New Video: Drive-by Truckers - What It Means (Live Clip)

From the forthcoming American Band.

Drive-by Truckers - Ronnie and Neil

Saturday Night Music: Drive-by Truckers - "Zip City"

Live Review: William Clark Green - Hill Country BBQ - Washington D.C.

William Clark Green

By Matthew Martin

The first thing you notice when you go to a show at Hill Country BBQ here in DC is usually the smell of delicious Texas-style BBQ cooking on the main level.  Once you get downstairs, the second thing you notice is how un-DC it is.  The small venue which holds about 300 brings lots of smaller (at least in this region) country and roots acts from across the country to a small, intimate stage.  Usually you can be right up close and personal with artists who are on their way to never playing to as little as 300 people on a bad night in a different country.  I saw Sturgill Simpson play here 2 years ago and I believe there were around 50 people.  That singular experience has shaped my love for this little venue in the heart of DC.

So, with that in mind, after the recommendation of this great site's end of year list and word from my girlfriend's sister and her boyfriend, I ended up at Hill Country on Saturday night to watch William Clark Green.  

To be honest, I had listened to his latest album a time or two, but I just didn't put in much time with it for whatever reason.  Life, other albums, and work can sometimes get in my way, but that's neither here nor there.  As the show got closer to start time, the bar filled up with ex-Texans (you don't have to ask Texans if they are from Texas, they'll proudly tell you without provocation). 

The show kicked off with "Next Big Thing" off of Green's recent album Ringling Road.  By the end of the song, I knew it was going to be a hell of a show.  While the song on the album is a damn good song, the song live hit another level.  I mean, it had more bite than what is already a biting song- the sarcasm soaked chorus was a stellar singalong among the nearly 300 people there.  It did leave me wondering how many people in the crowd had labeled WCG as the next big thing themselves.  I mean, it's so easy to do these days where we WANT an artist as honest and as talented as WCG to be the next big thing.  We try to will them to be the next big thing.  But, as WCG asks, "what's that mean?"  But, that's a conversation for another day and beer...

As I mentioned earlier, I hadn't really heard much of WCG until the last few months, so I had no real idea what to expect out of the show.  And, let me tell you, that may have been the best way to see the show.  I mean, WCG and his backing band played with a cohesion many bands I've seen wish they played with.  On songs like "She Likes The Beatles" and "Ringling Road," the band truly shined.  WCG commands his bandmates to keep up with his never-ending energy, and they are more than capable of responding to the task.

By the end of the show, it's safe to say that WCG had gained a few new fans.  A few years ago I really couldn't get into the whole Red Dirt/Texas Country scene.  For some reason, it seemed somewhat bland.  It wasn't long after that that it hit me (I think it was when I saw Reckless Kelly and Randy Rogers Band).  Since first becoming truly enamored with the whole scene, I don't think any band has been more invigorating or more fun to watch live.  I saw Drive-By Truckers a couple of weeks ago at the esteemed 9:30 Club here in DC.  It was amazing.  I don't know how William Clark Green's career will go.  I know how it should go.  He SHOULD be the next big thing.  He SHOULD be selling out the 9:30 Club along with the likes of Drive-By Truckers.  It starts with us, the fans.  This guy is the real deal, y'all.  Go see him when he comes around.  Go buy his whole catalog. 

Road Dispatch: Jonathan Tyler at the Variety Playhouse

Road Dispatch: Jonathan Tyler at the Variety Playhouse

By Kevin Broughton

On a Thursday night in Atlanta’s Little Five Points, Jonathan Tyler is in an expansive mood. In a couple hours, he’ll open for the amazing Ron Pope and The Nighthawks, then join them for a couple months’ worth of shows on this leg of their nationwide tour.  

Tyler’s 2015 release, Holy Smokes, opened to wide critical acclaim and was a springboard to several lengthy tours for him and his stellar backing band, as they opened at various times for the Drive By Truckers, Warren Haynes, and Ray Wiley Hubbard. On this night, though, it’s just Tyler and his guitar. And the aforementioned Mr. Pope? He hails from suburban Marietta, and this 18-and-up show – at the iconic Variety Playhouse -- will be packed with local partisans hailing the hometown hero. No pressure at all.

Over boiled peanuts and Bud heavies and a mostly off-the-record discussion,* Tyler holds forth on the challenges of gigs like this one. “I like playing solo shows because they put me on the spot,” he says.  “It's sink or swim.  There's no drumbeat or bass line to hide behind.  So if the lyrics and the melody don't hold water you're sinking and everybody in the room knows it.”

In his case, it’s no overstatement. Tyler’s band is a stand-alone entity in its own right, Rise and Shine. Their tight arrangements on Holy Smokes were damn near perfect, and he’ll produce their forthcoming album; their absence isn’t an oh-by-the-way thing. Pressure?

“There are times I get nervous enough to drink a liter of whiskey but that's mainly when I'm overthinking things,” says Tyler.  “I think I'm finally getting to the point that I've accepted myself and don't really care if I bomb cause I know I'm gonna wake up tomorrow and get another shot.”

Fittingly, at this point Pope strolls into the watering hole, where a table of about a dozen family and well-wishers greet the local hero. Tyler glances at the scene, then at a visitor. “I guess it’ll be a big crowd, huh?” he says with a grin. 

He’s right. Pope is as big a draw as you’d expect in his hometown. Bigger than James McMurtry last spring. And probably as big as Steve Earle and the Del McCoury band, circa 1998. Tyler walks out with his black Gibson acoustic, greets the packed house somewhat meekly, and launches into a 10-song set almost exclusively from his new album. 

And something’s immediately noticeable about this crowd: he has them. It’s a respectful audience, the kind you see regularly in Austin and wish you had in your town. What’s remarkable is they’re all here to see the headliners; and they don’t make a peep. No grumbling between songs, or agitating for the lead act. They’re listening, and roaring their approval after every song. 

Three songs in, Tyler trades the Gibson for a ’73 Telecaster and busts out “River Bottom,” “Honey Pie” and “The Devil’s Basement,” and everyone in the venue is paying rapt attention. 

On seeing Tyler with his band, you notice how comparable the live sound is to the album; Holy Smokes wasn’t just slick production. At a solo gig – the first one he’s done in about a year – what’s immediately obvious is that the lyrics, melody and vocals do indeed “hold up,” even at an acoustic setting in big venue. He has this crowd in his hand.

This Pope-crazed audience is both appreciative and understanding of Tyler, bearing with him between songs as he grabs the wrong harp, or is momentarily perplexed by a mislaid capo. “I’m actually looking for my capo,” he says, concealing some stress. “But I’ll be okay…” Mercifully, the missing implement is at his feet, and he won’t be forced to play “To Live is to Fly,” not only without duet partner Nikki Lane, but also in a much lower key. 

Picking over the last of the boiled peanuts before show time, Tyler mentioned those moments that make it worthwhile. “When everything connects it feels like I'm channeling God and I ride that wave till they kick me off stage.”

As he wound up his set with electrified versions of “Late Night Special” and “Gypsy Woman,” Tyler may not have channeled The Almighty, but he certainly rode a helluva wave. It portends well for the rest of the tour, and validates Pope’s choice for an opening act: a seasoned pro who shines in any setting.   

 

* Topics may or may not have included: making music with Nikki Lane; United States fiscal policy; whether bro country has its roots in shitty 80s hair music; and the perils of telling Donald Trump jokes to a New York audience. (The biggest peril is cricket noises.)

Album Review: Jason Isbell - Something More Than Free

By Kevin Broughton

Anyone who’s ever loved the Drive By Truckers has that first, seminal encounter story. Mine was the Friday after Thanksgiving, 2001. I’d heard The Southern Rock Opera (release date: September 12, 2001, how’s that for strange luck?), and been teleported back to my childhood in early-1980s Florida. Real, Southern rock and roll, and nobody else was playing it.

That first show in my immersion:  The Nick, in Birmingham.  I saw the DBT, and my musical life changed in a bar the size of your living room.  For five years, if they were playing within 300 miles, I was on the road. Oh, and at that Nick show? There was this young, third guitarist playing with them. It was his fourth show with the band, and his name was Jason Isbell.

For many DBT fans, it wasn’t until Isbell was gone until they realized he was the backbone of an important band. That band will never be the same, and the three-album run they had with Isbell will forever be considered DBT’s high-water mark.

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Draw a straight line between the last cut of Isbell’s Here We Rest (a hopeful, joyful “Tour of Duty”) and the first song on his new album, Something More Than Free (“If it Takes a Lifetime.”)

That vector was Southeastern, Isbell’s sobriety record, and the notice-serving album that a generation had its songwriting gold standard. Dark? He referred to it in a recent interview as having “a high body count.” A bit of an understatement, unless you were an intimate of Pol Pot. I listened to it twice, the week it came out. Just stopped cutting. I kid.

A story song isn’t worth listening to – or writing, presumably – if it doesn’t pierce a little bit of you. Southeastern’s characters scooped out most of your innards. On Something More Than Free, they offer equal parts hope, redemption and humility, while reminding us their creator is intense even when he lightens up.

“If it Takes a Lifetime” opens the record with a man determined to make the most of a second chance. “I don’t keep liquor here; never cared for wine or beer. And workin’ for the county keeps me pissin’ clear.” It’s a perfect jumping-off point for a follow-up album with a high bar to meet.

“Flagship” packs an album’s worth of tenderness and romance into four minutes, and may be Isbell’s best love song. With its acoustic arrangement and his sweet voice, it’s one you’ll want to hit “repeat” on.  

Isbell delves into characters with a level of introspection and incisiveness most writers can’t even contemplate. And with the impending arrival of his first child with wife Amanda Shires, it’s not surprising he takes a couple cracks at the parenthood thing.

“Children of Children” is a sobering look at the topic. Isbell – born when his own mother was 15 – neatly divides the song in two.  The first half could be Harvest-era Neil Young acoustic, with a money line: “I was riding on my mother’s hip, she was shorter than the corn. All the years I took from her, just by being born.” It’s punctuated by an instrumental back half that’s both sweeping and orchestral.

“Speed Trap Town” sees a guy who’ll say a final goodbye to an ICU-bound father before leaving for good. “He was a tough state trooper till a decade back, till a girl who wasn’t mama caused his heart attack. He didn’t care about us when he was walking around; just pullin’ over women in a speed trap town.” Lord.

There are dozens of intense couplets like that all over the record; about, in other words, what you’d expect from a songwriting mensch who’s hit such a stride it’s hard to imagine an upper limit.

Isbell has one-upped himself again, this time with an album that actually lets you breathe a little. The opening song’s character vows to “keep my spirits high…find happiness by and by, if it takes a lifetime.” Not unlike, it seems, the artist has.

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Something More Than Free is available Friday (July 17, 2015) EVERYWHERE.

Below, you'll find the two lyric videos Isbell has released for SMTF thus far.

Saturday Night Music: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Saturday Night Music: Drive-by Truckers

Matthew Martin's Top 10 Albums of 2014

10. St. Paul & The Broken Bones - Half The City
This AL band generated quite the buzz before this album ever hit shelves - and with good reason.  This album is full of near-perfect throwback soul/funk gems that Alabama is getting good at reviving.

 

9. Gary Clark Jr. - Live
The first time I ever actually heard Gary Clark Jr was when I saw him live in Baltimore at a small venue called the 8x10. When I heard his debut album, I wasn't in love because of the slick production and added, unnecessary instruments.  That's why I think this album is so essential.  This is GCJr at his best.  Live, blistering, and unrelenting.

 

8. Natural Child - Dancin' With Wolves
I don't want to say Natural Child hit their stride on this album, but rather, they hit their comfort zone. Adding pedal steel and keys to the band, they have created, essentially, a modern day Harvest.

 

7. Mastodon - Once More Round The Sun
This happens to be my favorite Mastodon record to date. While that may not be a popular opinion among some Mastodon faithful,  I believe this is Mastodon doing what they do best.  Each song hits at break-neck speed and by the time you reach the last quarter of the album,  you equally beg for the onslaught to cease and to continue.

 

6. Lucero - Live From Atlanta
Another live album on this list because of how significant I think this one is.  Lucero is a great band.  They have transitioned from a cowpunk band to this band we have today at little-to-no detriment to their core sound.  This album is document of that complete transformation and more proof that if you have not seen Lucero live, you have to do so immediately.

 

5. Drive-by Truckers - English Oceans
Cooley. Really, the review could end there, but what fun would that be? With Cooley and Hood splitting the duties here, this album finds the Drive-By Truckers yet again reworking the band and creating something even stronger and tighter.  While I, unabashedly, really have enjoyed most of what DBT have put out, this album will arguably stand out as one of their greatest.

 

4. The Hold Steady - Teeth Dreams
I don't even know what to say about this album. It's great. There isn't a bad song on here. When I first listened, I'll admit, I was a little taken aback by the production quality (maybe too slick?), but as time has gone on and I've listened to the album numerous times, I have realized that there is not one thing wrong with this album.

 

3. Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues
On importance alone, this album deserves to be in the #1 spot.  But, this album happened to be released in a year that 2 other great albums were also released.  Musically and lyrically, this is a near perfect album.  Laura Jane Grace sings her heart out about a hell few of us know much about.  Give this album a listen, then listen again, then listen one more time.  It's absolutely stellar.

 

2. Sturgill Simpson - Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
Another important album- albeit for different reasons- Simpson's Metamodern Sounds in Country Music attempts to take everything we know about traditional country music and turn it on its head.  Simpson sings about LSD, reptile aliens, and love- all on the first track of the album.  As the album progresses, it's clear you're listening to something familiar and incredibly unique all at once.  Country music fans have been waiting for something like this, and I hope this album clears the path for other artists more inclined to sing about interesting topics- rather than trucks, beer, and backroads.

 

1. Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires - Dereconstructed
Speaking of important albums, I'm not sure there has been a more important Southern album.  This one came out and completely shattered my expectations.  Taking shots at the Southern ideology that still permeates some of Southern culture, the album is important because it shows that you can love something so much that you can recognize the attributes that sicken you and try to attack those head-on.  The South is a great place, but there are lots of things, past and present, that are nauseating.  LB3 attacks every angle with pinpoint accuracy.  And, let's not forget the incredible music on this album.  LB3 and band sound perfect on this album with, in my opinion, perfect production styles suited to the band's sound and style.  Oh, and if you haven't read Bitter Southerner's write-up on this band and album, please do so now!

____________

By Matthew Martin

FTM's Favorite Albums of 2014: 21-50

There will be commentary included with the top 20. These are all excellent. Trust me.

21. Spoon - They Want My Soul

22. Cahalen Morrison & Country Hammer - The Flower of Muscle Shoals

23. Jim Lauderdale - I'm a Song

24. Mastodon - Once More 'Round the Sun

 25. Drive-by Truckers - English Oceans

26. Caleb Caudle - Paint Another Layer on My Heart

27. Jason Eady - Daylight and Dark

28. Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis - Our Year

29. Wade Bowen - s/t

 30. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold

31. Beck - Morning Phase

32. Nikki Lane - All or Nothin'

33. Big K.R.I.T. - Cadillactica

34. Angaleena Presley - American Middle Class

35. Whiskey Myers - Early Morning Shakes

36. The Dirty River Boys - s/t

 37. Karen Jonas - Oklahoma Lottery

38. John Fullbright - Songs

39. Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else

40. Lake Street Dive - Bad Self Portraits

 41. Shakey Graves - And the War Came

42. Old Crow Medicine Show - Remedy

43. Ryan Adams - s/t

 44. Freddie Gibbs and Madlib - Piñata

45. Centro-matic - Take Pride in Your Long Odds

46. Ty Segall - Manipulator

47. Jack White - Lazaretto

48. Adam Hood - Welcome to the Big World

49. Robert Ellis - The Lights From the Chemical Plant

 50. Kierston White - Don't Write Love Songs

FTM Fantasy Football Team Names

The NFL gets rolling next week, so it's fantasy draft time! I only have 2 fantasy teams this year. That's low for me.... They're named "Blake Shelton's Ego" and "Reptile Aliens Made of Light." Here are some other suggested music-related fantasy football team names by me and some of FTM's Facebook and Twitter pals. You're welcome to steal them because you probably aren't in the same leagues...

Willie's Buds
Stand By Your Manziel
Do the Sankey Legg -Russell Parmele
The Hell Mama Raised
Cash's Walk the Liners -Ray Weaver
Call Me the Brees
The Men (or Women) in Black
Lawrence Taylor Swift -Perry Brown (of Fire Mountain)
Don't Come Around Here Romo
Touchdown Troubadours
Boy Named Suh
You Never Even Called Me Legedu Naanee
Honky Tonk Heroes
Gridiron Maiden -Scott Bumpus
Wake Me Up Before You Romo -Joe Fink 

Montee Mountain High
Sunday Manning Coming Down -Ryan Depew
She Likes the Bortles (And I Like the Stones) -Ryan Depew
Black Sheep of the Fantasy League
Florida Georgia Linebackers -Mike Holcomb
Gimme Three Downs
Talkin' Seattle Seahawks Blues
Manning, I Feel Like a Woman -Andrew Lacy
Don't Rocca the Jukebox
Bad Bad Cleveland Browns -Matt Bjorke
Don't Cry For Me, Joe Montana -Matt Bjorke
The Snake Farmers
Taylor Swift's Red Zone -Jeremy Plotkin
C.J. Spiller's Still the King
Forte Good Times
Retribution Honkytonkists -Gahteeriffico
Me & Robby G
Let There Be Gronk
Shit Mountain KingTurds -'Rev' Brian T Sloane
Third Rate Romo
Tom Brady & The Heartbreakers
LeSean Remains the Same
Welker to the Jungle -Kenny Graves
The Age of Demaryius -Kenny Graves
Mrs. Stevan Ridley
The Whiskey (Phillip) Rivers
Ballou Ballers -Rita Ballou
Amendola by Morning

*I would include one entry by my good friend Anthony Mayhan, but it was a bit too un-PC.

Top Albums of 2014: 1/2 Report

This will change a great deal in the next 6 months, but it gives you a good snapshot of just how strong the music world is right now - despite my usual rantings and ravings otherwise.

1. Sturgill Simpson - Metamodern Sounds in Country Music

2. Adam Faucett - Blind Water Finds Blind Water

3. Lydia Loveless - Somewhere Else

4. John Fullbright - Songs

5. Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis - Our Year

6. The War on Drugs - Lost In the Dream

7. Drive-by Truckers - English Oceans

8. Jimbo Mathus - Dark Night of the Soul

9. Fire Mountain - All Dies Down

10. Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires - Dereconstructed

11. Old 97s - Most Messed Up

12. St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Half the City

13. Kelsey Waldon - The Goldmine

14. Caleb Caudle - Paint Another Layer on My Heart

15. Nikki Lane - All or Nothin'

16. Matt Woods - With Love From Brushy Mountain

17. Jason Eady - Daylight and Dark

18. Josh Nolan - Fair City Lights

19. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold

20. Beck - Morning Phase

21. Whiskey Myers - Early Morning Shakes

22. Willie Nelson - Band of Brothers

23. Jeff Whitehead - Bloodhound Heart

24. Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else

25. Mastodon - Once More 'Round the Sun

Favorite Songs of 2014: 1/2 Report

Here are my favorite songs of the year thus far. No rankings yet; they're arranged only in alphabetical order at this point. You may notice a glaring omission, namely Sturgill Simpson. Problem is, even after 30+ listens to Metamodern Sounds in Country Music (which you'll see on the best 

albums list later today), I still can't pick out a favorite. If forced, I'd probably go with 

"Turtles All the Way Down." A Spotify playlist has been added below.

Saturday Night Music: Drive-by Truckers

New(ish) Video: Drive-by Truckers

Best Albums of 2014 So Far: 1/4 Report

Subject to change, one of these hasn't been released yet, blah blah disclaimers...

1. Lydia Loveless - Somewhere Else

2. Drive-by Truckers - English Oceans

3. Jimbo Mathus - Dark Night of the Soul

4. St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Half the City

5. Beck - Morning Phase

6. Jason Eady - Daylight and Dark

7. Josh Nolan - Fair City Lights

8. Whiskey Myers - Early Morning Shakes

9. Red Eye Gravy - Dust Bowl Hangover

10. Chad Sullins and the Last Call Coalition - Wicked Spell

11. Jeff Whitehead - Bloodhound Heart

12. The Bigsbys - Good Will Suitcase

13. Lake Street Dive - Bad Self Portraits

14. Those Crosstown Rivals - Hell and Back

15. Hard Working Americans - s/t

16. Rosanne Cash - The River & The Thread

17. Mat D and the Profane Saints - Holyoke

18. Water Liars - s/t

19. Robert Ellis - The Lights From the Chemical Plant

20. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Give the People What They Want

New Drive-by Truckers (with Peter Buck) - Primer Coat

Here's a new song from Drive-by Truckers' forthcoming album English Oceans (out next Tuesday), "Primer Coat," performed live with former REM guitarist Peter Buck. You can now stream the whole album here.

Monday Afternoon Videos

With the tragic news of the shootings at the Navy yard in DC, we're gonna postpone your regularly scheduled "hatin'" posts till tomorrow. For now, enjoy a few requested videos from Son Volt, DBTs and Jason Isbell!

Saturday Night Music: Drive-By Truckers

Little Known Facts: April '13

McDonald's recently forgot to give Taylor Swift apple dippers with her Happy Meal. 

I'm sure the song inspired by this will be a huge hit.

Due to some bad investments the devil was forced to sell his collection of souls to Mike Curb in 2009.

Drive-by Truckers' recent personnel changes have led to a new direction for them. 

The new keytar player and DJ have really expanded on their southern rock sound.

The writers of "1994" spent 90 minutes attempting to explain to Jason Aldean who Joe Diffie is.

Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory steps into a phone booth and removes his Members Only jacket. 

Seconds later out steps Rick Grimes of The Walking Dead television series.

Blake Shelton's dignity and ability to choose a good song were contained within his mullet.

You can not have both a man card and a favorite Hunter Hayes song.

An actual chicken writes all of the songs for The Imperial Rooster.

Cletus T Judd was forced into retirement when country music became a parody of itself.

A Graco booster seat autographed and used by Justin Moore recently sold on eBay for $267.00.

Shooter Jennings bought that booster seat.

Kenny Rogers will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this year; 

his face will be inducted in 20 years.