NEW RELEASES 02.26.08 |
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It's A Cracker ! |
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IT'S
A CRACKER!
RECENT CRACKERS! BRENDON
JAMES WRIGHT & THE WRONGS TED
LUKAS PONDERING
JUDD MARKUS
RILL - Price of Sin (German Import) MARKUS
RILL - Things That Count PURITAN
RODEO - We All Share The Same Secret DELANEY
BRAMLETT - A New Kind OF Blues CARTRIDGE
FAMILY - Shine Like A Bottle AMERICAN
MARS - Western Sides
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Coma
La Grava, translated to Eat Gravel, is the second EP of a planned trilogy, perhaps
as a nod to mileage racked up as a working band. The second installment features
four originals: California Postcard / Promiscuous / Lots of Luck / No 1 With A
Bullet. They still rock, but also display subtlety. The interesting part of the
EP experiment is to hear incremental changes in a band as it matures. – Jeff
Weiss, Miles of Music (Pants On Fire)New Releases |
TIFT
MERRITT
COWBOY
JUNKIES
DOLLY
PARTON
MARIA
MCKEE
PUNCH
BROTHERS
JASON
& THE SCORCHERS
TOM
T. HALL
ROKY
ERICKSON & THE EXPLOSIVES
MICHAEL
DEAN DAMRON
LIZZ
WRIGHT
Other Releases: DOUG
HOEKSTRA
RAVEONETTES
CANADA
FOLKSONGS 1951-1957
CLANCY
BROTHERS & TOMMY MAKEM
COACHMEN
DEEP
RIVER BOYS
FAIRFIELD
FOUR
PAUL
THORN
BOB
FRANK
ANTHONY
GOMES
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On
this, her debut album for Fantasy, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Tift lets
fly with 11 new original tunes crafted into her most cohesive and personal album
to date. The album is beautifully and elegantly produced by George Drakoulias
and recorded by David Bianco. The players include guitarists Charlie Sexton and
Doug Pettibone and Tifts longtime band, Zeke Hutchins (drums), Jay Brown (bass)
and Danny Eisenberg (keyboards). Inspiration for the songs on the album came when,
after intensive touring, Merritt erased her grueling schedule and rented a flat
with a piano in Pariss 10th arrondisment planning to take time off. Merritt describes
the writing as a plainspoken look at the distance we all attempt to cross: between
two people, between one heart and the rest of the world. (Concord Music Group)
On
November 27, 1987 the Cowboy Junkies set up a single microphone inside The Church
of the Holy Trinity in Toronto, Ontario and in one day recorded what would become
The Trinity Session, a landmark album of originals and covers grounded in traditional
country, blues, and folk, with a clear nod to The Velvet Underground. The album
would go on to sell millions of copies worldwide and establish the Cowboy Junkies
as one of the most influential bands of the alternative era. Now, 20 years later,
the Cowboy Junkies have returned to The Church of the Holy Trinity to celebrate
their most famous work with the help of special guests Ryan Adams, Natalie Merchant,
Vic Chesnutt, and Jeff Bird. This time around, the band brought some extra mics
and a camera crew along, and the result is a very special 2-disc set (1 CD &
1 DVD), filmed in high-definition video and mixed in stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound
which captures the essence of the Cowboy Junkies and their landmark album as never
before. A bonus documentary about the making of the album is also included. (Rounder)
Produced
by: Kent Wells & Dolly Parton. Track Listing: Better Get To Livin'/Made Of
Stone/Drives Me Crazy/Backwoods Barbie/Jesus & Gravity/Only Dreamin'/Tracks
Of My Tears/The Lonesomes/Cologne/Shinola/I Will Forever Hate Roses/Somebody's
Everything. (Dolly Records)
The
Punch Brothers are nothing less than a youthful band comprising the most prodigious
and sought-after musicians from the cutting edge of bluegrass and folk music.
The quintet was brought together by former Nickel Creek star Chris Thile, who,
the critic Geoffrey Himes of Washington Post declared, "may well be the most
virtuosic American ever to play the mandolin " adding, not insignificantly,
that "he has the flirtatious charisma of a major pop star." Joining
him are Chris Eldridge, who Acoustic Guitar has called "the most-talked-about
guitarist in the bluegrass world," a member of The Infamous Stringdusters
and occasional guest star with dad Bens legendary combo, The Seldom Scene; bassist
Greg Garrison, who has recorded with John Scofield and Vasser Clements, among
many others, and regularly sits in with Leftover Salmon; banjo player Noam Pikelny,
an alumnus of Leftover Salmon and the John Cowan Band who also appears on label-mate
K.D. Langs new disc, Watershed; and fiddle player Gabe Witcher, "a first-call
studio player with a big sound and immaculate intonation," according to String
magazine, who has been featured, on the Oscar-winning soundtracks of Babel and
Brokeback Mountain, among countless other films.
Fervor
followed up by Lost & Found announced a band that had found the balance of
country and rock that the Rolling Stones teased at during their daliance with
Gram Parsons. Jason Ringenberg`s country twang, Warner Hodges, blistering guitar
and the all-muscle rhythm section of Jeff Johnson and Perry Baggs drove this band
like a speeding freight train. Fervor and Lost and Found captured the band at
their creative peak before the pressures of achieving stardom and excesses of
rock and roll began taking a toll. These are essential releases.
This
modest bluegrass session is evidence that, four decades after his recording debut,
Tom T. Hall still ranks with country`s greatest storytellers, and his beloved
wife and songwriting partner, Dixie, is one big reason why. Though the mood is
generally upbeat, funerals figure prominently in "Jimmy Martin`s Life Story"
(recorded shortly before yodeling guitarist Martin`s 2005 death and humorously
suggesting the avoidance of hard-drinking blues songs at the memorial ceremony),
"A Headstone for Harry" and the great "A Hero in Harlan,"
an unsentimental look at a small-town soldier`s return for burial. Elsewhere,
pastoral memories of dirt roads, county borders and green hills surround acknowledgement
about not fitting in with the young folks. Sometimes Hall`s just along for a relaxed
ride among an all-star cast of pickers and strummers, and he talks more than he
sings. But then, he`s always been a great talker. -- Chuck Eddy, Billboard
Halloween
captures the live experience of Roky and The Explosives from their powerful first
cycle, 1979-1981. Explosives drummer Freddie Steady Krc handpicked the tracks,
most unreleased, including Rokys only recorded performance of The Beatles` Ive
Just Seen a Face`. The psychedelic package (cover by San Francisco poster artist,
Dennis Loren) includes previously unpublished photos plus a complete history of
the bands performances from those three amazing years.
Former
I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House front man Michael Dean Damron, with his
new band, Thee Loyal Bastards (Sam Henry from The Wipers, Allen Hunter from The
Eels, and guitarist Morgan Geer) deliver a CD reminiscent of Steve Earle, Alejandro
Escovedo, Townes Van Zant, and Waylon Jennings. Bad Days Ahead is an avalanche
of brash truths and dark stories set to Damron`s own Americana landscape. Damron
has a penchant for targeting his subject with sniper scope eyes. The target most
commonly aimed at is Damron himself; hes picked enough bones to open his own graveyard
and Bad Days Ahead is a well honed viewing of the bodies he has buried.
Wright`s
collaboration with Craig Street continues on The Orchard. While her prior releases
boasted contributions from some of the jazz world`s most respected jazz players,
The Orchard features an eclectic cast that includes noted singer/songwriter Toshi
Reagon, who co-wrote several songs with Wright; Calexico members Joey Burns and
John Convertino; avant-guitar hero Oren Bloedow; longtime Bob Dylan sideman Larry
Campbell; Ollabelle member Glenn Patscha; and guest vocalists Catherine Russell
and Marc Anthony Thompson (aka Chocolate Genius).Back In Stock |
DAVID
SERBY
HACIENDA
BROTHERS
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David
Serby writes and performs traditional Californian country - a description which
is only as distinct as the various elements that make up its varied sound. A little
honky-tonk, a bit o` Bakersfield, some Texas-style roadhouse, and just plain classic
country all figure here with many of his songs bearing the signposts and markers
of a region in which a number called "Santa Ana Winds" can only be written
and fully understood. Calling the Golden State home, the Illinois raised Serby
has recorded I Just Don`t Go Home with a host of local musicians who have played
with the likes of Rita Coolidge, Buck Owens, Dwight Yoakam, Willie Nelson, Chris
Hillman and Dave Alvin, among others - names which can be cited here as influential
and, to some degree, similar. He has the humble honesty and the plaintive, easy
delivery of a folk singer who has his stories. And as he`s telling them you swear
this guy`s lived `em. -- Robinson, Miles Of Music (Western Beat Entertainment)
Music
for Ranch & Town"is the first in a series of CDs produced by the Hacienda
Brothers that will feature rare live recordings and studio outtakes. This initial
release showcases the band live on one of their early tours of Europe and captures
the intense energy of a Hacienda Brothers show. The Bros kick things into gear
with an extended version of their instrumental "Railed" and end the
CD 14 songs and 70 minutes later with the unreleased Gonzalez show-stopper "Gone".
In between there are classic versions of "Mental Revenge", "Cowboys
to Girls", "Walkin` On My Dreams" and "Cry Like A Baby".
Previously unreleased tracks include Johnny Cash`s "Home of the Blues",
Johnny Paycheck`s "If I`m Gonna Sink" and a new instrumental "Brotherized".
What perhaps might be the highlight on the CD is a 12 minute version of the accordion-blues
ridden "Since I Met You Baby". If you`ve ever been to a Hacienda Brothers
show, this is a must have for all (Self Release)New LPs |
GRAND
ARCHIVES
SCOTT
WALKER
SCOTT
WALKER
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While Seattle is famous for many things, sunlight isn`t one of them. Yet illumination
and warmth suffuse the self-titled debut from this Emerald City quintet. Dark
times do not necessarily call for dark music. While singer/ guitarist Mat Brooke`s
previous ensembles (Band Of Horses, Carissa`s Wierd) often shied away from light,
he`s changed direction with this band. Like the timeless classics of The Mamas
& The Papas or The Turtles, it responds to the turbulent times of its genesis
with hope, high spirits, and a sense of camaraderie. (Sub Pop)
Scott 3, originally released in 1969, marked a big change in Walker`s approach
to albums as, for the first time, the record is dominated by his original compositions.
In fact, the only other songwriter that makes it onto the album is Walker`s idol,
Belgium`s legendary singer/songwriter Jacques Brel. Scott 3 again features string
heavy production courtesy of Wally Scott, though it occasionally moves out of
pop ballad territory into a more cinematic feel influenced by Ennio Morricone
among others. A huge influence on folks like David Bowie and Nick Cave, as well
as just about anybody on the 4AD label. Deluxe 180 gram vinyl reissue. (4 Men
With Beards)
Despite being the first of his solo albums not to reach the British Top 10, Scott
4 was perhaps his best, and most ambitious album to date. Originally released
in 1969 it is the first record to feature only Scott Walker originals. It is also
the first to back off a bit from the heavily string laden production of past releases,
allowing other sonic influences to shine through, from country to folk to soul.
The lyrical content remains intense as Walker tackles everything from war to Stalinism
to heartbreak with equal success. A classic. Deluxe 180 gram vinyl reissue.DVDs |
Feb2008 Releases |
Upcoming Releases |
CHATHAM
COUNTY LINE KATHLEEN
EDWARDS
FELICE
BROTHERS GUTTER
TWINS
WHISKEYTOWN Disc
One
Disc Two JIM
WHITE
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Inspired
by her life experiences, Stronger is a raw but touching recollection of her life
of the past few years. Years that included the wrenching sorrow of the sudden
death of her stepfather, mother, sister and ex-lover. Also in that same year she
experienced the euphoria of meeting and falling in love with the cowboy of her
dreams. On her latest work Stronger, her family musical legacy continues. Carlene
started the pre-production with her brother John Carter Cash in 2006 in anticipation
of an upcoming European tour. After performing the songs live, Carlene decided
she wanted to step up the songs' production and turned to her old friend and former
bandmember, John McFee of Doobie Brothers and Southern Pacific fame. Her recent
emotional peaks and valleys have also inspired Carlene to write the bulk of the
material on Stronger, making for her most honest, real and moving work to date.
New
traditionalists Chatham County Line are back with their most ambitious album to
date. The North Carolina quartet's fourth album IV, is a boozy blend of Americana
and loose acoustic rockers that exhibits the band's ever-evolving style. CCL continues
their dedication to traditional instruments by using their love for bluegrass
as a base on which to layer an eclectic blend of roots music. Bluegrass workouts
like "The Carolinian" stand beside pop geared numbers such as "Chip
of a Star" and the hard soul of "Birmingham Jail." The progression
seen on IV is helped along by indie pop musician and producer Chris Stamey (Yo
La Tengo, Alex Chilton, Alejandro Escovedo), making for a starkly heartfelt testament
to making the past new again.
Kathleen
Edwards' Asking for Flowers is her first new album in three years, and the acclaimed
artist's most penetrating collection to date. The album features eleven new songs,
all written by Edwards, and finds her performing at the peak of her creative powers,
supported by a group of master backing musicians. Flowers tells indelible, clear-eyed
stories of hope and resignation, humor and death, unconditional love and brazen
inequality. Co-produced by Edwards and Jim Scott (Tom Petty, Whiskeytown), the
album features, among others, keyboardist Benmont Tench from The Heartbreakers,
drummer Don Heffington (Bob Dylan, The Wallflowers), bassist Bob Glaub (Jackson
Browne, Warren Zevon, Leonard Cohen), guitarist Colin Cripps (Sarah McLachlan,
Bryan Adams), and pedal steel ace Greg Leisz (Sheryl Crow, Wilco, Robert Plant
& Alison Krauss). (Rounder)
The
Felice Brothers' self-titled American debut is a collection of songs originally
recorded to sell to make ends meet on the streets of New York. The band made these
"field recordings" wherever they could: an abandoned cafeteria, a broken
down school bus, a chicken coop, a derailed train, and under a bridge. In these
tales of murder, pathos, lust, and love, you'll find an honest new brand of American
storytelling and song. "Scruffy and scratched Americana that recalls Townes
Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and early Springsteen" - Time Out London. "The
Felice Brothers' Catskills folk is rough around the edges and intoxicating. Ryan
Adams, eat your heart out" - Metroland / Best Of 2007. "Backwoods Americana
is all the rage, but this band of brothers is a cut above the rest" - The
Sun UK (4 stars).
The
first album from the collaboration forged in late 2003 by Mark Lanegan and fellow
maverick singer-songwriter Greg Dulli. "Saturnalia" finds the Dulli
nicknamed "Satanic Everly Brothers" going even deeper into the shadows
than ever before. It proves rootsy but baroque, handmade yet modernist, teeming
with siren melodies that don't resolve. The cumulative effect proves internal
yet epic: the netherworld symphonics of Mogwai, Sigur Ros, and Bohren und der
Club of Gore are touchstones, alongside the sprawling emotions of Pink Floyd,
the melodically catchy paranoia of the Beach Boys, the primal confessionals of
John Lennon. Still, what Dulli and Lanegan achieve ultimately feels like the determinedly
individual product of two auteurs coming together. (Sub Pop)
"Whiskeytown's first major-label release, 1997's Stranger's Almanac, brought
a lot of critical attention, particularly to the band's young singer and songwriter
Ryan Adams. His world-weary drawl is pervasive throughout the album, with an honesty
that belies his age (Adams was 22 at the time of recording, but many of the songs
were written well before then). Credit must also be given to violinist and vocalist
Caitlin Cary, whose good old-time fiddle sings above the rest of the band's crash
and swagger, and whose vocal harmonies help to soothe Adams' gritty yowls and
croons. The radio single "16 Days" is one of the stronger tracks, starting
forlorn but quickly accelerating through the chorus, and "Everything I Do"
pulls in some understated Hammond B-3 organ and a Memphis-style horn section.
...Overall, Stranger's Almanac is a good listen and a fine introduction to both
the band's brash muscle and Adams' bitterly tender songcraft." - Zac Johnson,
All Music Guide. (Geffen)
Jim
White traveled many a junkyard road to get to "Transnormal Skiperoo".
Now living in an old farmhouse in the backwoods of Georgia, Jim White may have
finally reached a place called home, but his other search, for what he calls 'the
gold tooth in God's crooked smile' continues in this new set of backyard tales.
"Transnormal Skiperoo" was produced by Joe Pernice and Michael Deming,
recorded with the band Ollabelle, and also features tracks with Tucker Martine
and Laura Veirs, local Georgia legend Don Chambers & Goat, bluegrass duo Jeff
& Vida and percussionist Mauro Refosco. (Luaka Bop)Payment Options |
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