her experience with Plains, Jess Williamson demonstrates an impressive
ability to achieve a musical balance in the midst of all the seeming
instability, following her mercurial, elemental muse into a new territory and
succeeding beyond her expectations.</div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdcmYqelZ9T0zjFDlHLYPYfO-cUY4tJwnVK3Ebc0ML51MP1GPj1w8gl7sxQcSFZidFVH_XWeUI-nxJtF_mo3bupcjXFCd-fOSskmCyFIn6hVHBPa28hq2uZgTf5gRhaJcxW3nGF2-C6bkUGQZgf80bpQFcuIg_NTXd-6DWQjAEVOTaotgh-xQag/s1500/Jeffrey%20Martin%20Thank%20God.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdcmYqelZ9T0zjFDlHLYPYfO-cUY4tJwnVK3Ebc0ML51MP1GPj1w8gl7sxQcSFZidFVH_XWeUI-nxJtF_mo3bupcjXFCd-fOSskmCyFIn6hVHBPa28hq2uZgTf5gRhaJcxW3nGF2-C6bkUGQZgf80bpQFcuIg_NTXd-6DWQjAEVOTaotgh-xQag/w200-h200/Jeffrey%20Martin%20Thank%20God.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>5. <b>Jeffrey Martin</b>, <i>Thank God We Left the Garden</i> (Fluff & Gravy, Nov 3)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">I'll
start with the takeaway. You simply won't find a better lyrics sheet this year
than </span>Jeffrey Martin's <i>Thank God We Left the Garden</i> (Fluff & Gravy). Recorded on solo guitar to two
cheap microphones in an 8x10 shack in the artist’s Portland backyard,
these eleven songs show a conviction for the beauty and importance of words
carefully, meaningfully arrayed. I don’t hear the clicks of the heater, the
barking dogs or the trucks passing by, but I do hear the steady beating of
Jeffrey Martin’s heart.</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5xspCV2q5iWHmyOrUGwTiQIowgH680WpsFBtEGGyoQBaMmXZk7gB2Or6HrKDSVwRs18SPLEWeJ4iHiN-3N3GHcKOOB3OVLzFatgb5qSGDY2InCbGMo2nmerEb7Z2m3XuHweZvN35EBXJ3esjB6OtpdV14JPnFBgjCfzJn3m5TIAPbWrz18LKuA/s1200/Angie%20McMahon%20Light%20Dark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5xspCV2q5iWHmyOrUGwTiQIowgH680WpsFBtEGGyoQBaMmXZk7gB2Or6HrKDSVwRs18SPLEWeJ4iHiN-3N3GHcKOOB3OVLzFatgb5qSGDY2InCbGMo2nmerEb7Z2m3XuHweZvN35EBXJ3esjB6OtpdV14JPnFBgjCfzJn3m5TIAPbWrz18LKuA/w200-h200/Angie%20McMahon%20Light%20Dark.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />6. <b>Angie McMahon</b>, <i>Light Dark Light Again</i> (Gracie, Oct 27)</div><div>I<span face="Arial, sans-serif">n
her native Australia, </span><i>Light, Dark, Light Again</i> shares chart space with Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo,
and the Rolling Stones. It's been nominated for Album of the Year by the
country's J Awards, where she commands the stage in front of a sea of admirers.
Angie McMahon isn't exceptional for expressing her insecurities or for
transitioning herself stylistically in a larger, more extroverted fashion.
Where the songs of others might point back in on themselves (thinking Courtney
Barnett, Lydia Loveless) McMahon's work manages to lead forward and upwards on her
second album. The guitars and vocals that brought us to embrace <i>Salt</i> are still present, but here they are deployed with
increased confidence and purpose. She has mentioned, <i>I wanted to be
the War on Drugs</i>. It seems Angie McMahon has a chance to be that,
and more. <i>Just making it through is the lesson</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWErNG0hRA6YIg5OG1BwoJyy9y_eBWzHpRPxVmvKC7TV__s8ghx-GMS1mgjHwDCEDrNqeVslxOgHBwBVImyT8Y3oqW34nInK6VKW1oWPzJNFSRZ6Md0BJB7hTgVYmu8Lk0T-mpWITN0yAEwCIAHThMbA5DRT5j_cFF9nxLySRzx4EksB3Xnf9Aag/s1500/Lydia%20Loveless%20Nothings%20Gonna%20Stand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1448" data-original-width="1500" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWErNG0hRA6YIg5OG1BwoJyy9y_eBWzHpRPxVmvKC7TV__s8ghx-GMS1mgjHwDCEDrNqeVslxOgHBwBVImyT8Y3oqW34nInK6VKW1oWPzJNFSRZ6Md0BJB7hTgVYmu8Lk0T-mpWITN0yAEwCIAHThMbA5DRT5j_cFF9nxLySRzx4EksB3Xnf9Aag/w200-h193/Lydia%20Loveless%20Nothings%20Gonna%20Stand.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>7. <b>Lydia Loveless</b>, <i>Nothing's Gonna Stand In My Way Again</i> (Bloodshot, Sep 22)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">If
Lydia Loveless hadn't released </span><i>Indestructible Machine</i> very early in her career, she might never have been
considered in this roots-adjacent lane. <i>Nothing's Gonna Stand In My
Way Again</i> merits consideration alongside true peers like Courtney
Barnett or Jenny Lewis - you'll want to check out Loveless' one-off duet with
Jason Hawk Harris on Rilo Kiley's "Portions For Foxes". With its
rolling drums, melodic sensibility, and ooh-la-la backing vocals, "Do the Right Thing" is a pop
gem. Elsewhere on the spectrum, the piano and strings of "Summerlong"
are gorgeous, the ballad spotlighting Loveless' tremendous vocal gift. She
closes one of the year's most impressive albums with a reassurance: <i>These
tiny shoulders will grow wings / I'm flying higher than my sense / I've already
decided that I'll be alright ...</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOlMH2c2LxCMddHVOaxtjPe9FMwUxqhI6pynuVPljwTN2rAJvUYs3h2EEAUdHlOlUIeT1mSppxU1S8O8O5FmgXeVTMYMQ7RVbA71KPLIZxXVdOy8fXJ3t4D3PlixmqI7uFvzbRf2cOYoI6xksIAkg0RmcXLYVvIFKvRBP2hC-bSjM2hcbY0r2og/s1500/Low%20Cut%20Connie%20Art%20Dealers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEOlMH2c2LxCMddHVOaxtjPe9FMwUxqhI6pynuVPljwTN2rAJvUYs3h2EEAUdHlOlUIeT1mSppxU1S8O8O5FmgXeVTMYMQ7RVbA71KPLIZxXVdOy8fXJ3t4D3PlixmqI7uFvzbRf2cOYoI6xksIAkg0RmcXLYVvIFKvRBP2hC-bSjM2hcbY0r2og/w200-h200/Low%20Cut%20Connie%20Art%20Dealers.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>8. <b>Low Cut Connie</b>, <i>Art Dealers</i> (Contender, Sep 8)</div><div>Rock 'n roll is audacious. It's edgy. Rock is played with reckless abandon, often blended with sweat, blood and spit. That's frontman Adam Weiner's rep - commanding the stage from atop his piano, stripped to his underwear with his t-shirt hanging from his shoulders in shreds. Dedicated to urban poet Lou Reed, Low Cut Connie's new collection prowls the late night New Jersey streets, holding court from stages at the sort of parties that don't happen anymore: <i>The golden days are over / So I'm taking off my clothes again / Naked in America / With the women and the men</i>. What's sometimes lost in all the glam and glitter is the fact that Weiner has become a masterful songwriter, a possibly peerless documenter of that place where genders and genres blur and clash: <i>I need somebody to punch me in the face / And you're the only one who dares</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPffeQuLHziYJS79I04rYRrdDNAQZFQ0UaBeoeZNONPWOGCNUX7tpvWlKaZpwWLsHE20IV6V__erjQbQDFASzjoJQ0OrlvBC2n2kRkbeHItaP9zqkYonhm7dKg5PJog7PM1N5076eANtm1wbRN_UJPo7_5wSBMq2xqFWALYWyKyOczlYmGlJ3Hxg/s1200/Willy%20Tea%20Taylor%20Great%20Western%20Hangover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPffeQuLHziYJS79I04rYRrdDNAQZFQ0UaBeoeZNONPWOGCNUX7tpvWlKaZpwWLsHE20IV6V__erjQbQDFASzjoJQ0OrlvBC2n2kRkbeHItaP9zqkYonhm7dKg5PJog7PM1N5076eANtm1wbRN_UJPo7_5wSBMq2xqFWALYWyKyOczlYmGlJ3Hxg/w200-h200/Willy%20Tea%20Taylor%20Great%20Western%20Hangover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>9. <b>Willy Tea Taylor & the Fellership</b>, <i>Great Western Hangover</i> (Blackwing, Oct 27)</div><div>Fact is, we can do no better than the intro the <a href="https://boogixote.com/2023/03/08/boogixote-qa-willy-tea-taylor/" target="_blank">Boogiexote</a> blog provided to their own appreciation of Willy Tea Taylor: <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">He
speaks with the warm embrace of a bed of coals in a fire. He resembles the
warrior elf Gimli from </span>Lord of the Rings<i>, and laughs with
the same rambunctious brawn. His songs are as intimate as a late night
conversation with your best friend on a dark porch. His performances are
troubadour confessionals that can liquify a room into a puddle of cheap beers
and tears</i>. For this superb collection, Taylor adds muscle to his wise songs by partnering with folks like TK & the Holy Know-Nothings, Lewi Longmire, Jeffrey Martin, and Anna Tivel. </div><div><br /></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_l4EkiOxucR8sCq_PlrNijjXXXuk6OkTCf35tl7XZgy-QCI8Dl1JvUiiFMJKtS6ESzQQdhiXPiyEWDmQfmIDLG8NA83PVnji_A_QlgGLpyZMpdBQZUgfoXSA9nhPUTIhh6Hwo-_Jfrvu5iSCKFwy2xpmMAMPkR0lfT9_Je1lMIwCYftUzNsPriw/s1200/Lucero%20Shouldve%20Learned%20By%20Now.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_l4EkiOxucR8sCq_PlrNijjXXXuk6OkTCf35tl7XZgy-QCI8Dl1JvUiiFMJKtS6ESzQQdhiXPiyEWDmQfmIDLG8NA83PVnji_A_QlgGLpyZMpdBQZUgfoXSA9nhPUTIhh6Hwo-_Jfrvu5iSCKFwy2xpmMAMPkR0lfT9_Je1lMIwCYftUzNsPriw/w200-h200/Lucero%20Shouldve%20Learned%20By%20Now.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>10. <b>Lucero</b>, <i>Should've Learned By Now</i> (Liberty & Lament, Feb 24)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Truth
be told, every Lucero record lands reliably on our year-end favorites list. But
the band hasn't released a collection that has landed with such an immediate
appeal at least since 2012's <i>Women & Work</i>. Nichols notes that
these leftovers were deemed <i>too uptempo and capering for the
prior records' darker themes</i>, and as listeners we are the beneficiaries of all
that <i>capering</i>. <i>Should've Learned</i> shuts down with two especially
satisfying cuts. A tipsy singalong ballad, "Drunken Moon" showcases
some fine piano and organ from Steff, and another great lyric: <i>I'd buy the
moon a drink / But we both know it's time to move on</i>. "Time To Go
Home" features a refreshingly carefree musical touch, in addition to the
rare shot of accordion. The song will close Lucero concerts for years to
come: <i>I'm too broke to mend / Can't seem to win / From the pan to the
fucking fire</i>. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">It's
a cardinal law of rock 'n roll: Snotty-nosed punks just guessing their way
around their instruments may become mature and capable fuckups with
practice and time. I'll drink to that.</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div>11. <b>Abby Hamilton</b>, <i>#1 Zookeeper (of the San Diego Zoo)</i> (Blue Gown, Oct 13)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">At
heart, the songs of Abby Hamilton fill that purpose of music that encourages
and affirms, </span><i>music as best friend</i>. <i>I'm doin' alright</i>, she sings on "Fine", <i>Thanks for asking</i>. Fortunately, she's a best friend who is wise and who makes
superb country-pop. The pillowy-sweet ballad floats on a cloud of pedal steel,
set aloft on a subtle chorus of angelic backing vocals. Even when things go
bad, Abby Hamilton reminds us: <i>It ain't bad luck / It's just poor
stewardship of some damn good love</i>. <i>#1 Zookeeper (Of the San Diego Zoo)</i> isn't just fine advice, it establishes Hamilton as
among the year's most appealing new artists. </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div>12. <b>Roselit Bone</b>, <i>Ofrenda</i> (Get Loud, Aug 25)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">The
pieces with which Roselit Bone builds their sound are too often parroted by
lesser artists, leaving behind the real-lived flesh and blood that animates
Mexican music. While it's only one aspect of Charlotte McCaslin's arsenal, it's
essential to the band's aggressive approach. "Your Gun" is another
defining track, one that might've fit into an early Tarantino flick or an even
earlier spaghetti western. McCaslin's wild, remarkable vocal barks and
postures, while a brazen sax solo bounces between shadowed alley walls. </span><i>Ofrenda</i> showcases an act that holds nothing back, fully
committing to their sound. And Charlotte McCaslin is a vital force, meriting
mention as among the most dynamic frontpeople in our kind of music. </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div>13. <b>Brit Taylor</b>, <i>Kentucky Blue</i> (Cut a Shine, Feb 3)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Taylor
delivers her new tracks with attitude and confidence, especially on "Rich
Little Girls": </span><i>9-to-5 / Honey I wish / More like 24-7 / The
only days off that I'm gonna get / Are when I get to heaven</i>. "No Cowboys" is a Nashville diss number set to a
border conjunto arrangement replete with accordion, casting shade on <i>wannabes desperate
to be desperados</i>. As we rush headlong into 2023, there are few high-profile
americana releases that merit the praise of <i>Kentucky Blue</i>. Under the guidance of producers Ferguson and Simpson, Brit
Taylor has met and even surpassed the promise of her under-the-radar debut. </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div>14. <b>Ruston Kelly</b>, <i>The Weakness</i> (Rounder, Apr 7)</div><div>Kelly managed land one of the least likely <i>minor hits</i> onto the popular music radar with "Mending Song" from this excellent collection. Elsewhere, he manages to tickle some of the same spots as another unlikely roots music hero, Noah Kahan (albeit with more <i>edge</i> and angst). The songs of <i>The Weakness</i> are buffeted by the winds of addiction, emotional trauma, and the songwriter's divorce from Kacey Musgraves. After all that, you can't blame Kelly for summing it all up thusly: <i>It's been a long fucking winter / It's been a strange year</i>. In a year that's seen him release additional covers, remixes, and very worthy singles, Kelly seems to have taken full advantage of the catharsis: <i>I wish you only happiness and healing / And I hope that you're finding it out there ...</i></div><div><br /></div><div>15. <b>Bella White</b>, <i>Among Other Things</i> (Rounder, Apr 21)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">I'd
argue strongly that the artists who are most influential in our kind of music
aren't always americana artists. The direction of roots music is being set by
the music to which our artists listen - be it pop, or soul, or indie. Bella
White's studio band brings experience with artists as diverse as Weyes Blood,
Big Thief, and Father John Misty (not to mention Lonely Heartstring Band, Margo
Price, and Billy Strings). Alongside fellow roots artists of her
generation like Sierra Ferrell, Billy Strings or Molly Tuttle, White will play
a role in the directions in which our music evolves and changes, even as she
works from a rootedness in tradition. </span><i>Among Other Things</i> is an important statement in that unfolding.</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div>16. <b>Israel Nash</b>, <i>Ozarker</i> (Desert Folklore, Oct 20)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">While
listeners may identify certain of Petty's American heartland mythologies, or
may spot signs of Springsteen's </span><i>glory days</i>, you'll also hear the urgency of War on Drugs and
the soulful heart of Nathaniel Rateliff. <i>Ozarker</i> is more than the sum of its influences, however, and
Nash leads his cohort into hard-won sonic territory that he's carved out in the
years since his 2009 debut. In the end, Israel Nash simply sounds like Israel
Nash. </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div>17. <b>Jobi Riccio</b>, <i>Whiplash</i> (Yep Roc, Sep 8)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Much
of </span><i>Whiplash</i> alludes to Jobi Riccio's journey of identity, stepping
forward as a queer artist, pulling together bits of bluegrass, country, folk,
and indie music and making them her own. "Sweet" weds Mike Robinson's
pedal steel with the filigree of Riccio's vocal. A product of her <i>Lucinda
phase</i>, the song surrounds her with a satisfyingly full
country-rock setting: <i>All the guys I meet just lead to dead ends /
And all the girls I've wanted never had a clue / And probably don't bat for my
team even if they knew / I'm just not that sweet</i>. Channeling the spirits of old school country
songwriters, "For Me It's You" prompted Jason Isbell to tweet: <i>Check
that shit out, it's solid</i>. The beautifully simple country heartbreak tune
drips with sad strings, boasting Riccio's strongest delivery, as she concludes: <i>I'm
not who you're achin' for</i>. That juxtaposition between confidence and
vulnerability, the balance between youth and adulthood is at the heart of Jobi
Riccio's strong appeal. </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div>18. <b>Chris Stapleton</b>, <i>Higher</i> (Mercury, Nov 10)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Like
Bonnie Raitt, Stapleton’s work is remarkable in its consistent quality and
decency. Rather than struggle for new heights from album to album, he has
largely remained in the same pocket he established eight years ago. As a body
of work, Stapleton’s recordings with the Jompson Brothers, Steeldrivers, duets,
one-off singles, and solo records, he rivals only Jason Isbell in terms of
reliability. Another of </span><i>Higher</i>’s outstanding songs, “Mountains Of My Mind” is
notable as the sessions' only moment featuring solely the man and his acoustic
guitar. As such, it is striking in its vulnerability: <i>There’s an
empty table / And a well-worn wooden chair / Just waiting for me in the middle
of nowhere</i>. The country-soul of “Think I’m In Love With You”
or “Loving You On My Mind” will merit more repeated spins, but it’s in this
more subtle moment that the quiet brilliance of Chris Stapleton speaks most
clearly.</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div>19. <b>Jaime Wyatt</b>, <i>Feel Good</i> (New West, Nov 3)</div><div><br /></div><div>20. <b>Drayton Farley</b>, <i>Twenty On High</i> (Hargrove, Mar 3)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">These
sessions with Sadler require more of Farley as an artist who has to this point
simply accompanied himself on an acoustic guitar. Spurring him onto bigger
things, Sadler and his band reserve some of their best work for "Devil's
in NOLA". Like a Sturgill Simpson number with a rubberband bounce, it's a
rare road story-song that becomes a reflection on temptation and discipline.
It's also a prime showcase for the record's musicians. "Alabama Moon"
is a gorgeously simple piano and fiddle arrangement featuring a backing vocal
from Waxahatchee's Katie Crutchfield, reportedly recorded in the back of a
touring van. Even on the album's sole solo track, the closing "All My
Yesterdays Have Passed", Farley musters a genuinely beautiful and moving
vocal, and hazards a glint of anticipation: </span><i>There's a sun behind
this darkness / This darkness cannot last</i>. </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div>21. <b>Woods</b>, <i>Perennial</i> (Woodsist, Sep 15)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">With
its layer of production and experimentation, </span><i>Perennial </i>might not be the perfect entry point to the Woods
oeuvre - that might be 2016's <i>City Sun Eater</i> <i>in the River of Light</i> or 2020's excellent <i>Strange to Explain</i>. Woods were also recruited to serve alongside David Berman
on his final project as Purple Mountains. But even as Earl and Taveniere
stretch to explore the further reaches of their sound, <i>Perennial</i> remains another impressive musical gesture with some
gorgeously engaging moments. "Day Moving On" delivers some great
guitars and keys, while "Little Black Flowers" is a beehive of bright
sonic activity, inviting listeners to <i>Wrap your lips around the sun</i>. Like Calexico or Fleet Foxes, Woods is grounded even in
their most cosmic moments, familiar and accessible as a flower reaching from
the rich soil. </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div>22. <b>Will Johnson</b>, <i>No Ordinary Crown</i> (Keeled Scales, Sep 15)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">As
longtime appreciators of Will Johnson's integral body of work, our hope is that
his time on huge stages with Jason Isbell's 400 Unit will bring Johnson's music
to new ears. Even more interesting will be how his experience adds new shades
to his solo songs. Sonically, </span><i>No Ordinary Crown</i> covers a wider swath than any of Johnson's earlier
records, even as the songwriter remains dedicated to his own muse. Isbell's
accolade and appreciation remain relevant: <i>May you find what you
gave, all that hope / Somewhere down at the end of your rope</i>. </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div>23. <b>Sun June</b>, <i>Bad Dream Jaguar</i> (Run For Cover, Oct 20)</div><div><br /></div><div>24. <b>Charles Wesley Godwin</b>, <i>Family Ties</i> (Big Loud, Sep 22)</div><div><br /></div><div>25. <b>Gabe Lee</b>, <i>Drink the River</i> (Torrez, Jul 14)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">... the continued trajectory of Gabe Lee is the primary takeaway on </span><i>Drink
the River</i>. Where <i>Honky Tonk Hell</i> and <i>Hometown Kid</i> sought to inject power and purpose into his work with
heavier and more contemporary arrangements, it turns out the power was in Lee's
songwriting all along. On the soulful "Merigold", he pleads to god on
behalf of a friend with cancer: <i>Lord, if you can hear me / I swear
to leave you alone / Please pick up the phone, I want you to know / You can
take me when she goes</i>. Gabe Lee is risen. With <i>Drink the River</i>, he is arrived. </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div>26. <b>Jason Hawk Harris</b>, <i>Thin Places</i> (Bloodshot, Oct 6)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><i>I'll
take my glory with a little bit of shame</i>, Harris sings on "Roll". The chorus
swells with momentary gospel intensity, his voice reaching for its far edges.
On <i>Thin Places</i>, Jason Hawk Harris delivers these value
added moments on songs that simultaneously feed the need for
good music while exceeding expectations with meaning-filled lyrics and passages
that speak to the artist's impressive musical range. While Harris will surely
move onto new topics as his career progresses, challenging himself to explore
new avenues of expression, he demonstrates refreshing ability and ambition on
his first two records. There is great reward in diving deep with Harris,
joining him <i>skipping stones across the abyss</i>. </span></div></div><div><br /></div><div>27. <b>Esther Rose</b>, <i>Safe To Run</i> (New West, Apr 21)</div><div><br /></div><div>28. <b>Wednesday</b>, <i>Rat Saw God</i> (Dead Oceans, Apr 7)</div><div><br /></div><div>29. <b>Turnpike Troubadours</b>, <i>Cat In the Rain</i> (Bossier City, Aug 25)</div><div><br /></div><div>30. <b>Country Westerns</b>, <i>Forgive the City</i> (Fat Possum, Apr 28)</div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Earlier
this year, Brian Kotzur assembled a Spotify playlist called </span><i><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4TijZbpczACXypknnUkQaS?si=c7efd6fa570b4ed4" target="_blank"><span color="windowtext" face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Gimme Country</span></a>: Country Westerns DJ Set</i>. In his lineup the drummer included <i>alt</i>-leaning icons like Mekons, Gun Club, and the aforementioned
Silver Jews. But Kotzur also made room for americana sure things like Lucinda
Williams, Margo Price and the Sadies. It's as good a mixtape as you'll find, in
addition to triangulating where Country Westerns place their own star in the
great genre galaxy. Where their 2020 debut might've been a lark, <i>Forgive
the City </i>is a deliberate gesture, a statement of purpose and
identity. Got thirty minutes?</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div>--------------------------</div><div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>s, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months.</div></div><div><br /></div></div>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-28829622969013059522023-12-17T08:54:00.003-07:002023-12-17T09:26:53.105-07:00CHRiSTMAS CHRiSTMAS 2023<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9qOj6Qzr00gt3h2tNKCLcxzvL8GHgGEuodirhyphenhyphenVcpQB7QnIhWtPoWZWnH8HvicT8brBmu30nVdrcPD-Mub_CzSYnpmxMM9EgeiupcSj4n6Q4yCo8j-OMWmQpf8CDzSab3Ogqp8iSLuXI9xje3xc80eOh-rFziMk9JytSHOSkDUrq15LqcXpk0A/s750/Shane%20Macgowan.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9qOj6Qzr00gt3h2tNKCLcxzvL8GHgGEuodirhyphenhyphenVcpQB7QnIhWtPoWZWnH8HvicT8brBmu30nVdrcPD-Mub_CzSYnpmxMM9EgeiupcSj4n6Q4yCo8j-OMWmQpf8CDzSab3Ogqp8iSLuXI9xje3xc80eOh-rFziMk9JytSHOSkDUrq15LqcXpk0A/s320/Shane%20Macgowan.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div><span>Christmas 2023</span></div><div>Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of a tasteless amount of tinsel</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I agree. There can be a good deal of pressure on us to make a meaningful holiday. Economic, spiritual, familial, musical. As children, we're lucky if we have parents who carry this weight for us. As we age, it's all on our shoulders to hear the jingle bell, to embrace that silent night. Heck, for some of us the entire thing is just a burden against which we'd just as soon pull the blinds. </div><div><br /></div><div>So here at R&B HQ, we're starting with the big assumption that many of our readers will be grateful for this service that we've provided year-upon-year. We beat the holly bushes, scour the online blogs, and keep our ears peeled for a telltale jingle, gradually collecting thirty brand new holiday-adjacent songs for you to stream when it's what you need. And in the event it's not your bag, you have every right to just ignore it. </div><div><br /></div><div>The best of this year's holiday ROUTES-cast comes from Joshua Ray Walker, whose 2023 has been dedicated to celebrating iconic pop divas (in the process perhaps earning a diva badge of his own). Eels, purveyors of "Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas", return with another seasonal gift, wrapped in barbed wire. And Sophie Gault offers the first single from her 2024 follow-up to last year's superb <i>Delusions of Grandeur</i>. As is our habit, you'll find <i>trad</i> rubbing elbows with originals, irreverence sharing the space beside reverent observation, like we like. </div><div><br /></div><div>And yes, there are two takes of John Prine's perennial "Christmas in Prison", one of which features the eerily disembodied voice of the jolly man himself. </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, this season finds us in the wake of the passing of <b>Shane Macgowan</b>, the angelic auteur of "Fairytale of New York", without a doubt one of our most cherished holiday offerings. Glen Hansard and Lisa O'Neill delivered a genuinely heartfelt take at <a href="https://youtu.be/2PM3uCShlk4?si=2ZLN61V7FJDJMhQF" target="_blank">Macgowan's funeral</a>, but we hold as firm as ever in our opinion that any cover of the tune pales miserably aside the original. We'll close this Episode with a lyric from that revered hymn, lighting a candle against the dark. </div><div><br /></div><div><i><blockquote>I could have been someone / Well so could anyone / You took my dreams from me / When I first found you / I kept them with me babe / I put them with my own / Can't make it all alone / I've built my dreams around you</blockquote></i></div><div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, and we'll also pause to extend our heartfelt gratitude to those blogs living reliably to the right (my left) in our short list of links. R&B wouldn't be what it is if it weren't for the good work of these other blogging elves, hard-working purveyors of music who have widened my own artistic awareness from day-to-day and week-to-week. Please know that your good work (and your often excellent taste) is greatly appreciated by this one. </div><div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Next Episode: </b>Our Favorite Albums of 2023</div><div>Dec 31: Our Favorite Covers of 2023</div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">CHRiSTMAS CHRiSTMAS 2023</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div>- Ane Brun, "First Day of Christmas" <i>Rarities 2</i> (Balloon Ranger, 23)</div><div>- Hayes Carll & Melissa Carper, "Christmas In Prison" <i>single</i> (Carll/Carper, 23)</div><div>- Alela Diane & Hackles, "Santa's Gospel" <i>It's Always Christmas Somewhere</i> (Rusted Blue, 23)</div><div>- Brandy Clark, "My Favorite Christmas" <i>single</i> (Warner, 23)</div><div>- Van Plating, "In the Bleak Midwinter (ft Jack Barksdale)" <i>single</i> (Singular, 23)</div><div>- Tyler Halverson, "Christmas By Myself" <i>single</i> (Atlantic, 23)</div><div>- Joshua Ray Walker, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" <i>single</i> (JRW, 23)</div><div>- Grey DeLisle & Rosie Flores, "Don't Make Her Christmas Wish Come True" <i>single</i> (Hummin'bird, 23)</div><div>- Erin Enderlin, "Horse Named Christmas (ft Kimberly Kelly)" <i>single</i> (Black Crow, 23)</div><div>- Buddy Miller, "Christmas Memories" <i>Mercyland Christmas</i> (Mercyland, 23)</div><div>- Rhyan Sinclair, "Getting By (This Christmas)" <i>single</i> (Sinclair, 23)</div><div>- Sophie Gault, "Christmas In the Psych Ward" <i>Baltic Street Hotel</i> (Petaluma, Apr 12)</div><div>- Wynonna, "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" <i>single</i> (Anti, 23)</div><div>- Angela Perley, "North Star Bound" <i>single</i> (Perley, 23)</div><div>- Fred Eaglesmith & Tif Ginn, "Good Winter Time" <i>Christmas Card</i> (Sweetwater, 23)</div><div>- Karen Jonas, "Blue Christmas" <i>single</i> (Yellow Brick, 23)</div><div>- Josiah & the Bonnevilles, "Wintering" <i>single</i> (Josiah, 23)</div><div>- Little Mazarn, "Snowin' in Raton" <i>A Very Homie Holiday</i> (Resound, 23)</div><div>- Villagers & Lisa Hannigan, "Little Drummer Boy" <i>single</i> (Domino, 23)</div><div>- David Dondero, "Water Rabbit Christmas" <i>single</i> (Double D, 23)</div><div>- Fenne Lily, "Christmas Alone" <i>single</i> (Dead Oceans, 23)</div><div>- Silos, "It's a Little Late For Christmas" <i>single</i> (Sonic Pyramid, 23)</div><div>- Matthew Logan Vasquez, "Last Christmas" <i>single</i> (MLV, 23)</div><div>- Mal Blum, "Xmas Eve" <i>single</i> (Better Weather, 23)</div><div>- Eels, "Christmas Why You Gotta Do Me Like This" <i>Eels So Good: Essential Eels</i> (PIAS, 23)</div><div>- Jeb Loy Nichols, "Very Little Christmas (ft Clovis Phillips)" <i>single</i> (Jeb Loy's Yard, 23)</div><div>- Greyhounds, "Back Door Santa" <i>single</i> (Bud's, 23)</div><div>- Gary Louris, "Christmas In the City" <i>single</i> (SHAM, 23)</div><div>- Delines, "Christmas In Atlantis" <i>single</i> (El Cortez, 23)</div><div>- Bright Eyes, "Christmas In Prison (ft John Prine)" <i>single</i> (Oh Boy, 23)</div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>--------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/4Iarsrb0ELkG408SHRfiPm?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-38080947009141104502023-12-09T09:28:00.000-07:002023-12-09T09:28:04.888-07:00FAVORiTE SONGs of 2023<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQg2NcF98C-JS_8Cwe9bbKOB3rFu7ygunFE40XV5HbZ7alJ2YsHax0bJejdhJs0vVAZ5p5LhAvvl5GzN3iYmQLgvPb2t_Ayo1rHr343duA39O_9tt0wdDkpsV4LYetgfucbFOBqtJHh2qjqw_HUXnbXvaGmA3PgYlUCFPDRa1VqAcO3F4-vXHrbQ/s1795/Wednesday%202.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1795" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQg2NcF98C-JS_8Cwe9bbKOB3rFu7ygunFE40XV5HbZ7alJ2YsHax0bJejdhJs0vVAZ5p5LhAvvl5GzN3iYmQLgvPb2t_Ayo1rHr343duA39O_9tt0wdDkpsV4LYetgfucbFOBqtJHh2qjqw_HUXnbXvaGmA3PgYlUCFPDRa1VqAcO3F4-vXHrbQ/s320/Wednesday%202.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">December 10, 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of just enough snow</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This Episode's ROUTES-cast features our 30 favorite songs, arrayed from Number One to Number Thirty. A visit to our <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/routesandbranches?si=dcfcb8257cf24ab8" target="_blank">Spotify</a> playlist page will also earn you access to our favorite songs lists from the last few years, not to mention several of our vaunted weekly Routes-casts. Please follow R&B. You'll never again be without new music. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As in years past, our strictly scientific methodology here is to yank any song we really <i>really</i> like from week to week into a special folder. This year, that folder bulged to an absurd 250-plus songs (I really like songs). As the year approached its end, we pored over that comically long playlist, yanking songs some more, ordering them, and looking deep into our dark and troubled soul until we emerged with just thirty favorites. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We'll unveil our favorite albums list on or about Christmas Eve this year. An assortment of the records represented below will appear on that list, and others will not. As always, there's an honest divergence between our songs, our albums, and last week's State of the Genre selections. While the stylistic range of our lists is wide and unkempt, we do draw some lines and exercise just a bit of discipline. We could assemble a completely different list of non-roots favorites too (from an alternate universe where Troye Sivan, Youth Lagoon, and Lankum run free). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For today, please enjoy what follows. Share your own favorites via the comments below, or email them to routesandbranches@gmail.com to avoid any public humiliation. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>Next Episode: </b>Christmas Christmas (Dec 17)</div><div>Dec 24: Our Favorite Albums of 2023</div><div>Dec 31: Our Favorite Covers of 2023</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">FAVORiTE SONGs of 2023</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Wednesday, "Chosen To Deserve" <i>Rat Saw God</i> (Dead Oceans, Apr 7)</li><li>Roselit Bone, "Ofrenda" <i>Ofrenda</i> (Get Loud, Aug 25)</li><li>Allison Russell, "Stay Right Here" <i>The Returner</i> (Fantasy, Sep 8)</li><li>Lydia Loveless, "Sex and Money" <i>Nothing's Gonna Stand In My Way Again</i> (Bloodshot, Sep 22)</li><li>Chris Stapleton, "White Horse" <i>Higher</i> (Mercury, Nov 10)</li><li>Lori McKenna, "Killing Me (ft Hillary Lindsey)" <i>1988 </i> (CN, Jul 21)</li><li>Maren Morris, "Get the Hell Out Of Here" <i>single</i> (Columbia, Sep 15)</li><li>Low Cut Connie, "Take Me To the Place" <i>Art Dealers</i> (Contender, Sep 8)</li><li>Margo Price, "Landfill" <i>Strays</i> (Loma Vista, Jan 13)</li><li>Brit Taylor, "For a Night" <i>Kentucky Blue</i> (Cut A Shine, Feb 3)</li><li>Jobi Riccio, "Sweet" <i>Whiplash</i> (Yep Roc, Sep 8)</li><li>Jess Williamson, "Tobacco Two Step" <i>Time Ain't Accidental</i> (Mexican Summer, Jun 9)</li><li>Jeffrey Martin, "Red Station Wagon" <i>Thank God We Left the Garden</i> (Fluff & Gravy, Nov 3)</li><li>Florry, "Drunk and High" <i>Holey Bible</i> (Dear Life, Aug 4)</li><li>Kara Jackson, "Pawnshop" <i>Why Does the Earth Give Us People To Love</i> (September, Apr 14)</li><li>Pearla, "Strong" <i>Oh Glistening Onion the Nighttime Is Coming</i> (Spacebomb, Feb 10)</li><li>Country Westerns, "Speaking Ill Of the Blues" <i>Forgive the City</i> (Fat Possum, Apr 28)</li><li>Colter Wall, "Corralling the Blues" <i>Little Songs</i> (La Honda, Jul 14)</li><li>Geese, "Gravity Blues" <i>3D Country</i> (Partisan, Jun 23)</li><li>Beirut, "Hadsel" <i>Hadsel</i> (Pompeii, Nov 10)</li><li>Sarah Jarosz, "Jealous Moon" <i>Polaroid Lovers</i> (Rounder, Jan 26)</li><li>Becca Mancari, "Over and Over" <i>Left Hand</i> (Captured Tracks, Aug 25)</li><li>Durand Jones, "Lord Have Mercy" <i>Wait Til I Get Over</i> (Dead Oceans, May 5)</li><li>Drayton Farley, "Norfolk Blues" <i>Twenty On High</i> (Hargrove, Mar 3)</li><li>Matthew Logan Vasquez, "Untouchable" <i>As All Get Out</i> (Nine Mile, Apr 7)</li><li>Ruston Kelly, "Mending Song" <i>The Weakness</i> (Rounder, Apr 7)</li><li>Andrew Bryant, "Trampoline" <i>Prodigal</i> (Sentimental Noises, Nov 3)</li><li>Angie McMahon, "Letting Go" <i>Light Dark Light Again</i> (AWAL, Oct 27)</li><li>Morgan Wade, "Losers Like Me" <i>Psychopath</i> (Sony, Aug 25)</li><li>Israel Nash, "Ozarker" <i>Ozarker</i> (Desert Folklore, Oct 20)</li></ol></div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>--------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/1NUB0KGfzju7i615hsxlee?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-91673176109567904482023-12-03T18:47:00.002-07:002023-12-03T19:02:13.945-07:00STATE of the GENRE 2023<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQCVc368VSfC4Agv086edTclUq3L3LTnvzKNEPoRUjAEBOGOMJO_uU1WE5s3CksASOLOr33rHPUHxba2unklOJmNN304elj8xNpk3EJWT33boddu4Iv6ipzEnHyFpxf1URDn_KLkBf6QkB3Owx7eoODmWQVAFiqkkgTAT4F9-PVexYoPcvtB1bQ/s1200/Broken%20Pocket%20Watch.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQCVc368VSfC4Agv086edTclUq3L3LTnvzKNEPoRUjAEBOGOMJO_uU1WE5s3CksASOLOr33rHPUHxba2unklOJmNN304elj8xNpk3EJWT33boddu4Iv6ipzEnHyFpxf1URDn_KLkBf6QkB3Owx7eoODmWQVAFiqkkgTAT4F9-PVexYoPcvtB1bQ/s320/Broken%20Pocket%20Watch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div>December 3, 2023</div><div>Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm rooting for the americana genre. I'm hoping the artists, the labels, reps, the listeners will appreciate that the only way forward in this genre that's largely defined by the past is to loosen those ties and embrace what the future holds. There's a lot of good being done in our kind of music, which is why I enjoy assembling this State of the Genre list at the close of each year. </div><div><br /></div><div>These aren't necessarily the best of the genre, or even our own personal favorites. For this list, we pull together the artists that are leading the americana charge, folks whose artistry <i>defines</i> what the genre sounds like today, and those who might be tugging the notoriously stubborn genre in new directions. Some of these records are ensuring a <i>wider</i> reach, a more inclusive identity to a categorization that has too often been homogeneous. Sometimes this means addressing societal issues, pushing back against the status quo, ensuring that the kernel of rabble-rousing that once gave roots music its edge still has a voice. </div><div><br /></div><div>Not all of the albums below are even snugly classified as americana. Some hail from the indie or alternative genre, where acts like Wednesday and Ratboys add pedal steel and the suggestion of twang to their grungy mix. boygenius, Waxahatchee, Jess Williamson and singer-songwriters from the indie folk ilk are drawing the attention of more nonpartisan listeners, critics, and bloggers. And the slow leak of soul into our kind of music continues with Allison Russell, Kara Jackson and others. In a similar fashion, you'll find Charles Wesley Rogers, Taylor Childers, and Zach Bryan influencing more mainstream country listeners to widen their own genre lines. This diversity happens not just sonically, but culturally. Sexually, racially, socially, politically. Whether it's the intention of these acts or not, these forces are altering how many of us regard americana, and the push, the pull, and the dialog are all very welcome. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the weeks to come here at R&B HQ, we'll be celebrating our own favorite songs and albums of 2023, several of which might (or might not) appear below. But this is a good place to start in surveying the twelve months passed. This Episode officially marks the launch of our monthlong celebration of what has mattered to us in 2023. We'll lay these out in order of appearance. <br /><div><br /></div><div><b>STATE of the GENRE 2023</b></div><div><i>listed in order of appearance</i></div></div><div><br /></div><div>- Margo Price, <i>Strays</i> and <i>Strays II</i> (Loma Vista, Jan 13 and Oct 13)</div><div>- Sunny War, <i>Anarchist Gospel</i> (New West, Feb 3)</div><div>- Brit Taylor, <i>Kentucky Blue</i> (Cut a Shine, Feb 3)</div><div>- War & Treaty, <i>Lover's Game</i> (Mercury, Mar 10)</div><div>- boygenius, <i>the record</i> and <i>the rest ep</i> (Interscope, Mar 31 and Oct 13)</div><div>- Wednesday, <i>Rat Saw God</i> (Dead Oceans, Apr 7)</div><div>- Kara Jackson, <i>Why Does the Earth Give Us People To Love</i> (September, Apr 14)</div><div>- Esther Rose, <i>Safe To Run</i> (New West, Apr 21)</div><div>- Bella White, <i>Among Other Things</i> (Rounder, Apr 21)</div><div>- Joy Oladokun, <i>Proof of Life</i> (Amigo, Apr 28)</div><div>- Jason Isbell & 400 Unit, <i>Weathervane</i> (Southeastern, Jun 9)</div><div>- Jess Williamson, <i>Time Ain't Accidental</i> (Mexican Summer, Jun 9)</div><div>- Tommy Prine, <i>This Far South</i> (Nameless Knight, Jun 23)</div><div>- Joanna Sternberg, <i>I've Got Me</i> (Fat Possum, Jun 30)</div><div>- Gabe Lee, <i>Drink the River</i> (Torrez, Jul 14)</div><div>- Colter Wall, <i>Little Songs</i> (Black Hole, Jul 14)</div><div>- Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, <i>City of Gold</i> (Nonesuch, Jul 21)</div><div>- Turnpike Troubadours, <i>Cat In the Rain</i> (Bossier City, Aug 25)</div><div>- Zach Bryan, <i>Zach Bryan</i> and <i>Boys of Faith EP</i> (Belting Bronco, Aug 25 and Sep 22)</div><div>- Allison Russell, <i>The Returner</i> (Fantasy, Sep 8)</div><div>- Tyler Childers, <i>Rustin' In the Rain</i> (Hickman Holler, Sep 8)</div><div>- Margo Cilker,<i> Valley of Heart's Delight</i> (Fluff & Gravy, Sep 15)</div><div>- Charles Wesley Godwin, <i>Family Ties</i> (Big Loud, Sep 22)</div><div>- John R Miller, <i>Heat Comes Down</i> (Rounder, Oct 6)</div><div>- Abby Hamilton, <i>#1 Zookeeper (of the San Diego Zoo)</i> (Blue Gown, Oct 13)</div><div>- Flatland Cavalry, <i>Wandering Star</i> (Interscope, Oct 27)</div><div>- Jaime Wyatt, <i>Feel Good</i> (New West, Nov 3)</div><div>- Jeffrey Martin, <i>Thank God We Left the Garden</i> (Fluff & Gravy, Nov 3)</div><div>- Chris Stapleton, <i>Higher</i> (Mercury, Nov 10)</div><div>- Daniel Donato, <i>Reflector</i> (Retrace, Nov 10)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Next Episode: Our Favorite Songs of 2023</b></div><div>Dec 17: Christmas Christmas</div><div>Dec 24: Our Favorite Albums of 2023</div><div>Dec 31: Our Favorite Covers of 2023</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>ROUTES-<i>cast</i> December 3, 2023</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>- Ruston Kelly, "Belly Of the Beast" <i>single</i> (Rounder, 23) D</div><div>- Wyatt Flores, "Orange Bottles" <i>Life Lessons EP</i> (Island, 23)</div><div>- Ashley Monroe, "Over Everything" <i>single</i> (Monroe, 23) D</div><div>- Cody Jinks, "Sober Thing" <i>Change the Game</i> (Late August, Mar 22) D</div><div>- Corb Lund, "Out On a Win" <i>El Viejo</i> (New West, Feb 23)</div><div>- Mike & the Moonpies, "Three Marlenas" <i>single</i> (Prairie Rose, 23)</div><div>- Charles Wesley Godwin, "Winter's Come and Gone" <i>Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes</i> (Geffen, 23)</div><div>- Zach Russell, "Playing House" <i>Where the Flowers Meet the Dew</i> (Carlboro, 23)</div><div>- Cactus Lee, "Big Rattler" <i>Big Red</i> (709 Recording, 23) D</div><div>- John Vincent III, "That's Just the Way It Is Babe" <i>Songs For the Canyon</i> (Concord, 23)</div><div>- Low Water Bridge Band, "Clarke County Clay" <i>Back To the Valley</i> (Low Water, 23) D</div><div>- Chatham County Line, "Magic" <i>Hiyo</i> (Yep Roc, Jan 26)</div><div>- Jon Dee Graham, "Goin' Back To Sweden" <i>Only Dead For a Little While</i> (Strolling Bones, 23)</div><div>- Mol Sullivan, "Eggshells" <i>Goose</i> (Sullivan, Jan 26)</div><div>- Addy, "Hudson" <i>Temperance</i> (addy-4addy, 23) D</div><div>- Johanna Warren, "Lunar Landing" <i>Rockfield Sessions Vol 1</i> (Warren, 23)</div><div>- Matthew 'Doc' Dunn, "Camerawoman" <i>Fantastic Light</i> (Cosmic Range, 23)</div><div>- Matthew Logan Vasquez, "Parade - Frank's Full Moon Saloon" <i>Frank's Full Moon Saloon</i> (Vasquez, Feb 16) D</div><div>- Frontier Ruckus, "On the Northline" <i>On the Northline</i> (Loose, Feb 16) D</div><div>- Futurebirds, "Rodeo (live)" <i>Thanks Y'All (Live)</i> (No Coincidence, 23) D</div><div>- Mama Zu, "Lip" <i>Quilt Floor</i> (Cosmic Twin, Feb 23) D</div><div>- Cody Dickinson, "All Night Long" <i>single</i> (Petaluma, 23) D</div><div>- JJ Grey & Mofro, "Rooster" <i>Olustee</i> (Alligator, Feb 23)</div><div>- Swamp Dogg, "Kneeling Drunkard's Plea" <i>Light In the Attic & Friends</i> (Light In the Attic, 23)</div><div>- Cut Worms, "Cigarette Burns Forever" <i>Moping In Style: Tribute To Adam Green</i> (Capitane, 23) D</div><div>- Jenny Lewis, "Puppy and a Truck (Live From Eastside Bowl)" <i>single</i> (Blue Note, 23) D</div><div>- Grandaddy, "Cabin In My Mind" <i>Blu Wav</i> (Dangerbird, Feb 16) </div><div>- Langkamer, "Jenny" <i>single</i> (Breakfast, 23) D</div><div>- Ma'aM, "Filthy Hound" <i>Rules 2 Ramblin' </i> (Ma'aM, 23) D</div><div>- Delines, "San Leandro Lament" <i>single</i> (El Cortez, 23) D</div><div><br /></div><div><div>--------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/5Mdtf5t3e6nNe2neBVFy9A?utm_source=generator&theme=0" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-77541053483452066582023-11-26T19:24:00.001-07:002023-11-27T07:21:10.063-07:00LET'S GO DANCiNG: SAiD the FiREFLY TO the HURRiCANE<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtvugUNI8gchQv9rLeZLjjHjfBRfWPDoU67zOyk9iJkj46fDYhS4LdLk615uvXg9AAT683akqxTR39AxZVwC14NQ4bVt1rgu35-pBBw89oi64IyFPwX2_luxXfI-51cyxL5dyvhdT5BjWC9PrgQi0W6xsmqw2f6og3xW5ppV0Y9_OgvofxBVM3Q/s1358/Kevn%20Kinney.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1358" data-original-width="1358" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtvugUNI8gchQv9rLeZLjjHjfBRfWPDoU67zOyk9iJkj46fDYhS4LdLk615uvXg9AAT683akqxTR39AxZVwC14NQ4bVt1rgu35-pBBw89oi64IyFPwX2_luxXfI-51cyxL5dyvhdT5BjWC9PrgQi0W6xsmqw2f6og3xW5ppV0Y9_OgvofxBVM3Q/s320/Kevn%20Kinney.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">November 26, 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In a few weeks, we'll be celebrating our favorite cover songs of the year. For that Episode, we'll also be holding court on what makes for an effective cover. Cat Power's recent live, album-length tribute to Bob Dylan, for instance, deserves recognition, though it may not be on our list, since Bob Dylan genuinely doesn't need more artists playing his songs. In short, a great cover surprises us. Perhaps it crosses genres, or draws our attention to an artist with whom our familiarity is tentative. No spoilers here, but <b>Kevn Kinney</b> might be such an artist. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Kinney is not an unknown, though few probably appreciate the extensive nature of his work. This will hopefully change with the ongoing release of the songs that make up <i>Let's Go Dancing: A Celebration of Kevn Kinney</i> (Tasty Goody). Begun by Kinney's wife Anna Jensen (who also provides the artwork for each of the singles), the compilation was intended to be a 60th birthday gift, reaching out to friends and fans in hopes of having them contribute a cover from the songwriter's rich catalog. Per Jensen, the results will be shared over the next several months, resulting in one-hundred songs over the space of four records. The first of those is now available via <a href="https://www.tastygoodyrecords.com/music" target="_blank">Tasty Goody Records</a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Let's Go Dancing: Said the Firefly To the Hurricane</i> boasts an absurd wealth of talent, playing a rich assortment of Kevn Kinney's work, from Drivin' N' Cryin' thru solo work and collaborations with the Golden Palominos, his Sun Tangled Angel Revival supergroup, and others. On this first volume, you'll find Jason Isbell's tear through DNC's "Look What You've Done To Your Brother" from 1990's <i>Fly Me Courageous</i> record, featuring more electric guitar than we've heard since Isbell's early days with Drive-by Truckers. Patterson Hood is joined by Peter Buck's mandolin on the outstanding "Let's Go Dancing", originally on that same DNC release: <i>So what do you know about revolution / When all you've taught is patience / And waiting, and making a statement</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That 2012 excellent Golden Palominos collab, <i>A Good Country Mile</i>, included contributions from Aaron Lee Tasjan, Eleanor Whitmore, and Anton Fier on one of his final sessions. Those tracks are represented here by a wonderfully grimy take on "Gotta Move On" from former Milwaukee accomplices Gordon Gano and Boy Dirt Car - Kinney's first Atlanta performance was in support of Gano's Violent Femmes; he's called this his "Violent Femmes ripoff". The legendary Alejandro Escovedo reaches back to Drivin' N' Cryin's 1986 debut for "Another Scarlet Butterfly", a tune Kinney revisited on last year's overlooked <i>Think About It</i>. Kinney has acknowledged the strong influence of the Athens scene of that time on his music, a debt that's represented by the inclusion of Vanessa Briscoe Hay's reborn Pylon on the early, edgy "Count the Flowers". </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Kevn Kinney has issued nine solo albums, the first of which was 1990's <i>MacDougal Blues</i>, which took his band's Southern rock in an urban folk direction a'la Chuck Prophet or Peter Case. Shovels & Rope cover that record's "Gotta Get Out of Here", with wailing harmonica and untethered guitar squeal: <i>Everyday I get up / I walk down the same street / I stand on the same bus stop / And I catch the same bus downtown / I sit in the same seat / With the same lady with a gallon of Walgreens perfume on ...</i> The ageless Wreckless Eric turns that collection's acoustic "House Above Tina's Grocery" into a shambling, feedback-laden punk ode. Elsewhere on <i>Said the Firefly</i>, the voice of the long-lost Shelly Colvin echoes across "Save For Me", a reverb-heavy country ballad from Kinney's lesser-known 1994 <i>Down Out Law</i>. Singles have already been released from future collections, including tributes from Mike Farris, Scott McCaughey, Great Peacock and more. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Of course, the ideal response to a collection like this is to drive listeners back to Kevn Kinney's original stuff, most of which is available here and there. At heart, especially with his band, Kinney managed to span the chasm between Southern rock and the Mtv crowd, at a time when it was possible to catch acts like Georgia Satellites, Black Crowes, and Cracker, not to mention REM's unlikely ascendancy. At R&B HQ, we'll continue to share from this ongoing tribute series as new songs are released (and you can keep tabs at <a href="https://annajensenart.com/home.html" target="_blank">Anna Jensen</a>'s website). At Kinney's request, proceeds are being directed to a handful of worthy charities. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Next Episode: The Year in Americana </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- Beirut, "January 18th" <i>Hadsel</i> (Pompeii, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- String Machine, "I See You the Same" <i>Turn Off Anything On Again EP</i> (String Machine, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Iron & Wine, "Woman King (live)" <i>Who Can See Forever Soundtrack</i> (Sub Pop, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Bonnie Prince Billy, "Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You" <i>single</i> (Drag City, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Johanna Warren, "Black Moss" <i>Rockfield Sessions Vol 1</i> (Warren, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- John Craigie, "Absolutely Sweet Marie (ft TK & Holy Know-Nothings)" <i>single</i> (Craigie, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- John Moreland, "You Don't Care For Me Enough To Cry (live)" <i>Live At Third Man Records</i> (Third Man, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Mol Sullivan, "Still Tryin'" <i>Goose</i> (Sullivan, Jan 26) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Haley Heynderickx, "How Does the Horse Go Home (ft Max Garcia Conover)" <i>Among Horses III (Fifth Anniversary Edition)</i> (Son Canciones, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Willy Tea Taylor & Fellership, "Fightin' Man" <i>Great Western Hangover</i> (Blackwing, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Matthew "Doc" Dunn, "Under Thumb" <i>Fantastic Light</i> (Cosmic Range, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Elliott BROOD, "Stars Align" <i>Town</i> (Six Shooter, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Dori Freeman, "Good Enough" <i>Do You Recall</i> (Blue Hens, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Bruce Robison, "Never Say Never" <i>In the Woods</i> (Next Waltz, Feb 9)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Wilder Blue, "Ogallala Rail" <i>Super Natural</i> (Hill Country, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Victoria Liedtke & Jason Ringenberg, "Life Rides the Train" <i>More Than Words Can Tell</i> (Judee Bop, Mar 22) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Wesley Dean, "Burn This House" <i>Music From Crazy Hearts</i> (Hall of Flames, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Wyatt Flores, "Life Lessons" <i>Life Lessons EP</i> (Island, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Will Quinlan, "Radio Life" <i>single</i> (Ironweed, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- John Vincent III, "Lincoln, NB" <i>Songs For the Canyon</i> (Concord, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Mike & the Moonpies, "Redbird" <i>single</i> (Prairie Rose, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Flatland Cavalry, "Wool" <i>Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes</i> (Geffen, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Vincent Neil Emerson, "Hang Your Head Down Low" <i>Golden Crystal Kingdom</i> (La Honda, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Blitzen Trapper, "Millions of Billions" <i>single</i> (Yep Roc, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- MJ Lenderman, "Dan Marino (live)" <i>And the Windn (Live and Loose!)</i> (Anti, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Daniel Donato, "Halfway (In Between)" <i>Reflector</i> (Retrace, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band, "I'll Slip Away" <i>Light In the Attic & Friends</i> (Light In the Attic, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Daniel Bachman, "Leaves Lying On Each Side" <i>When the Roses Come Again</i> (Three Lobed, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">^ Great Lake Swimmers, "Peacemaker" <i>Let's Go Dancing: Celebration of the Music of Kevn Kinney</i> (Tasty Goody, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Violent Femmes, "Please Do Not Go (demo)" <i>Violent Femmes (Deluxe Edition)</i> (Craft, Dec 1)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>--------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/5LpMiEsa5IKqN8ry8EDhnq?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-50399080887144354672023-11-19T16:51:00.003-07:002023-11-20T10:22:05.664-07:00CHRiS STAPLETON - HiGHER<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDj_F9KWkBm5zz3SETT6ZUVoRyw6oKlNovM8mhWsWDmBTP_deEoWtFGpVqyGk0ri6iM5bezHBATSIMfm6fuI5dxSnjbbJCVITL5-WsesnSP-2znT2BUp1rEvVXSWjh0BMku8RWp0ZGT1g7zq172BBb934Ti33pqZy_6aoob9jih1K4RncNCaQnYw/s2048/Chris%20Stapleton%20by%20Andy%20Barron.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDj_F9KWkBm5zz3SETT6ZUVoRyw6oKlNovM8mhWsWDmBTP_deEoWtFGpVqyGk0ri6iM5bezHBATSIMfm6fuI5dxSnjbbJCVITL5-WsesnSP-2znT2BUp1rEvVXSWjh0BMku8RWp0ZGT1g7zq172BBb934Ti33pqZy_6aoob9jih1K4RncNCaQnYw/s320/Chris%20Stapleton%20by%20Andy%20Barron.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">November 19, 2023</div><div style="text-align: center;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">Has it really only been eight years since <b>Chris Stapleton</b>
unleashed <i>Traveller</i>? In retrospect, the record paved the way for the artists
who have mounted a campaign vs mainstream “bro country”. Even as he continues
to collect awards and accolades, becoming a ubiquitous and recognizable face in
popular music, Stapleton seems to work from an admirable pool of humility and
good taste. No one project has eclipsed the impact of that first solo venture,
though everything he’s released has been as good as we’ve gotten from a
country-affiliated artist. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">His fifth full-length, <i>Higher</i>, is more satisfying than
trailblazing, less a bar-raiser than a reminder of the consistent quality of
Stapleton’s artistry. A generous 14 tracks, the collection addresses love in
many of its earthly expressions, from moments of weakness to abiding gratitude,
from commitment to good old lust. Cowritten with Miranda Lambert, “What Am I
Gonna Do” finds the narrator dreading a life without the person they’ve come to
cherish, even as they recognize that the relationship may be in the rear view
mirror. The mid-tempo country number bears the soulful stamp we’ve come to
expect from the genre’s strongest vocalist, solidly backed by his wife Morgane’s
own lovely delivery: <i>Been drinking everything on that shelf / Feels like I’m
killing myself / You’re gone and it hurts like hell / Wishing I was anybody
else</i>. A classic ode to relationship, the ballad “It Takes a Woman” is a simple
and unhurried gem, destined for repeated playing at weddings and anniversaries:
<i>Whenever I’m broken / Honey you heal me / When I’m in the dark / You are the
light</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Co-produced by the Stapletons with the reliable David Cobb,
<i>Higher</i> betrays few if any missteps in its thoughtfully reliable arrangement. Their
projects have always been less about purity than about a melting pot of roots-related
genres. “South Dakota” is a darker blues-rock with a spidery guitar line a’la
Tony Joe White. The state’s tourism board would be wise to avoid the song for
any future publicity campaign: <i>Nights are long as the day is cold / Staying
alive is getting old</i>. Grittier tracks stand out on an LP that skews decidedly
towards mid-tempo and ballads. At the album’s halfway point, the phenomenal “White
Horse” serves as a disrupter, going all-in on arena-ready electric guitars and
throat-shredding vocals, checking boxes for cliches and familiar tropes even as
it stands among the year’s best singles: <i>If you want a cowboy on a white horse
/ Riding off into the sunset / If that’s the kind of love you wanna wait for /
Hold on tight girl, I ain’t there yet</i>. Blessed by Paul Franklin’s pedal steel, “Crosswind”
is a textbook trucking-as-life number that grants Stapleton’s band a bit of
room to stretch and loosen.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Just three of <i>Higher</i>’s songs feature Chris Stapleton as sole
writer. Many of the record’s co-writes credit a handful of contributors, though
there is a directness and simplicity to most of the collection, hardly seeming
like the work of several hands. While certain songs deliver more clever or poetic
turns of phrase, Stapleton is more an exceptional singer than an outstanding
lyricist. The steady percolating “The Fire” asks: <i>I hear your name / Through
the wind and rain / Why can’t you see / The fire inside me</i>. The title cut
praises another as: <i>the sunrise that turns my night into day</i>. But even these
songs bear the singer’s unmatched vocal ability. While he’s best known for his
shredding delivery on songs like “Cold” or “Tennessee Whiskey”, Stapleton
ventures into a lovely, breathy upper register on that title track. The songs
would be less remarkable if delivered by a lesser singer. Chris Stapleton is ultimately
what makes them memorable.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Like Bonnie Raitt, Stapleton’s work is remarkable in its
consistent quality and decency. Rather than struggle for new heights from album to album,
he has largely remained in the same pocket he established eight years ago. As a
body of work, Stapleton’s recordings with the Jompson Brothers, Steeldrivers, duets,
one-off singles, and solo records, he rivals only Jason Isbell in terms of reliability.
Another of <i>Higher</i>’s outstanding songs, “Mountains Of My Mind” is notable as the sessions' only moment featuring solely the man and his acoustic guitar. As such, it is
striking in its vulnerability: <i>There’s an empty table / And a well-worn wooden
chair / Just waiting for me in the middle of nowhere</i>. The country-soul of “Think
I’m In Love With You” or “Loving You On My Mind” will merit more repeated
spins, but it’s in this more subtle moment that the quiet brilliance of Chris
Stapleton speaks most clearly.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- Madi Diaz, "Don't Do Me Good (ft Kacey Musgraves)" <i>Weird Faith</i> (Anti, Feb 9)</div></div><div>- Iron & Wine, "Trapeze Swinger (live)" <i>Who Can See Forever Soundtrack</i> (Sub Pop, 23)</div><div>- Staves, "All Now" <i>All Now</i> (Nonesuch, Mar 22) D</div><div>- Cat Power, "I Don't Believe You (live)" <i>Sings Dylan: 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert</i> (Domino, 23)</div><div>- Heavy Diamond Ring, "I Don't Wanna Know" <i>All Out of Angels</i> (Cowboy Cowabunga, 23)</div><div>- Katie Pruitt, "Blood Related" <i>single</i> (Rounder, 23) D</div><div>- John Craigie, "When I'm Down (ft TK & Holy Know-Nothings)" <i>single</i> (Craigie, 23) D</div><div>- Dori Freeman, "Why Do I Do This To Myself" <i>Do You Recall</i> (Blue Hens, 23)</div><div>- Bruce Robison, "Down On the E" <i>In the Woods</i> (Next Waltz, Feb 9) D</div><div>- Willi Carlisle, "When the Pills Wear Off" <i>Critterland</i> (Signature Sounds, Jan 26)</div><div>- Bella White, "Burn Me Once" <i>Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes</i> (Geffen, 23) D</div><div>- Wilder Blue, "Seven Bridges Road (ft Luke Combs)" <i>Super Natural</i> (Hill Country, Nov 21)</div><div>- Sam Outlaw, "Do You Really Love Me" <i>single</i> (Black Hills, 23) D</div><div>- Ashley Monroe, "Over Everything" <i>single</i> (Monroe, 23) D</div><div>- Wyatt Flores, "3/13" <i>Life Lessons EP</i> (Island, 23) D</div><div>- Cale Tyson, "City Girl" <i>single</i> (Tyson, 23) D</div><div>^ Chris Stapleton, "Fire" <i>Higher</i> (Mercury, 23)</div><div>- Ashley Ray, "Animal" <i>Animal</i> (Ashley Ray, 23)</div><div>- Tyler Halverson, "Tiffany Blue (ft Carter Faith)" <i>single</i> (Atlantic, 23) D</div><div>- Old Heavy Hands, "Shelter Me" <i>Small Fires</i> (Spitting Daggers, Jan 19)</div><div>- Chuck Ragan, "Echo the Halls" <i>single</i> (Rise, 23) D</div><div>- Blackberry Smoke, "Hammer and the Nail" <i>Be Right Here</i> (3 Legged, Feb 16)</div><div>- Parker Gispert, "Together" <i>Let's Go Dancing: Celebration of Kevn Kinney</i> (Tasty Goody, Nov 24)</div><div>- MJ Lenderman, "Someone Get the Grill Out Of the Rain (live)" <i>And the Wind (Live and Loose!)</i> (Anti, 23)</div><div>- Billy Allen + the Pollies, "All of Me" <i>single</i> (Single Lock, 23) D</div><div>- Frog, "Black on Black on Black" <i>Grog</i> (tapewormies, 23)</div><div>- Michael Nau, "Tiny Flakes" <i>Accompany</i> (Karma Chief, Dec 8)</div><div>- Lucius, "Stranger Danger" <i>single</i> (Fantasy, 23) D</div><div>- Brittany Howard, "Red Flags" <i>What Now</i> (Island, Feb 2)</div><div>- Joan Shelley, "Hush the Waves Are Rolling In" <i>Lullabies From the Archive Of American Folk Song EP</i> (No Quarter, 23) D<br /><div><br /></div><div><div>--------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/0m8HeZlwDHjBmGwqWswQeO?utm_source=generator&theme=0" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-11411257285101676162023-11-12T19:55:00.003-07:002023-11-13T08:31:21.792-07:00ANGiE McMAHON - LiGHT, DARK, LiGHT AGAiN <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5X2SKeoOskRG3TPesjjIcZ9t1BpYdxm8NW161zWF9yObOGDPdAi1aoXS5ceOPT9zEv697mH55H53IEHliA7CyKsrMmkTUSNx8WJBLaI45Be_qXexCWY57YWlAxw36ERqkXIRoldajckw_yOfGlCfymjMgIt7whuiyT9BBa9xZckmAa0zHZNNHA/s2048/Angie%20McMahon%20by%20Bridgette%20Winten.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1358" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5X2SKeoOskRG3TPesjjIcZ9t1BpYdxm8NW161zWF9yObOGDPdAi1aoXS5ceOPT9zEv697mH55H53IEHliA7CyKsrMmkTUSNx8WJBLaI45Be_qXexCWY57YWlAxw36ERqkXIRoldajckw_yOfGlCfymjMgIt7whuiyT9BBa9xZckmAa0zHZNNHA/s320/Angie%20McMahon%20by%20Bridgette%20Winten.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div>November 12, 2023</div><div>Scott Foley, <i>being of light</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Even as we near that dreaded time of the year when the release schedule slows and announcements can be few and farther between, we continue to add new stuff to <a href="https://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster</a>. Holiday albums seem to be at a minimum so far this year. One potentially notable exception is a seasonal collab between <b>Alela Diane & the Hackles</b>. <i>It's Always Christmas Somewhere</i> alights upon your rooftop on December 1 (Rusted Blue). <b>JJ Grey & Mofro</b> return from a long hiatus with <i>Olustee</i>. A product of Alligator Records, the album is scheduled for a February 23 release. Alynda Segarra's <i>Navigator</i> earned <b>Hurray For the Riff Raff </b>a raft of new attention. Her followup, <i>The Past Is Still Alive</i>, has been announced for a February 23 shelf date (Nonesuch). Following a trickle of singles and one-offs, <b>Shane Smith & the Saints</b> have pulled together their next eagerly-awaited full-length. <i>Norther</i> is expected to appear wherever music matters on March 1 (Geronimo West). Finally, Sophie & the Broken Things released an exceptional debut with last year's <i>Delusions of Grandeur</i>. Now recording under her own name, <b>Sophie Gault</b>'s second LP, <i>Baltic Street</i> is set for an April 12 appearance (Petaluma). <div><br /></div><div>I used to work in a new age bookstore. I worked there for several years, and over time I worked to evolve it into a literary bookstore (with an unexpectedly large new age collection). We sold new age music, along with incense (some of my books still carry a slight smell of nag champa), Zuni fetishes, tarot decks, etc. The store also carried <i>affirmations</i> - pithy, positive statements that often came with suction cups you might use to affix them to a mirror, read them everytime you looked at yourself. But eventually we were more Chuck Palahniuk than Shakti Gawain; more Buena Vista Social Club than Enya. </div><div><br /></div><div>At the bottom of the landing page of <b>Angie McMahon</b>'s website, there is a small button encouraging you to <i>pull an affirmation card</i>. I received the following: <i>you have so much to give yourself now ... </i>then, <i>i'm trying to balance everything</i>, and, <i>okay you can take a break now</i> (don't have to tell me twice). The Melbourne artist's second full-length solo collection, <i>Light, Dark, Light Again</i>, is far more nuanced than these little affirmations, but the spirit is much the same. </div><div><br /></div><div>2019's <i>Salt</i> was a darkhorse among our top five records that year - the haphazardly knuckled guitar, the immediacy of McMahon's vocal against a minimalist background. <i>Light, Dark</i> amplifies those early tentative steps with the encouragement of North Carolina producer Brad Cook, not reinventing the artist's sound as much as extending and expanding it, further revealing the music's raw beauty. <i>I feel like an evolution of the same person</i>, McMahon has noted. She is joined on the journey by a small cohort featuring Phil Cook, Leif Vollebekk, and Matt McCaughan.</div><div><br /></div><div>The sound of running water introduces "Saturn Returning", before easing into piano, McMahon's vocal, and a shower of electronics, all grounded with sturdy percussion. The sounds are simultaneously earthy and celestial, rooted in our physical reality, but frequently following these personal, everyday roots to more universal sonics and themes. She sings: <i>I'm gonna love every inch of this body / The limbs that are writing each day of this story / I'm gonna surrender my keys to the universe</i>. Where <i>Salt</i> could be edgy, "Saturn" is lush and expansive, free-flowing: <i>Nothing less that letting this jaw go loose / For the flow of the river</i>. An electric pulse of energy propels "Exploding", with McMahon's vocal a confident force like Florence + the Machine at their most primal. Perhaps keeping with the <i>light/dark/light</i> theme, many of these new songs follow a <i>quiet/loud/quiet</i> design, dramatic crescendos alternating with passages of hushed restraint: <i>I hope I am always exploding / I see the stars, they're supernoving</i> (when you're an artist, you can claim artistic license to create your own words). </div><div><br /></div><div>Rather than dispensing dimestore wisdom from on high, there is a sense that the affirmations on <i>Light, Dark</i> are hard-earned, that maybe the story of Angie McMahon's new album is actually that of an artist discovering these truths on the way through the gestation and birth of her collection. "Divine Fault Line" places us on this precipice: <i>You're all fucked up and you're wanting to die / And that's the place where the breaking out begins / It's the divine fault line opening</i>. The songwriter has spoken of her uncertainty in bringing new music to the studios, the emotional and artistic struggle over the past four years, not just through Covid but in and out of broken relationships and depression. On "Seratonin", McMahon has <i>traded smoking for a yoga routine</i>. "Letting Go" is the album's most cathartic moment, with racing, insistent guitars and pop energy, from <i>lying on the living room floor</i> to the realization that <i>the trick was simply to surrender</i>. Mantra-like repetition is deployed throughout the record, a tool for <i>manifesting one's reality</i>. McMahon gives full rein to her courage, unshackling her voice and shouting, <i>It's okay, it's okay / Make mistakes, make mistakes!</i> </div></div><div><br /></div><div>McMahon embraces these affirmations fully, not just emotionally but also embodying them physically. On the fierce "I Am Already Enough", cowritten with Meg Duffy, she sings: <i>I think I know how to love my life ... / And if I dance like I'm goddamn sure / Then it doesn't hurt like it did before</i>. Low fuzz guitar rips through the upbeat cut, accompanied by heavy bass and steady snare. It's an anthem of <i>radical self-compassion</i>, with the singer intoning <i>I am already enough, I am already enough </i>until it is less an encouraging affirmation and more a rallying cry. That heartbeat percussion pumps throughout <i>Light, Dark</i>, an element almost unheard on <i>Salt</i>, a dependable presence even as it shuffles through "Making It Through". McMahon shares a lesson she learned from Buddhist teacher Pema Chodron: <i>I didn't know then / That out of ash and destruction / The ground will grow things</i>. We need the dark in order to find the light. <i>Light / Dark / Light again ... </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>"Fireball Whiskey" starts with the sound of birds, wind through trees, nature as comforting presence. It's one of the few stories Angie McMahon tells here, using alcohol to quiet anxiety and stir courage. In the absence of chemical support, there is the acceptance that we simply have to develop a healthy relationship with fear and failure. That's the victory: <i>This morning / I didn't want to get out of the shower / But hot water runs out / And you have to carry on don't you</i>. We're still that <i>anxious little mess</i> that the songwriter identifies on "Black Eye", the collection's most straightforward country-folk arrangement. The song showcases McMahon's lovely, atypical voice, as powerful in its restraint as it is vulnerable in its stormier moments. </div><div><br /></div><div>In her native Australia, <i>Light, Dark, Light Again</i> shares chart space with Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and the Rolling Stones. It's been nominated for Album of the Year by the country's J Awards, where she commands the stage in front of a sea of admirers. Angie McMahon isn't exceptional for expressing her insecurities or for transitioning herself stylistically in a larger, more extroverted fashion. Where the songs of others might point back in on themselves (thinking Courtney Barnett, Lydia Loveless) McMahon's work manages to lead forward and upwards on her second album. The guitars and vocals that brought us to embrace <i>Salt</i> are still present, but here they are deployed with increased confidence and purpose. She has mentioned, <i>I wanted to be the War on Drugs</i>. It seems Angie McMahon has a chance to be that, and more. <i>Just making it through is the lesson</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>^ Angie McMahon, "Black Eye" <i>Light Dark Light Again</i> (Gracie, 23)</div><div>- Beirut, "Hadsel" <i>Hadsel</i> (Pompeii, 23)</div><div>- Cat Power, "Tell Me Momma (live)" <i>Sings Dylan: 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert</i> (Domino, 23)</div><div>- Jeffrey Martin, "Sculptor" <i>Thank God We Left the Garden</i> (Fluff & Gravy, 23)</div><div>- Heavy Diamond Ring, "When You're Away (ft Nathaniel Rateliff)" <i>All Out of Angels</i> (Cowboy Cowabunga, Nov 17) D</div><div>- John Moreland, "Hang Me In the Tulsa County Stars (live)" <i>Live at Third Man Records</i> (Third Man, 23)</div><div>- John Leventhal, "That's All I Know About Arkansas (ft Rosanne Cash)" <i>Rumble Strip</i> (Rumple Strip, Jan 26) D</div><div>- Mindy Smith, "Little Wings" <i>single</i> (Giant Leap, 23) D</div><div>- String Machine, "Misfire" <i>Turn Off Anything On Again EP</i> (String Machine, 23) D</div><div>- Roadside Graves, "Long Death" <i>I Won't Cry Alone</i> (Don Giovanni, 23)</div><div>- Frog, "New Ro" <i>Grog</i> (tapewormies, Nov 17)</div><div>- Ryan Davis & Roadhouse Band, "Learn 2 Re-Luv" <i>Dancing On the Edge</i> (Sophomore Lounge, 23)</div><div>- Violent Femmes, "Country Death Song (Live at Beneath-It-All Café 1981)" <i>Violent Femmes (Deluxe Edition)</i> (Craft, Dec 1)</div><div>- Will Sheff, "Tommy McHugh" <i>single</i> (ATO, 23) D</div><div>- David Newbould, "Jean" <i>single</i> (Blackbird, 23) D</div><div>- Great Peacock, "The Innocent" <i>Said the Firefly To the Hurricane: Celebration of Kevn Kinney</i> (Tasty Goody, Nov 24)</div><div>- Jon Dee Graham, "Death Ain't Got No Mercy" <i>Only Dead For a Little While</i> (Strolling Bones, 23)</div><div>- Lori McKenna, "Wonder Drug" <i>1988 (Deluxe Edition)</i> (CN, 23)</div><div>- Boy Golden, "Aeroplane Song" <i>single</i> (Six Shooter, 23) D</div><div>- Chris Stapleton, "What Am I Gonna Do" <i>Higher</i> (Mercury, 23)</div><div>- Vincent Neil Emerson, "Man From Uvalde" <i>Golden Crystal Kingdom</i> (La Honda, 23)</div><div>- Zach Russell, "Take Me Back To Tennessee" <i>Where the Flowers Meet the Dew</i> (Carlboro, Dec 1)</div><div>- Wilder Blue, "True Companion" <i>Super Natural</i> (Hill Country, Nov 21) </div><div>- Sarah Jarosz, "When the Lights Go Out" <i>Polaroid Lovers</i> (Rounder, Jan 26)</div><div>- Daniel Donato, "Rose In a Garden" <i>Reflector</i> (Retrace, 23)</div><div>- Sophie Gault, "Christmas In the Psych Ward" <i>Baltic Street Hotel</i> (Petaluma, Apr 12) D</div><div>- Jaime Wyatt, "Moonlighter" <i>Feel Good</i> (New West, 23)</div><div>- Hurray For the Riff Raff, "Alibi" <i>The Past Is Still Alive</i> (Nonesuch, Feb 23) D</div><div>- Vashti Bunyan, "How Could You Let Me Go (ft Devendra Banhart)" <i>Light In the Attic & Friends</i> (Light In the Attic, Nov 24) D</div><div>- Alela Diane & the Hackles, "River" <i>It's Always Christmas Somewhere</i> (Jealous Butcher, Dec 1) D</div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><div>--------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/07xg9b2CD0yCxzAzxfBsF4?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-74617387178903971192023-11-05T19:25:00.006-07:002023-11-06T09:24:29.453-07:00JEFFREY MARTiN - THANK GOD WE LEFT the GARDEN<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGPX6E6yWB3oWK4MT_Y10iEiT0FeJD-R8GkWUUh5_dAIJxEjS03LIMeL6ATcajriE2PFV_lEFeaE9ELPUKKsqVKxWWBikAbfG8huUz2Io4yA0A6iQfboSOz4OtREmF7X9BgEGaWQj900a5z0Rsy-XBrI6BdgRYroz4fJgP3FsVHYliHjQApQ5Lg/s800/Jeffrey%20Martin%20by%20Jen%20Borst.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGPX6E6yWB3oWK4MT_Y10iEiT0FeJD-R8GkWUUh5_dAIJxEjS03LIMeL6ATcajriE2PFV_lEFeaE9ELPUKKsqVKxWWBikAbfG8huUz2Io4yA0A6iQfboSOz4OtREmF7X9BgEGaWQj900a5z0Rsy-XBrI6BdgRYroz4fJgP3FsVHYliHjQApQ5Lg/s320/Jeffrey%20Martin%20by%20Jen%20Borst.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div>November 5, 2023</div><div>Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'll start with the takeaway. You simply won't find a better
lyrics sheet this year than <b>Jeffrey Martin</b>'s <i>Thank God We Left the
Garden</i> (Fluff & Gravy). Recorded on solo guitar to <i>two cheap
microphones</i> in an 8x10 shack in the artist’s Portland backyard, these eleven
songs show a conviction for the beauty and importance of words carefully,
meaningfully arrayed. I don’t hear the clicks of the heater, the barking dogs
or the trucks passing by, but I do hear the steady beating of Jeffrey Martin’s
heart.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />We’ve spoken well of Martin’s previous work, especially 2014’s
<i>Dogs In the Daylight</i> and his last record, <i>One Go Around</i> from 2017, both starkly
deployed collections of thoughtful contemporary folk. <i>Thank God</i> strips down
those already quiet arrangements, and amplifies instead the songwriter’s reflections on
matters of meaning, compassion, and moments of connection. On “Quiet Man”,
Martin sings: <i>You can meet God in a cigarette just the same as in a sermon /
And the devil’s always listening to those who are deserving</i>. It’s in this
spirit that he marches out into the dark, rain-damp streets on the lullaby waltz,
“Walking”: I<i>f you stay up late enough / Stoplights play for no one / The dogs
are gone to dream</i>. These are songs from that night shift.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />As the title might suggest, these songs are also steeped in
traditionally religious language and mythology, though Martin’s perspective is
far from orthodox. On “Garden” he imagines God as delighted with the messy
consequences of the Eden episode: <i>I want to find out for certain / If I’m here
on purpose / As if knowing would save me / From the things that have made me /
As if the mess that I’m making / Isn’t really a blessing</i>. In The Gospel
According To Jeffrey Martin, the emphasis is not on beliefs or convictions, but
rather on our common seeking, the questions we share. “Paper Crown” imagines us
all as searchers: <i>It’s okay / Everybody feels the same way / Everybody’s too
afraid to say / What they haven’t found</i>. Answers are overrated.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Even as he walks the streets, even as he strums alone in his
backyard shack, on <i>Thank God We Left the Garden</i>, Jeffrey Martin demonstrates a
great amount of compassion. “Red Station Wagon” is a genuinely moving story of
a young man’s regret for neglecting a friend’s tentative confessions: <i>You feel
like a child that the God of all forgot to name / Like he gave you a heart but he
did not give you a place</i>. There are lovesongs and moments of meeting
on the sessions, along with an abiding recognition of that we’re all just fumbling
our way through the same questions. On the beautiful “There Is a Treasure”, he
finds liberation in the <i>beautiful unimportance</i> of our fleeting existence, a
truth that might lead us to <i>find compassion for every person’s story</i>. For the
sake of warmth, we are drawn to one other’s briefly flickering flame.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Fellow Portland artist Jon Neufeld adds atmospheric electric
guitar on a few of these cuts, most of which are built around Jeffrey Martin’s
understated acoustic picking or strumming. With a gruff but soulful voice like
Nathaniel Rateliff, Martin chooses the rare moments to push his vocal beyond an
intimate croon. His playing is never showy, rarely more than a bed for his
lyrical delivery.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />In last week's "review", we mentioned that Andrew
Bryant's <i>Prodigal</i> began as a collection of demos that producer Bruce
Watson encouraged the writer to flesh out with the help of a tremendous band.
Jeffrey Martin apparently intended these unadorned recordings to serve as demos
for something larger. Aside from Neufeld’s very selective guitar textures, we’re
hearing Martin’s demos on <i>Thank God</i>, and after several passes through the
collection I couldn’t imagine these songs in any other setting. Any additional
noise might detract from the remarkable intimacy and breathtaking beauty he
achieves. </div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div><br /></div><div>- Jaime Wyatt, "Feel Good" <i>Feel Good</i> (New West, 23)</div><div>- JJ Grey & Mofro, "The Sea" <i>Olustee</i> (Alligator, Feb 23) D</div><div>- Jon Dee Graham, "There's a Ghost On the Train" <i>Only Dead For a Little While</i> (Strolling Bones, 23)</div><div>- Tucker Riggleman & Cheap Dates, "Shotgun" <i>Restless Spirit</i> (WarHen, Feb 17) D</div><div>- Willy Tea Taylor & Fellership, "Champagne On Ice" <i>Great Western Hangover</i> (Blackwing, 23)</div><div>- Ryan Davis & Roadhouse Band, "A Suitable Exit" <i>Dancing On the Edge</i> (Sophomore Lounge, 23)</div><div>- MJ Lenderman, "You Have Bought Yourself a Boat (live)" <i>And the Wind (Live and Loose!)</i> (Anti, Nov 17) D</div><div>- Damien Jurado, "Hello I'm Leaving" <i>Passing the Giraffes</i> (Maraqopa, 23) D</div><div>- Califone, "Comedy (V1)" <i>villagers (deluxe edition)</i> (Jealous Butcher, 23) D</div><div>- Frog, "Maybelline" <i>Grog</i> (tapewormies, Nov 17) D</div><div>- Empty Country, "Syd" <i>Empty Country II</i> (Get Better, 23)</div><div>- Shooter Jennings, "Carmelita (live)" <i>Shooter Jennings & the Werewolves of Los Angeles Do Zevon</i> (Black Country Rock, 23) D</div><div>- Josiah and the Bonnevilles, "Another Day At the Factory" <i>Endurance</i> (Josiah, 23)</div><div>- James Elkington, "Me Neither" <i>Me Neither</i> (No Quarter, Dec 8) D</div><div>- Rainbow Girls, "No Limits" <i>Welcome To Whatever</i> (Rainbow Girls, Dec 4) D</div><div>- John Craigie, "Bones (ft TK & the Holy Know-Nothings)" <i>single</i> (Craigie, 23)</div><div>^ Jeffrey Martin, "Paper Crown" <i>Thank God We Left the Garden</i> (Fluff & Gravy, 23)</div><div>- Joe Pug, "What Is Good Will Never Change" <i>Sketch Of a Promised Departure</i> (Nation of Heat, Mar 8) D</div><div>- Andrew Bryant, "Trampoline" <i>Prodigal</i> (Sentimental Noises, 23)</div><div>- Ha Ha Tonka, "Mississippi River" <i>Blood Red Moon</i> (Ha Ha Tonka, 23)</div><div>- Elliott BROOD, "Dried Up" <i>Town</i> (Six Shooter, 23)</div><div>- Chatham County Line, "Right On Time" <i>Hiyo</i> (Yep Roc, Jan 26) D</div><div>- Flatland Cavalry, "Best Days" <i>Wandering Star</i> (Interscope, 23)</div><div>- Shane Smith & the Saints, "Adeline" <i>Norther</i> (Geronimo West, Mar 1) D</div><div>- Vincent Neil Emerson, "Time Of the Rambler" <i>Golden Crystal Kingdom</i> (La Honda, Nov 10)</div><div>- Old Californio, "Come Undone" <i>Metaterranea</i> (Old Californio, 23)</div><div>- Joshua Ray Walker, "Voices (live)" <i>I Opened For the Killers and All I Got Was Appendecitis EP</i> (JRW, 23)</div><div>- Luther Dickinson, "Beulah Land (ft Allison Russell)" <i>Magic Music For Family Folk</i> (Antone's Nov 17) D</div><div>- Cat Power, "Mr Tambourine Man (live)" <i>Sings Dylan: 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert</i> (Domino, Nov 10)</div><div>- Spencer Burton, "Goodbye" <i>North Wind</i> (Dine Alone, Dec 8) D<br /><div><br /></div><div><div>--------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/0baAXqsFutH6XluYLSRkiF?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-15025118463611037542023-10-29T20:07:00.003-06:002023-10-31T10:50:08.376-06:00ANDREW BRYANT - PRODiGAL<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8Tu9psAca6y-yYNdeyTj6BZcBT5OvfX2UYTJ7AV7VFvfs8iDpXNic9o7915W3Kd-3vBXIgwjXm_-E-jSkTo7T8Nj2Omc1rCZVzICzEqjuoANkUD6721cK_ljfqRulMYMovF-twYfoSu2FvPlfKnC-LH6n3CPjtRyrp4gV8ldjgNMZgXShPW1hw/s1440/Andrew%20Bryant%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1440" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8Tu9psAca6y-yYNdeyTj6BZcBT5OvfX2UYTJ7AV7VFvfs8iDpXNic9o7915W3Kd-3vBXIgwjXm_-E-jSkTo7T8Nj2Omc1rCZVzICzEqjuoANkUD6721cK_ljfqRulMYMovF-twYfoSu2FvPlfKnC-LH6n3CPjtRyrp4gV8ldjgNMZgXShPW1hw/s320/Andrew%20Bryant%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">October 29, 2023</div><div style="text-align: center;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I raised my hood against the blowing snow before dawn, as my running shoes crunched into three or four inches of fresh powder. It had arrived about ten days later than Denver's typical first snowfall, ushered in by a blast of arctic wind even before the last leaves had fallen. It's a time of year that rewards introversion and reflection, the perfect mindset for year-end wrap-ups. This marks the year's final monthly accounting, as we'll be laying out our 2023 favorites throughout December: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Year in Americana - Dec 3</div><div>Favorite Songs - Dec 10</div><div>Christmas Christmas - Dec 17</div><div>Favorite Albums - Dec 24</div><div>Covers - Dec 31</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't wear headphones during my early morning runs, though I'm frequently thinking about music. My soundtrack is my own breathing, and the steady rhythm of my feet on pavement (or snow, as the case may be). During my less ambitious moments, however, in the car or at my desk, music is my constant companion, especially our weekly Spotify ROUTES-casts. Following are the tunes that have provided my company as Fall-<i>ish</i> becomes <i>kinda</i>-Winter. </div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT OCTOBER?!!</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Jeffrey Martin, "Red Station Wagon" <i>Thank God We Left the Garden</i> (Fluff & Gravy, Nov 3)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2. Mali Velasquez, "Medicine" <i>I'm Green</i> (Acrophase, Oct 13)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">3. Chris Stapleton, "It Takes a Woman" <i>Higher</i> (Mercury, Nov 10)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">4. Roadside Graves, "We're Not Here" <i>I Won't Cry Alone</i> (Don Giovanni, Nov 10)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">5. Andrew Bryant, "Gravy" <i>Prodigal</i> (Sentimental Noises, Nov 3)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">6. Damien Jurado, "St Gregory Hotel" <i>Motorcycle Madness</i> (Maraqopa, Oct 20)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">7. Cory Hanson, "Western Cum" <i>single</i> (Drag City, Oct 27)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">8. Uncle Lucius, "Civilized Anxiety" <i>Like It's the Last One Left</i> (Boo Clap, Dec 8)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">9. Molly Parden, "Dandy Blend" <i>Sacramented</i> (Parden, Oct 13)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">10. Pert Near Sandstone, "Clouds Are Gathering" <i>Waiting Days</i> (PNS, Oct 20)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">No dedicated write-ups on these this month. Instead, we'll provide a review for one of the year's most striking records. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">At one point in <i><a href="https://www.presenttensedoc.com/?fbclid=IwAR1xOaZhQ_SeTw3ljixkEidpd__f_2zafSjp460HmJavvTSQ9C3zYoKdsBo" target="_blank">Present Tense: Andrew Bryant and the Making of Prodigal</a></i>, midway through picking apart an acoustic track from his new record, the songwriter asks, <i>Am I a perfectionist?</i> The hour long doc, produced by Gerard Matthews of 19Ninety Films, addresses Bryant's question by portraying him in studio, surrounded by a spectacular band with whom he creates the album of his career. While <i>Prodigal</i> (Sentimental Noises, Nov 3) stands on its own merit, the video provides a remarkable account of the inspiration, collaboration, and the emotional investment that can result in such an artistic triumph. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Andrew Bryant</b> wasn't in need of salvation or career redirection. Since his days with the seminal Water Liars, his solo output has been exceptional, from 2015's <i>This Is the Life</i> through 2017's terrific <i>Ain't It Like the Cosmos, </i>2020's <i>Sentimental Noises</i> and '21s <i>Meaningful Connection</i>. While he is by no means above collaboration, each record is largely the product of Bryant as an instrumentalist and a producer. Bruce Watson, who serves as producer for <i>Prodigal</i>, mentions in the doc that Bryant delivered his new songs as home recordings, intended as a close-to-final product. At his Delta-Sonic Sound Studios in Memphis, the producer heard more, and gathered his collaborators to flesh out the sessions with Bryant: <i>The way I produce is I try to surround myself with the best possible musicians at my disposal, and then I just kinda give them enough rope not to hang themselves but to actually do something very good</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The strength and vision of this outfit can be heard on "Gravy", from Will Sexton's fierce fuzz guitar to Rick Steff's essential piano, Alex Greene's organ, Mark Edgar Stuart's bass and Will McCarley's empathetic drumming. Add the punch of Memphis horns and Andrew Bryant's expressive delivery, his visionary lyrics: <i>That night in the dark / I watch my mother take out the dove's heart / And cover it with gravy / In a skillet alone at the stove</i>. <i>Prodigal</i> is a document of place and belonging, following Bryant down the roads of his rural Mississippi birthplace, the wide-open vistas of which define the accompanying film. In one especially poignant scene, the songwriter enters the open doors of an abandoned, dilapidated Baptist church. Beneath sagging ceilings and alongside a dusty, broken piano, he sings "Shiloh". Languid guitars peal across the track above McCarley's steady drumming, finally grounding and erupting in an incandescent solo. Bryant offers a vision from his childhood: <i>I smell the coffee and the Christmas tree / Big star is falling somewhere over Galilee / I wrap my body in her softest quilt / Touch my hair and hide my face</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">These moments of sharp sensory recollect crowd Andrew Bryant's new songs, surfacing like dreams that can seem mythical. He watches on "Trampoline" as an unnamed companion takes flight, the propulsive track set aloft on soaring strings: <i>Then I saw Christ hanging out in the garden / Picking ripe tomatoes / He took my hand in his hand and let me into the house / He made me a sandwich and asked if I was thirsty</i>. He watches a man with admiration, probably his father, on "Certainty", a song that swells with melancholy: <i>I know you know a thing or two / About how everything works / And I wish I had / How I wish I had / Your certainty</i>. In <i>Present Tense</i>, he remarks on the presence of the past on <i>Prodigal</i>, how his songs have tended to dwell on the here and now: <i>Throughout making this record I learned that the past is still with me ... because all of those things are who I am</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The <i>Prodigal</i> sessions are rich with the language of the church, a recurring entity in Bryant's childhood with which he seeks to make some kind of peace. Reportedly written from his mother's perspective, "Tongues" features punching horns and pulsing bass, gathering urgency as it progresses: <i>Everybody lives and everybody dies / No matter what we say / No matter how we pray</i>. The title cut adds banjo to a pastoral setting: <i>Brother Danny was a fisher of men / He cast his jigs across the Arkansas sands / Hooked a line on his finger and he played in the band / Every Sunday and we said amen</i>. Solemn, acoustic folk songs such as "Wind" and "Love" provide almost hymnlike moments of clarity, though Bryant has no answers, and offers no resolution. He seems to encounter some fleeting grace at the intersection of reckoning and rapture, assembling pieces of family, place, and inheritance. <i>Am I a son of this place, or am I not,</i> he asks. In mythology, meaning must not only coexist alongside mystery, they are dependent upon one another. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Andrew Bryant's apparent decision to loosen his grasp on the birth of <i>Prodigal</i> has vested the collection with life heretofore unheard in his earlier catalogue. It is a phenomenal sounding record, with special praise due Sexton, Steff and McCarley. The relative freedom that he achieves by sharing his process of creation with Bruce Wagner and his once-in-a-lifetime band has given Bryant room to expand into his still very personal muse, making this new album the most natural, dare we say the most freewheeling of his career. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- Adam Remnant, "Sunrise At the Sunset Motel" <i>single</i> (Coiled Myth, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Willy Tea Taylor & Fellership, "The Nurse (ft Anna Tivel)" <i>Great Western Hangover</i> (Blackwing, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Martha Scanlon & Jon Neufeld, "XO" <i>single</i> (Jealous Butcher, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- John Craigie, "Where It's From (ft TK & the Holy Know-Nothings)" <i>single</i> (Craigie, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Maybel, "Splinters" <i>Gloam</i> (Idee Fixe, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Night Beds, "Knoxville" <i>single</i> (Arkansas Blues, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Sun June, "Moon Ahead" <i>Bad Dream Jaguar</i> (Run For Cover, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Austin Lucas, "Just a Girl" <i>single</i> (GrindEthos, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Israel Nash, "Going Back" <i>Ozarker</i> (Desert Folklore, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Cory Hanson, "Can't Keep My Eyes Open" <i>single</i> (Drag City, 23) </div><div style="text-align: left;">- Old Heavy Hands, "All the Time In the World" <i>Small Fires</i> (Spitting Daggers, Jan 19)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Harvest Thieves, "Avenue A" <i>As the Sparks Fly Upward</i> (Harvest Thieves, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Flatland Cavalry, "New American Dream" <i>Wandering Star</i> (Interscope, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Joshua Ray Walker, "Outlaw (live)" <i>I Opened For the Killers and All I Got Was Appendicitis EP</i> (JRW, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Cale Tyson, "Hope You're Hungover" <i>single</i> (Tyson, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Jon Snodgrass, "Go" <i>Let the Bad Times Roll: Tribute to the Replacements</i> (Creep, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- New Pornographers, "Firework In the Falling Snow (acoustic version ft Aimee Mann)" <i>single</i> (Merge, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Cat Power, "Like a Rolling Stone" <i>Sings Dylan: 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert</i> (Domino, Nov 10)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Grandaddy, "Watercooler" <i>Blu Wav</i> (Dangerbird, Feb 16) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Angie McMahon, "Divine Fault Line" <i>Light Dark Light Again</i> (Gracie, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band, "Junk Drawer Heart" <i>Dancing On the Edge</i> (Sophomore Lounge, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Third Mind, "Little Bit of Rain" <i>Third Mind 2</i> (Yep Roc, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Old Californio, "Old Kings Road" <i>Metaterranea</i> (Old Californio, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Adeem the Artist, "Fast Cars" <i>single</i> (Four Quarters, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Dori Freeman, "Movie Screen" <i>Do You Recall</i> (Blue Hens, Nov 17)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Duff Thompson, "Bring It To You" <i>Shadow People</i> (Mashed Potato, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Nora Jane Struthers, "Oh To Be Home" <i>Back To Cast Iron</i> (Blue Pig, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Dead South, "Tiny Wooden Box" <i>Chains & Stakes</i> (Six Shooter, Feb 9) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Shakey Graves, "True Love Will Find You In the End (ft Jess Williamson)" <i>Texas Wild</i> (Lower Colorado Record Authority, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Josiah and the Bonnevilles, "Kentucky Flood" <i>Endurance</i> (Josiah, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>--------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/0vQ1yilERFadFvKKspdACo?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-56472615698456541332023-10-22T18:08:00.000-06:002023-10-22T18:08:04.932-06:00iSRAEL NASH - OZARKER<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFi6x1PFEWU9414nt0yTUPc2ZQJbF0CEi3S0hilOWhWlAxScnUAafgzDvJWLDxRMnwFULd_G8hPraCouhZCPjcFsaGs012Q6imKLrZsl8KD5XsFUEpI2UcNyFxW1451brwudUZvDQRRz9XLx0d37MNHJC_gdA8irFfrhuzFsEN4ptz3ggtQWdoQ/s1800/Israel%20Nash%20Ozarker.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFi6x1PFEWU9414nt0yTUPc2ZQJbF0CEi3S0hilOWhWlAxScnUAafgzDvJWLDxRMnwFULd_G8hPraCouhZCPjcFsaGs012Q6imKLrZsl8KD5XsFUEpI2UcNyFxW1451brwudUZvDQRRz9XLx0d37MNHJC_gdA8irFfrhuzFsEN4ptz3ggtQWdoQ/s320/Israel%20Nash%20Ozarker.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">October 22, 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There are few artists in our kind of music as recognizable as <b>Israel Nash</b>. His arrangements are typically thick with sound and reverb, both acoustic and electric, organic and cosmic, intimate and open to the heavens. Nash's familiar voice echoes across the tracks, craggy and textured as Neil Young but very capable of carrying a tune with soul. His brand of roots rock is commonly labeled <i>heartland</i>, even if it is well-rooted in the soil of his Dripping Springs, Texas studio. Israel Nash is too often likened to Petty, Seger, and Springsteen, but after seven studio projects he merits his own lane for his ambitious, swarming sonic stamp. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That seventh project, <i>Ozarker</i>, is the first of four full albums (!) Israel Nash has promised over the coming months via his Desert Folklore label. While recent records like 2018's <i>Lifted</i> and 2021's <i>Topaz</i> were built around the people and places and nature surrounding his current Texas Hill Country environs, the new sessions find inspiration from stories of his family and fellow Ozarkers of his Missouri birthplace. The narrator for the reflective "Lost In America" is haunted by his wartime PTSD, spectres of which can't help but effect his family as well: <i>My brother Ron looked up to me / Now he comes by the apartment twice a week / Just to make sure that I'm doing okay</i>. The fiery "Going Back" channels the theatrical melodrama of Jim Steinman as the singer joins his brother for one last heist to cement their legend: <i>I am old, but there was a day / They'd say my name from Laredo to Cheyenne</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Ozarker</i> is coproduced with veteran boardman and instrumentalist Kevin Ratterman, who has worked most notably with My Morning Jacket, New Multitudes, and Strand of Oaks, in addition to joining Israel Nash on <i>Topaz</i>. New songs like "Can't Stop" and "Travel On" epitomize the guitar- and drum-heavy arrangements on sessions that favor the anthemic and the soaring. The former percolates with 90s roots pop fervor, the singer <i>spinning these wheels</i> in his eagerness to leave the shadows of his hometown far behind: <i>Not sure where it starts / But this is where it ends</i>. Curtis Roush from Bright Light Social Hour fuels many of the album's incandescent guitars, with Patrick Hallahan serving on drums. "Travel On" is a passionately hopeful call to escape the pull of the city for kinder horizons. Synths amplify many of <i>Ozarker</i>'s tracks, never taking center stage but widening Nash's arrangements. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While reviewers have praised his music as <i>cinematic</i>, the storytelling nature of some of these new cuts adds more of a literary quality to Nash's vision. The ominous "Shadowland" paints a stark picture of life in the Ozarks: <i>I'm living in a circle drawn for me long ago ... From Belton to Ozark / And back to the hill / Down at the bottom / And getting up still</i>. The measured acoustic strum of "Pieces" adds to this picture: <i>Feel a little lost in a place I know</i>. Israel Nash's sound remains expansive, and most of his songs are still driven by yearning and heart, but these story elements root many songs in the daily struggles of real folk. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Especially since his one-two punch of <i>Rain Plans</i> and <i>Silver Season</i>, this thread of hope and uplift has been Israel Nash's sonic calling card, even amidst the soulful horns and divisive politics of <i>Topaz</i>. The brightly-burning "Roman Candle" presents Nash at his <i>hot and dangerous</i> best, a melodic comet: <i>Wolves may be circling me / But I don't let them in</i>. With its <i>shalala</i> chorus and cosmic chiming electric guitars, the album's title track is another highwater moment, an infectious number that's <i>Rambling and rugged / Rough and tumble as they come</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You'll be able to track Israel Nash's stuff on his new <a href="https://israelnash.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email" target="_blank">Cosmic Eagle</a> substack (<i>it's like an IN social media profile on really good psychedelics</i>, he promises). While listeners may identify certain of Petty's American heartland mythologies, or may spot signs of Springsteen's <i>glory days</i>, you'll also hear the urgency of War on Drugs and the soulful heart of Nathaniel Rateliff. <i>Ozarker</i> is more than the sum of its influences, however, and Nash leads his cohort into hard-won sonic territory that he's carved out in the years since his 2009 debut. In the end, Israel Nash simply sounds like Israel Nash. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- Great Peacock, "Damn Good Feeling" <i>single</i> (Great Peacock, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Jaime Wyatt, "Back To the Country" <i>Feel Good</i> (New West, Nov 3)</div><div style="text-align: left;">^ Israel Nash, "Pieces" <i>Ozarker</i> (Desert Folklore, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Duff Thompson, "Shapeshifter" <i>Shadow People</i> (Mashed Potato, Oct 27)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Zach Russell, "Milk & Honey" <i>Where the Flowers Meet the Dew</i> (Carlboro, Dec 1)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Sierra Ferrell, "Fox Hunt" <i>single</i> (Rounder, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Pert Near Sandstone, "Clouds Are Gathering" <i>Waiting Days</i> (PNS, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Wilder Blue, "Super Natural (ft Brent Cobb)" <i>single</i> (Hill Country, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Willi Carlisle, "Critterland" <i>Critterland</i> (Signature Sounds, Jan 26) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Charley Crockett, "Killers Of the Flower Moon" <i>single</i> (Son of Davy, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Abby Hamilton, "Lucky" <i>#1 Zookeeper (of the San Diego Zoo)</i> (Blue Gown, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Vincent Neil Emerson, "Golden Crystal Kingdom" <i>Golden Crystal Kingdom</i> (La Honda, Nov 10) </div><div style="text-align: left;">- Cody Jinks, "Outlaws and Mustangs" <i>single</i> (Late August, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Cactus Lee, "Southwestern Bell" <i>Caravan</i> (Org Music, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Morgan Wade, "Halloween" <i>single</i> (Ladylike, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Jon Dee Graham, "Lost In the Flood" <i>Only Dead For a Little While</i> (Strolling Bones, Nov 10)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Harvest Thieves, "Friendly Fire" <i>As the Sparks Fly Upward</i> (Harvest Thieves, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Mightmare, "Killer Killer" <i>single</i> (Kill Rock Stars, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Andrew Bryant, "Shiloh" <i>Prodigal</i> (Sentimental Noises, Nov 3)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Ha Ha Tonka, "Carry It Around" <i>Blood Red Moon</i> (Ha Ha Tonka, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Nathan Graham, "Pride" <i>Saint of Second Chances</i> (Pravda, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Holly Macve, "Suburban House (ft Lana Del Rey)" <i>single</i> (Macve, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Michael Nau, "Shiftshaping" <i>Accompany</i> (Karma Chief, Dec 8) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Allison Russell, "Take Me To Church" <i>Spotify Singles</i> (Fantasy, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Mali Velasquez, "Horse Trough" <i>I'm Green</i> (Acrophase, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Jeff Tweedy, "Filled With Wonder Once Again" <i>single</i> (Dead Oceans, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Molly Parden, "Weakest Link" <i>Sacramented</i> (Parden, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Dylan LeBlanc, "Dust" <i>Coyote</i> (ATO, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Sun June, "16 Riders" <i>Bad Dream Jaguar</i> (Run For Cover, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Daniel Bachman, "Someone Straying Long Delaying" <i>When the Roses Come Again</i> (Three Lobed, Nov 17) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">New this week on <a href="https://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster</a>: <b>Iron & Wine</b>'s first full live recording is the companion piece to a forthcoming documentary chronicling a North Carolina concert performance. <i>Who Can See Forever</i> is set for a November 17 release date (Sub Pop). On the heels of last year's excellent <i>Peculiar, Missouri</i>, <b>Willi Carlisle</b> has announced a follow-up. Produced by Darrell Scott, <i>Critterland</i> will be the songwriter's first project for the Signature Sounds label, expected on shelves January 26. The Canadian alt.bluegrass outfit <b>Dead South</b> ventured to Mexico City to record their new album. <i>Chains & Stakes</i> arrives February 9th courtesy of the Six Shooter label. A one-time member of Prison Book Club with William Matheny, John R Miller, and Adam Meisterhans, <b>Tucker Riggleman</b> will be sharing a new collection with his Cheap Dates band. February 17 is the planned date for <i>Restless Spirit</i>. Finally, <b>Corb Lund</b>'s next record will be dedicated to Ian Tyson. The all-acoustic <i>El Viejo</i> will appear via New West Records on February 23. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>--------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/7CGOXJysmBNJFDto1HzGPe?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-23078378065616017222023-10-15T18:35:00.002-06:002023-10-16T09:09:10.589-06:00ABBY HAMiLTON - #1 ZOOKEEPER (OF the SAN DiEGO ZOO)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtd_Bu3Wj3KxtZHtGA7LZTxQkQQF1Iw4mt38ERqDBlLYBnkWRxGjWjr-ULLelONh3BaJ7e0DKn70VHEtUzNwam9LgssgX0HUHdLMwBKO7kEB0x1bDqisfVpFPJe7MQEFHgf88pBcNDG0l1gVYUDBvqIrpVOsf4SffCTgm9QU1FFx0xVlk54wE5g/s960/Abby%20Hamilton%202.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtd_Bu3Wj3KxtZHtGA7LZTxQkQQF1Iw4mt38ERqDBlLYBnkWRxGjWjr-ULLelONh3BaJ7e0DKn70VHEtUzNwam9LgssgX0HUHdLMwBKO7kEB0x1bDqisfVpFPJe7MQEFHgf88pBcNDG0l1gVYUDBvqIrpVOsf4SffCTgm9QU1FFx0xVlk54wE5g/s320/Abby%20Hamilton%202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div>October 15, 2023</div><div>Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Music lovers play music throughout their day,
whether through headphones or out speakers. My own listening is almost always
dictated by my writing. I engage in very little <i>extracurricular</i> listening.
Climbing into my car for any amount of time, I'll typically line up a new album
I need to preview, or I'll stream the week's ROUTES-cast. You should do the
same. </span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In general, we play music for a range of
reasons. We select something in order to create a mood, or to change our mood.
We might make a selection to confirm something we're feeling, or we might turn
to music to help us through a difficult time. We might call that </span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">music
as best friend</i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">, which explains at least in part the popularity of Taylor
Swift or Olivia Rodrigo. It's never this cut-and-dried, but it's a worthwhile
theory. </span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><blockquote><i>I go to Nicholasville to pass the time / And go
sit in the park / Took myself one of those depressive drives / It got pretty
dark / Some kid was out there playing guitar / Singing 'If I Needed You' / And
it hit me / All my favorite bands were the ones you made me listen to / Now I'm
wondering who you're sleeping with / Thought starts and it doesn't quit / And I
let it take me all the way down / Self-sabotage until I drown</i></blockquote></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">It's one of the year's best lyrics, courtesy of
Kentucky's <b>Abby Hamilton</b> and the title track to her debut
full-length, <i>#1 Zookeeper (of the San Diego Zoo)</i>. It's a song we
could cite at length here, delivered over a modern electric pulse, coupled with
an insistent electric guitar buzz, Hamilton's open-throated vocal soaring
through her chorus. It's a voice we've met little-by-little over the past couple years as the songwriter released her 2017 <i>Broke Girl EP</i>, followed by 2020's <i>Afraid of the Dark EP</i>, and last year's EP that showcased those songs in a live setting. Memorable songs like "Change Things" and "Trailer Park Queen" set the stage for Hamilton's full-scale debut. </span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Per Abby Hamilton, the thesis of <i>Zookeeper</i> is exploring <i>the worlds we create to cope with the world we are in</i>. If the songs of Lydia Loveless present these coping mechanisms as the forces of which our disfunctions are composed, Hamilton chooses a gentler, more compassionate approach, a conversational tone. She acknowledges that we each create our own framework of support on "Whatever Helps You Sleep". A stinging electric guitar line orients us to the upbeat cut, piercing through the full, bright country-pop arrangement. No matter our compulsion or our motivation, the Bible or the bottle, the singer reserves judgement: <i>You put you faith in something you believe is true / Hoping it give everything it's got back to you / With a leather bound book and hope in an afterlife / Whatever helps you sleep at night</i>. </span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Songs from those earlier EPs were set firmly in a bed of familiar country sonics, elements of which remain on these new sessions. Hamilton has worked with co-producers Justin Craig and Duane Lundy to update those sounds on </span></span><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Zookeeper</i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">, adding an appealing and </span><span style="font-size: 18px;">unobtrusive</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> layer of contemporary production that suggests more of a roots pop with country accents. "Lucky" opens with a Bonnie Raitt-like bass groove, subtly bluesy electric guitar ushering in the large chorus which typifies Hamilton's writing. The song introduces a struggling songwriter navigating her world: <i>She thought she'd have it all figured out</i>. Without backing down or sinking in despair, Hamilton leaves room for moments of doubt, even as her voice rises hopefully: <i>C'mon and throw me something / It all can't mean nothing / Don't drop me on a limb / Just to watch it break</i>. Hamilton's longtime supporting band shows strength in their restraint on the beautifully downbeat "Baby Let's Ride", pedal steel and piano suggesting a melancholy spirit: <i>Have you ever tried going 92 / Just cause you don't think the world needs you</i>. </span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">As a songwriter, Abby Hamilton leans into her real vocal appeal and lyrics that can assume the tone of a close friend or confidant, investing <i>Zookeeper</i> with the boldness of Margo Price and the real-lived relatability of Hailey Whitters. There is a strain of Sheryl Crow on the encouragingly breezy "Good Thing", set to a light acoustic strum: <i>You're in for a good thing baby ... Tomorrow can take care of itself</i>. The fiery imagery of "Soccer Field" lands like a prophecy, stressing Hamilton's willingness to step a bit outside of her more traditional narrative comfort zone: <i>Something that sounded like the voice of John Prine / Said all the good ones die / So I kissed your hands and started to cry</i>. </span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">At heart, the songs of Abby Hamilton fill that purpose of music that encourages and affirms, <i>music as best friend</i>. <i>I'm doin' alright</i>, she sings on "Fine", <i>Thanks for asking</i>. Fortunately, she's a best friend who is wise and who makes superb country-pop. The pillowy-sweet ballad floats on a cloud of pedal steel, set aloft on a subtle chorus of angelic backing vocals. Even when things go bad, Abby Hamilton reminds us: <i>It ain't bad luck / It's just poor stewardship of some damn good love</i>. <i>#1 Zookeeper (Of the San Diego Zoo)</i> isn't just fine advice, it establishes Hamilton as among the year's most appealing new artists. </span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div>- Esme Patterson, "Kinda Like Praying" <i>Notes From Nowhere</i> (Esme, 23)</div><div>- Jason Hawk Harris, "Roll" <i>Thin Places</i> (Bloodshot, 23)</div><div>- Laura Veirs, "Creatures Of a Day" <i>Phone Orphans</i> (Raven Marching Band, Nov 3)</div><div>- Old Californio, "Destining Again" <i>Metaterranea</i> (Old Cal, Oct 27) D</div><div>- Madi Diaz, "Same Risk" <i>Weird Faith</i> (Anti, Feb 9) D</div><div>- Jerry Joseph, "Canadian Boyfriend" <i>Baby You're the Man Who Would Be King</i> (Cosmo Sex School, 23)</div><div>- Joy Oladokun, "Black Car" <i>Proof of Life (Deluxe)</i> (Verve, 23) D</div><div>- Bones of JR Jones, "Blue Sky" <i>Slow Lightning</i> (Bones, 23)</div><div>- Leyla McCalla, "Zanj (ft Alynda Segarra)" <i>single</i> (Anti, 23) D</div><div>- Molly Parden, "Dandy Blend" <i>Sacramented</i> (Parden, 23) D</div><div>- Nora Jane Struthers, "Back To Cast Iron" <i>Back To Cast Iron</i> (Blue Pig, Oct 27)</div><div>- Adeem the Artist, "Dirt Bike (ft Andrea Kukuly Uriarte)" <i>single</i> (Four Quarters, 23) D</div><div>- Sarah Jarosz, "Columbus & 89th" <i>Polaroid Lovers</i> (Rounder, Jan 26)</div><div>- Willy Tea Taylor, "Bakersfield (ft Jeffrey Martin)" <i>Great Western Hangover</i> (Blackwing, Oct 27)</div><div>- John R Miller, "Dollar Store Tents" <i>Heat Comes Down</i> (Rounder, 23)</div><div>- Uncle Lucius, "Civilized Anxiety" <i>Like It's the Last One Left</i> (Boo Clap, Dec 8)</div><div>- Leeroy Stagger, "Chop Wood Haul Water" <i>single</i> (Tonic, 23) D</div><div>^ Abby Hamilton, "Soccer Field" <i>#1 Zookeeper (of the San Diego Zoo)</i> (Blue Gown, 23)</div><div>- Ward Davis, "Ain't Quite Mary Jane" <i>single</i> (Davis, 23) D</div><div>- Corb Lund, "Old Familiar Drunken Feeling" <i>El Viejo </i>(New West, Feb 23) D</div><div>- Chris Stapleton, "It Takes a Woman" <i>Higher</i> (Mercury, Nov 10)</div><div>- Steel Woods, "You Don't Even Known Who I Am" <i>On Your Time</i> (Woods, 23)</div><div>- Amigo the Devil, "Cannibal Within" <i>Yours Until the War Is Over</i> (Liars Club, Feb 23) D</div><div>- Mali Velasquez, "Medicine" <i>I'm Green</i> (Acrophase, 23) D</div><div>- Damien Jurado, "St Gregory Hotel" <i>Motorcycle Madness</i> (Maraqopa, 23) D</div><div>- Deer Tick, "Dancing In the Dark" <i>single</i> (ATO, 23) D</div><div>- Geese, "Killing My Borrowed Time" <i>4D Country EP</i> (Partisan, 23)</div><div>- Beirut, "The Tern" <i>Hadsel</i> (Pompeii, Nov 10)</div><div>- Violent Femmes, "Gone Daddy Gone/I Just Want To Make Love To You (Live at Folk City 1983)" <i>Violent Femmes (Deluxe Edition)</i> (Craft, Dec 1) D</div><div>- Brittany Howard, "What Now" <i>What Now</i> (Island, 23) D</div><div><br /></div><div><div>--------------------------</div><div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/1JOQ3J0LAOwxmlvpnjDa8J?utm_source=generator&theme=0" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-52438403757607302772023-10-08T19:00:00.002-06:002023-10-09T09:08:56.427-06:00JASON HAWK HARRiS - THiN PLACES<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPaMXGse83YfxuSxEgWbUOPCSRUCwJzryVglVKxnZKvoqQWhj4eLIdNgWVHYE3UpswTaubx9emmTlsEaP4GpvFZ3_bFqfqECH855J2zRF7SFt5TpUojdS3FicbojHkqA9dqXQFAu7WMJYifI09TxueEtps4bO8W0-O468IIsHToGV1dPMeVCl0g/s971/Jason%20Hawk%20Harris%20by%20Daley%20Hake.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="971" data-original-width="971" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPaMXGse83YfxuSxEgWbUOPCSRUCwJzryVglVKxnZKvoqQWhj4eLIdNgWVHYE3UpswTaubx9emmTlsEaP4GpvFZ3_bFqfqECH855J2zRF7SFt5TpUojdS3FicbojHkqA9dqXQFAu7WMJYifI09TxueEtps4bO8W0-O468IIsHToGV1dPMeVCl0g/s320/Jason%20Hawk%20Harris%20by%20Daley%20Hake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">October 8, 2023 </div><div style="text-align: left;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i><a href="https://watch.showandtell.film/watch/werenotlostfilm" target="_blank">We're Not Lost: The Last Ride of the Show Ponies</a></i> is a new film made by North Forty, following the folk quintet Show Ponies on their final tour. It's a scenario that likely plays out countless times during a year, as young and talented musicians face the tough decision to move on from their dreams. <b>Jason Hawk Harris</b>, Show Ponies' guitarist, expresses some optimism in being able to try new things as a solo artist. The open-faced Harris also mentions his own struggles in balancing the band's needs with the fact that his mother had just passed away. Roughly a year later, the solo Harris released <i>Love & the Dark</i> on Bloodshot Records, a collection haunted by the circumstances of her death. </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, between the pandemic and the dissolution of Bloodshot, Harris had little opportunity to generate due awareness for the project. Once the label was reformed, and monetary matters were settled, Harris was brought back onboard for his second full-length. <i>Thin Places</i> picks up where that debut left off, a concept album of sorts that continues to color in the story of the songwriter wrestling with his mother's passing. The new sessions feature much the same outfit surrounding Harris, including a cohort of Show Ponies alumnus: Producer/instrumentalist Andy Freeman, Philip Glenn on strings and piano, and drummer Kevin Brown. </div><div><br /></div><div>Like <i>Love & the Dark</i>, these new songs speak from a Biblical vernacular, stories often peppered with a Christian mythology. Harris' song cycle begins with the ambient gospel of "Jordan and the Nile", his boyish vocal over the drone of a harmonium as we gather to add his mother's ashes to the eddying river. <i>My uncle died praying for a miracle</i>, he sings alongside Glenn's seesawing fiddle. Like Parker Millsap, Harris has no intention of preaching. <i>Thin Places</i> asks more questions than it answers, a blast of dark electricity interrupting the backing chorus. With unexpectedly <i>bright colors</i> and Afro-Latin rhythms, "Bring Out the Lillies" drops us in the midst of a congregation of mourners. Harris lurks like a question mark: <i>Here I am sitting in church, and I don't know why</i>. We're even allowed a glance into his mother's coffin: <i>She's primped and adjusted / But she don't look any less dead</i>. Glenn's essential fiddle spirals and swirls as the tune accelerates like an anxious, rising heartbeat. <i>It feels like everyone's smiling and singing and praising too soon ...</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Jason Hawk Harris won't keep us in church for too long. As we're aware, life intervenes and we're left grasping for meaning and emotional traction in the midst of navigating everyday survival. The singer turns to chemical stimulation on "Shine a Little Light", flirting with the edge in hopes of feeling something, anything. Adam "Ditch" Kurtz's pedal steel ensures that Harris' wide-ranging music remains rooted in country, even moreso than on his debut. <i>From point oh-eight to point eight-oh / I didn't think that was possible</i>, he sings. "I'm Getting By" skips on Brown's rushing percussion, another of the collection's songs whose upbeat musicality is juxtaposed with Harris' desperate search for balance: <i>I don't like to ugly-cry in public too much</i>. By "So Damn Good" he allows himself the distraction of his partner's beauty: <i>Spiders spin their webs in lovely ways to catch her eye</i>. God bless our superficial nature. </div><div><br /></div><div>As Harris dances along these <i>Thin Places</i>, we're treated to some excellent playing from his band and backing vocalists. There's a point in the Show Ponies documentary where Philip Glenn notes that Harris has a recurring tendency to want to drive his music in new directions, to push beyond the traditions of folk and country. These <i>extra</i> moments are largely what can set his music apart from the pack, the guitar pulsing like a heartbeat monitor on "The Abyss". Harris relates a harrowing story of discovering his mother's history of sexual abuse while reading the diary she left behind, his Greek chorus of backing vocalists repeating, <i>This little light of mine ain't shining</i>. As with "Grandfather" on his debut collection, Harris ends <i>Thin Places</i> with his most ambitious work in "White Berets". Here the artist again brings together the country-folk with his more progressive classical training, interweaving Louisiana rhythms and accordion with more formal string arrangements. The rollicking rhythms slow, then fade into a celestial cloud of pedal steel and twinkling piano, until we're brought full-circle with Harris' epitaph: <i>Little river let me float for awhile / I wanna see the Jordan swallow the Nile</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>I'll take my glory with a little bit of shame</i>, Harris sings on "Roll". The chorus swells with momentary gospel intensity, his voice reaching for its far edges. On <i>Thin Places</i>, Jason Hawk Harris delivers these <i>value added</i> moments on songs that simultaneously feed the need for good music while exceeding expectations with meaning-filled lyrics and passages that speak to the artist's impressive musical range. While Harris will surely move onto new topics as his career progresses, challenging himself to explore new avenues of expression, he demonstrates refreshing ability and ambition on his first two records. There is great reward in diving deep with Harris, joining him <i>skipping stones across the abyss</i>. </div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">A Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster </a>is all you need to keep tabs on new and forthcoming releases for our kind of music. F'rinstance, we recently added news of a new <b>Flatland Cavalry</b> project. The band's major label debut, <i>Wandering Star</i> comes via Interscope on October 27. Canada's <b>Elliott BROOD</b> return with their first full-length in a couple years. <i>Town</i> will land on shelve wherever music matters on November 3 (Six Shooter). Among our favorite singer-songwriters, <b>John Moreland</b> presents his first live album on November 10. <i>Live at Third Man Records</i> features work from throughout his career, cut to lathe in real time (Nov 10). <b>Roadside Graves</b>' last record was inspired by SE Hinton's <i>Outsiders</i>. Set for a November 10 release, <i>I Won't Cry Alone</i> takes inspiration from the author's celebrated <i>Rumblefish</i> novel (Don Giovanni). Finally, save room for new <b>William Elliott Whitmore</b> into the new year. His ninth studio album, <i>Silently the Mind Breaks</i> has been announced for a January 26 debut (Whitmore). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- Roadside Graves, "We're Not Here" <i>I Won't Cry Alone</i> (Don Giovanni, Nov 10) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Steel Woods, "Border Lord" <i>On Your Time</i> (Woods, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Blackberry Smoke, "Little Bit Crazy" <i>Be Right Here</i> (3 Legged, Feb 16) </div><div style="text-align: left;">- Mike & the Moonpies, "Rainy Day (live)" <i>Live From the Devil's Backbone</i> (Prairie Rose, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Southall, "When You're Around" <i>Southall</i> (Smoklahoma, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Zach Russell, "Born Again" <i>Where the Flowers Meet the Dew</i> (Carlboro, Dec 1) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- John Baumann, "Revving Engines River Street" <i>Border Radio</i> (Terlingua Spring, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Jerry Joseph, "Am I OK" <i>Baby You're the Man Who Would Be King</i> (Cosmo Sex School, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Alejandro Escovedo, "From Death To Texas" <i>Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions: The Task Has Overwhelmed Us</i> (Glitterhouse, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Andrew Bryant, "Gravy" <i>Prodigal</i> (Sentimental Noises, Nov 3)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Jolie Holland, "Me and My Dream" <i>Haunted Mountain</i> (Cinquefoil, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Cory Hanson, "Western Cum" <i>single</i> (Drag City, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Cactus Lee, "Lowell, Mass" <i>Caravan</i> (Org Music, Oct 20)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Jeffrey Martin, "Red Station Wagon" <i>Thank God We Left the Garden</i> (Fluff & Gravy, Nov 3)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Maya de Vitry, "Stacy In Her Wedding Gown" <i>Infinite EP</i> (Mad Maker, Oct 20) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Lily & Madeleine, "Good Things" <i>Nite Swim</i> (L&M, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Midlake, "Roadrunner Blues (ft John Grant)" <i>single</i> (Bella Union, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Liza Anne, "Internet Depression" <i>Utopian</i> (AntiFragile, Nov 3) </div><div style="text-align: left;">^ Jason Hawk Harris, "The Abyss" <i>Thin Places</i> (Bloodshot, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Cruz Contreras, "Flashing Light" <i>Cosmico</i> (Cosmico, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Maybel, "Matters" <i>Gloam</i> (Idee Fixe, Oct 27)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- John R Miller, "Harper's Ferry Moon" <i>Heat Comes Down</i> (Rounder, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Lindsay Lou, "Rules" <i>Queen of Time</i> (Kill Rock Stars, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Aaron Lee Tasjan, "Late Night Grande Hotel" <i>More Than a Whisper: Celebrating the Music of Nanci Griffith</i> (Rounder, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Ruston Kelly, "Dream Song (ft Samia)" <i>single</i> (Grand Jury, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Dori Freeman, "Wrong Direction" <i>Do You Recall</i> (Blue Hens, Nov 17)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Brittney Spencer, "Bigger Than a Song" <i>My Stupid Life</i> (Elektra, Jan 19) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Margo Price, "Unoriginal Sin (ft Mike Campbell)" <i>Strays II</i> (Loma Vista, Oct 13)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Tre Burt, "To Be a River" <i>Traffic Fiction</i> (Oh Boy, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Nikki Lane, "When My Morning Comes Around" <i>single</i> (New West, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>--------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/1dU76avLE4ZUikQbXw7FSc?utm_source=generator&theme=0" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14980261.post-59789069797080766242023-10-01T19:31:00.000-06:002023-10-01T19:31:37.121-06:00WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT SEPTEMBER?!!<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0YfCKRLhVzXd9gzC9R_Wmgz5lIPZz1atvGPIM4xuQcAVn8Ji-ZN-_ffJbyKhYPSGM67BlLkjd0518JWb998lVsIyHHc7BQq-VP-4a_A4XM2TcSNDcdGKbn7uPgdxeef64tcaHTVuUQCAljEEGXt5iJYpw-zX8iM7qbvucjUjrEis66TKH2vOwQ/s1440/Abby%20Hamilton.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1086" data-original-width="1440" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0YfCKRLhVzXd9gzC9R_Wmgz5lIPZz1atvGPIM4xuQcAVn8Ji-ZN-_ffJbyKhYPSGM67BlLkjd0518JWb998lVsIyHHc7BQq-VP-4a_A4XM2TcSNDcdGKbn7uPgdxeef64tcaHTVuUQCAljEEGXt5iJYpw-zX8iM7qbvucjUjrEis66TKH2vOwQ/s320/Abby%20Hamilton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">ROUTES & BRANCHES</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">featuring the very best of americana, alt.country and roots music</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">October 1, 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;">Scott Foley, <i>purveyor of dust</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Blink-and-it's-gone September becomes October. Next thing you know, we're beset with end-of-year lists. Which seems odd, since I'm counting over one-hundred records remaining on our <a href="https://routesandbranches.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">Routes & Branches Guide To Feeding Your Monster</a> release calendar. Nevertheless, we're calendaring our own monthlong Good Riddance to 2023 celebration, which seems to get longer every year. Here's the plan:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Year in Americana - Dec 3</div><div style="text-align: left;">Favorite Songs - Dec 10</div><div style="text-align: left;">Christmas Christmas - Dec 17</div><div style="text-align: left;">Favorite Albums - Dec 24</div><div style="text-align: left;">Covers - Dec 31</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We ask that you respond appropriately. For now, let's add another ten strong songs that gave dimension and meaning to our last thirty days. We call it: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>WHAT's SO GREAT ABOUT SEPTEMBER?!!</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">1. <b>Lydia Loveless</b>, "Sex and Money" <i>Nothing's Gonna Stand In My Way Again</i> (Bloodshot, Sep 22) The digital ink has hardly dried on our appreciation of Loveless' new record, wherein we praised this power pop banger as one of our favorites of the year. With a hot pink Barbie movie hook and a self deprecating humor that carries throughout the collection, it's Lydia Loveless to a new degree. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2. <b>Maren Morris</b>, "Get the Hell Out of Here" <i>The Bridge EP</i> (Columbia, Sep 15) Morris released her two-song <i>Bridge</i> EP as a kiss-off to the exclusionary country mainstream, as well as a reckoning of her own role in the dysfunctional relationship. The lovely acoustic track speaks from this place of humility, a full but simple arrangement credited at least in part to Jack Antonoff, it's a sigh of a song: <i>I do the best I can / But the more I hang around here, the less I give a damn / So to all the doubts and demons that I held so dear / Go on, get the hell outta here</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">^ 3. <b>Abby Hamilton</b>, "#1 Zookeeper (of the San Diego Zoo)" <i>#1 Zookeeper (of the San Diego Zoo)</i> (Blue Gown, Oct 13) We've bookmarked this debut full-length since catching wind of her earliest singles. As clever as Elizabeth Cook, with the soul and bombast of Margo Price, the Kentucky artist is in a decidedly modern setting for her first single, from the thrumming bass to the Olivia Rodrigo-esque recitative: <i>I bet she's really pretty and really smart / She probably reads the New York Times or went to Harvard / Or won some kind of Nobel Peace Prize</i>. This could be fun. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">4. <b>Low Cut Connie</b>, "Take Me To the Place" <i>Art Dealers</i> (Contender, Sep 8) A longing ode to a lost place and time, inspired by the New York of Lou Reed and Patty Smith, Adam Weiner's new record is brilliantly evocative. One of the most daringly captivating performers in our kind of music. he and his band draw from a deep well of soul and scum, glamor and façade. With shared vocals by SUSU, "Take Me" casts a spell. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">5. <b>Morgan Wade</b>, "Losers Look Like Me" <i>Psychopath</i> (Sony, Aug 25) Not everything on her second collection lands as truly as most of the songs from <i>Reckless</i>. That said, at her best Wade remains a fearless artist with a wisdom and melodic sensibility to rival Kasey Musgraves. Here she recognizes herself in the <i>losers</i> following in the footsteps of their failed parents. The midtempo country-rocker shines brighter than Ashley McBryde in a pop sense, but shares the other's first-hand knowledge of small town misgivings: <i>I didn't know the world was so damn mean</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">6. <b>Jeffrey Martin</b>, "There Is a Treasure" <i>Thank God We Left the Garden</i> (Fluff & Gravy, Nov 3) Good god, what do Jeffrey Martin and Anna Tivel talk about over dinner?! One-half of folk music's most eloquent pair, Martin has announced his first record in six years. Recorded in a backyard shed with an acoustic guitar and two mics, "Treasure" is an exquisite statement on meaning and mortality, hushed an reverent, gorgeously melodic. Per Martin, it's about the gift of feeling ourselves to be <i>beautifully unimportant</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">7. <b>Big Thief</b>, "Born For Loving You" <i>single</i> (4AD, Sep 13) You might recall that Big Thief's tangled gesture, <i>Dragon New Warm Mountain, etc ...</i> sat atop our year-end favorites for '22. This unexpectedly straightforward folk-rock track follows September's darker "Vampire Empire", though we've learned by now to eschew expectations for Adrienne Lenker and co. "Born" is as earnestly simple a song as the quartet has shared in recent years, even as Lenker's lyrics loop from <i>the back of your pickup truck</i> into the meaning-full cosmos: <i>After the first stars formed, after the dinos fell / After the first light flickered out of this motel</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">8. <b>Maria Elena Silva</b>, "Love, If It Is So" <i>Dulce</i> (Astral Spirits, Sep 29) Silva is a talented Chicago singer-guitarist whose new album careens through rock, jazz, and Latin music, delivered in Spanish as well as English. "Love" sequences bits from each of these, adding additional sparks of guitar from Mark Ribot to Silva's breathy, enigmatic vocal: <i>Perfect angles get bent at the sight of me</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">9. <b>Margo Cilker</b>, "I Remember Carolina" <i>Valley of Heart's Delight</i> (Fluff & Gravy, Sep 15) Cilker's second collection addresses concerns of home and place, where and how we belong. "Carolina" is a rollicking travelogue, a loose romp from Carolina to Montana, down through Oregon and into the changing landscapes of her native California coast. The bluegrass cut features Caleb Klauder on mandolin, Jenny Conlee-Drizos at a pub-ready piano, and some reckless fiddle from Annie Staninec. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">10. <b>Sarah Jarosz</b>, "Jealous Moon" <i>Polaroid Lovers</i> (Rounder, Jan 26) Multi-instrumentalist Jarosz was not yet 20 when she was crowned a <i>bluegrass debutante</i> by NPR. Several bluegrass, folk, and americana crowns later (incl. four Grammys), she announces her seventh record with a pulsing, polished shot of country-pop miles from those 'grass roots. Produced and co-written by Daniel Tashian (who played a hand in Kasey Musgraves' break from country), "Jealous" charges forward on Edge-y guitar spirals and Fred Eltringham's 80's-adjacent wave of drums: <i>Queen bee buzzing round my right arm / Wonder how she keeps her kingdom spinning</i>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>ROUTES-cast OCTOBER 1, 2023</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">- Flatland Cavalry, "Mornings With You (ft Kaitlin Butts)" <i>Wandering Star</i> (Interscope, Oct 27) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Shane Smith & the Saints, "Greys Between" <i>single</i> (Geronimo West, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Charlie Crockett, "Black Sedan (live)" <i>Live From the Ryman</i> (Son of Davy, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Goodnight Texas, "Runaways (ft Kirk Hammett)" <i>single</i> (2 Cent Bank Check, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Old Heavy Hands, "Coming Down" <i>Small Fires</i> (OHH, Jan 19) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Southall, "Scared Money" <i>Southall</i> (Smoklahoma, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Howdies, "Cry Mercy" <i>Howdies All Around</i> (Normaltown, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Lindsay Lou, "Nothing's Working (ft Billy Strings)" <i>Queen of Time</i> (Kill Rock Stars, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Buddy & Julie Miller, "I Been Around" <i>In the Throes</i> (New West, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Duff Thompson, "Up and Go" <i>Shadow People</i> (Mashed Potato, Oct 27)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Owen Temple, "Beautiful Accidents" <i>Rings On a Tree</i> (El Paisano, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Van Plating, "Joel Called the Ravens (ft Ottoman Turks)" <i>Orange Blossom Child</i> (Singular, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Charles Wesley Godwin, "Soul Like Mine" <i>Family Ties</i> (Big Loud, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Zach Bryan, "Sarah's Place (ft Noah Kahan)" <i>Boys of Faith EP</i> (Belting Bronco, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Jerry Joseph, "Book Burning" <i>Baby You're the Man Who Would Be King</i> (Cosmo Sex School, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Jaime Wyatt, "Althea" <i>Feel Good</i> (New West, Nov 3)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- William Elliott Whitmore, "Adaptation and Survival" <i>Silently the Mind Breaks</i> (Whitmore, Jan 26) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- John Moreland, "Dim Little Light (live)" <i>Live at Third Man Records</i> (Third Man, Nov 10) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Bones of JR Jones, "Animals" <i>Slow Lightning</i> (Bones, Oct 13)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Jason Isbell, "Stockholm (live)" <i>Southeastern (10th Anniversary Edition)</i> (Southeastern, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- John P Strohm, "This American Lie" <i>Something To Look Forward To</i> (Propeller Sound, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Elliott BROOD, "Rose City" <i>Town</i> (Six Shooter, Nov 3) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Dylan LeBlanc, "Coyote" <i>Coyote</i> (ATO, Oct 20)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Connie Lovatt, "Gull" <i>Coconut Mirror</i> (Enchante, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Wilco, "Soldier Child" <i>Cousin</i> (dBpm, 23)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Sun June, "Mixed Bag" <i>Bad Dream Jaguar</i> (Run For Cover, Oct 20)</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Iron & Wine, "Thomas County Law (live)" <i>Who Can See Forever Soundtrack</i> (Sub Pop, Nov 17) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Little Mazarn, "Lake Texoma" <i>Honey Island General Store EP</i> (Double Yolk, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;">- Yasmin Williams, "Dawning (ft Aoife O'Donovan)" <i>single</i> (Nonesuch, 23) D</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>--------------------------</div><div><br /></div><div>To enjoy our weekly Spotify <b>ROUTES-cast</b>, just open Spotify and search for "routesandbranches" to access this most recent playlist, as well as many others from past months. Or click here for a preview:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/6Fe2tW2lCBpbEUQjdpNRJ7?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>Scott Foleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589594719328489032noreply@blogger.com0