This is the last list before the year-ender, which will be voted on by all Farce the Music contributors. These are only Trailer's selections. Note: A few recent releases like Kelsey Waldon, Billy Strings, etc. have not yet had enough spins to make the list, but likely would have in time.
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1. Vandoliers - Forever
2. Molly Tuttle - When You’re Ready
3. Baroness - Gold & Grey
4. Black Pumas -s/t
5. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Bandana
6. The Highwomen - s/t
7. Mike & The Moonpies - Cheap Silver & Solid Country Gold
A Name to Noe: Ian Noe’s Debut Album, Between The Country Is More Than Worth Your Time
Review by Travis Erwin
Hailing from Western Kentucky, Ian Noe’s voice sounds strikingly similar to that of John Prine - to the point a casual listener might initially confuse the two. Musically, Noe’s upcoming album, Between The Country utilizes a variety of melodies and sounds, but my prevailing take away is that young Mr. Noe was heavily influenced by The Flying Burrito Brothers, and the lineage of country rock bands that followed.
This fusion of undeniably Kentuckian vocals, and the guitar heavy country rock that sprang from California back in the late 60s, works quite well and it is this combo that does the majority of the lifting. No band capitalized on that sound more than the Eagles, and on more than one track I was left thinking this reminds me of the Eagles, but with a ton more emotion and grit.
The blend of vocals and melody left me wishing Prine and Linda Ronstadt had given the world a love child. Actually, Ian Noe might very well be that love child. Okay, not biologically of course, but certainly by way of his music.
Noe flexes his timeless songwriting craft throughout the album, with a collection of stories about the downtrodden, the desperate, and the degenerate. The characters in his songs feel honest and real, and through them, the listener has little choice but to empathize as we share in their pains, their hopes, and their inevitable falls.
The album opens with the prodigal daughter, “Irene (Ravin’ Bomb),” arriving drunk and on her momma’s front porch. A ballad of addiction, it sets the tone for the rest of the tracks.
“Barbara’s Song” offers a montage of characters headed for their doom aboard a train, bound for nowhere. The calm before the end brings home the unfolding tragedy. I struggled a bit to wrap my head around “Junk Town” a song full of sorrowful harmonies and a rusty metaphor for the coming end that never fully materialized for me, though the pair of songs contrast in that one is a look at sudden death while the second sheds light on the emotion of a long, slow passing.
Love is served up in the next few tracks. “Letter To Madeline” as an outlaw writes to his beloved for what no doubt will be the last time. “Loving You” pulls in elements of the blues and the strong tradition of old, sad country songs to bring out the heartache most of us have been hit with at one time or another.
“That Kind of Life” rides the easy vibes of the dog days of summer to showcase a laidback lifestyle that often goes unappreciated. This smooth song of people living and getting along gives way to the slow roll of dark and murky storytelling in “Dead On The River.”
We’ve all been told of the thin line between love and hate, but the eighth track on Between The Country walk a different line. Proving the gap between hope and despair is indeed narrow, “If Today Doesn’t Do Me In” is perhaps my favorite track among the ten offerings.
The next to last track drags us even deeper into the dark side of society. “Meth Head” is a term bantered about in communities across the country and at this point no further explanation is needed to conjure a mental idea and image but on this track Noe gives us the intimate look at those who have fallen prey to this bathtub and back room concoction.
The namesake single is the final track of Between The Country. Laying out a bleak look at the urban side of Western Kentucky complete with a line to go with the imagery of the cover the songwriting is full of powerful lines that go with what is a powerful and dark debut for Noe. His musical influences merge and blend to give us a talented new voice and writer on the scene.
Overall, the album takes a hard truthful look at a place that has seen plenty of hard difficult times. Sure there are glimpses of hope and happiness, but the album gives us a look at what happened to Western Kentucky after Mr. Peabody hauled paradise away.
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Travis Erwin is Texas boy now living the life of a free-spirited writer in sunny Southern California. A long time music blogger and sports writer, Travis is the author of a comedic memoir titled, THE FEEDSTORE CHRONICLES, and a pair of novels, TWISTED ROADS and WAITING ON THE RIVER. His latest release is a joint, short story/EP collective with singer/songwriter Dan Johnson, titled HEMINGWAY.
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Between the Country is available tomorrow everywhere.
It’s a slow news week. We don’t have a lot to make fun of. Well, that’s not fair. There’s always douches to make fun of.
Anyhow, in the quest for world domination via my laptop, I miss out on a lot of new releases. I’m always writing or reading, and because I have music ADD, I can’t write while listening to anything but hip-hop. Once I hear a guitar get down, I fall down the rabbit hole and next thing I know, I’ve bought everything on vinyl and now know who’s produced the last three Black Angels records.
Despite reviewing records or writing about new bands, tons of stuff falls through the cracks. So, to fix that, here are some things that I think you need in your life, or at least give a listen to the next time you fire up the ol’ Spotify.
1. Luke Winslow-King – I’m Glad Trouble Don’t Last Always
This one vexes me. Luke Winslow King is from New Orleans. I lived in New Orleans for seven years. I have mutual Facebook friends with him and yet, he slipped by me.
Either way, be sure to add this track to the playlist. It’s a slow blues roaster that oozes deep soul that honestly, I couldn’t believe came from the Crescent City. In my time living there, the godfather was and still is Little Freddie King. But, but this cat, he’s got chops for days. New Orleans has some good blues guys, but most of the tunes popping off from the clubs feature brass. This is a solid surprise.
I did some recon and checked out his catalog. A lot of it is along the lines of earlier Pokey LaFarge and CW Stoneking, which is super cool, but when Luke Winslow-King does the slippery blues riffs, I feel that all day.
2. Fit For An Autopsy – The Great Collapse
I’m from an older generation of hardcore. I grew up in the music. I’ve been going to hardcore and metal shows for over twenty-two years. I’m picky about metal, and I’m way harsh on hardcore bands. I don’t want to hear singing unless your Glassjaw or Alexisonfire or Every Time I Die. Everyone else, keep the vocals heavy and the riffs brutal.
When it comes to deathcore, I shy away from it because of its obsession with breakdowns. Like everyone else, I love a good breakdown, but I don’t want it to be the whole track. I need other flavors. I’ve seen the Fit For An Autopsy name pop up here and there but dismissed it as just cheesy deathcore.
Shout out to Sirius XM’s Liquid Metal, because the track Iron Moon off of the new album Black Mammoth came on, and I was immediately in love. Since stumbling upon the band, I’ve devoured the new record. It’s heavy, super tight and the riffs are insane.
I saw a bit of his set before catching Colter Wall earlier this month. What I saw impressed me, so I checked him out. Damn, son. Y’all need to get this dude into your life. Ian Noe gives off a 60’s singer-songwriter vibe that doesn’t come off as hokey or forced. He sounds straight out of the Neil Young or Donovan songbook, which is awesome. The vocals are big and bright with that vocal style you just don’t hear contemporary guys do anymore; Ian Noe’s style just feels so authentically American. Many artists try to pull this sound off and fail miserably, but Ian Noe does it with precision. I can’t wait to catch him on a bill again. I’ll be sure to make it on time for his set.
Those are my hot takes. Watch the videos. There’s some good stuff there.
