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January-March 2006
Page 1,
2, 3,
4, 5, 6,
7
Page Index:
Tweedy's
Busy Spring
70s
Outlaw Country Artists in the News
Marty
Stuart Releases Live at the Ryman
Shannon
McNally Releases North American Ghost Music
And
the Grammy Winners Are . . .
Beth
Orton Releases Comfort of Strangers
Norman
and Nancy Blake Release New CD With Old Title
Chris
Thile and Mike Marshall Release Live CD
The
Duhks Re-Release Debut CD
The
Gibson Brothers Release Red Letter Day
BR549
Releases New Studio CD
Jack
Ingram Releases New Live CD
The
Cottars Release Debut Rounder CD
2005:
What A Year for the Greencards
The
Life and Legend of "Tom Dooley"
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AMERICANA
NEWS
Tweedy's
Busy Spring
You can call Jeff Tweedy
a lot of things - but don't call him lazy. At least
not when it comes to recording and touring with his various
bands and side projects. On March 5, Tweedy and his fellow
Wilco bandmates hit the road for an extended Spring tour
across the Eastern US. If the back-to-back opening
shows in Chapel Hill, NC are any indication, expect a live
set akin to the band's most recent live CD Kicking
Television: Live in Chicago - with a new song or two
thrown in for good measure.
Of
course, Wilco has largely transcended the
"alt-country" label initially attached to the band
in the 1990s. The Chapel Hill concerts illustrated the
appeal and impact of the band's newer releases on a younger
and ever-growing fanbase. The typical Chapel Hill attendee
was likely in elementary school when the band was formed
from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo in the mid-1990s.
Nevertheless, Wilco remains an imaginative and compelling
band with a musical influence that should not be ignored.
 If
Wilco is not enough to satisfy your Tweedy fix, you
fortunately have lots of alternatives these days. On
March 21, Tweedy will join with Jim O'Rourke and Wilco
bandmate Glenn Kotche to release their second Loose Fur CD
called Born Again in the U.S.A. Loose Fur
released its self-titled debut CD in 2002.
Meanwhile,
Tweedy's other side project - Golden Smog - is set to
release its latest CD on July 18. The new CD will be
entitled Another Fine Day and will hit the shelves
almost eight years after the alt-country supergroup's last
effort in 1998. The group's current line-up includes
Tweedy, Soul Asylum's Dan Murphy, Big Star's Jody Stephens
and the Jayhawks' Gary Louris, Marc Perlman and Kraig
Johnson. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the latest
Golden Smog release is the presence of the former Jayhawks.
After much speculation regarding the future of the Jayhawks,
this project combined with Louris's 2005 tour with former
Jayhawk Mark Olson suggests that the members are still on
good terms. Hopefully, the rumors of the band's permanent
demise were a bit premature.
(Mar. 8,
2006) |
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AMERICANA
NEWS
70s
Outlaw Country Artists in the News
The past few months have
witnessed a re-discovery of the outlaw country movement of
the 1970s. Perhaps spurred in part by the popularity
of the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line, several of
the key figures of outlaw country have prepared new releases
for older fans who remember the heyday of the musical
movement as well as new fans who have recently discovered
the rougher side classic country.
On
February 28, Jessi Colter released her first solo album in
over 20 years. Colter is well known to outlaw country
fans as the surviving wife and sometimes musical partner of
Waylon Jennings. (For some younger Americana fans, she is
also the mother of Shooter Jennings.) Her most notable
recording is the classic outlaw country release Wanted!
The Outlaws. This seminal recording was the first
country album certified platinum for selling over 1 million
copies. Joined by Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Tompall
Glaser, Colter's appearance on the collaborative effort
helped her to emerge as perhaps the only female voice of the
outlaw country movement.
 Colter's
most recent release is Out of the Ashes on the Shout!
Factory label. The release features a sophisticated blend of
country, blues, gospel and soul. In addition to
Colter's original songs, she includes several covers
including a notable version of Bob Dylan's "Rainy
Day Women #12 & 35." The recording also
features a song based on an old tape recording made by
Waylon Jennings and Tony Joe White. The result is a
new collaboration between Colter, Jennings and White
entitled "Out of the Rain."
Speaking
of Waylon Jennings and Tony Joe White, each are the subject
of new CD/DVD releases as part of the Live From Austin,
Texas series featuring highlights from the PBS series
Austin City Limits. The Waylon Jennings performance
was recorded in April 1989. The Tony Joe White
performance dates from December 1980. Other new and
recent releases from the series include an October 1985
performance by Merle Haggard and a January 1987 performance
by Johnny Cash.
In
other outlaw country news, veteran country music outlaw
Willie Nelson is set to release his latest CD on March 14
entitled You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker.
In what was most likely a publicity stunt to promote the new
release, Nelson released a new song on Valentine's Day with
a Brokeback Mountain-ish theme. "Cowboys Are
Frequently, Secretly (Fond of Each Other)" debuted
on Howard Stern's satellite radio show and is only available
through iTunes. The song was written by Texas-born
songwriter Ned Sublette during the Urban Cowboy craze of the
early 1980s. Nelson recorded the song last year.
Nelson also performed a song on the Brokeback Mountian
soundtrack entitled "He Was A Friend of Mine."
(Mar. 5,
2006) |
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NEW
RELEASE:
Marty
Stuart Releases Live at the Ryman
 On
February 7, Marty Stuart released his third CD in less than
six months. Even Ryan Adams has to be impressed with number
of Stuart's recent releases. The latest CD - entitled Live
at the Ryman - is a live acoustic collection of
bluegrass songs recorded at the Ryman Auditorium in
Nashville. Stuart is joined on the release by his backing
band - the Fabulous Superlatives. Live at the Ryman
features traditional bluegrass standards and bluegrass
versions of Stuart's songs and gospel classics. Check out
the following articles for more on Marty's latest releases:
Gritz
Magazine (February, 2006).
Washington
Post (Jan. 25, 2006).
(Feb. 20, 2006) |
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NEW
RELEASE:
Shannon
McNally Releases North American Ghost Music
 On
February 7, Shannon McNally released her latest CD entitled North
American Ghost Music. The live release is the
third CD from the Hempstead, Long Island native. McNally's
reflective and intimate music has led to opening gigs for
artists such as Stevie Nicks, Ryan Adams and Son Volt.
North American Ghost Music contains a collection of
songs recorded on her summer 2005 tour in support of her
recent studio CD Geronimo. Highlights from the latest
CD include live versions of "Sweet Forgiveness'
and the title track from Geronimo. McNally also
delivers a compelling version of the Willie Nelson classic
"My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys."
(Feb.
20, 2006) |
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AMERICANA
NEWS:
And
the Grammy Winners Are . . .
The 48th Annual Grammy
Awards were held on February 8 in Los Angeles. The
winners in the categories discussed in our Grammy
preview are listed below:
Contemporary
Folk Album: Fair
& Square, John Prine.
Traditional Folk
Album: Fiddler's
Green, Tim O'Brien.
Female Country Vocal Performance: The
Connection, Emmylou Harris.
Male Country Vocal Performance: You'll
Think of Me, Keith Urban.
Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: Restless,
Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Country Collaboration With Vocals: Like
We Never Loved at All, Faith Hill & Tim McGraw.
Country Instrumental Performance: Unionhouse
Branch, Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Country Album: Lonely
Runs Both Ways, Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Bluegrass Album: The
Company We Keep, The Del McCoury Band.
Solo Rock Vocal Performance: Devils
& Dust, Bruce Springsteen.
Rock Song: City of
Blinding Lights, U2, (U2).
Rock Album: How
to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2.
Alternative Music Album: Get
Behind Me Satan, The White Stripes.
Song of the Year: Sometimes
You Can't Make It on Your Own, U2.
In
general, it was a good showing by the Americana artists
nominated. As usual, Alison Krauss was the big winner and
added to her distinction as the most honored female
performer in the Grammy history.
(Feb.
20, 2006) |
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NEW
RELEASE:
Beth
Orton Releases Comfort of Strangers
 On
February 7, Beth Orton released her latest studio album
entitled Comfort of Strangers. Born in Norwich,
England, Orton's music is relaxed and sophisticated with a
notable jazz influence. Her laid-back style is often
compared to Norah Jones. Orton collaborated with Ryan
Adams and Emmylou Harris on her 2002 release Daybreaker.
Comfort of Strangers is the fourth CD from the
folk/jazz performer. The CD was recorded in just two weeks
with producer Jim O'Rourke who has previously worked with
bands such as Wilco.
(Feb. 20, 2006) |
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NEW
RELEASE:
Norman
and Nancy Blake Release New CD With Old Title
 On
January 31, Norman and Nancy Blake released a collection of
new material under an old title - Back Home in Sulphur
Springs. Norman's debut solo CD for Rounder Records in
1972 was also entitled Back Home in Sulphur Springs.
Not to be confused with this classic release, the latest CD
bears the same title but contains an entirely new collection
of songs. Norman and Nancy continue to be purveyors of pure
Americana. With a classic folk sound incorporating
elements of bluegrass and traditional country music, the
Blakes are a true Americana treasure.
(Feb. 20, 2006) |
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NEW
RELEASE:
Chris
Thile and Mike Marshall Release Live CD
 On
January 24, Chris Thile and Mike Marshall released Live:
Duets - a live CD featuring tracks recorded on a brief
tour in support of their 2003 studio album Into The
Cauldron. Thile is well-known to many Americana fans as
the mandolin player for Nickel Creek. He recorded his first
album at 12 years of age and has since won numerous awards
and honors as both a solo artist and as a member of Nickel
Creek. Mike Marshall is a veteran mandolin player who
has played with artists such as David Grisman, Tony Rice,
Bela Fleck, Sam Bush and Edgar Meyer. Despite a significant
age difference, Thile and Marshall's relationship was formed
through years of playing together at bluegrass festivals and
jam sessions around the country.
(Feb. 20, 2006) |
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NEW
RELEASE:
The
Duhks Re-Release Debut CD
 On
January 24, Sugar Hill Records re-released the Duhks debut
CD entitled Your Daughters & Your Sons. The
CD was recorded in 2002 - a mere four months after the band
was formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The recording had recently
been available only at the band's concerts and through the
band's website. Interest in the CD was sparked by the
success of the Duhk's 2005 Sugar Hill release The Duhks.
The band is currently headed back into the studio to record
their third CD with Tim O'Brien and Gary Paczosa as
Co-Producers.
(Feb. 20, 2006) |
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NEW
RELEASE:
The
Gibson Brothers Release Red Letter Day
 On
January 24, upstate New Yorkers Eric and Leigh Gibson
released their new CD entitled Red Letter Day on
Sugar Hill Records. The bluegrass band's latest
release follows on the heels of 2004's Long Way Back Home.
Red Letter Day is an eclectic mix of original songs,
traditional standards and covers. The CD features songs by
Bruce Robison and Chris Knight, as well as bluegrass
versions of Ray Charles' "I Got A Woman"
and the Rolling Stones' "It's All Over Now."
Click
here for Gibson Brothers tour information.
(Feb. 20, 2006) |
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NEW
RELEASE:
BR549
Releases New Studio CD
 On
January 10, BR549 released their new studio album entitled Dog
Days. The Nashville band has emerged as one of the
most popular alt-country bands of the past decade. The new
release was recorded with producer John Keane in Athens,
Georgia. Keane is well-known for his work with REM, Cowboy
Junkies and Robert Earl Keene, among others. Dog Days
is the follow-up to the band's 2004 release Tangled in
the Pines. Following the release of their new CD,
BR549 will embark on a tour of the East Coast and upper
Midwest with the Avent Brothers. Check
out the band's official website for tour information.
(Jan. 15, 2006) |
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NEW
RELEASE:
Jack
Ingram Releases New Live CD
 On
January 10, Texas country-rocker Jack Ingram released a live
CD entitled Live Wherever You Are. The release
is essentially a repackaged version of 2004's Live at
Gruene Hall along with two new studio tracks - "Wherever
You Are" and "Love You." The
CD also features the live version of "Never Knocked
Me Down" which was recorded during the 2005 CMT
Outlaws concert. Click
here for Jack Ingram tour information.
(Jan. 15, 2006) |
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NEW
RELEASE:
The
Cottars Release Debut Rounder CD
 On
January 10, the Cottars released their debut CD on Rounder
Records entitled Forerunner. The group consists
of two brother-sister pairs and hail from Cape Breton, Nova
Scotia. The band's sound is a blend of traditional American
and Celtic folk music. The new release follows the band's
2004 CD On Fire! which was released on their own
Sea-Cape Music label in Canada. The release of Forerunner
will be accompanied by an extensive tour with the
Chieftains. Click
here for tour information.
(Jan. 15, 2006) |
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COMMENTARY:
2005:
What A Year for the Greencards
  A
year ago the Greencards were an obscure Austin-based trio
comprised of a Brit and two Aussies (thus the band's name)
trying to make a name for themselves in the distinctly
American world of bluegrass. Now - one year later - the
Greencards have emerged as one of the hottest and most
promising acts in bluegrass music. Consisting of South
London native Eamon McLoughlin and Australians Carol Young
and Kym Warner, the Greencards possess an infectious sound
which is newgrass with enough traditional elements to appeal
to Bill Monroe fans. (The band routinely covers
Monroe's "Walls of Time" in concert.)
The
busy year for the band began in January when their new
record label Dualtone released the band's debut CD Movin'
On. The CD had been recorded and released by the
band on its own prior to signing with Dualtone. With
the support of their new label, Movin' On garnered
airplay on bluegrass and Americana radio around the country.
Featuring songs such as "Life's A Freeway"
and the title track, Movin' On was one of the
strongest releases in bluegrass in 2005.
Springtime
saw the band make appearances at two of the country's
premier Americana festivals - the SXSW Festival followed by
Merlefest. A couple of months later, the band found itself
opening for Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan during their summer
US tour. On June 28, the Greencards released their
second Dualtone CD of 2005 entitled Weather and Water.
Once again, the band produced another solid effort which was
every bit as compelling as its debut release. Stand
out tracks from the CD include "Time" and
"The Ghosts of Who We Were." The band
also received a nomination for Emerging Artist of the Year
by the Americana Music Association.
By
August, the Greencards were opening for Aussie Kasey
Chambers on a handful of dates around the US. Joined
on stage by Chambers' guitarist Rod McCormack, the band
become a temporary foursome for the series of gigs. On
August 12, Chambers and the Greencards stopped by WFPK's
Live Lunch to record a few songs for the
nationally syndicated radio show. The band also
appeared on the WoodSongs
Old Time Radio Hour to promote their 2005
releases. An appearance on CMT's
Studio 330 program provided another opportunity
for the band to feature its music before a wider country
music audience.
By
the end of the year, the band's fortunes had caused them
re-locate from Austin to Nashville. Unfortunately, the
band experienced a traumatic end to their busy year.
On December 8, the tour van carrying the Greencards hit
a patch of ice and rolled over while returning to
Austin from a gig in Bryan, Texas. Fortunately, no one
received serious injuries and the band completed its tour to
close out the year.
Apparently
when everything is going your way, not even a serious
traffic accident can stop the momentum. Here's hoping
the Greencards give bluegrass fans another year to remember
in 2006.
(Jan. 8, 2006) |
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COMMENTARY:
The
Life and Legend of "Tom Dooley"
|
Hang
down your head Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you're bound to die.
-- Traditional (as performed
by
The Kingston Trio)
|
 |
Wilkesboro,
North Carolina is well-known to many Americana music fans as the
home of the annual Merlefest music festival. But the
Appalachian foothills surrounding Wilkesboro are rich in the
Americana music tradition. If you take a short drive West
out of Wilkesboro on Highway 268, you will pass a state historical
marker on the side of the rural highway. Many people pass
the sign every day without even a second glance. However,
the marker reminds both residents and visitors of an important
local event immortalized in perhaps the most famous murder ballad
in American folk music history.
Almost
a century before The Kingston Trio had a pop hit in 1958 with their
version of "The Ballad of Tom Dooley,"
the real "Tom Dula" returned home to North Carolina
following a stint in the Confederate Army during the Civil
War. By all accounts,
Dula was a well-known local fiddler and a womanizer. After
his return home, Dula apparently contracted syphilis after an
unfortunate rendez-vous with a member of the fairer sex. Dula
threatened to "put through" (local vernacular for
"stab to death") the female who gave him the
condition. A short time later the body of a local girl named
Laura Foster was discovered in a shallow grave.
Foster
and Dula had been involved in a relationship and witnesses placed
Dula near the vicinity of the Foster's grave around the time of
the murder. Dula was
convicted of the crime based largely upon circumstantial
evidence. Dula maintained his innocence and was even
represented by a former North Carolina governor. The conviction
was appealed to the North Carolina Supreme Court which ruled
against Dula and upheld his conviction. Local legends
and rumors persist regarding the guilt or innocence of Dula,
though most historians have concluded that Dula was the probable
murderer.
Following
the loss of his appeal, Tom Dula was hanged for the murder of
Laura Foster. It appears that "The Ballad of Tom
Dooley" was written around the time of Dula's hanging by
a local poet named Thomas C. Land. For several decades the
song served as a local murder ballad in the tradition of many
other similarly-themed songs. Folk music historian Frank
Warner eventually collected the song from a local banjo player and
singer named Frank Profitt. It was this version that
ultimately came to the attention of the Kingston Trio. Their
recording of the song became a major commercial hit in 1958
selling over 6,000,000 copies. The unusual hit single is
often credited with sparking the entire folk music revival of the
1960s.
Just
imagine the impact of a single simple song. From this
century old mountain ballad came an entire musical movement which
completely changed the direction of popular music. Maybe a
song really can change the world.
(Jan.
2, 2006)
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