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Behold! The New Bands You Need to Be Listening To!
by Robert Dean
Hello music friends, it’s been a hot minute.
I’m out here trying to sell this book (you should buy one) and writing about shit like who’s got the best cheese sauce in Texas or where you can find back-alley gambling in Prague because I’m fun like that. But I still am always on the lookout for new music that jams. And recently, there’s been a whole lot. So, let’s do an old-school Farce the Music round-up of the stuff all across the spectrum. You should be hitting play on Ye Old Spotify.
The homie Shadwick Wilde dropped his new track “Easy Rider,” a different take from his band, The Quiet Hollers. If you’re down with that classic Bright Eyes sound and country like Ryan Adams or Deslondes, listen to Shadwick. The dude is grinding in America and working any hovel out in Europe. In the world of “paying your dues,” he should be on your favorite Americana playlist and his dues are at Scrooge McDuck levels.
Down in my city of Austin, Texas….
I’ve lived in Austin for the last decade and I can tell you that our crop of bands right now is absolutely bonkers. If this wasn’t an era where lame internet buffoonery ETT dictates everything, I’d promise that Jimmy from Big Shot Dude Records, with his soul patch, would be snatching up bands left and right like they did back in the 90s grunge era. Every night in town, there are so many shows with local bands that are simply insane. Book a plane ticket and come down, just don’t try and move here.
Pre-covid, everyone wanted to sound like a shitty version of Black Sabbath. Thankfully, everyone let that stupid fetish die and got back to playing fun music. (I love Black Sabbath, but we need fewer bands named Sleepy Bong Witch and all that bell-bottomed nonsense.)
Here are some bands you should check out, and this is by no means a comprehensive list, but what I remembered to write down ten minutes ago.
Speaking of hardcore, Slow Pulse and Beyond Reach are two bands that crush live and will kick your dick inside out. Like Drain? Listen to Beyond Reach. Like Walls of Jericho? Listen to Slow Pulse. Merry Christmas, now get fucking crowd killed.
Another good hardcore band that dips into metal? Lament. They rip, too. Spin kick your dad, he’s a poser.
If you’re looking for some instrumental rippers, Eagle Claw definitely do not suck. I can usually only take instrumental bands for so long and in these cats' cases, it’s time well spent. Also, if you want to crush some beers with cool people hit the Eagle Claw clubhouse, The Coral Snake.
Do you want some absolutely unhinged, wild shit? Go listen to Fuck Money and Tear Dungeon. Both bands are GOING FOR IT live, spitting blood, masks, and violence. Whatever hellscape is brewing collectively in the world, this Austin era delivers the goods seriously.
(If you’re interested in hearing more about the stuff popping off in the Lone Star State’s Capital City, check out The Cosmic Clash; I’m the Culture Editor now.)
As for non-Texas bands,
The Dionysus Effect finally has a whole record out, and it’s still awesome. These boys are on a roll writing legit rock and roll with just the right amount of asking, “Think they’ll want a bump after I buy them a round of drinks?”
And finally, I caught Charles Wesley Godwin recently and holy fuck is that guy good. You should listen to him, too.
And that’s all I got. See you when I see you. Seriously, though, go buy my book.
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Megan's Top 11 Albums of 2021
These were counted in our year end poll.
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11. Brandi Carlile—In These Silent Days
10. Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, and Jon Randall—The Marfa Tapes
Perhaps it is only because of these songwriters’ stellar reputations that we are compelled to pay attention to a release like The Marfa Tapes. But the other side of this is that only special artists like these three could actually write and perform an entire album acoustically, with sounds of wind and fire and cows and planes echoing in the background, and manage to hold our attention simply because of the strength of the songs and the raw emotion and boundless charisma present in the delivery. It’s fair to say that anyone else who tried this would likely be ignored, but not many others could accomplish this with the same beauty and grace that Ingram, Lambert, and Randall have, keeping us listening long after the novelty of the approach has worn off and only the songs and performances remain.
9. Cole Chaney—Mercy
8. Carly Pearce—29: Written in Stone
What a joy to see an album like this emerging from Music Row and to watch Carly Pearce’s deserved success. To call Pearce’s divorce record the best mainstream country album of 2021 would be true but would also be selling the project short; it is simply one of the best country records of the year, no qualifiers. The fact that it came to us from mainstream Nashville only serves to prove that hope still lingers on Sixteenth Avenue.
7. James McMurtry—The Horses and the Hounds
James McMurtry’s songwriting is like that of no other. His prose is vividly rich in detail but composed in such a plainspoken manner that it remains accessible and relatable to us all. There is something uniquely charming about his frankness, something inherently poetic and refreshing in reflecting on all of the world’s hardships and then expressing a problem so mundane as constantly losing one’s glasses. These ruminations constitute some of the best songs of the year, and McMurtry remains one of the most interesting songwriters of his generation.
6. Shane Smith & the Saints—Live from the Desert
5. Margo Cilker—Pohorylle
Margo Cilker’s debut album is a classic case of the sum being better than its parts. There are no lyrical masterpieces and nothing to reinvent the wheel from a musical standpoint. Nevertheless, the simple yet lush arrangements, the production which carefully and thoughtfully enhances each song, Cilker’s excellent capacity for writing melodies and hooks, and the sense of place and general mood surrounding this whole record all come together to make one of the year’s standout albums.
4. Amythyst Kiah—Wary + Strange
3. The Steel Woods—All of Your Stones
2. Charles Wesley Godwin—How the Mighty Fall
Charles Wesley Godwin, through the poetry of his songs and the haunting qualities of his voice, has managed to set Appalachia to music. If Seneca was a perfect encapsulation of the place, then How the Mighty Fall can be called a perfect encapsulation of the region’s people. More than that, it is a commentary on desperation itself, both the circumstances which lead to it and the various lengths to which one will go when faced with it. Artists are often plagued by the idea of the sophomore slump, but Godwin second album is just as exceptional as his first.
Album of the Year: Jason Boland & the Stragglers—The Light Saw Me
The very audacity of the idea, the concept of making a country record about alien abduction and time travel, is proof enough of the innovation of Jason Boland & the Stragglers and should be applauded. But to pull it off so expertly and to somehow craft a story so universal and compelling is another thing entirely. Somehow, this eccentric album is one of the most accessible, engaging records of Boland’s career and demonstrates that country music can still cover new ground in 2021. Boland & the Stragglers prove that even within the confines of traditional country music, artists can still be creative, original, introspective, and forward-thinking.
Dec 29, 2021
Kevin's Top 11 Albums of 2021
By Kevin Broughton
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1. Jesse Daniel – Beyond These Walls
If FTM had a “follow-up album of the year” category, this one would win it unanimously. Stretching his legs from the Bakersfield love fest that was Rollin’ On, Daniel – by focusing on the simple things in life – has broadened his focus, showing a grateful audience just how great country music can be. He’s made a great leap forward with his vocals and songwriting, and those were already high bars. There’s not a weak cut on this album.
2. James McMurtry – The Horses And The Hounds
He’s just the Godfather.
I picture a room full of accomplished singer-songwriters trading shop talk when McMurtry walks in, and all of a sudden you can hear a pin drop. It’s been six years since his last album, and just like last time, there’s an effortless feel to this magnificent work of art. McMurtry combines imagery, geography and unrequited love better than Guy Clark, Lyle Lovett or Townes. I literally listened to “Canola Fields” seven times before moving on to the second cut. It’s on par with “Tangled Up In Blue.”
3. Mike & The Moonpies – One To Grow On
I’ll be shocked if this one doesn’t win the FTM overall prize. It’s merely flawless.
4. Charles Wesley Godwin – How The Mighty Fall
Speaking of great follow-ups, Geez. Seneca, Godwin’s stellar breakout record from 2019, was just a warmup, it seems, for his 2021 offering. There’s an intensity to his writing this time around that solidifies a rightful claim to be mentioned in the same breath as his Appalachian brethren: Simpson and Childers.
5. Jeremy Pinnell – Goodbye L.A.
One of the best pure country albums of the year. Ties of Blood and Affection in 2017 was a phenomenal record, but with a solid assist from quirky producer Jonathan Tyler, Pinnell has written his masterpiece. We should all give thanks that there’s a longer road in front of him than there is behind. And, who wants a monthly FTM Q & A with this jiu-jitsu practitioner on the intersection of mixed martial arts & country music?
6. Zach Schmidt – Raise A Banner
This was a record a long time in the making, but the Pittsburgh-born artist made the most of his time. Is it nice to walk into a studio with The 400 Unit for a backing band and Sadler Vaden producing? Sure. But this writing stands on its own, and even if You Don’t Know Zach Schmidt…you know the deal.
7. Blackberry Smoke – You Hear Georgia
Twenty years strong. Only a small handful of artists* can begin to make Southern rock like these guys. They’ve added some personnel to fill out the sound and become one of the darlings of the elite Yellowstone set-list crowd, but what you hear is what you get. “Hey Delilah,” one of many gems, is a love letter to Lowell George.
8. *Rob Leines – Blood, Sweat & Beers
This legit blue-collar rocker fronts a power trio turned up to ELEVEN, reminding the world and his Los Angeles environs of his proud Georgia roots. Skynyrd and CBD fans, step on up.
9. Tennessee Jet – South Dakota
A toned down follow-up to (my #1 in 2020) The Country gives the listener an even more intimate setting to sample this man of letters’ writing. “William Faulkner,” just like the author, indeed.
10. The High Hawks – The High Hawks
What started as a fun thing for a collection of jam/string band guys became a passion project – with tours to boot. Open, free and joyous, smart money says this ain’t a one-off.
11. Mac Leaphart – Music City Joke
Just outstanding writing that leaves folks wanting more.
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